I hope to you at our “Conversation with Father Aaron on Music” at noon on Sunday in the SSP Parish Hall. Bring your ideas on what sort of music and music ministry program can help us grow our churches! Thank you to all who came to our listening session on the School Strategic Planning Process; we will announce the results of our strategic plan on Nov. 17, 2024.  OK, onto a detailed question and a big-picture question.

How do I reserve a meeting space at one of our churches or get a key for a space I have reserved?
 
Bridget Judge, our Administrative Assistant, can help you reserve a meeting space at any of our three campuses or to get keys for a space you have reserved. You can contact Bridget by email at [email protected] or by phone at 314-481-1133, x307.

Who made the decision about having all three campuses stay open as they are? Why was it made the way it was?

Primarily, I made the decision. Here are the details. The seed for the decision came from the decisions of the Archbishop. He chose to merge IHM parish and SJB parish into SSP parish. The Archbishop held back from closing IHM church, SJB church, or SSP church. (When I say “church,” I’m talking about the sacred space, the building). He appointed me pastor and chose to leave most other transition decisions to local leadership.

Like some of you, I had been thinking a lot about All Things New before Pentecost. When I learned I would be pastor, I reflected on all the feedback I had already heard. I remembered how many people loved specific churches and wanted to preserve them. I remembered how many people acknowledged that we needed some change, and said they were open to trying something new. I thought about the time when our three parishes visited each other in the spring for Mass; what great energy those Masses had! And I went back to something I deeply believe: the most important action for parish growth and for helping people meet Jesus comes from our parishioners themselves. Their loving investment in others and their loving invitation of others has the most power to move others toward faith and to grow our parish.

After reflection, I thought the best option for SSP parish would be a long-term commitment to all three of SSP, SJB, and IHM churches. This option could give us joyful weekend Masses filled with people glad to be in church, hopeful for the future, and eager to invite others. Whatever church a person went to before, whatever church a person landed at after the Mass schedule changed, the person would know that we were all working to grow our parish in all three churches. Someone who loved SJB church could go to Mass at IHM and support events at SSP, knowing that it all came together to support one parish that included the church and people whom they loved.

The one-parish-three-churches option looked better than other options I considered. It looked better than an alternate plan where all three communities united as soon as possible in a single church building. That single-church plan would result in a church with half the community dispirited, angry, or grieving. The one-parish-three-churches option also looked better than a second alternate plan where the parish for a time kept three churches open but signaled that only one church was designated to survive. That plan would result in a community distrustful, divided, or waiting for an inevitable closure.

The alternative plans seemed likely to discourage parishioners from taking up the work of inviting others. How long would it take to recover from the negativity those alternative plans would bring? I thought it might take years. So I thought the one-parish-three-churches option offered hope and the best chance for growth. Based on a quick look at demographics and finances, that option looked doable.

With my own mind strongly inclined to follow the strategy of one-parish-three-churches, I sought advice from others. In the week after Pentecost, I spoke with Msgr. Vince Bommarito, Fr. Ron Hopmeir, and Fr. Mitch Doyen. They all gave the strategy strong support. With their support, I announced the strategy during the weekend after Pentecost. A little later, I consulted with Fr. Scott Jones, who had been announced as our episcopal vicar, the Archbishop’s representative for our area. Fr. Scott Jones cautioned me that it would be important to evaluate the strategy as time passed, to see if it actually worked. He said we should be frank and honest, telling everyone at the start that if the strategy did not work, we would change course. I did my best to follow that advice.

This summer, I put us on the path of one parish with three churches because I believe it is the best path to growth. I respect that other people may have different views, or that pastors in different situations might make different decisions. If this path does not lead to growth, we will have to look for a better plan. In theory, we could change course at any time. In practice, I expect it will take some years to make a fair evaluation whether the strategy leads to growth. I’ve sought input on the strategy from parishioners on many occasions and in many ways. Some parishioners have concerns; others say they think it is the right path. My initial impression is that the strategy is working, because our weekend worship is joyful, and some parishioners are inviting others to join us.

Next week we’ll publish a report on our finances, and I’ll answer some related questions. God bless you!