From the Parish House

This weekend we have available our Annual Impact Report for the 2023 parish year.  Annual reports can often be dry documents.  Organisations like to tell their stakeholder audience of all the wonderful things that they have done.  They report on their income, income sources and (responsible) expenditure.  While you will find these things in this year’s report, you will hopefully notice that the style of report is a bit different.  This year we have tried to focus, not only on the things that we have done, but on the impact these things have on people.  So, you will read a number of ‘impact statements’ in this report.  Parishioners have been invited to tell us of the impact that their involvement in parish life has had on them.  You will read of the impact that being a lector has had on some of our parishioners who are involved in this ministry.  Similarly, you will read of the impact of being involved in music ministry, hospitality, scripture groups and more.  We also have a testimony from CatholicCare Victoria and the impact that our parish support has on their asylum seeker and refugee project.

Good stewardship also requires financial reporting and accountability.  This is important as we continue with the proposed amalgamation of our three parishes.  That is why you will also find a finance report prepared by Kate Baines and a commentary from Anton McKernan, the Chair of our Parishes Finance and Investment Committee.  I am grateful to the Finance and Investment Committee for their hard work, sound advice and forward looking agenda to ensure that our parishes remain financially sound.  I commend this Annual Impact Report to you and trust that you enjoy reading it as much as we have enjoyed collating the material.

In the meantime we continue with our Parish meetings in relation to the amalgamation of our parishes.  The final meeting will take place on Sunday, 26 May at midday at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 10 Whitehorse Road, Deepdene.  Thank you to the more than one hundred people who have already participated in these meetings.  There has been a true spirit of collaboration and community building at each meeting so far.  I look forward to providing a report on the feedback to the proposed parish amalgamation, in next week’s newsletter.  For updates on the proposed amalgamation please visit the Building Stronger Parish Partnerships for Mission page on our website.

By Fr Brendan Reed

Published: 24 May 2024