A Time of Transition

 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

 

During the pastorate of Fr. John Burke, Our Lady’s began a journey that would significantly alter its future.  The decline in the number of ordained priests in the United States had a direct impact on all the parish.  Among many reasons for the decline include fewer vocations and the Church abuse scandals revealed in the early 2000s that regrettably tarnished the image of the Roman Catholic Church and its priesthood.  The Archdiocese of Louisville did not escape this reality as shown by statistics published in a 2006 newsletter:

 

United States Catholic Parish Statistics

·         30% of all parishes are ‘Mega’ parishes with 1200+ households and more than 3,000 registered parishioners.

·         Approximately ¼ of parishes are ‘Corporate’ parishes:  550-1,200 households  and 1,200-3,000 registered parishioners.

·         Approximately ¼ pf parishes are ‘Community’ parishes:  201-549 households with one priest, one lay minister and three weekend Masses.

·         Approximately ¼ of parishes are ‘Family’ parishes: 200 or fewer households where 40% have no resident priest and fewer than 450 registered parishioners.

 

Fr. Burke began addressing parishioners about the matter in a series of bulletin and newsletter announcements:

 

June 2005

It is increasingly evident that our Church is struggling to minister to the 122 parishes and missions in our Archdiocese with fewer and fewer priests.  In The Record several weeks ago, it was announced that nine newly assigned pastors will be responsible for at least two parishes.  One pastor, Fr. Tom Clark, was named pastor of five parishes!

 

With this in mind it is clear that the days of easy availability of substitute priests in times of sickness or vacation are quickly coming to an end.  When Fr. Reilly or I plan to be away for a vacation or retreat, we will attempt to find a substitute priest for that weekend.  When we are unable to do so, we will announce this at least a week in advance and encourage you to attend Mass at one of our neighboring parishes.  When this happens, there will be no Mass at Our Lady's that weekend.

 

On a weekend when Fr. Reilly or I are sick and have not been able to give advance notice, Deacon Bill Klump will preside at a Communion service at the regular Mass times.

 

Please pray and work to encourage vocations for the future as we struggle to deal with our current reality.

 

February 2006

In response to changing needs and the declining number of priests, all parishes in our Archdiocese are currently in the midst of a planning process that will help identify ways parishes can work better together in the future.

 

A few weeks ago, I attended a symposium in Chicago designed for pastors who minister in multi-parish situations across the country.  At the conference I learned that in 2004, a total of 3,157 parishes in the United States did not have a resident priest and that in 2005, a total of 10,792 parishes (nearly 60% of the total) were served by priests who had responsibility for two or more parishes.  Despite the tensions and frustrations of priests being stretched to serve two to as many as six communities, much good and creative pastoral work is being done in those areas where committed and trained lay ministers are working together to provide for the needs of their people.

 

It is too early to predict how this restructuring process will affect Our Lady’s and our neighboring parishes.  Lent is a time when we are challenged to open our minds and hearts, allowing God to work in us in new and deeper ways.  This Lent, let us pray that we will be open to opportunities and possibilities for greater collaboration with our neighboring parishes.

 

As with any Catholic endeavor, prayer was at its center.  Fr. Burke began reciting this prayer with parishioners frequently at Masses starting in 2006:

 

A Prayer for Guidance in Uncertain Times

 

O God, We have begun a new journey. Only you know where it will lead.

 

Over the years we have responded to your call to pray and to reach out in loving service to those in need. Now you call us to seek new ways to carry out your mission in the church today.

 

Sometimes we are confident we are going in the right direction. Sometimes we are lost and afraid.  Send your Holy Spirit to guide us on our way.

 

Help us appreciate one another’s gifts, and the gifts of our different parishes.

Help us to work together to find the answers to the questions deep in our hearts.

Strengthen us to step beyond our fears and move us to work together to continue the mission you have given us.

 

We trust in your faithful presence, for you are God forever and ever.

 

Amen

 

Archdiocese Parish and Regional Planning Process

Leading up to the 200th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Louisville in 2008, the planning process involved the Catholic faithful to help plan the future of its parishes.  This is Q&A that was shared in 2006 about the planning:

 

What is the parish planning process?

The Archdiocese has been actively planning since the late 1980s and published four strategic plans since that time.  The most recent parish planning effort began in 2004 when the Archdiocese published Demographic Factors Impacting the Archdiocese of Louisville, a study of demographic realities facing parishes and schools.  It analyzed the make-up of the Catholic population, general population trends, parish and school structures, the number of priests, and external opportunities and challenges.

 

Why is this planning needed?

