The proposals:
- LINK St Theresa, Aspley WITH St Hugh of Lincoln, Bilborough
- RETAIN Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Bulwell and Divine Infant of Prague, Bestwood Park
- RETAIN St Paul, Lenton Boulevard and St Mary, Hyson Green
- RETAIN LINK BETWEEN Assumption, Beeston AND St Thomas More, Wollaton
- RETAIN Holy Cross, Hucknall
- RETAIN LINK BETWEEN Our Lady & St Thomas of Hereford, Ilkeston AND St John the Evangelist, Stapleford
- LINK St Francis of Assisi, Long Eaton WITH St Hugh, Borrowash
- LINK Our Lady of Good Counsel, Eastwood WITH St Joseph, Ripley
The bishop’s fourth question: What could parishes in your deanery do to support other parishes if they lost a resident priest? How will your deanery cope if it has one or even two fewer priests in the imminent future?
If we start to work together as a deanery, as suggested in the previous question, and get to know otehr parishes, their experiences and their needs, then we are several steps closer to being able to work in a more unified way when reductions in cleargy numbers (and, if we can be honest about this, reductions in laity numbers) mean more radical changes to parishes have to come.
In other words, let’s get the foundations in place; then we can build upon them.