Rachel Allan (Ballarat East) Delegate
I went to the Diocesan Assembly with the hope of finding a space for renewal—a chance to open outwards, to reimagine our faith for today. I carried with me a concern that we might fall into the temptation of looking back. There’s comfort in the familiar, in what we know, and sometimes it’s easy to cling to what’s past rather than looking forward. I wondered if we’d turn inward, focused more on preserving what we’ve always done, rather than opening our hearts and minds to the possibilities ahead.
What I found, however, was something much more hopeful and spirit filled than I had anticipated. The assembly was a living, breathing moment of grace. It wasn’t about retreating to what was comfortable; it was about reimagining, discerning, and flourishing. The energy in the room was palpable, and the themes that emerged—hospitality, inclusivity, and courage—spoke to the heart of what it means to be a Church in the world today. The desire to be open to transformation was evident, and it felt like a collective readiness to accept the challenge of change, much like the challenges Jesus presented to the people of His time.
One takeaway for me was the connectedness that ran through everything we shared. We are a community of communities, and I was deeply grateful to be immersed in that reality. There was a sense of awe in being part of something much bigger than myself, something greater than any single parish or ministry. I was moved by how the Spirit was alive in the conversations and reflections shared, and there was a consistent invitation to “enlarge the space of your tent” (Isaiah 54:2). This call to expand our vision—to make room for others, for new ideas, for transformation—was woven through every session, every discussion, every prayer.
There was a clear emphasis on speaking from the heart, listening deeply, and then listening again. Trust was a theme that kept coming up, too; trusting each other, giving and building together, and of course trusting in God. It was clear that we are being called to walk together, journeying as one, knowing that the Spirit is with us every step of the way. We’re not alone in this. The Church, at its heart, is “at the service of the unity of the people of God,” and we are all part of that service, committed to helping one another grow, connect, and be transformed.
Another powerful theme that emerged was the call to allow the presence of the Spirit to enter our lives more fully. There was a notable awakening of the Spirit throughout the assembly, a call to engage with one another and to actively seek ways to encounter people in our parishes and beyond. We spoke about embracing the diversity of the smaller communities we are connected to—whether through outreach, through prayer, or through collaboration with the many Catholic entities in our region. It’s about recognizing that we are stronger together, that our differences are gifts, and that our unity is found through the opportunity for dialogue and the diversity of our experiences.
Something that resonated especially was a poem shared that gave the image of the Holy Spirit as a wild goose, rather than a dove. The Holy Spirit can certainly bring peace, but it is so often the disruption, the surprise, and the unexpected that pushes us to listen more deeply for God in our lives—to spend time in discernment, to reevaluate, reconsider, and reimagine. This new way of seeing the Spirit as wild and untamed, not as something we can control or confine, challenges us to stay open and flexible. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just offer comfort; it moves us beyond our familiar patterns, calling us to venture into the unknown with courage and trust. It’s as though the Spirit is whispering, as God did throughout scripture: “Do not be afraid.” We are invited to step out of the comfortable, to take risks, to embrace change. The wild goose reminds us that faith isn’t just about maintaining peace—it’s about trusting God to lead us into the unexpected, even when it’s unsettling.
Another significant and encouraging part of the assembly was hearing about the growth of our Catholic schools. It was inspiring to hear how these schools are not only increasing in enrolment, but also becoming more central in the broader community. These schools are doing more than just offering education—they are creating spaces where faith is woven into the fabric of daily life. It is comforting to know that this is what families are seeking amongst the decline of weekend numbers.
As someone who spends quite a bit of time in school settings, it’s clear to me that these schools offer “Eucharistic moments” that extend beyond religious classes. Whether it’s through shared prayer, liturgical celebrations, or simply offering spaces for reflection, these schools are providing opportunities for students and families to experience faith in action. The impact goes beyond the students themselves—it touches families and the wider community, helping to build a stronger sense of connection and unity.
