St Theresa’s Onsite Visit Report of Findings and Survey Results In preparation for Pastoral Planning will be published in Four Parts.
Part One
Introduction: From Oct 22-23, 2017, Catholic Institute visited our Parish. By Large the parish represent retirees, snowbirds, an aging population. New Church was built in 2016. A new Operations Manager was hired working with a developed leadership team known as the P.A.L.S. (Pastoral, Administrative, Liturgy, Service) There was an opportunity to meet the staff and the volunteers.
Areas of Strength:
Outreach: St Theresa parish has a charism of service and is dedicated to serve those in need. This is a clear strength, highlighted by interviews, observations, and allocation of resources. It is truly a service to the community-not simply Catholics, but to all souls in need. This is a wonderful opportunity for Evangelization.
Community: Members of this parish has a strong sense of community. The word “Family” was used frequently in interviews. They take pride in their welcoming nature to work together for the glory of God in service to others. With high numbers of volunteers and engagement, the community thrives on continuing the formation of community rooted in their faith.
Liturgy: With the hiring of a new Liturgist, Fr David and Operations Manager Henry Esparza, the parish has seen changes to the liturgy and those interviewed noted that the liturgy is the most important thing that the community does. In offering the sacraments, they are fed.
Areas of Opportunity:
Youth: One significant area of opportunity is youth involvement, despite a significant population of young adults and families in the area.
Role Clarity and Vision: An opportunity to develop clear roles and responsibilities. A continuing guiding vision and plan that connects staff members do on a day to day basis to increase collaboration and eliminate some confusion. Vision must connect.
Discipleship: There is an opportunity to reevaluate and develop impactful ministries around faith formation and evangelization. There are some concerns on competing against each other.
Pre-Visit Research: Website is well maintained and up to date. This website maintained and develop by Michael Quitoriano is easy to navigate and promotes the parish’s activities along with appropriate contact persons. The parish snapshot indicates more people passing on than coming to the church. The sacramental participation of baptisms, confirmations, and marriages is low, though Funerals are high. Financially, the parish is doing well with nearly 1/3 of budget going to social services.
In initial conversations with Fr David, it was clear that he was well prepared, had research both CLi and the site visit Liaison, and is excited for this growth opportunity. Fr David has continued to be welcoming and engaged in the process.
Next Report: Part Two: June 10, 2018 Bulletin
A complete copy of the report can be found here.