Comments on the Epiphany Parish Survey
The purpose of the parish survey we took a number of months ago was to provideinformation for the Archdiocese of New York as part of Making All These New. Theinformation gathered from the approximately 600 parishioners who completed thequestionnaire at Mass not only enabled us to provide the Archdiocese with solid dataabout our parish, it also gave as a "snapshot" of where we are now as a faith community.
Our highest marks are given to the area of parish life that is the most important —worship. The reverent celebration of the Eucharist and the other sacraments, alongwith the quality of preaching and music, are rated very favorably. Those responsiblefor the liturgical life of our parish take very seriously our obligation to provideparishioners with the best we are able to give. Visitors to Epiphany often commenton the good liturgy they experience here. This is something we can all be proud of.
Epiphany is perceived to be a welcoming parish, and that also is something we shouldbe proud of. In a time when the numbers of people in some parishes are declining, weare experiencing a period of growth. Since the beginning of the current pastoral yearlast September, 102 families/individuals have registered as parishioners. Every newparishioner receives a personal letter from the pastor welcoming them to the parish andinviting them to take part in the various programs of ministry and service that we offer.
The Epiphany School gets high marks, as it should. Our parish school, which recentlycelebrated its 125th anniversary, is one of the great success stories in the Archdiocese ofNew York. Our current enrollment is approximately 600 students in grades Nurserythrough Grade 8, and lack of space unfortunately makes it necessary to turn awayfamilies looking to place their children in our school.
Our survey also highlighted some areas of parish life that need improvement — adultfaith formation, outreach to senior citizens and the homebound, the use of technologyand social media, and encouraging the involvement of parishioners in parish ministryand activities. These are areas that we will address, and some of them already have been.
One of the early fruits of A4ATN at Epiphany was the inauguration of a program calledParishioners Helping Parishioners (PHP) which was started by a number of the Ladies ofCharily here and has grown substantially over these last months. Volunteers wereidentified, interviewed, and trained. They are now assisting the elderly and homeboundof the parish in such tasks as shopping, getting to Mass and doctor appointments, orjust a friendly visit. The 22 Club, a weekly gathering of our senior citizens in the ParishHall, was restarted after being on hiatus for a while.
We recently held a Ministry Fair and as a result a number of parishioners volunteered tobecome involved in various ways in the parish. A preliminary meeting was held andtraining for liturgical ministries will begin this month. We plan on having anotherMinistry Fair in the fall and continue to recruit parishioners to volunteer to help withcurrent parish programs and start new ones. The survey revealed a desire on the partof parishioners to be more involved in parish activities. We hope this will translate intoa new crop of volunteers, especially among the younger members of the parish.
Adult faith formation is another area where we need to grow. We are planning anumber of things for the fall, including a New Testament bible study and a program onthe scriptural background to the mysteries of the rosary. We will also bring back themonthly book discussion group, and there will be an Advent retreat based on thewritings of Pope Francis.
Epiphany is somewhat behind the curve in the use of technology and social media. Ourweb site is our only foray into the digital age. We are currently working with a companywho is developing an "App" for our parish that will be ready to roll out in September.You will be able to download the app for free on your smart phone and it will bringyou up to date information on parish schedules and activities as well as link you tovarious informational sites about the Church and religious issues. The app will also giveus the opportunity to communicate with parishioners in real time. The Archdiocese iscurrently working on developing ways to help parishes make more effective use of socialmedia that will be available to us in the coming months.
In conclusion, what does our survey tell us? It is clear that there are many good qualitiesabout Epiphany parish, but there is also room for improvement. As we continue theprocess of MakingA.ll Things New, as we continue to pray and work together, and as wegive the best we have to offer to be a faith community that both welcomes andnourishes the faith of our members, we have a bright future ahead of us.
Respectfully submitted by the Epiphany Core Team,
Walter Adams, Delia Frazier Rios, Debbie Keogh, John Molenda, Msgr. Leslie J. IversPentecost, 2014
The Epiphany Parish Survey - Making All Things New
1. The Eucharist and the other sacraments are celebrated with reverence andprayerfulness according to Church liturgical norms.
Excellent 59% Good 35% Fair 5%
2. Homilies are well prepared and speak to the lives of the people.Excellent 33% Good 47% Fair 16% Poor 5%
3. Various forms of devotional prayer are encouraged which reflect the culturalheritage of parishioners.
Excellent 16% Good 40% Fair 19% Poor 5% NC 21%
4. Liturgical Ministers (Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Altar Servers, Choir,Ministers of Hospitality) are well trained and receive opportunities to grow intheir understanding of the liturgy.
