Parish Administrator Notes

CHURCH CEILING Did you notice that we moved the altar back several feet, starting last weekend? That’s because pieces of the ceiling have flaked off from directly above the altar, no doubt because of continued leakage from the roof. Recent heavy rains have confirmed there’s still work to do on the church roof. There was also some water that leaked directly onto the altar itself, as well as in the familiar spot by the front door. We are investigating our options with the company that put the roof on in 2019. We’re also talking to a couple of additional roofing consultants. CONCERNS & … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – October 22, 2023

DISCIPLES, ENGAGED I mentioned last week that I attended the September meeting of the APBA, the Association of Parish Business Administrators. In addition to learning things from colleagues, I’m fascinated by glimpses into how other parishes do things—or even talk about things. For example, one colleague mentioned that at her parish, her pastor said, “We don’t have volunteers here. We’re all disciples.” Hmmm, yes. We’re all disciples, called to follow Jesus. And— Recall the story in Luke’s gospel (10:38-42), about Jesus visiting his disciples, Martha and Mary. Martha volunteered to serve … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – October 8, 2023

PRESERVING OUR PATRIMONY And what does patrimony refer to, you ask? In church talk, patrimony refers to two categories: • Temporal matters: our collective ownership of material things, such as buildings; and • Spiritual matters: the charism, legacy and identity of our parish. I heard all this from Susan Mulheron, Chancellor for Canonical Affairs in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. As Chancellor, she’s Archbishop Hebda’s go-to person when it comes to church law. She recently spoke on patrimony to parish administrators. Church law—canon law—is the legal code of the Roman … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – October 1, 2023

BAPTISM & TOGETHERNESS A couple of weeks ago, Fr. Steve’s homily noted that “Liturgy holds us together.” Indeed! I saw a lot of togetherness at last Sunday’s 10:15 Mass, when our community witnessed the baptism of Isaac Adrian Czaia, son of Zach and Cristina. In addition to our regular 10:15 Mass goers, many of Zach and Cristina’s friends and family members joined us. Baptisms do have a way of bringing people together. QUINCEAÑERA TOGETHERNESS Last weekend, I also attended a Quinceañera (Quince for short) Mass here at St. Matt’s. It was good to meet the many friends and family members … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – September 24, 2023

UNITY, LIBERTY, LOVE In a recent homily, Fr. Steve quoted St. Augustine: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, love.” That quote really caught my attention. It’s memorable. I first saw it many years ago. My daughter Bea was playing in a piano recital at a Moravian church, where the quote was on the wall. I’ve marveled ever since at St. Augustine’s pithy wisdom. Too often these days, people confuse essentials with non-essentials. Even more often, they lack love in their comments. I ran into that lack in some of my previous administrative positions, and it was … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – September 17, 2023

RECAPPING THE LATEST STAFF NEWS . . . (1) Cristina Czaia has been hired as our new Director of Music & Liturgy, effective September 5. She’s replacing Jill Kilzer, who’s retiring October 2. (2) Youth Minister We continue to search for a youth minister to serve our parish and St. Stan’s. (Interviews have begun.) In St. Stan’s case, they’re renewing a successful youth ministry program. In our case, we’re starting a program. I’m helping to recruit and interview youth ministry candidates in partnership with St. Stan’s; I’m also looking for youth group members and for adults interested in … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – September 10, 2023

WELCOME, CRISTINA! In last week’s bulletin, we announced the October retirement of Jill Kilzer, our long-time director of music and liturgy. Thank you, Jill, for your many years of service! This week, I’m happy to announce that we are hiring Cristina Czaia as our new director of music and liturgy. She’ll begin work in September, thus overlapping with Jill for a few weeks. Their work together will greatly help the transition. It’s likely that many of you know Cristina by sight and voice, as she’s been a regular cantor at St. Matt’s for years now. What you might not know is her many other … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – September 3, 2023

THANK YOU, JILL! Jill Kilzer, our music and liturgy director since 2007, is retiring October 2. Many thanks, Jill, for your years of dedicated service to St. Matt’s. And congratulations on your retirement! All the best to you and Bill! Ever since I began work at St. Matt’s in 2021, I’ve been grateful to Jill for her leadership in music and liturgy. Much of that important work is likely invisible to most people, so let me highlight some of what’s involved: Choosing music for all liturgies, including special music at Christmas and Easter Organizing and leading the seasonal choirs at … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – August 27, 2023

