by John Sorce
Special to The Leaven
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The next step in the archdiocese’s Renewal from the Heartland process is rapidly approaching.
Following the listening sessions from across the area held over the final two weeks of April, there will soon be an online survey for people to respond to as another way for the archdiocesan synodal team to gather feedback.
The process began during Lent with the Beatitudes of the Heartland and was followed up with 31 listening sessions with approximately 1,000 people participating.
Those sessions took place across 16 parish sites, seven community centers, four high school and college campuses and two prisons, with several parishes hosting multiple sessions.
Sally Olson facilitated listening sessions in Axtell, Seneca, Lawrence and Paxico. She was touched by the faith of the participants and could feel the Lord’s presence in each room.
“I think what stood out for me was the depth of faith each of these individuals have,” Olson said. “I could feel their love for the Lord and their Catholic faith.
“It was very easy for me to see the face and heart of Jesus in each of the people I interacted with.”
According to Helen Osman, who serves as the team coordinator of the archdiocesan synodal team made up of Archbishop McKnight, Father Michael Hawken, Denise Mills and Deacon Jim Mullin, these responses are currently being used to formulate the survey questions that will be on the archdiocesan Renewal from the Heartland website from June 1-15.
Osman hopes the survey shines some light on the obstacles that people feel are keeping them from getting involved with their parish communities.
“I hope we learn more about the barriers that people are experiencing to be able to engage in parish life,” Osman said. “I want to be able to look at what those barriers are and figure out if we can do some things to allow people to feel invited.”
Responses from both the listening sessions and the online surveys will serve as source material for the archdiocesan pastoral plan, which will be presented by Archbishop Shawn McKnight at the diocesan convocation for parish leaders on Sept. 12.
That information will then be sent to each deanery with customized reports and resources for each location.
Deaneries will then be asked to develop a deanery-wide pastoral plan, which will supplement the archdiocesan plan, but be more particular to the specific needs of their communities.
Responses to the survey will be anonymous but will have some type of identifying info attached, such as zip code or county.
Olson said there was such a strong turnout at the Paxico listening session that she needed to ask an attendee to help facilitate at a table, and she did the same, even though she was the head facilitator of the entire session.
She is hopeful that as the next step in the synodal process, the survey will help paint a clearer picture of how God is at work in the archdiocese, and that it can then help church leaders see how to proceed.
“I hope the online survey serves as another opportunity for parishioners to share their heart-filled thoughts on their faith and how the church plays a significant role in that,” Olson said. “I hope that combining those stories with the listening sessions will paint a picture of the ways so many people across our diocese have allowed God and the church to work in their life.
“This should then give leadership an idea of what is working in our diocese and then that information can be used to help others strengthen their faith.”
