Parish Annual General Meeting

The Annual meeting of our Parish will take place after 11.30am Mass on Sunday 9th July 2023.

Many parishes are “run” by the Parish Priest. Some of them do have a Parish Council. In St Thomas our Council has real authority. If there is a difference of view between priest and Council, the Council will normally prevail. We do act collegially. We do put collegiality, synodality into practice.

At next Sunday’s meeting the Council gives account of its practice, its administration and future hopes.

There two vacancies to be filled. If you are interested to find out more and maybe joining in future years it is not too soon to be thinking of what we hope our parish to be as it develops. And what each member can contribute.

This week we priests in the Friary have been discussing how we are, and how we should be, exercising our part with you in this. We have been hearing and heeding Pope Francis’ vision of a church organised collegially. That means decisions and orders do not come from the top. Management works through discussion and mutual agreement of all. When problems arose in the small idyllic stage of the early church the apostles met. Practical government needed someone else to take it in hand. “Our job is to preach and pray” they said and appointed deacons and elders. We are looking at a similar critical point, and in the context of the Diocesan precept of partnership.