MENEVIA FAMILY LIFE MINISTRY
Life President: Emeritus Bishop Daniel Mullins
Director: Rev Tony Lawrence
88 Main Street
Pembroke SA71 4HH
Tel: (01646) 682629
Email:
tony.familylife@btconnect.com
Swansea Office: Tel: (01792) 651888
Rev Peter Hounslow (01792) 701711
Contents:
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Introduction
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Everybody's Welcome 2006
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Home is a Holy Place 2007
Organisation 2003
A programme of family ministry has been underway in the diocese since
1994. It was 're-launched' in Carmarthen, in mid November, 2001,
at a meeting attended by 65 delegates including Emeritus Bishop Mullins,
founder of Menevia Family Life Ministry and by Bishop Mark.
The present Director works nominally on one day each week, voluntarily
and without secretarial help. He has four objectives. First,
to maintain the equilibrium which had been established and seemed to be
functioning reasonably satisfactorily, if a little hesitantly; secondly,
to retain the best features of the previous administration; thirdly, to
check out and, where necessary improve those structures and extend its
programmes and fourthly, to provide for succession.
In January, 2003, Bishop Mark formally invited members to form the
nucleus of the new Diocesan Commission, initially for a period of two
years.
At the end of 2001, an Action Plan was presented to Bishop Mark.
This document sets out a series of 'hopes and aspirations'. It is
pleasing to report that, to date, most, if not all of the issues have
been dealt with gradually, even though some have only been touched upon
lightly, leaving further detailed development to follow.
At a practical level, at the grassroots, the role and function of the
Parish Family Life Ministry Representative is constantly being examined
and explored. Initially, the appointment of two representatives
per parish was requested by Bishop Mullins. Strenuous efforts have
been and continue to be made, with the support and goodwill of the
clergy, to reinstate this functional tool as the key to successful
delivery.
In an attempt to raise the profile of Family Life Ministry in Menevia
Parishes, fairly regular features have been prepared for and published
by 'Menevia News', the Diocesan newspaper, with the active and
helpful co-operation of the Editor.
It is planned in 2003 to extend this promotion by producing an 'in
house' Newsletter, funded by private subscription, for dissemination
either as an insert into 'Menevia News' or as a direct mailshot into the
homes of active Catholic people, as well as those who have lapsed.
Plans are currently being laid to utilise this year's Feast of the Holy
Family to launch International Year of the Family (IYF) 2004, on
Saturday, 17 January, 2004. There will be a concelebrated Mass in
St. Joseph's Cathedral, Swansea, followed by a celebration and
entertainment for the children. It is hoped that they and their
parents will come from all over the Diocese.
A renewed and improved resource is gradually being assembled in the
newly-created Diocesan Resource Centre at the Curial Offices in Swansea.
It will feature both loan and saleable materials, under the supervision
of the Librarian.
'Rainbows' is a developing initiative in Menevia, led by an energetic
Director, based at Aberystwyth. Its mission is to provide training
and programmes for establishing peer support groups for children,
adolescents and adults who are grieving a death, separation, desertion,
divorce or any other painful loss in their family. It is known
that three programmes are at present either running or in process of
launching, in St Illtyd’s parish Swansea; in Bishop Vaughan
Comprehensive School, Swansea; St. David's Primary School, Swansea and
St Mary’s Primary School, Carmarthen.
Marriage Care was established to support Marriage and Family Life.
It provides a free, confidential counselling service for adults.
In Menevia it has a centre based in Swansea. In 1997, Marriage
Care Swansea Centre consisted of only six members, two of whom were
Counsellors and two were Marriage Preparation Providers. Although
Marriage Preparation was taking place, the Counsellors had very little
work to do and the Centre was largely dormant.
Following appeals and pulpit talks in our Parishes, the membership rose
to fifteen.
Members were sent for selection to be Counsellors and the first new
Counsellor began training, and qualified in 1998. The counselling
hours increased as awareness of the Centre increased, from 31 hours in
1998 to 77 hours in 1999, 135 hours in 2000, 146 hours in 2001 and a
further increase in 2002 to 268 hours. As people become aware of
the Centre’s presence continue to increase. In 1999, a second trainee
qualified and in 2001, a third qualified. In 2002, an experienced
counsellor joined the Centre from Relate when the Swansea Centre for
Relate closed down.
Simultaneously, the Marriage Preparation courses continued. Eight
providers were given accredited training in 2000. At first, there
were two Centres for this, Swansea and Briton Ferry, the latter changed
to Margam. Annually, two four-week courses are delivered in
Swansea and two in Margam. In addition, one-day courses were added
as they were needed to cater for those working shifts and unable to
attend for four consecutive weeks. Both in 2000 and 2001, Marriage
Preparation courses were held in Haverfordwest. A need for
Marriage preparation West of Swansea was identified and so appeals were
made and Marriage Preparation providers were given accredited training
covering Carmarthen and West Wales. Initially, five providers were
trained in Carmarthen and one in Porthcawl in 200 1. In 2002, a
further three were trained in Carmarthen and two more for Porthcawl.
With the support of the local Clergy, two Marriage Care Sub-centres were
initiated under the main Centre at Swansea. (Although Porthcawl
strictly comes into the Archdiocese of Cardiff, geographically, they
were trained by and are working with the Swansea Centre).
Meetings now take place at Our Lady Star of The Sea, Mumbles as do the
Swansea Marriage Preparation courses. The Margam courses are at
Our Lady of Margam, Port Talbot. At Carmarthen, they are at St.
Mary's and at Porthcawl are at the St. Clare's Prayer Centre.
Counselling takes place in the CISS Centre, Bryntnill, Swansea.
It will be seen, thus, that much activity is undertaken in the Diocese
of Menevia at present, which subscribes to the ethos and daily practice
of good family life. Yet, the only people who can promote these virtues
are Parents themselves and Parish Priests, through their attention to
pastoral care of their flock. What Family Life Ministry can do is
to promote the vision, co-ordinate resources and encourage the
dissemination of new thinking and implementation of solutions across the
Diocese. The success or otherwise of family ministry programmes at
parish level is largely dependent on the enthusiasm of the parish priest
and/ or his willingness to support family ministers in their leadership
roles.
