st. josaphat st. joseph sweetest heart of mary · 2013. 7. 8. · activities of the merger and...

St. Josaphat

St. Joseph

Sweetest Heart of Mary

Together In Faith II

Merger Plan

Submitted: December 30, 2012

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Table of Contents ADMINISTRATOR’S LETTER TO ARCHBISHOP ..................................................................... iii

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... iv

COMMUNICATION PLAN .......................................................................................................... 1

PASTORAL PARISH COUNCIL /TRANSITIONAL TEAM MEETINGS ....................................... 3

WORSHIP COMMISSION PLANS ............................................................................................. 4

SOCIAL GATHERINGS ............................................................................................................. 5

SACRAMENT SHARING ........................................................................................................... 6

MINISTERIAL OR PROGRAM SHARING INITIATIVES ............................................................. 7

SEVEN MISSION PRIORITIES .................................................................................................. 9

Mission Priority #1: Evangelization & Catechesis ................................................................... 9

Mission Priority #2: Christian Service & Outreach ..................................................................10

Mission Priority #3: Youth and Young Adults .........................................................................11

Mission Priority #4: Lay Leadership .......................................................................................12

Mission Priority #5: Stewardship and Administration ..............................................................13

Mission Priority #6: Catholic Schools .....................................................................................14

Mission Priority #7: Vocations ................................................................................................15

ST. JOSAPHAT, ST. JOSEPH AND SWEETEST HEART OF MARY TIF II MERGER PLAN

SUBMISSION PAGE.................................................................................................................17

APPENDIX A (MINUTES) MERGED PARISHES TRANSITION TEAM MEETING: MINUTES………………………8-17-12 MERGED PARISHES TRANSITION TEAM MEETING: MINUTES………………………8-27-12 MERGED PARISHES TRANSITION TEAM MEETING: MINUTES………………………9-14-12 MERGED PARISHES TRANSITION TEAM MEETING: MINUTES………………………9-24-12 MERGED PARISHES TRANSITION TEAM MEETING: MINUTES………………………10-5-12 MERGED PARISHES TRANSITION TEAM MEETING: MINUTES……………………..10-19-12 MERGED PARISHES TRANSITION TEAM MEETING: MINUTES………………………11-9-12 MERGED PARISHES TRANSITION TEAM MEETING: MINUTES……………………. 11-16-12 MERGED PARISHES TRANSITION TEAM MEETING: MINUTES……………………..12-10-12 APPENDIX B (QUINN-EVANS ARCHITECTS) SWEETEST HEART OF MARY INITIAL REVIEW OF CONDITIONS & PRIORITIES….9-5-12 SWEETEST HEART OF MARY PROPOSAL FOR FACILITY ASSESSMENT………….9-7-12 ST. JOSAPHAT INITIAL REVIEW OF CONDITIONS & PRIORITIES…………………….9-7-12 ST. JOSAPHAT PROPOSAL FOR FACILITY ASSESSMENT...…………………………..9-7-12 ST. JOSEPH INITIAL REVIEW OF CONDITIONS & PRIORITIES………………………9-11-12 ST. JOSEPH PROPOSAL FOR FACILITY ASSESSMENT……………………………....9-11-12

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INTRODUCTION

Parishes of: St. Josaphat, St. Joseph, and Sweetest Heart of Mary

Our three parishes are historically significant. All three are listed on the National

Register of Historic Places, the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of

preservation. Sweetest Heart of Mary and St. Josaphat were both established in 1889

while St. Joseph was established in 1855. Sweetest Heart of Mary and St. Josaphat

were clustered in 2003, and St. Joseph joined the cluster in 2004.

Both Sweetest Heart of Mary and St. Josaphat are personal parishes, while St.

Joseph is territorial. The majority of parishioners live in the Greater Detroit area, a fact

that illustrates an enduring affinity beyond mere convenience for the liturgies we

celebrate. They travel to churches that have reverence and respect for the blessed. Our

many different parish social activities demonstrate the enthusiasm felt by those who

come a distance for our cluster Lenten Fish Fry, Pierogi Festival, Oktoberfest, and

monthly fundraising dinners. Our cluster food pantry is relied upon by many needy

families living in the immediate area of our three parishes.

