Joe Martonik reported on the Health Fair of 11/8/08.

1. For the Friday set-up help came from the Confirmation class members and several scouts accompanied by Rick Zelazny.
2. Saturday, over 400 flu shots were administered.
3. Many vendors were present to talk of their health related service and to hand out literature.
4. Free will offerings came to $1360.
5. St. Joe and St. James parishes also contributed and attended.
6. Many helpers but Barb Stopperich deserves a special thanks for all that she does to line up the shots and the staff to administer them .

Lori Duffy reported on the automated external defibrillator (AED) training session of 11/6/08. Slightly more than 20 people were trained including all the key ministry and groups in the parish. We will schedule certification classes after the first of next year.

A preliminary report on the change of the Saturday Mass from 6:00 to 4:00 indicated that attendance had increased with the time change. Fr. John will monitor the situation and we will discuss it some more at a later date.

Stewardship Sunday will be November 23. We will distribute the ministry information page on November 16 as an insert in the bulletin and will present the slide show on the parish ministries before Mass on the 16th.

The Pastoral Council discussed the Nov. 16th election of four positions on the Council. The biographies and pictures have been posted in the lobbies and distributed in last week’s Bulletin. Following the Homily, the ushers will distribute the ballots. The ballots will have the biographies printed on the back. After a short voting period, the ushers will collect the ballots and secure them for tally by the Pastoral Council committee. Ballot boxes will be in the lobby for anyone who was not able to complete their voting in the time allotted.

Our Thanksgiving food drive will be split between the Little Sisters of the Poor and the West Hills Food Pantry. Food drives will be 4 times a year. The details will be posted in the Bulletin and on the Web site.

A "Goodbye / Thank You" reception for Fr. Jim will be held after the 12:30 Mass on December 7. There will be cookies and punch and time for pictures.

The next Pastoral Council meeting will be held Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 7:00 pm.

Janet Cannon presented a Ministry report on the Welcome Committee.

1. Janet has chaired the committee since 1999.
2. The committee of 5 share the visitation opportunities
3. Our Parish Administrative Assistant (Sophie) notifies the committee regarding new parishioners.
4. The committee contacts the new member and offers to meet with them to help make them more aware of ministries offered by our parish.
5. Encouraging the new members to get involved in our ministries helps them feel included in the parish family.
6. Sometimes the visit can only occur by phone due to schedule conflicts.
7. The committee completes between 13 and 35 visits per year.
8. Should they want their home blessed, they contact Fr. John so that he can schedule it.

Stewardship Sunday will be November 23. We will distribute the ministry information page the week before. We will also present the slide show on the parish ministries before Mass on the 16th.

Four positions in the Pastoral Council will be open in January of 2009. Father John will be taking recommendations for nomination over the next week or so, with an election taking place in November 16th. Pictures and biographies will be posted in the church lobbies.

The planned change of time for the Saturday evening Mass to 4:00pm during the winter months was briefly examined. The parishioners have shown a favorable response to the change.

The Health Fair is scheduled for November 8. Representatives from the three churches in our cluster have participated in the planning. Flu shots will be available. We will ask for a donation of $5, but there will be no charge for the flu shots. Confirmation Class members will again help with visitor needs during the fair.

A lengthy discussion began on the Food Pantry needs. In response to the question of what we could do to support the program more than we currently do, the Social Justice Ministry will establish a program. The intent is to create 4 collections per year. More details will come out through the Bulletin.

The next Pastoral Council meeting will be held Tuesday, November 11, 2008.

The successful Family Fun Fest/ Parish Picnic was discussed. Over 280 people were in attendance. The addition of the bounce house for children, and the serving of hotdogs were very well received and will be included next year. All gave praises to the boy scouts for helping those that assisted families to and from their cars and to the Knights of Columbus for volunteering to set-up and tear-down the tables. There were no complaints about the removal of door prizes from the picnic. A date and alternative for next year’s picnic were determined.

Four positions in the Pastoral Council will be open in January of 2009. Three members will be leaving after the maximum 6 year term. One member resigned earlier in the year. Father John will be taking recommendations for nomination through the fall, with an election taking place in November.

