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Our Participation

Plenary Council 2020 

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Our Plenary journey in the Diocese of Broken Bay commenced with a launch at the Feast of Pentecost (20 May, 2018). At this time, all of our parishes, school and agencies received a Support Kit and resources, with a call to select ‘Local Animators’ to lead and facilitate Listening and Dialogue Sessions in local communities of faith throughout our Diocese. Training for these tasks and ideas for ways in which to hold Listening Sessions was provided to 140 Local Animators in August 2018.

Following this launch and training, Local Animators and other leaders within our parishes, schools and networks led numerous dialogue sessions in communities throughout the Diocese. Using customised guides, and expressing the good will of people within Broken Bay, the process led to a high number of submissions which ensured our Diocese will actively shape the themes and agenda of the Plenary Council.

As the Year of Listening in the Diocese of Broken Bay drew to an end, many gathered at two Plenary Diocesan Assemblies held at Waitara and at The Entrance in November and December 2018. This provided an opportunity for communities to listen and share with one another, across parishes and communities, discerning together what God is asking of us in Australia at this time.

With more than 68,000 people taking part in this first stage of the Plenary Council process, the journey now enters a Discernment stage in which the submissions will be analysed by the National Centre for Pastoral Research, the themes of the Plenary Council announced at Pentecost (9 June 2019), and working groups will be established to develop discussion papers on each theme for the first session of the Council, to be held in Adelaide between 4-11 October, 2020. More updates can be accessed at http://plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/