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Established under the pastorate of Monsignor Edward T. Hickey according to
the decree of the Most Reverend Richard H. Ackerman, Bishop of Covington,
KY, January 10, 1967; constitution revised in the pastorate of Reverend
William H Mertes in December 1973, and this further revision mandated by
resolutions adopted at the Parish Assembly in June 1981,the Assembly Update
in November 1982, the Assembly III in November 1983 in the pastorate of
Reverend Ralph C. Hartman and the Assembly Update in November 1996 in the
pastorate of Reverend Raymond C. Holtz.
PREAMBLE
The mission of the Mother
of God Church is to gather our community for the worship of God. In
addition to the usual and traditional mission of a parish as defined by the
Church
Founded by Jesus Christ,
our special mission is to proclaim God’s saving Word through prayer and
deeds; to teach the Word of God on all levels in order to deepen its
understanding in all men, women, youth and children of the faith community;
to devote to the presentation of the liturgy the attention its majesty
deserves and, through this, to foster the continuation and development of
the creative and performing liturgical arts; to extend the compassion of
Christ to those in need from either material, emotional or spiritual
poverty; to challenge the presumptions of our culture with a commitment to
justice ant the innate dignity of all persons and to accomplish all this as
faithful followers of the Loving God Who calls us to share His life in
wonder and joy.
ARTICLE I -- NAME
The name of the Parish Council is Mother of
God Parish Pastoral Council.
ARTICLE II -- PURPOSE AND
FUNCTION
Section 1. The
purpose of the Parish Pastoral Council is to promote the spiritual growth of
the Parish community and to plan ways for the Parish to carry out the
mission of the church. As a representative body of the Mother of God
Parish, the Parish Pastoral Council is in a relationship of shared
responsibility with the pastor/pastoral administrator to enable the Parish
to experience itself as a community of faith called to proclaim the Good
News of God’s kingdom present among us.
Section 2. The
Parish Pastoral Council strives to fulfill its purpose by:
(a)
Prayerfully discerning the needs of the
parish community
(b)
Serving as a vehicle for constructive
dialogue with the parish community
(c)
Serving as a consultative body to the
pastor/pastoral administrator
(d)
Collaborating with the pastor/pastoral
administrator to formulate policies concerning parish
and pastoral matters consistent with faith and morals, civil and church law
and diocesan policy
(e)
Identifying and calling forth the gifts
and talents of the members of the parish community
(f)
Developing and maintaining a mission
statement which embraces the total life and mission of
the Parish
(g)
Planning clear and concise goals and
objectives based on the Parish mission statement of the
Parish
(h)
Cooperating with and implementing
diocesan policies and directives
(i)
Coordinating, encouraging and promoting
all apostolic activity within the parish
ARTICLE III -- AUTHORITY
AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Section 1. The
Parish Pastoral Council is consultative to the pastor/pastoral administrator
and dialogues with and makes recommendations to him/her in all major
pastoral decisions. Consultation is a unique church process whereby
appointed and representative leadership reach consensus through prayerful
discernment, discussion, respect and trust.
Section 2. All
committees, commissions and boards in the Parish are accountable to the
pastor/pastoral administrator through representation from committees, works
with parish groups through planning and evaluation to promote the spiritual
growth of the Parish and the mission of Jesus.
ARTICLE
IV -- MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. The
Council shall consist of 15 members, elected according to the
Bylaws, Article
IV.
Section 2.
Ex-officio members of the Council are:
(a) The
pastor
(b)
Associates, whether full- or part-time, or in residence
Section 3. Only
elected members shall be voting members.
Section 4. Any
registered member of the parish 18 years of age and over and in good
standing with the Catholic Church is eligible to serve on the Council. A
registered member is one whose name is carried in the currently active
registration file in the parish office, and is a user of the parish
envelopes.
Section 5. The
term of membership is three years. Membership on the Council is limited
to two successive terms which must be followed by the tenure policy of
the Parish, i.e., a three-year period, before the member may be
re-elected to the office.
Section 6.
Election of membership to the Council shall be determined through popular
voce by secret ballot.
Section 7. If a
person cannot complete his/her term of membership, the candidate receiving
the next highest number of votes in the election shall be asked to fill the
remaining term. If no one accepts. the Council will fill the vacancy by
appointment.
Section 8. The
election of members shall take place in November according to the schedule
in Article IV, Section 2, of the Bylaws. The term of membership begins on
the first Sunday of the following January, with installation to occur at the
Sunday Masses.
Section 9. A
member may be removed for the Council for the following reasons:
(a) Failing
to attend three meetings without a good cause
(b) Failing
to remain in good standing with the Church
(c) Dereliction
of duties
ARTICLE V -- AMENDMENTS
This Constitution may be
amended at any regular meeting of the Council by a two-thirds
favorable vote of the members present, providing the proposed amendment is
submitted in writing and read at the meeting previous to the meeting when
the vote is taken.
Approved November 19,
1996
GUIDELINES FOR NOMINATING
COMMITTEE
The goal of the
Nominating Committee is to nominate a slate of candidates representative of
the Mother of God community-at-large. In furtherance of this goal, the
following guidelines shall be observed.
