“A parish is a definite community of the Christian faithful established on a stable basis within a particular church; the pastoral care of the parish is entrusted to a pastor as its own Shepherd under the authority of the diocesan bishop.” (Canon 515)
A pastoral council acts as a consultative body in assisting the pastor in maintaining the Christian life of the parish community. Parish council members are representative of the various constituencies that form the parish family and have a vested interest in the life and development of the parish.
The council only meets from 4 to 8 times a year but its effect on the parish is important. For more information about the council see the March 2017 Pastoral Council Guidelines for Mary, Mother of Mercy. Please feel free to contact any of the following council members whose terms began on July 1, 2023.
Officers (parish council officers, with the pastor, form the executive committee):
- Tim Davis, chair
- Andrew Morpurgo, vice chair
- Susan Guydosh, secretary
Word committee (evangelization and education): Scott Hamula (chair), William Connor, Leo Kawczenski, and Kevin Oefelein
Worship committee (liturgy): Marc Albanese (chair), Richard Pell, and Duane Porterfield
Witness committee (outreach): Gerald Frank (chair), Sharon Dal Cero, Sheila Ryan, and Karen Salino
Fellowship committee (social and communications): Russ Wedemeyer (chair), Barbara Bero, Elizabeth Coats, and Jacqueline Leidenfrost
Minutes and agendas of the Mother, Mother of Mercy Parish Council’s meetings are available here. The Council’s next meeting will be on November 9, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in the St. Francis Solanus annex, Interlaken. Subsequent meetings will be held on January 11, March 14, and May 9, 2024.
Parish Council Members 2023–2024
for the Parish of Mary, Mother of Mercy
(as of July 1, 2023):
Marc Albanese
Elizabeth Coats
William Connor
Sharon Dal Cero
Tim Davis
Gerald Frank
Susan Guydosh
Scott Hamula
Leo Kawczenski
Jacqueline Leidenfrost
Andrew Morpurgo
Richard Pell
Sheila Ryan
Karen Salino
Russ Wedemeyer
Alternates:
Duane Porterfield
Barbara Bero
Kevin Oefelein
The diocese highlighted the parish and the chair of the pastoral council in their Spring 2017 newsletter, vol. 5, issue 1.
