ST. BONIFACE PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL

MINUTES – MAY 28, 2009

The meeting was opened at 7:00 p.m.  For Faith Formation, Father Joe shared some thoughts on what an amazing gift the Holy Spirit is and how the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts and makes ordinary people into extraordinary saints.  Father suggested that we imagine breathing in the Holy Spirit and breathing out our faults.

Roll call was taken.  Members Present:  Father Joe, Tim Banish, Ted Boliske, Kathie Fahey, Bob Frerick, Jeanne Guenthner, Jim Kuhn, Rosemary Welz, Henry Wesseler.  Carol Roosa and newly elected member, Rick Salerno were also present.

The minutes of the March 26 meeting were approved as published.

New Business:

Council Election  --  Tim Banish apologized that the Parish Pastoral Council election was held a week later than originally planned.  The newly elected members are Beth Kessler, Tom LeSaint, and Rick Salerno.  Father Joe thanked the nominating committee for their work.  Carol Roosa suggested that next year it would be helpful to have the bios and pictures of the candidates on the ballot.

Church Windows  --  Carol Roosa reported that work will begin on the church windows after July 4.  The bees have been removed from above the east side door.  Al Murnan removed part of the roof so a bee keeper could remove the hive and the queen bee.

Great American Clean-Up Day  --  Kathie Fahey reported that the Great American Clean-Up Day was held on April 25.  Volunteers planted flowers and trees and cut down brush.  Kathie’s team worked in the area of Knowlton and Mad Anthony Streets.

For the Good of the Parish

Father Joe and Council members reported on the following:

·     There are currently 152 students enrolled in St. Boniface School.  There are nearly 190 students enrolled for 2009-10.  All the teachers are returning except one who is continuing her education.  The new cafeteria staff is working fine.  The last day of school is Thursday, June 4.

·     Our CISE grants are reduced by $40,000 for 2009-2010.

·     Deacon Jerry Yetter will preach the weekend of June 13-14, the Feast of Corpus Christi.

·     Attendance was up for Ash Wednesday and for the Wednesday evening Masses during Lent.  Jerry Yetter told Father that he thought there were twice as many people at Holy Hour during Lent.

·     First Communion went well.  Three children made their First Communion.

·     The parish will end the month of May about $10,000 in the red and we have a bill for the assessment for $23,497 that we need to pay in June.  This puts us down about 5% and we will not have any excess to give to the school.

·     The Catholic Ministries Appeal went especially well this year.  We brought in over $21,000 in pledges and cash.

·     Father Joe signed the contract for installing the video camera in church.  He is waiting for a schedule from the contractor.

·     Father is still waiting for word from the architect about the uneven floor in the front of church.  Al Murnan can do the job so it shouldn’t be very expensive.

·     Blood pressure checks will be the weekend of May 30-31.

·     The Spiritual Book Club will meet on July 19.  They will be discussing the book, Angels of God.

·     Jenni Lindgren is getting ready for two focus groups for our Young Adult Ministry on June 7 and June 10 to identify what the young people like about our parish.  She will use this information to market our parish to other young people in the area.  Fliers have been mailed and email messages sent.

·     Tim Banish is organizing a program for home visits for St. Vincent de Paul as his LPMP project.  Ed Gettler has planned two evening sessions on June 15 and June 22 with Father Larry Tensi to explain in depth the meaning of the Mass.  Judy Gettler is planning a day of recollection on June 19 offering thoughts on spirituality as we grow older.

·     We are still struggling with pastoral regions for our deanery.  Father Ray Taylor will be the pastor at St. Joseph.  Father Joe will not have a second parish at this time.  We did have a larger than usual ordination class with seven men being ordained.

The next meeting will be Tuesday, September 15, to accommodate Father Joe’s schedule.  The meeting was closed at 7:40 p.m. with prayer by Father Joe.

                                                                        Respectfully submitted,

                                                                        Rosemary Welz, Secretary