Father John is considering moving the Saturday evening Mass to 4:00pm during the winter months as a trial to see if it would be as popular as it has proven to be at other local parishes. He has been approached by many parishioners about making this move to allow parishioners to travel to Mass in the daylight. Other parishioners feel that this time would better suit their schedules. The Mass would have to be moved back to 6:00 pm in the summer and spring to accommodate already scheduled weddings. If the trial is successful, the Mass could be permanently rescheduled in the future. Father John is looking into the approvals needed from the diocese for this change.

Two fundraising request letters were discussed.

The date for Stewardship Sunday will be November 23, 2008.

The next meeting is Monday, October 13 at 7:00 pm.

In response to a parishioner’s concern regarding the lack of participation by the people in our Sunday liturgies, the Council discussed matters related to the perceived fervor of the parish activities. Improvements have been made on all areas of concern over a multi-year period. As a group we will continue to strive to improve the ministries of our parish.

Rick Zelazny reported on the Religious Education Sub Committee that was formed to examine new ideas and formats for our Religious Education Program.

1. Parish family response to the survey was very satisfactory.
2. They seek to energize the parish on Religious Education.
3. A complete report will be published in the bulletin and on the web site.
4. The Diocesan Curriculum is now posted on our web site.
5. Source ideas for parents of children in our programs will be available by grade and special needs on our web site or through the Religious Education Office.
6. We are doing the best we can with the resources available to us.

Lori Duffy led a review of the preparations for the Parish Family Fun Fest to be held August 3, 2008 at the Gilmary Family Center. The Knights of Columbus will set up the grounds before the 12:30 Mass in the Gilmary Chapel. We will have: various children activities, balloon twisting, Bingo, Bocce, Bounce House, dessert smorgasbord, golf to the pin, hot dogs, open swimming, relays, sack races, sno cones, water balloon toss. Game awards for the day, and Bruester’s ice cream will close out the day around 5:45 to 6 PM.

We are still pressing to purchase another defibrillator and will be planning a training session for interested parishioners.

The next meeting is Tuesday, July 22 at 7:00 pm.

Mary Batyko reported on the very successful Social Justice Ministry presentation on Domestic Violence. Approximately 25 people attended. The speakers on the panel were engaging and the audience had good questions. The program was taped and will be aired on Moon Access Channel 14.

The parish picnic was discussed in detail to determine if we have enough volunteers for set-up, running the games/events and tear down. It was determined that an announcement be placed in the bulletin to ask for additional volunteers for the picnic.

Diana Scally reported as a representative for the Communications Ministry. Bernie Vogler had previously reported on the website. The Communications Ministry, aside from the design and maintenance of the website, is responsible for the monthly Good News, parish calendar, submitting bulletin announcements resulting from Pastoral Council meetings, and assisting the various ministries in promoting their upcoming events. The communications ministry also puts together the bulletin announcements, press releases, flyers and letters to other community parishes when there is a major Parish event such as a Parish Renewal, Town Hall meeting or Stewardship Sunday.

A sub-committee was formed to meet to further discuss new ideas and formats for the Religious Education program. It will meet one-hour prior to the June 2nd meeting.

A council member concern was brought up concerning the defibrillator located in the rear of the church. The parish bought a defibrillator several years ago, but the unit is somewhat hidden in the closet near the cry room. It was discussed that the signage needs to be larger and clearer and new training lessons should be scheduled. It was indicated that a second unit was to be purchased for the Dompka Education Center, with the help of a donation from the Women’s Guild. New training sessions would be scheduled in conjunction with the purchase of the new unit.

The next meeting is Monday, June 2 at 7:00 pm.

Joanne Tayman reported to the Pastoral Council the on the growth of the Liturgy of the Word with Children:

1. About 15 moms share the duties; dads are welcome also.
2. The children are generally from 4 to 8 yrs; occasionally accompanied by an older child or a parent.
3. The Children’s Mass is the first and third Sundays of the Month.
4. It began with the 9:30 am Mass and has expanded to the 11:00 am Mass.
5. Working from a planning guide, they follow the sequence of the Mass but at the children’s level.
6. A focusing question is used to guide the children’s attention to the message of the day.
7. They go over the readings and the gospel to help the children understand what they mean.
8. An activity is planned that is related to the gospel to reinforce the basic concept.
9. The group has grown to about 30 per Mass.

