De Mazenod Family Gathering 2.0

August 2019 saw us celebrate our inaugural De Mazenod Family gathering in Fremantle and was the beginning of setting up the De Mazenod Family Office. Nimmi Candappa was appointed as Charism Coordinator and shortly after, Emma Hoad joined the team as Charism Coordinator assistant. Emma Rice and Luisa Amati help round out the current team, bringing their expertise from their current roles. It was always the intention of the team to hold a gathering each year, with every second year being held online. With everything that has been thrown our way this year in 2020, we were all becoming familiar with zoom and the wonders that can be achieved with technology.

Sunday 29th November was the day we gathered. We had around 100 people gathered with most connected as individuals, plus a small number who connected in Parishes as a community. De Mazenod Family Gathering 2.0 was an opportunity for us to introduce our team, and be able to “see” them, given that COVID-19 stopped us in our tracks. We heard about the programs that have been developed, as well as how they might morph into the future. A tour of our digital platforms including our De Mazenod Family website, our YouTube Channel and our newly developed Learning Management System. 

We also heard about the plans that we have for the coming 12 months. Meeting with people in the communities as travel restrictions ease and travel remains safe, connecting with those who are abandoned or inaccessible, developing a national committee for the De Mazenod Family with a cross representation of as many of our mission’s communities as possible, planning for our next De Mazenod Family Gathering in 2021 in June, and more.

If you missed joining us for this year’s gathering you can find all the sessions plus questions from the discussion group on our De Mazenod Family website.