LATEST EDITION OF THE MINUTES
MINUTES
of the MEETING HELD IN LYMINGTON
on 24th March 2010
Pastoral Area Leadership Group
Welcoming and Opening Prayer
Apologies: Fr. Vervenne, Clare Bassett, Cathy Pickles, John Shepherd, Stephen Morgan,
Present: Fr. Jamie, Jill Heneghan, Paddy Larke, Sarah Bell, Mike Welch, Maureen Wixley, Mary Dunn, Ian Holden
Minutes: These were unanimously accepted in abbreviated form. The summary of
the meeting held on 20th January was accepted as a record of the Meeting. Owing to ill-health the normal format of the Minutes was abandoned for the meeting and these notes were agreed instead to be a suitable substitute. (See Minutes of Meeting held on 24th March)Mass of the Sick – May 9th at 3.00 pm Our Lady of Lourdes Church in New Milton.
Liturgy Day – 15th May The School at Pennington had been booked. It was proposed that a planning meeting should be organised for 8th April 2010
Recollection Days at Sway – 9th and 30th October
Father Danny, originally engaged for these days, was alas, no longer available. Franciscans are expected to move into the Diocese and it was suggested they be approached to provide someone to conduct the Recollection Days.
Pilgrimage to Greece – led by Fr. Jamie – April 2011
Those present were asked to promote this in the four Parishes of the Pastoral Area
DPC
Mary reported on the last Diocesan Pastoral Council meeting. She gave an interesting account of the InterFaith Dialogue and brought to our attention some of the unexpected difficulties which were beginning to show. Time was spent deciding on the agenda for the Autumn Meeting. It was confirmed that the new Missal will not be appearing at Advent, as previously thought, but some time in 2011.
Bishop’s Visit 23rd June
Our next meeting, on May 26th at 7.30 will focus on the Bishop’s document, our experience of this year and preparation for his visit. Fr. Jamie asked that by the next time we need on 26th May we will have ‘familiarised’ ourselves with this document (Parish Area Visits)
New Document
Guidelines for Pastoral Councils’ was issued at the last meeting.
Any Other Business
A report was presented detailing the success of a Meeting held after Mass on Sunday 21st March. 47 people stayed after Mass. A member of the Parish Pastoral Council explained the purpose of the Pastoral Area, the Work of the Leadership Team and collect information regarding people’s concerns so that their views could be represented. Views expressed during the discussion:v Naïve to think that Pastoral Area can become one Parish
v Community of St. Anne’s to be continued by a regular weekly service of some kind
v Risk that the Mass becomes more important than the community
v Our future lies in our own hands
v Possible increase of Anglican clergy coming into the Church – worries about role of women
v Would it be a good idea to have such a meeting in Lymington?
Pastoral Area Team: Wed 20th Jan, 7.30 pm.
The Meeting closed with a short prayer.
* * * * *
The summary of the meeting held on 20th January was accepted as a record of the Meeting (See below). Owing to ill-health the normal format of the Minutes was abandoned for the meeting and these notes were agreed instead to be a suitable substitute. (See Minutes of Meeting held on 24th March)
PA Minutes 20/1/10
15th May Liturgy Day. Ask him to present on Centrality of Mass, other possible liturgies, recent developments in thinking about the Liturgy, support for liturgy groups – their creativity and resourcefulness. At the school.
How to structure it?
Preparation group, me (Mary Dunn), Cathy, Jill, (Maureen?)
Living our Faith – investment in:
v Education of priests
v Formation of the laity
v Local Projects
v Capital Projects
Directed by CCS, professional fund-raisers.
Methodology: phases (takes some getting used-to for us)v Quiet phase – visiting fellow parishioners – explaining the pledging.
AOB – members concerns:
v Sarah’s concern about the new Missal. Tablet article was very one-sided. Could we opt to keep our existing liturgy, slow down the process of using it? Bishop’s don’t have the freedom to delay its use. Church should explain the use of certain phrases. Hopefully some catechesis.
v Michael’s issue: AGM at Brockenhurst, discussed the use of Churches. (See Michael’s paper). Our Leadership involves developing a vision which is wider. Managing the change process.
