Unapproved St. Mary’s Parish Council Minutes—September 27th, 2023
Members present: Jim Kelley, Dick Meyer, Judy Anderson, Mary Federle, Carol Jackan, Sue Kempen, Don Hoffelt, Bob Lorkowski, Grace Geisler, Curt Kopras, Mary Arts, Karla Kopras, Fr. Papi, and Bob Lecheler. Also present was Barb Lorkowski.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:05pm.
Reviewed minutes from the last meeting. A motion was made by Don and seconded by Dick to approve the June 14th minutes. Motion carried.
Old Business
Handyman list: -The toilet in the handicap bathroom is not working. Bob Lorkowski will get someone to fix it. The urinal was chemically cleaned and it works now.
Anderson Landscaping planted and seeded St. Mary’s cemetery.
The parish council has hospitality October 14th. Mary Federle and Judy are in charge of it.
Reviewed finance reports. The parking lot has been ready for new blacktop for several weeks. The blacktopping may happen next week. The announcements after Mass are too lengthy. Curt will talk to Lenore about shortening them. As of September 1, 2023, the CSA balance for last year is $3,521.50. That total is slightly different than the last time we discussed the CSA balance. Bob Lecheler will look into it. A motion was made by Grace and seconded by Judy to pay last year’s CSA balance. Motion carried. A motion was made by Mary Federle and seconded by Carol to approve the finance reports. Motion carried.
New Business
OLS school: The boilers and lines are installed, and they are waiting for the radiators to come. The loan for $500,000 for the project was approved. There are seventy-some students enrolled. Staffing is the challenge.
There is a wooden accordion style door at the Resale Store that they have no use for there. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Dick to sell it. Motion carried.
Prior to this meeting, Curt did a phone poll to donate $300 each to those collecting pledges for the Walk for Life ($300 x 9).
Open Discussion:
· The sound/mic system in the church is not working well. Bob Lecheler will have AudioTech out of Chippewa Falls look at it.
· Bob Lorkowski suggested that the Rosary (4:45pm) and Chaplet (5:00pm) should start earlier to allow for more hospitality to happen before Mass. Karla and Grace commented that it’s good to have prayer happening in the church as people enter before Mass begins to help encourage reverence. Visiting can happen after Mass. The Rosary and Chaplet will both begin at 4:45pm.
· Some parish council members would prefer a different Mass time. Fr. Papi said that he will be meeting with Bishop Powers about possibly changing Mass times.
· There was a Hispanic First Communion last week. The PCCW will get a gift for the boy and deliver it.
· Mary Federle commented that the confessional looks like a storage room. Curt will get some shelves for the closet in the entry of the church so the confessional can be cleaned up.
· The Resale Store is going to pay for the insurance.
· The equipment that the snow removal crew used last year was hard on the sidewalks. Bob Lecheler heard that they got a snow blower now. Barb will contact them.
Next meeting date is Wednesday, January 10th, at 7:00pm.
A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Sue to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:07pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
Members present: Jim Kelley, Dick Meyer, Judy Anderson, Mary Federle, Carol Jackan, Sue Kempen, Don Hoffelt, Bob Lorkowski, Grace Geisler, Curt Kopras, Mary Arts, Karla Kopras, Fr. Papi, and Bob Lecheler. Also present was Barb Lorkowski.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:05pm.
Reviewed minutes from the last meeting. A motion was made by Don and seconded by Dick to approve the June 14th minutes. Motion carried.
Old Business
Handyman list: -The toilet in the handicap bathroom is not working. Bob Lorkowski will get someone to fix it. The urinal was chemically cleaned and it works now.
Anderson Landscaping planted and seeded St. Mary’s cemetery.
The parish council has hospitality October 14th. Mary Federle and Judy are in charge of it.
Reviewed finance reports. The parking lot has been ready for new blacktop for several weeks. The blacktopping may happen next week. The announcements after Mass are too lengthy. Curt will talk to Lenore about shortening them. As of September 1, 2023, the CSA balance for last year is $3,521.50. That total is slightly different than the last time we discussed the CSA balance. Bob Lecheler will look into it. A motion was made by Grace and seconded by Judy to pay last year’s CSA balance. Motion carried. A motion was made by Mary Federle and seconded by Carol to approve the finance reports. Motion carried.
New Business
OLS school: The boilers and lines are installed, and they are waiting for the radiators to come. The loan for $500,000 for the project was approved. There are seventy-some students enrolled. Staffing is the challenge.
There is a wooden accordion style door at the Resale Store that they have no use for there. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Dick to sell it. Motion carried.
Prior to this meeting, Curt did a phone poll to donate $300 each to those collecting pledges for the Walk for Life ($300 x 9).
Open Discussion:
· The sound/mic system in the church is not working well. Bob Lecheler will have AudioTech out of Chippewa Falls look at it.
· Bob Lorkowski suggested that the Rosary (4:45pm) and Chaplet (5:00pm) should start earlier to allow for more hospitality to happen before Mass. Karla and Grace commented that it’s good to have prayer happening in the church as people enter before Mass begins to help encourage reverence. Visiting can happen after Mass. The Rosary and Chaplet will both begin at 4:45pm.
· Some parish council members would prefer a different Mass time. Fr. Papi said that he will be meeting with Bishop Powers about possibly changing Mass times.
· There was a Hispanic First Communion last week. The PCCW will get a gift for the boy and deliver it.
· Mary Federle commented that the confessional looks like a storage room. Curt will get some shelves for the closet in the entry of the church so the confessional can be cleaned up.
· The Resale Store is going to pay for the insurance.
· The equipment that the snow removal crew used last year was hard on the sidewalks. Bob Lecheler heard that they got a snow blower now. Barb will contact them.
Next meeting date is Wednesday, January 10th, at 7:00pm.
A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Sue to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:07pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
Unapproved St. Mary’s Parish Council Minutes—June 14th, 2023
Members present: Curt Kopras, Don Hoffelt, Dick Meyer, Judy Anderson, Sue Kempen, Carol Jackan, Grace Geisler, Mary Federle, Bob Lorkowski, Bob Lecheler, Fr. Papi, and Karla Kopras. Also present were Dan Kempen and Barb Lorkowski.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi
.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:02pm.
Reviewed minutes from the last meeting. A motion was made by Grace and seconded by Bob to approve the March 15th minutes. Motion carried.
Old Business
Handyman list:
-The women’s bathroom needs a plumber. Bob will contact Bob Glotfelty.
-The urinal is plugged again. Brant’s Plumbing says he has done all he can do with unclogging it. Dick suggested ripping up the floor in the men’s bathroom to address the plumbing. Bob Lecheler will ask the company that’s doing the school boiler project if they can address this issue.
