Parish Advisory Board

BASIC PRINCIPLES:

Fundamental Equality

[c. 208] In virtue of their rebirth in Christ there exists among all Christian faithful a true equality with regard to dignity and activity whereby all cooperate in the building up of the Body of Christ in accord with each one's own condition and function.

Official Positions

[c. 228-1] Qualified lay persons are capable of assuming from sacred pastors those ecclesiastical offices and functions which they are able to exercise in accord with the prescriptions of law.

[c. 228-2] Lay persons who excel in the necessary knowledge, prudence, and uprightness are capable of assisting the pastors of the Church as experts or advisors; they can do so even in councils, in accord with the norm of law.

Juridical Representation of the Parish

[c. 532] The pastor represents the parish in all juridic affairs in accord with the norm of law; he is to see to it that the goods of the parish are administered in accord with the norms of cc. 1281-1288.

Parish Councils (Advisory Board)

[c. 536-1] After the diocesan bishop has listened to the presbyteral council and if he judges it opportune, a pastoral council is to be established in each parish; the pastor presides over it, and through it the Christian faithful along with those who share in the pastoral care of the parish in virtue of their office give their help in fostering pastoral activity.

[c. 536-2] This pastoral council possesses a CONSULTATIVE VOTE ONLY and is governed by norms determined by the diocesan bishop.

[c. 537] Each parish is to have a finance council which is regulated by universal law as well as by norms issued by the diocesan bishop, in this council the Christian faithful, selected according to the same norms, aid the pastor in the administration of parish goods with due regard for the prescriptions of c. 532.

APPLICABLE ELEMENTS FROM GENERAL GUIDELINES:

CONSULTATIVE ROLE OF THE LAITY AND THE COUNCIL

• give advice to the pastor.
• administrative authority exercised by the pastor.
• legislative or juridical authority properly belong to the bishop.
• consultation leads to action.

DOGMATIC CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH (Lumen Gentium)

• promulgated by Vatican II, 21 November, 1964.
• asked pastors to "recognize and promote the dignity as well as the responsibility" of lay persons in the Church and to allow them "freedom and room for action" (LG 37).
• priesthood of all the baptized (and confirmed).
• common priesthood, basic equality, complementary services.

ARCHDIOCESAN POLICIES (effective 1 January, 1986)

• parish advisory board and finance council works are to be viewed as being complementary.

NATURE OF PARISH ADVISORY BOARD

• lay people, religious, clergy with the pastor.
• a living Christian community.
• solicitous for the parish, other archdiocesan institutions, concerns of the Church universal, Gospel message for all people and places in the neighborhood and community.
• through reflection, prayer, planning, motivation, support.
• place to identify, encourage and evaluate needed ministries and services.
• consider the needs of the community.
• search in the community for resources, ways and means.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARISH ADVISORY BOARD

• to promote pastoral activity.
• overall pastoral development, that all different aspects of parish life are considered and integrated.
• specific "action" is to enable, i.e., to find the means that will answer the community's needs.
• animation, rather than implementation.
• not immediately responsible for the liturgy or for catechesis, for the care of the poor, or even for church finances.
• encourage growth of parish activities, their coordination and harmonious integration into the service of one and the same mission of all (N.B. council is not a "working committee").
• members should receive on-going faith formation so as to strengthen their ability to serve effectively.
• parish pastoral council is not a prayer or discussion group.
• set time for spiritual reflection throughout the year, e.g. retreat for prayer, faith-sharing, evaluation, planning, calendaring, etc.

COMPOSITION

• representative of the faithful and/or various activities in the parish.
• Requirements: Catholic (good standing), registered, faithful participation.
• Basic Qualifications: keen desire to help, ability to listen, become informed, reflect and express themselves with care, open to training, experienced in prayer and action, lively faith and love for all (i.e., know the faith, able to communicate and work with others, adapt quickly, learn about the nature and the role of the parish pastoral council.

