The meeting, attended by more than 200 parishioners, was opened with a Scripture reading and a prayer led by Father David McGuinness. Father McGuinness indicated that the meeting represented a new beginning and provided opportunity for those present to assess parish needs and identify ways those needs could be met. He also shared information about parish finances and responded to questions that focused on a variety of parish concerns. When asked about the sale of church property, Father McGuinness said that it was not for sale. He also indicated that decisions about the important parish issues and concerns would be made only after input, advice, and counsel was received from the St. Joseph Church community.

During the second portion of the meeting, those in attendance were invited to participate in group discussions focusing on six areas of concern. The following summary reflects what participants considered to be the primary needs and ways to go about meeting those needs in the six identified areas:

• Increase parish involvement and generate excitement for what is happening at St. Joseph's
• Improve our facilities - expand programs
• Improve financial footing (provide more information to parishioners about school etc)
• Make volunteerism more attractive
• Become more involved in the Athens community
• Improve retention and reverse what has taken place
• Follow through with plans.
• Disclose all income/expenses (parish and school)
• Clarify relations with the Catholic Center
• Promote unity, healing, humility, and charity
• Expand physical plant (parish and school)
• Develop a physical improvement plan to support latest curricula
• Develop our youth (spiritually and socially)
• Define our mission and goals
• Continue to support parish organizations/stewards
• Involve other groups (e.g., Hispanic immigrants)
• Rethink the structure of the parish (social, financial, etc.)
• Learn from other parishes (e.g., successful outreach programs.

• Space (church, school, religious education, nursery, assembly, ministry)
• Growth Assessment
• Safety Assessment
• Needs Assessment
• Operations and maintenance
• Listing of needs by priority - e.g. facilities inventory
• Parking
• Policy - immediate and long-term
• Transportation
• Master plan
• Strategic plan
• Feasibility plan

• Stewardship Drive (parishioners asked to tithe (those who do not, receive a phone call asking them to consider tithing)
• Educate parish about our financial needs (use of envelopes, Canon law, giving to your parish, etc.)
• Recognize that improving spirituality and creating a more welcoming atmosphere will result in more giving
• Show results of giving -through visible parish improvements

• Find ways to express Christ's love
• Be more welcoming - supportive - warm
• Create a more inviting environment (space)
• Implement a prayer chain
• Enhanced music and liturgies
• Adoration
• Committees
• Faith formation
• Evangelization
• Hispanic ministry
• Mentoring or partnership

• Share meals and social activities between Hispanic and English speaking groups
• Communication MUST be improved through the bulletin
• Problem with social activities is lack of facilities
• Sports (will combine groups)
• Catholics need to participate; make it part of stewardship
• Continue to better advertise educational opportunities (all groups)
• Start committee of "Stephen's" Ministry (new mothers, illness, death, divorce etc.)\
• Men's group (separate from Knight of Columbus)
• 45 and over group
• Build facility that both school and RE and adults can use
• Good lighthouse program - advertise and communicate it better
• Strong RE program - build on it
• Lot of potential in YAM (Young Adult Ministry)
• Father is having neighborhood mass - build on that
• Mass time (have more social time afterwards)
• Willingness to get together as a parish
• Have more social functions with both school and RE - have children get to know each other at a new level
• Updated website
• Decrease division of Sunday School classes
• Carpool
• Improve communication (bulletin)
• Improve facilities so that the parish can get together as a group --- nothing large enough to hold all of us
• Improve togetherness with all different ethnic groups

• Clarify how much the school gets and gives for subsidies for father and the parish
• Father needs to understand the school is reimbursed cost for basic expenses from religious ed (such as electricity)
• Can money be given at the Catholic Center and sent to St Joseph's ?
• School time and talent counts
• Locally first --- then the archdiocese

Next Steps: Time did not allow for additional discussion about "Where do we go from here?" Father McGuinness expressed appreciation to all who participated in the discussion and said that additional meetings will be held in the future and the thoughts and suggestions contained in this summary will be used as a springboard for future discussions.