Plenary Council 2020 - 2021

This publication has been slightly adapted from the original work published by Diocese of Parramatta in 2018. We gratefully acknowledge the permission granted by the Diocese of Parramatta to produce this adaptation. 2 EASY STEPS TO GETTING STARTED WITH YOUR SMALL GROUP BOOKLET ACCEPT THE INVITATION! A special council of lay and ordained representatives gathers in 2020 to make decisions about the future of the Church in Australia. Our voices will help shape the agenda of the council. GATHER WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY OR COLLEAGUES A small group of three to eight people is ideal as you have the chance to share and listen with others. One or more people act as host and group leader. The next page is for them. COMMIT TO SEVERAL SESSIONS Find a day, time and location that works for you and agree to meet for three to five sessions (60 to 90 minutes is ideal). The number of sessions is determined by number of topics you agree to discuss. SEND YOUR SUBMISSION TO THE PLENARY This booklet guides you in how to make one or more responses to the plenary. You can respond after each of your sessions. OPTIONAL OFFER FEEDBACK TO YOUR LOCAL AREA OR TO OUR DIOCESE Sessions 1 to 4 offer a chance to provide feedback to the national plenary and to your local Diocese. Session 5 offers an opportunity to provide additional feedback to your local Diocese. NEXT STEPS? If you enjoyed meeting together, consider some of the options offered in this booklet for follow up activities. 3 A WORD FROM THE BISHOP The Plenary Council is a wonderful opportunity for all Catholics to have their say about what they think God is asking of us in Australia now. From now until Lent 2019 we are in the first stage of the Council, that of consultation. In order to enter prayerfully and reflectively into this stage of the Plenary Council process we need the gifts of listening to each other, of open dialogue with each other, of discernment. A Plenary Council Committee has been established in our Diocese to facilitate this process and to make available to parishes and groups various resources. The task of the committee is to facilitate and guide rather than control this process. This present booklet is now made available by our committee to our Diocese as a resource, to be used and adapted by groups as they see appropriate. I urge all the people of the Sandhurst Diocese to become involved in the Plenary process through local groups, and I trust this present resource will assist us as we listen to each other and discern the call of the Spirit. Thanks BISHOP LES TOMLINSON CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF SANDHURST TO FIND OUT MORE PLEASE CONTACT Ruth Lawlor |  plenary@sandhurst.catholic.org.au |  (03) 5441 2544  sandhurst.catholic.org.au/plenary-council FOR MORE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES ON THE PLENARY COUNCIL 2020  plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au ACKNOWLEDGMENT