Bringing the Joy of the Gospel into parishes

“We are living in a change of era, not an era of change.”

According to Pope Francis in his Angelus address on March 23 in 2014, ‘now is an opportune time to look within ourselves’.

With this in mind, the Archdiocese will host a ‘Joy of the Gospel’ parish revitalisation weekend in the Haydon Hall of St Christopher’s Pastoral Centre in Manuka on June 29 and 30.

The program aims to shine a particular light into ecclesial culture and is a leadership response from the Church as it emerges from the recent historical sexual abuse findings.

Despite these regrettable incidents of the past, Churches in the Archdiocese and throughout the nation have recorded strong turnouts to Christmas and Easter Liturgies in the past four months highlighting Christian hope amid turmoil.

The Joy of the Gospel weekend is an Archdiocesan initiative.

Its purpose is to equip parishes and provide key personnel with the support they need in authentically living out the ‘Joy of the Gospel’.

Attendees can take what they have learnt back to their Church communities encouraging members of their parish to also live out the ‘Joy of the Gospel’.

Fr Percy says the program is primarily leadership and mission based, designed for – priests, pastoral councillors, finance committee members, school council members, catechists, teachers, deacons, seminarians, youth ministers, aspirational leaders.

“It will offer the principles of leadership and mission within the context of our parishes, respecting and honouring their own unique culture and history,” he said.

“This program will work best if parish priest and key parish leaders attend together.”

Fr Percy says parishes have shown remarkable resilience and creativity since their inception in the fourth Century and that research into renewal identified three key factors in living out the Joy of the Gospel in our Church communities. They are:

1. Good community
2. Good teaching and preaching
3. Good music

THE SESSIONS