01 May 2018

Adelaide begins journey to Plenary

The Southern Cross newspaper – May 2018

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The Adelaide Archdiocese has started its journey towards the Plenary Council in 2020 with the first strategy meeting involving key stakeholders being held last month.

A range of groups within the diocese were represented at the meeting, which resulted in a number of ideas being put forward regarding ways of engaging people within the Adelaide Church.

To be conducted by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the 2020 Plenary Council will be the first to be held in more than 80 years and is tasked with looking at the future of the Catholic Church in Australia.

Key questions to be addressed will include what are Catholics called to do, who are we called to be, and how are we called to change?

In the lead up to the first session in October 2020, Catholics around the nation are being asked to participate in a ‘dialogue and open listening’ process.

To be launched at the Pentecost Vigil on May 19 and continuing until Easter 2019, this process will enable people within the Church to discern together and reflect on their own faith experience, life experience and experience of Church.

“Preparing for the Plenary Council is all about a journey of listening to each other and at the same time listening to what God is asking of us,” said Sarah Moffatt, who, along with John Lochowiak, is a member of the plenary’s executive committee.

Ms Moffatt said the dialogue process would be undertaken at numerous levels – ranging from small groups of families, friends, in parishes, schools, Catholic workplaces, through to possible gatherings at the diocesan level.

Kits are currently being prepared to assist groups with the process and will be available for download from the plenary website soon. By utilising this resource, Ms Moffatt said everyone in the Church would have the opportunity to make a submission and have their voices heard at the Plenary Council.

The next meeting of the local Plenary Council committee is scheduled for early May.

For further information go to www.plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au

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