Faith formation staff conduct parish visits

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
November 6, 2003

Parish visits offer an opportunity for the staff of the Office of Faith Formation to see the strengths of parish programs as well as identify any common needs that may be addressed through diocesan resources.

According to Kay Morrissey, director of the Office of Faith Formation, staff members of this diocesan office have visited about 30 to 40 percent of the parishes/clusters in the diocese. This process started last spring and they hope to visit all by late winter.

She pointed out that adult formation was one of the four main areas in the diocese's recent capital campaign.

"Before we utilize funds of the campaign, we wanted to do consultation at the local level," said Morrissey. "It is one thing to send out surveys and ask people questions, but I find a different view to be able to sit down with people and talk about their realities - what are the needs of their catechists, what is working well for them, what would they suggest for us."

Based on the responses, faith formation priorities will be established. This, she noted, will help ensure that the Office of Faith Formation will practice good stewardship of interest income from the campaign.

Prior to the visits, a short questionnaire is sent to the parish staff so they might prepare some thoughts.

Bev Hurni, director of family ministries, is among the Office of Faith Formation staff making visits.

"We try to identify what are their needs for adult faith formation, the needs of the catechists and parish staff," she noted.

One of the recurring comments that Hurni has heard is that the people in the parishes would like for training and formation to be offered locally - in the individual parishes when possible or in the clusters. With this in mind, she noted that the diocese may consider greater use of the ICN (Iowa Communications Network) for presentations and the development of a speakers bureau.

Linda Anderson, director of catechesis for the diocese, said parish visits are beneficial because they help to establish relationships with people in the parishes.

"Telephone calls and e-mail are only second best to talking with people face to face," she said.

Anderson pointed out that many parishes do have similar needs. She acknowledged that formation has always been and continues to be a big issue and sometimes it is not so much the difficulty in deciding what programming to offer, but getting people to realize the importance in attending such events.

Through the visits, Morrissey said she hopes it will bring to light some direction that the Office of Formation can take in its planning such as the dates and times when people would be most likely to attend formation sessions and/or the topics most in demand.

In addition, she noted, at times a parish or cluster may have a unique and effective ministry that the parish staff only casually mentions in the visit. Morrissey added that it is usually through visits that the parishes' true strengths are made known because such information may not come through on paper - through a survey.

If people are interested in adult enrichment opportunities or if they have any specific suggestions for programming, contact Morrissey at (712) 233-7532.

"I do wish if people do want something more locally, that they contact us so we can see what we can develop for the future," noted Anderson.