September 2008

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n the years leading to my priestly ordination, I was a frequent visitor at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, which was, at the time, my home parish in our diocese. During my visits, I would often sit down with Father Charlie Irvin, who was then St. Francis’ pastor, to share a meal and conversation. Father Charlie would often inquire about how things were going in seminary and how I was feeling as I was progressing toward priestly ordination. I have always seen Father Charlie as one of my “wisdom figures” – someone from whom I can gain much insight, both spiritual and practical, as it applies to being a priest and pastor. When asked what ordained life would be like, Father Charlie would often reply, “Dwight, you are going to have the privilege of being a priest during one of the most exciting times in the life of the church.” Eleven years into this adventure of priesthood, I continue to appreciate Father Charlie’s wisdom. In 1996, we welcomed Bishop Mengeling to our diocese. In 2003, we said goodbye to Bishop Povish. Since 2005, we have worked with Bishop Mengeling as he began a process which sought to listen to and evaluate the needs of the Catholics of our diocese in the midst of a variety of changes that continue to influence and reshape life within our parishes, our diocese and our state. Earlier this year, we welcomed Bishop Boyea and walk with him as he now shepherds the Diocese of Lansing and begins to implement the plan for parish mergers, clustering, improvement or closure which had its genesis with Bishop Mengeling. Father Charlie was right – these have been and will be exciting times. They are also filled with challenge and a little bit of uncertainty. Whenever we encounter something new or different, there is always a mix of apprehension and excitement. We can acknowledge our apprehension because we are unable to clearly ascertain the future. We can also allow ourselves to be excited because these times also present us with a unique opportunity to help guide and reshape the lives of our parish communities in such a way that they become even more vigorous and life-giving. Times of transformation and renewal are not easy, but they can be exciting and rewarding. As I have reflected on the changes outlined in the following pages, I can’t help but think what it must have been like to have been huddled in the Upper Room at Easter almost 2,000 years ago. There was fear and uncertainty. There was also the presence of Jesus and the gift of the Spirit. That same Spirit who helped to give birth to the church in its infancy is the same Spirit who will guide us in the years ahead, as the people and parishes of the Diocese of Lansing continue to seek to make the presence of Jesus known. And so our journey in FAITH continues.

Change can be exciting

T. Gennara

it can also be scary

– Fr. Dwight Ezop is editor of FAITH Magazine and pastor of the Catholic Community of St. Jude.

FAITH Magazine

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September 2008 | www.FAITHmag.com

Liturgical Calendar: St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor Sept. 3 | The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sept. 8 | St.

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The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing

Most Reverend Earl A. Boyea PUBLISHER

Rev. Dwight Ezop

EDITOR AND CHAIRMAN

September 2008 • Volume 9: Issue 7

FA I T H P u b l i s h i n g S e r v i c e Patrick M. O’Brien PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Elizabeth Martin Solsburg EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Joanne Eason DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICE

Vicki Wells-Bedard

DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING

Patrick Dally ART DIRECTOR

Lynne Ridenour

GRAPHIC DESIGNER/WEBMASTER

Abby Wieber

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Jillane Job EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Patricia Oliver SECRETARY

InnerWorkings

i s s u e

Final Report: The process for parish improvement, mergers, closures and clusters

After more than two years of evaluations, reports, planning processes and prayer, the Diocesan Coordinating Commission has forwarded recommendations to the bishop. He has approved parish reconfigurations and school improvements. In this issue, find out how the diocese’s parishes and schools will be structured to meet the changing demographics. – Joanne Eason 12 From the bishop 14 Summary of regional closures, clusters and mergers 15 Southern region results 17 Northeast region results 19 Northwest region results 21 Eastern region results 25 Diocesan statistics 27 Schools and education report

PRINT MANAGEMENT FAITHPublishingService.com

Andrew Peltcs Susanna Skowronek EDITORIAL INTERNS

Dcn. Tom and JoAnne Fogle Katie Hicks Rev. Joseph Krupp Cathleen McGreal CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Derek Melot

PROOFREADING

Tom Gennara (cover)

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Wayne Case Michael Eichhorn Mary Jo Gillilland Diane Nowak Margaret Perrone Joseph Reid Rev. Bernard Reilly James Rhadigan Ricardo Rodriguez Dcn. David Rosenberg Rev. James Swiat Rev. Jerry Vincke Peter Wagner Sharon Wimple ADVISORY BOARD

FAITHTM (USPS 019993) is a publication of FAITH Publishing Service, Catholic Diocese of Lansing, 300 W. Ottawa, Lansing, MI 48933. FAITHTM is a membership publication of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing and is published monthly except for February and August. To purchase a subscription, log onto FAITHmag.com. If you have a change of address, please contact your parish. Periodicals postage paid at Lansing, MI or additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FAITHTM, 209 Seymour Ave., Lansing, MI 48933 ©FAITH Publishing Service. FAITH is a trademark of FAITH Publishing Service.

Most Rev. Carl F. Mengeling

On the cover: Rev. Tom Firestone, pastor of St. John Vianney, Flint, gathers with parishioners to form the new northside faith community made up of the merging of St. Agnes, St. Luke and Sacred Heart parishes. Pictured: Catherine E. Wenzel, Susan Verdun, Deacon Anthony Verdun, Amy Henthorn, Erin Henthorn, Thomas Henthorn, James Henthorn, Rev. Tom Firestone and Beverly Fisher.

marriage matters

4 H e says: I want to find a new parish. She says: I want to join the merged parish. What do they do? – Tom and JoAnne Fogle

FOUNDING PUBLISHER

Rev. Charles Irvin

FOUNDING EDITOR

www.FAITHmag.com

parenting journey

5H ow do I raise my child to be a good Catholic? – Dr. Cathleen McGreal

spiritual fitness

6 Oh, no! I gotta go! how to deal with transitions you don’t want. – Father Bill Ashbaugh

in the know with Fr. Joe

8 My parish is changing – now what? – Father Joseph Krupp

last word

31 Theology of change – Father Charles Irvin

Virgin Mary Sept. 8 | St. Peter Claver, Priest Sept. 9 | The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sept. 12 | St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor Sept. 13 | The Exaltation of the Holy Cross Sept. 14

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tan and Elaine have been attending St. Agnes Parish for all their lives. Now, it has closed. Elaine wants to go to the new parish community being formed at St. John Vianney Church. Stan wants to go somewhere closer to home.

She wants to join new merged parish

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Elaine says: I grew up in St. Agnes Parish. I was baptized, made my first communion and was confirmed there. Stan and I were married there 25 years ago. We’ve continued to attend St. Agnes, even though we moved away. Now, St. Agnes is closing and I want to go where the parish is going – the new community at St. John Vianney Church. Stan says it’s not worth the drive.

He wants to find a church closer to home Stan says: I’m tired of driving right past one church to get to another. I’m really sorry St. Agnes is closing, but now that it is, I’d just as soon go to the church closest to us – St. Robert’s. I know Elaine has strong ties to the people at St. Agnes, but I really think it’s time for us to move on. It won’t be the same anyway. Stan and Elaine are experiencing a time of grieving. Their old parish is a part of the fabric of their lives – they grew up there, they raised their children there. But, as is always the case, life is constantly changing. As much as we may long for everything to stay the same, it never does, nor should it. So, how do Stan and Elaine proceed? Slowly. This is a time of new beginnings. Even if they decide to go to the new community at St. John Vianney, things will not be exactly the same as they were at St. Agnes. It will be a new parish, experiencing a time of exciting birth – and the accompanying pains. Parishioners will be negotiating all the little customs that are the heart and soul of parish life: What is the ‘favorite’ music; do FAITH Magazine

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September 2008 | www.FAITHmag.com

He said She said what do they do?

we serve doughnuts or bagels at the coffee hour after Mass; do the children at a first communion Mass sit with their families or with each other? This will be a time of compromise. Just as it will be for the parish, it will also be a time of compromise for Stan and Elaine. They should spend some time visiting parishes – together. There is no rush – they do not need to register in a new parish within some set period after St. Agnes closes. And they will need time to grieve the loss of their former parish home. Stan and Elaine should take their time and discover which parish best feeds their souls and leads them to holiness. Almost every parish is, by definition, territorial. You live in a parish – if you do not register elsewhere, it is your parish by default. For Stan and Elaine, it may be that the closer parish gives them an opportunity to really get involved in a way that they couldn’t in their former parish. There may be different activities – they could par-

Our Lady of Sorrows Sept. 15 | St. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr St. Cyprian, Bishopofand Martyrlife Sept. 16 | St. Robert Bellarmines Deacon Tomand Fogle is director family ministry, a ministry

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How do I raise my child to be a good Catholic? And whose job is it?

In the face of change, it may be time to ask, or reask, yourself, “How do I raise my child in the faith?”

ticipate in evening programs; perhaps volunteer to teach in the religious formation program. However, Stan and Elaine have a choice – they are not limited by the territorial boundaries. We drive across town to the mall, we drive to restaurants. The new parish community may have music they find uplifting, it may offer after-Mass socializing with old friends. In the Diocese of Lansing, we are free to register in a parish of our choice. Stan and Elaine should take their time with each parish – make sure they are really getting to know the pastor, the parishioners, the customs. While they are visiting, they should support the parish financially. We cannot be visitors forever, however. Eventually, one parish will feel comfortable to them. It’s important that they both agree this is the right place for them as a couple. When that time comes, they should register at the parish office – and know that they have come home.

SERVICES

APPEAL

t. 16 | St. Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor | St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr Sept. 19 | ministry, a ministry supported by Sept. the17 DSA.

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T. Gennara

DIOCESAN

The domestic church

Raising a child in the faith begins at home. The catechism says, “The family home is rightly called ‘the domestic church,’ a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues and of Christian charity.” (CCC #1666) So what are your responsibilities? • Baptism It’s not just about scheduling the ceremony. When selecting godparents, you choose individuals who are “firm believers” (CCC #1255) who join your family in a spiritual sense to help the child grow in faith. • Family prayer Do you truly give thanks that you are blessed with enough food, or is grace simply a routine? After Mass on Sunday, discuss the readings or homily. • Go to Mass! You can’t discuss those readings if you haven’t heard them. This is our primary obligation – and a wonderful spiritual gift to all of us. The family of Christ is nourished through the Eucharist. • Enroll your child in Catholic school or religious education They’ll need some formal instruction, particularly to prepare for sacraments, and the parish is the place to find it. This is also a great way for your children to find friends who also value the importance of faith. Don’t forget to continue after confirmation!

The parish community

– Tom and JoAnne Fogle

Deacon Tom Fogle is director of family life ministry, a ministry supported by the DSA.

few years ago, a PBS show, Mixed Blessings, followed the closing of Sacred Heart Parish in Limerick, Ireland. At the time, its pastor said, “We have experienced in Ireland a kind of cultural tsunami that has washed over so many of the old ways in which people have found God in their lives.” Have you, like many others, assumed your parish would always be there, unchanging? Have you relied on the parish school or religious education program to take care of faith formation for your child? In the face of change, it may be time to ask, or re-ask, yourself, “How do I raise my child in the faith?”

