Loughgilly Parish – Pastoral Priorities 2023-2025
Following feedback from Parishioners across the Armagh Diocese during the Synodal Process discussions, certain priorities from the faithful were highlighted, these fall largely into 3 categories – Mission, Communion and Participation.
Loughgilly Parish have split the 19 priorities over the next two years in order that we might focus on what the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) believe are the key priorities in Our Parish at this time.
Below you will see the Diocese Synodal Priorities and the years in which the Parish Plan to try to achieve these with the co-operation, engagement and support of all our community.
The actions for the next year have also been elaborated on, in so far as the PPC have suggested ways in which to fulfil these, this document is however a working document and therefore is subject to change, for example if the PPC receive any suggestions from the community as to how the Priorities could be achieved in other ways.
The PPC welcome ongoing feedback and suggestions from the Community.
Participation
| Priority Targets – 2024-2025 | Priority Targets 2023-2024 | Methods of fulfilling 2023-2024 Priorities |
| Creating spaces where everyone can speak freely in a spirit of Prayer and Spirituality. | Reviewing communication structures to enable a better flow of information within our parish, between parishes and the diocese and the wider Church. | Update Parishioners on events and PPC meeting outcomes through Parish Website and Facebook as well offering copies to Parishioners not online.Ensure Church notice boards contain useful, factual and accurate information.Work with local Parishes and Diocese to keep our community informed of celebrations in neighbouring parishes and the Diocese. |
| Learning more about what co-responsible leadership entails. | Creating and attending diocesan gatherings where dialogue can take place. | PPC and other key people to be encouraged to attend Diocesan meetings and where appropriate continue any Diocesan discussions at a specific Parish gathering. |
| Striving to be more representative. |
Mission
| Priority Targets – 2024-2025 | Priority Targets 2023-2024 | Methods of fulfilling 2023-2024 Priorities |
| Improving the quality of homilies. | Enhancing Liturgies. | Establish a Liturgy group to review how to better enhance liturgies. |
| Using more accessible language. | More inclusive of those who are poor. More inclusive of those who are poor. (Continued) | Parish will actively promote the work of St Vincent de Paul Society in the Parish.The Parish will work, with the engagement of the local community to support those living in poverty and will highlight ways to reduce poverty.The Parish will facilitate workshops such as Benefit check Workshops to assist those whose circumstances change, to ensure they are receiving benefits which they are entitled to. |
| More inclusive of LGBTQI+. | More inclusive of ethnic groups. | Through Facebook and Website we will acknowledge other traditional practices.The Parish will either facilitate or signpost those who do not speak English to classes which can assist them.We will celebrate International Day to enable the opportunity for our community to express our welcome to those from other ethnic backgrounds. |
| More inclusive of Women. | More inclusive of young people. | Re-establish the Parish Youth Group.Offer young people opportunities to participate more in all liturgies.Actively seek feedback from young people in relation to our Parish.Provide specific youth-based Masses on an ongoing regular basis.Establish a Youth Club. |
Communion
| Priority Targets – 2024-2025 | Priority Targets 2023-2024 | Methods of fulfilling 2023-2024 Priorities |
| Learning more about Synodality | Reaching out to the uncatechised. | The PPC felt that all four of these targets could be achieved by developing programs and activities in the Parish Assisi Pastoral Centre….. |
| Learning more about discernment – (making decisions in a faith context) | Reaching out to the marginalised. | ….These activities would be both religious and secular in nature, for example there may be a regular Bible study program and a Parent and Toddlers group or perhaps an art class….. |
| Reaching out to the disaffected. | ….These activities will be heavily reliant on the support of everyone across our Parish community, both believers and non-believers…. | |
| Learning more about our faith. | …… |