We, the Parish Pastoral Council, are a representative body of the Sts. Joachim and Ann Parish family. We are called to bring forth our individual giftedness to build up the Body of Christ here at Sts. Joachim and Ann. Through dialogue and prayerful discernment, we vision and provide leadership and direction for the wise stewardship of our Parish resources toward the realization of the vision, goals, and needs of our parish community.
PURPOSE
The Parish Pastoral Council assists the Pastor in the responsibility of providing pastoral care to the people of our Parish so that the Gospel may be brought forth and a truly Catholic Christian Community may be built. In this Council, which is presided over by the Pastor, Christ’s faithful, together with those who by virtue of their office are engaged in assisting with pastoral care in the Parish, give their help in fostering pastoral activity. The Council
is a consultative body to the Pastor;
assists in formulating a vision and plan for the future direction of Parish life;
serves as a channel of communication for the Pastor, parishioners and Parish staff;
assists the Pastor in providing leadership and direction in pursuit of the goals of the Parish's mission;
fosters cooperative interaction among the many Parish Ministries & Services;
assists the Pastor in an ongoing assessment of the spiritual and temporal needs of the individuals, families, and organizations that comprise our community;
provides counsel to the Pastor in setting priorities and developing and implementing programs aimed at meeting those needs.
In the vast expanse of human life and Parish life there are a multitude of places, persons, and experiences which will only be touched by the Gospel if it is carried there by the Lay Faithful. Especially with regard to these aspects of life, the Pastor must depend on the Parish Pastoral Council for its wisdom and its ministerial assistance, for they best can identify and articulate needs in this regard and they best will have insight into what means of approach will be most effective for ministry. The Council sometimes functions, therefore, as a “think tank,” an extra set of eyes, ears, and hands to keep a thumb on the pulse of the community and brainstorm, discern, and respond to the needs of the Parish. It is a liaison between the Parish community and our pastoral leadership. The Parish Pastoral Council can identify ministry needs and recommend solutions. It does not, however, manage finances. The Pastoral Pastoral Council does not allocate financial resources to accommodate specific needs. The Pastor bears accountability for Parish financial management with the consultative assistance of the Parish Finance Council.
MEMBERSHIP AND MEETINGS
The Parish Pastoral Council shall consist of the Pastor, Associate Pastor(s), any Deacon(s) assigned to the Parish, the Principals of the School and Parish School of Religion, and the Director of Religious Education. They will be ex officio members. It shall also consist of twelve at-large members who are elected by the Parishioners. Parish-wide elections are held annually in the spring and each elected member serves a three-year term. Members may serve on the Parish Pastoral Council for more than one term, but the terms may not be consecutive. Spouses may not serve jointly on the Parish Pastoral Council at the same time. Neither may a parishioner serve on the Parish Pastoral Council and on the Parish Finance Council at the same time. Vacancies on the Council are to be filled as soon as possible either by the person who in the last general election received the most votes short of election or, if that is not possible, by a person appointed by the Pastor.
The membership will elect from among themselves a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, and a Secretary. These officers will serve one-year terms and no more than two terms consecutively. The Pastor shall preside at the meetings of the Council, but the Chairperson shall chair all Council meetings and, having consulted the Pastor and membership in advance, shall formulate the agenda for each meeting. The Vice-Chairperson shall chair the meeting in the absence of the Chairperson. The Secretary shall distribute the agenda to the Council members in advance of each meeting and shall record and report the minutes of each meeting. In consultation with the Pastor, the Chairperson shall either personally serve or annually appoint one member of the Parish Pastoral Council to serve as an observer to the Parish Finance Council. As much as possible, if the Pastor requests the Parish Pastoral Council to undertake the making of a decision the decision shall be reached by consensus.
The Parish Pastoral Council is grateful for and humbled by the opportunity to serve you. We are humbly aware of the enormous opportunity and responsibility we have to serve the needs of our Parish.
Membership
2023 Pastoral Members are Steve Brodnick, Jeff Fleming, Josh Hartwell, Tom Karaianis, Brian Kelly, Melissa Lang, Don Lober, Paul Poston, Jason Salzman, Lisa Turnbull (President), and Carol Wilson.