Our Merger Team acknowledges the need for a plan to handle the current, and

soon to be more severe, priest shortage within the Archdiocese. We also know that it is

necessary for the church to have a constant presence in the City of Detroit. Our three

parishes are relevant for this goal. Merging our three parishes will result in

strengthening our presence and collaboration within the merged parishes. We intend

this plan to be a framework for merging our three parishes. The following report shows a

spirit of unity and cooperation within our Merger Team as we move forward to

implement our new mission:

“We the people of God give witness to His message living out our Roman

Catholic faith by serving our brothers and sisters from the heart of Detroit and

beyond.”

COMMUNICATION PLAN

Purpose: To create channels of communication which include the parish bulletin,

meetings, church announcements and the parish website, so that all parishioners

understand how the merger is moving forward, what to expect, and how they can

participate in the life of the newly formed parish.

Vision: A communication model that insures a sense of openness and clarity about the

activities of the merger and newly created parish.

September 2012

Recaps of transition team meetings appear in bulletin

October 2012

Request for prayer of the transition and merging process printed on the cover of

the weekly parish bulletin

Recaps of transition team meetings continue to appear in bulletin

Merger process discussed at joint parish council meeting

November 2012




AOD representative present at joint parish council meeting to discuss merger

process and answer questions from parish council members

December 2012

A town hall meeting scheduled for December 4, 2012 was open to all

parishioners of St. Josaphat, St. Joseph and Sweetest Heart of Mary. Bishop

Hanchon from AOD will be present along with Fr. Darrell and members of the

Together in Faith transition team. Meeting was cancelled due to Bishop

Hanchon’s unavailability.




January 2013

A second town hall meeting is scheduled and open to all parishioners of St.

Josaphat, St. Joseph and Sweetest Heart of Mary. A representative from AOD

will be present along with Fr. Darrell and members of the Together in Faith

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transition team. Meeting will be held in the church of St. Josaphat, pending

approval of merger plan document by AOD.




Merger information begins to appear on St. Josaphat, St. Joseph and Sweetest

Heart of Mary websites

Synopsis of merger report will be distributed to parish councils and made

available to parishioners who request it

February 2013




Merger information is updated on St. Josaphat, St. Joseph and Sweetest Heart of

Mary websites

March 2013

Opportunities are explored for joint Lenten/Easter activities to get parishioners

united and focused on the success of the future parish together.

Letters are sent to parishioners regarding the status and plans of the merger and

parishioners are encouraged to submit names for the new parish.





Mary

April 2013

Final three names submitted by parishioners for the new parish will be chosen

during Divine Mercy Mass at St. Joseph’s Church on April 17, 2013. The names

will then be sent to the Archbishop for review and approval.





Mary

May 2013

New parish name is announced and newly formed parish council and finance

committees are named on Pentecost Sunday on May 19, 2013.

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New bulletin announces formation of new parish

Letters go out to parishioners

Copies of approved merger plan will be made available to parishioners in hard

copy and on parish website.

PASTORAL PARISH COUNCIL / TRANSITIONAL TEAM MEETINGS

Purpose: In establishing a new parish, bodies of lay leadership must be formed to help

manage and build our faith community. These include a pastoral parish council, worship

commission/committee and finance/stewardship council. While members will serve the

needs of our entire parish, representatives from each worship site will be appointed.

Vision: To establish a body of parishioners who, in conjunction with our

pastor/administrator, provide thoughtful, constructive and responsible leadership rooted

in the foundations of Catholic faith and serve the best interests of our entire new parish.

September – December 2012

A leadership team was appointed by Fr. Darrell Roman to serve as the Merger

Transition Team. It included four members from each parish – St. Josaphat, St.

Joseph and Sweetest Heart of Mary. This group was asked to help facilitate the

merger of the parishes following the guidelines set forth by Together In Faith,

including the formation of the merger plan.

January - May 2013

The Together In Faith merger team will continue to serve as the Transition Team

as parishes converge towards unity of a single parish.

