On 31 October, four Passionist Family Groups celebrated 30 years of friendship at St Therese’s Kennington. In 1994, inspired by the innovative leadership of Monsignor Frank Marriott, parish priest at the time, families banded together to extend their involvement in parish life beyond Mass and create a true sense of belonging by simply deciding to become friends.
“A Family for All” is the motto of the Passionist Family Group Movement. It was founded in Sydney in 1973 by Peter McGrath cp who, when working in a new parish in a new suburb comprised of people living away from their families or former communities, recognised a need to connect parishioners more deeply. He came up with the idea of creating family support groups to foster a community spirit reflective of parishes and communities of the past, where people knew each other by name; shared each other’s joys; and supported each other through struggles.
Liesbeth Van Emerik has been a member of one of the Kennington Parish Family Groups since its establishment. She says the experience has enriched her life. “I like that you don’t need to be a Mass goer, or married, or in a family to be a member; we include everyone,” she says. “We pray for each other; care for each other; remember each other; we take communion to those who can’t make it to Mass; and we help each other out with transport to Mass and other gatherings, for example.”
Liesbeth says the Passionist Family Group Movement has had a positive impact on parish life and the Mass itself. “By getting to know people and feeling at home with each other, people in the family groups have grown in faith, they have found the confidence to read at Mass; to do eucharistic ministry work and step into other roles.”
Joe and Margaret Van Dillen, Group Coordinators, have been Passionists for over a decade. Joe says he enjoys being with like-minded people and the practical down-to-earth friendship of the group. “The groups are born out of the parish, but they are fundamentally about friendship and are inclusive of people whether religious or not.”
Margaret Van Dillen says the interactions of the groups have changed as the groups have aged. When the groups were established, members were families – parents with children. “Now, most of our group members are quite senior and some are widowed, so gatherings tend to be a coffee or a meal. In the past we all organised a variety of activities,” she says.
For Margaret and Joe, the key to the success of the group’s bond is a willingness to treat each other as friends and to support each other. “I know we could count on people in our group if we were to ever need something,” said Margaret.
By spending time with each other nurturing social needs, members of the groups agree they have deepened their Christian love and acceptance of each other.
A living example of what founder Fr Peter McGrath was known to say, “Faith is caught, not taught”.
Family Groups provide an extended family for all who wish to belong; married, single or divorced. There is a giving and receiving by all members of the group to each other. Everyone is welcome to join.
There are Passionist Family Groups in Kennington, Echuca and Rutherglen.
You can learn more by visiting the Passionists Family Movement’s website.
