Diocesan Resources
Orienting Diocesan/Eparchial Pastoral Council Members to their Role by Robert J. Burke (2003)
Orienting Diocesan/Eparchial Pastoral Council Members to their Role by Robert J. Burke, Retired Director, Office of Pastoral Planning Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Church documents outline the recommendation for and purpose of diocesan and eparchial pastoral councils, however, they offer little direction in terms of the process to use in orienting pastoral council members to their role. The effectiveness of a pastoral council is contingent upon the members’ understanding of their role in the life of the diocesan or eparchial church. Time spent in orienting council members is critical in order to avoid bodies that fail to provide consultative pastoral counsel to bishops because they lose sight of their purpose.
The particular materials being used by different dioceses and eparchies for orientation of their council members represent a wonderful diversity of methods for approaching this process. Where they tend to share similarities is in three areas that are suggested herein as critical to consider in developing a process for your own pastoral council members.