Inclusiveness Hospitality Service Mission
Mary Mother of the Church
Catholic Parish Ivanhoe
Mary Mother of the Church
Catholic Parish Ivanhoe
Plenary Council 2020/2021
About the 6 national themes for discernment
including Working Group membership details for each of the 6 themes
(updated 4 November 2019)
"Listening to Christ
by listening to one another"
After around nine months the Parish process for collecting the considered thoughts
of Parishioners and School families for the 2020 Plenary concluded in March 2019
and on 4 March a submission from our Parish was sent to the Plenary Council Team and to Archbishop Peter Comensoli
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phase 2: "Let's Listen and Discern"
September 2019 - March 2020
"Listen to what the Spirit is Saying"
FINAL REPORT for the Plenary Council
PHASE 1: Listening & Dialogue
28 July 2019
(this 314 page FINAL REPORT is available HERE)
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Plenary Council progress - Mary Mother of the Church Catholic Parish Ivanhoe local video
28 July 2019
At each of our Parish Masses
this weekend a short parish-produced video was screened to update us
on the Plenary Council 2020 process of listening and discernment and
what lies ahead. It also refers to the FINAL REPORT for the Plenary Council PHASE 1: Listening & Dialogue report published also on 28 July 2019 and is accessible above vis the Plenary Council Team website. The Video also refers to the 17,500 submissions and 220,000 Inputs. The FINAL REPORT above and an earlier SUMMARY report below more specifically indicates how many of the 220,00 inputs were private submissions and how many (the majority) were 'contributors' to the 17,500 submissions.
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Summary of Plenary Submissions March 2018 - May 2019 HERE
National Centre for Pastoral Research, July 2019
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Invitation to apply for positions of Leaders and members of pre-Plenary Council Working Groups (By 22 July 2019)
As previously announced The Bishops Commission
for the Plenary Council is seeking people who are willing to
be key partners and leaders in the process of discernment as
the Church in Australia continues preparing for the Plenary
Council in October 2020. The roles advertised are for Chairs
and members of groups which
will each reflect on one of the National Themes of Discernment
announced at Pentecost 2019:
A Christ-centred Church that
is:
1. Missionary and
Evangelising;
2. Inclusive, Participatory
and Synodal;
3. Prayerful and
Eucharistic;
4. Humble, Healing and
Merciful;
5. A Joyful, Hope-filled and
Servant Community; and
6. Open to Conversion,
Renewal and ReformNews 2019
The
groups will each engage in a process of communal
discernment and reflection on one of the themes in order to
draft a working paper by March 2020; the working papers will
help to form the agenda for the first session of the Plenary
Council. The
bishops have described this as "a unique opportunity for
visionary and open-hearted, faith-filled people who are
committed to the faith, life and ministries of
the Catholic Church in Australia and the mission of God." The role of these groups as
described should be critical to the development of the Plenary
Council agenda, which in turn will be critical to the adequacy
of discussion at the Plenary Council. The Member Role
Description Secretariat
For 'Plenary Council Discernment and Writing Group Member' may
be accessed HERE . The Chair Role
Description Secretariat For 'Plenary Council Discernment and
Writing Group Chair’ may be accessed HERE Application details are available HERE
Plenary Council 2020: Joint Parish Statement
Friday 28 June 2019
A group of twenty-three Melbourne parishes collectively prepared a statement (23 May 2019) on changes they wish to see resulting from the Plenary Council. The statement is a joint initiative between Nazareth Catholic Parish, Grovedale, Torquay & Anglesea; Our Lady of the Assumption, Chelthenam; St Carthages University Parish, Parkville; St Kevins Parish, Templestowe; and St Patricks Parish, Kilmore. The Joint Statement was submitted to the Plenary Council Team and sent also to a number of Bishops. The Joint Parish Statement may be viewed and/or downloaded HERE.
Snapshot report of the Plenary Council “Inclusive, Participatory and Synodal” theme
Plenary Council Team, Sunday 23 June 2019
A link to this second Snapshot report of the Plenary Council theme "Inclusive, Participatory and Synodal" is provided HERE. Included at the end of the Report is a schedule of the release of the other snapshot reports.
