Nativity's pastoral council met on January 17th, 2013. Here are some highlights:
The Finance Council hopes to start working on the 2013-2014 budget at its next meeting. A short form of the half year financial report (July-December 2012) will be published online in February.
The Liturgy Commission is ready for its first meeting on January 31. Three of those invited have not yet responded.
We evaluated the events of Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas. We hope to repeat many of the successful elements next year: extra help to the food pantry, the angel tree, the Advent Fair, carols before midnight Mass and the Epiphany pot luck.
Some figures from our Christmas crib need repair. We will announce this in the bulletin. Many of the pieces are well worth repairing and preserving, especially the statues from Fontanini. (link)
The Finance Council hopes to start working on the 2013-2014 budget at its next meeting. A short form of the half year financial report (July-December 2012) will be published online in February.
The Liturgy Commission is ready for its first meeting on January 31. Three of those invited have not yet responded.
We evaluated the events of Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas. We hope to repeat many of the successful elements next year: extra help to the food pantry, the angel tree, the Advent Fair, carols before midnight Mass and the Epiphany pot luck.
Some figures from our Christmas crib need repair. We will announce this in the bulletin. Many of the pieces are well worth repairing and preserving, especially the statues from Fontanini. (link)
About donations for church events:
Parishioners are encouraged to celebrate life's big events in church, and non-parishioners are welcome to use the church as well. However, building maintenance, cleaning, heating, cooling, water etc. all cost money. It is therefore appropriate to ask people to contribute to the upkeep of the church. As a guide, we suggest the following donations. We emphasize that this is just a guideline. Individuals are welcome to give more, and we will never turn anyone away or deny them a ceremony because of money.
Parishioners are encouraged to celebrate life's big events in church, and non-parishioners are welcome to use the church as well. However, building maintenance, cleaning, heating, cooling, water etc. all cost money. It is therefore appropriate to ask people to contribute to the upkeep of the church. As a guide, we suggest the following donations. We emphasize that this is just a guideline. Individuals are welcome to give more, and we will never turn anyone away or deny them a ceremony because of money.
| Suggested donation for: Baptism Wedding Funeral Use of hall | Parishioner $25 $100 $100 $30 | Non-parishioner $50 $200 $200 $60 + $25 deposit |
Blessing of the Fleet
Darien's blessing of the fleet festival is April 12-14. The Catholic Church wants to take active, visible part. We will participate in the three liturgies, and we will have a food booth at the festival. This will be a fund raiser toward our general parish operating fund. Doll Gale. Georg Trexler, Meg Ponce and Bryan Feeney will call in to a first general planning meeting on Saturday, January 26th after the 5:00 p.m. Mass.
Revision of our parish roster
Nativity of Our Lady parish in Darien and St. Francis Xavier parish in Brunswick are appointing a "joint task force" this spring to update and correct our parish registers.You'll be hearing a lot more about that in the coming months. Task force members from Nativity are: Gloria Whatley, Doll Gale, Jan Seavey and Fr. Bob Showers.
Special Easter Edition of the Bulletin
We will make a special, enlarged edition of our parish bulletin with lots of information about the parish, the faith and the community. This permanent information then does not need to be repeated in each weekly bulletin. The "Annual Easter Edition" will be available year round as a handy guidebook, an introduction for new members, a way to reach out to less active members and an informative booklet for guests. The work group is: Dr. Oscar Brinkmann, Jan Seavey, Fr. Bob Showers, Isabel Strafford, Georg Trexler, Gloria Whatley
Theology for Young Catholics
The pastoral council congratulates the youth group and the catechists for launching an exciting program for young people aged 15 to 29. The council reminds the group that there must be at least 2 adults besides the priest at any youth event, by church policy. No adult will be allowed in the room if he/she is not on the diocesan VIRTUS list.
Death announcements
We pray for our dead in public as well as in private. Here at Nativity, we mention the deceased in the bulletin announcements, in the petitions at Mass and on All Souls day. We establish the following policy guidelines:
Darien's blessing of the fleet festival is April 12-14. The Catholic Church wants to take active, visible part. We will participate in the three liturgies, and we will have a food booth at the festival. This will be a fund raiser toward our general parish operating fund. Doll Gale. Georg Trexler, Meg Ponce and Bryan Feeney will call in to a first general planning meeting on Saturday, January 26th after the 5:00 p.m. Mass.
Revision of our parish roster
Nativity of Our Lady parish in Darien and St. Francis Xavier parish in Brunswick are appointing a "joint task force" this spring to update and correct our parish registers.You'll be hearing a lot more about that in the coming months. Task force members from Nativity are: Gloria Whatley, Doll Gale, Jan Seavey and Fr. Bob Showers.
Special Easter Edition of the Bulletin
We will make a special, enlarged edition of our parish bulletin with lots of information about the parish, the faith and the community. This permanent information then does not need to be repeated in each weekly bulletin. The "Annual Easter Edition" will be available year round as a handy guidebook, an introduction for new members, a way to reach out to less active members and an informative booklet for guests. The work group is: Dr. Oscar Brinkmann, Jan Seavey, Fr. Bob Showers, Isabel Strafford, Georg Trexler, Gloria Whatley
Theology for Young Catholics
The pastoral council congratulates the youth group and the catechists for launching an exciting program for young people aged 15 to 29. The council reminds the group that there must be at least 2 adults besides the priest at any youth event, by church policy. No adult will be allowed in the room if he/she is not on the diocesan VIRTUS list.
Death announcements
We pray for our dead in public as well as in private. Here at Nativity, we mention the deceased in the bulletin announcements, in the petitions at Mass and on All Souls day. We establish the following policy guidelines:
- An appropriate time of public mourning is 40 days. The names of our beloved deceased will therefore be printed in the bulletin for six consecutive Sundays, roughly 40 days.
- The Prayers of the Faithful (petitions) at Mass should include communal prayers "for all the sick" and "for all our deceased" but should avoid long lists of names.
- A Book of the Dead shall be kept, with the names of all our departed, and they shall be remembered in an annual All Souls Mass.
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