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La Parroquia de San Carlos Borromeo
Parish Council Homepage

2004 Parish Council Minutes

Parish Council minutes are available to all parishioners here and in the parish library in the Council minutes binder. The library version also contains monthly reports and other documents referenced as "attached" in the minutes.

2004 [Jan. meeting replaced with Town Hall] | February | March | April | May | October
or go to 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998 or 1997

Wednesday, October 6, 2004
Parish Community Center Room 103

The Parish Council Meeting was held on Wednesday, October 6, 2004, in the Parish Community Center, Room 103. Members present were: Rev. Gerry Creedon, Pastor; Mimi Fitzgerald, President of the Parish Council; Charlie Sullivan, Stewardship; Kristi Keveney, Neighborhood A/B; Brad and Ann James, Neighborhood C; Colleen Brennan, Neighborhood D; Fran Hobbs, Hospitality; Andrea Bender, Education; Jean Sweeney, Pastoral Counselor, Staff; Rev. John O'Hara, Parochial Vicar; Mike Doyle, Liturgy; Belinda Barrington and Andrés Acedo, Social Justice; Ray Watson, Parish Center Manager; Gilda Ferer, Latin American Community.

Fr. Creedon opened the meeting with a prayer at 7:30 p.m.

Mimi Fitzgerald asked the attendees to introduce themselves and the ministry they represented, and the meeting proceeded with the items on the agenda.

The meeting ended with a prayer led by Fr. Jack O'Hara at 9:25 p.m.

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Wednesday, May 5, 2004
Parish Community Center Room 103

The Parish Council met on Wednesday, May 5, 2004, in the Parish Community Center Room 103. Members present were: Patricia Buckley (Secretary), Rev. Gerry Creedon (Pastor), Gilda Ferer (Latin American Community), Gail Goodridge (Social Justice), Carolyn Gretzinger (Parish Council President), Betty Anne Hanna (Liturgy), Fran Hobbs (Hospitality), Brad James (Neighborhood C-Designate), Teresa Madrid (Neighborhood F), Charlie Sullivan (Stewardship), Roy Tucker (Neighborhood C) and Eleanor and Milt Werthmann (Community Life). Michael T. Foster (Architect), Anne Marie Kaufmann (Religious Education/Youth Minister), and Ray Watson (Parish Center Manager) also were present.

The meeting was called to order at 7:40 p.m.

The meeting opened with prayer and faith formation led by Gail. The contemplation focused on how we find Christ in the disadvantaged people of the world and concluded with a song.

The meeting then turned to the following agenda items:

Approval of the Minutes from April Meeting:
The minutes from the April 7, 2004, Parish Council meeting were approved as submitted.

Parish Community Center Project:
Michael Foster, a principal of the Community Center's architectural firm MTFA, met with the group to discuss concerns regarding construction contractor scheduling and contract performance that had been expressed at last month's Parish Council meeting. After reviewing some of the outstanding items on the punch list, he expressed his confidence that the Parish would end the project very close to budget as long as the diocese had been diligent in tracking the release of liens/notice of waivers. Charlie and Fr. Creedon promised to follow-up with Moon Kim to reconfirm the status of the written receipts re release of liens/notice of waivers.

Charlie reported that the Finance Committee and the Campus Facilities and Oversight Committee have reached a resolution as to how the Parish Center's finances should be presented in order to avoid future misunderstandings. (The Finance Committee had considered capital improvements, such as the cost of repaving the parking lot, as part of the overall cost of the Parish Community Center project whereas the Campus Facilities and Oversight Committee, as the entity charged with monitoring the construction of the Parish Community Center, focused on the construction budget and the actual costs of constructing the building). Fr. Creedon asserted that the Campus Facilities and Oversight Committee in conjunction with MTFA Architecture had exercised due diligence in its stewardship responsibility for the Parish Community Center project.

Pastoral Team Report:
Anne Marie introduced a topic that had been the subject of discussion at an earlier Pastoral Team Meeting—improving the effectiveness of communication through the Sunday bulletin. It was thought that visibility of the various ministry activities could be advanced through increased use of bulletin "blurbs" rather than through the proliferation of multi-week flyer inserts. Carolyn suggested that flyers were being used as insurance in case bulletin (text) announcements did not get included. Anne Marie asked that the same flyers not be used on multiple weeks. Carolyn also asked Council members to remind their various ministry/neighborhood volunteers to send an electronic copy of any bulletin insert flyer to the Web Team as far in advance as possible to allow the Web Team time to post the flyer so that its appearance on the Web site will coincide with the hard copy's appearance in the bulletin. Ray mentioned that a new bulletin board would soon be installed in the Parish Center that could also be used for publicizing upcoming events.

