St. Kieran Catholic Church Strategic Parish Plan A Priority Responsibility Matrix Updated February 1, 2015 Mass & Liturgies - Priority A Recommendations Create a more prayerful atmosphere in church before Mass by: a) Closing the entry doors to the church to emphasize that we are entering sacred space b) Placing creative and effective signage just inside the entry doors to remind those who enter that people are praying and that we should be respectful (e.g. photo of the Shushing Jesus, Quiet please road sign) 1Q 2015 Active discussion is ongoing Priority may conflict with theology Initial recommendation is to leave church doors open. Enhance the presence and parishioner focus of our petitions and Book of Prayers: a) Carry the Book of Prayers into Mass with the processional and keep it visible throughout the celebration b) Tailor Mass petitions to be more relevant to St. Kieran parishioners and life closer to home c) Utilize Mass petitions to recognize individuals and their families who are being baptized or married at our parish Fr. John / 10/2014 and ongoing Adopted and Logistics related to carrying the Book of Prayers into church have been a challenge. Increase the visibility and engagement of children in our Mass celebrations on a regular basis: a) Invite children to approach the altar for a blessing after Communion b) Invite children to bring up special offerings such as food items for our food drives on a regular basis Fr. John / 10/2014 And ongoing Adopted and Build engagement and participation of altar servers by: a) Creating a Master of Ceremony leadership role for teenage altar servers allowing them to support and direct the younger, less experienced servers during the celebration of Mass b) Hosting an annual field trip or event for altar servers to show appreciation and build camaraderie Fr. John, Emil Vasek, Sue Alessandrini 12/2014 Altar server party and commissioning was held in December. Priority has been embraced.
Emphasize the importance of Adult Education (and Witness) in our parish by: a) Extending bible study to include an evening session b) Celebrate a Teaching Mass once or twice each year where a celebrant is accompanied by a narrator who explains the ritual of the Mass to the attendees. c) Rekindle small faith groups in the parish Utilize the parish bulletin to explain what the liturgy means and build awareness for the liturgical ministries. Fr. Tom, Lynn Hume, L. Steinkirch, J. Calvert Fr. Tom, 1Q 2015 Festival of Forgiveness scheduled in late Feb. Fr. O Mara is presenting a taped Lenten mission. 1Q 2015 Priority has been embraced. Incorporate active mentoring into all of the liturgical ministries to build comfort with roles and sustain relationships Ministry Heads 12/2014 Presented at 11/11/14 meeting Well received. Actively utilize the time between the two Sunday Masses each week to bring parishioners together. Suggestions for utilizing this time included: a) Saying the rosary one week, building awareness for ministries another week and perhaps simple hospitality the other two weeks b) Conducting this activity in a very visible location such as the day chapel or the narthex c) Bible study (?) Joe Sopron 1Q 2015 Day chapel has been used for giving tree, All Souls Day and palm weaving all well received. Priority embraced. Create a hospitality ministry to extend a formal and consistent welcome to those who participate in our liturgical ministries (Could also serve as an ambassador for other parish ministries) Fr. John Mtg. on November 11, 2015 Sheila Porrata has become a coordinator of sorts. Halloween Party was a nice success. Furnishing our hospitality spaces (particularly the narthex and Library meeting rooms) to be more conducive to hospitality activities. Undecided On hold.
Parishioner Engagement - Priority A Recommendations Create a Social to plan and manage a calendar of hospitality and fundraising events throughout the year. Fr. John Tied to Hospitality Ministry On hold. Create a part-time Pastoral Staff Position to: a) Actively assist with the recruitment of volunteers for ministries and committees throughout the parish, b) Serve as a pro-active point of coordination between volunteers, parish ministries and activity groups throughout the parish c) Serve a as point of coordination for internal marketing efforts (refer to internal marketing recommendation below) Fr. John 12/2015 To be explored after July, 2015 Increase the visibility and engagement of children in our Mass celebrations on a regular basis: a) Invite children to approach the altar for a blessing after Communion b) Offer children regular opportunities to participate in Mass by doing the readings, bringing the offertory gifts to the altar, approach the altar with special gifts and inviting them to be a part of the processional c) Create greater awareness for when children will be participating in the Mass Fr. John 10/2014 Adopted and Explore the possibility of celebrating a Sunday Evening Mass given its popularity elsewhere and the possibility it could attract people from a wide area. Internal Marketing - Improve the ways in which we communicate with and between parishioners by: a) Using personal invitations whenever possible b) Being clear about our needs and our expectations relative to the opportunities to become involved in the parish c) Effectively using email, the parish web site and social media to pro-actively reach out to parishioners Sopron Family 12/2015 Discussed; to be explored further after July, 2015 1Q 2015 A social media ministry is under consideration. Sopron Family can assist with set up; we need to develop an implementation strategy.
