The Bishop’s Vision
ENCOUNTER, DISCIPLESHIP and MISSIONARY DISCIPLESHIP
In November 2018, the Bishop wrote a letter to be read out at all Masses. In his letter, Bishop Patrick outlined his three-fold vision for the next three years: Encounter, Discipleship and Missionary Discipleship. These themes remind us of what Jesus asks of his disciples, “Go, make disciples of all nations; they remind us that the Church is called to be missionary.”
ENCOUNTER:
In the Advent Term, our focus is Encounter. Bishop Patrick would like to ensure that people of all ages in our parishes, schools and chaplaincies are helped to discover, or discover more deeply, the importance of a personal ENCOUNTER with Christ; so that they recognise that they are each loved by God and are invited to grow in their relationship with Him. Bishop Patrick promotes Eucharistic Adoration, in our parishes, schools and chaplaincies, in order for this bond to grow stronger.
DISCIPLESHIP:
During the Lent Term, we explore the theme of Discipleship. With the personal encounter with Christ, Bishop Patrick would like to encourage each and every one of us to hear and respond to his invitation to be his DISCIPLES, to follow him more closely, to seek to serve him generously in our daily lives and follow in his footsteps.
MISSIONARY DISCIPLESHIP:
From Easter to Pentecost, the theme of Missionary Discipleship is at the centre of all that we do. With a greater recognition of the help, guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we can all become MISSIONARY DISCIPLES; faith-filled, joyful and outward-looking Christians who are growing in confidence to speak humbly of the difference that knowing Christ makes to our lives, and who bear witness to His love in our service of our brothers and sisters, especially those in need. The service to which Christ calls us is always the action of the Holy Spirit working in us.
These spiritual themes will become more and more a living reality in school life and the faith journey of our children. Please speak to your children about them and how we are making the Bishop’s vision come alive in our school.
