Our Lady of the Assumption Parish

Text Box: January 6-7, 2001

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

On this Solemnity of the Epiphany, the day chosen by Pope John Paul II to formally conclude the Great Jubilee Year 2000, I am very pleased to present to you the Strategic Pastoral Plan for Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, 2000-2005. For over a year and a half, many parishioners have worked very hard to formulate a comprehensive and realistic plan to guide our parish development in the first years of this new century and new millennium.

Why do we need to plan? The Second Vatican Council envisioned a Catholic Church in which all the faithful—lay and ordained in their respective roles—collaborate in discernment and guidance of the Church in fulfilling the mission of Christ. During the past decade, pastoral planning has been emphasized in our own Archdiocese as an important way of making this vision a reality. A sound pastoral plan will help us formulate priorities in the face of changing times, needs, and circumstances.

The plan consists of four major elements:

· Our Parish Mission

· Strategic Goals to guide parish priorities over the /next five years.

· Concrete Objectives and Action Plans for the first year to move us in the direction of the goals.

· A commitment to ongoing planning, including yearly monitoring, formulation of new objectives, and possible refinement and modification of the goals—to be done by the Parish Pastoral Council as the major planning body of the parish.

I am grateful for the collaboration of many parish leaders and staff members for their united effort to produce a pastoral plan that points in a clear direction, yet is realistic and flexible.

I am also deeply grateful to you for your love and support as a parish community. The greatest joy that I can experience as a pastor is your generous and loving presence to one another as sisters and brothers in Christ.

May God bless you always. I love you.

Our Mission as a Parish

We, the People of God,
under the patronage of Our Lady of the Assumption
are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

As members of the Body of Christ,
gathering for worship around the Table of Word and Sacrament,
we commit ourselves to live and support one another in
faith, hope, and love.

We are sent forth as apostles, in the power of the Holy Spirit,
to make the Good News of Jesus Christ present and alive in our world
through evangelization and hospitality, healing and service,
education and the establishment of justice.

January 14, 2000

A mission statement is an attempt to articulate who we are, why we exist, and what we have been called to do as a parish community. While we acknowledge that our fundamental mission has been given to us by the command of Jesus Christ and the faith of the Catholic Church, we must still come to terms with what that means for us here and now.

The above mission statement for our parish was formulated a year ago at the start of our strategic pastoral planning. A month-long process of composition, involving the parish planning team and the pastoral staff produced the statement which was presented to the parish at Mass the weekend of January 14, 1999.

It is important to understand that the mission statement, which guided the rest of the planning process, does not merely reflect opinions or feelings about what our parish should be. Rather, these words embody some of our fellow parishioners’ best thinking and praying on the question, asked in the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the life of the Catholic Church, “Who are we, and what are we called to do?”

During the fall and winter of 1999-2000, parish leaders were asked to prepare a comprehensive description and assessment of the parish and its various ministries and activities. At the same time, Richard J. Burke and Associates conducted a professional Limited Institutional Assessment of both parish and school. Combined with demographic and economic data, we were able to analyze our parish strengths and weaknesses (internal characteristics that affect how we live and work as a parish) and our opportunities and threats (external or environmental factors that can help or hinder the fulfillment of our mission).

At a two-day strategic planning retreat, April 14-15, 2000, the planning team, about fifty parish leaders representing a great diversity of experience, involvement, and background, gathered to identify the most important issues facing our parish in the future, and on the basis of all the data collected, draft long-range goals (five year) to guide the formulation of objectives and action plans.

These goals were submitted to the entire parish community in June, 2000, and you were asked whether you accepted them as indicating our parish priorities in the light our mission. Out of 201 signed consultation forms returned, there was an average of 97% agreement on the goals, indicating general acceptance of following goals as guiding our development as parish for the next five years.

Strategic Goals for 2000-2005

Goal #1: Worship/Liturgy. Our Lady of the Assumption will establish and implement a collaborative process to provide liturgical celebrations that form and nurture us as a diverse community and empower us to live our discipleship.

