A Word From Our Patron

'Family Groups offer our Catholic communities the chance to become more family-sensitive, friendly and welcoming, in line with the objectives of the Bishops’ collaborative pastoral initiative: Everybody’s Welcome. At their best, Family Groups offer understanding, friendship and support to all, encourage and celebrate family life in its myriad forms, and help everyone in the parish feel that they belong. I am delighted to be the patron of the Family Group Movement (England & Wales), and to endorse this initiative.'


Peter Doyle, Bishop of Northampton

Family Group Movement Collage

Family Group Movement Collage

Wednesday 4 November 2015

A Year of Fun and Fundraising for Our Lady of Victories' Family Groups

It has been 12 months of hard work and fun for the Family Groups in Our Lady of Victories Parish, Kensington. They have raised awareness and funds for local charities including Nazareth House and have provided fellow parishioners with a packed programme of events: a pamper evening, cupcakes and Pimms in June, a Curry & Quiz Night in July and a very well attended 1940’s/1950’s Sing-along and Champagne Brunch in September.


On 14th November the Family Groups will be hosting their popular annual Dinner and Dance Auction Evening. Parish Coordinator Glenda Clarke told us that tickets are selling quickly, local businesses and supermarkets have donated gifts and there will be plenty of youthful hands on deck as the Post Confirmation Group have agreed to help in the kitchen. The last event of 2015 is another well established tradition in the parish - the annual Christmas Hamper creation day, on Sunday 6th December. We wish the parish and the Family Groups leadership team the very best for these events and for the coming year.                                                      



If your parish has any Family Group news that you would like to share on this blog, or other queries, please EMAIL the editor with the details and high resolution photos, if available. 
If you would like more information on the Family Group Movement of England & Wales, please contact the National Steering Group for Family Groups  please EMAIL

Family Groups Get Started in St Mary's Crowborough

Family Groups were launched in the Parish of St Mary's, Crowborough, in the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton at the end of June 2015. One of the newly formed groups met for the first time on Saturday 3rd October and shared fresh coffee and home-made cakes and chatted and got to know each other better. They also arranged their next meetings which will be a walk in the woods (weather permitting) after Sunday morning Mass in November and an evening of board games in January. In December all the groups will be getting together for a Christmas social hosted by St Mary’s Parish Family Groups but open to everyone. For more information please contact St Mary's Parish Priest Fr Kevin Griffin on 01892 654608.

If your parish has any Family Group news that you would like to share on this blog please email hannah.moruzzi@cbcew.org.uk and if you would like to speak to a member of the National Steering Group for Family Groups  please email familygroups2015@gmail.com

Thursday 9 July 2015

Wednesday 20 May 2015

Family Group Gatherings are Picture Perfect


May gatherings at St John Vianney Parish, Northwich and St Mary's Parish, Ipswich provided the perfect setting for filming a new DVD for the Family Group Movement in England and Wales. The crew spent a day in each parish conducting filming interviews with pastors, parish coordinators and group leaders and then captured the simple beauty of the Family Groups 'in action.' The gathering in Northwich, organised by parish coordinator, Dave Allen, started with a bluebell walk in Marbury Park, followed by board games and a shared supper in the parish hall. Family Groups Chaplain, Fr Pat Munroe, and parish coordinator Hazel Dove joined the gathering along with a group from Our Lady and the Apostles Parish, Stockport. Chris and Vince Joyce, from St Michael's and St Bernadette's parish, Whitefield also attended the event and told us afterwards, "the atmosphere was lovely and it was really good to be there."

I was fortunate enough to attend the filming in St Mary's last weekend on what turned out to be a perfect spring day.  Fr John Warrington and the St Mary's team, led by parish coordinator Barry Sproat, couldn't have been more welcoming.  The crew were able to gather interviews in the morning and then film the shared lunch in the parish hall.  Group leader John Cassidy wrote afterwards:-

'Saturday’s DVD gathering was really lovely. Despite it being a busy month with Confirmations and First Communions, Fr John made time for one of the early morning interviews. Then at 12.00 about sixty came through the doors carrying delicious dishes that filled three large tables. There were representatives from five of our family groups. Eleven of our group attended, including Sarah (who inspired the gathering with her beautiful ‘helping hands’ prayer). We were delighted to welcome a few other parishioners too. These included two Sisters from the convent. Sr Judith Mary began our meal with a lovely ‘Grace’ and the shrieks of delight from the children’s activities table made a happy background noise to our gathering. Ray provided a jolly music ‘mash-up’ in which all energetically participated. The cameramen filmed unobtrusively before and during the proceedings and in their disarming manner, coaxed short interviews from many, including the children!'

