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Life is beautiful Indigenous Saint How one African American man responded in a unique way to the culture of death. Pages 14-15
The Lily of the Mohawks: set to be the first native American Indian saint. Pages 10-11
Free Croatians
mark 20 years of indepence Page 4 Dressed in national costume, women from Perth’s Croatian community gather at St Mary’s Cathedral to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Croatia’s recognition.
PHOTO: R HIINI
Newly married programme expands By Elizabeth Dunn A LIFETIME commitment is a big thing to promise and with changing jobs, the arrival of a newborn, and moving house, the first five years can be a real challenge. A new initiative, Ministry to the Newly Married was launched in Perth in 2010 and has grown considerably since then. From starting with three newlywed couples, this year the number is up to 60 and over 100 are expected by 2014. The five year long programme counsels newly married couples through the initial, difficult years with longer-married couples as
mentors. Meeting three times during the year for a meal, they discuss particular themes such as forgiveness, planning for life and dealing with big changes. Ministry to the Newly Married hopes to help couples build their marriage to be fulfilling and rewarding. Registration is open to any couple in their first two years of marriage or any couple marrying before 31 March 2012. Ministry to the Newly Married is coordinated by Jacqueline and Simon Anthony and Karen and Derek Boylen. They can be contacted for more information or to register on 08 9405 4465 (Karen) or 0414 285 884 (Jacqueline).
Newly marrieds and mentor couples gathered for dinner at the beginning of 2011.
PHOTO: COURTESY CMES
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18 January 2012, The Record
Carols a gift of festive cheer
Perth priest dies in the Philippines Perth Priest Fr Doug Rowe passed away in the Philippines on Monday 16 January after suffering a heart attack while crossing a river. His body is to be returned to Perth for burial in the near future.
Torchlight procession The annual Torchlight procession around Lake Monger will take place on Friday 10 February at 7pm. The procession is in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes. The event draws a mix of young and old, lay, clergy and religious. Organiser Judy Woodward said everyone is welcome. She has urged participants to bring torches as naked flames contravene fire restrictions. For more information call Judy on 9446 6837.
New primary school
Members of St Mary’s youth group with residents of Villa Pelletier.
By Ben Sacks SMILES adorned the faces of young and old alike when members of St Mary’s youth group decided to go carolling at Southern Cross aged care facilities over the festive period. Brad Barbuto, Youth Leader at St Mary’s Cathedral, said he contacted Southern Cross after one of the youth group’s members proposed an excursion to sing carols. Demand from Southern Cross
PHOTO: ST MARY’S YOUTH
facilities in Perth was so great that the group was left scrambling to satisfy demand. “We were inundated by requests from all their aged care centres,” Mr Barbuto said. Youth group members sang at four venues at the last minute, but there was not enough time to perform for everyone. According to Mr Barbuto, the events were hugely successful. “We had nothing but good reports from those involved, and staff and residents at the aged care homes,” he
said. “It was fantastic to see the smiles on their faces”. His sentiments were repeated by Christina Chan, music leader of the youth group. “I was so happy sharing these moments with them [the residents],” she said. “One of them got his camera to take photos. It was a blessing for us.” Mr Barbuto said the singing was especially pleasing because the idea came from members themselves. “It was off their own bat,” he said. “It shows that the youth are
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After her father’s sudden death, Laura’s family left Chile for Argentina, where her mother became the mistress of a wealthy landowner. He initially paid the fees for Laura and her sister to attend a school run by the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. However, he stopped when Laura rebuffed his sexual advances, and she and her sister worked to pay the fees themselves. She had tried to join the order in 1902 but was rejected because of her mother’s lifestyle. Her death, shortly before her 13th birthday, was caused by stress and a severe beating by the mother’s lover.
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Those interested in carolling in 2012, or any youth activities, can contact Bradley Barbuto at youthfromsmc@gmail.com.
Correction In the story ‘First Catholic student to crack state’s top award’ (11 January 2011) we incorrectly said Beazley award winner Calum Braham’s teacher recommended he be promoted to second grade. It should have said that his teacher recommended he skip second grade into third. This resulted from a production fault. The Record regrets the error.
READINGS OF THE WEEK
Blessed Laura Vicuna Editor
active, and still doing what Jesus did.” In 2012, the youth group hopes to build on its success by being better prepared for the festive demand for carolling. Plans will be drawn up as early as September, and Mr Barbuto said he is looking to organise more extensive outings next year.
Perth’s newest Catholic school, Immaculate Heart College,is inviting all interested parents and children to its open day on Saturday 21 January from 10am-2pm. The new school’s teaching staff will be on hand to meet prospective students and their families and to answer queries. The school site is located at Lot 1, Santa Gertrudis Drive (Corner Muchea East Road). The college has been spearheaded by the Parish of Gingin and Chittering and will operate as an independent primary school.
Michael Deering 9322 2914
Catholic clarity for complex times CATHOLIC families and those searching for truth need resources to help them negotiate the complexities of modern life, many of which are also active challenges to the desire of parents to lead their children to an encounter with the beauty of the Church. At The Record’s bookshop you can find great books for the family at good prices. Turn to Page 20 for some brilliant deals NOW!!
Sunday 22nd - Green (SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME) 1st Reading: Jon 3:1-5,10 Calamity is withheld Responsorial Ps 24:4-9 Psalm: Lord, teach me 2nd Reading: 1 Cor 7:29-31 Old world is passing Gospel Reading: Mk 1:14-20 God’s kingdom is near
Gospel Reading: Mk 16:15-18 Proclaim Good News!
Monday 23rd - Green 1st Reading: 2 Sam 5:1-7,10 David is anointed king Responsorial Ps 88:20-22.25-26 Psalm: The Lord is with his anointed Gospel Reading: Mk 3:22-30 Can Satan cast out Satan?
Thursday 26th - White (AUSTRALIA DAY) 1st Reading: Isa 32:15-18 Justice and peace Responsorial Ps 84:9-14 Psalm: A voice of peace 2nd Reading: 1Cor 12:4-11 One Spirit, one Lord Alternative Rom 12:9-13 2nd Reading: Serve the Lord Gospel Reading: Mt 5:1-12 Identifying those blessed Alternative Lk 12:22-32 Gospel Reading: Not to worry about oneself
Tuesday 24th - White (ST FRANCIS DE SALES, BISHOP, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH (M)) 1st Reading: 2 Sam 6:12-15,17-19 David dances Responsorial Ps 23:7-10 Psalm: The king of glory Gospel Reading: Mk 3:31-35 Do the will of God
Friday 27th - Green (SS TIMOTHY AND TITUS BISHOPS, ST ANGELA MERCI, VIRGIN (O)) 1st Reading: 2 Sam 11:1-10,13-17 David’s treachery Responsorial Ps 50:3-7,10-11 Psalm: Lord, have mercy! Gospel Reading: Mt 4:26-34 Mustard seed parable
Wednesday 25th - White (THE CONVERSION OF ST PAUL, APOSTLE (FEAST)) 1st Reading: Acts 22:3-16 Paul’s testimony Alternative Acts 9:1-22 1st Reading: Damascus Jews confused Responsorial Ps 116:1-2 Psalm: Praise the Lord!
Saturday 28th - White (ST THOMAS AQUINAS, PRIEST, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH) 1st Reading: 2 Sam 12:1-7,10-17 Nathan confronts David Responsorial Ps 50:12-17 Psalm: God, my helper Gospel Reading: Mt 4:35-41 Be calm!
18 January 2012, The Record
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Young bring Christmas alive By Robert Hiini THE NEWBORN Christ child was welcomed by many more children during Christmas celebrations at St Thomas More Parish in Bateman. At each of the parish’s Christmas masses, a baby from the congregation acted as Jesus’ stand-in. The babies were joined by children of all ages in acting out the Christmas story to the delight of parents and other onlookers.
Hundreds of people packed out Bateman’s outdoor area and carpark for the parish’s vigil Mass - possibly the best attended parish mass of any in Perth throughout the year. Some families opted to bring picnic rugs, eschewing the supplied seating in favour of grass. Vigil mass goers were led in song by Bateman’s 24 person choir and the parish’s youthful music team. It was also the first Bateman Christmas for assistant priest
Fr Mark Payton. Fr Payton was appointed to Bateman after being ordained at St Mary’s Cathedral in August last year with Frs Chris Webb and Thomas Zureich. Shortly before Christmas, Bateman reported bearing gifts of its own through its outreach to the disadvantaged in Vietnam. Parish support led to the supply of a petrol operated electric generator worth $700 and a cordless wood and metal worker drill worth $100.
Children of Bateman parish present the Christmas scene.
PHOTO: BATEMAN PARISH
Chapel carries the Phelan spirit on By Robert Hiini IF THE late Fr Thomas Phelan had witnessed the opening of the chapel bearing his name, he’d be praying quietly up the back, longterm friend Reg Firth said, happy to wait while others got the first look. Such was his humility and prayerfulness that members of the Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community, many of whom attend Fr Phelan’s old parish of City Beach, are in the initial stages of investigating his cause for sainthood. Fr Phelan showed that same temperament for prayer during a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in the mid-1990s while fierce fighting raged nearby. “You could hear the fighting; it was that close,” Mr Firth said. But while pilgrims clamoured to the front to see alleged seers conversing with Mary, Fr Phelan was at the very back, absorbed in prayer. There was no shortage of people on 15 January when The Fr Thomas Phelan Memorial Adoration Chapel was blessed. Parishioners at Holy Spirit, City Beach, where Fr Phelan was priest from 1960 to 2007, packed into their new chapel with many more waiting outside as Bishop Don Sproxton joined current parish priest Fr Don Kettle for its blessing. “This is the fulfilment of the dream Fr Phelan had,” Bishop Don said, “that in this parish there would be a profound respect for the Eucharist ... a love for the Eucharist that would be expressed through adoration.” Mr Firth concurred: “Whenever anyone tried to ‘rationalise’ with him that Perpetual Adoration was too difficult to reach and maintain, Fr Phelan remained undaunted. He
City Beach’s new 24 seat chapel was overflowing when Bishop Don Sproxton opened it.
was not prepared to compromise the vision.” It’s a vision which Fr Kettle has carried forward. Before launching a fundraising drive in September last year he prayed for Fr Phelan’s intercession. From start
to finish, Fr Kettle said, it was the easiest project he had ever worked on. He was hoping for a budget of $30,000 but, within three weeks, he had received $50,000. “The people here are amazing,”
Fr Kettle said. “We are a very tightknit community and now we have a beautiful chapel in which to honour Our Lord.” The parish already has around 120 hours of adoration per week
PHOTO: ROBERT HIINI
and hopes to have perpetual adoration from February. For more information, contact Holy Spirit on 9341 3079 or HolySpirit.Parish@ perthcatholic.org.au or visit www. holyspiritcitybeach.com.
Iraq prelate’s house attacked VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Gunmen shooting at guards keeping watch over the archbishop’s residence in Kirkuk, northern Iraq triggered a firefight on 11 January, leaving two gunmen dead and five policemen wounded. Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Sako told Vatican Radio he had just returned home before the drive-by attack. After the shooting, the archbishop said he immediately went to the scene. “We are not afraid,” he said. “It’s also true the situation is a bit tense, and there’s no order or
ENGAGEMENTS 2012 JANUARY 14 Cursillo Women’s Mass, St Thomas More College – Bishop Sproxton 15 Mass at City Beach and Blessing of Fr Thomas Phelan Adoration Chapel – Bishop Sproxton
control in the country. We, however, were not afraid, at least not immediately.” Archbishop Sako said he believes the gunmen had the wrong target. Police suspect attackers were targeting a member of the parliament who lives next to the archbishop. Archbishop Sako said the gunmen were from Baghdad “and, therefore, were not sure where to go. They found themselves facing our security guards and fired, without knowing who they were shooting at.”
20 Opening of Flame Congress, John XXIII College – Archbishop Hickey 22 Mass at East Fremantle Parish – Archbishop Hickey Perth Hebrew Congregation 120th Anniversary Gala Dinner, Government House – Archbishop Hickey
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18 January 2012, The Record
20 YEARS CELEBRATING CROATIA’S RECOGNITION By Robert Hiini THE SENSE of pride was palpable at St Mary’s Cathedral on Sunday, 15 January when Croatian Catholics celebrated the 20th anniversary of their homeland’s recognition by the international community. Fr Nikola Cabraja of the St Anne’s Croatian Community in North Fremantle celebrated the Mass with two Croatian cultural groups from North Fremantle and Gwelup lending vibrant colour to the occasion. “This is a Mass of thanksgiving to God for the recognition of Croatia,” Fr Cabraja told The Record prior to the event. “Croatia is now free to be like any other country and recognised as a free country ... Of course, we feel good,” he said. Countries in what was then the European Economic Community recognised Croatia as a sovereign nation on 15 January 1992, following the recognition of Pope John Paul II and the Vatican state on 13 January. The modern state endured a
“Croatia is now free to be like any other country and recognised as a free country”
tumultous birth with four and a half years of bloodshed following its declaration of independence on 25 June 1991. Singer Vjeran Duplancic and members of his family led the cultural groups and the congregation in singing Croatian songs and the Croatian national anthem. Tanja Pisaric, 24, attended the event with her sister Vedrana, 28, and their mother Mila. Arriving in Australia as a nine year old in 1997, Tanja described the event as “a particularly special occasion”. “We felt proud and really moved,” she said, “especially by the cultural dance groups dressed in traditional costume.” Croatia’s Consul General in Perth, Hrvoje Petrusic, said he was thankful to Australia for being the first non-European country to recognise Croatia’s statehood (on 16 January 1992). He also urged those present to consider voting in Croatia’s 22 January referendum on whether or not the country should join the European Union.
18 January 2012, The Record
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Bishop-elect only fourth consecrated in diocese PLANNING is intensifying for an historic event for the Catholic Diocese of Armidale and northern inland NSW as a whole. The episcopal ordination and installation of Bishop-elect Michael Robert Kennedy will take place in the Cathedral of Ss Mary and Joseph in Armidale on 9 February 2012, commencing at 10.30am. A large crowd of clergy, parishioners and general public is expected to participate in the ceremony. Bishop Matthys said the Cathedral will hold over 700 people and a marquee in the grounds will shelter the overflow. Bishop-elect Kennedy said his initial reaction to his appointment was one of excitement. “I thought I should be nervous. Yet, I felt at peace with the news. The number of people assuring me that I am in their prayers has contributed to that peace,” he said. “I am both honoured and humbled to have been chosen to be a successor of the Apostles as the Bishop of Armidale.” “My young age presents one quirk, in that I will be the spiritual father to the priests of the diocese, many of whom will be much older than me,” said Bishop-elect Kennedy, 43. “As a ‘Gen-X’ bishop, I see it as a positive that I will have an evident ability to relate to younger generations. However, we can all
understand one another across generations. I hope that I am seen as somebody who can understand and communicate with teenagers when I am 75.” The youngest of nine children, Bishop-elect Kennedy said he feels blessed and grateful he grew up in a loving, secure, stable, caring family. “It saddens me that this is less common today.” “My parents came from farming backgrounds. I grew up in the rural Riverina locality of San Isidore near Wagga Wagga. My father was a public servant in Wagga and my mother was a nurse until she became a stay at home mum.” Bishop-elect Kennedy’s education began in a small, two-class country school at San Isidore. He then attended a school run by the Christian Brothers in Wagga. “I was so happy with my schooling that I decided to become a school teacher myself. I taught for three years at Xavier Catholic High School in Albury.” He then commenced studying to be a priest. He began his priestly formation at Vianney College, Wagga and completed his studies in Rome at Propaganda Fide, obtaining a Licentiate in Sacred Theology. Ordained into the priesthood in the Diocese of Wagga on 14 August 1999, he was assistant priest in Griffith (1999-2000); Rector of
Bishop-elect Kennedy at the Yanco Church with some parishioners.
St Francis’ Residential College at Charles Sturt University (20012003); assistant priest in Albury (2004-2006) and parish priest of Leeton since 2007. His teaching background was one of his qualifi-
PHOTO: COURTESY THE IRRIGATOR, LEETON
cations to be a lecturer at Vianney College where he taught Moral Theology and Church History. He was parish priest of Leeton and Vicar Forane (Dean) of the Murrumbidgee Deanery when his
appointment as Bishop of Armidale was announced in December last year. Former Armidale local, Bishop Gerard Hanna, was delighted one of his senior priests was appointed to the role.
