NORTH AMERICAN MARTYRS PASTORAL COUNCIL
Meeting Minutes
Meeting started at 7:05 PM.
Members Present: Fr. Tom Luisi, Presider, Marian Elder, Facilitator, Barbara Lyskava, Convener, Daniel Marston, Secretary, Tom Best, Ernie Demunari, Ruthann Valentine, Jim Manner and Mike Best.
Members Absent: Ed Martony and Patrick Worms.
Fr. Luisi made opening remarks. He then led the group in study of a gospel passage with particular focus on how the passage could help guide the members of Pastoral Council in their work.
There was then an update given on the Envisioning Ministry meetings. Town Hall meetings are scheduled for November 7 at St. Michael and November 8 at North American Martyrs to discuss proposals from the Envisioning Ministry team. Fr. Luisi then discussed how the goal of these meetings will be to update parishioners on proposals from the team and allow parishioners the opportunity to give feedback about the proposals. He then asked that members of Pastoral Council be available to greet parishioners and help out for at least one of these meetings.
Following Fr. Luisi’s remarks regarding the upcoming Town Hall meetings, members of Pastoral Council then engaged in a lengthy discussion of how to make the best use of these meetings and also how to help address the concerns that parishioners have already expressed about the possible merger between St. Michael and North American Martyrs Parishes. This discussion made up a large part of the meeting and addressed a number of issues that will likely be addressed again, during or after the Town Hall meetings.
Fr. Luisi then talked about his recent discussion with the youth minister at St. Bernadette Parish regarding the possibility of allowing youth from North American Martyrs and St. Michael Parishes to use the youth ministry facilities at that parish. This would be to help address the recent departure of the youth minister at North American Martyrs and the lack of resources at this point to hire a new youth minister for just this parish. Members of Pastoral Council then discussed this issue and offered some suggestions for how best to address the issue of youth ministry at the parish.
Plans were then discussed for putting Pastoral Council meetings on hold until the work of the Envisioning Ministry team has progressed further. No additional meetings for Pastoral Council were scheduled at the end of this meeting.
Meeting ended at 9:45 PM.