ARTICLE ONE

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SHRINE

The name of the association shall be:

AND PILGRIMAGE APOSTOLATE

ARTICLE TWO

PRINCIPAL OFFICE

The principal office of the association shall be at Basilica of the National Shrine

of the Immaculate Conception (400 Michigan Avenue, NE), in the City of

Washington, in the State of the District of Columbia.  The association may have

other such offices as may from time to time be designated by its members or the

Executive Board.  (The above address will be that of the elected

ARTICLE THREE

PURPOSES

1. To restore the meaning of pilgrimage as a religious and spiritual

experience of renewal, thus enhancing a sense of evangelization to

2. To cooperate with diocesan directors of pilgrimages and pilgrimage

leaders that the pilgrimage experience will become a spiritual

3. To inspire interest in pilgrimages to the shrines sacred to our

Catholic heritage in this country and abroad.

4. To be of service to shrine personnel and directors of pilgrimages in

their ministry in a pilgrim people, and to enable collaboration of

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ARTICLE FOUR

POWERS

In furtherance of the objectives described above, but not limited to these, the

association shall have power to collect and distribute information, to conduct

investigations, to engage in various fund-raising activities, to plan and conduct an

annual convention, to collect annual membership dues and convention fees, to

conduct promotional activities and to hold such property as is necessary to

ARTICLE FIVE

MEMBERSHIP

1. Full Membership.  Full membership is offered to one properly

designated representative of each Shrine that has been established

by competent religious authorities (e.g., has been approved by the

local ordinary as a place of pilgrimage), to authorized directors of

pilgrimages in dioceses and to other persons representing Church

groups deemed appropriate by the Executive Board.

a. Full members who are current in their dues shall enjoy all

privileges of the organization including the right to hold an

b. Full members and associated members are entitled and

expected to promote the organizations’ goals and objectives

among the pastoral network of the Catholic Church in the United

2. Associate Membership.  Associate membership is offered to

private organizations and individuals who wish to participate in the

goals and gatherings of the association in order to foster the

pilgrimage apostolate.

3. Voting.  Those present, with full membership (who are current in

their dues), have one vote on official proposals presented to the

assembly of members at the annual convention.

4. Officers are elected and official proposals are approved by a simple

majority of the voting members present at the convention.

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5. Suspension and Expulsion.  The Executive Board may suspend

any member whose conduct is detrimental to the objectives or

interests of the association or by-laws.  The Executive Board may

expel members only with the approval of the general assembly at the

ARTICLE SIX

DUES AND FINANCES

1. The association will be financially independent through the following

a. The annual dues for full and associate members will be

determined by the Executive Board in union with the general

assembly.  (Currently $225.00 Full Membership, $100

Associate Membership and $175.00 Business Membership.)

b. The annual convention fees and projects sponsored by the

organizations.

c. Donations and contributions of various entities and private

2. Reimbursable expenses include travel, food and lodging for officers

and the convention planning committee for planning sessions.

3. The association is designed as a not-for-profit organization.  The

association shall use its funds only for the objectives and purposes

specified in these articles of association and by-laws.

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ARTICLE SEVEN

CONVENTIONS

The program for conventions will be planned in such a way that it will feature

speakers, workshops, and professional development of interest to the general

membership.  The program will also contain events particular to each of the three

interest groups:  Shrine Personnel, Pilgrimage Directors, and Associate

Members.  Time will be allotted for separate meetings of each group, if

ARTICLE EIGHT

GOVERNMENT

1 The association will be governed by the following officers who will be

know as the Executive Board:

b. Vice-President.

c. Secretary/Treasurer.

a. President – Two years as President, renewable for another

two year term.

b. Vice-President: Two years as Vice-President, with the option

to run/be elected as President.

c. Secretary/Treasurer – Three years, renewable for another

three year period.

3. Duties of the President:

a. To be primarily responsible for the conventions during his/her

years in office.

b. To be responsible for publishing and distributing the

proceedings of the convention.

c. To appoint a recording secretary or secretaries to record

minutes of the convention.

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d. In an election year, or whenever an office becomes vacant, to

appoint a search committee of three persons to nominate

candidates for the office of the President, Vice-President,

and/or Secretary/Treasurer, during the annual convention.  

One member of this committee should be an Associate

Member.  Members of the search committee cannot be

nominated for office.

e. To preside at the annual convention.

f. To serve as spokesperson for the association to interested

g. To choose up to three other members to work with the officers

as a planning committee for the annual convention, at least

one of whom will be an Associate Member.  One person

should also be a member from the staff where the convention

h. To authorize extra-ordinary disbursements.

i. To appoint a committee with the approval of the Episcopal

Liaison and the Representative of the Shrine and Pilgrimage

Apostolate of the United States Catholic Conference, for

particular issues.

j. To call special meetings when there is a need.

k. To work with the membership to develop long range programs

for the Shrine and Pilgrimage Apostolate.

4. Duties of the Vice-President:

a. To preside at the meetings of the organization in the absence

of the President.

b. To perform other duties assigned to him/her by the President,

Episcopal Liaison, or the Shrine and Pilgrimage

Representative of the United States Catholic Conference.

c. To cooperate with the President in the planning of the actual

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5. Duties of the Secretary/Treasurer:

a. To facilitate all mailings of the association.

b. To keep all financial records, including notification and

reception of the annual dues.

c. To maintain the association checking account.

d. To take care of normal operational expenses.

e. To report to the membership, at the annual convention, the

financial status of the association.

f. To record and keep the proceedings of the annual convention.

ARTICLE NINE

RELATIONSHIP TO THE UNITED STATES

CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS

a. To represent the concerns of the organization to the American

b. To encourage the Pilgrimage Apostolate among Shrine

Directors/Rectors, Diocesan Pilgrimage Coordinators and

Pilgrimage Leaders.

c. To be informed of the activities, elections, and decisions of the

d. To promote the apostolate through his own initiatives.

2. Representative of the United States Conference of Catholic

Bishops/Office of Pastoral Care for Migrants and Refugees.

a. To work closely with the Executive Board of the organization.

b. To provide suggestions and ideas for development in the service

of the organization and apostolate.

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c. To serve as a link between the Executive Board and Episcopal

d. To maintain open dialogue with the organization in the light of the

policies of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

ARTICLE TEN

INSIGNIA

The Executive Board may adopt insignia, colors, badges, and flags for the

association as it deems desirable.

ARTICLE ELEVEN

AMENDMENTS

Any amendment of/to these Articles of Association or By-Laws, may be adopted

by a simple majority of the full members with the right to vote, at the annual

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ARTICLE TWELVE

DISSOLUTION

The association may be dissolved by a vote of two-thirds majority of its full

In the event of dissolution, the property of the association shall be distributed to

another organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501 (c)(3) of

the Internal Revenue Code or a corresponding section of any future tax code.

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION AND BY-LAWS

The foregoing were approved and adopted by the members of the National

Association of Shrine and Pilgrimage Apostolate on November 2011 and were

President Vice-President

9 November 2011

Secretary/Treasurer Date

__________________________

_____________________________

Episcopal Liaison Shrine & Pilgrimage

Representative of USCCB