In This Issue:
I am the bread of life.
This week's issue of the newsletter is devoted to the Transition Team
Report.
Click
here for a PDF version of the report, suitable to print. Click
here for the Spanish PDF file.
Transition Team Report: Overview
The St. John Vianney Parish Transition Team met with parishioners over a period of several months, holding twenty-two separate Listening Sessions, including two general sessions and three special request sessions. We attempted to meet with parishioners from every group or ministry in the parish. The general sessions were open to any parishioners who were interested. For a list of Listening Sessions, see Appendix D.
The experience has been a joy and a stress to the Transition Team members. Getting to know our parish so well has been a very special gift. Thank you for offering us this opportunity. We have done our best to listen carefully and to reflect the face of the parish in this report.
An Introduction to Our Community
St. John Vianney Parish is situated in East San Jose. The community is very mixed. We are diverse in at least these ways:
- Our financial state ranging from very wealthy to very poor
- Ethnic communities including EuroAmericans, a large Hispanic Community, an active Filipino Community, growing Indian and Vietnamese population
- We embrace a variety of cultural celebrations
- Generations of parishioners participate, from new arrivals to fourth generation families
- Education ranges from less than high school to Ph. D.
- Employment varies from blue collar to high tech
St. John Vianney Parish prides itself on being a very hospitable parish.
We have an excellent Catholic School, with grades K-8. Many graduates go on to local Catholic High Schools. We also have an excellent Family Faith Formation program in English, a similarly good program in Spanish, and we host a Vietnamese Catechetical program each Saturday afternoon.
For adults we currently have a Tuesday morning Bible Study, an RCIA program, and JustFaith. There are two prayer groups: one in English and one in Spanish. During Lent we try to bring in a special program for adults.
St. John Vianney Parish has a Youth Ministry program serving junior high, high school, and Confirmation students. This program is run by one paid Youth Minister and a variety of adult and young adult volunteers. Confirmation graduates have been encouraged to take leadership roles and this is working well. Community service is an important component of the Youth Ministry program.
We have five week day Masses and seven weekend liturgies, five in English and two in Spanish. Many lay people are involved in ministry as lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, musicians, ushers, greeters and altar servers.
We have a dedicated staff that works very hard for us, frequently putting in far more hours than they are paid for. We appreciate them.
One of the highlights of the year, for the parish as well as the surrounding community, is our Parish Fiesta held in May. It is an important part of our financial plan as well as a valued gift to the entire community in East San Jose.
Hospitality
Hospitality was the most mentioned facet of our parish and is obviously a strong value here. Diversity and multicultural appreciation were the next most frequently mentioned value. The sense of community we share, with openness and honesty, is also valued highly. Recognizing the gifts of all, cooperating, willingly volunteering for committee work are other strong values.
Strong Lay Leaders and Leadership
St. John Vianney Parish is blessed with strong and capable lay leaders. These people contribute greatly to our community in a variety of ways, in all the groups and cultural communities that make up our diverse parish. We want to encourage and support them while continuing to develop others.
Co-operation and community
Generally, our parish functions very well, with people stepping forward to serve in the parish and the larger community.
Parish Pastoral Council and Town Hall meetings
People are very pleased with our new Parish Pastoral Council and Town Hall meetings and wish to keep the vision we have developed using these tools. The goals current set include:
- Communication
- Liturgy
- Social Justice
- Youth and Young Adults
- Adult Spiritual Development
Social justice programs, including:
- PACT
- JustFaith
- Faith In Action
- Katrina Project (sister parish in Mississippi)
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Community Ministry
- Visiting the sick
- Prison Ministry
See Appendix A for details.
Current programs in the parish, including:
- Rainbows
- Marriage Enrichment Group
- Preschool program
- Youth Ministry
- Spanish Youth Ministry
- Liturgy of the Word for Children
- Communication Team
- Seniors
- Prayer Groups
- AA Meetings
See Appendix B for details.
Liturgical Issues
- Good homilies- Parishioners want to be fed on the Word of God.
- Good music at liturgy.
Financial Concerns
- Spirit of financial responsibility in the real world
- Take advantage of the experience of the Finance Committee
- Keep open communication between Pastor and Finance Committee
- Keep finances internal. Do not hire an outside service to manage our funds.
- Continue working toward our Multipurpose Building
Parish celebrations, sponsored by specific groups but involving the whole parish
- Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Simbang Gabi
- Las Posades
- Epiphany Party
- Parish Picnic
- Fiesta
- Healing Mass
- Mass of Consolation
- Ministry Fair
See Appendix C for details.
