Pastoral Council

PASTORAL COUNCIL

January 4, 2005

Those in attendance: S.Chuhta, M.Deitz, A.Demczar, T.Fedak, D.Getman,T. Gutch, R.Karpishka, D.Kopchick, С.Lee, A.Serdyuk, D.Warrenchak, and D.Zavisky.

The meeting began with prayer. Roman facilitated. The minutes of the December 1, 2004 meeting were read.

The new liturgy books are in the pews and several announcements have been made concerning use and care of the books. They are to be left in the pews for visitors as well as parishioners.

In order to facilitate the spread of parish information, Roman will contact the Times Union and Schenectady Gazette newspapers and Dorothy will contact the Troy Record. It was suggested that special information about the Great Fast be sent to local colleges and that local hotels should be added to the contact list as well.

Due to Rev. Myshchuk’s absence, there was no further information on the Pastoral Council ballot or the date of the Annual Parish Meeting.

Ted compiled a listing of the mission statements collected thus far. Three items are common in all--- they state who the parish is, what the parish believes, and what the parish aims to do. A more specific announcement will be placed in a future parish bulletin. Each council member is asked to read the mission statement examples and submit a statement at the next meeting.

Ted announced that many parishioners are ill. OMPHS would appreciate timely notification of sick and shut-in situations. The society and Fr. Myshchuk are responsible for sending names and addresses of shut-ins to Sandy for bulletin mailings.

Donna reported that the St. Nicholas program, held Sunday, December 5,was well attended. Congratulations to all involved. Suggestions made--- Faster distribution of gifts and having a scheduled time for photos of children with St. Nicholas. Christy asked for help in finalizing the parish directory-specifically in identifying members of groups and layout of group photos. Fr. is probably her best resource. The directory will be finished by the end of the month and distributed by mail in early March. Marta volunteered to chair the Annual Pot-luck Dinner to be held on February 6,2005. More information and a sign-up sheet will be forthcoming.

To better bring our parish family together, the following suggestions were made:

-Have one combined liturgy each month.
-Have only one liturgy on the first Sunday of each month. One month it would be all in Ukrainian and the next month, totally English.
-Remind all parishioners to actively participate in the liturgy, as is our tradition.
-Have greeters posted at the end of each liturgy to welcome visitors, distribute bulletins, and invite all to coffee hour.
-Have reminders in the bulletin concerning traditions and etiquette during liturgy.
-Remind parents that they are the MOST important teachers and that their children will imitate them.

The next meeting of the Pastoral Council will be held Wednesday, February2, 2005 at 6:30pm. The meeting ended in prayer.

PASTORAL COUNCIL MEETING

March 2, 2005

Those in attendance were: S.Chuhta, M.Deitz, A.Demczar, T.Fedak, R.Karpishka, D.Kopchick, C.Levy, and L.Mokey.

Fr. Mikhail led the council in prayer. Roman facilitated the meeting and Sandy read the minutes of the February 2, 2005 meeting.

Roman reported that he has received word from the Schenectady Gazette and the Times Union as to posting pertinent information concerning St. Nicholas and our liturgy schedule. This is a free service of these newspapers and free advertising for our parish. Roman, Donna, and Fr. will decide what information to publish.

The Annual Parish Meeting will be held Sunday, March 6, following a combined liturgy at 10am. The search committee has had difficulty with finding candidates for the pastoral council ballot. Because of the demographics of the parish, it was decided to change the age categories from four groups to only two groups (18-45 years and 46+ years). There will be two members elected to each group each year. The three (3) year term will remain. This year’s ballot will consist of all incumbent candidates.

Ted reported that the OMPH Society is searching for small gifts to give the parish shut-ins at Easter time. About thirty gifts are needed. Please contact Ted Fedak with suggestions.

Another mission statement was submitted and discussed. Ted will continue to collect statements from parishioners. A parish mission statement is needed for the parish centennial celebration. The statement should remind parishioners of our purpose and inform non-parishioners as well. Work on the mission statement will be the main focus of the council in the year ahead.

Marta reported that about fifty people attended the recent Pot-Luck Dinner and that more people attended the Forgiveness Vespers than in the past. The day’s schedule seemed to work well and this event will be continued in the future. Parishioners are encouraged to participate.

Dan reported that about 40-45 parishioners attended the recent Senior Citizen Valentine’s Party. Many thanks are extended to Dan and Patty for their work on this event.

Fr.Mikhail announced that the Parish Lenten Mission will be held March 13-16,2005. All parishioners are urged to attend.

On April 10, The Stamford Diocese will hold a Women’s Day Pilgrimage. More information will be forthcoming.

The next pastoral council meeting will be held April 6 at 6:30pm.

The meeting closed with prayer.

Pastoral Council Meeting

April 6, 2005

Pastoral Council Members: Alisa Serdyuk, Taras Miszczuk, Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Christiane Lee, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Andrew Demczar Representatives: Ted Fedak, Dorothy Zavisky (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Donna Getman, Dorothy Zavisky, Ted Fedak, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Christiane Lee, Roman Karpishka, Alisa Serdyuk, Fr. Mikhail

The council welcomed new member, Mike Storonsky. As the first meeting of the new year, elections were held for council leadership; Dan Kopchick was elected president, Roman Karpishka vice president, and Christine Levy secretary. Vice secretary is yet to be determined. Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the March 2^rd meeting. Minutes were accepted.

Old Business: Announcements in local papers – Donna reported that several parish announcements had been placed in local papers over the last month and brought samples for review. Announcements regarding Lenten services, Easter services, Great Lent were placed in the Troy Record and Evangelist. Announcements in several papers are no charge and future items will be placed in papers, such as Pentecost Cemetery Services, etc. Suggestions for future announcements are welcome. The council will continue to pursue other forms of publication such as newspapers, visitor bureaus, hotel guides, college directories. The council discussed the need for a ‘Communications Specialist’ to handle overall communications of parish news and announcements to the local community and felt it would be a great opportunity for someone with skills in that area.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted reported that 23 gifts had been delivered to sick and shut-ins over the Easter season. OMPHS had not received any suggestions as to small gifts to present to our sick and shut-ins, but continue to welcome future suggestions for holiday gifts or items of remembrance.

Parish Lenten Mission Update: Mission was held March 13-16^th and was well attended, including several members of the Pastoral Council. Feedback on the Mission was very positive; those attending felt it was very worthwhile and would encourage others to attend next year.

Mission Statement Update: Ted compiled mission statements that have been received so far and distributed them to council members. He encouraged the members to review them, suggest changes, and to continue to submit statements for review. Tying the mission statement in with the centennial celebration was discussed and felt to be a worthwhile effort. The council will continue to pursue this.

Women’s Day: Women’s day will be held in Stamford on April 10^th. If women of the parish are interested in participating they should contact Fr. Mikhail. Unfortunately, Women’s Day is scheduled the same day as the St. Nicholas Easter Dinner, so attendance may be low.

New Business: Roman suggested the council consider making memorial candles available to the parish by pursuing a group purchase through the candle suppliers. He noted that the candles were a beautiful addition to the cemetery and some have already been placed. He will get further information for the next meeting and will check with Nick Fil on cemetery regulations regarding the candles.

Library Update: The council asked for an update on library use and developments. Christine Levy reported that usage of books, videos and CDs has increased, there seems to be a greater awareness of the library offerings among parishioners. Christine suggested the possibility of a small table/chair set in the library for those who may want to sit while looking for books.

Church Picnic: Dates for the late summer Church Picnic were discussed. If possible, a late August date for the Watervliet arsenal will be sought. If not, dates in September will again be requested.

Suggestion Box: Christine Levy asked if the council had ever considered placing a suggestion box in the back of the church. The council wanted to discuss the idea and would add it to the next meeting agenda.

The next Pastoral Council meeting will be held Tuesday, May 3^rd.

Pastoral Council Meeting

May 3, 2005

Pastoral Council Members: Alisa Serdyuk, Taras Miszczuk, Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Christiane Lee, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Andrew Demczar

Representatives: Ted Fedak, Dorothy Zavisky (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Donna Getman, Luba Mokey, Marta Deitz, Andrew Demczar, Dorothy Zavisky, Ted Fedak, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Roman Karpishka, Fr. Mikhail

The meeting started with a prayer led by Fr. Mikhail. Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the April 6^th meeting. Minutes were accepted.

First order of business was to determine a vice secretary for the council; Marta Deitz accepted the position.

Old Business: Communications Specialist: The council noted the growing need for a ‘Communications Specialist’ for the parish. This person would assist with parish announcements, public relations, community outreach, and the upcoming centennial celebration.

The effort to publish our parish information in local venues continues. Mike noted that the convention center and visitor center have a complete list of area churches, including St. Nicholas. Roman reported that our church information has been faxed to all major hotels in the area. Donna reported that the St. Nicholas 40 day liturgy for Pope John Paul would be announced in local papers as well as other upcoming events. Ideas for future announcements are welcome.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: OMPHS continues making visits the sick and shut-ins of our parish. Ted inquired about making copies of the St. Nicholas Divine Liturgy video for sick and shut-ins, however the original could not be found and copies cannot be made without the original. Roman was able to make CD’s of the Divine Liturgy in English and Ukrainian. One of each would be put in the library. Other copies would be shared with sick and shut-ins.

Library Update: A suggestion was made to put ‘Library’ signs on doors to the library. It was noted that the library is in need of straightening and books must be sorted through and added to the shelves or removed if not appropriate for the library. Chris Levy volunteered to work on these items.

Cemetery Candles: It was reported that O’Connor’s Church Goods store had cemetery candles in stock. Roman agreed to check the cemetery regulations and report at the next meeting how to proceed in obtaining the candles at a discounted price and how they can be placed in the cemetery.

Suggestion Box: The council discussed the idea of a ‘suggestion box’ made at the last meeting. Most agreed that a suggestion box was a worthwhile idea and proposed setting it up for a trial period to see if the parishioners would use it. An announcement would be made in the bulletin when the suggestion box is in place.

Centennial Committee: Donna gave a summary of the May 1^st Centennial Committee meeting she had attended. She reported that the theme of the centennial year would likely be tied to the mission statement. Committees would be formed to plan activities, work on publications, prepare for the celebration, etc. A full meeting report would be published in the Sunday Bulletin.

New Business: Father Mikhail discussed ways of getting our children more involved in parish life. Various ideas were proposed that would allow the children to display their talents and participate more actively in parish events. Discussion centered on finding ways to integrate the children’s interests and talents with parish events and religious themes.

The next Pastoral Council meeting will be held Wednesday, June 1st at 6:30.

Pastoral Council Meeting

August 3, 2005

Pastoral Council Members: Alisa Serdyuk, Taras Miszczuk, Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Christiane Lee, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Andrew Demczar

Representatives: Ted Fedak, Dorothy Zavisky (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Donna Getman, Dorothy Zavisky, Ted Fedak, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the June 1 meeting. Minutes were accepted.

Old Business: A notice has been placed in the Sunday bulletin requesting a volunteer to take on some of the Public Relations activities. This will be an excellent learning opportunity for someone who is interested in reaching out to the local community and helping the St. Nicholas parish.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted reported that the society continues to visit the sick and shut-ins and provide spiritual outreach to the elderly and sick of our parish.

Mission Statement Update: A subcommittee including Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, Christine Levy, Barbara Zavisky, and Fr. Mikhail has formed to discuss and develop the mission statement. The first subcommittee meeting will be held September 6, at 6:00pm in the church basement. Other parishioners who are interested in participating in this effort are welcome to join. Please contact Fr. Mikhail or just attend the subcommittee meeting on September 6^th.

Parish Picnic: The parish picnic will be held Sunday August 28th. Peter Urban has offered to chair the event, and may be calling on members of the parish to help. Several of the key people who worked on the parish picnic in the past will not be available on August 28^th, so Peter will need the support of new volunteers in this effort.

New Business:

Parish Events: The council discussed concerns surrounding the participation and organization of special events held at St Nicholas. Events such as perogie sales, garage sales, BBQ fundraisers, festivals, etc require much work and participation of all members of St. Nicholas. These events are part of St. Nicholas spiritual life and demonstrate our ability to live our faith by working together toward common goals. Concerns were raised about a breakdown in our ability to work together and act as a loving community when some of the events require excessive work for the same few parishioners every year. Other events are not organized well, and create a stressful and divisive environment for workers.

The council will look into how some of these issues can be resolved, how events can be better organized, and how more members of the parish will understand and appreciate the value in contributing their time to these events.

The next Pastoral Council meeting will be held Thursday, September 8.

Pastoral Council Meeting

September 8, 2005

Pastoral Council Members: Alisa Serdyuk, Taras Miszczuk, Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Christiane Lee, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Andrew Demczar

Representatives: Ted Fedak, Dorothy Zavisky (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Mike Storonsky, Luba Mokey, Andrew Demczar, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the August 3rd meeting. Minutes were accepted.

Old Business: The committee discussed the continued need for a Public Relations rep. and noted that a request had been placed in the Sunday bulletin seeking a volunteer. No responses have been received yet.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Luba reported that the society continues to visit the sick and shut-ins and provide spiritual outreach to the elderly and sick of our parish.

Mission Statement Update: The subcommittee met on September 6^th to discuss the mission statement. Not all members of the subcommittee were able to attend on the 6^th, an additional parish participant, Joseph Nazar was welcomed as a parish participant. Those who met developed a draft outline that contained a 3-part mission statement describing 1) Who we are, 2) our values and beliefs, and 3) our goals. The subcommittee did a cross-walk between principles described by the Centennial Committee and merged them with the mission statement ideas that had been submitted so far. A draft outline was developed and passed out to members of the Pastoral Council.

Parish Picnic: Reports from committee members who attended the parish picnic were very positive and feedback from parish members indicated the picnic was again a great success. Peter Urban was complimented on the excellent job he and his family did coordinating the event, working during the event, and making it all come together. Thanks were expressed for those who brought salads and it was noted that the salads were delicious and varied. One comment made was that more salads should be brought next year as they seem to run out very quickly every year. The council will plan to see that more people sign up next year to bring salads.

Parish Events, Fundraisers, Community Efforts:

Discussion on how to improve participation and success of our parish events continued. A key suggestion was that every event should have at least one or more co-chairs in addition to the main chairperson. Having one or more co-chairs would take some of the burden off the main chairperson, allow others to learn how to chair an event, and encourage others to become involved without having to immediately take the lead. Other suggestions were to more actively promote the events so that community turnout would be improved, and to increase the volunteer efforts of our parish members by actively seeking their participation in the work, planning, and selection of parish events.

