Nativity of Our Lady Town Hall Meeting

Council and Committee Reports

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In their 2000 document “Built of Living Stones”, the U.S. Bishops’ Conference suggested that the typical Catholic parish in the U.S.A. should be guided by (as a minimum):

•A Pastoral Council•A Finance Council•A Liturgy Committee•A Building Committee

Since October 2013,Nativity of Our Lady has had in place these four functioning groups, to which we have added“The Catechetical Group.”

In this way, we make real the call of the Church for all the People of God actively to participate in the governance and mission of the Church.

Pastoral Council Report

Members of the Pastoral Council :

• Georg Trexler, chairman• Brian Feeney• Doll Gale• Isabel Strafford• Jan Seavey• Nuris Copeland

Purpose of the Pastoral Council

The Pastoral Council represents the parish membership and is the organ by which all members of the parish community exercise together their shared and specific responsibilities to continue the mission of the Church. Therefore the PC is primarily an elected body. The PC advises the pastor for the good of the whole parish through the following functions:

1. Fostering the unity of the parish2. Assessment3. Dialogue4. Research5. Consultation6. Action

Some highlights of the 2012-2013 term:Farewell to Fr. Leo, hello to Fr. Bob – summer 2012

New Liturgy Commission – October 2012

New website www.nativitydarien.us – October

Advent Fair – December

Theology for Young Catholics – January 2013

Renewal of membership roster – since spring 2013

Blessing of the Fleet – April

New arrangement for cleaning hall – May

VIRTUS campaign – starting May 2013

New Twitter Feed @nativitydarien – May

Travelling Madonna – June 2013

Daily prayer requests – every day at 6:55 – since June 2013

New bylaws for the Pastoral Council – July 2013

Renewed baptism prep and marriage prep programs – July

Other notable activities:

Nifty Knitters cooperative project with Care-Net – since NovemberFive Loaves and Two FishesMore altar serversGardening AngelsSt. Francis Xavier Catholic SchoolRed Door Yard Sales

In addition, the Pastoral Council seeks to cooperate with the many ministries and activities coordinated by:

The Finance CouncilThe Liturgy CommissionThe Building & Maintenance CommitteeThe Catechetical Group

Nativity of Our LadyTown Hall Meeting

Nativity of Our LadyFinance Council

Report for 2013

Purpose of the Finance Council:The Finance Council is charged with funds entrusted to us by the congregation of Nativity of Our Lady and to uphold both canon (church) and civil law. We are a consultative body, advisory to the Pastor in his role as administrator of the temporal goods of the parish.

Members of the Finance Council

Jane Heying, Chairperson

Jean Hawkins*

Jedon Lilliston

Oscar Brinkman*

John Daniel**We will be increasing the number of members on the council to 5. We need two more

members please let us know if you are interested.

Thank you to Jean Hawkins and Oscar Brinkman they were the beginning of this council and we would not have come this far without them.

*Outgoing members as of 1/31/2014

**Incoming members as of 2/1/2014

● Bishop’s Annual AppealParish Goal: $8,341 Pledged so far: $12,115 Percentage of goal: 145%Number of Households: 76 Donors: 63 Percentage participating: 83%(official diocesan list)

● Diocesan Audit of Nativity of Our LadyThe audit process began in August of 2013. We received our preliminary audit report in December of 2013 and we sent a response in February 2014. The council welcomed this audit and the opportunity to put our financial affairs in good order. Our response was by members of the finance council, Fr. Bob Showers, Gloria Whatley and Maggie Shafer, Director of Finance at St. Francis Xavier. We also had help from the Finance Council at St. Francis Xavier.

Upcoming Events for 2014

Budget Meeting April 30, 2014 - create budget for upcoming fiscal year July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015.

February 2014 - Create By-Laws for finance council

March 26th regular meeting(We meet once a month)

The Liturgy Commission

Was established by the Pastoral Council in October, 2012. Our purpose:

1. To help the Catholic Community of the Nativity in attaining the full, conscious and active participation of all the faithful in parish liturgical and sacramental celebrations.

2. To advise the pastor/pastoral administrator in his care of the sacraments. The pastor bears the ultimate responsibility for the administration of the sacraments.

3. To ensure smooth communication between everyone involved in our liturgies.

4. To see that our church has good, authentic and holy liturgy.

5. To create and maintain appropriate liturgical formation.

6. To coordinate the planning of the liturgical seasons and other liturgical events in the parish.

The Liturgy Commission

Meets 4 or 5 times a year. At each meeting, we evaluate previous liturgies and look at the coming season. We do not plan the details of the individual Masses, but rather we set the basic guidelines and set the general direction.

We consider:

•The general environment

•Flowers, curtains, banners and other decoration

•Music

•The liturgical ministries – readers, greeters, altar servers, offertory ministers, eucharistic ministers, etc.

