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Archdiocesan Pastoral Council
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The Archdiocesan Pastoral Council (APC) is a representative body of the laity, religious, and clergy that assists the Archbishop in the articulation of a vision for the Church of Galveston-Houston and proposes long-term plans for its development.
The APC engages the diverse faithful of the Archdiocese with the Archbishop in consultative dialogue every quarter. The council addresses significant pastoral needs and concerns through investigation, reflection and feedback.
Our distinctive task of the APC consists of dialoguing pastoral paths and objectives and articulating in our Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan.
El Consejo Pastoral Arquidiocesano (APC, por sus siglas en inglés) es un cuerpo representativo de laicos, religiosos y miembros del clero que asisten al Arzobispo en la articulación de la visión para la iglesia en Galveston-Houston y propone planes de largo plazo para desarrollarla.
El APC involucre a la diversidad de los fieles en la arquidiócesis con el arzobispo en in diálogo consultative cada trimester. El consejo atiende necesidades pastorals y preocupaciones significativas a través de investigación, reflexión y retroalimentación.
Una de las tareas distintivas del APC consiste en dialogar rutas y objetivos pastorals y articularlos en nuestro Plan Pastoral Arquidiocesan.
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- Typically, a lay member will first be recognized and nominated by the pastor (through consultation with his Parish Pastoral Council, if possible) of their parish as having the qualities befitting a parish delegate. The priest will have a conversation with the prospective parish delegate nominee regarding the responsibilities of the role.
- Should the Parish Delegate nominee accept the role, the pastor or the parish secretary will email the Office of Pastoral and Educational Ministries the information of the nominated parish delegate to the office.
- Information needed is name, active phone number, active email, and home address. All information is for the exclusive use of archdiocesan business and will be treated as confidential.
- From there, the Office of Pastoral and Educational Ministries will determine the need for a parish delegate for that specific parish (if a Parish Delegate has been nominated for the parish). Once a need is confirmed, the lay person will then be recorded as the Parish Delegate for their parish for a period of three years.
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- After the nomination of parish delegates, the next phase of the archdiocesan pastoral council is the discernment of APC lay deanery representatives from the group of parish delegates. From the entire roster of parish delegates, two will be discerned from each deanery in the archdiocese.
- Central deanery, Northeast deanery, Southeast deanery, Northern deanery, Eastern deanery, San Jacinto deanery, Galveston/Mainland deanery, Bay Area deanery, Southern deanery, Bluebonnet deanery, Western deanery, Southwest deanery, Northwest deanery.
- Discernment takes the form of an in-person meeting with all the parish delegates of a particular deanery at a parish in said deanery. The meeting is conducted by the Director of Pastoral and Educational Ministries or by a facilitator appointed by the Director of Pastoral and Educational Ministries. The meeting can take up to three hours and is usually held on a Saturday morning, 9am-12pm.
- Once the discernment is completed, two parish delegates will be designated as APC lay deanery representatives and will serve on the quarterly council meetings with Archbishop Vásquez at the St. Dominic Chancery. This process is repeated for each of the 13 deaneries to reach the requisite goal of 26 APC lay deanery representatives. The office of Pastoral and Educational Ministries will record the names of the new APC lay deanery representatives who will serve a term of three years from their discernment.
- After the nomination of parish delegates, the next phase of the archdiocesan pastoral council is the discernment of APC lay deanery representatives from the group of parish delegates. From the entire roster of parish delegates, two will be discerned from each deanery in the archdiocese.
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Preferred Qualities
- Prayerful and reflective
- Willingness to listen well and speak honestly
- Verbalizes well in groups
- Generous with volunteer time
- Creative and innovative
- Practical
- Conscientious
- Respects confidentiality
- Open to diversity
- Analyzes and synthesizes information
- Flexibility and openness with people and ideas
- Catechetical and ecclesiological preparedness
Criteria
- Fully initiated, practicing Catholic
- At least 21 years of age
- Has been a registered member of a parish or a vowed member of a religious congregation for at least 3 years
- Participates in the ongoing life of a parish or religious community
- Experience with church-related parish council or board
Parish Delegate Responsibilities
- Lay member will first be recognized and nominated by the pastor of their parish as having the qualities befitting a parish delegate.
