Parish leaders from across the Goulburn Valley gathered in Shepparton on 11 March for a Deanery Forum, an intentional space for parishes to share hopes and concerns and explore ways to work together to meet challenges and build stronger communities, living out the call to “go forth” in mission.

Fifty-four representatives from Kyabram, Tatura, Shepparton, Shepparton South, Mooroopna, Dookie, Nathalia, Numurkah and Euroa gathered at the Forum.

This is the second of three Deanery Forums hosted by the combined efforts of the ‘mission’ team and ‘business’ team of the Chancery. Deanery Forums are designed to strengthen connections between parishes and parishioners, allowing parish leaders to share perspectives, explore common priorities and discover practical ways to collaborate with neighbouring communities. At the same time, they provide a space for Chancery staff to hear directly from parish leadership about the issues most important to them and to respond with information about how the Chancery can support parishes with these issues.

On arrival, participants enjoyed morning tea and the chance to reconnect before the formalities. After prayer, dialogue followed, first within parish groups and then across parishes, with staff from the Chancery’s Mission and Pastoral Life, Finance and Administration Teams present to listen and contribute.

It quickly became clear that many hopes and concerns are shared across the Deanery. Among the key themes raised were aged and ageing congregations, declining Mass attendance, pressure on priests, financial sustainability, intercultural challenges and the shrinking number of volunteers, particularly as increasing legislative and compliance requirements place additional demands on parish communities.

Participants also spoke about signs of hope. Some parishes are seeing increasing numbers of young people inquiring about the faith and attending Mass. Others highlighted the enthusiasm of lay people for ministry, strong participation in parish social life, and the vitality migrants bring to parish communities. Many also reflected on the parish–school relationship, describing it as both a challenge and a source of hope.

A central thread running through the forum was the need to align planning for mission with financial sustainability. Dr Chris Cotter, Director of Mission and Pastoral Life, spoke about the diocesan journey towards the Sandhurst Strategic Mission and Pastoral Goals, while Assistant Director, Geoff Gowdie, outlined the ten projects within the Sandhurst Formation Support Plan, including Goals Familiarisation Workshops and a Parish-based Planning Process to help communities implement those goals locally.

Questions about financial sustainability and succession planning featured strongly in the discussions. Responding to participants, Acting Business Manager Greg Westbrook said there is rarely a simple solution.

While many parishes share similar concerns – ageing communities, limited resources and the need to plan for the future – every parish also has its own history and legal arrangements.

“In the Catholic landscape, the processes can be longer and more complex,” he explained. The forum explored the evolving financial relationship between parishes and Catholic schools, particularly since Catholic education authorities became separate legal entities.

Examples were shared of parishes finding creative ways to support sustainability by leasing former parish buildings to community organisations or commercial tenants.

Alongside these discussions, participants reflected on the growing pressures facing priests, noting that all of the priests present at the Forum, were originally from overseas, prompting expressions of gratitude for their ministry, and conversations about ways parishes can better support them to adjust to life in Australia. Participants also spoke about the importance of developing capacity for lay leadership as communities consider future succession.

Greg also reminded parishes to reach out to the Chancery for support in areas such as safeguarding and risk management, property matters and human resources. He highlighted opportunities for parishes to collaborate, including combining procurement through Procurement Australia to increase buying power and accessing grants through the Sandhurst Solidarity Trust.

Throughout the day, the importance of keeping Mission at the centre of planning was emphasised. Financial planning, participants heard, is not an end in itself but a way of supporting the Church’s mission – the Gospel call to “go forth”.

By the end of the forum, participants left encouraged by the opportunity to listen, share ideas and learn from one another as they continue to discern ways for their parishes to remain vibrant and sustainable into the future.

Return to Sandpiper e-News 117 (13 March 2026).