CONSTITUTION FOR
THE PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL OF
THE PARISH COMMUNITY OF ST. JEROME
CURRENT REVISION MAY 15, 2014
APPROVED MAY 15, 2014
The people of St. Jerome Church are a Catholic parish community united in the love and grace of Jesus Christ; to celebrate the sacraments and our faith, to proclaim and teach the Gospel values of Christ and His Church, to nurture our faith community, and to respond to the needs of those in and beyond our parish through worship and service.
Mission Statement for the Parish
Adopted November 2002 by the Parish Council
1ST REVISION APRIL 23, 1992
APPROVED MAY 21, 1992
1st revision by the Council
with assistance of
Pat Durkin, Staff
2ND REVISION FEBRUARY 17, 1995
APPROVED MARCH 16, 1995
2nd revision by the Council
3RD REVISION OCTOBER 19, 1995
APPROVED DECEMBER 21, 1995
3rd revision by the Council
4TH REVISION SEPTEMBER 19, 1996
APPROVED NOVEMBER 21, 1996
4th revision by the Council
5TH REVISION SEPTEMBER 18, 1997
APPROVED NOVEMBER 20,1997
5th revision by the Council
6THREVISION OCTOBER 16, 2003
APPROVED OCTOBER 16, 2003
6th revision by the Council
7th REVISION MAY 15, 2014
APPROVED MAY 15, 2014
7th revision by the Council
ARTICLE INAME
The name of this Parish Pastoral Council shall be "The Parish Pastoral Council of the Church of St. Jerome", sometimes hereinafter referred to as “The Council”.
ARTICLE IIPURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES
The Parish Pastoral Council, composed of representatives of the entire parish community, shall work and consult with the Pastor in all matters which vitally affect the spiritual and material well-being of the parish so that the members of the parish, through their representation on the Council, will share in the making of those decisions and recommendations which will best serve the parish community. The Council shall be dedicated to promote its mission statement and goals.
ARTICLE IIISTRUCTURE OF THE COUNCIL
Section 1.Composition of the Council
The Council consists of the following voting members: one member to be appointed by each of the parish commissions on Finance, Education, Marketing and Building and Maintenance and 9 members to be selected by a special process involving the entire congregation. Three of these nineselected members will be appointed by the Council to act as liaisons with the other three commissions: Social Action, Parish Community Life and Worship/Liturgy. The two trustees will be non-voting ex officio members.
The Council will also have representation of the Pastor and/or Pastoral Minister(s). When assigned to the parish, the Pastor and/or Pastoral Minister(s)role will include communicating to the Council the status of current events within the parish community. The Pastoral Minister(s) areconsidered non-voting ex officio members. Both the Pastor and the Pastoral Minister(s) act as the Bishop’s representative to the parish. In the absence of the Pastor, the Pastoral Minister(s) will act as the Pastor’s (Bishop’s) stand-in.
Section 2.Qualifications
1.Eighteen (18) years of age or over
2.A believing, praying Catholic
3.An active registered member of the parish
4.Knowledgeable about the parish and its tasks
5.Motivated to serve the church
6.Motivated to unify and reconcile the whole parish and the community
7.Committed to attend a workshop to prepare for ministry on the Council as provided.
8.Willing to devote considerable time and effort to meetings and committee work.
9.Accepting of the teachings of Vatican II
10.Of good reputation and moral character
Section 3.Term of Office
Members appointed by parish committees orselected by the entire congregation will serve three year, staggered terms. No member, with the exclusion of the ex officio members, shall serve more than two successive three year terms. The Council may, however, by a majority vote, extend the length of service past the two successive terms for any member due to extenuating circumstances.
Section 4.Vacancies
Any mid-year term vacancy on the Council shall be filled as soon as possible by an appointed replacement who receives a majority vote of a quorum, or, by a person appointed by the impacted commission if the vacancy involves a commission liaison.
Section 5.Removal From the Council
Any member may be removed from the Council by a two-thirds majority vote of the full membership of the Council whenever, in its judgment, the best interests of the Council will be served by such removal. Absence from three (3) consecutive meetings of the Council enables the Council to terminate his/her membership therein.
ARTICLE IVOFFICERS
Section 1.
The officers of the Council shall be President, Vice President, Recording Secretary and such other officers as the Council shall from time to time deem necessary. The officers shall be elected annually at the regular Council meeting in May, and shall assume the duties of their new offices at the beginning of the regular Council meeting the following September. Their terms of office shall be one (1) year or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of a quorum of The Council.
1.The President shall preside at Council meetings and shall be a member of the Executive
Committee of the Council. The President is also responsible for preparing and the distribution of the meeting’s agenda.
2.The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in his/her absenceand shall
be a member of the Executive Committee of the Council.
3.The Recording Secretary shall keep the minutes of Council meetings and be responsible
for the distribution of those minutes to the Council members. The Recording Secretary shall also be a member of the Executive Committee of the Council.
ARTICLE VMEETINGS
Section 1.Type and Place of Meetings
All meetings of the Council shall be held at parish facilities, or such other places as may be determined by the Council and shall be open to all members of the parish, except when designated by a majority of voting members as an "Executive Session".
1.An open meeting is one which all parish members may attend, and at which they may
speak an allotted amount of time if they are on the agenda and if recognized by the
Council President.
2.An Executive Session is one closed to all except Council members for the purpose of dealing with personnel or policy matters judged by the Council to be harmful to individuals if dealt with at an open meeting; or with legal or financial matters that would jeopardize the parish if dealt with at an open meeting.
Section 2.Date and Notice of Meetings.
Regular meetings will be scheduled for the third Thursday evening of the month, at least eight (8) times a year, unless otherwise indicated in the monthly calendar of parish events,published in the weekly bulletin.
