What “Pastoral” Means

Pastoral means that the council helps the pastor do his job by investigating, considering, and offering him its conclusions.

Councils are pastoral insofar as they aid the mission of pastors, i.e., leading parishes.

Councils are pastoral insofar as they aid the mission of pastors, i.e., leading parishes.

  • Planning.  Councils do pastoral planning by studying problems and recommending solutions.
  • Types.  Some think there ought to be three types of parish councils: pastoral, finance, and coordinating.
  • Volunteers.  Councils may coordinate parish volunteers, but that is not their primary responsibility.
  • Technical Planning.  Councils do pastoral planning, but that does not not require much technical expertise.