Go Make Discples: The Pastoral Reality

 

Below is an excerpt from the Go Makes Disciples Archdiocese Mission Plan that Fr Greg discusses in his segment this week.

Every parishioner in the Archdiocese of Sydney wants our parishes to be vital, growing and teeming with life. There is much to celebrate in our local Eucharistic communities – the commitment of our clergy and the thousands who regularly gather around God’s Word and sacraments, various forms of pastoral care and outreach, and the living faith that makes these communities a true spiritual home.

While many of our parishes and communities are flourishing, others face shrinking and ageing congregations. Those who remain are rightly concerned about the long-term viability and life of their parish in the light of these realities.

We live in a time of unprecedented change as Sydney’s population continues to grow while the way people live, work and worship has changed. Patterns of immigration have shifted and families and households have also changed. Change is evident in the impact of technology on the ways in which people connect with one another, the increasing secularisation of culture and the hostility of sections of the media, academy and lawmakers towards religion. Indeed, in the most recent census almost a third of Australians identified as having ‘no religion’. This is a great change from just fifty years ago when less than one percent of people did not adhere to any religious faith.

There has also been a shift within the Catholic community itself. Between 2011 and 2016, five per cent of Catholics ceased attending Mass in the Sydney Archdiocese; almost one thousand people each year. Decline was especially marked among Catholics aged 30-49 years (7.7%), a period in many people’s lives when they are having families and when the faith is introduced to the next generation. We are also aware of the absence of many younger adults from our congregations. Meanwhile, more and more pastoral responsibilities fall on the shoulders of priests and parish staff as they experience a shrinking and ageing pool of volunteers. Financial resources may also be stretched.

At www.gomakedisciples.org.au you will find a comprehensive overview of the realities we face as the Church in Sydney and the opportunities that lie ahead.

The Catholic Church has a rich tradition in Australia, with its earliest roots in our Archdiocese of Sydney. However, much has changed in the past 200 years, most significantly in the last fifty years. As we dedicate ourselves to the mission of Christ in Sydney, there is much to do if we are to ensure the bountiful Church we inherited remains equally bountiful for those who come after us.