News

Present:
Bishop W. Shawn McKnight, President         
Very Rev. Brad T. Berhorst, Judicial Vicar – ex-officio
Benjamin Roodhouse, Chancellor – ex-officio
Jacob Luecke, Director of Communications – ex-officio       
Helen Osman, Consultant for Communications
Colleen Abbott, Chair – term of office expires: fall meeting 2025
Southwest Deanery – 1^st term expires: 27 February 2026
Sarah Robinson, Vice-Chair – term of office expires: fall meeting 2025
Central Deanery – 2^nd term expires: 30 June 2024
Very Rev. Christopher L. Cordes, Vicar for Priests – 1^st term expires: 16 January 2027
Barbara Prasad, Dir. of Women’s Ministry – 1^st term expires: 22 November 2025
Justin Franka, Newman Center – 1^st term expires: 3 May 2026
Sr. Ruth Ann Klauser, SSND – 1^st term expires: 30 April 2027
Barbara Garvey, North Deanery – 2^nd term expires: 30 June 2024
Kevin DeHaan, North Deanery – 1^st term expires: 15 January 2027
Kelly Wheeler, Central Deanery – 1^st term expires: 30 June 2024
Kent Korthas, Southwest Deanery – 1^st term expires: 30 June 2024
Russell Kremer, Southeast Deanery – 2^nd term expires: 30 June 2024
Sheri Stormer, Southeast Deanery – 2^nd term expires: 30 June 2024
Earl Pabst, See City Deanery – 2^nd term expires: 30 June 2024
Deacon John Schwartze, See City Deanery – 2^nd term expires: 30 June 2024
Carol Schwartze, See City Deanery – 2^nd term expires: 30 June 2024
Jonathan Pund, See City Deanery – 1^st term expires: 26 April 2027
Bernadette Adams, Recording Secretary 

Absent:
Rev. Msgr. Robert A. Kurwicki, Vicar General – ex-officio
Rev. Jeremy A. Secrist, Presbyterate – 2^nd term expires: 30 June 2024

Guests:
Ruth Hughes, incoming North Deanery – term begins 1 July 2024

I. Opening Prayer:
Most Rev. W. Shawn McKnight opened the meeting with prayer.

II. Welcome:
Bishop McKnight welcomed and thanked the members for their presence. 

III. Welcome New Members:
Bishop McKnight asked the members to introduce themselves for the new members.

IV. Minutes Published:
The meeting minutes of 27 January 2024, having been approved by the membership on 7 May 2024, are published on the diocesan website: diojeffcity.org/councils.

V. Review Listening Sessions Report:
A. Discussion of synthesis report highlighting diocesan-wide themes —

• The Stewardship way of life is growing within the diocese.
• Welcoming more people to the faith and to Mass needs to begin “outside the walls of the church.”  
• Small group faith sharing is effective and appreciated within the parishes.
• Greater outreach to the younger generations is needed. 
• There is a desire for pastors to be with the people “outside of the rectory”; some of the administrative burden needs to be lifted so they can be pastors.
• There is a hunger for adult faith formation.

VI. Reports from Deaneries:
North Deanery —
A. Discussion

• To assist with planning, each parish will report on their activities, allowing a greater interaction among the parishes and more effective deanery meetings. 
• The primary focus of the deanery will be on fully implementing Stewardship a way of life within all parishes.

See City Deanery —
A. Discussion

• Grief counseling was identified as a need within the deanery and a program is being expanded from one parish to a second parish.
• Helias Catholic interparish high school has proposed the hiring of a youth ministry team to be on staff at the school as well as provide youth outreach for the deanery parishes.

B. Decision or Action

• Once the grief counseling program is complete at the second parish, it will be evaluated.

Southeast Deanery —
A. Discussion

• Emphasized the need to have an effective deployment of coalitions within the deanery.
• Hoping to institute a more effective communication mechanism among the levels of the deanery leadership. 
• One coalition is focusing on hospitality and homebound ministry by providing an information card to collect necessary data. It is still being determined whether this will be done by parishes only in this coalition or by parishes deanery-wide. 

B. Decision or Action

• A communication mechanism, similar to the diocesan Monday Morning Memo, is being developed for the See City Deanery, but could act as a template for other deaneries. Jacob Luecke will share the template and information with those deaneries that had communications as part of their plan.

Southwest Deanery —
A. Discussion

• The deanery is moving from the research phase of their plan into sharing what is being done in the parishes and assessing how they can best share resources and/or complement activities and trainings. 
• The Eucharistic Pilgrimage will be passing through the Southwest Deanery. 

Central Deanery —
A. Discussion

• Parishes were passionate about what they are doing, what their concerns are and how they can make things better. 
• Personal invitations increased parish connectivity and ministry networking.  

B. Decision or Action

• The next step is to meet with Mr. Luecke regarding increasing deanery-wide communications. Currently, many parish coalitions are using joint newsletters and social media to communicate with each other, but deanery-wide connection is also needed. 