The Faithful:

• women, men, different ages, civil status, etc.
• from different walks of life, racial, ethnic, cultural and social conditions.
• from different areas of the parish.
• representatives of religious working/residing in parish.

Non-Voting Members:

• pastor, associate priest(s), pastoral staff.
• the pastor and pastoral staff are the recipients of the advice of the pastoral council and for that reason do not vote.
• Parish Advisory Board is not a federation of movements, committees or other organizations of the parish.
• avoid delegates of special interest groups.

Membership:

• not to exceed 12 to 15 voting members.
• not to exceed 5 to 7 staff non-voting members.
• more lay people than religious and clergy combined.

SPECIFIC ROLES WITHIN THE COUNCIL

President is the pastor or administrator . . .

• calls board together, recalls goals, guards vitality and dynamism by virtue of his office and responsibility (cf. c. 536).

Chairperson

• elected by simple majority of members annually.
• helps pastor with his task of board president.

Tasks of Chairperson:

1. good working of the board.
2. chair meetings, enabling pastor to hear the deliberations.
3. encourage active participation and free expression of views.

Secretary

• preferably a member of the board.

Tasks of Secretary:

1. keep minutes.
2. prepare documents and reports.
3. implement certain requests or decisions of the meeting.
4. may also be responsible for the finances of the internal business of the board (i.e., retreats, supplies, refreshments, etc.).

PROCEDURES

Proposing the agenda (to the president):

• duty of the chairperson and two other persons named by the board or the chairpersons of standing committees.
• president may add items.
• group shall meet before each meeting.
• the president's secretary may also participate.

Meetings:

• no less than four times a year.
• no more than ten times a year.
• additional agenda items may be suggested by the membership during the meeting.
• president may call special meeting or,
• president, at the request of one or more members, may call special meeting.

The parish pastoral council may choose to organize itself as a committee of the whole or to divide the scope of work into various areas of concentration.

The Holy Spirit Parish Advisory Board activities (committees) should at least cover:

1. Worship and Spiritual Growth
2. Catholic Education and Formation
3. Social Justice
4. Youth and Family Life
5. Hospitality and Parish Life
6. Vocations

Parish Pastoral Council should not become implementers of programs but should form consultative liaisons with those parish structures, which have been or are to be developed to turn plans into action . . .

• recommending others for positions of responsibility.

SCOPE

• limited by the responsibilities of various existing institutions.
• pastor is ultimately responsible to Archbishop for pastoral care in the parish and for integration into the pastoral life of the Archdiocese and the universal Church.

N.B. Parish Advisory Board is part of a decision-making PROCESS that leaves the final decision to the pastor. The pastor, in strict legal terms, is responsible to answer to the bishop or to the parish community for decisions taken. This consultative PROCESS does not minimize the impact or influence of the board but clarifies the relationship between the pastor (president) and board.

• need for seriousness of conciliar deliberations and recommendations.
• All decisions of the pastor and/or the board must not contradict the common good, policies of the Archdiocese or Canon Law.
• Council decisions must be ratified by the pastor or they remain "board decisions" (consultative).

Limit on the Authority of the Board:

1. to protect the ultimate responsibility of the pastor.
2. reminds the board of its place in the whole parish where all the members have the right to participate in the decision-making process.

• Strive to achieve consensus so that vote taking will rarely be needed.
• Votes on issues require 2/3 majority.

RELATIONSHIP OF PARISH ADVISORY BOARD WITH OTHER LEVELS OF THE CHURCH

• interested in the life on different levels of the parish.
• concerned with the Archdiocesan pastoral priorities.
• familiar with pastoral publications of the Archbishop and his office and agencies, of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and the Holy See.

CLARIFICATION AND CONCLUSION

• Regional Bishop and Secretary for Parish Life assist parishes in application of the norms.
• prayer required for effective and efficient consultation, resulting in vibrant faith community.
• invitation to people to use their gifts for building up the body of Christ.