Praised be Jesus Christ!
 
More Responses to Questions and Concerns About Parish Merging
 
Q:         How would money that has been raised by various groups (such as PCCW, Holy Name Society, Religious Education, etc.) in each original parish be handled?  Would it be shared in a merged parish?
 
A: At this time in our three parishes, only St. Mary’s and St. Kilian’s still have active PCCW (Parish Council of Catholic Women) groups.  St. Michael’s PCCW is no longer active, but various members of the parish have taken on some of the things the PCCW has traditionally done.  In a merged parish, we would have essentially one PCCW.  However, the original two parish PCCWs from St. Kilian’s and St. Mary’s would function like “Circles” for their respective churches.  As pastor, I would encourage those Circles to work together on at least one event (fundraiser, social, etc.) a year for the whole merged parish.  Beyond that, groups could decide amongst themselves to what extent they might like to work together on other things.  They may decide as Circles to do things for their respective churches throughout the year, and that could include fundraising for their respective particular church building and grounds.
At this time, only St. Mary’s still has a Holy Name Society, which coordinates the annual St. Mary’s Lenten Fish Fry.  It would be up to the members of the Holy Name Society to determine how they would like to fundraise in the future following a merger.  As a merged parish, their membership could be open to members of the other two original parishes.  Therefore, it would be up to them to decide to either broaden the scope of their fundraising beyond St. Mary’s church and grounds, or, they could still maintain that the proceeds from the fish fry be designated solely for the maintenance of St. Mary’s church and grounds, and anyone who wishes could take part.
As for Religious Education, much is still being worked out regarding how this would be structured in our merged parish.  Regardless of the number of sites and instruction times that we would have, having one program centrally organized by one director is what we would like to work toward.  That said, any fundraising would best be done for the whole program following the merger.

​Praised be Jesus Christ!
 
Some Thoughts on Being Catholic, Belonging to a Parish, and Parish Vitality
 
In response to one of the questions or concerns raised about parish merging that I addressed some weeks ago, I said that I would like to reflect a bit more about what it means to be Catholic and to be part of a parish.  Among Catholics in a given parish, we can sometimes encounter a mentality that seems more Protestant Congregationalist than Catholic.  The Congregationalists make up a branch of Protestantism that believes each congregation should run its own affairs independently and autonomously.  As Catholics, we can sometimes adopt an attitude of “my church and my parish” in which we neglect to look outside our parish community and see ourselves as part of something bigger.  But being Catholic means having a much broader and universal outlook.  As members of the whole Body of Christ – the Church throughout the world, we as a parish under one pastor, seek to become more committed disciples of the Lord Jesus.  We seek to grow in holiness through prayer and the sacraments, and to reach out to the rest of the world around us in charity and evangelization.  This is the common goal we share with the Church throughout the world and the parishes that are neighbors with us.  This is why we exist, and therefore why we should always be examining ways that we can better and more effectively fulfill that common mission.
 
When we think of a parish’s vitality, we usually tend to think of things like: the number of registered families, the number of people attending Mass, the number of baptisms, weddings, and funerals, the number of new members, the condition of parish buildings and property, and of course, the parish’s financial stability and fiscal responsibility.
 
These are certainly not bad criteria to consider in determining a parish’s vitality.  But should we not also consider criteria that directly apply to our mission as a parish and as Catholics in the world?  One author suggests the following criteria as we consider the vitality of our parishes: (1) Worship and liturgical life: does all worship, prayer, and faith formation flow out from the Eucharist at the Mass?  (2) Education: do we seek to form and educate parishioners of all ages through a variety of programs to prepare them for their mission as a Catholic in the world?  (3) Community: are we a hospitable community in which all members feel at home and in which we reach out to both those who have fallen away and those who have no relationship with the Lord?  (4) Service: do we encourage a full living out of the Gospel in the world around us by reaching out to those in need?  (5) Administration: does our community have strong leadership with adequate staffing, and are our resources well utilized?
 
These are just some things for us to ponder and pray about as we discern the future of our parishes.
 
More Responses to Parish Merging Questions and Concerns
 
Q.        In a merged parish, would parishioners have a choice about in which church to get married or to have their funeral celebrated?
R.        Yes, in a merger, our parish community would have three churches as worship locations.  The community as a whole would be responsible for their maintenance, and therefore, each church would be accessible to all parishioners.
Q.        Would everyone receive the parishioner discount for burial in the cemetery of their choice?
R.        It seems that this would be appropriate.  Ultimately, it would be up to each cemetery committee to work together to establish uniform policies and fees.
 

Praised be Jesus Christ!
 
