St. James Self-Study

St. James Parish in 1996. Just who are we and where we are going are the challenges that are facing us. As part of our parish self study, a survey of parishioners was undertaken. Once the data was collected and analyzed the various sub-committees met and used the data to explore the areas of concern.

Over two weekend in October 1995, parishioners were asked to respond to numerous questions. Three hundred surveys were returned. The following summarizes the information gathered from the survey.

The third page of our parish survey consisted of a series of questions. These questions help provide the parish profile. The following tables summarize the response. The 'OTHER' represents those who either did not answer part or all of the third page.

For educational background, many people checked more than one response. It was unclear if in college meant that they were presently enrolled in college or whether they had graduated from college.

Finally, in regards to the formation of various guilds and/or clubs, 35% responded in favor of a ladies guild, 18% for a men's guild and 30% in favor of a couples club. In each instance, however, over 50% of those who were in favor of joining were over 51 years of age. Between the ages of 20 and 40 only about 22% and in the 40-51 age bracket only 20% were interested in joining or forming the guilds or clubs.

Beginning In October 1995, the parish began the process of looking at St. James Church. Numerous committees were formed and met frequently. In March of 1996, the committees presented their findings to the parish community as a whole. Those present at this meeting were encouraged to comment and make suggestions. The committees then met to finalized their reports, which are being submitted herein as they were written in order to express the feelings of the parishioners. It was also decided that many of the areas to be studied as recommended by the diocesan guidelines could be consolidated and studied together, for example Liturgical and Spiritual Life, and Cooperation with the Diocese and with other parishes.

FINANCIAL REPORT

The Parish Financial Council has meet monthly to look at the income and expenses of the parish. They have made the recommendation that in order for St. James to meet expenses, it needs to raise $3000.00 a week in the offertory collection. To keep the parishioners aware of this concern, the weekly collections from the Sunday masses are published once a month in the bulletin.

The Parish Financial Council sees the need to inform the parishioners of their financial responsibility to the parish. Presently the Parish Bingo is helping the parish meet its expenses. The Parish Financial Council is well aware of the need to have the parish realize that they, the parish, cannot rely on the money from bingo to supplement the weekly contributions.

Since June of 1994 when Father Edward Correia became the Pastor of St. James Parish, there has been a renaissance in many areas, perhaps most importantly in the liturgical and spiritual areas. During the first year, the Parish Council developed the parish mission statement, of which the banner hanging at the front of the church is a constant reminder. The first step taken by Father Correia upon assuming the Pastorate here was to invite all parishioners to attend a meeting at which we were asked for our comments, suggestions, and ideas to build "community" in our parish. Many of these suggestions have been implemented. Perhaps the most successful was the Parish Mission, which had its second phase during Lent in 1996.

There are also special masses for All Soul's Day, the Feast of St. James, and a mass for all parishioners who have died during the past year. All these are intended to develop a sense of community.

Comments about the encouragement and availability of the Sacrament of Reconciliation were few and mixed, with 82 % showing agreement with the questionnaire statement. The Sacrament is celebrated from 2:45 to 3:30 pm prior to the Saturday vigil mass. An appointment may be made for celebration at other times. The new reconciliation room, built this past year, allows one to remain anonymous or face the confessor. Evening penance services were held during Advent and our parish mission. Prior to the celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage, the couple is encouraged to receive the Sacrament of Penance. It will be made available after the rehearsal if necessary, but this is not encouraged due to the many details to be taken care of at that time. Children are prepared for First Penance at CCD classes, and a special service is held for them.

Results of the questionnaire indicate that 97% of the respondents felt that the liturgies are celebrated with reverence and devotion and there is a strong commitment to reach a high quality of liturgical celebration. Homilies are exceptionally well prepared and presented by both Father Ed and Father Frank McManus, SJ, the Chaplain at St. Luke's Hospital who resides here and participates in our parish life. Not only do they explain the readings, but make them understandable in terms of the historical setting, their connection to our faith, and the challenge they present to us to live our faith. The format is clear and concise, with a beginning, development, and an end. When one reads about poor homilies, it is a tribute to our two priests to find 94% view their homilies as interesting and helpful in making the Gospel more understandable.

