Parish Pastoral Council

CONSTITUTION OF THE ST EDMUND’S PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL 2021

  1.  The purpose of St Edmund’s Parish Pastoral Council is to assist and advise the priest on any matter concerning the spiritual growth, pastoral care and administration of the parish.
  2. The priest administering the parish is a member of the Parish Pastoral Council by right.
  3. The Chair and Vice Chair shall be elected by the council from among its members at the first meeting after each Annual General Meeting.  The Minutes Secretary shall be a member of the council and shall be appointed annually, at the same meeting.
  4. The council shall consist of four elected Catholic parishioners, two from each Mass centre, plus ex officio members as follows:  Communications Officer, Head of School, Parish Catechist, Parish Safeguarding Officer and a representative from the parish Finance Committee.  If a casual vacancy occurs, it shall be filled by the council co-opting another member.
  5. Elected members shall serve a term of office of three years.  Members standing down may offer themselves for re-election.  No elected member may serve more than two consecutive terms.
  6. All co-opted members will serve until the next elections.
  7. Meetings of the council will normally be held every quarter, with additional meetings as required.
  8. For the purpose of a meeting of the council, one half of the elected members with the parish priest will form a quorum.
  9. All members, whether elected, ex-officio or co-opted, shall have full voting rights.
  10. There will be an annual general meeting in early July each year at which the council will report to the parish.  At least four weeks’ notice of such meeting will be published in the parish Newsletter.
  11. Nomination forms for persons wishing to serve on the council will be distributed at Sunday Mass and any person nominated must have a proposer and a seconder, both of whom must be parishioners.
  12. Election to the council will be by means of nomination papers in the first instance followed by ballot papers distributed at Sunday Mass.  Election results will be announced at the Annual General Meeting.
  13. Only parishioners will be able to vote.   For this purpose, a parishioner is defined as any Catholic aged 16 or over residing in the parish, or any person aged sixteen and over who regularly attends Mass in either of the churches in the parish.
  14. The council may set up sub-committees for any purpose other than financial and persons who are not members of the council may serve on these sub-committees if invited to do so.
  15. Proposed amendments to this constitution must be given in writing to the Chair by 31 March of any year, for discussion at the following Annual General Meeting.