ASSUMPTION OF MARY IS GOD’S PROMISE THAT NOTHING OF FAITH AND SERVICE WILL BE LOST
By Michelle Tan
Catholics congregate on 15 August each year to celebrate the feast of the Assumption of Mary. Across the Archdiocese of Perth, parishes held Masses to honour the Immaculate Mother of God, whose body and soul was elevated to heaven.
At St Mary’s Cathedral’s mid-day Mass, Perth Catholics took time out of their workday and braved the cold winter storm to remember the Virgin Mary.
The Mass was celebrated by Cathedral Dean, the Very Rev Dr Sean Fernandez, assisted by Deacon Greg Lowe.
In his homily for the occasion, Fr Sean described the Blessed Mother’s life of faith and service, as a role model for Catholics.
“In the Gospel, we hear the song of praise from the young woman, in whose body God took flesh. A young woman who spoke her yes to God with her mouth, and who lived her yes, in the service the child who came into her life.”
“This one woman who goes in love to serve her cousin, to share in her cousin Elizabeth's joy. This young woman who proclaims the mighty deeds of God in the Magnificat. She could not have known all the roles she was playing in God's plan. But she still had faith to proclaim the marvellous mercies of God.”
“This one woman who lived out this faith in service of God's plan. Every day she fed her child, she nurtured the child, shared her faith with her child, and she stood eventually as a disciple by the cross of her Son.” Fr Sean reflected that through the
assumption of Mary’s body and soul, nothing of her was lost and she is assumed into Heaven to be a sign of hope that God is triumphant.
“Nothing of our lives and relationships, nothing of the faith and hope we live out everyday, is lost with God.”
He reminded the faithful that we are called as disciples, “to be shaped by faith, hope and love. And we’re called to put our bodies and everything of us at the service of our brothers and sisters.”
Fr Sean concluded that “Mary's assumption is the promise that God will triumph. His kingdom will come. And that nothing of our love and faith, our service and compassion, the words we speak of forgiveness and love, the hands which we reach out to serve our brothers and sisters, will be lost, but will be raised to glory.”
Perth Catholics braving the cold winter storm to remember the Virgin Mary at St Mary’s Cathedral’s mid-day Mass on 15 August 2023. PHOTO: MICHELLE TAN.
BISHOPS’ STATEMENT CALLS FOR ‘NEW ENGAGEMENT’ WITH FIRST PEOPLES
Australia’s Catholic bishops have called on the nation to seek “a new engagement” with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in their annual Social Justice Statement being launched today.
Since the 1940s, the bishops have published annual statements that urge the Catholic community to reflect and act on social, economic and ecological issues.
The statements are published as a focal point for Social Justice Sunday, which will be marked on August 27 this year.
This year’s statement, Listen, Learn, Love: A New Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, was launched in Western Sydney on Thursday morning by Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Chair of the Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service.
“One of the objectives of this statement is that we want Catholics to understand that Catholic social teaching and Catholic social action are not simply theoretical and academic exercises,” Bishop Vincent
Long said.
“We hear what God is saying to us about justice by being with our sisters and brothers on the peripheries of society.”
While the Social Justice Statement is a teaching document of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, a large part of this year’s statement was written by members of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council. It is part of the message’s exhortation to “listen”.
“Listening is hard. Hearing about young people taking their lives, about so many people ending up in jail, of children still being taken away from their parents and grandparents and about the ongoing racism is tough,” Bishop Long said.
“It must be so much more difficult for these people to tell us about their painful experiences. We are deeply grateful to those who shared their stories of pain with us.”
The theme for this year’s statement was chosen in May 2022, well before the Voice to Parliament
referendum was mooted and before the timing of a vote was proposed.
While the bishops don’t suggest how people should vote, Bishop Long says “whatever the outcome of this year’s referendum, we ask the Church in Australia to make efforts to lead the way for our fellow Australians” in pursuing reconciliation.
“Our attitudes and actions towards First Nations Peoples need to be grounded in justice, love and humility,” he said.
“We need to listen with deep respect and learn from them about what needs to be done to improve their situations. We need to walk with them, day by day, and work with them to bring about change for the better – for their people and for all of us.
“Strengthening our relationship with our First Peoples is integral and indeed critical to the strengthening of the whole nation.”
Access the statement at: https:// socialjustice.catholic.org.au/
Plenary Council delegates participate in a Welcome to Country during the Second Assembly of the Fifth Plenary Council, July 2022. PHOTO:ACBC/FIONA BASILE.