The DVD will be shown to diocesan leaders at the Proclaim '15 National Evangelisation Event in July and then form part of a resource pack to support the growth and development of Family Groups in England and Wales.

For more information on the Family Group Movement and enquiries to the Steering Group about developing Family Groups in your area please email: familygroups2015@gmail.com


Thursday 23 April 2015

Family Groups Gather in Wales to Share their Experiences



The Archdiocese of Cardiff has Family Groups in two of its parishes and these groups form an integral part of parish life. A grant from the bishops' Celebrating Family Fund is now enabling the Family Life Commission to build on this foundation in 2015-16.  Family Life Worker, Joanne White, co-hosted an awareness raising day for Family Groups in Caerphilly on Saturday 21st March where the groups welcomed people from across the Archdiocese and further afield to share their experiences of building and sustaining Family Groups.

Joanne told us, 'It was a very affirming gathering and there was a definite sense of friendship, borne out of a common purpose and experience, which didn't detract from the uniqueness of each group or its parish.  One couple left the gathering hoping to speak to their parish priest about developing Family Groups.  I will offer all the support I can to them and to any other parish in the Archdiocese wishing to explore the concept further.' For more information please contact Joanne White, Family Life Worker. Tel: 02920 365964 email: parenting@rcadc.org

Other news:

  • In September 2014 the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton was awarded funding through the Celebrating Family Fund to pilot Family Groups in the Diocese and research their impact on parish life. Kat Pond joined the Diocese's Pastoral Team in January 2015 as the Parish Family Groups Project Officer and has visited and introduced the concept to several parishes. The first launches will take place later this year. 
  • Members of the Steering Group will help to deliver a workshop with the MFL Project Office's Elizabeth Davies, on developing welcoming, family friendly parish communities at the Proclaim '15 National Evangelisation Initiative on 11th July 2015.
For enquiries to the Steering Group or if your parish has any Family Group news that you would like to share on this blog please contact Hannah Moruzzi.

Thursday 26 March 2015

St Joseph's Parish, Bromley, Joins the Family



Many thanks to John and Penny Cassidy for sharing with us their lovely photo collage of the Family Groups' launch in Bromley last weekend.


We welcome St Joseph's Parish to the family and wish them every happiness on their journey together.  John and Penny (St Mary's Parish, Ipswich) and Glenda Clarke (Our Lady of Victories Parish, Kensington) have been working alongside Fr Tom McHugh and his parish team for the past few months to prepare for the launch.

John told us, "The Family Groups have successfully been launched and in St Joseph's Parish at the moment it’s like the start of the London Marathon (in nearby Greenwich).  Some 55 have already begun their journey, while crowds (yes, literally!) are in the background ready to start.  They just need to be nudged forward and this is already in hand.  The leaders of the nine groups (many more groups predicted) were really positive and will be proactive.  To echo the words of St Paul to his beloved Philippians: “I am sure that God, who began this good work …will carry it on until it is finished.”

For more information about Family Groups in England and Wales and enquiries to the Steering Group please email Hannah Moruzzi at the MFL Project Office

Monday 2 March 2015

A Christmas Feast Banishes the January Blues for the Rafiki Family Group


Many thanks to Chris and Vince Joyce for sharing the photos of their Family Group's shared Christmas dinner in January!

Chris told us that it was 'an amazing feast' and that the gathering reminded them why they had joined their Family Group in the first place - and stuck with it for the past eight years.


Chris and Vince were recently elected as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Steering Group for Family Groups in England and Wales.


The Steering Group is made up of representatives from nine Family Group parishes and is supported by a Chaplain and regional FAMILIAS (Association for Diocesan Marriage and Family Life Ministry) representatives.

The Steering Group members are all passionate about the gift that Family Groups bring to our parishes and are working together to support and affirm existing Family Groups and to help new Family Groups get off the ground. For more information about Family Groups and for enquiries to the Steering Group please email Hannah Moruzzi at the MFL Project Office.

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