There is in all of us a need to BELONG, whether to a spouse, a family, a friend or a GROUP. It is one of the psychologist’s Maslow’s five needs for survival… We are conditioned by our identity in our belonging to a specific group of people, whether family, friends, nationhood or sometimes religion. Recently -elected political leader, Andy Burnham admitted he had 3 sets: his football allegiance, his political party and the Church!
What then of Our Founder whose first set or group of people he guided were members of the “Catechism of Perseverance”, whom he divided into different categories with different commitments, including the Associates and the Congregants of the Holy Family. These were lay members: from the root of the tree grew the trunk, the branches, the leaves, the fruit, and the tree flowered in many different directions…
One Pope, St. John Paul II, in conference with Sr. Mary Slaven was surprised that our Holy Family Society “fitted” in with his ideas of Church—was it a recent foundation, he enquired. Mary was happy to answer about the longevity of our Institute, and the Founder’s dream.
Many Religious Orders have “apostolic” active additions to them, ie. the 3rd Order of Franciscans & the Secular Group of Carmel, where their spirituality is an “add-on” to the Religious Primary group. In the Holy Family Institute, we can well say that our beginnings were from our Lay Members who held the inspiration of listening and calling to a deeper spiritual life, guided by Our Founder. As in the Synodal process, all growth is from the ground upwards. Significant changes tend not to be top-down, especially in today’s world. Our PBN Group seeks to nourish the roots of the tree of our life, bringing members together in Community, with a common Aim & Mission to keep alive the flame of faith and commitment lit by our Founder. The Team comprises both senior and younger members who seek to follow in the Founder’s footsteps and keep his mission and Charism alive in this secular age.
Sandra Harrington (Rock Ferry Community)
