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Holy Trinity Catholic Church Fairview Heights, Illinois |
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Holy Trinity Catholic Church Fairview Heights, Illinois |
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Parish Pastoral Council
Purpose: The Parish Pastoral Council has two main purposes. The main focus of the council is to plan for the future of the parish. We work to determine what the needs of the parish will be in the coming years and put the resources in place to meet those needs. The second purpose is to act as a liaison between all of the parish groups. Each council member serves as a contact person for various parish groups. If there are any issues which a group feels needs to be discussed or acted upon by the Pastoral Council they should bring it to the attention of their council liaison.
Duties: The Council supports the mission of Holy Trinity parish by providing spiritual leadership, pastoral guidance, and strategic planning to ensure the renewal and future growth of our faith community. The Council implements the parish mission statement by striving to discern the real needs, spiritual and physical, of the parish and the wider Church and community and discover the resources to meet these needs. The Council encourages communication and cooperation among all groups and organizations within the parish by modeling the characteristics of a faith community and the principles of good decision-making. The Council assists the pastor in the development of parish policies and strategies to address those concerns and needs. Working with the pastor and the involvement of all members of the parish community, the Council assists in parish planning. This includes the formulation of a parish mission statement, the assessment of needs annually, the establishment of parish long and short-range goals and priorities, and their implementation, and evaluation. A Council is a consultative body. Through this council, the pastor is able to seek input on pastoral concerns as well as avail himself of the assistance needed for long-range pastoral planning. In this relationship, the council makes recommendations and the responsibility for final decisions belongs to the pastor.
News: Minutes from the last meeting. Upcoming meeting Agenda.
Eligibility: Any registered Parish member.
Members: Pastoral Council Members List
Schedule: Our council currently meets monthly on the fourth Thursday, beginning with a Pot Luck Dinner at 6:30 pm, in the School Cafeteria. The council members spend additional time outside of meetings in following up on action items assigned at the meetings and/or studying supplementary materials pertaining to council discussions. Our meetings begin with prayer and reflection and end in prayer. Sunday bulletin announcements are routinely used to communicate to the parish of the activities of this council.
Point of Contact: Tony Schneider (Chairperson)
Because we are a faith community in transition, the size of the council remains unresolved and will be addressed as the transition unfolds. All members of the council have equal roles, but there are several offices which are necessary for organizational purposes. The pastor always presides at council meetings, but the meeting is facilitated by a chairperson, who is also responsible for setting the agenda in collaboration with the pastor with input from the rest of the council. There is a vice-chairperson who is responsible for facilitation when the chairperson is absent. There is a secretary who is responsible for recording meeting minutes and noting official decisions.