Goal #2: Parish Community Spirituality. Our Lady of the Assumption will develop and implement a unified spiritual enrichment program that supports the many facets of Christian life as we seek to understand and live our mission as a parish.

Goal #3: Unity and Diversity/Ethnic Communities. Our Lady of the Assumption, recognizing that we are a multi-cultural community, will respect and support the integrity of our diverse traditions, and foster cultural awareness as an important aspect of our unity.

Goal #4: Community. Our Lady of the Assumption will actively foster a positive, visible and dynamic presence in the Pomona-Inland Valley community.

Goal #5: Decision Making. Our Lady of the Assumption will develop and implement a collaborative decision-making model, including the establishment of an effective pastoral council.

Goal #6: Administration. Our Lady of the Assumption will support the well being of our ministers and programs, through the cultivation, training and utilization of staff and volunteers, adequate financing, and effective communication.

Goal #7: Buildings and Grounds. Our Lady of the Assumption will design and implement a parish facility master plan with components including needs assessment, space utilization and capital campaign feasibility.

Goal #8: Youth. Our Lady of the Assumption, recognizing the vital importance of our youth in all aspects of parish life, will provide a comprehensive program for our youth and young adults.

Goal #9: Religious Education. Our Lady of the Assumption will provide a religious education process that focuses on life-long participation, exploration, and deepening of our Christian identity in all levels of parish life, from adult to child.

Goal #10: Parish School. Our Lady of the Assumption, recognizing the value of quality Catholic education, will integrate our school more fully into the overall life of the parish.

Goal #11: Christian Service and Outreach. Our Lady of the Assumption will develop and implement a comprehensive approach to hospitality, service and outreach, including assessment of talents and needs, recruitment and education of the laity, publicity, and coordination of programs.

Goal #12: The Poor, Marginalized and Alienated. Our Lady of the Assumption will develop a process to hear and understand the needs of the poor, marginalized and alienated of our community, and to address the causes of poverty and injustice in Gospel value terms.

Goal #13: Evangelization and Initiation. Our Lady of the Assumption will develop and implement a comprehensive plan for evangelization and initiation, inviting all people, both within and outside the parish community, to hear the Gospel message and participate in the Church’s mission in the world.

The next step, undertaken by members of the core planning team, was to formulate objectives for the implementation of the goals for the first year (2000-2001).

It is important at this point to understand the difference between goals and objectives. Goals should address specific areas and issues of our Christian life and mission, serving as general guides to action, challenging and inspiring. Objectives, on the other hand, are action plans, specific and measurable, clearly definable steps toward fulfillment of the long-rang goal.

At a general meeting on October 24, 2000, the entire pastoral planning team studied, modified, and confirmed the draft objectives.

As the members of the Core Team worked on objectives during the summer and fall, it became evident that three things stood out as of paramount importance, and key to the successful realization of all the goals. The Core Team determined these to be priority objectives for the remainder of the program year, 2000-2001.

Goal #5 Priority Objective:
Formation of a Parish Pastoral Council

a. To establish a Pastoral Council Steering Committee.

b. To define the purpose and responsibilities of the Pastoral Council, and identify the gifts needed on the Council.

c. To develop the process for identifying and calling forth members for the Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Pastoral Council.

The Church promotes the establishment of parish pastoral councils as an indispensable resource for planning, collaboration, dialogue, and discernment. Members of a pastoral council bring broad ranging expertise and experience to reflection, consultation, and discernment on important questions of how we as a parish hear and respond to the call and mission of Christ.

By the end of January, 2001, the pastor and strategic planning core team will define the task and select members of a Pastoral Council Steering Committee, who will then research the available models and resources for pastoral council development. By the end of May, they will make recommendations to the pastor and parish pastoral staff. Over the summer, the steering committee will assist in the implementation, selection of members, and formation of the council. Our Lady of the Assumption Pastoral Council should hold its first meeting no later than the end of September, 2001.

