The meeting was called to order by Mike Reis at 7:00PM
Members Present: Deb Buckels, Joan Budd, JoAnn Hedrick, Donna Ramage, Mike Duffy, Mike Reis, Ellen Turano, Father Bill Graney, Joe McClory, , Elaine Little, Mary Louise Chesley-Cora, Chip Schussler, Cory Zolandz, Dolores Lepori, Tom Leitch, Ellen Pringle, Matt Santos for Michelle Little, Rich Mayes
Members Absent: Patty Zaza , Deacon John Falkowski
Opening Prayer: Tom Leitch, led us in Prayers of Thanksgiving: Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all you lands… My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord: my spirit rejoices in God My Savior… If the only you said in your whole life was, “Thank You,” that would suffice. (MeisterEckhart)
Minutes: The minutes from the February meeting were approved as written.
Parish Buzz: JoAnn Hedrick reported that a friend from another Parish attended the Parish Mission and enjoyed it so much also attended the Tridium. Cory Zolandz echoed the sentiment that the Mission was well received. Deb Buckels asked- What is next? / How do we follow up?
Deb went on to describe to upcoming two Family Promise events:
Ebenezer Methodist and Resurrection our hosting 10 homeless people for week of May 22. Ebenezer is leading effort but could use more people for activities such as providing transportation which could be done before you head to work.
June 4th a fundraising walk at Bellevue Park.
New Business: Chip Schussler provided a report from the Finance Council. One highlight was that the budget shows a small surplus versus the projected budget for 2016. Chip attributed the surplus to a strong effort by Fr. Bill and staff to keeping costs in line. Also, Offertory collections were close to projected levels with a higher than projected levels of Special Gifts. See budget attachment for full details. Elementary Christian Formation and Children’s Ministries: Cory Zolandz reported an increase of 13 children for an enrollment of 65 children in the Elementary CFP Program for the year. Eight full time Catechists and 5 Assistants support the program. The children of some of these volunteers will be moving on this year, so Cory will be looking for nominations to fill their place. Upcoming activities, 13 children will receive Holy Communion on May 1, at 10:30 Mass. Parish Picnic on May 22, volunteers welcome from Parish Council. See attachment for full report. Old Business Election Committee: Nominations are underway, parish council members manning tables after Masses. Thanks to Donna Ramage for organizing effort. Pastors Comments: The Bishop and his staff have been evaluating a few different models for providing pastoral leadership when a priest leader is not available. See attachment on Alternative Pastoral Leadership for full details. For the near term Father could use “point persons” for parish activities such as a Coordinator of the care of the sick and homebound and the welcoming new parishioners. This will lighten the load of responsibilities on Fr. Bill which would be greatly appreciated. Parish Council Meeting Minutes March 2016 Minutes Dear PC Team, Not everyone made it to our brief meeting. If a particular talk or phrase moved you, email it to me and I will compile your comments, and publish them in the March Minutes. For example- At the close of the first session on Sunday Night, the question was posed what do you think is the most important thing Pope Francis can do. Sr Joan, stated that while Francis was in Philly, he was constantly smiling. He was showing the world that it is important to "Be Joyful!" This resonated with me! Thanks, Joe___________________________________ You wanted reactions to this evening's mission session, so here are mine. 1. Despite the assurance that the sessions would be scripture-based, this one wasn't, unless you consider Laudato Sí scriptural. That's OK with me, but parishioners who expect the sessions to be scriptural-based should be warned. 2. I was tickled by how very far-ranging and unafraid the questions during the Q and A were. Instead of the long silences I'd feared, we got a real mulligan stew of questions coming out of our friends' real-world hopes and fears and struggles. This was my favorite part of the evening, and it reminded me how seldom we get together as a parish to reflect and talk about such things. 3. For that very reason, I thought the question, responding to the presenters' description of their ministry as pushing the envelope, about which envelopes we might most usefully consider pushing at Resurrection, was just a little too Catholic in its orientation for me: An appeal to authority for advice about how to stir up anti-authoritarian issues. The presenters graciously replied that they didn't know us well enough to answer that question. But we know ourselves much better. So which envelopes do you think we ought to be pushing? What changes are realistic for us to seek as a parish that would most likely make a difference in the church and the world? That's what I thought. I'm eager to hear what all of you did. Tom____________________________________________ Hello Joe, I enjoyed last night's presentation and like Tom I was expecting