It would be a heavy burden for parents to accomplish all this on their own and the church recognizes this: “The whole ecclesial community bears some responsibility for the development and safeguarding of the grace given at baptism.” (CCC #1255) So what is the parish community’s responsibility? • Providing faith formation The parish is obligated to provide for faith formation, preparation and administration of the sacraments. Newly clustered parishes may have enough resources to expand programming. The parishioners at Sacred Heart in Limerick summed it up: “The Lord never promises us a squall-free journey but he always walks by our side.” – Dr. Cathleen McGreal

St. Andrew Kim Taegon, Priest and Martyr and St. Paul Chong Hasang, Martyr, and his companions Sept. 20

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Oh, no! I gotta go!

ransitions are difficult. A few years ago, I moved from St Mary’s Parish in Westphalia to St. Joseph Church in Howell. The logistics of the move were tough, but what was even tougher was that part of me did not want to go. The bishop had asked me to consider the move. There were good reasons for it, but I was comfortable where I was. I loved my parish. And there were other priests who could do a much better job at St. Joseph Church! But I had to ask the Lord whether or not he wanted me to move. It was a tough question; I was thinking, “What if he says YES?!!” FAITH Magazine

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how to deal with transitions you don’t want

I did not give the bishop an answer right away. I thought, maybe he’ll find someone else. He didn’t. I was opening my mail and was reading a wonderful letter from a parishioner. What was amazing was that the letter contained a prayer asking St. Joseph’s help in discernment. When I saw it, my heart was touched and I prayed, “Well, St. Joseph, if I am to go to St. Joseph Parish I need a little help here! I just do not know. You made a difficult move in coming to Bethlehem and taking Jesus and Mary to Egypt, so

September 2008 | www.FAITHmag.com

ask God to help me, too.” No sooner had I finished the prayer than the secretary called from the front desk. “Father Bill, the bishop is on the line. He wants to speak with you.” Wow! God sure does not waste time! The bishop was calling to see if I had made a decision. It was time for me to die to self and say “yes” to God. Dying is difficult, but Jesus promises us that it leads to new life. My transition helped me die to self and rise in ways I never thought possible. I

St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Priest Sept. 23 | Ss. Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs Sept 2

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Spiritual exercises for this month:

Think about the various figures in our faith and consider the transitions they made. Pick one and spend about 20 minutes considering their transitions. Think about their response to God and how you can respond in a similar way. Here are some suggestions for meditation: Abraham and Sarah – read Gen. 12, Joseph – read Gen. 37-50, Moses – read Ex 1-17, Mary and Joseph – read Matt 2, Jesus’ transition from private to public ministry – read Luke 3-4, and Jesus’ final days – read John 11-19.

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The third exercise is for those who like to get their hands dirty. Take a seed of your favorite flower or vegetable and plant it. See what happens. Read John 12:24. Reflect on the experience of the seed and its transition and transformation. That is a natural sign of the paschal mystery. Write down and describe one transition in your life. How did it cause you to die? How did God bring you new life?

discovered in a new way the power of Christ’s cross and resurrection. That power was at work in me and in the community of St. Joseph. They had not had a new priest for more than 30 years. Transition is always difficult, for the shadow of death is present in every change. Yet there is new life in every transition. The shadow of death gives way to the brilliant light of the resurrection and its promise of hope. This has been God’s plan from the beginning. In our original fall from grace through disobedience, God had a plan to restore us to life. Remember Israel’s move out

of Egypt? God told them to get ready to move. He told them that it was so important that they were to make that month the first month of their calendar. They were not to forget it! (Read Exodus, Chapter 12) This was very big! Some may not have wanted to go, but if they wanted freedom, they had to obey the Lord. The feast of Passover commemorates this transition from slavery and death to new life. Passover foreshadowed what Jesus did and does for us. In dying he destroyed our death, by rising he restored our life! We call this saving mystery the paschal mystery. It is what we celebrate and remember at every Mass and sacrament. All the transitions of our lives

– all the dyings and risings – have Christ’s dying and rising at their foundation. Our transitions are connected and given meaning by Christ’s death and resurrection. We literally plunge into that mystery at our baptism. Our challenge this month is to see the paschal mystery at work in the transitions of our lives. We may not have made this connection before. The stuff of life and the business of transitions can prevent us from seeing its deeper meaning and gift. We may get blocked by the disappointment concerning changes we do not like. Change can be good or bad. It depends how we let “changes” change us. We can either surrender and grow in faith and trust, or we can fight and grumble and complain like the Israelites did in the desert. Some of them wanted to go back to Egypt! Things did not end too well for them. They were stuck in death, but God wanted them to pass through death to new life. That is what God wants for us all. Every little transition in our lives can prepare us for the BIG transition, our final transition from this life into eternity. –Fr. Bill Ashbaugh

as and Damian, Martyrs Sept 26 | St. Vincent de Paul, Priest Sept. 27 | Ss. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels Sept. 29 | St, Jerome, Priest and Doctor Sept. 30

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This month’s column isn’t so much about one specific question as it is about a whole bunch of them that I’ve been getting. All over the diocese, wherever I go, people are approaching me because they are worried about “all the changes coming.” What I hope to do in this column is answer as many of those as I can. First of all, what are we talking about? Well, the diocese recently completed a study that looks at the needs of the diocese as a whole, the needs of the regions within the diocese, how many priests we have, how many deacons and lay workers, how many people attending Mass and a whole lot of other factors and came up with a plan. This plan, undertaken with a lot of consultation and prayer, will help us maximize our time and talent and help us in our worship and in how we minister. Some parishes will close, some will merge; some will lose a priest, others will gain a priest. Some parishes will have a change in their status and all parishes will work toward improvement. One common question is:

I’ve heard some parishes called a “personal parish” and others called a “territorial parish;” what does that mean? A: Well, there are, in our diocese, basically two kinds of parishes: personal and territorial. A territorial parish is just what it sounds like: it’s based on serving people within its immediate location. For example, the goal of the territorial parish in Otisville is to serve the people who live in Otisville (Go Xavier!). A personal parish is a parish that ministers not within a geographical region, but to a specific group of people. Within the Lansing Diocese, Cristo Rey FAITH Magazine

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in Lansing is a good example. Cristo Rey is a personal parish where the primary mission is to minister to Spanish-speaking folks from all over the diocese. In this new process we are undertaking, there may be some personal parishes that become territorial parishes; usually because the needs that created the personal parish do not exist anymore.

How do I decide where to go to

church? A: This is the crux of a lot of the questions. In many places, folks have an opportunity to go to a personal parish or a territorial one, or sometimes, to choose between two territorial parishes ... So, which do you do? First of all, I think it important to keep in mind a simple idea: Our choice of which parish to worship at needs to be a choice made in integrity that leads to proper and life-giving action. To me, choosing a church is entering into a covenant relationship. As a part of that relationship, you will (hopefully) see your priest serving with all his heart and mind; he won’t tell you to “find someone else” to do the funeral or to help when you are in need, he’ll do his absolute best to be present. Hopefully, you’ll see the lay ministers and staff working hard to serve as well. They often give up bigger and better pay to serve their parish community. Your part in that relationship

Dear Fr. Joe My parish is changing now what?

is to immerse yourself fully into the parish community. Come to Mass! Every Sunday, we need to see your smiling face! Lector, usher, cantor, giver of Oreos, whatever the need, step on up! The church also needs your financial support – BIG time. (Insert gasp here: Father asked for money!) You have so many gifts to offer a parish community and it all begins with your presence. Once you enter into this relationship, we need the whole of you, just like you need the whole of the priest and staff there. I think it important to love your parish community like you love your family. I don’t know if this is taught anymore, and I think it needs to be, but if God calls you to a parish community, then there are obligations. I think it was my sister Laure who once told me, “I can’t love people in pieces.” We can’t love our parish that way either. Here are some examples of behavior that are damaging to our souls and to our parish community: 1. Registering at a parish and never showing up: Once your name hits the parish roster, a relationship begins and both parties need to be present. Don’t stand us up! 2. Accepting a lower tuition for a Catholic school at one parish while regularly attending another. That’s taking resources from two parishes. 3. Not volunteering time, talent and resources to help the parish be all it can be.

I know, I know, this all sounds so “strict,” but, remember, at the beginning of this process, you think it through so that you are entering into a relationship that is helpful and wholesome for you and yours. I guess, in the end, it’s important to fight the temptation to only look at what we want and need and, instead, try to embrace the whole of the diocese. As the wise Spock from “Star Trek” said, “The needs of the many must always outweigh the needs of the one.” (As a side note, I am pretty sure he came up with that quote after a discussion he and I had about Double Stuf Oreo cookies, but I can’t prove it.) This advice is true: When looking at a parish, try not to focus exclusively on what you can “get,” but also on what you can give. Whatever you decide, make sure and give the church the gift of you, because that’s one of the best gifts of all. Enjoy another day in God’s presence! – Father Joseph Krupp

September 2008 | www.FAITHmag.com 8/29/08 11:30:55 AM

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FAITH Magazine

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10 September 2008 | www.FAITHmag.com 8/29/08 11:31:45 AM

