The Parish Pastoral Council is a consultative body that assists the pastor in fostering the pastoral life and mission of St. Patrick’s. Presided over by the pastor, it gathers parishioners to study, listen, pray, and discern together — helping to understand the mission of the parish, weigh its pastoral priorities, and shape the plan for its life and growth.
What the Church Asks of It
The Pastoral Council is rooted in the Church’s own law. The Code of Canon Law provides that, where the bishop judges it opportune, “a pastoral council is to be established in each parish, over which the pastor presides and in which the Christian faithful, together with those who share in pastoral care by virtue of their office in the parish, assist in fostering pastoral activity” (canon 536 §1). Its vote is consultative: the council does not govern the parish, but gives the pastor the counsel of faithful, prayerful parishioners — wisdom he is genuinely helped by and takes seriously — while the responsibility for decisions remains, as the Church intends, with the pastor.
What It Does
The council studies the life of the parish as a whole — worship and devotion, evangelization and catechesis, hospitality to newcomers, care for those in need, and the practical realities of a historic church — and helps the pastor discern priorities and shape a pastoral plan. In this season its work is especially guided by the Archdiocese’s call to Mission Renewal: deepening prayer, strengthening families, and drawing the people of our neighborhood to Jesus Christ.
How Members Serve
Members are practicing parishioners appointed by the pastor for a term of service, chosen to reflect the breadth of the parish — its families, its long-time members, and its newer ones. Members of the parish staff serve ex officio, that is, by virtue of the office they hold. The council meets regularly through the year, and any parishioner may bring a concern or idea to it through the parish office or any member.
Council Members
Serving for the 2026–2027 year: