Catholic parents across Sydney are being invited to invest some quality time in the future of their families through a two-day Messy Families course and retreat on 8–9 May held at St Peter Chanel and St Joseph’s Parish, Berala.
The event forms part of the Archdiocese of Sydney’s Messy Family Project Tour, which will bring internationally recognised speakers Mike and Alicia Hernon to Australia for a series of events focused on marriage and family life.
The Hernons, founders of the Messy Family Project, have spent more than a decade accompanying families with a message grounded in Catholic teaching and lived experience: that the challenges of family life are not signs of failure, but a path to holiness.
The course offers parents a rare opportunity to step away from daily pressures and reflect on the kind of family culture they are building.
“This is time set aside to focus on what matters most,” said Hazel Lim, mission manager for the Life Marriage and Family team within the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation.
“It’s a chance to really absorb the wisdom and experience of speakers who have helped thousands of families.
“We expect parents will come away with renewed energy, a clearer sense of purpose, and practical strategies they can begin using straight away.”
Fr Josh Miechels, parish priest of Berala and Regents Park, said many families are seeking precisely this kind of formation.
“Parents are generous, and often stretched,” he said. “They don’t always have an opportunity to step back and consider the bigger picture – their vocation, their relationships, and what it is that they are passing on to their children.”
The two-day format, with an evening on the Friday and full day on Saturday, is designed to offer both practical tools and spiritual renewal, drawing on the Hernons’ experience of marriage and raising a large family, as well as the church’s vision for family life.
The Sydney leg of their tour also includes several events across the archdiocese, reflecting a growing recognition of the need to support families in a rapidly changing culture.
Parents at any stage of family life are encouraged to attend, whether they are raising young children or navigating the teenage years.
Fr Miechels said the investment of time is small compared to the potential impact.
“Even a couple of days like this can make a lasting difference,” he said. “It can shape not only your relationship with each other now, but the faith, future and wellbeing of our children.”
Registrations are now open for the 8–9 May Messy Families course and retreat at sydneycatholic.org/events/the-messy-family-project-tour.
