Sauk Centre Catholic Parishes Newsletter — January 2021

S T. A L E X I U S - O U R L A D Y O F T H E A N G E L S - S T. PA U L ’S

A Letter From Our Pastor

The Results of

Our Recent Parish Survey

My Dear Friends in Christ,

A

s part of our ongoing commitment to developing stewardship as a way of life, we recently conducted a comprehensive survey of our stewardship parishes. The survey allowed all our parishioners to express their views regarding worship, parish life, religious education, outreach, and stewardship.

Thanks to your response, our survey was a success! The offices of our parishes received 419 completed surveys. This is a 28-percent response rate, which is nearly three times greater than the national average of 10 percent. I thank you for your honesty, as well as the time and commitment you made to complete the survey and help our parishes become better and spiritually stronger.

The results of the survey are included in this newsletter, and I hope these results will give you a clearer vision of how our parishes as a whole responded to each specific question.

We also asked you to respond to a few open-ended questions. Because of space constraints, we could not include each response in this newsletter, but they have been read, reviewed, and grouped based on likeness so that we could determine the top responses for each open-ended question.

As your pastor, I am confident that the information we have gathered through the survey will help guide the leadership of our parishes as we continue to develop stewardship in our Area Catholic Community. In the coming year, I hope we all can work together to meet the needs of our faith community and make life in our parishes more rewarding for us all.

In our Father’s hands, Fr. Greg Paffel Pastor

J AN UA RY

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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S

I am a registered member of...

9% St. Alexius 34% Our Lady of the Angels 56% St. Paul’s 1% Another church

Liturgy Which Mass do you most frequently attend?

21% Saturday 4:00 p.m. - St. Paul’s 15% Saturday 5:00 p.m. - Our Lady of the Angels 9% Saturday 8:00 p.m. - St. Paul’s 15% Sunday 8:00 a.m. - St. Paul’s 10% Sunday 8:30 a.m. - St. Alexius 16% Sunday 10:00 a.m. - St. Paul’s 13% Sunday 10:30 a.m. - Our Lady of the Angels How often do you attend Mass at your church?

57% Every weekend 29% Every weekend and some weekdays 9% Occasional weekends (once or twice a month) 2% Seasonally (Christmas, Easter, etc.)

3% I no longer attend Mass Please indicate how well the following liturgical ministers enhance your prayer and worship.

Needs

Excellent Good Fair Improvement Fr. Greg 71% 25% 3% 1% Fr. Jeremy 70% 28% 2% 1% Fr. Rick 34% 43% 18% 5% Fr. Jim 31% 46% 17% 6% Deacon Tom 22% 50% 18% 10% Sacristans 48% 45% 7% 1% Greeters 43% 47% 8% 2% Ushers 45% 47% 6% 1% Altar Servers 41% 51% 7% 1% Lectors 49% 47% 3% 0% Musicians 54% 38% 7% 1% Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion 51% 43% 5% 1%

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The music at the Mass I attend enhances my prayer and worship.

43% Strongly agree 3 % Disagree 39% Agree 1% Strongly Disagree 15% Neutral Do you have any suggestions to help enhance our Sunday liturgies?

Music Suggestions (44) Homily Suggestions (22)

Adult Education Have you attended an Adult Education program or event in the last three years?

30% Yes 70% No If you have attended an Adult Education program or event in the last three years, was it a good experience?

69% Yes 31% No If you haven’t attended an Adult Education program or event in the last three years, would you consider attending one in the future?

44% Yes 56% No If you would like to attend an Adult Education program or event, in which areas would you be most likely to participate? (Multiple responses allowed) 42% Church Teachings 56% Scriptures/Bible Study 20% Ethics and Morality 18% Marriage 24% Small Faith Sharing Groups 55% Practical Ways of Growing in Faith and Prayer 31% Retreats 5% Alpha 3% Other

What do you like most? (Multiple responses allowed)

Gr. 1-6

Director, staff and catechists

Faith Formation The following questions were answered only if one’s child/children are currently enrolled in our Faith Formation program.

