Leadership
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Three keys to a successful church renovation
Are your parishioners tripping over a worn carpet in your worship space? Is your worship space cramping the way you would really like to celebrate the sacraments? Have you heard some “horror stories” of parishes that have been involved in… read more
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Case study: Master the parish budget process
The case: How do I get the budget under control so I can do what I was ordained for?I don’t have much financial expertise. But now I have to manage a large parish budget, and I’m sinking under all the numbers and spreadsheets. There must … read more
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I can’t blame people for not knowing what’s appropriate for liturgy when they see so many instances of free-form worship in our culture (some, alas, in Catholic churches). This leaves me in a tough spot when I’m asked questions like… read more
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Create compassionate congregations
Is your parish considering becoming more involved in social outreach? If not, perhaps it should. A recent study by the Hartford Institute for Religious Research found that congregations emphasizing social justice and offering a variety of outreach ministries… read more
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From part-time coordinator to full-time director
Twenty-five years ago, Donna Erickson Couch was hired as a part-time confirmation coordinator for a parish of 1,500 families. Today she is the director of faith formation, and oversees a staff of six in a parish composed of 6,500 families at St. Edward the… read more
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Good buy guide: The Roman Missal
With the new Roman Missal launching November 27th, here is a list of many of the publishers offering altar, chapel, and study editions. Catholic Book Publishingwww.catholicbookpublishing.comAvailable to ship October 2011Deluxe Genuine Leather Altar … read more
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The three-fold ministry of the deacon
In the October 2010 issue of Today’s Parish, I wrote about the various reasons the bishops of the United States decided to implement a permanent diaconate. In particular, I focused on the last reason given. That is, deacons would be used &ldquo… read more
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In 1968, the United States bishops requested approval from Rome to ordain permanent deacons. In order to understand how deacons model a new way of ordained ministry, let’s look at the reasons the bishops gave for their request: 1. To complete … read more
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“All I ever wanted to do was save souls!” Rev. Richard J. O’Brien, SJ, a linguistics professor, spoke these words as he sat swamped by piles of manuscripts, student papers, and faculty meeting notes in his tiny office at Georgetown … read more
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Imagine you are kicking back on a Thursday night with the remote in hand, a snack on side table, and a full slate of reality TV ahead of you. American Idol or Survivor? The Amazing Race or The Simple Life? And then, something else, something fresh and strange comes… read more