DPC – next meeting on 13th Feb.
Making Parishes aware of the Pastoral Area. How is that going? Needs to happen in the other parishes. Small group could produce a paper and circulate it so that other Leadership Group members could use it.
Send Congrats to Sr Michelle on her election as Prioress.
Date of next meeting: Wed. March 24th. 7.30
MINUTES of the MEETING HELD IN LYMINGTON
on 10th NOVEMBER 2009Pastoral Area Leadership Group
Welcoming and Opening Prayer
Present: Fr Jamie McGrath, Rev. Mike Welsh, Mary Dunn, Rita Ford, Michael Jones, Jill Heneghan,
Ian Holden, Cathy Pickles, Sarah Bell, Sr Rosaleen Shaw, John Sheppard, Maureen Wixley and Guests: David + Gerry Heneghan
Apologies: Clare Bassett, Fr Gerrit Vervenne, Stephen Morgan.Day of Recollection: Feedback from Group who are organising the Day of Recollection: They prefer not to use the school for a spiritual event. It is the geographical centre, and it should be used for some things. 19th June should be a Pastoral Area fun-day, concluded with a celebration of Mass for everybody. Venue for the Day of Recollection should seek to be at St Dominic’s, with two days organised for two groups. We would like them to find a way to ensure the mix of the parishes. It was suggested that the Fun Day is not to be seen as an alternative way of mixing the parishes. Considering Sept 25th and October 9th. Fr Jamie will give a progress report.
Membership of the PA Leadership Team:
Fr Jamie is seeking to expand this group, and today introduced Jill Heneghan who will remain on this Group even though she is no longer Chair of Lymington PPC. Membership will no longer just be representatives of the PPC’s, but will include people with specific gifts. People are invited to propose anybody who they think would be helpful. The Diocese will develop guidelines for this Area group to help us.
Report on the Lymington Church Issue:
David and Gerry, Finance and Property responsibility at Lymington Parish.
The matter is currently on hold.David and Gerry gave a history of the cost of the work that the church has needed. Initially it was £70,000. Then they did a further survey. In 2008 they had an estimate of full costing at £500,000+ for the necessary work.
A discussion followed regarding the items which required consideration which is presented in a free-flowing form here, based on the Mary’s notes:-
Assessed best use of the buildings – in the conservation area, but only the Presbytery is listed. Access problems. Looked at alternative locations, talked to planners and architects, and came up with a scheme which recommended residential use of the high street site. To unlock the value of the site. Expanding the church still gives problems such as access. Do we spend the money or un-lock the value of the site? Diocese is asset-rich but cash-poor. 1100 catholics in the New Forest Area (700 catholics in this PA). Where would the £500,000 come from? The building is past its life-time. The site has been valued at between one and a half and two million pounds. There is land possibly available next to the School on green belt land which would be relatively inexpensive. The church has a strong chance to get planning permission. In general it costs about 3 million pounds to build a new church. Mike thinks nothing will happen for two years, when we have a new Bishop. There is an argument for buying the land against a possible future decision. There is currently no place of worship at the school.
Thanks were offered to David and Gerry for the clarity and helpfulness of their presentation.
Liturgy Planning:
It was agreed to invite Paul Inwood to come for a day for parishioners. While the original suggestion referred to singing, it seems his offer includes other aspects of Liturgy in which he is particularly interested, in other words, his day would not be simply for choirs/singers. Possibly use the school on June 19th? Ask him for a date, and think about using the school. Mary to get in touch with Paul.
Diocesan Pastoral Council – October
The focus for this meeting is ‘The Nature of Community’.
Proposed Pilgrimages
Pat Emmett (Lymington) is organising a trip for the Pastoral Area to Greece in 2011 ‘In The Footsteps of St Paul’. Details have been circulated to everybody via the local PPCs. This is just at the preparation and planning stage. It is also proposed to arrange a pilgrimage to Lisieux in May 2010.
