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September 8, 2023Parish Council Minutes
September 5, 2023, at 6:30pm - Via Zoom
Present: Father Hammond, Seminarian Anthony, Brenda Arnold, Linda Bratton, Marcia Durbin, John Fongheiser, Marie Holland, Barb McComb, Kevin Murphy, Dave Rashley, Don Tidd, Joe Tapocsi
Excused: Gordon Hyde, Terry Klopcic, Sheryl Mickley
Education & Youth Report: PSR: Students begin on Wednesday, September 27 from 6:30-7:30 pm. Calendars and registration have been mailed out to parents. Confirmation: Classes are continuing on Tuesday evenings. The students are now completing session 7 out of 24. They are doing well with the Chosen series and have completed all Adoration hours and several service hours. Youth Group: Students begin on Sunday, October 1 from 6:30-7:30pm with the Teen Life series at St. Luke. Youth also have the option of attending St. Vincent’s Youth Group with an exciting new program called the “Dead Theological Society” with the focus on the Saints. Calendars and registration were mailed to St. Luke youth with information regarding St. Vincent’s program as well.
Knights of Columbus: Support Your Seminarians raised $383.72 from the last collection. The Knights next event will be on Saturday, September 23 when they will pick up trash from the highway after the 3 C's meeting. Cemetery Sunday Mass will be celebrated on October 8 at 4pm. A potluck dinner and awards ceremony will follow at the center. Recently an induction ceremony was held for five new Knights, one from St. Luke and four from St. Vincent de Paul. The K of C Hall has new lights and fans which the members are enjoying.
Parish Council of Catholic Women: The PCCW meeting will be September 17 with a Tastefully Simple party. In October the PCCW will have a baby playpen in the front side of the Church to collect baby products such as diapers and other baby items to send to Starting Point. The ladies replaced a needed step stool in the restroom.
Community Life: No report
Maintenance: The maintenance crew completed these projects and repairs in the Center: They changed light bulbs in the restrooms, wired the extension cord for the serving tables, replaced the wheels on the floor buffer, finished plumbing the condensate drain line from the Center roof air conditioner, repaired the flush valve in the men’s restroom stall, tested all smoke alarms and exit signs, repaired the jammed file drawer, installed pencil boxes, and set up tables for PSR, mopped up water from the skylight leak, marked the Center roof for repairs, cleaned and recalked the skylight at the east end of the Center, patched 4 holes in the Center roof rubber membrane along with Room 2’s skylight, and cut and fit new ceiling tiles to replace the water damaged ones in Room 2. They moved the portable sign used for the Festival, trimmed the bushes in front of the Center, and trimmed the magnolia tree, hostas, and the redbud and mulberry trees. They contacted Tree and Surf to grind out the 2 maple tree stumps behind the Center. The men blocked off the parking lot in preparation for resealing and remarking it. Church repairs included working on the confessional partitions and installing new wood frames, measuring the sanctuary for railings, and making 4 adapters for the Advent wreath to accommodate the new larger candles. At the Rectory, the maintenance crew removed old wiring in the basement and added supports to the hanging steam pipes. They rebuilt the wet-dry vacuum. At the cemetery, they cut up and removed an 8” locust limb and a 6” apple tree limb which knocked over John Blubaugh’s 1862 monument. Lastly, the crew moved scaffolding to the K of C Hall and set it up so Kevin Murphy could install fans and lights. Thank you, maintenance crew!
Finance & Administration: The finance committee met on July 31 and approved the yearly budget which was recently included in the parish bulletin. The current report looks very good. Repair of tuck pointing on the exterior of the Church will be happening soon and well as filling some holes in the exterior facing the street. Paperwork will need to be completed and grant writing for the project. Money has been set aside for this project.
Social Concerns: Don Tidd shared about the 54-day Rosary Novena which is beginning Friday, September 15 for the defeat of Novembers’ abortion amendment. Father Hammond approved having the rosary recited after mass for this intention. Information on the day and time will be announced.
Respect Life: Right now, in Ohio, there is nothing more important in regards to respect for life than the defeat of the abortion amendment that is on the November ballot. As Cincinnati’s Archbishop Schnurr recently wrote in the Cincinnati Enquirer, “At no point should any person, inside or outside the womb, be deemed less of a life because someone else says so. To think otherwise is to objectify that life…The intentional taking of innocent human life, no matter the circumstances, is intrinsically evil and must always be opposed…In the name of the one Lord of Life, we must vigorously oppose any suggestion that there exists a ‘right’ to take the life of an unborn child in the womb. Instead, let us engage in prayer and a joyful outpouring of love and support for pregnant women, especially those most in need… I urge everyone throughout Ohio to both pray for and actively assist all expectant mothers… Our challenge as Catholics is to do whatever we can to prevent abortion from becoming a constitutional right in Ohio… How do we help? Pray fervently that God will intervene. Use social media, talk to friends, relatives and neighbors about why it’s important to vote against this amendment. Assist the clergy and pro-life groups at your parishes and in your towns. Let’s pray and work as hard as we ever have to win this battle to keep all children safe from harm.
Bereavement: Since the last meeting of Parish Council on July 3, 2023, there is one death to report. Bea Blubaugh, the sister of Cora (Francis) Durbin, died July 6. Father Blubaugh celebrated the funeral Mass on Friday, July 21. Burial followed at St. Luke Cemetery. Please keep Bea’s family in prayer during this difficult time. Planning for this year’s Memorial Gathering, scheduled for December 1, is now underway. We will be honoring the memory of 50 of our loved ones who have passed away as of this date. We are currently updating the list for Adoration and will soon be mailing it.
Worship: Seminarian Anthony Whalen is in our consortium until May or June. Recently Fr. Brandimarti was inducted into the Army National Guard as a chaplain. He will be going through basic training January 15 through May 15. During that time our consortium will be getting priests who are available through the diocese. Also, Father Homer Blubaugh will be having an upcoming surgery.
Safety: A key card system is being installed to protect our parishioners and our church. The key card reader will be installed on the side door of the church in the next few weeks. This has already been approved by the council. Now the safety committee has been researching how to further utilize the system. There is a need for a flexible and secure system to allow access to the front office, kitchen, and sacristy. This system could be programmed to allow entry to visiting priests and people who are using the church or Center for an event. The cost to further utilize the system is $8,973.03. All three of these locations can be individually programmed. This will provide protection for people coming in and out of these buildings. After discussing the details and need for the security system, Marica Durbin proposed that the council approve the additional cost. John Fongheiser seconded the motion. The motion passed. We thank Dave Rashley for his work on this project.
Old Business - Choir Practice: There will continue to be an effort to end practice 15 minutes before Mass begins so parishioners can engage in quiet prayer. Or practice can be held in the Center as it was recently.
New Business - 2024 Festival Date: Next year’s date for the Festival is Saturday, July 13. Please be sure to save the date so you can help support the Festival. We are currently looking for chairpersons for next year’s Festival.
Next Meeting Date: Monday, October 2, 2023, at 6:30pm via zoom.
Motion to Adjourn: Dave Rashley made the motion. Joe Topocsi seconded it.