St. Lucy Pastoral Council

March 9, 2024 9:00 a.m. St. Lucy Parish

Attendees:	Mary Lynn Bedell (Co-Chair), Stacey Walsh (Secretary), Greg Pitts, Michelle Andrews and Kathryn LaLonde
Ex Officio:	Fr. Thomas Vathappallil (Pastoral Council President) Larry Jansen (Trustee), John Csepella (Trustee)
Excused:	Marty Navarro (Chair), Lydia Vela and Dawn Tierney
Unexcused:	Jim Nondorf

Mary Lynn led the opening prayer and the meeting started at 9:02 a.m.

Review and approval of January 27, 2024 meeting minutes.  There being no updates, the January 27, 2024 meeting minutes were confirmed:

 

·         Motion to approve – Michelle Andrews

·         Seconded –   Kathryn LaLonde

 

 

Minutes

Agenda item:

Pastor’s Report – Fr. Thomas

Discussion:

Fr. Thomas mentioned that this is a very busy time of year for him. 

A letter was sent out regarding the upcoming changes to the parishes in the Racine Deanery and Dodge County.  The letter has generated a lot of questions from members of St. Lucy and St. Sebastian.  Some of the changes will take place around mid-June.  The Archdiocese and four representatives from the parishes are scheduled to meet monthly regarding the changes that are happening.  One concern that has been raised is regarding the mass schedule at St. Lucy and St. Sebastian.  Over the next year, the mass schedule will be studied, and based on attendance and location/geography, decisions will be made.  No changes will be made to mass schedules until December 2024.  The St. Lucy Pastoral Council will continue to meet for approximately one more year.    

There are lenton activities happening around the parish such as an all-day reconciliation, stations of the cross, and fish fries.  Mass attendance has increased a bit which is very positive.   

Agenda item:

Finance Report – Larry Jansen/John Csepella

Discussion:

The budget is due June 15, 2024.  For the most part it will remain the same.  There won’t be any changes until next year.  The Legacy Fund through December 2023 was good.  It has $67,000 in gains and $28,500 in contributions.   

Agenda item:

Prayer and Worship – Dawn Tierney

Discussion:

Nothing to report.      

 

Agenda item:

Christian Formation – Lydia Vela

Discussion:

Nothing to report.

 

Agenda item:

Human Concerns – Mary Lynn Bedell

Discussion:

Toiletry Collection – Gina Derderian.  The distribution of collected toiletries has unfortunately gone down in the last couple of years.  Typically, we have one donation a year to Halo, and a donation every other month provided at St Vincent de Paul meal and a donation provided to St Norbert’s college in Green Bay.

 

Community Needs – Pat McLeod. The Community Needs fund helps us assist parishioners, and at times, non-parishioner requests for gas or grocery cards, minimal rental assistance, etc.  

 

Helping Hands Food Pantry – Pat McLeod.  This falls under Community Needs.  Donations continue to come in weekly through the specials envelopes which are included in the quarterly envelope packets which are sent out.  The fund does assist with the special purchases required for the Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter baskets distributed by the food pantry; this usually totals a thousand dollars a couple of times per year.  We share/alternate this expense with St. Sebastians Human Concerns fund. 

 

Education Fund – Pat McLeod.  Donations from the special envelopes help maintain/grow this fund.  We do not receive a large number of requests, although Siena Schools does reach out periodically to see if we can assist with a St. Lucy Family.  We also use this fund to help families attending our CCD/Confirmation programs.  We normally get 6-8 requests per year from this area.  Due to minimal fees, $80-$225 per family based on the number of children, the dollars we expend are not that great. 

 

Agenda item:

Stewardship – Michelle Andrews

Discussion:

Michelle was in touch with Pat McLeod regarding volunteer needs.  Pat will coordinate volunteer information and will add some ideas including the festival, fish fries and our Fellowship Committee. 

 

Michelle was also in touch with Laurie Feiler regarding new parishioners.  Michelle will coordinate a welcome for new parishioners and forward stewardship opportunities to them.    

 

Agenda item:

School – Kathryn LaLonde

Discussion:

St. Lucy has an adult trivia night on Saturday, March 23^rd.  The event is open to St. Lucy school and parish families.    

 

Agenda item:

Deanery – Jim Nondorf

Discussion:

Nothing to report.

 

Agenda item:

Adjournment

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:35 a.m.

 

·         Motion to approve – Michelle Andrews

·         Seconded –  Greg Pitts

 

Marty led the closing prayer.

 

The next Pastoral Council meeting is scheduled for May 11, 2024 at 9:00 a.m.  

 

Respectfully Submitted:

Stacey Walsh