Prayer for the Pastoral Plan

Bless us, O Lord, with perseverance. The seeds we are sowing grow slowly; teach us to be patient and to trust.Almighty God, through our baptism you have called each one of us to yourself. We journey with you to be a renewed church. We ask that you empower us to love as you loved and to serve as you served.

We pray for all who work in the diocese, that Your Spirit may seize their hearts and enable them to be true in their ministry.

We pray that we treat all people as being created in the image and likeness of God, regardless of gender, race or ethnic origin.

Awaken within us your spirit so that we may praise and honour you, as our Father and Creator, and enter into a deep and meaningful relationship with you, our God. We thank you for the purpose of the church which binds us all in holy fellowship.

We pray that our priests continue to serve and minister to the needs of your people and that they in turn are nurtured and cared for. May each one of us respond to your calling, and serve you in our daily lives.

Give each one of us, your children, the wisdom to know and the power to fulfil your will. Amen.

Child Protection

Diocesan Child Protection Policy Statement

The Archdiocese of Armagh recognises and upholds the dignity and rights of all children and is committed to ensuring their safety and well being. The Archdiocese values and encourages the participation of children and young people in all parish liturgies and in all activities that enhance their spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual and social development.

Above all the Archdiocese recognises the need to protect childrenand young people and aims to do this in a way that promotes their human dignity, integrity and worth as children of God.

The Archdiocese of Armagh recognises that while child protection is everyone’s responsibility, all involved in working with young people have a special duty of care towards them. The Archdiocese has committed itself to engaging in a process towards putting procedures in place through which this care is put into effect.

General Principles

The Archdiocese of Armagh:

· Values and encourages the active participation of children and young people in the life of the Church in ways that enhance their physical, emotional and spiritual growth within the safe, secure and welcoming environment of their Faith community. Each person should feel valued, encouraged and affirmed.

· Recognises and upholds the fundamental right of the individual child and young person to be respected, nurtured, cared for and protected. The rights are embedded both in our Gospel values and civil legislation.

· Acknowledges and reaffirms its commitment to the care and protection of children and young people as ‘children of God’, with intrinsic dignity and worth.

· Believes that Child Protection is everyone’s responsibility,but accepts that all those working with children and young people in Church ministries have a special duty of care towards them.

· Is committed to ‘best practice’ in the area of Child Protection, including:

v The Development of effective structures for safeguarding children and young people.
v Responding to suspicions or allegations of child abuse, which includes cooperating with the relevant civil authorities.
v Providing pastoral support and training for all Church personnel.

· Is engaging in a process of working towards a set of policies and procedures for those who have responsibility for the protection of children and young people in the life of the Church.

· Is willing to listen to children and young people and involve them, where appropriate in decision-making.

· Promotes an ethos and approach which at all times gives paramount consideration to the welfare of the child and young person.

· Undertakes to inform parents/guardians/primary carers of our Child protection Policy.

· In the event of a concern about the welfare of a child or young person we will:

v Respond to the needs of the child.
v Inform the primary carers unless the action puts the child at further risk.
v If there are child protection concerns the Archdiocese is obliged to pass these on to the designated person and / or duty social worker.
v In the event of a complaint against a member of staff we will immediately ensure the safety of the child and inform the parent/guardians/primary carers as appropriate.

Diocesan Child Protection Basic Procedures

In order to support the Diocesan Policy it is necessary that the following procedures are implemented:
A clearly defined process for the recruitment and supervision of adults working with children and young people, which will include:
· Volunteer/employment application forms, to include Access NI/Garda Vetting Forms.
· Declaration forms for all adult leaders.
· Induction and training records.
· Attendance records.
· Applicants will provide proof of identification i.e. photo ID.

A duty roster of adults to ensure adequate supervision of children and young people at all times.

Appropriate supervision ratios of adults to children and young people, while maintaining the practice that no child or young person is left alone with an adult.

