St Andrew’s Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Meeting 30th June 2025

Attending: Fr Maloney, Mary Teresa Coyle (Chair), Sadie Traynor (Messenger Service), Robert Paterson (Halls), Moira English (Liturgy), Gary Wilson (Fabric & Finance) and Veronica McLaughlin (Secretary).
Apologies: Ricky Jackson and Margaret Barton.

Meeting opened with a Prayer

1. Minutes from previous meeting in April 2025 were agreed and to be added to Parish Website.
Action: Veronica to put an entry in bulletin to let Parish know that minutes from PPC meetings will be uploaded to parish website.

2. Pastoral Area Group Reports
The usual Parish Group reports were circulated for reading in advance of meeting and opportunity given at the meeting to raise questions, issues or concerns.

Deanery and Pastoral Area Group (PAG)

Fr. Michael notified the meeting that Margaret Barton has advised she is no longer able to act as our Parish representative for the Pastoral Area Group or in the Deanery council lay representative role. Thanks expressed to Margaret for the role she has fulfilled to date. Fr Michael gave an outline of the Deanery Council role: 

• Attending the meetings of the Deanery Council
• Taking forward actions regarding evangelisation from those meetings in particular closer collaboration between parishes in a Pastoral Area.
•  Reporting back to St Andrew’s PPC.

Going forward St. Andrew's to keep considering ways we can continue to reach out and evangelise in our local area and encourage greater Mass attendance and parish engagement.

Action – PPC members to give thought to potential replacement before next Deanery meeting (date not yet known) and discuss at next meeting.

Pastoral Area Group (PAG) - following discussion at the latest PAG meeting, it was decided that there isn’t an ongoing need for regular PAG meetings. Good progress has been made in a number of areas including RCIA, Youth group and J&P and it was agreed that ad-hoc meetings to take place as required.

Group Reports:
The following specific points from other Group Reports were raised:
Liturgy:

• The group discussed questions and points submitted from Ricky as J&P rep and a way forward was agreed. In particular Laudato Si acknowledged as useful to specifically mention.
• Agreed good to display Laudato Si banner and discussed optimum location as being in front of lectern.
• Action - Moira to update Ricky on various points raised and liaise as appropriate going forward.

Halls:

•  Noted we are also looking at replacing flooring in lower hall and fixing damage to floor outside office.

Fabric & Finance:

• Noted Parish bank balance building again steadily, which is good to see.
• Annual financial returns submitted with no questions raised from Archdiocese.

3. Sign up Sunday

• Discussed holding another Sign Up Sunday event to raise awareness of various groups working within the Parish and to seek new volunteers.
• Noted there are some key groups that would particularly benefit from new volunteers.
• A provisional date of 4th and 5th October has been identified.

Action - Veronica to: prepare comms and send to PPC for thoughts, send list of previous groups represented, to Father Michael and Mary Teresa for review.

Fr. Michael and Mary Teresa to review list of groups.

Reader Volunteers

• It was agreed that if seeking new volunteers for readers, that we should offer coaching as needed to new readers as well as setting out expectations for this key ministry.

Action – Moira to update Catherine Dunipace.

4. AOB

• Suggestion has been made of holding a one day Parish retreat to mark the Year of Hope. Discussed and agreed to put this on pause for the moment given that Fr. Michael is covering 2 parishes.
• Followed up on previous action around using upper Hall as overspill for busy Masses. Mary Teresa has checked with David Quinn and confirmed that the live stream facility is working but there is an issue with the current sound bar. David Quinn investigating and will report back.

Date of next meeting is 22nd September 2025

The meeting closed with a Prayer