It is my great pleasure to introduce to you the members to the Foundation Nazareth Parish Leadership Team.
On Pentecost 2021 Archbishop Peter A. Comensoli invited priests and people to open up the question as to how the Church of Melbourne might be best organised into the future.* The invitation was set within the context of the Plenary Council called a couple of years earlier, and its purpose among many other things to discern a more authentic leadership and clearer accountability, while keeping the way of the Gospel at the heart of our mission.
For several years our Parish has been on the journey discerning how we would best organise and operate into the future. The discerning work was first carried out by the Advisory Team followed by a process of consultation.
As a way to restart the ‘engine’ of our Parish involvement after a long period of hibernation due to Covid-19 lockdown, parishioners were invited to review their involvement in a group or ministry within the Parish. Their feedback on the revised Parish vision and mission were also sought and used to form a broader context for establishing the Nazareth Parish Leadership Team Charter.
As we turn a next page of our Parish life while keeping both the Archbishop’s invitation and Plenary Council’s deliberations in view, we recognise that our Parish is gifted with the profoundly important challenge and opportunity. With this in mind and ‘amidst a new landscape of complexity and diversity, the Parish Priest and parishioners with their unique gifts, roles, and responsibility are called to work together… Together, Parish Priest and laity are to work collaboratively as a united leadership team to serve the Parish mission to which they hold themselves accountable.’ **
The following pages are the members of the Parish Leadership Team including their brief profile together with a Parish pillar they each represents on behalf of the Parish. On the back page you will find an email address which has been created specifically for you to correspond with the Leadership Team.
Please keep them in your prayers as they each strives their utmost best to serve our wonderful Parish.
Parish Priest
Acknowledging change in the structure of our Parish over many years, the Parish Leadership Team are seeking suggestions for a new name for our Parish. The recent revamp of the Parish website has triggered the need for a new Parish logo to more closely represent the Parish identity. Similarly the Parish name needs to reflect the structure and ethos of the entire Parish.
Our Parish has been known as Nazareth Parish or Grovedale Parish since 1980, when the expanding area of Grovedale and the existing community of St. Therese Torquay were joined. (Torquay was previously serviced by the Parish of Belmont.)
A third community of St. Christopher’s Anglesea was included in our Parish in the late 1990’s when Winchelsea and Bannockburn were separated to join Meredith Parish. Recently the community of Armstrong Creek, which is also part of the Parish has been growing significantly.
The Parish now includes four Catholic Primary schools, with a fifth to open at Mount Duneed (Mary Glowrey Catholic Primary School) in 2026. Iona College (a Diocesan secondary school) opened in the Parish in 2020.
Because of this background and the current development of the Parish the Leadership Team is seeking a new name for the parish. The ideal is that a name reflecting our Parish as a whole is chosen. The Archdiocese has been consulted to ascertain guidelines for this process.
In conjunction with these requirements, the Leadership Team have devised the following general guidelines:
- Process to be in accordance with Diocesan guidelines.
- Process to be conducted and implemented by NPLT.
- Renaming is only for the Parish. Each community Church maintains its name: Nazareth (Grovedale). St. Christopher’s (Anglesea). St. Therese (Torquay). These existing names remain as the identity of each community but are not options for the Parish name.
- Proposed name reflects the Parish as a whole (our four communities: Grovedale, Torquay, Anglesea, and Armstrong Creek.)
- Ideally the name is of a particular Saint, or a location or event of religious significance from the New Testament. Please note the name – Holy Trinity Parish is not supported.
- Suggestions for a new name must be accompanied by a brief background/rationale which explains how the proposal is representative of the whole Parish. (Rationale to be approximately 100 words). The proposal must include the proposer’s name and phone number.
- Entire Parish is to be involved throughout this process (each community and each Parish School).
The Leadership Team are now seeking your suggestions for a new name for our Parish. Suggestions will need to comply with the above guidelines.
Suggestions are to be forwarded to the Parish Office grovedale@cam.org.au. The closing date for suggestions is Friday 28th of June 2024.
The Leadership Team will then short list the names. Following this the final options and rationale for each will be presented back to the Parish.
Voting will then take place to identify the Parish choice. The Parish choice will then be forwarded to the Archbishop for his approval.
I moved to Torquay from Melbourne with my husband, Tony, ten years ago.
I have worked all my life in Catholic education and am still involved in faith formation, working with Catholic schools and families in the archdiocese.
I believe very strongly in the connection between schools and church and the future of the synodal Church.
I am the Chair of the Parish Advisory Council, I help with the Baptism Preparation, Sacramental Family Nights and the children’s Liturgy at Torquay.
