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Pastor:

Reverend Monsignor Tuan Joseph Pham, JCL

Parochial Vicars

Reverend Daniel Wilder, STL

Reverend Joseph Duc Hoang, STL

Deacons

Deacon Phil Goodman

Deacon Paul Manh Van Mai

Faith Formation

Sr. Cecilia Trang Pham, LHC, Director

Roz Esh—English

Sr. Van Yen Nguyen, LHC—Vietnamese

Youth Ministry

Catherine Ord, Director

RCIA

Roz Esh—English

Deacon Paul Manh Mai—Vietnamese

Adult Confirmation

Richard Radecki—English

Nguyen Thuc Ha—Vietnamese

Adult Faith Formation

Sr. Cecilia Trang Pham, LHC, Director

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Table of Contents

Letter from the Pastor………………………………………………… 4

Introduction …………………………………………………………………5

About us ………………………………………………………………………… 5

Mission statement

Demographics

Catechetical Vision ……………………………………………………… 8

Creation of the Catechetical Plan……………………………… 9

Assessment Results …………………………………………………… 9

What We Do Well

Catechetical Goals

Other Items of Importance

Existing Faith Formation Programs & Goals………… 13

Forming Plans for the Future ………………………………… 19

Common Threads

Next Steps

Appendix……………………………………………………………………… 20

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Letter from the Pastor

Dear People of God:

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has asked

us to take a deeper look or a new look at how we live our Faith;

we are asked to deepen our faith in the way we live and

communicate it to each other. Everyone here at Holy Spirit, our

parishioners, ministry leaders, priests, deacons, and religious

are taking a new look at how we are catechizing or teaching our faith to our fellow

parishioners. Everything we do, say, and present to others is part of our total efforts to

evangelize each other in our faith.

We need to look at all we do in ministering to each other. Are we helping each other to

be better Catholics? Is there a way we can better catechize or educate our faithful? If

so, we need to be doing it! We are in the process of analyzing what we are doing well

and what we could be doing better to catechize, educate, and evangelize our faithful.

What does each of us need to better live out our faith?

Jesus has asked us all to become saints! We are all part of the body of Christ. We are

all on this road to salvation together. Through the help of the Holy Spirit we can help

each other grow in our knowledge and practice of our faith.

After a long effort, we have come to this document. This is our plan for moving forward,

and I invite our entire community to carry it out together. It is a living document, which

will be our guide as we move together as a parish family to build God’s house. Our

church is our home and the place where we and our families learn about our faith. We,

together with other parishes in our Diocese and our nation, will be making this journey

as a community of faith.

May God bless each and every one of you as we continue on our journey towards

salvation together.

Msgr. Tuan Joseph Pham, JCL

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Introduction

In response to a recommendation by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the

Diocese of Orange has directed that each parish develop a plan for how we systematically

educate and instruct our faithful. This effort is to include all levels of parish life involved

with catechizing our faithful. At Holy Spirit, we have concluded our assessment and have

determined an organized way to go forward with direction and purpose for the continued

religious education of all our parishioners. This report is not an end but a beginning for a

program of continuing Catholic education for all of our parishioners.

About Us

Holy Spirit Catholic Church of Fountain Valley is a generous and dedicated community

of faith. We celebrate the sacraments with enthusiasm and commitment. We share willingly

our gifts of time, talent, and financial resources to enable many ministries that make the

Body of Christ a visible and effective presence in our world.

We strive to live our Catholic faith enlivened & guided by the Holy Spirit

& bring the fruits of the Holy Spirit to others.

Established in June of 1972 by Cardinal Timothy Manning, who was then the Archbishop of

Los Angeles, our parish was given the beautiful name of "Holy Spirit." Our Sunday Masses

were celebrated at Fountain Valley High School cafeteria for almost two years until the

completion of the first part of our multi-purpose building, consisting of six classrooms and

two offices, in 1974. The large hall was added in 1976 and became the center of our

Eucharistic celebrations until our church building was dedicated on December 6, 1987.

