The Diocese of Wollongong and Divine Renovation will host a national gathering of clergy and parish leaders in October to equip the local Church with the tools to form missionary disciples.
The ‘Renewed and Sent: Parish Renewal Summit’ will take place from October 1-3 at St Gregory’s College in Campbelltown, with more than 1,000 attendees expected.
Director of the Office of Renewal and Evangelisation at the Diocese of Wollongong Jude Hennessy said it was an ideal time for a parish summit, given the recent growth in interest in the Catholic faith.
“There’s a new openness among people to be drawn into a life of faith,” he said.
“We want our parishes to be places where people are nurtured for discipleship, and to be inviting people into the experience of parish life and to encounter Jesus.”
The first day of the summit will be directed to clergy, offering opportunities for formation, prayer and discussion about parish renewal.
The second and third days will be for parish, diocesan and ministry leaders, as well as lay faithful passionate about parish mission.
The summit will feature keynote sessions from a range of local and international speakers, including Divine Renovation founder Fr James Mallon, as well as workshops, Mass and Eucharistic adoration.
“We expect there'll be people involved in a variety of ministries, whether they be catechists or involved in liturgical ministries, hospitality and welcome, or adult faith formation, who will come to not only be encouraged themselves, but also to be nurtured in prayer,” Jude said.
“There's going to be some great tools and strategies for leading. There’ll be lots of real stories of parish renewal from people who, by cooperating with the Holy Spirit, are seeing fruit.
“And there's going to be opportunities for people to be prayed with individually.”
Jude said the summit was a rare opportunity for the Australian Church to come together at a pivotal time, to be renewed and reinvigorated for mission.
“God's doing something in the lives of so many people, and we're seeing that just in the number of people that have come to join the Church right around Australia,” he said.
“We're at a point in time where it's contingent upon us to be ready for what's clearly happening in our world, and being able to respond invitationally, hospitably and really boldly.”
The summit will take place at St Gregory’s College in Campbelltown, showcasing one of the fastest growing areas of Sydney and utilising the college’s on-site accommodation.
Divine Renovation previously hosted an Australian conference in February 2023 in Sydney; and in October 2025 led the ‘Hope and Renewal Summit’ in New Zealand.
A Catholic ministry dedicated to parish renewal, Divine Renovation has partnered with more than 150 parishes in Australia, equipping them to live a culture of mission and evangelisation.
The ministry developed from Fr Mallon’s book, Divine Renovation: Bringing your parish from maintenance to mission, which was published in 2014, and has spread to more than 100 countries around the world.
Find out more about ‘Renewed and Sent’ at https://renewedandsent.com.au/ or register for the event at https://app.tickets.org.au/DR/RandS.
Image: Supplied
Words: Matthew Biddle