Separate parish councils from individual parishes will meet collectively on a

monthly basis in January, February, March and April (dates TBD).

Separate finance councils from individual parishes will meet as needed January

through April (dates TBD).

In April 2013, a ceremony will be held to acknowledge the work and contributions

of the acting parish councils. These parish councils will be disbanded in April.

In May, a new Pastoral Parish Council and Finance Commission will be

appointed and installed under the name of the new parish on Pentecost Sunday.

These bodies will include parishioners who have roots in each worship site.

Members of the parish council will be provided a copy of the approved merger

plan document as an outline for moving forward.

June 2013

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The new Pastoral Parish Council will meet monthly beginning in June 2013

(dates TBD).

WORSHIP COMMISSION PLANS

Purpose: To insure that the needs of the celebrants are prepared for at each worship

site in the new parish.

Vision: To offer a diversity of liturgies among the worship sites that bring congregants

closer to God through inspiring worship experiences in the Novus Ordo and

Extraordinary Form Masses and other worship opportunities.

Plans:

The Pastor/Administrator shall appoint a new Worship Committee, which

includes representatives being chosen from each church.

Committee members will meet at the request of the Pastor/Administrator; they

will assist in scheduling liturgies and devotions for major feast days and special

events.

Committee members will communicate with altar servers, directors of music, altar

societies, ushers, and parish organizations when necessary to assure that

sufficient altar servers will be present, that vestments, altar linens, hosts, and

everything pertaining to the Celebrant’s needs are prepared for in advance of all

liturgies.

Committee members will consult with the Pastor/Administrator concerning

liturgies and devotions at each church, and for all merged parish liturgies and

devotions.

The Committee should consult with the Directors of Music well in advance, if

directed by the Pastor/Administrator, who may prepare worship aids if necessary.

The Committee should communicate to the Pastor/Administrator the needs of

each church, whether regarding personnel or supplies.

Diversity in the liturgies of each church will require extra attention from

Committee members, whether at a merged parish liturgy or in the respective

churches.

Committee members should be familiar with the practices and needs of each

church. Specifically, the Committee should be knowledgeable of the sung Latin

Novus Ordo and Extraordinary Form liturgies and the necessary personnel,

books, vestments, vessels, and implements required for the performance of

these Masses, wherever the Masses are said.

Special attention should be given to merged parish liturgies and devotions to

assure that each church is able to contribute something tangible, such as altar

servers, lectors or musicians.

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Acknowledge the mandate to move toward a Mass schedule that complies with

the code of Canon Law requiring the pastor/administrator to say no more than

three Masses on a weekend or Holy Day of Obligation. This will require a new

Mass schedule to be developed in the future.

SOCIAL GATHERINGS

Function:

Our social gatherings will be planned events that will bring the parishioners of our merged parishes together.

These events will provide opportunities for our parishioners to get to know one another.

Goals:

The goals of our social gatherings will be to provide structured opportunities and events for our parishioners to establish new and strengthen existing relationships with one another.

In building these relationships our parishioners will establish a new identity as a merged family of parishioners.

Building new and strengthening existing relationships will also foster collaboration that can extend to other parish ministries and functions.

Plans:

Pre-merger

Plan a pre-merger Mass, which would be attended by all parishioners in anticipation of the planned merger date of July 1, 2013.

o Time and schedules permitting there may be 1 such Mass held at each of the 3 churches to demonstrate that all of the churches should be equally respected and valued by all parishioners.

Schedule a picnic, which will take place immediately following the Mass in June for the parishioners to celebrate coming together as a merged parish

Merger month of July 2013

Plan a Liturgy of Unity for all parishioners of the merged parish

Plan a merged parish social to be held immediately following the Liturgy of Unity for all parishioners

Post-merger

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Plan monthly parish socials to be held immediately following a Mass, which would be opportunities both to socialize with fellow parishioners and the pastor as well as provide information on parish/archdiocesan resources, volunteer opportunities, and opportunities to learn more about our faith all per our merger plans

Develop a draft parish social plan year-over-year by the end of the third quarter for the following year.

o This plan could be reviewed with the Parish Council and other active committees for volunteers to manage and staff them.

o When the draft plan is formalized it should be communicated to the parishioners via the weekly bulletin and also posted to the parish web-site to encourage maximum communication and participation.

