Pa Maria

Denis O'Hagan and David Kennerley

David Kennerley and Denis O’Hagan were appointed to Pa Maria at the beginning of 2009 and were asked to:

1. Develop a three level programme of education about, and formation in the Marist charism.
2. Work with John Murphy to develop online material with a Society of Mary ethos targeted at the world beyond the walls of the Society and the Church.
3. Providing Catholic Spirituality programmes making use of  contemporary literature, movies and culture.
4. Become the umbrella for and voice of the Society of Mary’s spirituality ministry in New Zealand.
5. Coordinating members of the province who are available to provide spiritual direction and retreats and responding to requests for these services.
6. Investigate the possibility of using the facilities at 78 Hobson St as a location for specifically Marist Spirituality and for the ministry of spirituality general.

Brian Cummings, the provincial of the Society of Mary, expressed the hope that the project, as it develops, will include lay people who share with the professed members of the Society of Mary, a knowledge of and love for the Society’s charism.

Pa Maria was previously named  Emmaus and was solely a centre for spiritual direction and the demand for spiritual direction remains high.

The spiritual direction ministry of Jim Dooley and Lyndall Brown now works out of new premisses, 11/14 Harriet St, Thorndon. their phone number is: 04 499 2309.