HANDBOOK For PARISH PASTORAL COUNCILS

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HANDBOOKforPARISHPASTORALCOUNCILSThird EditionCecilia Anningi

Faith & LifeArchdiocese of BrisbaneMinistry and Community Life143 Edward St, Brisbane, AustraliaTelephone: 07 3336 9362Fax:07 3336 9177Email: mcl.fl@bne.catholic.net.auAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted inany form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,recording or by any information storage and retrieval system withoutpermission in writing from the Publisher, with the exception of Illustrations 3.1to 3.5.NIHIL OBSTAT: Fr David PascoeIMPRIMATUR: John Bathersby DDBRISBANE, 13 February 2007The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations that a publication isfree of doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained therein that thosewho have granted ecclesiastical approval agree with the contents, orstatements expressed. They do no necessarily signify that the work isapproved as a basic text for catechetical instruction.AcknowledgementsThe author gratefully thanks all those who provided helpful feedback, proofreading and encouragement through the writing of this resource.Professional assistance: Rob CosgroveAdministrative support: Chris ThompsonCover Photograph: Stills Photo Library used under licenceLayout, Design and Printing:Jo Conley,In2PrintUnit 21160 Lytton RoadBulimba Qld 4171ISBN 978-1-877095-28-3ii

ContentsForewordArchbishop’s Letter1.Parish Pastoral Councils within the Life of the ChurchWhy have Parish Councils?Towards Community and MissionThe Mission of the ChurchA Practical Approach to the Mission of the ChurchThe Reality Encountered by Pastoral CouncilsConclusionStrategies for Using the Text for Ongoing Formation2.Role and Function of a Pastoral CouncilContext for the Pastoral Council’s RoleRole of a Pastoral CouncilFunctions of a Pastoral CouncilPastoral IssuesPastoral Council Membership and TaskSpecific Pastoral Issues for Pastoral Councils to ConsiderPastoral PlanningConsultationProcess of pastoral planningEssential elements in writing a Parish Pastoral Plan.Conclusion3.Establishment of Pastoral Councils and Changeover ofMembershipEstablishment DecisionTime-frameEstablishment Stages for a Pastoral Councili.Form a preparation groupii.Communicate with parishionersiii.Prepare Pastoral Council Guidelinesiv.Invite recommendation of possible membersv.Provide an information meetingvi.Organise a prayerful selection processvii.Commission the new Pastoral Councillorsviii.Arrange an initial formation and orientation sessionAssistance with the Preparation of Pastoral Council GuidelinesEstablishing Pastoral Councils in Small CommunitiesEstablishing Pastoral Councils in Parishes Working in Partnership,Sharing a PastorEstablishing a Number of Councils in One ParishDiocesan, Deanery or Regional Pastoral Councilsiii

Changeover of Pastoral Council MembershipCasual VacanciesConclusionIllustration 3.1.Draft Pastoral Council GuidelinesIllustration 3.2.Response Form for Draft Pastoral CouncilGuidelinesIllustration 3.3.Recommendation Form for New MembersIllustration 3.4Role Statements for Office BearersIllustration 3.5Process for Selection of Office Bearers4.Operations of a Pastoral CouncilParticipation by all ing to Decision MakingConsensus ApproachUsing Conflict ProductivelyImplementing Change within the Faith CommunityCommunicationProcess of Periodic ReviewReviewing Parish Pastoral Council GuidelinesChecklist for Making Meetings FruitfulConclusion5.Prayer and Formation for Pastoral CouncilsPastoral Council PrayerOngoing Formation for Pastoral CouncillorsResources for Formation at Pastoral Council MeetingsOngoing Formation TopicsIndividual Ongoing FormationReview of Prayer and Formation ProgrammeInitial Formation and Orientation for Pastoral CouncilsFormation Specific to Significant OccasionsConclusionPrayer to Close a Pastoral Council Meeting6.Relationships of Pastoral CouncilsThe Pastoral Council and the Parish PriestThe Pastoral Council and the Pastoral Staff/TeamThe Pastoral Council and Parish GroupsThe Pastoral Council and the Parish Finance CouncilThe Pastoral Council and the Parish CommunityThe Pastoral Council and all Catholics in the CommunityThe Pastoral Council and the Wider CommunityThe Pastoral Council within Deanery and DioceseConclusioniv

