COUNCIL COMMISSIONS

FUNCTIONS OF THE PARISH
PASTORAL COUNCIL COMMISSIONS


The Commissions work:

A. to investigate the needs of their own areas of concern in Parish life and to make recommendations to the Parish Pastoral Council on meeting these needs;
B. to ascertain needs and to understand and implement policies of the Church, e.g.: Parish, Diocesan, National, and Universal;

C. to collaborate with the Pastoral Staff in its areas of
concern;

D. to develop objectives flowing from the Parish Mission
Statement and Goals;

E. to provide an annual evaluation of objectives and programs;
F. to promote and infuse Justice and Peace concepts into their
respective areas of concern;

G. to report regularly to the Parish Pastoral Council on the status of their objectives, planning, and implementation Council approval is needed for major changes, policies and actions, e.g.: an addition/deletion of an objective or projected budget overrun;
H. to propose and to recommend a budget to the Parish
Pastoral Council;

I. to use the consensus method, respecting the
principle of subsidiarity;
J. to choose a Chairperson and to hold regular meetings;

K. to choose a Spokesperson to the Parish Pastoral Council;

L. to review and to implement the policies of the Archdiocese of Detroit and to take advantage of Archdiocesan Central Services and programs;
M. to choose one of its members to become a member of the corresponding Vicariate Pastoral Council Commission;

N. to propose policy for the Council's consideration;

O. to oversee the work of its committees

RELATIONSlHP BETWEEN
COMMISSIONS

The Commissions are equal partners. No one of them has greater importance than another. The individual Commissions are not intended to function independently nor in a state of isolation from one another. Instead, they relate to each other on a regular basis through the Parish Pastoral Council. They also relate through the coordinating work of the Pastoral Staff. Commissions should communicate directly and collaborate on common projects.

STRUCTURE OF THE PARISH
PASTORAL COUNCIL COMMISSIONS

Membership of Commissions
The optimal number of members of the Commission is between eight and twelve persons. The appropriate Pastoral Staff persons are to be resources to the Commissions and, as necessary or helpful, its committees.

Spokespersons from the various committees are to be members of the Commission. Spokespersons from local Parish groups and other members of the Parish may be members of the Commissions.
NOTE: Since the Pastoral Staff serve as resource persons to the Commissions, they do not function as Commission or Committee Chairpersons.

Commission Membership on the Council

The Commission chooses a member as Spokesperson to the Council.
NOTE: The Commission may wish to choose someone other than the Commission Chairperson as Spokesperson so as not to overwork the Chairperson and thus prevent burn out and stagnation. More importantly, this will empower others by creating more opportunities for leadership.

Role of the Pastoral Staff

By the very nature of their work, the Pastoral Staff are resource persons to the Commissions. The appropriate Pastoral Staff persons should be identified to work cooperatively with their respectivec. Commissions include members from the Pastoral Staff and significant groups within the Parish, e.g.: persons with disabilities, youth, young adults. seniors. unemployed persons.

Commission(s) and any of the committees. The Pastoral Staff person continually guides, coordinates, and assists the Commission members to implement the objectives flowing from the goals set by the Parish Pastoral Council.

Commission meetings should be scheduled so that it is possible for the Pastoral Staff person to attend and participate fully. The Pastoral Staff person's active involvement in Commission work contributes much to a sense of collaboration. If the Pastoral Staff person is unable to attend a certain meeting, the Commission Chairperson should keep the Pastoral Staff person apprised of the Commission's work.

Role of the Chairperson
The Chairperson is the key individual in the effective functioning of
a Commission. The main responsibility of the Chairperson is to move the meeting smoothly through the agenda. As the Commission's leader, the Chairperson keeps communication flowing among all levels.

In collaboration with the Pastor or appropriate Pastoral Staff
member the Chairperson is responsible for establishing the agenda. She/he also notifies members prior to the Commission meetings (usually done in cooperation with the appropriate Staff members). In addition, the Chairperson appoints committees to study or address particular concerns as needed.

Role of the Committees

Commissions carry on their ministries by the formation of committees. Committees bear the responsibility of one specific area of the Commission's concern.

Spokespersons from each committee are present at each Commission meeting so that the total needs of each particular Commission are met.