-A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Barb to buy a baby changing table for the large bathroom. Motion carried. Grace and Karla will purchase one.
St. Mary’s cemetery is looking nice after all the tree clearing and stump removal that has been done. The cemetery committee will be looking for ideas on how to dress the cemetery up now. Dan Kempen volunteered to donate his time to build two planters at the entry.
Discussed hospitality. No decision was reached.
Reviewed finance reports. The OLS school boiler project has $120,000 - $130,000 in startup donations currently. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Dick to accept the finance reports. Motion carried. We currently have a $3,498.50 CSA balance for this year.
Dan Kempen presented a proposal to excavate and repave the parking lot to the south of the church. Dave Thompson is available to start an extensive excavating job in July, and Monarch would be available to blacktop this summer. The estimate is for $35,168. A motion was made by Don and seconded by Dick to recommend excavating and repaving the parking lot to the south of the church pending Bishop Powers’ approval. Grace and Karla opposed, Bob Lorkowski abstained, motion carried. Since we should have two estimates, Dan will ask Senn Blacktop if they would do a bid. The Resale Store would donate $15,000 to the project, the KCs would donate $2,000, and the remaining $15,168 would be paid for with the parish funds. Discussed putting an announcement in the bulletin if the project gets approved.
New Business
The elevator is working.
OLS school has a new principal for the new school year.
Discussed having Mass and a picnic in the park. Karla and Grace commented that they find these Masses distracting and unfitting. Grace suggested treating it as an outreach if we have one. The weekends of August 19th and 26th are options. Preferably a Sunday if we can get a priest. Bob Lorkowski said that he won’t be transporting things to the park this year. A motion was made by Mary Federle and seconded by Carol to have Mass and a picnic in the park. Karla opposed, Bob Lorkowski and Grace abstained. Motion carried.
Curt brought to the attention of the council that we need people to volunteer to be sacristans. Barb, Carol, and Grace volunteered. Curt will train them.
Open Discussion:
A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Judy to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:23pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
Members present: Curt Kopras, Don Hoffelt, Dick Meyer, Judy Anderson, Sue Kempen, Carol Jackan, Grace Geisler, Mary Federle, Bob Lorkowski, Bob Lecheler, Fr. Papi, and Karla Kopras. Also present were Dan Kempen and Barb Lorkowski.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi
.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:02pm.
Reviewed minutes from the last meeting. A motion was made by Grace and seconded by Bob to approve the March 15th minutes. Motion carried.
Old Business
Handyman list:
-The women’s bathroom needs a plumber. Bob will contact Bob Glotfelty.
-The urinal is plugged again. Brant’s Plumbing says he has done all he can do with unclogging it. Dick suggested ripping up the floor in the men’s bathroom to address the plumbing. Bob Lecheler will ask the company that’s doing the school boiler project if they can address this issue.
-A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Barb to buy a baby changing table for the large bathroom. Motion carried. Grace and Karla will purchase one.
St. Mary’s cemetery is looking nice after all the tree clearing and stump removal that has been done. The cemetery committee will be looking for ideas on how to dress the cemetery up now. Dan Kempen volunteered to donate his time to build two planters at the entry.
Discussed hospitality. No decision was reached.
Reviewed finance reports. The OLS school boiler project has $120,000 - $130,000 in startup donations currently. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Dick to accept the finance reports. Motion carried. We currently have a $3,498.50 CSA balance for this year.
Dan Kempen presented a proposal to excavate and repave the parking lot to the south of the church. Dave Thompson is available to start an extensive excavating job in July, and Monarch would be available to blacktop this summer. The estimate is for $35,168. A motion was made by Don and seconded by Dick to recommend excavating and repaving the parking lot to the south of the church pending Bishop Powers’ approval. Grace and Karla opposed, Bob Lorkowski abstained, motion carried. Since we should have two estimates, Dan will ask Senn Blacktop if they would do a bid. The Resale Store would donate $15,000 to the project, the KCs would donate $2,000, and the remaining $15,168 would be paid for with the parish funds. Discussed putting an announcement in the bulletin if the project gets approved.
New Business
The elevator is working.
OLS school has a new principal for the new school year.
Discussed having Mass and a picnic in the park. Karla and Grace commented that they find these Masses distracting and unfitting. Grace suggested treating it as an outreach if we have one. The weekends of August 19th and 26th are options. Preferably a Sunday if we can get a priest. Bob Lorkowski said that he won’t be transporting things to the park this year. A motion was made by Mary Federle and seconded by Carol to have Mass and a picnic in the park. Karla opposed, Bob Lorkowski and Grace abstained. Motion carried.
Curt brought to the attention of the council that we need people to volunteer to be sacristans. Barb, Carol, and Grace volunteered. Curt will train them.
Open Discussion:
- There was a thank you letter from Fr. Papi’s diocese for the donation last summer.
- Grace requested that the fake plant be removed from the floor of the cry room.
- The ladies decorating for the Seven Sisters Day of Reflection couldn’t get in the former CCD room downstairs when they were decorating. Curt asked the council members if they know why it is kept locked.
- Bob Lecheler let us know that we will all be receiving a letter from Bishop Powers.
A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Judy to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:23pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
Unapproved St. Mary, Bruce Parish Council Minutes—March 15th, 2023
Members present: Curt Kopras, Jim Frisinger, Dick Meyer, Bob Lorkowski, Carol Jackan, Mary Arts, Grace Geisler, Sue Kempen, Mary Federle, Bob Lecheler, Fr. Papi, and Karla Kopras. Also present were Barb Lorkowski and Colleen Kopras.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:01pm.
Colleen requested that the council consider putting up a communion rail to add reverence to the church and as a way of putting a separation between the sanctuary and the body of the church. Fr. Papi said that he was recently at a presbyteral council meeting with Bishop Powers where the topic of communion rails was discussed. The councilors at this meeting discouraged against it and Bishop Powers has not given permission to add communion rails at this time. We can still have a discussion though, and Fr. Papi welcomes the idea. Discussed working on keeping the body of the church quiet/sacred and visiting in the entry.
Reviewed minutes from the last meeting. A motion was made by Grace and seconded by Sue to approve the January 17th minutes with the correction that the $10,000 cemetery donation was only for St. Mary’s cemetery. Motion carried. The Resale Store will pay for snow removal.
Old Business
Handyman list: There have been two leaks inside the Resale Store that have already been repaired, and the patio is leaking badly. They would also like someone to look at the roof and see about fixing it. The Resale Store will pay for repairs.
There is a lot of tree damage at St. Mary’s cemetery. The KC’s will have a clean up day there this spring. Curt will check with the village to see if the cemetery is in the village and see if they will pick up and haul away the wood.
