You Spoke, We Listened

Thanks to all who took time to complete the Faith in Our Future survey. Your input will be very helpful as we strive to develop a strategy for the future ministry of the Church in our area. The survey was the first step in this process—a self-evaluation of our parish. You helped us to identify our strengths but also our areas for improvement, our challenges. Our core team studied every survey submitted and as a result we have an honest appraisal of "where we are" at this moment in our history.

Many parishioners took time to offer concrete suggestions for improvement or identified goals for future ministry. Most of these were positive and practical. They are certainly things that warrant our attention and implementation. Some comments were beyond the scope of the survey, advocating changes in Church doctrine or proposing ideas that are not possible to implement. A few asked for things that we already offer.

A few simple suggestions we have already implemented with regard to our grounds and churches, described below. As we move forward, we shall address other suggestions.

• Driveway Enhancement at Our Lady of Sorrows
  White posts with reflectors have been installed at our lot entrances to identify the entrances at night more clearly. Bright yellow strips will also be painted at the entrance.
• Sound System Upgrade for Both Churches
  Not a few parishioners expressed the need to improvve the audio system at both churches. However, this is especially an issue at St. Anthony, a building which is acoustically challenging. Three upgrades have been made to the system in the last fifteen years by Monte Brothers Sound Systems, New York. While there has been an improvement, the challenging design of the building requires ongoing upgrades as technology in the field advances. In order to improve the quality at both sites, we are upgrading the wireless microphone devices which should improve the system's clarity. After Holy Week, Monte Bros will propose a further upgrade that would employ the latest technology.
• Expanded Office Hours
  For the convenience of our parishioners and other visitors, we are no longer closed for lunch but are keeping the office "open for business."