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Keeping it Christian
Christians are the most persecuted religious group of our age - Pages 10-11
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Aboriginal Elder Robert Isaacs thanks the Church in WA
Onwards and upwards
Aboriginal Elder Robert Isaacs met with Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB on October 22 to thank the Church in WA for the support it has given to the Aboriginal community, particularly in education and the handing over of buildings and land to traditional owners. With a larger Aboriginal leadership presence, he says, Aboriginals among the lapsed-faithful are more likely to return to church. Full story - pages 12-13
Vinnies back screening for poverty-related diseases By Matthew Biddle THE ST VINCENT de Paul Society has thrown its support behind Catholic Health Australia’s (CHA) call for poverty screening tests to be included in standard doctor’s appointments. On October 14, CHA chief executive officer Martin Laverty told a NSW Health Ministry summit that a number of chronic diseases could be identified and treated earlier if doctors use a socioeconomic screening tool. “ The Canadian Medical Association in a July report said tackling poverty was its first priority for health care,” he said. “Parts of Canada are now screening for poverty in doctors’ surgeries. Australia should follow suit, and address poverty as a health
determinant.” During regular consultations, Canadian patients are asked if they had difficulty making ends meet at the end of the month, Mr Laverty said. “As patients, we are asked questions about family history, diet and risk-taking behaviours when we visit the doctor,” he said.
John Falzon, the chief executive officer of the St Vincent de Paul Society, told The Record the idea was a good one. “Preventable diseases brought about by poverty are a huge burden on our health care system, and lead to unnecessary suffering for those who are afflicted by them,” he said.
GPs will be able to identify risk factors by talking with patients about their social circumstances. “By assessing for poverty alongside these other risk factors, doctors will better determine if a person has a chronic disease and treat it accordingly.” CHA hopes the plan will be considered and utilised by all State and Territory governments.
“By encouraging GPs to talk with patients about their social and economic circumstances, they will be better able to identify important risk factors and encourage prevention and early treatment where problems are identified. “We hope that a socio-economic
screening tool would also encourage GPs to form better relationships with social services and refer patients on where appropriate.” Meanwhile, on October 16, the Society launched a report on poverty in Australia to mark anti-poverty week. The report provides several recommendations for the government, in light of the facts on poverty in Australia. “We are calling on the new government to revisit the recommendations of the McClure Report commissioned by the Howard government in 2000,” the Society’s national president Anthony Thornton said. “It’s time we got serious about poverty and mustered the political will as a nation to broaden our revenue base so that we can systematically reverse the slide into two Australias.”
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therecord.com.au October 23, 2013
Schoenstatt celebrates 100 year milestone By Juanita Shepherd AFTER three years of intensive preparations, the International Schoenstatt Movement celebrated the beginning of its Jubilee Year in Armadale last Friday. The Schoenstatt Shrine at Mt Richon, Armadale was one of the first of the 200 shrines throughout the world to begin celebrations of 100 years since the movement’s founding, with celebrations to continue until October 18 next year. Hundreds of people braved a chilly evening and slight drizzle to attend an outdoor Mass concelebrated by Vicar General Fr Peter Whitely at the shrine’s forecourt. Concelebrants included Frs Kazimierz Stuglik, Andrew Lotton, Emmanuel Tv Dimobi, Kenneth Asaba and Cyprian Shikokoti who frequent the shrine throughout the year either to celebrate a Pilgrims’ Holy Mass on Fridays or to assist with Shrine Time, a monthly Holy Hour for young adults. Among those present in the congregation were Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, Schoenstatt couples, families, regular pilgrims from a number of local parishes and Schoenstatt friends and supporters. At the heart of their jubilee celebration is the renewal of the Covenant of Love with the Mother Thrice Admirable and the founder Fr Joseph Kentenich in the original shrine near the town of Vallendar, Germany. Following Fr Whitely’s homily Fiona Nottle, parishioner at St Francis Xavier Parish, Hilbert sealed her Covenant of Love after praying a handwritten consecration prayer. Mrs Nottle has had a great devotion to Our Lady since she was eight years old. “More people need to come to the shrine,” Mrs Nottle said. “It is a
very special place of grace and my life has truly been blessed by it.” Philomena Theseira from the Schoenstatt families said, “It was a wonderful night and Schoenstatt’s Jubilee Year is about celebrating 100 years of the Covenant of Love so one of the true highlights for me was to see someone make a Covenant of Love with Our Lady tonight.” Local fireworks went off with seeming spontaneity at the end of the celebration adding to the joyous atmosphere. At the close of the Mass, Fr Whitely announced the news that Pope Francis had granted a plenary indulgence to all members of the Schoenstatt Movement and to the faithful who participate in the Schoenstatt Jubilee.
Young Catholics in Armadale and from throughout Perth had their own “Big Bash” on September 20. Members of Catholic Youth Ministry Perth, in conjunction with YBC or Youth Building community leaders of St Francis Xavier Parish, Armadale hosted an evening for youth in St Francis Xavier’s parish hall. More than 40 young people attended the YBC Big Bash and the night was full of music, fun and games. Sheldon Burke of Thornlie parish gave what organisers described as “an inspiring talk” about his World Youth Day Experience and YBC Leader Genevieve Ogden gave a personal testimony of what her faith meant to her. The next gathering will be held on Sunday, October 6 from 7-8pm following the parish’s 6pm Youth Mass. More information about events run by the archdiocesan youth office is available at their website cym.com. au.
Send your Round-Up items to Juanita Shepherd Top, Vicar General Peter Whitely celebrates Mass with other Perth priests at the Schoenstatt shrine in Armadale to begin the Jubilee celebrations. J SHEPHERD
Monday 28th - Red SS SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES (FEAST) 1st Reading: Eph 2:19-22 God’s household Responsorial Ps 18:2-5 Psalm: No speech, no word Gospel Reading: Lk 6:12-19 Apostles chosen
c. 1533-1617 October 30
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Accounts accounts@therecord.com.au Journalists Mark Reidy m.reidy@therecord.com.au Matthew Biddle m.biddle@therecord.com.au Juanita Shepherd j.shepherd@therecord.com.au
Alphonsus had to leave school when his father, a wealthy wool merchant in Segovia, Spain, died. He was put in charge of the family business at age 23, but it declined. He married and had children, but within a few short years lost his mother, wife, daughter and son. He was introduced to the practice of daily meditation by his sisters. And, when he tried to join the Jesuits, he initially was rejected as too old and uneducated. But, in 1571, he was accepted as a lay brother, and served as doorkeeper at the Jesuit college in Majorca for 45 years. Alphonsus mentored St. Peter Claver and others, and is the subject of a sonnet written by another Jesuit, the priest-poet Gerard Manley Hopkins.
