| Saint Aloysius Parish Pastoral Council Organizational Guidelines & Structure Parish Pastoral Council Vision The vision of the Saint Aloysius Parish Pastoral Council is to deliberate and offer advice and counsel to the pastor in matters pertaining to the enhancement of the quality of parish life and pastoral activities at Saint Aloysius Church in Point Arena and Mary Star of the Sea Church in Gualala. (Canon Law 536) Parish Pastoral Council Mission The Mission of the Saint Aloysius Pastoral Council is to assist and counsel the pastor in fulfilling the Mission of Saint Aloysius Parish. The council supports the pastor in the pastoral planning processes and goal setting; assists him in developing and implementing programs; assists him in improving services; and assists him in evaluating the effectiveness of pastoral activities. Scope and Function The scope of the types of services the Parish Pastoral Council can and should render to the pastor is established in the Code of Canon Law, 1983, Canons 528-529. In these canons, the law of the church has spelled out the range of pastoral activities expected of a pastor, and therefore those pastoral activities for which he may desire advice and counsel. The pastoral activities are clearly presented in The Catholic Parish by Robert J. Harter in the following areas: • Create hospitality and a welcoming community that responds to the needs of the people. • Vibrant liturgies and preaching promoting gospel values, including social issues • Solid catechesis and religious formation • High level of care especially at key life moments • Outreach to the poor and needy • Open communication, accessibility to parish ministers • Compassionate Leadership Activities The parish pastoral council shall:
Organization The Parish Pastoral Council shall be organized as follows: Chairperson The chairperson shall be appointed by the pastor for a term of one year, renewable at the discretion of the pastor. The chairperson shall be responsible for the conduct of the pastoral council meetings, communicating the agenda, coordinating action items, and resolving issues and concerns as they are raised to the council. In the event of the absence of the chairperson at any given meeting, the vice-chairperson shall conduct the meeting and this shall be noted in the meeting minutes. Vice-Chairperson The vice-chairperson shall have the powers and perform the duties of the chairperson in the event of his/her absence or disability, and shall succeed to any interim vacancy in that office. The vice-chairperson shall also perform such other duties as may be assigned by the council or the chairperson. Secretary The secretary shall be responsible for keeping the meeting summary report of the parish pastoral council meetings, and shall record the minutes in one central location established for the purpose. The minutes will be available for review by the pastor or by any parish pastoral council member. A copy of the minutes shall be provided to each member at the meeting following the meeting at which they were recorded. The secretary is also responsible for correspondence from the council. In the event of the absence of the secretary at any given meeting, a substitute secretary shall keep the minutes. Members The members of the parish pastoral council shall be those parishioners who, by virtue of particular knowledge, competence, experience or outstanding ability, are requested by the pastor to serve the parish in this advisory capacity. Each member shall serve for a term of two years, renewable at the discretion of the pastor. Members may be selected by the pastor on his own initiative, or may indicate their interest to the pastor by volunteering to serve on the council. Terms of office will be staggered to provide continuity. Role of the Pastor The pastor is responsible for the overall welfare of the parish and is accountable to the bishop. The pastor works collaboratively with the parish pastoral council and the other parish organizations and committees to fulfill the mission of the parish. The pastor will attend parish pastoral council meetings and fully participate in the discussions. He shall approve the agenda for each council meeting. Decision-Making Process Consensus will be used by the council for arriving at decisions and recommendations. Consensus is based on a strong majority. Minority opinions are valued and serious effort is made to include minority concerns in decisions which are made; however, once a decision is made, it is expected that all will support it to the best of their ability. Consensus requires a caring process whereby decisions are arrived at based on “at least general agreement.” Quorum At least 50% of the council members must be present for arriving at decisions or recommendations. Members are expected to attend all meetings and carry out their duties as assigned. Consultation with the Total Parish Community When faced with a major parish issue or concern, all members of the parish shall be provided an opportunity to learn more about the concern and have opportunity to share with the parish leaders their reactions and suggestions for dealing with the issue or concern. Parish Pastoral Council Limitations The Saint Aloysius Parish Pastoral Council is not a legislative body, and therefore, does not make policy, issue decrees and statutes, make financial decisions or authorize the expenditure of parish resources. It is not an enforcement body, nor does it issue correction notices to any individual or group within the parish or serve as a grievance committee. No individual or group is answerable to the parish pastoral council, its sole function being to advise and counsel the pastor, in who resides the decision authority. Parishioner Participation and Input
Enactment The organization guidelines of Saint Aloysius Parish Pastoral Council was adopted by majority vote of the members present at the council meeting at Trinity Hall in Point Arena in January 2007. Return to the About Us page |