Pastoral Council Minutes (1-10-22)
Pastoral Council Meeting Minutes (1-10-22)
Members Present:
Father Mike Roach, Deacon Chuck Koesterer, Dan Bacon, Phil Baumert, Yvette Lopez, Louis Angles, Betsy Lewey, “RC” Arciga, Katie Klassen, and Patrick Schaub.
The opening prayer was read by Yvette Lopez.
Katie Klassen Update:
Katie discussed finances and stated that the regular collection is a little off but in general, things are going very well. The church is 39% ahead on the mortgage due in large part to the low (1.5%) interest rate from the diocese. December 2021 should show as being below 2.3 million dollars.
Deacon Chuck Update:
Deacon Chuck stated that on Thursday February 3, the Bishop will be at Saint James for Confirmation. After Confirmation, those from the Pastoral Council who are able to attend, are encouraged to help to pour punch at 8:30pm. There are 79 confirmation candidates so there will possibly be 300 people. So far Betsy, RC, and Patrick stated that they would be available. Deacon Chuck stated that two years of isolation from the Covid shutdown has affected the mental health of adults and children. Deacon Chuck is coordinating with mental health professionals to address this. On July 1, the church may have a new Deacon, Juan Rodriguez.
Fr. Mike Update:
Father Mike said he felt good about Christmas crowds and that things were going well.
General Discussion:
Dan, Judy, Don Ollier, and Deacon Chuck met during the first week of January, 2022 and discussed what kind of coordination he did to make meals at Saint Mary’s Food Kitchen. Dan will be asking for volunteers to fill in for the tasks that Don used to perform at the Food Kitchen. Don has 10-12 people who normally help him. Don is still going to pick up groceries and do the commodities. The Food Kitchen would normally serve between 125 and 150 people. Don cooked all of the meals himself. Judy will put an article in the bulletin about our need to find a replacement for Don Ollier at the Food Kitchen. Don Ollier is welcome to the idea of having a gathering to honor him. It would be a good idea to have a younger person fill in to lead the Food Kitchen.
Safety Planning:
Dan, Father Mike, and Katie Klassen met to discuss Safety Planning. Saint James has a Fire and Severe Weather Plan in place. A Hostile Intruder Plan will be developed. A Emergency Preparedness Plan will be developed by a sub-committee consisting of Lou Angles, Libby Hernandez, Betsy Lewey, and Patrick Schaub and the team will develop a Training to the liturgical staff. The Training would cover what to do in the case of a fire, tornado, health emergency. Betsy stated that it is best to have a health professional (ie..paramedic, nurse, doctor, etc) handle emergency situations. Yvette Lopez stated that Hillcrest Ministries is interviewing 2 families and checking on what needs to be done (painting) and who can help.