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A Letter from Rev. Joseph K. Kalladan, Pastor


Sunday Bulletin - August 19, 2007


Dear Parishioner,

Last Sunday afternoon, our newly discerned Parish Pastoral Council had a half-day workshop lead by Mr. Tom Colyandro who is a very knowledgeable and competent person in the Archdiocese, with regard to matters pertaining to Pastoral Councils. Deacon Bob Dunham, with his connections in and around Sugar Land, was able to arrange a nice room, cost free, for the workshop at the city center.

In accordance with the Archdiocesan guidelines for Parish Pastoral Councils, Tom emphasized the importance of the Council in the life of the parish as the chief consultative body of the church. After the Pastor, they are the most important body in the parish. “It is wisdom community” he emphasized. They are called upon to discern issues that specifically affect parishioners both individually and collectively. They are a group that prays, studies, and discusses issues affecting the parish and make recommendations to the pastor. He insisted that the Council is not a ‘Corporate Team’ or a ‘Board of Directors’.
Pastoral Council Members are faith-filled people who have a capacity to listen to the spiritual needs of the parish; who believe in discernment of Spirit and Prayer; who make decisions through consensus and who are deeply involved in the well-being of the entire parish community.
They, therefore, should be willing to learn about the Church and be people with a mission. They have to know their mission to which they have been called by God.

When talking about Pastoral Councils, I think, many of us may have some misinformation about their role. The American Bishops have made a decision to move this important parish body from being a ‘parish Council’ to a ‘Parish Pastoral Council’. The emphasis being PASTORAL. Mr. Colyandro did focus on what a Pastoral Council is called to be.

- The P.C. has moved from a body of leaders into a leadership body.
- From coordinating ministries to articulating ministries.
- Moving from crisis management to building up the Body of Christ.
- From doing activities to empowerment of parishioners.
- Moving away from business and activities to prayer and discernment.
- Moving from competition to collaboration
- Moving from voting to consensus.

Tom spent some time dwelling on the Internal Forum Vs External Forum: “Anamnesis” & “Epiclesis”
These difficult words are translated as “Remembering and Transformation”.
Remembering: The Catholic Church is a Community of Memory. The historical events of the past become present. The Holy Mass we celebrate makes the past present to us. As Scott Han has put it so well, “Mass is the place where heaven comes to earth.” It’s a community action where we are nourished by the Eucharistic Lord.
Transformation: Things that we receive from God when we offer them back to Him, we experience transformation. During Mass the Priest asks the Holy Spirit to transform the gift of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Because of our Baptism we are called to transform ourselves, being a priestly, prophetic and kingly people.

Hence, both the anamnesis and epiclesis lead us to our mission. The question is: “rooted in our past and being transformed, we all need to strive to be what we are called to be?”
The members of our Parish Pastoral Council do have a great task ahead of them to inspire us.
The above considerations could assist all of us to know the important role and the challenge of the Pastoral Council Members in the Church and how all of us can work together to be the Catholic Faith Community that God has called us to be here at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish.

Prayerfully,


Fr. K.K.



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