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Parish renewal
Leadership in twenty-first-century organisations, including parishes, is becoming more and more complex. The reality is that the skill set of any one person, on its own, is inadequate. To achieve fruitful parishes, we need to work in teams. Each of our parishioners is called by God and has a special role to play – a unique mission to accomplish. The role of pastors is to form and equip parishioners so that they are effective witnesses of God’s love in their workplaces, their local community and the world.
Articles on parish renewal
The following articles will help you and your parish team explore what it means to be missionary disciples and build fruitful parishes:
- Unlocking growth in your parish
- Lockdown #2 – What now?
- Missionary discipleship: What it means and why it matters
- Getting started: Intentionally living the ‘Great Commission’ in our parishes today
- You need a team to grow your dream: Structuring for impact
- Build a bridge and get over it: Balancing holiness and mission
- The five systems of a healthy parish
- Re-emerging with purpose: Using what we learned during lockdown to build more fruitful parishes
- Leading parishes through this time of crisis
- Staying connected
- Mission-driven parish: Is it even possible?
- The kerygma enigma: Creating an effective discipleship pathway in your parish
Online speaker series: ‘Leading a Missionary Parish’
Missionary parishes transform lives and yield a growing army of disciples for whom worship and sacraments come to life and whose ministry and service flourishes. The Leading a Missionary Parish series, held over four weeks in August/September 2020, offered interactive sessions with global leaders in missionary parish renewal:
An online presence is only ministry if it leads to encounter, conversion, sacrament reception and transformed lives in the real world. Ministering to parishioners and the wider community can be difficult in our current time. However, while we may not be able to gather in person, there are still many creative ways parishes can minister online and maintain community through the use of various tools and programs.
The Zoom platform is one of the best programs to host online events such as meetings, Scripture studies or prayer groups. It is easier for ‘digital beginners’ to use than most other options, and can be used on a smart phone, iPad or computer (with web camera) quite easily.
Weekly liturgical prayers
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference prepares a weekly liturgical and prayer resource to assist parishes, families and lay people pray with Sunday Mass readings. During this time of the pandemic, when we are unable to physically attend Mass, praying with the Sunday Mass readings in our homes provides a precious opportunity to connect with God and with the whole community of God. The resource includes the Mass readings, spiritual reflections, prayer intentions and other helpful prayers.
Daily Mass – Streamed Live from St Patrick’s Cathedral
It has been difficult to be unable to come together to celebrate Mass in our parishes during this time. With this in mind, many parishes have been live streaming Mass each Sunday or daily for their parishioners. Daily Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral is being celebrated daily and live-streamed on the Archdiocese of Melbourne’s YouTube Channel. Mass is celebrated at 1pm Monday - Friday, 8am on Saturdays and 11am on Sundays. In addition, the 11am Sunday Mass is also televised live on Community Channel C31 (digital channel 44) each week.
Let’s chat more
The Proclaim Team is available to discuss strategies with you and/or your parish team and to facilitate sessions (remotely) on many topics and issues. Just ask! Contact Lorraine on 0402 217 123 or at lorraine.mccarthy@cam.org.au.