St. Mary’s Parish plans Missionary Disciples Workshop

/in ,

Laura Keener

Editor

St. Mary’s Parish in Alexandria is preparing to host a Parish Missionary Disciples (PMD) mini session this winter, aiming to help parishioners grow in faith and learn how to share it with others. The workshop is part of a broader effort to bring evangelization into everyday parish life.

Parishioners Ken Glaser and his wife Amy, along with Russ and Lisa Thacker, are leading the planning. “We thought that doing this workshop would get other people involved and start talking a similar language, similar idea set,” Mr. Glaser said. “We want to see how we can integrate this new evangelization into our parish.”

The idea came after the couples attended the diocesan PMD training as part of Cohort Two. “At first, I was skeptical,” Mr. Glaser admitted. “I went into the first weekend with a thick head. But by the end, I was excited about what would lie ahead. Maybe God had softened my heart a little.”

To help grow the skills learned at PMD, the Glasers began attending the GYMM, (Growing Your Missionary Muscles), a monthly gathering of PMD graduates developed by Bill and Kim Dehlinger and Gerry and Bridget Otto, parishioners at Blessed Sacrament and Mother of God parishes, respectively. Mr. Otto took the six-seminar PMD training developed by the Catholic Leadership Institute and distilled into a mini session of three seminars. Mr. Otto first hosted this mini session at his parish with much success and is now offering it with encouragement to other parishes.

At St. Mary’s, so far, interest has been strong. “Forty people are already registered,” Mr. Glaser said. “About 24 are from St. Mary’s, eight from St. Joe Cold Spring, and the rest from other parishes.” While the workshop is hosted at St. Mary’s, it’s open to anyone in the Diocese of Covington. “We very much wanted to make it something available to the diocese,” Mr. Glaser shared.

The PMD program focuses on helping Catholics feel comfortable sharing their faith. “Evangelization is not a four-letter word,” Mr. Glaser joked. “It’s really just learning how to share your faith and being comfortable with that.”

Mr. Glaser believes that the word evangelization can be intimidating, but in reality, it’s a simple practice of sharing your faith in everyday moments. “When we talk about our faith, even in small ways, we don’t know what effect it will have on somebody,” he said. “All we can do is keep sharing and trust that God is working every day.”

The PMD workshop will give parishioners tools to share their faith in simple, meaningful ways. As Mr. Glaser put it, “It’s exciting to have these conversations and talk about what’s important. We all get caught up in the day-to-day nonsense, but when I spend even 30 seconds talking with God, it makes everything else easier to handle.”

The three-session PMD training will be held on Thursdays, Jan. 22, Feb. 5, and Feb. 19, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Mary Parish, Alexandria. All are welcome! To register, contact Ken Glaser at kenglaser24@gmail.com or call (859) 512-1577.

Return of the Disciple Maker Index draws closer — participation from parishioners, parish leadership, needed to develop robust pastoral plans

/in ,

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

In Luke 14:28–31, Jesus asks a crowd travelling with him, “Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it? … Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?”

This quote emphasizes the importance of gathering information — the goal of the upcoming Disciple Maker Index (DMI) survey returning this Lenten season to parishes across the dioceses.

Previously completed by more than 40 percent of parishioners in 2023, the results from the index were pivotal in developing the With One Heart parish and diocesan pastoral plans, which have been put into effect since the previous survey’s completion and the launching of the With One Heart Campaign. Fruits of these plans are already observable, with the establishment of a diocesan youth minister and growth of youth and young adult groups across the diocese, the promotion of the Catholic Leadership Institute and improvements in communications and Hispanic ministry.

Now, the survey returns to read exactly how this progress has changed the responses since the previous round. And, as Deacon Fortner, the Diocese of Covington’s COO puts it, “my intuition tells me that I think this survey’s going to show positive results.”

With a goal of as many answers as possible, parish points of contact will be distributing the survey — which will be made available both physically and through an online portal shared at parishes — beginning Feb. 18, with seven weeks given for parishioners to contribute. From there, the results will be analyzed by individual parishes and updates to plans will be put into effect for a projected June 2026 completion.

“Whether you’re a profit company or nonprofit company or church, the data says that if you have a strategic plan, you have better results,” Deacon Fortner said. “We’re expecting that to hold true here … The data will give pastors insight into what has been working and what needs more focus.”

