A quiet but determined spirit of renewal is taking root within the heart of the Church in Sydney, as it grapples with a post-COVID exodus of parishioners and a secular society that no longer prioritises worship. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
As part of the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation’s Parish Renewal Team, Tania Rimac has been supporting parishes to prioritise encounters with Christ, and a sense of belonging and spiritual growth.
In August, the best of what is happening in Sydney parishes and beyond will be showcased at the Sydney Archdiocese’s Parish Renewal Conference, titled “For Such a Time as This”.
“The talks and workshops which will be presented at the conference will share practical ways we can bring Christ to the world,” Ms Rimac said.
“We recognise that we are living in a time where some are hostile to faith, and this brings challenges, although it does not change the fact that each and every baptised person has been lovingly put here by God for such a time as this.
“My hope is that each person leaves the conference encouraged and equipped to take the next good step to call and form other disciples.”
Practical ideas will be shared in several workshops centred on the importance of personal encounter with Christ, a critical element in strengthening our parishes as centres of evangelisation.
“Parishes are renewed when people are renewed! When hearts are set on fire, it ignites a contagious passion for sharing our faith with others,” Ms Rimac said.
Ms Rimac knows that parishes are faced with many challenges, particularly what she calls the “missing” individuals and families from the church.
“In some ways, this has helped those who remain to be more intentional about their faith; but it has also brought heartache that so many of the Christian family are missing,” she said.
“Some parishes have responded with vigour and boldness to this reality and are seeing a new vibrancy that perhaps has been missing for decades.”
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Spirit of Renewal to come alive at Parish Renewal conference (By Darren Ally, The Catholic Weekly)
