SOUTHERN REGION
The Southern Region incorporates the old MU Deaneries of Bayside, Monash and Peninsula.
Caretaker Co-ordinator Karen Hayden Branches (updated May 2021) Beaumaris St Michael’s and All Angels MU 1st Tuesday 1.30pm Cheltenham St Matthew’s MU 4th Wednesday 10.00am Dandenong St James’ MU Frankston East St Luke’s MU 1st Wednesday 10.00am Frankston St Paul’s MU 4th Thursday 1.30pm Glenhuntly St Agnes MU Malvern East St John's & St Agnes Glenhuntly Caritas |
Moorabbin St David’s MU
Mount Eliza St James’ the Less Caritas Last Monday 10.00am Murrumbeena St Peter’s MU 1st Wednesday 1.00pm Noble Park St Aidan's Ormond Christ church MU 4th Tuesday 7.30pm Parkdale St Aidan’s MU |
News from the 2022 Diocesan Annual Report
Every person in the Southern Region has been challenged by our lockdown situation over the past few years. We all had to make changes to our daily lives and how we went about it. I think the biggest area of change was our Sunday worship and Mothers’ Union meetings.
WHO would have thought we would all be sitting in front of our computer to watch a communion service, Bible study, council meeting or your local Mothers’ Union meeting?
Congratulations to you all and your parishes that you took up this challenged and it was very successful.
Last year at our branch we conducted the Mothers’ Union AGM by zoom because the vicar was in lockdown because of covid contact, we were grateful that Synod had an interim meeting to have this legal. Our changes to the way we all accepted the communion and no shaking of hands and greeting people - it took a while to adjust. The new ministries we needed to learn to take on roles in the parish.
Now we are trying to come out of our protected shell and it’s difficult and unfortunately some of our members are not able to come face to face with others, so the challenge to Mothers’ Union and Caritas members was to do phone ministry. This worked very well and slowly people got their confidence back, some of our branches were not able to come back as before and this was very sad for them and their members so we have had to say goodbye to branches that closed. I know that some branches are still having difficulties and wondering should we still continue to meet.
What I have learnt over the past 7 years in this job as southern region coordinator is that I have met some wonderful spiritual women and very active in their service to our Lord. It has been a pleasure to see people grow in service and friendship.
Our challenge now - how do were use this Theme Transformation in our branches and groups? We are all still very faithful servants to our Lord, what we need is for people to take our place and carry on the wonderful work to the faithful.
Over the year at my local branch and my daily reading I have found the Mothers’ Union prayer diary for 2022 very inspiring each month. We were able to use the theme and be guided by the prayers for our national partners in faith and uphold them in prayer because it united us all in prayer and fellowship around the world of faithful people.
I know that all members are not on Facebook, but to have a midday service each week you could log into was very inspiring. Also the International worldwide President Sheran photos of her visits was wonderful to see our partner oversea and their activities. Our Australia web was very active and we could read the weekly prayers.
Our Australian representatives keep in touch with us all through the MIA MIA that we received each quarter. Wonderful articles included each time, some of our region branches had articles in them this year.
As this is my farewell to you all as your Southern Region coordinator, I want to thank you all for the exceptional support I have received. I will miss seeing you and coming to your meetings. Keep up your good work and go forward in leap and bounds. I will continue to pray for you all and hope to see you at Lady Day and the council meetings.
A special thanks goes to the Melbourne Diocese executive members. It has been good to do zoom so we all could actively see each other and to carry out our roles. I wish you all a successful future and that you achieve what our Lord has directed in your service to him.
Have a blessed 2023
Marilyn Airey Southern Region 2021-2022
WHO would have thought we would all be sitting in front of our computer to watch a communion service, Bible study, council meeting or your local Mothers’ Union meeting?
Congratulations to you all and your parishes that you took up this challenged and it was very successful.
Last year at our branch we conducted the Mothers’ Union AGM by zoom because the vicar was in lockdown because of covid contact, we were grateful that Synod had an interim meeting to have this legal. Our changes to the way we all accepted the communion and no shaking of hands and greeting people - it took a while to adjust. The new ministries we needed to learn to take on roles in the parish.
Now we are trying to come out of our protected shell and it’s difficult and unfortunately some of our members are not able to come face to face with others, so the challenge to Mothers’ Union and Caritas members was to do phone ministry. This worked very well and slowly people got their confidence back, some of our branches were not able to come back as before and this was very sad for them and their members so we have had to say goodbye to branches that closed. I know that some branches are still having difficulties and wondering should we still continue to meet.
What I have learnt over the past 7 years in this job as southern region coordinator is that I have met some wonderful spiritual women and very active in their service to our Lord. It has been a pleasure to see people grow in service and friendship.
Our challenge now - how do were use this Theme Transformation in our branches and groups? We are all still very faithful servants to our Lord, what we need is for people to take our place and carry on the wonderful work to the faithful.
Over the year at my local branch and my daily reading I have found the Mothers’ Union prayer diary for 2022 very inspiring each month. We were able to use the theme and be guided by the prayers for our national partners in faith and uphold them in prayer because it united us all in prayer and fellowship around the world of faithful people.
I know that all members are not on Facebook, but to have a midday service each week you could log into was very inspiring. Also the International worldwide President Sheran photos of her visits was wonderful to see our partner oversea and their activities. Our Australia web was very active and we could read the weekly prayers.
Our Australian representatives keep in touch with us all through the MIA MIA that we received each quarter. Wonderful articles included each time, some of our region branches had articles in them this year.
As this is my farewell to you all as your Southern Region coordinator, I want to thank you all for the exceptional support I have received. I will miss seeing you and coming to your meetings. Keep up your good work and go forward in leap and bounds. I will continue to pray for you all and hope to see you at Lady Day and the council meetings.
A special thanks goes to the Melbourne Diocese executive members. It has been good to do zoom so we all could actively see each other and to carry out our roles. I wish you all a successful future and that you achieve what our Lord has directed in your service to him.
Have a blessed 2023
Marilyn Airey Southern Region 2021-2022