After careful reflection and prayer I have accepted the nomination to be on the Diocese Review Board/Committee.
Today I emailed Fr Billings to accept this place. Please keep me in your prayers and provide me with information so that I may make a true representation of Our Deanery views and thoughts about this process . Read my views and challenge them if you wish .
Best wishes Philip
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Fit 4 Mission. The Parish Evaluation
In my previous blog I provided a detailed response to Feedback on the Parish Evaluation Form.
This is a summary of the main position statements I made:
1. We need to rethink the issue of women's role in the Catholic Church by undertaking positive , prayerful and firm but respectful challenge to current Papal policy.
I am suggesting a phased review with changes over 10, 15 and 25-year stages to widen and include women in vocations as priests .
I suggest that we need to reflect on current thinking and explore the facts. This is not a 'fad' issue but an issue which is has its roots in history the history of the Christian Church.
2. We need to develop new models for engaging with young people.
3. We need a new model for vocations, which provides for wider engaging of younger men (and women) in ‘funded’ secondments for 3/7 years to Youth Deacon roles.
4. We need to promote the excellence of Catholic education but link this to attendance at Mass as a gateway to admission into schools.
5. We need to re assess the numbers and locations of church’s and downsize by creating new super parish centres.
6. We need to make provision for independent housing for Parish Priests linked to new support and chapel centres in the community.
7. We need to rethink giving and ensure best value from Parishioners contributions improving accountability and transparency in accounting.
8. We need to develop and implement ‘green’ policy and practice for assets and consumables.
9. We need to provide personal coaching for Parish Priests to assist them in undertaking the newer and demanding roles, equipping them with personal development plans that reflect the aspiration of the Diocese.
10. We need to harness technology to communicate our mission and make our role as Christians easier and more effective.
Look at the previous entries to the blog to see the background detail.
This is a summary of the main position statements I made:
1. We need to rethink the issue of women's role in the Catholic Church by undertaking positive , prayerful and firm but respectful challenge to current Papal policy.
I am suggesting a phased review with changes over 10, 15 and 25-year stages to widen and include women in vocations as priests .
I suggest that we need to reflect on current thinking and explore the facts. This is not a 'fad' issue but an issue which is has its roots in history the history of the Christian Church.
2. We need to develop new models for engaging with young people.
3. We need a new model for vocations, which provides for wider engaging of younger men (and women) in ‘funded’ secondments for 3/7 years to Youth Deacon roles.
4. We need to promote the excellence of Catholic education but link this to attendance at Mass as a gateway to admission into schools.
5. We need to re assess the numbers and locations of church’s and downsize by creating new super parish centres.
6. We need to make provision for independent housing for Parish Priests linked to new support and chapel centres in the community.
7. We need to rethink giving and ensure best value from Parishioners contributions improving accountability and transparency in accounting.
8. We need to develop and implement ‘green’ policy and practice for assets and consumables.
9. We need to provide personal coaching for Parish Priests to assist them in undertaking the newer and demanding roles, equipping them with personal development plans that reflect the aspiration of the Diocese.
10. We need to harness technology to communicate our mission and make our role as Christians easier and more effective.
Look at the previous entries to the blog to see the background detail.
Monday, March 19, 2007
My Personal Feedback on the Parish Evaluation Form
Background
Each Parish in the St Augustine Deanery (in Preston Lancashire) has been given a form to complete as part of the Diocese Review process. It is indended that individuals within each Parish complete this form - what follows is my personal response.
Each question is listed and the form follows the Mission document which can be found in the links on this page.
visit the Parish web site
The original form given to each Parish (in the 'Mission Pack') was very long and contained many questions some which required purely factual answers which can be completed fairly easily. However some of the questions were very complex and needed careful thought . This form is a simpler version in plain English , it reflects the main themes and questions.
The Deanery came up with this more 'responsive form' after disucssion it enables a clearer personal response . Its still tough going though and took me over two hours to complete this !
Section A Sacraments – A people gathered around the Lord
It is through the Sacraments that we share in the life of Christ. Every baptised Christian is called to play a part in administering the Sacraments.
Fostering Leadership - this asked what part do I play ?