Children attend the 9:30 am mass on the first Sunday of each month as part of their CCD program. Children do the readings, making celebration of the Eucharist a participatory event rather than another grown-ups' presentation to be endured. While it is noted that there was a comment that "the children's participation is overdone - disrupting at times", it is absolutely necessary for them to have a place in the mass as they are the future of this parish and of the larger "church". We cannot operate under the old idea that "children should be seen and not heard". There has also been inclusion of girls as altar servers. This happened as soon as the Bishop authorized their inclusion.

Funeral planning generally is done with the Pastor by the funeral director who first discusses this with the family. All directors now have the book with the choices for readings, since our parish has supplied a copy to Perry Funeral Home. If desired, a family member or friend may speak after Communion. Father Ed tries to visit a family before the wake and also plans a follow-up visit about a month later. A Month's Mind Mass may be held on a Saturday morning as there generally is no 9:00 am Mass on that day. With cremation becoming more popular, a funeral mass may be held after, rather than before.

Our parish has for many years had Eucharistic ministers who take Communion to our sick and home-bound members, and service several nursing homes. They attend the training sessions that are held by the Diocese for this purpose. Father Ed offers mass monthly at the Taber Nursing Home and the Jewish Convalescent Home. He meets as needed with those Eucharistic Ministers who serve at mass. Two teenagers who meet the prerequisites newly established by the Diocesan Youth Commission were commissioned as Eucharistic ministers as soon as this ministry was opened up to them. Our pastor also provides training for new lectors who need experience with our difficult sound system, in addition to the proper exercise of their ministry.

The section of the questionnaire which elicited the most comments was about the music. Our music director is an accomplished pianist who really thinks about the appropriateness of the songs and tries to relate them with the readings. Congregational singing, led by the music director, while playing the organ, is attempted at the vigil, the 9:30 am, and 11:00 am masses on weekends. Usually the 8:00 am mass finds the priest leading the congregation quite capably in 'a cappella' renditions of familiar hymns from the missalette. For many years there has been a choir for the 11:00 am mass, but it has been a dwindling group, so that this year, sad to say, there has not yet been any to add to the celebration, except for Christmas. There are many factors which have lead to the demise of our choir, such as the time for practice, dislike of the type of music chosen, lack of new and contemporary material. For funerals and weddings music is planned with the music director. If someone else is requested for the music at a wedding, the director receives half of his usual stipend. If he cannot be present at a funeral due to his work , schedule, someone else comes in and is paid.

In the area of spiritual life, there have been several activities and offerings which were either new or had not been held for several years. These resulted in 85 % of the respondents indicating that parishioners feel programs are available on a parish or inter-parish basis. For three years on the Feast of St. James we had celebrations of Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at which parishioners were invited to come forward for individual/family blessing, making it very special. We have also observed Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and had a Living Rosary both years, followed by a parish pot luck supper and entertainment which shared parish activities via a large projection video screen. These have served to bring people closer together in our faith community. At the end of October 1994 the parish was consecrated to Our Blessed Mother. In 1995, seven members of the parish made a personal consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary. For many years there had not been a parish mission, for which parishioners were hungry. Very successful missions were held during Lent in 1995 and 1996 with Father Tom McElroy presiding. We have also held a Bible sharing session one morning each week after the 9 am mass during Advent and Lent and have been joined by members of St. John's parish. These sessions, although few in number, helped to broaden and deepen the faith of the small group who participated. In fact, some had asked if there would be any meetings this past Advent. Unfortunately, because attendance was very low, this most likely will not be offered this year.

