Archdiocesan Lay Pastoral Council

The 15 members of the Archdiocesan Lay Pastoral Council (APC), appointed by Archbishop Lori, include 10 members representing the regional areas of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, as well as five at-large members representing the African American, Asian & Pacific Islander, Latino and Young Adult communities respectively. 

Community Input
The Council welcomes input from the community, and encourages parishioners and others to share their interests and concerns by clicking HERE.  (To see a list of parishes organized by vicariate and region, click HERE.)  While it is not possible to respond personally to each comment, all input will be shared with the members for their consideration.  From time to time, the Council will proactively solicit input on various issues as well.    

Meeting Schedule and Notes
The 15 members of the new Archdiocesan Pastoral Council meet at least quarterly.

April 29, 2020 (see notes here)

June 16, 2020 (see notes here)

October 5, 2020 (see notes here)

November 5, 2020 (see notes here)

March 27, 2021 (see notes here)

May 8, 2021 (see notes here)

February 26, 2022 (see notes here)

April 30, 2022 (see notes here)

July 16 17, 2022 (see notes here)

September. 17, 2022 (see notes here)

February 18, 2023 (see notes here)

April 12, 2023 (see notes here)

June 17, 2023 (see notes here)

Archdiocese Pastoral Council Chapter 11 briefing (read here)

November 18, 2023 (see notes here)

February 24, 2024

April 22, 2024

June 15, 2024

August 14, 2024

November 23, 2024

Selection Process
Parishioners throughout the Archdiocese interested in serving on the APC were encouraged through bulletin notices, information in the Catholic Review and other avenues to submit applications online or by mail to the Archdiocese.  The pastors representing the 10 regions of the Archdiocese, along with two lay parishioners from the region, reviewed local applications and submitted recommended candidates to the Archdiocese.  At-large applications were reviewed by appropriate archdiocesan staff.  Recommended candidates were interviewed by phone by the regional vicars and archdiocesan staff who forwarded their final recommendations to the Archbishop for his review and approval.

Archdiocesan Lay Pastoral Council Responsibilities

Archdiocesan Lay Pastoral Council Outline

“Today more than ever we need men and women who, on the basis of their experience of accompanying others, are familiar with processes which call for prudence, understanding, patience and docility to the Spirit. […] We need to practice the art of listening, which is more than simply hearing. Listening, in communication, is an openness of heart which makes possible that closeness without which genuine spiritual encounter cannot occur. Listening helps us to find the right gesture and word which shows that we are more than simply bystanders. Only through such respectful and compassionate listening can we enter on the paths of true growth and awaken a yearning for the Christian ideal: the desire to respond fully to God’s love and to bring to fruition what he has sown in our lives.”

Evangelii Gaudium, 171

Mission

  • Through prayerful discernment open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, facilitate and strengthen dialogue between the Archbishop and the faithful of the Archdiocese in all its diversity
  • Provide honest and constructive counsel to the Archbishop in his role as shepherd of the faithful and evangelizer of those alienated from the Church
  • In consultation with the Archbishop and diocesan leaders as appropriate, gather information, ponder, and propose practical conclusions regarding major pastoral initiatives of the Archdiocese
  • Serve as a forum for discussion of areas of interest raised by the laity

 

Member Qualifications/Responsibilities (*See accompanying job description/application form)

  • Practicing Catholic in good standing with the Church who is actively involved in his or her parish community
  • Acceptance of Church teaching and experience in prayerful discernment
  • Ability to communicate collaboratively in a large group setting
  • Familiarity with the interests and concerns of the local, archdiocesan and global Church

 

Membership

After an initial three-year term, members will be grouped by one-, two- or three-year terms to rotate membership gradually and will number 14.  Members should include at least six women and should reflect the diversity of the Archdiocese.

