Each of our parishes is part of a larger whole, the communion of the Archdiocese of Detroit, which, in turn, is part of the Church Universal. The Archdiocese is composed of over 300 parishes and missions, each with its own unique history. Our parishes are as diverse as the very physical surroundings in which they are located. Ultimately, our parishes find their center and purpose in the Eucharistic communion, where we have the highest and fullest expression of our identity as a communion of faith.
The Parish Pastoral Council encourages and enables the sharing of gifts and resources so that we will be able to hear and proclaim the Gospel, worship and reach out to the community in service. It is a means and an avenue of coordinating our mission in the areas of education, service, stewardship and worship.
The Parish Pastoral Council is a consultative body to the Pastor and the coordinating and unifying structure of the parish communion. It is the means by which the church community achieves the full participation of the whole parish in its mission to give a voice of support, guidance and direction to the various aspects of parish life. It gathers together the visions, hopes and needs of the faithful, reflects until a consensus is reached and translates this consensus into parish planning through the establishment of goals and objectives. The Council sees that these goals and objectives are implemented by the parish commissions and committees and evaluates results annually.
The role of the Parish Pastoral Council is to be sensitive to the movement of the spirit among God's people, to work for a unified vision or general consensus among its members, and to help the whole parish to meet the challenge of being a church in the modern world.
(Excerpts derived from "Parish Pastoral Council Guidelines" published by the Archdiocese of Detroit)