ST. THECLA PARISH COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Sunday, March 23, 2014 Attendees: Father Joe McCarthy, Bob Fanning, Barbara McMorrow, Mary Doller, Steve Dodge, Lorna Rossi, Sue Runne, Jim Neenan, Mary Bower, Howard League, Howard McEachern, Christine Sullivan 7:00 pm Opening Prayer: "Come Holy Spirit", prayed together by all. Minutes from the previous meeting of January 26th: Taken by Sue Runne, were distributed and reviewed by all. Howie League advised that his statement about the collaborative effort should read that he had heard it could go on hold but there is no definite word to that effect. Other minor changes were addressed, the minutes were approved, and Sue said she'd send the revisions to Pat Scampoli. Minutes of the current meeting are being taken by Chris Sullivan. NEW BUSINESS St. Joseph the Worker update: Father Joe gave us an update regarding Fr. Mike Hobson. He will be finishing his tenure at the Assumption parish in Marshfield and will be starting on April 1st as Administrator of St. Joseph the Worker in Hanson. He will continure to hold his position as Regional Vicar concurrently. Fr. Joe reported that Fr. Mike seemed pleased that the Lenten Mission had been scheduled over three nights with the three parishes of Pembroke, Hanson, and Halifax, and that he and Fr. Steve Healey of Our Lady of the Lake plan to participate. Collaborative Plans: It was reported that Ed from the St. Joseph the Worker Parish Council has indicated that he would like to plan another collaborative meeting of the three parishes. Barbara revisited the idea of extending an invitation to Hanson and Halifax to participate in the Parish Council Retreat. She would need numbers of those attending at least 10 days before to give to Miramar. Fr. Joe is open to extending the invitation to Fathers Mike and Steve in a few weeks time. Collections: Bob shared his impression that there were a lot of extra envelopes going out in recent weeks, and wondered if this would seem like too much to parishioners. Much discussion ensued on the topic of how to meet financial needs of the parish without 'wearing people down' with constant requests for extra money. In addition to the Archdiocesan campaign, collections for snow
removal and heating costs were mentioned. Mary Doller felt that most people who pay bills understand that it was a difficult winter that cost everyone more. Jim also felt that people understand, knowing that budgets are a guesstimate, and said he's surprised when there isn't a second collection. It was suggested that the parish could identify and factor in long term projects, and Sue thought it might be good to manage finances better by spreading projected costs out evenly over the course of the year. Howie League said Fr. Hannon had done this as a regular monthly collection for maintenance in Hanson, but Fr. Joe had concerns about spreading costs out. He pointed out that in Southie there are often collections for two items in one basket, but logistics of allocating the money correctly was a concern with that method. He also talked about Protestant models, including going over finances during services and employing agressive outside organizations for fundraising, but didn't favor those because it could turn people off. Howard McEachern suggested grouping collections for maintenance items so there would be less extra envelopes instead of spreading them out. Steve felt that the Grand Annual is supposed to be fulfilling that function. Finance Council: Barbara pointed out that this is a topic that should be fielded by the Finance Council and Bob concurred, stating that we need to recruit more members for Finance. Many were in favor of Fr. Joe extending personal invitations to qualified people to serve in this capacity, rather that a notice in the Bulletin which may attract some who are not as qualified. Parish Council members were asked to recommend names of those we know who may have financial skills. Email Registration: Soup & Bread gatherings on Friday nights during Lent were mentioned by Bob. He indicated that the program is going well and that attendance is good, but that it would be helpful to have updated email addresses to promote events such as this. Lorna asked how the Religious Ed emails to families were working and Howie stated that they were effective in getting the word out to families with children in school. But he added that those families comprise only a third of parishioners and we need to reach other parishioners by email also. It was pointed out that it's too soon for another census, but Barbara would like to see an updated parish registration list. Bob mentioned we could put registration cards with a line for email addresses in the pews again, perhaps in the 2nd week of June. Steve said he'd also like to call attention to the Parish Website, which Pat Scampoli keeps updated, where people can register online. He suggested perhaps putting a recurring notice about the website in the Bulletin. Chris mentioned being at another parish where registration cards were handed out with pens that had parish info printed on them. She felt the pens with website
imprinted could be a long-lasting reminder to parishioners to go online, where they could then register and share their email addresses. Chris is looking into decent quality cost-effective pens or pencils with St. Thecla's logo and website included, and will report findings to the office. Lorna would like to see people invited to bring out their smartphones, perhaps at the end of Mass, and go directly to the website. Mission Statement: The Mission Statement for St. Thecla parish was addressed by Barbara. She referenced a multi-parish symposium she had attended where it was suggested that the Mission Statement should be simplified so that it would be memorable and more utilized by parishioners. Bob stated that it might seem like a slogan if made too concise. Fr. Joe agreed that it wasn't familiar enough with parishioners but that lots of time and energy goes into making a mission statement and it is meaningful. In order to familiarize people with it Chris thought it should be on the website, and it was suggested that perhaps it could be put on cards and handed out by Greeters one Sunday. Status of Parish Council Members: Parish Council elections are on the horizon, possibly to be held in June with newly elected members commencing their terms in September, according to Bob. He is now nearing the end of his second term so isn't eligible to run again for at least a year. Four other members' first terms are expiring so they would need to run again this year and if re-elected would be serving their second three-year terms. Bob informed the council that these members are Steve, Peggy, Matt, and Sue. One or two current members are needed to run the election and they would typically be the newest members of the council. No one has stepped forward at this time. There was some discussion about whether or not to advertise that there would be openings on the council. Some thought we should just extend personal invitations, but many felt it was more fair to call for candidates in the bulletin. Roof Condition: Steve called our attention to the roof of the church, which he says looks dirty despite being recently fixed. Fr.Joe said he had contacted the company that worked on the roof and got prices to clean it that seemed high. The company warned about using the wrong kind of cleaning solutions, which could compromise the finish. Sap in the air from nearby trees seems to be to blame, according to Fr. Joe. He will continue to research the matter.
