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St. Benedict the Abbot

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St. Benedict the Abbot Pastoral Council

Pastoral Council Guidelines

Mission Statement

We are a Christ-centered Catholic community of faith called through Baptism, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and nourished by the Eucharist to proclaim the Gospel to all of God's people through worship, religious education, service, evangelization and stewardship. We accept this challenge to grow in love, to respect the sanctity of human life, and to respond to what Jesus asks of us in our time.

PURPOSE AND FUNCTION:
St. Benedict the Abbot Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) exists to lead our parish in a planning process which will result in ESTABLISHING, REVIEWING and EVALUATING goals and objectives. Recognizing the leadership and decision-making authority entrusted to the Pastor by the Bishop of the Diocese, the council members will prayerfully engage the parishioners and pastoral staff in joint discernment about the parish's mission and ministry.

CRITERIA:
Members of the Pastoral Council must be:

1. Baptized and confirmed Catholics in good standing with the Church
2. Registered and participating as members of St. Benedict the Abbot parish
3. Willing to take an active part and give priority to serving on the PPC
4. Committed to work in a group process of prayer, consensus building and planning while being sensitive to the needs and concerns of the people

MEMBERSHIP:
St. Benedict the Abbot Pastoral Council shall consist of not less than 8 nor more than 10 members, plus the pastor and designated staff (currently the Parochial Vicar, Deacon, Pastoral Assistant, Religious Education Director, Music Director and Youth Director). The council members shall be chosen by a parish-wide "calling forth" process. Members will serve for 3 years and may be called forth to serve an additional 3 years. After serving 6 consecutive years, there shall be a 3-year interlude before becoming eligible to serve again.

CALLING FORTH AND SELECTION PROCESS:
The selection of PPC members will occur every 3 years, beginning in 2002. Potential members will be called forth and selected from January through April with Installation on Pentecost Sunday.

The Calling Forth will begin with a parish-wide education process concerning the duties and the responsibilities of the PPC, and potential members will be determined by nomination of the parishioners, self-nominations, and evaluation by the Pastor and staff. Qualified nominees will be asked to submit a written statement containing their biography, history of involvement with the church, their interests, and their vision for the parish.

Through subsequent meetings of candidates (including members who are being called forth for a possible second term), parish staff and the pastor to discuss and pray over the duties and obligations of Pastoral Council members, the final selection will be made with each nominee and staff member contributing to the consensus.

VACANCY:
When a vacancy occurs, the Pastor will appoint a replacement to serve out the remainder of the term, but only if the appointment is needed to maintain the minimum number of 8 members.

STRUCTURE:
To complete the formation of the Pastoral Council, an Executive Committee shall be selected from its membership.

1. The Executive Committee
   Along with the Pastor, the Executive Committee shall consist of a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson and a Recording Secretary, who will be appointed to serve through a discernment process by the council.
2. Executive Committee Responsibilities
   
   Pastor:
   • Expected to use his canonical authority to foster a collegial and participative approach to policymaking and consensus building. This approach is consistent with the reinforcing of the spirit of shared responsibility developed by the documents of Vatican II

Chairperson:

• Keeps the Pastoral Council focused on its directives.
• Works closely with the Pastor and Executive Committee to set the agenda for council meetings.
• Is responsible for conducting the consensus process and for identifying and clarifying the consensus reached by the council.

Vice Chairperson

• Fulfills the responsibilities of the Chairperson in his/her absence or inability to continue in office.
• Coordinates the preparation of the council's annual report to the parish

Recording Secretary

• Records the minutes for all council meetings which shall serve as the official record of the council's activities.
• Informs council members of the agenda for all meetings and the proceedings of previous meetings, coordinates the distribution of resources and material necessary for the work of the council.
• Announces each meeting in the parish bulletin that includes a deadline for submission of items to be considered for the council's agenda.
• Publishes in the parish bulletin a summary of each meeting.
• Maintains an archive of the council's activities.
• Maintains attendance records for all meetings.

MEETINGS:
The Pastoral Council shall meet six times a year. Special meetings may be called at the discretion of the pastor.

The Pastor and the Executive Committee will set the agenda. Members are invited to submit items for the agenda. The agenda shall be made available to PPC members prior to the meeting.

At least once a year, the PPC will schedule a town-hall meeting. All members of the parish shall be invited and encouraged to attend.

PROCESS:
The PPC shall be guided by the concept that all members of the council have valuable insights that must be sought out and incorporated. Within the framework of its consultative role to the pastor, its recommendations shall be normally made through a process of consensus.