Parish Pastoral Council - Constitution

Parish Mission Statement

"I call you friends, because I have made known to you every thing I have learned from my Father. You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last; and then the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name. My command to you is to love one another."

Gospel of St. John the Evangelist Ch 15 Vs 15-17


Inspired by these words in the Gospel of St. John the Evangelist, Patron Saint of our Parish in Ballinteer, we strive to follow Jesus by:
Building a community which gives expression to our faith in Jesus where each person feels welcomed, accepted and valued in their own right.
Promoting a greater sense of togetherness and participation as we gather in our Church.
Spreading this togetherness in church out into our Parish Community in a way that is inclusive and all-embracing.

Purpose of the Parish Pastoral Council and areas of concern

The purpose of the Parish Pastoral Council is to assist the Parish Priest in the administration of the pastoral aspects of parish life.
The Parish Pastoral Council is consultative. Its areas of concern include:
The Promotion of Christian life in the Parish.
Supporting and collaborating with existing Groups .
Planning for future needs.
Listening carefully to the needs of the people of the Parish.
Communicating well with the Parish.

Membership

Members must be baptised Catholics who participate in the life and worship of the parish and are available to attend a minimum of half the meetings in the space of a year.
A process of nomination, discernment and election will select members.
There will be fifteen members, which will include the two priests of the Parish.
There will be replacement nominations by the Parish community every three years followed by elections (see terms of office).
Each member is a representative of the whole parish community and is not a representative of a specific group.
The Council will have as broad a membership as possible.
There will be a period of training and induction for all new Council members.
Dealing with casual vacancies: the Council may fill a vacancy by invitation for the remainder of the specific term.

Responsibilities of all members

Attend regular meetings of the Parish Pastoral Council (any member failing to attend three consecutive meetings without good reason will be deemed to have resigned).
Provide input to deliberations of the Council.
Assist where possible the implementation of Parish policies.
Grow in knowledge and awareness of what is happening in the Parish.
Take part in the training and induction of all new Council members and avail of on-going formation.
Respect the opinions of others and maintain confidentiality.

Terms of Office

The term of office is three years with the possibility of extending this term for another three years.
When the Council completes its three-year term, half the chosen members will voluntarily retire or as a last resort pull names out of a hat.
Anyone who serves two consecutive terms will then stand down for at least one term.

Officers of the Council

The officers of the Council are the President, the Chairperson and the Secretary.
The Parish Priest is ex-officio President of the Council.
He convenes the meetings and presides over and ratifies all the proceedings of the Council leading up to and including final choices and implementations.

Chairperson

The members of the Council elect the Chairperson for a period of three years with an option for renewal. He/she chairs the meetings of the Council and ensures that proceedings are conducted efficiently, expeditiously and fairly.

Secretary

The Secretary of the Council is selected by agreement of the members of the Council and serves for a period of three years.
He/she records the proceedings of the meetings of the Council and ensures that minutes, agenda and notification of meetings are distributed in a timely manner.
In conjunction with the Parish Priest and the staff of the Parish Office he/she ensures that correspondence and other documents relevant to the Parish Council are available at meetings.

Meetings

There will be a minimum of nine meetings of the Parish Pastoral Council each year. The minimum attendance required to attain a valid quorum is 8 members, one of whom is the Parish Priest or his nominated representative.

Sub-committees

Sub-committees may be set up for a specific purpose and with a definite time limit.
Each sub-committee will include at least one member of the Parish Council and will report back regularly.
Membership of a sub-committee should have the approval of the Parish Priest and the Parish Council.

Decision- Making Process

The collaboration between the Parish Priest and the Parish Pastoral Council is integral to each stage of the decision-making process.
This collaboration process respects the authority of the Parish Priest and the integrity, expertise and prayerful deliberations of the members of the Council.
While the Parish Priest has the ultimate responsibility for decisions made in the parish, the method by which decisions are reached needs to respect the belief that the Holy Spirit is present and speaks through the people gathered.
The Parish Priest may need to ask for a vote to get the sense of the Council. When this takes place the Parish Priest together with 51% of the Council constitutes a quorum.

Review and Guidelines

Once the Archbishop has approved this constitution it must be reviewed annually in June. Amendments or deletions may be made only by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Council and approval of the Parish Priest, who will then seek the approval of the Archbishop for any amendments.

Return to Parish Pastoral Council Page