St. Benedict Parish Pastoral Council's End of Term Report 2017-2020

The purpose of the Pastoral Council is to investigate pastoral matters and to propose practical conclusions about them to the pastor. These matters include everything that pertains to the pastor’s ministries of proclaiming God’s Word, celebrating the sacraments, caring for the faithful, promoting the mission of the Church to the world, and being a good steward of parish resources. In essence, the Pastoral Council governs the mission and vision for the parish.

The second council was comprised of the following elected or appointed individuals — Kelley Coppens, Ann Green, Chris Austin, Donna Halverson, Tami Orr, Jerry Ziemer, Jennifer Browning, Anna Hackert, Bertha Melendres, Margaret Koch, Ben Early, David Rice, Dan Diehl and Bob Wuertz.

They began meeting with Fr. Godfrey in October 2017 and will continue to serve until September 2020. Fr. Godfrey asked the current council to focus on the topic of COMMUNICATIONS throughout its term. The following is a list of some of the results of that effort:

• Implemented Flocknote emails as a means to communicate to the entire parish on a regular basis.

• Started distributing through Flocknote a weekly video message by Fr. Godfrey to the parish.

• The parish website has been updated to be more easily maintained on a weekly basis and to reflect ongoing parish activities.

• The school website was merged with the parish website to form a unified location for all information regarding our parish life.

• A monthly newsletter is now mailed to each parishioner that highlights parish ministries and provides another method for Fr. Godfrey to convey a current topic.

• Conducted a Town Hall meeting to gather input from the parish.

• Initiated all council meetings that involve Pastoral, School, Finance and Stewardship Councils working towards a common understanding of Our Sacred Purpose for the parish.

• During the Coronavirus pandemic, maintained — as much as possible — contact with the parishioners through weekly updates from Fr. Godfrey through Flocknotes, weekly Zoom parish conversations hosted by Fr. Godfrey, and personal contact by phone with some of our pillars of the parish (those 75 years old or older).

Soon, a new council will be elected/appointed that will serve from September of 2020 to September of 2023. Fr. Godfrey has identified the focus of this new group — STEWARDSHIP.

Being a member of this council can be challenging, but the rewards are many. The following is how this ministry has impacted the current council.

Bob Wuertz — This is my second term on the Pastoral Council and in both terms the overriding message for me is how dynamic our parish really is. I am able to see firsthand how the many ministries are involved and interconnected in the life of our parish. One of the reasons our recent focus has been on COMMUNICATIONS is to emphasize to the parish the many ways one can participate in this spiritual life. Read the bulletin, follow St. Ben’s on Facebook or explore our website to find the activity or ministry that may enrich your experience at St. Benedict.

Ann Green — Moving the needle on the topic of communication has certainly been rewarding these last three years! Our parish now has improved the means of keeping information flowing. I feel it has enhanced our faith community. Being an active member of my parish has enriched my life. It has deepened my faith. It has provided an opportunity for friendship. My personal sense of community has broadened deeply because I served on the Pastoral Council. And I am pleased to say, my friendship with my pastor is one I will cherish forever.

Kelley Coppens — What a dynamic group of parishioners we have! I’ve been blessed to work with friends over the past six years through two terms on the Pastoral Council. I have been involved in an interesting process of change and have seen firsthand how policies and procedures are developed. As a council, we have seen a reawakening of our church and have been inspired to become active in ministries that promote communication and fellowship. I encourage you to consider serving on the Pastoral Council to continue to propel our church forward in positive ways.

Chris Austin — My experience on Pastoral Council has been both inspiring and educational. As a parishioner and a parent of students at our school, I have learned so much about the many ministries at our parish and all the great work being done to improve our community. Serving on the Pastoral Council with such dedicated and talented members has deepened my connection and understanding of parish life. Most recently, the council has focused on ways to improve communication at St. Benedict Cathedral. It is clear in our conversations how dedicated Fr. Godfrey and council members are to encourage a welcoming, inclusive and vibrant experience.

Donna Halverson — It has been a blessing to be on our Pastoral Council for the past six years. How those six years have flown by! We began with a focus on hospitality. I think all of our parishioners have embraced that. I find that each Sunday, each soup supper, each event has become friendlier with more people engaged in conversation. Before each Mass and after each Mass, it is evident that no matter how big we are, we are a community that knows and enjoys one another.

