What's Happening around Australia
Plans and Suggestions by Diocesan Directors: The Year for Priests:
- Letter of support for priests from Bishops to the lay faithful
- Personal letters to priests acknowledging and appreciating their zeal and fidelity
- Parish celebrating the anniversary of its priest
- Celebrating the priest during the August vocation appeal
- Remembering deceased priest during November Holy Souls; solemn Vespers celebration
- Meals in parishes celebrating the vocation of priesthood
- Affirming priests by: a prayer envelope for individual priests; during assemblies; at general gatherings; drawing up a profile of the priest
- Sharing the stories of individual priests: priests initiating this; others initiating it; having them published in books, on websites
- Priests being invited to return to parishes that nurtured their vocation
- Keeping a balanced view of the person of the priest
- Engage priests in discussing their spirituality (see D Ranson’s book on the topic)
- Have a John Vianney Day: priests to come together for Mass and social gathering
- Have a ‘Return to Springwood' (or other Seminary) day
- Mass at Cathedral followed by meal served by representatives of diocesan community
- Shared meal likewise, at deanery and at parish levels
- Special in-service days in the diocese, focus on spirituality, the Paschal Paradox (D Ranson's book)
- Make the nature of priesthood the focus of annual clergy conference or plenary
- Conduct a pilgrimage to Ars in 2010 (Townsville)
- Icon of John Vianney travelling through New Zealand to focus the issue
- Banners depicting the Year for Priest to be sent to each parish
- Priests contributing to a booklet on the heart of priesthood
- Diocesan news papers to feature priests in each edition throughout the year
- Bishop to take priests away for two weeks for R & R, spiritual / pastoral development
- Invite laity to make suggestions as to how to celebrate the Year
- Invite Bishop Costello to speak on priesthood
- Celebrate with the Pope 19 June 2010; or go on pilgrimage to Ars
- Guest speakers at Seminary throughout Year to which all priests are invited