We Walk By Faith

Summary Report to St. Therese Parishioners

In August, 2006, the Bishop announced publication of a new document “We Walk by Faith” which is intended to provide a guide to each parish in its journey to encounter Jesus Christ in word, worship, community, and service.  The Church of St. Therese volunteered to be a pilot parish to help determine the best way to enhance our faith journey.

Due to space limitations, this summary cannot accommodate all of the details from the survey and the self-assessment exercise.  A detailed account is available in the Commons.

Survey

Our first step in this journey was to administer a survey to all parishioners.  The survey was developed by the Diocese and we were directed to administer it during the homily portion of the liturgy, on a weekend in Advent.  We administered the survey as directed and sent the responses to the Diocese for tabulating.  More than 370 parishioners completed the survey, although many were unhappy that it was administered during the liturgy.

Following is a statistical breakout of the respondents:

Primary Racial Ethnicity

Age Range

Gender

Male: 136        Female: 241

Registered at this parish

Yes: 324        No: 48

Following is a summary of the responses.  For complete details please see the We Walk by Faith Book in the Commons.

 The survey results indicated many areas of strength at St. Therese particularly in word and worship.  The majority of parishioners appeared to be very satisfied with proclamation of the word and adult Christian Formation.  Most respondents indicated that the homilies are meaningful and effectively delivered, and that the music performed at the liturgies enhances the worship of God.

St. Therese is perceived as a welcoming parish that sponsors programs and activities which build fellowship among parishioners.  We are also seen as welcoming ethnic minorities into the parish community.

 The responses indicated that most parishioners feel the parish is doing well in adult Christian Formation and Christian Formation for children grade 6 and below.  There was concern that Christian Formation programs for youth, grade 7 and higher, were not as effective.  Approximately one third of the respondents did not know if this group was receiving effective teaching in Christian values, beliefs and traditions.

 Respondents indicated that the parish does support parents in their responsibility to be teachers of the faith to their children and supports vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

The last page of the survey asked parishioners for the major strengths and needs of the parish. Although we cannot list them all in this summary, we have taken note of each one and will consider them carefully as we progress in our journey to encounter Jesus Christ in word, worship, community, and service. 

 Strengths:

Most parishioners praised our pastor and his homilies.  Many parishioners expressed gratitude for his leadership during our time of transition.  Theresians, Knights of Columbus, and the Parish Community received a great amount of praise.  The music ministry and music director received many accolades.  Community fellowship and a strong sense of community received many favorable comments.  Parishioners noted the parish’s concern for social justice and its warm welcoming culture.

Needs:

There were a great number of needs listed by parishioners.  Many expressed concern with the youth education program, particularly the need for an improved youth ministry program for children grade 7 and above.  There were some comments about the need to expand or improve our facilities, as well as a comment disparaging our facility growth program (i.e. purchasing real estate).  There were comments indicating the need for a “cry-room,” the steps in the sanctuary, and the need for a new sound system.  Some comments expressed a need for more community outreach, especially to the Hispanic community, as well as a suggestion to have bi-lingual or Spanish masses periodically.

The final item on the survey was a space for comments:

There were many comments ranging from appreciation for coffee and doughnuts to concerns with Priest Pedophilia in the greater church and the church in politics.    There were comments concerning poor communication and other comments expressing appreciation that the bulletins and other information are now on the parish website.

Self-Assessment

The second phase of We Walk By Faith was a parish self-assessment exercise which we completed on February 25^th.  The self-assessment was advertised in the bulletin and announced from the ambo throughout February.  Self-assessment booklets were placed in the commons for parishioners to take home and read so they would be prepared for the exercise. 

 On Sunday, February 25^th a committee of Parish Counsel members met with fifteen parishioners immediately following the 10:30 mass.  We used the We Walk By Faith document provided by the Diocese.  The group was divided into four smaller groups.  Each small group discussed one of the four sections of the booklet, Word, Worship, Community, or Service.  Following the small group discussions we came back together and reported out the strengths and needs of each section.  Following is a summary.  For complete details please see the We Walk by Faith Book in the Commons.

Word:

The group felt that St Therese has a strong faith education for younger children, but needs to improve its youth ministry.  They suggested a paid youth minister.  The group expressed concern about a need for improved communication within the parish.

Worship:

The group praised the excellent music program/minister at the 10:30 AM Sunday Mass and asked that it be expanded to the 5:00 PM Saturday and 8:00 AM Sunday Masses.  They also commented that the recently installed song boards in the sanctuary are a welcome aid to the worship service.

Concern was expressed that although there is a children's liturgy at the 10:30 AM Mass, there are no children's liturgies at the 5:00 PM or the 8:00 AM Sunday Mass.

It was noted that the Liturgical Ministers receive good training at the parish level.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is scheduled only once a month, or by appointment.  A comment was made that it is difficult for parents of school-age children to teach children the value of reconciliation when they cannot get an evening appointment.  The group also suggested that the sacrament of healing could be administered more often.

With our growing Hispanic population the group felt that we needed more bilingual worship aids.

Community:

The group felt that our parishioner demographics reflect that ethnic communities within the county.

They also noted that the parish website is being improved, however, better communication is needed.  Some activities occur without parishioners having advance knowledge.  For example, the Spanish Dinner.  One suggestion was to use mass e-mails. Some parishioners would like to see the newsletter reinstated.  They also suggested the parish directory be published again.

Service:

The group praised the parish’s food pantry, the Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets, and the strong support of the Gloucester Chapter of the American Red Cross.  Special note was made of our support of Hurricane Katrina victims to include free housing for 2 families.

It was noted that the Justice and Peace Committee needs to be strengthened and that youth need to opportunities for service and community service.

Some felt that the church building could be used for organizations which address human needs.

What Will the Parish Do?

Parish Council studied the surveys and the self-assessment to discern the strengths and needs of our parish.  We have developed the following strategies to address the needs of St. Therese.

During the next year:

A representative from the Diocese, will meet with parents and youth in the near future.  We are currently communicating with parents and youth to create and to assess what the needs are.  More emphasis is being placed on VIRTUS training in order to prepare more volunteers to work with youth. 

Continue to strengthen the parish website and publish a new parish directory.

Employ a Volunteer Coordinator who will be responsible for stewardship and communication, among other duties.

Investigate feasibility of mass e-mail and additional media to better communicate as a parish.

Continue to seek improvement in all music ministries.

Improve the labeling and presentation of bilingual worship aids.

Increase communal opportunities for the sacrament of healing.

Continue to make the building available for community organizations.

During the next five years:

Develop and implement a robust youth ministry program.

Cultivate leadership within the parish youth.

It is our intention to determine ways to assimilate youth into overall parish experience, including ministries such as the choir, service projects, etc.

Strive to develop a well-informed parish community.

We feel the reconciliation schedule is inadequate at this time, however, we will create a better space and more opportunities for parishioners to celebrate the sacrament.

Create a day chapel and chapel of the Blessed Sacrament within the next three years.

Continue to recognize opportunities for our parish to be involved in Justice and Peace ministry and encourage participation of parishioners.

What’s Next?

Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo will visit our parish on July 29, 2007 and will review our efforts as we continue on our journey to encounter Jesus Christ in word, worship, community and service.

Respectfully submitted:

Arnold Nye, Parish Council Chair