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Roman Catholic Diocese of L

ansing

Office of the Bishop

300 West Ottawa Street â&#x20AC;˘ Lan

sing, Michigan 48933-1577

Carlson Productions

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Ch rist: The long-awaited final recomm endations of the Diocesan Coordin ating Commission were placed on my desk this summer and are now ready to be promulgated. I take this opportunity to thank, the name of all of us of the Diocese in of Lansing, Sister Rita Wenzlick, OP, who has so ably chaired this commission all these years and has guided the process whereby the Diocese of Lansing has plan for its future. It is with great joy ned that I also announce that Sister Rita has agreed to chair the imp tation committee which will ove lem enrsee the actual realization of our planning. Let us begin with a story. My parents live 16 miles from Cheboy gan, Michigan. Their parish (six miles away and where my great-gr eat grandparents were buried) and two other parishes in Cheboygan were closed and consolidat ed with St. Mary Parish in Cheboy gan, the mother church, back in early 1990s. That was a trauma the tic event for all, including my fath er. However, today the Cheboy Catholic Community is united gan in one parish and is a very vibran t presence of Christ in the commu pooling the resources of all thre nity and a great place to worship e parishes, the Cheboygan Cathol . By ic Community is now able to hos social event in Cheboyganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ann t the most important fundraiser and ual calendar, and just built a new grade school building. None of community resources were bein this would have been possible if g expended on heating and ma all the intaining a lot of buildings. Thi or clustering or merging of parishe s stor y points out that while the closing s is always a painful experience , there can be great good that com ate with and do Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work rath es of it, if we are willing to cooper er than our own. Having said this , now is the appropriate point to new diocesan plan, which is fou ma ke some comments about our nd on our Web site. First of all, you will notice, as you read this plan, that many of its elements will take place as nee circumstances which may lead ded. There could be any number to any given part of the plan bein of g implemented. Thus, for many no strict timetable. However, eve of these elements of the plan there n for those parishes which may is not see a change in the immedia to cooperate even now with the te future, I would urge them to ir future partners. Collaboration begin with others is part of the richnes exercise and taste that richness s of being Catholic and we should even now. Second, no plan is perfect. I am promulgating this plan almost exa ctly as it was presented to me bec process Bishop Mengeling initiate ause I have confidence in the d, and I trust the hard work of all the people who thoughtfully mendations. In approving this plan and pra yerfully made these recom, I am not saying it is perfect, but I believe it is the best we can do Third, it is clear that more nee at this time. ds to be done regarding Cathol ic education. Everywhere in this port for Catholic schools, especia plan there are calls for greater sup lly in each of the vicariates, and by each of the parishes, especia schools. I do believe it is one of lly those parishes which do not hav the priorities of our diocese and e will need our consistent attentio Fourth, you will notice a cou n over the next years. ple of changes in status of some of our parishes. Prior to the pro which are being directed by our mulgation of this plan, those par pastoral coordinators, for whose ishes continued service all of us are ver gal) pastor, the moderator of the y grateful, had as their canonical curia, Msgr. Michael Murphy. We (leare all grateful for his fine service areas of diocesan life. Now, each in this regard and in so many oth of these parishes will have as a er canonical pastor one of the pas you will notice is that most of our tors in closer proximity. A second personal parishes (those that do change not have parish boundaries) are (with boundaries). For instance, being changed to territorial par a parish may have been founde ishes d to serve the Croatian Catholics has been made. Those parishes but no longer does. Thus this change which still serve primarily and substantially an ethnic group, esp remain personal parishes. ecially where language is critical , will Fifth, you will notice a number of recommendations that the regi ons made regarding their own goa goals, they merit pursuit by the ls. While these are not diocesan regions (vicariates) and thus I end orse them. Finally, my sisters and brothe rs, this is a time of change. Cha nge is always difficult, even if it with one another, and most of all, is good change. We need to be we need to exercise that great virt patient ue given to each of us in our bap tism, that is, love. Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Earl Boyea Bishop of Lansing

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NORTHWEST REGION

GENESEE COUNTY

Montrose

SHIAWASSEE COUNTY

Otisville 17

Owosso 29

Durand

Ovid

CLINTON COUNTY

Westphalia

25 21

Flushing

21 22

St. Johns

Fowler

Clio

Laingsburg

Flint 24

Davison

Burton Grand Blanc

Swartz Creek

Gaines

22 23

11 18

Mt. Morris

Goodrich 17

DeWitt

Morrice

NORTHEAST REGION

Fenton 13

Grand Ledge

1 7

EATON COUNTY

Charlotte

Okemos

7 16

Williamston

Fowlerville

Howell

Mason 18

Eaton Rapids

Bellevue

Deerfield Twp.

LANSING

INGHAM COUNTY

Brighton

LIVINGSTON COUNTY 4 Hamburg

Leslie

EASTERN REGION

Pinckney

JACKSON COUNTY

Individual Merged parish parish

Jackson

Closed Clustered parish/site parish Chapel status

WASHTENAW COUNTY

8 4

Dexter

3 5

Concord 7

10 9

Chelsea

Michigan Center

Ann Arbor 20 16

21 9

Shared ministry

Yipsilanti

Saline 18

SOUTHERN REGION

Manchester

19 12 11

Clarklake

Milan

Brooklyn 1

HILLSDALE COUNTY

LENAWEE COUNTY 15

Clinton

Tecumseh

Manitou Beach

Hillsdale

11 12

Adrian

Deerfield 13

Hudson Blissfield 19

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12 September 2008 | www.FAITHmag.com

by Todd Schulz | Photography by Jim Luning 8/29/08 11:32:06 AM

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Summary of regional closures, clusters, mergers

he following is a quick glance at the changes to be implemented throughout the Diocese of Lansing as recommended by the Diocesan Coordinating Commission and approved by Bishop Earl Boyea.

Parish configurations Parish or site Closures: • Sacred Heart, Flint • Sacred Heart Chapel, Jackson (site only), ministry moving • St. Agnes, Flint • St. Leo, Flint • St. Luke, Flint • Transfiguration, Ypsilanti Parish mergers: • St. Leo, Flint with Holy Rosary, Flint • Blessed Sacrament, Burton with St. John Evangelist, Davison • Transfiguration, Ypsilanti with St. John the Baptist, Ypsilanti

Terminology Chapel: There are several types of chapels, including chapels of adoration inside parish churches or sanctified areas of other buildings, such as hospitals. For the purposes of this reorganization, a chapel is a church that is dependent upon, and subordinate to, a parish. Parish: A worshipping community, usually based on geographical boundaries, centered in a church. The parish is administered by a pastor, who may be assigned solely to that parish or to multiple parishes. Parishes

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• St. Thomas Aquinas, East Lansing with St. John Student Parish, East Lansing • Holy Cross with St. Mary Cathedral (not immediate) Parish clusters: • All Saints, St. Agnes, Sacred Heart and St. Luke with St. John Vianney, all from Flint • Christ the King with St. Matthew • Holy Family, Ovid with St. Joseph, St. Johns • Sts. Cornelius & Cyprian, Leslie with St. James, Mason • St. Mary, Morrice with St. Isidore, Laingsburg • St. Joseph, Adrian with St.

may also be personal parishes, which have no territorial boundaries , but minister to specific groups. Closed parish: A canonical declaration by the Bishop of Lansing, in consultation with the presbyteral council, that a parish ceases to exist. Parish members join one of the neighboring parishes. This can happen at a designated or later date. Cluster: A grouping of two or more parishes served by one or more priests. The parishes retain separate identities, but collaborate in the sharing of ministers and resources.

Sacred Heart

St. Luke

St. Agnes

St. John Vianney

Flint parishes close and merge As you read in last month’s issue of FAITH, a number of changes already took place in the Flint region. The parishes of St. Agnes, St. Luke and Sacred Heart have closed, and a new worship community has formed at St. John Vianney Church. By merging these parishes, a stronger and more vigorous community results, able to serve the Catholic people of Flint with strength in unity. Mary, Adrian • St. Joseph, Ypsilanti with Immaculate Conception, Milan • St. Joseph Shrine, Brooklyn with St. Rita, Clarklake • St. Mary, Manchester with St. Mary, Chelsea • St. Michael, Flint with St. Mary, Flint (possibility of merger) • St. Patrick, Ann Arbor with Christ the King, Ann Arbor • St. Peter, Blissfield with St.

Cluster with the intention of merging: Two or more parishes served by a single pastor and other ministers. While the clustered communities may collaborate in many aspects of ministry, they have separate administrations and sacramental life. At some future date, the parishes may merge with one or two worship sites remaining. Merged parish: A parish joined with two or more parishes into a single new or consolidated parish. A merged parish may have two worship sites. Pastoral coordinator (PC): Assigned by the bishop and

Alphonsus, Deerfield (possibility of merger) From parish to chapel status • Blessed Sacrament, Burton • St. Dominic, Clinton • St. Joseph, Jackson • St. Stanislaus Kostka, Jackson Catholic schools • DuKette School, Flint, closed

supervised by a canonical pastor, pastoral coordinators provide pastoral ministry and administrative leadership for a parish community. A canonical pastor may have responsibility for sacramental ministry in more than one faith community. Region: The diocese is divided into four regions (eastern, northeastern, northwestern and southern) to facilitate greater collaboration between the parishes of the region and diocesan central offices. Sacramental responsibility: The

canonical pastor has responsibility for sacramental ministry in clustered parishes. The bishop will appoint another priest to assist. Vicariate: The subdivision of a region consisting of a group of parishes for the sake of mutual support and collaboration, pastoral planning and the sharing of resources for the benefit of the faithful within this subdivided region. Each vicariate will have a vicar who is appointed by the bishop. The vicar convenes the pastors, parish ministers and parish leadership to facilitate the purpose of the vicariate.

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Parish configurations Process overview

On Dec. 8, 2005, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Bishop Carl Mengeling appointed a Diocesan Coordinating Commission to review a large amount of information that had been collected from clergy, pastoral coordinators, deacons, lay ecclesial ministers, teachers, parish councils and diocesan staff. The commission’s mandate was to make recommendations about how the pastoral and sacramental needs of the diocese would be met over the course of the next several decades. The commission’s responsibilities included the following: • Develop a plan by which the 97 diocesan faith communiWhat is the overall ability of the clergy within the diocese to meet the faithful’s sacramental and pastoral needs? With the expectation that the diocese will lose approximately 16 priests in the next two years due to retirement, we are also experiencing an increase in ordinations that can fill a portion of this void. However, those new priests are not enough to bridge the gap. This reorganization process will enable us to continue to meet the sacramental and pastoral needs of all the faithful. What are the outcomes of these decisions? There were four outcomes

that may affect your faith community.

This reorganization process will enable us to continue to meet the sacramental and

pastoral needs of all the faithful. of faith – the pastoral, sacramental and leadership roles and resources within a parish will remain. This applies to the majority of parishes

Your parish or school may merge with another parish or

demographics and projections, the commission considered the feedback from priests, pastoral coordinators, deacons, ecclesial lay ministers and diocesan central office staff who discussed the issues and offered solutions during the study days.

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In order to fully engage each parish and school in the process, detailed evaluation tools were completed by parishioners, staff and other constituents. Then, each region’s representatives reviewed the information and presented preliminary findings at parish assemblies. The coordinating commission reviewed all the data and developed recommendations based on the data. The commission’s preliminary recommendations were then forwarded to the bishop’s consultative bodies for review. After their input, final recommendations were given to the bishop. His report is detailed below. school. This means that your parish will join with two or more faith or education communities to form a new or consolidated parish or school.

Your parish will provide the same ministry to its community

A Coordinating Commission was appointed by Bishop Mengeling to assess the information presented during Diocesan Study Days held in the fall of 2005. Along with the statistics,

FAITH Magazine

ties’ sacramental and pastoral needs would be reviewed objectively and, with maximum local input. • Develop processes timelines and monitoring to ensure that the process addressed the pastoral, sacramental and administrative issues raised in the information-gathering phase. • Make recommendations, based on the guiding principles, to the bishop. • Communicate the information to the faithful.

Your parish will become part of a cluster. In this configuration, each parish will maintain its individual identity, but may be grouped with one or more parishes or schools to share a priest and collaborate on ministries and

other resources.

