10/08/08 DATF Meeting Summary PDF Print E-mail
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Wednesday, 22 October 2008 17:34

Dover Advisory Task Force 08 OCTOBER 2008 Meeting Summary

The Dover Advisory Task Force (DATF), held its second meeting on Wednesday, October 8, 2008. Information regarding the meetings and the work of the DATF will be provided through a published summary, made available to the parishes via the bulletins, websites and/or handouts. The minutes of the meeting will be available to anyone who wishes to read them by contacting the parish offices.

The first consensus decision by the DATF was to recommend to the Bishop that no church building be closed in the merger. Such a decision should rest with the new parish community should it deem it necessary, but not be part of the merger into one canonical parish.

The primary work of the DATF at this meeting focused around developing a list of issues to be addressed in effecting the merger. While that list is in development and ongoing, several issues surfaced as priorities that could and can provide immediate opportunities for our parishes.

By consensus decision, the following items were identified for evaluation and introduction on a trial basis as a way to both evaluate issues surrounding the merger process and to develop a stronger oneness of community identity:

1.  Combining weekday Masses in one church building. This also addresses the current economic reality surrounding heating costs for the upcoming winter.
2.  Combine the parish bulletins into one unified publication.
3.  Combine the parish websites into one online site.
4.  Combined social events for the three parish communities and the mission.
5.  Combined celebration of Eucharist, at a site without walls or parish boundaries, (ie: Henry Law Park) as a sign of the oneness and unity of the Catholic people of Dover and Barrington.
6.  Combined pastoral council meetings.

The DATF would like to invite representatives from other communities that have already completed the merger process to come and share their work and experience. Fr Michael Kerper, from the merged parishes in Portsmouth, has been invited to attend one of our upcoming meetings.

We will be keeping you informed as to the ongoing work of the DATF as it progresses.

Questions may be forwarded directly to the committee at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Respectfully submitted through the collaborative effort of the Dover Advisory Task Force. DATF Chair:Fr Marc Gagne.DATF members:Fr. Fritz Cerullo, O.S.A., Mr. Michael Kazmierczak, Ms. Doris Boutin-Cyr, Mr. Paul Butler, Mr. Marc Hebert, Dr. Gerald Daley, Ms. Gail Chasse, Ms. Ileana Hoeing, Mr. Dan Gabriel.