Members of the Keeping the Faith initiative are continuing their task of finding ways to ensure that Catholic schools in the Diocese of Cleveland maintain their Catholic identity, provide academic excellence, are affordable and available to all who desire a Catholic education.
The more than 50 members of the task force agree it’s a formidable undertaking but believe they can meet the challenge.
The initiative was launched under former Bishop Nelson Perez in 2019. Its mission was reinforced by Bishop Edward Malesic, who asked the task force to submit its recommendations to him this year so he can review them. After study and additional input, his goal is to implement a plan to strengthen the Catholic elementary schools. Eventually, the plan could extend to Catholic high schools and catechetical formation programs across the diocese.
At a meeting on March 21, members of the group gathered at the diocesan offices at Cathedral Square Plaza to share the latest information and updates and prepare for the next phase of their work.
Father John Betters, pastor of SS. Robert and William and St. John of the Cross parishes in Euclid, and who recently was appointed as the bishop’s liaison to the KTF initiative, recapped the group’s progress to date. He said a series of listening sessions took place beginning last November. Two large, in-person sessions were conducted. Three others were scheduled, but they were switched to a virtual format due to increasing COVID-19 transmission rates.
The first session attracted 247 priests, principals and business managers from across the eight-county diocese. Eight-seven people attended the second in-person session for parish and finance councils. A total of 141 people participated in the three virtual listening sessions.
In order to help the task force accomplish its work in the most efficient way, Father Betters announced that two education professionals, Dennis Kowalski and Jim Connell, would serve as facilitators. Both are longtime educators, former school superintendents and devout Catholics, will help guide the task force’s committees as they complete their work. The goal is to have a report ready for the bishop by early August.
Using an airline analogy, Kowalski told the group that “Catholic Airlines Flight 2022 is ready to launch.” He urged that all negativity be stowed away and asked group members to lock in their positivity.
“There is no baggage on this flight. Our destination is greatness,” he added.
Connell said the task force is embarking on the third phase of the process. He believes they can get the writing done and bring a plan back to the large group in order to provide a report to the bishop by August.
There are SMART goals – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant/results oriented and timebound – Kowalski said. Each of the seven committees – Catholic identity, academic quality, finance, governance, data, leadership and talent and marketing and communications – will develop SMART goals and action plans. An example of the main SMART goal is that by June 2024, all pastors with an elementary school will participate in an annual seminar to highlight timely and topical areas for their support of and engagement in their schools.
Key change ideas presented by the committees are:
- Every parish will be associated with a school.
- Support, select and retain talent throughout the system.
- Identify and strengthen schools in need.
- Educate key stakeholders about finance and distinctive mission.
To accomplish this, Connell said it’s important for committee members to be straightforward. “Honesty and integrity are needed from everyone. All of you helped get us this far, two-thirds of the way,” he said.
Each committee selected a point person and scheduled a meeting that Kowalski and Connell will attend within the next few weeks. Connell said this is the formal part of leaving Phase 2 and moving into the action plan phase.
“This is an important task and we absolutely have to get it right,” he added.
Click here for more on the Keeping the Faith initiative.