Section 3.Quorum
A majority of the voting members of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the purposes of transacting business at any regular or special meeting.
Section 4.Agenda
At the end of each meeting, the Parish Pastoral Council has the responsibility to suggest an agenda which seeks to balance prayer, study and business. Any member of the parish wishing to bring a matter before the Council may submit the matter to a Council member in writing for the purposes of consideration for the agenda. Requests to place matters on the agenda shall be in such form as shall be established from time to time by the Council. Each member of the Council shall be furnished a final agenda not less than three (3) days before a Council meeting. The agenda will be published the weekend prior to the scheduled meeting. The Council may hold an open forum when deemed necessary.
Section 5.Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Council may be called by the Executive Committee, or the President shall call a special meeting at the written request of three or more members of the Council. No other business shall be transacted at any special meeting of the Council except that stated in the notice of the meeting.
Section 6.Rules and Procedures
All business coming before the Council shall be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Parliamentary Procedure, except as may be modified from time to time by a majority of the voting members of the Council.
Section 7.Minutes
Minutes of the proceedings of the Council shall be kept and the Recording Secretary shall have them typed and a copy distributed to each member of the Council for review prior to the next regular meeting. The Recording Secretary shall place the approved minutes in the parish file designated for this purpose. Minutes of all Council meetings shall be open for inspection by any member of the parish.
ARTICLE VICOMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES
Section 1.
The following standing commissions (not limited to council members) are hereby established.
1.Worship/Liturgy
2.Education
- Finance
- Marketing
5.Building and Maintenance
6.Social Action
7.Community Life
8.Such other commissions as deemed appropriate, as needed
Section 2.Function
The commissions, which include the various standing committees in their areas, will function independently of the Council and be free to investigate their own areas of concern and to make recommendations to the Council on meeting these needs. Each commission will have the responsibility for formulating its own budget which will then be presented to the Finance Commission. All commissions shall communicate regularly and openly with the Council through a member designated for that purpose.
Section 3.Relationship to the Council
The Parish Pastoral Council, in agreement with the Pastor, shall have the right of final review and approval of all budgets.
ARTICLE VIIEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1.Membership
The Executive Committee of the Council shall be composed of the Pastor and/or Pastoral Minister(s) and those council officers as designated in Section 1, Article IV.
Section 2.Responsibility
It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee to coordinate and prepare the agenda for all regular meetings of the Council and to make such agenda available to the recording secretary for distribution prior to the meetings. Minutes of the Executive Committee shall be made available to the Council prior to the next meeting.
The Parish Council Executive Committee will meet prior to the first Council meeting in September to determine the Council goal(s) to be pursued during the upcoming school calendar year cycle. Additionally, this committee or its appointed sub-committee may review the results of the annual Parish Pastoral Council Evaluations and present those results and any subsequent recommendations to the Council.
Section 3.Meetings
Meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by the President of the Council. The Pastor and/or Pastoral Minister(s) may call for a meeting in unusual circumstances. Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be open to members of the parish, except where designated as an "Executive Session" – refer to ARTICLE V, Section 1.
ARTICLE VIIIBYLAWS
Bylaws governing the conduct of the business of the Council, including rules governing elections and meetings of the Council and its committees, may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the full membership of the Council at any regular meeting of the Council, provided four (4) weeks previous notice has been given to members.
ARTICLE IXAMENDMENTS
Amendments to this constitution may be made at any regular meeting of the Council by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the full membership of the Council provided that four (4) weeks written notice of the proposed amendment has been given to members.
ARTICLE XRECONSIDERATION OF COUNCIL DECISION
Section 1.
The Council shall, in the manner and to the extent set forth in this constitution, be the policy making body for all matters of the parish except to the extent limited by church law, faith and morals, archdiocesan policy and civil law.
Section 2.
In any case where the Pastor interprets an action of the Council or any of its committees to be outside the limits set forth in Section 1, he shall promptly present such interpretations to the Council and ask for reconsideration. Pending reconsideration, the effect of the action shall be suspended.
Section 3.
The reconsideration shall be the first item on the agenda for the next scheduled meeting and resolved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the full membership of the Council.
Section 4.
If an action is taken by the Council in his absence, the Pastor can request reconsideration at the next scheduled Council meeting.
BYLAWS FOR THE PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL CONSTITUTION
MAY 15, 2014
SELECTION PROCESS FOR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS
1.During the first week of October, the parish is asked to pray and consider qualified people who might be willing to serve if nominated.
2.In mid October, nominations are received by ballots distributed and collected during the weekend Masses and the week following those Masses.
3.The Parish Pastoral Council Executive Committee, acting as nominating committee, approves and contacts all nominees, inquiring as to their willingness to serve if selected.
4.In early November, on the 1st or 2nd Sunday of the month, the new member or members needed are selected by draw from among those approved nominees willing to serve. This selection will take place during the chosen liturgy, usually 10:30 Sunday Mass.
5.New members shall begin service at the November meeting following their selection.
ROTATION OF MEMBERS
Nine members of the Council are selected by a special process involving the entire congregation. These members are chosen to serve on 3 year staggered terms. Each year, 3 of these members’ terms will expire. These positions are rotated as indicated in the Selection Process above.
Those Council members appointed by the individual commissions or by the Pastor as pastoral delegates are appointed at the will of those commissions or the Pastor. However, a “term” shall not be more than 3 years and no member shall serve more than 2 successive terms.
Ex officio members have no term limitations. Thus, they are not rotated.
Persons chosen to complete the term assignment of a Council member shall do just that. Their rotation will occur at the same period as scheduled for the original member of this Council position. Exceptions to rotation limitations can be made as provided in Article III, Section 3, of the Parish Pastoral Council Constitution.
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