St. Isidore Parish Pastoral Council

November 10, 2005

Members Attending: Glenn Bunnell, Rev. Richard Butler, Deacon Charles Cornell, Laureen DeBenedetto, Nancy Dome, Jeff LaPlante, Ed Reverdy, Kim Tocci

Members Absent: Rose Colosi, Mark Douglas, Tim Garvin, Carole Makary, Susan Peabody,

Evening Prayer

Minutes: Meeting of October 13^th reviewed.

New Members Welcomed

Laureen DeBenedetto, Carole Makary,

Update from the pastor Distributed.

Vice-chair

Glenn Bunnell was nominated and acclaimed as vice-chair for 2005-2006. Thanks expressed for all that Rose Colosi has done.

Agenda for 2005-06

The purpose of the council is to set vision and shape the general direction of the parish. The council brainstormed the variety of issues that might best be addressed as we look ahead at the present moment.

Among the topics addressed:

Youth. Noted that this is multi-leveled. E.g., middle-schoolers, high-schoolers, young adults. It is also often best approached via collaboration with neighboring parishes- e.g. St. Bridget’s vis-à-vis the middle-schoolers and/or St. Francis vis-à-vis the high schoolers. It also needs two types of leadership: parents who are specifically vested in the concerns of their own and other adults vested in the broader concept of youth leadership.

Census: Who are we? Parish listing of 600 + families seriously outdated. An effort to discern who is who after all the past coming and going of recent years. Not simply getting names but developing a technique of relational contact with the average parishioner. Perhaps small group gatherings (meetings, meals?) (in homes or at church?) through which all can feel a part of who we are and through which we can know who is still with us etc. This could include special outreach to those who got lost between the cracks in these past two years. This could include a new picture directory.

Generations of Faith: In depth reflection on plusses and minuses of this endeavor. How to spread the message better to those who have not signed up. How to get those beyond the parish who are participating to get more fully into parish life. How to meet the needs of those who are uncomfortable with the G o F model.

Micah –The Metrowest Interfaith Congregations Acting for Hope have mobilized about thirty or forty clergy-types of the Route 128-495 / Routes 2/20 area to address common concerns and needs for response to the social gospel. About half a dozen have moved to the second stage engaging the laity so that the congregations can take ownership of the process.

Relationship to neighboring parishes, the region, the archdiocese. This has been radically challenged in the shiftings of the past three years; the coming years will need a clear posturing by all of where we are moving on all of this. The hierarchy needs healing and it is a healing that must be ministered from below; we cannot expect it to come from the top down.

Value seen in all of the above but the majority saw clearly a priority in the issue of gaining a better insight as to Who We Are. Thus, a census via relational groupings etc. This will be the central core of the agenda of coming months.

Review of meeting

Well done.

Next meeting December 8^th

Note this is the holyday; meeting will follow the 7:30 p.m. Mass.