PURPOSE AND FUNCTION
The purpose of the Pastoral Council is to assist in realizing the mission of our Parish and to advance our Spiritual growth.
SCOPE OF THE PASTORAL COUNCIL
Our primary role is that of a consultative body, making recommendations to the Pastor about the faith-life of our Parish and the pastoral ministry. As the primary structure within the Parish, the Pastoral Council coordinates and unifies the activity of the commissions and organizations of the Parish.
In conjunction with the Archdiocesan mission statement, vision and pastoral plan, the Parish Pastoral Council formulates a parish mission statement, assists in the discernment of a vision for the parish, and develops a pastoral plan through goals, objectives and action steps for the immediate and near future, based on the identification and discernment of parish needs.
MEMBERSHIP
I. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL
A. The Pastoral Council shall consist of the following members:
1. All Priests and Deacons assigned to pastoral ministry in the Parish.
2. One Religious involved in Parish Ministry.
3. Twelve lay members; one from each commission and seven selected from the Parish at Large.
4. One member, who has received the Sacrament of Confirmation and is 19 years old or younger, shall be selected as Youth Representative.
5. Each member shall choose to serve on one of the parish commissions or on the Blue Water Vicariate Pastoral Council, which needs a parish representative and an alternate. One of them shall be the spokesperson/voice and liaison of the commission to the Parish Pastoral Council.
II. MEMBERSHIP PROCESS
A. To be eligible for nomination to the Parish Pastoral Council, the following criteria must be met to be considered an active parishioner:
1. Registered at St. Mary Parish and worshipping regularly with us.
2. Supports the parish mission statement.
3. Shows continuing financial support of the parish.
4. Willing to be a positive team member who is open to consensus decision making in a growing Catholic community.
5. Willing to commit to the importance of confidentiality when confidentiality is needed regarding sensitive issues.
6. Willing to devote considerable time and effort to meetings and committee meetings.
7. Willing to come prepared and ready to participate at meetings.
8. Demonstrates an openness to personal, ongoing formation.
B. Nominations will take place each year on the weekends of Palm Sunday and the weekend following Easter Sunday.
C. All nominees will be invited to an orientation session explaining the parish mission statement, the purpose, function and scope of the Pastoral Council, and other pertinent information regarding council, commissions and committees.
D. Annually, at the Eucharistic Liturgies on Pentecost Sunday, names of those willing to serve on the Parish Pastoral Council will be drawn by lot (by the presiding priest) to fill the vacant seats on the council.
III. TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP
A. The term of office of the lay members of Pastoral Council shall be for three years, beginning August 1. A member may not be selected to two consecutive terms, and must then wait one year before being eligible for nomination.
B. The names of all nominees which were not selected will be held until the following year. In the event that there is a vacancy, the Pastor shall select the name of one of the other nominees to fill the position. If less than half of the vacant term is remaining, the member filling the vacancy is eligible for nomination for another term at the end of their current term.
C. Those nominees who are not selected for service on the Parish Pastoral Council are invited to serve on the commission level, offering their talents and gifts for the good of the parish.
CHAIRPERSON
The current Pastoral Council Vice-Chairperson will automatically become the next Chairperson of the Pastoral Council.
The Council Chairperson serves the Council by ensuring that meetings are conducted in a way that allows for the full consideration of the appropriate dimensions of the issues and for the maximum participation of all involved.
The term of Council Chairperson will be for one year.
VICE-CHAIRPERSON
Nominations for Council Vice-Chairperson will be accepted at the August meeting. All members returning to the Council the following year are eligible. It is hoped that the Council Vice-Chairperson will become the Pastoral Council Chairperson the following year.
The Vice-Chairperson will chair meetings in the ChairpersonÃs absence and attends to others responsibilities designated by the Council. .
The term of council Vice-Chairperson will be for one year.
SECRETARY
The Secretary should be a current or former member of the Pastoral Council who volunteers for this position. The Secretary is commissioned with the new Pastoral Council each year, and may actively participate in Pastoral Council discussions.
The Secretary will record the minutes at all meetings. A copy of the minutes shall be forwarded to the Parish Secretary seven to ten days prior to the next Pastoral Council meeting.
RELATIONSHIP OF PASTOR TO COUNCIL
The Pastor collaborates with the Parish Pastoral Council in reaching decisions. It is fundamentally his responsibility to give final approval to the Pastoral Council recommendations regarding plans and polices for the Parish. It is also his responsibility to oversee their implementation by the Pastoral Staff and other Parish groups. The primary role of the Pastoral Council is as advisor to the Pastor.
In those rare instances when a recommendation of the members of the Council would be contrary to Catholic teaching or universal or particular law, the Pastor must withhold final ratification of a recommendation which is contrary to the stated policy of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit.
Whenever the Pastor withholds ratification of a recommendation on matters referred to above or on issues considered by the Pastoral Council to be of significant importance to the Parish, he must present his reasons to the council for doing so. The Council, then, should reconsider all aspects of the issue. If the situation cannot be resolved in this way, the Council, after reaching a consensus, may request the Vicar to mediate. If the Pastor is the Vicar, the request is directed to the Auxiliary Bishop of the Region.
At the transfer, resignation, incapacity, removal, or death of the Pastor, the Pastoral Council acts as a consultative body to the Parochial Administrator when the Pastorate is vacant. However, no policy changes should be made until after the appointment of a new Pastor.
MEETINGS
The regular meetings of the Pastoral Council will be held at the St. Mary Parish Center or at any place convenient to the Council members and designated by the Pastor or the Council Chairperson.
The regular meetings of the Parish Pastoral Council will be held on the first Monday of each month from August through June, unless otherwise designated by the Pastor or Chairperson. For example: if the first Monday of the Month is a legal holiday, the meeting will be transferred to the next day. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM and will last for no longer than two hours.
Special meetings of the Council, or Executive Council meetings may be called by the Pastor or the Chairperson or on written request of a least one half of the Council. The Executive Council consists of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary and Pastor.
All parishioners are welcome to attend the regular or special meetings of the Council. However, Executive Council meetings are not open to the parish. Notice of regular meetings will be published in the parish bulletin on the prior Sunday.
A simple majority of the members (50% plus one) will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Consensus of those present is the ordinary and expected norm for decision making on the Pastoral Council.
The format of the regular Council meetings will be as follows:
1. Welcome, attendance and opening prayer
2. Ongoing education and formation
3. Minutes and Commission Reports (Questions/Corrections)
4. Issues for discernment/consensus (Old Business)
5. Issues for dialogue, sharing, reaction, proposing (New Business)
6. Report of the Pastor/Associate Pastor/Staff Person
7. Quarterly review of parish goals, objectives and/or action steps
8. Evaluation of the Meeting
9. Schedule next meeting and assignments (opening prayer, continuing formation, closing prayer, refreshments/fellowship)
10. Closing prayer and fellowship
Provisions for prayer, study and reflection will be a part of all Council meetings.
Any person who wishes to be scheduled on the agenda of the regular Council meeting must contact the Council Chairperson 14 days prior to the regular meeting and indicate the nature of the proposal. The Chairperson, with the approval of the Pastor, will schedule the matter on the agenda, inform all other Council members via the Agenda, and will then notify the person of the date and time of the meeting.