Additional Remarks on Deanery Reports —
A. Discussion

• The initial structures of how things were working in parishes is no longer enough and we need to keep moving forward through these positive steps. 
• At the beginning of this process, with the consultation of the council, Bishop McKnight adopted a strategy to build healthy families and healthy parishes. This process is focused on developing the quality of parish members, not on the number of parishioners. Quality will solve all of the concerns at hand, including the over-burdening or exhausting our priests. 
• The experience of co-responsibility in the deanery meetings is key in understanding the mutual respect of the essential roles of both the clergy and laity. 
• The deans in the second year have been asked to evaluate the venue where their deanery meetings are held; if it is not adequate, the dean is to submit a proposal to the bishop for what would optimize their needs. 
• Centers for catechetical and other ministerial programing is also crucial within the deaneries. 

B. Decision or Action

• Helen Osman stated a template guideline regarding structuring parish coalitions is still forthcoming.

VII. Review Parishes as Communities of the Beatitudes:
A. Discussion

• This is a grassroots level approach for how parishes are to review and reformulate their parish plans to implement the deanery plans. 
• This year’s specific focus for the review and discernment of parish plans is the spirituality of the Beatitudes and discipleship.  
• This process will also serve as a means for evangelization by providing a resource for existing small groups or an opportunity to create new small groups within the parish. The process should provide a platform for clergy wellbeing awareness and a personal call to co-responsibility within the parish. 
• Further resources will be part of the materials, some books, some church documents that could serve as additional small group resources. 

B. Decision or Action

• The council members will need to help describe and introduce this discernment process to the parishes, in particular to their parish councils and other small groups.
• Every year the parishes should go through some review process allowing the opportunity to change or modify the parish plan. 
• Hardcopy booklets will be produced by the diocese once a quantity has been determined. A downloadable/printable version will be available online. A Spanish translation version will also be available.
• Further discussion at the next DPC meeting: the diocese needs to continue to provide small group resources to the parishes as well as needing to hear how the parishes are using the resources.
• Currently, there is not an established habit for parishes to do an annual review of their pastoral plans. Consideration should be made to focusing small group resources on preparing for parish plan reviews.

VIII. Added: Follow Up on Chrism Mass Start Time:

• There was a general agreement that the 3:00pm start-time of the Chrism Mass followed by a reception worked well and to schedule the Mass at this time next year was supported.   

IX: June 6 Meeting of Deanery Parish Leadership:
A. Discussion

• The agenda is up to your dean, are no additional agenda items from the bishop or his staff. 
• It is anticipated that the Parishes as Communities of the Beatitudes process will be ready to “show and tell.” Mrs. Osman is available if assistance is needed.
• Reminder that the Eucharistic Pilgrimage is upcoming and there are many opportunities surrounding this throughout the diocese. Please have a schedule of events available.
• For those parishioners attending the Eucharistic Congress, there will be a Diocesan Mass on the Saturday morning. More information can be provided to them.  
• Consider a follow up discussion regarding the recent Stewardship Conference. 
• Check the Monday Morning Memo for upcoming events or contact the diocese to schedule a visit from a ministry director. 

B. Decision or Action

• Correction: the date of the meeting should be June 4, 2024.

X. Added: Diocesan Catholic Rural Life Mass:
A. Discussion

• Mass is scheduled for September 8, 2024, 2:00pm, at a farm outside of Vienna, followed by a meal.
• Bishop McKnight will be the celebrant; other details and logistics are still being planned, but all are invited. 
• This is an opportunity to come together as a diocese to support in faith not only farmers, but all those who live in rural communities. There will be a particular focus on involving the youth of these communities. 

B. Decision or Action

• More information as well as an RSVP to assist with Mass and meal planning will follow. 
• Bishop McKnight hopes that from this Diocesan Mass, a local chapter of the National Rural Life Conference will be developed. He would like to see the rural life mentality, of living close to the earth and having a sense of interdependency, extend into the urban areas of the diocese.   

XI. Upcoming Meetings of DPC:
A. Discussion

• A listing of the remaining 2024 and the 2025 DPC meeting dates as well important website links are included in the meeting packet. 

XII. Guide to Outgoing Members:
A. Discussion

• Bishop McKnight thanked the outgoing members for their years of faithful service and presented them with a special gift.
• Bishop McKnight presented the Benemerenti Medal to Earl Pabst; it was bestowed by the Holy Father, Francis, for Mr. Pabst’s many years of exceptional service to the Church.  

XIII. Concluding Prayer:

• Bishop McKnight closed the meeting with prayer.

Respectfully Submitted,
Bernadette Adams,
Recording Secretary

Future Meeting Dates:
3 August 2024 (9:30am start time)
16 November 2024
3 May 2025
2 August 2025
15 November 2025

Minutes approved: 31 July 2024