  • The Archbishop serves as chair; regional vicars as ex officio
  • One lay representative from each of the 10 regions represented on the Presbyteral Council, selected through the following process:
    • Nominees submit an application form, resume and letter of recommendation from their pastor for consideration through an online link posted by all parishes in each region (hosted by the Archdiocese)
    • The Presbyteral Council regional representative, along with two representatives of local parishes selected by the Presbyteral Council rep (one male, one female from two separate parishes other than the parish of the Presbyteral Council rep) submit two names for consideration to the regional vicar
    • The regional vicar submits a recommended candidate to the Archbishop for his approval
  • One lay representative of the African American community, selected in consultation with the Urban Vicar and the Director of the Office of Black Catholic Ministries
  • One lay representative of the Latino community, selected in consultation with the Eastern Vicar and Director of the Office of Hispanic Ministries
  • One representative of the young adult community, selected by the Director of the Division of Youth and Young Adult Ministry in consultation with the executive Director of the Office of Evangelization
  • One lay representative of the Asian & Pacific Islander community, selected in consultation with pastors of representative congregations and appropriate archdiocesan staff.

Meetings

  • The agenda for each meeting will be set by the Archbishop in consultation with members of the APC with support from staff and will be disseminated in a timely manner in advance of the meeting to the members.
  • Meetings held either weeknights or Saturday mornings
  • The agenda for each meeting will be set by the Archbishop in consultation with an executive committee of the APC with support from staff and will be disseminated in a timely manner in advance of the meeting to the members.

 

Additional notes

  • The Archdiocesan Pastoral Council (APC) is consultative to the Archbishop on current matters of priority in the Archdiocese, and will follow parallel operating procedures for the Archdiocesan Presbyteral Council and College of Consultors.
  • The role of the APC is integrated into the decision-making process of the Archbishop and the leadership of the Archdiocese without unnecessarily duplicating the work of other consultative bodies.
  • The APC should create methods to hear from the people of their Regions and representative groups so that they may accurately reflect to the Archbishop the input from the people of the Archdiocese as a whole.
  • Recognizing that the Archbishop does not have the authority to change settled Church teaching, the role of the APC is to assist in discerning how to accompany practicing and alienated Catholics as they seek to understand and apply Church teaching to the reality of their daily lives.
  • When feasible, technology should be employed to gather input, hold meetings and communicate with the people of the Archdiocese and among APC members.
Coverage of the Archdiocesan Lay Pastoral Council

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Members of the Archdiocesan Lay Pastoral Council

Eastern Vicariate
Regional Vicar: Msgr. Jay O’Connor

East Baltimore County Representative

  • Name: Elaine McCubbin
  • Profession: (Retired) CPA, Banker, State of Maryland Economic Development
  • Parish/City: Our Lady Queen of Peace, Middle River/23 years
  • Highlights of Parish Involvement: Parish Finance Committee Chair, Cantor, Lector
  • Why I Want to Serve on APC: We are living in challenging times for the Church, from within and without in the secularized world. I believe caring Catholics must get involved to help navigate these changes.

North Baltimore County Representative

 

Vacant

West Baltimore County Representative

  • Name: Uju Okwesili
  • Profession: Registered Nurse
  • Parish/City: Holy Family Catholic Church, Randallstown/24 years
  • Highlights of Parish Involvement: In my parish, I am a communion minister, lector, regular volunteer and member of the service committee. Additionally, I am active 25-year member of the Nigerian Igbo Catholic Community, as well as a good Christian mother and wife to my family and extended family.
  • Why I want to serve on the APC: Having been a Catholic for my entire life, I am at a point where attending Masses on Sundays and participating in parish activities does not fulfill the zeal I have to serve God and humanity with all my strength and might, and to contribute to the growth of God’s kingdom on Earth. Remember, prayer without works is dead. Serving as a member of the APC allows me to contribute my knowledge and service to the need of a growing church community that is culturally diverse in this 21st century. The congregational makeup in our parishes is diverse, and there is a great need to accommodate these cultures to enrich and grow God’s church on Earth. The needs of culturally diverse church communities have to be accommodated for the church to remain one, Catholic and apostolic. As a registered nurse, I understand the significance of this in rendering holistic care and I bring this attribute to the APC in collaboration with other members to advance the growth of our church communities.

