The Record Newspaper 19 July 2007

A broader education

University of Notre Dame students visited

Cambodia,in recent decades

, constant sorrows. The experience,

they say, was unforgettable.

1000 youth fire up!

Approximately 1000 Perth youth gathered at the Vietnamese Catholic Centre in Westminster to mark the one-year countdown to WYD ‘08

■ By Anthony Barich

Over 1000 people gathered at the Vietnamese Catholic Community Centre last Sunday for the World Youth Day One Year To Go Mass.

The attendance left Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton, who handles the WYD portfolio for Perth, in awe.

Pilgrims came from as far as Kalgoorlie and Rockingham, while Whitford parish had a sleep-out in preparation for the event the night before and Greenmount parish did the same the week before.

It was a true coming-together of the WA Catholic community, with seminarians from the Redemptoris Mater and St Charles seminaries serving on the altar and assisting the liturgy.

“You don’t know what sort of encouragement it gives us (bishops and priests) to see you all here today,” Bishop Sproxton told the representatives at the Mass from parishes, communities, schools, university groups and movements.

The day started with a tree ceremony with representatives each pouring a soil sample from their own area into the tree base in front of the altar.

The young olive tree, which will be planted on the St Mary’s Cathedral grounds once its revamp is completed next year, symbolises the contribution of all parishes and communities towards the growth of WYD.

Archbishop Barry Hickey, who presided over the Mass concelebrated by several priests, blessed the tree with holy water

Continued - Page 4

Everyone’s joining in! Members of the Motorcycle Club, God’s Squad, joined hundreds of churchgoers and Bishop Kevin Manning of Paramatta to welcome the World Youth Day cross and icon on its tour through Sydney last weekend. The interdenominational Christian motorcycle club includes many Baptist and evangelical members. NSW state president of the God’s Squad, Dave Hansen, said non-Catholic members of the club felt “very positive” about participating in such a Catholic event. “They were very excited to be part of it,” he told The Record. Full Story - Page 6

Historic Chinese Marian shrine still set to go

ment intends to destroy the statue of Our Lady of Carmel, raze the shrine and ban pilgrimages to the site.

Chinese authorities are holding to their plan to blow up a revered Marian shrine dating back to the era of the Boxer Rebellion after judging it to be a place of “illegal religious activity.”

The demolition underscores the complexity of the issues which form the background to the Pope’s recent letter to Chinese Catholics.

The shrine to Our Lady of Carmel in the central Chinese province of Henan draws over 40,000 pilgrims every year.

But, as reported in The Record last week, the Henan govern-

The government has also mobilised 700 troops for military exercises in the area to discourage Catholics from protesting.

Almost three months ago the secretary general of Henan ordered that pilgrimages and religious gatherings in the area should be banned and the shrine taken over by the government.

Locals speculate that the site, set in a scenic, mountainous area near the town of Tianjiajing, will be used to build a villa for a local Communist Party mem-

Continued - Page 13

British and Catholic? So sorry, please remain second class...

■ By Mark Greaves, Catholic Herald

In one of his first acts since taking office, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown scrapped plans to end Britain’s historic discrimination against Catholics. His decision infuriated leading Catholics, including Cardinal Keith O’Brien, who accused the new Prime Minister of supporting “state-sponsored

sectarianism”. Mr Brown had been expected to announce radical changes to the constitution that would replace the 1701 Act of Settlement, under which the British monarch is forbidden to marry a Catholic, and a member of the Royal Family who marries a Catholic loses his or her place in the line of succession.

The Prime Minister’s inner circle had drawn up

Continued - Page 7

The Parish. The Nation. The World.

■ By James Potts, Catholic Herald

PHOTOS: COURTESY DIOCESE OF PARAMATTA

Nurturing Our Spirits

Retreat Day

Join us for a relaxing day of prayer & reflection, a time to revive our spirits & share with other parish pastoral workers.

Knights to the rescue

■ By Sylvia Defendi

The Knights of the Southern Cross (KSC) presented the first part of their $1 million pledge to Archbishop Barry Hickey on July 17.

A cheque for $100,000 was accepted by His Grace and Chairman of St Mary’s Cathedral Fundraising Appeal, Monsignor Michael Keating. The pledge was made specifically for the provision of the restored and completed organ for the new St Mary’s Cathedral and will be paid in instalments over the next three years.

With the Cathedral as a backdrop, Vicar General, Brian O’Loughlin, chaplain to the KCS stands with representative chairman of Knicross Enterprises, Brian Bonser, KSC deputy state chairman, Peter Jack, Archbishop Hickey, KSC state treasurer, John Chegwidden, Mgr Keating, KSC state chairman, Joe Palandri and member of KSC state council, Guido Vogels.

Students immerse with less fortunate

■ By Sylvia Defendi

Students from La Salle and Mercedes colleges came face to face with poverty on the streets of Perth as part of a recent social justice immersion experience.

A LIFE OF PRAYER

...areyoucalledtotheBenedictinelifeofdivine praiseandeucharisticprayerfortheChurch?

Contact the:

TYBURN NUNS

The immersion experience was organised through Fremantle’s Edmund Rice Centre for Social Justice, who for the first time allowed participants to be under 18 years of age.

Thirteen year 11 and 12 students spent the last three days of term two interacting with the homeless living on Perth’s streets and visiting agencies that supported the marginalised.

“Many people do to not have to confront the fact that there are poor living in their city,” said service learning coordinator at La Salle College, Christine Aldous.

“The immersion challenged the students to face reality and to think about how they can be agents for social change.”

Immersed in the challenges of poverty and social justice, the students opted for a simple diet of soup, bread and fruit over the three days.

“I’ve never had to live without anything,” said Rachel Watson from Mercedes College.

“The experience has woken me up to how lucky I am.”

Each morning participants explored the social teachings of the Catholic Church and the distribution of wealth in the world.

They also gained a greater understanding of statistics on the poor from a national and local perspective.

Excursions were made to Forrest Place in Perth’s central business district, where students interacted with the homeless, and to various other places across the metropolitan area.

Ashleigh Lynch, from Mercedes College, said it was easy to push statistics aside, “but seeing these things will stick with me”.

Students also visited the Magistrates

Court and listened to some of the various cases against the impoverished people of the city.

“For the students this was their first experience in a court and it created enormous discussion during our reflection time,” Ms Aldous said.

“Most of the causes and effects of poverty that had been discussed in the classroom situation came to life in this court.

“The students were struck particularly by the social injustice of insufficient housing for those wishing to get off the streets.”

The students were particularly taken by an elderly homeless gentleman who was being fined for failing to comply with a ‘Move On’ citation. In witnessing this experience, the students recognised the Christian call to action and collected $108 to pay the fine for the man.

“Students also scripted a letter to the Housing Commission expressing their disappointment at the lack of housing for the homeless in Perth,” said Rosa Speranza, the service learning coordinator at Mercedes College.

For Ms Speranza, the need for students to experience the reality of Perth’s poor has been an on-going effort.

“We are fortunate as a school community to share in the celebration of the Eucharist with Archbishop Barry Hickey on most Wednesday mornings,” Ms Speranza said.

“On a number of occasions he has mentioned his early morning walks around the city and the people he meets who call the streets of the city home. Our focus in attending the Perth Poverty Immersion was to befriend our neighbourhood, just as the Archbishop had done.”

PHOTO: SYLVIA DEFENDI

Lively discussion: Bryony Drought (La Salle), Anne Clifford (Edmund Rice participant), Jade Parera, Stephanie Mayo (Mercedes), Rebecca Stokes and Rachel Hosking (La Salle) take part in the immersion experience.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LA SALLE COLLEGE

A blessing for a window of Mercy

Barry Hickey blessed a stained glass window of the image of the Divine Mercy at Holy Family Parish in Maddington on April 15.

The day was also the Sunday set aside by Pope John Paul II as Divine Mercy Sunday.

The window was presented to the parish by Mrs Kay Clift as a remembrance of her late husband, Frank, who was an acolyte in the parish. Frank came from Burma in 1947. Mass in those early years was celebrated in the small Orange Grove Community Hall.

He attended Christian Brothers College in St George’s Terrace, Perth then later at Aquinas College.

Frank and Kay were married by Fr – later ArchbishopWilliam Joseph Foley on January 2, 1960. Frank became an acolyte on October 22, 1998 and passed away less than a year later on May 7, 1999. Although Frank was an acolyte for only a

The Abrahamic Hail Mary

Hail Mary, Hail Mary, Hail Mary

Daughter of God the Father

Hail Mary, Hail Mary, Hail Mary

Mother of God the Son

Hail Mary, Hail Mary, Hail Mary

Spouse of God the Holy Spirit

Hail Mary, Hail Mary, Hail Mary

Temple of he most Holy Trinity

Hail Mary, Mother of Humankind

Hail Mary, Full of Grace

The Lord God is Pleased with your humility

Blessed are you amongst women of all generations

Blessed is the Son of your womb, Jesus

The Word made flesh

The Son of the living God

The Christ of God

The Lamb of God

Who, to Redeem, To Ransom, To Rescue Humankind

From the captivity of sin and death

Himself became sin then gave himself to death

To death on a cross, then rose from the dead

Who under the form of bread and wine

Gives to us His body to eat and His blood to drink

As a living sacrifice, of infinite value

Repeating our redemption

By re-presenting to His Father on our altars

His life, death, resurrection and glorious ascension into Heaven

Who will come again, not in His mother’s poverty

But in His Fathers Glory

To Judge the living and the dead

Whose kingdom will have no end

Holy Mary, Holy Mary, Holy Mary

The woman God created to be His mother

The mother God gave to sinners

Your soul was pierced with a sword of sorrow

Standing beside your crucified son

Pray for us sinners

That we love God with our whole self

Love all people as ourselves

Wanting all to be saved as much as we ourselves

Want to be saved

Love those who hurt us, wanting them to love God with us

And may God, Who is the Source of His own Being

In the Infinite Majesty of His Divine Mercy

And sublime love for you

Give to you today, the joy of seeing all your children live in peace

And on the last day

The joy of knowing that none of your children

Will be lost to Him forever

Because there is nothing impossible to God AMEN

I’m John Hughes, WA’s most trusted car dealer

Is it true I have my own finance company to assist good people with poor credit to buy cars from me?

Is it true I sell over 1,300 vehicles every month in Victoria Park and that is the biggest number from any one location in Australia?

Is it true that I refuse to sell any vehicle that has had previous major accident damage?

Is it true that when people come to do business with me, I guarantee they will be treated with courtesy, sincerity, professionalism and efficiency?

Is it true that “I want your business and I’m prepared to pay for it” and “I stand behind every car I sell”.

Is it true that I have over 40 technicians who are dedicated to getting my used cars in first class condition before sale?

Is it true that if somebody buys a used car from me, I will pay for a prepurchase RAC or similar inspection?

JOHN HUGHES

Archbishop

Special: Archbishop Barry Hickey blesses the windowpresented to Holy Family Parish in Maddington by Mrs Kay Clift in memory of her late husband Frank. PHOTO: HARRY ROSIELLE

Raise legal drinking age to 21: Drug Summit

State Government’s Ice Summit missed the point, says CDP

■ By Anthony Barich

The Christian Democratic Party Drug Abstinence Summit this month called on the WA State Government to restore the legal drinking age to 21.

The call came among a raft of urgent recommendations based on finding and resolving drug use at its earliest point.

The Summit, at the University of WA’s Currie Hall on July 7, urged the State Government to give high priority to early intervention, prohibition and rehabilitation.

The Summit was addressed by high-profile speakers Dr Charles

Slack, former assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at Harvard University and Betty Roberts, OAM, a founding board member of Caroline House, the first refuge for women with alcohol and other drug problems in Australia. She also founded Holyoake Tasmania in 1988.

Several other speakers were experienced in school education programs and community groups.

The conference also heard from Jade Lewis, a former rising star athlete who was a heroin addict by 18 and is now a public speaker on life issues.

After the Summit the CDP released a statement that said the

State Government’s recent “Ice Summit” missed the key issues of drug reform.

The CDP Summit affirmed that a “Tough on Drugs” bi-partisan national coordinated approach is critical to the management of WA’s drug epidemic.

The issue, and the Government’s “Ice Summit”, was brought to a head when West Coast star and Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins’ father, WA football icon Bryan, admitted his son was addicted to crystal methamphetamine, otherwise known as “Ice’.

The CDP Summit urged the State and Federal Governments to immediately launch a “substantial”

advertising campaign to highlight the dangers of all drugs.

“Although amphetamine addiction is now a crucial issue which requires urgent government intervention, the CDP Summit declares that it would be inappropriate to focus solely on the reduction of the supply and consumption of amphetamines at the expense of other drugs,” the statement said.

It added that cultural factors that contribute to the acceptance of drugs in Australian society must be removed to “win the war on drugs”, putting particular emphasis on the acceptance of drunkenness and binge drinking among youth and sportsmen.

Book

The Summit called for more Drug Courts to be established in WA and that they provide incentives for rehabilitation of convicted addicts.

Existing needle exchange programs have failed, the Summit said, and have contributed to the increase in number of addicts, facilitated the spread of Hepatitis C, led to a rise in drug overdose deaths and adversely affected local businesses. The Summit also urged the introduction of early intervention in schools and the allocation of government resources to parenting programs designed to recognise the early signs of drug addiction in their children.

Bishop inspired by youth

Continued from page 1 brought to the Perth Archdiocese recently by two group leaders from Switzerland. These two group leaders will return with groups of countrymen and women for a five-week pilgrimage, including Days in the Diocese, prior to WYD. Over 3000 from the Perth Archdiocese have already expressed their interest in attending WYD. This enthusiasm was exemplified by the strength of numbers at last Sunday’s celebration. In acknowledging the crowd at the Vietnamese Catholic Centre last week, Bishop Sproxton quoted the late Pope John Paul II who initiated WYD.

“I have looked for you, now you have come to me, and I thank you,” were the words the late pontiff struggled to say as thousands of youth stood outside his window at St Peter’s Square praying for him during his last moments.

WYD, Bishop Sproxton said, is the legacy left to the Church by JPII, and was the fruit of the work he began with young people before the late pontiff even became a priest.

In the Gospel for the day, the story of the Good Samaritan shows that the love of God comes from an “unexpected quarter”.

This is the case for the healing to be found at WYD, which is “for us a pilgrimage experience also,” the Bishop said.

“We leave our homes and concerns and journey with others who share the hope to be able to live their faith and find out who we are; who is God for us. All of us, even the youngest, have been tested in life to remain with God,” Bishop Sproxton said.

“We have been battered by life and left half dead.

“But the Good Samaritan for us comes in the guise of WYD, which brings God’s love, the only thing that brings healing.”

Bishop Sproxton told the people not to place limits on the opportunities they afford international pilgrims visiting Perth for Days in the Diocese to enrich their faith. Days in the Dioceses celebration in Perth runs from July 8-12.

Much-loved Monsignor Peter McCrann will celebrate a special anniversary on July 27 - 50 years to the day when he was ordained. Since then he has been

Chancellor for the Archdiocese of Perth, spent just over 34 years at St Mary’s Cathedral and just over 11 years as parish priest of Cottesloe and Swanbourne.

Taking It Personally

How your Catholic Faith can transform you

By Leo Zanchettin

Faith can sound like a dry word. But God wants life to be an exciting adventure that leads us right to Him. This book will help Catholics uncover the life-changing realities of our faith and how this faith can transform and redeem us. Don’t miss it!

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Few people exert greater influence throughout the world then the Roman Pontiff. This timely book by, Australian author Robert Tilley PhD., reveals the key philosophical principles that underpin the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI. This book charts the path of the present Pope’s thinking , a path full of suprises, not least because it concerns one of the more controversial figures of our time.

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Fun and Faith Reading from The Record

& Eve Have Belly Buttons?

And 199 other questions from Catholic teenagers

By Matthew Pinto

With over 100,000 copies sold, this is the number one book for young Catholics. It offers today’s young Catholics a collection of clear and concise answers to questions about the Catholic faith. With topics ranging from evolution to abortion, prayer to dating, this book answers many burning questions.