In our duty of care and protection for children and young people best practice will include the following procedures and record keeping.

v Record of activities and participants.
v A clearly communicated Accident and Emergency Plan
v Medical information and treatment permission as appropriate of all children and young people.
v Signed parental/guardian consent for each child and young person.
v Participant forms.
v Incident/Accident report forms.
v Attendance records.
v Contact information for parents/guardians.
v Named group leader/designated person who can be contacted in relation to any query about good practice procedures.

v A code of conduct for all adults, children and young people.
v For away trips and pilgrimages, the above procedures must be followed, and in addition, a pre-check on accommodation and transport arrangements must be made.

There will be a procedure in place to review policy on an annual basis.

World Youth Day 2008

Sixty-eight young people will be traveling to World Youth Day this summer with the Archdiocese of Armagh.

World Youth Day was initiated by Pope John Paul II. It has been held every year since 1986 when the first event was held in Rome. While it is usually held on Palm Sunday the Holy Father calls an international gathering once every three years. This year sees the 10th international World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia from the 15th-20th July.

World Youth Day is the Catholic Church’s week of events. It gathers thousands of young people from around the world to celebrate and learn about the Catholic faith and to build bridges of friendship and hope between continents, peoples and cultures. During this week the group will take part in a week of events with young Catholics from throughout the world. Our own Cardinal Sean Brady plans to join us for this week.

The programme of events for this week include:

Tuesday – Opening Mass for 300,000 young people, celebrated by Sydney Archbishop Cardinal George Pell
Wednesday to Friday – Catechesis (teaching) sessions every morning and Youth Festival events afternoon / evening
Thursday – Arrival and welcome of Pope Benedict XVI
Friday evening – Stations of the Cross
Saturday – Pilgrimage walk to Sydney Racecourse where there will be an evening Vigil with the Holy Father and half a million other young people from around the world. We will sleep out “under the stars” on the Saturday night awaiting the Pope’s return for closing Mass on Sunday.

Before this week of events (that is from the 8th-12th July) a parish in Nelson, New Zealand will host the 68 pilgrims from the Archdiocese for the Days in the Diocese. Nelson parish have a priest who is originally from the Archdiocese so we are truly forging a link between the Archdiocese of Armagh and the Diocese of Wellington. This time is an excellent opportunity for the young people of the Archdiocese:

to join local young people from Wellington in prayer and celebration,
to experience Australia beyond Sydney,
to help renew the Church in the places they visit,
as well as to receive local hospitality.

It is an opportunity for a cultural exchange in the context of faith.

Activities of the days, organised by the dioceses, often include:

Encounters with the local Church community
Cultural activities and visits to local sites of interest
Prayer and visits to shrines
Social service projects

This is a great opportunity for us to celebrate being young Catholics in today’s world. The Archdiocese have been taking young people to international World Youth Day’s since 1998 and the feedback from those who have been involved proves the benefit of being involved in such an event. The leaders from previous pilgrimages have been amazed at the impact this experience has had on the young people attending. Feedback from those young people who attended in 2005 includes:

“I met so many new friends and learned about different cultures from around the world”

“I didn’t expect to get so much from the Pope’s Mass, it was amazing!”

“I didn’t realise there were so many young people involved in the Church. I now realise I am a vital part of the catholic and Irish community”

“The atmosphere was amazing, you couldn’t describe it”

“I get so much more from my faith now – my World Youth Day experience has deepened it”

St. Oliver Plunkett

The annual Pilgrimage to the Shrine of St Oliver Plunkett in Drogheda takes place on the first Sunday of July. It begins with a procession with the Relic from the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda at 3pm to the Shrine in St Peter`s Church (the Memorial Church of St Oliver) for Mass at 4 o`clock. Contact [email protected].

Lough Derg

Full details can be found directly on the Lough Derg website, www.loughderg.org

PILGRIMAGE AND RETREATS

Come as you are, friend or stranger, young or old, searching or at peace, in joy or in sadness; come to the sanctuary of St Patrick, a shrine of prayer and deep awakening to the presence of God.

Stories about Lough Derg and the legendary pilgrimage have spanned the centuries and as far back as records go, have been associated with St Patrick. To come on pilgrimage to Lough Derg, for one day or three days, one walks in the spiritual footsteps of St Patrick. Today, pilgrims young and old walk side by side in this place apart – a meeting place where God’s healing grace is experienced in an intensity seldom encountered elsewhere, through the spiritual programmes, the companionship of fellow pilgrims and the sheer holiness of the Island.

For over a thousand years pilgrims are coming to Lough Derg. Taking time away from everyday life offers the space to look at the past with understanding, make sense of the present and look to the shores of new possibilities.

Lough Derg is a place of welcome where no one is judged and everyone is equal. It is a holy place of deep pastoral care for all those who make the journey – just as they are.

Every season (May, June, July, August, September) there are a number of retreat opportunities – ‘day away’ retreat options as well as the traditional Three Day Pilgrimage, details below.

Lough Derg will reopen for the 2016 Season as follows; One Day Retreats will commence on May 1st and continue on 2, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, 17, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29. The Three Day Pilgrimage commences on Wednesday 1st June 2016

THREE DAY PILGRIMAGE

The Three Day Pilgrimage follows the tradition of St Patrick.

It is a challenging journey through which to share the company of the Lord. A deeply powerful experience that requires endurance and an openness to enter into the spirit of the pilgrimage.

A practical guide to your pilgrimage

Coming on the three Day Pilgrimage the pilgrim agrees to undertake the pilgrimage programme of prayer and quiet reflection in bare feet, keeping Vigil and maintaining the Fast. Pilgrims must be able to walk and kneel unaided and free from any illness aggravated by fasting.

Please note it is not necessary to book in advance. You may simply arrive any day of the week (between 11.00am & 3.00pm) to commence pilgrimage. Admission is €70/£60. Student Discount 15%, concessions for Seniors & Groups.

Pilgrims usually arrive around mid-day on the first day and stay on the Island until the morning of the third day. Fasting begins at 12 midnight prior to arrival on the Island. The period of fasting (one simple Lough Derg meal each day) lasts until 12 midnight on the third day. The 24hr Vigil, where pilgrims journey together in watchful prayer, begins at 10.00pm on the first day of the pilgrimage and ends at 10.00pm on the second day. Liturgies and sacraments celebrated during the pilgrimage include Eucharist, Reconciliation and Way of the Cross as well as other communal times of prayer. Nine Station Prayers are completed over the three days. The first, second and third stations are made on the penitential Beds on Day One. Pilgrims make the fourth to seventh Stations together in St Patrick’s Basilica during the night Vigil. The eight Station is completed during the second day and the ninth Station before departure on the third day.

It is at the discretion of each individual pilgrim to use the sacred space and time on the second day to enter into a quiet reflective state. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, scripture reading resources, the labyrinth and the contemplative spaces offered in Davog House are available to aid the pilgrim.

ONE DAY RETREATS

The One Day Retreat offers a shorter retreat experience where shoes remain on and lunch is served.

One Day Retreats are held on the following days in May, late August and September.

May 1st 2016 and continue on 2, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, 17, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29

Booking essential. Island Admission €40, concessions for Groups.

On arrival, there are light refreshments and an opportunity to meet with others. A set programme is offered which invites you to join in time-honoured prayer as well as allowing personal time for reflection.

The programme includes the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Celebration of Eucharist. The day commences at 10.20am and concludes at approximately 4.30pm.

THEMED RETREAT DAYS

Experience the nurturing peace of Lough Derg. In the tranquil setting, tailored Retreat Days may offer encouragement, guidance, healing, hope, comfort and much more. To find out more about the individual themed retreat days; Family Day, Seniors Afternoon, Quiet Days, School Retreats and more go to http://booking.loughderg.org/

Individuals/groups may participate in self-directed retreats. Such retreats are at the discretion of the Prior and are only available outside the traditional Three Day Pilgrimage season. (end May until 15^th August).

For more information on Lough Derg visit the website www.loughderg.org or email: [email protected] or phone 00353 (0) 71 9861518.

Cardinal’s visit to the Holy Land – April 2008

His Eminence visited the Holy Land last week (28th April – 2nd May), along with Rev Roy Cooper, President of the Methodist Church, Dr John Finlay, Presbyterian Moderator and Archbishop Alan Harper, Church of Ireland Primate, to express a desire for peace in the area and offer Christian hope in a situation where continuing hostilities are causing increased hardship for ordinary people. The leaders’ visit focused mainly on Bethlehem and Jerusalem where they met local church leaders and representatives from the Palestinian Authority and Israeli Government and as well as seeing at first hand the relief and development work that is being undertaken by partners of Christian Aid and Trócaire.

