Present at the March 14^th, 2002 meeting were Bob Ballengee, Arcangelo Bollella,  Mary Brigante, Michael Clohosey, John Erickson, Virginia Fiore, Stephen Fischer, Anna Sachko Gandolfi, Sister Mary Rose Golden, Vincent Greco, Tom Lindgren, Joe Looney, Maryann McCrea, Joanne McMahon, Peter McNamara, Dorothy Mitchell,  Ann O’Sullivan,  Father John Quinn, Ann Silvestri, Corinne Strianese, Edward Strianese,  Barrie Watson, and Lynn Watson.

            Father Quinn led the Parish Council in Vespers.  He introduced Peter McNamara, who is with the Archdiocesan Building Commission.

            Ann Silvestri addressed the Parish Council on the topic its role at St. Patrick’s and on the principles that guide it.  Ann noted that a Parish Council is an advisory group and is not a governing body.  A Parish Council can recommend a course of action to the pastor and make suggestions for his consideration, but cannot make decisions for the parish.  That authority resides with the pastor alone.  She thanked Father Quinn for extending membership in the Parish Council to everyone in the parish.  The guiding principles of St. Patrick’s Parish Council may be found in the prayer of St. Patrick, which everyone then prayed together.

            Joanne McMahon told the Parish Council that St. Patrick’s candidates for C.Y.O. king and queen were interviewed at the county level.  Joanne noted that this Saturday the teens will volunteer at Blythedale Children’s Hospital.

            Bob Ballengee reported that the Social Concerns Committee’s Food Pantry collections for the last 2 months totaled 74 bags of food and $491 in donations from St. Patrick’s, and 36 bags of food from the Food Emporium.  Eight volunteers work at the Food Pantry.  The parish contributed 16 bags of clothing and toiletries to the Holy Innocents Midnight Run in February.  The committee plans to contribute to that cause every quarter.  For its Lenten Drive, Social Concerns will collect men’s clothing for St. Christopher’s Inn in Graymoor through April 6^th.  Bob noted that both the Social Concerns Committee and Teen Life will work together on a Habitat for Humanity Project sponsored by the Armonk Ecumenical Social Concerns Group.  On April 4^th St. Patrick’s will host a meeting for that group.  Work on the Habitat for Humanity Project will involve the actual construction of a building and the fundraising for it. 

            Tom Lindgren informed the Parish Council that the Fundraising Campaign has surpassed the $1.7 million mark in pledges for the Parish Center. On the weekend of March 16^th - 17^th, an In Pew Giving Opportunity will be conducted to involve all families in the fundraising effort. Ann Silvestri expressed the gratitude of the Parish Council to Father Quinn, to Tom, and to the Fundraising Committee for their hard work and dedication on the parish’s behalf.

             Joe Looney reported that the Building Committee has interviewed four construction managers.  One will soon be selected for the position of managing the construction of the Parish Center.  Last Thursday, John Sullivan, the architect for the project went before the Town Board and was enthusiastically received.  On April 8th, John will appear before the Planning Board.  The next step in the approval process will be a review by the Architectural Review Board.  Then John will go back to the Town Board.     

            Ann O’Sullivan told the Parish Council that Joanne McMahon had given her a crisis management plan, for which Ann was grateful.  Ann will modify this plan to meet Archdiocesan specifications for a detailed crisis management plan to be used for the evacuation and care of religious education students in emergency situations.  Ann noted that a recent Faith Witness meeting for Confirmation students and their parents went very well.

            The Parish Council made several recommendations and suggestions to Father Quinn.  One recommendation was that corrections to the minutes of the previous Parish Council meeting be recorded in the minutes of the current meeting.  Another recommendation was that the minutes be corrected, if needed, before their posting to the parish Web site.  Suggestions were also made for procedural changes.  Father Quinn took these recommendations and suggestions under advisement and will consider any proposed corrections to the minutes of tonight’s meeting at the next Parish Council meeting.

            A correction was approved for the minutes of the February 13, 2002 meeting.  The sentence, “Barrie Watson again raised the question of the $50,000 payment to Alex Bacon, which the Finance Committee had unanimously approved at a meeting,” contained an error in that it was Anna Gandolfi who raised the question.  That sentence was corrected to read, “Anna Gandolfi raised the question…,” before the minutes were posted to the parish Web site.

            Father Quinn told the Parish Council that 348 people are expected to attend the parish’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Dance on Saturday, March 16^th.  This Sunday, March 17^th, will be Sfingi Sunday.  On Tuesday, March 19^th, Mass will be offered in honor of St. Joseph

            The next meeting of the Parish Council will be on Thursday, April 11^th at 7:30 P.M.