New Business:

Religious Traditions: Luba noted that during funerals, the church bell used to ring when the deceased was brought into the Church, however, there are times now when no one rings the bell at all. She wanted to know if it would be possible to ensure that someone was available to ring the bell at the appropriate times during services. The Pastoral Council would look into it.

Acoustics: Mike noted that the PA system needed to be adjusted. He stated that many parishioners can’t hear announcements or the epistle readings. The council would contact Roman to see if he could look at it.

The next Pastoral Council meeting will be held Wednesday, October 5th at 6:30.

Pastoral Council Meeting

October 5, 2005

Pastoral Council Members: Alisa Serdyuk, Taras Miszczuk, Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Christiane Lee, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Andrew Demczar

Representatives: Ted Fedak, Dorothy Zavisky (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Mike Storonsky, Luba Mokey, Andrew Demczar, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Marta Deitz, Donna Getman, Dorothy Zavisky, Ted Fedak, Fr. Mikhail

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the September 8th meeting. Minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Public Relations Representative: The council was very pleased to hear that a volunteer for the Public Relations Representative has been found. Joseph Nazar has volunteered to work with the parish as the PR representative. Joseph has already been able to assist in this role with the article that appeared in the Sept 30^th Times Union describing the St. Nicholas Harvest Festival on Oct 1^st. The Harvest Festival was well attended and many felt the increased publicity was a boon to the festival. Thank you Joseph and welcome as the new PR Rep!

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted reported that the society continues to visit the sick and shut-ins and provide spiritual outreach to the elderly, the sick, and those who can no longer attend St. Nicholas in person.

Mission Statement Update: The draft mission statement was read to the council members. Although it is still a draft, the council proposed placing it in the Sunday bulletin to give parishioners and opportunity to read it and to provide comments. The statement will be published in an upcoming Sunday bulletin.

Parish Picnic: Follow up discussions on the parish picnic continued. The Pastoral Council wants to thank Roman Karpishka for chairing the event (once again) along with Peter Urban. Roman’s help and leadership continue to make it a success. Also recognized were the efforts of the many picnic volunteers. The council also discussed sending thank you notes to business donating food, supplies, and beverages. This should be a coordinated effort with church letterhead used for letters. It was also proposed that the donor businesses should be listed so parishioners would be sure to patronize them.

Suggestion Box: A suggestion box was purchased and will be mounted in the church entryway. Father will put an announcement in the Sunday bulletin notifying parishioners of it.

Parish Events, Fundraisers, Community Efforts:

The council continued the discussion on how to improve participation in and success of our parish events. A suggestion was made that notebooks for each event should be kept by the event coordinators. The notebook would have information on donations, expenses, contacts, purchases, etc. and would ease the work for future chairpersons. A request was also made that the results of fund raising events be published in the Sunday bulletin. Information to be published are expenses, income, profits, donors, volunteers, and other facts that would indicate if the event was worthwhile and should be continued.

Religious Traditions: Discussion continued on trying to maintain our church traditions, for example ringing of the bell at funerals and other occasions. Father said he would try to locate someone for this specific task and try to show additional people how the bells work.

Acoustics: Discussions continued on acoustics in the church and difficulty hearing near the back. A proposal was made for two additional speakers. Roman will be contacted about adding speakers (if it would help and which types to get). Microphone usage was also discussed; some adults do not hold the microphone close enough when speaking, which is part of the problem; instructions or training may help.

Church Directory: Ted Fedak asked about the status of the church directory. Father said it was nearly ready and would be sent off for final printing soon. The council made a note to follow up on the status at the next meeting.

New Business: Donna Getman mentioned that with St. Nicholas day soon approaching, plans should be made to coordinate the luncheon that had been held for the past three years in conjunction with the St. Nicholas play. The council will continue this tradition. Volunteers from the council will work with the Religious and Ukrainian schools to coordinate and plan the event.

The next Pastoral Council meeting will be held Wednesday November 2^nd at 6:30.

Pastoral Council Meeting

November 2, 2005

Pastoral Council Members: Alisa Serdyuk, Taras Miszczuk, Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Christiane Lee, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Andrew Demczar

Representatives: Ted Fedak, Dorothy Zavisky (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Mike Storonsky, Luba Mokey, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Marta Deitz, Donna Getman, Dorothy Zavisky, Ted Fedak, J. Vorobets, Roman Karpishka, Tomas Gutch, Taras Miszczuk, Fr. Mikhail

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the October 5^th meeting. Minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Public Relations Representative: Joseph Nazar, PR Representative, has sent articles to the Sower regarding parish events, including the recent harvest festival and events at the church. If published they should appear in upcoming issues of the Sower. The council continues to look for sources of advertising to inform the community of our parish and events. A proposal was made to send letters to inactive parishioners to invite them back to church.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted reported that Christmas preparations were underway for visiting sick and shut-ins. Cards are being prepared for various purposes to remind the elderly and shut-ins that they are still remembered by their parish.

Suggestion Box: The suggestion box has been mounted in the back of the church. Parishioners may use it to submit comments or suggestions. The council will try to find Ukrainian label for “Suggestions” to place on the box.

Parish Events, Fundraisers, Community Efforts:

The results from the BBQ and parish picnic were posted in recent Sunday bulletins. The council will continue to track events and publish results.

Religious Traditions: Father reported that someone has been found to ring the bell at funerals and Sunday liturgy. The bells have also been reset to ring on a regular schedule; 9am, noon, and 6pm.

Acoustics: Roman discussed the proposal for additional speakers in the back of the church. He reported that the wiring is in place, however, splitting the signal from the amp may not produce the best results. He will test to see if the simple addition of 2 speakers would work with the existing amp and wiring. Roman will bring cost estimates for 2 new speakers to the next pastoral council meeting.

Church Directory: Father reported that the church directory is still being processed and is not yet ready.

St. Nicholas Luncheon: Dan and Pat Kopchick and Christine Levy will chair/co-chair the luncheon. Invitations will be passed out before liturgy, and envelopes were stuffed after the pastoral council meeting by members of the council. Roman offered to provide music and serve as MC for the event. Servers will be needed as well as volunteers to set up, clean up and prepare food. St. Nicholas luncheon and play is scheduled for December 4^th.

New Business:

Centennial Celebration: The third Centennial meeting was held in September. Several major events during 2007 were discussed including; kickoff celebration around January 2007; Memorial Day parish alumni picnic; major banquet/program will be held in October 2007 (harvest festival will be moved into September); combined choir to sing services throughout the centennial year in both languages; the current choir will be expanded. Donna will coordinate a subcommittee to discuss the combined choir.

Religious Education: Christine Levy reported on the Religious Education program and gave a summary report of the catechist’s meeting she attended in Stamford on September 24^th.She presented the council with various ideas that catechists had proposed to strengthen the program and to increase involvement of children with the liturgy and church life. Ideas included children Epistle readers, children greeters on the first Sunday of the month, involving children during the liturgy in various ways. . The Religious Education program now has a website: http://www.cerkva.com/religiouseducation.htm

Father described the adult formation program active at our church. Adult formation classes were held on Nov 15 in Ukrainian, and on Nov 16^th in English. A first organizational meeting was scheduled for a St. Nicholas prayer group on Nov 9^th. The group will discuss different prayer traditions including vespers, matins, and other various prayer techniques.

Other New Business:

Mrs. Vorobets addressed the committee about changes that were being planned for the interior of the church. She requested more information on the decision making process that took place in preparation for the changes to the church interior. She was redirected to the Stewardship Council which has been more closely overseeing the process in collaboration with the Interior Restoration Committee and its recommendations. All of these meetings have been open to any parishioners to attend to voice any of their concerns.

The next Pastoral Council meeting will be held Wednesday November 30th at 6:30.

Pastoral Council Meeting

November 30, 2005

Pastoral Council Members: Alisa Serdyuk, Taras Miszczuk, Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Christiane Lee, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Andrew Demczar

Representatives: Ted Fedak, Dorothy Zavisky (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Mike Storonsky, Luba Mokey, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Donna Getman, Dorothy Zavisky, Roman Karpishka, Taras Miszczuk, Andrew Demczar, Fr. Mikhail

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the November 2^nd meeting. Minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Public Relations: The Public Relations representative has written letters to several inactive members of the parish to invite them back to the church. Some responses have been received and the church is following up with the respondents. Joseph Nazar’s well-written newspaper article describing the St. Nicholas Harvest Festival was published in last month’s Sower.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Dorothy Zavisky updated the committee on the activities of the society. They continue to visit sick and shut-ins and are planning Christmas visits and commemorative gifts for those visited.

Suggestion Box: A Ukrainian label has been placed on suggestion box. All parishioners are invited to submit suggestions or comments by placing them in the box which is mounted near the main doors of the church. Two suggestions have been received; one requested that Father continue to make announcements at the end of liturgy; and the second suggested that the music be removed from the St. Nicholas website. Parishioners who feel strongly on either of these issues are invited to offer opinions.

Acoustics: Roman described two speakers he would recommend for use in the back of the church. Cost of the speakers is estimated to be around $100 each. He will try the speakers to ensure they perform as intended before mounting them on the walls.

St. Nicholas Luncheon: Members of the council arrived early to set up tables, chairs, and prepare the church hall for the upcoming luncheon. Dan Kopchick, Mary Caldwell, and Olia Myshchuk discussed details of the event, food preparation, anticipated number of attendees, volunteers needed and other specifics. Several recommendations for next year’s event were also mentioned and will be added to future discussions.

Centennial Celebration: Donna reported that the next Centennial meeting will be held January 19^th, and future meetings will be held the 3^rd Thursday of each month. All committee chairs except the Jubilee book committee have been filled. Three entries have been received so far for the logo contest. A note was made that the Cohoes church also will be holding their 100^th year anniversary celebration around the same time as St. Nicholas’. Natalka Verzole has offered to coordinate the schedules of the two churches so that events do not overlap and the Bishop and other speakers will be able to accommodate both church celebrations.

The Centennial committee had asked about the mission statement and the difference between the term ‘Eastern Rite’ and ‘Byzantine Tradition’ as mentioned in the mission statement. Dan provided handouts explaining that the Byzantine Tradition is one of several liturgical traditions within the Eastern Rite and that the Ukrainian Catholic Church is part of the Byzantine Tradition.

Religious Education:

Donna Getman and Sandy Chuhta are working to put together a schedule of children epistle readers for the coming year. Sandy will work with the children to train them to serve as greeters on the first Sunday of the month and to participate more fully in the children’s liturgy.

Father mentioned that he had received a letter from a parishioner noting that they felt some of the children serving during liturgy were not properly dressed. The council discussed this letter and will monitor whether this is a concern shared by others.

New Business:

A proposal for a trip during the upcoming Easter season was made. The proposed bus trip to Pennsylvania Amish country would include a show at the “Sight and Sound Millennium Theater”. The performance “Behold the Lamb” is scheduled for April 8^th. The cost of the trip is estimated to be $250 per person and would include transportation, hotel stay, some meals, and theater ticket. Cost could be reduced depending on the number of people participating. The council unanimously approved the idea and suggested that details could be published in the Sunday bulletin closer to the date of the event.

The next Pastoral Council meeting will be held Wednesday January 4^th at 6:30.

Pastoral Council Meeting

February 1, 2006

Pastoral Council Members: Alisa Serdyuk, Taras Miszczuk, Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Christiane Lee, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Andrew Demczar

Representatives: Ted Fedak, Dorothy Zavisky (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Mike Storonsky, Luba Mokey, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, Taras Miszczuk, Andrew Demczar, Fr. Mikhail

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the January 4th meeting. Minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted Fedak updated the committee on the activities of the society. They continue to visit sick and shut-ins and he noted that the visits are particularly meaningful to the elderly, especially at this time of year during the holidays. The society is planning for Easter visits and is considering possible gift ideas to present during visits. Ideas from parishioners are always welcome.

Centennial Celebration: Several submissions were received for the 100 Anniversary Logo contest. The designs will be posted in the vestibule of the church for voting on by parishioners. Donna Getman would be preparing the display and ballots for voting. Announcement of the wining design would be made at the annual meeting.

The Centennial Committee members are working on many different areas in preparation for the 100^th year anniversary. Father Mikhail noted that many tasks and duties required of them and asked that the members of the Pastoral Council help out in any areas where they possibly can.

Religious Education:

A schedule of alter boys is being put together. The first liturgy schedule will be developed, however, there are so few alter boys for second liturgy, it’s difficult to come up with a schedule. Ideas were discussed for addressing the scheduling concerns.

Pot Luck Luncheon:

The committee was updated on the upcoming Pot Luck luncheon. The luncheon is scheduled for February 26^th. A single liturgy will be held followed by Vespers of Forgiveness, followed by the luncheon. Marta Deitz has again volunteered to coordinate the luncheon.

Upcoming Pastoral Council Elections:

Elections will be held for new Pastoral Council members during the annual meeting on March 5^th. Donna and Dan will call potential candidates before the meeting. There are 8 positions to be filled on the council this year.

New Business:

Valentines Day Luncheon: A sign up sheet will be posted in the back of the church. Dan and Pat Kopchick are again coordinating the event this year. The children from the Religious Education program will help serve, assist during the luncheon, and help in other ways during the event. The luncheon is scheduled for Saturday, February 11^th.

Annual Picnic: It’s never too early to reserve the Arsenal for the picnic. Proposed dates were August 20^th or August 27^th. A check would be made to ensure these dates don’t conflict with other St. Nicholas events and to see if the Arsenal is available on those dates.

The next Pastoral Council meeting will be held Wednesday March 1^st at 6:30.

Pastoral Council Meeting

March 1, 2006

Pastoral Council Members: Alisa Serdyuk, Taras Miszczuk, Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Christiane Lee, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Andrew Demczar

Representatives: Ted Fedak, Dorothy Zavisky (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Mike Storonsky, Luba Mokey, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, Andrew Demczar, Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Fr. Mikhail

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the February 1^st meeting. Minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted Fedak reported that visits continue to the sick and shut-ins, with a call this month to one parishioner who lives quite a distance away, and had few visitors. Their visit was very much appreciated by the family. Ted asked parishioners to inform OMPH of those who might need visits and invited anyone from the parish to accompany OMPH on visits. Contact Ted Fedak at 785-7523 if interested.

Centennial Celebration: Roman gave an update on the centennial celebration planning meeting. A list of committees and sub-committees has been made with chair persons identified. A list of events for 2007 has also been drafted. A number of items from the tentative schedule were discussed including centennial banquet, alumni picnic, Jan 7^th combined liturgy and reception, combined event with St. Peter and Paul’s church, special mission during lent, and other events planned for 2007. A printer for the jubilee book has been selected.

