Parish Board of Education

October 11 meeting minutes

Archdiocesan Education Policy Statement Excerpt:

Each parish shall have a board of education established in accordance with the Manual of Parish Boards of Education published by the Catholic Education Office.

The spirit behind the parish board movement can be traced to the Constitution for the Church of Vatican II. The Council called for greater participation by all members in matters that concern the good of the Church. This theme was made specific by the bishops of the United States in their pastoral letter, "To Teach as Jesus Did." In that document the bishops urged that representative structures be established for the involvement of laypersons in addressing the fundamental questions of the parish educational programs.

The parish board introduces a new element into the governance of the educational programs. The more traditional model for governance vested the total responsibility for the parish educational ministry in the pastor. The approach recommended by the bishops suggests that the pastor share this responsibility with the board. The existence of a parish board of education does not mean the abdication of authority by the pastor nor permit the administration of the educational programs by the board. Rather, the parish board is a means by which the pastor can share his responsibility for educational policy-making and can benefit from the knowledge and expertise of his parishioners.