Prefecture Apostolic
of the Marshall Islands
Assumption, Uliga, Majuro
P.O. Box 8 Majuro MH 96960
Marshall Islands
The Diocesan / Prefecture Pastoral Council
A. Purpose of Diocesan / Prefecture Pastoral
Council (Commission)
The pastoral council exists to
investigate, consider and propose practical suggestions and conclusions about those things which
pertain to pastoral works in the diocese/prefecture The diocesan / prefecture pastoral council
(commission) is envisioned and
recommended in the following documents,
1. Vatican II “Christus
Dominus” ( “Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops”) No. 27 of this decree states: “It is greatly desired that in each diocese / prefecture a
pastoral commission will be established
over which the diocesan bishop / prefect himself will preside and in which clergy,
religious and lay people will participate. The duty of this commission will be
to investigate and weigh pastoral undertakings and to formulate practical
conclusions regarding them. (Vat. II, Decree concerning the Pastoral Office
Bishops in the Church or "Christus Dominus." 1965)
2. The “Code of Canon Law” (CIC, 1983) No. 511 states: “In
each diocese / prefecture in so far as pastoral circumstances suggest, a
pastoral council is to be established. Its function, under the authority of the
Bishop/Prefect is to study and weigh those matters which concern the pastoral
works in the diocese/prefecture and to propose practical conclusions concerning
them.” Thus, it is accurate to identify
the work of the pastoral council as “pastoral planning.”
The pastoral issues to be investigated and considered by the pastoral council
may come from a variety of sources. The pastoral council, under the leadership
of the bishop / prefect investigates,
considers, and proposes practical conclusions about those things which pertain
to pastoral works.
Its membership
includes clergy, members of institutes of consecrated life and especially lay persons. Since the
majority of the faithful of the diocese / prefecture are lay persons, it is reasonable that the
majority of the members of the diocesan / prefecture pastoral council are lay. The
bishop / prefect determines how the members are designated. They should
represent the diversity of the diocese / prefecture.
B. Manner of Operation
The pastoral council operates in a consultative manner. It means, the
pastoral council performs its function in a consultative (decision-recommending)
manner, not in a deliberative (decision-implementing) manner. It offers
recommendations, but does not have the power or the role to execute them.
The pastoral council
is a consultative body which plans. It is a planning
council which operates in a consultative manner. It is only reasonable to expect that the
bishop / prefect will sometimes approach the pastoral council for advice on
matters of pastoral concern, to get a sense of the diocese / prefecture. This
is a perfectly legitimate activity, and can result in much pastoral good within
the Church.
The support of the
bishop / prefect is essential for the success of the pastoral council, whether
he proposes questions for the council to study or receives questions from it.
Indeed, the council exists to give practical conclusions on pastoral matters to
the bishop / prefect. He designates its
members, convokes it, makes public its activities, and receives its conclusions.
C. Practical Considerations
1. Composition of the
Prefecture Pastoral Council: the members will be the clergy, religious sister, lay
representatives of various sectors in the prefecture. 2. The members are appointed
by the Prefect for a term of 2 years, renewable. 3.
The Pastoral Council will meet at least three (if needed, four) times a year. 4. The points on the agenda related to
the pastoral works in the Prefecture will be collated from the suggestions of
the Prefecture Pastoral Council members.
5.
The date and venue of the meeting will be indicated by the Prefect Apostolic.
D. Conclusion
The
diocesan/prefecture pastoral council finds its origin in Vatican Council II,
and in Code of Canon Law. These
documents show that the pastoral council exists to investigate, consider, and
propose practical conclusions about those things which pertain to pastoral
works in the diocese / prefecture. This may be called pastoral planning.
While planning is common to so many groups and individuals in the Church, the
pastoral council is the body which exists solely to do pastoral planning. It
performs its important function in a consultative manner.
The pastoral council is composed in such a way as to represent the diversity of
the diocese/prefecture. When the
pastoral council performs its role effectively and appropriately, much will be
done to further ecclesial communio.
The pastoral council will assist the program for the Church in every age, found
in the Gospel and the Church"s living Tradition, to be enfleshed in the
pastoral plan of each particular Church.
Fr.
Raymundo T. Sabio, MSC
Prefect
Apostolic
July 25, 2013
Feast of St.
