PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL

The Parish Pastoral Council will be consultative and act in an advisory capacity to the Parish Priest (who has overall responsibility to the bishop for the conduct of parish affairs) in maintaining and developing the life, ministry and mission of the Parish.

Purpose

1)     The purpose of the Parish Pastoral Council is to enable all parishioners to participate more fully in the life of the Church, as expressed in the decrees of the Second Vatican Council and in accordance with their Baptismal calling and responsibilities.

2)     The specific task of the Council is to initiate co-operation and promote the work and growth of the Church in Christian Formation and Social and Community Affairs.

3)     The Council shall discharge these duties by:

·         Advising the parish priest about any such matter on which he seeks advice;

·         Assessing any needs referred to it by the parish priest, parishioners or the other parish groups and, if possible, identifying how best to satisfy those needs;

·         Supporting the work of parish groups, where possible by identifying priorities, making quick effective decisions and helping with exchange of information and ideas;

·         Promoting active interest and participation by parishioners in all the activities of the parish.

·         Promoting ongoing formation for parish groups and the parish as a whole.

Composition of the Parish Pastoral Council

The Council shall consist of the Parish Priest, a Deacon of the parish nominated by the Parish Priest, the Parish Treasurer and nine members elected from all Mass congregations. Any other Priests, Deacons or Religious working in the parish may attend meetings of the Parish Pastoral Council by invitation from the President or Chairperson but shall not have voting rights.

Election of Members

1) Those eligible to be elected shall be baptised Catholics and persons who participate in the life and worship of the Parish. Where there is more than one nomination for a vacancy, elections will take place by secret ballot at all masses at dates to be publicised in the Bulletin. At least two weeks notice will be given (in the bulletin) of these ballots.

2) Elected members shall serve three years and if eligible may stand for re-election. Elected members may not serve more than six consecutive years.

3) If a vacancy occurs during the year, a new member shall be elected as in point 1 above. A vacancy arises if a member dies, resigns in writing (to either the President or Chair) or has not attended meetings on three consecutive occasions without reasonable cause.

Officers

The Officers of the Parish Pastoral Council will be as follows:

President

The Parish Priest shall be the President of the Parish Pastoral Council. In extraordinary circumstances the Parish Priest as President may after consultation with the Dean or Bishop, suspend or dissolve the Parish Pastoral Council with a view to its re-formation.

Chairperson

The Chairperson of the Parish Pastoral Council shall be a person appointed by the Council from amongst its members.

There shall be a Vice-chairperson appointed as above.

In the absence of the Chairperson and Vice-chairperson, those present of the Council shall agree a member to take the chair at that meeting.

The role of the Chairperson is to prepare the agenda with the President and the Secretary and to facilitate the meetings of the Parish Pastoral Council.

Secretary

The Secretary shall be a lay person appointed by the Council from among its members.

The role of the Secretary is to keep a record of the meetings of the Parish Pastoral Council and to circulate relevant material to the Council members.

Election of Chair, Vice-Chairperson and Secretary

·    Written nominations shall be invited for all posts. If more than one person is nominated for any post a secret ballot shall be held. The ballots will be counted by the President and Chairperson (or the President and Secretary if the vote is for the post of Chairperson).

·    When these positions are to be elected this shall be the first item of business after the opening prayer.

·    Those elected by the Council shall serve for a term of one year and may not serve for more than two consecutive terms.

Co-option

The Council may vote to co-opt additional members from the parish in order to ensure an appropriate skills mix for a specific purpose, as determined by the Parish Pastoral Council.

Parish Pastoral Council Meetings

The Council shall meet at least eight times a year or as determined by the Parish Priest, Chairperson and Secretary. Meetings will not normally be held in August or December.

A minimum of two weeks notice shall be given of all general meetings; an annual calendar of dates for the meetings will normally be agreed by the Council and published for the parish.

The agenda for the meeting should be given to members at least one week in advance of the relevant meeting, together with any notes or other relevant material, to allow proper time for reading and reflection. This agenda will be available to parishioners on or before the Sunday preceding the meeting.

Minutes of the meeting will be circulated by the Secretary at an agreed time after the meeting has taken place. Agreed Minutes will be available to parishioners as soon as possible after being agreed.

Quorum
At a Council meeting, one half plus one of all Council members shall be a quorum and must include the President or his nominated member of the clergy from the parish.

Voting
Normally, voting at Council meetings shall be a show of hands (including the
Chairperson’s). A secret ballot shall be taken on any issue where the Parish Priest or a simple majority of those present, request it. If voting (by either method) is tied, the Chairperson shall have the casting vote.

Special Parish Meetings

The Council, by a simple majority, or the Parish Priest can at any time, request that a meeting of the whole parish be held to discuss and vote upon any specific issue.

Two weeks notice shall be given for such a meeting.

Alterations to the Constitution.

1)    The Council shall review the constitution at least every three years.

2)    Any proposal to alter this Constitution shall be referred to the Council to consider and decisions will be reported to the Parish as soon as is practicable.

 Constitution Ends