Tuesday 29th - Green 1st Reading: Rom 8:18-25 Unrevealed glory Responsorial Ps 125 Psalm: The Lord’s marvels Gospel Reading: Lk 13:18-21 A mighty tree
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Wednesday 30th - Green 1st Reading: Rom 8:26-30 Spirit helps us Responsorial Ps 12:4-6 Psalm: Answer me, Lord Gospel Reading: Lk 13:22-30 The narrow door Thursday 31st - Green 1st Reading: Rom 8:31-39 God did not spare His Son Responsorial Ps 108 Psalm: Help me, Lord Gospel Reading: Lk 13:31-35 As a hen gathers her brood
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READINGS OF THE WEEK
Alphonsus Rodriguez
Mat De Sousa
Having a Big Bash in the days of their youth
Some of the 40 participants at the Big Bash on September 20. CYM PERTH
SAINT OF THE WEEK
Robert Hiini
ARMADALE
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Friday 1st - White ALL SAINTS (SOLEMNITY) 1st Reading: Rev 7:2-4,9-14 Dressed in white Responsorial Ps 23:1-6 Psalm: Seek God’s face 2nd Reading: 1 Jn 3:1-3 God’s children Gospel Reading: Mt 5:1-12 Jesus teaches Saturday 2nd - Violet THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED (ALL SOUL’S DAY) 1st Reading: Is 25:6-9 This is our God Responsorial Ps 26:1,4,7-9,13-14 Psalm: Hope in the Lord! 2nd Reading: Rom 5:5-11 Christ died for us Gospel Reading: Lk 7:11-17 Do not cry Sunday 3rd - Green 31ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 1st Reading: Wis 11:22-12:2 Imperishable spirit Responsorial Ps 144:1-2,8-14 Psalm: The Lord is good 2nd Reading: 2 Thess 1:11-2:2 No alarmism Gospel Reading: Lk 19:1-10 Joyful welcome
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therecord.com.au October 23, 2013
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ACT adopts gay marriage, court challenge looms By Matthew Biddle THE ACT has become the first jurisdiction in Australia to legalise same-sex marriage after the bill passed the territory’s Legislative Assembly on October 22. Same-sex marriages could take place as early as December, although the Federal Government will challenge the constitutionality of the legislation in the High Court. A statement from the AttorneyGeneral George Brandis’ office confirmed the challenge.
“It would be very distressing to individuals who may enter into a ceremony of marriage under the new ACT law, and to their families, to find that their marriages were invalid,” the statement read. Despite the pending challenge, ACT chief minister Katy Gallagher said the territory government would not prevent same-sex couples from marrying in the interim. The Marriage Equality (SameSex) Bill 2013 passed thanks to the support of Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury, whose vote in favour
of the bill gave it a 9-8 affirmative result. All eight Liberal MLAs voted against the bill, while all eight Labor MLAs voted in favour of it. Liberal Opposition leader Jeremy Hanson told the assembly the matter of legislating on issues of marriage was a federal issue and not for the ACT to decide. “We are Australia’s smallest parliament in a small jurisdiction and we do not think that a majority of one person in the ACT should change the definition of marriage
for a country of over 23 million people,” he said. The bill was first tabled on September 19 and will allow samesex couples to marry in the ACT, even though the Commonwealth Marriage Act 1961 defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Canberra has the largest proportion of same-sex couples in Australia, according to recent census data. Earlier this week seven faith leaders in Canberra released a joint statement outlining their concerns
with the bill. “We are concerned for the long-term risks of such a bill for our society,” the leaders said. “We invite the wider community to join with us in calling for the bill to be subject to community consultation through the normal Legislative Assembly Committee process.” The statement was signed by Islamic, Jewish and various Christian leaders, including Mgr John Woods, the administrator of the Canberra and Goulburn Catholic Archdiocese.
Helping hand for Ann’s bright future By Chitalu Kapambwe DOUBLEVIEW mother Therese Johnston says the awarding of the June O’Connor scholarship to her daughter Ann will be a huge help to her family. Speaking with The Record late last week, Mrs Johnston said she knew there was great interest in the scholarship with a strong field of applicants from throughout Perth’s northern suburb parishes. “We are really humbled as a family, especially with five kids, financial assistance with one will definitely make a huge difference in our budget, and we couldn’t be happier,” Mrs Johnston said. “Our daughter is a very delightful and pleasant girl, we know for sure that she will make us very proud as parents, and we will be there to support her every step of the way,” she said. The June O’Connor scholarship was established to assist Catholic families with primary school children realise the best of curricular and extracurricular outomes through their secondary education. Ann Johnston, a Year 6 student at Holy Rosary Primary School in Doubleview, is the second recipient of the scholarship, after Meggan Kavenagh in 2008 who has just graduated from Newman College. Ann said she was very happy at being awarded the scholarship and was looking forward to next year, especially after orientation at her new school. Holy Rosary Principal Darryl Winsor said he was proud that both recipients of the award to date had come from his school. Mr Winsor said both girls, together with their families, were dedicated members of the Catholic Church and carried out their pastoral duties within the Church with so much enthusiasm, and that no other younger people could have deserved it better. A total amount of $3,000 will be entrusted to Ann’s high school, Newman Catholic College, at the
2013 June O’Connor scholarship recipient and Holy Rosary Primary Doubleview student Ann Johnston, right, with her mother Therese. The scholarship will provide $3,000 to be spent on education-related expenses for each year of Ann’s secondary education. PHOTO: CHITALU KAPAMBWE
beginning of each financial year, to be spent on any education-related
to the organisers of the scholarship regarding the progress of the
We are really humbled as a family. The scholarship will make a huge difference to our family. expenses, as directed by her parents. At the end of each school year, a report will be presented
child’s learning. Ann Johnston is set to start Year 7 at Newman Catholic College in January 2014.
