Spirit Work. Conference to address big questions of planning for future Catholic Life Conference to apply principles to parish case study

Transcription

1 Spring 2012 Inside this issue: Pastors and Pastoral Associates Conference 2 Spirit Work Communicate Celebrate Educate Collaborate Advocate Conference to address big questions of planning for future Catholic Life News from our Chair 3 Wollongong consults on Parish Planning Darwin s Pastoral Plan Pastoral Activity in Geraldton Year of Faith in New Zealand About our National Pastoral Planning Network We serve the Australian Catholic Bishops, and other key people in dioceses involved in pastoral planning. We have a formal liaison with ACBC Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life. We collaborate closely with the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference and the NZ Pastoral Planners Network. We also collaborate with relevant Australian national and state bodies Conference to apply principles to parish case study When Dr Richard Lennan agreed to be keynote for our 2013 conference, he made one request: Keep it real. In other words, he suggested that if we really wanted to consider the implications of what it means to share the responsibility flowing from Christ s mission then we must apply it to our own praxis. Taking this on board, the NPPN executive approached the local parish of Surfers Paradise and asked if they would be willing to be the case study for conference participants. Surfers Paradise parish lives out many of the realities parishes experience today with pastor and lay leadership sharing coresponsibility, with overseas priests, multiple mass centres, holiday visitors and seeking to live out its own pastoral plan.

2 Page 2 Spirit Work - National Pastoral Planners - Spring 2012 this Conference aims to revisit several of the key themes from the Vatican II documents National Pastors and Pastoral Associates Conference The Triennial National Conference for Pastors and Pastoral Associates is in Adelaide February 5-7, 2013 at the Hilton Hotel, Victoria Square, Adelaide. The theme for the Conference, An Echo in their Hearts, is taken from the Preface of the Vatican II Document Gaudium et Spes is the 50th Anniversary of the commencement of Vatican II and this Conference aims to revisit several of the key themes from the documents. The goal is for these words to echo in all of our hearts, as we look both theologically and practically at our Church in 2013 and the work we are doing in our Parishes, Schools and Communities. Rev. Dr. Philip Marshall VG, PhD. of the Archdiocese of Adelaide and Dr Deb Organ, D.Min., Master of Social Work, USA are keynote Speakers. The Conference Workshops will be interactive and will reflect the important work and partnership of Pastors and Pastoral Associates. It will provide networking opportunities where further relationships between the Dioceses across Australia and New Zealand can be built. Workshops include: using local media, youth and young adults, ministry formation, family-centred church, nurturing and supporting young families, mental health supporting youth and young families, prison chaplaincy, living with disability, rural opportunities, liturgy planning and receptive ecumenism. Who to contact for further information Conference: Jill Gallio or jgallio@adelaide.catholic. org.au Don t let Anything get in the way of sharing Good News The National Pastoral Planners Network has the aims of communication, celebration, education, collaboration and advocacy with its members. Networks always work best when everyone lets their light shine. While our executive is happy to search out your good news, please don t let anything eclipse your offering. So if you have a story or resource about planning, please share it with us. Our website is also a great place to stay informed including about our conference in May Please contact our chair (who also took this photo of the recent eclipse over North Queensland) Sophy Morley PO Box 1410 Warragul Victoria smorley@sale.catholic.org.au

