Our New Parish Structure -proposal

1. The New Worthing Parish, Organisational Structure

1. The Moderated Priest’s Team (MPT) • 6 Priests acting in solidum, one of which is appointed by the Bishop as the Moderator.

2. The Parish Leadership Team (PLT) • Lay faithful (appointed by Priests) plus Deacons & Priests (volunteering)

3. Parish Pastoral Team (PPT) (One lay team member per previous parish) • Lay faithful (appointed by Priests) plus Deacons & Priests (volunteering)

4. Parish Finance Team (PFT) (One lay team member per previous parish) • Lay faithful (appointed by Priests) plus Deacons & Priests (volunteering)

5. Community Pastoral Team (CPT) (One team per previous parish) • Lay faithful (appointed by Priests) plus Deacons & Priests (volunteering)

6. Community Stewardship Team (CST) (One team per previous parish) • Lay faithful (appointed by Priests) Deacons & Priests (volunteering)

7. Parish Council (PC) • The Parish Council is an Annual Forum in the new parish. • It is organised by the representatives of all teams of the Parish structure for all Parishioners.

The Aims of This Structure

• To mobilise all our parish resources in the best possible way.

• To encourage collaborative ministry and lay involvement.

• To promote fraternity and shared responsibility among priests.

• To ensure continuity of care even if one priest is transferred or ill.

• To allow efficient use of clergy and resources across communities.

  1. 3. The New Worthing Parish, Structure Overview

1. The Moderated Priest’s Team (MPT)

Role: Jointly responsible for the overall pastoral, sacramental, and spiritual leadership of the entire new Parish.

Composition: Priests acting in Solidum with one of them appointed as the moderator

Key Relationships:

  •  Collaborates closely with the Parish Leadership Team (shared governance). 
  • Has a direct relationship with the Parish Finance Team (oversight and major decisions). 
  • Provides pastoral and strategic direction across all the communities of the new Worthing parish. 

2. The Parish Leadership Team (PLT)

Role: Shared governance and strategic leadership of the new Worthing parish.

Composition: Clergy (priests/deacon) + lay leaders (representatives of parish life and mission).

Key Relationships:

  • Works in close collaboration with the Moderated Priest’s Team.
  • Collaborates with the Parish Pastoral Team to implement mission and vision.
  • Provides guidance and alignment across the new parish and community levels.

3. The Parish Pastoral Team (PPT)

Role: Implements pastoral priorities, ministries, and outreach based on the PLT vision.

Composition: Lay pastoral associates, ministry leaders, deacon(s), and possibly a representative priest.

Key Relationships:

  • Collaborates with and Reports to the Parish Leadership Team.
  • Coordinates with the Parish Finance Team on parish needs and projects.
  • Collaborates closely with every Community Pastoral Team in each community (two-way communication), to ensure consistent mission and ministry across communities.

4. The Community Pastoral Teams (CPTs)

Role: Pastoral and operational leadership in a community (previously a parish).

Composition: Community coordinator/leader, local clergy or deacon (if applicable), ministry reps, and finance/stewardship rep.

Key Relationships:

  • Collaborates with the Parish Pastoral Team (two-way communication).
  • Coordinates with the relevant Community Stewardship Team on community needs and projects finance/stewardship rep. 

5. The Parish Finance Team (PFT)

Role: Oversees parish-wide finances, budget, and major capital decisions.

Composition: Finance officers, treasurer, accountants, lay experts, and representative from The Moderated Priest’s Team.

Key Relationships:

  • Directly accountable to the Moderated Priest’s Team. o Collaborates with Community Stewardship Teams on financial stewardship and community initiatives.
  • Coordinates with the Parish Pastoral Team for funding parish ministry activities 

6. The Community Stewardship Teams (CSTs)

Role: Manage finances, assets, and stewardship efforts in a community, (previously a parish).

Composition: Community treasurer(s), bookkeeper, and community members.

