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HEALING THE NATION’S
CULTURE OF ABUSE
The Royal Commission sounds like a good idea. Can it get to the heart of a national problem?. – Pages 10-11
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BRUNO’S
MIGHTY RIDE Meet a young man who’s biking across the country for birthing mothers – Page 3
Stop to contemplate, the Archbishop tells Perth men, and you will discover,
He has called you by name
Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB speaks with Perth men after delivering the inaugural Catholic Man Breakfast talk, an initiative of the national Catholic men’s movement menALIVE. The Archbishop spoke of his humble beginnings, the steps in his journey to priesthood and how relationships, most importantly with the living God, have always been key to his understanding of faith. PHOTO: ROBERT HIINI
Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB was the inaugural speaker at the menAlive Catholic man breakfast last Thursday. More than 180 men heard the Archbishop retrace how grace has worked in his life. This is an edited version of his speech:
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HEN Robert and Kim asked me to come and speak this morning, they wanted me to tell my story and give you a sense of how the boy who grew up in the Southern Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne ended up over here as the Archbishop of Perth – what’s the story that’s led to that happening? A part of doing that is to encour-
age everyone to do the same thing; sometimes the best way to understand why we are where we are, both, in practical terms of where we are living and what we are doing, but in the deeper sense of what’s going on inside us. And I thought i’d start off with a quote: ‘the place God calls us to is the place where our own deep longings and the world’s deep hungers meet.’ If I had to explain how it is that I ended up here talking to you it is because that process has been operating in my life, as I think it does operate in most people’s lives and if we can tune into it I think we are on the right track. I’m here because of a whole lot
of ordinary things that happened and that had consequences in my life – you could explain it purely at that level. But I’m very convinced that in the ordinary everyday unfolding of our lives there is the providence of God, shaping us, leading us sometimes pulling us along, sometimes shoving us in different directions. God is at work there. We are not always all that receptive, but I think that for us as Catholics and as people of faith whatever our faith might be at the moment, we are all at different stage there - but we have some understanding of that. So a little bit about myself: I was somewhere the other day, I was out
in a parish, visiting a school. The main thing the kids wanted to know was how old I was. When I told them that I was 58 that kind of blew their minds – 58, it’s very old for kids when they are only in primary school. So I am 58, born in 1954, born in Melbourne. And I have one brother who is married with one daughter, Jacquie - she’s just turned 21. I come from a very small family. My father was an only child so there’s nobody at my dad’s side of the family and my dad died when I was about 23, so dad’s being dead a long time. My mother was one of two children, she had a brother who was much older, and he married and
had a few kids but he and his wife died many years ago; so I’ve got a couple of cousins floating around somewhere but we don’t seem to have much contact with each other. My mother died on the same day that my niece was born, so quite a coincidence there. So, a very small family. I must say that when my sister in law found that that I was being moved to Perth she wasn’t very happy because we are a small, happy family and we kind of rely on each other a bit and it’s fine for me, because this is new and exciting for me but for Peter and Robyn, that’s my brother and sister in law, life just goes on as it always did except I’m not turning Continued on page 6
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November 21, 2012
Epic journey in search of greater faith
Round-Up
with a policy of non-discrimination so that all children have access to the St Catherine’s Early Education Centre regardless of disability, medical conditions, socio-economic status and religion. All families are invited to the open day and children can take part in a number of activities, including a bouncy castle, face painting, arts and crafts exercises and they can enjoy a sausage sizzle; for more refreshments the Ukraine Catholic Parish café Trembita will be open.
JUANITA SHEPHERD
Grab your partner at St Bernadette’s ST BERNADETTE’S Catholic Primary School will host their annual Family Bush Dance on December 8. The event is organised by the Parents and Friends and has been a success for the past two years. The evening starts at 7pm and includes country and western music, Scottish dancing performed by the students of St Bernadette’s and entertainment provided by Southern Cross Bush Band. The event is a gold coin donation and BYO food and drinks.
Dictatorship no match for Phillia Choir
European pilgrimage with Mgr Keating CATHEDRAL Dean Monsignor Michael Keating will leave on a pilgrimage to various countries across Europe on May 31, 2013. The pilgrimage will visit holy sites in Spain including Barcelona, Manresa, Santiago de Compostela and Madrid. France is also a featured stop on the pilgrimage with the highlight being Lourdes, famous for Our Lady of Lourdes. Portugal is the final destination, with a visit to Fatima. The pilgrimage costs $6150 ($1020 for a single supplement) with excellent accommodation, deluxe coaches, breakfasts and dinners. Further information: Mgr Keating on 92331356 or Sally at Northline Travel on 9328 6100.
Joondanna goes solar for the environment ST DENNIS Parish in Jondanna have prepared for a hot summer with the installation of solar
Mgr Michael Keating will lead Perth pilgrims on an epic journey of faith across Europe, next May. The Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, above, in Galicia, Spain, which was begun in 1075 and added to over nine centuries, will be but one of numerous sites Perth pilgrims will visit in France, Spain and Portugal. PHOTO: ONLINE
panels. The environmentally friendly method has also been cost efficient for the parish as the solar panels on the roof of the church are providing significant savings on power with the cost falling below $100 per billing period. The church building has also been airconditioned, with reverse cycle airconditioning units providing both heating and cooling. With WA’s hot dry summers, the cool air provided by the air conditioners allow the parishioners to concentrate more on their worship rather than fanning themselves in the heat. The cost of running the air conditioners has been offset by the power generated
by the solar panels on the church roof.
Mass to pray for mums and bubs in need Get in early with Saint AS CATHOLICS around the globe Catherine’s open day prepare for the season of Christmas and the birth of Christ, Pregnancy Assistance in Perth are inviting everyone to donate baby gifts to support new born babies and their families. Mother’s Prayers Group and Craft Group at Queen of Apostle’s Parish in Riverton are supporting this endeavour and would welcome donations of baby
Felicity second century November 23
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Felicity, or Felicitas, is thought to be a widow who was martyred in Rome about 165 and buried in the cemetery of Maximus on the Salerian Way. According to a legend, she had seven sons and was devoted to charitable works. When pagan priests complained about her winning converts to Christianity, Felicity was arrested and ordered to worship pagan gods. She refused, as did her sons; the emperor had them all executed. Seven male martyrs, the so-called Seven Brothers, were buried in Roman cemeteries; one of them, Silvanus, was buried near Felicity’s tomb, which may have prompted the legend that the seven were her sons. Felicity is a patron saint of childbirth and barren women.
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Responsorial Psalm: Gospel Reading:
Ps 97: 1-3, 7-9 God’s truth and love Lk 21: 12-19 Eloquence and wisdom
Thursday 29th - Green 1st Reading: Rev 18: 1-2, 21-23; 19: 1-3, 9 Victory and glory Responsorial Ps 99: 2-5 Psalms: The Lord is God Gospel Reading: Lk 21: 20-28 Liberation near at hand Friday 30th - Red ST ANDREW, APOSTLE (FEAST) 1st Reading: Rom: 10: 9-18 Confess Jesus is Lord Responsorial Ps 18: 2-5 Psalm: Message to all the Earth Gospel Reading: Mt 4: 18-22 Call of Andrew and others Saturday 1st - Green 1st Reading: Rev 22: 1-7 The river of life Responsorial Ps 94: 1-7 Psalm: A mighty God Gospel Reading: Lk 21: 34-36 Stay awake
SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING
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Sunday 25th - White OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, UNIVERSAL KING (SOLEMNITY) 1st Reading: Dan 7: 13-14 A son of man Responsorial Ps 92: 1-2, 5 Psalm: The Lord is king 2nd Reading: Rev 1: 5-8 Alpha and Omega Gospel Reading: 18: 33-37 Yes, I am a king Monday 26th - Green 1st Reading: Rev 14: 1-5 They follow the Lamb Responsorial Ps 23: 1-6 Psalm: Seek God’s face Gospel Reading: Lk 21: 1-4 The little she had Tuesday 27th - Green 1st Reading: Rev 14: 14-29 A sickle in his hand Responsorial Ps 95: 10-13 Psalm: The Lord comes Gospel Reading: Lk 21: 12-19 Do not be deceived Wednesday 28th -Green 1st Reading: Rev 15: 1-4 You alone are holy
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ST CATHERINE’S Early Education Centre is holding a Community Day on Saturday, November 24 from 1pm till 4pm. It is a unique opportunity to visit and experience the setting of the Centre. The staff at St Catherine’s are committed to ensuring that the children’s needs and interests take pride of place,
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gifts. These gifts can be placed in the church foyer and will be collected until December 9 and then forwarded on to Pregnancy Assistance.
THE PHILLIA Choir, formed in 1999, will do what they do best when they sing at their charity concert on November 24 at St Joseph’s Parish in Subiaco. For 12 years the members of the choir have used the power of song to raise money for different missionary foundations, aiding causes all around the globe. This year is no different. The Phillia Choir will use their voices, together with skilled pianists and violinists, to raise funds in support of education for orphaned children in North Korea. This year the theme is Soli Deo Gloria, which translates into All for the Glory of God.
SUNDAY, 25 NOVEMBER The celebration commences at 2PM at the Shrine of Virgin of the Revelation, 36 Chittering Rd, Bullsbrook. It comprises Eucharistic procession, Holy Mass and Consecration also Confessions before Mass. His Grace Archbishop Emeritus Hickey is the principal celebrant, Enjoy a family picnic on the lawns afterwards.
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LOCAL
therecord.com.au November 21, 2012
The Spirit is strong in this one
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Unexpected healing for woman in constant pain Donna from Shoalwater hoped her mother would receive healing when she took her to Fr John Rea. She didn’t expect it for herself.
By Juanita Shepherd BRUNO Cordier knows exactly where the money he is about to fundraise is going. The 33-year-old Perth based Frenchman is about to embark on a 3934 km cycle from Sydney to Perth to raise money for obstetric fistula, a terrible condition which causes birthing injuries for women, especially in developing countries. Mr Cordier was inspired by a recent visit to one of Dr Catherine Hamlin’s six hospitals in Ethiopia. Dr Hamlin is an Australian obstetrician whose efforts have been recognised by the United Nations; she runs six hospitals in Ethiopia where women have suffered birthing injuries. Mr Cordier is hoping to raise $20,000 to fund ongoing surgery and rehabilitation. Mr Cordier begins his journey in the New Year. He will fly to Sydney from Perth and start his ride on January 11. He aims to be back in Fremantle on February 13 in time to celebrate Valentine’s Day with his
girlfriend Gracie Vivian. “This is a team event,” Mr Cordier told The Record. “Without Gracie it would not be possible.” Even though Ms Vivian is providing great support to her boyfriend and the cause, Mr Cordier will cycle alone, trusting in grace to accomplish his mission. “Facing the unknown is unsettling,” he said. “But my faith is a central part of me and it is a fantastic cause.” Mr Cordier and his girlfriend are close friends of Father John Daly, parish priest of St Anthony’s Wanneroo, whom they met in Calcutta while working with the Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. “Faith is our driving factor,” Mr Cordier said. “You need strong spiritual practise to go through with this adventure.” Mr Cordier’s route features Sydney to Mildura, Port Augusta and Ceduna in South Australia, before hitting the Nullarbor Plain which will be the most trying part
Frenchman Bruno Cordier, above, will cycle across Australia in the New Year to raise funds to combat preventable maternal death. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
of the journey. “I want to cover 150km a day,” he said. “But the Nullarbor Plain will be a challenge.” The Nullarbor is an 1100km stretch of flat, arid country where Mr Cordier will face extreme heat and distances of up to 200km with no facilities in sight. After that, Mr Cordier will enter Western
Australia. He will travel through Norseman to the Great Eastern Highway across into Perth. To make a donation which is tax deductable and for more information visit the official website, www. hamlin.org.au/bruno/ or email Gracie and Bruno at cyclingforfistulas@gmail.com.
MY MOTHER had been suffering severe depression for about 3 years before I took her to Fr John Rea in August 2011. I did not know anything about him but I wanted to do anything I could to help my mother. On the way to pick her up, I thought I might as well pray for something for myself also - and wondered what that would be. I thought I would ask healing for my feet. When I started a new job about 6 months prior, having to stand all day for long hours 5 day a week - my arches fell, causing ongoing pain. I had to wear special orthopedic shoes with specially made insoles. I could not wear sandals to the beach, couldn’t walk bearfooted or wear slippers around the house. I had to wear my orthopedics at all times, including putting them on in the evening when I had my pajamas on. I could not even walk to the bathroom without them. When I got to the Mass, I was uplifted - carried away - with the worshipful singing and prayer - and when it came time to walk down the aisle for prayer, I thought, “I don’t care about my feet, all I want is more of God”, and this is what I asked for when Fr Rae asked what I wanted him to pray for. He added at the end of his prayer “... and anything else that she needs.” I was overtaken with the Holy Spirit, and fell to the floor, filled with great bliss. It was a day or two later that I realised I was walking around the house barefooted when I got up in the morning - and my feet didn’t hurt. Since then I can walk for 2 hours along the beach barefooted, wear sandals in the summer and I wear my orthotics only when standing on my feet long hours at work. I thank God and Fr Rae for this unexpected healing which has enhanced my life greatly. My mother did not receive a healing.
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Age a blessing from God, Pope tells peers PRESENTING himself as “an elderly man visiting his peers,” Pope Benedict XVI visited a Rome residence for the elderly, urging the residents to see their age as a sign of God’s blessing and urging society to value their presence and wisdom. “Though I know the difficulties that come with being our age, I want to say, it’s wonderful being old,” the 85-year-old pope said on November 12 during a morning visit to the residence run by the lay Community of Sant’Egidio. The residence includes apartments for independent living as well as rooms for those requiring more skilled care. Younger members of the Sant’Egidio Community volunteer their time assisting and visiting with the residents, who include an elderly couple from Haiti whose home was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake. Walking with his white-handled black cane, the pope visited several of the residents in their rooms and apartments before addressing them and members of Sant’Egidio in the garden. One of the residents, 91-year-old Enrichetta Vitali, told the pope, “I don’t eat so much anymore, but prayer is my nourishment.” She asked the pope to “pray that I don’t lose my memory so I can keep remembering people in my prayers.” The pope told those gathered at the residence on the Janiculum Hill that in the Bible a long life is considered a blessing from God, but often today society, which is “dominated by the logic of efficiency and profit, doesn’t welcome it as such.” - CNS
therecord.com.au November 21, 2012
Daniel steps forward on his big day
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ast Sunday Daniel Podgormy, son of Derek and Agata Podgorny, was the only child during his First Confession and Solemn Communion at the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St John the Baptist in Maylands. At the conclusion of the Holy Liturgy, Daniel was presented with a certificate by St John’s parish oriest Fr Vladimir Kalinecki. Daniel has already been an altar server for the last year even though Ukrainian Catholic children do not usually commence serving until after their Solemn Communion at seven years of age. PHOTOS: COURTESY LUBA VALEGA
You’re
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“ … Churches in the Middle East are threatened in their very existence… May God grant ACN strength to help wherever the need is greatest.” Pope Benedict XVI
The Record
Made of olive wood from the Holy Land, this delightful little crib scene is powerfully evocative of Christ’s birthplace.
