We must BE the change we’re seeking to bring about. Please feel free to share your insights and strategies with us, and let us know how you get on.

 

YOUR PARISH

 

Is your parish:

 

ENGAGED - collaborative, engaged and committed to grow together to live out God’s word?

DYING - attendances are falling, it’s a struggle, what’s going to happen to us?

SUNDAY - rubber-stamping you each Sunday; don’t rock the boat?

 

Every parish is different, but too many of us are in parishes where we have been taught to rely on Father. We are still operating a model based on nineteenth century norms, when priests were plentiful. They were also the educated ones, whose mission was to instruct and guide us and tell us what we were to believe. Now, priests are scarce, and are not always well prepared in seminaries to understand the challenges of everyday life and families.

 

Many Catholics are very deeply socialised to accept this, but too many have walked away.

 

We suggest a simple model which you can see more of here:

 

P R A Y

S P E A K

S H A R E

 

Some questions that you can encourage people to think about are:

 

• Who really listens to us? When did you last feel listened to?

• What happens if we ask questions?

• Is it different for me if I’m a woman? How am I treated differently?

• Do my children and grandchildren want to come to church? What do they need?

• How can we make a difference?

 

HOLD A MEETING

 

Jesus said, where two or three are gathered together, there I am with you.

 

You can meet in twos or threes over coffee, or work towards bigger gatherings. Ring us for a chat for support or advice - we can advise on ways to go about setting up your meeting, and sometimes help with suggestions for a speaker. If we act in prayer and love, we may surprise ourselves sometimes when we least expect it.