The 13 members of the Archdiocesan Lay Pastoral Council (APC), appointed by Archbishop Lori during the summer of 2019, include 10 members representing the regional areas of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, as well as three at-large members representing the African American, Latino and Young Adult communities respectively.
Community Input
The Council welcomes input from the community, and encourages parishioners and others to share their interests and concerns by clicking HERE. (To see a list of parishes organized by vicariate and region, click HERE.) While it is not possible to respond personally to each comment, all input will be shared with the members for their consideration. From time to time, the Council will proactively solicit input on various issues as well.
Meeting Schedule and Notes
The 13 members of the new Archdiocesan Pastoral Council met for the first time for an orientation retreat in September, 2019. They have held two in-person meetings since then in November 2019 (see notes here) and February 2020 (see notes here) and convened by conference call in January 2020 (see notes here). The next meeting of the Council is scheduled for June 13, 2020.
Selection Process
Parishioners throughout the Archdiocese interested in serving on the APC were encouraged through bulletin notices, information in the Catholic Review and other avenues to submit applications online or by mail to the Archdiocese. The pastors representing the 10 regions of the Archdiocese, along with two lay parishioners from the region, reviewed local applications and submitted recommended candidates to the Archdiocese. At-large applications were reviewed by appropriate archdiocesan staff. Recommended candidates were interviewed by phone by the regional vicars and archdiocesan staff who forwarded their final recommendations to the Archbishop for his review and approval.
Archdiocesan Lay Pastoral Council Responsibilities
Archdiocesan Lay Pastoral Council Outline
“Today more than ever we need men and women who, on the basis of their experience of accompanying others, are familiar with processes which call for prudence, understanding, patience and docility to the Spirit. […] We need to practice the art of listening, which is more than simply hearing. Listening, in communication, is an openness of heart which makes possible that closeness without which genuine spiritual encounter cannot occur. Listening helps us to find the right gesture and word which shows that we are more than simply bystanders. Only through such respectful and compassionate listening can we enter on the paths of true growth and awaken a yearning for the Christian ideal: the desire to respond fully to God’s love and to bring to fruition what he has sown in our lives.”
Evangelii Gaudium, 171
Mission
Member Qualifications/Responsibilities (*See accompanying job description/application form)
Membership
Three-year nonrenewable terms; initial members will be grouped by one, two, or three year terms to rotate membership gradually and will number 13. Members should include at least six women and should reflect the diversity of the Archdiocese.
Meetings
(Additional interim meetings may be necessary in the initial year of the APC.)
Initial Considerations for the 2019
Archdiocesan Pastoral Council
North Baltimore County Representative
West Baltimore County Representative
Harford County Representative
Anne Arundel County Representative
Harbor/Metro West Representative
Harbor/Metro East Representative
Central Representative
South Central Representative
Western Representative
Young Adult Community Representative
Latino Community Representative
African American Community Representative