Parish Pastoral Council: Collaborative Group Works for Good of Our Cathedral

Parishes have a lot of moving parts — when everything lines up properly, the Cathedral can run more smoothly. That’s the goal of the Parish Pastoral Council (PCC).

This past year, the PCC has been getting to know Fr. John Moriarty. They’ve also been adjusting to the challenges of the pandemic. The PCC works with the Cathedral’s many ministries.

“We serve as an advisory committee to see what is going on at the Cathedral,” says Glen Heck, current PCC president. “We help work through any conflicts and help advise the Rector as the voice for the parish on where things should go.”

Each year, PCC members gather for a retreat to spend time in prayer, determining how the spirit is calling the Cathedral. They set the goals for the year and elect officers.

“It’s both a spiritual andtemporal exercise,” Glen says. “We have adoration and a lot of prayer and reflection.”

The focus for 2022 is hospitality — “To welcome each person by focusing on our personal and communal relationship with Christ.”

“We really want to have a welcoming presence to all who come worship with us,” Glen says.

The goals for 2020 and 2021 were the same — to encourage parishioners to return to church if they had been away due to the pandemic. Other goals included increased evangelization, and supporting racial justice and interracial healing.

Glen wants to counter the misconception that the PCC is a governing body — rather, it is a very collaborative group that works together for the good of the Cathedral.

“This is a very prayerful group,” Glen says. “It’s not just a business meeting — we are very much focused on the spirit and what He wants. We take great care to make sure we are all open to the spirit.”

Glen recalls that he initially got involved in the PCC about four years ago because he was looking to give back to the Cathedral, which he has since been blessed to do. All members believe that it’s essential to accept our Cathedral’s gifts. They want to make sure ministries and the Cathedral are growing.

“We are very optimistic about the future,” Glen says. “We want to take pride in what has been done in the past and continue to grow and evangelize.”

The PCC meets on the third Wednesday of the month from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The Parish Pastoral Council is a very collaborative group that works together for the good of the Cathedral.