The Parish Pastoral Council is currently made up of the following people:

• Fr Shibu Joseph – Parish Priest
• Peter Camilleri – Holy Spirit School Principal
• Tina Toomey – Pastoral Associate
• Stan Fisher – Chairperson
• Lisa Keedle – Deputy Chairperson
• Dominic North-Coombes – Secretary and Finance
• Paul Signor
• Eleanor White – Representing the School Board
• Laurel Wheatley – Representing St Vincent De Paul
• Jean Smith, Carol Voytenkoff, Barbara McGowan – Representing the Evergreens on a rolling basis.

You might conclude from the foregoing that the PPC has good representation from the parish, thus enabling it to effectively fulfil its role of “Promoting the Church’s mission to live and communicate the love and values of Christ in our world”. Sadly, you would be wrong to think that.

In fact, representation from the parish is inadequate. So poor in fact that, in 2015, the PPC:

• Has not been able to assign anyone to oversee each of the major portfolios:
  • Community & Hospitality,
  • Liturgy & Celebration,
  • Faith & Witness, and
  • Service & Outreach
• As a result, the PPC has had to invite various parish groups to provide a representative on the PPC. Three groups accepted the invitation:
  • The School Board,
  • The Evergreens, and
  • St Vincent De Paul.

This initiative to boost PPC representation has had the benefit of improving communication between the PPC and the various groups. It has also helped the PPC gain a better appreciation of the groups. However, because the representatives from those groups are already significantly involved in their own group, the PPC has been reluctant to assign them portfolio responsibilities.

Similarly, the Parish Priest, School Principal and Pastoral Associate as ex officio members can hardly be expected to be allocated a portfolio responsibility. Therefore, currently, the PPC can only fill four of the eight available executive and portfolio positions. So, at best the PPC is 50% under resourced. Ideally, the PPC should have eight to twelve Parishioners in addition to the Priest, Pastoral Associate and School Principal.

The reality is we need more parishioners on the PPC. Not because we are overwhelmed, but simply because we need to do better. Having less than a handful of parishioners on the PPC is hardly a recipe for moving beyond the present.

In contrast, having more people on the PPC will benefit the parish because it will generate more ideas, greater discussion amongst members, and also improve the organisational sustainability of the PPC. We, the parish, need broad representation on the PPC if we are to be assured of renewal.

We need four to eight additional new members on the PPC in 2016. Therefore we invite you to join us on the PPC for 2016. We just want you to come as you are. We need and want you because of the difference that you can make. We are not after the next person. We are actually after you. Yes, you!

If you come on board, the time commitment will not be onerous. The PPC meets monthly from February to November for no more than one hour and a half each meeting. You may be asked to volunteer to help at special masses or functions at the parish such as the Sportspersons Mass and Foundation masses. Next year we are also planning to have a PPC development session most likely for a half day, early in the year on a Saturday morning.

The tenure is for two years but you can extend for another two years at the end of the first term.

So, what’s Renewal got to do with it? We need it, and you can help us get it.

Please consider our call seriously. We would like you to join us so that we can better fulfil our role. If you would like more information or wish to come on board please call the Parish House or email Fr. Joe or Tina, or email Stan Fisher or Dominic North-Coombes. Please let us know, preferably before Christmas 2015.

Finally, the Parish has had a very successful year this year and we thank all the groups and hard working people who have contributed to this success. We now look forward to the Year of Mercy in 2016.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Joyous 2016.