The parish council will host hospitality on April 22. Mary Federle will be in charge of it.
Reviewed finance reports. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Mary Arts to move the $24,509.74 into a share certificate at 4.3% at Superior Choice Credit Union with signers, Fr. Papi Yeruva and trustees, Curt Kopras and Jim Kelley. Motion carried. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Jim Frisinger to switch the $9,147.45 perpetual care savings to a share certificate at Superior Choice Credit Union at 4.3% with signers, Fr. Papi Yeruva and trustees, Curt Kopras and Jim Kelley. Motion carried. Discussed moving building fund dollars to a CD. We will revisit that idea at the end of the fiscal year. We have a CSA balance of less than $2,000. A motion was made by Dick and seconded by Jim Frisinger to accept the finance reports. Motion carried. Our weekly giving sheet looks good.
New Business
The elevator is working.
Bob Lecheler will ask Tammy Loomis where the school offering envelope gifts are being coded on the finance reports. Replacing the OLS School boiler for $628,000 has been approved by the diocese. They need $95,000 for a down payment to start the project. If three parishes each donated (or loaned) $31,000, they wouldn’t need to take out a loan for the down payment. Discussed matching program ideas and also donating our third if the other two parishes will donate too. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Karla to pledge $30,000 to the boiler replacement down payment and challenge the other two parishes to match us. We can discuss other matching options and ideas later. Motion carried.
Bob Lecheler will check with Tammy Loomis on the Resale Store reimbursements—they seem to be in the financial reports incorrectly. Barb can give Bob a list of the bills they have paid.
Brant’s Plumbing cleaned out the water minerals buildup as well as he could in the men’s bathroom urinal and it’s working for now.
Hopefully people are doing the Bible in a Year Program by Fr. Mike Schmitz/Ascension Press.
Open Discussion:
A motion was made by Carol and seconded by Dick to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:45pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
Members present: Curt Kopras, Jim Frisinger, Dick Meyer, Bob Lorkowski, Carol Jackan, Mary Arts, Grace Geisler, Sue Kempen, Mary Federle, Bob Lecheler, Fr. Papi, and Karla Kopras. Also present were Barb Lorkowski and Colleen Kopras.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:01pm.
Colleen requested that the council consider putting up a communion rail to add reverence to the church and as a way of putting a separation between the sanctuary and the body of the church. Fr. Papi said that he was recently at a presbyteral council meeting with Bishop Powers where the topic of communion rails was discussed. The councilors at this meeting discouraged against it and Bishop Powers has not given permission to add communion rails at this time. We can still have a discussion though, and Fr. Papi welcomes the idea. Discussed working on keeping the body of the church quiet/sacred and visiting in the entry.
Reviewed minutes from the last meeting. A motion was made by Grace and seconded by Sue to approve the January 17th minutes with the correction that the $10,000 cemetery donation was only for St. Mary’s cemetery. Motion carried. The Resale Store will pay for snow removal.
Old Business
Handyman list: There have been two leaks inside the Resale Store that have already been repaired, and the patio is leaking badly. They would also like someone to look at the roof and see about fixing it. The Resale Store will pay for repairs.
There is a lot of tree damage at St. Mary’s cemetery. The KC’s will have a clean up day there this spring. Curt will check with the village to see if the cemetery is in the village and see if they will pick up and haul away the wood.
The parish council will host hospitality on April 22. Mary Federle will be in charge of it.
Reviewed finance reports. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Mary Arts to move the $24,509.74 into a share certificate at 4.3% at Superior Choice Credit Union with signers, Fr. Papi Yeruva and trustees, Curt Kopras and Jim Kelley. Motion carried. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Jim Frisinger to switch the $9,147.45 perpetual care savings to a share certificate at Superior Choice Credit Union at 4.3% with signers, Fr. Papi Yeruva and trustees, Curt Kopras and Jim Kelley. Motion carried. Discussed moving building fund dollars to a CD. We will revisit that idea at the end of the fiscal year. We have a CSA balance of less than $2,000. A motion was made by Dick and seconded by Jim Frisinger to accept the finance reports. Motion carried. Our weekly giving sheet looks good.
New Business
The elevator is working.
Bob Lecheler will ask Tammy Loomis where the school offering envelope gifts are being coded on the finance reports. Replacing the OLS School boiler for $628,000 has been approved by the diocese. They need $95,000 for a down payment to start the project. If three parishes each donated (or loaned) $31,000, they wouldn’t need to take out a loan for the down payment. Discussed matching program ideas and also donating our third if the other two parishes will donate too. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Karla to pledge $30,000 to the boiler replacement down payment and challenge the other two parishes to match us. We can discuss other matching options and ideas later. Motion carried.
Bob Lecheler will check with Tammy Loomis on the Resale Store reimbursements—they seem to be in the financial reports incorrectly. Barb can give Bob a list of the bills they have paid.
Brant’s Plumbing cleaned out the water minerals buildup as well as he could in the men’s bathroom urinal and it’s working for now.
Hopefully people are doing the Bible in a Year Program by Fr. Mike Schmitz/Ascension Press.
Open Discussion:
- The other two churches in town are on the community page on TV provided by Brucetel, but St. Mary’s isn’t. Bob Lecheler will look into that.
- The village is replacing sewer pipes this year, our street included. St. Mary’s assessment is for $13,000. As a trustee, Curt needs to sign the notice in front of a notary.
- Phil Arts is retiring from lawn mowing. We can advertise for this job. The Schueller’s (who are doing our snow removal) would also mow the lawn. Bob Lecheler will post an ad for needing to mow our lawn on Wednesdays.
- On March 30th, the KC’s will be having a prayer service with the St. Joseph icon blessed by Pope Francis.
- The announcements at the end of Mass get long. Lenore puts together our parish’s announcements—she should contact the office so the announcements don’t overlap.
- Our cluster is in the process of organizing an evangelization team. It’s a diocesan-wide effort to bring more people to a deeper relationship with God through Jesus in union with the Holy Spirit. The meeting is on March 22, at 6:00pm at OLS.
- Sue asked what OLS is doing to bring the school kids to Mass. Bob Lecheler reported that there have been many students who have been accepted into the church.
- Looking ahead to the Easter Triduum, they would like two people from each parish to get their foot washed on Holy Thursday. They would also welcome readers from all the parishes.
A motion was made by Carol and seconded by Dick to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:45pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
Unapproved St. Mary’s Parish Council Minutes—January 19th, 2023
Members present: Curt Kopras, Jim Kelley, Dick Meyer, Carol Jackan, Mary Arts, Grace Geisler, Sue Kempen, Don Hoffelt, Mary Federle, Judy Anderson, Bob Lecheler, Fr. Papi, and Karla Kopras.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:03pm.