Pope prays for bushfires’ victims, fire services POPE FRANCIS has expressed his empathy for, and solidarity with, people suffering amid bushfires in New South Wales. The Pope sent a special message to Australians through the Holy See’s recently-appointed Secretary of State, Archbishop Pietro Parolin, via Australia’s bishops’ conference: “His Holiness Pope Francis has asked me to express his concern for the people of New South Wales and all who are affected by the devastation wrought by the extensive fires in the region,” the message said. “He prays especially for those who have died and for those who
have lost their homes and workplaces, as well as for the numerous personnel working to combat the fires and provide comfort and care for those who are suffering.
His Holiness prays for all affected by the devastation wrought. “Invoking the spiritual gifts of solidarity and perseverance upon the communities touched by these trying events, the Holy Father sends his blessing.”
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therecord.com.au October 23, 2013
UNDA receives grant to encourage volunteering
From left to right, Sheldon Milligan, Dr Martin Drum, Peter Martin, Rommie Masarei, Donna Tempra and Chantelle Bertino-Clarke welcome Notre Dame’s involvement in the Volunteers in Sport Project. PHOTO: UNDA
THE UNIVERSITY of Notre Dame Australia has received an $18,400 grant from Volunteering WA, allowing it to expand on its work with local sporting clubs and recreation groups. Funding will be used by the Notre Dame Volunteer Network on the university’s Fremantle campus to take part in the ‘Volunteers in Sport Project’, an initiative of the Department for Sport and Recreation in partnership with all five WA universities. The aim of the project is to assist sport and active recreation clubs in metropolitan and regional areas to engage university students in volunteering to support one-off events and ongoing projects. Notre Dame’s main role will be to encourage its students to par-
ticipate in various volunteer positions, in either short or long-term based roles within the community; increase its Network membership; and further its already growing volunteer organisation base.
People volunteer for different reasons and there are so many ways their lives are enhanced. “Volunteering often results in great personal development as students experience the joy of giving to others,” volunteering in sports project officer at Notre Dame Peter Martin said. “This alternative pathway to the usual volunteering
opportunities already available will be a great way to engage students who love sport.” Volunteering and service learning officer Donna Tempra said the Notre Dame Volunteer Network had an increasing list of volunteer organisations, including the Mary MacKillop Foundation and the Australian Red Cross, for its 400 members to assist. “People volunteer for different reasons and there are so many ways their lives are enhanced, in addition to those of the people they assist,” Ms Tempra said. “I encourage the Notre Dame community to utilise the gifts they possess and share them for the greater good with those people and organisations in our community which need them the most.”
Kids sock it to poverty at Mundaring
Aussies put their faith into action
By Alexis Winch-Buist
CATHOLIC Mission’s 2012 Annual Report shows that Australians helped 249,112 children, 5,226 catechists and 1,082 seminarians through Catholic Mission last year. Martin Teulan, Catholic Mission’s national director, sees these results as proof of what can be achieved when Australian Catholics put their faith into action. “The impact of prayers, gifts and assistance from thousands of inspirational, caring Australians is a testament to what is possible when we live Christ’s message,” he said. “Since his appointment, Pope Francis has encouraged us to live out our faith, and these achievements prove that Australians are doing just that.” The Perth Archdiocese was especially generous in its support of Catholic Mission, with $1,608,765 being raised, an increase of three per cent from the last financial year. In 2012, Australians opened their hearts to reach out to those in need with over $8.5 million being donated to Catholic Mission’s international projects, directly supporting 187 dioceses in 37 countries. Additionally, for the first time, more than $2 million was allocated to Home Mission Fund projects, which are projects that help Indigenous communities in remote parts of Australia. “Whether we’re helping those who are near us or those who are on the other side of the world, the support we receive ensures that Christ’s message is experienced by all. That is our mission: to bring the kingdom of God to others, in word and deed,” Mr Teulan said.
GREY SKIES failed to dampen the enthusiasm of more than 50 young children as they ‘Sock’d’ it to poverty in Mundaring last week. The recent poverty-awareness craft morning, aptly titled ‘Sock It To Poverty’ was one of the first community outreach events hosted by Young Hearts, a new group comprising local volunteers from the Mundaring parish. The group aims to bring young people from Catholic and non-Catholic schools, the parish and community together to reignite enthusiasm in faith and the values of Catholic families. The children made 70 sock puppets for a visually-impaired orphanage in Bangalore, India, as well as greeting cards which will be sold in the parish to raise funds for the school. Parish priest of Mundaring, Fr Dominic Savio will travel to the Jyothi Sea School for Blind Children in India later this year to deliver the puppets personally. He will then return with thank you cards from the blind students, written in braille. Together with financial donations of over $300, Fr Savio hopes this project will make not only a tangible benefit to the school, but also an offering of friendship from the Mundaring community. The Jyothi Seva Home and School for Blind Children are run by the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters, Servants of the Cross. To make a donation, or for further information on Young Hearts community outreach, contact Fr Savio via email: domcssr@gmail.
More than 50 children made sock puppets at Mundaring parish last week for an Indian orphanage.
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Faith-filled Irish nun Sr Elizabeth goes to God By Matthew Biddle FAMILY and friends gathered for the funeral Mass for Sr Elizabeth Hanlon RSM at Mercy Aged Care Centre’s Our Lady of Mercy Chapel in Wembley on October 17. Sr Elizabeth passed away on October 12, at the age of 91, after spending the last 16 months at the aged care facility. Relatives from Australia and overseas, including two of Sr Elizabeth’s nieces, gathered for the funeral, as well as residents and staff of the facility. Survived by two of her six siblings, Elizabeth was born on January 7, 1922 in County Westmeath, Ireland, to Patrick and Anne Hanlon. At the age of 16 she joined 22 young Irish women in
1938 as they sailed to Australia, where they all entered the Sisters of Mercy the following year. Elizabeth was given the name Sr Mary Eugene and made her first profession of vows on January 30, 1943.