The cribs are lovingly, handcrafted by poverty stricken families in Bethlehem and your donation helps them survive. (Size: 10 cm x 8 cm) Please tick this box if you would like to receive the crib o Aid to the Church in Need …. a Catholic charity dependent on the Holy See, providing pastoral relief to needy and oppressed Churches
Pregnancy Assistance ANNUAL THANKSGIVING MASS Wednesday 12th December 6pm
St Mary’s Cathedral
Grief shows value of life, BXVI reflects THE UNIVERSAL, natural human reaction to the death of a loved one should show believers and nonbelievers alike that human life has value, Pope Benedict XVI said. “The awareness of the sacredness of the life entrusted to us – not as something we can dispose of freely, but as a gift to safeguard faithfully – belongs to the moral heredity of humanity,” the pope wrote in a message to a dialogue between Catholics and non-believers, meeting in Portugal. The gathering from November 16-17 in Guimaraes was organised by the Pontifical Council for Culture as part of its “Courtyard of the Gentiles” project, bringing thinkers together to discuss topics of concern to society. The pope said the Portugal meeting was designed to bring together “believers and non-believers around the common aspiration of affirming the value of human life amid the growing wave of the culture of death.” Pope Benedict said that while the value of life can be affirmed by anyone who thinks the matter through logically, for those who believe in God the value of life is even clearer. “We are not an accidental product of evolution,” but created and loved by God, he said. In his message, Pope Benedict said people could ask why he brings God into the question if he really believes that the value of life can be clear to anyone using logic. “In response, I would cite a human experience: The death of a loved one is, for the person who loved her, the most absurd event imaginable. She, unconditionally, is worthy of life; it is good and beautiful that she exists,” the pope said. “At the same time, the death of this person would appear, in the eyes of someone who did not love her, as a natural, logical event.” Pope Benedict said the response of the one who loved the deceased is a logical – and not simply emotional reaction – if that person was loved “by an infinite power.” “One who loves does not want the beloved to die, and if he could, he would prevent that death forever,” the pope said. While “finite love is powerless” to keep someone alive, “infinite love is almighty,” he said. In the Christian vision, “God loves every person who, therefore, is unconditionally worthy of living.” Faith in God and God’s love gives even greater power to the natural belief in the value of every human life, he said; in addition, peace and harmony increase in societies where the God-given value of human life is recognised. The world has “many problems that need to be resolved, but they never will be if God is not placed in the center” of people’s lives and decisions, the pope said. - CNS
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therecord.com.au November 21, 2012
Focusing on First Australians By Sarah Motherwell DOMESTIC aid efforts by Caritas Australia have supported indigenous communities in developing themselves on their own terms for the past 40 years, the group leader of the First Australians program has said. Mark Green, who heads the Caritas Australian indigenous program, which recently changed its name to the First Australians program, told The Record the initiative was with the communities rather than Caritas as a welfare organisation. The program changed its name this month on the anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Alice Springs in 1986. Mr Green said by changing the name they hoped to change the way people think about Australia’s indigenous population. “It’s a way of articulating the place that our Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders have in Caritas’ heart and mind and the Church’s heart and mind,” he said. About $1.5 million from Caritas Australia’s $29 million program was spent on domestic aid this financial year. Mr Green said the money was invested in programs based mainly in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and northern New South Wales, and was aimed at indigenous people in regional and metropolitan areas. “The focus of the program is to accompany and support Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders who are seeking to develop themselves and improve their lives on the terms they set,” he said. “They are involved in the design of the program, in what they want to do and how they see things and have a great deal of say in what the program is.” “The domestic program operates on the same basis as the international program - respect for the people you’re working with, respect for the way they want to develop themselves and the implementation with partners who are close to the community you are trying to reach.” The First Australians program works with a number of indigenous organisations around Australia including Red Dust Healing, which empowers people who have experienced rejection. Mr Green said the Red Dust Healing was an important cultural healing project because it supported people who have difficultly overcoming rejection in their lives. He said other projects included a new Jesuit school in Redfern, Sydney that provided educational opportunities to Aboriginal students who would not benefit from mainstream school and working
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Caritas’ new director to guide Aussie generosity By Sarah Motherwell
Caritas’ new Diocesan Director for the Archdiocese of Perth, Daniel Chan.
with the national stolen generation alliance. Mr Green said there were a lot of stereotypes about indigenous Australians but they are based
About $1.5m was spent by Caritas Australia in 2012 on domestic aid as part of its $29m program. on a lack of experience and there are a lot of Australians who have never had the pleasure of getting to know Aboriginal and Torrest Strait Islander communities.
PHOTO: SARAH MOTHERWELL
MISCONCEPTIONS about the Catholic Church’s global aid charity led Daniel Chan on a journey from ignorance to awareness, one that landed him the organisation’s top job in the state. Mr Chan is Caritas Australia’s new Diocesan Director for the Archdiocese of Perth and the Regional Engagement Coordinator in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. A member of St Vincent’s parish in Kwinana, Mr Chan said he knew very little about Caritas when the parish secretary recommended he apply for the position of director. “I did not really understand what Caritas was before to be honest,” he said. “I avoided Project Compassion and didn’t really contribute to it before, because you hear all these things like where does the money go, those usual misconceptions.” “I had to do my research and find out what Caritas is and that really taught me about what Caritas does.” Mr Chan is a former associate communications lecturer at Murdoch University and said he wanted to educate people who, like himself, did not know what Caritas was about. “There’s a generosity amongst Australians but they need to know where the avenues are for that to really work for the world.” Mr Chan was born in Singapore and has lived in Australia for the past six years with his wife, who is from Malaysia, and his five children, the youngest of which is two years old. “My focus on my family is that I want to teach them good values but what better way to teach them than by being an example.”
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continued from page 1. up for roast dinner when I get to the end of the weekend. So I come from a pretty basic Catholic family. Mum and Dad were what you would call very typical Catholics of their generation. We were pretty faithful to Sunday Mass but beyond that, I think, I have to say we weren’t fanatics when it came to the faith. I’m not boasting about this; I’m just saying it because it happens to be the case. We weren’t the type of family that would sit around the table every night and say grace and have our meals together and all that kind of thing. I think we were just in one sense a very average Catholic family. Not very well off, and I’m not going to lay that holy card for sympathy but I come from a family with a humble background. Dad spent most of his working life working in pubs and my mum occasionally would work at the local fruit shop to earn a bit or extra money. And I can remember my brother and I – he’s a couple of years older than me – when we came home from primary school if mum was working we’d go down to the pub – not to have a drink – so we’d spend a couple of hours playing around in the bottle shop in the cool room. But mum and dad were very determined that my brother and I had a good Catholic education. The Church was important to them: go and ask the parish priest and whatever the parish priest advised that’s what they would do. So this gives you an indication, and many would relate on this I’m sure, that the place that the Church played in people’s lives in the past that it doesn’t seem to play quite so much in peoples lives today – its an interesting thing to think about. Why is it that the role of the Church for better or worse, I’m not making a judgement about it, but the Church simply doesn’t play the same role now that it used to for many people? I’m one of those lucky people who look back both at primary school and my secondary school with great affection. I don’t have a horror story of being mistreated by the nuns or brothers. I am very fortunate to be able to look at my Catholic education with great pleasure. One of the things that was very significant for me was the influence of the local priest in the parish where I grew up in Melbourne. We had one of the last of the Irish priests who came down to Australia pretty shortly after his ordination, I think. He was the assistant priest. Joe Brown was his name. He is retired now but he was a young priest at the time and I was one of the altar boys. Fr Brown and I developed a very good friendship. He was very kind man, a very gentle man – now that I am a bishop I realise how desperately shy he was but as a kid that didn’t come across to me, what came across to me was a very gentle, very kind, welcoming kind of person. I think the idea of me becoming a priest was probably born in that friendship. That would have happened in Year 3 or 4. My sister in law, who was in the same grade as me, said that ‘actually that’s not the case; we all knew you were going to be a priest right from prayer’. I didn’t know I was going to be a priest but everybody else seemed to. If I have to try to identify where it started, it would be in this relationship with this priest. As a Bishop going around to confirmations, the kids ask me questions. They always ask: ‘why did you want to be a Priest?’ they also ask me: ‘why do you want to be a bishop?’ and I’m able to explain to them being a priest is my decision; being a bishop is a different decision altogether. But I tell that story to them because they are at the age that I was when I started to be influenced by Fr Joe Brown. When I finished primary school, Mum and Dad had to make a decision about
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November 21, 2012
secondary school. They were determined that my brother and I have a good Catholic education. The reason my Mum and Dad chose Salesian College in Chadstone was because it was by far the cheapest and it was all they could afford. That has something to do with the providence of God because of course eventually I ended up joining the Salesians and I don’t think I would have even heard of them if I hadn’t gone to school with them. So off I went to all-boys school – Salesian high school – and I had six very happy years there. There were very few lay teachers, because it was mainly the Salesian brothers. Six years later, when I finished they were by far the vast majority of teachers (1972). I found the Salesians that I met, both the priests and brothers, were tremendously good and tremendously kind and very affirming people who made me feel that I mattered to them. And because I
introduced in Melbourne pubs – it was impossible for Dad to get shift work because mum was sick. So he started working as a storeman in a big apartment store, in one of those big shopping malls in Melbourne. So I got a job there, he managed to
We were pretty faithful to Sunday Mass but beyond that we weren’t fanatics - an average Catholic family. get me a job there so if I ever get kicked out from being a bishop I can always go back to being a salesmanager. I did that for a while but I wasn’t terribly satisfied with it. My brother went into the public service. So I thought: public service. So I worked for them for a year – all you did was transfer data from one
sitting in the library one day with a few mates and Debbie, who was my girlfriend. We were sitting there and we said to our friends: ‘we’ve got something to tell you.’ And of course everybody thought we were going to announce our engagement and when I said that was about to go and join the Salesians there was a deadly silence. I joined the Salesians and again found exactly the same as I had as a boy at my school: that acceptance. And they made you feel that you mattered. And many of you, perhaps the majority of you, are parents, and you’ll know both with your wife and with your children how important that is: to feel that you matter, to feel that you are regarded as being worthwhile, whatever the struggles and difficulties and the mistakes that you might make. In the end, nothing alters that fact; that you are cared for, that you are accepted. That was
Men turned out in force to hear Archbishop Costelloe’s inaugural Catholic Man Breakfast talk.
was already thinking about being a priest and also because I wanted to be a teacher, it was probably natural that eventually I ended being in the Salesians. But it took me a while, I must say. For the seminarians that are here that may have, from time to time, a few questions, a few struggles and a few battles about where they are going and what they are doing, let me tell you that you are not alone. I was exactly the same; my journey to the priesthood was quite a rocky one in some ways, due to my indecision, most of the time. I didn’t go to the seminary or the Salesians as soon as I left school. At that age, there are certain things that being a Priest requires you to give up that perhaps you, at that age, are not all that ready to give up. And I was thinking of eventually getting married, having a family and all of that. So I didn’t go straight into the Salesians; I actually started off at Melbourne University. I was lucky enough to win the scholarship and so off I went. I had no idea what I wanted to do so I picked the same subjects I did in year 12, so that meant I was just bored. After six months I dropped out. My mother at that stage was getting really sick and 10 o’clock closing time had been
sheet of paper to another. It wasn’t a terribly stimulating job but I promised my parents I would at least stay for 12 months. So on the day that the 12 months was over I submitted my resignation and applied for teachers’ college. I went to a Catholic teacher college in Melbourne – primary teaching – and had a fantastic time. I loved it there. At one stage you make friends and form relationships and I was going out with a
I had to move out of the Salesian house when I was made a bishop in Melbourne. It was a lonely experience. girl and we were very committed to each other. We hadn’t talked about it, but everybody in the college had presumed we would get married. But all of this time the idea of priesthood was still on my mind and it wouldn’t go away. So I talked to a few people about it. I talked to my girlfriend and eventually made the decision that I would interrupt the teaching course and join the Salesians. I remember
PHOTO: R OBERT HIINI
the kind of experience I had as a Salesian – which explains why even though I am a Bishop I am still very proud to be a Salesian. As I look back on all of that, one of the things that emerges for me and becomes clearer and clearer all the time, is that the idea of relationship is at the heart of both my understanding of what faith is all about and my experience of what the Faith is all about. I think this is why I chose a religious order rather than to be a diocesan Priest – not because one is better than the other but for me the idea of living in a community of men who would be a supporting community and would together commit ourselves to each other and the mission – that had a great deal of appeal for me. It is interesting what when I became a bishop I had to move out of the religious community and be in a house all of my own. After living all my adult life in a religious community, it was an extraordinary experience and a lonely one. And one of the many good things of living here in Perth is I now live in the presbytery at the cathedral with four or five priests, and for me that makes an enormous difference. But it’s not just that our faith is only about our relationships with
each other. One of the things, I think, that made me want to join religious life was this sense that somehow in religious life, because of the structure, the prayer, there was a chance to develop a relationship with God more deeply. And the relationship with God has always been very important to me. And as I was thinking about what I was going to say this morning I was thinking: I wonder why God reveals himself to us in different ways so that we then relate back to God in different ways. The way we relate to God depends very much on the way we experience God; and the way we experience God is partly based on our experiences of life but also on what God is doing inside our hearts. When I was a little kid, going back to those days in school, we had a statue of St Anthony of Padua. Anthony stands there with a book in his hands and on the book stands the child Jesus. They are looking at each other – they are looking into each other’s eyes. And that used to fascinate me – the idea that our faith is somehow us looking at him and Him looking at us. As an impressionable little boy, for some reason, that stuck in my mind and has stayed with me ever since. It’s at the heart of my understanding of my own approach to faith. Of course it is also about reaching out to others, sharing our faith with others but it is also about having a relationship with Christ. And for me that has always been very important. And as a Salesian, being a teacher and working with young people, and for you who are teachers you’ll know that this is not easy to do, but to try to get young people to understand that relationship with God is actually at the heart of our faith. Yes there are rules; yes, there are structures; things to believe, all are part of it – but none of these make any sense if we don’t have a relationship with God in Christ Jesus. That has been my experience anyway. What is the underlying message for me? It is the way God works in our lives and the ways God wants to work in our lives. I don’t know what ideas you have about how people end up getting to be bishops but one of the things that gives me a little bit of courage in what at times can be a difficult role is that it isn’t something that I chose. It isn’t something I ever thought I was particularly well suited for. It isn’t something I was manipulating to get. It seemed to come from somewhere else and I probably need to, but I do, believe that ultimately it’s the work of God. As I tell my own story, this morning, these things become clearer to me. I’m sure if the previous parish priest of Victoria Park hadn’t decided to resign I wouldn’t have been appointed over here [in the mid-1990s]; I wouldn’t have gone to the Synod [of Oceania in 1998, in Rome] with Archbishop Barry Hickey; if I hadn’t done any of those other things I probably wouldn’t have become a bishop and I certainly wouldn’t have been appointed the Archbishop of Perth. What looks like a coincidence is in fact the presence of God at work in our lives. I encourage you to ask yourselves: how is it that I find myself sitting here this morning listening to this talk? How did I get to be here? To tell that story to yourself is to discover a kind of a pattern of God at work, often unobtrusively leading you to where you want to go. I’d like to end with two quotes. The one I started with: ‘the place God calls us to is the place where our own deep longings and the world’s deep hungers meet.’ The other quote is from the Old Testament, echoed over and over in the New: ‘Do not be afraid. I am with you. I have called you by your name. You are mine.’
