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Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Minutes
Monday, September 22nd
Members Present: Harry Pollock, Mary Batcheller, Jeff Wolber, Ken Fleszar, Tom Clark, Rosemary Scafidi, Judy Herman, Karen Sall, Cathy Gilbert, Ann Franklin, Roberta Schultz, Mark Hill, Fr. Steve, Scott Anastasia, Michelle Wood, Tricia Balan
Members Absent: Steven Beck, Mike Rutkowski, Karen Vick
Meeting Called to Order: Jeff Wolber call the meeting to order at 7:00 PM.
Opening Prayer: Judy Herman led the council with prayer from the pamphlet “Hold His Hand.” Council members gave answers questions and also shared experiences and prayers. A special prayer was given to all who are involved with the bakery employing and helping former convicts that they can continue their work with great success.
Introduction of Representatives: Michelle Wood was introduced to the council and will be serving as the Worship Commission Rep. Tom Clark talked with Peter about becoming the Youth Ministry Rep. It was noted that one of his parents are employed by the parish, so it might be necessary to find a new representative.
Minutes for September 2nd: Accepted without change.
Agenda: Reviewed and were Okayed.
Parish Goals/Objectives: Social Ministry decided on responsibilities/ monthly themes (see commission report for more details) and still need to look further into ways of achieving the goals. Looking into a name change since the title of Social Ministry is possibly misleading and may confuse parishioners. All commissions are expected to be bringing their objectives back by the next meeting as they are currently in the process of coming up with these objectives. Fr. Steve gave an extra explanation of what the objectives were as there was still some confusion amongst members.
Formation: Scott led the formation from the first section from the Catechist’s Companion. He also further explained what parish council was accomplishing and learning by using formation every meeting. It was discussed that important RCIA is and how it is the model for all catechesis. It was understood by all that we have so much left to learn and share with the community and to further learn what we are trying to do as a council. Members discussed their own ways of being a catechist and recognized that we all of us are catechists. The section of next month’s formation is entitled “Catechesis and American Culture.”
Parish Council Month: Last year the Parish Council month was held in February and entitled all members to wear name badges to mass for the entire month. Parish Council used a breakfast as a meet-and-greet where they introduced themselves at the tables and asked if anyone had any thoughts, questions, and concerns. The parish breakfasts are held in October, December, and February this year. Members discussed when the month should be held with Pentecost having been considered good timing as new members are nominated. Further discussion will be held at the next meeting.
Parish Council Picture: All present members of parish council took a picture in the church for the upcoming parish directory.
What More Can the Parish Do?:
Commission Reports: The school has lost a total of 1 student since last year. It would be good if Wanda was able to give an update of the school at the next stewardship meeting and to look at trends in school enrollment over the years.
Vicariate Report: General Assembly is happening around 11/20. Members will be mailed more information and an invitation to this event. Having this event because of a lack of energy for vicariate and to energize idea of vicariate within PPC. Meeting again in February. Theme for Lent is “What does it mean to be Church?” Talked about evangelization and that there are 44 million “fallen away” Catholics. We are closing churches instead of building them, so we are trying to revive interest in church.
Pastor’s Report: Bishop Riese battling is battling cancer and getting radiation in the next 2 months. Cardinal Maida is retiring in 1 ½ years at 80. Proposal 2 to be talked about at a future mass. Time, Talent, and Treasure people were called and new members found. “Have you held…” still going on. A lot of the cards were not taken, so try to promote to everyone.
Evaluation of the Meeting: Good meeting with members expressing positive thoughts. Meeting was concluded in prayer.
Next Meeting: Monday October 27, 2008 @ 7:00 PM
Meeting Adjourned: 9:15 PM
Respectfully submitted: Ken Fleszar
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Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Minutes
Tuesday April 1, 2008
Present: Mary Batcheller, Father Steve Wertanen, Harry Pollock, Roberta Schultz, Justin Jagielski, Jeff Wolber, Gerry Koch, Scott Anastasia
Absent: Karen Vick, Tom Clark, Jennifer Kalata, Rosemary Scafidi, Bob Miles, Tricia Balan, Cathy Gilbert, Judy Herman, Karen Sall
Meeting Called to Order: Chairperson Gerry Koch called the meeting to order at 7:06 pm
Opening Prayer: Scott Anastasia led the council members in prayer from a reading of the Gospel according to Luke, opening prayer with scripture ensued with all council members participating in thought and prayer.
Minutes of the February 25th meeting: The minutes were accepted as printed with no changes.
Review of the Agenda: The agenda was reviewed with a request to add a topic for discussion pertaining to the Women’s Guild. Addition was approved.
Formation: From the Growing in Faith project pamphlet 14 “The Passion of Christ” all council members read aloud various paragraphs in which council members gave testimony relative to their daily life experiences.
Review of Parish Mission Statement: Father Steve led the council in discussion to revisit our current mission statement, in addition distributed text outlining the criteria to draft a mission statement. Father also included in the correspondence examples of other parish mission statements. Discussion ensued and Scott Anastasia on behalf of the council was asked to prepare three drafts to be discussed and adopted at our next council meeting.
Parish Goals: In the spirit of reviewing our mission statement the council acknowledged the importance of reviewing our current parish goals. Father Steve informed the council the Diocese provides resources to assist in this process. Rhonda Gilbert is available to act in the capacity of facilitator. On behalf of the Parish Council, the council chair recommended to Father we meet with our representative in May preferably May 5th or 12th between the hours of 6-9 pm to be held in the church basement. Once the date has been secured Father Steve will communicate and welcome parishioners to participate.
What More Can the Parish Do: Council members engaged in conversation on how to “improve the evangelization” of the parish. Gerry Koch commented on the need to invite family and friends to our Sunday Services and perhaps a simple reminder like a book marker would suffice as a physical means to help those in spiritual need to attend. It was noted other parishes have an active evangelization committee. This committee does exist in our council organizational chart.
Commission Reports: Father Steve commented on behalf of the stewardship commission how pleased and grateful he was when he learned our parish was one of only a few downriver parishes to be reporting financial success relative to our monthly and fiscal financial responsibilities. We are ahead of budget.
Social Ministry Commission: As previously mentioned as an item added to the agenda Scott informed the council members the Women’s Guild is requesting an amendment to their charter. Currently language contained in their charter states all members of the Women’s Guild need to be members of St. Joseph Parish. The recommendation is to broaden the language to accommodate those who technically are not members. This amendment requires council approval. Absent a quorum Father Steve will work with the commission to revise the charter. All council members present were in support of such action. Scott also informed the council of the Women’s Guild 90th anniversary. The Guild will be recognized at an 8:00 am mass with a breakfast immediately following mass.
Vicariate Report: At this time nothing to report.
Pastors’ Report: Father Steve informed the council, nominations for next years council will be the weekend of April 19th and 20th. Also students are making their First Communion April 26th, May 3rd and May 10th and Father will be discussing our debt reduction efforts during a weekend in May.
Evaluation of the Meeting: Good meeting with several comments affirmatively expressed regarding the evaluation of Parish Council month. Meeting concluded in prayer.
