Evangelization Then and Now
The notion of a Catholic church in the United States which evangelizes was not a common understanding for most Catholics in the past. From the days of the earliest Catholic settlers to the latter part of the twentieth century, the church grew primarily through immigration and birthrate. The church also...
Dreams of Parishes Future
The July of 2020 document from the Congregation for Clergy in Rome which issued a new instruction on parish reform refers to the current model of parish as "no longer measuring up to most people's expectations" and "outdated." To become a more missionary and evangelizing parish, the document states, will...
Meitler Minute
Meitler consultants are back to meeting with parishes and schools in person to listen to their visions for the future. Virtual meetings are good, and they definitely serve a purpose, but nothing beats meeting face-to-face to feel the energy and passion people have for their schools and parishes!
It’s In The Numbers
Figures often beguile me, particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the rework attributed to Disraeli would often apply with justice and force: "there are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics. -Mark Twain Mark Twain's and Disraeli's observations on data and statistics...
National Catholic School Mentorship Program Reflections with Dr. Mazie McCoy
Enrollment management, both new enrollment and retention, is one of the primary concerns of Catholic School leadership. Dr. Mazie McCoy developed a strong plan for Corpus Christi Catholic School with support from her peers at the National Catholic School Mentorship program and Meitler consultants.
Meitler Minute
Why is now the right time to make a plan? Planning helps differentiate between "urgent" and "important." Planning articulates a vision that pastors, lay leadership, and principals will use as a basis for making decisions about organizing and utilizing resources. We would be happy to meet with you to show...
Is Getting Money Really That Hard?
I accepted my first principal position in 2000. I was excited at the prospect of leading and creating a culture of learning and continuous school improvement. I set my focus on developing a comprehensive plan for curriculum and instruction, expanding programming, and onboarding new staff. With my skilled and dedicated...
The Growing Number of Nones
Your eyes are not deceiving you. The title neither refers to "nuns" nor is it a misspelling. For the first time in the history of the United States, a 2020 Gallup poll has revealed that only 47% of American adults said they were members of a church, mosque or synagogue. ...
Program Reflections with Principal Jessica Saglio
Jessica Saglio, Principal at Our Lady of Carmel School in Bristol, Rhode Island, is a member of the National Catholic School Mentorship Program's first cohort. Hear how her school has benefitted from connecting and working together with other Catholic school leaders from across the country.
Meitler Minute
We all love to nurture things and see them grow. How can you help your parish grow? Mark Kemmeter has decades of experience and insights that can help your parish add new members without simply pulling Catholics from another parish, or waiting for new Catholics to move into town. Mark...
Revisiting the Research
The National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) and Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities' (FADICA) 2016 research on parent perceptions of Catholic schools as reported in The Catholic School Choice: Understanding the Perspectives of Parents and Opportunities for More Engagement identified four major directional priorities that Catholic schools should focus...
The State of Parish Reform
In July of 2020, the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy issued a new instruction on parish reform proposing ways to restructure parishes that face priest shortages and financial difficulties. The document goes on to state, What is happening around the world and, particularly in the United States, regarding parish reform...
Program Reflections with Principal Teresa Matetich
The National Catholic School Mentorship Program helps participants stay more focused and accountable through regular check-ins and meetings. Hear how the program helped Principal Teresa Matetich develop and implement her school's enrollment plan.
Meitler Minute
How will you transition your enrollment management strategy from passive to active? A comprehensive plan that includes marketing, communication, recruiting, enrollment and retention components is a powerful tool to help you reach your school's goals. Meitler can guide you through the entire process.
Leaning on One Another
What started out as a project to assist a transformational group of principals to create an enrollment management plan for their Catholic school communities expanded into a cohort of school leaders who both leaned on and supported one another during what may be the most challenging year in their careers...
The Pandemic’s Impact on the Parish
The first anniversary of the lockdown for COVID-19 is upon us. As we all struggle to adapt to a new sense of "normal" in our personal lives, how has the pandemic impacted parishes? CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) has been studying the effects of the pandemic on...
Establishing an Enrollment Management Program
Establishing an enrollment management program is one of the most important steps a Catholic school can take. Be sure to establish clarity of your mission, form an enrollment management team, and then create your enrollment management plan that is specific and measurable. We can help you get there.
Does your planning use a roadmap or a compass?
In a recent webinar presented by our partner, Ruotolo Associates ("Foresight 2021: Leveraging Lessons Learned"), they discussed lessons learned regarding philanthropic giving during this past year of the pandemic. In their presentation, I found an interesting idea that poked at my thoughts and led me to a different take on...
Meitler Minute
A broad-based funding plan that looks beyond tuition and typical fundraisers is the best way to achieve long-term financial stability and sustainability. Developing this kind of long-range financial strategy is a part of our planning process when we engage with schools.
A Delicate Balance
This school year 2020-21, like years past and even more so now, Catholic schools have been experiencing an enrollment decline, particularly at the elementary school level. In a number of dioceses and schools, there has been the "COVID-bump" increase in the number of students. There is hope of retaining these...
