Our PPC thanks

retiring members Anthony Devenny, Claire Egan-Richards and Stuart West for the service to the parish over the past years. We welcome Adam Shelton & Nathan Ahearne to the team.

We are also flagging the 50th anniversary of the dedication of our church for 12 December 2026. Ideas?

Click here to see details from the Parish Pastoral Plan 2024 -2027.

GUIDELINES FOR THE PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL

Establishment of our Parish Pastoral Council

1. The Code of Canon Law states that:
   • “After the diocesan bishop has listened to the presbyteral council and if he judges it opportune, a pastoral council is to be established in each parish; the pastor presides over it, and through it the Christian faithful along with those who share in the pastoral care of the parish in virtue of their office give their help in fostering pastoral activity.” (Canon 536, par.1)
   • “This pastoral council possesses a consultative vote only and is governed by norms determined by the diocesan bishop.” (Canon 536, par. 2)
   • “Each parish is to have a finance council which is regulated by universal law as well as by norms issued by the diocesan bishop; in this council the Christian faithful, selected according to the same norms, aid the pastor in the administration of parish goods with due regards for the prescription of canon 532.” (Canon 537)

Purpose and objectives of our Parish Pastoral Council

2. Purpose: To assist the parish priest in his leadership role of planning, organising, initiating, promoting, coordinating and reviewing the evangelization, worship, witness, word and welfare activities within the parish.
3. Objectives:
4. To assess adequately the needs of the whole parish and its members, and to develop and implement a pastoral plan which will promote the common good of the parish.
5. To foster unity and a sense of community in the parish and to coordinate all parish activities in a manner that will best serve the interests of the parish.
6. To promote programs and activities recommended by the Archbishop, Archdiocesan offices and agencies as well as the pastoral council itself.

Membership

4. Ex officio members: the parish priest, any assigned assistant priest(s), permanent deacons, pastoral associates, the Principal or representative from Sacred Heart Primary School and a member of the Finance Council if they have not been elected.
5. Appointed and elected members:
6. A Catholic who is registered and active in the parish and lives within its boundaries. A minority of the appointed and elected members may be active, registered parishioners who are non-residents.
7. A participant in the sacramental life of the Church.
8. At least one youth member, at least eighteen years old, may be elected or appointed.
9. School-aged youth members may be negotiated with the PPC.
10. Membership is actively encouraged from parishioners of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
11. The parish priest, with advice of the PPC, approves membership of the PPC and may directly appoint parishioners, including appointments to fill a vacancy occurring between elections.
12. The number of appointed members should not be the majority of the total number of members.

Term of office

9. Two years, with possibility of re-election or reappointment. Members may serve only two consecutive terms.
10. A maximum of half of the council seats are to be open for appointment/election or reappointment or re-election at one time.

Number of members

11. Ordinarily, the minimum number is eight; the maximum, twelve. These numbers may be reviewed in line with parish pastoral developments.

Selection process for elected members

12. Following two weeks of advertising in the Bulletin, then during a special week of prayer, the parish asks for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the selection process.
13. The parish priest, with the advice of the PPC, appoints a nominating committee to receive written nominations from the parish members. Nominees must indicate their willingness to serve.
14. Should the number of nominations be greater than vacancies, parishioners of eighteen years of age or older are invited to cast votes. Nominees are elected who receive the highest number of votes.
15. School-age candidates will be managed by a separate process to be determined in that event.
16. The parish priest, with the advice of the PPC, may establish further regulations to carry out the selection process whenever necessary.

Organisation & Roles of our Parish Pastoral Council

17. If not the parish priest, the Chairperson of the PPC is elected from the PPC team each year.
18. The members of the PPC may elect a vice-chairperson each year. The vice-chair fulfils all the functions of the Chairperson for that meeting only.
19. If there is no elected vice-chair, at the parish priest and Chairperson’s discretion, another member of the PPC may moderate the meeting of the PPC.

Roles

20. The Chairperson meets with the parish priest to prepare the agenda for each meeting.
21. The Chairperson emails out the Agenda in a timely manner.
22. In the event of the parish priest’s absence from a regularly scheduled meeting of the PPC, the council may not undertake new business, or business which is not included on the agenda.
23. The PPC must elect a recording Secretary each year. The Secretary emails out any reports or information that need to be read prior to the meeting.
24. The recording Secretary is to record the attendance and Minutes of each meeting. They are to ensure all e-communications are also maintained, with special reference to ‘Action Items’. Minutes are to be forwarded to all members in a timely manner, following clearance by the Chairperson. A copy of the latest Minutes should be posted on the parish website and also made available in printed format to be placed in the church.
25. Parish groups/teams reports should be in a standard format and presented as part of the PPC’s agenda so that the work of the groups/teams can be evaluated, supported and developed.

