The objectives of the Parish Forum:  To facilitate and improve communications within the Parish  To coordinate and improve activities of the Parish and the groups within the Parish  To encourage and develop new initiatives to enhance the pastoral, spiritual, social, and financial activities of the Parish.

Canon Law says that the reason for having a parish forum is: to promote the mission of the Church, and to identify, implement, and evaluate pastoral initiatives and policies best suited to the spreading of the gospel in the local area. (Code of Canon Law 536 §127) So the objectives always need to be carried out within the context of the mission of the Church, encouraging the Parish to become more of an outward looking community.

Who will be involved: The meetings will be open, so while particular people will be invited, anyone who wants to come can. A representative from every ministry/organisation is also invited (a person can represent more than one ministry). It will be up to each ministry/group to nominate someone to attend regularly. The meetings will be chaired by the pastoral worker for now.

How will the meetings be organised: There will be about four meetings a year. Anything that people want to raise must be submitted a minimum of 3 days in advance to the chairperson. Anyone in the Parish can submit an agenda item, but things that are specific to a particular ministry or organisation should usually be discussed with the representative on the parish forum prior to submission (for the sake of clarity and communication).

Communion must be cultivated and extended day by day and at every level in the structures of each Church's life. There, relations between Bishops, priests and deacons, between Pastors and the entire People of God, between clergy and Religious, between associations and ecclesial movements must all be clearly characterized by communion. To this end, the structures of participation envisaged by Canon Law, such as the Council of Priests and the Pastoral Council, must be ever more highly valued. These of course are not governed by the rules of parliamentary democracy, because they are consultative rather than deliberative; yet this does not mean that they are less meaningful and relevant. The theology and spirituality of communion encourage a fruitful dialogue between Pastors and faithful: on the one hand uniting them a priori in all that is essential, and on the other leading them to pondered agreement in matters open to discussion. Novo Millennio Ineunte 45

‘The basic task of a such a parish [forum] is to serve, at institutional level, the orderly collaboration of the faithful in the development of pastoral activity which is proper to priests. The parish [forum] is thus a consultative organ in which the faithful, expressing their baptismal responsibility, can assist the parish priest, who presides at the council, by offering their advice on pastoral matters.’ The Priest, Pastor and Leader of the Parish Community (2002)

Our aim this year is to build a strong and effective Parish Forum. This will take time, patience and good will on everyone’s part!