Linkage Committee for St. Anthony’s and St. Patrick’s

Minutes

June 16, 2009

Present:            Fr. Arthur La Baff, Fr. Donald Robinson, Dcn. Kevin Mastellon, Penny Clark,

Margaret Foti, Frank Gorri, Mary Izzo, Nancy Navarra, Paul Trimper, Raymond Weston.

Excused: Edmond Galluccio

     The meeting convened at St. Patrick’s at 7:00 PM.  Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours was prayed.

     As this was the initial meeting of the group, Fr. La Baff welcomed everyone to St. Patrick’s and invited each appointed member to introduce him/herself to the group.

     Fr. La Baff and Fr. Robinson then led a discussion of the purpose of the group and the definition of linked parishes.  The members heard an update on the number of Priests, Deacons and Religious now serving in the 105 parishes in the Diocese of Ogdensburg. (75 active Diocesan Priests; 38 retired and disabled priests; 60 Permanent Deacons; 7 Brothers; 120 Sisters and 713 Commissioned Lay Ministers.) The situation, particularly in light of the declining number of priests available for Pastorates, has led the Diocesan Planning Committee to conclude some new arrangement of parish leadership in Watertown is likely in the not too distant future. Linking St. Anthony’s and St. Patrick’s under the spiritual and administrative direction of one pastor is being considered.

     No specific timetable has been established for this linkage. Any one of three scenarios may come into play: 1) a new Pastor may be assigned by the Bishop to serve the linked parishes; 2) Fr. Robinson could remain as the Pastor of the two parishes; 3) Fr. La Baff could remain as the Pastor of the two parishes.

     As linked parishes, St. Anthony’s and St. Patrick’s will remain as separate entities and unique communities of the faithful but the very nature of linkage requires a greater emphasis on collaboration. The Pastor in a linked parish environment tends to the needs of each parish individually but also the combined needs of the linked communities.

     This committee is charged to identify those areas of likely collaboration and to prepare for the day linkage is realized. Committee members then offered their thoughts on the process and the prospect of linkage and articulated the questions and concerns expressed to them by parishioners.

     The Committee identified a number of immediate areas of study and volunteered to work on one or more of the study groups. The study areas include, but are not limited to: Parish Demographics, the cultural identity of each parish, existing ministries and ministers, buildings and grounds and finance. A tentative schedule of meetings has been approved with the meeting site alternating between St. Anthony’s and St. Patrick’s. The resident Pastor at each location will chair the meeting at his Parish. The next two meetings of the committee will include tours of each parish’s facilities.

     The next scheduled meeting of the Committee is June 30, 2009 at St. Anthony’s at 7:00 PM. Subsequent meetings are scheduled for July 14, August 4, August 18 and September 1, 2009.

Respectfully submitted,

Deacon Kevin Mastellon