more of a scriptural approach. I am hopeful that the reaming sessions will be more powerful for me spiritually. What struck me when reflecting on the Pope's Encyclical is that we are all Stewards of the earth and we must be the catalyst for the change. Dealing with an aging and ailing Father and step mother, I found the answer to question about having patience as a caregiver patience to be affirming. Donna _______________________________________________________________ This morning's (Monday) session topic was loss and grief. One of things we learned is that the purgatory in which we believed as we grew up is not the "holding tank" for souls awaiting admission to heaven. Since there is no time or space in God's kingdom, we can't serve "time" in a "space" called purgatory. Purgatory happens to us while we are on earth which means the day we die is the day we are admitted to the kingdom. In addition, in the Apostles Creed, when we say "resurrection of the body", it means "bodily resurrection". Our bodies are glorified, healed of all disease and/or deformities and admitted to heaven. (Most of us grew up believing that our souls are admitted to heaven.) Peace and Love, JoAnn ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Friends, As we come to the final day of the Mission, my sense is that the team has given such a wonderful model of collaboration. They have been so affirming and joyful in sharing their faith and wisdom of years and experience with us. I was most pleased that they used Laudato Si....which Pope Francis called the "Gospel of Creation" and indeed he includes references to Genesis, the Prophets and the Gospel of Jesus throughout the letter. So Francis basedhis reflection on Scripture and I encourage those who have not yet read this wonderful and most important letter to take the time to do so. Our small Christian community spent our Fall Mondays going through each paragraph of the 6 chapters....discussing, reflecting and praying about how we are called to be people in relationship....with ourselves,, our family and friends, our community, our state, nation, world....we are all sisters and brothers and our lives affect others on this tiny planet. Their presentations have been very practical and their stories often connected with what is going on here at Resurrection and elsewhere. They have been very respectful of church teaching but also have pointed out understandings that have changed over time or were presented in a way in the past that wasn't helpful to our faith life today. I also so appreciated their use of inclusive language and noting how important it is to give feminine images of God as well as masculine. I know God's being includes both but our church images have focused mostly on the male understanding and as they team showed....it is so much richer to experience the voices of BOTH. I would see this as something to work on in our liturgical ministries...using inclusive language in our scripture readings and prayers. We do a tiny bit of that and the "new" translation ignored that for the most part....sadly as they noted! ( that would be an example of "pushing the envelope" for us!!! The notion of evolution...ongoing movement is something that Teillard de Chardin, the great Jesuit scientist and theologian was "silenced for" 70 years ago and we see now that he had a vision beyond the grasp of those in power in earlier days. He is now seen as a "prophet" person. This often happens. The Reconciliation service was moving as we witnessed couples and families going together to ask for forgiveness and healing. Kathy Saturday has been very present as well. What a wonderful gift to us all. And finally, the welcoming, gathering of friends, new and old, has been such a blessing. The HOSPITALITY group has been outstanding!!! I know that Council Members have been so involved as well as Debbie and others. Please forgive the length....I need to get back to ONE WORD responses....obviously, I'm not there!!! Thank you one and all. Blessings, Mary Louise Reflections from Parish Renewal- I was fortunate to have been able to participate in all of the parish renewal activities this week with the exception of Monday evening. I took notes so I’d like to share some of the reflections/comments as I heard many participants asking what was shared throughout the renewal. Perhaps we can find a way as a parish to share some of the reflections to the parish at large. My overall reaction to this week’s renewal is one of thanksgiving. The talks, the Q&A sessions, the Reconciliation Service, the Anointing Mass were all so amazing, so healing – not only to me but to so many, based on comments I heard throughout the week. Fr. Nick, Fr. Mike, and Sr. Joan were incredible! The Resurrection Team who worked to pull this together and keep things going throughout the week did an amazing job. Many thanks to all! Now for notes I took. I’m still trying to decipher my handwriting (Oh how I wished I remembered shorthand from my younger years!). Resurrection >> Comments made about death & dying – we all will have a glorious body after death. We will know and be with people we love; God satisfies all that