ST. BONIFACE PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL

MINUTES – SEPTEMBER 25, 2008

 

 

The meeting was opened at 7:00 p.m.  Installation of new Council members was the faith formation for this meeting.

 

Roll call was taken.   Members Present:  Father Joe, Tim Banish, Lisa Biedenbach, Dave Bracken, Bob Frerick,  Jeanne Guenthner, Jim Kuhn, Amy Porta, Henry Wesseler, Rosemary Welz.  Carol Roosa was also present.

 

The minutes of the May 22 meeting were approved as published.

 

Old Business:

 

Spiritual Book Club  --  Lisa Biedenbach reported that the club met on Sunday, September 21.  The club members were able to have a discussion with the author by telephone.  About 10-12 people have been attending the meetings.  The next meeting will be Sunday, November 16, when the members will have the opportunity to talk in person with Fr. Murray Bodo about his book on Mysticism.  The book, Saints at the Dinner Table by local author Amy Hyde, will be discussed at the January meeting.

 

CPR Classes  --  Carol Roosa reported that CPR training is scheduled for Saturday, October 4, in the school cafeteria.  About 15 people have signed up for the classes so far.  There are still a few more spaces available.  Anyone wishing to take the training should contact the rectory.

 

 

New Business

 

Safety  --  Lisa Biedenbach expressed concern about the church door off the driveway being left unlocked during Mass, since this would be an easy way for someone to gain access to the sacristy.

 

Parish Ministries  --  Lisa Biedenbach asked if it would be possible for representatives from the parish ministries, organizations and CAIN to give updates at Council meetings.  After a brief discussion, Carol Roosa said that she will ask a representative from our St. Vincent de Paul Society and our Young Adult Ministry to report at the November meeting.  Carol added that the Young Adult Ministry hopes to begin in early December.

 

Power Outage  --  As a result of the recent power outage, our St. Vincent de Paul Society lost all the meat stored in the freezers.  Discussion was held about purchasing a generator to have on hand in case of another occurrence.  Rosemary Welz offered to get some prices and report at the next meeting.

 

Fall Festival  --  Tim Banish reported that things are looking good for the festival.  The yard signs have been ordered and should be available soon.  There will be a special raffle for a bicycle and chances on the bicycle will be inserted in the bulletin.  Volunteers are still needed for the booths and desserts are needed for the dinner.  Carol Roosa suggested that perhaps people could make “special” desserts to be raffled off.  The next festival meeting will be October 21.

 

 

For the Good of the Parish:

 

Father Joe and Council members reported the following.

 

·         There are currently 158 students enrolled in St. Boniface School.  Sister Ann and the staff are working on various celebrations to commemorate the 75th birthday of our current school building.  The first event took place on September 5.  There was a very moving liturgy, a procession to school, cutting a ribbon at the school doors, blessing of the building and ending with everyone assembling in the gym.  Miss Luken talked about the way things were back in 1933.  Then everyone had birthday cake.  Other events are planned during the school year.

·         Father Joe encouraged everyone to bring a friend to church with them for the October count.

·         Father Joe recently attended a deanery meeting.  The shortage of priests in our deanery was the main topic of discussion.

·         Forty Hours Devotion will be the last weekend in October.  It will begin with 7:30 a.m. Mass on Friday and end Sunday afternoon.  There was some discussion about having the usual catered meal before or after the closing ceremony, but no decision was reached at this time.

·         Deacon Jerry Yetter will be preaching on October 19.

·         The St. Boniface class of 1958 is having their 50th reunion on Saturday, October 25.  After the 4:00 Mass Sister Ann will provide a tour of the school.

·         Since November 1, the Feast of All Saints, falls on a Saturday, it is not a holy day of obligation.  However, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Monday, December 8, is a holy day of obligation.  There will be no evening Mass on Sunday, December 7.

·         A financial report for the year to date was distributed.  We are currently about $11,000 ahead.  We ended the fiscal year on June 30 $5,041.71 ahead.  Carol Roosa asked for a motion that, if funds are available, we give $24,000 to the school at the end of the year.  Dave Bracken so moved and Jeanne Guenthner seconded the motion.  The motion was unanimously approved.  Carol added that three people so far had opted for automatic withdrawal for the weekly Offertory collection.  Anyone else interested in automatic withdrawal should contact the rectory.

·         Several repair projects are planned.  The back porch of the rectory will be replaced and some additional concrete work will be done at a cost of $4,750.  The upper parking lot will be re-blacktopped at a cost of approximately $4,100.  Al Murnan has repaired the church steps and Ray Evers will replace the handrails.  Memorial pavers are still being considered for the anniversary celebration in 2013.  Dave Bracken inquired about the work on the stained glass windows.  Father replied that this work is in process.  The Archbishop needs to sign the contract and the actual work will begin in spring.  This project will cost approximately $97,000.

·         The company from Philadelphia installed two new ranks of pipes on the church organ.  Funds were donated specifically for this project.

·         Blood pressure screening will be the weekend of September 27-28.  Carol Roosa brought up the topic of having more activities in the church vestibule after some of the weekend Masses; for example, a “Hospitality Sunday” with refreshments.  This will be discussed further at the next meeting.

·         Our RCIA Program has begun.  There are currently 2 non-Catholics and 1 Catholic in the program.

·         The time of the CCD class has been changed from Monday night to Sunday morning from 11:05-12:05.  Preschool religion class is held during the 10:00 Mass.

·         The Northside House Tour is Sunday, October 5.  St. Boniface Church and rectory and the old St. Patrick Church are on the tour.  Anyone wishing to serve as a host or hostess for the tour should contact the rectory.

·         We need a lay woman to represent the parish on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council.  Anyone interested should contact the rectory.  Father will ask Rick Salerno to serve as the male representative to the Council.

·         Father is looking into putting a video camera up near the choir loft (under the last clearstory window) and a projector in the choir loft with the opening in the balcony near the clock.  There would be a screen under the baldichino.  This would allow us to show the organ player during organ concerts and may be useful for other visual aids at Mass.

·         The next organ concert at St. Boniface will be Sunday, October 19.

 

Because of Thanksgiving, the next meeting will be Thursday, November 20.  The meeting was closed at 8:25 p.m. with prayer by Father Joe.

 

                                                                                    Respectfully submitted,

 

                                                                                    Rosemary Welz, Secretary