While it’s the described role of parish points of contact to promote and distribute the survey in their parish communities, Deacon Fortner also emphasized the importance of the clergy’s involvement in the process. “The pastors need to promote this as an important tool as well,” he said. “The better informed the parish leadership is, the better their plans will be.”

New Marriage Catechumenal Pathways journeys with individuals from kindergarten through marriage to strengthen the home church

/in ,

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

The Diocese of Covington’s marriage preparation program is currently undergoing a transformation in line with Pope Francis’ request for more intensive preparation and the ongoing With One Heart Diocesan Pastoral Plan. The new program, Marriage Catechumenal Pathways, is broken into four phases: Remote, Proximate, Immediate and Enrichment. These four phases intend to strengthen the sacramental faith formation and marriage preparation beginning in childhood and extending beyond the wedding.

Deacon Jim Fortner, diocesan chief operating officer and deacon assigned to Blessed Sacrament Parish, Ft. Mitchell, said, “Bishop Iffert laid out three strategies in the pastoral plan: faith formation, evangelization and leadership. This is faith formation.”

Marriage Catechumenal Pathways is not a new concept to those in the Church, said Deacon Steve Alley, St. Timothy Parish, Union, who is a member of the Marriage Catechumenal Pathways development team.

“The Catechumenal Pathways for Marriage was a request from Pope Francis. (The Pope’s concern) was that we, as a Church, don’t spend enough time training couples for sacramental marriage,” he said.

The first of the four phases is the Remote phase, where a stronger emphasis is placed on the age-appropriate education of the sacrament of matrimony.

“I think the main focus for children is always on first Communion and confirmation. This is going to put emphasis also on marriage,” said Deacon Alley.

Starting in kindergarten through 12th grade, students will learn about marriage in a foundational way. The ideal will be that when students graduate high school, they will be equipped with the knowledge needed to discern what God asks of them.

This discernment is phase two of the Marriage Catechumenal Pathways, the Proximate phase. In this phase, high school graduates who have not yet found their vocation discern God’s calling for their life.

“They’re discerning whether they want to be married, be single, maybe go into some religious order. It’s that searching,” said Deacon Alley. “This is just a lot deeper, personal and faithful way to journey through life. When you come out of high school, you immediately start that discernment process.”

Phase three of the Marriage Catechumenal Pathways is the Immediate phase, which begins right after a couple’s engagement. One year prior to marriage, the engaged couple will receive a mentor couple from their home parish. This couple will journey with the engaged up to the wedding day and for the first five years of marriage.

“We marry couples, but then we don’t accompany them after they get married,” said Deacon Fortner. This new structure will accompany the engaged and newly married on their journey. “Our hope is that once this program is set, it will be self-perpetuation. The couples graduating out of the five-year program would then become mentor couples for the next group,” said Deacon Fortner.

Also new in the Immediate phase is the betrothal ceremony where the engaged couple, in the presence of the priest, their family and friends, will receive a blessing as they make a commitment — a betrothal — to one another, said Deacon Alley.

Following the Immediate phase is the Enrichment phase, which is the first years of marriage, journeying with a mentor couple, to discover ways to practice the faith at home and to engage in parish life as a couple.

“The idea is that you become a community in your church, a community with other couples who may be dealing with the same things you’re dealing with as a couple,” said Deacon Alley. “The idea is that you have this small group of like-minded Catholic faithful couples.”

The formation of Marriage Catechumenal Pathways will change the way that the Diocese of Covington prepares couples for the Sacrament of Matrimony and marriage. Bestowing in them a renewed heart of spirit for the journey which lies ahead.

“The home church is the most important institution here. We have to form husbands and wives to create a strong home church,” said Deacon Fortner.

The Diocesan Pastoral Plan — welcoming new and continuing the formation of the people the Lord calls his own

/in ,

Laura Keener

Editor

The Catechesis and Evangelization Office has been working on the implementation of several goals following the priorities of Ongoing Faith Formation and Evangelization of the Diocesan “With One Heart” Pastoral Plan.

The grandest in scope has been faith formation and the Diocesan partnership with the Franciscan University’s Catechetical Institute. Through the Institute, the Diocese has been offering the complete Franciscan At Home library of courses and workshops free of charge to every person in the diocese. To date, over 1,100 learners have registered with Franciscan At Home. However, according to Isaak A. Isaak, director of the Office of Catechesis and Evangelization, 717 of those registered accounts are dormant.

