Discovery - December 2006

How parents can beat the corrosive media and corporate influences over their children

- Pages 8 & 9

“That

Contents

Bateman parishioner Travers McLeod on winning the Rhodes Scholarship

Page 3

Servite College gets into the spirit of Christmas and donates to local families

Page 5

The greatest story ever told hits the big screen this Christmas season

Page 6

How parents can short-circuit the media and corrosive society

Page 8

Check out The Committee for Family and for Life’s winning logo

Page 11

Get ready for school holidays with plenty of movie reviews for the young and young at heart

Page 13

Great reading avaliable from The Record, on saints, parenting and more

Page 14

Sofia’s citizenship

■ By Sylvia Defendi

A life-long dream was realised for deceased eight-year-old Sofia Rodriguez Urrutia-Shu on November 10 when her parents received a unique citizenship certificate in recognition of Sofia’s contribution to the Australian community.

Sofia, who was murdered on June 26 at Livingston Shopping Centre this year, was due to participate in a citizenship ceremony with her family merely two days after the murder.

Her family courageously attended their citizenship ceremony on June 29 despite not having even seen Sofia’s remains.

“Attending our ceremony so close to her passing and not receiving her certificate was the first time the family came to terms with the fact that Sofia was no longer with us,” Sofia’s father, Gabrielle Rodriguez Urrutia-Shu told Discovery

The family left Hong Kong and migrated to Australia in 1995, where they cherished the space to raise their family.

In 2002 they were granted permanent residency and were eager to call Australia home.

“Sofia was particularly excited about the up-coming ceremony,” Mr Rodriguez Urrutia-Shu said, adding that she was perhaps the most ‘Australian’ of the family.

Discovery

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Hon Amanda Vanstone detailing the possibility of a special posthumous certificate.

Sofia was granted Australian citizenship on November 10 during a routine assembly at Mater Christi Primary School.

The 15-person official party included representatives of the major crime division of the WA police and of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (IMA).

Australian citizen,” Mr Mackay said. Principal at Mater Christi in Yangebup, Greg Stinton, said he felt honoured that Sofia’s parents requested the ceremony take place at the school Sofia attended.

“It was very appropriate that the certificate was awarded to Sofia’s family at the school, because that is where she would have been if she were still with us,” he said.

Acting as the family’s liaison officer, Detective Constable Christopher Page from the major crime squad was touched by the family’s citizenship ceremony and subsequently made a call to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, recounted Mr Rodriguez Urrutia-Shu.

Two months later, the family received a letter from Senator the

On behalf of Senator Vanstone, Bruce Mackay, WA state director of IMA, presented Mr Rodriguez Urrutia-Shu with Sofia’s certificate, which depicted the eight-yearold in school uniform and bore the phrase, “a beautiful child who would have been a fine Australian citizen.”

“Amanda Vanstone was particularly moved by the news of Sofia’s passing and the fact that she did not have a chance to accept her new citizenship, and felt it was particularly important to recognise the fact that Sofia would have become a proud and valued

Mr Stinton also mentioned that opportunities, such as these, helped the healing process for the whole community.

Mr Rodriguez Urrutia-Shu told Discovery that since Sofia’s passing Australia, Perth, Yangebup and even more specifically the Mater Christi Catholic Community have become home for his family.

“There was a real sense of belonging for us when we went through with our citizenship ceremony. Now Sofia belongs too,” he said.

Details and pictures of Sofia’s citizenship ceremony can be viewed on ‘Sofia’s Website,’ at: www.mcps.wa.edu.au/home/sofia.

Need help? It’s only a phonecall away

Why does talking help? Have you ever felt you’re in a bit of mess and don’t know where to start? Have you ever felt cornered by an important decision you had to make but no matter which way you looked at it, someone was going to be hurt, or, whatever way you looked at it, you could not see a reasonable solution? Fortunately, life does not stand still, and we’re continually growing and changing.

Psychologists tell us that in reality, it is not the problem that is the challenge, but the way we handle it.

At times, though probably rarely, some of us allow the problem to crush us and extinguish any joy or satisfaction we get out of life.

Luckily, many of us choose someone to talk to and generally we turn to a friend. Some people wait until their next appointment to the hair dresser or to their local GP or phone their parish priest. The basic goal is to find someone who is wiser or more knowledgeable, or who is simply willing to listen to us and point us

in the right direction. Sometimes if people are bogged down they need to talk to someone before they can see the next step. Some people just can’t find the right words or worse still, they think they have no right to use someone’s time or generosity to listen to them.

Yet, talking helps us not only to clarify our thoughts but it also frees our mental energy to mobilise new resources to our advantage until we find new ways of being or relating to problematic others or situations, so that we can increase our ability to love or to just become more tolerant.

More importantly, we allow others the opportunity to tell us that we matter and are worthy of the attention we need in our time of pain or confusion. Sometimes though, we know we need professional listening or counselling.

These are times when what is troubling us requires inner healing of feelings or memories, times when we are faced with life-changing options and decisions or simply because we need to make sure that our confidentiality is safe and we need

someone outside our familiar circle of friends and family who would help us look at whatever is troubling us in a more objective and non judgmental way.

Mamreh Counselling Service is a St John of God Health Care and Mercy Hospitals initiative and works in conjunction with Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey. Mamreh assists women, men and families who are struggling with issues of pregnancy like unplanned pregnancy or anxiety resulting from knowing that their baby may be born sick or defective, miscarriages and pre or post termination problems such as grief, depression, relationships or simply the inability to cope with daily life. Working closely with GPs, obstetricians and other medical specialists, Mamreh offers holistic, comprehensive, confidential and individualised counselling as well as assistance in directing and accessing medical, spiritual and psychological support for as long as necessary. Appointments can be made on 9444 5045.

Special: Sofia Rodriguez Urrutia-Shu’s family with her citizenship certificate.

Up, up and away for Rhodes Scholar

A Catholic upbringing played no small part in Travers McLeod winning the Rhodes Scholarship, but his journey is just beginning

■ By Anthony Barich

Former Bateman parishioner Travers McLeod will take the values learned in his Catholic upbringing into his career once he finishes his Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University.

Travers, 24, moved from Exmouth with his family aged 10 and attended Yidarra Primary before moving on to Corpus Christi College.

His passion is international law and relations, specifically related to human rights.

He was selected out of a list of six finalists from Western Australia who had dinner with Governor Ken Michael and his wife Julia at Government House on October 26. Within two hours he was announced the winner of the Rhodes Scholarship.

“My faith shaped the values that I hold dear – respect for individual

rights, equal justice under law and access to the law for all people,” said Travers, currently working in Canberra and Sydney for High Court Justice Michael Kirby.

“Part of what I’ll be studying at Oxford is the way in which individuals can vindicate the human rights belonging to them under law and in domestic court.

“Both Yidarra Catholic Primary School and Corpus Christi Catholic College played a crucial role in defining the person that I am today. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the education I received at those two schools.” His family were members at Bateman since they moved to Perth in 1993.

In about 1996 he met parish

priest Monsignor Michael Keating - an important figure in his life.

“When I went into year six at Yidarra, Mgr Keating always really pushed the involvement and participation of young people within the parish community, like through the World Youth Day attendance,” Travers said.

“The great spirit of Bateman is one that pervades the entire community there.” He finishes at the High Court at the end of June, when he will return to Perth and work at the state solicitor’s office in Perth before heading overseas.

When he graduates he wants to work in international law/relations, in Australian foreign policy and advocacy within the Australian legal system, and is looking to engage in those issues both in government and in the law.

But, even though it has been over a month since the big announcement, Travers still can’t believe it’s happened. “It’s still very surreal,” he said. “The next two weeks decide on courses and colleges, but I think it won’t sink in until next September when I go over.

“I’d be lying if I said it has sunk in yet because it certainly hasn’t.”

Travers completed his law/arts

degree at the University of WA last year and will travel to Oxford to begin his Masters in International Relations next September.

Mgr Keating, who was a referee for Travers for his Rhodes Scholarship application, was proud of his old protégé.

“Travers, in his relatively short life, has crammed a wealth of experience, but has maintained his basic attitudes and objectives,” Mgr Keating said.

“I believe that Travers’ Christian faith has given him a great desire to make the global village a better place for his being part of it.

“It gives him a strong sense of purpose and a belief in the equality of all people. “He is the sort of young person who gives older people like myself a great sense of hope for the future of our world.”

Mgr Keating welcomed Travers to Mass on October 29 while he was recently visiting Perth.

