DEANERY PASTORAL COUNCIL MEETING
17 February 2007 Gympie

MINUTES

Meeting Commenced: 10.10am

Opening Prayer: �Anoint me O God�

Present: Fr Joseph Hien Van Vo, Fr Paul Kelly, Fr Pat Cassidy, Fr Joe
McGeehan, Tom Bushell(Gympie/APC rep), David Hogan(H Bay), Kemsley
Kelly(Childers), Joan Kelly(Childers), Betty Young (Gayndah(Eidsvold
centre)), John Muza(Maryborough), Liam Dougherty(Gayndah), Hope
Koster(Gayndah), Margaret Shepherdson (Nanango/PPC Secretariat), Margaret
Todd (Kingaroy), Margaret McNae (Nanango), Pat Deeley(H Bay/PPC
Secretariat), Berry Doak (Gympie), Julie Lynch (H Bay)

Apologies: Stuart McKinnon and Mary Mulholland (Maryborough), Helen Bonanno
(Childers), Paul Veivers and Cathy McNeill (Kingaroy)

Chairperson Tom Bushell welcomed all deanery pastoral council memberts and
thanked them for giving up their Saturday.

Minutes of the previous (October) meeting were read and moved for acceptance
by Fr Joseph, seconded by Margaret Shepherdson.

Business arising:
*The DPC secretary is to write to Murgon PPC, pointing out that they are not
represented on the DPC

*APC representative , Tom Bushell, was unable to attend first APC meeting
for 2007, due to having just been released from hospital.

*The matter of the meeting of the priests and parish workers was raised by
Fr Joseph; it was confirmed these meetings had been discontinued.

*It was suggested that the Mass with Blessing of the Oils should be
promoted as a whole of Deanery event. This will be held in Gympie on 25th
March.

Budget Discussion
Julie spoke on youth expenditure, and suggested our approach this year was
that funds are to be spent at parish level (compared with all youth funds
being allocated to deanery events in previous two years)

The question was raised of fund allocation for future special occasions or
events eg. WYD 08; where would funds be held � deanery or parish. It was
suggested that the funds could be earmarked , for a particular project, and
kept in deanery account.

If all the money allocated to a parish is not used in the year, this money
could be used by other parishes, upon application, for unexpected events

It was suggested each parish should come up with an estimate of what they
feel would be their required amount for WYDO8 expenditure.

Question was raised about funds used last year; some amounts were over
budget in some areas . Fr Pat confirmed there is a degree of flexibility
built into the deanery budget, within reason.

The question arose, were there still any people in any of the parishes
wanting to partake in study courses eg Beginning Theology, or should funds
in this area be re-directed elsewhere.

The Position of Lay Parish Director
The original �Proposal for Future Pastoral Leadership� in our deanery was
studied, along with the suggested revised proposals, which included a Lay
Parish Director. This was discussed at length. It was generally felt that
Option 1 (Placement of a Lay Parish Director in Childers) was the most
acceptable to all present. However, Fr Pat pointed out, the placement of a
LPD to Childers in due course, would need funding support from Brisbane;
our deanery could not afford the full cost by itself. Our preferred option
would be conveyed to the Archbishop.

In the occasion of, in unforeseen circumstances, other priest shortages
occur, this would clearly be a situation to be resolved at archdiocesan
level.

This proposal is for implementation, of course, when we finally lose our
priest at Childers, but we will continue as with the present arrangement
while Fr Emmanuel is located there��which will be until the end of 2008.

Fr Pat confirmed the archbishop has promise dour deanery will have the
services of six priests until the year of his retirement in 2011.
Fr Pat also advised that he felt our parishioners would still be likely to
attend a liturgy of the Word celebration, if no mass was possible, although
probably with slightly fewer numbers.
Fr Joseph suggested all our parish churches should display on their notice
boards, the available mass times right across the deanery.
Fr Paul raised the point: What if, while Fr Emmanuel was still working at
Childers, we unexpectedly lost a priest from another parish. IT was
suggested that the Archdiocese would replace such a priest, as they will
ensure there are 6 administrating priests present in the deanery.

World Youth Day 2008
Discussion on the journey of WYD 08 Cross and Icon; our deanery will be
visited by Cross and Icon on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 August., in 6
different venues: Gympie, Kingaroy, Murgon/Cherbourg, Maryborough, Hervey
Bay, Childers. Each of these 6 parishes is to work out a program of
activities/liturgy for this occasion; all parishes have been sent a kit,
and the WYD office is conducting a workshop today (17 Feb) for all
deaneries. Magdala Thorne (Maryborough) is present at this, and possibly
someone from Kingaroy and Murgon. It is hoped that they will share their
findings with the others in this deanery. It was suggested that we could
make good use of our local media to let the whole community know about this
important event;
It was agreed that the timetable could be flexible, within our deanery, to
allow as many parishes as much coverage as possible.
(**NOTE: A message was emailed to all parishes after these minutes were
taken, to say that there may not be much flexibility with the program)

Archdiocesan Pastoral Council
As previously stated, Tom could not attend the first APC meeting

The details of this year�s DPC meetings were discussed and confirmed.

Around the Parishes
MARYBOROUGH: Fr Gerard Mulholland, recently ordained, came back to his
hometown, to celebrate Mass

GYMPIE: Fr Joe reported a similar occasion with Fr Rod Ward, previously one
of Gympie�s doctors. Gympie is running a well attended RCIA program

KINGAROY: Had a dinner at the local RSL to raise funds to help keep an
orphanage operating in the Phillipines.

CHILDERS: Reported that Fr Emmanuel was going fine, with many very happy
parishioners; they had all enjoyed a recent visit by Bishop Brian Finnigan,
and Mas attendances were progressing well at Gin Gin, and Woodgate

HERVEY BAY: Reported the planning for their big Golden Jubilee event in June
this year, was on track and going well. They are also enjoying the new
meeting room facility. Fr Joseph reported it was pleasing to see at the 12
masses celebrated for Christmas day in the parish, there was in excess of
2500 people present. HErvey Bay parish continues to grow strongly.

Chairperson Tom thanked all present. The meeting concluded with the �Lord�s
Prayer� at 12.05pm

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