Parish Pastoral Council

Foundation Document

St. Paul the Apostle Parish Pastoral Council

Westerville, OH

November 28, 2023

1. Introduction

Recognizing that sound pastoral decisions are informed by the wisdom of the People of God, Father Jonathan Wilson established the St. Paul the Apostle Parish Pastoral Council (“Council” or “Parish Pastoral Council”) of St. Paul the Apostle Church of Westerville, Ohio on November 28, 2023.  As stated in Canon 536, “If the diocesan bishop judges it opportune after he has heard the presbyteral council, a pastoral council is to be established in each parish, over which the pastor presides and in which the Christian faithful, together with those who share in pastoral care by virtue of their office in the parish, assist in fostering pastoral activity.”  By establishing a Parish Pastoral Council, the pastor acknowledges the wisdom of his parishioners and expresses his desire to consult with them regarding his responsibility for the governance of the parish.

2. Purpose

The purpose of the Parish Pastoral Council is to actively engage in a two-way dialogue with the pastor and serve as an advisory function to the pastor.  The Council and the pastor will discuss topics relevant to the parish, such as:

• Shared concerns

• Feedback on parish life and activities

• Reflection on the mission of the parish

• Areas for parish growth 

3. Scope

The scope of the Council is pastoral matters. These may include everything that pertains to the pastor’s ministries of proclaiming God’s word, celebrating the sacraments, caring for the faithful, promoting the mission of the Church to the world, and being a good steward of parish resources. The scope includes all the practical matters of parish life. There is, in short, nothing about which the pastor may not consult the Council, apart from faith, orthodoxy, moral principles or laws of the universal Church.

4. Criteria for Membership

Parish Pastoral Council members are chosen for their faith, good morals, prudence, and ability to provide practical, representative and productive advice to the pastor. They are baptized Catholics, in good standing with the Church, who reflect the parish’s diverse neighborhoods, ages, ethnicities, races, social and professional groups, ministries, and apostolates. Finally, they are St. Paul the Apostle parishioners who attend mass each Sunday and regularly attend mass at St. Paul the Apostle.  

5. Selection of Members

A. Number and Kind: 

1. The Parish Pastoral Council will have a membership of twelve (12) selected members.  Eleven (11) shall be adult members eighteen (18) years of age or older.  Additionally, one (1) youth member (under eighteen years of age), whose parent or legal guardian is a Council member, will be a member of the Council.  The youth member will always be accompanied by the parent or legal guardian at all Parish Pastoral Council meetings. 

2. The twelve (12) members of the Council will be representative of the parish at large and will be comprised of the following:

   1. Two married couples will occupy a total of four (4) seats on the Council.  Only one spouse from each married couple is required to represent each couple at meetings.

   2. One parent or legal guardian and their child (youth member) will occupy two (2) seats on the Council

   3. Six individuals will occupy the six (6) remaining seats on the Council

B. Term: 

1. Selected members will serve a three-year (3 year) term and be able to be re-selected to one (1) more consecutive three-year term.  Additional terms will be at the discretion of the pastor.

2. Terms should be staggered so that approximately one-third of the selected membership is replaced or re-selected each year. 

3. Terms shall run from September 1 through August 31 of each year. 

C. Vacancies/Termination: 

1. Unexpected vacancies in terms of selected members should be filled as promptly as possible. The new member shall serve for the remainder of the term left vacant. 

2. The pastor has sole discretion to terminate a member from the Council for any reason.

D. Member Selection

1. Timing and Guidelines

   1. In January of each year, the pastor and Council chairperson in collaboration with the entire Council will begin the process of selecting new members for the coming Council year.

   2. The pastor and Council members will present potential candidates for membership to fill upcoming Council vacancies.

   3. The Council will strive to maintain a roster of members that represents the parish at large.

2. Procedures for Selections: 

3. The pastor and the Council chairperson will meet to review the list of candidates put forward by the entire Council.

4. The pastor will select the new members that he views as the best fits to fill the upcoming membership vacancies.  

5. The chairperson will notify the new members and invite them to the meetings for the upcoming Council year.  

6. Executive Committee

The pastor presides at every meeting of the Council and retains sole authority to alter the operations of the Council at any time. The pastor selects three officers from among their number. They are the chairperson, vice-chairperson, and secretary.  Typically, an individual will be secretary one year, then vice-chairperson the second year, and chairperson the third year.  The chairperson facilitates Council discussions, making sure that everyone speaks and is heard. The vice-chairperson assists the chairperson and facilitates meetings in the chairperson’s absence. The secretary keeps the minutes. He or she ensures that they are sent, along with the agenda and supporting documents, to each Council member at least one week before every meeting.  

7. Agenda

The chairperson will typically initiate the creation of the agenda with the pastor.  The agenda guides the meeting in the following structure: 

• Opening prayer

• The first item of business is a review and approval of the minutes of the previous meeting.

• The pastor will provide an update and ask for input on topics of concern to him.

• The pastor will ask the Council members for their observations of the parish.

• Council members will have an opportunity to submit potential agenda topics to the pastor and the chairperson.

• There will typically be an opportunity to address additional topics that a member might propose for discussion.  

• Closing prayer

8. Relation to the Staff and Finance Council

The pastor consults others besides the Parish Pastoral Council about parish governance. He relies upon the parish staff for their expertise and consults them daily about the management of parish operations. Indeed, he may occasionally ask parish clergy and staff members to attend Council meetings in order to put their knowledge at the service of the Parish Pastoral Council. Moreover, the pastor relies on the Finance Council to develop, monitor, and report on the parish budget. Finance Council members are chosen for their technical skill in realms of accounting and finance. The Parish Pastoral Council, by contrast, is a representative group of parishioners providing their perspectives and advice to the pastor.

9. Meetings

The Parish Pastoral Council generally meets bi-monthly from September to May. Meetings are 90 minutes in length. 

10. Administration of this Foundation Document

The Foundation Document will be reviewed and possibly revised every three years.  The pastor has sole discretion to request or make revisions that he sees fit to further the mission of the parish.