Back to Holy Cross Main Page

adopted January 24, 1998

Articles 7 and 8 amended July, 2000

Preamble

Holy Cross Community Mission Statement

As members of the body of Christ we, the Community of Holy Cross, strive to:

• Glorify God through worship as a community.
• Grow together in faith, hope, and love through personal and communal prayer.
• Give more of our time, talent, and treasure.
• Provide Christian education opportunities throughout all stages of life.
• Evangelize through word and example.
• Work for justice and peace within our community and the world.
• Unite with other Christians and dialogue with those of other religious traditions to further the Kingdom of God.

We, the members of the Holy Cross Community Pastoral Council, accept as our primary role the responsibility to refine, promote, and provide a positive impetus toward the realization of our parish Mission Statement.

Article 1 - Title

This organization shall be known as the Holy Cross Community Pastoral Council, serving the Roman Catholic parish of Holy Cross, in the diocese of Covington, Kentucky.

Article 2 - Purpose

The purposes of this Community Pastoral Council are:

1. To refine, articulate, and promote the Mission Statement of the Community of Holy Cross.

2. To consult with the pastor to recommend direction and policy which will effectively and efficiently accomplish the parish mission.

3. To assess the needs of the parish, set priorities for programs and services to meet those needs, and evaluate the over-all quality and effectiveness of such programs and services.

4. To promote development and wise stewardship of the financial, material, and human resources of the parish.

5. To foster communication and cooperation within and among the parish personnel, systems, and structures.

Article 3 - Powers and Relationships

The powers of the council emanate from the unity within it, the unity of the pastor with a representative group of the people of the parish. The pastor delegates the members of the council to share with him the responsibility for achieving the pastoral mission of the church. The CPC is neither a legislative body nor a decision-making body. According to Canon Law, the council "possesses a consultative vote only." It is the role of the council to perform any or all of the following functions:

1. To present opinions and evaluations as part of the initial input to the consultative process.

2. To discuss and analyze any data gathered, e.g., for trends, causes, etc.

3. To discuss the merits and disadvantages of proposals.

4. To generate alternatives and recommendations.

5. To prioritize alternatives and recommendations.

6. To bring up matters of concern relating to the effect pastoral administration or policy is having on the parish community, in an open forum setting.

7. To recommend courses of actions on the strength of the information available.

8. To see that recommended courses of actions are implemented in a timely manner.

The pastor, consistent with Roman Catholic tradition, bears the final responsibility for the total parish ministry. The pastor presides over the council as an ex-officio member, and is obliged to exercise authority unique to his office by ratifying all that is done by the council; or, in rare instances and for the most serious of reasons, vetoing a council's action.

Article 4 - Membership

1. There are twelve council members, who are registered members of Holy Cross parish, 18 years of age or older. Each member of the council has one vote.

2. The pastor, associate pastor(s), deacon(s), and lay pastoral minister(s) of Holy Cross parish are ex-officio members, and have no voting powers.

3. The term of membership for selected members shall be four years. Membership shall be rotated so that the three longest-serving members leave council each June, and three new members begin their terms following the June meeting.

4. Qualifications:

• a) Council members shall be selected from active, registered, contributing, participating members of the parish community who are at least 18 years of age.
• b) Council members shall have served the parish in some capacity prior to appointment to this post.
• c) Council members should possess a degree of experience, expertise, or skill necessary to adequate fulfillment of the consultative role.
• d) Council members should display an ability to rise above factionalism or special interest advocacy.
• e) Council members should be willing to serve in a consultative capacity.

5. Membership on the council implies a moral responsibility to participate in meetings, to come prepared to meetings, and to assist actively in implementing the Mission Statement. The Pastor/Chair/Vice Chair will ask for the resignation of any individual who does not live up to this commitment.

6. Members who wish to resign before their terms are fulfilled may do so by informing the Chairperson or pastor of this decision in writing.

7. Vacancies on the council shall be filled by selection from the pool of qualified nominees from the previous spring's membership drive. A person thus appointed shall serve only the unexpired term of the individual whom he/she replaces. Vacant positions shall be filled within two months following the meeting wherein the vacancy is announced to council.

8. A person who has served on the council for three or more years is not eligible to return to council until at least two years of non-membership have passed.

Article 5 - Selection Process

1.Three new members fitting the qualifications set by this constitution will be selected to the council each spring.

2. The Vice-Chairperson of the Community Pastoral Council will organize, administer, and publish the selection process, with the help of a committee of other council members.