Religious Education: Chris Levy reported that the first of two parent meetings was held between families, parents, catechists and Fr. Mikhail recently. The theme of the meeting was Great Lent and how families could prepare for it. The meeting was well attended with most parents and children participating. Catechists training/workshop will be held during a Saturday in the coming months. The date and times for the workshop will be announced in the bulletin.

Pot Luck Luncheon: Marta Deitz reported that the pot-luck luncheon was well attended and enjoyed by all. It was estimated that between 50 – 70 adults and children were present. The comments from attendees were very positive. Some comments made by the council members were that more parishioners should be encouraged to stay and attend the luncheon. It was felt that each year, participation has increased. The council hoped to get the message across that everyone was welcome to the luncheon, and it was felt that some might not attend if they did not bring a dish to share. The council discussed possible donation if no dish was brought but wanted to make it clear that a donation was optional, and the goal was to encourage participation.

Upcoming Pastoral Council Elections: Dan Kopchick and Donna Getman had made calls to potential candidates for the council seats. Dan would make additional calls before the Sunday meeting to contact those that were recently suggested.

Valentines Day Luncheon: The luncheon went very well, and the turnout was very good. Children from religious education helped during the event, and the comments from participants were very positive.

Annual Picnic: The Watervliet Arsenal has been reserved for August 20^th.

Directory: Olin Mills was sent all the information needed to complete printing the directory. Proof reading and checking has been completed and the final changes were sent to Olin Mills. We should be receiving the directories in several weeks and should definitely have it by Easter. Those who had their photographs taken by Olin Mills will receive a free directory. Other copies have been ordered and will be available for purchase. Details will be forthcoming.

New Business: Suggestion Box: Two new suggestions were submitted. The first had to do with Father’s comments at the end of Liturgy; they asked him not to repeat announcements that were already posted in the bulletin. There seems to be an equal number or parishioners who prefer the announcements to those who don’t want him to repeat the announcements.

The second suggestion was to consider adding a nursery room in the church for families with young children. This issue was discussed at length by the council. Pros and cons were brought up, as well as financial and pastoral concerns. The council decided to continue the discussion and to take the issue up at the next meeting in order to propose ideas and solutions and guide the parish in the decision. The next Pastoral Council meeting will be held Thursday April 6^th at 6:30.

Pastoral Council Meeting

April 6, 2006

Pastoral Council Members: Alisa Serdyuk, Taras Miszczuk, Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Christiane Lee, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Andrew Demczar

Representatives: Ted Fedak, Dorothy Zavisky (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Mike Storonsky, Luba Mokey, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, Andrew Demczar, Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Fr. Mikhail

Old Business:

· Ted Fedak gave a description of ‘The Risen Christ’ – a gift that the MOPHS has been distributing during their visits to the sick and shut-ins.

· A brief discussion on the latest news regarding the Centennial celebration:

1. A new logo was chosen that would be included on all letterheads and envelopes.

2. Letters were sent out to parishioners requesting pictures and history of the church.

3. A discussion took place on the logistics of having a ‘Traveling Icon’ to help commemorate the centennial year. A proposal was set forth that there should be 1 Traveling Icon per liturgy.

4. A letter from the Centennial Committee was sent to the Pastoral council requesting a brief synopsis of the mission and accomplishments of the Pastoral council since its inception 8 years ago. Dan Kopchik and Roman Karpishka volunteered to lead this effort.

· The Pastoral Council welcomed the newly elected and re-elected members – they are: Stephen Tenney, Viktor Holovashenko and Oksana Dacyk in the 45 and under age category; and Dan Kopckik, Luba Mokey JoAnn Dunne and Diana Warrenchak in the 46 and over age category.

· Roman Karpishka volunteered to chair the Picnic Committee for the event, which will take place at the Watervliet Arsenal on Sunday, August 20^th.

· The Parish Directories are ready and have been made available. Ted Fedak suggested that it should somehow be tied together to the publication of the Centennial book.

New Business

· An in-depth discussion was held regarding the proposed ‘Nursery Room’ that is being considered for the back of the church. Several members of the council feel that this would be a very positive addition to our church and may encourage attendance from those families whom feel that their infants may be disruptive to both liturgies. The council understands that not all parishioners feel this way and some may even welcome the sounds that may be emitted from our youngest parishioners. However, some members of the council feel that further discussion is merited since this enhancement would enable young families to have a choice of whether to use the nursery or not, and would provide an option that is standard in many other churches. The next steps would be to bring this potential enhancement to the parishioners of our parish so they may voice their opinion on the matter, and to commission architectural drawings and cost estimates so that a proposal could be submitted to the Stewardship Council.

· A discussion took place on the fact that Luba Mokey, whom has led the effort to send donated clothing to Ukraine has been unable to continue her charitable efforts because the storage room at the Ukrainian school where the clothing has been stored/sorted has become unavailable. Donna Getman volunteered to bring this space issue up with the School trustees.

· A brief discussion was held regarding successful the Parish organized by Mary Felack to the ‘Sight and Sound’ Theater in Pennsylvania to see the play entitled ‘The Passion’. Congratulations from the Pastoral Council to Mary for a well-organized outing.

· Dan Kophik handed out the most recent iteration of our parish’s Mission Statement and asked that all council members read it, think about it, and come up with improvement suggestions for the next pastoral council meeting to be held on May 4^th.

· The meeting closed with a prayer.

Pastoral Council Meeting

May 4, 2006

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, Oksana Dacyk, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenny

Representatives: Ted Fedak, Dorothy Zavisky (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Luba Mokey, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Dorothy Zavisky, Roman Karpishka, Stephen Tenny, Fr. Mikhail

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the April 6^th meeting. Minutes were accepted.

Elections:

Before getting into old and new business, the council held elections for the coming year. The following officers were elected: Dan Kopchick-President, Stephen Tenny-Vice President, Christine Levy – Secretary, Roman Karpishka Vice-Secretary.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted Fedak updated the committee on the activities of the society. He reported that the Easter visits, gifts, prayers and songs were very much appreciated by the sick and shut-ins. Ted also mentioned that the OMPH always welcomes new members or parishioners interested in accompanying the group on visits; as he noted, their visits are always very much appreciated by the elderly and sick of our parish.

Centennial Committee Update: Dan and Roman are working on the Pastoral Council statement for the Centennial book, and will complete it by the 5/31 deadline. Roman mentioned that 2 ‘traveling icons’ were being considered for the centennial; one for each liturgy would brought home by families throughout 2007. Discussions and planning for the Centennial book continue; a printer has not yet been selected but will be soon; use of sponsors and underwriters was discussed; combining Centennial book and parish directory was discussed.

Directory:

The directories have been received and are available for parishioners. A box containing directories is located in the back of the church, near the right side confessional. Families who had photos taken have a directory with their name on the back cover; please check the directory for your name before taking one. If you did not have a photo taken, there will not be a directory with your name. However, there is a sign up list in the box for those who would like to obtain a directory.

Religious Education:

Christine Levy updated the council on religious education activities for the month. The children from religious education created Easter cards that were mailed to the sick and shut-ins just before Easter. The school year is wrapping up and graduation will be held on Friday, May 12^th at 6:00pm. The children will attend a Moleben service and receive their graduation certificates on the 12^th.

Mission Statement:

Dan Kopchick presented the group with the near final version of the mission statement. Several iterations of this version were discussed and Dan agreed to draft 3 versions and present them to the council at the next meeting. The proposed changes including re-formatting the statement for clarity; streamlining the statement; and shortening the statement.

Nursery Room:

Roman Karpishka will work on getting drawings for the proposed nursery room to present at the next meeting. Dan mentioned that he had received an e-mail from a parishioner stating that they were in favor of keeping children in church with families during liturgy, rather than separating them in a nursery room. The council discussed the issue at length with members voicing different opinions about this matter. The council will continue to pursue the topic

New Business:

DA Vinci Code: Roman mentioned that the film based on the controversial best seller, “the DA Vinci Code” would be coming out on June 14^th. The fictional novel presents a number of false ideas about the Catholic Church, misrepresenting them as fact. The council agreed that explanation, clarification, or other published statements challenging some of the controversial ideas presented the film should be published in the Sunday bulletin over the coming weeks.

Next Meeting: Father suggested a topic for the next meeting and asked council members to give some thought it; “What does it mean to be a parishioner of St. Nicholas?” This topic is broad and includes parishioner involvement, contribution of time, talents, and material goods, spiritual involvement, family life, support and fostering of the church community.

The next Pastoral Council meeting will be held Thursday June 1^st at 6:30.

Pastoral Council Meeting

June 1, 2006

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, Oksana Dacyk, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenny

Representatives: Ted Fedak, (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Luba Mokey, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Donna Getman, Mike Storonsky, Fr. Mikhail

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the May 4^th meeting. Minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted Fedak updated the committee on the activities of the society. He reported that they continued with visits for sick and shut-ins.

Centennial Committee Update: Donna provided an update on centennial committee activities; they continue working on the centennial book; sponsorship letters will be sent to parish and community members. Photos are still needed for the book; they should be sent to Mary Felak; photos of parish groups such as stewardship council, pastoral council, OMPH, etc. will be taken and statements are being written by these groups for inclusion in the centennial book. Roman is working on the pastoral council statement for the centennial book. The centennial committee is working in several areas, including; souvenirs; traveling icon; memorial picnic, sponsorship, and fundraising. The committee meets on the third Thursday of every month and is still looking for volunteers.

Religious Education:

Religious education classes have finished for the summer; students received their certificates during a graduation ceremony in May. The council would like to recognize the catechists, thanking them for their time and commitment during the year. This year’s catechists were: Zoriana Mangione, Christiane Lee, Fr. Mikhail, John Cordi, Pat and Dan Kopchick. The council also wanted to remind all parishioners of the importance of the religious education program and ask that they consider the possibility of helping next year as a catechist, substitute, or in any other way. The council suggested that anyone considering serving as a catechist feel free to talk to former and current teachers to see what is involved, answer any questions or concerns.

Mission Statement:

The council worked to further refine the mission statement, making changes to improve the clarity, conciseness, and meaning of the statement. A final statement was arrived at during the meeting and will be sent to council members for their final review and approval.

Parish Picnic:

Parish picnic is scheduled for August 20^th. The council would explore other types of entertainment for the picnic as an alternate to the Mad Science and magician acts. Other suggestions such as games, prizes, talent show were discussed. A reminder to coordinate salads was re-stated since there was a shortage of salads last year.

New Business:

Visitor Envelopes: Barbara Zavisky asked Dan Kopchick to raise the topic of visitor envelopes to the council. Visitor envelopes would be available for those who do not attend the church on a regular basis, but would encourage them to make a donation and have a space to add their name, address and phone number so they could be contacted in the future. The council would explore various possibilities at future meetings.

Ukrainian Club: Mike Storonsky described some of the financial problems faced by the Ukrainian club and noted that the club might close on Tues., Wed. and Thurs. due to financial reasons. He described a ‘Cruise Night’ fund raiser in which his commissions were being donated to the Ukrainian club. Mike and other members of the club have been distributing flyers about the fundraiser and asked that council members announce the fund raiser, post the flyers, and that parishioners consider taking advantage of the cruise (Dec. and Feb. during school vacations) to support this cause.

The Pastoral Council usually takes a month off during the summer and future meeting will be announced in the church bulletin.

Pastoral Council Meeting

July 6, 2006

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, Oksana Dacyk, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenny, Taras Miszczuk

Representatives: Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Tom Gutch , Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Luba Mokey, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Mike Storonsky, Fr. Mikhail, Donna Getman, Roman Karpishka

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the June 6 meeting. Several changes were made: Note that the Ukrainian Club will be closed Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursdays due to financial reasons (not entirely closed). Name misspellings were corrected.

Old Business: With the departure of Joseph Nazar, the council is seeking a volunteer to act as a Public Relations person. This is a great opportunity for someone who would like to write short articles promoting our parish, contact newspapers and local media about events, work with parishioners and church councils to publish news about the activities our parish is involved in.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted Fedak updated the committee on the activities of the society. There are no summer meetings, but he reported that they continued with visits for sick and shut-ins.

Religious Education:

Christine reported for Religious education; there is a need for new catechists, substitutes, teachers, and volunteers for the Religious Education program. An announcement would go in the Sunday bulletin requesting volunteers.

Mission Statement:

Donna asked how the mission statement would be used in bulletins, announcements, brochures, and items related to the Centennial Celebration. Other than suggestions for usage, the mission statement work has neared completion.

Parish Picnic:

Roman volunteered to chair the event this year. He would solicit a co-chair and also discussed ideas for entertainment, volunteer recruitment, food donations and supplies. The invitations were to go out in the following Sunday’s Liturgy.

Visitor Envelopes: The council discussed the item from the May meeting and felt at this time there was not a pressing need for visitor envelopes. No action was taken at this time.

Ukrainian Club: Mike Storonsky noted that the club will be closed three nights a week because of expenses. Mike asked that if anyone could support the club via the cruise or pancake breakfast to please do so. He noted that the December and February cruises were held during school vacations.

Nursury: Eugene Spiak will work with Roman to draw up plans and present something to the Stewardship council. The Pastoral Council will obtain more detail and present this information to the parish for the purpose of obtaining parish feedback.

New Business:

New Public Relations person needed.

Dan asked about addressing some needs of the elderly of the parish. A lift or some sort of device to assist those that have difficulty walking up the stairs was discussed. A suggestion was made to possibly combine centennial fundraising with this need. Luba suggested looking at other churches’ elevator additions and configurations. Donna inquired about the need for handicapped parking. The topic was discussed and possibilities were considered.

Interior painting of the church: Father presented the proposed designs to the committee and discussed how to present the drawings, presentations, and sketches to the parish. It was decided that the proposals would be placed in the church lobby for everyone to view over the next few Sunday’s.

Next Meeting: September 7th at 6:30

Pastoral Council Meeting

September 7, 2006

Representatives: Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Tom Gutch , Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Luba Mokey, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Fr. Mikhail, Donna Getman, Stephen Tenny

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the July 6^th meeting. Minor changes were made and the minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted Fedak updated the committee on the activities of the society. He reported that they continued with visits for sick and shut-ins and their regular meetings. Father took a minute to recognize the work of the society and emphasized the importance of their outreach to the older members of our parish. He asked that parishioners remember to let any member of OMPHS know when a family member is ill, at home, or in the hospital, so the members of the society could include them in their visits and prayers.

