2020 Parish Council Candidates Elections will be held

2020 Parish Council Candidates Elections will be held on October 17 through October 25. You may vote for up to three (3) candidates.

Bernard “B. J. ” Gomeau Parish Involvement My name is Bernard “B. J. ” Gomeau. I have been a parishioner of St. Bernard Church/St. Jeanne Jugan Parish for 23 years. My wife, Chris and I have been married for 25 years and we have six children, Keegan (23), Killian (21), Nicholas (19), Henley (14), Karli (17), and Sophia (15). I am a 10 -year member of the St. Vincent De. Paul Society at St. Bernard Church. I previously served on the St. Bernard School Board for 6 years (2 terms). I have been a coach for the St. Bernard CYO basketball program for the past 10 years and for the past 2 years I have served as the program director as well. I am a member of the St. Bernard School Golf Committee. I have helped with both the St. Bernard Carnival and St. Jeanne Jugan parish picnic.

Why BJ wants to be on the Council. . . I would like to be on the parish council because I think it’s important to be involved. I am trying to show my children, by example, that there is more to being a member of a parish than just going to mass on Sunday. Organizations like our parish and school need volunteers to step up and help support them. It is important to be involved in things that you believe in, like your faith.

Andrea Krajewski Parish Involvement I have been a parishioner since 1980. I am very active in the rosary guild and various other committees. I am head of liturgy and altar society and am also a member of the choir. I am chair person for the lawn party set up booths and also leader of french fries and fried dough booth. In addition I also worked the Cubs before school program at Saint Bernard school. I am married to Richard and am a stepmom to his 3 children and we just became grandparents. We were married at St. Bernard Church also was under the RCA program and was confirmed at Saint Bernard.

Why Andrea wants to be on the Council. . . I feel I can help in the direction of Saint Jeanne Jugan, Saint Bernard, and Holy Family to make it unified as one parish, two churches.

John Porcello Parish Involvement My wife (Judy) I were married at St. Bernard's on July 1 st, 1967. Most of my children were married at St. Bernard and Holy Family. We have 5 children, 14 grandchildren and recently a great granddaughter 6 months ago. At the end of 1992 we transferred to Holy Family. All, of my grandchildren were baptized at either at St. Bernard or Holy Family. Most have made their first communion and confirmation at one church or the other. .

Why John wants to be on the Council. . . I owned my own company and had to spend a lot of time traveling, especially being out of town a lot. My mom, however, spent a lot of time on church functions. She was in the choir, Eucharistic minister and volunteered for anything that might have come up. Her name was Ruth Porcello. Now that I am retired and my health is good, it is time to give back and be closer to God. I know I could be a great asset to the council. I am energetic and would have good input. I am very excited and motivated.

Michael Smyth Parish Involvement I have been a parishioner of Saint Bernard church since 1978. I am married to Dale Ann since 1978. We have 5 grown children and 13 grandchildren. I have served 2 terms on the Parish Council from 1980 - 1984.

Why Michael wants to be on the Council. . . I would like to be on the parish council to be a part of a thriving Catholic community in Enfield and Saint Jeanne Jugan helps families keep the door open to the Faith.

Ralph Williams Parish Involvement I have been a parishioner, beginning with the former St. Bernard parish, since 1982. My wife, Suzanne, is an alumna of St. Bernard School, as are all five of our daughters. I served as president of the school’s Home and School Association (the precursor of its current Parent Teacher Association) and was a longtime school Bingo volunteer. I also served for about a decade on St. Bernard’s Parish Council, including several years as the council’s president. I also have been a lector since 1993 and a member of the parish’s carnival planning committee since 2004. I am a retired news editor of the Journal Inquirer, where I worked for 43 years.

Why Ralph wants to be on the Council. . . The creation of St. Jeanne Jugan Parish merged two incredibly vibrant church communities, but also created a vast entity for our limited clergy staffing to oversee. Melding those communities and integrating their own longstanding missions and charisms into a greater whole can be achieved only by seeking the input of parishioners, offering advice to our pastor while heeding his guidance, and finding ways for everyone to realize the common stake we all share. I believe my experience with both St. Bernard Church and the school can be a useful resource in fulfilling those goals.