All Things New Proposal to Bishop Neary

December 31, 2025

 

Committee for the Affirmation of Plans

Diocese of St. Cloud

214 Third Ave S.

St. Cloud, MN 56301

 

Subject: All Things New Plan

 

Dear Committee Members,

 

We are excited to submit our plan for the All Things New planning process for review and look forward to collaborating with you as we move forward.

 

The WOHVn In Faith ACC has a few unique aspects that were considered when putting this plan together:

• The ACC is currently blessed with 1 full-time and 1 part-time priest and the support of the Crosier Fathers and Brothers in Onamia. This will not be the case in the near future.

• Holy Cross Parish utilizes the Crosier church building.

• Holy Cross Parish owns 25% of the Holy Cross Center.

• It was the desire of Bishop Kinney and Bishop Kettler that the Diocese maintain a Catholic presence on the Mille Lacs Reservation. Bishop Kettler appointed Fr. Jerry Schik, o.s.c., to serve as the liaison to the Native American People.

• The ACC has Mille Lacs Lake to the north and three wildlife management areas to the south which makes it difficult for people to build new homes in the area and the community to grow.

 

In order to meet the needs of the faith communities, while aligning the plan with the guiding principles and design parameters set forth by the Diocese, deliberate and intentional discussions have taken place and changes have already begun. For example, based on the number of households within our ACC, we have created the position of Pastoral Administrator which replaces the Business Manager position and will save the ACC around $30,000 in the first year.

 

We are hopeful that our plan will further the work started in order to fulfill our mission statement.

 

Thank you for your time and prayerful consideration to the plan we bring before you.

 

In Christ,

 

 

The WOHVn In Faith ACC All Things New Planning Committee

.....................................

​

All Things New Plan

Each ACC is expected to create a plan or two to submit to the Planning Office by December 31, 2025. Each of these plans will be reviewed and will be presented to the bishop for approval.

 

Area Catholic Community Name: WOHVn in Faith

 

Date: December 31, 2025

 

1. Mission and Vision

Mission Statement: Assure that celebrations of the Mass bring hope, joy, and comfort to those in attendance by encouraging others to share their gifts, welcoming each other and strangers with kindness, and by teaching each other about Jesus through lifelong education and personal spiritual experiences.

 

Vision Statement: The WOVN Area Catholic Community are places of inspirational worship, welcoming hospitality, and continuous growth in knowing Christ.

 

Guiding Principles:

• Missionary Discipleship: As baptized Catholics, we are call to the evangelizing mission of the Church. Rooted in this mission, together we are guided by a desire to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ in the world by living and sharing a life of faith.

• Sacramental Life: The sacraments are outward signs of grace that God gives to people to help them live a life close to Jesus. We are guided by an invitation to the full, conscious and active participation of the faithful in sacramental life and prayer of the Church.

• Engaging the Laity: God has given each person a unique set of gifts and charisms to live out their individual vocation. Through revitalized prayer and formation opportunities, encounters with family, friends, co-workers and neighbors, we can welcome new faces into the fold. We are guided by our strengths to stimulate renewal in the Church.

• Listening as a Way of Being Church: The Holy Spirit calls us to pray, listen and discern together what God is asking of us today. By listening to each other, we are guided by learning to best respond to the spiritual needs of all people in our diocese.

• Prudent Stewardship: All our resources – human, structural, financial – are gifts from God. With a deep sense of gratitude, we are guided by the use of resources to achieve our shared mission in a healthy and responsible way.

 

Design Parameters:

• Accessibility to Sunday Liturgy

• Budgeted Ministries

• Buildings

• Pastors/Priests

• Governance

• Finances

1. Goals for the ACC

The overall goals of the WOHVn in Faith ACC are to practice prudent stewardship while improving sacramental life and engaging the laity. To achieve this, we propose the following:

Specific: The Holy Cross Parish and St. Therese Parish corporations will be dissolved and will no longer be a part of the ACC.

• After a discussion with Fr. Alex Juguilon, o.s.c. on 11/26/25, he indicated that Holy Cross Priory Church will continue to fall under his governance as the Conventual Prior of the Crosier Fathers and Brothers.

• St. Therese Church will continue to fall under the governance of the Bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud.

• Sacred Heart Parish and St. Rita Parish will remain corporations as they currently stand and the two remaining parishes within the ACC with Fr. Marvin Enneking as the pastor.

Measurable: For the parishes remaining in the ACC, Sacred Heart and St. Rita, the metrics of average occupancy and building operations as a percentage of plate/envelope will be monitored and tracked to adhere to the parameters set forth by the Diocese.

Achievable: With the steps to be taken, we will see enhanced fiscal management, simplified decision making, improved governance and more time for pastors to focus on pastoral care.

Relevant: An increase in pastoral care will improve the connection between pastors and parishioners. Parishioners will feel a stronger sense of belonging to the larger faith community and become unified and motivated to participate in the sacraments.

Time-bound: The transition of Holy Cross and St. Therese parishes out of the ACC will be completed by June 30, 2026 in order to align with the end of the fiscal year. The timeline for the full dissolution of the respective corporations is to be determined.

 

Action Steps – Dissolution of Parish Corporations & Transition Out of the ACC

1. Discuss the transition of Holy Cross and St. Therese parishes out of the ACC with Bishop Neary and Fr. Alex Juguilon, o.s.c. and develop a plan to be completed by June 30, 2026.

2. No changes to current mass times or locations until the transition out of the ACC is complete.

3. Work with the Diocese of St. Cloud on the dissolution of the Holy Cross and St. Therese parish corporations and the impacts to their respective assets and liabilities.

4. The future of the 25% ownership in the Holy Cross Center will be negotiated between Holy Cross Parish and the Crosier Fathers and Brothers as part of the dissolution process.

5. Continue to provide opportunities for parishioners to fully participate in church community related activities that utilize their gifts and talents.

6. Discuss the management of the Holy Cross and St. Therese cemeteries and the financial assets of each.

7. Holy Cross and St. Therese parishioners will decide which parish they would like to become members of, Sacred Heart, St. Rita or another parish.

 

Action Steps – Transition Complete

1. On July 1, 2026 the transition of Holy Cross and St. Therese parishes out of the ACC will be complete.

2. The ACC will consist of the Sacred Heart and St. Rita parishes.

3. Determine a new name for the ACC.

4. The Pastor and the Pastoral Administrator will have set office hours at each parish.

5. Mass times will be as follows:

   1. Sacred Heart Parish – Sundays at 8:00 am or 8:30am.

   2. St. Rita Parish – Saturdays 4:30pm and Sundays at 10:30am.

   3. Holy Cross Priory Church – to be determined

   4. St. Therese Church – to be determined

6. The ACC will continue to have an overarching pastoral council.

7. Each parish will continue to have its own set of books, finance council, parish life committee, individual events and fundraisers.

8. The parish finance councils will review and adjust cost sharing ratios by parish as needed.

9. Create a buildings/grounds/maintenance committee for each parish with the current cemetery committees as a sub-committee.

10. Ensure all committees have a chairperson assigned and active members.

11. Evaluation of this arrangement will take place from 7/1/2026 – 6/30/2027 and annually thereafter in order to ensure the All Things New parameters are being met.

 

Approval and Sign-Off

 

Date:

 

Pastor: Fr. Marvin Enneking and Fr. Jerry Schik, o.s.c.

 

Other Committee Members: Kathy Martin, Marie Norman, Jon Bjornstad, Florian Kauth, Margaret Willis, Peter Willis, Calvin Beumer and Shannon Coyle