How to Set Up a Parish Council

Please advise how I could go about setting up a parish pastoral council. I have been in this parish for seven years and there is no such council here. I have spoken to our priest a few times, and no joy. Many parishioners complain of the same issue. How do we do this the correct way? Name Withheld

If your parish priest has decided not to have a parish pastoral council, he must have a reason for it. You say you have spoken to him a few times about it but you don’t mention why he has declined your request. It would have been helpful for me to know this.

The only person authorised to set up a parish pastoral council is the parish priest. He is the chief pastor of his flock. This means that the correct way to get a legitimate pastoral parish council off the ground is with his complete consent and cooperation.

Canon law prescribes that the pastoral council is presided over by the parish priest. Its membership consists of Christ’s faithful together with those who by virtue of their office are engaged in pastoral care in the parish. It has only a consultative vote as regulated by norms laid down by the diocesan bishop (c536).

This implies that the members are the priest’s willing assistants in his work of teaching, sanctifying and directing the affairs of the parish community. They together discuss and plan for the pastoral needs and programmes of the parish community, the priest hearing what they recommend and then giving his own views.

When there is a good spirit of teamwork, the council functions well, but the final decision on any matter, contentious or otherwise, belongs to the parish priest alone. If he should not agree to a particular proposal, he should clearly and charitably explain why, and so preserve the pastoral council’s common purpose.

It seems to me that there is a kind of stand-off between your priest and yourself, since he apparently gives you no joy despite your attempts to win him round. If so, there must be a reason for that too.

I suggest that the only way forward would be to ask your priest for a cordial meeting between him, yourself and the other concerned parishioners. All should be open to hearing the other side, because each could possess some preconceived ideas about the motives of the other.

You could give sound reasons why you think a parish council is needed, and what pastoral shortcomings it could rectify. The priest could present his argument in turn.

The whole object of the meeting would be to clear the air and satisfy you why or why not the establishment of a parish council is feasible.