Cardinal Brady to preside at Inaugural meeting of the Armagh Diocesan Pastoral Council
You or a representative are invited to attend the inaugural meeting of the Armagh Diocesan Pastoral Council. Details are as follows:
| Date | Saturday 9 October 2010 |
| Time | 10:30am until 4.30pm |
| Venue | St Patrick’s College, Armagh. |
| In attendance | Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, will preside at the gathering and he will be assisted by Auxiliary Bishop Gerard Clifford; priests of the Archdiocese of Armagh; members of the new Parish Area Resource Teams and members of the new Diocesan Pastoral Council for the Archdiocese of Armagh. |
Looking forward to Saturday’s inaugural meeting Cardinal Brady said “All of our work is guided by the new diocesan aim which we launched in June: ‘As a diocese, we aim to be the body of Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit so that we can live like Jesus in our time and place sharing his compassionate love with all.’ Our objective is to sustain parishes as vibrant faith communities into the future.
“The new Diocesan Pastoral Council is an important moment in the life of the Archdiocese of Armagh. It underlines the reality that we all share, as a faith community at diocesan level, regarding our shared responsibility and commitment to the life of the Church.”
“The emergence of these new realities for the diocese is the fruit of many years planning and hard work and it has involved huge consultation with all of the faithful. The new structures bear testimony to the resilience of the Church and to the commitment of the faithful as they look for new ways to continue the work of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit in our time and place,” Cardinal Brady said.
Fr Michael Drumm and Dr Tony Hanna will be the two main presenters and the event will be facilitated by Fr Andrew McNally
The new Diocesan Pastoral Council is one of the major structural initiatives that Cardinal Brady introduced on 1 June 2010 when he promulgated the constitution that brought the Council into being and commissioned three hundred people to take up active ministries within the diocese.
The Council membership is drawn from all the states of life with the vast majority being laywomen and laymen. The Senate of Priests has representation on the Council as do the Religious and the new ecclesial movements.
The role of the new Diocesan Pastoral Council will be to act as an umbrella group to advise Cardinal Brady and help to plan the pastoral programme for the diocese over the next few years.
Notes for Editors
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Members of the Diocesan Pastoral Council consist of the following: Archbishop of Armagh (President), Auxiliary Bishop, the Vicars General, Chairman of the Senate of Priests, Chairpersons of the Diocesan Pastoral Council Commissions, Directors of the Office of Pastoral Renewal and Family Ministry, Chairperson of the Diocesan Pastoral Council as elected by the Council, Youth Director, Child Safeguarding Director, 2 members from each pastoral area nominated by the pastoral area resource teams, 2 priests nominated by the Senate of Priests, 3 full time pastoral workers nominated from their own cohort, 6 religious nominated from within their own members, 6 members nominated by the Youth Commission, 2 members nominated by the New Ecclesial Movements, 10 representatives drawn from active diocesan groups as nominated by the Archbishop and Diocesan Secretary.
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In June eight commissions, at the forefront of ministry in the diocese, were launched. These commissions are represented on the Diocesan Pastoral Council:
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– Liturgy
– Faith formation and training
– Mission and ecumenism
– Justice, peace and development
– Youth
– Care for priests
– Christian vocation
– Prayer and spirituality |
Each commission, while having its own particular focus, will bring a family perspective and a concern for safeguarding children to its work.
