'I See The Hand Of God In All This'
Diocese of Evansville Chancellor Judy Neff never expected the past 23 years of her professional life to unfold as it has.
“When I graduated from college, I never dreamed of being the chancellor of a Catholic diocese,” said Neff, who is retiring at the end of the year. “I studied to be a teacher. But circumstances can change our path in life. I like helping people and serving. I definitely see the hand of God in all this.”
Neff began service to the diocese in 1991 as the administrative assistant to Monsignor Kenneth Knapp, then-Vicar General and Chancellor. Her first day was a whirlwind.
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” she said with a smile. “I wasn’t planning to work; I had come to the Catholic Center to interview for the position. He caught me off-guard at the end of the interview when he asked, ‘Can you start today?’”
Neff discovered that Deanna Ruston, who at the time was Bishop Gettelfinger’s administrative assistant, was beginning family leave the following day. “I had a half-day to learn as much as I could from Deanna, who was going to take time off to be with her husband following surgery,” she said. “Bishop Gettelfinger and Monsignor Knapp were very kind and patient. I learned a lot in those early years.”
In 1995, Bishop Gettelfinger asked her to take over as diocesan Chancellor. “I was humbled and very grateful that he thought enough of me and my work to offer me the opportunity,” Neff said. “At the time, I was one of only a handful of lay women who were serving as diocesan chancellors – and there weren’t too many more lay men in the position.”
The diocesan chancellor is a canonical position – that is, its principal duties are included in the Code of Canon Law for the Church. Among them is service as ecclesiastical notary for the diocese – verifying and certifying formal acts within the diocese. Readers of The Message may recall, for example, that the formal decrees announcing parish mergers as part of the reorganization process – printed in their entirety in the paper in Sept. 2013 and Sept. 2014 – included Neff’s signature and the diocesan seal, along with Bishop Thompson’s signature.
Although required by Canon Law to handle certain responsibilities, chancellors also perform a wide variety of duties that are determined by the bishops they serve around the world. In Neff’s case, those duties have been among the most important anyone could imagine in a diocesan role.
She has served as the point person for the Diocese of Evansville training and compliance efforts related to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” – including reporting of any claims of child abuse. She also has served as the diocesan representative to the independent review board that is required by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Neff said that following the bishops’ adoption of the Charter, her role with it in the diocese has represented one of her biggest and most important responsibilities.
“Different dioceses have their chancellors do different things,” she explained. “As I have had opportunities to meet my counterparts from around the country, it is fascinating to see the autonomy our dioceses have. No two chancellors are the same.”
Parishioners across our 12 counties may know her better for two other duties – but they may not realize she has been behind them!
Although the communications office and the office of youth and young adult ministry collaborated – years ago – on development and launch of what was then just a single page for the Diocese of Evansville on the infantile World Wide Web, Neff has been primarily responsible for creation of a full-featured website. She also helped spearhead the work to redesign the site and make it more useful and attractive than ever.
“I’ve always had an interest in technology,” she said. “I was asked early on to help maintain the web page – more than 15 years ago – and it became pretty much my area over time. Back then, there was a need to know a little HTML language, for example. We have come a long way!”
Neff also has been intimately involved with the growth across the diocese of the use of Parish Data Systems software. “Our work with PDS dates back to the diocesan synod in 1993,” she explained. “One of the priorities coming out of the synod was a push to improve the technologies parishes were using. We got some grant money toward the effort, and we made a push to get every parish in the diocese on PDS.”
Over the past five years, PDS developers have released a version for dioceses that enables data sharing between parishes and the diocese. That has made it easier for Neff to stay on top of changes and trends in parish demographics across all 12 counties.
Neff said the duties she’s had for the diocese have made her job very dynamic.
“No two days are the same,” she offered. “I regularly work in a lot of different areas, and I enjoy that. It has been 23 ½ years, and it certainly doesn’t feel like it. I have never thought of this as a job. For me, it has been a ministry.
“The people I work with here are wonderful,” Neff continued. “We have great groups of people – here at the Catholic Center, in our parishes … at every level.”
She won’t be doing the same kinds of things in retirement, but she doesn’t plan on slowing down much.
“I’ll be picking up a paint brush,” she laughed. “I like working on projects at home, and there are a couple of rooms that need painting. There are also some other projects I’m planning to get done.”
And before she knows it, the weather will be warming up. “Come spring,” Neff said, “I’ll be gardening. I grew up a farm girl. I like to play in the dirt.”
Our bishops say farewell
By Tim Lilley
The Message editor
Diocese of Evansville Chancellor Judy Neff has served two bishops during her tenure.
Bishop Charles C. Thompson and Bishop-Emeritus Gerald A. Gettelfinger offer their thoughts as Judy prepares to retire at the end of December.
Bishop Charles C. Thompson
“To say that Judy Neff will be missed is a great understatement. While she has certainly earned her retirement, and we wish her well, Judy takes with her a great wealth of institutional knowledge and wisdom.
“More often than not, she has been the force behind the scene in getting so much done right and accomplished. Her calm, rather quiet and reflective demeanor has provided a wonderful presence at the Catholic Center.
“She has been a loyal, dedicated and faithful colleague in service to the Church, the People of God, throughout the Diocese of Evansville. Our prayers go with her as she retains a place in our hearts.”
Bishop-Emeritus Gerald A. Gettelfinger
“All too often we casually use the ‘throwaway’ line that ‘it was a Godsend!’
“I happily write to testify in truth that Judy Neff was and is ‘God-sent’ to us, the faithful, clergy and bishops of the Catholic Diocese of Evansville. Judy is a most talented woman who not only knows what to do, but gets it done.
“For many years as bishop, I not only leaned on her expertise and precision in untold areas of administration, but also the joy of her friendship – including her providing the annual office grid for the (NCAA Division I men’s basketball) national finals.
“Judy was my ‘go-to’ for policy development and precision of language – particularly as it related to the child-abuse scandal – not to mention the enormous task of training and monitoring of parish and school staffs relating to reporting child abuse. She was also my official in reporting the compliance of our diocese to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. She also was my staff to our independent Review Board, as required by the charter and norms of the USCCB.
“We all mouth the words that no one is indispensable; but for me, Judy – as my Chancellor – was such a person. For most of you she has been invisible; but for me, she was my beacon of guidance! I miss sharing our daily encounters as she assisted me with my computer issues!
“Judy Neff is a gem! Her husband Bill is blessed! I hope she continues to share her home-grown delicious tomatoes with me!”
