Local Community Discernment | Diocese of Parramatta

Reflection

“The Church is not a community of perfect people, but of disciples on a journey, who follow the Lord because they know they are sinners and in need of his pardon”.¹

We acknowledge the ongoing damage done to the People of God, particularly by clerical sexual abuse and by the abuse of power in our Church, in our communities, and in our families. As a Diocesan community, we commit to work for justice and healing and to recognising and responding to violence in all its forms. As expressed by the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference “it remains our hope and prayer that all that we have done, are doing and will do, may help to bring healing to those so gravely harmed when in the Church’s care”.²

We humbly acknowledge the truth of our nation’s founding story and the associated violence and dispossession suffered by First Nations peoples. As St. John Paul II recognised when he addressed the First Nations peoples in Alice Springs: “For thousands of years you have lived in this land and fashioned a culture that endures to this day. And during all this time, the Spirit of God has been with you. Your “Dreaming”… your culture, is your only way of touching the mystery of God’s Spirit in you and in creation… Your culture, which shows the lasting genius and dignity of your race, must not be allowed to disappear… for us, you and the values you represent are precious.”³

We commit to recognising the abuse and violence that takes place in silence or behind closed doors, and find new ways to support and stand in solidarity with those, usually women and children, who are suffering in homes and places that should be safe environments.

As followers of Jesus, we appreciate the Holy Spirit is present in many ways in our city and suburbs, working through those who share our faith as well as the many who follow a different path in their search for truth and meaning. Rapidly declining religious affiliation across our country⁴ is a sign of the times that calls us to step outside the familiar and to engage respectfully with others who do not share our faith or are alienated from formal religion.

Rapidly declining religious affiliation across our country⁵ is a sign of the times that calls us to step outside the familiar and to engage respectfully with others who do not share our faith or are alienated from formal religion.

If we listen attentively, we learn to recognise the new and different ways by which the Spirit of Jesus continues to breathe God’s goodness and speak God’s Word in our fractured world. Our call is to listen deeply, to discern God’s voice, especially in those unexpected or uncomfortable encounters or places. As a synodal community of faith, we commit to dialogue, to build connections with all, believers and non-believers alike, who are working to make our communities better places.

1. Pope Francis, General Audience, April 13, 2016.
2. Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, “Five-year Report on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse,” August 2023.
3. John Paul II, “Address in Alice Springs,” 1986.
4. Australian Bureau of Statistics. “Religious Affiliation in Australia.” July 4, 2022. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/religious-affiliation-australia.
5. ibid.

Local community discernment questions

How can our faith community learn to talk about the pervasive nature of violence and understand it as an abuse of power in any situation, including the family, the Church, and the workplace?
How can we engage in deep listening and meaningful dialogue with local First Nations people and participate in the Diocesan Reconciliation Action Plan?
How do we explore the riches of the many cultures that are represented in our local faith community? How can these enrich our local liturgical celebrations and our prayer together?
How do we understand our baptismal call to be missionary disciples – as a local faith community and in partnership with other local groups? What education and formation do we need?

Local community action

• Celebrate regular Healing Masses that include special prayers of intercession for those whose trust has been betrayed through abuse or violence as well as ritual gestures that will help all who seek healing in body, mind, and spirit.

• Gather as a community in prayer during NAIDOC Week and extend a special invitation to local First Nations people to attend.

• Ensure the community and its leaders are familiar with Diocesan Safeguarding policies and meeting mandatory training requirements.

• Ensure that good safeguarding practices are included in all ministry formation and training.

• Establish formal relationships with local organisations, like The Shed at Emerton or the Women’s Shed at Quakers Hill, for the purpose of supporting their work and providing safe places for activities, like yarning circles.

• Organise opportunities for young people or family groups to participate in bush-walks to learn more about traditional custodians e.g. Kings Tablelands or Red Hand Caves in the Blue Mountains National Park or the Hawkesbury (Dyarubbin) or the Nepean (Yandhai) Rivers.

• Embed the practice of Spiritual Conversations into your community’s prayer life as a way to nurture faith, strengthen community, identify possible partnerships in the local area, and to more effectively respond to local needs.

• Provide different experiences for community members to share faith, ask questions, seek clarity, and become better informed.

• Organise a structured listening activity such as Table Talks or Listening Circles as a way of engaging with the marginalised, disengaged or wounded members of the community.