we need. Death has a ‘sting’ – it’s called grief and anger is an important part of grief. Confronting death is deep for each of us. Other types of grieving – letting go of our children as they grow up and go about their lives, losses we each experience, etc. All examples of grieving we go thru. God journeys with our children no matter what decisions (good or bad) they make. God has them and is with them! The Kingdom of God is here and now being with God! Question was asked around Purgatory which was then responded purgatory is experienced in this life and the next life. It’s disappointments and hurts in life. It doesn’t have a time or space and is different from what we were taught many years ago! We still need to pray for the dead and ask God to show mercy to our deceased loved ones – even if they died years ago – they’re becoming Communion of Saints! We’re encouraged to pray to our deceased ones – they’re sitting right there with God. When we have a Mass for deceased love one, that’s for us! We’re showing we’re against God when we don’t act right or treat others well. Pain in families >> There’s difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Forgiveness is so messy; try to keep door open. Reconciliation implies coming together so love and sharing can continue in future. When abused (sexually/physically), don’t put yourself in presence of that person – it’s toxic. Don’t try to amend those relationships. “I’m trying to forgive” is enough. Do what you can humanly do but some people are determined to hold grudges. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven; whose sins you hold bound, are held bound. Once you forgive, you are free! Mercy means you’re willing to forgive. We can’t demand someone be merciful to us. If we can’t forgive, we’ll continue to hurt. When we die, we’ll all share in the resurrection of the body; we’ll have all our senses. The Communion of Saints is for everyone – not just God. Discussion was held about the 7 Sins and the woman caught in adultery and we were asked ‘which group do you identify with – the woman, the Pharisees, the onlookers or Jesus’? Think about it….we’ve all been caught doing something wrong in our life…may not have been adultery like the woman in this story but we’ve all done wrong at some point. The Pharisees were legal experts, gave men the right to stand over others and look for mistakes, they had no deviation from the law, no sympathy for the woman. Few of us see ourselves as Pharisees yet we all gossip. And yes, the politicians are doing this now, destroying the names of their opponents. Someone could’ve spoken up on behalf of the woman caught in adultery – but didn’t. We can only imagine Jesus’ look in the woman’s eyes – gentleness. This gospel is known as “The Gospel of the Second Chance”. Jesus didn’t tell the sinner what she already knew; He gave her a chance to redeem herself like He does with each of us. Judge not and you will not be judged. When have we each shown compassion to others? How many times should we forgive – 70 times 7! Try using the Beatitudes or 1 Corinthians 13 as an examination of conscience. Jesus ate with sinners! Our sins are forgiven at Eucharist. Our society is so busy and impatient; too many commitments. We all need to take some time and just sit and ponder >> that’s how we change! If we could see ourselves as wounded, we’d give ourselves a break! We need to show mercy on ourselves. Be easy on yourself – have fun – take a deep breath and have mercy on yourself and one another. Gather in others from parish to help. Encourage/meet parishioners we don’t know or don’t know well to help out. Our mission at Resurrection is excellent – we’re #11 on a scale of 1-10. Try to involve younger people more. Every parish struggling to bring in younger parents. Try reaching out to young parents after they have their baby baptized – do they need babysitter, how can we help them (in everyday life)? This will help them and make them more willing/wanting to get involved with Resurrection. Get younger kids involved in technology. Australia doesn’t use books at church – they show music, readings, etc. on a big screen. If you invest in technology, you could have kids help with getting things on PowerPoint, add pictures, etc. – things they’re good at – and then the parents will come and get more involved to see what their kids are doing! Don’t judge – all are welcome. All welcome to receive Communion. Fast/abstain from: complaining and being right and sarcasm, from passive/aggressive behavior, no pouting, from pessimism, from criticism, from inability to apologize, from racism, from vengeance, from holding grudges especially in families (both bound up when hold grudges), from scoring from those who failed, from jealousy of others/talents/possessions. All of this is the way to prepare for the Resurrection of Jesus and us! As part of the Reconciliation Service, we each were asked to say thank you to someone (in our family, friends, etc.) and to go to someone and say you forgive them for something. This is something that was done at church and encouraged to continue throughout Lent and on-going. Fr. Nick said how impressed