1 S R

1. St. Jose | 10

Your parish may close. This was a last resort. In each case of closure, the sacramental and pastoral needs of the community will be addressed by neighboring parishes. A guiding principle throughout the process is to maintain a Catholic presence, but realize that it may not be feasible. In the case of a parish closure, parish boundaries will be redrawn and neighboring parishes will be asked to welcome parishioners from a closed parish. As you will note, there are only a few instances in which parishes are slated to close.

Based on their extensive in-depth study, the commission made the necessary recommendations to satisfy the pastoral and sacramental needs of the diocese. Appointed members include: Reverend John Byers – pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Lansing | Patrick Gribben – member of St Jude Parish, DeWitt; Diocesan Pastoral Council member | Deacon Vincent Guarnaccia – pastoral ministry at St Martha Parish, Okemos | Marinell High – DRE at St Joseph Parish, Dexter; Diocesan Pasto-

14 September 2008 | www.FAITHmag.com 8/29/08 11:32:36 AM

PRIESTS

WORSHIP SITES

JACKSON COUNTY Jackson 4 5

8 10 9 6

Concord

MASS ATTENDANCE

Michigan Center

7 2

Brooklyn

Clarklake

LENAWEE COUNTY 17

Clinton

Tecumseh

Manitou Beach

14 18 SOUTHERN REGION RESULTS FROM 19 TO

FROM 19 TO

Hillsdale

HILLSDALE COUNTY

Deerfield

Adrian

Hudson

Blissfield 19

Individual parish

Merged Closed Clustered parish parish/site parish

Chapel status

Shared ministry

JACKSON VICARIATE

-16.3

LENAWEE/ HILLSDALE VICARIATE

-10

What is the status of the parishes in Southern Region? The Southern Region is divided into two vicariates: Jackson and Lenawee/Hillsdale. During the last eight years, overall Mass attendance within the parishes of Jackson County has fallen by 16.3 percent; 17 percent of priests serving the faithful are at or beyond retirement age. In the Lenawee/Hillsdale Vicariate, Mass attendance has declined by nearly 10 percent and there are currently no priests at the retirement stage.

Jackson Vicariate Parish, Vicariate and Ministry Improvement Recommendations Within the Jackson Vicariate, the following regional and diocesan improvement measures are to be implemented: •T he priests will review weekday and weekend Mass schedules to determine that priest schedules are best utilized in the region, ensuring that parish Masses do not fall consistently below 50 percent of church seating

capacity. If that does occur, then Mass schedules will be altered within the vicariate. • Formation opportunities will be planned and made available for pastoral leaders, prison and jail ministers, nursing home ministers and young adult activities. • Pastoral visits to hospitals, prisons, jails and care facilities will be better coordinated. • A complete assessment of all facilities will be completed as soon as possible. This assessment will include, but not

ral Council member | Reverend David Howell – pastor of St Mary Magdalen Parish, Brighton | Reverend Charles Irvin – founding editor of FAITH Magazine | Vern Johnson – member St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, East Lansing; Diocesan Finance Council member | Reverend Timothy MacDonald – pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish, Burton | Sister Joan May, SSJ – pastoral coordinator of St Mark, Goodrich | Reverend Robert McGraw – pastor of Queen of the Miraculous Medal Parish, Jackson; Diocesan Presbyteral Council chair | Pattie

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be limited to, geographic location, condition and ADA requirements. • The program needs for Catholic Social Services, a cultural center and Siena Heights classes will be determined and space will be provided based on the above assessment.

Jackson Vicariate Parish Configurations In Jackson, the parishes have been reduced from 10 to nine worship sites, served by eight priests plus one high school chaplain and one sacra-

Scherer – former RCIA and adult formation director at St Francis of Assisi Parish, Ann Arbor | Sister Rita Wenzlick, OP – director, Diocesan Office of Pastoral Planning | Sharon Wimple – Diocesan Pastoral Council member | Melinda Ziegler – member of St. Catherine Laboure Parish, Concord EX-OFFICIO: Msgr. Richard Groshek – vicar general and retired pastor of St. Pius X Parish, Flint | Msgr. Michael Murphy – moderator of the curia | Msgr. Steven Raica – chancellor

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mental minister. The following are the approved parish configurations: Worship sites: St. Joseph Shrine, Brooklyn St. Rita Church, Clarklake St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, Jackson St. John the Evangelist Church, Jackson Queen of the Miraculous Medal Church, Jackson Our Lady of Fatima Church, Michigan Center St. Catherine Labouré Church, Concord St. Joseph Chapel, Jackson St. Stanislaus Kostka Chapel, Jackson (formerly St. Stanislaus Kostka Church) Sacred Heart Chapel, Jackson, located at St. Stanislaus Kostka site • St. Joseph Shrine, Brooklyn, will cluster with St. Rita Parish, Clarklake, when the Oblates are no longer able to staff St. Rita Parish. Assistance in back up sacramental ministry will be provided by Queen of the Miraculous Medal Parish, Jackson. The two parishes should discuss aligning themselves into one Vicariate. • St. Joseph, Jackson, will become a territorial parish with the promulgation of this plan until it becomes necessary to maintain it as a chapel. Parish boundaries will be defined in the near future. • St. John the Evangelist Parish in Jackson will be served by two priests who will have responsibility for the administration of St. Joseph Chapel in Jackson, formerly St. Joseph Parish, if and when necessary. • St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish in Jackson will be FAITH Magazine

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served by one priest who will have responsibility for the administration of St. Stanislaus Kostka Chapel and one weekend liturgy in English at that chapel, as well. • Ministry and liturgy of Sacred Heart Chapel will move to St. Stanislaus Kostka site. This move will take place at a future date. Following the move, the Sacred Heart Chapel site will close. • St. Catherine Labouré Parish in Concord will be served by one priest with additional responsbility to be determined • Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Michigan Center will remain an individual parish and be served by one priest.

Lenawee/Hillsdale Parish, Vicariate and Ministry Improvement Recommendations The Lenawee/Hillsdale Vicariate will make the following improvements as set forth by the bishop: • The vicariate will begin recruiting new leadership for migrant ministry within itself. • Due to the future of the parishes within the vicariate, these parishes will begin planning together to effectively share resources and programs, while maintaining their own identity, physical site, pastoral councils and financial responsibilities. • Parishes will carefully monitor attendance at weekend liturgies. If attendance at a specific Mass is consistently less than half of the seating capacity

of the church, the parish will reduce the number of Masses and reconfigure the Mass times according to parish and regional needs. • Each parish bulletin will include the Mass times of neighboring parishes to better serve the needs of the area Catholics. • The vicariate will form a Vicariate Pastoral Council. This council will ensure that the clustering plan is implemented and oversee the entire mission of the vicariate in its response to the sacramental, pastoral and leadership needs of the communities. • Calendars of faith formation programs will be prepared and distributed to each of the 10 parishes, allowing individuals and families to attend a parish whose faith formation schedule fits their needs. • Catholic Charities of Lenawee is struggling, due to finances. All parishes share financial responsibility of this agency and need to accept responsibility for such.

Lenawee/Hillsdale Vicariate Configurations This vicariate had 10 parishes that will be reduced to nine worship sites, with six priests, one pastoral coordinator and a sacramental minister serving the faithful. The following are the new communities based on the changes made from this planning process: Worship sites: St. Joseph Church, Adrian St. Mary of Good Counsel Church, Adrian St. Alphonsus Church,

Deerfield Sacred Heart Church, Hudson St. Mary on the Lake Church, Manitou Beach St. Elizabeth Church, Tecumseh St. Anthony Church, Hillsdale St. Dominic Chapel, Clinton St. Peter Church, Blissfield • S t. Joseph, Adrian, will cluster with St. Mary of Good Counsel, Adrian, when the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales are no longer able to staff St. Mary. Two priests serve St. Mary – one of whom will become the canonical pastor. • S t. Peter, Blissfield, will cluster with St. Alphonsus, Deerfield, when the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales are no longer able to staff St. Alphonsus. St. Alphonsus is served by one priest who will be the canonical pastor. • S acred Heart, Hudson, is served by one priest. He will serve as the canonical pastor of St. Mary on the Lake, Manitou Beach, which is currently served by a pastoral coordinator and sacramental minister. • S t. Elizabeth, Tecumseh, is served by one priest who will have the responsibility for the administration of St. Dominic Chapel, formerly St. Dominic Church, Clinton. The date of St. Dominic’s change in status from a church to chapel will be determined by the vicar. • S t. Anthony, Hillsdale, will remain an individual parish community served by one priest.

16 September 2008 | www.FAITHmag.com 8/29/08 11:32:42 AM

1. Ch An

WORSHIP SITES

PRIESTS

Mt. Zion

Clio

Montrose

7 12

Otisville 17

Mt. Morris

6 19

22 23

25 21

Flushing

19 19

Davison

MASS ATTENDANCE

Burton 4

Swartz Creek

FROM 26 TO

FROM 24 TO

Flint 24

Grand Blanc

GENESEE COUNTY

GENESEE VICARIATE

Goodrich

-22

Gaines 26

Fenton 14

Individual parish

Merged Closed parish parish/site

Clustered parish

Chapel status

Shared ministry

NORTHEAST REGION

RESULTS

What are the recommendations and decisions for the Northeast Region? Prior to the restructuring, this region was one vicariate. It is too large, based on its number of parishioners and its geography, and may be divided into two vicariates at the discretion of the parish leadership. In 2007, there were 24 priests, five pastoral coordinators, one high-school chaplain, and seven sacramental/weekend ministers serving 25 faith communities in Genesee County. Since 1999, the overall Mass attendance within the parishes of this vicariate fell by 22 percent.

Genesee Vicariate Parish, Vicariate and Ministry Improvement Recommendations The Genesee region has many recommendations for parish improvement as set

FM0908 layout.indd 17

out by the coordinating commission and approved by the bishop. These improvements to the region’s processes include: • Each parish is responsible for the formation of its people. This formation can be provided by clustering or merging programs with neighboring parishes and/or through collaborat-

ing and sharing staff with neighboring parishes. • While religious education and formation are the responsibility of the local parish, a variety of models can be reviewed for determining which is best for a given parish’s configuration. Publicity, ministry coordinators, ministry schedules, recruitment of teachers and coordinators

are some things that can be shared. Whatever plan is used must include homeschooled students and their parents. • While some adult faith formation opportunities can be well developed within the local parish, parishes will work together to identify and promote prominent speakers for the entire area.

