Ever wondered if other parishes face the same challenges and celebrate the same joys as yours?

Well, you’re not alone, and your parish is not unique in its experience. That’s why the Chancery is hosting Deanery Forums, which began this week with the Western Deanery at Holy Rosary, White Hills; a space for parishes to come together, share experiences and, in communion as one body in Christ, explore how to support each other in mission and ministry.

At recent parish and diocesan consultations, participants expressed a desire for inter-parish dialogue. In response, the Chancery’s Office of Mission and Pastoral Life is hosting Deanery Forums in each of the three Deaneries.

The forums allow parish leaders to share perspectives, explore common priorities, and discover practical ways to collaborate with their counterparts in other parishes. At the same time, they provide the ‘forum’ for the Chancery to listen to parish leadership about issues most important to them and, in turn, to share information with parishes.

The Forums aim to strengthen connections between parishes and amongst parishioners, to articulate common priorities, to explore new ways to work together and identify practical ways the Chancery can better support parishes.

At the Western Deanery Forum on 24 February, after a short prayer, participants engaged in dialogue, initially within their parish groups and later with different parishes. Chancery staff, from both Mission and Pastoral Life and the ‘business side’ were in attendance.

Key concerns that emerged from the discussions were: an aged, ageing and dwindling congregation at Mass, pressure on priests, financial sustainability, intercultural challenges, and the shrinking number of volunteers and how legislative compliance impacts volunteerism.

Many participants found they shared similar ideas about what brings hope to their parish. For example, increasing numbers of young people inquiring about faith, young people attending Mass, the enthusiasm of lay people for Ministry, attendance at social activities, available pathways for young people on their faith journey and the vitality which migrants bring.

Many participants agreed that the relationship between the school and the parish was either a concern, a source of hope, or both.

After inter-parish dialogue, Dr Chris Cotter, Director of Mission and Pastoral Life, spoke about the diocesan journey towards the Sandhurst Strategic Mission and Pastoral Goals (SMPG). Then, Geoff Gowdie, Assistant Director of Mission and Pastoral Life, shared an overview of the ten projects in the Diocesan Formation Support Plan, focusing on Project 2, ‘Parish-based Planning Process – to implement the Strategic Mission and Pastoral Goals. 

Greg Westbrook, Acting Business Manager, amongst other things, reminded parishes to reach out to the Chancery for support with risk and safeguarding, property management or human resources, for example. He spoke about the potential for parishes to combine procurement efforts to gain greater buying power with organisations such as Procurement Australia and alerted parishes to financial grants available from the Sandhurst Solidarity Trust.

The next Western Deanery Forum will take place on 2 June, to ensure that momentum from the first Forum gains full traction.

Goulburn Valley Deanery Forum
Wednesday 11 March, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
St Brendan’s, Shepparton
Register for the Goulburn Valley Forum via Trybooking.

Northeastern Deanery Forum
Thursday 19 March, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Christ the King Parish, Wangaratta
Register for the Northeastern Deanery Forum via Trybooking.