FAMILY REUNION Thank you to all who made last weekend’s Mass in the Park a success. I was sorry to miss it, but I had a good reason: I was in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with more than a hundred of my second cousins and other relatives. Family history: I grew up in Mitchell, South Dakota, in an extended Irish Catholic family. Reunions at that time involved hundreds of people, most with the last name of Garry. My maternal grandmother was a Garry who married an O’Brien. Gracie, as we called her, was the oldest daughter in a family of 13. Eleven of the 13 married and had many children, who had … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – August 20, 2023

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT (NNO) On Tuesday, August 1, St. Matt’s hosted its second annual neighborhood get-together. Over the course of a couple of hours, many friends and neighbors stopped by to greet, meet and eat. Thank you to everyone who helped make the evening such a success! (I’m thinking especially of bubbles and sidewalk chalk for the kids.) Near the end of the evening, we were visited by firefighters and police officers. The fire department showed up to check out a fire alarm in the school building. We learned that some kids had broken a window in the school, messed around, and pulled … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – August 13, 2023

PACE & PRISM (P&P) Well, it’s in. Last Tuesday, I submitted our annual P&P application to Catholic Mutual, the insurance company that insures all Catholic entities in the Archdiocese. We entered the P&P program a year ago, and it led to our receiving a $4,400 rebate on our annual insurance costs. Not a bad return for following good practices in personnel matters and facilities maintenance. This year’s application was far easier than last year, for some parts of the program are required only every two or three years. Some parts, however, are required every year. A prime … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – August 6, 2023

Patience I enjoyed Fr. Rodger Baumann’s homily on patience last weekend. I certainly need patience in my work, as some facilities projects can take a long time to plan and execute. Case in point: we began the school roof replacement project over a year ago. After such a long process, I was pleased to hear the roofing company’s crane this past week. The crane was used to lift materials to the school roof. Workers—up to 14 at some points—climbed a very long ladder to get up there. Oh—the first thing the crane lifted last week? A Porta-Potty. It’s Clean Out Time We’ve scheduled this coming … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – July 30, 2023

WELCOMING THE STRANGER I recently invited a stranger to Mass. That was after she stopped by the Parish Center early one morning, and we talked a bit. First, I mentioned Loaves & Fishes suppers, Mondays through Fridays from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Then I gave her the address for Neighborhood House. These are among our most common ways of helping people, either on site or by referral. What else do we do here at St. Matt’s? We gather on Saturdays and Sundays to worship God. I know that if the young woman came to Mass here, she’d be welcomed by good people. She’d hear God’s Word, a good homily, and … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – July 23, 2023

FACILITIES UPDATE • One of our goals this summer is to reduce, reuse or recycle items stored in our various storage rooms. We’re currently focused on the school building, which still has things left over from St. Matt’s School and the previous charter school tenant. (I’m offering tours to alumni and other interested parties. There is no charge, but know I’m looking for help in clearing things out.) We’re trying to avoid putting things in landfills. Let me know if you’re interested. • We’ve met again with our main electric panel (E-Box) contractor, Apadana Technology. Panel design work is a … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – July 16, 2023

SECURITY Our ad hoc task force on security met recently. The purpose was to review progress to date. We’ve learned a lot. We have more to learn, before we buy any equipment. Our starter thinking last fall was to install some cameras. Cameras are one component of a comprehensive security plan. After talking to several vendors, we have a better idea where we will put them. Camera vendors have recommended we consider door access controls. To learn enough to make a good choice, we will have door access vendors walk through our campus with us. Training of and support for parishioners is … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – July 9, 2023

I was out of the office the week of June 19, attending Danebod Family Camp in Tyler, Minnesota. I’ve enjoyed this camp for many years, as it features many of my favorite things: friends, food, conversation, singing, dancing, games and crafts. (Check out the sampler in my office, if you get a chance.) While at Danebod, I couldn’t help but compare that camp experience with St. Matt’s. What do they have in common? To start with, we live in community at Danebod; we’re in a faith community here at St. Matt’s. Both Danebod and St. Matt’s are very intergenerational. That’s different from many … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – July 2, 2023

LOCAL LISTENING – SESSION 2 On Tuesday, June 13, St. Matt’s hosted a second West Side listening session. You might recall that our first listening session was on May 2. At the May 2 meeting, we focused on needs of the West Side. Two main themes emerged: needs of Youth, and the need for Community Building. At our second session on the 13th, we continued the conversation we began in May. Two questions framed our discussion: What resources are available to us? What resources are needed? The group worked together to list, post and group the resources identified, whether existing or desired. … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – June 25, 2023

