Successful parishes begin with 'Welcome' signs

Welcoming Catholics to a parish starts with the sound of music.

Pastors Rev. Leo O'Brien of St. Vincent de Paul parish in Albany and Rev. Thomas Krupa of Sacred Heart in Castleton both named good liturgical music as the first thing that attracts people to their churches.

"With Marie Bernadett as the director of music, that is a great thing," Father O'Brien stated. "That's the reason [people] come here in the first place."

At Sacred Heart, Father Krupa said a band performs "lively and upbeat" music once a month that brings a vibrancy to the Mass. Youth with musical talent are encouraged to join the music ministry, as well.

Staying basic

Both pastors named "the basics" as part of their parishes' efforts to be welcoming: Lay greeters literally welcome Catholics to Mass at St. Vincent's, and Sacred Heart offers coffee and doughnuts to Mass-goers after liturgies during the winter.

Creating a welcoming atmosphere also involves parish staff: Father O'Brien walks around the church greeting people before Mass, and he noted that the other staff members "make a real effort to get to know people," too.

Father Krupa said he spends a lot of time in the back of his church before and after liturgies, so that newcomers have the chance to introduce themselves.

Methods

Each pastor said his parish plays on its strengths. For example, St. Vincent's, which is located in the heart of Albany, attracts many students and workers passing through the area. In light of that, Father O'Brien said the parish has:

* an active ministry to single people,

* outreach programs to those in poverty,

* access for persons with disabilities,

* a bereavement group for those who have lost loved ones and

* Masses with interpreters for the deaf.

For the kids

Sacred Heart, on the other hand, makes a special effort to serve one large segment of its small-town population: children.

"We have a median age of 31," Father Krupa explained. "There are a lot of young families, a lot of toddlers and babies. We welcome them into the church."

In fact, the pastor keeps a few secret weapons in the back of the church: bags of crayons and two or three pictures to color.

"I go through at least 100 of each picture every week!" he said, laughing. "The kids automatically gravitate to that. [During Mass,] all you see are these little heads above the pew line."

Treats

Father Krupa also greets kids after Mass by opening a bag marked "Heavenly Sweets" and handing out lollipops. He joked that "it's for the good boys and girls -- no matter how old you are, as long as you're good. We have some high-school students who get their lollipop!"

However, welcoming young Catholics doesn't end with treats. Father Krupa believes in involving "every single member of the family" in parish life.

"When I was growing up, church wasn't for children. It was focused on the adults," he remarked. But at Sacred Heart, any child who wants to is welcome to sign a book of remembrance along with the adults on Mother's or Father's Day -- even if they take half a page to write simply, "Grandma."

Teens, too, are welcomed as lectors and Eucharistic ministers. Father Krupa said this is especially important after Confirmation: Even if the teens serve for only a year before leaving for college, they've made a connection to their parish.

Matching needs

Father O'Brien said that some parishes make the mistake of expecting too much from today's busy families.

"We try to realize folks have a different agenda than we do," he said of the St. Vincent's staff. "Sunday mornings are hard for families. People are busy; they're tired. It doesn't help for me to say, `Go to this meeting and that meeting.' We need to respect that busy-ness and try to integrate things into their schedule."

In addition to a parish's ministries and activities, Father O'Brien noted that upkeep on the church building is important. St. Vincent's, he said, doesn't allow flyers to be posted using Scotch tape, which pulls the paint off walls.

"The people are proud of their parish," he stated. "If you come into a not-well-cared-for building, that sends a message."

Attitude

The pastors agreed that the bottom line for being a welcoming parish is attitude of the people.

"People see that it's a joyful congregation," Father Krupa said of Sacred Heart. "It's the whole spirit of the parish. The place is alive, and people like to come to the liturgy. It starts with the people in the pews: We have people that are willing to make that effort to go out and say [to newcomers], `Hi! How are you doing?'"

With a much larger parish, Father O'Brien said he sometimes hears comments that it's easy for St. Vincent's to be welcoming, since it has such a large staff.

"Well, we do what we can," he responded, and other parishes "can do what they can. Say at meetings, `What would we like to see happen?' and plan from there. Maybe take one particular liturgy: Is it just 'in-and-out,' or do people feel welcomed?"

St. Vincent's has its own unique spirit, said Father O'Brien, but every other parish in the Albany Diocese does, as well. He recommended parishioners' asking themselves, "What are the possibilities in our parish? If there are a lot of senior citizens, are we dealing with the slow pace of people that don't walk too fast or hear too well? Are the readers reading slowly?"

"The people," the pastor noted, "are most important."

(10-11-01)