Next Meeting: Monday June, 2, 2008 @ 7:00 pm
Meeting Adjourned: 8:56 pm
Respectfully submitted:
Jeffrey J. Wolber
St. Joseph Parish
Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Minutes
October 29, 2007
Present: Gerry Koch, Tom Clark, Roberta Schultz, Scott Anastasia, Karen Sall, Jean Guidi, Justin Jagielski, Harry Pollock, Ken Fleszar, Jeff Wolber, Father Steve Wertanen, Rosemary Scafidi, Tricia Balan
Absent: Judy Herman, Jennifer Kalata, Mary Batcheller, Bob Miles
Opening Prayer: Led by Gerry Koch. Father Steve distributed “Have You Read Your Sunday Scriptures” pamphlet and asked all commission representatives to utilize the format at each commission meeting. Council embraced the format and proceeded with a reading from the gospel, paused for silent reflection, shared our thoughts, closed with the Our Father and a blessing.
Meeting called to order: 7:10 pm
Introductions: Tricia Balan and Rosemary Scafidi were introduced to all council members present.
Minutes of the October 1st meeting: Minutes were accepted with no changes.
Faith Formation: Scott reiterated to all council members the utilization of the Growing in Faith project. Tom distributed pamphlet 47 “How do we Become Persons of Prayer?” Various council members shared their thoughts on forms of prayer. Tom commented each pamphlet provided enough material for three meetings.
New Folders: Father Steve distributed Pastoral Council Handbooks to various council members. Color Folders which represent a council member’s year of appointment will be given out at our next meeting.
Parish Goals and Objectives: Tricia Balan commented on the goals established for School Commission and Scott Anastasia discussed Social Ministries goals. Jeff Wolber spoke on behalf of the Stewardship Commission and Tom Clark for Worship commission, their goals and objectives are to be discussed at their next commission meetings and will be presented at next parish council meeting.
Cluster Plan: Father Steve distributed to all council members the approved cluster plan for the parishes of St. Joseph, St Timothy, St. Cyprian and Sacred Heart Grosse Ile. The plan will be communicated thru the church bulletin.
Hospitality: Thank you Karen for the delightful snack.
What More Can the Parish Do: Jean Guidi commented on the blessing of the bibles at Sunday mass. Several council members concurred with Jean and thanked Father for his blessing. Father Steve referenced the beginning of the men’s workshop and our weekly bible study. Gerry Koch asked for comments or feed back regarding church bulletins received from other parishes. Justin Jagielski referenced the idea of a calendar of events. Discussion ensued and suggestion was noted for future reference.
Jeff Wolber suggested the idea of the parish council hosting a hospitality event as an opportunity for all parishioners to get to know council members, commission members and to provide information for the parishioners as to the organization and purpose of the council and all commissions. Discussion ensued, Ken Fleszar suggested the idea of the council members serving as ambassadors after weekend masses. Scott Anastasia suggested we consider multiple forums to let parishioners know who we are, name tags were discussed, as was a parish open house. Gerry suggested we consider this topic as an agenda item for our next council meeting.
Commission Reports: No questions were asked of commission representatives.
Vicariate Report: No Report
Pastor Report: Father Steve commented, confirmation will be November 29th, Friday Flicks with Father will be November 9th, encouraged all council members to read the Michigan Catholic and introduced St. Joe the caricature to council members. Father distributed a drawing of St. Joe and will begin to build awareness that he will become synonymous with parish activities. St. Joe was well received.
Evaluation of the meeting: Jeff thanked council members for listening to his idea, all agreed we held a good and productive meeting.
Next Meeting: Monday, November 26, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Meeting adjourned: 8:46 pm
Respectfully submitted:
Jeffrey Wolber
Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Minutes
October 1, 2007
Present: Gerry Koch, Judy Herman, Jennifer Kalata, Tom Clark, Roberta Schultz, Scott Anastasia, Karen Sall Jean Guidi, Mary Batcheller, Justin Jagielski, Harry Pollock, Jeff Wolber, Father Steve Wertanen
Absent: Bob Miles, Ron Gacioch, Larry Kearney, Ken Fleszar
Opening Prayer: Led by Judy Herman
Meeting called to order: 7:04 pm
Introductions: All council members present introduced themselves to Jean Guidi
Minutes of the August meeting: Minutes were accepted with no changes
Agenda: Agenda was reviewed and there were no additions
Faith Formation: Judy led us in reflection with a reading from the Gospel according to Luke17: 5-10 “Faith the size of a mustard seed!” Numerous council members shared their thoughts with one another relative to life’s experiences.
New Folders: Father Steve explained different colors represented different years. Questions ensued as to what material should be in the folders, in addition, Father attempted to clarify what council members received folders from previous years and what colors did they have. Example 2008/2009 blue folder. Father Steve made appropriate notes and will coordinate at the future council meetings.
Roster: Gerry Koch distributed the parish pastoral council roster for revisions and changes. Ron Gacioch informed council chair he is unable to fulfill his term. Discussion ensued and was suggested council contact listed alternates on the roster. Jeff Wolber to contact Karen Vick as first alternate to determine her level of interest in completing Rons’ term. Roberta Schultz volunteered for November hospitality.
Parish Goals/Objectives: Father Steve reminded and asked all commission representatives to discuss at their next commission meeting their goals and objectives for 2008. Each Commission representative is to present in writing their goals and objectives at our next council meeting.
Cluster Plan: Father Steve distributed copies of plan 6 addressing the clustering and reorganization in the South East corner of the Downriver Vicariate. Pastors from Sacred Heart, St. Cyprian and St. Timothy have all communicated with their parishioners. Father Steve will discuss with the parishioners of St. Joseph in the very near future.
What More Can the Parish Do: Gerry Koch asked all council members present for their thoughts, comments and ideas. Have you read your Sunday Scriptures was a topic well received and many were thankful for renewed emphasis and new initiatives that were presented for the men of the parish. Jennifer Kalata asked about programs for the women of the parish Father Steve sited the Mom’s Group and he will continue to look for additional resources and information for future initiatives. Communicating with all parishioners was a topic for discussion. Father Steve reminded all council members we are the eyes and ears of the parish and new ideas are encouraged to be discussed at future council meetings. Father encouraged council members to bring ideas witnessed at other parishes to our meetings.
Hospitality: Judy thank you for the goodies
Commission Reports:
Roberta asked if we will continue to use the Growing in Faith project for formation readings. Father Steve responded the commission decided affirmatively and will continue to review on a going basis.
Reference was made to various commission reports omitted for review at our council meeting. Regular reports will be forthcoming at all council meetings.
