PAHNS Fall 2007 Meeting
 
October 12-13, 2007

 
Introductory Description
 
The Fall 2007 Meeting of the Pennsylvania Assocoation of the Holy Name Society (PAHNS) was held on the weekend of October 12-13 (Friday-Saturday), 2007, at Holy Family Spiritual Center, 151 Newport Rd., Nanticoke, PA 18634 [Diocese of Scranton].  The meeting was divided into a Friday evening, and a Saturday morning session.
 
Friday Evening Session
 
Call to Order
 
President John F. Bradley called the meeting to order at 7:10 PM.  Four members were present:  John Bradley (Archdiocese of Philadelphia), and three members from the Diocese of Allentown:  John Chaklos, H. David Reiner and Dominic Sylvester.
 
Opening Prayer
 
John Chaklos recited the Opening Prayer.
 
Minutes of Spring 2007 Meeting
 
The reading of the Minutes of the Spring 2007 Meeting was waived.
 
Treasurer's Report
 
The presentation of the Treasurer's Report was postponed until the Saturday morning session, when the Treasurer was due to arrive.  However, a telephone call to the Treasurer revealed that the current balance in the PAHNS Account was $2,375.00.
 
Committee Reports
 
Blessed John of Vercelli
 
President Bradley reported that the Annual National Mass for the Canonization of Blessed John of Vercelli was held on Sunday, September 30th, at Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Berks and Gaul Sts., Philadelphia.  The Mass was precedced by the opportunity for Confession, and was followed by a Prayer Service to Blessed John, and a reception in the Parish Hall.
 
Celebrants included Father Carmody (Vice=Postulator for the Cause of Blessed John in North America), Father Groarke (Pastor of the host parish), and Father Lendacky (Pastor of St. Agnes-St. John Nepomucene Parish in Philadelphia).  Father Carmody served as the Homilist.  Announcements were made about the status of several favors being considered by Rome as possible miracles.  Seven parishes brought their banners.  The relic of Blessed John was not available for veneration, because a new display case is being made.
 
Prison Ministry
 
No presentation was made, due to the absence of Bud Cope and Lou Manns.
 
Anti-Pornography
 
President Bradley reported that the Scranton Diocesan Council of Catholic Men (DCCM) is once again sponsoring the "White Ribbon Against Pornography" (WRAP) Campaign.  This event will take place in late October-early November.
 
National Association of the Holy Name Society (NAHNS)
 
President Bradley reported the following items concerning the recently-concluded 2007 NAHNS Convention:
 
The Convention was held in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, at the Radisson Valley Forge Hotel, 1160 First Avenue, King of Prussia, PA 19406, from September 6-8.  The following events occurred:
 
     Election of National Officers
 
The following persons were elected to National office:
 
President - Joseph Ryan (St. Louis)
 
First Vice President - Joseph W. Lapointe (Boston)
 
Second Vice President - William W. Harris, Jr. (Baltimore)
 
Third Vice President - James Mannion (Baltimore)
 
Financial Secretary - Gerald Devine (Brooklyn)
 
Recording Secretary - Peter Carbone (Cleveland)
 
Also, John F. Bradley was re-elected Vice President of Region III [Pennsylvania and New Jersey]
 
     Attendance
 
There were 63 persons registered for the Convention, and 135 persons attended the Presidential Banquet.
 
     Sequence of Events
 
          Wednesday (Pre-Convention)
 
Welcoming reception for early arrivals, sponosred by the St. Monica (Berwyn) Parish Holy Name Society.  During the event, musical entertainment was provided by a guitar player, and slides were shown, illustrating parish Holy Name events.
 
          Thursday
 
Executive Board Meeting (Pre-Convention)
 
Keynote Address - Rev. Jerome Romanowski, Spiritual Director, Camden Diocesan Holy Name Union
 
Spousal Tour - Shrine of St. John Neumann
 
General Session Time - Transaction of Business
 
Presidential Reception - Open Bar, with hors d'oeuvres.  Musical entertainment provided by "The Genesis Bells", the Handbell Choir of St. Thomas of Villanova Parish, Rosemont.
 
          Friday
 
General Session Time - Transaction of Business
 
General Tour - Constitution Center, and other sites of historical interest
 
Open Forum on Revitalizing Parish Holy Name Societies
 
          Saturday
 
Election of Officers
 
Workshop on Prison Ministry
 
Workshop on Building a Holy Name Website
 
Executive Board Meeting (Post-Convention)
 
Closing Mass, at Mother of Divine Providence Parish, King of Prussia.  Most Rev. Michael F. Burbidge, D.D., Bishop of Raleigh, and National Episcopal Moderator of the Holy Name Society was the Principal Celebrant and Homilist.  Con-celebrants included Rev. Thomas Hayes, O.P. [National Spiritual Director], Rev. Stephen Carmody [Vice Postulator of the Cause of Blessed John of Vercelli], Rev. Michael Fitzpatrick [Spiritual Director, Philadelphia Archdiocesan Holy Name Union], Rev. Michael McCormac [Pastor, St. Frances Cabrini Parish, Fairless Hills].
 
