Summary Overview of the Final Report from the LPG of Waterford-Cohoes

 

  1. Summary of Recommendations

          (Substantial consensus was achieved with 11 of 14 committee members

                  accepting the committee’s recommendations regarding reconfiguration.

                  A minority report is included in the appendices)

      A.  Reconfiguration Recommendations

           1.  Closings: St. Rita, St. Bernard (Sacred Heart Church has already closed)

           2.  Mergers:  St. Joseph, St. Bernard, Sacred Heart/St. Rita

           3.  Remaining open with linkages:  St. Mary-Waterford, Holy Trinity and St. Michael

                linked together and with the merged, downtown Cohoes parish

4.      We strongly recommend that the Saint Joseph, Saint Bernard and St. Rita/Sacred

Heart work from July 1, 2008 through February 2009 to bring together all major

components of the parish.  We further strongly recommend that the formal closing

of St. Bernard’s and St. Rita’s churches take place on Sunday, February 22, 2009

and the merger of the three parishes into one at the Saint Joseph’s site take place

on Ash Wednesday, February 25, 2009.

 

  1. Status of parishes after reconfiguration
    1. St. Mary-Waterford will continue to serve Waterford
    2. Sacred Heart/St. Rita, St. Bernard and St. Joseph will function as one parish in

downtown Cohoes.

    1. St. Michael will continue to serve the “Island” and the Polish population
    2. Holy Trinity will continue to serve the people of the “Hill”

 

  1. Rationale for reconfiguration
    1. For closing St. Bernard

      ●  Building too large, even after consolidation and attendance shift

      ●  Highest operating costs of all the Cohoes churches, even those with

                             parish centers

                        ●  Structural issues:  $119,850 in #1 priority repairs listed in the engineering

                             report plus an additional $65,000 for handicap ramp; total $184,500

                             (additional structural damage has been recently identified- cost of repairs

                             not yet determined)

                        ●  Highest projected cost of structural repairs in next 5 years

                        ●  No handicapped accessibility to the worship space, no bathrooms for

                             handicapped, no handicapped parking

                        ●  Limited parking for everyone

                        ●  Combined residence and office space

                        ●  Large outstanding debt

 

 

 

 

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    1. For closing St. Rita (Sacred Heart Church building already closed)

      ●  Smallest Church

      ●  Large current outstanding debt

      ●  Limited seating

      ●  Isolated location; difficult to find

      ●  Large priority repairs required within 3 years

 

    1. St. Joseph to remain open

      ●  Centrally located between 3 downtown churches

      ●  Adequate seating

      ●  Lowest debt of the three downtown churches

      ●  Lower overall long term debt even when all structural repairs are made

      ●  Rectory currently in use, generating income to defray some of the

           operational costs

      ●  Handicap accessibility to church and parish center

      ●  Handicap bathrooms

      ●  Parish hall seats 250

      ●  Expandable off street parking with some on street

 

    1. St. Mary’s to remain open

      ●  Only parish in Waterford

      ●  St. Mary’s School

      ●  Facilities

 

    1. St. Michael’s to remain open

      ●  Location on Cohoes “Island”

      ●  Specialized Ministry to Polish population

 

    1. Holy Trinity to remain open

      ●  Location on Cohoes “Hill”

      ●  Large Parish Center

      ●  Seating capacity

      ●  Undeveloped land

      ●  Substantial off-street parking

      ●  Substantial debt incurred for the repair and renovation of the school

 

  1. Weekend Masses

      ●  Combined weekend masses in the LPG parishes:  14

      ●  Number for 2009 – 2015:  12 to 9 or less.

      (See appendix for additional information)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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B.     Mission:  Summary of new action steps to be taken by LPG parishes during

2009 – 2010

1.  Evangelization:

     ●  LPG discussions on evangelization resulted in no formal structure on the

         topic per se, but evangelization is reflected in the proceedings of the

        Prayer and Worship report and Faith Formation report, in particular.

 

2.      Life-long Faith Formation including Sacramental preparation:

      ●  Guidelines for all LPG parishes

a.      One Faith Formation Program that would transcend the present

boundaries of our communities of Cohoes and Waterford.

b.      The Program must adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Diocesan

Office of Evangelization and Catechesis.  The Director, Coordinators

and Youth Minister would be certified and all catechists and Youth

ministers would possess at least basic certification and be involved in

ongoing formation.

c.       Each staff member and volunteer would be in compliance with the

Diocesan dictates for Virtus Training and Background Checks.

d.      Catechists and youth ministry volunteers will be recruited, formed,

supported, supervised and evaluated according to Diocesan Guidelines

and be committed to on-going formation and certification

                        ●  Implementation for the year 2008- 2009

a.       The faith formation program of Holy Trinity Parish will continue as it

has been.  The Grade K—6 program will continue to meet on Sunday

mornings and the Grade 7—10 program will meet on Monday

evenings.  Preparation for Confirmation will be held in the fall of the

11th grade year.

