Parish Mission Statement
Baptized into the life of the Holy Trinity and called to service in the Name of Jesus Christ, we of St. Peter Parish, strongly desire to be united as a Christian Family.
Together we will make prayer the source and strength of all our actions.
As a Spirit-Filled Catholic community, we commit ourselves to use our individual talents and gifts to reach out to one another in love and friendship.
Revealing the mission Jesus gave to his Church to “Go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19), a vibrant parish embodies particular aspects of parish life in bringing the good news of the Gospel to life. Our Parish Pastoral Plan provides a framework for the continued good work of the St. Peter faith community.
To read about pastoral planning, see the pages on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia website devoted to a vast amount of information and statistics about the current state of our parish and all the parishes of the Archdiocese.
To read about pastoral planning based on the document ‘Characteristics of Vital parishes,’ see What characteristics are found in vital parishes?
Pastoral Council
The Pastoral Council at Saint Peter Parish consists of no more than 10 Servant Leaders who advise the Pastor on matters including but not limited to the five qualities of a mission-driven Parish: Welcome, Outreach, Witness, Worship, and Education. The Pastoral Council’s main responsibility is to advise the Parish Pastor on mission/vision, strategy, evaluation while adding their individual perspectives and insights. The Pastoral Council is never expected to carry out any operational tasks at the Parish, such as scheduling, approving, or engaging in ministry operations. In other words, this is a representative body and not a body of representatives. Each Servant Leader must commit to an initial 2-year term. On average, the pastoral council convenes quarterly with additional meets scheduled as needed with advance notice.
The purpose of the Pastoral Council is to foster full participation of the entire parish in the life and mission of the parish and of the Universal Church.
Finance Council
The Code of Canon Law provides a basis for the establishment and operations of parish finance councils. The Pastor approves all appointments to the Council.
The Parish Finance Council meets regularly and assists the pastor in a consultative capacity, advising and assisting the pastor in his administration of the finances and temporalities of the parish. Responsibilities include:
- Preparation and review of operating budgets
- Preparation and review of long range financial forecasts
- Preparation and review of financial statements and Annual Parish Financial Reports
- Other items related to the financial administration of the parish
The following Parish Staff & Members currently serve on Parish Finance Council:
- Fr. William Chiriacco – Pro Tem Administrator
- Tom Stern
- Phil Moran
- Bob Weidner
- Natalie Carrozza
- Jesse Crikelair
Parish Leadership Team
A member of the parish leadership team is a parishioner that has an interest in the success of all operations at Saint Peter but does not necessarily manage everything. It is usually 5-7 people separate from office staff (can also be part of office staff), but are called to take on specific high-level tasks. These tasks include forming and maintaining the mission/vision, developing and implementing strategy, and evaluating the successes and shortcomings so that the parish may adjust or pursue its strategic plans. The Parish leadership Team is not to be confused with the Parish Office, which handles daily operations like answering phone calls, bookkeeping, scheduling requests, and more. Note that the titles of the leaders do not have significance, but some of the value they bring to the leadership team may contribute to their title.