Evangelisation and Pastoral Council Report
The Evangelization & Pastoral Council meeting was held on Wednesday, March 25th at the Parish Centre. The three main items of discussion were:
The Future Shaping & Staffing of our Parish: A general discussion between members of the Council revolved around the state of the Parish and what was going well and identifying the gaps or ministries that could be improved. It was acknowledged that there were many different groups functioning and many of these were established and sustained by the initiative of parishioners. Other areas, such as the Kingdom Youth programme, RCIA, the Sacramental Programme are coordinated by the Parish with volunteers and staff involved. In between, there are many areas and ministries that are neglected, from visitation, social justice and refugees, outreach to the marginalised and house bound.
The conversation then turned to explore what our Parish could look like in the foreseeable future. The members of the Council were conscious that their considerations had to be based upon the reality of reduced numbers of clergy while at the same time acknowledging the reality of a population explosion with 3 new P to 12 Catholic schools (each with a student population of 1500 + students) being built at Aura, Palmwoods and Beerwah East.
With new faith communities being established in the emerging population centres, putting additional strain on current resources, the question arose about sustainability of all current faith communities. What is the criteria to assess whether a faith community is viable? What are the resources to ensure the sustainability and growth of a community? How do we prioritize the allocation of our resources?
The members of the Council reflected upon the need to think beyond present structures and imagine what structures and personnel our Parish will need to embrace the challenges of the future. It was envisioned that under the umbrella of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, there would be several decentralised, reasonably large faith communities located in the major population centres. Outreach and ministry would radiate from these communities.
The smooth functioning of our Parish in the future would require professional administrative and accountancy support supplemented by the ministry of volunteers who would use their time, talent and skills to support the mission of the Parish. A parish manager would be required to ensure legislative compliance and the proper maintenance of all our Parish assets. A Parish Youth Worker and a Volunteer Coordinator – who would ensure our outreach and ministry to the marginalized and elderly parishioners were not neglected – would need to be on the Parish staff. Because of the size and diversity of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, a new position would need to be created that would reflect the scale and challenges of our Parish Family. The new position could be called the Director of Mission and would be responsible for a strategic approach to the leadership and coordination of the parish. The Director of Mission would undertake a leadership role within our Parish Community coordinating, in-servicing, upskilling and empowering individuals and groups within the parish for mission. The Director of Mission would also ensure that our Parish Family embraced best practice and good governance while continuing to be proactive in the implementation of the Parish mission. The Director of Mission would be a key link connecting the schools, ministries and communities of Our Lady of the Rosary.
The members of the Council agreed that as a parish we need to be proactive and begin discussions with the Archdiocese to assist with the challenge of what the population explosion on the Sunshine Coast will mean for our Catholic Community. At the same time, as a Parish, we need to embrace the challenges of the future with a sense of positive excitement and creativity as we imagine what it means to be a member of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Parish in the years ahead.
A progress report on the plans for the Golden Jubilee celebrations was discussed. Fifty years ago this year Archbishop O’Donnell separated the sleepy little coastal township of Caloundra along with the country churches of Landsborough and Maleny from the Caboolture Parish and appointed Fr John Egan as the foundation parish Priest. To celebrate the adventure of the past 50 years everyone is invited to be part of the following three events.
- On Sunday, October 2nd Archbishop Coleridge will celebrate the Jubilee Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary. A steering committee is currently coordinating the activities that will surround this Mass. At the conclusion of the Mass Archbishop Coleridge will bless the (hopefully completed) new gathering area and refurbished meeting rooms of the parish centre.
- On Saturday evening, November 12th the Golden Jubilee Gala will be held at the Caloundra RSL. This is a celebration for the entire Parish and tickets are on sale now. It is also a chance to support the new outreach at Aura. Fr Josh will be the master of ceremonies on the night and there will be plenty of prizes and entertainment.
- A Golden Jubilee booklet is slowly taking shape under the guidance of an editorial committee that hopefully captures some of the story of the past 50 years. Communities are currently being contacted to help with the content of the Jubilee Booklet. If you would like to be involved or contribute, please contact Fr Peter at the Parish Office [email protected]
Felicity Jones, the Parish Youth Coordinator gave a report to the members of the Council about her ministry and the work she has been undertaking since accepting her position at the beginning of this year.
Kingdom Youth
- Weekly on Fridays
- Averaging 50 a night
- Wonderful ladies prayer group donating meals
- Topics: Who Is Jesus (Term 1), Seeking Jesus (Term 2), Knowing Jesus (Term 3)
- Youth Mass – once a month during the school terms, past two have been a successful celebration
- Ignite Launch – 10 kids to Dreamworld to promote Ignite Conference
- Student-led Youth Band showing great success – leading Year level gatherings and assembly
Kingdom Young Adults
- Weekly on Wednesday evenings
- Pattern of social, testimony, formation, adoration – we are seeing a steady increase in numbers per month
- Steady numbers of Young Adults
- Sisterhood/brotherhood opportunities
- Majority attending are youth leaders assisting on a Friday night
The next Evangelisation and Pastoral Council meeting is on 24 August 2022