These schools are forming the next generation of leaders, not just in academics but in values of service, compassion, and faith. They have become community hubs where the bonds between families, parishes, and schools are strengthened, and I sense that the growth of these schools is just the beginning of something even more transformative. It’s exciting to see how the schools are helping to cultivate a future where faith and service go hand in hand.
It was also truly uplifting to hear about the positive initiatives taking place across the diocese. From innovative outreach programs to collaborative efforts among parishes, there’s a real sense of shared mission and purpose. I was particularly encouraged by the resilience of our communities, as they continue to come together to face challenges, celebrate joys, and support one another in meaningful ways. Together, we are building a community of faith that is diverse, resilient, and united in its mission to serve, grow, and share the love of Christ. This is a community that’s alive with possibility, and I am filled with hope for the future we are creating together.
There was also a strong reminder of the words from scripture: “Do not be afraid” (Luke 12:32). As we move forward, it’s clear that God’s call to us is not one of fear but of trust. It was a call to step out, to trust in His guidance, and to embrace the unknown with courage. It’s the same call we hear throughout the Gospels—do not be afraid, for the Spirit is with us. This invitation to courage was present throughout the assembly, a reminder that we are not walking alone.
It’s clear to me that this assembly was just the beginning of something much larger; it’s the next step forward. A step that must be synodal—walking together on ‘the way’ just as the early disciples did, stepping out of the known and embracing the unknown under the guidance of Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit. Just as the early Church emerged after His death and resurrection, we are now called to emerge in a new way, responding to the challenges of our time with the same courage, openness, and faith that characterized the first followers of Jesus. We are walking on “the way,” and we are invited to journey together, trusting that the Spirit will guide us as we move forward. The journey is just beginning, and I am filled with hope and excitement for what lies ahead.
Marty Ryan (Buninyong) Facilitator
There was a terrific atmosphere of joy and hope as we gathered to share and listen to the stories of the peoples across the Diocese. The many stories were distinctive and unique to their context yet similar in many ways to the stories of others. Participants finished the day on Saturday with their cup a little fuller than what it was when they arrived and they left with a more clear understanding of what it was they were now called to do.
Sr Berenice Kerr (Mercy Sister) Delegate
The Assembly gave me hope. I went, not sure where we were going, but ready to trust the process. I made a commitment to myself to be open to the promptings of the Spirit and the ‘word’ coming from the gathered members
I believe the Spirit was present and active.
Some aspects of people’s behaviour and attitudes disappointed me but remembering that I did not have to control the responses of others was liberating.
The Diocese of Ballarat has chosen a direction from which we cannot turn back. No matter how small nor how faltering the steps we take from here on, our public, diocesan-wide resolution cannot be ignored, nor can it be negated. The Wild Goose will ultimately have her way.
My prayer now is not ‘Come, Holy Spirit’ but ‘Stay, Holy Spirit, and continue to chase us’.
Fiona Tonkin (Marriage Tribunal) Delegate
It was an exhausting experience but …. It was great to see so many priests there and sad that some had to leave early.
I left feeling positive about the vision we were grasping for. The challenge is yet to come. For me it is about improving and recognising the role of women, the how we welcome and how we care for the welfare of all.
The process worked very well – we really deeply listened.
Veronica Lawson (Mercy Sister) Delegate
My initial response comes in the words of Teilhard and it comes with deep gratitude to you and to the team who prepared the process and led it with such competence and grace. In some respects, the table conversations were challenging. The challenge will no doubt continue to be there as we endeavour to make our church the field hospital for which Pope Francis hopes. I am sustained by an unwavering conviction that we are in God and God is in us.
Patient Trust
Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We should like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability— and that it may take a very long time.
And so I think it is with you; your ideas mature gradually—let them grow, let them shape themselves, without undue haste. Don’t try to force them on, as though you could be today what time (that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make of you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be. Give [God] the benefit of believing that [God’s] hand is leading you and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.
—Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ excerpted from Hearts on Fire
https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/prayer-of-theilhard-de-chardin/
Rosemary Canavan (Ballan) Facilitator
I arrived with excitement, hope, anticipation and a little anxiety understanding the responsibility of my role. The pre-zoom meeting with my table group meant we had already begun our trust relationship, and it was so good to meet each in person.