he was with all that Resurrection does in the Social Concerns area, including the servant leadership we have with Fr. Bill, Fr. Greg and Deacon John, and that the Servant Song says a lot about the leadership at Res. Throughout our journey of life, we need to travel light. What’s our baggage that we carry? Need to let go of sad memories of people who did us wrong. Need to let go of our possessions and share with others; need to have the gift of generosity which is important for our Christian life. Think of the Servant Song – need to see our life as a pilgrimage, become companions on our journey, the gift people are to us. We are here to love and serve God. Don’t have time to fight to be right…get rid of that baggage. We are on our journey to God and eternity in heaven. Suggested book called “Letting Go in Love”. All letting go is a prelude to final letting go we’ll need to make to God. St. Augustine said we can only let go when we don’t fear God. An attendee who just returned from Ireland said he saw more parishes there where they’re getting more lay involved in administrative things at the parish. Pope Francis asks all of us to be preachers. St. Francis of Assisi basically said all must go out and proclaim the good news! Our actions are the most profound teaching of the gospel. Need to have joy, to be non-judgmental. We must continue the education of adults – just as important as the education of our children! We must not lose the desire to learn. Respectively submitted, Deb Bravo and many, many thanks to all who have made time in their busy lives to participate in this awesome slice of community faith. Through my experience, THIS is what makes Resurrection quintessentially remarkable. From Sunday's 10.30 mass, when a holy preacher spoke first to our children, and then to the beautiful child in each of us, we knew that a much needed voice was proclaiming very good news. And yes...the context...that a holy WOMAN was the Christ bearer, standing there before us in the incarnation God has specifically chosen for her, should open our ears and eyes and hearts to Truth that Jesus lived ALWAYS. Jesus chose women, stood by women/stood up for women (and they by and for him), he elevated women to their rightful roles as friend, minister, and collaborator. He defied the inhumane cultural and religious treatment imposed upon women, and time and again broke the "church" rules that a pompous patriarchy used in their attempt to subject women under the "power" of men. Despite this Jesus "Truth," the oppression and marginalization of women in the Catholic church remains an original sin that our magisterially lop-sided business men still try to control with clenched fists. And despite the 'signs of the times,' the writing on the walls....the empty pews signifying the memory of good, holy Catholics who now prefer the designation "nones," we act as if nothing can be done. We priests are mandated to read liturgical words dominated by masculine pronouns, accolades of regal divinity, otherwordly spiritual dualisms, even violent images of God.... And we wonder why the faces we see in the assembly appear glazed over? I laughed (and cried) when I saw the "Collect" (opening prayer) for the mass on Ash Wednesday: Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this CAMPAIGN (political?, military?) of Christian service, so that, as we take up BATTLE (oh, military) against spiritual evils (what’s the difference between “evils” and “spiritual evils?”), we may be armed with WEAPONS (yeah, kick butt!) of self-restraint. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. R/ Amen. (parenthetical comments: mine!). For the record, here is the opening prayer I wrote/proclaimed that day: Holy God, our lives are open before you. Rescue us from the chaos of OUR OWN MAKING, From OUR HECTIC, BUSY LIVES. HELP US TO RECOGNIZE OUR NEED TO SLOW DOWN, TO BE STILL, TO BE OPENED….TO BE CHANGED. , through the LOVING LIFE of JESUS bring us healing. Make us whole as we wait, AS WE LONG FOR YOU. THROUGH CHRIST THE LORD. Last evening, in the part of the session where we could "thank" someone, as well as say "sorry" to someone... I sought out young people to thank them for coming, how wonderfully inspiring their presence is.... and I also told the I was "sorry" because they deserve so much more (joy, welcome, energy, inspiration) than they typically get when they attend a catholic mass or event. Folks have heard my mantra for quite some time: "Until we do different in "church," the decline will continue." Dementia is a condition that is sweeping our world...in many forms. One of the prominent features of dementia is a loss of affect...People don't have the ability to care like they once did. They may look fine, but something crucial is missing, that spark of joy in seeing a friend, being with other disciples, that flame of light and love that burns within because we are actively participating as living members of the unified Body of Christ. At the parish, we used to wear name tags once a month, announce "community welcome weekend" and be instructed to turn and greet someone (that we should have greeted already). Then, back to