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PFGM 10 Years in Beckenham, 1996 - 2006

One of St. Peter's 6 groups whose favourite colour is purple.

St. Peter’s parish, Beckenham, Christchurch recently celebrated 10 years of the Passionist Family Group Movement in its parish. Parish priest, Fr. Tom Power, and the Beckenham parish community celebrated with a specially prepared liturgy at the Sunday morning mass on 7 May. The servers, readers, eucharistic ministers and the musicians were all St. Peter’s family groupers. The entrance procession was led by 10 year old Katarina Marcijasz carrying a birthday balloon. She was the first to be born into a family group immediately after they were set up in St. Peter’s in 1996.

Fr. Tom Power after the mass with family grouper, Elsma Moffitt.

St. Peter’s started with 6 family groups of about 30 members each and 10 years later still has 6 active groups, although the membership and leadership has changed over time. The current leaders, Alison Wooding, Dominic and Barbara Sutton, Anne Simpson and Michael Naughton, Gabrielle Moore and Tina de Freitas, Susannah Debenham and Annette Pugh, and Heather and Randal Law were commissioned by Fr. Power during the mass and presented with special candles.

Mary Sullivan cuts the birthday cake.

After the mass a festive brunch was enjoyed by all in the St. Peter’s Parish Centre complete with story telling and the cutting of a birthday cake by 86 year old Mary Sullivan who has been an active member of a group since its foundation. Family Groupers were reminded of the brave pioneering souls who gave their names to the original 6 groups but who were no longer in leadership and were told that the current leaders had taken a recent decision to change the names of all 6 groups. The new names are all attributed to St. Peter and were announced as the Keys, Rock, Fisher, Gates, Galilee and Apostles groups.