Lifelong friend of John Paul II dies, aged 91 Benedict XVI erects first US JERZY KLUGER, known as Blessed Council, when the future Pope The Pope said the Second Vatican Anglican Ordinariate John Paul II’s lifelong Jewish friend came to Rome as an auxiliary Council’s teaching on the shared and one who had a deep impact on the Pope’s commitment to improved Catholic-Jewish relations, died in Rome on New Year’s Eve at the age of 90. Kluger and the Pope were raised in Wadowice, Poland, and attended elementary school there together. Most of Kluger’s family died during the Holocaust but he managed to survive, eventually settling in Rome. During the Second Vatican
bishop of Krakow, Poland, he and Kluger were reunited. They maintained their friendship through the years, and Kluger was a frequent guest at the Vatican after the Pope was elected in 1978. In his 1994 book, Crossing the Threshhold of Hope, the Pope wrote about his friendship with Kluger in the context of explaining why he had made improving CatholicJewish relations a priority in his pontificate.
traditions of Christians and Jews reflects the personal experience of many people, including his own, “from the very first years of my life in my hometown. I remember, above all, the Wadowice elementary school, where at least a fourth of the pupils in my class were Jewish.” “I should mention my friendship at school with one of them, Jerzy Kluger - a friendship that has lasted from my school days to the present,” he wrote.
Revered saint draws the faithful By Mat De Sousa HE IS SAID to have walked across a lake saving his disciple from a watery death, and 1500 years later Portuguese Catholics in Perth are still honouring his faith. A crowd of people gathered at Holy Cross Parish in Hamilton Hill on 16 January to celebrate the life of Santo Amaro (Saint Maurus). The Mass was celebrated by Fr Victor Eze, a visiting priest from Canada and childhood friend of Fr Nicholas Nweke and Fr Johnson Malayil, Parish priest of St Jeromes in Spearwood. The church was beautified with flowers and adding to the heavenly atmosphere was the traditional hymns sung in Portuguese by the choir composed especially for this feast of Santo Amaro. Leading the entrance procession were members of the Portuguese community chosen to honour Santo Amaro during the entire day’s festivities. During Mass these people, known as ‘vesteiros’ in Portuguese, helped with the offertory and the readings. After Mass, the congregation was led out to the streets as they processed around the suburb with banners and vestments specific to their devotion. At the rear of the procession, statue bearers (who were among the vesteiros) carried a likeness of Santo Amaro proudly displaying the patron of their procession. Following adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament those who took part went to the WA Portuguese Club in Fremantle to have a meal together and share in the celebration of the life and immense faith of one of the Portuguese community’s most revered saints. The celebrations ended that evening with a
POPE Benedict XVI has established a US ordinariate for former Anglicans who wish to become Catholics and named a married former Anglican bishop to head it. The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter – functionally equivalent to a diocese, but national in scope – will be based at a parish in Houston. It will be led by Father Jeffrey Steenson, former Anglican bishop of the
Rio Grande who was ordained a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in February 2009. The establishment of the ordinariate and the naming of its first leader were announced by the Vatican on 1 January. More than 100 former Anglican priests have applied to become Catholic priests in the ordinariate and 1,400 individuals from 22 communities have expressed interest in joining.
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Fr Victor Eze censes the altar during mass celebrating the Feast of Santo Amaro. PHOTO: MAT DE SOUSA
display of fireworks above the Portuguese Club’s oval. Saint Maurus was an abbot and deacon, and a nobleman of Rome. He was born about the year 510 and died in 584. Placed under the care of St Benedict at Subiaco at the age of 12, he was educated in piety and learning. St Benedict chose him as his coadjutor in the government of the monastery. He was a model of perfection to all his brethren, especially in the virtue of obedience. St Maurus was favoured by God with the gift of miracles.
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18 January 2012, The Record
MILESTONES
moments past, passing and to come
Send your milestones to editor@therecord.com.au
Perth Jesuit encouraged thousands By Fr Frank Brennan SJ
W
hen asked in recent months, ‘How are you?’, John Jude Eddy would caress his scalp, straighten his hat, adjust his cuffs, massage his moustache, purse his lips, train those keen eyes on his inquirer, and answer, ‘I’m headed for Grand Central. But I don’t know when this particular service is due to arrive.’ As the Indian missionaries at Hazaribagh whom he so admired would say, he has now reached. We come, sadly already missing him in Canberra’s churches, coffee houses and corridors of academe. We come to this cathedral, as he did so often, to give thanks for the one departed, to pray for those left behind and commend us all, living and dead, to the Lord’s mercy. John’s prayer would be that you all feel at home here today, the cathedral in which he was most at home. This priestly Australian historian whose father William fought in both World Wars would be well pleased that we are gathered here in prayer as the clock moves towards 11am on the 11th of the 11th of the 11th. And we do remember them. Last Saturday was the Feast of All Saints and Blesseds of the Society of Jesus. John’s local Jesuit community gathered at his bedside at Clare Holland House to share the Eucharist with his sister Margot and a handful of those to whom he was uncle and great uncle. Michael Pidcock, his oncologist of 20 years who had cared so professionally for John alongside with Cam Webber, was also there with his wife Mary. I was presiding because that is what local superiors in the Jesuits are supposed to do. John promptly took over — because that’s what he usually did. John, on oxygen and morphine, rallied to offer us a 15 minute homily and life reflection — Dr Eddy’s apologia pro vita sua. I recalled that in 2010 we needed to surround the 60th anniversary of John’s entry to the Jesuits with various other celebrations because he would never allow a public party to celebrate just him. His rejoinder was that his whole life has been a private party sharing God’s love with people. Even life’s tragedies such as the premature death of his beloved brother-in-law John Traill in 1983 resulted in his being given a family to whom he was father in all senses, sharing their love and fortunes in the world. He told us that he never did meet Joseph Stalin. And though he had not met Gaddafi, Ahmadinejad, or Berlusconi, he thought he had met just about everyone else of any significance on the planet. His last dinner party was with the archbishop and the chief justice who had attended the same Jesuit school in Perth as had he, and who had just delivered a judgement protecting the rights of asylum seekers who had been John’s concern for these last 40 years. He admired the beauty of the scene outside his hospice win-
Obituary
Fr John Eddy SJ Born: 1933, Cottesloe, WA Entered eternal life: 6 November 2011 dow, remarking that the poplars by the lake were a touch of Monet. He noted that it was fashionable nowadays to be atheist but that he became more confirmed in his faith the closer he got to Grand Central. Like Paul, he could proclaim: We believe and therefore we speak. We know that he who raised the Lord Jesus to life will raise us up with Jesus in our turn, and put us by his side and you with us. For we know that when the tent in which we live on earth is folded up, there is a house built by God for us, an everlasting home not made by human hands, in the heavens. Though he spent almost 40 years here in Canberra, he said he had been a missionary all his life — a missionary of God’s love. When I phoned an embassy this week to deliver the sad news of John’s death to the Ambassador, the secretary became a little weepy as did I, recollecting that he had helped her in a time of crisis, advising, “Trust your God, love your family and stay close to them.” Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Twenty-four hours before his death he was visited by a vast array of people including those who had occupied the offices of prime minister and chief justice. Yesterday, Sir William Deane sent a message from overseas saying, “He was a truly
The future Fr John Eddy SJ, seated at front right, at St Louis School in Perth in 1938.
of Government. He rightly described the historical basis for Mabo and Wik. Three decades before the High Court spoke, he wrote: “The central authorities never deviated from their determination that the natives be conciliated and that relations with Aborigines be always governed by ‘amity and kindness’. But official benevolence and goodwill proved sadly deficient as time brought more drastic collisions between settlers, convicts, sealers, soldiers and the fierce, gentle, mysterious, fugitive, ever present people of the Australian bush.” Recently, I discovered a request to Manning Clark for an historian’s take on the terra nullius argument in preparation for the 1971 Gove land rights case. Clark sent back a paper by the young Eddy who had recently arrived at the ANU. Arriving home, I showed my archival find to John. He was quite unsurprised, read it cursorily, and said there was no need to change a word of it in light of Mabo and Wik. He was right. In 1971, John looked back over the previous 50 years in Australian Catholicism, noting that ‘even in 1921 when John O’Brien praised
Catholicism is rising or declining remains a subject for debate: or rather a mystery. To those who do not believe, no assessment is necessary; to those who believe, no earthly assessment is adequate.” In his bicentenary essay, Recognition, Reconciliation and History, John wrote, “The cynic might judge that most people find coping with present events and necessary practical decisions for the immediate future sufficient burden. It is hard enough to grasp essential daily details, and summon up enough courage to survive. An interest in the past may be a fine hobby, but contributes little that is useful or helpful. This is to ignore the role of memory and reflection in human life. Truth may be difficult to ascertain, and unpleasant to face once discovered, but without it there can be no firm foundation, and in St John’s searing words, ‘the truth will make you free’.’ Though spending most of his Jesuit life here in Canberra, John experienced his missionary call to the frontiers. His life of the mind, his infectious sociability, and his delight in all human achievement from
John Eddy noted that it is fashionable these days to be an atheist, but that he became more confirmed in his faith the closer he got to ‘Grand Central.’ good man who cared greatly about the things that matter.” He was very proud of the course he designed at the ANU entitled ‘The Peopling of Australia since 1788’. He grew increasingly agitated about our treatment of those fleeing to our shores seeking asylum. In his last published utterance he wrote: “The ‘schemes’ of various governments which brought thousands of ‘unaccompanied minors’ to Australia may have been wellmeant, even strictly speaking ‘legal’. But we surely must exercise great moral caution before falling into the trap of supporting modern equivalents, no matter how insistent political vote-catchers may urge them for perceived electoral advantage.” “People ‘smuggling’ may be reprehensible or necessary, depending on circumstances, but it at least responds to the asylum seekers’ wishes. People ‘trafficking’ consists in forcibly taking innocents where they do not wish to go.” Usually these remarks from John passed under the public radar. His Oxford doctorate was published by Clarendon in 1969 under the title Britain and the Australian Colonies 1818-1831: The Technique
the ‘same dear happy circle’ of the Irish Australian family around the ‘Boree Log’, he went on, with some wistfulness, to mourn the scattering which was already breaking up that warm group.’ John said, “Fifty years later only a poet of abnormal insight would dare to sing so intimately of the complex community of (those) who go to make up the Australian Catholic Church.” He wrote: “Radical periodicals come and go. Practice remains high, but there appears to be in Church life, as in other areas of Australian life, a potentially dangerous element of frustration. Unintelligent insistence on what is believed or imagined to be rigid orthodoxy and suspicion of ‘intellectuals’ can bruise the adventurous and stunt initiative. A greater danger is perhaps still apathy, cloaked by a gentle irony or a cynical cult of passionless mediocrity. Co-responsibility in the Church has yet to find its authentic Australian flowering.” Being the academic historian, he was careful not to prognosticate beyond the evidence; being a man of simple faith, he was happy to surrender into the abyss of mystery. He wrote, “Whether Australian
a faultless tennis backhand to a spine-tingling opera aria by Joan Sutherland made him open to possibilities well beyond his own comfort zone and competencies. He embodied the 2008 declaration by the General Congregation of Jesuits: “The complexity of the problems we face and the richness of the opportunities offered demand that we build bridges between rich and poor, establishing advocacy links of mutual support between those who hold political power and those who find it difficult to voice their interests. Our intellectual apostolate provides an inestimable help in constructing these bridges, offering us new ways of understanding in depth the mechanisms and links among our present problems.” Concluding his historical overview of the Jesuits in Australia in James Jupp’s Encyclopaedia of Religion in Australia, John wrote, “The traditional works of the order are still maintained, and demands for new ventures vie with the requirements of existing institutions. If earlier Australian Jesuits were advised to attempt not everything but much, it is clear that there will not in the foreseeable future be
PHOTO: COURTESY JESUIT PUBLICATIONS
Fr Eddy spent decades in Canberra as an academic but was always a missionary at heart. JESUIT PUBLICATIONS
any shortage of pastoral and intellectual challenges to the greater glory of God.” We commend to the Lord a son of Ignatius who never attempted everything but who did achieve much, while encouraging thousands of others in their quest for ‘a happier, more ethical and beautiful future’, one who relished the pastoral and intellectual dimensions of life, one for whom memory, reflection and truth were so cultivated as to be commonplace, one whose private party included all of us as guests invited to the banquet of the Lord. The JJ Eddy carriage has now reached Grand Central and each of us thanks God for the privilege of sharing something of the avuncular passenger’s delight in the journey through coffee shops, bookshops, music stores, opera theatres, lecture halls and clubs, culminating always at the table of the Lord, at the banquet where Jesus assures us ‘Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light’. Twenty years ago in this cathedral, John told the congregation “that one day they would all be united with Manning in paradise”. While John converses again with Manning Clark in the quest for grace, we pray that he rest in peace, and on this Remembrance Day we remember all those who have gone before us knowing there is a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace so that we might enjoy life and freedom to the full. The edited eulogy above was given by Fr Frank Brennan SJ at St Christopher’s Cathedral in Canberra on 11 November 2011.
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BXVI highlights anointing’s worth By Francis Rocca ANOINTING of the sick is not merely a minor sacrament, said Pope Benedict XVI, but one that “deserves greater consideration today” because of its spiritual benefits to both the minister and the recipient. The Pope’s words appeared in a message for the 2012 World Day
Sonogram law upheld by Texas appeal court TEXAS Catholic bishops applauded the 11 January decision of the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals allowing the state to enforce a sonogram law requiring abortion providers to offer women the opportunity to view the ultrasound images of their unborn children. “Providing mothers access to sonograms informs them about the risks and complications associated with abortion,” said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of GalvestonHouston. “These consultations save lives by educating mothers who may not realise that the child in their womb is exactly that - a unique, irreplaceable human life.” His remarks came in a statement released the same day in Austin by the Texas Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the state’s bishops. The ruling overturned a US District Court judge’s temporary injunction against enforcing the measure that requires doctors who perform abortions to show sonograms to patients, and describe the images and fetal heartbeat. With the 5th Circuit’s ruling, state officials can set a date for enforcing the law even though the case now goes back to the lower court for a final ruling. The state’s bishops made the sonogram law a high priority during the previous legislative session because they said it would help mothers recognise the humanity of their unborn children and choose life. Archbishop Gustavo GarciaSiller of San Antonio said he was particularly impressed by Chief Judge Edith Jones’ recognition of the state’s legitimate interests in protecting life. “The court today acted to protect the smallest voices of those whom God already knows, alive in their mothers’ wombs,” he said. Jones disagreed with the argument that the sonogram law infringes on the free speech rights of doctors and patients. She wrote that the “required disclosures of a sonogram, the fetal heartbeat, and their medical descriptions are the epitome of truthful, nonmisleading information.” Several states require ultrasounds as part of abortion procedures, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Eleven states require verbal counselling or written materials to include information on accessing ultrasound services. Six states (not including Texas) mandate that an abortion provider perform an ultrasound on each woman seeking an abortion, and require the provider to offer the woman the opportunity to view the image.
of the Sick, released by the Vatican on 3 January. The day itself is celebrated annually on 11 February, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Pope Benedict noted that the sacrament, formerly known as extreme unction, may be administered in “various human situations connected with illness, and not only when a person is at the end of his or her life.”
Anointing with olive oil recalls the “double mystery of the Mount of Olives,” the Pope said, as both the location of the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus confronted his passion, and the place where he ascended into heaven. Oil thus acts “as God’s medicine ... offering strength and consolation, yet at the same time (pointing) beyond the moment of the illness toward the
definitive healing, the resurrection.” Pope Benedict said that anointing of the sick is one of the Church’s two “sacraments of healing,” together with the “medicine of confession,” penance. When a sick person confesses sins to a priest, “a time of suffering, in which one could be tempted to abandon oneself to discouragement and hopelessness, can thus be
Trafficking a modern slavery
transformed into a time of grace,” the Pope said. Both penance and the sacrament of the sick “have their natural completion in eucharistic Communion,” Pope Benedict said. “Received at a time of illness,” Communion associates the “person who partakes of the body and blood of Christ to the offering that he made of himself to the Father for the salvation of all.”
Eucharist is food for pilgrims, the tired, weary By Carol Glatz
Samantha Bernadette Alvarez, 7, one of the youngest participants in the 7 January LA Freedom Walk, holds a sign during the anti-human trafficking event in downtown Los Angeles. US President Barack Obama has declared January 2012 as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. PHOTO: CNS/VICTOR ALEMAN, VIDA NUEVA
Streamlined service signals being a cardinal is not a sacrament By Cindy Wooden IN PART to avoid giving the impression that becoming a cardinal is a sacrament or quasisacrament, Pope Benedict XVI will use a revised, streamlined prayer service to create 22 new cardinals in February. “The rite used up to now has been revised and simplified with the approval of the Holy Father Benedict XVI,” the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, reported on 7 January. The paper said there would not be a “ring Mass” the day after the consistory; the new cardinals will receive their red hats, their cardinal
rings and the assignment of their titular churches in Rome during the same ceremony on 18 February. They still will celebrate Mass with the Pope the day after the consistory; at the beginning of the Mass, the first of the new cardinals - Cardinal-designate Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples will express thanks to the Pope on behalf of the group. The ritual was revised in order to maintain an atmosphere of prayer, while not giving the impression that becoming a cardinal is a liturgical event, the newspaper said. “In fact, historically the consistory was never considered a liturgi-
cal rite, but rather a meeting of the Pope with the cardinals in relation to the governance of the Church.” Within the consistory itself, giving the cardinals their rings is not the only change being made, L’Osservatore Romano said. The opening and closing prayers will be the ancient prayers, which were drawn upon in 1969 when Pope Paul VI held his first consistory using a prayer service designed after the Second Vatican Council, the paper said. The prayer service also will be shorter, eliminating the first reading and including only the Gospel reading: Mark 10:32-45, in which Jesus explains to the disciples that he came to serve, not be served.
