Saturday 9 August 2014

PARISH OPEN MEETING

Between thirty and forty parishioners gathered in the parish room at Oadby on Wednesday 6th August after the evening Mass at 6.30 pm for the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Members of the Pastoral Council were joined by Fr Philip McBrien (currently parish priest of Immaculate Conception, Oadby) and Fr Simon Gillespie (assistant priest at St Thomas More Knighton). There follows a summary of the proceedings:

Discussion at the open parish meeting at 7 pm on Wednesday 6th August 2014 concerning the future of the parish in the light of the ‘link-up’ proposed by Bishop Malcolm’s consultation ‘You are Living Stones’ with the neighbouring parish of St Thomas More, Knighton.


ITEMS
ONE

Mass Times

Sunday Mass Times

Current situation

Saturday evening (Vigil Masses)

Oadby 5.30 pm – Knighton 6 pm

Clearly this cannot be celebrated by one priest (the situation that must be planned for within the next three, six or possibly twelve months). Fr Michael Moore has indicated that an interval of 90 minutes from the start of each Mass is desirable (that is approximately 30 minutes from the end of one Mass to the beginning of the next). This half hour period would be needed to ensure the priest can speak to parishioners however briefly after Mass and still have time to travel safely the 2 miles between the two churches and still have enough time to get ready in a dignified fashion for the next celebration of Mass.

It was proposed that Oadby Mass time be moved forward to 5 pm and the Knighton Mass time be moved back to 6.30 pm.

Sunday morning Masses

Current situation

Knighton 9 am – Oadby 10 am – Knighton 11 am

This situation is further complicated by the celebration of children’s liturgy at the 9 and 10 am Masses on most Sundays. These celebrations are vitally important to engage and encourage the young families with children in the parishes to play and active part in the life of the Church.

It was resolved that the same principle of 90 minutes should apply here too.
It was further proposed that in fairness both parishes should be prepared to move their Mass times.

A number of ideas were put forward to be published in a consultation to the members of both parishes.

1 - Knighton 8 am – Oadby 9.30 am – Knighton 11 am

2 - Knighton 8.15 am – Oadby 9.45 am – Knighton 11.15 am

3 - Knighton 8.30 am – Oadby 10 am – Knighton 11.30 am

These three patterns would also need to take into account the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism which could possibly take place at the Oadby Mass and the second Mass at Knighton.

In the spirit ‘You are Living Stones’ Parishioners of both parishes should feel able to attend Mass in the ‘other’ church should circumstances make it difficult to attend Mass at their accustomed time and ‘home’ church.

It was resolved that these patterns be put on a sheet to be given to all parishioners asking for people’s views on the preferable option.

Then as parish priest, Fr Michael Moore would then make a decision after consultation with the parishes of the deanery. Consideration of a Mass on Sunday evening was also included in this item.

Holyday Mass times

There are potentially a maximum of three of these celebrations per year, and sometimes as few as one, that little detailed discussion was made of these except for the observation that the celebration of these in our Catholic Schools should be part of a consultation on these in the near future.


TWO




Weekday Masses


Current situation


                   Knighton         Oadby

Monday        9 am              10 am
Tuesday       12 noon          10 am
Wednesday   6 pm             12 noon
Thursday      10 am            10 am
Friday           9 am              7 pm (summer)
                                         (10 am winter)
Saturday      10 am               none
 
After much discussion concerning these items a new pattern was proposed for consultation and a decision from Fr Michael. Flexibility must be built in for exceptional celebrations such as Funerals (particularly Requiem Masses on weekdays and Nuptial Masses on Saturdays). Canon Law permits a priest to celebrate Holy Mass once a day. For genuine pastoral need a priest is permitted to celebrate Mass for a second time on weekdays, and on Sundays he may celebrate up to three Masses.
 
The following proposal was drawn up after discussion:

                   Knighton      Oadby

Monday        9 am           none
Tuesday       none          12 noon
Wednesday   6 pm          none
Thursday      10 am        none ***
Friday          9 am          none
Saturday      none           none
***   (perhaps a service of Word and Holy Communion?)

Confessions were not mentioned during any item specifically, but would need to be timetabled on Saturdays.


The meeting felt very strongly that a decision, even a preliminary one to adopt a temporary change in the Mass schedule for both weekends and weekdays should be made sooner rather than later, as soon as the consultation can take place in both parishes. It was resolved that this date should be either the First Sunday in Advent (30th November 2014), or the 1st January 2015.
 
