We, the Pastoral Council members of the Church of Saint John the Evangelist, pledge ourselves as participating Catholic Christians to serve in the discipleship of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and in the ministry of the Catholic Church.

We acknowledge that the Pastor, as spiritual shepherd of the parish community and as chief administrator of the Church of Saint John the Evangelist, has the ultimate responsibility for parish affairs as established by Canon Law. As Pastoral Council members, we support, advise and help him in fulfilling the mission of the Catholic Church in the community of Saint John the Evangelist.

THE MISSION OF
ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST

As a Catholic Christian Community, the People of St John the Evangelist have as their primary function the faithful witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, we are called:

- to proclaim and respond to the word of God

- to be a Community in which the faith and human needs of all, regardless of age or background are met

- to be a Community in which the unique gifts of all are utilized while respecting each others roles and competency

- to be a Community which serves its members and shares itself with the surrounding Community of believers and non-believers

- to be a living testament to the light and love of Christ in the World

ARTICLE I

NAME

The name of this body shall be the Saint John the Evangelist Pastoral Council, hereinafter referred to as the “Council.”

ARTICLE II

PURPOSES AND FUNCTIONS

Section 1. The purposes of the Council shall be:

a. To support the pastor in the mission of the Catholic Church in the parish.

b. To represent the community of Saint John the Evangelist to the Pastor.

c. To provide an open forum of communication and dialogue regarding parish affairs.

d. To assist the Pastor through recommendations and active cooperation in the setting of broad policy directions for the parish.

e. To encourage by all available means a vigorous and active participation in parish activities.

f. To collaborate with other religious bodies and with civic, business and professional organizations in working for the common good of the community.

g. To participate, by active cooperation with the Regional Council, in the total life and mission of the Catholic Church within the Archdiocese.

h. To be a visible witness to all people of the message and service of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Section 2. The Council shall perform the following functions:

a. It shall establish or recognize and work with parish ministries, organizations and other groups in fulfilling the mission of the parish.

b. It shall assist the Pastor in preparing an annual assessment of the needs and goals of the parish and determining priorities among such needs and goals with respect to the allotment of personal, physical and financial resources.

c. It shall review and adopt, with amendments at its discretion, the parish budget prepared and submitted to the Council by the Finance Committee and recommend the final overall budget to the Pastor.

d. It shall assist the pastor in rendering to all parishioners an annual report on the spiritual, material and financial condition of the parish.

e. It shall take whatever other action it may deem appropriate and necessary to fulfill the purposes set forth in Section 1 of this Article.

ARTICLE III

OPERATION

Section 1. The Council complements the talents and training of the staff by bringing to the common mission special knowledge, experience and skills. The Council members represent the voice of the parish. Therefore, the Council must candidly and fully deliberate all the items which come before it. After thoughtful consideration, the Council shall submit its conclusions in writing to the Pastor in the form of recommendations consisting of motions, duly made, seconded and passed by a majority vote.

Section 2. If the Pastor feels that he cannot accept and carry out the recommendations of the Council, he shall communicate his reservations to the assembled Council. If the Pastor does not communicate such reservations by the second next regularly scheduled meeting of the Council following the date on which the recommendations were submitted to him, the Council shall be entitled to presume their acceptance.

Section 3. If, notwithstanding the reservations expressed by the Pastor, the Council by a two-thirds majority shall vote to sustain its original recommendation, and no other means offers itself at the parish level to resolve the situation, either the Pastor or the Council through its Chairperson may petition the matter at issue to the ordinary for such action as he may deem fitting.

ARTICLE IV

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. The Council shall have three types of membership: ex officio, elected and appointed. All members shall have a full voice in all Council deliberations. They are responsible to be open, frank and creative, accepting and modifying ideas and proposals for the betterment of the spiritual and material growth of the community. Elected and appointed members to the Pastoral Council, including the Finance Chairperson, shall be voting members.

