The Bishop s Parish Visitation The purpose of a parish visitation is to help me be better aware of the situations and challenges facing the parishes within the Diocese of Springfield. It also allows me the opportunity to provide guidance, encouragement, assistance and direction to support the ongoing effectiveness of ministry in and among our Diocese s parishes. Finally, it allows me a way to appreciate and affirm the abundant, ongoing grace of God evident in the faith and witness of the church in the communities of the Diocese of Springfield. With these purposes in mind, I thank your Pastor, Fr. Brian McGrath, the pastoral staff, pastoral council, the entire parish community and all concerned with this pastoral visit for their consideration and cooperation with me and the staff of the Diocese. Introduction: St. John the Evangelist parish, formed in 1946, currently has 4,020 registered parishioners. As parish s mission statement says, they are a Roman Catholic community inspired by the Holy Spirit to follow the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by sharing, growing, and spreading God the Father s love through (their) parish ministries, and by coming together as a community in meaningful prayer and worship to celebrate that love. Given the energy and activity I observed, I make the following commendations and recommendations to guide and support the pastor, professional and volunteer staffs and all the parishioners of St. John the Evangelist parish, as you work together to extend the presence and the power of God s love in Agawam and the surrounding areas. I recognize the good work done here and I invite you to reflect with me as I review with you my observations and learnings from this recent pastoral visit.
Commendations Pastor 1. I commend Fr. Brian McGrath for his pastoral leadership over the past year since he was named pastor of St. John the Evangelist parish. It is evident to me that the staff and parishioners have responded favorably to Fr. Brian s ministry and leadership of the parish. 2. I commend Fr. John Lis for his presence in the parish and the help that he gives sacramentally to the parish through the celebration of Masses. 3. I commend Fr. Brian for guiding the parish through the much-needed rebuilding of the parking lot and other projects that are necessary for the improvement of the physical plant of St. John. 4. I commend Fr. Brian for his outreach to the youth of the parish, giving them opportunities to discover their gifts and talents as they seek to become fully involved in the life of the Church. 5. I commend Fr. Brian for his collaboration with the Pastoral Council, Finance Council, and other leadership groups in formulating a vision for the parish. 6. I also commend Fr. Brian for his role in the Deanery meetings and penance services as well as collaboration with Sacred Heart Parish in Feeding Hills for the Faith on Fire Rally held every August. Parish Staff 1. I commend Holy Cusack for her kindness and professional skill in helping parishioners. 2. I commend Paula Raiche, for her dedication to and love of the parish and for implementing good collection procedures.
3. I commend Ted Muszywski and Ed Gramaldi for the care and concern they show the physical plant and the support and knowledge they offer Fr. Brian. 4. I commend the staff for using Google Calendars. 5. I commend Fr. Brian for sharing his culinary ability with the staff and using special meals to show appreciation and build relationships. 6. I commend Fr. Brian for implementing regular staff meetings and using them as an occasion for engaging in long term planning. 7. I commend Mary Towsley for her work with the children s choir; for getting the young people of the parish (and by extension their families) involved and learning about Mass. Her model is an example to the parish and the Diocese for its evangelization efforts. 8. I commend the Catholic Women s Club for offering women of the parish a good balance of social, entertainment, and spiritual activities. 9. I commend the Entertainment Coordinating Committee for their work in trying to get parishioners involved and providing opportunities for parishioners to get to know each other better. 10. I commend the parish for offering Take and Eat three weeks out of the month. 11. I commend the parish for providing food cards to those in the community who are in need. 12. I commend the parish for having an NA group and helping to provide for their spiritual needs. 13. I also commend the parish for allowing groups to use their facilities, which helps to create good relationships in the community.
Pastoral Relationships 1. I commend Mary Scannell, who is in her ninth year as pastoral minister, for her love of the parish, care of the people, and for bringing to the parish community her experience as a licensed counselor. 2. I commend the 54 volunteers who take turns bringing communion and offering prayer services to the residents of Heritage and Quail Run. 3. I commend the members of the Knitting Group for making prayer shawls for the sick and homebound. Their ministry brings much comfort and offers an ongoing and prayerful connection with the parish. 4. I commend Georgina Maroney for her willingness, even in retirement, to continue to make home and hospital visits and offering her services as a pastoral counselor to the divorced, separated, and bereaved of the parish as well as the Diocese. 5. I commend the parish for its charitable service and giving, in particular through donations of turkeys and ham at Christmas and Easter as well as through the Giving Tree. 6. I commend the parish s Bereavement Group for offering such an important ministry, especially recently to parents who have lost children to drugs. Faith Formation 1. I commend Dorothea MacNeil for giving their time and talent in coordinating the religious education programs. I am aware with the recent change of leadership the program is continuing to develop, and encourage Dorothea and Fr. Brian in their efforts to bring new ideas and faith formation opportunities.