b.      The faith formation programs for Cohoes City will continue as they

have been.  The Cohoes City Program will continue to meet as follows:

Grades 1—6 on Wednesday evenings and the Grade 7—10 program

will continue to meet on Thursday evenings in the Holy Trinity Parish

Center.

c.       The faith formation for Waterford would be conducted at St. Mary’s

School in Waterford.

d.      For the year 2008—2009, the committee proposes to begin to use the

same textbook material for sacramental preparation for the sacraments

of Reconciliation and First Eucharist and Confirmation.

e.       In the year 2009—2010 we will be working toward coming together as

one Faith Formation and Youth Ministry program.

f.        The Life-long Faith Formation Committee has formed an Education

Committee  This committee will develop a comprehensive catechetical

program and processes for children, youth, young adults and adults

from the parishes of cities of Cohoes and Waterford.

 

                             ●  Catholic education remains a priority for all the parishes in the cluster.

                                 Saint Mary’s School in Waterford did not actively participate in the LPG

 

 

 

 

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3.      Prayer/Worship

     ●  Beginning in the fall of 2008, a joint Prayer and Worship Team will be

         made up of representatives from the 6 original parishes.  The group

         will meet and plan the over all activities that coincide with each

         liturgical Season.  This information will be passed on to each parish

         Prayer and Worship Team so that there is continuity in programs,

         outreach and the blending of traditions for all members of the pre-2009

         parishes.

 

     ●  Prayer and Worship teams will work with Outreach to make sure that

         the spiritual needs of Nursing Homes and Hospitals will continue to be

         provided.

 

     ●  Effort will be made to meet the spiritual and social needs of our young

         families across the city

 

     ●  Parishes will include in their bulletins common information, such as a

         citywide Mass schedule, faith formation information and schedule of

         sacramental preparation.

 

    ●  Currently, there is a 9:00 Liturgy that rotates among the churches in

         Cohoes.  This liturgy will continue.  However, when there is a funeral,

         the funeral liturgy will replace the regular 9:00 Liturgy.  The 12:10

         Liturgy should be retained in the downtown parish.  The current

         rotation of Churches for Holy Days seems to be very effective and

         should be maintained.

 

     ●  See Appendix for the Sunday Mass Schedule.

 

 

4.      Christian Service

      ●  Each parish will need a food pantry committee whose chair or

                             representative will meet monthly, with or without a paid coordinator,

                             to determine community needs, ability of the pantry to meet those

                             needs, and revisions of practices to effectively meet the needs of the

                             community the pantry serves.  The existing pantries at Holy Trinity

                             and Saint Mary’s will continue to serves the needs of the community,

                             with support from all the parishes.

                        ●  As parishes become involved in the Parish Nurse program and receive

                             its services, they will share the cost.  By 2010, all parishes in the cluster

                             will be participating in the Parish Nurse program.

                        ●  St. Mary’s in Waterford and Holy Trinity Parish Center in Cohoes

                             appear to have the space requirements necessary to provide the services,

                             as well as room for the expansion of these programs and the

                             implementation of new programs we may wish to adopt.  These

                             facilities are accessible to all and well located within their communities.

 

 

 

 

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                        ●  In 2010 and after, the continuation of the present approach to staffing

                             the various activities/service programs will meet the needs of the

                             people.  Currently, all parishioners have the opportunity to volunteer

                             for ministries through personal invitation and the annual Stewardship

                             Program.  By these means the needs of all programs and activities have

                             been met.

 

5.      Church Administration (2009—2010)

      ●  Consolidation downtown – combined support staff (secretary,

           maintenance, music minister and financial manager)

      ●  Move to one parish with 2 sites in Cohoes and one parish in

           Waterford, staffing can be combined as follows:

1.      One Faith Formation director with support staff

2.      One Youth Minister

3.      One Outreach Coordinator

4.      Music Minister

5.      Maintenance Staff

6.      Financial manager

●  Combined Prayer and Worship Committee

●  Combined Finance Committee

●  Combined Staff Meetings

●  Combined Education Committee

●  Single bulletin for Cohoes Parishes

 

 

C.     Ministry:  Shared Human Resource Management

Paid Professional staff

●  Director of Faith Formation for Combined programs in 2010

●  Youth Minister for Combined program in 2010

●  Outreach Director in 2010

●  Parish Nurse – expanded to all parishes by 2009—2010

 

                  Volunteers

                  ●  Diocesan certification for all catechists

                  ●  Joint outreach committees

 

                  Governance

                  ●  Joint council meetings as we move toward one parish in Cohoes

                  ●  Joint finance meetings as we move toward one parish in Cohoes

                  ●  Newly established faith formation committee for entire LPG

                  ●  Newly established prayer and worship committee for entire LPG