“The whole Assembly is going to be a conversation.”
National Assembly Online Forum One - An Introduction to Spiritual Conversation
Recently, close to 100 Marist Association members gathered online for our first online forum, in readiness for National Assembly IV, which will be convened at Marist College Ashgrove on 27-29 June 2025.
After a welcome from our Leader, Br Peter Carroll, and a short time of prayer and reflection, online attendees were presented with an overview of the Assembly program. Prof Br David Hall explained the spiritual conversation methodology that will be used at the Assembly to assist us in discerning the way forward. This methodology formed the basis of the recent Synod 2021-2024 and it provides a formal process for discerning our collective response to two meta-questions:
As an Association of Christ's faithful:
Who do we want to be?
What do we want to do?
Through the spiritual conversation process, we seek God's guidance in our daily lives and listen to what the Spirit is saying to us and through us. It is a structured process of both active listening and speaking, enabling all participants the opportunity to contribute to respectful conversation. Further details of this methodology were published in the February 2025 issue of Christlife.
Recording of Forum One
Those who were unable to join Forum One can view the recording of the forum.
Password: 6$#0LF?j
What to Expect from Forum Two
At our second pre-Assembly online forum at 7:00pm (AEST) on Thursday, 29 May 2025, the various materials for review prior to the Assembly will be presented and summarised. All Assembly participants are asked to read and review these documents prior to the Assembly. We want to 'hit the ground running' on 27 June, and be fully prepared for our limited time of discernment and spiritual conversation together. National Assembly IV will conclude with our closing Mass, with Archbishop Mark Coleridge presiding, and the commissioning of the new Leader and Council.
Richard Quinn
Executive Director