Vicariate Report: Judy Herman attended the meeting held September 27th. The clustering plan of our four parishes was announced in addition St. Cyprians and Cabrini are beginning to share social ministry initiatives. The Michigan Catholic Conference will be mailing CD’s pertaining to the topic of stem cell research. There will be a parish leadership conference this fall at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Temperance, Michigan, additional details to follow. Pastors are reviewing a letter directing each parish by the end of the calendar year to establish a separate non-profit corporation. Father Steve commented the purpose is to protect parish assets. The Board will consist of four people: The Vicar of the Archdiocesan Curia, the chancellor of the Archdiocese, the Pastor and a parish lay representative, either the chairperson of the Parish Council or finance council. There will be an annual meeting and the filing of a simple annual report with the Sate of Michigan. Under church law a parish school belongs to the parish. There are no plans to incorporate the parish schools separately from the parish. This subject matter will be discussed at the next stewardship commission.
Judy informed all council members, discussion took place regarding the Trinitine Mass. Currently no parishes within the Vicariate are currently offering the Trinitine Mass. Priest no longer need permission from the cardinal.
Tickets are on sale for “Confessions of St. Augustine” $8.00 each $25.00 for a family, September 29th thru October 12th announcement to be made in church bulletin.
St. Frances Cabrini is facilitating a workshop Wednesday November 14th Sports and Spirituality building character in athletes.
The Diocese will conduct an audit for compliance Protecting Gods Children.
Pastor’s Report: Father Steve announced Phyllis Reed will be our representative for Gabriel Richard High School. Father also announced Larry Kearney is unable to continue his position as Vicariate representative for St. Joseph Parish. An additional appointment is needed, Father asked for names of candidates to be forwarded to his office.
Evaluation of meeting: Council members all agreed good meeting
Next Meeting: Monday October 29, 2007 at 7:00pm
Meeting Adjourned: 9:03 pm
Respectfully Submitted:
Jeffrey Wolber
Pastoral Council Minutes
Present: Linda Brush, Ken Crider, Mary Diegel, Ron Gacioch, Judy Herman, Justin Jagielski, Jennifer Kalata, Gerry Koch, Bob Miles, Sr. Helen Sohn, O.P., Fr. Steve Wertanen,
Absent: Mary Batcheller, Jamie Fleszar, Harry Pollack, Karen Sall, Frank Toth, Jeff Wolber
Prayer: The opening prayer was led by Fr. Steve in the absence of Frank.
Meeting called to order: Chairperson Mary Diegel called the meeting to order at
Minutes of the April meeting: The minutes were accepted as printed except that Sr. Helen clarified that get well/thinking of you cards are currently being sent to those people listed on the prayer list.
Agenda: The agenda was reviewed and there were no additions.
Formation: Judy read a brief inspirational biography of
End of Year Duties: Mary reminded those members not returning next year to please turn in their PPC notebooks so they may be passed on to new members next year.
In preparation for the August PPC meeting, Mary requested volunteers. Prayer: Justin Jagielski, Formation: Bob Miles, and Hospitality: Jennifer Kalata.
PPC members and spouses will enjoy a social meeting on
New PPC Members: The parishioners selected at the drawing last Sunday for PPC membership were: Jean Guidi, Roberta Schultz and Ken Fleszar. The three alternates in order of draw were: Karen Vick, Cass Gorkiewicz, and Mark Hill.
PPC Elections: Mary explained the responsibilities of each office. Mary Batchellor, Karen Sall, and Justin Jagielski each requested not to be considered for a PPC office. Gerry Koch volunteered to be Chairperson, Jeff Wolber was volunteered for Vice-Chairman and Bob Miles volunteered for Secretary. Congratulations, guys!
Clustering Update: Fr. Steve said the four Pastors met and agreed upon the plan of two clusters,
What More Can the Parish Do? Bob suggested that the children make cards for those on the prayer list. Sr. Helen said that phone calls are made periodically to those on the prayer list by a volunteer at the front desk and the school children make cards and placemats for the Mass of Anointing luncheon. Jennifer suggested that the children come to class dressed as a priest or sister. Fr. Steve will speak with Wanda Rovenskie regarding the possibility of the 7th and 8th grades visiting Sacred Heart Seminary.
Commission Reports: In response to a question regarding
Parish Commission Goals Accomplished in 2006/2007:
School Commission: Linda reported that the school students attended and benefited from their presence at the Exposition of the Eucharist each month. The second goal was to encourage parish school families to present the offertory gifts at Mass and some school families did participate in presenting the gifts at various Masses throughout the year.
Faith Formation Commission: Bob reported that promotion of time, talent and treasure for all parishioners, including an emphasis on expanded participation of children and young adults in all aspects of parish life, was accomplished through presentation of a seminar for parents of adult children who lapse from the practice of their faith and a book sale by the Catholic Book Store.
Educational opportunities which increase parishioners understanding of church doctrine and faith were accomplished by the Growing Faith Project, the Women’s Day of Reflection and the book sale by the Catholic Book Store. Our sense of Parish Community was expanded by sponsoring activities which promote the Parish as a “family” through the Growing Faith Project, the Advent Wreath Project and the Easter and Lenten Projects.
Worship Commission: Jennifer reported that the May Crowning was held, using the Women’s Guild statue of Mary, with approximately 60 people attending. There were many positive comments and an ice cream social was held following the crowning of Mary.
A letter was sent to the young adults parishioners inviting those confirmed to volunteer their time, talent and treasure within the parish.
Certification for Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist is still a possibility.
Social Ministry Commission: The report on the accomplishment of these goals is included with the minutes we received from the Social Ministry Commission May 1, 2007 meeting.
Stewardship Commission: Jeff has the report but was unable to be present this evening.
Youth Commission: Jaime is not present.
Hospitality: Refreshments provided by Ken.
Vicariate Report: Ken and Judy reported that the Vicariate Stewardship Committee is to provide a quarterly report to the VPC regarding monies spent. Fr. Steve has returned a letter to the Vicariate stating that the St. Joseph PPC was aware of and approved the goals of the VPC Committees. St. Cyril and St. Paschal Parishes are clustering and will move toward merging. Fr. Larry Siroskey, of St. Helena Parish, is still recovering. The Vicariate newsletter editor has resigned and Todd Belknap from St. Elizabeth Parish has volunteered for this role. The Good Leaders, Good Shepherds Program for Priests was discussed. The program is costly at $6,000 per registrant, extends over 2 years and will begin on July 31st. Fr. Steve has enrolled in this program. There is a companion program available for Parish staff after the Pastor attends. A one day Parish Leadership Conference will be presented within the Archdiocese. Statistics were presented by the Vicar, Fr. Joe Mallia, regarding the decreasing number of priests. In 2006 there were 682 priests in the Archdiocese: (481 Diocesan). Active = 510 Inactive = 149 (retired, etc) LOA = 17 Sabbatical l = 6. The average age = 56 years . In ten years (if 4 men are ordained each year) there will be 74 fewer priests. There are 169 Deacons.
Pastor’s Report: Fr. Steve stated that we will be having a Kindergarten graduation, 8th Grade graduation and the graduation Mass for the 2007 high school graduates of the parish. Interviews are being held for positions held by Srs Helen Sohn and Gemma Legal.