Child and Youth Protection 1. I commend St. John the Evangelist parish for having made impressive improvements in understanding and complying with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Youth. Under Fr. Brian s leadership, children and teens enjoy a variety of spiritual, social, and outreach activities. 2. I commend the parish offering a children s Mass which conveys the value the parish puts on children and family life. 3. I commend Dorothea MacNeil for having catechists trained in Safe Environment curricula and being proactive in scheduling sessions to train the children of the parish. 4. I commend Holly Cusack and Mery Beth Swindell for having developed effective methods to conduct and document background checks and communicate with Dorothea and Fr. Brian. Finance Council 1. I commend the Finance Council for the love and care they have for the parish and their diligence in oversight and accountability. 2. I commend the Finance Council for faithfully meeting every month. 3. I commend the members for offering their time and expertise for the betterment of the parish. 4. I commend the Finance Council for their work in creating and updating job descriptions for all staff. 5. I commend the Finance Council for their desire and efforts for transparency. 6. I commend the Finance Council for having a liaison to the Parish Council.
7. I also commend the Finance Council for having a project list and budgeting for them. Pastoral Council 1. I commend the Parish Council for its focus on evangelization and exploring ways the parish can better engage people in this regard. 2. I commend the Parish Council for the direction you are taking as a parish. 3. I commend the parish for being a welcoming, accepting, and inclusive parish. 4. I commend the Parish Council for their work in putting ideas into action and making their visioning a reality. 5. I commend the Parish Council for the ways that its various commissions communicate and support each other. I encourage you to continue to make mutual communication and support a regular priority. 6. I commend the parish s spirit of resiliency, generosity, and commitment. 7. I commend Fr. Brian for his ability to cultivate and empower leaders in the parish. Recommendations It is clear that St. John the Evangelist is a community valiantly working together to be faithful to its mission of faith. In light of the learning from the visit, the following recommendations are offered to the parish leadership for their consideration and dedicated work. I suggest that you continue a dialog with your pastor as you consider these areas for thought and action. Of course, my office and all the Diocesan offices continue to be available to the parish for support and to cooperate in your ministry. Please consider the following areas for your ongoing planning and ministry development.
Pastor 1. I recommend that Fr. Brian continue to collaborate with the Pastoral Council to find ways of inviting families, particularly those with children in Religious Education, to become more involved in the life of the parish. 2. I recommend that Fr. Brian work along with the members of the staff to formulate a parish calendar that coordinates the plans for events over the course of the year. 3. I recommend that Fr. Brian work along with the Finance Council to develop a long range plan for preventative maintenance for the parish church and center. 4. I recommend that Fr. Brian continue to meet regularly with his staff to coordinate the ministries of the parish, seeing how each one relates to the other ministries. Parish Staff 1. I recommend that the parish explore the possibility of offering spiritual programs/retreats for staff members, commissions, and councils. 2. I recommend that an electronic copy of the parish bulletin be sent weekly to the Diocese. I suggest that Holly contact Rebecca Drake in Catholic Communications to facilitate this. 3. I recommend Fr. Brian and the staff explore the possibility of maintaining petty cash and developing written procedures for how it is handled and used. 4. I recommend that Fr. Brian and the staff explore the possibility of establishing a formal youth group and ministry program. I suggest the parish use Gina Czerwinski from the Diocese and St. Stanislaus in Chicopee as resources. 5. I also recommend the staff engage in creative and outside the box thinking on how to get young people and families involved and active in the parish.
Pastoral Relationships 1. I recommend the parish make use of the bulletin and announcements at the end of Mass reminding people to inform the parish if their family and friends are homebound or in the hospital. Faith Formation 1. I recommend that the parish continue efforts to re-establish a Religious Education Board. 2. I recommend that the parish evaluate their current textbooks as well as explore what other texts are available. Sr. Paula Robillard is willing to be a resource in these efforts. Child and Youth Protection 1. I recommend that the parish develop a plan for training the adult members of the homeschooling group and provide child abuse prevention resources for their children. If the children are members of a religious education program at this or another parish in the Diocese, they need to participate in this training with the Religious Education class, or the parents need to formally opt-out. 2. I recommend that the parish add links and information regarding Safe Environment programs and personnel to the parish bulletin and website. 3. I recommend that youth in grades 10 and 11 should use the lesson plans that build on the training presented in Called to Protect for Youth, which addresses boundary concerns they might encounter as older adolescents and young adults. If these materials are needed, they are available through the Diocese s Office of Child and Youth Protection. 4. I recommend that the parish follow up with Gina Czerwinski, in our Diocese s Office of Youth Ministry, regarding the CYO and Scouting programs.
5. I also recommend that parish display the USCCB Promise to Protect/Pledge to Heal poster around the parish campus. If these materials are needed, they are available through the Diocese s Office of Child and Youth Protection. Finance Council 1. I recommend the Finance Council with Fr. Brian, review its bylaws to update them and make sure that they are in conformity with both Cannon Law and Diocesan policy. 2. I recommend that the parish dedicate a weekend a year to promoting stewardship and increased giving of time, talent, and treasure. Pastoral Council 1. I recommend that the Parish Council work with Fr. Brian to identify needs in the parish and wider community and then develop more outreach and programing to meet them. 2. I recommend that you explore and brainstorm creative ways to engage young people and families in the life of the parish. 3. I recommend the Parish Council continue to create structures that foster leadership and offer age appropriate ministries within the wider parish community. Finally, I thank all who have cooperated in this visitation process. I feel very encouraged by the faith and energy I discovered at St. John the Evangelist parish and I look forward to working with you for the glory of God and the benefit of all the people of your area. Be assured of my prayers for all involved in your parish as your work together into the future on your faith mission. Sincerely. + Mitchell T. Rozanski