In planning for our future it is necessary to look at the past history of the parish in terms of gains and losses as represented by these figures:

BAPTISMS FIRST COMM. CONF. MARRIAGES FUNERALS

1990 37 35 37 23 49

1991 47 38 42 18 59

1992 39 39 37 12 45

1993 27 53 31 9 52

1994 27 38 23 10 41

1995 41 29 54* 7 41

* combined grades 9 and 10, about 25 if one grade only

One item to note in these figures is that there was an increase in the number of Baptisms. While the number of parishioners is important, the quality of their faith activity is even more important. For those who attend regularly and participate in the many varied offerings, an excellent Catholic formation is now available. However, due to the frequency of reassignments of pastors and parochial vicars over a period of several years, as shown in the accompanying table, the parish lost its sense of stability. This resulted in a feeling of frustration, a decrease of activities, a loss of parishioners, and , in many, a sense of apathy. Our MAJOR concern is improvement. The rebuilding of this parish, now begun, will take much time and effort. Ideas to be explored should be based on parish community activities.

The following November attendance reports for the last five years show about 700 attending per weekend. The aberration for the 4:00 pm mass on 11/21/1992 was the Healing Mass offered by Bishop Sean. This figure was deleted in figuring totals and averages. While the totals indicate some increase over the five years, the averages show our attendance at about 700 per weekend, and 175 per mass. The figures available for the last three years also showed the number of registered parishioners has remained fairly steady at about 800 families.

1) the very high quality of our liturgical celebrations, indicated by a whopping 97% of questionnaire respondents

2) the need to develop greater awareness of the importance of and to encourage more frequent reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation

4) the need to form a Liturgical Committee to address these concerns to fulfill our mission statement,

EDUCATIONAL EVANGELIZATION PROGRAMS

CCD Program

Presently we have 260 children in our program from grades K-9. The three strengths of the program are the commitment of the teachers, the openness and flexibility of approaching the many pastoral situations, and the textbooks and liturgical celebrations. The three weaknesses are that more help is needed to teach the students, teacher training is needed, and the Bible is not used enough. The three suggestions are for more parental involvement in the Confirmation program, outside speakers for all grades, and teacher training.

Adult Education

The annual parish mission is very well received. It is recommended that we have an open house in the rectory once a month when parishioners could come and be instructed and share about certain parts of their faith. One recommended resource was the Adult Catechism. During Advent and Lent, St. James and St. John the Baptist had bible sharing sessions on the Sunday readings. It was held once a week after the Wednesday 9:00 AM mass at St. James. Coffee and refreshments are also served. About fifteen people attended from the two parishes.

The parish joins the Protestant and Catholic Churches in the New Bedford area in observing "Bring a Friend to Church Sunday." Parishioners are urged to bring a person who does not come to church with them for Sunday Mass. Refreshments are served after each Mass to provide an opportunity to meet these people.

Nothing is done to welcome newcomers except for a monthly coffee and donuts in the gathering area of the church for fellowship after the weekend Masses.

Fostering Religious Vocations

Fr. Craig Pregana came in March to speak at all the weekend Masses on vocations. He also spoke and celebrated the children's Mass. We have a seminarian Brother Thomas Washburn OFM who speaks at the masses when he is home for vacations.

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION PROGRAMS

Baptism

The preparation of the parents who have an infant to be baptized is as follows: the parents must secure a sponsor certificate for the Godparents before the initial meeting of the pastor and parents. At the first meeting, the information about the child to be baptized is taken and the general spiritual situation of the family is discussed. The second meeting consists of an instruction about the Sacrament of Baptism with the parents and Godparents.

First Penance

Classes are held beginning in January for the Catholic school and public school children to prepare them for this sacrament. The Sacrament is celebrated within a Penance Service followed by a celebration with pizza. The parents are encouraged to attend.

First Communion

The preparation is a two-year program. Two parents' meetings are held during this time. The children are required to come to a monthly children's Mass.

