Parish Organization
The organization of St. Francis by the Sea follows the six areas of pastoral planning that are found in "Lead us to Holiness" - A Pastoral Plan for the Diocese of Charleston. An excerpt from that plan is shown here:
From the Pastoral Vision for the Diocese of Charleston
“The meaning of our whole Christian life, the meaning of our collective effort to be stewards of the Kingdom of God, comes down to a simple attempt to be faithful disciples of Jesus, whom we recognize as the Christ. As the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ in the Diocese of Charleston, and as members of the Catholic Church in communion with the See of Rome, we commit ourselves to allowing the Lord to lead us to holiness of life by: Prayer and Worship; Christian Formation; Stewardship; Evangelization; Building Community; and Social Outreach.”
PRAYER AND WORSHIP
Being a Eucharistic people who seek a deeper relationship with God by prayerfully meditating on His Word and devoutly celebrating the Sacraments according to established norms.
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Passing on the Faith (that comes to us from Scripture and Tradition) transmitted via the Magisterium, to all of our members at every stage of life by our efforts at Christian Formation.
STEWARDSHIP
Utilizing the time, talent and treasure God has given us for the benefit of others.
EVANGELIZATION
Spreading the Gospel, by word and example, calling ourselves and others to conversion by explicit invitation and by the witness of our Christian lives
BUILDING COMMUNITY
Promoting, supporting, and nurturing Christian community at every level, including ethnic communities in our midst, that we might share in the holy communion of love which is the Blessed Trinity itself.
SOCIAL OUTREACH
Offering humble service, as did Jesus, particularly mindful of the poor, the needy and the marginalized, transforming even the very structures of society as we help to usher in the Reign of God, as ambassadors of justice, charity and peace..
Within these categories, some of the items described on this website are St. Francis by the Sea "Ministries" (see the description below) while other are separate organizations associated with St. Francis, or with a broader scope, but with participation by St. Francis parishioners.
Ministry: A ministry is defined as a group of parishioners (2 or more) who meet and act to live the parish mission and which supports the objectives of one of the six areas of pastoral planning. The specific criteria for determining Ministry status are:
† support the parish Catholic mission
† have identity consistent with one of the six areas of pastoral planning
† have parishioner participation
† the Ministry leader/coordinator must be a registered member of good standing within the parish
† meet on a regularly schedule basis
† the ministry will be recommended by the Pastoral Council and approved by the Pastor
† if appropriate, provide an annual report to the Parish Council.
St. Francis Staff Organization Chart
St. Francis Staff Communications Chart