Who wrote the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws and can the individual parishes change them?
The proposed Articles and Bylaws were drafted by a subcommittee of the Diocesan Incorporation Committee. The actual drafting was done by the Diocesan Attorney with the help and input of the canon lawyer for the Diocese. These documents may both be amended from time to time as circumstances require. These documents also underwent independent review by canonical lawyers and civil lawyers from outside of the Diocese.
Are we certain that with the commonality in the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and Board of Directors, that we adequately have separated parishes from the Diocese? Can the corporate veil be broken or pierced?
Yes, we are satisfied that the current plans adequately have separated the parishes from each other and from the Diocese. The corporate veil can be pierced, however, if corporate formalities (keeping minutes and keeping accounts separate from other parishes and the Diocese) are not scrupulously followed.