Confirmation

The preparation is a two-year program. In the second year of the preparation (Grade 9), all Catholic and public school students attend classes on Sunday morning followed by Mass. A day of reflection is a part of their preparation. Also going to the Nursing Homes on Good Friday provides them with an experience of service. A celebration called "Choice" is celebrated with the candidates and their sponsors and families. The candidates publicly profess their choice to receive the Sacrament. A letter is written by the candidates to the pastor stating the reasons why they want to be confirmed.

Marriage

Two meetings are held with the couple. Attendance at one of the marriage preparation days presented by the diocese is also required.

RCIA

A team of three parishioners and the pastor meet weekly with the candidates to share in the lectionary catechesis. The ceremonies of anointing and blessings are celebrated with them at parish Masses at the appropriate times. The role and participation of sponsors needs to be developed.

A weekly class for about three months is given to those adults who need to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Those children of catechetical age who need to receive the Sacraments of Initiation attend the regular CCD classes of their grade level. The pastor meets with them weekly to prepare them for the reception of the Sacraments. The ceremonies are done within meetings with the children of the CCD program.

ST. JAMES YOUTH COMMUNITY SELF STUDY REPORT

The youth ministry began again in our parish in October 1994. Bud Miler and Fr. David Costa of the Youth Ministry Office came to explain the goals of youth ministry to the adult and youth of the parish.

Presently we have ten adult advisors and six young people who form a Youth Council to plan activities and programs for the youth of our parish. This past summer the adult advisors participated in a training program, YOUTHWORKS 2000, sponsored by the Youth Ministry Office of the diocese to help evaluate and improve our youth ministry.

The youth of the parish are invited to a weekly "drop-in" evening on Wednesday night from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM in the Parish Center. Available to the young people at these sessions are ping pong, pool, volleyball, basketball, music and socializing make. Three of the advisors take turn supervising this get-together. The average attendance is from 13 to 25 young people. The second Wednesday is designated as the meeting for our youth group which consists of 15 members.

We have participated in diocesan sponsored youth activities such as the Diocesan Youth Convention and the Christian Leadership Institute (CLI) to which we sent one young person last year and two young people this year. Two of our young people have been commissioned as Eucharistic Ministers.

The youth have adopted a poor family in Haiti. At each drop-in, we collect 50 cents from each young person who attends to help pay our $25 to the family.

We have a newsletter which is sent to sixty of our young people. In the newsletter there are articles written by young people and announcements of certain events that are being offered for all the young people of the parish.

Our young people participate in parish activities. They served as ushers for Holy Saturday night, helped at the Christmas Penny Sale; two serve on the parish council, and many youth made merit citations for our Family Sport Night at the Kennedy Center.

The young people have reached out to members of our parish by visiting them at Taber Nursing Home and the Jewish Convalescent Home on Good Friday to pray the Stations of the Cross. They also go to the nursing homes for Christmas caroling.

1. Pastoral Care and Guidance - giving our youth opportunities to deal with personal and relational issues

2. Catechesis - opportunities for growth in faith and exploration of church and church teaching.

3. Worship and Spirituality - opportunities to help youth develop a personal relationship with God and a strong bond to the Christian community.

The mission of Youth Ministry of St. James is to foster the total personal and spiritual life within a caring Christian community, and to involve them in the life, mission and work of that community.

Ministry to the Sick and Infirmed of St. James Parish is undertaken by Father Correia and a group of Eucharistic Ministers. Parishioners in the hospital are visited by Father on a regular basis.

Those in nursing homes are visited weekly or monthly, where approximately four hundred (400) Communions are given each month. Father celebrates Mass each month at Tabor Nursing Home and the Jewish Convalescent Home , and the Sacrament of the Sick is given to residents twice a year.

The homebound of the parish are visited by a group of lay ministers weekly and by Father monthly. Approximately sixty (60) Communions are brought to the homes each month.

The strong point of the Ministry is the faithfulness of the Eucharistic Ministers who serve weekly or on a 2- or 3-week rotation as a team, many having served for a number of years. The gratitude and appreciation of the sick and infirm is another strength which encourages all.