SYNODALITY “The only authority in the Church is the authority of service.” So said Pope Francis in 2015, marking the 50th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Synod of Bishops. That re-establishment was one of the fruits of the Second Vatican Council. The idea is that bishops aren’t merely branch officers of the Vatican. Rather, bishops are to “walk together” with the whole People of God. Indeed, walking together is the foundational meaning of “synod.” My column today is based on a recent article by Bishop John Stowe in Commonweal magazine. Stowe suggested that each recent pope has … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – June 18, 2023

LISTENING & SYNODALITY I’ve been reading Rafael Luciani’s 2022 book Synodality: A New Way of Proceeding in the Church. One of his main themes is the importance of listening. The very first page of the Foreward refers to Pope Francis’s teaching that “the bishops are obliged to listen carefully to the people of God, just as the people of God are obliged to listen to the voice of the bishops.” Luciani extends this idea in many chapters, noting how often hierarchical structures get in the way of listening, or make it one-sided. If any of this reminds you of Fr. Steve’s homilies of late, … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – June 11, 2023

CAPITAL NEEDS UPDATE Here’s very good news: we’ve raised $55,065 thus far this fiscal year (July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023). By far, the majority of contributions came since the beginning of Lent. Many thanks to all contributors! That $55K is just what we needed for the 50% deposit on replacing our main electric panel. Looking ahead, we already have pledges for additional thousands of dollars. Some of those pledges are for specific one-time donations; others are for steady monthly giving through an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Both methods work well. Let me know if you’d like more … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – June 4, 2023

“I WISH I COULD BE A MEMBER OF YOUR PARISH.” I recently heard that compliment from a volunteer medical professional, as she was leaving St. Mary’s Health Clinic. She’s among the many who volunteer here every Wednesday. She went on, “You’re always helping people.” She was referring not only to St. Mary’s free clinic, but also to Loaves and Fishes, Casa Guadalupana, the free mental health clinic starting up at St. Matt’s, and other ministries here. In talking to this dedicated volunteer, I learned that she belongs to a suburban Catholic parish. She’s an active, supportive member of that … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – May 28, 2023

PARISH COLLABORATION MEETING On Thursday, May 11, parishioners from St. Matt’s hosted counterparts from St. Stan’s. The purpose was to get to know one another. We did. It was a good meeting! Details: I’m grateful to our Council members who came, including Kathy Goldenstein, Becky Montgomery, Janelle Rohr, and Ellen Schneider. Also present were our trustees, John Del Vecchio and Karen Thompson. Our guests from St. Stan’s included trustees and staff—including my counterpart, Kim Myers. Kim and I see each other monthly, at parish administrator meetings. I’ve found it useful to share … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – May 21, 2023

SYNODALITY Have you ever noticed that when you learn a new word, you suddenly see it everywhere? I recall this happening to me a lot when I was in school. It’s happening again, with the word “synodality”. I first started reading about it a year or two ago, in the pages of Commonweal. (A great Catholic magazine, by the way. I recommend it.) Commonweal articles described the synodal processes begun by Pope Francis, noting the emphasis on listening to everyone in our church, not just bishops and priests. More recently, I was reading a recent copy of Pastoral Music, a national journal for music … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – May 14, 2023

FACILITIES NEWS Technicians from All City Elevator began repair work on the school elevator this past week. Recall that a combination of an aging school roof and bad weather contributed to a major leak in the school elevator shaft, back in February. Total cost to repair is about $29,000. All but $1,000 is covered by insurance. About that aging flat school roof: that replacement project will happen in the next few months, depending on our roofing company’s schedule. Cost is roughly $221,000. We plan to cover that cost initially with our Line of Credit from Catholic Finance Corporation. … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – May 7, 2023

MAY 2 MEETING - WEST SIDE COMMUNITY COLLABORATION PROJECT I wrote last week about a collaborative public meeting for all interested West Siders, to be hosted by St. Matt’s. We’re inviting many people and organizations from our West Side community. In this respect, we’re following St. Matt’s rich history as a Catholic community visibly expressing God’s love. We’re also following the teachings of the Acts of the Apostles and the Second Vatican Council: listen. Listen to everyone. Listen before acting. In preparation for May 2, and at the meeting itself, we’re asking three major questions: 1. … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – April 30, 2023

MAY 2 MEETING - WEST SIDE COMMUNITY COLLABORATION PROJECT In last week’s bulletin insert, I briefly mentioned a May 2 meeting we’re hosting at St. Matt’s. Here’s additional information. For several months, Fr. Steve, Karen Thompson, John Del Vecchio, Becky Montgomery, Ralph Brown and I have been meeting for talks about the West Side. We’re interested in discerning how St. Matt’s can help our local community. May 2 is our first public meeting. It begins at 6:30 p.m. We’re inviting many people and organizations from our West Side community. In this respect, we’re following St. Matt’s rich … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – April 23, 2023