The leaders will also took part in a joint service with local Christians at the Shepherds’ Field near Bethlehem on the theme of ‘keeping watch; a service of hope for peace’ and visit the Holocaust Memorial at Yad Vashem.

Cardinal Brady, who visited the area last January, and who accompanied the Latin Patriarch on a pastoral visit to Gaza on Wednesday 30 April morning, recently described the situation as one of terrible tension and trouble. “The situation in the Holy Land and the continuing hostilities are causing great hardship to both Palestinian and Israeli, and to Jew, Muslim and Christian in both jurisdictions. There is a sense of absolute desperation and that hope is running out. It is in this kind of situation that voices of moderation need to be heard; that actions of kindness and solidarity need to be undertaken; that all the people of faith in God need to join together and work together for peace.”

Unfortunately, the visit wasn’t without incident. The delegation was barred from visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem on May 1 because some of the clerics were wearing pectoral crosses. The group made an unscheduled visit to the Western Wall, when a Jewish worshipper confronted them, objecting to their crosses. A security guard agreed that the group could not approach the wall– the remaining section of the old Temple– unless they agreed to remove their crosses. The clerics refused to do so.

Cardinal Brady later sought to downplay the incident, suggesting that further negotiation might have resolved the problem and allowed the Christian leaders to pray at the site. But a tight schedule made it difficult for the delegation to continue talks with security officials at the site. “We were under constraints of time,” the cardinal told the Irish RTE television network; “and we decided to move on.”

Cardinal Brady reported that the delegation had received an apology from a senior Israeli government official, social minister Isaac Herzog, and said the group considered the matter closed. The Israeli government had not been informed in advance about the clerics’ plan to visit the Western Wall.

Parish Reorganisation: the way ahead – April 2008

Four briefing sessions, led by Cardinal Brady and Bishop Clifford have been held in April 2008 with regard to the way ahead for parish reorganisation in the diocese. Two were for priests and two were for members of parish pastoral councils and others who had participated in the initial consultation process held between May and October 2007. The main elements of the plan were outlined by Fr Andrew McNally of the Office of Pastoral Renewal and Family Ministry. The need to work toward the clustering of parishes, the rationalisation of pastoral resources and the development of new parish structures and ministries was identified in a diocesan consultation process held in Lent 2005, leading to the development of the diocesan pastoral plan. As a part of its brief, the working team responsible for the development of parish pastoral councils, parish and diocesan surveys, attending to diocesan and parish structures, leadership and training, slowly and steadily responded to this need. The working team has done so with the support of the bishops and in consultation with priests and parish pastoral councils.

The plan proposes that the process of clustering the parishes in the diocese will happen between September 2008 and June 2009. By the end of June a map of the diocese will be published indicating which parishes are in which clusters. Clustering refers to the bringing together of two or more parishes for the purpose of sharing resources. Each parish will remain a separate entity with its own identity. This is to support priests and empower lay people in carrying on the mission of Christ in the locality and the world.

The plan proposes that rationalisation will happen between September 2009 and June 2010. It will be work done in clusters by people from each parish in the cluster, supported by the coordinators and finally approved by the Cardinal.

Rationalisation creates the opportunity to assess the needs of each parish in each cluster and the needs of the diocese. It enables decisions to be made with regard to such matters as:

the number of priests to serve in each parish
the resources to be allocated to the employment of lay leaders
the churches to be used less often
the number of Masses to be celebrated at the weekend and on weekdays
the personnel needed to work at diocesan level

so that the diocese can carry on the mission of Christ.

By the end of June 2010 decisions will be published with regard to such matters such as how many priests will serve in each parish, what resources are to be allocated to the employment of lay leaders, what churches can be used less often, how many Masses are to be celebrated at the weekend and on weekdays.

The development of new parish structures and ministries will begin in earnest in September 2010 and continuing beyond June 2011. Each cluster will begin to form its new cluster pastoral council or leadership group (which will work along with and not in place of parish pastoral councils). The new ministries will be determined within each cluster as needs arise. New parish structures and ministries refers to the need to identify and provide for the development of new structures (for example, parish pastoral councils) and new ministries (for example, parish youth ministry and parish finance administrators) as the need emerges in the parishes, clusters and the diocese.

