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Parish Council
What is a Council of the Parish?
There are really four parish
councils at St. Anthony's: FINANCE COUNCIL, PASTORAL COUNCIL, STEWARDSHIP
COUNCIL, and EDUCATION COUNCIL. The Finance Council is administrative
and fiscal in scope; the Pastoral Council is the "wisdom community" of the
parish bringing the community's needs and desires to the Pastor; Stewardship
Council assists with helping the people learn to be stewards of the gifts of God
and to listen to the needs of all; and Education Council assists with Faith
Formation programs and with guidance for the Parish School. The primary purpose
of the four Councils is to be consultative bodies for the Pastor. Finance
Council addresses the nuts and bolts issues of running the parish, the "HOW"
questions in the parish; Pastoral Council addresses the "SHOULD WE" questions,
what should our community be planning to do; Stewardship Council addresses the
issue of getting our community active and involved, the "PEOPLE ACTION" issues;
and Education Council addresses questions concerning Faith Formation programs
for our children and adults, the "WHY" part of our faith.
A Council of the Parish is NOT a "lay pressure group". It is NOT simply a
"democratization" of the parish. Furthermore, it is NOT just a new linkage of
existing parish organizations. And, finally, they are NOT the "board of
directors" of the "parish organization". On the positive side, the four councils
are living model of the parish as a worshipping community. Therefore, they
reflect or witness to the family of believers who are formed by proclaiming the
Good News by celebrating the Eucharist, and by being "inspired by" the Holy
Spirit. So, the various council members come together as workers who live the
liturgy, build up the Church and serve the Gospel. They gather in a communion of
shared responsibility in the work of the Church.
Council members, as chief consulters to the pastor, do not represent a
constituency among the people as in some "legislative or corporate models", but
rather represent the needs of all of the people of the parish. The councils
reach out to determine what are the issues that are impacting the lives of the
parishioners and, then, through a process of prayer, study, dialogue and, most
importantly, discernment and consensus, recommend practical conclusions
regarding these issues... ways in which the parish can minister to the needs of
the parishioners.
The Pastor, as the delegate of the bishop, has the authority and responsibility
to make decisions regarding the running of the parish and the building up of the
faith community. The laity, by virtue of their baptism, have the right and
responsibility to participate in that decision-making process primarily through
the process of consultation.
At all levels in the Church, consultation is at the heart of the decision-making
process. Consultation recognizes that all the baptized, by that fact, are called
to share in the building up of the Church... each in a way proper to the person.
Thus, the four Councils of the
Parish are the structure provided by the Church which enables all to share the
responsibility for making the parish alive in Christ. This is always done with
"truth, courage and prudence and with reverence and charity... " towards all.
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 Pastoral
Education
Finance
Stewardship
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