BY-LAWS OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL Revised: April 18, 2017 Article I Name of the Organization The name of the organization is the Saints Peter and Paul Parish Pastoral Council (hereinafter the Council ). Article II Purpose and Function A. The Council is the visionary body of the parish whose charge is to move the parish forward in the mission and goals of the parish as set forth in its Mission Statement. B. As the primary consultative organization of the parish, the Council advises the Pastor in overseeing and coordinating the activity of all parish organizations through designated Commissions. By prayerfully evaluating and advising the organizations and the Commissions with respect to their policies, procedures and programs, the Council seeks to relate the work of these bodies to the mission of the parish as a whole. Mission Statement The members of Saints Peter and Paul parish are part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church founded by Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world. We are a community of believers united in the Christian faith with Peter s successor, the Bishop of Rome, and all those in communion with him including our bishop, the Bishop of Joliet. As such, the mission of our parish, like the mission of every Catholic parish, is to help people grow in holiness by living lives that reflect the love of the Most Holy Trinity. We do this by studying and proclaiming the Word of God, and by celebrating the Sacraments of the Church, including, preeminently, the Eucharist in which Christ feeds the faithful with His very Body and Blood. By following the call of the Holy Spirit, by imitating Jesus Christ and seeking to do the Father s will, we share the truth of the Gospel with others by our testimony and example. Through acts of charity and social justice we seek to build a culture of life in the world today as we long for the Kingdom of God in the world to come. Article III Members A. Members of the Council must be practicing Catholics, in full communion with the Church, at least 18 years of age and registered in Saints Peter and Paul Parish. Lay employees of the parish may not serve as Members of the Council. B. The Council shall consist of twelve lay Members, the Pastor, and the Associate Pastors. The twelve lay Members of the Council shall consist of: 1. Six (6) At-Large Members, and 2. Six (6) Commission Members, one from each of the following Commissions and a Representative from the School Board: a. Christian Worship Commission b. Christian Service Commission c. Administration Commission d. Religious Education Commission e. Parish Life Commission f. The New Evangelization Commission g. School Board Representative 1
C. At-Large Members will be selected by an election following a parish-wide nomination procedure. The beginning of the terms served by At- Large Members shall be staggered such that no more than two new At-Large Members will be selected in any given year. The selection of At-Large Members shall be on a rotating basis, coinciding with the Church Liturgical Cycles, as follows: the year of Cycle A, two positions; the year of Cycle B, two positions; the year of Cycle C, two positions. See the attachment for the current years of the terms. At-Large Members will serve three-year terms, and may serve a second term if confirmed by more than two thirds of the Council. After serving two consecutive terms, a hiatus of at least one year is required before seeking a subsequent term. D. Commission Members will be appointed by the Pastor. Upon his or her appointment by the Pastor as a member of the Council, the Commission Member shall also become the chairperson for the respective commission on which he or she serves. Commission Members will serve three-year terms, and may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms for that particular commission. The beginning of the terms served by Commission Members shall be staggered such that no more than two new Commission Members will be chosen in any one year. Appointments will be made on a rotating basis, coinciding with the Church Liturgical Cycles, as follows: the year of Cycle A, Administration and Parish Life; Cycle B, Education and the New Evangelization; Cycle C, Service and Worship. See the attachment for the current years of the terms. A commission member may be appointed after a hiatus of at least one year before serving a subsequent term. E. Election of At-Large Members 1. The election process for selecting new At-Large Members shall commence in March of each year with a parish-wide announcement of the open Council positions and an explanation of the election process. The Council shall solicit nominations for the open positions from the parish as a whole by announcements in the bulletin and on the parish website, and by personal invitation. The pastor shall select a date certain for the close of nominations. Together with the current members of the Council, the pastor shall host an informational and discernment meeting during which the responsibilities of Parish Council members will be explained and the suitability of the various nominees evaluated. Following this meeting the names of the candidates approved by the Pastor for the open Council positions shall be published in the bulletin and on the parish website, together with a brief statement prepared by each candidate setting forth his or her qualifications and reasons for seeking the position. Members of the parish shall elect the new At-Large Members of the Council by ballot. The selection of new At-Large Members shall be completed prior to the Council s May meeting. 2. If only one (1) Parishioner submits name for candidacy a. If only one (1) parishioner per open position has submitted their name(s) as candidate(s) for open At-Large Parish Council position(s) by the stated deadline, the Parish Council will entertain a motion to waive the requirement for an election by the parishioners and award the open position(s) to those candidate(s) (state name or names) as duly elected member(s) of the Parish Council. b. A simple majority of the members present will be required to waive the election in this circumstance. c. Discussion and votes will be conducted in executive session. 3. If one candidate fails to receive a majority confirmation vote by the Parish Council a. If that vote fails to receive a majority of the members present, the council will set a date certain for the election process to be held as defined in Section E.1. 2
