We introduce and congratulate the newest members of the Pastoral Council at Saint Patrick Catholic Church— Anne Marie Jesse, Nancy Jaenicke, Emily Keller, George Lane and Greg Unruh. The newest members of the Pastoral Council join continuing members Rob Silva, Anita Staheli, Dominic Staheli, Matt Hustead and Toby Pacheco.
Gratitude
On behalf of Saint Patrick Catholic Church faith community, we express gratitude for the parishioners who answered the call to be candidates, for those who were elected and accepted to serve in this increasingly important role for our parish and for the parish community for voting— the most voted in election in Pastoral Council history.
We also thank the retiring Pastoral Council members who have shared their talent with the parish over the past 3, some of them 4 years— Charles Christnacht, Chuck Woods, Nina Monaghan and Mollie Cleary.
What is 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.
The Election Process
The parish asked 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 were encouraged to vote.
The Pastoral Council Election concluded with voting during all Masses the weekend of May 21 – 22, 2016 to fill five vacant positions of the nine-member Pastoral Council. For the first time, electronic voting was available online for the election of candidates.
The Newly Elected
Anne-Marie Jesse
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.
Emily Wood Keller
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.
Nancy Jaenicke
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.
George Lane
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.
Greg Unruh
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.
Learn More
If you have any questions about the election process or questions about or for the Pastoral Council, send us an email.
