NORTHERN / WESTERN REGION
Co-ordinator:
Bev Cottell Branches (updated May 2021) Altona St Eanswythe’s MU Altona St Eanswythe’s Caritas Corio/Norlane St Andrew’s 2nd Wednesday Diocesan Members Geelong St Paul’s MU 3rd Tuesday 10.00am Glenroy St Matthew’s / St Linus’ Merlynston 1st Wednesday 10.00am Grovedale St Cuthbert’s / Mount Duneed St Wilfred’s Caritas 2nd Monday 12noon Newtown All Saints St Alban’s St Alban the Martyr MU 1st Friday 10.00am Sunbury St Mary’s MU Watsonia Holy Spirit MU 4th Wednesday 10.00am Werribee St Thomas’ MU West Brunswick St John Chrysostom West Coburg St Alban’s MU |
Snippets from N/W Region Report in the 2020 Diocesan Annual Report-
Welcome to 2020! Ready to roll up the sleeves and embrace the New Year. Altona welcomed new members to Mothers’ Union. What a great way to start the year. The ladies from Grovedale prepared the service for Geelong Lady Day. Sunbury were to again host a Quiet Day on May 20th to be facilitated by MU Chaplain, Rev Carmel Hunter. Corio Visit -There were 11 Karen and 10 older Australian members present, a memorable visit. Well, that was the way we enthusiastically embraced 2020. (But then COVID-19 arrived with lockdowns and all plans and preparations were curtailed…Edit) The last face to face contact I’ve had with members was the distribution of the Autumn Mia Mia in March. And as we look back, we give thanks to God for the new technologies we have embraced to keep in contact with our members throughout this lockdown year. Zoom meetings have become the norm for some, certainly telephone contact has increased, and throughout, we have been praying with and for our members both near and far and this has been encouraging for us all. At Sunbury’s 30th Birthday celebratory zoom meeting, the guest speaker was the Rev. June Robertson, who is the Anglican Prisons Chaplain at both Ravenshall and Dame Phyllist Frost. Corrections Victoria is now permitting the distribution of the Mothers’ Union Christmas Cards again this year to Dame Phyllis Frost and Tarrengower. Corio prepared gift packs of encouragement (photo below) to their members as a fund raiser for their branch. Their monthly giving isn’t being realised so she has thought of four ways the members may choose to participate. The ideas are suitable for all branches.
In 2021, St Mary's Sunbury MU packs17 handbags filled with female toiletries for them to be distributed by 'Share the Dignity to homeless women fleeing domestic violence. |