OCTOBER WORKSHOP II  
How to make the Parish Pastoral Council Operational    

The Second Workshop on Parish Pastoral Councils outlined how to organize the Parish Pastoral Council according to the uniform directives established by Bishop Martino. Everyone involved in establishing a parish pastoral council or reorganizing an existing council needs a thorough knowledge of the Directives for Parish Pastoral Councils and Part One of the Resource Manual. These two documents are available on the Diocesan Website: www.dioceseofscranton.org.  Click on “Departments and Resources”. Scroll down the page and click on “PARISH PASTORAL COUNCILS”. Scroll down past Bishop Martino’s letter and click on the appropriate “Printer Friendly Version” document. The following is an overview of important components in both Directives for Parish Pastoral Councils and Part One of the Resource Manual. It is important that all members of the parish have a general understanding of the structure, membership, purpose and process of the Parish Pastoral Council.  

1. The Directives for Parish Pastoral Councils is supported by the Resource Manual; both are approved for the implementation of uniform Parish Pastoral Councils in the Diocese of Scranton. Any amendment to the suggested Constitution and By-Laws must be in conformity with the Directives and have the approval of both the parish Pastor and the Bishop.
   
   
2. The Purpose or Mission of a Parish Pastoral Council in the Diocese of Scranton is to foster full participation of the entire parish in the mission of the Church and parish and to advise the Pastor on matters brought to it by the Pastor for Spiritual Renewal and Pastoral Planning. 
   
   
3. The Parish Pastoral Council is an advisory group that prays, studies and makes recommendations. Consultation is an exercise of the virtue of prudence and has an important role in the life of the Church and parish.
   
   
4. Membership will consist of all Priests and Deacons assigned to the parish; one member of the Parish Finance Committee; ex-officio members and others so designated according to the Directives to reflect the diversity of the parish (age, gender, etc.): Appointed Members by the Pastor; and Nominated Members. Members should reflect the diversity of the parish and be people who are able and committed to prayer and study, and able to move beyond any particular bias or agenda. All members of the Council have an equal voice. Terms of office are three years with a two-term limit. This ensures the possibility of the Council renewing itself and avoiding stagnation. The Directives give guidance on how to stagger terms when a Council is established.
   
   
5. The Directives discuss the size of the Council, and how multiple parishes assigned to one Pastor may have joint meetings of each parish’s Pastoral Council.
   
   
6. The Pastor is the President of the Parish Pastoral Council; it is his group of advisors. When a Pastor is transferred, the Council ceases. The new pastor may revive the previous Parish Pastoral Council or establish a new Council according to the Directives, Constitution and By-Laws. A Parish Administrator is to continue the previous Council until a new Pastor is appointed.
   
   
7. The Parish Pastoral Council will meet at least four (4) times a year for prayer, study and consultation. Minutes of the previous meeting, which highlight major areas of discussion, and a record of recommendations and pertinent information for the upcoming agenda should be sent to members prior to the meeting.  At least 20 minutes of prayer and 20 minutes of study/ reflection are to be a part of every meeting.  Council meetings should be no longer than 2 ½ hours. Meeting dates should be set months in advance.
   
   
8. Officers to assist the President are to be elected: Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and Secretary.
   
   
9. There are two standing committees: The Coordinating Committee, which establishes the agenda and format of the meetings, and handles Council matters between meetings, and the Nominating Committee.
   
   
10. Nominations will be sought from the parish at large and will be reviewed by the Nominating Committee to see if they meet minimum criteria: Participation at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days, living in conformity with the teaching of the Church, a willingness and ability to commit to prayer and study for Council activity and business, an ability to be a non-defensive listener and a willingness to work towards consensus and support the recommendation of the Council when it is accepted by the Pastor. The Parish Pastoral Council is one expression of the Church as Communion. The following advice from Pope Paul VI on Christian Joy describes the type of member that can help a Council meet its goals and objectives:

“Joy always springs from a certain outlook on man and on God. ‘When your eye is sound, your whole body too is filled with light.’(78) We are touching here on the original and inalienable dimension of the human person: his vocation to happiness always passes through the channels of knowledge and love, of contemplation and action. May you attain this good quality which is in your brother's soul, and this divine presence so close to the human heart!

Let the agitated members of various groups therefore reject the excesses of systematic and destructive criticism! Without departing from a realistic viewpoint, let Christian communities become centers of optimism where all the members resolutely endeavor to perceive the positive aspect of people and events. ‘Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to love's forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.’(79)

The attainment of such an outlook is not just a matter of psychology. It is also a fruit of the Holy Spirit.”

11. Consensus involves non-defensive listening, when everyone participates in the discussion and involves a commitment to support the direction of recommendations made to the Pastor. There are four (4) general steps in the process: 1. Input, 2. Discussion, 3. Reflection, and 4. Recommendation.
    
    
12. A Parish Pastoral Council is different from others groups. Recently, Pope Benedict XVI in speaking to Canadian Bishops, gave advice that is pertinent to our Parish Pastoral Councils and the spiritual renewal and pastoral planning that will follow:

“In your plan of pastoral renewal, you are faced with the delicate task of the reorganization of parishes and also of dioceses. This can never be carried out in an appropriate way by simple social models of restructuring. Without Christ, we can do nothing (cf. John 15:5). Prayer roots us in truth, reminds us incessantly of the primacy of Christ and, in union with him, the primacy of the interior life and of holiness.

The parishes are therefore, rightly considered above all as houses and schools of communion. Consequently, the reorganization of parishes is essentially an exercise of spiritual renewal. This calls for a pastoral promotion of holiness, so that the faithful remain attentive to the will of God, from whom we share true life, becoming participants of the divine nature (cf. "Dei Verbum," no. 2”).

A further thought on the special nature of Parish Pastoral Councils can be found in a reflection of the late Pope John Paul II, “Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way”. He stated that when he consulted with his Diocesan Curia as Archbishop of Crakow, he always asked two questions: “Which truth of faith sheds light on this problem?” and “Whom should we approach for assistance?”  These two questions can help a Parish Pastoral Council keep its focus on evangelization, spiritual renewal and pastoral planning.

+++
 MVJG 08/29/2006