Efforts could be made to bolster the program by searching out more ministers and more homebound parishioners wishing to receive the Eucharist. Suggestions were made concerning meetings of the group to bring them together as a ministry on the spiritual level and to better organize the teams working herein.

In addition to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, there are other min ministries/apostolates that will submit their reports under their individual category.

This report focuses on St. Vincent de Paul, an organization that has 14 active and 3 associate members. Their purpose is to serve the needy and the poor within the parish. As part of the district of Greater New Bedford, they assist those in need outside the parish as an ecumenical outreach source for emergencies, providing clothing, shelter, etc.

Twice a year they ask parishioners to participate in food drives which assist them in keeping a food pantry stocked. In conjunction with Catholic Social Services who screen and refer clients, they distribute food baskets on a weekly basis and on Thanksgiving. They also provide vouchers to those in need of clothing from the St. Vincent de Paul clothing store. At Christmas, they distribute packages to parishioners who are homebound. The monetary donations provided by individuals, holy day collections, and memorials enable St. Vincent de Paul to contribute to Catholic Charities, Market Ministries, Right to Life, The Rose Hawthorn Lathrop Home, and Interchurch Council. They also provide 14 to 20 young people the opportunity to attend St. Vincent de Paul summer camp each year.

In cooperation with the Greater New Bedford Health Center, St. James parish for the past two years has displayed a Giving Tree at Christmas. The tree is filled with tags containing first names and the ages of children who are serviced by the center and are in need, without regard to ethnicity or race. Also included as recipients are children from the Schwartz Rehabilitation Center. Parishioners are invited to take a tag and buy a gift and a toy. The response to this project is indeed an excellent one.

A few projects are initiated annually by individuals who invite parishioners to form a committee. These projects such as a crafts fair and a penny sale not only bring the church community together, but also raise revenue for the parish along with the booster club and bingo.

'One of the weaknesses of St. James Parish is the absence of a Women's Guild. Traditionally, St. James Parish has benefited from the presence of its Women's Guild, but due to aging members and lack of interest from younger women of the parish, the guild dissolved in 1985.

A couples club was organized in the seventies and existed for approximately ten years. Interest began to wane and it too disbanded. Many of the members moved to Senior Clubs while others became involved in PTO's.

In response to survey questions relating to parishioner interest in organizations, 35% were in favor of a Ladies' Guild, 18% for a Men's Club, and 30% in favor of a Couples' Club. However, in each instance, over 50% of those in favor of joining such organizations were over 51 years of age as compared to 22% in the 20 to 40 age bracket, and 20% in the 40 to 50 age bracket.

It is clear that in order for any organization to survive, solid leadership and member participation are essential. St. James is blessed with a good leader in Fr. Correia. Under his guidance, perhaps these clubs could have a rebirth, keeping in mind the younger members of the parish would have to play an active role. It has been recommended that St. James organize a committee to collect coats and blankets in the Fall. These items would be distributed to the agencies in the greater New Bedford area which serve the needy.

Lastly, many parishioners have good ideas for projects that will help serve the community. It is important to encourage them to openly express these ideas to the parish community in order to generate mutual interest and support.

ADVISORY COUNCILS

St. James Parish has 3 advisory councils: a financial council, a pastoral council and a school council. All three are advisory in nature.

The parish financial council was first established in 1991, but not active until September of 1994, when it was reorganized and has been meeting on a monthly basis ever since. The financial council consists of 7 members who were appointed by the pastor.

The Pastoral Council has also been re-activated in recent years although it has been in existence, on paper at least, for many years. The council consist of 13 members who represent the parish at-large. It will follow the format of electing half of the council on alternating years for terms of 2 years.

The School Advisory Board consist of 3 members of the parish along with three members from St. John the Baptist Church. The board meets four times a year and advises the pastors and the school's principal.

It was decided that these three concerns as they affect St. James could not be done separately. As a result these three areas were looked at as one, and a single report was written.