THE EUCHARIST sustains those who are tired, worn out or lost in the world and transforms human sin and weakness into new life, Pope Benedict XVI said. Speaking at his weekly general audience on 11 January, the Pope focused on Jesus and the Last Supper, where he instituted the Eucharist, “the sacrament of his body and blood.” “Jesus’ gift of himself anticipates his sacrifice on the cross and his glorious resurrection,” the Pope said. He offers his life before it is taken from him on the cross and as such “transforms his violent death into a free act of giving himself for others. Violence immediately is transformed into an active, free and redemptive sacrifice,” the Pope said. The Pope said that, at the Last Supper, Jesus prayed for his disciples, especially Peter, warning him, according to the Gospel of Luke, that “Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat.” But Jesus prayed that his disciple’s faith would not fail and that Peter, who would betray Jesus, would return to strengthen the others’ faith, the Pope said. “The Eucharist is food for pilgrims, which becomes (a source of) strength also for those who are tired, worn out and lost,” he said. Jesus’ words at the Last Supper were meant to help Peter, and others who stray, find the strength to be able to follow Christ once again, he said. Taking part in the Eucharist today is “indispensable for Christian life” and is still a source of strength so that “our life is not lost, despite our weakness and our infidelity, but is transformed.” The Pope asked that people join their prayers with the Lord’s and offer their lives, “transform our crosses into free and responsible sacrifice, of love for God and our brothers and sisters.” At the end of the audience, a rare young Cuban crocodile was shown off to the Pope in honor of his upcoming trip to Cuba. The 15-inch long reptile is set to be introduced to its natural habitat in Cuba during the Pope’s trip in March. Representing the zoo was Paolo Giuntarelli, president of the zoo’s foundation, together with two small children who gave the Pope a tiny sculpture of a turtle hatching from its egg to symbolise the many successful births at the zoo. The zoo, one of the oldest in the world, was also celebrating the end of its 100th anniversary.
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US religious leaders sign up By Mark Pattison A LETTER signed by 39 US religious leaders objects to the spectre of religious groups being forced to treat same-sex unions “as if they were marriage.” “Altering the civil definition of ‘marriage’ does not change one law, but hundreds, even thousands, at once,” said the letter, Marriage and Religious Freedom: Fundamental Goods That Stand or Fall Together. “By a single stroke, every law where rights depend on marital status, such as employment discrimination, employment benefits,
adoption, education, health care, elder care, housing, property and taxation, will change so that samesex relationships must be treated as if they were marriage,” it said. “That requirement, in turn, will apply to religious people and groups in the ordinary course of their many private or public occupations and ministries, including running schools, hospitals, nursing homes and other housing facilities, providing adoption and counselling services, and many others.” Signers included four Catholic bishops and top representatives from many denominations.
Religious employers would “face lawsuits for taking any adverse employment action against an employee for the public act of obtaining a civil ‘marriage’ with a member of the same sex,” the letter said. “Even where religious people and groups succeed in avoiding civil liability in cases like these, they would face other government sanctions.” The letter cited the case of Portland, Maine, which required Catholic Charities to extend spousal employee benefits to same-sex domestic partners as a condition of receiving city housing and com-
munity development funds. “There is no doubt the many people and groups whose moral and religious convictions forbid same-sex sexual conduct will resist the compulsion of the law, and Church-state conflicts will result,” the letter said. Because those who object to giving equality to same-sex partners have been marked as “bigots, subjecting them to the full arsenal of government punishments and pressures reserved for racists,” the letter predicted other consequences if same-sex marriage were to gain more legitimacy.
VATICAN
Increased Museum numbers up: worry over potential damage VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In 2011, for the first time, the number of visitors to the Vatican Museums topped five million. Antonio Paolucci, director of the museums, said breaking the five million threshhold poses serious problems as well as challenges in the areas of access and education. “Five million visitors means 10 million hands that touch or can touch and 10 million feet that, day after day, wear out the multicoloured stone (floors) and the most famous archaeological mosaics in the world,” he said. Writing in L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, Paolucci said the total number of visitors in 2011 was just under 5.1 million. In 2010, the museums reported having almost 4.7 million people enter their doors. The museums expanded their opening hours in 2011 and added more of the special Friday night openings they experimented with briefly in 2009. The standard price of admission to the museums is 15 euros, or about $19. With the growing number of visitors, Paolucci said, security is a growing concern and not just to ensure people keep their hands off the art. The sheer number of visitors means there will be “an unknown, but certainly significant, percentage” of people with serious problems who could pose a danger to themselves or others. When dealing with such a massive number of people, even the best behaved cause damage because “they bring with themselves humidity and dust” which have a negative impact on the frescoes, stucco and mosaic tiles in the floors.
US
Romney endorsed but his religion ignored
A woman and her children are pictured at a Sudanese displacement camp.
PHOTO: CHRIS HERLINGER/CNS
Women in Africa last to eat in crisis By Chris Herlinger THE YEAR 2011 was not good for women such as Joan Ochieng. Just about everything was a struggle. “We were not treated fairly,” the Nairobi resident and single mother said of life in 2011, noting the many pressures, including spiralling food prices that caused her family of herself, four children and one grandchild to often go to bed hungry. When things like rice doubled in price in six months, a bowl of porridge was often the only salve in a day in which eating three meals was almost unheard of. Even eating two meals was often a rarity. That was not good for a woman who must also take antiviral medicines for treating HIV. Such treatment can be debilitating on an empty stomach and caused Ochieng to shake and experience nausea. These factors left Ochieng, 41, who lives in the Kiamaiko section of Kenya’s capital city, pessimistic as the new year began. “It’s out of our control,” she said, “it’s up to God.” It also made her angry that her experiences and those of other poor Nairobi residents do not seem to be a priority for Kenyan politicians or
for the larger world. Humanitarian agencies struggled in 2011 with raising funds and sustaining public interest in the Horn of Africa food crisis which affected about 13 million. Worst hit was Somalia, and international agencies such as the World Bank have warned as many as 750,000 Somalis are still vulnerable and could die from hungerrelated causes through the first few months of 2012. The humanitarian response by international agencies, many with church ties, saved lives, particularly at refugee camps in Dadaab, Kenya, across the border from Somalia. But as the new year began, there were continued worries about recent attacks at the camp and ongoing security threats within Kenya. In the midst of these crises, the quieter, less-visible experiences of Ochieng and those who live in Nairobi and other urban centres in the Horn of Africa have been ignored. That worries social service workers in the region. More than half of those seen at the Catholic-supported Baraka health centre in Nairobi, many of them children, require some kind of food supplement now.
“People are simply malnourished,” said Rose Omia, a Baraka social worker. Unfortunately, the current food crisis, set off by the jump in fuel prices early in 2011, touches upon nearly everything else. Many of Baraka’s patients are already fighting HIV and TB, said Elizabeth Njoki Mwai, Baraka’s project coordinator. Malnutrition only puts more strain on a body trying to fight HIV and TB. “We often hear people say, ‘I have not taken food in two or three days,’” she said. Such situations do not exist in a vacuum; most of those living in Nairobi’s slums do not have permanent employment; they have “casual jobs” where income is sporadic so that when a food crisis hits, eating the basics becomes sporadic, too. In such an environment, pressures on women become particularly acute, Omia said, noting she and other health workers have seen a rise in teenage pregnancies recently as young women accept food in exchange for sex. Increased HIV rates are likely to result, as well, she said. “When your stomach is full, you can say ‘no,’’’ Omia said of unwanted sexual relations or pregnancies.
“But if you’re hungry, you’ll do anything. You are reduced. Your dignity is really lowered.” Any humanitarian crisis “will affect women more than men,” said Dr Belay, an HIV/AIDS specialist with Catholic Relief Services’ Ethiopia programme, based in Addis Ababa. When there are regional or national traumas like drought, men in rural areas go to find work and leave behind women and children, Belay said. If men do not return, women are forced to look for work that causes them to migrate to the nearest town. Begging becomes one way to cope; another is to become a sex worker. “Women don’t have ownership of land, so are already economically disadvantaged,” Belay said. But even at the level of household economy, women and girls are the last to eat. “What is offered first goes to men, what is left goes to the child,” Belay said of family life when men are still within the household. “Sometimes the mother doesn’t get anything.” “It’s not fair,” she said. “It’s not fair.”
WASHINGTON (CNS) - Five former US ambassadors to the Vatican have endorsed Mitt Romney in his campaign to win the Republican nomination for the presidency. The Romney campaign released the ambassadors’ statement on 7 January, three days before the New Hampshire primary, customarily the first such primary in the nation every presidential election year. “We believe it is important to support the one candidate who is best qualified by virtue of experience, intelligence and integrity to build on all that is best in our country’s traditions and to lead it to a future where every American has the opportunity to reach his or her highest potential. That candidate is Mitt Romney,” said the former ambassadors, all of whom are Catholics. Thomas Melady, who was Vatican ambassador during the presidency of George W Bush, told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview that the statement was “very positive” and “didn’t bring up the religious question.” Some GOP activists have voiced their concerns over Romney because of his Mormon faith. Melady, now a senior diplomat in residence at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, had been at the forefront of a statement issued in November by several Catholics urging that “all inclinations to raise the issue of personal religious affiliation be avoided” in the presidential campaign. He said at the time of the earlier statement’s release that it was prompted by a Dallas megachurch pastor’s remarks at the Values Voters Summit in October that Mormonism was a “cult” and Romney was not a Christian.
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Pope calls for focus on values for all By Cindy Wooden THE ECONOMIC crisis should push people to look at the values reflected in their civic life and prompt an honest evaluation of whether citizens are working together to promote justice and solidarity, Pope Benedict XVI said. Addressing the mayor of Rome and presidents of the province
of Rome and region of Lazio, the Pope said citizens need to “recover values that are at the basis of a true renewal of society and that not only favour economic recovery, but also aim at promoting the integral good of the human person.” The Pope, as bishop of Rome, traditionally meets at the beginning of the year with the area’s political leaders, addressing social issues of
particular concern to the Church. Pope Benedict told civic leaders that among causes of the financial crisis is “individualism, which obscures the relational dimension of the person and leads him to close himself off in his own little world, to be attentive mostly to his own needs and desires, worrying little about others.” Speculation on property in
Rome and surrounding areas, great reluctance to hire young people, abandonment of the aged and the anonymity of city life are “consequences of this mentality,” he said. While parishes and Caritas are committed to community building, welcoming newcomers and helping the poor, he said, the government and individual citizens also have an obligation to promote solidarity
and a renewed social life. Pope Benedict also asked governments to be more attentive to needs of families, especially those with a large number of children. “I encourage you to defend the family founded on marriage as an essential cell of society and to make every effort to guarantee each family has what it needs to live a dignified life,” he said.
Learn about exorcism from the Gospels
Priest who aided displaced now on charges
By Lilla Ross
MEXICAN human rights groups and the migration ministry of the Mexican bishops’ conference have expressed outrage at the attorney general’s office for pursuing anonymous criminal complaints against a priest who provided material and spiritual support to a group of displaced Guatemalans. The groups also took issue with Mexican immigration officials forcibly removing some of the Guatemalans who had been residing in a camp they established in Tabasco state near the MexicoGuatemala border since August after fleeing a violent displacement in their country. Franciscan Fr Gonzalez is accused of human trafficking for doing what his supporters say was nothing more than providing food and shelter to the displaced. Fr Gonzalez was in Mexico City to meet with judicial officials. He told reporters his migrant shelter in the border town of Tenosique and a parish human rights centre were the only organisations that offered support to the Guatemalans who “arrived with nothing more than the clothes on their backs.” Federal officials removed 72 Guatemalans from the camp during a predawn raid, saying their actions were done for “humanitarian” reasons and due to poor sanitary conditions at the camp. About 150 individuals escaped capture and remain in the area, while the rest are being housed a parish-run shelter in the Guatemalan border town of Tecun Uman, Fr Gonzalez said. The allegations against him continue a trend in which Catholic priests face charges of human rights violations against the very migrants they serve.
IF EVERYTHING you know about exorcism you learned by watching the movie The Exorcist, Fr Jose Antonio Fortea wants to exorcise those notions from your head. To learn about exorcism, Fr Fortea said the best textbook is the Bible, especially the Gospels, because, after all, Jesus was an exorcist. A priest of the Spanish Diocese of Alcala de Henares, he is an exorcist and author of several books including Interview With an Exorcist. Currently based in Rome studying for a doctorate in theology, he was in Florida recently to give talks on exorcism and pastoral care. Every culture has an understanding of demonic possession, Fr Fortea said. “But they don’t have a solution for it. Jesus brought the solution. Jesus taught us to do exorcisms. “Exorcism is a sign of the power of Jesus that the power of the kingdom of heaven is here on earth,” he added. “Every exorcism is a gift that helps us believe.” The need to expel demonic spirits from a person’s body is neither common nor rare, he said. When his bishop first called on him to study exorcism in the late 1990s, Fr Fortea said he thought exorcism was a rare event that might occur once or twice in a century. But when more and more people came to him for help, he realised demonic influences were much more active, especially in those who associated with witchcraft, magic, Santeria and some New Age practices. Unlike movies, most possessed people seem perfectly normal, he said. The signs are usually subtle trembling or spitting. The Church has specific prayers and rituals for conducting an exorcism, he said. But when he is training priests, he tells them not to worry about technique. “I tell them to surround the demoniac with the glory of God,” he said. “Centre on God.” Fr Fortea cautions people about seeing the devil everywhere. For instance, some people worry about letting their children anywhere near Harry Potter books and movies. He said he thinks Harry Potter is great fun as long as it is regarded as entertainment. He cautioned parents about forbidding things to their children. “Prohibition has to be used carefully,” he said. “People think we are more protected by forbidding things. If
Fr Fortea speaks on exorcism in Jacksonville..
you forbid Harry Potter, why not Tolkien?” Demonic spirits take over the body, not the soul, he said, which is why the Sacrament of Confession is more important for the average Catholic than exor-
Harry Potter is great fun as long as it is regarded as entertainment. cism. But he said anyone can be approached by evil spirits, even Jesus. He urged people to use moderation and commonsense and to build up their faith with the sacraments and devotional practices of the Church.
“A lot of temptation isn’t from the devil. It’s from the individual,” he said. “In fact, 98 percent of temptation comes from our heart or the world. You can avoid sin because God is willing to give us grace.” And if they feel the need to consult an exorcist, they should call their bishop. Only certain priests have the training and the permission to conduct exorcisms and the list is not made public. Fr Fortea, a priest and theologian specialising in demonology, studied and graduated from the University of Navarre with a degree in history. In 1998, he wrote his thesis on The Exorcism in Modern Times and defended it before the secretary of the Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Spanish bishops’ conference.
PHOTO: CCOURTESY DON BURK
Numbers of visitors and pilgrims up at Vatican THE PREFECTURE of the Papal Household, the office responsible for handing out free tickets to papal events, estimated more than 2.5 million people saw Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican in 2011. The prefecture estimated 500,000 attended the beatification of Pope John Paul II celebrated by Pope Benedict on 1 May. While there may have been only 500,000 with tickets in St Peter’s Square and on Vatican territory, Italian police said more than one million were gathered in and around the Vatican and in front of large video screens in several parts of Rome for the Mass. Almost half the visitors and
pilgrims at papal events in 2011 were members of crowds gathered on Sundays for the Angelus. The Vatican said more than 1.2 million joined the Pope for noon prayer at the Vatican or in Castel Gandolfo. The Pope held 45 weekly general audiences in 2011, speaking to a combined total of about 400,000. Special papal audiences for groups drew about 102,000 people to the Vatican and papal liturgies were attended by about 846,000 people. The 2.5 million figure for 2011 marked an increase in participation compared to 2010, when the office estimated the crowds at a total of just under 2.3 million people.
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St Kateri
Tekakwitha Lily of the Mohawks Disfigured by smallpox and bereft of family, Kateri was baptised into the Church and spent the rest of her young life ministering to children, the sick and elderly. Now on the path to sainthood, she is held up as a model for Catholic youth.
