St. Rose Church is clustered with St. Agnes and St. Paul of the Cross as part of the phase two parish planning for the new millennium under the direction of the Diocese of Rochester.  The Unity Council will facilitate communication between our cluster and the clustered parishes of St. Matthew and St. Mary's (Honeoye) to oversee collaborative efforts.

 

E. LIVINGSTON/SW ONTARIO/SE MONROE UNITY COUNCIL UPDATE

SEPTEMBER 2006

Since the approval of our pastoral plan, the Unity Council has been working to implement it by encouraging collaboration among the parishes.  Here is an overview of activities during spring 2006 and plans for the fall.

Ø      Lenten Retreat: 

·        Pulpit Exchange- March 18-19-Deacons

·        Retreat Programs-7:00 PM- 8:30 PM

o       March 19- Discipleship- Damian Zynda

o       March 20- Law of Love- Father Lee Chase

o       March 21- Call to Serve- Deacon Driscoll

Ø      Welcoming Back: An encouraging program to entice Catholics who have left the church to return. St. Mary, St. Paul and St. Rose each received inquiries from this program. 

Ø      Hurricane Katrina Parish Partnership: 

·        Our planning group is paired with Christ The King parish in New Orleans.

·        St. Agnes will be the lead parish for the planning group

·        We collected 130 gift cards totaling $5,700.00.

·        A number of our people went to New Orleans to gut mold infested houses

Ø      Future Collaborations:

St, Matthew and St. Mary:

·        In preparation for the official clustering of these parishes in June 2007, they have set up an transition team that meets monthly to help facilitate the clustering.

·        The staffs of each parish have met twice and plan to meet again in November.

·        The two parish councils will meet together on November 15.

St. Agnes, St Paul and St. Rose:

·        St. Rose and St. Paul invited St. Agnes to their Octoberfest

·        A meeting is set for November 30 at St. Agnes to discuss avenues ofcollaboration. Representatives from each of the parishes will be in attendance. The estimated time for clustering of St. Agnes, St. Paul and St Rose is in 2010.

        A cluster is two or more parishes served by a single pastor or pastoral Administrator.  Each parish retains its own identity according to both Church and civil law.  Ministry programs and staffing can be autonomous within each parish or may involve partnerships with other members of the cluster.  In our diocese clusters should be moving towards becoming consolidated, single parishes (often with multiple worship and ministry sites).

Members of Unity Council from St. Rose are: Sue and Fritz Guenther & Chris Harvey, Rev. Lawrence Gross-Pastor, Elaine Neenan-Staff rep.

On June 13, 2005 Bishop Matthew Clark approved the Unity Council Plan.

                                                                                                                     June 13, 2005

Ms. Sharon Brown
5200 Purcell Road
Hemlock, New York 14466

 Dear Sharon,
      Please express my thanks and appreciation to all those who have been involved in the development of the pastoral plan recommended to me by the Unity Council.  I realize that the projections of priests to be available to the five parishes in this planning group are challenging especially in the second five–year period:  2010-2015.

  Properly your plan focused on the configuration issues raised by the priest projections.  I am confident that the five parishes, in their new configurations, will continue to work together on the development of pastoral programs and ministries that respond to the needs and opportunities of your area.

 I affirm the configuration plan recommended to me by the Unity Council.  St. Matthew and St. Mary will cluster in June 2007 and will maintain two worship and ministry sites.  I especially appreciate your careful thought about the preparation leading up to this clustering.  I understand that a fourth Mass will be needed to accommodate the increased attendance during the summer months.  When this clustering takes place, the new pastoral leader will work with Priest Personnel to make those arrangements.

 During the first five year period (2005-2010) St. Paul of the Cross and St. Rose will continue as clustered parishes and will begin to develop relationships with St. Agnes.  This is in preparation for the clustering of these three parishes during the 2010-2015 period when it is projected that only two priests will be available.  I recognize the likely need for a fourth Mass for this three-parish cluster in order to support the membership/attendance at St. Agnes that has an essential impact on the funding for St. Agnes School.  I was pleased that your planning took cognizance of St. Agnes School and affirmed the importance of its continued existence and vitality.  The pastoral leader of the newly formed cluster will work with Priest Personnel to arrange for a fourth weekend Mass at St. Agnes.

It is also important that financial support of St. Agnes School is maintained.  In 1998 the Diocese made a special arrangement that allowed St. Paul of the Cross to divert its normal assessment to support the Monroe County Catholic Schools to St. Agnes School.  The amount of the funds diverted will continue to be determined by the formulas used by MCCS.  In addition I encourage all the parishes to promote attendance at St. Agnes.  All parishes except St. Paul of the Cross will continue to provide the agreed upon per student allotment.

 Karen Rinefierd will continue in support of your implementation efforts and your move toward pastoral and ministerial planning.  Please know that you, the members of the Unity Council, and the members of all five parishes are in my thoughts and prayers.