His parents Lyall and Gemma attended an assembly at Yidarra Catholic Primary School and the children learned about Cecil Rhodes and his scholarship.

Gemma McLeod read a touching message to the children from Travers.

PRAYERS I PRAY

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A full colour prayer book for Australian children of primary school age, containing well-known prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, etc.) and prayers for special people and occasions specific to our land, as well as prayers relating to the liturgical seasons and sacraments.

CATECHISMOFTHE CATHOLIC CHURCH

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Second (revised) pocket-sized edition of the complete text of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in accordance with the official Latin text promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1997. It includes a glossary of terms.

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JOURNEYING: A BEGINNER’S GUIDETOTHE BIBLE

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The author of Through Ecological Eyes highlights the ecological wisdom in the Bible, includes a consideration of Christ and creation, and rounds off with an examination of ecological insights in the Christian tradition down the ages. Most significantly, Through Ecological Eyes offers a sensible and considered reflection on the environmental crises Australians face.

Brothers in arms: Mgr Keating and his protege Travers McLeod.

Mars missions, gadgets and space

■ By Ben Goodsell, Trinity College Yr 12 Student

On July 21 this year, during a sweating summer day, I stepped off Continental flight CO47 and wandered into another airport.

Months before, the possibility of such an event occurring had never even entered my mind.

Every year, since 1994, students numbering anywhere between 30 and 60 venture from countries around the world and gather in Houston, Texas, USA to be a part of the ISS: the International Space School.

This year it was my turn to represent my country and my school at the 2006 ISS.

After 55 long and sleep-deprived hours, more than half of which were spent flying the Perth-Brisbane-Los Angeles-Houston route, I met my host family, and quickly came to enjoy every second of my experience in Houston.

Lessons took place at the University of Houston Clear Lake, during the American summer break, each day from 8am until 5pm.

During the first week the students got to know one another and soon became involved in activities that either dealt with team building

skills, or promoted American culture.

On the weekend we all enjoyed a Culture Fest where typical cultural foods were exchanged and activities

gave us a sense of the identity and culture of the group.

It was during the second week that we really had to get down to work: our task was to design a

manned mission to Mars. We were split into four groups dealing with different aspects of the mission: mission logistics; getting there; working there; and living there.

We had lectures throughout the two weeks presented by astronauts, engineers and postgraduate students.

Each informed us on the many challenges that we would have to encounter when going to Mars.

We also toured NASA facilities at the Johnson Space Centre. We had to put our scientific knowledge, research skills, organisational skills, team working ability, and computing skills to the test.

After working exceedingly efficiently, for those four single days that we had, we finally succeeded in producing an entire mission.

My experience in Houston was amazingly perfect and was one that is individually unique.

I wish next year’s candidate(s) good luck; it will become clear to them that the ISS experience is one that they have never had and will never have again.

I thank everyone at Trinity College for their support and hope that Astronomy will come to play a bigger part in the life of the college in years to come.

In brief…

Educated procreate en masse

Educated women typically intend to have more children than the less educated but their lives do not turn out as planned, says Australian National University researcher Yu Peng. “Women with a degree or year 12 education expect to have approximately 60 per cent more children in the future than the least educated women with similar characteristics,” says Mr Yu. Well-educated men, on the other hand, have similar lifetime fertility rates to less educated men, although they tend to have children later. Mr Yu suggests educated women are more willing to have children than previously thought, because they can “afford to have more children” - given that they have higher earning power and tend to marry men with higher incomes. But factors such as more efficient use of contraception and later marriage or failure to find a partner, throw their plans out.

- Sydney Morning Herald

Experience of a lifetime

The clear, dark skies of Walpole in southwest WA paved the way for Trinity College year 12 student, Ben Goodsell, who was selected to represent Australia on a unique voyage to the NASA International Space School in July.

Ben’s journey to NASA began many years ago as he wondered at the starry skies, while his father conducted treetop walks in the dark of night. Years later, a student at Albany Senior High School, Ben was alerted by a friend to a scholarship offered by Trinity College. He suddenly found himself boarding in Perth for most of his year 11 schooling and the entirety of year 12, which is when his fascination with astronomy took off.

“Astronomy is taken very seriously at Trinity, and we feel Ben has been one of the best we have encountered so far. He will undoubtedly go very far in his science career,”

said Observatory Administrator at Trinity College, William Cooper.

And far he went as he worked on complex problems, among 30 of the most talented students from around the world, during his two and a half week stay in America.

“Essentially, this experience highlighted just how far I can go with my career in astronomy and the many opportunities that lie beyond our shores,” Ben told Discovery

Working on the marvels of space and the universe, Ben said that the wonder of God as creator was ever present. In the future, Ben sees himself working in Europe at a particle accelerator facility, or at NASA working in the field of spacecraft propulsion.

For the moment though, Ben has his sights set on the not too distant future, which sees him studying astronomy at Curtin University in Bentley.

Representing Aus: Ben Goodsell at NASA Space Centre in Texas.

■ By Sylvia Defendi

Hands on: An instructor explains the workings of the VASIMR plasma propulsion engine.

Jumping into the spirit

Assisting the needy this festive season, Servite College decided Christmas was more about giving than receiving.

■ By Sylvia Defendi

Servite College in Tuart Hill certainly got into the true spirit of Christmas this year, as each student collected food, games and toys to donate to Perth’s needy.

Servite’s young St Vinnie’s representatives donated over 40 hampers to the charity, who will deliver the goods to 20 needy families in nearby suburbs.

“One of the best things about this initiative is that these hampers will go to families living around our school. We knew we were helping the needy in our own back yard,” said Servite student, Jessica Pratarelli. Servite’s young St Vinnie’s approached service learning and liturgy coordinator Sr Kathy Kettle, with the proposition to donate hampers after an interschool young St Vinnie’s meeting. Soon the idea had spread across the school and had become the mission of each religious education class.

“When we read the descriptions of our designated families, we saw that many had young children or grandchildren. We wanted them to open presents on Christmas day, not just canned food,” said fellow student, Nicole Pfeifhofer.

The students then contacted Rebecca Callaghan, youth development officer for the St Vincent De Paul Society, requesting the age and gender of each child, so that appropriate gifts could be purchased.

Suddenly, large stuffed toys, dolls and an array of sports equipment filled the hampers to capacity.

The hampers were left in classrooms for approximately two weeks and were filled so quickly that many RE classes ended up donating more than one hamper to their designated family.

“As you learn more about their

hardships as well as the age and gender of their children, you find yourself becoming very attached to the family,” said student, Joseph Gosatti.

Student Michelle Pfeifhofer said that Christmas was a time for all to celebrate, whether needy or fortunate, adding that the students wanted those who are needy within the community to celebrate Christmas much the same way students at the college would.

However, as student Lisa-Marie Martino noted, the students gave much more than material gifts.

“Most of all this is a gift of love, of knowing that there are people who are thinking about you during

the festive season,” she said. After two weeks in each classroom hampers of all shapes and sizes were collected by Ms Callaghan at the college assembly on November 13. Some hampers even had goods packed into washing baskets so that the package could be used long after its contents had disappeared.

“At Servite College, it is our mission to serve. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to serve others and know you made a difference to someone’s life during this festive season,” stated year 8 and 9 RE teacher Damian Stefanoff.

Spokesman for the St Vincent De Paul Society, Brian Bull said that the hampers assist in making the, at

times forgotten, Christmas spirit of giving more tangible.

“This year, the support from young people has been amazing. At this point in the Christmas Appeal, young people are leading the way in donations,” he said.

Almost 70 schools across the state have donated to the Christmas Appeal this year, some of which will continue to do so until the end of term.

“Perhaps most important, donating through the hamper system helps break down poverty stereotypes as students learn about the varying situations which can lead to a need for assistance,” concluded Mr Bull.

In brief…

Eating disorder cults

A proliferation of websites promoting anorexia as a lifestyle choice has alarmed health professionals in New Zealand. Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder affecting an estimated three in every 1000 females. It is considered the most lethal of all mental illnesses. Yet an internet community exists to support and promote the illness as a lifestyle, referring to anorexia as “ana” and bulimia as “mia”.

-

The Press (Christchurch, NZ)

Childhood delays

Women who delay having children could be reducing their daughters’ chances of having a child, according to new American research. A study of 80 women undergoing fertility treatment shows those who failed to conceive had older mothers than those who succeeded. These mothers had a smaller “window of fertility” between giving birth to their daughters and hitting the menopause.