“The challenge here is how to really engage all the people who are involved,” said Mr. Isaak.

To help engage learners, in October Mr. Isaak hosted an in-person workshop on how to navigate the Franciscan At Home website. The workshop was led by Brady Webb, the Catechetical Institute’s webmaster.

“He helped walk through the clutter of the website,” said Mr. Isaak. Mr. Webb also showed school and parish leaders where they can track the progress of learners and offered strategies on how to encourage them. “It was really helpful,” said Mr. Isaak.

Another way to help meet the engagement challenge is through the help of mentors. Currently, nearly 60 people from across the Diocese have been trained as mentors to help journey with learners taking the online Franciscan At Home courses. These mentors have been described as the “secret sauce” that differentiates Franciscan At Home from other online faith formation programs.

Additionally, the Office of Catechesis and Evangelization has developed and hosted 23 in-person courses for catechists and others. These courses were held during the summer of 2025. Mr. Isaak said, he is currently developing over 60 in-person courses to be held in the summer of 2026.

“We’re just trying to intensify our in-person workshops, because that’s a priority for the diocese. It brings people together, people network. They create friendships around faith formation,” said Mr. Isaak.

Another goal Mr. Isaak is working on is to boost implementation of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), formerly known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). The two programs both are the process by which the Church welcomes new members and prepares them for the sacraments of initiation — baptism, Communion and confirmation. But, Mr. Isaak said, it is more than just a name change. “It’s even the way, the methodology, of transmitting the faith,” said Mr. Isaak.

Approved by the USCCB in 2021 for implementation starting in 2023, OCIA emphasizes the nature of the process as an “order” rather than solely a “rite” while retaining the core structure and purpose. A fundamental difference is that with OCIA, inquirers are welcome and encouraged to begin the process at any time, instead of waiting until the fall when the formal process would typically begin. And, it emphasizes continual spiritual formation as opposed to fixed checkpoints in a 10-month period.

Again, reaching out to its Franciscan University Catechetical Institute partner, the Office of Catechesis and Evangelization held two workshops, most recently on Nov. 9. Over 50 catechists and others attended the workshop led by Dr. William Keimig, deputy director of the Catechetical Institute at Franciscan University, focused on revitalizing OCIA ministry and reigniting parishes.

“OCIA becomes an instrument of renewal for the entire parish,” said Mr. Issak, “because the people who initiate OCIA are the entire community. It’s not just the ones who are involved on the OCIA team, and it’s not just the pastor’s responsibility. The hospitality, the teaching, the witnessing of faith, it’s the entire parish’s responsibility to initiate.”

Mr. Isaak said that implementation of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan has been a time of renewal not just for the OCE but for the entire Curia.

“It helps us to really renew our office. How do we look at the things we’ve been doing in a new way?” he said. “I think the Diocesan Pastoral Plan came as a blessing to the Diocese, because every office is engaging with the people of the Diocese. We really are keeping the vision of the Bishop, which is the pastoral plan, and to make it alive in the parishes, to make it alive in the schools, to make it alive with our people and with whoever we meet.”

Good Leaders, Good Shepherds cohort two priests find value in practical and pastoral leadership training

/in ,

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

In 2024, the Diocese of Covington’s “With One Heart” pastoral plan was released, identifying three key focus areas: evangelization, ongoing faith formation, and leadership development.

One of the primary goals of leadership development is the building up of priests to help them have more confidence as they serve the people God has put in their care. In a partnership with the Catholic Leadership Institute, Bishop John Iffert invited all priests to attend Good Leaders, Good Shepherds leadership training. So far, two cohorts — a total of 38 priests — have completed this leadership training, with great enthusiasm.

The program consists of five, three-day-long sessions, with each session taking place once a month. This allows the cohort of priests to get to know one another and grow with one another over the course of five months.

“To spend those several weeks with them was great because I got to know them better, I got to hear their experience in leadership … I loved gathering that data and listening to their stories,” said Father A.J. Gedney, parochial vicar, St. Joseph Parish, Cold Spring.

