ParishSOFT News & Information
Announcement
Archdiocese of Detroit Selects ParishSOFT
June 9 , 2010
Contact: ParishSOFT
Michael Cusick, Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Phone: 866.930.4774
Ann Arbor, MI—ParishSOFT LLC announced today that the Archdiocese of Detroit has selected ParishSOFT as the standard church management software for its parishes and its administrative (Central Services) offices.
ParishSOFT, which is already in use in 57 parishes within the archdiocese, will be fully implemented in all 273 parishes as part of the comprehensive financial and organizational restructuring of the Central Services operations in the Detroit archdiocese.
Archdiocesan offices are currently transitioning to ParishSOFT’s diocesan suite to streamline information management, enhance development efforts, and support safe environment initiatives. This spring, the archdiocese began tracking all pledges and payments for the 2010 Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) using the Diocesan Development Manager (DDM) program. “We are already realizing improved efficiencies and reporting,” said Msgr. Robert McClory, Moderator of the Curia, in his June 4, 2010 restructuring update to archdiocesan priests and parish staff.
Through ParishSOFT, all archdiocesan and parish census information will be combined into one common database, making it possible for parishes to update family and staff information just once to keep reliable, current records at every desktop in the archdiocese. Additionally, Web-based parish applications will be introduced for collection/gift management, religious education/tuition management, and staff/volunteer management.
The Archdiocese of Detroit’s search for new software technology began formally in January 2010, when parish and archdiocesan staff representing a broad range of responsibilities and interests came together to form the Data Administration Test Assessment (DATA) Task Force. Following a comprehensive evaluation of ParishSOFT’s church management software, Task Force members conducted personal visits and conference calls with several ParishSOFT users in other dioceses and parishes across the United States. A recommendation was brought forward to Archbishop Allen H. Vigernon, who accepted and endorsed the use of ParishSOFT as the new technology to best serve the archdiocese.
“ParishSOFT met all of our core requirements for an information management system,” said Dave Kelley, Director of Development & Stewardship for the Detroit archdiocese. “Implementation of this software will enable the business activities of the parishes and Central Services to operate more efficiently and more effectively. This will permit our pastors and staff to devote more time to ministry and spend less time on administration.”
ParishSOFT and the Archdiocese of Detroit are currently working together to accomplish standard and advanced data conversion, system implementation, and comprehensive training for parish and archdiocesan staff. Once implemented, ParishSOFT will provide all staff with reliable information that they can use to connect with each other and conduct the informed, strategic planning needed to sustain financial health.
The standard software platform will also provide the archdiocese and its parishes the opportunity to collaborate with each other, share best practices, and implement data management standards. And pastors and staff who transfer to another parish within the archdiocese will find familiar systems, processes, and management standards in place, which can reduce some of the common administrative obstacles inherent to transitioning into ministry within a new parish community.
Mike Cusick, ParishSOFT Vice President of Marketing and Sales, said, “We’re honored to provide the software and services that will help the Archdiocese of Detroit meet its current challenges and achieve its long-term goals.”
About the Archdiocese of Detroit
The Archdiocese of Detroit’s Catholic history traces its beginnings back to July 1701, when Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac brought two priests and a group of French traders to the banks of the Detroit River. Their first task, begun within two days of their arrival, was to found and begin construction of the first Catholic parish in Detroit, Ste. Anne. In 1833, the Diocese was established to include Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Dakotas east of the Mississippi River. Today, the Archdiocese spans six southeast Michigan counties. Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron presides over the 273 parishes and 108 schools that serve more than 1.4 million Catholics. Visit www.aodonline.org for more information.
About ParishSOFT
Founded in 1998, ParishSOFT offers a complete suite of church management software and services that reduce administrative workload and connect the Church with staff, parishioners, and families. ParishSOFT continually invests in improving its software and web solutions, as well as adding new features and products. ParishSOFT presently serves more than 4,000 parishes, and the company’s products have been implemented in 41 arch/diocesan offices.