SSJC–WR General Meeting Minutes June 8, 2013
St. Margaret’s Catholic Church, Oceanside, CA
Members present, Fr. George Morelli moderated the meeting. Also present: Fr. Ramon Merlos, Fr. Cávana Wallace, Fr. James Babcock, Fr. James Bankston, Deacon Michael Creighton, Frank Scialdone, Bob Greenwell, Diane Alves, Gloria Brissette, and guests. Excused: Anne Petach, Msgr. Dennis Mikulanis.j
Agenda approval: Bob Greenwell made motion, Fr. Ramon seconded. Motion carried.
President Announcements (Fr. George):
-Marian Cavadias tendered her resignation as recording secretary.
-Asked Diane Alves to take Minutes for this meeting.
Orientale Lumen Conference – Bob Greenwell will be traveling next week to attend. Among the speakers there will be Fr. Ron Roberson, and Fr. Thomas Fitzgerald who spoke at one of our Western Region, Light of the East conferences held at St. Paul’s Orthodox church, Irvine. Other speakers will be Archimandrite Robert Taft and Metropolitan Tikhon.
–Announcement and discussion regarding former Western Edition of Orientale Lumen which was held at USD. Our conference and others like it died because of the economy, but Jack Figel has kept the original conference in the Washington, DC area alive.
Secretary’s Report:: Minutes of the last meeting were approved by acclamation, without corrections, as received by e-mail.
Treasurer’s Report: (Bob Greenwell) Noted that Fr. James Babcock is our newsletter editor. We spent $534.60 to publish the latest edition plus $181.50 for postage. We now have $269.74 in the bank plus several recent, not yet deposited, receipts of dues – total not enough right now to publish another issue.
Discussion ensued about how to defray the cost of the newsletter. Fr. George mentioned that until recently he was writing a column for the North County Times which paid him $50.00 a month which he contributed to SSJC-WR. Now that the North County Times has been taken over by the U-T, he has lost that job, and we have lost that income. Now we are planning to accept advertising and Blessed Memory notices (for donations). Frank Scialdone, our parliamentarian pointed out we don’t have to vote on this.
Nomination Committee– discussion of nominations for November’s election. We will be electing a new Vice President, and a recording secretary. Anne Petach indicated willingness, despite her reluctance, to continue as Administrative Secretary. Frs. James Bankston and Ramon Merlos accepted nomination for Vice President. Secretary (pro-tem) Diane Alves, accepted nomination to be recording secretary, (She indicated she would get a little recorder to use at the next meeting.)
Future Programs–Fr. Ramon brought up the subject of arranging more joint prayer and liturgies together. A prayer for Christian unity event this coming Friday at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach was mentioned. Fr. George said a Vespers Service had been planned for the end of this Spring’s Light of the East conference, but instead there was only a closing prayer due to running out of time.
Light of the East Conference to be held in 2014, Fr. George mentioned that this year’s conference didn’t pay for itself. Our share was $710. Plans are underway for a 2014 conference for which Fr. Tsichlis, pastor of St. Paul’s, has suggested the topic, “Understanding Islam.”
September 28, 2013. Fr. James Babcock will moderate the meeting presentation and obtain speakers and location. Bob Greenwell made motion, Fr. James Bankston seconded, motion carried.
–Future topics:
November, 2013– Spirituality of Fasting,
January, 2014 will be monasticism at Prince of Peace Abbey,
June, 2014 will be the Holy Land with Fr. Dennis Mikulanis as one of the speakers. He will have just returned from a trip there. The executive board will finalize dates.
Proposed Future topics: the Tyranny of relativism, Missionary evangelism in Southern California, particularly evangelism from ethnic parishes to the greater community. It was suggested that we get bishops to talk to us on this second topic, a Roman Catholic bishop, an Eastern Catholic, and an Orthodox bishop. Fr. James Bankston knows and will ask an Orthodox bishop in Chicago, Bishop Daniel.
Executive board will meet June 24th at St. Paul’s, Irvine.
Next General meeting: Sept. 28, 2013
Respectfully Submitted, Diane Alves, Secretary (Pro-tem)
Note: Topic for the September meeting is to be: State of Christianity in the Middle East