For clergy, parish office, and those acting on behalf of the parish
Purpose
Our parish communicates daily with diverse people. How we speak and write, internally and externally, shapes the culture of the parish and the way others engage with us.
This policy supports calm, clear, and charitable communication that reflects our church’s ethos: “being formed in the likeness of Christ, we strive to become a truly Christ-like community through humble witness, love, compassion and communion”. By holding ourselves to a professional standard, we set the tone for respectful dialogue.
Core values
Our communications should be:
- Respectful– and kind
- Professional– focused on issues, not individuals
- Clear and proportionate– saying what is needed, no more
- Consistent– across emails, letters, notices, and verbal exchanges.
Language
When communicating on behalf of the parish or between team members:
Please strive to use:
- Neutral, factual language
- Behaviour-focused wording (“her/his approach is not appropriate” rather than “she’s/he’s a XYZ”)
- Calm, measured tone, especially in disagreement.
Please avoid:
- Personal insults or derogatory remarks.
- Language that could be considered racist, xenophobic, ableist, ageist, sexist.
- Dismissive, mocking, or hostile phrasing.
- Language that labels people rather than addressing behaviour.
(This is in accordance with the Archdiocese Staff Handbook Section 22 Bullying and Harassment; Section 28.1.8 Use of Computers; Section 28.2 Email conduct; Section 29.2 General Conduct at Work.)