St.
Patrick P A R I SH m o n t h ly n e w s l e t t e r
A L e t t e r F ro m F at h e r
Inside This Issue: 2
2021 Parish Survey Results
J U LY 2 0 2 1
The Results of Our Recent Parish Survey Dear Family,
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s part of our ongoing commitment to developing stewardship as a way of life, we recently conducted a comprehensive survey of our parish. The survey allowed all our parishioners to express their views regarding worship, parish life, religious education, outreach, and stewardship. Thanks to your response, our survey was a huge success! Our parish office received 327 completed surveys. This is a 40 percent response rate, which nearly four times greater than the national average of 10 percent. I thank you for your honesty, as well as the time and commitment you made to complete the survey and help our parish become better and spiritually stronger. The results of the survey are included in this newsletter, and I hope these results will give you a clearer vision of how our parish as a whole responded to each specific question.
We also asked you to respond to a few openended questions. Because of space constraints, we could not include each response in this newsletter, but they have been read, reviewed, and grouped based on likeness so that we could determine the top responses for each open-ended question. As your pastor, I am confident that the information we have gathered through the survey will help guide the leadership of our parish as we continue to develop stewardship. In the coming year, I hope we can all work together to meet the needs of our faith community and make life in our parish even more rewarding for us all. Your Father in Christ,
Fr. Estrella, Parochial Administrator
St.
Patrick P A R I SH
2021 PARISH SURVEY RESULTS Liturgy Which Mass at St. Patrick do you most frequently attend? 20% Saturday, 5:00 p.m. 21% Sunday, 7:30 a.m. 27% Sunday, 9:00 a.m. 31% Sunday, 11:00 a.m. 0% Sunday, 1:00 p.m. (Spanish) How often do you attend Mass at St. Patrick? 53% Every weekend 29% Every weekend and some weekdays 2% Every weekend and every weekday 10% Occasional weekends (once or twice a month) 2% Seasonally (Christmas, Easter, etc.) 4% I no longer attend Mass I consider myself a member of... 91% St. Patrick 5% St. Canice 4% Another church Do you feel welcome when you attend Mass at St. Patrick? 97% Yes 3% No The music at the Mass I attend helps me more prayerfully experience the celebration of the Mass. 40% Strongly agree 31% Agree 22% Neutral 5% Disagree 2% Strongly Disagree
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Please indicate how well the following liturgical ministers help you more prayerfully experience the celebration of the Mass. Needs Excellent Good Fair Improvement Ushers 48% 41% 7% 3% Altar Servers 62% 34% 4% 1% Lectors 52% 42% 5% 1% Cantors 50% 41% 6% 3% Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion 53% 39% 6% 2%
Adult Faith Formation Have you attended an Adult Faith Formation program at St. Patrick in the last three years? 21% Yes 79% No If you have attended an Adult Faith Formation program at St. Patrick in the last three years, was it a good experience? 71% Yes 29% No If you haven’t attended an Adult Faith Formation program at St. Patrick in the last three years, would you consider attending one in the future? 57% Yes 43% No If you would like to attend an Adult Faith Formation program, in which areas would you be most likely to participate? (Multiple Responses allowed) 41% Church Teachings 58% Scriptures/Bible Study 22% Ethics and Morality 16% Marriage 37% Small Faith Sharing Groups 45% Practical Ways of Growing in Faith and Prayer 40% Retreats 9% Other
Family Faith Formation (K - 8) The following questions were answered only if one’s child/children are currently enrolled or have participated in the last two years in our Family Faith Formation program.
How would you rate the quality of instruction that our students receive in our Family Faith Formation program? 36% Excellent 52% Good 8% Adequate 4% Poor Do you feel that the instruction provided by our Faith Formation program is in line with the teaching of the Catholic Church? 71% Yes 3% No 26% Unsure What do you like most about our Faith Formation program? (Multiple Responses allowed) 57% Director, staff and catechists 39% The families involved 61% The children/families learn about their faith 13% Meeting times 17% Other How do you think we can improve our Faith Formation program? (Multiple Responses allowed) 43% Get the parents more involved 24% Change the time 29% More training and support for the teachers 24% Improve the curriculum 24% Other
St. Patrick Youth (SPY) Do you have children in 9th through 12th grade living in your home? 6% Yes 94% No If you have children in 9th through 12th grade living in your home, do they attend youth ministry activities/ programs at St. Patrick? 10% Regularly 14% Occasionally 76% Never If occasionally or never, why? 5% Inconvenient Time 11% Too Busy/Other Commitments 26% Lack of Interest 58% Other, please explain The following questions were answered only if one’s child/children regularly participate in our youth ministry program.