Joanne also reported on Moms and Pops with Tots:

1. This is a ministry to help the new mom or pop get out of the house and begin to socialize with people of similar interests and needs.
2. The group does contribute to the socialization skills of the children.
3. Stories can be read to the children and there are toys for the children play time,
4. They meet the second Tuesday of the month.
5. The membership ebbs and flows, but usually about 4 per meeting.

The Pastoral Council spent a great deal of time discussing the CCD Survey.

1. They concurred on the Monday evening timeslot for CCD.
2. We do not have a satisfactory plan for summer sessions at this time.
3. Rick Zelazny agreed to chair a committee of concerned individuals that will be formed to examine the many aspects of the CCD program, parish and family needs.
4. We want the parents more involved in the CCD process. Discussion ranged from the Good News, family discussion topics and facilitation meetings.

A reflection on the Passion Play showed a general strong feeling that it was very well done and the parish involvement was excellent. It did raise the thought that we need more activities in this parish for mid-life couples.

Details of the Domestic Violence program scheduled for April 30 were discussed. This is well planned and the presenters are excellent. There will be posters, handouts and placards of facts related to domestic violence. This is a much bigger issue than we casually admit. The community should plan to attend.

The Parish Picnic planning is a work in progress – some issues are resolved and some we are searching for substitutes.

The next meeting will be Monday, May 5, 2008 at 7:00pm.

Ray Paulos reported to the Pastoral Council the progress and growth of the Bereavement Ministry:

1. The Ministry has been in effect for 18 months.
2. It began with 3 trained volunteer couples and has expanded to 5 to accommodate the volume of funerals at St. Margaret Mary.
3. The Bereavement Ministry was formed to assist the Parish Priest by closely attending to grieving families. The volunteer couples help families through the funeral process and follows-up with support in the weeks following the funeral.
4. Marietta DiCicco assigns a Bereavement couple to a family as she learns of a death in the Parish.
5. The couple then contacts the family with condolences and schedules an appointment to meet with the family to tend to the details of the funeral home arrangements, funeral Mass details, committal ceremony and luncheon following the funeral.
6. The Bereavement couple attends the vigil service at the funeral home, the funeral and the committal ceremony at the cemetery. They also follow-up with the family after the funeral to offer support.
7. The couple offers additional parish services if needed after the funeral.
8. The parish families have been extremely receptive and grateful for the Bereavement Ministry.
9. The Bereavement Ministry was formed as a result of the ongoing "Envisioning" project of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. "Envisioning" is a plan to prepare parishes for a time when there may not be enough priests to have a priest at each parish. Volunteer lay people of the parish will have to begin performing many of the duties that priests have performed in the past.

The Pastoral Council was provided with detailed results of the recent CCD survey completed by the families of the Parish. The council was asked to review the multiple page document to discuss at the next meeting. Sister Jeanine indicated that the most consistent result from the survey was the need for an evening or weekend time slot for CCD classes to accommodate working parents. It was decided that a 6:15pm-7:30pm class would be added for grades 1-7. While many responded that they would like a Saturday or Sunday afternoon class, Sister Jeanine indicated that she did not have enough teachers willing to teach the classes on weekends.

Sister Jeanine also provided the council with several newly popular CCD Models being used in other parishes that may be considered for St. Margaret Mary including year long neighborhood and family group programs.

Details and plans for the Parish Picnic were discussed. The Parish Picnic will be back at Gilmary this summer.

The next meeting will be Monday, April 7 at 7:00pm.

Brenden Griffey met with the Pastoral Council to present an overview of the Music Ministry.

