Section 1. Council Definition

The Pastoral Council is a consultative body to the Pastor and is governed by
norms determined by the Archbishop of Seattle (Canon Law 536).

Section 2. Council Purpose

A. To form community so that it is a sign and witness of unity for the larger community. In forming community, council members are challenged to ongoing renewal through prayer, study, listening, and dialogue.

B. To provide recommendations about the priorities and direction of the parish through pastoral planning. In doing so, the Council is to become the means of achieving full participation by the whole parish in its mission by giving all a voice in guiding and directing parish life.

C. To promote communication and understanding among parish organizations and between the parish and the archdiocese and universal Church. In fostering communication and understanding, the Council initiates cross-organizational dialogue, especially among parish leadership, and may be the vehicle to inform the archbishop of parish needs and directions.
(You Are the Branches, page 29).

Section 3. Council Functions

A. To collaborate with the pastor in identifying the mission of the parish taking into consideration:
a) The universal mission of the church.
b) The published archdiocesan priorities and goals.
c) The unique gifts and characteristics of St. Anthony's community.

B. To assist the Pastor in developing and carrying out a planning process which will result in broad goals and a set of priorities which will reflect the parish mission statement taking into consideration:
1. Church teaching.
2. The needs of the parish community.
3. The needs of those whom the parish is called to serve.

C. To provide broad parameters for the allocation of human and financial resources in addressing the parish mission statement.

D. In the course of its planning activities, to provide for widespread consultation with parishioners, parish staff, parish leadership, committees, and other organizations, especially those who will have responsibility for administering programs.

E. To ensure that mechanisms and processes are in place to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of goals, priorities, policies, and resource allocations in such a way that a reoccurring planning cycle is established which results in new or reaffirmed goals and priorities on a regular basis.

Section 4. Membership

The Council shall have fourteen members including:

A. Pastor. The Pastor shall be a permanent member of the Council.
B. Recording Secretary. The recording secretary shall be recruited by the Chairperson, and will be a non-voting member of the Council.
C. Members. There will be twelve members who will be selected by the pastor and a selection committee.

Section 5. Qualifications

All council members should be:

A. Baptized and confirmed Roman Catholics in good standing with the Church.
B. Registered and supporting members of St. Anthony's parish.
C. Participants in parish life.
D. In possession of an understanding of and commitment to the Church in accord with the principles of Vatican II.
E. People who value prayer, study, listening and dialogue.
F. Committed to giving the time needed for participation.
G. Paid staff are not eligible to be Pastoral Council members.

Section 6. Terms of Membership

A. Members will serve a term of three years. Members may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. The second term, whether consecutive or not, must be attained through the entire process of the selection committee. Each year, four members of the Council will be newly selected.
(Discuss youth membership).

B. All resignations from the Council must be submitted to the chairperson or the pastor.

Section 7. Selection Process

A selection committee made up of: the pastor, the chairperson, and two other parishioners will review the applications of people interested in serving the parish on the Council. Suggested timelines are:

March Announce openings through the Bulletin.
April Selection committee reviews applications, and makes suggestions to the pastor.
May Pastor makes final selection.
June Pastor and chairperson train new members.
July New members invited to attend a dinner with the current council.
August New members become voting members of the council.

Section 8. Executive Committee

A. Election of Officers: A chairperson, vice-chairperson, and two council members will be elected from the members of the Council at the September meeting for a one-year term; and may be re-elected for another one-year term. The chair and vice-chair will serve until September of the following year. The Pastor is a permanent member of this committee.

B. The executive committee edits the minutes of the Council meetings, and releases an advance copy to be published in the Sunday Bulletin within a timely fashion.

C. The executive committee develops a yearly calendar of items to discuss and discern.

D. The executive committee sets the agenda for each Council meeting, and releases the agenda to be published in advance of the meetings.

Section 9. Meetings and Prayer

All meetings are to begin with prayer and reflection. In the spirit of shared responsibility, different Council members will be encouraged to lead prayer at Council meetings.

Section 10. Regular Council Meetings

A. Regular Council meetings will be held the first Wednesday evenings of each month.

B. Notice of the regular Council meeting will be published in the parish bulletin for two consecutive Sundays prior to the meeting.

C. Regular meetings will be open to anyone who wishes to attend as observers. People who wish to speak may when recognized by the chairperson.

D. People wishing to put an item on the agenda must contact either the chairperson or the pastor prior to the meeting.

E. The final agenda will be made available, in writing, to all Council members at least one week prior to a regular meeting.

F. To conduct a meeting, one-half of the current Council membership must be present, however, any major recommendations may be made only when two-thirds of the current Council membership are present.

G. Any member absent without notifying the chairperson or the Pastor for three consecutive meetings will forfeit membership on the Council, and will be notified.

Section 11. Special Meetings

A. Special Council meetings may be called by the chairperson and/or the Pastor.

B. Notice of special meetings and their purpose will be given to each member in a reasonable period of time prior to the meeting.

C. Special meetings may be open to all parishioners or restricted to Council membership, depending upon the purpose.

D. Ad hoc committees may be appointed from time to time to address a specific pastoral need. These committees will be formed for limited time spans, and will dissolve upon completion of their assigned project.

Section 12. Integrating Parish Consultative Bodies

The Council's planning process will be achieved by working with the consultative bodies in an integrated manner to provide for better communication, enhanced efficiency, and a greater spirit of collaboration among all those involved. Concerted effort will be made to collaborate with the staff and the Finance Council as per the Pastor's direction.

The integrating planning process requires:

A. That the planning process and each group's role in it be clarified at the outset.

B. The principle of subsidiarity will be maintained, that is, the sharing of responsibility demands the sharing of authority in direct proportion to the delegated responsibility. (You Are the Branches, pages 39-41).