Parish Pastoral Council
The Pastoral Council is a consultative body of members of the parish who assist the Pastor in fulfilling the mission of the Church. The Pastoral Council investigates, studies, and discusses matteres of concern to the parish at the direction of the Pastor. It then forms practical responses to these matters. These practical responses are recommendations to the Pastor, who has the right to withhold ratification of any recommendation. After the Pastor responds to the recommendations, the Pastoral Council may assist the Pastor with implementation. However, the responsibility of implementation lies with the Pastor.
Since it is the purpose of the Pastoral Council to advise the Pastor on matters of concern to the parish, the scope of matters can be quite large. Recommendations contrary to matters of faith, morals, Civil law, Universal and Particular Church law and policies, however, are not within the bounds of the Pastoral Council and these must always be observed in deliberations and recommendations. The Pastoral Council, as all of the parish, operates under the principles of the Parish Master Charter.