The Building Stronger Parishes research project explored how Australian Catholic parishes, in various contexts, use their strengths and available resources to respond to a variety of challenges. Particular emphasis was given to stories of vitality and hope that bring life to their communities and where parishes had an underlying foundation in an ecclesiology of communion. Initiatives identified by the research continue to provide inspiration for parishes today when they face similar challenges.
Brief information about vital actions, initiatives and projects undertaken by the participating parishes in response to particular needs is available by clicking the menu items on the right-hand side of the page. Not every initiative identified by the research continues to be supported in each parish, as organisations change their activities over time to meet current and future needs. Nonetheless, visiting other parish websites is one way to access new ideas to help address different situations that parishes encounter today. Websites for the participating parishes provide contact details that can be used to source more information about their practices.
PARISHES IN THE STUDY
RESEARCH FINDINGS
The research findings from the project are available in the following publications:
A HANDBOOK FOR BUILDING STRONGER PARISHES: Case Studies, Reflections, Worksheets, Action Plans
A Handbook for Building Stronger Parishes provides excellent case studies, reflection questions, worksheets and action plans to support you and your parish team.
The handbook is now available for purchase from: garrattpublishing.com.au
Handbook details: 2016. Trudy Dantis. A Handbook for Building Stronger Parishes. Garratt Publishing.
BUILDING STRONGER PARISHES PROJECT REPORT MAY 2015
Trudy Dantis and Robert Dixon
BUILDING STRONGER PARISHES REPORT SERIES
A series of six reports were produced on various aspects of parish vitality arising from the research:
1) Community Building, Welcoming and Hospitality
2) Liturgy
3) Spirituality and Faith Formation
4) Mission, Outreach and Evangelisation
5) Leadership
6) Planning
The May 2015 Project Report and the six topical reports are available in a bundle for a discounted price from the ACBC bookshop online: www.catholic.org.au/shop/acbc‐shop. Use the search function to search for ‘Stronger Parishes’. Note: these items are not sold separately.
Report details: May 2015. Trudy Dantis & Robert Dixon. Building Stronger Parishes: Project Report. Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
2015. Trudy Dantis. Project Topic Report 1: ‘Community Building, Welcoming and Hospitality’.
2015. Trudy Dantis. Project Topic Report 2: ‘Mission, Outreach and Evangelisation’.
2015. Trudy Dantis and Richard Rymarz. Project Topic Report 3: ‘Spirituality and Faith Formation’.
2015. Trudy Dantis. Project Topic Report 4: ‘Liturgy’.
2015. Trudy Dantis. Project Topic Report 5: ‘Leadership’.
2015. Trudy Dantis and Richard Rymarz. Project Topic Report 6: ‘Planning’.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS:
1) Tracing the Pulse: An Investigation Into Vitality In Australian Catholic Parishes
Trudy Dantis
The Australasian Catholic Record
Volume 92, Issue 2 (June 2015)
Abstract: As a ‘definite community of Christian faithful’, every parish is called to embody the presence of the church in the wider community. It does this by being a place of living communion and participation that is wholly mission-oriented, an environment conducive to hearing God’s word and growing in the Christian life, and one that is engaged in dialogue, proclamation, outreach, worship and celebration. In doing so, a parish becomes ‘salt’ and ‘light’ for the community it is located in (cf. Matt 5:13-16). Parish vitality can therefore be likened to the ‘saltiness’ or ‘luminosity’ of a parish community. It is imperative for every parish community to grow in health and strength if it is to be an effective source of evangelisation and an authentic witness of the Gospel. As Wittberg notes, ‘To the extent that their communal “salt” loses its flavor, parishes – are worse than irrelevant, because they no longer image God’.
2) BUILDING STRONGER PARISHES PRELIMINARY REPORT – 2012 Supplement
A review of the research team’s 2012 activities, including one-page synopses of seven regional and rural parishes visited over the year.
Report details: Trudy Dantis. ‘Preliminary Report: 2012 Supplement’. Building Stronger Parishes project. Click here to view the report.
3) BUILDING STRONGER PARISHES PRELIMINARY REPORT (2011)
This report outlined the activities undertaken by the research team in 2011 and provided information about nine urban parishes involved in the project.
Report details: Trudy Dantis. ‘Preliminary Report’. Building Stronger Parishes project. Click here to view the report.