Disability matters
Eileen Rayner – Catholic Disability Fellowship – would like to be in touch with the Needs Representative from each parish. Relevant issues need to be communicated to Eileen on 01590 673003
Date of next Clergy meeting: Jan 20th
Pastoral Area Team: Wed 20th Jan, 7.30 pm
The Meeting closed with a short prayer.
* * * * *
LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETING – New Forest Pastoral Area
MINUTES (Interim Style) relating
to
Meeting on 9th September 2009
held in the Parish Rooms, Church of Our Lady & St. Joseph
Lymington at 7.30 pm
Pastoral Area Leadership Group Minutes.
Present: Fr Jamie McGrath, Fr Gerrit Vervenne, Rev Stephen Morgan, Rev Mike Welch, Mary Dunn; John Sheppard, Maureen Wixley, (both new and from New Milton), Michael Jones, Sarah Bell, Rita Ford and Jill Heneghan.
Review of the June minutes
We should possibly devote an entire meeting to the question of our own concept of a Pastoral Area. WE should perhaps have a statement of what we are trying to do. Michael had prepared a statement which appears on the Home Page. This was adopted in a lightly modified form and will be discussed at the next Meeting.
It was suggested that we should communicate Mass times for all parishes in one another’s newsletters. Say no more than ‘this is one body which is working together’. (Rev Mike Welch). Jill agrees.
Stephen likes Michael’s statement – would like it in all the newsletters. Should add something about ‘this is just the start’, with aims to have social gatherings etc.
When? Begin this week. Share Mass times tonight. Begin in Newsletters from first Sunday in October.
Day of Recollection 2010 – somebody to be responsible for organising it for Eucharistic ministers and Readers only
Venue – school suggested. June – near Corpus Christi. 19th June. Fr Jamie will book the school. Decide what sort of a day we want. Bring existing organisers together (asked by Fr Jamie). Day for Eucharistic Ministers and Readers only (Brockenhurst organise another day for parish.)
Mass of the Sick – 9th May 2010. Fr Vervenne and Mike to ask people from all four parishes to organise the day. Cathy Pickles/Tom Turnbull (Lym), Josie Greenhalgh? (Brock) Make joint Music group. Create the Liturgy as PA group.
Confirmation Day – June 4th.
Possible lay Chair of PA Team.
Wait until we are a group that is stable. Suggestion that Fr Jamie continues until it feels right to change.
John Sheppard was not happy with the way things were going and pressed for more information: What was the endgame or all these meetings? One kitty? One priest’s house? How much integration?
The general response was that we couldn't see into the future – we should develop so that we are prepared for what might happen.
The general tone of the subsequent discussion was that it was of prime importance at the moment and as a first step to get the 4 communities working together. It was agreed that current situation was not sustainable as we didn’t want to lose communities. In spite of all the misgivings and problems Mission would be served as we grow as Christians.
Fr Jamie commented that it was necessary to think about a proper awareness of our collective resources, especially in relation to the issue of the church buildings in Lymington. When that decision is taken, the Leadership Group will have to take the consequences of collective responsibility. Mike would like to have the information about financial issues. Lymington could produce a summary report. Jill will action.
Next Clergy Meeting
The next Clergy Meeting was arranged for 3rd November.
Next Leadership Group Meeting
This was fixed for 10th November at 7.30 pm again at Lymington.
* * * * *
MINUTES (New Style) relating
to
Meeting on 25th June 2009
held in the Parish Rooms, Church of our Lady & St. Joseph
Lymington
Our Minutes are now taking a different form: this seems to have been encouraged from Portsmouth. Apparently it is felt it that a less formal approach might offer a more productive result.
We are fortunate to have Mary Dunn in our group, who plays an increasingly important part in our relations with the Diocese HQ in Portsmouth, and is happy to let us use her notes from recent and future meetings.
