Pastoral Council
St. Mary's, Dumont
In the past, the leadership of a Catholic parish often rested solely in the hands of the pastor of that faith community. Today, baptized members of parish communities are now invited to share in that ministry of leadership along with the ministerial staff who works with the pastor. The baptized do this in a very particular way as members of the parish Pastoral Council. Chosen from among their brothers and sisters in faith, the members of our Pastoral Council represent four general areas of ministry at St. Mary's: Word, Worship, Community Building & Service.

Our Pastoral Council – 2010-2011
We want to offer a word of prayerful congratulations to the following members of our parish Pastoral Council who were recently chosen to assume positions of leadership on the council. They are: Barbara Barba as chair; John Soltes as co-chair; and Karen Permuy as secretary. We also offer thanks to two parishioners who have accepted a position on the Pastoral Council, having been nominated by members of the parish. They are: Roberta Elwell and Lynn Rosica. They join the present members of the council: Joan Connelly, Joe Pidi, Beverly Serafini, Margaret Yu, & Margaret Keating.

The members of the council will be blessed and commissioned in the fall.

We also want to express our sincere thanks to two members of the council who have finished their terms (and beyond). They served well beyond what would have been the usual term and, for their service, we are extremely grateful. Thanks go to: Anne Marie Bishopp & Tom Schreiber. They served their parish well. Thank you!

About the Pastoral Council . . .
In large measure, the Pastoral Council of any parish is a result of the guidance of the Holy Spirit at the Second Vatican Council, held in the early 1960's. That same Spirit guides each parish, called into being as the Body of Christ in a local area. The Pastoral Council assists the pastor through their insights and knowledge of the particular parish where they serve in ministry. Often, they have an intimate knowledge of the parish since they have been members for varying numbers of years. Because of the diversity of the members of the Pastoral Council, they bring to their deliberations a rich variety of thoughts and opinions.

However, the Pastoral Council does more than simply function in an advisory capacity, although that is clearly a significant role. Simply put, they are the "dreamers" of the parish, the visionaries. Having both a knowledge of the history of the parish and an experience of its present reality, members of the Pastoral Council seek to articulate a vision. Knowing where they came from and immersed in where they are at present, the men and women of the Pastoral Council are able to formulate a plan for the future.