mass as usual. Once in a while, what if we took a precious moment to go over to someone we want to truly say "thanks" to, or even more daringly, to witness the courageous love it takes to go over to someone else, while the entire assembly is praying heartfelt support, and say "I am sorry" to a child of God we have chosen to ignore for far too long? What kind of grace would our God of Mercy give at a moment such as that? Jesus has promised that God will never abandon us. Thank you Joan and Mike and Nick for showing us the promise! Let us remember who we truly are....holy and blessed Children of God. Thank you, greg Parish Council Meeting Minutes February 14, 2016 The meeting was called to order by Mike Reis at 7:00PM Members Present: Deb Buckels, Joan Budd, JoAnn Hedrick, Donna Ramage, Mike Duffy, Mike Reis, Ellen Turano, Father Bill Graney, Joe McClory, Deacon John Falkowski, Elaine Little, Mary Louise Chesley-Cora, Chip Schussler, Cory Zolandz, , Dolores Lepori, Tom Leitch, Ellen Pringle, Michelle Little Members Absent: Patty Zaza , Rich Mayes Opening Prayer: Joan Budd, read Leonard’s Prayer, “Now Lord you’ve known me a long time. You know me better than I know myself. I am growing older… Release from trying to straighten out everyone’s affairs…Keep my tongue free from the recital of endless details… I ask for grace to listen to others… Keep me reasonably kind…Please give me the ability to see good in unlikely places and talents in unexpected people. Minutes: The minutes from the January meeting were approved as written. Parish Buzz: Michelle Little provided an Youth Update that the Winter Arts Festival was a success. Fundraising is on track to meet the goals set for the year. New Business: Sandy Landoll gave an update from the Outreach Committee. Sandy reported it is very difficult to vet monetary requests for help with utility payments. He suggested an alternative proposal listed below: After discussion and a motion was made and approved to accept proposal. Finance Council Report: Chip Schussler prefaced his report with the following comments:
See full details in budget attachment. Election Committee: Donna Ramage led discussion and asked for volunteers to organize Parish Council. Tom Leitch, Ellen Turano, Ellen Pringle, and Joe MccLory agreed to help. Old Business: Parish Renewal is on schedule for March 13 to 16. Fr Bill and Staff worked hard pulling this together. Parish Council will help get word out by being present at tables in gathering space after Masses weekends of February 28 and March 6. On March 13, parish council will have an abbreviated meeting at 6:15 PM, then help with greeting duties for the first night of the Renewal and attend session. Pastors Comments: The Bishop and his staff have been evaluating a few different models for providing pastoral leadership when a priest leader is not available. See attachment on Alternative Pastoral Leadership for full details. For the near term Father could use “point persons” for parish activities such as a Coordinator of the care of the sick and homebound and the welcoming new parishioners. This will lighten the load of responsibilities on Fr. Bill which would be greatly appreciated. Parish Council Meeting Minutes January 10, 2016 The meeting was called to order by Mike Reis at 4:15pm at the Turano residence. Members Present: Deb Buckels, Joan Budd,, JoAnn Hedrick, Donna Ramage, Mike Duffy, Mike Reis, Tom Leitch, Ellen Pringle,Ellen Turano, Father Bill Graney, Joe McClory, Rich Mayes, Deacon John Falkowski, Elaine Little, Mary Louise Chesley-Cora, Chip Schussler, Cory Zolandz Members Absent: Patty Zaza, Dolores Lepori Guests: Carol Schwer, Dick Schwer, Joe Budd, Ed Hedrick, Patti Falkowski Excused: Michelle Little Opening Prayer: Ellen Turano, read an inspirational prayer, “Today is a Special Day,”even though it may be ordinary for most of us… It is special because, in the entire history of the universe there has never been another day just like today… Today is the day to which all your preceding days have been leading up to. And today is the day from which the rest of your life will flow... Minutes: The minutes from the December meeting were discussed, including a second update from Jane Hanson. Second update was not in minutes at time of meeting and has been recently sent to PC for approval at February meeting. Parish Buzz: Hundreds of people visited the parish either for the first time or came back again during the Christmas Masses and recent Baptisms and Funerals. Many commented positively on the beautiful liturgies that were planned and carried out. A catechumen candidate to receive the sacraments during Holy Week has come forward. The young man is a senior at Salesianum, and some of his religious education at the school will be taken into account as part of the RICA program. The NCR- had recent article about Pope Francis- about how the new pope is a person of mercy rather than a man of laws. Old Business- Pastors Comments: These two sections were combined in a single discussion in this abbreviated business meeting. What is next step for Parish Life Director Role? • Donna Ramage suggested a Backward Design Discussion, where