3 Communicate Celebrate Educate Collaborate Advocate Page 3 News from our Chair The following are excerpts of a report offered by Sophy to the recent Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life (October 2012). The new NPPN Executive met face to face in October and November 2011 for two weekends of prayer, discernment and planning to chart the Networks goals and activity for the following 18 months. The Executive positions are as follows: Chair: Sophy Morley (Sale, VIC), Deputy Chair/Secretary/Bulletin Editor: Richard McMahon (Wollongong, NSW); Treasurer/Membership: Carole Gan (Broken Bay, NSW); Conference 2013 Convenor: Chris Ehler (Brisbane, QLD); ACBC Pastoral Research Office Liaison: Stephen Reid; New Zealand Associate/NPPN Pastoral Plan: Carole Fleming (Hamilton, New Zealand). The Executive has produced a pastoral plan to further the aims and activities of the Network. This plan has been sent to Bishop Eugene Hurley, Chair of the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life. One of our priorities is to foster further communication with Bishop Eugene and the BCPL and to encourage the member Bishops to participate in the NPPN Conference planned for A large part of the NPPN s activity is directed toward planning and hosting the biennial Conference, NPPN enjoys a strong collaborative relationship with the Catholic Dioceses of New Zealand. For many years now, we have had a New Zealand associate on our Executive. The Bishops of New Zealand are strong supporters of our Network as they see the benefits of the mutual sharing of experience and resources between our countries. Their staff engaged in pastoral planning welcome the networking and support that flow from their membership in NPPN. NPPN continues to foster a close association with the Pastoral Research Office. It provides a member for our Executive Team. NPPN and PRO enjoy a strong and mutually beneficial relationship, whereby the PRO's research and resources are disseminated and used by the Network, whose members comprise Bishops and diocesan personnel. Application and research findings from the National Mass Attendance, National Church Life Survey, Australian Census and Building Stronger Parishes projects are valuable pastoral planning tools for Bishops and their pastoral planning and there is much benefit in our close association with the Pastoral Research Office. Currently, the Chair of NPPN is one of the investigation team for the PRO Building Stronger Parishes project. One of our ongoing concerns is the provision of basic pastoral planning skills for diocesan and parish staff. We are investigating the possibility of an on-line unit of pastoral planning. Face-to face one-day sessions could also be a possibility but would depend on how easy it is for people to gather without onerous travelling. E-conferences have also been suggested but these are prohibitively expensive and are not an option, given our limited budget. In this Year of Grace and the newly begun Year of Faith, our Network is offering its planning services and pastoral expertise to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in the planning possible future events, initiatives, conferences or synods. We place ourselves at the service of the Australian Church and hope that we can provide expertise and assistance to the Bishops in their pastoral endeavours. Finally, I wish to offer the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life our prayers and continued support for all that you do for the Church in Australia. We are here to assist you in Pastoral Planning and provision of associated resources, information and expertise. We ask that you also keep us and all the members of NPPN (both in Australia and New Zealand) in your prayers. With kind regards Sophy Morley The members of the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life are: Bishop Eugene Hurley- Chairman (Darwin), Bishop Justin J Bianchini (Geraldton) Bishop Terence J Brady (Sydney), Bishop Anthony C Fisher OP (Parramatta), Bishop Gerard J Hanna(Wagga Wagga), Bishop Michael Kennedy (Armidale) Bishop Peter E Stasiuk CSsR (Eparchy of Sts Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholics). Sophy at recent meeting with Bishop Eugene Hurley The Bishops Commission meets once a year with its advisory bodies, offices and agencies with which it liaises. These include: Australian Catholic Disability Council, Australian Catholic Life Council, Australian Catholic Marriage and Family Council, Australian Catholic Youth Council, Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office, Disability Projects Office, Natural Fertility Australia, Parish Pastoral Council Formation Working Group, Senior Youth Ministry Projects Officer, Apostleship of the Sea, Australian Network of Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinators, Australian Young Christian Students, Australian Young Christian Workers, Catholic Society for Marriage Education, National Pastoral Planners Network, Diocesan Directors of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office, Diocesan Family, Marriage and Life Offices, Prison Chaplains National Network.