The goal speaks of a more comprehensive “collaborative decision making process.” Within the policies and procedures established by the norms of the Archdiocese and the universal Church, our pastoral and administrative staff exercise a high degree of collaboration in the basic decisions regarding parish operation and ministry. The consultation, wisdom, discernment and overall direction that a pastoral council can provide will give greater focus and support to the collaboration that already exists.

The implementation of Goal #5 was viewed by the entire planning team as having the highest priority.

Goal #7 Priority Objective:
Facilities Needs Assessment and Master Plan

To conduct a thorough and professional facility needs assessment and prepare a facility master plan.

Our Lady of the Assumption Parish community is blessed with a wonderful campus and complex of buildings that were established over the past half century to serve the needs of all who gather here for both church and school activities. It is becoming increasingly evident that our facilities no longer adequately serve the needs of our parish. Hasty or poorly planned fixes will not serve our parish in its long-term future, so it is important that careful assessment and planning be undertaken to assure that future generations will be well served by parish facilities that serve both present and future needs.

Beginning this month, the pastor will work with a small committee of parishioners to select a consultant to conduct a facilities needs assessment and master planning process. It is hoped that this process can begin no later than the beginning of summer and be completed by fall. Consultation will include leaders of the various groups and organizations of the parish that make use of the facilities, as well as parishioners at large. The conclusion of the master plan should enable us to determine the extent of new construction and/or renovation that will be most appropriate to provide us with facilities that will best serve future generations.

Goal #6 Priority Objective:
Coordinator of Volunteer Ministries

To create and fill the position of Coordinator of Volunteer Ministries.

The generosity of ever-increasing numbers of parishioners in giving of their time and talent is truly inspiring. As ministries grow and develop, the need for a full-time, staff-level coordinator to assist in both the organization and training of volunteer ministers has become apparent. Other parishes of similar composition, activity, and resources as OLA have successfully benefited from the services of a volunteer ministries coordinator, and can serve as models for us.

The Offertory/Time and Talent Committee, which guided our recent, successful Time and Talent appeal, will study and research the concept of Coordinator of Volunteer Ministries position, utilizing the experience of other parishes as well as consultants and church-related sources. The Pastor will then appoint a Search Committee to develop a position description and conduct a search, which should begin no later than March, 2001. After appropriate screening and interviewing of applicants, the search committee will make a recommendation to the Pastor. The target date for filling the position will be July 1, 2001.

Objectives already begun, completed, or deferred

Many of the goals and objectives reflect projects already planned or underway during the planning process. The implementation of a number of objectives were deferred by the planning core team because it was felt that they could be best handled as part of the ongoing planning under the guidance of the Parish Pastoral Council. They will form an important part of the Council’s first-year agenda. (For the text of each goal, please refer to page 4-5.)

Goal #1, Worship and Liturgy, had two objectives: “to re-establish and revitalize an appropriately representative liturgy committee” and “to hire a part-time Liturgy Coordinator.” A Liturgy Coordinator has been hired, Liz Norene, and she is working with leaders of liturgical ministries to re-establish a viable parish liturgy committee that can be an effective instrument for evaluation, planning, and development of the liturgical life of our parish in accord with the Church’s norms and principles for good liturgy.

Goal # 2, Parish Community Spirituality, had two objectives. One, “to host several lecture series on spirituality for ministry and organization leaders,” is already underway this year with a variety of series, planned and already presented. The other, “to research existing spiritual enrichment programs with a view toward determining what would be best to implement at Our Lady of the Assumption,” was deferred by the planning core team.

8

Goal #3, Unity and Diversity among Ethnic Communities, focuses on mutual understanding, respect, and support for the integrity of diverse traditions. While it is recognized that much is already being done to work toward this goal, an objective was developed “to develop a communication plan that informs the parish at large of activities, issues, and concerns of the cultural communities that function with a distinct identity within the parish community.” Implementation of this objective was deferred because the formation and research of a task force committee would require more resources and staff time than is possible at this time. The objective may need to be refocused under the guidance of the Parish Pastoral Council.

