MINUTES OF MEETING

St. John Bosco Pastoral Council

March 27, 2007

Present: Absent:

Formanik, Vicki Kelly, Pat Powers, John

Guerra, Lisa Liberatore, Father Dave

Gutoskey, Jim Saintz, Loretta

Hahn, Richard Zawadzki, Dan

Jasany, Kathy

-The meeting began at 7:10 pm with a prayer led by Dan.

-Minutes of the February 27, 2007 meeting were approved.

-Dan asked for suggestions for new parish council members. Over time, Dan would like to find a co-chair or new chair person for parish council.

School and Preschool Updates – Father Dave

-Enrollment for next school year stands at 243 students, as opposed to 270 students this year.

-The second eighth grade class will remain next school year. Miss Bober will stay on as the second eighth grade teacher.

-Spanish class will be added to the curriculum for next school year with no additional fee to parents.

-The Plain Dealer listed area schools that participated in the local science fair, and that St. John Bosco was not represented. A discussion ensued, and it was decided that a letter would be drafted to Mrs. Updegrove, asking for serious consideration of our school’s participation in next years’ science fair, as well as other academic competitions and clubs. Possibly members of PCC and SAC will investigate and/or assist with this endeavor.

- The School Advisory Committee is checking into a hot meal program for the day school.

VPL II – Father Dave

Dan asked for a volunteer to attend the Diocesan Pastoral Council meeting on April 28, 2007. Vickie Formanik will try to attend.

Family Life Ministry – Father Dave

No update.

PSR Updates – Richard Hahn

Confirmation went very well.

Doughnut Sunday Updates – Kathy Jasany

Next Doughnut Sunday will be 4/1/07, sponsored by the Legion of Mary and Athletic Association. Kathy was commended by Dan for her excellent job coordinating Doughnut Sunday.

International Festival – Father Dave

-The main raffle needs to be determined. If a car is chosen for the main raffle, the state sales tax may be covered, so the winner would only have to pay income tax.

-Dan suggested selling raffle tickets at Giant Eagle or other high traffic areas.

-Father Dave and Doug Hill are working on the entertainment line up.

-Doug Hill is finalizing the contract with Great Lakes Exposition Co. for the rides.

Future Events to be Planned/Celebrated – All

-A farewell celebration for Father John will be held on Sunday, May 20, 2007 at the

11:30 am mass. A letter will be drafted by Dan and Kathy and sent to all parish organizations, seeking their assistance and input with the celebration. Father Dave indicated that the City of Parma Heights may also want to be included, due to Father John’s commitment as chaplain to the safety forces of our city. A reception will follow in the Bell Tower following mass.

Other Updates/Items for Discussion – All

-Father John should hear his assignment soon. His moving day is June 5, 2007.

-Dan will be contacting the Family Life Ministry chairperson with hope of revitalizing the group.

-The number of fish dinners sold last Friday (3/23/07) was under 500. This is down from last year. The price of a dinner was raised by $.50 this year.

-Our parish is current for the 2007 year in regards to our diocesan assessment of $8,900 per month. However, we are currently $489,000 behind from prior years. A letter has been sent to the diocese mapping out our re-payment schedule over the next several years, as we try to chip away at the debt.

-The “Ask Father” forum on our website has been recently updated.

-Jim Gutoskey informed the group that he is working on repairing the bells.

-The parish is close to signing a contract with Cox Cable for telephone and internet service.

-Diocesan Publications has returned funds to the parish, which will be applied to new software updates. The new software will connect parish, school, and PSR files.

-Bell Tower scheduling is now done through the rectory. The new software will also aid in this area.

-Father Dave is conducting interviews with two catering companies who are interested in operating the Bell Tower. This would allow us to rent the facility out for weddings and other affairs. Father Dave is also considering updates to the Bell Tower, as well as better marketing.

The meeting concluded at 8:25 p.m. with a prayer led by Richard Hahn.

The next Parish Council meeting will be April 24, 2007, at 7:00 p.m.

Click Here to go Back to the Minutes Menu