4 Page 4 Spirit Work - National Pastoral Planners - Spring 2012 Where the Spirit might be leading us in our Diocese as we plan for the future? Consultations on Reconfiguring Parishes in Wollongong Much progress has been made in relation to the process of parish education and consultation on Parishes Working Together: addressing current and future pastoral needs in the Diocese of Wollongong. There continues to be much deliberation about our coresponsibility as baptised Catholics in addressing the challenges of population growth and possible future parish configurations as we plan for the continued building of vibrant parish communities in our Diocese into the future. Communication of the work of the Planning Committee and dialogue about possible future parish configurations with all the faithful is an essential aspect of the process before our parishes take part in the consultation process in April Education Process The education process will be officially launched by Bishop Peter on the 10 February, The education process for parishes will be supported by a Workbook and accompanying DVD. The DVD will feature Fr John Frauenfelder MA(Lit Stud), DMin who will provide the theological overview for the process as well as the theological implications of challenges faced by our contemporary Church. The Workbook provides information from Church documents, extensive statistical information about our Diocese as well as discussion questions and activities. Regional Consultations The parish education process will be followed by regional consultations in April At the regional consultations parishioners will have the opportunity to discuss possible future parish configurations in their region, as well as ways to share ministries and other services with neighbouring parishes. Following the regional consultations, the Bishop will be meeting with the key advisory bodies of the Diocese to discuss the outcome of the consultations and a possible way forward. On Pentecost Sunday the Bishop will be announcing the outcome of the consultation process and provide a general overview of implementation in the coming years. Concluding Thoughts In this Year of Grace, a question uppermost in our mind is, Where the Spirit might be leading us in our Diocese as we plan for the future? We can encourage each other in our ongoing commitment to the process of discernment about renewal and change as we work together to revitalise our Church and rediscover the joy and responsibility of bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to all in our Diocese. Subscriptions give NPPN a bounce! Have you Subscribed? Membership subscriptions are important for the continued life and vitality of the Network. They provide the funds necessary to support the website and the pooling of resources for members, as well as teleconferences and face-toface meetings for the Executive. The NPPN subscription fees for the 2012/2013 Financial year are now due. Fees are: $ per Diocese; $ per non- Diocesan organisation $25.00 per individual membership. Complete the Annual Subscription Invoice form downloadable at nppn.net.au and forward it, with a cheque for the appropriate subscription amount, to the address stated. Alternatively, you may arrange an electronic transfer, but please ensure the form is sent back to the Treasurer to ensure accurate record keeping. Please do not let the fee be a barrier to your joining the network. If the fee is a difficulty, please contact the Treasurer via at carole.gan@dbb.org.au or on to work something out.

5 Communicate Celebrate Educate Collaborate Advocate Page 5 NPPN Conference Overview - From Page One Continued page 5 Applying theological principles to lived reality Conference participants will take a field trip to nearby parish of Surfers Paradise and gain an understanding of the lived parish experience and its planning. Then, through Richard Lennan s guidance, participants will apply theological principles of communio and missiology to this parish setting. Finally, we will seek to apply this methodology to our own pastoral planning, both in assessing our own context and to inform us in the way forward. Balancing Input and Sharing There is always a tension in conferences between too much input or too much process. The NPPN executive has taken to heart feedback from our last conference, and consider that we are offering a good balance. Rather than having a number of keynote speakers this time round, we will ask Bishop Eugene Hurley of Darwin Diocese and chair of the Australian Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life, to open the conference by offering his reflection on the current issues affecting the Catholic church and where he believes the Spirit is leading us. Also, Archbishop Mark Coleridge will preside at our Conference Mass and be the Conference Dinner speaker. Richard Lennan, will then journey with us through the remainder of the conference, building up a theological framework for Accommodation Mantra Legends, Gold Coast, site for the 2013 conference, has offered great rates for conference participants. Time to be Refreshed: You may wish to consider planning some rest and relaxation before or after the conference in May. The Gold Coast region offers a host of rejuvenating opportunities. See the website: pastoral planning which speaks to our own experience and offers a particular focus on the emerging challenge of coresponsibility in church ministry and mission as we plan for the future. About the Keynote Speaker Richard Lennan grew up in Newcastle, NSW and is a priest of Maitland- Newcastle. He has a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology from the Catholic Institute of Sydney, a Master of Philosophy degree from the University of Oxford and a doctorate in theology from the University of Innsbruck in Austria. From 1992 to 2007, he taught Systematic Theology in the Catholic Institute of Sydney. He is also a past President of the Australian Catholic Theological Association. In the academic year , he taught at Weston Jesuit School of Theology, before becoming part of the Boston College Theology and Ministry, where he serves as Co-director of the Licentiate in Sacred Theology program. His principal fields of study are ecclesiology, ecumenism, and the theology of ministry; he is particularly interested in the theology and spirituality of Karl Rahner. Conference Enquiries Registration brochures will be available by mid December. Enquiries? Contact Chris Ehler on or ehlerc@bne.catholic.net.au Bishop Eugene Hurley Dr Richard Lennan

