DIOCESE OF CORPUS CHRISTI PASTORAL MANUAL 2009 www.diocesecc.org DIOCESE OF CORPUS CHRISTI PASTORAL MANUAL 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS Bishop’s Letter of Publication i. Contents ii. Abbreviations iii. PARISH Section A Parish Leadership and Governance A-1 Parish Records A-22 DEACONS Section B PRIESTS Section C Active Priests C-1 Retired Priests C-16 ECUMENICAL AND INTERFAITH RELATIONS Section D CATHOLIC EDUCATION Section E Parish Religious Education (Children/Adult) E-8 St. Paul School of Catechesis E-10 Youth & Young Adult Ministry E-12 Catholic Schools E-14 RCIA (INCLUDING CHILDREN OF CATECHETICAL AGE) Section F AND INFANT BAPTISM Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults F-1 Rite for Infant Baptism F-25 CONFIRMATION Section G EUCHARIST Section H PENANCE Section I ANOINTING OF THE SICK & END OF LIFE ISSUES Section J ORDER OF CHRISTIAN FUNERALS Section K MARRIAGE Section L DECLARATION OF NULLITY Section M DIOCESAN STRUCTURE Section N Diocesan Mission Statement N-1 Diocesan Structure N-4 PERSONNEL AND FINANCES Section O Personnel O-1 Finances O-6 Diocesan Seminarians O-28 DIOCESAN CONSTRUCTION BUILDING-PLANNING Section P COMMISSION COMMON POLICIES AND CONCERNS Section Q Section A A-1 PARISH 2009 THE PARISH PART I A parish is a definite community of the Christian faithful established on a stable basis within a particular church; the pastoral care of the parish is entrusted to a pastor a s its own shepherd under the authority of the diocesan bishop. (CIC, 515.1) It is in the parish that there exists the gr eatest opportunity for the Church to fulfill its apostolic mission, for it is here that it “gathe rs into a unity all the human diversities that are found there and inse rts them into the universal Chur ch.” […] The call to serve the Gospel is one that embraces every active mem ber of t he parish […]. ( Apostolicam Actuositatem, 10; Synod 88, “The Parish”, 12) A local community ought not m erely to promote the care of the faithful within itself, but should be imbued with the missionary spirit and smooth the path to Christ for all. It must regard as its specia l charge those under in struction and the newl y converted who are gradually educated in knowing and living the Christian life. No Christian community is built up which does not grow from and hinge on th e celebration of the Most Holy Eucharist. (PO, 6) “As a people especially chosen and marked by God, we constantly come to a deeper and more profound awareness […] of our identity as a Eucharistic people. As our parish family faithfully gathers around the altar of the Lord at the beginning of each week to celebrated the dying and rising of Jesus, we enter into that great mystery of our renewal in His paschal mystery […].” (cf. Synod 88, “The Parish”, 14). I. Parish Leadership and Governance A. The pastor is the proper shepherd of th e parish entrusted to hi m, exercising pastoral care in the community entrusted to him under the authority of the diocesan bishop in whos e ministry of Christ he has been called to share; in accord with the norm of law he carries ou t for his comm unity the duties of teaching, sanctifying and governing, with the cooperation of other presb yters or deacons and the assistance of lay m embers of the Christian faithful. (CIC, 519) B. Installation of the Pas tor. The l ocal ordinary or a priest delegated by hi m places the pastor in possession of the pa rish; for a jus t cause, however, th e same ordinary can dispense from such a m ethod of installation; in such a situation the notification of the disp ensation communicated to the paris h replaces the for mal taking possession. (CIC, 527.2) The Order for the Installation of a Pastor, found in the Book of Blessings, is to be used. Section A A-2 PARISH 2009 C. The pastor represents the parish in all juridic affairs in accord with the norm of law; he is to see to it that the goods of the parish are administered in accord with the norms of CIC, 1281-1288. (CIC, 532) a. Throughout this manual “the pastor” will refer to not only the properly installed priest of the parish, but also th ose priests who are administrators and/or priest-in-charge of parishes. However, there is no intention to equate the proper office of the pastor to those otherwise. D. The pastor should strive to com e to know the faithful who have been entrusted to his care; theref ore, he is to visit f amilies, sharing the c ares, worries, and especially the grieves o f the faithful, strengthening them in the Lord, and correcting them prudently if they are wanting in certain areas; with a