F. Newly selected Council Members are invited to and introduced at the May meeting (or last meeting of the year). This meeting will serve as the orientation session. New members will be seated at the first meeting of the new council year. G. A position on the Council may become vacant either by the resignation or the removal of a Council Member. 1. A Council Member may resign from his or her position on Council. Resignation occurs automatically when: a. A Council Member is no longer a member of the parish, b. A Council Member has two unexcused absences within a year; or c. A written notice of resignation is received and accepted by the Council President. 2. A Council Member may be removed by a vote of three-quarters of all the Members of the Council. Prior to any vote for removal, the Member who is the subject of the vote will be given the opportunity to express his or her views at the meeting at which the vote will take place. Discussion and votes will be conducted in executive session. 3. A Council Member may be removed by the Pastor. 4. The vacancy of an At-Large Council Member position may be filled by appointment for the balance of the un-expired term by the Pastor with a vote of two-thirds approval from the Council. Council members may offer recommendations for consideration. 5. The vacancy of a Commission Member position will be filled by appointment of the Pastor for the balance of the un-expired term. Article IV Officers A. Two Council Members will serve as officers for the Council. The officers will be as follows: 1. President 2. Vice President B. The officers for the Parish Council will be selected annually through a process of election at the last meeting of each Council year. Any current Member of the Parish Council may be considered as a candidate for the offices of President and Vice President. C. Each officer s term shall be one year in length. A Member may serve no more than three consecutive terms in the same office. D. The officers respective duties are as follows: 1. The President will: a. Preside at all Council meetings as the chairperson; and b. Have the power to establish whatever committees are necessary to carry out the function of the Council. 2. The Vice President will: a. Assume the role and duties of the President if the President is unavailable; and b. Carry out other duties as assigned by the President. 3
E. A Recording Secretary shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Council. The Recording Secretary may, but need not be, a Member of the Council. If the Recording Secretary is not a Member, he or she will not have voting privileges. The role of the Recording Secretary will be to record the proceedings at Council meetings, and to prepare and distribute to Council Members the minutes from the meetings together with a meeting agenda. Article V Meetings A. Regular meetings will be held at a pre-determined time and place at the discretion of the Council. Changes in the time and place of the meeting may be made at the discretion of the Pastor or the Council. B. A special meeting may be called by the Pastor or President acting alone, or any three Council Members acting in concert who believe that such a meeting is necessary. C. Council meetings are open to all members of the parish, with the exception of those meetings or portions of meetings held in executive session. D. A quorum of more than fifty-percent of the Council Members is necessary for any meeting. Article VI Commissions A. The six standing Commissions are the working bodies of the Council. These Commissions and their basic purposes are as follows: 1. Christian Worship Commission The purpose of the Christian Worship Commission is to promote continuing liturgical renewal by developing the spiritual and liturgical life of the parish community. 2. Christian Service Commission The purpose of Christian Service Commission is to enable the parish community to put into practice the moral and social teaching of the Church. The commission creates or promotes programs at various levels of society which respond to human needs and achieve justice. 3. Religious Education Commission The purpose of the Christian Education Commission is to continue the teaching mission of the Church. The commission is concerned with continuous, life-long Christian education for all members of the parish. 4. Administration Commission The purpose of the Administration Commission is to see to the stewardship of parish resources. It has the task of planning, providing for and supervising the financial affairs and physical properties of the parish. The commission is also responsible for effective communication within the parish, overseeing the publication of the Steeple, the weekly parish bulletin, and the parish web-site. 4
5. Parish Life Commission The purpose of the Parish Life Commission is to oversee those organizations and committees that affect the lives of parishioners and to bring about involvement in the parish. 6. The New Evangelization Commission The purpose of the Commission for the New Evangelization is to deepen the faith and commitment of those who are already baptized by calling them into a more profound relationship with Christ. Through the use of both traditional means of communication and new technologies, the commission seeks to engage the culture in which we live and to inspire it with the values of the Gospel. Article VII Decision Making A. In all matters that come before the Council decisions based on consensus will be the preferred method of resolution. In the absence of consensus, following due deliberation and a thorough airing of all views, a majority of Council Members voting shall represent the decision of the Council as a whole. B. For expediency in routine matters, Robert s Rules of Order may be used at the discretion of the President. Article VIII Amendment of the By-Laws A. Amendments to the By-Laws must be ratified by a two-thirds vote of the Council. B. Amendments must be introduced at least one meeting prior to the vote on their ratification. C. Proposed amendments will be made available to any parish member desiring a copy. D. The Council shall cause the By-Laws to be reviewed at least once every three years and as needed. Policy & Procedures of the Saints Peter & Paul Parish Pastoral Council Standing Committees of the Parish Pastoral Council The By-Laws Review Committee--This committee shall consist of at least two Members of the Council and shall be appointed by the Council President at the regular August meeting for a one year term. The duties of this committee are: A. To review the actions of the Council as they relate to the By-Laws and cite any irregularities that might occur. B. To review the By-Laws on a yearly basis and advise the Council with respect to possible revision when appropriate. 5
Revision Date: January 16, 2012 Attachment to the Saints Peter & Paul Parish Pastoral Council By Laws Terms of Members Membership on the Council by both At-Large and Commission Members is served in three year terms. Each term commences in June of a particular Liturgical Calendar Cycle. The following chart displays the current terms and Cycles in which they began and the year they will be completed. While a Member may leave a term before it has lapsed, the term remains the same, a member appointed to complete a term completes the unexpired term before commencing a new term. Position Beginning of Term End of term At-Large A-1 2008 (Cycle A) 2011 (Cycle A) At-Large A-2 2008 (Cycle A) 2011 (Cycle A) At-Large B-1 2009 (Cycle B) 2012 (Cycle B) At-Large B-2 2009 (Cycle B) 2012 (Cycle B) At-Large C-1 2010 (Cycle C) 2013 (Cycle C) At-Large C-2 2010 (Cycle C) 2013 (Cycle C) Administration 2008 (Cycle A) 2011 (Cycle A) Parish Life 2008 (Cycle A) 2011 (Cycle A) Christian Education 2009 (Cycle B) 2012 (Cycle B) New Evangelization 2009 (Cycle B) 2012 (Cycle B) Christian Service 2010 (Cycle C) 2013 (Cycle C) Worship 2010 (Cycle C) 2013 (Cycle C) 6