Dear sisters and brothers,

Parishes are reliant on the faith, energies and commitment of parishioners. There are many avenues for involvement in parish life, not least of which is by simply turning-up each week and being part of the community. However, at the moment, we are seeking nominations for membership of our Pastoral Council. A parish pastoral council plays an important role in enhancing the life of a community through sharing their gifts of leadership and encouraging the gifts of others. Parish pastoral councils are an important facet of enriching a community’s life with the baptismal vocation of all parishioners. With this in mind, we have decided to extend the time for nominations until Monday 15 August. There are no particular attributes needed; just some availability, wisdom, energy and interest in the wider church and dedication to the parish community. So please give some thought to either self-nomination or nominating a fellow parishioner.

With the change-over of membership, we will also change the name to Community and Mission Council. The term “pastoral council” has been used since about the time of the Second Vatican Council to describe a group of parishioners who meet with the parish priest to shape the life and vision of the parish life. However, the term “pastoral” has become a little diluted and, as a result, parish pastoral councils can lose their focus. The aim of changing the name to “Community and Mission Council” is to sharpen the “pastoral” dimension of the council.

The community dimension will focus on these areas:
– Developing greater connections with our school community;
– Faith and ministry formation;
– Supporting family and youth ministry;
– Hospitality and social events.

The missionary dimension will focus on these areas:
– Engagement with the broader community
– Social justice and outreach;
– Ecumenical connections;
– Developing an understanding of evangelisation in the contemporary world.

In a particular way, the incoming Community and Mission Council will be tasked with overseeing our preparations for the celebration of our parish and school centenary celebrations in 2018. For this project, we will need to draw together all the skills, talents, generosity and imagination of the whole parish community. Please consider how you might be able to contribute to this larger project. You might even decide that you have something to offer our Community and Mission Council.
Fr. Anthony