Participants at the second Goulburn Valley Deanery Forum gathered in Shepparton to build on conversations from earlier forums, address questions raised by parishes, and identify practical priorities for the deanery's future.
Following a format similar to the other Round 2 Deanery Forums across the Diocese, the day included updates on issues raised in previous rounds, opportunities to share what is working well in parish life, and collaborative discussions about the most pressing priorities facing the Goulburn Valley.
After an acknowledgement of the Yorta Yorta people, Traditional Custodians of the land and waters in Shepparton, Fr Uday Marneni ALCP/OSS, Parish Priest of Kyabram and Tatura, opened the forum with prayer and a reflection on Jesus' commissioning of the disciples:
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations ... and know that I am with you always, to the end of time," (Matthew 28:19-20).
Reflecting on the Gospel, Fr Uday encouraged participants to consider which word resonated most deeply, describing Jesus' command to "Go" as a call filled with "energy, faith and purpose".
"We come from different parishes, ministries and backgrounds, yet we are one family in the Lord, called to work together for the growth of God's Kingdom," he said, inviting participants to listen to one another and remain open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
The scripture passage also provides the theme for this year's Sandhurst Formation Institute, reinforcing the Diocese's shared commitment to forming missionary disciples.
The morning included updates from the Chancery on questions raised during previous Deanery Forums, including diocesan finances, parish support services, parish planning resources, new parish administration guidelines and initiatives designed to reduce costs and strengthen support for parishes, as well as other Chancery projects still in the pipeline.
One of the day's "What's Working Well" presentations featured Mary Zobec, Pastoral Associate at Kyabram, who shared the parish's long-standing Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) ministry. She reflected on the importance of accompanying people on their faith journey and creating welcoming parish communities where enquirers encounter not just an institution, but a family of faith.
Mary noted that RCIA also renews the wider parish by inviting the whole community to reflect on its mission and helping new Catholics become active participants in parish life through ministries, friendships and ongoing faith formation.
Participants then reflected on and discussed what had been shared by Kyabram parish and considered examples of what they might share in a future ‘What’s Working Exchange’, detailing something that is working well in their parishes.
After that, in small mixed-parish groups, people ranked the priority of key issues facing parishes as identified in the Round 1 Deanery Forums.
The afternoon moved to exploring possible solutions for the most highly ranked priority issues. Participants joined focus groups based on their area of interest, allowing them to examine priority issues in greater depth and consider whether ongoing deanery-based working groups could help progress these priorities between Forums.
If you’re interested in learning more about RCIA Ministry, Mary Zobec and Anthony Kilmartin, former Pastoral Associate at Shepparton, will explore RCIA experiences in greater depth during a Seminar at this year's Sandhurst Formation Institute.
Participants concluded the day by reflecting on the Forum and providing feedback that will help to shape the next round of deanery conversations, continuing the Chancery’s commitment to supporting listening, collaboration and shared mission.
