Parish Council

It is the policy of the Diocese of Las Cruces that each parish shall establish and maintain a Parish Pastoral Council (Canon 536). The right and duty of the laity to participate in Parish Pastoral Councils are founded on the grace of baptism and confirmation (Guadium et Spes, 43). The 1983 Code of Canon Law provides that all the baptized possess the right “to make known to the pastors of the Church their needs, especially spiritual ones and their desires” as well as “their opinions on matters which pertain to the good of the Church” (canon 212 §2, §3). The parish pastoral council provides a structure for the effective listening that is the responsibility of the pastor. Even though “pastor” is used throughout this document, in some cases an administrator may take on the practical functions of a pastor.