Pastoral Council Minutes Summary

January – April, 2008

·        Finance Activities

o       Approval of Finance Committee’s Policy related to Parish purchases;

o       Immaculate Conception donated $25,000 to St. Catherine of Alexandria Academy;

o       Clarification and approval of the St. Catherine bidding process, and;

o       Bingo

§          Options to increase number of workers discussed.

·        School Activities

o       A portable sound system was purchased by the Alumni Association, for the school to use, but will remain the property of the Alumni Association;

o       Tuition will increase by 2%, but is still the lowest in the Archdiocese;

o       St. Catherine Boy Scouts of America Pack 996 moved back to the school building and new Troop formed, and;

o       The school fundraiser, “Super Raffle,” was a huge success raising $72,000 with an additional $2,500 from the St. Valentine Dance.

·        Maintenance Activities

o       Replacement of gym windows;

o       Reminder signs to turn off lights, placed in gym to conserve energy;

o       Reader Board and St. Catherine’s main sign are now on a light sensor;

o       Chapel roof in need of replacement, on hold until spring due to weather.  (The roof is not leaking at this time; however the insurance company recommended that it be replaced);

o       Regular maintenance schedule established;

o       Relocation of small shed, and;

o       Mowing contract granted.

·        Picnic Activities

o       Picnic Capital Prize approval (1st-$3,000, 2nd-$1500, 3rd-$500);

o       Raffle tickets mailed;

o       Hams purchased;

o       Coordination of booth workers, and;

o       Gaming license in.

·        Knights of Columbus Activities

o       Coordination of the “Super Raffle”;

o       Knights of Columbus signs placed at all the entrances to New Haven;

o       Reader Board donated for advertising parish events, placed in front of St. Catherine;

o       Lenten Friday Fish Fries;

o       Monthly Sunday breakfasts;

o       Monthly Sunday evening social after the Holy Hour;

o       Reception after Fr. Joel Roger’s Lenten presentation;

o       Serve as Eucharistic Guards at the 10AM Mass at St. Catherine, and;

o       Several state awards received.

·        Parish Nursing Program Activities

o       Program started, with: 

o       Monthly health newsletter insert in bulletin;

o       Monthly blood pressure checks at the Knights of Columbus breakfasts;

o       Possibility of exercise group (need an instructor), and;

o       Possibility of walking group for the summer.

·        Pastoral Life Development Activities

o       Training for school children to be lectors at the school Mass;

o       Stewardship;

o       Painting the sanctuary at St. Catherine, with Pastoral Council approval;

o       Lenten Stations every Friday;

o       Sunday reflections during Lent;

o       Community lunches visitor sign-in process started;

o       Catholic Extension Society’s “Adopt a South-Eastern Parish” program participation to begin.  Pastoral Council approved to adopt St. Joseph the Worker Mission, in Elkhorn, KY;

o       Holy Week (Triduum) opportunities;

o       Religious education for both parishes held at Immaculate Conception;

o       Nine parishioners (four from each parish, plus one from Archdiocese lottery) went to Papal Mass in New York on April 20, 2008, and;

o       Private donor match fundraiser of $15,000 started.

·        Other Activities

o       Committees’ memberships published in bulletin;

o        Summary of Pastoral Council Minutes published in the bulletin and the website;

o       Archdiocese Capital Campaign to start in the fall of 2008, and;

o       Special combined meeting of the Pastoral Council and its subcommittees held April 24th, 2008 to address committee members’ roles, responsibilities, and codes of conduct.