CATHEDRAL OF THE SACRED HEART

WINONA, MINNESOTA

THIRD PROCESS MEETING – FEBRUARY 7, 2002

CONCEPT STATEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

During the months of January and February, 2002, the members of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Cathedral were invited by their rector to gather together in prayer and discussion. This time together consisted of three meetings, each lasting approximately two hours. Invitation to this process of reflecting and visioning was extended to all parishioners and in a specific way to those who participate in and lead the various ministries of the parish. About 125 of us accepted this invitation. We see ourselves as a cross section of our parishioners voicing the concerns, issues, challenges, aspirations and spiritualities of our diverse community of faith.

The purpose of our gathering was to continue the on-going discussion about a vision for this cathedral parish. We have challenged ourselves and our fellow parishioners to a greater level of commitment to faith sharing and ministry. Alongside this renewed call to service we have also contemplated what changes or additions are needed to our buildings, especially the church. In thinking about this we have tried to identify the needs, treasures and values within our community and the physical site and buildings of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. We have been guided by a perspective of standing in the middle of seven generations. In this way addressing our present needs may also respect the gifts and faith of those three generations who have gone before us, as well as make our values tangible to the next generations of faithful people – our children and grandchildren. The following reflects our collective wisdom and our recommendations. These are offered for the prayerful and thoughtful consideration of our fellow parishioners.

OUR DISCUSSION

There are four overarching ideas that have framed our conversation. ONE, our primary focus and challenge is a spiritual one. While much of the following material addresses the buildings and spaces of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, our conversation has always returned to the spiritual dimension of who we are as a faith community. Our main task and responsibility is the continual strengthening of faith through a deeper and more enthusiastic commitment to service and outreach by all of our parish members. TWO, at the same time and with an equal voice, we have identified ways in which our physical spaces can better support our efforts at prayer and ministry. THREE, we have a consensus that now is the time to address some of these needs. We realize that the scope of any project we undertake must be broad enough to not only meet present needs but to serve our community for a generation. FOUR, we also agree that any plan must be comprehensive in its vision even if we have to phase or postpone full implementation.

NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED

Our conversation surfaced a wide range of needs that affect the vitality and growth of the cathedral parish. The greatest consensus formed around needs in five key areas: accessibility, liturgy, Eucharistic devotion, hospitality, and ministry.

ACCESSIBILITY

In our society there is a growing awareness that architecture should pose no barriers that limit freedom of access to those with physical challenges. Building codes are now in place mandating changes in our buildings. Churches have a special obligation of leadership in providing barrier free access for all. Not only is the letter of the law important here, but the spirit of it. Therefore, a pervasive need at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is to continue the implementation of handicap accessibility in all our buildings. This includes access to the sanctuary space and all areas of ministry.

LITURGY

Our conversation has also stressed the important responsibility that a cathedral community has as a model to the diocese for excellent and full expression of the Church's worship and the celebration of the sacraments. We see a need for better utilization of the existing sanctuary space so that the actions of the liturgy and the sacraments may be more fully expressed. We seek a better relationship of the seating to the places of liturgical action. The goal of any rearrangement is to give greater emphasis to the active and essential connection of the congregation to the celebration of the sacraments. In addition to a renewed sanctuary space, we also see the need for an improved music space.

In moving forward on any plans for the renewal of the liturgical space, we are keenly aware that the present church has many treasures that need to be preserved and handled respectfully. The specific areas mentioned in our discussions are the stained glass windows, kneelers, the crucifix and the overall traditional feel of the space.

EUCHARISTIC DEVOTION

The cathedral community is enriched by the practice of perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and by the dedication of all those who keep these hours of prayer. There is a significant need for a more suitable chapel of adoration. Issues of size, location, aesthetics, sound proofing and security need to be considered in its planning and design.

HOSPITALITY

More and more we see the connection between a vibrant faith community and hospitality. Like Jesus, who invited all manner of people to his table, our Catholic faith is rooted and nourished by a ministry of hospitality that welcomes all people. The Eucharist is not only our participation in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross; it is also the foretaste and promise of the banquet feast of heaven. The ministry of hospitality is a fundamental avenue for evangelization. All are called to an active participation in this ministry. We are also a part of a neighborhood shared with a university campus and we seek to continually enrich our relationship with the students, faculty and staff of the university. A cathedral parish also has the added responsibility of being the main church within a diocese and is entrusted with the ministry of hospitality to all the other parishes of the diocese. The addition of a gathering space will greatly enhance our ministry of hospitality and give it a tangible expression.

MINISTRY

Anyone familiar with life at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart knows the many forms which ministry takes here, as well as the great number of parishioners involved. These activities have increasingly taxed the availability of adequate meeting spaces. We see a need for the evaluation of existing spaces to determine just how efficient they are in accommodating the various activities of parish life. In addition to a more creative and effective use of existing space, we see the need for the possible addition of new meeting spaces.

RECOMMENDATIONS

We recommend that the planning committee continue its efforts at study and conversation about present and long-range needs at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

We recommend that professionals in planning and design be hired for the purposes of addressing the needs we stated above. The scope of this consultation would be to develop a master plan for entire Cathedral of the Sacred Heart complex.

We recommend that based on this master plan a preliminary budget be established as well as a strategy for prioritizing and phasing the work.

We recommend ongoing communication with the group of advisors who have assembled for these three meetings and that input be sought from this group before any plans are presented to the parish at large. We further recommend that formal, continuous, broad based (diocesan wide), intense and ongoing communication of the plans and progress be an integral part of the master planning. This communication might include a web site that describes the project, answers questions and makes drawings and photographs available.