HALF TERM   WEST HULL PARISHES MEETING   MONDAY FEBRUARY 17TH at 7.00 P.M.   in ST. JOSEPH’S HALL   Opening comments  
The general aim of this meeting is really contained in the title - we are halfway through our contract here and it important that we see how we are getting on.
 
I think that this can be a good opportunity to listen and learn from each other. We have had experience now, and valuable experience, of living under a very different state of affairs than when Canon Davern and Mgr.Coughlan were in St. Joseph’s, Fr. Lovatt was in Corpus Christi and Fr. Boyd was in St. Wilfrid’s.
 
I would suggest that one basic question we need to ask in preparation for the further change in manpower in 18 months time is to do with the extent of our involvement in a three parish structure. Perhaps we should maybe be concentrating more on building up the individual communities and just look at further specific areas where we can be involved as a Three Parish Trinity. Already we have under the umbrella of West Hull Parishes: preparation for the Sacraments, Journey of Faith, S.V.P. Catechists in Training, Web Site Group, Sharing of Office Resources and celebrating together major Liturgies of Easter and Christmas. What do you think?
 
Now what we would like to do is give some further facts and observations. Then have a bit of a break for us to talk among ourselves are and then to invite comments, suggestions and ideas. The next stage would be meetings in the individual parishes to consider in more detail the proposals, suggestions or comments which come from this meeting.
 
The simple fact is that, as we say, we are half way through our three year contract. We were asked by the Bishop and our own Superiors to come here with a specific aim in mind: to develop lay responsibility and in doing so prepare the Parishes for a situation where there would be initially one priest involved in the West Hull Parishes. We will finish here in the summer of 2004. As far as we know the two of us will be replaced by one priest. There is a possibility that it could be one of us or it could be a diocesan priest. The fact is that there will just one priest involved in the three West Hull Parishes from a year this September.
 
It is interesting to look back, using the newsletters, to those first weeks we were here as we were preparing for the first joint meeting here in St. Joseph's Hall on Wednesday February 14th 2001 at which there were 90 people.
 
We reminded ourselves then that we were talking about a church of the present and the future not of the past. The past was not going to come back, much as some of us might regret that. At that first meeting and the subsequent individual parish meetings we made some tough decisions. Decisions which were not to everybody’s liking but ones which had to be taken. We like to think that we rarely took a decision without giving everyone a chance to air their views.
 
I suppose one decision we took then, and also later, which was more by implication than actually saying it, is that with a strong eye on the future we decided not to depend on any of the retired priests living in the area. Other Parishes do, but we decided not to go down that road.
 
This affected us obviously when we came to decide on one Easter Celebration celebrated in each Church, the mass arrangements at Christmas, one Mass each day on weekdays and more recently on the Mass provision over the summer, about which we will talk more later.
 
In our view the present shortage of priests, and so lack of services which we had been used to in the past, was not just a blip. That at least in our lifetimes we will not get back to the number of priests per parish which we enjoyed in the past. If we ever do. So what. And this is where the challenge for us lies. We belong to this new church. To be honest I am not sure it is all that new it is just that more and more people are now coming to realise it. It is with us here in West Hull.
 
We would now like to suggest what the implications of all this are for us. To suggest areas we feel we need to look at over the next 18 months. Vital areas of responsibility which need to be taken on by the lay members of our community if the priest is able to function. And we suggest that it would be good if these could be up and running by at least the end of this year.
 
As we look at ourselves over the last couple of years it is obvious that so much has been done already in this regard. People actually taking responsibility and initiatives in various different areas in all our three parishes. And we thank those people for showing us all the way. But there is still some way to go. So we will suggest the following list and back each up by a poster.
 

in the area of weekend worship we would be looking at the situation which operated last Summer when we alternated Mass and a Eucharistic Service each week. This would be the norm. For this to run smoothly we feel we would need a person, this could possibly be the sacristan (with a back-up person), ensuring that all things are in place for the service. We feel that this person would also be the contact person in an emergency to arrange a service instead of a Mass if the priest is unavoidably absent at the last minute: an urgent sick call, illness or some other circumstance. This would apply to Sunday or weekday.
 
in the area of our ministry to the sick and housebound of our parish we need a lay coordinator (again with a back-up). As you possibly have become aware this is an area of ministry which we regard as vital to any good parish. It must be so if we believe it when we say that we are all equally important members of our parish because of who we are and not because of what we do. We need a network which ensures nobody falls through the net. Somebody needs to know who is taking communion to whom and when. Maybe something like a book in the sacristy would suffice. Or when a minister is away or sick themselves, we need to ensure the house bound person is not neglected.
 
a real firming up of the various Finance Committees so that corporate financial responsibility becomes the norm, with lay signatories on the cheque books.
 
one or more lay people to be Authorised Persons for the celebration of marriages. This happens in many parishes now and it is not a particularly arduous task to do with chiefly the filling in of registers at the Marriage Service.
 