Loving maths

- NZ Herald

Self-esteem is not as important as American teachers think, according to a report from the Brookings Institute. They found that 6 per cent of Korean eighth-graders expressed confidence in their maths skills compared with 39 per cent of US eighth-graders. Yet Koreans scored ahead of their peers in the US, raising questions about the importance of selfesteem. In Japan, 14 per cent of maths teachers said they aim to connect lessons to students’ lives, compared with 66 per cent of US maths teachers.

- Washinton Post

Serving the needy: Jessica Pratarelli and Joseph Gosatti (back), get ready to give with fellow students, Lewis Penny, LisaMarie Martino and Nicole and Michelle Pfeifhofer.

Photo: Sylvia Defendi

The greatest story ever told begins

■ By David DiCerto

In an effort to reach as wide a market as possible, most Christmasthemed movies come gift-wrapped in a secular brand of sentimentality that completely misses the true meaning of the holy day. But Hollywood finally gets it right with "The Nativity Story" (New Line).

From the opening strains of the soundtrack - hints of the Advent hymn "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" - you know you're in good hands.

A composite of the birth narrative accounts in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, embroidered with apocryphal traditions as well as the imaginative inspiration of the filmmaker, the Bible story gets prestigious treatment in director Catherine Hardwicke's artful, reverent and deeply affecting retelling.

The film has an excellent international cast and impressive

production design similar to that of "The Passion of the Christ," the financial success of which no doubt paved the way for this movie. (Without the blood and

controversy, however, "The Nativity Story" should appeal to an even wider audience.) Filmed in Materathe ancient Italian town where Mel Gibson shot "The Passion" - and

Morocco, it opens with prophecyparanoid King Herod (Ciaran Hinds) plotting to kill all the male babies in Bethlehem.

Flashing back a year, Zechariah (Stanley Townsend) is told by an angelic voice that his wife Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo), though advanced in age, will bear a son.

In Nazareth, her young cousin, Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes), a peasant girl - still practically a child and living under the daily uncertainties of Roman occupation - is informed by her parents, Anna and Joaquim (Hiam Abbass and Shaun Toub), that she is to marry Joseph (Oscar Isaac), an upright carpenter a few years her senior.

having to deal with the disparaging looks of neighbours, the threat of stoning and the incredulity of her own parents. Her mother even hints at rape.

Particularly touching is a scene in which Mary sits alone at night pondering why God has chosen her ("I am nothing," she sighs).

Likewise, Isaac soulfully essays Joseph with an empathetic decency, as he quietly shoulders his appointed responsibility, while troubled by an abiding sense of inadequacy.

As to the birth of Jesus, it's all there: the shepherds, the Wise Men, etc. Despite some greetingcard gloss, cloying sentimentality is avoided.

Throughout the film, Hardwicke never waters down the religious elements to make the story more palatable for nonbelievers, most clearly demonstrated when she has one of the Magi proclaim the radical truth of the Incarnation by declaring that the infant is "God made into flesh".

Troubled over her betrothal to "a man I hardly know, a man I do not love," Mary withdraws to a nearby grove where the Annunciation, nicely handled, takes place, with Alexander Siddig personifying the angel Gabriel who reveals she will give birth to Jesus. Meanwhile in Persia, the three Magi set out to follow the star westward (explained here as a rare convergence of Venus, Jupiter and an astral body).

What is described with only a few

In a poignant moment that inextricably links the manger to the cross, his fellow traveller - after his companions have presented

lines in Luke's Gospel becomes the meat of the film, as Joseph and Mary undertake the arduous journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, battling sandstorms, treacherous terrain, hunger and, while passing through Jerusalem, thieves.

Along the way, Hardwicke, raised Presbyterian, weaves in references that foreshadow events in Christ's life: Mary washing Joseph's feet; Joseph expressing anger over merchants in the Temple courtyard; a roadside crucifixion.

their gifts of gold and frankincense - tearfully offers the Christ Child myrrh "for his sacrifice," portending Jesus' atoning death.

Astute eyes will catch the shot of one of Herod's minions scouring the abandoned cavelike stable after the holy family has fled to Egypt and finding a swaddling cloth draped over the vacant manger, presaging the empty tomb.

Though placed differently from Luke's Gospel, Mary's "Magnificat" is incorporated by Hardwicke in a way that's most effective.

In a more symbolic allusion, during a river crossing, Mary is imperiled by a snake, echoing the serpent of Eden.

Though the New Testament is sparse on details about Mary and Joseph, the thoughtful screenplay of Mike Rich, a practising Christian, manages to flesh them out while remaining faithful to Scripture, beautifully suggesting the humanity beneath the halos.

Castle-Hughes conveys maturity well, playing Mary with all the anxieties that anyone would have in her extraordinary situation while

Amid the Christmas pageant elements, there are a few brief images (the slaughter of the innocents, for example) that may upset very young children. Both Mary's and Elizabeth's painful labour are vividly depicted.

The film's hopeful message should resonate beyond Christian audiences to a world still groaning for peace and good will.

The film contains some violent images. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I - general patronage.

Innocence: Keisha Castle-Hughes stars as Mary the Mother of God.

With friends: Keisha Castle-Hughes, right, as Mary.

Remember this face

■ By Mark Pattison, CNS

Not too many people are likely to recognise Oscar Isaac, the actor who plays Joseph in the new movie "The Nativity Story." Apart from a couple of TV guest roles and a minor part in a four-year-old movie, he hasn't been seen on either the big or the small screen.

That could change after the November 30 Australian release of "The Nativity Story."

Mary is portrayed by Keisha Castle-Hughes, who at age 12 was the youngest person to receive an Oscar nomination for best actress for her role in "Whale Rider," and Elizabeth is portrayed by Shohreh Aghdashloo, likewise Oscarnominated for her role in "House of Sand and Fog." But aside from them the rest of the cast is virtually unknown.

"I think it was a smart move to not have people who are very recognisable in the film - which was helpful for me," Isaac said with a laugh.

Isaac agrees with the notion that a certain kind of interior uplift takes place within an actor when working on a spiritually oriented project.

"The first play I was ever in was 'Godspell,'" said the Guatemalanborn Isaac, referring to a musical derived from the Gospel According to Matthew.

"It's important to make a film, whether it's a football movie, or a hockey movie, or one about the army, or one on race car drivers,” he said in Washington.

“I try to immerse myself completely in it.” He hopes the audience connects with his character from "the opening note" of the film. Isaac spent two months filming "The Nativity Story" in Italy and Morocco, and a month before that he was in what he called "Bible camp," learning how to work and carry himself as a Judean during the time of Augustus Caesar.

"Keisha had one (consultant) who taught her how to milk goats. I had one who taught me how to use firstcentury tools," Isaac said. "I was actually building that stone house

in the film. So when you saw all those cuts and scrapes and bruises on my hands, that wasn't acting."

What Isaac called "the normal challenges", heat and weather, "didn't bug me," he said. "The other challenge - figuring out how to make the people real - it certainly is difficult when you're playing these icons. They were flesh and blood."

The New Testament accounts of the Nativity say little about Mary and less about Joseph, posing a considerable obstacle for two actors who expected to carry the bulk of a 93-minute theatrical film. An unusual aspect about "The Nativity

History made as Vatican to host Nativity Story

“The Nativity Story” is set to become the first feature film ever to premiere at the Vatican.

The premiere, to be held at the Vatican’s Aulo Paolo VI (Pope Paul VI Hall) on November 26, will be attended by the cast and crew with 7000 invited guests of the Vatican and will serve as a benefit, with contributions going toward construction of a school in the village of Mughar, Israelwhich has a diverse population of Christians, Muslims, and Druze and is located approximately 40km from Nazareth.

“We are very proud of ‘The Nativity Story’ and extremely grateful that the Vatican has embraced the film in this way,” said Rolf Mittweg, president of New Line Cinema.

“We believe it is the perfect venue to present the film’s universal message of hope and faith, a message we are sure will resonate around the world.”

“The Nativity Story” chronicles the arduous journey of two people, Mary and Joseph, a miraculous pregnancy, and the history-defining birth of Jesus. The film opens in time for Christmas.

Getting animals to follow script

■ By Carol Glatz, CNS

The hardest part about making a movie about Mary, Joseph and the birth of Jesus is convincing the animals to follow the script.

Herds of sheep, goats, a soaring hawk, ornery oxen, a baby calf, caravaning camels and pack donkeys all feature in a new film, "The Nativity Story" .