6 Page 6 Spirit Work Spirit - Work National - National Pastoral Pastoral Planners Planners - - Spring 2012 It has been a great time of grace for us as a diocesan family to reflect on where we are, and to discern where we believe God is calling us to be Diocese of Darwin s Pastoral Plan Message from Bishop Eugene Hurley Having received from Christ the power to forgive in His name (cf. Mt 16:19; Jn 20:23) the Church is in the world as the living presence of the love of God who leans down to every human weakness in order to gather it into the embrace of his mercy. (Incarnationis Mysterium: par 9) What a wonderful and exciting description of the Church for us to contemplate as we launch our Diocesan Strategic Pastoral Plan. This quotation is from a letter of the great Pope John Paul II with which he announced the coming of the year of the Great Jubilee in Following the Great Jubilee one could almost sense the excitement of the Pope as he wrote, We now need to profit from the grace received, by putting into practice resolutions and guidelines for action. This is the task I wish to invite all the local Churches to undertake. It is above all in the actual situation of each local Church that the mystery of the one People of God takes the particular form that fits it to each individual context and culture. (Novo Millennio Ineunte: par 3) Pope John Paul II went on to say in the same encyclical, It is in the local Churches that the specific features of a detailed pastoral plan can be identified - goals and methods, formation and enrichment of the people involved, the search for necessary resources - which will enable the proclamation of Christ to reach the people, mould communities, and have a deep and incisive influence in bringing Gospel values to bear in society and culture. I therefore earnestly exhort the Pastors of the particular Churches, with the help of all sectors of God s People, confidently to plan the stages of the journey ahead. (NMI: par 29) This is exactly what we have been doing throughout the Diocese over the last year. It has been a great time of grace for us as a diocesan family to reflect on where we are, and to discern where we believe God is calling us to be in Congratulations to everyone on the prayerful and passionate commitment you brought to the task. I want to thank Sr Rose Glennen and her team for leading us through the process so patiently. We now have a clear plan for our future as the diocesan family of the Diocese of Darwin. I urge every single person to become familiar with our plan and to work tirelessly, co-operatively and joyfully in implementing it. May God bless our work and our plan. Mission of Diocese In this vast Diocese of Darwin, we are called as disciples of Jesus Christ to be an active Catholic Community. We are called to be an inclusive, respectful community, building up the Kingdom of God, caring for and loving those in need. We are called to be a healing community of believers. As a diocesan family we draw strength from the Eucharist, the Scriptures and the Sacraments. We recognise that we are part of the wider community and are called to work cooperatively with all people of goodwill.

7 Communicate Celebrate Educate Collaborate Advocate Page 7 Diocese of Darwin - Pastoral Plan Vision of Diocese By 2015 the Diocese of Darwin will be... An all-inclusive community Enjoying the active participation of Indigenous people across all parishes Acknowledging and respecting cultural diversity Engaging in ecumenical activities and interreligious dialogue Involving all members, young and old, according to their gifts and talents Ensuring that pastoral initiatives work towards minimising the impact of isolation and distance in the Territory A celebrating community Nourishing the family as the fundamental unit of our catholic life Engaging enthusiastically in the celebration of Eucharist Renewing sacramental life in parishes Enjoying the rich diversity of culture which defines our Church Valuing the creative participation of young people Communicating within the parish and Diocese A ground-breaking community Committed to Social Justice that leads to positive change and community development Fostering local and diocesan pastoral development Nurturing diocesan and local involvement in environmental stewardship Promoting the role of Catholic Education and formation A well-resourced community Providing adequate formation of ministers, both clerical and lay Offering broad leadership formation that develops leaders for future growth of the Diocese Developing a system to access resources available across the Diocese Managing effectively diocesan assets for the good of the community Ensuring faith formation programs and resources are accessible to all About Darwin Diocese The Catholic Diocese of Darwin is diverse and geographically vast, covering 1,350,000 square kilometres. Here we enjoy the vibrancy of over 80 cultures, each contributing to a fascinating tapestry of faith and tradition. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the first Australians, figure largely in our Diocese, with 26.8% of our Catholic population Indigenous to Australia. Our eighteen parishes form the centre of our Catholic life. In 2009, three deaneries (Central, Top End Indigenous and Top End Urban) were established. The deaneries played a central role in the development of this Strategic Pastoral Plan and will continue to support its implementation. Our diocesan community is enriched through our Catholic Education system, with fifteen schools offering high quality education to pre-primary, primary and secondary students. Trained catechists, often volunteers, offer religious education in parishes and government schools. CatholicCare NT, a welfare agency of the Catholic Church, offers family and children s counselling and education, drug and alcohol programs and employment services. The St Vincent de Paul Society, working through its parish conferences, offers support to a large number of individuals and families. It also works in the area of low cost accommodation, outreach services, Vinnies centres and mobile food vans. Together we form a vibrant diocesan community, working in a variety of parishes, religious communities, movements, organisations and charities to bring to life the message of Jesus throughout the Northern Territory. Valuing the creative participation of young people