A number of supporting elements need to be addressed and implemented in order to ensure that clustering, rationalisation and the development of new parish structures and ministries are effective in serving the mission of Christ and the Church. These include:

sustaining a fruitful prayer process
establishing and maintaining pastoral councils in every parish in the diocese,
developing a diocesan aim,
initiating people into and training them for collaborative ministry based on a participative model of Church,
ensuring that there is structured support for lay and ordained ministry
assessing and supplying the necessary resources for parish reorganisation.

The parish reorganisation process will be launched with a communication from the Cardinal that will be brought to the attention of all parishes on the weekend of 13/14 September 2008.

Clustering, Rationalisation, New Parish Structures And Ministries: Moving Toward Parish Reorganisation In The Archdiocese Of Armagh 2008 – 2011: Outline Of The Way Ahead

The Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich Memorial Library and Archive Education and Outreach Programme

In October 2006 the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Library began an ambitious programme of outreach supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The purpose of the programme is two-fold. First of all the Library wishes to increase the number of people who visit and make use of its collections. These are divided into five key areas of interest reflecting the late Cardinal’s own work. These are church history, Irish history, local history, the Irish language and Irish sport, particularly Gaelic games.
The second part of the programme involves bring the collections of the library and archive to new audience outside of the building itself. This aims to work with both primary and post primary schools in Armagh and surrounding counties, and with adult groups within the wider community. It is hoped that this process of engagement will not only help to highlight what the library holds by way of books, manuscripts and artefacts but will also encourage those who perhaps do not use the library, for whatever reason, to feel more comfortable coming to visit.
In order to deliver the programme two central themes have been adopted and these have formed the basis for the programme’s activities since October 2006 and will continue to do so until the initiative ends in the autumn of 2009.

Gaelic games pilot exhibition.
Work on this began in the first month of the project and the pilot exhibition was opened in a phased manner from October 2006 to June 2007. The exhibition received widespread attention and attracted an extra 1146 visitors to the library since it was launched. There has been a very positive response from those who have seen the exhibition and sound connections have been established at community and club level that will prove to be of huge benefit when the Gaelic games aspect of the outreach project begins properly this year.
Some work had been already undertaken and a number of experts had been identified to contribute to this process. This was then given shape by the Education and Interpretative Officer (EIO), and each of six phases was scheduled to run in an overlapping calendar between October 2006 and the summer of 2007. The key objective of the pilot was to give an immediate boost to the library’s footfall and also to generate interest and awareness locally in the Gaelic games dimension of the COFLA collection.
The pilot exhibition drew upon the wealth of material available within the Library and Archive dealing with the origins, background and progress of Gaelic game in the county. There is also a huge body of ephemera including tickets, programmes and publicity materials which alongside photographs and minute books could be displayed in support of the narrative. To this the Library and Archive were able to add a substantial number of borrowed items, particularly, trophies, medals and jerseys belonging to many of the key individuals connected with the games over the last century.
The EIO used the material gathered by each of the contributors and edited this into a manageable presentation. This was then presented in a series of story boards that were displayed in the purpose designed exhibition arena and on mobile display panels within the body of the library.
The panels were assembled in a manner that allowed the maximum coverage for clubs, and individuals concerned. The results of competitions were summarised and the key events were highlighted. The boards themselves were produced in a simple fashion by employing scans of photographs alongside a selection of narrative and summary pieces of text. The scanning process also enabled the Archive to create an electronic copy of the collection now preserved on computer disc.
The various phases of the exhibition were broken down chronologically but within this freedom was given to enable the highlights of each period to be covered in greater depth. As well as allowing different sports to gain a significant presence within the display the ancillary topics of club ad administrative development were also covered. The wealth of material, particularly relating to clubs and schools also made it inevitable that not only the inter-county story but the local story be represented.
Over the course of the exhibition it became evident that the display of material was attracting an audience previously unfamiliar with COFLA and its collections. To assist with the demand coming from this quarter it was decided to allow, where possible, as much of the earlier material to remain on display as each new phase opened. By the end of phase four approximately half of the entire exhibit was on display at any given time. This challenged the Library to make use of aspects of the library that were under used. The purchase of computer equipment further enabled the EIO to generate a series of Powerpoint presentations, one for each phase, and to make use of some audio visual material in the collection as part of the display.
Another spin off from the pilot was that the whole initiative acted as a catalyst for increasing the extent of the collection. A good deal of new material was donated to the library as a result. These included previously unknown photographs, minute books and in particular a substantial collection of match programmes, many dating back as far as the 1960s.
The pilot exhibition was an unqualified success insofar as almost 1200 people signed the visitor’s book as a direct result. A great deal of new contacts were forged and the opportunity to address the Co. Armagh G.A.A.’s annual general meeting to seek support for the library’s fundraising trust was also generated.

