Parish Pastoral Council Policies and Norms

Parish pastoral councils play an important role in the life of a parish. The roots of pastorals councils can be found in the documents of the Second Vatican Council. In addition, they have their understanding in the nature of the Church.

Bishop Edward O'Leary, the ninth bishop of Portland, first mandated that each parish in the diocese have a parish pastoral council. At that time, in 1981, guidelines were issued to assist parishes in implementing the mandate. Those guidelines were updated in 2005 and, again, in 2022, effective January 1, 2023.

Download the Pastoral Council Guidelines

Download the Pastoral Council Report Form