Our Parish Target

Our Parish Target

As resolved by the parishioners following the Parish Renewal Program

By the end of 2009 all the people of Our Lady of Mt Carmel Parish Sunbury, through their experiences and through structures of communication and participation, are aware of the value of every person.

Explanation of the terms used in the target.

all the people: all the Catholics and their families, the parish priest and the religious, those who live within the boundaries and those who live outside the boundaries who choose to make this their parish, different generations, those aspiring to become Catholics, non-Catholic students, staff, and their families who identify with the Catholic schools in the Parish, and all those who choose to associate with us.

through their experiences: not just through words but through what actually happens, e.g. neighbourhood gatherings, personal contact, greeting and smiling, making oneself known to, showing an interest in, remembering other people’s names, being friendly towards, expressing care for, offering practical assistance to, working together in some common action.

structures of communication: ways of decentralising the parish such as area teams, the parish Good News letter, visitation to families, mailings, internet, email, parish web site.

and participation: pastoral care, assemblies, and open parish gatherings,are aware of, have a sense of, get used to the idea of, are awakened to, have an initial realisation of, are conscious of.

the value of every person: respect for the dignity of a person, the worth of each, the uniqueness of each.

Reasons to justify the target.

From the situation: on the one hand we are fragmented, unknown to one another,many have little sense of belonging, there is a lack of confidence and a lack of self-esteem. On the other hand some of us in the parish really want others to feel involved but don’t always know how to go about it.

From the ideal: Through the word of God in St Paul’s letters we are reminded that we need every member of the Body of Christ. Every part of the Body has it’s own purpose in the whole.

The conversion or step of growth we want to help happen is: That we move from letting people remain anonymous and go towards helping them to be recognised, connected, accepted, and to have a sense of belonging in the parish.