Key Relationships:

  • Collaborate with the Parish Finance Team (transparency and shared accountability).
  • Coordinate with the relevant Community Pastoral Team for funding community ministry activities.

Notes on flow: 

  • The Moderated Priest’s Team anchors all major decisions (pastoral + financial).
  • The Parish Leadership Team is a shared leadership forum integrating clergy and laity.
  • The Pastoral Line runs vertically: Moderated Priest’s Team → Parish Leadership Team → Parish Pastoral Team → Community Pastoral Teams.
  • The Finance Line runs in parallel: Moderated Priest’s Team → Parish Finance Team → Community Stewardship Teams.

1. The Pastoral Line (Vertical Line of Mission & Ministry)

This is the spiritual, pastoral, and community life side of parish leadership — it ensures that the mission of the Church is alive and consistent at every level.

Flow: Moderated Priest’s Team → Parish Leadership Team → Parish Pastoral Team → Community Pastoral Teams

Breakdown:

The Moderated Priest’s Team

  • Has canonical and pastoral responsibility for the spiritual welfare of the parishioners.
  • Provides pastoral, sacramental, and spiritual leadership.
  • Works in partnership with lay people through the Parish Leadership Team.

The Parish Leadership Team (PLT)

  • Provides the overall vision for parish life and mission.
  • Works in partnership with The Moderated Priest’s Team, discerning the direction of evangelisation, formation, liturgy, and outreach.
  • Sets pastoral priorities for the whole parish.

The Parish Pastoral Team (PPT)

  • Takes the parish pastoral priorities and turns them into action.
  • Coordinates ministries such as catechesis, family life, youth, liturgy planning, and social justice.
  • Ensures consistency and communication of the pastoral priorities and associated actions among all the communities within the parish.
  • Supports and trains the Community Pastoral Teams.

The Community Pastoral Teams (CPT)

  • Represent each worshiping community (previously parishes).
  • Applies parish-wide priorities at the community level — ensuring that every previous parish feels ownership and engagement.
  • Maintain close contact with community volunteers, ministers, and deacons.
  • Provide feedback and insight back up the pastoral line. The

Purpose of the Pastoral Line: To guarantee unity of mission and pastoral care across all communities, ensuring that every level of the parish is working toward the same spiritual and pastoral goals.

2. The Finance Line (Parallel Line of Stewardship & Administration)

This is the administrative, financial, and resource management side — ensuring transparency, accountability, and sustainability.

Flow:

Moderated Priest’s Team → Parish Finance Team → Community Stewardship Teams

Breakdown:

The Moderated Priest’s Team

  • Has canonical and financial responsibility for the parish resources.
  • Provides oversight, ensures compliance with diocesan norms, and approves budgets.
  • Works in partnership with lay experts through the Finance Team.

The Parish Finance Team (PFT)

  • Oversees the parish financial system.
  • Consolidates budgets and reports from the communities.
  • Advises the priests on large expenditures, capital projects, and investments.
  • Ensures accountability and transparency across the parish.
  • The Community Stewardship Teams (CSTs) 
  • Handles day-to-day financial and stewardship matters in each community.
  • Keep community records, manage collections, and support community ministry budgets.
  • Report regularly to the Parish Finance Team.
  • Encourage stewardship and generosity at the community level.

The Purpose of the Finance Line:

To ensure that all financial activities serve the mission responsibly — with collaboration between clergy and laity, and clear accountability at every level.

How They Work Together

  • The Pastoral Line and the Finance Line run in parallel but must remain in constant dialogue.
  • Example: when a new ministry or outreach is planned by the Pastoral Line, the Finance Line helps ensure the necessary resources and stewardship are in place.
  • The Moderated Priest’s Team sits at the top of both — ensuring unity of mission and accountability between spiritual and material dimensions.