Digital technology has made putting a shooting star and hovering angels on celluloid a cinch, but convincing an ox to kneel and bow before the baby Jesus in a manger proved to be an ordeal, crew members told journalists during filming in this southern Italian city.

Because animals are more used to doing improv than following stage direction, sheep wranglers and ox whisperers were hired to help with filming, and local Italian shepherds were hired to play the shepherds in the movie.

But the shepherds' real-life skills in steering sheep were sorely challenged as director Catherine Hardwicke called for several retakes, urging them to keep their furry flocks on a particular path and not to run over Mary and Joseph as they crested a hill.

He said he was inspired to write the screenplay after seeing Time and Newsweek put the Nativity of Christ on the cover of their 2004 Christmas issues.

However, he said he felt the story of the Nativity had always been presented as an "event-based" story: what happened and when, with little about how the protagonists lived their faith.

After months of research and input from religious scholars, Rich started writing what he called "a character-based story."

"Talk about limited source material," he said, noting that the only description of Joseph he found in the Bible was that "he was a righteous man."

Rich, a nondenominational Christian from Beaverton, Oregon, said though his story was speculative he still sought to keep it faithful to the spirit of the biblical account.

The result is that the young Mary, played by 16-year-old Oscar nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes ("Whale Rider"), and Joseph, played by a 26-year-old graduate of Julliard in New York, Oscar Isaac, leap to life on the scripts' pages.

Hopefully, Rich said, they also come to great life on the screen.

Story" was that it was given the goahead for production on December 1, 2005 - exactly one year prior to its US premiere. "That's the part that feels compressed," Isaac said, noting he had completed another film role before "The Nativity Story" and is still waiting for that movie, called "The Half Life of Timofey Berezin," to reach theatres.

The "Nativity" film set was "a mini-United Nations," Isaac said. Castle-Hughes is from New Zealand, Aghdashloo hails from Iran, and of course Isaac was born in Guatemala though raised in the United States.

The film by New Line Cinema, which brought us "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, was shot in the ancient city of Matera, the same rocky, mountaintop city where Mel Gibson filmed "The Passion of the Christ."

The city is famous for its ancient "sassi" or carved-out-of-the-rock neighbourhoods and its cream yellow, limestone-walled streets.

As the city's historical centre poses a striking similarity to what Jerusalem might have looked like 2000 years ago, directors chose Matera. Scriptwriter Mike Rich said he wanted the story to flesh out who Mary and Joseph were and what emotions they must have felt as they faced the immense responsibilities God entrusted to them.

Hardwicke said that when she first saw the script's title she thought it would not be interesting because she knew the story of Jesus' birth "backward and forward."

But she said she was "intrigued because the writer got inside the heart and soul" of the characters.

She said that in directing the movie she tried to build on making the characters seem real on the screen so people could easily identify with them and see how ordinary people, like Mary and Joseph, were able to take such a huge leap of faith.

Co-producer Marty Bowen, a Catholic raised in Texas, said that growing up he always put Mary "up on a pedestal". "The Nativity Story" is trying to make Mary real, Bowen said.

Put your trust in the service, understanding and gentle compassion of an Oakwood Funeral.

And talk to Jackie or Don to arrange a funeral or discuss your pre-paid options.

Father figure: Oscar Isaac’s star should soar for playing Joseph.

How parents can short-circuit the media and the Corrosive Society (and introduce their children to what’s good in life)

Turning the tables

Medical warning: those determining policy in media and entertainment institutions in Perth should not read any further. Indigestion may result. If the problem persists, see a doctor.

Parents in Australia now have challenges facing them today unlike anything experienced in recent history, especially when it comes to leading their children towards fulfilment in life.

And hardly anyone pretends anymore that corrosive forces like the media, Hollywood and the internet are not effectively working to replace the values and sacrifices of previous generations with their own agendas. And the forces they are bringing to bear on their target markets are considerable.

But help is at hand and answers are available. Parents should not lose heart.

This is not to say that all media and entertainment are bad. They’re not.

But the reality is that the advertising industry, the general mediaincluding the so-called men’s and women’s magazines - the Internet and the popular forms of entertainment such as much contemporary music, and Hollywood, are (a) extremely powerful formative influences in the life of the young, and (b) are offering a consistently reckless but alluring message about how they should live their lives.

This situation can be dealt with by parents. It’s our job, after all.

Take TV. Think of the values proposed by some of the most influential and top-rating shows on television which form the staple of what is viewed by families; Big Brother, Days of Our Lives Jerry Springer Grey’s Anatomy Temptation Island, Ricki Lake The Bold and the Beautiful, Las Vegas, Neighbours, South Park, NCIS Queer as Folk, Oprah, Family Guy

If you’re in doubt, think of the messages that women’s magazines offer girls as ‘the way to be.’

‘Pornography for women’ is the best description for some of the biggest circulating publications in Australia and overseas.

But does anyone know that less than five per cent of what is published in women’s magazines is actually true?

And when it comes to celebrities,

the bet is that none of it is true.

That’s the estimate of the President of the Media, Entertainmemnt and Arts Alliance in Western Australia, shared in a recent lecture given to Journalism students at Edith Cowan University in Semester Two this year.

The same goes for ‘men’s magazines’, which are simply pornography for men, some pretty brutal, some more sophisticated.

“...does anyone know that less than five per cent of what is published in women’s magazines is actually true?

That’s the estimate of the President of the Media, Entertainmemnt and Arts Alliance in Western Australia, shared in a recent lecture given to Journalism students at Edith Cowan University in Semester Two this year...”

These are some of the reasons why parents must be the one thing young people can safely depend on.

Defining the problem

But before parents can turn the tables on the social conveyors of trash (albeit occasionally sophisticated trash) they need to diagnose the problem.

The two aspects of the problem are: (a) peer pressure and (b) the media and entertainment industries. They are inextricably linked: the first problem is created by the second.

The problem has been compounded by the ignorance of families, particularly parents, about how to neutralise this sophisticated pressure. Parents must understand that what is at work here is something extremely powerful.

For young people the desire to be part of the group, with similar values, fashions and interests, is one of life’s highest priorities. Even the rebels are part of highly-conforming groups with uniform fashions and values.

What this means is that in a society which is now postChristian and dismissive of belief in religious faith (unless, apparently, it’s embraced by a rock star) any child known to be from a believing Christian family, much less one that takes its faith seriously, faces a likely future of substantial isolation among peers at school, regardless of what education system the child is enrolled in.

This peer pressure will become stronger and more persuasive as the child becomes a teenager.

And parents should be prepared to understand that unless this powerful pressure is neutralised their children will usually go with it, rather than against it.

So how do you beat the Corrosive Society?

Finding answers

Simply - but with effort, is the short answer. If peer pressure is the key means these institutions use to create and sustain their market – and remember, to them our children are their market – then the solution is replacing peer pressure (or part of it) with something much better: other families.

Three simple steps involve:

■ informative spiritual and ethical formation for parents;

that God really is our father and that we really are daughters and sons of God, and that, like Peter and Susan, Edmund and Lucy in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe we really are destined for Paradise – is an entirely normal thing.

To pray, and to believe in prayer, is therefore also normal.

What they will see, especially as they see the growing consequences of having no faith and no effective values operating in other’s lives, is that it’s not Christians who have a problem – it’s others. Here are some suggestions:

■ Families can gather, say, once a month. They can invite their local parish priest (give him some notice) to talk for 30 minutes or so as part of an ongoing program of formation for parents in the reality of what it is to be a Christian adult. Some discussion or questioning can take place.

Or, if he has a genuine reason for being unavailable, ask for advice regarding who else might be available.

You’re looking for a priest who will be passionate about sharing his faith and knowledge and who understands what goals you are working for and who wants to help you.

Ask him to explain the Sacramental life at the heart of the Church to you in a series of short talks so that you can then share these with your children as they grow.

Priests can talk not just to parents, but are keen to give catechesis to our children.

For too long we, as families or as bureaucracies, have blocked them from teaching our children.

■ Families can associate regularly on a purely social basis outside of parenting meetings, simply allowing friendships to form between parents and between children.

These social events can also become informal opportunities for parents to compare and analyse the challenges of parenting, and suggest solutions.

We occasionally hear of Father-Son weekends but have you ever heard of a Father-Daughter weekend?

