By Eva Fujan
In 2014 Bishop Conley commissioned the Meitler Consulting Group to do an in-depth analysis of the Catholic parishes and schools in the Diocese of Lincoln. Based on that analysis and the recommendations, the diocese decided to do additional analysis and research into the state of the parishes and schools in the diocese.
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Schools were encouraged to engage their communities in completing long-term strategic plans, five-year budget forecasts, and implementation projects to enhance their schools, parishes and communities. The Joy of the Gospel campaign was launched and subsequently the diocese was able to create the Flavin and Francis Funds, specifically designed to help the schools. Schools were given the opportunity to apply for Flavin grants for innovative projects that would help the schools with enrollment, educational enhancements, early childhood development programs and the like, and the Francis Fund was designated to help five struggling schools get to sustainability over five years.
At the same time, the diocese created several committees to do more detailed research into the state of the schools. This included committees to review parish and school boundaries, facilities, low income scholarships, tuition, affordability and sustainability. Below is a timeline of the various committees that have been involved in this process:
April 2014 – Meitler Study
January 2015 – Joy of the Gospel Campaign Launched – Francis & Flavin Funds established to help schools
January 2016 – Francis Fund Schools Pastors Committee Launched to develop plan to sustainability
April 2016 – Francis Fund School Pastors Committee Shared Funding Proposal to Bishop
January 2017 – Francis Fund Schools Strategic Plans & 5 Year Budgets Completed
January 2017 – Francis Fund Schools Report to Bishop Conley
August 2017 – Francis Fund Schools Update Report to Bishop Conley, Finance Committee
October 2017 – Francis Fund Taskforce Launched – to review state of the schools; specifically Francis Fund Schools in terms of financial stability, facilities, enrollment and parish support for each school
December 2017 – Francis Fund Taskforce Recommendations to Bishop Conley
March 2018 – Francis Fund School Committee Launched – to make final recommendations for Francis Fund Schools, by the Pastors of the three schools, for those schools that could not get to a balanced budget
May 2018 – Boundaries Committee Launched
June 2018 – Francis Fund School Committee Recommendations to Bishop Conley
July 2018 – Scholarship & Tuition Committee launched to research low income scholarships & tuition for all Lincoln Diocese Schools
August 2018 – Boundary Committee Recommendations & Notes
September 2018 – Scholarship & Tuition Committee Recommendations to Bishop Conley
Previous Data – 2014 Meitler Study, 2011 Recommendations, 1995 Recommendations
Francis Fund School Pastor’s Committee: Fr. John Sullivan, Blessed Sacrament, Lincoln; Fr. Troy Schweiger, St. Patrick, Lincoln; Fr. Leo Kosch, Sacred Heart, Lincoln; Fr. Douglas Dietrich, St. Mary, Lincoln; Fr. Ramon Decaen, Cristo Rey, Lincoln; Fr. Thomas Nguyen, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Lincoln; Fr. Joseph Nguyen, St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Lincoln; Fr. Loras Grell, St. John the Baptist, Plattsmouth; Eva Fujan; Msgr. John Perkinton
Francis Fund Taskforce: Msgr. Timothy Thorburn, Vicar General; Msgr. John Perkinton, Superintendent of Catholic Schools; Fr. Kenneth Borowiak, St. Michael; Fr. Ramon Decean, Cristo Rey; Fr. Nicholas Kipper, Moderator of the Curia, Chancery; Tracy Lockwood, CFO, Lincoln Diocese; Eva Fujan, Consultant to Diocese; Steve Burt (Chair), St. Peter; Tammy Beck, Ph.D., Newman Center; Terry Heimes, St. Joseph; John Hyland, Cathedral; Sherri Jablonski, St. Teresa; Les Mach, Planned Giving Officer, Catholic Foundation of Southern Nebraska, St. Wenceslaus in Wahoo; Alan Slattery, Cathedral
Francis Fund Schools Committee: Msgr. John Perkinton, Superintendent of Schools; Fr. John Sullivan, Blessed Sacrament; Fr. Leo Kosch, Sacred Heart; Fr. Doug Dietrich, St. Mary; Fr. Decaen, Cristo Rey; Tracy Lockwood, CFO; Tammy Beck, St. Teresa; Les Mach, Planned Giving Officer, Catholic Foundation, St. Wenceslaus; Eva Fujan
Lincoln Diocese Scholarship & Tuition Committee: Dr. Matthew Hecker, Diocesan CAO of Schools; Fr. Michael McCabe, St. Joseph; Fr. Schweiger, St. Patrick; Fr. Michael Morin, Bishop Neumann CAO, St. James; Fr. Kipper, Moderator of the Curia, Chancery; Tracy Lockwood, CFO; Les Mach, Planned Giving Officer, Catholic Foundation, St. Wenceslaus; Sheri Jablonski, St. Teresa; Mike Moravec, St. Mary David City; Eva Fujan
Boundaries Committee: Fr. Borowiak, St. Michael; Msgr. Thorburn, Chancery; Msgr. Perkinton, Superintendent of Schools; Fr. Schweiger, St. Patrick; Msgr. Mark Huber, St. Mary Denton; Fr. Decaen, Cristo Rey; Fr. Dietrich, St. Mary; Fr. Sullivan, Blessed Sacrament; Tony Fulton; Rick Lange; Dan Muhleisen; Gene Brake; Tracy Lockwood, CFO; Keith May; Steve Henrichsen