Excellent 27% Good 38% Fair 11% Poor 4% NC 19%
5. Music is valued as integral to the celebration of the liturgy.Excellent 47% Good 37% Fair 11% Poor 4%
6. The congregation is prepared and encouraged to contribute to parish worshipby singing.
Excellent 30% Good 41% Fair 20% Poor 8% NC 2%
7. The Sacrament of Penance is encouraged with adequate times available.Excellent 14% Good 41% Fair 24% Poor 6% NC 16%
8. The parish sees itself as an evangelizing parish, spreading the Gospel messagein all aspects of parish life.
Excellent 21% Good 39% Fair 18% Poor 9% NC 14%
9. The parish welcomes newcomers warmly and personally, incorporating theminto parish life.
Excellent 29% Good 32% Fair 18% Poor 8% NC 14%
10.The parish welcomes all ethnic and racial groups who desire to be a part ofthe Epiphany community.
Excellent 38% Good 37% Fair 9% Poor 2% NC 15%
11. Children and youth are provided with high quality catechetical programs inconformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Excellent 22% Good 24% Fair 6% Poor 2% NC 46%
12.Our Family Mass and Sunday Scripture Program helps parents teach theirchildren the Catholic faith and values and to grow in faith as a family.
Excellent 25% Good 26% Fair 7% Poor 2% NC 41%
13.Our parish school holds Catholic identity as its highest value, maintains highacademic standards, and promotes outreach and service.
Excellent 28% Good 19% Fair 4% Poor 3% NC 47%
14.Parents are involved in the parish school and support it financially.Excellent 21% Good 19% Fair 4% Poor 0.9% NC 55%
15.Our parish provides a comprehensive program for adult religious educationand formation.
Excellent 13% Good 30% Fair 14% Poor 9% NC 34%
16. Vocation awareness is supported in our parish school and religious educationprogram, and young adults and adults are encouraged in their vocationresponse to marriage, ordained ministry, religious life, and lay ecclesialministry.
Excellent 9% Good 25% Fair 13% Poor 5% NC 48%
17.Parishioners are encouraged to use their gifts to build up the parish by takingpart in various liturgical, parish, and outreach ministries.
Excellent 13% Good 37% Fair 21% Poor 12% NC 17%
18.Our parish has outreach programs to assist people who are poor and most inneed.
Excellent 12% Good 31% Fair 16% Poor 10% NC 31%
19.Our parish has adequate programs to reach out to senior citizens, the sick, andthe homebound
Excellent 9% Good 23% Fair 15% Poor 12% NC 42%
20.Our parish makes adequate use of technology and social media tocommunicate information to parishioners and the community at large.
Excellent 10% Good 25% Fair 28% Poor 12% NC 25%
21 .We have a sufficient number of parishioners who are willing to give their time,talent and treasure to make possible the current and future programs that ourparish provides.
Excellent 11% Good 31% Fair 21% Poor 8% NC 30%
22.Our pastor and pastoral staff exert effective leadership that meets currentpastoral needs and points to the future.
Excellent 23% Good 34% Fair 22% Poor 11% NC 10%
23.Pastoral leadership encourages the collaboration of clergy, religious, and laityin their common mission.
Excellent 18% Good 34% Fair 17% Poor 13% NC 18%
24.Our parish ensures proper fiscal administration, business management, andproper maintenance of grounds and buildings.
Excellent 23% Good 38% Fair 13% Poor 5% NC 22%
25.Making All Things New will help our parish in both short term and long rangeplanning.
Excellent 25% Good 37% Fair 8% Poor 2% NC 27%
Notes:• Approximately 600 surveys were submitted• Percentages have been rounded off• Questions omit the NC (Unable to Comment) category if response was under
1%• Not every parishioner answered every question
Epiphany Parish Survey
Q1 The Eucharist and the other sacramentsare celebrated with reverence andprayer-fulness according to Church
liturgical norms.
Excellent
Good 34.62%
59.03%
5.18%
Poor 0.33%
Unable tocomment
20% 40% 60% 100%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
59.03%
34.62%
5.18%
0.33%
0.84%
353
207
31
5
598
/25
Epiphany Parish Survey
Q*c Homilies are well prepared and speakto the lives of the people.