For many years, St. James has cooperated with the diocese and other churches in its ministry to serve the Catholics and people of other faiths in the South End. The St. Vincent de Paul Society serves the many families in need in the area. Parishioners are constantly contributing food to keep the food pantry filled. Special drives at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and during Lent have replenished the food given to the needy. Members of St. Vincent de Paul meet regularly on the parish, regional, and diocesan levels.

St. James has been very active in support of the work of missionaries in the church. It actively supports through contributions the work of the Propagation of the Faith, and other missionary works undertaken on the diocesan or national level. Each year, under the Missionary Cooperative Plan, St. James welcomes to its parish a missionary who speaks at all the masses. The members of St. James have been very supportive of the work of group of missionaries and priest in Haiti. Fr. McManus, S.J., who lives at our rectory and participates in our parish life is very active in this group. Through his work in Halti, the parishioners of St. James have become very aware of the plight of its citizens. As a result of his speaking and work, the youth group of the parish has adopted a family in Haiti and supports it through weekly contributions at the drop-in center.

St. James has encouraged its Religious Education teachers to attend the annual convention. The youth have attended the diocesan youth days in both October and March. Much of what has been discussed at these meetings has been brought back and shared with other members. The youth group meets once a month during its Wednesday drop-ins and shares topics discussed. The parish sponsors two members of its youth group each year to the Christian Leadership Institute held at Cathedral Camp.

It should be noted that the work with the youth has been reactivated since Fr. Ed has become pastor. Before Fr. Ed's tenure, there had been no ministry to the youth since Fr. Fernandes was an associate pastor.

Since Fr. Ed's tenure, St. James has begun collaboration with other parishes, both Catholic and non-Catholic. Each Lent, St. James and St. John cosponsored a scripture study on Wednesday after the 9:00 AM Mass. During Lent of 1995, scripture study was held also on Wednesday evenings. Unfortunately, it was not as well-attended as the morning session and was not continued.

In 1994 Catholic and Protestant clergy (including Fr. Ed from St. James) from New Bedford and Fall River met to discuss how the Church could help address some of the problems that the two cities face. (Violence, racism, unemployment, etc.) Lou Finfour of Organizing Leadership Training Center in Boston met with the clergy to provide the proper direction. The St. James Pastoral and Financial Councils gave approval for St. James to join this new group provided that more information would be shared as it was received.

A committee of Catholics, Protestants and Jewish clergy from both cities was formed and called the Fall River and New Bedford Organizing Committee. There first goal was to try to get other congregations to join in a future coalition. Members of various congregations went for a special weekend of training in community organizing. Three of our parishioners, Brian Sylvia, Trix Whalen, and Sue Braga have already attended this training session.

With twenty eight congregations willing to join this new coalition the original name was changed. This new coalition is called United Interfaith Action (UIA). Monthly meetings are held for representatives of the member congregation. Five people from St. James regularly attend these meetings. United Interfaith Action's first task as a coalition was to sponsor a drive to get more people within the two cities to register to vote. The next major task of UIA is to hire two full time community organizing people whose job it would be to help the coalition select the issues that they would like to study and act upon. The funding to pay for these full time community organizers will come from donations from member congregations and from special funding agencies.

St. James Parish has an active pro-life committee which works with both the Diocesan pro‑life and also the Massachusetts Citizens for Life. Its members are committed to the pro-life cause and have a strong communication line in the parish, getting many important messages to parishioners through a telephone tree.

Although not a parish project, there are about ten people who volunteer their time in the Pastoral Care Program at St. Luke's Hospital. This program is under the Diocesan Department of Pastoral Care for the Sick. These parishioners serve in various capacities, such as Eucharistic minister, sacristan, and secretary. The program involves the hospital, The Oaks Nursing Home and Bristol-Mediplex I. The duration of service of these volunteers ranges from ten to two years at this point, with each person reporting on a weekly basis, and spending from one to two hours at the site. Possibly our parishioners have volunteered for this ministry because several of the hospital chaplains have been in residence here at St. James over the years.