Religious Education:

Christine reported for Religious education; registration for the school would be held the coming Saturday (9/9) and announcements had been placed in the bulletin. Second Liturgy coffee hour would resume again on 9/10; funds raised during the second Liturgy coffee hour go to the religious education program and all are encouraged to attend. Teachers had been recruited for grades 1 – 8 for the school year, however, substitutes are still needed.

Mission Statement:

Discussion continued on how to promote the mission statement and make it known to members of the parish. Ideas included adding it to the website, placing it in the bulletin, and perhaps placing a plaque in the lobby/vestibule. The council felt the statement accurately described the purpose of the parish and wanted to ensure its visibility to parishioners and visitors.

Parish Picnic:

The annual parish picnic was once again a success. Thanks and recognition were given to those who worked hard to make the event successful, including the chair persons, cooks, servers, cleaners, salad donors and salad preparers. Attendance was around 115 this year; feedback from attendees was positive and everyone seemed to have a good time.

Ukrainian Club: A reminder was made for the December and February Cruise fundraiser; tickets for the cruises are still available; part of the proceeds go to the Ukrainian Club; cruises are scheduled during school breaks so families can go.

Suggestion Box: Several suggestions were found in the suggestion box and were discussed;

A request was made to encourage recognition of the napkin holders, children participating during the service, and children helping during Liturgy. The council unanimously felt this was an excellent idea and would follow up to see that related photos were included in the Centennial book and that recognition of the participation of all children was made.

A suggestion for a kneeler in front of the Shroud during Good Friday Services was made. The council discussed many possibilities of how to assist parishioners at the Shroud, since the Shroud is low to the ground and it’s difficult for many to get back up from a low kneeling position. It was hard to find a solution, since a kneeler would prohibit someone from leaning down to kiss the Shroud, and may not help them get back up without a handrail. After much discussion, it was decided that the brotherhood who help during the Good Friday Services should be recruited again to assist those at the Shroud in getting up, and perhaps given additional help or training in that effort.

An item in the suggestion box noted that the new sanctuary painting was beautiful and encouraged the Church to continue with the work and complete the painting of the rest of the Church.

New Business:

A suggestion was made that the council should put together a calendar of events for the year. The calendar should include not only St. Nicholas events, but related community events that could affect scheduling of St. Nicholas activities and parishioners plans for the year.

The Pastoral Council wanted to recognize and congratulate Fr. Deacon Tom Gutch on his Ordination to the order of Deacon. The council discussed ways to recognize this event including adding an informational item in the bulletin regarding duties performed by the Deacon.

Next Meeting: October 5^th at 6:30

Pastoral Council Meeting

October 5, 2006

Representatives: Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Deacon Tom Gutch , Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Luba Mokey, Victor Holovashchenko, Christine Levy, Mike Storonsky, Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Fr. Mikhail, Donna Getman, Stephen Tenny

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the September 7^th meeting and the minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Religious Education:

Christine reported for Religious education; An upcoming Family Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, Nov 18^th. During the family meeting, parents, children, catechists, and Father meet in the church to discuss specific topics related to Religious Education. It will be followed by a Catechists’ meeting from 10:30 – 12:30 on the 18^th.

Mission Statement:

Discussed placing the mission statement in the bulletin or other place where it could be viewed by all. Dan will bring copies to hand out at the next meeting as a refresher. Will keep this item open for now and will discuss it at next meeting.

Ukrainian Club: Mike reported that they were making progress with the cruise fundraiser. Cruises are still available at the flyer price for the February cruise and he encouraged parishioners to inquire if interested.

Calendar of Events: Discussed the ‘Calendar of Events’ and noted that it was closely aligned with the need for a PR person. The council discussed ways to recruit a PR person and again emphasized the value of this position. It was suggested that a detailed description of the duties and importance of the PR person be again placed in the Sunday bulletin, or that names of possible candidates be suggested. This item will remain open under Old Business.

Deacon: The council proposed that information describing Deacon roles and duties continue to be published in the Sunday bulletin. Possible items to include were the roles of the Deacon and how those roles differ between Eastern and Western Rites. The council discussed the November 12^th combined Liturgy and luncheon to celebrate the deaconate. The Pastoral Council will prepare food and set up tables on November 11^th, and noted that volunteers who can help on that day would be very much appreciated and are encouraged to contact the council.

New Business:

Generation of Faith: Father reported on “Clergy Days” events that he recently attended. One talk that was very interesting to him was that on a Catechetical program for the entire church membership (not just children and current Catechists). The program, named “Generation of Faith” involves the whole parish together for catechism and spiritual development. The general format of the program was to meet together for prayer and then to split into groups with various curricula. The goals of the program are to raise awareness of Church life, feast days, festivals, liturgical year, and other topics. Surveys have shown that when parishioners don’t know or understand their faith they tend to leave the church and gravitate toward non-denominational churches. The goals of the program are to keep church members aware and actively involved in church life by deepening the Ukrainian Catholic identity, strengthening disappearing traditions, and educating the entire parish on faith, tradition, and beliefs. Knowledge of one’s faith gives more meaning to church practices and strengthens the whole church community. The program would be coordinated by lay-persons, the Priest, and the parish. 6 – 10 people would be trained in the program. Enthusiastic and involved parishioners would be instrumental in making it work and those that are interested in learning more should contact the council or Father.

Sponsorship Letters: Dan reported that the Pastoral Council has recently been receiving letters from various groups within the church requesting sponsorship of events. He noted that the Pastoral Council has no budget and is not able to sponsor these groups for that reason. He wanted to share this information with council members and to note that individuals on the council could donate to various events personally, if they chose to do so.

What it means to be a member of the Parish: Dan read a letter submitted to the council by a parishioner addressing the topic ‘What it means to be a member of St. Nicholas’. This question had been raised at prior meetings, specifically; what level of involvement, financial contribution, volunteer work, family involvement, etc. was enough to qualify someone as a member. The letter suggested that not everyone who considers him or herself a member of the parish is able to contribute fully at various times in his/her life, but should still be considered a parish member. Examples might include students away at college, family members who have moved away, and others who cannot contribute fully at any given time. Discussion ensued on this topic, and it will be continued at the next meeting.

The meeting ended with a prayer.

Next Meeting: November 2^nd at 6:30

Pastoral Council Meeting - November 1, 2006

Representatives: Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Deacon Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Luba Mokey, Victor Holovashchenko, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Fr. Mikhail, Donna Getman, Roman Karpishka

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the October 5^th meeting and the minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Mission Statement: The mission statement has been published regularly in the Sunday bulletin, and is now on the website. The council will continue to suggest uses and locations for the mission statement, including the possibility of a plaque to be hung in the church after renovations are complete.

Public Relations Volunteer: The council reported the need for a Public Relations person has still not been filled. Any one interested in serving in this role should contact the council or Father.

Calendar of Events: The calendar of events is closely tied to the need for a Public Relations volunteer. The PR person would maintain the calendar among their other duties. Discussion continued on the calendar and how to manage this information.

Deacon: Items related to the deaconate have been published in the Sunday bulletin and have been very informative. The council discussed the November 12^th combined Liturgy and luncheon to celebrate the deaconate. Pastoral Council members discussed planning and coordination of the luncheon.

What it means to be a member of the Parish: Dialogue continued on this topic. The council considered the possibility that general guidelines for parish membership be established and if so, what minimal participation of parishioners would connect them as members of the Church, be it contribution of time, talents, financial, or attending services. The topic continues to be under discussion.

New Business:

St. Nicholas Luncheon: Dan mentioned that the planning for the annual St. Nicholas luncheon needed to begin. The council suggested tasks to prepare for the luncheon, including set up tables, prepare food, shop and organize the luncheon and was seeking volunteers for this effort.

The meeting ended with a prayer.

Next Meeting: December 7^th at 6:30

Pastoral Council Meeting

December 7, 2006

Representatives: Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Deacon Gutch , Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Luba Mokey, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Fr. Mikhail, Steve Tenny, Steve Krill

D Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the Nov. 1meeting. After minor corrections, the minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Public Relations Volunteer: The council reported the need for a Public Relations person has still not been filled. Any one interested in serving in this role should contact the council or Father.

Calendar of Events: The calendar of events was also discussed at the Stewardship Council meeting. The purpose of the calendar is to track church events, Ukrainian community events, Ukrainian Club activities, Brotherhood society events, and to help plan church activities. A copy would be kept at the church as well as posted on the Web. Nick Fil has offered to help with the calendar. Events to be posted on the calendar should go through Father, and all organizations should publish their events on the calendar by letting Father know.

Religious Education: Children in the religious education program will be creating Christmas cards to be sent to the elderly, sick and shut-ins in the parish. A religious education family meeting was held November 18^th for all parents, children, and catechists. The family meeting was well attended, and brought families together for the first time this school year. A catechists meeting was also held in November; catechists discussed teaching, spiritual, and logistical issues related to the religious education program. Christiane Lee will not be able to teach following the winter break, and a replacement teacher is urgently needed for her 3/4^th grade class. The high school religious program was discussed; there has been one meeting of the high school age children and there are plans for future meetings.

Deacon: The Deacon’s luncheon reception was held on November 12^th. It was very well received and feedback from participants was very positive. A thank you to the many volunteers and helpers who helped make it a success.

What it means to be a member of the Parish: Dan offered to look at other churches to see of there are any formal requirements, membership criteria, etc. The St. Nicholas pastoral guide doesn’t specify membership requirements. Dan suggested that a “membership statement” be drafted that outlines general expectations or guidelines for members. Ted proposed a subcommittee to come up with guidelines for membership. The church has financial commitments based on membership, so this is an important topic. Steve, Ted, Father, Dan, and Jo Ann volunteered to work on the committee. Anyone else interested can join.

St. Nicholas Luncheon: The feedback was very positive and the event was successful. Approximately 150 people attended, and had a good time. Dan gathered suggestions and comments to help with planning and orchestrating next year’s luncheon.

Suggestion Box: There was one suggestion in the box; a parishioner requested that Father give more sermons. Father discussed how the sermons were divided between him and Deacon Gutch; Father gave all sermons for the Ukrainian Liturgy and about half of the English Liturgy sermons.

The meeting ended with a prayer. Next Meeting: January 4th at 6:30

Pastoral Council Meeting

January 4, 2007

Representatives: Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Deacon Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In Attendance: Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, Stephen Tenney, Deacon Tom Gutch, JoAnn Dunne, Luba Mokey, Diana Warrenchak, Roman Karpishka, Mike Storonsky, Viktor Holovashchenko

Deacon Tom Gutch opened the meeting with a prayer. Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes of the December 7, 2006 meeting and they were accepted without change.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted Fedak reported that members visited the sick and shut-ins and sang Christmas carols on Sunday, December 17. Those visited were given an artificial poinsettia, and it was heartening to see some of them singing with the carolers.

Public Relations Volunteer: A Public Relations volunteer is much needed. Anyone interested in serving should contact Fr. Mikhail or the council. This is especially important while we are celebrating our centennial.

Calendar of Events: The calendar of events was discussed again. Dan Kopchick will continue working to find someone to work on this important task.

Religious Education: Christine Levy and Deacon Tom Gutch met with parents of the second grade regarding First Holy Communion preparation and will meet one more time in March. Fr. Mikhail met once with high school students.

Deacon: Council members said that the articles in the bulletin regarding a deacon’s duties were very good. This subject is now closed.

What it means to be a member of the Parish: Many ideas were discussed, but this has been closed, since there will be a sub-committee discussing the subject in detail in the near future.

New Business:

Communion rail: Whether or not we should put the communion rail up again was discussed but not decided. Fr. Deacon Gutch said that it helps people to get up easier after kneeling.

Sound system: Roman Karpishka is looking for new speakers, smaller and more efficient. Someone asked whether Deacon Gutch should have a microphone, but everyone said that they can hear him without it. Roman Karpishka says it would be a small investment.

Attracting New Members: There was a lively discussion on how to attract new members. Some of the ideas discussed follow:

· Public relations volunteer would make the community more aware of our church

· Try to attract Eastern Rite people who are going to R. C. Churches

· Present our faith as being enriching

· Welcome new people who come to our church

· Be more welcoming and outgoing towards those in need

· Pray that our church may be full

· When we have activities where people must stand in line to buy food tickets, have a poster nearby inviting them to worship with us. Show them pictures of some of our parish functions.

Fr. Deacon Gutch closed the meeting with a prayer.

Next Meeting: February 1^st at 6:30

Pastoral Council Meeting

February 1, 2007

Representatives: Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Deacon Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Luba Mokey, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Steve Tenny

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the January 4th meeting. The minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Public Relations Volunteer: Dan had approached individuals about the position, but found many were busy with the Centennial work and other parish activities. Efforts would continue to try and fill this position.

Calendar of Events: Dan discussed adding items to the website calendar. The website calendar is available to anyone who would like to add calendar items.

Religious Education: Christine mentioned that a 3/4 grade teacher is still needed. Saturday lessons are continuing on schedule.

Parish Membership Subcommittee: A subcommittee was established at the December meeting. Dan will schedule the 1^st meeting for the membership committee. Members include Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, Fr. Mikhail, JoAnn Dunne, and Steve Tenny.

Communion Rail. The committee was in agreement that a communion rail should be put up.

Sound System: Roman had volunteered to coordinate new speakers. He was not at the meeting so the item was tabled for next time.

New Business:

Seniors Valentines Day Luncheon: Dan said that the luncheon was scheduled for Feb 10^th at 12:00 noon. He would involve the students from religious education and high school students to serve as volunteers.

Suggestion Box: It was suggested that the suggestion box be included as a regular monthly item under Old Business.

Website: Dan mentioned that the Pastoral Council information needs to be updated with membership and minutes information added to the website.

Welcome New Parishioners: Dan handed out a ‘Welcome New Parishioners” flyer from another church, and wanted to revisit the subject. This was discussed in the past and tabled, however several felt it should be discussed again. Council members had a copy of the flyer to consider for the next meeting.

Annual Parish Meeting: The annual parish meeting is scheduled for Feb 18^th. Pastoral council members reviewed the current council membership to determine what elections if any needed to be held on the 18^th.

Church icons: Stephen Tenney and Ted Fedak both suggested that a pamphlet or booklet be considered in identifying and explaining the various icons of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church. How elaborate this should be was discussed. It could be a simple pamphlet or a color booklet perhaps underwritten by advertisers and then sold to parishioners and visitors. Obviously it could not be completed until the interior restoration is finished. This project, if deemed worthwhile, may not be finalized and actually printed until after the Centennial Celebration if it were undertaken.
Informational packet: Stephen Tenney questioned whether new members of the parish receive any informational and educational materials about the church. No one was quite sure so this will be discussed further with Father Mikhail. This could be something pursued for attracting prospective members as well as for new members.
Centennial Choir: Ted Fedak mentioned that new members are needed for the Centennial Choir headed by Mr. Kushnir which is being formed for the Centennial Celebration and perhaps beyond. Rehearsals are Monday evenings from 6PM - 7:30PM.