Previously published general details HERE on the overall 2020 Plenary 'themes' and on the "Mission and Evangelizing' theme.
Snapshot report of the Plenary Council "Missionary and Evangelizing" theme
Plenary Council Team, Thursday 19 June 2019
A link to the Snapshot report
of the Plenary Council theme of Missionary and Evangelizing is provided HERE.
Included at the end of the Report is a schedule of the release of the other reports.
Further details HERE on the themes
Announcement of national themes for discernment opens next phase for Plenary Council
Extract from Melbourne Catholic, Sunday 9 June 2019
The Plenary Council 2020 moves into its next phase of preparation today with the announcement of the National Themes for Discernment that emerged from a historic process of listening to the voices of more than 222,000 people. Between May 2018 and March 2019, almost 17,500 submissions, from individuals and groups of all sizes, addressed the Plenary Council’s central question: “What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?” Over several days of listening to what the people of God said, with intense moments of prayer and discernment, the Bishops Commission for the Plenary Council and its Executive Committee, joined by the Facilitation Team, considered what people were longing for. Six National Themes for Discernment emerged. “The National Centre for Pastoral Research was able to pinpoint more than 100 recurring subject areas from those 17,500 submissions,” said Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, president of the Plenary Council. “In some ways, those subject areas described what one might call ‘the messy reality’ of Catholic life in Australia today. The voices of the faithful help all of us to understand something of the historical experience and the current reality of the Catholic Church in Australia. "We worked to discern what people were yearning for as we move into this next stage of preparing for the Plenary Council.” Archbishop Costelloe said there was a clear desire expressed for the Church to renew herself and focus on the person of Jesus Christ. “Accordingly, the six National Themes for Discernment flow from that primary goal of being a Christ-centred community of people,” he explained. The six National Themes for Discernment invite people to reflect, to pray and to consider how God is calling the People of God to be a Christ-centred Church in Australia that is:
Missionary and Evangelising
Inclusive, Participatory and Synodal
Prayerful and Eucharistic
Humble, Healing and Merciful
A Joyful, Hope-Filled and Servant Community
Open to conversion, Renewal and Reform
Plenary Council facilitator Lana Turvey-Collins said many topics relate to one or more of the National Themes for Discernment and this next stage of preparation – “Listening and Discernment” – is a time of prayerful consideration of the “big” questions that have been raised by the faithful. The emergence of the National Themes for Discernment is an important moment in our journey towards the Plenary Council.....(MORE)
Extract from Melbourne Catholic, Sunday 9 June 2019
The Plenary Council 2020 moves into its next phase of preparation today with the announcement of the National Themes for Discernment that emerged from a historic process of listening to the voices of more than 222,000 people. Between May 2018 and March 2019, almost 17,500 submissions, from individuals and groups of all sizes, addressed the Plenary Council’s central question: “What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?” Over several days of listening to what the people of God said, with intense moments of prayer and discernment, the Bishops Commission for the Plenary Council and its Executive Committee, joined by the Facilitation Team, considered what people were longing for. Six National Themes for Discernment emerged. “The National Centre for Pastoral Research was able to pinpoint more than 100 recurring subject areas from those 17,500 submissions,” said Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, president of the Plenary Council. “In some ways, those subject areas described what one might call ‘the messy reality’ of Catholic life in Australia today. The voices of the faithful help all of us to understand something of the historical experience and the current reality of the Catholic Church in Australia. "We worked to discern what people were yearning for as we move into this next stage of preparing for the Plenary Council.” Archbishop Costelloe said there was a clear desire expressed for the Church to renew herself and focus on the person of Jesus Christ. “Accordingly, the six National Themes for Discernment flow from that primary goal of being a Christ-centred community of people,” he explained. The six National Themes for Discernment invite people to reflect, to pray and to consider how God is calling the People of God to be a Christ-centred Church in Australia that is:
Missionary and Evangelising
Inclusive, Participatory and Synodal
Prayerful and Eucharistic
Humble, Healing and Merciful
A Joyful, Hope-Filled and Servant Community
Open to conversion, Renewal and Reform
Plenary Council facilitator Lana Turvey-Collins said many topics relate to one or more of the National Themes for Discernment and this next stage of preparation – “Listening and Discernment” – is a time of prayerful consideration of the “big” questions that have been raised by the faithful. The emergence of the National Themes for Discernment is an important moment in our journey towards the Plenary Council.....(MORE)
Discernment transforms voices into Plenary Council themes
Data analysis, prayer and reflection have helped the Plenary Council 2020 process distil the voices of more than 222,000 people across the country into a number of “National Themes for Discernment”.
