GENERAL:

• No one, other than parish staff, has permission to post or place anything on parish grounds or in parish buildings (including literature in the narthexes, signs on cars, fliers on tables, yard signs, etc.).
• Under no circumstances will there be advertisements or promotional materials placed within the pews of the Church or within hymnals.
  1. “Advertisements” include persuasive materials encouraging the purchasing of a product, using a service, or supporting a non-parish cause. These are only permitted within printed event programs or via direct sponsorship (e.g., a sponsorship of a food booth at Nationality Days).
  2. “Promotional Materials” include those designed for widespread distribution to promote a parish event, product, service, or idea.
• Under no circumstances will anyone be allowed to use parish buildings or grounds without prior approval. Doing so will constitute trespassing and may open the individual(s) to legal action. 
• The normative procedure for the creation of any project, group, event, or activity is to work through a leader of one of the Parish Priority Teams, who will coordinate planning and approval with the Implementation Team, parish staff, and ultimately, the Pastor (or the clergy he has delegated to grant approval). 
• All events that occur on parish property or are connected directly or indirectly by name must adhere to all appropriate policies of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, inclusive of, but not limited to:
  1. Safe Environment Policy
  2. Outside Speaker Approval Policy
• Any project, group, event, or activity must be in accord with the Parish Mission, Vision, and Priorities. 
• Any proposed fundraising activity needs approval by the Pastor, using the ordinary procedure and form for new initiatives.

 
Information on all available parish facilities/spaces, along with guidelines for their usage, can be found on our parish website at https://archangelgabrielparish.org/facilities. 
 
PROMOTION: 
Proper promotion of a parish event is important for its success. This process, overseen by the Director of Communications, takes place through consultation with the planner of an event, awareness of best practices in advertising, and integration with the larger communication strategy of the parish.

• After events are approved, contact should be made with the parish Director of Communications in order to create a strategic plan for promotion.
• The various resources which the parish has for promoting events are subject to the authority of the Director of Communications.
• Optimal use of the various means of communication can only be offered when promotion begins 4 to 6 weeks before an event. The closer the event becomes, the fewer resources may be available available.

 
Resources and tips on parish event planning can be found on our parish website at https://archangelgabrielparish.org/promotion. 
 
FACILITIES:
Buildings and Grounds
Our parish buildings and grounds are gifts from God, entrusted to our care for the spiritual enrichment and communal life of all his people. They are dedicated as places of prayer, formation, and service, where the sacred mysteries are celebrated, fellowship blossoms, and the love of Christ finds expression. We strive to be faithful stewards, ensuring these spaces are sanctuaries of grace and vibrant centers for prayer, formation, fellowship, and outreach, enabling us to be Christ's hands and heart in the world.
 
Church Spaces
The AGP churches and spaces within the churches, because they are more sacred spaces, require further care. Because these spaces are the places wherein the formal divine worship of the parish is offered, use of the spaces for initiatives must be seen as a special privilege. In addition to the General Policies listed above, use of any of these spaces will be governed by the following additional policies:

• Nave of our Churches: These should principally be used for liturgical or paraliturgical services. Special events that are designed to promote prayer or deepen one’s knowledge and understanding of the Lord are also appropriate.
  • Approval for any other usage is subject to the Pastor. 
  • Consideration of use of the naves of our churches with the Blessed Sacrament removed is possible, but this would require very special extenuating circumstances and must be approved by the Pastor.
• Sanctuary of our Churches: These should be respected as places for worship and should be used appropriately.
• Narthex of our Churches: These should be used for the gathering of the community and/or the collection of the congregation’s gifts for the poor, the needy, the suffering, and our local community.
  • Normally, no more than one organization or group may use the narthex any given weekend.
  • To promote unity, the parish normally requires anyone using one narthex to use all three for the weekend.
  • The parish normally asks organizations and groups to limit their use of the narthexes to one weekend for any given initiative.
  • The parish asks groups that are planning to use the narthex for collections to consolidate or remove collected items after each Mass.
  • The parish will give priority to parish organizations over non-affiliated groups. The parish may accommodate other community groups at its own discretion.

 
Archangel Gabriel School (AGS)
Archangel Gabriel School and Gymnasium are subject to a unique usage policy that is developed between Archangel Gabriel Parish and the South Regional Catholic Elementary School Superintendent. Any non-AGS use of these spaces would require permission from the Pastor before scheduling through the school can occur.

NEXT STEPS:
Once you have reviewed the policies above, you may proceed with the process of proposing a new parish initiative that is in alignment with these policies. Click here to view the process for proposing a new parish initiative.

Please note that established parish organizations who are planning events/initiatives that have been previously approved are NOT subject to the same approval process. In that case, organizers should complete the Facilities Request Form, as they have done in the past.