After the last meeting I set out Mary’s notes directly into the web pages (www.newforestrcchurches.co.uk) but this month I have decided to condense the information she has set out mainly in table form, because I do not have an internet copy due to technological problems at her end!
She noted firstly some of the impressions and feelings which we experienced in the two previous ‘brainstorm’ meetings. The overall indications point to emotions deriving from anger, which included the feeling of being threatened. Annoyance, irritation and a feeling of frustration affected most of the members who attended. The frustration derived, it seems, from general ignorance in which we felt stranded. There was cynicism about what the Diocese said compared with which it did, and there was a constant nagging impression that whatever any discussions led by the Diocese were about, the final decisions, which reflected their beliefs and ideas and not those made at any lower level, would be the ones imposed.
The Notes referring particularly to the meeting on 25th June covered the following points, but not necessarily in this order. As the ideas flew from around the table in no guided order, I have tried to group our thoughts into some kind of system rather than 23 separate items. On the original document Mary sent there is a column which lists ‘Named people to take responsibility’ of which there are 5 names, which will appear in the text below as we touch on the subjects near to their hearts. . .
This is an exciting challenge.
Build up our own communities before we start trying to integrate them into a Pastoral Area.
Suggestions of how to achieve this:
Speak at Masses to make people aware of Pastoral Area issues – create a script to that we are all conveying the same information with our own personal style
Jill Henegan and Rita Ford have volunteered to organise this.
Publicise the Pastoral Area on the website to make people aware of it. Put the url of the website on each parish newsletter. (www.newforestrcchurches.co.uk) Michael Jones is taking care of this.
We are four churches in this grouping: Milford and New Milton already work together on social and religious events. Social activities bring people together quicker than anything else because they talk together. Religious ones tend to emphasize the prayer and meditation times, thus to some extent restricting the chance to get to know each other.
A joint Social Committee has been suggestion and Jill Henegan is keen to promote this.
A suggestion was made to prepare an Annual Mass for the Sick together. For the last 5 years this Service has been draw up by New Milton and Milford Parishes and invitations sent to other parishes - formerly in the Deanery and now in the Pastoral Area. Additional or alternative help would be welcome.
Another idea was expressed that Parish Newsletters should be circulated to the other three churches. It would be good of course to have them on the Website, but this would not be feasible unless they could be sent electronically. St. Ann’s in Brockenhurst did at one time put up their newsletters on their web site but this has not been updated since April 2008. It is a very time consuming job.
Develop our own concept of a Pastoral Area
This idea met with approval, but there was no discussion of where we should go from its inception. Maybe that will come with time
as we follow up suggestions made of how to develop the relationships among the members of the Leadership Team:Get to know one another on the Leadership Team
Go to one another’s churches for Mass from time to time, (and perhaps stay for a coffee morning instead of rushing home?)
A suggestion to ‘Share offices’ wasn’t followed up by a discussion of what this might involve.
The following notes deal broadly with the PA Team itself
Monthly Pastoral Area newsletter – Ian Holden has offered to coordinate this
Appoint a Lay Chair of the PA Team
Discuss Membership of Leadership team – change from being made up of PPC members to a stable group of committed people?
Instead of EM/Reader/etc. Days of Recollection being organised separately or even in pairs, the suggestion is that for 2010 one might be organised for all the churches in a single place. Discussion and decision on a venue large enough to accommodate all involved will be arranged.
Find somewhere big enough for a Mass for all the churches together once a year.
There was a suggestion that pilgrimages etc. might be organised for members of all the churches and it was thought perhaps we could do something for the visit in September of the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux. This had to be abandoned since St. John’s Cathedral is worried about number problems with too many people arriving in coaches and the Cathedral can only seat 800 people.
Working together on particular aspects of the practice of our Faith:
Bring Catechists together: Cathy Pickles, who is very involved in preparation for Confirmation in the Pastoral Area, is very happy to organise this.
