The Parish Leadership Ministry (PLM) compiled a list of initiatives from February to September 2019 on how the Synod Outcomes are being achieved by the parishes. These were extracted from activities advertised in parish newsletters.
1. Go you are sent to go to the peripheries of society
North Island-
- Looking for companions for Seasons for Growth programme at Arohata and Rimutaka Prisons (widely advertised)
- A free monthly community dinner aimed at those people most in need (St Joseph’s Upper Hutt)
- Neighbour’s Day Event; food, music and fun activities. Get to know your community (Catholic Parish of Otari)
- Starting Up a Justice Group (Te Awakairangi Parish)
- Volunteers wanted for Samaritan Helpline (Ss Mary and Joseph, Otaki/Levin)
- Volunteers wanted for Food Bank (Ss Mary and Joseph, Otaki/Levin)
- Benefit Impact Week (Our Lady of Kapiti Parish)
- St Vincent de Paul -Volunteers wanted to form a team to help with cooking a meal, cleaning, visiting aged/sick people (Holy Trinity)
- Linden Kai Kitchen-free community lunches every Friday 12.30-1.30pm Collaborative Community Advice Wellington C.C. +Linden Residents (Our Lady of Hope)
- Workshop – Understanding N.Z. Immigration Law (Our Lady of Hope)
- Social Justice Week- widely advertised
- Volunteers for St Vincent de Paul Book Fair – September (Wellington South)
South Island-
- St Vincent de Paul helped parishioners with medical bills, accommodation, power and food grants. (St Canice,Westport)
- St Vincent de Paul helped parishioners with food parcels, a load of coal and school expenses (Sacred Heart, Reefton)
2. Go you are sent to develop a spirituality of service
North Island
- Parish Lenten Retreats and/or Lenten Prayer Groups. Workshops were offered in all parishes.
- Spirituality of Service (six weeks) Lenten Programme (Catholic Parish of Wairarapa)
- Cross making for adults (Sacred Heart Cathedral)
- Learn about Christian Meditation (Sacred Heart Cathedral)
- Men’s One Day Retreat (Our Lady of Kapiti)
- Parish Retreats – Cenacle Sisters; (Ss Mary and Joseph, Otaki/Levin, St Theresa’s Plimmerton)
- Lectio Divina Group – Worship Night and refreshments (Our Lady of the Valleys)
- Wairarapa Prayer Fest over three Saturdays – June, July and August (Catholic Parish of Wairarapa)
- Marian Mothers Prayer Group Starting up (Holy Trinity)
- Developing a Spirituality of Service advertised in most parishes
- Call to Holiness-Gaudete et Exsultate workshop (St Francis of Assisi, Ohariu)
- Meditation group (St Francis of Assisi, Ohariu)
South Island-
- A Reflection on the Passion by Fr Dennis Travers (Star of the Sea Parish)
- Silent Meditation Group – (St Canice, Westport)
- Reflection Days by Chris Skinner and Bev McDonald (Star of the Sea Parish)
- Decorate your own candle (for adults) (Our Lady of the Bays and Holy Family Nelson)
- Introduction to Christian Meditation (Our Lady of the Bays)
- Springtime Retreat Day (Our Lady of the Bays – Motueka)
- A Reflective Afternoon, “A meal with Jesus” (Holy Family Nelson)
- A Retreat Day – “The Spirituality of the St Vincent de Paul Society” (Holy Family Nelson)
- Lady’s Reflection Day, Sept (Star of the Sea)
3. Go you are sent to find leaders:
North Island-
- Forming a Bereavement Group (Ss Mary and Joseph, Otaki/Levin)
- Looking for extra-ordinary Ministers of the Eucharist (St Theresa’s Plimmerton)
- Looking for a volunteer to facilitate a Young Vinnies Group – St Patrick’s Primary School (Holy Trinity)
- Acknowledging the service various leaders have performed and organising formation for new people to step up (Catholic Parish of Otari)
- Commissioning Proclaimers of the Word (St Francis of Assisi, Ohariu)
- Formation for Bereavement Ministry, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, and Baptism Ministry (St Francis of Assisi, Ohariu)
- Baptismal Preparation Programme- three couples wanted (Our Lady of Hope)
- Time and Talents Survey (Our Lady of the Valleys)
- Parish Ministry Training – September (Catholic Parish of Wellington South)
South Island-
- Looking for new members on Parish Leadership Team (PPC) succession planning (Holy Family Nelson)
- Wanting a small group to liaise/organise Ecumenical events in Stoke (Holy Family, Nelson)
- Come and See – Q&A for those interested in Eucharistic Ministry (Holy Family Nelson)
- Looking for people to join the Bereavement Ministry (Holy Family, Nelson)
4. Go you are sent to use your assets wisely:
North Island-
- A second collection started at the Sunday Mass for maintenance work in the parish (Holy Family Porirua)
- Westport reported on all the different uses their parish hall was being used for by the church and community groups
5. Go you are sent to deepen your bicultural relationships:
North Island-
- Every Sunday Miha (Māori Mass) 11am Home of Compassion Chapel.
