October 27, 2019

On Mission for the Church Alive! - Moving Forward…
         Tuesday, October 15 marked one full year of praying, learning, working, and worshiping together as “Grouping #445”, the Wexford Catholic Community of Saints Alphonsus and Alexis parishes.  In period of time, we have successfully accomplished a number of transitions and it can be said they are functioning rather well.
 
     What We Have Accomplished…  Together

•  Prayer and worship – these are the most important activities that we as a Catholic community carry out.  For the most part, parishioners have accepted and adjusted to the revised Mass schedule for our two parishes.  Some parishioners find these changes to be difficult and personally painful.  I truly recognize and admire everyone’s passionate love for the richness of relationships and commitment to our faith community.  However, due to various circumstances, what has been can no longer be.  We need to look at what we are doing from a broader perspective taking into account more than what has been our past to where God is calling us to be.  We must be “outward focused.”  I believe we can do this with our eyes focused on Jesus and our second priority to love one another. 
• Father Joe and I have taken residence at the Rectory at Saint Alphonsus.  It is more suitable than Mary House – the Rectory at Saint Alexis which has only 5 rooms and one bath.  Some updates were necessary at Saint Alphonsus with much of the wall, flooring, and window treatments and furnishings were original from when the house was first built in the late ‘70’s.
• The offices for both parishes have been relocated to Saint Alexis.  Since the time of Father Richard Wesoloski, the former convent on this property has served as the Parish Center.  At this time, it provides 9 private offices and 3 comfortable meeting rooms for parish staff and organizations.  This building offers better facilities for the staff than the offices at Saint Alphonsus.  It also affords the priests the necessary privacy they need apart from the offices.
• With the merger of the parish’s offices, so too have the parish staffs.  The staff is working together on a number of projects while we continue to foster a spirit of homogenization of gifts and service to our people.  The same can be said of the maintenance department.  These employees work well together and I am grateful for the tremendous amount they accomplish.  However, this area is understaffed and will eventually need to be expanded to meet the needs of the two campuses.  The volume of maintenance work for just two employees is expansive.
• Two new hires have been made in order to foster a unified evangelization ministry in both parishes.  David VanVickle serves as the Director of Evangelization in both parishes and David Piccirilli serves as Coordinator of Youth Ministry and Young Adults.  Both men have proven to be real assets to the staff and parish in expanding these ministries.  I continue to look forward to even greater things happening in the future.
• Our commitment to Catholic education remains strong and we are determined to continue to cast the net and share the Good News of Jesus with our children.  Now in its third year of existence with the merger of Saint Alphonsus and Saint Alexis Catholic Schools, enrollment has remained stable from the previous year.  The new entity, Blessed Francis Seelos Academy, is a regional school no longer operated by an individual parish but based on a model of diocesan governance.  Grades K-8 are housed at Saint Alphonsus while the Pre-school program is at Saint Alexis.  Now, even parishes without a physical school building on its campus can say they have a Catholic school with the merger.  In addition, the Religious Education/Faith Formation Programs of both parishes have formed one program being hosted on the campus of Saint Alexis in the former school building.
• The parish’s two Pastoral Councils have come together and work collaboratively as an Interim Pastoral Council.  I feel so blessed by the membership for their generous gifts of time and tremendous talent.  We are all very blessed by this body of lay leadership who serve as an advisory body to me with the good of our people and a real commitment to grow the Church.  Praise God!
• In some regard, Finance Councils of both parishes have met and to some degree, now know one another.  Following diocesan protocol, these bodies may collaborate in some minor areas however; they are to remain two separate bodies not sharing specifics of parish finances of individual parishes until the actual merger of parishes takes places in July of 2020.   

 What Areas Need Attention

• I must continue to “invest” time in working with our two Finance Councils.  The Saint Alphonsus Pastoral Council will need to convene in order to move forward with expenditures necessary for specific capital improvements.  I have not gathered the Finance Council at Saint Alexis.  Outside of monthly reports, there has been little new information to discuss in light of The On Mission for the Church Alive initiative.   End of Year Financial Reports are being drafted and once approved and accepted by respective Councils, they will be made available to all parishioners and likely presented by members of these committees.  Financial updates will be made on the finances at both parishes at that time.
• In our grouping, there needs to be more effort dedicated to synthesizing the music departments at both parishes.  Music is very meaningful and personal to many.  Both communities have great musical talent and abilities, but effort must be made in working together.  We must work together to form one program.  Besides offering our best to God in all things, it is necessary that we as a missional Church - one focused on those who are not in the pews.  We must look beyond what is pleasing to ourselves and not taking into account those who no longer attending and ask ourselves why?  National studies repeatedly focus on a quality music programs as being the second most important factor in either their return or, decision of the un-churched to join a faith community.  The number one factor in growing a church is a spirit of hospitality, which is the responsibly of not just a few – but everyone.  

      All of the accomplishments we have made together cannot be taken for granted.  We “cannot sit on our laurels.”  All of the areas identified and a whole lot more must be tended to, or they will revert to something less than what God expects of us.
 
     Thank you for all that you do in giving witness to the faith!  Sacrifice is being asked of all of us; but we can do it! 
God has promised to remain with us. Make loving and being faithful to Him and His Church your priority. 
By what we say and do, others will know we are followers of Jesus by our love for one another.