Pillars

Family 17 Pillars

Through the efforts of the Road to Renewal, committees - called Pillars - have been set up to help guide Parish Families to respond to God's continued call for growth and conversion.


Each Pillar:

  • Requires an on-going (year-round) commitment of each member.
  • Should contain between 7-10 members.
  • Consist of at least one representative from each parish.
  • Should meet minimally once a month or more depending on the current activity.

Pillar News

Another Successful PILLAR ROUNDTABLE Meeting

with representatives from each pillar on 5.28.26.

Make Every Person Count

An Announcement from the In-Reach/Outreach Pillar

Make Every Person Count:

The In-reach-Outreach Pillar is alerting all the members of the Family 17 Parish's that we are rolling out a program called Make Every Person Count. The program is geared towards reaching out to parishioners via phone calls this spring to give voice to their feelings and opinions on questions that concern all of us. 

To make this program a success, we will need volunteers to help with this important initiative. We need people to help with phone calls during a two-week period.  In the coming months more information will be shared. We will have more details available on the website soon, as well as flyers in the churches, and social media.

Please consider helping us to Make Every Person Count  a success to the future of our churches.



Make Every Person Count is a phone outreach program to the registered households in Family #17 parishes.


Why are we doing this?

  • To strengthen bonds with active parishioners and to reconnect with inactive Catholics
  • To offer prayer support and foster unity
  • To update contact information whenever possible


What do you have to do?

• Register for the training (May 2, St. John’s, 10:00am)


Register by calling Ron at 716-533-3881

or by replying to this email.

This will give you the information you need to decide about participating, as well as the “how to” if you go ahead.

  •  You are asked to make 10 calls within a 2-week period. 
  • You choose the pattern:  one call a day for 10 days, two calls for 5 days…
  • Make a note of calls made, new contact info received, and any other needs expressed during the call.
  • Report back when finished! 


Consider this:  It’s a chance to contribute while “working from home”!  Get comfy in your recliner and make a few calls! 

And don’t for one minute think that your participation or your absence in this won’t make a difference, because EVERY PERSON DOES COUNT!


Administration

The Administration Pillar looks at the business components of parish operations, creating efficiencies that respond to the challenges of diminishing resources and personnel. Working closely with the Pastor and the Renewal office, this pillar provides support in the following areas:

Human Resources

Environment Safety

Central services of Family

On-site Hours

Budgeting/Finances

Media/Communications

Data/Reporting

Next Meeting TBD

Liturgy

Liturgy is the primary way in which we worship God. The focus of the liturgy pillar is to make sure we have the very best worship taking place within our family of parishes.

This pillar is concerned with the entire liturgical spectrum, among which are:

Liturgical Schedules

Seasonal and Feast Day services

Music Ministry

Readers, Ministers, Servers

Next Meeting  June 2, 2026 7pm Blessed Sacrament, FCH

In-Reach/Outreach

This Pillar, responding to the needs of our people - both in and outside of our family of parishes - is focused on bringing relief to those who are suffering, including:

Evangelization

Support of Food Distribution

Social Justice

Next Meeting TBD

Spiritual Life

The Spiritual Life Pillar works hand in hand with the Liturgy Pillar, with the focus on fostering a relationship with Jesus Christ  through:

Prayer

Devotions

Adoration

Retreats

Presentations

Next Meeting  June 9, 2026 6:30pm Blessed Sacrament, FCH

Forming Disciples

The Forming Disciples Pillar involves all aspects of Faith education.

This Pillar focuses on:

Faith Formation (Children and Adults)

Catholic Schools

OCIA/RCIA

Sacramental preparation

Youth Ministry (Gr 6-8)

Youth Ministry (Gr 9-12)

Young Adult and Adult Faith Formation

Adult Leadership Training

Family Formation

Next Meeting  Aug 5, 2026 6pm Blessed Sacrament, FCH

Stewardship

The Stewardship Pillar promotes utilization of our time, talent, and treasure for the good of our parishes and people. Working closely with other pillars, this pillar coordinates:

Volunteering

Hospitality

Fundraising

Development

Next Meeting TBD