East Worthing Hub: Worthing (Durrington and High Salvington) Worthing & Lancing, Adur Valley, (Shoreham by Sea, Steyning & Upper Beeding).

West Worthing Hub: Littlehampton & Rustington, East Preston, Goring by the Sea.

A Catholic parish divided into hubs refers to a parish that is organised into smaller, geographically localised groups rather than functioning as one large, centralised congregation. The purpose of this structure can be multifaceted. Here are the main reasons:

1. Pastoral Care & Community Building

Large parishes can feel impersonal. By creating hubs (smaller sub-units), parishioners can:

  • Form deeper relationships.
  • Receive more personalised attention from clergy and lay ministers.
  • Participate more actively in parish life, ministries, and small groups.

2. Effective Administration & Leadership

Hubs allow distributed leadership:

  • Each hub might have coordinators or lay leaders assisting the priest.
  • Localised decision-making can respond to the specific needs of each area.
  • Reduces the administrative burden on a single parish office.

3. Accessibility & Convenience

Hubs might correspond to geographic areas:

  • People can attend smaller gatherings, Masses, or events closer to home.
  • Encourages participation for families, seniors, or those with transportation challenges.

4. Enhanced Evangelisation & Outreach Hubs can focus on mission and service in their geographical neighbourhoods:

  • Outreach to the poor, visiting the sick, organising youth programs.
  • Easier to mobilise volunteers and develop targeted ministry efforts.

 

5. Flexibility & Resilience

In a hub model:

  • Programs can continue even if one part of the parish faces challenges (e.g., a temporary priest shortage).
  • Allows for experimentation with different types of liturgies, catechesis, or community events tailored to specific groups.

6. Faith Formation & Small Group Ministry

Hubs support small-group catechesis, Bible studies, or sacramental preparation:

  • Promotes peer learning and accountability.
  • Encourages lay participation in spiritual formation. In short: dividing a parish into hubs is about making the parish more relational, responsive, and mission-oriented, while still maintaining unity under the larger parish structure.

5. The Parish Council as an Annual Forum in the New Parish

Nature and Purpose

In the new parish, where several communities are united under a shared priestly and lay leadership, the Parish Council serves not just as a governing body but also as an annual synodal-style forum — a space of listening, reflection, planning, and renewal.

This annual Parish Council Forum brings together:

  • The Moderated Priest’s Team
  • The Parish Leadership Team
  • The Parish Pastoral and Finance Teams
  • Representatives from all Community Pastoral and Community Stewardship Teams
  • Other invited lay leaders and parishioners as observers or participants It represents the whole body of the parish, gathered to discern and plan together.

2. Structure of the Gathering

Typically, the Annual Parish Council Forum would:

  • Be moderated by the Moderated Priest’s Team together with the Parish Leadership Team
  • Include prayer, listening sessions, reports, and planning workshops
  • Provide a platform for each community. to share achievements, challenges, and pastoral priorities
  • Conclude with common action points and commitments for the coming year

3. Goals of the Annual Parish Council

Communion and Unity

  • Strengthen a sense of one parish family across multiple communities.
  • Build mutual understanding and solidarity among different groups.
  • Reflect the synodal vision of walking together in faith and mission.

Shared Discernment and Vision

  • Review parish mission and pastoral priorities in light of Gospel values and diocesan goals.
  • Discern together where the Holy Spirit is leading the parish.
  • Identify emerging needs and opportunities for evangelisation, formation, and service.

 

Communication and Transparency

  • Provide clear updates on pastoral initiatives, finances, and stewardship.
  • Allow open dialogue and feedback from community representatives.
  • Strengthen trust and collaboration between leadership and parishioners.

Planning and Accountability

  • Develop annual goals for ministry, pastoral outreach, and financial stewardship.
  • Evaluate progress from the previous year.
  • Celebrate achievements and renew commitment to parish mission.

