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The past few days has been full with sessions presenting Pope Francis’ 2022 letter on liturgy to people in Hamilton (Thursday) Rotorua (Friday) and Tauranga (Saturday). I suppose this work with the National Liturgy Office might be called my “day” job with Food For Faith and a few other bits and pieces as my moonlighting mission and ministry.
On Saturday morning we were on the road early from Rotorua to get to Tauranga for a 10am start. Before leaving the Sulphur City we had time for an early morning coffee and one cafe looked wide open and inviting as we passed. We parked at the door and stopped in.
The coffee and salmon bagel were excellent. But even more notable was the energy and enthusiasm of the staff. We were greeted with contageous warmth and humour. Moments after we took our seats the woman who had served us ran out of the cafe to greet the bus on the corner with star-jumps while blowing kisses. “The driver is my husband” she explained as she passed laughing customers on the way back into the cafe.
The place was filled with laughter and positive energy and I know that if I lived in Rotorua Bird The Word cafe would be a regular stop for me.
A couple of years ago I invited FFF readers to initiate a one-hour gathering at a local cafe or bar – simply by sending me the name of a cafe with a date and time, and turning up to spend time with anyone who sees the invitation at the bottom of each day’s FFF post.
The response was remarkable with gatherings of people, sometimes a few and often many more, I offered a broad starter for conversation: chat together about your present personal experience of Jesus Christ. That seemed to be sufficient guidance and when I gate-crashed a couple of the gatherings the conversation was focussed and lively.
So, let’s try it again.
Send me your first name and the name of a cafe or bar you will be at sometime in the next few days. So that people know which table you are at simply scribble FFF on a table napkin, take a seat and wait.
Send your first name,
cafe name
and day and time to
Your words today have prompted me to tell your readers that a group of 4 in number from ChCh North parish started to meet 6 months back after attending a scripture group and now around 25 turn up every Monday. When we placed the coffee shop on FFF last year we did have a few extra!. We meet at 1000 am every Monday at Moko in the Bush Inn centre . We are too big in number for other coffee shops Each week you can sit next to someone different and it has fostered friendships a and lively discussions. Any newcomers welcome!!
Great idea
Christina
Zenders café and venue Hamilton
10:30am
Bev, Moko. Bush inn Christchurch. Today 10am
This Cafe Group is thriving and it’s great to be part of such a friendly and welcoming group of Catholic people.
Come and join us at Moko Cafe, Bush Inn Centre, Christchurch. 10 a.m.Every Monday.