Saint Francis
of Assisi Parish Summary
of Pastoral Council Meetings (Last Updated 12/1/2011)
Provided
below are brief summaries of recent Pastoral Council meetings. More
detailed minutes from Pastoral Council and Commission meetings can be found on
our Pastoral Council Web page.
November 2011
Executive
Summary of the November 1, 2011, Pastoral Council Meeting
Due to the October 29
storm, there was not a quorum present at the November 1 pastoral council
meeting. However, representatives from four commissions were present. Father
Vern mentioned his intention to distribute a Christmas CD (for evangelization
purposes) to parish families at Christmas. The seminarian Christmas gift card
drive will begin on the first Sunday of Advent. The music ministry is seeking
young members and male members. The Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a pasta
supper on December 11 and caroling on December 18.
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October 2011
Executive
Summary of the October 4, 2011, Pastoral Council Meeting
At the October pastoral
council meeting, the various council commission chairs chose dates to present
on their commissions to the parish. Beth Buczko (Family Life) reported
difficulties getting commission members to attend monthly commission meetings.
The council decided that in the case of commissions that are umbrellas for
various ministries, obtaining a report (by e-mail or phone) from each of the
ministries could substitute for a monthly meeting. Carla Dell’Olio (Vocations)
reported that the Seminarian Gift Card program was going diocese-wide for
Christmastime; a workday is planned for October 29 to stuff letters announcing
the program. Debbie Fish stepped down as Parish Council chair; the parish
council thanks her for her dedicated service. Franco Dell’Olio will take over
as council chair.
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September 2011
Executive
Summary of the September 6, 2011, Pastoral Council Meeting
At the September
pastoral council meeting, the council elected a new chair (Franco Dell’Olio)
and co-chair (Ray Fontaine), who will take over in November. The council
discussed methods of evangelizing inactive members through (1) promoting the
adoration program (2) engaging in outreach through Generations of Faith program
(3) getting the word out about parish activities through the Sentinel, Channel 5, and possibly
Facebook. The council also talked some more about the implementation of the new
missal. Stan Wyman, our financial manager, reported on the parish’s dire
financial situation (the parish has a deficit of $25,000) and on the need to
find a new chair of the fundraising committee (as well as someone to chair the
tag sale, which is the major parish fundraiser).
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June 2011
Executive
Summary of the June 7, 2011, Pastoral Council Meeting
At its June meeting, the
council heard a presentation from Terese Girard-Majka, a manager at CVS pharmacy. The pharmacy would like to hold
a flu immunization clinic at church to try to immunize working-age people
(18–65). The council decided it was a good idea. The clinic will be the weekend
of October 15–16. The immunization will not be free, but if 25 or more people
sign up, the cost will drop $3–$4 from the regular price of $29.99. The council
also reviewed the process and timeline for selecting new members for council
commissions and heard a report on the seminarians’ luncheon, along with a
wrap-up report on this year’s Generations of Faith.
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May 2011
Executive
Summary of the May 3, 2011, Pastoral Council Meeting
At its May meeting, the
council viewed a video on the new translation of the missal. In addition, Stan
Wyman gave a report from the April 19 Finance Council meeting. Finances look
bad; if we can’t boost income, we will have to cut staff. In old business, the
council approved the plan to have Louise Christ (the parish secretary) book the
various tables in the gathering space for groups to use. The process and rules
will be explained in an additional sheet in the weekly bulletin.
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April 2011
Executive
Summary of the April 5, 2011, Pastoral Council Meeting
At its April meeting, the
council discussed how to organize and regulate the reservation of space in the
gathering space and how to communicate that information to the parish. More
discussion is scheduled for May, but the current suggestion is a sheet to be
filled in, making the request for space. The reservation sheets would be
available in the parish office. No posters are supposed to be put up on any of
the bulletin boards or other display spaces without permission of the Communications
Commission. The council also discussed the cost-benefit of the Catholic Mirror magazine, and council commissions
updated the council on their activities (Family Life was planning a movie
night; Hospitality was preparing for the Holy Thursday potluck; Vocations was
preparing for the seminarians’ luncheon on May 29.)
