Message from Parish Priest
Fr Michael Trainor
14th/15th February 2026 ~ Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Walking Together into the Future
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
This Sunday we will gather to reflect on the life of our parish and its future. Thank you to all who are coming.
We will hear about the desire to develop the growing relationship of the school in the parish and the parish’s relationship with the school. This, of course, will be “work in progress,” and there is great energy to enable this relationship to deepen. We will also hear about where we have come from in the living out of our parish vision and mission (seen on every Grapevine and so important to be reminded about this because it is easy to forget) and our evolving plans for our future. Then we will spend time pondering our financial resources to support the works of the parish’s mission and how these resources might be enhanced. As you will hear, we will be seeking to involve more of our parishioners in the various ministries that are evolving. Clearly, this will also be a time again to renew our parish planned giving program and to invite those newer parishioners to become involved.
Overall, this is a time of pastoral, ministerial and financial renewal. And it is so important that we take stock and design our pathway for the future. But this comes at a key liturgical time—as we begin our journey in Lent this coming Wednesday, Ash Wednesday.
The early English word, “Lent”, literally means “renewal”. So there is synchronicity between this Sunday’s Renewal Assembly and the Season of Lent. This is the journey in which the whole Church is engaged. We, too, as a parish, undertake this spiritual and pastoral renewal. We undertake this renewal, though, in communion with the whole Archdiocese. The Archbishop has invited us to reflect on the key pastoral issues that we face as a church and to bring these to the Diocesan Synod which takes place on the last weekend of May.
Our Deanery—a gathering of pastoral leaders in this part of Adelaide which includes Petranel and myself—met last week to reflect on this preparation for the Diocesan Synod. How we will be a parish in the future is in our hands. We continue to make wise pastoral decisions through the agency of our Parish Pastoral Council and seek to join in the renewal of the wider Archdiocese.
These are exciting, affirming and hopeful days for us as a parish and the wider Church, as we walk together (“Synodal”) into the future.
Your brother,
Michael