Saint Simon

Pastoral Council

 

Over the past two years the Pastoral Council has rededicated itself to advocating and enhancing the twin goals of Communication and Stewardship for the Catholic Community of St. Simon the Apostle.  Communication of all major issues is of paramount importance to your Pastoral Council.  The Council members will have improved visibility and access to the parish.  The new website contains contact information for all parish leaders and I would encourage anyone to ask any questions of anyone. 

This past year, the Pastoral Council created a brand new Evangelization Commission to augment our prayerful and service-oriented approach to parish life, and we are truly proud of their efforts and excited for new possibilities.  The strong efforts of the Faith Formation, Youth and Parish Life Commissions have fostered ways for St. Simon parishioners to grow their personal relationship with Jesus.  Our athletic programs continue to shape and mold our children to understand the true value of the spirit of competition and what it means to represent the values of Jesus Christ.  St. Simon possesses a wealth of talent and we encourage all to get involved in these or similar committees.

Last year also saw the beginning of physical changes to our campus.  The Administration Commission facilitated the installation of new security doors that will enable the main parish doors to remain open during the day so that those in need of time with Christ can enter the Church for prayer and meditation.  Most obviously, we saw the breaking of ground for our new Parish Life Center and practice gym, after months of planning, budgeting, collection of funds and revisions.  These buildings will enable us to utilize desperately needed meeting space and practice facilities.

We also saw the retirement of our School Principal, Kathy Wright.  Kathy’s leadership of the school will be greatly missed.  The good news is that Mrs. Wright will remain at St. Simon as Fr. Bill’s Pastoral Associate, where her passion and enthusiasm will be excellent assets to the greater parish.

With Mrs. Wright’s retirement, we welcome our new School Principal, Donavan Yarnall.  I am confident the school and parish will be pleased with his brand of enthusiasm, spirituality and dedication to St. Simon.  The Council will work with Mr. Yarnall and the School Commission to ensure we are on the proper course to meeting the educational needs of our students while still adhering to our parish needs and responsibilities. 

Finally, this coming year will be the 50th Anniversary of St. Simon as a parish.  We will be planning some exciting events to commemorate this historic event, as well as the welcoming and inviting spirit that encompasses St. Simon. 

Steve Koers,

Chair for Parish Council