Bring Liturgy Groups together: No immediately volunteers for this. There is an active Children’s Liturgy Group at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in New Milton.
Stickier Problems:
Think about issues for a possible new church
Bring Finance people together
The next meeting has been arranged for Wednesday 9th September 2009 at 7.30 pm in the Lymington Parish Rooms.
* * * * *
MINUTES OF MEETING OF THE
NEW FOREST LPA LEADERSHIP TEAM
HELD ON 13th MAY 2009
IN THE PARISH ROOMS, CHURCH OF OUR LADY & ST. JOSEPH,
LYMINGTON
Present:Bishop Crispian, Fr. Jamie McGrath, Fr. Gerrit Vervenne, Mgr. John Nelson, Rev. Mike Welch, Rev. Stephen Morgan, Nicki Stevenson. Sarah Bell, Mary Dunn, Audrey Henegan, Jill Heneghan, Ian Holden, Michael Jones, Cathy Pickles, Sister Rosalie Shaw OP.
Apologies:
Rita Ford
Welcome and Opening Prayer:
Fr. Jamie welcomed those present and a short prayer was said
(Editor's Note: There was, unfortunately, no Agenda for this Meeting. Without an agenda it is very
difficult to set out the minutes in the normal style so the notes made by Mary Dunn during the
meeting will be printed here instead.)Bishop Crispian opened with some remarks about the purpose of the meeting. Mentioned some unlikely areas where parishes are working together. Problems with ‘parochialism’ – can only see the local picture and not the wider one – disguises a fear that parishes will be closed. Not about doing that – about enabling areas to work together. PA’s might decide to close a church, not the Diocese.
Fr Jamie’s personal reflections: Reality described peacefully – no blame or guilt.
- We are a PA in name: virtually the same as Deanery.
- Sunday Mass – no urgency to change the existing situation. Distant level of cooperation.
- No great appetite to change in this area. (What is the difference with the Deanery?)
- Leadership Group is ‘up’ but not really ‘running’.
- Lots of questions about Group. Great generosity. No opposition or ill-will.
- Day of Formation at St Dominic's.
- Tried to organise pilgrimages – limited interest.
- Mass for the Sick at New Milton annually.
- Work together in catechetical programme.
- No cross-overs with Finance, Liturgy groups or PPCs. Work well independently.
- Difficulty of not knowing the final geographical shape of the PA.
General Remarks:
+C: Leadership Group currently representational of their ‘home’ parishes. In the future it will cease to be representative of constituencies. Wise and experienced people who can contribute to thinking. Joint responsibility. Not just representing their community, but the good of the whole community.
Ian: Crunch will come when we have 1 priest for whole area.
+C: Pastoral Plan is not just about numbers of Priests. Plan ahead for the day. Energising and taking responsibility.
Jill: Question of the building at Lymington. Include the whole PA in our deliberations, but who are they?
Cathy: We don’t know who we are.
+C: this meeting is not about PA boundaries.
Nicky and Stephen: Need identity. Seek to be the gospel in this area. No geographical, economic, named centre. New Forest doesn’t describe our identity. Not an area, but 4 parishes.
Mgr Nelson: Endless argy-bargy about boundaries. Not about making geographical ‘blobs’. Its about interdependence rather than dependence. Small places felt vulnerable – unequal with well-resourced big places. Crunch will not be loss of priests, but fewer parishioners – it is already here. Where are the people in 10 years time going to be best placed to worship?
Sr Rosaleen: We all stay where we are if at all possible. Will be much better to give us a new church which excites and meets all the needs. People in one place will not go somewhere else if they have always gone to their own church
Mike: Get away from crisis management. We don’t know who we belong-to. New Milton don’t get included in decisions or meetings. We need to know what’s going to happen. We are not self-sufficient. We should be working as a body, when we know who we are. . .
Fr Vervenne: Only had one meeting since last May.
Sarah: Need more evangelisation. More thought about the faith. If they don't know why they're coming to church they won't come
Ian: Worry about young children – will they remain Catholics?
