Morena – Good morning
This is our last letter for the year of 2025. Thank you for supporting our Passionist Family Group Movement. Thank you for coordinating your PFG’s in your parish and keeping the flame of ‘family’ alive in people’s minds and hearts. To all our members thank you for keeping the spirit of being a ‘Family for All’ alive.
This motto of a “Family for All” underlines the importance of connecting and supporting with one another and reminding ourselves that we share our joys and sorrows as we continue our journey. The importance of relationships sometimes gets missed through our busy lives but faith and good works go hand in hand (St James) one is not better than the other. A kind word, a thoughtful phone call, arriving and supporting group get togethers, a visit to anyone we have not seen for a while are ways of connecting back with our people as the song says, “ in the end only kindness matters.”
This Christmas we gather again with family to remember a significant event that has ramifications in how we are to live and how to treat one another. We are here to add to our expectation – our carols and personal reflections should cause us all to remember those special Christmas celebrations we have shared with family and friends in the past and bring these into our present reality.
This reality for any family is that we are not the same from year to year. We remember our expectations, our HOPES! We remember those in our community who have lost loved ones. So, while there will be joy there will also be sadness. Our HOPE is essential – in that our fundamental belief is that love conquers all. Our Hope, is in and through our human experience and expressed through those we love.
We gather in a spirit of faith to celebrate the Christ child and that the promise that he will be with us. Yes, he is Emmanuel – God with us! God is amazing in that through our humanity; he came to live, love, suffer and die to show us how much we are loved. Christmas is important and we have much cause for celebration. May the joy of love urge us to go out and be a beacon of light of hope and service for others.
I am taking a break from producing a newsletter until the week beginning on January 13th when I return to work.
Merry Christmas – Meri Kirihimete
God go with you,
Warm regards and blessings of the Season
Paul
Scripture reflection: Christmas 2025
Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.’ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. Luke 2: 4–11, 15–16
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) Mass at Dawn
First Reading: Isaiah 62:11-12
See, the LORD proclaims
to the ends of the earth:
say to daughter Zion,
your saviour comes!
Here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
They shall be called the holy people,
the redeemed of the LORD,
and you shall be called “Frequented,”
a city that is not forsaken. The Word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 97:1, 6, 11-12.
R. A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
R. A light will shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us.
Second Reading: Titus 3:4-7
Beloved: When the kindness and generous love
of God our saviour appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done
but because of his mercy,
He saved us through the bath of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us
through Jesus Christ our saviour,
so that we might be justified by his grace
and become heirs in hope of eternal life. The Word of the Lord
Alleluia: Luke 2:14
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to those
on whom his favour rests.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: From Luke 2:15-20
When the angels went away from them to heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
“Let us go, then, to Bethlehem
to see this thing that has taken place,
which the Lord has made known to us.”
So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.
The Gospel of the Lord
Formation: These days have been concluded for 2025. Thank you to all those parishes who participated and shared food, conversation, faith and friendship.
NB: There WILL BE Formations offered in 2026. If you have a preference for when this could be in your parish or region please advise as soon as possible.
Safeguarding: “Working Together for a Safe Church”
Any complaints should be directed through the National Office of Professional Standards (NOPS) or report directly to the New Zealand Police or Oranga Tamariki.
Phone: 03 365 1993 or 0800 114 622
Email: prof.standards@nzcbc.org.nz
www.safeguarding.catholic.org.nz
Five Ways to Well Being
Reminder: 5 Aims and Goals of Passionist Family Groups. 
- share & celebrate life & faith
- support one another (especially in need)
- reaching out to & include others
- build community/extended family
- show and give Christian example to children
Article Noosa District Parish – Queensland
This article is shared thanks to the Australian National PFG Newsletter – Summer Edition December 2025 – Some of the thoughts and messages expressed in this very good article will resonate with many of our own PFG’s here in Aotearoa. What can we add or what can we learn from them?
How warm welcomes are growing our Parish Family in a diverse parish with churches and
their communities located from the hinterland to the beaches across the Noosa district
Recently, as part of our Parish’s Discipleship Pathway Vision, we’ve been leaning into what it truly means to be a Welcoming Community. A key part of that focus has been growing and supporting faithful young families. But like many others, we found ourselves asking: Why aren’t more new families joining our Family Groups?
We’d done all the right things — or so we thought. We advertised in the bulletin (even added lovely photos!), made announcements at Mass, and even had our Parish Priest personally encourage participation. But somehow, it still wasn’t quite working.
So, we stepped back and asked ourselves a new question: What does it look like through the eyes of someone new? Someone walking in for the first time — maybe juggling toddlers — possibly unsure if this is a place where they’d belong. And we realised that while our efforts were visible, they weren’t personal enough.
That’s when we partnered with one of our greatest assets: Beryl, our warm-hearted Greeter. If you’ve ever walked through our church doors on a Sunday morning, chances are you’ve been welcomed by Beryl. She doesn’t just say hello — she remembers names, notices new faces, and brings joy to that simple moment of arrival.