Larry Kearney has volunteered to be a Vicariate Pastoral Council Representative for the parish. Father expressed appreciation to retiring PPC members, Linda Brush, Ken Crider, Mary Diegel and Frank Toth for their service on the PPC. Sr Helen is retiring and Father thanked her for “a good five years” of service to the parish, stating that they began at St. Joes on the same day. Best wishes, Sr. Helen and Sr. Gemma!
Evaluation of Meeting: Everyone thought it was a good meeting.
A safe and enjoyable summer to all.
Respectfully submitted
Judy Herman
Reminder: Next PPC Meeting,
Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Minutes
Monday Aril 23, 2007
Present: Mary Batcheller, Linda Brush, Ken Crider, Mary Diegel, Jamie Fleszner, Ron Gacioch, Justin Jagielski, Jennifer Kalata, Bob Miles, Harry Pollack, Karen Sall, Father Steve Wertanen, Jeff Wolber
Absent: Sister Helen Sohn O.P, Judy Herman, Frank Toth, Gerry Koch
Prayer: Opening Prayer led by Ken Crider
Meeting called to order: Chairperson Mary Diegel called the meeting to order at
Minutes of the March meeting: Agreed to minutes of March meeting.
Agenda: Reviewed & added per Sister Helen: Women’s Guild as a Social Ministry Commission-Women’s Guild By-Laws approved. Changes were mostly grammatical. Purpose and function are the same. Changes accepted by Parish Council.
Formation: Mary Diegel presented: “What makes us free”, Growing Faith Project, “Human Dignity”. Great discussion on dignity and lack there of in regards to groups/unborn children, different ethnic groups overseas. Also shared what makes us happy, & how do we share with others as to what gives us dignity.
Parish Goals by Commission: Chairperson Mary Diegel commented goals are still needed from certain commissions.
Changes to the Parish Handbook: (Ken/Karen/Mary) Ken commented he would make clean copies of the completed Parish Handbook. This will be a draft until guidelines from archdiocese come to us next year.
What more can the Parish do?: Discussed the possibility that the parish send Get Well cards to those on the Parish Prayer list. It was suggested that we involve the Parish Children in some way to participate in this by making cards for the sick.
Commission Reports: Only received two reports for previous month. Commented that we need to forward more timely to Sue for distribution. Please get to her before the third Monday of the month for preparation for our meeting. It was mentioned that some commissions did not meet the previous month due to regularly scheduled meetings fell in Holy Week and those meetings were cancelled.
Women’s Guild- Previously mentioned By-Laws approved, Noticed Sister Helen’s Comments about retiring. Father confirmed this and gave a tentative effective date of July 1st….Congratulations Sister Helen!!
School Commission- 16 new Families, 20-30 new students.
Stewardship Commission- evaluation of income from “in-Parish” family tuition to ensure they are truly participating regularly in the parish by attending mass and donating as they can. Determined that most are participating and exceeding the $500 needed to be considered “active”. The average is $520. The main goal however is to ensure they are attending church on a regular basis. Out of Parish tuition is higher, so it is important to evaluate the families activity in the church. It was also confirmed that St Cyprian would subsidize their parishioners who attend
Parish Council Roles Seminar- We all received copies of the Workshop attended by Mary/Harry. Workshop was presented by Rhonda Gilbert. Group felt we already did most of what was presented. They did feel it was worthwhile to attend. In discussion the idea was presented to publish Parish Council names so Parishioner’s could approach individuals with ideas. Suggestion was made to possibly have a coffee and Doughnut gathering after masses to meet PPC members. PPC members would need to be a sounding board and listen to parish member’s suggestions.
PPC Nomination: PPC nomination Schedule is: Nomination-April 28th, letter sent to those nominated-May 10th, response deadline-May 18th, draw new members-May 27th. Also discussed the need for two new Vicariate Rep’s. The Vicariate meets every third Thursday of the Month. Preferred to have non-PPC, non-Commission members. Possible to pull from nominees not pulled for PPC. We have three PPC openings to fill as well as three alternates. Mary and Jeff will field calls from Nominees to answer questions.
Clustering update: Nothing new to report. St. Tim’s not meeting until May. Report due
Vicariate Report: Adult Faith Formation will re-develop role/responsibilities from scratch. $23,300 budget for vicariate is a slight increase over previous year. Asked for $10,000 and received approval for only $5,000. Told to do fund raising to make up the difference. Of the $23,300, St. Joe’s will need to fund $1,989 towards CSA . Vicariate used to receive donation from Good Shepard Credit Union, but this is no longer available to us. Date for payments to vicariate are October 15th and January 15th. Vicariate Schools Commission feels Parishes should give more subsidies to go to other Parishes Schools.
Pastors Report: Holy Week was good! Debt reduction going well. The Cardinal wants loans paid by 2010. Father Steve feels we are doing the best we can on this and feels the Cardinal will not push too hard on this for our Parish because of our progress. Father feels it is unrealistic to expect this payoff by 2010 in light of many circumstances and would be happy to have a meeting to discuss. Many parishes were called downtown to discuss debts….ours was not, which means they must see our efforts. First Communion is coming up quickly.
Evaluation of meeting: All agreed “good meeting”
Meeting adjourned: Mary Diegel adjourned the meeting at
Next meeting date is changed to TUESDAY MAY 29th
May will be the last official meeting. We will be electing Chair and Co-Chair
June 11th is Social meeting @ Big Bear 6:00-??????
After these meetings, PPC will resume in August.
Respectfully submitted:
Bob Miles
Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Minutes
Present: Mary Batcheller, Ken Crider, Mary Diegel, Jamie Fleszar, Justin Jagielski, Jennifer Kalata, Bob Miles, Sr. Helen Sohn O.P., Frank Toth, Gerry Koch, Jeff Wolber, Karen Sall, Father Steve Wertanen
Absent: Linda Brush, Ron Gacioch, Judy Herman, Harry Pollack
Prayer: Opening prayer led by Mary Batcheller
Meeting called to order: Chairperson Mary Diegel called the meeting to order at
Minutes of the February meeting: Discussion ensued led by Mary Diegel inquiring if the mass schedule is active on the parish answering machine. Father Steve commented, affirmatively.
Agenda: The agenda was reviewed, Father Steve asked to add roles and responsibility of Parish Council, Mary Diegel referenced topic to be discussed on agenda item Parish Council Seminar.
Formation: Jeff Wolber presented: Jesus is born of the Growing in Faith Project: “Who do people say that I am?” There was discussion how are you challenged in your belief of Jesus Christ and how have your experiences brought you closer with Christ?
Parish Goals by Commissions: Chairperson Mary Diegel commented Goals are still needed from the Stewardship Committee. Jeff Wolber to address with support from Father Steve at the next stewardship meeting.
Changes to the Parish Handbook: Father Steve led the discussion referencing at a recent vicariate meeting the Archdiocese of Detroit (AOD) is reviewing the whole plan necessitating additional time to evaluate with no specific timetable in place. Ken Crider commented various commissions were finalizing their proposals due (3/26). Mary Diegel commented and suggested addendums be submitted to reflect proper names of committees and correct any minor inconsistencies. Consensus reached to continue working on first draft and await further input from various commissions. Mary thanked committee for their hard work and effort.
