Each parish is to have a Parish Pastoral Council, which serves as the ordinary planning instrument of the parish and provides counsel to the pastor on practical matters of the parish. The presence of a well-formed Parish Pastoral Council gives the pastor a means of consulting the people and seeking their wisdom.
The pastor presides over the Parish Pastoral Council, which should represent the diversity of the parish. Parish Pastoral Council members should not be chosen for their leadership positions in the parish, but rather so that they reflect the various age groups, cultures and interests of this community of the faithful. The pastor seeks the Council’s advice, encourages their prayerful reflection on various matters, and considers their recommendations in his decision making.
A major function of the Parish Pastoral Council is pastoral planning, and it is the task of the Council to know the people of the parish well, and bring that knowledge into the planning process. The Council must discern the needs and strengths of the community and determine how the parish should best proceed toward realizing its preferred future.
If a pastor or Council chairperson would like to consult the Pastoral Planning Office on matters pertaining to forming a Parish Pastoral Council or a determining a pastoral plan, please call us at 856.583.2808.