The inaugural meeting of the Take the Way of the Gospel Reference and Advisory Group took place on Wednesday 1 June 2022.
Chaired by Very Rev. Joe Caddy, Vicar General, and Teresa Rhynehart, Director of Mission, this dynamic group of lay and clergy representatives comprises:
- Peter Evans—parishioner of St Simon the Apostle, Rowville, and part-time business and office manager for the parish
- Philip Jackson —parishioner St Joan of Arc, Brighton, a Bayside Mission parish community
- Maria Lusby—parishioner of St Patrick’s Murrumbeena and organiser of the inaugural parish Alpha program
- Dr Margaret O’Donnell—parishioner of St Gregory the Great, Doncaster, and member of the Parish Pastoral Council
- Mary Tan—parishioner of St Christopher’s Syndal/Glen Waverley and chair of the Parish Pastoral Council
- Frank Unger—parishioner of Holy Family Parish, Maidstone, and chair of the Parish Pastoral Council
- Bernadette Wake—parishioner of St Mary of the Cross, Mordialloc/Aspendale, and member of the Parish Lay Leadership Team and Parish Pastoral Council
- Rev. Monsignor Stuart Hall—Parish Priest of Holy Eucharist, Malvern East
- Rev. Shabin Kanianpuram IV Dei—Parish Priest of Holy Spirit and St Anthony’s, Alphington/Thornbury East, St Joseph’s Northcote and St Mary’s Thornbury
- Rev. Dr Brendan Reed—Parish Priest of Our Holy Redeemer, Surrey Hills Wattle Park, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Deepdene, Our Lady of Victories, Camberwell, and All Hallows, Balwyn
- Rev. Richard Rosse—Parish Priest of St Catherine of Siena, Caroline Springs
- Rev. Dan Serratore MGL—Parish Priest of St Benedict’s, Burwood.
Members will seek to draw upon their own experiences as parishioners, as well as other professional skills and personal gifts in the service of the wider Archdiocese. We are grateful to this group who have said ‘yes’ to serving the Gospel mission in this way in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. The purpose of the group is to collaborate on the implementation of the Take the Way of the Gospel strategy, particularly as it applies to parishes. At the first meeting, as well as getting to know one another, the participants were briefed on the strategy and identified characteristics they thought would be important for working together effectively.
The next meeting of the group is scheduled for Wednesday 13 July. We look forward to the group’s assistance in developing resources to help parishes respond to the missionary call of the Gospel, as we seek to foster vibrant, vital and viable communities of faith. The group is excited about where the Spirit will guide our Archdiocese over the coming years.