Parish Calendar/Scheduling Software:
Milt brought the group up-to-date on the problems being experienced with Web-based calendaring system currently in use. A server replacement should take care of the most immediate problems. The Parish Office has purchased a calendar module that will be used as an in-house (only) wedding scheduling/monitoring system. With respect to an overall Web-based calendar/scheduling system, a possible PC freeware solution is being considered. It will be installed and run in parallel with the Web-based system for a test period.

Other Old Business:
Ministry budgets were due by this meeting and the Council will vote to endorse the Fiscal Year 2005 parish budget and calendar at the June 2 Parish Council Meeting. Father Creedon asked the ministry heads to consider the program goals and assessments of needs when deciding on budget requests and allotments.

The May 15 Ministries Workshop and Volunteer Appreciation Evening was the next item under discussion. Carolyn noted that the RSVPs are rolling in and that the current estimate is for 60 attendees for the workshop and 150 attendees for the dinner. Fran passed around the proposed menu. Gail volunteered to purchase white wine. It was decided that Celia Coronado, founder of the Philippine Medical Mission, will be recognized at the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner.

On May 6, the Parish Picnic Planning Committee will meet at Carolyn's home to discuss details for the event on Saturday, June 19, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at Lubber Run Park. In case of rain/cicadas, the picnic will be held in Benedict Hall.

New Business:
Parish Council Elections: Patti presented the slate of nominees for the 2004-2006 Parish Council:

The Social Justice seat was not up for reelection as Gail Goodridge's current term continues for the 2004-2005 year. No candidates for the Neighborhood A/B seat have presented themselves yet. Fr. Creedon is working with Kathy Censky and Patricia McKenna to identify nominees. It is hoped that the Parish Council can vote on the Neighborhood A/B candidates at the June Parish Council meeting.

A motion was made, seconded and passed unanimously to accept the slate as presented. The new Representatives' terms are effective as of July 1, 2004.

Upcoming Activities:
Carolyn brought the following upcoming events to the attention of the Council:

The meeting was adjourned at 9:35 p.m.

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Wednesday, April 7, 2004
Parish Community Center Room 103

The Parish Council convened on Wednesday, April 7, 2004, at 7:30 p.m. in Parish Community Center Room 103. Members present were: Colleen Brennan (Neighborhood D), Patricia Buckley (Secretary), Rev. Gerry Creedon (Pastor), Kathy Censky (Neighborhood A/B), Gilda Ferer (Latin American Community), Gail Goodridge (Social Justice), Carolyn Gretzinger (Parish Council President), Betty Anne Hanna (Liturgy), Fran Hobbs (Hospitality), Teresa Madrid (Neighborhood F), Charlie Sullivan (Stewardship) and Eleanor and Milt Werthmann (Community Life). Anne Marie Kaufmann (Education/Youth Minister) and Ray Watson (Parish Center Manager) also were present.

The meeting was called to order at 7:40 p.m.

The meeting opened with a prayer and faith formation led by Colleen Brennan focusing on Matthew 26:14-25.

The meeting then turned to the following agenda items:

Approval of the Minutes from March Meeting: The minutes from the March 3, 2004, meeting were approved as submitted.

Pastoral Team Report: Carolyn passed around a calendar sign-up sheet for participants to add meetings and other events not currently on the Parish calendar.

Ray brought the group up-to-date on remaining construction-related Parish Center issues. These included notice that the Center would be closed for three days beginning at 10:00 p.m. on April 11 to stain the concrete floors in the narthex. In addition, the handicapped access button at the Center's entrance is not functioning. A draft version of the Center's "Policies and Procedures" document was distributed. Council members are asked to submit suggested changes to Carolyn and Ray by email.

Charlie clarified some issues related to the Parish Center budget, and it was decided that an integrated financial report was needed in order to ensure that the Parish Council and the Center Oversight Committee are making decisions based on the same set of financial numbers.

Fr. Creedon distributed a listing of ideas and suggestions for Art for the Center. The goal is to develop a plan that will result in a coordinated, but moderately priced purchase effort. Suggestions in this area should be forwarded to Linda Lacot.

Old Business: Carolyn noted that the packages detailing the guidelines for the ministry/ neighborhood FY05 budget submissions have been distributed and can be found in ministry/neighborhood rectory mailboxes. Budget submissions are due no later than May 5.

Ray briefed the Council on the outside groups that either have or are considering renting the Parish Center for meetings. Charlie discussed the possibility of adding a calendar/scheduling software module to the existing Parish database system.

Patti reviewed the status of nominations for next year's Parish Council. As was noted last month, several members are stepping down. At present, there are only a few Council slots that do not have at least one nominee. The Nominations Committee will continue to refine the slate of nominees.

