As the archdiocese responds to the call to join the Sydney Synod, one of the forms of synodality, has been the Parish Pastoral Council, serving as a key expression at the local level.
The retreat was organised by the Parish Renewal Team (PRT), within the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation to assist Parish priests and Administrators, Assistant priests, Members of Parish Pastoral Council (PPC), PPC Chairpersons and PPC Secretaries.
“PPC’s play an important role in our parishes identifying the particular needs of their community and discerning initiatives required to help parishioners to grow as disciples and share the Good News to the wider community,” said organiser Tania Rimac, Team Leader of the PRT.
“This begins with Pastoral Council members nurturing their own personal relationship with Christ and taking considerable time to pray together, to make space to hear, and be led, by the Holy Spirit. Only then can Pastoral Councils be fruitful in their role of discerning and creating strategic plans for the parish,” she said.
While our parishes have experienced periods of dormancy, a renewed vitality is occurring across the archdiocese thanks to parishes committed to renewal and support provided by the PRT.
The PPC Retreat, held on 14 June at St Martha’s, offered members of Pastoral Councils an invaluable opportunity to prayerfully renew engagement and enter deeper reflection into their key roles, focussing on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and included Mass, talks, time of prayerful reflection, discussion and a holy hour with confession available.
Sonia Zec, a member of her parish pastoral council at All Hallows Parish in Five Dock appreciated the opportunity to retreat from the busy-ness of parish life to truly retreat and reflect.
“The word “retreat” itself means to step back – and that’s exactly what council members were invited to do. Rather than focusing on doing and planning, the day emphasised the importance of simply being present with Christ,” she said.
Jayden Zullo from Holy Name of Mary Parish in Hunters Hill learnt that the importance of loving God should never be confused with the pressure to accomplish tasks.
“The retreat reminded me that council members do so much for their parishes,” he said. “But true fulfillment comes not from the completion of projects, but from maintaining a constant love of the Lord.”
Both participants left the retreat with renewed clarity about their roles as pastoral council members. Zec emphasised how the experience reinforced that “everything starts with prayer, everything starts with Christ.” Before any action plans or parish initiatives, there must be stillness and an invitation for the Holy Spirit to guide their work.
Building on this theme, Zullo gained insight into how this spiritual foundation makes all other work more manageable and effective, stating: “when council members approach their responsibilities from a place of feeling loved by God, rather than from pressure to perform, everything else flows more naturally. The burden feels lighter, and the work can be done better because it springs from joy rather than obligation.”
By emphasising being over doing, and love over accomplishment, participants returned to their parishes with refreshed perspectives and renewed energy.
“This was the purpose of the day, to give time to members time to be renewed in their relationship with Jesus, to be strengthened for their role of leading the parish in mission,” said Rimac.
The commitment of the Parish Renewal Team in providing these graces through retreat days such as these, continues to bear fruit for parishes and the wider archdiocese, and is a reminder that effective parish ministry must be rooted in prayer, guided by the Holy Spirit, and motivated by love rather than duty.
For more information about upcoming PPC workshops, please follow the link.