St Francis of Assisi Parish Council 2008-2009
The Council consists of (at present) 15 elected members in addition to Fr Kevin. The elected members each serve for three years. Meetings take place monthly and are open meetings. Minutes of each meeting are published and displayed on the notice board in the Narthex. The Parish Council is along with the finance committee, the central focus for decision and action at a parish level. That is not to say that it takes to itself decisions and action currently being taken by the numerous parish groups and activities which efficiently, and self sufficiently, carry out their functions at present.
The Council has members who take primary responsibility for the following areas of Parish life.
- Mission, Justice and Peace
- Pastoral Care, Community
- Youth Work, Nurture
- Liturgy, Spirituality and Faith Formation
- Communications
- Maintenance and Finance
Each of those broad areas has allotted to it a number of parish activates and groups a complete list of which can be found by using that Parish Activities link. The groups and activities assigned to each area can be found by following the link to each area.
It is also the task of the Parish Council to ensure that the life of the parish is properly communicated and celebrated, that the social life of the parish is fostered and that our links with the diocese are maintained. The principal responsibility for each of those tasks is given to individual members of the council.
Below you can find a complete list of the members of the council and their individual areas of responsibility
| Chair | Dominic Short | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mission, Justice and Peace | Sian Price | Tammy Hervey | |
| Pastoral Care, Community | Diane Ryan | Clare Byrne | |
| Youth Work, Nurture | Mary Vincent (Vice chair) | Penny Watt | Sarah Lynch |
| Liturgy, Spirituality and Faith Formation | Mike Campbell | Jenny King | Gerard Crofton-Martin |
| Communications | Emma Dale (Vice chair & Secretary) | Paul Middlemas | |
| Maintenance and Administration | Ron Jarman | Una Moran | |
The Parish Council can be contacted in person or through the email address parishcouncil26@yahoo.co.uk
The Finance Committee
This comprises the Parish Priest and three lay members. It has its own constitution and is responsible to the Bishop for accounting and the budgeting of parish funds. It reports to the parish council. The current lay members are: Derek Hemmingfield (Chair), Alan Wenham (Secretary) and Kevin McHale.
Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults
The Parish of St. Francis of Assisi is committed to the policies of the Catholic Church in England and Wales designed to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm and to promote a safe environment for them. This commitment flows from the fact that we are all made in the image of God and the Church’s common belief in the dignity and uniqueness of every human being.
The Church in England and Wales has established a rigorous and formal framework, with systematic procedures, in order to ensure that the necessary protection is given to those who are vulnerable. Within this framework, parishes are required to designate specialist Safeguarding Officers whose role is to oversee the introduction and application of the required policies and procedures.
For further information about the arrangements in St. Francis’ Parish please contact Sarah Jane Lynch.