St Bede’s Visitation

11/12 February 2006

Bishop Kevin Dunn

 

Future Timetable       Tuesday 4th April – 7.00pm  St Robert’s – Closing Deanery mass for the Newcastle Deanery No 1 – celebrated by Bishop Kevin.  Summary of the Deanery’s hopes and expectations.   All are welcome

 

                                    Wednesday 4th October  - St Roberts, with the Episcopal Vicar – a gathering to see how parishes have begun to address their plans.

 

What are considered to be the Strengths of St Bede’s parish?

 

  • A Core group of people who are very committed to organising and helping things happen.

 

  • Other committed groups who serve the parish:        eg. Readers

Extraordinary Ministers

Musicians

Children’s Liturgy leaders

 

  • A wide age range of people at Mass – and at the meeting

 

  • Welcoming others (though ‘not as good as the Methodists…’) – who have joined the Catholic Church from other faith traditions, or have come to the area from other places.

 

  • Open to Ecumenical links– based on long standing relationships

 

  • A recognition by some young people of the support from older parishioners.

 

 

What do we see as areas for development?

 

  • A need for Faith/life integration – recognising the vocation of the Baptised in the world of work, voluntary organisations, family life etc…

 

  • The involvement of new people in parish work and activities

 

  • Some serious reflection on the needs of young people:  Deanery Youth Club?  Links with the Youth Mission Team?

 

  • Further invitation to young families to explore how to support and affirm

 

  • Renewal of commitment to those bereaved – and those in the parish who are sick or housebound

 

  • Further reflection on support for Justice and Peace projects e.g. Tradecraft

 

  • Men!

 

 

Ideas for the Parish in Council to consider as the beginning of ways to address some of the above:

 

  • Personal invitations to others to join parish activities and projects
  • Exploring how the ‘core’ groups can actually open up and encourage people to ‘come in’
  • Get through comments/thoughts like:  ‘We’ve done this before’, or ‘We’ve tried that in the past’ etc
  • Invite some of the ‘younger families’ together to explore what they feel they might need
  • Wonder how to harness the energy and power of all local schools – junior and secondary
  • Give further information about Fairtrade etc.
  • Wonder about Adult Education/Formation programmes
  • The possibility of ‘local’ Lent groups exploring the run up to Easter
  • Wonder about a more regular Liturgy (not Mass) which remembers those who have died in the previous months – personal invitations to those recently bereaved
  • Extraordinary Ministers to enable those visited to be informed about parish life – newsletters/tapes etc.  Remember, priests are less likely to know about the housebound than they were in the past
  • Discover more about the Youth Ministry Team and Youth Village
  • Wonder about how to work more closely with St Joseph’s
  • Wonder further about ‘parish administration’

 

 

These ideas might well keep the Parish In Council going for a day or two…..

 

 

Very many thanks to all those who were able to join Bishop Kevin for the meeting after 10.00am Mass on Sunday.  Especially those who were able to come back following 6.00pm Mass on Saturday evening.

 

 

 

 

 

JOK St Bede’s Visitation – Bishop’s meeting notes