Parish Council

Pastoral Council – Chair’s Report to the AGM 2026

Since the last AGM, the Pastoral Council has continued to support Fr David in considering the pastoral life and future direction of St Joseph’s, whilst providing a forum in which the views and ideas of parishioners can be discussed and developed.

We began the year by reviewing the feedback received at the last AGM. A number of the suggestions raised by parishioners were subsequently acted upon, while others have continued to inform our discussions. One lesson from the AGM itself was that we wanted to create more time for discussion with parishioners; as a result, this year Council members have prepared their reports in advance so that the AGM can focus more fully on conversation and questions.

Communication has been a particular priority - in January we held a dedicated meeting with Mike Walsh, who manages the parish website, and Jane Rebika, editor of Extra, to consider how we communicate both with existing parishioners and with people encountering St Joseph’s for the first time. This has led to greater use of the website, including publication of approved Pastoral Council minutes and more information about parish and community activities. Work has continued on parish flyers, Extra, Facebook etc, including Henry’s ‘Saint of the Week’ contributions. It was encouraging to learn that the website is being used by significantly more people than we had appreciated.

A second major theme has been mission and outreach; the Council has considered the possibility of a future Parish Mission, another Alpha course and how we support RCIA and those exploring the Catholic faith. We have also discussed how we better reflect and involve the increasingly multicultural nature of our parish. The involvement of members of our South Asian community in the Pentecost Mass was a particularly positive example of this and was very well received.

The Council has begun exploring what Synodality and ‘Listening in the Spirit’ means in practice for St Joseph’s. Rather than this being confined to the Pastoral Council, we agreed that it should involve the whole parish. An open parish meeting is planned for October to begin a wider conversation about the mission and vision of St Joseph’s using the ‘Conversation in the Spirit’ approach.

The Council has also continued to consider the many practical matters which affect parish life. These have included accessibility and the possible installation of handrails, car parking, safety and incident procedures, First Aid provision and maintenance of our buildings. We have discussed the implications of changes to sacramental preparation within schools and how the parish can provide the additional support that will increasingly be needed for First Communion and Confirmation. The experience of Youth Alpha has also helped inform those discussions.

Formal oversight of the parish’s finances remains the responsibility of the separate Finance Committee, although the Pastoral Council receives updates where financial or building matters directly affect parish life. Notably, we have seen a significant uptake in regular giving to the Church following the 2025 “Giving campaign” mandated at a Diocesan level; this improvement in the finances will put our Church on firmer ground. Thank you to all parishioners for your generosity.

Finally, I would like to thank Fr David and every member of the Pastoral Council for the time, thought and different perspectives they have brought during the year. I would also like to thank all those parishioners who have contributed ideas or helped turn them into action. The Council can and should not do everything itself - its value is in listening to the parish, bringing people and ideas together, and helping St Joseph’s continue to develop as a welcoming, active and prayerful community.

Matthew Greene
Chair, St Joseph’s Parish Pastoral Council