Tim Curtis SJ

After a couple of years in the job, and after the maintenance aspects of looking after the fabric of the church had been mapped out, I joined with the parish team and the parish council in a discernment exercise to work out the direction in which we wanted the parish to grow.   We were grateful for our strengths - our excellent catechetical programs, our multicultural liturgies, our many groups and organisations - however, we identified to more areas as priorities for growth: We wanted to strengthen our social outreach ministry and we wanted to minister to the younger age range of the parish.

I am well aware that many parish priests have enthusiasms and take parishes off in a certain direction, but after they leave the parish, often, enthusiasm wanes.   Thus, together with the parish, we decided to create the post of Social Outreach Co-ordinator and to establish an Outreach Office.