Walking humbly with our God
DIOCESE OF NORTHAMPTON
PASTORAL AREA OF SLOUGH
In May 2009 Bishop Peter re-organised our Diocese into THIRTEEN PASTORAL AREAS, replacing the former 8 Deaneries. Our area consists of the parishes of Our Lady of Peace, Burnham, St. Ethelbert's, Slough, St. Anthony's, Farnham Royal, Holy Family, Langley, St. Augustine's, Datchet, Holy Redeemer, and Wexham.
In each area the Bishop has appointed a Dean, a Pastoral Area Link and a small steering group to forward the issues of RENEWAL and PLANNING FOR CHANGE.
The members of our steering group are Canon Kevin O'Driscoll (Dean), Mrs. Margaret Lawrence (Pastoral Area Link),Mrs. Lorette Carter (St. Augustine's), Sr. Catherine Skelton (Daughters of St. Paul), Ms. Maria Corcoran (St. Ethelbert's), Mr. Mike Connolly (Our Lady of Peace), Mr. Kieran McKeown (Holy Family), Mr. Michael Ossei-Williams (Holy Redeemer), Mr. Mike Robinson (St. Anthony's), Mrs. Maria Boland (secretary).
The group has arranged the following:
- making available to parishes Bishop Peter's vision address of 2008
- organising each parish in our area to undertake a review of its resources and finances making available to parishescopies of the Diocesan Advent (2009) DVD which outlined the marks of a "Thriving Catholic Community"
- the writing a pastoral area profile arranging "Guided Conversations" so that each parish could express what are its strengths and successes.
Bishop Peter has now asked each Pastoral Area to develop a GROUNDPLAN and to present it to him by Pentecost 2010. Each parish within each Pastoral Area has a profile within the groundplan. On the facing page is what we will be forwarding to Bishop Peter regarding our parish of Our Lady of Peace parish, Burnham, with St. Andrew's (shared) church, Cippenham and St. Gilbert's church, Eton wick.
DO YOU RECOGNISE OUR PARISH?
This is what we would like to tell the Bishop…
Our Lady of Peace Parish, Burnham,
with St Andrew's (Shared) Church, Cippenham
and St Gilbert's Church, Eton Wick
"A COMPLEX PARISH THAT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF ECUMENICAL ACTIVITY AND CARE FOR THE NEEDY"
- one priest, one part-time secretary, insufficient number of volunteers.
- three weekend Masses at Our Lady of Peace, one at St. Andrew's and one at St. Gilbert's, with an average of attendance of 504 (OLP), 96 (St. Andrew's) and 37 (St. Gilbert's).
- the parish has a debt of £25,000 and facing major repair bills at all three churches.
- Our Lady of Peace has no adequate meeting space, while St. Andrew's is a multi-purpose building that is available to hire. St. Andrew's hosts a Furniture Mart and Tuesday lunches and a Youth Group meeting (Charlie's Angels) take place at St. Gilbert's.
- the parish is responsible for chaplaincy to two schools and has members contributing to the Joint Enabling Council at St. Andrew's Shared church.
The parish sees its signature ministries and strengths as the experience of sharing a church with the Anglican community, welcoming, long involvement in the London Run, skill of liturgical readers, third world projects, sacramental programmes, strength of the two parish schools and an active Parish Council.
It sees opportunities to grow in the following areas: prayer group; Eucharistic ministry, care of the needy and support of Lighthouse.
The parish feels challenged to improve communication between the three churches, to recruit and train more catechists, to provide training for liturgical ministers, to develop Services of Word and Communion and to plan a fundraising strategy that could lead to the possible appointment of a parish pastoral worker.
Our Lady of Peace has great need of a meeting room. With regard to "the givens" the parish provides weekday Mass or a Service of the Word in Our Lady of Peace and St. Andrew's. There is a Children's Liturgy of the Communion and Confirmation. There is a strong RCIA group and there is continued involvement in the London/Slough run.
Responding to the "Thriving Catholic Community" document the parish feels strong on prayer, the London and Slough Run, and its outreach activity through Lighthouse. It aspires to have a Peace and Justice Group (promoting CAFOD and Fairtrade), a Youth Group and more collaboration in the Pastoral Area.