More Responses to Parish Merging Questions and Concerns
 
Q.             Has there ever been an attempt at a parish merger that was not successful?
R.             It’s the general consensus among parish and diocesan leaders across the country that the more successful parish mergers are those done with parishioner involvement, dialogue, and communication.  Mergers that have occurred “top-down” from the diocese without much parishioner involvement, dialogue, and communication tend to be much less successful – in other words, there is greater parishioner discontent. 
Q. We are all proud of our individual parish choirs and musicians.  Would there need to be significant changes to each church’s music programs in the event of a merger?
R. When Fr. Bill Felix came to speak last spring, he explained how in the case of his parish merger, the three choirs united as “one parish choir” with one director or coordinator, but each church had its own “schola,” which was made up of the members of the choirs of the original three parishes.  Their “parish choir” would then come together mostly just for special events, such as Confirmation.  Their merged parish uses the same hymnals and missalettes.  I also believe they agree to use the same hymn selection for weekend Masses, and probably the same Mass setting as well.
As for a merger in our case, choir members and musicians bring to their current respective parish choirs very different gifts and skills.  Because of this, I don’t foresee any dramatic change in the uniqueness of the three choirs, or “scholas” in the event of a merger, especially in the area of musical style and instrumentation.  Based on his experience, however, Fr. Felix recommends that there be some continuity in music across the three churches – such as with hymnals, hymn selection, the use of Mass settings etc., as this helps to establish and build up parishioners’ sense of belonging to a unified single parish.  The development of a plan for our community would require the involvement and collaborative work of our current choir leaders.
Q. Will all parishioners have the opportunity to vote on the merger?
R. I do not believe that a popular vote by parishioners in favor of or opposed to a merger is the best approach.  When it comes to the most important operations of our parishes – their pastoral outreach and financial and administrative workings – the biggest decisions and consultation to the pastor occur through representative bodies, namely the Pastoral Council and Finance Council.  These councils consist of elected and/or appointed parishioners that represent the whole parish community, and who are able to bring forward the concerns that other parishioners voice to them.  In consulting with each other and the pastor at regular meetings, these council members often have a sense of the “big picture” of various pastoral and financial issues.  They are more aware of the various issues involved in a decision.
Communication to parishioners about the issues surrounding a possible merger is no easy feat.  Many parishioners do not regularly attend Mass at one of our three parishes to hear verbal communication.  Many parishioners do not regularly read the bulletin, or go to the tri-parish website or Facebook page to read written communication.  Many parishioners did not attend the initial presentation given by Fr. Felix last spring in which many questions about merging were fielded.  Keeping everyone informed is something we keep working at and we try to do better, but ultimately it’s darn near impossible.  For this reason, having representative bodies who are more thoroughly informed involved in key decision-making is absolutely necessary. 
While I don’t think a parishioner popular vote on a merger would be the best course of action, I do think a vote or consensus from our representative bodies, such as our Pastoral Leadership Committee and Finance and Administrative Leadership Committee (which consist of Pastoral and Finance Council members from each parish, as well as Exploratory Committee members) would be appropriate.  Therefore, I would like to reiterate the importance of talking to members of your representative bodies with the concerns and questions you may have.  In addition to this, however, we will also be holding a town hall meeting in each parish at some point in the future in order to present the proposal for a merged parish.  The response and interest from parishioners in these meetings will help to guide representatives in their decision-making for the merger.
 

 

Praised be Jesus Christ!
 
Upcoming Adult Faith Formation Opportunity this Winter/Lent: Too often we try to live a faith we don't know or understand.  Some of us stumble along with it, going through the motions. Others simply walk away.  Join Fr. Burish this Winter/Lent for a course on our Catholic Faith using the Symbolon program found on www.formed.org: Symbolon: Knowing the Faith.  For those who missed the opportunity to take part in this course in the Fall, Fr. Burish is offering it again.  Presented by the most trusted and compelling teachers and filmed around the world with stunning cinematography, Symbolon: Knowing the Faith explains the essentials of the Catholic Faith in a way that will inform our minds and inspire our hearts.  This program will be presented in 10 sessions (listed below) at St. Mary’s Church basement, at 7pm.  The material covered in each session is not dependent on the session prior to it.  If you are not able to attend each session, attend the ones that you can attend.  If you miss a session, you can view the video at www.formed.org, through the parish’s subscription.  A $5 donation is requested to cover the cost of photocopies provided.  Since space is limited, please call St. Mary’s Parish Office at 715-652-2806 to register by Tuesday, February 14th.
 
Session 1: (Feb. 21) The Journey of Faith; Trinity, Faith & the God Who Is Love
Session 2: (Feb. 28) Divine Revelation; God Seeking Us & the Compass for Our Lives
Session 3: (Mar. 7) The Bible; God’s Love Letter to Humanity
Session 4: (Mar. 14) The Story of Salvation; Creation, Fall & Redemption
Session 5: (Mar. 21) Who is Jesus?; Just a Good Man or Lord of Our Lives?
Session 6: (Mar. 28) The Paschal Mystery; The Mystery of Jesus’ Death & Resurrection
Session 7: (Apr. 4) The Holy Spirit and the Life of Grace; God’s Divine Life Within Us
Session 8: (Apr. 11) Why Do I Need the Church?; The Mystery of the Catholic Church
Session 9: (Apr. 18) Mary and the Saints; Our Spiritual Mother & the Communion of  Saints
Session 10: (Apr. 25) The Last Things; What Happens After We Die 
 
Some dates may be subject to change after the course begins.  This will be communicated as best as possible.