James the Apostle
___________________________________________.
Prefecture Apostolic of the Marshall Islands P.O.Box 8
Majuro MH 96960
Marshall Islands
PREFECTURE PASTORAL COUNCIL
Last Monday, July 29 at
12:00 noon at DAR, the first meeting of
the Prefecture Pastoral Council took place. Present were: Fr. Ray Sabio, msc;
Deacon Alfred Capelle; Donald
Capelle; Veronica Kiluwe; Sr. Kantarawa Yee-On, fdnsc; Ted Stepp; Miriam Balico; Luke Roverove. Invited but unable to come were: Marie
Maddison and Tone Herkinos
The meeting started
with a prayer led by Deacon Alfred Capelle.
Afterwards, the participants, one at a time, introduced themselves to
the group. A word of warm welcome was
given by the Prefect Apostolic.
Then followed a period which
was given to the reading of the statement of the purpose of the Prefecture
Pastoral Council and to subsequent clarifications, in the light of the two
Catholic church documents:
1. Vatican II
“Christus Dominus” ( “Decree on
the Pastoral Office of Bishops”) No.
27 of this decree states: “It is greatly
desired that in each diocese / prefecture a pastoral commission (council) will be established over which the
diocesan bishop / prefect himself will
preside and in which clergy, religious and lay people will participate. The
duty of this commission will be to investigate and weigh pastoral undertakings
and to formulate practical conclusions regarding them. (Vat. II, Decree concerning
the Pastoral Office Bishops in the Church or "Christus Dominus."
1965)
2. The “Code of Canon
Law” (CIC, 1983) No. 511 states: “In each diocese / prefecture in so
far as pastoral circumstances suggest, a pastoral council is to be established.
Its function, under the authority of the Bishop/Prefect is to study and weigh
those matters which concern the pastoral works in the diocese/prefecture and to
propose practical conclusions concerning them.”
Thus, it is accurate to identify the work of the pastoral council as “pastoral
planning.”
Then a sharing followed
on points or issues of importance to the prefecture. First is the issue of integration of the various ethnic and
language groups in the prefecture (Fijians, Kiribati, Filipinos, Americans and
other nationalities) in order to enhance
the pastoral and liturgical activities. There is some kind of a distance
between the 6:30 PM Saturday Mass (in English) participants and the Sunday Mass
(in Marshallese) participants.
Finally, after a good
period of discussion, all agreed that in
an effort to better integrate the worshipping community, special masses
involving all sectors of the community (ethnic/national groups, language,
speaking and musical talent) should be planned approximately four times a year,
e.g., Feast of the Assumption (August 15), Feast of Christ the King (end of the liturgical year), Christmas, and
Easter.
The group participants think that
the upcoming “Feast of the Assumption” would be a good time to make an effort in this
regard. Various members of the group
were asked to contact liturgically active members of their communities.
-1. The couincil recommends that the Mass for the
Feast of the Assumption will be celebrated at 6:30 PM in order to enable those working to be present and participate at the Holy Mass. Aug. 15 is a working day.
-2. A suggestion came up on the possibility of two choirs at Mass. The Assumption Choir will give 3 Marshallese
Mass songs; and the 6:30 PM Saturday
choir will give 2 English songs. In this
way, the Saturday and the Sunday groups could come together in the great celebration
of the parish feast of the Assumption of our Blessed Mother Mary. -3. At the party that
follows the evening Mass, each ethnic
group will be requested to give one or two numbers during the parish program.
-4. Other topics discussed were:
a)Prefecture Pastoral Assembly (with representation from all parishes
and chapels) in summer 2014. There might
be a need for a facilitator.
b) Diaconate Program to be explored and resumed if possible . . . c) Try
to put up a Prefecture Pastoral Council Newsletter (suggested: 4 times a year)
to be edited by Ted Stepp.
d. The issue of homelessness on Majuro, and the needs of the poor, particularly children
in the urban area (Uliga and neighboring areas)
e. A suggestion was made on the need for training and
rehearsals of liturgy participants (readers, commentators) to improve their contributions towards a meaningful
liturgy. This also includes the proper
and effective use of microphones.
(Fr.) Ray Sabio, msc