The meeting ended with a prayer. Next Meeting: March 1st at 6:30

Pastoral Council Meeting

March 1, 2007

Representatives: Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Deacon Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Luba Mokey, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, JoAnn Dunne, Steve Tenny, Mike Storonsky, Viktor Holovashchenko, Donna Getman & guest Pauline Storonsky

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the February 1^st meeting. After small changes, the minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Public Relations Volunteer: Even after exhaustive efforts, the council has been unable to recruit someone for this important position. Discussion centered on additional ways to try and recruit a PR volunteer. Suggestions included: add a more detailed announcement in the bulletin describing exactly what the volunteer will do and how important the position is; Dan and Father would continue to contact individuals who they feel might be able to volunteer; Donna will write an advertisement to be placed in the bulletin to try and develop interest in this position. Ted noted that the Evangelist recently featured a 2 page article on the interior renovation of the church, and these types of articles are so beneficial to the parish and enjoyed by all members of the church.

Calendar of Events: Father would look into changing the website calendar so it cannot be altered by anyone, but would be password protected, allowing only certain individuals to enter events. Ted mentioned several events that should be included in the calendar, such as the St. Peter and Paul Bandura concert, the Brotherhood Society fund raisers, Centennial events, etc. The calendar is closely tied to the PR volunteer position and assistance is needed in both areas.

Religious Education: Christine mentioned that a 3/4 grade teacher has been recruited; Olha Myschuck has volunteered to teach the class for the remainder of the year. New teachers will be needed for next year, and anyone interested in working with the children as a teacher, substitute, or any other way should contact Fr. Mikhail or Chris Levy.

Parish Membership Subcommittee: Dan was working on scheduling a time for the subcommittee to meet. Recently, concerns about the purpose of the Parish Membership committee were brought to the attention of members of the council. The council wanted to reiterate that the purpose of the discussion is to elaborate on expectations of the parish and not in any way to exclude members. Parish membership influences many other aspects of our church life, including: contributions to the diocese, appeals to former members; reviews of active/in-active memberships, recruitment efforts, etc, and a realistic understanding of active membership is critical for the health of the church.

Communion Rail. The communion rail will be addressed as the renovation of the church continues.

Seniors Valentines Day Luncheon: The luncheon was well attended and feedback from those attending the event was very positive. The food, entertainment, and company was enjoyed by all.

Suggestion Box: There were two suggestions in the box this month. One was a request that the altar boys be allowed to sit during the final announcements at the end of liturgy. The second was that politics be omitted from sermons. The council discussed this and various opinions were shared as to its potential effect on parishioners.

New Business:

Welcome New Parishioners: Council members discussed the ‘Welcome New Parishioners’ flyer and discussed various formats and content that would be appropriate for our church. Dan and Father Mikhail spoke of drafting a sample that could be placed in the pews in the plexi-glass book holders or in the back of the church on one of the tables near the doors where it would be highly visible to visitors or new parishioners.

Annual Parish Meeting: The annual parish meeting was held on Feb 18^th. The turnout was much lower this year than in past years. The council discussed why this might have been; it was the beginning of Spring break and some families may have been out of town; the agenda might have seemed too ambitious with pot-luck, forgiveness service, and the annual meeting scheduled on one day, but it was noted that despite this the meeting ended on time and much was accomplished. Members of the council wanted to make a note that all parishioners are welcome to attend the Pot-luck luncheon and a food or monetary donation is NOT required. If members wish to bring a dish or to donate financially, it is appreciated, but it isn’t required. The council felt it was much more important for parish members to attend, enjoy the company of their fellow parishioners, and participate in the meeting and services than to be burdened with having to bring a dish. As always, there was plenty of food and it was all delicious.

Church icons: Discussion on the icon book/booklet/brochure continued. It was noted that the icons won’t be finished until September, so a picture book describing the icons could not be completed until that time. Discussions focused on what type of book should be produced; elaborate ‘coffee table’ style book, smaller booklet, or simple brochure. Additionally, the council tried to determine who would be able to work on the book and how much effort it would take. Ideas or suggestions from parish members are welcome.

The meeting ended with a prayer. Next Meeting: March 29th at 6:30

Pastoral Council Meeting

March 29, 2007

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, Oksana Dacyk, Jo Ann Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenny, Taras Miszczuk

Representatives: Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Deacon Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail

In Attendance: Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, Stephen Tenney, Luba Mokey, Diana Warrenchak, Mike Storonsky, Roman Karpishka, Marta Deitz, Donna Getman, Jo Ann Dunne

Dan Kopchick opened the meeting with the Centennial Prayer. Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes of the March 1, 2007 meeting and they were accepted without change.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted Fedak reported that members are still upholding the aims and objectives of the Society. There will be a new category of membership, which will be associate members. Associate members are people who have volunteered to perform deeds that give joy or comfort to our sick or shut in parishioners. There will be no attendance requirements for this category.

Public Relations Volunteer: We still do not have anyone to fill this position. Donna Getman will prepare an announcement for the bulletin briefly outlining duties of the position.

Calendar of Events: The calendar of events subject remains open.

Religious Education: Religious Education School is looking for teachers and substitutes for next year.

Parish Membership Subcommittee: Dan will talk to Father Mikhail about meeting with the subcommittee members at 5:30PM prior to our next Pastoral Council meeting on 5/3/07. It would mean getting here an hour earlier that day for the subcommittee members but would be more convenient for scheduling purposes.

Communion Rail: Closed until after renovation is complete. Annual Parish Meeting and Seniors Valentines Day Luncheon: Closed.

New Business:

Welcoming New Parishioners: Dan showed us two examples of forms used by other Byzantine churches for the purpose of welcoming visitors to the parish, giving them an opportunity to make contributions and inviting them to join our church if they wish to do so. He will discuss them with Father regarding whether one or both may be adapted for use by our church. Possibilities include placing copies in the pews on Holy Days, or in the back of the church.

Description of Church Icons: There was a lot of discussion regarding publishing a booklet to give the names of the various saints in the religious icons in our church and explain a little about them. It was undecided whether to keep it simple or elaborate.

One possibility would be to have a simple folder that is black and white, showing four views of the interior of the church. It would have legends giving the names of each icon and a short explanation.

A second possibility would be to develop something more elaborate that can be sold for a nominal fee if people would like to have a copy in their homes. Copies could be donated to local schools, colleges and public libraries. Or, we could publish both. This is still in the planning and discussion stage.

Alumni Weekend: Donna Getman outlined activities that are scheduled to take place on Alumni Weekend May 25 through 28. Help will be needed to ensure that everything goes smoothly. She has a work list of things that will need to be done and will be looking for volunteers.

Donna asked whether the Pastoral Council members would handle the coffee hour on Sunday, May 27^th for set up, coffee and sweets and clean-up afterwards. All agreed.

Spiritual Advisor: One of the members asked whether it would be possible to request that Deacon Tom Gutch be present at Pastoral Council meetings if Father Mikhail is unable to attend. This would save tabling topics for following meetings that necessitate the presence of Father Mikhail or his representative. Dan will talk to Father Mikhail about this.

Dan Kopchick closed the meeting with a prayer. Next Meeting: May 3rd at 6:30

Pastoral Council Meeting

May 3, 2007

Representatives: Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Deacon Gutch , Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Luba Mokey, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, Jo Ann Dunne, Steve Tenny, Viktor Holovashchenko, Diana Warrenchak, Roman Karpishka

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the March 29^th meeting and the minutes were accepted.

It was suggested that the minutes be published in the bulletin in a more timely fashion. The past month’s minutes can be reviewed by the council and sent to Father for publishing immediately afterwards.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted Fedak updated the committee on the activities of the society. He reported that they continued to visit sick and shut-ins and to hold their regular meetings.

Calendar of Events: Father updated the web calendar recently by adding committee meetings and several events. The web calendar can be viewed on the parishes website at www.cerkva.com . Father will add items to the web calendar until a PR person is recruited.

Religious Education: Christine reported that the school year is nearly finished. Graduation and Moleben service will be held on Friday evening, May 11^th at 6:00 p.m. The second grade class will be receiving the sacrament of reconciliation this coming Saturday, and Solemn Holy Communion on Sunday, May 6^th. Recruitment for next year’s catechists was discussed as several teachers will be leaving the program this year.

Parish Membership Subcommittee: The first meeting for the Parish Member Subcommittee was held on May 3^rd. The group had a general discussion about what criteria should be considered in thinking about membership. Father added to the discussion by raising the question “what is the definition of Church and what is the Church intended to be about”. A reminder to all parishioners that the membership subcommittee is open to all members and anyone interested can contact Dan Kopchick to join the subcommittee.

Welcome New Parishioners: Dan provided several pamphlets to the council as examples of what could be used as informational brochures describing St. Nicholas parish and tradition. The various pamphlets explained different aspects of the Eastern Church. Father will review the contents of pamphlets, Viktor and Dan will work on creating a custom brochure for St. Nicholas Church. The pamphlets could be placed in the back of the church where they could easily be seen by visitors.

Discussion on the proposed ‘guest envelopes’ continued. Dan showed samples that were used in other parishes. Some samples had lines for name, address, and phone number of person so that, if interested, one could provide this information to the church for further contact.

Church icons: Discussion on St. Nicholas’ icon book/pamphlet continued from last meeting. Dan read a letter from a parishioner on this topic. The parishioner felt some information about the icons should be available by the Memorial Day alumni picnic and would not need to be elaborate. Dan passed around samples of a similar endeavor by another church. Roman offered to work with a professional photographer or to take photographs himself. The necessary tasks would be to identify the icons and assemble descriptions of the icons into a simple folder. Roman, Viktor, and Fr. Michael will work on putting this together, but it is unclear as to when the finished product may be ready.

New Business:

Luba noted that the church hall has a new coffee maker and suggested a plan for training people to use it.

The meeting ended with a prayer. Next Meeting: June 7^th at 6:30 p.m.

Pastoral Council Minutes

November 1, 2007

The meeting opened with a prayer. The minutes of 9/6/07 were reviewed and passed as written.

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Dietz, Roman Karpishka, Mike Storonsky, Dan Kopchick, Christine Levy, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenney, Taras Miszczuk.

Representatives: Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Father Mikhail, Deacon Tom Gutch.

In Attendance: Dan Kopchick, Deacon Gutch, Steve Tenney, Luba Mokey, Jo Ann Dunne, Viktor Holovashchenko, Father Mikhail, Donna Getman, Ted Fedak, Diana Warrenchak, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Roman Karphishka

Remembrance: Ted Fedak mentioned the loss of Mary Felak, who was a member of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society. Her presence and contributions to the society were numerous and she will be very much missed. Dan Kopchick noted that November 17^th would be Mary Felak’s 40^th day liturgy. Council members expressed their sadness over Mary’s passing and noted how much she had contributed to the Pastoral Council and numerous other activities in the Church. Her presence was felt in many areas of parish life and her contributions and pleasant demeanor will be missed by all. Mike Stronsky thanked the council for their condolences, kind words, and expressions of sympathy in the loss of his sister in law.

Old Business:

Public Relations Volunteer: There was no new information on this item, and the position remains unfilled. Father will begin placing announcements in the Sunday bulletin again in hopes of attracting someone interested in serving as a PR volunteer for the church.

Religious Education: The position of Director is still vacant; Christine Levy is acting as director until a director can be recruited. Ted Fedak had several suggestions or ideas for religious education; a possible bottle drive fund raiser for the program and to purchase DVD’s on the Byzantine Rite that Sister Anne had mentioned recently. Christine Levy would look into both ideas.

Centennial Celebration: Though many of the Centennial Year activities have been completed, there remain additional ideas and activities to commemorate the centennial year. A possible additional event, such as a thanksgiving liturgy with refreshments was suggested. Various ideas were discussed by the council.

Parish Membership Committee: No updates this month as the sub-committee had not met. Members would plan to convene before the next Pastoral Council meeting.

Welcome Pamphlet: Dan obtained several items from the recent visit to the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Philadelphia; the first was a welcome pamphlet from the cathedral that had basic contact information for the church; the second pamphlet was more educational in nature with color photos of icons, pictures of the church, and various descriptions; and a third brochure described the restoration of the Ukrainian cathedral in Philadelphia. These samples were reviewed by the council and ideas were sought on what might work for St. Nicholas’ informational brochure. The brochure would serve as an educational tool or a way to interest or inform new or potential church members about our parish and rite. Mike Storonsky suggested that the Centennial book should be placed in local area libraries.

New Business: Dan and Donna reported that they and several members of the parish attended the recent Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia on September 30^th. The liturgy was held during the World Synod of Bishops, an event that brought over 40 Ukrainian Greek Catholic Bishops world wide to the US for the synod. Those attending the Sept 30^th liturgy in Philadelphia included Donna and Paul Getman, Dan and Pat Kopchick, Mrs. Luba Mokey, Mr. Walter Litynsky and Mrs. Mary Caldwell. Commemoration books from the event are available in the back of the church.

St. Nicholas Luncheon: The annual St. Nicholas luncheon is scheduled for Sunday, December 2^nd. The council discussed details of the luncheon and planned to meet to help coordinate, prepare for, and set up for the luncheon.

Prayer Books: Donna mentioned that some of the prayer books are starting to fall apart. The council would look at the books in the pews and try to determine how many were in need of repair or replacement. Luba Mokey brought a copy of a “Prayer for Vocations” from the Philadelphia Cathedral- she suggested the possibility of a prayer for members or parishioners of St. Nicholas might be something the council could look at in the future.

Star Bus – CDTA: Donna suggested that a special transit service was available by request from the CDTA for those with disabilities and thought it might be something parishioners who were not able to drive could use. Father would provide information in the bulletin when it was available.

December 13^th Pyrohy Sale: A pyrohy sale will be held on December 13^th. More help is needed from council members and they were asked to put it on their calendars.

Recognition and Appreciation: The council wanted to recognize Peter Andrejyk for his extensive help with the church restoration. Peter had worked long hours on the hardwood floors and icon screen, donating many hours of his time with beautiful results that were very much appreciated by all.

