Highlights
Diocesan Pastoral Council Meeting - May 17, 2003
According to Church law (Canon 511),
"In each diocese, to the extent that pastoral circumstances recommend it, a pastoral council is to be established whose responsibility it is to investigate under the authority of the bishop all those things which pertain to pastoral works, to ponder them and to propose practical conclusions about them."
Membership of the Diocesan Pastoral Council is comprised of representatives from diocesan committees and councils, and two representatives from each region, who meet five times each year with the bishop.
May Agenda Discussion
A proposal to revise the diocesan Due Process Policy
was discussed and recommended. A summary of the process will be published in
The Prairie Catholic at a later date.
- The revised Marriage
Preparation Policy was discussed and referred to the Social Concerns Committee
for further revision.
- The Sexual Misconduct
Policy, which incorporates provisions from the National Charter approved by
the USCCB, was discussed and recommended.
- A revised policy on
Lay Preaching was discussed and recommended. The policy now includes the national
clarifications issued by the USCCB in November 2001.
- The Code of Professional
Responsibility for Pastoral Leaders in the Diocese of New Ulm was reviewed
and recommended. The Code is necessary for compliance with the National Charter.
- Draft 10 of the Plan
for Parishes 2003 - 2008 was discussed.
- A proposal to establish
an on-site graduate theological degree program conducted by St. John's University,
Collegeville, MN was reviewed. The DPC requested additional information from
St. John's and directed the Executive Committee to draft a survey to identify
the degree of interest in such a program in the diocese.
- The Council recommended
that the diocesan annual calendar be distributed to all of the parishes via
the weekly mailing.
- Certificates of appreciation
were presented to those members whose terms ended at this meeting.
The Diocesan Pastoral Council will gather for the annual
retreat on Saturday, September 6, at St. Alphonsus Retreat House, New Ulm.