Canon Law provides for the formation of Parish Pastoral Councils in Canon 536 #1.
“In every parish of the diocese, a Pastoral Council shall be established, if the diocesan Bishop, after consulting with the Council of Presbyters, so decides. The pastor presides over the Pastoral Council. The Pastoral Council is composed of members of the congregation together with those of the parish staff who have pastoral care by reason of their office. The Pastoral Council assists in promoting pastoral action in the parish.”
The Parish Pastoral Council is a consultative body, pastoral in nature, because it strives to discern the movement of the Holy Spirit among God’s people in the parish. A Parish Council gives aid to the pastor in fostering pastoral activity; it investigates, under the authority of the pastor, all those things which pertain to pastoral works in order to prayerfully ponder and to propose practical conclusions about them. The Parish Council is made up of ordinary parishioners and designed to help be the eyes and ears of the Pastor in identifying the needs of the parish and then to help him chart a course that will enable the parish to respond to those needs in light of the Church’s mission. With that being said it is essential that Parish Council meetings occur in the context of prayer and openness to the Holy Spirit, so that at all times the common good will prevail. Although the Parish Council is not a body which makes binding decisions, the recommendations of the Parish Council are to be taken seriously when grounded in prayer, discernment and communal wisdom. Our Parish Council members are composed of two groups, members at large, and members who represent various parish committees and organizations. Membership on the Parish Council is in service of the parish community and all should feel free to approach the members with any topic of interest to the community. The Parish Council meets bi-monthly. The current chair is Michael Galish.
