Parish of South Yarra Parish Council 2025

The Parish AGM was held on Sunday 24th March and the first meeting of the new Council met Wednesday 9th April. A new executive – Narelle Ivers and Benedict See (co-chairs), Averyl Menezes (secretary) were elected. New members included Terence Thambi-Rajah, Maida Pineda, Aaron Rhodes, Paola Padilla, and Jeh Tham. 

PARISH PASTORAL PLAN 2025-2027

In February 2025 the Parish Council endorsed a revised Parish Pastoral Plan. This followed a lengthy process of review by a sub-committee and response to feedback. The previous lengthy pastoral plan was simplified and re-formatted. It was distributed through our parish churches and uploaded online. The revised plan may be view and downloaded here.

DIAGRAM OF PARISH ORGANIZATIONS

History

The South Yarra Parish Pastoral Council first elected in 1970 is one of the oldest in the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

The membership of the Council consists of both ex officio and also elected and nominated representatives. The clergy are ex officio members. Pastoral associates may attend. Parish Committee representatives may attend by nomination and other parishioners are elected as members at the Parish Annual General Meeting.

The role of the Council is:

• To provide leadership by promoting the concept of Christian community
• To provide the Parish Priest and the Augustinian community with advice and to represent the views of other parishioners in respect to pastoral matters pertaining to the operations of our parish.
• To assist our parish leadership in planning for the future needs of the parish
• To provide practical assistance and support to our parish leadership in day to day pastoral activities
• To represent the parish in the wider community in both spiritual and secular activities

Council members include both clergy, committee representatives and elected members nominated prior to the Parish Annual General Meeting.

The Council meets regularly throughout the year to devise, plan and review  pastoral programs and parish administration.

The Constitutions of the Parish Council may be found here.

According to Canon Law  every parish is obliged to have a parish pastoral council but every parish is obliged to have a finance committee.

PARISH FINANCE COMMITTEE

Every parish is obliged to have a finance committee or council in accordance with the prescriptions of Canon Law. The Finance Committee acts in an advisory capacity to assist the parish priest in his role as administrator. The Parish Finance committee is independent from the parish council but may report to council.

The members of the parish finance committee bear no civil legal responsibility by virtue of their membership.