Reviewed minutes from the last meeting. Curt reported that Dan Weiss decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to put the product he was planning to down the men’s urinal. Bob Lecheler noted that the word in should be inserted after the word urinal in the second line under Old Business. A motion was made by Don Hoffelt and seconded by Mary Arts to approve the September 14th minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Old Business
Handyman list: Bob Lecheler asked if the bill for snowplowing and salting is split between the church and Resale Store. The Resale Store board will discuss it at their next meeting. The Resale Store will cover the cost of this first snow removal bill.
There is one cemetery committee for all three cemeteries. There was a donation of $10,000 made for the cemeteries. The committee is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss what to do with it.
The parish council hosted hospitality last week and will host again in April. Judy and Mary Federle will be in charge of it.
Reviewed finance reports. Discussed how to manage the money in our checking account. Considered putting some of it in a CD, donating to Fr. Inna or a different charity, and donating to OLS School to help cover the $628,000 cost of replacing their boiler. Also discussed repairing the parking lot by the Resale Store. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Carol to form a committee to research repairing the parking lot. Motion carried. Dick, Dan Kempen, Jim Kelley, and Don will be on the committee. They will contact some contractors for information and prices. Repairs over $5,000 need to be approved by the diocese. Bob Lecheler will see what all our investments are and report that at the next meeting. Our CSA goal for this year is $9,606. $7,473 has been received and $387 pledged, leaving a balance of $1,746. The new giving envelopes should be here in about a week. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Mary Federle to approve the finance reports. Motion carried.
New Business
Curt read a thank you note from St. Mary’s Walk for Life Team. They raised $29,068 for the Walk last September.
The elevator is working.
OLS school: let us know if they need financial support for the new boiler or anything else.
The urinal in the men’s bathroom should be looked at by a plumber. Curt will contact Brant Schmidt.
Fr. Papi is encouraging Bible studies to form in the cluster. He highly recommends the Bible in a Year Program by Fr. Mike Schmitz/Ascension Press.
Discussed the possibility of saving the old 2022 missalettes to use again in 3 years. Decided to just buy new ones every year so we have the updated songs and won’t need to store boxes of books.
Open Discussion:
A motion was made by Jim Kelley and seconded by Judy to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:06pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
Members present: Curt Kopras, Jim Kelley, Dick Meyer, Carol Jackan, Mary Arts, Grace Geisler, Sue Kempen, Don Hoffelt, Mary Federle, Judy Anderson, Bob Lecheler, Fr. Papi, and Karla Kopras.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:03pm.
Reviewed minutes from the last meeting. Curt reported that Dan Weiss decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to put the product he was planning to down the men’s urinal. Bob Lecheler noted that the word in should be inserted after the word urinal in the second line under Old Business. A motion was made by Don Hoffelt and seconded by Mary Arts to approve the September 14th minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Old Business
Handyman list: Bob Lecheler asked if the bill for snowplowing and salting is split between the church and Resale Store. The Resale Store board will discuss it at their next meeting. The Resale Store will cover the cost of this first snow removal bill.
There is one cemetery committee for all three cemeteries. There was a donation of $10,000 made for the cemeteries. The committee is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss what to do with it.
The parish council hosted hospitality last week and will host again in April. Judy and Mary Federle will be in charge of it.
Reviewed finance reports. Discussed how to manage the money in our checking account. Considered putting some of it in a CD, donating to Fr. Inna or a different charity, and donating to OLS School to help cover the $628,000 cost of replacing their boiler. Also discussed repairing the parking lot by the Resale Store. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Carol to form a committee to research repairing the parking lot. Motion carried. Dick, Dan Kempen, Jim Kelley, and Don will be on the committee. They will contact some contractors for information and prices. Repairs over $5,000 need to be approved by the diocese. Bob Lecheler will see what all our investments are and report that at the next meeting. Our CSA goal for this year is $9,606. $7,473 has been received and $387 pledged, leaving a balance of $1,746. The new giving envelopes should be here in about a week. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Mary Federle to approve the finance reports. Motion carried.
New Business
Curt read a thank you note from St. Mary’s Walk for Life Team. They raised $29,068 for the Walk last September.
The elevator is working.
OLS school: let us know if they need financial support for the new boiler or anything else.
The urinal in the men’s bathroom should be looked at by a plumber. Curt will contact Brant Schmidt.
Fr. Papi is encouraging Bible studies to form in the cluster. He highly recommends the Bible in a Year Program by Fr. Mike Schmitz/Ascension Press.
Discussed the possibility of saving the old 2022 missalettes to use again in 3 years. Decided to just buy new ones every year so we have the updated songs and won’t need to store boxes of books.
Open Discussion:
- Maintenance needs to be done on the piano humidifier system and the piano should be tuned. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Jim Kelley to get this done. Motion carried. Karla will contact Neff’s Pianos in Eau Claire.
- The parking lot has gotten very small with all the snow piles in it. Curt will find someone to haul some snow away.
- Dick noted that he is in favor of helping OLS School since these are the kids we have in the cluster. The PCCW is providing a meal for the religious ed gathering.
- Bob Lecheler talked about the Increased Offertory Program offered by OSV. For a price, this program professionally fund raises for organizations. OLS School staff hired them and they were very pleased with the results. We discussed this idea and decided that we don’t need to ask for funds right now, but perhaps we could do a brochure or letter mailing to our parishioners just to promote, inform, and connect.
- Discussed changing our meeting time, but 7:00pm seems to work best.
- Curt will contact the greeters and ask them to greet people and hand out books before Mass.
A motion was made by Jim Kelley and seconded by Judy to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:06pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
Unapproved St. Mary’s Parish Council Minutes—September 14th, 2022
Members present: Curt Kopras, Jim Frisinger, Dick Meyer, Carol Jackan, Mary Federle, Judy Anderson, Sue Kempen, Bob Lecheler, and Karla Kopras. Also present were Barb Lorkowski and Laurellee Kopras.
Opening prayer by Bob Lecheler.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:01pm.
Reviewed minutes from last meeting. A motion was made by Jim Frisinger and seconded by Dick to approve the June 15th minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Old Business
Handyman list: The fan in the men’s bathroom does not work and the urinal is plugged. Bob Glotfelty tried to fix the urinal the past, but it is not working again, probably due to old pipes. Curt will ask Dan Weiss to put a product he suggested down it to try to unplug it. Barb will call Meyers Electric to fix or replace the fan. A motion was made by Carol and seconded by Sue to have Meyers Electric fix and/or replace the fan. Motion carried. Larry Krajewski fixed the ceiling vent in the church that was hanging down.
