Parish Council

The Parish Council is an elected representative body of our parish which works in conjunction with the Pastor to establish goals and objectives, address pastoral issues, and support the activities and programs that foster the well-being of the parish and the community.  Standing committees of the Parish Council are Worship & Spirituality, Education/Family Life, Parish Relations, and Social Concerns.  The Pastor and the Religious Education Coordinator are ex-officio members of the Council.  The Parish Council meets the second Tuesday of each month, at 7:00pm in the Church Hall. 

Worship & Spirituality Committee

The main goal of the Worship & Spirituality Committee is to assist in providing a more meaningful worship environment.  The committee is responsible for aiding in all liturgical areas - planning the seasonal liturgies and ceremonies of the Church year, working with church decoration and music, and organizing training of lectors, Eucharistic ministers, servers, and greeter/ushers.  Meetings are as published in the weekly Bulletin.

Education/ Family Life Committee

The purpose is to provide support and encouragement for all members of our parish and to strengthen their faith.  The committee works with the Religious Education Coordinator to provide quality religious instruction to the children of our parish.  We will also provide a variety of opportunities for adults to further their education and enrich their family lives.

Parish Relations Committee

The Parish Relations Committee was formed to welcome all members of the parish to our faith community, and serve as coordinators of functions and special needs that bring the parish members together.

Social Concerns Committee

   Our purpose is to share God's love with others through our actions.

 * Our main ongoing activity is providing shelter meals each month for the Catholic Worker House soup kitchen and the St. Joseph's Family Shelter for homeless families in Des Moines.
   We cook and deliver the meal to the Catholic Worker House on the third Thursday of every month.
   We cook and deliver the meal to the St. Joseph's Family Shelter on the third Saturday of every month.
   We are always in need of volunteers to bake cookies, shop for groceries (paid for by our church), cook the meal and deliver the meal. Sign up is in back of the church or by calling Elizabeth Williams 961-9085 or email.

*  We also prepare meals for people in our parish who are recovering from surgery, chemotherapy, recently had a baby, can't get around as well as they used to, or just would appreciate the gesture that "someone cares."
 
* The Social Concerns Committee also decides where to spend 3%-4% of the parish's annual income which we, as a parish, tithe for social concerns projects. We usually send money to the diocesan priest in Columbia (South America) and other mission projects. We vote each year where to donate the almsgiving received during Lent at the Ash Wednesday and Holy Thursday collections and from the Rice Bowl collections.
 
* We also help support other fundraisers instigated by our RE students (Heifer Project International, playground equipment for a mission in Guatemala, Catholic Worker House funds, etc.)
 
* We sponsor "Advent Angels" for children and adults to pray for children in central Iowa who have lost a close relative in the past year to help them cope with the holiday season. (We work through the Amanda the Panda organization in Des Moines.)

* In the past, we have also sponsored a "Mitten Tree" to collect gloves and mittens to donate to Helping Hands. We've sponsored "Baby Shower" donations for Birthright. We've had a parish-wide garage sale for an orphanage in India.
 
* We also participate in the World Day of Prayer on the first Friday of March, sponsored by Church Women United and hosted by various Indianola churches.

Finance Committee

Finance Committee offers its technical skills in fiscal matters to the Pastor, assists and advises him concerning the administration of parish goods within the limits of Church Law and whatever is applicable to civil law. 

Parish Building Steering Committee

The Building Steering Committee works with the pastor in assessing the parish building needs, getting parish input, obtaining facts related to costs, etc. and developing a plan for long term design of future needs. 

Fundraising Committee

The Fundraising Committee assesses financial needs for special projects of the parish (notably the Capital Campaign for the new building site), selects appropriate strategies to raise funds, and monitors the campaign.

Parish Grounds & Maintenance Committee

The Parish Grounds & Maintenance Committee assists in providing for the upkeep and maintenance of the buildings and grounds.  They also plan for improvements and capital outlays.

Altar & Rosary Society
 

The A & R welcomes all women of the parish to its membership.  Primary activities include the Fall Kick-off meeting in September and the Ladies Luncheon held in May.  Each of these activities include a brief business meeting and entertainment or activities.  The annual Cookie Walk is held in December and is our only fundraiser.  Funds earned from this event are used to provide scholarships for college-bound seniors, gifts for special families in need at Christmas, and as assistance with costs for youth campers.

Knights of Columbus
 

Knights of Columbus is a worldwide, Catholic fraternal organization for the men of our parish.  K of C members support country, state, church, family and youth.  All participating Catholic men 18 and older are encouraged to join the local council.  Meetings are held in the Parish Hall the second Thursday of each month.

Christian Family Movement

Christian Family Movement (CFM) is a parish and neighborhood network of small groups of families.  Parents meet regularly in one another's homes.  They follow special programming that focuses on topics of importance concerning family, church, and community.

Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults

If you know of anyone who is interested in becoming a Catholic, the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults program begins in early September each year and ends with the Easter season when catechumens are baptized and received as full members of the Church.  RCIA meets on Thursday in the parish rectory from 7:00pm-9:00pm.

Building & Grounds

The purpose of the Building & Grounds Committee is to organize and provide upkeep and maintenance to existing church structure and grounds.  We encourage your participation.