Being one table in a room of tables built the atmosphere of knowing that focused on our table, the energy and enthusiasm, discernment, passion and impatience was multiplied across the room.
Led by Karon Donnellan rsm I felt encouraged to facilitate well and the check in meetings with us as a group strengthened us through the journey.
In the table group I felt accepted and trusted. All were committed to the process and very respectful of each other. It is such a privilege to listen to each of the delegates and keep the process on track, holding back others from jumping in to respond, gently but firmly holding to the conversation in the Spirit. It was a sacred time, embraced in prayer with such openness and hope and the honesty of concerns and frustrations.
I am so energised by what was raised in the sessions at our table and across the room. I would so like for us to practice this synodal conversation in the Spirit in our parishes for the power of deeply listening to each other builds bonds of relationship and empowers us in our mission.
This was just a beginning, a beautiful unfurling of the breath and energy of the Holy Spirit so beautifully imaged as “wild goose” by Karon Donnellan RSM) and Justin Driscoll PP in input. So much is to be further discerned from all the hopes and dreams and proposals from the Assembly. What a wonderful river of hope running through the diocese.
Dianne Reynolds (Bungaree) Delegate
From the Murray to the Sea; we came together at Federation University, on the weekend of November 15 and 16., as a community from the Diocese to listen and discern – How does God want us to Lead and Goven for a Missionary Synodal Church.
The structure of the Assembly was divided into several sections- each started with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to intercede, silence, listening and then giving time to hear what those at our table had to say. The sessions started with big ideas- What do we hope for? What are the challenges? Then moved onto Mission and Identity – Relationships, inclusivity and hospitality was most important. And lastly, we were asked to create artwork or use words that described our parish. I can’t tell a lie, I had to say we were aging, but also a welcoming and inclusive parish community.
What resonated with me came from the younger people at the Assembly. They were very passionate, trusting in the Holy Spirit, they were confident that although the church has been through turbulent times, it may be restructured but will continue. It is people not buildings that are important!
Have you ever thought of the Holy Spirit as a Wild Goose? Fr Justin presented us with this image. The Wild Goose of Iona, to the Celts is the name for the Holy Spirit, known for its passion, noisiness and courage. This symbol reminds us that God’s spirit cannot be tamed or contained. Let us remember this as we move forward. It will take passion, courage and noisiness!
On behalf of the Parish community, I would like to thank Bishop Paul for instigating this assembly and Fr Justin, who has put in an enormous amount of work travelling from one end of the diocese to the other, including two pilgrimages to Ireland, and still had time to plan and bring together a meaningful and thought- provoking insight into possibilities for Governance and Leadership of our Church. Thanks to Sr Karon Donnellon rsm for facilitating, her attention to detail and humour was appreciated. Not least, the work of Jane Collins and the Pastoral team was exemplary and of course table facilitators who managed to bring all our thoughts together.
Cathy Prunty (Ballarat East) Delegate
It was with some trepidation that I approached Fed Uni on Friday evening to begin the long awaited and much talked about Diocesan Assembly. It was difficult to know what to expect and how this assembly was going to play out, and to add to that Friday evenings were for winding down, not for spending time in a room full of unfamiliar faces!
My fears were allayed on entering the building where I was to spend the next day and a half, as many of the faces were in fact familiar, while those who weren’t familiar were friendly. Let the assembly begin.
The evening began with a casual, but lovely dinner, providing an opportunity to say hello to those we knew and get to know those we didn’t. By the time dinner was finished, I felt quite ready to begin the program which had been carefully planned over a long period of time.
On average there were 8 delegates around each table, as well as a facilitator whose role it was to keep the conversation on track. The range of people in each group added to the strength of the program and it was enlightening to hear from people who came from small and large parishes, priests, education, health care and more. It was a diverse group of people who had gathered to consider the future of governance and leadership within our diocese.