- (Done with consultation with his Parish Pastoral Council, if possible.)
- Attend the Deanery Discernment to determine two APC Representatives from the deanery.
- Pray for the success of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council plan process
- Assist with APC initiatives, relate information back to their parish, and provide feedback from the parish to the APC.
- Attend a meeting of Parish Delegates no more than 2 times per year.
Archdiocesan Pastoral Council (APC) Representative Responsibilities
- Attend all quarterly APC Meetings.
- Prayerfully reflect on the pastoral realities of the archdiocese and assist the archbishop in a consultative manner through recommendations via a prayerful process of visioning and long-range pastoral planning.
- Be actively involved in at least one working group related to APC pastoral planning.
- Develop, monitor, and evaluate the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan and other assigned initiatives related to APC pastoral planning.
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THE APC AT WORK!Summaries and items of note of the archdiocesan pastoral council (APC)
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Inaugural Meeting of Cohort 2025-2028meeting iThis meeting marked the inaugural gathering of the new Archdiocesan Pastoral Council cohort under Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez for 2025-2028 term. The Archbishop reflected on the archdiocese as a growing, young, and culturally diverse Church and emphasized the opportunities and challenges of keeping the faithful welcomed, connected, and engaged. He highlighted Catholic education and identified young adults, family, and vocations as key areas of pastoral interest.
Council members were introduced to their role in developing the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan and to the 7 STEPS process available to support parish pastoral planning. The Council also explored synodality as a spiritual practice of journeying together through accompaniment, communal discernment, and shared responsibility among clergy, religious, and laity.
The meeting concluded with Gerard Figurelli selected as Chair and Gordon See as Vice-Chair, establishing leadership for the Council’s ongoing work.
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How Pastoral Plans are Created & Evolve Over Time, The Current Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan.meeting iiThe second quarterly meeting of the 2025–2028 Archdiocesan Pastoral Council (APC) was held on March 7, 2026, in consultation with Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez. The meeting focused on discernment and the shared journey of the Archdiocese, with council members reflecting on the significance of pastoral planning, how pastoral plans are developed, and how pastoral planning evolves over time to respond to the needs of the Church.
During the meeting, members reviewed and discussed the current Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan (2024) to better understand how it addresses the pastoral needs and aspirations present at the time of its development. This reflection also helped the council identify the pressing realities facing the Archdiocese today while discerning future priorities in light of the Archbishop’s emphasis on strengthening the domestic church, deepening young adult faith formation, and fostering vocations.
The current plan can be accessed here: https://www.archgh.org/pastoralplan.
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Catholic Leadership Institute - Episcopal Transtion & Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning.Meeting iiiThe third quarterly meeting of the 2025–2028 Archdiocesan Pastoral Council (APC) was held on June 20, 2026. It focused on growth, evangelization, pastoral planning, and strengthening parish communities. Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez reflected on devotion to the Sacred Heart, emphasizing that love of Christ should lead to missionary discipleship and service. He highlighted encouraging growth in new Catholics, Confirmation candidates, and priestly vocations while stressing continued accompaniment, youth engagement, and the family as the “Domestic Church.”
The Catholic Leadership Institute presented its Episcopal Transition Support initiative, including leadership assessments, the Disciple Maker Index, and the Chancery Assessment, all intended to inform future archdiocesan priorities.
Council members discussed parish pastoral planning, sharing successes and challenges involving communication, youth engagement, finances, cultural diversity, and community integration. Archbishop Vásquez emphasized strong Pastoral Councils, collaboration, listening, transparency, and creating communities where all feel welcomed and valued.
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Pastoral Planning in a Synodal Way & Engaging the Youthmeeting iv
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Contact Us
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Jim Barrettejbarrettearchgh.orgSecretariat Director -
rmedinaarchgh.orgDirector
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