On Sunday 21 February, St. Peter’s Beckenham celebrated 20 years of Passionist Family Groups in that arm of the parish now known as Sancta Maria.
Passionist priest, Fr. Brian Traynor CP, from Melbourne officiated at the Sunday morning mass and South Island Directors of the PFGM, Murray & Aileen Straight, presented the parish with a painting entitled “Voyage of Discovery” in honour of the occasion. Following mass, 130 parishioners sat down to lunch where Fr. Traynor was the guest speaker and the original leaders of St. Peter’s seven family groups were guests of honour.
During the lunch a slide show remembered significant people during the past 20 years, none more so than former parish priest, Fr. Tom Power, whose foresight established the Passionist Family Group Movement at St. Peter’s in 1996.
A celebration cake was cut by two of St. Peter’s most senior family groupers, Marie Gardener and Elsma Moffitt.