The By-Laws

OF

St. Joseph Parish – Elk Grove

Finance Council

_{(approved and adopted August 30, 2006)}

Article I

Name

The name of this body shall be St. Joseph Parish Finance Council, Elk Grove, California, hereinafter referred to as “The Council.”

Article II

Purpose and Objectives

1.)      The Council shall function as an advisory and consultative board to the parochial administration [pastor], as designated and appointed by the Bishop of Sacramento (e.g., pastor, parochial administrator, parish steward, etc.). The Council shall operate under the Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church and the Diocese of Sacramento guidelines for finance committees (copies attached).

2.)      The Council shall meet regularly to review and oversee the financial resources of the parish.

3.)       The Council shall review the financial and employment policies of the parish.

4.)       The Council shall prepare and confirm the annual budget prepared in the spring of each year.

5.)       The Council shall have the right and responsibility to review every expense of the parish, irrespective of its amount. Such reviews shall be facilitated by the issuance of monthly income and expenses statements for the consideration of The Council, and access to primary records (e.g., by access to banking information, right of review of purchase orders and checks, or copies of banking statements, etc.)

6.)       The Council shall have the opportunity to review the need and benefit of any expense over $2,000 prior to its expenditure, unless the pastor deems it necessary to incur the expense prior to such a review on an emergency basis the delay of which would be more adverse for the parish (i.e., roof leaks, structural collapse of buildings or property deterioration, etc.). If such a determination is made, phone or e-mail will advise council members immediately, and the matter will be addressed at the next council meeting.

7.)       The Council shall review all expenses over $15,000 before a request for approval is tendered to the Diocese of Sacramento through the Finance Office (to wit, the chief financial officer). Approval from the Diocese may be made verbally. Expenditures above $100,000 require the written approval of the Bishop of Sacramento.

8.)       The Council shall ensure that all societies, organizations, or groups, who claim in anyway to have a relationship with either St. Joseph or St. Vincent Churches (and thus are subject to the administrative authority of the pastor), submit an annual report on their activities, and a financial statement that reconciles all bank accounts (including, receipts and disbursements throughout the year) by June 30^th of each year, in anticipation of the complete parish fiscal report being completed by August 1^st.

a.)The Council shall be the oversight organ of the parish to monitor the aforementioned parochial entities, with the authority to require compliance with the policies and procedures of the diocese, and those determined by this council in agreement with the parochial administration.

b.)The Council will determine the disbursement amount above which the pastor should confirm by signature for expenditures by these entities. (Note: the diocesan policy recommends $2,500).

9.)       The Council shall ensure that an annual financial report is distributed to the entire parish. On a more frequent basis as determined by the council and approved by the pastor, interim financial reports may be distributed.

a.)This distribution will be made to the parishioners as the Council decides (such as a mailing to all registered parishioners, or by the Sunday bulletin).

b.)The format of this report shall be determined by the council, and yet minimally include a summary of income and expenses, in comparison to the last prior period in the previous fiscal year.

10.)     The Council shall create and review policies, monitoring all parish property and equipment, so as to ensure adequate safeguard against loss due to accidents, fire, theft, or misplacement.

11.)     The Council shall ensure that all fixed assets have been inventoried and tagged as property of the parish.

12.)     The Council shall support the vision and ministry of the parish, Pastor, and Pastoral Council.

13.)     The Council and pastor shall have the right to approve the by-laws and make amendments to them, from time to time, with the consensus of the Council and approval of the pastor.

Article III

Membership and Terms

1)        The Council shall be composed of no more than ten (10) parish members; four of whom shall constitute a quorum for purposes of tendered recommendations, if the pastor and chair (or designated pro tem chair, e.g., vice-chair) is present for such deliberations.

a.)Council members must be practicing Catholics, registered as faithful participants of our parish, to wit, St. Joseph or St. Vincent de Paul Churches.

b.)Council members are appointed by the pastor, for a term of service of three years, which may be renewed. Furthermore, at any time, a council member may be asked to be relieved of his or her appointment, be it temporarily or permanently, on his or her own request and/or at the discretion of the pastor.

c.)The service of all members is suspended with the appointment of a new parochial administration by the Bishop of Sacramento.

2)        The Council shall have a chair and vice-chair, one of whom will be responsible for collaborating with the pastor on the agenda for each meeting, and conducting the meeting.

a.)The chair or vice-chair must be present at any deliberations of The Council.

i.) The chair shall serve for one fiscal year. The vice-chair will assume service as chair of The Council upon the commencement of the new fiscal year (July 1) of each year.

