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PASTORAL MEETING MINUTES

5 February 2003

St Michaels Pastoral Council
Meeting Minutes
February 5, 2003

George Bardsley, Tamra Barton, Ted Burkhardt, Pat Castle, Connie Bly, Barbara Clagett, Don D’Valle, Mary Fulmer, Gary Fulmer, Mary Ann Gehle, Vince Ippolito, Kathy Knutson, Vince Kirchner, Amy Myers, Dennis Moore, Veronica Mariani, Tony Nelson, Linda Raines, Barbara Riley, Fr Mike Ruane, Amy Sorensen, Jody Tata, George Yager (excused).

Opening:

The meeting started at 7:00pm with a prayer led by Amy Sorenson. Don D’Valle will lead next meeting prayer.

MaryAnn Gehle introduces guests: Connie Bly (Administration & Accounting), Barbara Clagett (Library Board), Pat Castle (Education Chairperson), Amy Myers (Liturgy Committee), Veronica Mariani (125th Anniversary Celebration).

She reminded everyone that the next meeting will be March 12th and the June 11th meeting will be a planning session (Attachment A, President’s Report, distributed via email prior to meeting).

The Jan 8th meeting minutes were approved.

Fr Mike gave the Pastor Report.

He announced that a check for $6320 presented to St. Joseph Monastery Parish in West Baltimore City. This is a very poor parish. Our donation will help them greatly. Connie Bly and her husband will be taking the check along with a written letter from Father to Saint Joseph Monastery for presentation to the Pastor.

A new Cardinals’ Campaign for Lent 2003 will be starting later this year. This years Lenten Appeal will be going to our partner diocese in Mandeville, Jamaica. The money will be given to Bishop Boyle who will take the money back to his homeland and use it to help his people.

Fr Mike distributed a Church Library Proposal for reflection & comments by 2/19/03 (Attachment B). Fr Mike commented how big our library is shown in the drawing that was submitted in the proposal.

Lynda Gaidis will be the Librarian and Barbara Clagett will be the leader of the Library Board.

The Library will consist of multi-media materials and will possibly offer media services to area Parishes.

Don D’Valle suggested that Scripture & Missionaries be included as library topics.

Barbara Clagett is researching software to put the library materials on-line.

Fr. Mike suggested that the library be indexed according to St Michael’s 5 mission priorities: Liturgy, Education, Evangelization, Service/Justice, Stewardship. This means that all materials will be placed according to the mission priority it represents.

Vince Ippolito provided an overview of the Archdiocese St Michaels Consolidated Parish report, which is generated each yr.

He identified a few areas to focus on including mass attendance by age with the largest increase in 21-29yr.

Connie Bly said some parishioner might not have understood the mass attendance survey form they were asked to fill out at mass during a specific weekend, therefore causing errors. The Archdiocese did not accept all the data provided because the data was incomplete because parishioners inaccurately stated answers on the survey.

George Bardsley indicated that data collected for only 1 Sunday may not be useful. Also trend data is suspect unless the historical information used as its basis can be verified as accurate and consistent.

Connie Bly said these reports are always 1 year behind.

Jodie Tata suggested color pie charts be more useful than black & white bar graphs.

Don D’Valle asked if the parish could purchase envelops only for those who use them regularly. The answer was no because we cannot keep track of who is using the envelopes full time. Some Parishioners use envelopes only seldom throughout the year.

Gary Fulmer identified a religious education error in the report.

Barbara Claggett indicated that some errors might have been caused by now Archdiocese software.

Barbara Claggett also said the parish office has 5 years worth of registration and mass attendance data.

The parish is just starting to assemble other information (e.g. Baptism, RICA) but is limited by computer software issues.

This data can provide trend information for future planning but 1st we need to match parish goals with data.

It was noted that the bar graphs didn’t always match with the chart numbers.

Although much of the raw data was provide by St Michaels, Vince Ippolito would like to see a parish-generated report.

Vince will ask the Archdiocese what they do with this data and why there are discrepancies in the data.

Fr Mike indicated the Archdiocese has provided this report for several years.

Mary Anne Gehle advised that the report could be useful to committees & leaders for specific planning activities.

Action - Technology & Maintenance Committee:

The Counsel approved a motion that the Technology and Maintenance Committees become standing committees. All were in favor of the motions.

The constitution needs to be revised to include the Technology Committee. A Task Force will look into the revision of the Constitution, with possible changes made this year.

George Bardsley asked if the constitution needs revision before adding a new committee.

He also mentioned the Maintenance Committee is already a standing committee in the constitution. This vote was to clarify what a maintenance “committee” means.

Maintenance has always been a part of the parish organization but now we have a maintenance committee chairperson who will facilitate and help out with all the responsibilities, which go along with a new building and upkeep of existing buildings. It will be a committee of interested parishioners to advise and assist the maintenance supervisor.

Tamra Barton handout out cost estimates and a sample for a 6 page, quarterly, parish newsletter (Attachment C).

The cost could be partially offset by advertisement in the newsletter.

Fr Mike suggested that all original material be used. We do not want to violate copyright laws because the Archdiocese stresses that we strongly adhere to these laws.

The newsletter should include an invitation for relevant stories from parish readers.

Dennis Moore asked who were the intended readers in order to encourage their readership.

Other suggestions included emailing out a test newsletter or postponing it for 9 months until new building expenses are finalized.

Connie Bly suggested that $350 could be absorbed in the miscellaneous account for a 3pg test newsletter.

Jody Tata motioned that a test newsletter be produced for $350 and the benefits evaluated prior to another newsletter, George Bardsley seconded the motion and The Council passed the motion.

Mary Anne Gehle provided a handout for illustration showing only the various activities and committees related to St Michaels mission priorities (Attachment D)

Gary Fulmer indicated that Evangelization should not be considered a separate committee but part of an integral for all St Michaels activities and that structure picture on the handout could affect the Parishes thinking.

Barbara Clagett handed out church leadership institute brochures (Attachment E)

Anyone can attend the courses on theological studies & skills intended for future church leaders.

Students become more affirmed in their beliefs and better able to articulate them when they have completed one or more of the courses from the Leadership Institute.

5 parishioners of St Michaels have attended the Leadership Institute (including Ted Burkhardt).

Tuition is $90 for each course, and runs 2.5 hours for 8 weeks.

A wine & cheese social is being planned in the fall for any interested students.

St Michaels would receive several free seats if it sponsors the institute in its new building. These free tuition “seats” should be given to an interested Parishioner who cannot afford the tuition fee.

Mary Fulmer encouraged everyone to support the Penne Pasta Dinner sponsored by Laura Ciboraski. Laura intends to take this money to bus the children from St Joseph Monastery to Patapsco State Park so that these fourth and fifth graders who have been “pen pals” can have a picnic and meet each other for the first time.

She also announced the 4-5th grade religious education students are saving pennies for the Gabriel Project. This is an in-house project with all the money going to our own Gabriel Project to help needy pregnant women.

Veronica Mariani will distribute information about the 125th Anniversary Celebration by March 9th. Anyone with suggestion about the celebration should call Veronica.

Vince Kirchner suggested purchasing new Pastoral Council badges.

Connie Bly suggested the Pastoral Council request a line entry in the 2004 expense budget.

The meeting ended at 9:10 pm with a prayer led by Barbara Clagett.

The next meeting will begin at 7pm on March 12th 2003 in the parish hall.

Dennis B. Moore - Pastoral Council Secretary
(Attachments A through E on file with original meeting minutes)