therecord.com.au November 21, 2012
ROYAL COMMISSION RESPONSES
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Hope of healing for the hurting Broadcaster Eoin Cameron has been a reassuring voice to thousands of radio listeners for years. Now, as someone who survived child sexual abuse perpetrated by a Marist brother, he is urging victims to participate in the Royal Commission. By Robert Hiini
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BC broadcaster and abuse survivor Eoin Cameron has urged people who were abused to come forward and give evidence at the Royal Commission into child sex abuse. Speaking on the ABC’s 7.30 WA program, Mr Cameron said memories of the abuse he experienced at the hands of a Marist brother in South Australia around 40 years ago were ever present in his life. “People will say, oh, get over it, it’s something that happened that long ago. I can tell you, it’s the god’s honour truth, not a day of my life goes by when it doesn’t come into my brain. “You can never ever forget something like that,” Mr Cameron said. He would not have known how to broach the matter with his parents, at the time the abuse was occurring. A 12-year-of-old 50 years ago was more like an eight to ten year old today, he said, in their knowledge of sexuality. “You don’t even have the words to express what’s happened to you … You are trapped virtually in your own head and you’ve got no way of getting away from it and the fact is you end up thinking ‘it’s my fault’ … you feel you’re dirty.” For many years, he showered five to six times a day, trying to ‘get clean’. While he had heard from a lot of victims who were anxious to tell their stories, coming forward would be a daunting and traumatic process for many. He hoped the Royal Commission would allow victims to give evidence in camera, and that there names would not be published, to encourage their involvement. Mr Cameron told the 7.30 WA program he thought he had got through the worst part of coming forward in contacting the Marist Order and Catholic Church officials several years ago. He shared his personal experience of Towards Healing, the Catholic Church’s national protocol for handling claims of sexual, emotional and physical abuse, which he undertook in Perth around three years ago. Although he said he believed Towards Healing had been set up to facilitate recovery and healing, he still found it a daunting process: “For a start the office here in Perth is in a church building, it smelt like a church building; like a church institution. “You give them your evidence and it’s all written down pretty well without comment,” Mr Cameron said. The case was eventually investigated and heard in Melbourne. The Marist brother denied having abused him and for a time it looked like there would be no resolution to his claim. “It’s your word against his, and I thought ‘well, there’s not much else I can do about it’,” Mr Cameron said. At around that time a man from Wangaratta, Victoria also came forward with allegations against the man, followed in the time since, by other men. Mr Cameron eventually received an apology from the Marist Order and financial compensation. Around 12 months ago, however, he discovered the same Marist brother had been given an award, along with other Marist brothers, commending him for “the lives he
A student from St Mary of the Woods School in Chicago plants a pinwheel in the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Healing Garden on March 29 during an event to launch Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Healing Garden was dedicated last year as a place of respite for the survivors of sexual abuse, their families and others affected by abuse. PHOTO: CNS PHOTO/KAREN CALLAWAY
has touched”. Mr Cameron said: “I was so cross I said, pretty much, ‘you can tear up your apology because you’ve just gone and honoured this person after everything you know about him’.” Mr Cameron wrote a letter renouncing his Catholicism, which
ed that Cardinal Pell and the Australian bishops had welcomed the Royal Commission and promised to co-operate with it. Cardinal Pell held a press conference on Tuesday, November 13 welcoming the announcement of a commission “to help the victims, to
a bit slack. Why has it taken so long to get on to this?” Earlier this week, Western Australian Premier Colin Premier rejected the idea of a joint Commonwealth-State commission and said the Federal Government would have to think carefully about
I was so cross I said ‘you can tear up your apology because you have just gone and honoured this person after everything you know about him’. I sent a letter renouncing my Catholicism. he sent to the then-Archbishop of Perth Barry Hickey, to the Marist Brothers, and to the office of Cardinal George Pell. “Barry Hickey wrote back a very moving and warm letter, even offering to meet with me if I felt up to it. I got a ‘blah blah blah’ from the Marist brothers” and a letter of acknowledgement from the office of Cardinal Pell. Last week The Record report-
clear the air, [and] to separate fact from fiction”. Cardinal Pell also asserted that claims of abuse in the Catholic Church had been exaggerated by a hostile media. His statement has been criticised by some victim groups and sections of the media. However Mr Cameron said he thought the media have not been attentive enough. “If anything the media has been
the commission’s terms of reference if it was to fulfil community hopes. The Government released a consultation paper on November 19, inviting submissions from the community up until November 26 on what the Royal Commission’s terms of reference should be. “Part of learning what the right process is for the future and how to stop a tragedy occurring…is for us to learn from that history and
we know that many victims want to be able to tell their story,” AttorneyGeneral Nicola Roxon told ABC radio on Tuesday. “Equally we know that many don’t want to or have already spoken to particular inquiries and want to make sure they are taking account of.” “We know for many people [telling their stories] is a really important, cathartic process, being able to have their story properly heard and listened to and understood.” Ms Roxon said the Government was open minded about the way to do that. Input into the terms of reference of the Royal Commission can be emailed to royalcommissionsecretariat@pmc.gov.au or mailed to: Secretariat Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse PO Box 6555 Canberra ACT 2600 AUSTRALIA
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November 21, 2012
‘Sacred music can evangelise’ SACRED MUSIC can bolster people’s faith and help lapsed Catholics rediscover the beauty of God, Pope Benedict XVI said. “Sacred music can, above all, promote the faith, and, what’s more, cooperate in the new evangelisation,” he told participants attending a conference and pilgrimage sponsored by the Italian St Cecilia Association. St Cecilia, whose feast day is November 22, is traditionally honoured as the patron saint of musical performers. “Music and singing that are done well can help (people) receive the word of God and be moved in a positive way,” the Pope said in his address on November 10. Many people, including St Augustine, have found themselves attracted to God because of some
profound experience prompted by the beauty of liturgical music and sacred song, he said. In the Church’s missionary outreach, he said, it urges Catholics to recognise, respect and promote the musical traditions of the local people. Traditionally Christian countries, like Italy, have a rich heritage of sacred music which can help lapsed Catholics rediscover God and be drawn again to the Christian message and the mystery of faith, he said. Because of their important role in new evangelisation, he urged church musicians to dedicate themselves “to improving the quality of liturgical song, without being afraid of reviving or emphasising the great musical tradition of the Church,
which has two of its highest expressions in Gregorian and polyphony.” “Show how the Church may be the place in which beauty feels at home,” he said. “Sacred song united to the words, form a necessary and integral part of the solemn liturgy,” he said, quoting from the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy “Sacrosanctum Concilium.” The reason why sacred music is “necessary and integral,” Pope Benedict said, isn’t simply for aesthetic purposes, but because sacred song “cooperates in nourishing and expressing the faith and, therefore, in glorifying God and sanctifying the faithful.” Sacred music “is not an accessory or embellishment of the lit-
urgy, but is the liturgy itself.” The Pope thanked the men and women musicians and singers for helping the faithful “praise God and make his word sink deep in their hearts.” That evening, in the Sistine Chapel, the Pope attended a concert with his brother, Mgr Georg Ratzinger, who was the director of the Regensburg Boys Choir for decades. They listened to music from a Mass composed by Mgr Ratzinger, as well as to pieces by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Mgr. Massimo Palombella – the director of the Sistine Chapel Choir – and Colin Mawby, a contemporary British composer who has served as director of music at Westminster Cathedral. - CNS
Candlelight a symbol of hope in conflict’s midst
INDIA
Indian Christians celebrate mission The missionary zest and vibrancy of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church was lauded at a celebration of the Church’s first missionary venture. “The Syro-Malabar Church has contributed to not only the evangelisation of India but outside,” said Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, apostolic nuncio to India and Nepal, at a public meeting on November 18, following a solemn Mass marking the 50th anniversary of the Church’s missionary efforts. The Syro-Malabar Church is one of two Eastern churches that, along with the Latin Church, make up the Catholic Church in India. The other Eastern Church is the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. Both Churches traces their history to St Thomas the Apostle, who is believed to have arrived on the shores of southern Kerala state in AD 52.
US
Boston approves plan to meet fewer numbers A pastoral plan approved by Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley calls for the Boston Archdiocese to organise its 288 parishes into approximately 135 groups called “parish collaboratives.” Led by one pastor, a group of priests, deacons and lay ecclesial ministers, called a pastoral team, would provide pastoral services to parishes in the collaborative. Cardinal O’Malley said the new pastoral plan comes in response to current challenges faced by the Catholic Church in Boston. Called “Disciples in Mission,” the plan identified parishes’ main challenges: declining Mass attendance, shrinking numbers of priests and trained laity, and an increasing number of parishes unable to sustain themselves financially.
VATICAN
Forget apocalyptic rumours, Pope urges
A Palestinians woman lights a candle during a prayer service to show solidarity with Gaza at a Catholic church in the West Bank village of Beit Jala on November 18. An Israeli missile ripped through a two-story home in a residential area of Gaza City, killing at least 11 civilians, including four young children, in the single deadliest attack of Israel’s offensive against Islamic militants. PHOTO: AHMED JADALLAH, REUTERS, CNS
Protecting marriage serves common good CATHOLICS are called to serve the common good of society, including by protecting traditional marriage and defending human life, Pope Benedict XVI told bishops from France. Being Catholic means being faithful “to the moral teaching of the Church” and having “the courage to demonstrate their Christian convictions – without arrogance, but with respect – in the various spheres in which they work,” the Pope said on November 17 as he welcomed a group of bishops making their periodic “ad limina” visits to the Vatican. “With the bishops, they must pay attention to proposals for civil laws that can undermine: the safeguarding of marriage between a man and a woman, the protection of human life from conception to death, and the correct orientation of bioethics in faithfulness to the documents of the Magisterium,” the Pope said.
Opponents of same-sex marriage demonstrate in Paris on November 18 against the French government’s draft law to legalise marriage and adoption for same-sex couples. PHOTO: CHRISTIAN HARTMANN, REUTERS, CNS
In several French cities over the November 17-18 weekend, thousands of Catholics took to the streets to protest against gov-
ernment plans to legalise samesex marriage. President Francois Hollande said he wanted to legalise same-sex unions by mid-2013.
Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris told the Vatican newspaper on November 17 that the Church has been expressing its opposition to the proposed law and “we have warned about the dangers” such a change can bring. In the inter view with L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican paper, he said the law, which would include allowing same-sex couples to adopt, “risks producing devastating effects,” particularly for children who would grow up not having both a male and female parent. In an editorial comment for Vatican Radio early in November, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said it is “clear that in Western countries there is a widespread tendency to modify the classic vision of marriage between a man and woman, or rather to try to give it up, erasing its specific and privileged legal recognition compared to other forms of union.” -CNS
In a world hit by natural disasters, wars and violence, people need the stability and hope found only in God’s word, Pope Benedict XVI said. Instead of being obsessed with predictions and forecasts of the end of the world, people of faith need to take responsibility for their lives and personal behavior and look to God for guidance, he said. “In the midst of the upheavals of the world,” Jesus “remains the solid and steady anchor,” he said on November 18, commenting on the day’s Gospel reading during his midday Angelus address.
SOUTH SUDAN
Catholic orders and agencies rebuild Catholics from around the globe are playing a key role in building a health care system in the world’s newest country. It’s a daunting task: Following decades of war, South Sudan is only halfway through its second year of independence. In 2004 the country’s Catholic bishops invited an international network of religious orders and congregations to start training nurses and midwives at a medical training school in Wau. Since 2008 Solidarity with South Sudan has rebuilt the school and student dormitories. In 2010, the Catholic Health Training Institute started classes for registered nurses. In 2012, it added a course for registered midwives. Sister Dorothy Dickson, a New Zealander who is a member of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions who serves as the institute’s director, said adequately trained nurses and midwives are in short supply. “Because of the war, medical training was sporadic and short,” she told CNS. - CNS
WORLD
therecord.com.au November 21, 2012
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Vatican establishes office for church architecture THE CONGREGATION for Divine Worship and the Sacraments is establishing an office to promote the development and use of appropriate liturgical art, architecture and music. The new office was approved in early September by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state; final arrangements and the designation of personnel are being made, said Marist Father Anthony
Ward, undersecretary of the congregation. The office will provide advice, encouragement and guidance, he said, but it will not attempt to impose specific styles. “The Church has always adopted local artistic, architectural and music styles,” Fr Ward told CNS on November 14. At the same time, as the Second Vatican Council taught, “it always has emphasised Gregorian chant as the homegrown
music of the Latin rite.” While the Pontifical Council for Culture promotes efforts in the area of sacred art and music, the congregation’s new office will focus specifically on art, architecture and music used for Mass and other formal moments of prayer. The Second Vatican Council document on the liturgy said, “The Church has not adopted any particular style of art as her very own;
she has admitted styles from every period according to the natural talents and circumstances of peoples, and the needs of the various rites.” It called for the preservation of the great liturgical art of the past and the encouragement of modern artists to create pieces appropriate for Catholic worship, “provided that it adorns the sacred buildings and holy rites with due reverence and honour.” - CNS
‘Augustinian’ Day’s cause launched by US bishops By Mark Pattison THE US BISHOPS, on a voice vote, endorsed the sainthood cause of Dorothy Day, the co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement, who was famously quoted as saying, “Don’t call me a saint. I don’t want to be dismissed so easily.” The endorsement came at the end of a canonically required consultation that took place on November 13, the second day of the bishops’ annual fall general assembly in Baltimore. Under the terms of the 2007 Vatican document Sanctorum Mater, the diocesan bishop promoting a sainthood cause must consult at least with the regional bishops’ conference on the advisability of pursuing the cause. In the case of Day, whose Catholic Worker ministry was based in New York City, the bishop promoting her cause is Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the US bishops’ conference. The cause was first undertaken by one of Cardinal Dolan’s predecessors in New York, Cardinal John O’Connor. Cardinal Dolan had earlier conducted a consultation with bishops in his region, and subsequently chose to seek a consultation with the full body of US bishops. He and the other bishops who spoke during the consultation, some of whom had met Day, called her sainthood cause an opportune moment in the life of the US Church. Cardinal Dolan called Day’s journey “Augustinian,” saying that “she was the first to admit it: sexual immorality, there was a religious search, there was a pregnancy out of wedlock, and an abortion. Like Saul on the way to Damascus, she was radically changed” and has become “a saint for our time.” “Of all the people we need to reach out to, all the people that are hard to get at, the street people, the ones who are on drugs, the ones who have had abortions, she was one of them,” Cardinal Theodore McCarrick said of Day. The retired archbishop of Washington is a native New Yorker. “What a tremendous opportunity to say to them you can not only be brought back into society, you can not only be brought back into
Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement, spent her adult life as an advocate for the poor and the rights of workers. Before becoming a Catholic she also had an abortion. The US bishops voted on November 13 on a canonical step for her canonisation cause. PHOTO: MILWAUKEE JOURNAL, CNS
the Church, you can be a saint!” He added. “She was a very great personal friend to me when I was a young priest,” said Bishop William Murphy of New York. “To be able to stand here and say yes to this means a great deal to me.” Bishop Alvaro Corrada del Rio of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, recalled being assigned to Nativity Parish in New York City in the 1970s.