There will be one cemetery committee for all three cemeteries. Dave Jackan is a member and Curt volunteered to be on the committee until someone else volunteers. Sue nominated Jim Frisinger to be on the committee also, and he was voted in by majority. Dave suggested buying gravesite corner markers at $7.00 each to replace the missing ones at St. Mary’s cemetery. A motion was made by Mary Federle and seconded by Judy to purchase grave markers for St. Mary’s Cemetery. Motion carried.
The parish council is responsible for hospitality in November. Judy and Mary Federle will be in charge of it. Discussed having hospitality the first Saturday of every month, which would put it on November 5th.
Reviewed finance reports. Grounds upkeep for St. Anne’s Cemetery is more expensive because Larry Quinn uses his own equipment there and he does not charge the church for snow plowing. Ron Wester is mowing the Appolonia Cemetery. A motion was made by Barb and seconded by Judy to approve the finance reports. Motion carried.
New Business
Carenet Pregnancy Resource Center’s annual Walk for Life is September 17th. Discussed pledging an amount to each walker from our parish team. A motion was made by Karla and seconded by Dick to pledge $300.00 to each walker. Motion carried.
OLS school news: enrollment is up, and they have a new principal and new teachers. The boiler in the school will probably need to be replaced next year. They have a quote for $628,000.
The KCs are planning to have their Wild Game Feed in the church basement on February 19th, 2023.
The KCs have suggested a process to train some adult altar servers. There are 4-7 people who have volunteered, and Deacon Tom has already done some training with them. We may need to buy some albs for adult servers. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Judy to spend up to $500.00 on albs. Motion carried.
The olive wood Crucifix can be used for the processional Crucifix. Someone will make a stand for it to have in the sanctuary, and the processional Crucifix will stay in the back of the church after Mass.
Open Discussion:
A motion was made by Jim and seconded by Dick to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:25pm. Closing prayer by Bob Lecheler.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
Members present: Curt Kopras, Jim Frisinger, Dick Meyer, Carol Jackan, Mary Federle, Judy Anderson, Sue Kempen, Bob Lecheler, and Karla Kopras. Also present were Barb Lorkowski and Laurellee Kopras.
Opening prayer by Bob Lecheler.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:01pm.
Reviewed minutes from last meeting. A motion was made by Jim Frisinger and seconded by Dick to approve the June 15th minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Old Business
Handyman list: The fan in the men’s bathroom does not work and the urinal is plugged. Bob Glotfelty tried to fix the urinal the past, but it is not working again, probably due to old pipes. Curt will ask Dan Weiss to put a product he suggested down it to try to unplug it. Barb will call Meyers Electric to fix or replace the fan. A motion was made by Carol and seconded by Sue to have Meyers Electric fix and/or replace the fan. Motion carried. Larry Krajewski fixed the ceiling vent in the church that was hanging down.
There will be one cemetery committee for all three cemeteries. Dave Jackan is a member and Curt volunteered to be on the committee until someone else volunteers. Sue nominated Jim Frisinger to be on the committee also, and he was voted in by majority. Dave suggested buying gravesite corner markers at $7.00 each to replace the missing ones at St. Mary’s cemetery. A motion was made by Mary Federle and seconded by Judy to purchase grave markers for St. Mary’s Cemetery. Motion carried.
The parish council is responsible for hospitality in November. Judy and Mary Federle will be in charge of it. Discussed having hospitality the first Saturday of every month, which would put it on November 5th.
Reviewed finance reports. Grounds upkeep for St. Anne’s Cemetery is more expensive because Larry Quinn uses his own equipment there and he does not charge the church for snow plowing. Ron Wester is mowing the Appolonia Cemetery. A motion was made by Barb and seconded by Judy to approve the finance reports. Motion carried.
New Business
Carenet Pregnancy Resource Center’s annual Walk for Life is September 17th. Discussed pledging an amount to each walker from our parish team. A motion was made by Karla and seconded by Dick to pledge $300.00 to each walker. Motion carried.
OLS school news: enrollment is up, and they have a new principal and new teachers. The boiler in the school will probably need to be replaced next year. They have a quote for $628,000.
The KCs are planning to have their Wild Game Feed in the church basement on February 19th, 2023.
The KCs have suggested a process to train some adult altar servers. There are 4-7 people who have volunteered, and Deacon Tom has already done some training with them. We may need to buy some albs for adult servers. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Judy to spend up to $500.00 on albs. Motion carried.
The olive wood Crucifix can be used for the processional Crucifix. Someone will make a stand for it to have in the sanctuary, and the processional Crucifix will stay in the back of the church after Mass.
Open Discussion:
- Discussed giving Lani Burki a gift for painting the Crucifix for us. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Mary Federle to give her $100.00 (gift card, East Mart pizzas, etc). Motion carried.
- Josh Kopras shoveled the church and Resale Store sidewalks last winter, but he won’t be able to this winter. Jim Frisinger volunteered to help with it, but he can’t commit to shoveling after every snowfall. Bob Lecheler will put a help wanted notice in the bulletin. Anyone interested can call the cluster office.
- Sue has not ordered altar cloths, but she and Mary Federle will work on that soon.
- The Resale Store would like more storage room. They suggested either moving the KC’s storage building that is behind the Resale Store so the Resale Store could buy a bigger unit to put there, or the Resale Store could buy the KC’s unit from them. They also suggested buying a unit and putting it in St. Mary’s parking lot across the street. Before proceeding with obtaining a storage unit, the Resale Store has agreed to have a Q&A time for parishioners to see what they do and why they are asking for a storage unit. This will provide transparency for the store and information for/feedback from the parishioners. This Q&A time will probably be on November 12th after Mass.
- Judy asked why there is not an American flag in the church. The church does have one that is currently stored in the basement. Dick volunteered to take it up to the church entrance.
A motion was made by Jim and seconded by Dick to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:25pm. Closing prayer by Bob Lecheler.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
St. Mary’s Parish Council Minutes—June 15th, 2022
Members present: Curt Kopras, Bob Lorkowski, Jim Frisinger, Dick Meyer, Jim Kelley, Carol Jackan, Mary Federle, Mary Arts, Judy Anderson, Grace Geisler, Sue Kempen, Bob Lecheler, Fr. Papi Reddy Yeruva, and Karla Kopras.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:00pm.
Reviewed minutes from last meeting. The rain gutter by the sacristy has been replaced and the roof by the Resale Store has been fixed. Dan Kempen will be repairing the sign base in front of the church. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Jim Frisinger to approve the March 16th minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Old Business
Handyman list: none
There will be one cemetery committee for all three cemeteries. Curt will put a request in the bulletin looking for two volunteers to be on the committee with Dave Jackan. Dave Jackan, Bob Lecheler, and Curt will put together the new regulations for the cemeteries and a copy will be given to anyone who buys a site.