- “Maori in Liturgy” after Sunday morning Mass learning key responses etc. to use during Mass (Catholic Parish of Otari)
6. Go you are sent as members of the one Body of Christ:
North Island-
- Multicultural Mass – Feb (Our Lady of Hope)
- Interfaith Events; Food and Chat (Catholic Parish of Otari)
- Tongan Mass with Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi (Holy Trinity)
7. Go you are sent to the peripheries:
North Island-
- Breakfast Club, volunteers wanted St Michael’s Primary school (Te Awakairangi)
- Anointing Mass and afternoon tea (April) (Ss Mary and Joseph, Otaki/Levin)
- ESL Adults invited to come and practise spoken English and Kiwi sayings.
- Tea Trolley for families who have someone dying in Hutt hospital – donations of china, spoons etc. welcomed (Te Awakairangi)
- A Caring Space – a day’s retreat for people caring for a loved one
- Volunteers wanted to take people suffering from dementia for a half-hour afternoon drive – Chelsea Day Car Trust (Holy Trinity)
- Mass for the divorced or separated – widely advertised
- Greenstone Doors – brand new shoe sale
- Volunteers wanted to help with children’s reading, St Peter Chanel School (Ss Mary and Joseph, Otaki/Levin)
- Anointing Mass-September (Ss Mary and Joseph, Otaki/Levin)
- Safeguarding Workshops advertised in every parish
- Lament, Listening, Healing – Wellington Theological Consortium Conference
South Island-
- Faith and Light Fiesta, March (Holy Family Nelson)
- Anointing Mass and Luncheon (Star of the Sea)
- Open Home Foundation – Foster Parent Information Evening (Holy Family, Nelson)
8. Go you are sent to care for creation:
North Island-
- Nominations for people to join committees for the Archdiocese Commission for Ecology, Justice & Peace (widely advertised)
- Parishioners urged to drop off soft plastic bags to a local organisation which reuse them (Ss Mary and Joseph, Otaki/Levin)
- Urging parishioners to use non-plastic, corn starch rubbish bags (Ss Mary and Joseph, Otaki/Levin)
- Lenten Workshop “Stronger Together for Action on Climate” (St. Theresa’s Plimmerton)
- Relevant quotes each week (St Theresa’s Plimmerton)
- A follow-up meeting with speakers to Lenten programme, “What’s happened/ happening?”
- Sewing group which repurposes fabrics and textiles from the Vinnies Op Shop (Our Lady of Hope)
- Recycling tables at Church – bring items no longer needed for others to use (Wellington South)
- Ethnic Considerations of Climate Change – October (Wellington South)
- Two Workshops – What can we do about our Earth? (St Francis of Assisi, Ohariu)
South Island-
- Hannah and Liam speaking on reducing our household waste. Feb (Our Lady of the Bays)
- Quotes from Laudato Si each week and some useful tips as well (Our Lady of the Bays)
- World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation
9. Go you are sent to fellow Christians:
North Island-
- Most parishes offered ecumenical Walk of Faith / Stations of the Cross for Good Friday.
- Most parishes were involved in ecumenical Ash Wednesday Services
- Prayer Service and hospitality with Wellington Lutheran Community (Sacred Heart Cathedral)
- Celebrating Creation – Ecumenical gathering. (Holy Trinity and Wellington South)
South Island-
- Workshop ‘Contemporary Apologetics’ – faith seeking understanding (Holy Family, Nelson)
- A Day Aside – Hira Anglican Church (Our Lady of the Bays and Holy Family, Nelson)
- ‘Delight in Prayer’- workshop at Takaka (Our Lady of the Bays)
- Awatere/Flaxbourne Community Twilight Gathering – Prayer Service/BBQ and Cricket (Star of the Sea)
- Shared lunch at the Union Church. Meet visitors from Kenya here for the installation of new Anglican Bishop in Nelson (Originally from Kenya) (Sacred Heart, Reefton)
- Day Aside- Retreat day “Priorities”
- Celebrating Spring-Ecumenical gathering (Our Lady of the Bays)
10. Go you are sent to accompany one another:
North Island-
- Overflow – fellowship evenings for teens and young adults (Our Lady of the Valleys)
- Youth Camp ‘Gravitate Camp’ (Our Lady of Kapiti)
- Life in the Spirit Seminar for Young Adults (Catholic Parish of Otari, Our Lady of Hope and Sacred Heart Cathedral)
- Young Adults Mass and Dinner – Seatoun (Holy Trinity)
- Youth Rosary and fish and chips – fortnightly during school term (Catholic Parish of Wairarapa)