4. Relationship with the Moderated Priest’s Team

  • The Moderated Priest’s Team plays a facilitating and guiding role, ensuring that pastoral discernment stays faithful to the Gospel and Church teaching.
  • They listen, collaborate, and empower lay leadership rather than simply directing decisions.
  • Together with the Council, they help shape a shared vision of pastoral care for the entire parish.

 

5. Overall Vision

  • The Annual Parish Council Forum becomes the synodal heart of the new parish
  • a time when the whole parish family gathers to listen, reflect, and plan together,
  • ensuring that every community’s voice contributes to one shared mission in Christ.

6. Moderated Priest’s Team Structure

1. Canonical Foundation

In accordance with Canon 517 §1 of the Code of Canon Law, and recognising the pastoral needs of our local Church, the Bishop has entrusted the pastoral care of the following previous parish(es) to a team of priests in solidum:

Previous Parishes: Littlehampton & Rustington, East Preston, Goring by the Sea Worthing, Worthing & Lancing, Adur Valley.

These priests share, in common, the pastoral responsibility for the faithful of these previous parishes. The Bishop has appointed one of the priests as “Moderator”, who directs their joint action and represents the new parish in juridical and administrative matters.

2. Composition of the Moderated Priest’s Team

Priest’s Team Members (in solidum):

Rev. Ireneusz Stadler – appointed Moderator

Rev. Boniface Akpoigbe

Rev. Christopher Ingle

Rev. Liam O’Connor

Rev. Graham Ricketts

Canon Thomas Treherne

3. Responsibilities of the Moderator

The Moderator, appointed by the Bishop, shall:

  • Coordinate the joint pastoral activity of the priest’s team.
  • Represent the parish (all communities) in all juridical, financial, and administrative matters.
  • Oversee parish staff and ensure good governance in accordance with canon law and diocesan policy.
  • Report regularly to the Bishop regarding the life and ministry of the parish.
  • Facilitate unity of vision and collaboration among the priests and the lay faithful.

4. Responsibilities of the Moderated Priest’s Team

Each member of the priest’s team, shall:

  • Share equal responsibility for the spiritual and pastoral care of all parishioners.
  •  Exercise full priestly faculties within all entrusted parishes.
  • Participate in regular team meetings (weekly or biweekly) for prayer, planning, and evaluation.
  • Assume specific areas of ministry as discerned and confirmed by the team (e.g., liturgy, catechesis, youth, outreach, administration).
  • Support one another in fraternity, prayer, and common mission.
  • Maintain a visible pastoral presence in all churches entrusted to the team.

5. Overall Role of the Moderated Priest’s Team The Moderated Priest’s Team members stand as:

  • Pastors: as spiritual and sacramental leaders,
  • Moderators: ensuring unity and consistency across all new parish teams, and
  • Collaborators: working with lay leaders for co-responsible governance. They don’t dominate but animate — leading with the heart of service and the wisdom of shared leadership.

 

6. Team Meetings and Communication

  • The moderated priest’s team shall meet at least biweekly for:
  • Common prayer and fraternal support.
  • Planning and review of liturgical, pastoral, and administrative matters.
  • Decision-making by consensus whenever possible.

The Moderator will:

  • Prepare an agenda for each meeting.
  • Keep written minutes of significant decisions.
  • Communicate key outcomes to parish staff and councils.

 

7. Common Pastoral Vision

The pastoral team commits to fostering:

  • A unified vision for evangelisation, worship, catechesis, and service.
  • Respect for the unique traditions and identity of each community entrusted to them
  • Ongoing consultation with parishioners and councils.
  • Openness to collaboration among clergy, religious, and laity.
  • Transparency in communication and decision-making.

8. Accountability and Evaluation

  • The Moderator shall provide an annual report to the Bishop summarising pastoral activity, finances, and team life.
  • The Bishop or his delegate may review the functioning of the in solidum arrangement periodically.
  • adjustments to this structure may be made with the Bishop’s approval.