Today, our parish community has grown from a few hundred members to more than 3300

families, and we continue to grow. The parish currently boasts over 65 active ministries,

activities, and organizations. We are a multicultural community incorporating people of

many heritages typical of this area of Orange County. We are committed to building up the

Body of Christ as part of the Church of the Dioceses of Orange, and as part of the larger

Roman Catholic Church.

Parish Mission Statement We, the Parish Community of Holy Spirit Catholic Church, are a family of many cultural

backgrounds. Our mission is to enrich the spiritual life of all parishioners, through the active

participation in prayer and the sacraments, promoting opportunities to grow in faith and

hope, and providing a place to come together in the love of God and neighbor. We are

committed to the needs of our parishioners and to reach beyond to serve the needs of

others. We are called by the Spirit to witness the forgiving, healing and saving presence of

Jesus as one Church and one people. - January 12, 2006

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Demographics

Community Demographics

Culturally, Holy Spirit Parish is highly diverse. As the only parish in Fountain Valley, the

parish boundaries follow the city limit boundaries. In Fountain Valley, according to the 2010

U.S. Government census, the following figures reflect the cultural diversity of the city:

US Government 2010 Census of the City of Fountain Valley

White 27,214 49.2%

Asian 18,418 33.3%

Hispanic 6,568 11.9%

Other 3,113 5.6%

Total 55,313

(Please note that the category “Asian” includes the following subpopulations: Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese. Vietnamese is the largest subpopulation with 7,450 or 68% of the Asian population.)

(Please note that the category “Other” includes Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, Two or More Races.)

In terms of a Catholic population within the city limits, that same census, as interpreted by

the Diocese of Orange, provided the following data:

Hispanic 3,038 33.3%

Asian 3,016 33.2%

White 2,768 30.4%

Other 265 3.1%

Total: 9,082

(Please note that the category “Asian” includes the following subpopulations and would breakdown as follows: Filipino [484 or 5.3%], Korean [51 or .6%], and Vietnamese [2,481 or 27.3%].)

(Please note that the category “Other” includes Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, Two or More Races.)

Parish Demographics

Cultural diversity can be seen in the make-up of those attending weekend Masses and other

liturgies, including Eucharistic adoration and private devotions. It is also noticed in our

Religious Education programs and Youth Ministry programs. However, there has never been

an actual count of the culture or ethnicity of our parishioners. To have an accurate record

would require a parish census, which has never been taken. Parish registration records,

although kept up to date, could not be used in making critical guesses based on a family’s

last name because the records do not reflect who attends Mass and receives the

sacraments. We live in a time when parish boundaries do not determine which parish

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community a Catholic is a part of or participates in. In addition, Holy Spirit parish

community emphasizes the pastoral approach in making the sacraments available, which

implies that a Catholic family will not be forced to register.

The common practice of ignoring parish boundaries can easily be demonstrated by

comparing the total Catholic population of 9,082, listed above for the city of Fountain Valley,

with the parish 2013 October average count of weekend Mass attendance of 6,400. This

would mean that over 70% of the Catholic population of Fountain Valley is attending Mass

at Holy Spirit Parish. That percentile would be highly suspect when compared to the

average Mass attendance of 34% of Catholics in the United States.

Also, if the figure of 3,038 Hispanic Catholics living in the city’s limit is compared with the

average attendance of fewer than 200 at the only Spanish Mass in the parish, then we can

assume that 96% of the Hispanic Catholic city population is either attending Mass in English,

not attending Mass at all, or attending other local parishes in the area.

Demographics Determined by Mass Attendance

Reviewing our October 2013 count of Mass attendance can lead us closer to a more

accurate picture of parish demographics.

There are eleven Masses each weekend with an average of 6,400 in Mass attendance per

weekend: six weekend Masses in the English language, four in the Vietnamese language,

and one in the Spanish language. With the exception of attendance at the Spanish Mass, as

noted above, all Masses are well attended. In addition, at the English Masses, noticeably

present and participating are many Vietnamese. At English language Masses, consistently,

half if not more than half of the assembly is Asian.

