Our New Strategic Plan
Dear Parish Family,
Over the past five years, our mission at Our Lady of Perpetual Help has become clear: to build up the Body of Christ. That mission continues to guide us as we follow the Lord with joy, make disciples in our homes and parish, and seek out those who have yet to encounter His love.
This vision is more than just words—it is the heartbeat of our community. That is why we are thrilled to share the fruit of months of prayerful discernment: a new Strategic Plan to guide our parish for the next few years. Developed by our Pastoral Council and leadership team, this roadmap focuses on three key priorities:
- Secure the Future Strengthening financial stability, caring for our campus, and building strong leadership.
- Grow Community
Fostering a culture of welcome, inviting more families, and reaching out with service and hospitality. - Deepen the Faith
Enriching formation for all ages, expanding adult spirituality, and creating a deeper sense of belonging.
We introduced these goals during our recent Parish Town Hall, and your response has been inspiring. If you missed it, do not worry! We will be hosting another Town Hall this fall to continue the conversation, share updates, and hear from even more voices.
In the meantime, we still want to hear from you!
Send your questions or ideas to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Keep an eye on the bulletin in the coming weeks for more details.
Let us keep moving forward—joyfully, prayerfully, and together.
In Christ,
Fr. Joel
What is a Strategic Plan?
By Michael Hoeschele
Our mission is our Why, our Vision is our What and a Strategic Plan provides us with our how. This will be our road map as a parish to ensure that we stay on track and continue to follow our North Star. Resources such as time, volunteers, and financial resources are always limited or finite. Having this roadmap allows us to avoid detours and prioritize what we do to reach our goals as a parish. Detours will always happen!! Having a strategic plan allows us to get back on course when they do. Never losing sight of our Mission and Vision in all that we do!
Our strategic plan is 3 years in length so that as the road ahead changes, we then come back, re-evaluate, and design the map for the 3 years after that. An ever-changing world with an everlasting mission!
Over the last year and a half our parish (including the pastoral council, finance council, staff, building and grounds committee and countless other volunteers) have been working to develop a strategic plan that embraces the legacy of over a century as a parish, leaning on the amazing things we are already doing as a parish to build up the body of Christ and identify areas of focus for the near future to continue to achieve our mission.
Where do we want to put our focus over the next 3 years in order to best Build up the Body of Christ as a Parish together?
This Plan is formatted with 3 overarching goals, these goals are then more clearly defined with measurable objectives that allows us to keep a pulse on whether we are making progress on those goals and finally activities are the day to day things we do that help us make progress on those objectives.
Next week we will present our first goal to Secure the Future, so be sure to grab a bulletin to follow our story.
Strategic Plan, wk 2
Securing the Future
By Marianne Linka
This week, we outline our goal to Secure the Future. Before we talk about the future, let's explore our past.
Our parish was founded in 1919, as the Catholic population in Maple Shade had grown large enough to support its own parish. The first Mass was celebrated in the silk mill, which is now occupied by our township municipal building. Quickly, the attendance outgrew that space and the community started gathering in the auditorium of the school, which was most recently known as Wee Love on N. Poplar Ave. New houses now stand in that place.
October 11th, 1920, our first church was constructed seating three hundred people. The first Mass was celebrated there in April of 1921. In 1928, school classes were held in this new building for grades K-3, after which students would travel to Moorestown. In 1929, the first permanent resident pastor expanded the school, adding four classrooms. In 1955, with the parish still growing, Fr. Nolan built the new church, including Nolan Hall, in which we now worship and gather in community.
Our predecessors left a great legacy and secured the future for us. They sacrificed their time, talent, and treasure to support growth. Recognizing how needs have changed and continue to change, we strive to follow their example and secure the future for generations to come.
Securing the Future objectives:
Finances We are called to be fiscally responsible for the funds entrusted to us. OLPH has a Finance Council, charged with advising the pastor on financial issues and to find savings where we can. As our only source of income, we rely on the generosity of our parish members.
Our plan is to increase revenue by continuing to develop a stewardship culture in our parish, exploring fundraising opportunities that support our mission, and continuing to explore ways of decreasing our expenses.