There is an old adage that failure to plan is a plan to fail.  Parishes and schools face many opportunities and challenges: significant growth in some parishes and decreases in others; declining numbers of ordained priests; economic challenges, especially with facilities and personnel; growing ethnic diversity; increased availability of lay ministers.  All these call us to examine how to make best use of the human, financial and physical resources entrusted to our care as we carry out our mission to proclaim the Gospel.

 

What are the phases and timeline of the planning process?

Since planning began in January, two phases of the plan are complete.  During the initial phases, parishes submitted data about their membership, ministries, finances, and facilities as well as major strengths, challenges and unique mission.  From that data, parishes were asked to make recommendations about possible changes in parish leadership, staffing, realignment, and schools.  Part III, Planning Commission Review, is scheduled from June through September.  During this time, the Archdiocese planning commission will review each of the parish and regional reports.  From this they will create twelve or more draft regional plans.  These draft plans will be distributed to each region for consultation and further recommendations.  Regional gatherings with the planning commission will be held in September for feedback.

 

In February 2006 the parish council reflected on the state of the parish and compiled these perspectives for the planning process:

 

Challenges for Our Lady's

The parish is small, with 65% of the parishioners over the age of 50.  It is located in an area of West Louisville with a declining number of young Catholics.  Parish membership is declining as older parishioners are dying, while at the same time, practicing Catholic families are not moving into historic Portland at the same rate.  The parish is historically significant.  The church building is 131 years old and needs periodic maintenance to preserve its historical beauty.  This places an additional financial burden on the parish which is small and whose members do not traditionally have a high income. A significant number of the parishioners are currently living on fixed income in retirement.

 

Strengths of Our Lady's

Our Lady's is a small community with warm, friendly parishioners in the quiet residential neighborhood of historic Portland.  The parish was founded in 1839 and is the second oldest in Jefferson County.  Parishioners draw great solace from its traditional place in their family history.  It is a second home to them.  A significant percentage of parishioners give generously of their time, talents, and resources to keep the parish facilities in good repair.  They fund raise indefatigably and actively participate in parish ministry to assure parish viability.  As many as 50% of parishioners live outside the traditional geographical boundaries, including some from southern Indiana.  The parish is easily accessible from the surrounding highway.  Parishioners profess that they feel closer to God when worshiping in a smaller, traditional parish. The church and its clergy give them a serene feeling of peace when worshipping here.

 

The Unique Mission of Our Lady's

Our Lady's has historic roots in Portland and Louisville that extend back to the beginning of the city and the Archdiocese.  With the labor and support of its parishioners, it overcame major natural disasters and survived construction of the Interstate highway and floodwall systems.  This dissected the parish neighborhood and reduced the number of Portland residents living near the church.  Today it is the only parish in Region 1 with a daily evening Mass.  This is possible due to the faithful ministry of a retired pastor who lives in the rectory.

 

 

Combined Masses and Services

For the first time in its history, parishioners from two Portland area parishes celebrated a common liturgy.  As announced in June 2006, St. Cecilia and Our Lady began hosting a combined Mass on the first Sunday of each month, alternating between campuses.  This schedule was maintained through the end of the year.

 

 

On December 13, 2006, a joint penance service was held for St. Anthony, Our Lady and St. Cecilia parishes.

 

Merger News

In December 2006 it was announced that St. Cecilia, Our Lady and St. Anthony parishes in Portland would be involved in a merger.  Sr. Justina Heneghan, who works in Archdiocesan planning, was assigned to guide the parish through the process.  Fr. Burke, Fr. Pius Poff, pastor of St. Anthony Church, and Sr. Heneghan met on February 8, 2007 to begin discussions.

 

 

Merger Core Team

Following the merger announcement the parish formed a ‘Core Team’ to address the many issues involved in the process.  Our Lady parishioners Erin Blume, Mike Rodgers and Patsy Unclebach joined Theresa Adams, Frances Cummings, Mike Hasken, Judy Schroeder-Watrous, Cheryl Thomas and Bob Woolsey of St. Cecilia and St. Anthony parishes.  The team met the first time on May 10, 2007.  On June 7^th the parish councils and finance committees of all three parishes attended.

 

The core team submitted the following reports:

 

July 19, 2007

Fr. Ron Domhoff from Our Lady of Consolation made a presentation to the group regarding the importance of a name for the new parish and what process could be used in naming the new parish.  After Father’s presentation the group discussed numerous ideas.  The group decided the next order of business would be to tour each of the churches and their physical plants.  The tours will be conducted on Saturday, August 4, 2007.  Please continue to pray for the members of our Core Team.

