In June, four representatives from our parish attended the Catholic Parish Summit in the Yorkshire Spa Town of Harrogate. Organised by Divine Renovation, the conference welcomed around a thousand delegates from two hundred parishes across the UK, together with representatives from as far away as New Zealand, Australia and Canada, and 150 Bishops and priests from Lithuania, the Netherlands, England and Scotland. Besides an opportunity to meet other people, the conference included talks and times of prayer, and our parish offered a workshop in which we shared our parish's journey over the past two years and how we are seeking to make mission and discipleship our priority.  

Here, Shirelle Cooper, takes up the story...

“We say our prayers and make our plans, but if God’s not in it, we don’t want it, O God, would you move.”

These words from one of the songs we sang during the conference were the essence of the Catholic parish Summit. The event was like a glimpse of what the Church could be all the time in every place, if we truly put God at the centre of all we do, both as a communities and individuals.

We all want full, vibrant churches. We all want young people involved and alive in our parishes (and they most certainly were here). We all want those we love to be or return to being faithful Catholic Christians. This conference gave the sense that these desires can be fulfilled, as we are called to renewal in the build-up to 2033, the two thousandth Anniversary of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Everything was there: the variety and expanse of the Church made manifest. There was vibrant singing, heartfelt proclamation of the Word of God, inspiring preaching, silent awe-inspiring adoration of the Eucharist, beautifully sung Gregorian chant, an acceptance of our need for healing and peace and a loud call for the Holy Spirit to fill our lives. 

Prayer was at the centre of everything. Every speaker was prayed for. Workshop leaders prayed together before the participants arrived. People were unashamedly praying for each other around the conference centre. We too are invited to pray with and for each other. We were also invited and encouraged to share our experiences with other people and their parishes, recognising that we are all at different stages of the same journey.

We were called to serve each other and those in need, wherever they may be. The conference made us believe that our parishes really can be renewed one step at a time, one person at a time, through the power of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.