Governance
Final decision-making authority in the Catholic Church always resides with the local bishop. However, boards and councils also exist to provide guidance and oversight. In the case of St. Teresa of Calcutta Newman Center, the governance structure consists of:
– A legal entity board, according to civil law.
– The Finance Council, mandated by canon law, and a Parish Council.
– An Advisory Board for the $32 million campaign to build a new facility.
– The Diocesan Building and Diocesan Finance Committees.
“St. Teresa of Calcutta Newman Center, Inc.” was established as a legal entity in the State of Nebraska in January 2021. The legal entity board consists of the bishop (President), the vicar-general of the diocese (Vice-President), the pastor (Treasurer/Secretary), and two members of the Parish Council. In the case of St. Teresa’s, the Parish Council is made up of five students, so two of these students sit on the legal entity board.
The Finance Council consists of eight members. The council is a mix of men and women, different professions, two UNK faculty and two with formal education in accounting, one of whom is a practicing CPA. The St. T’s Finance Council now meets roughly 10 times per year and documents its decisions with written resolutions. Canon law does not require a parish to have a Parish Council but does require there to be a Finance Council, which has oversight of the finances.
At the start of the campaign to raise funds to build the new facility, an Advisory Board was established. The Advisory Board is made up of both Honorary and Active members. Active members are asked to help with networking and fundraising. All members are asked to stay abreast of how the campaign is going and to share their views and opinions about all aspects of the project.
The Diocesan Building Committee is responsible for advising the bishop on all final designs of the new facility. The Diocesan Finance Committee is responsible for advising the bishop for all matters related to finances and the new facility.