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Pastoral Council
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News
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Come, Holy Spirit, and show us Your ways. Guide our parish discernment of those who are called to the ministry of leadership in and through the work of Parish Pastoral Council.Read More -
Parishioners who believe they have the qualifications cited and feel moved by God’s Spirit in prayer to present themselves for consideration are invited to attend one of two information sessions that will provide the opportunity for further formation in the nature, role and function of the Pastoral Council. Those who feel called to this ministry after attending an information session are invited to a group discernment process which will be facilitated by the current Pastoral Council members. Father Bob will attend and, after the discernment session and prayerful consideration, will select the parishioners to serve on the Council. These individuals will be contacted in late-October and asked to attend the Council meeting on November 19, 2025.Read More -
The current Pastoral Council members have faithfully served their term, establishing a vision and plan for our parish. With teams in place to lead the implementation of our near-term priorities – grow in knowledge of our Catholic faith, develop a stronger prayer life, and strengthen engagement of our parish – it is time to identify new members to join our Pastoral Council to support that work and Saints Martha and Mary Parish broadly.Read More -
As we begin the process to rotate members off our Pastoral Council and welcome new members, we would like to thank the current council for their service and identify new members to support the work of Saints Martha and Mary Parish. Throughout the summer, we will be providing information, engaging in conversation, and entertaining questions to identify new members to join our Pastoral Council in this blessed work.Read More -
As the council rotates members and welcomes new ones, the parish thanks current members for their service and seeks new individuals to continue this important work. Over the summer, information will be shared and conversations held to help identify new council members.Read More
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Overview of the Parish Pastoral Council
Formed in Fall 2021, the Parish Pastoral Council at Saints Martha and Mary Parish was established to help the parish fulfill its mission. It began by creating a Pastoral Plan, and now the parish has a clearly defined Vision, Mission, Values, Priorities, and Goals. These guide the parish in becoming a Next Generation Parish, rooted in hospitality, service, prayer, and discipleship.
The Pastoral Council consists of a group of parishioners whose purpose is advisory to and consultative with the pastor, sharing in the responsibility for the temporal and spiritual needs and actions of the parish in accordance with Canon Law and diocesan legislation and regulations.
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MembershipCurrent Pastoral Council Members
- Jim Davis
- Mike Farrell
- Shannon Mesko
- Coleman Myron
- Elaine Szalay
- Mary Weber
- Melanie Whittington
- Sandra DeVincent Wolf
- Sue Babjack - Facilitator
Size of the Council
An appropriate size for our Council is 9–11 members, though that can vary to allow Father Bob the flexibility to include those that he feels have discerned this calling and can effectively contribute to the Council and its purpose.Term Length
Council members are asked to serve a three-year term. The terms will be staggered to allow for succession planning to ensure continuity in the planning process.
The council members are appointed by the pastor and after a time of discernment and training serve a term of three years. They may be appointed for a second three-year term. The functions of the Council are to maintain the integrity of the parish mission statement and the related goals and objectives as set forth in the parish pastoral plan. -
Operations
Meeting Schedule
The Council meets from 7:00 to 9:00 pm on the third Wednesday of each month (except for July [no meeting]). The Council does not meet in November when Thanksgiving falls during the third week. On occasion, when needed, the Council holds additional meetings.
Role of the Council
The Parish Pastoral Council:- Acts as an envisioning team for the Next Generation Parish
- Focuses on implementing new ways of being Church through the synodality process
- Identifies and articulates priorities emerging from the diocesan synod process
- Supports the formation of implementation teams for current and upcoming initiatives
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Relationships
Relationship with the Pastor
The council is a consultative body that advises the pastor.Relationship with the Staff
The staff supports the council’s work and helps implement its vision through action plans and collaboration with volunteers.Relationship with the Finance Council
The Finance Council works in parallel, managing resources to support the vision and mission.Relationship with Committees & Organizations
These groups serve as resources and help implement the council’s vision.Relationship with Parishioners-at-Large
Parishioners are:- Advocates for the council’s vision
- Partners in its realization
- Beneficiaries of its outcomes
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Qualifications
Characteristics of a qualified and effective Council member
Council members should be:
- Fully initiated Catholics who are registered parishioners in good standing with the Church
- At least 18 years old
- Committed to an understanding of the Church that reflects how the universal Church understands herself
- Able to work with others in a group setting
- Open minded
- A good and patient listener
- Creative and imaginative
- Prayerful
- Able to commit the time and energy that is required to support the parish vision and mission, continue to advance its objectives and long-range goals, evaluate progress and refine and/or set new goals that are rooted in prayers, consultation with parishioners & consensus
- Hope-filled for a future that is rooted in God’s presence in our midst
- Enthusiastic about this particular kind of work
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Getting Involved
Contact Information
Inquiries to Pastoral Council can be submitted by email to [email protected]. Emails will be reviewed during the monthly council meetings, and a member of council will respond.