FINANCE COMMITTEE NORMS

                                               SENT TO PARISH MEMBERS

            Diocesan norms on the role and responsibilities of parish finance committees, promulgated by Bishop Thomas V. Daily in a decree issued four months ago and which became effective April 1, have been printed and mailed to committee members.

            Published in a brochure, the decree, dated March 19, stresses that every parish must have an "active" finance committee, in accordance with Canon 537 of the Code of Canon Law, which is advisory to the pastor and "consultative in nature."

            The decree also notes that Canon 532 "clearly states" that the pastor is "the only authoritative representative" of the parish.

            A list compiled by the diocesan Parish Fiscal Management Office through July 3 showed that 174 parishes and two chapels had finance committees.  Forty-four parishes either had not yet submitted the names of their members or did not have a committee, said Msgr. John J. Bracken, Vicar for Temporalities.

           The norms direct a pastor to appoint a committee comprised of three to five Catholics with skills in business and legal matters and with some expertise in management.  They need not be parish members.

           In a letter printed in the brochure, Bishop Daily says that the advice and counsel finance committee members provide for their pastor "help him to exercise Gospel stewardship in the administration of your parish."

           Outlining the duties of finance committee members, the norms state that the pastor should consult them on:

           ---Any major commitmemt of parish resources in excess of $30,000 before permission for such a step is requested from the diocesan bishop.

           ---The investment of parish funds.

           According to the norms, committee members are to "play an active role" in the preparation of the parish budget and financial report and "help in the formulation" of the report to the parish community.

           The brochure issued by the bishop also describes the duties of lay parish trustees, two in each parish, which "generally are to assist in the care and preservation of the temporalities and property of the parish corporation."