What more can the Parish do? Ken Crider commented the need for a youth group activity. Jamie Fleszar informed the council discussions have taken place for a Cedar Point trip. Sister Helen inquired what the proper channel is or where suggestions are to be forwarded for various events and activities, e.g. Relay for life, soup kitchen, etc. Discussions ensued with Father Steve commenting communication between Social Ministry and Youth Ministry commissions are vital to coordinate such activities. Father Steve reminded the council to continue to support the Youth Ministry commission (no longer referred to as the youth group).
Commission Reports:
School Commission: Jennifer Kalata commented on the idea of requiring volunteers for service hours. Discussion ensued with Ken Crider and Gerry Koch commenting on the financial impact of fund raising activities directly impacting the need for numerous volunteers. Bob Miles and Jeff Wolber commented the ability to achieve the projected revenue goals doesn’t eliminate and address the need for volunteers. Mary Diegel shared with the council at this time the school commission has just begun to discuss, explore and inquire as to possible alternatives and with Linda Brush absent, the council should solicit her input at our next meeting.
Youth Ministry Commission: Jamie Fleszar shared with council members she is still in need of volunteers for Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. Suggestions were made that various high schools extend opportunities for our youth to volunteer their time and are recognized for their contributions.
Parish Council Seminar: Mary Batcheller and Harry Pollock recently attended a seminar entitled Roles and Responsibilities of Parish Councils. Mary commented she found the information presented at the seminar valuable, she will make copies of the handout presented to all council members and distribute at our next council meeting for further discussion.
Vicariate Committee Goals: Mary Diegel referenced a package of information sent to all council members and asked for comments of the revised goals and objectives from the Vicariate Pastoral Council. Sr. Helen asked if any staff members with finacial credentials or experience are serving on the stewardship committee. Ken Crider commented his understanding was that such a person was on the committee and was assured additional training if need be would be available. Mary Diegel referenced the Christian Service/Social Peace and Justice Committee and inquired as to the status of the spread sheet outlined in the action steps. Sr. Helen commented meeting to take place to provide information for our April meeting. Mary, also, inquired who is facilitating the training program for the youth/young adult and family committee. Ken Crider commented this is a goal not necessarily a program and at this time it has not been determined who will facilitate the training. It was noted D.R.E. stands for Director of Religious Education. Ken Crider asked a question pertaining to the budget allocation of $25,000.00 Father Steve commented 3 scenarios were discussed and he presented to
Vicariate Report: Ken and Judy were unable to attend the last meeting. Ken commented stewardship and budget meetings are scheduled within the next two weeks, Ken will report information at the April council meeting.
Proposals for Clustering: Father Steve addressed the Council members and informed all present the four pastors continue to meet to explore ideas presented at the
Evaluation of the meeting: “Good Meeting” “enjoyed the dialogue”
Meeting adjourned: Mary Diegel adjourned the meeting at
Next Meeting:
Respectfully submitted:
Jeffrey J. Wolber
Pastoral Council Minutes
Present: Mary Batcheller, Linda Brush, Ken Crider, Mary Diegel, Jaime Fleszar, Ron Gacioch, Judy Herman, Justin Jagielski, Jennifer Kalata, Gerry Koch, Bob Miles, Harry Pollock, Karen Sall, Sr. Helen Sohn, O.P., Frank Toth, Fr. Steve Wertanen, Jeff Wolber.
Prayer: Mary Diegel led the opening prayer.
Meeting called to order: Chairperson Mary Diegel called the meeting to order at
Minutes of the November meeting: Fr. Steve clarified the statement regarding the “seating problem at 10 AM Mass”. He has written a letter to the ushers explaining the discussions at the Worship Commission and the PPC and that the situation is not a reflection of their service and there will be further discussion to arrive at a workable solution. The minutes were accepted as printed.
Agenda: The agenda was reviewed and there were no additions.
Formation: Judy (for Theresa Jakubik) presented pages 1 and 2 of the Growing in Faith Project: “Who do people say that I Am?” Some PPC members shared personal experiences about their faith journey.
Parish Goals by Commissions: Goals are still needed from the Worship and Stewardship Commissions. Jaime presented the 2007 goals for the Youth Ministry Commission.
+ Establish a shared vision for the function and purpose of a Youth Ministry Commission at St. Joseph Parish.
+ Communicate the purpose and goals of the Youth Ministry Commission to our Parish and our community.
+ Welcome the youth and empower them to be active within the Parish.
Changes in the Parish Handbook: Ken, Karen and Mary Batcheller met and reviewed the resources provided by the Archdiocese of Detroit (AOD). They decided that each commission should review their portion of the parish handbook in comparison with the AOD information. Each commission representative was given reference information to be used for this purpose at their next commission meeting.
What More Can the Parish Do? Due to anticipated lengthy discussion regarding proposals for the clustering of parishes, there was no discussion.
Commission Reports: Mary explained that in order to save time PPC members are to review the commission minutes, which are included in the packets mailed to our homes, prior to the meeting and arrive prepared to ask questions of commission representatives for clarification/explanation only.
Social Ministry Commission: Justin stated that at a recent Mass, some individuals were uncertain whether to sit, stand or kneel following reception of Communion. It seems that various parishes have different practices for this portion of the Mass which causes question when attending another parish. Fr. Steve will address this issue along with others in a “church etiquette” homily in the near future. In the meantime, we are encouraged to stand unless it is necessary to sit or kneel due to physical limitations, etc.
Stewardship Commission: Frank inquired about the Eagle Scout project and Jeff explained that the Library shelves will be painted and secured to the wall, probably during the summer.
Judy questioned the missing words in the minutes concerning the status of school expenses. Are we doing better or worse? It was clarified that we are doing better than last year.
Youth Ministry Commission: Gerry confirmed that guest speaker Mary Lee Becker will be coming to the Parish on
Activities Committee: Ken asked if this group would need to be included in the Parish Handbook revisions, etc. Fr. Steve explained that at his time they simply report to the PPC.
Vicariate Report:
Hospitality: Judy (for Theresa Jakubik) provided refreshments for the evening.
Proposals for Clustering: Mary Diegel reminded everyone of the meeting tomorrow evening at St. Timothy’s. The evening will begin with Mass at
Factors suggested for consideration:
1. The school needs to be supported.
2. We need to think of “parish” not buildings.
3. No one sees the need for a “neutral” site for a future parish location.
Pastors Report: Fr. Steve reported that stewardship has increased far beyond his expectations since his “stewardship homily” several weeks ago.
Evaluation of the Meeting: “Good meeting,” “good input,” “lots to think about,” “think positively.”
Meeting adjourned: Mary Diegel adjourned the meeting at
Next Meeting:
Respectfully submitted,
Judy Herman
Pastoral Council Minutes
Present: Mary Batcheller, Linda Brush, Mary Diegel, Judy Herman, Justin Jagielski, Theresa Jakubik, Harry Pollock, Karen Sall, Sr. Helen Sohn, O.P., Frank Toth, Fr. Steve Wertanen, Jeff Wolber, Gerry Koch, Ken Crider.