Implied Cultural Demographics of Holy Spirit Parish based on Mass Attendance

Asian 4,340 67%

White 1,860 30%

Hispanic 200 3%

Total 6,400

(Please note that in the category “Asian,” if we use the same percentage breakdown as found in the Catholic Asian population footnote of subpopulations, the following subpopulations would be as follows: Filipino [695 or 10.7%], Korean [86 or 1.3%], and Vietnamese [3,559 or 55%].)

As can be seen by this breakdown, Holy Spirit Parish is culturally diverse. But being diverse

does not mean that we are divided. Participation in worshipping together as a family keeps

us united in Christ.

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Catechetical Vision

Develop a parish-wide outlook toward achieving ongoing

and better catechesis for our parishioners, so that all may

encounter Jesus in a deeper way.

Catechesis:

“Catechesis is the act of handing on the Word of God intended to inform the faith

community and candidates for initiation into the Church about the teachings of Christ

transmitted by the Apostles to the Church. Catechesis also involves the lifelong effort of

forming people into witnesses to Christ and opening their hearts to the spiritual

transformation given by the Holy Spirit.”

— USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis 2012

“The Fundamental task of catechesis is...

the formation of disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Six Fundamental Tasks of Catechesis:

1. Catechesis promotes knowledge of the faith: Sacred Scripture,

Tradition and Creed.

2. Catechesis promotes a knowledge of the meaning of the Liturgy and the Sacraments.

3. Catechesis promotes moral formation in Jesus Christ.

4. Catechesis teaches the Christian how to pray with Christ.

5. Catechesis prepares the Christian to live in community and to participate actively in the life and mission of the Church.

6. Catechesis promotes a missionary spirit that prepares the faithful to be present as Christians in society.

— National Directory for Catechesis, USCCB, 2005

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Creating the Catechetical Plan: Assessment Process

A comprehensive survey of parishioners was conducted in three languages to assess the

current quality of our Catechetical efforts. Then all key members of our Clergy and

Religious were interviewed, as well as key lay leaders in our parish. We have systematically

assessed our demographics and the quality of our religious education efforts for all our

parish members. Holy Spirit remains a vibrant parish with a strong Catholic community and

a dynamic faith formation program. However, an organized method to identify areas for

improvement is desired.

Assessment Results

Assessment Results, Part 1: What We Do Well

Multiple Mass Times and Languages

Eleven Masses per weekend are currently being offered. Six

Masses are celebrated each weekend in English; four Masses per

weekend are celebrated in Vietnamese. Two use only the

Vietnamese language and two others use Vietnamese/English.

One Mass is celebrated in Spanish every Saturday evening.

There is a monthly healing Mass celebrated on Monday

evenings, and a Friday night Mass is celebrated in Vietnamese

at 7:00PM. Two Masses are celebrated every weekday at 6:30

and 9:00AM.

Rosary and Prayer Groups

There are Rosary prayer groups that meet after the 6:30AM

daily Mass and before and after the 9:00AM daily Mass. A

Charismatic prayer group meets every Wednesday evening in

the hall. There is also a Divine Mercy prayer group, Immaculate Heart of Mary prayer

group, and Legion of Mary prayer group that all meet on a weekly basis. Spiritual Exercises

of St. Ignatius are also being offered.

Adoration

Adoration takes place six days a week. In addition to 24-hr.

adoration, which is conducted every Friday starting after

the 9:00AM Mass and concluded just prior to the 9:00AM

Mass on Saturday morning, Adoration is also conducted

between the weekly 6:30AM Mass and the 9:00AM Mass.

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Music

We have excellent choirs or choral groups at almost every Mass. There are four Vietnamese

Choirs and four English choirs, as well as a Spanish choir and two children’s choirs.

Homilies

All of our priests’ homilies are well received. Parishioners particularly appreciate homilies

that give a detailed teaching based on the scripture readings for the day.

Accessible Parish Priests and Staff

Friendliness of Clergy and Parishioners

Holy Spirit is a friendly parish. An atmosphere of warmth and friendliness is present.

Monthly coffee and donuts after the Sunday morning Masses is welcomed and well received.

Outreach through Social Gatherings

There are a lot of social opportunities offered through

parish festivals, parish picnics, backyard theology

sessions, right to life dinners, Knights of Columbus

parish breakfasts, Knights of Columbus Lenten fish

dinners, annual vocations awareness dinner, etc.

