The dossier containing the consultation report, its appendices, and its many accompanying documents, has been sent to Fr Simon Gillespie, the Bishop’s Secretary, who will review it and circulate it to Bishop Patrick’s advisors. The dossier has also been sent to the clergy of the Peak deanery, who considered it at their meeting of Thursday 21st May, and the minutes of that meeting have also been sent to Fr Simon.
The next key date in the process is Monday 1st June, when Fr Martin is required to present the dossier to a meeting of the Diocesan Council of Priests, whose members will have been sent the dossier in time to study it before the meeting; please remember that meeting in your prayers.
Many people in our parishes have worked very hard with great generosity of spirit in conducting this consultation and preparing the dossier, and our heartfelt thanks are due to them and to the highly respected management consultation Ron Lynch, who, moved by his love of God and the Catholic church, gave his time and talent to assist us without charge. Thank you too, to all who responded to the invitation to take part in a public meeting, complete a questionnaire, or otherwise submit their views.
Here is the consultation report with its appendices. You will also find in appendix vii the links to the supporting documents that made up the rest of the dossier sent to Bishop Patrick.
After studying the consultation report and the various documents, the parish leadership (the Pastoral Council, the Mission Leadership Team, and Fr Martin) judged it best to submit a request (called in canon law a ‘petition’) for the two parishes, which have been working as one for so long, to be made one canonical parish; and to report that neither of the churches is ideally suited to be the one remaining church serving Glossop Catholics, with each having its own advantages and disadvantages for that role.
Please pray that Bishop Patrick and his advisors will be blessed by the Holy Spirit with wisdom and insight as they seek to discern the will of God for future provisions for our Catholic community in Glossop.