«Back to Stories

Reflections from Hawkes Bay Formation Weekend 2004

by Shane & Norma McCormack

Shane and Norma McCormack, our Regional Co-ordinatprs for Hawkes Bay, were reflecting on the formation weekend his year, and the offspins from it.

• Following the weekend we gained 3 new leaders, the music is being played at leader meetings and the theme has been revisited during the year.
  
• At the parish co-ordinator get-to-gether it was apparent that all P.C.'s were adopting a spiritual element into their leader meetings mostly as a result of that weekend.
  
• We have become aware that there are still people out there waiting to be truly touched with the P.F.G. spirit. The leader meetings are such a pivotal part of this....
  
• Due to Brenda & Mike's organisational skills, hospitality and spirituality our parish had the best anniversary mass in years. There was one couple who knocked the enthusiasm a little but they were proved wrong. Brenda had the children paint (what was to be a cloth hanging from the altar but they started painting the wrong way!) a banner - it was fantastic and even the adults couldn't resist having a go. It hung in the Church for about 3 weeks after the Mass because of the interest.
  
• She insisted all groups be part of the event and (hounded!) encouraged them for a prayer of the faithful...she was surprised by the lack of confidence of some of the leaders who really were concerned about the commissioning, what members were to bring etc.
  
• She had children bringing up words symbolising the groups and placing them at the foot of the altar with a flower by each one.
  
• Mike asked Daniel to speak and being one of the few older teenagers people sat up and took notice (he mentioned he'd been in a group since he was 4, seen people come and go, mentioned a few personal facts - like one of our couples had their first date at a Novena - mentioned the youth retreats and the great people he met on them who he still keeps in touch with, but mainly came out and said that he was off to Uni next year and would look up a family group in Wellington because he knows they would make him welcome (hope he does!) he finished by saying "if you are not in a group you are missing out on something". Made his Mum and Dad proud.
  
• I know his testimonial drew parents from the first communion programme out after Mass to stay for the sausage sizzle/childrens games (funded by St VdP) and one family is joining our group because the father, who is Irish but hasn't been a regular mass goer, said how much he missed the parish involvement and would like his children to experience something of what Daniel spoke about.
  
• We sat down at our own FG function later in the month and wrote down all the names of people who had expressed interest and taken a pamphlet. Brenda then rang them all - the outcome was 6 families! That's a record.

So, as to formation content...as they say in the airforce....bring it on!