The second term focus was communication. Our church website and the school website have improved greatly. I think that having a newsletter come to our homes has given us insight on ministries in the parish, whether it is the youth group or Adopt-a-Spot, the choir or the greeters. We learn the many, many ways so many parishioners help make St. Benedict Cathedral a wonderful community in which to belong. Fr. Godfrey has certainly continued this spirit of communication, especially during this COVID-19 quarantine period. We have Mass on Facebook, weekly email communications from him and weekly Thursday Cathedral Conversations. We are connecting and communicating and that makes me very, very excited. I have had the privilege of working with so many faith-filled, passionate people on the Pastoral Council who love SBC. Becoming a member of the Pastoral Council has been a rich blessing. You receive so much more than you give. It is great to be with Fr. Godfrey and others in the parish who want us to become not only a vibrant prayerful community, but the BEST vibrant prayerful community we can be!

Anna Hackert — The opportunity to be on Pastoral Council was one that I did not want to pass up. Having the unique experience of growing up both in the parish and the school as a student, and now as a teacher and parishioner, I offer a unique perspective and input. Also as being a younger parishioner, I was able to offer perspectives on communication for the younger population of the parish. Through the past three years, my participation in parish activities has grown and I feel even more a part of the parish than I already did. I would strongly encourage you to take part in serving on the Pastoral Council, as it will move you to become more involved in the life of the church.

Tami Orr — As I finish my second term on Pastoral Council, I thank Fr. Godfrey for allowing me to serve St. Benedict Cathedral along with these other amazing council members. The love of our parish and the desire to be good stewards are some of the things we all have in common. Together, we implemented many ways to improve communication, and ways to keep parishioners connected. I am very proud of all our accomplishments and the hard work of all involved. I am grateful to Fr. Godfrey and my fellow council members for their dedication to St. Ben’s. It has been a privilege working with you all. Thank you for this opportunity!

Bertha Melendres — Thank you, Fr. Godfrey, for giving me the opportunity to serve on the Pastoral Council for the last three years. I truly enjoyed getting to know and working with this group of dedicated loving parishioners of St. Ben’s. This experience helped me understand and love St. Ben’s more deeply. It also helped me connect with the community, being that I am so new to the parish and Evansville. I can honestly say that this opportunity made me realize that St. Ben’s is my new home, and I love being a part of such an amazing parish. Looking back to these three years, I feel humbled to have witnessed how God continues to show His great love for this faith community. Even through the hurdles of remodeling the parish, the leaky roofs, and even the bats, God keeps showing us His goodness. I feel privileged to work side by side with each of the PC members and I have learned so much from all of you. I would like to encourage those who feel the call to serve on this council for the next term to say “YES,” just like our blessed Mother did, open your hearts, and put your gifts and talents in God’s hands, for the good of your parish. Trust me, you will only come out a better person at the end.

Margaret Koch — It’s been a truly humbling, enjoyable and even entertaining experience serving on the Pastoral Council this past term. I thought by being both a parishioner and school parent, I was already (more than) sufficiently involved. However, joining this council of faithful, fun, and engaged people has brought me to a whole new level of belonging to this wonderful parish. Thank you, Fr. Godfrey, for leading this great group, and for making me a part of it!

Ben Early — Serving on the Pastoral Council has truly been an honor, a privilege and a blessing for me. I remember being in high school and finally being able to vote for those who were to serve on the Parish and School Councils. Serving on the council has been something I wanted to be involved in since then. The theme of this term’s council has been “communication.” I believe we have made leaps and bounds as a parish in the last three years in communication. From the website, to the Facebook page, to the bulletin, to the monthly newsletter, the parish is in a better place than when this group started. I cannot say enough about the leadership that Fr. Godfrey and Bob Wuertz have provided for us as a Council. Being given the ability to represent the parishioners of St. Benedict Cathedral has been, in a sense, a dream come true for me, and I thank each of you.

David Rice — Being part of the Pastoral Council is a special means for visioning and impacting the direction of our wonderful Christian community. It is exciting to see plans formulated through prayer and discussion. It is a blessing to see those plans become reality. It is an honor and a joy to work with the talented council members who are so deeply invested in the good of the parish.

Dan Diehl — I joined the Pastoral Council in fall 2019 as a representative of the School Council. I quickly saw the dedication of fellow members and the important role the council plays in our parish. The council offers ongoing support to Fr. Godfrey, focuses on improving communication, and helps to plan key parish activities — e.g., Father’s 25 th Jubilee, Parish Retreat, Open House. This experience has helped to strengthen my connection with the parish and develop a deeper appreciation for each of our ministries!