Rev. Erin Kochivar | Parish Staff | Pastoral Council | Finance Council

We are blessed to have Reverend Erin Kochivar as the Pastoral Administrator for Our Lady of the Woods and St. Peter Chapel.

The Parish Pastoral Council members function as an integrated body of the faithful that forms a dynamic, consultative resource to the pastor and to Teller County Catholic Community. United as a leadership team their goal is to achieve our parish mission.

Pastoral Council activities focus on nurturing our individual and collective lives in the living Christ by:

• Actively bond parishioners into a cohesive community.
• Establishing plans, goals, and policies in collaboration with the Pastoral staff, Finance Council, and parish committee leaders to live the Gospel.
• Coordination and consistent review of the effectiveness of parish ministries, projects, processes and systems toward achieving goals, as well as recommending changes as appropriate.
• Guiding our faith community in living our Christian call to be evangelists and practice good stewardship of time, talent, and treasure.

The bishop heads the diocese and appoints a priest as pastor to serve and manage each parish community on his behalf. The pastor is ultimately responsible for all parish finances. Church Law ( Canon 1280 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law ) and diocesan norms recognize the tremendous responsibility given to pastors in the realm of parish finances. Accordingly every parish is required to have a parish finance council. The pastor is responsible for assembling the parish finance council. The parish finance council is an advisory body whose membership should include individuals skilled in finance, civil law, construction/engineering or business.

Members are appointed by the pastor. The parish finance council will:

• Assist in the preparation of the annual budget.
• Assist in monitoring financial reports and the annual budget on an ongoing (at least quarterly) basis.
• Assist the pastor in assuring that the financial statements are presented to the parish community (at least annually).
• Assist in the implementation of acceptable internal control practices including reviewing and implementing diocesan policies.
• Assist the pastor in evaluating the impact on parish finances and administration of leasing parish properties to an outside organization.