ST. THERESA CATHOLIC CHURCH PASTORAL COUNCIL
MEETING
JANUARY 21, 2010
When the Pastoral Council of
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus convened for its January
21, 2010 meeting, our Pastor, Fr. Thomas Vellappallil,
and members Mike Field, Keith Ellender, Craig Louviere
and Bo Finnie were present. Vice Chairperson Mike Field
called the meeting to order and asked Craig Louviere to
lead the opening prayer. Then the minutes from the
November meeting were accepted.
The Pastor’s Comments:
Fr. Thomas said that the Parish Renewal Day was a
success, according to feedback from the 60 parishioners
who participated. All seemed to enjoy the guest speaker,
Fr. Whitney Miller, and Fr. Thomas plans to make it a
yearly event. He also noted that most of the new parish
directories have been distributed to those who had their
pictures taken. The remaining directories will be sold
for $10 each. Fr. Thomas was pleased to announce the
success of the Live Nativity on December 18, which was
attended by over 200 people. For next year, he hopes to
vary the theme, perhaps have it outdoors if weather
permits, possibly have a “drive-through” and advertise
more. Also, Fr. Thomas said he is one step closer to
hiring a Part time Music Minister, now that the
interviews have been completed by the interview
committee.
Unfinished Business from
Listening Sessions and Pastoral Council Meetings:
Because Bo Finnie is completing her term on the Pastoral
Council and she has served as secretary the past 8 years
and a member for 6 of those years, she studied all of
the minutes from those years and compiled an outline of
what she considered was Unfinished Business (following
the format of the Listening Sessions Summary) and Other
Suggestions for Pastoral Council Meetings. She presented
these handouts to those present in hopes that these
issues will be addressed. Bo said that she does not want
to be negative but that she hopes this is informative
and serves as an update for the newly elected members
and as a reminder for the other members. These pages are
submitted for future reference.
Grief Support Group:
Mike Field said that Danny Miller, who works with the
State Police and Odyssey Hospice, will help someone from
our parish set up a grief support group. Fr. Thomas said
he will put an article in the bulletin to find a leader.
Bo Finnie volunteered to help with the counseling.
Support Group for Singles,
Divorced and Separated Catholics: Fr. Thomas
said some people would like to have activities for
single, divorced and separated parishioners. Bo Finnie
said that there is a group in the diocese and workshops
listed in the bulletin periodically. Looking back
through past bulletins, she found three names for Fr.
Thomas to contact: Janet Lowery (217-0755), Georgette
Roy (824-3197) and Sharon Doise (824-3890).
Traveling Chalice:
Fr. Thomas showed us the beautiful Traveling Chalice
that Eddie Taylor had made. Now Fr. Thomas wants to
write a prayer to go with it and get a case for safe
carrying. He will explain it in the bulletin and then
have families sign up for having the Chalice in their
homes to pray for vocations for a week.
Parish Lenten Mission:
On March 1, 2 and 3, at 6:30 PM, Fr. Herbert May will
give a parish Lenten Mission. He will celebrate the
weekend Masses on February 27 and 28 to encourage people
to attend the mission.
Diocesan Penance Night:
At 5 PM on March 25, we will have a Diocesan Penance
Night at St. Theresa and all churches west of the river.
Fr. Thomas will try to get a few other priests to come
here.
ACTS Retreat: The
ACTS Retreat is scheduled for April 29-May 2. Tom Romero
is the co-director from our parish, and Fr. Thomas meets
with him and the team from OLQH on Mondays. Several from
OLQH will attend Mass this Sunday, January 24, and sing
with the choir. Soon there will be a Commissioning Mass
for the ACTS sponsors. On March 7, Fr. Thomas will
announce the retreat from the pulpit.
January
2010
Page 2 Men’s Bible Study: Fr. Thomas was pleased
to announce that 23 men attended the first Men’s Bible
Study. Keith Ellender said that they had a lively
discussion.
Forty Hour Adoration:
On Ash Wednesday, February 17, and ending at midnight on
Thursday, February 18, we will have a Forty Hour
Adoration. There will be sign-up sheets in the church to
make sure all time slots are filled.
Blessing of Married Couples:
At the 4 PM Mass on March 13, Fr. Thomas will honor
married couples with a special blessing. He will focus
his homily on the sacredness of family and a small
reception will follow.
Parish Hall Repairs and
Maintenance: Fr. Thomas said that the floor
tiles in the hall, possibly the original floor, are
loose and in bad shape. He had a bid from Stines for
$6438.79 to remove the old tile in the main area and
replace it with commercial grade vinyl. He will get more
bids. Since the floors in the classrooms also need to be
replaced, we agreed that he should get some bids for
this work, also. The ceilings in the classrooms need to
be repaired or replaced. The kitchen needs to be
repainted so Fr. Thomas asked Justin to do it.
Mardi Gras Steak Dinner and
Crew Mass: The Mardi Gras Steak Dinner and Dance
will be Saturday, February 6 at 6 PM. The price is $35
each or $65 a couple. Fr. Thomas will celebrate a Crew
Mass on February 14 at 2 PM.
Pastoral Council Election:
To replace outgoing Pastoral Council members Craig
Louviere, Keith Ellender and Bo Finnie, 340 ballots were
casted and eight parishioners were nominated.
Congratulations to Shannon Castille, Keith Ellender (who
ran for re-election) and Spencer Anderson. Thanks also
to the others nominees: Susan Broussard, Shelly Mathews,
Mitzi Spears, Bill Stetz and Carol Stroderd.
Financial Statement:
Fr. Thomas said that the financial statement would be
discussed next meeting because the new computer is in
the process of being set up. He said that the $50,000
from the Bon Ton Festival has been applied to the loan.
Receptionist Job: Fr.
Thomas reported that 8 people have applied for the
position of part time receptionist. Keith Ellender, Ann
Anderson and Bo Finnie will interview them and recommend
the top two or three to Fr. Thomas.
Radio Maria: Fr.
Thomas showed us a letter from Bishop Provost announcing
the Catholic radio station, 91.1 FM, Radio Maria, under
the direction of David Vacheresse.
Diocesan 30th
Anniversary Banquet: The Diocese of Lake Charles
will celebrate its 30 year anniversary with a Gala
Banquet on April 24 at 6 PM. Fr. Thomas has six tickets
to sell at $100 each.
Pest Control: Fr.
Thomas reported that they have evidence of rats in the
parish hall. He has gotten as estimate for $45 a month
for pest control. We all agreed that it was a necessary
and immediate expense.
Appreciation for Outgoing
Pastoral Council Members: Mike Field very
graciously thanked outgoing members Craig Louviere and
Bo Finnie for their service to the Pastoral Council. Fr.
Thomas asked them to attend the February meeting to
offer support for the new members.
Keith Ellender said the closing
prayer. The next meeting will be on Tuesday,
February 9 at 6:30 PM in the Office Complex. Fr.
Thomas is going to treat us to pizza!
Sincerely,
Bo Finnie