Elizabeth was a gentle, faith-filled lady who was always very hospitable. The Mercy sister spent more than 40 years at St Anne’s Hospital (now Mercy Hospital) in Mount Lawley, working as a nurse and midwife, assisting mothers and families. In 1991, she moved to the Mercy Sisters convent in Perth, where she spent three years before transferring to Donnybrook.
“Elizabeth was a gentle, faithfilled lady who loved people and was always very hospitable,” Sr Hope Messer said in her eulogy. The Mass was celebrated by Father Pat Cunningham, who echoed Sr Hope’s thoughts during his homily. “Day after day, in those kind actions of Sister’s life, she was not only believing in the Resurrection herself, but she was trying to bring the Resurrection of Christ into the lives of the people she treated in health, education and parish work,” he said. “She was trying to let God touch their lives so that they felt better. “We salute the beautiful life of Sr Elizabeth and we salute all those people who benefited from her holiness and her love.”
Sr Elizabeth Hanlon RSM, during a visit to her native Ireland. Sr Elizabeth passed away on October 12, aged 91. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
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therecord.com.au October 23, 2013
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Persecution of Christians on the rise By Simon Caldwell Catholic News Service THE PERSECUTION of Christians around the world has intensified over the last two-and-a-half years, according to a review of religious freedom in 30 countries. Not only are Christians in the Middle East and Africa suffering increasingly from Islamist terror attacks, but they continue to endure severe persecution and hardship in Communist, Marxist or postCommunist states, said a 192-page report by the United Kingdom branch of the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. Christians also are persecuted by religious nationalists in some countries where they find themselves in a minority, said the report, which
was published on October 17. John Newton, a co-author of the report, told Catholic News Service that the plight of Christians had deteriorated since early 2011, when the last biennial report on the global problem was published by the charity. “Given that in so many countries we have seen a worsening of conditions, I would say that, yes, on balance there has been a worsening of persecution in the last two-and-ahalf years,” he said. “Out of the 30 countries that we have assessed, in 20 of them, the situation has worsened in some way, but in some of these where there has been no change the problems were already extreme any way,” Newton explained. “It doesn’t mean, by any means, that the other 10 are places where
it’s easy to be a Christian,” he added. Persecution of Christians was a phenomenon “happening in many different contexts,” Newton said. Among the main culprits were the adherents of violent interpretations of Islam and of the 30 coun-
reached into several continents, spreading to such African nations as Nigeria, Mali and Tanzania. Christians in India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar also faced persecution from majority Hindu or Buddhist nationalists who have
Christians in different parts of the world continue to suffer increasingly from Islamist terror and persecution in Marxist and post-Marxist states. tries examined by the charity, six were Middle Eastern or Arabic countries with Muslim majority populations. Newton said that in recent years, the problem of attacks by “wellresourced” Islamist groups has
conflicting ideals of “what a citizen of the nation should be like,” Newton said. Some of the worst instances of persecution, however, continued to be found in Communist or former Communist states, he continued.
Less severe instances of harassment of Christians were observed in China and in such post-Communist countries as Vietnam, Laos, Cuba, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. All the countries examined in the report had previous records of persecution or harassment of Christians. In an accompanying press release, John Pontifex, the report’s other co-author, said persecution in parts of the Middle East has become so grave that the survival of Christians in the region was “now at stake.” For Christians, the so-called “Arab spring” has in many cases become what the report calls a “Christian winter,” the release said. War against Christians - pgs 10-12
Double national victory for Iona’s creative girls IONA Presentation Primary School students obtained an extraordinary double victory on October 13, with success in National Creative and Critical Thinking Competitions located on opposing sides of Australia. The school entered teams into two competitions; Opti-MINDS, the creative and critical thinking challenge program that develops team skills and personal growth, and Future Problem Solving Program, an international educational program for students of all ages that focuses on the development of creative thinking skills and aims to give young people the skills to design and promote positive futures for their society. Iona entered three teams in the Opti-MINDS regional finals. The language literature team received State honours, the social sciences and science engineering teams were State finalists and the teams’ facilitator, Rebecca Neesham, was awarded the State Opti-MINDS Facilitator of the Year Award. The science engineering division one team was also selected to represent WA at the Opti-MINDS Queensland State/National Final in Brisbane. The students, aged between 10 and 12, competed against 12 teams and were chosen to represent Australia in the OptiMINDS intercultural exchange to be held in New Zealand in November. On the same weekend in Perth, two Iona Future Problem Solving Teams, also coached by Ms Neesham, competed in the National Global Issues Problem Solving Booklet Junior Division. Only 16 teams (comprised of four students) from over 70 entries are invited to the National Finals. At the finals,
The Iona Future Problem Solving and Opti-MINDS teams with team facilitator Rebecca Neesham after their competition victories.
the students were required to complete a two-hour examination paper on the global issue of plastic pollution in our oceans. One of Iona’s teams placed seventh and the other team became national champions. They have been invited to repre-
sent Australia at the International Future Problem Solving event in Iowa, USA, in June next year. School principal Christine Walsh was ecstatic at the success of both teams, declaring it wonderful news for the school and that she was
immensely proud of the hard work, determination and dedication demonstrated by the students and staff involved. Ms Walsh also said the outstanding results reflect the quality of programs in place at the school.
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Fundraising was held by the school community in order to send the Opti-MINDS team to Brisbane and planning will commence on fundraising to enable the Future Problem Solving team to attend the International Final in Iowa in 2014.
