DIOCESAN PASTORAL COUNCIL
March 12, 2016
Tina Dyer, Executive Secretary, called the session to order and recognized Chancery staff present.
Opening Prayer was led by Bill Flynn with music provided by Dcn Tom Cuskey
Welcome - Tom Tynan, DPC Chairperson, welcomed everyone and gave special recognition to people attending for the first time.
The Holy Year of Mercy
Nicole Ossevoort, Communications and Social Media Specialist, spent a few minutes walking the representatives through the steps to find information about Year of Mercy activities/events on the diocesan website. (Go to syrdio.org – click on “Year of Mercy” – or search “Year of Mercy”.) Also, she shared information concerning some of these events and noted that almost every month has some sort of an activity scheduled. Any event where Bishop Cunningham will be present is noted with a red asterisk. There will be holy hours in each of the regions which Bishop will be attending.
The Council members and PCAs were encouraged to submit any parish events which might be of interest to others.
Fr. Seibt’s presentation on the Year of Mercy also is on the website and has been found to be a useful tool in educating parishioners about this holy year.
(Nicole’s presentation is available on the website.)
Mary Hallman, Office of Evangelization, explained some of the materials she and Bob Walters, Office of Youth/Young Adult Ministry, had available at their resource tables. Mary then reviewed some of the items found in the folders. She made special note of a booklet giving information about the Holy Door at the Cathedral including: the address, hours open and how to obtain an indulgence by walking through the door. Additional booklets can be obtained from the Evangelization Office.
Jeff Dixe, Director of the Extra Mile Process, and the DPC representative from St Francis Xavier in Marcellus, gave a comprehensive explanation of how this revamped Extra Mile program has been brought to a whole new level. It can be adapted for use in a parish for various lengths of time with an entire parish, committees, councils, youth groups or other parish organizations.
What is the Extra Mile? It is making a pledge to do something extra above and beyond what you are doing right now – and to do it for a set amount of time – in other words - to walk an Extra Mile.
How is the Extra Mile done? First, put together a team, that includes the pastor, and begin to plan. Next, set up a time line for how long this particular Extra Mile is to run. For example, maybe Advent or Lent would work well for your situation.
Let your parishioners know:
1) what is going on,
2) what will the time frame be
3) what will happen on ‘pledge’ Sunday
4) suggestions as to what the people might pledge to do that could be considered an extra activity.
Jeff stressed that he is available, and willing, to work with any parish or group that might be interested in using the process. He indicated there are other groups and schools making plans to adapt the process to their particular needs. Posters and t shirts will be made available to groups wishing to use them. More information can be obtained by contacting the Office of Evangelization. ()
Amanda Hopkins, Principal at St Margaret in Mattydale, presented a short video explaining how students at St Margaret and Bishop Grimes High Schools worked together using the NEW Extra Mile. St Margaret students cut out footprints and wrote on them something they were going to do to walk the Extra Mile. The footprints went from classroom doors down the hallways to the entrance to the Church. Students from Bishop Grimes collected personal items and brought them to altar at St Margaret’s church to be distributed to the needy through their food pantry. The students, as well as the adults, wore bright green t shirts with a large footprint silkscreened on the front. There are plans to incorporate a reward system for adults and a different one for youth as they finish walking ‘an extra mile.’
HOPE Appeal - Bishop Cunningham offered some brief remarks about this year’s upcoming campaign before the video was shown. (Many reps commented afterwards they found it interesting that the video had a segment showing students in their green t shirts arranging the items for the food pantry in front of the altar at St Margaret’s.) After the video someone asked “How much money from the campaign actually is used for programs and services.” Kit Parker, Director of the HOPE Appeal Office, answered that over 98.8% goes directly to programs. He stressed that no administrative salaries are paid from campaign money. The only costs are for the yearly materials, such as donation envelopes, posters, copies of the video, etc. The Council members were asked to go back to their pastors and encourage them to show this video to parishioners – preferably during Mass time. Every HOPE Appeal packet picked up today had a copy of the video in it – except the southern region. Their copies will be mailed out next week.
