Thank you to all those who took part in the recent parish conversations – those who organised and facilitated, and all who participated in each of the 53 parishes of our diocese. There has been a great response throughout the diocese, with many people appreciating the opportunity to reflect on the future of their parish life. Go raibh míle maith agaibh!
Míle buíochas le gach éinne a ghlac páirt sna comhráite paróiste le déanaí – iad siúd a d’eagraigh agus a d’éascaigh, agus gach duine a ghlac páirt i ngach ceann de 53 paróiste ár ndeoise. Bhí freagairt iontach ar fud na deoise, agus go leor daoine buíoch as an deis chun machnamh a dhéanamh ar thodhchaí a saol paróiste. Go raibh míle maith agaibh!
The reports from each parish area are presently being gathered. Over the coming weeks, the planning group will read each of the reports and note the common themes emerging from the parish conversations. Having identified these themes, the planning group will draw up a draft plan. This plan will then be circulated to all the parish pastoral councils by the end of April. PPCs will asked to critique the proposed plan. The final draft of the plan will be prepared by mid-June.
Tá na tuairiscí ó gach ceantar paróiste á mbailiú faoi láthair. Sna seachtainí atá romhainn, léifidh an grúpa pleanála gach tuairisc agus tabharfaidh siad faoi deara na téamaí comónta a tháinig chun cinn ó chomhráite an pharóiste. Tar éis na téamaí seo a aithint, dréachtóidh an grúpa pleanála dréachtphlean. Scaipfear an plean seo ansin ar na comhairlí paróiste ar fad faoi dheireadh mhí Aibreáin. Iarrfaidh ar na comhairli treadaithe a leirmheas ar an plean molta. Ullmhófar dréacht deiridh an phlean faoi lár mhí an Mheithimh.
Summary from Martin Kennedy
Reports of the parish meetings are nearly all in at this point. Some 1,850 people took part. The meetings were described as positive, energetic, and engaged. At the same time there was a keen sense of who wasn’t there – people under 50 years of age. Looking to the immediate future this already highlights a priority from the meetings – mission to the younger generation and their parents. There was a strong sense throughout of wanting to hold on to the structures of local church, parish, and pastoral area. The reports envisaged parish life coordinated more by lay people, with priests more focussed on Mass, sacraments, and pastoral presence at times of serious illness and death. There was a definite call for structured roles and tasks for lay people in this, women and men, with proper training and resourcing, and clear lines of accountability. There was a strong sense of the value of cooperation between parishes in pastoral areas on the basis that this supports parish identity. Throughout there was a sense of warmth and gratitude towards the priests, and a recognition of the need to respond realistically and fairly to reduced numbers and ageing.
Tá tuairiscí ar chruinnithe an pharóiste beagnach ar fad istigh ag an bpointe seo. Ghlac thart ar 1,850 duine páirt. Cuireadh síos ar na cruinnithe a bheith dearfach, fuinniúil agus gafa. Ag an am céanna bhí tuiscint mhaith ar cé nach raibh ann – daoine faoi 50 bliain d’aois. Ag féachaint don todhchaí láithreach, cuireann sé seo béim cheana féin ar thosaíocht ó na cruinnithe – misean don ghlúin óg agus dá dtuismitheoirí. Bhí braistint láidir tríd síos go raibh fonn orthu coinneáil le struchtúir na heaglaise áitiúla, an pharóiste agus an cheantair thréadach. Shamhlaigh na tuarascálacha go mbeadh saol an pharóiste á chomhordú níos mó ag tuataí, le sagairt ag díriú níos mó ar Aifreann, sacraimintí, agus láithreacht tréadach ag amanna tinnis thromchúiseacha agus báis. Bhí éileamh cinnte ar róil agus ar thascanna struchtúrtha do thuataí sa mhéid seo, mná agus fir, le hoiliúint agus acmhainní cuí, agus línte soiléire cuntasachta. Bhí braistint láidir ar luach an chomhoibrithe idir paróistí i gceantair thréadacha ar an mbonn go dtacaíonn sé seo le féiniúlacht paróiste. Ar fud na gcruinnithe, bhí mothú teasa agus buíochais do na sagairt, agus aitheantas don ghá le freagairt go réalaíoch agus go cothrom do líon laghdaithe agus aosaithe.