Discussed having Mass and picnic in the park. A motion was made by Mary Federle and seconded by Judy to have Mass and picnic in the park. Karla and Grace opposed. Motion carried. The PCCW ladies will organize it. This will be the parish council’s hospitality for August.
Reviewed finance reports. St. Mary’s CSA goal is $9,729. There is $4,209 remaining. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Mary Federle to approve the finance reports. Motion carried. Curt and Jim Kelley need to stay afterwards for a quick meeting to approve the budget.
New Business
Lani Burki completed restoration of the Crucifix and Josh Kopras will turn an unused candle stand into a Crucifix stand.
The elevator is safe and working and certified for another year.
OLS school news: enrollment is up, and they have a new principal and kindergarten teacher.
Dan Kempen will repair the sign base in front of the church. A new plaque will be made to say that it was donated by Mr. & Mrs. Henry Effertz, Sr. and refurbished by Conrad Jr. & Theresa Weinert.
We need a new lawn mower for the cemetery. Brad from Wally’s Saw & Gun will sell one to the church for about $2,500. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Jim Frisinger to purchase a rider mower from Wally’s Saw & Gun. Motion carried.
Discussed paying the musicians at our parish. A motion was made by Jim Kelley and seconded by Mary Arts to pay $50.00/weekend. Motion carried.
Fr. Papi would like one Eucharist minister if there is no deacon. They are not required to wear a mask. Carmen Geisler will add Eucharist ministers to the ministry schedule.
Open Discussion:
A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Mary Arts to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:18pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
Members present: Curt Kopras, Bob Lorkowski, Jim Frisinger, Dick Meyer, Jim Kelley, Carol Jackan, Mary Federle, Mary Arts, Judy Anderson, Grace Geisler, Sue Kempen, Bob Lecheler, Fr. Papi Reddy Yeruva, and Karla Kopras.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:00pm.
Reviewed minutes from last meeting. The rain gutter by the sacristy has been replaced and the roof by the Resale Store has been fixed. Dan Kempen will be repairing the sign base in front of the church. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Jim Frisinger to approve the March 16th minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Old Business
Handyman list: none
There will be one cemetery committee for all three cemeteries. Curt will put a request in the bulletin looking for two volunteers to be on the committee with Dave Jackan. Dave Jackan, Bob Lecheler, and Curt will put together the new regulations for the cemeteries and a copy will be given to anyone who buys a site.
Discussed having Mass and picnic in the park. A motion was made by Mary Federle and seconded by Judy to have Mass and picnic in the park. Karla and Grace opposed. Motion carried. The PCCW ladies will organize it. This will be the parish council’s hospitality for August.
Reviewed finance reports. St. Mary’s CSA goal is $9,729. There is $4,209 remaining. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Mary Federle to approve the finance reports. Motion carried. Curt and Jim Kelley need to stay afterwards for a quick meeting to approve the budget.
New Business
Lani Burki completed restoration of the Crucifix and Josh Kopras will turn an unused candle stand into a Crucifix stand.
The elevator is safe and working and certified for another year.
OLS school news: enrollment is up, and they have a new principal and kindergarten teacher.
Dan Kempen will repair the sign base in front of the church. A new plaque will be made to say that it was donated by Mr. & Mrs. Henry Effertz, Sr. and refurbished by Conrad Jr. & Theresa Weinert.
We need a new lawn mower for the cemetery. Brad from Wally’s Saw & Gun will sell one to the church for about $2,500. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Jim Frisinger to purchase a rider mower from Wally’s Saw & Gun. Motion carried.
Discussed paying the musicians at our parish. A motion was made by Jim Kelley and seconded by Mary Arts to pay $50.00/weekend. Motion carried.
Fr. Papi would like one Eucharist minister if there is no deacon. They are not required to wear a mask. Carmen Geisler will add Eucharist ministers to the ministry schedule.
Open Discussion:
- Discussed the possibility of hiring Abigail Lynch as liturgist for our cluster and music teacher for the school. Abigail’s preference is full-time, but part-time is an option. Sue suggested Abigail keep a calendar to see how much each parish would be using her services. Fr. Papi has requested another priest but was told that our cluster cannot afford it. Hiring Abigail would help lighten the deacons’ and Fr. Papi’s responsibilities. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Carol to hire Abigail. Motion carried. Hopefully there is a decision by the end of the month. Fr. Papi will make the final decision on hiring Abigail.
- Bob Lorkowski suggested making a proposal to Bishop Powers to ask for another priest and sending a letter to the parishioners to get their thoughts on raising funds so we can afford another priest.
- Bob Lorkowski asked Fr. Papi if there is anything he needs in the rectory (such as furniture). Nothing came to mind for Fr. Papi. They are considering hiring a cleaner for the rectory, so she could make a list of needed items.
- The billboard on Hwy 8 costs $8,000/year. Bob Lorkowski says the parishes are welcome to contribute. Bob talked to the bulletin publisher and he got the billboard picture back on the back page of the bulletin.
- S&F Diversified came in and cleaned the church. Curt had gotten this approved by phone poll.
- Mary Arts will get a date for the Mass and picnic in the park. It will be a Sunday, hopefully in August.
A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Mary Arts to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:18pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
Unapproved St. Mary’s Parish Council Minutes—March 16th, 2022
Members present: Curt Kopras, Don Hoffelt, Bob Lorkowski, Dick Meyer, Jim Kelley, Carol Jackan, Mary Federle, Mary Arts, Judy Anderson, Grace Geisler, Bob Lecheler, Fr. Papi Reddy Yeruva, and Karla Kopras. Also present were Dave Jackan and Barb Lorkowski.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:00pm.
Reviewed minutes from last meeting. A motion was made by Don and seconded by Dick Meyer to approve the January 12th minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Old Business
Handyman list
-The rain gutter by the sacristy door is leaking and needs to be replaced. A motion was made by Dick
and seconded by Don to repair/replace it. Motion carried. Curt will talk to Shad Strom about doing it.
-The patio roof leaks by the Resale Store. Curt will ask Shad to look at that also.
Dave Jackan has done some research to update the archaic cemetery committee guidelines. He gave his rough draft to Bob Lecheler who read them to the parish council. Dave will change a few points and include a clause that says the guidelines will be reviewed yearly by the parish council. There can be one set of guidelines and one cemetery committee for all three cemeteries.
The parish council has hospitality May 7th. Mary Federle and Judy will plan it.