The Flight of the Earls.

This has been the key focus of the Library’s outreach programme during 2007 and into 2008 To date the EIO has conducted more than 30 primary school visits working with just over 1000 pupils. The post primary phase of the outreach project began in the autumn term of 2007 and so far almost 40 workshops have been held in post primary schools. These have engaged just under 1000 pupils.
A target of 25 events for adult heritage and education groups has been met in part, with 22 events so far having been delivered. These have engaged our initial projected target of 500 people and more in this aspect of the programme. Further events are also planned with groups having arranged dates for the Flight of the Earls presentation right through until September 2008.
The first annual conference adopting the theme of the Flight took place on Friday and Saturday 16-17 November. The Library worked closely with the other libraries in the city as well as Cumman Seanchais Ard Mhahca to deliver this and the attendance on both days proved more than satisfactory. The Friday evening was attended by 62 delegates whilst the Saturday programme was enjoyed by 108. Participants were drawn from Belfast, Co.s Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down and Tyrone as well as Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, Meath, Galway, Mayo and Dublin in the Republic.
An Exhibition drawing upon the library’s holdings on the Flight has been mounted although no official launch has been held. An accompanying publication which reproduces the text and many of the images of the exhibition has also been produced to alongside this.

Community Outreach

On 20 February 2007 the library hosted a special screening and introductory talk by the BBC’s Dr. Antaine Ó Donnaile. Antaine had spent the previous two years working on a 3 part bilingual documentary on the Flight of the Earls and was asked to preface a screening of the concluding part of the series with a discussion on the research and making of the programmes. As he had carried out the field work, research and production on the series as well as having presented them he was in a unique position to give the audience an insight into how this major event from 400 years ago had been brought to the small screen.
This was followed by another event which marked the culmination of the Gaelic games pilot exhibition. This brought together some of the key figure in the Gaelic games world including media and sporting personalities for an evening events at which the public were invited to hear both historical and first hand accounts of the Gaelic sporting tradition in Armagh. The former President of the Gaelic Athletic Association was invited as were players and officials from past and present. The evening marked the final phase of the pilot which has to date attracted more than one thousand visitors to COFLA.
On Saturday 1 September 2007 the library organised a bus tour retracing the journey made by Hugh O’Neill in September 1607 between Armagh and Rathmullan. A commentary was provided by the Education Officer and a hand out produced using some of the material from the COFLA collections.
Community Engagement
A powerpoint presentation was created along similar lines to that for use in schools, however, greater concentration was put on explaining and interpreting the historical background and impact of the events surrounding the Flight of the Earls. The EIO was able to draw upon substantial experience of working with the community and voluntary sector in arriving at final version of the presentation and also in identifying target audiences. Six separate community and local history groups who had previously had no contact with COFLA were engaged and the presentation was delivered over a period of approximately one hour. This was followed by an extended discussion forum in most cases. All of these presentations have been delivered away from the library environment. In addition two public lecture events have been held within COFLA and have attracted a mixture of new and established users.

Gaelic games in Ulster

Over the course of the next year the library will be turning its attention towards the 125th anniversary of the establishment of the GAA. In so doing the education and outreach programme will again mount an exhibition, this time covering a much wider geographical area to embrace not just the arch-diocese of Armagh and the counties therein but all of the province of Ulster and also County Louth.