Buildings Under the direction of our Buildings & Grounds committee, we plan and implement maintenance procedures for our campus. Larger capital improvements, need expert guidance and funds. For example, in the last two years, we opened our electric lift, removed a leaky oil tank, upgraded our electrical service to the church, upgraded some fire doors in the church, and addressed the damage and eventual demolition of our convent. In this last month, we were able to replace the gym roof so that we can continue to use the gym for youth activities, such as CYO and PREP gym nights.
Our Plan is to continue working on the capital improvements that will change our campus from one that served the past so well to one that serves the future. Part of this objective requires us to explore additional funding through a Capital Campaign, which is currently being considered.
People Our parish has truly become a community of dedicated volunteers! Thanks to the generous offering of time and talent from so many of our members, our weekends are now filled with warmth and hospitality. We are blessed with office volunteers who welcome visitors both on the phone and at the door, while also lending a hand with important administrative tasks. Once a month, we come together as a parish family to celebrate Community Sunday, a special time of fellowship and connection.
Our Plan is to develop Standard Operating Procedures, Volunteer leaders, and again, a strong stewardship culture so that we can best utilize the time and talent entrusted to us in a sustainable manner. We hope to engage those who, like our predecessors 100 years ago, did their best to Secure the Future.
Stay tuned next week where the second goal: Grow Community, will be outlined.
Strategic Plan, wk 3
Grow Community
By Wendy Marano
At the heart of our parish mission is a desire not just to welcome people in, but to help them feel like they truly belong. That is the driving force behind the second key goal of our Strategic Plan: Grow Community. We have developed objectives and activities focused on helping people feel connected, seen, and valued here at Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
When we say grow community, we are not just talking about increasing attendance—though we hope that will happen too. We are talking about deepening relationships and strengthening the bonds that make this parish a spiritual home for all. We want people to move from simply attending Mass to participating fully in the life of the parish—through worship, service, social events, and shared faith experiences.
While many of our strategies will intentionally focus on inviting new families, engaging children and youth, and supporting parents, this goal is not just about fresh faces. It is also about reconnecting with those who have been here for years—whether they attend every Sunday or only occasionally—and offering fresh opportunities to get involved and build meaningful connections.
We are also looking beyond the walls of the church. One of our objectives is to ensure that OLPH is not just a church in the community, but a church for the community. That means being present at public events, supporting local causes, and opening our doors through outreach and hospitality. Every interaction—big or small—is a chance to witness Christ’s love and invite someone deeper into the life of faith.
An important part of growing community is following up. It is not enough to welcome someone once. We want to continue reaching out—inviting them back, connecting them with ministries, and helping them discover how they can be part of the OLPH family. That is true for long-time parishioners and newcomers alike. As we walk together, our faith grows stronger.
This pillar also naturally supports the other two goals of our Strategic Plan: Deepening the Faith and Securing the Future. When people are connected and engaged, their faith deepens—and they are more likely to give their time, talent, and resources to help the parish flourish.
Our hope is that everyone who walks through our doors, no matter their age or background, finds that same sense of belonging. Together, let us grow a parish that is welcoming, vibrant, and full of life, a place where faith is lived, shared, and celebrated.
Stay tuned next week as we explore our final goal: Deepening the Faith.
Strategic Plan, wk 4
Deepening the Faith
By Mike Peterson
Faith Formation is one of the key roles of the local parish within the Church’s structure and that is what our “Deepening the Faith” goal is focused on: we want to encourage our members to explore and live out their Catholic faith here at OLPH in ways beyond going to Sunday Mass. While Mass attendance is certainly a priority, the church exists to serve its community daily, and we want to see you more often. While we currently offer a variety of ministries, activities, and ways to get involved, many of our members have yet to engage with these opportunities. So we are taking steps to encourage more involvement, ensuring we offer programs that connect with our members.
Our first objective for this goal is youth focused. We already have a great P.R.E.P. (formerly known as CCD) program to lean on, but we want to keep the younger generation engaged beyond Confirmation. That’s where we activate our fairly new youth group. The youth group gives high school aged teens a safe space to share fellowship and faith, keeping the newly confirmed members engaged with the church. We are also working on some other youth and family-oriented activities, such as youth Masses and a potential future return of vacation bible school.
