“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, 2022.
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): Alba Betancourt-Trompa, Charles Mullins, and Lynne Stager (chair)
Worship committee (liturgy): Marc Albanese, Leo Kawczenski, Barbara Willers (chair), and Ray Zajac Jr.
Witness committee (outreach): William Connor, Gerald Frank (chair), Richard Pell, and Karen Salino
Fellowship committee (social and communications): Scott Hamula, Jacqueline Leidenfrost, Russ Wedemeyer, and Martha Wooledge (chair)
Minutes and agendas of the Mother, Mother of Mercy Parish Council’s meetings are available here. Most meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. in the St. Francis Solanus annex. The Council’s next meeting will be on March 9 at 7:00 p.m. in St. Francis.
Parish Council Members 2022–2023
for the Parish of Mary, Mother of Mercy
(as of July 1, 2022):
Mark Albanese
William Connor
Tim Davis
Gerald Frank
Susan Guydosh
Scott Hamula
Leo Kawczenski
Jacqueline Leidenfrost
Andrew Morpurgo
Charles Mullins
Richard Pell
Karen Salino
Lynn Stager
Russ Wedemeyer
Barbara Willers
Martha Wooledge
Ray Zajac Jr.
Alternates:
Alba Betancourt-Trompa
The diocese highlighted the parish and the chair of the pastoral council in their Spring 2017 newsletter, vol. 5, issue 1.
