The Blue Mountains Deanery Pastoral Council may be small in size, but its members are quietly helping shape a Church that walks together.
Chair Len Blahut said the group’s role was not corporate or managerial, but deeply pastoral – “A listening council, formed for discernment rather than direction.”
Meeting six times a year – more than the minimum recommendation – the council brings together parish representatives to deeply listen to the spiritual and pastoral life of their communities in alignment with key themes from the Diocesan Pastoral Plan.
Questions arising from the plan, such as around the topics of formation, mission, community and prayer, are taken back to pastoral councils in each parish for reflection, then returned to the deanery council for shared discernment through “conversations in the Spirit”.
“Every parish is different, but we’re all responding to the same pastoral vision,” Len said.
“Our focus was on prayerful listening and reflecting on what the Spirit is saying through our people. It’s not about issuing instructions, but making space to hear.”
Len Blahut, chair of the Mountains Deanery Pastoral Council. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
A listening Church
Recent topics included the community’s appetite for faith formation and how parishioners were engaging with mission.
While the council did not set policy or run programs, its members served as a bridge between local parishes and the wider Church, helping foster a more synodal way of being.
With support from Alison Ryan in the Diocese’s Mission Enhancement Team, the group has continued to deepen its capacity for discernment and reflection.
“We are still learning,” Len said. “But our hope is that through listening, we could play our part in building a more responsive and Spirit-led Church.”
Parishioners from the various parishes of the Blue Mountains in discussion during the ‘Blue Mountains Catholics Take Action’ event at St Thomas Aquinas Primary School, Springwood in 2022. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
Christopher Howard, in his fourth year as a member of the Deanery Pastoral Council, said listening to others has been very valuable from a personal perspective.
“Many of the concerns the people of my parish have are shared by the people of the other parishes of the Deanery,” he said.
Reflecting on insights from parish conversations, Christopher noted that many of those he has listened to within his parish hold what he described as “orthodox” views of Church teachings.
“I have sought to represent their views when discussing issues at meetings,” he said.
Kylie Mills, another member of the Deanery Pastoral Council, agreed that it is very much about listening to the “other”.
“Submitting parish reports before the meeting encourages everyone to listen to each other… and at the end, the Communique, along with the parish minutes, is a useful takeaway.”
It all starts with prayer
Prayer plays a vital role in the council’s life and rhythm.
“Every meeting begins with prayer,” Len explained. “And every person has a different way of leading prayer.”
Len encourages all members to take turns leading prayer, believing it is important for each person’s spirituality to be expressed.
The Stations of the Cross as enacted by families at St Finbar’s Parish, Glenbrook, on Good Friday. Image: Diocese of Parramatta
Looking to the future
New deanery structures were announced in March 2025, with Fr John McSweeney as Dean of the Mountains Deanery. It currently includes the parishes of Glenbrook and Springwood, as well as the new Catholic Parish of the Upper Blue Mountains (bringing together the former parishes of Lawson, Upper Blue Mountains and Blackheath, decreed by Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, on 8 May 2025).
While the structural changes are still taking shape, the council’s work has continued uninterrupted.
“Since March, it’s been a time of transition,” Len explained.
“Fr John has visited each church community to explain what’s likely to unfold as the year progresses. But as far as the deanery pastoral council is concerned, there’s been no real change to our work or membership.”
He was clear that the council does not function as a managerial body.
“There can be a misconception that the deanery council holds authority over the deanery – we don’t. We’re not a workhorse or decision-making group. Our task is to listen, reflect and share.”
Listening and discernment will continue to be the heart of the council’s mission, particularly as the merged Blue Mountains parish begins its journey together.
Parishioners are seen during the installation Mass of Fr John McSweeney as parish priest of the Catholic Parish of the Upper Blue Mountains at St Canice’s Church, Katoomba, on 1 November 2025. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
Questions grounded in the Diocesan Pastoral Plan are regularly taken back to parish pastoral councils for reflection, with the aim of fostering deeper spiritual insight across the deanery.
“Our challenge ahead is to keep developing our skill in listening – really hearing what the Spirit is saying through our communities,” Len said.
“As synodality becomes more central to the life of the Church, we hope the deanery council can quietly support that path.”
This initiative closely aligns with the Diocesan Pastoral Plan’s priority of Listening, Dialogue and Discernment, and the objective to be a Church that walks together. Visit Synodality to learn more.
Join a Governance Body if you’re interested in getting involved.