Good
Am, yewd: 600 Skip\«d: r
32.50%
46.67%
15.50%
Poor • 4.50%
Unable to I 0-83o/0
comment
40% 80%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
32.50%
46.67%
15.50%
4.50%
0.83%
195
230
9,5
27
5
600
2/25
Epiphany Parish Survey
f}3 Various forms of devotional prayer areencouraged which reflect the cultural
heritage of parishioners.Anb.v.-red: 556 Sk'pj.fcd: 'iO
Excellent 15.80%
Fair
39.66%
18.66%
5.04%
20.84%
40% 80% 80%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
15.80%
39.66%
18.66V.
5.04%
20.84%
94
236
111
30
124
595
3 /25
Epiphany Parish Survey
Q4 Liturgical ministers (Eucharisticministers, lectors, ministers of hospitality,
altar servers, choir members) are welltrained and receive opportunities to growin their understanding and power of the
liturgy.
An^-erefr 591 Skipp^u: 7
Excellent
Good
27.26%
38.46%
Fair 11.20%
IPoor El 4.18%
18.90%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Response
27.26%
38.46%
11.20%
4.18%
18.90%
I 33
230
3'"
25
113
598
4 / 2 5
Epiphany Parish Survey
O.i Music is valued as integral to thecelebration of the liturgy.
Answsrcd: t'9S f.kipfrtd: "/
Excellent
Good
47.16%
36.45%
11.04%
Poor I I 4.01%
Unable to I Ii34o/0
comment I
20% 60% 80%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
47.16%
36.45%
11.04%
4.01%
1.34%
282
2-13
66
24
S
598
5 / 2 5
Epiphany Parish Survey
Q6 The congregation is prepared andencouraged to contribute to parish worship
by singing.A .sv.'iid: MI St.ipf.id: 4
Excellent
Fair
29.62%
41.26%
19.97%
7.49%
Unable tocomment
1.66%
20% 40% 80% 100%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
29.62%
41.26%
19.97%
7.49%
1.66%
173
2J8
10
601
6 / 2 5
Epiphany Parish Survey
C.7 The Sacrament of Penance isencouraged with adequate times available.
*: J: 600 S'riope^, 5
Excellent 13.67%
41.00%
23.50%
5.83%
16.00%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fail
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
13.67%
41%
23.50%
5.83%
16%
H2
246
141
35
96
600
7/25
Epiphany Parish Survey
Q3 The parish sees itself as anevangelizing parish, spreading the Gospel
message in all aspects of parish life.Answ ?i ed - 599 Tkiopo
Excellent 20.70%
39.23%
0%
13.86%
20% 40% 60% 100%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
20.70%
39.23%
17.70%
8.51%
13.86%
124
235
103
51
S3
599
8 / 2 5
Epiphany Parish Survey
O3 The parish welcomes newcomerswarmly and personally, incorporating them
into parish life.
Excellent
Good
Fair
28.81%
31.66%
18.09%
7.87%
Unable tocomment
13.57%
20% 40% 80% 100%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
28.81%
31.66%
18.09%
7.87%
13.57%
172
139
108
47
81
597
9/25
Epiphany Parish Survey
QiO The parish welcomes all ethnic andracial groups who desire to be a part of the
Epiphany community.Ahswrred' *i9d -Tkippef: •>
Excellent
Good
37.56%
36.56%
9.18%
IPoor I 2.00%
14.69%
60%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
37.56%
36.56%
9.18%
2.00%
14.69%
225
210
65
12
10/25
Epiphany Parish Survey
1,1 Children and youth are provided withhigh quality catechetical programs inconformity with the Catechism of the
Catholic Church.Answered: 593 Sk'Kie<l:7
Excellent
Good
22.24%
23.91%
Fair 5.85%
iPoor I 2.01%
45.99%
20% 40% 60% 100%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
22.24%
23.91%
5.85%
2.01%
45.99%
133
143
35
12
275
598
1 1 / 2 5
Epiphany Parish Survey
Q1? Our Family Mass and Sunday Scriptureprogram help parents teach their children
the Catholic faith and values and to grow infaith as a family.
Excellent
Fair 7.02%
25.08%
25.59%
Poor I 1.51%
40.80%
EC >„
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
25.08%
25.59%
7.02%
1.51%
40.80%
150
153
.12
9
241
593
12/25
Epiphany Parish Survey
'313 Our parish school holds Catholicidentity as its highest value, maintains high
academic standards, and promotesoutreach and service.
Excellent
Good
28.31%
18.59%
Fair 4.02%
IPoor • 2.51%
46.57%
0% 80%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
28.31%
18.59%
4.02%
2.51%
46.57%
169
111
24
15
278
597
13/25
Epiphany Parish Survey
Q14 Parents are involved in the parishschool and support it financially.
