THE rapidly developing North Lakes/Mango Hill area in Brisbane’s north will have a fast-tracked Church presence thanks to a radical new initiative by a Brisbane archdiocesan task group.
The initiative, now approved by Brisbane Archbishop John Bathersby, will provide a pastoral mission coordinator to pioneer a new pastoral mission in the area – and potentially a new parish.
Head of the task group and moderator of the archdiocese Fr Peter Meneely said the new pastoral mission would be under the oversight of Fr Peter McCartin of Petrie parish.
This arrangement is planned to continue until the North Lakes/Mango Hill area is declared a parish in its own right by 2012.
Fr Meneely said that the North Lakes/Mango Hill area was an area of significant growth with at least 30,000 people expected to settle there in future.
“There was a determination that the current shortage of priests would not slow the archdiocese’s ability to develop parish missions in such growth areas,” he said.
North Lakes/Mango Hill pastoral project team chairman John Brady said it was “extremely exciting to be involved in building a new community from scratch”.
A key part of the project had been its collaborative, intentional approach to coordinate the Church’s education, welfare and pastoral arms, Mr Brady said.
“So the new school – St Benedict’s – will have space for Sunday worship and prayer and study groups until a more permanent arrangement can be reached.”
St Benedict’s School foundation principal Mark Creevey said the project had seen remarkable levels of cooperation at all levels, he said.
This cooperation had been particularly crucial, given delays caused to the school opening due to wet weather.
“I would particularly like to thank the Southern Cross Catholic College for their generosity in providing space on Kippa-Ring campus to enable St Benedict’s to get underway,” Mr Creevey said.
