Category: Trusting in the Spirit

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Vicky Lamberty

Why convert?

Q:Why are parishes required to eventually convert to ParishSOFT and QuickBooks? We like our current program.

A: Parishes are currently using dozens of different software programs. Each program has different fields and different reports and it’s like we’re speaking different languages between us. It’s very important for all the parishes in the diocese to be using the same programs so the data is predictable and consistent. For instance, coding a parishioner as Active in one parish does not mean the same thing to another but our goal is that in the future, it will. We need to speak the same language with the data and terms so we both can use it to communicate with parishioners.

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Vicky Lamberty

What do all these terms mean?

Trusting in the Spirit, by Vicky LambertyIn the last few years we have heard about clusters, merging, linkages, and partnerships. I’m confused — what do all these terms mean?

We all understand the serious reality of the priest shortage and how it affects parishes. The Diocese of Madison has taken measures to keep all parishes open for worship and in doing so new terms are being used. Basically, all these words describe different levels of unity and sharing between parishes and are wonderful examples of Catholics working together to solve very difficult problems.

Cluster: multiple parishes in a geographical location. All parishes of the diocese have been formed into clusters.

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Grant Emmel

Schools study implementation: Here we go!

Trusting in the Spirit by Grant Emmel

After many months of hard work on the part of hundreds of the faithful throughout the diocese, Bishop Morlino has put forth a strategic plan for addressing the challenges that face our Catholic schools.

This plan forms a foundation or structure for planning our work over the next several years. The natural question that follows something like this is, “How are we going to do this?”

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Grant Emmel

Making goals a reality

Trusting in the Spirit by Grant Emmel column logo

As the Council reminds us: “The People of God believes that it is led by the Spirit of the Lord, who fills the whole world. Moved by this faith it tries to discern authentic signs of God’s presence and purpose in the events, the needs, and the longings which it shares with other people of our time. For faith throws a new light on all things and makes known the full ideal to which God has called each individual, and thus guides the mind towards solutions which are fully human” — Christifideles Laici, 3. Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II (December 1988)

I’ve talked about the purpose of pastoral planning, that is, to answer the questions, “Who are we as a faith community? What are we called to do? How are we best to do it?” be it for a parish, or a cluster of parishes, or even a diocese.

I’ve also mentioned how these questions are answered by the Holy Spirit through the bishop of the diocese, the pastor of the parish, and his pastoral council. The bishop gives each parish and cluster of parishes a focus through his goals and directives. These in turn are taken by the pastors and pastoral councils and are prayerfully reflected upon to create a plan of action.

This article will discuss how this plan of action is made real and active in a parish and in a cluster of parishes.

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Grant Emmel

Setting goals as part of planning

Trusting in the Spirit by Grant Emmel column logo

“It is up to the bishop with the help of the priests, deacons, religious, and lay people to implement a coordinated pastoral plan which is systematic and participatory involving all members of the church and awakening in them a missionary consciousness.” — Ecclesia in America, 36, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II (January 1999)

As mentioned previously, pastoral planning can be a vital part of an ongoing renewal, since it enables a group of parishes to find the ways and means to be better Church communities in our diocese in the most effective manner possible.

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Grant Emmel

Examining the purpose of cluster and parish pastoral planning

Trusting in the Spirit by Grant Emmel

“It is in the local churches that the specific features of a detailed pastoral plan can be identified — goals and methods, formation and enrichment of the people involved, the search for the necessary resources — which will enable the proclamation of Christ to reach people, mold communities, and have a deep and incisive influence in bringing Gospel values to bear in society and culture.” — Novo Millennio Ineunte, 29, Apostolic letter of Pope John Paul II (January 2001)

The Diocese of Madison is continuing on with the Trusting in the Spirit planning and implementation process, now in its second year, with 16 of the 40 clusters having turned in their plans for the upcoming year.

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Vicky Skilondz

Converting diocesan parishes to QuickBooks

Last in a two-part series

Part one of this article described the parish software conversion to ParishSOFT and related activity in the Office of Planning. This week finishes the series as I discuss our process of converting a parish to QuickBooks and some other activities involving that program.

QuickBooks

Just like with census data, parish financial data also needs to be cleaned so that it, too, is consistent and predictable; that is, each parish posts to the same accounts in the same circumstances. For this reason it’s important for all parishes to use our diocesan Chart of Accounts and to follow a common set of financial procedures.

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Vicky Skilondz

A different type of Catholic conversion

Part one of a two-part series.

You often see articles from Grant Emmel describing the Trusting in the Spirit process but this is the first time I’ve been asked to write a column for the Herald.

My function at the diocese is to fulfill Bishop Morlino’s directive of all parishes converting to and using ParishSOFT and QuickBooks software. As a reminder, ParishSOFT is the program used for parish census data and offertory postings and QuickBooks is the complete financial software for all postings, tax reporting, payroll, and parish monetary activity.

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Grant Emmel

Trusting in the Spirit — one year later

Trusting in the Spirit by Grant Emmel

Well, it’s been a little over a year and a half since the bishop started Trusting in the Spirit with the publication of his directives to clusters.

Trusting in the Spirit is a program created to increase collaboration and connectedness among and between parishes and the Diocese of Madison. It’s based on the planning done in Guided by the Spirit as one response to the declining number of priests in our diocese.

An important moment when planning, and we should always be planning, is our look back in time to measure how we did in comparison to our original plan. Consequently, it’s the annual time for parishes and clusters to evaluate their ministry progress (reports due May 15th!) so everyone can see how we’re doing to build up the Church in the Diocese of Madison.

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