Candidates for Pastoral Council

The Pastoral Council Election will be held during all Masses the weekend of May 21 – 22, 2016 to fill five vacant positions of the nine-member Pastoral Council. Electronic voting is available online and will close on May 21, 2016 at 5:30 PM.

Thank you for voting.

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What is the Pastoral Council

The Pastoral Council is a consultative body that assists the pastor in planning for the needs of our faith community. Its purpose is to form community as a sign and witness of unity for the larger Parish community; to provide recommendations for Parish priorities, directions and policies through pastoral planning; and to promote communication and understanding among Parish organizations and between the Parish, the Archdiocese, and the universal Church.

Elections

The parish asks for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the election process.  After prayerful discernment of the candidates presented, any person with a vested interest in Saint Patrick Catholic Church may vote in the Pastoral Council Election.

On behalf of Saint Patrick Catholic Church faith community, we express gratitude for the parishioners who answered the call to be candidates for Pastoral Council as did Deacon Bill Eckert in his homily on May 8, 2016.

The following parishioners have expressed a desire to serve in this increasingly important role for our parish. Read the candidates’ biographies and statements of interest and prayerfully discern your vote.

Learn More

If you have any questions about the election process or questions about or for the Pastoral Council candidates, send us an email.

Learn more about the discernment process for Pastoral Council in an open letter from the Pastoral Council published in April 2016.

Anne-Marie Jesse and her husband of 24 years have been a member of the parish since 1992.

They have four children – three sons and a daughter who all attended and graduated from Saint Patrick’s Catholic School. She graduated from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations.

She is a past R.E.A.C.H. Auction Chair for Saint Patrick’s Catholic School and has been a member of Catholic Woman’s Club (CWC) for 9 years.

She has also been a member of the Junior League of Tacoma (JLT) for 23 years. She served on both the CWC and JLT board of directors and more recently as Junior League of Tacoma Sustainer Advisory Chair. She is a Past President of the Association of Visitor Information Centers of Washington (AVICW ) and was a Blockwatch Leader for 6 years. Anne-Marie has also volunteered in many capacities with Saint Patrick Catholic School, Bellarmine Prep including the Lions Den, kitchen, football fundraisers and Unity Dinners; Phoenix Housing and St. Leo’s Food Connection.

Anne-Marie would be honored to serve on the Pastoral Council and represent our Parishioners during this challenging time.

Hi, my name is Emily Wood Keller and I am running for Pastoral Council.

I have been a parishioner for 46 years. My husband Paul and I have two kids, Tom, age 9, and Ellie, age 6, who attend Lowell Elementary School.

We have been active in the parish as a family for the past several years participating in Family Based Catechesis and the Cara to Cara ministry. My husband Paul went through RCIA last year, Tom celebrated his First Communion and Reconciliation last year and I became confirmed this past March.

I feel blessed and supported by the wonderful community of St. Patrick’s and feel that my experience as an active member of the parish, as well as someone who has the perspective of a lifelong parishioner would be a benefit to the council.

I am organized and a good listener. I think that both of these qualities are important for a representative of the parish.

Hello, I am Nancy Jaenicke. In discerning whether to nominate myself
for Pastoral Council, I decided to submit my information and let The Holy Spirit decide. God’s will be done-always!

I moved to St. Patrick’s Parish about two years ago from St. Theresa’s Parish in Federal Way. I served on the Pastoral Council and Chaired it there several years ago.

After retiring from Weyerhaeuser Company, I have volunteered for the past nine years in leading programs which provide transitional housing and overnight shelter and services for homeless families and individuals in the Federal Way community. We partnered with Catholic Community Services in all in both programs.

I am in the midst of teaming with CCS again to open a day center where individuals can shower, do laundry and have easy access to available services so they can improve their lives. Soon, I hope to be able to help more in the Tacoma area!

Since St Patrick’s Parish values the Strengths Finder assessment, I decided to take it myself. Since I am a full-disclosure person, I thought it might help you in selecting your pastoral council if I shared my strengths as follows: Connectedness, Empathy, Developer, Belief and Positivity.