- Games Evening – (Combined Holy Family, Our Lady of Hope, Te Ngakau Tapu and St Theresa’s, Plimmerton)
- Pizza Night (St Francis of Assisi, Ohariu)
- Youth Coordinator and Parish Website Blogger (Te Wairua Tapu)
- Youth Mass -first Sunday of the month (Holy Family, Porirua)
- The month of July was dedicated to the youth group (Holy Family, Porirua)
- Youth Mass once a month (Te Awakairangi)
- Genesis to Jesus scripture series-S.M.A.Y.A.C (St Mary of the Angels)
- Believe – Young Adult Formation Series (St Mary of the Angels)
11. Go you are sent to support marriages and families:
North Island-
- Children’s Mass every 4th Sunday (St Joseph’s Upper Hutt)
- St Valentine’s Day Mass – widely advertised (Wellington region)
- Children’s Mass – Aug (St Francis of Assisi, Ohariu)
- Parenting Faith – Seminar for Parents by Chris Duthie Young – widely advertised
- Catered meal for all Mums, Dads, Singles and Couples under 55 (St Theresa’s Plimmerton)
- Family Mass followed by social activities (Our Lady of the Valleys)
- Midwinter Passionist Family Group Dinner (St Theresa’s Plimmerton)
- First Year Birthday of Passionist Family Groups (Catholic Parish of Wellington South)
- Pilgrimage For Life – (Wellington South and Our Lady of Hope advertised St Theresa’s, Plimmerton, St Joseph’s, Upper Hutt, Ss Mary and Joseph Otaki/Levin, Te Wairua Tapu)
South Island –
- Renewing Marriage Vows (Star of the Sea)
- Meals for People experiencing hard/stressful times – Passionist Family group (Our Lady of the Bays)
- Pilgrimage For Life (Sacred Heart, Reefton and St Canice’s, Westport)
12. Go you are sent to build community:
North Island-
- Special Masses commemorating their new parishes (Te Awakairangi and Wellington South) (Feb)
- Parish Picnics (Our Lady of the Valleys, Catholic Parish of Otari and Our Lady of Kapiti) (Feb)
- Parish and School Gala (Our Lady of Kapiti)
- Tuesday Social Group – Cuppa & Chat (Ss Mary and Joseph, Otaki/Levin)
- Introducing stick-on name tags at the start of Mass (Our Lady of the Valleys)
- Parish Luncheon- July (Our Lady of the Valleys)
- Under 55’s Dinner – (St Theresa’s Plimmerton)
- Anointing Mass and Parish Luncheon (St Theresa’s Plimmerton)
- Holy Cross Happy Hour – Bingo and Food (Holy Trinity)
- Online Meal Roster – providing meals temporarily for parish family members in time of need. e.g. new baby, illness, bereavement. (Our Lady of Hope)
- Tawa monthly Tuesday luncheon (Our Lady of Hope)
- St Pius X Feast Day, Mass with school (Our Lady of Hope)
- Parish Feast Day Event – Mass, mulled wine and supper (Sacred Heart Cathedral)
- Matariki Gathering – concert and food (Wellington South)
- Winter Choir- three weeks for 10.30 am Mass (Wellington South)
- New Book Club (Ss Mary and Joseph, Otaki/Levin)
South Island –
- Welcoming newcomers to the parish – morning tea after Sunday Mass (Our Lady of the Bays)
- School and Parish Mass and BYO Picnic tea – Feb (Our Lady of the Bays)
- Coffee Club – Richmond Parish centre (Our Lady of the Bays)
- Grumpy Old Men’s Fellowship & Discussion Society-Motueka (Our Lady of the Bays)
- Sacred Heart monthly lunch, Kaikoura (Star of the Sea)
- Midwinter Gathering (Holy Family, Nelson)
- Invitation for different community groups to host morning tea after Mass roster. (Our Lady of the Bays)
- Pot Luck Lunch group (Holy Family, Nelson)
13. Go you are sent to communicate effectively:
North Island
- Explaining how our Parish Sacramental Programme works – (Catholic Parish of Wellington South)
- Parishes are actively engaging with parishioners over the directive to relook at churches, presbyteries etc; Church community brainstorming session after Sunday Mass. Parish Review Steering Committees formed to collect and recommend responses, Café Style discussion groups, Discernment and Consultation groups, Surveys, Feedback meetings, Updates on proposals
- Timetable for closing ceremonies for Waikanae Church and new timetable for weekend and weekday Masses (Our Lady of Kapiti)
- Three surveys for parishioners on Liturgy and Eucharist, Evangelisation and Mission, Spirituality and Formation activities (Holy Family, Porirua)
- Parish Gathering for input on parish themes and activities for the next four months- Community, Mission, Prayer, Advent and Christmas (St Francis of Assisi, Ohariu)