B
lessed Kateri Tekakwitha, “the Lily of the Mohawks,” is the young Indian maiden who, despite objections from some in her own clan, came to know and love Christ. She was born in 1656 in a village on the Mohawk River called Ossernenon, now Auriesville, NY. Her father was a Mohawk chief and her mother a Christian Algonquin raised among the French. She was born into a period of political and religious turmoil, 10 years after three of the Jesuit martyrs were tortured and killed: Rene Goupil, Isaac Jogues and Jean Lalande. Indians blamed the “Black robes” for the sudden appearance of deadly white man’s diseases, including smallpox. When Kateri was only 4, a smallpox epidemic claimed her parents and baby brother. Kateri survived, but her face was disfigured and her eyesight impaired. According to legend, she was raised by relatives who began to
plan her marriage. But after meeting with Catholic priests, Kateri decided to be baptised and pursue religious life. When she was baptised at Easter in 1676 at age 20, her relatives were not pleased. She fled the next year to Canada, taking refuge at St Francis Xavier
She astounded the Jesuits with her deep spirituality and devoted herself to teaching prayers to the children and helping the sick and elderly. Mission in the Mohawk Nation at Caughnawaga on the St Lawrence River, about 10 miles from Montreal. She reportedly made her first Communion on Christmas in 1677. She astounded the Jesuits with
her deep spirituality and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. She took a private vow of virginity and devoted herself to prayer and to teaching prayers to the children and helping the sick and elderly of Caughnawaga. Kateri was not the only member of her community to embrace Christianity during a colonial time fraught with conflict and struggle for native tribes. But to her older, more educated Jesuit mentors, she was remarkable. When her request to start a religious community was denied, Kateri continued to live a life of austerity and prayer. She was said to perform “extraordinary penances.” She died in 1680 at the age of 24. According to eyewitnesses, including two Jesuits and many Indians, the scars on her face suddenly disappeared after her death. Her tomb is in Caughnawaga and there is a shrine to her in St Francis Xavier Church there. Soon after Blessed Kateri died, Catholics started to claim that
Kateri Tekakwitha 1656 Born in a village on the Mohawk River near Auriesville, N.Y. Her father was a Mohawk chief and her mother a Christian Algonquin. 1660 Orphaned at age 4 during smallpox epidemic. 1676 Baptized on Easter at the age of 20. 1677 Fled to Canada, taking refuge at St. Francis Xavier Mission in the Mohawk Nation at Caughnawaga. Reportedly made her first Communion on Christmas. 1680 Died at age 24, is buried at Caughnawaga.
Late 1800s American Indians began making appeals to the Catholic Church that she be recognized for her deep spirituality and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. 1932 Documentation for her sainthood cause was sent to the Vatican. 1935 National Tekakwitha Conference started. 1980 Beatified by Pope John Paul II June 22. 2011 Pope Benedict XVI recognizes second miracle attributed to her intercession Dec. 19.
favours and miracles had been obtained through her intercession. American Indians have made appeals to the Catholic Church for her recognition since at least the late 1800s.
©2011 CNS
Documentation for her sainthood cause was sent to the Vatican in 1932. She was declared venerable in 1942, the first step to sainthood that recognises the candidate’s heroic virtues.
Jake faces illness, saved by prayer By Terry McGuire
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lsa and Donny Finkbonner of St Joseph Parish in Ferndale had no doubt their young son’s recovery from a deadly flesh-eating bacteria almost six years ago was a miracle. On 19 December, Pope Benedict XVI confirmed that when he signed a decree acknowledging a miracle attributed to the intervention of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha in the recovery of Jake Finkbonner from the rare and potentially fatal disease, necrotising fasciiitis. In February 2006, just before his sixth birthday, the boy was playing basketball when he suffered a cut on his lip that enabled the bacteria to invade his bloodstream. Days later, he was near death at Children’s Orthopedic Hospital and Medical Centre in Seattle. Because the family is part Native American, Father Tim Sauer, then St Joseph pastor, suggested they pray to God through Blessed Kateri (1656-1680), a Mohawk woman who devoted her short life to her Catholic faith and caring for the sick and elderly. Known as the Lily of the
Mohawks, she was beatified in 1980, the first native North American to be so honoured. Her feast day is 14 July. Jake beat the odds and recovered, and with the approval of then-Archbishop Alex Brunett of Seattle, the case of Blessed Kateri’s intercession was investigated as the possible one remaining miracle needed for her canonisation. The Finkbonners were elated upon receiving the news and of their son’s part in it. “It’s so overwhelmingly exciting, and just an honourable process to be a part of,” Elsa Finkbonner said. She said Jake is “pretty excited about it” too. “It’s been five years in the making, so he’s excited that everything is all coming to light and that it’s all happening,” she told The Catholic Northwest Progress, Seattle archdiocesan newspaper. Finkbonner said Jake also is looking forward to meeting the Pope when the canonisation takes place. “There’s no doubt in our minds that Jake’s survival is, in fact, a miracle,” she said. “And we did everything that Fr Tim had asked us to do in praying
for her intercession. And others prayed for him. “So I’m happy that the Vatican has honoured Jake to be the last miracle in (Blessed) Kateri becoming a saint.” Fr Sauer said he thought it was appropriate that the news of Blessed Kateri’s upcoming canonisation should come during Advent. Just as God chose ordinary people in Mary and Joseph to be the “instruments of that miracle” of the birth of Jesus, “God continues to do miracles today to strengthen people’s faith and to use ordinary people like (Blessed) Kateri and Jake Finkbonner,” he said. He said Jake’s recovery was a “great testament” to the faith of the Finkbonners, the Native American Catholics on the Lummi Reservation and people all over the world who were praying for the boy. He said Blessed Kateri’s canonisation will be a boost to Native American Catholics across the country. “I think this is a real affirmation and encouragement to Native American Catholics who continue to live their Catholic faith, oftentimes in the face of a lot of criticism and opposition,” he said.
The happy face of Jake Finkbonner earlier in 2011 following his final reconstructive surgery, glad to be alive and praising Blessed Kateri. PHOTO: CNS
18 Janaury 2012, The Record
Two miracles that occur after death are generally needed for a sainthood cause to move forward. After a first miracle is confirmed by the Church, the candidate is beatified. Kateri was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980, giving her the title “Blessed.” Documentation for the final miracle needed for her canonisation was sent to the Vatican in July 2009. It involved the recovery of a young boy in Seattle whose face had been disfigured by flesh-eating bacteria and who almost died from the disease. But he recovered completely, and the Vatican confirmed the work of a tribunal which determined there was no medical explanation for it. On 19 December, the Pope signed the decree recognising the miracle in Blessed Kateri’s cause, clearing the way for her canonisation. The US Church marks her feast day on 14 July. She is listed as patron of American Indians, ecology and the environment and is held up as a model for Catholic youths. In the US, there are two shrines to Blessed Kateri, the National Shrine of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha in Fonda, NY, and the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville. The National Tekakwitha Conference, based in Great Falls, Mont, was started in 1939 as a way to unify Catholic American Indians from different tribes across the US. “The Indian people in the United States and Canada have longed for the canonisation of Blessed Kateri from the moment of her beatification,” Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia told CNS. A member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribe, he is the only Native American Catholic archbishop in the United States. “We are all very proud of her because she embodies in herself what Pope John Paul II called inculturation: the saints are the truly inculturated members of a particular ethnic group because they personally embody both the Gospel and the culture from which they come,” he said. Interviewed before the Pope’s decree, Archbishop Chaput said news of her canonisation would bring “great rejoicing for the Indian community,” and he predicted “we’ll show up in significant num-
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Roger Zarembinski adds colour to his pastel drawing of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. The drawing is to be installed in St Anthony mission church on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation near Mandaree, ND. PHOTO: DAVE HRBACEK/CNS
bers here in Rome” for her canonisation ceremony. Blessed Kateri has always been held up “as a very holy person by members of the native community and they have longed and longed for this moment to come,” Mgr Paul Lenz told CNS. He is vice postulator
for her cause and former executive director of the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions. When she worked in the fields, Blessed Kateri would carry a cross with her as a source for contemplation. Her last words were reported to be, “Jesus, I love you.”
Joy and excitement at news of Bl Kateri’s canonisation By Mark Pattison
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he announcement of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha’s canonisation “is the news we’ve been waiting for” said Sr Kateri Mitchell of her namesake. Of her reaction to the news a second miracle attributed to Blessed Kateri has been recognised; “I guess the word is overwhelming and also just exuberant with jubilation,” she said, laughing. A Sister of St Ann, Sr Kateri said she was “blessed” with receiving the name Kateri when she entered religious life in 1959. She has been executive director of the Tekakwitha Conference National Centre for the past 14 years and affiliated since the 70s. Joy was the reigning emotion as calls and emails came in. A member of the Mohawk Nation, as was Blessed Kateri, Sr Kateri (pronounced CAT-tery) was raised on the St Regis Mohawk International Reservation. She said her parents had a devotion to Kateri Tekakwitha and would frequently make a 322km trip to Blessed
Kateri’s birthplace and the town where she was raised. The name Kateri is the Mohawk equivalent of Katherine, said Sr Kateri. “Even as a little girl I was very familiar with her.” “As Native American Catholics, I think this just brings such great joy and gratitude to our model” of faith, she added. “The people I’ve met from other cultures and countries would say, ‘You Native Americans or indigenous of America need a saint of your own.’ I’d say, ‘I totally agree with you, and please pray with us.’” “It’s certainly a wonderful day to get this message,” Mgr Lenz, US vice postulator of Blessed Kateri’s cause, told CNS. He had been executive director of the Black and Indian Mission Office in Washington for 32 years prior to his retirement from active ministry and coordinated all the events surrounding Blessed Kateri’s beatification in 1980. He said he will coordinate liturgies surrounding the impending canonisation, while his successor at the Black and Indian Mission Office, Fr Paysse, will be in charge
of pilgrimages to Rome for canonisation ceremonies. In Canada, the canonisation of an aboriginal woman will be the answer to a prayer for all native peoples. “There’s a natural sense of pride and joy,” among native people, said Bishop Gordon of Whitehorse. On hearing that Blessed Kateri will be canonised, perhaps as early as spring 2012, Bishop Gordon planned to phone his old friend Steve Point, lieutenant governor of British Columbia. Point is a former elected chief of the Skowkale First Nation. “I’m gonna say to him, ‘Steve, we’ve got to go to Rome!’” the bishop told The Catholic Register. On missions across Canada, the beatification will demonstrate the Catholic Church is truly with the people, said Fr Kennedy, president of the organisation Catholic Missions in Canada. “In the minds of the First Nations people, she’s already a saint,” he said. “She’s already someone to whom they can appeal for sympathy with their troubles, for help with discrimination. She’s gone through what they are going through.”
he dictum “never talk about politics or religion at dinner parties” is so wise. At a BBQ recently a long lapsed Catholic was launching into stories of her experiences of the Church. She is about my age and it really did make me realise how ceaselessly dynamic the Church is. Hearing a non-practising Catholic expatiating on the Church in the 70s shows with startling clarity how far the Church has come since then. Those brought up after Vatican II have suffered from overexposure to error and experiment. I personally believe many could be regarded as never having had a proper chance to be part of the real Church as what they were taught as the faith was nothing like it. No wonder they left in droves. The past 50 years or so, since Vatican II, has seen the pendulum swing too far from the doctrinal side of the equation into lovey-dovey cafeteria Catholicism, and then begin the great, slow arc back towards the vital balance of doctrinal rigour, renewed clarity and simplicity, and the allencompassing love of Christ. The funeral of Pope John Paul II was a beautiful example of this development and eloquently illustrated how far the Church has come along the path of true reform since the start of his pontificate in 1978. A former priest was the TV commentator for this majestically simple liturgy. He sounded disappointed and surprised at the lack of Byzantine arcana and ecclesiastical pomp which he could disdain. He spent the whole time apparently waiting for this show of reactionary and anachronistic bells and smells that never happened – and then it was all over. The glory of it was that it was a funeral every practising Catholic would recognise – because we’ve all been to similar ones. Every Catholic is farewelled with the same Mass – the same prayers, the same solemnity, the same simplicity. The barque of Peter had obviously sailed on right past him in the years since he chose to leave the Church, leaving him bewildered in its wake, not understanding quite what had happened. The Pope labelled ‘reactionary’ by some groups within and outside the Church was in fact a great reformer. He had not taken the Church back to the dark ages, but led it towards the light of truth. In spiritual terms his pontificate could be said to resemble the opening scenes of the film Saving Private Ryan. The landing craft slaps down its door, leader and men stumble out through the shallow water, falling to left and right, killed and wounded by heavy enemy fire. Thrown into the middle of
the hideous danger and fearful chaos of a beachhead landing under heavy fire, the leader yet regroups his men, leads them off the beach and with all his courage, skill and cunning, calmly and methodically completes his assigned mission.
@ home
with Catherine Parish
Knowing the wheels of any great reform necessarily turn slowly, Pope John Paul II was central to the slow but sure return to clear doctrine and understanding that we are still bound to obey the Commandments of God and laws of the Church. These are not and have never been negotiable. He constantly reminded us of the ‘bottom line’. But at the same time, his deep meditations on God’s love as the reason for our obedience, and the mercy that springs from that love have been a very necessary redress to rote-learned, possibly overly doctrinaire but not always fully
“The beautiful bones of our Faith have been well and truly exposed over the last half century - but not destroyed.” understood and developed faith of the early 20th century that left people ill-prepared for the revolution of Vatican II and wild abuses and upheaval that followed it. He led us back to remembering the central facts of our faith, a work begun in the documents of Vatican II. He never resiled from preaching the undeniable suffering of the Cross but always matched it with reminders of the immense power of the love, mercy and forgiveness that flow from that Cross. His last illness and death, embraced with such dignity and humility, were the ultimate witness. But truly, his whole priestly life bore witness to this truth. The accretions of the centuries do need to be chipped away occasionally, and restoration work can often look very like destruction, especially initially. The beautiful bones of our Faith have been well and truly exposed over the last half century – but not destroyed. We are in the process of recognising their beauty once again, restoring the clean lines and rebuilding the edifice, upon the Rock of Peter.
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Waters of Rediscovering the
Bishop Julian Porteous’s new book surveys the great spiritual traditions
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any have written on the subject of the Catholic spiritual tradition, many more expert than I. I was hesitant to add another book to an already rich library of works. However, my students, seminarians from the Seminary of the Good Shepherd, Homebush in Sydney, urged me to put into book form the series of lectures I gave to them. As rector from the year 2002 to 2008, I presented a course to the First Year group to introduce them to the tradition of spirituality in the Catholic Church. The course was to assist them as they sought to develop their personal spiritual life. It was they who urged me to produce the lectures in book form. This simple book is the result. It is written for Catholics who seek to grow in the interior life. It offers an account of the many and varied ways in which people over the centuries have sought a path to a deeper living relationship with God. The words of the psalmist capture well the yearning of the human spirit for union with the divine: “O God, you are my God, for you I long, for you my soul is thirsting.” This book is also testimony to the diverse and wonderful manifestations of the Holy Spirit at work in individual souls and as the transforming influence in the soul of the Church. On a number of occasions Pope Paul VI wrote eloquently about the presence and influence of the Holy
Spirit in the life and mission of the Church. He said in one place: It is in the “consolation of the Holy Spirit” that the Church increases. The Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church. It is He who explains to the faithful the deep meaning of the teaching of Jesus and of His mystery.” At the heart of the many and varied spiritual movements that have shaped the Catholic Church is the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit. Often the Spirit has acted in surprising and unexpected ways, yet as spiritual movements flourished it has become clearer that they have been critical to maintaining and enriching the calibre of the spiritual life of the Church. These movements often have had saints at their forefront, or have become vehicles for the emergence of great saints. Spiritual movements emerge at particular moments in history and in particular places. We cannot ignore the historical and social context of these movements, nor miss the significance that these movements have on the life of the Church lived most immediately by “ordinary” Catholics. Many movements, as we will see, have shaped the character of Catholic faith and how this faith has come to be expressed in the life of Catholics. The historical and cultural setting has meant that movements have been incardinated in quite specific situations, yet they have spread beyond the context in which they
Dissatisfaction led John off the beaten track Within months of retiring from his engineering career in 2010, Mt Lawley resident John Gartner was being greeted by the Bishop of the Diocese of Daru-Kiunga, one of Papua New Guinea’s least developed regions, as he began his two year volunteer placement with Palms Australia. He shared his story with Mark Reidy.
were born. This reveals that such moments of grace have a universal and not just localised significance. They speak to the soul of the Church and are the source of regen-
eration of the spiritual life which is the inner reality of the Church. The spiritual movements have not just influenced a small number of the spiritual elite but have
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ohn Gartner can still recall the sense of dissatisfaction that overwhelmed him during a conversation with work colleagues in 2009. “It dawned on me that I was losing friends through retirement and the younger generation of managers weren’t respecting the value of my experience”, he said John, a mechanical engineer from Mt Lawley, realised that as his work had progressively become a place of unhappiness, he was carrying that demeanour into his home life. It was at that point he decided he would retire on his birthday in August 2010. However, with his adult children living independently and his wife, Clare, not retiring for another two years, John set about searching for a fulfilling way of utilising his skills and time. “I had always had the thought that at some stage I should do volunteer work in a less privileged community”, he shared, “so I enquired about the possibilities through the Catholic Church and was directed to Palms Australia.” Palms, which began in Sydney in 1956 as the Paulian Association, places volunteers in communities both within and outside Australia. Its vision is to participate in and develop networks that provide the opportunity for individuals and communities to address social inequality and reduce poverty in order to achieve a more just, sustainable and interdependent world. During his training course in 2010, John accepted the role of Project Manager at the Montfort Catholic Mission in the town of
John Gartner is utilising skills and time for the less privileged. PHOTO: WWW.PALMS.ORG.AU
Kiunga in Papua New Guinea in which he would oversee projects including the Emmaus Farm, establishment of a sawmill and a variety of building developments. “One of the reasons I was attracted to the position was my need to pass on my skills to the community at the mission”, John recalls. “Not only could my engineering skills be applied usefully but my other generic skills of project management and business management also.” Kiunga was established as an Australian government outpost in the late 1950s when Australia managed the affairs of Papua New Guinea. The Catholic Church arrived in 1959 to commence missionary services with priests and brothers from the Canadian
become sources of inspiration and fruitfulness for countless thousands. Many of these spiritual movements have become expressed in Society of Montfort Missionaries and Sisters of the Daughters of Wisdom providing the majority of missionaries. John explained that since then the mission, along with the number of missionaries, has expanded into outstations in many diverse and remote locations. One of the difficulties associated with this expansion has been that the mission is struggling in its quest for self-sufficiency and become dependent on support from the broader Catholic community. John’s placement, in fact, was the result of a request from Bishop Gilles Cote who approached Palms Australia seeking a Management Support Services Trainer to work with and mentor local community members.
