PASTORAL COUNCIL

Towards a Vision for our Diocese

Following our recent consultation Towards a Vision for our Diocese, the Lewisham Deanery put forward a number of recommendations and the Lewisham Deanery Pastoral Council has taken responsibility for two specific areas

  LEWISHAM DEANERY PASTORAL COUNCIL MEMBERS 2008

A Deanery Pastoral Council brings together the laity, religious and clergy to promote the mission of the local Church in the parishes of the Deanery. Members reflect on the mission of the local Church in the light of Vatican documents, Diocesan policies and guidelines, and pastoral initiatives found to be successful elsewhere.

Members of the DPC should not only be open to this formation for themselves but also take what they discover, back to their parishes, and in particular, to their Parish Pastoral Councils. Priority should always be given to the fostering of mutual cooperation between clergy and laity, and, where appropriate, they should share the same formation.

Discovering the needs of the area is part of the task of mutual formation. This would include bringing to the Council the needs of ethnic minorities, of people with disabilities, of the poor, of the unemployed, of one parent families, and of any who are disadvantaged in any way

The DPC should provide a link between the parishes of the Deanery and between the Deanery and the Diocese.

Extract from Diocesan Guidelines on Deanery Pastoral Councils