Electronic newsletter
Currently emailed to over three hundred and fifty subscribers, parishioners would like to expand this newsletter to somehow reach non-computer folks also. This newsletter, produced by a volunteer Communication Team, seeks to increase communication in the parish. More skilled volunteers are needed for this ministry. (writers, editors, page layout artist, photographers, and web masters)
Feeling of alienation, lack of communication, unity, and listening - Parishioners prefer to develop an atmosphere of cooperation, with all persons having an opportunity to use their God-given talents, with respect. The parish has a very intelligent, educated, dedicated parish population. People don't join committees just to be given tasks to do. They want full participation in the process. Parishioners prefer committee chairs who foster a spirit of collaboration.
Last minute planning for liturgies - Allow the committee to be creative, and have everything organized early enough that no one is rushing around at the last minute.
Separateness of the school and parish - Too often we forget that we are one parish community. We need to find ways to function as one.
Speed Mass - Let go of the rush to finish liturgy in a hurry. This detracts from reverence and a sense of prayer.
Old collection baskets - They are falling apart. We need new ones.
Unclearness - Who is in charge of what? Parishioners have expressed confusion about the role of one particular person who seems to be in charge of many things.
Lack of support for parishioners - Hiring from outside instead of training parishioners (One choir, from outside paid, others not)
What Do We Need to Develop, Begin, Create, and Revitalize?
Revitalize
There are a number of programs that seem to have fallen on hard times. Parishioners would like to revitalize the following:
Committees
Parishioners want committees with true participation by all members in planning and creating, not just told what to do, but having real input.
- Liturgy - Presider needs to participate, but not dominate planning. Parishioners expect ideas coming from the community to be respected. In the past, there has been a very capable group of parishioners interested in designing wonderful liturgies. (Many valuable Liturgy Committee members have dropped out lately due to lack of opportunity to participate.) It is important that talents and ideas of our gifted parishioners be recognized and utilized. Parishioners expect planning to happen at the Liturgy Committee meetings, and they don't want plans to be already set, with only task assignment left for committee members. They also expect the Liturgy Committee to do long-range spiritual planning, not just to manage logistics.
- Hospitality - We have a reputation as being a very hospitable parish. The parishioners are naturally very hospitable, but need a committee to focus on some structures so no one falls through the cracks. The parish enjoys multicultural celebrations and social events that bring everyone together. Greeters are needed at every Mass, and donuts afterwards would be nice. The parishioners want new parishioners personally greeted and incorporated into parish life, perhaps with a buddy family assigned to each new family. (The Communication Team is willing to develop a Welcome Packet.) A committee dedicated to hospitality could make this happen.
- Finance Committee - This committee needs to be more active on planning how we spend our money and what it is spent on. Budget creation is the responsibility of the whole Finance Committee, including the Pastor. The Finance Committee, the Building Committee, the Stewardship Committee, the Pastoral Council, and staff, including school, need to work together to provide for the financial well-being of the parish. A five-year financial plan needs to be developed.
- Facilities Committee - This committee does not currently exist. Facility issues have been dealt with as they have arisen, but in the future, we need specific plans.
- Art & Environment - This committee needs to be revitalized with all members having real input. This is not just a "Church Decorating" committee, but a true ministry using art and our environment to enhance the liturgical celebrations through the Seasons of the Church. This work needs to be done well before the actual celebrations, not at the last minute. People on this committee need to have their unique gifts shared and recognized; they don't come simply to be assigned tasks.
- Community Ministry - Once a vital part of St. John Vianney Parish, the Community Ministry has become non-functioning for the most part. We still have several events, (Advent Giving Tree, Mother's Day Layette, and Julian Street Inn dinners) but these activities have not been well planned lately nor have they used long-time Community Ministry volunteers in planning or execution. For many of these volunteers, Community Ministry has been their most meaningful connection to our parish. Others, with a wealth of experience, have found different ways to use their skills since Community Ministry did not involve them nor respond to their phone calls. There is a lot of pain around this issue. We have people here who would love to do the kind of things Community Ministry did in the past, and people who would love to receive them, but we need a capable coordinator to make it happen.
