Report on the Meeting of the Diocesan Pastoral Council
held at Park Place Pastoral Centre on the 12th and 13th of October 2001
 

The Diocesan Pastoral Council
John Nelson was welcomed back after his tour of duty in Kosovo. Nicky Stevens, the new Head of the Department for Evangelisation and Catechesis, was welcomed as a new member. Anne Lambkin represented Aldershot Deanery for this meeting. The Council bade farewell to Austin Horsley and Graham Attridge.

Challenge 2002
Soon after the Gathering, the chief organiser, Jocelyn Jones was asked what she was going to do next. Her initial reply was "nothing" but then the seed of an idea was born: something with young people. She approached Julie Meads and together they have developed a challenge for young people: you say Mass is boring   so here's your dance to make a difference. The Challenge is launched on Youth Sunday (18 November) with ideas and opportunities for young people and adults to work together in the months between until another   rather smaller   Gathering at St Peter's School Bournemouth on 29 June 2002. This is not the end of the Challenge but a new beginning!

Deanery Pastoral Review Process
John O'Shea gave the first presentation and explained that the Process was acing as a interface between the Bishop's Vision and the present reality for deaneries. This process is underway in several of our deaneries but it was made clear that each was to proceed at its own pace. The aim is not simply an exercise in data collection but an opportunity to create communion and build relationships within deaneries too. The theme was taken up the following morning by Angela Wills from the Department for Collaborative Ministry. She told the Council about the different ways in which deaneries were approaching the review. Portsmouth parishes had sent representatives to a group who are spending six months of formation looking at the early Church finding its feet in Acts and documents from the Second Vatican Council. Reading parishes are taking the questions into parishes and looking to people there who have skills in facilitating and managing projects. Other deaneries, such as Winchester and Vale of the White Horse have asked parishes to look at different areas and report back to Deanery Pastoral Councils. There was an awareness that many issues were arising as regards formation and how the diocese would respond to the needs that parishes might identify.

The Prayer Life of the PDPC
Prayer was beginning to be seen as even more central to the life of the Council. The Friday meetings open with a Liturgy   this time based on the Mysteries of the Rosary   with Night Prayer, Mass and Opening and Closing Liturgies or Prayers on Saturday. The Council sensed that perhaps time within discussions for silent prayer and reflection would further enhance their work. The possibility of meeting for a day of Prayer and Recollection was put forward as another strong possibility. The Council is a body listening to the Spirit and time for silent listening and prayer was seen as crucial to discerning the way forward.

Report on the Curia
During the summer, parishes and schools were invited to send feedback on their experience of the Curia. Sheila Hughes reported that, on the whole, those who responded did so positively and the departments had noted comments and suggestions and were updating their planning in light of them. There was also a sense that many people were unsure about the work of the Curia and Portsmouth People was seen as a way of showing what the Departments do.

The next meeting of the Diocesan Pastoral Council is scheduled for the 8th and 9th March 2002 at Park Place.