By Michael Motes

Jay Bowman, newly elected president of the archdiocesan Pastoral Council, has pledged to carry out the “outstanding” work of the council’s former president and has established as a top priority during his term of office the promotion of and greater participation in and understanding of the council.

Operation Eye-Opener, the Possibilities for Prayer programs and visits by the council’s executive committee members to parishes throughout the archdiocese will figure prominently on Bowman’s agenda for the coming year.

“We would certainly hope to carry on the outstanding work already started by Leon Allain during his term as president by continuing the various sub-programs of Operation Eye-Opener,” Bowman said.

Local poverty has been a priority of the council since January 1971 under the Operation Eye-Opener project. The thrust has been in subprograms of the project in the areas of housing, domestic workers, day care and rural food distribution.

“This year the council has set as one of its goals a spiritual development within the archdiocese,” Bowman announced. “This is being realized through the Possibilities for Prayer seminars. Council members have been charged with assisting participating members in their parishes.

Bowman plans to emphasize the role of the council and establish more participation from parishes which have been inactive in the past. He said: “Most people do not realize that the Pastoral Council is a consultative and collaborative body to the archbishop. And, as such, we must have participation from all the people of God in the archdiocese if we are to function as intended. Therefore our main priority must be to seek participation from those parishes which are currently unrepresented. To this end members of the executive committee will continue to visit the parish councils of those churches which have not been sending delegates and will also visit with those pastors who do not have a functioning parish council.”

Bowman, a native of Philadelphia who moved to Florida with his family at the age of six, came to Atlanta in 1962 to attend Georgia Tech. He and his wife, the former Cheryl Greear of Atlanta, are members of Holy Cross parish. They have one son, 3-year-old Chip. Bowman also serves as chairman of the Georgia Right to Life Committee.