In the questions below, please answer the questions that relate to the programs that your children participate in, and select multiple answers if you have children in multiple programs.

Do your children attend Faith Formation for grades 1-6?

19% Yes 81% No Do your youth attend Faith Formation or GIFT for grades 7-10?

38% Yes 62% No Does your young man/woman attend Confirmation for grade 11?

17% Yes 83% No How would you rate the quality of instruction that our students receive? (Multiple responses allowed)

Gr. 1-6

Gr. 7-10 Gr. 11

Excellent 68% 47% Good 18% 30% Fair 5% 13% Poor 9% 27%

47% 20% 27% 7%

Do you believe the instruction provided is in-line with the teaching of the Catholic Church?

Gr. 1-6

Gr. 7-10 Gr. 11

Yes 93% 88% No 7% 4% Unsure 0% 8%

Gr. 7-10 Gr. 11

28%

26%

27%

The other families involved 20%

20%

23%

The children/ families learn about their faith

35%

35%

32%

Meeting times 17%

18%

18%

How do you think we can improve the programs at your parish? (Multiple responses allowed)

Gr. 1-6

Gr. 7-10 Gr. 11

Get the parents more involved

39%

33%

42%

Change the time

0%

4%

0%

More training and support for the teachers

33%

29%

17%

Improve the curriculum

28%

33%

42%

Youth Group Do you have youth in 6th - 8th grade living in your home?

9% Yes 91% No Do you have youth in 9th - 12th grade living in your home?

10% Yes 90% No If you have youth living in your home, do they regularly attend youth activities/programs at your parish?

EDGE CREW St. Alexius Regularly 13% 6% 21% Occasionally 26% 29% 29% Never 61% 65% 50%

89% 11% 0%

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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S

The following questions were answered only if one’s child/children regularly participate in your parish’s youth group.

How would you rate the quality of the youth group program at your parish?

EDGE

Excellent 33% Good 56% Fair 0% Poor 11%

CREW St. Alexius 0% 60% 40% 0%

88% 13% 0% 0%

What do you like most about your youth group program?

(Multiple responses allowed)

The commitment and dedication of the adult leaders

EDGE 19%

CREW St. Alexius 11%

23%

The variety of activities offered

24%

22%

31%

It involves the youth more in parish life

29%

22%

27%

Being with friends

29%

44%

19%

How do you think we can most improve your youth group?

(Multiple responses allowed)

Involve the youth in the parish more

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EDGE CREW St. Alexius 11% 11%

22%

Inform the parishioners more about the program 44% 44%

22%

Get more youth involved 22% 22%

33%

Offer more activities

6%

0%

0%

Improve the current activities

6% 11%

0%

Increase the service opportunities

11% 11%

22%

Catholic School Having a Catholic education is a vital part of St. Alexius, Our Lady of the Angels and St. Paul’s mission.

76% Strongly agree 20% Agree 4% Neutral 0% Disagree 1% Strongly disagree Do you have children in Kindergarten through 6th grade living in your home?

14% Yes 86% No If you have children in Kindergarten through 6th grade living in your home, where do they attend school?

63% Holy Family School 8% Other Private School 25% Public School 4% Home School If you currently have children in Kindergarten through 6th grade in your household and they do not attend a Catholic School, what is the reason?

0% Transportation is a problem 36% More academic options at other school 0% Catholic education is not a family priority 18% Cost (I would rather put my money to use in other ways) 9% Cost (I cannot afford to send my child[ren] to Catholic schools) 36% Other Are you aware that Holy Family School has a tuition assistance program for those in need?

89% Yes 11% No

The following questions were answered only if one’s children are currently enrolled at Holy Family School.

How would you rate the quality of EDUCATION that students currently receive at Holy Family School?

85% Excellent 2% Fair 13% Good 0% Poor How receptive is the FACULTY to meeting your needs?

78% Very receptive 20% Somewhat receptive 3% Neutral/no experience 0% Unreceptive 0% Very unreceptive Do you feel that the children who attend our Catholic school are receiving good Catholic moral development?

