As our Diocese welcomes a new bishop, we are grateful to partner with the Catholic Leadership Institute through its Episcopal Transition Service (ETS) initiative.
The goal of ETS is to provide a newly appointed bishop with a wide range of information about the diocese, creating a snapshot of the current diocesan landscape, including the areas of chancery operational effectiveness, and clergy and parish health, so that he may competently and confidently shepherd his newly assigned diocese.
This service is being provided to Bishop Manuel and the Diocese of Palm Beach at no cost, thanks to the generosity of faithful donors who support the mission of the Catholic Leadership Institute.
Why Is This Being Done?
A new bishop arrives with many questions:
- What are the strengths of our diocese?
- What challenges do our parishes face?
- What are people most hopeful about?
- Where should we focus our efforts in the years ahead?
Rather than making decisions from an office, our bishop wants to begin by listening.
What are the Components of ETS?
The Episcopal Transition Service consists of several components:
State of the Diocese Summary
This briefing delivers a synthesized overview of the diocese’s current realities, highlighting trends, strengths, challenges, and priority areas, so that the bishop’s first steps are discernment and strategic leadership. This includes a Communications Audit and an assessment of the current organizational structure of the Pastoral Center.
Transition Team Support
Through three focused sessions, the bishop’s transition team receives best practices, structured guidance, and hands-on support to foster alignment with the new bishop and his leadership.
Disciple Maker Index (DMI)
The Disciple Maker Index is a comprehensive survey tool that gathers and analyzes feedback from parishioners across the diocese. With around 1 million responses collected, the DMI provides leaders with data on parishioners’ beliefs, practices, demographics, and missionary impulse.
Priest Leadership Inventory (PLI)
This 360-degree tool helps dioceses and priests evaluate leadership styles, personal strengths, ministerial preferences, and future vision.
When are these things taking place?
- The Pastoral Center assessment is currently underway, and the State of the Diocese summary will be complete this summer.
- The Disciple Maker Index will be administered in all parishes between October 15 and November 24, 2026.
- The Priest Leadership Inventory will take place in early 2027.