Harford County Representative

  • Name: Honorable Emory A. Plitt Jr.
  • Profession: Retired senior judge on the Harford County Circuit Court
  • Parish/City: St. Patrick, Havre de Grace
  • Highlights of Parish Involvement: Chairman of the St. Patrick parish council and longtime corporator, Eucharistic minister and former president of the Archdiocese C.Y.O.
  • Why I want to serve on the APC: I wish to continue to provide advice and assistance as I have been doing for the last 25 years.

Anne Arundel County Representative

  • Name: Sara Miller
  • Profession: Educator
  • Parish: St. Mary’s, Annapolis/7 years
  • Highlights of Parish Involvement: Walking With Purpose Bible Study leader, Substitute catechist for Elementary Faith Formation, Wedding Coordinator
  • Why I want to serve on the APC: I believe that lay people becoming more involved in the church is one real way to make a difference. A council of lay members such as this one offers a unique opportunity for me to live out the church’s mission of unity, through knowledge of each other, dialogue, and collaboration.  Throughout the world, the Catholic Church has set up institutions from schools to hospitals that help millions of people every day.  The body of the church, its members, go out in the world and serve God’s people, shining Christ’s light to those in darkness. That is what I want the Catholic Church to be known for.  That is what makes me proud to be Catholic. I believe that being a member of this council would allow me to add to the work of the church in bringing Christ to the world and showing that we are His through the way we live.

 

Urban Vicariate
Regional Vicar: Bishop Denis Madden

 

Harbor/Metro West Representative

  • Name: Larry Simmons
  • Profession: Community Outreach Consultant
  • Parish/City: New All Saints, Baltimore/12 Years
  • Highlights of Parish Involvement: Pastoral Council Secretary for 6 years, member of a committee that raised funds for new windows, represented the church in efforts to secure a grocery store in the surrounding community. Past Grand Knight, Knights of Columbus, Cardinal Shehan Council # 205
  • Why I want to serve on the APC: Serving on the APC is an excellent opportunity to share the concerns and ideas of the parishioners and to work with the team to research and recommend solutions to the Archbishop.

Harbor/Metro East Representative

  • Name: James Conway
  • Profession: Communications director for the Northeast Catholic Community
  • Parish/City: St. Wenceslaus, Baltimore
  • Highlights of Parish Involvement: A member of one of the first Black families to attend St. Wenceslaus and one of the church’s youngest parish council presidents.
  • Why I want to serve on the APC: I want to make sure the East Baltimore communities are not only represented but well spoken for.

 

Western Vicariate
Regional Delegate: Deacon Christopher Yeung

 

Central Representative

  • Name: Annalynne K. Reddington
  • Profession: Mental health professional
  • Parish/City: St. Joseph-on-Carrolton Manor in Buckeystown
  • Highlights of Parish Involvement: Involved on varied and numerous committees and ministries.
  • Why I want to serve on the APC: It is very important to serve my faith community and to share the perspective of the members of the Western archdiocese.

South Central Representative

  • Name: Consuelo Petro
  • Profession: Teacher
  • Parish/City: St. John the Evangelist, Columbia/19 years
  • Highlights of Parish Involvement – DRE for parish children who attend public or non-Catholic private schools; support families in evangelizing their children in God’s faith; Lector, Secretary for the Hispanic Committee.
  • Why I want to serve on the APC: I want to serve as a member of the APC to help bring together the Archdiocese and the Hispanic community to work actively in the Evangelization processes. I would, also, like to support the Archbishop in implementing the mechanisms to help the new generation of parishioners feel identified with their faith.