MANDATORY GUIDELINES:
-
The Nominating Committee shall be comprised
of the second-year members of the Council.
-
Nominations should be opened to the
Parish-at-large, but should be screened and a slate of candidates determined
by the Nominating Committee. Not every person nominated must be a
candidate; rather, the Nominating Committee should review the nominations
and make a decision as to those most qualified for serving on the council.
-
Not more than one member of a household
can serve on the Council at any time.
-
There shall be a limit of two
candidates per available position.
-
Any candidate must be at least a
two-year member of the Parish.
- Publicize which members of Council are
running for re-election.
- In no order of
importance, the Committee should consider the following factors:
A.
Gender
B.
Age
C.
Which Mass the candidate attends
The Nominating Committee
should meet in August to begin preparation for election.The election should be
held on the two Sundays before Thanksgiving. Prior to the election, the
Nominating Committee shall obtain biographies and pictures of the candidates
for publication in the Sunday Bulletin.
BYLAWS
OF
THE MOTHER OF GOD CHURCH PARISH PASTORAL
COUNCIL
ARTICLE I
All regular meetings of
the Council are open to Mother of God parishioners. Any parishioner who
wishes to speak well be allotted ten (10) minutes. Permission for a visitor
to address the Council may be given by the chairperson after prior request
from a parishioner. Council chairperson may limit the speaking time of the
approved visitor. The Council may close participation by a simple majority
vote of the Council. The Council chairperson has authority to schedule a
closed meeting.
ARTICLE II -- ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE
COUNCIL
Part A. The Executive Committee
Section 1. The Executive Committee is comprised of the Council
chairperson,
Vice-chairperson and secretary.
Section 2. This Committee shall have
the responsibility of directing and unifying the work
of the Council and the
Committee.
Section 3. The Executive Committee,
with the Pastor/Pastor Administrator, shall prepare
the agenda for each
meeting and have it in the hands of Council members in
accordance with
Article VI, Section r, of the Bylaws.
Part B. Structure of the Council
Section 1. The Council shall include
six (6) standing committees, to be outlined in Section
2. Each committee
shall have a designated goal with corresponding areas of
activity and
subcommittees.
Section 2.
The standing committees are:
(a)
Christian Services/Social Concerns
(b)
Liturgy/Spiritual Life/Worship
(c)
Education
(d)
Finance
(e)
Maintenance
(f)
Family Life/Youth
Section
3. The Christian Services Social Concerns Committee.
Responsibilities:
To respond to the special needs of
people who are suffering
within
the Parish and beyond the Parish in the community,
state, nation
and world. To meet immediate needs and
to change society’s
structure which cause suffering,
poverty, oppression and war.
Functions:
Using the resources provided by the appropriate diocesan office.
Identify needs of social action which
the Parish should undertake.
Develop awareness within the Parish for
social justice
and peace.
Promote pro-life activities.
Work with the diocese on the
communication of diocesan-wide
programs and projects.
Membership:
Those persons who are motivated to evaluate
the social needs in the Parish,
community and world and to recommend
concrete responses.
Persons knowledgeable and sensitive
about problems on all levels.
Section
4. Liturgy/Spiritual Life/Worship Committee
Responsibilities:
To provide for the spiritual development of
the Parish community through
meaningful liturgies and other programs to
enable the people to pray and love
God, and to be a catalyst for good
worship.
Functions:
Using the resources provided by the
appropriate diocesan office,
form a mini community through faith
sharing.
To educate itself and the Parish
concerning liturgical renewal
To work with the Parish Team to ensure that
liturgical norms are implemented.
Evaluate
the liturgy within the Parish
Determine liturgical needs within the Parish
community.
Section 5. Education
Committee
Responsibilities:
To promote, recommend and evaluate
Parish-related education
programs, particularly religions education for all members of
the
Parish; to assist individuals and
families to attain a level of
maturity in their spiritual formation. This division addresses
itself
to the educational growth of the total
Parish community – adults,
young persons and children. The process of
education is a
continuing one which does not stop with
formal schooling. It is a
“cradle to grave” process.
Functions:
Using the resources provided by the
appropriate diocesan office, to
work with the Covington Catholic High
School and the Prince of
Peace Boards of Education.
Identify the educational needs for all
the people of the Parish.
Develop long-term educational goals and
priorities for the adults
and the children of the Parish.
Determine the programs required for the
continuing education of
the Parish.
Coordinate all Parish educational
activities.
Evaluate the programs offered
Membership:
The Parish director of religious education
Persons who have vision and concern for
the educational needs of
the Parish.
The Parish designee to the Covington
Catholic High School
Board of Education.
The Parish designee to the Prince of Peace Board of Education
Section 6. Finance Committee
Responsibilities:
Using the resources provided by the
appropriate diocesan office,
-
Assists the pastor/pastoral
administrator in planning, providing for and supervising the Parish
resources and budget.
- Develops the budget together with the
pastor/pastoral administrator which reflects the goals of the Parish
Pastoral Council for approval by the Council.
