Parish Evangelization Profile
The Disciples in Mission program has held Parish Reflection Days for the years 2002, 2003 and 2004. At these sessions parishioners focus on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' three goals with the fundamental issues of:
As our parish community focuses on these three goals, all are invited and afforded the opportunity to provide input on how well we are doing on these goals, identify unique objectives specific to our parish, and recommend specific activities to achieve these goals.
Below you will find the Parish Evangelization Profile, the product of the Parish Reflection Days for the last three years.
| Goal I To bring about in all Catholics such an enthusiasm for their faith that, in living their faith in Jesus, they freely share it with others. |
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1. What does Goal I mean to you? What do you value most about our Catholic faith? What are some clear signs that our parishioners are living their faith in Jesus? In what ways do we freely share our faith with others |
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2004
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2003
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2002
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-If someone walked into your home
would they be able to tell that you are Catholic
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-Appreciation of history of our Faith |
-Animar a la gente que se comprometa |
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| 2. What do you think are the most effective ways that our parish is achieving this goal right now? | ||||||||||||||||
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2004
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2003
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2002
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Hospitality, library, workshops like this, music ministry, Catholics Returning Home, Disciples in Mission, RCIA, Testimonials of neophytes and oldies, Children's Ministry |
-Activities like the Disciples in
Mission program, Parish Reflection Day |
-Los grupos de ministerios |
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3. On a scale of 1-7, to what degree do you think our parish is achieving Goal I?
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2004
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2003
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2002
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5
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4
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4
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| 4. Look again at Goal I's objectives. Decide as a group which two objectives you would like to see us work on as a parish so that we can become even more renewed in Christ. | ||||||||||||||||
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2004
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2003
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2002
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-Instill renewed understanding of
the faith among Catholics. |
-Create small group experiences of
prayer and study to bring about renewal in each individual |
-Foster an experience of conversion
and renewal in each individual and every parish |
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| 5. Suggest one or two specific ways to accomplish each objective that your group selected. | ||||||||||||||||
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2004
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2003
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2002
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| Instill
renewed understanding of the faith among Catholics -Education of parishioners through homilies and bulletin inserts -Bring in outside speakers to educate and motivate parishioners in our faith Foster experience of conversion
and renewal in each individual within the parish |
Create small group experiences
of prayer and study, fostering and bringing about a renewal in each other -Encourage a sense of involvement and belonging, through parish social activities (e.g., pot lucks, inviting others to join in, hospitality activities after Mass and reception events for newly registered parishioners, etc.) -Continue small prayer and faith study groups Instill a renewed understanding
of the faith among Catholics |
Foster an experience of conversion
and renewal in each individual and every parish Instill a renewed understanding
of the faith among Catholics |
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| Goal II To invite all people in the United States, whatever their social or cultural background, to hear the message of salvation of Jesus Christ so they may come to join us in the fullness of the Catholic Faith. |
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| 1. What does Goal II mean to you? What does it mean to invite all people, whatever their social or cultural background? Who is not being invited? How do people really hear the message of salvation in Jesus Christ? In what ways do people benefit when they join us in the fullness of the Catholic faith? What does it mean to you | ||||||||||||||||
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2004
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2003
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2002
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Reach out to all people in our community
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-Critical
to our faith - Vitally important to the different cultures within our parish - Can be done on a personal level - should do on a parish level - We must be a living disciple first - All are invited, if we treat each other as brothers/sisters, our testimony will be the invitation - Young adults and young people in the greater Sutter County community are not being invited, Catholics and non-Catholics - We must listen to others, take time and share our testimony, spreading the gospel by example - Our greatest gift and strength is the Eucharist and our sacraments, which are unique to our church |
-It