The proposed programme will include a series of events with schools and with community groups. There will be a programme of events and lectures published by the summer of 2008 and this will include a conference looking at the history of Gaelic games in the spring of 2009. The programme will begin in May with a look at Gaelic games through the lens of the Pathé newsreel.

Feedback on parish reorganisation initial consultation – November 2007

Between the months of June and October 2007 an initial consultation on clustering, ratioalisation, new parish structures and ministries was held among the pastoral councils, pastoral groups and priests of the diocese. The feedback from this initial consultation has now been compiled and is available for download, either in full or in summary form. You can also ask for a copy from any of the parish priests in the diocese.

Concluding his report, the author, Shane Halpin said:

Having read all recorded submissions from the diocese, I believe that there is now a greater understanding of the challenge facing the diocese in the years ahead. It is generally believed by those consulted that the process, if we are honest with each other, has been undertaken primarily because the number of vocations entering the priesthood has dropped. It is also the general consensus that this proposed strategy outlined in the consultation document, although not explicit, has for the most part already been decided. There is also a realisation that the ‘how’ and the mechanisms to enable this process are not in place yet and people are interested to know what is waiting for them.

Finally, there were many respondents from all sections of society embracing fully the concept of a more involved laity and recognition that all are called to the ‘royal priesthood.’ There were many too, in favour of any strategy that had the agreement of the people and most were thankful for the opportunity to be consulted and encouraged by the future challenges that can be faced together.

Parish Re-organisation in the Archdiocese of Armagh: Initial Consultation Report

Parish Re-organisation in the Archdiocese of Armagh: Initial Consultation Report Summary

Pastoral letter on Parish Reorganisation – May 2007

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today is the Feast of the Ascension and it is also World Communications Day. It seems appropriate that in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear the risen Lord sending his disciples to communicate the good news not just in their own city or in their own country but throughout the world. He says:

You will be my witnesses, not only in Jerusalem, but throughout Judea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth.

This is the mission of the Church in every generation – to communicate to all people, Christ’s forgiving love for all people, and that in him we are drawn into a relationship with the Father. This is the mission of our diocese. It is the mission of every parish in the diocese and it is the mission of each baptised person present here today.

While the message we communicate remains the same, as times change and circumstances change, the ways in which we communicate that message differ. Our plans, priorities and structures need therefore to meet the challenge of adapting in order to communicate Christ’s message effectively. That is why in Lent 2005, I invited you to a consultation gathering in your area to identify some priorities in that regard. From those gatherings, a diocesan pastoral plan has been formed, with nine working groups focusing on the areas of:

faith formation
prayer and spirituality
meaningful liturgy
youth ministry
family ministry
the role of women in the church
outreach and ecumenism
care of priests
parish and diocesan structures

It is this last of these areas, the area of parish and diocesan structures, that I particularly want to address at this time.

Another urgent reason for considering clustering, rationalisation, new parish structures and ministries is that that the diocesan clergy as a body are declining in numbers and rising in age profile. We are fortunate in this diocese to have the generous assistance of many clergy of religious orders in parish and diocesan ministry. However with regard to diocesan priests of the Archdiocese of Armagh, of which there are 138, the simple statistics are these:

30 are 75 and over (many still in active ministry)
44 are aged 60-74
46 are aged 40-59
18 are under 40 years of age

It is therefore possible that, even though there has been a slight upward trend in vocations to the priesthood in the last couple of years, fifteen years from now there may well be less than seventy-five priests in the diocese under the age of seventy, with only twenty-five of them being under sixty in a diocese that presently has sixty-one parishes. It is imperative that parish reorganisation, i.e. clustering, rationalisation, new parish structures and ministries be addressed in order to take into account the reality of the decline in the number of priests.

How is this to be progressed? The team responsible for looking at parish and diocesan structures has put together a consultation document entitled ‘Moving toward Parish Reorganisation in the Archdiocese of Armagh 2007-2010: Clustering, Rationalisation, New Parish Structures and Ministries.’ This document outlines the practical steps that will be necessary and explores important questions which include:

What do we mean by clustering, rationalisation, new parish structures and ministries?
Are we convinced of the need to do it?
Are we committed to it?
Have we the capacity to do it?

