The Parish Pastoral Council is one of the natural outcomes of the Second Vatican Council, which states so clearly that “all the laity have the exalted duty of working for the ever greater spread of the divine plan of salvation” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, #33). This document goes on to state that “[b]y reason of the knowledge, competence or pre-eminence which they have, the laity are empowered – indeed, sometimes obliged – to manifest their opinion on those things which pertain to the good of the Church” (#37).
As is stated so clearly in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Rational, Principles and Guidelines for Parish Pastoral Councils: “The purpose of the Parish Pastoral Council is to foster full participation of the entire parish in the life and mission of the parish and of the Universal Church. …The general function of this Council is to advise the pastor in those pastoral matters presented to it by the pastor. It carries out its function by informing the pastor of the needs and concerns, gifts and resources of the whole parish and its members.”
The Parish Pastoral Council of St. Katharine of Siena Parish was formed in 1993. It performed one of its first tasks – developing a parish mission statement – with brilliant clarity; you will find it on a plaque in the church vestibule and on the top of the second-to-the-last page of the Parish Bulletin. It reads:
We, of St. Katharine of Siena Parish, believe that we have been gifted with life, faith and discipleship. Empowered by Jesus in word and sacrament, we are called to grow in wisdom and grace, fidelity to His Church, and in service to our brothers and sisters.
Over the nearly eight years since I was assigned here, I have worked hard with the Parish Pastoral Council to develop Parish Pastoral Plans – as you know, we recently published our second, five-year Parish Pastoral Plan. We continue to work with all of the many parish organizations to ensure that they help us as a community grow in wisdom and grace, fidelity to His Church and in service to our brothers and sisters. It has been a very satisfying process for all of us.
Presently, the elected members of the Parish Pastoral Council are: JoAnne Alexander, Bill Bruno, Dan Hayes, Erika Murdocca, Betty Sabol and Jessica Waltman. The Archdiocesan Guidelines call for some ex officio members, and ours include Colleen Maguire, the Coordinator of Parish Life and Ministry, Bud Tosti, our school Principal, Sr. Mary Elizabeth Karalis, SSJ, our Parish Director of Religious Education and myself. Up to three Council members are to be appointed by the pastor “in order to reflect the diversity in the parish community.” I am grateful that Bob McAlain, Pat Scanlon and Jeff Walkenhorst have accepted my invitation to be appointed to the Council.
Elected members are to serve a three-year term. Bill Bruno, Erika Murdocca and Betty Sabol were all elected in June 2014 and were kind enough to stay an extra two years as the Pastoral Council completed its review of all the parish organizations and developed our second Parish Pastoral Plan. All three will be retiring from the Council this June. Consequently, I would like to hold nominations and elections in the next few months and invite all of you to consider nominating someone, including yourself; the only requirement is that the nominee be 18 years of age or older and a member of the parish in good standing.
In a few weeks, I will describe the work of the Parish Pastoral Council in greater detail and explain the nomination process more fully. In the meantime, if you have any needs or concerns, gifts or resources that you would like to make known for the good of the parish, feel free to contact me or any of the Council members. You can be assured that you will be heard and the issues you raise will be considered.