Catholic Centre Constitution
Preamble
The overall nature and scope of the Catholic Centre is to serve the students, faculty, and staff of Monmouth University. The Catholic Centre (CC) serves primarily through sharing, spreading, and proclaiming the gospel message of Jesus Christ, as taught by the Roman Catholic Church. Thus, while the Catholic Centre primarily serves the spiritual dimension of the individual, it also seeks to develop the whole person by forming him/her socially, intellectually, and physically.
Article I - Title
The name of the organization is the Catholic Centre at Monmouth University and will be referred to as such, or CC.
Article II - General Membership
Section A: The Catholic Centre is open to all students, faculty, and staff of Monmouth University; however, membership is primarily for the Roman Catholic Community of Monmouth University, or to those who wish to learn more about the Roman Catholic Church. All activities and events at the CC will be open to anyone who wishes to attend.
Section B: Membership is open throughout the current academic year.
Section C: A person gains membership of the Catholic Centre by assisting in three or more Catholic Centre events. Members are considered active after they have completed three events and continue to participate regularly in the life of the CC. Activities may include, but are not limited to, attending Mass, weekly meetings, Bible Study, guest speakers, retreats, etc. Members are considered to be inactive if they do not participate regularly in the life and activities of the Catholic Centre after they have completed their three events. It is impossible for the Catholic Centre to grow and run without the input and commitment of its members.
Article III – Executive Board
Section A: Any active member of the Catholic Centre holds the right to nominate, vote for, or run for an allotted position as an officer of the Catholic Centre. Nominations will be taken at the meeting directly before the election. Each candidate will be required to write a brief platform statement to be posted on all ballots. Elections will be held at the end of the spring semester each year, and all active members are required to vote. No candidate will be allowed to run or be elected for more than two terms. The Executive Vice President will count all ballots and report election results. The Campus Minister holds the authority over all election outcomes.
Section B: The staff of the Catholic Centre consists of Chaplain, Father Joe Farrell; Campus Minister, Mary Jakub; and Administrator, Diana Zambrano.
Section C: A representative from the faculty or staff of Monmouth University, currently Karen Bentley, will hold the position of advisor of the Catholic Centre. The role of the advisor is to act as a liaison between the University and the Catholic Centre, informing both parties of relevant events and information.
Section D: The Catholic Centre has three positions available for students to occupy, that of President, Vice President, and Alumni Representative. All officers will be required to attend a bi-monthly Executive Board meeting to discuss the on-goings of the Catholic Centre and the life and activities that surround it. Executive Board meetings will be held only with the presence of the Executive Board, Mrs. Jakub, and Mrs. Zambrano. All that is discussed at Executive Board meetings is strictly confidential. The members of the E-board are expected to meet in prayer together before the Blessed Sacrament at least one time a week or bi-weekly. Failure to be present at more than one meeting will result in a suspension of duties, and the Campus Minister will follow appropriate actions. Attendance at Sunday Mass is also crucial for the spiritual development of the members of the Catholic Centre. All e-board members must maintain a 3.0 GPA.
Subsection I – President
Responsibilities of the President include:
§ Attend Sunday Mass and retreats throughout the school year
§ Arrive for Sunday Mass at least thirty minutes early to greet members and welcome new students
§ Set-up for Mass, while developing an awareness of the Church seasons, including Altar colors and readings used for different times during the Liturgical year
§ Attend Executive Board meetings regularly
§ Develop an awareness of the Catholic Centre on campus and attempt to generate new members
§ Take pictures at Catholic Centre events, especially of outreach functions and update bulletin boards with new pictures
§ Represent the Catholic Centre with a table at Club Day
§ Place any good websites under the Administrator’s door for potential use on the Catholic Centre website
§ Spend time before the Blessed Sacrament every week
§ Check campus mailbox weekly, making Mrs. Zambrano aware of any items needing attention
§ Maintain a general awareness of all officers and on-goings within their responsibilities
§ Represent the Catholic Centre on and off campus
§ Work in conjunction with the Vice President on various functions, including retreats, outreach projects, conferring with Mrs. Jakub and Mrs. Zambrano to form committees, etc.