The May 15 Ministries Workshop and Volunteer Appreciation Evening was the next item under discussion. Fr. Creedon gave some background on the workshop facilitator and dinner keynote, Doug Morrison, and noted that Dr. Morrison will be contacting some Council members to obtain their input on the agenda for the May 15 event. After discussion, it was decided that invitations to the workshop will be mailed to those identified by the various ministry heads and that invitations to the Appreciation Dinner will be distributed to volunteers by the ministry heads and an insert will be placed in the Sunday bulletin. RSVPs will be required. Fran will coordinate the dinner, and Gail is in charge of wine.

Teresa announced that the Parish has reserved the pavilion at Lubber Run for the Parish Picnic on June 19 from 12:30-5:00 p.m. The Parish Center gym and Benedict Hall will be the back up venues in case of rain. The neighborhood representatives will be meeting soon to decide on details (food, games, prizes, etc.).

Carolyn polled the group on the usefulness of the "Directory of Services" and all agreed that the paper version was very useful. Therefore, in order that a new version can be produced in a timely manner:

Upcoming Activities: Council members were reminded of the following upcoming activities:

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Wednesday, March 3, 2004
Parish Library

The Parish Council met on Wednesday, March 3, 2004, in the Parish Library. Members present were: Andrea Bender (Education), Colleen Brennan (Neighborhood D), Patricia Buckley (Secretary), Kathy Censky (Neighborhood A/B), Rev. Gerry Creedon (Pastor), Gail Goodridge (Social Justice), Carolyn Gretzinger (Parish Council President), Betty Anne Hanna (Liturgy), Fran Hobbs (Hospitality), Jan Macdonald (Neighborhood E), Teresa Madrid (Neighborhood F), Charlie Sullivan (Stewardship), Roy Tucker (Neighborhood C), and Eleanor and Milt Werthmann (Community Life).

The meeting was called to order at 7:35 p.m.

The meeting opened with a prayer and faith formation led by Kathy Censky. The new Parish Center Manager, Ray Watson, was introduced to the group.

Carolyn Gretzinger announced that owing to work commitments, Anne Biedscheid has decided to step down as the Hospitality Representative on the Parish Council effective immediately. Fran Hobbs will serve the remainder of Anne’s term, which expires on June 30, 2004.

The meeting then turned to the following agenda items:

Approval of the Minutes from the December and February Meetings:
The minutes from the December 3, 2003, and February 4, 2004, meetings were approved as submitted.

Pastoral Team Report:
Ray Watson brought the Council up-to-date on the opening of the Parish Center. It is currently estimated that it will take approximately six weeks to complete all items on the construction punch list. Operating policies and guidelines, covering items such as cleaning procedures, are still under development. Ray indicated that the Campus Facilities Committee had developed guidelines for ministry use of parish meeting space. Carolyn distributed copies of these guidelines to the Council members.

Parish Planning:
The topics covered under this agenda item were calendar input for fiscal years 2005 and 2006 and the parish budget.
Carolyn Gretzinger thanked all of those who have submitted calendar input and requested that those who have not submitted calendar information to do so as soon as possible.

Charlie Sullivan gave an overview of the budget planning process. Tricia Clark and the Finance Committee are developing packages detailing the guidelines for the FY05 budget submissions. Neighborhood and Ministry Representatives should check their Rectory mailboxes for these documents. If the budget documents are released by mid-March, preliminary budget information will be due by the next Parish Council meeting (April 7). If not, budget submissions will be due on May 5.

Parish Council Elections:
All seats, with the exception of Social Justice, are up for reelection. Father Creedon announced that after six years of exceptional leadership, Carolyn will be stepping down as Parish Council President at the end of this fiscal year. A nominations committee consisting of Father Creedon, Carolyn, and Patti Buckley has been established to vet nominations for this and any other open seats that occur. Council members are asked to please inform Father Creedon or Carolyn if they are willing to renew their term on the Parish Council. Those who wish to retire at the end of the current term, i.e. June 2004, are asked to please forward nominations for their successor to Patti Buckley at volunteers@stcharleschurch.org, with copies to Carolyn and Father Creedon, no later than Easter Sunday, April 11.

Outgoing and incoming Parish Council Representatives will be invited to the May 15 Ministries Workshop and Volunteer Appreciation Evening and to the June Parish Council meeting. Doug Morrison will conduct the leadership workshop for ministry heads and offer the keynote address at the dinner. Parish Council members are asked to develop an invitation list (including both staff and volunteers) for the event and bring the list to the April Parish Council meeting. Council members also are requested to give Father Creedon and Carolyn input on the (1) organization of the appreciation dinner (catered, potluck, combo, etc.) and (2) what topics should be covered during the workshop.