Mike: We have failed as a PA. We haven’t grown. No appetite among the clergy. Lay people impressive. Need an enthusiastic leader who will take us there. We have fallen apart as a group. Not criticising anybody.
Sr Rosaleen: I think Fr Jamie has done a good job.
+C: This is the core of the PA, as it stands. Leadership doesn’t have to be the Priest. Could be anybody. Influence of the school – part of the PA.
Jill: Parish feels it has lost the school. We don’t see them. We have lost coherence all round.
Fr Vervenne: Go to the PA and ask for them to pay for our new church?
Mike: People will need to feel that the PA is theirs. Money will need to be sorted out professionally
+C: We have lost one third of parishioners across Europe in 20 years.
Mgr Nelson: Focus on Communion rather than Mission. Gather to be fed in order to focus on mission. Bishop’s Vision Statement 1996 put Communion and Mission together. Slow to recognise the challenge of Islam. Attitude of ‘leave us alone and we’ll leave you alone’. We have not expected an aggressive religious situation
Ian: Can’t have ‘one Mass fits all’. Vibrant parish adapts to fit the needs of different groups. Bigger community can do this.
Mike: Aside from the Mass – we want a praying community. Other ways of worshipping would build up the community. Mass doesn’t suit children. Stop thinking of ourselves as ‘8 o clocker’.
Stephen: How do we create a community? Being leaven in the dough? More about a warm place we feel comfortable-with. We are 1% pf population. We are being too inward-looking.
Sr Rosaleen: St Dominic's does cater for the young. Pity if local parishes take their Days of Recollection elsewhere.
+C: This group is the catalyst for the new PA.
Ian: If Mass attendance is declining, we are missing something crucial to arrive at vibrant faith.
Cathy: Initiative in Lymington for Fr Jamie and others to go to the houses of young families who will be the parents of the next teenagers and have informal chat.
Fr Jamie: Self-understanding of this Leadership Team. Not easy to lead a Team (did not feel criticised). Acknowledged the reality of how it has been. Now hearing an appetite for the PA. Is there a shared commitment here? We want to start moving towards our goal – find dynamic ways of doing that. Hard to pull or drag as leader. Grateful for what we have heard tonight. Regret our separateness. Committed to working together.
Ian: Sales job in local parishes. If we lose the local Mass, we lose our sense of community. We need a story to sell.
Mgr Nelson: Switching emphasis from the very local to wider. The level of our planning and work is the PA. These things are best done at a wider level. Not ‘shall we cooperate?’ but ‘this is how it will be done best’. Move to a two-tier structure: Diocese and 24 Parishes. Frees people up from sitting at lots of meetings – saps the energy. Can’t be clergy led alone. Must be shared leadership. If you know what you want to do, the structures are obvious. If you start with ‘buildings or numbers’ – you are starting at the wrong end. Not about selling it to anybody if we are not clear ourselves. Share responsibility for leadership.
Mike: Bishop has said that we are the core, which gives us some peace of mind.
Fr Vervenne: This has all happened in Holland.
+C: Not without sacrifice.
Ian: Very depressing experience to go to Church in France. No dynamism.
Fr Jamie: What are we going to do in the next 12 months?
Mike: Get together and brainstorm What can we do? Make a blueprint of aims. Do it during a day.
Fr Vervenne: People in the Leadership Group keep changing.
Jamie: Implications of Lymington church – seek shared wisdom. Whose responsibility is it? – everybody’s responsibility, coordinated by Jamie. Don’t know what support we need.
Cathy: We need support from the parishes. Need more communication with the people.
Nicky: Do other parishes know what is happening in one another’s places. Newsletter just mentions two parishes. Do people know about the African Mass?