“I had the privilege of being in that parish for the last years of her life ... Her final days and suffering” and her 1980 funeral. The work of the Catholic Worker movement is still active 80 years after Day co-founded the movement with Peter Maurin. There are many Catholic Worker houses in the United States, some in rural areas but more in some of the
most desperately poor areas of the nation’s biggest cities. They follow the Catholic Worker movement’s charism of voluntary poverty, the works of mercy, and working for peace and justice. The Catholic Worker, the newspaper established by Day, is still published regularly, and still charges what it did at its founding: one penny. - CNS
A copy of the Borgianus Latinus, a missal for Christmas made for Pope Alexander VI. PHOTO: PAUL HARING, CNS
“I read the Catholic Worker when I was in high school and I’ve read it ever since,” said Cardinal Francis George of Chicago. He recalled meeting Day soon after the 1960 presidential election. “I had just voted for the first time, for John F. Kennedy. I listened to her critique of our economic and political structures. I asked her, ‘Do you think it will help having a Catholic in the White House who can fight for social justice?’ “She was very acerbic. She said, ‘Young man’ – I was young at that time – ‘young man, I believe Mr Kennedy has chosen very badly. No serious Catholic would want to be president of the United States.’ I didn’t agree with her at that time. And I’m not sure I agree with her now.” Day’s early life was turbulent and unsettled. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1897, but her family soon moved to San Francisco, where she was baptised an Episcopalian. Her family later moved to Chicago, and Day attended the University of Illinois in Urbana. However, she left college to go to New York City to work as a journalist. While in New York, she got involved in the causes of her day, such as women’s suffrage and peace, and was part of a circle of top literary and artistic figures of the era. In Day’s personal life, though, she went through a string of love affairs, a failed marriage, a suicide attempt and an abortion. But with the birth of her daughter, Tamar, in 1926, Day embraced Catholicism. She had Tamar baptised Catholic, which ended her common-law marriage and brought dismay to her friends. As she sought to fuse her life and her faith, she wrote for such Catholic publications as America and Commonweal. In 1932, she met Maurin, a French immigrant and former Christian Brother. Together they started the Catholic Worker newspaper – and later, several houses of hospitality and farm communities in the United States and elsewhere. While working for integration, Day was shot at. She prayed and fasted for peace at the Second Vatican Council. She died in 1980 in Maryhouse, one of the Catholic Worker houses she established in New York City. She has been the focus of a number of biographies. Other books featuring her prayers and writings have been published. In the 1990s, a film biography Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story starring Moira Kelly and Martin Sheen, made its way into US theatres. - CNS
US priest laicised by CDF over role in woman’s ordination THE VATICAN Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has dismissed Roy Bourgeois from the priesthood because of his participation in the invalid ordination of a woman and “a simulated Mass,” the Maryknoll Order announced Former Mar yknoll Father Roy Bourgeois is pictured in Rome during a media conference in 2011. PHOTO: PAUL HARING, CNS
on November 19. The order said in a statement the canonical dismissal came on October 4. Citing Bourgeois’ participation in the invalid ordination in Kentucky in 2008, the Maryknoll statement said, “With patience, the Holy See and the Maryknoll Society have encouraged his reconciliation with the Catholic Church.” Bourgeois could not be immediately reached for comment. “Instead, Mr Bourgeois
chose to campaign against the teachings of the Catholic Church in secular and non-Catholic venues,” the statement said. “This was done without the permission of the local US Catholic bishops and while ignoring the sensitivities of the faithful across the country. Disobedience and preaching against the teaching of the Catholic Church about women’s ordination led to his excommunication, dismissal
and laicisation.” The Church holds that it has no authority to ordain women. The Maryknoll statement said, “Mr Bourgeois freely chose his views and actions, and all the members of the Maryknoll Society are saddened at the failure of reconciliation. With this parting, the Maryknoll Society warmly thanks Roy Bourgeois for his service to mission and all members wish him well in his personal life.” - CNS
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VISTA
therecord.com.au
November 21, 2012
If priests must go to jail for Confession, they will do so
Healing a Culture of
ABUSE
If the government passes a law requiring priests to inform the police or to testify in court about any serious matters they hear in confession, what will happen? Will priests comply?
Australia is going to have a Royal Commission into child sexual abuse. Good idea, but will it go to the heart of the matter, asks Michael Cook?
O
n Monday November 12, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the formation of a royal commission into “institutional responses to instances and allegations of child sexual abuse”. The media spotlight has been on child abuse claims in the Catholic Church. But the Prime Minister is wise enough to realise that sex abuse is so widespread that it is not just a problem in one denomination. This inquiry extends beyond the highlypublicised failings of the Church to state-run institutions, government schools, non-profits like the Scouts and sporting groups, child service agencies and even the police. It promises to be a deeply emotional affair which could last as long as five years. Two other inquiries into child sexual abuse, mostly targeting the Catholic Church, are already under way in the states of New South Wales and Victoria. The senior Catholic prelate in Australia, Sydney’s Cardinal George Pell, has agreed to cooperate fully with the royal commission. He says that it will clear the air. “We are not
Nocera, was scathing: “Thompson winds up appearing willfully ignorant, and it makes you wonder what kind of an organisation the BBC was when Thompson was running it — and what kind of leader he was.” BBC journalists would have destroyed a bishop like that. Institutions protect their own. They obstruct inquiries. They bluster. It takes a deep sense of justice to resist the temptation to be defensive and to accept responsibility for the failings of subordinates. If bishops are evasive, they deserve to be sanctioned, but let’s not think that the Catholic Church is the only club with dark secrets. The third reason for pessimism is cultural. Most of the abuse which features in the headlines – even Jimmy Savile’s – is decades old. By all means bring the predators to justice, but the most urgent matter is to keep young people from becoming abusers. In this regard, the stench of hypocrisy is unbearable. Everywhere young people are being encouraged to abuse their peers. They aren’t being told where to draw the line. In fact, they are being told that there are no lines. At the same time as Australian politicians are making indignant speeches about sexual abuse of children, the New South Wales teachers’ union is distributing sex information kits which teaches students to experiment creatively with their sexuality to see whether they are gay, straight, bisexual, lesbian, pansexual or omnisexual.
Unhappily, nailing and jailing sexual predators is the easy part. This is not a law and order crisis; it’s a cultural crisis. Our society is awash with sexual incitements. interested in denying the extent of misdoing in the Catholic Church. We object to it being exaggerated,” says Cardinal Pell. “We object to being described as the only cab on the rank. We acknowledge, with shame, the extent of the problem and I want to assure you that we have been serious in attempting to eradicate it and deal with it ... This commission will enable those claims to be validated or found to be a significant exaggeration.” But the purpose of the royal commission is not merely to purge the collective psyche and bring hidden injustices into the light of day, but to strike at the root of the perversion. “Child sexual abuse is a vile thing, it’s an evil thing, it’s done by evil people, but what we’ve seen too I think in recent revelations, it’s not just the evil of the people who do it,” said Ms Gillard. “There has been a systemic failure to respond to it and to better protect children and I particularly want to get the insights about what would stop that kind of systemic failure happening again.” Unhappily, nailing and jailing sexual predators is the easy part. This is not a law and order cri-
Ecouraging adolescents to have casual sex has become so commonplace it barely registers in the media.
Prime MInister Julia Gillard announces the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse. But can a Royal Commission get to the heart of what is a cultural and global crisis?
sis; it is a cultural crisis. Ensuring that it won’t happen again – in the Catholic Church and elsewhere – could be all but impossible in a society which is awash with incitements to sexual activity. Fortunately, the most frequent reason advanced for pessimism about change is no reason at all: that celibacy will remain mandatory for Catholic priests. Critics inside and outside the Church have claimed that celibacy is the cause of psychological disorders. This is complete nonsense. Married rabbis, scout masters, teachers and Protestant ministers have all been
convicted of child sexual abuse. The causes of paedophilia are obscure, but many paedophiles are married men. Abolishing celibacy seems about as sensible as forcing bachelors to marry. The second reason is institutional. Critics of the Church have accused it of secrecy, of turning a blind eye to abuse, and of deliberately evading the civil authorities by transferring priests to keep their crimes a secret. This has happened in the past, although protocols are in place now to ensure that offenders are brought to justice in a court, not shielded by other priests.
The recent turmoil at the BBC in Britain suggests that it takes great moral strength to resist the pressure to protect colleagues. It has emerged that Jimmy Savile, a vulgar entertainer whom the BBC lionised for decades, was a serial sexual abuser. A year after his death, at least 300 men and women have come forward to accuse him of molesting or even raping them. Incredibly, Savile used his status as a celebrity visitor to hospitals and orphanages to molest girls. This went on for decades. Some of the incidents may even have happened on BBC premises.
Did anyone know about this? Yes, they did. Or at least they had their suspicions. Did anyone at the BBC do anything about this? No, they didn’t. Instead, after his
Confronted with Savile’s crimes, BBC senior staff denied all knowledge ... death, the BBC broadcast tributes to Savile’s memory. Now articles are appearing which allege that a culture of abuse had existed for years at the BBC. Joan
PHOTO: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA
Bakewell, once called “the thinking man’s crumpet”, a well-known TV presenter who aggressively promoted liberal views on sexual taboos and was rewarded with a peerage, reminisced recently about Jimmy Savile and other ghastly figures from the 60s in the London Review of Books. Incredibly, she excused it: “You can’t re-create the mood of an era. You just can’t get into the culture of what it was like, transfer our sensibilities backwards from today. It would be like asking Victorian factory owners to explain why they sent children up chimneys. It’s the same with the
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BBC that I first entered. It had habits and values that we just can’t understand from the point of view of where we are now. What we now find unacceptable was just accepted back then by many people.” And what happened when the BBC higher-ups were confronted with Savile’s alleged crimes and evidence of cover-ups and wilful ignorance? They denied all knowledge of it. Mark Thompson, the former director-general of the BBC, and now president and CEO of the New York Times Company, is under a cloud. A columnist at the Times, Joe
Encouraging adolescents to have casual sex has become so commonplace that it barely registers in the media – from popular sex columnists like Dan Savage to United Nations resolutions about reproductive health to Lena Dunham’s suggestive commercial for President Obama’s election campaign. Today we live in a sauna of sexuality. Does anyone really think that more experimentation will stop a new generation of sexual predators? “We must do everything we can to make sure that what has happened in the past is never allowed to happen again.” Well said, Prime Minister. But until children and adolescents are taught that sex is a sacred power which should be reserved for a loving relationship within marriage, the cycle of abuse will happen again. And again. And again. - www.mercatornet.com
Michael Cook is editor of MercatorNet.
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HIS issue has suddenly leapt into the public arena with respect to the sexual abuse issue, so it is important to be acquainted with some facts. First, the requirement that priests never divulge to anyone what they hear in confession is known as the seal of confession. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says of it: “Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to persons, the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him. He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents’ lives. This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the ‘sacramental seal’, because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains ‘sealed’ by the sacrament” (CCC 1467). The Code of Canon Law is equally clear: “The sacramental seal is inviolable. Accordingly, it is absolutely wrong for a confessor in any way to betray the penitent, for any reason whatsoever, whether by word or in any other fashion” (Can. 983 §1). The following Canon adds: “The confessor is wholly forbidden to use knowledge acquired in confession to the detriment of the penitent, even when all danger of disclosure is excluded” (Can. 984 §1). What are the “severe penalties” for violating the seal? “A confessor who directly violates the sacramental seal, incurs a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See; he who does so only indirectly is to be punished according to the gravity of the offence” (Can. 1388 §1). A latae sententiae penalty is one which a person incurs by the mere fact of violating the law. It does not need to be declared by a bishop. So if a priest were to violate the seal, he would be automatically and immediately excommunicated, by the law itself. The effect of excommunication is that the priest cannot celebrate Mass, celebrate or receive any sacrament, including the sacrament of Penance, or exercise his priestly ministry until such time as he repents and does what he can to make up for the offence (cf. Can. 1331 §1). What is more, in this case the lifting of the excommunication and granting of absolution are reserved to the Holy See. Only a few extremely grave sins carry with them the penalty of excommunication reserved to the Holy See and this is one
Q&A FR JOHN FLADER
of them. What do we make of this? That the Church regards the violation of the confessional seal as an extremely grave matter. All priests know this, and therefore they will not divulge to the police or say in court anything they have heard in the course of a confession. If they are put in jail for this, they will happily go to jail. Why is it so serious? Because if the Church did not protect the confidentiality of what is said in confession, people would not trust their priests and they would not confess anything that might incriminate them. Just as they trust their doctor, psychologist, lawyer or counsellor to respect their confidentiality, so all the more they trust their priest. People would stop going to confession if the seal were not respected.
The Church will never change its law. We can all breathe a sigh of relief. Moreover, paedophiles and other people with serious problems would not go to confession for fear the confessor would take the matter to the police. They would thereby deprive themselves of a very valuable aid in overcoming their sinful habit. But if a paedophile confesses this most serious sin, shouldn’t the priest be able to take some action? Yes, and he will. He will strongly urge the person to take action to address his problem: to seek professional help, to resign his position, to inform the relevant people and possibly even to give himself up to the police. The confessor may also ask the penitent for permission to reveal to others – for example, the person’s superior, a counsellor, even the police – that he has this problem. But without this permission the confessor cannot disclose anything he has heard. And of course, if he sees that the paedophile is not sorry for what he has done and is not taking appropriate action to address his problem, the confessor can refuse to absolve him. In short, the sacramental seal is extremely important for everyone, and the Church will never change its law or make exceptions to it. We can all breathe a sigh of relief.
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REVIEW
therecord.com.au
November 21, 2012
Seeking
JUSTICE
for all
Adelaide priest Fr James Valladares has published his research into justice for priests at a time when many in the community are convinced that most priests are abusers.
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HIS book is an attempt to unravel the subtle, even if hushed-up, consequences of the delirium surrounding the often-reported appalling behavior of clergy, both diocesan and religious, whether or not that behavior has been correctly identified and substantiated by public enquiries, and the strained relationships between some priests and their bishops that have sadly developed in the wake of mostly civil court proceedings. The author ‘s landscape remains anchored to the US scene, but it is obvious that similar situations may indeed be applicable in Australia. And what is even more significant, as the author argues, is that all priests are somehow tarnished in the public view. This has forced priests to shy away from human interactions, especially expressions of pastoral warmth and concern, which were the hallmarks of Jesus’ public ministry. Now a fatherly touch may be interpreted as a sexual advance or an act of kindness toward a young person or misconstrued as “grooming”. As one priest so poignantly stated, “If I meet a woman, I ‘m having an affair; If I meet a man, I’m gay; and, God forbid, if I’m with a child I am an abuser” (Introduction by Michael P. Orsi, p. xiv). And Fr Valladares goes on to state that, aside from the great financial losses incurred and the public image of Church people cast into doubt, the human damage to
Review
Hope springs eternal in the priestly breast - A research study on procedural justice for Priests – Diocesan and Religious. By Fr James Valladares iUniverse, Bloomington, IN. Softcover $22.95 Reviewed by Fr Anthony Paganoni CS all ordained ministers (bishops included) is incalculable. The issue of sexual abuse of minors has become, over the course of the last three decades, a media-driven, factional and fre-
If I meet a woman, I’m having an affair. If I’m with a man, I’m gay. If I’m with a child, I’m an abuser. netic undertaking, not infrequently arguing that the Church is a corrupt institution, collapsing from within because of moral laxity, permissiveness and homosexual clergy. According to Philip Jenkins, quoted in the Valladares’ book, of all churches, the Catholic Church is the easier to sue, because of its centralised, hierarchical structure, and because of its extensive record keeping (pg. 89).
How Rome’s priests and sisters fooled the Nazis The story of how Pope Pius XII and the clergy and religious of Rome saved thousands of Jewish lives is a riveting tale ...
Pyschological scholarship (T.W. Campbell,E. Loftus, K. Ketcham and D. Rabinowitz, R. Mc Nally…) has exposed the unreliability of recovered memories of sexual abuse. When people have experienced a trauma like sexual abuse, they have trouble forgetting it, not trouble remembering it. Studies have shown that people who are emotionally unstable are susceptible to developing” false” memories of sexual abuse. This doesn’t mean that they are making up stories. They may truly believe that they were abused, but it may never have happened. This is especially true in times when there is public hysteria over alleged sexual abuse (pg. 87). The many cases mentioned in the Valladares’ book regard mostly priests who were wrongfully accused, and, in some cases, left in something of a ‘limbo’ after civil proceedings declared them not guilty of the crime of they had been accused. Notwithstanding their “civil” innocence, several were not reintegrated into the ministry of the Church, raising doubts and suspicions in the people they had served previously or were intending to continue serving. These are cases which have mostly occurred between the 1960s and the 1980s. A report prepared for the US Bishops earlier this year documented that in 2009, there were 21 allegations of the sexual abuse of minors against Catholic priests in America: 8 of these were acknowledged as truthful by the
Review
The Pope’s Jews: The Vatican’s Secret Plan to Save the Jews from the Nazis By Gordon Thomas. Thomas Dunne Books (New York, 2012). 336 pp., $27.99 Reviewed by Eugene Fisher
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ORDON Thomas, the author of The Pope’s Jews, is a British journalist who has written numerous works, a number of them on the intelligence services of Great Britain and the US, and a couple on the Vatican. In this book, he relies on personal interviews with Catholics and Jews who lived in Rome during World War II and the archival sources of diplomats, especially the British and Americans who lived in the Vatican during
offending clergy, four were determined to be without foundation, one accusation was recanted, and eight are still under investigation. Right now, according to the organisation Justice for Priests and Deacons, there are 300 American priests insisting on their innocence in cases before the Vatican (pg. 199). Given the highly sensi-
tive nature of the topic discussed, it is somewhat understandable that there are some repetitions of the cases reported, as well as what seems like an over-reliance on religious arguments derived from the Gospel accounts, which keep appearing in the book’s narrative. It is hoped, however, that more detailed probing into the human
that period. This gives Thomas interesting perspectives on the day-to-day life of those in Rome under Mussolini, Italian fascism and German occupation. He is able to place the specific decisions made by Pope Pius XII and Vatican officials with regard to harbouring Jews into the larger context of the Italian Resistance
finding food for themselves. For this book, Thomas relied on a network of “researchers” from the current Jewish community of Rome and in Israel, some of them close relatives of the people whose lives he narrates in the book, as well as in the United Kingdom and the United States. He is thus able to draw on mem-
He narrates the work of orders like the Sisters of Sion who hid thousands of Jews in Rome. to the Germans and efforts by Allied diplomats and Vatican representatives to give refuge to Allied soldiers fleeing capture by the Germans. The result is a highly readable, and often riveting, book that gives a very good sense not only of the difficulties faced by the Catholics in saving their fellow Jewish Italian citizens but in surviving the daily obstacles of
ories, memoirs and diaries, some for the first time, in sketching the portraits of those involved, including Pope Pius XII. Thomas describes the actions of the spies of various countries, including the plot by some in Germany to kill Hitler and Hitler’s plot to kidnap the pope, and the awareness of and reactions to these by the Vatican. He describes the “secret network”
REVIEW
therecord.com.au November 21, 2012
Pope’s book ready by Christmas Many will look forward to Benedict XVI’s treatment of Christ’s childhood.