1. How do you take part in administering the Sacraments [e.g. as a reader, minister, taking Communion to the sick, leading prayer and reflection, instructing children, etc.]?
Reply:
* Occasional Reader and leader of bidding prayers
*Presenter of the with Hearts and Minds programme
* Previous Chair of the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC)
* Member of the PPC
* Supporting the development of the New Avenham Centre (the former St Augustines Chuch ) providing time and input on a Probono basis .
2. How have you been encouraged to fill that role? How have you been helped to carry it out?
Reply:
*Yes basic instruction from fellow parishioners and Parish Priest
*Encouragement from our Parish Priest
* I have been Hijacked ! willingly on occasions
Fostering vocations
3. Is there encouragement to dedicate one’s whole life to that ministry?
Reply:
* Yes in our parish but I am not supportive of this.
A) I have views about the way forward for adult ministry which upholds a requires a re-think of the role of women
B) I think that the curent thinking is the not the correct way forward to address the issues of lack of Priests (see above and summary)
Authentic Liturgy
What are your thoughts about the ways we worship, here in this parish?
Reply:
1. Excellent. A real sense of partnership and an inclusive relationship between the Parish Priest and the Parishioners. Careful attention is paid to the liturgy in all aspects music, environment and to the small details.
2. The lack of 'normal' Church environment (we meet for Mass in the School ) is more than compensated by the strict observance of liturgical matters in the parish environment. a clear ownership by all members which is shared at all levels and which parishioners can contribute to shaping .
3. The strength in our Parish of inclusive leadership where all members can be called upon to contribute. Of course the issue is that not all do come forward.
Section B Mission – A people sent by the Lord to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal.
1a. in your opinion, what should the role of the parish be?
Reply:
• To me a prayerful community who gather together frequently during the week
• To be a caring community where we look after each other
• To be a engaging community which looks to sisters and brothers outside of the Christian faith and provides access to Christ’s Good News
• To promote, develop deepen and widen the role of Catholic Women in our Parish. On the basis of Canon 230 . 2, the Bishop permits that, women may also serve at the altar, , in the light of the above-mentioned norm. It shall also be made clear that the norm is already being widely applied (through out some parts of the diocese) , by the fact that women frequently serve as lectors in the Liturgy and are called upon to distribute Holy Communion as Ministers of the Eucharist and to carry out other functions, according to the provisions of the same Canon 230 . 3.
1b. in your opinion, what should the role of the parish be in the community?
Reply:
To offer a place where people who are non believers, lapsed or searching for a truth can find answers
• To maintain an open door policy
• To demystifying the Catholic (and Christian Faith)
• To offer spiritual support to those in distress
1c. in your opinion, what should the role of the parish be in the wider Church?
Reply:
• To lead by example to be an model
• To be prepared to find common ground for sharing ideas
• To reach out
1d. In your opinion, what should the role of the parish be in the world?
Reply:
• To provide the foundation for life on earth in ‘Gods Kingdom’
• To pray for fellow women and men
Mission with Families
1. Did the parish help you to prepare for your marriage ceremony? If so, how?
Reply: N/A
2. What parish-led social and leisure events have you taken part in with your family?
Reply:
• Social evening
• Retreats
• Parish fund raising events
Mission with Youth.
2. How do you think the parish reaches out, or could reach out, to young people who do not get involved in parish life?
Reply:
•By providing alternative mass utilising messages, music and art that will speak to young people in the place they are
•By asking, listening and acting on their feedback
•By ‘getting in tune with the language and influences in young peoples lives and offering similar ways in e.g. A X factor approach for talent development in the Parish using song, dance and dram a means for young people to express themselves
•By giving young people the opportunity to ask questions and challenge orthodox thinking
3. In your view, what roles do young people get involved with in this parish [e.g. liturgies, music, organising, helping out, etc.]?
Reply:
•Alter servers
•Music
New Evangelisation
1. In what ways do you think we could encourage people to come and worship with us?
Reply:
A common guide to what worship is setting out the four main parts o the mass explaining in simple words what they are and how to get involved
•By having open door sessions for the community
•By taking worship on to the streets and into the community (in the summer!)
