February 6, 2022 - "Parish Pastoral Councils"

Recently I have received a number of questions about our parish pastoral council.  Let me pose some of those questions now and supply some answers based on the Archdiocese of Washington Parish Pastoral Council Policy and Implementation Guide issued in 2013.
 
What are the Responsibilities of Parish Pastoral Councils?
The parish pastoral council is a consultative body for the pastor.  Through reflection, prayer, planning, motivation, and support, the parish pastoral council serves the pastor by helping identify and encourage those ministries or services that are needed for the growth of a living parish community, evaluated and implemented on a regular basis.  The pastoral council must carefully consider the needs of the faithful and search within the community to recommend to the pastor ideas and means that will adequately respond to those needs.  This responsibility of the pastoral council does not diminish the continued mission and responsibility of the parish as a whole.  Each baptized parish member remains responsible in his or her own way for the mission of the parish.  In this way, the parish pastoral council is an instrument to help the pastor and the parish better discern, clarify, and communicate the responsibilities for proclaiming the Good News.
 
What is the Main Objective of the Parish Pastoral Council?
The main objective of the parish pastoral council is “to promote pastoral activity that will help the parish achieve its supreme purpose, the salvation of souls.” The parish council assists the pastor with discerning and achieving the overall good of the parish and its mission.  The work is both contemplative and active.  With the pastor, the council practices discernment.  Through reflection, prayer, planning, setting goals and priorities it responds to the movement of the Holy Spirit in the life of the parish and to the Bishop’s pastoral vision for the archdiocese.  In action, council members take the leadership in the coordination, motivation, support, and evaluation of pastoral activities in the parish.  Concerned with overall pastoral development of the parish, the pastoral council will often serve as liaisons to the various parish groups or coordinate the implementation of specific initiatives of the pastor.
 
What about Accountability and Transparency?
The Archdiocese of Washington Parish Pastoral Council Policy and Implementation Guide recommends that a synopsis of the [parish pastoral council] meeting should be made available to the parish either in the bulletin or on the parish website.  Discretion is important and the synopsis need not be overly detailed.

Does St. Francis of Assisi Parish Publish a Synopsis of Council meetings?  If so, Where?
St. Francis of Assisi Parish does publish a synopsis of a council meeting in the bulletin soon after the meeting occurs.  Parishioners are also able to access past minutes of parish pastoral council meetings at https://www.sfadw.org/pastoral-council-meeting-minutes.
 
Does the Parish Pastoral Council needs any new members?
As a matter of fact, there are several vacancies on the council at the present time.  Parishioners interested in serving on the parish pastoral council should contact the Parish Office at (301) 840-1407 for more information.
 
Until next week,
Fr. John