9-9-24 Pastoral Council Minutes
ST. JAMES PASTORAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2024
Chairperson, Joan Peluso called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. The following council members were present: Fr. Mike Roach, Deacon Chuck Koesterer, Kevin Casel, Chris Fullinwider, Corrine Katzer, Betsy Lewey, Yvette Lopez, Joan Peluso, Sherri Porterfield. The opening prayer was given by Betsy Lewey.
Guest Report: The Council was honored to welcome two staff members who told about their jobs here at St. James. Director of Adult Initiation and Safe Environment Coordinator, Sandy Gagnon told the Council about her important jobs. As Director of Adult Initiation, Sandy oversees all aspects of the OCIA program in helping those who want to join the Catholic Church and/or receive the Sacraments. From interviewing prospective candidates to faith formation sessions and ministry, catechist training, retreat planning, communicating with all involved in the OCIA program and serving as a reference for various ministries involved in spiritual/faith formation, Sandy’s job in this area is very important to the life of St. James. Her duties as Safe Environment Coordinator involves monitoring to make sure that all employees, volunteers, staff and coaches dealing with our parish children are compliant with VIRTUS, which encompasses the Protecting God’s Children Program. She aids employees and volunteers to bring them into compliance with our diocese. In addition, she supervises all training for parish and school employees and volunteers and routinely monitors the entire St. James campus for safety compliance, school and parish websites, and social media sites. She prepares yearly audit safety reports and in doing so must have knowledge and implementation of all Diocesan, as well as the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops’ policies, procedures and requirements. Anything that involved safety in our parish is under Sandy’s guidance and watch. The Council was most appreciative of all the requirements needed for both of her important jobs.
In her 10th year as the Bulletin Editor and Webmaster of the St. James website, Judy Keisling is the creative force in Communications here at St. James. She shared with the Councils members that she was originally asked to fill in as the bulletin editor until someone could be found to replace the previous editor’s position. She found she enjoyed the challenge of putting the bulletin together every week and bringing the news of activities happening in our parish and has been in this position ever since. In doing so, she performs a variety of tasks, including photography, a skill which she learned years earlier in her job as a Memphis, Tennessee regional newspaper editor. Early bulletins did not include pictures and computerized graphics as they do today. Through the years, monitors were added first in the Narthex of the previous church building and now in the Gathering Space of our current building and a digital sign was added at the entrance to our campus on Stewart Road. It was Judy’s responsibility to learn everything needed to create information for these other ways of communication. Since 2015, Judy told the members that she discovered she has digital files of 520 past bulletins she has created. She works hard for information to be consistent between all levels of communication which ultimately begins at the bulletin level. Being meticulously organized, meeting deadlines for publication and communicating with the various ministries and organizations in our St. James parish. Judy is most passionate about informing our parishioners about what is taking place in our vibrant St. James community, believing that all parishioners need and deserve to know what is going on so that they, too, can become involved. For this reason, it is so important that all ministries and organizations contact Judy to publicize all activities open to all parishioners. Judy is our staff member who keeps all parishioners “in the know” and is crucial playing an important role of developing a sense of community within our parish.
Organizations and ministries wishing to place information in the bulletin should know that the deadline for submitting is 12 Noon on the Monday before the publication date. She emphasized that advertising for an event should begin two to three weeks before the event. She encourages all to contact her for help with advertising their activity.
Chairperson Peluso and the Council members joined together in thanking Sandy and Judy for everything they do daily for our parish. The jobs they perform are essential to the growth and life of our parish.
Parishioner Sam Angelo addressed the Council about the possibility of creating a special handout for young children who attend Mass that would include fun activities to help parents teach our Faith. The handout would be available after Mass as parishioners are leaving the church with the cost underwritten by the St. James K of C. The Council agreed that this was a wonderful way to involve our young children. Although a date to begin this activity was not decided upon, Mr. Angelo said he would keep the Council informed on the progress of this activity.
Old Business: Sherri Porterfield told the Council that registration efforts for the first study, THE SEARCH, of the Adult Faith Program was a tremendous success with 70 parishioners registering for this 7-week study. The study begins in the Parish Hall on Thursday, September 12th, 6:30 – 8:00 PM. The final session of the study will be October 24th and will be followed by one or two studies for the Advent Season. Additional classes are being planned for the winter, spring and early summer.
Betsy Lewey let the Council know that there are approximately ten volunteers on each team for maintaining everything for the St. James sponsorship of the Hillcrest Hope apartment. Although we may need additional volunteers in the future, we will not be recruiting new volunteers at this time.
New Business: Chairperson Peluso discussed the possibility of members serving as greeters at the church doors before each Mass, opening doors and welcoming people. No decisions were made but the Council liked the idea of doing this.
Eddie Baker, via Joan Peluso, expressed the need for additional Holy Water fonts for people to use particularly when leaving Mass because the area can often be crowded with many people and makes it hard to reach the font at the baptismal font. The possibility of where these additional fonts would be located and if this is even an option was tabled and will be discussed at a later meeting.
The Council also discussed the possibility of the parishioners at each Mass saying a prayer together at the end of the cantor’s announcements and before the first hymn. This was also tabled and will be discussed again.
Chris Fullinwider informed the Council that she had had several complaints regarding people who stand outside of church after Mass asking for financial assistance. Fr. Mike and Deacon Chuck told the Council that the church often gives those in need gift cards rather than money. People needing any assistance should be encouraged to contact Love, Inc., which will help them.
Closing: Fr. Mike closed the meeting with a prayer and the members prayed “The Lord’s Prayer” together.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:16 p.m. The Council’s next meeting is Monday, October 14th at 7:00 p.m. in the AV Conference Room. If you have any ideas or concerns for the Council, please contact Fr. Mike or Chairperson Joan Peluso. If you would like to attend the meeting, please contact Joan Peluso no later than Thurs. Oct. 10th.
Respectfully submitted,
Sherri Porterfield, Pastoral Council Secretary