Waterloo Catholics


Waterloo Catholic Faith
Formation Commission

 
Waterloo Parishes   FAQ Mass Times Cedar Valley Schools Adult Formation

 

Timeline of Collaborative Efforts
Among the Waterloo Parishes

(1959-2010)

The Catholic Parishes in Waterloo have a long history of collaborating to provide  for the education, faith formation and pastoral care of Catholics in the Cedar Valley.  Here are highlights of those efforts:

1959 --  The Catholic parishes in Cedar Falls, Evansdale and Waterloo
              establish Columbus Catholic High School.
1971 --  Team ministry is inaugurated between St. John and St. Nicholas
              parishes.  (The team served these parishes until 1987.)
1975 --  St. John and St. Nicholas Catholic Schools are consolidated.
1980 --  St. John-St. Nicholas Consolidated School Board is formed.
1986 --  St. John-St. Nicholas Consolidated Religious Education Board is
              formed.
1987 --  Waterloo Catholic schools hire a joint marketing director.
1988 --  Waterloo parishes establish CORE, a cooperative religious
              formation program for high school students
         --  Waterloo parishes adopt a uniform policy for Confirmation
              preparation.
1992 --  Waterloo Diocore introduces Faith/Life Connections, a
             cooperative adult formation program.
1994 --  Waterloo parishes begin celebrating Confirmation together.
         --  Waterloo Diocore inaugurates First Tuesday, a support and
              enrichment program for married couples.
1995 --  Waterloo Diocore adopts Come Home (later renamed Welcome
             Home),
an evangelization program for inactive and alienated
             Catholics.
1997 --  Waterloo Diocore inaugurates Catholic Forum, an adult formation
              series which discusses critical issues in the church and world.
1998 --  Blessed Sacrament, Sacred Heart, St. John and St. Nicholas
             parishes form Waterloo Catholic Youth Ministry (WCYM).
1999 --  St. Mary Parish joins Waterloo Catholic Youth Ministry.
         --  Sacred Heart, St. John and St. Nicholas parishes inaugurate a
             common catechumenate for the RCIA;
         --  Blessed Sacrament and St. Mary parishes share a common
             catechumenate for the RCIA.
2001 --  St. John, St. Mary and St. Nicholas Schools are consolidated.
         --  Planning begins for consolidation of Columbus High School,
             Blessed Sacrament, Sacred Heart, St. Edward and St. Mary
             schools.
        --  St. John and St. Nicholas religious education programs are
             consolidated.
2002 -- St. John, St. Joseph, St. Mary and St. Nicholas parishes are
             merged into Queen of Peace Parish.
         --  Waterloo parishes inaugurate a shared preparation program for
             adult Confirmation.
         --  Blessed Sacrament, Sacred Heart and Queen of Peace parishes
             inaugurate a common Catechumenate for RCIA.
         --  Blessed Sacrament, Sacred Heart and Queen of Peace
             inaugurate a shared summer vacation school program for
             elementary age children.
2003 -- Blessed Sacrament, Queen of Peace, Sacred Heart, St. Edward
             and Columbus High School are consolidated into Cedar Valley
             Catholic Schools system.
         --  Pastors, Pastoral Associates and Directors of Religious
             Education in the Waterloo parishes begin meeting regularly.
             (Waterloo Pastoral Leaders now meet monthly.)
         -- Blessed Sacrament, Sacred Heart and Queen of Peace expand
             common RCIA program to include the Pre-catechumenate,
             Enlightment and Mystagogia phases.
2005 --  Waterloo parishes inaugurate a shared program for baptism
             preparation.
         --  St. Edward Parish joins Waterloo Catholic Youth Ministry.
2006 --  Waterloo parishes introduce the Rite of Christian Reception for
              Adults (RCRA).
         --  Waterloo Pastoral Leaders create a vision statement and
             strategic plan for the Waterloo parishes.
         --  Waterloo parishes hire a common Director of Adult Faith
              Formation.
2007 --  Education Committees from Blessed Sacrament, Sacred Heart,
             Queen of Peace and St. Edward meet to discuss common
             opportunities and challenges in parish faith formation.
         --  A metro catechetical planning committee is created to study
             expanding collaborative religious formation opportunities in the
             parishes.
2008 --  A joint meeting of pastoral councils and education committees
             approves the planning committee's recommendations to form a
             metro Catechetical Commission (now called the Faith Formation
             Commission).
         --  An interim planning committee is formed to develop plans for a
             metro Commission and common catechetical plan for the
             Waterloo parishes.
2010 --  The interim planning committee recommends to the pastoral
              councils and education committees strategies and goals for a
              metro catechetical plan and a constitution for the Waterloo
              Catholic Faith Formation Commission.
         --  The pastoral councils endorse the interim committee's
              recommendations and approve the proposed constitution.
         --  Elections are held to the Waterloo Catholic Faith Formation
             Commission.
2011 --  Waterloo parishes hold first metro vacation bible school.
         --  Waterloo parishes introduce summer faith formation program.
         --  Construction begins on Blessed Maria Palotta Middle School.
2012 --  Summer faith formation program expanded to include high
             school.
         -- Unified hiring process adopted for parish Faith Formation
             Directors.

•   •   •

Return to WPL Homepage

Return to Faith Commission Homepage


Posted 03.28.10  
 Last Update: 05.07.12

OUR COMMITMENT TO ADULT FORMATION
The Catholic parishes in Waterloo are committed to providing life-long faith formation and spiritual growth for Catholics of all ages. We value individual life experience, respect the diversity of personal convictions, and welcome the wisdom of every participant. We encourage conversation and dialogue. We will never intentionally embarrass or offend participants.

Copyright Protected / The Catholic Parishes in Waterloo
 

St. Louis County and City