Fr Jorge Serrano SJ, a visitor from the Jesuit Curia in Rome, came to St Canice’s today with Helen Forde of Jesuit Mission to get a first hand view of the many outreach activities in our parish.
Parish Manager, Lynelle Lembryk was a wonderful source of information answering Fr Jorge’s questions about the St Canice Kitchen and David’s Place. Michael Musgrave shared the background of our sister parish relationship with the Jesuit Railaco Mission.
Fr Jorge left Michael with two vexing questions:
1. In twenty years time, many of the existing worshippers of St Canice’s will have passed on. Who will be worshipping here then? (And, by extension, what are we as a parish doing to attract that younger demographic now.)
2. Who will be looking after the important Railaco Mission relationship when I (Michael) move on? If we are to follow the Ignatius example, or the Jesus precedent, they alone could not have done the work; they had to recruit others to take on similar responsibilities.
Fr Jorge says, “people want to be invited to be part of the mission of the Society of Jesus. Michael needs to get his ‘succession plan’ sorted.”
Who would like to step-up? Michael said, “If you came up to Timor with me, you’d be sold”.