Goal # 4, Community, speaks of the quality of our parish’s relationship with the broader Pomona-Inland Valley community. One objective, “to strengthen and/or establish connections with appropriate local civic and social organizations by the appointment and support of interested and committed persons to serve as parish representatives,” addresses the fact that our parish representation in the civic and social life of our region has been inconsistent. To improve this will require the kind of research, planning, and discernment that pastoral council can bring, and so it has been deferred.

The second and third objectives concerns public relations and publicity of parish activities to the broader community, “to hold a public relations workshop for parish leaders, including staff, leaders of various organizations and ministries, and anyone else interested in assisting in parish-community relations,” and “to promote, coordinate, and sustain a positive, dynamic, and visible presence in local celebrations and events,” will best implemented next year, after a volunteer coordinator is in place.

Goal #5, Decision Making, gives rise to the formation of a Parish Pastoral Council, one of the priority objectives and objectives on page 6.

Goal #6, Administration, focuses not just on how the parish administration can most effectively serve the mission of the parish as accomplished by ministries and organizations. In addition to a Volunteer Coordinator (see page 7), two objectives were formulated as tasks to be undertaken by Mary Jean Neault, the Director of Administration in the Spring of 2001: to provide two performance evaluation training sessions for parish supervisory staff” and ”to provide two training sessions for the Parish Finance Council.” Both of these will assist greatly in the stewardship of parish resources towards the fulfillment of our mission. A final objective, “to implement an effective Offertory increase program in conjunction with Time and Talent in order to integrate and increase parishioner support of all aspects of the parish,” was undertaken last fall and continues to be implemented.

Goal #7, Buildings and Grounds, embraces one of the priority objectives, a facilities needs assessment and master plan, on page 7.

Goal #8, Youth, calls for a comprehensive program for our youth and young adults. Under the direction of our Youth Minister, Robert Lemoine, two objectives, “to form a college-age young adult group, meeting once a week” and “to establish a core team of college-age young adults who assist in leading the High School youth meetings,” are being carried out. In addition, Robert, Fr. Anthony Lee, and the team of adult leaders continue to seek out more effective ways of involving the youth in our parish.

Goal #9, Religious Education, articulates the need for ongoing faith formation that embraces all aspects of parish life. As a beginning, Sr. Claire, Parish Director of Religious Education, is this year implementing the following three objectives: to recruit parents to participate in their children’s religious education classes and activities”; “to develop a program of continuous formation opportunities for our volunteer catechists and aides, as well as parents and other adults of the parish”; and “to increase bilingual (Spanish/English) classes at the communion preparation level.” Development of a comprehensive adult education plan will need to be one of the considerations of the Parish Pastoral Council.

Goal #10, Parish School, focuses on integrating the school more fully into parish life. Three objectives will be implemented by the principal, Elida Lujan, in collaboration with groups and individuals named in parentheses: “to develop a plan by which to broaden the school service hours program to include service in the parish community, and include parishioners serving the school as volunteers” (PFA); “to collaborate between Religious Education and OLA School to increase communication for the purpose of family education” (Sr. Claire); and “to integrate OLA School more closely with the liturgical life of the parish” (Donna Marie Minano, Director of Music Ministries; and Elizabeth Norene, Liturgy Coordinator). In addition, the school administration is reviewing the strategic plan of four years ago, the WASC accreditation results of two years ago, and the institutional assessment conducted last year as guides for future planning and development.

Goal #11, Christian Service and Outreach, seeks to coordinate and link the many outreach programs and activities of the parish in a way that maximizes service and effectiveness, identifies neglected areas, and reduces duplication and waste. This goal is served by two objectives: one, the Volunteer Coordinator (page 6); the other “to increase parishioner participation in parish ministries and organization,” which is being accomplished by the Time and Talent program. Future steps to fulfill this goal should be one of the priorities of the Parish Pastoral Council.

