Pastoral Council

Purpose

The Parish Pastoral Council brings together lay people and religious who, together with their pastor, work jointly to building the parish as a living Christian Community.

Through prayer and reflection, faith sharing, planning, animation, and action, the parish pastoral council is the place where ministries or services are brought forth that are needed for the growth of a living parish community.

Responsibilities: 

The primary responsibility of the Pastoral Council is pastoral planning. The members prayerfully investigate and ponder issues of concern to the whole community and make recommendations to the pastor for goals and actions. Areas of concern include matters pertaining to the life and vitality of the whole parish: Community and Evangelization, Worship, Formation in the Word of God, Social Ministry, Youth and Young Adults, and Stewardship. The council is consultative and advisory to the pastor. Together with other councils and parish leadership they asses the work of the parish ministries in response to the pastoral plan, help the ministries address obstacles to implementation, and evaluate the work on the goals to determine if outcomes have been met. (Check parish website for more information about pastoral council)

Source: Guidelines for Parish Pastoral Councils, Diocese of Honolulu, May 21, 2015