St. Jerome Catholic Church Strategic Plan

It is with great joy that I commend the Jerome Strategic Plan to your attention. I ask you to use it as a tool for discernment. As a community of faith, we are called to look into our future so that the identity of St. Jerome is solidified and bolstered. The plan is intended to chart our journey for the next three years. St. Jerome is on a mission. We are a living, breathing Catholic community of faith on the move. Our aim is to realize what our mission statement calls us to be. It serves as a preamble to the actual plan.

Over the past sixteen months, the parish pastoral council dutifully crafted this strategic plan. At different stages of the plans formation, the council held town hall meetings for the parish community to receive your feedback and direction. Most recently a draft of the plan was put before the parish. The council was pleased to receive some valuable comments, which resulted in yet further enhancements to the final plan. A s you will see, it is made up of seven objectives with corresponding goals and implementation strategies. No one objective is more important than another. The goals under each objective form a composite and the implementation strategies will chart the pathway to realization and parish-wide transformation. Each year the progress will be reviewed. Already, some of the implementation is well underway. Thank you to those involved for sharing your gifts and talents.

To be successful, implementation requires the involvement of many parishioners including those who have not been active in the past. As you review our plan, look upon it as an opportunity to engage yourselves anew in the future of our parish. Your parish pastoral council will use a variety of different media, including the parish bulletin and forthcoming website to ask for your assistance. I hope that you respond generously and enthusiastically in the spirit of Christian stewardship.

Looking back to the beginning of the strategic planning process, I have seen a great deal of progress as St. Jerome Catholic Church clarified its own vision about the kind of a parish we want to be in the 21st century. We are indebted to the parish pastoral council for months of hard work. On your behalf, I thank them. Now, I invite each of you to join me and all of our parishioners in building a community of Jesuss followers. May we ghrow to be a more vibrant and effective testimony to his lifegiving message. After all, we are the body of Christ!

Sincerely,

/s/ Paul D. Minnihan

Pastor

Parish Pastoral Council

ST. JEROME CATHOLIC CHURCH

PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL 2003

Mr. Michael Anibogu

Ms. Phyllis Ciardo

Mr. Bob Giusti

Ms. Nancy Hays

Ms. Kelley Kelley

Ms. Suzanne Lovely

Mr. Augusto Macchiavelli

Mr. Mark Milani

Mr. Lee Nordlund, Chairperson

Mr. Denny Riley

Ms. Carol Valladao

Mr. Lou Vincent

Mission Statement

ST. JEROME CATHOLIC CHURCH

MISSION STATEMENT

St. Jerome Catholic Church is a diverse family of faith in Jesus Christ in the Catholic tradition. We gather for worship, faith formation, and education. Our mission as a community of welcome and outreach is to serve the needs and development of our faith family and build solidarity with our neighbors and beyond.

Parish History

St. Jerome Parish is one of five parishes established in what was the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1941 at the end of the Great Depression. Located near the county line, its boundaries rest in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Five years after its founding, with the close of World War II, the parish experienced a boom period of growth in nearby housing and in membership from new homeowners. The church building was completed in June 1942. From 1945 to 1950 the parish population increased by thirty percent, ultimately reaching approximately 3,000 people in 1970.

In the fifties, the parish bustled with activity. It planned, financed, and built its elementary school which opened in 1955. That same year, the parish constructed a facility to house the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary who began to teach and administrate the school in 1956. In 1962 St. Jerome became part of the newly formed Diocese of Oakland.

In the sixties and seventies, St. Jerome wrestled with the nation-wide issues of social unrest and Vatican II reforms. At the same time , the surrounding housing stock was fully built out and the baby boomer generation moved. The parish population plateaued and then dropped by fifty percent between 1970 and 1985. Mass attendance fell. First Communions and Confirmations decreased. New parish activities evolved, as many traditional organizations disappeared and memberships declined. During this time the importance of lay ministry emerged giving focus to ministry in virtue of our common baptism.

In the eighties and nineties, St. Jerome stabilized as a smaller parish. The children of the baby boom generation disappeared, for the most part. The school, though full, drew over half of its students from outside the parish neighborhood. In 1982 the parish planned and completed a major renovation, which included a redesign and dedication of Rohan Hall and the patio outside its doors. In 199 1 the parish celebrated its golden anniversary and renovated the worship space.

As older parish families retire and move away, new families with young children are beginning to join the parish. Second generation children are attending St. Jerome School. They are visible at Sunday mass. Socials in Rohan Hall are alive with the laughter and chatter of little children and young parents. There is an abundance of parish children who are participating in ministries and the recipients of new and vibrant programs. Their faces are a testimony to the diversity of our Catholic Community.

This brief summary of our parish history and the demographic data that follows were considered in the preparation of the Parish Strategic Plan.

Demographic Data*

The following data cover those five US Postal ZIP code areas which are partially within the St. Jerome Parish boundary. We also recognize that many from beyond these boundaries find a welcome at our parish and call St. Jerome home.