we plan each step, backwards from implementation. • Fr Bill hopes to write prior to the next Council some of his latest thoughts on “alternative pastoral leadership”. He has clearer ideas on how to approach the diocese now. Cory Zolandz thought it would be helpful to have someone share information about the Parish Mission shared with CFP parents. Joe McClory volunteered to work with Cory on this. • Mike Duffy- How does role of Parish Life Director interact with clergy, Priest, Deacon and bishop? Don’t worry about approval. Focus on what will meet needs of our parish. • Questions voiced: Can we afford Parish Life Director? Or not afford to try? How long will it take to implement? New Business: Discuss PC Elections for 2016 in February Meeting. Get committee to seek nominations in April and organize PC elections in May. Christmas Party:- After the formal meeting, Father Bill said grace. Then good food and conversation were enjoyed by all. A huge Thank you to Ellen Turano for hosting! Parish Council Meeting Minutes December 13, 2015 The meeting was called to order by Mike Reis at 7:00pm Members Present: Deb Buckels, Joan Budd,, JoAnn Hedrick, Donna Ramage, Mike Duffy, Mike Reis, Tom Leitch, Ellen Pringle,Ellen Turano, Father Bill Graney, Joe McClory, Rich Mayes, Deacon John Falkowski, Elaine Little, Michelle Little Members Absent: Patty Zaza, Dolores Lepori, Mary Louise Chesley-Cora, Chip Schussler Guests: Jane Hanson, Dick Schwer Opening Prayer: , JoAnn Hedrick said the message of the Sunday Gospel moved her deeply, “Let us listen to his word, exhorting us to share what we have and to respect the justice and dignity everyone deserves.” That it echoed the intent of Pope Francis’s Year of Mercy Prayer, which we read together. The following link contains the full prayer- http://www.thedivinemercy.org/jubilee/thebasics/Pope-Francis-prayer.php Minutes: The minutes from the November meeting were approved as submitted. New Business: Jane Hanson shared her experiences of nearly 10 years of service (1993-2002) as the Director of the Office of Worship and Spiritual Life for the Diocese New Ulm, MN. The diocese was led by Bishop Raymond Lucker who had a great understanding of Vatican II. When he recognized a priest shortage for the diocese, his first question was not, how do we get more priests? But, What does this mean and how does this affect the people of New Ulm? Under Bishop Lucker’s leadership focus groups were formed to discuss the situation and discern a path forward that would be true to the tradition of the Church and the vision of Vatican Council II. While one who is ordained (a priest or a bishop) is essential to the Eucharist and all the Sacraments, so too is the assembly! What is the nature of ministry? All the baptized are called and gifted for ministry in order to build up the Body of Christ and equip each person for service in the community and in the world. Bishop Lucker looked for parish leaders whether or not they were ordained. He was not threatened by others who were talented and were blessed with the gifts necessary for pastoral leadership. The important question is do leaders have the necessary gifts to help parishes move forward. “Pastoral Administrators are appointed by the Bishop . . . to be in charge of a parish community and to provide for the ordinary day to day pastoral. Spiritual and administrative care of the parish.” Diocese of New Ulm, Policy Bulletin “Pastoral Administrators’ Policy” June, 1994 #II A. The parish community and its Pastoral Administrator should be well suited and the Pastoral Administrator needs be able to attract good people to serve in liturgical, catechetical and administrative ministries to build a welcoming and serving community. Jane answered the following questions: What is next Step? Digest what was discussed this evening. Will not have answers by next meeting. Homework assignment-Think of what questions you want answered the most. At next discussion arrange them on flip-board and rank them Who is our Leader? Jane responded – Fr Bill is our leader “champion.” Bill demonstrated this leadership with an essay on front page of December 20th bulletin where he opened: “” Experience Christmas as the Magi who saw distant star/hope and pursued it and were changed.” Then tied it in to our current discussion, “ Both the Parish and the Diocese of Wilmington are engaged in discussions, information sessions, and new initiatives in lay leadership. Founded in 1969 (at the time Vatican II renewal), the Parish of the Resurrection has always called forth laity to be responsible for the direction and decision making in the parish.” I have attached the full essay for you to read. Financial Council Update: Donna Ramage shared information from the November Finance Council Meeting. The budget is on target as the Staff are managing their budgets appropriately. Several members from Finance Council will be meeting with John Werner to review the results from the pledge drive. Old Business: Christmas Party:- Donna Ramage circulated a volunteer sign-up sheet for contributions that will help to complete the meal. Kitchen Update: Rich Mayes showed a floor plan for the