VPC MEETING MINUTES - JANUARY 2010

JANUARY 2010 MEETING MINUTES

Genesis Vicariate Pastoral Council Combined Meeting

7 p.m. – 9 p.m. ~ January 25, 2010

Blessed Sacrament Cathedral

AGENDA: 

• Opening Prayer, Welcome & Introduction

• Archdiocese Restructuring

• Regional Moderators Council

• Genesis VPC Budget

• Open Discussion/Announcements

OPENING PRAYER, WELCOME & INTRODUCTION

The first meeting of the ‘new’ Genesis Vicariate held at the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral office started at 7 p.m. with a prayer and song. Msgr. LeFevre welcomed the group, thanked them for attending then introduced himself and gave a brief history of how the Genesis Vicariate was formed. He also noted that Archbishop Vigneron accepted the petition that the parishes in Detroit, Highland Park & Hamtramck be merged into the new Genesis Vicariate.

The representatives went around the tables and took a few moments to introduce themselves share which parish they represent and how they’re involved in the parish. All had representation except Church of the Madonna & St. Gregory.

Msgr. LeFevre explained that Vicariates were originally formed to help communication between the parishes. The Archbishop’s theme for his official coat of arms represents the Archbishop’s vision/mission/goal “keep your eyes fixed on Christ”, which he’s asking us to do as we move forward. The question “where do we go from here?” is an ongoing challenge. The pastor of Queen of Heaven is sick and Fr. Kotlarz is helping out, but how is it going to play out? How can we learn from each other? That’s when we’re the best as a Vicariate, working together.

He also noted that we’re engaging ourselves in continuing formation and may want to meet with the Trinity Vicariate. They were just starting to make some headway before the realignment and he suggested that we might twin with them and ‘not try to recreate the wheel’.

The group went around the tables and introduced themselves and explained what they do at their parishes. The question brought to the table, “Should we be a city region?”, and that will come from our Regional Moderator, Msgr. Hanchon’s leadership. Our parishes have issues that are the same between us and also some differences.

ARCHDIOCESE RESTRUCTURING PRESENTATION

Lori McGlinnen, the AOD representative, gave a presentation titled “Regional Restructuring
and the new Archdiocesan Pastoral Council Structure”, which details the Vicariate and Regional restructuring. It has been presented to the Prysbyteral Council and is the vision of the Archbishop to provide a unique pastoral strategy for the city. From the presentation we learned that:

• There are now 4 regions with 4 Vicariates each. The four Regional Moderators give stability to diocesan structure.

• The realignment flows from a commitment to have four stable regions with four vicariates in each region as originally planned in the Together In Faith (TIF) process. It aligns our regions to meet the staffing changes brought about by the restructuring of Central Services and will structure them to be more compatible. Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck Parishes are in one central region and the 6 non-Detroit parishes will move to SERF.

• The Genesis Vicariate retains 8 Detroit and Hamtramck parishes, gains 2 from the Renaissance Vicariate and 5 from the Trinity Vicariate. There are a total of 15 in Genesis, 16 in Trinity, 18 in Renaissance and the Southwest remains unchanged with 12 parishes. The new Vicariate maps and parish lists are available on the AOD website, www.AODonline.org. The 10 non-Detroit  Genesis parishes have joined Central Macomb.

• The Archbishop and Regional Moderators reviewed several options for the reordering of the Regions and Vicariates. The Prysbyteral Council was consulted, and the Archbishop approved this regional model. Should a pastor have a particular concern about these changes, he should contact the Regional Moderator.

• The Archdiocesan Pastoral Council (APC) is reconstituted to be the primary lay consultative group to the Archbishop of Detroit, as stated in Canon 511.1 (Issues for consultation by the APC will be presented by the Moderator of the Curia). The APC will be the primary consultative group for Phase Two of Together In Faith planning.

• The APC will meet to review the top 17 focus areas identified through the TIF Planning Process and in conjunction with the Archbishop will collapse them into 6 overarching Focus Areas. All members will be organized into Sub-Committees, one for each focus area, each chaired by a representative appointed by the Archbishop.

• The 17 TIF focus areas are: Youth & Young Adults; Evangelization; Education; Family Life;  Outreach/Service Justice & Peace, Seniors; Hispanic/Multicultural Ministry; Worship/Liturgy, Spiritual Direction/Spirituality, Ministries/PPC Development, Parish Staffing, Vocations – Lay, Clergy, Religious; Priests & Permanent Deacons; Clustering/Merging; Stewardship, Debt & Resource Sharing; Property, Buildings Institutions; Growth/Declining Population; and Communications/Use of Media

• To create Phase 2 Goals and Objectives, each region will be asked to staff and facilitate one Regional Assembly, with APC Chairs of each Focus Area Sub-Committee, Regional Moderators, and Central Service staff. The Sub-Committees will meet monthly and the full APC will meet quarterly. Feedback will be collected using a simple survey at assemblies; those not in attendance will have an opportunity to provide feedback by completing an online/electronic survey.