 

August 12, 2007

The Core Team for the parish merger process met August 4^th and toured each of the three church facilities with an eye to see how best these facilities can continue to serve the new parish.  We learned about the uses for each facility and the various partnerships parishes have developed with other groups to provide programs and ministries needed in the area.  The tour commenced at 9am and concluded at 12:30pm.

 

November 11, 2007

Patsy Unclebach addressed the parish on the workings of the Core Team.  Several decisions were made as a result of a joint meeting between all parish councils and finance committees.  These decisions include:

·         Hold joint meetings of all three parishes finance committees and parish councils with the goal to have one finance committee and one parish council within six months.

·         Celebrate a combined Mass on the 3^rd Sunday of each month that rotates between the three churches.

·         Produce one bulletin for all three parishes.

These decisions go into effect beginning the first of January 2008.  The next meeting of the Core Team will be Thursday November 15^th at 6:30pm. at St. Cecilia’s.

 

Summary Report – January 2008

In December of 2006 the Priest's Council approved a draft plan for diocesan reorganization, including parish clusters and mergers. This was then formally approved and announced by Archbishop Kelly January 18, 2007 in The Record.  The article stated that St. Cecilia's, Church of Our Lady and St. Anthony's would merge.

 

February 2007 brought the initial meeting of Sister Justina Heneghan, Facilitator, Archdiocese of Louisville, Father Pius Poff, pastor, St. Anthony's and Father John Burke, pastor, St. Cecilia's and Church of Our Lady.  During this meeting the merger process was discussed and the need for a tri-parish "Core Team" that would facilitate the merger process.

 

By March 2007 the Core Team members had been chosen and an organizational meeting was held.  The Core Team is comprised of three parishioners from each parish, the pastors of the three churches involved and a facilitator from the Archdiocese of Louisville.  The members are:

·         Fr. Pius Poff, St. Anthony's

·         Fr. John Burke, Our Lady's and St. Cecilia's

·         Sr. Justina Heneghan, Office of Personnel and Planning

·         Cheryl Thomas, Judy Schroeder, Bob Woosley (St. Cecilia)

·         Patsy Unclebach, Erin Blume, Mike Rodgers (Our Lady)

·         Frances Cummings, Dolly Adams, Mike Hasken (St. Anthony)

 

By May 2007 the Core Team held their second meeting and discussed the demographic data of each of the parishes in preparation for their next meeting which would include parish councils, finance committees and Core Team members from all three parishes.  This combined meeting was held in June 2007.  This meeting included all three parishes Parish Council members and Finance Committee members.  This first combined meeting was mainly an introduction and question and answer meeting detailing what the Core Team would be doing.  The Core Team meets and plans for the NEW parish.  The Parish Councils and Finance Committees plan for and addresses the current needs of the parishes as they are now.

 

In July the Core Team met with Fr. Ron Domhoff (Our Lady of Consolation) who gave insights into choosing a name for the new parish.  The Core Team will recommend names to the Archbishop. The Archbishop then names the new church and prepares the decree.

 

The Core Team met on a Saturday in August and toured all buildings at each parish properly, where they learned of all the uses of each facility.  This meeting lasted from 9-12:30pm.  The Core Team created a tentative timeline at the end of August to be discussed with the Parish Councils and Finance Committees.

 

In October the Core Team met with the Parish Councils and Finance Committees of each parish.  They discussed the timeline that the Core Team had come up with in August and approved three points.  These points were:

1.     Beginning in January each churches councils will meet once a month, together in the same room.  They will have time for individual business and an open forum for general business.  The Core Team would attend as representatives for the new parish and provide insight as to what they have been discussing.  Hopefully by May the group will have a sense of how to become one.

2.     On the 3^rd weekend of each month have Mass at only one of the churches with a rotation between the churches. Provide for gathering after each Mass e.g. coffee and donuts.

3.     The first weekend in January have one bulletin distributed at each parish.  All these suggestions have been put into practice.

 

The Core Team met at the end of October and decided that they should present the above points to parishioners.  This was done on November 3/4th at St. Cecilia’s and Our Lady's and November 10/11^th at St. Anthony's.

 

During December the Core Team prepared and distributed a survey at each parish.  The survey was distributed the weekend of December 15^th at each church. Parishioners who did not complete the survey were called in an effort to reach all members.

 

On January 3, 2008 the Core Team met to discuss results of the 166 surveys.  The #1 concern of parishioners who participated in the survey is: "Which of the three churches will be kept for worship?"  In facing this most sensitive of decisions the Core Team asked the opinion of an independent real estate agent to detail the assets of each of the church buildings.  This was done on January l1s and the findings will be reported to the Core Team on February 28.

 

On January 17, 2008 all three Parish Councils met at Our Lady's.  On January 21^st all three Finance Committees met at Our Lady’s.

 

               

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