“Apathy is not the people’s fault,” Sr. Peg says.

Known as Parish Assessment and Renewal, or PAR, the program draws on Fr. Sweetser’s almost 30 years of experience as co-founder of the Parish Evaluation Project.

“We’ve learned a great deal and fine-tuned a lot in that time,” he says. “Now we have a well-proven method of gathering good information that helps people identify things they want to change.” Then Fr. Sweetser and Sr. Peg help the parish develop a plan that works.

“Prior to 1997 I felt we were doing OK. I knew we were helping parishes, but we weren’t really getting underneath their skin.We weren’t creating a real change in structure,” Fr. Sweetser says. “People would get all revved up when we were there, but if they didn’t have good leadership or staff in place, things just fell off until our next visit.”

Now the process involves greater preparation and ongoing support, to tap more parishioners and generate common ideas, common goals, and a common vision. They create their own plan that is individually tailored to each parish.

“When they called me, the timing was perfect,” says Fr. Tony Zimmer, pastor at St. Charles Borromeo since June 2000. “It was a time of many transitions for our parish. Hopes were high among the people here. They were ready to move forward. They needed permission and direction.”

Most Church leaders agree that, like St. Charles Borromeo, American Catholic parishes are in transition periods, often related to the ongoing priest shortage. Like many pastors, Fr. Zimmer is the only priest assigned to his parish. It’s a common situation that calls for a paradigm shift, says Fr. Sweetser, to a structure in which the pastor shares responsibilities, generally retaining pastoral duties while delegating the bulk of daily administrative oversight. PAR is geared to make the shift a smooth one, and preparation is important. The process begins in earnest with a day-long visit after a PAR Oversight Committee is in place.

Sr. Peg Bishop, OSF and Fr. Tom Sweetser, SJ listen to input from parishioners participating in the Parish Assessment and Renewal process at St. Charles Borromeo on Milwaukee’s South Side.

“We’ll come in, meet the pastor, meet with staff, and go over what the oversight committee has to do before we come back,” Fr. Sweetser says. Circulating a confidential Parish Life and Operation survey is the committee’s first major task. Parishioners respond and return their answers directly to PEP’s Milwaukee office.Months later, Fr. Sweetser and Sr. Peg return – sleeves up and ready to begin exhaustive 17-day process.

“We’re there together because you have to have different perspectives,” says Fr. Sweetser, the analytical partner in the process.

“I’m the feeling person.You have to feel your way into this.We are opposites.We make a good team,” adds Sr. Peg.

Typically the 17 days begin on a Friday by setting a schedule of individual meetings with pastor, staff, and lay leaders – usually about 40 people in all. They review the self-survey results and examine five parish activity areas: liturgy and worship; parish community life; education and formation of all age groups; spiritual outreach (including pastoral care, social service, social justice, reaching out to inactive people); and general administration (including building and grounds, finance, stewardship and treasury, communication, and master plan).

“Often people are locked in on their areas and so close up to stuff that pulling away and beginning is very difficult. The interviews encourage perspective and help them see what the potential would be if everything were working at its best.” Sr. Peg says. “What’s blocking it right now, and what can we do in a practical way to start working toward that potential? We’re laying the groundwork for an approach to strategic planning that stretches the possibilities and the people’s creativity.”

Fr. Sweetser, SJ and Sr. Peg, OSF deliver a shared homily and report during a Mass at a parish participating in the Parish Assessment and Renewal program.

Next, the entire parish is invited to a 55-minute town hall-like gathering, usually on the second Sunday and typically attended by as many as 200 parishioners. They sit at tables in groups of 8-10 people, one of whom records the answers to three questions:What do we keep? What do we let go? Where do we start? Answers come in rounds, one person at a time, one response at a time, until the groups run out of ideas.

The first time I saw it, I said, ‘no way we’re getting out of here in 55 minutes.’ But the genius of it is that if there are 200 who show up they’re in and out in 55 minutes, because the way it’s set up, nobody can take over,” Sr. Peg says. “There’s no discussion until everyone is finished, and we keep going around the room coaching everyone.We say we wanteveryone’s wisdom. It’s important that what you came with reaches the leadership and influences the direction. Once all their thoughts are out, they can discuss whatever they want.”

Deb Ebratt, the third member of the PAR team, inputs survey results that team members will analyze and use to evaluate needs at a client parish.

The next two days are spent distilling the information into a report. Except for a day off each week, however, they attend liturgies, observe activities, and make themselves visible and available throughout the 17 days.

“Our recommendations are about 30 pages long, including a summary of the interviews and town hall notes.We just hole up and do it. Leadership, staff and the pastor get a copy of everything gathered in the interviews and the town hall,” Fr. Sweetser says. “We get away from it and take a day off while everyone reads the material. Because of all the work leading up to the report, there are no surprises, but it is important that the parish has time alone to absorb the information.”

When the team returns, the final days comprise a rush of activity. Pastor and staff are now in a different place. Internal and external barriers are removed.

“There are no secrets,” Fr. Sweetser says.

“We’re not strangers anymore. They know us, we know them, and they know far more than ever about each other.We settle into a partnership,” Sr. Peg says.

Pastor and parishioners at St. Charles Borromeo are happy with the way their partnership is working.

“We had the energy. It gave us the process,” says Deb Barchus, chair of the parish Christian Formation Commission.

“It brought us together,” says Janet Seizyk, chair of the Pastoral Council. “Now we’re playing the music from the same sheet.”

Our energy was exploding, but you just can’t go with the flow. You need a common direction and a vision. Process is everything,” says Fr. Zimmer. “The PAR process taught us how to consult, how to listen, how to get input, and how to implement the dream and the vision.”

Their testimonials give credence to what Fr. Sweetser has to say to parishes willing to give PAR a chance:

“It has evolved over years into a system that works.”