$28.95+postage

Did Jesus Have a Last Name?

And 199 other questions from Catholic teenagers

By Matthew Pinto and Jason Evert

$28.95+postage GOD’S ROTWEILERORAMANDOINGAJOB ?

The follow-up book to Did Adam & Eve Have Belly Buttons? Uses the same question and answer format to answer more burning questions young Catholics, and not so young Catholics, ask, such as, How can we believe in a God we cannot see? How can Jesus be God and man at the same time? If God is good why is there evil and suffering? Why were we punished for Adam and Eve’s sin? Thought-provoking and easy to read.

Sharing chores key to successful marriagebut not kids

It is no secret that ideas about marriage are changing, but new research in the United States shows just how much things have changed, even in the last 15 years.

A Pew Centre survey conducted in February-March among 2020 adults found that children had fallen to eighth out of nine on a list of factors that people associate with successful marriages.

In a 1990 World Values survey, children ranked third in importance among the same items, with 65 per cent saying children were very important to a good marriage. Just 41 per cent said so in the Pew survey. What is really important now, 62 per cent of people said, is sharing the household chores. In 1990 only 47 per cent said that. More important than children were good housing, adequate income, a happy sexual relationship and faithfulness.

By a margin of three to one, those surveyed said the main purpose of marriage is the “mutual happiness and fulfilment” of adults rather than the “bearing and raising of children”.

FAMILYEDGE

Brazilians go nuts on birth control

Brazil’s government is engaged in a big spend-up on birth control, even though the country’s birth rate is already below replacement.

Within the past six weeks

President Lula da Silva has promised cheap contraceptive pills at 10,000 commercial pharmacies across the country and Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao has added morning-after pills.

Brazil, population 190 million, already distributes 254 million free condoms a year and has handed out the morning after pill and regular contraceptives at government pharmacies for years.

FAMILYEDGE

“Floods are God’s retribution”

Floods that have devastated parts of England in the past week are God’s judgement on the immorality and greed of modern society, according to three senior Anglican bishops.

The Rt Rev Graham Dow, Bishop of Carlisle and a leading evangelical, argued that the floods are not just a result of lack of respect for the planet, but also a judgement on moral degradation as demonstrated in recent pro-gay laws.

The West is also being punished for exploiting the poor, he said.

“It has set up dominant economic structures that are built on greed and that keep other nations in a situation of dependence,” he said.

FAMILYEDGE

Parents, Friends celebrate launch

“Struggle & Achievement: a history of the Parents & Friends’ Federation of WA Inc (1954-2004)”

written by Dr Hal Colebatch, was launched on June 16 at the Federation’s Annual Conference Dinner at Royal Perth Yacht Club by Liberal Member of Parliament, Barbara Scott MLC.

The 110 attendees included Joe Poprzeczny, who wrote the first chapter, Norah Mahoney, the wife of the late Bill Mahoney (the Federation’s first president) and relatives of other former Federation stalwarts, current and former Presidents and Councillors and many representatives of affiliated P&F Associations.

The Federation’s 53rd annual general meeting, Mass and confer-

ence were held the following day at Mercedes College Conference Centre. The afternoon sessions were opened by Peter Collier MLC, Shadow Minister for Education and Training.

Conference speakers included former Catholic Primary School Principal Sue Groves; Perth World Youth Day 2008 co-ordinator Anita Parker; Laurie Eastwood (executive director of PFFWA) and University of Western Australia Child Health lecturers, Dr Simone Pettigrew and Michele Roberts.

Chris Morris was re-elected as President for the ensuing year.

Copies of the History are available for $22ea from the Federation office (9271 5909) or The Record Bookshop (9227 7080).

One small step for man as Labor, Libs go Christian

In an Australian first, the leaders of Australia’s two major political parties have agreed to speak live to Christians across the nation.

Large numbers of Christians are expected to gather in their churches on August 9 to watch a live web-cast of Prime Minister John Howard and Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd addressing church leaders.

‘Federal Election 2007 – Make it Count’ will be hosted by the

Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) in Canberra from 7pm9.30pm (EST).

Around 200 Christian leaders will travel to Canberra for the event, which will include an opportunity for them to ask questions of both Mr Howard and Mr Rudd, after their separate talks.

Both the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader’s addresses and the question sessions will be web-cast simultaneously to congregations meeting in loca-

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Join Pope Benedict XVI in prayer - July

tions throughout Australia, with a delayed web-cast from 7.30pm for West Australians.

“This is a unique chance for Christians to hear first-hand from the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader, and to hear their responses to questions from church leaders,” ACL Managing Director, Jim Wallace said.

Mr Wallace urged church leaders and Christians across Australia to get involved in the event and to help shape how the

nation is governed. “This is a valuable opportunity to highlight the importance of the Christian constituency in the lead-up to the election and to ensure that the Christian influence has maximum impact.”

Participating churches will need to register prior to the event through the ACL website at www. acl.org.au.

The website also provides full details about the event and technical information for receiving the web-cast.

Mission intention: That, aware of their own missionary duty, all Christians may actively help all those engaged in the evangelization of peoples.

Practise 1 Corinthians 13:4

General intention: That all citizens, individually and in groups, may be enabled to participate actively in the life and management of the common good.

In the book of Corinthians, St Paul describes love. Read the passage this week and identify concrete ways you can apply it to your married life. How can I be more patient with my spouse? What kind gestures can I do? Am I ever envious of my spouse and how can I change this? Am I sometimes arrogant when it comes to disagreements? How can I be a little more humble?

Don’t worry, it’s God’s Squad

■ By Paul Gray

Members of the motorcycle club

God’s Squad joined hundreds of churchgoers to welcome the World Youth Day Cross and Icon on its tour through Sydney last weekend.

The interdenominational Christian motorcycle club includes many Baptist and evangelical members. The club’s participation was a boost to the interdenominational profile of World Youth Day 2008, which will centre on the visit to Sydney by Pope Benedict XVI.

The NSW state president of the God’s Squad, Dave Hansen, said non-Catholic members of the club felt “very positive” about participating in such a Catholic event.

“One of the brothers came up to me and said ‘I don’t understand some of the words they’re using here – like ‘veneration of the cross’. What’s that all about?”

Mr Hansen said he explained the significance of venerating the Cross to his colleague, who then replied: “I can respect that.” He said many members of the God’s Squad do not have a background in sacramentality or iconography, but felt after the event that it had been a blessing to see it in practice, and come to understand how it fits in with the faith of many Catholics.

Mr Hansen was a member of the Uniting Church when he went to see Pope John Paul II on his Australian visit in 1986. He is now a Catholic. He said the God’s Squad motorcycle club is a ministry. “We’re all called to live out our faith,” and the club is an important way for its members to do this.

He said that groups like the God’s Squad provide its members with positive male company, and said there is a lack of positive male company in today’s society for many men.

Happy to be here: Dr Hal Colebatch, Barbara Scott MLC, Joe Poprzeczny and Laurie Eastwood.

Go: God’s Squad takes to the streets of Sydney. PHOTO COURTESY OF PARRAMATTA DIOCESE

Forget the self-help books Jesus has the answers...

Archbishop Barry Hickey has begun a series of short talks on his website explaining the Beatitudes and their application in daily life.

The Beatitudes are described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church as “the countenance of Jesus”.

The first of the Archbishop’s talks appears on the website (www.perthcatholic.org.au) this week and the others will follow at weekly intervals, appearing on Wednesdays.

The first talk gives a general overview of the beatitudes and their links to the inner conflict in the human person, which causes great division between our thinking and our action, between what we want to do and what we actually do.

Succeeding talks will deal with each of the beatitudes in turn and relate them to specific aspects of human nature.

It has been said that the phrase “The Beatitudes” is among the most widely known in Gospel teaching, but the beatitudes themselves are also among the least taught and least understood of Christ’s teachings.

Archbishop Hickey is presenting a concise solution to that problem.

Click on ‘Archbishop’s Weekly Message’ on the website www.perthcatholic.org.au

There are thousands of books that promise to give you what they call the secret of success and happiness. Some of them even have some good ideas, but none of them contains the full story.

The full story is Jesus Christ Himself ... but Jesus also gave us some guidelines so we can understand ourselves. These guidelines are known as the Beatitudes - the attitudes we need in order to be able to look in the right direction for our happiness. We find them in the fifth chapter of St Matthew’s Gospel.

Over the next few talks, I want to explain how the Beatitudes solve the riddle of life that is you.

Human beings are rational creatures, and we have free will that enables us to make moral and spiritual choices. Our problems are, first, that we often think emotionally and impulsively instead of rationally, and, second, we often act emotionally and impulsively even when we think rationally. Peter, James, John and Paul all described this division within us a conflict between the true self – the image and likeness of God – and the false self -

the collection of strengths and weaknesses we are born with or acquire as a result of our experience and treatment in the years before we reach the age of reason.

The task of this life is not to feel guilty about our weaknesses but to learn to disentangle ourselves from the weaknesses that prevent us choosing what is good, our true happiness, or “beatitude”.

As St Paul said (Eph.4:22-23) “you must lay aside your former way of life and the old self which deteriorates through illusion and desire, and acquire a fresh spiritual way of thinking”. This is the process Jesus described as “Take up your cross and follow me.” In other words, take up whatever condition you find yourself in, and choose to follow his direction.

The beatitudes are the guidance Jesus gave us to enable us to carry out this task. They are a radically different way of understanding who we are as human beings.

They are the attitudes that allow God’s love to become the operative force in our life instead of our own self-centred emotions.

ARCHBISHOP BARRY HICKEY

Abortion trauma seminars on offer

With the support of the Catholic Archdiocese and the Knights of the Southern Cross (KSC), Abortion Grief Counselling Association (AGCA) is launching a poster campaign aimed at promoting awareness of the seriousness of abortion trauma.

The poster, funded by the KSC, will be forwarded with accompanying brochures to every parish in the Perth Archdiocese.

Welcoming the new initiative are AGCA assistant director Mary Boston, Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton, KSC state executive officer, Chris Hunt and AGCA national director Julie Cook.

Meanwhile, a series of seminars being offered by the AGCA: “Abortion and Substance Abuse: Why the connection?” will be presented at Edith Cowan University, Joondalup Campus on July 30, from 7 till 9pm. Unresolved Abortion Grief and Domestic Violence will be presented at St John of God Hospital, Murdoch on August 6 from 7 till 9pm.

If interested, please register your attendance by contacting Mary Boston on ph: 9313 1784.

Brown starts off with trouble

Continued from page 1 -bers plans for a Bill of Rights that would have allowed people of any faith to hold public office.

But they were mysteriously dropped - apparently because of fears that the British establishment would not support them.

In the event, Mr Brown outlined more modest constitutional changes that include giving up his right to appoint Church of England bishops.

Cardinal O’Brien, the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, said: “I am deeply disappointed at the statement from Gordon Brown.

“I remain deeply disappointed that the Act of Settlement will continue to exist and believe it constitutes statesponsored sectarianism.”

John Gummer MP, a former Cabinet Minister and adviser to Opposition Leader David Cameron, said: “It is an outrage that in a modern society the largest Christian denomination should be discriminated against.

“Mr Brown has listened to the most reactionary and out-of-touch people in British society.

“This bodes very badly for the rest of his short premiership.”

Liberal Democrat MP Lorely Burt also condemned Mr Brown’s apparent volte-face.

“This is a cowardly move,” she said.

“Any sensible person can see that there is absolutely no need for these archaic laws.

“There is a fundamental principle of equality here and equality should apply as much to Catholics as it does to any other group.”

Several Church leaders and politicians over the past year had called on Tony Blair to repeal the Act of Settlement.

Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party and now Scotland’s First Minister, demanded that the Act be consigned to the “dustbin of history”. He said it undermined efforts to tackle discrimination in Scotland.

in brief...

Degree in prostitution on offer?

New Zealand education officials say they may consider funding for tertiary courses in prostitution, under changes aimed at boosting “quality and relevance” in the sector, reports AAP. Although the prostitution courses might be considered if providers put them forward, MPs on parliament’s education and science committee were told, the courses would still have to meet tight criteria to receive funding.

New Zealand First MP Brian Donnelly posed queries on prostitution as MPs were questioning Tertiary Education Commission officials on changes to how tertiary education was funded.

The real Stan was shy: funeral celebrant

Radio shock jock Stan Zemanek, who died of a brain tumour, was described as “something of a shy man” by the celebrant at his Requiem Mass this week.

Zemanek, also a co-star of TV show Beauty and the Beast, had a reputation as a roughand-tumble media figure of brash conservative views. But during his funeral at an over-flowing Ridge Street Catholic Church in North Sydney, Fr Tony Smith SJ said that in reality, Zemanek was a shy and reserved family man who was “saved by the radio microphone, which allowed him to become another Stan.”

Attended by many celebrities, the Requiem Mass concluded with pop singer Doug Parkinson performing “My Way.”

Catholic

schoolteachers

claim bullying

Instances of bullying which lie “at the lower levels of seriousness” have been commonly experienced by an overwhelming number of Catholic school-teachers, a survey has found.

The survey found 97.5 per cent of Catholic schoolteachers had experienced bullying including attempts to undermine or belittle a teacher’s work, and criticism in front of colleagues.

These incidents were described as “serious enough to affect the mental or physical health of some of the respondents,” according to an Australian Catholic University lecturer.

Academics from ACU and the University of New England will be conducting an online survey in the second half of the year to shed further light on the subject.

Fr Dillon opposes Randwick closure

The brother of the priest who organised Pope John Paul II’s 1986 Australian visit has come out in criticism of the extended closure of Sydney’s Randwick racecourse for next year’s World Youth Day Mass with Pope Benedict XVI.

Fr Brendan Dillon, a parish priest in Melbourne and chaplain to the racing industry, said Sydney’s racing fraternity would be dealt immense hardship when Randwick was closed for 10 weeks around World Youth Day.

Cardinal O’Brien argued in an interview that the “shadowy sectarian culture” in Scotland would continue to thrive until the law was amended.

Mr Blair acknowledged that the Act was unfair but said the process of repealing it would be too complicated as it would require changes to legislation in many Commonwealth countries.

In June 2002 Cardinal Cormac MurphyO’Connor, too, criticised the Act, pointing out that Prince William “can marry by law a Hindu, a Buddhist, anyone, but not a Roman Catholic”, without renouncing his claim to the throne.

The Bill of Rights of 1689 states that anybody “who shall profess the Popish religion, or shall marry a Papist, shall be excluded and be forever incapable to inherit, possess or enjoy the crown”.

This ban was reinforced by the Act of Settlement in 1701, which insisted that the monarch must “join in communion” with the Church of England.

“Veterinary surgeons, farriers, small team trainers are facing grave financial difficulties because they can’t entertain moving interstate for close to three months,” said Fr Dillon, who is the brother of Fr Kevin Dillon, who directed the 1986 papal tour.

Ease up on marginal families: St VdP

The Society of St Vincent de Paul opposed moves by both major parties to restrict welfare payments to families whose children have poor truancy records.

Prime Minister John Howard and Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd have both proposed policies that would “quarantine” parts of a family’s welfare payments for essential items like food, clothes and housing, in the case of families with poor records of sending their children to school.

St Vincent de Paul Society chief John Falzon opposed the idea. “We fear that by demonising parents in some cases you’re not helping children, you are pushing people further to the margins,” Dr Falzon said.



Here it is: Mary Boston, Bishop Donald Sproxton, Chris Hunt and Julie Cook with the poster.

Perspectives

Seeing a precedent in China’s two churches

One of the greatest challenges that St Augustine of Hippo ever faced was that of restoring unity to the deeply divided African Church. Emperor Diocletian’s ferocious persecution had split the Church into two camps: the Donatists, who had firmly refused to renounce their faith, and the traditors, who had turned their fellow Christians over to the Roman authorities and offered their sacred texts to be burned.

