How the Pastoral Team Model Came to Be...
In March 1999, members of the St. Margaret's Pastoral Council proposed to Bishop James Moynihan that upon the semi-retirement of Father Daniel DeLorme, the administrative responsibilities of the parish would be undertaken by a Pastoral Team made up of then staff members Sr. Milice Bohrer, CSJ; Eileen Peters; Lana Riley; and Donna Yacavone, The Pastoral Team would work in collaboration with Father Dan, who would serve the parish in a predominantly sacramental role.
This creative proposal was the fruit grown from the vision and leadership of the Long Range Planning Committees in 1990 and 1995. These committees embraced the idea that ministry is the result of shared gifts given by both the ordained priesthood and the laity who also exercise their baptismal priesthood. This teaching came directly from the documents of the Second Vatican Council. In addition to realizing the full ramifications of Vatican II, the planning committees also recognized the growing need in our diocese to have professionally trained lay persons in parish leadership positions due to the diminishing number of priests who were available as pastors.
In its original configuration, the Pastoral Team served St. Margaret's very well for three years. Then, in 2002, Eileen Peters retired, and Connie Armstrong succeeded her as director of Religious Education. In 2003, Sr. Milice also concluded her ministry to the people of St. Margaret's as she began a sabbatical prior to beginning ministry in another diocesan parish. Sr. Milice's departure led to the hiring of Gary Smith to serve in the area of youth ministry. In 2006, Connie Armstrong left St. Margaret's to serve in a parish closer to her children and grandchildren. This led to the hiring of Eileen Pollack as director of Religious Education, who served for one year before taking a high school teaching position in the Chicago area. Currently, the Pastoral Team is comprised of Donna Yacavone, Lana Riley, and Gary Smith, who continue serving this parish in accordance with the original vision of the planning committees and Bishop Moynihan; with each member of the Pastoral Team being responsible for specific areas of ministry while working collaboratively with the parish's Pastoral Council and Finance Committee through the use of a consensus model of decision making. It is the hope of the Pastoral Team that this ground breaking model will continue at St. Margaret’s for many years to come, and also be adopted by other parishes as the need arises.
