Inaugural Pastoral Council Meeting 10/18/2006
23/10/2006 10:28 PM | Permalink

The new Divine Mercy Parish Pastoral Council met for the first time on Wednesday, October 18, 2006, in St. Peter Church hall. The first order of business was the election of the executive officers. Elected were: Chairperson – Joe Fletcher, Vice Chair – Helfried Zrzavy, and Recording Secretary – Cathy Forrest. Look for the Council meeting minutes to be posted soon on this website.

Fr. Gerry Belanger

Pastoral Council Membership 2006-2009 9/30/2006
30/09/2006 03:46 PM | Permalink

CONGRATULATIONS to the elected members of the new Divine Mercy Parish Pastoral Council! Thirty-three parishioners joined Fr. Gerry in a two-week discernment process. THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!
The members of the Council are: Helfried Zrzavy, Joe Fletcher, and Cathy Forrest (terms expire in 2009); Patrice Hampson, Rich Frechette, and Brenda Wesoly (terms expire in 2008); Maureen DeKoning, Jackie Capes, and Elaine Giacomo (terms expire in 2007). Alternates are: Bernie Wynn, Gail Laviolette, and Tom Peterson.
The first meeting of the Council will take place at St. Peter Rectory on Wednesday, October 18, 2006 at 7:00 p.m.

Fr. Gerry Belanger

Pastoral Council Nominations 9/9/2006
09/09/2006 12:30 PM | Permalink

Nominations for the new Pastoral Council were conducted at all Masses in all three of our churches on the weekend of August 26-27, 2006. More than 80 parishioners were nominated! Approximately 40 of those parishioners have accepted nomination, and will participate in a 2 session discernment process on September 20 + 27, 2006. The result of this discernment will provide 9 “At Large” members for the new Council. The first meeting of this council will be on Wednesday, October 18, 2006.
The fact that more than 80 people were nominated, and 40 have accepted nomination is a very positive indicator of the enthusiasm that exists as we continue to develop our new parish. I want to thank all parishioners who filled-out the nomination ballots. A special “Thank You” goes to the 40+ parishioners who are able and willing to participate in the process that will yield the 9 “At Large” members.

Fr. Gerry Belanger

Pastoral Council Update 7/30/2006
30/07/2006 02:34 PM | Permalink

I recently met with the joint Pastoral Councils of the former St. Denis, St. Patrick, and St. Peter parishes. The main agenda item was to discuss ways to form the new Pastoral Council of Divine Mercy Parish. The council will be comprised of approximately 12 members. The decision was made to open up the process to the entire parish.
Here is how it will work: On the weekend of August 26-27, 2006, all members of Divine Mercy Parish (DMP) will be invited to participate in an “in pew” nomination of candidates. Any registered and active parishioner may be nominated as a candidate for the new council. Parishioners may nominate themselves, if they so choose. All nominees will be contacted to determine if they accept the nomination.
 In accepting the nomination, each candidate is making a commitment to attend TWO discernment meetings. Those meetings are scheduled for Wednesday, September 20 and 27, 2006, at 7PM. (The Pastoral Council will normally meet on the third Wednesday of each month.) In order for the process to work, attendance at BOTH meetings is MANDATORY. During those meetings, the candidates will listen to each other respond to some key questions. As each person listens to each of the other candidates, he/she has the responsibility to form an opinion of each candidate and the gifts/talents they might bring to the council, if selected. The process concludes on September 27, when each candidate casts votes to select 9 “At Large” parish representatives who will form the bulk of the new Pastoral Council. In addition to the 9 “At Large” representatives, Fr. Gerry, of course, will be an ex officio member, and he may appoint one or two additional members.
The new Pastoral Council will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, October 18, 2006.
A frequently asked question (FAQ) is: why can’t the whole parish vote in-the-pews for this new Pastoral Council? The shortest answer that captures the reason is: the three church communities that form DMP are not of equal size (population). In fact, one community is twice the size of the other two combined! “In pew” voting could be seriously lopsided! Since our goal is to build one new parish community, we need to make the selection process as fair as possible.
I hope you find this description of the discernment process to be intriguing, and perhaps accept a nomination to be a candidate for this exciting venture!

Fr. Gerry Belanger

Divine Mercy Parish News Update 7/13/2006
13/07/2006 10:39 AM | Permalink

Here are a few news items that are currently affecting the life of Divine Mercy Parish:
Very soon, I will meet with the approximately 21 parishioners who have been members of the Pastoral Councils of the former 3 parishes.
We will be tasked with selecting 12 members to form the new Pastoral Council for our new parish. The Pastoral Council primarily will be a body that develops a short-term and long-term plan or “vision” for our parish. They and the Finance Council are the pastor's primary consultative bodies. They are vital to the vibrant parish which we are in the process of building. Please keep them in your prayers.
Once the new Council has been selected, I will publish their names on this website.
May God bless your week ahead!

Fr. Gerry Belanger