Pastoral Letter: Our Ongoing Transformation

Dear Sisters and Brothers –

As you read last week, Luis Muñoz, our Senior Director of Parish Operations, has left the Parish staff and returned to working in the hospitality industry. I gave you a sense last week of how valuable Luis was during his all-too-short tenure with us and of the mark he made on our parish, often unseen. But that mark has been felt this first week of his absence. Prior to his departure, he and I assigned to various staff members the different tasks that keep the parish running on a day-to-day basis. Because of the Luis’s professionalism and of the generosity and graciousness of the staff, things are running very smoothly. I’m extremely grateful to all of them.

The plan moving forward is to look for someone to fill the position on an interim basis. Key to this plan is that the interim person will be focused on two things. First, s/he will evaluate the old job description and take a keen look at the needs of the parish now in order to scope the job appropriately. This will involve the input of the staff and the Parish Council. I hope to have a new job description soon so that we can begin to advertise the new, permanent position. Second, the interim person will pick up and move forward a strategic planning process begun more than a year ago. It has languished, and it is critical that we bring it to completion. Perhaps the timing will be good because we will have important data as a result of our Synod (see below) that will likely be very helpful in informing our strategic directions.

So, we’re looking for an interim person to help out. If you have experience in systems organization, finances and people management, and you have a few free months ahead – or if you know of someone who does – please contact me at [email protected] or 415.422.6398. And please, please, please keep this in your prayers!

On another note, Lisa Freese, who has been coordinating our Children’s Faith Formation and Confirmation programs part time since August, has come on board full time as our Director of Faith Formation. Lisa has been energetic and effective in her months with us, and I am very, very excited that she will now be directing all of our faith formation programs. Lisa is creative and generous, and she brings decades of experience of working in faith formation programs around the world. You will recognize Lisa as one of our regular Sunday Mass lectors, as well as the woman usually wearing one of a collection of very elegant hats! Welcome, Lisa. May God bless you and, through your ministry, the good people of St. Ignatius Parish.

If you haven’t yet done so, you can participate in the Synod survey offered by the Archdiocese (it takes five minutes) by clicking here. And I deeply hope and strongly encourage you to join the St. Ignatius Parish Synod. The call of the Synod – of Pope Francis – is to become a “listening Church,” through which the voice of the Holy Spirit might be discerned through the voices of the People of God. That’s you. And we can’t hear the Holy Spirit unless we’re hearing from you, as well as from those who have been hurt by the Church, do not feel welcome by the Church, and so on. You can read more about the Synod, link to the survey, and sign up for our Synod by going to our website, here. Please join us, and invite others who no longer want to walk with us but whose voices we need to hear. Please pray for this, too. And, as always,

oremus pro invicem,

Fr. Greg