Parish Pastoral Council (PPC)

• Fr. John Trout
• Michelle Hobson (Chair)
• David & Kathy Olson – Youth
• Deacon Dan Coughlin – Social Justice & Service
• Bridget Chaney– Faith Formation
• Dennis Valentini – Prayer & Worship
• Jim Lobus – Community Building
• Tom Sear – Accountability

The Pastor and the Parish Pastoral Council comprises the Parish Executive Leadership Team committed to serving the Parish and Parishioners of St Joseph Church.  The PPC exercises shared responsibility for the Pastoral life of the Parish under the leadership of the Pastor and is the primary advisory, deliberative and decision making body for all significant Parish affairs. 

The Council is comprised of 8 members:  6 Commission leads, PPC Chair, and Pastor.  The Council meets monthly (excluding July) and is responsible for:

Tom Sear is pleased to serve our Parish as the Accountability Commission Lead.  The Accountability Commission strives for faithful stewardship in the allocation and use of parish resources.  We target to remain debt free, grow our capital reserves, and maintain a vibrant campus that helps us fulfill our parish mission.
 
Tom and his wife Rebecca have three children and have been engaged parishioners of St Joseph’s since they moved to Libertyville in 2005.  Tom previously served as Finance Council Chair for 6+ years and is a member of the Endowment Committee.  Tom is a Eucharistic Minister and enjoys participating in parish events such as those offered by the Men’s Ministry and Community Building Commission.

 
Deacon Dan Coughlin is pleased to serve as the Social Justice Commission Lead. The focus of the Social Justice Commission is to act as the living presence of Christ in our world as we serve one another in justice and compassion. We strive to serve those in need through the food pantry, care for creation, the bed ministry, employment ministry, international sharing, acts of kindness, conversations that matter, as well as many other community volunteering activities .     

Deacon Dan was ordained to the Order of Deacon on May 11, 2019 at Holy Name Cathedral by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago. Along with his wife JoAnne they have been parishioners at St. Joseph for 23 years.  They have three adult children – Brian (and his wife Elizabeth), Sarah, and Sean, who are also members of our parish community.  Deacon Dan and JoAnne have been involved for many years with Children’s Faith Formation, Youth Ministry, as well as numerous prayer & worship and social justice activities. Dan also served as the Youth Commission Parish Council Lead from 2010-2015 and JoAnne was a member of the Finance Council from 2010-2013. 

 
Michelle Hobson is very blessed and grateful for the opportunity to serve our Parish as Chair of the Parish Pastoral Council.  In this capacity she is responsible for the operation of the PPC in the fulfillment of the Parish Vision and Mission.  Michelle works collaboratively with the Pastor and the Pastoral Director of Ministries to facilitate constructive meetings and drive resolution to issues and proposals through thoughtful and timely prayer and discernment.  Michelle works to establish the PPC as a small faith community guided by the Holy Spirit.

Michelle and her family have been members of St. Joseph Parish for 20+ years.  Michelle and her husband Mark have been married 35 years and have two adult children Cassandra and Christian and one grandchild. Michelle is Director of Sales for a large consulting/services company leading beauty business development. She is active in numerous ministries, serving as a Liturgy Coordinator, Proclaimer, Eucharistic Minister, and Minister of Care, and is an active participant with Community for the Kingdom. 
 

Dennis Valentini is honored to serve our Parish as the Prayer and Worship Commission Lead. The Prayer & Worship Commission and its ministries foster discipleship that engages and creates a deeper parishioner understanding and involvement in the Liturgy.  The commission is comprised of 13 Liturgical ministries and 8 Prayer ministries. 
 
Dennis and his wife Kathy have been married for 50 years this year (2020), and have two daughters, and four grandchildren. They have been parishioners at St. Joseph for over 34 years. Dennis serves as a Liturgy Coordinator, Sacristan, Eucharistic Minister, Adult Altar Server,  Bereavement Minister, and a member of the Men’s Ministry. 
 

David and Kathy Olson serve as the Youth Commission Leads. Our youth ministry focuses on leading young people in the middle and high school years in their faith development, encouraging them to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ in the Church. David and Kathy have been parishioners since 2004. David served as the Community Building Lead from 2012-2014. He is a Eucharistic Minister and Proclaimer.  Kathy served as president of Mothers with Young Children. They served as co-chairs of Trivia Night for seven years. David and Kathy have been married for 28 years and have three children.
 

Jim Lobus serves the Parish as the Community Building Commission Lead. The Community Building Commission focuses on building Community through small groups as well as large events that provide an environment of faith and fellowship for all ages of the Parish.. Mass in the Park, New Parishioner Welcoming, and the Women’s Guild are just some of the groups focused on building of community and support. St. Patrick’s Dinner and Oktoberfest are organized by the Knights of Columbus under the umbrella of this Commission as well.  Recently our Retiree Ministry has expanded activities in our Parish and also in the Community of Libertyville..
 
Jim and his wife Katie have been parishioners for over 10 years and have 5 adult  children and  1 grandchild. Jim is co-lead of the Sacristan Ministry, is active in the Men’s Ministry, and is a Eucharistic Minister. 
 

Bridget Chaney is proud to serve as the Faith Formation Commission Lead.  The Faith Formation Commission provides lifelong learning opportunities to help our parish grow in our love and understanding of Christ.  The Commission encompasses Children’s Faith Formation programs including the School, as well as multiple ministries for adult formation.  Bridget and her husband Scott have three children and have been parishioners for 15 years.  Bridget has served as a catechist for 10 years and has taken on multiple volunteer leadership roles within Faith Formation.
 

Please email info@stjoseph-libertyville.org for more information.

Accountability Commission
Community Building Commission
Faith Formation Commission
Prayer & Worship Commission
Social Justice & Service Commisson
Youth Commission