We also want to make sure the needs of the adults in our parish are met. So our next objective is to expand the opportunities for adult discipleship. We already have the small group program, which has been popular, and will continue, but we want to offer more opportunities like this for people to connect with their faith. We are in the process of launching a bereavement ministry, exploring bible study group possibilities, and ways to make use of the Formed platform our parish subscribes to (free to members and contains great digital content for both adults and children.) We would love to get your ideas also! The programs that are going to be successful are the ones our community is asking for, so if you have an idea, please share it - and if you would like to champion it - even better! We are going to need help from our members to be successful in everything we want to offer.
Our final objective under the “Deepening the Faith” goal focuses on support and involvement. The church is not just a building or a pastor — it is the people. We want every member to feel personally invested in the mission of OLPH. To see it not simply as “a church,” but as your church. Step one was our first town hall, which we plan to be the first of many. It is about being transparent about the needs and goings-on of our parish, as well as giving everyone opportunities to ask questions, share thoughts, and take part in steering us forward. When people feel that strong connection, our hope is that it motivates them to want to get involved in making it even better. So, we want to do a better job highlighting opportunities and areas of need in our parish ministries, making sure that the “asks” are approachable. Understanding that we all have busy lives, and while we want to see you more, we are cautious not to monopolize your time either. Even if you do not have a lot of time to give, do not be discouraged. A little bit of time makes a significant difference, so I encourage you to help us by taking part in one of our various ministries and activities today.
In all of this, our hope is simple: that each of you will grow deeper in your relationship with Christ and with one another here at OLPH. “Deepening the Faith” is not just a program or a set of goals—it is a call to live our faith more fully, more intentionally, and more communally. Whether you are a longtime parishioner or just beginning to explore what it means to be part of our faith family, there is a place for you here. Your presence, ideas, and unique gifts matter. Together, let us build a vibrant, faith-filled community where everyone feels welcomed, supported, and inspired to grow. We’re excited for the journey ahead—and we want you to be a part of it.
STRATEGIC PLAN, wk 5
Next Steps
By Mike Hoeschele & Marianne Linka
Over the past few weeks we have had the pleasure of sharing with you our Mission, Vision, Goals and Objectives of our Strategic Plan 2025-2028. As we discussed, our mission of “Building Up the Body of Christ” takes form through our plan by working to Secure the Future, Grow Community and Deepen the Faith.
Now, we enter the execution phase of this plan. Over the coming months as we begin to implement activities that help us make progress toward our measurable objectives, you may see new and exciting events and volunteer opportunities arise. At the same time we will work to strengthen the things we do today that are mission driven. The only way we can be successful in executing our plan is with YOU! Your dedication to our parish by stepping up and trying something new will allow us to expand our reach and make the things we do impact the communal and spiritual lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Saying hello to someone new, offering time or treasure in a new way, attending an event you have never attended before, and asking where a set of helping hands can best be used are the ways in which our actions both big and small will Build up the Body of Christ.
We have also produced a video outlining the Strategic Plan. Watch anytime as a reminder to our what, where and why. Ensuring everyone in our community is well informed, we are presenting it in a variety of ways. Check out the video below.
Where do YOU belong in this community? WE know that YOU belong, but we want to walk with you in discovering the best relationship with your faith community. To explore the next steps in your discipleship journey, contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the office and speak to our staff and volunteers. We will be happy to connect you with an opportunity that best fits your gifts and desires.
Some immediate areas of need to consider:
- Pastoral Council
- Event Planning
- Livestream Technicians
- Hallway Monitors & Catechist Aides
- Grief Support Group Hosts
- Hospitality Greeters for All Masses
- Kingdom Kids Aides
Questions, or would like more information about a specific Volunteer role? Reach out to Kim Gamelli, our Volunteer Coordinator, who can help you get started or answer any questions you may have at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 856-667-8850, ext. 106. Or browse all the different opportunities here.
Let us keep working together to Build Up the Body of Christ!
