Dear Friends,

I have returned to Canberra after being showered with hospitality in the Diocese of Toowoomba.  My visit coincided with the annual gathering of clergy and pastoral workers.  This year’s gathering was facilitated by Fr David Ranson.  David began a conversation about implications for the exercise of Priestly Ministry.  It is indeed a conversation that will need to be continued long after the facilitator leaves.  In the final session on Thursday, David Ranson spoke of five implications in detail.  These were:

• A Spirituality of Communion
  Involving: working in relationship with those who take up leadership positions; collaboration – empowering others to contribute;  Recognising the gifts in others; naming the many legitimate ministries which are part of communities.
• Hospitality to New forms of Lay Leadership
  Involving: being open to new forms of ministry; the ordained ministry being in a community of ministries;
• New Modes of Presence to our communities
  Involving: Recognise forms of leadership and encourage them to come into being; relationship of priest to community; priest being flexible and responsive to the community.
• Demands of Formation
  Involving: taking great care with the formation of our priests – seminary and ongoing formation; formation of members of the community.
• Trust
  Involving: Optimism should underpin everything; ongoing conversation about identity; discovering what it means to minister in the community; being faithful to questions that arise.

Fr David Ranson finished by looking at how we can grow as people of communion.  He encouraged people to be drawn to the trinity; to become living icons; to be shaped and given life by the triune God. 

On Wednesday evening a wonderful gathering was held to honour the women profiled in the National Photograph Exhibition.  A large crowd was privileged to listen to the wisdom of Sr Mary Cleary MSS, Lyn Cash,  Molly Glassey and Daphney Gossow. Their stories and experiences while very different reflected the enormous contribution women are making to the life and mission of the Church in Toowoomba. 

Congratulations to Veronica Kluck and Kathy Thompson, diocesan contacts in Toowoomba for organizing such a fabulous evening.  Thank you also to Kathy and Veronica for their generous hospitality during my time in Toowoomba.  I particularly enjoyed sharing a meal with women and men during my visit to the diocese.  It is quite extraordinary the initiatives being undertaken in this diocese and I hope to share some of these with you in future newsletters.  There were many positive comments about the women profiled in the exhibition at the gathering.  The exhibition is now going to travel throughout the diocese before being sent to the Archdiocese of Perth.

Best wishes,
Kimberly