7.The Brisbane Church: Promoting Pastoral CouncilsHistorical ContextResourcing Pastoral CouncilsSecretariat for Pastoral CouncilsAnnual Archdiocesan Events for Pastoral CouncilsConclusionResources for Pastoral Councils in the Brisbane Archdiocese8.References9.AppendixCommissioning Ceremonies for Pastoral Councilsv

Chapter 1Parish Pastoral Councils within the Life ofthe Church(Insert at beginning)Promoting understanding of theChurch's mission and encouragingpeople to explore possibilities for livingthat mission in all aspects of their lives.WHY HAVE PARISH COUNCILS?Parish Councils1 are one of the structures which were strongly recommendedby the Bishops of the Second Vatican Council. The purpose of the councilswas seen as furthering the work of the Church by fostering the spiritual growthof parishioners and leading them to respond actively to their universal call tomission.In dioceses, as far as possible, councils should be set up to assist theChurch’s apostolic work, whether in the field of making the gospel known andpeople holy or in charitable, social or other spheres.2While some Pastoral Councils were in existence prior to the Second VaticanCouncil, the consequent growth of Pastoral Councils has been part of thepost-conciliar movement toward shared responsibility and shared ministry.Pastoral Councils witness to the basic equality of dignity of all members byreason of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, highlighting the role of all toshare in the saving mission of Jesus. Consequently, they show forth thereality that all are involved in continuing the work of Jesus which will proceeduntil God’s values of love, justice and peace reign in the hearts and lives ofthe people of all nations.TOWARDS COMMUNITY AND MISSIONPrior to the Second Vatican Council, and even since that time, many people’sunderstanding of participation in the Church contained a strong emphasis onachieving their own salvation. From such an approach came the perspectivethat lay people were passive consumers of the liturgical, educational andpastoral services provided largely by priests and religious.1Historically the name Parish Council was the original term used. The growing emphasis onthe pastoral focus of councils has resulted in the adoption of the term Parish Pastoral Council.The expanded name also helps to distinguish it from any other councils operating in theparish, such as the Parish Finance Council. Within the text, the shortened term PastoralCouncil is used in most instances.2Vatican II, Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People, 26.5

At the same time, however, considerable numbers of Catholics, especiallythose involved in many lay apostolic organisations worldwide, have seen theirrole as supporting the pastoral role of the Bishop. Their efforts prior to theSecond Vatican Council made a significant contribution to the ensuingrichness that developed both during and after the Council.In calling the Church to a new sense of community and mission, the Bishopsof Vatican II sought to change the emphasis from passive to activeinvolvement for all members of the People of God. Some of the keyunderstandings highlighted were: The Church is the People of God with whom God communicates in love.Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist form a common bond that uniteseveryone (priests and laity), calling all to active participation in theChurch’s mission for the life of the world.All are called to engage in mission in the concrete circumstances of theirlives.Each person’s contribution to the mission of the Church is unique andindispensable.The Bishops signalled that, to be relevant and effective in the contemporaryworld and to be faithful to the mission of Christ, the Church must beconcerned not only with its own needs and laws and structures, but also withthe concerns and needs of people generally. At the heart of a renewed visionof Church was an openness to listen, to read and to respond to the signs ofthe times.The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of people of this age,especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these too are the joysand hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed nothinggenuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts.3From the Second Vatican Council the hope was that Parish Councils wouldbecome effective vehicles for the promotion of an enriched understanding andan active implementation of the role of the People of God in the mission of theChurch.THE MISSION OF THE CHURCHThe concept of the mission of the Church is one that is both profound andvery simple. The challenge is to describe the mission of the Church in a waythat is encouraging and easily related to the ordinariness of day-to-day living.The mission of the Church, the People of God, can be understood as thecontinuation of the work of Jesus, which will proceed until God's values oflove, justice and peace reign in the hearts and lives of the people of allnations.3Vatican II, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 16

