Reforming our Parish Council
We recently finished the process of getting down to 9 at-large members for our unified St. Maximilian Kolbe Pastoral Council. This does not include ex-officio members such as myself and the trustees.
The Pastoral Council is an advisory body that assists the Pastor in identifying and understanding important matters that affect the life of the Parish, gathering the thoughts and ideas of the community and discuss them with the Pastor as together they seek the good of the Parish. This includes but is not limited to the following areas:
encouraging active participation in Parish prayer and liturgies;
promoting catechesis and evangelization for parishioners of all ages;
fostering Catholic family life;
encouraging community outreach;
encouraging the performance of spiritual and corporal works of mercy;
strengthening relationships with the diocesan Bishop and Church.
Under the direction of the pastor and in cooperation with the Parish staff, the Pastoral Council assists in:
discerning the strengths and needs of the Parish community;
developing and maintaining a Parish mission statement;
engaging in ongoing strategic planning;
assisting in the establishment of pastoral goals, priorities and action plans for the Parish;
assisting in the formation of Parish policies concerning pastoral matters;
fostering communication among different parish entities;
evaluating programs and processes.
The initial 9 at-large members were selected from among the pre-existing Councils for each church.
For St. Patrick:
Patty Clemens (1-year term)
Audrey Prieve (3-year term)
For St. Michael:
Barb Taylor (2-year term)
Jesse Ripp (3-year term)
For St. John the Baptist:
Bob Sachtjen (1-year term)
Dennis Hampton (2-year term)
Pam Whalen (3-year term)
For St. Mary of the Lake:
Dan O’Donnell (1-year term)
Charlotte Wagner (2-year term)
In the future, a nomination and election process will take place on an annual basis as terms come to and end and there are vacant positions to fill.