Section 2. Ex officio members of the Council shall be:

a. The Pastor
b. All associate priests regularly assigned to the parish
c. Permanent deacons regularly assigned to the parish
d. Other members of the Pastoral staff as assigned by the Pastor
e. The principal of the parish school
f. The Directors of Religious Education
g. The Youth Minister
h. One Sister of the religious community established in the parish. She will be chosen by all Sisters by any means the Sisters determine.
i. The Finance Committee Chairperson
j. The immediate past chairperson of the Council (unless holding an elected or appointed position)

Section 3. Elected members of the Council will be nine (9) members of the parish community who have been elected to the Council according to the electoral procedures specified in Article V, “Elections.” Elected members shall serve for a term of three (3) years. Elected members shall have a full voice and vote in Council sessions

Section 4. Appointed Members

a. Appointed members of the Council shall be appointed by the Pastor. The Pastor may not name more than three (3) adult lay persons to be appointed members. Appointed members shall serve for a term of three (3) years concurrent with the term of the elected members of the Council with whom they are appointed.

b. Two high school-age representatives from the Youth Ministry Core Team will be appointed to the Pastoral Council by the Pastor based on the recommendation of the Coordinator of Youth Ministry. They should be baptized and confirmed Catholics, active members of the parish community and at least sixteen years of age. They shall serve for a term of one year. Youth representatives may be appointed for a second one-year term. Due to the structure of the Youth Ministry Core Team, the youth representative will be appointed to begin their term in September. It will not be necessary for the youth representatives to attend regular Pastoral Council meetings unless items pertinent to youth are on the agenda.

Appointed members shall have a full voice and vote in Council sessions.

Section 5 All members shall serve until their successors are duly appointed or elected. No member shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive full terms. However, they can be appointed or elected again after at least one year off the Council.

ARTICLE V

ELECTIONS

Section 1. Any catholic person who (a) has attained the age of eighteen (18) years by the date of elections, (b) is a registered member of the parish in good standing, © fulfills his or her obligation to support the parish through verifiable means, and (d) is not a salaried employee of the parish shall be eligible for election to the Council. All persons meeting these same qualifications shall likewise be eligible to vote in such elections.

Section 2. The Chairperson at the general meeting held in the month of January shall appoint an Election Committee and designate the chairperson thereof. The Election Committee shall be responsible for conducting the elections of the members of the Council. The Election Committee shall actively seek and invite qualified parishioners to run as candidates for the Council and announce the nomination process in the parish bulletin. All qualified candidates shall be placed on the ballot. The number of candidates shall exceed the number of vacating elective seats on the Council.

Section 3. Elections shall be held on the third Sunday in May. They shall be by secret ballot and made available to all registered parishioners. The three (3) persons receiving the highest number of votes from qualified voters shall be declared elected. In the event of a tie, the members of the incumbent Council shall vote among themselves for one of the tied candidates.

Section 4. In the first election held following the ratification and adoption of this Constitution, the three (3) persons receiving the highest number of votes shall serve for a period of three (3) years, the person receiving the next highest number of votes shall serve for a period of two (2) years and the person receiving the next highest number of votes shall serve for a period of one (1) year. Thereafter, all elections shall be for a term of three (3) years.

Section 5. The new Council shall take office at the conclusion of the June meeting. In the event that a vacancy occurs on the Council among the elected membership during a member’s term, the person who had received the next highest number of votes shall be asked to fill out the remaining term of the vacating member. In the event that he or she declines, the remaining candidates shall be similarly asked to complete the term, in the order of the number of votes which each received. In the event a vacancy continues to exist, the Chairperson, with the advice and consent of the Council, shall appoint a lay person to complete the term.

ARTICLE VI

OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of the Council shall be a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and Secretary. The officers shall be chosen from the continuing members of the Council, both elected and appointed.

Section 2. The Chairperson shall facilitate all meetings of the Council. In consultation with the other members of the Council and the Pastor, the Chairperson shall make assignments of duties and responsibilities and appointments to positions as specified in the Constitution or as necessary for the effectiveness of the Council. The Chairperson shall perform all other duties that customarily evolve upon the office of the chairperson, not specifically mentioned herein.

Section 3. The Vice-Chairperson, in the absence of the Chairperson or in the event of the latter’s inability for any reason to carry out the functions of the office, shall assume, during such absence or disability, the duties of the Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson shall perform such duties as may be delegated by the Chairperson.

Section 4. The Secretary shall record minutes of all regular and special meetings of the Council, submit such minutes in writing, and preserve them in a permanent record. The Secretary shall make the minutes available to the Pastor and Council members. The Secretary shall inform the parish webmaster of updates necessary for the Council link on the parish website.