a rationalisation as to how our Catechists, who are being trained now, will be employed throughout the West Hull Parishes. With ten people in training plus others who are already operating this will be a valuable resource in preparing people for the sacraments so we need to use our resources in the best way.
 
some system whereby people without their own transport are enabled to be involved in the shared activities. This is something we have talked about since the beginning but, with one exception, has not been taken up. I think maybe now we need to push more for it. There is nothing wrong with people making private arrangements with friends for lifts. But everybody is not in this position. With the best intentions in the world some are missing out. So we need someone who will coordinate lifts to other parishes. Always on a one off basis.
 
a group to oversee the involvement of each parish in the overall West Hull Parishes area. In the near future we will probably invite a couple of people from each parish to look at this area. As with all things please feel free to say no to our invitation. We are thinking of things like: the Easter Services. The Christmas Children’s Mass. The Children’s Easter Service. The Saturday 6.00 p.m. Mass at Corpus Christi. Preparation for the Sacraments. And more.
 

There is no need to reinvent the wheel where things are going well but there is never any harm in looking at how we can improve.
 
And that I would suggest is about it. Perhaps while we put these posters up which we are suggesting are areas of responsibility we might have a chat amongst ourselves about what has been said, then we can come back for some discussion. There must be areas which we have missed as well.
  POSTERS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEKEND WORSHIP NEED FOR CO-ORDINATOR (PLUS BACK-UP) TO ENSURE SMOOTH RUNNING, EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF A RESIDENT PRIEST. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- MINISTRY TO THE SICK AND HOUSE BOUND NEED FOR CO-ORDINATOR (PLUS BACK-UP) TO ENSURE THAT NOBODY IS NEGLECTED. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- FINANCE COMMITTEES WORKING TOWARDS FURTHER CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- AUTHORISED PERSONS TO ACT AS REGISTRARS FOR MARRIAGES. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CATECHISTS TO ENSURE THAT ALL AREAS OF SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION AND ONGOING FORMATION ARE COVERED. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------   TRANSPORT A PERSON IN EACH PARISH WHOM PEOPLE CAN CONTACT WHEN LIFTS ARE REQUIRED FOR JOINT EVENTS. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEST HULL PARISHES PEOPLE WILL BE INVITED TO OVERSEE THE MUTUAL INVOLVEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL PARISHES IN THE JOINT VENTURE. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------  COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS
 
What is a catechist?
 
Basically someone who is able to educate people about the teaching of the Church, specifically in areas like preparation for the sacraments, the Journey of Faith and the Scriptures.
 
The organising of catechesis can be carried out by parishioners.
 
One priest will have less work to do if all lay groups are running well. It leaves the priest free to carry out his specifically priestly work.
 
We need a clear definition of which roles are to be done by a priest. E.g. although Eucharistic Ministers can take Holy Communion to sick or house bound people, there may be times when the people may wish to go to confession, or when they may need to receive the sacrament of the sick.
 
We need to be informed about who takes charge of each area of responsibility.
 
People need to go away and think about what they are prepared to give. Are they able and willing to make a commitment and, if so, in what area?
 
Lay people will be involved more in the deaneries and the Diocese. Middlesbrough has not really decided on the future direction of the current West Hull Parishes. Things are still flexible.
 
The role of a group needs to be defined, e.g. regarding the fabric of the church buildings etc..
 
A comment was made about what priest could cope with the new set-up? An old-fashioned priest would not be able to work in this way and a newly-ordained priest would not have the relevant experience to cope. Frs. Pete and Des hope that, at the end of their three years, things will be ‘up and running’ well enough for everything to be given to different groups of lay people to deal with the practicalities and administration. We must all work together to find the best way for a priest to be able to carry out his priestly duties. This is why Frs. Pete and Des were sent here.
 
A meeting on ‘worship’ would be very useful. Preparation for Eucharistic Services needs to be more thorough for the parishioners. Various opinions were expressed on this matter. A Eucharistic Service needs to be seen by the community as equally as good as Mass, on those occasions when it is necessary.
 
A need was expressed to have some say in what happens after the next 18 months. Do we have a say in what happens? Could a suggestion be made for the newly-appointed priest to work alongside Frs. Pete and Des? We want to continue to be a part of the democracy which has been established.
 
The question of ‘obligation’ needs to be discussed with regard to young people growing up now. This is part of the future development.
 
We have to prepare for a future that we are unsure of. We need to be ready for whatever the future holds. The lay responsibility must be in place so that we can cope with whatever happens.
 
Suggestions were made that things have to be talked about ‘from the pulpit’. But basically people need to take some responsibilities and get involved.
 
What is the best way to put things across? Meetings at different times? Talking ‘from the pulpit’. Newsletter? Possibility of a Mission to develop our community?
 
Corpus Christi Saturday evening Mass: Can all three parishes be involved in the Saturday evening Mass? Perhaps leave the specifically parish rotas blank so that people from the three parishes can volunteer? Readers and Eucharistic Ministers to be chosen on an ad hoc basis?
 
In what practical ways can we come together as a ‘threesome’ for the benefit of all?
 
Regular meetings would help us not to drift!