8 Page 8 Spirit Work Spirit - Work National - National Pastoral Pastoral Planners Planners - - Spring 2012 Pastoral Research Office News In June of this year the Pastoral Research Office obtained national and state level data on the Catholic population in Australia based on the 2011 Census. Since then, the office has released short weekly E-news bulletins which can be accessed from the PRO website Over the coming months we will be obtaining, processing and releasing Census data at parish and diocesan level, and in the first half of next year we will begin production of parish and diocesan profiles. Parishes that participated in the 2011 National Church Life Survey have already received their results, and diocesan profiles are also close to completion by the team at NCLS Research. The following information draws upon Census data and some initial national results from the NCLS. The Catholic population: Snapshots from the last three Censuses Australian population 18,769,249 19,855,287 21,507,719 Catholic population 5,001,624 5,126,862 5,439,268 Catholics as a percentage of Australian population Median age of Catholics (years) Catholics aged 0-14 (%) Catholics aged 65 and over (%) Catholics born in non-english speaking country (%) Catholics of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin 94, , ,681 Catholics living alone 408, , ,606 Catholics not proficient in English (%) Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics - Census of Population and Housing Data obtained as part of the National Catholic Census Project.

9 Communicate Celebrate Educate Collaborate Advocate Page 9 Pastoral Activity in Geraldton Diocese The Diocese of Geraldton covers a very large area which includes farming, pastoral station properties, fishing industries along the coast, and an ever expanding mining industry. There is a presence of Church in all of these areas with generally one priest and/or pastoral associate travelling regularly to a number of these communities. It is only possible to celebrate Sunday Eucharist in a number of these parishes once or twice a month. On other Sundays the pastoral associate or a member of the parish, who has been trained as a Leader of the Sunday Service, leads the local community in a Service of the Word with Communion. Pastoral Associates live and minister in the mining towns and/or travel to remote Stations. Often this is to provide support to families, particularly to the wife/mother who can be home alone with the closest town up to 150kms away. If the family is Catholic and there are young children help can be given with their faith development and in the Sacramental preparation of the children. The same assistance applies to those families living in the towns. In the mining towns where there is often a large number of families from other countries arriving for work in the mines there are numerous problems with accommodation, schooling, language, companionship etc. and the local parish can provide help, support, encouragement. They also welcome those who are Catholic to be part of their parish while reaching out more widely to others in the community who need help and companionship. There are Visa 457 overseas skilled workers living in a number of our parishes. Contact is made with them and often our pastoral workers assist them to settle in to their new surroundings, and to provide companionship for them by introducing them to local families and /or parishioners. There is also the presence of a Detention Centre in one of our parishes. Originally this was for families with school -aged children. The parish, through the Pastoral Associate and parishioners were able to visit the Centre regularly and with the approval and co-operation of the Detention Centre Authorities an interfaith service was held at the parish church each Sunday. During this year the families have been relocated and unaccompanied minors have now replaced them in detention in the same Centre. Aboriginal Pastoral Support is widespread in the Diocese. Most of our parishes would have aboriginal people living in the parish and contact with them would be on a daily basis. It might be a matter of sitting and listening to them, providing information or support for them, visiting a family in need or arranging with St Vincent de Paul to provide food parcels etc. We have prison chaplains, priests and religious, who are prison chaplains and through their ministry are able to make contact with their families and so provide support to the extended family. Through our Diocesan Aboriginal Yanayi Centre and in collaboration with Centacare, programmes are gradually being put in place to assist Aboriginal People to access services available to them. For those families with a Catholic background who are asking for baptism for children family preparation programmes are being provided through the Yanayi Centre. As the majority of our parishes are located in remote areas it is important for our parish communities and our pastoral activities to extend to the wider local community. Involvement in local community groups and activities is important and welcomed. In this way the Catholic community is not only sharing in the needs and concerns of the local community but also being part of building a more inclusive community spirit. By Sr Therese Denny sgs Director, Parish Life and Mission Diocese of Geraldton October 2012 Sr Therese Denny sgs to provide support to families, particularly to the wife/mother who can be home alone with the closest town up to 150kms away