How would you rate the quality of the youth ministry program at St. Patrick? 11% Excellent 22% Adequate 22% Good 44% Poor What do you like most about the youth ministry program? (Multiple Responses allowed) 31% The commitment and dedication of the staff 15% The variety of activities offered 46% It involves the youth more in parish life 31% The Christian atmosphere in which they socialize 31% Other How do you think we can most improve the youth ministry program? (Multiple Responses allowed) 43% Involve the youth in the parish more 39% Inform the parishioners more about the program 50% Get more youth involved 43% Offer more activities 29% Improve the current activities 21% Increase the service opportunities 21% Other
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St.
Patrick P A R I SH Mt. St. Mary Academy (K - 8th Grade)
Having a Catholic school is a vital part of St. Patrick’s mission as a parish. 70% Strongly agree 22% Agree 6% Neutral 2% Disagree 0% Strongly disagree Do you have children in K through 8th grade living in your home? 14% Yes 86% No If you have children in K through 8th grade living in your home, where do they attend school? 62% Mt. St. Mary Academy 3% Other Private School 14% Public School 22% Home School If you currently have children in K through 8th grade in your household and they do not attend Mt. St. Mary Academy, what is the reason that they don't attend? (Multiple Responses allowed) 11% Transportation is a problem 6% More academic options at other school 0% Catholic education is not a family priority 11% Cost (I would rather put my money to use in other ways) 28% Cost (I cannot afford to send my child[ren] to Catholic schools) 72% Other Are you aware that Mt. St. Mary Academy has a tuition assistance program? 73% Yes 26% No
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The following questions were answered only if one’s children are currently enrolled at Mt. St. Mary Academy.
How would you rate the quality of EDUCATION that our students currently receive at Mt. St. Mary Academy? 87% Excellent 3% Adequate 10% Good 0% Poor How receptive is the FACULTY to meeting your needs? 89% Very receptive 4% Somewhat receptive 7% Neutral/no experience 0% Unreceptive 0% Very unreceptive Do you feel that the children who attend our Catholic school are receiving good Catholic moral development? 91% Yes 0% No 5% Somewhat 5% Unsure What do you like most about our Catholic school? (Multiple Responses allowed) 63% Great teachers 78% The daily emphasis on Christian life 76% Catholic education 61% Builds community 22% Other How do you think we can improve our Catholic school? (Multiple Responses allowed) 36% Increase the communication with the parents 5% Improve the curriculum 18% More training for teachers 27% Increase the emphasis on Catholic Faith 55% Other
Parish Life What is your perception of your role as a member of St. Patrick? (Multiple Responses allowed) 96% To attend Mass 61% Participate/volunteer in ministries and social activities 87% Support the parish financially 69% Share my faith with others 5% Other In your experience, how responsive is our pastor to your needs and requests? 67% Very responsive 13% Somewhat responsive 19% Neutral 1% Unresponsive 0% Very unresponsive In your experience, how responsive is the Parish Office Staff to your needs and requests? 74% Very responsive 11% Somewhat responsive 15% Neutral 0% Unresponsive 0% Very unresponsive What methods of communication work best for you and your family to receive parish information? (Multiple Responses allowed) 82% Bulletin 36% Website 10% Facebook 62% Email 56% Parish Newsletter/Mailings 68% Announcements at Mass Did you enjoy receiving our parish’s new monthly newsletters? 96% Yes 4% No
In what medium would you prefer to receive the parish’s monthly newsletter: 62% Print (current medium used to deliver newsletter) 38% Online (via email or some other form of electronic delivery) What information do you want included in our monthly newsletter? (Multiple Responses allowed) 87% Articles about parish groups and activities 85% Comments from our pastor 43% Highlights on various parishioners 56% Information on the finances of the parish 41% Diocesan-Wide news 65% Articles of general Catholic interest 65% Explanations of specific Catholic teachings 8% Other Do you use our parish’s website? 72% Yes 28% No If not, why not? Not Tech Savvy/No Computer (26) Use Other Source (13)
Outreach Do you feel that St. Patrick does out to the following groups: Yes Active Parishioners 75% Inactive Parishioners 8% New Parishioners 19% Shut-in Parishioners 24% Non-Catholic Spouses 7% The Local Community 26% The Poor 47% Other Christian Churches 13% Other Religions 7%
a good job reaching No Unsure 4% 21% 12% 79% 9% 71% 6% 70% 9% 84% 12% 62% 3% 50% 8% 79% 7% 86%
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St.