John searched for a fulfilling way of using his skills and time. The diocese of Daru-Kiunga covers a very large area of PNG’s Western Province. Many of the communities are isolated with limited access to health, education and social services, with the Catholic Church being the major provider of those that do exist. Since arriving, John has launched himself into several projects. “Once I settled down I identified a number of challenges that required action”, he said. “The first was to organise the building of four double classrooms, six houses and a duplex in four separate villages”. He explained that as some of these villages could only be accessed by boat, and oth-
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that have shaped the Church.
various writings, sometimes in sermons or sayings but often in books. Spiritual classics have been read over the centuries and the insights and inspiration of the movement ers were in areas that depended on roads that were vulnerable to rainfall often in excess of six metres per year, there were constant challenges to negotiate. Such hurdles were not uncommon and John has found over the past year that he has had to adjust to situations that those living in Australia take for granted. Problems such as how to unload building equipment and supplies to villages without a port in between high tides, how to organise local labour, how to dispose of sewerage without causing health issues and how to keep buildings level in villages built on silt have all crossed his path. Also slowing progress has been the teaching required to transfer building and other associated skills to workers so they can utilise them for the long-term benefit of the community. One of the biggest obstacles John has had to deal with has been the purchasing of a portable 450kg sawmill to aid the many building projects. Not only has John had to organise training for the safe use of the saw and the dynamics of working as a team, but has also had to organise for the saw to be transported between projects on a small aluminium dinghy. Another major project in John’s assignment has been the overseeing of Emmaus Farm, a project developed several years earlier to divert young men away from a life of potential crime and anti-social behaviour. “Emmaus Farm provides an opportunity for young men to learn life skills so they can
captured in these works have con- the Church. Our own age has seen tinued to attract many to pursue the the Spirit “blow where he will”. interior life and grow in virtue and There are many positive signs holiness. of spiritual resurgence. A Catholic The vast library of spiritual writ- is able to be that wise steward the ings is the great patriLord spoke about, mony of the Church. able to bring out of This resource ensures his storage things that graces of earlier both new and old. times are still accessiEach chapter in this ble and able to inspire short book explores a peoples of all ages. spiritual movement Spiritual movewithin the context of ments may come at the time. a particular historiThese movements cal moment but the proved to be imporlegacy lives on in the tant moments of testimony of the spirspiritual fruitfulness itual writings. in the particular time The Church has a and many have conrich heritage which, tinued to make an sadly, is not known Bishop Julian Porteus’ book ongoing contribution well enough. Streams of Grace, arose from to the faith and life of In recent times, the course he teaches. PHOTO: the Church. many Catholics have At the end of each been attracted to other Christian chapter there is a brief quote from Churches, particularly those of an material representative of the evangelical bent. movement. These “tastes” can help Other Catholics have turned to us appreciate the particular flavour Eastern non-Christian religions or of the movement. dabbled in the New Age in an effort May this introductory book help to find spiritual nourishment. They many to recognise more clearly the have not known of the treasure bur- wonderful ways in which the Holy ied in the heart of the Church. Spirit has been active in the Church. Presenting the Catholic Spiritual May this simple book encourage all tradition afresh to every age is who seek God within the depths of important. their lives know something of the It can enable Catholics to dis- paths of the Spirit in the human cover what is available. It can show heart. them paths for interior nourishment and map out a way to virtue Bishop Porteous is an Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney. Streams of Grace is available from The and holiness of life. Record bookshop. The Spirit is always at work in
A PALMS volunteer teaching in Kiunga.
build a future for themselves”, John explains. “The goal is to foster a quality of life for young men and the people of their villages, while promoting rural development, poverty reduction and personal development.” The farm had a full enrolment of 20 students from across the region in 2011. John has invested a significant amount of time into this project and is excited by the benefits received by the students. He says that as well as practical skills developed, such as learning English, maths, business management, health care – including HIV/ AIDS awareness - music, sport and farming skills, they will also be mentored in areas including personal accountability, compassion and integrity in their personal lives
PHOTO: WWW.PALMS.ORG.AU
and in their dealings with others. John explained that outside the frustrations associated with logistics, the lack of material goods and technical support and the government’s lack of capacity to deliver services, one of the challenges he faces is to demonstrate to local people the core Christian values. “The people here are spiritual and have taken to the Christian religions”, he explains, “However, this is a newly required spiritual experience for them and they are still coming to grips with the conflicts their past way of life impose.” But he is full of hope for their future. “They are a wonderful people”, he said, “The welfare and wellbeing of their families is always a priority in their lives.”
Miraculous ‘seers’ are surplus to requirement Dear Father, I have a friend who is eager to know all the messages people are receiving from Our Lord and Our Lady, and she is surprised that I am not interested in them. Should I be?
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his is a very interesting question. What should be a Catholic’s attitude to these “private revelations”? First of all, what do we mean by “private revelation”? We can distinguish it from “public revelation”, taken to mean the revelation given by God through Scripture and the Tradition of the Church and intended for all mankind. This revelation is deemed to have ended with the death of the last apostle. Moreover, the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei verbum says “no new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ” (DV 4). Indeed, in sending us his only-begotten Son, the Word made flesh, God has communicated all we need to know for our salvation. In the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Christ, the Son of God made man, is the Father’s one, perfect and unsurpassable Word. In him he has said everything; there will be no other word than this one” (CCC 65). The Catechism quotes St John of the Cross who expresses the idea very graphically: “In giving us his Son, his only Word (for he possesses no other), he spoke everything to us at once in this sole Word – and he has no more to say … because what he spoke before to the prophets in parts, he has now spoken all at once by giving us the All Who is His Son. Any person questioning God or desiring some vision or revelation would be guilty not only of foolish behaviour but also of offending him, by not fixing his eyes entirely upon Christ and by living with the desire for some other novelty” (The Ascent of Mount Carmel, 2, 22, 3-5; cf Heb 1:1-2; CCC 65). In this passage, St John of the Cross answers your question. He tells us we should fix our eyes entirely on Christ, who is God’s only Word, and not seek after novelties. Does this mean private revelations have no importance? Not at all. The Catechism comments: “Throughout the ages, there have been so-called ‘private’ revelations, some of which have been recognised by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. “It is not their role to improve or complete Christ’s definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in
Q&A By Fr John Flader a certain period of history” (CCC 67). As this text explains, these private revelations do not add to Christ’s definitive Revelation but help the faithful live it out more fully. Among private revelations approved by the Church have been for example the revelation of the devotion to the Sacred Heart given to St Margaret Mary Alacoque, the miraculous medal to St Catherine Labouré, recommendation of the Rosary given to St Bernadette at Lourdes and the children at Fatima, and the devotion to the Divine Mercy given to St Faustina Kowalska.
He tells us that we should fix our eyes entirely on Christ, who is God’s only Word, and not seek after novelties. All these revelations help the faithful to live more fully different aspects of the teachings of Christ. In recent times there have been numerous reports of messages, signs and wonders received by people all over the world, including in Australia. Some appear to be of supernatural origin, as evidenced by their being accompanied by phenomena that have no natural explanation. Others involve no such obvious signs of authenticity but do contain messages consistent with teachings of the Church. They will be of benefit to those who receive them and perhaps to others. In general, though, we should remember God has already revealed through the Church all we need to know for our salvation. It is therefore preferable to remain on safe ground by accepting these truths and not chase after novelties, some of which may be ploys of “the enemy”. It is unhealthy to seek to know every new private revelation when God has already told us all we need to know in his one Word.
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White Washed Black, pro-life and airbrushed from the debate
Rory Fitzgerald talks to Ryan Bomberger, the Emmy Award-winning designer highlighting the impact of abortion on black Americans.
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yan Bomberger knows only a little about his natural mother: “I know that, tragically, she was raped,” he says, “and that even though she had access to abortion, because of that she chose life.” He continues: “The social worker described my mother as angry. She had never intended to see me after birth but then she asked to hold me. The social worker said there was a noticeable change in her countenance after that. “I’m glad she chose life and gave me the opportunity to be adopted by an amazing multi-racial Christian family of 15. I had an amazing life growing up on a farm in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. There was never a dull moment. Never a quiet moment either!” From such inauspicious beginnings, Ryan has gone on to become an Emmy Award-winning creative director. More recently, he has applied his media savvy to designing the Too Many Aborted pro-life campaign which gained massive media coverage across America, from the New York Times to CNN to ABC News. This enabled Ryan’s personal story to reach millions, along with the pro-life message of the Radiance Foundation which he co-founded with his wife, Bethany. In the United States, race and abortion are deeply sensitive topics. Yet Ryan did not shy away from addressing the racial aspects of American abortion. Black women comprise 13 per cent of the American female population, but account for 30 per cent of abortions. Ryan says in places like New York City, rates of abortion among black women are up to
five times higher than white people, and some 60 per cent of black pregnancies are aborted. “The Too Many Aborted campaign came out of a need to explore the disproportionate impact of abortion on black and bi-racial children,” he explains. “If you mix race and abortion you get the kind of incredible media response that we got.” But Ryan says the “overwhelmingly pro-choice media” tried to distract from the real issues, implying the campaign was “racist” and “taking the angle that it was a Right-wing organisation run
Look at the core components of the movement: eugenics, racism, classism, concern about overpopulation and hatred of organised religion. by white conservative males which explains why most of them didn’t want to interview me”. He says his presence as a black man who was nearly a victim of abortion himself was conveniently airbrushed out by most of the US media. The campaign was also accused of “misogyny” and of being a political effort to divide the black community. “Those charges are ludicrous,” Ryan says. “But that’s what you get, because they cannot contest the statistics or documented history of the abortion industry.” Ryan argues that original abortion advocates like Margaret Sanger
and Marie Stopes were racists and eugenicists. “But that gets excused somehow. Many of those involved [in the abortion industry] today don’t even understand that these are their ideological foundations. Look at the core components of the movement: eugenics, racism, classism, concern about overpopulation and hatred of organised religion. These are all the same components that still exist today. It has nothing to do with women’s health and everything to do with population control and which parts of the population are worthy of life and which ones aren’t.” But, he says, abortion advocates seek to present these facts in exactly the opposite way. “They have realised the power of marketing,” he says. “The use of a few buzzwords has changed the political and moral landscape of our country.” He is saddened the pro-life movement has been comparatively ineffective at communication, often failing to use the power of marketing and advertising to express truth. “We live in a society where people have a two-second attention span and you don’t have time to compete for someone’s attention.” This is why Ryan felt the need to use his knowledge of communications and the media to assist the pro-life cause. His campaigns make wide use of the internet, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. He says use of the internet is crucial to circumvent an “overwhelmingly pro-choice mainstream media”. He calls the ideological outlook of the media “a huge barrier”, citing how reporters “will often ignore over 300,000 people attending the March for Life in Washington DC,
but will extensively cover comparatively tiny pro-choice protests”. The Too Many Aborted campaign featured pictures of black babies next to phrases like “the 13th Amendment freed us” and “abortion enslaves us”, thereby making an emotive link to America’s “original sin” of slavery. Another poster reads: “Every 21
minutes our next possible leader is aborted.” This ad features a picture of President Obama. While moved by “the principle of a black president”, Ryan does not welcome Obama’s presidency due to “the ideological positions he holds”. Yet, for him, Obama remains “the tangible realisation of possibility”. “I look at him and see the son
Survivor realises without faith, there is no hope
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y life has been a test of faith and strength. Like others who have survived the trauma of abuse, I have fought hard times and waged a battle that often seemed unwinnable. At 15, while working as a secretary in a parish rectory, I endured months of sexual abuse from Fr Kelvin Iguabita. Nothing could ever fully express the suffering, anguish and betrayal a victim feels. Only someone who has experienced abuse can fully understand the powerful manipulation of an abuser. I had been raised in a Catholic home where prayer and the sacraments were part of everyday life. I
never really doubted my faith until the abuse began. Afterward, I hated God for “allowing” it to happen. Indeed, the priesthood, a vocation I once held in high esteem, became something disgusting. I agonised over my decision to tell someone about the abuse. I truly believed that even my closest loved ones would turn against me. A year later, my world came crashing down again when my oldest brother passed away unexpectedly from an undetected heart condition. Grief over his death and the secret of the abuse were just too much to bear. Following weeks of what my parents originally intended to be grief therapy with a wonderful Christian therapist, I found
the strength and courage to tell them about the abuse. Never once did they doubt me; and they truly displayed the mean-
Faith is not always something we “feel” and there are still many days when I just “do it.” ing of unconditional love. I wish there was a predicable checklist for people as they embark on the
journey to healing. The fact is that everyone deals with suffering differently. For me, it took owning the pain as well as lots of support, therapy and prayer. Most importantly, it took the courage, encouragement and example of faith of countless others to help me move forward. I struggled thrugh my interior battles of faith and I did not want to go to church anymore. One priest offered some unexpected advice: “You don’t need to go to church if it’s that difficult for you — I’m sure God understands.” Part of me wanted to hold that priest accountable and say, “Well, God can’t blame me if I choose not to practise my faith!” But shortly afterwards, I picked up a book,
and this quote from St Thérèse of Lisieux said everything I needed to hear: “May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.” From then on, I strove to allow my faith to drive me, no matter how weak it felt. I chose not to spend the rest of my life holding God account-
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God calls us to open eyes and walk in others’ shoes ‘Real world’ issues become a focus for Clare Barrett when she joins “Rosie’s - Friends on the Street”, the homeless outreach team inspired by the Gospel.