Absent: Ron Gacioch, Robert Miles
Prayer: Judy led the opening prayer, prepared by Ron, in his absence.
Meeting called to order: Chairperson Mary Diegel called the meeting to order at
Introductions: New member, Linda Brush, School Commission Representative, was introduced to the group. Welcome Linda.
Minutes of the September meeting: There were no questions. The minutes were accepted as printed.
Agenda: The agenda was reviewed and there were no additions.
Formation: Frank presented pages 3 and 4 of the Growing in Faith Project: “What does your heart desire?”
Parish Goals by Commissions: Sr. Helen presented the 2006-7 goal of the Social Ministry Commission which is: To expand our sense of parish community by sponsoring activities that promote the parish as a “family.” The objective is: To sensitize our parish family to the gifts and needs of persons with disabilities and to welcome and include persons with disabilities and their families into parish worship and activities. Sr. Helen stated that the Social Ministry Commission will begin discussing actions to achieve this objective at the next meeting.
Goals are still outstanding from the School, Stewardship, Worship and Youth Commissions.
Changes in the PPC Handbook: All proposed changes discussed/circulated at the September meeting were accepted as printed. Ken stated that the present handbook was developed approximately ten years ago using guidelines from other parishes and the Archdiocese, since the parish had nothing in place at that time. All agreed that it is time to review the document and update anything that has changed, etc. Ken, Karen and Mary Batcheller volunteered for this task.
October Parish Breakfast Report: Mary Diegel read a thank you note received from Diane Kroll thanking the members of the PPC who volunteered to cook/serve the recent breakfast. The event was a success with 58 parishioners after
Formation/Hospitality Sign-up Sheet: Mary Diegel requested the new members to consider signing up to provide the opening prayer, formation or hospitality for future meetings.
Mass of Anointing and Luncheon: In response to a question from Frank, Sr. Helen announced that 56 people signed the anointing list and 45 people stayed to enjoy the luncheon that followed the
What More Can the Parish Do? There were no suggestions. Mary Diegel reviewed Parish Goal #1. “To promote responsible stewardship of time, talent and treasure for all parishioners, including an emphasis on expanded participation of children and young adults in all aspects of parish life.” Gerry suggested recruiting more members for the Youth Commission. Judy stated that the current members of the Faith Formation Commission, some like herself having served over seven years, are “burned out“ and no longer have new ideas. They have been unable to recruit new members. This was a surprise to some PPC members who thought all the commissions were well staffed. There was a long discussion on how we might get more parishioners involved. Some suggestions were a weekend homily, flyers in the bulletin, personal requests, and commission members speaking about the various commissions after Masses, and a “volunteer fair” prior to Time & Talent Sunday to allow parishioners to familiarize themselves with the various opportunities for involvement. Nothing definite was decided.
Youth Ministry Commission Update: Theresa stated that this new group needs to be introduced to the parish with clarification of Youth Ministry vs. Youth Group. Fr. Steve emphasized that this commission was formed due to concerns voiced by parents who have children going to programs at non-denominational churches. He sees youth ministry as a weak link in our parish and this is a “watch dog group” to protect the teenagers and young adults and and make them feel welcome and get them involved. The youth members are generating ideas of possible projects. Are we offering opportunities for being active, not just planning activities? Discussion followed regarding how to pursue all of this and a weekend homily was suggested. Sr. Gemma has requested a letter from Fr. Steve inviting and welcoming the newly Confirmed to become active in the parish. Sr. Helen is aware of a new soup kitchen nearby that will be serving an evening meal which may present an opportunity for our youth to be actively involved.
Young Adults: Two people were hired by the Vicariate for young adult ministry and St. Joe’s will host a Young Adult event in November. The local parishes should begin working together in this area.
Hospitality: Toni Plotrasch kindly provided refreshments for the meeting this evening.
Commission Reports: Youth Ministry Commission Minutes: Judy, supported by Mary Batcheller, questioned the wisdom of the Young Adults 18+ going to Mr. Nick’s after Benediction on the first Tuesday evening of the month. There was a brief discussion and it was suggested that possibly Applebee’s or UNO Chicago Grill were better destinations since the emphasis is more on eating rather than drinking. Faith Formation Commission (FFC) Minutes: In response to a question from Harry, Judy clarified that the discussion regarding the May Crowning was part of the PPC report portion of the minutes and not an item for discussion on the FFC meeting agenda.
Vicariate Report: Judy reported that the Meeting on October 19th at
· Numerous hindrances and frustrations concerning the projected clustering were discussed and must be considered, accounted for and confronted as plans proceed.
· Vicariate PC reps (as well as PPC reps) must open our hearts and minds to the reality of clustering —“It can be a blessing.”
· Letters from the Vicariate Pastors, due by November 15th, must state that parishes “A&B” are discussing /agreeing to work together in the event of a need to cluster. Parishes “A&B” will then have one year to develop a plan for how this will occur.
· Wyandotte Parochial Schools have been meeting for 18 months and will release a plan by December 2006. There will be one consolidated elementary school for 2007-8 with one or two sites. St. Cyprians is looking into this and may join them.
· The role of Catholic education, its strengths, weaknesses and numerous reasons for declining enrollment, was discussed.
· The South Region currently has 50% of the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese.
· There were formerly 100 high schools in the Archdiocese and now there are 22 with six being operated by parishes and sixteen are regional or operated by religious communities.
· Parents with children in Religious Education Programs must be held accountable for getting them there each week.
Pastor’s Report: Fr. Steve was pleased with attendance at the recent 12 hour Prayer Vigil and the first Tuesday Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. The new Director of Liturgy, Ed Miski, is here. Bishop Earl Boyea will be coming to St. Joe’s on November 8th for the Celebration of Confirmation.
The four parishes,
Mary Diegel stated that she received a call from the Chairperson of Sacred Heart PPC, Mary O’Brien, requesting that members of St. Joe’s PPC be sent to a meeting November 9th. Fr. Steve will explore this further and will inform us of any necessary action.
Father stated that there is some thought being given to the possibility of the PPC recognizing and honoring parishioners for special dedication/efforts to activities of the parish. As an example, the Stewardship Commission has suggested a special “thank you” to a good teacher who “markets” the school through his/her ongoing diligent efforts.
Meeting adjourned: Mary Diegel adjourned the meeting at
Evaluation of the Meeting: Those present felt this was generally a good meeting.
Next Meeting:
Respectfully submitted,
Judy Herman
Present: Mary Batcheller, Ken Crider, Mary Diegel, Ron Gacioch, Judy Herman, Justin Jagielski, Theresa Jakubik, Harry Pollock, Karen Sall, Sr. Helen Sohn, O.P., Frank Toth, Fr. Steve Wertanen, Jeff Wolber.
Absent: Gerry Koch, Robert Miles
Prayer: Sr. Helen led the opening prayer.