SACRAMENT SHARING

Function:

Sharing our sacramental activities will engender and grow a spirit of cooperation and unity in our merged parish.

This sacramental sharing will focus the hearts and minds of all parishioners toward the same spiritual ends, strengthening our parish community.

Goals:

The spiritual goals of our shared sacramental activities will be to enhance the unity of our merged parish and to enable all parishioners to grow in the depth and breadth of their faith.

The practical goals of our shared sacramental activities will be to hone the focus of our collective efforts and collaboration on those activities, which are core to our Roman Catholic faith, demonstrate the diversity and orthodoxy of our Ordinary and Extraordinary form Masses, and enhance the faith life of our parish.

Plans:

Pre-merger

Develop a plan for the following sacramental and liturgical activities, and determine which will follow the Ordinary and which will follow the Extraordinary forms.

o Lent 2013 Stations of the Cross St. Joseph’s Day Devotions, Mass, and activities

o Triduum 2013 Holy Thursday Mass Exposition Good Friday Liturgy

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Holy Saturday – blessing of Easter baskets o Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses o Divine Mercy Sunday o Easter Season and the Season of Pentecost

Parish Mission

Merger month of July 2013

Plan a Liturgy of Unity for all parishioners of the merged parish, and determine which form it will follow.

Post-merger

Develop a plan for the following liturgical and sacramental activities, and determine which will follow the Ordinary and which will follow the Extraordinary forms.

o Advent 2013 o Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) o First Holy Communion / Investiture in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of

Mt. Carmel o Sacrament of Baptism o Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance o Sacrament of Confirmation o Sacrament of Matrimony

Develop a draft sacramental activities and liturgical plan year-over-year by the end of the third quarter for the following year.

o This plan must be reviewed with the pastor and approved by him. o When the draft plan is formalized it should be communicated to the

parishioners via the weekly bulletin and also posted to the parish web-site to encourage maximum communication and participation.

MINISTERIAL OR PROGRAM SHARING INITIATIVES

Function:

Sharing our ministerial and pastoral activities will engender and grow a spirit of cooperation and unity in our merged parish.

Combining these activities will focus the hearts and minds of all parishioners toward the same spiritual and community ends, strengthening us as a parish and demonstrating our commitment to Jesus Christ and to one another.

Goals:

The spiritual goals of our shared ministerial and pastoral activities will be to enhance the unity of our merged parish and to enable all parishioners to grow in the depth and breadth of their faith.

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The practical goals of our shared ministerial and pastoral activities will be to hone the focus of our collective efforts and collaboration on those activities, which are both important and dear to us as Roman Catholics, demonstrate the diversity and orthodoxy of our Ordinary and Extraordinary form devotions, and enhance the faith life of our parish.

Plans:

In the first quarter of 2013 develop a collaborative plan to promote and grow the existing ministerial and pastoral activities

o Societies and Organizations Altar Society Ladies Guild Men’s Club Black Madonna Guild Confraternity of St. Joseph First Friday Purgatorial Society Holy Name Society Knights of Columbus Knights of St. John Legion of Mary / Legio Mariae

o Novenas Black Madonna Holy Ghost Sacred Heart St. Joseph Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Tridentine)

o Devotions Divine Mercy Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession and 40 Hours Devotion First Friday Tridentine Mass and prayers for vocations to the

priesthood May Crowning Veneration of relics

o Annual Parish Mission o Faith formation / lectures (Youth, Young Adult and Adult Education)

Determine if there are any other ministries or pastoral activities that should be considered for future development and establishment, based on the parish mission statement, and the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Review the existing ministerial and pastoral activities on an annual basis in the third quarter of each year.

o Determine if any new activities should be considered. o Determine if any existing activities are moving toward closure.

Communicate the existing ministerial and pastoral activities to the parishioners via the weekly bulletin and also post information and opportunities for participation on the parish web-site to encourage maximum communication and participation.