The Donatists refused to accept the validity of the sacraments celebrated by bishops who had fallen away during the persecution.

Surprisingly perhaps, St Augustine sided against the Donatists, arguing that the holiness of the Church depended not the holiness of its members, but on the surpassing holiness of its head, Jesus Christ.

He urged them to forgive the weakness of the traditors and to join them in the one, universal Church.

This might seem an oblique way of introducing remarks on the Pope’s landmark letter to Chinese Catholics. But the situation that confronted St Augustine is similar to that facing Benedict XVI, and the Pope’s stance echoes that of his fourth-century intellectual and spiritual hero.

The Church in China is, like the North African Church, split in two. Communist persecution from the 1950s onwards has forced Catholics to belong either to the clandestine Church, an underground network that resists state interference, or to the official Church, which accepts a high degree of state control in return for permission to practise the faith publicly. These two groups could be loosely compared to the Donatists and the traditors.

PO Box 75, Leederville, WA 6902

Tel: (08) 9227 7080, Fax: (08) 9227 7087 cathrec@iinet.net.au

Benedict XVI’s Augustinian response to this division is to call for reconciliation between clandestine and officially sanctioned Catholics. The underground Church, he explains, was a necessary, but temporary, reaction to persecution. As the harassment eases, underground Catholics are expected to come out into the open. The official Church, meanwhile, was born of a well-intentioned, though ecclesiologically defective, attempt to weather the Communist onslaught. Now that the worst appears to be over state-approved Catholics should publicly declare their communion with the Pope.

“Benedict XVI calls both underground and open Catholics to follow the “arduous paths of reconciliation and unity”. He envisages a radically reformed bishops’ conference of China where clandestine and official bishops sit side by side, but illegitimate bishops (ordained without pontifical mandate and not legitimised by the Pope) have no place.”

Benedict XVI calls both underground and open Catholics to follow the “arduous paths of reconciliation and unity”. He envisages a radically reformed bishops’ conference of China where clandestine and official bishops sit side by side, but illegitimate bishops (ordained without pontifical mandate and not legitimised by the Pope) have no place.

But he acknowledges that “this journey cannot be accomplished overnight”.

The Pope believes the journey will be excruciatingly slow as long as Beijing maintains its intolerable constraints on the practice of the faith. While he emphasises that the Church does not pose a revolutionary threat to the Communist regime, he doesn’t hide his desire that “entities that have been imposed” on the Church - for which, read the government-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association - stay out of Church affairs.

He is prepared for negotiations, but insists that the Holy See can not be satisfied with anything less than complete freedom to appoint bishops.

The response of the Chinese authorities has been enigmatic. While Liu Bainian, deputy head of the unloved Patriotic Association, welcomed the Pope’s letter enthusiastically, officials ordered Catholics on the mainland to remove the text from websites. Blatant persecution continues, as our report on the imminent detonation of the shrine in Henan province on page one this week shows.

Some people have played up the possibility of a papal visit to China in the near future.

The regime might regard this as a propaganda coup in the run-up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, but it is surely unlikely that such a trip could take place without a dramatic breakthrough in Sino-Vatican relations.

This is something that Catholics around the world, and here in Australia which is so close to China by virtue of geography as well as because of the many Chinese who now call this nation home, should join the Holy Father in earnestly praying for.

China is likely to exercise a major role in world affairs in this century. The Chinese Church, too, may yet play a vital part in shaping the future of Catholicism.

Around t he tabl e dnuorA t eh lbat

Intriguing letters

Letters published in your last edition certainly lend credence to the statement that global warming has become a new religion, a proposition to be ascribed to as a matter of faith, irrespective of the lack of scientific proof or agreement as to what is causing it or indeed whether it is occurring at all.

As an illustration of the irrelevance of facts to the religion of global warming, one correspondent cites rising sea levels. Sea levels are not rising. Perth readers can, actually, see this for themselves. I have lived for more than 50 years beside the Swan River, an estuary of the sea. In that time its average level has not risen at all.

I was particularly intrigued when the same correspondent identified a sin new to me: buying books, claiming proudly that: “I have never bought a book or DVD in my life. I go to the free library …” If everyone had this attitude there would, of course, be no books at all, and no libraries, “free” or otherwise, either. Come to think of it, there would be no civilization, but perhaps your correspondent would not think that a bad thing. There would be no pumps for your correspondent to install in Africa, certainly, and no aircraft to carry your correspondent with husband and children to Africa “annually.”

This is a particularly odd attitude to display when one remembers that it was the Christian monks who invented modern books in the early middle ages and who loved and cherished them. I suggest your correspondent is somewhat over-excited and might benefit from a Bex, a cup of tea and a good lie down, followed by, perhaps, a search for a good course in joined-up thinking.

Peter Leppard Nedlands

Many sceptics

There are many scientists who are convinced that global warming is not caused by human behaviour. I will quote only one, the President of the World Federation of Scientists, Professor Antonio Zichichi. He is also member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and was professor of advanced physics at the University of Bologna.

In an address in April 2007 to an international conference sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace

Some are more equal than others...

I’ll tell you of the worst umpiring I’ve ever seen. Fr Joe Russell of Palmyra organised a footy match between the Priests and Seminarians at Guildford Seminary. A league footballer would be umpire. I was a seminarian. It was the early 1960’s.

When the Priests arrived, Con Regan turned up in tennis whites, long footy sox and boots.

The fit Seminarians got off to a great start with a lead of eight goals even before quarter time. It looked like a walkover, even though Fr Joe Russell was a very fit rover playing each week with the YCW. Fr Noel Fitzsimmons was a leading SW league player at half forward and Fr Jim Burke was a great high mark.

Then the Priests pulled out their secret weapon, their 19th man, the umpire.

The Priests were awarded a mark if one finger touched the ball but the seminarians had to hold a mark for ten seconds with both hands. The Priests could run with the ball for 40 metres but the Seminarians were penalised if they ran 5.

The Priests threw the ball like rugby players but the Seminarians were restricted to the hardest interpretation of a handpass. The Priests were not penalised for dropping the ball.

We were used to ball up but Con Regan, my cousin, who passed away recently, bounced the ball. He had just returned the year before as a member of the WA National Champions in Brisbane, defeating Victoria. Con was an all-Australian Team Member. Fr Joe Russell had something up his sleeve. Who was going to complain? The ump got away with blue murder. The seminarians still won, but only by four goals.

After the game Con apologised to our coach Murray Graham, saying he bent a few rules to even up the match.

One stat is significant. The Seminarians were only awarded one free kick for the whole game and you can guess which Seminarian that was.

Fr Teddy Miller

examining Climate Change and Development he pointed out that human activity has less than a 10 per cent impact on the environment.

He also claimed that models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are incoherent and invalid from a scientific point of view. He showed that the mathematical models used by the IPCC do not correspond to the criteria of the scientific method.

Professor Zichichi affirmed that on the basis of actual scientific fact “it is not possible to exclude the idea that climate changes can be due to natural causes,” and that it is plausible that “man is not to blame.”

He explained how the motor of meteorology depends on natural phenomena. He gave as an example the “energy sent by the sun and volcanic activity that spits out lava and enormous quantities of substances in the atmosphere.”

He also reminded those present that over several thousand years the Earth lost and reformed the North and South Poles four times.

Zichichi said that in the end he is not convinced that global warming is caused by the increase of emissions of “greenhouse gases” produced through human activity. Climate changes, he said, depend on the fluctuation of cosmic rays.

Brian Peachey Woodlands

Disappointed

Iam

very disappointed that you have used your extemely influential position as editor

of the discovery publication to take such an apparently poorly informed position on global warming.

I suggest that if you were to read a little beyond the sceptic websites on the internet, you might find that global warming will likely have serious repercussions mainly for the poorest people on the planet; those who are least able to take steps to solve problems of salt water inundation of low lying areas (Bangladesh) or who are reliant on snow melt (Bolivia) to give a couple of examples.

The problems in Sudan you mention are being exacerbated by drought caused in part by human-induced climate change.

If your message was “Don’t worry - Take action to reduce your carbon emissions”, this would be reasonable.

Instead you seem to be saying “Don’t worry - global warming isn’t real”. I hope you will provide space in your publication for the contrary view since you are apparently unwilling or unable to produce a balanced and well-researched account of the matter yourself.

Peter Cole Dunsborough

Google it

Go to the internet and type in the following five search words: other side global warming debate. The first website that comes up contains about 340 links to various articles giving the evidence against the claims of man-made global warming.

Robert McLernon Pemberton

July 19 2007

Journalist urges youth to take a leaf out of Islam’s book - they should send a clear message to media on its hostility to Christianity.

■ By Anthony Barich

The political editor of the only national newspaper in Australia has urged the nation’s Catholic youth to engage the secular press and make it clear that Christianity is not to be messed with.

Addressing a national gathering of Catholic students and young professionals in Canberra called, “2028 Congress: The Next Generation and the Church in Australia”, The Australian’s Dennis Shanahan said Catholic youth should “take a leaf out of the Muslims’ book” – not by acts of violence, but by being outspoken in defending the faith.

At the same Congress, Mr Shanahan’s wife Angela, a columnist on social policy for The Australian for 10 years, spoke on vocation and emphasised the need for Christians to be heard in the marketplace.

The Congress gave Australian youth a blueprint of what it is to be a Catholic in the world today, the issues that face them and how best to capitalise on the momentum gained from World Youth Day in Sydney next year.

Mr Shanahan, a practising Catholic, said the world’s media has learned since September 11, 2001 that the Islamic religion demands respect, yet hardly anyone complains when The Australian’s political cartoonist Bill Leak does his annual “disrespectful” cartoon on Good Friday that mocks Christianity and the Crucifixion.

Speaking on the theme, “Faith in the future: Christianity, Islam & Secular Australia”, Mr Shanahan said members of the media sometimes simply don’t understand the sensitivities involved, so must be informed by members of the public.

“Don’t try to change the secular press,” Mr Shanahan said, “as it operates on commercial directives and the notion of freedom of the press.

“Instead, learn how to operate within the secular press and use it against itself.”

He advised Australia’s youth not to rely on Catholics within the media industry, because they can’t change the system, adding that journalistic ethics and Catholicism are perfectly compatible and that there is no point “evangelising” the secular press, just present it with the truth. “If you can get one quote in, one headline, it goes to millions of households and it frames the debate,” he said, adding that the controversial Sheikh Al-Hilali may be wrong on many issues, but he succeeds in getting headlines, which draw attention, albeit negative.

He said Cardinal George Pell’s weekly column in Sydney’s Sunday Telegraph is a good example of engaging the secular press, and urged Australia’s youth to take every opportunity to look for

Vista

taking back the future

At a national gathering in Canberra a leading US Church figure tells Australian students and young adults that his generation failed its duty to stand up for what was right. But they can learn from the mistakes of the past, he says, and have the power to rebuild a civilised society.

Sheen way

Life culture

■ By Anthony Barich

Archbishop Barry Hickey and Cardinal George Pell copped a tough couple of weeks when they reminded Catholic Members of Parliament of their obligations regarding Catholic faith when voting for “therapeutic” cloning earlier this year.

Both responded to questions regarding Holy Communion by saying Catholic politicians for the destruction of embryos should think twice about receiving the sacrament.

During this fortnight in June, it was never far from the mind of either Church leader. Even during the joyous celebration of the 40th anniversary of Fr Tim Corcoran’s priesthood, while making a point about the importance of priests and how they are often targeted, Archbishop Hickey said, “the newspaper says I could go to prison, but that’s another matter…”

There was a light chuckle throughout the crowd, but it masked a serious problem in society.

Cardinal Pell was investigated for contempt of Parliament, accused of meddling in politics with an “outburst of muscular Catholicism” and was told he should apologise for his warnings to Catholic MPs.

He was called a hypocrite, and was even compared to controversial Muslim Sheik Hilali, who had previously compared scantily clad women to uncovered meat.

Archbishop Hickey was also slammed by readers of The West Australian and was investigated

for allegedly threatening MPs.

Nothing, of course, eventuated in either case, except to prove a point – that God is being pushed out of public discourse.

To stop the rot, influential Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, Colorado had a powerful message to over 400 Catholic students and young professionals last weekend in Canberra: “Somebody has to fight for the soul of the world.

“And if you young Catholic men and women won’t do it, then who will?”

Fighting for the soul of the world seems like an onerous task. The problem is, most people think it is beyond them.

So the title of the conference co-hosted by the Australian Catholic Students Association and the Australian Catholic Young Adults Network was apt - “2028 Congress: The Next Generation and the Church in Australia”.

If we don’t push back, Archbishop Chaput says, by 2028 it will be an even tougher gig for our children.

He accepted responsibility that his generation’s permissive, silent attitude to criticism of religion allowed, in part, a world to evolve where Church leaders are shouted down and dismissed from public debate.

The way Archbishop Chaput sees it, nothing could be worse for the future of the world, and it’s up to the current crop of youth to stand up for God.

“Don’t let them push you around. Do not,” he said, addressing not only the youth but the local priests and bishops present.

Continued on Vista 2

Inspiring the young: Denver

Archbishop Charles Chaput at the 2028 Congress with South Australian participant Ruth Russell.

Speakers urge students and young adults to learn from the success of Fulton Sheen, the legendary television bishop. - Vista 3

Lismore Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett calls on Australian youth to save the Church and its liturgy from “irreversable loss” - Vista 2

■ By Anthony Barich

Lismore Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett (pictured below with Capuchin Franciscans) has urged Australian Catholic students and young professionals to save both the Church and her liturgy from irreparable loss. At a national conference in Canberra called, “2028 Congress: The Next Generation and the Church in Australia”, Bishop Jarrett said that as today’s youth inherit the earth, they should heed the challenge laid down

by Pope Benedict XVI to foster a new understanding of the liturgy’s message and reality over the next 20 years. beyond World Youth Day. The Bishop’s comments came in anticipation of the Pope’s Motu Proprio, issued two days later, that relaxed restrictions on the use of the Tridentine Mass, the Latin liturgy that predates the Second Vatican Council.

In light of this, Bishop Jarrett, a former Anglican priest who was received into the Catholic Church in 1965, says the Pope’s challenge for youth is a twofold call to the continuity of the liturgy’s “further unfolding of the organic develop-

the rupture of the past, to end “deformations of the liturgy and loss of faith in so many Catholics now over almost two generations”.

Sheen’s charism embraces WA

■ By Anthony Barich

The West Australian branch of the Fulton J Sheen Society has called on Australia’s young Catholic students and professionals to utilise the charism of the late American Archbishop to evangelise the world.

The Fulton J Sheen Society was originally set up to support the cause of the late Archbishop’s beatification, but is now branching out to get Christian messages out into the secular world through the media.

“

Martin Tobin, also deputy principal of Trinity College, addressed upwards of 400 youth at the 2028 Congress: The Next Generation and the Church in Australia in Canberra, offering advice on engaging the media.

Speaking on “Pope Benedict’s vision for 2028: Liturgy and Evangelisation”, Bishop Jarrett admitted that the task will “take time”,

Fight back or it’ll only get worse

Most immediately, he said, the task for youth is to reconnect with the spirit-based rediscovery of the liturgy which led the Church in the early 20th Century to the first of the Second Vatican Council’s documents in which the movement’s purpose and achievement is crystallised. “In doing so, we will be led to a wider continuity, to the living worship of Christ’s Church as it has come to us across 20 centuries of extraordinarily consistent growth,” said Bishop Jarrett, who spent 30 years of his priestly ministry in Tasmania. He said that while the liturgy has been the subject of constant reforms over recent decades, it is ultimately a gift to us from the Church, just like the faith of which it is the embodiment of worship.

The Bishop called to mind Pope Benedict’s use of the unfamiliar term “the ars celebrandi” - translated as “the art of proper celebration” – in his recent

Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis, the Sacrament of Charity. “There are some who have been saying that if we confine ourselves to celebrating the Mass just as the Church gives it to us in the official books, this will hamper the full and active participation of all present joining in. It could even be a pastoral obstacle, and the way around it would be to find creative alternatives to certain prayers or gestures, as the priest or community might propose them,” he said.

