In 2010 Bishop Treanor initiated the Living Church journey with the council of priests as together they began to explore the vision and way forward for the Diocese.  From the outset of the process it was recognised that there was a need to listen and Fr Alan McGuckian was engaged in creating a listening forum for the Priests of the Diocese and from this came the resounding message to listen to religious & laity.

Listening to the laity involved the commitment of both the steering committee who planned and co-ordinated the process and also the generosity of forty seven facilitators.  The facilitators heard from each of the parishes across our Diocese and the report gives a reflection of the messages that were heard across the Diocese and a statement of hope for the years ahead.  The report identifies 5 core themes Lay Participation, Open Welcoming Community, Clergy, Faith & Worship and Passing on the Faith and it is within these themes that the Living Church Office finds its remit.

In launching the Living Church report Bishop Noel Treanor spoke to us all of the joint responsibility of Living Church;

“Each one of us, child, teenager, young and old, lay, cleric, religious women and men, are called by our fellow Christians and Catholics to share responsibility for keeping the message of Jesus Christ known, alive and active in our time.”

The commitment of the Diocese to the Living Church is confirmed by the establishment of the Living Church office who are charged with implementing the recommendations of the Living Church report and preparing a 5 year Diocesan Pastoral Plan which will be presented at the Diocesan Congress in 2013. 

The Living Church office recognise that the work that needs to happen will occur both at an organisational level within the Diocese and locally within the parishes.  In the lead up to the Congress the team will endeavour to work at a local level supporting Parishes in identifying the way forward for them.  The Living Church team are firmly committed to revealing the Living Church that exists within our Diocese and recognise that in our welcoming of the Holy Spirit and the generosity of the talents and abilities of all that the Living Church will truly become a reality.