Faith Formation

Our Faith Formation Program is very active. A strong

effort is made to minister to all our parishioners, regardless of age or ethnic background.

Our Children and Youth Faith Formation Program ministers to approximately 1000 children

and teens each week. Separate Adult Faith Formation programs, Junior High, and Youth

Ministry programs are in place. Teen Sacraments classes are offered as well as Baptism

Preparation. There is also a special RCIA Adapted for Children and Teens Program.

Youth Ministry

Youth Ministry provides programs that include

Social and Community Life, Justice and

Service, Evangelization, Leadership

Development, Pastoral Care, Prayer and

Worship, Advocacy, and Education/Catechesis.

Youth Ministry serves both Junior High and

High School students, and offers a variety of

ways for young people to be connected to

parish life and to be living out their faith.

Included in the Youth Ministry program is

LAST, the Leadership and Service Team for confirmed high school juniors and Seniors.

LAST provides leadership training and formation. The program is designed to help young

people become actively involved in parish life and offers an opportunity for continued faith

development after Confirmation.

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Adult Faith Formation

There is an ongoing program in Adult Faith Formation at Holy Spirit. In recent times we

have completed 32 days of prayer/Marian Consecration, the Consoling Heart of Jesus, and a

vibrant program in the Year of Faith. Adult Faith Formation classes and speakers are

offered during Advent and Lent, as well as a dynamic Backyard Theology program during

the summer.

Bible Study

Four separate Bible study classes are conducted. We have completed an 8-week Quick

Journey Through the Bible, 24-part Journey Through the Bible, and 24-part study of the

Gospel of Matthew. Additionally, we are going to offer a 24-part Jeff Cavins video study on

the Acts of the Apostles. This study is being offered on Monday evenings and Wednesday

mornings. We are pleased with the response and will continue by offering programs on

Psalms, Corinthians, and James, as well as additional studies in the future

Assessment Results, Part 2: Catechetical Goals Based on our assessment results, it has been determined that our parish will continue

work in the areas in which we are experiencing success, as well as develop plans for

improvement in the following additional areas:

Hospitality

Adult Faith Formation

Young Adult Ministry

Family Ministry

Hospitality

Good catechesis begins with good hospitality! Develop an atmosphere in the parish where

all who come wish to return because they are welcomed and identify Holy Spirit Church as

their spiritual home. Every parishioner should feel a sense of belonging and a desire to

actively participate in parish life.

Programs are needed in the following areas:

• Welcome home returning Catholics - No

program currently exists in our parish.

• Welcome new parishioners - Invite new

parishioners to greater activity in parish life.

• Reaching out to people not currently registered

• Reaching out to the homebound - Our

parishioners are aging, and therefore, we have

a growing population of homebound.

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Adult Faith Formation

Expand and improve our Adult Faith Formation program, so that

more adults will appreciate the importance of making an ongoing

effort to grow in their faith. Our current program is extensive,

with many existing faith formation sessions in place, but many

programs are not well-attended for the size of our parish. A

Vietnamese Bible study at Holy Spirit is not currently offered.

Young Adult Ministry

Continue to develop our young adult ministry program and services to bring people in the

age group 20 to 45 to be active and vibrant participants in the life of the parish.

Family Ministry

Programs are needed in the following areas:

• Provide Marriage Preparation classes at Holy Spirit (not currently offered)

• At Baptism Preparation classes, introduce parents of newborns to the responsibilities of

caring for and raising their children as Catholic Christians, encouraging parental

involvement in parish life, including regular Mass attendance.

• Provide a family ministry where parents can meet socially to provide mutual support to

each other in raising their children in a Catholic Christian atmosphere, as well as help in

developing their own spiritual growth as parents.

• Provide professional family counseling to assist in helping families cope with the stresses

of family living in our secular society.

• Provide professional Natural Family Planning services and a list of qualified physicians

who can assist.

Other Items of Importance (from the Parish Survey)

• More confession time requested

(Since the survey, additional confession times have been added during Lent and

Advent.)

• Need cleaner church, cleaner restrooms, and cleaner meeting rooms

Church restrooms need to be upgraded

(Since the survey, church restrooms have been renovated.)

• Provide guidelines for appropriate Mass attire

• Sound system needs improvement

(Since the survey, efforts have been made to improve sound from the choir area.)

• Parish unity/more activities that combine all cultural groups requested

• Improve communication through technology

(Since the survey, the parish web site has been improved and a Facebook page has

been added, but the need for improved communication is still present.)

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Existing Faith Formation Programs & Goals

Elementary, Children and Youth Faith Formation

Highlights

• Ongoing efforts to unite the program:

o Combining of Holy Communion Retreat and First Reconciliation service

o Decoration of the hall according to liturgical seasons, a creative way of

evangelization

o Collaboration of Faith Formation staff: monthly meeting, administration

o Using the same curriculum for Grade 1 through Confirmation

o Formation for catechists and volunteers: Day of Prayer, Basic Certification,

ongoing formation

• Integration of all aspects of Faith Formation: Liturgy, Prayer, Mission,

and Morality:

o Liturgical Life: Faith Formation Opening and Closing Mass, Confession,

Eucharistic Adoration, Divine Mercy, Stations of the Cross

o Activities: Prayer Fair, Christmas Play, Teen Integrity, Vocation Fair, Youth

Day, Confirmation Retreats and Mini

Retreats

o Family Ministry: Family Faith Festival with

Fr. Leo, Parent Formation (Common Sense

Parenting Classes with Boystown), Interview

with students-parents-sponsors

o Mission/Outreach: Thanksgiving Food Drive,

Christmas Toiletries to His Hands, Lenten

Rice Bowls, Easter Baskets, and various

service projects

• Figures: 800 Families, 1100 Students, 150

Catechists & Volunteers

• Forms & Structures:

o Various methods of teaching: Traditional classroom-style, Children’s Liturgy,

EDGE, Confirmation small and large group settings

o Both languages are offered: English and Vietnamese

• Good Parish Support: facilities, budget, second collection, fund-raising

Challenges

• Catechist Formation: limited number of certified catechists

• Parental Involvement: only 15% of parents involved

• Classroom capacity currently stretched

• Limited office space for staff

• Significant number of families do not attend Sunday Mass

• Website needs improvement

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• No program offered for special needs students

• Changing of the Curriculum/Textbooks

• Opening and Closing Mass on Saturday when the Tues & Wed students are busy

with sports or music

• Need for more clergy visibility in the classrooms

Goals

• Recruit, strengthen, and obtain more certified catechists & volunteers

• Develop creative ways to encourage parental involvement, parent formation, and

family attendance at Sunday Mass

• Develop a resource-filled Faith Formation website

• Acquire 1-2 additional office spaces

Youth Ministry

Highlights

Catholic Youth Fellowship (CYF) has a growing

number of participants

Collaboration with local parishes for events,

such as 24-hour food fast, raising $3000 to

fight teen homelessness in Orange County

Students engaged in Junior High Youth Day

with the Diocese at Knott’s Berry Farm

35 students attended LAST retreat and

received credit for spiritual formation

Challenges

Parent involvement: finding ways to connect and provide resources to busy parents

Priest involvement and support: Priests are over-committed and often have difficulty

finding time in their schedules for youth events

Goals

Continue to provide leadership training and formation for juniors and seniors.

Connect members of LAST with other parish ministries.

Train more volunteers to help with the growing needs of the ministry.

Young Adult Ministry

Highlights

Full-day annual young adult retreats focusing on fellowship, spiritual growth, and

prayer. These have been offered for a $20 donation or without cost for those who

could not afford it.

