Our Mission: Part 1, Constitution and Bylaws of the Church of Saint Matthew

Over the next few weeks, we celebrate the life-giving resurrection of Jesus, look forward to the eternal promises of Easter, and welcome the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. During this time, I believe it is important for us to take a look at the Constitution and By-Laws of the Church of St. Matthew ratified on April 5, 2006. I believe that a review of our mission statement, the make-up of the Parish Pastoral Council, the way our parish is organized, and the means by which we can collaborate together will encourage people to become more actively involved in directing the life of our parish. 
   

CONSTITUTION 
OF THE CHURCH OF SAINT MATTHEW
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA 

Article I.  
NAME 

The name of this body shall be the Parish Pastoral Council of the Church of Saint Matthew, Saint Paul, Minnesota, hereinafter referred to as the Parish Pastoral Council.  

Article II.  
MISSION OF THE COUNCIL 

The Parish Pastoral Council is the governing body of the Church of St. Matthew. The mission of the Parish Pastoral Council flows from the mission of the parish: 

“The Church of Saint Matthew, Saint Paul, Minnesota, is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis which exists in the world as a visible expression of God’s love.” 

The Council must look deeply into the life of the Parish to create an atmosphere where people are welcome to be a part of a Christian family in worshipping, serving, learning, socializing, and developing personal wholeness, and act as the decision-making and governing body of the Parish. 

Through this body, whose members are examples of strong Catholic Christian service within the Parish, the Pastoral Council of the  Church of St. Matthew seeks to: 

• Be the spiritual center of the Parish, grounded in an understanding of the Gospel. 
• Create an atmosphere of discipleship. 
• Provide development opportunities for Parish leaders and increase their visibility with an eye to their changing role in the Catholic Church. 
• Foster unity within the parish through open communication, dialogue, and hospitality. 
• Anticipate the spiritual and personal needs of our community and encourage a creative response to those needs. 
• Effectively coordinate activities, functions, and the capital needs of the parish. 

Article III
MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the parish Pastoral Council shall consist of: 

• Nine (9) members selected through a discernment process from the Parish community to serve a term of three (3) years, beginning July 1 and expiring June 30 in the final year of the term. Three (3) seats will be filled each year. 
• The Pastor and/or the Parish Pastoral Administrator. If both are present, only the participates in consensus.  

In order to be a member of the Council, a candidate must:

• Be a registered member of the Church of St. Matthew.
• Have attained the age of sixteen (16) years.  
• Participate in the discernment process as outlined in the by-laws. 
• Be able to participate regularly at Parish Pastoral Council meetings for a period of three (3) years.  

Article IV 
FACILITATOR, RECORDER AND LAY TRUSTEES 

Specific duties for the Parish Pastoral Council meetings are the facilitator, who leads meetings, and the recorder, who writes and disseminates meeting minutes. The Facilitator is a member of the Parish Council. The Recorder may be a Council member of a volunteer appointed by the Council. 

Two lay trustees of the Church of Saint Matthew will be appointed by the Council to the corporate Board of the Church of Saint Matthew of Saint Paul, Minnesota. These lay trustees must be members of the Parish. 

Article V
MEETINGS 

Regular meetings of the Parish Pastoral Council will be held in a location accessible to all. Notice of Council meeting will be published in the Parish bulleting prior to meetings. The facilitator of the meeting will be notified in the bulletin notice.  

A simple majority of Council Members will constitute a quorum for purposes of decision-making. The process used for decision-making will be a consensus model. 

The Council will hold a minimum of six (6) regular open meetings each year, between July 1 and the following June 30. The meeting times will be determined annually following the discernment process. Special meetings of the Council may be called.  

Meetings of the Council will be open to parish members, except when the Council meets in closed session. Parish members may address the Council or present matters to the Council by following the procedures described in the by-laws. 

Constitution-Church of St Matthew
Bylaws-Church of St Matthew