Since joining St. Patricks’ Parish, I have grown to love it here. As so many have said, I feel I have now found “my faith home”. I am a Eucharistic Minister and recently participated with the RCIA class as a sponsor.

My wife Marilyn and I have been members at St. Patrick for 40+ years. We have two grown daughters, both graduates of St. Patrick School and Bellarmine. I retired a number of years ago from the Tacoma Planning Department.

While our daughters were in school at St. Pat’s, I was a member of the School Commission, President of Parents’ Club (1 year), REACH general chairman and a perennial Reach volunteer. I also served a term on the Parish Council in the early 80s.

St. Pat’s is blessed to have vibrant ministries and programs. As a member of the Pastoral Council I would strive to find ways to support and advance these programs and prayerfully lend guidance as the parish addresses the changes in store for the parish.

In James 2:14 we are asked, “What good is it my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith
but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?”

My response is ‘deeds’ define us as Christians, and without them we are only shadow Christians, unable to recognize our Lord in those most in need.

I am a retired attorney (20-years in the military and 20 years working in nonprofits). Now my wife of 30 years and I spend our time as volunteers trying to help those mentioned in Matthew 25:34-40, the hungry, the thirsty, those without clothes, strangers, the sick and the imprisoned.
For the past three years I have been a Eucharistic Minister at Tacoma General, Mary Bridge and Allenmore Hospitals. Eighteen months ago I increased my time there to every Monday.

I am also Board Chair for Reach Ministries, a Tacoma faith-based nonprofit that helps children afflicted with HIV and their families (www.reachministries.org). I am also on the Board of the Geneva Foundation, a Tacoma nonprofit that supports and advances innovative medical research within the U.S. Military (www.genevausa.org).

At St. Patrick Parish, I am a Eucharistic Minister at the Altar and the chair of the Foreign Mission Outreach Committee.

I bring a wealth of problem-solving experience along with a dedication to St. Patrick Parish and a commitment to living my faith. I would be honored to serve on the Pastoral Council.

It would be an honor to serve our parish as a representative on the Pastoral Council. As a lifelong Catholic, I have been married for 30 years to Amy, who is Principal of St. Nicholas Catholic School, Gig Harbor. We have three grown children, the oldest of whom was married at St. Patrick last June.

We followed our oldest daughter to St. Patrick and were so moved by the active ministries as well as the hospitality and joy we felt at Mass. Since joining the parish 2 years ago, I have had the privilege of sponsoring two candidates through RCIA. One was my son-in-law, and the other a very dear friend who I have known since college days.

I work in Catholic Healthcare where I serve as President of the Franciscan Foundation. My community involvement includes serving on the boards of Bellarmine Preparatory School, Greater Lakes Mental Health, and the Tacoma –Pierce County Economic Development Board.

Our parish is vibrant and, I believe, a model for the future pastoral structure for many parishes in our region. I look forward to being engaged in that conversation as we move into the future.

My name is Stephen G. Johnson, and I have not been a Catholic as long as my wife, Charla, son William, and first daughter Olivia. I beat my third child, Eleanor, by a year. I was raised a Protestant, but found my way Home during the 2010 Easter Vigil.

My skill sets include management, organization, and advocacy. I actually have experience running a church, having served as the President of the Protestant church I attended before converting.

Professionally, I work with the poor, the mentally ill, the addicted, and the oppressed—sinners all who help me see the boundless compassion of God.

I believe and hope that my experience and knowledge will serve the members of Saint Patrick’s Parish as well.

Enrique Llanas, is retired after 35-year career with State Farm Insurance. Served in U.S. Navy for four years. Moved here from Colorado 2 years ago with his wife Laurie, daughter Brianna(now in college), and son Emilio who attends St. Patrick School.

Enrique was part was part of committee group which visited our sister church, St. Wenceslaus, in Colombia last year. Enrique enjoys his usher role at the Saturday 5:30 Mass.

