|  Parishioners Prioritizing the Plan
The Master Plan provides a general guideline on what we should do to our Church, our Schools and our parish activity and administrative spaces in order for us to follow God’s plan. Before construction begins, the Needs Assessment Committee (NAC) took a number of steps to make sure the Parish is on track.
The first step was the Parishioner Plan Prioritization Process to make sure that the plans were to build and renovate the most appropriate facilities to meet our parish and schools needs. To do this, the Committee asked parishioners and school families to participate in a series of meetings to evaluate the direction of the Shrine and how completing the Master Plan serves those needs.
The NAC held three town hall meetings for the parish, the schools and the National Shrine. These meetings were open to the entire Shrine community. The meetings outlined the process used in developing the Master Plan, the recommendations in the plan and the different opportunities in making the Master Plan a reality.
Following the town hall meetings, the NAC organized a series of Plan Prioritization Teams that evaluated selected areas of the Master Plan. These teams developed long-range ministerial, educational and programmatic goals and needs for the Parish, Schools and Shrine. They also evaluated whether the Plan’s recommendations can help the Parish achieve those goals. As a result of these meetings, the parish family determines what projects are the most critical to initiate first, what are the most important to us in the near term, and what will bring added value to the quality of parish life over the next 20 to 30 years.
View the summaries from the Prioritization Teams:
† Parish
† Schools
† National Shrine
Presentation at the Town Hall Meetings
Prioritizing the Master Plan involved more than two months of reading, meetings and prayer by more than 300 parishioners and school parents. The teams focused on three fundamental issues:
- Where does the National Shrine of the Little Flower want to be in the next 15-20 years?
- What components of the Master Plan will best help our parish and schools accomplish this agenda?
- What changes should be made to the Master Plan so that these facilities can better serve the parish and the schools?
Download a PDF document with a listing of the priorities that the leadership team voted upon:
† Download Report
Ministerial, Programmatic & Administrative Changes:
- Expand the marketing, development and alumni relations programs for the schools
- Appoint a Master Plan Oversight Committee
- Establish a public relations, communications and development office for the parish and the National Shrine
- View Chart of Changes
The most important architectural components of the Master Plan:
- Parish Center
- Science & Athletics Complex for the High School
- Pre-School Addition for Grade School
- Renovate old High School gymnasium
- Renovate Grade School classrooms
- View Chart of Changes
Recommended Changes to Master Plan Ranking:
- All facilities should be airconditioned
- Field house on ground level
- Design Parish Center to accommodate a basement and a future 2nd floor expansion
- Artificial surfaces for outdoor athletic fields
- Dedicated location for Youth Ministries
- Restore the Grotto
- Ability to temporarily remove pews for additional handicapped needs *
- Technological flexibility for educational facilities
- Technology for church offices
- Reconsider church seating for handicapped. Needs to be near restrooms and close to entrance/ egress patterns *
- View Chart of Changes
* The Prioritization leadership team did not vote on the renovations to the church because its members recognized that renovating the church for handicapped accessibility is a necessity and would be incorporated into the Parish Center addition.
The Master Plan Committee prepared a complete report with recommendations, which included responses and implementation steps for the Master Plan.
|