• The Department of Parish Life and Services will compile the survey feedback and provide a report to the Archbishop and APC. The APC will then meet as a whole to discuss the Feedback Report and incorporate the input generated to create the final Goals and Objectives to be recommended to the Archbishop. Once the Goals and Objectives are approved by the Archbishop, the Central Service offices will review their budgets to align their work for the next fiscal year to address the Goals and Objectives in each focus area.

• Each Focus Area will be described by 2 – 3 words there will be a “Goal Statement” for each Goal including the Archbishop’s Role, Archdiocese’s Role, Vicariate’s Role, Parishes Role, and Families’ and Individuals’ Roles. The APC Sub-Committees along with appropriate staff resources affirm Objectives for each Goal, and create specific Action Steps for the Goals to be achieved at every level based on the feedback.

• The Sub-Committees will recommend necessary evaluation benchmarks then the APC will recommend a Final Plan to the Archbishop. The APC will monitor the implementation of the plan for the Archbishop.

• Because Together In Faith is a living document, the APC will annually update the plan’s Goals, Objectives and Action Steps as circumstances change.

• Some major changes to the APC include the Goals and Objectives for Catholic Schools being developed by Catholic Schools of the future; The Goals and Objectives of the APC will necessitate closer collaboration between Central Services, Parish and Vicariate needs, and the APC will assume the role of the Together In Faith Tracking Committee.

• Central Service Staff will more directly relate to the APC; the offices will assign a point person for each region and will continue to be an on-going resource to the APC.

• The criteria to be an APC Member will include being nominated by and have the endorsement of their Pastors or Vicars. Their names and biographies or resumes will be submitted to the Archbishop for his consideration and appointment. They will be a fully initiated, active, practicing Catholic in good standing and a member of a parish. The should have experience in planning, either in their work place, in their parish, or as a volunteer and They should be a current or past member of their Parish Pastoral Council or Vicariate Pastoral Council.

• APC Members will commit to serving on the Council for a minimum of two years, at the will of the Archbishop and each of the 16 vicariates will be represented on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council. The deadline for applications is February 15^th.

• A Regional Moderator’s Council will be created for each of the four regions to assist the Regional Moderator in his oversight of a given region, especially to give support to pastors in the care of their communities.

• Each Council will be made up of the four Vicars from the region, and one representative from the Offices of: Pastoral Planning/Leadership Services; Finance & Administration; Catholic Schools; Evangelization/Catechesis and any others as the agenda requires. The Council will meet at least monthly to discuss issues that arise with regard to schools, parishes or institutions that need immediate attention to forestall greater problems.  Initially the staff will provide, from their perspectives, an overview from their vicariates and regions, and appropriate resource materials from each office.

The full presentation is available on the Archdiocese of Detroit website at:

http://www.aodonline.org/AODOnline/Together+In+Faith+12019/apc.htm

GENESIS VPC BUDGET

It was noted that parishes with Charter schools paid additional assessments and each vicariate is charged for Young Adult ministry and their pay is flexible. The only paid position at this time is the Vicariate Secretary and out of the budget and Msgr. LeFevre noted that we also pay Hospital Ministers and that Trinity left money with their Vicariate.

Msgr. LeFevre suggested that we put together a small Budget Committee; this will be discussed further at the next meeting.

OPEN DISCUSSION/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Funding for schools may remain same and we are going to hold to the 2010 budget. “Catholic Schools for the Future” is the plan being implemented. The policy was created but unequally enforced across the Diocese.  

Msgr. LeFevre proposed we set up an Executive Committee. The Genesis Vicariate previously had a chairperson but they now belong to the Central Macomb Vicariate. The Secretary will send out notices for the open positions which will be voted on at a future VPC meeting.

No DRE’s or other organization met in the previous structure as the Genesis Vicariate. Msgr. LeFevre wants to make sure these groups meet in the near future. Also, the topic of Sacramental Devotion was raised and questioned how we can do it better together. Msgr. LeFevre suggested we may want to do it on either side of the Vicariate.

In closing, it was suggested that we meet monthly and settled on the fourth (4^th) Monday of each month. Our next meeting will be on Monday, February 22^nd, 7 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral.

Respectfully submitted,

Monica Archibald

Genesis VPC Secretary

NOTE: Due to inclement weather, our February 22^nd meeting was cancelled. Our next meeting will be on Monday, March 22^nd, gathering at 6:30 pm, Meeting at 7:00 pm at Blessed Sacrament Parish.

ATTACHMENTS:

• February 2010 Financial Report

• Genesis Vicariate By-Laws

• Updated Vicariate Outreach Survey