Category Archives: SJSP Collaborative Planning – FAQ

The FAQs from the Collaborative Committee

Collaborative FAQ 15: Will We Be One of the First Collaboratives?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallQuestion 15. When will St. John’s officially begin its Parish Collaborative with St. Paul’s? Is St. John’s and St. Paul’s going to be one of the first Collaboratives to form in the Archdiocese?
The Archdiocese is implementing the Pastoral Pl,an in phases. Phase One began on June 4, 2013, when twenty-eight parishes came together to form twelve Collaboratives. Phase One is being carefully followed by the Archdiocese. Phase Two parishes were announced in September, 2013 and these Collaboratives will begin on June 3, 2014. In Phase Two, forty-four parishes will come together to form twenty-one Collaboratives. Each year going forward, about twenty new Collaboratives will form. We don’t have an exact date yet for the collaboration of St. John’s and St. Paul’s, but we will make an announcement as soon as we have any information.

We welcome your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments about Parish Collaboratives to: stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com

Collaborative FAQ 14: What Does it Mean to be an “Evangelizing Parish”?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallQuestion 14. It has been said that evangelization is a critical component of the Parish Collaborative process and the long term strength of the archdiocese. What does it mean to be an “evangelizing parish”?

Evangelization (reaching out to our brothers and sisters and drawing them more fully to Jesus Christ) is a component of the Parish Collaborative Process because evangelization and collaboration are two critical ways to enable the mission of Christ and the Catholic Church to grow stronger. To make our Catholic community stronger, we need to find ways to welcome our brothers and sisters back to active practice of the faith. Evangelizing parishes exercise what is called “radical hospitality.” They are always mindful of the lost. They pay careful attention to what they look like to people coming through the door for the first time. They make excellent and bold use of social media. They are committed to forming disciples, who in turn form other disciples. They have a strong focus on adult religious experiences, and adult faith formation, especially in small groups. We all know Catholics in Wellesley and elsewhere who have drifted away from the Catholic Church. To make our Catholic community stronger, we need to find ways to welcome our brothers and sisters back to active practice of the faith.

We welcome your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments about Parish Collaboratives to: stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com

Collaborative FAQ 13: What is Evangelization, Really?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallQuestion 13: What is evangelization, really? Why is “New Evangelization” highlighted as a key part of the Parish Collaborative Process? How are the two related, anyway?
Evangelization is the work of reaching out to our brothers and sisters and drawing them more fully to Jesus Christ. Cardinal Sean, echoing the teaching of Blessed Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, has repeatedly emphasized that the Church will only be strengthened to the extent that every practicing Catholic embraces the “New Evangelization,” the particular work of reaching out to Catholics who are not currently active in the Church. Evangelization is a component of the Parish Collaborative Process because evangelization and collaboration are two critical ways which will enable the mission of Christ and the Catholic Church to grow stronger. We all know Catholics in Wellesley and elsewhere who have drifted away from the Catholic Church. To make our Catholic community stronger, we need to find ways to welcome our brothers and sisters back to active practice of the faith.
We welcome your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments about Parish Collaboratives to – stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com

Collaborative FAQ 12: What Will Happen With Parish Councils?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_Small Question 12: It is my understanding that each Catholic parish has its own local governing body, the Parish Council. How will this work once we start our Parish Collaborative?
St. John’s and St. Paul’s will have one combined Pastoral Parish Council, made up of parishioners from both parishes. Although each parish will maintain its own identity (each will keep its own name, buildings, and canonical rights), there will be one Parish Council to assist and advise the Pastor in the mission of the Parishes of the Collaborative. The Pastor will seek to structure the Pastoral Parish Council in such a way that all parishioners will be able to have open and honest communication with him, both through the Parish Pastoral Council and in other settings.
We welcome your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments about Parish Collaboratives to – stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com

Collaborative FAQ 11: What Will Happen With the Finances?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallQuestion 11. I know that each parish has its own Finance Council, which is responsible for the financial activities of the parish. What will happen to our Finance Council, and our finances, when we begin our Parish Collaborative?
St. John’s and St. Paul’s will continue to have two separate Finance Councils. Each parish will maintain its own identity (its own name, its buildings, its canonical rights) and this extends into the financial realm. Each parish will continue to have its own bank accounts, its own books, its own financial assets, and its own financial obligations. Common costs of the Collaborative between St. John’s and St. Paul’s (such as staffing and shared programs) will be shared between the two Parishes. Although the Finance Councils and our financial assets and liabilities will remain distinct, members of the Finance Councils will have to work together to support the mission of New Evangelization. Direction for this mission will come over time from our Pastor.

