Reflecting on Challenges and Opportunities in Parish Management
Explore the complexities of parish management, including issues with safeguarding, leadership appointments, communication, and governance. Dive into discussions surrounding accountability, transparency, and the role of lay people in decision-making processes.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
You are allowed to download the files provided on this website for personal or commercial use, subject to the condition that they are used lawfully. All files are the property of their respective owners.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Parish Parish Listening Listening Exercise: Exercise: How we feel
Parish Listening Exercise: Reactions Disturbed that Safeguarding procedures were so poor that some of the things in the report were even possible. The Bishop didn t listen. Can he just do what he wants? He should apologise. Let down by people who are supposed to embody the example of Christ. It s important to support the majority of the clergy, and the installation of Bishop Stephen does make us feel more positive. The decision making on schools was an iron fist without even a velvet glove. Was the timing of Bishop Stephen s appointment a news management exercise?
Effective safeguarding is the only way to recover credibility and trust. Safeguarding process was not fit for purpose: there needs to be more accountability to secular authorities. Are the safeguarding plans a strong enough tool to manage concerns? We do not know how to deal with the impact on people in the Diocese who experienced the positive ministry and gifts of priests who have then been found guilty of abuse. Theme 1: Safeguarding
There needs to be more clarity about how Bishops are appointed, and more leadership training. Laity should be involved, but how would lay people know enough about the available candidates? If the organisation and governance of the Diocese was less opaque, it would be more obvious who was a good leader. Does the Vatican know what it wants from a Bishop? Theme 2: How are Bishops appointed?
We need much better communication from the Diocese. We need more clarity about how the Diocese is managed, how the secular governance (the Trust) fits with church governance. The reports show that governance in the Diocese has been poor, and this must have affected our mission and our recovery from the lockdown years, as well as safeguarding. This is a good opportunity for lay people: we must give them more of a say, use their expertise, and involve them in decision making. We need a properly functioning Council of Laity with a clear remit actively consulted on key issues a clear role for partnerships a synodal way of operating Theme 3: How the Diocese is managed
Speaking and listening won t make any difference unless things change.
