St. John Pastoral Council Meeting September 13, 2004 The meeting was opened with the reading of Sunday’s Gospel, readings and responsorial psalm. We prayed and discussed our thoughts on the readings. Msgr. Art led us in prayer. Council members in attendance: Ralph Arnold, John Bryan, Jeannie Carbo, Denise Diegel, Tom Greene, Terry Jones, Becky Martin, Peggy Rager, Joe Rankin, Fran Rock, Paul Rock, Pat Scheper, Janet Tenney, Frank Tontala, Steve Torbeck, Dawn Walsh Council members absent: Mike Oster, Clolita Williams Staff in Attendance: Msgr. Art Valenzano, Fr. Brian Nolan, Pat Brink, Seminarian Jhun Abila Guests: Krista Kneisler, Tom Witmer PARISHONER CONCERNS: Frank Tontala mentioned that a parishioner was concerned that they received two $20 requests for “The Catholic Review”. Msgr. Art said that parishioners are encouraged to pay at least once. Becky Martin said that some parishioners did not like the distribution of flyers on cars. Do we have a policy? Msgr. Art will address that issue. John Bryan indicated that some people were upset by mothers nursing their babies during Mass. The liturgy committee will address that issue. Tom Greene addressed the A/C problem at a recent Mass. Terry Jones said that it wasn’t working on that day, but there will be times when there are less than ideal conditions because it is a very complicated system. Tom Greene reported that a group of St. John school parents met with Msgr. Art, Tom and Tom Witmer (School Board President). As a result, a school board member will attend every Pastoral Council Meeting and Tom Greene will attend the school board meetings. Pat Brink is aware of the concerns of the parents and will be addressing those concerns. OLD BUSINESS: Highlights of the Strategic Planning Meeting – Tom Greene mentioned that the committees set goals/objectives for the next 5 years. He emphasized that the committees should be committed to 3 factors: Who will do the work, When will it be done and Accountability. Update on Signage and Landscaping – Terry Jones reported that the contract for the Route 140 sign has been finalized. It will cost $8-$9000; the Advertising Company will contribute $4000. The project will be completed in 4 weeks. The rest of the signs on campus will be an ongoing improvement project. Professional landscapers will work on the rest of the campus. Update on Renovation of Old Church – Terry reported that the contract documents are 50% complete; the rest of the documents will be complete in 3 weeks. At that time we will have a hall manager on board part time. We will start construction on November 15th with tentative completion by April 15, 2005. A bookstore will be in the new hall. Long Term Service Award – John Bryan deferred to the Liturgy Committee who will schedule a volunteer mass where the award will be given; Joe Rankin will follow-up. Outreach & Evangelization – Frank Tontala reported that the nursery recently purchased new pagers for parents to take to church and has hired a paid babysitter. There is some confusion about the census card; Msgr. Art will look into revision of the card. The Outreach part of the committee has 3 goals for the New Year. 1. To grow and sustain the healthcare ministry 2. Expand our outreach to the poor 3. Grow the Hispanic Ministry, integrating them with the rest of the St. John population. The Evangelization group has 3 goals as well. 1. Reaching out to the unchurched 2. Strengthening marriage and family life 3. Improving communications to our parishioners about the many ministries available to them. Religious Education – Becky Martin reported on a new initiative; Religious Education held a Parents Only Orientation for the first time this year and it was received well. It is the 10th anniversary of Life Teen; the national director will be here in October. The goals of the committee are as follows: 1. Continue to emphasize faith formation 2. Try to reach more people in the parish in the area of faith formation 3. To review the effects of the growing Religious Education program in terms of class size, facilities and teachers. School Report – Pat Brink said that the theme for this year is “Make me an instrument of your peace”. The staff will be trained in the area of conflict management. There will also be a “Steps to Respect Program” to teach kids to be more effective peacemakers, respect each other and work together as a team. The Power School program will give parents access to grades 24/7. Next year the school will be evaluated for re-accreditation by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; this year the school will be involved in a self-study which will result in a strategic plan for the next 10 years. With 531 students in the school and 29.5 students per class; there is a 7% drop in enrollment this year. Pat indicated that this is in line with other schools in the Archdiocese. Msgr. Art said that there is a serious decline in enrollment at city schools, but Sacred Heart in Glyndon has experienced an increase. With tuition at $3700, Pat reported that 50% of the students who withdrew can be attributed to either moving or a decrease in finances; some families are choosing schools in Pennsylvania because they are as much as 60% cheaper. This year we had 64 children who graduated and 54 enrolled in kindergarten; Pat referenced a trend in families sending children to public school for kindergarten. Dawn Walsh asked about a Catholic high school in Carroll County; Msgr Art indicated that the idea is being investigated. Development - No report Liturgy – Joe Rankin said there will be a Healthcare & Liturgical Ministers Evening of Recollection on Sept. 20th at McDaniel College lounge; the focus will be on improving personal prayer. Tom Greene distributed a handout from Fr. Leo concerning changes in the mass and liturgical schedule. All comments should be forwarded to Fr. Leo or Tom Greene. Management & Finance – Paul Rock commented that this has been a year of transition for the church, but we exceeded revenue targets. We will be doing things differently now because of larger events and revenue from the new Fellowship Hall. Paul also reported on the St. John Building Fund; we will eventually have to pay the “advances” from contractors; the advance from the Archdiocese is about $544,000. In the old church, we have spent $92,000 towards a $2 million renovation. We don’t have a mortgage yet, but we are looking into it. The committee predicts that our debt will end in 2010. The committee’s mission is to ensure that the parish has enough financial resources to be able to carry out its work without placing undue strain on its people, and without becoming preoccupied with financial matters at the expense of ministry. NEW BUSINESS St. John School Board Report – Tom Witmer mentioned that the board has gone through some dramatic changes recently. The Archdiocese has recommended a new organizational structure. Goals and objectives for the board will be finalized by October. Also, an ad hoc committee will begin planning for all day kindergarten in 2007. The nature of the board will be changing with a reduction in the number of parents, more diversity, and probably an end to legacy members. The group would like to be more integrated with the Pastoral Council. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Sr. Bernadette will soon go to Milwaukee to spend time with family. Fr. Gerard is doing well. The parish is encouraging voter registration. “Right to Life” Sunday is the First Sunday in October. On November 22nd and 23rd, a priest will speak at masses to encourage participation in Perpetual Adoration. Meeting adjourned. Submitted by Peggy Rager, Recording Secretary