* * * * *
MINUTES OF MEETING OF THE
NEW FOREST LPA LEADERSHIP TEAM
HELD ON 18 FEBRUARY 2009
IN THE PARISH ROOMS, CHURCH OF OUR LADY & ST. JOSEPH,
LYMINGTONPresent:
Fr. Jamie McGrath, Fr. Gerrit Vervenne, Sarah Bell, Mary Dunn, Rita Ford, Audrey Henegan, Jill Heneghan, Peter Marriott,
Cathy Pickles, Sister Rosalie Shaw OP, Rev. Mike Welch.No one from Brockenhurst attended
Apologies:
Rev. Stephen Morgan.
Welcome and Opening Prayer:
Father Jamie welcomed those present and then opened the Meeting with a Scripture reading followed by a prayer.
Minutes of Previous Meeting – 22 May 2009The Minutes of the previous meeting were taken as read. There appeared to be no matters arising.
Agenda for this Meeting
The Agenda had been circulated.
1
Apologies
2
Minutes of previous Meeting
3
Matters arising
4
Report from DPC - Report - Mary Dunn
5
Other reports
6
Future Planning
7
Any Other Business
8
Forward dates of this year's Meeting/Meetings
9
Closing prayer
Report from DPC – Mary Dunn:
In a free-ranging discussion members of the Council covered many of the areas which to a very large extent are occupying the concerns of the laity. It appears that while the clergy are very concerned with the theological, liturgical and traditional aspects of what effect the shortage of priests is going to have on the life of the church in what used to be the parishes, at the moment are pastoral areas but which, it appears, are shortly to return to the name of parishes, albeit much larger ones.
One of the most contentious issues which came up was the suggestion that if there are not enough priests to conduct a Mass once a week, then there will be a service of the Liturgy of the Word, at which it will not be permissible to allow those attending to receive the Eucharist, or Holy Communion, as it is still referred to by most of the laity. Another issue which came to the fore was the question of whether Communion of the Sick might be discontinued and whether people could continue receive the Sacrament provided they had been to confession.
An argument put forward was that if the Eucharist was to be available during a service of Liturgy of the Word, people (the laity) would confuse that service with the actual Mass. The answer to that was that they should be educated not to make this mistake.
In these days most people have transport and would be able, if they really wanted to attend Mass, to go to another area where this would be possible. 'People will not come if they only get the Word' was pointed out. This sort of action would destroy the community and its spirit would be lost.
Without a priest, people develop their own prayer. There used to be other liturgies instead of relying on the priest. Anglican have house groups and take them very seriously – we should develop things like that, was another comment. This is where catechesis could take place – something which is obviously going to be required if the new form of Mass is to find a place in people’s hearts. . .
Looking at practices in other countries – France for instance. Some priests have as many as 32 churches for which they are responsible. Only some are used on a regular basis for Mass and times are posted in those churches telling people where the Masses are. Some have buses waiting and do a round to pick up parishioners and take them to the Mass. In the Isle of Wight, much nearer home, the Churches which do not have a Sunday Mass do have a regular Mass (not a Sunday one) once a week so that people may attend those. The disadvantage here is that some people will be working on the days when Mass might be said and be unable to attend. It could be arranged for the evening, when some parishioners would be lost because they didn’t care to go out in the dark. This would again affect the whole idea of community and people will drift away from worship in the churches.
The bishops generally do not seem to realise that they are not only losing priests but also the laity.
Closed parishes should spend some of the money raised by selling the church property to buy or hire and run a transport service for their parishioners.
Ordain married Deacons who want it and would be prepared to serve as priests.
The suggestion that there be a video link between churches so that people could see and hear Mass on screen did not meet with a warm reception among the clergy. It was, however, pointed out, that from time to time in St. Peter’s Square in Rome people outside were able to see what was going on via giant TV screens in side the basilica.
A list of other points raised at the meeting is as follows:
§ Teaching people about the faith so they really appreciate what their faith is.
§ People don’t usually see themselves as part of a community.
§ Indian community come for 5/6 hours, praying and being together. How do we bring this sense of community?
§ People need to recognise THEIR need to belong, what they stand to gain from being in a faith community.
