North Country Deanery Pastoral Council

Minutes of Meeting

13^th August 2011 in Murgon

 

Present:  Nigel & Carol Young, Helen Bonanno, Denise Rapkins, Jack Crough, Julie Lynch, Kathy Banney, Fr Pat Dowd, Fr Joseph, Fr Michael, Edward  Ekari (Seminarian)  , Kim Koster, Cavell Black

 

Apologies:  Fr Paul Kelly, Fr John Hong, Fr John Khoai,  Tom Bushell, Berry Doak, Fr Pat Cassidy, Gay Gordon, Ross Hamilton, James Curtain, Kay Dove.

 

Everyone introduced themselves and described their involvement in their respective parishes.

 

Minutes:  Read and accepted

 

Business arising from Minutes:

1. Family Conference  follow up - Jack spoke about the Men's group "Men Alive" Gympie will start this next June.  Jack will have more to report at the next meeting. It is still in the planning stages.

2.  Deanery Retreat – on 16/17 September.  There are presently 24 participants, with a few places still spare. Participants will receive confirmation of details in early September.

3. Parish Retreats  - Sr Mary Franzmann will be doing a retreat in H Bay on 30/31 October;  Gympie will have a retreat day with Sr Dianna Law on 16^th October.

4. Deanery Youth Day – 60 people attended, with youth from Gympie, Gin Gin, Noosa, and Hervey Bay. This was held at Xavier College, Hervey Bay, and led by members of the Emmanuel Youth Outreach team. Gin Gin has a keen group of youth , and Nanango has a group with mainly primary aged children. Gympie is tying to get Year 7 involved before moving up to high school. The Gympie youth are involved in the cuppa after mass.  Two ladies – Joanne Rogers and Sordelisa Claudio – are very involved and doing great work.  Next year, perhaps Kingaroy might host the DYD? Julie said there is a new Youth coordinator in Kingaroy parish; otherwise Gympie will do it.

5. New Missal Workshops – there has been much positive feedback on the workshops with Elizabeth Harrington in our deanery.

 

 

 

Other Business:

Fr Joseph reported from the Deanery priests meeting -  there will be 13 new priests coming to Australia in February 2012 (from Nigeria, India, and PNG)

The appointment of a new Archbishop may take a while as it is a long process.

In 2013, the new deanery fund will be much less – maybe $17 000 ? The Deanery Pastoral Council will need to review our Funding allocation .  Our parishes have been fortunate to have funding over recent years for our own projects and this will  not be the case in the future.

 

Expenditure Statements:

Each parish received a statement of their spending of funds (prepared by deanery finance person, Mary Kirkpatrick)  PLEASE SPEND YOUR FUNDS BEFORE DECEMBER.

 The money allocated to Beginning Theology courses may need to be reviewed, as very few groups have formed in recent years. It may need some good advertising again?

 

Social Justice Statement.  Next Meeting (5^th November at Gympie) – Peter Arndt has offered to come to our deanery once again to speak on Prisons and the Justice System (latest Social Justice Statement to be released in September). Meeting agreed it may be worth bringing him to our next meeting; we would need to advertise it to our communities in case others (such as prison chaplains) may wish to attend also.  Julie to check with Fr Pat Cassidy first.

 

Fr Michael Carroll gave a very interesting talk and insights  on the history  of Cherbourg .  He recommends  the book " A Dumping Ground , A history of Cherbourg Settlement 1900- 1940" -  would be very good for parish libraries.

Fr Michael suggested the DPC may like to go to the Rations Shed at Cherbourg, when we meet in Murgon again, next year, for some education about the history of the aboriginals in the area.

Fr Michael also shared about his study of icons at the Catholic University in Belgium last year during his sabbatical.  He has done some 'writing of icons'

 

NEXT MEETING :   5^TH NOVEMBER IN GYMPIE.