The Archdiocesan Pastoral Council has existed since 2019. The members of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council (APC), appointed by Archbishop Lori, include members from the diocese who are passionate about evangelization. These members are invited into a prayerful, synodal process at the APC meetings, to look at the adaptive challenges facing the Archdiocese and the Catholic Church today. The APC has been adapted in 2026 to align with the vision for Discerning Pastoral Councils, the model for Pastoral Councils for parishes in the archdiocese. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a member of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, please contact Julie St. Croix, the Director of the Office of Parish Renewal at julie.stcroix@archbalt.org .
Community Input
The Council welcomes input from the community, and encourages parishioners and others to share their interests and concerns by clicking 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.
Selection & Discernment Process
Members for the APC are prayerfully discerned by the Archbishop and represent the diversity of the archdiocese including ethnicity, age and vocation. Members are parishioners, lay staff and one member of the clergy.
Archdiocesan Pastoral Council Responsibilities
Archdiocesan 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
- Through prayerful discernment open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, facilitate and strengthen dialogue between the Archbishop and the faithful of the Archdiocese in all its diversity
- Provide honest and constructive counsel to the Archbishop in his role as shepherd of the faithful and evangelizer of those alienated from the Church
- In consultation with the Archbishop and diocesan leaders as appropriate, gather information, ponder, and propose practical conclusions regarding major pastoral initiatives of the Archdiocese
- Serve as a forum for discussion of areas of interest raised by the laity
Member Qualifications/Responsibilities (*See accompanying job description/application form)
- Practicing Catholic in good standing with the Church who is actively involved in his or her parish community
- Acceptance of Church teaching and experience in prayerful discernment
- Ability to communicate collaboratively in a large group setting
- Familiarity with the interests and concerns of the local, archdiocesan and global Church
Meetings
- The agenda for each meeting will be set by the Archbishop in consultation with members of the APC with support from staff and will be disseminated in a timely manner in advance of the meeting to the members.
- Meetings will be held Saturday mornings.
Additional notes
- The Archdiocesan Pastoral Council (APC) is consultative to the Archbishop on current matters of priority in the Archdiocese.
- The role of the APC is integrated into the decision-making process of the Archbishop and the leadership of the Archdiocese without unnecessarily duplicating the work of other consultative bodies.
- Recognizing that the Archbishop does not have the authority to change settled Church teaching, the role of the APC is to assist in discerning how to accompany practicing and alienated Catholics as they seek to understand and apply Church teaching to the reality of their daily lives.