Western Representative

  • Name: Lee Anne Santiago
  • Profession: U/A
  • Parish/City: Our Lady of the Mountains, Cumberland
  • Highlights of Parish Involvement: A member of pastoral planning, the finance committee, the pastoral council, fundraising, chair of an anniversary cookbook, teaching a special needs religion class, Missionary Discipleship training and Eucharist ministry.
  • Why I want to serve on the APC: I’ve lived in Western Maryland for 40-plus years and have been involved with our parish throughout these years. And so, I feel comfortable with my understanding of the needs of our area and the people. Working with individuals with special needs and their families is a strong interest as a result of caring for my disabled daughter. Involving individuals with special needs in our church community has been a part of that focus.

Young Adult Community Representative

  • Name: Andrew Likoudis
  • Profession: Student at Towson University studying business administration and entrepreneurship.
  • Parish/City: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore
  • Highlights of Parish Involvement: Altar server, a member of Schola, active in the young adults’ community and participated in the efforts of the then-rector of the basilica in his founding of a mission program and the establishment of a perpetual adoration chapel, through the acquisition of first-class relics.
  • Why I want to serve on the APC: I hope to become more familiar with the needs and trends of the faithful of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and to understand how as a young adult, I can be better engaged in the empowerment of the laity to serve faithfully, the Church and her mission in Baltimore, and beyond.
  •  
  • Name:Michael Chorabik Jr.
  • Profession: Student, Georgetown University, biology of Global Health and Classics double major.
  • Parish/City:Holy Rosary Church, Baltimore
  • Highlights of Parish Involvement: Spiritual chair of college’s Knights of Columus council and former Mass for Life director of the Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life at Georgetown University, as well as involvement in Holy Rosary’s Seek the City to Come meetings, altar server and lector, volunteer for Missionaries of Charity soup kitchen and participant in World Youth Day 2016 and 2023.
  • Why I want to serve on the APC: Now more than ever, the Church needs young poeple who are deeply committed to their faith and engaged in the Church at the local, national and global levels. My love for Our Eucharistic Lord inspires me to use my gifts and experiences in building the Kingdom of God here on Earth, and the APC is an excellent way for me to put those gifts to use by engaging in dialogue with young adults and providing their feedback to the Archbishop.

Latino Community Representative

  • Name: Gloria Olivares
  • Profession: Board Certified Nurse Practitioner
  • Parish/City: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Glyndon/ 7 years
  • Highlights of Parish Involvement: Extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, Liturgy Coordinator of the Catholic Charismatic of Prayer group Sendero de Luz, Evangelization of Crecimientos, CEB’s facilitator.
  • Why I want to serve on the APC: My entire family is Catholic. I was raised in the Catholic faith. I am an immigrant from Chile, and I have been living in the USA for the last 30 years. I have experienced how difficult it is to adjust to another culture, language and how important is God in those moments. I have some ideas on how to help parishioners to understand the importance of taking care of each other. As an immigrant, I can help the APC understand the challenges of the Latino communities in our State.

African American Community Representative

  • Name: Honorable Alexander Wright, Jr.
  • Profession: Associate judge, Court of Special Appeals
  • Parish: New All Saints Catholic Church, Baltimore City/20 years
  • Highlights of Parish/Church Involvement: Lifelong Catholic; Corporator; Catholic Charities participation; Board Member, Good Shepard Services 2008 – 2016; Franciscan Center, 2018 – Present, Vice-Chair
  • Why I want to serve on the APC: As a life-long resident of Baltimore City and the surrounding area, I see so much need.  It is my belief that we, as members of the flock, have a responsibility to help address this need.  The reconstitution of the Pastoral Council can be used as a vehicle to make a difference in all of our communities and by doing so strengthen our church.

 

Asian & Pacific Islander Community Representative

  • Name: Agnes Nepomuceno
  • Profession: Medical laboratory scientist
  • Parish/City: St. John the Evangelist in Severna Park since 1975
  • Highlights of Parish Involvement: Lay Carmelite in formation, former head servant for Joy in the Spirit Charismatic prayer meetings and regional coordinator for the Filipino Catholic Charismatic Prayer Communities.
  • Why I want to serve on the APC: I would like to represent the Filipino community and give voice to issues important to the community.
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