The Parish Pastoral Council at St Mary Magdalene is a consultative body, which unites laity and clergy in a community of prayer, leadership, service, and pastoral planning. The members of the Pastoral Council are collaborators, in service, to the Pastor and the Parishioners. The Pastoral Council at St Mary Magdalene endeavors to work closely with parish ministries to bring all people into full union with Christ. The Pastoral Council members sit at the pleasure of the Pastor and seek to provide resources to expand current ministry efforts, and provide counsel regarding the implementation of policies that edify and strengthen the parish.

The Pastoral Council at St Mary Magdalene is presided over by our Pastor; the Pastoral Council Chair assists the Pastor. Its appointed members “work to reach a consensus only” and the Council is governed by norms determined by the Bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino. Each member serves a term of one, two, or three years, staggered, so that certain new members are appointed each year. Once each year, usually in April (after Easter), parishioners may nominate people, including themselves, from among the laity for pastoral council consideration. Nominations are presented to the nominating committee comprised of three members of the Council who are appointed by the chairperson, at the March council meeting. The pastor, along with the nominating committee, selects a maximum of three nominees, to serve on the Council for the next one, two, or three-year period.

The basic leadership role of the Council, in conjunction with the pastor, is to provide direction to the parish. This is accomplished through the pastoral planning process, which forms the basis of a written document entitled, "The St Mary Magdalene Parish Vision Statement", provided to the diocese every three years. The Parish Vision Statement provides a three to five year vision for the parish. It encompasses a parish mission statement, goals and objectives for itself and those parish ministries charged with responsibility for carrying out the plans of the parish envisioned by the Pastoral Council. The Parish Vision Commissions that have been established at St Mary Magdalene to carry out the Pastoral Plan have a seat on the Pastoral Council to assist in developing pastoral plans and policies include coordinators from: Faith Formation, Liturgy, Christian Service, Parish Life, Stewardship, and Evangelization Commissions. 

The Parish Vision Coordinators sit on the Pastoral Council to review and implement the goals and objectives of the Pastoral Council through their Commission. The parish ministries that make up the Vision Commissions each has their own chairperson, mission statement, goals and objectives, in addition to its general responsibility for implementing the plans of the Council.