VERNON REGIONAL MEETING
March 15, 2011
GENERAL MEETING
The meeting opened with the diocesan prayer for restructuring.
There was some discussion of the fact that the committees of this deanery had gotten off to a slow start because of weather delays early in the process. Several clarifications were given about the differences between collaboration in the parish clusters and yoking or other forms of restructuring. Collaboration is implemented as we move forward in the process. This means that there is no formal implementation date announced. Yoking or other forms of restructuring will be implemented as staffing needs arise in the different clusters. The recommendations each cluster gives to Bishop Cote in May 2011 will indicate what that cluster would prefer when restructuring becomes necessary.
The clusters were reminded that they must be definite with their decisions to collaborate, and implementation dates must be clearly stated. It was suggested that each committee review the questions in Final Report Form to get a better understanding of the nature of the collaboration and the recommendations being sought.
Bishop Cote will be attending the next deanery meeting, so each cluster was asked to think about questions to be addressed to the bishop, and how the questions will be presented.
Since there are three regional meetings remaining in this deanery process, each cluster was asked to consider scheduling an extra meeting, if they feel another meeting is needed in order to complete their discussions.
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CLUSTER MEETINGS
Cluster One: St. Luke, Ellington; All Saints, Somersville; St. Edward, Stafford Springs
Parish Council chair from St. Luke, Ellington presented two social events as part of the 50th anniversary jubilee for the group. A jubilee dinner dance invitation was extended for May 14 and a celebration of Mass followed by a picnic on Saturday May 21 was announced.
All Saints will be moving to a Mass schedule with two Masses in Sundays in May. This should lessen stress on the pastor in the event of sickness or absence, and offer a greater likelihood of a substitute priest being available as necessary.
Agenda items: Questions for the Bishop
1. Our cluster is unique in that our parish is the only one in our cluster that is staffed by a diocesan priest. How would you see staffing All Saints Church if the parish was left without a priest?
2. Is the bishop willing to utilize religious order priests to staff the parishes in our cluster as long as the order is willing to do so?
3. What arrangement is available for the use of an lay person as a Pastoral Associate?
4. Does the bishop wish to encourage a strong lay ministry program that is capable of supplying qualified lay leaders to our churches?
5. Is the bishop willing to support a diaconate program to support the ministry of our parishes?
Cluster chair will present the questions to the bishop. Other questions can be sent to Tim Percoski and he will forward them to the balance of the cluster.
2a: Options for immediate collaboration were discussed.
1. Create a Web Site Directory so that parishioners can easily link to any parish in the cluster. Tim Potrikus to set up a draft page for the cluster to review.
2. Work with staff to find a way to correspond with editors in each parish to share community events in the print bulletin among the three parishes.
2b: The cluster will form an RCIA program by August 1 for September classes in preparation for Easter 2012. The program will be hosted by Anne Stauffer, and representatives from each parish will meet to discuss how the program might from parish to parish and work with parish coordinators at St. Luke’s and at All Saints. Each church will place appropriate announcements in their bulletins.
2c: The pastors of the parishes will meet to begin forming a youth ministry for the cluster with the goal of having a program in place for September 2011. This may result in one group, or the cluster may share one coordinator who travels among the cluster.
-Develop a contingency plan for Masses and other sacraments. In the event that one parish is without a priest, the cluster would institute a contingent Mass schedule and a contingent schedule for ministries.
-Cluster will consider using St. Luke Ellington’s emergency response system for broadcasting urgent events to registered parishioners.
-All physical plant is in good working order as of today and the cluster would not make any changes in residency of priests or the use of church buildings.
-The cluster may consider hiring a lay administrator, depending on which parish is left without an administrator. The cluster may consider creating a business office for day to day business operations of the cluster churches.
Minutes from the meetings will be brought back to parishioners. Notices will be posted in the bulletins and presented in meetings as scheduled at each parish. -Tim Potrikus
Cluster Two: St. Bernard, St. Matthew
No information received.
Cluster Three: St Joseph, Sacred Heart, St. Maurice
Attending: Members of Parish Committees from all three parishes including the priests from Maurice, Sacred Heart and St. Joseph. Absent: one person from St. Maurice
The cluster discussed the agenda questions as follows:
1. Questions for Bishop Cote
a. Why was Sacred Heart and St. Maurice unyoked without much communication from the Diocese?
(Background on this question stems from the experience of both churches. The members of the committees of these two parishes felt that no explanation or communication was given on the sudden unyoking of the two churches. They have kept some of the yoking initiatives including the youth group and faith formation.)
b. Can the Bishop share a model of other churches who have gone through the process and have collaborated in a cluster. How has this worked?
c. How are finances handled when a parish is without a priest?
d. How will yoking affect a parish school? How can we preserve diocesan schools?
These questions will be asked by the person who suggested the question.
2. Areas of Collaboration
The areas of collaboration noted in last months’ minutes included sharing Lenten/advent schedules, Bulletin Resources, and Faith Formation—Adult and CCD, Youth Group.
Youth and Adult Faith Formation –based on the experience of St. Maurice and Sacred Heart a combined Cluster program could be devised including a paid DRE who would go to all three parishes with rotating days of CCD. The combined Youth Group of St. Maurice and Sacred Heart is very strong and has a large membership from both churches. St. Joseph youth could be added. In Adult Faith Formation, all three parishes can share its Lenten/Advent schedules as well as special events and speakers.
Common cluster weekly bulletin. All three parishes were interested in working on this item. It was suggested that each parish would have one page specifically for its parish with the entire bulletin distributed to all three. There was discussion on talking with the publishing company, deadlines for news, and the look of the shared bulletin. It was decided that those in charge of the bulletins for each parish should meet to discuss the details further. The cluster like the idea of a name for the cluster and started thinking about what name might be appropriate. One name suggested was Blessed Pope John Paul II.
St. Joseph Parish brought up collaboration with maintenance. St. Joseph has hired staff but it has several buildings to maintain because of its school, convent and rectory. The other parishes are using volunteers. There was some discussion on sharing one person for all parishes.
3. How would cluster operate if one parish in the cluster is with a priest including any administration.
The cluster’s immediate reaction to this planning was it would depend on which parish is without a priest. Sacred Heart and St. Maurice had a plan when they were yoked. St. Joseph does not have any experience with this since the Pauline order requires a community so that 2 priests are always assigned to a parish. Most everyone agreed that Mass schedules would have to be looked at. There was a general feeling that parishioners would definitely go to other churches whose Mass schedules would be most convenient. Since St. Joseph is very close to St. Bernard’s and St. Luke it would be assumed that many parishioners would look at these close alternatives for Mass. Some probably would go to Sacred Heart but frankly not many would look at St. Maurice as an option. Sacred Heart and St. Maurice already have experienced parishioners attending churches in Manchester. It is hoped that if a groundwork of combining activities and services through the cluster is solidly made, it is possible that parishioners in all three parishes of the cluster would look to staying in the cluster churches for Mass instead of moving to other parishes that are physically closer and/or outside the diocese.
4. What information will be brought back the individual parishes about this meeting.
There was not much time left to discuss this question. Sacred Heart was having a meeting the following week and will be bringing back this discussion plus the overall name of the cluster.