§ Assemble committees for outreach projects, such as Thanksgiving basket collection and assembly, and “Adopt a Family” for Christmas
Privileges of the President include:
§ Hold a key to the Catholic Centre and park in the Catholic Centre parking lot, if so desired
§ Possess the opportunity to work, with pay, at the Catholic Centre, doing various jobs, as assigned
Subsection II – Vice President
Responsibilities of the Vice President include:
§ Attend Sunday Mass and retreats throughout the school year
§ Arrive for Sunday Mass at least thirty minutes early to greet members and welcome new students
§ Set-up for Mass, while developing an awareness of the Church seasons, including Altar colors and readings used for different times during the Liturgical year
§ Attend Executive Board meetings regularly
§ Develop an awareness of the Catholic Centre on campus and attempt to generate new members
§ Take pictures at Catholic Centre events, especially of outreach functions and update bulletin boards with new pictures
§ Represent the Catholic Centre with a table at Club Day
§ Place any good websites under the Administrator’s door for potential use on the Catholic Centre website
§ Spend time before the Blessed Sacrament every week
§ Schedule students for three hours on Wednesdays to sit during the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
§ See what information is available at the Health Center and, if possible, put Project Rachel and Catholic Charities information there
§ Uphold the responsibilities of the President, when necessary
§ Represent the Catholic Centre on and off campus
§ Work in conjunction with the President on various functions, including retreats, outreach projects, conferring with Mrs. Jakub and Mrs. Zambrano to form committees, etc.
§ Assemble committees for outreach projects, such as Thanksgiving basket collection and assembly, and “Adopt a Family” for Christmas
Privileges of the Vice President include:
§ Hold a key to the Catholic Centre and park in the Catholic Centre parking lot, if so desired
§ Possess the opportunity to work, with pay, at the Catholic Centre, doing various jobs, as assigned
Subsection III – Alumni Representative
Responsibilities of the Alumni Representative include:
§ Attend Sunday Mass and retreats throughout the school year
§ Arrive for Sunday Mass at least thirty minutes early to greet members and welcome new students
§ Attend Executive Board meetings regularly
§ Spend time before the Blessed Sacrament every week
§ Maintain a general awareness of all officers and on-goings within their responsibilities
§ Represent the Catholic Centre on and off campus
§ Bring new ideas to the Catholic Centre, regarding possible events and activities
§ Organize alumni functions to maintain relationships among previous members of the Catholic Centre throughout the history of the organization
Privileges of the Alumni Representative include:
§ Hold a key to the Catholic Centre and park in the Catholic Centre parking lot, if so desired
§ Possess the opportunity to work, with pay, at the Catholic Centre, doing various jobs, as assigned
Subsection IV – Campus Minister (Non-student position)
§ Holds the right to approve or veto the newly elected Executive Board directly following each election
§ Holds the right to remove officers if they fail to fulfill their duties
§ Oversees and ensures Priests are scheduled to celebrate Mass and are available for Penance and questions
Article IV – Committees
Each officer is responsible to create committees beneath them to facilitate with his/her duties and is able to appoint chairs for each committee. All committees must be approved by the Executive Board.
Article V – Succession of Office
In the event that an officer vacates his/her position, the new officer is required to gain approval by the Campus Minister and the Administrator.
Article VI – Mission of the Catholic Centre at Monmouth University
Section A: Spiritual development is the primary concern of the Catholic Centre. Thus, the Catholic Centre will provide the celebration of the Eucharist every Sunday throughout the school year. The Eucharist will also be offered at other times throughout the week, when a Priest is available. The Roman Catholic Church believes that the Eucharist is the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ; therefore, the celebration of the Eucharist holds primary importance for the Catholic Centre and the members of the Catholic Centre. The Eucharist is also reserved in the Catholic Centre, so all are invited to come and spend time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Spiritual development will also take place through the Sacrament of Confession, retreats, days of recollection, communal and individual prayer, works of mercy, and other spiritual activities that take place throughout the year. The Campus Minister will be responsible to oversee all spiritual activities that take place at the Catholic Centre.
Section B: Intellectual development is also an important aspect of the Catholic Centre. Thus, the Catholic Centre will invite different speakers to come in and share on some aspect of the Roman Catholic life and the ways in which is it lived out on a daily basis. This will be done either through formal lectures or informal teachings at different social events. The Campus Minister will provide and invite the speakers that they feel will assist the members to the highest capacity. The members may also recommend and request different speakers. The Campus Minister will have the final selection in inviting speakers.
Section C: Social development is an important aspect of the overall University experience. The Catholic Centre will assist its members through this process by sponsoring various social events throughout the school year. The goal of these events will be to foster and develop a sense of community and camaraderie among the members of the Catholic Centre. These social events will always be held with their basis within the Roman Catholic teachings; however events will often simultaneously promote social and spiritual development.
Section D: Physical formation is also of great importance for the human person. The Catholic Centre will provide some physical development, through the use of recreational events, but also through projects that assist those who are not as fortunate to have the luxuries of life that many of the members of the Catholic Centre possess. An example of this sort would be building houses for those who do not have a home. The Catholic Centre will also encourage members to develop physically by exercising and being active throughout their time at the University and the Catholic Centre.
Revised 02/2007