As many people will know- maybe from past recollections of Papal elections (or even perhaps from the new Ralph Fiennes Film “Conclave”) when a new Pope is elected, a Cardinal stands out on the Balcony of St. Peter`s in Rome and makes the announcement to the assembled multitude (traditionally in Latin); “Annunciam Gaudiam Evangelium -Habemus Papam!” Literally “We have Good News to share: We have a Pope!”

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Well, although it may not be totally on the same scale of worldwide importance, I am nonetheless very pleased to announce to you that we as St. Teresa`s Parish Community, Dumfries now have a new Parish Pastoral Council: Habemus Parish Concillium!

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Following our very well-attended inaugural (first) meeting in early November 2024 in the Church Hall convened by our Parish Priest, Fr. Uchenna Odenigbo, a new Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) was created for St Teresas. The purpose of a Parish Pastoral Council is to “serve in a consultative role in supporting the Parish Priest in pastoral and other works and to propose and co-ordinate practical measures in implementing them” The standard guidance on PPCs also states that the Parish Priest has to “take into serious account their opinions and recommendations”, so in other words, this inauguration has some significance for all of us in the Parish Community. The outcome of the recent Synod in Rome on “Synodality” in the Church also places significant emphasis on the role of Parish Pastoral Councils- as commented on by Fr. William McFadden in the Christmas 2024 Edition of the Galloway Diocese News where he referenced Parish Pastoral Councils as a key element in synodal working in a Church of “Mission, Participation and Communion”, quoting the three key themes of the Synodal journey as set out by Pope Francis.

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Also, and to use more Evangelical language, the role of the PPC is: “to promote the Church`s Mission to live and communicate the Love and Values of Christ in our World and to share in the responsibility for the ongoing life and development of the Faith Community, working together to live as followers of Christ”. In other words, the PPC and the Parish Priest are to be co-workers in Building up the Kingdom of God here in St. Teresa`s Parish. What does “Building up the Kingdom of God” in our Parish mean in practical terms and how can the PPC be instrumental in this?

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It is in the very strata, bedrock and DNA of our Christian Faith that working together in God`s Grace and following the guidance of his Holy Spirit we can achieve great and good things, hugely beyond our ordinary expectations. As Jesus himself said, and as quoted in Matthew`s Gospel: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed that someone has taken and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it is grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches”.

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What we want to achieve and become as a PPC and what we want to avoid becoming are two very distinct pictures. In some ways, it is easier for us to see and identify what we do not want to become as to discern and understand what we do want to set out as our true aims and objectives. We quickly agreed as a PPC that what we do not want to become is a Group which is focussed too much on ourselves, “preaching to the converted”, engaged in an endless round of conversations with ourselves as a Parish Community and entirely about ourselves. In other words, we do not want the Parish to become just a sort of “Club” for locally- resident Catholics. Instead, we want to be what we have always tried to be in this Parish; a warm, generous, open-hearted and welcoming Community of Faith whose whole focus is on living a Christ-centred life. Living a “Christ-Centred Life” means, among other things, that as a Parish we need to look out beyond ourselves, perhaps looking more to the needs of our fellow Catholics living in Upper Nithsdale beyond our close Community of North West Dumfries ( Lochside and Lincluden) and also for us to engage a bit more with the practical and social needs and aspirations of our immediate neighbours, and also to reach out a bit more to our Brothers and Sisters in the other Christian Traditions and Denominations in our Town of Dumfries who share our Baptism, Belief and Mission as followers of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

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These 3 immediate concerns;(1) concern for those Catholics (mainly in Upper Nithsdale who have a link with our Parish through St. Connal`s, Kirkconnell, and those folks living in Thornhill and the surrounding Villages) -namely to re-establish their link with our Parish and take practical steps to re-integrate them more into the life of our Faith Community (2) the need for an outreach,  both Social and Missionary, to the people living nearby in our home territory of Lochside and Lincluden -to identify pressing social needs and to see how we may assist in practical ways and (3) forging new,  Fraternal and friendly links with the other mainstream Christian Churches in Dumfries in the Spirit of the 2nd Vatican Council (which placed great emphasis on Ecumenism as a necessity for the modern Church but which has perhaps not been prioritised enough by us so far) have all been adopted as the first set of specific priorities of your new PPC. As well as these goals the new PPC and our Parish Priest would very much like to see us take steps to properly celebrate and mark the special Jubilee Year of 2025 by holding a “Parish Mission of Formation in Faith” with a special emphasis on our young people, and to hold a special Mass or other Liturgy to commemorate the event -accompanied by an outreach to our fellow-Christians in Dumfries with hospitality provided as a small but concrete sign of our new reaching-out to them in friendship and fellowship. 

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The next Meeting of the new PPC is on 30th January 2025. Each and every Parishioner is warmly invited to attend. Further information will be provided nearer the time.

 

In conclusion, on behalf of the PPC I would like to ask for your support, and most importantly, to ask that you include in your prayers a special request for God`s Blessing, guidance and help for the work of your new Parish Pastoral Council.

 

John F. Lawson,

Chairperson, Saint Teresa's Parish Pastoral Council.