More on the Parishioners’ Open Meeting (Forum)

Latest information on the Open Meetings and minutes of past meetings are available on the main Open Meetings page

On this page, you can find some more background information on the Parishioners' Open Meetings (previously the Parish Forum).

What is the Parishioners’ Open Meeting?

Open Meetings are a venue where all parishioners are invited to contribute to discussion on Parish life and stay up-to-date with what's going on. They are held at least once per year and at other points where there are signficicant issues, ideas, or changes to discuss.

The previous Constitution governing Open Meetings can be read here.

History of the Forum and Open Meetings

The St Laurence's Parish Forum was established in 2007 and later renamed "Parishioners' Open Meeting" in an effort to clarify its purpose. It was our response to diocesan policy on lay participation. The Open Meeting has always provided a useful mechanism for informing and involving parishioners, and a venue that has enabled valuable discussions of parish life and the issues that surround it over many years. It was particularly valuable during the COVID pandemic, when meetings went online and were held monthly (rather than the previous quarterly frequency), providing an essential connection-point in maintaining parish life.

However, this experience highlighted issues that had long been evident - namely, that Open Meetings on their own do not provide a good mechanism for ensuring that specific actions are identified, assigned, and implemented, and that it can be difficult to mix a focus on the day-to-day detail of parish life with discussion of the 'big picture' for the parish and the church.

In 2023 and 2024, we reviewed parish organisation, seeking to learn from our experiences. We concluded that we should move to a Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) model for the day-to-day management of the parish, and we should further establish a number of core teams to focus on coordinating specific areas of parish life. Open Meetings should be retained as a venue for updating and involving the whole parish community, and when there is a need to more widely discuss ideas, changes, significant issues, or new initiatives.

New arrangements for parish organisation

The introduction of a PPC coincided with the recent change in parish priests and arrival at St Laurence's of the Adorno Fathers in early 2025. New arrangements are under consideration and due to be confirmed in Autumn 2025.

More information:

• Latest on Open Meetings, and minutes of past meetings
• The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC)