Pastoral Councils in Today's Catholic Parish

by Fischer, Mark F.

• ISBN13: 9781585951680
• ISBN10: 1585951684
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-10-01
• Publisher: Twenty Third Pubns

Summary

Mark Fischer helps readers find out what councils are doing today and offers solid, practical answers to a number of important council questions. This book is an essential resource for pastors, council members, and those in committees, pastoral planning, and parish life.

Author Biography

Mark F. Fischer is Associate Professor of Theology at St. John's Seminary in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and has been involved in parish and diocesan councils for twenty years. He has written over fifty articles on parish pastoral councils

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(8)
Part 1 A Look at Councils Today: An Empirical Portrait	9	(56)
The Number of Councils	11	(6)
Support by the Bishops	17	(7)
The Purpose of Councils	24	(9)
Committees and the Council	33	(6)
Five Types of Consultation	39	(9)
Leadership in the Council	48	(9)
The Selection of Council Members	57	(8)
Part 2 Where We Came From: A History of Parish Pastoral Councils	65	(62)
The Earliest Parish Councils	68	(11)
American Missteps	79	(8)
The Circular Letter	87	(10)
The Growth of Councils in the 1970s	97	(10)
The New Code	107	(8)
Popular Meanings of the Word ``Pastoral''	115	(12)
Part 3 Building an Effective Council: Representation, Purpose, Consultation	127	(94)
Problems with Selecting Councillors	130	(9)
Ecclesial Representation	139	(12)
Discerning Councillors	151	(12)
Misunderstandings about Coordination	163	(10)
The Main Purpose of the Council	173	(11)
The Meaning of Consultation	184	(13)
The Motive for Consultation	197	(12)
A Foundation Document	209	(12)
Notes	221	(33)
Pastoral Council Bibliography	254	(15)
A Partial Bibliography of Pastoral Council Guidelines	269	(12)
Index	281