On the contrary, he said, Pope Benedict has made it clear that there can be no conflict between the art of proper celebration and the full, active and fruitful participation of the faithful.

Quoting Sacramentum Caritatis, Bishop Jarret said that the art of proper celebration is “the fruit of faithful adherence to the liturgical norms in all their richness”. “Indeed, for 2000 years this way of celebrating has sustained the faith life of all believers, called to take part in the celebration as the People of God, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” (n. 38)

Archbishop Sheen was a phenomenally successful communicator to the secular world, running a program on Australian radio called “The Catholic Hour” in the 1930s; and in the 1950s while Auxiliary Bishop of New York he won an Emmy for his “Life is Worth Living” series, which successfully competed for ratings against the likes of Frank Sinatra and Milton Berle.

Upon Archbishop Sheen’s Emmy success, an admiring Berle quipped, “He’s got better writers!” Meanwhile the Archbishop credited his writers Matthew, Mark, Luke and John for their valuable contribution to his success.

After addressing the students and young professionals at the Congress, Mr Tobin told The Record that the Fulton J Sheen society is happy to offer training to Catholic journalists working in the secular or Catholic press, priests, religious and other lay people with the skills to engage the secular media according to the charism of the late Archbishop.

You’re watching the news and the next thing you know the Archbishop’s there talking about God. It’s amazing. “

When Archbishop Barry Hickey started his weekly one-minute spot during the Channel 9 evening news, often during the first ad break, the Fulton J Sheen Society offered him part of the funds from a concert they were holding to raise money for the beatification of Archbishop Sheen.

Archbishop Hickey was asked to sing at the concert and did so, to the surprise of some who were not aware that he was a choir leader in his youth.

“Students can learn something about communication,” Mr Tobin told The Record “I’d like to hear a little bit more from the Church, so we are going to

train people in communication and are happy for journalists, priests, religious and lay people to actually engage people.

“It’s not just about getting to Catholics, it’s about getting to a wider audience of people, and that’s what Fulton Sheen was brilliant at.

“Fulton Sheen winning an Emmy was proof that the Church needs a systematic way in which we can train people to communicate Christian messages.

“Say, for example, the Church got serious and started having some of its own television programs to deliver a message that not only goes to the Catholics but to a wider audience.

“That’s why what Archbishop Hickey has been doing is brilliant – you’re

watching the news and the next thing you know the Archbishop’s there talking about God. It’s amazing. I’m unaware of any other Bishop in the country who’s doing that.”

Archbishop Hickey will start another series of 14 spots from July 22 to November 19, starting with a one-minute spot on forgiveness during Channel 9’s Backyard Blitz. The Archbishop previously ran a segment during Nine’s broadcast on God calling people home during the Princess Diana Concert on July 2, and another during the launch of Channel 9’s new program Sea Patrol on July 5. The Fulton J Sheen Society has also run his material on EWTN and Access 31 television station. Continued

“If you don’t push back, it grows and becomes intolerance of religion and of religious people. What did you do when MPs acted that way? Did you write to them and tell them that they’re being inappropriate?

“When they attacked Cardinal Pell and Archbishop Hickey, why didn’t the Catholic community rise up in one voice and say ‘you can’t treat us this way’?

“Isn’t this a democracy? We all have a right to say what we believe is right.”

only thing that guarantees the sanctity of the individual. Archbishop Chaput also slammed the idea of “spirituality”, which is so popular in developed countries, yet religion is so often criticised. While fine on the surface, spirituality is turning into something of a designer experience, a fad.

Try Catholicism one day, Buddhism the next. In fact, ‘spirituality’ can mean anything a person wants it to mean – it’s private, personal and ultimately doesn’t place any more demands on the individual than what he or she wants.

But the situation is not beyond the youth of today, who are already inheriting the world, for as Archbishop Chaput says, people who take the questions of truth, freedom and human meaning seriously will never remain silent about them. They can’t. They’ll always act on what they believe, even at the cost of their reputations and lives. And that’s the way it should be. Religious faith is always personal, but can never be private. It always has social consequences or it isn’t real, he said.

This is why, he added, any definition of ‘tolerance’ that tries to turn religious faith into a private idiosyncrasy or a set of personal opinions that we can have at home but that we need to be quiet about in public, is doomed to fail. It seems that in the Western world real freedom can only be ensured by keeping God out of the public discourse, but in doing so we remove the only authority higher than political authority and the

Religion, Archbishop Chaput says, is a very different creature. The word ‘religion’ comes from the Latin ‘religare’, meaning to bind. Religious believers bind themselves to a set of beliefs and submit themselves to a community of faith with shared convictions and hopes.

What we believe about God shapes what we believe about the human person, and what we believe about the human person has social, economic and political consequences. But while the wickedness of those who use God as an alibi for doing evil things drives people away from religion, it doesn’t disprove religion. It merely reveals the weakness in each of us and shows our unwillingness to love. Understanding our sinfulness should drive us to live our faith more deeply and truly – not to abandon our faith. The youth of today should be concerned about the future, he said, but there is every rea-

son for them to rejoice in the opportunity to live life to the full to bring about God’s kingdom.

The Archbishop had some strong words about the whole idea of ‘tolerance’. We’re not asked to ‘tolerate’ them, but to love them, which is a much more demanding task. But that’s what religion does that the modern fad of ‘spirituality’ doesn’t do – makes demands on us to better ourselves and then the world.

Much of the time, the Archbishop says, tolerance is an important democratic working principle. But here’s the big one: tolerating lies about the nature of the human

person is a sin. Tolerating grave evil in a society is itself an equally grave evil. And abusing ‘tolerance’ as an excuse for not witnessing Jesus Christ in our private lives and in our public actions is not an act of civility, it’s a form of cowardice.

Strong words, but it’s only onerous if we forget that courage is also a Christian virtue. The Epistle of James tells us to be “doers of the Word and not hearers only” (1:22), and adds that, “faith without works is dead” (2:20). Jesus Himself tells us to “make disciples of all Nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of

the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Mt 28:19). In other words, the Archbishop was reminding the youth that as they form their lives towards 2028, Jesus is talking to everyone, “right now, in our time”. “One doesn’t submit to the future. One makes it,” he said. The Archbishop concluded by saying that by our very baptism we were appointed the task of fighting for the future, to make a future that answers God’s love with lives of Catholic faith, justice, charity, courage and solidarity, finishing with: “That’s a future worth fighting for. That’s why you’re here.”

Urgent: engage the media

Continued from Vista 1

similar opportunities once they enter professional life.

Mr Shanahan urged the youth to capitalise on the post-September 11 world where journalists are fearful of misrepresenting religions, because “doing the right thing” is the new smart politics.

Mrs Shanahan, a mother of nine children, said her vocation is first and foremost being a mother. Being a writer “is only part of what I do”, and is really an extension of her real vocation as she writes on social policy issues.

She told Australia’s Catholic youth that societal decline has forced the “once-maligned institution of the family back onto the agenda of mainstream media, so the opportunity is now ripe for Christians to evangelise by getting their message out into the public domain.

“The problems of the ‘me’ generation have been eclipsed by the problems of the generation they bred,” she said.

Fertility issues, “the boy problem”, the growing number of single mothers, childcare, the “older born-again mums and born-again dads” and the complicated business of raising a family have reached heights of respectability as a topic of serious discussion.

“No longer is motherhood considered a part-time sideline for smart feminists, careerist or a fulltime ‘yuk’ job for the poor, reconstructed pre-feminist dinosaurs – as indeed fulltime motherhood was regarded in the ’70s and early ’80s when I was producing my older kids,” she said.

Making an example of her own life, having lived as an outspoken Catholic

“The problems of the ‘me’ generation have been eclipsed by the problems of the generation they bred!”

in the secular press, Mrs Shanahan told the youth at the Congress that it is possible to hold firm to one’s convictions and live in the secular world.

“Catholicism is much more than an ideology,” she said.

“It motivates my life and my heart.

It isn’t just an addendum to my professional life, it is the core of it, because it is the core of me. So I am reasonably transparent about it.

“Perhaps I am just a bit more up front about it than others are about their motivation, but so what?”

She said Christians have a right to be in the marketplace of opinion, that Christian journalists should not be ostracised or marginalised, and “despite the comfort of some, it is Christianity, no other religion or ideology, which is the core and foundation of civilisation in the West.”

Avid discussion: Archbishop Charles Chaput enjoys a chat outside Canberra’s St Christopher’s Cathedral with Salvatore Scevola, a seminarian based in Rome who filmed the 2028 Congress for Telepace, the Vatican’s broadcaster.

PHOTOS: ANTHONY BARICH

Here ye: Martin Tobin addresses young Catholics in Canberra. PHOTO: ANTHONY BARICH

Powerful friends: Denniis Shanahan (left) with Cardinal Edward Cassidy in Canberra.

ANGELA SHANAHAN

Opinion

the family is the future

Batman v St Anthony? No contest

■ With Derek Boylen

My wife Karen and I have started teaching the boys about the saints recently.

And not without a little confusion.

We decided to start with St Anthony because we are in his parish and it was his feast recently.

Many years ago everyone attended Sunday Mass in their own parish. In those days it didn’t seem to matter much which parish one attended since Mass was celebrated more or less the same everywhere. These days it is very different. In some parishes I have felt very uncomfortable with the way the liturgy was celebrated, or with the homilies, the choice of hymns, etc. What is the position of the Church in this regard? Is it permissible to attend Sunday Mass habitually in a parish which is not one’s own?

Karen: What are you doing Elijah?

Elijah (indignantly): Looking for my shoes.

Karen: Why are you carrying around the little statue of St Anthony?

Elijah (indignantly): He’s helping me to find them.

That night Karen tried to explain “intercession” to our five year old. The next evening...

Karen: What are you doing Elijah?

Elijah (indignantly): Looking for my pyjamas.

Karen: Why don’t you say a little prayer to St Anthony?

Elijah (indignantly): I did, and then St Anthony asked Jesus and Jesus said “no” and now they are fighting and no-one’s helping me find my pyjamas!

On a more practical level though what are some of the ways that we

can help lead our children into a deeper appreciation of the saints. Here’s a few ideas:

• Pray to them out loud in our daily prayers as a family. Karen and I often finish our family prayers with a brief prayer to our patron saints “Blessed Mary of the Incarnation, Pray for us. St Peregrine, pray for us.” Make them a part of your daily life.

• Mark a few feast days through the year on your calendar. Pick saints that you would like your children to know a bit better. Leading up to and on the day, make time with your children to discuss their words, actions and charisms.

• Do a study with your children on a particular saints life. Find out all about the saint and what they did.

• Explore your patron saint and help your children to do the

This is a question asked by many people. There are a number of considerations to bear in mind. First of all, it might be good to clarify what is meant by the phrase ‘one’s own parish’. By virtue of their domicile, that is, their habitual place of residence, everyone has a proper parish. Dioceses are divided into parishes in such a way that every place in the diocese falls within some parish. If someone has just moved house and is not sure to which parish they belong, they can ring a nearby parish and find out. It may be that the church nearest to them is in fact in a different parish, given the way parish boundaries are drawn up.

In addition to territorial parishes, there are also what are known as ritual parishes, determined not by the location of the person’s house but rather by the rite to which they belong. In this sense one may be, for example, a Maronite, Melkite, or Ukrainian rite Catholic, and can attend the nearest church where Mass is celebrated in their rite. This applies also to those Catholics of the

Latin rite who prefer to attend Mass habitually in the Tridentine rite.

Similarly, one may be a migrant and may prefer to attend Sunday Mass habitually celebrated by a chaplain in their own language. So there are already a variety of legitimate choices of where to attend Sunday Mass.

Whereas the previous Code of Canon Law of 1917 obliged the faithful to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation in their own parish, the new Code of 1983 imposes no such obligation. Canon 1247 of the new Code says: “The obligation of assisting at Mass is satisfied wherever Mass is celebrated in a Catholic rite either on a holyday itself or on the evening of the previous day.”

So one fulfils the Sunday Mass obligation by attending Mass anywhere in any Catholic rite. But there are still good reasons to attend Mass habitually in one’s own parish, if one does not belong to another rite or to an ethnic language community.

Each parish forms its own com-

same for theirs. What was your saint’s history, when did they live and what did they do that was so remarkable?

• When faced with a family challenge find the patron saint for that cause and pray for their intercession with your children. When friends and relatives of ours have faced the challenge of cancer Karen and I always ask for St Peregrine’s intercession. There are patron saints for almost every cause.

• Every week in Mass we reflect during the Eucharistic prayer on our communion with the saints and angels. Talk about what this means with your children. We are connected in a very special way to them.

• Make saints heroes in your home. The adventures of Batman and Superman pale in comparison to the real heroism of many of the saints. Share these stories with

your children and help them to see the saints as role models for life.

Over the last few decades, devotions to the saints in contemporary Australian Catholic families have gone out of vogue. Maybe we have adopted some of the anti-saint sentiment of our ecclesial cousins. However, in the Catholic tradition the Saints have a special place in our memories and customs. If we truly believe that there have been certain people through history who have managed to reach perfect holiness, and, if this is the kind of life we seek for ourselves, then it makes sense to get to know them. And to help our children to get to know them.

At World Youth Day in Rome (2000), John Paul II gave young people the aspiration to “become saints of the new millennium.” Let’s pass on this calling to our children.

munity and it is always good to be a member of the community and to support it. It should be remembered that the community extends beyond the celebration of Mass to include prayer groups, support groups for people in need, societies such as St Vincent de Paul and the Legion of Mary, devotional activities, etc. All of these help the members to grow in their faith and to have a sense of belonging, and they afford opportunities to help others. This is all very important. If one attends Mass in a different parish, one does not ordinarily get involved in the community in the same way.

Also, when the person has special needs himself or herself and is unknown in the local parish, the parish community will not be there to provide help. For example, if someone is sick or unemployed it is more difficult that others will come to provide assistance. Or if one can no longer drive to Mass or take public transport, it is more difficult to find someone to take them to Mass.

At the same time, there

can be legitimate reasons for not attending Mass in one’s own parish. If, as you suggest in your question, Mass is celebrated with notable violations of liturgical norms, or the homily frequently contains statements contrary to Church teaching or discipline, one may feel so uncomfortable and anxious that it is preferable to attend Mass somewhere else. This is especially the case when remaining in the parish would be a danger to one’s faith or to that of one’s children. But it is to be hoped that such situations would be the exception rather than the rule. If the violations are not grave or are only a matter of personal preference, in general it is better to remain in one’s own parish for the reasons given above. Moreover, by staying there one can often help the parishioners and even the priest to be more faithful to the teachings of the Church.

Fr John Fader is Director of the Catholic Adult Education Centre in Sydney who joins The Record this week.

The World FEATURE

Adoring Castro’s favourite boy

During t-shirt weather it’s hard to miss the haunting photogenic face of Che Guevara.

Patrick Meagher reveals what the face really means.

The Communist star on the beret, the unkempt long hair and scraggly beard... You can find him on coffee mugs, pendants and underwear.

That one black-on-white image, the beautiful bad boy look, is the most famous in the world, according to the Maryland Institute of the College of Art, in the US.

Britain’s Prince Harry wore that famous face at a party two years ago. Musician Carlos Santana proudly displayed Che at the 2005 Academy Awards. Actor Johnny Depp has the image on a necklace and Angelina Jolie has a Che tattoo but won’t say where.

The ubiquitous image helped Che earn a spot on Time magazine’s list of the top 100 most important people of the 20th century.

When you actually ask people wearing Che about who he is, they offer platitudes.

They might mention freedom fighting but they rarely give you details or back up their claims.

Typically, they don’t really know who he is, which makes their hold on this “hero” suspiciously reeking of adolescent rebellion.

“He’s a Mexican freedom fighter,” said one young man at our local market in Canada’s capital city of Ottawa.

