Archdiocesan
News Archive
Posted on Friday January 13, 2006
Minutes From The San Gabriel Regional Council Meeting Of November 5, 2006
SAN GABRIEL PASTORAL COUNCIL RSHM Provincial Center 441 N. Garfield Ave. Montebello, CA. 90640 November 5, 2005 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. MINUTES
SAN GABRIEL PASTORAL COUNCIL
RSHM Provincial Center
441 N. Garfield Ave. Montebello, CA. 90640
November 5, 2005
9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
MINUTES
Members Present: Fr. Alex Aclan, Dn. Bill Bolduc, Dn. Ron Butler, Chris Caenepeel, Sr. Kathleen Callaway, Linda DeBerry, Jose Luis Elias, Dn. David Estrada, Anita Ford, Fr. Jesse Galaz, Maria de Jesus Garcia, Lupita Garza, John Gateley, Al Jones, Delores Louie, Jennifer Ocegueda-Reynoso, Mark Padilla, George Rigney, Jeff Storey
Members Absent: Denise Chacon (excused), Cathleen Crayton (excused), Fr. Richard Krekelberg, Ralph Lopez, John Muniz Fr. Nestor Rebong (excused), Dn. Gus Sebenius (excused), Fe Varquez, Sr. Angelica Velez, Bishop Gabino Zavala (excused)
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Gathering and refreshments.
9:00 a.m. John Gateley welcomed the members and in his opening remarks commented on the amount of activity going on, the steps we have to take and the challenges that we face. Sr. Faith reviewed our purposes. They included:
• To continue to get to know one another so as to develop a collaborative style of working together.
• To begin to reflect on the Synod Initiative V, Eucharist and Sacramental Living and to understand the initiative’s thrust
• To continue the process of forming standing committees
• To hear about the formation day for the Regional Council Members
• To be introduced to the Archdiocesan Viability Study
• To look at the work of the Sub Committee on Parish Councils in light of the Archdiocesan Viability Study and their proposal
• To be updated on the communication project
• To celebrate our first year as a Regional Pastoral Council
9:10 a.m. Chris Caenepeel led us in Morning Prayer, which included the proclamation of the Emmaus Gospel, this was followed by group reflection.
9:15 a.m. We broke into small groups and reflected on the following questions: 1) How do you see the celebration of Sunday Eucharist as a priority in your life? In the life of your parish community? 2) What do you do to prepare yourself for “full, conscious and active participation in Sunday Eucharist?� How does your parish prepare the assembly for full, conscious and active participation in Sunday Eucharist?� 3) How do you experience the grace of God that calls you to “transform the world� in celebrating Sunday Eucharist? After our sharing, we came back to the large group and shared an experience from our small group with everyone.
9:30 a.m. Fr. Manuel Sanahuja, Sch.P. spoke to Synod Initiative V, Eucharist & Sacramental Living. Some of the thoughts he shared included:
• Cardinal Mahony’s Pastoral Letter Gather Faithfully Together is being studied as a vision for Sunday Mass.
• There are big differences among parishes in the celebration of Liturgies.
• Formation and education are needed for Liturgical Ministers.
• Liturgy should be powerful enough to send you out to feed the hungry.
• Mass is a privileged moment that has incredibly lasting effects.
• We have only had 40 years of worshipping in this different manner. This is a relatively short experience.
• Good Liturgy comes from healthy opposites:
o work and quiet
o Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist
o consolation and challenge
o hope and realism
o communion with Christ and communion with one another
o contemplation and mission
• Liturgy is for us, not God; God doesn’t need it
• We need to turn correct liturgical rules into true celebrations, an art where presider, ministers and assembly grow into a united celebrating community
• Reverence is respect for all, the Eucharist, the people, etc…
• Traits of a good Liturgy:
o Warm
o Welcoming
o Diverse
o Respectful
o Communal
o The assembly singing with enthusiasm
o Proclamation of the Scriptures in a manner that engages thought
o The Eucharist Prayer prayed well
o Communion under both species from elements consecrated at that Liturgy
• The Office for Worship is ready and eager to come to parishes for formation. Their only requirement is that it be announced at 5-6 churches.
• Liturgy: make it good, make it alive, it makes the differences between parishes
10:30 a.m. Break
10:40 a.m. Linda DeBerry asked for a motion to approve the minutes from the September Meeting. Dn. Ron Butler made a motion that they be approved. It was seconded by Jeff Storey. A vote was taken. The September Minutes were unanimously approved.
10:45 a.m. George Rigney gave a report on the Archdiocesan Viability Study.
• The Cardinal mandated this survey and all parishes are required to participate. The data and feedback gathered will be given to the Cardinal, the Bishop of each region, and the Pastoral Council of each region. All responses are due to the Bishop’s desk by June 2006.
• The Parish Viability Profile and the Planning Process for Parish Reorganization were handed out. It was noted that all parts are of equal importance and that the parish will rate itself.
• A map was handed out, listing all of the parishes within the San Gabriel Region.
• Page five of the larger packet lists the current number of priests for the Archdiocese. These statistics are mirrored all over the U.S. They have led to the closure and/or twinning of parishes. They have also led to the preparation and formation of Lay Ecclesial ministers and Parish Life Directors (PDL). At present there are 288 parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and no planned closures.