We welcome your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments about Parish Collaboratives to – stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com

Collaborative FAQ 10: Will Mass Times Change?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallQuestion 10. When the Collaborative between St. John’s and St. Paul’s starts, will mass times change?
Mass times in each Parish have traditionally been determined at the discretion of local Pastors. After the Collaborative starts, the Pastor will seek input from his Pastoral Team and Pastoral Council regarding Mass times. The Archdiocese expects that in many places, mass schedules in Collaboratives will need adjustment.
We welcome your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments about Parish Collaboratives to – stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com

Collaborative FAQ 9: What Will Happen to Our Religious Education Programs?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallQuestion 9. Given that St. John’s and St. Paul’s are forming a Parish Collaborative, will religious education programs at our churches merge into one mega-program?
The structure of the Religious Education Programs will be left to the discretion of the Pastor in each Collaborative. The Pastor will seek input from his Pastoral Team and Pastoral Council members on this matter. The Archdiocese expects that in some Collaboratives, the programs will merge, and it some cases, they will remain separate. In each Collaborative, the Pastor will make his decision based on what he sees as the most effective way to promote the goals of the New Evangelization.
We welcome your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments about Parish Collaboratives to – stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com

Collaborative FAQ 8: Does a “Collaborative” Mean One of the Churches in Wellesley is Closing?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallQuestion 8. I keep hearing that St. John’s and St Paul’s are forming a Parish Collaborative. Does this mean that one of the churches here in Wellesley will be closing?
No. Both St. John’s and St. Paul’s will remain open, which happily is a key benefit of the new Pastoral Collaborative program. The Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Commission, over the last several years, evaluated the resources (the number of priests, new vocations, church buildings, etc) available in the Boston area for the foreseeable future and has determined how to allocate these resources in a manner that will enable the mission of Christ and the Catholic Church to grow stronger. Think of our Collaborative as an “affiliation of parishes” – not a new parish. St. John’s and St. Paul’s will each maintain its own identity – each with its own name, buildings, canonical rights, bank accounts, books, financial assets, and financial obligations.
We welcome your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments about Parish Collaboratives to – stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com

Collaborative FAQ 7: How Can One Pastor Handle the Job?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallQuestion 7:  How can one Pastor handle the job of being Pastor for both St. John’s and St. Paul’s?! What type of training will he receive to enable him to tackle such a big job?
Although there will be just one Pastor for each Collaborative, he will not be the only person carrying out the work of the Church. He will leverage his time by utilizing a team of appointed Clergy (Parochial Vicars and Deacons), a Pastoral Team, Pastoral Council members, Finance Council members, and School Board members. Many of these individuals will undergo formal training with the Central Ministries of the Archdiocese. Training will focus on New Evangelization, Catholic Leadership, and the mechanics of Collaboration. In addition, the pastor and pastoral service team will be developing a pastoral plan that will include opportunities for laity in both parishes to support various parish ministries and activities.
We welcome your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments about Parish Collaboratives to – stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com

Collaborative FAQ 6: What will happen to our pastors?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallQuestion 6: When it’s time for our parish to start our Parish Collaborative, what will happen to our pastors?
In short, we don’t know yet. There will be one Pastor shared between St. John’s and St. Paul’s. The Archdiocese has stated that the Pastor for each Collaborative shall be a priest:
· Whose reputation is well established
· Who is committed to the mission of the Church and to the New Evangelization
· Who has a proficiency in working in a collaborative environment, with strong skills of leadership, decision-making, oversight, and communication
· Who can work well with staff and parish councils
· Who can maintain an equitable relationship between/among the parishes
· Who is respectful of the different cultures of the parishes
· Who has the language skills to care for the people of his parishes
· Who is willing to participate in significant training and evaluation.

We welcome your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments about Parish Collaboratives to:  stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com