AUSTRALIAN DELEGATION REASSURES UKRAINE OF PRAYERS DURING TOUR
A delegation from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has this month visited Ukraine in an expression of pastoral solidarity with the country’s people.
The tour of war-torn Ukraine, which took place from 8 to 11 August at the invitation of Bishop Mykola Bychok CSsR, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, was an important opportunity to witness first-hand the human experience of the ongoing war, and to hear from Church leaders and civilians where future humanitarian support might be best directed.
Accompanied and guided by Salvatorian Fr Adam Ziółkowski SDS, the delegation included Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli, Hobart Archbishop Julian Porteous, Port Pirie Bishop Karol Kulczycki SDS, Ukrainian Catholic Church Vicar-General Fr Simon Cjuk and
Melbourne Archdiocese Chancellor Annie Carrett.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Bishops Conference has strongly encouraged Catholic dioceses, eparchies, parishes, schools and other ministries to focus support towards the most vulnerable in Ukraine.
An advent appeal last year raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the country.
Globally, humanitarian assistance such as shelter, food and mental health support has reached more than 1.4 million people – much of this response largely possible due to a strong network and presence of Catholic churches and partner organisations.
The damages of war are far-reaching, and this war is not yet over.
“We were very mindful of not being a burden to anyone,” said Archbishop Comensoli.
“Watching this tragedy from afar, and offering financial support is one thing – but it is important that we hear and share the voices of those directly affected,” he said.
“This visit was about caring for our neighbour and personally offering a strength in friendship and prayer to the Ukrainian people.
“It was key for us to bring dimensions of faith, friendship and solidarity to this trip.
Archbishop Comensoli contined by explaining that wherever the delegation visited, they heard how important it was for the people to know of the prayers from afar.
“But, significantly, we repeatedly heard of their acknowledgment of the ‘courage’ to physically travel to the country and show that Ukrainians are not alone,” Archbishop Comensoli continued.
Members of the Australian delegation to Ukraine in front of a war-damaged building. PHOTO: SUPPLIED/ANNIE CARRETT.
NOTRE DAME PROUDLY PARTNERS WITH ACT BELONG COMMIT
The University of Notre Dame Australia has thrown its support behind the Act Belong Commit campaign as part of its ongoing commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of its staff and students. Notre Dame is one of three universities in Australia to partner with Act Belong Commit – an evidence-based health promotion campaign that encourages everyone to take action to improve their mental health and wellbeing. The long running and highly successful campaign emboldens people to stay active, keep connected and do something meaningful to protect their mental health.
The partnership will strengthen the work that is already being done at Notre Dame to support the university community, including the engagement initiatives in Student Life, Student Wellbeing, Chaplaincy, the library, student clubs and associations, Indigenous Student Support and Success, People and Culture and the schools.
Notre Dame Student Wellbeing Manager Sarah Lovegrove, and Health Sciences academics Associate Professor Ben Piggott and Doctor Jenny Conlon, said the campaign was closely aligned with the University’s focus on early intervention and prevention strategies.
“In response to increasing mental health concerns for students we developed the course Wellbeing Fundamentals for Success, which allows students to learn about evidence-based strategies to improve and maintain their mental health and wellbeing, while earning credit points towards their degree,” Professor Piggott said.
“The Act Belong Commit campaign was used as the framework of this course. It provides a simple and evidence-based message around being proactive and prioritising our mental health by putting these three words into action.”
“We hope this partnership will raise awareness of this important message among the students and staff at Notre Dame, in what is known to be a difficult period in tertiary education with the after-effects of COVID-19 still being felt.” Jenny said.
“We have seen the powerful beneficial effects of putting the Act Belong Commit message into action through teaching Wellbeing Fundamentals for Success, and we hope this can spread across the wider Notre Dame community.”
“We want each of our students and staff to flourish and to be the best version of themselves by practicing the principles of Act Belong Commit,” Sarah said.
“This involves being mentally, physically, culturally, socially and spiritually active.”
Staff and students can take the first step in boosting their mental health and wellbeing by completing an online interactive Mental Wellbeing Quiz.
Notre Dame Student Wellbeing Manager Sarah Lovegrove, and Health Sciences academics Associate Professor Ben Piggott and Doctor Jenny Conlon, said the campaign was closely aligned with the University’s focus on early intervention and prevention strategies. PHOTO: ADOBE.