Parish Pastoral Councils
What is a Parish Pastoral Council?
The Parish Pastoral Council is a leadership body within the parish whose role is to develop and implement a mission-focused pastoral plan for the parish.
As servants to the wider community, Parish Pastoral Councils provide parishioners with forums for consultation and reflection on the mission of the Church in light of the signs of the times in the local neighborhood and the world.
Parish Pastoral Councils develop pastoral plans, based on the insight of the community, to enable the faith community to continue to live out the mission of the Gospel.
Parish Pastoral Councils then call forth leaders from the parish to implement and achieve the goals of the pastoral plan.
What do parish pastoral councils do?
Parish Pastoral Councils are charged with creating and implementing a pastoral plan in the life of the parish. Pastoral planning begins with a parish-wide dialogue on the mission of the Church, the perceptions of the community, and the current reality of the parish. This dialogue is facilitated by the Parish Pastoral Council.
When completed, the information gathered from these dialogues is taken by the PPC and the pastor and used to create a pastoral plan for the future. The pastoral plan articulates the goals and priorities of the parish community for the coming years.
The Parish Pastoral Council also calls forth individuals from the community to implement the goals of the pastoral plan. In this way, the Parish Pastoral Council members are parish leaders charged with developing other leaders.
What support will exist as parishes begin pastoral planning?
The Pastoral Planning Office is committed to supporting parishes, Parish Pastoral Councils and pastors as they begin this planning process. PPC facilitators will be visiting each parish to listen to their unique needs and circumstances, and will offer as much advice as possible. They are also available to assist with the process further on when an outside facilitator may be helpful.
The PPO will also offer formation opportunities and trainings to assist councils in understanding their roles and in initiating and implementing a pastoral planning process. Other offices of the Diocese will also be available to assist Parish Pastoral Councils as they address specific areas of parish life.
No parish should feel that they are alone in this process. We are all in this planning process together and are here to support one another. If you have questions or concerns at any point in the process, please contact the Pastoral Planning Office.