•By offering taster mass sessions in the evening
•By making attendance compulsory to gain admission in to Catholic Secondary Schools with a minimum 45 out of a possible 56 attendances over 5 years prior to admission in reception.
• Attendance at weekly mass backed up with a swipe card or bar code system that records attendance at mass and has to be submitted as an electronic record of attendance .
2a. How did you become involved in this parish?
Reply:
•I was seeking God and my journey brought me to meet a Parishioner
•That Parishioner offered me hope and new faith in the Catholic Faith. I had been attending High Catholic Anglican Church and an Evangelical church.
•As a baptised (but not confirmed as a child) Catholic I knew my journey had ended and began.
2b. Do you feel the parish actively encourages people in the local community to celebrate their faith? How?
Reply:
* Yes
•By being accessible, by promoting Mass in the school and with young people
•By having a Parish Priest who is prepared to work hard in the evening in the community places, bars, clubs and onto the street challenging people and offering them the Good News
Mission with Schools
Reply:
4. How do you think the primary school and parish communities help one another? [Please give examples.]
•Parish should move worship into schools
•Schools should identify key points in the liturgical year when school and parish come together
•Making the link between attendance and admission explicit
5. How do you feel the parish community and the local high school play a part in each other’s lives?
Reply:
There are a few points of contact but they could far better. More structured .
Mission with Workers
Reply:
1. What are the main concerns of workers for people in the local community [e.g. unemployment, low wages, lack of opportunity]?
•Materialism Street credibility through material acquisitions
•Soap operas - yes!
•Family Illness and growing old
•Continuity of employment
•The challenge o f drugs gambolling and alcohol for individual and for parents with teenage children
Mission with the Poor
Reply:
2. How does the parish cater for the practical and spiritual needs of the poor?
Reply:
•Good baseline of responses which link in with others initiatives
Mission with Migrants
2. How do you think the parish engages with migrant groups [e.g. Eastern Europeans, etc.]?
Reply:
•Good welcoming
•Could develop mission here
Mission with Older People
2. How do you think the parish caters for the spiritual and physical needs of older people?
Reply:
• Good - it provides a baseline ‘filling station approach to provision of mass,
• Exposition of the blessed sacrament and daily and weekly prayer
• The Parish is accessible
• The parish house is a hub for support activities
3. In what ways do you think the parish engages with older people?
Reply:
•The mass
•The committee’s
•The groups
Mission to the Sick and Housebound
1. How do you think the parish meets the spiritual and physical needs of the sick and housebound?
Reply:
This is something I do not know much about but I get the impression it is well organised
2. Do you think the parish supports carers? If so, how?
Reply: N/a
Mission to our World
1. How do you feel that the parish reaches out to people in need?
Reply:
• Provisions for the needy
• Funds
• Welcome
4. How does the parish interact with other Christian traditions, World Faiths, and the Civic Community?
Reply:
• We do a good job at keeping in touch at a basic level
• We welcome Members. Clergy and Minister from other Churches
• We have contact with other Faiths
Resource Sharing
1. How do you think our parish can share resources with other parishes [e.g. ministries, liturgy, prayer, music, sacramental programmes, people involvement, organisation, etc.]?
Reply:
• Liturgy, - by providing models
• Prayer - by leading innovative prayer in different locations
• Music - by setting up ‘funded ‘ summer schools
• By loaning out our musicians to lead ‘seed groups in parish where music is weak
Parish priorities in response to the needs of your community
Please study carefully the suggested priorities given in the booklet “Fit for Mission?” [ bottom of page 16 to page 20] and choose one from Section A and one from Section B which you think should be our priorities, in the Parish of St. Augustine, for the next year. Please say why you have chosen each!
Section A Sacraments
Why have you chosen this?
"coming back to this section at a later date" .
Section B Mission
Reply:
My responses are going to be very practical (and challenging) and not as one would expect in this section
• Fact Cards on the Mass or children and adults on a pone page laminated sheet
• Registration - School link & Parish up for new parents who want Catholic Education for their children
• Downsizing the number of Catholic Secondary Schools to focus on excellence and build really strong and desirable locations for education.
