Conversation, Discernment, Sharing of Gifts: Effective Planning with Pastoral Councils
July 27 – 29, 2026
Join colleagues from the dioceses of the United States for the annual meeting of the Diocesan Planners Network. This summer, we’ll be discussing the role of the parish pastoral council in the process of pastoral planning at the diocesan, regional, or parish levels. Count on a few days of camaraderie, prayer, networking, and formation!
Location: The Church of St. Edward, 9401 Nesbitt Avenue South, Bloomington, MN 55437
Housing: Discounted rate lodging is available for a limited at the Embassy Suites Minneapolis Bloomington Edina (2800 American Blvd W, Bloomington, MN 55431). Rooms are available for $149/night (before taxes and fees). Please note that discounted rate bookings are only available until Friday, June 19. Click here to book: https://bit.ly/DPN_2026.
Transportation: Shuttle services will be available between the Embassy Suites Minneapolis Bloomington Edina and the Church of St. Edward on each day of the gathering. Attendees staying at other hotels should plan their own transportation between their accommodation and the church. The shuttle schedule is:
| Date | Time & Direction |
|---|---|
| Monday, July 27 | 12:30 – 1:30pm — Pickup at hotel, dropoff at St. Edwards 8:30 – 9:30pm — Pickup at St. Edwards, dropoff at hotel |
| Tuesday, July 28 | 7:30 – 8:30am — Pickup at hotel, dropoff at St. Edwards 4:30 – 5:30pm — Pickup at St. Edwards, dropoff at hotel |
| Wednesday, July 29 | 7:30 – 8:30am — Pickup at hotel, dropoff at St. Edwards 11:30am – 12:30pm — Pickup at St. Edwards, dropoff at hotel |
Registration Cost: There are three different registration options for those interested in attending:
- 3-day (July 27-29) registration (incl. dinner on days 1 and 2, breakfast and lunch on day 2) – $250
- Local day (July 28) registration with dinner – $90
- Local day (July 28) without dinner – $50
Event Focus Areas
- Pastoral Council in the Planning Process
- Pastoral Council as a prime exercise in synodality
- Continuing Formation and future planning for the Diocesan Planners Network
Event Overview
- Day 1 — Opening keynote, plenary session, and group discussions
- Day 2 — Study day with local staff and leaders
- Day 3 — Closing plenary session and next steps for DPN
Tentative Agenda
- Day 1
- 1:30pm – Event starts & opening keynote
- 2:15pm – Opening keynote: Foundations of Synodality and Implications for Ministry
- 5:00pm – Break
- 5:30pm – Evening prayer
- 6:00pm – Dinner
- 7:00pm – Engaging Synodality: A Communal Discernment Experience (w. Robert Choiniere)
- Day 2 (local day)
- 8:30am – Welcome and opening prayer
- 9:00am – Pastoral Councils: Exercising the Organs of Synodality in the Body of Christ (w. Robert Choiniere)
- 11:00am – Break
- 11:15am – Mass
- 12:00pm – Lunch
- 1:00pm – Breakout sessions block A
- Peripheral Listening: A Synodal Process at the Margins of the Church
- Planning in Rural Communities
- Parish Pastoral Councils: Best Practices in Recruitment and Formation
- 2:15pm – Break
- 2:30pm – Breakout sessions block B
- From Data to Discernment: How Data Supports Council Discernment and Planning
- Planning in Rural Communities
- Parish Pastoral Councils: Best Practices in Discernment
- Planning in Rural Communities
- 3:45pm – Conclusion of local day & evening prayer
- 4:30pm – Break
- 6:00pm – Dinner
- Day 3
- 8:30am – Takeaways from the local day
- 9:00am – Panel: Councils in the Diocesan Planning Process (includes mid-discussion break)
- 11:00am – Evaluation & closing prayer
- 12:00pm – Optional Mass with St. Edward community
- 1:00 – 4:00pm – Local ministry tour: From Crisis to Grace and Solidarity: Leadership Response in Three South Minneapolis Parishes from 2020 to Present
Click here to see descriptions of our confirmed presentations & outings.
Register Below
About Our Presenter
Dr. Robert Choiniere, D.Min.currently serves as the Executive Director for Ministries for the Sisters of St. Joseph in Orange, CA and is the Founder and Executive Director of Ignatian Encounter Ministry, a virtual platform for global Conversations in the Spirit and CiS facilitator training.
Dr. Choiniere was a professor of theology at Fordham University in New York City and recently returned from a sabbatical at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome where he studied synodality and assisted in the preparations for the Synod on Synodality.
Robert has an extensive background in pastoral planning and ecclesial consultation serving as the Director of Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Brooklyn and Parish Pastoral Council Coordinator in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia. He is also the former chair of the Conference of Pastoral Planning and Council Development (CPPCD). He is the recipient of the CPPCD Yves Congar Award for Excellence in Pastoral Planning.
Robert is also a certified spiritual director. He founded and was the first administrator of a parish-based spiritual director formation program at the Church of St. Francis Xavier in New York City.
He is also a founding member and former Managing Director of Stages on the Sound, Inc., a non-profit theatre education company serving Catholic elementary schools in New York and surrounding dioceses.
Robert holds a Doctor of Ministry from Fordham University, an MA in Pastoral Ministry from Boston College and a BA in Theology and Theatre from DeSales University and a post-doctoral diploma in Leadership and Management from the Pontifical Gregorian University.
Dr. Choiniere is the author of The Engaged Parish: A Practical Guide to Creating a Community of Spiritual Discernment and is a regular daily reflection contributor to Give Us This Day. He is also the Creator of the interview-based play Full of Grace: Faith Journeys of LGBT Catholics.
When he is not working, he enjoys wandering the ancient pilgrim roads of Europe.