North Rockhampton News
19 October, 2021
Parish Summit
On Saturday 28 August, parishioners representing the three parishes in North Rockhampton gathered for a Parish Summit to dream about the future and discern where the Holy Spirit is calling the North Rockhampton Catholic Community.
The Summit commenced with a welcome from our shared pastor, Father Marcel Kujur, and a time of prayer. We then watched a video presentation by Peter Pelican (courtesy of Evangelisation Brisbane) about Intentional Leadership which described the mission of the Church, how we can live this mission (values) and that together these underpin the actions and decisions made every day in our parishes. It was noted that the mission of the Church is so much greater than Mass attendance on weekends.
After a shared morning tea, the attendees then had an opportunity to discuss our existing ministries and new ways of reaching out to the community in which we live. Sr Kym Harris facilitated the discussion and provided a wonderful tool which helped participants to listen to others and reflect before speaking. There were great suggestions for new ways of approaching our existing ministries and new ideas for how we can reach out more effectively to the wider community and be seen as a positive contributor. One of the key messages from the day was to focus on doing the little things well rather than implement big changes hoping for a solution. There were also suggestions for improving our resources, such as paid pastoral staff and appropriate facilities for pastoral activities.
Bishop Michael attended at the end of the session to hear feedback from the day and encourage the community in this journey.
The Parish Summit is a steppingstone for the development of a Strategic Pastoral Plan for the North Rockhampton Catholic Community. The Strategic Plan will articulate the mission, vision, values, and action plan for our parishes, and it will be used for decision-making moving forward.
The organisers of the Parish Summit wish to thank Teresa McGrath and Evangelisation Brisbane, Sr Kym Harris, Anne Burbidge, Di-Anne Rowan, Catherine Simmonds, Laura Otto, Emmaus College, Trish Jones and Nadia Fregonese, and the many volunteers who helped with the preparation and on the day.
