Breakfast and Bible

My blog at breakfastandbible.blogspot.com is an ongoing look at the Scriptures for the coming Sunday. It provides a chance to see the homily in formation. It also provides a chance to make comments that might help direct the homily. The homily is often influenced by events of the week or something I read.

It has been my experience that every priest and deacon sees some different opportunity in the readings. Your insights can speak to me and give me a second or third glance that may reveal something I didn't see.

Mass Times Comments

Nothing affects Catholics more than any change in the Mass, including times. I really appreciate the comments already posted. I am looking forward to the survey results over the next two weekends. I am trying not to influence the results. The Liturgy Committee was prepared to offer a choice of schedules. A vote would likely have been inconclusive, 45/55%. I suggested they publish their recommended schedule and then we adjust based upon responses.

It is difficult to give everyone everything they want. Some want all the CCD classes on Sunday morning for convenience. Some want them on weekday nights. The newly formed Religious Education committee can consider that for next year. Scheduling a Mass on Sunday morning to accommodate the CCD program involves the question of the Eucharistic Fast. The classes almost always have snacks, so Mass first is a better choice. I asked the Liturgy Committee to consider one other problem, namely parents dropping children for class, going to Mass, and picking the children up afterwards with the children not getting to Mass.

We will consider everything. The only thing I say for sure is that the present schedule will have to change. 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 does not allow me enough time between Masses to recover. One Mass needs to be in the PAC to accommodate the CCD classes.

Building Update

Walls should be painted by end of week. Work on floors should start next Monday. Ceiling fixtures. etc. will be installed after painting is finished. Trim work will be after flooring.

Blacktop for driveway and parking lot will begin shortly.

We will be responsible for carpentry work: cabinets in classrooms, office, and sacristy; bookshelves and storage. David Harig has offerred to oversee the work. That will be done after we take possession of the building.

We are looking for kitchen equipment, office furnishings, phones, etc. We will equip the building as best we can with what we have on hand.

Open Mind

I plan to use this site to communicate about everything that we are considering. Some of the ideas will likely go nowhere, but those that receive support and encouragement will become reality. I have no hidden agenda, so be prepared for anything.

This Fall, we will start up the Parish Activities Council. It will be the coordinating body for all parish committees and groups. I see us still operating in a loose fashion since some things fall under several different committees. We will need oversight for calendar and facilities use.

Some of the things that are in progress include: Scouting and relationship to Youth Ministry (Meeting on Aug 2, 7:00); Respect Life committee has new identity (LIGHT - Living in God's Holy Truth); Our next travel fund raiser will be Greece (March 13-23); and more in planning.

Mass Feedback

We are submitting the proposed schedule for your comments. Rather than offer a choice of schedules, which might split evenly and tell us nothing, we chose the best reccomendation of the Liturgy Committee. If there are serious objections and concerns raised, we will consider an alternate schedule. The difficult part is offering a Mass and CCD classes on Sunday morning that is not too early or too late. Total time involved is 2 hours and 45 minutes. It takes almost all the prime time on Sunday mornings.

Mass Schedule

Liturgy Committee recommended to Spiritual Life Committee the following change in Mass schedule:
Saturday 4:30 @ Church; Sunday 9:00 @ PAC followed by CCD; Sunday 11:00 @ Church; and Sunday 5:00 PM @ Church.

Note: Sunday 9:00 would be a Family Mass. Music by Folk Choir and Youth Choir. PAC will seat about 300 people. Opportunity for social following Mass, refreshments before CCD classes, etc. 8:30 Mass attendees will be most affected. What do you think?

Note: 5:00 PM Sunday Mass could be moved to PAC. Attendance is unknown. Who is interested? Who will attend?

Note: Seniors and handicap accessibility. I was asked about moving the 4:30 to the PAC. We would need a significant number of 4:30 people to be in favor of such a move. Would putting the 5:00 Sunday Mass in the PAC fill the need?

Building Update

Contractor and architect have informed me that building should be finished by the end of August. This week they are strating to paint to the walls. After painting, they will hang light fixtures. Then work can begin on the flooring. Finally they will install doors, etc and final inspections.

Stucco work has begun on the outside. I have sent a contract for blacktop to the diocese for approval. Sidewalks will floow on the blacktop.

I expect to move into the facility by the end of August. David Harig has offered to oversee the building of cabinets in the classrooms, office, and sacristy. We will be looking for carpenters. We will be ready for the CCD classes in September.

Opinions

When a pastor asks for opinions and no one answers, is he always wrong?

The hardest thing I have to deal with is trying to discern what is best for the parish and not getting feedback.

Future Plans

This Fall we will build a small greenhouse, dig a well, and layout the Rosary Garden plot. In the Spring we will plant the garden. I also hope that we will be able to move Sacred Heart Chapel onto the property at that time. The diocese has indicated that we are not to use parish money to move the chapel. We will be looking at other sources to pay for the move. The building is only evaluated at $25,000 and the cost of moving it will be much greater. We have a promise of help with the project but there is much we need to do first.

We will pay off the Parish Activity Center in about four years. In that time we will decide upon our next step. One option is expanding the PAC by adding another large hall on the East end (Wall is removeable). It would be a temporary church for maybe 10 years duration before we could afford a new church. We could have enough money in hand in 6 years to proceed with an addition.

The option of building the new church next would depend upon growth and our ability to raise half the cost and pay off the other half. My estimate would be 8 to 10 years before we could have enough in hand.

Mass Times

Part of our discussion is about where to celebrate the weekend Masses. The Parish Acitivity Center offers some benefits: convenient parking, restrooms, social space, handicap acessibility. I have been asked by some seniors about moving the 4;30 Saturday Mass to the PAC. Seating would be about 300, Church is 150.

I can foresee having all the Masses in the PAC before we get a new church built. The church would be used for weddings, funerals, daily Masses, adoration, stations, benediction, etc. How soon do we begin changing over?

One Sunday Mass for sure will be moved to accommodate the CCD program.

With a seating capacity of 300, we could reduce the Mass schedule until we need to add one back on. We have offerred three Sunday Masses because we needed the seats to accommodate the attendance. One Saturday and one Sunday in the Church and one Sunday in the PAC would increase our seating to 600, with about 450 attending.

The reduced schedule sounds appealing to me, but I will continue to do what is best for the parish.