A Parish Alive With Hope, Welcome, And Possibility

Last week our Ministry Leadership Teams gathered for their Annual Planning Day. As per our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan we have 6 main areas of growth identified in the parish: Children & Families, Youth & Young Adults, Faith & Formation, Community Life, Service & Outreach, and Worship. Shaped by prayer, reflection and collaboration as we reflected on 2025 and planned with intentionality into 2026 there was a palpable sense of excitement in the room and, more importantly, a deep awareness that Holy Spirit is alive and active among us, guiding our conversations and stirring hope for the future.

Some of the great joys of the day was sharing our victory stories of the past year, planning into the future and witnessing our ministries move beyond individual silos to truly listen to one another. As teams shared their hopes, challenges, and ideas, there was a growing recognition of how deeply interconnected our ministries are and how each area of parish life supports and enriches the others. Seeing this spirit of synodality was both inspiring and affirming, reminding us that we are not many separate parts competing for space, but one parish family sharing a single mission.

This experience echoes the Gospel reading we hear this Sunday, (Matt 4:12–23), where Jesus calls ordinary people going about their daily work and invites them into something greater. “Come, follow me,” He says. They were not experts. They were not fully prepared. They did not have a detailed roadmap. What they did have was a willingness to respond. That same call is spoken to us today.

Our Planning Day was, at its heart, a response to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him more intentionally as individuals and as a parish community.

There is a familiar saying: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Here at OLR, we are choosing to plan deliberately and prayerfully, not simply to maintain what we have always done or to tick boxes, but to move more fully from a church that merely maintains its image, to one which is on fire for mission and continues to make disciples. This means equipping people for discipleship, forming leaders and ministries, and creating spaces where faith can deepen and flourish. Good planning is about good stewardship over our God-given abilities…how can I use my skills, gifts and talents to build the kingdom of God in my local church? It helps us ask the right questions such as: Where is God already at work? Who is He calling us to reach? And how can we support one another to make disciples?

Jesus also reminds us that any future worth building must rest on a firm foundation. As a parish and as individuals, we are invited to plant ourselves firmly in Christ. Practically, this means setting aside time each day for prayer and Scripture (maybe previewing the Readings before Mass so you are not hearing them for the first time at Church), staying connected to a ministry (we have over 30!), joining a Connect group (watch this space), serving where our gifts can bless others, and intentionally planning our lives so that faith is not an afterthought, but the foundation. When we are rooted in Christ, we are better able to grow, adapt, and bear fruit together – because we need to be connected to Jesus, who is the source!

With hope and gratitude, I look forward to all that lies ahead as we continue this shared journey of faith; a lifelong journey where we are first called by Christ, rooted in His love, and sent together on mission. “Come, follow me!” Jesus is calling each of us to follow his Mission. Let us walk boldly into 2026 striving to say “yes” to all the opportunities where we can become a Planning and Planting on Firm Foundations vibrant community which actively accompanies all people to encounter Jesus.

Disciple well,

Fr Gerard.