In a letter to the faithful, Archbishop O’Regan said the 2022 Assembly on October 21 and 22 would be informed by the recommendations and subsequent feedback from the 2021 gathering, as well as the discernment of the Diocesan Pastoral Council and the Plenary Council outcomes.

“The 2022 Diocesan Assembly will build on the 2021 recommendations and provide opportunities for formation, skill-building and strategic planning,” he wrote. “It will also be an opportunity to look at the results of the Plenary Council and how they will be incorporated into local and Diocesan life.”

Archbishop O’Regan said assemblies would become a “regular fixture of Diocesan life” with at least one more planned for 2023. “After that, assemblies may occur every other year with parish or deanery assemblies encouraged on the alternate years,” he said.

Peter Gates, deputy national director of Catholic Mission, the official international mission aid agency of the Catholic Church, will be the keynote speaker at the 2022 Assembly.

A member of the facilitation team for the Fifth Plenary Council for the Catholic Church in Australia, Mr Gates has worked in leadership and management positions across a broad section of key organisational responsibilities and departmental roles.  He also has served as board member for a number of not-for-profit organisations.

Last month the Archdiocese distributed a ‘toolkit’ of resources including a workbook for communities to use as they discern the 255 recommendations arising from the 2021 Diocesan Assembly.

Over coming months, parishes, communities and schools will choose their top three recommendations for what the Archdiocese needs to focus on, as well as the top three recommendations for their own local context.

Following that, communities will work to develop key strategic actions and goals to achieve the recommendations.