Corpus Christi Parish Council
Constitution and Bylaws
 
 
Article I – Name
 
Section 1. The name of the organization shall be Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church Parish Council.
 
Article II – Purpose
 
Section 1. The purpose of the Council shall be

1. To accept responsibility as a collaborative and consultative body with the Pastor for the life and mission of the Church in the Parish.
2. To assist the Pastor in the administration of the Parish through recommendations and active participation in the setting of policy direction for the Parish.
3. To participate, through active cooperation with the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee.
4. To take whatever actions it may deem appropriate to fulfill the purposes stated herein

 
Section 2. Pursuant to the purposes set forth in Section 1 of this Article, the Council shall perform the following functions as recommendations to the Pastor:

1. It shall annually review the Statement of the Parish’s Mission.
2. It shall oversee the preparation and approval of the Parish Pastoral Plan, take direct responsibility for the implementation of the Plan, and in union with the Pastor, determine priorities among the Plan goals as well as the allocation of human, facility, and financial resources.
3. It shall do all that may be necessary to provide for a dignified and reverent celebration of the sacred liturgy in such a manner that will be considerate of the spiritual welfare and convenience of all the faithful of the Parish
4. Review and recommend budget that are developed by the financial council.
5. It shall see to the maintenance and upkeep of Parish property and undertake any improvements to the property which may be deemed necessary, except where decisions in such matters are reserved by the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee
6. It shall recommend or not recommend to the Pastor the prospect of membership by the Parish in any secular or community organization
7. It shall render to all Parishioners a full report of the Parish’s spiritual, material, and financial condition at least annually
8. It shall take whatever other actions it deems appropriate to fulfill the purposes set forth in Section 1 of this Article

 
 

Article III – Operation

 
Section 1. The Council shall submit its recommendations to the Pastor in the form of conclusions resulting from the considered reflection, discussion, or vote by Council members
 
Section 2. The Pastor shall communicate to the Council Chairperson, as soon as possible and via the most convenient means, his response to its recommendations. The Council Chairperson will in turn notify the Council-at-large.
 

Article IV – Membership

 
Section 1. The Parish council shall consist of the following nine (9) persons: three (3) officers: Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, and six (6) at-large representatives of the Parish. Non-voting members of the Parish Council shall include the Pastor.  The Pastor may at his discretion appoint another Parishioner to serve in a non-voting capacity.  All members of the Parish Council shall be volunteer registered Parishioners elected in the accordance with the procedures outlined in Article V of these bylaws.
 
Section 2. In the event of excessive absences or dereliction of responsibility by a Parish Council Member, the Pastor, upon recommendation of the Council, may dismiss said member from the Parish Council.
 
 

Article V – Elections

 
Section 1. General Membership Eligibility and Elections
A.Any lay person who is 18 years of age and older, a practicing Catholic, and is a registered and standing member of the Parish shall be eligible for election to the Council.
B.Parish Council Elections shall take place annually during the first and second week of September.
C.The Steering and Nominating Committee chairperson shall, no later than July 1 of the appropriate year, solicit nominations for Council members through Parish announcements, the bulletin, and the Parish bulletin board. Self-nomination is acceptable.  Nominations shall be solicited for at-large Council Members to fulfill this schedule:
2016:   9 members appointed (3 for 3-year term; 3 for 2-year term; 3 for 1- year term)
2017:   2 elected to 3-year terms
2018:   1 elected to 3-year terms
2019:   2 elected to 3-year terms; 2 appointed for 3year terms
2020:   2 elected to 3-year terms, 2 appointed for 3 year terms
This pattern shall repeat so as to ensure an nine-member Parish Council.
D.The Steering and Nominating Committee chairperson shall, no later than August 1 of an election year, verify the willingness of each nominee to serve and post the ballot for elections in the Parish bulletin and on the Parish bulletin board
E.The Steering and Nominating Committee chairperson shall, no later than the first weekend of September each year, make ballots available to all registered parishioners during Masses.  All completed ballots must be returned to the ballot box located in the church no later than the Monday following the second weekend in September of each election year.
F.Ballots will be tabulated by the Pastor (or parish administrator in the event a full-time pastor is not assigned to the parish) and the Chair of the Steering and Nominating Committee.
G.Election results will be posted in the bulletin as soon as possible after the tabulation, and election winners will be notified by phone within 24 hours.
H.New Parish Council Members will be affirmed during the regular October meeting of the Council, and an installation ceremony will take place prior to the November meeting.
I. For all unexpected vacancies on the Parish Council, the Steering and Nominating chairperson shall be responsible for developing a list of potential members as described under the Committee’s description in Article X, Section 11.  However, the Steering and Nominating chairperson shall also accept nominations from all registered Parishioners.  All nominees must confirm willingness to serve.  A majority vote of the members of the Parish Council at a regularly scheduled meeting shall be necessary to elect a non-election year replacement to the Parish Council.
 

