Every month, the Ballyhaunis Parish Pastoral Council meets in the Community Hall. The PPC is a partnership of priest and people who work as a leadership group to help and develop faith in our parish, by identifying the needs of the parish and developing appropriate responses. It’s our intention to post an update every month on the main items discussed at the PPC meetings.
The most recent meeting was held on Monday 22nd January, matters discussed included;
Church Refurbishment: Fr. Stephen is continuing to engage with the Architect and hopes to have a progress update for next meeting.
Lay Funeral Ministry: Following on from the last PPC meeting, a discussion took place around Funeral Ministry. Members of the Funeral Ministry Team may be involved in leading some of the prayers at the family home or the funeral home, in the church or at the graveside. The Diocesan Pastoral Council is working on putting a training plan in place for Funeral Ministry Teams. It is hoped to have this in place by Easter.
Deanery Pastoral Council: Ballyhaunis is a member of the Deanery of Claremorris. The Chairperson and Secretary of each Parish Council together with their Parish Priest have attended a number of meetings over the last eight or nine months to discuss how we can work more closely together. Julia Kelly and Kristina Vuchovic agreed to be the representatives for the year ahead.
Faith and Light: On 10th December, members of the local Faith & Light group joined Dunmore group for a Christmas Fiesta. It was a wonderful occasion which was enjoyed by all. Participants made decorations for the Christmas tree and of course there was a very welcome visit from Santa who had a gift for everyone.
Childrens Liturgy: Childrens Liturgy was held in November and December with over 20 children attending on each occasion. There was also a special family Mass on Christmas Eve with a welcome visit from Santa.
“News from the Pews”
Car parking on Saturday evenings. Lack of parking availability on some Saturday evenings when there are events taking place in the Community Hall was discussed. It was agreed to investigate the possibility of restricting access in order to prioritise parking for Mass goers.
Holy Communion for Choirs: Eucharistic Ministers to ensure that one person is available to give Holy Communion to members of the choir after Mass.
Safeguarding: Safeguarding training for Local Safeguarding Representatives (LSR) commenced on Monday 22nd which included revised Parish Safeguarding Audit Form and an update on the role of the LSR.
The next PPC meeting will take place on 26th February 2024.