Bishop Fisher launches national bushfire appeal PARRAMATTA Bishop Anthony Fisher’s expressed his concern for people ravaged by bushfires by launching an appeal this week. Bishop Fisher launched the appeal through CatholicCare Social Services, Parramatta, writing a letter to concerned persons throughout the country: “I write to express my thanks for the overwhelming expressions of concern and offers of support for those affected by the bushfires that are burning in the Blue Mountains area of the Diocese of Parramatta,” Bishop Fisher wrote. “The Government has declared a state of emergency and the number of houses lost or damaged is now in the hundreds. “Several parishes in the Blue Mountains are under threat from
a fire that forced the evacuation of students at St Thomas Aquinas Primary and St Columba’s High School in Springwood parish last week. “Elmhurst, the original homestead at the old St Columba’s Seminary, has been destroyed and
I join my prayers with yours for the victims, their loved ones and for those fighting the fires. some Church workers and parishioners have lost their homes. “The Diocese has launched an emergency appeal, which is being co-ordinated by CatholicCare
Social Services Parramatta. Donations will be used to provide much needed material support and counselling for those impacted by the fires. “We pray that the fires soon abate, not just in our Diocese but elsewhere, and that God is with those most in need in these troubling circumstances. “I join my prayers with yours for the victims and their loved ones, for those fighting the fires and caring for the victims, and all the affected communities. One-off or regular donations to the fund can be made through CatholicCare Parramatta’s website: www.ccss.org.au or at 02 9933 0222. Donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Alan Seaman walks through the remains of his home on October 21 that was destroyed by a bush fire in Winmalee, NSW. PHOTO: CNS/DAVID GRAY, REUTERS
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therecord.com.au October 23, 2013
Columbarium project now complete at Maylands
Fr Thomasz Bujakowski OFM outside Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish which will have its columbarium blessed on November 2. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Parents to have a say in education A NEW body to give Catholic school parents a strong and united voice at national level was launched in Sydney last week. Catholic School Parents Australia will play a leading role in representing the views of parents to the Federal Government as well as providing a forum for state Catholic school parent bodies to consider issues and share ideas. The inaugural Annual General Meeting of Catholic School Parents Australia, following a launch with all Diocesan and State Directors of education, was held on October 15. Newly elected independent chairman Tony O’Byrne said the distinctive ethos of Catholic schools means they are often faced with a unique range of policy issues. The organisation has the support of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and the National Catholic Education Commission and will work in close partnership with both to promote and strengthen Catholic education. Meanwhile, the director of Catholic Education in WA, Dr Tim McDonald, has been elected as the deputy chair of the National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC). The decision was made at the NCEC’s meeting on October 17. Dr McDonald joined the Commission following his appointment as director of Catholic Education in November 2012. He has taught in schools in Australia and the United Kingdom. Dr McDonald’s appointment will be for the term of the current Commission. He succeeds Dr Brian Croke, who served as NCEC deputy chair since February 2009.
THE parish of Maylands will celebrate the blessing of its columbarium on November 2. Archbishop Timothy Costelloe will celebrate the 6pm Mass and bless the columbarium. Archbishop Emeritus Barry Hickey will also join the parish community to celebrate Mass on November 3 at 9.30am. Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, which is a heritage listed building, has not had significant maintenance work done to the church or grounds for a long period. The project to renovate the church and grounds and build a columbarium was first discussed at parish council meetings in the mid-2000s when Fr Maurice Toop was the parish priest. However, the plans were delayed because of
changes occurring within the parish personnel. Plans for the project continued to be driven by the parish council
The church and grounds haven’t had significant maintenance work done for many years. and discussion continued under Fr Son and have now come to completion under the stewardship of Fr Tomasz Bujakowski OFM and Fr Stanislaw Tomasiak OFM. It was decided to form a building committee separate from the parish council because of the immense
time needed on this project, which has now been completed. Our Lady Queen of Martyrs was first opened and blessed on June 24, 1924 by Bishop Patrick Clune and has seen many children and families celebrate the sacraments at the church. The parish is looking for copies of any photographs of baptisms, weddings or other events which have taken place at the church. These photos will be displayed at the blessing of the columbarium. It will not be possible to return the photos so it is requested that only copies are sent. The copies will then be kept in the church archives. If you are able to assist by sending copies, please forward them to Josie Ginnane Della, 7 Swan Bank Road, Maylands 6051.
Monsignor Long preaches one Lord at Evensong
Monsignor Kevin Long, left, with Order of St Luke (WA) chaplain Beryl Shooter and Rev John Shepherd, Dean of St George’s Anglican Cathedral in Perth. Mgr Long, the rector of St Charles’ Seminary, preached at Evensong in St George’s Cathedral on October 13. He had been invited by the Order of St Luke, an ecumenical religious order, to preach at the order’s annual service to commemorate and celebrate the various healing ministries within the life of the Christian Churches. In his address, Mgr Long quoted extensively from recent remarks made by Pope Francis on the importance of healing, mercy and the primary proclamation of Jesus as Lord and Saviour. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Weekend brings men fellowship, encouragement HOLY SPIRIT Parish in City Beach hosted a menALIVE men’s weekend on September 14-15. Thirty men gathered to be led on a spiritual journey by menALIVE co-founder Peter Shakhovskoy and Perth men Kim Metcalf and Greg Diamond. After a welcome and blessing from parish priest Fr Don Kettle, the weekend began with an introductory session to get the men talking to each other. During the session the usual defences dropped and an openness developed. By the end of the session the men were ready to begin their journey. The next two sessions looked at the men’s relationship with God and gave a reminder that we are his beloved children. The sessions
looked at the obstacles that keep us from a close relationship with God and particularly how our earthly fathers may have affected this relationship. The sessions made the men reflect on whether they were moving towards a closer relationship or whether they were spiralling away, perhaps as a result of earthly distractions. Each session included a group sharing activity where many men discovered common circumstances and were encouraged by one another. The evening session continued this journey of connection to God and challenged the men to become all that he created us to be. The session included a fire ritual where lists of obstacles were symbolically
committed to flames as a means to put these aside. The Sunday sessions looked at making changes in the lives of participants in order to take steps towards God. The sessions discussed daily prayer and scripture journaling as the means to have a dialogue with God and to know him personally. The journaling was introduced as a group activity in order to continue sharing and fellowship. The participating men all found a spiritual renewal and discovered a fellowship with one another that can enable this spirit to endure. MenALIVE is a national Catholic ministry to men with the purpose to bring men together, to renew their faith in God and to encourage them to become an active force of renewal in the Church.
