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Leadership
The Bishop, with the support of the Council of Priests, appointed Dr Atat Li-Kim Mui to conduct a review of the Diocese and propose a Renewal Journey. He is being assisted by James Hay, Manager, People, Safety and Wellbeing, Diocese of Lismore and the Renewal Journey Coordination Team.
The Coordination Team, appointed by the Bishop, sits between the Council of Priests and the projects with an overview of the whole renewal journey helping to refine it and address issues where they appear.
Renewal journey coordination group:
Dr Madeline Beveridge, Leader of Catechesis, Xavier College, Ballina, Alstonville Catholic Parish
Fr Felix Ekeh, Parish Administrator, Wauchope
Dr Atat Li-Kim-Mui, Coordinator
Mary-Ann Thackray, Business Manager, Sacred Heart Parish, Murwillumbah
The Renewal Coordination Team oversees a range of working groups.
Consultation Process
During 2022, Dr Atat Li-Kim-Mui and James Hay met with the majority of priests and conducted consultations and workshops with all parishes in the Diocese. More than 230 parishioners participated in face-to-face consultations with more providing written submissions to the Renewal.
During the first half of 2022, the Leadership Team conducted a Parish Vitality Survey to which more than 950 people, from all sectors of the Diocese, responded. Included in the Survey was the opportunity for parishioners to send a “Message to the Bishop” – 650 messages were sent to Bishop Homeming.
Throughout 2023 and into 2024, each parish in the diocese has been/will be visited. Results of the Parish Vitality Survey have been presented. Further visits to parishes will involve or have involved Parish Pastoral Councils and Finance Committee members. The aim of these sessions is to look at what planning and action(s), if any, the parish may wish to undertake as a result of the Survey reports. Some parishes may wish for a third visit during 2024 to support them with their planning.
Areas for Action
As a result of the consultations, several themes for action have already emerged and are proposed in three waves as a multi-year journey of renewal for the Diocese. This journey has commenced with the participation of clergy and lay people from the ground up, with the principle of collaboration, co-design and co-responsibility. The current areas of focus in the renewal journey are:
Diocese
- Development of a model for a Diocesan pastoral council for the Diocese
- Renewal of the Diocesan youth ministry function
Parish
- Exploring inter-parish collaboration via regional workshops.
- Preparation of lay-led liturgy material, protocols and processes for parishes.
- Centralised information database for parish pastoral support.
Clergy
- Design of protocols and processes for clergy induction into the Diocese
- Design of Clergy and parish profile templates for introduction of new Clergy into a parish
- In addition, a co-ordination group has been set up to oversee the above initiatives reporting to the Bishop and the Council of Priests.
