Pastoral Councils in the Planning Process
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!

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 and discussion
  • 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 (3 options)
  • 2:15pm – Break
  • 2:30pm – Breakout sessions block B (3 options)
  • 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

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.