40 to 52% of the residents have no faith involvement; 23 to 25% have moderate faith involvement; 27 to 33% have strong fait involvement; 22 to 25% have no religious affiliation preference.

The overall church program preference is recreation.

The average age is 35 to 44. 6 to 10% were born before 1925. 10 to 16% were born between 1925 and 1942, 26 to 35% between 1943 and 1960, 20 to 26% between 1961 and 1981, and 20 to 32% between 1982 and 2001.

This data indicate that there are a large number of people who are not affiliated with any church and many who have a very low to extremely low faith receptivity level. In one sense, this could be seen as a negative; yet, it could suggest that there is an opportunity to attract some of these people to our church through a well planned and executed evangelization and outreach program. The fact that the overall church program preference from the census indicates recreation suggest that a way of initially attracting new membership is to offer attractive recreational and social programs in addition to the parishs spiritual programs.

* - The demographic data was abstracted and compiled from the US 2002 Census by Link2Lead Resources, a research group contracted by the Diocese of Oakland to provide parishes with information for strategic planning purposes.

Conclusion

Our strategic plan is the result of looking back into our parish and gazing at the current demographic data. It is the result of town hall meetings and the collective energy of the Parish Pastoral Council. The plan provides a blueprint for the direction of the parish into 2006. A vision has been crafted; it is our collective responsibility as the Catholic community to make this vision real.

We Invite You to Implement the St. Jerome Strategic Plan Objective One

Worship affirms and challenges the development of the entire St. Jerome community toward a richer encounter with the living Jesus Christ.

Goals

1. The entire parish participates actively and joyfully in liturgies, welcoming everyone in our community: all ages, all faiths, and those visiting.

2. Parishioners gain a deeper appreciation of the Scripture in Sunday worship

3. A climate is created and nurtured that actively challenges all parishioners to understand and live their faith. The entire Catholic Community of St. Jerome experiences a richer encounter with the living Jesus Christ because the faith of individual parishioners grows and develops.

4. Parishioners understand that living our faith is an invitation to a real and depper relationship with Jesus Christ.

5. All generations are represented and visible in ministries.

6. Liturgical ministries are continually supported and strengthened.

Implementation Strategies

1. Establish an active formation program that offers an explanation and understanding of the Mass along with parish-wide Bible study.

2. Encourage a greater number of people to become involved in ministries that are part of the Eucharistic celebration.

3. Incorporate youth into worship.

4. Craft worship that respects the multi-generational spiritualities of the parish.

5. Enhance worship with ethnic rituals.

6. Encourage and advertise prayer and worship experiences in addition to Sunday Eucharist.

7. Participate in worship with other Catholic communities.

8. Publish prayer tree requests.

9. Develop support services to enable persons to participate in worship.

Objective Two

Educational opportunities in our faith are strengthened and integrated for all members of St. Jerome Church and those interested in joining the Catholic Church.

Goals

1. Parishioners are knowledgeable of Catholic teaching, tradition, and Church organization.

2. Parishioners actively participate in ongoing religious education

3. Parishioners are aware of contemporary moral and social issues in light of Catholic teaching and Christian values.

4. Parishioners are spiritually strengthened through a deeper knowledge and understanding of their faith.

5. People interested in becoming members of the Catholic faith have a means available for exploring opportunities.

Implementation Strategies

1. Provide faith formation to fully prepare sponsors and recipients for the sacraments. Additionally, provide the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Children (RCIC) for people of other faith traditions.

2. Offer ongoing faith formation and educational opportunities in Catholic teaching and tradition, Church organization, and the Bible for specific age groups:

Pre-School Age Secondary School Age Adult

Primary School Age Middle School Age Seniors

3. Support and develop programs for returning and estranged Catholics.

4. Encourage dialogue regarding contemporary moral and social issues in light of Catholic teaching, tradition and Christian values.

5. Establish and maintain a library of religious and spiritual materials (e.g. books, videos, DVDs, and play materials for children accessible to all parishioners.

6. Provide information and direction for vocations to Holy Orders and the religious life.

7. Promote prayer and spiritual direction.

Objective Three

St. Jerome Parish and School act together to vitalize our St. Jerome community and to foster and further our collective Catholic Christian identity.

Goals

1. The dialogue between the pastor and the principal leads to effective integration of parish and school.

2. Activities enable friendships to be formed between school and parish families.

3. Parent Teacher Group and Family Faith Formation leadership are engaged.

4. The School Board and Parish Pastoral Council meet together periodically.

5. Parish and school families are involved together in religious outreach and recreational activities.

Implementation Strategies

1. Provide programs open for all children for a common faith experience.

2. Integrate all school-aged children into liturgies.

3. Continue and strengthen a sports program that encourages participation by all of our children.

4. Develop initiatives to welcome school families to join our parish.

5. Develop programs to retain our childrens involvement in the parish beyond eighth grade.

6. Encourage parish families to be more aware of and involved with the parish school.

Objective Four

St. Jerome Parish leadership is responsible for anticipating parish needs, decision-making that is transparent and in the best interest of the parish and local community, and enabling the pastor to be the best pastor possible.

