St. Joseph Parish Council
The
meeting was called to order by President, Jack Marinella, at 6:15 p.m. at
Maplewood Restaurant. Monsignor Bottino said the blessing before the meal.
Attendance: Msgr. Dominic Bottino, Marti Badagliacco, Nimia Bermudez, Richard
Blasberg, Pat Campanella, Anthony Capella, Sal Capelli, Frank Carrelli, Ron
Chance, Madge Codone, Mary Kryvoruka, Hugh LaMonaca, Jack Marinella, Anthony
Padovani, Burwell Porter (Trustee), Elvera Porter, Pat Rodio, Minerva Rodriguez
(Trustee), Agustin Saldana, Sr. Dorothy Toussaint
Excused: David DiMeglio, Joseph Olive,
Alex Tigro
Liturgical
Committee: Marti Badagliacco, chairperson,
Ron Chance
Marti
Badagliacco reported that decoration of the Church will be on Sunday, December
18, 2005, after the Spanish Mass. Christmas Masses will be 4:00 bilingual,
Midnight, and regular Sunday Masses.
Maintenance Committee: Sal
Capelli, chairperson, Anthony Capella, Ron Chance, Dave DiMeglio,
Agustin Saldana
Sal
Capella reported that a new circulator had to be put in church to get the heat
back on. A spare was also purchased. The work was done by Bruno Oil Co. The
outside freezer will be fixed and regular household refrigerators will be used
for the various needs of the church.
Social Activities Committee: Elvera Porter, chairperson, Mary
Kryvoruka, Marti Badagliacco, Madge Codone, Pat Campanella
Elvera
Porter thanked everyone for participation in the toy collection. Over 150 toys
were received.
Evangelical
Committee: Hugh LaMonaca, chairperson, Pat
Campanella
Hugh LaMonaca announced that there
will be no coffee and donuts this Sunday, December 11 (Our Lady of Guadalupe
Feast), Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Monsignor Bottino is going to have
the donuts delivered in boxes and placed at the side door of the rectory in the
future for protection from the weather.
By Laws Committee: Hugh LaMonaca, Alex Tigro, Ron Chance
Hugh LaMonaca reminded everyone that the ballots for election will be returned next weekend. Extra ballots will be placed in church so that all members of a family can vote.
New Business
Monsignor Bottino informed the
Parish Council of the following:
St. Rita Society had a very successful penny auction. The society agreed to replace the statue of St. Rocco after a person from Philadelphia did not carry through on his interest in purchasing a new the statue. The new statue is made of resin at a cost of $2,500.
About
10 families called for food for Thanksgiving.
They were referred to the St. Vincent DePaul Society. Monsignor
expressed his gratitude to all who helped to get the Grace House up and
running. Sr. Grace will be there two times per week. A schedule for open times
will be posted.
Monsignor
Bottino had his lengthy meeting with Bishop Galante regarding the parish, the
two schools, the cemetery, the Mausoleum, the Grace House, and other parishes
in Hammonton. More details will be forthcoming.
Monsignor
expressed his gratitude for the cleaning up of the cemetery; however, a
proposal has been made to sell the cemetery to the Diocese. They would take
over and maintain it from their resources. It is very difficult for a pastor to
take on this huge responsibility.
There
will probably be only one English Mass on Sunday beginning in the summer. The
CCD registration will determine other changes. A Spanish sister from Peru, has
a full class of Spanish-speaking students in her class this year.
Baptisms
during the 10:30 Mass are being well accepted.
Electricity
on the outside of the Church has been provided to make the celebration of
feasts easier to set up.
There
are several new altar servers and Eucharistic Ministers. The choir
participation has improved greatly.
Thanks
was extended to Bobby Capoferi and his crew for leveling the house on the
corner across from the elementary school at no cost. As soon as Pinelands
issues are settled, the house next to this one will be leveled. A horseshoe
driveway will be put at the Grace House for easier access.
Monsignor
is grateful that people are complying with putting flowers on and off the
cemetery plots. Monsignor did not forget about the statue donated by Dom
Tassone in memory of his wife, but because of his busy schedule he had to put
it on the “back burner” along with adult education courses. Monsignor has a
Vincentian priest for the Lenten Triduum. He needs suggestions for a priest for
the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Triduum in July. Masses for July 16th
will be posted. The weekend of December 10 will be the celebration of the feast
of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patron of the Americas. All are encouraged to
attend the celebrations.
Bishop
Galante will be coming to Hammonton for the “Speak Up” session on the Wednesday
after Easter. More information will follow. Monsignor will be confirming on
Pentecost Sunday at the 8:30 and 10:30 Masses. The liturgy will be bi-lingual.
The Assumption Society has donated $1,000 to the church. The Assumption Society has also maintained the convent parking area after each Assumption Feast. The society, this past year, put up a fence to enclose the trash area and planted shrubbery.
All
the windows of the convent have been replaced; materials and labor were donated
by Mr. Dixon. The convent was given two cars, the dining room carpet has been
replaced, the walls in the dining room were painted, and the convent meeting
room outside entrance was repaired. The convent is in need of two walk-in
showers.
Anthony,
the seminarian, visits parishioners, blesses homes, takes census, makes
Communion calls, and reports marriages that need to be blessed. It was
discovered that St. Joseph Parish has approximately ½ the number of families
that the Diocese has recorded in its records.
The
next meeting will be held on Monday, January 9, 2005. At 6:30, dinner was
served. Monsignor Bottino led the closing prayer.
Respectfully
submitted,
Sr.
Dorothy Toussaint, Secretary