1. The Music Ministry has grown from a choir and a few cantors to an expanded program.
2. The ministry does something at least 1 Mass every weekend.
3. Children’s Choir (currently 14) perform at the 9:30 Mass. This is growing to be more than just a Christmas Choir. They are beginning to learn to use bells.
4. Cantors (currently 14) lead the musical responses at Mass. Brenden meets with them every other week. Many of them are getting professional vocal training to help their ministry.
5. Adult Choir – This is a big happy family. We are pleased to have 10 men in the program; we have traditionally had a strong women’s component and that continues. They do 2 to 3 Masses per month – usually the 11 AM Mass. Judy Elias has been a "gift" to the parish ’ she can direct, play and sing. She continues to upgrade the presentation of the Adult Choir and they truly do enhance the liturgy.
6. Ensemble – this is a work in progress. Currently 13 musicians: we are pleased to have Gregg and his sons, Esther and her son in the program. Jon with drums joins wind, and string instruments to round out the program. While we can use more musicians, there was a chorus component that was to develop with this group – that has not happened. We are seeking vocal support for our ensemble.
7. Resurrection Choir ’ these are volunteers who come to the Funeral Mass. It just works and they add to the liturgy.
8. The Gospel Mass remains popular but we will only be using it 2 or 3 times a year.

Our Choir has been singing at the Light Up Night activities. They have been involved in Mass at the Cathedral and will have another guest spot in the near future. We have added new books to supplement the worship books. Our choir develops special programs for Holy Week, Easter and Christmas.

Brenden is pleased how the website has really helped communication with the choir members. He was recently elected to the American Guild of Organists and will attend executive meetings three times a year.

A concern about copyright laws has become a focus of music ministry. Areas of concern include: Programs, words on the screen and music for cantors or choir.

Bernie Vogler reported he has revised the navigation column on our web site to improve movement through the various topics

Lori Duffy and Pate Shandrick met with the new owners of Gilmary to discuss how the operation is changing. Gilmary is creating a "Youth Towne" activity area. They want to focus on Youth and Family organizations and activities. The new policy will not rent the facility out to non-Catholics and furthermore will only foster family and youth programs. They offer the "Coffee House" program that our Youth Ministry attends. They would consider hosting our Parish picnic and the Father – Daughter Dance if we are interested.

Parish Picnic
Can’t be just Pastoral Council members running it – we need other Church groups involved. We’d like to move away from the commercial door prizes. We are interested in family oriented activities. Pastoral Council Members are exploring a variety of activities – we typically have had swimming, Bocce, volleyball, Bingo, water balloons, ice cream sundaes, a variety of children’s games, the balloon man. Several other activities are being explored for inclusion.

Social Justice has arranged a program for Weds. April 30 at 7:00 PM. The topic "Domestic Violence – Breaking the Silence." The committee intent is to allow audience/panel Question and Answer after the presentation and for individual interaction afterward.

Our next meetings will be March 10.

Cathy Hetzer met with the Pastoral Council to present an overview of the Liturgy Committee activities.

1. They train Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and keep them up-to-date on procedures.
2. They train the lectors (readers) working in conjunction with Fr. John and the Music Ministry.
3. They stock and maintain the Care Notes library at the exit from the church.
4. They work out the details of special Masses – such as Graduation – co-operating with the Music Director.
5. They participate in planning the Thanksgiving Liturgy with the collection and distribution of food to the community.
6. They integrate the Giving Tree into the Advent-Christmas season.
7. During Advent and Lent, they work with Fr. John to schedule a Mass of Anointing, a Penitential Service, a Mass of Remembrance, decorate the altar, maintain the flowers. With respect to the Mass of Remembrance they work with the Bereavement Committee to invite all who have lost someone during the past year. A touching component of the remembrance liturgy is the reading the name of the lost loved one.
8. Easter Saturday, working with the RCIA program, they participate in preparation for the candidates to receive their sacraments.
9. They participate in the Liturgy of the Word for Children.
10. They train the altar servers.
11. They were instrumental in developing the new "Cry Room" decor.

Bernie Vogler reported on the positive increases in the use of our website. He illustrated the high interest in the Bulletin, and down-loadable forms. A future goal is to increase pictorial components on our site.

Our Renewal Committee has scheduled Fr. Michael Sullivan for Dec. 5 to 9, 2009.

Stewardship Sunday resulted in approximately 60 responses; the names have been distributed to the appropriate ministry or committee. The ministry or committee leadership will contact the volunteers.

The Pastoral Council initiated discussion of short-term goals. It was decided to move forward on efforts to bring back the Parish Picnic. Many factors will need to be resolved before this can occur.