Here in Perth one such group of families who have taken their counter-

It can work: Parents who apply themselves seriously to the task of forming family life can hope for great rewards as their children grow into independent leaders rather than value-free followers of contemporary culture.

cultural role seriously organise numerous activities, mainly social, such as Father-Daughter weekends and Mother-Son weekends.

Some time later, they switch so that the girls can get together for a weekend and the boys can do the same as well.

tend to think for themselves.

Parents should see their job as, in part, the creation of independent young men and women.

■ informative practical help for parents as parents; and

■ the encouraging of friendships between families.

So what parents who take the vocation of parenting as serious work – their life’s work – need to do right now is to begin associating regularly with other families who have similar

faith and values. If a key part of the problem is peer pressure then the friendship and solidarity of associating with families with similar faith is definitely a significant part of the answer.

This means that parents must start looking for other families in their area or accessible to their location, with whom they can join in

addressing the challenges of family life and parenting.

What this means is that as your child grows older he or she will begin to experience the reality that to have well-defined values and standards and religious faith is completely normal.

For example, they can grow to know that to have faith – to know

■ They can then look at practical methods others have found succcessful in combatting peer pressure and the emptiness of the modern media and advertising industries. Reading an excellent resource like James Stenson’s Successful Fathers (see right), chapter by chapter as each meeting takes place would make a good start, allowing time briefly for discussion and questions. Then hold a barbecue afterwards where everyone can relax and chat. Parents should be fairly ruthless with their parish priest and refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer.

Remember, your parish priest is there to serve you - not the other way around.

Like the father of a family whose entire vocation is to serve his wife and children your local Priest is a father who is there to serve the baptised.

Resourcing Mum and Dad:

www.parentleadership.com - James Stenson’s excellent site for parents www.mercatornet - a new Melbourne-based media initiative. Excellent and informative resource for parents and teens who are interested in current events and entertainment. Interesting section on movies and current-release DVD in the entertainment section as well.

FamilyEdge e-zine – excellent fortnightly e-magazine carrying brief news items of interest to families, available through mercatornet.

Books - Available from discovery here in Perth. Some of these titles by innovative thinker and educator James Stenson have a religious/spiritual focus, but most are largely non-religious and accessible to people of faith or none at all. Excellent, short, easy to read focussing on the practical problems and challenges parents face as well as the solutions.

CDs - Parental Unity. Stenson’s Sydney 2005 lecture on the importance of mum and dad working as a team in raising children. Excellent, avail. from The Record and discovery - $10. CHOICEZ.COM.AU - Provides values-based sex education and lifestyle choices seminars plus training for young people, parents and teachers through CDs and DVDs. Website or phone (02) 6273-4608.

The Record and discovery, PO Box 75 Leederville WA 6902 cathrec@iinet.net.au Tel: (08) 9227 7080.

Growing Families Australia - Interdenominational group which provides assistance to parents through courses, books, DVDs, CDs, discussion groups and conferences. Ct: (08) 9446-1671 or (08) 9204-1625.

Such events are only one example of a wider range of activities such as hikes, barbecues, camping trips, outings, movies, picnics.

All of these can have an immense significance as families consciously choose to associate and allow friendships to form.

But there’s a hidden benefit as well.

As families associate, children form friendships too. This means that the corrosive peer factor at work in schools and our culture is replaced by friendships with other young people who have similar values.

Young people who share certain basic values can go out to a shopping mall, a movie or other social venues, once they get a bit older, much freer, much safer and much more resistant to the snickering leers of the typically uncivilised boys because their friends have basically the same values.

Friendship brings solidarity and, ultimately, helps to bring happiness and fulfilment.

And as they grow in security, they also grow in confidence and independence.

Instead of becoming sheep they

Here is another essential ingredient in beating the Corrosive Society and its media.

By forming strong social links with a common foundation of family life, faith and life-long values, parents can negate the harmful influences with something that aces all of them – friendship.

As families associate, growing in their faith and in good values, they will find that they are becoming revolutionary and seditious towards the values of Corrosive Society, presenting it with something it has no answer to: a discerning audience that refuses to be used for its benefit.

In other words, families will be light-years out in front of the very people who think that they, not ordinary men and women, are the most important.

The challenge facing families today is to become counter-cultural. It’s an exciting job for parents and can have huge rewards for your children, who are more likely to grow up with character that makes the difference not just in their lives – but in others’ as well.

Unity is great: Parents who decide on a joint approach to raising children, working things out together, increase their effectiveness by adopting a united front.

The Committee for Family and for Life

This is the second edition of the Committee for Family and For Life's (CFFFL) newsletter in Discovery, to share what is available in the diocese and encouarage and support families.

Mothers in, all for one and one for all

Clare Evans, Carol Bond and Jan and Talma Eva have three different religious backgrounds and affiliations. They come from Catholic, Anglican and Uniting traditions, but they have three things very much in common.

They all live in Brookton, 138 kms from Perth. They all have children and they all belong to a Mother’s Prayer Group in Brookton that was set up in April this year.

Their stories, though different, have this common thread.

All four women have to deal in some ways with the ups and downs of rural life, such as below average yields, exorbitant fuel and fertilizer costs, the rise and fall of grain, wool and meat prices, not to mention drought, dry seasons and the occasional flood.

Everything in this country town depends on community spirit. Most of the services available are staffed by volunteers.

Emergency Services, the fire brigade, St John Ambulance, and even the local newspaper is written, typed, printed and folded by volunteers.

Jan and her husband Lindsay were born in Brookton and except for the few years Jan spent at high school and nursing training they have lived in Brookton all their lives on a mixed farm and raising their three children.

Brookton, like other rural areas, “just out of the big city”, also attracts hobby farmers and retiring people looking for a life change.

Brookton’s population is now about 1000 but unfortunately some of the newer residents are reluctant to get involved, especially if they see Brookton as a place of retreat and rest.

“This puts enormous pressure on the local shire because services still have to be provided,” said Jan, who is an Anglican. “We have a doctor in town only two days a week, and no pharmacy or dentist.

Our rectory is empty because we can’t afford to pay a priest.

“We have a church service about twice a month and unfortunately sometimes we have a congregation of three people.”

Clare Evans was born in Perth and thought long and hard about living in the country before marrying her husband Ross.

She is certainly happy about her decision. Ross and Clare have a farm west of Brookton. They have four surviving children.

“We are very lucky, “ Clare said. “We have the Norbertine Fathers, for example, Fr Stephen Cooney, who comes to Brookton or Pingelly every Sunday for Mass even though there is only a small congregation of eight to 15 people.

Carol Bond and her husband David have lived in the Brookton district for 58 years.

They had three children. Unfortunately their 19-year-old son was killed in a car accident.

Carol and David met at activities organised by Junior Farmers when they were teenagers. Carol herself grew up in what is termed “Holy City” the little railway settlement at Aldersyde, 25 miles east of Brookton. “Everyone went to

school together, church together and socialised together,” Carol said.

“In Brookton, we’ve had no resident minister for the Uniting Church since 2000.”

“We rely on a number of visitors. You miss the sense of church and the spirituality that it brings, but we have 10 to 12 people turn up regularly.”

Talma and Jim Eva’s association with Brookton is equally long and involved. They attend the Catholic Church. They, too, have three grown up children. So how did these women get together for a common purpose?

As with all mothers, they are concerned for their children, many of whom have to leave the rural areas to find work away.

Of course, the children then marry and have grandchildren, all away from their original home in the country.

Clare Evans was visiting Perth and went to church at Holy Spirit in City Beach one Sunday. Veronica Williams, a mother from England who started Mothers Prayers was speaking at the Mass.

Clare said “I was really inspired. I felt that Veronica had received a

Archdiocesan Committee for Family and for Life Newsletter, through Discovery, can be downloaded from the internet. Go to the Perth Archdiocesan homepage www.perthcatholic.org.au, click "organisations", then click "ecclesiastical organisations", then click "Committee for Family and for Life". The Newsletter is available in alternate formats, Braille, Plain English text and on audio tape by contacting Natalie on 9242 4066 at the L.J.Goody Bioethics Centre.

very special message from God. The idea of mothers praying together for their children all over the world was something every mother could do.

“I thought, I could do that with other mothers in Brookton.” Clare waited six months and finally at a regional meeting for World Day of Prayer in March 2006 she raised the idea of forming a Mothers Prayer Group in Brookton.

“With assistance from Barbara Locke and Veronica Peake, local co-coordinator of Mothers Prayers,

seven mothers from Brookton from different religious denominations meet each week.