Next meeting: December 6, @ 6:00pm

Pastoral Council Meeting

December 6, 2007

Representatives: Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Deacon Gutch , Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Luba Mokey, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, JoAnn Dunne, Steve Tenney, Mike Storonsky, Roman Karpishka, Fr. Mikhail

Old Business:

Public Relations Volunteer: One possible volunteer may be available. A meeting will be set up to discuss roles and responsibilities of the PR Volunteer to help facilitate the filling of this important position for the Church.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Luba Mokey updated the committee on the activities of the society. Two of the sick and shut ins have recently passed away; Mrs. Olga Sicko and Mary Willett; the prayers and thoughts of the Pastoral Council are with them. Gifts will be given for Christmas along with Christmas Carole singing on December 16^th. The Christmas gift to the sick and shut-ins this year is the 100 anniversary ornament that was made for the Centennial celebration.

Religious Education: Christine Levy updated the council on Religious Education; there will be a family meeting on December 15^th for parents, children, catechists, and church members to meet as a group. A guest speaker, Fr. Markovich from St. Nicholas in Hudson, will speak on the history of the Catholic Church and Eastern Rite in America. Children will be making Christmas cards for the sick and shut-ins and will be collecting food for the local food pantries.

Parish Membership Subcommittee: Activities of the Membership subcommittee will be started up again after January.

Centennial: Roman Karpishka is working on a photo CD to include photos of the Centennial celebration and recent events. The yearbook is expected to be available soon, in December or January. The centennial committee is considering a ceremony to close out the centennial year.

Welcome New Parishioners: The committee discussed the pamphlet options that were presented at the last meeting; the hand-outs, tri-fold color brochure, and sample booklets from other churches.

Church icons: Discussion on St. Nicholas’ icon book/pamphlet continued from last meeting. Father has contacted the church iconographers for their biographies to be included and has started gathering information on the history of the Church icons.

St. Nicholas Luncheon: The luncheon was well attended and once again was a very successful event. 148 adults and 39 children attended. There were 125 pre-registered with 26 walk-ins and 3 no-shows. Many thanks to the volunteers, participants, and parishioners in making this a success!

Prayer Books: Initial check of books in the church seems to indicate that most are in good condition. The most worn prayer books have been removed from the pews.

CDTA Star Bus: Dan will summarize for a bulletin announcement in the coming weeks.

New Business:

There will be a December 13 pyrohy sale; all council members are strongly encouraged to participate.

There will be a parish meeting in February. An announcement will be placed in the bulletin requesting new members to the Pastoral Council.

The meeting ended with a prayer. Next meeting: January 3 @ 6:00pm

Pastoral Council Meeting

January 3, 2008

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, Jo Ann Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenny, Taras Miszczuk

Representatives: Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Deacon Tom Gutch, Fr. Mikhail.

In Attendance: Fr. Mikhail, Fr. Deacon Tom Gutch, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Ted Fedak, Diana Warrenchak, Steve Tenney, Mike Storonsky, Jo Ann Dunne

Dan Kopchick opened the meeting with a prayer. The minutes of the December 6, 2007 meeting were read and they were passed as written.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted Fedak reported that the caroling which was scheduled for December 16^th was cancelled due to a snow storm. Members will get together on their own to deliver gifts. An icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help was given to the Society by a daughter of Mary Joan Willetts. The society will need to put a plaque on the back and get an appropriate easel for it. The society continues to do their usual work.

Public Relations Volunteer: We have a tentative volunteer. Father Mikhail and other interested parties will meet with the volunteer to discuss duties of the position.

Religious Education: Per Deacon Tom Gutch, parental involvement is very important in religious education.

Parish Membership Committee: A meeting of committee members will be set up on a Thursday in January on a date and time to be announced.

Welcoming New Parishioners: Dan showed us another example of a pamphlet. We would like to develop a simple pamphlet that may have a contribution envelope for donations. Another separate, more detailed high gloss book would show pictures of the icons with references. This book would be available at cost.

St. Nicholas Luncheon: Was closed.

Prayer Books: Was closed.

CDTA Star Bus: Dan has an announcement prepared for insertion in the bulletin.

Centennial Photo CD: The second half of the year has been completed and will be included with the Centennial Book.

Suggestion Box: This will be discussed at our next meeting.

Pyrohy and Holubtsi sale on December 13^th: The sale was a success. Details will follow in the bulletin.

Parish Meeting: The parish meeting will be held on Sunday, March 2^nd. Some Pastoral Council members will need to be elected at that time. Announcements will appear in the bulletin.

New Business:

Pot Luck Luncheon: Will be held on February 3^rd. Valentine’s Day Luncheon: Is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, February 9^th.

Church Renovation: Now that the renovation is completed, we must direct our attention to bringing people into the church to worship. This is tied in to “what it is to be a member” and advertising by the Public Relations volunteer. Deacon Gutch suggested sending out a mass mailing to attract new parishioners. Another suggestion was a billboard announcement.

Fr. Mikhail closed the meeting with a prayer. Next Meeting: Thursday, February 7^th at 6:00 p.m.

Pastoral Council Meeting

February 7, 2008

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Deitz, Roman Karpishka, Mike Storonsky, Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenny, Taras Miszczuk

Representatives: Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Deacon Gutch , Fr. Mikhail

In attendance: Dan Kopchick, JoAnn Dunne, Steve Tenny, Mike Storonsky, Ted Fedak, Diana Warrenchak, Donna Getman, Christine Levy

Old Business:

Public Relations Volunteer: Dan was happy to report that a PR volunteer has been found. Matthew Gaul has graciously agreed to assist with some public relations activities and the Pastoral Council welcomes him! Father, Dan, and Donna will arrange a meeting with Matthew to describe some of the tasks and provide information.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted reported that the society was continuing its visits and prayers to the sick and shut-ins.

Religious Education: Christine Levy updated the council on Religious Education; catechists are preparing students for the Lenten season; rice bowls will be distributed in the coming weeks. Dan mentioned that there have been requests from parishioners to consider ways the children, particularly teen aged children, could become more involved in church activities and with works of mercy within the larger community. Ideas such as assisting with the food pantry, helping with the baking of Prosphora, Christmas bread, and other ideas were discussed. Any interested parishioners with ideas are encouraged to contact Christine Levy or any member on the council.

Parish Membership Subcommittee: The subcommittee will reconvene soon.

Welcome New Parishioners: Dan has given all pamphlets to Father for him to review and to provide an opinion as to which would be best for St. Nicholas Church. An envelope is being designed for visitors’ possible donations or contact information.

Church icons: Roman has offered to photograph icons for a possible booklet. Viktor had volunteered to format the images. The booklet may be done largely by parishioners to help keep costs down. Ted offered to assist with lighting when Roman photographs the icons if any assistance is needed.

CDTA Star Bus: An announcement about availability of special transportation via CTDA has been placed in the bulletin.

Centennial Photo CD: Roman is working on the CD as reported in the last meeting. It will be finished soon and will be inserted in the centennial book. Both should be ready soon.

Suggestion Box: The Pastoral Council welcomes suggestions and is committed to addressing all suggestions/comments at each monthly meeting. Since Father was not at the meeting, the box could not be opened. Dan or Deacon Tom will request a key so there will always be someone who can retrieve the suggestions at meetings in the future.

Parish Meeting: Will be held March 2^nd. There will be a combined liturgy on the 2^nd, after which, sweets and coffee will be served in the church hall. The Pastoral Council has 5 possible vacancies this year; Dan and Donna will contact potential members about serving on the council.

Valentines Luncheon: Dan Kopchick announced that a senior Valentine’s luncheon will again be hosted by Patricia and himself in the church hall on Feb 9^th. The event will include bingo with prizes, luncheon, and jokes of immense hilarity. All seniors are welcome and encouraged to attend the festivities!

Pot-Luck Luncheon: The pot luck luncheon to mark Forgiveness Sunday and the beginning of Lent, was held on Sunday, February 2^nd. The annual event was well attended with about 80 parishioners present for the luncheon. A special forgiveness service was held in the church immediately following Liturgy. After forgiveness service, parishioners shared a delicious lunch in the church hall.

New Business:

Church Renovation: The council discussed the possibility of an elevator to help make the church more accessible to parishioners and visitors who have difficulty using the stairs. The Pastoral Council fully supports the Stewardship Council’s efforts in making the church more accessible to all and will help work toward making this a reality.

Family Picnic: The council will begin working on plans for the annual family picnic. A date needs to be chosen with the Watervliet Arsenal the probable site of the picnic as in the past. Dan will talk to Father Mikhail about a potential date (eg., late August) and with Roman about reserving the arsenal once a date is established.

Suggestion: Donna raised the suggestion of having a special Liturgy at the park in Cohoes. The event could possibly include breakfast with other local parishes invited to the outdoors Liturgy, including St. Peter & Paul, St Nicholas in Amsterdam, St. Nicholas in Hudson, and Protection of the Blessed Virgin in Troy. The council discussed various options and would like to consider this as a possible event to be hosted by St. Nicholas. This will be discussed further with Father Mikhail regarding its practicality. This event if it were to occur would not replace our Annual Parish Picnic.

Transliterations for special services: Donna asked if it were possible to find transliterations of special services such as Baptisms, Parastas service, and weddings for participants who do not speak Ukrainian but would like to be able to sing or participate in those services. The success of the Centennial Choir with members from both liturgies stimulated this idea.

Parishioner Suggestions: A parishioner had approached Christine with two possible suggestions for the council. One was to form a ministry of some sort to assist those with special, short-term needs in the parish. Examples where assistance might be needed included: meals during times of illness, assistance with errands, house or yard work for someone who is unable to do this themselves, short term transportation needs for someone who is incapacitated or who has lost their transportation, etc. A coordinator could help refer or redirect individuals to potentially helpful resources. Dan mentioned that the Capital Region Human Services Directory has a very helpful website that could be utilized (www.ccsnys.org/hsd).

The second suggestion was if the pastoral council could determine whether there is any interest in a trip to a destination of interest. Examples of possible excursions were: trip to Ukraine; trip to Israel: trip to Rome. The parish coordinated and successfully made a visit to Israel in 1993 and it’s possible another similar venture could be planned. Parishioners interested in this topic should contact the council.

The meeting ended with a prayer. Next meeting: March 6 @ 6:00pm

Pastoral Council Meeting

April 3, 2008

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Smith, Mike Storonsky, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenny, Genek Spiak, Matthew Gaul, Peter Fil, Sandra Chuhta

Representatives: Christine Levy (Religious Ed),Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Fr. Mikhail, Deacon Tom

In attendance: Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, Ted Fedak, JoAnn Dunne, Steve Tenny, Diana Warrenchak, Marta Smith, Mike Storonsky,Matthew Gaul, Peter Fil, Genek Spiak, Sandy Chuhta, Donna Getman, Fr.Mikhail

Sandy Chuhta, a new (returning) member was welcomed.

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the March 6^th meeting and the minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Ted Fedak updated the committee on the activities of the society. He reported that they continued to visit sick and shut-ins and to hold regular meetings. Ted also wanted to make a note for the minutes; OMPH needs more young people to help with their work. They are willing to change their meeting time to accommodate members and make it easier for others to participate in the activities of the society. Anyone interested in joining OMPH or helping with their activities, please contact Ted or any member of OMPH.

Family Picnic: The picnic was discussed including possible locations, activities, and food options. Cost for use of Cohoes Park is $350 compared to $75 for the Watervliet Arsenal. Cohoes has no BBQ pits, and no guarantee of use of the kitchen. Roman booked the arsenal for August 17^th. The council considered the following: an outdoor Liturgy that day; inviting other parishes to attend; catered vs. parish provided food. Discussions will continue to finalize plans for the picnic at the next meeting.

Welcome New Parishioners Pamphlet: Peter brought color samples of pamphlets. The council discussed where the pamphlets might be placed including local organizations such as the Ukrainian Federal Credit Union, local chamber of commerce, schools, hotels, and visitors’ bureau. The print layout, printing costs, quantities, and other aspects of the pamphlet were discussed.

Guest Envelopes: Father brought in two samples of guest envelopes for the council to consider.

Icon Book: Details of the Icon Book were discussed. The book would serve as an educational guide to explain the Church Icons. It would have photos and descriptions, and possibly include biblical references and/or prayers for contemplation. It may be used as a resource book or as a possible fund raiser. The discussion will be continued.

Suggestion Box: Several suggestions were submitted anonymously. One parishioner requested that an explanation of the Church Iconography along with biblical verses be made available. This was a timely suggestion as it had just been discussed in the previous item. A parishioner suggested the parish website include a “Pastor’s Corner’ section where pastor thoughts, comments and feedback could be posted. Weekly sermons could also be placed in the Pastor’s Corner. A third suggestion was to place a schedule in the Church bulletin as to who is giving sermons. A fourth and final suggestion was a request for Father to give more sermons at the second liturgy.

New Business:

Dan Kopchick raised the issue of the children’s choir. There are not enough children in the choir and Patricia Kopchick was requesting direction as to what the second liturgy should do for a choir. The council agreed this needed to be discussed further.

Sandy asked that the minutes of the Pastoral Council be published in both languages. This will be explored. Sandy also gave kudos on the Centennial book; the pastoral council agreed with her. It was mentioned that the mission statement is not being used enough; visibility should be increased and the council welcomed suggestions on other uses or placement of the statement. Sandy suggested that an altar boy schedule for the second liturgy be developed. Father would look at this.

Mike asked that the schedule be posted 2 weeks prior to Christmas and Easter so that those who are out of town can see the schedule. Liturgies for the deceased should also be published ahead of time.

A question was raised about whether there is an elevator fund. This can be verified with the Stewardship Council.

The meeting ended with a prayer.

Next Meeting: May 1 at 6:00 p.m.

Pastoral Council Meeting

May 1, 2008

Representatives: Christine Levy (Religious Ed),Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Fr. Mikhail, Deacon Tom

In attendance: Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, JoAnn Dunne, Steve Tenney, Diana Warrenchak, Marta Smith, Peter Fil, Donna Getman, Luba Mokey, Fr.Mikhail

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the April 3rd meeting and the minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Luba Mokey updated the committee on the activities of the society. She reported that they continued to visit sick and shut-ins and to hold regular meetings. She noted how important the visits were and that they meant so much to the elderly. If someone is interested in visiting or writing to the sick & shut-ins, they are welcomed to do so and can contact OMPH or Father for names of people to visit or write to.

Calendar of Events: Some changes have been made to the on-line calendar. The council proposed putting an insert in the Sunday bulletin so those without a computer can be aware of upcoming events.