• I suggest strongly examining some of the more successful models of Church Schools e.g. Canon Slade in Bolton
• Challenging the way we treat divorces and separated couples who were Catholic
• Ownership of the past a - " National day of apology " to all victims of abuse by Religious within the Catholic Community
• Youth Engaging (YC) by operating the YCE Factor (Young Christian Engaged ) promoting talent and valuing young people
• Downsizing Parish and centralisation to create ‘super Parish centres with satellite Chapels to service communities (but not making the Priests life together!)
Example combining (based on Preston) St George Haydock (Cottam) , Our Ladies and St Gregory’s into one 'super Parish ' Providing a centre for Mission over the North of Preston . A model could be to have four or five super Parish's for Preston bringing together 4/5 Churches into each hub closing three/four and retaining two.
• Providing new home ownership tenure for life (or till chiice to retire elsewhere) - in Parish Houses for Priests in community with Purpose adapted large semi or detached houses that include in-house chapels and centres under one roof, Funded by selling of Church Premises or new fund raising .
• Disposing or re-thinking use (see separate paper on this) of some old buildings to provide for above
• Promoting a national review of the potential for the ordination of women in the Catholic Church!!
“All the faithful, both clerical and lay, should be accorded a lawful freedom of inquiry, freedom of thought and freedom of expression.” Gaudium et Spes, no 62; Canon Law no 212 § 3.
• See these seven reasons (see also http://www.womenpriests.org/index.asp ).
1. One priesthood in Christ. Through baptism women and men share equally in the new priesthood of Christ._This includes openness to Holy Orders.
2. Empowered to preside At the Last Supper Jesus empowered both women and men. Both can be ordained to preside at the Eucharist.
3. Cultural bias The Church’s practice of not ordaining women as priests was based on a three-fold prejudice against women. This affected the judgment of Church leaders.
4. Women have been deacons - Until at least the ninth century the Church gave women the full sacramental ordination of deacons. This proves women can be ordained.
5. The ability for women to be ordained has been present in the Church’s latent Tradition. One example is the age-long devotion to Mary as Priest. It shows that, according to the ‘sense of the faithful’, in Mary the ban against women has already been overcome.
6. The wider Church accepts women priests After serious study and prayer other Christian Churches now ordain women as priests. Though not everything other Churches do can be accepted by the Catholic Church, this converging consensus by believing Christians confirms that ordaining women is according to the mind of Christ.
7. Women too are, in fact, called to be priests The fact that many responsible Catholic women discern in themselves a vocation to the priesthood is a sign of the Holy Spirit we may not ignore.
Philip A Bannister bookmark this web site
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Background Information
This site will host my personal feedback on the Lancaster Diocese Mission Review 2007
What is the Review ?
The review was launched at the beginning of Lent 2007 by +Patrick O’Donoghue, Bishop of Lancaster
The review of the Diocese covers two key areas
Mission – How best can we in the 21st century present and communicate the message of Christ today?
Review – What structures will be required to fulfil that Mission?
Bishop Patrick in his introductory letter stated :
"Here there can be no breakthrough without much sacrifice on our part and a fulsome openness to the Spirit: he quotes
“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.” (Ps 127)
Preserving structures/buildings (beautiful though many of them are) is one thing; preserving and passing on the faith is an altogether different matter."
+Patrick O’Donoghue, Bishop of Lancaster has invited all his 'flock' to comment on this reivew .
This blog site will include my own personal thoughts.
Follow this link for the papers and background to this review
at this page :
http://www.lancasterrcdiocese.org.uk/mission%20review/index.html
Here you will find :
* Fit for Mission? A guide
* Review Announced Feast of Christ the King 2006 Pastoral Letter
* Review Outlined Pastoral Letter Lent 2007
* Parish Evaluation Form the form our parsish will use to feedback its views
* Fit for Mission? A Guide. Documentation
Why should you get involved ?
If you are lapsed Catholic.
If you care about Catholic worship in Lancashire and Cumbria .
If you want to see change in the Catholic Church.
If you are a parent of a child in a Catholic School .
If you want your children to complete a Catholic Education.
How can you get involved ?
You can read the documents
You can contiburte via email (below) direct to the Bishop
But best of all
You can join in a Parish and make you voice heard there.
email your response to Mission.Review@LancasterRcDiocese.org.uk
COMING SOON
What will I be commenting on in my feedback and on this blog site ?
The role of the priest - change
The role of women - opportunity for change?
The roe of the church in divorced and new family and partner arrangements?
The role of schools - lapsed and non Catholic parents roles?
What future for our buildings - managing assets less churches how to manage access to a local place of worship .
What to do with empty Church buildings?
How we can share resources with other Christians?
Prayer - the importance of .
Forgiveness - dealing with the past.
Charity - your role in giving .
Working with other faiths - some thoughts on our roles as Christians .
Feedback about the Process of Fit for Mission
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.’
(Luke 4:18)
Introduction
The following is the personal feedback by Philip Bannister a parish member of St Augustine’s Preston. It is a response to the questions and statements set out in the Fit for Mission document as published by the Diocese of Lancaster and Cumbria.
The views reflected in this document are solely the writers and do not constitute any form of consensus from members of his Parish.
Opening statement
The initial comments I will make may appear initially very critical of how the process has been put together and of how Parishes are asked to respond to Fit for Mission. I am expressing some personal views on the content, flow and purpose of the review documents. Not withstanding all of this I will be responding fully on the range, depth and breadth of the issues and areas we are asked to address via this blog .
Being Positive
My response and view is to go with what we have been given and take control, ownership and utilise it at a Personal and Parish level. The Review has it own life and purpose but what the Fit for Mission document does is provide us each with a unique opportunity to take forward in a very personal way our own contribution to the life of our church.
Feedback on the process surrounding Fit for Mission
What follows is a very quick commentary with personal observation on the process.
I do not wish to dwell in criticism but to ‘flag up some issues’ and ask for these to be noted and commented on. Again I reiterate, “It is moving forward that should be our concern”.
Any process can be admired and its fans, champions but it is the outcomes that are most important to us all.
Main points
• The process of Fit for Mission appears very top down. What I mean are Bishop, Vicar generals and advisers? setting out what they want. And how they want it.
• The process lacks inspiration for Parishes to develop a way forward.
• It lacks opportunity for ownership by a parish and what is left with at the end? An evaluation and some basic commitments to action it lack substance and misses the opportunity for personal action planning which is clearly being asked for in the Fit for Mission document the challenge is to the individual and the collective together
• There is No escape route or soft cushion for parishes with little or few resources, significantly older congregations and declining numbers. The process has a has a potential to instill a sense of failure and despair.
• It is unclear in a similar way to previous reviews how the process will be used. The section on process retains control at the core level with the grass roots feeding up to the centre and then being allocated area plans.
• The document is 'Great on Content' and very clearly a work of careful reflection but weak on substance in relation to outcomes. Section four on page 25, which is the key to the strategic process, is very light on content and process.
• The process appears to fail to deliver a strategic statement on the use of reviews in planning for resources beyond simple statements. I personally believe it will be necessary for there to be referendum on key issues at later stages to obtain commitment and endorsement to key issues as they are put forward as recommendations.
This would include such issues as:
o Closing churches
o Moving Priests
o Formation of Mission Centre’s to Meet Deanery needs
o Financing the work of the Diocese, and the Parish
o Looking at new ways to deliver the sacraments
o Looking at the role of Women
o Evaluation of the Diocese response to Safeguarding Children and People at Risk
In conclusion
The Parish evaluation form that will be used to collate responses is a very different document to the Fit for Mission document.
It is hard to see links between the two documents the guide and the evaluation.
It is difficult to see the views of parish members about questions and challenges in Fit for Mission and how they are taken forward in the evaluation form that the Parish will complete.
I personally welcome the challenge that Fit for Mission will provide to each of us.
As a convert to the Catholic Church I appreciate my experiences of Christian faith are different.
I value each and every one of my fellow Catholic Parishioners views and believe but also recognise that collectively as members of the Catholic and wider Christian faith we have a duty to proclaim the Good News.
To do this we must prayer together and follow prayer with action.
I wll be posting more on this blog as the process unfolds but Ia slo encourage readers to make there comments known via this blog. I will moderate comments but not edit anything that is not offensive within gererally accepted terms.
Thank you for reading this .
Philip A Bannister
Member of the Parish of
St. Augustine of Canterbury,
The Parish House,
St. Austin’s Place,
PRESTON
PR1 3YJ
(Luke 4:18)
Introduction
The following is the personal feedback by Philip Bannister a parish member of St Augustine’s Preston. It is a response to the questions and statements set out in the Fit for Mission document as published by the Diocese of Lancaster and Cumbria.
The views reflected in this document are solely the writers and do not constitute any form of consensus from members of his Parish.
Opening statement
The initial comments I will make may appear initially very critical of how the process has been put together and of how Parishes are asked to respond to Fit for Mission. I am expressing some personal views on the content, flow and purpose of the review documents. Not withstanding all of this I will be responding fully on the range, depth and breadth of the issues and areas we are asked to address via this blog .
Being Positive
My response and view is to go with what we have been given and take control, ownership and utilise it at a Personal and Parish level. The Review has it own life and purpose but what the Fit for Mission document does is provide us each with a unique opportunity to take forward in a very personal way our own contribution to the life of our church.
Feedback on the process surrounding Fit for Mission
What follows is a very quick commentary with personal observation on the process.
I do not wish to dwell in criticism but to ‘flag up some issues’ and ask for these to be noted and commented on. Again I reiterate, “It is moving forward that should be our concern”.
Any process can be admired and its fans, champions but it is the outcomes that are most important to us all.
Main points
• The process of Fit for Mission appears very top down. What I mean are Bishop, Vicar generals and advisers? setting out what they want. And how they want it.
• The process lacks inspiration for Parishes to develop a way forward.
• It lacks opportunity for ownership by a parish and what is left with at the end? An evaluation and some basic commitments to action it lack substance and misses the opportunity for personal action planning which is clearly being asked for in the Fit for Mission document the challenge is to the individual and the collective together
• There is No escape route or soft cushion for parishes with little or few resources, significantly older congregations and declining numbers. The process has a has a potential to instill a sense of failure and despair.
• It is unclear in a similar way to previous reviews how the process will be used. The section on process retains control at the core level with the grass roots feeding up to the centre and then being allocated area plans.
• The document is 'Great on Content' and very clearly a work of careful reflection but weak on substance in relation to outcomes. Section four on page 25, which is the key to the strategic process, is very light on content and process.
• The process appears to fail to deliver a strategic statement on the use of reviews in planning for resources beyond simple statements. I personally believe it will be necessary for there to be referendum on key issues at later stages to obtain commitment and endorsement to key issues as they are put forward as recommendations.
This would include such issues as:
o Closing churches
o Moving Priests
o Formation of Mission Centre’s to Meet Deanery needs
o Financing the work of the Diocese, and the Parish
o Looking at new ways to deliver the sacraments
o Looking at the role of Women
o Evaluation of the Diocese response to Safeguarding Children and People at Risk
In conclusion
The Parish evaluation form that will be used to collate responses is a very different document to the Fit for Mission document.
It is hard to see links between the two documents the guide and the evaluation.
It is difficult to see the views of parish members about questions and challenges in Fit for Mission and how they are taken forward in the evaluation form that the Parish will complete.
I personally welcome the challenge that Fit for Mission will provide to each of us.
As a convert to the Catholic Church I appreciate my experiences of Christian faith are different.
I value each and every one of my fellow Catholic Parishioners views and believe but also recognise that collectively as members of the Catholic and wider Christian faith we have a duty to proclaim the Good News.
To do this we must prayer together and follow prayer with action.
I wll be posting more on this blog as the process unfolds but Ia slo encourage readers to make there comments known via this blog. I will moderate comments but not edit anything that is not offensive within gererally accepted terms.
Thank you for reading this .
Philip A Bannister
Member of the Parish of
St. Augustine of Canterbury,
The Parish House,
St. Austin’s Place,
PRESTON
PR1 3YJ
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