NEWLY-ordained priest Fr Gerard Lai said it was incredible to hear how hope-filled priests, many with 10, 25 and 50 years’ experience, were about ongoing conversion to Christ and parish renewal at the Annual Clergy Convocation this week.
The convocation saw 135 priests gather for two days of fellowship, spiritual renewal, future planning and professional development.
Fr Lai said the priests came from different backgrounds, walks of life, parish experiences.
“In my experience, they’re all still very hopeful to continue to move with the times, engage in their parishes, and continue to transform them and come into a deeper relationship with Christ,” he said.
Fr Lai had been to the convocation as a seminarian but now a priest, he resonated deeply with the challenges and graces being discussed about ordained ministry and parish life.
He said it was fantastic to hear from all the priests of the archdiocese and had enjoyed the sessions.
Seminarian Sang Duc Bui said being at convocation was a “wonderful opportunity”.
He said it was fantastic to meet and speak with priests from across the archdiocese and to hear their wisdom.
Centacare mission and formation director and Holy Spirit Seminary pastoral director Paul Jensen was leading the sessions.
He said the intentions for the convocation had come from the clergy.
The first intention was to strengthen relationships among the clergy.
Strengthening relationships was important at a time when many priests serving in Brisbane were coming from different cultural backgrounds and religious congregations.
Mr Jensen said it was important for clergy to spend time with each other and deepen these bonds, as well as the bonds between the deacons, priests and bishops.
The second intention for the convocation was to discern together what the Holy Spirit is saying.
A common theme in these discernment sessions is how the Church should reshape parish communities, Mr Jensen said.
He said the end-goal was to have some concrete steps for deaneries to take away from the convocation and put the discussion into action.
Vicar for Clergy Fr Dan Ryan said the times of prayer were wonderful.
“We would read a Scripture passage and pause to think and hear what the Spirit is saying, and these prayer sections were very significant,” he said.
“It was one of the topics that came up a lot – we also need to pray in the deaneries together too, we need to support each other and the people of God through that prayer as well.”
He said the sessions had a strong emphasis on thinking beyond parish borders and to consider how each deanery could best use the gifts of its members.
“So the parish priest doesn’t remain just in his own parish but he works together with parishes beside him,” he said.
He said convocation was one of the few times each year the clergy met as one.
“We get together for ordinations, for Chrism Mass and significant events like the 150 years of the cathedral, but this is an extended time once a year and it’s really great,” he said.
“Any priest who is in Brisbane… they all come, which is wonderful.”
