On the move.....

Some of you may have heard that I am moving on from my ministry in formation at Marist Seminary here in Auckland to Pa Maria, Marist Spirituality Centre in Thorndon, Wellington. I have been working in the formation ministry for the past 15 years. My time has also included work with Logos (Marist Youth Development) and Marist Laity. I am grateful to all the confreres and seminarians, those who became priests and professed Marists and those who chose to walk another path but who all made a contribution to the life of the seminary community while I was there. To the team at Logos for your love and support and those at Marist Laity for your welcome and hospitality and our collaboration in ministry together.

For the last several years after training in spiritual direction with Te Wairua Mahi, Ignatian Spirituality, New Zealand, I have been involved in spiritual direction and my music ministry will continue to accompany all those occasions at Pa Maria and elsewhere for people seeking to strengthen and deepen their spiritual lives through days of recollection, retreats and concert presentations. I include concerts because a friend commented once that attending one of my concerts was like a retreat experience for her.

Wellington was home for 11 years for me prior to my time in Auckland. I am sure I will adjust fairly quickly given so much is familiar to me. Wellington here I come. However, I will miss my Auckland connections. I will simply need to travel occasionally to come up and see you all.

On Thursday of this week, we celebrated our final Mass for 2025 at Whanau Maria with Marist Laity. Both Marist Laity and the Logos Whanau farewelled me with gracious words and waiata. I was very moved and grateful to them all. After I shared a few words in reply, I sang an old song of mine, 'We are friends.' This is the song I have opened up for you all this week. The opening lyric is 'We started this journey together..... therefore appropriate given the new stage of the journey.

I am taking a break from this music blog for several months and will start up again in February.

Continued blessings for the Advent Season and may the joy and peace of Christmas fill your hearts and the hearts of your friends and families.

If you are looking for Christmas music with a Christian focus don't forget that I have a Christmas Album, 'You are the Gift,' that you can download to your device.