Committees
St. Mary’s/St. Patrick’s Vocation Committee
Our Vocation Committee Mission Statement: To Create an Environment in order to help identify and assist individuals in discerning their baptismal call to holiness as is lived out through the vocation of priesthood, deaconate, sisterhood, brotherhood, Christian marriage or single life. NOTE: Our Vocation Committee must always remind ourselves of our Mission Statement when discussing and promoting approximate vocation activities along with the remote activities of our committee
Vocation Committee…A group of parishioners from St. Patrick’s has worked on a Vocation Committee in their parish. Their emphasis has been on faith formation and they are excited about joining with Cathedral parishioners who are interested in this committee. The Next Vocation Committee Meeting will meet on Sunday, February 6 at 8:45 AM in the Cathedral Center. You are invited to join them!!
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at the Power of Prayer. The First Tuesday of each month has been designated as a Day of Adoration to the Blessed Sacrament at the Power Of Prayer for St. Mary’s and St. Patrick’s Parishes. The Power of Prayer is located at the corner of 17th and Iowa Street. Access by car is best from Heeb Street. There is no sign up required and no specific time frame for adoration. The Power of Prayer is open 24 hours every day. The First Tuesday of each month will be used to pray for the spiritual health of our parishes and for an increase of Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life
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Parish Visting: Hospital & Nursing Homes:
If you are going to be admitted to the hospital or moving to a nursing facility please call the parish office to let us know or have a family member inform us. The staff of St. Patrick parish visit the hospitals Monday through Friday and the nursing homes at least twice a month. Because of the Iowa privacy laws, the hospitals and nursing facilities can no longer inform our parish of your admittance without your consent.
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Summary from St Mary & St Patrick
Pastoral Planning
May 20, 2009
Committee members: Lori Bahl, Sandy Bahl, Tom Brandt, Ruth Clancy, Norma Denlinger, Travis King, Al Lundh, Sr Mary Agnes O’Connor BVM, Ed Ritts, Fr Rosonke, David Schmitz, Kurt Wuertzer, Ann Wertz
The following issues were discussed or at least touched upon:
- Is it important to have a Catholic presence in the neighborhood?
- Is it necessary to have two churches in order to maintain a Catholic presence?
- 63% of parishioners from both parishes are 70 years old or over. The parishioners in both parishes are aging, and the parishes will be very different in a few years.
- The last planning committee recommendations from 2 years ago were discussed. The general consensus was that the situation has not improved and in fact, has gotten worse. The number of parishioners has continued to decline. Financial stewardship has continued to decline.
The committee discussed the possibility of having an informational meeting for all parishioners sometime in the next several months. This meeting would be an effort to keep parishioners informed.