Meetings of the PCC

26. The meeting dates and prayer sponsors for each meeting for the year are to be published at the end of the first meeting of each year.
27. A minimum of five regularly scheduled meetings of the PPC occur during the calendar year.
28. Acknowledgement of Country: To be offered at the first meeting of each year.

“In continuing our Parish commitment to Reconciliation and in line with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tradition, it is customary to acknowledge the country as we pass through. Today we acknowledge and pay our respects to the First Peoples, traditional custodians of the lands and waterways, the Ngunnawal people, and thank them for their continued hospitality.

We acknowledge and celebrate the continuation of a living culture that has a unique role in this region. We also acknowledge Elders past and present as well as our emerging leaders of tomorrow and thank them for their wisdom and guidance as we walk in their footsteps.”

29. Meetings of the PPC should be open to all parishioners at least twice a year.
30. The parish priest may call for an extra-ordinary meeting when appropriate.
31. It is the task of the PPC to adopt rules of order for the conduct of their meetings. These rules must reflect a true Christian spirit of concern for all the members of the PPC and the parish.
32. The PPC may elect from its members other such officers as are required to meet the needs of the council, e.g., recording secretary, executive committee member.
33. See latest meeting minutes here.  A summary of every public meeting of the PPC should be readily available to each parishioner at the church noticeboard and may be published on the parish website if appropriate.
34. Communication and e-Communication: if a matter is urgent, the parish priest or chairperson is to ring or text members. Email may be used for non-urgent matters. Urgent matters require a maximum of 48 hour turn around.
35. In the event that the parish priest dies, resigns, or is transferred, the primary function of the PPC, providing counsel to the parish priest, ceases. However, during the vacancy of the parish, the PPC assists the senior parochial vicar or the Archdiocesan-appointed administrator with the preparation of the materials for the parish profile for the consultation meetings. The PPC also helps in the welcoming of the new parish priest. After the new parish priest has been installed, he should consider reconvening the existing PPC within two months.

Scope and authority

36. As a consultative body, the PPC is responsible to the parish priest, assisting and supporting him in his leadership role. It recognizes the varied gifts of the parish members and invites them to an active leadership role in the parish.
37. The PPC should be an important means by which the parish priest will hear the voice of the parish.
38. Through its deliberations and consultation with the parish priest, the PPC helps to unite the parish priest and the parishioners. Together they discern the pastoral needs of the parish and ways in which those needs can be addressed.
39. In the event that the parish priest and the PPC, or a member thereof, develop serious and continuous conflict so that they cannot work together productively, the parish priest must request the assistance of the regional Vicar Forane (Dean) or Archdiocesan Vicar General in facilitating a charitable and just solution. Should this not occur, the Chairperson may make recourse to these same individuals.
40. It is accepted that there may be rare occasions when grave or serious issues require the immediate decision of the parish priest without PPC consultation or discussion.

Characteristics of our Parish Pastoral Council

41. Prayerful. The council devotes time to reflective prayer at each meeting and makes provision at least once a year to have some special time or meetings spent together solely in prayer, reflection and spiritual sharing.
42. Pastoral. The council is pastoral in the sense that its purpose is to assist in the development of an overall mission plan for the parish in order to make Christ evermore present to the parishioners and to the wider community.
43. Representative. The council members represent the entire parish community and exercise their responsibility with a concern that includes all parishioners.
44. Discerning. Through a prayerful and consultative consensus process, the council merges the diverse experiences, skills and gifts of the council members, and having listened to the parishioner’s needs and ideas, discerns recommendations concerning the direction and priorities of the parish.
45. Responsive. The council has a responsibility to be sensitive to and cognizant of justice and peace issues at the local, national, and international level.
46. Enabling. In the spirit of God’s love, the members of the PPC strive to recognise and support each other’s gifts and seek ways in which each parishioner’s gifts may surface, grow and flourish for the good of the Church.

Relationship with the Parish Finance Council

47. The responsibility for providing counsel to the parish priest concerning the administration of the parish finances, budget, and property is vested in the finance council.
48. In order to assure good communication, a member of the Parish Finance Council can be appointed to the PPC by the parish priest, if such a person has not already been elected in the regular election process. At the very least, a financial summary of parish finances should be admitted at every PPC meeting.
49. Each year the parish finance council assists the parish priest in making a report to the PPC concerning the finances and property of the parish.

Click here to see the 2023 Budget from the Parish Finance Council.  

Click here to see the 2021 Parish Finance Council Report.

PPC General Guideline maintenance

50. The General Guidelines for the PPC should be reviewed at the first meeting of each year.

 

Updated:         28 April 2022