Meeting called to order: Chairperson Mary Diegel called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM and new members were introduced. Mary announced that Toni Piotrasch has resigned, due to the need to provide care for her son. She will be replaced by third PPC alternate Karen Sall. Jeff Wolber will represent the Stewardship Commission, Harry Pollock is a Parish Pastoral Council representative and Ken Crider is a Vicariate Pastoral Council representative.
Minutes of the August meeting: There were no questions. The minutes were accepted as printed.
Agenda: The agenda was reviewed and “Discussion of Assisting with the Parish Breakfast” was added. One correction:
The next meeting will be on Monday, October 23, 2006, not October 30th.
Formation: Judy presented pages 1 and 2 of the Growing in Faith Project: “What does your heart desire?” Some PPC members shared personal experiences about their faith journey.
Parish Goals: Goals for 2006-2007 received from the Faith Formation Commission were reviewed. Fr. Steve suggested that the Faith Formation Commission had included goals which have already been accomplished--- the 2007 7th Annual Women’s Day of Reflection and the Lenten and Advent projects. These goals are considered repetitive since the commission did them successfully last year. Sr Helen stated that the Social Ministry Commission will begin meeting during the daytime so Toni Piotrasch, a new member, will be able to attend. They plan to work on addressing the issues of better serving the handicapped individuals in the parish. The remainder of the commissions will submit goals to be reviewed by the PPC in the near future.
Consensus Presentation: Ken Crider explained the concept of consensus. The goal is to reach a general agreement after all members have been able to respectfully participate in the discussion with both “pro” and “con” ideas. With consensus there is no majority vote or unanimous agreement, so there are no “winners” or “losers”. On the bottom line, everyone should be able to live with and support the decision. (Please see the handout)
Parish Pastoral Council Roles and Responsibilities Seminar: Mary Diegel asked if anyone was able to attend the seminar at St. Cyril’s on Thursday, September 7, 2006. Of those present, no one attended due to short notice and schedule conflicts.
May Crowning: As a result of the feedback following the 2006 May Crowning planned by the Women’s Guild, the Worship Commission has requested suggestions from the PPC to aid them in planning the event for May 2007. There was a lengthy discussion with numerous suggestions such as to involve both St. Joseph School and Religious Formation students as well as the Youth Group. There was discussion regarding holding it after a Sunday Mass or some evening and we arrived at no decision. Some suggestions were to have a procession with the statue of Mary, special music, stories of the apparitions of Mary at Fatima, Lourdes, etc. Theresa will report the results of this discussion to the Worship Commission
Hospitality: Judy provided refreshments for the evening.
What More Can the Parish Do? Fr. Steve again explained that we have this item on the agenda each month to maintain awareness of anything we can do to maintain/improve the status of our Parish. Again, these are to be constructive, general issues that the parish needs to address. As an example, not “I don’t like the girl that plays the flute.” Justin told of two ladies who, due to incapacities, had been attending Mass at St. Cyprian’s because they were unaware of the elevator at this parish. It was suggested that we remind/make parishioners aware that we do have the elevator. “Are there instructions for use of the elevator?” Yes, instructions are posted in the elevator. “How do you turn on the light?” It turns on with the key in the elevator. Theresa will address this issue at the Worship Commission, since the ushers are most likely to assist these individuals and they are under the direction of that commission.Ron asked if anything is being done regarding accommodating people with “perfume/scent allergies.” In the past, there was an article in the bulletin by the parish nurses regarding this. Sr. Helen will request the nurses to, again, place information in the bulletin as a reminder to parishioners to be more sensitive regarding this issue.
Changes in the PPC Handbook: The Youth Commission is developing the guidelines for that commission to be included. Other changes addressing the additional PPC members, etc. were presented by Mary Diegel. (Please see the handout presented at the meeting.)
Commission Reports: Mary reminded the members to please review the minutes of the various commission meetings and make a note of any questions prior to the PPC meeting. The minutes are included in the packets which are mailed to the homes of PPC members. This allows for preparation in order to conserve time at the meetings by having everyone arrive well read and prepared. This will facilitate an efficient “open forum” for any questions to be addressed to the commission representatives.
Youth Commission: Theresa informed the group that the age for membership in the Youth Group will start at 7th grade. Copies of a letter were presented to the PPC members from Jaime Fleszar, Chairperson of the Youth Commission, which is to be taken to the various Commissions by the PPC representatives. The letter is requesting PPC/Commission members to be mindful of opportunities to involve the youth in parish projects/activities. Judy requested that a member of the Youth Group join the Faith Formation Commission.
Vicariate Report: Ken reported that the Together in Faith Plan has been approved by the Cardinal. The five areas of focus are: Stewardship, Outreach to Youth and Families, Adult Faith Formation, Evangelization and Outreach/Social Justice. Subcommittees have been formed. If parishioners wish to serve on any of these committees, let Ken know.
Goals set forth by the Archdiocese for the Vicariate are:
1) To develop a comprehensive plan within the coming year.
2) To have each parish, by October 2006, submit a cluster plan identifying a partner, timeline and process to follow in the event a priest vacancy occurs. A single parish partner is preferred but it can be multiple parishes.
3) Pastors and Principals are to develop plans for the future of Catholic Schools by December 2006. This is viewed by the Archdiocese as an urgent matter.
There will be a Mass for priestly vocations at St. Cyril’s on October 8, 2006. Parishes are requested to announce this in the bulletin and encourage attendance especially by high school students. Following a brief discussion, Fr. Steve clarified “clustering” vs. “merging.” In clustered parishes, one priest serves both parishes. Clustering is a step toward merging.
Pastors Report: Fr. Steve announced that members of the PPC have been requested to help with the October 15, 2006 Parish Breakfast. Help is needed from 8 AM until 12:30 PM or until clean-up is completed. Volunteers are: Sr. Helen, Judy, Jeff, Frank, Karen and Frank Sall, and Theresa. Others may volunteer after checking calendars by contacting Diane Kroll. Fr. Steve stated that he is pleased with all that is being accomplished in our parish, such as the recent Piñatas with Padre, beginning Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament next week, etc. There are 320 children in Religious Formation (RF) classes and 190 children in St. Joseph School. The Religious Formation classes are full and it has been necessary to refer some families to St, Timothy’s Parish for (RF) classes. The parish has a new Music Minister, Ed Miski, who will be starting very soon. He is a young man coming to us from St. Sebastian Parish.
Meeting adjourned: Mary Diegel adjourned the meeting at 9:25 PM.
Evaluation of the Meeting: We are happy to have the new members and everyone felt the meeting was “good.”
Next Meeting: Monday, October 23, 2006
Respectfully submitted,
Judy Herman
Present: Mary Batcheller, Mary Diegel, Ron Gacioch, Judy Herman, Justin Jagielski, Theresa Jakubik Gerry Koch, Robert Miles, Toni Plotrasch, Sr. Helen Sohn, O.P., Frank Toth, Fr. Steve Wertanen.
Absent: Ken Crider, Harry Pollock
Prayer: Mary Diegel led the opening prayer.
Meeting called to order: Chairperson Mary Diegel called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM and everyone introduced themselves to the group.
