Parish Focus: Exploring inter-parish collaboration via regional workshops
One of five areas that has emerged from the Diocesan Renewal Journey is inter parish collaboration which calls on parishes to look beyond their boundary and engage with other parishes to create hubs to work on common initiatives and become a source of encouragement for each other.
Team Members
Trevor Cooper, Chairperson, Sawtell Parish Pastoral Council, Team Coordinator
Jerome Fernandez, St Augustine’s Parish, Coffs Harbour
Geoff Melville, Assistant Principal, Mission, St Paul’s College, Kempsey, Macleay Valley Parish
Kerri Olsen, St Anthony’s Parish, Kingscliff
Ann Pereira, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Wauchope
Christine Wightley, Chairperson, Sacred Heart Parish Pastoral Council, Murwillumbah
Fr Roland Agrisola, Assistant Priest, St Agnes’ Catholic Parish Port Macquarie
April Update:
Trevor Cooper, of Sawtell Parish, chairs the Inter Parish Collaboration Team which has has been meeting every fortnight since late February.
The Team has been working on identifying the exact parameters of the project, its scope, barriers to participation and the participation process.
Members are presently putting together presentations on: the Biblical and Theological Basis for Participating in the Project; the Business Basis for Participation; Cultural Change; and developing a Process for Discernment of Delegates. These will for part of a formation process for Parishes that seek to participate that will be conducted by the Project Team.
In April, a letter introducing the Project has been sent to all Parish Priests, Parish Pastoral Councils and Parish Finance Committees seeking to secure their in-principle support.
A Pilot Parish Grouping has been determined although contact with that group has yet to occur and will be part of the Team’s next step.