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Confession the guarantee of life’s healing Calls for the seal of confession to be dropped can’t possibly work.
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The imminent publication of the third volume of Pope Benedict’s Jesus of Nazareth will complete Joseph Ratzinger’s magnum opus on the life of Jesus Christ. PHOTO: CNS
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rights of individual Church people will be pursued. As Cardinal Avery Dulles wrote in America magazine in 2004: “The Church must protect the community from harm, but it must also protect the human rights of each individual who may face an accusation. The supposed good of the totality must not override the rights of individual persons.”
of British spies and Catholic priests who worked with the Vatican to bring to safety within the Vatican and Castel Gandolfo Allied troops who had escaped from the Germans and who worked also to bring Jews to Italy from occupied countries and into the safety of the many Vatican properties in Rome. He narrates the perilous work of Catholic religious such as the Sisters of Sion who hid thousands of Jews both before the German roundup of Jews and especially afterward. He notes the role played by Vatican Radio in exposing the anti-Semitic actions of the Nazis – broadcasting content that the pope would have had to approve. This in itself belies the false charge that Pius XII was “silent” about the fate of the Jews. This is a rich, complex story, and one filled with ambiguities, from which the author does not shirk, of “what ifs” and “it could
HE third volume of Pope Benedict XVI’s book on Jesus of Nazareth should be published before Christmas, the Vatican said. The volume, focusing on the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ infancy and childhood, will be the third and final volume in the series of books the pope has written “to make known the figure and message of Jesus,” the Vatican said in a statement in late September. The statement announced a Vatican publishing house agreement with the Italian publisher Rizzoli to handle sales of the rights to the book in languag-
have been more effective if.” In general Thomas concludes that the activities of Church personnel saved many, much with the direct knowledge of the pope. Thomas often uses the phrase “the pope ordered” when referring to the actions of Catholic authorities and religious to save Jews. Certainly these saving deeds were done with his knowledge and approval, though not necessarily at his “order.” Indeed, many would not have needed “orders” to save Jews. My one major criticism is of his scant, less than two-page summary of the treatment of Jews by the bishops of Rome over the centuries. That treatment, in the main, was far more positive and protective of Jews, often in times in which they were persecuted elsewhere, than Thomas describes. This overall relatively consistent positive treatment of the Jews explains much in terms of
es other than Italian and the German original. Herder, the pope’s longtime German publisher, will handle the original German-language text. The Vatican’s plan is to release the book simultaneously in the world’s major languages, including English, in time for Christmas. The first volume of Jesus of Nazareth, covering the period from Jesus’ baptism to his Transfiguration, was published in 2007. The second volume, looking at his passion and death, came out in 2011. - CNS
Pope Pius desire to help the Jews, on the one hand, and the sense on the part of the Jews that the pope would (and could) defend them as popes had in the past on the other. - CNS
NCE again we are seeing the inner workings of the Catholic Church being dissected by an audience that has little understanding of, or interest in, matters of faith. With a Royal Commission having being called into the sin of child sexual abuse, the latest target is - somewhat ironically perhaps - the very sacrament that exists to forgive sin, confession. Interestingly, while secular society is quick to point out if the Church is thought be to stepping into the domain of the State, it doesn’t seem to mind if the State comes wandering into the domain of the Church. The criticism stems around the thousand-year-old Church law which binds priests to never disclose anything that they learn from penitents during the course of the sacrament, commonly called the seal of confession. This confidentiality between priest and penitent is the oldest kind of confidential communication that exists. It has been upheld by priests down the ages and around the world and it doesn’t take much logic to consider why the seal of confession is essential to the integrity of the sacrament. Without anonymity people would simply not pursue sacramental forgiveness. It may be worth considering why in a modern and litigious society confession holds a valuable place. The sacrament of confession is easily mocked, especially by those who went once as a child and never came to understand its value in the faith of an adult pursuing a life of virtue. The sacrament involves the full disclosure of serious sin to a priest. The priest, ordained to act in the person of Jesus Christ, becomes in one sense the channel of God’s forgiveness. Of course Father X has no more power to personally forgive sin than I have power to fly, which is why when he says “I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” the “I” is referring to the direct forgiveness of Christ through the instrumentality of that particular priest. Catholics have confessed their sins to a priest, in some form, for the 2000 year history of the Church following Christ’s own instruction to his apostles to forgive sin in his name. For those millions of faithful who make regular use of the sacrament they can attest to its healing and strengthening capacity. From a faith perspective the healing comes from the grace of God which is reestablished in the person who has deliberately walked away from what they knew to be true and good. Confession is not as much about God ‘forgiving’ the person than it is about the person acknowledging their fault and seeking forgiveness from God and those they wronged. If a person is presenting for the sacrament then, with true
Foolish Wisdom BERNARD TOUTOUNJI
sincerity of heart, might it not be reasonable to think that they may be in the early stages of being open to dealing with whatever deeper issues lie within? Nor is confession some Catholic trick that enables a person to gain forgiveness on Monday, sin on Tuesday and roll back into the confessional on Wednesday completely unrepentant. Absolution is given on the basis of sincere resolution by the penitent that he will do his best, with God’s grace, to sin no more and carefully avoid occasions of sin. A person might go into confession, say all the right things and hear all the right words from the priest but if there is no sincere sorrow or genuine readiness to reform one’s life, there is no forgiveness.
Real change comes from the encounter with something beyond ourselves. That is confession’s most powerful gift. Those who make genuine use of this sacrament are those who are sincerely trying to better their lives and become more Christ-like in thought, word and deed. To do this requires a life change on the part of the penitent which is why the priest will give a penance. It may be a couple of prayers but it may include instruction to seek professional help or a promise to return goods that had been stolen. An authentic confession will involve the pursuit of restitution to God, people or property depending on the particular sin. The willingness to confess one’s sins is the start of an openness to change. Secular society mistakenly thinks that genuine change will come through more rules, laws and commissions. All these have their place but lasting and real change comes through an encounter with a healing reality beyond ourselves – and that is confession’s most powerful gift. The State should go ahead and conduct a Royal Commission – for child abuse is something that cannot be tolerated - but the sacraments of the Church should be respected for the positive work they do in encouraging the pursuit of a better life. Discussion about the State interfering in the Church’s sacramental system descends too easily into a religious bias which is far distant from dealing with the real problem of abuse.
www.foolishwisdom.com
FUN FAITH With
NOVEMBER 25, 2012 • JN 18: 33-37 • SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING
CROSSWORD
Across 3. Jesus replied, ‘Mine is not a ____ of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. As it is, my kingdom does not belong here.’ 5. Jesus answered, ‘It is you who say that I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this, to bear witness to the ____; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my
voice.’ 6. So Pilate went back into the Praetorium and called ____ to him and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews’. Down 1. Pilate said, ‘So, then you are a ____?’ 2. Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief ____ who have handed you over to me.’ 4. Jesus replied, ‘Do you ____ this for yourself, or have others said it to you about me’.
JESUS ASK KINGDOM TRUTH KING PRIESTS
GOSPEL READING John 18: 33-37
So Pilate went back into the Praetorium and called Jesus to him and asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews’. Jesus replied, ‘Do you ask this for yourself, or have others said it to you about me’. Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me.’ Jesus replied, ‘Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. As it is, my kingdom does not belong here.’ Pilate said, ‘So, then you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is you who say that I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this, to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.’
WORD SEARCH JESUS ASK KINGDOM TRUTH KING PRIESTS
WINNER
BRENDAN JAYAPRAKASH, AGED 6
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I came into the world for this, to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.’ - John 18: 33-37
VISTA
therecord.com.au November 21, 2012
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Country women stay strong To celebrate its 75th year, The Record continues Glynnis Grainger’s tale of the growth of a little-seen but vastly important organisation in the Church throughout the 20th Century - the Catholic Women’s League of WA.
Catholic Women’s League members of the Infant Jesus Parish group in Morley.
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HE LEAGUE SPREADS TO THE SOUTH-WEST During the 1960s, the Catholic Women’s League spread its wings and announced several new branches in metropolitan and country areas. Brentwood, Bedford Park, Applecross and Myaree were established in the metro area while Kukerin, Lake Grace, Narrogin, Katanning, Wagin, Bunbury, Mount Baker and Esperance were established in the country. At this time there were only two other country branches - Kalgoorlie and Northam. A Catholic ladies committee was established to organise lay activities and to form a means whereby Catholic women could meet periodically. In July 1968, 30 members from the metropolitan area hired a bus to attend a special meeting in Kukerin. The meeting was held in the Kukerin hall and explained the aims of the CWL. Margaret Kerin from Katanning was elected and appointed by thenBishop of Bunbury Myles McKeon to be the first CWL president for the Bunbury diocese. Georgie Bruce-Smith was president of the Bunbury diocese for five years and was elected to the pontifical council for the laity, travelling all over New Zealand and Australia to meet with CWL members, during which time she was awarded the pro ecclesia medal for her works within the Catholic Church. Her legacy is further defined as one of the first female presidents of a parish council in Bunbury, as was Anne Power. She was also the first person from a country area to be elected national president of CWL in 1994. Barbara Paterniti and Noelle Guidera from Busselton were appointed national secretary and national treasurer in the same year, and the two-vice presidents at that time came from Perth; Barbara Bourhill and Alice Gee. Mrs Bruce-Smith said all 12 successive presidents gave everything they had to give to the CWL and
travelled thousands of kilometres to speak with women in remote areas to promote the works and ideals of the league. Bishop McKeon and his successor Bishop Peter Quinn strongly supported the CWL and encouraged parish priests in the Bunbury diocese to form a CWL group in their parish. The development of CWL in Western Australia however was due to the women of the southwest. Country women who have received life memberships at the CWL in WA are Mrs Kerin, Mrs Bruce-Smith, Mrs Power, Anne Martin of Mount Baker and Joan Joyce of Kukerin. In 1971, the Catholic Women’s Guild, which had functioned in Mount Baker for a number of years, became affiliated with CWL and continued to be a strong branch despite its small membership. In 1988, Boyup Brook parish
PHOTO: COURTESY INFANT JESUS PARISH
Aquinas College that was attended by 500 members from Australia and New Zealand. While each state and territory was autonomous in CWL and had their own constitution for local concerns, the national constitution was adhered to for all matters of national concern. In mid-2009, about 200 delegates from Australia, New Zealand and Papua-New Guinea attended the national conference of the CWL Australia in Perth. At the time the CWL had about 300 members in WA, with 12 branches in Bunbury, including a new one in Margaret River, and six in the Archdiocese of Perth. The vision of the National Executive at the time was to strive to emulate the faith, courage, determination and love of the CWL founder Margaret Fletcher and the women who led the league forward. Every state and territory, except
“The electronic age has made all things possible – we have become very computer savvy,” she said. At the 2009 conference, the incumbent WA national executive was handed over to Victoria. During her presidency, Mrs Kamman visited all the states to attend their annual general meetings and conferences, and attended the 2008 Asia Pacific regional meeting of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations, which was held in Seoul, South Korea. This year CWLWA marked its 75th anniversary with a special Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, which the former Archbishop of Perth, Archbishop Emeritus Barry Hickey, celebrated. In 2012, The CWLWA celebrates its 100th anniversary. The league strove to be well versed in all current issues, in particular, those that afflict Catholic moral standards.
Despite diocesan support, the development of the Catholic Women’s League in Western Australia was due to the strong women of the southwest. established a CWL branch, which is still operating today and every year between February and May, the members make about 30 quilts for the St Vincent de Paul Society. A year after the Boyup Brook branch was established, to rationalise the administration of the CWL the Archdiocese of Perth and the Diocese of Bunbury separated and appointed separate presidents, exectutives and councils, which reported to the state council. Major renovations were made to the eastern half of the CWL headquarters, Downey Hall in Vincent Street, North Perth which enabled it to be leased on a commercial basis and the income used to maintain the building. Downey Hall was sold last year and the new headquarters were established in Bulwer Street, Mount Lawley. From 1993 till 1995, the national executive was again based in WA under the presidency of Mrs BruceSmith, which culminated in a successful national conference held at
the Northern Territory, was represented at the conference, which was themed “Walking with God”. The CWL national executive, which changed every two years, was headed by national president Karyn Kammann of Manjimup, national secretary Maria Parkinson and national treasurer Noelle Guidera of Busselton, national vice-presidents Barbara Paterniti of Perth and Anne Power of Kukerin, and national publicity officer Margaret Sullivan of Holt Rock. Mrs Kammann told The Record it was wonderful to show CWL were women of faith and integrity. “It has been a challenging walk with God,” she said. “The women themselves don’t give themselves enough credit in the Church.” Mrs Parkinson said the logistics of “manning” the national council for the two years were mammoth, with members either travelling to Perth or Busselton for monthly meetings, which [were] usually held over two days.
This involved the continued affirmation of the dignity of women in family, religious and single life, and to encourage the participation of women in the mission of the Church. It was also important to nurture and respect women’s God-given gifts and to use these gifts wisely. At the next national conferences, investigations into the application of laws allowing abortions for patients under the age of 16 and the reporting of offensive television and radio advertisements will be discussed. Current there are many CWL project in WA that provide assistance to vulnerable women such as those who are homeless or living in remote areas who require medical treatment or those who are released from prison. CWLWA distributes toiletries and hand-knitted blankets as well as back-to-school bags from the St Vincent de Paul Society to struggling families. It also donates to Pregnancy
Assistance in Perth and Bunbury as well as seminarians at St Charles seminary in Morley. The state league has made a number of submissions to parliament on a wide variety of social issues including prostitution, human rights legislation, cannabis law reform and paid maternity leave. The current state executive of CWLWA are president Karyn Kammann, vice-presidents Barbara Paterniti and Gemma Greaves, secretary Shelia Cullinane, treasurer Maria Parkinson and state chaplain Fr Wayne Davis. CWLWA has announced commencing in 2013, it will offer a scholarship to one female student at Notre Dame University, with special consideration for applicants whose permanent home address are 160 or more kilometres from the Perth CBD. The future of the league in WA is somewhat promising, with a small but flourishing branch in Geraldton and the development of a second stream of members who have begun meeting at the largest state branch, Busselton, usually over dinner. There are also growing numbers of women in Perth and Bunbury who wish to be part of CWL who, however, are unable to join a parish branch. CWLWA president Karyn Kammann told The Record it was difficult to know how membership could be boosted but the organisation was aiming to attract women between the age of 40 and 50. “Demographically, these women will probably either have already served, or be close to having served the community at their children’s schools and such like and may be back in the workforce,” she said. “With this is mind, it is important to keep in mind CWL aims and objects, but to also widen the scope of the type of meetings or gatherings which may suit them.” “Primarily, it is a coming together of women who share the same faith and now have the time and inclination to get to know others in a similar situation – an extension of church as we know it.”
