Dearest Fr Peter, Where do I start???? I didn’t realise the impact that our presence at the change of leadership handover last night would have on everyone. It really is a special moment when you can feel so loved and welcomed amongst a group of people who you haven’t seen for a few years but have come to know as your ‘extended’ family. I must thank you for letting me be a part of this wonderful Family Group all those…
We had a lovely sunny day for the annual meeting of our motivational day for leaders, mainly from the PFGM Sydney area, as this was the first time it was held at Grace Cottage, our PFGM home in Frenchs Forest . The day started with an inspiring Morning Prayer service, run by the wonderful Marg and Paul Casey, from Callala Bay. Each year they surprise us with their innovative thinking. Mary Ingham welcomed all the people, starting with Ron and…
Occasionally you meet someone with a dynamic personality whose memory lives through what they can inspire, when the dream becomes the reality.
Such a person is Fr. Peter McGrath, an Australian Priest, who has had an amazing impact in St. Wilfrid’s School and Parish recently. Rarely have I experienced so much spontaneous joy and laughter, especially in the Church, shedding new light on aspects of God’s love, and raising our awareness for the need of friendship, support and love in tparish. Through his wealth of stories and anecdotes he enkindled a new desire for love and belonging.
As we all remembered the tragedy of 9/11 ten years ago, Father Peter McGrath was celebrating a Mass of Remembrance in Auburn, Maine USA with the parish of St. Phillips where their 7 Family Groups were celebrating 15 years. Fr. Roger Chabot, Pastor when Family Groups were first started but now retired, returned to take part in the Mass and the following celebration. Also, Chief Dan Daly was giving a heart rending presentation in Dublin to remember the victims of…
The Passionist Family Group Movement May Have the Answer
In April 2011 the Office of National Statistics will ask the UK population to rate their own well-being in the first official Happiness Index. David Cameron’s £2 million plan to measure the nation’s happiness makes good an election pledge which promised a significant coalition investment in the quality of life as well as in economic growth. Speaking at the Google Zeitgeist Europe conference last year the Prime Minister said, “It’s time we admitted that there’s more to life than money and it’s time we focused not just on GDP but on GWP – general well being.”
We started the day with a prayer service organized by Marg and Paul Casey (Wollongong diocese). With their amazing creativity, they led us into Morocco for our opening prayer and into our hearts. Many of our leaders from all around NSW, came forward and lit the light of Christ for all their people, especially their sick and those who had gone home to the Father. You were remembered. Something special happened that took us deeper into our hearts. The photo…
To My Good Friends Down Under, It is with alarm and sadness that I followed, first the great floods and then a cyclone of historical proportion in Queensland. It seemed that this natural onslaught would never end. I watched with disbelief the graphic videos of the houses being swept away by the floods and, not long after, houses being blown away by the cyclone. I heard names like Toowoomba, Tully, Mission Beach and Brisbane. These were all places where I…
Fr. Peter continues his ‘Mission’ in Queensland since 14 January. He has been in the area of Brisbane and at the parish of Albany Creek. Next was Bundaberg and Hervey Bay. Now, at the request of the Bishop of Rockhampton, he continues to Emerald for weekend Masses. He is able to offer a down-to-earth spirituality which he is so very good at. Straight after Emerald, he will be in Townsville to assist where possible with many of our Family Group…
Salvation Sunday – Brisbane — 16 January 2011 Greetings and every blessing for this New Year. I am in Brisbane because I simply could not sit on my hands in Sydney when so many of our brothers and sisters, many in our Passionist Family Groups, have suffered trauma throughout Queensland. I wanted to personally offer any help in whatever way possible. It’s wonderful to be with Gwen & Russ Winterscheidt, Directors of our Passionist Family Group Movement in Qld. Gwen…
Throughout the world on this Sunday Family Groups gather in their parishes to put into practice their motto, “A Family for All” with the Eucharist followed by a feast for everyone. Family Groups began right here in the Broken Bay Diocese in 1972 in the tiny church, St. Anthony in the Fields, in rural Terrey Hills. Now part of the Frenchs Forest Parish. The intimate little community there, where people cared for each other, began to grow quickly. It was…