THE FOUR PILLARS OF ST. PAUL S NEWMAN CENTER Worship and Prayer Community Gathering and Formation Student Campus Ministry Direct Service to the Laramie Community Participant Input Saturday, October 29, 2016 1. Describe the possibilities you see in the Four Pillars for your own life of faith and for all of us at St. Paul s Newman Center. Table 1: -It is clear that the 1 st and 2 nd pillars need to remain separate in regard to space needs. -We think that we are not addressing campus ministry needs, for example: a 24 hour chapel and gathering space. -Is direct service a standalone pillar or is it more accurately a component of student campus ministry? -Does the action of direct service detract from the primary mission of ministry to the students? -What is of greater value: larger space for gathering or multiple smaller gatherings? -The ones that have been defined. -Center for Catholic students. -But now we are not only talking about the university community esp. students. Community in the broader sense of the word. -There needs to be a balance in the pillars. -Do we need a bigger, new space? We like the intimacy of the worship space. But we do need more room for worship, but please retain the intimacy (e.g. keep space between altar and assembly close.) -We like the community aspect of St. P-not only university. -Good to embrace larger community. But need to keep students primary! -Now terrible space for faith formation for pre-k-2 nd. The space is too large and we have too many children and age span for effective faith formation.
-We cannot have effective prayer experiences in the space we have now. And it all leads to the Eucharist and in turn, everything leads back to the Eucharist. -Campus Ministry good reaction to students who live in 2 houses; proximity is effective. -Students have good experience of service from involvement at St. P. Service to community very supportive of community. St. P has many effective volunteers for both parish and community. -Family Promise? -Worship: reverence of worship here, fireplace room and back space currently feel disconnected, worship is central to our community, it would be nice to have an entrance that everyone comes through -Community gathering/formation: room/space for fellowship that isn t in the way of the exits, preferably right outside of the worship space; there is a large diversity of groups meeting here how do we accommodate them? -Yes: see # 3. 2. Do the Four Pillars describe the parish that you want to be a part of? Table 1: No answer recorded No answer recorded No answer recorded -We want a church that looks to the future, adaptable, visually/audiologically acceptable and accessible. 3. Do you have other comments or questions about the Four Pillars or the future of the parish? Table 1: No answer recorded -Encounter changes everything. We need appropriate space for people to encounter Christ, from children to student to adult. -Students need to be needed to do something specific. We need more student input in all of this. -What does the 4 th pillar mean? Let s define it. -What does direct service look like now? How will that change over the next 50-70 years? Can we design a space for direct service that will develop with the changing needs of the Laramie community?
-Afraid the worship space will become too big. What does our max capacity look like? What do we want that to look like? -Could we get a published calendar of activities and space? -We also want to make sure students are represented. - High School Youth Ministry desire more service opportunities. -We need to determine community needs in order to determine space needed. More space and accessibility for liturgy. More space for music ministry and faith formation. -Still need room outdoors for gathering. -Students do value housing. More housing needed and more connection to share with students who don t live here.
Sunday, October 30, 2016 1. Describe the possibilities you see in the Four Pillars for your own life of faith and for all of us at St. Paul s Newman Center. Table 1: -Students are main purpose or mission (by providing opportunities for them to serve). -How can we be a light to the entire community? -Utilizing more resources and therefore be able to meet more needs of the entire community -Having more space, both liturgically and for community gatherings. -Preference for gathering/community space to be connected to the church/worship space. -Increased opportunities for both inclusion/accessibility (ramps for elderly and people with disabilities, parking is key for accessibility) and for growing intimacy during worship. -Student campus ministry makes us different and most important. Critical time for students to fully commit themselves. -We are the example. -A place to expand our faith to expand beyond parish. -The 4 pillars are a clear commitment of our priorities. -A place to be and serve. -More than just students, also faculty, married student families, international students, graduate students, and non-traditional -more continuity better flow -funeral, weddings, baptisms are very difficult logistically -music ministers have no real place/space -no place to pray privately quiet, emotional -prep for special occasions is lacking no private behind the scenes place to prepare -have to gather outdoors for Easter Vigil currently no place to gather (courtyard, atrium covered) -balance of socializing and quiet prayer time after mass need a place to go -aesthetically can we make worship space more appealing have some elements that make it feel more like church more traditional look blend the traditional with the intimate worship space -community and gathering space: some rooms need complete privacy, small rooms, large rooms and some completely private -with the alley will we have limitations? Table 5: -Campus Ministry Spaces -family faith formation -student housing -Newman Center needs to be a place that can meet population expectations Table 6:
