By Ruth Lawlor
As I sit down to write this, the first of two Australian Plenary Council Assemblies is officially 89 days, 7 hours and 56 minutes away. It feels simultaneously too far away and yet too soon.
Given the events in our country, and the world over the last eighteen months or so, it feels like a whole lifetime ago that I first became aware of the Plenary Council and the hopes so many people have for the process.
In reality, it has been a little under three years since I first came on board as one of Sandhurst’s Local Coordinators and almost eighteen months since I was selected to be one of the lay delegates, or members as we are now called. I continue to feel very privileged to have had so many conversations with different people across the Diocese regarding the process and hoped-for outcomes moving forward.
Over the last months Fr Brian Boyle, Lyn Breen, Cathy Jenkins and myself have held 6 reflection sessions over Zoom, each focused on a different Thematic Discernment Paper, open to everyone in Sandhurst. Each session has been full of encouraging conversation, insights and reflections on where we have been as a local Church where we are now, and what we hope for the Church’s future.
Those attending these sessions have been able to share stories of hope from Parishes across the Diocese; examples of the wide variety of ways we are already living out the six themes of the Council in our local communities. From local men’s groups and charismatic prayer groups, to the hard-working Vinnies Volunteers and Winter Night Shelters and every other area of ministry, no matter the size, it is clear our Parishes are already doing so much good in their communities. What has stood out from the beginning of my involvement with the Plenary Council process is the great love people have for our Church; and moreover, the desire for it to ‘be more’ and ‘be better’ is present across the board.
Of course, it is not only hope that I have encountered. It remains clear that there is still much hurt, concern, anger and sadness within the community that requires healing and the rebuilding of trust. I heard again and again that it will be impossible to move forward without first acknowledging and owning the Church’s past. The demand for the Church to heal and rebuild trust, both within and outside the Church community, is followed quickly with the desire for the Church to do more reaching out to those on the margins. It is not a case of focusing on one or the other. There is a clear need for the Church to do both and more.
While I am personally uncertain how we can move forward from this, I am choosing to place my trust in the process we have been following and see where the Spirit guides us. Without this trust, I could quickly become overwhelmed. The theme for the Plenary Council has always asked us to “Listen to what the Spirit is saying …” and by continuing to pray for guidance, as well as through listening to the voices of those I encounter, I trust that I will be able to contribute to the Assembly in my own way.
I’d like to end with a request for the people of Sandhurst. While it can feel like a long, drawn-out process and the temptation to write the Plenary Council off as another opportunity for nothing to change, I ask that you continue to engage in the process by praying for every member attending the assemblies. Pray that we can all enter the process open to listening to the Spirit through each other.
“Lead your Church into a hope-filled future, that we may live the joy of the Gospel.” (from the Plenary Council Prayer)
To continue following the Plenary Council journey, head to the Plenary Council website, where you can find the recently published Agenda, resources for the Fan the Flame national prayer campaign, as well as all previously published national documents.