Ryan Bomberger, born from rape, has a lot to say about abortion and right to life.
of a single mother who struggled through a lot of her life,” he says. “He is the sort of person whose life is often written off through abortion and yet he is pro-choice and pro-abortion. That is truly tragic. “Also, when you consider that black Americans weren’t even considered Americans until the 14th Amendment, it’s bizarre to see how our first black President can say this group of people [the unborn] aren’t human enough either. To me, it’s tragic.” Ryan believes there remains a “huge eugenic component” in the pro-abortion movement today. He makes the striking point that the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide actually defines genocide as “imposing measures intended to prevent births” within a racial group. “That is clearly what abortion does in the US,” he says, “right back to ‘the Negro Project’ in 1939, which effectively continues today. Genocide is clearly happening. Human rights groups are ignoring the most egregious injustice today.” He says that pro-abortion policies are usually pursued by an elite who invariably claim to be on the side of women, black people and the defenceless. Yet as well as disproportionately affecting black people, abortion has resulted in millions of missing women in China and India due to the selective abortion of girls. “Not only is it clear that gendercide is happening, but certain human rights and abortion groups never come to their defence,” Ryan says. Therefore, “they can’t deal with the repercussions of this” which, he says, include the human able. The abuse I had endured was the result of the evil of a human. My rapist was sentenced to 12-14 years in prison in 2003 and he was laicised in 2009. Five years later, four survivors and I from the Archdiocese of Boston were given the once-in-alifetime opportunity to have a personal meeting with Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Washington, DC. As we waited in the chapel of the apostolic nunciature, I fingered a pair of my mother’s rosary beads, praying to the Blessed Mother for the grace to say the “right thing” to the Pope. He entered the room and I couldn’t take my eyes off the slight, old, humble-looking man. He was there for survivors everywhere, conveying a message of love and hope to the world and to a Church brought to its knees by the sex-abuse scandal. He knelt at
trafficking of vulnerable women. Ryan says some American proabortion groups have remained silent even in the face of crimes recently uncovered by a Grand Jury in Philadelphia, where abortionist Dr Kermit Gosnell ran a clinic where women died. “He butchered children. He punctured their necks with scissors. He cut babies’ feet off and put them in jars. He did this for well over 15 years, completely unscathed.” A worker at the clinic recently
There’s no way you can see the beautiful little arms and legs and head and say: ‘Oh, it’s just a blob of tissue.’ Technology means you can’t get away with that. pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree murder. The clinic was not inspected as city officials felt inspections were “putting a barrier up to women”. “That’s the position they take all the time,” Ryan says, “because abortion is a sacrosanct act for them and they will defend it no matter the cost.” But he does sense the tide turning in the US because the younger generation of Americans is more pro-life than the older one. He feels that this is because the internet enables them to circumvent a prochoice media and academia. the altar and prayed with us for a few moments. When I was finally called forward for a few private moments with the Holy Father, the “right words” never came. Instead, I reacted as a child would with tears, the simplest, most innocent and heartfelt form of expression. My tears spoke not only for my own pain and suffering but for the pain and suffering of each and every abused child. The Holy Father spoke kindly to me. “I understand you are getting married soon?” he asked gently. I nodded through the tears. “My blessings on your marriage, your family and your future family.” He presented me with a beautiful white box imprinted with the Vatican seal that contained a pair of rosaries. He said, “There is hope, and I’ll be praying for you.” Four years later, I still struggle with my faith. But, following that
PHOTO: PUBLIC SOURCE
“We can measure the change from the thousands of emails we get from people explaining how they have shifted their position. It’s amazing how many hearts we have been able to reach. “I think there is going to be a monumental shift because the pro-abortion side does not have biology to back it up. The idea that life begins at conception is Biology 101.” Ryan believes that technology will also help to turn the tide through the advent of 3D ultrasounds which help women to see the reality of a baby in their womb, living and moving. Ryan says the scans scare Planned Parenthood, America’s biggest abortion provider, to death. “That’s why they fight against any legislation that suggests a woman should have even the option of an ultrasound. They fear a visual representation of what they profit from the destruction of. We know from pregnancy care centres that women overwhelmingly change their minds when they get a window into the womb.” He adds: “I see scanning becoming more widely available as the cost of such technology comes down. It’s having an incredible impact in allowing women to see truth. Truth: that’s all it is. “There’s no way to contest that. There’s no way you can see the beautiful little arms and legs and head and say: ‘Oh, it’s just a blob of tissue.’ Technology means you can’t get away with that.” For more information about Ryan Bomberger’s work, visit Theradiancefoundation. org, TooManyAborted.com and ShouldHaveBeenAborted.com.
momentous day in Washington, I felt more hope than I had in a very long time. My mum has always reminded me to look for life’s “glimmers,” no matter what doubts we may have. Faith is not always something we “feel” and there are still many days when I just “do it.” Even the saints struggled! Without faith, there is no hope. I have truly realised the importance and meaning of hope throughout my journey, particularly when I held my husband’s hand and my baby boy for the first time. The innocence and purity of a child is a reminder that there is always hope and God never abandons his children. I’m still here, and I’m still standing strong. There is always an “afterwards.” That afterwards is, in part, what you choose to make of it. Faith can lead you there. STORY BY FAITH HAKESLEY JOHNSTON
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am 23 and from Gympie, currently working as an Occupational Therapist in a community mental health team in Caboolture. I was brought up in a loving family with two older brothers. I went to a state school until Grade 4, then moved to a Catholic school where I graduated Grade 12. My school years were definitely quite rocky ... trying to find who I am and my place in the world. I really wasn’t exposed to some of the ‘real world’ issues until I moved to Brisbane in 2006 for university. In 2007, I volunteered for an organisation, “Rosie’s - Friends on the Street.” Rosie’s is a homeless outreach team which endeavours to offer friendship, trust, unconditional listening and support for those marginalised in the community. It is inspired by the Gospel but it isn’t our role to preach. We don’t offer therapy or advice (sometimes difficult as I work as a mental health case manager). Rosie’s is about giving hope. Through volunteering with Rosie’s, I have met some amazing people and heard some incredible stories, both emotional and courageous. Sometimes it’s not that important what you say. It’s being present with others, a simple smile and treating patrons with respect and equality. I feel privileged to be able to engage with and become more aware of the raw (and often harsh and upsetting) reality of homelessness, mental illness, drug addiction and other real life issues. But with these realities comes laughing, sharing, connecting, singing and feeling more communityfocused. Being present, I think, is a vital part of meditation and being mindful in my life. It helps with stress management and appreciation of the simple moments as well as the beauties everyday life offers. This is the prayer Rosie’s volunteers say before we go out to the street: “O Jesus, make our hearts so human, that others may feel at home with us. So like Yours, that others may feel at home with You. So forgetful of self, that we might simply become the place where You and they meet. In the power of Your love and the joy of Your friendship. Amen.” Homelessness is the most damaging spiritual illness in Australia today and we are proud to be part of the healing solution. We strive to put faith into action by making love real,
How I
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with Debbie Warrier
just as Christ did. We seek to foster people’s self-worth and dignity; standing in solidarity with them. Our aim is to model a more just, Christian and humane society. It’s an amazing way to make a small difference. Last year I spent a month in a remote village in East Timor with an amazing group of local nuns and young girls at boarding school. The stories I heard from nuns who had been through the 1975 and 1999 East Timorese conflicts were very emotional. Their resilience, strong devotion to God and care for the less fortunate in their own country,
With these realities comes laughing, sharing, connecting, singing and feeling more communityfocused. was inspiring. I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to experience the simplicity and beauty of their small tight-knit community and found the prayer life there fascinating. In my own prayer life, I start my day with a simple prayer of gratitude and ask God to help me to make the most of that day, make Him proud of who I am and show me how I can help others in small ways. I like to talk to God throughout the day in the way I would talk to a friend. I know He is with me always, throughout the mundane, stressful, and most exciting and precious moments! I try to allocate some time to meditate before going to sleep and to talk to God about the day. I feel God calls us to open our eyes to other people’s lives and try and understand what it’s like to walk in their shoes. There is a prayer on the back of my door which I look at most mornings, Rest in God by Michael Strong. I often think of it when I’m volunteering with “Rosie’s – Friends on the street.” In the prayer, he writes God is asking us, “Beloved, also look to your fellow man and learn to see only good … each is a child of God.”
THE RECORD
The above editorial titled “Shahbaz Bhatti - Martyr of Faith” appeared in the 20 December edition of the Catholic Register, the Toronto-based national Catholic Canadian newspaper.
When media target faith
DISAGREEING with the gay lobby will cost lives. So reported The West Australian on 16 January, ‘Comments put gays ‘at risk’,’ following threats from same-sex marriage campaigners to protest against Margaret Court’s presence at the Australian Tennis Open. One could easily conclude that anyone who argues for marriage (a union between a man and a woman) will carry responsibility for attacks against same-sex attracted individuals. Brisbane psychologist Paul Martin was paraphrased as saying Court’s admittedly crude condemnation of homosexual sex acts “could be the final brick in the wall and contribute to a sense of hopelessness”. Once again, readers were told that disapproving of someone’s moral choices is commensurate with hating that person. The West’s lead article was accompanied by a strange expose: an inside look at Pastor Court’s Victory Life Church - a sort of “look at these religious nut jobs” for seculars - which, to the journalist’s credit, was unusually free of snide editorial. Marriage ‘equality’ campaigners may have skilfully maintained momentum but their argument remains deficient in logic. It is akin to walking into a mosque and demanding to be admitted to its religious and cultural practices in the name of inclusion; querying the integrity of someone else’s institution and re-making it one’s own image – all the while being granted a holy fiat from society’s mightiest institutions to do so. Equality indeed.
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There is no global ledger to calculate the scale of Christian persecution, but it is estimated that 75 per cent of the world’s persecution targets Christians in dozens of countries.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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atholic News Service, which provides the Catholic Register with Vatican reports and international news, has named Pope Benedict XVI the top newsmaker of 2011. There is no disputing that Benedict dominated Catholic headlines as he passed his fifth anniversary as pontiff with another year of tireless service and faithful ministry. But in terms of a Catholic person of the year, we respectfully nominate Pakistan martyr Shahbaz Bhatti. Bhatti, Pakistan’s minister of minorities, was ambushed on his doorstep on 2 March because he lived openly as a Catholic in a hostile antiChristian environment. He died because following in Christ’s footsteps compelled him to denounce his country’s detestable blasphemy laws and defend a Christian woman condemned to death on trumped-up blasphemy charges. That woman, Asia Bibi, a 45 year old mother of five, remains locked in a high-security prison in Punjab. She was sentenced to hanging after several Muslim women, with whom Bibi had argued, accused her of blaspheming the prophet Muhammad, a charge she denies. Bhatti championed for Bibi’s release and advocated for repeal of the blasphemy laws. For that, Muslim extremists threatened to behead him. Yet he stood firm and ultimately died because he took to heart Christ’s words that there is no greater love than to lay down your life for another. A Catholic of profound faith, Bhatti predicted his murder while visiting Canada four weeks before the gunman struck. One month before that, Punjab governor Salmann Taseer had been assassinated by his own bodyguard after calling for Bibi’s release. Bhatti knew his own death was imminent unless he renounced his Christian principles and abandoned his fight. Yet he never wavered. “I was struck by how resigned he was about his expected martyrdom,” said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney after Bhatti’s death. Sadly, Bhatti was just one among thousands of Christians killed in 2011 because of their faith. There is no global ledger to calculate the scale of Christian persecution. But the European bishops conference estimates that 75 percent of the world’s religious persecution targets Christians, striking at 100 million people in dozens of countries. The most dangerous places, in addition to Pakistan, are Asian nations such as China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam, many Middle East nations, particularly Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and several African nations including Egypt, Nigeria and Sudan. Most victims of religiousbased attacks are anonymous PO Box 3075 Christians in far-off places Adelaide Terrace whose anguish is hardly noticed PERTH WA 6832 elsewhere. Bhatti’s unwavering faith and, ultimately, his office@therecord.com.au death epitomised their plight. Tel: (08) 9220 5900 By heeding Christ’s call to take Fax: (08) 9325 4580 up a cross and follow him, Bhatti gave face and voice to the courageous struggle of those Christians. He became a martyr to the faith, a symbol of the oppressed and an inspiration to us all.
AMA PRESIDENT Dave Mountain is correct in claiming that sexually loaded advertisements and television programmes have contributed to the dramatic increase in sexually transmitted infections. However, in an age where young people know more about sex than ever before and where information of all types has never been more accessible, it does seem odd that lack of “quality” sex education would be put forward as one of the reasons for the rise in STIs. The question arises: just who or what constitutes “quality” sex education? In her recent book You’re Teaching My Child What?, Dr Miriam Grossman, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in the US who has been working with young people for decades in this area, suggests that today’s sex ed programmes aren’t based on science; they’re based on liberal myths and politically correct propaganda that promote the illusion that children can be sexually free without risk. As a psychiatrist and expert on sexual education, Dr Grossman cites example after example of
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Letters to the editor schools and organisations whitewashing — or omitting altogether — crucial information that doesn’t fit in with their “politically correct agenda”. Instead, sex educators only tell teens the “facts of life” that promote acceptance, sexual exploration, and experimentation. What sex educators call an education, scientists would call a scam. Sex educators won’t tell girls their bodies are biologically and chemically more susceptible to STDs; they will only say three million girls have a sexually transmitted infection. Educators say it’s natural for
children to “explore” their sexuality from a young age and only they can decide when it’s right to have sex — the real truth is neurobiologists say teen brains are not developed to fully reason and weigh consequences, especially in “the heat of the moment”. Sex educators try to normalise fringe behaviours—ignoring the health risks to children. We are doing our young people a disservice if we refuse to ignore the data and evidence which argues for gender differences, the case for abstinence and the dangers of early sexual activity but instead send the message the more sex the better, and that it’s OK to experiment no matter how young you are as long as you feel like it and are protected. Just as we have declared war on smoking and drink driving, so too we need to declare war on teen sexual behaviour - all three are equally serious and equally dangerous. The truth is, not all sexualities and sexual activities are equal. Many are downright dangerous, and we have a responsibility to our children to let them know these truths. Gillian Gonzalez Vice President Australian Family Association, WA
True Labor has almost gone as ALP weds gay marriage No amount of trying to create an impossibility in the interests of political correctness can succeed, writes Bishop Greg O’Kelly.
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t was not without some sadness that I watched as the ALP national conference endorsed same-sex unions as equivalent to marriage. It saddens me to see another disturbing indication of the party drifting from its roots and traditional values. Where I grew up, a member of a railway family, to be Catholic was to be Labor; to be otherwise was almost an act of betrayal. We were brought up to be trenchantly loyal. The party stood to defend and support working class families through ensuring that justice triumphed over economic and political discrimination. True Labor never envisaged an attack on human institutions such as marriage, through defining an anomaly as an equivalent. A samesex union is never comparable to a family founded on the Sacrament of Marriage. To equate them is to devalue an institution which is the foundation of society, a vowed communion of father and mother and children. The ALP is losing its foundation and identity as it becomes peopled and controlled by interest groups who join it in order to have their sectional issues declared as national policies. Many would say that this is a
removal of discrimination from gay couples, and that through this distinction that Labor is being true to its roots. Some argue that the churches are archaic institutions which need to move with the times. However, as Bruce Ryan argued so eloquently in his piece in CathBlog in August:
The aspirations of same-sex marriage’s supporters would evaporate in their act of obtaining it. “Whilst the Church is sympathetic to same-sex couples who wish to seal their commitment to one another in marriage, the very object of their aspirations would evaporate in their act of obtaining it. “Marriage would no longer be linked in its essence to bringing new life into the world and society. Society would, therefore, have no further reason or need to protect the institution of marriage. It has been suggested that, logically speaking, if marriage represents only a loving relationship, it could come to represent any such rela-
tionship: opposite-sex couples, same-sex couples, polygamous and multiple partnerships of any sex.” Most of us know people of samesex attraction and are proud to name them as friends, or cherish them as members of our family. There is no difference in attributes like kindness, generosity, social conscience and honesty, religious faith. There must never be social or political discrimination against any human being. There must be legal protection for same-sex couples to ensure appropriate justice in areas like property, inheritance, personal access, and so on. But a same-sex union is not marriage, and can never be. Marriage is a vowed union of a man and a woman in a love from which human life can spring. A same-sex union is clearly not that, so this term marriage cannot be applied. No other society in history has ever understood the matter otherwise. The family as the basic unit of society is too precious for marriage and same-sex union to be equated. I hope the prophets of true Labor will help arrest the drift in the party from its foundational values, and not permit minority movements to capture its voice. Greg O’Kelly SJ is Bishop of Port Pirie, South Australia.
SALVATION IS FROM THE JEWS The role of Judaism in Salvation History from Abraham to the Second Coming Roy Schoeman’s fascinating account traces the role of Judaism and the Jewish people in God’s plan for the salvation of mankind, from Abraham through to the Second Coming, as revealed by the Catholic faith and by a thoughtful examination of history. It will give both Jews and Christians a deeper understanding of Judaism, both as a religion in itself and as a central component of salvation history.
Available now from The Record Bookshop
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18 January 2012, The Record
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Perhaps a politician too good to be US president Commentators’ treatment of a campaigner for the US presidency reveals a bizarre inverted value system, writes Pat Schloss.
