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Throughout this year we have been
putting together a Framework for Development for the
life and mission of the Church in our local areas. It
has been very encouraging to see so many priests,
deacons and lay people committing their time, energy and
skills to the consultative meetings that have helped to
shape the approach which is now unfolding across the
diocese.
We now have 13 new Pastoral Areas led by our Deans, each
of whom is being assisted in moving things forward by a
chosen individual invited to act as a Pastoral Area
Link. Along with the clergy and other lay people they
have begun to form teams operating as 'Steering Groups'
- charged with the task of creating a Local Groundplan
for each of the Pastoral Areas. |
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Over
the next few months, through a process of
conversation and consultation, they will
draw up a set of proposals for how the
parishes in their local area will develop
over the next few years. Focussed on growth
and renewal rather than retrenchment and
decline these proposals outline a response
to the challenge of living out our mission
as Catholics in an increasingly secular and
sceptical world.
To help our reflection and conversation
towards realising this vision the Stream
Three Team have come to describe the
characteristics of what might be called, 'A
Thriving Catholic Community'. Drawn from our
own experience of good practice here in the
diocese, it also draws upon the experience
of others from further afield.
In
this special feature we are offering, in
very broad terms, the emerging picture of
such a community. Its 12 'marks' or 'signs'
present us with a way of exploring together
how we can manifest more clearly and
profoundly the Gospel of Jesus Christ in
today's world.
As we begin our season of Advent, a time of
reflection and preparing, I commend to each
community, parish and organisation this part
of our 'Walking Humbly' process.using the |
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DVD (linked on this page) and accompanying booklet now
available throughout the Diocese, I would urge priests
and people to gather in small and large groups to each
locality to reflect and converse about our hopes and
aspirations for our communities in Christ. |
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At the Heart of the Thriving Catholic Community |
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Central to the 'Walking Humbly' process was the
invitation given to representative groups, with diocesan
help and guidance, "to prepare a groundplan for the
life and mission of the Church within each local area."
To assist with the necessary reflection, conversation
and planning, Stream Three have come up with the concept
of 'A Thriving Catholic Community' - a picture of what a
renewed, fully alive and functioning local Church might
look like.
Some of these characteristics refer to the ways we
worship and pray; others are about the ways we relate to
each other and support our brothers and sisters in our
communities; and others still refer to ways that we
might reach out to others who are in need or who have
not yet heard the Good News of Jesus Christ. |
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It
is recognised that no single parish or
worshipping community can develop fully all
these dimensions. However, in the light of
the new pastoral areas it is hoped that
neighbouring communities will be happy to
work with each other, and at times rely on
each other, in the building up of the
Kingdom of God.
When we think of the essence of our Catholic
Creed we recall that we hold dearest the
"Word made flesh", and the sacrifice of
Christ with which we are brought together in
the most important prayer of the Church -
the Eucharist.
For a Catholic Community to be vibrant we
need to meet together to celebrate at the
twin tables of the Word and the Eucharist -
the centre of our Sunday liturgy; a liturgy
in which our presence is a celebration and
commemoration of God's love of us through
his Son. |
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As the symbol of
A Thriving Catholic Community was developed it was
obvious that at its centre would be the Word and
Eucharist, from which flows the sense of being Christ
Centred in all we do. For our relationships with each
other, those of other faiths and all peoples is modelled
on the life of Christ, his service and his love of all
people. |
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Throughout our local small groups,
communities, parishes, new pastoral areas
and the diocese we rely on the Leadership of
the Spirit. For the power, strength,
charisms and gifts that energise our
worship, care, ministry and love come to us
through the gift of the Spirit. In
conversing with many friends and fellow
parishioners we know that is by being Spirit
Led that we are confident in our faith.
Yet
we are called to be disciples of Christ, a
role that demands that we are more than a
worshipping community, inwardly focused and
supporting only our fellow Catholics. Around
the core of our community we are called to a
special commission - through Baptism and
through the Word - a commission to carry the
good news to all people.
A good news that is not only the Word, it is
also the way we live our lives. This is our
Mission, as individuals and as a community
to make God's Kingdom a reality in the life
around us.
The foundation of the Mission we are called
to fulfil is the Community into which we are
initiated in Baptism and strengthened
through the Eucharist and our Confirmation.
Without the Community that assembles around
the table of the Word and the Eucharist we
would be isolated and powerless to act. |
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Opening Prayer - The prayer of John
Henry Newman
"God has created me to do Him some definite
service;
He has committed some work to me
which He has not committed to another.
I have my mission ; I never may know it in this life,
but I shall be told it in the next.
