Moving Forward Together: Formation for All
Read comments given at the day at Washington then post your own responses to the questions on Formation for All below
(9) If the Diocese could start all over again, how could we best use our present resources?
HEADLINES
- Opportunity to be revolutionary
- Community (the people) are the church – NOT the building
- What we are here for as a ‘church’
going back to basics – pray, break bread, scripture, community - Review of deaneries/parishes
- Whatever the vision ends up as should not be dependent/restricted by number of priests
- Model of central resource eg secondary schools
- Tapping in present resources, being encouraged to use gifts
communicating who and where these are - Making use of technology
- Priest burn out (1 Mass a day)
- Lay person in charge of community
- Best resource is priest and people
- Church is not a building
- Review all boundaries and buildings
- Resources to reach out young people
- Use secondary school as a focal point for community
- Priests, sacraments and preaching is exclusive
- Continual formation of laity people
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Everyone serves church
- Enabling people to have confidence to recognise own gifts and responsibility
- Memories are useful and help us move forward
- Create a climate of sharing ad openness
- Formation
- Utilise laity more to support the community
- Radical review of parish boundaries and building
- What is affordable
- Focus on evangelisation and mission
- To encourage people to see beyond own parish to wider community
(10) In the future there will be a decline in the number of priests in the Diocese. What challenges and opportunities does this present for Eucharistic communities?
HEADLINES
- Communicate to whole community what Eucharist community is
- Changing roles expectations of priest and people
- Burden of buildings – a ‘travelling’ people
- Prepare to think outside the present system – ‘the box’
- Deepen our understanding of what it is to be a ‘Eucharistic Community’
- New model for priesthood
- More emphasis on ‘the Word’
- Challenge of living as Eucharistic communities
- Manage the pace of change
RECOMMENDATIONS
- ‘Cascade’ information to deaneries
- Bishop’s text this morning to be available
- Training locally and open to those who are working day
- Buildings are resources
- Move away from the word parish
- Explore the changing role of priesthood
- Explore the priesthood of the people
- Mutual support of priest and people
- Review of daily Mass – this caused great debate
(11) What are the most important needs of the people in the Diocese? How could structures be developed or established to meet these needs?
HEADLINES
- Encounter Christ, structure developed to support family life
- People need to feel they ‘belong’; community (parish, school, diocese)
- Spiritual development; structures to meet needs of spiritual development
- Sacramental preparation, access and priests to be released and available (we still need priests)
- A need to know the church ‘is good for me’
- Need for shared information
- Need for encouragement
- Being inclusive
- Formation for all
- Access to sacraments
- Deacons – or stronger vocation for laity – lay formation (consideration of married men becoming priests)
- Priest to marry (consideration of married men becoming priests)
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Develop people first – then structures
- Share talent and resources; across boundaries
- Strengths (distinctiveness) and weaknesses of our schools to be analysed to assist church
- DVD (like Leeds model)
- Needs analysis
(parish level)
(Local communities – to include schools/families – separated - More support for clergy
- Locally grown priests
- Family visitations to encourage prayer in house from earlier years
(12) What types of new initiatives would you be happy to establish and/or support?
HEADLINES
- Three levels – Diocese, Deanery, Parish
- Don’t have to be a churchgoer to get involved initially
- Break the parish boundary to reach a wider community
- Inclusive community which involves everyone regardless of status
- Invite others in order for them to come
- The church has a lot to offer – we need to make people aware of this
- The church needs to acknowledge and address problems
- Bridge to gap – Baptism --> 1st Communion/Confirmation
- All the initiatives will address bridging the gap
- Arrival of new Parish Priest should not quash initiatives already underway
- Leadership from the laity not just clergy
- Mental illness and spirituality
- Including physically and mentally ill in the church – and it’s life
- Neighbourhood groups (cross-generation) complementing parish life and offering greater community support
‘Feelings of belonging and inclusion’ - Power and confidence sharing
- Young persons – education about out church and moral issues:
Reducing ‘stigma’ and fear of young people to join our church – ‘outreach’ ‘advertising’ ‘issuing invitations’ (esp to Catholics who attend state schools)
Social activities for young persons under 30 at parish levels - How do we deal with the marginalised (for whatever reason) on a very pastoral and individual level – our PR is poor
- Debunking stereotypes – ‘putting a face’ on the marginalised eg divorced/mentally ill/physically ill/young persons
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Someone who can answer people’s spiritual questions
- Actively go out and welcome people
- Priests need to allow laity to take part
- Establish a vision
- We need a youth movement which addresses education as well
- Diocesan protocol made that ensures priest and people enter into dialogue
- Priest and people in joint formation and responsibility
(13) There are going to be significant changes happening in the Diocese over the next three years as a result of this new vision. How could these changes be best communicated to people in the parishes?
HEADLINES
- Clarity of message vital – also consistency
- Good publicity - needs to start now
- Parish conversations need to be structured
- Need a way to get everyone to ‘buy in’ in order to continue/create new vibrant communities
- Decision making needs true consultation which is listened to – or if decisions are known already – communicate them and let us move on
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Set up Diocesan team who will deliver message consistently – message of hope/positive
- Ensure engagement of parish
- Parish – who are they – include schools
- Everyone to hear what Bishop said today
Recording/DVD/Pastoral Letter - Direct communication with parishioners from Bishop, wide use of e-mail, website communication through parish councils
- Parishioners speaking in church about changes
- Avoidance of jargon (like formation, structures)
- E-mail vital for communication with absent parishioner
- Warm welcome at Mass for all (absentees, non-Catholics, babies)
- Churches open all day, attended by parishioners
- Parishioners to take ownership of church in response to personal request
- Modern instant communications – Twitter, web, Facebook, Northern Cross
- Lay people to be consulted on changes
- Council of Priests minutes to be available to all
- Prayer, renewal of priest and laity
- Process to start very soon