Parish Pastoral Council

CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL – Fr. Gary Studniewski -  frgary@blessedsacramentdc.org

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL – Jay Hauck
WORSHIP COMMISSION CHAIR – Khary Couthen
OUTREACH COMMISSION CHAIR – to be named 
FAITH FORMATION COMMISSION CHAIR – Ann Hoffman
COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION CHAIR – to be named
COMMUNITY LIFE COMMISSION CHAIR – Eli Angelo
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS COMMISSON CHAIR – Jim Whitty

Ex-Officio Members

SCHOOL REP – Tim Gardiner
SCHOOL OF RELIGION REP – to be named
CYO REP – Monica Murphy-Kumar
YOUTH MINISTRY REP – to be named
PAST PRESIDENT - Patricia Byers

(Updated Sept. 14, 2022)

Mission

Mission Statement

The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament is a welcoming Catholic community whose people encounter Christ in the Eucharist and serve Him in our neighbor."

• According to the archdiocesan guidelines, “the parish pastoral council is a consultative body for the pastor. Through reflection, prayer, planning, motivation and support, the parish pastoral council serves the pastor by helping identify and encourage those ministries or services that are needed for the growth of a living parish community, evaluated and implemented on a regular basis.” (Parish Pastoral Council Guidelines, p.5). Typical Council activities include:

• Commitment to the Archdiocese of Washington’s focus on the New Evangelization, which “is not one specific action, but rather a way of seeing a whole range of activities carried on by the church to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ” (Guidelines, p.1)

• Consultation on forming and carrying out the parish’s pastoral priorities, keeping always in mind the commandments to love God and neighbor.Through reflection, prayer, planning, setting goals and priorities, [the Council] responds to the movement of the Holy Spir.5) it in the life of the parish and to the Bishop’s pastoral vision for the archdiocese.” (Guidelines, p5)

• Consultation on maintaining a Strategic Plan that establishes priorities and strategies for reaching common goals over several years.

• Consultation on any matter of parish business, either at the pastor’s request or on its own initiative. “Council members take leadership in the coordination, motivation, support and valuation of pastoral activities in the parish.”

• Discussion of action on regular reports from the commissions (Buildings and Grounds, Communications, Community Life, Faith Formation, Outreach, Worship), whose collective purview includes all parish ministries and services;

• Guidance, encouragement and assistance to these Commissions as occasion warrants. “Concerned with the overall pastoral development of the parish, the pastoral council will serve as liaison to the various parish groups or coordinate the implementation of specific initiatives at the request of the pastor.” (Guidelines, p.5)

Structure

Membership

The members of the pastoral council freely accept the call to serve.  They understand that their baptismal call, which they share with every Christian, is to live out the Gospel.  They accept the challenge to nourish this same spirit within the parish community.
The membership of the Pastoral Council is determined by the pastor and may vary from year to year. The Commission Chairs, Blessed Sacrament School, School of Religion, and the Sodality are ex officio members of the Council. The pastor appoints a President and Vice President who will serve as the executive committee along with the previous President. The Pastor appoints the remaining members from among parishioners who volunteer to serve.

The principal criteria for selecting Council members are general competence for leadership, a love of parish and the wider Church, commitment to the New Evangelization, and an enthusiastic interest in promoting and implementing parish worship and service.

Before the first meeting of the year, the parish will provide orientation for officers and members in their roles on the Council.
Ideally, the Council will be generally representative of the parish as regards gender, age and ethnicity.

Members serve a term of three years. Ideally only one third of the council would complete their tenure in one year. The Pastor will fill the vacancy should a member of the Council miss two meetings without excuse.
The Pastor is Chair of the Pastoral Council. The Council Chair will:

1. Attend all Council meetings, unless pastoral duties require otherwise;
2. Exercise authority over Council deliberations and actions as he deems necessary;
3. Receive and consider all Council recommendations; and
4. Once recommendations are approved, give direction to the Council, the commissions and parish staff regarding their implementation.

1. Steadily articulate and maintain the mission statement of the Pastoral Council;
2. Decide the agenda for all Council meetings, in consultation with the Pastor;
3. Convene and lead all Council meetings;
4. Monitor the implementation of Council decisions;
5. Ensure that members submit scheduled reports to the Council in a timely fashion;
6. Appoint a Secretary to record minutes of meetings; and
7. Report directly to the Pastor.

1. Prepare for and attend all meetings, except in case of excused absence;
2. Study carefully any documentation prepared in advance for Council discussions;
3. Contribute to Council discussions;
4. Represent the viewpoint of their constituency while working for the common good of the parish and;
5. Bring forward at Council meetings any specific recommendations given or clarifications needed by their commission.
6. All Commission Chairs are urged to work with a Vice Chair that will succeed them.

Operations

Pastoral Council meetings begin and end with prayer.

Since the Pastoral Council is a consultative body, all its decisions are subject to the Pastor’s approval. Once such approval is given, members, volunteers and staff will collaborate to implement Council decisions in a timely fashion.

The Pastoral Council meets five times a year for approximately two hours.  Orientation takes place in early September with meetings to follow in October, December, February, April and June.  The June meeting typically includes a dinner. Commission meetings will take place in late September, November, January, March and May. Council and Commission meetings are generally scheduled for the second Tuesday.