Four of the basic elements of the Church’s mission may be described as: proclaiming the good news of God’s love throughout the world inviting more and more people into the community of disciples sanctifying by encouraging the whole community of faith to grow inholiness transforming the world until justice, love and peace prevail.The following characteristics are evident, in varying degrees, in a missionfocussed Christian community, conscious of its union with Christ.Attractiveness:The community is recognised and valued as a source ofspiritual nourishment, belonging, healing, meaning,personal transformation and challenge.Hospitality:Each member of the community recognises and takes ona personal responsibility to welcome newcomers. A deepsense of respect for the dignity and worth of every personis a principle that underlies every action.Inclusiveness:There is a spirit of inclusion in the community foreveryone irrespective of age, personal circumstance,ability, behaviour, ethnicity, lifestyle preference, disabilityand degree of involvement.Outward focus:The community actively embraces a life-giving focusdirected towards recognising and responding to issues ofconcern within society generally. Members areencouraged and supported in their efforts to permeate allaspects of life with God's values of love, justice andpeace. Working with like-minded people in the widercommunity, they continually challenge the unjusttreatment of people and their environment, locally andglobally.The characteristics outlined form a framework within which Pastoral Councilscan evaluate their efforts to build a vital Christian community focussed onliving and promoting the mission of the Church.A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO THE MISSION OF THECHURCHCritical to a practical approach to the mission of the Church for the People ofGod is the realisation that the baptised followers of Jesus are not simplymembers of the Church; they ARE the Church. The mission of the Church isthe mission of the vast majority of church members who live out their lives inthe secular world, as well as the bishops, priests and religious women andmen working in specific church ministries.7

For many people, the mission of the Church is understood to be the workdone by bishops, priests, religious women and men, and those volunteers orpaid employees who serve in specific ministries of the Church. However,such an understanding overlooks the value of the vast amount of work carriedout daily, in God's name, by the majority of Church members. This happens inhomes and families, workplaces, community activities, the institutions ofsociety and leisure-time pursuits. It is only through the efforts of all the faithfulin these situations, that the Church can be present and active, transformingsociety like yeast in dough.In the daily circumstances of life, baptised persons encounter manyopportunities to participate in the Church's mission, acting consciously in waysthat reflect the love and compassion of God. All people of goodwill live andpromote the mission of the Church in their homes and families, in workplaces,at social gatherings and in the wider community when, consciously aware oftheir call to mission, they: show respect for another person's dignity and worth build life-giving relationships work conscientiously deal fairly with clients question underlying values offer practical help share faith and prayer celebrate Eucharist are generous, kind and/or friendly are honest and/or courageous listen helpfully share joy and enthusiasm forgive from the heart.There are many other ways in which the mission of the Church can be livedand promoted and it is such actions that: proclaim the good news, sometimes attracting others to seek anexplanation of what motivates and sustains those who follow Jesus as theWay, the Truth and the Life. inspire people to request membership of the Church. How many peopleseeking adult initiation nominate the faithful witness of a Catholic relative,friend or workmate as the source of their interest in becoming a Catholic? assist people to grow in love and compassion for those around them andto seek a deeper relationship with God. continue the work of transforming society into a place of justice, love andmutual respect.Action that transforms society begins with people who recognise their owndignity and worth. Flowing from this recognition comes the realisation of theright to live, work and spend leisure time in circumstances that reflect thatdignity.As individuals discover that their particular concerns or difficulties are sharedby many other people who all have the same dignity and rights, the8