3, The pastor or Vice-Chairperson will address the congregation at weekend liturgies and in the church bulletin, explaining the role and importance of the council. The congregation will be asked to reflect on the qualifications for council membership, and to submit written nominations of potential candidates on or before a given date.

4. Nominated persons will be asked to complete written forms detailing their qualifications and willingness to serve as council members.

5. Forms submitted by persons nominated will be viewed jointly by the pastor, the CPC chairperson, and the CPC vice chairperson, to determine which candidates would be best suited to fill council positions. This committee will strive to keep the parish council diverse and balanced in terms of viewpoints, representation of various subgroups of the congregation, and talent. Interviews may be conducted.

6. Names of candidates selected by the committee will be prioritized.

7. Selected candidates will be invited by the pastor to serve on the CPC in the order in which names have been prioritized until allopen positions are filled.

8. Selection results will be published in the church bulletin as soon as they are finalized.

9. Orientation sessions, educating the new members regarding the functions and procedures of the council, will be provided.

Article 6 - Officers

Officers of the Holy Cross Community Pastoral Council are appointed by the pastor, subject to their own consent, to serve for a period of two years.

Officers are:

• A. Chairperson

  The chairperson will preside at all regular meetings, and may call special meetings as needed. The chairperson will ensure distribution to all council members of copies of the minutes of previous meetings and agendas for upcoming meetings, as well as reports submitted to the council by other parish organizations.

• B.Vice chairperson

  The vice chairperson will preside at regular or special meetings of the council in the chairperson's absence, and will initiate and facilitate the selection process for new members.

• C. Secretary

  The secretary will take the minutes at all regular council meetings, reduce the minutes to writing, and preserve them in permanent record. He/she will furnish copies of the minutes, along with the agenda of the next meeting, to council members prior to each scheduled meeting.

Article 7 Meetings

Meetings of the council as a whole shall be monthly. The agenda for future meetings is to be set during the regular meeting process. In planning the agenda of each meeting, two or three core committees' activities will be selected for review and discussion. A report and discussion on each of the core committees will be completed quarterly.

The pastor or Parish council chairperson (in consultation with the pastor) may call special meetings of the Parish council, as circumstances dictate.

Parish council members shall be notified of such meetings in as timely a manner as possible, by the most expedient manner.

A quorum of two thirds of all voting members must be present when an important matter is to be decided.

A simple majority vote of all members present at a meeting is sufficient to make decisions on all ordinary matters.

For matters significant to the parish, the council will pursue the process of discernment in all decision making, and attempt to reach consensus by providing all members opportunities to give input. If consensus cannot be reached, council will decide by simple majority vote to exercise one of the following options:

• A. Appoint an "ad hoc" committee which will strive to reach a compromise on the issue.
• B. Table the issue for one month, so that members may do further research and thinking.
• C. Settle the matter by taking a vote in which a two thirds majority is necessary to carry the issue.

The normal order of business will be as follows:

I. Opening Prayer

II. Approval of minutes

III. Action Item(s)
     Consensus decisions on matters which the council has previously discussed

IV. Discussion Item(s)
     Presentation and discussion of matters about which the council may need to take action in the future
     continuing education and religious formation.

V. Information Items (short question and answer session based on reports from
     parish personnel or committees.)

VI. Incidental Discussion

VII. Set Agenda and prayer assignments

VIII. Comments from the pastor

IX. Closing prayer

Article 8:

The Parish council will establish and perpetuate committees to accomplish the mission statement of Holy Cross. The Parish council and the committees will maintain avenues of communication with one another. With the exception of the Parish council chairperson, each council member will serve on at least one of the committees contained in this article of the constitution.

The committees to be established include:

1. Worship Committee--addresses communal and individual prayer needs.

2. Social Concerns Committee--addresses social justice issues, needs of new and shut-in members of the parish, and other social concerns which arise.

3. Christian Formation Committee--facilitates education in faith development for people of all ages through educational ministries of the parish.

4. Community Spirit Committee--strives to build community spirit through social activities and organizations of the parish.

5. Stewardship Committee--fosters an environment in which stewardship is understood, accepted, and practiced.

6. Evangelization Committee--spreads the word of God among the members of Holy Cross and the larger community.

7. Ecumenism/Interfaith Committee--facilitates improved understanding and greater communication among faith communities.

Article 9 Amendments

Additions or amendments to this constitution may be made by presenting them, in writing, for discussion at one monthly meeting, to be submitted to a two thirds majority vote at the next monthly meeting.