| Latest News & Photos |
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| Fr Brian Traynor CP Celebrates 21 Years of PFG Ministry in Aotearoa |
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| On the 23rd and 24th of May the Passionist Family Group Australasian Directors meeting was held in Sydney. Clive and Frances Bleaken along with Paul and Linda Darbyshire attended as the New Zealand Representatives. They took this opportunity to acknowledge Fr Brian Traynor’s 21 years of PFG Ministry in Aotearoa. As a symbol of our Kiwi PFG Journey, and Brian’s many journeys to Aotearoa, they presented Brian with a waka. The Maori waka signifies a journey taken by the PFGM throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand. During this voyage we have been blessed with Brian’s help to read the signs, be open to change and weather storms....read more» |
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| Pearl Hadfield goes to her first rugby match at age 92 |
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| This photo of Pearl Hadfield aged 92 at the Hurricanes versus the Stormers match at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington. Pearl (from Johnsonville Uniting Parish) said she had never been to a rugby match so our family group decided we should put that matter to right. We took her to the Hurricanes v Stormers - a 5.30pm kick-off. We met at the church for face painting etc and then to the Stadium. The Hurricanes won quite strongly over the Stormers so Pearl was regarded as a lucky charm. There were 18 of us who finished up at our place for a meal after the game (and it was a great game!)....read more» |
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| Passionist Family Group Movement alive and well in a Protestant environment
Johnsonville Uniting Church is enjoying its 11th year in the Passionist Family Group Movement. With 74% of the congregation involved the pastoral care of the parish operates at a high level. Sts Peter and Paul – a short walk down the street, guided us into the PFG and now we enjoy a very special relationship with them. The two Parishes meet for studies such as Lenten Studies together and PFG groups join in activities from time to time....read more» |
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| Wellington Formation 2009 |
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| This year being the year of St Paul, Fr Brian thought it fitting for our formation, we as parishes be given one of the communities that Paul visited. He suggested some readings and gave us hand-outs on the communities. When we arrived each parish was asked to gather into the community they were given and display any symbols that helped reflect their community, some parishes had put a lot of thought into this and had brought along Turkish rugs, apple tea to give to visitors from other communities, and a couple even dressed in robes to help give a real feel....read more» |
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| Palmerston North Diocese Formation 2009 |
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| Following on from successful part day programmes held last year two part days were held over the weekend of 21/22 March. The first in Palmerston North on the Saturday afternoon/evening and the second an afternoon programme in Hastings on the Sunday starting just before mid day and continuing until around 5.
The programme this year was based on the topic of St Paul, the Pauline communities, and each Parish’s Family Group story. Fr Kevin Hennessy facilitated the days, encouraging and enlightening us about St Paul and the early church....read more» |
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April issue of JPIC (Justice Peace & Integrity of Creation) Newsletter now available for download. Click on the link below to open Adobe Acrobat PDF files or right-click and choose "Save links as...." to save to local disk.
 April 2009 JPIC Newsletter
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My Journey As A Passionist Family Group Member
By Penny Hudson, Our Lady Star of the Sea, Howick - In 1992 (or was it late 1991) we received some information about Passionist Family Groups at church, I guess to gauge the amount of interest in our Parish of Our Lady Star of the Sea. At that time I was fairly new to the Parish and, in fact had only been attending Mass regularly again since we settled here late in 1990, after being a spasmodic attendee for about 20 years....read more» |
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Young Adults Retreat & Youth Retreat Information
Download flyers and brochures for the Young Adults and Youth Retreats that will be run in October this year. Click on the relevant link to open Adobe Acrobat PDF files or right-click and choose "Save links as...." to save to local disk.
