| About
the Pastoral Council |
| Questions,
Contact: John
Bradshaw, President at 202-257-4297 |
The Holy Trinity Pastoral Council, a fifteen-person advisory
board to the Pastor elected from among registered parishioners,
holds its annual election on two consecutive weekends in the
Spring. The election is held to choose candidates
to fill five vacancies on the Council. Holy Trinity
seeks candidates that will help the Council represent the
diverse liturgies and people in our church.
Many of you have asked, “What is the function of the Council
in the life and direction of Holy Trinity? What
does the Pastoral Council do? What are the requirements
for serving on the Council? Who is on the Council?” Some
answers to your questions are below.
First and foremost, the Pastoral Council seeks to follow
and be guided by: |
The mission of Holy Trinity Catholic Church is
to be a community of disciples of Christ that,
guided by the Holy Spirit,
brings God's transforming
love to the world. |
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The Pastoral
Council is a singular way to get involved with the life of Holy
Trinity, where a member participates in the inner workings
of a dynamic, challenging
Parish blessed with abundant talent and treasure. A member
has a unique opportunity to contribute to critical services, like
education and social justice, or to help develop the worship experience
for the benefit of all parishioners. As stated in the
Constitution of the Council, the purposes and objectives of
the Council are:
- To implement and restate, when necessary, the mission of Holy Trinity Parish.
- To set goals annually in fulfillment of the mission and to formulate policies and plans to meet them.
- To provide guidelines and support for Pastoral Council
Subcommittees and Ad Hoc Committees of the Pastoral Council.
- To monitor the execution of Parish plans and programs and to evaluate
their effectiveness.
- To encourage, facilitate, support and
provide liaison with all parish organizations and activities, mindful
of the parish mission statement.
- To work in union with the Pastor
and the Parish Finance Council to oversee financial and physical
resources, consistent with the mission and goals of the Parish.
- To report annually to the Parish on the Council’s stewardship.
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| What does the Council do? |
Each Council member provides a valuable conduit
between parishioners and the Pastor in the furtherance of
the Parish
Mission. The Pastoral Council meets on the first
Tuesday of the month. The Pastor, who is an ex officio member
of the Council, and members of the Parish staff attend to discuss issues
and hear reports from
members about current issues and projects within the Parish. In
addition to attending the monthly meetings, Pastoral Council members
serve as liaisons to the working committees of the Pastoral Council. Current Pastoral
Council Committees include:
Currently the Pastoral Council is working to reach
several goals which include:
- developing a new communications plan for Holy Trinity to better inform the Holy Trinity community;
- assessing ways to strengthen the sense of Jesuit spirituality and identity;
- supporting the Parish Finance Council in reducing the Parish debt; and
- supporting the ongoing efforts of the Hurricane Katrina Task Force.
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| What are
the Requirements for Serving on the Pastoral Council? |
The principal requirements for
candidates are a heart for service and a willingness to give of one’s
time.
Any Roman Catholic who is at least sixteen (16)
years of age, a registered member of the Parish for at least one year
and has received the Sacrament of Confirmation is eligible for
election to the council. Candidates are given the opportunity,
in tandem with current Pastoral Council members, to meet with
parishioners at the
coffees on subsequent Sundays to introduce themselves. Pastoral
Council members are elected to three-year terms.
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| Who is on the Council? |
The
current Pastoral Council includes people who recently joined Holy
Trinity Parish as well as longtime parishioners. They attend
the YAC, vigil, family and other Masses. Their professional
backgrounds range from business to education to federal service. Their
roots represent a wide geographical footprint of the United States. But
they all have in common a commitment to Holy Trinity’s mission, unique
vision and history.
Five parishioners are elected each year to
replace those members whose three-year terms are expiring.
In the Spring,
look for Council Members at church and the coffees (they’ll
be wearing name tags) and ask them about serving the Parish in this
ministry. Holy Trinity needs your talents and your time in a
relationship that will return as much to you as you give.
Please contact the Pastoral Council President with questions you
may have about the Pastoral Council or for information on becoming
a candidate.
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