Parish Governance        

The descriptions which follow are taken from Preparing Your Parish for the New Millennium: Parish Structure and Organization, published by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

“Pastor is the title given to an ordained priest who has been delegated by the local bishop to be responsible for the sacramental ministry, preaching, and pastoral care of a parish. Although the pastor participates in the ministry of the bishop, who has primary responsibility for the pastoral care of people in his diocese, each local pastor has rights and responsibilities assigned to him by canon law for the good of the parish.

“Consultative bodies are those groups of parishioners who advise and assist the pastor . . . in the sacramental and pastoral ministry of the parish. . . . Their primary role is to provide recommendations in the areas of policy and procedures, general advice and counsel, and specific suggestions on parish issues and concerns . . . .

“The Pastoral Council [commonly termed the ‘Parish Council’] is a consultative body that advises and assists the pastor . . . in the areas of planning, policymaking, and overall coordination of parish activities.

“Commissions are subgroups of the pastoral council responsible for recommending guidelines, developing goals, and coordinating activities in a specific area of ministry. . . Commissions help the parish develop and care for the human, physical, and financial resources that are necessary to carry out its mission and ministries. . . . In addition, commissions assist the pastor . . . in selecting staff and volunteers in various areas of parish ministry and in participating in performance reviews as appropriate. However, final responsibility for the selection, supervision, and retention of parish staff and volunteers rests with the pastor . . . .

“. . . Commissions may be composed of from five to fifteen at-large members and pastoral staff representatives. At-large members may be elected or appointed, while staff representatives are chosen by the pastor. Members of the commission elect a chair, who serves as a member of the pastoral council (ex officio).

“The number and names of commissions will vary, depending on the size of the parish and the scope of its mission. . . . It is recommended that all parishes have commissions responsible for spiritual life, faith formation, stewardship, family life/social concerns (or parish life and Christian service), and the parish school (where appropriate).”

Six commissions have been established at Christ the King. All ministries and programs report to the pastor through the commissions. The ministries and programs are categorized under the commissions in the above webpages.