Parish Pastoral Council

Role

The role of a parish pastoral council is defined in the Catholic Church's Code of Canon Law. It is an advisory body which is modeled on the equivalent council at the diocesan level.

"A pastoral council is composed of members of Christ’s faithful who are in full communion with the catholic Church ... selected in such a way that the council truly reflects the entire portion of the people of God which constitutes the [parish], taking account of ... [the variety of] social conditions and professions" (Code of Canon Law, §512). "In this council, which is presided over by the parish priest, Christ’s faithful, together with those who by virtue of their office are engaged in pastoral care in the parish, give their help in fostering pastoral action. The pastoral council has only a consultative vote, and it is regulated by the norms laid down by the diocesan Bishop." (§536)

As just quoted, the pastoral council consists of two types of members: "Christ's faithful" (appointed members) "together with those who by virtue of their office are engaged in the pastoral care of the parish" (ex officio members).

Ex Officio Members

The ex officio members are on the council by virtue of another position which they hold. They are either:

• Lay trustees of the parish (which, in the Diocese of Davenport, are required to be on the council ex officio)
• Persons who assist the pastor in his pastoral work

For the 2025–2026 year, our ex officio members are:

1. Fr. Terry Ball
2. Joseph Cain
3. David Graber
4. Julia Loening
5. Rachel Luppens
6. Matthew Staab
7. Kelsey Steffen

Appointed Members

In addition to the ex officio members, the pastor appoints members who serve for a term of three years.

For the 2025–2026 year, our appointed members are:

8. Bradley Anderson
9. Kathy Holeton
10. Todd Kopecky
11. Joe Stein
12. Sharon Wirth

Parish Finance Council

The Parish Finance Council is a body which advises the pastor on financial matters and performs auditing tasks within the scope of diocesan norms.

For the 2025–2026 year, our Parish Finance Council members are:

1. Joseph Cain (ex officio)
2. Micky Loening
3. Wyatt McFall
4. Scott Seele
5. Uyen Wirth

Lay Trustees

Each parish in our diocese has two lay trustees. Both trustees sit on the Pastoral Council ex officio, and at least one must be on the Finance Council.

For the 2025–2026 year, our lay trustees are:

• Joseph Cain
• Julia Loening