We asked Beryl if she could think of any young families who might be open to joining a Family Group. Without hesitation, she gave us four or five names — people she’d chatted with or smiled at regularly but hadn’t had time for long conversations with. So, we made a plan. Each Sunday, we positioned ourselves near Beryl so she could introduce us when the time was right. If there was time, she’d ask someone if they were open to having a chat about Family Groups — or simply introduce them to us after Mass or at morning tea. We’d then follow up, sharing not just the details, but the blessings these groups had brought to our own lives. And with that simple, personal invitation: Come and see — things began to change.
In just 3 or 4 weeks, we personally invited 9 families — and 7 of them said yes on the spot! As the word spread and more connections formed, our group grew to 9 young families, with only one family not continuing past the first step. Not a bad start!
At our most recent Family Group event, we asked some of the newer members two simple questions. Their answers were thoughtful and, honestly, very telling.
1. Had you considered joining before, and what held you back?
“We saw the notices at church but just never followed through.”
“We weren’t sure if there’d be other families like ours, or how big the commitment was.”
2. What made you say yes, this time?
“Talking to someone helped. It eased our concerns.”
“Getting a personal invite — just being asked to ‘come along’ — made it easy.”
“Seeing other families with kids joining in made it feel fun and familiar.”
It all started with a warm welcome. With learning names. With noticing.
And then — the most powerful thing of all — a personal invitation. A notice in the newsletter is helpful. A pulpit announcement might pique curiosity. But neither is an invitation unless it’s personal.
We’ve learned that the path to building a truly welcoming, vibrant parish family isn’t paved with flyers and features — it’s paved with relationships. So, next time you see a young family at the back of the church or grabbing a cuppa at morning tea — say hello. Learn their names. And maybe, just maybe, invite them to something that could bless their lives, just as it has blessed yours.
– Shana Tucker, Ministry Lead – Noosa District Parish
Please remember in your thoughts and prayer:
- We pray for Pope Leo X1V and confirm his prayer intention for the month of December, which is for “Christians living in areas of conflict.” He invites all Christians to pray “that we may never grow indifferent to the suffering of other Christians, but rather that we may be builders of unity.”
- We pray for Pope Leo XIV and his continued catechesis on the theme of hope – “to hope in life, means to have a foretaste of the goal, to believe as certain what we do not yet see and touch, to trust and entrust ourselves to the love of a father who created us because He willed us in love and wants us to be happy.”
- We pray for all leaders, political and other that they lead with wisdom, honesty and integrity.
- We remember that God calls on us, as people of faith, to offer our voices to help those who have none.
- Keep in mind all those who continue to struggle with mental health challenges, and their families who support them in their daily lives.
- Please keep in your minds and hearts the Jewish community in Bondi after the terrorist attack. Our mind need to be focussed on healing and peace.
- Please remember Preston and Jenny Epplett, their daughter Amy and grandson Thomas who had an accident on a farm resulting in head injuries
- Please remember Elizabeth Walsh and husband Tim
- Please keep Bev Postmaa in your prayer and thoughts
- Please remember Ollie Schmanski and his parents Brad and Charlotte
- Please keep Jill Graves and family in your prayer. Also pray for her daughter in law who is in hospital and whose mum died recently.
- Please keep in your prayer Billy Uasiki – also Jocelyn and Family
- Please remember Dee and Peter Costello’s grandson and parents Katelyn and Reuben. The recent news is positive but the prayers will assist.
- Please remember Barry Straight his wife Viv and all the family and extended family.
- Please remember Clare,Daryl Pritchard and family
- Please remember Jocelyn Bryant, Kev and family in your prayer.
- Pease keep Di Buckley in your prayer
- Please remember, Pat Carson; Graeme Matthews; Adrian van de Pas and her son Robert ; Graeme and Margaret Armstrong, Tim Bartells & family, Linda Darbyshire and family in your prayer, Christine Geoghegan’s daughter Kate and extended families, Pauline Prendergast, Robyn Burns (Hill,) Sean and Ann Mulcahy, Dot and Neill Wilson (Invercargill) Paul Davenport, Clair and Ray Hague; Terry Nelson’s family;. Brian and Eleanor McFlynn ; Bryan Davidson; Richard and Sue Gibbs; Martin and Sally van der Wetering; Phil and Anne Drew .
- Keep in mind all those who are struggling with various aspects of mental health;
- Keep people in Gaza and Israel in your prayer along with the people of the people of Ukraine: Keep in prayer the people of Sudan and Syria.
- Pray for peace and sensible and just decisions by leaders across the planet.
- Your own intentions
Humour:
- Did you hear about the 12-inch dog? It was a foot long.
- Why did the baseball player get arrested? He stole third base.
- What did one piece of tape say to the other? Let’s stick together.
- What did the mama cow say to the baby cow? It’s pasture bed time.
- Why should you never use a dull pencil? Because it’s pointless.
- Why did the cookie go to the doctor? It was feeling crumby.
- Where did the cat go after losing its tail? The retail store.
- What kind of sandals do frogs wear? Open-toad.
- What’s brown and sticky? A stick.
- How does the rancher keep track of his cattle? With a cow-culator.
- What do you call a shoe made out of a banana? A slipper.
- How you fix a broken pumpkin? With a pumpkin patch.
- Where do boats go when they’re sick? To the dock.
- Can February March? No, but April May!
“We Are a “Family for All”