Mass Times
Parish Pastoral Council Update - March 2025
As the new year begins, we look forward to our continued growth and embrace changes that
come with the growth. Fr Chris is eager to implement some changes that we as a parish have
been contemplating for some time. These include installing a playground and making plans for
the much needed Family Life Center. Our parish is in a good financial position as we have no
debt and funds in the bank to start working on smaller projects. Our Sunday mass attendance
has increased substantially from about 1,800 in July 2024 to around 2,100 today. We average
about $40,000 a week in collections and we are roughly $235,000 over the parish’s projected
budget for operations.
Our Epiphany party was a huge success. Thank you to all that helped put it together. We will
be making this an annual celebration for years to come. Attendance was up from the last time
we held this celebration. The Matachinas performed, we had plenty of food, and the kids
enjoyed pinatas.
The Feast of St. Joseph was March 19. Mass was at 6:30 and a pasta buffet followed in St.
John Hall. For dessert we had the traditional St. Joseph’s pastry, Zeppole di San Giuseppe. St.
Luke’s parish Matachinas joined our parish Matachinas in a procession and performance
before Mass.
The parish council has completed the formation of all the Standing Committees and have
included additional committees based on the needs of the parish: Building Committee and
Safety Committee. We have identified chairpersons for each committee and have assigned a
Parish Council liaison member to each committee. Each Standing Committee will meet monthly
and develop mission-purpose statements for each. Our goal is to align all our parish
ministries under one of the Standing Committees, enabling a stronger bond between
ministries and committees, uniting the parish in its vision and growth. A Ministry Survey has
been sent out to each ministry leader asking for more information about each ministry and to
help assess which Standing Committee most aligns with their mission. We are expecting the
survey responses in April, and will meet with all ministries in late April to discuss results and
plans going forward.
Our Family Life Committee offered several opportunities this quarter for individuals and families
to enrich their faith at home. In January, for Epiphany they provided chalk for home blessings.
They passed out all 800 bags they made. In January they hosted a candle making event for
the Candlemas celebration with about 100 in attendance. In March they distributed Stations of
the Cross Kits to hand out for parishioners to use at home and organized two kid-friendly
Stations of the Cross events. They distributed prayer cards after weekend masses with the
names of first communion, confirmation and OCIA candidates on them, asking parishioners to
pray for those members of our community who will be receiving sacraments in the next few
months.
The Playground Committee had their first meeting in March. The potential site has been
evaluated by Brent Dawson (Dawson Construction) and Andy Ahrens with Park Place. The
location has been chosen for its proximity to the current youth building, the need to fix the main
waterline under the area, and the proximity to current drainage. The next step will be to pick the
equipment. Once equipment has been selected, the civil engineer can begin mapping the site.
The parish said a rosary for the eternal rest of Fr. Abraham’s mother, Elizabeth Pendilkatla,
who passed away March 6 2025 at home while Fr. Abraham was visiting family. About 100
attended. The rosary was said in English, Spanish, and Fr. Abraham’s cousin said a decade in
his native language. The parish is very sorry for his loss.
We hope you are having a blessed Lent. Check the bulletin for all the Lent activities we have
coming in April. The Pastoral Council and Fr. Chris are excited to have Fr. Abraham back from
his vacation. He was very missed by all and especially Fr. Chris.
The Parish Council
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A Note from the Pastoral Council - March 2025
As our parish continues to grow, we are called to review and evaluate the great work of our ministries. Guided by Fr. Chris, the Pastoral Council has been diligently working to establish a structure for the parish that supports, unifies, and fosters the growth of ministerial work.
To this end, we have sent a survey to all ministry leaders to gather key information about each ministry, including its mission, operations, and future needs. This effort will help ensure that our ministries continue to thrive and serve our parish community effectively.
The Pastoral Council thanks all ministries and their members for their continued support and the vital role they play in our parish life.
Thank you!
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Pastoral Council Update – December 2024
December 12, 2024
As this year comes to an end, the Pastoral Council would like to update you all on our continuing efforts this past quarter. Since our last update in September, we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming Fr. Chris Muñoz to our parish, as well as two new Council members: Susi Boss and Ruben Hernandez. Ron Janak and Janie Mireles were re-elected to the Council, and Ashley MacShane was voted in as Chairperson. Departing Council members are Azucena Chu and Ricardo Garcia; we are so thankful for their service this past year.
Our parish Festival was a huge success! Special thanks to our Festival Co-Chairs, James Sulak and Sandra Lynch. We had a great turnout and sold over 1,200 truck raffle tickets. Feedback was very positive regarding the relocation of kids’ games and increased parking. We will continue to evaluate the event to see how we can make next year’s Festival even better. Thank you to everyone who contributed to its success.
As a Council, we remain focused on establishing Standing Committees and aligning ministries and organizations closely with those committees. Strengthening the bond between ministries and committees will help unite the parish under a shared vision and create more opportunities for collaboration across all levels. Our primary focus has been reviving the Stewardship Committee, which will begin meeting in the new year.
Several of our committees held successful events during the past quarter:
The Evangelization Committee welcomed Fr. Krikor Gregory Chanin for an Advent Evening of Reflection. This presentation was simulcast in Spanish and received an excellent response from attendees.
The Family Life Committee celebrated All Saints and All Souls Day with living Saints, cemetery tours, and games. They also hosted the Advent Wreath Donuts event, featuring special guests, the Salesian Sisters. The Sisters offered a beautiful Advent reflection while participants built Advent wreaths out of donuts, learning the symbolism behind each wreath element.
Looking ahead to the new year, we have more exciting updates:
The Building Committee will assess the needs for the future Family Life Center.
Plans are underway to provide a playground for the children of the parish. More details will be shared in our next quarterly update.
We wish each of you a Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year!
The Parish Council
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Pastoral Council Update – September 2024
September 16, 2024
Since the last Pastoral Council update in February 2024, the Council has continued to work towards cementing the Standing Committees and aligning all ministries closely with one or more committees. Creating a strong bond between ministries and committees will further unite the parish in its vision and foster more collaboration across all levels of the parish.
We are continuing to finalize the new parish photo directory with the guidance of our interim pastor, Fr. Mark. Approximately 365 families had their photos taken for the directory out of the 1,800 families registered. The submission of the directory was delayed until our new pastor, Fr. Chris, was named and his photo taken. The current expected delivery date for the directories is December 2024.
In August, several Pastoral Council members attended Pastoral Council training administered by the Archdiocese at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church. This was an opportunity to prayerfully evaluate our goals as a Council and assess the potential of our parish. All the members ended the day feeling renewed and inspired to serve our St. Joseph parish community. We will continue the training over the next several months, focusing on our mission and the needs of our parish.
In July, the Pastoral Council began planning and conducting an election for four new Council members, with the election scheduled for September 14-15. The Council informed the parish in late July about the timeline of events, candidate requirements, and voting procedures. The first meeting for the new members will be on October 21.
Additionally, the Pastoral Council had a table at the parish-wide Ministry Fair in August, where we had the opportunity to speak with several parishioners about their concerns and issues. Other topics discussed at our monthly meetings included the safety concerns regarding the main entryway to our church grounds and potential alternatives, the need for a playground for our young families, and the importance of updating the parish Master Plan. We recommended the formation of a Parish Building Committee to address current and future needs, as well as a Stewardship Committee.
In closing, we will continue to represent the common good of the parish, fostering unity and community in all parish activities. We also look forward to welcoming Fr. Chris as our new pastor and shepherd. We hope to see you all at our parish festival this October.
The Pastoral Council