-
Reviews, approves and signs the annual
financial report of the parish.
-
Gives consent before an amount in
excess of $3,000 is spent on unbudgeted items.
-
Abides by appropriate regulations of
Church law and by decisions and norms of the Bishop and the Diocesan Finance
Council.
-
Assists in the raising of funds needed
by the Parish.
Membership:
-
Members should have skill in financial
matters.
-
Members should be persons of integrity.
-
At least one member of the Parish
Pastoral Council shall be a member of this
committee
Section
7. Maintenance Committee
Functions:
-
Conducts a periodic inspection of the
parish property
-
Recommends the purchase or transfer of
property
-
Recommends the repair or replacement of
parish property
-
Submits all suggestions to the Finance
Committee
Membership:
- Individuals and couples who
represent as many different family life situations as
possible.
- Linkage with the adult faith
development committee.
- A member of the youth ministry
committee if this committee exists in the parish.
Section 8. General Provisions
- The chair of each committee shall be a member of the
Council.
- Committee membership should be broad-based and
include: A
member of the Parish Pastoral Council, representatives of
organizations and boards whose talents/interests fall within the
the scope of the committee, Parish professional and staff
people and members chosen at-large from a
cross-section of the Parish
and of the
community, i.e., persons who are not necessarily members of
the parish.
- Appointment to each committee shall
be by the Parish Pastoral
Council, except the Finance Committee
which shall be appointed by
the Pastor/Pastor Administrator. The
tenure policy for committee
membership shall be the same as the
tenure policy for the Council.
An appointment, by the Parish, to any
outside board shall be made
by the Council. The tenure policy
for any such position shall be the
same as the tenure policy for
the Council. Committee members shall be appointed
by the
Council at the February Council meeting. Each committee
shall not be less
than three and no more than seven members. If a
member fails to fulfill
his or her term, the Council shall appoint
a new member at its next regularly
scheduled meeting.
ARTICLE III -- OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the Council
consist of chairperson, vice-chairperson
and secretary.
Section 2. The term of office of each
officer shall be one (1) year. There is no
term limit to the number
of terms an officer may serve.
Section 3. An unexpired term of the
chairperson shall be filled by the vice–
chairperson. Unexpired
terms of other officers shall be filled by
Council appointment.
ARTICLE IV -- ELECTION OF COUNCIL MEMBERS
Section 1. The Nominating Committee is to be made up of the pastor and the
five
(5) outgoing members of Council.
Section 2.
Preparation for elections should begin in August so the first call for
candidates can be made early in September. Parish voting will take
place between the second and fourth Sundays of November
inclusive.
Section 3. Any parishioner seeking a
Council seat must submit a brief biographical sketch, a
statement of his/her
theological interests and a brief description of the unique gifts
and means
of service he/she would bring to the Council. Qualifications will be
reviewed by the Nominating Committee.
Section 4. The Nominating Committee, based
on the criteria outlined in Section 3, shall
compose a list of qualified
nominees. A photo of each nominee shall be posted in
the Church bulletin.
Section 5. Installation of new Council
members shall proceed pursuant to Article IV, Section 8
of the Constitution.
ARTICLE V -- ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 1. Nominations for chairperson,
vice-chairperson and secretary can be made only by
the
elected members of the
Council, and all
members may participate in
the voting.
Section 2. The chairperson,
vice-chairperson and secretary are elected by secret ballot from
among the
elected fifteen (15) Council members.
Section 3. Election of officers shall take
place by secret ballot at the January meeting.
Section 4. Voting: Anyone from among the
candidates receiving a majority on the first ballot
shall be declared
elected. If no one is elected on the first ballot, those names
receiving no
votes are eliminated and a second ballot is cast. If no one is elected
on this ballot, the name receiving the lowest number of votes is eliminated
and a
third ballot is cast. Balloting continues in this manner, eliminating
those receiving
the lowest number of votes until one nominee receives a
majority. In case of a
tie, balloting continues, but not to exceed two
ballots, after which the is resolved
by lot.
ARTICLE VI -- MEETINGS
Section 1. The Council shall meet monthly;
however, future meetings may be canceled by
majority approval of the members.
Section 2. A quorum at any meeting shall
consist of two-thirds (2/3)
of the total membership
of the Council.
Section 3. The time of the next regular
meeting shall, in every instance, be determined at the
meeting session
before adjournment.
Section 4. The chairperson or any two (2)
members may call a special meeting of the Council
by notification through
the secretary.
Section 5.
Proposals
for
Council consideration
and
vote must be submitted to the chairperson
or secretary for
inclusion on the agenda which is mailed to members no later than
five (5)
days before the meeting. A simple majority vote of those present is
required for approval. Proposals not on the agenda must be introduced as
new
business and may be voted on at the next regular meeting. A two-thirds
vote of approval of total Council membership is required to
suspend this rule for a
particular proposal.
ARTICLE VII
--
AMENDMENTS
These Bylaws may be amended at any regular
meeting of the Council by a two-thirds favorable vote of the members
present, provided the proposed amendment is submitted in writing and read at
the meeting previous to the meeting when the vote is taken.
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