2007 Pastoral Report

Parish Evaluation

            a          Worship:       

Strengths include: Good participation of assembly, music ministry, preaching, and reverence.  Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a blessing and well attended.  Parish facilities are open to the Little Servants of Christ the King Prayer Group who through their presence and activities enrich our worship.  We have seen an increased visibility of young families.  Attendance at Sunday Masses remained constant. 

Challenges include:  Upgrading of worship environment, for example lighting and sound, not many people celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

These challenges are being met by yearly improvements to facilities as the budget will allow us.  Reconciliation is preached often.

            b.         Pastoral Care

Strengths include:  Sick are visited and brought communion by Pastoral Care team or family members.  The Sacrament of the Sick is celebrated monthly at a weekday mass followed by a reception.  Parishioners entertain residents of local nursing home monthly and Pastor celebrates mass at nursing home.  Pastor visits hospitals when called by family and he takes “On Call” duty for all local hospitals on a regular basis.

Challenges include:  Need more people to visit homes, need more fellowship events in the parish to get people to know and care for each other.

These challenges are being met by canvassing for more volunteers to visit the homes.  Our new facilities now give us the space for more fellowship and funeral luncheons.

            c.         Faith Formation & Spirituality

Strengths include:  Sacramental Preparation programs are running well.  Yearly Lenten mission occurs.  Good liaison with schools; classes attend weekday mass on a regular bases.  Bible study occurs.  Parish week long mission is scheduled for October 2008.

Challenges include:  Attendance of younger generation at events and programs offered.  Secularization of culture is affecting school and parish milieu.

These challenges are being met by inviting younger people to get involved in ministry.  Priest visits school.

            d.         Social Concerns

Strengths include:  Parish Outreach committee has many projects throughout the year in assisting local agencies, for example: Mental Health Association and Inner City Home.  Development and Peace programs are utilized.  CWL take the lead in many social justice campaigns.  Parish is very generous financially to Share Lent.  A poverty awareness dinner during Lent is held yearly.

Challenges include:  Scheduling of events.  Parishioners seem to be over burdened with requests for money, items, petitions, etc. at times.  Locally, there is a social need for affordable housing and the gap between the rich and poor is increasing.  How can we help?

These challenges are being met by more efficient planning of events.  Local needs are talked about from the pulpit and at CWL meetings.  Deacon Paul Labelle has spoken to the parish about social justice.  Development & Peace meetings are being held in the parish.

            e.         Youth and Young Adults

Strengths include:  We have a Youth Group and Youth Ensemble.  Youth participate in liturgy.  Homilies aimed at youth regularly.  Winter carnival and summer picnic engage youth and family.

Challenges include:  Low attendance at group meetings.  There is a constant “flux” of youth involvement.  It is difficult to get volunteer adult leaders committed to this ministry.

These challenges are being met by not giving up.

            f.          Future Planning

Strengths include:  Parish Council sets goals and action plans every two years.  Each parish committee evaluates its activities.  Goals for the future include:  To strengthen faith development activities, increase participation of parishioners in more aspects of Parish Life, to pay off the hall expansion in five years, increase fellowship and welcoming.

Challenges include:  Finding the people to make all this happen and the finances.  A hired pastoral worker and youth minister would be a blessing but the finances are not there.  Maybe we are expecting too much and trying to do too much.

These challenges are being met by prayer.  Committees are addressing our four goals listed above quite well.  The debt will be paid off by Easter, 3 years ahead of schedule.