Section 5. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson shall automatically succeed and fill out the unexpired portion of the term. In the event of a vacancy in any office except that of the Chairperson, the Council shall elect someone from among its elected membership to fill the office until the next regularly scheduled election.

Section 6. Each officer shall, at the expiration of his/her term of office, turn over to his/her successor all books, papers and other records and property pertaining to this office not later than ten (10) days after said expiration.

ARTICLE VII

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the Pastor, the officers of the Council plus one elected member of the Council to be chosen by the Council.

Section 2. It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee to coordinate and prepare the agenda for all regular meetings of the Council and to make such agenda available to the Secretary for distribution prior to the meeting.

ARTICLE VIII

REPRESENTATIVES AND PARISH COMMITTEES

Section 1. Any voting member of the Council shall be designated by the Chairperson as representative to the Regional Council. Such representative shall act as liaison between the Council and the Regional Council, shall attend all meetings of the latter, and shall render regular reports to the Council on all matters which may be of interest or concern to it.

Section 2. The Chairperson shall designate voting members of the Council as representatives for the parish ministries, organizations and other groups which assist the parish in carrying out certain facets of parish life through various programs and activities.

Each representative shall be a liaison person with and point of contact on the Council for those ministries, organizations, and other groups identified by the Council as within that representative’s area of responsibility because of similarities in purposes, goals, programs or activities
The representatives shall facilitate communication between their ministries, organizations and other groups, the Pastor, the Council and the parish by talking to them and periodically informing the Council of their programs, activities and related matters.

The Council may establish or recognize parish ministries, organizations and other groups and assign them to the appropriate Council representative.

Section 3. The Council Chair, in consultation with the Executive Committee, may create any special or ad hoc committees as deemed necessary, and shall designate the members thereof.

Section 4. The Finance Committee shall assist the Pastor and Council in managing the financial affairs of the parish. It shall prepare budgets and take all other necessary measures, in coordination with the Council and the Pastor, to provide for the proper management of the financial affairs of the parish. Because of its canonical importance, the Pastor shall name the Finance Committee and its chairperson. The chairperson, if unable to attend a meeting, shall designate another member of the Finance Committee to represent the committee at Council meetings.

ARTICLE IX

MEETINGS

Section 1. The regular meetings of the Council shall be held on the third Tuesday of September, November, January, March, April and June.

Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the Pastor or with the concurrence of the Pastor, by the Chairperson, the Executive Committee or at the written request of any four members of the Council.

Section 3. Regular and special meetings of the Council shall be open to all parishioners.
Section 4. A majority of the voting members of the Council shall constitute a quorum. A quorum must be present to transact Council business.

ARTICLE X

AUTHORITY AND DECISION MAKING

Section 1. In matters of serious consequence to the parish community, the Council shall make every effort, in union with the Pastor, to arrive at a decision through consensus. Every member of the Council must be involved in the consensus building process and is urged to speak to the assembled Council his or her consent or reservations regarding the matter under discussion. The discussion must continue, addressing any reservations, until every member is either in favor of the decision or is willing to support the decision even though it may not be the preference of the individual. However, if a consensus cannot be reached and a decision cannot be deferred, a two-thirds vote of the members present shall be required for a decision.

Section 2. In all other matters not requiring a consensus decision, the rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the Council in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this Constitution, the Council By-Laws, and any special rules the Council may adopt.

Section 3. The Chairman of the Council may appoint a parliamentarian, who need not be a member of the Council, to assist and advise in presiding at all meetings.

ARTICLE XI

RATIFICATION AND AMENDMENTS

Section 1. A copy of this Constitution shall be available to all parishioners.

Section 2. Upon approval of this Constitution by two-thirds of the voting members of the Council at a regular meeting, provided that there shall have been appended to the call for such meeting a copy of this Constitution, this Constitution shall be operable and shall supersede and be a complete amendment of any earlier constitution.

Section 3. A proposed amendment to this Constitution must be presented in writing to the Council 30 days prior to the meeting at which the vote is to be taken. In addition, a copy of the proposed amendment shall be appended to the call for the meeting at which the vote is to be taken. The proposed amendment may not be brought before the Council for consideration unless three-fourths of the voting members are present at the meeting. A three-fourths majority vote of those present shall be required for adoption of the proposed amendment.

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