Section III – Cluster Conversations, Assessments, Suggestions, & Response
ARCHDIOCESE OF KANSAS CITY IN KANSAS
TOPEKA REGION
CLUSTER SUGGESTION TO THE REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION
DUE: May 2, 2014
What:
In preparation for our suggested model we did the following: (Check the appropriate items.)
- We as individual parishes evaluated ourselves based on the Criteria set by the archdiocese.
- We, as a cluster, studied and applied the Criteria set by the archdiocese.
- We worked in our cluster to discover where and how we could be cooperative.
- We studied and analyzed the relevant data from our parishes and understand the implications of the data for our future.
- We prayed together and studied the Models for Parish Reorganization.
Based on the above we suggest to the Regional Planning Commission one or more of the models below that we adopt for our cluster:
__X_ MODEL ONE: COLLABORATIVE PARISHES
____ MODEL TWO: LINKED PARISHES
____ MODEL THREE: MERGED PARISHES
____ MODEL FOUR: IN SOLIDUM TEAMS
____ MODEL FIVE: PARISH ADMINISTRATOR
____ MODEL SIX: PERSONAL PARISHES
For our cluster this model would look like: (Describe what the model or models would mean for your cluster. Refer to specific pages in the Cluster Planning material which details your relationship.
The Collaborative Model allows us to create a formal cooperative relationship with the Topeka City Parishes that can be administrated by the creation of a Collaborative Committee. This will allow us to be good stewards of our spiritual, personnel, and financial resources without losing the identities of our parishes. [i] It will allow us to enhance and invigorate a strong and active presence of the Catholic Church in the Topeka community while addressing the duplication of services and resources and create more effective and community minded programs.[ii]
RATIONALE:
We make this suggestion for the following reasons:
During the past five months we have had the opportunity to share information and develop personal relationships through intensive prayer, reflection, research, and discussion. The seven Topeka parishes recommend that we move from a focus solely on our individual parishes to a broader focus, including building our faith as a community.[iii] We can accomplish this by establishing a Topeka City Regional Collaborative Council to develop strategies and implement ideas on how to enhance the vibrancy and life of the Topeka Catholic community through Conversion, Evangelization, Catholic Education, Serving Those in Need, Stewardship and Administration.[iv] The main objectives of the Collaborative Council would be to:
v Develop and grow the Topeka Catholic community in Conversion, and enhancing the Sacramental Life of each Parish by:
· Greater commitment and devotion among Catholics witnessed by an increase in participation of Catholics in Sacramental life, especially Mass and Confession.[v]
· Stronger faith-filled youth who will keep the faith and be disciples for life.
· Effective ministry to Spanish only-speaking Catholics.
· Providing regional retreats and missions.
· Providing regional opportunities for training of catechists and liturgical ministers.
· Creating a regional calendar of masses, penance opportunities, and church activities.
v Develop and grow the Topeka Catholic community in Evangelization, and enhancing Discipleship within each Parish by:
· Promoting fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) through engaging the baptismal mandate of each Catholic to evangelize by first living and then communicating the fullness of life within the family of God and the Church.[vi]
· Bringing back Catholics that have fallen away.
· Engaging our youth and young adults as they are the future of the church.[vii]
· Engaging our adults and seniors and to strengthen marriage and family life. [viii]
· Helping parish members to be familiar with Evangelization in all its forms.
· Develop our working relationship with the Archdiocese and the Office of Evangelization.
· Creating standard processes and procedures on how to implement an effective strategy as it relates to Evangelization.[ix]
v Develop and grow the Topeka Catholic community through Catholic Education within each Parish by:
· Ongoing quality faith formation for all ages.
· Creating a community of people who actively seek opportunities to serve, to learn about their faith and to participate in fellowship.[x]
· Explore strategies and opportunities to increase vocations throughout the region.[xi]
v Develop and grow the Topeka Catholic community through Serving Those in Need through Justice, Advocacy, and Outreach within each Parish by:
· Educating and supporting Topeka Catholics Parishes to become involved in and support efforts to live out the gospel in serving the needs of others though justice, advocacy, pro-life activities, and outreach.[xii]
· Improving communication and collaboration among the Topeka parishes in order to learn from each other while creating a more unified and seamless outreach effort.
· Provide sustained support between Parishes to enhance each Parish’s efforts to provide services and activities in serving the needs of others through education, promotion, and other support for events and activities.[xiii]
· Continue to involve the Topeka Catholic Schools in providing opportunities for involvement in justice, advocacy, pro-life, and outreach services.
· Evaluate services provided by various agencies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness while better managing resources in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of services.
v Develop and grow the Topeka Catholic community through Stewardship and improving Administration within each Parish by sharing resources and building cohesiveness, cost savings and mutual support. Specific strategies include:
· Shared software for accounting and budgeting along with training and consulting for parish employees. Benefits include improving financial reporting for better management and the ability for parishes to support and assist each other.