Article VI . Special Circumstances: Officers and Chairs

 

1. The Officers of the Parish Council (Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and Secretary) shall be elected for 1-year terms by seated Parish Council Members.  Officers may not serve more than two successive terms in the same office, but may, if elected subsequently, remain members of Parish council without term limitations.  The term of office shall begin on November 1 in the year of the election and conclude on October 31 of the year in office.
2. The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall always have concurrent terms.  In the event that one of these officers steps down or is removed from office, the following actions will be taken:
   1. If the Chairperson resigns or is removed from office, the Vice Chairperson shall be named Chairperson and complete the term. 
   2. If the Vice Chairperson resigns or is removed from office, the following actions shall be taken:

i.Present council members shall self-nominate to fill the position
ii.If there is one nominee, a majority vote of the council will be necessary for election
iii.If there is more than one nominee, the individual receiving the greatest number of votes shall be elected
 

Article VII – Officers

 
Section 1. The Chairperson shall preside at all Parish Council meetings.  In the event that the Chairperson is unavailable for a regularly scheduled meeting, the Council Vice Chairperson shall preside.  
 
Section 2. The Chairperson shall facilitate meetings of the Council in consultation with the Pastor, and shall call special meetings as necessary.  The Chairperson shall serve as an ex-officio member of all Council committees except the nominating committee.  The Chairperson shall render periodic reports to the Pastor and shall perform all other duties that customarily devolve upon the office of the Chairperson that are not specifically mentioned herein.
 
Section 3. The Vice Chairperson, in the absence of the Chairperson or in the event of the latter’s inability for any reason to carry out the function of the office, shall assume during such absence or disability the duties of the Chairperson.  The Vice Chairperson shall develop a mechanism for the Parish Council to evaluate its own performance.
 
Section 4. The Secretary shall take minutes of all regular and special meetings of the Council, reduce such minutes to writing, preserve them in a permanent record, and distribute said minutes to council members along with agendas at least one week prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting. The Secretary shall oversee the preparation and dissemination of all correspondence necessitated by the work of the Council and shall maintain a file with permanent records of such correspondence.  The Secretary shall also prepare notes to appear in the Parish bulletin, and shall coordinate any creation of published material with the Parish office staff.
 
 
Section 5. Each officer shall, at the expiration of his or her term of office, turn over to his or her successor all books, papers, and other records and property pertaining to the office no later than ten (10) days after said expiration.
 

 

Article VIII – Executive Committee

 
Section 1. The Executive Committee shall be composed of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson, and the Secretary.
 
Section 2. The Chairperson shall coordinate and prepare the agenda for all regular meetings of the Council, and make the agenda available for dissemination along with any written financial or committee reports at least one week prior to the meeting.
 
 
 
 

Article IX – Committees

 
Section 1. The Parish Council may have eight (8) Standing Committees: Steering and Nominating, Finance, Building , Maintenance, Liturgy, Public Relations and Fellowship, Hall Rental, Bereavement and Religious Education.  All Standing Committee Chairpersons may or may not be elected members of the Parish Council.  The Standing Committees shall exercise such powers as delegated to each committee by the Parish Council and Pastor.
 
Section 2. For needs of a temporary nature, ad-hoc committees may be established by the Pastor and/or Parish Council.  The Chairperson and the Pastor shall appoint the chairpersons of these committees, and the chairperson will recommend committee members to the Council.  Upon completion of its task, any such committees shall be dissolved. 
 
Section 3. The Finance Committee shall be selected by the Pastor.
 
Section 4. The Chairpersons shall call committee meetings as often and at such times as necessary, and shall be prepared to render a report of the work of the committee at the designated meetings of the council.  While committees may correspond and meet electronically and telephonically, each committee should meet face-to-face at least annually.
 
Section 5. The Chairpersons of each Standing or Ad-Hoc Committee shall, upon request, provide a brief, written report on the work of the committee to the Parish Council Chairperson or designee of the Chairperson at least one week prior to a scheduled meeting of the Parish Council. 
 