1. Active pro-life committee working hard on the issue of abortion and right-to-life

3. Support of all diocesan programs dealing with religious education, youth, and pro-life issues.

1. Lack of active participation by more parishioners. We as a parish must become more involved in the issues facing our church and community.

An annual financial report is given by the members of the Parish Financial Council to the parish at the Masses on a designated weekend. The report is made by the members of the Financial Council. They have access to all of the financial reports and books to make this report.

The parish secretary, Helen Alves, works twenty hours a week. She does the payroll, pays the bills, takes care of correspondence, does all the forms for the IRS, arranges Masses for the parishioners, takes care of the budget envelope system, and keeps the census file current.

The sexton, Andrew Rivet, works forty hours a week. His work is to take care of the buildings, coordinate work that needs to be done on the buildings and regularly report on the condition of the buildings to the Parish Financial Council. There are no staff meetings. There are no computers in the parish. There are no written policies for parish employees. Bills are paid on a timely basis.

EVALUATION OF FATHER EDWARD CORREIA'S ADMINISTRATIVE STYLE

Members of the Parish Financial and Pastoral Councils were asked to submit written statements in evaluation of Father's administrative style. As a guide, each received an excerpt of a list from a 1988 (!) Liguori publication which was used in another parish's bulletin. The article dealing with pastors' styles of ministry was "The Padre" by Father Dan Welte, C.SS.R. The styles listed therein were

(1) Traditional: This pastor values practicality. Trying to meet everyone's needs, he is like the good shepherd.

(2) Charismatic: This pastor values instinct. Believing that the spirit leads us, he is like the scientist who enjoys experimentation.

(3) Systematic: This pastor values organization. Setting goals, he is like the manager conducting the business of the church.

(4) Personal: This pastor values relationships. Knowing names and cultivating friendships, he is like the jovial host welcoming everyone into his living room.

(5) Prophetic: This pastor values truth. Challenging people, he is like the biblical prophet speaking news that many considered not good.

Based on responses, it is no surprise to find that Father Ed is described in one response as " combining many styles to make the most effective pastor ever at St. James." Comments in the replies generally seem to fit into the categories as stated in the following breakdown.

Somehow, Father Correia always seems to have time to listen to concerns and needs of parishioners and non-parishioners. He has helped people to analyze their needs and aim for dreams. Spiritual, yet practical, he knows his parishioners personally and realizes what they need in their church and then manages to serve them both individually and as a group. He touches all age groups and people from varied backgrounds A special effort was made to reach out to the youth by setting up a drop-in center one night a week and starting a youth group.

In response to our requests at the initial meeting in July 1994, special religious events have been offered to the parish, perhaps most memorable being Benediction on the Feast of St. James.

Charismatic

Our pastor is charismatic, praying for direction in making decisions about the parish. Homilies often urge us to allow time in our own prayers to let God speak to us. He combines this spirituality with sincerity, enthusiasm, and practicality. He is cognizant of this Church's role in our lives and how it holds the parish together. His spiritual focus transcends the particular ceremony and/or event, making them very special and meaningful in a personal dimension.

Systematic

Father Correia has systematically set goals to accomplish numerous "fix-up" projects in the physical "plant" after approval of the Financial and Pastoral Councils. All these required much planning and coordination of groups and outside experts. This has taken much time and effort on his part, which he seems to willingly give. The repair projects have not been easy in view of the limited receipts of this parish. He is open to suggestions and ideas of parishioners, joining people in exploring avenues, defining objectives, and refining solutions.

Personal

Father is a listener, offering suggestions and solace. He has come to know many in our community in his two years here, A happy man, he celebrates church feasts, children's songs, and oldsters' anniversaries. His enthusiasm enters into every relationship and excites the same in all he meets. His integrity is beyond reproach. He has a strong sense of community and has readily accepted ideas for activities which have brought us together.