Reviewed finance reports. Barb says the Resale Store should be paying for all the garbage. Bob Lecheler says that Tammy is probably just coding it under both the Resale Store and the church in QuickBooks. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Judy to approve the finance reports. Motion carried. St. Mary’s still owes $2,656 for the CSA this year.
New Business
Lani Burki is repairing/repainting the Crucifix from the CCD room so we can put it in the sanctuary.
A new motor and pump were put in the elevator. The master control board is in Canada for repairs, so the elevator is not working right now.
OLS school news: the annual fund was quite successful.
Dan Kempen plans to have the sign base in front of the church repaired by mid-June.
Open Discussion:
- We can have gift bearers, greeters, and servers again.
- A parishioner commented that we should make sure that the church is cleaned and decorated for funerals. Karla volunteered to let Gloria Weinert and a member of the decorating committee know when there will be a funeral.
- A member of the decorating committee commented that they have a schedule for watering the plants in the church and requested that no one else do the watering.
- The synod meeting in our cluster was well-attended. Fr. Papi and two parishioners went to Shell Lake on Sunday and did the same process there.
- Barb suggested creating a welcome booklet for our cluster like one she had seen at a different cluster.
- Bob Lecheler says we need to get the budget submitted to the diocese earlier this year. It is due May 15th.
- Curt noted that the parish council should offer some Bible studies so we can be growing in our faith.
A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Grace to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:21pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
St. Mary’s Parish Council Unapproved Minutes—January 12th, 2022
Members present: Jim Kelley, Mary Federle, Mary Arts, Sue Kempen, Judy Anderson, Dick Meyer, Grace Geisler, Bob Lorkowski, Curt Kopras, Bob Lecheler, Fr. Papi Reddy Yeruva, and Karla Kopras. Also present were Tim Deering and Carol Jackan.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:05pm.
Reviewed minutes from last meeting. The candle followers are working good now. A motion was made by Mary Arts and seconded by Judy Anderson to approve the September 15th minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Old Business
Handyman list: none.
Cemetery committee: Bob Lecheler says the responsibilities of the committees are basically the bylaws. Carol Jackan will have Dave call Bob Lecheler to discuss it.
Hospitality guidelines: The food should be served by people wearing masks and gloves. Mary Federle will oversee the parish council’s hospitality on February 12th after Mass.
Reviewed finance reports. Bob Lecheler reported that the Resale Store does pay their own bills, but they get paid through the cluster office. He also noted that church repairs such as the furnace could come out of the building fund. Bob requested from the carpet committee a copy of the bill from the carpet job for the records. A motion was made by Grace and seconded by Dick to approve the finance reports. Motion carried.
New Business
The purchase of a small (around 20”) Crucifix for the Sanctuary is around $2,000. There is a donation for over half that amount.
OLS school news: They are planning to hire a middle school teacher. There will be a marketing/fundraising push the last weekend in January at all the parishes.
Dan Kempen is working on finding materials to repair the sign base in front of the church.
The copy machine in the church basement isn’t working. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Dick to buy a new copier. Sue amended the motion to have a $300.00 limit on the purchase. Motion carried. Karla and Curt will buy one.
The KC’s are considering having a St. Patrick’s Day dinner on March 19th. This could be their March hospitality.
Curt read a thank you note from St. Mary’s Walk for Life team.
Open discussion:
A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Bob Lorkowski to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:38pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
St. Mary’s Parish Council Unapproved Minutes—January 12th, 2022
Members present: Jim Kelley, Mary Federle, Mary Arts, Sue Kempen, Judy Anderson, Dick Meyer, Grace Geisler, Bob Lorkowski, Curt Kopras, Bob Lecheler, Fr. Papi Reddy Yeruva, and Karla Kopras. Also present were Tim Deering and Carol Jackan.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:05pm.
Reviewed minutes from last meeting. The candle followers are working good now. A motion was made by Mary Arts and seconded by Judy Anderson to approve the September 15th minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Old Business
Handyman list: none.
Cemetery committee: Bob Lecheler says the responsibilities of the committees are basically the bylaws. Carol Jackan will have Dave call Bob Lecheler to discuss it.
Hospitality guidelines: The food should be served by people wearing masks and gloves. Mary Federle will oversee the parish council’s hospitality on February 12th after Mass.
Reviewed finance reports. Bob Lecheler reported that the Resale Store does pay their own bills, but they get paid through the cluster office. He also noted that church repairs such as the furnace could come out of the building fund. Bob requested from the carpet committee a copy of the bill from the carpet job for the records. A motion was made by Grace and seconded by Dick to approve the finance reports. Motion carried.
New Business
The purchase of a small (around 20”) Crucifix for the Sanctuary is around $2,000. There is a donation for over half that amount.
OLS school news: They are planning to hire a middle school teacher. There will be a marketing/fundraising push the last weekend in January at all the parishes.
Dan Kempen is working on finding materials to repair the sign base in front of the church.
The copy machine in the church basement isn’t working. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Dick to buy a new copier. Sue amended the motion to have a $300.00 limit on the purchase. Motion carried. Karla and Curt will buy one.
The KC’s are considering having a St. Patrick’s Day dinner on March 19th. This could be their March hospitality.
Curt read a thank you note from St. Mary’s Walk for Life team.
Open discussion:
- Mary Arts requested that the snow gets shoveled in front of the shed door by the Resale Store.
- Mary Federle asked if we could post the parish council meeting minutes right away instead of waiting until after the next meeting. Karla will type up the minutes, email them to the parish council members, and post them on the bulletin board as “Unapproved.”
- Council membership: There can be no more than 12 members on the parish council and there can be 3-5 people on the finance council. We currently have 12 members and 2 parishioners who are considering joining. The options are that either Fr. Papi appoint a finance council from members of the parish council or a couple of current members could step down from the parish council. Jim Kelley committed to the finance council, and Curt will ask Don Hoffelt and Jim Frisinger if they would be also. The finance council cannot vote, but they can contribute to discussion.
- We have a 2021 CSA balance of $1853.00. A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Mary Federle to pay it off. Motion carried. The CSA balance for this year is currently $4734.00. We should add an announcement at the end of Mass thanking our parishioners for their generosity.
- The cluster synod meeting is Wednesday, February 23 from 6:00-8:30 at OLS. All parish council members and parishioners are encouraged to attend. The report from the meeting will be submitted to Bishop Powers and he will take it to Rome.
- The Resale Store in conjunction with the PCCW wants to do something for the shut-ins from our parish. The office has a list parishioners.
- The Resale Store is wondering if there are any church building needs or projects. Bob Lorkowski says that the billboard that he puts up on Hwy 8 advertising our cluster is $8000/year and suggested they could contribute to that. Karla asked if they could donate to the poor since we really have everything we need.
