As a parish, we are committed to living the Gospel and cooperating with God’s plan for us. Our new pastoral council was formed in the fall of 2017, and guided by the Holy Spirit. This gathering of parishioners will assist me in bringing our parish to where God wants us to be.

The new pastoral council will meet three or four times a year at a local retreat house. The meetings will be held on Saturdays and will begin with a simple coffee gathering at 8:30 AM. The morning session will be a time for prayer and reflection centering around two questions: How have I seen God working in my life recently? And how have I seen God working in the life of our parish? At the conclusion of the morning session (11:30), we will have Mass followed by lunch. The afternoon session is more of a working session where the group discerns matters of the parish based on their listenings prior to the meeting. The discussion will be informed by notes that council members have jotted in journals. The journal notes are a combination of prayerful reflections about the faith life of St. Aloysius Parish as well as ideas, requests, musings, and observations from other parishioners. The day will conclude by 2:30 PM.

Serving as a member of the council requires a commitment to daily prayer for fellow council members and the parish. It also means frequent reflection on parish life framed by the two-part question “How is Saint Aloysius parish experiencing Christ and what could we be doing to draw us closer to God and one another?” The thoughtful and prayerful response to that question will inform our discussion as a council and bring us closer to where God wants us to be. Listening to other parishioners between council meetings is another key responsibility. Active listening and receiving observations, ideas, and questions with patience and openness will help to shape the work of the council.

On Saturday, June 22, 2019 at the 5:00 PM Mass I drew the names of twelve parishioners who will comprise the Saint Aloysius Pastoral Council. It was a very powerful and moving moment for me, and I am grateful to all who placed their names in the box. Along with our two parish trustees, these twelve will participate in a very intentional discernment about the life of our parish.