St. Isidore Parish Pastoral Council

April 14, 2005

Members Attending: Glenn Bunnell, Rev. Richard Butler, Deacon Charles Cornell, Nancy Dome, Jeff LaPlante, Susan Peabody, John Sangermano, Kim Tocci

Members Absent: Rose Colosi, Ann DeCristofaro, Mark Douglas, Tim Garvin, Kathleen King,

Evening Prayer

Minutes: Minutes of February 10^th reviewed, accepted. The March meeting had been cancelled.

Update from the pastor

Distributed.

The Prayer Service for the Conclave will be at 7:00 p.m. Sunday April 17^th at St. Elizabeth’s.

Reconfiguration

We are still “in limbo”.

It seems clear that early suggested deadlines will not be met.

Questions discussed as to what Sr. Janet will be looking for in visiting. For one thing, there will be the on-site presence – the first since reconfiguration was announced. Another element will be general updating of data. In this regard, a visit to the planning board by the pastor April 8^th indicated that the projected new housing in Stow has more than doubled since we reported last – (ten months ago).

Generations of Faith

This continues to be encouraging. (Archbishop Séan mentioned this specifically earlier today in his looking over the archdiocese.) Attendance had normal dips with the weather etc. in the winter but overall is holding up.

The concern at the last meeting on the K-5 activity is being addressed.

The major problem we have had is the loss of the high school youth with the confirmation preparation being taken out of our hands this past year. We will be programming a full confirmation preparation program here in the parish next September.

Suggestion for a possible July/August programming of Generations of Faith is being pursued..

Planning the future

This past year has been hampered significantly as we have allowed the ambiguity of on-again / off-again reconfiguration plans to control our planning.

After some discussion it was agreed that we will now plan a full coming year and address any interruption of it vis-à-vis reconfiguration only when we have clear definitive factors.

Council election

The spring election for the P. P. C. was one of the victims of this on-again / off-again interruption. At this hour it would seem best to plan now for an early September election, Suggestions for the nominating process will be announced in the upcoming parish bulletin.

New Business

A newsletter will be prepared shortly; Spring Newsletter had been held up with the on-again / off-again interruption.

In the light of the plan to move ahead more fully, we may consider summer meetings of the P. P. C.

Fr. Butler thanked all for their patience.