Over the course of the leadership training, the priests learn a variety of practical leadership skills, like, “How do you have difficult conversations with people? How do you ask and give effective feedback? How do you motivate people? How can you listen?” said Father Gedney.

However, the program is tailored to priests, so in addition to the standard leadership training one might find in a corporate setting, they learned pastoral and ministerial leadership skills.

“They came in with the understanding that our job is not just the role of the boss of a parish or some ministry, but ministry itself,” said Father Gedney.

For Father Joseph Rielage, pastor, St. Edward Parish, Cynthiana, said that one of his primary takeaways was the need to delegate.

“It lets me know that, with the right group, with the right task and with the right goals, that I am not going to be the one that has to micro-manage. I can let others take care of things and get back to me,” he said. “That’s going to help me free up my time for more pastoral things.”

“What I’ve already seen bearing fruit,” said Father Gedney, “is being a better listener and receiving feedback better. Then, involving other people in solution and gathering solutions.”

A key aspect of Good Leaders, Good Shepherds training in the pastoral plan is the development of priests’ leadership skills. Father Gedney acknowledges the program’s success in this area.

“It’s helping augment my leadership knowledge. This is very much intellectual; you could say book learning. We can’t always learn on the job, although it might be necessary, it’s nice to have a little of intellectual learning before you apply it in real life,” he said.

Father Rielage said in appreciation of the training, “Good Leaders, Good Shepherd gives me the opportunity and the tools to be a good leader, be a good shepherd … no matter how much you think you know, there’s a lot more out there to help that you don’t.”

On Feast of Corpus Christi, St. Anthony Parish makes strides With One Heart

/in

Laura Keener

Editor

St. Anthony Parish, Taylor Mill, made strides, June 22, in implementing two of its With One Heart parish pastoral plan priorities — creating a welcoming community by hosting cultural exchange events and increasing confidence in Church teaching — with a Eucharistic procession on the feast of Corpus Christi.

Thirty-three days earlier, the parish collectively began learning more about the Eucharist by reading the book “33 Days to Eucharistic Glory,” by Matthew Kelly and watching its companion videos. Then, on the feast of Corpus Christi, the parish, which has a large Guatemalan community as well as an Anglo community, held an intercultural Eucharistic procession with members of its men’s prayer group, women’s prayer group and Guatemalan community each designing and constructing sawdust carpets for the procession.

Visiting celebrant, Msgr. Gerald Reinersman, led the procession, which concluded with a consecration to the Eucharist. “The Eucharist is more than something we believe in or something we celebrate. The Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ — body and blood, soul and divinity — that we have received. The sacrifice of Christ’s own love. It is the real presence of Christ that we are. It is what we become for one another,” said Msgr. Reinersman in his homily

Cohort 2 completes Parish Missionary Disciples training adding more witnesses to ignite parish life

/in

Laura Keener

Editor

Cohort 2 completed four weekends of Parish Missionary Disciples training, May 17, at St. Joseph Parish, Cold Spring. Carla Molina, leadership consultant, Catholic Leadership Institute, led the training, with Deacon James Fortner, diocesan chief operating officer and Jamie Schroeder, chancellor, leading the sending at the final meeting.

In his comments, Deacon Fortner emphasized the importance of PMD as a model of how diocesan offices and parishes should work together, as envisioned by Bishop John Iffert.

“To him, this is the model of a lot of our ministries, where we provide some training, some accompaniment, some skill building and then we turn the lay faithful loose, to go work back at their parish,” said Deacon Fortner. “Parish life is ground zero, that’s where relationships are struck, that’s where we lead people to the sacraments.”

PMD is a training program designed to equip parishioners with the skills needed for effective evangelization. This includes knowing and be able to articulate a personal faith witness and to engage with others through prayer. PMD is part of the With One Heart initiative and a Leadership Development strategy of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan. PMD training is led by consultants from the Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI) and has been offered to members in the Diocese of Covington at no charge, thanks to generous donations from benefactors committed to promoting evangelization efforts in the diocese.

“We’re blessed to have CLI that brings this capability,” Deacon Fortner said.

Cohort 1, a group of 60 witnesses, completed PMD training in April 2024. Cohort 2 adds another 31 witnesses to Bishop Iffert’s goal of 500 witnesses, impacting 90 percent of parishes in the Diocese. Two initiatives begun by two couples from Cohort 1 will help the diocese to meet its goal.

