PASTORAL COUNCIL BI-LAWS
CLUSTER 4
St. Mary-St. Agnes-St. Paul
OUR MISSION
We believe in a New Evangelization that fosters the Spirit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our daily living through acts of charity, teaching the doctrines and Traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, celebrating her sacramental and liturgical life as a community of faith and being good stewards of our temporal gifts.
OUR PURPOSE
The pastoral council exists for the purpose of nurturing our Catholic faith community by fostering our Cluster mission. It is responsible for planning the future of our cluster to transform our people into better disciples of Jesus Christ.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The role of the parish pastoral council is to maintain the integrity of the parish mission and the goals and objectives related to it. Within this new model, programs and events continue to take place in the parish through the efforts of dedicated parishioners, commissions, organizations and committees, always in the context of the parish mission.
Basically the pastoral council:
1. nurtures the mission of Cluster 4 churches.
2. reviews the yearly goals and activities of the major parish committees
and commissions and makes recommendations and suggestions to the
pastor.
3. establishes long term goals and directions for the Cluster and helps carry them
out.
4. establishes and maintains an on-going relationship with the
commissions, business coordinator and finance council to better assess
our present and anticipated needs.
5. helps the commissions realize their goals.
6. cooperates with the diocesan plan for a New Evangelization.
MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA
Council members are to be:
1. known and trusted in the parish community.
2. members of a Cluster 4 church for at least one (1) year prior to service.
3. participants in the parish worship life, especially, Sunday Mass and church
stewardship.
4. capable of communicating well with others.
5. good at fostering healthy relationships with others: parish staff, commissions,
and various organizations and committees within and outside the cluster.
6. willing to adhere to the Diocesan Code of Ethics.
7. at least eighteen years of age with the exception of youth representatives if
one is chosen to serve.
SELECTION OF COMMISSION MEMBERS AND PASTROAL COUNCIL
A. The Names of the Commissions:
Faith Formation and Evangelization
Worship and Spirituality
Social Justice
Family and Church Life
Finance
B. The process of building commissions:
1. At all weekend Masses in May, parishioners will pray, reflect, and discern their
individual gifts and talents.
2. On the Second Sunday in May, the pastor/administrator and/or a member of
the current pastoral council will speak to the parishioners on the nature,
purpose and role of parish commissions.
3. From the second Sunday in May to the first Sunday in June parishioners will
place their name or the name of someone else in a box located near the
ambo for service on a particular commission that best reflects the person’s
gifts and talents.
4. The current chairperson of the particular commission will invited those
nominated to an informational meeting in June to learn more about the
commission to which he or she was nominated.
C. Number and terms of pastoral council membership selected from the commissions.
It is vital that open communication exists between and among the commissions and the pastoral council. In light of this need, the pastor/administrator will appoint the pastoral council members from the commissions.
1. The pastor/administrator will select the pastoral council members.
2. Membership on the council shall consist of ten; one from each commission
from our two parishes (five from St. Mary and five from St. Agnes-St. Paul).
3. The pastor may also appoint one member from the following organizations for
a term of one year:
a. Ladies Sodality of St. Agnes-St. Paul
b. The Knights of Columbus
c. The Houlton Council of Catholic Women
4. Council members will serve for a three (3) year term.
- Members may renew their membership for another three (3) years for a total of six (6) years.
6. After serving two terms (6 years), a person must be off the Council for a
minimum of (1) year before becoming eligible to serve again. However, the
person may continue to serve on a commission.
7. The terms of Council membership will be staggered so that not all members
are replaced at a given time.
8. Pastoral council members who resign or who leave before their term expires
will be replaced by appointment by the pastor/administrator upon
the recommendations of the council
D. Procedural Review.
Nomination and selection procedures of the Council members shall be reviewed and revised as necessary by the Council. Amendment to the procedures can be made following our proper amendment process found in this handbook.
PASTORAL COUNCIL LEADERSHIP
Presider: The pastor's role within the Council is that of president and presider who oversees meetings, but does not facilitate meetings. As the one who is ultimately responsible to the parish and the bishop, he attends and actively participates in all Council meetings, deliberations, discussions, discernment, and decision-making.
Facilitator: This person is a Council member who is chosen by the
council through discernment and consensus. Responsibilities include:
a. calling all regular and special meetings of the Council.
b. determining the agenda for Council meetings in consultation
with the pastor and Council membership.
c. facilitating meetings.
d. appointing ad-hoc committees of Council members in
consultation with the pastor and Council members.
e. keeping the Council focused on the agenda.
Recorder: The recorder, who is the official record keeper of the
Council, maintains a record of all major decisions and discussions at
Council meetings. The recorder informs Council members of the
agenda for all meetings, provides minutes of previous meetings, sees to the posting of minutes in cluster churches, distributes resources and materials necessary for the work of Council, and maintains archives of the Council's activities.
Spiritual Formation Leader: The Spiritual Formation Leader "plans programs of spiritual enrichment for Council members, prepares the prayer/study segment
of each meeting, determines the direction for spiritual growth of the
Council, plans evenings of prayer or an annual Council retreat, and
prepares the prayers and spiritual enrichment during the process for
new Council members and their formation.
Note: Selection for the leadership roles will be done by Council members
through prayer, discernment and consensus. If a consensus cannot be reached the pastor will appoint the leader.
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TERMS OF COUNCIL LEADERSHIP
1. All leadership roles, except the presider, are for two (2) years and renewable
for another two (2) years.
COUNCIL MEETINGS
1. Within the framework of its consultative role to the pastor, decisions
normally will be made through a process of consensus. If necessary, the
presider may call for a majority vote.
2. Meetings will be called six (6) times per year (one every other month) at a time
convenient to a majority of the members.
3. All meetings will be open to the public.
4. Special meetings may be called by the pastor/administrator.
5. More than half of the membership constitutes a quorum.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
1. Council members are expected to attend regularly scheduled and announced
meetings as part their commitment to the Council and the cluster.
2. If unable to attend a meeting, it is the responsibility of the member to inform
the pastor or facilitator in advance. This act of courtesy and respect for the
Council members will help in preparing and conducting Council meetings.
[Reminder: Membership (or service) on the council is a privilege and not a
right.]
3. In case of emergencies, members are allowed 3 unexcused absences a year
before the issue of removal is addressed. [Unexcused-no notification before
or after a meeting]
REPLACEMENT OF MEMBERS
1. A member may be removed by the pastor for lack of attendance at regularly
scheduled and announced council meetings and for personal misconduct or
for promoting beliefs that are inconsistent with the teachings of the Catholic
Church.
2. The pastor has the final decision on whether to remove a Council member.
He will meet with the member privately to discuss the situation.
THE ROLE OF PRAYER
Council members must spend time in prayer, individually and collectively. We believe that prayer is the foundation for discernment, visioning and planning for the Cluster.
AMENDMENT POLICY
Any item in this handbook may be amended at any regular meeting of the pastoral council by a two-thirds vote and the approval of the pastor/administrator provided that the amendment was submitted in writing at the previous council meeting.
DRAFT 8-4-09
Pastoral Council