· Shared IT Infrastructure and security software suites to protect against fraud and provide better service in general.
· Shared Payroll software (potentially within accounting software).
· A shared professional property management consultant to review all properties and determine needs and timeline, cost savings, and general maintenance issues.
· A regional youth and young adult program person to oversee and coordinate all the parish programs.
· Explore ways to cross train and share staff between parishes.
v Develop and grow the stewardship model within each parish. Topeka Parishes are committed to working together to develop a collaborative, strong stewardship program that can meet the needs of our Catholic community. We are committed to working together to grow and enhance Stewardship as a way of life within each parish.
v Explore alternatives to create an effective and sustainable model for financing the Topeka Catholic Schools. The expectation will be that schools will operate without a deficit and allow the parishes to meet their other financial obligations.
Through a vibrant and invigorated Catholic School system we have an opportunity to reach out through Evangelization to better serve the Catholic community and have a strong and active presence of the Catholic Church in the larger Topeka community.[xiv] The Topeka Catholic Schools share in the mission and ministry of the Archdiocese, the national, and the universal Catholic Church while providing a quality education for students and aiding each student, parent, teacher, administrator, and staff member to come to know Jesus Christ in a real and meaningful way.
v Designate Assumption Church as the Mother Church of Topeka and change it to a stational church. The church will become the site for Regional masses and events. The monthly operating expenses would be shared by The Topeka parishes through a regional assessment.
Our collective hope and dream is to sustain the growth and development of the Topeka Catholic community by continuing parish planning within the Topeka Region while prayerfully considering the needs of the people, the Priests available to serve, the financial resources available, and the evolving demographics within the community. Through this process we hope to build a greater sense of unity between each parish and among Catholics of all cultures within the Topeka region. [xv] By working with the Archdiocese through the Proclaim It Planning Process, we will strive to promote the New Evangelization within our community, deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth proclaiming the Gospel.
Signatures of Cluster Core Teams from each parish: Sent Under Separate Cover
See Below for Signatures
Sheri Cafer ______Deborah Ortega______
(Chair) (Secretary)
Mother Teresa
Rev. Thomas Aduri______
Mary Enneking______
Jerry Glasgow______
Helen Kramer ______
Linda Farrant ______
Christ The King
Rev. Mitchel Zimmerman______
Belinda Flynn______
Tony Wolf______
Chris Henderson______
Chuck Hughes______
Jeff Gabriel______
Most Pure Heart of Mary
Rev. Gregory Hammes______
Lisa Gilchrist______
Jim Johnson______
Eric White______
Sheri Cafer______
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Rev. Gerardo Arano-Ponce______
Deborah Ortega______
Mary Ramos______
Anita Tinoco______
Sacred Heart- St. Joseph
Rev. Timothy Haberkorn______
Mark Hobart______
Connie Everett______
Bill Pierson______
Joe Singer______
St. Matthew Parish
Rev. Gerald Volz______
Jan Funk______
Darin Scheer______
Tim O'Shea______
Lori Gaffney______
Mater Dei
Rev. John Pilcher______
Kevin Schmidt______
Alan Conroy______
Mark Burenheide______
Andrea Hillebert______
DATE:
Date due: June 1, 2014 and a copy to:
Rose Hammes The Reid Group –
At
Thank you!
1
[i]
GOALS FOR THE PROCLAIM IT PASTORAL PLANNING PROCESS
To continue parish planning within the Topeka Region of the archdiocese considering the needs of the people, the projected number of priests available to serve, financial resources, and changing demographics. (G5)
[ii] To enhance the vibrancy of parish and school life in the Topeka Region of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. (G1)
[iii] To enhance the vibrancy of parish and school life in the Topeka Region of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. (G5)
[iv] To build a greater sense of unity among Catholics from all cultures within the Topeka Region of the local Church and to increase collaboration among all entities in the archdiocesan, national, and universal Church. (G12 and G13)
[v] To foster an appreciation for and participation in Sunday Eucharist. (G3)
[vi] To strengthen the presence and ministry of the Church in the urban and rural areas of the Topeka Region of the archdiocese. (G2)
[vii] To support new initiatives for youth, young adults and seniors. (G9)
[viii] To strengthen marriage and family life throughout the archdiocese. (G10)
[ix] To promote New Evangelization efforts throughout the Topeka Region of the archdiocese. (G4)
[x] To ensure that all parishioners have opportunities for quality lifelong Christian education and formation in both parishes and schools. (G6)
[xi] To promote vocations to priesthood, religious life, and to assist the laity in living their vocation in the world. (G8)
[xii] To strengthen service to those who are most in need and to build a culture of life, where life is respected from conception to natural death. (G11)
[xiii] To focus on areas of outreach, advocacy and social justice. (G14)
[xiv] To enhance the vibrancy of parish and school life in the Topeka Region of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas (G1)
[xv] To build a greater sense of unity among Catholics from all cultures within the Topeka Region of the local Church. (G12)