Following on from the work carried out by the review groups and its presentation at the Assembly, the next phase focussed on the election of lay volunteers to the new Leadership Team. 

During the research an analysis of the voluntary groups showed that they could all be grouped within four main themes:  Welcome, Word, Worship and Welfare with the overall strand of Witness encompassing everything we do.  Members of all the voluntary groups were then invited to attend a gathering of their thematic group, so for example the Welcome group included car park attendants, collectors, flower arrangers, artists and others. 

Each group heard a reflection from Fr. Frank or Gráinne and then discussed what it means to be part of their particular ministry.  Suggestions on how this could be built upon were then gathered and discussed.

A second meeting for each group was then convened at which the group focussed on the leadership qualities required of the people who would be elected to the new team.  From the four nights, a total of 19 people were nominated and accepted.  Those people then came together again and following a prayerful discernment led by Fr. Frank, Fr. Pat, five people were elected to the new Parish Leadership Team.  This team begins its work in September 2004 when it will formulate its own plan as to how to move the idea of a collaborative parish forward.  To read more about the new team, CLICK HERE.