Within the Church the Bishop has the discretion to establish multiple different consultative bodies. Every parish is required to have a Parish Finance Committee, and is encouraged to have a Parish Pastoral Council.

An additional level of cooperation and collaboration between parishes in a deanery (a geographical area within the Diocese) can be achieved through Deanery Pastoral Councils. Representatives from the parishes in each deanery meet to discuss what’s happening in their parishes, to look at opportunities for learning and collaboration, and to discuss opportunities for deanery events.

The Deanery Pastoral Councils can also be consulted as part of broader consultations about changes and future plans within the Diocese as a means of giving the Bishop and his advisors a broad range of feedback and opinions when making decisions.

Each Deanery Pastoral Council is formed of volunteers from each parish – typically 2-3 – from across the Deanery, alongside all of the clergy and religious in that Deanery.

Bishop Frank has asked that each deanery establish a Deanery Pastoral Council and all four deaneries are now working to do so.