Community Outreach - Priority A Recommendations Establish a Parish Outreach (Recommendations listed below with an * were those it was anticipated would fall under the purview of this committee) Emil & Sandy Vasek Mtg. on 11/18/14 Initial Meeting was held in November * Create and administer an annual calendar of parish outreach activities. The calendar should address both ongoing outreach activities and seasonal undertakings (e.g. Christmas giving tree, back-to-school events). In process * Attract leadership and volunteers for outreach ministries while being clear about the (i) purpose of the ministry, (ii) task(s) to be undertaken and (iii) expectations for ministry volunteers. To be * Send cards and notes to both local veterans and those in active service throughout the calendar year (Memorial Day, Veteran s Day, Christmas) *Create a means for being aware when parishioners on active duty are home so they can be recognized at Mass *Explore how we can support those in local hospitals, nursing homes and women s centers with handmade blankets, hats and other soft goods Event planned for February 7,2015 *Create greater visibility for our parish food drive (and back-to-school assistance effort?) by having donated goods brought to the altar during Mass once each month St. Kieran branded food bags were a terrific success. *Actively collect and review bulletins from other parishes our parishioners bring back in an effort to capture the good ideas of others. (A parishioner volunteer to lead this ministry has come forward) To be Sheila Porrata is serving as point of coordination.
Expand our parish recycling effort to include electronics by collaborating with the Keeling Family Foundation s VetTech initiative. T. Shelley 10/2014 Position St. Kieran to host Charis Ministry retreats for young adults T. Shelley 10/2014 First recyle event was a terrific success. Another plan for spring. Charis presented to Parish Council on November 12 th. On hold. Create an active and vibrant social media presence for our parish that both (a) assists communication within the parish and (b) increases our visibility in the community. Sopron Family 1Q 2015 No update at this time - Priority A Recommendations Establish a. We recommend the committee address the following: a) Establish a timeline for action b) Gather, analyze and summarize cost and benefit data related to campus development opportunities and capital projects c) Develop recommendations for the consideration of the Pastor and Parish Council based upon: (i) capital costs, (ii) ongoing operating costs, (iii) our ability to staff and manage the project, (iv) impacts on other parish activities and (v) return on investment. Fr. John / Matt Gornick 10/2014 and ongoing created. Matt Gornick appointed as Chairperson. Deliberations on hold until charter school discussions mature. Sanctuary Improvements: Improve the altar to make it more accessible and bring it closer to the assembly. Spring, 2016 Estimates recd. from architect - $64,000 St. Kieran Coffee Shop: Establish a full-functioning coffee shop to serve as a parish hospitality and meeting space. Location may be influenced by the parish s decision to move forward with the All Saints Garden. 10/2014 Adopted and
Land & Fields Use: We recommend these assets be developed to include a) All Saints Garden Wrapped around the north and east sides of the rectory and featuring a pathway among shrubs, flowers, statuary and benches, the garden would be developed to accommodate contemplation, small group gatherings and individual exploration. We believe it could be the genesis of a green thumb ministry and evolve to become an amenity attracting the faithful to our parish campus. b) Family Picnic Area Located to the west of the rectory, we envision complementing the All Saints Garden with a space to accommodate picnics. We recommend adding amenities such as bocce ball courts and horseshoe pits. Picnic goers would pay a fee to utilize the area and the cost of servicing their event. Spring, 2016 Concept exploration has begun. Deliberations on hold until charter school discussions mature. Classroom Use: We recommend that adult faith formation and spiritual enrichment activities be the focus of classroom use in our school building. Fr. Tom, Lynn Hume, L. Steinkirch, J. Calvert 1Q 2015 Refer to Mass & Liturgies adult education recommendation Gym Use: We recommend the parish actively market the gym to families and organizations seeking a home for their catered events. We envision this would be a feebased rental with all event costs passed through to the lessee. Father John/ Sandy Vasek Ongoing Deliberations on hold until charter school discussions mature.