§ People stop listening to homilies – they listen when something different happens, a different voice.
§ Greater formation will bring more vocations. Without priests we do not have the sacraments.
§ Lack of married priests, is the Vatican thinking about the people?
§ Desert Island thinking – we would ordain somebody – we would start our own church based on our baptism.
We would allocate tasks.§ Each take responsibility within Church – both flattening hierarchy AND accepting authority.
§ CAFÉ material very useful, but expensive
§ We are saying the same things as we were saying at the time of Growing Together…
§ We must never go back to the days when the Priest was the ‘be all and end all’
* * * * *
Note:
Having concluded by referring to the days ‘when the Priest was the ‘be all and end all’, it would be a pity to finish on that thought. Most priests work hard against a background where they feel unsupported, particularly at a time when a few bad apples have given the RC clergy as a whole a name which is held in contempt and even disgust by the world at large. Many are getting older and in poor health while they can be called on at any hour of the day or night to minister to their people. Priests do need our care, support and gratitude for the work they do, mostly alone, among shrinking congregations in a largely thankless world. (Webmaster)
Other Reports:
The Bishop’s letter has now been circulated (24th March 2009) prior to his visit to the Leadership Team meeting on 13th May.
He wishes to know:
§ Where we are as a Pastoral Area?
§ What do we want to achieve in the next year?
§ How do we want to work towards it?
Subsequent Discussion during the Meeting on 18th February:
It was obvious at the reaction of those present that people felt appalled by the proposed possibilities. They couldn’t really see any necessity for a change of structures, since the LPAs appearing to be operating the same as the Deaneries used to.
The feeling was that the parishioners themselves, in spite of the efforts of members of the Leadership Team, were no nearer to understanding the concept or of working together between parishes. As far as we were concerned on the Team, we felt we didn’t know where we were, or really which group of which we will form part.
There was no discussion about the day for Eucharistic Ministers – or for Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist – it was felt that we could organise that together at a later date. Practical things, it was felt, we could work on together. Sacrament preparation including First Holy Communion and Confirmation could be done by each Worshipping Community under the care of a Priest if this were possible, a Deacon or by some respected member of the group who was good at organising.
Considering the changes which have occurred over our heads we are not sure how long we will be in the present structure before some new announcements is made about a change in which we have not been involved. This is one of the reasons which inhibits our commitment to the present grouping. We face constant and imposed changes in the future which is unsettling.
FUTURE PLANS:
Mass of Anointing:
This year the Mass will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes on Sunday 7th June at 3.00 pm followed by Tea and Cakes in the Church Hall. As usual all will be welcome. Posters will be circulated and details should be up on the website and in church newsletters.
Music Day for Pastoral Area:
It is still hoped that a successful day will be organised. Date to come.
Great Year for Lymington:
Lymington is celebrating its sesquicentenary this year and on May 8th Bishop Crispian is celebrating Mass at the Church of Our Lady of Mercy and St. Joseph in Lymington. There will be an Exhibition about the Church's history over the last 150 years and it is reported there will be African Drumming at the Mass.
On 23rd May a fund-raising Ball has been organised at Walhampton with tickets at £30 each.
Lymington Parish has been researching whether to epend large sums of money on the building. While the majority would prefer to remain on the site and although the Parish started the venture by looking at the finances on a local basis, it has been realised that now it is important to take into consideration the pastoral concerns of the whole Pastoral Area. PA finances could be brought together into a central pot, in which case members of the PA should be involved in the discussion.
Long-term aim for the Leadership Pastoral Team:
While the members would like to know where we are and begin to plan within the shape of our Pastoral Area, the idea of a 'long term' aim seems very difficult to attain. We far we have managed merely to move from meeting to meeting.
Date of next Meeting:
The next meeting will be held on 13th May at the Parish Rooms in Lymington at 7.00 pm. Bishop Crispian will be with us at this Meeting.
The Meeting then closed with a prayer, followed by coffee and biscuits.
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