Parish Cluster Councils
The Parish Council Leadership Initiative will study the new phenomenon of ‘cluster councils.’ These are pastoral councils whose membership is drawn from multiple or clustered parishes. Of interest are the leadership models for these councils. Currently 8.2% of parishes have thave cluster councils, according to the NPLC 2005 parish survey. 6.4 percent of parishes say they have a pastoral council for the parish AND the parish cluster; 1.8% have one for the parish cluster only.
Little is known about this emerging model. No existing national studies have focused on this topic. It relates to the phenomena of multi-parish pastoring. Currently 43% of all the parishes share a pastor according to a study by Sr. Katerina Schuth. The cluster council model exemplifies the type inter-parochial consultative structure described in the Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People, #26
This study is being conducted by Dr. Robert Miller of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for the Emerging Models Projectm under the leadership of CPPCD and NFPC. The goals of this research include:
- To understand the driving forces / motivations for pursuing this model of council
- To understand the benefits (intended and unintended) of this practice
- To understand the challenges (anticipated and unanticipated) of this practice.
- To understand the experience of the parish leader using the model
- To enunciate best practices.
- To clarify processes for forming them (grassroots or top down).
- To discover whether cluster councils are envisioned as transitional (until one parish with one worship site is reinstated through mergers) or permanent.
- To learn the degree to which cluster councils strengthen parishes by fostering intra-parish collaboration and the pooling of resources -OR-of facilitate competition and conflict between parishes around scarce resources.
- To learn the leadership skills (or training) needed to successfully blend cluster council participates.
- To learn who, if anyone, supports the development of these councils. According to a study of multiple parish pastoring conducted by the Emerging Models Project, less than 10% of dioceses are formally preparing leadership for ministering in multiplepariosh settings.
- Are there good reasons to move to this model as well as good reasons not to move to this model?
Related Reports & Articles
"Co-Responsibility" Studied By Emerging Models Project
July 4, 2009
The co-responsibility of the entire parish, called "total ministering parishes" by the Project, called for by Pope Benedict XVI, and reitered by Bishop Gerald Kikanas at a gathering of the Leadership Roundtable, was studied by the Emerging Models Project.
Inter-Parochial Pastoral Councils
by
Robert Miller, Ph.D.
June 20, 2007
Inter-Parochial Councils is n exploratory, qualitative study intended to investigate the development of multi-parish pastoral councils among Catholic parishes. These councils are made up of representatives from two or more separate parishes all sharing the same pastor.
