MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT PARISH

DIOCESE OF FORT WORTH

ARLINGTON, TEXAS

GUIDELINES

Adopted November 2005

 MISSION STATEMENT:  The Pastoral Council serves the Parish by listening to its members to determine the real needs – spiritual, temporal, and social and by acting as a voice in communicating those needs to the Parish and Diocesan leadership, assigning priorities, encouraging action, and seeking resources of the Parish to meet those needs.

 MEMBERSHIP: The Council shall consist of 9 (nine) members recommended for appointment by a majority of the existing Council and approved by the Pastor.

Recommendation and Selection Process of Committee Members: Each recommended member must be a properly registered member of Most Blessed Sacrament Parish and will be required to submit to the Council a completed Biographical Profile.  Consideration should be given to ensuring a broad and diverse membership representative of the Parish body as a whole.

 OFFICERS:  The offices of Chairman and Secretary will be filled every other year from those having served for the year immediately prior to their election as Chairman.  The Chairman position is a two-year position.  The position of Secretary will be filled annually from the entire Council membership chosen to serve or the year of election.  Those seated to these positions will be recommended for appointment by the existing Council and approved by the Pastor. 

DUTIES:  The Council Chairman shall serve as the Council’s designated liaison to the Pastor.  The Secretary will record, maintain, and furnish to the parish office the minutes of all open sessions.  Members will attend Finance Committee budget Planning sessions as deemed appropriate; approve the annual Parish budget by majority consensus as required by the Diocese; and bring forth concerns and issues raised by fellow parishioners.

 INVITED GUESTS:  From time to time as deemed necessary, members of the Council may invite guests to attend working or formal sessions.  These guests may be representatives of various parish committees or outside parties with particular areas of expertise.

 TERM:  Each member shall serve for a term of three years with a third of the Council rotating off each year.  The year runs from January to December.

 MEETINGS:  The Council will meet monthly.  The first meeting of the year (January) will be a working session.  Sessions will alternate each month from working session to formal session.  working sessions will include only Committee Members and will be held for the purpose of developing the agenda for the formal session.  Formal sessions will include Committee Members, the Pastor, and invited guests.

 In addition to the monthly sessions, the Council will host a Parish Town Hall meeting each January (prior to the working session) for the purpose of identifying new needs and communicating progress on previously identified needs.

 REPORTING:  The Council will maintain minutes of each open session.  These minutes will be made available to interested parties through the parish office. The Council will also maintain an ongoing Town Hall Progress Report.