The Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, Archdiocese of Indianapolis

The Archdiocesan Pastoral Council is a consultative body of the laity, religious, deacons and priests of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, representative of the diversity of the faithful of the Archdiocese, who enter into dialogue and prayerful discernment on issues related to the pastoral life of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The Archdiocesan Pastoral Council fulfills its three-fold purpose to investigate under the authority of the archbishop all those things which pertain to pastoral works, to ponder them and to propose practical conclusions about them through prayer, study, reflection, consultation and dialogue with the Archbishop of Indianapolis and the faithful of the Archdiocese. As the "principal form of collaboration, dialogue, and discernment" on the diocesan level, the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council carries out its mandate by focusing its efforts on mission and pastoral planning. [from the Constitution of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, Archdiocese of Indianapolis]

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Role and Responsibilities of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council in Pastoral Planning

Role: To regularly monitor, analyze, and make recommendations to the Archbishop on the progress and potential direction of the Archdiocesan Strategic and Pastoral Plan.

Specific Responsibilities:

1. To prayerfully reflect on agency written reports regarding the Archdiocesan Strategic and Pastoral Plan, ask deeper questions, and recommend potential areas for development, exploration and/or inquiry;
2. To review the written progress reports received from Archdiocesan agencies and offices assigned specific strategic and pastoral goals (three times a year);
3. To prayerfully reflect and discern on recent Apostolic letters, encyclicals, and messages (recommended by the Archbishop) and their meaning and impact on pastoral works and activity within the Archdiocese.
4. To annually review internal/external data and information relative to the larger contextual environment and the impact of those trends on the mission and pastoral works of the Archdiocese;
5. To annually make recommendations to the Archbishop on the updating of the existing pastoral goals and to make recommendations for potential new areas of strategic direction that hold promise in furthering the mission of the Archdiocese and the Church in Central and Southern Indiana.