AMPJP becoming a Community of Christian Communities: Executive Director's Report June 2025

Wisdom Circles

The Wisdom Circles have continued in May and June with 51 attending, up just one from last year but maintaining high numbers compared with 27 in 2023.  I greatly enjoyed the unique atmosphere of each group, with the online participants pleasant and considered, those in Brisbane lively and the Perth contingent overflowing with hilarious joking and outrageous commentary! I must say that I was not sure that the topic “MPJP Councils as Small Christian Communities would draw numbers, but it did. Not only that, Jamie Calder SJ’s compelling input convinced participants to consider and imagine their own Councils very much in that light.  Thanks also to our wonderful hosts and facilitators.

Gary Humphrys, Anne Kelly IBVM and facilitator Caroline Thompson enjoy the hospitality provided by Kieran McCarthy in Brisbane.

Executive Officers building a great team around Australia

I have managed to have very insightful and entertaining meetings with Executive Officers in Perth and Melbourne, and visited not only John Leahy but the whole Mercy Partners Team in Brisbane, where only one MPJP is headquartered.  The Sydney catchup will be in July and I am looking for any excuse to get to Adelaide!  The Executive Officers are amazing in our work together as a team, as a key contribution to the work of AMPJP, which in turn complements the work of their own MPJP in formation and mission.

With Margaret Currie and Leanne Milligan of St John of God in Perth

Synodality in Action and the Growth of a national RI MPJP education network

Both South Australia and Queensland are launching new Catholic education commissions with RI MPJPs representatives in governance positions, alongside the bishops of those states.  This is a wonderful synodal achievement, along with that of Victoria which has a similar arrangement.  Credit does need to go to the Bishops! This has also encouraged CORMSAA (AMPJP’s Committee of RI MPJP School Authorities Australia) to dialogue with RI MPJP School authorities in WA, SA and Qld to consider regular meetings and perhaps a Chapter of CORMSAA in these states. NSW and Vic/Tas have structures already in place. The aim of the new meeting groups would be to consider important state-based issues, and also for those in each state to liaise with others and to contribute to RI MPJP input into the National Catholic Education Commission.

Sydney’s Best Mass?

The short article below was published on my LinkedIn this week and gained about five times as many views as usual. The title is gently provocative, but there is a reason for repeating it here for those interested in MPJPs. It is important to support engaging Masses in our parishes. If we do not have inspirational Masses which engage the spirit within people, we will not be able to retain our Catholic people. We will therefore not be able to have Catholic ministries whose leaders have an ability to think and act with the Church – “sentire cum Ecclesia.”  For this reason, when visiting your bishop or bishops on visits, consider asking how the parishes are going, and explain that we can and do undertake formation of leaders, but we rely on the basic formation and inspiration of Catholics coming from the parishes.

Sydney’s Best Mass?

If we want to evangelise, we need a Mass to which we can invite our friends.

9.00am Sunday Family Mass each week at St Mary’s North Sydney offers that opportunity. In droves!  It has music which is led by a combination of adults and children.  The sound fills the Church and uplifts everyone’s spirits.  There is an excellent blend of hymns.  The Mass parts for children are perfect, full or energy and so engaging.  The accompanying gestures for children are well choregraphed so everyone can take part, even the somewhat uncoordinated persons like myself.

There is very professional use of AV, with hymns, relevant elements of a Mass, ads during announcements and lots more professionally inserted in a helpful but subtle way.

The homilies range from pretty good to beyond excellent. Fr Richard Leonard is of course a star, but all the priests bring current events, engaging stories and practical suggestions to enrich their opening up of the Gospel and readings. And you can hear that they are thinking of the whole audience, children and grown-ups.

A four-year-old passed the collection plate around our pews this week, supervised by a knowledgeable eight-year-old.  Children lead the prayers of the faithful. They speak at times and often lead the responsorial psalms. They gather ever so reverently around the altar to participate fully, with the safety net of a few mums and dads for those less adventurous.

There isn’t a cup of tea after every week, but when there is it is well-promoted, and it is a very friendly and well-catered opportunity to meet others in the community.  Which is great, because those who bring their children and grandchildren along know that, along with the joyous Mass, good hospitality will help keep those kids coming back again and again!