The first is the establishment of the GYMM, an acronym for Growing Your Missionary Disciples Muscles. Bill and Kim Dehlinger, parishioners, Blessed Sacrament Parish and Jerry and Bridget Otto, Mother of God Parish, host a monthly meeting for PMD witnesses. At the GYMM, witnesses practice what they learned — praying together and sharing their faith story.

“The idea for the GYMM is that this is a place where you can go back and review and be refreshed and be renewed and get support and network with everybody else that’s been through Parish Missionary Disciples,” said Mrs. Schroeder. “I really encourage you to do that, just to keep this going and to keep that fire burning.”

The second is to continue honing a shorter, more easily presentable discipleship program to implement at parishes. Mr. and Mrs. Otto have already taken leadership of this program. With the blessing of the CLI, the Otto’s took the information from PMD training and distilled it into three two-hour sessions. Last month, the Otto’s held the first presentation at Mother of God Church. “It was a big success,” said Deacon Fortner noting that about 25 people from parishes across the diocese attended. “Honestly, that’s kind of what we’re thinking is the path forward, to reformulate this and to do an intermediate kind of a program.”

Having quantitative measures is certainly a worthy goal, but Deacon Fortner said, more important “is transformation.”

“You guys need to take this competency and run with it,” Deacon Fortner said, “We’re never going to have all the training, trust me. You’re never going to feel like you got it all, because we don’t. It’s all about the Holy Spirit. You know how to love. Invite others to dinner, invite them into a relationship and let the Holy Spirit come lead.”

With One Heart, St. Edward Parish experiences unprecedented growth in OCIA candidates and CCD students

/in

Linda Fryman

Guest

St. Edward Parish, Cynthiana, has seen a record-breaking increase in the number of OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) candidates and CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) students this year. This remarkable growth reflects the success of the parish’s commitment to hospitality and outreach through the With One Heart pastoral plan initiative.

The With One Heart initiative was launched at St. Edward Parish to create a more welcoming, inclusive and spiritually nourishing environment for all parishioners and visitors. By focusing on renewing hearts and deepening community connections, the initiative has inspired parishioners to extend invitations to those seeking a closer relationship with Christ or exploring the Catholic faith.

A standout feature of this initiative is the “Meal with Your Shepherd” program. This approach invites nonCatholics, those with limited exposure to Catholicism, and new visitors to share a meal Father Niby Kannai, the pastor.

These informal gatherings provide a space for open dialogue, where participants can ask questions, share experiences and explore a deeper faith journey. These encounters have been meaningful, leading many participants to attend Mass regularly and explore the Catholic faith further.

Additionally, as part of the parish’s Missionary Discipleship program, St. Edward Parish has assembled a dedicated team to continue the spiritual formation of new Catholics beyond their formal initiation. This ongoing support nurtures a sense of belonging, helping new members stay engaged, deepen their understanding of the faith, and remain connected to the parish community.

The impact of the With One Heart initiative is evident in the personal stories emerging from the parish. A second-grade student, known for their enthusiastic participation in the children’s homilies during Mass, recently received the sacrament of Baptism. Another student, known for their dedication to prayer, also embraced the faith through Baptism. These young individuals exemplify the power of religious education in shaping the hearts of the next generation.

The influence of these young believers has even reached their families. Inspired by their child’s growing faith, one parent decided to join the OCIA program, showing how a child’s witness can inspire and transform an entire family, drawing them closer to Christ.

The increasing number of OCIA candidates and CCD students highlights the effectiveness of the With One Heart initiative in fostering a more inclusive and vibrant parish community. Parishioners, clergy and volunteers have collaborated to create a space where everyone feels valued, welcomed and encouraged in their faith journey.

As St. Edward Parish looks ahead, the commitment to hospitality, outreach and deeper spiritual formation will remain at the heart of its mission. The parish leadership hopes that the With One Heart initiative will continue to inspire more individuals to explore and deepen their relationship with Christ.

Jakob Furnish, a parishioner, noted, “Father Niby has made it welcoming for new members. I see many new faces every week — something I haven’t seen in my lifetime. I think the new engagement committee in the works is a great idea, and I would love to be involved. Thanks so much, and God bless!”

For more information about St. Edward Parish’s OCIA and CCD programs or to learn more about the “Meal with Your Shepherd” initiative, contact the St. Edward Parish office.

