Pt Pirie

Celebrations and New Beginnings - New England 2005

Maine celebrated 10 years of the Family Group Movement
at the Annual Co-ordinators/:Leaders weekend
at Alfred, Maine in September 2005.

(click to see 2007 photos)

The photo shows all those present including visiting members from Vermont and New Hampshire, Barbara Lunnon of the International Family Group office in Sydney, Passionists: Fr Peter McGrath, Founder of the Movement, Fr John O'Brien from the Passionist Retreat Centre, Shrewsbury, Connecticut and Fr Don Jacques of Milford, New Hampshire, formerly the Pastor of St Charles Borromeo, Brunswick, one of the first parishes in the USA to begin Family Groups.

Parishes represented:

Maine
St Charles Borromeo, Brunswick
Our Lady Queen of Peace, Boothbay Harbor
St Philip's, Auburn
St Mary's, Bath

Vermont
Sacred Heart St Francis de Sales, Bennington

New Hampshire
St Patrick's Milford

The Maine Family Group Team: Karin & Brian Congleton, Paul & Yvette Lachapelle, Madeleine Bates, Roger and Wanda Nolin and Geoff Bates.	Fr Don Jacques of Milford, New Hampshire with Fr Peter McGrath at the weekend Mass.	Fr John O'Brien cp, co-facilitator at the Alfred Retreat weekend
As well as the Celebration weekend at Alfred, all the parishes listed above, plus St Joseph's, Farmington, were visited by Fr Peter and Barbara Lunnon after the Retreat. Many different functions were held but the heart of each was that of the Gospel message - "Love one Another as I have Love You"

Bennington, Vermont celebrated it's very 1st Birthday of Family Groups
with a visit and large gathering in the Parish Centre.
As well as the Co-ordinators, Leaders and many members, Parish Priest, Fr Jim Preskenis and Fr Vince Coppola, were on hand as Fr Peter McGrath facilitated the evening -
one of friendship and sharing of stories of the 1st year of Family Groups in their parish.

Greg & Pat Dwyer (Family Group Co-ordinators)
Parish Priest, Fr Jim Preskenis and
Fr Peter McGrath, Founder of the Family Group Movement

The following was written by Assoc Pastor, Rev Vincent J Coppola csc, from the parish of Sacred Heart St Francis de Sales
of Bennington Vermont USA
Reflection on how Family Groups work in his Parish
Last week our parish celebrated the third anniversary of the Family Group Movement. Since that time, over two hundred people have joined to create seven groups who gather on a regular basis simply to enjoy each others company.

Being part of a Family Group has nothing to do with learning theology or structures of prayer, or anything else of that nature. But everything to do with matters of the heart - the building blocks of Christianity - caring, helping and loving others.

The late Archbishop Oscar Romero commented on how he would like to engrave this great idea on each one's heart: he said, "Christianity is not a collection of truths to be believed, of laws to be obeyed, or prohibitions. That makes it very distasteful. Christianity is a person, one who loved us so much, one who calls for our love, one who calls for us to love others.
Christianity is Christ. Christianity is you and me."
Such an understanding is brought to life not only in our Family Groups, but to support and study groups in our parish.

The following are extracts from The Vermont Catholic Tribune, November 7, 2003
by Cori Fugere Urban

A Family Group display draws visitors at the Sacred
Heart de Sales Time Talent Treasure Day Oct 26 in
Bennington. The Passionist Family Group Movement
is a movement within the Church that has a simple,
flexible structure with leaders and co-ordinators who
help members get to know one another, support one
another and build up the community.

Right: Melissa Buckley takes a bite of an apple fresh from the tree during a Family Group outing at Hemming's Orchard in Bennington.
Melissa, 11, said by participating in the Family Group "we receive a lot and we get to give." She noted that when she and her mother were suffering from strepthroat during the summer, a member of the Family Groupbrought them popsicles. "It made me feel part of the church that we're in," Melissa said.

Below Right: Anne Anderson and her sons Matthew,
Brandon and Ethan pick apples during a Family Group outing at Hemming's Orchard in Bennington. They belong to one of several Family Groups at Sacred Heart St Francis de Sales Church.

New Beginnings and a First at Manchester, Vermont
The First Congregationalist Church

In late September Fr Peter McGrath and Barbara Lunnon attended a small gathering of people from the First Congregational Church, Manchester Vermont. Reverend Steve Berry and his wife, Carol, hosted this evening which was significant as it represents the first Protestant Church in the USA with Family Groups.

The Church will be starting with 4 Family Groups and the Leaders of these groups were present that evening. The evening centered around the sharing of the What, Why, and How of Family Groups by Fr Peter interspersed with many stories of support, love,
joys and sorrows that have touched the lives of so many members across the globe.

The Co-ordinator, Tammy White, had been working towards this evening with our Co-ordinators from Bennington, Vermont, Pat and Greg Dwyer.

We warmly welcome the First Congregational Church of Manchester into our
Family Group Movement.

Above: Fr Peter McGrath holding the hand of Tammy White with Rev Steve Berry first left back row

Above & Left
A front porch gathering with members of the First Congregational Church, Manchester, Vermont with Barbara Lunnon and Fr Peter.

The sign outside the church, announcing that
Fr Peter McGrath CP, will be leading worship.

Fr Peter giving his talk about the "Glory Bee"
with Rev Steve Berry looking on.