World Meeting of Families – Joe and Jen Denkenberger, from St. James in Syracuse, used a power point presentation to share the information they received from various workshops and speakers they attended during the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia last September. Jen, Joe and their two sons were able at attend the conference through a contest sponsored by the diocese.
Their presentation was well received by the Council and can be found on the DPC website)
Bill Flynn and John DeRousie gave a brief report on the two Year of Mercy questions Council members responded to in writing at the beginning of the session.
What is your parish doing to celebrate this Holy Year of Mercy?
and
What are you doing to celebrate this Holy Year of Mercy?
The full list of responses are enclosed.
Remarks and Q and A - Bishop Cunningham began by responding to some of the written questions submitted by the members of the Council.
Can DPC schedule a tour of the Cathedral for the May 7th meeting? If there is enough interest perhaps something could be worked out for a tour after the session. Also, it would depend on whether or not there is a wedding scheduled for that day.
Are there any scheduled trips to the Divine Mercy Shrine in Maine? St. Daniel’s parish in Syracuse has a trip scheduled and Fr. Guido has one planned for August.
Is it acceptable to play recorded music during Mass instead of ‘live’ music? I don’t think that CDs should be the normal occurrence. There may be some small parishes that have trouble finding an organist or music director. Recorded music is not forbidden, but it certainly is not the most desirable. Worship is something we should be doing at Mass – not something that is done for us.
Why is the diaconate program 5 years? This 5 year program is used all across the United States – it is not just in the Diocese of Syracuse. It takes a certain amount of time to train for the diaconate and certain things need to be covered. It is not a full time program. And, many of the men aspiring to become ordained deacons have full time jobs outside the Church. During the 5 years they regularly attend evening and weekend classes. If we are going to have someone in the pulpit preaching we want to make sure that person has the necessary theological background and knowledge.
Is there a ‘best practices’ manual in the diocese? For example: so many staff or “X” amount of revenue = so many programs? I realize there are many variables and each parish is different. But . . .are there guidelines? There are guidelines in a sense, but it is very difficult. Some parishes with full time staff, part-time staff and people who work only a few hours. I think one of the things that would be looked at at the diocesan level would be to look at parish revenue and see how much is geared to programs and how much is used for salaries. There was a parish recently that was spending more money on salaries than it took in annually in the Sunday collection. They were living off of savings. There are no hard and fast rules, but if a parish is spending 40% of its income on salaries and another 40% on operational costs then what money is available for programs?
Bishop spoke briefly about upcoming legislation favoring assisted suicide. California has just passed this and it will be permitted there beginning around June 1st. The New York State bishops will be meeting in Albany March 15-16 with legislative people to discuss this issue.
On a very snowy January day around 600 people from our diocese traveled to Washington for the March for Life. Samantha Pare from Immaculate Heart of Mary/St Joseph the Worker in Liverpool spoke about her experience at the March this year. In previous years she had traveled as one of the students, but this year the Office of Youth Ministry asked her to participate as a captain of a bus. In spite of the weather they marched, but boarded their buses as soon as they could after the march to try to stay ahead of the snow. Samantha shared some of the student testimonies given on the way home – which in her words - “were nothing short of amazing.”
Respectfully submitted,
Marilyn Madison
DPC Secretary
NEXT MEETING MAY 7
REMINDERS:
New parish pastoral presidents (or those wishing for a ‘refresher course’) will be invited to the May 7th meeting for a breakout session with Msgr. Lang. Please be sure if you plan on attending Msgr. Lang’s session you invite someone from your parish to attend also so your parish will be represented in the cafeteria for the entire morning.
You will be asked to bring donations for Mercy House in Binghamton. A suggested list of items was in your folder on March 12.