ST FRANCIS PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL MARCH 5, 2019
Members Present: Fr. Jim, Lorie Frink, Shannon Ilenda, Arlene Osterlund, Pete Raboin, Jon Shamla, Michael Woods
Others Present: Mary Margaret Sitek, Ernie Swartz
Fr. Jim shared a reading for Ash Wednesday with the council.
The agenda was approved as written.
Correspondence:
Fr. Jim informed the council that there is a fund raising scam and the bishop’s office has notified all of our parishes to be on the alert for e-mails supposedly from pastors asking for money. A notice will be placed in this week’s bulletin informing our parishioners of this. Also Jon Shamla mentioned that he has had questions about reserving handicap spots for the new parish hall entrance and possibly more for the 5th Street parking lot. Fr. Jim asked Jon to contact the city of Superior and inquire what the process is to have these signs placed.
The Parish Mission Statement was read by Michael Woods.
Old Business:
a. “A Healthy Parish”:
Fr. Jim distributed copies of the survey which was completed by parishioners and a discussion followed. Council members felt the parishioners are pleased with the Masses and services here. All agreed it would be nice to have more social activities to invite others to church. One activity that was suggested was a parish picnic in the fall. This discussion will continue at future council meetings.
b. Catholic Services Appeal:
Fr. Jim gave council members the latest report from the diocese. Fr. Jim reminded the group that the parish sent $18,000 to the diocese in January. Steve Tarnowski plans to send reminder notices during Lent to those who pledged.
New Business:
a. Roast Beef Dinner:
Fr. Jim informed the council that Ken and Donna Stubbe will chair the dinner and they have already met with Lesa and Ray Radtke to discuss plans. Tickets are ready to be mailed. The dinner is planned for Palm Sunday, April 14th from 11 AM – 4 PM. Adult tickets are $10 which is a $2 decrease from last year. Fr. Jim stated that this is event is always a wonderful preparation for Holy Week.
b. Spring Activities:
Ernie informed the council that Sunday, April 7th is “Grandparents’ Day” and students will be serving pancakes following both Masses and all are welcome. The Mother’s Day Brunch is planned for May 12th. Arlene indicated that volunteers are always needed, especially for clean-up.
c. Committee Reports:
Religious Education:
Ernie reported that severe weather conditions caused the cancellation of two Wednesday evening classes. The next Youth Mass is March 17th at 10:30 AM at which time our First Communion Class will be recognized. The next large group evening for the middle and high school students is April 10th which will include Stations of the Cross. The final youth Mass for the year will be April 7th which is also Grandparents Day and students will serve pancakes following both Masses. Fr. Jim will meet with the parents of the First Grade Class on March 19th. Celebration of First Communion will be April 28th and Confirmation is scheduled for May 3rd.
Altar Society Report:
Arlene Osterlund read Sue Koehler’s report which stated that the annual Salad Bar Luncheon was a great success and netted a profit of $4,520 of which $1,772 (raffle) was given to the parish to be used toward the new windows. Betty Moe is serving as the group’s treasurer now as Kathy Hanson recovers. The Priests’ Assembly will take place here on April 7, 8, 9 and is chaired by Jean Hennessy and Irene Hudacek.
Cathedral School:
Jon Shamla told the council that the open positions for a 4th grade teacher, religion teacher and music teacher have all been filled. The weather caused some of the Catholic Schools’ Week activities to be cancelled or scaled down.
Evangelization:
Fr. Jim stated he will begin his RCIA classes this week on Thursday evening, March 7th and conclude on April 11th. The participants in the class will be received into the church at the Holy Saturday Vigil on April 20th.
Liturgy:
Masses are planned through Holy Week and Easter. Fr. Jim indicated the church will be decorated for each of the liturgies. Nancy Lund will take charge of this work.
Social Action:
Fr. Jim stated that Janet Walroos contacted the Faith Methodist Church and they were very grateful to accept cases of pumpkin, catsup and various other non-perishable food items for their food shelf. We were overstocked with these items and did not want them to go out of date.
Education:
Ernie informed the council that the committee met on February 22nd and plans were discussed for upcoming events. There is also a possibility of working with the Cathedral Students. Ernie will speak with Fr. Jim and Fr. Andrew to coordinate this effort.
Other:
Jon Shamla stated that he has been asked to form a Building and Grounds Committee for the parish. Fr. Jim suggests 5-6 members who will meet when the need arises regarding the upkeep of the parish, projects, etc.
Fr. Jim told the council Bishop Powers plans to re-visit “A New Springtime” with deanery meetings throughout the diocese. One of the items for discussion will be the shortage of priests we are experiencing. Fr. Jim said he will extend an invitation to council members to our deanery meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at 4:30 PM in the Garden Room.
Fr. Jim led the council in praying the Hail Mary.
The meeting adjourned at 5:45 PM.
Respectfully Submitted
___________________________
Mary Margaret Sitek