Sandhurst Mission and Pastoral Council (SMPC)

The Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst values collaborative governance and leadership, and the Sandhurst Mission and Pastoral Council (SMPC) embodies synodality in the local Church.

Members of the SMPC, represent the entire Diocese and are eager to hear your thoughts and ideas. Feel free to reach out to them via the email addresses below.

The SMPC Members meet in Shepparton four times a year. Reports of these meetings can be found below.   

 

Meetings 

pdf Report on Meeting 7 (20 July 2024)  (183 KB) This is the most recent meeting.

The next meeting will be held in Shepparton on 22 November 2024.  

pdf (183 KB) For Reports of previous SMPC meetings, please click here

 

Members 

Joining Bishop Shane Mackinlay and Fr Joe Taylor VG on the Council are: 

Goulburn Valley Deanery

Mrs Alana Brennan
St Augustine’s Parish, Kyabram

Mrs Jobelle Collier
St Brendan’s Parish, Shepparton

Mrs Angela Finn
St Augustine’s Parish, Kyabram

Fr Jackson Saunders
St Brendan’s Parish, Shepparton and St Mary’s Parish, Dookie 

 

North Eastern Deanery

Mrs Elizabeth Dowling 
Sacred Heart Parish, Yarrawonga

Mr Stephen McKinley
Sacred Heart Parish, Wodonga

Mr Michael McLinden
Sacred Heart Parish, Wodonga

Fr Vijay Bandanadam ALCP/OSS
St Joseph’s Parish, Benalla 

Western Deanery

Mr Mick Chalkley
St Therese’s Parish, Kennington (CHAIR) and DFC Member. 

Mr Miggy Podosky
St Kilian’s Parish, Bendigo

Mrs Christine Sebire
St Mary’s Parish, Echuca (attends College of Consultors)

Fr Stephen Bolling
St Liborius' Parish, Eaglehawk and St Mary’s Parish, Inglewood 

 

Bishop’s Appointments

Ms Kate Fogarty, Executive Director, Catholic Education Sandhurst Ltd

Mr Jean-Marie Mupenda, St Brendan’s Parish, Shepparton

   

More about the SMPC 


Contact 

Leslie Cooper
by phone 03 5441 2544
by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

PayerFront Image

Statutes 

The Statutes for the Sandhurst Mission and Pastoral Council are based on:

History

27 April 2022 - Year of Preparation and Consultation began

15 February 2023 - Diocesan Assembly, in Shepparton

10 March 2023 - Expressions of interest closed

24 March 2023 - Members of the SMPC announced

4 April 2023 - Members of the SMPC commissioned (Chrism Mass)

28 - 29 April 2023 - The inaugural meeting of the Council was held in Shepparton.    

 

Pray 

Please pray for the Sandhurst Mission and Pastoral Council, and for our Diocese, as we seek to become “a more missionary and pastoral Church”.

Reports of the Sandhurst Mission and Pastoral Council Meetings. 
Last week, Bishop Shane announced the appointments of Michael Chalkley as Chair of the SMPC and Elizabeth Dowling as a Member.
Thursday, 01 August 2024 21:41

Get to know Jean-Marie Mupenda

SMPC Member, Jean-Marie Mupenda is a statistician and information technology professional with a depth of project management experience, but these skills are not all he…
Alana Brennan put her hand up for the SMPC for the very same reason she volunteered for her local Parish Pastoral Council: “I’d like to…
Thursday, 06 June 2024 21:08

Get to know Fr Stephen Bolling

Stephen Bolling is Parish Priest of St Liborius’, Eaglehawk and St Mary’s, Inglewood-Marong. He is also a member of the Safeguarding Committee of the Diocese…
Thursday, 11 April 2024 12:47

Get to know Jobelle Collier, SMPC Member

St Brendan’s Shepparton parishioner, Jobelle Collier, brings her perspective as a young mother and migrant to the Sandhurst Mission and Pastoral Council (SMPC). Jobelle is…
Mick Chalkley is Chair of the Sandhurst Mission and Pastoral Council and a member of  the Diocesan Finance Council (DFC). A parishioner at St Therese’s…
Wednesday, 20 September 2023 00:26

Get to know Christine Sebire

Christine Sebire is a Member of the Sandhurst Mission and Pastoral Council (SMPC) and is one of three lay people (and the only woman) appointed…
Wednesday, 06 September 2023 09:04

Get to know Gabby Downie, (former) Chair of SMPC

Benalla parishioner, Gabrielle Downie, the inaugural Chair of the SMPC stepped in July 20024. Currently Principal of St Patrick’s Primary School in Wangaratta, Gabbie has…
The Sandhurst Mission and Pastoral Council (SMPC) met in Shepparton for the second time last month. After weeks of personal formation and preparation, members were…
The Sandhurst Mission and Pastoral Council (SMPC) held its inaugural meeting on Friday 28 April and Saturday 29 April. Council members spent time in prayer,…
  Themes which emerged from the fifty-two consultation meetings held in churches, halls and schools across the Diocese betwen July and December 2022 in preparation…
A key milestone of our preparation and consultation for the SMPC was the Diocesan Assembly on 15 February 2023.  
A prayer for the Sandhust Mission and Pastoral Council is available for download. 
Since they were commissioned by Bishop Shane in July 2022, Dr Chris Cotter and Ruth Lawlor have facilitated over 48 preparation and consultation meetings.
A key recommendation in the 2020 Go Forth Review of the Diocese was that Bishop Shane Mackinlay establish a Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Council. 
A Preparation and Consultation Plan to establish the SMPC is available for download. 
With the release of Interim Report on the consultation Phase of the Sandhurst Mission and Pastoral Council (SMPC)  Ruth Lawlor reflects on her encounters with parishioners…