“Is it Bob Marley?” asked a 20year-old, looking at a photo of the famous face. “Does it have something to do with drugs? I’ve seen his picture in rooms of students I know who are into drugs.”

Ask those who sell the shirts and they know little more. Said a young man with a nose ring selling Che tshirts and flags at an outside kiosk: “He’s a guerrilla fighter. He’s from Columbia or Venezuela.”

“Why’s he famous?” I asked.

“He fought for his people.”

“What did he do?”

“He’s a freedom fighter.”

That famous “freedom fighter” face became an icon of the anti-establishment and antiAmericanism in the late 1960s and has spawned a multi-million dollar memorabilia industry and you are going to see more of it. This year is the 40th anniversary of the death of Che, captured and shot in Bolivia with the help of the CIA.

And there you have it. CIA: bad. Che: good. No brainer. Using the same logic, we might one day see college kids wearing t-shirts with Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden.

The underdog hero image is helped by books like Che: A Revolutionary Life, an 800-page tribute written by New Yorker writer Jon Anderson in 1998. Anderson argues he has not unearthed one legitimate claim that Che executed an innocent man.

Director Steven Soderbergh is now shooting what will become two movies about Che, both based on Anderson’s book, with Benicio Del Toro playing the hero. A few more pro-Che books are being published this year.

Meantime, the anti-Che memorabilia industry is catching up. You can also buy the famous face on a t-shirt blazened with the words “Murdering communist bastard.” There’s the more tame: “Che Guevara: Fooling middle class white kids since 1967.” My favourite t-shirt reads: “Don’t know who this guy is but he sure sells a lot of t-shirts.”

The Canadian conservative magazine, the Western Standard, now sells t-shirts of columnist Mark Steyn, his face posed in a way that mimics the famous Che photo.

In time for the October anniversary, Cuban-born Humberto Fontova has also written about Che but it’s hardly gushing.

Entitled Exposing the real Che Guevara, Fontova was seven years old when his family fled Cuba with little more than the clothes on their backs.

Castro’s soldiers yanked off his mothers’ earrings at the airport saying they now belonged to the revolution.

The author’s cousin was not so lucky.

He taught catechism lessons at a local church where he also spoke against the revolution. He disappeared one day. His dead body showed up at a police station.

Fontova is also highly critical of author Anderson, noting that hundreds of eyewitnesses to Che’s executions are only one taxi ride away from Anderson in New York City.

If Fontova’s book were the evidence for a trial, it would be more than enough to find Che guilty of murder. Fontova openly relishes grinding his axe for Che, as he piles eyewitness account upon eyewitness account. At least, he acknowledges his own aggression.

“If Cuban Americans strike you as

too passionate, over the top, even a little crazy, there is a reason,” he writes.

“Practically, every day, we turn on our televisions or go out to the street only to see the image of the very man who trained the secret police to murder our relatives – thousands of men, women and boys.”

For people sick of the whitewashed accounts of Che, as in Robert Redford’s 2005 movie Motorcycle Diaries, reading Fontova’s book is a victorious breath of fresh air when it’s not reading like a heart-wrenching victim impact statement.

The real Ernesto “Che” Guevara, according to Fontova, started his adult life as a wandering Argentinean misfit from a wealthy family. “Che” was slang for “dude” and it was how he signed his name.

He was not a doctor, as has been widely reported. He read widely and became a hard-core communist. He joined the Cuban revolution with Fidel Castro and, until one day in 1957 when Castro ordered his first execution, he was a nobody.

Che volunteered to accompany the executioner, who hesitated in completing Castro’s command. Che quickly stepped in and shot the victim in the temple. He later wrote to his father that “at that

moment I discovered that I really like killing”.

Castro took note. He needed an efficient executioner, a man who could kill without a troubled conscience, as there were many dissidents to dispose of.

Che became head of the main prison, La Cabana, where anyone suspected of opposing Castro was incarcerated. In the first three months at La Cabana, Guevara signed 400 death warrants.

Over the course of time and with his own hand he shot at least 180 people. Pierre San Martin was in La Cabana and recalled seeing a 14-year-old boy dragged in front of Che. His crime was defending his father, who had been arrested and shot.

“We saw Che unholstering his pistol. He put the barrel to the back of the boy’s neck and blasted. The shot almost decapitated the young boy.”

In 1961, there were 300,000 Cubans in prison out of a population of 6.4 million.

That’s about one person in prison for every 21 people. At any one time in the notorious Soviet Gulag, there was one person in prison for every 110 people in the country.

That same year, Castro’s regime, propped up by support from the Soviet Union, received nuclear missiles.

To avoid war, the American and Soviet governments agreed to allow a Communist government in Cuba in exchange for the removal of the weapons. In 1962, thinking that he was speaking off-record, Che told the London Daily Worker: “If the nuclear missiles had remained we would have used them against the very heart of America, including New York City.”

Yet Che Guevara was applauded at the United Nations General Assembly in 1964 when he announced that Cuba killed people. “Certainly we execute,” he said. On that same trip he helped plan a bombing of the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell and Washington Monument.

But the bombs never went off. The New York Police Department discovered the plot. There’s a legion of uncomplimentary documented facts about Che Guevara and they are not difficult to unearth. This makes it more apparent that the Che fanfare is a symptom of a big problem. It seems that juvenile rebellion and apathy are now common among grown men and women, well into their adult life. Characterised by dishonesty and laziness, people simply believe what they want to believe. Author Fontova includes this outrageous anecdote about guitarist Carlos Santana. He got up from his seat in a café to confront a young Cuban wearing a t-shirt stamped with the homemade lettering: “Che’s dead— get over it.” The young Henry Gomez argued that Che had killed hundreds of people.

Gomez reported that Santana, incredibly, told him: “You’re getting hung up on facts, man. We’re only free when we free our hearts.” Ironically, those t-shirts celebrating Che tell us a more about the people wearing the shirts than they do about that Argentinean butcher.

Patrick Meagher is MercatorNet’s Contributing Editor for Canada.

Forget wayward footballers, sport can lead to God, says Brazilian prelate

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil

(Zenit.org) - Even sports can lead people to God, says a Brazilian Archbishop, who wrote to the faithful on the occasion of the Pan American Games being held in Rio de Janeiro. Retired Archbishop Eugenio de Araújo Sales of Rio de Janeiro recalled that St Paul exhorted Christians in their spiritual life with imagery of a race.

He reiterated words from the late Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the Jubilee of Athletes in

1984: “Through the metaphor of holy athletic competition, (St Paul) highlights the importance of life, comparing it to a race toward a goal that is not only earthly and passing, but eternal.

“It is a race in which not only one but all may be winners.”

Archbishop de Araújo Sales continued by saying: “The directives outlined by the Holy Father John Paul II are still valid today for faithful Catholics and men of good will, and they deserve to be

remembered in a special way in these days.”

According to the prelate, sports should correspond “without distorting themselves, to the demands of our times - sports that tutor the weakest, exclude no one, and liberate young people from the insidiousness of apathy and indifference, awakening in them a healthy spirit of competition, sports that are a factor in the emancipation of the poorest countries and help to eliminate intolerance and build a

fraternal and unified world; sports that contribute to a love of life, teach sacrifice, respect, responsibility, leading to the valuing of every human person.”

“Professional or amateur,”

Archbishop de Araújo Sales wrote, “the athlete has a positive or negative influence on his local, national, or international community.

“He does not belong to himself, becoming a hero, but before God, he answers to his function. He is therefore a positive or nega-

tive stimulus for the conduct of his neighbour.

“Social and moral formation and the formation of character go together with physical cultivation.

“Success does not only depend on physical vigour, on technical perfection, but also on discernment that comes from Christian virtue.

“Successfully bringing the team together, beyond personal vanity, is a decisive factor in achieving victory.”

Handsome killer: Hollywood’s latest sugar-coating of Che Guevara. IMAGE COURTESY STFRANCIS.EDU

The man: The haunting image that plagues t-shirts galore.

Latin bishops on a mission

HAVANA (CNS) - The Latin American bishops’ council has drafted a more than 100-point plan to implement conclusions in the final document of the Fifth General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, said the council’s newly elected president.

Archbishop Raymundo Damasceno Assis of Aparecida, Brazil, president of the council, known by its Spanish acronym as CELAM, said the Church in Latin America must continue to respond to the “scandalous gap” between rich and poor in the region, attract lapsed Catholics back to the Church and engage in pastoral work based on the conclusions of the conference held in Aparecida in May.

Some 70 delegates, including five cardinals, represented their bishops’ conferences at the July 10-13 meeting at San Juan Maria Vianney house in Havana. Such meetings are held every two years, while general conferences, such as the one in Brazil, are held less frequently.

During the assembly, the bishops officially released the final version of the conclusions of the Aparecida conference. The document, which was approved by Pope Benedict XVI, calls for the Church to be “in a permanent state of mission” and evangelisation.

Archbishop Assis said that although the Church faces “many challenges” it is “in tune with the times” and will adapt.

Acknowledging that the Church must get in step with the 21st century, the Archbishop said that “adapting to a new world, new languages, new technologies is a matter of formation and time.”

“Countries, universities and businesses are renewing themselves, and the Church is doing the same,” he said.

Archbishop Assis noted the importance of deepening the identity of Catholics “in a world that is culturally and religiously pluralistic.”

In response to the growth of evangelical and other Protestant churches in the region, every man and woman religious must be “a missionary who lives out the faith and who offers it to others as a means to personal fulfillment,” he said.

He also expressed concern about “a huge, scandalous (income) gap” in the region. The region’s countries must develop closer ties so they can respond to the people’s needs, he said.

“In the globalised world, Latin America must unite so it has strength in international forums, to defend its rights and its interests,” he said.

At the Aparecida conference, Archbishop Baltazar Porras Cardoza of Merida, Venezuela, was elected first vice president of CELAM, and Bishop Andres Stanovnik of Reconquista, Argentina, was elected second vice president.

The new CELAM leaders said they will begin laying the groundwork for implementing the conclusions of the Aparecida conference at their first coordinating meeting on August 6-10 in Bogota, Colombia.

Archbishop Porras said: “The document from Aparecida calls us to a deep transformation of our vocation as disciples.”

He said that there must be an “acceptance of pluralism, acceptance of different viewpoints that complement one another instead of trying to eliminate others.”

“That is one of the challenges facing the Church today,” said the Archbishop. “We live in a pluralistic world. Instead of deciding how we are going to confront this situation, we must decide how we are going to accept it.”

Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino of Havana said during the assembly’s closing Mass that the conclusions from Aparecida call the entire Church to be missionaries: “from bishops, priests and deacons to those in consecrated life and the laity.”

‘US should accept more Iraqis’

■ By Regina Linskey

WASHINGTON (CNS) - The retired Archbishop of Washington said he hopes the United States will admit more refugees from Iraq.

“The United States is starting to receive” refugees from Iraq, but “I hope they will accept more,”

Cardinal Theodore E McCarrick told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview from Beirut, Lebanon, where he was touring Middle Eastern host countries of Iraqi refugees.

He was part of a delegation that included Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, New York, officials from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, the International Catholic Migration Commission and the US bishops’ Catholic Relief Services.

Cardinal McCarrick and Bishop DiMarzio are consultants to the US bishops’ Committee on Migration.

The delegation began its tour in Istanbul, Turkey on July 2; Cardinal McCarrick joined the group in Amman, Jordan on July 9. The delegation also visited Syria.

Cardinal McCarrick said he “realised how many Iraqi citizens

have left the country and are looking for a place to live.”

A survey released on July 11 from the nonprofit and private US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants reported that for the second consecutive year Iraq was the source of the most new refugees worldwide.

While the United States has admitted fewer than 800 Iraqi refugees for resettlement since the USled invasion in 2003, in 2006 Syria admitted 449,000, Jordan 250,000 and Egypt 79,800, the report said.

Lebanon became the host country for 13,200 Iraqi refugees last year, it said.

Describing the state of Iraqi refugees as “a real man-made disaster” and “emergency situation,” Cardinal McCarrick expressed concern over two groups of Iraqi refugees: Christians and those who have worked with the US military or government, putting their lives in danger.

The Cardinal spoke about the “unusually large number” of Iraqi Christian refugees, some of whom left Iraq because they were threatened that they must convert to Islam or be killed by extremists.

“Many of the Muslim families

will probably return to Iraq,” the Cardinal said.

He also noted that “Christian families will not return” if Christians are not welcome, reminding CNS that “we are losing the Christians’ presence”.

Cardinal McCarrick said he spoke with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on July 12 about the importance of continuing the education of young Iraqi refugees.

The president said Syrian officials were aware of the need, “and it troubles them, too,” Cardinal McCarrick said.

The Cardinal, who is also a member of the US bishops’ international policy committee and the board of Catholic Relief Services, said he plans to talk to his contacts in the US State Department and Congress about what he saw and learned during his trip.

The Cardinal said he met with Iraqi refugee families, who live with other families in private homes.

“They do the best they can” to try to keep the family together, he said. In a neighbourhood of Beirut, Cardinal McCarrick met a 14-yearold girl who was working “because she had to bring money into the family,” he said.

Northern Ireland resisting push to conform to UK’s abortion laws

Northern Ireland pressured to conform with UK’s laws

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (Zenit.org ) - Pressure is mounting for the new power-sharing government in Northern Ireland to align its abortion laws with the rest of the United Kingdom. UK Members of Parliament are calling for an extension of the 1967 Abortion Act into Northern Ireland, the only

area in the UK where the law legalising abortion does not apply.

This prompted a furious reaction from politicians and Church leaders, the Belfast Telegraph reported.

Abortions in Northern Ireland are still strictly limited, and are only allowed if two doctors find that a pregnancy would damage the physical or mental health of the woman. The Catholic Church in Ireland called on nationalists and unionists to thwart the effort

to extend abortion laws.

Fr Tim Bartlett, the secretary of the Catholic bishops’ commission on social affairs in Northern Ireland, said: “We are opposed to these measures on two grounds. Firstly, there is the ethical opposition to abortion and our support for the right to life for the unborn child.” “Secondly,” he asked “that the views of the democratically elected representatives of Northern Ireland be taken into account.”

He said that during Archbishop Sean Brady’s first historic meeting with First Minister Ian Paisley last fall, the issue that most united them was opposition to abortion, the Guardian newspaper reported. Jeffrey Donaldson, a Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley, said that at the moment there is “widespread opposition to any move to extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland,” the Telegraph reported. “This is a matter for

the Northern Ireland Assembly to decide.” He said that his party would “vigorously oppose” any move to extend abortion to Northern Ireland. North Belfast Member of Parliament Nigel Dodds told the BBC that the “overwhelming majority” of people in Northern Ireland, both Protestant and Catholic, reject “any attempt to dilute the law here or to introduce the 1967 Abortion Act into the province.”

Need some extra help: US soldiers pray in a circle before leaving Camp Victory for their patrol mission on the streets of Baghdad, Iraq on July 7. The retired Washington Archbishop says the US should receive more Iraqi refugees from the troubled region.

PHOTO: CNS/NIKOLA SOLIC, REUTERS

The World

LA ‘will never be the same’ after abuses

Los Angeles Cardinal forced to sell diocesan building to settle sexual abuse lawsuits

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles Archdiocese has announced the largest Church settlement of sexual abuse lawsuits to date, agreeing to pay more than 500 alleged victims a total of $758 million.

Before noon the next day, LA County Superior Court Judge Haley Fromholz had approved the settlement, calling it “the right result.” He said settling the cases was “the right thing to do.”

Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony again offered his personal apology to every victim of sexual abuse by a priest, religious, deacon or layperson in the Archdiocese.

“It is the shared hope of everyone in our local church that these victims, many of whom suffered in silence for decades, may find a measure of healing and some sense of closure with today’s announcement,” he said.

“Although financial compensation in itself is inadequate to make up for the harm done to the victims and their families, still this compensation does provide a meaningful outreach to assist the victims to rebuild their lives and to move forward,” he said.

