In a departure from the Parish’s usual practice of celebrating National Volunteer Week with Mass at St Agnes’ Church, Parish Volunteers were invited to enjoy a morning of hospitality and renewal in the peaceful environs of The Francis Retreat where Mass was also celebrated on site in the delightful intimacy of the Romero Chapel on Wednesday 31 May.

A group of seventy-five (75) people gathered in glorious weather to celebrate, not only National Volunteer Week, but also the opportunity to break bread together, to hear from Parish leaders, and to connect with volunteers from other ministries and services.

A big thank you to Fr Paul Gooley, Sr Anne Hannigan, Anne O’Brien and Tony Worner who spoke at the event about the richness of our history, the connection between the Parish’s vision, mission and values and God’s mission, and our gratitude for the service of all our volunteers.

Fr Paul kept the knowledgeable audience on their toes by throwing in a few ‘curly’ trivia questions relating to the history and formation of St Agnes’ Catholic Parish. As informative as it was entertaining, everyone enjoyed testing their knowledge and learning new things!

The feedback received so far about the day has been overwhelmingly positive with one attendee commenting, “Backing on to the Visioning Day on Sunday [28 May], it really has created a beautiful sense of community…. It makes me proud to be a Parishioner”.

A big shout out of thanks and appreciation, also, to Joady and Peter Castles and their team at The Francis Retreat! The food, the hospitality, and the facilities were acclaimed by all!