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March 2011
Executive
Summary of the March 1, 2011, Pastoral Council Meeting
At the first meeting
after a month’s hiatus, council commissions reported on recent and upcoming
events, including a sledding day that Family Life Commission hosted on
Presidents’ Day and activities related to Lent, including the Lenten Mission,
preparations for the Holy Thursday potluck, and the availability of Lenten
booklets. An issue that came up during the meeting that will be discussed at
more length at our next meeting was how to regulate the use of the gathering
space for various organizations. Stan Wyman also gave a finance update:
currently we have a deficit of $18,000 due to increased costs.
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January 2011
Executive
Summary of the January 4, 2011, Pastoral Council Meeting
The January pastoral
council meeting was a short one that briefly went over what the various
commissions have been doing. Family Life reported that the activities for the
town’s First Night celebration on December 31 were a big success. Marriage
Enrichment announced that Teams of Our Lady will speak at Mass on the weekend
of January 15–16 and hold an informational session after the 10:30 Mass to
encourage others to help form one or two additional teams. Vocations reported
that the Christmas gift box for the seminarians was so successful that each
seminarian received over $1000 from St. Francis and St. Elizabeth Parish. There
will be no pastoral council meeting in February.
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December 2010
Executive
Summary of the December 7, 2010, Pastoral Council Meeting
The council approved
changes to the pastoral council bylaws to move the parish-wide commission
member nomination process to the fall. Family Life Commission reported that 66
children are involved in CYO basketball. Spiritual Life Commission mentioned
the Star of Bethlehem talk with Fr. Doug McGonagle, December 15 at 6:30 pm, and
a discussion group to be held around the educational CD series. First
discussion will be January 19. Vocations Commissions mentioned plans to hold a
buffet brunch in May to raise money for seminarians. The council confirmed that
St. Francis’s entertainment station for Belchertown’s First Night celebration
will be open for the duration of the event. The council approved a second
collection, to be held later this winter, to raise money to provide electricity
and running water for Fr. Foster’s church in Liberia.
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November 2010
Executive
Summary of the November 2, 2010, Pastoral Council Meeting
Two guests spoke at the
pastoral council meeting. The first was Deacon Francis Ryan, who presented on
Take and Eat, a ministry he started that provides supplemental meals to people
receiving Meals on Wheels (which does not provide meals on weekends or
holidays). He gets churches in communities to commit to providing a meal one
weekend a month to the people who participate in the Meals on Wheels program.
The council checked with Roseann Montefusco, coordinator of the St. Francis
Food Pantry, who supported the notion, and then voted to pursue the idea. The
second guest was Laura Hamel, who suggested supporting the members of the
community who are serving in the military on active duty overseas with care
packages. The council agreed to first collect the names of parish members who
are serving and then to make a call for donations.
October 2010
Executive
Summary of the October 5, 2010, Pastoral Council Meeting
The council affirmed the
decision to move the commission nomination process to the fall, with a
tentative schedule of explaining the commissions on September 10, 17, and 24,
2011, and nominating new members on October 8–9, 2011. New members’ first
pastoral council meeting would be the December meeting. Everett Hume will
revise the council’s bylaws to reflect this change. The council welcomed
Carolyn Groves, the new director of religious education, who expressed
appreciation for all Judy Trickey had done in developing the Generations of
Faith program and described some new things she was instituting, such as making
the family packet available online. The NCYC team has expressed interest in running
a photo booth for Belchertown’s First Night, and Therese and John Rakouskas
reported favorably on their experience in Teams of Our Lady.
