MINUTES
Parish Pastoral Council Meeting
St. John Chrysostom Parish
October 15, 2008
Present: Father Bajorek, Jean Mulcahy, Theresa Hedlund, Bill O’Connor, Bill Hushion, Tom Felton, Paul Corey, Francie Pino, Joanne Hersker
Prayer: Father Bajorek began the prayer from the First Session, Week One. Today celebrates the Feast of Teresa Avila. He stressed the importance of the strength we hold in spirituality within the Parish Council. This is a good time at our meetings to switch gears from our day and tune into God’s will. As a Parish community, we are asked to pray and advise Father in his decisions that affect the Parish. Paul Corey led us in the Gospel reading: Luke 18:9-14. Paul stressed how important it is to begin each meeting with prayer. This is what the church is about.
Minutes: Minutes from September 17th were approved with one small deletion concerning the renovations. Reword to state that the stairways will be redone. Jean will edit the minutes.
Discussion:
1. Finance Update:
Father Bajorek & Paul Corey attended last evenings finance meeting. Father provided each member with a copy of the Financial Update from the meeting. Father commented that the yearly net profit was $70,000 from July 2007- July 2008. The late Block mailings had an impact on the $46,000 deficit; however, as of the past weekend $44,000 had been received. There is a concern about the impact on the Sunday collection with Church in the gym. The Capital campaign figures were reviewed and everyone is honoring their pledges. There were new members on the finance committee and they were introduced to the committee and the various procedures. These members show good stewardship toward our future.
2. Building Committee Update:
Father Bajorek reported that the building reconstruction has begun. The dumpster is located outside of the church. The workers from Benner & White Construction arrive promptly at 6:30 am. The tiles & light fixtures are gone and the scaffolding is in place. There were some low level asbestos found embedded in the plaster. The removal is timely & costly ($20,000) but will be completed correctly & carefully. There is a general feel that the construction is a great happening. There seems to be a general flow having the weekday masses in the Stevenson Center. There is a consistent and good turnout in a close atmosphere. The Sunday Masses in the Gym are going smoothly. Actually, the setting is comfortable with a closer community feeling. It is nice having the music right up front. There was a little confusion with the pattern for communion distribution. The take down of chairs is down quickly & efficiently with the help of the 11:30 am Mass participants. The set up for Mass takes a bit more time. Everyone needs to be thinking how to handle Thanksgiving & Christmas Masses. There will be a 4, 5:30, 7 and 9 pm Christmas Eve Mass schedule. The gym can hold 400 people. It was discussed as a possibility to have the overflow into the school classrooms where live streaming could be installed. Nothing was definite for Christmas. Also, there is a general lack of space since the Lower Church Hall has limited access. The Poor Box donations are down but the requests are up.
3. School Move from Primary Unit:
Father Bajorek & Francie Pino reported that the school move went smoothly with the help of the school children. The Primary Unit children are now housed in the main school for safety issues during construction. Every space possible in the main building is now being utilized by the students, faculty & staff. Some classes have to share a classroom for this move to be possible.
4. School Task Force:
A committee has been formed to work with the current 4th and 5th Grade school parents. Their goals are realistic and optimistic. There will be a second meeting on Thursday, Oct. 16th to form more concrete steps. The committee is composed of Kay Kelly, Father Bajorek, Bill Murray, Andy Dunagee, Brian Shaughnessy, and other school parents.
5. CCD Report:
The classes have adjusted to the new classroom configurations. The LCH is a fine set up. Reconciliation is scheduled for March. Sacramental study will begin in January. The parent meeting for the students receiving the sacraments had a good turnout. The retreat is scheduled for the first Sunday in April. The Confirmation candidates will be working on their service project which is the meal assembly for the Aids for Friends. They will then research & choose a Saint name. Sat. Nov. 9th at the 9:30 am Mass is the Sacramental commissioning for 2nd & 6th graders. It was noted that the 1st grade enrollment is down, just 34 students compared to 55-60 in years past. A look at the census may answer this question or does it have to do with 9-11?
6. Status Update on Parish Plan:
Paul Woods asked to resign from his position on Pastoral Council. His banking world job responsibilities are demanding during this economy and it was hard for him to attend the meetings. Father accepted his resignation. Kay Kelly has asked to be excused from the meetings due to her long school days, commute and other responsibilities toward the school. She will attend when necessary and Francie will share the school information/concerns in her absence.
7. Announcements:
Jean distributed the Catholic Life Congress 2008 bulletin. Father Bajorek stated that anyone interested in attending should contact the Parish House.
Announcements/Coming Events:
Stewardship Weekend (adapted version): October 18-19
CCD Food Drive: October 18-19, 24-25
St. Vincent De Paul Trailer: November 1-2
Election Day: November 4---SJC School closed since the Gym is used for voting
Archdiocesan Catholic Life Congress 2008: November 8th at Carroll
Next Meeting: Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Prayer: Bill Murray
Minutes: was Paul Woods…any takers???
Closing Prayer: Blessed Sacrament Chapel
Minutes submitted by Francie Pino