CARDINAL SEÁN Brady has introduced a new pastoral constitution, diocesan council and set up parish area resource teams in his Armagh archdiocese, marking a new level of lay involvement in the running of the church.
The new pastoral structures “bear testimony to the resilience of the church and to the commitment of the faithful as they look for new ways to continue the work of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit in our time and place,” the cardinal said.
Much of the work leading towards the formation of the new diocesan bodies has taken place “against the background of huge turmoil and strife within the church as it confronts the painful repercussions of the recent scandals,” he added.
“The involvement of hundreds of people – mostly lay – in these new diocesan structures is a wonderful sign of hope and encouragement at this time.”
The new diocesan parish council will comprise eight “commissions” covering diverse areas of interest from liturgy; faith formation and training; and mission and ecumenism to justice, peace and development; youth; care for priests, Christian vocation; and prayer and spirituality.
At a ceremony in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, the cardinal also formally commissioned 18 new pastoral area resource teams. These are made up of five people from each of the parishes in the pastoral areas.
A pastoral area resource team will be charged with ensuring the effective sharing of the collective gifts and talents of the parishes in the pastoral area and identifying pastoral matters that together can be more effectively undertaken as a pastoral area rather than separately as individual parishes.
The new structures replace those put in place by Dr Brady’s predecessor as primate of all-Ireland, the late Dr Cahal Daly.
Citing Pope Benedict, Dr Brady told the congregation at a special ceremony on Tuesday night of the need for greater lay involvement in the mission of the church in the archdiocese.
“It is a case of seeing the lay faithful, not just as collaborators but of actually being co-responsible for continuing the work of Christ here and now.
“It is a case of someone saying I am only one person; but I am one. I can’t do everything but what I can do, that I will do.”