Participants at the recent menALIVE weekend burn lists of obstacles of things they wish to remove from their lives. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
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Rare items on show at New Norcia TWELVE RARE and precious illuminated manuscripts from the Kerry Stokes Collection are on display at the New Norcia Museum and Art Gallery in a stunning new exhibition entitled ‘Celebrating Word and Image 1250–1600’. The manuscripts feature exquisite miniatures and intricately decorated capitals and borders in gold, silver and lapis lazuli, which testify both to the consummate skill of their creators and the wealth and prestige of the emperors, kings and dukes who owned them. They are alive with colour, detail and sometimes, a surprisingly risque sense of humour. The manuscripts, which are being shown together for the first time, are from France, the Netherlands, Germany, Bohemia and Spain. To the careful observer, the variety of scripts and images reveals the different artistic traditions of their places of origin, while the collection as a whole tells a bigger story about the development of the book through the medieval era. The collection includes manuscripts for study, the liturgy and personal prayer, but one especially engaging book from Nuremberg in the 16th century depicts the city’s butchers and patrician families celebrating a sensuous carnival just before the onset of the rigours of Lent. Leader of the Benedictine Community, Abbot John Herbert OSB, said the monks were delighted to be hosting the exhibition. “Illuminated manuscripts first developed in the monasteries of Western Europe so this exhibition is a perfect fit for New Norcia, Australia’s only monastic town,” he said. “It is a rare opportunity to see truly beautiful objects and we are very grateful to Mr Stokes for his generosity in sharing this rare collection.” A deluxe publication, which includes details of each piece, together with a fascinating introduction on the world of illuminated manuscript, accompanies the exhibition. The exhibition will only be shown at New Norcia and runs until March 17, 2014. The New Norcia Museum and Art Gallery is open daily from 10am to 4.30pm.
Top, the public embraces the opportunity to view the rare manuscripts dating as far back as 1250. Above and left, some examples of the work on display, full of colour and intricate decoration. The exhibition will be shown at New Norcia until March 17. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED
Milestone celebrations for WA country parish By Juanita Shepherd ST JOHN the Baptist Parish in Toodyay will celebrate its 50th anniversary on November 17 with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB at the St Pio hall located on the church grounds. The Catholic church in Toodyay traces its roots back to Santa Maria, the first Catholic church built in 1858 by Canon Raphael Martelli. However, the town situated in the Avon Valley, some 66km from Perth, moved upstream due to the constant flooding and the Church was granted land at the far end of the town which is the entrance to Toodyay today. It was on this land that the foundation stone for the new church called St John the Baptist was laid in January 1863 by Bishop Martin Griver and subsequently blessed during Christmas 1864. One hundred years later in 1963 parish priest Fr John Chokolich decided to relocate due to the poor state of the church and the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway. A site was selected in front of what was then the Convent of Mercy and after a lengthy process
The church of St John the Baptist in Toodyay will celebrate its 50th anniversary on November 17.
of fundraising and gaining support from local businesses and the Shire, the building of the new church began. On November 17, 1963 the new church was opened and blessed by the Auxiliary Bishop of Perth, Myles McKeon.
With the milestone celebrations approaching, parish pastoral council secretary and organiser of the celebrations Greta Sauta said many people have been working hard in preparation. “The ladies have done an awful lot of work and will con-
PHOTO: MICHAEL SHEPHERD
tinue to do so on the day; I’m so appreciative of the people who have been involved,” she said. The Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate are also involved in the Toodyay Catholic community with the story of the Friary dating
back to the late 1990s. According to Toodyay parishioner Veronica Dymond, Archbishop Barry Hickey met the Friars’ leader in Rome. “He told him that we had a convent which had recently been vacated, and he also said it’s close to the city; so two priests and one brother arrived, they had no motorcar and the convent wasn’t ready to live in, it was quite a shock,” she said. Since their humble beginnings in Toodyay, the Friars have settled in nicely, offering their assistance to the parish and church whenever needed. Both the Friars and the Sisters of Mercy will be acknowledged for their contribution to the parish at the anniversary Mass. The first Mercy sisters arrived in Toodyay in 1884 and lived upstairs in a two-storey house before buying a bungalow which is now located at 94 Stirling Street. The sisters used their bungalow as a school and taught music and forms of embroidery. The Sisters of Mercy left Toodyay in 2003 to be closer to medical facilities, due to their advanced age. “There will be quite a lovely affirmation of them during the Mass,” Mrs Dymond said.
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Cardinal Tagle apologises for failures MANILA Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle apologised for what he called the sins of the Catholic Church against non-Catholics and the poor. The apology came on the last day of the Philippine Conference on New Evangelisation during a program on interfaith dialogue as the cardinal addressed representatives of different religions in an audience of about 5,000 people from across Asia. “In memory of Blessed Pope John Paul II and his collaborators before the year 2000, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, I humbly, humbly, in the name of my brothers and sisters in the Catholic Church or even the Christian communities, I beg for pardon,” Cardinal Tagle said. “We want to say how sorry we are for the sins, the hurts, that we have inflicted on non-Catholics and non-Christians,” Cardinal Tagle said. “We want to say, we want to ask forgiveness to the poor that have been neglected, the hungry,
the thirsty, that we did not see or hear. We want to ask forgiveness from the women who have been degraded, dehumanised,” he said. He continued by asking forgiveness of “children who did not experience caring” and “youth that do not find in our communities always a home that will welcome
lier, Cardinal Tagle asked the gathering to help “rebuild” the Catholic Church from “egoism and selfinterest”, reported the Asian church news portal ucanews.com. In an interview with Vatican Radio prior to the start of the conference, the cardinal noted that almost half of Asia’s Catholics are
We want to ask forgiveness from the poor, from women, from children who did not experience caring, and youth who did not find welcome. them”. He asked forgiveness of strangers and foreigners who were not made to feel welcome; orphans, widows, the vulnerable, “for they are loved by God; how come we have not loved them?” “And we want to ask forgiveness of the earth that we have abused and misused,” Cardinal Tagle said. Addressing delegates a day ear-
in the Philippines, with just about 3 per cent of the continent being Christian, and so the three-day event was another way to mark the Year of Faith and respond to the call of the Church for new evangelisation. Cardinal Tagle told Vatican Radio that recent popes have called on the Philippines “to perform its singular mission in Asia, which is to share the light of Jesus”.
