An invitation
While Take the Way of the Gospel is an Archdiocesan-wide invitation and goes beyond just the parish setting, Archbishop Comensoli reminds us that it is within the parish that ‘the true expression of our communion as the Body of Christ’ comes to life. In this way, he’s asked us to focus on three key aspects of missionary discipleship:
- that the mission of the Gospel is at the heart of our life, worship and outreach
- that local faith communities are arranged to allow for them to flourish
- that faith communities are effectively resourced — spiritually, ministerially and materially.
What’s happened so far?
This is a long-term journey that our community is embarking on. What the faithful of Melbourne are being called to is not new, but rather a recognition of an ever-increasing sense of urgency expressed by both the clergy and lay faithful over many decades to find new and more sustainable ways of inviting people into the mission of the Gospel.
Our parishes will remain at the heart of the gathering of God’s people locally, but we need to adapt the way we resource our local communities, including the placement of clergy, catechists and other lay leaders, to form Missions that comprise a family of faith communities.
Archbishop Peter A Comensoli