In the last few weeks Jean has announced to the Trustees, and to her own group in Birmingham, that she intends to step down from the diocesan and national roles that she has held with ACTA over the last seven years. Her commitment to the role of the laity in the working of the Catholic Church remains undimmed but she expressed the wish to retire from active involvement.
The Trustees wish to record their appreciation of her work since the establishment of ACTA in 2012. From the earliest days her enthusiasm and drive meant that Birmingham archdiocese was home to a large and well-informed ACTA group. Their calendar of activities was always extensive, with a capacity to attract speakers of international repute. Her special skill was to encourage the networking with organisations that shared ACTA’s concern and respect for the Church. For a number of years she represented ACTA on the international stage, attending conferences in Limerick, Chicago and Slovakia [ICRN] led by Helmut Schuller. Jean’s interest in the work of Bishop Fritz Lobinger continues.
National Conferences have been a major event in ACTA’s calendar. Birmingham has hosted several over the years and Jean’s attention to detail and unflagging enthusiasm have ensured they have been among the most successful.
In the last seven years she has held the position of National Chair and, more recently, has been the National Membership Secretary. In each role she brought a particular charisma, finding the right speaker for an occasion, knowing the strengths of different diocesan groups. Jean also contributed to other major initiatives that ACTA have been involved with. She took on a major part of the input and analysis of survey results that led to ACTA’s contribution to the Family Synod, published as The Smell of the Sheep. It was widely circulated and informed the response from the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. More recently, she has represented the ACTA leadership in the development of work on ecclesial ethics with staff from the Margaret Beaufort Institute.
The Trustees and the Diocesan Delegates and Coordinators wish you a fruitful retirement with thanks for all you have done for ACTA
Ad multos annos