Pastor's Newsnotes: 1/16/2011

Thank You, Sheila Palazzolo

Just around Thanksgiving time 2010, Sheila Palazzolo, St. Ritas first-ever Administrative Assistant, shared with Deacon Manuel and I that she would be giving notice of her decision to resign her position. For reasons of changing realities in her personal and family life and the fact the parish had reached a certain level of accomplishment in its overall pastoral plan, she felt the timing was right for her to move on (and thankfully not "move out") from her current position on the pastoral team—previously she served the parish in the capacity of Director of Religious Education (2005-08).

Two and one-half years ago, Sheila best described the historical moment for St. Rita Parish when she applied for the position of Administrative Assistant. She wrote: "I feel that St. Rita is a growing parish in need of office personnel ready to handle the extensive amount of service/project/office support work that goes along with expansionin my opinion, the adaption to administrative assistant could better suit the accruing and changing needs of the parish"—and with that, she included a rough draft of what the new position might look like. Talk about "being on the same page," it was obvious to me that Sheila was exactly whom I needed at that time to help restructure and reorganize our parish operations in our Centennial Year of 2008. Besides her extensive knowledge and experience of, and, more importantly, her deep love for St. Rita Parish, Sheila came to the position with the professional background of school teacher, and banker at the level of Vice President/Branch Manager. I cannot begin to list all the ways that her resume has advantaged St. Rita in these past two and one-half years. But having said that, let me just review some of the ways in which she has aided this pastor and advanced our parish life and ministry:

• Worked with me to reshape the parish office operations to include administrative assistant, pastors secretary, and reception team (to include both compensated and volunteer receptionists).
• Expanded parish office availability to include open office hours until 7 PM on weekdays and 5 hours on Saturdays.
• Introduced best practice, state and federal, and Archdiocesan human resource policies.
• Put into place and advanced our first-ever, online Parish Calendar with necessary coordination of reservations and use of parish facilities and spaces.
• Played a vital role in advancing and establishing the parish Website and employ of our first Parish Webmaster.
• Fulfilled and completed the charge to inventory and data process the entire parish property and its holdings.
• Partnered with me in my role as Dean of Deanery 10, and helped to foster collaboration of ordained, religious, and lay membership (a very important new model of being church).
• Moved forward and completed the second phase of our Parish Master Plan by contracting and overseeing the Property Assessment with consequent maintenance, repair, replacement, and improvement schedule through 2019.
• Attended and completed many seminars and workshops on church/parish management.
• Played a vital role in transitioning St. Rita Bookkeeping.
• Became certified and put in place here in our parish the National Bishops program of Safeguard The Children and all other requirements of the Archdiocese, including fingerprinting and background checks.
• Became certified, put into place, and coordinated our St. Rita Bereavement Ministry (including untallied long hours of companioning grieving persons and families).
• Included in her scope of administrative assistance, the orchestration of parish ministries (which in some parishes has become a paid full-time position).
• Continued her involvement in the ministries of altar service and liturgy planning.
• AND...everything else.

Like many dedicated servants and ministers in our parish, Sheila came with her whole family—Chuck, Dani, Dana, and DeeDee—who anyone knows, are deeply involved in our parish. All have played a very treasured enthusiastic role in the fostering of St. Rita Parish Youth Ministry—All is gift!

On behalf of myself and all of our administration, staff, parish leadership, and parishioners, THANK YOU, Sheila, for the gift of yourself in dedication and love of your/our parish. (If we had paid you what you have truly earned, the parish would be bankrupt for sure—for that we add our profound fiscal thanks as well.) We pray every continued blessing for you and all of the Palazzolos at this time of shifting gears; and know how happy we are that you continue to be a vibrant and active St. Rita Parish family!

THANK YOU, SHEILA!