Beginning Advent of 2018, Bishop Brendan Leahy assigned each parish to be a part of a cluster of parishes which would work together to serve the parishioners of the larger area. While every parish retains their own finance council and local pastoral council, a pastoral unit council was created to facilitate the collaboration of the parishes.
Pastoral Unit Council
Comprised of members from St. Saviour’s, St. Joseph’s, and Our Lady of Lourdes, the pastoral unit council serves the team of parishes. This council meets every second month to discuss the pastoral needs across the larger area.
Members: Josie Healy-Sweeney (chair), Donal Maye (secretary), Stephanie Enright, Joanne Hannan, Dermot McConn, Denise Hannan, Vincent Morris, Corina Boylan, Fr. John Walsh, Fr. Oliver Plunkett, Sr. Caitríona.
Parish Pastoral Council
Members from the parish serve on the Parish Pastoral Council which serves the pastoral needs of the parish. This group meets every second month.
Members: Donal Maye (chair), David Bracken (secretary), Corina Boylan, Stephanie Enright, Mary Leggett, Patricia O’Connell, Sr. Caitríona.
What is a Parish Pastoral Council? The parish pastoral council is a leadership group through which priests and people work together as partners in furthering the mission of Christ in their own place. It does this through building up a vibrant Christian community that is rooted in baptism and marked by its faith, worship and service.
Structures such as pastoral councils express the shared responsibility of all the baptised for the mission of Christ. It is a means whereby all parishioners can take part in discussions that relate to the parish, its mission and its future development. To fulfil its role the pastoral council needs to be a representative body in which the diversity of the parish community is reflected. Its job is not to replace all the good work currently happening, but to consider the needs of the whole parish and ensure all parishioners are inspired by and included in parish life.