-No major activity is left out of the 4 pillars. They work. -If our mission is student ministry we need to focus on the students ability to continue in their faith formation. -Faith formation is an area of need. -May need to combine all Laramie s youth formation. -Have parishes get together to discuss youth formation -need to divide youth in age groups -student campus ministry- separate- what about WyoTech & LCCC? Need outreach -Look into the focus, goals of faith formation of all ages is this unique to Wyoming? Table 7: -The traditional Catholic does not like to cozy-up. However, we feel we re too spread out; and need a more intimate space to worship in. Table 8: -Campus ministry is very important -House experience very important -space for formation of faith -how to take the experience of St. Paul s out to the community? -resources of St. Paul s: money and others should/could be used for helping the community of Laramie Table 9: -Worship and Prayer: Possibly create meditation/prayer intimate space -Community Gathering and Formation: Possibly create better entrance/welcoming/gathering spaces to enhance community interaction not step on meditation space -Student campus ministry: expand potential programs/outreach to student community -Direct service to Laramie: expand food outreach to community, possible service of homeless needs (showers, shelter) Table 10: -Center for faith, education, and community -IT center for statewide technology -service opportunities for Laramie community -center for activities -Leadership council: encourage involvement -larger space Table 11: -welcome more people -fulfilling need of child education since we don t have a Catholic school -intimacy of space: fireplace room is disconnected -more handicap accessible -immersion and funerals too crowded -better engagement of student and resident community -engage new people with the service component opportunity to welcome people
Table 12: -A positive that we have students and residents worshiping and working together -intimacy of musicians with rest of congregation, proximity to altar space -a need for a gathering space -outreach to those in need including students Table 13: -Student housing is very important; makes contributions to community -intimate worship area. Seating should be in an intimate setting -build for an integration of worship needs in an intimate system. Convenient -music is very important!! More room for this ministry to involve various musical activities -improve kitchen to continue to accommodate needs of gathering, campus ministry, and service -evangelization -practice faith 2. Do the Four Pillars describe the parish that you want to be a part of? Table 1: -Yes- it represents us now and who we want to continue to be. -Liturgy=> service to students community. -Yes, preferably in the order of the pillars, with Worship/prayer being the primary pillar. -Yes, and we all like the term pillar. -Community center for fun and gathering of students. -Used to have juke box, ping pong table, etc. -Community and Gathering Formation: More classroom space some need to have privacy, small rooms, larger rooms, and some with complete privacy Table 5: -Yes if family faith formation is included in community gathering -meeting spaces need to be a priority Table 6 -We agree- yes these are our focus Table 7: -Facility to accommodate a huge gathering space: -education facility for catechism -new member dinners -Sunday suppers -RCIA -Students of alumni to help with funding for Newman Center
-student study space -Catholic student housing Apts? Maybe a possibility in the future? -City easement for alleyway and parking places? -Partition to study during exams -Music space designed for the choir and Music Ministry Table 8: -Yes -More opportunities for students/residents to interact and accomplice service together Table 9: -We all feel the 4 pillars are solid and what we want to be a part of. -We want to keep balance and use worship as foundation for all pillars while building broader parish involvement/opportunities to be part of direct service to broader community (both campus and Laramie) Table 10: -more inclusive: accessibility, single, retired, elderly, widowed (for example: hospital visits) Table 11: -service to community -students -space =more welcoming = more engagement -welcoming community Table 12: -spiritual community center not just for SPNC parishioners or catholics only -direct service satellite downtown Table 13: -Our group feels the 4 Pillars are complete and significant to our faith. Opportunities to challenge, deepen, and practice our faith. 3. Do you have other comments or questions about the Four Pillars or the future of the parish? Table 1: -How do we leverage the entire Laramie Catholic community? -St. Laurence? (working together? Filling void of St. Laurence school closing?) -Priorities: Intimacy, Inclusion, Accessibility -Are there services for students who get pregnant?
-No answer recorded Table 5: -Budget? -How much will this impact the community? Table 6: -We re growing for a reason seem to be on the right track -If this continues we will need more space -St. Paul s feels a lot like family and are very welcoming to all communities -Are we currently pulling students from WyoTech and LCCC? -Concerns for those who have stopped coming to church are they alienated? If so, why? How can we engage those alienate from the Church to return? Table 7: -No answer recorded Table 8: -very important that all four of the pillars are continued with residents/faculty/students/staff all interacting together Table 9: -Staffing support/succession planning needs to be part of the plan Table 10: -IT more technology used to bring in info for community Table 11: -need to engage other parishes of Wyoming to promote their students to be a part of the Newman Center when they come -engage all of Diocese that we are a parish community also Table 12: -are we adequately staffed for these 4 pillars? -residences for Newman students: here? Dorm floor? Table 13: -build for future growth do not build too small. -needs to include adequate parking