Dear Parishioner,
Your input is requested for consideration as our parish looks at the possibility of a change in our regular Mass schedule and also improvements in the way we communicate with our parishioners. You will find below some reasons that have come to our attention for possibly changing our Mass schedule. We hope you will reflect on them and then complete our short 3 question online survey to give us your opinion on this topic and on preferred methods of communication. Father Charles will take the survey responses under advisement as he makes decisions on these issues.
Gratefully,
Your Parish Staff You can access the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LV5TGDR
10 reasons to consider making our permanent Sunday Mass schedule one Sunday morning 9:30 a.m. Mass in English: ~ In 1997 our parish census reported 920 Catholic households with 2,984 individuals. Our weekend Mass schedule was last changed at that time when the Shepherd Way worship site was completed. Our parish roster has decreased over 20 years, as times, needs, and generations have changed. Our parish currently has 701 households, 1649 individuals. We currently maintain this 1997 schedule, plus one Mass in Spanish each weekend.
~ Sunday parishioners have shared many unsolicited comments with our pastor and Pastoral Staff of how they enjoy a fuller and more active sense of community and conscious participation during the summer Sunday 9:30 a.m. Mass.
~ The Saturday evening Vigil “Mass of Anticipation for the Lord’s Day” would remain the same with confessions at 4:00 p.m. and the Vigil Mass at 5:00 p.m.
~ Both the 8:30 a.m. and the 10:30 a.m. Sunday communities would be making an EQUAL sacrifice, by compromising to gather at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday.
~ With only a 9:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday in English, Sunday mornings are a more conducive time wherein our parish may offer continuing Catholic faith-formation opportunities for those parishioners interested in attending, (i.e. special speakers, classes and presentations on topics) immediately before or after Mass.
~ Both our Sunday music ministries (Uzziah , the 8:30 Music group, and the 10:30 Sunday Choir) would still continue leading Sunday Mass music, but would take turns every other Sunday , on Solemnities, and Holy Days of Obligation helping to lighten their time loads. An Hispanic choir serves at every Sunday Mass in Spanish.
~ With a new Coordinator of Parish Music being actively sought and to be hired, this would be the best time to make such a change as s/he begins music ministry with Good Shepherd Parish & School.
~ In 2009, our parish added and began celebrating a Mass each Sunday in Spanish, and/or bilingual parish Masses, to serve our increasing Hispanic Catholic population of brothers and sisters, which helps them remain faithful to their Catholic faith and assists them in forming their children’s faith as Catholics. A limited number of our priests are bilingual enough, and therefore, must often travel for these Masses.
~ We currently have one priest-pastor and four Masses celebrated each weekend in our parish, along with a Mass each weekday but Mondays. Within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington, of 50 counties surrounding Lexington, we have 64 parish worship sites and only 49 priests serving our diocese.
~ With the dearth of vocations to priesthood and the number of retiring priests increasing each year, Bishop John has asked each of the six Deaneries of our diocese this question, “How will your Deanery function if there is even one less priest?” (e.g. due to sickness, accident, leave of absence, hospitalization, retirement, death). Changing our Sunday Mass times will free our parish priest to be able to travel to celebrate Mass with other Catholics in need of the Sacraments in a neighboring parish or elsewhere in our diocese on a Sunday.