St. Sebastian Parish Pastoral Council Meeting

St. Sebastian Parish Pastoral Council Meeting Minutes of the January 21, 2009 Meeting

Members in Attendance: _ X_ Anne Anderson X Linda Beringer _X Ernie Fournier __ _ Matt Heinle _X Mark Holaday _X Peg Klamert _ Tony Mastromatteo _ X Chris Minear, X Barb Neman, _X__ Jeff Sheeks _ X Micki Trenta __X Matt Wyszynski X Father John Valencheck

Opening Prayer: Mark Holaday

Minutes of the December 1, 2009 Meeting: Approved ______

CALL TO ORDER and OPENING PRAYER  Chairman, Chris Minear opened the meeting at 7:00 by thanking the Beringer’s for their hospitality in December for the dinner meeting at their home. He also congratulated Mark Holaday who is the new VP and will become the next Parish Council Chairman in July and Ernie Fournier who will be the Vice President starting in July.

PASTOR’S REPORT Father Valencheck reported on the following items:  The Bishop has approved the use of Forest Lodge for the parish; now the Mayor is considering whether the parish can use this facility.  There will not be a tuition raise for parishioners; but there will be one for non-parishioners.  A new Bible Study is beginning this week, as well as a new Men’s Group on Saturday mornings.  The Mission which just concluded was somewhat successful and was a good effort with St. Vincent Parish.  The parish is hosting a Youth Retreat the weekend of January 29-30.  Dates are being scheduled for the recommissioning of the Extraordinary Ministers of Communion.  A $10,000 donation has been made towards the repair of the brick parking lot; it will cost about 10X that amount to redo the lot.  Financially, the parish is keeping up with the bills; however, there is still an operational deficit.  Inquiries are being made regarding the refinishing of the church pews; they may be done in small groups.  Consideration is being given to having an evening Mass during the week, possibly on Monday and Friday. This would occur after St. Mary parish closes in June. Also being considered is having a Youth Mass on the weekend.  Information about the hospitals was shared and the need for parishioners to indicate their religious affiliation when they register so that a priest can contact them while they are in the hospital. Father said he would also put this information in the weekly bulletin.  There is a new parish calendar in place that will be a comprehensive source for all information and scheduling. It will be accessible on the website.  Father Swirski recently had surgery and is recovering.  The K of C was thanked again for insulating the roof of the church. The difference was noticeable during the winter as the church stayed warmer and the snow stayed on the roof.  The walkway from the rectory to the school has tarps up to protect the area and for safety reasons. If it proves effective this winter, steps will be considered to improve it for the future.  Father Valencheck will be on retreat the week of January 25th.  Other topics mentioned were the possibilities of having an occasional Latin Mass and the need to encourage our parishioners’ attendance at the annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service.  Father Valencheck also mentioned that he would be attending a meeting with the Bishop related to the Diocesan Fund Raising idea. FINANCE UPDATE  Chris Minear reported for Tony that the School Choice Ohio (voucher program) group met and that St. Sebastian has chosen not to participate in the program at this time.  Tuition has not been raised for parishioners, but the registration fee has been raised $25.00. The actual cost for educating a student is listed as $5200.  A Senior Fair is coming up that will deal with senior issues.  HASA bylaws have been redone and this should resolve the earlier problems that the group had.  Currently, finances are in good shape. MARKETING UPDATE  Micki Trenta reported that the Marketing committee has been meeting on a regular basis and they are currently getting ready for the January Open House for Catholic Schools Week. There was also a Kindergarten Information session on January 7th that was organized by the group with the help of the teachers involved. The marketing committee has finalized their purpose and goals and is pursuing the recommendations of the committee. They have a dynamic group of members who are passionate about marketing the school as well as the parish.

OLD BUSINESS  Donut Sundays in December and January were successful. The goal now is to get groups to sign up to sponsor a month for the remainder of the year. PPC members were asked to contact their groups and generate some interest in getting commitments for this idea. The Parish Foundation will do February; Christ Child Society will do October. It was mentioned that this would also be a good way for a group to advertise its activity, recruit members, etc. Barb Neman agreed to keep the Donut Sunday calendar.  Chris Minear reminded everyone that April 16th is the new parishioner Welcome Dinner. He asked all members to save the date and plan to attend. Father also mentioned that Larry Furman discussed the idea of having a Parish Neighborhood Block concept as part of a welcoming idea for new parishioner and he is willing to work on this idea. Linda Beringer shared the information that the parish used to have this idea and will give the booklet of information to Father.

COMMISSION REPORTS  Altar Servers – there is a new group of servers currently being trained.  Transportation – A new chairperson is still needed for this committee.  Spiritual Life – It was brought to our attention that when a concern is shared that it is important to follow- up directly with a response to the person posing the question/concern once an answer is given. To the earlier inquiry about the use of the suggestion box: there is a box next to the usher’s room. Father checks it periodically. However, no letter is read or responded to unless it is signed.  Tom and Marge Burkley are again handling the annual retreats. The men’s retreat is on Palm Sunday, The women’s retreat is in April. Loyola of the Lakes is no longer a Jesuit retreat house; but a Benedictine one and has been renamed, Loyola Retreat House.  Social Justice – Mark Holaday will be attending their meeting next week.  School – Chris Minear reported for Matt W. The Principal Advisory Council (PAC) has established a preliminary mission statement and bylaws. The principal has veto power. There are three issues that the school is currently dealing with: dress code; volunteer hours; and putting the envelope in the collection each weekend.  Parish Socials – This is a new group that has been created to create friendships and build unity in the parish. It was decided to include it in the Parish Life Section of the commission list. Barb Neman will add it to her contact list. NEW BUSINESS  Nomination forms will be in the pews the weekend of February 13-14. Various members accepted times when they would assist with the Masses that weekend. March 13-14 will be the information weekend after all the Masses in McDonough Library for those who were nominated. Saturday, April 10th will be the Discernment meeting.  The next PPC meeting will be on February 18, 2010 at 7:00 at the Rectory. This date is a week earlier than usual because the Lenten Communal Penance service is scheduled at St. Sebastian on February 25.

CLOSING PRAYER: Barb Neman

Next Meeting: February 18, 2010, 7:00 at the Rectory Opening Prayer: Jeff Sheeks Closing Prayer: Ernie Fournier

Minutes submitted by: Micki Trenta, Parish Pastoral Council Secretary