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he year 2011 was a low year for personal attacks in American politics, but the early days of 2012 are demonstrating that it can get even worse. The latest insurgent Republican front-runner in the Iowa caucuses, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, was smeared for a deeply personal event in his life. His offence? Being a good father. Two hours after his son Gabriel was born at 20 weeks into gestation, Gabriel died. That night Senator Santorum and his wife Karen held Gabriel through the night and the next day took him home so Gabriel’s siblings could similarly honour his short but meaningful life. The Santorum family went on to bury Gabriel and Mrs Santorum wrote a book, Letters to Gabriel: The True Story of Gabriel Michael Santorum, which has helped numerous couples deal with their own losses. As Santorum has surged in the polls, numerous commentators have begun to mention this event
in a passing, but mocking manner. Alan Colmes, a liberal pundit on Fox News, dismissed it as “crazy”. Although many consider the Santorums’ response to their child’s death bizarre, it seems to me that it is the media reaction which is truly bizarre. Considered more deeply, the negative reaction that the Santorum family has elicited is a clear repudiation of the sanctity of life. The Santorum family considers Gabriel their son, their brother – their baby in heaven. They knew that Gabriel, as short as his life was, was a gift. Six years ago, my young family moved from Wisconsin to Massachusetts. My 20 week pregnant wife, five year old daughter, and three and one year old sons set out for a new life as I took up my first faculty position. Somewhere in the middle of Pennsylvania we stopped for the night. The next morning, my wife had begun to spot. The town we stopped in had a hospital where we learned that the baby had died. We were offered the
choice of having the baby’s remains extracted at the hospital or continuing on to Massachusetts and wait until we got to our new home. Amazingly, my wife wanted to continue driving. Her heroic example of carrying our son through this journey keeps me in constant awe
The Santorum family considers Gabriel their son, their brother – their baby in heaven. They knew that Gabriel, as short as his life was, was a gift. of her strength and the efforts that women go to protect their living and deceased children. Once we got to Massachusetts we went to the emergency room and explained the situation. Labour was induced and the baby was born. We
held our baby for what seemed like hours and now seems too short a time. We reflected on what could have been and begged God for some sort of explanation. Over the years since his death, I have seen numerous wonders that have come out of our tragedy. It may seem trite, but we are so much more grateful for the gifts we had been given in our children. The medical staff clearly thought we were weird for not having a procedure to remove his remains, yet they had to come to grips with the fact that this baby was a human person deserving of respect because of the respect we gave him. The priest at the campus Newman Centre handpicked altar servers and readers to provide a funeral Mass for us, but also to teach these young people the true meaning of a vocation. Other families have benefited from talking with us about our experience. Our kids were too young to appreciate what had happened to their brother, but our way of taking him home was to have a funer-
al and burial for our son. Over the three years that we lived in Massachusetts, we visited his grave at least once a week to tell him about our lives, ask for his prayers, and tell him how much he is loved. In fact, the hardest part of leaving Massachusetts was knowing that we had left him and another unborn child behind. Bizarre? Strange? Perhaps, but only if you see children as a commodity and that you have a right to decide when they can come and go. The Santorum family understands this; the commentators don’t. I don’t know whether Senator Santorum’s policies are the best of the field or whether he should be the next US president. I do find it depressing that people can be so crass as to question a family’s basic instinct to honour their dead and respect the life that God put into their lives. I believe that we get the leaders we deserve. Perhaps the humanity that Senator Santorum has shown does make him unqualified to be our president – he might
Just one hitch with all those eulogies Who was the greater intellectual, Christopher Hitchens or Vaclav Havel? asks Michael Cook.
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pplause-o-meter ratings: Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011), British-American controversialist and debater, clapping, polite but restrained. Václav Havel (1936-2011), dissident, playwright and president of Czech Republic, whistles, brass band, Mexican wave. The difference was sharpest in the words. The Brit was a magician of language, pulling those glittering phrases from his sleeve, delighting his audiences. So full of fury and fulmination, they scorched the paper they were written on. Liars, cretins, hypocrites, despots, idiots looking for a village: these were his targets and he ladled over them the brimstone of his corrosive hatred. Magicians like this are born mostly in Britain, where they are suckled on Shakespeare, gorged with poetry and history and entertained with Monty Python. In fact, this Brit had much in common with John Cleese: the plummy accent, the quirky imagination, the Oxbridge talent for festooning his entertainments with 2,000 years of history and literature. Perhaps that’s why he became a fixture in the American media. To the preacher-man earnestness of American debates, where epigrams and puns are darkly suspected of betraying moral frivolity, he brought the exhilaration of words, the wicked puns, the volcanic eruption of invectives, the excoriating similes, the savage reductio ad absurdum, the dismissive sneer. But “one of the great public intellectuals of modern times”, a latterday Orwell, an English Voltaire? Surely his obituarists have been bewitched by spells stolen from Hogwarts? Christopher Hitchens was a contrarian, not an intellectual. “Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. Suspect your own motives, and all excuses.” Temperamentally, he never ceased thinking like the Trotskyite he was in his youth. He spent his life shivering his swords on the conventional wisdom, opposing, criticising, hectoring, defying, blowing raspberries. On Islamofascists. On the “solemn, mirthless, herbivo-
Christopher Hitchens, left, brilliant and irascible, and Vaclav Havel, schooled in suffering.
rous, dull, monochrome, righteous, and boring” American Left. On Saddam Hussein. On Mother Teresa. On God. On Jerry Falwell. All devious, all mendacious, all enemies of free thought. Like the man
the clarity of the summit. How could someone whose greatest professional achievement was to dress his readers’ prejudices in haute couture be an intellectual? A wise guy, sure, but not an intellectual.
held down menial jobs and spent years in jail while building a reputation as a playwright and dissident. After the Communist regime collapsed, he became the philosopherking of Czechoslovakia. He knew
Our main enemy today is our own bad traits: indifference to the common good, vanity, personal ambition, selfishness, and rivalry. in the Monty Python skit, he was an argument junkie who gargled bile before his morning whiskey. “For a lot of people, their first love is what they’ll always remember. For me, it’s always been the first hate, and I think that hatred, though it provides often rather junky energy, is a terrific way of getting you out of bed in the morning and keeping you going.” But an intellectual? A truthseeker laboriously picking his way through the thickets of self-deception and prejudice to
Hatred is anti-intellectual, even if it is masked in laughter. Deep beneath even the bizarre cruelty of a man like Kim Jong-il (who died recently) burns a small flame of human dignity. Hatred ignores that and is fundamentally untruthful. The genuine public intellectual was Václav Havel, a man whose commitment to truth was sealed with years of oppression and censorship under a brutal Communist regime. Because he had a politically incorrect background he was denied a university education. He
what freedom was and he knew that it could also be betrayed by wealth and consumerism: “Our main enemy today is our own bad traits: indifference to the common good, vanity, personal ambition, selfishness, and rivalry.” Like Alexander Solzynitsyn, he had been schooled, not in toffy public schools and Oxbridge debating societies, but in prison and poverty. Will he be mourned with the same ululation and lamentation from the commentariat? The problem is the language. Unlike
Hitchens, Havel speaks to us in anaemic translations from his native Czech, his words drained of their wit. Perhaps it is better that way. The ideas have to sustain the argument, not the epigrams. He stoked the coals of an intellectual furnace, urging his countrymen never to stop struggling to achieve democratic values by “living in the truth”. It is his eloquence which will endure, rather than Hitch’s. He inspired, while his companion at Gate 17 merely entertained. Like Hitchens, Havel was not a Christian, but he defended the achievements of Christendom because it appreciated that man is a mystery and because it had preserved a commitment to transcendent values. He had suffered under Communism and knew what the alternative was. Unlike Hitchens, he knew that without God, anything is possible. Anything terrible and depraved. Let him have the last word. “In today’s multicultural world, the truly reliable path to coexistence, to peaceful coexistence and creative cooperation, must start from what is at the root of all cultures and what lies infinitely deeper in human hearts and minds than political opinion, convictions, antipathies, or sympathies – it must be rooted in self-transcendence. “Transcendence as a hand reached out to those close to us, to foreigners, to the human community, to all living creatures, to nature, to the universe. Transcendence as a deeply and joyously experienced need to be in harmony even with what we ourselves are not, what we do not understand, what seems distant from us in time and space, but with which we are nevertheless mysteriously linked because, together with us, all this constitutes a single world. Transcendence as the only real alternative to extinction. “The [American] Declaration of Independence states that the Creator gave man the right to liberty. It seems man can realise that liberty only if he does not forget the One who endowed him with it. - www.mercatornet.com Michael Cook is the editor of MercatorNet.
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18 January 2012, The Record
PANORAMA NEXT WEEK TUESDAY, 24 JANUARY Spirituality and The Sunday Gospels 7-8pm at St Benedict’s School Hall, Alness St, Applecross. How can we open to the power of God in our lives, our relationships, our families and our workplace? Presented by Norma Woodcock, accredited - CEO - Faith Formation for ongoing renewal. Everyone is welcome. There will be a collection. Enq: 9487 1772 or www.normawoodcock.com. WEDNESAY, 25 JANUARY Marist/New Norcia Annual Mass and Reunion 4.30pm at Newman College, Empire Ave, Churchlands. Mass will be celebrated by Marist Old Boy priests in the Champagnat Chapel in memory of deceased brothers and students. A reunion will follow in the college courtyard at 6pm, BYO “everything”, BBQ available. SIC and Marist old boys most welcome - please spread the word. Enq: Ambrose 0419 912 187 or Frank 9446 6435. THURSDAY, 26 JANUARY Australia Day Ecumenical Service - The Australian-Irish Heritage Association 10am at St David’s Anglican Church, cnr Simpson and Bombard Sts, Ardross. Principal celebrant Rev Andrew Williams will be joined by ministers of mainstream churches in a service of readings, hymns and a keynote address. A procession of representative items of the Irish contribution to Australia will open and close the service. Complimentary refreshments will follow. Enq: 9345 3530. FRIDAY, 27 JANUARY Medjugorje Evening of Prayer 7pm at Infant Jesus Parish, 47 Wellington Rd, Morley. Medjugorje Evening of Prayer with Our Lady Queen of Peace will be commencing with Eucharistic adoration, rosary followed by Mass. Concluding at 9pm. Enq 9402 2480 mob 0407 471 256 email medjugorje@y7mail.com.
UPCOMING SUNDAY, 2 FEBRUARY Divine Mercy 1.30pm at St Francis Xavier Church, 25 Windsor St, Perth. Main Celebrant Fr Johnson Malayil CRS. Homily will be on St Jerome Emilani. Refreshments will follow. Enq: 9457 7771. SATURDAY, 4 FEBRUARY Day with Mary 9am-5pm at Holy Spirit Church, 2 Keaney Pl, City Beach. A day of prayer and instruction based on the Fatima messages. 9am video; 10.10am holy Mass; reconciliation, procession of the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic adoration, sermons on Eucharist and on Our Lady, rosaries and stations of the Cross. BYO lunch. Enq – Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate 9250 8286. SUNDAY, 5 FEBRUARY Saint Brigid’s Day Celebration 3pm at Irish Club Theatre, 61 Townshend Rd, Subiaco. Annual celebration of Ireland’s female patron saint, feast day 1 February, presented by The Australian-Irish Heritage Association. Writer, poet and artist Mary O’Byrne presents a discourse on Women and the Trinity in an examination of the relationship between the male and female idea of Trinity, with music and an Irish afternoon tea. Admission $10. Enq: 9367 6026. FRIDAY, 10 FEBRUARY Lake Monger Rosary Procession for Our Lady of Lourdes 7pm starting from the Dodd St carpark. All are welcome to attend. An altar for those who are unable to do the walk will be set up and the rosary prayed. Further enquiries to Judy Woodward 9446 6837. SUNDAY, 12 FEBRUARY
What’s on around the Archdiocese of Perth, where and when
Hamilton Hill. Archbishop Hickey will be celebrating Mass for all VOV and new members. As usual, bring a plate to share. Enq: Frank 9296 7591, 0408 183 325. SUNDAY, 26 FEBRUARY SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER 2pm at Maylands Parish, 75 Seventh Ave, Maylands. We are lay people who live a life in Christ inspired by the life of St Francis of Assisi, the first recorded stigmatic. We are called to live simply, humbly and peacefully, recognising God in creation. We are inviting you to the monthly fraternity meeting to discover the richness of Franciscan Spirituality for life today. Enq: Angela, 9275 5658.
REGULAR EVENTS EVERY SUNDAY Gate of Heaven Catholic Radio Join the Franciscans of the Immaculate from 7.309pm on Radio Fremantle 107.9FM for Catholic radio broadcast of EWTN and our own live shows. Enq: radio@ausmaria.com. Pilgrim Mass - Shrine of the Virgin of the Revelation 2pm at Shrine, 36 Chittering Rd, Bullsbrook. Commencing with rosary followed by benediction. Reconciliation is available before every celebration. Anointing of the sick administered during Mass every second Sunday of the month. Pilgrimage in honour of the Virgin of the Revelation last Sunday of the month. Side entrance to church and shrine open daily between 9am-5pm. Enq Sacri 9447 3292. EVERY FIRST SUNDAY Divine Mercy Chaplet and Healing Prayer 3pm at Santa Clara Church, 72 Palmerston St, Bentley. Includes adoration and individual prayer for healing. Spiritual leader Fr Francisco. All welcome. Enq: Fr Francisco 9458 2944. St Mary’s Cathedral Youth Group – Fellowship with Pizza 5pm at Mary’s Cathedral, 17 Victoria Sq, Perth. Begins with youth Mass followed by fellowship downstairs in parish centre. Bring a plate to share. Enq: Bradley on youthfromsmc@gmail.com.
FIRST AND THIRD SUNDAYS Latin Mass 2pm at The Good Shepherd Parish, Streich Ave, Kelmscott. Enq: John 9390 6646. EVERY THIRD SUNDAY Oblates of St Benedict Meeting 2pm at St Joseph’s Convent, York St, South Perth. For all interested in studying the Rule of St Benedict and its relevance to everyday life. Vespers and afternoon tea follows. Enq: Secretary 9457 5758. EVERY FOURTH SUNDAY Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood, Religious Life 2-3pm at Infant Jesus Parish, Wellington St, Morley. The hour includes exposition of the Blessed Eucharist, silent prayer, scripture and prayers of intercession. Come and pray that those discerning vocations can hear clearly God’s call. EVERY MONDAY Evening Adoration and Mass 7pm at St Thomas Parish, Claremont, cnr Melville St and College Rd. Eucharistic adoration, reconciliation, evening prayer and benediction, followed by Mass and night prayer at 8pm. Enq: Kim on 9384 0598 or email to claremont@perthcatholic.org.au.
Bible Study at Cathedral 6.15pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, 17 Victoria Sq, Perth. Deepen your faith through reading and reflecting on holy scripture by Fr Jean-Noel. Meeting room beneath Cathedral. Enq: Marie 9223 1372. Holy Hour - Catholic Youth Ministry 5.30pm at Catholic Pastoral Centre, 40A Mary St, Highgate. Begins with Mass, 6.30pm holy hour of adoration, followed by $5 supper and fellowship. Enq: cym.com.au or 9422 7912. EVERY FIRST WEDNESDAY Holy Hour Prayer for Priests 7.30-8.30pm at Holy Spirit Parish, 2 Keaney Pl, City Beach. All welcome. Enq: Linda 9341 3079. Novena to St Mary of the Cross MacKillop 7-7.45pm at Blessed Mary MacKillop Parish, cnr Cassowary Dr and Pelican Pde, Ballajura. Begins with Mass, novena prayers and benediction. Followed by healing prayers and anointing of the sick. Enq: Madi 9249 9093 or Gerry 041 7187 240.
Majella Rd, Westminster (Mirrabooka). In reparation for outrages committed against the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Enq: (Mosman Park) Vicky 040 0282 357 and Fr Giosue 9349 2315 or John 9344 2609. Healing Mass 7pm at St Peter’s Parish, Inglewood. Praise and worship, exposition and Eucharistic adoration, benediction and anointing of the sick, followed by holy Mass and fellowship. Celebrants Fr Dat and invited priests. 6.45pm reconciliation. Enq: Mary Ann 0409 672 304, Prescilla 043 3457 352 and Catherine 043 3923 083. Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life 7pm at Little Sisters of the Poor Chapel, 2 Rawlins St, Glendalough. Mass followed by adoration with Fr Doug Harris. All welcome. Refreshments provided. Catholic Faith Renewal Evening 7.30pm at Sts John and Paul Parish, Pinetree Gully Rd, Willetton. Songs of praise, sharing by a priest followed by thanksgiving Mass and light refreshments afterwards. All welcome to attend and bring your family and friends. Enq: Kathy 9295 0913, Ann 041 2166 164 or catholicfaithrenewal@gmail.com.
EVERY SECOND WEDNESDAY
Healing and Anointing Mass 8.45am Pater Noster Church, Evershed St, Myaree. Begins with reconciliation followed by 9am Mass of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, anointing of the sick and prayers to St Peregrine. Enq: Joy 9337 7189.
