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Pastoral Council Election

Pastoral Council Elections 2026: Help Shape Our Parish

Divine Mercy Parish is seeking dedicated leaders to fill three open seats on the Pastoral Council. Each seat carries a three-year term and is vital for guiding the future of our faith community.

Pastoral Council Elections & Guidelines

The Divine Mercy Parish Pastoral Council serves as a consultative body to the Pastor. Following Diocese of Madison policies, the Council fosters pastoral activity and supports the growth of our faith community.

The Council consists of nine members: six elected and three appointed. To ensure fair representation across our parish, elected seats are allocated based on church attendance:

  • St. Maria Goretti: 3 seats (Avg. attendance: 1,000)
  • St. Andrew: 2 seats (Avg. attendance: 500)
  • St. William: 1 seat (Avg. attendance: 100)

Terms of Office

  • Members are elected or appointed to serve a 3-year term.
  • One-third of the membership is elected or appointed each year.
  • Members serve no more than 2 consecutive 3-year terms.

Nominee Qualifications

  1. Baptized, practicing Catholic in full communion with the Church;
  2. Registered, active member of the Divine Mercy Parish;
  3. At least 18 years of age;
  4. Are of firm faith, have high moral standards, and are prudent;
  5. Cannot be parish employees or immediate family members of employees or the pastor; and,
  6. If married, only one spouse may serve on the Councils (Pastoral or Finance) at a given time.

Some nominee qualities to consider: Creative; Mission uppermost in their minds; Demonstrate capacity to offer new ideas and be forward-thinking.

Voting Information

Who can vote: All registered adult (over 18) parishioners (each member of a registered married couple is allowed an individual vote rather than one for the household).

How to vote:

  • Online: via the parish website, until 3:00 p.m. on June 1
  • In-Person: Paper ballots in the Narthex distributed at all three churches before/after Sunday Mass on May 30 or 31.
  • Office: Deliver completed ballots directly to the Parish Office by 3:00 p.m. on June 1.
Portrait of a smiling man in a dark suit jacket and white shirt against a dark background, head and shoulders visible.

Representing St. Andrew Church

Steve Salerno

Friends in Christ, thank you for considering my candidacy as a member of the Pastoral Council. My best friend and wife, Rene, and I have been members of St. Andrew since 2016. For the past 9 years, it has been my honor to serve as the Sacristan at Saturday, 5:00 p.m. Mass. From time-to-time, I assist with Eucharistic Ministry and scripture readings. From 2020-2024, I had the pleasure of being a member of the Council, having served as secretary for the last three years. We are beyond blessed to have many high-mission oriented members ready to serve. Our community's best days lie ahead.

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Representing St. Andrew Church

Will Walton

My name is Will Walton, and I have been a member of St. Andrew since my confirmation soon after moving to Verona. I moved to the area to work at Epic, which has provided many opportunities to evangelize among thoughtful and curious coworkers. At St. Andrew, I have led a men’s Bible study since 2022, served in youth ministry for the past three years, and helped organize an Encounter Night as well as several young adult events. This parish has been instrumental in the growth of my faith, and I am passionate about helping others encounter the love of our Lord Jesus at our church. If selected for the pastoral council, I want to help our parish be a place where the faithful are challenged to grow in their faith and non-Catholics feel welcome and invited.

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Representing St. Maria Goretti Church

Willie Swenson

Hey all! My name is Willie Swenson I attend Mass at St. Maria Goretti with my wife and four young children. I have been a member of the parish since I was baptized at Goretti as an infant and I am an alum of SMG school. I work in Information Technology and live in the Meadowood neighborhood. I formerly served as a part of the Mazzuchelli Care Team and am currently a member of the Knights of Columbus. I am incredibly excited about the renewal and growth in the Church and our parish! My main interest in serving on the pastoral council would be strengthening our parish and school community through intentional discipleship with a focus on creating environments that facilitate meaningful friendships and strong families rooted in deep relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ!

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Representing St. William Church

Jeff Schmidt

Originally from Colorado, my wife Anita and I moved our family to Wisconsin in 2006 because of an advancement opportunity within my company. Along the way, I worked as a Clinical Specialist and eventually functioned as a Project Manager in the Medical Device division of this pharmaceutical company. I retired in 2020. Our children attended Blessed Sacrament and Edgewood High School. We were members of Blessed Sacrament Parish at the time, where I assisted coaching boys’ basketball and was involved in various parish activities. As members of St. Christopher Parish since 2017, we now attend St. William Church in Paoli. It is obvious through the many ministries in our Divine Mercy Parish that God is at work here. Two of our grown children and their families are members of our Divine Mercy Parish where they have had their children baptized. I hope to be useful in any way I can to help to guide our parish into the future and to do the work the Holy Spirit intends.

Results

Ballots are counted by parish staff. Once Monsignor Holmes reviews the results, the newly elected members will be notified personally before a parish-wide announcement is made.