Pastoral Plan 2011

In March 2007, the Parish Pastoral Council finalised a pastoral plan for the parish through to 2012.

The plan identified around forty initiatives or areas for action, grouped under the four themes that emerged from the 2006 Archdiocesan Synod:

The development of the Parish Pastoral Plan for 2011 and beyond provides an opportunity to refocus and realign our aims and vision across these four themes, be more active about the message of ‘Stewardship’ and its meaning for our parish community, and be more specific about our long term objectives and the activities and initiatives required to achieve them.

The achievements accomplished over the last few years are listed in an attachment to this 2011 Parish Pastoral Plan, together with the aspiration statements for each of the four themes. The success of so many initiatives and activities is rewarding and shows how the parish is meeting its aspirations and vision across the four themes.

The time, talent and treasures of parishioners, generously given to fulfil these objectives and activities, are greatly appreciated. But there is always more that can be achieved by having more resources available to meet our priorities. To this end, the planned Gifting Renewal Campaign in 2011 provides an important opportunity to better match the resources available with the activities and initiatives identified. The last Gifting Renewal Campaign was held in 2007, so it is time to look at increasing the parish’s collection income, given its decline over the last 3 or so years.

A priority for 2011 and beyond is to discern and consider what ‘Stewardship’ has to offer us in our parish community. Stewardship, as the disciple’s response, has much to teach us about our ministries, our vocations, and the enrichment of our faith communities. Stewardship is about parish life, informs all that we do, and is core to our Catholic faith. To this end, Stewardship pervades and is evident across our four themes.

Archbishop John Dew has affirmed the Archdiocese’s embracement of ‘stewardship’, including the ‘Stewardship institute’ in August 2011 to be held in Wellington. In Archbishop John’s column in Wel-com at the end of 2010, he stated:

“Many of you have heard the word ‘stewardship’ used in a new way in the past few months. What does this mean? It means that

· the archdiocese is committed to the discovery and affirmation of the gifts each one has to offer in the service of the church and community.

· each one of us will live as a disciple of Jesus, learning his way, praying with his heart, alone and with others.

· joy in placing our gifts at the service of the community, fully part of ‘God’s great enterprise of self-giving’.

· consciously making a disciple’s response every day as we recognise and acknowledge that everything is gift and God is the giver.”

Our parish vision of “A Welcoming Community where the message of Jesus Christ is lived and shared” guides our parish’s sense of belonging and support for each other. Communicating our vision as part of seeking out opportunities where the Stewardship message can be more evident and actively celebrated and communicated is a key priority for 2011 and beyond.

One of the steps along the ‘stewardship’ journey is to commit our full support and attendance at the forthcoming Stewardship institute in August 2011. The good functioning of a parish embracing Stewardship will mean the active involvement of Parish Pastoral Council working together with the wider parish community. This might mean additional dedicated resources being provided in 2011 and beyond, ranging from consideration of a stewardship coordinator function working with our various groups and ministries, through to consideration of a Stewardship committee drawing on the time, talents and treasure of parishioners.

· Actively seeking better involvement of our many parish cultures and ethnic groups in the liturgy.

· Being better informed, engaging and proactive to the needs of all our parishioners, recognising the wide cultural diversity within our parish.

· Ensuring that music is liturgically appropriate and further enhancing our music ministry.

· Enhancing the participation of all groups and segments in our public prayer and worship, based on active and whole-hearted listening to different needs and preferences.

· Consult with different cultures and communities to open up a dialogue and exchange of ideas - hold forums and workshops, work with other groups in the parish, and hold events with different ethnic groups to seek views. Recognising that such engagement should also include the wider pastoral area.

· Actively seek out ways to ‘create inclusive and connected communities’ by providing opportunities for various cultural and ethnic communities in our parish to take responsibility and be actively involved in both liturgy and within existing parish ministries / groups (e.g. Pacific community, Filipino community).

· Implement a coordinated process and system (e.g. roster) to ensure that the new sound system is maintained and supported. This includes ensuring there are appropriately trained key parishioners who are able to support the effective functioning of the sound system and other technologies in the church across all liturgical gatherings, and other parish events.

· Investigate the costs, benefits, opportunities and risks for further improvements to the sound system, particularly to enhance the choir and musicians.

· Hold further music liturgical workshops, particularly given the introduction of the new missal and responses, and to ensure music continues to be liturgically appropriate.

· Look at ways to Increase the coordination and collaboration across our music ministry, including connections between liturgy ministries and collaboration with Ss Peter and Paul School.

· Achieving an active and mutually rewarding collaboration between the parish and its educators – Ss Peter and Paul School; and our Catholic colleges, Sacred Heart and St Bernard’s; and the other different parish groups, including the playgroup, Children’s liturgy, sacramental programme and those participating in adult education programmes.

· Ensuring there continues to be a safe place to explore faith in a supportive environment, in particular, having the necessary follow up support for those participating in adult education, including the Catholics Returning Home programme.

