This week’s column focusses on the functions of the PIT, and its relationship with the Parish Pastoral Council.

The major role of the PIT is to ensure that the Synod mandate is successfully implemented. In addition, however, the Team has to coordinate the ministry of the parish and find the best ways to organise the parish for mission. It directs ministry, deals with administration, and seeks to find the most effective ways to achieve the aims of the various themes and pastoral priorities. The PIT coordinates the individual parts into a whole and focusses on monthly planning.

The Pastoral Council, on the other hand, exerts leadership of the parish with emphasis on overall direction and vision, focussing on the whole and ensuring the cohesiveness of the various parish ministries.

The parish work plan for this year is built around the theme – “The Vocation to be Catholic” – which is intended to prepare the parish, its people, groups, ministries, administration and structure to align with, embrace and live the mission.

This year’s theme requires two specific sets of action that are inter-related:

• Facilitating all Catholics to rediscover the vocation to be Catholic so that the practice of the faith and parish involvement will lead to a deeper discipleship and commitment to Church;
• Realigning the structures of the parish to implement the threefold mission of the Synod.

“Collaboration is the new way to be Church”, which means – from the point of view of the parish – that unlike in the past when each group did what it thought was best, parish groups and ministries must collaborate to achieve the Church’s mission.