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.