Anv.'ei-ad. 591 Slipped: 1-:
Excellent 21.15%
Fair 4.23%
Poor I 0.85%
18.44%
40%
55.33%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
21.15%
18.44%
4.23%
0.85%
55.33%
125
109
25
5
327
591
14/25
Epiphany Parish Survey
-,,15 The parish provides a comprehensiveprogram for adult religious education and
faith formation.Ancweed. O-V Skipnen: 18
Excellent 12.78%
29.64%
13.80%
9.37%
34.41%
40% 60% 100%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
12.78%
29.64%
13.80%
9.37%
34.41%
81
55
20?
587
15/25
Epiphany Parish Survey
Q'-'S Vocation awareness is supported inour parish school and religious educationprogram, and young adults and adults areencouraged in their vocation response tomarriage, ordained ministry, religious life,
and lay ecclesial ministry.
Excellent 9.45%
Good 24.91%
Poor • E 4.81%
47.94%
40% e c - , 1 00%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
9.45%
24.91%
12.89%
4.81%
47.94%
55
I •: 5
rs
28
279
16/25
Epiphany Parish Survey
Q17 Parishioners are encouraged to usethe gifts they have to build up the parish
by taking part in various liturgical andoutreach ministries.
Excellent
Good
13.40%
17.18%
36.60%
0% 60% 100%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
13.40%
36.60%
21.13%
11.68%
17.18%
78
213
122
68
100
562
17/25
Epiphany Parish Survey
G'-f The parish has outreach programs toassist people who are poor and most in
need.
Excellent
Good
11.95%
31.06%
Fair 15.87%
0%
9.90%
31.23%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
11.95%
31.06%
15.87%
9.90%
31.23%
70
182
93
58
133
586
18/25
Epiphany Parish Survey
•'* :n The parish has adequate programs toreach out to senior citizens, the
homebound, and the sick.
Excellent 8.72%
Poor
23.08%
14.87%
11.79%
41.54%
100%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
8.72%
23.08%
14.87%
11,79%
41.54%
51
135
67
69
243
585
19/25
Epiphany Parish Survey
O20 The parish makes adequate use ofmedia and technology to communicateinformation to parishioners and to reach
out to the community at large."1 Sk\>pJd:"4
Excellent 10.15%
24.96%
27.88%
24.78%
60% 80% 100%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
10.15%
24.96%
27.88%
12.22%
24.78%
59
145
162
71
144
561
20 /25
Good
Epiphany Parish Survey
C21 We have a sufficient number ofparishioners willing to give their time andtalent to make possible the current andfuture activities and programs that the
parish provides.I"; •:»•. er;ti: 379 s: ip.vsd; 2",
11.05%
30.92%
20.55%
29.71%
80%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
11.05%
30.92%
20.55%
7.77%
29.71%
64
179
119
45
172
579
21 125
Epiphany Parish Survey
•3V; The pastor and pastoral staff exerteffective leadership that meets currentpastoral needs and points to the future.
A'..'S» --,; d: 5S5
Excellent 23.42%
33.85%
21.54%
Poor
Unable tocomment
11.11%
10.09%
20* 40% 80% 100%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
23.42%
33.85%
21.54%
11.11%
10.09%
I 3 1
198
126
65
59
585
2 2 / 2 5
Epiphany Parish Survey
O.23 Pastoral leadership encourages thecollaboration of clergy, religious, and laity
in their common mission.
18.18%
Good
C = =
33.62%
18.18%
20% 100%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
18.18%
33.62%
16.98%
13.04%
18.18%
IC6
196
99
76
106
583
2 3 / 2 5
Epiphany Parish Survey
Q*>4 The parish ensures proper fiscaladministration, business management, and
proper maintenance of grounds andbuildings.
Excellent 22.95%
Fair
37.84%
12.50%
IPoor I I 4.79%
21.92%
20% 40%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
22.95%
37.84%
12.50%
4.79%
21.92%
134
22
73
23
128
584
24125
Epiphany Parish Survey
Q25 "Making All Things New" will help ourparish in both short term and long range
planning.
24.87%
Good 37.31%
I
8.46%
Poor I 2.07%
27.29%
20% 40% 81 ',••> 100%
Answer Choices
Excellent
Good
Fall
Poor
Unable to comment
Total
Responses
24.87%
37.31%
8.46%
2.07%
27.29%
144
216
49
12
153
579
25/25