DIOCESAN POLICIES ON PARISH ADMINISTRATION  
(based on DPA-I Decrees)

PROVISIONS ON PARISH ADMINISTRATION

1.       Parish priest to keep careful custody of registers, records and documents. These should be recorded accurately and promptly:

·         Parish Registers: baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths

·         Parish Records: sick calls, Masses, finances, inventories, pastoral programs, list of ROMs, ministries

·         Parish Documents: decrees, appointments, episcopal letters and circulars, parish policies, memoranda, land titles, deeds of donations, deeds of sales, other legal papers of the parish

2.       A record once entered should not be erased or altered. Any correction to be made by the parish priest with annotation.

1.       Parish Property: lands and buildings including chapels with complete papers such as deeds of sales or donations, vehicles, equipment, furniture, fixtures, utensils, money, records, and all other goods bought at the expense of the parish

2.       The upkeep, repair and maintenance of parish properties are the responsibility of the parish priest. Parish priest to consult with PEC or its equivalent regarding repair and maintenance of parish property

3.       Parish priest to make annual inventory of parish properties and copy to be kept in parish files

4.       No parish priest or vicars are allowed to lease or lend parish property to families, relatives or friends

5.       No priest allowed to hold Church property in his own private name

6.       No immovable property to be bought, sold/alienated or mortgaged without permission of the Bishop. All deeds and documents of such actions to be filed in the Chancery Office

7.       No church, convento or ecclesiastical building may be built, enlarged, or notably changed without consulting and obtaining permission of the Bishop

8.       Before actual construction, the general plan, perspective, cost estimate of the building to be presented to the Presbyterium for information, comment and approval. Once plan has been approved, no major alteration to be allowed on the original plan.

1.       Parish convento is common home for priests assigned in the parish. It should be made available to priests who stop by for a visit.

2.       The usual and essential furnishings of parish convento to be provided by the parish: house supplies, furniture and fixtures, beddings, kitchenware, and utensils.

3.       Relatives of parish priest and vicars not allowed to live permanently in convento as longtime guests

4.       Second floor of convento or similar area is strictly private to priests. Let them use discretion in this regard.

5.       Women are prohibited to sta6y long or sleep overnight or more in the convento

6.       Priestly prudence will dictate forms of hospitality and recreation within the parish convento.

1.       Parish priest or his vicars not allowed to hire relatives up to 3^rd degree consanguinity as employees of the parish.

2.       Hiring of women and girls as stay-in housekeepers or cooks highly discouraged.

3.       Parish priest to see to it that parish office and maintenance personnel receive wages and benefits according to law. He also to provide employees with free time for religious duties and recreation.

1.       Parish Income: stole fees, collections, donations, funeral blessings, fiestas, cemetery space rentals and sales, sales of religious articles, and produce.

2.       Parish Funds: Parish General Funds, Reserved Funds, and Special project Funds.

3.       Parish priest is responsible to the Bishop for the general handling of parish funds. He should inform regularly the bishop and parishioners about status of each fund.

4.       Parish Funds deposited in banks to be in the name of parish with parish priest as signatory

5.       All incomes and expenses to be accurately recorded in Parish Financial Books: daybook or journal, and ledger.

6.       Procedure in receiving, recording and disbursing of parish funds to be in accordance with system prescribed by the Diocese.

1.       Parish expenses: apostolates, salaries, maintenance (church, convento, vehicles), repairs, supplies (house, sacristy, office), and charities.

2.       Food, lodging, laundry, allowances of priests to be provided by the parish

3.       Remuneration of parish priests and vicars to be in accordance with Diocesan List.

1.       Personal Loans

·         Up to P5,000 – to be approved by all priests in the parish. If only one priest – by the Bishop.

·         Over P5,000 – approval by the Bishop

·         No new loan allowed until previous loan has been fully paid.

·         Only employees and priest f the parish to avail of loans. In case of necessity, parish may extend loan to priest of another parish with approval by the Bishop.

2.       Inter parish Loans

·         After consultation with the PPC or PEC

·         Loan exceeding P10,000 – to have approval of the Bishop.

1.       Outgoing parish priest to prepare and turn over the following:

·         Canonical Books all signed

·         Financial Books and records closed and signed

·         Cash in bank and cash on hand remaining

·         Balance sheet – assets and liabilities with schedules

·         Inventory of parish properties

·         List of parish personnel and workers, positions and salaries/honorarium/ allowance

2.       In the presence of outgoing and incoming parish priest, items specified to be verified by a third party authorized by the bishop

3.       Incoming priest to acknowledge receipt of items specified

4.       Installation of new parish priest usually takes place within the Mass.

1.       Transparency in financial matters to be regular norm for Diocese, parishes, schools, ministries, programs and all ROMs

2.       Clergy, religious and laity to observe demands of transparency, accountability and stewardship in administration of temporal goods of the Church.

3.       PEC to be established in every parish to help parish priest in administration of the goods of the parish

4.       All financial transactions to follow approved Accounting Manual of the diocese

5.       Hiring and termination of parish workers to be done and compensation determined by the parish priest in consultation with PEC

6.       Every parish to adopt tithing, pledges, and quota systems as alternatives to existing arancel system

7.       Uniform Financial System to be established for the GKK.

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Thursday, September 13, 2001 03:50:29 PM