The Parish Pastoral Assembly
There are many different gifts, but it is always the same Spirit;
1 Cor 12:4-7
there are many different ways of serving,
but it is always the same Lord.
There are many different forms of activity,
but in everybody it is the same God who is at work in them all.
The particular manifestation of the Spirit granted to each one
is to be used for the general good.
The renewal of the Church brought about by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s led her to reflect deeply on her role in the modern world. The Sacred Council emphasized that the Church is not defined primarily as an institution, a hierarchy, or an organization, but as the “People of God.” As such, the Church is understood as a community of disciples—priests and lay faithful alike—working together and sharing their gifts in the service of God’s people and the world. To see the Church as the “People of God” challenges us to rediscover our identity and mission in new and life-giving ways.
In this spirit, the Parish Pastoral Assembly has been established to promote and coordinate pastoral action within the parish. Consultative by nature, the Assembly seeks to discern and plan initiatives that express the caring mission of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Pastoral action is, at its core, an act of care—it encompasses all that we do to nurture and support the physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being of our community. Keeping the needs of the parish at the heart of its vision, the Parish Assembly strives to continue the mission of Christ, who came “that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
The Parish Pastoral Assembly is composed of the parish priest (and his assistant, if any), members of the Parish Pastoral and Finance Councils, heads of the various ministries and organizations, representatives of renewal and youth groups, Basic Ecclesial Communities, religious men and women, coordinators of the MMGC Community and their chosen members, as well as volunteers from among the parishioners.
Both the parish priest and the Assembly are called to exercise leadership in the parish. Together, they place their gifts and insights at the service of one another and of the wider community, leading not in authority but in the spirit of humble service to the Gospel.