• This Viability Study is being confused with the Feasibility Study that is a revenue raising campaign.
11:00 a.m. Dn. Ron Butler reported on the sub-committee on Parish Councils.
• This sub-committee met and compared the Viability Study with the Parish Council Survey and feel that we should still proceed with the Parish Council Study. The survey is complete and a copy was distributed to the members. All members were asked to review the cover letter and send any corrections to Anita Ford.
• Dn. Ron Butler made a motion for the current sub-committee to remain in place and to complete the Parish Council Survey when the Viability Study is complete. This motion was seconded by Anita Ford and passed unanimously.
11:20a.m. Chris Caenepeel reported on the Formation Day for Regional Pastoral Councils held at American Martyrs, Manhattan Beach, on September 24th. He noted the following:
• The keynote address was given by Bishop Gerald Wilkerson
• Statistics for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles were presented. It was noted that Seminarians are under the false impression that vocations will increase with better recruiting effort
o New Models for Parish Leadership are needed. Parish Life Director’s serve as the parish leader and assume responsibility for animating the life of the parish community. They take care of the day-to-day pastoral and administrative tasks. They coordinate and arrange for an ordained minister to celebrate mass & sacraments.
Sr. Donna Ciangio, O.P. spoke about Small Faith Communities.
• Her insights included that:
- We are all responsible for our church, not just the priests.
- It takes leadership, conversion, community, mission, hospitality and evangelization to make a vibrant Parish Community.
• The Key Question: Are we about mission or about maintenance?
• Pastor or Parish Life Director are
o Critical to Life of Church and are the primary theologians of the Church
o Connectors between revelation and people’s experience
o Help people find connections with sacred mystery of life and faith
o Pastor and PLD bring together all aspects of church for people
• Key questions
o When look at our region, what kinds of leadership is needed, do we foresee how we can implement these ideas?
o How should we study regional needs & make appropriate recommendations?
Contributing also were the Rev Brian Joyce who is the Chancellor of Diocese of Oakland, Diocesan Director of Adult Education and Pastor of Christ the King Parish in Pleasantville, CA. and Dr. Michael Horan, Professor of Religious Education and Pastoral Theology at Loyola Marymount University and the academic member of the National Council of Catechetical Leadership.
• Challenges
o Aging priests and fewer priests, with 65.3 million Catholics in USA the ratio today is 1 Priest to 2200 Catholics
o Polarization around issues of parish leadership
o Diversity – We need to welcome people of different cultures.
o Finding someone not to just say Mass but to lead the community
o Remaining a Eucharist Community
o Healthy parishes with good liturgies, homilies, a sense of ownership and participation
• Four essential constants in a parish include:
o Community, Collaboration, Compassion and Competence
• We are pioneers not called to be survivalists but cultivators, people who plant harvest, dream and build
Anita Ford gave a report on Communications.
• Two handouts were given: Partners in Ministry and The Council at Work, a draft of the communications project that Anita undertook. The Council was pleased with her efforts and encouraged her to follow through. Anita requested assistance with the project. Jennifer Ocegueda-Reynoso will lend her computer skills and Jose Luis Elias will provide the Spanish translation. Anita will coordinate a quarterly e-mail newsletter entitled “Council Chronicles� to be sent to the parishes in the region to be published in their bulletins. It is hoped that the Regional Pastoral Office will provide the email addresses or send out this newsletter to the parishes. Anita, Jennifer and Jose Luis will make up the new sub- committee on communication.
12:00 p.m. Standing Committees
The work of Council Members on Standing Committees was deferred to the January meeting. The list of participants from the earlier Synod processes were
given to each Standing Committee chair in the hopes that some could be re-engaged. It was suggested that we also look at professional ministers and pastoral staff.
12:15 p.m. Terms of Office
The Executive Committee will develop a process to stagger the terms of office so as to avoid a complete Council turnover in this first term. They will also ask the Archdiocese how elections will be handled
12:20 p.m. Dn. David Estrada asked for time to report. He addressed the need for council members to make a commitment to one formation day a year that is held for all members of the Regional Pastoral Councils. Council members responded by suggesting that there be more notice given and a greater importance put on this event. David then passed out the following texts “As One Who Serves� and “Who will lead God’s people?�
He reported that the Charter Committee was getting underway and that he would be asking for a member from the San Gabriel Regional Pastoral Council. He also reported that the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council is suppose to be in place by the spring and that we will need to submit the names of three lay persons from our Region. David informed us that a media group is being forming and that the Schools of Ministry are being discussed. We will be hearing more about these projects over the next couple of months.
12:25 p.m. Evaluations:
o All the pieces of the meeting fell together and worked well
o We’ve established pattern in meeting that gets us going and keeps us focused
o The speaker was excellent
o Concern about waning attendance
o Perhaps we need a buddy system to share minutes with non-attenders
• A handout, “Sharing Catholic Social Teaching,� was given to the members to be read and reflected on in preparation for our study of Initiative VI, Social Justice
• Our next SGRPC Meeting is on January 21, 2006 at 8:30 a.m. at the RSHM Provincial Center
12:30: We adjourned and enjoyed a delicious anniversary lunch together.