Young Adults Retreat Flyer, 3-4 October 2009
Young Adults Retreat Brochure
Youth Retreat Flyer, 5-8 October 2009
Youth Retreat Brochure |
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Schedule of Events for 2009
DATE |
REGION |
EVENT |
21st March |
Palmerston North |
Formation Day Our Lady of Lourdes
Palmerston North (Kevin Hennessy CP) |
22 March |
Palmerston North |
Formation Day, Hastings (Kevin Hennessy CP) |
28-29 March |
Companions Retreat |
Auckland (Kevin Hennessy CP) |
28-29 March |
Christchurch |
Formation Weekend (Brian Traynor CP) |
4-5- April |
Dunedin |
Formation Weekend (Kevin Hennessy CP) |
2-3 May |
Wellington |
Formation, Friday Afternoon Kapiti Coast
Saturday Wellington (Brian Traynor CP) |
9th May |
Auckland |
Formation Day (Brian Traynor CP) |
23-24 May |
International Directors |
Sydney |
2-4 Oct |
Young Adults Retreat
Age 19-35 |
Palmerston North
Kevin Hennessy CP |
5-8 Oct |
Youth Retreat Age 15+ |
Palmerston North
Kevin Hennessy CP |
| 17-18 Oct |
Hamilton |
Formation Weekend , Waihi Beach
(Kevin Hennessy CP) |
Parishes Celebrating Anniversaries in 2009
Anniversary |
REGION |
PARISH |
20 years - 27/2/89 |
Manurewa |
St Anne (withdrew 2004) |
20 years – 1/10/89 |
Hamilton |
Cathedral B.V.M. |
15 years – 13/3/94 |
Palmerston North |
Our Lady of Lourdes |
15 years - 20/03/94 |
Mosgiel |
Immaculate Conception |
15 years – 26/6/94 |
Thames, Hauraki Plains |
St Francis of Assisi |
15 years – 03/07/94 |
Napier |
St Thomas More |
15 years - 10/07/94 |
Nelson |
St Mary |
15 years – 07/08/94 |
Dannevirke |
St Joseph |
15 years – 07/08/94 |
Invercargill |
St Patrick |
15 years – 07/8/94 |
Invercargill |
St Mary |
15 years - 14/8/94 |
Invercargill |
Sacred Heart |
15 years – 14/8/94 |
Invercargill |
St Theresa of Lisieux |
15 years – 14/8/94 |
Palmerston North |
St Patrick’s Cathedral |
15 years – 11/9/94 |
Mt Maunganui |
St Thomas More |
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| New Zealand visit of Passionist Provincial, Father Joachim Rego |
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| Fr Joachim visited New Zealand in November 2008 and met up with Parish and Regional Co-ordinators in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington during his stay. He was keen to meet the people, and hear how things were going for family groups in the area. People he met were keen to share and listen, and with prompting from Fr Brian Traynor, Fr Joachim shared his personal story - his arrival in Australia as an immigrant and his journey to becoming Provincial. His visit to New Zealand was Joachim's first, and it allowed him the opportunity as Provincial, to encourage the ministry of professed and lay Passionists, through the PFGM and Passionist Companions. ....read more» |
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| 'Voyage of Discovery' begins a voyage |
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| The Directors have chosen this pastel to be the emblem representing the 20 year anniversary of Passionist Family Groups in New Zealand, and for it over the next few years to make a journey or voyage all around New Zealand. It will travel to each parish with Passionist Family Groups as they celebrate their 20th anniversary of starting family groups. As the artwork goes to each of the six dioceses in New Zealand it will be blessed by the Bishop for the diocese....read more» |
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| New Zealand Directors Meeting, Waihi Beach 15-16 November 2008 |
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| The New Zealand Directors held their 2008 meeting at Waihi Beach on the weekend of 15-16 November 2008. The Directors gathered on Thursday evening November 13th and continued in recreational mode throughout Friday November 14th.
Present were Rob & Lynn Hill (National Directors), Murray & Aileen Straight (Sth Island Directors), Clive & Frances Bleaken(Upper Nth Island Directors) , Paul & Linda Darbyshire (Lower Nth Island Directors), Brian Traynor CP (Passionist Director)...read more»
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Today and Tommorrow by David Bernie
In the August edition of the Marist Messenger Fr. Cahill wrote, “Like all families situations change and so it is with our Church family” He also made the comment, “A Parish should be our second family” I am taking these comments out of context purely because they raised the question in my mind, what is the relationship between the family at home and the Parish community?....read more» |
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| Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Waikanae PFG undertake trip south, including TranzAlpine Tour |
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| Christchurch “Interparish Bed & Breakfast” hosts enabled Trish & Terry Twomey, parishioners of Our Lady of Fatima parish in Waikanae, to organise a five day tour for a PFG. Blessed with great weather they departed Wellington/Christchurch early morning, uplifting their hired mini van at Christchurch airport. The tour included a drive in perfect weather through snow capped hills over the Dyers/Gebbies Pass for a fun day in Akaroa. Some of the group elected to take a cruise down to Scenery Nook, others taking advantage of local attractions.
Check out their story and photo...read more» |
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| Passionist Youth Experience to Melbourne & World Youth Day |
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| Five young people from the Wellington, Palmerston North, and Hamilton Diocese went to Melbourne with the Passionist Youth Experience. They were: Matt Sissons, Tim Darbyshire, Tori Prendergast, Nicholas Alsford and Daniel Kleinsman.
They were accompanied by chaperone Tereska Alsford.
Check out their stories and photos...read more» |
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| A Family For All - The Story of Alice Robinson & A Challenge for other Family Groups |
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| Alice Robinson who is 93 years old holds Porshia Fernando who is 4 weeks old and of Sri Lankan decent on the day of her Baptism at Our Lady of Lourdes Church Palmerston North in August 2008. Alice also hosted a baby shower in her own home for Porshias Mother a month earlier. We think the Dorn Family may well have the oldest and youngest active members and we are very proud of that.