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SEVEN MISSION PRIORITIES

Mission Priority #1: Evangelization & Catechesis

Purpose: An inexorable function of the church is to present the Word of God as a living

Word, present in every time for every age. It is our purpose to be a prominent voice of

that Word within the community that surrounds our three churches and that which

attends the liturgical activities at each site.

Vision: The overarching Mission Statement of newly formed parish:

“We the people of God give witness to His message living out the

Roman Catholic Faith by serving our brothers and sisters from the

heart of Detroit and beyond.”

underscores the essence of Evangelization and Catechesis as the dominant result of

true witness of God’s message. The very concept of Evangelization is inexorably

connected with Catechesis in that it is impossible to presume one without the other

such that they will be treated as co-equals in our mission of “witness”. Each will involve

differing formats; each will have the same goal. Given that the dynamic of our new

parish structure will reflect much of the same characteristics as our former cluster, i.e.

lacking a closely linked geographical boundary, our evangelization and catechetical

programming will be greatly limited through physically diverse communities.

Past Accomplishments:

Witnessing to the message of God was the central theme of preaching at all Masses.

Various adult Bible study programs and adult education programs were instituted.

Bulletin articles by pastor/administrator and deacon explained Gospel principles in the modern world.

The Tridentine community provided education into the demands and practices of the “Extraordinary Form”.

Promote Catholic principles of loving service through our Food Pantry Program.

Future Opportunities:

Continuing to preach God’s word at every Mass.

Institute a formalized program of Adult instruction

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o Bible Study o Catechism of Catholic Church o Church history

Extend distribution of bulletins to all who receive food or assistance from our Pantry Program or other future outreach programs.

Mission Priority #2: Christian Service & Outreach

Purpose:

1. To serve our brothers and sisters who are “the least among us” through

corporal and spiritual works of mercy; and, to help facilitate this,

2. Increase our parish membership and parishioners’ level of involvement in

service and outreach efforts.

Vision: To reach out to our neighbors and parish family members in need, offering

goods and services to assist them.

Past accomplishments (ongoing):

Advent Trees for the needs of infants and babies in the Wee Care Project

Holiday gift sharing for children through Catholic Social Services of Wayne County

Toys for Tots Project

Food Pantry with delivery to needy individuals and families within our geographic boundaries

Facility and space provided for St. Aloysius’ Distribution Center and Outreach Ministry

Participation in yearly mission collection

Support for the Knights of Columbus (Bishop Plagens Council) via the use of office space, meeting space, storage space and activity space for service projects pertaining to our parish

Devotional materials, news items, the Michigan Catholic newspaper and parish membership forms offered on tables and racks in our churches

Offering of rosaries and devotionals for sale at our religious goods store

Corpus Christi processions in surrounding neighborhoods

Tours of our historic buildings, highlighting their architecture and artifacts through designated individuals who explain the history and conduct the tours

Frequently updated websites for our individual churches

Future Opportunities (in addition to ongoing efforts):

Directed service projects, for youth and others, related to our current outreach activities, such as:

o Parish food pantry assistance

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o Website maintenance, updates and improvements o Social Media outreach

Ministry to attend to the needs of homebound parishioners

Corpus Christi procession to include all three worship sites

“Adopt a Parishioner” program to recruit & retain new members and involve them in parish life

Mission Priority #3: Youth and Young Adults

Purpose: The purpose is two-fold:

1. Bring youth and young adults into a lifelong relationship with Christ through the

sacraments, prayer, and the study of His Divine Word

2. Incorporate the gift of faith which youth and young adults possess into the life of

the larger Catholic community.

Vision: Our vision is to inspire youth and young adults to share their gifts, talents,

energy and enthusiasm in the mission of the Church.


Holiday gift sharing through Catholic Social Services of Wayne County noting

child ages, clothes sizes, and Christmas toy wishes

Mass with St. Nicholas for children at Christmas time

In order to fulfill a service requirement, 12 young men and women from a

neighboring public school volunteered their time and energies at the Pierogi

Festival


Encourage parents to treat youth and young adults as human beings and through

example give witness to the message of Christ.

Engage youth in the media that speaks to them: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, as

well as the internet.

