THE CONSTITUTION OF ST. JOSEPH’S PASTORAL ADVISORY COUNCIL

(REVISED June 1996)

Article I. Existence and Name:

The Pastor shall establish a pastoral council named:
ST. JOSEPH’S PASTORAL ADVISORY COUNCIL.

Article II. Purpose:

The St. Joseph’s Pastoral Advisory Council shall be an advisory body to the Pastor to expand and enhance the decision-making process of: (1) pastoral planning and goal-setting, (2) developing and implementing pastoral programs, and (3) improving pastoral services. The purpose of the Council is to advise the Pastor in areas of pastoral activities.

Article III. Membership:

The membership of St. Joseph’s Pastoral Advisory Council shall consist of the Parochial Vicar(s) and Deacon(s) of the parish; an executive board consisting of a President, Vice President, Secretary; representative of parish organizations, as designated by the Pastor; the Parochial School Principal; the Director of Religious Education; and other parishioners, as appointed by the Pastor or elected as At Large members. All members of the Council will be baptized Catholics in good canonical standing. They must also be registered and active in the parish. Appendix A contains a list of parish organizations represented on the Pastoral Council and their designated representatives. The list of current organizations shall be updated annually to reflect organizations and their representative. Additional committees can be established or abolished by the Pastor as deemed necessary.

Article IV. Meetings:

Types: The St. Joseph’s Pastoral Advisory Council shall consist of three types of meetings: General Membership Meetings, Executive Board Meetings and Special Meetings.

Schedule: General Membership meetings shall be held on the third Tuesday of each month, September through May, at 8:00 p.m. Executive Board meeting shall be conducted in June, July and August in lieu of a General Membership Meeting. The Executive Board Meeting shall be conducted anytime, at the Pastor’s discretion giving at least a week’s notice whenever possible. Special meetings may be conducted at any time as the Pastor views necessary.

Agenda: The Executive Board shall meet with the Pastor prior to each General Membership meeting to determine an agenda and to assist in determining what information will be required to facilitate informed discussion.

Procedures: The basic procedural guide for this Council will be Christian Charity. This norm includes the obligation to listen carefully to all members of the Council and to seek a reasonable consensus on the directions to be taken by the parish in the fulfillment of its pastoral mission. In general, the meeting shall consist of: (1) an opening prayer, (2) approval or modification of the previous meeting’s minutes, (3) reports from representatives of parish organizations, (4) discussion of Old and New business, (5) Pastor’s comments, and (6) closing prayer.

Quorum: One more than half of the total member of the Council shall constitute a quorum. No proxy or absentee voting will be permitted.

Article V. Official Duties:

The Pastoral Advisory Council President shall conduct the meetings. In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall serve in his or her capacity. The Secretary shall record the minutes of all Council meetings, post the minutes in the church vestibule, distribute the minutes at the PAC meetings for approval, and file all parish organization reports. Representatives of parish organizations shall make verbal reports on their organization at the PAC meetings. If the report is longer than a few sentences, the organization representative shall submit a written report.

Article VI. Elections:

Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Pastor, the Council President, one other Council member and two parishioners appointed by the Pastor.

Nominations: The Nominating Committee shall solicit nominations from the general parish membership after all the Masses on the weekend designated by the PAC at the February PAC General Membership meeting and approved by the Pastor. The Nominating Committee shall review the list of nominees, verify that the nominees are registered members of St. Joseph Parish over the age of 21, and present the list of eligible nominees to the Pastor for approval. The Nominating Committee shall contact all nominees from the approved list and secure the consent of two or more candidates for the offices of President, Vice President and Secretary, and six or more candidates for the At Large positions. At the April General Membership meeting, the Nominating Committee shall report to the PAC the list of candidates as they will appear on the ballot.

Election Committee: The Pastor and Executive Board shall appoint an Election Committee consisting of at least three members of the PAC. It will be the responsibility of the Election Committee to (a) Prepare the ballots, (b) Secure the biographical information of each candidate including a photo if possible, (c) Prepare this information for inclusion in the St. Joseph Church Bulletin the second weekend of May, (d) Obtain volunteers to man the voting table after each Mass, (e) tabulate the votes and report the results to the Pastor and the PAC, (f) notify the Parish via the bulletin. No member of this Committee or volunteers manning the voting table shall be a candidate for election.

Annual Elections: The election of the Executive Board Officers and the At Large Members for the Council shall take place after each Mass during the third weekend of May. All positions to be filled by election will be decided by a vote of the registered adult members of St. Joseph Parish. The person(s) elected to office will have received a plurality vote. No proxy or absentee ballots are allowed. The newly elected officers shall take office after having been installed by the Pastor. The officers of the Pastoral Advisory Council will be elected for one-year terms and no person shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive one-year terms in the same office. In addition, no person shall serve on the Executive Board for more than two consecutive years, either in one or several capacities. A lapse of a full year shall take place before he/she becomes eligible to serve on the Executive Board. However, the Pastor may supersede these requirements based on the immediate necessities of the parish. Should a tie vote occur, the candidate with seniority by date of parish registration will be elected.

Article VII. Adoption and Revisions:

These articles of organization may be revised by submitting in writing the proposed revisions to the Executive Board. Revisions may be recommended by a majority vote of a quorum. These articles shall be adopted and go into effect when signed by the Pastor. This Constitution remains in effect until such revision or cancellation. When a new Pastor is assigned to the parish, the existing Constitution will be reviewed and modified, if needed, by the new Pastor and the Pastoral Advisory Council.

Article VIII. Dedication:

Dedication: All activity under this Constitution is dedicated to the Glory of God.

Appendix A: PASTORAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ROSTER

Reference:

Most Rev. John R. Keating, Bishop of Arlington, “A Pastoral Letter on Consultation in the Parish,” dated September 17, 1984.