This years training day, held at St Peter Chanel Hastings, was a little different in that we started with a Parish Mass. Our Parish priest Fr Vince Onesi is very pro family groups and when I told him Fr Brian Traynor CP was running the training day in our Parish Centre, he immediately invited Fr Brian to celebrate the Parish Mass. Brian kindly reorganised the training agenda to fit the Mass in.
The Mass was a great advert for Family groups, all attendees processed in and all ministries were undertaken by Family Group members. The parish were all invited to have morning tea with those attending the formation day.
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It was Rob Hills birthday and that was suitably acknowledged during Mass
We had a good turn out of about 70 for the day.
It was great to have Lynn and Rob Hill (PFGM NZ Directors) as well as Linda and Paul Darbyshire (PFGM Palmerston North Diocese Direcors) there.
Brians’s back to basics day went over very well. Many very positive comments at the end of the day.
In a very special moment Paul and Linda made an impromptu presentation to Ken and Shirley Tulloch. Ken and Shirley, at 85+, must be the oldest group leaders. Theirs is one of the most active groups in the parish , never missing having at least one get together a month and more often two.
A great achievement, when the average age of the group would be over 70.
Preston Eppplett