- Building committee - The new Multipurpose Building will require a lot of participation by many people. In addition to the basic fundraising, which has begun and is progressing, we need to develop some sub-committees to work on specific concerns:
- Way of soliciting and tracking "In kind" donations such as painting, plumbing, etc. from parishioners with these skills and talents
- Donor acknowledgement team to follow up on donations, arrange for public recognition
- Team would create the list of items needed and track donations that come in.
- Brochure to show specific items that need to be acquired for the building
- Use all available methods of communication to reach parishioners with concerns about the new building
- Full, open, and honest communication regarding the financial implications of this project to be available to all
Prayer Life
- Emphasis on the Liturgy and Eucharist, central to our Faith
- Liturgist. There is a strong desire for a professional liturgist. Parishioners suggested investigating creative solutions: seminarian, intern, retired religious, part time trained coordinator
- Stations of the Cross in Lent
- Adoration in the Chapel
- Rosary after Mass in the chapel (when a funeral needs the church space)
- Soup suppers in Lent
- Retreats during Lent
- Saturday morning Mass
- Senior retreat at San Juan Bautista
- Retreats and prayer opportunities for lay leaders
- Staff retreats þ Opportunities for faith sharing
- Bible study in the evening (currently have Tuesday morning Bible study)
- Small faith groups/Renew
- Lay witnessing at Sunday liturgy occasionally
- Bring spirituality into every day life
- Altar Society
- Breakfast after Sunday liturgies
Other issues
- Volunteers not called back. (Parishioners signing up to be Eucharistic Ministers were not called for training. Community Ministry volunteers left many messages but did not get a call back.)
- Sunday Bulletin could be expanded with more useful information, less filler.
Develop, Begin, Create
- Grief group for adults
- Accessible ramp for the Parish Office Center (currently through garden gate, no bell)
- Relook at Weddings, Funerals, Quinceañeras, Baptisms - all these are opportunities for evangelization and real community. They deserve a committee of dedicated parishioners to prepare them and they deserve good music from parish-based choirs.
- Print the electronic newsletter for non-computer users.
- Facilities committee - Usually the parish just responds to emergencies. The parish need to develop a plan for regular maintenance and upkeep for the entire parish plant. The school has a solid committee and plan, but the parish is behind in this.
- A new model for parish administration. Let the pastor choose the areas where his pastoral talents and skills are most useful and let lay leadership take on the administration tasks that are not pastoral.
What Gifts and Talents Do We Bring?
- Faith
- Willingness to work together
- Generosity
- Hospitality
- Diversity, richness of cultures, strong ethnic groups who can all work together
- Sensitivity to other groups
- Choirs
- Involved Youth
- Lots of people willing to help, taking responsibility when needed, people coming together if something happens
- Love of parish
- Sense of Community
- Desire for more spirituality
- Team work
- Loyalty to church, willingness to stand by in thick and thin
- Strong leaders
- We, the people, know our needs and can communicate them to our staff
- Young families
- Third and fourth generations in the parish
- History of being leaders in the larger community
- Love
- Sense of family and sense of caring
- Sense of pride
- Wisdom/ lived experience, not just older people but lots of people with stories to tell
- Love of our Youth
Meeting space for groups currently using St. Francis Hall - There are several groups which have been meeting for years in St. Francis Hall. They are very worried about what will become of them as the hall is torn down to make way for the new building.
- Seniors meet on Mondays, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM and have concerns about accessibility. Many have limited mobility.
- Spanish Prayer group
- AA - Friday night at 8:00 PM - They have met in our parish for thirty-five years and we support finding a way to accommodate them.
- Preschool on Sundays during 10:30 AM Mass
- Lions Club Breakfast has been at our parish for many years.
- St. Vincent de Paul and Community Ministry uses St. Francis Hall for food drives, etc.
What Are We Looking for in a Central Leader?
Note: This question was not emphasized, since our new pastor has already been named. Nevertheless, the Transition Team did hear the following:
- Respectful to all
- Approachable
- Polite
- Good homilist
- Warm, personable
- Asks opinions from parishioners, good communicator
- Prayerful at Mass, reverent presider, sensitive to the essence of time without racing through a liturgy service
- Works well with parishioners, teachers, and children
- Known to all members of the community, goes out to meet groups
- Have good people skills
- Loving
- Spirit of financial responsibility
- Have good open communication with the school
- Good listener
- Spirit of collaboration, able to collaborate with our talented and experienced lay leaders
- Delegate and share responsibility
- Support our community goals and social justice issues
- Pastoral
- Willing to get to know the parish before making changes
- Understand that we are a strong, vocal, and diverse parish
- Able to visit in parishioners homes occasionally
- Willing to come into committee meetings, classrooms, prayer groups, youth group if only to say hello
Appendix A: Social Justice Programs
PACT LOC - This is very important for our congregation, which has participated in PACT for years and accomplished great goals, empowering people: Children's Health Initiative, Alum Rock Youth Center, the small school movement, etc.
