Building a Vibrant Parish – Seminars

It definitely was a very informative and exciting seminar. Tracy kept my attention and it was good to hear comments from other parishes that we all deal with the same issues.

Benna Denue, Office Manager/Administrative Assistant St. Boniface Catholic Church, Edwardsville, Ill

I would recommend this seminar to any parishes as an overview of the opportunities available to them, to make parish communications more effective.

Maria Zone, Director of Communications Archdiocese of Hartford, CT

I would heartily endorse this seminar. I appreciated the presentation and got some morsels of wisdom to carry with me. The only thing I would say is to perhaps have a bit more interaction with the audience, or have us talk to each other a bit more to share some ideas. Thanks so much!

Molly Weyrens, Pastoral Associate Christ Our Light Parishes, Princeton, MN

Tracy was a great speaker. I’m excited to try new techniques to “get us out of the rut!”

Patti Brown, WeShare Admin & Business Admin Webmaster St. Pius V & St. Joseph Parishes, Hastings, MN

Very valuable information presented in an engaging manner. Tracy was enjoyable to listen to, and imparted a great deal of practical steps that can be taken to enhance our presence to our parishioners and the wider community.

James Secora, Pastor St. Cecilia Catholic Community, Ames, IA

We are a “Church on the move,” upgrading and renewing how we minister and serve and become a more vibrant parish, making the Church relevant and moving with the signs of the times. I highly recommend this to any pastor or parish open to new creative ideas and wishing to move forward in a powerful and effective way.

Fr. Kusitino Cobona, Pastor St. James Church, Mason, MI

I recommend that parishes attend this seminar to help them understand the true essence of their church, which is always centered on Christ, and their calling to use their gifts and talents not for themselves, but for their community and the world. A good reminder to parishes that we all have a call to make sure ever soul gets to heaven.

Fr. Stephen Willard, Pastor St. Patrick Church, Washington, IL

Presenter (Tim Potrikus) was most engaging and informative. He really knows his stuff and how to make it interesting. We will definitely be looking to LPi to assist us in our transition to a more welcoming, engaging parish through our various communication methods. Thank you!

Catherine Wunch Office Assistant St. Angela Merici Roman Catholic Church, Fairview Park, OH

I thought the seminar was excellent!  I came back to the parish and shared many examples.  By the next day, another staff member had added two examples of catechesis to our funeral liturgy guides. Catechesis is evangelization!

I was very impressed. It wasn’t marketing – it was evangelization!

Michaela Bisanz, Communications Secretary Lumen Christi Catholic Community, St. Paul, MN

The time flew by. I was very impressed with the information you shared, and how it was shared. The ideas you gave were practical and fit into the conversations and plans we’ve had at our parish. Thank you!

Christina Eisengruber, Youth Activities Coordinator Holy Spirit Church, Saginaw, MI

This seminar provided good information on how to create a vibrant parish, and made many good resources available. I have been challenged to seek ways to make stewardship a way of life for our parish. The presenter did an excellent job and I appreciated his humor. Thanks for coming to the Diocese of Saginaw!

Tori Little, Pastoral Minister Christ the Good Shepherd Parish (St. Helen Church), Saginaw, MI

Tracy did a nice job of suggesting some practical ways to engage parishioners in the life of our church.

Nadine Friederichs, Parish Business Administrator Holy Spirit Church, St. Paul, MN

I just feel that the Church is evolving, and we should always be willing to look at what we could be doing better. There is no parish that does not need to grow.

Sue Pullen, Religious Education Coordinator St. Francis Xavier Parish, New Milford, CT

Tracy shares his experiences and field work with us, and I am confident I can benefit from them. Learning and seeing what he shares with us are what my parish is lacking. It was as if he had talked about my parish the whole time. I would recommend his workshops to everyone and anyone.

Bernadette Aloese, Customer Support St. Rita Church, San Diego, CA

This seminar provided an eye-opening insight into how parish media can genuinely promote the building of stewardship in our community. The seminar was full of concrete, practical advice that will enable our parish to increase our stewardship efforts through our website, social media, newsletter, bulletins, and much more.

Tom Prior, Communications Secretary Saint James & Patrick Parish, Decatur, IL

I think it is essential that Catholic parishes be in the world, and yet not of it. This requires, however, that we meet our flock where they are. I believe the technologies and philosophies that LPi has invested in will change the face and effectiveness of parish life in this country.

Jesse Saltarelli, Youth Minister St. Bernadette Church, Orchard Park, NY

It was very enlightening and educational. I would like to see growth, both in number of spirituality and the level of parishioners’ involvement in church actives, increase tremendously.

Fr. Dominic Oguama, Pastor St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Mobile, AL

Thank you for a very informative, thought provoking seminar. My mind ran with lots of ideas; little things that we can do to begin tweaking our usual approach to draw more people into the loving presence of our Lord. The hospitality ideas, the idea of branding, and the social media pep talk were things we needed to hear. Hopefully, our parish will take some steps to integrate some of these ideas.

Muriel Graham, Parish Council/Mission Coordinator St. Patrick Church, Washington, IL

The seminar was one of the best I have ever attended. Jason was fantastic with his energy and sense of humor, and the content was directed to our needs.

John Casey, Administrator St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Smyrna, GA

This is such a fresh approach to the ways each of us need to tackle our roles in Church ministry! We continue to build upon the foundation set by our predecessors, all while understanding the necessity of adapting to meet our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ where they are at.

Stephanie Carvajal, Stewardship Director St. Pius X Catholic Church, Jamul, CA

I feel that marketing is one critical aspect of building a vibrant parish community. Having something of quality to market is a first step.

Deacon Ernest Scrivani, Director of the Office of Pastoral Planning Archdiocese of Hartford, CT

Unlike other strategic seminars I have attended, this workshop was operational and tactical, providing excellent tools to introduce and engage our parish in stewardship.

Judith Dow-Grant, Trustee

The seminar had a lot of excellent information. There were many good resources given for us to access. The presenter was engaging, knowledgeable, friendly, and upbeat. It was a good amount of time. Lunch and breakfast were also excellent!

Brigitte Illg, Secretary/Office Manager/Bookkeeper St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Isanti, MN