“Preparations for Building a Community of Belonging are well underway,” says Geoff Gowdie, Assistant Director of Mission and Pastoral Life.
“We are encouraging parishes to bring a cohort of parishioners to the Gathering," Geoff continued. "It takes a community to build a Community of Belonging. By definition, it can’t be done by one person. Having said that, there will be individual parishioners who have a gift for this ministry, and priests and parish leaders are urged to invite them to the day."
Keynote presenter, Dr Paul Sharkey, will explore what building communities of belonging means, and why it matters for the parish's mission in today’s culture. The focus will then shift to how our parishes might strengthen belonging within the parish community and beyond.
Six Workshops will follow, covering such topics as:
• lessons from overseas parishes on welcome, hospitality and belonging;
• creating a parish culture that is invitational, welcoming and inclusive of young people;
• inclusion for children and families;
• parish-school partnerships in building communities of belonging;
• local strategies in practice; and
• scriptural foundations for belonging.
The afternoon sessions will centre on parish groups learning from each other and identifying and reflecting on what they will take back to their own communities from the day.
The Gathering commences at 9.00 am for a 9.30 start, and finishes at 4.00 pm.
Registration will open in early September and close at the end of the month.
This Gathering is Project 4 in the Diocesan Formation Support Plan. It is intended that a Diocesan Formation Gathering is held annually. Project 6 flags the next Formation Gathering for July 2026.