“The common threads are our children and our faith in God,” said Clare. She said, “the fact that you know that there are mothers all over the world praying for their children wherever they are, is a great source of strength, comfort and solidarity.”

Further information about Mothers Prayers is available from Veronica Peake on 9447 0671.

HAVE YOU GOT YOUR COPY YET?

Geraldine Lee, a school liaison officer for several schools in the Eastern suburbs works with students and parents. She has come into contact with families who need access to organisations which may be able to assist in situations of stress and need.

Geraldine said at first she was giving a copy of the Family Resource Kit to each family when the need arose. There was such a demand for the Kit, which through its user friendly format, gives a quick and easy to find reference for each particular need, that she had requests from teachers who found it invaluable. They refer parents on when they need more assistance than the schools are capable of giving.

The Family Resource Kit, at a cost of $2 per copy, has found its way into schools, parishes, and family and chaplaincy organisations and is available through the L J Goody Bioethics Centre, 39 Jugan St Glendalough. Phone: 9242 4066.

Hard workers: Clare Evans, Carol Bond, Jan and Talma Eva.

We have a winner

The Committee For Family and For Life (CFFFL) has a logo.

“We were surprised at the high standard of a number of the entries”, said Barbara Harris.

“It is a reality that ‘family’ today can mean different things to different people.

“For some people their family is a single parent one. For others being with family can mean splitting one’s life between parents.

“Mr Mum” where the husband stays home and the wife goes to work is not uncommon.

“Choosing a logo that embraces all families was a difficult choice, but we do have a winner”.

Anne Cobai, from Karrinyup was presented with a cheque for $300 by Perth’s Archbiship Barry Hickey on behalf of the CFFFL at the Bio-ethics Centre in Glendalough on November 23.

The design clearly shows family and our connectedness.

Anne won $300 kindly donated by John Hughes Mitsubishi.

Barbara said: “We had very generous donations so we were able to give a number of encouragement awards.

Second prize, $100, donated by the Knights of the Southern Cross,

was won by Reuben Brennan of Spearwood.

Encouragement awards were presented to Charlotte Plumpton of Butler, $100 donated by Gatto’s Christian Shop; Krystle Pingault of Greenwood, $100 donated by Knights of the Southern Cross; Carina McPherson of Stirling, $100 donated by Stefanelli Sawmillers and Henry Giblin of

Kalgoorlie the best from a country parish or school, $100 donated by Gatto’s Christian Shop.

Kerri Sorgiovanni, chairperson of the CFFFL said, “We look forward to using our logo on our stationery and in our publications.”

The Committee would like to thank all those who submitted entries and those who donated the prizes.

The competition

Real families, real situations at feast

“From the ashes of tragedy rises new hope and new life.”

How many times have we read something like that and how many times have we thought we would see it ourselves?”

In the parish of St Denis in Joondanna, the recent death of an otherwise healthy Kindy kid caused a number of people, Catholics and non-Catholics, to think and question their faith.

It is very easy to put forward answers that you learn from the catechism. And yet in the face of this death, of this child, at this time, there were many more questions than answers.

In the aftermath of the death there was a huge outpouring of love for the family. Underneath all of this love there was still a questioning.

What is it that I really believe?

With the cooperation of the school and parish, two faith sharing nights were arranged.

St Denis School assistant principal Therese Hussey said: “Evangelisation is a key element of our mission and purpose in Catholic Schools.

“The Christian Witness component of the annual Evangelisation Plan is of particular significance to staff working in Catholic Schools.

“The school was approached”, she said, “by a St Denis Parish representative about the evangelisation initiative of reaching out to those who may interested to learn more about the Catholic Faith.

“We were most interested in being involved in the initiative.”

Therese said, “As a Catholic School we need to take every opportunity to be involved in initiatives that may have a positive effect on the faith lives of the families we work with. When this out-

reach involves people in the wider community also, then we are really fulfilling our mission of displaying an example of Christian Witness in our interactions with others.”

The sessions were open to anyone who wished to learn more about the Catholic faith, Catholics,

non-catholics, adults and children.

Aware of family situations, the sessions began with a light meal.

During this meal, real families shared how they pray at meal times.

Participants were provided with

sample sheets that they might use in their own homes.

The series was titled, "Faith Feast."

This turned out to be a very appropriate title. Both faith and food were freely shared. Members of parish and school then shared their own faith journey, emphasising different aspects of their faith.

A teacher in the Catholic school shared why she chose to teach in a Catholic school and what it meant for her faith. She was supported by her 12 year old son who sings in a church choir.

Some were invited to have a look at the vestments and the various things of the sacristy and learn what they mean.

Another person shared his world travels to learn more about the saint that he was named after.

Life journeys, Jesus journey to the Cross and an explanation of the Sacraments of Initiation gave opportunities for questions and discussion.

Therese said: ”The St Denis Faith Feast initiative, involving representatives from the parish and the school has provided us with a very positive opportunity to work together in reaching out, in an informal atmosphere of hospitality and friendship to those in our community who may be interested in learning more about what it is to be a Catholic”.

“I look forward to further involvement in this initiative in 2007,” she said.

Victory: Anne Cobai from Karrinyup won $300 for her winner.

Good times: From bottom left - Adrian Martino, Fr Bob Anderson, Patricia Pollard, Michael and Melissa Sims.

2nd prize: Reuben Brennan

Family: Charlotte Plumpton

Cross: Krystle Pingault

Love it: Henry Giblin

United: Carina McPherson

Curiosity turns to revelation

During the past 30 years various churches have started to revive an ancient pattern for preparing adults for baptism and Christian discipleship. The Catholic Church began the process in the 1980s by creating a Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults - it's now the way one becomes Catholic as an adult.

Marina Ciccarelli calls herself a new Catholic. She was baptised in the Catholic Church as a baby but was raised in the Anglican tradition. She regularly attended and actively participated in Anglican parish life.

Marina said: “In my early 20s I

met my husband who was a practising Catholic, I began attending Mass with him.

“We married in the Catholic Church, our two children received the sacrament of baptism and our young family regularly attended our local Catholic parish here at St Benedict’s in Applecross.

“But something was missing”, Marina said, “Unable to receive the sacrament of Communion, I felt a huge void in my spiritual life.

“Finally I spoke to my parish priest about how I was feeling. I was amazed to learn that there were

many others in our parish who were in a similar situation to me. The priest told me about the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults program that was going to start in our parish.”

“I didn’t realise what a commitment this program required of my sponsor and me.

“We met with others once a week for almost a year, reading, reflecting and praying the Gospels for the coming Sunday.

“I realised that week by week my understanding of the Word was becoming deeper and deeper.

“I had been hearing these Gospel readings for the past 30 years and could paraphrase most of the parables – so how come the light was only now coming? I think it is because I hadn’t made much time for reflective prayer.

“Learning and receiving the sacraments as an adult allowed for a mature understanding of the Word and how to be ‘Christ-like’ in my daily life.”

“Attending reconciliation for

Our committee wants to hear from you

How are you coping with family life?

How can the Church help you? What have you found helpful?

If you have an issue that you wish to share with our community, please contact any of the committee members listed below:

Bishop Don Sproxton 9223 1351; Kerri Sorgiovanni 9448 4478; Clare Pike 9375 2029

Fr Doug Harris 9444 6131; Dorothy Beyer 9286 2897; Jennifer Skerritt 9243 0966; Barbara Harris 9328 8113; Carmen Court 9316 4434; Joe O’Brien 9314 2190; Derek Boylen 9325 1859; Lydia Fernandez 9328 2929; Phillip and Helen Lee 9361 0508

the first time as an adult, for me, seemed to be so different. It was not mysterious, or frightening.

“When my RCIA friends and our sponsors attended the Rite of Election at St Mary’s Cathedral in Perth, I was blown away by how many other people were going through exactly the same process. The Cathedral was packed.

“In April this year I completed

Gaining mates grows faith

James Campbell is 15. He had a great time at Tuppen House recently, fishing, surfing and relaxing with the Family Group from Whitfords that he is part of. “Now that we are in secondary school, we all go to different schools. It’s great to catch up with each other at Family Group outings. The camp at Tuppin House was four days of fun, relaxation with family and friends,” he said.

Teresa Campbell, area co-ordinator, said: “Many non-church attendees have found belonging to a Family Group is a great way to become involved in the faith life of their family as the groups provide a non-threatening environment.”

