By Natashya Fernandez
In order to involve parishioners with the various ministries and activities taking part in the church, Baldivis parishioners hosted a Parish Expo on 28 May after the 9.30am Sunday Mass at Mother Teresa Catholic College.
It was a successful morning that saw some 35 groups and ministries partake with more than 150 parishioners, families and friends attending the event.
Parish Priest Father Geoff Aldous said that the expo was an initiative that came from the RCIA coordinators who were looking for ways for the neophytes (those who were baptised and received into the Church at Easter) to get more involved in the parish.
“We thought that there are probably many parishioners who are not sure of what we do in the parish, so the expo could be a good way to reach out and involve them,” Fr Aldous said.
Being a convert herself, RCIA coordinator, Joanne Hart said that once she was welcomed into the Catholic faith, she realised that there were many things she was still learning on her own.
“For me, it was more of a personal intention as I didn’t know what was happening at our Church after I went through the RCIA,” Mrs Hart said.
“Having attended courses and conferences, and educating myself, I felt that it would be a good opportunity for the parish to do the expo and get the various ministries and groups of the church involved as well.
“The expo not only shone a positive light on the RCIA but also had parishioners meet and talk to the various groups and ministries in the Church,” she said.
While the idea of the expo was to showcase groups, ministries and other projects or activities in the parish, Fr Aldous said that it was also an opportunity for parishioners to get to know each other better and build a community spirit.
“We also invited other groups such as Marriage Encounter, Couples for Christ, regional Youth Groups and Men Alive to join us.
“Each group had a table or stall where they could display information about their activities in any way they saw fit which included flyers, posters and other fun things to attract people to the stalls,” he added.
“Some were quite imaginative. For example, the Liturgy Team had a little display of altar vessels, the music ministry played many familiar tunes, the hospitality team provided morning tea, and the Schoenstatt Sisters got the children to make little Rosaries.
“In addition, there was lively song and dance by the Neocatechumenal Mission Families, which helped to provide a religious carnival atmosphere.
Parishioner and member of the Neocatechumenal Way, Stefano Spissu said that it was great to see everyone, especially all the various groups coming together to be a part of this event.
“It was good when the church choir started singing some songs followed by the Neocatechumenal community joining in with a couple of songs, with a circle forming around the cantors. It was really good to see the communion between all the groups in the parish,” he said.
With fun activities for the kids such as a sausage sizzle and face painting, Fr Aldous said that there was something for everyone at the expo.
“It was very fruitful in terms of building our parish community. It was also very timely as we are working towards building a parish church. It’s something we could well have again, perhaps every couple of years.
“Those who participated were very enthusiastic, and for many I think it broadened their understanding of some of the ministries in the parish and the activities of the Church,” he concluded.