New Area Faith Community plans and sites announced

by Mark Kemmeter, Coordinator of Staff

After dialoguing with pastoral leaders, the diocesan Committee on Parishes has developed a preliminary list of parishes which will participate in the Area Faith Community Planning Process in 2004.

Several other sites will also be announced in the near future. Individual parish gatherings, joint parish pastoral council sessions, and planning meetings make up the process. Members of the Committee on Parishes will facilitate the process.

The list of parishes by region are:

Region 3 - St. Michael, Milroy; St. Mary, Tracy; St. Paul, Walnut Grove.

Region 4 - St. John, Appleton; St. James, Dawson; St. Michael, Madison.

Region 5 - St. Andrew, Fairfax; Sacred Heart, Franklin; St. Willibrord, Gibbon; St. Francis De Sales, Winthrop.

The planning process leads to the formulation of a two-year plan to implement the Area Faith Community model. All Area Faith Community plans are published in The Prairie Catholic after their approval by the bishop.

Five areas are now working on the goals of their plans. Two sites have already installed their Area Pastoral Council representatives and are meeting on a regular basis. Bishop John C. Nienstedt is pleased to announce two new plans.

Two new plans

St. Paul, Comfrey; Japanese Martyrs, Leavenworth; St. Mary, Sleepy Eye

• Offer joint adult formation opportunities

• Collaborate on youth activities

• Coordination of religious education and Confirmation programs

• Train liturgical ministers

• Initiate, expand, enhance ecumenical services

• Share sacramental celebrations, Eucharistic adoration, special liturgies, and parish events with parishioners and the Hispanic community

• Create an Area Befriender program

• Have three area outreach projects

• Invite and welcome the local Hispanic community into the regular worship community

• Combine purchasing power

• Create a weekly bulletin insert

St. Mary, Bird Island; St. John, Hector; St. Aloysius, Olivia; Holy Redeemer, Renville

• Collaborate on RCIA and adult formation

• Open enrollment for Catholic schools, religious education, and youth ministry programs

• Share an Area mission

• Share youth liturgies, parish choirs, and devotions

• Celebrate a bi-lingual (English-Spanish) Mass four times each year

• Train people for ministry to the homebound

• Create an Area Parish Nurse program

• Increase interest in and support for the Catholic school

• Study parish bookkeeping systems

• Study transportation needs in each parish

• Create a common weekly bulletin insert