Parish Committees

Pastoral Council

The Pastoral Council is the visioning body for the parish. Along with input from other parish ministries, members advise and counsel the pastor on matters pertaining to parish life. We encourage all parishioners to share their ideas, concerns, and feedback with the council. This ministry is a great experience for a person who wants a better understanding of how the parish ministries operate together and how decisions are made. The Council meets monthly throughout the school year. Meetings are held on weekday evenings and last about an hour. New members are welcome after a brief orientation session.

Finance Council

The Finance Council’s role is to:

• advise the pastor on financial matters and the administration of the parish property
• assist in the preparation of the general parish budget
• provide the necessary annual reports
• review the parish’s financial, personnel, and administrative operations
• review the care and maintenance of parish property and buildings
• develop long-range planning for operational and capital needs and serve on long-term bases.

Knowledge of finances and money management principles is a necessity!

Stewardship Committee

Everything we have is given to us by God. Through Stewardship, we learn to serve God out of love and gratitude for these gifts. Our gifts of time, talent, and treasure are needed to fulfill God’s plan in our parish and community. How we use these gifts should be of utmost consideration in our daily lives. The mission of the Stewardship Committee is to teach and inspire the joy of stewardship in the members of the Parish Family. We sponsor the Ministry booklet and the annual Stewardship Renewal Drive. We meet once a month from September to May. Anyone interested in serving God through this great group is welcome to join us!

Liturgy Committee

The Liturgy Committee of St Jude Parish, guided by the Holy Spirit, is dedicated to providing a worship life for the parish which will strengthen and deepen the faith of its members. To realize this mission, the committee will prayerfully establish a physical and spiritual environment designed to inspire active participation by parishioners of all ages. the committee meets monthly from September to May to discuss:

Dinner Committee

This committee consists of a group of people who support the sub-committees of the various food-related events at St Jude Parish. Meetings take place as needed, usually 2-3 times in the months leading up to a particular event, typically on a weeknight, for no more than 60-90 minutes. We can always use new members, ages 18 and up.

One of our events, the Chicken Dinner, takes place in September of each year, typically on a Sunday afternoon. This is a wonderful gathering of community and a great opportunity for fellowship. Preparation for the Chicken Dinner starts in late June- early July. the 2 to 3 weeknight meetings last from 60-90 minutes. On the weekend of the event, prep work takes place on both Friday and Saturday, lasting anywhere from 3-6 hours. The actual event, from setup to cleanup, usually lasts 6-8 hours.

Lenten Fish Dinners are held in the Brophy Center on five Fridays during Lent. We can always use helpers of all ages, within reason of course, for however much time you can give.

Hilary Thorne Fund

The purpose of the Hilary Throne Stewardship Foundation is to provide funds to established, non-profit organizations. Preference is given to those that are of local, rather than national, impact. Ecumenical organizations are favored, with special consideration for those with a Catholic affiliation. The funds given in love and justice are used to help fulfill basic human needs. Disbursements are decided by the Hilary Thorne Committee, which meets quarterly.

Msgr. Brophy Foundation

The Monsignor Charles D. Brophy Endowment Fund was established to provide support for our Parish School (All Saints Academy) and our Religious Education programs. Tuition Assistance grants are made annually based on financial need. Guidelines for the Diocese of Grand Rapids limit cash grants from the Endowment fund to 4% of the average of the last three year’s fund balance. Our main reason for being is to promote, encourage and aid in those programs by providing a parish fund to help with the financial obligations generated by these programs. A parish fund has been established and now we are in the process of increasing the value of the fund through solicitations of prospective donors through long-term commitments and other short-term programs. No training is required, but members need a willingness to discuss ideas and to help promote them. The Brophy Fund board meets approximately 3 times per year in the evening.