What is the role of Parish Council?
The Parish Council is a group of parishioners selected from and by the parish community. They serve as the primary consultative body of parishioners, who advise the pastor on:

• the spiritual needs of the parish,
• the temporal affairs of the parish,
• articulate the parish mission statement,
• develop parish policy,
• promote parish planning,
• monitor the progress of the parish mission
• monitor the progress of annual goals

Membership
The Council shall have a total of 13 voting members, all of whom shall be baptized, practicing Catholics at least 18 years of age (except the youth representative), registered members of the parish, and participants in the parish worship life, especially Mass and the sacraments. There are three types of members:
Ex-officio members - The Pastor and two lay trustees.
Members-at-large - Nine persons selected by the parish as a whole.
Youth member - One individual at least 14 years of age, but not yet 18, selected annually.

How are members selected?
Members of the Parish Council are nominated by parishioners each spring. A total of nine members are chosen through a prayerful discernment process of those willing to serve. At-large-members serve three-year terms on a staggered basis with three new members selected every year. Terms begin at the June Council meeting.

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.

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 that represents all groups falling under its umbrella. All parish organizations report to the Council. Council members serve as liaisons to committees to ensure effective communications and reporting are ongoing. The functional areas are:

• Christian Formation
• Finance/Facilities
• Human Concerns
• Prayer and Worship
• School Advisory
• Stewardship/Membership

Meetings
Parish Council meetings are held at 9:30am in the school library on the third Sunday of each month, except July and August. Please see Current Year Schedule. All parish members are invited to attend.

Meeting Minutes
Minutes are kept of the Council meetings. Note that meeting minutes must first be approved before they are posted so there will always be a one-month delay in posting.
Meeting Minutes:
  Parish Council meeting minutes 09-19-10
  Parish Council meeting minutes 10-17-10
  Parish Council meeting minutes 11-20-10
  Parish Council meeting minutes 12-19-10
  Parish Council meeting minutes 01-16-11
  Parish Council meeting minutes 03-20-11

Members
Please refer to the following list of Parish Council members if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions about your parish.