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Taize prayer nights for the whole parish

Community service projects, including volunteering with SHIP, food banks, and

Ronald McDonald House

Successful fundraisers, such as movie night on the parish lawn

Annual Forever Young in Christ (FYC) Anniversary BBQ

Annual Christgiving Party (Thanksgiving/Christmas): combined service opportunity

and party

Challenges

Attracting new participants

Attracting young adults interested in taking a leadership role in the group

Consistent attendance at meetings

Funding for activities, retreats, supplies, hospitality for parish-wide events,

books/materials for formation, and annual Anniversary BBQ and Christgiving

celebrations

Priest participation in events, especially Eucharistic adoration

Goals

For FYC to become the next natural step for high school students to take after they

graduate—to fulfill their fellowship/spiritual needs after CYF

Host more parish-wide events

Consistently host the annual young adult retreat

Conduct more fundraisers

Be more specific in recruitment efforts about the segment of the community targeted

for membership

Have Mass specifically for the group, to create an intimacy with Jesus as well as

fellowship with one another

RCIA

Highlights

• Bringing souls into the Church

• We have become a two year process with

most returning for the second year

• Close-knit small community

• This year implemented ongoing Inquiry on

Friday evenings

• All the rites and the Vigil

Challenges

• Getting the word out about RCIA to all those interested

• Confession for those who are already baptized before Easter Vigil

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• Existing facilities do not provide large enough meeting space

• It is challenging to have different levels of understanding in the same class because

we must always go to the lowest

• Having the script followed for Easter Vigil

• Lack of community awareness, support, and involvement

Goals

• Separate the already baptized from the non-baptized

• Reach more people who are interested in becoming Catholic or completing the

Sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion

• Incorporate a class session which includes confession for the baptized

• More community awareness, support, and involvement in the process

• Better formation for sponsors

• Incorporate all designated guidelines for the rites and rituals of RCIA into the

Vietnamese program.

Adult Confirmation

Adult Confirmation classes are held each year from January to June with Confirmation on

Pentecost Sunday. The class follows the outline of the Catechism and stresses the six

principal tasks of catechesis, with particular emphasis on developing a personal relationship

with Christ. The class is open to adults out of high school who have been baptized and have

made their First Communion.

Highlights

• The 2014 class was 50% larger than the 2013 class.

• Members of the class, mostly young adults, were very enthusiastic about their faith

and learning more about it.

• Most of the class noted that they have an increased spiritual awareness and have

drawn closer to Christ.

• Unification of Program: Combined English and Vietnamese Retreat and Confirmation

Liturgy

Challenges

• Many young adults are going to school and working and therefore cannot commit to

a single day and time; Interest rate is 50% higher than those who actually take the

class.

• Tailoring the program to the needs of a class with different levels of catechesis

Goals

• Get every parishioner under retirement age confirmed.

• Develop a flexible plan to meet the needs of those who are unable to commit to a

regular time.

• Have all young adults confirmed before they get married.

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Adult Faith Formation

Our Adult Faith Formation effort is only 2½ years

old. We started with the Catholicism video series

by Fr. Robert Barron. The response from our

parishioners toward Adult Faith Formation is

improving. For the last 2½ years we have been

working to change the mindset of our

parishioners to understand that continuous

Catholic education is necessary for developing a

sound well rounded Catholic.

Highlights

• Ongoing Bible Studies: Lenten Bible studies have been provided. We then

successfully conducted an 8-part Jeff Cavins Video series Journey through the Bible,

followed by a Jeff Cavins 24-part series Journey through the Bible. We are currently

completing the Jeff Cavins 24-part series on the Gospel of Matthew. We expect to do

future series on the books of Acts and Psalms. New Bible studies have been well

received and will be ongoing.

• Devotions/Spirituality: Conducted 33 Days to Morning Glory, with a Marian

consecration, Consoling the Heart of Jesus 10-week retreat that followed the

principles of St. Ignatius and The Divine Mercy.

• Ongoing Faith Formation: Summer Backyard Theology program, Parrish Mission,

Lenten programs. We had a Eucharistic procession followed by Adoration, supported

by all the parish prayer groups and Bible Studies for the feast of Corpus Christi. We

have added “Light House” CD’s and educational pamphlets in the back of church.

Banners are now in the parking lot year round, all supporting the new evangelization.

• Fostering Unity: All parishioners joined together for a Rosary campaign and Holy

Hour.

Challenges

• Not well attended: We have a detailed 18-month program in place; the program is

good, but we are not getting as great a response as we should get for the size of our

parish.

