October 15, 2022

Dear Friends:

These past weeks, in particular this week, have brought many new signs of growth and positivity to our cluster.  Let us consider.

The Parish Office in Castleton:  The office renovations in substance have been completed and we are scheduled for “move in” next week.  Having “cleaned out” much of the old and weathered, we will be bringing furniture and items from area unused rectories to furnish our space and create priest quarters.  Also, all the files and office requisites will be moved and set up.  As there have been many area intrusions which are now an ongoing concern, an Alarm Monitoring System has been installed for the security of staff, records, and the property itself.

The Pastoral Council:  After long “hiatus”, the Pastoral Councils of the 7 parishes all met this week.  We are creating a “Unified Pastoral Council”.  While this model was employed in the past among some of the parishes, it was only “experimental” and found to be unsuccessful and unproductive as it was structured.  This past year I engaged in a process of active listening to the concerns of parishioners in this regard.  The problem was not being unified, but the large number of participants was not conducive to productive conversation.  Further, many had to wait for one and another parish to finish before their own concerns would be addressed.  Together, we have remedied these challenges.  From the existing councils, 3 individuals are selected to participate on the Unified Council.  Those three each nominated their own local chairperson.  There will also be 1 Chairperson coordinating the entire group and 1 Secretary to record minutes.  This all will contribute to a more authentic experience of conversation, engagement, and listening.  The Council will meet the first week of every month from September – June.  You may ask…what happens to the other members as each Council had more than 3 participants?  They have been asked to be members of their individual parish’s Community Life Team.

The Community Life Team:  This Team is a local parish group and will consist of all the former Pastoral Council Members as well as at least 1 representative from every parish group, society, and organization…Buildings/Grounds, Faith Formation, Fundraising, Women’s/Men’s groups, Hospitality, Knights/Daughters, Cleaning, Decorating, Ministries, etc.  Each of these groups, societies, and organizations represent “spokes on a wheel” that make the parish “go”.  The more participants, the stronger the spoke…the more spokes, the stronger the wheel.  The Community Life Team will be facilitated by the local Parish Council Chair.  As Facilitator, he/she will know, together with the entire Team, what each group, society, and organization is doing and they as a TEAM will be able to assist, address challenges, and recruit more members when necessary.    This model will facilitate the “whole parish” working together and increase local communication.  Also, the Facilitator, as Pastoral Council Chair, will be positioned to report to the Unified Pastoral Council and The Pastor at the Unified Pastoral Council Meetings.  So, in this model, The Unified Pastoral Council together with the Pastor is the “hub”, with the Community Life Team as representing a group of “spokes”, reaching out to all the parishioners gathered as a “wheel”…to move forward.  And, while this might sound as a merely “practical” model, it is my role as Pastor to ensure that all activity is founded upon, firmly established, and directed to Christ in the heart of the Church and truly spiritual motivated.

The Finance Committees:  The Finance Committees have met this week to review the finances from the 21/22 Fiscal Year and propose the 22/23 Budget.  We have met late this year.  Due to the announcement in late summer of closures, I was not able to budget for the future without knowing the participants of joint expenses.  Also, getting estimates for proposed work further presented a challenge.  I apologize for the delay, yet it was unavoidable.  The Digest Reports for the Parishes of Poultney, Orwell, Fair Haven, and Castleton are included in today’s bulletin.  As West Rutland and Proctor are prepared by the Diocese, we’ll have to wait a bit and they will be released upon my receipt of them.  Middletown Springs and West Pawlet will be released next week.  At this point I will note that all the parishes are submitting negative budgets for 22/23.  Each of the Councils acknowledge and believe that certain improvements and upgrades need to be made to accommodate our changing circumstances and position ourselves for future growth.  While monies will be withdrawn from savings, it is unanimous that at this time we must invest in “ourselves” in order to move forward and give ourselves our best chance. 

SHARED EXPENSES AND BENEFITS:  As has been explained, each individual parish retains its own books with income and expenses without commingling.  However, as some of the buildings have common use and there are common staff, these expenses are commonly shared with disbursements from the parishes through exchange accounts.  The remuneration of priests, the rectory expenses and the office expenses are all shared.  The Pastoral Council and the Finance Councils have both recommended the moving of the Thrift Store together with the reinstitution of Bingo to the Poultney Parish Hall.  The Bishop has given permission for the closure and eventual sale of the Fair Haven Center.  With this, the Poultney Hall becomes the largest gathering space for our cluster.  It is strongly acknowledged and recommended by both Councils that this space be utilized to its maximum potential for gatherings and fundraising.  During the Finance Council Meeting, there was lengthy discussion as to how to appropriate funds back to individual parishes from joint efforts as well as designate expenses.  As it is impossible to predict and determine in detail who contributed what to a particular event.  It was motioned and accepted that the Poultney Hall be designated as a Common Revenue Center with all the parishes contributing to its maintenance with equal distribution of all income to all the parishes within our cluster.  We are beginning some modest repairs immediately.  However fuller upgrades will be presented to the diocese for formal approval and hopefully soon commence.

MOVING FORWARD:  When our cluster was formed last spring, I noted that very often parishes in such models were eventually formally joined into one canonical entity…1 New Parish with multiple worship sites and common buildings.  In the spring, I noted that this is not what was happening at the time, but that it could be a reality for us in the future as it has been for other parishes in this circumstance.  The Finance Council has begun that conversation and we ought to have it on the broader scale amongst ourselves.  We are now six months into our joint experience with a common bulletin, office, revenue center, together with our priest.  We are seeing signs of new life and possibilities.  However, the Finance Council and many parishioners are now recognizing how strenuous it is to manage 7 entities separately with common elements.  What can and has historically worked for 2 or even three parishes in this our current arrangement is seemingly altogether impractical in the long term for 7 without exhaustion and discouragement before too long.  The Parish Leadership models being fashioned at this time would transition seamlessly under a single parish experience.  It might, indeed, be the time to soon request formal joining from Bishop Coyne.  However, and first, I invite discussion among yourselves and with me.  I will also be asking the Pastoral Councils and Finance Councils to do the same.  What further complicates things for us at this time is that Father Cyrain will be leaving us in two weeks to become an Administrator for two parishes in the eastern part of the State.  This will leave our cluster with only myself… 1 priest.  A priest will be assigned to assist us on the weekends and High Holy Days staying at the rectory in Castleton Saturday into Sunday.   But, this will leave me with the responsibility of maintaining things for all of you on a daily basis.  Sadly, this will mean that the sole weekday Mass will be in Poultney…Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 8:30 a.m. beginning October 24.  And, while this will present a challenge to many with a bit of increased travel, we must remember that there are many who would wish they had a daily Mass only six miles away!  The current Mass intentions accepted will be transferred to Poultney and in the future, we can allow for multiple intentions at any given Mass to accommodate the spiritual desires of the Faithful. 

To be sure, there are challenges now and there will be challenges to overcome should we change our status.  However, with Faith, Hope, and Charity…all challenges can be endured and overcome.  In these times, we do acknowledge that many of us have had things seemingly “taken away”.  However, if we look closely…we still have all these things though in a different and alternate way.  We are far more advantaged than those who do not have them at all.  We have a priest, the Sacraments…The Eucharist, beautiful Churches, Spiritual Care, and each other.  Be assured that I have and will continue to work for your spiritual benefit and provide for all as your common Father.  While people are aware that I am juggling many things, please know that you are most important, and I am available to you in all need.

Peace,
Fr. Steven