At the close of the conference, organisers played a video message from the Pope who gave his first public address in English since he became Pontiff. Pope Francis called the gathering a “worthy offering to the Year of Faith”. He expressed hope that the faithful would “again experience the loving presence of Jesus... and love the Church more” and enjoined them to share the Gospel “to all people with humility and joy”. “Don’t get tired of bringing the mercy of the Father to the poor, the sick, the abandoned, the young people and families,” said Pope Francis. “Let Jesus be known in the world of politics, business, arts, science, technology and social media.” The Pope said, “Let the Holy Spirit renew the creation and bring forth justice and peace in the Philippines and in the great continent of Asia that is close to my heart.” - CNS
Faith in the one who gave us these talents
VATICAN
Vernacular Mass a driver of unity: Pope ENGLISH translations of Latin liturgical texts have promoted unity in the faith and helped millions of Catholics better understand the sacraments they share, Pope Francis said. “The fruits of your labours have not only helped to form the prayer of countless Catholics, but have also contributed to the understanding of the faith, the exercise of the common priesthood and the renewal of the Church’s missionary outreach,” the Pope said during a meeting on October 18 with representatives of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy. The representatives were meeting in Rome to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the commission, established in 1963 to develop unified English translations of the prayers used at Mass, for the celebration of the sacraments and other liturgies. ICEL is made up of 11 bishops’ conferences: the United States, Canada, Ireland, England and Wales, Scotland, southern Africa (South Africa, Swaziland and Botswana), India, Pakistan, Philippines, New Zealand and Australia. Before English texts may be used, individual bishops’ conferences must approve them and submit them to the Vatican. Since 2001, Vox Clara, a committee established by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, has reviewed and suggested revisions to the translations before the Vatican gives its final approval. “By enabling the vast numbers of the Catholic faithful throughout the world to pray in a common language,” Pope Francis told ICEL members, “your commission has helped to foster the Church’s unity in faith and sacramental communion”.
Visit the visitors, Pope urges the faithful
Paralympians Stefanie Reid, centre, and her husband, Brent Lakatos, in wheelchair, participate in a 100-metre relay race on the main road leading to St Peter’s Square at the Vatican on October 20. The Year of Faith event drew several hundred people, including Olympics champs, disabled people and children. PHOTOS: CNS
Ideology a counterfeit faith says Pope WHEN Christianity becomes an ideology rather than a faith based on a relationship with God, its followers become proud and rigid, Pope Francis said. When Christianity becomes an ideology, “Jesus isn’t there, nor is his tenderness, love and meekness. And ideologies are always rigid, always,” the Pope said on October 17 in a homily at his early morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives. According to a Vatican Radio report on the homily, Pope Francis said that ideological Christians are “rigid, moralists, ethicists, but without goodness”. “When a Christian becomes a disciple of an ideology, he has lost his faith; he is no longer a disciple of Jesus, but of this way of thinking,” the Pope said. Pope Francis was commenting on the day’s Gospel reading from Luke (11:47-54) in which
Jesus admonishes the Scribes and Pharisees for trying to control the faith rather than live it and share it with others. The Gospel reading included the line: “Woe to you, scholars of the
“The key that opens the door of faith is prayer,” he said. “I am talking about praying, not saying prayers,” because the Pharisees recited many prayers in public simply to be seen.
“When a Christian becomes a disciple of ideology, he has lost his faith; he is no longer a disciple of Jesus, but of this way of thinking.” law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.” Pope Francis said when Christianity is an ideology rather than a faith built on a living relationship with the Lord, “knowledge of Jesus is transformed into an ideological and moralistic knowledge”. The ideologues close the door to faith with all their rules, he said.
Jesus warned his disciples not to follow their example because prayer should be a “heart-to-heart” meeting with the Lord. Pope Francis said the “poor” Pharisees were “people sullied by pride”. “Let’s ask the Lord for the grace first of all to never stop praying in order not to lose faith, but also to remain humble.”
- CNS
CALLING homes for retired priests and nuns “sanctuaries of holiness”, Pope Francis asked Catholics to visit those who spent their lives sharing the Gospel and caring for others in the priestly and religious state. In his morning Mass homily on October 18, the Pope described retired clergy and religious as “good priests and good sisters, aged and bearing the weight of solitude, waiting for the Lord to knock on the doors of their hearts”. “Let’s not forget them,” he said during the Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, according to Vatican Radio. Pope Francis spoke about how Moses, John the Baptist and St Paul all endured suffering, but the Lord never abandoned them. They were filled with energy when they began their service, he said; then challenges came and eventually the end of life. Pope Francis said when he thinks of the closing days of St Paul’s life, “My heart remembers those sanctuaries of apostolicity and sanctity, rest homes for priests and sisters”. He said Christians can make a pilgrimage by visiting the elderly priests and nuns, who “wait for the Lord a bit like Paul: perhaps a bit sad, but also with a sense of peace and a happy face”. - CNS
Want to keep up to date with the news from around the world? Follow us on our Facebook page or go to our website at Pope Francis speaking during his general audience at St Peter’s Square on October 16. PHOTO: CNS
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Catholic media must listen and lead for Christ CATHOLIC media are important not only as a means of documenting Church events, Pope Francis said, but especially as a means for bringing the Church and the Gospel closer to people. Catholic media professionals must report news and share stories, “dialoguing with a world that has a need to be listened to and understood, but also needs to receive the message of true life,” the Pope said on October 18. In a message to employees of the Vatican Television Centre, which was marking its 30th anniversary as a producer and distributor of Vatican and papal video, Pope Francis said the Catholic Church needs the best communications media available, but they must be used as a service to the Church and part of its evangelising mission. “We live in a world in which
there is almost nothing that doesn’t have something to do with the universe of the media. “Increasingly sophisticated instruments reinforce the almost pervasive role of communications
Catholic media are important not only for documenting events but bringing God closer to the people. technologies, language and forms in daily life, and not only among the young,” the Pope said. In the midst of all those words, sounds and images, he said, it is not easy to recount events related to the life of the Church, “which is a
