This week, we welcomed Derek Boyle, Director of Catholic Marriage and Fertility Services in the Perth Archdiocese, to Bunbury.
Derek spent two days training a group of couples and priests as FOCCUS facilitators.
FOCCUS is a useful tool for parish marriage preparation teams to use with engaged couples as they prepare them for marriage.
The course was funded in part by the Diocesan Rooney Pastoral Fund. The fund, set up by Fr Pat Rooney, aims to provide financial support for parishes to provide programs to help with preparation for marriage, ongoing enrichment and support for marriage and families.
Participants in the course came from Lake Grace, Kukerin, Albany, Leschenault, Collie, Manjimup, Mt Barker, Margaret River and Augusta, and most of them have been part of the Marriage Preparation ministry in their parishes for many years. The combined wisdom of these participants was complemented by the wealth of information that Derek shared.
The newly trained facilitators are all looking forward to returning to their parishes and putting their new skills into practice.