Fr. Jim will begin Bible Study on Tuesday evenings in a few weeks. Watch the Bulletin.

The Pastoral Council agreed to allow the Scouts to sell Spaghetti dinner tickets on Sunday, Mar. 2.

Next meeting will be Monday, February 11th, at 7:00 pm.

This year, we would like to meet with each of our ministries and learn more about their operation, their needs, their goals, time commitments and other factors that will help us to know them better. We began with our new Youth Minister.

Bob Summers, Youth Minister, met with the Pastoral Council to give an overview of where he was trying to move the Youth Ministry program. He reported the response by the Parish youth and their parents has been encouraging. They are working together to set annual events related to this community. Service, religious study, refueling (food), and wholesome activities were woven into a well thought out approach toward involving our youth and growing the program.

The Health Fair was a great success. This year all three churches of the Cluster were involved. The attendees had good reports on the ease of moving among the health information providers, the efficiency of delivery of the flu shots (over 400 were administered.)

While finances are not our domain, we were informed that the Capital Campaign for the Renewal remodeling in nearing completion. Even though expenses were greater than the original estimates the parishioners have faithfully completed their promised support. Future communications will address needs the Finance Council and Fr. John have identified.

We are seeking a Secretary for the CCD program (part time.)

Plans were discussed for the Stewardship Sunday. Materials outlining the ministry activities and giving parishioners an opportunity to become involved will be distributed in the manner of last year.

We continued our discussion of traffic safety as we leave the church grounds after a service. The setting orange traffic warning cones in the street before mass and afterwards seems to be our only option. Another effort will be made to involve the police in this effort.

The discussions related to Pastoral Plan Revisions were rescheduled for the January meeting.

Next meeting will be Monday, January 7th.

A rather serious evaluation of our Mission Statement was made. No changes are planned at this time. We agreed to re-examine it during our Pastoral Council Retreat next year.

The Ministerium's Thanksgiving event will be at 7 pm, Tuesday, Nov. 20 at the Presbyterian Church on First Ave on Neville Island. Bring canned goods or money for the needy.

The Health Fair is scheduled for Nov. 10 in the Church hall. All three churches in our cluster will be helping put on the program. Health information and health screenings will be available. We need set-up help from 3 to about 3:30 pm on Friday. We will have greeters there to help guide the people.

We are seeking a Secretary for the CCD program (part time.)

Plans were discussed for the Stewardship Sunday. We will use a slide show and distribute similar to last year.

The leadership of Ministry of the Word with Children will be changing. Ann Ebberts would like to move on to other activities.

The Council felt a series of meeting with the ministries of our parish would benefit our understanding of what we are doing here. We will start with the new Youth Minister.

The Liturgy Committee will examine the Baptism process to see if there is a need for help during the service.

Next meeting will be Tuesday, November 13th.

Sr. Jeanine reported that the Youth Group Coordinator Committee has interviewed 4 candidates to date. There are two additional resumes expected and interviews to follow.

Sr. Jeanine reported on Summer CCD. Although operating, the student count is down dramatically. Additionally, it has been difficult to get adult instructors for the classes. A consensus was formed that we should spend the time in-servicing our teachers and phase out the summer CCD program.

The newest Pastoral Council members will participate in an orientation program August 27 at 7:00 PM.

We are seeking a Secretary for the CCD program (part time.)

Discussion was initiated on Liturgy and Church Etiquette. After a period of further review, expect to see information in the Bulletin or on the website.

The Parish Fellowship Committee outlined more activities they wish to pursue for this year. The intent is to draw the parish together.

* Their first activity — the "Adoption of Landscape Islands by families or groups " program — was not embraced by the parish to date.

* A second idea revolves around a food fare. Ethnic foods could be available for tasting.

We have been discussing traffic safety as we leave the church grounds after a service. Several avenues were investigated, but the only viable one involved setting orange traffic warning cones in the street before mass and afterwards.

Next meeting will be Saturday, September 8th, the Pastoral Council Retreat.

Sr. Jeanine reported that the Youth Group Coordinator search has resulted in several submitting Resumes and interviews for two are scheduled for May 31. There are two additional resumes expected.