Family Picnic: Comparing prices of catering vs. in house cooking, the cost of the picnic would be $1500 for catering. The decision was made to do the picnic cooking in house instead of catering. A letter will be sent to other parishes and an announcement will be placed in the bulletin notifying parishioners of the date. A plan was tentatively made for one liturgy on the day of the picnic at 11:00am. Weather permitting, liturgy would be held at the Watervliet Arsenal. A light brunch (bagels / coffee) will be served after the liturgy with lunch served between 1 and 2:30. Roman Karpishka has offered to set up the music; Dan and Patricia Kopchick would organize bingo. Other events would include basketball, croquet, bocce ball, tennis, and volleyball. A full list of events would be published in future bulletins. Chairpersons are needed for different areas including welcoming committee, children’s activities, adult activities, cooking, salads, etc. We will also explore possibly hiring a magician, mad scientist, zookeeper, etc.

Welcome New Parishioners Pamphlet: Peter Fil had made the changes to the pamphlet discussed at the last meeting and would take photographs to finish up the layout of the pamphlet. Father sent a copy of the pamphlet to the Ukrainian Catholic parish in Hudson and received positive feedback on it from the pastor there. The work on the layout continues; it is expected that the work should be finished soon and the pamphlet will be ready for distribution shortly.

Icon Book: Research on icons and preliminary work continues toward creating the icon book.

Suggestion Box: There were no suggestions this month.

Children’s Choir: Additional options for the second liturgy children’s choir were considered and discussed. Father added new songs in last week’s bulletin. Donna proposed further discussion of this topic at the next meeting.

Other Business:

Dan followed up on the request to publish the meeting minutes in both languages in the Sunday bulletin. He would have an update for the council at the next meeting (June 1 meeting).

Elevator Fund: Father asked at the Stewardship Council about the Elevator Fund. A fund will be established for improving the accessibility of the Church.

New Business:

Stephen Tenney graciously volunteered to serve as Pastoral Council Vice-President which was vacated with Roman Karpishka’s departure from the council.

Next Meeting: June 5th at 6:00 PM

Pastoral Council Meeting

September 4, 2008

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Smith, Mike Storonsky, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, JoAnn Dunne (also as OMPHS representative), Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenney, Genek Spiak, Matthew Gaul, Peter Fil, Sandra Chuhta

Representatives: Christine Levy (Religious Ed), Donna Getman (Trustee), Fr. Mikhail, Deacon Tom

In attendance: Christine Levy, Dan Kopchick, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Luba Mokey, Marta Smith, Mike Storonsky, Matthew Gaul, Peter Fil, Genek Spiak, Sandy Chuhta, Donna Getman, Fr.Mikhail, and Mary Caldwell (guest)

Dan Kopchick reviewed the minutes from the May 5^th meeting and the minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: JoAnn Dunne updated the committee on the activities of the society. She reported that the previous meeting was held in June, and regular meetings will resume again in September. She mentioned that the society recently visited one elderly parishioner on her 90^th birthday; the family was very appreciative of the visit and of the work the society did.

Calendar of Events: Calendar updates in the bulletin have been helpful as reported by parishioners and they will be continued. The council decided that this item has been completed to satisfaction and can be closed.

Family Picnic: The family picnic was once again, a great success. The total attendees were 152 adults and 30 children. This is the first year Liturgy was held outdoors at the picnic location with other churches invited to the liturgy and picnic. Father Bilik and his family from St. Nicholas in Hudson also attended. There was enough food and some left over, which was sold or given away after the event (perishables were given away).There was extra food to be used for the pyrohy workers in October.

While the family picnic is a social event and not a fund raiser, there were some cost figures to report: $739 was received in admissions and $20 donation for a total income of $759. Food donations were also received for the picnic and $392 was spent to purchase food. Cost of the clown was $250, park rental fee $75, and $41 was spent on other costs. 35 people attended without signing up before hand and 30 of those paid at the door. Everyone agreed the picnic was a great success and a good time was had by all. Some suggestions for next year’s picnic were noted, including additional helpers for cleanup afterwards; outdoor Liturgy was very nice, but some attending weren’t aware they would have to park so far away from where the Liturgy was held and should allow extra time for arriving. Microphones would be needed by all speaking during the Liturgy; the choir was hard to hear outside; better electrical situation for crockpots is needed to prevent tripping circuits.

A letter of appreciation from Genek and Daria Spiak was read to the council to express their appreciation for the extra efforts taken in planning and conducting the picnic. Kudos to Donna Getman and Dan Kopchick for organizing and coordinating the event, and many thanks to all those who helped make the day truly enjoyable!!

Welcome New Parishioners Pamphlet: The pamphlet has been completed. The council will plan how to best distribute them. Some are located in the back of the church. Additional ideas were: distribute to local college campuses, hotels, visitors bureau, greeters to handout to visitors, provide to interested festival attendees.

Icon Book: Matthew has put together samples over the summer. He will send to Father to review the examples. Peter Fil has photographed the church icons, and will continue working on this project.

Second Liturgy Singing: The council discussed possible ways to develop the choir for the second liturgy. Father said he would like to start up activities in this area. He proposed a core group to sing the troparion and kontakion and lead the rest of the church during Liturgy. Choir singing could be extended to funerals, evening parastas and other services. The group would need to schedule a time for practices; possible practice times were discussed, including after second liturgy, or during the week. An item will be added in the bulletin to gather interest and it would be discussed further.

New Business:

The Harvest Festival is scheduled for Saturday, 10/4. Helpers and volunteers are needed and requests would be forthcoming in the Sunday bulletin. There will be pyrohy sold on 10/4 at the Harvest Festival.

The council was reminded that this is the church’s main fund raiser. Many volunteers are needed for Thursday, 10/2 and for Saturday, 10/4. Council members were encouraged to sign up for volunteer shifts for the pyrohy sale and festival. All types of help is needed for the festival, including preparing for pyrohy, making pyrohy, making food for the workers, cleanup, serving food, kitchen work, selling tickets, crafts, outdoor yard sale, and more.

The meeting ended with a prayer. Next Meeting: September 30 at 6:00 p.m.

Pastoral Council Minutes

September 30^th, 2008

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Smith, Mike Storonsky, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenney, Genek Spiak, Matthew Gaul, Peter Fil, Sandra Chuhta Representatives: Christine Levy (Religious Ed),Ted Fedak (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Fr. Mikhail, Deacon Tom

In Attendance: Dan Kopchick, Mike Storonsky, Diana Warrenchak, Marta Smith, Luba Mokey, Jo Ann Dunne, Matthew Gaul, Peter Fil, Christine Levy, Fr. Mikhail

Dan Kopchick reviewed minutes from the September 4^th meeting. With minor changes, the minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Visits to the sick and shut-ins continue; the society continues to meet, send cards and visit with the elderly of our parish who are unable to come to St. Nicholas services.

New Parishioner’s Pamphlet: Discussion continued on where to place the pamphlets to attract or interest possible new parishioners. Local colleges may have locations for placing the information; Peter Fil would look into details.

Icon Booklet: Fr. Mikhail and Matt met and reviewed samples that Matt had prepared. Reference and resource materials are being reviewed. Matt has a photo-disk which he is in the process of reviewing to combine materials. The Pastoral Council will review the first draft shortly.

Second Liturgy Singing: A core group interested in singing met for the first time on 9/28. About 15 people stayed for practice after second Liturgy. There was a 20 minute break after Liturgy so people could have refreshments, followed by singing in the church. Practice lasted for about 30 minutes. The practice will be held every second Sunday. Everyone is invited.

Harvest Festival: The upcoming Harvest Festival was discussed. Volunteers are needed for many areas of the festival. Pastoral Council members were asked to volunteer and help in any way they could.

Religious Education Update: The new school year began with registration on September 13^th and Religious classes beginning on September 20^th. So far, about 15 students have registered for grades 1-8. The number of students continues to decline every year, dropping from about 38 students in 2004 to the current number of 15. The number of children in the parish is far greater than the number attending religious education. Coffee hour supporting Religious Education was also discussed. The recommendation that the cost of coffee hour after the English liturgy be raised to $2 from $1 was considered; no final decision was made. Proceeds from 2^nd Liturgy coffee hour help offset Religious Education costs whereas proceeds from the Ukrainian liturgy coffee hour go toward the Ukrainian School.

New Business:

Canandaigua Spiritual Retreat: Several parishioners and pastoral council members attended a recent spiritual retreat in Canandaigua, NY. The retreat was sponsored by St. Josephat Ukrainian Catholic Church in Rochester, NY with Father Robert Markovich the retreat leader The attendees felt the retreat was very worthwhile and recommended that the council consider looking into future retreats or spiritual events in the area. It was felt that many parishioners would benefit from attending similar events. The council asks that parishioners notify them if they know of any similar events in the area; they would help coordinate activities or attendance.

St. Nicholas Luncheon and Celebration: Dan mentioned that the St. Nicholas event is coming up the first week in December. He asked that those on the council start thinking and planning for the event . Someone would need to coordinate the luncheon or work with him to learn how to chair the St. Nicholas luncheon for future years.

The meeting ended with a prayer. The next meeting is scheduled for November 6th at 6:00pm.

November 6^th, 2008

Pastoral Council Minutes

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Smith, Mike Storonsky, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, Jo Ann Dunne (OMPHS), Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenney, Genek Spiak, Matthew Gaul, Peter Fil, Sandra Chuhta Representatives: Christine Levy (Religious Ed), Donna Getman (Trustee), Fr. Mikhail, Deacon Tom

In Attendance: Dan Kopchick, Mike Storonsky, Donna Getman, Sandra Chuhta, Luba Mokey, Jo Ann Dunne, Steve Tenney, Christine Levy, Fr. Mikhail Guest: Nick Fil

Dan Kopchick reviewed minutes from the September 30^th meeting. With minor changes, the minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Jo Ann Dunne reported that visits to the sick and shut-ins continue; the society continues to meet, send cards and visit with the elderly of our parish who are unable to come to St. Nicholas services. The society is looking for gifts to give at Christmas time; suggestions are welcome. Several parishioners recently celebrated their 90^th birthdays in October and several 90^th birthdays are coming up in the next few months.

Second Liturgy Singing: The singing core group has met several times for practice and is meeting after second liturgy on a regular basis. They will eventually begin singing with the entire church during second liturgy and music will be published in the bulletin.

Harvest Festival: The financial report from the Harvest Festival is forthcoming. Some new things were tried this year, including Church tours, blocking off the road, crafters booths, and a special children’s performance. Comments from parishioners and visitors were that the event was well organized with lots of helpful participation from parishioners and the local community.

Religious Education Update: Saturday religious education classes are underway and the school is offering religious education for children in grades 1-8. Any families with children who would like to sign up for religious education are encouraged to contact Father. It was decided to continue with $1.00 as the suggested donation for the coffee hour after the 2^nd liturgy (English Liturgy) with the proceeds going toward Religious Education.

New Business:

Suggestion Box: There were 2 suggestions about the length of the sermons requesting that the sermons be shorter, particularly in the summer. One suggestion recommended that it be limited to 10 minutes.

St. Nicholas Banquet and Celebration: Dan Kopchick volunteered again to chair the St. Nicholas luncheon on December 7th as there were no other Pastoral Council members interested in taking on this task. Several options were proposed and discussed. One parishioner graciously offered to prepare a dinner for the attendees which would have required a lot of effort. Having it catered was another option briefly discussed. Just having desserts and beverages was another suggestion. The final suggestion was to follow last year’s buffet menu of luncheon meats, salads, rolls and bread, and meatballs. The Pastoral Council decided to go with the last suggestion. Dan will ask members and others to assist in making salads and in helping to prepare, cook, and serve the food.

Library/Chandelier : The question was asked about when the chandelier would be removed so that the library could be cleaned up. It is very difficult to move the chandelier which is part of the delay; it would need to be disassembled and reassembled for moving. There were no ready solutions to the issue and no one immediately interested in purchasing or moving the chandelier.

The meeting ended with a prayer.

The next meeting is scheduled for December 4th at 6:00pm.

Pastoral Council Minutes December 4, 2008

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Smith, Mike Storonsky, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenney, Genek Spiak, Matthew Gaul, Peter Fil, Sandra Chuhta. Representatives: Christine Levy (Religious Ed), Jo Ann Dunne (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Fr. Mikhail, Deacon Tom

In Attendance: Dan Kopchick, Mike Storonsky, Diana Warrenchak, Marta Smith, Luba Mokey, Jo Ann Dunne, Matthew Gaul, Peter Fil, Sandra Chuhta, Stephen Tenney, Fr. Mikhail

Dan Kopchick reviewed minutes from the November 6th meeting. With minor changes, the minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Visits to the sick and shut-ins continue. The society will be celebrating the 90^th birthday of Julia Pietro on December 15^th with a Divine Liturgy. Christmas gifts for shut-ins have been ordered. This year the gifts will be small icons of Our Blessed Mother with Baby Jesus.

Second Liturgy Singing: The Second Liturgy Choir is singing and is currently preparing for Christmas. They are doing quite well but are definitely in need of more members as there are 7 in the core group.

Religious Education: Classes are going as scheduled. Parents are encouraged to enroll their children if they are not already enrolled. More volunteers for catechists and substitute catechists are needed. In some cases sports programs are interfering with attendance at religious education.

There was discussion as to whether classes should be held on Saturday, or on Sunday between liturgies or in the evening. We were advised that the majority prefer Saturday classes because they can fit in dancing, Saturday School and religious education all on one day.

Suggestion Box: There were no suggestions submitted for the month.

Icon Booklet: Matthew Gaul brought in an outline of some of the research he has done for the icon booklet. He is doing extensive research on the text to be used with each icon. He has asked for guidance on just how detailed we want this to be, and how we want it to be set up.

It was decided that we should have one very simple pamphlet to be left in the pews for visitors. It could be in black and white and have a key so that visitors could look up the icons that they see and find out the name of the icon.

A second book would be an educational version with high quality color icons and detailed descriptions which would need a lot of research and be available for purchase. Matthew has asked for someone to help him via e-mail with design and layout. Steve Tenney and Peter Fil had some ideas and volunteered to help him.

St. Nicholas Luncheon and Celebration: Dan has volunteers to make salads, meatballs and noodles. He will be purchasing deli items; luncheon meat and cheese, rye bread and rolls, juice, plates, etc. Peter Fil asked that something be provided for children to snack on. Baby carrots, graham crackers and juice were suggested. He needs volunteers to be servers, and a door person. There was one volunteer and Father will contact others. Boxes were needed for the gifts. The tentative schedule will be to have lunch between 12 and approximately 12:45. Numbers will be called and two tables at a time will go up to get their food. Sandy said that we must make sure that those who have difficulty getting around have someone to serve them. The play is scheduled to begin at 1:00. Dan estimates that everything should be over and clean up accomplished by 3:00.

New Business:

There was no new business.

