Finding My Purpose: a new reflection day to uncover your gifts, your passions and the purpose they point to
Part of Mary MacKillop Spirituality Ministry’s new suite of Spirituality programs
Mary MacKillop Spirituality Ministry (MMSM) has launched a new suite of spirituality programs across its Centres, designed to meet people where life finds them. Bookings are now open for Finding My Purpose, a one-day reflection day at two of our Centres: Adelaide on Saturday 14 November 2026, and the Central Coast on Saturday 21 November 2026.
When you’re not sure where you’re headed
Most of us reach a point where we stop and wonder whether we’re on the right track. It might be a new season of life, a change in work or family, or a quiet sense that something is missing. We can spend years climbing the ladder, only to find it’s been leaning against the wrong wall.
Finding My Purpose begins from the promise in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
This day is for anyone wondering where they belong, what their gifts and passions are, how to make sense of their story so far, or what their next chapter should be built on. It starts with a simple conviction. The spiritual and the practical aren’t separate parts of life, so finding real purpose means holding them together.
A day of discovery and discernment
The day progresses through six movements: arrival, awakening, reframing, discovery, discernment, and response. Through story, prayer and reflection, participants are invited to look honestly at where they are, recognise the gifts they’ve been given, and listen for how those gifts might be calling them forward. The focus is practical. You leave with decisions you can act on as well as fresh insight.
Those who attend come away with:
- A secure starting point for the road ahead
- Clarity on their gifts and passions, and how they’re being called
- One or two key life decisions that bring together the spiritual and the practical
- A renewed sense of purpose, direction and joy
Your facilitator
Br (Dr) Barry Donaghue cfc leads the day. He has studied and taught in 13 countries around the world, and holds degrees in arts, teaching, education, adult religious education, theology and group dynamics. Barry was Director of Prairiewood EcoSpirituality Centre and Providence Spirituality Centre in the United States. He is an experienced retreat facilitator, a qualified spiritual director, and a labyrinth presenter, with a deep understanding of how people grow and find their way.
Part of something bigger
Finding My Purpose is a new program, developed specifically for our community in response to National Church Life Survey research. It is shaped to welcome people wherever they are on their faith journey, from those just starting out to those fully immersed, and whether they see themselves as religious, spiritual, or spiritual but not religious. The wider suite includes reflection days on change and transition, the spirituality of walking pilgrimage, twilight sessions for young adults, a day retreat for men, and multi-day retreats on healing and letting go. Programs run across MMSM Centres in Adelaide, Baulkham Hills, the Central Coast, Hobart, Melbourne, Safety Bay and Williamstown.
The details
Adelaide
- When: Saturday 14 November 2026, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Where: Mary MacKillop Spirituality Centre, Adelaide
- Cost: Covered by The Mary MacKillop Fund (morning tea and lunch provided)
Central Coast
- When: Saturday 21 November 2026, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Where: Mary MacKillop Spirituality Centre, Central Coast
- Cost: $198 incl. GST (morning tea and lunch provided)
Both days
- What to bring: Comfortable clothes, walking shoes and a journal
- Perfect for: Anyone seeking renewed purpose and direction that holds their spiritual and practical life together
Bookings are open now. Places are limited.