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OPINION
EDITORIAL
Dialogue of faith and science leads the way
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imply put, faith and science are two basic forms of knowledge available to human beings and there is no contradiction between them. Science aims to know physical beings; faith strives to know spiritual beings - all that transcends nature and is not visible. The human person is the one being that is both spiritual and physical and so is an object of both faith and science. Pope Benedict XVI’s call for a deeper dialogue between faith and science seeks a conversation that is especially urgent in today’s society. The dialogue ought, first, to distinguish scientific truth from religious truth in order to eradicate superstition and to preserve human dignity. Second, it needs to bring ethical considerations into contact with science since not everything that can be done should be done. The first area of dialogue may seem simple. However, some modern philosophies maintain that all knowledge is scientific and that anything to do with the spiritual or religion is superstition. Not only does this view deny the existence of God, it also denies the existence of human reason and will, reducing human beings to complex machines. Conversely, there is a tendency among some – not just religious believers – to disregard scientific findings that contradict their beliefs. One example is, of course, the belief of some that the first chapters of Genesis are a science textbook. Other beliefs such as astrology try to describe and predict events in the material world with no explanation of the process of cause and effect. There is a difference in how people assent to the conclusions of science and faith. If the truth of a scientific theory is clearly demonstrated, the human will is forced to give its assent. Spiritual knowledge, in contrast, involves communication between two or more free and intelligent persons. For knowledge to occur, one person must open up to the other. Intimacy can develop when two persons open up to each other. The trust that develops from intimacy can lead to love. Some scientists have tried to reduce faith and love to biological processes. While faith and love may indeed lead to physiological changes, those changes are not the essence of the thing. Proper science is no threat to faith. In fact, science assumes that the universe is ordered. If the universe were chaotic, science would be impossible. An ordered universe, however, points to the existence of a being who is the source of that order. This Being who orders the universe is not the same concept of God in the Old and PO Box 3075 New testaments, but he can Adelaide Terrace surely fit within that concept. PERTH WA 6832 The Judeo-Christian God is not only the God of love, he is also office@therecord.com.au the creator. In the final analysis, Tel: (08) 9220 5900 science and Christianity are not Fax: (08) 9325 4580 at odds; they complement one another.
Science and Christianity are not at odds; they actually complement one another.
THE RECORD
Council is the air we breathe
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t’s a sad misunderstanding of Church history that some people see the Second Vatican Council as something to be “for” or “against.” It’s like taking a stand on air or food. The teachings of Vatican II are what we Catholics have breathed for decades and they have made us who we are. The gathering of the Church’s bishops and their advisers, which began 50 years ago, was a rare ecumenical council, the most authoritative kind of assembly the Church can have. Convened by Pope John XXIII, the council did not change the Church’s nature or mission, but reclaimed early Christian emphases. In doing so, it kept the church alive in the modern world. Fuelled by decades of Catholic Scripture study and a regained knowledge of the early Church fathers, the council reminded us to think of ourselves as the people of God. We admitted that it would no longer serve the Gospel well to think of ourselves as separate from culture. What we needed to do, we discovered, was embrace the joys and sorrows of humans and transform the world. Knowing that prayer and belief feed one another, the council worked first on liturgy. The aim was to energise worship and see to it that the assembly no longer was passive during Mass. Everything the council did on worship was to create full, active, conscious participation. Whether we prefer Mass in Latin, like folk songs or hanker for serene worship, few to none of us would do away with giving responses or serving as lectors and eucharistic ministers. Take Communion to the sick? Teach catechism? Thank Vatican II. A medieval piece of wisdom put it this way: “Ecclesia semper reformanda est.” (“The Church is always in need of reform.”) And so, after Vatican II, there is some continuity and some discontinuity, as Pope Benedict has said. Change does not mean it’s no longer the Church. The followers of Christ have always had to be nimble, adapting to the ascension of their master, the rise and fall of empires, the death of feudalism and the notion of religious liberty. It makes no sense to oppose or support such movements of faith and history. Instead, our mission is to read the signs of the times and trust that the Holy Spirit is guiding our feeble attempts to bring Christ to a world deeply in need of him. From time to time The Record samples editorial opinion from around the world. The first editorial above appeared in the November 19 issue of the Western Catholic Reporter of the Archdiocese of Edmonton, Alberta; the second in the October 19 issue of the Catholic Sentinel, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon.
therecord.com.au
November 21, 2012
LETTERS
Dispelling common errors on Confession THERE IS much misunderstanding about the vow of secrecy of the Sacrament of Confession which the Catholic Church offers to penitents. The Catholic Church will never reveal confessional confidentiality as this is a fundamental and unbreakable basis allowing a penitent to confess in the knowledge that what is said is kept between the priest and the penitent. The priest may judge the situation and either grant absolution or withhold absolution according to the penitent’s attitude. It is far better to have a Catholic priest advise and encourage a penitent to make good as best as the circumstances will allow than to not have this avenue available. It is also misunderstood that the priest will know the identity of the penitent. This is not necessarily the case and it depends on the penitent wishing to confess in private view or directly before the priest. Further the priest may not know
who the penitent is, as a penitent may chose to go to an unknown priest. There is much good to come out of having this avenue of reconciliation available for both the penitent and the community. Neither the Catholic Church nor the priest is an agent for ASIO! Joe Nardizzi CITY BEACH, WA
Rejoice in (and support) our two seminaries TO THE MANY people who feel like the person Fr John Flader answered in Q & A (The Record, November 7), regarding worrying and praying for family and friends who have left the Church there is, in fact, something further that they can do to help for which they will be greatly rewarded: support our two Archdiocesan seminaries. In the early 1990s Archbishop Hickey – in his foresight and faith – opened two seminaries, one for diocesan clergy supported by the archdiocese, and a missionary seminary to rely on the providence
of God precisely for the purpose of reaching those who have left the Church and those who are far away. Many generous people have helped with the building and have seen the fruits of 30 priests ordained already. In 2002 a similar missionary seminary was inaugurated by Cardinal Pell in Sydney, the fruits of which became apparent last year with the ordination of two priests, and four more this year. They moved into a new building in January which, when complete, will house over 70 seminarians. Money and prayers are needed for all their expenses, and to complete the building. All the staff are unpaid voluntary workers as are the teachers who teach English and some ancillary tuition. God is faithful. Fr Kevin Spillane, who has just retired as Parish Priest of Villawood says that on the site where the new seminary is standing, a group of elderly people of the Legion of Mary prayed for many years for vocations, never imagining that the Lord would answer by providing a whole seminary. Alan Onraet MANLY WEST, QLD
Want some balance? I want the opposite An old tale of a young man searching for God and an old monk’s response is a great reminder of what’s really important in life’s journey ...
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N AN attempt to discover the fullness of God, a young man set off in search of an elderly monk who was said to possess all spiritual truth. He eventually discovered the wise old man kneeling in a cave and asked him how he could come to know God in all His glory. Without speaking a word the monk got up and beckoned the young man to follow. Full of excitement he walked along a path to a small stream, where the silent monk motioned for him to kneel at the edge and look closely into the water. The young seeker of truth enthusiastically obeyed, peering intently into the depths. Suddenly the old man pushed his head under the water and held him there. The young man was frantic and began to struggle, but the monk continued to hold him down. Finally he released him and the blue-faced student gasped desperately for air, his eyes wide in horror and shock. While he was still sucking in the air the old monk whispered softly in his ear, “When you desire to seek God as passionately as you desired that first breath … only then will you discover His fullness and beauty”. It is a story I regularly contemplate when analysing my relationship with God and it always reminds me of how short I fall. Throughout history there have been many holy men and women who seemed to have lived every waking moment desiring to fulfil God’s will in their lives, yet my first thought for each day is usually focused on my own wants and worries. Perhaps these holy people also wrestled with such episodes of self-absorption, but the difference is that they eventually chose to completely hand their day over to God, whereas I am only willing to
I Say, I Say MARK REIDY
share it with Him. One of the greatest enemies in this battle is my willingness to succumb to one of the most liberally interpreted words of our time – “balance”. It is a concept I embrace when I’m looking for an excuse to channel my time and energy into what I want to do. I can’t get too spiritual, I will tell myself. I need to have “balance” – work, rest, play, family time, my time, etc. I will allow God to have an influence in certain aspects of my life, or to a certain degree, but I will justify and rationalise why I should maintain some semblance of control.
Perhaps these holy people wrestled with self-absorption, but they eventually chose to hand control over to God, whereas I am only willing to share it. But according to the wisdom of the old monk, I will never discover the fullness of God because His revelation is dependent on the zeal with which I seek Him. If His will is my sole desire and I seek Him as I seek my next breath, then I will receive the fullness of His love, but if I decide to seek a more “balanced” approach, then God will honour my choice. Jesus should be our barometer, but just how “balanced” was he? His
passion and zeal to fulfil the will of His Father was in his every breath, including his last. His desire to implant the message of eternal love into the hearts of those he met was total and unwavering. He lived in a family-oriented culture yet he preached that those who do the will of his Father in heaven where his mother and brother. He was part of a society that taught an eye for an eye yet he encouraged people to turn the other cheek. He reached out to those society considered unworthy and vehemently condemned the attitudes of those in authority. A simple denial could have saved him from a violent savage death. No, this does not appear to be a “balanced” man. Although the Gospels only provide us with snippets of Jesus’ life on earth, those who recorded it focused solely on his single-minded zeal to live out his Father’s will. Only Peter questioned his blinkered approach - when he insisted that Jesus should not have to suffer- and he was reminded in no uncertain terms that such questioning was not from God. After that no one else told him to take it easy, put his feet up, pamper himself … or find some “balance”. But the Gospel writers did make it clear that every one of Jesus’ deeds, words and thoughts was anchored in his Father’ love. God was the very essence of his existence and everything he did was motivated by this relationship. Jesus may well have savoured some of the delights the world had to offer, but the desire to fulfil his Father’s will would never have been compromised by self-satisfaction. This was a man who lived out the wisdom of the old monk … he yearned for God as he yearned for his very next breath. I think it’s time I found a little less ‘balance’ in my life.
Something to say? Say it in a Letter to the Editor: office@therecord.com.au.
OPINION
therecord.com.au November 21, 2012
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The emperor’s new clothes give no warmth at all What does our inclination to purchase things we do not – or will never – need say about us as a nation, asks Dr Andrew Kania?
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LITTLE while ago I was driving on Stirling Highway. At one of the traffic lights, a young man pulled up beside me in what was a new Porsche Boxster. The light turned green, he sped off, only for me to catch him at the next set of lights. The same thing occurred at the next two traffic lights. The Porsche Boxster is an exquisite sports car. It has a top speed of 280 kph and in Perth, as of 2012, it sells for around $150,000. In Perth the highway speeds are 60 kph, in built-up areas it is 50 kph, around schools, 40 kph, and on the Freeway 110 kph. Built in Stuttgart, the Porsche Boxster comes from a country famed for the Autobahn, a road network, where in many parts, there is no speed limit. But Perth is not Stuttgart; and no individual can legally exceed 110 kph in Australia. Why would anyone be willing to purchase an item of such expense that can never be used to even a fraction of its fullest potential? The answer put simply – is because they can. Borrowing from the French philosopher Rene Descartes, I wish to posit a new maxim for modern man: “As I purchase and consume – so I am”. What I mean is that, as the soul animates the body, so too our patterns of consumption, reveal something about who we are. Our consumption patterns indicate what we value and prioritise. Desiderius Erasmus, the famous Dutch humanist, indicated this of himself, when he wrote: “When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.” Let me provide a personal example. Recently while surfing the internet, I came across a website that was selling bicycle tyres; the prices were very good. Do I need new tyres? Absolutely not. But the reputation of these tyres was well known – and moreover, they were white. The credit card was near me but something stopped me. What? My wife, who did not know of my desire to purchase the tyres, informed me that my son would like to continue with his tennis lessons. Restricted for disposable funds, I decided that my son’s happiness came before the white tyres. But had I had the disposable income there is no doubt in my mind that I would have wasted close to one hundred dollars on mere appearance, for the sole reason that I had the purchasing power to do so. This predilection to waste money, I believe, does not place me in such a rare category. At the close of 2009, a report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that new homes across Australia are bigger in square metre terms than anywhere else in the world. Whereas 20 or 30 years ago the average house was three bedrooms at most, now it is at least four, possibly five and also includes a lounge, dining room and a home entertainment room. One prominent Australian economist quoted in the report said our homes are around a third bigger than 20 years ago and 10 per cent bigger than a decade ago, but they are far bigger than other homes in other parts of the world.” So in a nation where family sizes are rapidly declining we are not filling our houses with people but with things. Entertainment and gadgets need rooms; so we build rooms for these ‘things’ to ‘live’. Are we being seduced, or have we been already so hypnotised by consumerism that we must have ‘things?’ Has advertising separated our intellect from our moral compass. Can ‘things’ make us happy? The Greek philosopher Epicurus would suggest no. Epicurus who
has become somewhat known as the philosopher of pleasure writes that it doesn’t take too much for the body and soul to find enjoyment and good rest, if we look for it, by living simply: “We find that the requirements of our bodily nature are few indeed, no more than is necessary to banish pain … Nature does not periodically seek anything more gratifying than this, not complaining if there are no golden images of youths about the house who are holding flaming torches in their right hands to illuminate banquets that go on long into the night. What does it matter if the hall doesn’t sparkle with silver and gleam with gold, and no craved and gilded rafters ring to the music of the lute? Nature doesn’t miss these luxuries when people can recline in company on the soft grass by a running stream under the branches of a tall tree and refresh their bodies pleasurably at small expense. Better
is that poor micro-choices have a real effect on the misdistribution of resources, and as a consequence, effect social justice on a macro level. Building houses with the majority of the rooms being empty – while there are babies sleeping in
Building houses with the majority of rooms empty while babies sleep in cars says something about us. cars because of a housing shortage, says something about our nation. Purchasing automobiles that have no constructive purpose on our roads, that depreciate immediately as soon as they leave the showroom by 20 per cent (in the case of the
of its fundamental social principles, the principle of the universal destination of goods, and the principle of the preferential option of the poor. The first relates to the notion that God has “full and perennial lordship over every reality and of the requirement that the goods of creation remain ever destined to the development of the whole person and of all humanity.” (Compendium of The Social Doctrine of the Church, 2009, p. 89). As such, although the right to private property is a principle also held by the Church, each of us bears a social responsibility in how we spend our income – for there exists both a moral and social contract in which we are obligated to God and neighbour. John Stuart Mill would say of liberty that we can do anything we want, as long as it does not negatively affect the welfare of another
I purchase because I can. Dr Andrew Kania questions the materialism that has come to characterise much of Australian life. PHOTO: PUBLIC SOURCE
still if the weather smiles on them, and the season of the year stipples the green grass with flowers.” (de Botton, 2000, p. 69). In what becomes a great paradox, Epicurus would write that it is difficult to live simply, because great material wealth makes us poor. The purchasing power we possess confuses us with limitless choices. Like a moth caught up in a light, we are tantalised, and find ourselves not only with buyer’s remorse, but frustrated at no longer being able to find the pursuit of happiness in the non-material. In forgetting the maxim that the best things in life are free, we sit in our domestic museums desiring our ‘things’ to whisper to us some vacuous truth that will make us happy. Yet the critical problem with our inability to make reasoned choices,
Boxster by $30,000), to a sum that could, in scholarship value, change the lives of children, is wastage; purchasing bicycle tyres that are not needed at the cost of a child’s
One thing we can do is make this inequity less of a burden for others by how we live our own lives. happiness is nonsense. Have we ever seriously considered how else we waste our earnings on a daily, weekly and annual basis, solely because we have the capacity to do so? The Catholic Church has as two
person. The right to private property does not then give us unconditional power to squander resources. None of our economic decisions can ever be made in a vacuum; for finite resources are exactly that, because they are scarce and are in demand. If we cannot do our neighbour direct good – we should not do him indirect ill, by wastage. Second, the preferential option for the poor requires of us that we consider the plight of the marginalised in how we, as a society, re-distribute resources: “the principle of the universal distribution of goods requires that the poor, the marginalised and in all cases those whose living conditions interfere with their proper growth should be the focus of particular concern.” (Compendium of The Social Doctrine of the Church, 2009, p. 91).
