Department of Pastoral and Parish Services

• DPPS

Originally formed in 2004 with the dissolution of the Archdiocesan Commission system the Office of Pastoral and Parish Services has had several name and function changes in the past decade. Between 2004-2009 it was known as the Department of Pastoral Services. Between 2009-2014 it was known as the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis. In 2014, based on feedback from the Archdiocesan operational review it was renamed the Department of Pastoral and Parish Services (DPPS).

With each name change has also come significant re-organization and operational changes. When it was operating as the Office of Pastoral Services the following offices existed: Office of Liturgy, Office of Social Justice, Office of Religious Education (previously the Adult Education Committee), Office of Youth and Young Adult, Office of Family Life and Health Care, Office of Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations and the Missions Council. With the retirement of Rose Marie Fowler the RCIA initiative was closed and became the Office of Catechesis, and the Liturgy Office was moved out of Pastoral Services to be closer to the Office of the Archbishop.

During the time it was called the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, it was overseeing the following offices: Office of Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, Office of Missions,Office of Catechesis, Office of New Evangelization Initiatives (which was responsible for Nothing More Beautiful, Stewardship, and Together in Ministry programs), Office of Youth Evangelization. Later the Office of Pastoral Care and the Office of Social Justice were added. As an additional result of the creation of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis Paul Quist was hired to manage marriage preparation for the Archdiocese. The Office of Family and Life was temporarily split, with Paul Quist being responsible for Family and John MacDonald being responsible for Pastoral Care and Life. When they left in 2010 the Office of Family once again absorbed "life issues" however this was as part of the Department of Canonical Services.

In 2014 the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis was renamed the Department of Pastoral and Parish Services consisting of the following offices: Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations, Office of Life and Family (returning from its five year sojourn with Canonical Services), Office of Pastoral Care, Office of Social Justice (closed in 2015), Missions Office, Office of Catechesis, Office of Youth Evangelization, Archdiocesan Camps, Office of the Lay Apostolate, and the Sacramental Education Initiative.