· Ensuring that opportunities exist for new voices, perspectives and reflections in our worship, including for lay reflections.

· Recognising that faith grows in many different ways; having the courage to reach out to inter-church families.

· Explore ways for closer collaboration between the Parish and Ss Peter and Paul School – including specific engagement and consultation between the Parish Council and senior leadership team of the School; and considering how to involve the ‘feeder’ parishes to the School in this process.

· Build on the existing presence of the Catholic schools in our parish (including acknowledging the presence of the respective schools’ banners in the church), scope out the purpose, options, objectives, and format for undertaking a broader engagement dialogue with Ss Peter and Paul School, and our colleges, Sacred Heart and St. Bernard’s. This could include specific consultation meetings between the Parish Pastoral Council and the senior leadership teams of the aforementioned Catholic schools in our parish.

· Assess the needs of the various programmes and how the Parish Pastoral Council can assist further, including an appropriate evaluation of specific sessions and of other collaborative engagements within the parish.

· Consult with the key leaders of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults and Catholics Returning Home programmes, to ensure continued support for new Catholics, adult education, spirituality and on-going formation.

· Provide training and other resources for volunteers contributing to faith education, composing the Prayers of the Faithful, and fulfilling the hospitality ministry.

· Scope out the objectives and options for the best ways to encourage and reach out to inter-church families that are part of the Ss Peter and Paul parish community, building on existing connections with other local denominations and current programmes.

· Ss Peter and Paul Parish aspires to be a truly welcoming community which is outward looking, connected to the wider community of Lower Hutt and the wider church.

· Ss Peter and Paul Parish is committed to the discovery and affirmation of the gifts each one has to offer in the service of the church and community

· Ss Peter and Paul Parish is committed to be a collaborative ministry and encourages as much participation as possible, and that we are positioned to cater for all comers in our wider community of Lower Hutt.

· The Pastoral Leadership Team, the Parish Pastoral Council, other ministries and groups, and other representatives in our parish attend and actively participate in the forthcoming Stewardship institute conference in August 2011 to be held in Wellington. Participants attending the Stewardship institute commit to agreed follow-up actions arising from our parish’s participation

· Undertake a thorough assessment of the various parish activities that form part of our aspiration to be a welcoming community which is outward-looking and connected to the wider Lower Hutt community.

· Following the results of the assessment, develop and implement specific actions to improve the parish’s engagement with our parish community and the wider Lower Hutt community.

· Continue to encourage an active dialogue with our parish seniors, including ensuring that there are appropriate activities for seniors to participate in, and to consider the possibilities of opening them up to be ecumenical.

· Undertake a review of how the Pastoral Leadership Team is supported by the Parish Pastoral Council, with specific reference to the responsibilities, requirements, role and expectations of the parish as we move forward, particularly in respect to the embracement of ‘Stewardship’; and the identification, formation and nature of future pastoral leaders for the parish. As part of such a review, gauge the appropriateness of support for the Parish Priest by parish pastoral assistants, parish coordinators and the parish office.

· Develop and implement a new parish website reflecting the needs of our parish community, as one way of welcoming new parishioners, and for efficient and effective communication with both our parishioners and the wider Lower Hutt community.

· Assess ways of making the church foyer an even more welcoming experience for new parishioners and visitors, with information reflecting Catholic values and mission, which could include minor alterations to church foyer’s layout.

· Look at other ways for connecting the parish to the wider Lower Hutt community, for example, making available the use of the parish hall by non-parish groups.

· Continue to build on our ecumenical relationship with the Anglican Parish of St James.

· Actively play a key leadership role in the development of the “Heart of the Hutt” initiative.

· Ss Peter and Paul Parish is a parish community that continues to take the call to justice and peace seriously and joyfully.

· Better integrate the social justice message into parish life, reflecting how social justice is at the heart of Catholic teachings.

· Develop a focussed education programme to integrate the social justice message into parish life and to remind parishioners that social justice is at the heart of Catholic teachings (using the example of various groups – e.g. St Vincent de Paul Society – who provide a service to those in need within our parish).

· Investigate the most appropriate ways of greater integration of social justice into our parish life, through for example the use of the parish website, the Magnolia bulletin, and other channels.

· Agree follow-up actions and implementation plan arising from the Social Justice Assembly 2011 (Social Justice hui)[1], that reflects the focus and needs of our parish and supports the goals of the Wellington Archdiocese so everyone will know that social justice is at the heart of the gospel.

· Working with the Catholic Education Centre (and its successor) and others, to further develop and provide resources for the parish coordinator role for justice and peace issues in the parish and wider pastoral area.

We aspire to spirituality and liturgy that are inclusive, welcoming and healing. We make room for all groups and segments in our public prayer and worship, based on active and whole-hearted listening to different needs and preferences. We want every parishioner to feel that their approach to God is respected and honoured in our parish. In particular, we seek to actively involve the many cultures in our parish in our liturgy and to allow the parish to learn from the many different styles of spirituality that our diversity offers us.

