All parishioners were invited to attend our Focus Groups which took a deeper dive into our Disciple Maker Index data. You can view the summaries from each Focus Group below. Suggestions from these Focus Groups, feedback from the Pastoral and Leadership Teams, and the work of our Envisioning Team assisted Saint Monica in creating the Parish Priorities and Goals submitted to Archbishop Perez.

FOCUS GROUP SUMMARIES

"5 Major Needs of the Parish" (All Ages)

• Several parishioners expressed the need for more informal conversations about faith and life offered on a regular basis, especially for youth
• Parishioners expressed that doubts about the faith need to be respected and doubts are OK. People who are questioning are intimidated by those who know everything.
  • We need people to accompany them in their doubt
  • Do we really welcome doubt?
• Parishioners repeatedly mentioned that engagement in service is a great means of evangelization and growth in faith. 
• The Church needs to clarify its teachings without leaving room for interpretation.
• Parishioners desire tools and vocabulary so that they can better share the Catholic faith with others.
• Mass is supposed to be a celebration…how often do we achieve that?
  • Do people know why they are at Mass?
  • The hearts and minds of people, especially the youth, have to be engaged at Mass.

• Offering an opportunity for a teaching Mass as well as making sure that visitors, non-Catholics, and those who have been away from the Church have resources handy so they can participate in Mass and say prayers with the whole congregation.
• Importance of inviting and evangelizing both inside the parish and outside. 
  • The goal should be to start small, not necessarily inviting someone to Mass as that can be intimidating. It should be about ensuring that the larger community has a positive relationship with a parishioner from Saint Monica.
  • Invitations can be issued for everything from WWP, to a dinner at your house, to a book club, to volunteering at Sarnelli House.
  • Creating opportunities for connection whether that’s coffee and donuts after Mass, a family picnic, etc.
  • Some expressed they felt as though COVID got people into the habit of not attending Mass/events.
• Parishioners also discussed:
  • The importance of music they can sing along to
  • Desire for a later Mass
  • Keeping the Mass to less than 45 minutes. (Though time ranges differed from parishioner to parishioner, the consensus was less than 1 hour.)
  • Potentially having families or parishioners of all ages greet at the beginning of Mass
  • How they appreciate the relevance of Father's homilies

• There is a desire for education about the Mass, its meaning, and its songs (ex. Kyrie Eleison).
• Some would like more contemporary music added to the Mass..
• Parishioners want Mass to be uplifting and music is part of that.
• Music needs to be accessible, familiar, and sing-able–not formal or only sung by cantors.

• Personal invitation is impactful, whether an email or an invite from someone in parish.
• Individuals mentioned the importance of casual social events that are not necessarily religious but focused on building community.
  • Maybe coffee and donuts after Mass, off campus events, one off adult formation opportunities (with childcare offered)
  • Personal invitation to Mass is a little down the line from casual events, but can organically follow from the relationships built at social events
• The loss of the 11:30 Mass time has prevented some from this demographic from making it to Mass at Saint Monica. It’s difficult to get all the kids to Mass by 9:30 am. Could there be a Mass more geared toward families, both time-wise and homily-wise? 
• Some expressed a desire for Mass announcements. They need not be weekly. It was proposed that the announcer be from the demographic that’s being targeted for the event.
  • i.e. young families as announcer for a family event
  • Some individuals mentioned that they’ve been convinced to attend programs or events after someone’s testimony at Mass.
• They desire ways to be a better witness and share the faith in a charitable way with others especially in light of many social and political issues these days that are difficult to discuss.
• This group is seeking opportunities for teens after Confirmation. They wish there was more of a community for their teens to have like-minded friends who practice their faith.
• They expressed that the Saint Monica community is very accepting and encouraging of parents bringing young children to Mass. This group also feels “met where they are” in terms of being able to attend certain programs infrequently or a little late (due to children) and not needing to be perfect.
• Some attendees thought it would be nice to have cross-generational opportunities such as a father-son or mother-daughter retreat.