The settlement - reached by attorneys for the archdiocese and 508 people suing the Archdiocese - came the weekend before the first of 15 civil trials in Los Angeles County courts was to begin July 16. With the agreement in hand, Cardinal Mahony and attorneys for both sides instead appeared in court to present the formal settle-

Prepare for WYD

Pope gives youth a spiritual roadmap on the way to World Youth Day

LORENZAGO DI CADORE, Italy (Zenit.org) - Pope Benedict XVI offered youth a spiritual roadmap to prepare themselves for World Youth Day, encouraging them to meditate on the love awakened by the Holy Spirit.

Pope Benedict XVI told young people this before praying the midday Angelus on July 15 from Mirabello Castle, a spot close to where he is vacationing till July 27. Love “is the ‘heart’ of Christian

Benedict to address the UN

ment to Fromholz for approval.

Following Fromholz’s action, Cardinal Mahony repeated his apology and his offer to meet privately with any victim of abuse who asks.

“This particular day is a day for the victims to speak,” he said, adding that he would spend the rest of the day in prayer.

During the hearing, Ray

Boucher, lead attorney for the victims, thanked his clients for their resolve and courage, asking them to stand.

“I think they deserve a tremendous debt of gratitude,” Boucher said, fighting back tears.

He credited Cardinal Mahony with taking steps that led to the settlement, which might not have occurred “if left to the lawyers.”

Michael Hennigan, attorney for the Archdiocese, said in the courtroom that his views of clergy sex abuse had changed over the years he spent on the cases, largely through his private meetings with 70 plaintiffs. “I’d like to say that the Church would have been reformed without these cases, but I don’t know that’s true,” he said.

“These cases have forever reformed the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It will never be the same.”

The Archdiocese in December had announced the settlement of 45 lawsuits for $68.67 million.

Under the latest agreement, the archdiocese will pay $345 million and the balance will come from a combination of payments from insurance carriers and religious orders whose members have been accused in the abuse cases.

According to a tally prepared by the Los Angeles Times, the previous largest settlement of abuse cases in the United States since 2002 was the $180 million the Boston Archdiocese agreed to pay to 983 claimants in several different settlement agreements. The Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, agreed to pay $148 million to 315 claimants; the Diocese of Orange, California, agreed to pay $114 million to 90 claimants, and the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, settled with 350 claimants for $85 million.

by meditating on love awakened by Holy Spirit: Pope

life; in fact, only the love awakened in us by the Holy Spirit renders us witnesses to Christ,” the Holy Father said.

“I wanted to re-propose this important spiritual truth in the message for the 23rd World Youth Day, which will be made known on July 20: ‘You will receive power from the Holy Spirit, who will descend upon you.’”

World Youth Day is exactly one year away.

It will be held July 15-20, 2008, in Sydney.

“This is what I invite you to reflect on in the next months, dear young people, to prepare for our

NEW YORK (CNS) - The Archdiocese of New York said it was delighted that Pope Benedict XVI “will be addressing the United Nations here in New York this coming spring.” A statement issued on July 16 by Joseph Zwilling, New York archdiocesan communications director, was apparently the first official indication that such a visit would take place in the spring. Earlier reports only had the Pope possibly coming sometime next year. Zwilling said that unnamed sources said the Pope would be visiting in the spring instead of late September, when the new session of the UN General Assembly opens, because of next year’s presidential elections. The mid-July news reports on the possible papal trip to New York were triggered by comments by the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi. He told reporters in

big meeting in Sydney, Australia, that, precisely in these days of July, will take place one year from now,” the Pontiff told the youth gathered for the Angelus.

“The Christian communities of that beloved nation are actively working to welcome you and I am grateful to them for their efforts in organising.

“Let us entrust to Mary, who tomorrow we will invoke as the Virgin of Mount Carmel, the preparation and unfolding of the next meeting with the young people of the whole world, to which I invite you, dear friends of every continent.”

Lorenzago di Cadore, Italy, where the Pope was vacationing in July, that in addition to the planned papal trip to Australia next summer for World Youth Day, the Vatican also is looking at other possible trips next year, including a UN visit.

He did not give a date for the visit or for another possible trip next year to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France to mark the 150th anniversary of the Marian apparitions there.

It would be Pope Benedict’s first visit to the United Nations and his first visit as pope to the United States. Pope John Paul II addressed the United Nations in 1979 and 1995, and Pope Paul VI did so in 1965.

Babies not babies until labour: S

Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (Zenit.org) - The South Korean Supreme Court ruled that an unborn child will not be considered human

until the mother goes into labour. This definition came in a court decision late last week that cleared a midwife of negligent homicide charges, AsiaNews reported. In 2001, the mother consulted a midwife at a facility in Seoul as the expected birth date approached, although she felt no labour pains. The midwife told the mother to wait two weeks, during which time the baby died of cerebral damage.

The Supreme Court upheld an acquittal of the midwife, ruling that the unborn baby was not a human being, and thus no homicide took place. The ruling stated that “even if a Caesarean section was possible, the mother did not have labor pains, which is the beginning of childbirth, thus the unborn baby cannot be recognised as a human being.”

“Every country has slightly different legal grounds on when to consider an unborn a human being, but no country has such a definitive ruling that an unborn baby is not a human being,” said Fr Lee Dong-

ik, professor of medicine at the Catholic University of Korea and a member of the bioethics committee of the Korean bishops’ conference. This sentence “is a social defeat,” underlined Fr Lee.

“We are living in an era in which a 21week unborn child can be saved with an incubator. It is unacceptable to see a verdict where a 42-week unborn is not considered a human being.”

US bishops chip in for Africa

WASHINGTON, DC (Zenit.org) - US bishops will give $718,000 to 51 programs benefiting the Church in Africa. The grants are the first monetary allocation from the bishops’ Pastoral Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa, established in November 2004 by the US episcopal conference. The gifts, announced by Bishop John Ricard, chairman of the ad hoc committee for the Church in Africa, will support a range of pastoral activities.

Gather ‘round: Plaintiff Carlos Perez-Carrillo speaks to reporters outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on July 15. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $758 million to settle 508 claims of clergy sex abuse.

PHOTO: CNS/MARIO ANZUONI, REUTERS

Popular: Pope Benedict XVI waves to some 1500 people gathered for his Sunday Angelus prayer at Mirabello Castle in Lorenzago di Cadore on July 15. CNS

Social worker leaves a legacy of compassion

■ By Sylvia Defendi

Pioneering social worker Mary Eileen Davidson, who passed away on May 19, was honoured on July 6 at a Sydney memorial service for her national efforts in raising awareness and establishing the foundations of social work in Australia.

Perth-born Miss Davidson was officially farewelled with a funeral Mass celebrated by Fr Michael Brown on May 25, after she passed away at the age of 97.

She was born in Subiaco in 1909 and was only recently being cared for at the Catherine McCauley nursing home in Wembley.

Miss Davidson was the eldest child of Robert Davidson and Mary McBreen and attended Sacred Heart School in Highgate.

She joined the Newman Society while at the University of Western Australia and graduated with an Arts degree in 1931.

In his eulogy on the prominent Catholic social worker, Dr Damian Gleeson, who lectures at The University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) Sydney Campus, reflected on Miss Davidson’s vast contribution to Australian society.

“A few years earlier Monsignor John McMahon, the director of Catholic Education in Perth, had secured scholarships for study at the prestigious National Catholic School of Social Service

Kyrie eleison

Ithought your article on Global Warming in discovery of July 7 was excellent.

I am flummoxed by the nearhysterical responses you got from some quarters!

The late father John Lyons spoke at least once about the fact that GK Chesterton (I think it was), way back in the last century foretold how things were headed to a time when “Environmentalism” would become the popular new religion of the West.

Well, we are there now: Kyrie eleison.

By the way, I have done a small bit towards financing a water well for poor villagers in Africa: I fully agree with you that helping to allieviate poverty is a priority.

I need to do more.Drought and famine are as old as the Bible, but we must try to help where we can.

Wars, both tribal and religious (moslems vs others) are by FAR the main causes of misery in Africa, not poor old “Global warming”.

Jerome Gonzalez Willetton

Faith - and works

Seven letters (The Record, July 12 2007) all mentioned the phrase global warming at least once. They were all responding to an article containing that phrase. Six writers used the word ‘poverty’ or such equivalents as starvation or no

in Washington, DC. Following on the success of previous scholarship recipients NCSSS offered two more scholarships – one of these was awarded to Eileen,” said Dr Gleeson, who has recently completed a thesis on Australian Catholic Social Welfare.

In 1934 Miss Davidson submitted a thesis focused on visits to 125 patients who had attended Georgetown University Hospital.

She graduated with a Masters Degree in Arts and a Diploma in Social Services from the Catholic University of America in 1935 and then travelled to the United Kingdom where she studied for an almoner’s certificate at St Thomas’ Hospital, London.

“An unexpected visit from two Lewisham nuns in 1936 led to an invitation to Eileen to return home to establish an Almoner Department at their expanding hospital. She accepted the offer and returned to Australia in late 1936,” Dr Gleeson said.

“The origins and context of Catholic social work in Australia were very different to most churches and government agencies. Catholic lay women, such as Eileen, sought to initiate change, rather than simply be relief-givers. She sought to identify the causes of poverty and to redress situations where possible,” he continued.

Miss Davidson then joined Norma Parker, Elvira Lyons and Constance Moffit in the formation of the Catholic Trained Social Workers Association in 1940.

Elected president, Miss Davidson lobbied on behalf of Australia’s first Catholic social workers association, for the creation of Sydney’s Catholic welfare bureau, Centacare Sydney, in early 1941.

In 1942 Miss Davidson moved to South Australia and became deputy director of rehabilitation for the Red Cross, which focused on the needs of incapacitated service personnel.

After World War II Miss

Davidson joined the International Relief Organisation and went to Europe to support the resettlement of orphaned children.

“An irony of Catholic social welfare history is that Eileen, Norma and Constance’s home State, Western Australia, was the slowest to embrace professional practices. Yet in 1969 Eileen returned to Perth and, together with Constance played an instrumental role in establishing the Catholic Church’s diocesan welfare agency – Centrecare,” Dr Gleeson said.

“Throughout her long life Eileen displayed considerable modesty as well as religious devotion,” he said.

On the recommendation of Cardinal Edward Clancy and Fr John Usher, Miss Davidson received a papal knighthood and in 2001 was awarded an OAM for her services to welfare and the community.

The Record would like to thank Dr Gleeson for providing information on Ms Davidson’s life history.

Class keeps tradition going, 50 years on

For the 50th time, St Columba’s Church in Bayswater welcomed its first communicants on June 10.

Parish priest Fr Huynh Nguyen celebrated Mass as 31 children accepted the sacrament during the church’s 50th anniversary year.

While the golden jubilee was celebrated in February, a display of photos and memorabilia of Holy Communion services over the last 50 years was displayed in the parish hall.

Pictured are this year’s communicants and the first group of children to accept the sacrament in the newly opened church in 1957.

income. Three mentioned government or governments.

Governments here, in decades, promised to reduce poverty. Poverty is a serious form of injustice. However the attainment of justice lies within the realm of politics. (Deus Caritas Est. # 26-29).

Perhaps it might help if all thinking and caring Christians faced up to their responsibilities in the political field. It could also help if they remembered that faith is quite dead without good works (John 2:17). Good works, in the political field, could facilitate a change from the present masquerade of two party politics to a genuine representative democracy with its fundamental principles intact.

John McKay Swan View

Not so simple

We were stunned by the amount of vitriolic comment made on Peter’s “Global Warming” article in discovery. We are also amazed by the fact that so few people realise how debatable the Global Warming issue really is.

Consensus isn’t the same as scientific proof. If consensus decided what is or isn’t true, then the existence of God would certainly be close to being voted out.

There is even some recent data that seems to suggest a trend towards Global Cooling instead of Warming.

Mr Rosengren was castigated for

not realising that Global Warming causes the very problem of famine that he is concerned about. This is simply not true. Famine is almost always caused by a combination of corruption in government and civil unrest/war, and sometimes exacerbated by natural disaster.

The world produces more than enough food to feed everyone, but the injustice lies in distribution.

Stories abound of situations where tonnes of food aid, supposedly destined for needy people, is siphoned to corrupt officials, or else left to rot.

Even the millions of dollars that charities, and official aid agencies, raise for third world countries are squandered on millions of condoms, other contraceptives, sterilisation and abortion equipment, instead of being used to supply basic medicines like pain killers, antibiotics, bandages, etc and/or clean water supplies and food.

G & CV Phillips Canning Vale

Banks v youth

Scenario: ‘honour!dishonour’ fees imposed by banks to-day?

Recently a young person I know drew-out $60 from her bank’s ATM. Unfortunately this overdrew her account by $34. As she knew she was due for a salary deposit of about $1000 she did not think to check her balance. The $1000 was deposited within 12 hours.

The poor bank was ‘short’ of $34

‘overnight` so she was hit with an ‘honour’ fee of $35. $35 is not insignificant to her. I rang the bank and complained at the greed. I asked, as she was using her own bank’s ATM, why weren’t funds refused or why couldn’t a message appear on the screen to say that funds were low?

No fun there. How are the billionaire executives expected to keep up maintenance on yachts, private jets etc.?

Scenario 2. Same bank.

Interest on a mortgage loan was to be taken out of an equity-manager account.

Instead a small savings-account was hit. Insufficient funds (in that account). Honour-fee was charged. Only found out when quarterly statement arrived. Fee reversed after much hassle.

Scenario 3. Different bank.

A deposit of $480 ($400 cash, $80 cheques) was made into a cheque account - not at a bankbranch.

Deposit was entered as $400 cheques, $80 cash. The $400 was not available for eight working-days as it was ‘cheques’.

P Tilley Trigg

Freedom? Hardly

Many thought the sexual revolution of the 1960s was a great advance in “freedom”.

But instead, it has brought enslavement - to greed and lust

- through false feminism, easy divorce, ‘sex education’, porn, the sexualisation of ‘tweens’ (8-12 years), the collapse of marriage and family, and the loss of the true meaning of love and morality.

The ideas of libertarianism, tolerance, (permissiveness) non-judgementalism, and market-driven sexploitation mean that our young are being robbed of their childhood innocence.

And their parents misuse their cash as they are enticed into porn/ rock star fashions for their young and greater indulgence themselves. Peer pressure has replaced parental authority in the formation of the young (‘everyone is doing it. Who cares?’).

We need stricter laws, but they alone are not enough; we must return to developing a conscience.

A civilised society cannot condone or tolerate what clearly leads to disease, violence and broken lives, families and hearts. No one has a right to do evil. No wonder we are breeding hoons and ferals.

Man is a fallen creature and strongly inclined to unnatural selfish behaviour in breaking the golden rules of natural law, if not restrained by social pressures and the force of law until he has selfcontrol. God help us all to avoid the growing anarchy.

Fr Bernard McGrath Marong, Victoria

Eileen Davidson

New class (Left): This year’s Communicants process down the aisle. Good old days (Above): The original class of 1957, on display at the parish hall.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ST COLUMBA’S

Insights to help dispel myths

Two new books grounded in Christian values examine the intriguing differences between the sexes. ... and for

For the ladies

■

By Sylvia Defendi

For Women Only, a poignant look into the male psyche by Shaunti Feldhahn, could almost be mistaken for a shallow selfhelp book. Indeed the sub title to the 200-page hardback states the text will reveal, “what you need to know about the inner lives of men.”

So it is not hard to imagine why I initially winced at the thought of more trashy, behind-the-scenes knowledge ‘every gal with a guy must know.’

What I discovered, however, was a valuable tool in combating two usually overlooked aspects of relationships – understanding and selfsacrifice.

And by no means is the finger pointed at one gender (see adjoining review). Feldhahn acknowledges that a mix of selfish societal values and a lack of understanding have caused rifts between couples.

Thankfully, these rifts can be easily bridged, Feldhahn assures, and prescribes to us women an open look at some common misconceptions - from the urge to provide to his love of romance and intimacy.