Patrick P A R I SH What more can we do as a parish to reach out to those in need? (Multiple Responses allowed) 56% Increase communications about parish ministries 58% Encourage more parishioner participation 36% Be more welcoming 54% Get more involved in the community 16% Other
Stewardship What is your perception of Stewardship (Time, Talent, and Treasure) when it is discussed? 56% Accept it as a core Gospel value and carry it out in my life 9% Don’t really understand what it means 28% Think it’s important, but find it hard to implement 3% Feel it’s not applicable in my life 4% Feel that it’s just another way to discuss fundraising
Stewardship of Time How often does your family share a meal? 57% Daily 11% Several days a week 2% Once a week 2% Less than once a week 28% N/A Do you say grace before meals? 67% Yes 33% No If you have children at home, do you pray with them on a daily basis (in addition to grace before meals)? 13% Yes 12% No 75% N/A If you are married, do you pray with your spouse on a daily basis (in addition to grace before meals)? 16% Yes 48% No 36% N/A
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In addition to Sunday Mass and grace before meals, how often do you set aside time for personal prayer? 86% Daily 9% Weekly 2% Monthly 4% Never Would you like to learn more about prayer and types of prayer? 66% Yes 34% No Is it difficult for you to connect the liturgy to your personal prayer and daily life? 28% Yes 72% No If you have children, do you discuss vocations (Religious Life, Single Life, Married Life) within your family? 26% Yes 8% No 66% N/A
Stewardship of Talent In how many parish ministries, committees, programs or events are you actively involved? 41% 0 11% 3 25% 1 8% 4 or more 16% 2 Beyond participating in weekly Masses, how do you rate your involvement in St. Patrick? 9% Very involved 41% Moderately involved 39% Rarely involved 11% Never involved What single reason (if any) has most prevented you from more participation in parish ministries? 3% Not interested in what the parish offers 34% Health issues 12% Usually unaware of opportunities within the parish 31% Not enough time due to family and work responsibilities 2% Transportation 16% Haven’t yet made the effort to get involved 1% Lack of babysitting services
Are you satisfied with your PERSONAL level of involvement in parish ministries? 69% Satisfied with my current level of involvement 31% Would like to become more involved Are you satisfied with your FAMILY’S level of involvement in parish ministries? 26% Satisfied with current level of involvement 17% Would like to become more involved 57% N/A At what times would you most likely be able to attend parish functions? (Multiple Responses allowed) 23% Saturday mornings 22% Saturday evenings 47% After the Sunday Mass 9% Sunday evenings I attend 32% Weekday mornings 35% Weekday evenings 31% Weekday afternoons
Stewardship of Treasure Each parishioner is responsible for supporting our parish financially. 56% Strongly agree 35% Agree 8% Neutral 1% Disagree 0% Strongly disagree What is your perception of our parish’s current financial position? 10% We are easily able to pay our operating bills and put aside money in savings. 20% We are easily able to pay our operating bills. 17% We barely generate enough revenue to pay our operating bills. 2% We are not generating enough revenue to pay our operating bills. 51% I am unaware of the state of our parish finances.
How often do you make financial contributions to St. Patrick? 47% Every week 3% Every other week 14% Once a month 17% Monthly (for all the weeks in the month) 1% Never 17% Other How do you determine the amount you contribute in the offertory collection? 13% I give a certain dollar amount based on a percentage of my income. 57% I have chosen a certain dollar amount in some other way. 1% I base the amount on what I think the parish needs. 16% I give whatever I can afford that week. 12% I don’t have a system that determines how much I give. 1% I don’t financially support the parish. My household’s annual financial contribution to the parish offertory represents: 6% 0% of my gross annual income 41% 1% - 2% of my gross annual income 22% 3% - 4% of my gross annual income 16% 5% - 6% of my gross annual income 8% 7% - 8% of my gross annual income 7% 9% - 10% of my gross annual income 1% 11% or more of my gross annual income
Demographics Gender: 19% Male 50% F emale 31% Husband and Wife Completed Together Marital Status: (Check one) 10% Single 8% Divorced 61% Married 1% Separated 20% Widowed
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St.
Patrick P A R I SH 235 Chapel Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-2347 stpatrickgrassvalley.org
General Information
What is your annual household income? 3% $0 - $9,999 16% $10,000 - $29,999 23% $30,000 - $49,999 20% $50,000 - $74,999 17% $75,000 - $99,999 14% $100,000 - $199,999 7% $200,000 and above
The things I like best about St. Patrick are... • Clergy (92) • Parishioners (60) • Mass (52)
Age: (More than one box was checked if husband and wife completed the survey together) 0% 18-29 6% 50-59 4% 30-39 23% 60-69 9% 40-49 63% 70+ How long have you been a registered parishioner at St. Patrick? 6% 0-1 year 10% 6-10 years 6% 2-3 years 63% More than 10 years 6% 4-5 years 10% Not registered
I wish St. Patrick would… • Mass Suggestions (42) • Activity/Ministry Suggestions (39) • Building Suggestions (21) What can St. Patrick do to encourage parishioners to come back to Mass and become more involved in parish life once the pandemic shutdowns are lifted? • Social Activities/Events and Opportunities for Involvement (55) • Extend an Invite (29) • Don’t Know/Unsure (15)
MASS SCHEDULE Monday-Saturday: Daily Mass at 8:30 a.m. | Saturday Vigil Mass: 5 p.m. | Sunday Mass: 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. (Spanish)