                        ii.)       The vice-chair will be selected by a quorum consensus of the Council in April of each year, with responsibilities to commence in this position in July.

b.)Any member who cannot attend a meeting shall contact and advise the chair or vice-chair.

c.)The chair or vice-chair shall have the responsibility of ensuring that minutes (summary in nature) are taken for all deliberations, which have a quorum.

d.)A member of the Finance Council should be a member of the Pastoral Council of the parish. This member must have the majority approval of The Council, and be approved by the pastor.

Article IV

Conduct Of Meetings

1)        Meetings of the Council shall be conducted on at least a quarterly, but usually a monthly, basis.

2)        The Council operates on a consensus basis for decision making.

3)        Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with a written agenda set by the Chair and Pastor. Any Finance Council member and Parish Pastoral Council member may submit items for discussion in a timely fashion in order to be placed on the agenda for the next regularly scheduled meeting.

a.)Notice of the agenda will be be provided to council member’s five (5) business days prior to the meeting, with any exception explained at that meeting.

b.) Deviation from the agenda must be approved by a simple majority of The Council members present at the meeting.

Code of Canon Law

On

Finance Councils/Finance Committees

Canon 492 –   § 1 — In each diocese a finance committee is to be established, presided over by the diocesan Bishop or his delegate. It is to be composed of at least three of the faithful, expert in financial affairs and civil law, of outstanding integrity, and appointed by the Bishop.

Canon 532      In all juridical matters, the parish priest acts in the person of the parish, in accordance with the law. He is to ensure that the parish goods are administered in accordance with cann. 1281-1288.

Canon 537      In each parish there is to be a finance committee to help the parish priest in the administration of the goods of the parish, without prejudice to can. 532. It is ruled by the universal law and by the norms laid down by the diocesan Bishop, and it is comprised of members of the faithful selected according to these norms.

Canon 1284 – § 1 — All administrators are to perform their duties with the diligence of a good householder.

§ 2 — Therefore they must:

                                    1^○          be vigilant that no goods placed in their care in any was perish or suffer damage; to this end they are, to the extent necessary, to arrange insurance contracts;

                                    2^○        ensure that the ownership of ecclesiastical goods is safeguarded in ways which are valid in civil law;

                                    3^○        observe the provisions of canon and civil law, and the stipulations of the founder or donor or lawful authority; they are to take special care that damage will not be suffered by the Church through the non-observance of the civil law;

                                    4^○        seek accurately and at the proper time the income and produce of the goods, guard them securely and expend them in accordance with the wishes of the founder or lawful norms;

                                    5^○        at the proper time pay the interest which is due by reason of a loan or pledge, and take care that in due time the capital is repaid;

                                    6^○        with the consent of the Ordinary make use of money which is surplus after payment of expenses and which can be profitably invested for the purposes of the juridical person;

                                    7^○        keep accurate records of income and expenditure;

                                    8^○        draw up an account of their administration at the end of each year;

                                    9^○        keep in order and preserve in a convenient and suitable archive the documents and records establishing the rights of the Church or institute to its goods; where conveniently possible, authentic copies must be placed in the curial archives.

                        § 3 — It is earnestly recommended that administrators draw up each year a budget of income and expenditure. However, it is left to particular law to make this an obligation and to determine more precisely how it is to be presented.

Diocese of Sacramento

Section 1

Guidelines for a Parish Finance Committee

Code of Canon Law

          ●        Canon 532 describes the Parish Priest (pastor/parish administrator) as being the authoritative representative of the parish.

          ●        Canon 537 provides that .... “each parish is to have a finance committee which is regulated by universal law as well as by the norms issued by the diocesan bishop; in the council, the Christian faithful, elected according to the same norms, aid the parish priest in the administration of the parish goods with due regard for the prescriptions of Can. 532.”

          ●        Parish Finance Council is advisory and consultative in nature.

          ●        The Parish Priest, in consultation with an existing Pastoral Council as well as those who by virtue of their office are engaged in pastoral care in the parish, shall select members of the parish finance council.

Criteria for Membership

          ●        All members must be Catholics. Members should be skilled in business and have come management expertise.

          ●        There should be no less than 3 and no more than 5 members.

          ●        Cannot include anyone who could have a conflict of interest from such affiliation nor can any close relative of the parish priest be a member of the council, nor should a married couple both be members, nor should a spouse or close relative of a parish staff member be a member.

          ●        Parish employees may not serve on the council. They may, however, assist the council in a staff capacity.