Many thanks to all those who organised and contributed to the Parish picnic.
Thanks also to the Sisters at the Home of Compassion for their welcome.
It was a great way to celebrate the beginning of our new Parish.

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The process of selecting our new Council and Committee continues.
The Transition Team will continue to operate until the new Council is in place, in time for our inaugural Mass.
All parishioners who were nominated for the Council will be contacted as soon as possible and invited to an evening to help discern who should progress to the Council and who has gifts to offer in other ways. Guidelines for the Council have been written and will be posted on our website shortly.
After careful consideration, the Transition Team has decided on a structure of up to 8 Council members. Council members will represent all our communities and not one community only. Four members will be selected from the Transition Team for a term of one year, to ensure continuity. In addition, the Parish Leadership Team, one Parish school principal and one Property and Finance Committee member will be on the Council ex officio.

Leadership Model In Wellington South
We are a community of communities. In addition to the Parish Leadership Team, Parish Pastoral Council and Finance and Property Committee, there will be other forums where leaders of our communities can help shape direction of our future, always guided by our vision. We will continue to work together in a spirit of discernment, collaboration and consensus.

Between now and our inaugural Mass in 2016 there will be several opportunities for our communities to come together.

Church Community Visits – On four Sundays, three church communities will be hosted by the fourth. These Sundays are a great opportunity to experience life in our other communities, to share hospitality, and to get to know people across Wellington South.
• Sunday 6 December 2015: Visit to St Anne’s, Newtown
• Sunday 13 December 2015: Visit to St Joseph’s, Mt Victoria
• Sunday 7 February 2016: Visit to St Bernard’s, Brooklyn
• Sunday 21 February 2016: Visit to St Francis de Sales, Island Bay

Parish Picnic Sunday 31 January 2016:
Parish Picnic starting at 12 noon, on the eve of the inauguration of Wellington South at Our Lady’s Home of Compassion, Island Bay.
Parishioners may wish to go directly to the Home of Compassion but for any who wish, Msgr Gerard Burns will lead a walk from the historic Home of Compassion Creche at Pukeahu Park to Island Bay, starting at 11.15am. Estimated walking time, 1 hour. All welcome.

Inaugural Mass Sunday 6 March 2016 at St Patrick’s College, Kilbirnie.

Our new Parish comes into being on 1 February 2016. Plans are already underway to celebrate our new beginning with an Inaugural Mass on 6 March 2016 presided over by Cardinal John, at St Patrick’s College, Kilbirnie. A liturgy committee made up of representatives from all four churches is leading the planning. Malia Vito-Tupai and Lucienne Hensel are the coordinators.

In the coming weeks the committee will approach people to serve in various ways at the Inaugural Mass.
After many months of praying, hoping, planning, and getting together in smaller ways, this will be an occasion not to be missed, as our four Church communities come together, bringing all our gifts, history, traditions and faith, and looking to a shared future full of hope.

If you have any questions, please approach your Parish representatives:
Maureen Laws (St Anne’s), Kathy Moriarty & Anna Kozniak (St Joseph’s), Simon McLennan & Mary Powell (St Bernard’s) and Maria Elenio, Stephanie Bosch or Jim McLaughlin (SFdS).
Alternatively please contact:
Malia (Maria.Vito-Tupai@mbie.govt.nz) or
Lucienne (office@stfrancisdesales.org.nz).

Between now and our inaugural Mass in 2016 there will be several opportunities for our communities to come together. Mark these dates in your diary now!

Sunday 6 December 2015: Visit to St Anne’s, Newtown by delegations from St Bernard’s, St Francis de Sales and St Joseph’s communities.
Sunday 13 December 2015: Visit to St Joseph’s, Mt Victoria by delegations from St Anne’s, St Bernard’s, and St Francis de Sales communities.
Sunday 31 January 2016: Parish Picnic on the eve of the beginning of Wellington South at Our Lady’s Home of Compassion, Island Bay.
Sunday 7 February 2016: Visit to St Bernard’s, Brooklyn by delegations from St Anne’s, St Francis de Sales and St Joseph’s communities.
Sunday 21 February 2016: Visit to St Francis de Sales, Island Bay by delegations from St Anne’s, St Bernard’s and St Joseph’s communities.
Sunday 6 March 2016: Inaugural Mass for the Catholic Parish of Wellington South at St Patrick’s College, Kilbirnie.