In summation, Father Edward Correia is a mixture of many administrative styles, not surprisingly. Several responses cited his outgoing friendly manner. Also, he is the embodiment of HOPE, possibly the reason for our mission statement. A comment from the parish survey stated that Father Ed is "Heaven sent." None of the comments received from the Council members topped that one. What have we done to deserve him ? Let this parish community pray that he stays many years.

We at St. James Parish Community have been studying the meaning of Stewardship through bulletin announcements, homilies and general discussion with the members of our Parish Financial Council. We are beginning to understand that Stewardship is a way of life and a special spirituality

Everything that we have in our lives that is good comes from God as a gift for us to care for and to develop. Our gifts of time, talent and treasure are to be used to spread the kingdom of God. Through homilies and bulletin announcements parishioners have been called to give ten percent of these gifts to God and His work. ,

Because of our parish self study we are concentrating on the gifts of time and talent. We are preparing to offer the parishioners various ministries, membership on committees that will address the goals we have set for the next five years and apostolic works to join as a way of giving ten percent of their gifts to God.

1. The annual penny sale, a fund raiser where many parishioners give of their time and talents.

2. St. Vincent de Paul Society, a small group of dedicated parishioners who take care of the needy at any time during the year.

3. Our Giving Christmas Tree; in the beginning of Advent, a large Christmas tree is placed in the rear of the church. The parishioners are asked to take a tag from the tree and buy whatever is written on it for a needy child. The gift is then placed under the tree and then the gifts are distributed to the needy children. This event has been a great success at St. James Parish.

3. We believe many young parishioners feel intimidated, or feel that they don't have enough qualities to volunteer for programs of the parish.

1. A Welcome or Public Relations Committee is needed to contact and welcome each new family that wants to become a part of St. James Parish.

2. The Committee should contact either by phone or card the parishioners for either a joyous or sad occasion in the family to show them that We Really Care.

3. When asking for volunteers for any activity or committee, a spokesperson should explain all about the organization. This could be done briefly before or after the homily depending on the circumstances. The person should inform the parishioners that a "degree" is not needed, just a dedicated heart.

Once the committees had written the self-study reports and presented them to the parish at large, the Parish Council met over a period of a month and through prayers and discussion determined the major goals for St. James to undertake over the next five year. For each goal, the council determined a course of action. Enclosed are the major goals for St. James Parish.

To address this goal, the parish council determined the following course of action:

YEAR 1: A Liturgical Committee will be formed. This committee will be open to any parishioner. During the first year, they will be given training in liturgy and liturgical planning by Fr. Mc Manus, S.J. They will begin to formulate a course of action. The committee will report to the Parish Council in the Spring.

YEAR 2 & 3: The Liturgical Committee will meet and plan various liturgical celebrations for the Parish. The will report to the Parish Council at least once a year or as needed.

ST. JAMES WILL ESTABLISH AN OUTREACH PROGRAM TO MEET THE HEALTH NEEDS OF PARISHIONERS

To address this goal, the parish council determined the following course of action:

YEAR 1: A committee will be formed. It will receive training regarding available health service. The committee will look at ways to implement appropriate programs. The committee will formulate a course of action and report to the Parish Council in the Spring.

YEAR 2 & 3: This committee will begin to implement some of its plans in year 2 and year 3 within the parish. As needed they will report to the Parish Council.

To address this goal, the parish council determined the following course of action:

YEAR 1: A Religious Education Committee will be formed and provided with appropriate training. Its task will be to look into ways to increase parental involvement in the CCD program, and ways to incorporate all school children, public and parochial, into the CCD programs. This committee will also look into programs and activities which will help to increase the religious education of all its parishioners. The committee will report to the Parish Council in the Spring.

YEAR 2 & 3: This committee will begin to implement some of its plans in year 2 and year 3 within the parish. As needed they will report to the Parish Council.

To address this goal, the parish council determined the following course of action: