Parishes Moving ahead into incorporation

June 20, 2008
Catholic Sentinel

Archdiocese of Portland officials have been meeting with parish leaders across western Oregon, helping them learn what needs to happen now that the parishes are separately incorporated.

“We are here this evening not to change church order,” Msgr. Dennis O’Donovan told one group. Vicar general of the archdiocese, Msgr. O’Donovan explained that parishes will still be connected to their bishop and to the pope and will operate according to church “doctrines, teachings, traditions and polity.” The new corporate status simply puts the parishes’ civil structure in line with long-standing church law, he said.

Separate incorporation was one part of the bankruptcy settlement reached last year. It clarifies that parish assets belong to the parishes, not the archdiocese.

The goal of the restructuring is to “clarify ownership of parish property under civil law,” said Paulette Furness, director of business affairs for the archdiocese. About 600 parcels were involved in the project.

Msgr. O’Donovan thanked lay leaders who have been appointed to the boards of directors of their parishes.

Under the new structure, parish boards include two lay directors, one each from the parish pastoral council and the parish finance council. Also on the board are the pastor as president and several archdiocesan officials.

In a model similar to many non-profits like homeowners’ associations, the board must consult the membership on certain extraordinary decisions. In this case, the Archbishop of Portland is the one member and he will need to give consent on issues such as buying property, borrowing money and entering some major lease agreements.

But the pastor remains in charge of day-to-day operations of the parish, advised by the pastoral and finance councils.