Parishes
Anne Powell rc
1 February 2013
A sense of the foundations of the Church being shaken filled the ‘Retreat in Daily Life’ team last month as they gathered at the Cenacle in Waikanae to prepare for this year’s ministry.
We felt keenly aware of the many uncertainties that people face – earthquakes and the consequences regarding buildings, dislocation of communities, insurance costs, regulations, realities of flood and fire, financial and economic uncertainties, health concerns and limitations, social and spiritual loss and uncertainty.
The theologian Paul Tillich says ‘doubt and uncertainty are not the opposite of faith; they are elements of faith’.
It is our hope and prayer that the retreats the team has prepared will offer participants the opportunity to stand with their uncertainties and experience the presence of Jesus Christ giving courage and strength in the context of their daily lives.
Some parishes and pastoral areas have already requested retreats for 2013 – Otaki, Lower Hutt, Kapiti Pastoral Area (Waikanae-Paraparaumu), Blenheim and Northern Pastoral Area (Johnsonville-Newlands-Onslow).
The team is also available to lead evenings or sessions as follow-up to these retreats. Members are also available to lead retreats for school staff.
Current team members are Margaret Butler OP, Merle Hiscock RNDM, Cenacle companions Ronnie Parton and Merle Whiteman, David Kennerley SM, Graham Millar and Cenacle Sisters Mary J Kay, Clare O’Connor, Anne Powell and Kathleen Ryan.
For further information, visit www.cenacle.org.nz or contact Cenacle on (04) 905-7213.
Image: Ronnie Parton, David Kennerley SM and Clare O’Connor rc of the Retreat in Daily Life Team, returning from a retreat in Blenheim last September.