Such a principle does not smack of socialism or communism, for the Church encourages private enterprise, and economic ambition; yet simultaneously the Church wishes that the individual be wise in how they administer resources, so that by acting prudently, they can consider the plight of those less fortunate than themselves. Need we be reminded what Christ said about our concern for the poor in the Gospel of St Matthew: “‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’” (Matthew 25: 45, RSV). The French economist Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, once commented “that the common measure of all values is man”. A seemingly innocuous line is rich in insight. God has created all resources. It is only the appearance of man in creation that gives peculiar values to particular things. Gold is expensive, because people desire it; as with diamonds, as with silver, as with real estate. If a tree falls in a forest, with no creature with the ability to hear near by – did it ever make a noise? Similarly, if there is no man or woman in the world – do any resources have a value, higher or lower than any other? God in His perfection has created – humanity, in its imperfection has apportioned. What we can do is make this inequity less of a burden for some, by how we live our lives; securing our personal needs, but rationalizing our wants, so that our wants do not become blurred with what is truly necessary to good living. There is quite often much profundity in simple bed-time stories. Hans Christian Andersens’ tale The Emperor’s New Clothes (1837), tells of a vain emperor, duped to believe that his new outfit is made from a material that can only be seen by those of a high enough station to do so. The Emperor can’t see the cloth, but he won’t admit to this, nor will his ministers because to do so would mean that they are lowly. At the heart of the folly is pride. So out struts the completely naked Emperor to meet his minions. A child cries out that the Emperor is naked, the whole crowd joins the chorus – but the Emperor keeps walking – even though he knows the assertion in his heart to be true. Why does he walk? For the reason that to turn back and cover himself would be to admit his ignorance; and he would rather be laughed to scorn for his physical inadequacies, than for his moral cupidity. The Spanish mystic St John of the Cross reminds us all: “In the twilight of life, God will not judge our earthly possessions and human success, but rather on how much we have loved.” If what St John of the Cross tells us is the Truth, a Truth that he garnered from his Master, Jesus Christ, then we should live with our eyes opened, knowing that we are wise Emperors who look after our financial resources by making reasoned choices – and not being led and duped, by fashions, advertisements, jealousy and envy. For what would be worse than one day being caught out by a child, who points out to us, in our stupor of pride, that what we have clothed ourselves in, is in effect, emptiness. What would be worse? Probably this, to stand at the close of our lives, before God, in what we consider to be a veil of style and chic, but then look down to see that we are in fact standing before Him naked; and in our nakedness, being questioned about what we became in life, rather than what we owned, and what we purchased. For what I consumed, is what I became.
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PANORAMA
UPCOMING
available. 12pm - Lunch (bring a plate to share) Enq: Des 6278 1540.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25 Christ the King – An Afternoon of Praise at the Disciples of Jesus 3-5pm at the Disciples of Jesus Community Venue, 67 Howe St, Osborne Park. A time of charismatic praise and worship and an opportunity to proclaim Christ’s royalty over individuals, families, society, governments, and nations. Healing ministry will be available. Refreshments afterwards. (The Feast of Christ the King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism, a way of life which leaves God out of man’s thinking and living and organises his life as if God does not exist). Enq: Admin 0429 777 007.
NEXT YEAR 2013
Solemnity of Christ the King - celebration 2pm at the Shrine of Virgin of the Revelation, 36 Chittering Rd, Bullsbrook. It comprises Eucharistic procession, Holy Mass and Consecration with Confessions before Mass. His Grace Archbishop Emeritus Hickey is the principal celebrant. Enjoy a family picnic on the lawns afterwards. A bus will be leaving from Good Shepherd Parish, Lockridge, 215 Morley Drive (cnr Altone Rd) at 11.30am. Cost: $15 per person. Enq: Nick 9378 2684 or famdeluca@optusnet.com.au. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27 Advent preparation - Spirituality and The Sunday Gospels by Norma Woodcock 7-8pm at St Benedict’s School Hall, Alness St, Applecross. Cost: collection. Accreditation recognition by the CEO. Enq: Norma 9487 1772 or www.normawoodcock.com. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30 Medjurgorje Evening of Prayer 7-9pm at St Joseph’s Parish, 3 Salvado Rd, Subiaco. Prayer in thanksgiving for Our Lady’s reported daily apparitions; with Eucharistic Adoration, Rosary and Holy Mass. Free DVDs on conversion of Donald Calloway from life of sin to priesthood available. Please see pilgrimage advert. Enq: 9402 2480 or 0407 471 256 or medjugorje@y7mail. com. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1 Day With Mary 9am-5pm at Corpus Christi Parish, 43 Lochee St, Mosman Park. Day of prayer and instruction based on the Fatima message. 9am Video; 10am Holy Mass; Reconciliation, Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic Adoration, sermons on Eucharist and on Our Lady, Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet and Stations of the Cross. BYO lunch. Enq: Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate 9250 8286. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2 Divine Mercy 1.30pm at St Francis Xavier’s Parish, Windsor St, East Perth. Main Celebrant: TBA. Homily: Holy Family. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be offered. Refreshment afterwards. Enq: John 9457 7771. 36th Annual Rosary Procession 3pm at St Joseph’s Parish, 20 Hamilton St, Bassendean. Procession in honour of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. Followed by homily, Benediction and refreshments. Please bring a plate to share. Enq: admin 9379 2691. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4 Emmanuel Centre’s Christmas Party 11.30am at Emmanuel Centre, 25 Windsor St, Perth. Share with Archbishop Emeritus BJ Hickey in preparation for Christmas. Come, join in the singing and meet other people of Emmanuel. Children welcome. Christmas Carols; Lunch BYO to share, tea, coffee, and cool drink supplied. RSVP: November 30. Enq: Admin 9328 8113 (Voice) or 9328 9571 (TTY) or SMS 0401 016 399 or Fax: 9227 9720 or Emmanuelcentre@westnet.com.au. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6 Prayer in the style of Taizé 7.30-8.30pm at Our Lady of Grace Parish, 3 Kitchener St, North Beach. Prayer, song and silence – in candle light – the symbol of the light of Christ Jesus. www.taize.fr Enq: admin 9448 4888 or Joan 9448 4457. Auslan Café - Sign language workshop 10.30am-12pm at St Francis Xavier’s Emmanuel Centre, 25 Windsor St, Perth. It’s Australian Sign Language –a social setting for anybody who would like to learn or practice Auslan in a relaxing & fun atmosphere. Light lunch provided. Enq: Emma emmanuelcentre@westnet.com.au.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 26 Youth Inner Healing Retreat (live-in) 7.30am at St Thomas Moore College, 48 Mounts Bay Rd, Crawley. Led by Vincentian Fathers. Registration and Enq: Sonia 0410 596 520 or Sheldon 0415 841 737 or dmymau@gmail.com. SATURDAY, JANUARY 26 TO MONDAY, JANUARY 28 Youth Inner Healing Retreat (live-in) 7.30am at St Thomas More College, 48 Mounts Bay Rd, Crawley. Led by the Vincentian Fathers. Registration and Enq: Sonia 0410 596 520 or Sheldon 0415 841 737 or dmymau@gmail.com. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10 Our Lady of Lourdes 70th Anniversary Mass – with Archbishop Costelloe 9.30am at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, 207 Lesmurdie Rd, Lesmurdie. Enq: Fr Kenneth 9291 6282 or 9291 8952 or 0434 934 286. St. Louis Parish Boyanup – Mass Celebrating 100th Year Anniversary 10am at St. Louis Parish, Cnr Bridge St and Thomas St, Boyanup. Begins with Mass followed with luncheon at Hugh Kilpatrick Hall. RSVP for catering purposes. RSVP and Enq: Frances 9731 5058. SUNDAY, MARCH 17 St Joseph’s School Waroona - 70th Anniversary Celebration Mass 10am-3pm at St Joseph’s School, Millar St, Waroona. Is inviting all past students, staff and families to help celebrate their 70th anniversary at the school, Millar St, Waroona. Begins with Mass celebrated by Fr Chiera, Vicar General of the Bunbury Diocese and will be followed by a day of fun, food and festivities. Please pass on this information to anyone you know from the school in the last 70 years. Enq: Admin 9782 6500 or www.stjoeswaroona.wa.edu.au.
REGULAR EVENTS EVERY SUNDAY Gate of Heaven Catholic Radio Join the Franciscans of the Immaculate from 7.309pm on Radio Fremantle 107.9FM for Catholic radio broadcast of EWTN and our own live shows. Enq: radio@ausmaria.com.
Immaculate Cafe Immaculate Cafe is now open every Sunday 9.30am-1pm at St Mary’s Cathedral Parish Centre, downstairs after Mass. Coffee, tea, cakes, sweets, friendship with Cathedral parishioners. Further info: Tammy on smcperthwyd@yahoo.com.au or 0415 370 357. Pilgrim Mass - Shrine of the Virgin of the Revelation 2pm at Shrine, 36 Chittering Rd, Bullsbrook. Commencing with Rosary followed by Benediction. Reconciliation available before every celebration. Anointing of the sick administered during Mass every second Sunday of the month. Pilgrimage in honour of the Virgin of the Revelation last Sunday of the month. Side entrance to church and shrine open daily between 9am-5pm. Enq Sacri 9447 3292. Praise and Worship 5.30pm at St Denis Parish, cnr Osborne St and Roberts Rd, Joondanna. Followed by 6pm Mass. Enq: Admin admin@stdenis.com.au. EVERY FIRST SUNDAY Singles Prayer and Social Group 7pm at All Saints Chapel, Allendale Sq, 77 St George’s Tce, Perth. Begins with Holy Hour (Eucharistic Adoration, Rosary and teaching) followed by dinner at local restaurant. Meet new people, pray and socialise with other single men and women. Enq: Veronica 0403 841 202. EVERY SECOND SUNDAY Healing Hour 7-8pm at St Lawrence Parish, Balcatta. Songs of praise and worship, exposition of Blessed Sacrament and prayers for sick. Enq: Fr Irek Czech SDS or office Tue-Thu, 9am-2.30pm 9344 7066.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8 One Day Faith Renewal Retreat – Part 3 9am-4.30pm at Holy Family Parish, Lot 375, Alcock St, Maddington. Cost free. Morning tea and lunch provided. Enq: Admin 9483 1703.
EVERY FOURTH SUNDAY Shrine Time for Young Adults 18-35 years 7.30-8.30pm in Schoenstatt Shrine, 9 Talus Dr, Mt Richon; Holy Hour with prayer, reflection, meditation, praise and worship; followed by a social gathering. Come and pray at a place of grace. Enq: Schoenstatt Srs 9399 2349.
Divine Mercy – Healing Mass 2.30pm at St Francis Xavier’s Parish, Windsor St, East Perth. Main Celebrant: Fr Marcellinus. Reconciliation in English and Italian offered. Divine Mercy prayers followed by Veneration of First Class Relic of St Faustina Kowalska. Refreshments afterwards. Enq: John 9457 7771.
Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood, Religious Life 2-3pm at Infant Jesus Parish, Wellington St, Morley. Includes exposition of Blessed Eucharist, silent prayer, Scripture, prayers of intercession. Come and pray those discerning vocations can hear clearly God’s call.
Padre Pio Prayer Day (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) 8.30am at St Bernadette’s Parish, 49 Jugan St, Glandalough. St Padre Pio DVD in Parish centre. 10am - Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, Divine Mercy, Adoration and Benediction. 11am – Mass, St Padre Pio Liturgy, Confessions
EVERY SECOND AND FOURTH MONDAY A Ministry to the Un-Churched 12.30-1.30pm at St John’s Pro-Cathedral, Victoria Ave, Perth (opposite church offices). With charismatic praise and prayer teams available. Help us ‘reach out to the pagans’ or soak in the praise. Enq:
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November 21, 2012
Dan 9398 4973. EVERY LAST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH Filipino Mass 3pm at Notre Dame Church, cnr Daley and Wright Sts, Cloverdale. Please bring a plate to share for socialisation after Mass. Enq: Fr Nelson Po 0410 843 412, Elsa 0404 038 483. EVERY MONDAY Evening Adoration and Mass 7pm at St Thomas Parish, Claremont, cnr Melville St and College Rd. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and evening prayer. 8pm - Communion Service (including night prayer). Enq: Kim on 9384 0598.
LAST MONDAY OF THE MONTH Be Still in His Presence – Ecumenical Christian Program 7.30-8.45pm at St Swithun Anglican Church, 195 Lesmurdie St, Lesmurdie (hall behind church). Begins with songs of praise and worship, silent time, lectio divina, small group sharing and cuppa. Enq: Lynne 9293 3848 or 043 5252 941. EVERY TUESDAY Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal 6pm at Pater Noster Church, Marmion and Evershed Sts, Myaree. Mass at 5.30pm followed by Benediction. Enq: John 0408 952 194. Novena to God the Father 7.30pm at St Joachim’s parish hall, Vic Park. Novena followed by reflection and discussions on forthcoming Sunday Gospel. Enq: Jan 9284 1662. Ninth Annual Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal 5.30-6pm at St Luke’s Parish, 2 Parkside Rmbl, Woodvale. Novena to Tuesday, December 4. A devotion of 30 minutes of public prayer with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Novena prayer, reflection and Benediction. Enq: Fr Francisco stlk@iinet.net.au.
at the Parish. Enq: st.bernadettesyouth@gmail. com or 9444 6131. EVERY THIRD THURSDAY Auslan Café – Sign Language Workshop 12.30pm at St Francis Xavier Emmanuel Centre, 25 Windsor St, Perth. Its Australian Sign Language - Auslan Café is a social setting for anybody who would like to learn or practise Auslan in a relaxing and fun atmosphere. Light lunch provided. Enq: Emma emmanuelcentre@westnet.com.au. EVERY FRIDAY Eucharistic Adoration at Schoenstatt Shrine 10am at Schoenstatt Shrine, 9 Talus Drive, Mt Richon. Includes Holy Mass, exposition of Blessed Sacrament, silent adoration till 8.15pm. In this Year of Grace, join us in prayer at a place of grace. Enq: Sisters of Schoenstatt 9399 2349. Healing Mass 6pm at Holy Family Parish, Lot 375 Alcock St, Maddington. Begins with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament; Rosary; Stations of the Cross; Healing Mass followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Enq: admin 9493 1703 or www.vpcp. org.au EVERY FIRST FRIDAY Mass and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 11am-4pm at Little Sisters of the Poor Chapel, 2 Rawlins St, Glendalough. Exposition of Blessed Sacrament after Mass until 4pm finishing with Rosary. Enq: Sr Marie MS.Perth@lsp.org.au. Healing Mass 7pm at St Peter’s Parish, Inglewood. Praise and worship, Exposition and Eucharistic Adoration, Benediction and anointing of the sick followed by holy Mass and fellowship. Celebrants Fr Dat and invited priests. 6.45pm Reconciliation. Enq: Mary Ann 0409 672 304, Prescilla 0433 457 352 and Catherine 0433 923 083.
EVERY FIRST TUESDAY Short MMP Cenacle for Priests 2pm at Edel Quinn Centre, 36 Windsor St, East Perth. Enq: Fr Watt 9376 1734.
