Dear parish members and concerned friends:

There was very good discussion at the October 30th special meeting of the combined Parish Pastoral Councils with almost every person in the group of 24 people participating. Dean Lindner and Tim Raese were present as Council members and as St. Mary School parents. They did a tremendous job of expressing their feelings and reasons for the vote. The growth in community that has taken place in our Ad Hoc Committee through patient and heartfelt conversation is also taking place with our Councils.

With two members dissenting the rest of the group was in consensus with the following course of action:

1) The Ad Hoc Committee proceed with its study on facilities.

2) An Ad Hoc Finance Committee be created composed of two members from each parish Finance Council to work out answers to the following questions in the next two months:

a) how would a single school be financed? What would be the cost to each parish?

b) how would the tuition issue be handled?

c) how exactly would the busing work. (This could be addressed by the present (AHPPC)

3) The Ad Hoc Pastoral Planning meeting was empowered by the Pastoral Councils to decide if we take a second vote on combining the schools by early January or table the decision till next fall based on their discussion with the St. Mary’s School parents this coming Monday evening Nov. 3rd. If it becomes apparent in their discussion Monday evening that the no votes were do to the many unanswered questions, then we will proceed to address those questions and take a second vote. If it is clear that the parents feel they have sufficient information and simply do not want to alter the school they presently have and love, then there will be no second vote and the issue will be tabled until next Fall. In this case the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on facilities and of the Ad Hoc Committee on Finances will all be in place for when the question is taken up next fall.

It was agreed that if a second vote takes place it will need to be of all parishioners and school parents again because the issues of location and of how the schools are funded may change many parish members votes.

Fr. Steve will work on convening the Ad Hoc Finance Committee. The Ad Hoc Pastoral Planning Committee is schedule to meet Monday November 10th at 6:00pm in St. Mary’s Hall.

This is all public information so please share it as freely as you wish and as accurately as you can. I

Thank you to all for the work accomplished so far and for the work that yet lies ahead!

Fr. Steve