Vatican II called on all Catholics to recognize and respond to their vocation to ministry. (Lumen Gentium, 37)

When parishioners share their needs and desires with pastors, they actively participate in this ministry. In line with this, the Bishop of San Jose mandates that each parish form consultative bodies to support pastoral work and manage parish resources. One such body is the pastoral council.

The pastoral council stewards the parish mission and strategic plan, advising the pastor and staff on parish matters. Through a process of study, reflection, and open discussion, the council provides recommendations to the pastor. This process, known as pastoral planning, involves investigating, considering, and recommending solutions.

OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE IN LEADERSHIP
Parishes are dynamic communities and have many facets. Engagement and dialogue are essential to lead a parish. A significant group of dialogue and engagement is the Pastoral Council. The Council meets monthly to discuss matters related to parish life, mission, and concerns. Members of the Council are selected through a discernment process.

If you are interested in serving as a member of the Council, or know someone who you believe would be a asset to the Council, please use the nomination box located in the vestibule of the church or in the parish office.

Want to learn more? Contact Lisa Rauschmeyer: jrauschmay@aol.com

Ex-officio:
Fr. Joseph Benedict, Pastor

The council’s work includes:

1. Reviewing and communicating the parish vision, mission, and strategic plan.
2. Developing goals based on the mission and strategic plan of the parish.
3. Collaborating with other groups to develop mission group goals.
4. Sharing progress and goals of the strategic plan with the parish.
5. Supporting other parish organizations in achieving their goals.
6. Evaluating progress of goals and strategic plan annually.
7. Organizing town hall meetings to involve parishioners in future planning.

Additionally, the council will be responsible to oversee the nomination period for discernment:

1. Announcing the start and end of the nomination period to the parish.
2. Placing nomination boxes in the church, parish center, and school offices.
3. Collecting and delivering nominations to the parish administrator, who compiles the list. The pastor or administrator will then contact nominees to gauge their interest in serving on the council.

The pastoral council meets monthly at the parish center, except in July and August, typically on the second Tuesday. The pastor may adjust meeting times or add extra meetings as needed for the parish’s benefit.

The Sacred Heart Parish pastoral council consists of 7-9 members chosen through a discernment process based on diocesan guidelines. Ex-officio members include the pastor, parish administrator, and assigned parochial vicars. One council member serves as the recording secretary. Prospective Council members must be available to attend Council meetings and be active members of one if not more of Parish Mission groups. Council nominees do not represent or advocate a particular agenda or constituency group within the parish but rather represent the interests of the parish as a whole. Membership cannot be renewed with a consecutive term but former members can be re-nominated and discerned after a one year hiatus. The pastor may request members to stay on the council beyond their term if needed.

The process of selecting future pastoral council members is called discernment.

Discernment proceeds under the leadership of the pastor and involves current pastoral council members. It may also involve historical members or leaders within the parish community.

The discernment process for insuring Pastoral Council membership shall contain the following steps:

1. Requests for nominations for pastoral council membership shall be announced at the discretion of the pastor but usually no later than mid-March. Nomination boxes with nomination forms shall be placed and identified in the church vestibule, front office of the parish center, religious education and school office counters. The nominating period shall last for 30 days from the date of announcement. Qualifications for Pastoral Council membership include: 1. at least 16 years of age, 2. A practicing Catholic, devout to the Eucharist and Word of God and 3. A member of the parish for at least 1 year. Parishioners can self nominate or nominate someone else who meets the qualifications.
2. No later than the end of March, the pastor and/or his delegate contact all nominees to ascertain their desire to consider membership on the council.
3. No later than mid-April, the Pastor and Pastoral Council members host a reception and information session to acquaint nominees and other interested parishioners with the purpose of the Council and how it functions. During the information part of the meeting, the pastor and council chairperson will explain the purpose and work of the council. The meeting will have a prayer service component to help guide prospective members determine their candidacy. At the conclusion of prayer, the pastor will invite nominees to decide if they wish to proceed with further discernment and that those who do want to proceed will be expected to attend a subsequent session with the pastor and pastoral council members to explore further their candidacy. with the discernment committee.
4. The second discernment session is scheduled no later than early May and is facilitated by the pastor or his designee.
5. At the conclusion of the second discernment session, the Pastoral Council members recommend to the pastor the nominees whom they believe are best suited to fill the vacant positions. As soon after the second discernment session as possible, the pastor finalizes his selections and then contacts all nominees within 24 hours and conveys his decision to them. Results are published in the parish bulletin.
6. New incoming members participate in the June meeting of the pastoral council at which time outgoing members are thanked for their years of service.