JustFaith - This program, working for over five years in our parish, has educated individuals and the entire parish community on Catholic Social Teaching.
Faith In Action - A group for parishioners working to put Catholic Social Teaching into action in our parish community. Fair Trade, San Jose Family Shelter, brought Muslims to parish after 9/11, MT25, immigration postcards, Death Penalty education, etc.
St. Vincent de Paul - Provides emergency assistance to the most vulnerable people within our parish boundaries. Food, clothing, utility assistance, vouchers, emergency rent help, etc.
Community Ministry - Designed to provide outreach services to members of the community: rides & meals for the elderly or sick, volunteers organized to answer phone calls, handicapable luncheon, dinners at Julian Street Inn, Giving Tree at Christmas, Mother's Day Layette. Also provides opportunity for older parishioners to contribute their gifts of service to the community.
Visiting the sick - In addition to taking Holy Communion to the sick, parishioners visiting the sick provide a much-needed service to shut-ins.
Katrina Project - After Katrina hit, we adopted a parish in Mississippi that was severely impacted. This was set up to be a long term commitment, five years or so, to this sister parish. Three special collections (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter) and Mardi Gras dinner-dance fundraiser.
Prison Ministry - We are blessed to have parishioners who work with Juvenile Hall, the County Main Jail and Elmwood Detention Center.
Appendix B: Programs We Want to Keep
Rainbows - Support program for families experiencing loss due to death, divorce, separation. A safe, supportive place for children to deal with these issues, while their parents meet in a nearby space to deal with the same issues from their perspective.
Marriage enrichment group - Married couples get together to read, discuss, and support each other in their marriages.
Pre-school program - 10:30 AM Sunday liturgy has a parent participation pre-school program that allows parents the joy of attending Mass knowing their darlings are having a good time, not interrupting liturgy.
Youth Ministry Program & Spanish Youth Ministry - A vital part of our parish, Youth Ministry includes Junior High, High School, and Confirmation programs. A newer component is a group for Spanish speaking teens. All these programs are very successful and important to our community.
Liturgy of the Word for Children - Children at the Masses with most family attendance, are invited out of the church for a Gospel sharing appropriate to their age.
Good music at liturgy - Music leaders provide us with wonderful music, but we need to keep our focus on parishioners singing at liturgy, not outsiders performing at liturgies. The music should come from and reflect the community. Bringing in outside groups, and paying them, has been divisive for our community.
Seniors - There are some folks who have been in this group for twenty years! They are afraid they will be forgotten and this weekly meeting is the only social outlet for many of them.
Prayer Groups - Risen Lord Prayer Group has been active in this parish since 1977. Along with the Spanish Prayer Group, they focus their prayers on parish and community well-being.
Appendix C: Parish Celebrations
Multicultural celebrations, including, but not limited to those listed here. These events offer the parish an opportunity for all of us to celebrate our differences and unity at the same time.
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration - This celebration honors the apparition of Mary to the indigenous American Juan Diego. She is the Patron of the all the Americas.
- Simbang Gabi Celebration, Novena of Masses in December - Each evening includes a reception with wonderful Filipino foods.
- Posadas Celebration - Organized by the Hispanic Community, this celebration recalls the Holy Family's search for housing in Bethlehem, and search for room in our hearts.
- Epiphany party - On Epiphany Sunday, all parishioners are invited for an open house at the Rectory, after each morning Mass. Some parishioners hope to expand this to make it a truly multicultural event. Some ideas have been put forward and can be managed by interested volunteers.
Parish picnic - There is strong support for this annual event near the start of the new school year.
Fiesta - This annual event is an important event for the parish and the larger community.
Healing Mass - For those sick in the parish, this Mass includes anointing of the sick. Usually celebrated around World Day of the Sick, February 11.
Mass of Consolation - For all persons and families who have lost someone during the year (November to November). Usually celebrated the week before Thanksgiving.
Ministry Fair - Organized by and with all the various parish ministries and groups, this event presents opportunities for parishioners to learn about and sign up for the ministries that can most use their skills. More preparation time than allowed last year is needed for this event to be successful.
