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About the Pastoral Council of
Ministries
We come from different
backgrounds. We are all different ages. Some have young children, some
have grown children, some don't have any. We have much in common though.
We are all actively involved with St. Peter the Apostle parish, we care
about it and have a dream of making its mission statement ever more a
reality. We are the Pastoral Council.
Gone are the days of heads of the various ministries attending a meeting
and merely reporting their accomplishments to the pastor. This prior
reporting structure left the members of the parish council feeling that it
did not make much of a difference if they attended the meetings or not.
They could always read the reports later. Attendance and interest
diminished.
So, four years ago, a different and more productive format was
established. There currently are 12 council members, selected from the
various ministries to serve three year terms that are staggered so only a
portion have to be replaced every year. These council members are leaders
experienced with the many vibrant ministries that St. Peter's is comprised
of. They are also people with a vision of making the parish better, more
responsive to needs, of making it more effectively live out our parish
mission statement.
Because the current structure allows for a collaborative meeting, subjects
of concern about the parish are brought up either by Monsignor Slipe or by
the council after studying and evaluating pastoral situations. Members are
expected to share their wisdom and their informed opinions. The council
also sets annual goals for itself as a leadership and planning body.
One of the first goals the council accomplished was the mission statement.
More recently, knowing how vital good communication is to the working of a
parish, the council spurred the revamping of the website. It also set into
motion our now annual blood drive.
Because the council consists of people with parish leadership experience,
Monsignor Slipe often asks the opinion of the council on topics as they
arise. As an example, it was after consultation with the council and with
the pastoral staff, that Monsignor decided how to respond to the recent
sex abuse crisis.
Council members share their own feelings and views and, as leaders
actively involved with the parish community, their sense of the way people
in the broader community think or feel about certain needs or topics.
Monsignor listens intently to the direction the council members think
should be taken, many times concurring with our advice, but sometimes not.
In either case, he has consulted with the council as his principal group
of parish advisors. As the pastor of St. Peter's, both canonically and
pragmatically, the ultimate decision and responsibility are his. At every
meeting, there is also an open discussion section in which council members
can bring to the table various issues to be discussed.
This format is still relatively new, and changes to it are made as
necessary. One concern with not having every single ministry be
represented by the council was that their needs might not get addressed by
the parish. To ensure that this does not happen, the council separated the
different ministries into "clusters" -- word, worship, community building,
and service and provided liaisons from the council to each one. The
pastoral council liaisons communicate with the ministry leaders of their
cluster. The council has also dedicated two of their meetings a year to
the clusters, in which the ministry leaders are invited to meet with the
council, share news of their activities, network with one another, and
describe any needs they may have.
The council members are happy with the new format. It is very fulfilling
to have a part in the direction of the parish. It's great to see new ideas
be discussed, and try to bring them to fruition to enhance the lives of
those that are part of our parish.
Ultimately, the council's purpose is to ensure that the life of the Parish
reflects the mission of Jesus and that all parishioners are provided with
the opportunity to share in that mission. Parishioners are invited and
encouraged to contact members of the Pastoral Council with your ideas and
concerns about St. Peter the Apostle Parish. Members will bring your
comments to the Pastoral Council meetings for discussion. Click
here for the current list of Pastoral
Council members.
Back to
Pastoral Council of Ministries Main Page
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