News

16 November 2024     

Present:

Bishop W. Shawn McKnight, President         

Rev. Msgr. Robert A. Kurwicki, Vicar General – ex-officio

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 – additional term expires: 30 June 2027

Very Rev. Christopher L. Cordes, Vicar for Priests – 1^st term expires: 16 January 2027

Deacon Enrique Castro, Deacon and Hispanic Communities – 1^st term expires: 30 June 2027

Cristhia Castro, Deacon and Hispanic Communities – 1^st term expires: 30 June 2027

Kevin DeHaan, North Deanery – 1^st term expires: 15 January 2027

Justin Franka, Newman Center – 1^st term expires: 3 May 2026

Ruth Hughes, North Deanery – 1^st term expires: 30 June 2027

Elizabeth James, See City Deanery – 1^st term expires: 30 June 2027

Sr. Ruth Ann Klauser, SSND – 1^st term expires: 30 April 2027

Russell Kremer, Southeast Deanery – additional term expires: 30 June 2025

Sheri Stormer, Southeast Deanery – additional term expires: 30 June 2025

Barbara Prasad, Dir. of Women’s Ministry – 1^st term expires: 22 November 2025

Jonathan Pund, See City Deanery – 1^st term expires: 26 April 2027

Kelly Wheeler, Central Deanery – 2^nd term expires: 30 June 2027

Bernadette Adams, Recording Secretary 

Absent:

Kent Korthas, Southwest Deanery – 2^nd term expires: 30 June 2027

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

1. Welcome:                                
2. Colleen Abbott welcomed and thanked the members for their presence. 

1. Minutes Published:
2. The meeting minutes of 3 August 2024, having been approved by the membership on 14 November 2024, are published on the diocesan website: diojeffcity.org/councils.

1. Consultation – Use of Liturgical Music:
   1. Discussion:
2. Bishop McKnight reviewed the process that led to his Decree on the use of liturgical music within the diocese. He stated the three elements focused on within the decree and asked the council to assist with the third element: 
   1. The four Mass settings that all parishes are to become familiar with.
   1. The prohibiting of music composed by someone who has been found credibly accused.
   1. The ongoing consultation that is to take place.

• Decisions or Actions:
• The Diocesan Liturgical Commission is to invite participation from the local chapter of the National Pastoral Musicians to continue the consultation process and provide recommendations to the Diocesan Pastoral Council and the Presbyteral Council by August. 
• The members’ initial input identified formation as a necessary element of the ongoing consultative process.
• Deacon Enrique Castro volunteered to assist with the consultations within the Hispanic communities. 

• Reports from Deaneries:
  • Discussion:

North Deanery –                                                                       

• Rev. R. William Peckman is the new dean since the last meeting. 
• Parishes are in various stages of completion of the Parishes as Communities of the Beatitudes.
• Small groups discussed four ministries and their resources as well as the needs for each ministry. Each small group reported on the progress of the ministries.
• Fr. Peckman gathered contact information to create a database for deanery leadership communications. 

Central Deanery –

• Had the first meeting of deanery advisory board consisting of representatives from each coalition. This group will meet in advance of the deanery meetings to review the progress of the pastoral plan and prepare a report for the deanery leadership meetings. 
• The parish in Louisiana also included the nursing home residents as small groups for the Parishes as Communities of the Beatitudes.

See City Deanery – 

• Implementation of the pastoral plan is going well and the parishes are pooling resources for their initiatives.
• Still working on gathering leaders for deanery-wide initiatives.

Southwest Deanery – 

• Took time over the summer to work on objectives of sacrament preparations. At the last meeting, leadership identified resources, needs, and preparation markers for each sacrament.
• The next step is to determine how the deanery can help with the parishes’ resource needs.
• Leadership had a good discussion about vocations and how to encourage invitations to vocations within ministries.

Southeast Deanery – 

• Catholic Charities presented resource options and future plans of the agency.
• Discussed ways to celebrate the upcoming Jubilee Year at the deanery level.
• Encouraged participation of Parishes as Communities of the Beatitudes.
• Co-responsibility was encouraged by the Vocations presentation.
• Rural Life Mass was a great success and those involved are making a “how-to” manual for the hosts of the next Mass, the North Deanery.

• Decisions or Actions:
• Bishop McKnight asked that Deacon Castro of Faith Formation Office share with the deaneries the National Catechetical Directory. 
• The Faith Formation Office will present to deaneries regarding PSR curriculum standardization and/or approved curriculum resources.

• Promotion and use of Parishes as Communities of the Beatitudes in Pastoral Planning:  
• Bishop McKnight reviewed the purpose of the document: to review, or create, the parish pastoral plan and align it to their deanery pastoral plan.
• Helen Osman stated that booklets are still available if deaneries need more; she also reminded the members that the pastoral plans are available in the shared Google drive.
• Feedback, including frustrations, regarding integrating pastoral planning with small groups is strongly encouraged. Successful planning will rely on this process being part of the normal work of the parish.  
• Mrs. Abbott recommended compiling a best-practices list regarding implementations that have worked well in each of the deaneries.
• Bishop McKnight asked Jonathan Pund to share his experience within his small group:
• It was community building, gave hope of the good being done, and identified areas to improve on for building the broader community.
• The small group provided feedback to the pastor and will meet with the parish pastoral council. 
• The group members will become facilitators for other small groups and will ask that pastoral council members be a part of those small groups. 
• Bishop McKnight stated the feedback should be used by the parish pastoral councils to draft a parish pastoral plan, or revise their plan; after which, they should hold a townhall meeting inviting the small group participants to see what has come out of their work and to provide a final opportunity for input.

• Mass Attendance Report: 
• Jacob Luecke presented a draft of the Mass attendance report and provided background regarding how and why the reporting is being done.
• Included in the report are positive initiatives that are in place to address the challenge of declining attendance: Stewardship has a large focus on hospitality and parishioner involvement, Shaping Our Future Together pastoral planning as well as small group parishioner input. 
• The members were asked for their reactions and input regarding having the report made public:
  • Seeing the individual parish numbers could tempt a negative impact. Potentially, families could want to move to a parish that appears to be growing and away from their current parish.
• Overall, the report is seen as positive and a helpful tool. 

• Pastor Assignments:                                                           
• Topic tabled until the next meeting.

1. Jubilee Year:
   1. Mr. Luecke introduced materials regarding the upcoming Jubilee Year including the logo and anticipated celebrations.
      1. Initial feedback was requested regarding ways people can participate in celebrations and pilgrimages for the Jubilee Year. Suggested included:
         1. Printing prayer cards.
         1. Providing a tool kit for organizing pilgrimages to Rome, or for local pilgrimages. 

• Introduction of Diocesan Youth Council:Maureen Quinn, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, introduced the newly formed Youth Council. The members were selected from each deanery and will represent the youth of the diocese through:Representation at the deanery leadership meetings.Developing activities that the youth desire.Formation and leadership.

• Bishop’s Comments: 
• Bishop McKnight welcomed the Youth Council and thanked them for their willingness to serve by advising him and the chancery staff as well as to serve their peers.

• Concluding prayer:                                                                      
• Bishop McKnight closed the meeting with prayer.

Respectfully Submitted, 

Bernadette Adams, 

Recording Secretary

Future Meeting Dates:

3 May 2025

2 August 2025

15 November 2025

Minutes approved: 12 May 2025.