10 Page 10 Year of Faith then is a chance to take stock and ask how does being Catholic make a difference in our lives today? Christchurch At the Proclaim Conference in Australia, it was emphasized that we need to do things differently. October 7-13, 2012: Evangelisation starts with Reconcilation all Catholics invited to Sacrament that week. October 14, 2012: Opening of Year of Faith Each parish to celebrate resources provided including hymns and suggested prayers of faithful, these will also be available on website. March 2013: Monsignor James Moroney Rector St James Seminary Boston in Diocese May 2013: Day Retreats in each region conferences on prayer June 2, 2013: Feast of Corpus Christi Pope Benedict leading solemn adoration of Eucharist this day asks that every parish and Carthedral have hour of silent contemplation before Blessed Sacrament at the same hour. November 24, 2013: Closing of Year of Faith Christ the King one Mass, all parish Masses in greater Christchurch cancelled that day. One Mass at SBS Centre Addington midday. Expo, Catholic Youth Stage Challenge Spirit Work Spirit - Work National - National Pastoral Pastoral Planners Planners - - Spring 2012 New Zealand Initiatives for Year of Faith General initiatives: Icon: Bishop has commissioned an icon to be written for Year of Faith - intention that this will be on pilgrimage across parishes and schools for the year. Posters for Parishes Prayer Card: In process of being finalized will be printed enough one for every parishioner. Wallet Card: In process of being finalized size of a credit card will be enough for every parishioner and possibly every secondary school pupil. One side says My name is. I am a Catholic. I pray every day. I attend Mass each Sunday. etc about 5 statements) Weekly Bulletin notices: One bulletin notice for each week of the Year of Faith drawn from Porta Fidei. Will be distributed through usual diocesan channels also on website. Notices begin 14 October. Hymns: Now a suggested list of suitable hymns on website in addition, a Year of Faith anthem all are asked to learn and use as a common song when people gather. Jesus, True God and Rock of our Salvation - taken from Divine office for the Chair of St Peter. Website: This will have people s testimony of faith on other websites and links to those. Also you-tube links. Hamilton Pastoral Letter Preparation for Year of Faith (Joy and Hope) three sessions at nine different venues throughout the diocese - to learn the message from the four main documents from Vatican II = Dei Verbum, Sacrosanctum Concilium, Lumen Gentium, Gaudium et Spes Prayer Cards prayer from Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Oceania in all parishes /schools Opening Mass 11 October, 2012 three different venues celebrated by Bishop and two monsignori Liturgy prepared for first Sunday in Year of Faith for all NZ parishes Banner prepared and available to all parishes in NZ (logo reads Be an ambassador for Christ ) Prayer cards in same colours and with same logo available to all NZ parishes Pilgrimages: to grave of Bishop Max Mariu - 6 December 2012 to grave of Father Wiremu (first Maori priest in NZ) to grave of Bishop Pompallier January 2013 to Rangiawhia February 2013 National Gathering Diocesan Priests September 2013 in Rotorua

