Finance Council

Parish Councils and Committees

The documents of the Second Vatican Council affirmed that all members of the People of God are called to participate in the threefold ministry of Christ and the Church according to their particular gifts, their state of life, and their office. One of the ways through which the people accept a greater responsibility for the pastoral work of the local church is through participation in a parish's councils and commissions.

While canon law clearly lays responsibility for (and authority over) the teaching, governing and sanctifying work of a parish upon the pastor, he relies upon the advice and assistance of parishioners in accomplishing this work, especially via the parish finance and pastoral councils. (Actually, this responsibility and authority belong to the Bishop, who delegates certain aspects to the pastor.)

The Finance Council

Canon 537 from the Code of Canon Law states "In each parish there is to be a finance council which is governed, in addition to universal law, by norms issued by the diocesan bishop and in which the Christian faithful, selected according to these same norms, are to assist the pastor in the administration of the goods of the parish without prejudice to the prescript of canon 532." (Canon 1280 also pertains.)

The parish finance council is advisory only. Canon 532 states that the pastor is ultimately responsible and has the necessary authority for administering the temporal goods of the parish. It reads "In all juridic affairs the pastor represents the parish according to the norm of law. He is to take care that the goods of the parish are administered according to the norms of canons 1281-1288."

The Finance Council Meets on fourth Thursday of the month at 6 p.m.

Members of the Finance Council include:

St Bernard Finance Council
Al Reinhard
Eric Iverson
Erin Roberts
Paul Stadler
Mike Ready (Treas Trustee)

St Henry Finance Council Bill Neeman
Joe Coughlin
Kathy VanDuser
Jim Becker (Treas Trustee)