            With every good wish, I remain,

                                                                          Your brother in Christ,

                                                                          †Matthew H. Clark
                                                                            Bishop of Rochester

cc         Rev. Lawrence Gross     
            Rev. John Hayes
            Rev. Richard Schatzel
            Ms. Barbara Swiecki
            Ms. Karen Rinefierd

Unity Council Pastoral Plan
“There is strength & hope in unity”
St. Agnes, St. Mary, St. Matthew, St. Paul of the Cross, St. Rose
Pastoral Planning for the New Millennium (PPNM) – Phase Two

Mission Statement:
We, the members of the Catholic Faith Communities of Eastern Livingston, SE Monroe and SW Ontario Counties, are a diverse Christian group dedicated to sharing our faith and spirituality while serving as a welcoming and caring faith community. As members of many faith communities, we strive, through Him, to promote unity and cooperation, to better serve God and our faith Communities by sharing our gifts and resources through worship, instruction in faith and compassionate love as modeled by Jesus Christ.

Background
The “Unity Council Region” covers parts of three counties (Livingston, Monroe, Ontario) and contains all or part of 7 school districts (Avon, Bloomfield, Honeoye, Honeoye Falls/Lima, Livonia, Pittsford, Rush/Henrietta).  St. Agnes School draws students from several other school districts. This region has 5 parishes: St. Agnes (Avon), St. Mary (Honeoye), St. Matthew (Livonia), St. Paul (Honeoye Falls) and St. Rose (Lima). These parishes have 3 priest pastors, 1 retired priest serving as sacramental minister, 1 pastoral administrator, and 4 deacons (2 of these deacons will retire within 5 years).
It is projected that there will be 3 priests to serve this area for 2004-2009 and 2 priests in 2009-2014.

Unity Council Members
St. Agnes:  Sandra DiPasquale, Mike Drexler, Dan Soles, Barbara Swiecki
St. Mary:  Sharon Brown, Mike Dobbertin, Deacon Roger Loomis, Maggi Masci, Rev. Richard Shatzel
St. Matthew:  Leo Apollonio, Vicki Finazzo, Keely Rosica, Rev. John Hayes,
St. Paul:  Geriann Alford, Gene Coates, Lorraine Hoffman, Deacon Albro Wilson
St. Rose:  Tom Crego, Coleen DeKing, Jeanne LaRue
Rev. Lawrence Gross, pastor of St. Paul/St. Rose
Karen Rinefierd, Diocesan liaison

Introduction

            Pastoral Planning for the New Millennium:  Phase One

In 1998, St. Agnes Church in Avon, St. Mary Our Lady of the Hills Parish in Honeoye, St. Joseph’s in Livonia, St. William’s in Conesus, St. Paul of the Cross in Honeoye Falls, and St. Rose in Lima began working together on a Diocesan wide initiative: Pastoral Planning for the New Millennium.  The goal of this initiative was to ensure that parishes and faith communities throughout the Diocese sustain and /or increase their vitality in the face of challenges such as declining number of priests, population shifts and other economic and social factors. We named our planning group the “Unity Council”.

During these past 6 years, the Phase One plan developed by the original Unity Council was implemented.  Both planned and unplanned changes occurred.  St. Paul of the Cross and St. Rose now share a pastor and have combined their religious education programs. St. Agnes suffered through the untimely death of a pastor and now has a Pastoral Administrator with a retired priest as Sacramental Minister.  St. Joseph’s and St. William’s have merged to form one parish called St. Matthew’s.  Unity Council has facilitated several successful joint events among parishes: a rotating Lenten retreat, an annual picnic, and joint sacramental preparation for Marriage and Confirmation.

Pastoral Planning for the New Millennium:  Phase Two
We are now beginning our second phase of Pastoral Planning for the New Millennium. Parishes throughout the Diocese are facing more serious considerations in this second phase.  Our planning team members, along with the parish leaders, staff and pastoral council members have met to begin work. During the planning process, Unity Council has operated on the fundamental principle that:  “Planners must have space to explore all ideas without fear of recrimination.” We have developed a plan that addresses the priority concern faced by our region:  meeting the spiritual needs of our communities with the projected resources of 3 priests sometime between 2004 and 2009, and 2 priests sometime between 2009 and 2014.

 PPNM Phase Two:  Ongoing Collaboration for All Parishes
During Phase II we will build upon the collaboration already initiated in Phase I.
The parishes in each cluster will work together to initiate and carry out collaborative programs.  The Unity Council will facilitate communication between the two clusters and oversee collaboration in the areas listed below.

      ·        Enhance and expand catechetical and youth ministry programs.

·        Continue to work collaboratively in catechist formation and sacramental preparation.

