Parish Council is a group of people who together are representing the entire parish and who plan and guide its growth. They are chosen by the parish to join with the pastor in a special service of long-range planning, the setting of parish priorities, and the implementation of programs through the Six Commissions. The Role of the Parish Council cannot be understood apart from the work to which the entire parish is called; and so this section looks first at the role of the whole parish before it examines more closely the role of the Parish Council.
General membership on the Council should include:
- pastor and all priests, permanent deacons, and other persons in full-time positions of leadership, such as the school principal, director of religious education, youth minister, or director of worship.
- lay people elected by the parish. The majority of the Council should always be composed of lay parishioners.
- special appointees. Provisions should be made for a small number of persons appointed by the Pastor (no more than three) in order to provide for an unrepresented segment of the parish if there is such a need after an election.
Responsibilities
The following are the six major responsibilities of the Syro Malabar Parish Council:
Priorities & Planning – To determine the priorities and plan with vision for the future
Implementation – To ensure that the programs and activities of the parish are carried out by the Commissions
Involvement – To involve everyone in the work of the parish
Shared Decision-Making – To enable as many people as possible to contribute to the process of decision-making in the parish
Cooperation with Diocese – To cooperate with diocesan departments and through the Deanery Council with other parishes and to carry out its work according to the priorities of the Diocese and under its guidance.