is a reflection of Jesus in each of us - Expanding of all of us to reach out to know and learn more about others in our community, especially those who are different from us (us is each parishioner) - Bringing back Catholic who have left for some reason or another and making sure they feel welcomed in our parish family - Making the St. Isidore parish family a tighter, more close-knit family - Welcoming new members to our parish community - Being comfortable with our religion and reaching out enthusiastically and offering ourselves to other people - People do have free choice, people will or will not attend when invited - Learning more about others and acceptance of their cultural differences - their way of living - this not just about race - Having no preconceived ideas about those we meet that are different from us (again, us is each parishioner) - Church is for adults and not for the children - while the children are present during the liturgies, those liturgies do not necessarily include them - By prayer, reading the scriptures, attending and participating in the Mass and the Eucharist - By the way we act - hearing and acting are different - They become part of a family - Inner peace - Participating in the Eucharist - we are a Sacramental church |
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| 2. What do you think are the most effective ways that our parish is achieving this goal right now? | ||||||||||||||||
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2004
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2003
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2002
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| -Disciples
in Mission -Sponsorship in RCIA -Music Ministry -Hospitality Committee -Adult Catechism -Catholics Returning Home -Good job of providing small groups -Need ways to let everyone in the parish know about them |
-Through
our various ministries (Disciples in Mission small groups, Parish Reflection
Day, CANA, bilingual Masses, faith formation groups) - At the parish level this is being done by the laity, with the support of our clergy - Conducting the Ministry Faire to remind us all of our various ministries (should continue this as a regular activity) - Participation in local secular ecumenical Sutter County ministries, but we need to let them know that we are Catholics who are serving with them (e.g., A Woman's Friend, community appointive and elective opportunities, social welfare and justice groups, etc.) - By conducting public relations activities (e.g., newspaper announcements, PSAs on the radio and cable TV, promotion of the St. Isidore website), but need to do more in this area |
-RCIA,
CCD program, Altar Servers, Christian Action Network (CAN), Disciples in
Mission (everyone is invited), Food Locker, Eucharist to the homebound,
Hospital Ministry, Women's prison ministry, St. Isidore School (learning
about God which provides a deeper & deeper understanding), reaching
out through the Farm Workers Association, Right to Life (e.g., support of
A Woman's Friend) -Providing more opportunities for all groups - greeters are necessary and should be reaching out; those who greet only talking to their own friends; we should call or visit newcomers; there needs to be more communication between school, parents, CCD; hope the new newsletter will help in this area. |
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3. On a scale of 1-7, to what degree do you think our parish is achieving Goal II?
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2004
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2003
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2002
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3
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4.4
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4
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| 4. Look again at Goal II's objectives. Decide, as a group, which two objectives you would like to see us work on as a parish so that we can become even more missionary-minded, like Christ. | ||||||||||||||||
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2004
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2003
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2002
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| -Help every Catholic to
feel comfortable in sharing their faith - Welcome back those who have left the Catholic Faith |
-Help
every Catholic feel comfortable about sharing his or her faith -Effectively welcome back those who have left the church |
-Help every Catholic feel
comfortable about sharing his or her faith -Make our parish more welcoming -Welcome back those who have left the church -Deepen ecumenical involvement of the church |
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| 5. Suggest one or two specific ways to accomplish each objective that your group selected. | ||||||||||||||||
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2004
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2003
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2002
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| Help every Catholic
to feel comfortable in sharing their faith -Provide an adult series of educational events on specific areas of our faith, e.g., the sacraments, the sacramentals, and their meanings - Promote participation in groups and service ministries, and identify a point of contact for those in need of these services Welcome back those who have left
the Catholic Faith |
Help every Catholic feel comfortable
about sharing his or her faith Effectively welcome back those
who have left the church |
Help every Catholic feel comfortable
about sharing his or her faith Make our parish more welcoming |
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| Goal III To foster Gospel values in our society, promoting the dignity of the human person, the importance of the family, and the common good of our society, so that our nation may continue to be transformed by the saving power of Jesus Christ. |
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| 1. What does Goal III mean to you? In what ways do we as Catholics foster gospel values in our society through promoting the dignity of the human person, the importance of the family, and the common good of our society? What would our society look like if it were transformed by the saving power of Jesus Christ? | ||||||||||||||||
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2004
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2003
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2002
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| -The Gospel is Life; parish
