On Sunday Feb 25th 2018, St Anthony in the Field’s, the little church and parish where Family Groups were born saw a most wonderful celebration for the retirement of Mary Ingham after 46 years of involvement in the birth, development and support Passionist Family Groups in Australia, New Zealand and in a smaller way in the USA, England and Ireland. The gathering was co -hosted by the PFGM Interim Leadership Team
My Brothers and Sisters, I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued generosity, compassion and loyalty to our simple life-giving, community-building Passionist Family Group Movement. The Christmas Hampers (baskets) are an outstanding example of this; practical Christian love to families. Hampers are now in many parishes, having their humble beginnings in 1968 with 11 Hampers in the St. Ives parish – even before St. Anthony in the Fields, Terrey Hills. A week ago I had…
Sunday, afternoon 30th October 2011 will forever live in the memory. In the cycle of nature winter had begun, however in St. Wilfrid’s Parish Northwich it felt like the beginning of a new springtime. One hundred and twenty people had gathered for the launch of family groups. Among them was Eric who was grieving the death of his wife Mary; a few weeks earlier they celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of their marriage. He came along with his survival kit, a…
My Dear Family, One and All, Who can forget our young Australian Cricketer, PHILLIP HUGHES, who was struck down and killed by a rising cricket ball while batting? Who can forget the sight of the hundreds of people quietly marching behind his coffin in sorrow and support? Why would I begin a Christmas Message of Hope as I have? Many times I heard people say that Phillip Hughes would be looking down from Above, and amazed at the number of…
What a great day it was! We were blessed with perfect weather for the reunion. 55 turned up to reminisce and renew friendships which had started decades ago through the vibrant youth groups at St Anthony’s. The reunion held a true sense of community as we gathered on a bright and sunny spring day. There was no better place than in the fields of St Anthony’s. Our thanks to Fr. Jose for granting us permission to use the grounds of…
International Passionist Family Group Day 2014 was celebrated at the birthplace of the PFGM, St. Anthony in the Fields, Terrey Hills. It was a beautiful autumn day with lovely blue skies, warm temperatures and lots of Family Group people to share our Mass. At the end of Mass, Mary Ingham and Bede Alexander, on behalf of the PFGM coordinators of the Frenchs Forest Parish, talked briefly about the Family Groups and what they mean to the Parish. Everyone in a…
The parish hall was decked out with streamers and bunting. Music played as nearly 100 parishioners – ages 2-92 arrived Saturday afternoon, 9 November. Tables were festooned with imaginative cooking, baking, and confectionary. Parents rushed their children back from rugby practice and ballet lessons. Senior parishioners altered their schedules. Our clergy freed their diaries. The centrepiece of the festivities was an iced birthday cake, with just one candle – because we in the parish of St Mary’s and Holy Family,…
On the weekend (31st May – 2nd June) I was in Melbourne for the annual Australian Directors Gathering of the Passionist Family Group Movement (PPFM) by kind invitation of the Provincial Fr. Tom McDonough CP. Whatever misgivings I may have had in accepting the invitation to travel such a great distance and spend a weekend with people I had never met, they soon dissipated with the warmth of welcome I received. It was in keeping with the Motto of the Movement, a ‘Family for All.’
I guess it was 1988 when we joined the Lunnon Family Group, having been members of the St Anthony in the Fields community since 1983. We’d migrated to Australia in 1981 and after a couple of house moves ended up in Terrey Hills, where by 1988 our three children were at primary school. St Anthony’s was a special place for us as a family and joining a Family Group, capital letters or not, seemed a natural thing to do. We…
On Saturday 17 November 2012, members of several Family Groups from the Frenchs Forest Catholic Parish journeyed to St. Brigid’s for celebrations of 125 years since the arrival of the Passionists at Marrickville. The afternoon commenced with a Mass at 2.00 pm, which encompassed a portrayal of the Passionists’ work with a large variety of people from various backgrounds and cultures. The Mass was celebrated by Fr Joachim Rego cp, the newly elected Superior General of the Passionist Order, assisted by St.…