Regional Coordinators Weekend - Palmerston North 2011

As each of us continues to support and acknowledge the value of sharing time together, the Regional Co-ordinators from the Wellington and Palmerston North Diocese met again this year at Linda & Paul Darbyshires home.  We were supported by Fr Kevin Hennessy who facilitated and Lynn Hill the National Director for the Passionist Family Group Movement
Friday evening we enjoyed a meal and a catch up time.

Saturday morning:

Prayer: Theme ‘Salt & Light’   ‘You are salt for the world’.  We are the workers, God is the Master Builder

We shared - What brings you here?  What is good?  How can we connect with each other in prayer?

Some of our LEARNINGS included:

• Encourage involvement from Itinerant Pastors
• Develop relationships with the Parish/Group Co ordinators.  ‘Relationships is all there is’
• Important to ‘ritualise’ closure of PFGs..both individual groups and Parishes
• Groups with ‘mixed’ ages and groups with ‘one age..younger or older people’ can both work.

Some of our CHALLENGES included:

• Declining numbers (Clergy, Laity, PFGs)
• Catholic schools…little or no connection with them
• Payment of PFG Stipend has become a challenge
• Attendance at Formation Days/Weekends
• Cultural Diversity (Formation in cultural awareness in PFGs could help)
• We have the word ‘family’ in our name and events such as the Christchurch earthquake again highlight to us how important family is.

Our time together concluded with ‘Christ has no body now but yours’.