While perhaps a little hard for some women to believe their male counterpart has a secret desire for romance, Feldhahn ensures that like many other relationship ‘killers,’ the secret is to ditch the assumption that he sees the world through the same feminine eyes.

Time spent at ‘the office,’ away from the wife or family, could also be seen as a loving self-sacrifice to assure the financial well being of the entire family, which Feldhahn says does not deserve a guilt-trip.

Feldhahn’s revelations range from what could be seen as a simple misunderstanding of the male mindset to life-changing notions some may find quite challenging to accept.

And while Feldhahn acknowledges that not all men will fit in her picture of general masculinity, the research she conducted on over 1000 men, single, coupled or married, does prove otherwise.

■ By Mark Reidy

W“

So it is not hard to imagine why I initially winced at the thought of more trashy, behind-the-scenes knowledge ‘every gal with a guy’ must know.’ “

In fact, religious conviction has little to do with the results, which often present landslide statistics.

Added to these intriguing anonymous answers, Feldhahn presents readers with a range of anecdotal insights and even opens her soul by giving examples of how a renewed understanding of males had greatly improved her marriage.

And unlike many texts that exist simply to criticize, Feldhahn offers helpful advice without pretending to have all the answers.

Clearly written for married couples, Feldhahn’s analysis of the male mind is just as useful to any female called to married life.

For Women Only is grounded in Christian values and presents a range of valuable insights that conclude quite simply, with the deep realization that the majority of men wished their partners knew how much they were loved.

And love is at the core of Feldhahn’s new book, which coupled with For Men Only (see article, opposite), has the potential to assist all couples, especially those who are new to the combined lifestyle or who are suffering from a breakdown of communication.

Perhaps most appealing is that Feldhahn’s book is a ‘self-help’ book in the true sense of the words – you will not find you have accidentally actually picked up a ‘self-change’ book, as is most often the case.

For Women Only is available from The Record for $26.95, by calling: 9227 7080.

Blessed are the Bored in Spirit

A book for those young people who religiously attend Mass but never understand it, this book gives insight on being a new person in Christ.

$21.95+postage

the gentlemen

henever I hear any references to the differences between men and women the following joke inevitably comes to mind: A man was walking on Fremantle beach when he discovered an old bottle. He picked it up and unleashed a genie that granted him one wish. After his initial surprise he looked across at Rottnest Island and said, “I get seasick and have never been able to travel across to Rottnest. How about you make a bridge so I can drive over”. The genie furrowed his brow and sighed, “Look, I’m sorry”, he said, “But the logistics make it too difficult… with the varying depths, the tides, the buffeting winds etc., ...perhaps there’s something else you could wish for”.

“OK” replied the man, “I’ve always wanted to understand women…how they think…why they behave as they do…you know, find out what makes them tick”. With that the genie’s eyes widened in horror and his face drained of colour. When he finally picked himself up from the ground he said to the man, “Er…would you like that to be a four or a six-lane bridge?”

In a new book, For Men Only, US husband and wife team, Jeff and Shaunti Feldhahn attempt to assist men in understanding what the genie could not…how to unlock the mysterious ways of women. Subtitled, “A straightforward guide to the inner lives of women”, Shaunti follows up her national bestseller, For Women Only (see prior review on this page) by teaming up with her husband to explore the emotional and cognitive differences that can create confusion and anxiety amongst the male species.

Penned mainly by Jeff, this compact, easy-to-read 190-page book does fulfil what it promises in its first pages – it provides men with a map to exploring the uncharted terrain of their wives and girlfriends that they once considered to be alien and hostile.

In the first chapter Jeff describes women as a “swamp” - “You can’t see where you’re stepping, and sooner or later you just know your going to get stuck in quicksand. And the more you struggle to get free, the deeper you get sucked in.” But he then adds that this only occurs because men have founded their understanding of the women on assumptions that are either too simplistic or totally incorrect.

To counter these false preconceptions the Feldhahn’s use the wisdom and insights of over 3000 women to provide six major findings that will assist men in demystifying vital aspects of their relationships. Despite the potential for controversy that can occur by making generalisations about women, the Feldhahn’s state that their sole motivation for presenting this information is to provide men with an opportunity to love the woman in their life with more depth and understanding.

While the book is consistent with biblical principles it will prove to be invaluable and potentially life changing for any man who is open to re-viewing what he thinks he knows about his spouse.

It addresses issues such as a women’s need for her husband or boyfriend to regularly reassure her of his love and desire for her, how men can understand and assist women in dealing with unresolved emotional issues that resurrect themselves at seemingly inexplicable times, how emotional security for a woman is much more important than financial security, how acknowledging what a woman is feeling about a problem is more important than listening to the problem itself and discovering why sexual intimacy for a woman goes beyond physical closeness and begins outside the bedroom.

I have a sneaky suspicion that my wife somehow arranged for me to review this book, and I’m pleased that she did! It is a book that can only clarify and enhance a marriage. In fact I would recommend it for any man wanting to understand the inherent differences that exist between genders. For Men Only is the ‘genie’ that provides a bridge across the swamplands into an exciting and perplexing frontier that is anxiously waiting to be explored.

For Men Only is available from The Record for $26.95, by calling: 9227 7080.

Prayerfully Expecting

A nine month novena for mothers, this book also a journal and the prayers are accompanied by quotes and updates on your babies devlopment.

$26.95+postage Call Justine at The Record on 9227 7080.

Marian shrine threat

Continued from page 1 ber, or perhaps a tourist hotel. Catholics in the Diocese of Anyang, where the shrine is located, have appealed to the Church.

One Catholic told the Romebased AsiaNews agency: “We ask all our brothers and sisters in the Lord to pray for us and spread our message to all the faithful of the world.”

The shrine was built in 1903 by Mgr Stefano Scarsella, a priest from the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, then apostolic vicar to northern Henan.

It was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin for the protection of Christians during the Boxer Rebellion.

Between 1899 and 1901 the peasant uprising killed thousands of foreigners in the country, with Christians especially blamed for foreign control of China.

Priests and nuns from nearby districts took refuge in Tianjiajing. When eventually the Boxers discovered where the refugees were hiding, Mgr Scarsella promised to build a church at the top of the hill if their prayers were answered and they were saved. It is said that the Boxers, coming in a mob of a few hundred to Tianjiajing, finally had the priests and nuns in their sights. But suddenly shapes in white gowns appeared in the air and the mob fled. The church has only recently been rebuilt, but the statue of Mary is 100 years old.

The Tianjiajing parish has two churches, dedicated to St Joseph and to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Almost the whole town was converted by missionaries in the 19th century, and since then has become the centre of Catholicism in Henan, producing scores of priests and religious.

St Joseph Church was burnt down by the Japanese army in May 1942 during the SinoJapanese War, and has also been rebuilt recently.

The Department for Religious Affairs has kept strict surveillance on all priests, forcing them to hold “discussions” in which they tried to convince them not to go ahead with the pilgrimage.

Meanwhile, nuns in more than 600 female monasteries in the country are praying for a positive reception of Pope Benedict XVI’s long-awaited letter to Chinese Catholics. In a letter sent to 610 enclosed female monasteries, Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, said that the Pope wrote the letter “to express his paternal closeness and offer them some orientation about the life of the Church and the work of evangelisation in that huge country”.

He discussed the persecution of the underground Church in China, where it has emerged last month that a blind pro-life activist was severely beaten in prison.

Chen Guangcheng, 35, who was sentenced for the last four years’ incarceration for damaging property and disrupting traffic, claims he has been wrongfully convicted. He has led resistance to Stateenforced abortions and sterilisations in eastern China.

Calling all Woodworkers

The Record is looking for volunteer woodworkers, preferably with experience in cabinet-making and/or joinery. Hobbyists welcome. We have a huge backlog of orders to fill for crucifixes made from jarrah. Other projects are being contemplated.

Contact the Editor, Peter Rosengren - (08) 9227 7080

A big special on small advertisements

Tocelebrate the new, reduced advertising rates and kick off the new financial year The Record is offering a big incentive on small advertisements. This is a great advertising idea for businesses, events and public notices. During July, all you’ll pay for an advertisement 49mm x 65mm is $40*. This is a limited offer and will only be available during July, 2007.

During July all you’ll pay for a black and white ad this size is $40. What a great deal!!!

A range of designs are available and our friendly staff are available to answer any queries. For an information sheet email administration@therecord.com.au, or ring Justine on (08) 9227 7080.

Sunday July 22

THE GIFTS OF WOMEN

The Council for Australian Catholic Women

(CACW) Perth is holding a forum. Stephanie Woods a Maranatha lecturer will discuss the special gifts of women and their discernment in light of Vatican documents and scripture, followed by group discussion. To be held at Mary MacKillop Centre, York St, South Perth, 2-5pm. Cost $5, unwaged gold coin. RSVP Michelle 9345 2555/ michelleww@iinet.net.au All welcome.

Monday July 23

NEW LIFE IN GOD’S SPIRIT SEMINAR

For those who attended the seminar at Whitfords Church and those interested in starting a Charismatic Prayer Group in their Parish we are holding an information morning at St Gerard Majella ‘White House’ 36 Changton Way, Westminster, 10am-12pm. Please contact Jenni Young of Healing Fire Burning Love Ministry 9445 1028 or 0404 389 679.

Wednesday July 25

THE JULIAN SINGERS

Do you like singing and music? Third term begins 25 July on Wednesday nights from 7.30pm9.30pm at 36 Windsor Street East Perth. We will be performing “A Musical Preparation for Christmas’ on 18 November. We welcome all interested people. Enquiries to Chris 9276 2736 and Angela 9275 2066.

Friday July 27

MSGR PETER MCRANN 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Holy Trinity Parish Embleton are celebrating 50 years of Priesthood for Monsignor Peter McCrann with Eucharist at 7pm followed by refreshments in the hall afterwards. Friends and former parishioners are invited to join us.

Friday July 27

HEALING

7.30-9.30 pm Our Lady of the Missions Church,

270 Camberwarra Drive Whitford. Our healing services have re-commenced and this month’s teaching is ‘Faith comes through hearing the Word of God’ Fr Kenneth Asaba will be celebrating the Mass with healing prayers afterwards. James 5:16 says ‘we must pray for one another to be cured’. Enq: Jenni Young 9445 1028 or 0404 389 679 or younjj@iprimus.com.au.

Saturday July 28

COURSE ON THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit of Freedom Community is conducting a five week course on the different gifts of the Holy Spirit from 10.30am – 12.30pm at HsoF Prayer Meeting, St Anne’s Church Hall, 11 Hehir St, Belmont. For further details contact Peter or Bridget on 9475 0155, email HsoF Community at hsofperth@gmail.com.

Saturday July 28

MEDJUGORJEMORNING OF PRAYER

A morning of prayer with Our Lady, Queen of Peace at St Bernadette’s Church, Glendalough, commencing 10am. Adoration, Meditation and Rosary. 11.30am Holy Mass. Celebrant Rev. Fr. Tiziano Bogoni. Concluding with shared lunch at LJ Goody Bioethics Centre, 39 Jugan St. Bring plate, tea/Coffee supplied. Enq: Margaret 9341 8082.

Sunday July 29

CATHOLIC DOCTORS’ ASSOCIATION WA

Annual Day of Reflection. Directed by Dr Peter Hung Tran CssR. All Catholic health care professionals are welcome. LJ Goody Bioethics Centre, 39 Jugan Street, Glendalough, 10am start, concluding at 3pm with Mass. Bring own lunch. Hot & cold drinks provided. RSVP 24 July 9242 4066.

Tuesday July 31

MMP TUESDAY CENACLE

DAY OF REFLECTION

Please join us at Villa Terenzio Chapel, Cabrini Road, Marangaroo for a Day of Reflection. Commencing 10.30am with Rosary, followed by Holy Mass and Talks. Concluding 2pm. Bring lunch to share. Tea/

LOOKS LIKE BIG NEWS!!!

During August all new advertisers in The Record will recieve 10% of advertisements. Need it at Christmas? Book in August and you’ll still recieve your 10% off!!!

Call Terence on (08) 9227 7080.

Official Diary - July

20 Breakfast in honour of The Ambassador of France in Australia - Fr Brian O’Loughlin

21 Kairos Prison Ministry event - Mr John McCarthy

20-22 Parish Visitation, Maylands - Bishop Sproxton

22 Mass at Hakea Prison - Archbishop Hickey

23 Admission for Redemptoris Mater Seminary - Bishop Sproxton

24 Anawim - Archbishop Hickey

25 Evensong, St George’s Cathedral - Archbishop Hickey

27 Mass to celebrate Mgr McCrann’s Golden Jubilee of Priesthood - Archbishop Hickey, Bishop Sproxton

29 Mass and blessing, North Fremantle - Archbishop Hickey

31 Governor’s Reception to commemorate sesquicentenary of Anglican Diocese of Perth - Archbishop Hickey

Thursday August 2

GROUP FIFTY CHARISMATIC PRAYER GROUP

Redemptorist Monastery, North Perth. ‘Winter Recess’ July 5-26 inclusive. Meetings recommence Thursday August 2nd, 7.30pm in the church. Praise and Mass. Anointing of the sick first Thursdays of the month during Mass.

Friday August 3

PROLIFE PROCESSION  MIDLAND

The first Friday Mass, Procession and Rosary Vigil will commence at 9.30am with Mass celebrated at St Brigid’s Church, Midland. The Franciscan friars of the Immaculate will lead us. All are invited to witness for the sanctity of life and pray for the conversion of hearts. Enquiries Helen 9402 0349.

Friday August 3

CATHOLIC FAITH RENEWAL  PRAISE AND WORSHIP

7.30pm St John and Paul’s Church, Pinetree Gully Road, Willetton. A talk will be given by Fr Richard Rutkauskas followed by Thanksgiving Mass. Light refreshments after Mass. All welcome to attend and we encourage you to bring your family and friends to this evening of fellowship. We look forward to seeing you there. Enq: Rita 9272 1765 or Rose 0403 300 720.

Theme: Finding the Treasure; Discovering the Gift Within. How do we discover where God is calling us? By taking time out, listening to God’s call in the quiet and reflecting on Scripture. Commencing 7pm Friday concluding with Eucharist 10am Sunday 5th. Further Details 9527 2101 (between 9-5) Sr Anne 0409 602 927.

Saturday August 4

DAY WITH MARY

9am – 5 pm St James Church, 69 Lagoon Drive, Yanchep. A video of Fatima will be shown at 9am followed by a day of prayer and instruction based upon the messages of Fatima. Includes Sacrament of Penance, Holy Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Sermons, Rosaries, Procession of the Blessed Sacrament and Stations of the Cross. Please BYO Lunch. Enq: Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate 9250 8286. Bus available. Contact Nita 9367 1366.

Saturday August 4

WITNESS FOR LIFE PROCESSION

The next first Saturday Mass, Procession and Rosary Vigil will commence with Mass at 8.30am at St Anne’s Church, Hehir St Belmont. We proceed prayerfully to the Rivervale abortion Centre and conclude with Rosary led by Fr Paul Carey SSC. Please join us to pray peacefully for the conver-

Panorama entries must be in by 5pm Friday. Contributions may be faxed to 9227 7087, emailed to administration@therecord.com.au or mailed to PO box 75, Leederville, WA 6902. Submissions over 55 words will be edited or excluded. Inclusion is limited to 4 weeks. Events charging over $10 constitute a classified event, and will be charged accordingly.The Record reserves the right to decline or modify any advertisment. Please do not re-submit Panoramas once they are in print.

Coffee supplied. Enq: 9341 8082.

PANORAMA

sion of hearts. Enquiries Helen 9402 0349.