• How to motivate our parishioners: Our parishioners are lethargic in their efforts to

seek better understanding of their faith. Better ways to motivate them are needed.

• Financial/personal needs: The Adult Faith Formation team is made up of all

volunteers active in other ministries. We need a dedicated staff person to help

support the work load for continuous Adult Faith Formation. We also have been

granted limited financial resources.

• Underserved areas: Many areas are underserved, namely reaching out to busy

parishioners, family ministries, returning Catholics, new parishioners, bereavement

ministries, and reaching out to the homebound.

• A Vietnamese Bible study is not currently offered in the parish.

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Goals

Strengthen, expand, recruit, and develop new volunteer leadership for parish

programs.

Develop a more creative way to establish ongoing catechesis for every parishioner,

especially those in the underserved areas listed above.

Continue and strengthen the existing 18-month plan for Adult Faith Formation.

• A committed staff person to coordinate Adult Faith Formation activities; better

financial resources

• Form a team to establish a Vietnamese Bible study.

Baptism Preparation

Highlights

Baptisms are done on the 3rd Saturday of each month. Classes for parents and Godparents

are offered monthly on the 1st Wednesday of the month (English) and the 2nd Thursday of

each month (Vietnamese).

Challenges

• Many families do not attend Sunday Mass regularly, and often parents are not

involved in parish life.

• Current program provides a limited time of only 1½ hours to catechize parents and

Godparents.

Goals

• At Baptism preparation classes, increase the emphasis on the responsibilities of

caring for and raising children as Catholic Christians.

• Encourage parental involvement in parish life, including regular Mass attendance.

• Increased clergy involvement in the program

• Consider the possibility of conducting Baptisms during Sunday liturgies, or develop

another way to welcome the newly-baptized into the parish community.

• Sign up families of newly-baptized as offertory families at upcoming Sunday liturgies.

• Recognize parents and newly-baptized during the Prayer of the Faithful at Sunday

liturgies.

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Forming Plans for the Future

Common Threads

• Need for expanded facilities.

• Need for better catechetical formation for parents, catechists, sponsors, and volunteers in programs parish-wide.

• Need for improved communication within the parish.

• Need for increased community awareness, participation, and involvement in catechetical programs, so that all become more fully integrated within

the life of the parish. Need for the community at large to take more responsibility for the catechesis of parishioners.

• Develop creative ways to encourage increased and regular involvement of all parishioners in parish life.

• The threads we find at Holy Spirit follow the same patterns evident in

society today: fallen-away Catholics, broken families, the rise of secularism, and decreasing Mass attendance. Thus, we are called to the

New Evangelization.

Next Steps

• Continue to develop procedures to present the catechetical plan to the parish and make it a living document, with emphasis on the New Evangelization.

• Formulate a detailed plan for each determined goal, addressing each item

on the following levels: Individual, Family, Leader/Ministry, and Parish.

• Work with leaders in ministries both directly and indirectly involved in catechesis in the parish to formulate plans in each area.

• Provide ongoing formation for those in ministry within the parish.

• Maintain focus on the six fundamental tasks of catechesis as plans are expanded and developed.

• Address the four Catechetical Goals that were results of the initial

assessment: Hospitality, Adult Faith Formation, Young Adult Ministry, and Family Ministry.

• Improve communication within the parish, especially among ministry leaders. Consider regular meetings to further improve communication and

to implement catechetical plan objectives.

• Beautify the liturgical celebration, in order that all may be called to full, active participation.

• Put a procedure in place to monitor progress, perhaps on a quarterly basis.

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Appendix

A committee was formed in 2012 to develop Holy Spirit’s catechetical plan. This

committee has met twice a month for over two years, as well as worked diligently

outside of formal meeting times to create this document.

The following committee members have contributed to the development of this

catechetical plan:

Bob Novielli (chair)

Sr. CeciliaTrang Pham, LHC

Fr. Joseph Duc Hoang, STL

Joe Bednarski

Luong Vu

Anna-Lisa George

Dick Radecki

Roz Esh

Elaine Zordani

David Vu

Mary Bach

Ernie Delfin

Catherine Ord

Nam Doan

Deacon Paul Manh Mai