Dear Friends:
On Wednesday, November 15, the Pastoral Council of Precious Blood Parish convened for its first meeting. All members were present. After initial words of introduction on the part of each council member, we spent some time reviewing the developments of the past several months since the parish merger took place. A discussion of repairs and improvements made and needed on the parish plant took some time. After that, a committee was appointed to draft a new parish mission statement which will be important as a guide for us moving forward, keeping us rooted in who we are and what the mission of the parish is.
The remainder of the meeting was spent in a review of the Mass attendance results taken between July and October and then soliciting the input of council members as we look to a new Mass schedule that will be implemented on January 1, 2019. The normative principle was that each church, St. Mary and St. Agnes, could do with one less Mass on Sunday morning. The new schedule envisions eight weekend Masses, five at St. Mary and three at St. Agnes. The council members were asked for their input on what the precise schedule should be. We have compiled the results and two options emerged. We will be seeking the input of the wider parish community at all Masses on the weekend of December 9 and 10. Parishioners eighteen years of age and older will be invited to express an opinion regarding which of the two options works best for them. The results of this canvass will be studied and carefully considered when a final decision is made. It is expected that the new Mass schedule beginning in 2019 will be announced before the end of December.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. As we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, we mark the end of the liturgical year. Come next weekend, a new liturgical year dawns and that will be symbolized most poignantly by the presence of the Advent Wreath.
May God bless you!