- Bob Lorkowski stated that he set up a bank account for Fr. Inna when he went back to India and wondered if he could set one up for Fr. Papi too. Fr. Papi said that he can’t accept donations like that while he’s here.
- A small Crucifix was found in the CCD room in the church basement. The Crucifix committee will discuss using it in the sanctuary.
- A motion was made by Mary Arts and seconded by Judy to have Sue dispose of the old organ in the church basement. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Sue and seconded by Bob Lorkowski to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:38pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Kopras, Secretary
St. Mary’s Parish Council Minutes—September 16th, 2020
Members present: Jim Frisinger, Bob Lorkowski, Fr. Papi Reddy Yeruva, Bob Lecheler, Curt Kopras, Jim Kelley, Don Hoffelt, and Karla Geisler. Also present was Phil Arts.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:05pm.
Reviewed minutes from last meeting. The Appolonia Cemetery is looking more well-kept. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Jim F. to approve the June 17th minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Old Business
Discussed repairing/replacing the carpet in the sanctuary. Bob Lorkowski suggested putting a hold on all large, unnecessary expenditures for the time being since we are having low Mass attendance. Let’s focus on keeping the bills paid. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Jim F to put a hold on all large expenditures for the time being. Motion carried.
Bob Lorkowski suggested that putting reflective tape on the sanctuary steps would be a cost-effective way to make them more visible and safe.
It was noted that the upkeep for the Murray cemetery is more expensive than St. Mary’s Cemetery. Curt will talk to Larry Quinn to find out why it’s expensive, since he uses his own equipment.
Hospitality will be off the agenda until further notice.
Reviewed finance reports. Bob Lecheler said that there was a $1000 emergency loan available, but we don’t need it. Bob also mentioned the Paycheck Protection Loan—we didn’t have to cover our percentage of paying the office and OLS school staff for 4-5 months. The council looked over the weekly giving sheet—we are doing well. The amount needed weekly is based on the budget. A motion was made by Don and seconded by Jim Frisinger to approve the finance reports. Motion carried.
New Business
Phil Arts informed the council that he is not able to take care of snow removal anymore, but that he will continue to mow the lawn in the summer. We will make an announcement at the end of Mass with Curt as a contact that we are looking for someone to do snow removal. Jim F. volunteered to be a snow removal sub. Bob Lecheler will check to see what we’ve been paying Phil Arts for this service.
Fr. Papi suggested making an announcement after Mass about the possibility of replacing the Risen Christ behind the Altar with a Crucifix. This would get discussion about it going within the parish. This purchase would come from donations.
Bob Lorkowski reported that the elevator is working fine if operated correctly.
Bob Lecheler reported that several families pulled out of the OLS School to homeschool, and this caused the school to lose $64,000 of parental choice dollars. The school is doing okay right now, and they don’t currently have a specific donation amount needed.
Nothing has been decided yet about changing Mass times within the cluster, although several proposals have been sent to Bishop Powers. One of these proposals included hiring a second priest for our cluster as our first option. Hopefully a decision will be made in the next couple of weeks.
Carenet Pregnancy Resource Center’s annual Walk for Life is this coming Saturday. The Parish Council has donated to the walkers in past years. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Don to give each of the nine walkers $100.00. Motion carried.
Open discussion:
A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Jim F. to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:03pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Geisler, Secretary
Members present: Jim Frisinger, Bob Lorkowski, Fr. Papi Reddy Yeruva, Bob Lecheler, Curt Kopras, Jim Kelley, Don Hoffelt, and Karla Geisler. Also present was Phil Arts.
Opening prayer by Fr. Papi.
Meeting was called to order by Curt at 7:05pm.
Reviewed minutes from last meeting. The Appolonia Cemetery is looking more well-kept. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Jim F. to approve the June 17th minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Old Business
Discussed repairing/replacing the carpet in the sanctuary. Bob Lorkowski suggested putting a hold on all large, unnecessary expenditures for the time being since we are having low Mass attendance. Let’s focus on keeping the bills paid. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Jim F to put a hold on all large expenditures for the time being. Motion carried.
Bob Lorkowski suggested that putting reflective tape on the sanctuary steps would be a cost-effective way to make them more visible and safe.
It was noted that the upkeep for the Murray cemetery is more expensive than St. Mary’s Cemetery. Curt will talk to Larry Quinn to find out why it’s expensive, since he uses his own equipment.
Hospitality will be off the agenda until further notice.
Reviewed finance reports. Bob Lecheler said that there was a $1000 emergency loan available, but we don’t need it. Bob also mentioned the Paycheck Protection Loan—we didn’t have to cover our percentage of paying the office and OLS school staff for 4-5 months. The council looked over the weekly giving sheet—we are doing well. The amount needed weekly is based on the budget. A motion was made by Don and seconded by Jim Frisinger to approve the finance reports. Motion carried.
New Business
Phil Arts informed the council that he is not able to take care of snow removal anymore, but that he will continue to mow the lawn in the summer. We will make an announcement at the end of Mass with Curt as a contact that we are looking for someone to do snow removal. Jim F. volunteered to be a snow removal sub. Bob Lecheler will check to see what we’ve been paying Phil Arts for this service.
Fr. Papi suggested making an announcement after Mass about the possibility of replacing the Risen Christ behind the Altar with a Crucifix. This would get discussion about it going within the parish. This purchase would come from donations.
Bob Lorkowski reported that the elevator is working fine if operated correctly.
Bob Lecheler reported that several families pulled out of the OLS School to homeschool, and this caused the school to lose $64,000 of parental choice dollars. The school is doing okay right now, and they don’t currently have a specific donation amount needed.
Nothing has been decided yet about changing Mass times within the cluster, although several proposals have been sent to Bishop Powers. One of these proposals included hiring a second priest for our cluster as our first option. Hopefully a decision will be made in the next couple of weeks.
Carenet Pregnancy Resource Center’s annual Walk for Life is this coming Saturday. The Parish Council has donated to the walkers in past years. A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Don to give each of the nine walkers $100.00. Motion carried.
Open discussion:
- Bob Lorkowski noted that we have parishioners who are democrat—this is pro-abortion party. Should we say something? Make an announcement? Bob Lecheler noted that this cannot be done—we cannot make political announcements in church. He said that we must follow these guidelines and be obedient to the shepherd of the diocese.
- We did not get the OCP grant.
- EPIL Grant—we have $1000 to use for whatever we want.
A motion was made by Bob Lorkowski and seconded by Jim F. to adjourn. Motion carried and meeting adjourned at 8:03pm. Closing prayer by Fr. Papi.
Respectfully submitted,
Karla Geisler, Secretary