HAPPY EASTER! Alleluia! He is risen! I wish you, your family and your friends a joyful Easter season. I want to add my thanks to Fr. Steve’s and Mary Leibl’s: We had wonderful celebrations during Holy Week and the Triduum, because people stepped up. Thank you to all who contributed their time, knowledge and skill to our many specialized ministries. It was a lot of work, done well! Thanks as well to everyone in the assembly, the entire group of worshipers coming together. There’s a classic line from a liturgical document: “The most important ministry is the ministry of the assembly.” All of … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – April 16, 2023

HAPPY EASTER! Alleluia! He is risen! I wish you, your family and your friends a joyful Easter Day and Easter season. It’s time to celebrate! ACTS OF THE APOSTLES AND US Now that we’re in the Easter season, we’re going to hear significant readings from the Acts of the Apostles. I expect I’ll be among the many who listen with greater understanding, after hearing Fr. Steve’s Lenten talks on the book of Acts. (Recordings will be posted on the website.) My framework for understanding my religion is the through line from Acts to today, with special reference to Vatican II. There’s a consistent … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – April 9, 2023

SCHOOL ELEVATOR UPDATE Because of a roof leak, the elevator in the school building was damaged by water in February. It’s been shut down ever since. I recently met with the St. Paul City Elevator Inspector, a maintenance supervisor from All City Elevator, and our insurance liaison, John Peterson. (John works for Catholic Mutual, our insurance company.) The good news is that the emergency roof patch has held through the past few weeks of rainy, snowy weather. That gave us the confidence to proceed with the inspection meeting. Guided by the inspector, All City Elevator folks are ordering … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – April 2, 2023

A VOLUNTEER PARISH I feel blessed to be at St. Matt’s. We have a great community! A big reason: our many volunteers. To take last weekend, for example: we had volunteers running a Fish Fry and Ham Bingo; setting up for Fr. Steve’s talk, counting money, assisting in various liturgical ministries—it’s marvelous! (See also Volunteer Coordinator Mary Leibl’s column.) We say we’re a volunteer parish, and we’ve plenty of evidence to support that label. At the same time, we can always use more volunteers. Sometimes, it’s as backup for an existing ministry. That’s why we’re looking for one or two … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – March 26, 2023

FACILITIES FUNDRAISING I’m pleased to report that we’ve received more than $20,000 in cash and pledges to support our current capital needs projects: the main electric panel and the school’s flat roof. Thank you to everyone who’s contributed so far! While 20K is a lot of money, we need around $350-400K to for the panel and roof. That’s a painfully large amount. Fortunately, our burden is shared among hundreds of people. In addition, we’ve lined up financing, to make sure we can complete those projects this year. Most of our revenue comes to us through the mail, the envelope system (now … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – March 19, 2023

FUNDING OUR FACILITIES—PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE Next month, I’ll complete my second year here at St. Matt’s. I’ve learned a lot about this great community since I began. As a former history teacher, it’s been fascinating to dig into the history. The other day, for example, I saw a copy of a 2003 letter from Fr. Steve to the parish. In it, he talked about the progress of that year’s capital campaign. Goals at that time included tuckpointing, windows and restorative work on the historic school building. “So that’s why the brickwork looks so good,” I said to myself. And I was glad to have a … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – March 12, 2023

FUNDING OUR FACILITIES At our most recent Parish Finance Council meeting on February 23, we discussed how our fiscal year 2023 expenses (7.1.22 - 6.30.23) compare to what we budgeted. We noticed that we’re over budget when it comes to maintenance and repairs. I asked our accountant for details. Here are the major items in the detail report. We’ve paid for them out of our operating budget. Repairing the church’s air conditioning system: $4,196 Parish Center roof maintenance: $6,590* Church building LED conversion: $6,603* School building repairs required by fire marshal: … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – March 5, 2023

MINISTRY OF LECTOR Earlier this month, we offered a lector workshop, led by Moya McGinn-Matthews of Christ the King parish in Minneapolis. The workshop was for all lectors, as well as for those interested in becoming a lector. The workshop went well. The 14 participants reflected on what it means to be “Proclaimers of the Word”. Moya then reviewed how to prepare for this important ministry, as well as how to approach, stand and read at the microphone. Brave volunteers served as examples, and I was impressed by the high quality of our lectors. Lectors are a critical ministry in our worship. … [Read more...] about Parish Administrator’s Note – February 26, 2023