Parish Council

Parish Council – Overview
Characteristics of Effective Parish Council Members
Standing Committees/Functional Areas
Current Parish Council Members

Parish Council - Overview
The St. Francis Borgia Parish Council serves in an advisory role to the pastor. It helps to fulfill the pastoral mission of the parish by:

• Fostering growth within the parish family and the sharing of spiritual gifts and talents
• Encouraging positive relationships among all members of the parish
• Collaborating with other parishes and the wider community

The council is involved in planning to meet the needs of the parish, the archdiocese and the broader community, with a vision for the future and a strong basis in stewardship. After prayerful discernment, the council advises the pastor and develops policies to support those activities and programs that foster the spiritual, intellectual, moral and temporal well-being of the parish, and that make a contribution to archdiocesan goals and policies.

Members of the parish council are nominated by parishioners. Nine members are chosen through parish elections (prior to 2007) and prayerful discernment (beginning in 2007). They serve three-year terms on a staggered basis. The pastor and the parish trustees serve as "ex officio" members. All parish organizations report to the council.

The council typically meets monthly. Parishioners are invited to observe the meetings. Arrangements to address the council may be made by contacting the parish council chairperson.

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Characteristics of Effective Parish Council Members

The Milwaukee Archdiocese has identified the following characteristics of effective parish council members:

• Prayerful. They are believers who attend Mass and other liturgies regularly; willingly share their faith with others; and seek to know God more deeply.
• Faithful. They trust that the Holy Spirit is guiding the Church; keep themselves informed of the Church’s stand on current issues; promote unity; and support the mission of the universal church.
• Pastoral. They actively listen to the needs of people; act with discretion and sensitivity in important parish matters; facilitate difficult conversations; work to reconcile differences; and offer comfort to members of the parish.
• Representative. They represent the interests of all parish members, not only a few.
• Discerning. They listen to other perspectives; and dialogue to reach consensus for the good of the parish.
• Prophetic. They respect the unique mission of the Church in the world; are willing to challenge the status quo to complete that mission; and engage in long-range and insightful parish planning.
• Empowering. They create and sustain an environment that values and maximizes the financial, personal, and material gifts of parishioners; work well with others; and understand the importance of stewardship.
• Collaborative. They realize and accept the challenges facing their parish, cluster, and archdiocese; and seek to work with others to meet those challenges.
• Consultative. They understand that their role is to assist the pastor as a wisdom group; they bring their gifts and insights to the meetings for that purpose.

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Standing Committees/Functional Areas
The parish council oversees various functional areas that together represent all parish organizations, committees and activities. Each functional area has a parish council liaison who represents all groups falling under its umbrella.

• Prayer and Worship
• Christian Formation
• Human Concerns
• Parish Life
• Finance/Administrative Services and Stewardship
• Communications

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Parish Council Members

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