•What people experience when they first walk in the church

•How welcome people feel during Mass

•What happens after Mass

The Liturgy Commission

One highlight of 2013:

We held a series of LITURGICAL WORKSHOPS in June 2013 for

ReadersGreeters/UshersSacristansOffertory MinistersAltar ServersExtraordinary Eucharistic Ministers

This led to some small changes in how we do our liturgies – these were published online and in a letter to all the volunteer ministers.

Thank you all for being such a wonderful parish!

Nativity of Our Lady Catholic ChurchBuilding Committee

CHARTERThe Building Committee, in collaboration with the staff, is responsible for assuring that the structure, systems, equipment and facilities of the Nativity of Our Lady Catholic Church in Darien, GA, are properly maintained, replaced and rehabilitated, consistent with the architectural integrity and historic character of the buildings, in order to meet the spiritual and liturgical needs of the Parish.

In order to accomplish this mandate, the Committee shall:

• Maintain the buildings• Replace and rehabilitate equipment, systems, and facilities• Improve the buildings

MEMBERSBrian Feeney, Doll Gale, Jane Heying, Carlos Inacio, Kieran McMullen, Georg TrexlerFr. Bob – Advisor

Maintain the buildings

• Grounds maintenance• Caulked gaps in sides of buildings• Repaired exterior lighting • Caulked awning over entrance to offices• Cleaned out basement• Contracting with building engineer to inspect building and provide formal report

Replace and rehabilitate equipment, systems, and facilities

• Replaced covering to coal chute on side of building• HVAC maintenance

• Replaced doors to church office (compliance with church policy)• Replaced exterior locks (security, audit item)

• Annual Budget

– Our approximate annual budget is ~ $12-13,000

Improve the buildings

Future project:• APPROVED

• Redo church floors (sand, stain and finish) • Refinish pews (sand, stain and finish)

WHEN first of JuneIMPACT church will not be accessible for 3 weeksCost still negotiating but estimate $20,000

• DISCUSSIONCommittee recognizes capacity constraints of our

present church hall. We ask you:

What purposes does the hall need to serve?

What capacity does the hall need?

What features does the hall need?

… the kitchen, bathroom(s), storage, ????

Please share your thoughts with committee members …

“THE CATECHETICAL GROUP” REPORT

February 15, 2014

For 2012-2013, Nativity celebrated:

First Confession and First Communion with 3 children

Confirmation with 3 youth

Started a youth program called “Theology for Young Catholics”

We did not yet have a program for children between 1st Communion and Confirmation, an adult faith formation program or an active RCIA group – these all came in 2013-2014.

CATECHETICAL REPORT

• Fr. Bob & Two Catechists initiated a Catechists’ Workshop in Jesup on Sep 21, 2013 for three parishes (Darien, Waycross, Jesup)

• Three classes for children began the week of Sep 15, 2013:

First Communion Tweens

Confirmation Preparation

FIRST COMMUNION • Teachers: Jan Seavey & Salina Guzman

• Meets every Sunday 11:15-12:00• Textbooks: “Call to Celebrate:

Reconciliation” and “Call to Celebrate: Eucharist” by Our Sunday Visitor

• Six (6) Children will celebrate their First Communion this year

• The candidates will celebrate their First Reconciliation on Sunday, April 6, 2014

• First Communion will be held at 10:00 am on Sunday, May 11, 2014, Mother’s Day, with the May Crowning and a reception brunch in the Hall to follow. Please join us for this very special day!

TWEENSTeachers: Carol O’Connor & Gloria Whatley

Meets every other Sunday 11:15-12:00Textbooks: Alive in Christ (OSV)

Four Children Participating

CONFIRMATION PREPARATION• Teachers: Father Bob & Jeff

Spratt• Meets every Tuesday, 5:00 to

6:15• Textbooks: Call to Celebrate:

Confirmation (OSV)• Bishop Hartmayer will

celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation with our two candidates at 7:00pm, Thursday, May 29, 2014, with a reception in the Hall to follow

THEOLOGY FOR YOUNG CATHOLICS

• Teachers: Father Bob & Georg Trexler & Gloria Whatley

• Meets the last Friday of the month at 6:00 pm

• Every month the group discusses a topic such as evolution, martyrdom, contraception, abortion, call to religious life, the death penalty, etc.

ADULT EDUCATION• Teachers: Leo Kennedy• Meets on Wednesday evening

at 7:00 pm in the church hall• There is a series of topics for

specified number of weeks per topic. In the first session we discussed “Aspects of Prayer” and currently we are in the second session discussing the Papers of Vatican II. The group chooses the topics that are of interest to them.

RCIA(RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS)

• Teachers: John & Angie Spisak• Meets Tuesdays• One candidate will be received

into the Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil the night of Saturday, April 19, 2014 at 8:00 pm

• In addition, two candidates will be Baptized during the Easter Vigil Mass – one from the First Communion class and one from the Confirmation class (who will also receive her First Communion at that time)

To summarize:

At the Easter Vigil, we will celebrate

2 baptisms2 first communions1 confirmation

You won’t want to miss it!

NATIVITY TOWN HALL MEETING

end of reports …

Thank you for your attention!