This past Saturday, members of our Pastoral Council gathered virtually for a morning-long Zoom meeting. It was a joyous reunion, if only from afar, after these weeks of isolation. Even little Danilo Newlands and young Daniel Davies joined us briefly during the session, causing everyone to break out in smiles.  
Now that Council has taken on a new and vital role in the pastoral planning (i.e., “envisioning”) of our parish’s future, the need to come together was unanimously embraced by all.
 
We welcomed three new Council members at our Saturday session:

• Deacon Joe Harris, who brings years of engagement in parish life and an outward-focused, social justice spirituality to the work of the Council.
• John (Jack) Loia, a young adult Alpha leader who brings the voice of our youth to Council proceedings.
• Rob Davies, a young parent of two whose family is regularly at our 9:00 Sunday Mass and who is representative of so many other young families in the parish.

On Saturday morning, the Council began a process of assessing the first two of five basic parish “systems,” which include Worship, Evangelization, Fellowship, Discipleship and Ministry. Led by our Council president, Mike Letterese, we began this assessment journey by evaluating the current state of our Worship at Notre Dame, including strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and potential obstacles. The discussion was lively and many workable ideas were offered for consideration, all of which will be revisited and finalized at our next Council meeting in early June.
 
Despite the “lockdown” we are all experiencing – and for who knows how long? – our Pastoral Council is truly alive and well and “on the job” in their service to our parish family. We are grateful for their dedication, commitment and faith that fuel our journey of renewal.