First Holy Communion services were very nice this year. The families maintained a Prayerful atmosphere for their children. The children were well prepared for the liturgy they knew what to do

The Parish Picnic at Gilmary will not be held this year. Since Gilmary has been sold, we do not have the flexibility to schedule the picnic when it best fits our resources. We will ask the Fellowship Committee to examine this event and perhaps recommend a course of action for next year.

We need catechists for the summer Religious Education Program.

New rules go into effect this summer regarding adult clearances to work with children. Parish representatives will attend meetings to learn of the scope of the requirements.

The Parish Fellowship Committee outlined many activities they wish to pursue for this year. The first is the Adoption of Landscape Islands by families or groups program. Participants will maintain parish areas according to guidelines provided by the committee. We feel this is an excellent project.

Next meeting is Tuesday, June 19th at 7:00 PM.

Sr. Jeanine reported that the Youth Group Coordinator search had several inquiries, but none fit the position. Up to this point our search has been among local parish sources, but now the committee will expand its search to Diocese sources

The Lenten Liturgies and Easter services were discussed. Several parishioners commented on moving, powerful services — the Reconciliation service was particularly moving for the participants.

Confirmation and the first of the First Holy Communion services have been very nice this year.

The Parish Handbook has been favorably received. The teal cover was selected to match the new carpet in the church. The committee was congratulated for a job well done.

Since Gilmary has been sold, we will verify that our parish picnic can still be held there in late July. If not then alternate activities will be developed.

Barb Lewis made a brief presentation on the future goals for the Fellowship Committee. Their activities will be announced in the Bulletin.

Next meeting is Monday, May 21st at 7:00 PM.

Global Links sent a very nice thank you for our work in preparing the contents of the shipping container to St. Joseph's hospital in Uganda. They recognized the large effort the parish has made to collect materials and to fund the project over the last 2+ years.

A committee lead by Sr. Jeanine has met to create an interview procedure for selecting a new Youth Minister. The announcement of the vacancy will start with our bulleting and then expand to surrounding parishes.

The Lenten Liturgies reminder: 3/31 will be the Mass of Anointing, 4/3 the Parish Penitential service.

A Pastoral Council Retreat planned for Sept. 8 continues. Stan Truskie will help facilitate and will meet with the 5 newest members to complete their training.

The Parish Handbook has been mailed to parish families.

There will be a National Day of Prayer on May 3rd. A local ecumenical service will be held at 7:00 PM at the Gazebo in Coraopolis (opposite the Police Station). All are invited to attend.

80 students will be confirmed by Bishop Winters on Monday evening, March 26.

The Council will seek to contact ministries on a regular basis to aid communications within the parish.

Cluster consolidation activities so far have included the Bereavement Ministry and most recently the RCIA.

Next meeting is April 23 at 7:00 PM.

A Pastoral Council Retreat was discussed plans for a Day of Reflection in mid-September, 2007. The retreat will begin at noon and end with Mass at 5:30PM. While the program has yet to be finalized, initial thoughts are for sessions on Faith sharing, Current Goals — reviewed, Brainstorming on current needs and new goals

The Lenten Gathering was discussed. 2/25, Sunday at 12:30 Mass begins the Mystery of Faith, 3/31 will be the Mass of Anointing, 4/3 the Parish Penitential service.

The Fund Raising events calendar for the year was reviewed and will be posted on the web site.

An update on contacting Stewardship Sunday volunteer was discussed. Most leaders seem to have initiated contact.

The Council was advised on the shipping of supplies to St. Joseph Hospital in Uganda. The supplies were packed into a shipping container, the manifest indicated almost $50 000 worth of supplies were sent.

The Parish Handbook is being printed and will be released soon. This edition will include a section on the stained glass windows.

Paul and Barbara Lewis will lead the Fellowship Ministry.

Pam Garver will step down as Youth Minister and Young Adult Minister.

Next meeting is March 19 at 7:00 PM.

A Pastoral Council Retreat was discussed and plans were initiated for a Day of Reflection in September, 2007.

The Christmas Holiday liturgy and events were discussed and notes made for next year's efforts. Efforts will be made to communicate the themes of the altar decorations for the holidays.

