Our Community Listening Sessions
The Ipswich Catholic Community is a great place. I am sure if one were to look at us as we gather each Sunday, and throughout the week, one would think it is working well. While we are grateful that many people feel out community is working well, we do acknowledge there is a lot more work to be done. In order to identify the areas out parishes need to work on, recently we held ‘listening sessions’ to talk about life within the Ipswich Catholic Community. We discussed a range of topics including the following:
- What is going well in our community?
- How can we do better?
- What is our dream for the Ipswich Catholic Community?
- What to we need to do to ‘build’ the Ipswich Catholic Community?
Thank you to all those who attended and provided some insightful ideas to help us move beyond what we are today. The following sections outline the responses from each of the four parishes. Over the coming months this page will be updated as we respond to the thoughts and ideas from our community.
St. Mary’s, Ipswich
A total of 54 parishioners participated in the listening sessions. Some of the feedback from the sessions is outlined below:
- What is going well?
- Richness of liturgy and services – prayerful, spiritual and visual
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd – great, can we create a vide to show during Mass to encourage others to participate?
- What is our dream?
- Gatherings space
- Afternoon tea on the balcony of the presbytery
- How can we do better?
- Adult Formation – even if numbers of participants are low
- School and Parish links – via newsletter notices, and encouraging participation in Parish Masses – parish representative to visit schools/present notices for assembly
For a breakdown of all feedback please select the link below. We would also welcome any comments you may wish to contribute.
St. Joseph’s, North Ipswich
A total of 17 parishioners participated in the listening sessions. Some of the feedback from the sessions is outlined below:
- What is going well?
- Welcoming and inclusive
- There is a depth of belonging – notice when parishioners are not present at Mass
- What is our dream?
- Parish identity – build a community with the parish or build a community around St Mary’s. We need to decide whether we are identified as Ipswich Catholic Community or the Parish of St. Joseph’s
- How do we offer the next generation ‘belonging (God’s Love), being (Community), becoming (Agency of Faith)?
- How can we do better?
- Change church around back to its original layout
- Invite children who celebrate confirmation to Mass (school newsletter)
- Keeping small groups is not going to build the community of the Ipswich Catholic Community
For a breakdown of all feedback please select the link below. We would also welcome any comments you may wish to contribute.
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Eastern Heights
A total of 24 parishioners participated in the listening sessions. Some of the feedback from the sessions is outlined below:
- What is going well?
- Forums such as the listening sessions are a positive way to transparency
- Back of newsletter series on Faith Formation was great
- What is our dream?
- Communal gatherings with other parishes
- Faith from school experience
- How can we do better?
- Extend the hand of friendship to multicultural groups
- More accountability of finances to be known by the community
For a breakdown of all feedback please select the link below. We would also welcome any comments you may wish to contribute.
St. Brigid’s, Rosewood
A total of 22 parishioners participated in the listening sessions. Some of the feedback from the sessions is outlined below:
- What is going well?
- RCIA program – all community supportive and welcoming
- Cabanda Nursing Home – 9 Catholics – Anointing Mass there once per month, up to 25 parishioners can attend too
- What is our dream?
- Including baptisms in Mass when appropriate – encourage them to get to know the community
- Training of lay-led leaders – for future with no priest available
- How can we do better?
- Communications person from each parish
- Volunteers – more participation from parishioners – need to feel ‘needed and wanted’ – some need to be invited to be involved, not just left to them to volunteer
For a breakdown of all feedback please select the link below. We would also welcome any comments you may wish to contribute.
Immaculate Heart, Leichhardt
A total of 14 parishioners participated in the listening sessions. Some of the feedback from the sessions is outlined below:
- What is going well?
- Children’s liturgy of the word at the moment
- Numbers of people taking communion to the sick
- What is our dream?
- All belong to one faith, one community
- That there be some stability for the parish in terms of leadership
- How can we do better?
- More connection with primary school
- Monthly prayer group
For a breakdown of all feedback please select the link below. We would also welcome any comments you may wish to contribute.