The Catholic Church considers the local level to be the diocese,
which is headed by a bishop (who may also be an archbishop and/or a
cardinal). The bishop is advised by a presbyteral council and a
pastoral council, and is assisted by auxiliary bishops (sometimes),
deacons, priests (presbyters), and lay ecclesial ministers.
However the diocese is subdivided into parishes, which is the
local congregation with a parish church, which is usually run by a
pastor (who is a priest/presbyter), or by a pastoral life director
(a deacon or lay ecclesial minister).
This person, the pastor or pastoral life director, is assisted
by a pastoral staff which may constitute priests, deacons, and lay
ecclesial ministers, and is advised by a pastoral council and a
finance council.
Some parishes are further subdivided into base ecclesial
communities, who meet regularly for worship and catechesis, and
these are usually run by a lay ecclesial minister or a catechist.
This is particularly true in an area with a large geography or
large population, and where the sole priest in the parish can only
join local communities once every several weeks.