Extracts from CathNews, ACBC Media Blog, 31 May 2019
More than 75 people met last week to listen to and understand the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the submissions received during the 10-month Listening and Dialogue phase of the Plenary Council. The National Centre for Pastoral Research, using best-practice analysis skills and software, read the almost 17,500 group and individual submissions and over three days provided their insights for those attending the meeting. “Our job was to review and report on how people responded to the question ‘What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?’,” explained National Centre for Pastoral Research director Trudy Dantis. Among those in attendance during the presentation of the data were members of the Bishops Commission for the Plenary Council, the Plenary Council Executive Committee and the Plenary Council Facilitation Team. Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, president of the Plenary Council, said it was a significant responsibility to listen to the stories from the hearts and minds of ordinary Catholics across a huge variety of contexts – sometimes in harmony with one another, at other times divergent. “This was done by listening to the information Dr Dantis and her colleagues presented, then taking time for reflection on those subject areas in prayer,” Archbishop Costelloe said......Members of the Plenary Council Local Coordinators Network, representing dioceses and archdioceses, met over the subsequent two days to discuss how the National Themes for Discernment could be communicated and considered by people in their local faith communities. The themes and other analysis from the Listening and Dialogue phase of the Council will be released throughout June, beginning at Pentecost....(More). Photo: CathNews, ACBC
Data analysis, prayer and reflection have helped the Plenary Council 2020 process distil the voices of more than 222,000 people across the country into a number of “National Themes for Discernment”.
Extracts from CathNews, ACBC Media Blog, 31 May 2019
More than 75 people met last week to listen to and understand the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the submissions received during the 10-month Listening and Dialogue phase of the Plenary Council. The National Centre for Pastoral Research, using best-practice analysis skills and software, read the almost 17,500 group and individual submissions and over three days provided their insights for those attending the meeting. “Our job was to review and report on how people responded to the question ‘What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?’,” explained National Centre for Pastoral Research director Trudy Dantis. Among those in attendance during the presentation of the data were members of the Bishops Commission for the Plenary Council, the Plenary Council Executive Committee and the Plenary Council Facilitation Team. Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, president of the Plenary Council, said it was a significant responsibility to listen to the stories from the hearts and minds of ordinary Catholics across a huge variety of contexts – sometimes in harmony with one another, at other times divergent. “This was done by listening to the information Dr Dantis and her colleagues presented, then taking time for reflection on those subject areas in prayer,” Archbishop Costelloe said......Members of the Plenary Council Local Coordinators Network, representing dioceses and archdioceses, met over the subsequent two days to discuss how the National Themes for Discernment could be communicated and considered by people in their local faith communities. The themes and other analysis from the Listening and Dialogue phase of the Council will be released throughout June, beginning at Pentecost....(More). Photo: CathNews, ACBC
Plenary Update on the process ahead, Sunday 10 March 2019
The Plenary Council Team website has published a clear and comprehensive update on the Plenary process ahead, among other things including an overall process CHART , and the extract underneath. These update the report below. The next phase of the Plenary process as it affects Parishes launches the 'Listening and Discernment" phase on 9 June. It launches the Plenary THEMES but not the Plenary Agenda at that stage. The Agenda will follow from the Listening and Discernment phase
Based on the Chart The steps ahead are:
- Draft preliminary National Report (published early June) with emergent themes for the Plenary Council identified. Listening and Discernment stage (start 9 June)
- Application and selection of Working Group Chairs and members – one Working Group for each identified theme – to develop council papers for discussion as 1st session (starts in June 2019)
- Working Groups meet for first time and local group discernment begins (July 2019)
- Nominations open for [selection] of lay delegates to Plenary Council (September 2019)
- Diocesan qualitative reports published by NCPR (October 2019)
- Draft Plenary Council papers prepared by Working Groups made available for download and discussion (April 2020)
- 1st Session 4-11 October 2020 in Adelaide
- 2nd Session May 2021 in Sydney
EXTRACT The Plenary Team website update refers to the Listening and Discernment phase & what happens before then:
With the Listening and Dialogue phase now complete, the National Centre for Pastoral Research will continue the deep listening process, conducting a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the submissions received and, using best-practice research methods, will identify key themes that have emerged. Then, in May, the Bishops Commission for the Plenary Council, the Plenary Council Executive Committee and the Facilitation Team will work together with the National Centre for Pastoral Research to finalise the National Themes for Discernment. Those themes will become the focus for the Listening and Discernment phase and will be the foundations for the Plenary Council agenda.
