The Parish Pastoral Council is an advisory and consultative body to the Pastor/Parochial Administrator, pastoral in nature, striving to discern the movement of the Holy Spirit among God’s people in the parish.

In every diocese and to the extent that pastoral circumstances suggest it, a pastoral council is to be constituted which under the authority of the bishop investigates, considers, and proposes practical conclusions about those things which pertain to pastoral works in the diocese.

Canon 537, 1983 Code of Canon Law

Although the Parish Pastoral Council is not a body which makes binding decisions, the recommendations of the Council are to be taken seriously when grounded in prayer, discernment, and communal wisdom.

The Parish Pastoral Council’s purpose is to enhance the process oon these specific areas in the life of a parish:
 

• Pastoral planning
• Developing pastoral programs
• Improving pastoral services
• Evaluating the pastoral effectiveness of various programs and services