HOW OUR PARISH IS ORGANIZED

The Roman Catholic Church is unique in its world-wide scope and its hierarchical structure. Its headquarters is the Vatican in Rome, Italy, and its head is the Pope---the Bishop of Rome and the Vicar of Christ on earth. Most areas of the world are divided into regional territories called dioceses, each led by one or more bishops who are charged with ministering to all those living in the territory. Bishops are priests selected by the Pope to serve as direct successors to the apostles chosen by Christ. The Bishops in turn ordain priests to serve parishes within each diocese. The church of St. Mary is one of 222 parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The priest responsible for the parish is the pastor. Occasionally another priest and/or deacon is assigned to assist a parish. The pastor hires professional staff and delegates portions of his ministry to them for implementation.

All parish meetings are open, and parishioners are welcome to attend.

Parish Trustees: Church law requires parishes to have a corporate board of directors comprised of five members. The Archbishop is president of our parish board and our pastor serves as vice president. Other members include the Vicar General of the Archdiocese and two trustees who are parish members selected to represent the interests of our entire parish community.

Parish Finance Committee: Each parish must have a finance committee which serves as a financial advisory board to the pastor and the parish trustees. This committee establishes the parish budget, reviews financial performance and projections for parish programs, and manages the facilities on our parish campus.

Parish Pastoral Council: The Parish Pastoral Council is an advisory body of parishioners established to consult with the pastor and make recommendations concerning the direction of parish programs in keeping with the mission of the parish. Nine members are either elected or appointed to serve staggered three year terms.