Experiencing the death of a child is one of the most heartbreaking and traumatic experiences a parent can go through. Although it is widely acknowledged that one in four pregnancies will end in miscarriage, sadly many women will experience the loss of a baby during pregnancy with little or no support. Many couples may also … Continue reading Anima Family Grief Support: a new ministry for those impacted by miscarriage, infant and child loss
It is often the way that those who prepare a retreat feel like they are in a bit of a spiritual furnace. It can be quite intense. I asked Jane O'Connor, one of the founders of The Makers Table, and the chief 'beauty maker' of our recent "Be Still" retreat in Melbourne, to write me … Continue reading To marinate in Christ – Retreat reflection
A HIVE of activity. 8am on 2nd September the Makers Table and Anima teams were BUSTLING like no mans business. Ironic given the theme of the day. We had one hour to set up everything we had planned for the previous 6 weeks, before the 55 women descended upon us. This was no mean feat, … Continue reading A grace filled day – Lysterfield retreat day 2023
My dad’s nickname for me is “Buzz”. I was Buzz before Mr Lightyear. He gave me this name because he loved the way I busied myself and got jobs done swiftly. I like this name, and I like the hum of being busy and productive. There are times however, when the “hum” becomes an exhausted … Continue reading “Be still, and know that I am God” PS 46:10
That human beings are created “imago dei” is a central theme in Christianity (and Judaism). The belief conveys the fact that God’s love is written intentionally into human beings: in our ability to think, to make moral and other decisions and in our ability to form loving relationships with others. One of the problems we … Continue reading Saint Edith Stein: The Splendour of Friendship
~ This year Anima have been working with the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia based here in Melbourne on a series of talks on what it means to be a woman in Christ with intelligent fidelity. The series, called "Lamps Alight", is held monthly at the parish of Keilor Downs in the west of Melbourne. … Continue reading Dignity of Women and the Order of Love – Lamps Alight
"Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. John 19:1 Slap-slap slap go my running shoes on the footpath. Breathing in-breathing out, slap-slap slap in a jagged samba beat that I’ve hated since I was a kid. I hate running. In primary school, I was the slow kid coming last in the races, while everyone else had to … Continue reading Rosary Reflections – The Second Sorrowful Mystery
Are you looking for a time to rest with the Lord this Lent? The Anima Network is holding a women's retreat on the 11th March in conjunction with The Makers Table at St Mary's in Jindera. It begins at 8am on the 11th March and concludes at 3:30. It will be a day of prayer, … Continue reading Be Still and Know – Jindera Lent Retreat 2023
We live in a time of polarisation. It seems to be felt wherever you look and not even just "out there" in the culture, but also within our own church. As Christ said "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and not city or house divided against itself will stand." (Matthew 12:25) We cannot … Continue reading Unam – Lent 2023
A bookclub has been on our mind for a little while here at Anima, so when people were starting to look into reading (or rereading) Pope Benedict's vast written legacy, we thought it was a great opportunity to begin. It was even more fortuitous when we realised that Emily Stimpson Chapman had decided something similar. … Continue reading Anima Women’s Bookclub!