Can your family group better this!!!...read more» |
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| Paeroa 20th Anniversary Celebrations |
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| Another milestone of the Passionist Family Group Movement was celebrated in Paeroa today. We feel so lucky to have been involved in the celebrations!
We were at the Church by 8.15am for a 10.00amstart---we need a lot of prayers! After a while the people started to arrive….Clive and Frances (Regional Directors), Paul and Ellen Gavin (Regional Co-ordinators) and Rob and Lynn all arrived which we were rapt about. Other original members who now live out of town arrived (Adrienne and Willie Lynch, Mary Logie, people from Whangamata and Waihi. There were people everywhere and some of the locals couldn’t get into their usual seats..can you imagine that!...read more» |
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| Stories - Roseanne's Door |
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| Chris & Mary Pickett from Katikati submitted this wonderful story that tells of how a unique friendship developed and how this lead to them returning to the Church and becoming involved in the Passionist Family Group Movement. That experience, and the making of many more friendships through the Family Groups, have encouraged Chris & Mary to become Family Group co-ordinators. If you have a story you would like to share with others we encourage you to email to passionistnz@xtra.co.nz. Check out "Roseanne's Door" and other stories....read more» |
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| Auckland Formation Day 2008 |
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| Following our recent tradition in Auckland of trying something different for Formation Day, we chose Eden Gardens for our venue. These gardens have been established on the site of a disused quarry and feature a splendid collection of plants, shrubs and mature trees. A café on the site was an added bonus. We hired the café meeting room for our sessions plus its adjoining room for our light lunch....read more» |
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| Skills & Spirituality Wanganui 2008 |
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| On Saturday 17th May approx 50 people from New Plymouth to Palmerston North gathered for formation lead by Fr Brian Traynor CP. The theme was Weaving Families. Examples were given on people having fun, and from this how does each of us create more fun in our Family Group activities? Thereby giving ourselves and others the best possible experience. Fun is a way of each taking off their mask and revealing their true selves. This allows others to recognise and appreciate the gifts we have to offer....read more» |
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| St Joseph Parish in Fairfield, Hamilton joins Passionist Family Group Movement |
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| On Sunday 11 May Fr Kevin Hennessy CP from Melbourne concelebrated Mass with parish priest Fr Joseph Akkara at Fairfield for the introduction of Passionist Family Groups to the parish. The great response meant that two weeks later on 25 May five new family groups got together after Mass for their first meeting and planning sessions. Fr Joseph along with his assistant priests Fr Graeme Alexander and Fr Seejo Thandiackal are delighted at this opportunity to build real family community into the already dynamic parish....read more» |
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| Hamilton Diocese Skills & Spirituality Weekend – Waihi Beach 17/18 May 2008 |
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| Fr Kevin Hennessy led 54 people in the Skills & Spirituality formation weekend at Waihi Beach Community Hall. People were accommodated in various Waihi Beach houses generously made available. It was great to share with about 20 of these people who had their first experience of a Passionist Family Group weekend....read more» |
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| Wellington Formation Weekend - 10-11 May 2008 |
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| Fr Brian Traynor CP was in Wellinton on the weekend of 10-11 May for the annual formation time. The theme was “Weaving Families’ and the role of the leader in weaving relationships. The weekend was a great success with 95 participants from the four parishes in the Kapiti Coast attending a day session on Friday and approximately 65 from the Wellington region attending an afternoon/evening on the Saturday....read more» |
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| Christchurch Regional Weekend - April 2008 |
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| There was an excellent presentation on our role as Christians and our responsibilities, and what we can do, to protect the environment for our future generations. The programme was received enthusiastically by the PFGM members who attended and they left spiritually nourished and enriched with further skills to take back to their Family Group as well as their Parish and the wider community.....read more» |
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| Otago/Southland Regional Weekend - 14-16 March 2008 |
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| The South Island Formation weekends were held in Christchurch and Dunedin in Mar/April this year. The theme of the weekend was’ the weaver’. The programme followed how our relationships and our lives weave together and often follow the example of the early Christians.....read more» |
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| Handouts from 2008 Formation Weekends Now Online ....read more» |
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| St Pius X Parish, Katikati - 10th Anniversary |
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| St PiusX Parish, Katikati recently celebrated their 10th PFGM anniversary. At this celebration new Parish Co-ordinators were commissioned. Mary and Chris Picket are replacing Elizabeth Spriggings, who with her late husband, Brian, had carried this role for the past 5 years. Brian died 12 months ago, and Elizabeth has been supported in the role by other parish members.
Check out more pics and stories....read more» |
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Downloadable Resources Now Online
New downloadable information sheets/booklets and forms have been added to the Resources section. These include The Whys & Hows of the PFGM, Group/Parish Coordinators information documents, general information brochure, a Spirituality of the PFGs document, and some suggested outings for Family Group activities....read more» |
Help build community in your Parish - "Join a Family Group"