Linda Fryman is office manager for St. Edward Parish, Cynthiana, Ky. See related photo on page 17.

Mother of God’s faith workshop forms witnesses to family and friends

/in

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

“Do you know how much God loves you and has been guiding you your whole life? Have you ever explored your own faith journey, and would like to share this with others but aren’t sure how?” These are the questions being asked by the planning committee of Mother of God parish’s upcoming faith workshop, “Talking About God with Family and Friends.”

A development from the parish’s parish missionary disciple training (as part of the diocesan-wide With One Heart initiative), Mother of God decided to focus on the fact that “the most important missionaries in the Church are, first of all, parents, as they share their faith with their children and, secondly, friends, who share their faith with those around them,” said Father Michael Comer, pastor.

“We’re not trying to form professional missionaries,” he said, “what we’re trying to do is empower parents to share their faith with their kids … ‘Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers,’” Father Comer quoted Pope Paul VI, “so we’re trying to help people be witnesses to their own family members and to their friends.”

The session, held on a Saturday morning, aims to “get people started with how to talk to family and friends, and what they need to know about their own faith,” said Kathy Stevie, a parishioner of Mother of God on the planning committee for the workshop. “And, then, once they understand where they themselves are coming from,” she said, “all the different perspectives on Saturday can come to together and put it all together in a way to feel more comfortable in discussing their faith.”

The workshop is open to all, and is set to be held on April 5 at Mother of God Church’s undercroft, Covington. With doors opening at 8:30 a.m., the workshop continues until daily Mass at the Church at noon. Questions can be directed to Mary Ann Kelly at mkelly@mogcov.org.

St. Thomas Parish growing and connecting With One Heart

/in ,

Laura Keener

Editor

One of the truly unique aspects of the With One Heart pastoral plan is that it includes not only the diocesan pastoral plan but also the pastoral plans of every parish in the Diocese. And while each parish’s pastoral plan is unique, common themes and initiatives have developed, especially around the need for faith formation and evangelization.

St. Thomas Parish, Ft. Thomas, has made great strides in implementing its parish pastoral plan. Its three stated priorities are welcoming, faith formation and outreach. What has been foundational to all three of these priorities has been updating the parish Camino database.

“Before we could do any outreach, we had to make sure that we know who we are and making sure that we have a good, accurate database of our parishioners so that we can communicate with them,” said Father Ross Kelsch, pastor.

Updating the parish database took a lot of time and effort by the parish staff. Data sheets for each family were distributed at Masses. Families that did not pick up a data sheet were called. What the parish found was that for the 1,000 families in the database, nearly 80 percent had inaccurate information — phone landlines were discontinued and replaced with mobile numbers, e-mail addresses had changed, some had new home addresses, children had moved out of the family home and started a new family of their own — all of these updates are important when trying to communicate with parishioners.

“What that has provided us now is a clean snapshot of who our parishioners are,” said Father Kelsch.

With the updated database, parish ministries can now accurately contact parishioners. So far, the parish is working on a new parish directory, with parishioners uploading their favorite photo to the database.

“Now, in the office here, we get to see those photos in Camino. When we’re talking on the phone with somebody, we can see their face and be like, oh, I see him at Mass every weekend or oh, I see her in the school pickup line. It’s been a real community builder to be able to put the face with the name,” said Elizabeth Gruenschlaeger, parish business manager.

Ms. Gruenschlaeger and her coworker, Audrey Wilson, helped Father Kelsch with the arduous task of updating the database. Their hard work is being rewarded. A ministry fair was held which garnered over 150 new registrations for parish and school ministries — from adding lectors and Eucharistic ministers, to servers, choir members, landscape help and more.

“It’s lightened the burden for everyone who has been serving, but it’s also just nice to have more people involved in ministry roles here,” said Ms. Gruenschlaeger.

Parishioners also receive a weekly digital communication from the parish right to their phone or e-mail through Flocknote.

“We went from no clear vision of who our parishioners are to being able to engage them intentionally and get them involved,” Father Kelsch said. “Outreach is not only helping people outside of the parish, it’s also helping us reach our own people and strengthening those connections, deepening those relationships, so that, ideally, people feel like they belong; to know that we would miss them if they were not here.”