I believe the Leadership Team is a valuable resource for the Parish, working co-responsibly, welcoming everyone and ensuring this Parish is indeed a vibrant community, journeying with Jesus.
I have lived in Torquay since 1986, and since then have been part of St. Therese Community of Nazareth Parish. My wife Chris and I have six sons, who have grown up in Torquay and attended St. Therese Primary School.
I have previously served on St. Therese School Board for seventeen years, including two terms as chairperson. At this time I also served on St. Therese Parents and Friends and St. Therese Pastoral Team.
I chaired the Revitalization of St. Therese Church Committee and have been part of Fr. Linh’s Advisory Team for the past seven years. During this time I have worked on the Steering Committee for the establishment of Lisieux Catholic Primary School and the Project Control Group for both Lisieux and St. Catherine of Siena Primary Schools.
My ultimate hope is that Nazareth Parish can continue to improve and develop and be instrumental in living out the mission of Jesus.
I have been a resident of Torquay since December 2009, and a member of Nazareth Parish since then. I have been a member of Fr Linh’s Advisory Team for several years, including chairing the team meetings for a period. I have also been a member of the Nazareth Social Justice Committee, a rostered reader for Sunday Mass at St Therese Church as well as special occasions such as Easter.
I have been involved in the development of two of recently opened Parish Primary Schools as a community member of the Steering Committees and CEOM Project Control Group.
Spending my early years in a small community in north west Victoria, I understand the value of working together for the good of the community as a whole. I believe I can bring a community focus to our Parish, and I commit to work with all parishioners, especially the vulnerable and the young. The latter group is the future of our Parish and it is important we work towards ways that can ensure they are engaged and enthused by the happenings within the Parish, in all its forms.
I have been involved in the Passionist Family Group Movement for many years as a member in two Parishes. For two terms (6 years) I was a group leader of The Mannagum Family Group at St Therese, Torquay. Currently my husband and I are Nazareth Parish Coordinators for the three groups across the Parish.
The groups provide a network of friendship and support for all parishioners. New families in the Parish are invited to join. Although unable to meet in recent times, the Family Group Movement offered spiritual support via linking families to online Masses and reflections, as well as offering encouragement during the period of Covid lockdown.
I believe the group could be a link between our schools and Parish with the establishment of a group for young families.
In my working life, I was involved in education for 40 years. Initially, I taught in several state high schools, after which I lectured in the Faculty of Education at Melbourne University. I became Deputy Principal at St. Joseph’s North Melbourne, worked in the Catholic Education Office and finally, I was Principal at Catholic Regional College Melton for 13 years.
We have spent holidays in Jan Juc since the early 1980s. We became members of the Jan Juc Surf Lifesaving Club at that time and attended Mass at St Therese’s Church regularly. My wife, Kerry and I retired to Jan Juc in 2009. In the Parish, I am Chair of the Finance Committee and a Member of the Advisory Team.
I still consider myself relatively new to the Parish, having only been appointed the Parish Secretary position almost 3 years ago. My husband, Troy, and I along with our 2 children have lived in Marshall for over 15 years. Cooper and Harry, currently attend Nazareth Catholic Primary School.
My reason for being a part of the Leadership Team is to help gain a wider understanding and appreciation of what our community looks like and what I can do to help make a difference.
I am Adam Coustley, one of the newest members of our Nazareth Parish Leadership Team. I have been a member of the Nazareth Parish for over 10 years with my wife, Kim and I, working at various schools in the area. Currently I am at Nazareth Catholic School as Deputy Principal (Learning and Teaching) and enjoy the successes and challenges of my role immensely. All three of our children also attend Catholic schools in our Parish. My portfolio on the Parish Leadership Team is centred around parents and carer representation from our Parish schools, with a particular focus on the faith pillar of our mission. I look forward to getting to know each member of our community further and joining this proactive team that aims to build the wellbeing of the Parish communities.
I have been a member of the friendly St Christopher’s Church community in Anglesea for 30 years. My wife Lynda and I have 2 daughters and grandchildren. I have observed the faithful service many parishioners have contributed over that period. My children enjoyed their time at the local Catholic Schools and got a good education and formation. I will attempt to be a good representative of the many branches of our Parish, and support Fr Linh in the many facets of our Parish life.
My name is Nathan Owen and I am the Principal of St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School in Armstrong Creek. I have lived in the Geelong Region for many years and have worked in a number of Catholic school settings during this time. My wife, Robyn, is also a Catholic Primary School teacher and we have two adult children. My role on the Parish Leadership Team is to provide a conduit to our parish schools, to support the formation of Catholic families and to continue to build networks and connections across our Parish. I look forward to lending and sharing my gifts and talents to service our Church and I am eager to work in partnership with the many ministries and pastoral groups within our Parish.
