There he served for seven years with Maryknoll on the Island of Mindanao. The Maryknoll experience inspired him to establish small communities in Kodiak, and he inaugurated the Renew program of faith-sharing groups at St. Mary's. In fact, on my first full day, Renew's Sister Kathy Warren, a former pastoral council leader in the Diocese of New Ulm, flew in to confer with Kodiak's Renew group leaders, then flew out again. So Kodiak faces a number of pressing problems, as does the pastoral council of St. Mary's. A depressed economy means lower income for the parish.
Parish ministries compete for limited funds.
Maintaining long-established commitments, such as the parochial school, is a challenge. Finding resources for new ministries, such as the outreach to the Spanish-speaking, is not easy. And the need for building community, of creating opportunities for parishioners to share their lives and their faith, has never been greater. The Council Members Into this situation Father Fred has drawn the pastoral council. When I met them on Saturday morning, I was impressed with their commitment and wide range of expertise and experience.