We will take advantage of Fr. Ron’s travel schedule and an early bulletin print deadline to once again use this space to update the parish on the topics addressed at the June Pastoral Council Meeting. Just a reminder, revised cemetery lot and service pricing goes into effect August 1st, 2018. See the parish website/Cemetery Tab for all details. In addition to the cemetery information and the items covered last week, these items were also discussed:

Janitorial Services Needed – Council approved the hiring of a part time janitor. The position would require 24 – 30 hours/week, depending on the activities in and around our facilities. The position does require the mandatory clearances from the diocese. Hours can be flexible. If anyone is interested or could recommend someone, please contact the Parish Office at 724-295-2281. We greatly appreciate the volunteers who have been taking on the various tasks to keep our buildings clean and welcoming to others.

DLA – Goes without saying that the Parishioners of St. Mary’s need to be commended on making this year’s program a success. Along with the financial generosity, the time that people gave to make the pew replacement and new flooring a possibility was a true sign that our parish is healthy and full of good parishioners! The remainder of this year’s projects - the Children’s Learning Center, the church eve repair and the church gutter replacement are underway. Looking ahead for 2019, the projects being considered include:

Vinyl flooring in church side vestibules
Replace the padding on the pews
Replace church carpet in center and side aisles
Phase 1 of the Administrative Center window replacement
Upgrades to the Cemetery Chapel

If you are considering a way to become more involved in our parish, you may want to consider becoming a member of the Pastoral Council. Council is made up of seven to nine members and we follow guidelines set forth by the diocese. There are term limits for council members and this will open up a couple of positions in the fall of this year. Council typically meets 4-6 times/year and is closely involved in several of the church activities. Criteria for candidates:

Be a baptized, practicing Catholic
Be a registered member of St. Mary’s for five years
Be a participant in the ongoing life of the parish, especially Sunday Eucharist
Be at least 21 years of age

 

We are all blessed with talents that we can share to help direct and guide our parish as we grow and continue to be a “Family Parish”. There will be information this fall when the Discernment Process takes place in choosing new members.

Watch for more details in the upcoming weeks as the planning continues for this year’s Parish Picnic at Renshaw Farms on Sunday, September 9th.

Dave Posney
Pastoral Council Facilitator