More than 600 Catholics, including eight bishops and 100 clergy, have registered for a national parish renewal summit in Campbelltown, reflecting a growing determination across the Australian Church to place evangelisation and mission at the heart of parish life.
The Renewed and Sent Parish Renewal Summit will bring bishops, clergy, religious and lay leaders from every Australian state and territory to St Gregory’s College from 1–3 October.
Hosted by the Diocese of Wollongong in collaboration with Divine Renovation Australasia, the gathering will examine how Catholic parishes can move beyond maintaining existing activities to become communities that actively form disciples and make Christ known.
With registrations still open, more than 500 laypeople and religious have already committed to attending alongside the bishops and clergy.
Bishop of Wollongong Brian Mascord said the response pointed to a shared desire for parishes to be renewed in faith and equipped for mission.
“Our theme, Renewed and Sent, expresses our shared desire across our country to see our parishes revitalised by the Holy Spirit – renewed in faith and missionary zeal, and sent forth to bring Christ’s love to our communities,” Bishop Mascord said.
He said he was encouraged by the number of people travelling from across Australia who shared a desire to see the church become increasingly vibrant and purposeful in its mission.
The summit comes as dioceses and parishes throughout Australia grapple with declining participation, changing patterns of religious affiliation and the challenge of handing on the faith to new generations.
At the same time, there are tangible signs of renewed spiritual searching and openness to the Gospel, as seen in the increases in new converts and candidates entering the church across many dioceses in Australia.
The Director of the Office of Renewal and Evangelisation in the Diocese of Wollongong, Jude Hennessy, said parishes needed to be ready to respond to this emerging openness.
“It is inspiring to see such a strong response from clergy who are eager to come together as key leaders on the first day of the summit,” he said.
“Many dioceses and parishes are encountering a new openness to the Gospel and to the truth and beauty of the sacramental life of our Catholic faith. We want the summit to help participants respond to that openness with confidence.”
The opening day will be dedicated to bishops and clergy, recognising their particular responsibility for fostering missionary leadership and supporting renewal within local parish communities. Lay and religious leaders will join the gathering for the remaining two days.
Among the principal speakers will be Canadian priest Fr James Mallon, author of Divine Renovation: Moving Your Parish from Maintenance to Mission. His work has influenced parish renewal initiatives internationally by emphasising evangelisation, leadership, hospitality and the formation of missionary disciples.
Fr Mallon will also appear in an upcoming episode of the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation’s podcast Grace Abounds, where he will discuss the opportunities and challenges facing parishes seeking to move from maintenance to mission.
International and Australian speakers will contribute to a program combining keynote presentations, workshops, prayer, Mass and opportunities for participants to exchange experiences from their own dioceses and parishes.
Tomasz Juszczak of Divine Renovation Australasia said the summit had been designed for communities at different stages of renewal, including those only beginning to consider how their parish culture might become more missionary.
“The workshop program will be very practical, offering participants approaches and strategies that have been tested in parish settings,” he said.
Organisers hope the summit will do more than provide encouragement over three days. Its larger purpose is to equip clergy and lay leaders to return home with practical ways of strengthening evangelisation, developing leaders and fostering a parish culture in which all the baptised recognise their responsibility for the church’s mission.
Individuals, families and parish groups can attend the summit. Registrations close on 15 September. Further information, including the program and ticketing options, is available at renewedandsent.com.au.
