Community
The team in England working for Your Parish
PECS England sits under an international organism call "the Parish System of Evangelization Cells (SCPE)".
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The team in England look forward to meeting you as we journey together to become a nation of missionary parishes.
Father Victor Vella, National Promoter
Victor Vella is a priest of the archdiocese of Southwark, London, and a parish priest.
In 1978, he commenced his studies for the priesthood in philosophy and theology. He graduated in philosophy at the Pontifical University of St Thomas, Rome in 1983 and was ordained in 1986.
Following his ordination, he went to Oxford University and studied for a Masters in Philosophy and Political Science. On completion, he went to the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, where he gained a postgraduate certificate in comparative politics of the Middle East. He pursued his interest in study by accomplishing courses in Biblical Hebrew and New Testament Greek at Heythrop College, University College London (UCL) and at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.
In 2012, he wanted to move forward his London suburban parish from maintenance to mission. He visited Sant'Eustorgio's parish in Milan, the home of the Parish Evangelisation Cells [PECS] in Europe and was inspired by their impact on parish life at Sant'Eustorgio. The Parish Evangelisation Cell System was launched in his parish in 2014.
Don Pigi Perini (1929-2020), the founder and promoter of PECS in Europe, commissioned Father Victor to oversee the parish evangelisation cells in England.
Meghan Dimbylow, National Co-ordinator
Meghan Dimbylow is a teacher in a Catholic Secondary School in her town in the diocese of Portsmouth. Within the school she leads the science department and works with a small team to continually increase the “Catholic life and Mission” of the school. Within her parish she works with her parish priest to embed evangelisation and formation.
She converted to Catholicism in 2019 after hearing a call from the Lord to "love and serve his Church".
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Meghan has experience in working both nationally and internationally through an evangelisation ministry where she worked with church leaders and their parishes to change culture and form parishes into evangelising parishes.
Meghan has a passion for every Catholic to know who they are in Christ and live out this vocation with joy.
Bob and Cecilia Skudder, Parish Mentors
Bob and Cecilia have been with PECS for many years. Cecilia was with Father Victor as they discerned if this could be for their parish. At that time Bob was not a Catholic, but after accompanying his wife on the journey of parish evangelisation he entered the Catholic church in 2014. They rest, as they say, is history!
Bob and Cecilia bring many years of experience of running cells and raising up leaders to run cells. They walk alongside parishes that are beginning to set up the cells as well as in the months to follow. Their own online cell group is the perfect environment for people to live out the cell experience and their mentoring provides the much needed opportunity to ask questions and to help new and perspective cell leaders gain confidence in the charisms God has given them.
The commitment of the members of each cell for the evangelisation of their environment, for a personal conversion to Christ also contributes to the profound
renewal of parish life.
Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, 2015
USED BY PARISHES
Join the community of parishes who have embraced PECS for their own communities.
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PECS England is a group of clergy and laity who support and promote the Parish Evangelisation Cell System (PECS) within Catholic Parishes in England.
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PECS England is overseen by Fr Victor Vella who is the National PECS coordinator for England.
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Fr Victor works closely with the International Council of the Parish System of Evangelisation Cells and meets regularly with promoters and coordinators in various countries.
RECOGNISED BY THE HOLY SEE
The Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life recognised the International Council (Organismo Internazionale) as an 'international instrument of evangelization' in 2009 and approved the Parish Cell System of Evangelisation initially for a period of five years.
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A decree issued in 2015 by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life cemented the Parish Cells System of Evangelisation as an official means for parish evangelisation recognised and approved under canon 116.2 of the Code of Canon Law.