Forward Together in Hope Individual Questionnaire
About the Questionnaire
Forward Together in Hope is our journey of renewal in the Catholic Diocese of Hexham and
Newcastle. It is about all of us, young or old, lay or ordained, in parishes, schools or housebound,
working together to explore and discern God’s will for our Diocese. It will not be an easy journey; in the
words of Bishop Séamus, ‘This could be painful, but there can be no growth without pain’.
Between Pentecost and Advent this year, each worshipping community will look in detail at how best it
can flourish into the future. Each community has been given information held centrally in the Diocese,
and the invitation to every community is to be both painstaking and honest in its approach to
undertaking a self-evaluation and completing a very detailed Parish Questionnaire.
The entire process will be firmly rooted in prayer and a real openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The success of Forward Together in Hope depends on all of us playing our part and thinking beyond the
limits of our experience and imagination. For full details, please see www.hope.rcdhn.org.uk
As part of Forward Together in Hope, this short questionnaire provides the opportunity for anyone to
offer comments about the present and the future of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Hexham and
Newcastle. We are particularly keen to get responses from Catholics who do not attend church
regularly. We are inviting as many people as possible, people of all faiths and none, to offer comments
about the Catholic Church in the Diocese. We want to look at our Church through your eyes, to see
ourselves as others see us. We want to learn from you, and we appreciate any help you are able to give
us.
The questionnaire asks about your own background, experiences and views about the Catholic Church.
Please be as open and honest as you can. There are no right or wrong answers – we are interested in
your views as an individual. Please try to answer all questions. The questionnaire is completed
anonymously in order that individuals may complete it in confidence. If you require further details about
how the information gathered will be used, please contact Tony Sacco (tony.sacco@diocesehn.org.uk).
Thank you.
Your consent
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I understand that summary information from this survey will be used to inform parishes in the
Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, and the Diocese as a whole, about how the Church is
viewed by those who have responded.
I understand that the information gathered by this survey will be stored securely and retained by
the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle for ongoing use in the Forward Together in Hope project, and
that it will be used and may be cited within published reports emerging from this project.
I understand that my identity will be kept strictly confidential throughout the survey and during
dissemination of the findings.
I understand that I can ask for further information about the survey (Contact details are provided
above).
I understand that my participation in completing this questionnaire is voluntary.
1) I have read the above statements and agree to participate in this survey Yes 
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About you
2) What is your gender?
 Male
 Female
3) What is your age?
 0-10
 11-18
 19-25
 26-49
 50-70
 71+
4) What is your post code?
5) Which of the following statements apply to you? (Please select all answers that apply)
 I have a Catholic background
 I have a background in another Christian denomination
 I was baptised Catholic
 I was baptised in another Christian denomination
 I attended / attend a Catholic primary school
 I attended / attend a Catholic secondary school
 My children go to a Catholic school
 My children used to go to a Catholic school
 I consider myself to be a practising Catholic
 I consider myself to be a practising Christian within a different denomination or church
 I belong to a faith other than Christianity
 I consider myself to be a religious / spiritual person but do not belong to any particular
organised religion
 I do not consider myself to be a religious / spiritual person
 I prefer not to say
6) Do you consider yourself to be part of a Catholic worshipping community?
 Yes
 No (If your answer is No - please go to question 15)
6a) If Yes, please indicate which one below:
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Your views and ideas
7) What would you say are the 3 main challenges facing your parish community at the present
time?
8) What is your personal view about how your parish community should respond to these
challenges?
9) Generally speaking, how often would you say you attend Mass? (Please select whichever
one of the following applies to you)
 More than once a week
 Once a week
 Between weekly and monthly
 Only very occasionally
 Only for major festivals or events (e.g. Christmas, weddings, funerals etc.)
 Never
 I'd rather not say
10) What are the main factors that influence where you attend Mass? (Please select all that
apply)
 The times of masses
 The convenience of the location of the church
 How accessible the church is using public transport
 The availability of car parking
 What the priest is like
 What the church building is like
 Where my family or friends worship
 The age profile of parish members
 How welcome I feel
 How welcoming the parish is of children
 The style of music
 Not applicable
 Other (please specify):
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11) Which church do you attend most often? (If this is different from your answer in Question 6)
12) Thinking of the church you attend most often, to what extent would you say you are
regularly involved in the life of this church? Please use the scale 1-10 (with 1 being least
involved and 10 being most involved)
Least
1
involved
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Most
Involved
13) If you were answering this same question 5 years ago, how would you have answered?
Least
1
involved
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Most
Involved
14) In what ways are you involved in the life of this church?
15) How do you hope the Catholic Church in the North East will look in 15 years’ time?
16) What do you think are the main challenges facing the Catholic Church in the North East as it
looks to the future?
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17) What would you say are the main reasons you are not more involved in the life of your
local Catholic Church at the present time? (Please select all answers that apply to you)
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I am not a Catholic
I have difficulty getting public transport to church
I have personal mobility/health issues
Work commitments mean I do not have the time
Family commitments mean I do not have the time
The times of masses are problematic for me
The church has few parishioners the same age as me
I don’t know anyone who attends the church
I have not felt welcomed on previous occasions
I have difficulty with the priest’s leadership
I have difficulty with some other parish members
I feel no connection with the present-day Catholic Church
I feel very involved already
Other
17a) If you selected Other, please specify:
17b) Can you think of any ways your local Catholic Church could change that might make you
want to become more involved?
18) Do you have any other concerns, comments or questions that haven’t been raised earlier in
the questionnaire?
Many thanks for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Your views are very much appreciated.
It would be very helpful if you (or someone on your behalf) could enter your information into the online
version of this questionnaire at www.hope.rcdhn.org.uk . If this is not possible, please post your
completed questionnaire to Tony Sacco, Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, St. Cuthbert’s House, West
Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE15 7PY.
For more information about this questionnaire please contact: tony.sacco@diocesehn.org.uk
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