The status of Fund Raising was discussed; a calendar will be generated to guide our decisions about scheduling them.

We had an excellent response to our Stewardship Sunday survey. Leaders will now contact the volunteers to get the involved with their choices.

The Council was advised of two of our 50th anniversary celebration activities:

1. The medical supplies for the St. Joseph Hospital in the Diocese of Arua, Uganda, East Africa continue to be donated by parishioners. These items include: Wheel chairs, crutches, walkers, quad canes, disposable diapers, bath soap, tooth brushes and tooth paste, plus single sheets and pillow covers. We will transport them Jan. 30 to the shipper, Global Links, Inc. in Bloomfield. They will ship these and many other medical supplies and equipment to Uganda for us. Sadly, we were not able to locate a used X-ray machine to send to the hospital at this time. It will take several months for the container to complete the shipping process and be delivered in Uganda.

2. We have collected and sent several hundred used books to a library in the Philippines - for Mike Bercik, a parishioner, is serving in the Peace Corps there at Western Philippine University.

The Parish Handbook is being updated.

Next meeting is February 12 at 7:00 PM.

The Pastoral Council spent some time implementing the fund raising policy. The policy will be published in the Good News in January.

Our Health Fair, on Nov. 11, was a good example of our mission statement in action. It was well received by the participants — especially the flu shots at the suggested donation of $5.

Stewardship Sunday planning, Nov. 25/26, was completed. Our updated forms will be included in the bulletin Nov. 18/19 so that parishioners can think of how they wish to help. On Stewardship Sunday they can fill out the form in church. A new slide show will be used to help inform the membership of the various activities and opportunities. If you miss the Nov. 25/26 program, sign-up forms will be available on the website and in the church and you are encouraged to get involved. The sign-up forms are for NEW participants in a ministry.

The schedule for Special Liturgies was discussed. They will be announced in the bulletin.

12/13 - Compassionate Friends candlelight service

12/16 - Anointing Mass

12/19 - Penitential service

12/21 - Ecumenical Prayer service

12/27 - Mass of Remembrance

The Pastoral Council began their new role of implementing our fund raising policy and scheduling such events in a standardized manner.

Our Health Fair will be Nov. 11.

Plans were made for Stewardship Sunday, November 25/26. Our updated forms will be included in the bulletin Nov. 18/19 so that parishioners can think of how they wish to help. On Stewardship Sunday they can fill out the form in church. A new slide show will be used to help inform the membership of the various activities and opportunities.

We will change the website to include scanned copies of only the past 4 weeks worth of bulletins. Anyone wishing to see an archived bulletin should contact the Parish Office.

Church etiquette suggests that cell phone ringing be disabled during Mass.

The 50th Anniversary Parish Picnic held on August 6 was briefly discussed. We will plan for an early August 2007 picnic for next year.

The Religious Education registration forms available on our website seemed to facilitate this year's registration process.

The Council was advised of our 50th anniversary celebration activities. Of immediate interest:

1. The September Parish Social highlighted the history of our church. Excellent memorabilia were available to examine and First Communion Pictures were a big hit.
2. We have received duty-free permits for our pending medical equipment donation to Uganda. This process should occur over the next few months. We will announce opportunities to help through the bulletin and the website.
3. Due to current need, the food drive planned for November will occur in September. Please plan to donate non-perishable and canned food items the weekend of September 23 and 24th.

A great deal of discussion focused on a Fund Raising Policy for St. Margaret Mary Church. Parishioners will apply for a date to sell outside the church through the Pastoral Council. The Council will provide accepted applicants with fund raising guidelines and responsibilities.

Our Health Fair will be Nov. 11.

The 50th Anniversary Parish Picnic to be held on August 6 was the focus of the meeting. We discussed all activities, coordinator assignments, supplies and advertisements related to this annual family fun day. We are ready.

Changes to the parish website include pictures of our stained glass windows. This is a project in development and we expect to expand up this in the future.

The Council was advised of our 50th anniversary celebration activities. We are still stalemated in our efforts to gain duty-free permits for our pending medical equipment donation to Uganda. Each of our previous anniversary activities has had good participation and the committee continues to prepare for each of the coming monthly activities.