Somehow I am necessary for His purposes,
as necessary in my place as an Archangel in his;
if, indeed, I fail, He can raise another,
as He could make the stones children of Abraham.
Yet I have a part in this great work;
I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between
persons.
He has not created me for naught.
I shall do good, I shall do His work;
I shall be an angel of peace,
a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending
it,
if I do but keep His commandments and serve Him in my
calling.
Amen. |
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Questions
Community
Which of the community
marks represents what you do particularly well at the
moment? Which of them represents what you'd aspire to? |
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Mission
Which of the mission marks is well expressed in
your community at the moment? Which of them do you
aspire to?
On the diagram, the marks around the top half of the
circle relate to mission, and those around the bottom
half are connected to community, although of course
there is much overlap. |
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Everybody thinks of changing
humanity. Hardly anyone thinks of changing themselves. |
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Anthony de Mello, The
Son of the Bird |
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As
part of the Walking Humbly process the DVD
“A Thriving Catholic Community”
was shown at all Masses on Advent Sunday.
Here is the text of Father Kevin’s
introduction to the video. |
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| Bishop Peter
spoke to us two years ago about having to change. He
made it clear to us that we need to renew ourselves so
that we can speak more clearly and effectively to our
culture. And we have to organise ourselves differently
because we will have less priests. Bishop Peter has
repeated those thoughts in his Advent Pastoral Letter
this year. |
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Bishop Peter is not a dictator
and his style was to encourage
"streams of energy" in the
Diocese. Why we are here today
is because of this paragraph in
his Vision Statement....… |
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‘Finally, I want to
gather a group of
laity and clergy to
think strategically
and practically
about the future of
the Diocese. There
are a number of
pressing issues to
be addressed and I
will be looking to
this multi-skilled
group to explore and
suggest ways
forward. Invited
participants will
bring relevant
expertise in
ecclesiology and
pastoral theology,
in demographics and
in the use of
resources. In
consultation with
each of the
deaneries, some of
which have already
begum the process, I
will be asking them
to prepare
groundplans for the
life and mission of
the Church in each
of these areas.’ |
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The nine of us who were asked to be part of this group
gathered nervously under the leadership of Mark Davis.
We liked each other and shared a love and a worry for
the Church, but once we had established that we were not
sure where we should start.
Mark encouraged a little bit of dreaming. Loving our
parishes as we do where would we like them to go? How
would we like them to grow? And we became quite poetic
for a while - There should be diverse and well trodden
routes into the community --Communities always asking
"What is God calling us to do today?" -- Our worshipping
communities should be places where everybody is known by
name --There would be special attention paid to the
needy...... |
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In many ways the work of the Stream 3 group
has been to hold on to these dreams and to
make sure that we listen to dreams of others
in the Church. We had to somehow put them
down in some developed form onto paper and
then to have a structure so that we could
share them and invite as many people as
possible in the Diocese to run with them.
That is why new pastoral areas, deans, PALS
and steering groups have come into place.
Even to get to this point has taken a great
deal of effort. And even small change and
modest calls for renewal can be very
threatening. But one of our dreams was to
engage with a large group of talented and committed
people from around the Diocese, people in
love with the Church, into one room and
share with them as much as possible an idea
of how we can build on what is already very
good in our worshipping communities. And to
ask them to share with others the same
material. I really hope that you are
enthused by what you are given today.
Steam 3 is going to continue its work. We
would like to suggest ways in which more and
more people can be involved in the
conversation we have begun. And if much of
our attention has been on the renewal part
of Bishop Peter's vision we will have to
begin to think more about the second part of
the challenge we are facing. But I do hope
you are energised by what you see today. |
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A Thriving Catholic Community
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Watch the video
now. Click in the
box |
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As
with all internet
streaming the
picture may freeze
occasionally during
peak times. If this
happens view it at a
quieter time or
start it playing and
put it on pause for
several minutes to
build up sufficient
storage. |
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Quiet Prayer
Disturb us, 0 Lord when we are too well-pleased with
ourselves;
When our dreams
have come
true
because we dreamed too little;
When we have arrived
in
safety
because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, 0 Lord when with the abundance of things we
possess
We have lost our thirst for the waters of Life;
When, having fallen in love
with time,
we have ceased to dream of eternity;
And when, in
our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision of the New Heaven to grow
dim.
Stir us, 0 Lord to
dare more boldly,
To venture more seas, where storms shall show our
mastery.
Where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.
In the name of the One who pushed back the horizons of
our hopes
And invited the brave to follow...
Glory
be to the Father, and to
the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
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More information
will be added to this page in the coming months |
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