05/12/2026
Dear Parish Family:
We are on the cusp of the end of the Season of First Communions and Confirmations. Congratulations to all our young men and women and OCIA Candidates who have received Baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion these past months. May Jesus continue to strengthen and guide you through your identity as Children of God, through the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, and His Eucharistic Presence that you receive at every mass. We are also on the cusp of the end of the school year. Final exams will be soon upon us as well as plans for summer vacations. This is a time of transitions, of new beginnings, and a time to slow down and take stock of where we have been over the past year.
With this spirit in mind, I would like to formally announce that I am reconstituting the Parish Council here at St. Joseph – Immaculate Conception Parish. This is something that I would like to do to serve the Lord and to help me serve you better as your administrator.
The Church explains what the purpose is of a parish council in Canon 536 n.1 of the Code of Canon Law (1983):
"In every parish of the diocese, a Pastoral Council shall be established, if the diocesan Bishop, after consulting with the Council of Presbyters, so decides. The pastor presides over the Pastoral Council. The Pastoral Council is composed of members of the congregation together with those of the parish staff who have pastoral care by reason of their office. The Pastoral Council assists in promoting pastoral action in the parish."
The Parish Pastoral Council is an advisory and consultative body, pastoral in nature, because it strives to discern the movement of the Holy Spirit among God's people in the parish. A Parish Pastoral Council gives its help to the pastor in fostering pastoral activity; it investigates, under the authority of the pastor, all those things which pertain to pastoral works to ponder them, and to propose practical conclusions about them. It is essential that Council meetings occur in the context of prayer and openness to the Holy Spirit, so that at all times the common good will prevail.
Specifically, the Parish Pastoral Council's purpose is to enhance the process of:
• pastoral planning
• developing pastoral programs
• improving pastoral services
• evaluating the pastoral effectiveness of various programs and services
Although the Council is not a body which makes binding decisions, the recommendations of the Pastoral Council are to be taken seriously when grounded in prayer, discernment and communal wisdom.
The pastor presides over the Parish Pastoral Council. The pastor is responsible for the final approval of Council recommendations concerning pastoral planning, programs, and services for the parish, as well as for their implementation. While the pastor is not obliged to follow the recommendations of the Parish Pastoral Council, it is understood that he ought to do so unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise. If there is such a reason, the pastor should share this with the Council.
The Parish Council will meet quarterly with me and will consist of organizational and non-organizational representatives that can serve for a term of three years with the possibility for the renewal of a second three-year term. I would like both to congratulate and to thank the following members of our parish who will serve as members of the parish council in the following capacities:
Organizational Representatives:
Greg Butta – Knights of Columbus
Susan Doering – Women’s Guild
Andres & Maria Jiminez – Hispanic Community
Pam Woodward – Seven Sisters Apostolate
Ellen Spagnoli – Uncle Al’s Thrift Store
Michael Bonadonna – Men’s Group
Donna Byrnes – Book Club
Patrick Johdry – Young Adults
Non-Organizational Representatives:
Molly Paglia
Joseph Lindner
Vincent Sorriento
Please pay attention to the parish website, bulletin, and social media for further updates from the parish council. Please also feel free to contact me at the parish office at any time if you have any questions. Until then, may God bless you and Mary keep you!
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Matthew MacDonald
Parochial Administrator
