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 – 2006-2007
Because of the significant ministry that our Pastoral Council plays in the life of St. Mary’s, it is important to let the parish know who the members are and the ministries of the parish that they represent.

WORD - Bob Truppe, Olivia Reekie, Margaret Manley
WORSHIP - Eleanor King, Tom Schreiber, AnneMarie Bishopp
SERVICE - Rose O’Shea, Theresa Abad, John Dillon
COMMUNITY BUILDING - Rudy Asistin, Gwen DeLima, Alice Widman
Please see one of these council members to share your insights and concerns and they will bring them to the Pastoral Council for discussion and consideration.

At the Pastoral Council meeting on Monday October 30th 2006, the following members of the Pastoral Council were chosen for leadership positions -

AnneMarie Bishopp - Chairperson
Thomas Schreiber - Vice-chair
Rose O'Shea - Secretary

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.