Diocesan Coordination Commission mission statement Seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit and input of the faithful, the bishop’s coordinating commission of the Diocese of Lansing will design a plan to address the sacramental, pastoral, leadership and formational challenges and opportunities of each diocesan faith community. The commission will monitor the timely implementation of the approval plan, assuring that the process is carried out with great sensitivity for each individual faith family and its unique culture. Guiding principles for the work of the Coordinating Commission: 1. The commission will openly communicate its efforts to the people of the diocese and strive to ensure that all of the work of the commission is characterized by mutual respect and honesty. 2. Full sacramental ministry will be available to all Catholic people in every geographic area of the diocese. 3. Competent pastoral ministers (lay, religious or ordained) will serve in every geographic area of the diocese. 4. The commission will have a special concern to meet the needs of the poor and marginalized. 5. The commission will engage all of its individual faith communities in planning for their future. Every faith community will evaluate its communal, spiritual and sacramental life, its faith formation programs and its financial stability. 6. The commission will seek to be creative in its efforts to reconfigure the diocese for an era with fewer priests and shifting population. 7. Any reconfiguration of the diocese will respect the needs of both the people and the individual minister.

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• The RCIA ministry can be sponsored locally within the parish or in parish clusters – sharing sites, staff and programs. • Youth ministry programs need to be strengthened to increase active involvement. The youth ministers of the county will meet, as will the young adult ministers, to determine the best model of ministry for the entire county. Based on their decisions, a regional strategic plan will be developed and implemented to accomplish this need. • Campus ministry will be located at St. Michael Parish. With the added feature of housing for students, the existing ministry needs to be expanded to serve the needs of resident students. • The social mission of the church within this county will be coordinated by the Catholic Charities agency. The ministry will reflect a perspective that forges bonds between the cities and suburbs and across racial and economic barriers. Additionally, a strategic plan must be developed that will include, but not be limited to, addressing the following needs: drug and alcohol treatment programs; medical care and dignity for patients with AIDS; employment training for the unemployed; advocacy for decent housing; ministry to those with mental and developmental disabilities; ministry to the divorced, separated and widowed; Befriender/Stephen ministries to serve those who have suffered the loss of a loved one; ministry to those choosing alternative life styles; and jail ministry, including the FAITH Magazine

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appointment of a priest or chaplain. The permanent deacons within the county will receive additional formation as needed to serve in these social ministries. • Hospital ministry will be shared by pastors and pastoral coordinators. A regional plan will be created that will reconsider the priest chaplain; create a city-wide response to hospital ministry; and schedule extraordinary ministers of holy Communion to hospitals. • Hispanic ministry for the east and north areas of the core city will be done by St. Michael Parish. • Marriage preparation is currently provided by the region and is effective. • Evangelization must be provided in a coordinated and collaborative fashion, involving all parishes in the county. Parish directors and coordinators of evangelization will jointly review what is currently available and what needs to be accomplished. They will design a strategic plan with a timetable, and begin implementation as soon as possible. • Ministry to nursing homes, adult foster care facilities and juvenile detention centers must be planned and staffed. • The needs for ministry to single-parent families must be assessed and planned to ensure that their needs are adequately met.

Genesee Vicariate Parish Configurations Within Genesee County, there will be 18 priests, one high school chaplain, three pastoral coordinators and sacramental ministers serving 19 faith communities. The following parish configurations will take place: Worship sites: Christ the King Church, Flint Good Shepherd Church, Montrose Holy Rosary Church, Flint Holy Family Church, Grand Blanc Holy Redeemer Church, Burton Mt. Zion Pastoral Center, Flushing Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Flint Saints Charles and Helena Church, Clio St. Mary Church, Flint St. Michael Church, Flint St. Mary Queen of Angels Church, Swartz Creek St. John Vianney Church, Flint St. Francis Xavier Church, Otisville St. John the Evangelist Church, Davison St. John the Evangelist Church, Fenton St. Mark Church, Goodrich St. Mary Church, Mount Morris St. Matthew Church, Flint St. Pius X Church, Flint St. Robert Bellarmine Church, Flushing Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Burton

“ My hope for a new parish at St. John Vianney is to meet new friends and become involved in the faith life of the new community.” – Catherine E. Wenzel

• St. Francis, Otisville, is currently served by a pastoral coordinator and sacramental minister. St. Mary, Mount Morris and Sts. Charles and Helena, Clio, which will have one priest each and will share the back up sacramental ministry of St. Francis. Sts. Charles and Helena’s priest will be the canonical pastor of St. Francis. • St. John, Davison, will be served by two priests and will merge with Blessed Sacrament Chapel, formerly Blessed Sacrament Parish, Burton, when necessary. • St. Robert, Flushing, will be served by two priests, one of whom will have canonical pastoral responsibilities for Good Shepherd Parish, Montrose, and be available for its back up sacramental ministry with the promulgation of this plan. • St. Michael, Flint, will cluster with the possibility of merging with St. Mary, Flint. The priest currently serving St. Mary Parish will be the canonical pastor of the clustered parishes. • Christ the King Parish, Flint, will cluster with St. Matthew Parish, Flint, when and if necessary. • Holy Family Parish, Grand Blanc, will be served by two priests, one of which will become the canonical pastor of St. Mark, Goodrich, which has a pastoral coordinator and sacramental minister. The chaplain of Powers High School will have full responsibility for sacramental ministry for St. Mark with the promulgation of this plan. • Holy Rosary and St. Leo, both in Flint, will merge at the Holy Rosary site and be served by one priest. St. Leo Parish will close.

18 September 2008 | www.FAITHmag.com 8/29/08 11:33:03 AM

1. |1

WORSHIP SITES

PRIESTS

Owosso

St. Johns

Fowler

SHIAWASSEE COUNTY

Ovid

Westphalia

Durand

Laingsburg

CLINTON COUNTY

FROM 30 TO

29 30 *

Morrice

EATON COUNTY

Charlotte 20

Bellevue

Individual parish

Grand Ledge

FROM 33 TO

Gaines

DeWitt

from 1999-2007

30 29

LANSING

Okemos 15

Williamston

INGHAM COUNTY

Eaton Rapids

Merged Closed Clustered parish parish/site parish

MASS ATTENDANCE CLINTON COUNTY

-2.3%

EATON COUNTY

-7.4%

Mason

Leslie

Chapel status

Shared ministry

* This number includes 28 parish priests and 1 hospital chaplin.

NORTHWEST REGION

RESULTS

INGHAM COUNTY

-8.3%

SHIAWASSEE COUNTY

• St. Agnes, Sacred Heart and St. Luke have closed and merged with St. John Vianney and will be served by one priest who will also be responsible for the administration of All Saints Chapel, formerly All Saints Church – this change will take place when the pastor of All Saints retires. • St. John, Fenton, which is served by two priests, will share back up sacramental responsibility with St. Mary, Durand, for St. Joseph, Gaines, which is currently served by a pastoral coordinator and sacramental minister. • Mt. Zion Pastoral Center, Flushing, will continue its status as a pastoral center. • The following will remain individual parishes served by one priest: Holy Redeemer, Burton Our Lady of Guadalupe, Flint (personal parish) St. Pius X, Flint St. Mary, Swartz Creek.

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What is the status of the parishes in the Northwest Region? Lansing region will consider dividing into two vicariates:

Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties Parish, Region and Ministry Improvement Recommendations The worship sites and ministries within these counties will make the following improvements as set forth by the bishop: • Review weekend Mass schedules. Each parish weekend Mass will be at 50 percent or more of church capacity and each priest will celebrate a maximum of three weekend Masses. • Plan for ministry to all adult foster care facilities in the region. • Young adult ministry and campus ministry will become region-wide minis-

tries. • Religious education will be offered in each parish. If families choose to attend formation in another parish, they will not be asked to leave their parish to have their formation needs met. • Youth ministry will be available in every parish, whether individually or in collaboration with other parishes. • Each parish will expand on the regional efforts of Welcome Home Sunday and similar evangelization efforts and programs to welcome alienated Catholics. • A coordinated direction to evangelize and serve the needs of the Lansing urban population will be developed and maintained. • Parish pastoral councils, parish finance councils and commissions will hold regular meetings to share insights, approaches to ministry and learn from

each other. • Lansing and the surrounding area, under the leadership of the vicar, will come together to determine a structure to accomplish all of the above. The following are improvements that will be made at the diocesan level to accommodate the needs of this region: • Restorative Justice Ministry will identify all jails, prisons and juvenile centers. This office will also assess services provided and identify future needs. • Training in collaboration will be offered to priests, deacons, lay ministers and parishioners. • A transition plan will be developed to support employees affected by the changes. This plan will demonstrate a caring church and the spirit of the Gospel.

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Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties Parish Configurations There were 28 priests serving 21 faith communities in 2007. This region has the most priests past retirement age and the greatest number of faith communities exceeding 2,000 or more households per parish. During the last eight years, the overall Mass attendance within the parishes of Clinton, Eaton, Ingham and Shiawassee counties has fallen by 2.3%, 7.4%, 8.3% and 32.3% respectively. Worship sites: St. Mary Cathedral, Lansing St. Gerard Church, Lansing

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St. James Church, Mason St. Cornelius and Cyprian Church, Leslie St. Ann Church, Bellevue (a mission parish) • Immaculate Heart of Mary, Lansing, will have one priest when the current parochial vicar is re-assigned. • St. Peter, Eaton Rapids and St. Mary, Charlotte, each served by one priest, will provide Sunday evening Mass during the school year at Olivet College. The pastors of these two parishes will be responsible for assessing and addressing the campus ministry needs at Olivet College, with assistance from the diocesan liaison to campus ministry. This is effective with the promulgation of this plan.

John Student Parish, both in East Lansing, will develop a plan outlining a co-operative relationship, moving toward a single Catholic community, yet keeping both sites. The plan will be completed by July 1, 2009 and submitted to the bishop for approval. All other parishes within the vicariate will remain individual parishes served by one priest (exceptions noted). These include: • St. Gerard, Lansing (two priests) • St. Michael, Grand Ledge • Cristo Rey, Lansing (personal parish) • St. Andrew Dung Lac, Lansing (personal parish) • St. Casimir, Lansing • St. Jude, DeWitt

St. Joseph Church, Gaines St. Mary Church, Durand St. Isidore Church, Laingsburg St. Mary Church, Morrice St. Mary Church, Westphalia Most Holy Trinity Church, Fowler St. Joseph Church, Owosso St. Paul Church, Owosso • St. Joseph, Gaines, will continue with its current administrative structure of a pastoral coordinator and sacramental minister, with oversight from a canonical pastor at St. Mary, Durand. St. John, Fenton, which will be served by two priests, will assist with sacramental ministry. • Holy Family, Ovid, will

“ As life-long parishioners of Sacred Heart, we treasured the fellowship, worship and kindness of that parish. We look forward to a oneness in our new parish at St. John Vianney.” – Deacon Anthony & Susan Verdun

Cristo Rey Church, Lansing St. Andrew Dung Lac Church, Lansing Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Lansing Holy Cross Church, Lansing St. Casmir Church, Lansing Church of the Resurrection, Lansing St. Therese Church, Lansing St. Thomas Aquinas Church, East Lansing St. John Student Parish, East Lansing St. Mary Church, Charlotte St. Michael Church, Grand Ledge St. Peter Church, Eaton Rapids St. Martha Church, Okemos St. Mary Church, Williamston St. Jude Church, DeWitt FAITH Magazine

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• St. Mary, Charlotte, will be served by one priest and has responsibility for the mission of St. Ann, Bellevue, formerly the quasi-parish of St. Ann, with the promulgation of this plan. • Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, Leslie, will cluster with St. James, Mason, if and when necessary. The pastor of St. James will be the canonical pastor. • When the Franciscan priests are no longer able to staff Holy Cross, Lansing, the parish status will be reassessed to determine if it will be maintained as a chapel. At that time, the parish may merge with St. Mary Cathedral, Lansing, which is served by two priests. • St. Thomas Aquinas and St.

