"Lighting New Fires: American Catholic Schools for the 21st Century" is a National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) program that has called on every Catholic school to undertake educational planning. This manual was written to take a school community through the details of the entire planning process. Following the foreword, the first section describes the rationale for strategic planning in a Catholic school. The next six sections detail the six phases of the planning process. Phase 1--initiating the planning process--involves the pastor, principal, and school board. Phases 2 through 4 are the work of the strategic long-range planning committee. These activities include considering contextual and internal elements, developing the strategic plan, and drafting and refining the plan. Phase 5, designing and carrying out implementation strategies, is the responsibility of the principal. The sixth phase, updating the plan on a regular basis, is carried out by the principal and the board. Appendices contain information on steps in the planning process, sample timetables, worksheets, background materials, suggested meeting agendas, and a postplanning questionnaire. (LMI)