kitchen expansion project which included an approximately a 25 by 25ft addition from the back of current kitchen and a 70 by 21 ft patio located behind the current gathering space. Pastor’s Comments: Since it was approximately 9PM Fr Bill simply mentioned the Parish Retreat being planned for March 2016: Renewal of Mind and Heart: Scriptural Spirituality Today The retreat is funded with funds left to the parish from Kathy Saturday Adjournment- The meeting was adjourned at 9:05pm with a prayer Parish Council Meeting Minutes November 8, 2015 The meeting was called to order by Mike Reis at 7:00pm Members Present: Deb Buckels, Joan Budd, Mary Louise Chesley-Cora, JoAnn Hedrick, Donna Ramage, Mike Duffy, Mike Reis, Elaine Little, Michelle Little, Tom Leitch, Ellen Pringle, Chip Schussler,Ellen Turano, Father Bill Graney, Dolores Lepori, Joe McClory, Rich Mayes, Deacon John Falkowski Members Absent: Patty Zaza Guests: Sandy Landoll Opening Prayer: “Why do Catholic Christians commemorate the dead during the month of November? The feast of All Souls and the month of November is a source of consolation for each of us. If our hearts are broken and suffering about the loss of loved ones, or if we are dealing with unresolved issues about good-byes that were not said, peace that was not made, gratitude that was not expressed, let us ask the faithful departed to intercede for us and for our own peace. The consoling doctrine of the Communion of Saints allows us to feel ever close to those who have died and gives us much hope in moments of despair and sadness.” Fr. Thomas Rosica, Salt and Light Catholic Media Formation Minutes: The minutes from the October meeting were approved as submitted. Parish Buzz:
Ellen Pringle- Kitchen Pantry is in need of many items needed to prepare groceries bags for needy. Sandy said he would put out an appeal on parish email distribution to help out
5 Candidates received Sacrament of Confirmation at 5:30 Mass. Bishop noted low turnout at Mass.
New Business: Social Concerns- Sandy Landoll described that the Social Concerns Team is still maintaining three primary efforts, prison ministry, helping the homeless and third world needs. Ongoing projects also include,
Thanksgiving food drive
Christmas giving tree
Alternative Christmas
Operation Rice Bowl
Charitable giving supports 8 organizations
Food Closet
Christmas Party- Mike asked for a volunteer to host the Parish Council Christmas Meeting at the January Meeting and Ellen Turano volunteered. Thanks Ellen! Old Business: Discussion of Parish Life Comments Captured Fr Bill_ Goal is to preserve values associated with Resurrection Parish To young families this includes parish that sings and works actively on social justice (from America magazine). Responses to reactions of parishioners when you mention Parish Life Director Role: Tom Leitch- Extreme enthusiasm to strong resistance. Mike Reis- Parish Life Director is not on people’s radar/ Conversation non-starter. Mike will invite Jane Hanson to speak at December PC Meeting Chip Schussler - Use Small Faith Sharing and Focus Groups to inform parishioners Pastor’s Comments: Fr Bill shared part of a letter from the Bishop which gives the Bishops position on the priest shortage, “As a local Church we are moving forward into a new era that is ripe with grace filled opportunities… Many people speak of priest shortage. I, however, prefer to recognize the fact that the Lord has provided us with the exact number of priests that we need. It is up to us then to maximize the ministry of the clergy and to mobilize the gifts of all the baptized.” Fr Bill discussed Parish Life Director at Deanery meeting. Bishop felt that Parish Administrator along with a priest could be a possibility. The education and or formation of the parishioners is still needed. Fr Bill mentioned that he would like to use some of the money Kathy Saturday left to parish for this purpose. He will send a letter to the Bishop about this. Adjournment- The meeting was adjourned at 8:55pm Parish Council Meeting Minutes October 11, 2015 The meeting was called to order by Mike Reis at 7:00pm Members Present: Deb Buckels, Joan Budd, Mary Louise Chesley-Cora, JoAnn Hedrick, Donna Ramage, Mike Duffy, Mike Reis, Elaine Little, Michelle Little, Brian Cote forTom Leitch, Ellen Pringle, Chip Schussler,Ellen Turano, Father Bill Graney Members Absent: Dolores Lepori, Joe McClory, Rich Mayes, Patty Zaza, Deacon John Falkowski Guests: Bob Dudek, Valerie Werner Opening Prayer: Chip Schussler shared a Reflection on today’s Gospel reading from Regnum Christi: [email protected] Minutes: The minutes from the September meeting were approved as submitted. Parish Buzz:
Kathy Saturday’s funeral brought new faces to appreciate Resurrection Parish.
12 Parishioners joined Deb Buckels at the Family Promise Breakfast/Fundraiser held on 10/5 at Delaware Park. Deb shared that the presentations given by the successful graduates were moving. Family Promise accepts donations of money, household goods, and prayers.
The McArthur Foundation has a 3 minute video on eviction
Old Business: Finance Report was moved up for Chip who attended when not feeling well.
