Although the three parishes were quite different with regard to numbers, age span, social mix and things like that, they shared one common feature--the priest was very much the focal point of their parish activity. We wished to change that and asked our fellow parishioners if they were prepared (with us) to try another model. We explained………….& they said Yes.

Neither of us would be the Parish Priest of any of the Parishes. We would be parishioners who would contribute to the parishes our Priesthood and all that entailed--especially in the area of Sacramental activity and leadership.   We would also bring our individual qualities and experiences, the same way that our fellow parishioners would bring their individual qualities and experiences.

We are aware that the path to full co-responsibility in the Church is not an easy one. Not a smooth one. With obstacles due to lack of confidence on the part of the laity and lack of willingness on the part of the clergy. Especially by clergy whose natural conversation includes such phrases as 'my parish' and 'my church' and 'my people'. Whereas for some, this language is nothing more than a traditional way of speaking, it does tend to betray an underlying attitude of possessiveness, which somehow seems inappropriate in the Church of today. Perhaps co-responsibility is seen as a threat or possibly as an inevitable option for the Church, when all else fails. Unfortunately when the latter is the case one can tend to have a core of responsible volunteers doing Father's wishes--which is not really co-responsibility, is it?

Embarking on this new approach to parish life in West Hull, we felt that it was essential that pretty early on we looked at the distinct, different and complementary roles of clergy and lay people. We reminded ourselves that the priest was essential to the celebration of the Mass not because he was more holy or more educated - but simply by virtue of his ordination. That the priest was able to be the instrument by which the forgiveness of God and reconciliation with the Church comes to the individual penitent, not because he is more sensitive or a wiser person - but by virtue of his ordination. That the priest being the instrument of the sacrament of the sick to a person in a hospital bed does not have anything to do with his having a better bedside manner or being more comfortable with the medical staff but simply because he is an ordained priest. Likewise with the other sacraments where he is the chief minister.

The words chosen by the newly inaugurated President of South Africa in 1994 suddenly took on a challenging relevance for us in West Hull in 2001. Words which made us stop and look deep into the mirror of our own being and with stuttering embarrassment reflect: I am brilliant? I am gorgeous? I am talented? I am  fabulous? That's me? In fact, to be honest, few of us could cope immediately with being either fabulous or gorgeous but the fact that some of us were admitting, first to ourselves, and hopefully soon to others, that Actually I'm not too bad, is at least a start. And an encouraging start for the future of the Church here in West Hull.