Pastoral Council Report for 2007-2008 Session

To the Parishioners of Saint William the Abbot Parish:

As the Pastoral Council commences its 2008-2009 session, a review of some of the previous year’s tasks undertaken by the Council is in order and summarized below:

The first item was the gathering and analysis of the 2007 St. William the Abbot Parish Questionnaire. Much statistical information was captured and extracted. The overall survey results are presented below. Specific survey statistics are available upon request.

There were 280 responses to the Parish survey corresponding to 15% of the total number of active parishioners. The responses by age groups are listed below.

Age	# of responses	% of responses
18 to 24	1	0%
25 to 34	3	1%
35 to 44	47	17%
45 to 64	99	35%
65 or older	127	45%
Not provided	3	1%

Eighty-five percent of those that responded attend Mass regularly. Over half of those attending do so because of the homilies and the Eucharist. Other reasons for people attending are the Liturgical music, the Scripture readings, obligation, community, peacefulness, the priests and their faith.

Eighty-five percent also feel that they are part of the St. William’s Parish family. A third of these respondents attribute this to the sense of community and friendliness within the Parish. A quarter of those responding feel a part of the Parish because of their participation in parish ministries. Length of time in the Parish, the priests and whether their children attended St. William’s School were also reasons that parishioners gave.

While most respondents indicated that the Parish is not lacking in any service, program or ministry needed by them or anyone known within the community, a little over a quarter did state that some additional programs or support are needed for various groups. Those groups listed included the Youth Ministry, Senior Citizens, Bereavement, the Homebound, and those physically or mentally challenged.

And finally, a little less than forty percent expressed a desire in having more continuing education for adults. About fifteen different topics were suggested with a third of the respondents interested in Bible study. Other topics listed were: Current issues facing Catholics, Church History, Parenting Issues, Saints, Theology, Spirituality, Social Justice and Women in the Bible.

In an effort to determine how best to serve the Parish, the Council began meeting with various ministries to gain more insight of parish life:

St. Vincent de Paul –

The Pastoral Council met with the Parish Outreach Coordinator, Sr. Margaret Kelliher, Society President John Friel, Vice President Pat Carpenter and seven other members. The members gave an in-depth description of the work of the Society. In addition to the personal contacts made by the members, the Society provides upwards of $80,000.00 in assistance to individuals in need. The Parish annually provides $36,000.00 to the Society and parishioners provide additional resources to help carry out its efforts. Beneficiaries of the work of the Society extend beyond the boundaries of the Parish into surrounding parishes.

In the course of their heartfelt presentation, the members of the Society gave testimony to their deep faith and of the faith of so many members of the St. William Parish. As a result of the meeting, the Council gained an appreciation of the excellent coordination between the Parish’s Social Ministry and those of the Society.

Youth Ministry Team –

The Council also met with Deirdre Shea and Kathleen Conger who are two of the administrators of the Youth Ministry Team. The Team serves teenagers from eighth to twelfth grade within and outside the Parish. There are weekly meetings following the Sunday 5PM Mass with typically 40 participants attending. The agenda is a mix of socializing, discussion and spirituality. Other activities include a monthly Gym night, a “lock-in” overnight stay during Holy Week, a talent show, holiday parties and a yearly retreat at St. Gabriel’s on Shelter Island.

Deirdre and Kathleen both started as members, then leaders and now administrators of this program. They are very committed to this ministry and invest much time, energy and enthusiasm. They reported that the recruiting of eighth graders into the group has been a problem. The importance of getting the youth involved within the Parish early on was strongly communicated.

Subsequent to this meeting it should be noted that Mr. Heinz Stadler has joined the Parish staff as its new Youth Minister.

In looking to this year ahead, one of the topics that the Pastoral Council will be considering is improving efforts to identify and promote and possibly repackage the Adult Religious Education courses offered at St. Williams.

Another project on the table is the updating of the Parish Website. The Council will be discussing if there are any additional links or website content that would better provide parishioners with access to Parish Ministry calendars (e.g., Eucharistic Minister and Lecture schedules) and other online electronic media.

In conclusion, the Pastoral Council would welcome any suggestions for our yearly agenda and ways that we may better serve St. William the Abbot Parish and our Pastor Fr. Bill.

Sincerely,

Your Pastoral Council:

Rosemary Cain Arlene Martin

Catherine De Cesare Jeanne O’Donnell

Debra Eannel Patrick Rooney

Wilbur Erb Gail Tomczyk

Thomas Lazicky Chris Wilson