Parish Council Update

In an August meeting the SJA Parish Council unanimously recommended four parishioners to Father DeBruycker for appointment to the Parish Council -  Daymond Dean, Maura Fitzgerald, and Ian Stade were nominated for three-year terms and Josie Meyer was nominated for the Youth Representative spot which is a one-year term. Father has formalized the recommendation by appointing the named individuals to terms beginning in September.  

The new members succeed Emily Antin, Dick Brozic and Kathy Wedl who are leaving the Council after having completed two three-year terms as of the June, 2023 meeting.  At the same Parish Council meeting the members voted to recommended Mike Rydberg be appointed as the new Parish Council chair effective with the September meeting.  He succeeds Ann Counihan, who is stepping down as chair but will continue on the Council.

We're blessed and thankful that these parishioners have accepted appointment to the Council and we extend our deep gratitude to the members who are leaving.  All those who have served and will be serving truly exemplify the St. Joan of Arc Parish spirit of service. 

Creating Our Future with SJA ISAIAH

Starting this summer, our SJA ISAIAH core team is hosting small group conversations that invite YOU to be an active participant in our public life together, grounded in the values of our faith.

Through these conversations, we will...
Celebrate successes at the MN legislature which reminded us (as do our principles of Catholic Social Teaching!) that our government can be a force for good when it is driven by the needs of regular people, by respect for human dignity, and by a commitment to the common good. During this session, more than 7000 ISAIAH folks joined an event at the capitol, and over 33,000 people contacted their legislator about our agenda. And our work made history!

Ask you to share your story and your experiences.  How have you or the people you love been impacted by the way our systems work now? What could be different? What is important to you about the future of our communities?

Invite you to shed any cynicism, apathy, or sense of powerlessness, and step into a hopeful future that you can be a part of – and a leader in - creating.

Please go to THIS LINK and register for one of the gatherings being offered, either in person in the parish center, or on Zoom, all led by fellow St. Joan of Arc members.

ISAIAH is a coalition of churches, mosques, and organizations in Minnesota working toward our vision of a multi-racial democracy, a caring economy, and a just climate future.  St. Joan of Arc is a member congregation of ISAIAH, and hundreds of parishioners have joined us on this journey.

Congratulations, Dr. Cynthia Bailey Manns

[From the Catholic Spirit] "Cynthia Bailey Manns, one of the original members of the Lay Advisory Board that advises Archbishop Bernard Hebda and adult learning director at St. Joan of Arc in Minneapolis, is one of 10 non-bishop voting delegates chosen by Pope Francis to represent the North American region at the first general assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality in October. The delegates were announced July 7 at a Vatican news conference.

The theme of the Oct. 4-29 synod in Rome is For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission. Synod members are being asked to continue a “process of spiritual discernment” that was begun in 2021 and will continue with a second synod assembly in October 2024.

Bailey Manns, 65, said she is humbled and excited about the prospect of experiencing the Holy Spirit “as we do this sacred work of vulnerable sharing, deep listening and discernment regarding important issues impacting us individually and collectively.”"

From Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda: "Pope Francis honored our Archdiocese with the appointment of Dr. Cynthia Bailey Manns as one the voting participants at the Vatican’s Synod on Synodality, beginning this October.  Dr. Bailey Manns is a resident of Bloomington and presently serves as Adult Learning Director at Saint Joan of Arc parish in Minneapolis. I have come to know and respect her for her significant contribution as one of the original members of the Archdiocesan Lay Advisory Board constituted in 2018. Not surprising for someone with years of experience in parish ministry and spiritual direction, Dr. Bailey Manns is a superb listener and articulate dialogue partner, skills that will serve her well at the Synod. She managed her parish’s participation in our Archdiocesan Synod efforts and was one of our six Archdiocesan representatives in the continental phase of the pre-Synod preparations. 
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