Take the Survey!

Tell us what you think!  Saint Patrick Catholic Church invites you to take the Pierce Deanery and Parish Long Range Planning Survey.

Glad You Asked That!

What is this most recent survey for?  Why do you want to hear what I think about Saint Patrick Parish?

An open letter from Pastoral Coordinator— Kevin Lovejoy explains the what and the why!

Your opinion matters!  The Church of Saint Patrick is your parish, and we are following Pope Francis’ call for increased dialogue at the parish level.  The Pope wants to hear from the local church, and so do we.  Parishioners see parish life from a different – but equally valid –  and in many ways more important perspective than parish leadership.  Your voice is important because the church exists for you, not for its church leaders.  As servant leaders, our responsibility is to serve you.  And you know best whether the church is meeting your spiritual needs and helping you encounter Jesus.  

That’s why we want to hear what you think about Saint Patrick Parish. We want to continue to do what’s working for you and change that which isn’t.  As noted in the survey introduction, your responses will help shape plans being developed at both the Deanery and Parish level.  We have all benefitted from the wise planning and stewardship of countless Catholics who came before us.  It’s now  our time to plan for future generations of Pierce County Catholics. We can’t do it well without hearing from you.

Blessings,

Kevin Lovejoy

Pastoral Coordinator

“The pope has said that the church should not be run like a top-down organization, with all authority and power radiating from the center; he said it should be an ‘inverted pyramid’ in which the bishops and pope exercise their authority and deepen their identification with Jesus ‘in serving the people of God.'”— Read more about the Pope’s thinking in the article Listening Church in America Magazine— The National Catholic Review. 

Planning on Two Levels

As Parish Long Range Planning team is discerning the “mission that has us” we are simultaneously being asked by the Archdiocese and Pierce Deanery to address the challenge of asking existing parishes to begin re-thinking what it means to be a “church community” looking beyond our traditional parish boundary models, to see if there are ways current parish communities can collaborate and partner with one another to better serve the collective needs of Catholics in Pierce County.

Planning on the Deanery Level

The Pierce Deanery is wisely taking the time and effort to deliberately stop, think, discern and plan for our future as it relates to the greater Catholic Community of Pierce County. We have all benefitted from the wise planning and stewardship of countless Catholics who came before us and now it’s our time to plan for future generations of Pierce County Catholics.

Planning on the Parish Level

At the Parish level, our Long Range Planning team under the expert guidance of Barbara Eckert, Senior Leadership Consultant from The Catholic Leadership Institute recently formulated the team’s Purpose Statement and Team Values. The next task for the Parish Long Range Planning team is to determine key areas of focus.

Thank You for Your Valuable Contribution

Thank you for taking time to sharing your thoughts on  Pierce Deanery  and Parish Long Range Planning. Your feedback is important to both planning processes. If you have any questions about either planning process, the survey or any other questions about parish life, please send an email or call 253-383-2783.

Take the Survey

Learn More

To learn more about Pierce Deanery and Parish Long Range Planning check out past Glad You Asked That articles and a few others in the News Archives.

Update: Pierce Deanery & Parish Long Range Planning

Pierce Deanery Pastoral Planning Process Continues

Glad You Asked That: Frequently Asked Questions Installment # 5

Glad You Asked That: Frequently Asked Questions Installment #4