THREE
 
Further development of lay ministries

The whole process of ‘You are Living Stones’ hinged around the necessity of these lay ministries being encouraged in our parishes. Training and support for all involved in these ministries will be essential if our parishes are going to continue as vital and effective communities with the numbers of priests there will be in the future. Lay people must be willing to come forward and be involved in their parishes if our parishes are to continue.

Appeals have been made in the past with only minimal take up. This must change. For a priest to celebrate Mass in two churches for Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings it is clear that there must be support from trained sacristans in each place. It is not enough to rely on altar servers not matter how well trained our young people are: adult involvement is vital too. Sufficient ministries in church will also be needed; altar servers, readers, extraordinary ministers of holy communion, welcomers, vergers/collectors, trained Catechists for children’s liturgy, are but the obvious ones, but cash-counters, tea/coffee makers, stall-holders for repositories, those running the parish Tote should not be overlooked.

Many of these ministries may already exist in our parishes, but probably not as well trained or resourced as they should be, and by and large are carried out by a small ‘core-group’ of (often elderly) parishioners, each one carry out multiple tasks. Younger generations in our communities need to step forward to learn from those already doing these tasks for the community – the key concept here is ‘SUCCESSION’ as any organisation which does not look to training future leaders and key workers will surely fail. This weakness in Oadby was clearly demonstrated during Fr Philip’s Sabbatical in January, February and March 2014; for although all possible preparations were made in advance of his three-month absence this small core-group in Oadby had to carry a considerable work-load on behalf of the whole parish community.

It was resolved that a new approach was needed for promoting lay-ministries as previous appeals have yielded small returns. A personal approach is needed after possible new ministers have been identified. New ministries should not be discounted in this effort.
 
FOUR
 
Possible use of the presbytery
 
In other parishes where there is no longer a resident parish priest and there is a house near or attached to the church, the diocese has followed the following policy. In the first place the building might be used for accommodation for a retired priest or a small religious community; both circumstances are of benefit to the parish for the sacramental life of the parish. Failing either of those uses the diocese enters into letting arrangements, usually through a professional agency. These are normally on six-month terms, in case the property might be needed when a priest retires and has no accommodation available, but does not require residential home or nursing home care. The policy of the diocese is that the parish receives the letting fee, less the agent’s fees, which is an obvious benefit to the parish finances.

In certain circumstances where the tenant is a parishioner and they are willing to undertake some responsibilities for the buildings, some small reduction in the rental fee is considered by the Directors of the Diocese. This situation latter has obvious benefits for the security of the property.
 
FIVE
 
Sacramental programmes
 
It is to be hoped that the sacramental life of each parish will continue to flourish under one parish priest. However sharing resources and running parallel celebrations in the two churches should not be overlooked, nor wider participation in the Deanery, across the City of Leicester or at diocesan level. Catechists for each Sacrament: Baptism, First Confession and Holy Communion, Confession, and those to help with Marriage preparation should be considered in the promotion of ministries mentioned in THREE.
 
It should be possible to continue the celebration of each Sacrament in both communities.
 
SIX
 
CHRISTMAS, HOLY WEEK and EASTER
 
The extra difficulties caused by the requirements of these celebrations was considered briefly. Much of what was said in ONE under the heading of Sunday Mass times will apply here too, but with even greater need for willingness to compromise, see to the needs of parishioners who have no means of transport to get to church, and being prepared to attend a celebration at the ‘other’ church where the need arises.
 
SEVEN
 
Diaconate

The Diaconate was not mentioned in great detail as this is mainly in the Knighton parish, however the usefulness of Oadby having a deacon once more cannot be overstated. The availability of a deacon in Oadby to share some of the Sacramental duties his ministry can perform (preaching, Baptism, Weddings, Funerals, Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Services of Word and Holy Communion, Divine Office and other Prayer Services) would be of immense help to the parish priest of the two parishes.
 
ANY OTHER ITEMS
 
The course at Hothorpe Hall run by the Diocese on parishes and the realities of applying ‘You are Living stones’ was advertised. There is a poster on the notice board; the course is being run on 4th September 2014 and can be financed from parish funds.
 
The meeting closed at 8.20 pm with Fr Simon Gillespie, assistant priest in Knighton, leading a short prayer and blessing.

 

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