- 12-14 June 2024
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…and there’s no reason why yours shouldn’t be one of them.
See the witness of priests and lay leaders seeing new life by embracing mission and evangelisation.
“Things were not healthy, and we needed to do something about it. For me as a priest, what has been really wonderful is I can share the load [with my team]. I don’t need to have all the answers. The collective wisdom is much better than my wisdom..and to be an evangelising parish, a parish that looks beyond ourselves has been so important.”
Erskine, Scotland
“I was becoming a little despondent in thinking, ‘perhaps this is just the way parish life is.’ I haven’t become a priest to just manage decline and watch a community just shrivel up. Going to that conference, it reignited my vocation and sense of mission — and this started off in my parish a journey of hope.”
Workington, Cumbria
“I knew that I couldn’t keep it to myself. It happened to heal me, but I believe it also happened for me to tell my story.”
Lancaster
“Change is always exciting and scary. And the reality is [mission] is going to be difficult. And it can’t happen without prayer. So we’re covering it in prayer…taking it gently and fervently, and being faithful to what God wants us to do.”
Our Lady Help of Christians, Rickmansworth
“…being aware of the needs in the parish beyond the weekly Masses…[we dreamed big], we wanted a parish full of families, various generations, a parish that celebrates its liturgy well, and a parish that’s evangelising and making missionary disciples.”
Runcorn
“I’ve been preaching a lot about the idea of mission…and making people in love with Jesus. Now we hear parishioners begin to say ‘I want to get more involved in parish life, I want to grow in my relationship with Christ.’ There’s a sense that all of us are missionary, all of us are called to be saints…”
Luton
“The experience [of mission] has brought a lot of change in the parish…spouses who have never come to church are now attending, unchurched people are coming through the doors and they just want to experience what others have shared.”
Immaculate Conception, Southampton
“When I was young, if the church was like this, I wouldn’t have gone away for so long. I’m 37 and just coming back now. It’s different because I feel like I’m part of a family. Be open to new ways, as long as they get us closer to Christ and deepen our faith.”
“Sometimes it’s like there are priest and there are parishioners. Here, we do feel like we’re part of the mission, that we’re part of the Church.”
East London
“If we stayed where we were, we would be in terminal decline. Things had to change. Everything we do from now on has to fit the mission. [Parish renewal] was answering the questions we were asking.”
East Brighton
“[Parish renewal] works because St. Elizabeth’s is now a very energizing parish to be involved with. It’s more than just growing spiritually…but also the connection piece and it’s that action. The church isn’t just somewhere you go to, it’s something we’re part of.”
Richmond
“Part of this is about equipping people for mission within their own families, so they feel they can mission to their own children, and then build up that confidence with their faith.”
Exeter
*Dinner packages and admission to pre-summit events available as add-ons during checkout.