Towards a Vision for the Diocese
Lewisham Deanery Response April 2007
All ten parishes in the Deanery consulted the faithful and collated their responses summarised below:
Growing in Communion
What do we celebrate well?
· The liturgy – there is a positive and welcoming sense of celebration
· Community and Pastoral Care – social and community events enable growth
· A sense of Belonging – people are invited and drawn into the parish family.
How do we celebrate well?
· Be inclusive – the parishes embrace diversity as a source of strength e.g. liturgical music,
children’s liturgy, invitational leadership to active participation.
What needs to be developed?
· Communication and Networking – across all strands of parish and deanery life
· Encouraging lay people to get involved, to take responsibility and to lead.
· Support, encourage and affirm existing groups – especially parents
· Youth ministry. See young people as part of the family – not an addition to it.
How could we exchange our gifts with neighbouring parishes?
· Be aware of what each parish has to offer. Share structures that work well.
What resources do we need to move forward?
· Communication strategy– prayerful discernment – formation of lay people – youth worker.
Funding to enable formation – exchange of priests and deacons.
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Reaching Out In Mission
How do we reach out to believers and non believers?
· Personal contact. Our own example. Invitations to services and events.
How do we bring Good News to those without faith?
· Accept and understand people as they are.
· Tolerance – but also being more aggressively proactive with the Good News.
How do we reach out in dialogue and collaborate with other Christians?
· Supporting and promoting ‘Churches Together’
· Leadership by local clergy of all denominations
· Fostering relationships, dialogue and identifying areas to work together
How do we reach out in dialogue and collaboration to other religions?
· Awareness, contact, dialogue, collaboration.
How could we enable our parishes to become a more welcoming home?
· Welcoming attitude. Welcome evening for new arrivals.
· Parish groups to foster an open door policy.
How do we reach out to those in greatest need?
· Identify those in need. Discern the invisible sufferers. Establish a home visiting group. Prayer.
Making time for people. Liaise with charities. Network our response.
Facing the Future
What fears do we have?
· Shortage of priests. Parishes merging. Deprived of the Eucharist. Erosion of faith.
· Violence. Terrorism. Disease. Global warming. .
What form of shared collaboration could be developed now at parish level?
· More services led by lay people.
· More collaboration between priest and people for the mission of the church
· More use of IT. Establish and maintain a skills survey in the parish.
· More multi-cultural activities.
What form of shared collaboration could be developed at Deanery level?
· Clergy and laity working together in formation and ministry
· The Deanery Pastoral Council to network ideas, opportunities and ensure communication.
What form of shared collaboration could this Deanery share?
· Youth ministry.
What forms of shared co-ordination and collaboration could be developed in our area if our own parish or a neighbouring parish did not have a priest?
· Joint Masses. Eucharistic services. Lay formation, involvement and responsibility.
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Recommendations
1. The Deanery welcomes this exercise and expects that this is the beginning of a continuous dialogue between laity and clergy in order to articulate and own the vision for the diocese, as well as discerning ways to implement it.
2. We entrust these recommendations to the Archbishop in the confident hope that he will champion the process of empowering the people to be a collaborative Church.
3. Examine the effectiveness of existing diocesan structures, e.g. Laity Commission, DPCs, in responding to and supporting the needs of Deaneries, so that the mission of the Church, rather than merely its maintenance, is ensured.
4. The Parish Pastoral Council in each parish, should discern the implications of the Vision for that parish. Where there is no PPC, the consultation creates an opportunity to establish a ‘Vision Group’ (which may be or become a PPC) to take the vision forward. Special attention needs to be given to communication, including the communications needs of non English speaking people.
5. The Deanery Pastoral Council should review its job description and network an exchange of information among the parishes. The DPC could also assume responsibility for developing cooperation among the parishes and for lay formation and training in the Deanery.
6. Each parish should foster a culture of welcome towards migrants.
7. The Deanery should hold a study day to consider the implications of the Vision.
8. The Deanery evaluation group should meet again in a year, to review and evaluate progress.
Saturday, 28 April 2007
Feedback from Lewisham Deanery Clergy
Towards a Vision - Lewisham Clergy Report
Summary Sheet
Growing In Communion:
1 Without a priest, there is no parish. Parishioners could take more responsibility with encouragement, training and formation. Financial remuneration must be faced.
2 There is a lack of morale among clergy due to; (a) the dichotomy between official Church and real life, (b) many parishioners may believe but no longer belong to the community, (c) the Church is no longer at the centre of people’s lives and (d) other groups are more proactive i.e. at targeting and recruiting young Catholics.
3 The challenge of communion may be addressed by (a) fostering a culture of welcome, (b) preaching the Gospel positively, (c) discerning and engaging the gifts of the community.
