April 26, 2010 minutes
April 26, 2010 minutes
Members present: Fr. Marty, Fr. Mick, Deacon Ed, Tom Swanson, Barb Bohney, Ken Clark, Diana Donnell, Allen Girnus, Tim Hazard, Jim Karl, Ted Markiewicz, Jeannine Quigley, Steve Shelby, Jane Wallace, John Wallace, Gary Wolfe, Julie Wolfe
Fr. Marty opened the meeting with a prayer and a reading from St. Basil the Great. The council first discussed diocesan matters. Allen reported on the diocesan ministry fair held recently at Our Lady of Consolation in Merrillville. Approximately 250 people attended the event, and many of them were impressed by our promotional materials and variety of ministries our parish offers. It is possible a parish staff member will attend this event next year to supplement the presence of a parish council member. Steve reported on a recent meeting of the Southlake Deanery which focused on the Catholics Come Home program. Fr. Marty noted that a parishioner coordinates such efforts in our parish and that this work has been ongoing for the past several years.
The council then turned its attention to the CSA and the Faith, Families and Future campaign. Parishioners will make CSA pledges on the weekend of May 8-9, but Tom has already received a check from one parishioner, which is a good sign. There has been a favorable response to the DVD, and Ted appreciated the use of technology in this campaign. While extra funds from the CSA campaign will be used to address issues pertaining to the bell tower and other parts of the church building as outlined in the DVD, funds from the Faith, Families and Future campaign have been set aside for structural improvements to the school, including new windows, fascia, electrical outlets, and priming the school for air conditioning. Due to a shortage in funds, the school will not be air conditioned at this time. Fr. Marty explained this decision to a group of school parents, and they were understanding. A letter will be sent in June to those parishioners who originally pledged but who have not yet paid 35% of their pledges, which amount to approximately $200,000. Another issue is the takedown of the old church. Tom has received a firm bid of $125,000, which includes the entire takedown and removal of bricks and steel beams and other parts of the building. The bid also includes leaving 400 bricks for the parish to sell as commemorative items. Fr. Marty and Tom attended an event on Catholic cemeteries at the University of Notre Dame and are gathering information on erecting a mausoleum on the site of the old church. The cost to take down the old church would be covered in part by the cost of buying a crypt in the mausoleum. Improvements are already underway on our present cemetery. Fr. Marty and a group of parishioners are looking at columbaria which would house ashes of parishioners who wished to be cremated, and plans are underway to secure the long-term financial needs of the cemetery.
Tom presented the council with samples of parish directories a St. Louis-based company sent him. The company offered to produce a parish directory for us free of charge. The directory would include names, addresses and phone numbers of all parishioners as well as 22 pages of parish-approved content, such as important contact information, a schedule of parish events, and the information that is currently in the ministry booklet. Some council members expressed concerns about parishioners' privacy, but Fr. Marty assured them that a letter will be sent to all parishioners and they will have ample opportunity to notify the parish office that they do not want certain information published. The directory will be copyrighted so that it cannot be used as a telemarketing tool. Steve, Tim, Jane and Diana will investigate the matter further and report to the council at the next meeting. It is important to note that this will not be a pictorial directory,
though Fr. Marty is open to the idea of people submitting pictures of themselves and their families to the parish office so that they can be used by him and parish officials in the event of a funeral, wedding or baptism.
Barb distributed a list of 26 devotional and formational opportunities discussed by the Spirituality and Worship commission and asked for feedback from the council. After discussion, the council's consensus was that a yearly parish mission, a women's faith sharing group, and a bible study group should be top priorities, with ongoing support for married couples also being considered. The council spent considerable time discussing the merits of a parish youth ministry and agreed to discuss the matter further at an upcoming meeting.
Jeannine and Ted reported on the Education and Formation commission and plan to hold another meeting in early May. Julie reported on the Peace and Social Justice commission and distributed information on the Mustard Seed group which ministers in Jamaica. The commission felt this group wasn't the right fit, and Fr. Marty suggested that if we choose to partner with a parish in Haiti since our diocese has a long-standing relationship with churches in Haiti. Another possibility is for us to have a sister parish within our own diocese.
Finally, Fr. Marty announced that Fr. Mick will be taking over for Fr. Kevin Huber as diocesan vocation director. The council applauded the announcement, and Fr. Mick responded by leading the council in a closing prayer.
The council will next meet on Monday, May 24, at 7 p.m. in one of the small meeting rooms in St. Patrick Hall. Incoming council members will be invited to attend.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeff Cox |
