Pastoral Council

The work of the Pastoral Council

In the years following the Second Vatican Council, many changes have occurred in the Church and the world. These changes are reflected in our own diocese, one of the most remarkable being that vocations to the priesthood and religious life have decreased markedly. As a result, parishes have been closed, merged or partnered. At the same time, the spiritual needs of our parishioners continues to multiply. The good news is that the Holy Spirit is alive and active among us, urging us to use our gifts and talents for the good of our sisters and brothers.

There are two important questions that must be answered: What needs to be done as the Church moves into the future and who is going to do it? No one person has all the answers. No one person can identify all the issues. But we, working together as brothers and sisters in Christ, can begin to answer these questions as we move ahead.

The Pastoral Council, made up of ordinary parishioners, is designed to work with the Pastor in identifying the needs of the parish and then to chart a course that will help us, as Church, respond to those needs. Members of the Pastoral Council are called to help shape the vision of the parish: (Where do we see the parish moving in the next five to ten years?), and then to develop a plan that will motivate and inspire parishioners to reach that goal (What do we have to do to get there?).

Pastoral Council Members

Thomas Ansani

Tom has been a life-time member of the parish and has been married to his wife Marian (Traini) for 32 years. Together they have 4 children and 4 grandchildren. Tom is a Vietnam veteran. He is the Assistant Vice President of Parkvale Bank in New Kensington, and servers as President of the New Kensington Chamber of Commerce. He is also an Advisory Board Member of the Westmoreland County Community College (New Kensington Campus), a Board Member of the Northern Westmoreland Foundation, and a New Kensington Rotary Club Member (Paul Harris Fellow). He is a 35 year member of the Ezekiel 37 Prayer Community at MSP.

Tom’s vision as a member of the Parish Pastoral Council is to assist in bringing together the church and the community to promote growth both socially and economically. He believe this can be accomplished by reaching out to various community groups, business leaders and city government in a unified and goal oriented approach.

Michael Brock

Michael is a lifelong resident of the area, graduating from Kiski Area High School. He graduated from Southern Illinois University with a degree in Dental Laboratory Technology. He and his wife, Nancy, were married in Mt. St. Peter Church 25 years ago and they have two beautiful daughters, Lauren and Natalie. They are the owners of Brock Laboratories, Inc., a full service dental laboratory in Creighton.

Michael has been a member of this parish since 1986 and went through the RCIA process in 1994-95. He hopes to see our parish thrive and grow, not only in the number of parishioners, but also as a presence in the community.

Karen Frederick

Karen was born in Erie, received her BS in Music Education from IUP and has completed Master level work at the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University. She married her husband Ron at MSP 30 years ago. Karen retired from the Shaler Area School District in 2008 where she was a music educator for 29 years. Currently Karen is an Adjunct Professor at the Duquesne University School of Music. Karen’s participation at MSP includes the Addolorata Society (Secretary), Festa Italiana and Fish Fry volunteer, assistance with event public relations, director of the MSP Children’s Choir and member of the Resurrection Choir.

Karen hopes to ensure that Mt. St. Peter Parish will always be a place of Christian welcome, formation and inspiration. She believes that it is our responsibility to live our faith both in, and outside, the church walls. As our parishioners strive to be better Christians, she hopes that the MSP community becomes known for our works of faith, compassion and leadership.

Linda Henkel

Born and raised in New Kensington, Linda attended Mt. St. Peter School, and graduated from Valley High School in 1968. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education in 1972 from St. Francis University of PA., and completed graduate work in 1975 from Penn State University. She has recently retired from the New Kensington - Arnold School District, where she has taught Kindergarten, and First Grade for 39 years. Linda serves our Parish as a Lector, and a Catechist, and is a member of the Saint Anthony Guild, Addolorata Society, and Disciples of Vincent DePaul. She resides in Lower Burrell with her husband, Jack, to whom she has been married for 31 years.

Linda’s vision for Mt. St. Peter Parish is that it will continue to be a source of spirituality, inspiration, and assistance for all parishioners, as well as for the greater community by which it is surrounded.

Bill Kennedy

Bill is a native of Mt. Pleasant and his wife, Stephanie, is from Lower Burrell. They met while attending Grove City College and later were married at Mt. St. Peter Parish . Bill and Stephanie have three children. Ryan (18) will be a freshman at St. Francis College in the fall while Brent (15) and Eric (12) are in the Kiski Area School District. Bill is Vice President of Sales for Chromalox, Inc., headquartered in RIDC Park, Pittsburgh. They reside in Allegheny Township.

The Kennedy’s have been attending Mt. St. Peter Parish since returning to Pennsylvania in 1991. Bill joined the Pastoral Council in 2006. He looks forward to building upon the rich history of the parish and reaching out to those in need in the local community, especially the inactive members of our parish.

Jen Lombardo

Jennifer and her husband, Nick, were both born and raised in New Kensington. She’s been a member of the parish since they were married here 18 years ago. They currently live in Lower Burrell with their son, Nico, age 12. Jennifer has a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a concentration in public relations. She and her husband are part owners of Mazziotti Bakery in Arnold.

Jennifer feels that the key to a bright future of Mt. St. Peter Parish depends on the Evangelization Plan recently launched in the parish. She is actively involved in the Climate Change in the Assembly subcommittee and feels it’s important that our parish provides a warm and welcoming environment for everyone.

Jim Matta

Jim resides in New Kensington with his wife Lisa, a teacher for Mary Queen of Apostles School, and their two daughters, Angelica and Ashley. Jim is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University and is the General Manager for The Municipal Water Authority of the City of New Kensington. He has been a member of Mt. St. Peter Parish since 1982 and is presently serving as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

Jim’s dream is that the Church lives in such a way that others in the community want to join, that people would want to become involved in both the spiritual and practical aspects ofMt. St. Peter Parish and that people would feel encouraged to support more, as we become a totally friendly congregation.

Ted Opalka

Ted grew up in Ford City and moved to Lower Burrell after marrying his wife Tricia, who resided in Vandergrift. He has a B.S. degree from Robert Morris University. Ted & Tricia have two children, Nicholas (15) and Natalie (10); they both are enrolled in the Burrell School District. Ted is an Area Supervisor for Aurora Huts LLC. in Seven Fields. Ted is a volunteer on the Gardeners of Eden at MSP.

Ted’s hopes and dreams for the parish include maintaining a strong sense of our parish identity as we grow closer through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He also hopes that the parish will be a bright beacon of light to all who yearn for Christ’s Word and Love.

Maryellen Schroeder

Maryellen is married to Edward and the mother of Ariel, Gabriel, Isabelle, and Ethan. She plays the piano and French horn (sort of), and likes to read three books at a time. For the last 21 years, she has been a practicing family physician and a full-time faculty member at St. Margaret Family Medicine residency program. She knows absolutely nothing about organized sports, but will be more than happy to enter into any conversation that involves Tolkien, Star Trek, or chocolate. Alas, she is not of Italian descent, but as Pope Benedict is also German, she thinks that’s okay.

Maryellen has been a member of MSP for 25 years, and her children have all attended our wonderful Mary Queen of Apostles School. She was lucky enough to experience the RCIA process when she was a sponsor for her husband, and she discovered that even though she was a “cradle catholic,” she knew very little about her faith. She has studied in the ten years since, and one hope she has for our parish is to expand life-long faith formation. She would also like MSP to reach out to the youth, who are our future. “It would be wonderful to see more teens and young families both in the pews and engaged in joyful fellowship.”