· Karanga now firmly in place following the consecration of bread and wine at Mass, as a means of drawing upon Maori culture and language in our liturgy.

· Continuing with opportunities for the parish school and young people to lead parish liturgy, including School liturgy led by Ss Peter and Paul school on National Catholic Schools’ day (19 May).

· Held Music Liturgy Workshops (four), as a way of ensuring that all parish musicians have a current understanding of the role of music in Catholic liturgy and the expectations that places on music ministry. Working with the musician leaders across all Masses, and purchased music resources for the parish musicians.

· Installed upgraded sound system in the Church to allow musicians and speakers to be heard more clearly in all parts of the Church. Acknowledge the generosity of parishioners in providing donations to help pay for the new sound system.

· Supporting the ‘Year of the Priest’ through a prayer specifically for priests in the Prayers of the Faithful, and holding of special mass led by Archbishop John Dew for all priests that have served in the parish.

· Filipino community representative is now a member of the parish pastoral council.

· Held Participation and Appreciation Sunday in November 2009, with the intention that this is now an annual event.

· Ensuring as many as possible languages are included on the PowerPoint welcome slide.

We aspire to an active and mutually rewarding collaboration between the parish and its educators – the Catholic schools, playgroup, sacramental programme and those involved in adult education (especially the Communio series). We recognise that faith grows in many different ways and that we are all on a journey to a deeper relationship with God.

· Continued support for the combined approach to the sacramental programme for children, whether or not they attend a Catholic school.

· Supported the holding of an interactive forum on ‘Priesthood Today’ to hear others perspectives and grow understanding of the Church.

· Deepening our existing ecumenical links with the Anglican Parish of St James through Pulpit exchange between our parish and St James; and building on those links with other local churches, including ecumenical liturgy on Ash Wednesday and Walk of Witness on Good Friday.

· Continued support for the ‘Side-by-Side’ mentoring programme, and for other established programmes such as baptism and marriage preparation, playgroup, Godstart (including consideration of new resources), RCIA (Rite of Christian initiation for Adults), and Catholics Returning Home programme, by emphasising that we offer a safe place to explore faith and respect a gradual process of re-entry, and by alerting parishioners to the opportunities to extend an invitation.

· On-going involvement with the three schools within the parish: Ss Peter and Paul, Sacred Heart and St Bernard’s, both in the church and on-site at the schools.

We aspire to be a truly welcoming community which is outward-looking, connected to the wider community of Lower Hutt and the wider church and conscious of its vital role as a sign of and witness to the Kingdom of God. We are committed to collaborative ministry, within both the parish and the pastoral area, and to encouraging as much participation as possible. We recognise that our focus on the whole family and a community of all-comers means that we are uniquely gifted and positioned in a society that tends to cater for the parts rather than the whole. We want to be especially welcoming of young people and encourage them to play a full part in the life of our parish.

· Continued support to the youth in the parish, including encouraging the development of the Holy Molies (for 11-14 yrs), and supported the older youth in the performance of ‘One Friday in Eternity’ on Good Friday.

· Started the trial of a youth event evening for Yr 9 and above, based around a social movie night and discussion/activity programme which will be held at a local youth centre.

· Continue to raise the profile of the parish vision, with its emphasis on welcome and authentic witness, and ensuring parish groups take the opportunity to contribute to achieving the vision, through notices in Magnolia and other means.

· Supporting activities for parish seniors, including Tai Chi classes, card games and bus trips.

· Supported the Ss Peter and Paul Parish Party in July, marking 20 years of Passionist family groups. The Parish Party provided an opportunity for parishioners to come together within our parish community.

· Appraising options for a revamp of the parish website, with the support of the Archdiocese of Wellington.

· Holding of a lunch for new parishioners so that those new to the parish can come together with other parishioners in a welcoming way.

We aspire to be a community that takes the call to justice and peace seriously and joyfully. We are proud of our Catholic heritage as a voice for the oppressed and a friend to those in need.

· Continued the promotion of several social justice groups to deliver practical community assistance, including St. Vincent de Paul Society.

· Supported Social Justice Week, including the Social Justice Forum on crime, punishment and reconciliation.

· Led Pulpit talk on crime, punishment and reconciliation during Social Justice Week.

· Agreed that a parish council member will take on the volunteer role of parish coordinator for justice and peace, in order to connect up the various parish and pastoral area initiatives that speak to social justice and an ethic of life and ensure we recognise and celebrate their contribution.

· Supported the Catholic Women’s League’s hosting of a talk by Professor Martin Manning on Climate Change.

[1] Social Justice Assembly 2011 (the Social Justice hui), is a formation event aimed at training representatives from the Wellington Archdiocese for the work of bringing about a more just world, that was held on 25 and 26 February 2011 at the Bishop Viard College, Porirua.

[2] Salt and Light Together at Ss Peter and Paul: Progress Report on Pastoral Plan – September 2010