96% Yes 4% No 0% Unsure What do you like most about our Catholic school?

(Multiple responses allowed) 83% Great teachers 90% The daily emphasis on Christian life 83% Catholic education 67% Builds community 15% Other How do you think we can improve our Catholic school?

(Multiple responses allowed) 16% Increase the communication with the parents 28% Improve the curriculum 41% More training for teachers 44% Increase the emphasis on Catholic Faith 34% Other

Parish Life What is your perception of your role as a member of your parish? (Multiple responses allowed) 98% To attend Mass 73% Participate/volunteer in ministries and social activities 92% Support the parish financially 71% Share my faith with others 4% Other

In your experience, how responsive is our PASTOR to your needs and requests?

61% Very responsive 24% Somewhat responsive 14% Neutral 1% Unresponsive 0% Very unresponsive In your experience, how responsive is the CHURCH OFFICE STAFF to your needs and requests?

82% Very responsive 13% Somewhat responsive 4% Neutral 0% Unresponsive 0% Very unresponsive What methods of communication work best for you and your family to receive parish information?

(Multiple responses allowed) 92% Bulletin 33% Website 15% Facebook 50% Church Mailings 22% Email 44% Newsletter 67% Announcements at Mass Do you enjoy receiving our parishes’ monthly newsletters?

86% Yes 14% No Do you read our parishes’ monthly Newsletter?

94% Yes

6% No

If not, why? Financial Concerns (15) Read Parts/Skim Through (9) In what medium would you prefer to receive the monthly newsletter: 82% Print (current medium used to deliver newsletter) 18% Online (via email or some other form of electronic delivery) What information do you want included in our monthly newsletter? (Multiple responses allowed) 76% Articles about church groups and activities 76% Comments from our pastor 52% Highlights on various parishioners 50% Information on the finances of the church 30% Diocesan-wide News 50% Articles of general Catholic interest 55% Explanations of specific Catholic teachings 70% Upcoming Events 5% Other

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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S

Do you use our website: www.catholic-sc.org?

Stewardship of Time

65% Yes 35% No If yes, why do you use it?

How often does your family share a meal?

78% Daily 14% Several days a week 3% Once a week 4% Less than once a week

To Watch Mass (114) Information/Events/News (48) If not, why?

No Computer (15) Don’t Have/Use Internet (11)

Outreach Do you feel that your church does a good job reaching out to the following groups: Yes No Unsure Active Parishioners 80% 5% 15% Inactive Parishioners 14% 22% 64% New Parishioners 36% 11% 53% Shut-in Parishioners 32% 9% 59% Non-Catholic Spouses 9% 15% 76% Other Christians 15% 10% 75% The Local Community 42% 9% 49% The Poor 35% 6% 60% What more can we do as a community to reach out to those in need? (Multiple responses allowed) 43% Increase communications about church

ministries 40% Encourage more parishioner participation 50% Be more welcoming 60% Get more involved in the community 16% Other

Stewardship What is your perception of Stewardship (Time, Talent, and Treasure) when it is discussed?

71% Accept it as a core Gospel value and carry it out in

my life 3% Don’t really understand what it means 18% Think it’s important, but find it hard to implement 3% Feel it’s not applicable in my life 5% Feel that it’s just another way to discuss fundraising

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Do you say grace before meals?

86% Yes 14% No In addition to Sunday Mass and grace before meals, how often do you set aside time for personal prayer?

88% Daily 9% Weekly 1% Monthly 2% Never If you are married, do you pray with your spouse on a daily basis (in addition to grace before meals)?

34% Yes 47% No 19 % Not applicable If you have children at home, do you pray with them on a daily basis (in addition to grace before meals)?

19% Yes 13% No 68 % Not applicable If you have children, do you discuss vocations (Religious Life, Single Life, Married Life) within your family?

61% Yes 39% No

Stewardship of Talent In how many parish ministries, committees, programs or events are you actively involved?

20% 0 16% 1 23% 2 18% 3 23% 4 or more Beyond participating in weekly Masses, how do you rate your involvement in the parish?