• Resurrection, Lansing (hospital chaplain in residence) • St. Mary Cathedral, Lansing (two priests) • St. Therese, Lansing • St. Martha, Okemos • St. Mary, Williamston

Clinton/Shiawassee Vicariate Parish Configurations Within this vicariate, there will be eight priests, one pastoral coordinator and one sacramental minister serving 10 faith communities. The following parish configurations will take place: Worship sites: St. Joseph Church, St. Johns Holy Family Church, Ovid

cluster with St. Joseph, St. Johns, if and when necessary, and the faith communities will be served by two priests. • St. Mary, Morrice, will cluster with St. Isidore, Laingsburg, if and when necessary. The pastor of St. Isidore will be the canonical pastor of this faith community, which will receive sacramental ministry assistance from St. Joseph, Owosso. • St. Joseph will become a territorial parish served by one priest with the promulgation of the plan. • The following will remain individual parishes and be served by one priest: Most Holy Trinity, Fowler St. Mary, Westphalia St. Paul,Owosso.

20 September 2008 | www.FAITHmag.com 8/29/08 11:33:18 AM

1. St. Mary | 12. S

WORSHIP SITES

PRIESTS

Deerfield Twp. 7

Individual Merged parish parish

Fowlerville 6

Howell

LIVINGSTON COUNTY 2

Closed Clustered parish/site parish

Brighton Chapel status

Hamburg

Pinkney

Shared ministry

LIVINGSTON VICARIATE

WASHTENAW COUNTY 14

Dexter 21

24 21 FROM 29 TO

FROM 22 TO

Chelsea

Manchester

Yipsilanti

Saline 18

Ann Arbor 10 9 20 16

19 11

MASS ATTENDANCE

Milan

EASTERN REGION

RESULTS

MASS ATTENDANCE WASHTENAW VICARIATE

-16

What is the status for the parishes in the Eastern Region? The eastern region is separated into two vicariates – Livingston and Washtenaw.

Livingston Vicariate Parish, Region and Ministry Improvement Recommendations The Livingston Vicariate has 10 priests who serve eight parishes. Within the diocese, Livingston County is the only area, based on census figures, to have doubledigit population growth. Since 1999, overall Mass attendance within the parishes of this vicariate increased 5

percent. Due to projected population growth in this region, no reduction in clergy is recommended. The following are the bishop’s vicariate improvement recommendations: • Develop ministry plans for hospitals, juvenile detention centers, nursing homes, adult foster care facilities and migrant camps. • Assign ministry responsibility for Maxey Boys Center and Green Oaks. • Conduct periodic assessment of demographic shifts, October counts and seating capacity of churches. At a future date, a ninth parish will be added.

“ It’s time to vitalize the resurrection for Flint.” – Fr. Firestone

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• Review weekend Mass schedules. Each parish weekend Mass will be at 50 percent or more of church capacity and each priest will celebrate a maximum of three weekend Masses. • Deacons and pastors will meet regularly. • Develop collaborative ministry for youth and high school religious education. • Develop vicariate ministry to young adults. • Plan an aggressive outreach to inactive and alienated Catholics. • Develop a formation plan for FOCCUS sponsor couples and liturgical ministers. • Identify support groups needed to serve parishioners and their needs within the vicariate. The following are improvements that will be made at the diocesan level to accommodate the

needs of this region: • The Diocesan Office of Family Ministry will develop and implement a regional plan for ministry to single parents. • The directors of the diocesan Office of Catechesis and Office of Family Ministry will hold listening sessions at vicariate meetings and conduct an assessment of vicariate needs.

Livingston Vicariate Parish Configurations No changes were recommended in this vicariate. The following are the vicariate worship sites served by one priest except where noted: Worship sites: St. Mary Magdalen Church, Brighton St. Patrick Church, Brighton (two priests) St. Agnes Church, Fowlerville Holy Spirit Church, Hamburg

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What happens when a parish is merged or clustered?

hen a parish has been clustered or merged with another community, new faith communities form. The pastor or pastoral coordinator and all parish pastoral leadership will allow time for parishioners to express feelings of fear, anger or loss; but they will also be there to help parishioners move beyond these feelings with a sense of hope for a brighter future. Restructuring of parishes in the diocese was done to further the mission of the universal church – to better use all resources to strengthen parishes, to educate all people in the Gospel, feed the poor, clothe the naked, house the homeless and heal the wounded and broken-hearted. The parishes that are built from this process will energize themselves and the faithful as places of spiritual renewal and evangelization. The prospects for growth as faith communities will depend on all of our willingness to rebuild the church by renewing our commitment to her mission.

Parish clusters models

St. John the Baptist Church, Howell (Hartland) St. Joseph Church, Howell (two priests) St. Augustine Church, Deerfield Township St. Mary Church, Pinckney

Washtenaw Vicariate Parish, Region and Ministry Improvement Recommendations Within the Washtenaw Vicariate, the following regional and diocesan improvement measures are to be implemented: • Plans for ministry to adult foster care facilities and ministry to juvenile detention centers are to be developed. FAITH Magazine

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Model 1 – Separate parishes, coordinated • Each parish has a pastor, pastoral council, finance council and staff • Cooperation among parishes is facilitated through a coordinating council • Programs, staff and resources are shared and planning is done through cooperation of pastors and representatives on the coordinating council with the respective parish leadership

•T here is one canonical pastor for all parishes in the cluster • Each parish maintains separate lay leadership structures (i.e., pastoral council, finance council, staff) • The canonical pastor serves primarily in one parish, while parish life coordinators lead the other parishes providing pastoral care in all areas except sacramental ministry. • Cooperation among parishes is facilitated through a coordinating council

Model 2 – Separate parishes, one pastor and parish life coordinators

Model 3 – Separate parishes, one pastor • There is one pastor who provides

• Parishes must have adequate staff to accomplish the mission of the parish. The staff must be certified according to the standards set forth by the Diocese of Lansing. If a parish cannot do this on its own, it is to be done in collaboration with neighboring parishes and the sharing of financial support. • Weekend Mass schedules will be reviewed in light of seating capacity and church attendance and revised accordingly. The following are improvements that will be made at the regional level to accommodate the needs of this region: • St. John the Baptist and

Holy Trinity Student Parish will plan for collaborative ministry in the following areas: religious education, including high school; sacramental preparation; youth ministry; young adult ministry; adult faith formation; marriage preparation; RCIA and adult confirmation. • The following clusters are encouraged to plan for collaborative ministry: St. Mary, Chelsea; St. Joseph, Dexter; St. Andrew, Saline; Immaculate Conception, Milan; St. Joseph, Ypsilanti; St. Mary, Manchester; St. Francis of Assisi, Ann Arbor and St. Mary Student Parish St. Thomas, Ann Arbor; Christ the King, Ann

Arbor; and St. Patrick, Ann Arbor

Washtenaw Vicariate Parish Configurations In the Washtenaw Vicariate, there were 19 priests who served 14 parishes. With the change implemented through this process, there will be 14 priests and one high school Chaplain serving 13 faith communities. Since 1999, the overall Mass attendance within the parishes of this vicariate declined by nearly 16 percent. Worship sites: St. John the Baptist Church, Ypsilanti Holy Trinity Student Parish, Ypsilanti

22 September 2008 | www.FAITHmag.com 8/29/08 11:33:48 AM

leadership, sacramental and pastoral care for all the parishes in the cluster • Each parish maintains separate leadership structures through the pastoral council, finance council and staff • A greater degree of cooperation between parishes is facilitated through the coordinating council Model 4 – One pastor, centralized team and council • One pastor who works with one staff, and who may work out of one location in service to all parishes in the cluster • Individual parishes may have minimal support staff • Area pastoral council is primary consultative body for pastor and has more influence than individual parish pastoral council and finance council • Area pastoral council works closely with an area finance council, which has a budget and pays salaries of pastor, staff, inter-parish programs and services

Immaculate Conception Church, Milan St. Joseph Church, Ypsilanti St. Francis Church, Ann Arbor St. Patrick Church, Ann Arbor Christ the King Church, Ann Arbor St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Ann Arbor St. Mary Church, Chelsea St. Mary Church, Manchester St. Andrew Church, Saline St. Mary Student Parish, Ann Arbor St. Joseph Church, Dexter • Transfiguration will merge with St. John the Baptist, by July 1 2009. Transfiguration will close. • S t. John the Baptist,

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Parish merger models

Model 6 – Build and close • The designated parishes are merged • Together, the merged parishes build a new, larger church • Existing churches are closed and properties are sold to provide funding for building a new church • The new parish has one pastor, staff and traditional leadership structure with pastoral and finance councils –T aken from Diocese of Lansing publication “A Guide to Parish Improvements, Clusters, Mergers and Closures, 2008.”

Model 5 – Merged parish • All councils, committees, finances and sacramental records are merged together to create a new canonical parish • There is a new canonical parish name. However, the name of the individual churches remain intact • There is one pastor, staff, pastoral council and financial council that serve multiple worship sites or churches

Ypsilanti, served by two priests, one of whom is the canonical pastor, will serve Holy Trinity Student Parish when the PIME Order is no longer able to staff Holy Trinity. • S t. Joseph, Ypsilanti will cluster with Immaculate Conception, Milan, with one priest, who will be the canonical pastor if and when necessary. He will be assisted in sacramental ministry by two priests from St. Francis of Assisi, Ann Arbor. • S t. Mary, Manchester, will cluster with St. Mary, Chelsea, if and when necessary. The pastor of St. Mary, Chelsea, will be the canonical pastor for St. Mary, Manchester.

Parish closure: The sacramental and pastoral needs of your parish would be addressed by neighboring parishes. Parish boundaries would be redrawn.

He will be assisted in sacramental ministry by the two priests from St. Andrew, Saline. • S t. Patrick, Ann Arbor, will cluster with Christ the King, Ann Arbor, when necessary. Christ the King will remain a personal parish with one priest who will be the canonical pastor. Backup sacramental ministry will be provided by St. Thomas the Apostle, Ann Arbor, which is served by two priests. • St. Mary Student Parish, Ann Arbor will remain a personal parish with two priests. • S t. Joseph, Dexter will remain an individual parish served by one priest.