Wellington South Parish Leadership Team

Cardinal John has appointed Fr David Dowling Parish Priest and Fr Dennis Nacorda Assistant Priest of our new parish. A Lay Pastoral Leader is also to be appointed.
Mons Gerard Burns will continue to live in the parish but is not officially appointed as part of the Parish Leadership Team.

Presiding Priest at Mass

As part of the preparation for becoming a new parish, the priests in our Pastoral Area will move around all four churches from now on.

FAQs on the Parish Pastoral Council

How will the Council be selected?
The process is one of nomination followed by review and selection by the Transition Team.

What criteria will be used for selection?
The Transition Team will look to select a Council which can move the Parish toward our vision and one which is representative of our four Church communities and other
communities in our Wellington South parish.

How many people will be on the Council?
Around 12, although the final number may differ to ensure the Council is as representative of our communities as possible. The Parish Leadership team–our priests and lay pastoral leader–are part of the Parish Pastoral Council.

How long is the term of a Councillor?
Two years with the option to be re-selected for a further two.

If you have any questions please speak with Msgr Gerard, Fr David or Fr Dennis, or contact either of the joint transition team chairs: Kevin Lampen-Smith (kevin.stephanie@clear.net.nz) or Lesley Hooper (hooper.lesley@gmail.com).

‘We are a community of joyful disciples growing together and sharing Christ’s message’
is our vision for the Catholic Parish of Wellington South.

We are now looking to form the Parish Pastoral Council and the Finance, Administration and Property Committee for our new parish and want to hear from you if you, or someone you know, want to play a key part on these committees helping us deliver this vision.

The Hopes feedback from the discernment process emphasised that we are a community of communities.  Recognition and giving a voice to that rich diversity across our new parish will be a vital part of the role. Feedback also wanted us to be a joyful, vibrant and welcoming parish embracing those less fortunate in our community by reaching out in practical ways.
If being part of a team that is charged with setting the course for the parish to achieve and live up to the above sounds like you or someone you know then we want to hear from you. Tell us in a few short sentences what attracts you to this vision and the hopes for the new parish.

Send your nomination/information to info@wellingtonsouthcatholic.org by end of day
Sunday 22 November.

The transition team will be looking at the nominations during December and will aim to have the new committees in place and inducted during January, in time for the beginning of the new parish on
1 February 2016.

If you have any questions about this please speak with Mons Gerard, Fr David or Fr Dennis or contact either of the joint transition team chairs,
Kevin Lampen-Smith ( kevin.stephan@clear.net.nz ) or
Lesley Hooper ( hooper.lesley@gmail.com ).

Voyaging on to the new Catholic Parish of Wellington South 

The feedback and reflections from the discernment process from all the communities in the Wellington South Pastoral Area, entrusted into the care of the Transition Team.

Over the next few weeks the Transition Team is focusing on how leadership will look in our new parish. The prayers, hopes, and ideas from the discernment hold guidance for the future leadership our new Parish will need. We are also preparing planning documentation for Cardinal John for our agreed date of the Feast of Christ the King (22 November).

The Discernment Team is working to sift to the top, the key elements from the wealth and depth of written material from our Charting the Course discernment. We will bring this back to our Church communities soon, so that we can all hold onto the wisdom of our discernment as we make our way forward to our new Parish.

Please continue to pray for our new Parish of Wellington South and to reflect on the contribution you can make in our new Parish.

Visit www.wellingtonsouthcatholic.org for more information on our Charting the Course Discernment.
Visit our Facebook page at “Charting the Course – The Catholic Parish of Wellington South”