Agenda: The agenda was reviewed and there were no additions.
Minutes of the May meeting: There were no questions. The minutes were accepted as printed.
Parish Goals: Fr. Steve explained the process for the setting of goals by parishioners. The commissions are to write goals to be accomplished and they are to be presented to the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) by the Commission PPC Representatives, hopefully, at the next couple meetings. Do not write goals that have been achieved. If a commission did not accomplish a goal last year it may be resubmitted and progress continued this year. An example of a properly written goal: The Worship Commission plans to have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on Tuesdays.
Parish Pastoral Council Role and Operating Procedure: Mary Diegel reviewed the following areas of the St. Joseph Parish Pastoral Handbook: (Pages 1-6)
• Purpose and Responsibilities of the PPC
• Consensus (Ken will review/explain this process at the September meeting)
• Relationship of the PPC to the Pastor and Parish Commissions
• Attendance
Fr. Steve passed out flyers informing the members about a seminar on “Parish Pastoral Councils Roles and Responsibilities” by Rhonda Gilbert at St. Cyril’s Parish on Thursday, September 7, 2006 from 7 PM to 9 PM. Those interested should RSVP and will possibly car pool.
Prayer/Formation/Hospitality sign-up sheet: In response to a question regarding formation, Fr. Steve explained that we have all been blessed by God and have something to share which can aid our faith formation. It is brief and can be something very simple such as researching and presenting information on a particular saint, answering a question similar to “catch up on your faith” (example: “Why do we have votive candles?”), a personal sharing, etc. Bob suggested using the “Growing in Faith” series which the Faith Formation Commission has proposed for use by the various leadership groups in the parish. Bob passed out copies of the brochure and there was a brief discussion/explanation of the program. Those present expressed interest in utilizing the program. Judy volunteered to present the formation portion of the next meeting. The sign-up form was passed around for anyone wishing to volunteer for the various opportunities throughout the year.
May Crowning: This was placed on the agenda as a reminder to prepare for discussion next month. The Worship Commission will be working on this event.
What More Can the Parish Do? Fr. Steve suggested the council look at the parish goals at each meeting. These are to be major items and not specific complaints about individuals, staff members, etc. Needs of the parish which are being addressed include:
• The development of a junior high youth program
• An informational presentation was held for those seeking a marriage annulment.
Toni suggested that there be a Mass for the developmentally disabled/ physically challenged members of the parish. There was discussion with several considerations such as: a “signer” at a Mass to assist the deaf, a special blessing for each of these people, seating the members in a group vs. with their family members, etc. It was decided that since they are part of the larger community we would not want to separate them by seating them as a group. The functioning of the church elevator with people in wheelchairs was also discussed.
Sr. Helen reminded the group that October is “Respect Life Month” and that there will be a special healing Mass with the Sacrament of Anointing on Wednesday, October 18th at 11AM in the parish gym followed by a luncheon. Toni stated that “at this point this is a start.”
Hospitality: Everyone enjoyed delicious treats thanks to the kindness of Frank.
New Seats on the PPC:
Youth Commission Representative: There was consensus that, since the commission is in the formative stages, Theresa Jakubik will represent this commission as well as the Worship Commission.
Vicariate Representatives: There will be two representatives and each will serve a three year term. Ken will serve one remaining year and Judy will serve a three year term to allow for a seamless rotation.
Change in the by-laws: To reflect the new council positions, Theresa will modify the Youth Commission area and Mary Diegel and Ron will update the remainder of the Membership area.
Update on Youth Ministry Commission: Ken Crider is working on a pre-teen event for October. He will work with the Chairperson of the Youth Commission, Jaime Flaszar. Meetings of the commission will start on September 12th. Theresa explained that the commission is a “watch dog group” to protect all 7th and 8th grade youth of the parish and get them involved. The commission is composed of adults, young adults and teenagers. What do they want to do? They may work with Our Lady of the Woods or St. Timothy Youth Groups. Ideas are service (soup kitchen, Eucharistic Ministers, lectors, etc), catechesis, etc. These young people often need service hours in preparation for Confirmation. Ron reinforced the need for involving service in the program.
Michael O’Brien Concert: A concert targeting youth of the parish will be presented on Sunday, September 24th at 7 PM in St. Joseph Church. Tickets are $10.00. Flyers are being sent “in a plain brown wrapper” to all youth parishioners 14 years of age and beyond plus the 7th and 8th graders. Michael, who had a personal conversion after a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, presents a young Christian rap concert in which he speaks of Mary and the message that “Catholicism is cool.” Adults are also welcome to attend.
St. Joe’s Unplugged: The committee met and the decision was made to discontinue this program due to a decline in youth appeal. The Youth Group is replacing this program.
Commission Reports: Mary explained that, to save time, council members are to read the commission reports prior to the meeting and make a note of any questions. There will be an “open forum” for questions.
Questions: Ron asked if there is a plan to eliminate the $20,000-30,000 loss which has been projected for this fiscal year. Fr. Steve explained that, although the parish has a savings account, measures have been taken to get on track financially and be more realistic. The budgeted Sunday income need has been increased by $1,000 per week and to reduce expenses the parish salaries have been frozen, copies of the Michigan Catholic have been discontinued, the Appreciation Dinner will have a different format, etc.
Pastors Report: Fr. Steve will be meeting with the Pastors from St. Timothy, Sacred Heart, and St. Cyprian’s on September 1st, to determine possible parish clusters. Fr. Steve, Ken and Judy will then meet to discuss the progress.
Youth Commission: Fr Steve is pleased to have accomplished the development of this group.
Activities Committee: A group has been formed to generate new ideas and help with projects
Trenton High School Football Masses: Each Friday at 6:45 AM during football season Fr. Steve presides at Mass with the team members, cheerleaders, coaches, etc. present.
Parish Picnic: Sunday, September 10, 2006 from 2 PM to 7 PM at Patriot’s Park in Riverview
Piñatas with Padre: Weekend of September 16th & 17th in the Parish Gym after all Masses
Eucharistic Exposition: It will be held on the first Tuesday of the month after morning Mass and Our Mother of Perpetual Help Devotions. Much will depend on how many people sign up to be present since there cannot be exposition with no one there. In September, Fr. Steve will devote homilies at Masses on one weekend to present this to the parishioners.
Music Minister: Sean Calvin’s last weekend in the parish was August 26th and 27th. The search continues for a replacement.
St. Joe’s Health Fair: Sr. Helen announced that this event, planned by the parish nurses, will be held in the Parish Gym on Sunday, October 1, 2006, from 9 AM to 2 PM. Over twenty organizations will be represented. Flu vaccines will be available in November.
Vigil for Peace: On Thursday, September 21, 2006 there will be a twelve hour Vigil for Peace. It will open with 8 AM Mass and close with a prayer service at 7:30 PM
Meeting adjourned: Mary Diegel adjourned the meeting at 9:12 PM.
Evaluation of the Meeting: Everyone felt the meeting was beneficial with much information and action.
Next Meeting: Monday, September 25, 2006
Respectfully submitted,
Judy Herman