Deanery Visitations

Deanery Visitations

A few thoughts

There is an opening meeting on Tuesday. It will be a service of evening prayer and an introduction to the process of visitations to take place in all the parishes of the deanery. It will be attended by the archbishop, Episcopal Vicar, parishioners, priests and deacons of the deanery. It is an attempt to spark renewal and its findings and process are important for the life of the Catholic Community in Coventry and Nuneaton and in the diocese too.

One thing that becomes clearer is that an overhaul of sorts needs to take place, ageing, dwindling clergy and laity, frequent our parish communities. Younger families do hang around but mostly for school places and then quietly disappear from view, reporting to the church building for an odd wedding or two, and then for a family or friends funerals. The time in between visits to the parish church and community is filled with living their lives, throwing the occasional nod in the direction of the church.

Perhaps the church they feel is one of “Thou shall not” rather than “Thou shall do” and therefore does not fit lifestyle, or culture or personal choices.

Perhaps there is nothing for them, but without them, that something searched for is difficult to offer. Grace is given and is to be received

Dipping the toe in or engaging the heart, the choice is all of ours.

What makes one dip a toe in? and another engage the heart, is at the very heart of renewal, change and regrouping.

Are parishes fit for purpose? It is becoming exhausting trying to fit square pegs into round holes. Come to church, is the cry of parish communities to those on the edges, dipping a toe in now and again, come and enliven the parish, breathe life into proceedings with your presence, with your talents, your gifts and your time. The call is not heard or if it is, it is being politely declined.

So is the parish the right environment for renewal and growth.

I don’t know the answers I am like so many others faced with the realty of the situation.