This space will be updated to reflect progress on the three-parish merger between Our Lady, St. Cecilia and St. Anthony parishes and any related news from the pastor.

Read a summary of progress through February 2008.
The Core Team distributed a questionnaire on the weekend of December 16th for all parishioners to complete. The questions are specific to your relationship to Our Lady and will be kept confidential within the core team. Please contact one of the team members for a copy. Since feedback is desired from all members, you will be contacted if you do not complete the form. Thank you!
The Core Team made the following recommendations. These were approved by the joint parish councils and take effect January 2008:

1. Weekend Masses will be scheduled at only one of the parishes on the third Sunday of the month with a rotation among the three churches. The first joint Mass will be January 19 and 20 at Our Lady, followed on February 16 and 17 at St. Anthony and then March 15 and 16 at St. Cecilia.
2. The finance committees and parish councils of all parishes will begin meeting together.
3. A common Sunday bulletin will be created for all the parishes.

The Core Team met on July 19 at St. Anthony. Fr. Ron Domhoff from Our Lady of Consolation made a presentation to the group regarding the importance of a name for the new parish and what process could be used in naming the new parish. After Father’s presentation the group discussed numerous ideas from his presentation. The group decided the next order of business would be to tour each of the Churches and their physical plants. The tours will be conducted on Saturday August 4.
Read merger minutes from the meeting on June 7, 2007.
Parishioners Erin Blume, Mike Rogers and Patsy Unclebach will serve as representatives from Our Lady on the merger planning committee. Other members of the 'Core Team' include Theresa Adams, Frances Cummings, Mike Hasken, Judy Schroeder-Watrous, Cheryl Thomas and Bob Woolsey from St. Cecilia and St. Anthony parishes.
Fr. Burke met with Fr. Pius Poff, pastor of St. Anthony parish, and Sr. Justina Heneghan from the chancery to discuss the next steps in the parish merger process. Our next task will be to form a Core Team apart from the parish council comprised of members from St. Cecilia, Our Lady and St. Anthony parishes. This team will help guide the merger process and develop a blueprint for the new, combined parish. This will be a gradual, step-wise process.
A recent article in The Record featured comments and perspectives on the merger.
In December Fr. Burke commented on the Archdiocesan Parish Planning process: 'During the past two years the Archdiocese of Louisville has been preparing parishes and encouraging parish leaders to plan for ministry in the future that will take into account four crucial factors:

1. The Mission of the Church.
2. The importance of good stewardship of our resources.
3. The reality of changing demographics (population shifts) in our community.
4. The declining number of priests that will be available for service in the near future.

In my remarks to the parish following a 'State of the Parish' report on August 27, 2006 I expressed my personal belief that:

1. Our Lady's does have a future.
2. That the future of Our Lady's may be very different from its past.
3. For Our Lady's to have a future there needs to be a deeper commitment of its members and friends of the parish.
4. The future of Our Lady's must be about more than paying expenses and maintaining buildings. Outreach and evangelization will be crucial.'

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