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Parish Council By-Laws

ST. JOSEPH’S PARISH COUNCIL BY-LAWS

Revised 02.11.2003

Article I — Purpose

The purpose of the St. Joseph’s Parish Council is to share with the Pastor the responsibility for the mission of the Parish as defined by the Council membership: "The mission of St. Joseph’s Parish, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, is to be instrumental in nourishing and fulfilling the spiritual needs of the Parish family through the teachings of Christ and the Catholic Church. Thereby, the members of St. Joseph’s Parish are empowered to preach the gospel by word and action within the broader community."

Article II — Membership

A) Ex-officio:

    • Pastor, Parochial Vicar and Deacon.
    • School Principal.
    • Directors of Religious Education.

Term of office is co-extensive with their position on the Parish staff.

B) Selected:

    • Eight registered and contributing parishioners, who are at least 18 years of age, to serve for a term of three years with a limit of two consecutive terms. Thereafter, one is ineligible to serve on the Council for a period of one year.

C) Appointed by the Pastor:

    • One parishioner, age 15-18, for a one-year term renewable at the discretion of the Pastor.

D) All members have the right to vote.

Article III — Selection of New Members

A) During the month of February, the Council Chairperson shall appoint an election committee of three Council members, no more than one of whom is ex-officio. The committee shall solicit candidates via advertising and personal invitation, the number of candidates to be at least equal to twice the number of vacancies to be filled. Any member of the Parish may nominate individuals for membership on the Parish Council.

B) By the end of March, the Election Committee will submit a list of candidates to the Executive Committee, which has the authority to reject the candidacy of any individual who, in the judgment of said committee, is not qualified to assume the responsibility of Parish leadership.

C) Selection will take place by lot at a weekend Mass during the month of April, including at least two alternates to fill unforeseen mid-term vacancies. The Chairperson shall notify all candidates of the results.

D) Newly selected members will be invited to attend the Council in May by way of orientation. The will be formally installed at the June meeting.

E) Membership on the Council requires regular attendance at meetings. Three unexcused absences in a single year shall be cause for termination of membership.

F) Should a vacancy occur during a member’s term on the Council, the Chairperson may, at his/her discretion, appoint another parishioner to fill the vacancy, preference being given to the list of alternates remaining from the most recent selection process.

Article IV — Officers

A) The officers of the Council are the Chairperson, the Vice-chairperson and the Secretary. They shall be elected annually by majority vote at the June meeting of the Council. Three-fourths of the Council membership must be present for the election of officers.

B) Should any office fall vacant in mid-term, it shall be filled by appointment of the Chairperson, after consulting with the Executive Committee. If the office of Chairperson falls vacant, the Vice-chairperson shall assume the office and appoint a new Vice-chairperson after consulting the Executive Committee.

C) Duties:
    1. Chairperson: Conduct the meetings of the Council, appoint ad hoc committees when necessary, fill membership vacancies occurring in midterm, appoint members as liaison with the standing committees, and perform other functions usually associated with this office.
    2. Vice-chairperson: Conduct meetings in the absence of the Chairperson, and perform such duties as the Chairperson may delegate.
    3. Secretary: Call the roll and determine the presence of a quorum, keep the minutes and forward them to the membership along with the agenda for the next meeting at an appropriate time prior to said meeting, and be responsible for any and all correspondence of the Council.

Article V — Committees

A) The Executive Committee consists of the Pastor, the officers of the Council, and an additional member-at-large elected by the Council at its June meeting. It shall conduct the business of the Council between scheduled Council meetings and prepare an agenda in advance of each Council meeting.

B) Standing committees and their functions:

1) Worship and Spirituality: to emphasize the liturgy as the most important element in the faith development of the parish, and offer other opportunities for spiritual enrichment, such as parish retreats, prayer services, etc.

2) Education: to provide educational services for all ages, including elementary school, religious education, youth ministry, R.C.I.A., and adult education.

3) Church and Family Life: to plan activities to strengthen relationships within the parish family, such as receptions, open houses, anniversary celebrations, etc.

4) Social Justice: to encourage parish participation in programs of service to the larger community, including food pantries, soup kitchens, refugee resettlement, etc.

5) Evangelization: to reach out to inactive Catholics and those with no religious affiliation, with a view to meeting their spiritual needs and increasing parish membership.

6) Finance: to maintain the financial viability of the Parish by means of budgeting, fundraising, and careful management of material assets.

C) At the September meeting of the Council, the Chairperson shall appoint a Council member as a representative to each of the standing committees. These representatives shall make periodic reports to the Council on behalf of their respective standing committees.

D) The membership of the standing committees shall be drawn from the Parish at large. Each committee elects its own chairperson and determines the frequency of its meetings.

Article VI — Meetings

A) The Council shall meet each month from September to June, unless the membership decides otherwise in particular cases. These regular meetings shall be open to parishioners.

B) Special meetings may be called by the Executive Committee, or by any five members of the Council via a joint written petition to the Chairperson.

C) A majority of the Council membership shall constitute a quorum. No matters requiring a vote may be decided in the absence of a quorum.

D) Meetings shall be held to a maximum of 90 minutes unless the membership should decide otherwise in a particular instance.

E) The Council should strive for consensus in its decisions. However, a majority vote, presuming the presence of a quorum, is sufficient to reach a decision.

F) Meetings should be conducted as informally as the agenda will allow. However, the Chairperson may invoke Robert’s Rules of Order if he/she deems it necessary in a particular case.

G) At the May meeting, the annual budget of the parish and school, which has be formulated by the Finance Committee, shall be presented to the Parish Council. Subsequently, if the work of the Council itself or any of its committees should require the expenditure of Parish funds not already authorized in the Parish budget, the permission of the Pastor is required.

H) By church law, the Pastor has a right to veto a Council decision. Should he do so, he should provide the Council with the rationale for his action, in keeping with the concept of shared responsibility for the leadership of the Parish.

Article VII — Amendments

These by-laws may be amended, repealed or replaced by a two-thirds vote of the Council membership. However, any amendment, repeal or replacement must be proposed at a meeting prior to the meeting at which the vote will take place, so that the members may have time to study and discuss the proposal.