possibilities for working together to effect change on a wider scale becomeevident, exciting and challenging.In the search for ways to build a more just and caring society, the People ofGod are led to question the causes and structures that bring suffering tosignificant numbers of people whose dignity and worth are disregarded asthey are denied their right to a fair share of the necessities of life.People who are committed to living their baptismal call in the ordinarycircumstances of daily life soon find that they cannot sustain their commitmentwithout regular attention to personal prayer and reflection on their dailyactivities. All need the help available through sharing Eucharist and studyingand reflecting on Scripture, as well as frequent opportunities for exchangingexperiences with others who share their commitment. In addition, assistanceis needed to develop knowledge and skills that facilitate the connection oflived experience with what can be learned from Scripture and the teachings ofthe Church.In summary, the People of God do not have to invent their mission or go aboutsearching for it. The very basis of response to the baptismal call to participateactively in the mission of the Church exists primarily in the ordinarycircumstances of everyday living. Consequently, it is a key element of thework of a Parish Pastoral Council to consider ways to provide opportunities forparishioners to: discover, or rediscover, the personal and community call to mission thatderives from their baptism sustain their efforts to live as Catholics who effectively transform society.THE REALITY ENCOUNTERED BY PASTORALCOUNCILSAny brief survey of parish communities will reveal that the People of God arefacing a range of issues that impact on their daily living, affecting their faithcommitment and participation in parish life. It might also be noted that parishstaff and community leaders do not escape the pressures felt by the peoplethey serve. It is not uncommon to find staff stretched to the limit in terms oftime, energy, too few personnel and limited finance, while at the same timetrying to deal with similar issues in family, workplace and the generalcommunity.Some of the significant factors impacting strongly on the lives of people whoform church communities include: overwhelming busyness that characterises much of life today, affectingpeople's health and their ability to identify and address problem areas intheir lives increasingly stressful work situations e.g. long hours, demands for highlevels of performance, intense competition for available work in country areas, the ravages of drought and low commodity prices leadingto despair unemployment or the fear of retrenchment or redundancy9

pressure on personal relationships often leading to dysfunctional familysituationsthe sense of failure experienced by many parents as they watch theirchildren reject treasured valuesthe sense of hopelessness, particularly as it affects young peoplealienation from the Church e.g. divorced/remarried, lifestyle preferencesa sense of there being no place for them in the Church e.g. young people,single adultsthe effects of chronic and/or terminal illness in familiespressures of caring for elderly relatives and/or children with particularneedsloneliness caused by illness, death of a loved one, isolation from family orfriends, lack of adequate transport, or being housebound caring for smallchildren or the chronically ill or elderlythe human tragedy caused by illicit drugs, alcohol and gamblinga sense of helplessness in the face of world-wide sufferingthe failure of ‘religion’ to address people’s spiritual hunger.At the same time, people are searching for: an understanding of the spiritual dimension of life a sense of God's presence meaning and purpose in their lives reasons to hope amidst the seeming chaos and negativity real happiness with family and friends ways to be sustained in their efforts and in their faith appropriate opportunities to be of service in areas of special need.People experiencing these situations may look to the Church for help to makesense of what is happening to them and to give meaning and value to whatthey are already doing. Their baptismal call is not intended to be an invitationto a life of endurance where they are simply putting up with life's difficulties.Rather, the invitation is to love faithfully and tenderly, to work with honestyand integrity, to pursue God's values of love, justice and peace in allundertakings, and to leave the imprint of God's goodness wherever they go.If the Church is to have relevance in today's circumstances, continuing effortsare required to find new ways to assist parishioners to connect their dailyexperience with the faith they proclaim and their efforts to live that faith eachday.When Pastoral Councils approach their task within the context of the missionof the Church, their focus needs to reflect an understanding of the hopes andconcerns of parishioners. Whatever actions are recommended, it is importantthat they be presented in ways that: give meaning to people's lives and value to what they are already doingbecome life-giving rather than an added burdenrespect and value the efforts and experiences of the pastconnect the faith professed with the concerns and difficulties experiencedoffer a sense of empowerment and hope.10

CONCLUSIONWhen Pastoral Councils experience encouragement and support as astructure integral to Church activity, their capacity to contribute to the life ofthe Church continues to evolve. In union with Christ, their task is to assist indeveloping a clear focus for a community intent on living and proclaimingGod’s values of love, justice and peace.From such a perspective, Pastoral Councils are challenged to be attentive tothe realities of life within society and constantly to search together with thecommunity being served, for where God may be leading. It is essentialtherefore that Council

Telephone: 07 3336 9362 Fax: 07 3336 9177 Email: mcl.fl@bne.catholic.net.au . The Pastoral Council and the Pastoral Staff/Team The Pastoral Council and Parish Groups . considerable numbers of Catholics, especially those involved in many lay apostolic organisations worldwide, have seen their

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