Karon Donnellan rsm was the facilitator for the assembly and her bubbly personality and excellent sense of humour were evident from very early on while her ability to engage each member of the assembly meant that she was the ideal choice for this role.
Throughout the assembly we had input from a variety of speakers, but most importantly we had a number of sessions within our small groups where we were encouraged to share our thoughts and listen to the thoughts of others. At the beginning of each of these sessions we were called in to moments of silence and this was a powerful time, challenging us to be still, sitting with our thoughts before sharing them with the group. I feel that this time of silence saw us enter in to conversation in a considered way, meaning that people were well prepared to speak when it was their time.
During our first small group session we were encouraged to share our hopes and concerns. I was inspired when listening to people’s responses as there was still much hope along with the concerns which were shared. Through our discussion it was obvious that although it was a diverse group, the hopes and concerns were shared by all and this was a positive for me. Another of the small group sessions gave us the opportunity to be Bishop Paul for a day and we were asked to share our thoughts on what we might do, given this opportunity. It was a great chance to stop and think and I believe that those around our table may have found it quite a challenging task.
When given the chance to talk about our own communities, I was pleased to realise that a lot happens in ours, while some of the other participants in the conversation were able to share their stories of being parishioners in very small communities who were already dealing with the idea of less Masses in their very near future.
Some of the statements used during the assembly which have stayed with me include, ‘Not to be served, but to serve’, ‘everyone can say ‘no’ but many need to say ‘yes’ if change is to happen’ and in the words of Pope Francis ‘the church needs to become a ‘field hospital’. Words which were used included: flourishing, inclusive, participatory, transformation, trust and community and all of these extend a challenge to each of the baptised in our ‘Community of Communities’. There was certainly much to think about.
Throughout the sessions there were opportunities for prayer, always a beautiful experience and this was no exception. The prayer allowed us to listen to scripture, quiet time to reflect, provided symbolism to remind us that we all have much in common and beautiful music, using the songs written for the 150th anniversary of the diocese.
As the assembly began to draw to a close, people were asking where to from here so it was pleasing that we were told that we would be meeting again and this was just the beginning. Let the journey begin.
Mark Conlan (Ballan) Delegate
The event was well structured and the offered all attendees an opportunity to contribute.
Concerns raised by the group included that the Assembly was not to be a talkfest and there were tangible actions emanating from the event; clearly Trust had to be re-established and that would be an issue that would not be easily re-established.
I also raised the need to improve our presence on social media as that is the platform to engage with the youth.
I believe that Trust and Social Media are the two elephants in the room that the Diocese has to clearly address.
Themes discussed – the concept raised by Pope Francis that our church not be simply a place of worship but more like a field hospital where the needs of the broader community are addressed. Our table group noted that men’s groups, play groups and other groups had been established along this theme.
Steve Bigarelli gave a brief update from the Catholic Diocesan Fund and noted its willingness to provide funding to parishes for some projects that may align to the requirements of the fund. I was not aware of this Fund and the opportunity it could provide to assist our parish.
Keeping in the animal theme Fr Justin gave a new perspective to the Holy Spirit and the analogy of the Wild Geese. The traditional image of the Holy Spirit taking on a Dove like presence was contemplated. The Wild Geese analogy provided the image of a Spirit that is challenging, wild and unpredictable. Having reared geese as a young boy I remember their wild noisy temperament.
There was also the theme of synodal discernment and how it would be enacted at the assembly. I was impressed with the creativity of the groups and there were some good news stories coming from the group and it was not all glum tidings.
Fr Matt Restall (Assistant Priest) Delegate
Recently I had the privilege of attending the Ballarat Catholic Diocesan Assembly. The two-day gathering had an aura of hope for the future and need for change surrounding approaches to leadership and governance in the Church. The delegates from across the Diocese all brought with them openness and passion – attributes I found encouraging as the Diocese continues to journey in a conversational way among all the baptised. The call of inviting the Holy Spirit to guide the conference is a reminder for all of us that we need to continually invite the Holy Spirit into our life as we discern the past, the present and the need for change for the future.