support pro-life/pro family, promote & support, e.g., gang intervention
presentation -A nucleus supports these things, get the rest of the parish on fire -Understanding the personal & parish values -Reach out better to the community -We do proclaim the Gospel every Sunday, Disciples in Mission is a beginning to evangelize, turn to the Gospel in daily lives -We must be open to the Holy Spirit -We had a library before, but only few dedicated keep it going -CCD children are taught to practice faith, not how to reach out Our Catholic faith is individual to most of us and that is the perception of the world outside -We don't teach our children (faith formation) in a way that they would want to spread the faith -In order to promote Gospel values, it has to come from our own personal faith |
-Means to bring the community
together to see the same vision and lead your life with Jesus -Apply equality and social justice in the work place -Take your faith out of the doors of the church and into the community to let others see our faith -Call out to and strengthen ties (communications) in reaching to others -Refer to our faith often, overtly and covertly, in the workplace -Express our faith so others may see it in us, tying our faith into everyday life -Provide and use visible faith objects, like the crucifix, faith lapel pins, etc. -Use the media to our advantage -Support our bishops and other clergy in the stand on Catholic principles |
-Difficult to conceive
how our society would look but it would be great -Become more visible in positive way - reflect Catholic moral values -Oppose cloning (stem cell research) -Talk and walk Catholic values -Social action to transform society -More than just go to church -Pro-life position against abortion and cloning -Catholic education used to be better -Pope's status as moral authority -If transformed by Jesus Christ -Promotion of Social Justice (e.g., poor, family planning, right to life and implement these at the parish and diocesan levels) -Let our parishioners know what we do in ministering to our community -We say yes to promoting bilingual activities but at Sunday Mass we say no -Separation of mass attendance by language may be building artificial walls between our parish multi-cultures (maybe should institute true bilingual Masses more often - e.g., Easter Vigil Mass) |
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| 2. What do you think are the most effective ways that our parish is achieving this goal right now? | ||||||||||||||||
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2004
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2003
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2002
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| -Everyone to respect themselves, others, regardless of status | -Through the support of
Catholic education and our parish school -The public celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe -Support of the Life Chain, Walk for Life, A Woman's Friend, etc. -Ministries such as Food Locker, Farm Workers, CAN -Our school children sending Valentines cards to veterans - St. Isidore's website -Negative point: Other churches appear to do more (e.g., visiting elderly in assisted living centers) -Negative point: We do a lot but aren't aware of a lot that we do, which is done by only a few who do a lot -Negative point: need higher level of participation from the parish community -Negative point: Parish sense of community is poor -Negative point: we hang back and do not use our full potential |
-Right
to Life -Catholic School -CCD -RCIA -Returning Catholics Program -CAN (Christian Assistance Network) - put church names on bags - more evangelical -Farm Workers -Legion of Mary visiting new parishioners -Media coverage -We are doing things now but don't necessarily let everyone know we are doing it -What we are doing now (today) is a beginning -Some other specific parish wide efforts also help, e.g., capital campaign has contacted registered but non-attending parishioners and they have started coming back to church (what made them stop before is no longer present or an issue) -By helping and greeting others we acknowledge that every one individual is holy and good (e.g., Wal-Mart greeters make you feel welcomed) |
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3. On a scale of 1-7, to what degree do you think our parish is achieving Goal III?
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2004
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2003
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2002
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3.7
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4.5
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4
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| 4. Look again at Goal III's objectives. Decide as a group which two objectives you would like to see us work on as a parish so that even more of society is transformed by the saving power of Christ. | ||||||||||||||||
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2004
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2003
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2002
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| -Foster importance of the
family -Explore and address the issues of spirituality in the workplace |
-Foster the importance
of the family -Involve parish and local service groups in alleviating the immediate needs of people in our area |
-Involve
Catholics on every level in areas of public policy, in the media and in
questions of economic systems -Foster the importance of the family -Involve parishes and local service groups in alleviating the immediate needs of people in our area |
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| 5. Suggest one or two specific ways to accomplish each objective that your group selected. | ||||||||||||||||
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Foster importance of the family Explore and address the issues
of spirituality in the workplace |
Foster the importance of the family Involve parish and local service
groups in alleviating the immediate needs of people in our area |
Involve Catholics on every level
in areas of public policy, in the media and in questions of economic systems Foster the importance of the family Involve parishes and local service
groups in alleviating the immediate needs of people in our area |
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