Chip Schussler announced that the F/Y 2015 Financial Report to Parishioners was distributed as a Bulletin insert on the week-end of 10/3-10/4/15. The F/Y 2016 First Quarter Fiscal report was also shared. Chip will be representing the Finance Council at all Masses on 10/18 and 10/19/15. Although Parish expenses are being very well maintained, Parishioners will be asked to discern increasing their weekly contributions. Without an increase in offertory contributions over time our parish services could be effected.
New Business: Kitchen update
Bob Dudek presented the findings from the 2 open meetings that were held on 10/4 and 10/7. Ten parishioners attended the meetings. The purpose of the meetings was to gather input so that the kitchen capabilities can be in line with the needs of the parish community. Bob would like to communicate to those who use the kitchen and did not attend the meetings. He asked Council members for input on those who use the kitchen and for the names of those who would be able to provide services/resources to accomplish the project.
Bob will forward his findings to the Council Secretary.
New Business: Youth Report
Elaine Little presented the Youth Report (see Attached). Although her position is now part-time she has a full agenda planned for this year. She is actively recruiting Catechists for both Middle and High School groups. Confirmation is scheduled for 11/7/15 at the 5:30 Mass. The Youth will again be hosting the Winter Arts Festival and the Souper Supper. Summer service will be in Hartford, CT. The organizer is Catholic Heart Work Camps.
Old Business continued:
Follow up on the Retreat Goal Session on the Parish Life Director: We are in the data collection phase. A future goal will include a presentation to the Parishioners by an outside speaker. Jane Hanson and Ann McDonald were mentioned as possible resources. Discussion on how to communicate the Diocesan history behind the Parish Life Director with Parishioners was recommended, possibly through the Parish web site and the Bulletin. Father Graney would like to have focus groups prior to any roll out and he asked that volunteers who would like to help set up the questions/agenda for the focus groups to contact him.
Pastor’s Comments: Father Bill and Sandy Landoll have been considering a Parish response to the Syrian crisis. The possibility of sponsoring a refugee family was mentioned.
Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 9:10pm.
Respectfully submitted by Donna Ramage
Parish Council Meeting Minutes September 13, 2015
Members Present: Deb Buckels, Joan Budd, Mary Louise Chesley-Cora, JoAnn Hedrick, Donna Ramage, Joe McClory, Mike Reis, , Tom Leitch, Ellen Pringle, Chip Schussler, Ellen Turano, Fr. Bill Graney, Rich Mayes, Dolores Lepori, Mike Duffy
Michelle Little, Elaine Little
Guests at Retreat: Ruth Saunders, Cory Zolandz
Missing: Deacon John Falkowski
Parish Retreat: Annual Parish Council Retreat began at 3PM with Prayer Service, Goal Setting Session, followed by Mass and Potluck Dinner.
Brief Business Meeting: Primary Activity-Parish Council Elections:
Results: Executive Officer- Mike Reis
Assistant Executive Officer- Donna Ramage
Secretary- Joe McClory
Meeting adjourned at 8:30 with closing prayer.
Parish Council Meeting Minutes
July 12, 2015
Members Present: Deb Buckels, Joan Budd, Mary Louise Chesley-Cora, JoAnn Hedrick, Donna Ramage, Patty Zaza, Patricia Szwed, , Joe McClory, Mike Reis, Deacon John Falkowski, Tom Leitch, Ellen Pringle, Chip Schussler, Ellen Turano, Fr. Bill Graney, Rich Mayes
Members Absent: Dolores Lepori, Mike Duffy
Michelle Little (excused attending summer service project)
Guests:, Dick and Carol Schwer, John Werner and Family
Opening Prayer: Mike Reis led the reflection. With a new Council year upon us, the reflection challenges us to a fresh start, Isaiah 43 18:19. The challenge in a fresh start is letting go of past successes and failures and embracing the new gift and opportunity God has given us.
Parish Buzz: A Bus is being arranged from Resurrection to Papal Mass in Philadelphia on Sept 27. It was discussed that others may like to watch the Papal Mass in the gathering space with fellow parishioners.
Pastor’s Comments: Fr. mentioned that during the next year he will investigate moving into another parish rectory in order to cut the time maintaining the parish house.
Meeting was then adjourned for Parish Council / Staff Summer Picnic. Good food and Company were enjoyed by all. The Summer Picnic provides a good way to for members of the Parish Council to get to know one another in an informal setting. Special thanks to Joan and Joe Budd for hosting the gathering in their home.