Q. I sometimes hear people mention our parish “trustees.” What is a parish trustee?
A. Part of the reality of the Catholic Church being in the world but not of the world is, well, we need to be in the world.
To be able to function in the world, the Church has to concede to civil authorities in those areas that are necessary to operate as a unified institution as established by the civil law of the territory She finds Herself in. The Church would not concede Her authority over faith and morals to civil authorities, nor would She follow laws that contradict Divine Law. She will however, “go along to get along,” as the saying goes, with things like corporate law.
To function in the United States, Catholic institutions are also civil corporations. Not all dioceses have the same corporate model, but they are, all of them, incorporated. It is a necessary part of operating in the United States. In the Diocese of Lincoln, all parishes and regional schools, as well as the Diocese of Lincoln itself, are separate corporations, each with its own corporate board and subject to the laws of the United States and the State of Nebraska that govern corporations.
This is where trustees enter into the equation. Every parish in the Diocese of Lincoln has as its corporate board the Bishop of Lincoln, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Lincoln, the Chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln, the pastor of the parish, and two lay directors that are often referred to as trustees. These trustees are nominated by the pastor and appointed by the Bishop of Lincoln.
Trustees are not part of the law of the Catholic Church, but are an entirely civil reality. The official role of the trustee is to fulfill the requirements of the corporate board. While they have some rights as members of the corporate board, they do not enjoy the power of governance. Governance of a parish is entrusted to the pastor by the diocesan bishop, and the pastor exercises that authority apart from the trustees.
In practice, the role of the trustee is to provide assistance to the pastor by sharing institutional knowledge and insight into the community that the pastor might lack. Trustees can also provide sound financial advice and be sounding boards for pastors. The relationship between pastor and trustee should be one of mutual respect, with the pastor consulting with his trustees and the trustees supporting the ministry of the pastor. It is not about power and authority, but rather each party fulfilling the role so that the parish flourishes.
This question was answered by Father Caleb La Rue, chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln. Write to Ask the Register using our online form, or write to 3700 Sheridan Blvd., Suite 10, Lincoln NE 68506-6100. All questions are subject to editing. Editors decide which questions to publish. Personal questions cannot be answered. People with such questions are urged to take them to their nearest Catholic priest.