The meeting ended with a prayer. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for January 8th at 6:00pm

January 9^th, 2009 Pastoral Council Minutes

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Smith, Mike Storonsky, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenney, Genek Spiak, Matthew Gaul, Peter Fil, Sandra Chuhta Representatives: Christine Levy (Religious Ed), JoAnn Dunne (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Fr. Mikhail, Deacon Tom

In Attendance: Dan Kopchick, Christine Levy, Fr. Mikhail, Sandra Chuhta, JoAnn Dunne, Donna Getman, Luba Mokey, Matthew Gaul, Marta Smith, Mike Storonsky

Dan Kopchick reviewed minutes from the Dec. meeting. With minor changes, the minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: In December, the members of the society went caroling, visiting, and distributed gifts to the sick and shut-ins. After caroling, the members attended a reception at the Fedaks to celebrate the season, and provide a social get-together for the members.

Dan suggested a prayer shawl as a possible gift; he had seen one at another event, and offered to bring in some information and a book related to the prayer shawl.

Second Liturgy Singing: The singing core group has not rehearsed since November; the group temporarily suspended practices due to the busy Christmas season and absence of members.

Religious Education Update: Religious education had been cancelled due to bad weather several times during December. Christine suggested an alternate way of notifying parents (in addition to phone tree) be considered such as notification on the web site or television/radio station announcement. She will discuss this with Father in the near future. Unfortunately, because of class cancellations, children were not able to make Christmas cards to send to the elderly and sick and shut-ins in the parish this year.

Sandy observed that frequently the children don’t seem familiar with liturgy and asked how they could be taught more about liturgy and liturgical practices. One suggestion was to have parent volunteers lead children during liturgy and to re-establish Children’s Sunday Liturgy on the first Sunday of the month.

Icon Booklet: Matthew reported that he had finished several feast days for the booklet and that the Deacon would be assisting in getting the information together to finalize the work. Matthew would like to get in touch with the iconographer of the icons in the church in order to find out more information about them to include in the booklet. Peter and Steve volunteered to help with a simpler black and white pamphlet of the icons.

St. Nicholas Luncheon: The St. Nicholas luncheon was well attended and seemed to be enjoyed by attendees. Approximately 176 people attended the event (140 adults and 36 children). Reports were that the food was very good, the entertainment was great and the event was enjoyed by all. Many parishioners went out of their way to thank organizers and to comment on the excellent food. The event ended @ 2:30 PM.

New Business:

Valentines Day Luncheon for Seniors: February 14^th falls on a Saturday this year. Dan and Patricia Kopchick will again be organizing the Seniors St. Valentine’s Day Luncheon. Mike Storonsky offered to donate a sheet cake for the event. Dan will try to recruit some of the students and older children to volunteer to assist on that day. The event is scheduled from noon –3:00 PM on February 14^th. Prizes for bingo have already been acquired by Patricia. A sign-up sheet will be posted in the back of the church.

Forgiveness Sunday : February 22^nd is Forgiveness Sunday; the annual Forgiveness Sunday pot luck luncheon will be held on that day. Marta offered to coordinate this event again, and Donna offered to assist. An announcement will be posted in the Sunday bulletin, and a sign-up sheet will be posted in the back of the church to assist people with planning what to bring. There will be a combined liturgy at 10:00 on the 22^nd. It is important to note that all are welcome, whether or not they bring an entrée; a note of that will be made in the bulletin so as to not discourage any one from attending.

Annual Meeting: Planning began for the March Annual meeting and the associated election of Pastoral Council members. Dan reviewed the council by-laws and formed a list of members who are up for re-election. Dan and Christine will be taking a hiatus from the Pastoral Council after serving on the council a number of years. Dan offered to phone potential candidates to serve on the council.

Greeters and Epistle Readers: Sandy reported that new greeters and epistle readers have been recruited. Donna Kawola and Bernadette Drabick had volunteered to assist as greeter and reader.

The meeting ended with a prayer. The next meeting is scheduled for February 5th at 6:00pm.

Pastoral Council Minutes

February 5^th, 2009

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Smith, Mike Storonsky, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenney, Genek Spiak, Matthew Gaul, Peter Fil, Sandra Chuhta. Representatives: JoAnn Dunne (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Fr. Mikhail, Deacon Tom

In Attendance: Marta Smith, Mike Storonsky, Dan Kopchick, Christine Levy, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenney, Peter Fil, Sandra Chuhta , Deacon Tom Guest: Patty Gutch

Dan Kopchick reviewed minutes from the January meeting. With minor changes, the minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: JoAnn Dunne reported that the society continued visits to the sick and shut-ins. Several 90^th birthdays were celebrated recently; A Divine Liturgy celebration and reception by OMPHS was held for Anastasia Kurlak for her 90^th birthday.

Dan brought a prayer shawl which had been discussed at the previous Pastoral Council meeting as a possible gift for the sick and shut-ins. He also brought a pamphlet describing the making and distribution of the shawls by a community of caregivers associated with St. Peter’s hospital. This information was offered to OMPHS as a possible gift suggestion.

Religious Education Update: Christine Levy reported that religious education has been without a director for the last year and the program is in need of a director. Anyone who feels he or she could help in this capacity should contact Father or Christine Levy to find out more information. Support and assistance to the new director would be available, so the volunteer would not be overwhelmed with taking on the role of director of Religious Education.

Children’s participation during Liturgy on the first Sunday of the month has been put in place again with Christine Tenney serving as parent volunteer along with Sandy Chuhta to help guide the children during the Liturgy. The front pew was filled with smiling, attentive children during the January Children’s Liturgy. Thank you, Christine and Sandy!

Icon Booklet: Peter Fil brought a sample pamphlet with several pricing options based on size, which the council reviewed. The pamphlet presents the major icons in the Church. Another more detailed booklet, to be published later, will include all icons with explanations. The council also discussed where to place or hand out the pamphlet so parishioners and visitors would have access to it.

Valentine’s Day Luncheon: Sign-up sheet has been posted; supplies have been ordered, and volunteers have committed to support the luncheon. Dan and Patricia Kopchick have coordinated the event and will be hosting it on Saturday, Feb 14^th.

Forgiveness Sunday: Has been scheduled for Feb 22^nd. Sign-up sheet and bulletin announcements were posted. Marta reported that things are progressing on schedule. She may request volunteers to assist with setup of tables prior to the luncheon.

Annual Meeting: The annual meeting will be held in March. Dan made calls to possible new Pastoral Council members; only one positive response was received. There will be one vacancy in the 18-45 age group and three in the 46+ age group. Dan will try to come up with additional names. Parishioners interested in joining the Pastoral Council are urged to contact Dan or Father Mikhail.

New Business:

Suggestion Box: Two requests were placed in the suggestion box asking the parish to pray for the requestor. This brought up the subject of prayer book/prayer intentions that had been located in the back of the church. Council members said the book is on the table near the back entrance (into the Narthex) and parishioners or visitors could enter the name of individuals to be prayed for.

A second suggestion asked that a new kitchen be considered for the church. This suggestion would be passed on to the Stewardship Council.

A third suggestion was related to church closures in the area (other churches being closed or consolidated). The suggestion was to make available pamphlets of our church information, hours, liturgy schedule, to those churches that are facing closure for the possibility of inviting new parishioners to St. Nicholas. Deacon Tom suggested advertising our availability via billboard, newspaper, or sign outside of St. Nicholas.

Domestic Church Ministry: Patty Gutch described the work of the “Domestic Church Ministry”. One of the activities included Preparation for the Great Fast where members of the church community would meet to discuss the role of the Church family, preparing for the Great Fast, and other related issues. A meeting was scheduled for Friday, Feb 13^th to discuss the role of the family during the Great Fast, to describe various family traditions and parishioner practices during the Great Fast with the focus on the ‘Domestic Church’. The meeting would serve as outreach to St. Nicholas families and to work toward understanding Lent, providing resources, educating and raising awareness within the parish.

A ‘Great Fast Series’ was proposed that could include soup/salad followed by presentation, play, or focused program to address issues relevant to the St. Nicholas community. Deacon Tom and Patty Gutch could organize the programs if there was interest.

Other possible meeting themes included ‘Phillips Fast’, Christmas preparation, and First Holy Communion.

Signage: Deacon Tom asked about placing a St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church sign outside our church with the name, liturgy schedule, and contact information. This was related to one of the suggestions reviewed earlier. Deacon Tom and Peter Fil agreed to discuss ideas for the next meeting.

Coffee Hour: Low attendance at 2^nd Liturgy coffee hour was mentioned. Sandy suggested an announcement be made at the end of Liturgy during general announcements to remind everyone of the coffee hour and also to let parishioners know if it is not being held that Sunday.

The meeting ended with a prayer. The next meeting is scheduled for March 5^th at 6:00pm.

March 5^th, 2009 Pastoral Council Minutes

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Smith, Mike Storonsky, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Viktor Holovashchenko, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenney, Genek Spiak, Matthew Gaul, Peter Fil, Sandra Chuhta. Representatives: JoAnn Dunne (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Fr. Mikhail, Deacon Tom

In Attendance: Marta Smith, Mike Storonsky, Dan Kopchick, Christine Levy, JoAnn Dunne, Diana Warrenchak, Stephen Tenney, Sandra Chuhta , Donna Getman, Luba Mokey, Matthew Gaul, Genek Spiak, Deacon Tom

Dan Kopchick reviewed minutes from the February meeting. With minor changes, the minutes were accepted.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: JoAnn Dunne reported that the society continued its visits to the sick and shut-ins. On March 11, OMPHS is planning to visit the Eddy to host a Moleben service for Julia Opar; on March 14th they will hold a Divine Liturgy for John Ihnatolya. They are also in the process of choosing and ordering Easter gifts.

Icon Booklet: Matthew Gaul reported that he and Peter Fil continue the work on the booklet and will have samples for the next meeting. Peter is also expected to have information on the proposed signage for the church (styles, pricing, sizes, etc.).

Valentine’s Day Luncheon: The luncheon, held on Saturday, Feb 14th, was a rousing success. Dan thanked the contributors, volunteers, and participants who helped make the day a memorable event.

Forgiveness Sunday: Marta reported that the Forgiveness Sunday pot luck luncheon was attended by 65-70 people. The food was plentiful and delicious, and the mood of the event was very uplifting. Kudos to those who helped in the kitchen and with cleanup afterwards. Father suggested that additional pot-lucks be considered throughout the year as a social event.

Domestic Church: A meeting was held February 13th for families interested in learning more about Great Fast and Eastern Rite traditions during Pasha. The meeting was well attended with about 20 adults and about 10-15 children; the discussion topics were interesting, and food was served. Patricia Gutch and Father Mikhail spoke to the group, addressing various subjects, traditions, and practices during lent. Many thanks to Patricia Gutch for planning and coordinating the event!

Annual Meeting: The annual meeting will be held in March 8; there will be one Liturgy on that day. This will be the last Pastoral Council meeting for some members, including Dan Kopchick and Christine Levy. Dan noted that he had contacted individuals and found 2 who would be willing to serve on the council. Any others who may be interested are encouraged to call Dan or Father Mikhail before the meeting.

Coffee Hour: The council discussed how to increase participation in the second Liturgy coffee hour; various ideas were proposed including announcements at the end of Liturgy, a sign at the top of the stairs announcing downstairs coffee hour, and other ideas.

New Business:

Suggestion Box: There was one item in the suggestion box; the author objected to homilies that reflected political views. They stated that they attend Liturgy for spiritual replenishment and divine worship and that the political tone detracted from that.

Annual Picnic: Donna noted that it was time to start planning for the annual picnic. Dates for late summer were being considered. It was noted that many people preferred the arsenal for the picnic site and this would be pursued as the preferred location. Specific details of the picnic will be worked out during the coming months.

The meeting ended with a prayer.

The next meeting is scheduled for April 1st at 6:30pm.

April 1, 2009 Pastoral Council Minutes

Pastoral Council Members: Marta Smith, Mike Storonsky, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, JoAnn Dunne, Stephen Tenney, Genek Spiak, Matthew Gaul, Peter Fil, Sandra Chuhta, Bernie Drabik and Patricia Kopchick. Representatives: JoAnn Dunne (OMPHS), Donna Getman (Trustee), Fr. Mikhail, Deacon Tom.

In Attendance: Mike Storonsky, Dan Kopchick, Luba Mokey, Bernie Drabik, Patricia Kopchick and Fr. Mikhail.

The meeting was begun with the Parish Mission Prayer.The new members, Bernie and Patricia, were introduced and given an overview of the Pastoral Council’s activities and by-laws by Dan. The minutes from the March meeting were read and, with minor changes, were accepted. A list of members, their addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers will be drawn up and passed out at the next meeting.

Old Business:

Our Mother of Perpetual Help Society: Luba Mokey reported that the society continues its visits to the sick and shut-ins. She also mentioned that Mary Valastro has recently been admitted to Northwoods in Lansingburgh. Father mentioned that the 90^th birthday celebrations for Julia Opar and John Ihnatolya went very well.

Icon Booklet: Tabled until the next meeting.

Church Sign: Father Mikhail has told the Stewardship Council that a church sign is being considered. The Pastoral Council is still in the stage of reviewing various ideas and options.

Domestic Church: More information about the Great Fast has been published on the church website. Others from outside of our parish have noticed and appreciated our efforts.

Annual Meeting: Dan will email his annual report to all members. Father Mikhail will also be placing it on the website.

Coffee Hour: Dan said that Father’s announcement after the English Liturgy improved attendance at that coffee hour.

Suggestion Box: There was one item in the suggestion box regarding the epistle readings. Some people cannot be heard, even with the microphone. It was suggested that the readers adjust the microphone so that their voices project more throughout the church.

Annual Picnic: Roman Karpishka has contacted the Watervliet Arsenal regarding Sunday, August 16, for our annual picnic and is waiting to hear back.

New Business:

Synod: A synod of the Eparchy of Stamford will be held on May 2. Priests, deacons and 3-5 parishioners are invited. Father would like to have someone from OMPHS, the Pastoral Council, the Religious Education Program and a trustee attend. More information will follow.

Annual Mission: The Annual Mission for Great Fast will begin tomorrow, April 2. It will be conducted by Father Vasyl Kadylo.

Summer bulletins: Mike Storonsky suggested that liturgy intentions be listed at least two weeks in advance. He believes this could increase attendance at Divine Liturgies. He also would like to see special services before Easter and Christmas listed well in advance. Father mentioned that flexibility might be an issue.

Officers: No one has yet agreed to be president of the Pastoral Council. Father has said that it can be discussed at the next meeting when more members will be present. Dan has agreed to attend that meeting in order to aid in the transition.

The meeting ended with a prayer.