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| Dear parishioners - letter 1 |
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Dean Colum Curry, parish priest of Dungannon, has been preparing his parishioners for the formation of a parish pastoral council. A gathering for the whole parish will be held on Tuesday 16th January. As part of the preparatory work he has been publishing some of his reflections on parish pastoral councils in the parish bulletin and has kindly shared them with us and therefore with you. The first of five is available here. The others will be available over the next four weeks. Dear Parishioners, I read recently the following: Question - When will things go back to the way they were before? Answer - Probably never! The Spirit doesn't seem to lead us backward to what we are familiar with, but forward to the unknown. We cannot chart the exact course of this transformation. We can only go through it and experience the pain of change as well as the joy of new life to which God is calling us. In recent years, we Catholics have experienced much change: change within the Church and change within society. For many, it has indeed been a strange mix of pain and joy. In these early days of a new millennium, we continue to face all kinds of challenges and countless opportunities that lie before us. We must never forget, however, that we are an Easter people, people of hope, who are empowered with God's Spirit. In particular we have to recognise that the parish, in which we live is not just a place, it is primarily the community of the baptised – priests and people – celebrating the sacred mysteries, planning and working together, recognising each others gifts and discerning the presence of the Lord in our midst. More and more, lay people will have to take responsibility and claim ownership of their parish in terms of administration, maintenance, pastoral care and liturgical celebrations. What was formerly the concern of the priest alone, must now become the shared ministry of many. Such a 'seismic shift' can't and shouldn't happen over night; it must be accompanied with prayer, patience and perseverance. Over the next few weeks I would like to share some reflections on the role and purpose of a Parish Pastoral Council. Ideally, every parish should have a Parish Pastoral Council as recommended by the Second Vatican Council and stipulated in the Code of Canon Law. I know it is the wish of Archbishop Sean Brady that all parishes in this archdiocese should have an active Parish Pastoral Council as part of our diocesan plan. The very term 'Parish Pastoral Council' is slightly ambiguous because it can be confused with the notion of 'Parish Council', which had varying degrees of success or otherwise in the late '70's and early '80's. Suffice to say, a Pastoral Council is not the same as a Parish Council. In the coming weeks we will explore the difference and consider how we can plan to set up a Pastoral Council here in Dungannon Parish. With every blessing, Colum Curry PP |
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