10

Goal # 12, The Poor, Marginalized and Alienated, goes a step beyond service and outreach “to address the causes of poverty and injustice in Gospel value terms.” The only objective, “to develop a core leadership group to address this goal,” has been implemented in conjunction with the Pomona Valley Organizing Cluster of the LA Metro Strategy – IAF. Further training and educational programs are planned for this spring.

Goal #13, Evangelization and Initiation, aims for “a comprehensive plan for evangelization and initiation” in our parish. This year, Elaine Beliveau, RCIA Director, and team members will are focusing on the following two objectives: “to increase interaction between RCIA catechumens and candidates on the one hand, and various parish organizations and ministries on the other”; and “to develop a shared plan by the Religious Education and Christian Initiation offices for the initiation of unbaptized children of catechetical age and youth.” Further planning may involve the Parish Pastoral Council as well as the RCIA Director and team.

Ñ Ñ Ñ

Note that, while the goals constitute a five-year vision, the objectives are limited only to the first year of implementation. According to this plan, the Parish Pastoral Council will, in union with the pastor and the pastoral staff, become the permanent planning body for the parish. Thus a major part of its responsibility will be to monitor the ongoing implementation and development of the Strategic Pastoral Plan, and to determine specific objectives and action plans for each year.

This coming year, a major focus of our life as a parish will to participate in the Archdiocesan Synod, a major planning process involving the whole local church. The Pastoral Letter, “As I Have Done for You,” written jointly by the priests of the Archdiocese and Cardinal Roger Mahony, provides the focus and direction for our future planning.

The implementation of our own pastoral plan, especially the establishment of a viable and dynamic pastoral council, will serve not only the vitality of our own parish but enhance our participation in helping to shape the future of our entire local Church.

Copies of the full Strategic Pastoral Plan for Our Lady of the Assumption Parish are available in the parish office, on the parish web site at http://www.olaclaremont.org .

The Pastoral Letter, “As I Have Done for You,” is also at the parish office or on the Los Angeles Archdiocesan web site at http://cardinal.la-archdiocese.org/000420.htm .

Ñ Ñ Ñ

May the work that the Lord has begun among us be brought to conclusion through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Strategic Pastoral Planning Team Participants

Katrina Asinas

Elaine Beliveau *

Bernadette Boyle *

Jeffrey Brown

Tinh Tan Cao

Thuy Nga Cao

Elmer Carvalho

Adeline Cardenas-Clague *

Sandra Columbus

Steve Duncan

Louie Duran *

Deacon Art Escovedo *

Ray Fleck

John Gateley *

Janette Gould *

Misael Jimenez, Jr.

Steve Kay

Sue Keavney

Sr. Claire Kehl *

Fr. Anthony Lee *

Robert Lemoine *

Elida Lujan *

Tom Luong

Maria Lan Luong

Richard Mabie

Bing Macavinta

Sharon Mack

John Maeder

Mary Jeannette Martz

Mary McCaughey *

Matt McDonagh *

Jean McKenna

Donna Marie Minano *

Mary Jean Neault *

James Niewiarowski

Elizabeth Norene *

Fr. Kris Offor

George Ostertag *

Pat Pearring

Phuong Phan

Tan Phan

Martin Plourde

Bill Popko

Cathi Popko *

Margaret Porter

Sheryl Rhodes

Raul Rodriguez

Sandra Rojas

Adam Russell

Carol Salter

Dave Seccombe

Ana Smead *

Victor Tessier

Vivian Thomas *

Fr. John Tran *

Kim Tran

Vincent Ventura

Patricia Walsh

Fr. Tom Welbers *

* denotes member of Strategic Planning Core Team

Text Box:

“Go out and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have taught you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

Matthew 28:18-20

Claremont, California

January 6-7, 2001

Strategic Pastoral Planning Team Participants