Appendix D: List of Listening Sessions
The St. John Vianney Transition Team held the following Listening Sessions:
- May 23 Social Justice groups: PACT, JustFaith, Community Ministry, St. Vincent de Paul, and Katrina Project
- May 24 Communication Team
- May 25 Daily Mass group
- May 25 Risen Lord Prayer group
- May 31 Spanish Prayer group
- June 5 Youth Ministry
- June 7 Liturgical Ministers, Liturgy Committee, Art & Environment, Music
- June 8 Hispanic Ministry
- June 12 Seniors
- June 15 Filipino Community
- June 16 Spanish Liturgical Ministers
- June 17 Catechetical Ministers (English)
- June 21 Finance Committee
- June 25 General Meeting (English)
- June 25 General Meeting (Spanish)
- June 26 Staff
- June 27 small group Staff
- June 28 One individual
- June 28 One individual (different from above individual)
- June 29 SJV School Alumni, Parent Support Group, volunteers
- July 5 Building Committee
Parish and Deanery:
Discover and Celebrate!
Over the past few months or years, you may have thought about entering more
fully into the life of the Catholic Church through Baptism, First Communion,
and/or Confirmation. If you or your school-age children are un-baptized and
desire new life as God's people, or If you (as an adult) desire Confirmation
and First Eucharist (First Communion), or If you are baptized in another
Christian tradition and wish to become Catholic, please contact Linda
Rokita, Coordinator, Catechetical Ministry at 258-7832, ext. 24 for more
information.
Family Faith (CCD) 2006-2007:
Registration is
August 19 & 20
(after each Mass). Family Faith invites your family to continue their faith
journey in the many educational and sacramental programs offered through the
parish community of St. John Vianney. Please note, registration is required
for Pre-school through Grade 12, and for all of the sacramental preparation
classes. The Faith Alive adult fellowship groups have open enrollment. All
children/youth must be registered by their parent or legal guardian. Please
bring baptismal certificates and 50% of the class fee to register your
children. Open enrollment (with preference given to St. John Vianney
parishioners) will begin the weekend of
August 19 & 20
(after each Mass) & Thursday,
August 31,
from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM. For more information, please call Family Faith at
258-7832 x18, or x30 (español).
Volunteer Hours (for SJV School) Available!
Family Faith is seeking individuals (minimum age 16 yrs) who are interested
in becoming a Catechist aide for grades 1-6. Please contact 258-7832 x24 for
details.
The Next Meeting of the Adult Spirituality Team (working to bring Adult Education, retreats, Bible Study, and such to the parish) is set for Monday, August 21, 7:00 PM, in the Parish Office Center. At that meeting we hope to put together a solid plan of action which we will then present to the Parish Pastoral Council at their September 20 meeting. The subcommittees will be meeting prior to the August 21 meeting, so if you want to help out, (and we really need your help) contact Ellen Turner at newsletter@sjvnews.net or (408) 272-9234.
Marriage Community Get-Together
Married Couples: Join us for an hour of wine and hors d'euvres Wednesday,
August 30,
from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM in the SJV Parish Office Center. Don't miss our
discussion on
Money Styles and Marriage.
On-site childcare is available. For more information, contact Richard
and Veronica Wildanger (408) 937-1483 or rpwildanger@earthlink.net
Community at Large:
To All Parish and School Committees,
from Michelle DeLateur. New Orleans families are still facing extreme
difficulties including the availability of school uniforms. With the school
year rapidly approaching, many families find themselves unable to purchase
uniforms for their children. If you have white polo shirts, navy blue
shorts, or pants and would like to donate them to the children of New
Orleans, we would be extremely grateful. Any help would be greatly
appreciated. To donate please contact Katrina Aid Today at (504)
270-7155 and ask for Michelle or Constance. Thank you.
|
This Week:
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time:
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
Next Week:
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time:
|
Praying the Scriptures: Visit this web site for ideas on praying the Scriptures: www.liturgy.slu.edu
Take a
Moment to Pray:
|
Join Our eMail List!
Find out what's happening at St. John Vianney Parish by joining our SJV Parish Newsletter subscriber list:
To add your email address to (or remove from) other SJV Parish email lists, click here, or send an email request to newsletter@sjvnews.net, or phone Ellen Turner at (408) 272-9234. We will use your email address for SJV Parish business only. No addresses will be visible to others.
Visit our parish web site at: www.sjvnews.net.