generous love he is to help the si ck, particularly those close to death, refreshing them solicitously with the sacraments and commending their souls to God; he is to m ake a special effort to seek out the poor, the afflicted, the lonely, those exiled from their own land, and sim ilarly those weighed down with special difficulties; his is also to labor diligently so that spouses and parents are supported in fulfilling their pr oper duties, and he is to foster growth in the Christian life within the family. E. Pastors should encourage a genuine communion in m inistry among priests and deacons who m ay be assigned him in his pastoral care of the parish. Occasions of common prayer are reco mmended, as are regular tim es for discussion concerning the pastoral good of the parish . P riests and deacons assigned to assist a pastor in the care of a parish should at all times promote a communion of faith, hope and charity w ith the pastor; th ey should look to him for guidance and advice. Likewise, difference of style or opinion among those assigned to the pa rish concerning the pastoral good of the place should not be publicized to the parishioners, but rather, when necessary, discussed openly with the pastor him self. Discretion is a particularly im portant virtue for those ordained to serve. Decisions made by the pastor are to be respected by the priests and deacons serving with him. F. The pastor is to acknowledge and pr omote the proper role which the lay members of the Christian faithful have in the Church’s mission; he is to help realize that they are members both of the diocese and of the universal Church and participate in and support efforts to promote such communion. G. Every parish should have an active parish pastoral council and is to have a finance council (as m andated by canon law) which would share in the responsibility for the pastor al care and life our parish es and missions. Each mission should have a repres entative on the parish pa storal council of the mother parish. All councils must be accountable to the pastor and the rest of the parish community. (Synod 88, “The Parish”, 29d) Section A A-3 PARISH 2009 II. Parish Pastoral Councils A. After the diocesan bishop has listened to the Presbyteral Council and if he judges it opportune, a pastoral council is to be established in each parish; the pastor presides over it, and through it the Christian faithful along with those who share in the pastoral care of the parish in virtue of their office give their help in fostering pastoral activity. This past oral council possesses a consultative vote only and is governed by norms determined by the diocesan bishop. (CIC, 536) B. “The Second Synod of the Diocese of Corpus Christi recommends […] that every parish establish a functioning and active parish pastoral council which reflects the pastor’s role of leading the parish community in the nam e of the bishop and the parishioner’s duty to assume their responsibilities for working with the pasto r in the f urtherance of the total mission of the parish […].” (Synod 88, “The Parish”, 20d) C. “Parish pastoral council constituti ons should be based upon established models in order to achieve a basic uniformity throughout the diocese, while still respecting the individual character of each parish and its activities. [The constitution selected by the past or], new or existent, should receive approbation by the bishop or his delegate […].” ( Synod 88, “The Parish”, 20d). Should the pastor need help in this regard, please contact the Diocesan Chancellor. D. Role of the Pastor. The pastor convokes the council, in order to seek advice on matters affecting the life of the parish; he presides at the council meetings and participates in its activities. 1. The pastor should be respectful of the voice of the parishioners and weigh seriously their counsel. 2. The pastor should ensure that mem bership in the parish pastoral council is representative of the whole parish 3. He should see to the form ation of all m embers in a spirit of generous service to the life of the Church. 4. The pastor should assist in the prep aration of council agenda in order to see to it that th e council’s work reflects the concerns of the local parish community and the wider vision of the universal Church. E. Parochial Vicars. It is im portant that the paroc hial vicar(s) participate in parish council meetings. Since parochial vicars are appointed by the bishop Section A A-4 PARISH 2009 to serve as co-workers with the pastor, their role is distin ct from that of parish staff persons employed by the pastor.