Healing and Anointing Mass 8.45am Pater Noster Church, Evershed St, Myaree. Begins with Reconciliation, then 9am Mass of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, anointing of the sick and prayers to St Peregrine. Enq: Joy 9337 7189.
EVERY WEDNESDAY Holy Spirit of Freedom Community 7.30pm at Church of Christ, 111 Stirling St, Perth. We welcome everyone to attend our praise meeting. Enq: 0423 907 869 or hsofperth@gmail.com
Catholic Faith Renewal Evening 7.30pm at Ss John and Paul Parish, Pinetree Gully Rd, Willetton. Songs of Praise and Prayer, sharing by a priest, then thanksgiving Mass and light refreshments. Enq: Kathy 9295 0913 or Ann 0412 166 164 or catholicfaithrenewal@gmail.com
Bible Study at Cathedral 6.15pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, 17 Victoria Sq, Perth. Deepen your faith through reading and reflecting on holy Scripture by Fr Jean-Noel Marie. Meeting room beneath Cathedral. Enq: 9223 1372.
Communion of Reparation All Night Vigils 7pm-1.30am at Corpus Christi Church, Lochee St, Mosman Park or St Gerard Majella Church, cnr Ravenswood Dr/Majella Rd, Westminster (Mirrabooka). Vigils are two Masses, Adoration, Benediction, prayers, Confession in reparation for outrages committed against the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Enq: Vicky 0400 282 357; Fr Giosue 9349 2315; John/Joy 9344 2609.
Holy Hour - Catholic Youth Ministry Mass at 5.30pm and Holy Hour (Adoration) at 6.30pm at Catholic Pastoral Centre, 40A Mary St, Highgate. Enq: www.cym.com or 9422 7912.
EVERY FIRST WEDNESDAY
Pro-life Witness – Mass and Procession 9.30am at St Brigid’s Parish, cnr Great North Hwy and Morrison Rd, Midland. Begins with Mass followed by Rosary procession and prayer vigil at nearby abortion clinic, and led by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. Please join us to pray for an end to abortion and the conversion of hearts. Enq Helen 9402 0349.
Novena to St Mary of the Cross MacKillop 7-7.45pm at Blessed Mary MacKillop Parish, cnr Cassowary Dr and Pelican Pde, Ballajura. Begins with Mass, novena prayers and Benediction. Followed by healing prayers and anointing of the sick. Enq: Madi 9249 9093 or Gerry 0417 187 240.
EVERY SECOND FRIDAY OF THE MONTH Discover Spirituality of St Francis of Assisi 12pm at St Brigid’s parish centre. The Secular Franciscans of Midland Fraternity have lunch, then 1-3pm meeting. Enq: Antoinette 9297 2314.
Adonai Ladies Prayer Group 10am in upper room of St Joseph’s Parish, 3 Salvado Rd, Subiaco. Come and join us for charismatic prayer and praise. Enq: Win 9387 2808 or Noreen 9298 9935.
EVERY SECOND WEDNESDAY Chaplets of Divine Mercy 7.30pm St Thomas More Parish, Dean Rd, Bateman accompanied by Exposition, then Benediction. Enq: George 9310 9493 or 6242 0702 (w). EVERY THURSDAY Divine Mercy 11am at Ss John and Paul Church, Pinetree Gully Rd, Willetton. Pray the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy and for consecrated life, especially in our parish. Concludes with veneration of the first class relic of St Faustina. Enq: John 9457 7771. St Mary’s Cathedral Praise Meeting 7.45pm every Thursday at the Legion of Mary’s Edel Quinn Centre, 36 Windsor St, East Perth. Includes praise, song and healing ministry. Enq: Kay 9382 3668 or fmi@flameministries.org. Group Fifty - Charismatic Renewal Group 7.30pm at Redemptorist Monastery, 150 Vincent St, North Perth. Includes prayer, praise and Mass. Enq: Elaine 9440 3661. EVERY FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH Prayer in Style of Taizé 7.30-8.30pm at Our Lady of Grace Parish, 3 Kitchener St, North Beach. Includes prayer, song and silence in candlelight – symbol of Christ the light of the world. Taizé info: www.taize.fr. Enq: secretary 9448 4888 or 9448 4457. Holy Hour Prayer for Priests 7.30-8.30pm at Holy Spirit Parish, 2 Keaney Pl, City Beach. All welcome. Enq: Linda 9341 3079. FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAY Young Adult’s (18 to 35) Dinner and Rosary Cenacle 6.30pm St Bernadette’s Parish, 49 Jugan St, Mount Hawthorn. Begins with dinner at a local restaurant. 8pm - Rosary Cenacle, short talk and refreshments
EVERY FIRST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH Healing Mass 12.35pm at St Thomas Parish, cnr Melville St and College Rd, Claremont. Spiritual leader Fr Waddell. Enq: Kim 9384 0598, claremont@perthcatholic.org Vigil for Life – Mass and Procession 8.30am at St Augustine’s Parish, Gladstone St, Rivervale. Begins with Mass celebrated by Fr Carey, followed by Rosary procession and prayer vigil at nearby abortion clinic. Please join us to pray for the conversion of hearts and an end to abortion. Enq. Helen 9402 0349. EVERY LAST SATURDAY Novena Devotions – Our Lady Vailankanni of Good Health 5pm at Holy Trinity Parish, 8 Burnett St, Embleton. Followed by Mass at 6pm. Enq: George 9272 1379. EVERY FOURTH SATURDAY OF THE MONTH Voice of the Voiceless Healing Mass 12pm at St Brigid’s Parish, 211 Aberdeen St, Northbridge. Bring a plate to share after Mass. Enq: Frank 9296 7591 or 0408 183 325.
GENERAL Free Divine Mercy Image for Parishes High quality oil painting and glossy print – Divine Mercy Promotions. Images of very high quality. For any parish willing to accept and place inside the church. Oil paintings: 160 x 90cm; glossy print - 100 x 60cm. Enq: Irene 9417 3267 (w). Sacred Heart Pioneers Would anyone like to know about the Sacred Heart pioneers? If so, please contact Spiritual Director Fr Doug Harris 9444 6131 or John 9457 7771. St Philomena’s Chapel 3/24 Juna Dr, Malaga. Mass of the day: Mon 6.45am. Vigil Masses: Mon-Fri 4.45pm. Enq: Fr
David 9376 1734. Mary MacKillop Merchandise Available for sale from Mary MacKillop Centre. Enq: Sr Maree 041 4683 926 or 08 9334 0933. Financially Disadvantaged People Requiring Low Care Aged Care Placement The Little Sisters of the Poor community is set in beautiful gardens in the suburb of Glendalough. “Making the elderly happy, that is everything!” St Jeanne Jugan (foundress). Registration and enq: Sr Marie 9443 3155. Is your son or daughter unsure of what to do this year? Suggest a Cert IV course to discern God’s purpose. They will also learn more about the Catholic faith and develop skills in communication and leadership. Acts 2 College of Mission & Evangelisation (National Code 51452).Enq: Jane 9202 6859. AA Alcoholics Anonymous Is alcohol costing you more than just money? Enq: AA 9523 3566. Saints and Sacred Relics Apostolate Invite SSRA Perth invites interested parties, parish priests, leaders of religious communities, lay associations to organise relic visitations to parishes, communities, etc. We have available authenticated relics, mostly first-class, of Catholic saints and blesseds including Sts Mary MacKillop, Padre Pio, Anthony of Padua, Therese of Lisieux, Maximilian Kolbe, Simon Stock and Blessed Pope John Paul II. Free of charge and all welcome. Enq: Giovanny 0478 201 092 or ssra-perth@catholic.org Enrolments, Year 7, 2014 La Salle College now accepting enrolments for Year 7, 2014. For prospectus and enrolment please contact college reception 9274 6266 or email lasalle@lasalle.wa.edu.au Acts 2 College, Perth’s Catholic Bible College is now pleased to be able to offer tax deductibility for donations to the College. If you are looking for an opportunity to help grow the faith of young people and evangelise the next generation of apostles, please contact Jane Borg, Principal at Acts 2 College on 0401 692 690 or principal@ acts2come.wa.edu.au Divine Mercy Church Pews Would you like to assist, at the same time becoming part of the history of the new Divine Mercy Church in Lower Chittering, by donating a beautifully handcrafted jarrah pew currently under construction, costing only $1,000 each. A beautiful brass plaque with your inscription will be placed at the end of the pew. Please make cheques payable to Divine Mercy Church Building fund and send with inscription to PO Box 8, Bullsbrook WA 6084. Enq: Fr Paul 0427 085 093. Abortion Grief Association Inc A not-for-profit association is looking for premises to establish a Trauma Recovery Centre (pref SOR) in response to increasing demand for our services (ref.www.abortiongrief.asn.au). Enq: Julie (08) 9313 1784. RESOURCE CENTRE FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT - 2013 COURSES Resource Centre for Personal Development Holistic Health Seminar The Instinct to Heal Tue 3-4.30pm; RCPD2 Internalise Principles of Successful Relationships and Use Emotional Intelligence and Communication Skills Tue 4.30-6.30pm, 197 High St, Fremantle - Tuesdays 3-4.30pm. Enq: Eva 0409 405 585. Bookings essential. 1) RCPD6 ‘The Cost of Discipleship’ This course combines theology with relationship education and personal/spiritual awareness by teaching self-analysis. 2) ‘The Wounded Heart’ ‘Healing for emotional and sexual abuse promotes healing and understanding for the victim and the offender. Holistic counselling available - www. members.dodo.net.au/~evalenz/. Religious items donations for Thailand Church Fr Ferdinando Ronconi is the parish priest at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Phuket, Thailand. He is in need of religious items such as rosaries and holy medals for his local congregation and visitors. If you are able to help, please post items to: PO Box 35, Phuket 83000, Thailand or, if you are on holiday in Phuket, bring your donated items with you to church and stay for Mass! Fr Ferdinando can be contacted on tel: 076 212 266 or 089 912 899 or ronconi.css@gmail.com Good Shepherd Parish History I am compiling the history of the Good Shepherd Parish and everyone who has been a part of building the Good Shepherd community is invited to write their story and include photos. An editor has been engaged and the deadline to receive your story is 30th January 2013. Please forward on email: goodshepherdparishhistory@gmail.com Any enquiries ring Nick De Luca on 9378 2684 or 0419 938 481.
Panorama
The deadline for Panorama is Friday 5pm the week before the edition is published.
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LOSE WEIGHT SAFELY with good nutrition. Free samples. Call or SMS Michael 0412 518 318. NATUROPATHIC SERVICE: For a natural approach to achieving good health, call Martin today on 0407 745 294.
SERVICES RURI STUDIO FOR HAIR Vincent and Miki welcome you to their newly opened, international, award-winning salon. Shop 2, 401 Oxford St, Leederville. 9444 3113. Ruri-studio-for-hair@ hotmail.com BRENDAN HANDYMAN SERVICES Home, building maintenance, repairs and renovations. NOR. Ph 0427 539 588. WRR LAWN MOWING AND WEED SPRAYING Garden clean ups and rubbish removal. Get rid of bindii, jojo and other unsightly weeds. Based in Tuart Hill. Enq: 6161 3264 or 0402 326 637.
PILGRIMAGE EXODUS PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND 5th November - 20th November, 2013 Are you interested in being part of our 16 DAYS OF EXODUS PILGRIMAGE (following the footstep of Moses) to the HOLY LAND (Egypt, Jordan and Holy Land) for just $4,100 from 5th November 20th November, 2013? If interested, please for early reservation/booking and other inquiries, contact: Fr. Emmanuel (Spiritual Director) on: 0417999553, fremmanueltv@hotmail.com. Trinidad on: 0420643949, dax_ gatchi@yahoo.com. Nancy on: 0430025774, rncarfrost@hotmail.com PILGRAMAGE OF MERCY -Depart 11th May 2013. Fatima/Poland/Czestochowa/ Auschwitz/Divine Mercy./ Vilnius Lithuania/Rome/ Gennazzano. Fra Elia (Stigmatist) Civitavecchia (miraculous Madonna shrine) Subiaco/Medjugorje 5 countries Exceptional value all inclusive $6,890. Yolanda 0413707707/ Harvest toll free 1800819156 23 days.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Home-based business. Wellness industry. Call 02 8230 0290 or www.dreamlife1.com.
EMPLOYMENT GROUNDS/MAINTENANCE PERSON REQUIRED for Catholic School in Langford area, 20 hours per week. For more information, please contact the school office on 6350 2500.
BRICK RE-POINTING Ph Nigel 9242 2952.
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How are you celebrating the Year of Grace? Send your stories to parishes@therecord.com.au
C R O S S W O R D ACROSS 4 ___-cain, the first metal worker (Gen 4:22) 9 “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will ___ it up.” (Jn 2:19) 10 Condition of the tomb on Easter morning 11 Abbr. for two OT books 12 Letter by which a priest is released from one diocese and accepted into another 13 Pilate’s given name 14 ___ Being 17 Biblical hunter 19 Heroic St. Bernard animal 21 Land of milk and ___ 22 “Dying you destroyed our ___…” 23 ___-Cana Conference 25 St. Theresa, the ___ Flower 26 ___ of Cardinals 29 Son of Abraham 31 Biblical instruments 33 “I believe in ___ God…” 34 British Prime Minister who converted in 2007 35 Liturgical color 36 Reverence
5 6 7 8 15 16 18 20 23 24 27 28 30 31 32
and Eve The ___ bush Tribe of Israel The bishops, collectively Saint who gave his name to an alphabet Papal Starting point of the Exodus Miraculous, for one ___ Father Element of the Sacrament of Reconciliation St. Francis is the patron of this The day of the Resurrection A queen from this country came to hear Solomon speak Biblical instrument They fill the church NT epistle
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
DOWN 1 Sacred vessels 2 The daughter of Pharaoh found a baby here (Ex 2:5–6) 3 “Eternal ___ grant unto them” 4 What the serpent did to Adam
COMING SOON
The Record will soon be releasing a Bookshop Catalgue for Christmas with great gifts and resources for Advent and the Christmas Season. Keep a look out!!!!
W O R D S L E U T H
TheTRecord he Record LastBookshop W in ord 1911 The
November 21, 2012, The Record
November Catalogue BOOKS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FAITH
FROM
$15
M
ax Sculley’s definitive critique of Yoga, Tai Chi and Reiki comes with a timely warning that despite these practices’ surface appeal for helping fitness, relaxation and health, they are closely linked to underlying Eastern philosophies that are incompatible with Christianity. Vatican documents, including one authored by the present Pope when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, have highlighted the spiritual dangers associated with methods of meditation associated with Eastern religions. Despite these warnings Yoga, Tai Chi and Reiki continue to be promoted in parishes, schools and religious orders. Max Sculley’s detailed and well documented analysis of Yoga, Tai Chi and Reika includes gripping personal stories that bring home the dark side of these practices.This book needs to be widely circulated among teachers, clergy and religious.
“This book, Yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki, by Br Max Sculley, provides an invaluable insight into the background to these practices. His research reveals the underlying ‘philosophies’ or world views that have given rise to these techniques. He shows clearly that using the techniques leads many into a new spiritual world. These practices and techniques cannot be viewed as only being of benefit at the physical and emotional levels. Of their very nature they draw a person into the spiritual realm. The techniques rely not only on physical movement but engage a person in entering into an altered state of consciousness. Their powers derive from engagement with the spiritual world. Persons utilising the practices will be invited to engage their minds with the techniques in order for them to have any real benefit. This is where the danger lies.”
A GUIDE FOR CHRISTIANS
YOGA TAI CHI REIKI ONLY
$20
- Bishop Julian Porteous, From the Foreword
Brother Max Sculley is a De La Salle brother based in Brisbane.
BIBIANA KWARAMBA Bookshop Manager
Telephone: 9220 5912 Email: bookshop@therecord.com.au Address: 21 Victoria Square, Perth 6000