Members of the Cathedral parish and the wider Cathedral community are invited to a meeting in the Cathedral, where information on the Cathedral Pastoral Council will be provided and new members sought. This meeting will take place on Tuesday 17 May 2011 at 19:30, in the Cathedral retro-choir.
What is a parish Pastoral Council?
The parish Pastoral Council is a recommended structure within the church, concerned with the pastoral activities of parish life. It is made up of a representative body of the faithful, and must include the parish priest. The Pastoral Council shares the responsibility for building the parish into a vibrant Christian community that promotes Gospel values of love, justice and peace. It is a consultative body of leaders who actively seek the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and are guided by the teachings, laws, and recommendations of the universal church and the local diocesan church.
A vision for Pastoral Councils
The purpose of the parish Pastoral Council is to attend to the spiritual and pastoral needs of the parish in partnership with the local priest. The work of the Pastoral Council is to seek out the needs of the parishioners through various ways – e.g. a parish survey, a listening process, etc. – and to adress them pastorally. The Council maintains an overview of the whole parish and plans strategically to ensure that the faith of the community is nurtured and strengthened through various initialitves and with the help of as many people in the parish as possible. A parish Pastoral Council is distinguished from other community groups by its spiritual and pastoral focus.
In the achievement of its goals, the Council is motivated by a spirit of mission to all people living with the parish rather than simply the maintenance of existing structures. Simply, it is living out our call in the parish "to love on another".
What committment is needed?
- One meeting per month, apart from July and August.
- To prepare for meetings.
- A committment for three years.
What kind of people are needed?
- People who can be representative of the whole parish.
- People who are in touch with life in the parish and who care about its needs.
- People who have time and energy to give to doing something positive.
- People who can work as a team, and who can listen and learn.
- People who are willing to try new things and take risks.
- People who are willing to put time into planning and reviewing their work.
- People who are open to the Spirit of God and can make things happen.