Presidential Banquet, in the Independence Room.  Matthew Manion, President of the Catholic Leadership Institute, was the Principal Speaker.  No National Awards were given, but the Philadelphia Archdiocesan Holy Name Union presented two Medallion Circle Awards, as follows:
 
     Silver (Priests) - Rev. Michael McCormac
 
     Bronze (Laypersons) - Patricia A. Winter
 
Also, the Thomas Ryan Award, for Outstanding Service on the Parish Level, was presented to Peter Valach, long-time President of the St. Agnes-St. John Nepomucene Holy Name Society (Philadelphia) 
 
          Sunday
 
The Pennsylvania Association of the Holy Name Society presented the following educational workshops:
 
              Holy Name Devotional Practices
 
              Promoting Young Leadership in the HNS
 
              Catholic Principles in End-of-Life Decision-Making
 
              Catholic Principles on War and Peace
 
              Supporting Our Priesthood
 
              Philanthropy
 
              The Canonization Process
 
With the exception of the woprkshop on "Catholic Principles on End of Life Decision-Making", all of the foregoing workshops, along with the two Saturday workshops during the convention, were recorded to DVDs, and will be available for sale through the PAHNS.
 
     Old Business
 
President Bradley reported that thirteen (13) CDs, owned by the PAHNS, sold at the National Convention, resulting in revenue of Sixty-Five ($65.00) Dollars.
 
     New Business
 
          Purchase of DVDs
 
A motion to purchase six (6) sets of CDS, from Michael Moul, Total Magic Video Productions, for a cost of $240.00, was made, seconded and passed unanimously.  Future purchases, if needed, can be made at a cost of Forty ($40.00) Dollars per 3-DVD set, or Fifteen ($15.00) per individual DVD.  It was agreed that the PAHNS would re-sell the DVDs at the rate of Fifty ($50.00) Dollars per DVD set, or Twenty ($20.00) Dollars per individual DVD, to cover mailing costs, and provide a small profit.  John Bradley volunteered to handle any such transactions as may occur in the future.
 
          Raffle Ticket Sales
 
A motion to continue participating in the Roman Catholic High School Alumni Association Raffle (Spring Drawing), was made, seconded and passed unanimously.  John Bradley was directed to obtain two hundred and fifty (250) books.  Proceeds from the sale of each Ten ($10.00) Dollar book will be divided as follows:
 
     PAHNS - $5.00
     Seller - $2.00
     RCHS - $3.00
 
It should be noted that the Roman Catholic High School Alumni Association bears all expenses for prize money and printing costs; the only expense to PAHNS may be a minimal amount for mailing to parish Holy Name Societies.
 
          Future National Conventions
 
There was general discussion, but no motions presented, on the topic of holding future National Holy Name Conventions within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  The consensus was that Philadelphia, Allentown and Scranton were not feasible locations for the near future, and that Altoona-Johnstown, Erie and Harrisburg would not be suitable until Diocesan Holy Name Unions were established therein.  Hope was expressed that perhaps either Greensburg or Pittsburgh might offer to sponsor a National Convention within the foreseeable future.  If so, the Pennsylvania Association would be willing to co-sponsor, provided it was offered an equal share of the local portion of Convention profits.
 
     Election of Officers
 
The following persons were elected as officers of the PAHNS for the 2007-2009 term:
 
     President - Dominic Sylvester (Allentown)
 
     First Vice President - Ron Gigliotti (Greensburg)
 
    Second Vice President - Michael Moul (Harrisburg)
 
   Third Vice President - Harry "Bud" Cope (Greensburg)
 
   Corresponding/Recording Secretary - John Chaklos (Allentown)
 
    Treasurer - Joseph Fimiano (Allentown)
 
    Marshall - John F. Bradley (Philadelphia)
 
     Future Dates and Sites
 
          Spring 2008 Meeting
 
This meeting is scheduled for the Diocese of Allentown.  President-Elect Sylvester, who will be chairing his first meeting in his home diocese, expressed a preference for a suitable retreat facility in the western part of the Allentown Diocese, both because the South Schuylkill Deanery is the most active, and because, as the former Deanery President, he would be able to strongly encourage attendance.  The two facilities of primary interest to him would be Mariawald in Reading, and the Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth in Wernersville.  Despite its otherwise suitable location, Mr, Sylvester rejected the idea of meeting at St. Francis Center, in Orwigsburg, because it is a multi-purpose facility, which could lead to our meeting being subject to distractions.
 
Outgoing President Bradley observed that it would be necessary to take action immediately to secure a facility, because retreat centers book up early.  Since our objective is to hold our meeting in either April or May, we must choose a suitable weekend [Mother's Day and Memorial Day Weekends being obviously unsuitable].  Mr. Bradley agreed to contact these two facilities, to check on their availability, and then to advise Incoming President Sylvester. In the event these facilities are already "booked up", then the Catholic retreat facilities in Northampton, Bethlehem and Easton would be considered.
 
In the event that both the Reading and Wernersville facilities have availability in the relevant time period, Mr. Sylvester would make site visits, to select the better facility.  the importance of choosing the best facility cannot be overstated, because the Spring 2008 Meeting is scheduled as a Full Weekend Meeting [Friday-Sunday], so a complete program will have to be developed, and speakers invited.
 
          Subsequent Meetings
 
The present schedule for Fall 2008 and beyond ia as follows:
 
Fall 2008 - Altoona-Johnstown
 
Spring 2009 - Erie
 
Fall 2009 - Greensburg (Full Weekend)
 
Spring 2010 - Harrisburg
 
Fall 2010 - Philadelphia
 
Spring 2011 - Pittsburgh (Full Weekend)
 
Fall 2011 - Scranton
         
President-Elect Sylvester expressed concern that, during the period Fall 2008 - Fall 2009, three consecuitve meetings would be held in Western Pennsylvania.  It was agreed that a decision regarding possible alteration of the schedule would be postponed until the Spring 2008 Meeting.
 
     Motion to Recess
 
There being no further business which could be accomplished during the Friday Evening Session, a Motion to Recess until the Saturday Morning Session was made, seconded and passed unanimously.
 
Respectfully submitted,
 
John F. Bradley
President/Acting Secretary