“ Unfortunately, we see parish attendance receding in Flint. Pastoral planning does not address root problems such as out-dated parish structure. And, declining population in the city drives lower urban church membership.” – Thomas, Amy, James (6) and Erin Henthorn (5)

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t h e n u m b e r s

Diocese of Lansing

57.4

52.3

iocesan D priests in the U.S.

28,079

32,349

35,052

eligious R order priests in the U.S.

13,300

16,705

22,265

otal priests T in the U.S.

44,472

49,052

57,317

are 50+ years of age.

arishes in P the U.S.

18,584

19,331

19,244

arishes in P the U.S. w/o a resident priest.

• 37% are 49 years of age or younger.

3,405

2,161

1,051

atholic C population in the U.S.

million

Will the diocese institute another change in parish structures soon? More than likely, no. The deliberation of this process was intended to ensure that changes within the diocese, regions, vicariates, parishes and school structure would be minimal in the foreseeable future. From the beginning of the process, it became clear that it was critical to involve all parishes and schools. The Diocesan Coordinating Commission developed and sent out parish and school evaluations that engaged all of the diocesan constituents. The decisions in this promulgation are based on the input from those evaluations – this is

million

truly a process from the people. The evaluations allowed the parishes and schools to review their lives and missions. When people and organizations can develop such thought-provoking insight through discernment, debate and – finally – consensus, we are confident that the decisions based on those insights will stand the test of time. Will there be other modifications made beyond changes to vicariates? Yes, there will be some changes at the diocesan level that will assist parishes in serving the faithful. These changes include:

n u m b e r s

Age distribution of active diocesan priests:

Age distribution of active permanent deacons:

are 68+ years of age. • 63% are 50-67 years of age. • 4% are 49 years of age and younger. – 2005 Study Days

•T he Diocese of Lansing will hire a director for the Hispanic/Migrant Ministry Office immediately. • Facilitators from the Office of Pastoral Planning will be available to any parish that will experience a canonical status change when appropriate. • The office of Campus Ministry will develop and implement action plans for each region of the diocese. • Data from parishes will be collected annually. To improve the data collection process, all parishes will use an online data input process that will be made available within the next two years. • To safeguard parish assets, every parish will have an external audit performed regularly. The diocese will contract with a firm large enough to supply auditors for this purpose. The parish being audited will be responsible for its individual audit. • Under necessary circumstances, priests will celebrate a maximum of three Masses on Sundays, including a Saturday evening Mass. • The four high schools of the diocese will each retain a chaplain who will be assigned to sacramental ministry on the weekends. The chaplains will choose another day off during the week.

Priests’ 10-year forecast (2006-2015) Retirements Retirements 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 TOTALS

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(based on clergy survey)

(based on retirement at 67 years)

Ordinations

3 1 2 2 8 1 0 1 2 4 24

11 2 2 1 1 4 1 2 5 6 35

0 1 1 1 4 4 2 unknown unknown unknown 7

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f e a t u r e

T Diocese facts Diocese of Lansing facts:

6,218

square miles – includes 10 counties in southeastern and mid-Michigan: Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Hillsdale, Ingham, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Shiawassee and Washtenaw. • 1,800,000 total population • 222,519 Catholics (approx.) • 97 parishes and faith communities • 145 diocesan priests • 105 deacons • 13 seminarians

• 3,830 baptisms last year • 4,350 first Communions last year • 3,379 confirmations last year • 968 marriages last year • 1,993 deaths last year

he Diocese of Lansing was established by Pope Pius XI on May 22, 1937. It originally comprised 15 counties that had been part of the Archdiocese of Detroit and the Diocese of Grand Rapids. In May 1938, when the Diocese of Saginaw was formed, the counties of Allegan, Barry and Ionia were transferred from the Diocese of Lansing to the Diocese of Grand Rapids and the counties of Genesee, Livingtson and Shiawassee were annexed from the Archdiocese of Detroit to the Diocese of Lansing. In July 1971, the Dioceses of Kalamazoo and Gaylord were formed, and the Diocese of Lansing gained Washtenaw and Livingston counties from the Archdiocese of Detroit. The Diocese of Lansing currently comprises 10 counties: Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Hillsdale, Ingham, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Shiawassee and Washtenaw. The major cities in the diocese are Adrian, Ann Arbor, Flint, Jackson, Lansing, Owosso and Ypsilanti. There are about 1.8 million people in the diocese and the Catholic population is approximately 222,519. The Catholic dioceses of Michigan and their bishops

Archdiocese of Detroit

Cardinal Adam Maida

Diocese of Gaylord

Bishop Patrick Cooney

Diocese of Grand Rapids

Bishop Walter Hurley

Diocese of Kalamazoo

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Bishop James Murray

Diocese of Lansing

Bishop Earl Boyea

Diocese of Marquette

Bishop Alexander Sample

Diocese of Saginaw

Bishop Robert Carlson

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n March 2006, a FAITH Magazine special report on the state of Catholic schools was issued by the Diocese of Lansing to complement the diocesan pastoral plan for reviewing shifting populations and clergy shortages impacting parish structures. This section presents the decisions reached after two years of school, parish, regional and diocesan input. What is the overall state of Catholic education in the diocese? Our Catholic schools continue to maintain high standards of excellence and continue to practice the church’s mission of educating and forming our children to be strong Catholic leaders of tomorrow. Our educational programs continue to gain national recognition for their superior content. There is a strong emphasis on learning the basics, with a focus on the development of higher-level thinking skills. The catechetical formation program is renowned and it is dedicated to the formation, as well as the education, of the whole person. Our diocese also looks at total education – offering numerous opportunities for young and old alike to learn. These opportunities include, but are not limited to, religious education for youth, young adults, adult faith formation, lay ministry formation and college-level programs. One of the greatest concerns is the declining enrollment in so many areas of the diocese, coupled with financial increases across the board. What are the main challenges facing Catholic schools? The goal of our Catholic schools is to provide affordable and accessible faith-based education across the diocese. But there are major hurdles we must overcome in order to achieve that goal. They include decreasing enrollment, rising tuition costs, declining urban populations and increased costs for technology, staffing and infrastructure. Due to Michigan’s economic difficulties, some areas have greater challenges than others. What are the major successes that Catholic schools have accomplished? Through this planning process, it has become evident that many schools have implemented successful programs to address the issues mentioned above. Catholic schools have always been known for providing outstanding Gospel-centered and leadership-focused education. The schools also are implementing creative tactics to provide students more opportunities through collaborative partnerships. For instance, some Catholic schools are partnering with their public school peers to provide non-core curriculum classes. It saves both schools precious resources; Catholic schools save dollars by not paying for extra staff salaries and the public school is able to count a portion of

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the students’ time during the school day, thus receiving reimbursement in the state school-funding formula. How was the school review process implemented? In 2006, Bishop Mengeling appointed a coordinating commission to examine parish structures for the diocese that also looked at school accessibility, affordability and availability. Each parish and school was given an opportunity to provide detailed information about its structure and viability. After the evaluations were completed, a regional review panel assessed the information on a parish/school basis, as well as on a regional basis, and presented its assessments at parish assemblies. Parishioners and school families had opportunities to ask the regional panel members about the panel’s findings. After the assemblies, the review panels’ findings were forwarded to the Diocesan Coordinating Commission – a 17-member panel appointed by Bishop Mengeling. The commission’s task was to do a thorough assessment of the regional findings and, based on them, provide recommendations regarding the most effective deployment of pastoral ministers and the use of facilities. This preliminary diocesan plan was presented to the bishop’s advisory councils (consisting of the diocesan finance council, college of consultors, presbyteral council, council of vicars and the pastoral council), which reviewed the recommendations and provided feedback. The coordinating commission’s final recommendations were sent to Bishop Boyea, our new bishop, in June 2008. He approved the final plan. What were the main categories the commission looked at when reviewing improvement processes for schools? Ten main areas were reviewed: Catholic identity; enrollment trends and projections; financial trends, projections and criteria; enrollment; school administration; staffing; instruction; facilities; parent and community involvement; and teacher turnover. Will there be across-the-board financial cuts? Not necessarily. It depends on the financial model that will be adopted by each region. It became clear from the beginning of the process that the regions need a centralized school system. The current model of parish-run schools may have seen its day. One parish shouldn’t be responsible for the burden and control of educating a majority of an area’s youth at its own expense. Additionally, tuition scales will need to be reviewed with individual and family rates in order to adjust the current system that allows some within the system to “shop” for the best educational bargain. This will be a consultative process so that changes will not adversely affect families and parishes. From the start, the beauty of this process was to have each school, region and then the diocese review the schools individually and collectively to ensure that the needs of current and future students and families will be met. This allowed for programs to be looked at individually, without across-theboard cutting, but rather with an eye toward consolidation of redundancies that can be shared in neighboring parishes.

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What is the status of schools in the Jackson region? The Jackson regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic schools educated 1,590 students in 2008. In 2004-05, this region conducted a regional school study to collect data and present recommendations from each school in order to determine the viability of the schools and plan for their future. During the time of the study, the schools were in a strong and vibrant period, and they continue to be so. The diocese affirms and encourages the Jackson Area Catholic School Consortium (JACSC) to maintain its work through the recommendations set forth in its plan:

plans for development and marketing to ensure financial support and growth in Catholic school education, which would include a model policy of financial support from all parishes and a model policy for tuition and subsidy at all elementary schools. 6. Develop a standardized financial reporting system that will provide consistency of information throughout all educational programs in the consortium. 7. Establish model salary, benefits and professional development for employees while ensuring

CNS

What is the status of Catholic schools in Genesee and Shiawassee counties? Genesee County Catholic Schools (GCCS) conducted an internal study over the last two years to determine the viability of each school within its region. The study revealed the following: Holy Family, Grand Blanc, will be viable for two classes per grade for the next five years; St. John, Fenton, is viable for the foreseeable future; St. Robert, Flushing, is viable for at least one class per grade for the next five years; St. John Vianney, Flint, is stable for the next five

years; St. Pius X, Flint, is fine for five years and uncertain after that time period; St. Mary, Mt. Morris, has a financially unstable future within a blighted area; Holy Rosary, Flint, viability is questionable due to its low enrollment, finances and the state of its buildings; Holy Redeemer, Burton, is being reviewed with optimism because the school can grow in the next five years; DuKette School, Flint, has closed and the students have been invited to attend St. John Vianney School, or another parish school; St. Paul School, Owosso, is the only Catholic school in Shiawassee County. The parishes of the county must work toward the success and continuation of the school by assisting families with tuition subsidy and any other appropriate means to make Catholic schools available, accessible and affordable in this county. Other issues that that must be addressed by GCCS to assist in the improvement of schools in the region in-

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1. Foster Catholic identity in all Jackson-area Catholic schools. 2. Establish JACSC to promote unity and support among area schools and all regional parishes by developing an education agreement. 3. Secure and enhance support from the bishop and local pastors for all Jackson-area Catholic schools. 4. Establish a regional coordinator position for the JACSC responsible to the principals and pastors for implementation of the school study recommendations. 5. Create regional strategic

that JACSC meet state requirements regarding days/hours of instruction and teacher certification and qualification. 8. Analyze and develop programs for special needs, gifted and talented, and advanced students at all levels. Enhance programs in science, mathematics, performing arts, music, technology, foreign language, journalism and extracurricular activities at all levels. Expand counseling services in all K-8 schools. 9. Implement needed facility upgrades at the space used by Jackson Catholic Middle School.

