2009 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 has increased due to change in Mass times at neighbouring parishes. 

Challenges include:  Choir ministry at one Sunday Mass needs improvement.  Worship environment is bland.  Not many people celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Children’s Liturgy is having difficulty finding adult leaders.

These challenges are being met by: canvassing for more volunteers; 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.  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. 

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.  We are looking into providing land at the bottom of the hill to a developer to build subsidized housing units for seniors.

Challenges include:  Scheduling of events.  Parishioners seem to be over burdened with requests for money, items, petitions, etc. at times.

These challenges are being met by more efficient planning of events.  Local needs are talked about from the pulpit and at CWL meetings

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.  Past goals have been met.  Goals for the future will be discussed soon.  We have replaced our aging roof on the church and rectory.

Challenges include:  Finding the people to make all this happen.  Maybe we are expecting too much and trying to do too much.

These challenges are being met by prayer.  Committees have addressed our goals well in the past, we have faith that they will respond well in the future.