I have been a parishioner of St. Patricks for over 40 years. My parents were parishioners as well. I have served on the Finance Council for nearly 20 years, just recently stepping away to look at the possible opportunity to serve the parish from the Pastoral Council.

I retired two and one half years ago from a 39 year career in banking. While in banking I served in multiple management positions focusing on budgeting, managing the assets and liabilities of the bank and creating business plans and focusing on the long range planning.

I would be honored to serve our parish as a member of the Council. I feel my working experience would be an asset as we move forward in this work in progress environment.

My name is George Lane and I would like to serve on the St Patrick’s Parish Council. I have been a parishioner of St Patrick’s for most of my life and I attended St Patrick’s School.

My wife, Cielito, and I have been active at St Pat’s since 1997 and our three children were educated at St Patrick’s School.

In addition, I am a local businessman and am active in the greater Tacoma community.

As a Catholic community, we face numerous challenges today, but I believe that this is a very exciting time for our parish and I see great opportunities for growth.

As a member of the parish council, I will bring a broad perspective – as a St Pat’s alumnus and parent, as an active parishioner and as an active member of the community in which we live. I will make myself available to all parishioners and work to ensure that we maintain clear and consistent communication.

My wife, Jacqui, and I have been parishioners at St. Patrick Catholic Church for eight years. We have two children, a senior and a freshman at Bellarmine Prep, both of whom graduated from St. Patrick School.

Throughout the years, we have been very active in the parish, particularly at the school where I served on the school commission for three years.

I currently work as a senior manager in the Federal government, where I have been engaged in a range of long term planning and change management projects for my agency.

I love the parish community at St. Patrick, and I would welcome the opportunity to place my time and talents at the service of the Parish Council.

My name is Daniel “Dan” Iparraguirre and I was born in Lima, Peru in 1977. I’ve received a Catholic upbringing from my parents and extended family, strengthened during my school and college years in religious institutions, but ultimately turned into active church participation after moving to Guadalajara, Mexico in 2006, for my professional development. There I became a choir member at Saint Rose of Lima Parish and became involved in ministries for young adults and professionals, until finally moving to Pullman, WA for my PhD studies at Washington State University in 2012.

During my last 3 and a half years in Pullman I participated in diverse activities at the Newman Center like choir, liturgy ministry and Graduate Catholic students ministry.

My Catholic background comprises experience in different parishes across 3 countries, getting in touch with the reality of Catholicism inside industrialized and third-world societies as well as its role and influence on people and culture, and how it is touched by violence and poverty in different degrees.

I believe this background can prove to be an invaluable asset into our Pastoral Council, so that we can keep growing in faith together as church and extend our outreach to people who need our mission every day.

My name is David Kopchynski. My family and I joined the St. Patrick’s parish when we first moved to North End Tacoma in 2008. Even though we moved to Puyallup in 2009, we remained with St. Patrick’s because of its children focused atmosphere (Children’s Liturgy), excellent religious education programs for both its own school and public school children, and the encouragement to have parishioners to be highly active in ministry.

I have now been a Grade 1/2 Catechism Teacher in the Family Based Catechism Ministry for over 3 years. This ministry provides religious education for public school parish children.

My three sons, Maximilian, Christian, and Nicholas have all had First Confession and First Communion at St. Patrick’s and are enrolled in Family Based Catechism.

I am excited to continue active involvement in this great parish and welcome the opportunity to further my Parish service by serving on the Pastoral Council.

A parishioner at St. Patrick’s since 2000. Mark is a 16-year teacher and director of the Junior Encounter Retreat Program at Bellarmine Prep.

He has been a Lector at Saint Patrick’s since 2008.

He has served on the Bellarmine Board of Directors, as President of the Bellarmine Faculty Senate, and on many school committees.

For several years, he was an assistant coach for the St. Patrick’s girls’ basketball team. His daughter, Claudia, attended Saint Patrick’s School through the 5th grade and his second daughter, Ryan, is currently a 6th grader there.