28 September 2008 | www.FAITHmag.com 8/29/08 11:35:24 AM

SHIAWASSEE COUNTY

Flushing

3 4 5

Owosso

LIVINGSTON COUNTY

Flint

Howell

GENESEE COUNTY

Brighton 4

Fenton

Pinckney

Nine parish grade schools, one diocesan school, one high school – 1. Holy Redeemer, Burton – 105 students | 2. St. John the Evangelist, Fenton – 488 students | 3. Holy Rosary, Flint – 98 students | 4. St. John Vianney, Flint – 260 students | 5. St. Pius X, Flint – 169 students | 6. St. Robert Bellarmine, Flushing – 260 students | 7. Holy Family, Grand Blanc – 536 students | 8. St. Mary School, Mt. Morris – 135 students | 9. St. Paul, Owosso – 154 students | 10. Luke Powers Catholic High School, Flint – 677 students

clude a freer exchange and better communication among elementary schools and Powers Catholic High School, Flint; improving the Genesee County Catholic Schools Web site and links; collecting potential enrollment numbers for children ages 1-5; and continuing to search for ways to fund the regional co-ordinator position so this plan may be implemented. This region educated more than 2,800 students last year. Given the history of St. Mary School, Swartz Creek, and St. Pius X School, Flint, a nurturing relationship is encouraged to assist in St. Pius X School becoming an area school. This configuration could also include Holy Redeemer School.

What is the status of the Lenawee region? Sacred Heart School, Hudson, with 126 students in the 200708 school year, is the only parish school in the region. This school will remain available, accessible and affordable for those who choose to attend. In addition, efforts will be renewed to establish relationships with the parishes in the region and with St. Joseph Academy, Adrian, a school owned and operated by the Adrian Dominican Sisters, so that this school will also be available, affordable and accessible to

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those who choose to attend. There are no plans for school closures. The superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Lansing will convene appropriate parties in Lenawee County to develop a cooperative effort for education in this area. Four parish grade schools, one parish middle school, one high school – 1. Queen of the Miraculous Medal, Jackson – 317 students | 2. St. John the Evangelist, Jackson – 226 students | 3. St. Mary Star of the Sea/St. Stanislaus Kostka, Jackson – 156 students | 4. Our Lady of Fatima, Michigan Center – 88 students | 5. Jackson Catholic Middle School, Jackson - 262 students | 6. Lumen Christi High School, Jackson – 541 students | 7. Sacred Heart School, Hudson –126 students (Not part of JACSC)

Four parish grade schools – 1. St. Patrick, Brighton – 404 students | 2. St. Joseph, Howell – 415 students | 3. St. Mary, Pinckney – 231 students | 4. Holy Spirit, Hamburg – 49 students

What is the status of the Livingston region? Livingston region was home to 1,099 students during the last school year. Throughout the school assessments, the region concurred that it needed to develop a school study to ensure that student, teacher and all stakeholder needs are met. Components of the plan will include networking among principals, as well as sharing of resources and marketing efforts. The Catholic schools within the region hope to become regionalized and financed accordingly. The diocesan superintendent of schools will conduct an evaluation of Holy Spirit School, Hamburg, to determine the viability of the school. The results of this evaluation will be forwarded to the implementation commission no later than April 1, 2009. The future of the school will be determined at this time.

JACKSON COUNTY Jackson

Michigan Center

LENAWEE COUNTY

HILLSDALE COUNTY

Hudson

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WASHTENAW COUNTY 11

St. Johns

Fowler 12

Westphalia

CLINTON COUNTY

Grand Ledge

9 14 7 6

2 10

Williamston

Clinton 3

Eaton Rapids

INGHAM COUNTY

13 parish grade schools; one high school — 1. St. Mary, Charlotte – 115 students | 2. St. Thomas Aquinas, East Lansing – 353 students | 3. St. Peter Catholic School, Eaton Rapids – 54 students | 4. Most Holy Trinity, Fowler – 92 students | 5. St. Michael, Grand Ledge – 148 students | 6. Immaculate Heart of Mary/St. Casimir, Lansing – 177 students | 7. Resurrection, Lansing – 163 students | 8. St. Gerard, Lansing – 560 students | 9. St. Therese, Lansing – 194 students | 10. St. Martha School, Okemos – 203 students | 11. St. Joseph, St Johns – 296 students | 12. St. Mary, Westphalia – 262 students | 13. St. Mary, Williamston – 95 students | 14. Lansing Catholic Central High School, Lansing – 523 students

What is the status of Catholic schools in Eaton, Clinton and Ingham counties? This region has the largest number of schools in the diocese and served 3,235 students in the 200708 school year. Over the last five years, the region has dedicated resources toward the development of two school studies to plan for the viability of Catholic schools and ensure they are accessible, available and affordable to all families. At this time, these plans are still in the launching phase. During its planning phase, the region de-

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Ann Arbor

Okemos

LANSING

EATON COUNTY

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termined that it requires a region-wide vision to include collaboration among schools and throughout the region to increase purchasing power; curriculum and training prowess, as well as advancements in other areas; addressing the needs of all school sites within the region; and requiring the participation of all schools and parishes in the vision. The challenge faced by this region, and all regions, that will be developing and implementing school viability plans is to ensure that all elements of the plan are in harmony with the diocesan vision of Catholic schools.

Two parish grade schools, one high school – 1. St. Francis of Assisi, Ann Arbor – 455 students | 2. St. Thomas the Apostle, Ann Arbor – 274 students | 3. Fr. Gabriel Richard High School, Ann Arbor – 501 students

What is the status of Washtenaw region? There were 1,230 students in Catholic schools in the Washtenaw region last year. Like other regions within the diocese, Washtenaw must move toward regionalization of schools. No schools are slated to close. Are there other items that must be taken care of to make the Catholic school system within the diocese the best it can be? The first step in any journey is to plot a course. To further each of the region’s plans, it is important that the diocese begins with mission, vision and value statements that speak to the heart of what our schools strive to achieve. Without a road map to guide us, we cannot set a course for a Gospel-centered environment in which to educate the next generation of Catholic evangelists. Based on the information from SEIs and parish assemblies – and input from parents and the diocesan leadership – a mission, vision and value statement for our schools has been developed to direct this continuing journey. [see sidebar] With the mission, vision and value statement in place, the diocese has made a commitment to ensure that a Catholic education should be accessible, available and affordable to all families. This will help come to fruition through a diocesanwide endowment fund for education called for in the pastoral plan developed in 2001. It is important to note that schools cannot stand alone. This is a time for the community to come together: neighboring parish with neighboring parish, region to region, and the entire diocese as community. It is a time for all parishes to step up and support Catholic education, especially today, the first time in modern history that Christianity is not the prevalent religion in the world.

CNS/Don Blake

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rbor briel

l a s t

Mission of Diocese of Lansing Catholic Schools: Serving Christ through providing superior Gospel-centered, affordable education that develops compassionate Christian leaders. Vision: He designs, we build, they grow. Value Statement: The Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Lansing value an educational system that strengthens the Catholic Church by fostering a collaborative learning environment throughout the diocese, schools, administrators, teachers and learners so that a Catholic education is affordable to all, ensures equitable resources to all staff, and enriches, motivates and cultivates the spiritual, academic, social and physical needs required to develop compassionate Christian leaders. Based on all that has been learned in VOICES and the School Evaluation Inventory planning process, the Diocesan Coordinating Commission recommends:

1 2 3 4

That Catholic schools become more co-operative and collaborative on a regional level and be assisted in finances accordingly; That a diocesan-wide development plan for funding Catholic schools be instituted; Determine regional development relationships for consideration of consolidation of existing development efforts; Design a plan to deepen the awareness that every parish has an obligation to make Catholic school education available, affordable and accessible; Draft new job descriptions for the pertinent department of education and catechesis personnel and seek appropriate consultation with the board to accomplish items 1-4.

Religious Education: Recommendation: Any parish that does not offer religious education for its children and youth will offer a reasonable subsidy to each parish family attending sessions in a neighboring parish. Home schoolers: Recommendation: Parents are the first educators of their children. Home school children will participate in parish programming according to the wishes of the parents.

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Theology of change What is the Spirit calling us to do in the light of the changes we have faced, as well as the changes we know we will face in our futures?

ife is filled with change. It seems that the only constant in life is change. Beginning with the Book of Genesis right on through to the Book of Revelation, God calls us to accept change. He continually calls us to a “change of heart,” to conversion, to acceptance of his ways, ways that are not our ways. Anyone with the slightest knowledge of church history recognizes the life-changing Holy Spirit present in Christ’s mystical body. Likewise, all who study world history, regardless whether or not they are people of faith, recognize the ever-changing experience of the church, both internally and externally. Indeed, if throughout the centuries the church had not changed, it would not be what it is today. The Spirit is now calling us, the faith-full people of the Diocese of Lansing, to recognize our need to change our ways, our structures and our deployment of God’s gifts, and then to have the courage and faith to actually change things. This tests our faith. This tests our willingness not only to change, but also to rely on the presence of God’s Spirit among us, along with recognizing the paths down which he is calling us and leading us. To that end, we have been prayerfully and, yes, laboriously, discerning what it is our individual parishes are all about, what their pluses and minuses may be and what it is they face, both internally and externally, in their individual futures. Our unique parish families have their histories, their memories, their cherished moments, their trials and, now, their changed surroundings. The neighbors around our parish families have moved. Our neighborhoods have changed. The members of our parish families have changed. Our futures are now different. In some instances our futures are hugely different from what our past experiences have been. What is the Spirit calling us to do in the light of the changes we have faced, as well as the changes we know we will face in our futures? For the last two years we, as a diocesan family of faith, have been trying to ask the right questions in order to get the right answers to these vexing questions. Our Diocesan Coordinating Commission, courageously established by Bishop Carl F. Mengeling, has been sensitively and yet forthrightly encouraging us to face the inevitable changes confronting us all. Change is inevitable. We do not have the option not to change. The question is: How will we change? Hopefully, we will respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in faith, hope and in love. – Fr. Charles Irvin

8/29/08 11:36:27 AM

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8/29/08 11:36:35 AM