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Holy Name Roman Catholic Church |
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HARD AT WORK FOR THE PARISH |
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Current members of the Holy Name Parish Council: Front row, left to right: Sr. Margie McGuire, Theresa Scanlan, Beth McGregor. Back row: Chris Oravec, Brian Bracken, Father Mark Reid, Doug Tusing, Kerry McCulley and Msgr. Gaus. Not present for photo: Pat McMullen, Joe Ridgeley, Jennifer Bopp. |
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What is a Parish Council, and what does it do? Working closely with Msgr. Gaus and under his guidance,
this group of nine members (six elected, three appointed) is primarily attentive to the spiritual growth and needs of
Holy Name Parish. The Parish Council is deliberately composed of members
who are representative of the various age groups that compose our parish, and so
are better able to reflect and advance the spiritual life of this community.
Following our parish-wide self study a few years ago, five initiatives emerged
which the Parish Council was then asked to prioritize and begin to address.
These five initiatives were:
As an initial response to these five initiatives, years ago the Parish Council was instrumental in hiring Sr. Margie as Coordinator of Evangelization and Adult Ministries. As a result, many adult programs on scripture, spirituality and Catholic faith have been offered here, with Holy Name effectively becoming a center of hospitality for surrounding parishes as well. Various Parish-based faith sharing groups have been cultivated and the RCIA process and "Welcome Home, Catholics" have become part of our ongoing evangelizing efforts. An Outreach Committee was formed to tend to special needs in the parish, including a bereavement support group. A Liturgy Committee was been established to provide ongoing training and support for the many, many liturgical ministries that serve our parish family so well each time we gather to worship. The Parish Council also established the "Spread The Word" Information Committee, which, among other things, is responsible for documenting and promoting Parish events through the media, church bulletin boards and the Parish website. Bulletin board displays also serve as an ongoing permanent historical archive of Holy Name events. The fifth and final initiative addressed by the Parish Council with the the founding of the APEX Youth Group for high school students and the Youth Activity Committee for younger students. The future of our Parish lies with the younger members, and Msgr. Gaus and the Council members have long shared a deep concern for the spiritual needs of the young people of our Parish families. The groundwork has been laid by previous Parish Councils in preparation for the establishment and maintenance of a strong youth program. The current Parish Council will continue to keep this developing ministry as a focus of attention at their monthly, and we ask for the supportive prayers of the entire parish as well. |
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