Goals

1. Responsibility for the parish is shared jointly between parishioners and the pastor.

2. Leadership participation from parishioners is ongoing with rotating memberships. Parish leadership must fairly represent the parish and it must provide channels for parishioners voices to be heard.

3. Decision-making processes are transparent.

4. There are external and internal checks of parish leadership performance.

Implementation Strategies

1. The pastors chief advisory bodies Pastoral Council and Finance Council are afforded an active and consultative voice that effects the concrete management and vision of the parish. A consensus model is utilized in decision-making. Diocesan resources will be used to train these advisory bodies..

2. The chief advisory bodies use a model of discernment to call forth a diversity of parishioners by name to utilize their gifts and talents in leadership.

3. Pastoral Council members serve as liaisons to specific parish committees and organizations.

4. The Finance Council provides an annual report and budget to parishioners and timely advice on parish financial health to the pastor.

5. Establish specific interaction that facilitates communication between Parish and Finance Councils.

6. Establish an ombudsman and procedures to safeguard that parish leadership hears parishioners voices.

7. Make available the minutes from meetings of the chief advisory bodies.

8. Create an external committee to review implementation of parish strategic plan.

Objective Five

All St. Jerome parishioners are engaged in ministry through a broad appreciation of Christian stewardship.

Goals

1. Parishioners are aware that lay ministry involves offering services as part of the ongoing function of the parish.

2. Parishioners accept responsibility for the stewardship - care, sustenance, maintenance - of the spiritual, emotional, and physical welfare of others and for the church physical facilities.

3. At least 25% of parishioners are actively involved in ongoing and direct service ministries.

Implementation Strategies

1. Develop programs for formation in Christian stewardship.

2. Engage parishioners in active ministry in various ways, for example:

Publish and explain existing ministries.
Hold periodic parish-wide recruitment campaigns.
Utilize persons in active ministry and the pastoral team to invite individual! to exercise the baptismal call to ministry.

3. Provide processes to assess ministerial needs of the parish on a regular basis.

Objective Six

As heir to a rich history of Catholic social thought and in response to the call of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the St. Jerome community promotes the common good and defends human rights in our neighborhoods and beyond.

Goals

1. Using the Churchs magisterial teaching, the parish introduces and develops an awareness of Catholic social thought.

2. The parish actively promotes Gospel justice by developing and joinging networks with other religious groups and social agencies.

3. The parish discerns and speaks out on public issues related to Catholic social thought.

4. The parish upholds and promotes personal and collective respect for the dignity of the human person and the rights and responsibilities that flow from it.

Implementation Strategies

1. Provide formation opportunities for the parish to understand the fundamentals of Catholic social justice.

2. Underscore the deliberate connections between Sunday worship and the real transformation of persons and structures in society.

3. Form a Social Justice Committee working in coordination with the pastor and open to all parishioners to oversee the following:

· The role that the St. Jerome community can play in local community organizing.
· The distribution of parish funds to effect Catholic social justice.
· The implementation of parish-wide activities which exercise Catholic social justice in action.

4. Explore joint activities among the local parishes to advocate for justice.

5. Exchange resources with another parish in need in the diocese.

Objective Seven

St. Jerome studies and effectively uses communication media to evangelize toward a more highly developed parish identity.

Goals

1. Communicate St. Jerome Parish identity.

2. Parishioners understand that the parish identity extends beyond the physical boundaries of the church structure and impacts the local community around the parish.

3. Parishioners understand that evangelization is not simply stating our faith - the biggest impact is demonstrating and communicating within the wider community how we live our faith.

4. Parishioners understand that communication strategies include many different media and that no one medium works for everyone.

5. Leadership uses media to encourage broad participation in parish activities.

Implementation Strategies

1. Use various media to communicate within the broader Catholic community, especially inter-parish and intra-diocese.

2. Use media to communicate in other local community activities: civic and religious groups of various denominations.

3. Network with civil agencies.

4. Develop and maintain a parish web site with links to school activities.

5. Make use of music, film, cyberspace, art, printed matter, and other available written, graphic, or electronic media.

6. Expand current ministries to include web-based resources.

Succession of Pastors

St. Jerome Catholic Church Succession of Pastors

Rev. Msgr. James J. Rohan 1941-1973

Rev. Msgr. Parnell J. McCarthy 1973-1980

Rev. John J. Kennedy 1980-1984

Rev. John J. Manning 1984-1990

Rev. E. Donald Osuna 1990-2001

Rev. Paul D. Minnihan 2001-2004

Rev. Jerry Kennedy 2004-