Go Make Disciples Wrap 12 Dec 2021

catholicweekly.com.au On mission with the Lord who loves us Meet the inspiring Parish Renewal Team at the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation charged with the job of assisting parishes as they share their hearts and hopes for 2022 THE PARISH Renewal Team, led by Elizabeth Arblaster, supports parishes that are seeking to renew their com- munities as places of encoun- ter with the living Christ and centres of evangelisation and outreach in love and mercy. The team does this princi- pally by providing practical support for parishes seek- ing to engage strategies for spiritual and structural re- newal outlined in the Archdi- ocesanMission Plan, GoMake Disciples . What do you lovemost about your role? Working with the inspiring people in our parishes. Provid- ing our clergy with opportuni- ties to support their ministry. Proving high-quality events that unpack the riches of our Tradition to support disciples to grow in holiness. Serving God and trying to listen towhat He is askingme to do. Creating a supportive and positive envi- ronment for my team so they can do their best work. What’s one challenge you encounter? Lockdown was definitely a challenge because parish by nature is an experience of the Real Presence of God and the real presence of others. Thank God for Zoom which allowed us to provide some spiritual nourishment through various retreats and courses online. What are your hopes for the people of Sydney as they deepen their relationships with Christ and with each other? That through the grace of God, parish communities and individual members of the faithful will experience being drawn closer into the heart of the Father of All Mercies and hear how He is asking them to serve Him in Christ and through the power of the Holy ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues Spirit. There is no doubt that renewal will come through people doing whatever the Lord tells them. What do you lovemost about your role? The Catholic Church is a communion and commu- nity and there is no more fulfilling work for me than engaging with parish com- munities and working hand in hand to build the Church locally so that parishes can flourish in their pastoral life and be missionary in their outlook. What’s one challenge you encounter? COVID-19 has delayed our plans to commence dialogue with parishes and journey with them to achieve their hopes and expectations for their community now and into the future. What are your hopes for the people of Sydney as they deepen their relationships with Christ and with each other? Helping our parishes put into action the New Evangeli- sation at a time when many in our community are searching for answers. What do you lovemost about your role? Jesus’ last words to his fol- lowers were to go and make disciples of all nations. I’ve tried in little ways to re- spond to that call through- out my life and particularly in religious life. I’m espe- cially excited to be back in Sydney living that mission in some small way in my own backyard. What’s one challenge you encounter? I often wonder how to best evangelise in our particular context, especially with the effects of the long lockdown on people’s hopes and fears about participating in Chris- tian community life. We hu- mans are incarnational ac- cording to our nature, and even more so as Catholics who love the smells, bells, and tangibility of the Sacraments. So, I am praying about how to best welcome Catholics back to our precious sacramental life within the Catholic com- munity, and my part in that. What are your hopes for the people of Sydney as they deepen their relationships with Christ and with each other? As our contemporary life seems to become more and more complex, I hope that many people of faith, and those without faith, come to deeper confidence in the un- changing love of God for each of us, trusting that He alone can bring peace and purpose that endure no matter what else is going on. What do you lovemost about your role? I love working with a team of people who are on fire for the love of Jesus. I also love being able to support the lay faithful as they deepen their faith and grow in the courage of sharing their faith with oth- ers in their day-to-day lives – that’s what it’s all about! What’s one challenge you encounter? I’m a sinner. Thankfully, Je- sus anticipated this and pro- vides the solution – the Sacra- ment of Confession. What are your hopes for the peopleof Sydneyas theydeep- en their relationships with Christ andwitheachother? Looking back and looking forward: Go Make Disciples first An Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP launches the Go Make Disciples archdiocesan mission plan at St Mary’s Cathedral, December 2020. My hope is that more and more people will be so over- come with the love and mercy of Jesus, that they will not be able to not share it with oth- ers. What do you lovemost about your role? I love that my role is cen- tred around working with people in our parishes who are passionate about serving Jesus and His mission and building teams to bring others to encounter Jesus. What’s one challenge you encounter? A challenge I find is that at times people want to act quickly and then want im- mediate results when im- plementing ideas within a parish. I believe that for true renewal of our parishes we need to practice the virtue of longanimity so that we take a long view of what it is we want to do and so that when we do things it takes root and pro- duces an abundance of fruit for generations. What are your hopes for the people of Sydney as they deepen their relationships with Christ and with each other? My hope is that the people of Sydney will come to under- stand the important role that they each play in the renewal of our parishes. Each baptised person plays a significant role in building up the kingdom of God and it is only when we come together and use the gifts given to us by God that real transformation hap- pens. It is when the people of God are transformed that our Church will be renewed, and this is my hope for the people of Sydney. Contact the team: pari shrenewal@sydney- catholic.org or (02) 9390 5330 Elizabeth Arblaster Parish Renewal Manager Barbara Perry Community Engagement Manager Sister Anastasia Reeves OP Parish Renewal Officer Helen Wagner Parish Renewal Officer Tania Rimac Alpha Parish Development Coordinator