Chaplets of the Divine Mercy 7.30pm at St Thomas More Parish, Dean Rd, Bateman. A beautiful, prayerful, sung devotion. It will be accompanied by exposition and followed by benediction. Enq: George 9310 9493 (h) or 9325 2010.
EVERY FIRST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH Healing Mass 12.35pm at St Thomas Parish, cnr Melville St and College Rd, Claremont. Spiritual leader Fr Waddell. Enq: Kim 9384 0598, claremont@perthcatholic.org. au.
EVERY THURSDAY Divine Mercy 11am at Sts John and Paul Church, Pinetree Gully Rd, Willetton. Pray the rosary and chaplet of divine mercy and for the consecrated life, especially here in John Paul Parish. Concludes with veneration of the first class relic of St Faustina. Please do come and join us in prayer. Enq: John 9457 7771. St Mary’s Cathedral Praise Meeting 7.45pm every Thursday at the Legion of Mary’s Edel Quinn Centre, 36 Windsor St, East Perth. Includes praise, song and healing ministry. Enq: Kay 9382 3668 or fmi@flameministries.org. EVERY FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH Prayer in Style of Taize 7.30-8.30pm at Our Lady of Grace Parish, 3 Kitchener St, North Beach. Includes prayer, song and silence in candlelight – symbol of Christ the light of the world. Taize info: www.taize.fr. Enq: secretary 9448 4888 or 9448 4457. Group Fifty – Charismatic Renewal Group 7.30pm at the Redemptorist Monastery, 150 Vincent St, North Perth. Includes prayer, praise and Mass. Enq: Elaine 9440 3661. Priest Cenacle Every first Thursday at Legion of Mary, Windsor St, East Perth. Enq: Fr Paul 0427 085 093. EVERY FIRST FRIDAY Communion of Reparation - All Night Vigil 7pm-1.30am at two different locations: Corpus Christi Parish, Lochee St, Mosman Park and St Gerard Majella Parish, cnr Ravenswood Dr and
EVERY LAST SATURDAY Novena devotions – Our Lady Vailankanni of Good Health 5pm at Holy Trinity Parish, 8 Burnett St, Embleton. Followed by Mass at 6pm. Enq: George 9272 1379.
GENERAL Free Divine Mercy Image for Parishes High quality oil painting and glossy print – Divine Mercy Promotions. Images are of very high quality. For any parish willing to accept and place inside the church. Oil paintings - 160 x 90cm and glossy print - 100 x 60cm. Enq: Irene 9417 3267 (w). Sacred Heart Pioneers Is there anyone out there who would like to know more about the Sacred Heart pioneers? If so, please contact Spiritual Director Fr Doug Harris 9444 6131 or John 9457 7771. St Philomena’s Chapel 3/24 Juna Drive, Malaga. Mass of the day: Monday 6.45am. Vigil Masses: Mon-Fri 4.45pm. Enq: Fr David 9376 1734. Mary Mackillop 2012 Calendars and Merchandise 2012 Josephite Calendars with quotes from St Mary of the Cross and Mary MacKillop merchandise. Available for sale from the Mary MacKillop Centre. Enq: Sr Maree 041 4683 926 or 08 9334 0933.
priests, faithful association leaders etc to make contact to organise relic visitations to their own parishes, communities etc. We have available authenticated relics, mostly first-class, of over 200 Catholic Saints and Blesseds, including Sts Mary MacKillop, Padre Pio, Anthony of Padua, Therese of Lisieux, Maximilian Kolbe and Simon Stock. Free. Enq: Giovanny 047 8201 092 or ssra-perth@ catholic.org. Financially Disadvantaged People requiring Low Care Aged Care Placement The Little Sisters of the Poor community - set in beautiful gardens in the suburb of Glendalough. “Making the elderly happy, that is everything!” St Jeanne Jugan (foundress). Registration and enq: Sr Marie 9443 3155. Resource Centre for Personal Development The Holistic Health Seminar ‘The Instinct to Heal’’, every Tuesday 3-4.30pm; and RCPD2 “Internalise Principles of Successful Relationships and Use Emotional Intelligence and Communication Skills’, every Tuesday 4.30-6.30pm, 197 High St, Fremantle - Tuesdays 3-4.30pm. Beginning 21 Feb. Enq: Eva 0409 405 585. Bookings are essential. Group Fifty – recess for January No events until 2 February 2012. Enq: Elaine 9440 3661. Our Lady of Grace Parish – Taize nights Just a reminder there is no TAIZE service in January. There will be NO service in January; we look forward to gathering again on Thursday, 2 February. Courses held at the Faith Centre 2012 450 Hay St, Perth 1. Christian Foundations - This course is designed to guide you to a greater understanding and deeper appreciation of the foundational beliefs of our Catholic faith. (Maranatha Lecturer: Sr Philomena Burrell pvbm). Thursdays: 1.00–3.30pm, from 16 Feb – 22 Mar. For enquiries or bookings ph 9241 5222. 2. RCPD2 - Internalise Principles of Successful Relationships and Use Emotional Intelligence and Communication Skills - This course provides knowledge of principles that if applied, will improve all relationships. Skills of self-analysis are taught as well as communication skills. Mondays: 5-7pm, from 20 Feb – 10 Dec. For enquiries or bookings ph Paul 0402 222 578. 3. RCPD4 – Increase Personal and Spiritual Awareness and Improve Relationships - This course promotes self-awareness and spiritual growth. Emotional development is explained in order to improve understanding between persons. Study of Psychology and Theology. Mondays: 10am–12.30pm, from 20 Feb–10 Dec. For enquiries or bookings ph Eva 0409 405 585. 4. Higher Certificate in Biblical Studies - The Higher Certificate of Biblical Studies is a distance education programme that can be followed in your own home at your own pace with periodic face-to-face contact workshops. Tutorial assistance is available as required. It is equivalent to a one-year tertiary course, although it is recommended that you aim to complete it in two years. For enquiries and enrolment, ph The Faith Centre on 6140 2420.
Saints and Sacred Relics Apostolate – Latin Feast of all Holy Relics SSRA Perth invites interested parties: parish
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The Life and Mission of St Mary MacKillop 9.30-11.30am at Infant Jesus Parish Centre, cnr Wellington Rd and Smith St, Morley. Cost: $15. Enq: Shelley 9276 8500.
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Be Still in His Presence – Ecumenical Christian Programme 7.30-8.45pm at St Swithun Anglican Church, 195 Lesmurdie St, Lesmurdie (hall behind church). Begins with songs of praise and worship, silent time, lectio divina, small group sharing and a cuppa at the end. Enq: Lynne 9293 3848 or 043 5252 941.
The Sisters of Our Lady of the Missons 150th Anniversary Celebration Our Lady of the Missions High School/Sacred Heart School, Tuckfield St, Fremantle. As part of celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions, an inaugural reunion for all women who attended the Tuckfield St school will be held on Sunday, 12 February 2012 at Melville Bowling Club, Canning Hwy, Alfred Cove from 2-6pm. Cost: $10 per person. Contact: Christine Binks (Martinovich) 9331 3886 or Veronica Stratton (France) robnron@ optusnet.com.au or 9354 5023.
Bible Teaching with a Difference 7.30pm at St Joachim’s parish hall, Victoria Park. Exciting revelations with meaningful applications that will change your life. Bring Bible, a notebook and a friend. Enq: Jan 9284 1662.
SATURDAY, 25 FEBRUARY
EVERY FIRST TUESDAY
A Reunion for Holy Cross Primary School, Kensington Any ex-students or family members, please contact Julie Bowles (nee O’Hara) on 9397 0638 or email jules7@iinet.net.au.
Short MMP Cenacle for Priests 2pm at Edel Quinn Centre, 36 Windsor St, East Perth. Enq: Fr Watt 9376 1734.
Thanksgiving and Healing Mass 12 noon at Holy Cross Parish, 1 Dianne St,
EVERY WEDNESDAY Holy Spirit of Freedom Community 7.30pm at The Church of Christ, 111 Stirling St, Perth. We are delighted to welcome everyone to attend our Holy Spirit of Freedom praise meeting. Enq: 042 3907 869 or hsofperth@gmail.com.
EVERY TUESDAY
Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal 6pm at the Pater Noster Church, Marmion and Evershed Sts, Myaree. Mass at 5.30pm followed by benediction. Enq: John 040 8952 194.
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Classifieds
18 January 2012, The Record
Page 19
CLASSIFIEDS RELIGIOUS PRODUCTS CATHOLICS CORNER Retailer of Catholic products specialising in gifts, cards and apparel for Baptism, Communion and Confirmation. Ph 9456 1777. Shop 12, 64-66 Bannister Rd, Canning Vale. Open Mon-Sat. RICH HARVEST YOUR CHRISTIAN SHOP Looking for Bibles, CDs, books, cards, gifts, statues, Baptism/Communion apparel, religious vestments, etc? Visit us at 39 Hulme Ct (off McCoy St), Myaree. Ph 9329 9889 (after 10.30am Mon to Sat). We are here to serve. KINLAR VESTMENTS Quality handmade and decorated vestments: albs, stoles, chasubles, altar linen, banners, etc. 12 Favenc Way, Padbury. By appointment only. Ph Vickii on 9402 1318, 0409 114 093 or kinlar.vestments@gmail.com.
FOR SALE CATHOLIC AND OTHER CHRISTIAN BOOKS FOR SALE. All donated. Donations appreciated. Balcatta. Call Colourful Dave: 9440 4358. OPPORTUNITY TO BUY SHARES in a West Australian based (international), business. Has a worldwide patent for people and animal health products, new innovative products for which export grant has been accepted. First shipment has already been sent to Dubai. Interested? For more information: licebustersrd@optusnet.com.au or Tel 08 9258 5233, Mob 0408 474 520, Veronica.
MISSION ACTIVITIES LEARN HOW TO MAKE ROSARY BEADS for the missions and special rosaries for family and friends. Phone: (02) 6822 1474 or visit our website: OurLadysRosaryMakers.org.au.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE TARIS ENGINEERING is a family run and owned business situated in Malaga. We have been operating for over 15 years specialising in servicing the mining, oil and gas industry. We are looking for experienced machinists and fitters who are willing to join our expanding business. Above award rates and extended hours available. Please contact Patrick Talbot on 0438 306 308 or send your resume through to sales@ tariseng.com.au. SECRETARIAL ASSISTANT REQUIRED: 4 hours/week in North Perth for a registered charity. Secretarial experience with a working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Desktop Publishing or equivalent. Must be willing to attend to filing and photocopying. If interested, please post a copy of your resume to PO Box 104 North Perth by 8 February.
Deadline: 11am Monday SETTLEMENTS ARE YOU BUYING OR SELLING real estate or a business? Why not ask Excel Settlements for a quote for your settlement. We offer reasonable fees, excellent service and no hidden costs. Ring Excel on 9481 4499 for a quote. Check our web site on www.excelsettlements.com.au.
TRADE SERVICES BRENDAN HANDYMAN SERVICES Home, building maintenance, repairs and renovations. NOR. Ph 0427 539 588. PROPERTY MAINTENANCE Your handyperson. No job too small. SOR. Jim 0413 309 821. BRICK RE-POINTING Ph Nigel 9242 2952. PICASSO PAINTING Top service. Ph 0419 915 836, fax 9345 0505. 9440 4358. PERROTT PAINTING Pty Ltd For all your residential, commercial painting requirements. Ph Tom Perrott 9444 1200. LAWNMOWING AND WEED SPRAYING Garden clean ups and rubbish removal. Get rid of bindii, jojo and other unsightly weeds. Based in Tuart Hill. Enq: 9443 9243 or 0402 326 637.
CHARISMATIC RENEWAL FRIDAY, 3 TO SUNDAY, 5 FEBRUARY CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL SET FREE Inner Healing Retreat. A 3-day live-in Inner Healing Retreat conducted by international presenters Diana Mascarenhas and Fr Elias Vella OFMc. An opportunity through prayer and ‘Christo-therapy’ to be ‘set free’ from the bonds and baggage of life’s hurts and addictions. Held at airconditioned St John of God Retreat Centre, Shoalwater Bay. All inclusive cost of $350/person. Queries and registration to Martha 0419 242 172 or Martha. KALAT@dmp.wa.gov.au. MONDAY, 6 FEBRUARY CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL Inner Healing Workshop 9am– 5pm, conducted by international guest Diana Mascarenhas (Dip Spiritual Formation and Counselling). Participants will be ministered to, and receive healing prayer for various issues of inner conflict and past wounds. Held at the Holy Family Church, Thelma St/Canning Hwy, Como. Cost for the day is $25. Bring your own lunch. Please register to Martha, 0419 242 172.
BOOK BINDING NEW BOOK BINDING, general book repairs; rebinding; new ribbons; old leather bindings restored. Tydewi Bindery 0422 968 572.
PILGRIMAGES PILGRIMAGE TO PARIS (3) NIGHTS LOURDES (5) NIGHTS MEDJUGORJE (7) NIGHTS. Leaving Perth end April/May. All flights (Emirates) accommodation, bed/breakfast, evening meals, transfers and guides. Spiritual Director Rev Fr Bogoni. Cost approx $5,395. Contact Eileen 9402 2480, mob 0407 471 256, email medjugorje@y7mail. com. PILGRIMAGE TO OUR LADY OF VELANKANNI, ST FRANCIS XAVIER, ST PHILOMENA, ST MOTHER THERESA OF KOLKATA. The tour covers all the main cities in India like Chennai, Pondicherry, Velankanni, Bangalore, Mysore, Cochin, Goa, Delhi, Thaij Mahal, Kolkata, Darjeeling and many more places. For more details contact Charles Donovan 0400 216 257 or F Sam 0426 506 510. OPTION ON 25 DAYS – PILGRIMAGE TO HOLY LAND - ROME - COLLAVALENZA - DUBLIN (IRELAND FOR EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS) KNOCK AND MEDJUGORJE. Departing 22 May, from $7,790, includes flight transfers, bed, breakfast, evening meals, guide and taxes. Spiritual Director Fr Ronan Murphy. Leader Yolanda Nardizzi. Tel: 9245 2222, Mob 0413 707 707. OPTION 2: 19 DAYS, PILGRIMAGE TO ROME COLLAVALENZA – DUBLIN (IRELAND FOR EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS) KNOCK AND MEDJUGORJE. Departing 29 May, from $5,990, includes flight transfers, bed, breakfast, evening meals, guide and taxes. Spiritual Director Fr Ronan Murphy. Leader Yolanda Nardizzi. Tel: 9245 2222, Mob 0413 707 707. PILGRIMAGE DEPARTING PERTH 30 APRIL, RETURNING 17/18 MAY (early hours) for Paris (3 nights) visit Lisieux (St Therese), Notre Dame for Relics of The Passion, Sacre Coeur, Miraculous Medal Shrine, St Vincent De Paul. Flight to Lourdes for 5 nights stay, flight to Split for 7 nights stay in Medjurgorje. Spiritual Director Fr Bogoni. Costs $5,395 which includes all flight transfers, bed, breakfast, evening meals, guide, tipping and taxes. Contact: Eileen 9402 2480 Mob 0407 471 256, or medjugorje@y7mail.com.
C R O S S W O R D
ACROSS 7 Worship 8 Church leaders 10 He visited King Hezekiah when he was sick (2 Kings 20:1) 12 “…and darkness covered the ___.” (Gen 1:2) 13 “We ___ to say, Our Father…” 16 Book of the Bible 18 Nazareth, to Jesus 20 This land is east of Eden (Gen 4:16) 21 St Mark is patron of this city 22 Papal ambassador 25 OT prophetic book 26 Brother of Cain 27 Biblical expanding agent 28 Faith is like a mustard ___ 29 British Prime Minister who converted in 2007 31 Saint for sore throats 34 Characteristic of God 35 What Goliath was DOWN 1 Marriage vows 2 “Urbi et ___” 3 First century writing on the doctrine and teaching of the early Church 4 “___ for us” 5 Commandment carrier, and others 6 Hometown of Simon 9 Administrative office of a diocese 11 Builder of the golden calf
TAX SERVICE QUALITY TAX RETURNS PREPARED by registered tax agent with over 35 years’ experience. Call Tony Marchei on 0412 055 184 for appointment. AXXO Accounting & Management, Unit 20/222 Walter Rd, Morley.
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ST PAUL LITURGICAL CALENDAR 2012 Popular pocket-size calendar, indicating readings and themes for Mass every day of the year. Presented in two-colour format.
ONLY
$5
S L E U T H
14 Administer extreme unction 15 Saintly convert executed in Auschwitz 17 The Diocese of Winnipeg is here 18 Laying on of ___ 19 The Diocese of Portland is here 23 “Regina ___” 24 First bishop of America 26 The Holy ___ 29 Colour for the Army of Mary 30 “___ in a manger…” 32 “___ was in the beginning, is now…” 33 Omission and commission
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