Encourage Service Learning opportunities among our youth and young adults.

Conduct a Lenten retreat for young adults.

Conduct a retreat for youth in Catholic high schools.

Engage a Youth Minister who would volunteer time and talent to increase our

exposure to youth and young adults of high school age.

Empower young adults to suggest a social activity that would interest them, and

under the guidance of adults, make this their fund raising activity and contribution

to the merged parishes.

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Part of the second floor of Sweetest Heart of Mary’s St. Joseph Hall is being

renovated for use by children for bible study, spiritual movies, and other forms of

dialogue and activity.

Reach out to the graduate and professional men and women who attend the

Wayne State University Gordon Scott Hall of Basic Medical Sciences.

Continue to reach out to the few young adults from Wayne State School of

Medicine who occasionally attend Sunday Mass and make them feel welcomed

in our merged parish.

Reach out to the men and women who attend Michigan State University School

of Osteopathic Medicine’s clinical program at Hutzel Hospital, make them feel

welcomed in our community, and encourage them to give witness to the good

news of God’s message.

Reach out to the greater Wayne State University main campus and occasionally

share experiences with them, particularly with students who attend weekly

Sunday evening Mass and pot luck dinner at the Newman Center. Since a priest

is assigned as chaplain, we may be able to enter into fruitful dialogue and,

perhaps, collaboration in volunteer or service learning activities within the

boundaries of the merged parishes.

Anyone working with youth in the parish will be expected to participate in the

four-hour Archdiocesan training “Protecting God’s Children”.

Reach out and engage more youth to become readers, altar servers, and ushers.

Mission Priority #4: Lay Leadership

Purpose: Lay leaders play a vital role in our Church and will continue to do so. As such

we need to:

1. Identify competent and talented men and women who can assist our priest in

Church leadership and ministry.

2. Provide professional formation so that individuals with special gifts and talents

can collaborate effectively in communicating Christ’s message of evangelization.

Vision: Through collaborative leadership models, our vision is to cultivate and form

leaders who are rooted in our common mission of sharing Christ in and through the

Church.


Parish Councils and Financial Councils have been formed in the three merged

parishes. A Worship Committee exists in one parish while two parishes have

inactive Worship Committees.

Ladies and Men’s Groups exist to support various functions.

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Lay ministers serve as lectors as well as ushers and altar servers.

Lay ministers serve as Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist.

Altar Society (care of Sanctuary) at one parish.

Wedding Coordinator for the merged parishes.


Plan a concerted effort to seek more parishioners for lay leadership so that our

current faithful who serve do not get burned out.

Become more focused and organized at communicating our time, talents, and

treasures.

Strengthen our Worship Program with lay leaders to support the spiritual

direction and guidance of our merged parishes.

Train our lay leadership in the principles of evangelization by periodically sending

them to formation classes, workshops, conferences, etc. at Sacred Heart

Seminary and elsewhere. They, in turn, can share their knowledge and skills

with other Church members.

Generate a more focused approach to recruiting our altar servers and training

them appropriately.

Share the job of wedding coordination among the merged parishes.

Designate lay leadership to orchestrate tours of our historic merged parishes.

Designate a lay coordinator to train readers and altar servers.

Designate a lay coordinator to prepare the bulletin and plan a published schedule

including names of servers, readers, ushers, and priest who is offering the Mass.

Educate parishioners to promote lay leadership in worship, finance, education,

outreach, and administration.

Mission Priority #5: Stewardship and Administration

Purpose: To insure the parish's prudent use of the time, talent and treasure donated

by the parishioners.

Vision: All parishioners will support the new parish in a spirit of Christian charity.


St. Josaphat, St. Joseph and Sweetest Heart of Mary have spiritually and financially

survived Detroit’s rapid economic decline, population decimation and the complete

unraveling of its social fabric. Despite these headwinds:

All three parishes are debt-free and are substantially equity-positive. This

includes both producing assets and liquidity.

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The parishes demonstrated prudent financial management and are debt free.

The buildings are in good shape. None have to be closed due to disrepair.

Routine maintenance is regularly performed. Restoration is performed as funds

are available.