With the second phase of the Plenary Council process – Listening and Discernment – to begin in June, it is important to understand what discernment is. In the coming weeks and months, there will be a number of articles and videos created to help explain discernment."
So what does all this mean for our Parish?
As per the above, the 'Listening and Discernment' phase will be the foundation for the Plenary Council agenda, based on the National Themes for Discernment' document. Articles and videos before June 6 will explain discernment. Then "Local small group discernment" (presumably in Parishes) will be part of a wider discernment process. In September Nominations will also "open for [selection] of lay delegates to Plenary Council." Furthermore, "In April 2020 "draft Plenary Council papers discerned by the Working Group become available for download and discussion."
Parish submission sent to the Plenary Council Team (link HERE)
John Costa, Parish Plenary input Convenor, Friday 8 March 2019, updated Sunday 10 March
Meeting the deadline of Ash Wednesday one year after formal launch of the Plenary Council 2020/2021 process to listen to what what people think "Christ is asking us to make our Church today", our response was formally submitted Tuesday. It is also being forwarded to Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli. Over 100 people from small family groups in the Parish, School groups (some including children), some young adults, friend groups, Outreach Group, Parish Pastoral Council, Men's Group and individuals are telling Australia's bishops exactly what they think. All responses were frank, forthright and constructive. In the true spirit of the Plenary process they were also thoughtful, considered, and respectful, capturing what everyone involved honestly thinks. This listening process in the Catholic Church is the first of its kind in the world and very much a tribute to the idea of Pope Francis who introduced it. Plenary proceedings and outcomes will be watched with great interest across the whole Catholic world. Our participation is a particular tribute to those from our Parish and Schools who spoke out honestly "hoping to help renew our Church". Our submission is joined by many others around Australia. It includes individual comments as well as summaries and may be seen/downloaded HERE. It also includes some late responses not included in the prior A, B & C Question summaries. Shortly all Australian bishops will have been told what People of God in our Parish and across Australia think they should do. Will they listen? The future of our Church depends on their response. Guided by all these inputs the Plenary Themes will be announced on 9 June with the launch of the the "Listening and Discernment' phase. Our website will continue to provide updates.
John Costa, Parish Plenary input Convenor, Friday 8 March 2019, updated Sunday 10 March
Meeting the deadline of Ash Wednesday one year after formal launch of the Plenary Council 2020/2021 process to listen to what what people think "Christ is asking us to make our Church today", our response was formally submitted Tuesday. It is also being forwarded to Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli. Over 100 people from small family groups in the Parish, School groups (some including children), some young adults, friend groups, Outreach Group, Parish Pastoral Council, Men's Group and individuals are telling Australia's bishops exactly what they think. All responses were frank, forthright and constructive. In the true spirit of the Plenary process they were also thoughtful, considered, and respectful, capturing what everyone involved honestly thinks. This listening process in the Catholic Church is the first of its kind in the world and very much a tribute to the idea of Pope Francis who introduced it. Plenary proceedings and outcomes will be watched with great interest across the whole Catholic world. Our participation is a particular tribute to those from our Parish and Schools who spoke out honestly "hoping to help renew our Church". Our submission is joined by many others around Australia. It includes individual comments as well as summaries and may be seen/downloaded HERE. It also includes some late responses not included in the prior A, B & C Question summaries. Shortly all Australian bishops will have been told what People of God in our Parish and across Australia think they should do. Will they listen? The future of our Church depends on their response. Guided by all these inputs the Plenary Themes will be announced on 9 June with the launch of the the "Listening and Discernment' phase. Our website will continue to provide updates.