Teresa and her family came from Ireland six years ago. She said: “Although we meet once a month, friendships overflow into other parts of our lives. Our children can meet other children the same age. For immigrants it’s like having a local family including aunts, grandparents, etc.”

Elinor and Greg Dawson said, “once you have had the experience of the Family Group Movement it changes the way you think and feel about a parish.”

In 1972, Elinor and Greg Dawson, now living in the northern suburbs of Perth, were living in the small parish of St Anthony in the Fields, Terrey Hills, an outer suburb of Sydney. Elinor said, “The congregation had grown from 30 to 1000 within a year. Father Peter McGrath, a member of the Passionist Order wanted to form Family Groups to preserve the original community spirit where

people knew each other by name and shared each other’s joys and sorrows. Very soon, there were 28 groups in the parish”, she said.

“The Family Group Movement was born and is now in 350 parishes in Australia, New Zealand, the US and the UK. When we knew we were shifting to Perth we looked around for a parish that had family groups and that’s where we bought our house.”

Gwen and Brian Embry from Whitford said, “There are six groups in our parish with 10 families in each group. There is a real

sense of belonging and there is no distinction between ages, number of family members or nationality. Catholics are notorious for not talking to each other. We tend to get into our cars and take off,” Gwen said. “We gather once a month for a social event, picnic, day at the beach, barbecue, etc. We enjoy being with one another and gradually develop supportive relationships.”

Fr Joseph Tran, parish priest of Whitford, is very enthusiastic about the Family Group Movment. Each time he has a baptism he

gives the family a “pink slip” to fill in to encourage involvement of the family in the life of the parish. “There is a happy spirit to the parish. People begin to share their gifts and talents. We have two family groups that are now responsible for providing morning tea each Sunday after the Mass. We also have a Seniors Family Group although some seniors like to be part of the regular groups,” he said.

If you would like to know more about the Family Group Movement please contact Teresa Campbell on 9403 6506.

the RCIA program and received the sacrament of Communion and Confirmation in the Catholic Church.

“I am part of a wonderful parish community that has embraced me as a member and given me wonderful social and spiritual support.”

The Archdiocesan RCIA Coordinator, Ms Sue Larson can be contacted on (08) 9422 7903.

Celebrate family celebrate life

Friday October 5-Sunday 7, 2007.v

A timetable for this happening is now being planned.

It is hoped to have a number of guest speakers with lots of opportunity to gather information, attend workshops, get to know others and at the same time have fun for families.

The Happening will commence on Friday evening with a full program for Saturday including a Youth night on Saturday evening.

The weekend will finish with Mass on Sunday at 2pm.

A spokesperson for the organising Committee for Family and for Life said: “Although there are still eleven months to go that time will fly fast.”

We invite all expectant mothers and their families to a celebration of blessings 2 pm Holy Mass, consecration and blessing of the unborn child.

Please BYO afternoon tea to share.

Sat. 2nd Dec. 2 pm till 5 pm

Happenings at the Schoenstatt Shrine

9 Talus Dr. Armadale.

Tel: 9399 2349

Chillin’ out with my mates: James Campbell (far left) hanging out with his mates at Tuppin House, a stone’s throw from the picturesque beach at Moore River.

A cut above

■ By David DiCerto

You knew once those adorable Antarctic birds waddled off with an Oscar for “March of the Penguins,” an animated penguin film couldn’t be far behind.

Set in the South Pole, director George Miller’s entertaining, if at times surprisingly dark, fable “Happy Feet” (Warner Bros.) centres on Mumble (voiced by Elijah Wood), a young emperor penguin who has rhythm in his feet but whose singing voice is painful to the ears. Unable to carry a tune, he can’t find his “heartsong,” the mating call unique to each emperor penguin. In real life, the species uses squawks and warbles, but here it’s a jukebox mix of hip-hop, oldies and rock. Mumble’s dad, Memphis (Hugh Jackman), belts out Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” to woo wife Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman).

The odds are bleak for the misfit Mumble to ever win the affections of the much-courted Gloria (Brittany Murphy), who has the best set of pipes on the ice shelf. She thinks he’s cute, but odd: He’s always dancing (tap effects courtesy of Savion Glover), an eccentricity considered scandalous in penguin land.

When he tries to teach his peers some dance moves, he’s banished from the flock by the self-righteous elder, Noah (Hugo Weaving), who blames him for evoking the wrath of the penguin god and causing the fish supply to dwindle.

Mumble sets out to prove Noah wrong and solve the riddle behind

In brief…

Bthe food shortage. Tagging along are a quintet of smaller, party-loving Adelie penguins - the Adelie Amigos - led by Ramon (Robin Williams), who steals the show with his riotous Spanish rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”

Visually, “Happy Feet” ranks among the best of the recent crowd of computer-animated movies, with a realism - from Mumble’s fluffy feathers to the astonishing glacial backdrops - that is truly amazing. The assembled voice talent is equally terrific.

From a narrative standpoint, however, the script, which Miller co-wrote along with three others, crams too many weighty themes - bigotry, intolerance, conformity and concern for the environment - into the sweet but slender story. Its cheery title and plush toyready characters don’t prepare you for some ominous stretches, including a zoo scene and two intense sequences involving a ravenous leopard seal and killer whales. But don’t worry, a movie named “Happy Feet” can’t have a downer ending. And while some parents may find the film’s subtly subversive subtext troubling (the puritanical elders are portrayed as unenlightened for their religiously motivated rejection of Mumble’s “lifestyle”), the broader messages of love and self-acceptance should melt most objections.

The film contains some mildly rude humor and innuendo, as well as some menace and two frightening sequences that may upset very young viewers, but is probably OK for older children. -CNS

ully , a new video game from Rockstar, is not “Grand Theft Auto meets high school” but a schoolboy romp that’s about “interaction” and “relationships”, according to one enthusiast.

Released last month in America, the game was submitted by a critic to a Florida judge who dismissed the complaint.

“There’s a lot of violence. A whole lot. [But] less than we see on television every night,” said Judge Ronald Friedman.

- Washington Post

Bond, James Bond is back!

Dark, serious, sensitive, vulnerable, the new Bond has it all - but like you've never seen before

Some secret agents like their martinis shaken; others, stirred. Likewise, reactions to “Casino Royale” (Columbia/MGM) - the newest installment in the “James Bond” franchise - will probably differ.

Some fans will applaud its harder-edged return to the grittiness of Ian Fleming’s novels. Others may feel it’s too dark and serious, and lacks the sense of campy fun of earlier films.

Both sides, however, will agree that from its brutal prologue - shot in stylish black and white - this is a different kind of Bond movie.

Based on Fleming’s first novel (spoofed in a 1967 film of the same title starring Peter Sellers and Woody Allen), director Martin Campbell’s addition to the series (the 21st overall) blends adrenalincharged action sequences - highlighted by a chase scene through and above the streets of Madagascar - and substantial character development to show the origins of the Bond mythology: how he started driving an Aston Martin and wearing tailored tuxedoes, why he treats women as “disposable pleasures” and the genesis of his signature mixed-drink preference.

Making his debut as the British superspy is Daniel Craig, arguably the best 007 since Sean Connery.

Played with a combination of virility and vulnerability (with dashes of humour), Craig’s Bond is less the sophisticated playboy - though there is the usual womanisingand more a brash and brooding assassin. His mission here: infiltrate a high-stakes card game organised by the shadowy Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a banker to international terrorists. Eva Green plays Vesper Lynn, an alluring operative from the British Treasury who accompanies Bond to the titular casino and Judi Dench returns as Bond’s boss, M. While Bond exercises a “licence to kill” in all his movies, the realism of the violence here is much heightened, making it more difficult, perhaps, for some to write it off as escapist entertainment. Also,

whereas his more suave predecessors rarely, if ever, perspired and always had the upper hand in a pinch, Craig’s rogue sweats buckets and is savagely beaten, including a scene in which Le Chiffre devises a particularly painful method of extracting information using a knotted length of rope. (Though on both scores, Campbell exhibits relative restraint.)

Upon promotion to 007 status, Bond drolly quips that “Double-O’s have a very short life expectancy.” But one suspects Craig may remain in Her Majesty’s secret service for a long time.

The film contains recurring strong action violence, including an intense torture scene, adultery, partial nudity, sexual situations, and some mildly crude language.

- CNS

dyslexia

Is your child gifted with dyslexia?

“I thought, ‘I’m not stupid or dumb or thick.’ At 42 years of age, with all I’d done, I was still saying ‘I’m stupid’ because I can’t do things that everybody else can do.”

- Sir Jackie Stewart, World Racing Champion

Once as a guest on a television show, Ron Davis, Davis Dyslexia Association, was asked about the ‘positive’ side of dyslexia. As part of his answer, he listed a dozen or so famous dyslexics, including Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Leonardo da Vinci, Walt Disney, Winston Churchill, Cher, Whoopi Goldberg, Greg Louganis and Jackie Stewart. The hostess of the show then commented, “Isn’t it amazing that all those people could be geniuses in spite of having dyslexia.” She missed the point. Their genius didn’t occur in spite of their dyslexia, but because of it! For Albert Einstein, it was physics; for Jackie Stewart, it was sporting ability; for Greg Louganis, it was athletic prowess. The gift of dyslexia is the gift of mastery. Having dyslexia won’t make every dyslexic a genius, but it is good for the self-esteem of all dyslexics to know their minds work in exactly the same way as the minds of great geniuses.

Many thousands of students in over 100 WA schools use SuccessMaker and The Sound Way to improve their reading, writing, spelling and maths skills. Rhonda Roe (SuccessMaker Australia) has thirty years’ experience in helping dyslexics reach their true potential.

Contact Rhonda, www.successmaker.com.au or phone 1 800 007 372.

Intense: Brit Daniel Craig portrays a grittier international spy.

Keeping warm: Happy Feet has a strong Aussie presence.

More - and new - reading from The Record!

God Owns Our Business Also

■ Reviewed by Fr Paul Carey SSC

Pauline Smith gives us an inspiring and challenging example of faith in action. She and her husband Laurie dare to believe and trust in God’s loving providence in every aspect of their lives, particularly in setting up and running a business in difficult circumstances.

Jesus tells us “you will be my witnesses.” Pauline and Laurie are true witnesses. Pope Benedict has recently warned that we in the West are no longer able to hear God – too many frequencies are filling our ears.

Along with this hardness of hearing or outright deafness where God is concerned, we naturally lose our ability to speak with him and to him, and, so, we end up losing a decisive capacity for reception.

Witness, which is what Pauline’s story really is, is what is needed to break through the deafness, the blindness afflicting so many in modern society.

Thank you, Pauline, for being a true and faithful witness to Jesus, the Word of God, light of the world.

Thank you for letting your light shine before men and encouraging us to do the same.

What does God ask of us? “To live justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God.”

Father

This volume on the acclaimed Vision Books series of Saints’ lives for youth aged 9-15 years old is the story of the saintly Fr Damien who, in 1872, went to the island of Molokai, where lepers had been exiled to live in miserable surroundings.

Damien earned the trust of the lepers, and his appeals for help resonated throughout the world. He spent his life caring for the needs of the outcast lepers, and even after Damien himself contracted leprosy he carried on working for his fellow lepers to the end. Illustrated.

“The Vision Books are splendid in design and also in format” - Catholic Standard Times

“The entire series of Vision Books is recommended for solid training of youth.”- The Tablet

Authors Arthur and Elizabeth Sheehan have both been teachers and are avid devotees of the life and work of Fr Damien.

$19.95 + postage

In brief…

Vatican launches new website

VATICAN CITY (Zenit.org) - The Holy See has started a web page dedicated to information about, and formation in, justice and peace.

The initiative, www.justpax.it, was launched by the Pontiffical Council for Justice and Peace, whose president is Cardinal Renato Martino.

For now, the web page will publish information in Spanish, Italian, English and French on ecclesial documents, congresses, statements of representatives of the Church.

The Web page also gives information about the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, as well as its members.

- Zenit

Books for all the family from The Record!

The man who created Narnia with limitless imagination

Michael Coren, an expert in the life and writings of CS Lewis, presents an engrossing biography for young people and adults of the man who created Narnia.

This biography, lavishly illustrated with numerous photos from the life of Lewis, is written in a captivating style that will appeal to all ages, youth and adults alike.

Starting with the “Beginnings,” Coren tells the fascinating details of Lewis’s childhood and youth, one that was, in Lewis’s words “full of long corridors, attics explored in solitude, sunlit rooms and endless books.”

It continues with his studies at Oxford, subsequent celebrated teaching career, friendships with great writers like JRR Tolkien, Charles Williams, GK Chesterton and George Sayer, and his meeting and marriage to Joy Davidman and how he dealt with the sorrow of her death.

Michael Coren is a well-known radio and television broadcaster in Toronto, as well as a syndicated columnist.

$24.95 + postage

The girl soldier

This volume on the acclaimed Vision Books series of Saints’ lives for youth combines a world-famous Catholic novelist, Louis de Wohl, with one of the most thrilling and dramatic saints’ lives in history - St Joan of Arc.

De Wohl uses his famed narrative skill to tell young people about the brave teenage French girl who had visions and led armies into battle, but also about how her entire life testifies to the amazing power of God’s grace.

It’s all here: how Joan, a humble maiden in an insignificant town, was told by St Michael the Archangel, St Catherine and St Margaret to lead the French in battle against the English, her betrayal, capture and death.

$19.95 + postage

A book for all fathers

It’s one of the best things any father can read, James Stenson’s brilliant explanation of the subtle but powerful ways fathers mold their children’s character.

An ideal gift for Dad, that can be great for children once he reads it.

Helping men reclaim fatherhood’s nobility.

$7.95 + postage

Natural Family Planning

98% effective but no side effects. It’s about making healthy choices

For more information or a confidential consultation call 9223 1396 e-mail: admin.nfs@aanet.com.au or visit www.acnfp.com.au

Up-coming events...

COURSE INFORMATION EVENINGSDATE

Medicine

VENUE

5 Dec, 6pm startMedicine Lecture Theatre, 38 Henry St Fremantle

Applications for Semester 1,2007 are open

Admissions 2007

The admissions team congratulates the 2006 Year 12 graduates

Please don’t hesitate to contact the Admissions Office at any stage of the admissions process.

Genevieve Sadleir 9433 0538 or gsadleir1@nd.edu.au

Focus on Careers

In most Notre Dame courses, such as those in Business, industry placement is an integral part of the degree. Placements often lead on to employment as is in the case of Patrick Gardner.

Patrick came to Notre Dame from Sacred Heart College and will be graduating this month with a double degree in Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Commerce. He did his industry placement at a financial services company developing business models. He was invited to sit on the company Board as a Director and Company Secretary. Work with the Board culminated in the construction, opening and successful operation of the Fremantle Community Bank.

The Study Abroad program often contributes to this preparation for employment by providing students a wider perspective of the theory they are studying. The Study Abroad program can be taken as part of an industry placement, such as the one, law student Blair Hebenton, attended in Washington. Blair found himself walking the corridors of the White House during an election campaign and was sent to Georgia as part of an election drive encouraging people to vote (voting is not compulsory in the States).

These ‘hands-on’ experiences assist our graduates in gaining employment. Each of the students above attained positions prior to graduation - Blair will commence articles at the legal firm Cullen Babington & Hughes and Patrick will take up a position at accounting firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers in the new year.

Some programs have an exceptional amount of practicum during the degree. For example, student nurses spend 39 weeks on the wards, student teachers 32 weeks in schools; and student physiotherapists, 30+ weeks! You can imagine how well prepared Notre Dame graduates are to take up their chosen careers!

Switching Careers

RACHEL WILLIAMS

Graduate 2006 Graduate Diploma Education (Secondary)

After establishing a successful career as a Town Planner over more than a decade, the decision to return to university and complete a Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) was not made lightly.

Notre Dame appealed to me for many reasons. The holistic approach and values of the University, reflect my motivations for becoming a teacher. The lecturers at Notre Dame have modelled best teaching practice in every way. My University experience has been further enhanced by the friendly atmosphere and unique character of the campus, set within the cultural hub of Fremantle. Notre Dame has equipped me with the skills and knowledge to embark on my new career in education, confidently and competently. Prior to completing my studies at Notre Dame, I have been fortunate enough to secure a teaching position at Santa Maria College for the next year.

Undertaking the Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) at Notre Dame has taught me so much in one short year. In addition to the academic knowledge gained, the course has challenged me to explore many social and spiritual issues. The depth of education attributed at Notre Dame has been outstanding and I am sure I will return for further studies in the future.

“My technical skills, ethics and work philosophy have been accelerated because of my time at Notre Dame.“

PATRICK GARDNER Graduate 2006 Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Commerce

David Phua 9433 0540 or dphua@nd.edu.au www.nd.edu.au