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EVOLUTION of APMLM
EVOLUTION of APMLM
In 1984 the first Pastoral Associates were employed in parishes in the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. In 1988 Archbishop Frank Little recommended that the term Pastoral Associate be formally adopted, that a committee be established to look at developing a policy of accreditation, and that a professional association be established. The previously separate associations for religious and lay parish pastoral employees came together and gave birth to the Association of Pastoral Associates (APA or APAM).
At this point the majority of members were members of religious institutes. They were often employed on stipends and their orders negotiated their working conditions which were not always just. However they were very concerned with improving working conditions for lay pastoral associates. The association at this time was very vibrant, offering lots of personal and professional support along with some fun.
From the early 2000s the number of Pastoral Associates employed in Melbourne parishes started to decline, and this trend continued. However a rise emerged in the number of especially lay people working in other institutions or for other organisations as Chaplains, Pastoral Care Practitioners, or other such ministers.
In recognition of those trends, a review of the Association's membership and structure was held through 2022, resulting in the decision to broaden our Association to include those working in other pastoral ministries as well as parishes.
Consequently, APAM became the Association of Pastoral Ministry Leaders, Melbourne (APMLM) on 30 March 2022.
In 2024 the Association members voted to free up the workings of the Association by replacing the former Constitution and Operational Framework with one new and much simpler Terms of Reference document. A decision was also made to include Pastoral Ministry Leaders who were working in a voluntary capacity, as well as paid employees.
PAST CONFERENCES
PAST CONFERENCES
Note that with the large decline in Pastoral Associate numbers in the Archdiocese, and the changes to the Association, a formal yearly conference is no longer practicable, and has been replaced by short appropriate events as arise.
National Conferences
National Conferences
National Conferences were held only some years, and different organisations in different states took turns to run them. The following National Conferences were organised and run by the then Association of Pastoral Associates Melbourne (APAM).
2017 - National Pastoral Leaders and Planners Conference - "Vine & Branches: Yearning to Belong" - Rydges on Swanston, Carlton VIC.
2000 - Second National Pastoral Associates Conference - Catholic Theological College, Clayton VIC.
1987 - First National Pastoral Associates Conference - St Mary's College, University of Melbourne, Carlton VIC.
APMLM Annual Conferences and Retreats
APMLM Annual Conferences and Retreats
2022 - Conference - Millgrove - "Authentic Witnessing and Contemporary Pastoral Leaders: Reimagining Possibilities - Cecilia Tan
APAM Annual Conferences and Retreats
APAM Annual Conferences and Retreats
2021 - Unable to be held due to covid.
2020 - Unable to be held due to covid.
2019 - Conference in Retreat style - Millgrove - "I will Bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a Blessing" - Lys Crowe & Mary Cameron.
2018 - Conference in Retreat style - Millgrove - "The Tapestry of Our Shared Wisdom" - Lys Crowe & Mary Cameron.
2017 - National Conference organised by APAM (see above).
2016 - Conference - Millgrove - "Amoris Laetitia: the Joy of Love" - Bishop Terry Curtin.
2015 - Conference - Millgrove - "Theology, Music & Beauty: Nourishment for Faith" - Dr Maeve Louise Heaney.
2014 - Conference - Millgrove - "Do This in Memory of Me: an Exploration of the Gospel of St John" - Prof Mary Coloe pbvm.
2013 - Retreat - Millgrove - "Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty" - Cathy Dixon
No local conference because of national conference in Adelaide SA.
2012 - Conference - Millgrove - "Finding the Face of Christ in Our Work ... from the Soul-Work Perspective" - Gerard Koe.
2011 - Conference - Millgrove - "A Little Yeast in a Changing Church: Being Part of the Transformation" - Kathleen Williams rsm.
2010 - Conference - Millgrove - "A Story Big Enough to Live In" - Maree Haggerty rsm.
2009 - No local conference because of national conference in Shoal Bay NSW.
2008 - Conference - Templestowe - "Pastoral Associates: Living Paul's Mission Today?" - Claire Renkin, Mark Reynolds, Mary Cole pbvm, Brendan Byrne sj, Claire Griffith csb.
2007 - Conference - Templestowe - "A Prophetic Voice: Finding Christ in Today's World" - Margaret Fyfe csb, Tim Costello, Andrew Hamilton sj, Ann Boyd csb, Marg Hayes, Jack Stuart.
2006 - Conference - Templestowe - Discerning a New Operational Framework for the Association - facilitated by Bernadette Keating pbvm.
2004 - Conference - Millgrove
2003 - Conference - Millgrove - with Kathleen Williams
2000 - National Conference organised by APAM (see above)
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