Pastoral Council

Holy Spirit Parish Council 2007 - 2009

The Parish Council meets on the second Tuesday of the month except for when it is a holiday. When it is a holiday, the meeting will be on the third Tuesday of the month.

Holy Spirit Catholic Community

Pastoral Council Statutes

Preamble

“A pastoral council is to be established in every parish of the diocese, designed to foster the pastoral activity of the parish, in keeping with the general law of the church and diocesan guidelines. The pastor/pastoral administrator is responsible to make the pastoral council active and working in the life of the parish.

The Pastoral Council is a community of faith-filled servants sharing responsibility with the pastor/pastoral administrator and pastoral staff for the total mission of the church of Holy Spirit Catholic Community. The Pastoral council is to be a “prayerful community” of selected parishioners who reflect the life of Holy Spirit Catholic Community, discerning both gift and need, setting priorities and charting a course for the future. The work of the Pastoral Council is accomplished through prayer, study, consensus and collaboration. The vision of the pastoral council is the life of Christ lived in and through each member of the Parish.

Mission Statement

Article I Name

The name of this body is Holy Spirit Catholic Community Pastoral Council. It will be referred to in these statutes by its shortened title, The Pastoral Council.

a) To investigate, review, plan and evaluate all matters and needs pertaining to the pastoral life of Holy Spirit Catholic Community;

b) To foster faithfulness to the Gospel and the tradition and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church;

e) To determine the vision of the Parish, to promote it’s growth and spreading the Gospel of Christ in the community.

2. The pastor/pastoral administrator will respect the recommendations of the Pastoral Council. If a recommendation must be changed, the pastor/pastoral administrator will provide reasons for the change.

Article III Membership

1. The Pastoral Council is composed of individuals who are Catholics in good standing, known as caring and compassionate persons, who contribute to the parish from their time, talent and treasure, and who participate weekly in the parish Sunday liturgy.

2. Pastoral staff personnel serve as ex-officio members of the Pastoral Council.

3. Parish Ministry Core Teams and other parish ministers and groups may serve as consultative bodies.

2. The Pastoral Council will consist of seven members however the number may be re-determined if deemed necessary.

4. Members and one Alternate will be chosen during a decrement process in June and ending 2 years later in September.

5. Alternates receive copies of all Pastoral Council Meeting Minutes and are encouraged and welcome to attend all Pastoral Council Meetings.

6.In the event a Pastoral Council member resigns before completion of his/her term, the term will be completed by the available alternate. The term for the alternate is the same as Pastoral Council Members.

Terms begin on the first day of September following the selection of members and alternate.

1. Beginning in 2003 and every 2^nd year thereafter, written nominations will be solicited from the parish community at two consecutive weekend liturgies following Easter but no later than May 15^th.

2. The Holy Spirit Catholic Community Pastoral Council Statutes will be available in the weekly bulletin and as requested so nominees are aware of the responsibilities/duties of the Pastoral Council before a member of the current Pastoral Council invites them to attend a selection process evening workshop.

3. The selection process evening workshop takes place within a reasonable period after nominations are completed. The Workshop is required. Only individuals who participate in the entire selection workshop may become members or an alternate.

4. The participants in the selection workshop choose seven of their number to serve as members of the Pastoral Council and one alternate. The seven individuals chosen are called selected members of the Pastoral Council.

5. Before the third meeting a coordinator will be selected from the newly constituted Pastoral Council by the seven members of the council.

6. The Pastoral Council Coordinator, in consultation with the pastor/pastoral administrator, sets the agenda, notifies members of meetings and or changes, chairs meetings & sees that minutes are recorded.

Article IV Meetings

1. The Pastoral Council assembles as frequently as it deems necessary to effectively exercise its consultative capacity. Meetings will not exceed two hours. Date and times of meetings to be decided by the members of each council.

2. At least four of the seven selected members must be present in order to constitute a quorum.

3. Meetings of the Pastoral Council are open to parishioners by invitation and need. Parishioners should contact the Pastoral Council Coordinator & determine the best opportunity for parishioner to attend a council meeting.

4. Prayer and faith sharing are to form a significant part of the Holy Spirit Catholic Community Pastoral Council meetings to assist and support members in their role of discerning parish issues and reaching consensus regarding such issues.

5. In the event a new pastor/pastoral administrator is appointed, he/she must call the Pastoral Council to assemble within twenty-one days of the date he/she officially begins service in the parish.

6. Minutes are to be kept at all Pastoral Council meetings. The recording of minutes is made by a non-member of the Pastoral Council and available by request to all in the parish.

1. An Alternate will replace a member of the Pastoral Council who misses two consecutive meetings without notifying the Pastoral Council Coordinator or Pastor/Pastoral Administrator. It is the responsibility of the Council Member to contact the coordinator or pastor/pastoral administrator prior to missing Pastoral council Meetings.

2. A person who misses three consecutive meetings without a reasonable excuse forfeits his/her place on the council.

3. The pastoral council coordinator, in consultation with the Pastor/Pastoral Administrator, formulates the agenda for pastoral council meetings.

4. The Agenda and any supporting documents must be provided to pastoral council members prior to each meeting. If parishioners have specific issues for the Pastoral Council to discuss, the Council Coordinator should visit with the parishioner and bring issues to the attention of the full council.

All decisions of the pastoral council are reached by the process of “consensus”.

Article V Committees

1. The coordinator may appoint ad hoc committees consisting of Pastoral Council members and/or other parishioners for the purpose of investigating specific issues or concerns.

1. These Statutes must be accepted by consensus of all selected members of the pastoral council. They are deemed to be adopted after acceptance by the pastoral council, ratification by the Pastor/Pastoral Administrator and approval by the Bishop of Helena.

2. An amendment to these Statutes may be presented at any meeting of the pastoral council but may not be adopted at the same meeting at which it is presented. An amendment must be accepted by consensus of all selected members of the pastoral council. An amendment is deemed adopted after acceptance by the pastoral council, ratification by the Pastor/Pastoral Administrator and approval by the Bishop.

3. Holy Spirit Catholic Community Pastoral Council cannot be dissolved without the permission of the Bishop.

These Statutes for Holy Spirit Catholic Community Pastoral Council were presented at its September 2004 meeting, and were accepted by the Members. And have been proposed to Bishop George Leo Thomas and waiting for his ratification.

Holy Spirit Parish Council 2007 - 2009

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Last modified: 10/11/07