I’ve blogged previously about the ‘listening process’ in the diocese of Down and Connor. Launched with a commissioning service in February, for the last two months there have been lay-facilitated discussions at Catholic parishes throughout the diocese. I attended one at Clonard Monastery in West Belfast.
This part of the process comes to a close tonight with one last discussion, ‘for those estranged and disaffected,’ at Belfast’s Wellington Park Hotel at 7 p.m.
‘Living Church: Down and Connor 2013’ also now has a Facebook page, where there has been some discussion around the two main questions that are posed at the sessions:
- What would our parishes and diocese look like if the Catholic faith was being fully lived?
- What do we need to do to make it a reality?
People can also submit responses to these questions to the diocese via email.
The results of the Listening Process will be disseminated at a Diocesan Congress at Pentecost 2013, where a ‘roadmap for the future’ and ‘pastoral priorities’ will be set out – hence the ‘Living Church: Down and Connor 2013’ moniker on Facebook and in a special section of the diocese’s website.
The Facebook page is worth a visit, even if only for the entries on the ‘info’ page. These drew a wry smile from me:
- Employer: God
- Univeristy: University of Life
- Gender: Female
- Activities and Interests: Discerning and Repenting
I have a prior commitment this evening so am unlikely to be able to attend tonight’s session, but I am curious about what will be said and how many will turn up to say it.
Gladys is a Professor of Sociology at Queen’s University Belfast and a member of the Royal Irish Academy.
She is also a runner who has represented Ireland and Northern Ireland. She blogs on religion and politics at gladysganiel.com
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