11 Communicate Celebrate Educate Collaborate Advocate Page 11 New Zealand Initiatives for Year of Faith Understanding the Cathechism prepared by Fr Graeme Alexander Understanding our Faith homily notes for each Sunday unpacking the Creed Bishop Putney is in NZ 30 September 5 October, 2013 Wellington Will publish a calendar of events use website to publish /promote ideas for parishes /regions October 10, 2013: Heavy promotion of E- conference from Broken Bay diocese At Cathedral, Fr James Lyons will lead 4 sessions on Year of Faith October 7, 2013: Will start the year with liturgy for all parishes to use, on opening the doors images from Vatican II, Porta Fidei. Christmas Holidays: Parishes to hold Faith Picnics February 22-23, 2013: St Patrick s College Remembering the past with Gratitude, the Present with Hope Wine and cheese. 2-3 people to speak on their hopes and dreams of Vatican II then people share their own stories. Then look at the 4 main documents, workshops on these, Mass then dinner. Pentecost 2013: Diocesan celebration of Confirmation all on same day General initiatives: Link Suzanne Aubert and her cause into Year of Faith Inter College Debating Shield theme of Year of Faith Posters on various doors opening images from around the diocese of churches etc with doors Tile (ceramic) for door of every home in diocese Walks Fr James Lyons will lead a walk around waterfront, pilgrimage walks are being encouraged between churches Stamps based on Camino walks, a stamp for each stage Photo Competition Year of Faith Calendar Year of Faith Christmas Cards Samoans to be asked to link Year of Faith to their White Sunday Stations of the Cross 12 parishes to take 1 Station each, people to walk /drive between different parishes/ stations Year of Faith is a summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of the world. Prayer for the Year of Faith Lord Jesus Christ, you have given your Church the mission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations. May our efforts to fulfil this mission be guided by the Holy Spirit so that we might be a leaven of new life, salt of the earth, and a light of the world worthy missionaries and faithful to you. Make us valiant witnesses to the Faith of the Church, and inspire us to speak the truth with love. Help us to communicate to others the joy that we have received Allow us to be united but not closed; humble, but not fearful; simple but not naïve; thoughtful but not overbearing; contemporary but not superficial, respectful of others, but boldly your disciples. May we bear into the world the hope of God, which is Christ the Lord, who rose from the dead and lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen. Auckland October 11, 2011: Mass at Cathedral for all parishes based on Chrism Mass, give out prayer cards January 2012: Pilgrimage to Motiti July 27-28, 2013: Major Youth Event to coincide with WYD, in Logan Campbell Centre November 24, 2013: Feast of Christ the King closing of Year of Faith. 7 regional Masses with processions, not one combined Open Air one for diocese.

12 Page 12 it was inspiring to see a Catholic parish deeply engaged in the local community Building Stronger Parishes - Pastoral Research Office About the Project The aim of the Building Stronger Parishes project is to discover some of the good things happening in Australian parishes. The parishes we have visited certainly have a strong sense of being vibrant and most of the people we met were generally very happy with their parish. We found that they were very willing to talk with us and share their stories of how the parish had shaped their lives. The parishes presented in this report are not best practice parishes i.e. they are not perfect parishes nor are they blueprints for other parishes to follow. They are not phenomenal in any way, nor are their resources unlimited or their communities without troubles. They are regular parishes that have found some new (and some old) creative and innovative ways of ministry to connect with their people in a manner that is life-giving and that has the capacity to change lives. There was certainly a lot of good news happening in the parishes we visited, in various areas of parish life such as the liturgy, community, service and leadership, amongst others. We found that it is rather difficult to summarise it all Spirit Work Spirit - Work National - National Pastoral Pastoral Planners Planners - - Spring 2012 in a few short paragraphs. What we have presented in this report therefore are some of the positive things happening in each parish. Our future publications will contain more in-depth and critical analysis. The nature of this project requires us to concentrate on the positive aspects of the parishes we visited rather than their troubles and difficulties. While good initiatives in parishes may be seen as being wonderful by some and not-sowonderful by others, nevertheless they are signs of hope for all those facing similar challenges. September 2012 Update The Building Stronger Parishes project focused on rural parishes this year. Fieldwork in terms of data collection has been completed in five parishes so far. These are: Sugarloaf (Maitland- Newcastle diocese) Bulahdelah (Maitland- Newcastle diocese) Cororooke (Ballarat diocese) Harris Park (Maronite diocese) Mt. Isa (Townsville diocese) Our recent parish visit to Mt. Isa parish was very successful and it was inspiring to see a Catholic parish deeply engaged in the local community. As we continue our fieldwork this year, further visits have been planned to parishes from the dioceses of Sandhurst, Bathurst and Toowoomba. In August, we presented some of our research findings at the PROCLAIM conference in Sydney. These were very well received and we have had inquiries coming in from people in other parishes who were eager to learn about the good things that were happening in parishes involved in the project. We are currently working on a paper on the project that will be presented at the SSSR (Society for the Scientific Study of Religion) conference in Phoenix, Arizona in November this year. Vale Barbara Hateley We pray for Sr Barbara Hateley who died recently. She was involved with Liturgy and Pastoral Planning in the Archdiocese of Hobart and represented them at National level for a number of years. Your NPPN Executive Sophy Morley Chris Ehler Carole Fleming Carole Gan Richard McMahon Stephen Reid smorley@sale.catholic.org.au ehlerc@bne.catholic.net.au carole@cfss.org.nz carole.gan@dbb.org.au richard.mcmahon@dow.org.au s.reid@pro.catholic.org.au