Candidates for 2018 Election
Candidate #1: Jeanine Mount
Jeanine Mount
It’s an honor to be considered for the Paulist Center Pastoral Council. I’m a transplanted Midwesterner, having lived in Madison, Wisconsin for many years. A new job brought me to Boston – and extremely good fortune brought me to the Paulist Center. My husband, David, and I found ourselves near the Paulist Center one Saturday afternoon and stopped in for the 5pm Mass. (Yes, we were one of those couples who stood up at the end of Mass and said, “I’m Jeanine and he’s David and we’re from Brookline.”) I’ve been a member of the Paulist Center community for about 3 years. It’s the palpable sense of community that prompted me to join the Paulist Center. And continuing to build community is what I would hope to offer to the Center as a member of the Pastoral Council. I serve as a Eucharistic Minister and have participated in a variety of programs that the Center offers. In my previous parishes, I led lay prayer services, coordinated a meditative prayer group, and served for many years as a sacristan. In my work life, I am an associate provost at MCPHS University (which you might know as Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, its previous name). I’ve been involved with a variety of community organizations. Currently, I serve as co-chair of the Board of Directors of the Cardinal Cushing Centers, a ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi that serves children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and is located in Hanover and Braintree.
Candidate #2: Mike Bohen
Mike Bohen
I have attended the Paulist Center since 2008. During the last 10 years, I have had the chance to participate in many of the ministries at the Center including the young adult ministry, the music ministry, the immigration advocacy group, and the sister community group. I also have been a member of one of our faith sharing groups that has met weekly for the last 5 years. During this time at the Center, I have many opportunities to get to participate in many of the fantastic events and gotten to know many wonderful people in our community.
It has been wonderful to see these groups grow over the last decade. In particular, I am proud and grateful for the work we’ve done to build the young adult community at the Center, and the work we have done to make the Center a place of welcome for those who have often been excluded or left on the margins within the Church.
My involvement with the Paulist Center has also made me a better person in many ways. I have appreciated the chance to give back to the community by serving on the Pastoral Council over the last two years, and if selected again, I look forward to doing what I can to further our mission of expanding our community and being a place of welcome and inclusion for all.
Candidate #3: Payal Salsburg
Payal Salsburg
Thank you for taking the time to read about the candidates running for a 2 year term on the Pastoral Council.
I’m running for a second term on the Council. I’ve been a member of the community since 2013 and became more involved with the Center when Bill Mitchell, a continuing member of the Council, encouraged me to join the Council two years ago. In the last two years, I’ve learned a lot about the community and been a part of a great team that has worked with Center staff to address specific issues facing our community. We have tried to serve the needs of the various ministries at the Center; helped the Sister Community ministry in their efforts to visit Hacienda Vieja and learn about their needs for financial aid and support; worked with Boston Common to monitor the investment of the Center’s endowment; explored ways to increase the giving of time, talent, and treasure at the Stewardship Weekend; and approved the annual budget keeping in mind our obligation to shape the direction of our Paulist community.
Outside of the Center, I’m a lawyer by day. I live within a few blocks of the Center and spend most of my time in the neighborhood with my friends, some of whom I have met at the Center. I hope I can continue contributing my efforts to the Paulist community by representing you and other members of the community on the Pastoral Council.
Candidate #4: Tori Steinmeier
Tori Steinmeier
I discovered the Paulist Center six years ago; although not a Catholic at the time, I felt I had discovered a spiritual home. I was drawn in by the Young Adult Ministry, but soon volunteered, as I had experience running summer camps and other youth programs, to help with Family Retreat, teach FREP (2nd, 5th, and 6th grades), lead Confirmation, and coordinate the Sr. High Youth Group while I completed RCIA. While looking for a hands-on service experience for our second grade FREP class, I became involved in Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger. I have continued as the coordinator of the Paulist Center: Home of the Wednesday Night Supper Club team for the last four years, with a secondary goal of providing an opportunity for Paulist Center members — regardless of age, interests, and mass time — to interact and connect. Our growing team has continued to reach new heights, raising $26,499 to be the Walk for Hunger’s Top Fundraising Organization, while engaging members from across the Paulist Center. Over the last three years, I have hosted a weekly Young Adult Small Group to foster relationships while we explore our faith through a wide range of activities including discussions, creating art, enjoying a fun meal together, and praying the rosary. I am hoping that by participating in the Pastoral Council, I can continue to promote a sense of community within the Paulist Center, on a larger scale. Additionally, as I have experience with our youth ministry, I would like to continue to help make it a strong vibrant force that builds community among the parents and helps cement the children to our community as they reach adulthood and beyond.