Lay Marist Leaders Formation Day, 19 Oct.2006
Wellington gathering - the first of a series to be held around the country
Attending the gathering were the presenter, Fr Craddock, his lay assistant, Jane Langham, Fr Phil Cody, [observer from the provincial council], and Frs Bern Ryan, Thige O’Leary, David Moore and Frank Twiss. The session began with prayer and sharing of the current ministry/work of those present with particular reference to laity. Fr Craddock outlined the current position of Marist Laity in NZ, which is 30 MTO groups, most of which were started in places where there were Marist parishes and/or communities, plus 25 Tongan groups in Auckland, 3 Samoan groups and approximately 10 associated individuals.
There are also just over 60 Marian Mothers groups in NZ. These groups began in 1981 and are a Marist ministry for mothers, who in turn minister to other mothers in their parishes. Members of these groups frequently move on to become ‘pillars of their parishes. Many women now in diocesan roles received early empowerment from MM groups. The groups can also be an evangelising outreach by the group leaders to non-practicing members of their parish. A number of groups and/or individuals in the groups have requested Marist spirituality material, though prefer to stay with the Marian Mothers name. There is a monthly distribution of resources to both MTO & MM groups for a group meeting – usually in the form of a 15 minute audio cassette and accompanying meeting guide and newsletter. In the Pacific and further afield, there are about 10 associated groups, mostly started by Marist religious, who use our material as resource to assist the groups they assist. There is a web site that is used as a resource for many others across the world, who access group meeting material, either for themselves or groups. New Zealand Lay Marists do not function in isolation, but are in contact with others around the world, most notably Australia. There are also links with the US and some members from these countries attend national conferences put on by each one. Jane Langham presented thoughts on the value for all Christians of involvement in some form of cell group/faith sharing group. Then some practical ideas on how to set up and encourage such groups, particularly Marist lay groups. These include: readiness to promote the ‘Marist Way’ with the same enthusiasm that you have for the Gospel; be prepared to ‘shoulder-tap’ potential group leaders and offer them a ‘starter set’ of either group meeting material or a ‘Basic Guide’ about lay Marist groups. Be prepared to encourage the groups and to attend some of the meetings, which should be lay led and run. When there is a Third Order group, the consecrated Marist may be requested to assist with the formation programme and can use the material available from Marist Laity HQ. These groups are not ‘service groups’ in the way that, for example, a Saint Vincent de Paul group is, but Marist spirituality encourages individual members to be of service in the way that suits their availability and skills. |