Sunday August 5

30TH ANNIVERSARY DONGARA

Celebration of the 30th Anniversary (July 17, 1967)

Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Dongara will begin with Mass at 9.30am with the blessing of the font followed by a brunch/luncheon in Rachel Hall. Past parishioners and friends are all welcome. RSVP July 30. Contact Mary Sterry on: 9927 1705. Saturday and Sunday August 4 and 5

LA SALLE COLLEGE

The year 11 drama production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado will be held in the Nicholas Barre Auditorium at La Salle College, 5 La Salle Avenue, Middle Swan. Bookings have opened and tickets can be purchased from the college administration office or call: 9274 6266 for ticket bookings. Tickets are: $9 adults and $7 concessions. Family tickets are available.

Sunday August 5

DIVINE MERCY

An afternoon with Jesus and Mary will be held at St Joachim’s Church, cnr Shepperton Rd and Harper St, Victoria Park at 1.30pm. Program: Holy Rosary and Reconciliation. Sermon: Fr Michael Rowe, followed by Divine Mercy Prayers and Benediction. Afterwards refreshments in parish hall then video with Fr John Corapi. Enq: John 9457 7771 or Linda 9275 6608.

Tuesday August 21 – Sunday December 2

SET MY PEOPLE ON FIRE

7.45 pm St Anthony’s Parish, 96 Innamincka Rd, Greenmount. 15 weekly Bible sessions for building a faith building community called “Set My People on Fire.” Presented by Perth Catholic organisation Flame Ministries International, featuring international speakers and the Flame Music Ministry. Each Tuesday evening with a Friday to Sunday weekend every 5th week. Free admission - Information: 9382 3668 - Email: smpof@flameministries.orgProgram: flameministries.org/smpof.html.

Friday to Sunday September 14-16

RETREAT  PRAYER IN THE FRANCISCAN TRADITION

All those interested in learning more about St Francis and prayer in the Franciscan tradition are welcome to attend. The retreat will be held at the Redemptorist Retreat House. The retreat will be given by Deacon Dick Scallan SFO. For information and bookings please contact Mary on 9377 7925 by August 31.

First Sunday of each month

DEVOTIONS IN HONOUR OF THE DIVINE MERCY

The Santa Clara Parish community welcomes anyone from surrounding parishes and beyond to Santa Clara Church, cnr of Coolgardie and Pollack Sts, Bentley. The afternoon commences with the 3 o’clock prayers, followed by the Divine Mercy Chaplet, reflection and concludes with Benediction.

YCS PAST MEMBERS

Have you ever been involved in YCS and interested in what YCS is doing in 2007? Or would you like to regain contact with friends from your YCS days? If so please email Vicky Burrows at the YCS office at: perth@ycs.org.au or call: 9422 7911 so that we can put you on our database to receive updates about YCS and past members.

Last Sunday each month

HEALING FIRE BURNING LOVE

Charismatic Mass celebrated at the Holy Spirit Chapel, 85 Boas Avenue, Joondalup at 5.45pm.

Every Saturday PERPETUAL HELP DEVOTIONS

4.30pm. The half hour perpetual novena devotions to the Mother of Perpetual Help continue each Saturday at the Redemptorist Monastery Church, 190 Vincent St, in North Perth. Reconciliation available before and after the devotions. All welcome.

Every Sunday

BULLSBROOK SHRINE

Sunday pilgrim Mass is celebrated with Holy Rosary and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament 2pm at the Shrine of the Virgin of the Revelation, 36 Chittering Road, Bullsbrook. Reconciliation is available in Italian and English before every celebration. Enq: 9447 3292.

Every Sunday

RADIO GATE OF HEAVEN

7.30-9pm. 107.9FM. 1. Getting God’s Help w/Fr Benedict Groeschel - “The Gift of Fear of The Lord” Episode #8. Life on the rock w/Fr Francis Mary“Activists & Participants in the Walk for Life on the West Coast” Episode #156.

Every Sunday

LATIN MASS

The Latin Mass according to the 1962 missal is

offered every Sunday at Our Lady of Fatima, 10 Foss St, Palmyra at noon. All welcome.

Every fourth Monday

SCRIPTURAL PRAYER PROGRAM

7.30-9pm. Venue from July 23 is St Mary’s Parish Centre, 40 Franklin St, Leederville. The Council for Australian Catholic Women (CACW) is offering a scriptural prayer program developed in the Jesuit tradition. This form of prayer can lead to more reflective living, greater spiritual depths and promotes lay spiritual leadership in the Church. Led by Kathleen Brennan (ibvm). Enq: Michelle Wood 9345 2555.

Every Tuesday WEEKLY PRAYER WITH MARY’S COMPANION WAYFARERS OF JESUS THE WAY

7pm, St Mary’s Cathedral Parish Centre, 450 Hay St, Perth. Personal healing in prayer, Rosary, scripture, meditation, praise in song, friendship and refreshments. Appreciate the heritage of the faith united with others asking Jesus and Mary to overcome burdens in life. Prayer is powerful. Come, join us!!

Every Wednesday HOLY HOUR, BENEDICTION, EVENING PRAYER

Holy Hour 4.30 – 5.30pm, St Thomas’ Church, 2 College Rd, Claremont. Followed by evening prayer and Benediction. Personal prayer before the Blessed Sacrament is adoration of Jesus’ gift of Himself, of His love for you, for your loved ones and for our world. Come and thank Him.

Every second Wednesday FORTNIGHTLY BIBLE REFLECTIONS

Workers in the Garden of the Holy Family are conducting Bible Reflections at St Mary’s Church, Parish Centre, 40 Franklin Street, Leederville. Commencing 7pm with Rosary, refreshments provided afterward. Dates: July 25, August 8, 22, September 5, 19, October 3, 17, 31, November 14, 28, December 5. Enq: 9201 0337.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Holy Trinity Church, 8 Burnett Street, Embleton. Every Monday to Thursday after the 8.30am Mass till 10am. Every Thursday night from 11pm to midnight. Every Friday Eucharistic Adoration after the 8.30 Mass til 6pm. Enquiries: Mons P McCrann 9271 5528 or George Jacob 9272 1379.

Every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month

CATHOLIC FAITH RENEWAL

Every 1st Friday - Praise and Worship evening held at St John and Paul’s Church, Pinetree Gully Rd ,Willetton at 7.30pm. Every 3rd Friday Catholic Faith Education by Fr Greg Donovan, LJ Goody Bioethics Centre, 39 Jugan street, Glendalough at 7.30pm. All are welcome. Enq: Rita 9272 1765 or Rose 0403 300 720.

Every Fourth Sunday

SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER

The Perth Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order no longer meets at the Pro-Cathedral but instead assembles every fourth Sunday at 2.30pm in the Chapel of RSL Care, 51 Alexander Dr, Menora. Enquiries John 9385 5649.

Every 4th Sunday of the Month

HOLY HOUR FOR VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD AND RELIGIOUS LIFE

“Watch and Pray” Holy Hour is held at Infant Jesus Parish, Morley from 2-3pm with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. The hour consists of some prayers and Scripture but mostly the hour is silent prayer for Vocations. All are welcome. Next Holy Hour is July 22, 2007. Please encourage others to come and pray. Prayer - it works! Enq: 9276 8500.

Every Monday WEIGHT MANAGEMENT FOR THOSE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS

The Emmanuel Centre are offering to help people who gain weight because they are using medication for their mental illness. The group helps participants to manage their weight safely and healthily. Mind-Body-Life meets at the Emmanuel Centre on Mondays from 12.302.30pm. Free. The group starts with a weigh-in, then a talk on nutrition and healthy eating tips, goal setting and then half an hour of exercise. Enq: Amanda - Emmanuel Centre, 9328 8113.

EVERY SATURDAY

After an almost unanimous verdict from the parish, City Beach has changed its Saturday evening Mass from 6.30pm to 6pm as of June 30. While Saturday Confession is now from 5-6pm, all other Mass times stay the same. Holy Spirit parish priest Fr Don Kettle said that a recent parish census revealed that 94 per cent wanted to move it to 6pm as 6.30pm was deemed too late, especially in the winter months.

Classifieds

ACCOMMODATION

■ BEACH HOUSE ACCOMODATION

South Fremantle Beach House F/F & equipped. Short or long term $95per/n at min of 5 nights 0409 405 585.

■ DENMARK

Holiday House 3bdr x 2 bath, sleeps up to 8. BOOK NOW. Ph: Maria 0412 083 377.

■ FAMILY GROUP ACCOMMODATION

Visit http://www.beachhouseperth.com Call 0400 292 100

■ HOUSE FOR LEASE

South Fremantle large 3x2, close to beach. Furnished or unfurnished Short or long term $450 p.wk. 9336 3330.

BLINDS

■ BLINDS SPECIALIST Call AARON for FREE quotes 0402 979 889.

BUILDING TRADES

■ BRICK REPOINTING Phone Nigel 9242 2952.

■ PERROTT PAINTING PTY LTD

For all your residential, commercial painting requirements. Phone Tom Perrott 9444 1200.

■ PICASSO PAINTING Top service. Phone 0419 915 836, fax 9345 0505.

EMPLOYMENT

■ BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Extra income from your own home-based business. Work part-time without disturbing what you are doing now. Call: 02 8230 0290 or 0412 518318 www.dreamlife1.com<http://www.dreamlife1.com>

HEALTH

■ ACHES, PAINS, STRESS???

Indian mature male masseur offers Reflex, Relax Massage. Not had a massage before? Try my massage in a caring warm environment and experience the benefits to your health. $30 for 60 mins. Phone Jai 0438 520 993.

■ DEMENTIA REMISSION

Do you, or your loved one, suffer Dementia. Get into Dementia Remission like me! http://www. wgrey.com.au/dm/index.htm or (02) 9971 8093.

■ HEALTH AND WELLNESS

A FREE Sample Pack of wellness, weightloss, and energy products. DVD and product brochure also enclosed. (Only while stocks last - hurry!!) Call 02 8230 0290 or 0412 518 318.

FURNITURE REMOVAL

■ ALL AREAS Mike Murphy 0416 226 434.

HELP WANTED

■ VOLUNTEERS WANTED

The Christian Democratic Party (CDP) is looking for volunteers who support Christian values and want to improve Australia to work at polling booths at the coming Federal election. If you can help, please contact Paul Connelly (CDP’s Perth Candidate) on 0414 247 286 or pmjconnelly@hotmail.com

Authorised by Gerard Goiran 4/294 Gt Eastern Hwy Midland

■ BUSINESS SUPPORT WANTED

The Christian Democratic Party (CDP) is looking for businesses in all areas that support Christian values and want to improve Australia to place CDP Candidate campaign posters (various sizes available) in the shop windows of their businesses for the coming Federal Election. If you can help, please contact Paul Connelly (CDP’s Perth Candidate) on 0414 247 286 or pmjconnelly@hotmail.com.

Authorised by Gerard Goiran 4/294 Gt Eastern Hwy Midland

MIGRANTS

■ MIGRATE TO AUSTRALIA

For guidance and visa processing, Skilled or Family Visas and Study visas. Call Michael Ring or Ajay Trehan Registered Migration Agent – (MARN # 0212024). Phone: (02) 8230 0290 or 0412 518 318 for a no-obligation assessment, please call or email: michael.ring@bigpond.com

RELIGIOUS PRODUCTS

■ APARACIDA’S EMPORIUM Florist, retailer of Catholic Products (all occasions), giftware, wedding and special events planner. Just opened, Shop 11, Cinema Arcade Perth. 9439 6539 or 9525 4679.

■ 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 Road, Canning Vale. Open Mon-Sat.

TAX RETURNS

■ GOSNELLS/ARMADALE TAX RETURNS Individual and Business. Unit 1 (next to cafe) AGONIS building, Albany Hwy, Gosnells. Mobile to surrounding suburbs. Call 9490 6500 or 0434 906 578.

PHOTOGRAPHY

■ GEMMA LORI PHOTOGRAPHY Fully qualified. Specialising in Weddings, Baptisms and other special events. Prices for Weddings start from $800. You can contact me on 0409 928 685 or email mlori@westnet.com.au

Classifieds

Must be submitted by fax, email or post no later than 12pm Tuesday. For more information contact 9227 7778.

BOOK

DONATIONS

We still seek donations of books and thank you and bless you for your kind, generous contributions of Bibles, Missals and Catholic books on the faith. We are now able to offer a selection of second-hand, pre-loved books to the community in return for a small donation. Enq: 9293 3092.

WINDOW FUND DONATIONS WELCOME

St Catherine’s Catholic Church, Gin Gin Parishioners are currently fundraising to restore the church windows. The cost of each window is $1500. If anyone is able to assist our fundraising efforts please telephone Fr Paul 9571 1839. CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS Ignatian Volunteers Australia calls for part-time

volunteers to respond to the needs of people in the community who live in marginalised circumstances. At the heart of this program is a reflective process based on Gospel values, which supports the volunteers in their work. To learn more: www. volunteers.jesuit.org.au Contact Kevin Wringe, Perth Coordinator (08) 9316 3469 kwringe@iinet. net.au .

REUNION

John and Marie Acland are planning to hold a reunion later this year of all past and present members of the Apostles of Christ Prayer Group Willetton and all other persons who took part in their Meetings, Fellowship Nights, Life in the Spirit, and supplementary Seminars, the Alpha Course and other group activities. Further details will be advised when full numbers are known. Enq: Marie Acland. Tel/fax 9537-3390. Email jmacland@bigpond.com or Dianne McLeod 9332-0829 Email danielmcleod@bigpond.com

The Last Word

UNDA visit to Cambodia aids a more ‘global’ outlook

Meeting with survivors of Pol Pot’s infamous ‘Killing Fields’ proved to be an inspiration for five students studying in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle.

The students, accompanied by Associate Professor Neil Drew, spent 12 days in Cambodia as part of a social justice program run in conjunction with the Catholic organisation, Caritas Australia.

The self-funded trip was organised and led by Janeen Murphy, the Western Australian Caritas Global Education Officer.

In Cambodia the students were hosted by staff from Australian Catholic Relief (ACR) which is funded by Caritas Australia.

During the two week stay the groups visited many projects funded by Caritas and other international aid organisations throughout the country.

Travelling by bus they covered several hundred kilometres to visit many isolated communities, meeting and speaking with community members about a wide range of issues including HIV Aids, poverty, homelessness, sustainable livelihoods, community empowerment and life in Cambodia since the fall of the Pol Pot regime.

“Personally I learnt so much from the people I met, about community spirit and personal empowerment. The trip provided me with vocational direction, as well as some brilliant memories.”

- Tricia Green, UNDA student

Associate Professor Drew explained that the aim of the trip was to learn more about Caritas work and mission in Cambodia.

They saw first-hand how a community can rebuild itself after experiencing such a horrific and destructive event.

“The first place we visited was a killing field outside Phnom Penh. It was a graphic and confronting experience but one that provided the necessary context for understanding the projects we visited over the following two weeks”

“It was an amazing experience, one which provided a huge range of positive outcomes for students and for the University. We intend to make the trip an annual event,” he said.

One of the students, Tricia Green who is majoring in politics and history, said the trip to Cambodia enriched her studies in so many ways.

“Academically the concepts I had been studying, such as grassroots democracy, the politics of globalisation, and genocide were transformed from abstract concepts to the reality of people’s lives,” Ms Green said.

“Personally I learnt so much from the people I met, about community spirit and personal empowerment. The trip provided me with

as well as some brilliant memories.” A key goal of the trip was to awaken in the participants a sense of justice and a commitment to spreading the message of our shared obligation to make a positive contribution to world affairs. The students

will form the inaugural Caritas group on the Fremantle Campus. They are producing a DVD documenting their trip and will

speak at a range of events about their experiences throughout the year. Students’ photos were exhibited on campus in June.

Real life for others: The smiling faces of many of these people belie the catastrophic modern history and daily reality of grinding poverty for most of Cambodia’s population. A visit to the country was organised by students (highlighted in photo second from top, at right) from the University of Notre Dame and led by UNDA academic Associate Professor Neil Drew and Western Australian Caritas official Janeen Green. Those who went on the trip say that it gave them a lifetime of memories and complimented their education. PHOTOS: