Dates for your Diary
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Dates for the Diary -NO MASS SATURDAY 27 JUNE- Sunday 28th June, Fr Brian Oswald MHM. Will preach on Missio. 9th – 12th July, A festival of Sacred Music at Dorchester www.stbirinusfestival.co.uk St Edmund Campion relic here: 12th – 14th July Saturday 11th July, 10.30am, Pilgrimage on foot, from St Edmund Campion to Stonor Sunday 12th July, 9.00am Mass with First Holy Communion for seven candidates at St. Edmund Campion Friday 17th July 7pm, an evening celebrating Goring born Sir John Soane, at the Catholic Church in Goring www.galileegoring.org.uk 01491 872181 Note parking limited at the church. Friday 17th July 7pm, An evening celebrating, Goring born, Sir John Soane, at the Catholic Church in Goring www.galileegoring.org.uk 01491 872181 Note, parking very limited at the church. 9th – 12th July, A festival of Sacred Music www.stbirinusfestival.co.uk Watlington Churches holiday club, 25th – 28th August. Children 4 -11 years. If any children would be interested please let Fr Andrew know. CHOIR PRACTICE continues on Wednesdays at 6pm, please join us, we need new members ------------------------------------ This is a series of 4 articles Canon Paul Fitzpatrick wrote for his parish newsletter introducing the Diocesan Plan 2030. Please reflect on what you read and pray for wisdom and guidance. I am happy to try and answer any questions you may have. Before any changes take place, there will be a period of consultation. Fr Andrew Diocesan Plan 2030 - Part 1: Recently, the archdiocese has communicated with its priests a reshaping of the Diocesan structures to advance the mission of our Churches. It seems to me that the priorities are three-fold:
The rationale is that instead of 4 or 5 Finance committees, Health and Safety committees, Parish Councils and all the other administrate roles, there would be one of each which would manage the whole parish, and all the Churches. Where parishes are within a short distance, there might be one parish hall used by all, and other changes of scale and economy. Instead of 210 separate bank accounts, there would be 50, and so on. This is easier to introduce in some areas of the Diocese than others. In cities where several Churches are close together, where people will drive past one Church, to go to Mass at another, because the mass time suits them better; it is happening already, including a reduction in the number of Masses in the area. The diocese has recently identified 100 Churches which are twined: where one priest runs two Churches. These will be brought together as one parish, which reduces them from 100 to 50 Parishes, which by the end of 2026, brings the diocese halfway to its target. In a predominately rural area such as South Oxfordshire where there are seven Churches and six priests our approach will have to be different. For parishioners not much will change, their priest will still be celebrating Mass in their parish, but the way the priest works will change, as Priests and people work more closely together. Diocesan Plan 2030 – Part 2: Previously I described how the archdiocese is to reshape its parish structures to advance the mission of our Churches by reducing the number of parishes from 210 to 50 by 2030. This seeks to lift the burden of administration from the Clergy, to free them up for the mission of the Church. To encourage the priests and people of an area to work more closely together to share resources. As well as responding to the fact that the number of Priests will halve in the next 5/7 years, with 10+ priests retiring each year. What might this look like for us in South Oxfordshire? We already have an example: St. Michael’s Sonning Common. On the retirement of Fr Michael Sharkey, two years ago, I became the Parish Priest of Sonning Common. However, we did not seek to combine it with Sacred Heart and cut the Masses in both Churches, rather all the Priests across the Deanery have worked together to share our resources. Fr Andrew from Watlington, celebrates the Saturday evening Masses, Fr Michael Doyle the Sunday morning Masses, supported by Deacon Tenny; Fr Andrew, Fr Ken from Goring and me celebrate the weekday Masses and any funerals that arise. The day to day running of the Parish is overseen by Deacon Brian Theobald, while I meet monthly with the Parish Finance Committee, the Parish Council and other parish office holders. As Deacon Brian, explained to the Parishioners at the Christmas Masses, ‘We are not surviving, we are flourishing’. This is the model which will more than likely be applied across all the seven Churches in South Oxfordshire as we move to become one parish. It offers a different model of Priestly and pastoral life; working as a team, perhaps living in community rather than alone; sharing resources and using our individual strengths and interests in the service of the gospel. It will also require the parishioners to become much more involved in the daily life of the parish. However, as the Diocese freely admits, this can work very well, when there are six or five active priests; but what are you going to do, when there are only three? That day is not far away. Diocesan Plan 2030 – Part 3: I have suggested a model for South Oxfordshire based on the experience of St. Michael’s, Sonning Common, where several priests of the Deanery work together with the Parish Council, under my direction. There are other possibilities and we will have to consult widely to see which model works best here. However, it is likely given the Canonical requirements that our seven Churches would become one Parish, with me as the Parish Priest. There would be a Deanery Pastoral Council to help co-ordinate the parish, aided by one finance committee, one H & S committee with a safeguarding team to support each church, but working together. There would be one bank account. Taking the burden of administration from the Priests would free them to concentrate on the mission of the parish and the care of souls, which is widely welcomed. The idea of not being a Parish Priest is still a challenging ask for some. Working in a different way, across boundaries and even the possibility of living together in a community, is engaging for others. You can see that the priests are still adjusting to this new vision which the Archdiocese are asking them to undertake. For the people, there will be less change as the same priest will celebrate Mass in the same Church, but this is an opportunity to ask all the People of God to become more deeply involved in the life of their Church and the parish, using the gifts of the synodal pathway. There is a Deanery Visitation this Autumn, led by Bishop Richard Walker, where we will begin to draw this Diocesan Plan into a reality. However, the Priests are keen to start early, and not to wait until the autumn. We will begin to consult widely and to look at the needs and priorities of each parish community over the coming months. What I don’t want is change, for change’s sake, but we cannot stay the same, given the challenges that we face at this time. As we celebrate the great Feast of Pentecost, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to give us his wisdom from on high and to guide the Church (in South Oxfordshire), as he has, since the very first Pentecost day. Come Holy Spirit. Diocesan Plan 2030 – Part 4: Since beginning to write these articles our dynamic has changed again, as Fr John Osman celebrated his 80th Birthday. In the Church, whether you are a Parish Priest or a Cardinal, 80 is a significant number. Cardinal Vincent reached 80 years in November and immediately stepped down as Archbishop of Westminster and from all his Vatican jobs, and in the same way, this week Fr John steps down as Parish Priest of Dorchester on Thames after 31 years! I have become Parish Priest of St. Birinus, Dorchester on Thames and have celebrated the Masses in Dorchester & Berinsfield to introduce myself to the parishioners. This means that we now have five priests running seven parishes. With fewer priests in the area, it is increasingly more challenging to find cover during the summer or when there is illness. If the burden of administration is lifted and the many other things that a priest is doing, but is not essential to his vocation, we can cope. We are still a fairly young Deanery, given that the average age of a priest is over 65 yrs. However, as the Diocese freely admits, this can work very well, when there are six or five active priests; but what are we going to do, when there are only three? There are currently ten places of worship across the Deanery: the seven Parish Churches + Stonor, Berinsfield and Woodcote. There are 20 Masses celebrated each weekend, across these ten places of worship. The answer to the question above, is that if there were only three priests there would be only 9 Masses celebrated each weekend, and I don’t know how many places of worship there might be Diocesan Plan 2030 – Part 5 Moving forward there will be a period of Canonical Consultation, which means that the consultation has to be presented to meet the requirements of the Church’s Law. Firstly, I shall have to clearly communicate exactly what is envisaged by our new structure and what is the rationale behind it. Consultation is a chance to gather a wide range of perspectives, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard, rather than trying to obtain a majority view. This includes presenting a long-term vision ensuring sustainable parishes and responsible stewardship of resources for the future. In particular, consultation requires listening with empathy and compassion; to communicate openly & honestly; to involve all groups in dialogue; to model positive leadership and understand the possibilities for new opportunities. This understands consultation to be a process of shared discernment, not a vote. To seek to discern and understand God’s will throughout this process. In this sense, consultation should be thoughtful, transparent and rooted in prayer. Discernment is a shared process that seeks God’s will above personal preference and openness to change is part of that journey. In particular we need to ask ourselves the following questions: The care of souls, how can we build up the care of the people of the parishes? What is the Pastoral need? How can we aid greater participation and growth? How can we strengthen the mission of each parish? How can we foster and deepen unity? How does this reflect prudent stewardship? This is a very different process than how we might understand consultation, and we are going to ensure that this can be a fruitful exercise for all. Canon Paul Fitzpatrick |
Fr Andrew Blessing the Peace Pilgrimage. |
