The Associates celebrated their tenth anniversary in October 2009. From a meeting of the Edmund Rice Family (now Edmund Rice Network) in Adelaide in June 1999 had come the seeds of a proposal for an Association of those inspired by the charism of Edmund Rice, on the lines of lay groups associated with other religious orders.

The seeds were fertilised at the Perth General Assembly and eleven years later those seeds have put down strong roots and are bearing fruit.

Every two months, a mixed and changing group of around fifteen to twenty men and women aged from the 30s to the 80s gather at the Thebarton Community House to join in prayer, share a meal and explore topics ranging from the ‘Spirituality of the Christian Brothers as reflected in their various works’ through to the sharing of personal stories and reports from groups and individuals who have undertaken an immersion experience.

Every meeting is different and every meeting is an opportunity for reflection and growth. We have shared celebrations and losses, we have cried together and we have often laughed together.

Tony McGuire chaired the Association for the first decade before passing the role to Helena Sweeney, who will now pass it on again as

Submitted by Helena Sweeney (Staff member at Rostrevor College and SA Wisdom Group Member)