After 15 weeks of instruction, 26 men and women in the archdiocese participated in a Certificate Graduation Ceremony June 16 to mark their completion of the Parish Business Administration program at Loyola Marymount University.

Cardinal Roger Mahony recognized the graduates during the 10 a.m. liturgy at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. It was at the encouragement of Cardinal Mahony that the course was first offered in 1989.

Since 1999, the course has been led by Nancy and Bill Vondrasek, the first parish business managers to instruct in the program. Nancy brings years of experience working for St. Paul, Holy Spirit, St. Cecilia and St. Mary Magdalene parishes in Los Angeles; Bill was business manager at St. Paul the Apostle, Westwood, for 15 years.

"Between us we have experience in both affluent and poor parishes," says Nancy. "We enjoyed it a great deal and have retired from it full-time, but we continue teaching the class." Their great love of the Church in Los Angeles has helped many others look upon their work as business managers as ministry to the people of God.

Those who have participated in the Parish Business Administration program have also had the advantage of hearing Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala speak on Canon Law and the administration of goods; Msgr. Padriac Loftus on church history; Tim Lopez on facilities management; Sharon Hueckel on theology of stewardship; William Heinen on human resources (he is archdiocesan director of human resources); and Sister of Charity Mary Elizabeth Galt (archdiocesan chancellor) and Pat Livingston (superintendent of elementary schools) on the role of the Catholic elementary school in the parish.

The Parish Business Administration course, held for 120 hours on 15 Saturdays from September to April, is part of the extension program for the Center for Religion and Spirituality at Loyola Marymount University. Perhaps the most important part of the program, in addition to the practical knowledge gained by the students, is its emphasis on stewardship and ministry.

Ed Jensen, business manager for the Cardinal Manning House of Prayer for Priests, sees this course as a very powerful tool for the working business manager. "The program puts in focus knowledge of the business world as it relates to the church and specifically the Archdiocese of Los Angeles," he says. "There are business tenets and practices that I now have to look at as not only as civil law, but as Canon Law - people focused, service oriented, ministry. It is ministry rather than a job."

A veteran of 36 years with the Los Angeles Times, Jensen says his job "is about being a good steward because every dollar that flows through the place comes from people like me in the pews from parishes throughout Los Angeles."

Topics covered during the 15-week course include: the parish business manager working with the pastor; importance of delegation with accountability; human resources, facilities management; budget and financial management; parish pastoral and finance councils; and Canon Law as it applies to the church's temporal goods

The Vondraseks developed the course after their years of experience in parishes. Though there was no text available, they knew one thing: A good business manager in a parish enables the priest to devote his time to the work of being a priest.

"It is so important that the priest has the time to devote to parishioners and tending to their pastoral needs," say Nancy and Bill. "Someone else then can take care of the business aspects of the parish so the priest can do the work of being a priest minister."

The Parish Business Manager's role in the parish, they continue, is not to overshadow or displace the pastor in the areas of financial management, human resources management and plant/facilities management, but "to advise and recommend good policies and procedures and how to implement them in all these areas. In all of this, communication between the pastor and Parish Business Manager is most important."

At St. Stephen Martyr Church, Monterey Park, Monica Gonazales-Diaz was already a business manager, "but this course gave me a great overview of what my actual responsibilities are in terms of parish work, as a minister of the parish and as a good example for the parish - keeping the finances straight - keeping our parish life director informed of all the new changes that are happening in business.

"As a Catholic it has given me a different view of how the Church is run. There is so much more behind the scenes - where does the money come from, the parishioners-what is their part? That is what has helped me realize that we are all part of this parish and we all have to contribute."

For Teresa Hernandez, parish secretary at Sagrado Corazon, Cudahy, the course helped her in the administration of the parish. "A lot of things we weren't doing before, we've started implementing," she says. "It's been truly a wonderful experience."

With a better ministry budget and planning for the future, Hernandez says the parish "now has an easier way of controlling our expenses now." She learned the importance of restricted and nonrestricted funds, and separating ministry in the church from future parish funds.

"We have an easier way of doing it now," says Teresa.