UNFINISHED/UPDATED BUSINESS Parish Council Retreat: Barbara reported that the Parish Council Evening of Reflection is scheduled for Thursday evening, May 22, 2014 from 6-9:00 at Miramar in Duxbury. She advised the council that it is required by the Archdiocese that parish councils hold at least one meeting a year set aside for spiritual reflection. Deacon Dan Burns will be the presenter, and it was the general consensus that he has done a good job for us in the past. Bob plans to contact him with ideas for topics this year. Dinner will be provided first. An outline of last year's retreat, held on April 27th, 2013, in which Deacon Dan participated along with Fr. Paul Soper, was passed out to council members. Members expressed the hope that the other two councils from Hanson and Halifax would consider joining us for the evening, and Fr. Joe indicated he would follow up on the invitation to them. Fundraiser for the Poor: Sue reported that the Empty Bowl Project was very successful and far exceeded the goal by raising $4300.00. The Knights of Columbus donated use of the hall and also donated money. Sue is currently working with a representative of Food for the Poor to put together a package for a family in the Caribbean to build a house for them, and to provide food and other necessities for a year. Fr. Joe expressed that it was a well-run event from start to finish. He praised the presentation, spiritual quotes, helpers, etc. It was suggested that the parishioners be updated about this effort during Masses, maybe even by showing the video which depicts some of the people who are being helped. The Pottery Place was happy to help with the bowls and would be excited to do it again. It was thought that Howie League may have some photos from the event that could be used in the media to publicize this project. There was applause from the council for Sue and her team. 50th Celebration/Baby Gift: Sue was asked about the progress of the 50th Anniversary plans, and she said that she and Matt Newman are now ready to turn their full attention to that. On another note, she reported that Jessica is due to have a baby girl around the time of the Easter Vigil! A card for parishioners to sign is placed in the front of the church, where she is unlikely to see it. A collection will be taken up for a gift for the baby during the next Coffee Sunday. Evangelization - Greeters: According to Steve Dodge, a Greeters Meeting was held, during which time a handout entitled "Our Greeter Ministry" was distributed. Copies of this were made available to Parish Council members. Steve reports that there are
currently 13 greeters signed up but we could use more. A poster is being planned to advertise what greeters do and how to sign up. It was suggested that greeters would be a great addition to the Triduum and other Holy Days, as well as regular Masses. Barbara demonstrated a magnetic board which will be placed in the 'cry room' so greeters can store their name badges there. Then they can greet at the spur of the moment, rather than being scheduled. Greeters are encouraged to arrive 15 minutes early. Jim commented that people are reacting to being greeted in a surprisingly positive way. Steve feels that it sets a nicer tone. Funeral: Fr. Joe informed the council that long-time parishioner and former Selectman John Ahearn has passed away. His funeral Mass is to be held on Thursday, March 27th. What does the Pastor need to know?: Bob wanted to share two topics without discussion under this category. First, he is concerned about the very low attendance at the 8:00 Mass. Second, he noted that there was no daily Mass for almost a week recently, and felt that when that occurs there should be some explanation to parishioners. Upcoming Meeting Dates: The next parish council meeting will be Sunday, May 18th, at 7:00 pm. Minutes are to be taken by Mary Bower. Closing Prayer: Mission Statement - read by all.