Article X – Committee Duties

 
Section 1. Each Standing Committee shall meet with sufficient regularity to implement its work, communicating via telephone or email at least once per month.  Standing Committees shall be responsible for implementing Strategic Goals that pertain to their specific areas.  In addition, the Standing Committees shall have responsibilities to exercise oversight over specific activities of the Parish as detailed below:
 

1. Liturgy Committee: the purpose of this committee is to determine the general liturgical policy of the Parish, to plan and conduct specific liturgical events (Holy Week, Christmas, Retreats, etc.) in cooperation with the Parish staff, and to work constantly for the improvement of the Parish liturgy.  Specific areas of oversight include Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Servers, Ushers, Music, Church Environment, Sacristans, and the Church Calendar
2. The Finance Committee shall consist of at minimum the Chairperson, the Pastor, a Financial Consultant, and a Bookkeeper.  It shall have the input of the Parish Committees when preparing the budget.  The purpose of this committee is to review the general financial condition of the Parish and ensure that adequate funding is available to maintain the Parish and its programs. 

      Special areas of oversight include Fundraisers and Special Events, CSA, Sharing   the Vision, and Bookkeeping and Accounting. Specifically, the Finance             Committee shall

1. Prepare and present an annual Parish budget for Parish Council approval and then approval by the Pastor
2. Oversee the maintenance of a complete and accurate bookkeeping and accounting system for all financial transactions in accordance with diocesan policies and guidelines
3. Review operating statements with the Pastor on a regular basis as appropriate
4. Prepare an publish an annual statement of income and expense for the Parish Council, and after Council approval, the members of the Parish community
5. Advise the Pastor regarding proper controls for the handling of cash
6. Evaluate and make recommendations to the Pastor and the Parish Council regarding the effectiveness of the Parish’s effort of church support through the Sunday Offertory and other sources of Parish income
7. Develop a plan for financing Parish repairs, renovations, and purchases of equipment proposed by the Building and Ground Maintenance committee and approved by the Parish Council
8. Review all church-related fundraising programs as approved by the Parish Council and Pastor
9. Review with the Pastor and implement recommendations resulting from a diocesan audit
10. Advise the Pastor regarding implementation of all diocesan policies relative to financial matters
11. Building and Ground Maintenance Committee: the purpose of this committee is to determine the general condition of the Parish facilities and grounds, make recommendations to the Parish Council and Pastor for maintenance and improvements, develop long-range maintenance plans and maintain a preventive maintenance plan.  Areas of oversight include church cleaning, the social hall and social hall director, plumbing, electrical, and ground maintenance, as well as general building maintenance and improvements.
12. Public Relations and Fellowship Committee: the purpose of this committee is to create and maintain means of communication between Parishioners, the diocese, and the community as a whole.  This committee shall develop and implement a program for outreach to the community for new members, and for welcoming and orienting newcomers to the Parish community.  Specific areas of oversight include telephone communications, the information table, public relations, and family night suppers.

 
 
 
 
 

5. Religious Education Committee: the purpose of this committee is to determine the general religious education policies of the Parish, to coordinate and evaluate educational programs of the Parish in cooperation with the Pastor, and to work continually for the improvement of the educative programs of the Parish.  Specific areas of oversight include CCD, the Youth Group, RCIA, Adult Bible Study, Baptism Preparation, First Communion Preparation, Confirmation Preparation, and Marriage Preparation.

 

 

Article XI – Meetings

 
Section 1. The Parish Council shall meet at least six (6) times a year, with the months and dates to be determined each year by the Council.  Additional meetings may be called by the Pastor, the Chairperson, or by consensus of the Council. 
 
Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the Pastor, the Chairperson, or by a consensus of five (5) Council members.  In the event a special meeting is called, notice of the meeting will be given via telephone and email, and the purpose for the meeting will be stated.  Except in cases of emergency, seven (7) days-notice shall be given.
 
Section 3.  Regular meetings of the Council shall be open to all Parishioners as observers.  An announcement will appear in the Parish bulletin and or the website at least seven (7) days prior to each meeting. 
 
Section 4. A two-thirds majority of the voting members of the Council (usually 6 of 9) shall constitute a quorum.
 
Section 5. All meetings of the Parish Council will be conducted following procedures dictated in the current version of Roberts Rules of Order.
 

Article XII – Ratification and Amendments

 
 
This Constitution may be amended at any regular meeting of the Parish Council by a two-thirds vote of the allowable voting membership of the Council.
 
A.Proposed amendments to this Constitution must be submitted in writing to the Council at any regular meeting
B.The Council will review the amendment, discuss it with committee members if applicable, and provide feedback via email to the entire Council one week prior to the next scheduled regular meeting
C.The Council will review and discuss any proposed amendments at their regular meeting and approve or disapprove the amendment.
D.Voting on the amendment may be done in writing or via email to the Chairperson if a Council member is unable to attend a meeting due to unplanned circumstances.
 
 
 
This constitution and accompanying bylaws were approved by unanimous vote of the Parish Council at the November 17, 2016 meeting