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FROM OUR CARDINAL
The Challenges of Change
The past year has been an eventful one.
2005 saw the death of Pope John Paul 11
and the election of his successor, Benedict
XV1, and these coincided with the launch
of the long-awaited ‘Green Paper’ on the
future of our Diocese.
At Your Word, Lord’, our spiritual renewal
programme, came to an end with a call for
Catholics to put into social action the fruits
of their two and-a-half year journey.
We saw the retirement of Bishop Jim
O’Brien after 28 years of marvellous
service, but will soon, I hope, be
announcing his successor.
Next year is about harvesting these
changes.The ‘White Paper’, which I expect
to publish in January, will map out the
future of the Diocese and suggest how we
can best meet our new opportunities.
As a Diocese, we are changing, and
becoming more diverse. Our congregations
seem to be steadily expanding while our
resources are not always in the right place,
or do not meet our current needs.We
need a new emphasis on mission and
formation.
The small faith-sharing groups in our
parishes are asking to continue, and to be
supported. It is especially important at a
time of change to be able to pause and
take stock.
I am convinced that we have a much
stronger sense of who we are as a
Diocese; our bonds of communion are
stronger than ever.
We need to celebrate this. Which is why, in
July 2006, we hope to have a diocesan
festival, ‘Open the Doors’, and to celebrate
the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the parishes
and communities of our Diocese.
It is a time of new beginnings. I hope very
much we will look back at this time as a
Year of Favour.
Yours devotedly in Christ,
Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor
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