Parish and School communities "Collected Responses to Question 'C'
- available for download below Helping to Renew our Church via input to the '2020 Plenary Council'
19 February 2019
What do we as Church need to do to move from 'A' to 'B' (what respondents suggest the Plenary Council needs to do to move from where we are now as a Church to what Christ is calling us to make the Church become).
Now
that members of our Parish and School communities have thoughfully
considered all these three questions while respectfully listening to
one another a final summary report will be prepared for formal submission to the Church's Plenary Council agenda-setting group, and our local Archbishop Peter Comensoli before the due date of Ash Wednesday (6 March) 2019. It will also be published on this website. The final report will briefly summarise overall comments and include three Appendices, for each of the A, B & C responses below.
The collection of responses to Question 'C' is available HERE
Parish and School communities "Collected responses to Question ‘B’"
- available for download below Helping to Renew our Church via input to the '2020 Plenary Council'
26 January 2019
Responses have now been captured from a mix of small groups and individuals in our Parish and school communities in answer to the second Question (B) “What is Christ calling us to make our Church today?” (Listening to the Holy Spirit). To assist the Australian Plenary Council 2020/2021 in its deliberations these responses together with previously collected responses to Question ‘A’ (available below) and subsequent responses to Question 'C' (to follow) will be refined and collectively summarised for submission to the Church’s Plenary Council agenda-setting group, and our local Archbishop Peter Comensoli, before the due date of Ash Wednesday (6 March) 2019.
Inputs to Questions 'A' and 'B' and 'C' are now closed.
The
collection of responses to Question 'B' is available HERE
Parish and School communities "collected responses to Question ‘A’" - available for download below Helping to Renew our Church via Inputs to the ‘2020 Plenary Council’
Thursday 6 December 2018
Thursday 6 December 2018
A compilation of captured answers from across our Parish and School communities to Question 'A' "What does our Church look like now" has now been published (below). It's part of the process of "listening to God by listening to one another" and an important step towards answering the even more important second Question 'B' "What is Christ calling us to make our Church today?", followed by the final question "What do we, as Church, need to do to move from A to B?". From collected responses to these questions a summary will be submitted to the '2020 Plenary' agenda-setting process, and also to Archbishop Peter Comensoli of Melbourne Archdiocese by Ash Wednesday 2019. Responses so been very helpful and honest, though received later than hoped. Time is running out, so responses to Question 'B' (and 'C' if possible at this stage) are now required by 23 December. A video progress report will be presented at Masses this weekend. The collection of raw responses to Question A at this stage (for later summary after Questions B&C responses are available) is available HERE.
- Plenary Council Questions for parish ONLINE submission (now closed):
Video Update on Parish and School communities input to the 2020 Plenary
Thursday 6 December 2018
This 3 minute video provides a progress update and announces availability of Mary Mother of the Church
Parish and school community responses to the 2020 Plenary input Question 'A' (of A,
B,C) "What does our church look like now" (Listening to one another). It also describes the next step in our Parish plenary preparation process. Video HERE- Plenary Council 2020 Website HERE
- Mary Mother of the Church Ivanhoe Launch Video (20 October 2018, 8 minutes) describing our Parish process for providing Plenary Inputs
- Guidelines for leaders of small, informal, 'listening and sharing' groups preparing inputs to the Plenary Council preparation process Here
- Plenary Council Questions' hard-copy proforma for Parish use may be downloaded HERE
- Indexed background resources to assist those discerning and preparing inputs to the Plenary Council HERE. These augment and are are complementary to those on the Plenary Council website. NOTE: The Preface explains how this user-friendly set of resources may be easily used.
- Enquiries on your Parish participation in the Plenary 2020 agenda setting process? Fr Bill, or John Costa 0409 967 207 or email HERE