The parishes successfully supplemented offertory collections with festivals and

fund-raising dinners and bake sales.

Yearly festivals have had a dual impact: First, dramatically supplementing

ongoing fundraising efforts. Second, created more community awareness of the

parishes themselves which has contributed to membership growth.

Various guilds and societies are active at the three sites. They support the

parish through special projects.

Two of the parishes receive rental income from outside sources.


Create an office dedicated to establishing ongoing Capital Campaigns for the

new parish.

Continue to submit a balanced budget to the Archdiocese annually.

Support the Changing Lives Together fundraiser.

Leverage the new economy of scale and find new economic efficiencies.

Explore adaptive reuse opportunities for unused buildings via preservation

groups and local historic property management companies. This includes looking

at former clergy living quarters for possible redevelopment via third party

administration.

Attempt to leverage existing assets based on identified income potential.

Leverage the history and aesthetics of the member churches to attract more

weddings and events such as concerts.

Publish a brief summary of operations in the bulletin annually to keep the

parishioners informed of our financial health.

Strive for increased use of offertory envelopes and Parish Pay.

Institutionalize a policy of debt avoidance for the parish.

Publish a weekly update in the bulletin that compares Budget to Actual figures for

the offertory collection.

Mission Priority #6: Catholic Schools

Purpose: The purpose is two-fold:

1. Unite the talents and resources of our merged parishes in providing a Catholic

education for those who desire it

2. Advance the evangelizing mission of the Church

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Vision: We share Archbishop Vigneron’s vision for Catholic education when he said:

“What a marvelous blessing it would be if we arrived at a time when all of the parents

who wanted a Catholic school education for their children could provide it!”


Each of the merged parishes supported Catholic schools in their past history. Sweetest

Heart of Mary elementary and secondary schools were staffed by the Sisters of St.

Joseph, Third Order of St. Francis, Garfield Heights, Ohio. St. Josaphat elementary and

high schools were staffed by the Felician Sisters, Livonia, Michigan. St. Joseph’s

elementary school and all-girls high school were staffed by the Sisters, Servants of the

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monroe, Michigan. The all-boys high school was staffed by

the Christian Brothers of Ireland. While the physical plants in the merged parishes are

long gone, the Catholic school identity, traditions, and impact live on in the memories of

parishioners who attend weekly services at the merged churches.


Support a yearly retreat for youth attending local public, parochial, and private

schools

Connect with the Archdiocesan School Office and have students who attend

Catholic schools visit our merged parishes to witness the rich history, Church

architecture, and liturgical art of the three campuses. The experience would

constitute a rewarding field trip for students. It would include Mass at noon, a

light luncheon in one of the parish halls, and a follow up session that would

permit dialogue and reflection.

Pair a student with an adult to make occasional home visits. This activity would

be a structured service learning activity

Invite students to volunteer their time and talents in the service of the Church

Invite youth to a non-denominational prayer meeting followed by a friendly social

food fest

Mission Priority #7: Vocations

Purpose: To provide an atmosphere that supports men and women seeking

discernment and entrance into various vocations. We hope to develop practical

programming and activities that foster and promote priestly, religious and diaconal

vocations.

Vision: The call to a priestly, religious or diaconal vocation is not seen as a response to

any particular shortage, regardless of how acute a shortage may or may not be. The call

to a particular vocation comes from God. The clamor of the world to value personal

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wealth, fame and self-gratification is a loud and deafening roar against the often quiet

and sometimes subtle call to a ministerial vocation. We need to be a voice that

proclaims and actively promotes the true gift God offers to both the community and the

minister by living faithfully one's vocation.


Some young men have entered seminaries toward priestly ordination.

We have published weekly ads promoting priest vocations.

First Friday Tridentine Mass for vocations at St. Josaphat.


Sponsor "vocation nights" where seminarians, priests, religious and deacons can

explain their own particular call and mission.

Encourage boys and young men to serve as altar servers, introducing them to

public service at liturgies.

Invite young girls to day retreats with religious from different orders.

Sponsor an Information Evening for men interested in the Permanent Diaconate.

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