Moving on from the Synod Report

Synodal Path Meeting and the Parish Pastoral Council

As we journey with the Synodal Process, it is a moment to remember the purpose of the Parish Pastoral Council.
It is not intended to be a group of people who do things for the parish, but a group of representatives who share your thoughts and suggestions with the parish clergy so that the parish priest can make informed decisions about pastoral priorities of the parish.

The Parish Pastoral Council was therefore keen that the work along the Synodal Pathway should continue in the Parish well beyond sending the report of our listening activities to the Diocese. For this reason, there was an open parish meeting on 7th May, to look at how we could move forward across 8 areas of parish life: 
1. Participation and Outreach
2. Access and Communication
3. Young People
4. Families
5. Learning about our faith
6. A place for all
7. Support for the poor and marginalised
8. Parish Liturgy and Music

Following discussion of the issues that emerged from the listening activity, several potential actions were proposed by those attending, which you can see in this attached document. However, this is just a starting point, and there is an opportunity now for others to also become involved. 

We are looking to set up a number of short-term task groups, where each group will consider one of the areas, for example ‘Learning about our Faith’. Such a group would agree and add to the priority actions as appropriate and come up with ways that these actions could be taken forward in our parish. 

If you have a particular interest in an aspect of parish life, and would like to contribute your enthusiasm, your skills and knowledge or your ideas for the future, please consider joining one of the groups. We know that many people are busy juggling work and family life, or for other reasons find it hard to come out to meetings, so there will be flexible ways you can get involved so that as many people as possible can feel part of these next steps.
 
If you would like to get more involved in whatever way, please email the Parish at [email protected]  and put “Walking Together” in the Subject Line, or phone the Parish Office on 01902 341343 leaving your name and contact number and which area you are interested in, and someone will get back to you. There will also be opportunities over the next few weeks to hear more about the particular strand of activities, and sign up to one of the groups then.  

This is an exciting time in the life of our Parish, as we get back to a new normal, following two difficult years. I very much hope that many people will feel able to answer the call of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, to walk together to help make our parish life together better.

This Thursday is the Solemnity of the Ascension and then we begin the ancient Novena of Prayer for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Let's pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us in all these new initiatives in the parish.