11% Very involved 58% Moderately involved 27% Rarely involved 4% Never involved

What single reason (if any) has most prevented you from more participation in parish ministries?

2% Not interested in what the church offers 32% Health issues 3% Unaware of opportunities within the church 44% Not enough time due to family and work responsibilities 0% Transportation 15% Haven’t yet made the effort to get involved 1% Lack of babysitting services 4% Do not feel welcomed Are you satisfied with your PERSONAL level of involvement in parish ministries?

79% Satisfied with my current level of involvement 18% Would like to become more involved 4% Do not want to be involved Are you satisfied with your FAMILY’S level of involvement in parish ministries?

76% Satisfied with current level of involvement 19% Would like to become more involved 5% Do not want to be involved At what times would you most likely be able to attend parish functions? (Multiple responses allowed) 21% Saturday mornings 16% Saturday evenings 40% After the Sunday 22% Sunday evenings Mass I attend 18% Weekday mornings 41% Weekday evenings 15% Weekday afternoons

Stewardship of Treasure Each parishioner is responsible for supporting their parish financially.

56% Strongly agree 37% Agree 6% Neutral 1% Disagree 0% Strongly disagree How often do you make financial contributions to your parish?

51% Every week 10% Every other week 26% Once a month 8% Once or twice a year 1% Never 5% Other

My household’s gross annual financial contribution to the parish offertory represents: 3% 0% of my annual income 23% 1% - 2% of my annual income 23% 3% - 4% of my annual income 25% 5% - 6% of my annual income 8% 7% - 8% of my annual income 11% 9% - 10% of my annual income 6% More than 10% of my annual income How do you determine the amount you contribute in the offertory collection?

22% I give a certain dollar amount based on a percentage of my income.

49% I have chosen a certain dollar amount in some other

way.

2% I base the amount on what I think the church needs.

10% I give whatever I can afford that week.

16% I don’t have a system that determines how much I give.

1% I don’t financially support the church.

What is your perception of our parish’s current financial position?

10% We are easily able to pay our operating bills and put

aside money in savings.

38% We are easily able to pay our operating bills.

16% We barely generate enough revenue to pay our

operating bills.

3% We are not generating enough revenue to pay our

operating bills.

33% I am unaware of the state of our church finances.

Demographics Gender 12% Male 50% Female 37% Household Marital Status (Check one) 7% Single 3% Divorced 76% Married 1% Separated 14% Widowed

continued on back cover

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ST. ALEXIUS - OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS - ST. PAUL’S Parish Office: 304 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 (320) 352-2196 www.catholic-sc.org Mass Schedule

Saturday 4:00 p.m. - St. Paul’s Saturday 5:00 p.m. - Our Lady of the Angels Saturday 8:00 p.m. - St. Paul’s Sunday 8:00 a.m. - St. Paul’s Sunday 8:30 a.m. - St. Alexius Sunday 10:00 a.m. - St. Paul’s Sunday 10:30 a.m. - Our Lady of the Angels

Reconciliation Schedule

Thursday 4:00 p.m. - St. Paul’s Saturday 3:00 p.m. - St. Paul’s Saturday 4:00 p.m. - Our Lady of the Angels Sunday 8:00 a.m. - St. Alexius

Demographics (continued) What is your annual household income?

4% $0 - $9,999

22% 26% 18% 15% 12% 4%

$10,000 - $29,999 $30,000 - $49,999 $50,000 - $74,999 $75,000 - $99,999 $100,000 - $199,999 $200,000 and above

Age (You may check more than one box if you completed the survey together) 2% 18-29 9% 30-39 11% 40-49 19% 50-59 23% 60-69 43% 70+

How long have you been a registered parishioner at your parish?

2% 0-1 year 8% 6-10 years 5% 2-3 years 82% More than 10 years 3% 4-5 years

General Information The things I like best about my church are... (Please print) Clergy & Staff (67) Buildings & Facilities (54) I wish my church would… (Please print) Community Outreach (15) Suggestions for Liturgy (15)