·        Enhance the involvement of each parish in supporting St.Agnes school, (i.e., active recruitment, participation in programs, networking with parents, etc.)

·        Develop strategies to invite potential candidates to consider the diaconate.

·        Coordinate and share responsibilities for the ministry to the sick and dying.

·        Continue to work together to share resources and to cut costs.

           PPNM Phase Two:  Configuration   2005 – 2010
          St. Matthew and St. Mary will cluster in June 2007, maintaining two worship and ministry sites.  

Preparation for clustering will involve a series of steps to be carried out between June 2005 and June 2007.  The two pastoral councils and staffs will occasionally meet to share information about themselves or for an evening of reflection and community building.  These pastoral councils will work with the Unity Council to develop weekend, weekday and Holy Day Mass schedules. The parishes will work to build community through collaborative programs and events.  These could include shared prayer, faith formation, social ministry and social events.  Every attempt should be made to alternate sites for these activities, using the facilities of both parishes.  The pastoral councils and staffs of both parishes will work together to develop a shared mission and vision for ministry.

  As of June 2007 it is expected that a new pastoral leader (pastor or pastoral administrator) will be named and the two parishes will be officially clustered.  At this time a new Mass schedule will go into effect.  A fourth Mass will need to be added for this cluster during the summer months.  The pastoral councils of both parishes will work toward developing one pastoral council with representatives from each parish within one to two years following clustering.  More events will be shared, possibly including parts of the Easter Triduum.  The pastoral councils and staff of both parishes will work to strengthen ministries.  Understanding the importance of maintaining pastoral care, resources would be shared as needed and staff job descriptions and responsibilities could be modified over time.  The finance councils and finance staff will meet on a regular basis to understand each other’s financial conditions, to budget and monitor finances for shared positions and expenses (e.g. pastoral leader’s salary and benefits).

2005-2010
St Paul of the Cross and St. Rose will continue as clustered parishes with a single pastoral leader.  St. Agnes will remain a single parish with a school.    

  St. Paul and St. Rose will develop one pastoral council and move toward a single staff between June 2005 and June 2007.  The finance councils and finance staff will meet regularly to understand each other’s financial conditions, to budget and monitor finances for shared positions and expenses.  The parishes may choose to consolidate and maintain one or two ministry/worship sites if that seems beneficial.

 The years 2005 – 2009 will be used as preparation for the three parishes to ultimately be clustered together.  The two pastoral councils and staffs will meet together occasionally to share information and get to know one another.  St. Agnes and St. Paul/St. Rose will look for opportunities to bring their parishioners together and to share events/ministries as possible, for example, RCIA, Baptismal Preparation, Creating a Safe Environment, training of liturgical ministers, etc.. 

 As 2010 approaches, the two pastoral councils and staffs will work together to develop a shared mission and vision for ministry. Financial councils and finance staff will begin to meet regularly.   They will also work with the Unity Council to develop weekend, weekday and Holy Day Mass schedules for when they become clustered under a single pastoral leader.  We request that Bishop Clark arrange for a fourth weekend Mass for the cluster. This is necessary in order for St. Agnes Parish to continue to meet the financial needs of both the parish and school, while maintaining the diocesan salary structure for our teachers.  St. Agnes School will remain open.  Right now, the school’s expenses are met by tuition, special fundraising, and St. Agnes parish. The Monroe County school assessment from St. Paul as well as the diocesan guidelined support of other sending parishes also goes to St. Agnes. (Currently the per student allotment is $725.00.)   The funding would likely continue as is as long as the diocesan guidelines remain the same.

 2010 - 2015

St. Agnes, St. Rose and St. Paul will cluster under a single pastoral leader.  There may be staff additions (e.g. pastoral associate) at this time.

Provisional Mass Schedules for 2007-2015 (current Mass schedules remain in effect until July 2007)

  Specific times for weekend, and times and sites for weekday and Holy Day Masses will be decided by the parishes involved (including pastoral councils and staffs with input from parishioners) and reviewed by the Unity Council. Factors to be considered should include vitality of parish, financial needs and current Mass attendance.  At least one weekday Mass and one Holy Day Mass should be made available to St. Agnes School Children.

2007-2009

St. Matthew/St. Mary            2 weekend Masses  St. Matthew

1 weekend Mass  St. Mary  (an additional Mass will be needed during the summer months)

St. Rose/St. Paul                            1 Weekend Mass St. Rose

                                                           1 Weekend Mass St Paul

                                                            1 weekend alternating Mass

St. Agnes                                                 2 weekend Masses

  2010-2015

  St. Matthew /St. Mary                     2 weekend Masses St. Matthew

1 weekend Mass St. Mary (an additional Mass will be needed during the summer months)

St. Rose/St. Paul/St .Agnes            2 Weekend Masses -- St. Agnes

                                                            2 Weekend Masses – St. Paul/St. Rose