Each committee has a chair appointed by the Pastor.
The Committee Chair:
• Calls regular committee meetings
• Facilitates discussion and decision-making
• Delegates tasks
• Oversees the performance of those tasks
• Helps evaluate results
• Coordinates and communicates with the council according
to council policy.
Committees are formed by and are accountable to the council for performing specific tasks that help the parish fulfill its mission. As chief administrator, the pastor is ultimately responsible for ensuring that committee work is managed well.
Neither the council nor its committees, strictly speaking, implements the recommendations of the council. When the pastor accepts the council's recommendations, he establishes committees to implement them. These are parish committees, not committees of the council.
The general principle is that the Pastoral Council recommends and the pastor (through his staff and volunteers) implements. The Council may help define means to implement its recommendations, but they remain recommendations.
Ministries Committee:
To encourage and support ministries that will foster spiritual growth, strengthen
our sense of community, and promote social justice in our parish, in the City
of Memphis and in the world.
Education Committee:
The Education Committee assists with promoting the teaching mission
of the Church. The Committee, working with the Parish and School staffs,
helps to address the educational and formational needs of the parish
in the areas of: Adult Faith Formation, Elementary, Middle, and High
School Education, Catechists, PRE, and Youth Ministry.
Communications Committee:
Facilitates the effective communication of the priority messages
of the Parish.
Worship Committee:
The Worship Committee works to enhance the liturgical experience
of parishioners by planning the environment for liturgies, organizing
and training liturgical ministers, and bringing parishioners to a fuller
understanding and appreciation of the Mass through catechesis.
Buildings and Grounds Committee:
To improve upon the quality of worship, fellowship and activities
of the parish community through advice on improvements or expansions
to the parish facilities and grounds.
Executive Committee:
The executive committee determines the council's agenda. The executive
committee is composed of the pastor, parish administrator and
council officers, i.e., chairperson, and vice-chairperson. The committee
plans the agenda and informs the members about it in advance. The pastor
presides and the chairperson conducts the meetings, assisted by the
vice-chairperson. Council members and other parishioners may submit
requests for consideration of agenda items to the executive committee.
Ad Hoc Committees:
From time to time, special committees may be formed to help accomplish
the council's work. These ad hoc committees may undertake a special
investigation, do research, take a survey, poll parishioners, or consult
experts. The aim of the ad hoc committees is to enhance the main work
of the council relative to a particular issue.