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In 2025 the Parish Renewal Team (PRT) of the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation continued to support parishes to live the evangelising mission of the church locally.
With a strengthened focus on equipping parish leaders, supporting parish priests, fostering a culture of evangelisation, and providing opportunities for great formation the team walked alongside communities to help them grow as vibrant centres of faith, encounter, and mission.
A priority for the year was supporting Parish Pastoral Councils (PPC), by offering tailored formation and coaching for members as well as a retreat.
Formation and workshop sessions were designed to help councils engage in discerning God’s plan for their parish, understand the new archdiocesan guidelines for PPC’s and support members to be unified and work more cohesively with one another.
One member who attended a workshop said “I was delighted to experience a genuinely Christ-centred approach throughout the evening. I believe this has truly inspired PPC members across the archdiocese to recognise the responsibility they carry on behalf of their parish, in their sacred duty [as members of the PPC].
The workshop was clear, concise, and offered practical methods that can easily be adopted by PPC members in a real and meaningful way”.
Another key moment in 2025 was the Alpha Catholic Conference: The Way of Hope, a partnership between the Archdiocese of Sydney and Alpha Australia.
This national conference with over 200 delegates inspired and equipped people to share their faith with others and provided practical ways to reach people on the peripheries.
Keynote speaker was Bishop Gielen from the Diocese of Christchurch, New Zealand and was joined by other leaders across the church including Sr Elena Marie OP and Daniel Ang.
Highlights included breakout labs, panels which highlighted stories of local communities that saw lives changed through authentic encounter and hospitality, Mass and an Encounter evening which included Eucharistic adoration and the sacrament of confession.
One delegate shared “I felt renewed and revived to keep active as a missionary disciple. Bishop Gielen was fantastic and so inspiring. I look forward to sharing my conference experience & ideas with my priest and others in the parish”.
The year also saw another two Called and Gifted Discernment Process take place helping over 70 faithful disciples discover their spiritual gifts and understand how God has gifted them and was inviting them to serve.
A survey of alumni of the process was made and a majority reported that the “process had a significant” or “very strong impact on my life”. One participant shared “this course has been really inspiring, it has given me direction, and it has helped me to find my purpose. I have a clearer sense of what God wants me to do, and how he wants me to serve in the church”.
Other important initiatives included Didaskō, the monthly online adult-faith formation series presented by lecturers from the University of Notre Dame Australia and the Lenten Companion both of which will be offered again in 2026, as well as Flourishing Parishes and Jubilee Workshops, Hospitality Seminar, Alpha support and Renewed for Mission Days across the archdiocese.
For more information and support please contact the team via at parishrenewal@sydneycatholic.org or go to gomakedisciples.org.au.
Tania Rimac is the Parish Evangelisation and Formation Coordinator, Parish Renewal Team, at the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation.