How do we get there from here?
Anthony Philpot

Look into the future: a bishop's view
Crispian Hollis
How does a diocesan bishop see the parish facing up to the challenges of the next ten years? Crispian Hollis, who is Bishop of Portsmouth, lists his priorities and offers an example of a parish coming to terms with the demands of being the Church in the modern world: 'When I see that, I am filled with optimism for the future of our Catholic parishes.'

Continuity and change in the parish
Michael P.Hornsby-Smith
How does someone who is both a sociologist and a faithful parishioner envisage the future parish? Michael Hornsby-Smith, who is a professor of sociology and author of several books, shows ways in which there may be 'a shift in the direction of the Church and parish towards a more prophetic and challenging model'.

Adapt or die
Vicky Cosstick

What kind of parish priest?
Jim O'Keefe
As President of Ushaw College, the seminary for the northern English dioceses, Jim O'Keefe is deeply involved in the formation of priests. Here he describes how priests need to be equipped to serve a changing Church and wonders whether the diocesan priest of the future does not need to be 'fundamentally, a man of true contemplation.'

'Come and see'
Alan Griffiths
Are there signs of life amid the decline of contemporary British Catholicism? Alan Griffiths is a parish priest in Hampshire and a member of the Committee for Pastoral Liturgy of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. He believes that what is specific to the Church is not ideology, 'big answers to big questions', but an instinct for communion which invites people to 'come and see'.

Parish 2010: an exciting challenge
Brian O'Sullivan
Brian O'Sullivan has been a parish priest for many years and is a past president of the National Conference of Priests for England and Wales. Here he suggests some of the changes in parishes which are needed so that they can face 'a turbulent decade and century with opportunities as exciting as any that faced the Church of the first century'.

The beautiful in liturgy
Francis Mannion
The dearth of the beautiful in Western liturgy, compared with that of the Eastern tradition, is discussed here by the President of the Society for Catholic Liturgy (USA), and Rector of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, Salt Lake City, Fr M. Francis Mannion.

Preaching and teaching the Word
Margaret Atkins
Margaret Atkins, who is a lecturer in theology at Trinity and All Saints College, Leeds, and a regular columnist for The Independent, offers some reflections on the lectionary readings for the Sundays of July.

Book reviews

Postscript:Minding our language
Gemma Simmonds IBVM

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