Administration

PARISH COUNCIL

Parish members are discerned for three-year terms of service. It is a vehicle by which each parishioner gives expression to those gifts of the Holy Spirit, uniquely granted at baptism, by encouraging quality relationships among all members of the parish to accomplish the mission of the Church. A council member serves as liaison to each standing commission of the Council.

The Council, after prayerful deliberation, formulates parish policy, fosters effective communication, provides leadership by clarifying parish vision, establishes goals and witnesses the Gospel message in the larger community and the world.

The Council engages in a continuous process of pastoral planning which takes into consideration the needs of its own parishioners and the needs of the Archdiocese, the broader community and the world. The Council promotes stewardship of gifts of time, talent and financial treasure. All parishioners are invited to attend council meetings.

Please share your knowledge and talents with our parish.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES/FINANCE COMMITTEE

Makes recommendations to the Parish Council concerning all aspect of parish financial and budget matters, personnel, stewardship of resources, coordination of support and fundraising, and upkeep of the physical facilities and properties of the parish.

THE BUILDING & GROUNDS COMMITTEE

The Building & Grounds Committee is responsible for the physical conditions of the Parish property, its maintenance and upkeep. This committee identifies and articulates the needs of the parish and makes recommendations to the Administrative Services Commission.

Services include:

Carpentry
Cemetery Care
Electrical
Gardening
Landscaping
Lawn mowing
Maintenance of buildings & equipment
Painting
Replacement plans for equipment furnishings & facilities
Review project specifications and bids
Snowplowing

From Dan

Baptism
When infants are baptized into faith as Priest Prophet and King we talk about removing the stain of Original Sin, but there is very little said about “actual sin” or the sins we commit. That is because babies are unable to commit actual sins. They can be cranky, colicky, and inconsolable at times but none of this can be attributed to intent or premeditation. Although our normal practice is to baptize infants, the theological norm [...]
More on RCIA
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the normal way in which adults become full, active, participating members of the Catholic Church. Special rites are celebrated during the Sunday liturgies at various times throughout the year. Adults involved in RCIA may be dismissed each week after the homily to go and reflect on the scriptures they have heard. RCIA involves the whole community – in prayer as the rites are celebrated, in hospitality as [...]
Below are links to audio MP3 files of presentations given at mass regarding the New Roman Missal. The files contain the written notes of the presentation, in the “lyric” field of each file. 1. Introduction 2. What is the Roman Missal and the General Instruction on the Roman Missal(GIRM) 3. Overview of the Mass 4. Introductory Rites 5. Liturgy of the Word 6 Liturgy of the Eucharist I 7. Liturgy of the Eucharist II 8. [...]
On Becoming Catholic- Part 2: Sponsors
Last week I talked a little bit about the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). This week I want to talk about the role of the sponsor. We are probably more familiar with the role of Godparent at the baptism of infants and we may have been asked to be a sponsor for a high school student making their Confirmation. The role of sponsor in the RCIA has much in common with these two [...]
On Becoming Catholic
This is the first in a short series of articles on how adults who are not Catholic can become Catholic. One of the changes instituted by the Second Vatican Council was the revival of the Catechumenate which we know as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults or RCIA for short. The Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium: explicitly stated: The catechumenate for adults, comprising several distinct steps, is to be restored and to [...]
Baptism – A Parent’s Role
Last week I talked about the role of Godparents and this week I would like to talk about the role of the parents. We get requests for baptisms all the time. People are often surprised that there is a preparation process and that the church has some expectations of them. Since the infant to be baptized has not yet reached the “age of discernment” (that is an age when they are mature enough to make [...]
Catholic Godparents
When couples come to us to have their children baptized it is often the first real contact that they have had with the church in a while. Sometimes they are surprised at what the church expects of them before their child can be baptized. One aspect of baptism that is poorly understood is the role of the godparent. Godparents play a very important role in a child’s spiritual life. They should serve as role models [...]
Teachings on the New Roman Missal
1. Introduction 2. What is the Roman Missal and the General Instruction on the Roman Missal (GIRM) 3. Overview of the Mass 4. Introductory Rites 5. Liturgy of the Word 6. Liturgy of the Eucharist I 7. Liturgy of the Eucharist II 8. Liturgy of the Eucharist III 9. Concluding Rite 10. Postures of the Mass
The Pareto Principle
A number of years back I was enrolled in studies toward a Masters in Business Administration. During that time I came across a theory called The Pareto principle or more commonly known as the 80/20 rule. It was developed by Business consultant Joseph M. Juran, who suggested the principle and named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, he observed in 1906 that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population; [...]
Feast of Epiphany
Last week we buried Tien Nguyen. Tien and his family are members of our St. James parish family. He was an immigrant from Vietnam who made a life for his family here in the United States. Although Fr. Bernie, Kevin Bourassa and I were part of the funeral process, Fr. Kheit Ngyuen, a Vietnamese priest, came all the way from Tulsa Oklahoma to preside at the funeral. It was a very moving experience. I must [...]