Three key concepts emerged: collaboration, cooperation and formation.
The Deanery to foster a network of catechists for (a) youth ministry (b) adult formation
(c) marriage preparation.
Reaching Out In Mission
1 Families are a great priority. Encourage and support parents as the first and most important educators. Simple practices of prayer at morning, evening and meal times, creating a sacred space in the home, all help to sow Gospel seeds.
2 All clergy are not skilled administrators. Parish maintenance, finance and management absorb quality time that should be given to the mission of the parish. Parish financial difficulties can paralyse or enliven a community. But it seems the priest must lead. Guidelines on appropriate financial contributions should be promulgated by the Diocese.
3 Our cultural diversity is recognised, valued and celebrated in special liturgies across the deanery. The engagement and integration of so many different people remains a constant challenge.
4 Reaching out to other faiths and offering friendship is important. Silent prayer could be a way for attendees to pray together.
Facing the Future / Possibilities for Pastoral Provision
1 Concern was expressed about how the future vision for the diocese would unfold. What will happen to all the data submitted? There is a real fear that nothing will happen. There is a fear that, as clergy decline, administration will simply escalate. Financial implications are real at parish level. Laity require training, formation and fair financial remuneration.
2 Collaboration works well with marriage preparation and penitential services. There are impressive numbers at Youth 2000. Parish amalgamation for First Communion / Confirmation preparation is possible – but something is inevitably lost in your own parish.
A paid Deanery catechist, however, would be able to train and network other catechists in the Deanery. Mass provision (if a priest is absent in one parish) puts further burden on already overstretched priests. A parish community needs to be prepared for the absence of a priest.
3 Lewisham Hospital Chaplaincy and the University Chaplaincy will be difficult to cover if priests were not assigned there. Trained lay people could be valuable in the hospital, but would they get quality access to the sick?
4 Some countries have many vocations to the priesthood. Why can’t we encourage people to come forward here? There was a suggestion that this clergy report be shared with the people of the parishes. It is hoped that this evaluation exercise will empower the laity into leadership roles in parishes.
March 2007
Summary Sheet
Growing In Communion:
1 Without a priest, there is no parish. Parishioners could take more responsibility with encouragement, training and formation. Financial remuneration must be faced.
2 There is a lack of morale among clergy due to; (a) the dichotomy between official Church and real life, (b) many parishioners may believe but no longer belong to the community, (c) the Church is no longer at the centre of people’s lives and (d) other groups are more proactive i.e. at targeting and recruiting young Catholics.
3 The challenge of communion may be addressed by (a) fostering a culture of welcome, (b) preaching the Gospel positively, (c) discerning and engaging the gifts of the community.
Three key concepts emerged: collaboration, cooperation and formation.
The Deanery to foster a network of catechists for (a) youth ministry (b) adult formation
(c) marriage preparation.
Reaching Out In Mission
1 Families are a great priority. Encourage and support parents as the first and most important educators. Simple practices of prayer at morning, evening and meal times, creating a sacred space in the home, all help to sow Gospel seeds.
2 All clergy are not skilled administrators. Parish maintenance, finance and management absorb quality time that should be given to the mission of the parish. Parish financial difficulties can paralyse or enliven a community. But it seems the priest must lead. Guidelines on appropriate financial contributions should be promulgated by the Diocese.
3 Our cultural diversity is recognised, valued and celebrated in special liturgies across the deanery. The engagement and integration of so many different people remains a constant challenge.
4 Reaching out to other faiths and offering friendship is important. Silent prayer could be a way for attendees to pray together.
Facing the Future / Possibilities for Pastoral Provision
1 Concern was expressed about how the future vision for the diocese would unfold. What will happen to all the data submitted? There is a real fear that nothing will happen. There is a fear that, as clergy decline, administration will simply escalate. Financial implications are real at parish level. Laity require training, formation and fair financial remuneration.
2 Collaboration works well with marriage preparation and penitential services. There are impressive numbers at Youth 2000. Parish amalgamation for First Communion / Confirmation preparation is possible – but something is inevitably lost in your own parish.
A paid Deanery catechist, however, would be able to train and network other catechists in the Deanery. Mass provision (if a priest is absent in one parish) puts further burden on already overstretched priests. A parish community needs to be prepared for the absence of a priest.
3 Lewisham Hospital Chaplaincy and the University Chaplaincy will be difficult to cover if priests were not assigned there. Trained lay people could be valuable in the hospital, but would they get quality access to the sick?
4 Some countries have many vocations to the priesthood. Why can’t we encourage people to come forward here? There was a suggestion that this clergy report be shared with the people of the parishes. It is hoped that this evaluation exercise will empower the laity into leadership roles in parishes.
March 2007
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