The purpose of the Pastoral Council is to promote the spiritual growth of the parish community and to plan ways for the parish to carry out the spiritual mission of the church.

It is not the purpose of the Pastoral Council to assume the administrative responsibility of the parish which are to be carried out by the pastor in conjunction with the parish staff and Finance Council. Rather it is the task of the Pastoral Council to guide the direction and priorities of pastoral life out of which the administrative responsibilities flow.

The Pastoral Council promotes the spiritual growth of the parish and plans ways for the parish to carry out the church's mission through the following four interdependent functions:

Spiritual Formation
The primary concern of the Pastoral Council is the spiritual growth of the parish community. The Council is committed to the ongoing spiritual renewal of parish life. Council members need to commit themselves to prayer and the study of church teachings and seek to serve as a model to the parish of prayer, cooperation, celebration and service.

Pastoral Planning
The Council is the pastoral planning body of the parish. It ensures ongoing collaboration among the people of the parish to assure that the ministries and life of the community promote the full mission of the church. While other groups focus on a specific ministry, the Pastoral Council is responsible for determining how the parish can be most effective in fulfilling its total mission. The Council discern what needs to be supported, changed, or developed to make the parish more faithful to the call of God.

This responsibility requires that the Pastoral Council will annually:

1. listen to and evaluate the overall experience and quality of life of the parish community.
2. develop (or update) and then recommend parish pastoral plans and priorities for the future.

The pastoral Council also serves as a planning review body. It provides consultation to the pastor regarding proposed goals, pastoral policies, or programs developed by the staff or other groups -- especially those that may involve significant change in or impact upon the life of the parish community.

Pastoral Policy Development
The Pastoral Council develops, reviews, and recommends pastoral policies. Although the Pastoral Council is a consultative body whose decisions are recommendations to the pastor, the pastor is responsible to ensure that major pastoral proposals developed by the staff or others be brought to the Pastoral Council for its review and recommendation.

Communication
The Council is responsible to communicate regularly wit the members of the parish community. This will be accomplished in part by the sponsoring of an annual parish-wide meeting, the interaction of Council members with various parish groups under the direction of the Liaison Coordinator, the timely publishing of the minutes of the council, and the ability of any parish member to bring appropriate concerns to the Council. The Pastoral Council will also communicate with the diocesan community and support communications with other faith communities and the local civic community.