A proposed process and timeline for taking on this work has been outlined. I consider it a priority that the working team has identified the need to consult with you, the people of the parishes, about these matters as part of the process. It is therefore envisaged that a consultation exercise be held in each parish between January 2008 and Easter 2009. I invite you to participate in that consultation in your parish when it occurs.

The working team responsible for looking at parish and diocesan structures, in its first year, devoted much of its time and energy to the formation of parish pastoral councils. This is because in the consultation process of Lent 2005 you identified the need for a parish pastoral council to be formed in every parish in the diocese. I wholeheartedly support this aspiration. In response to it, the working team has created a successful process for the formation of pastoral councils. I am delighted that this process has been working effectively in many parishes in the diocese, led by the Office of Pastoral Renewal and Family Ministry. I pray God’s blessings on all parish pastoral council members and thank them for their generosity and commitment. I wish, also, to express my ongoing hope that in the near future, every parish in the diocese will have a reflective, considerate and active parish pastoral council in place.

Much of the work in parishes with regard to parish pastoral councils is now being carried out by the Office of Pastoral Renewal and Family Ministry. This means that the team responsible for parish and diocesan structures has been able to turn its attention to another area of concern that was also highlighted by you in the Lent 2005 consultation process. This area of concern is the need for clustering, rationalisation and the formation of new parish structures and ministries. We have, as a diocese, been exploring for some time what is involved in this. The way forward has not yet fully emerged.

There are many reasons for addressing the need to consider clustering, rationalisation and new parish structures and ministries at this time, but for now I present to you two of the most compelling.

One of the developments we have witnessed, arising out of the Second Vatican Council, has been the expanding theology of the involvement of lay people in the service of the Church. The shift in our understanding of ministry as based on baptism is gaining wider understanding and acceptance. The result is that greater development in the area of lay ministry is beginning to take root. There is a growing awareness that the Church is a living, Spirit-filled body with many parts, all of which need to work together to build up the Body of Christ. With a new emphasis on collaboration the time is right, therefore, to engage lay people increasingly in pastoral and administrative leadership and ministries in parish communities. This is already happening at diocesan level with the appointment of lay people to significant full-time posts in the diocese. Debra Snoddy is the co-ordinator of pastoral renewal and family ministry. Kate Acton is the diocesan youth director. Helen Forde is co-ordinator for the diocesan pastoral plan and John McVey is the diocesan finance administrator.

However, before we begin to consider the idea of parish reorganisation, which will include a period of consultation in each parish, I want to be sure that the steps taken are the right ones and that the timing of these steps is also correct. For this reason I am inviting the priests and each of the parish pastoral councils of the diocese to share their responses to the proposals contained in the consultation document, so that the way forward can be shaped in the light of their insights. In parishes where a parish pastoral council is not yet in place, the parish priest will be asked to bring together a group of twelve parishioners involved in parish ministry to share their responses to the document. These parish meetings, facilitated by two leaders from outside the parish, will be held in September. I will also invite the diocesan pastoral council and the religious in the diocese to share their reactions.

Throughout the month of September, the consultation document ‘Moving toward Parish Reorganisation in the Archdiocese of Armagh 2007-2010: Clustering, Rationalisation, New Parish Structures and Ministries’ will be available in a number of ways:

by request from your parish
online at www.parishandfamily.ie or
by sending an S.A.E to Ara Coeli, Armagh, BT61 7QY.

You are welcome to share your answers to the questions posed in the document in writing and send them to my office at Ara Coeli, Armagh. The details are printed in the document.

For clarity I wish to stress that this initial consultation with the priests and parish pastoral councils is to discern that the approach being taken with regard to parish reorganisation is appropriate. Decisions that may be taken later will also reflect consultation at parish level, in which you will have had an opportunity to participate.

Prayer for the success of this venture will be essential. I ask each and every one of you to include the success of this venture in your prayers so that in the times and circumstances of today and tomorrow, we will be able to continue to carry out our mission of communicating with all people Christ’s enduring love for them.

With every blessing and good wish,

+Sean Brady

Archbishop of Armagh

Moving toward Parish Reorganisation in the Archdiocese of Armagh 2007-2010: Clustering, Rationalisation, New Parish Structures and Ministries.

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