September 2010
Executive
Summary of the September 7, 2010, Pastoral Council Meeting
The council welcomed its
new members and new commission chairs: Communications: Ray Fontaine and Dave
Adams; Family Life: Laurie Erickson and Beth Buckzo; Hospitality: Frank and
Dottie Adams; Marriage Enrichment: (still vacant); Spiritual Life: Pam Letendre
and Judy Dudek; Vocations: Carla and Franco Dell’Olio. Council members
discussed more ideas for the First Night celebration to commemorate
Belchertown’s 250th birthday, and Gayle Tyler asked permission to put a note in
the bulletin letting parishioners know about the “adopt an unborn child”
campaign—council gave her permission. Father Vern spoke about upcoming changes
to the liturgy due to the Church’s retranslation of prayers and music.
June 2010
Executive
Summary of the June 1, 2010, Pastoral Council Meeting
The council discussed
contacting those who had put their names forward as being willing to serve on
council commissions; the council also discussed improving the nomination
process, but voted to continue the discussion in September. The Food Pantry’s
broken freezer was repaired ($15,000, drawn from the Food Pantry’s funds), and
arrangements will be made to have its working elements cleaned regularly to
keep it functioning. The council also discussed St. Francis Parish’s
participation in a December 31st “First Night” event that is being planned to
celebrate Belchertown’s 250th anniversary. Stan Wyman, of the Finance
Committee, noted that our intake from weekly Masses for this past fiscal year is
down from last year.
May 2010
Executive
Summary of the May 4, 2010, Pastoral Council Meeting
The council voted to
approve changes made to its bylaws that reflect the new method of selecting
members for commissions. It then voted Debbie Fish in as the new council chair,
Paula Moran as the new council co-chair, and Francesca Forrest to continue as
council secretary. The council accepted a gift of 40–50 padded chairs from the Knights of
Columbus for use in the parish social center. The council thanked Judy Trickey
for her many years of service as coordinator of religious education and
discussed forming a search committee to look for a new director.
March 2010
Executive
Summary of the March 2, 2010, Pastoral Council Meeting
The Family Life
commission had the most to report this month: CYO basketball is flourishing,
with many parents volunteering to coach. Karen Corey has taken over the
coordinator role from Jack O’Brien. Games will be written up in the parish
bulletin, and photos taken this season will be on display at tryout time next
winter. Family Life also reported that motion-activated lights are being
installed outside the Pine Room and the lock on the door has been fixed. The
bereavement ministry will move to once-a-month meetings after March, when Beth
Buczko takes it over. Family Life will be offering cookies and punch after the
4pm Mass and coffee and doughnuts after the 10:30 am Mass on the weekend of March
20–21, and at that time a suggestion box will be available to get other ideas
from parishioners of activities Family Life can sponsor. In other news, the new
rectory should break ground around Easter, and we will have a groundbreaking
celebration, as we did for the church. Gerry Amprimo reported that the
faith-building CDs available in the gathering space for the past month have
been very popular, and she has placed two more orders. The council voted to keep
the CD kiosk permanently.
February 2010
Executive
Summary of the February 2, 2010, Pastoral Council Meeting
The Faith Development commission, whose work has largely been taken over
by the office of religious education now that Generations of Faith includes adult education,
has changed its name and its brief to Marriage Enrichment. The Marriage Enrichment commission
is organizing the establishment of Teams of Our Lady in St. Francis. There was an informational
meeting on January 17; 9 couples said they were interested. The Family Life commission remains
busy with many activities, including the bereavement ministry (which is looking for a new leader),
the Helping Hands ministry, the cancer support ministry, and various events planned for the future,
including a family swim night (date not yet set) and a coffee and doughnut break after the 10:30
Mass on February 21. The finance committee reports that Sunday collections for the previous six months
are $4,400 behind where they were in the previous fiscal year. In better news, the parish raised
$5,400 for relief for Haiti. The Pastoral Council also voted to approve Father Vern’s permission to
let a series of faith-building CDs be sold in the gathering space for the next four weeks.