The Parish Assembly - 10th September 2017

Many topics were discussed at our parish assembly.  Each group was given a topic and asked to answer 3 questions.  The following is a summary of the resulting discussions.
Faith Formation
Question 1: What is currently happening in this area of ministry? (List current activities)
  • Children’s Liturgy
  • Sacramental Program
  • Communion to the sick
  • Hospitality- 7:30am Sunday –Once a month- encourages people to feel welcomed and to build on their faith.
  • Lenten Program
  • Advent Program
  • Parish Mission
  • Australian Catholics
  • Newsletter- reflection
  • Reading- reflection
  • Prayer Groups
  • Marian Valley
  • Over 50+ group and Cleo Ladies Group.
 
Question 2: How can this area of ministry are developed? (Name what you would like to see happen)
  • In house Lenten program
  • Invite speakers
  • Parish Mission
  • Mums group during the day
  • Faith sharing
Question 3: What practical steps need to be taken to improve this area of ministry? (Identify the actions required to make the desired changes happen.)
  • Lenten Program- has more people trained which will allow more opportunity at different times for people to attend.
  • Marian Valley Pilgrimage once every year
  • Explain Sunday readings before Mass
  • Parish Mission
Liturgy
Question 1: What is currently happening in this area of ministry?
  • Currently Masses on Saturday at 6pm, Sunday 7:30am and 9:00am and daily weekday Masses at each Church.
  • Choirs- 2 Samoan Choirs, 1 Filipino at St B's, Young Adult Choir and Children’s Choir.
  • Children’s Liturgy
  • Sacramental Program
  • RCIA Program
  • Ministers of the Word
  • Eucharistic Ministers
  • Altar Servers
  • Ministry to the Sick
  • Overhead Projector
  • Mass Co coordinators
  • Celebration of special feast days
  • Multicultural Mass
  • Prayer Groups
  • Reconciliation by appointment
Question 2: How can this area of ministry be developed?
  • Music Coordinator
  • Active recruitment of musicians from parish
  • More musicians /instruments
  • Music at all Masses
  • Establish of a dedicated reconciliation area.
  • Communicate current reconciliation practice.
  • Noticeboard at the Church Entrance outlining liturgy times.
  • Volunteers for sacramental program
  • Simplification of Gospel for children’s liturgy
  • Emphasise reverence in Church during liturgy
  • More involvement from St Bernardine’s School.
Question 3: What practical steps need to be taken to improve this area of ministry?
  • Overhead announcement prior to Mass i.e. phones (turn to silent).
  • Access to materials suitable for children to understand Gospel message.
  • Advertise in newsletter for volunteers for sacramental program
  • Music Coordinator
  • Advertise in both school and church newsletter
  • Create and communicate about reconciliation area
  • Create Noticeboard
Outreach & Social Justice
Question 1: What is currently happening in this area of ministry?
  • St Vincent de Paul
  • Pastoral Care in the nursing homes
  • Taking Communion to the homebound
  • Welcoming parishioners before and after Mass

Question 2: What practical steps need to be taken to improve this area of ministry?
Identify the actions required to make the desired changes happen)
  • More accountability and commitment for parishioners e.g. where are our funds going?
  • Establish pastoral council urgently
  • Contact number in the parish newsletter for general enquiries
  • Assistance in doing retreats (Live Christ, Share Christ) movement approved by archdioceses.
  • Transport assistance to homebound parishioner
  • Weekly prayer groups
  • Bereavement Group
  • More exposure to the other Churches
  • More St Vincent de Paul volunteers
  • Pastoral workers need to be supported spiritually and emotionally (retreats etc...)
  • More Social interaction between the three churches.
Parish Leadership
Question 1: What is currently happening in this area of ministry?
  • Unofficial group of volunteers
  • Parish Pastoral council- we do not have one and haven’t had one for years.
  • Parish finance council – 3 members, 3 non-members and parish priest.
  • Enhancing church assets- Own all assets, maintained and insured
  • Income streams- planned giving, OSHC, Telstra tower
  • Stewardship- time, talent, treasure
  • PACS- database that collects info on ‘talent’- currently not using this info to the fullest.
  • Suggestion Box- we have had one in the past but this has not always been successful.
 
Question 2: How can this area of ministry be developed?
  • Start a team to tap into time, talent, treasure of our parishioners.
  • The need to establish a shared understanding of stewardship
  • Pastoral council
  • We need on to put other plans into action.
  • Get out a plan on what we want the group to achieve
  • Set up a stewardship team
  • Enhance parish assets
  • We need a way to identify future parish needs to know what to invest in into the future.
 
Question 3: What practical steps need to be taken to improve this area of ministry?
  • The need for a pastoral council to put things into action.
  • Need to nominate/vote for members
  • Check with archdioceses on how to make this happen
  • Downside of voting is hurting people’s feelings if they don’t get chosen.
  • The need for representatives from all three churches to ensure that each community has a say.
  • Needs linking member in finance council.
Community Life
Question 1: What is currently happening in this area of ministry?
  • Fifties Plus Group
  • Cleo Ladies Group
  • Craft Group
  • Hospitality after Masses
  • Multicultural Mass and Celebration
  • St Catherine’s Church- Welcoming Group
 
Question 2: How can this area of ministry be developed?
  • Fifties plus Group- Consider adding additional activities and changing the name to reflect the age of the Group.
  • Hospitality after all Masses to create community and connections
  • Cleo Ladies Group- Each attendee to invite a new lady- Create a Facebook Group?
  • Craft Group- Adding an additional evening Group for working Mothers
  • Family Picnic
  • Church/School Fate
Ministry to Children
Question 1: What is currently happening in this area of ministry?
  • Every second Sunday- children’s Liturgy/choir
  • Sacramental Program
  • School Mass- St Bernardine’s- Every Wednesday
  • Baptism Program
  • Christmas Mass- 6pm with Children’s Choir and dress up
  • RE Curriculum in the schools
  • Altar Serving
Question 2: How can this area of ministry are developed?
  • Christmas Mass- focus on the children/family, costumes and nativity
  • Development of Sunday School
  • Build relationship with schools- school newsletter
  • Encourage/ Train Altar Servers
  • Encourage children to be part of ministry- readers, offertory
  • Feast Days throughout the year
  • Development of Children’s liturgy Team
  • What commitment does it take
  • Teams of 2/3 per weekend
  • Christmas Mass- Nativity and Music
Youth Ministry
Question 1: What is currently happening in this area of ministry?
  • Children’s Liturgy/choir
  • Nothing currently for teens
 
 Question 2: how can this area of ministry are developed?
  • Deeper faith formation communities
  • A community of young adults who are taught about faith. Not a group based on socialising but on developing and understanding the faith and how it relates to our life in the modern world.
  • Why do we believe what we believe?
  • Why is it relevant?
  • Introduce it to everyone
  • Get young adults to talk about Youth events and projects
  • Get parents involved as much as possible with the young children and asking children questions.