“The Church Is Us!”
Getting To Know Your Pastoral Council

The Pastoral Council for St. Faustina’s is working to add new members and looking for your input. Jerry Portele, current Pastoral Council Chair, says the council is evolving just as the parish is. 

So, what exactly does the Pastoral Council do?

“The council is a group of people that help the clergy discern the direction for the parish. We often focus on ministries and events; making sure they add to parish life. We take a birds eye view of the direction of the parish,” Portele said. “We’re a sounding board for Fr. Dat, who ultimately is the decision maker, but he values our input.”

This past year the Pastoral Council worked on things such as bylaws and processes, given that St. Faustina’s is a new parish. But in the following years they should be able to focus more on ministry goals and oversight, helping to ensure that St. Faustina’s can meet the needs of parishioners from every walk of life. 

The process for selecting new members is carefully thought out and follows the direction of the archdiocese. 

A representative from the archdiocese comes to an orientation meeting for all interested. Then there is time for discernment and prayer. Questions are posed to the group as a whole about parish direction, parish values, and long term goals. After everyone has had time to respond, the group present writes in the member they feel God is calling. 

Not only has the council blessed the parish, but those who serve on the council find that their lives are transformed through their service. Portele adds, “To have this parish patron be St. Faustina, right in my neighborhood, and to be the first chair on the first council- it’s very very special to me. It has such a deep meaning in my life. I consider serving on the council as one of the greatest honors of my life.”



Pastoral Council members wear nametags to Mass so it’s easy for parishioners to engage. They welcome comments, concerns, and suggestions from parishioners. There is also an email address, pastoralcouncil@saintfaustinachurch.org, and that address will send the email to each individual council member. This ensures that suggestions are answered promptly. 

Do you have feedback for the council? Or do you feel God calling you to be a member? They want to hear from you! The best way to improve parish life is to be involved and share your opinions and ideas. Send your questions to the email address listed above or, if you’re discerning becoming a member attend our information session on Wednesday, March 20 at 7 pm. 

“We want people to engage us and get involved. The Church is not just the clergy, or only the pope, the Church is us,” said Portele. Such truth!