Playing your part in the parish

Have you ever thought about playing a more active part in the life of our parish? Have you wondered how your energy and gifts might be used to benefit your fellow parishioners? If so, the following guide to Booterstown parish groups should be food for thought.

As you can see, there is a multitude of groups playing a wide range of roles in parish activities. Though at first sight they may seem disparate, they are unified by a commitment to Parish Development and Renewal, a process begun by the Dublin Diocese in the late 1980s to support the vibrant participation of ordinary people in the life and work of their parish.

According to Donal Harrington, who describes the process in his book Parish Renewal, the key to achieving growth lies in mind-set, rather than action. It is about thinking in a new way. The world is changing quickly and the mere maintenance of the traditional parish system is no longer good enough, and probably impossible anyway.

The concepts of mission and co-responsibility are central to the new mind-set. In this context, mission means seeing the parish as mission territory – accepting that things are not going to return to what they were and that new pastoral strategies are needed. Co-responsibility means that the care of the parish is the vocation of all the baptised members. It does not belong to the priests alone, but is shared by the priests and the people together.

When people come together, ideas are stimulated, energy is released, and the sense of belonging is strengthened. At a deeper level, this process provides an opportunity for the Spirit to act for all to listen to what the Spirit is saying. So look through the roles and activities of the various groups listed below in alphabetical order. Remember that Nearly all of them are open to volunteers, and the main qualification is willingness.

May the Spirit move you!