Stage 2.
The second phase of our journey in search of new ways of providing pastoral care was specifically for priests who have most to give and to gain by participation in clustering of parishes.  We met in October and heard from experience in other dioceses how clustering has been operating.  We heard at first hand of the experience of one English Diocese and one Irish Diocese.  Each speaker from these places urged us to adopt a model of collaboration which would include regular meetings of priests in their clusters, meetings which would centre on prayer and pastoral planning with time for socialising. Laity will need to be made aware that priests attach importance to these meetings.  Ideally, all but urgent pastoral appointments would be deferred in favour of the meeting whenever there are timetabling problems. 

The priests considered possible options for cluster groups and spoke of their expectations of how the system would help their lives and ministry.  At our October meeting time did not allow for a full analysis of the matter.  It was agreed that priests would meet again within a short time and agree more precisely on what they would recommend to their pastoral councils.  In accordance with what had been accepted in principle in September, no decisions were taken ahead of further meetings of pastoral councils where these matters would be given another hearing. 

Stage 3.
In the last week of March 2009 further meetings of priests and chairmen of pastoral councils were convened.  The meetings signed off on the cluster groups with modifications accepted in the light of the discussions which had been taking place over the months between September and March.  The agreed clusters must now move forward trusting in the Lord and guided by the Holy Spirit.   I would strongly urge that a meeting of each group takes place, with all the priests in the cluster present and the chairman or one other member of each pastoral council, to consider how to progress the system with their members.  If such a meeting has not taken place already one should be fixed for a date before the end of June.

Setting the Agenda.

Our discussions and the decisions taken have prepared the way for concerted action by priests and laity.  Some of the ways for progress which were identified are already being implemented by priests.  It is my hope that all priests will implement the rationalisation of services in ways that will ensure that a good level of pastoral care is provided in all parishes in holiday time and in emergency situations.  Lay people are well aware that they have to accept some change in the Mass services to make it possible for the present workforce of priests to meet their needs.  Priests should not have more than three masses to celebrate at weekends.     All priests should make provision for an annual holiday.    Priests' own lives and their ministry should benefit when they work more closely together. Priests are told that: "what we do together is always better than what we do alone".

Our pastoral planning has been based on the assumption that all parishes would have active Pastoral Councils.  The need for them is ever more obvious, not least for moving forward the clustering process.  It will not be enough for priests to take decisions and make their plans for a cluster.  We have heard from lay people that they wish to be involved in a process which will have a big impact on their communities.  Besides, priests need to have the active assistance of lay people in many aspects of ministry.  In the current year we are asking lay people to play an active role in preparing parents for the baptism of their children.  It is the policy of the Diocese to have Baptism Programmes in place everywhere before the end of the current year.

Many of the things we need to do to maintain standards in liturgy are best done by providing training across parish boundaries.  Training for the ministry of reading is essential.  Eucharistic Ministers will be very aware that they need instruction.   Choirs too benefit from assistance.  All of these ministries and others will benefit from support from outside the local parishes from time to time. 

The time has come for priests and laity to think of themselves as partners in living and handing on the faith.  This is the day also for laity to think of all the priests in their cluster as their priests, their partners in the work of the Church.  We cannot afford to live in our own small 'comfort zone' where each priest has his parish and where people have their priest as in the past.  This is not to say that we should have less loyalty to our com