Upcoming Activities:
Council members were reminded of the following upcoming activities:

Teresa Madrid reported that the Parish Council Neighborhood Representatives decided to combine their efforts and host one parish-wide picnic this year. The event date is June 19. Teresa is working with Allan Rowley to reserve one of the County’s parks, most likely Lubber Run, for the parish picnic. Any Council Representatives who are interested in serving on a picnic planning committee are asked to follow-up with Teresa or one of the other Neighborhood Representatives.

Father Creedon led the closing prayer and the meeting adjourned at 9:14 p.m.

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Wednesday, February 4, 2004
Parish Library, 6 PM

A joint meeting of the Parish Council, Parish/School Staff and the Campus Facilities and Oversight Committee was held on Wednesday, February 4, 2004, in the Parish Library.

Members present were: Anne Biedscheid (Hospitality), Colleen Brennan (Neighborhood D), Tim Brady (Campus Facilities), Patricia Buckley (Secretary), Kathy Censky (Neighborhood A/B), Bill Colosimo (School), Monica Craven (Campus Facilities), Mike Doyle (Liturgy Planning), Hernaldo Espinoza (Parish Office), Gilda Ferer (Latin American Community), Mimi Fitzgerald (Campus Facilities), Gail Goodridge (Social Justice), Carolyn Gretzinger (Parish Council President), Betty Anne Hanna (Liturgy), Neyda Jara (Latin American Community), Anne Marie Kaufmann (Education), Sr. Benedict Kesock, O.S.B. (School), Jack Lane (Liturgy), Janice Macdonald (Neighborhood E), Dan Marrin (Social Justice), Marvin Mayorga (Facilities), Joanne McGlinchy (School/Campus Facilities), Fr. Francisco Mendez (Parochial Vicar), Susana Moncayo (Latin American Community), Colleen Nevius (School), Carol Poplin (Campus Facilities), Charlie Sullivan (Stewardship), Jean Sweeney (Community Life), Roy Tucker (Neighborhood C), Gerry Welch (School) and Milt and Eleanor Werthmann (Community Life).

The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. Jean Sweeney offered a table blessing. Participants enjoyed a light supper prepared by Olga Caceres. Sr. Benedict then offered a prayer of thanksgiving.

Report of the Campus Facilities and Oversight Committee:
Monica Craven began the discussion with updates on the Parish Center. At present, the contractor is correcting the items on an extensive punch list. To avoid negating the contractor’s responsibilities for corrections, the Parish Center remains largely off limits. March 1 is the current estimated date for turnover of control to the Parish and the date by which it is hoped that parish/school groups may begin scheduling events in the Center.

Tim Brady continued the discussion with a follow-up from the December 18, 2003, off-site meeting with Parish/School Office staff. The purpose of this meeting was to clarify a strategy and develop procedures to open and operate the Center as “if it had always been here.” Among the items resolved were:

Faith Sharing:
Jean Sweeney led the group in a reflection on Luke 5:1-11 with an emphasis on Jesus’ style of collaboration. Just as He sent the disciples out by two’s, we should seek to work collaboratively with others.

Financial Report on the Parish Community Center:
Charlie Sullivan briefed the group on the financial status of the Center. On February 3, 2004, St. Charles received permission to increase its line of credit from the Diocese. We currently are on track to have sufficient funds to meet obligations through 2006. At that point, additional funds will be needed.

Parish Calendar/Scheduling:
Carolyn collected the ministry and neighborhood event calendars for the period July 1, 2004-June 30, 2006 from Parish Council members. She reiterated the importance of timely receipt of this information because the parish has placed a priority on parish/school events, which will be scheduled before any outside use of space is considered. Any ministry or neighborhood that did not submit calendar information on February 4 is asked to do so as soon as possible. The absolute deadline for receipt of calendar data is March 3, the date of the next Parish Council meeting.

Participants then reviewed the parish’s goals and objectives. Gail made a suggestion to drop the word “members” in Section I.A. This revision was accepted. The group then endorsed the parish goals and objectives with the change noted.

As follow-up to the December Parish Council meeting discussion, Carolyn reported on an enhanced process for determining which events are highlighted on the home page of the parish Web site. A working list of the next month’s highlights will be posted on the Parish Council Web page for the last two weeks of the current month. Parish Council and staff members are asked to review this list and submit any changes/additions to Carolyn via email. At the first of the month, the Web Team will move all that month’s highlights to the “News and Events” page where this information will be available for the entire month. In addition, the Web Team revamped the presentation of the highlights on the home page to provide additional space for posting as many activities as possible.

Upcoming Events:

Following a closing prayer, the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.

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Last modified: 03 March 2008
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church
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