Parish Pastoral Council

Summary

Councils are the primary consultative bodies to the parish pastor or administrator, working directly with him in the areas of pastoral planning and financial matters. Each parish in the Archdiocese of Detroit is to have both an active Parish Pastoral Council and an active Parish Finance Council. The Pastoral Council is the primary visioning body of the parish, assisting the pastor in determining the overall mission of the parish.

Purpose

As the primary visioning body of the parish, the Parish Pastoral Council assists the pastor in:

  • Soliciting the wisdom of the parish community on pastoral matters.
  • Forming a consensus about pastoral planning, which addresses the needs of the parish.
  • Communicating that pastoral vision to the parish as a whole.
  • Involving the parish commissions in implementing the vision.

An essential aspect of such visioning is the work of evangelization. Evangelization invites all people to a full and active life of faith, sharing in the mission of the Church. The work of evangelization is not something done “in addition to” everything else. Evangelization is to inspire all that a parish does and is to be the foundation of its very identity. For that reason, evangelization is at the heart of all a Parish Pastoral Council does. It is to be priority in any pastoral planning and is to be at the forefront of the work of all parish groups and activities. To help the importance of evangelization to become a reality, the Parish Pastoral Council is to have an Evangelization Committee as a direct subcommittee to the Parish Pastoral Council. (Taken from the Parish, Vicariate and Archdiocesan Councils Handbook)

Membership

Any registered and participating member of the parish is eligible to serve on the Pastoral Council. 

Meetings

The council year begins in September and ends in June. Regular meetings of the Parish Pastoral Council are held bi-monthly. Parish members are welcome to observe these meetings. July and August are taken as vacation months.