PARISH COUNCIL

The purpose of the Parish Pastoral Council is to foster full participation of the entire parish in the life and mission of the parish and the Universal Church. The parish faith community participates in this mission by:

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    - Worshipping God

    - Creating and nurturing Christian Community

    - Growing in Faith and Holiness

    - Serving those in need, especially the poor

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Members of the parish council are elected by the parishioners.

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http://archphila.org/pastplan/INDEX/PPCindex.html

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Parish Council Meeting - November 25, 2019 

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In attendance: Fr. Murphy, Monsignor Carroll,  Sr. Thomasina, Sue Phelan, Regina Jean Claude, Maryann Cassidy, Gina Flatley, John Cooke, Dave Maile, Dan Hilferty, Joe McGonigal, Bob Gross, Amy Brennan, Mike Fohner, Anna Louise Votta, Nick Caramanico, Kim Gerace, Jack Ruffenach 

In Absentia: John Donnelly, Tom Judge

The Parish Council began the meeting, as we always do, by praying with gratitude to God for His many blessings, and asking for His guidance and help in discussing Parish business and making wise and careful decisions.  A review of parish activities since the last meeting as well as upcoming activities followed.

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Parish Activity Document

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The  Parish  Council continued  to  update the  report  submitted to Archbishop  Chaput  in 2015. Corrections were made to 

Concentration #5: A  Parish Responsive  to  Others: Pastoral  Outreach and  Service  to Justice and to

Concentration  #6:  An Effectively Administered Parish: Leadership and Care of Facilities, Personnel and Finances. 

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Anniversary Mass

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53 married couples renewed their wedding vows on Sunday, October 20 during the 10:00AM Mass. All couples who celebrated a milestone in five year increments (married in 2014, 2009, 2004, 1999, etc.) were invited to participate along with all couples married prior to 1969 who were married for fifty years or more.

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Parish Coat Drive

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The parish coat drive was held the weekends of November 9-10 and November 16-17.        Parish  Council would  like  to thank  all  who contributed  to  this year’s  coat  drive. Because of your continued generosity we collected 289 coats. The coats were given to BVM Parish in Darby and Saint Katharine Drexel in Chester. 

Special thanks to Amy Brennan and her son Matt Brennan, Dan and Monica Hilferty, Sue Phelan,  and Regina Jean Claude for their assistance with this project.

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October Count

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Every year during the weekends in October Nick Caramanico and Paul Riley count the people in attendance at all Masses. The count includes adults as well as children present at any given Mass. The count is done in order to complete a report that must be submitted to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  The overall attendance at Sunday Masses during October has remained the same when compared to the same month in 2018. The average attendance for each weekend in October was 1,366.  This is approximately 22% of the parishioners registered at St. Dorothy Church. 

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Letter to a Suffering Church

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The Parish Council discussed Chapters 1 & 2 of Bishop Robert Barron’s book Letter to a SufferingChurch. Bishop Barron’s  book  deals with  the  sexual abuse  crisis  in today’s Church.  He  describes some  of  the abuse  that  has taken  place  in New  York  and Pennsylvania.  The Council noted that even though the numbers of nonbelievers and Catholics leaving the Church are staggering, Bishop Barron forbids us to give up hope. He reminds  us  that “everything  we  love in  the  Church is  still  present and  is  worth defending.” He references Abraham, Lot, Eli and David as people in Scripture who did not escape the moral oversight and sanction of God. Bishop Barron concludes Chapter 2 with a look at Jesus in relation to children. Every child is assigned a supernatural guide who is intimately linked to God. Bishop Barron states that those who were ordained to act in the person of Christ have now become obstacles to Christ.

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Class Masses

The remaining class Masses for the current school year are as follows:

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Sunday, January 12, 2020           10:00AM      Grade 4

Sunday, February 23, 2020        10:00AM      Grade 5

Sunday, March 22, 2020             10:00AM      Kindergarten

Sunday, May 3, 2020                   10:00AM      Grade 2

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The next Parish Council meeting will be held February 17, 2020 at 7:30 PM.

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2020 Parish Council Members

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Fr. Murphy

Monsignor Carroll

Sr. Thomasina

Amy Brennan

Nick Caramanico

Maryann Cassidy

John Cooke

Deacon John Donnelly 

Gina Flatley 

Mike Fohner 

Bob Gross 

Dan Hilferty 

Regina Jean Claude 

Tom Judge 

David Maile

Deacon Joe McGonigal 

Sue Phelan 

Jack Ruffenach

Anna Louise Votta

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