sign and instrument of an intimate union with God and is the body of Christ, the people of God, the temple of the Holy Spirit”. Catholic media professionals, the Pope said, must have “a strong ability to read reality in a spiritual key”, as well as a thorough understanding of and respect for the religious events they are covering. The Vatican Television Centre, he said, can bring the Pope’s words to a massive audience, including to the lonely and to people who live in places where professing Christianity requires courage. “It is important to remember that the Church is present in the world of communications, in all its forms, most of all to lead people to an encounter with the Lord Jesus,” he said. “Only an encounter with Jesus can transform human hearts and human history.” - CNS
Catholic media professionals Ilsa Reyes, from the Philippines, and Robert Mawuenyegah, from Ghana, at a media conference in Rome last year. CUC 2012
Beleagured bishop meets Pope, audit AFTER giving a morning Mass homily on the virtue of poverty, Pope Francis held a private meeting on October 21 with a German bishop under fire for a massive building project that critics have denounced as extravagant. The Vatican press office announced the Pope’s meeting with Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartzvan Elst of Limburg, but would not comment on details of their discussion. Pope Francis made no mention of the bishop at Mass that morning, but he focused his homily on how money can destroy families and relationships. Material goods must be used to benefit others or they risk becoming idols and the object of conflict, he said. The German program of Vatican Radio said it was unlikely Pope Francis would order any changes in the diocese before the completion of an audit commissioned by the German bishops’ conference, unless Bishop Tebartz-van Elst “offers his resignation”. Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, the bishops’ conference president and recently retired archbishop of Freiburg, met with Pope Francis on October 17 and later told reporters he had discussed the Limburg situation with the Pope. The archbishop said he left the meeting feeling “strengthened and encouraged”, but he refused to give more details because he said the meeting was confidential. “All sides are interested in a good and speedy solution in order to bring tranquility back to the Diocese of Limburg and to find a way out of this difficult situation,” the archbishop said. Bishop Tebartz-van Elst, who arrived in Rome on October 13, has been a target of protests for allegedly spending close to $40 million in renovations and new construction on his residence and diocesan offices, and for allegedly
Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, the German bishops’ conference president, said controversy surrounding the bishop in Limburg was high on his agenda.
making false statements in court. Archbishop Zollitsch told reporters on October 14 that he expected the bishop to do some serious “self-examination”. “It is not my place to judge the bishop of Limburg, but I am convinced he will undergo the necessary self-examination in the light of this situation,” said Archbishop Zollitsch, who was in Rome for the plenary meeting of the Pontifical Council for Promoting
New Evangelisation and for a regularly scheduled meeting with the Pope as head of the bishops’ conference. Archbishop Zollitsch had said it was obvious that the situation in Limburg would be one of the topics of his meeting with the Pope. Bishop Tebartz-van Elst has been accused of living extravagantly while cutting diocesan programs, and critics have suggested that the renovation and construction
project may have been funded in an improper way. The investigating commission, Archbishop Zollitsch said, includes experts in canon law, finance and construction. The members were asked to “clarify the costs” of the project, “how it was financed” and “how decisions were made to finance it”. Canon law requires such large expenditures to be approved by a diocesan finance council or the Vatican. Regarding
CNS
a separate allegation involving alleged luxury, a state prosecutor in Hamburg issued an indictment against Bishop Tebartz-van Elst on October 10, claiming he had given false testimony in court. The German media, which often refer to Bishop Tebartz-van Elst as the “luxury bishop”, have been following him closely and frequently mention Pope Francis’ simple lifestyle as a contrast. - CNS
Mammon the sure path to greed, vanity, idolatry MONEY by itself isn’t a problem, but greed and an attachment to money cause evil and destroy families and relationships, Pope Francis said. “Money is needed to bring about many good things,” he said in his morning Mass homily on October 21, “but when your heart is attached (to money), it destroys you”. “How many destroyed families have we seen because of money problems, sibling against sibling, father against child,” he said during the Mass in the Domus Sanctae
Marthae, according to Vatican Radio. “When a person is attached to money, he destroys himself, destroys the family” and destroys relationships, he said. The Pope focused on the day’s Gospel reading (Luke 12:13-21) and Jesus’ parable of the rich man. God admonished the rich man and said a person who stores up treasures for himself will not be rich “in what matters to God”. In the Gospel reading, Jesus warns people to “guard against all
greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions”. Pope Francis said what is destructive is “not money, but the
“you play god out of vanity” and because “it leads to the path that is opposed to what God did for us”, the Pope said.
When a person is attached to money, he destroys himself, destroys families, destroys relationships. attitude called greed.” “Greed makes you ill because it makes you think about everything only in relation to money.” “Greed is an instrument of idolatry” because
Jesus made himself poor to enrich humanity, and the path to God is through Christ’s same humility and “lowering oneself in order to serve”, he said. When
Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters”, one can either serve God or money, Jesus was asking people to trust in God to provide, Pope Francis said. However, he said, walking the path of poverty isn’t for poverty’s sake; poverty is an instrument to help people remain focused on God, who is the only master, “not the idol of gold”. “All the goods we have, the Lord gives us” in order to help the world and humanity progress, and to help others, the Pope said. - CNS
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THE WAR ON CHRISTIANS The global persecution of Christians is the unreported catastrophe of our time, writes the world's most respected religion journalist, John Allen.
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MAGINE if correspondents in late 1944 had reported the Battle of the Bulge, but without explaining that it was a turning point in the Second World War. Or what if finance reporters had told the story of the AIG meltdown in 2008 without adding that it raised questions about derivatives and sub-prime mortgages that could augur a vast financial implosion? Most people would say that journalists had failed to provide the proper context to understand the news. Yet that’s routinely what media outlets do when it comes to outbreaks of anti-Christian persecution around the world, which is why the global war on Christians remains the greatest story never told of the early 21st century. In recent days, people around the world have been appalled by images of attacks on churches in Pakistan, where 85 people died when two suicide bombers rushed the Anglican All Saints Church in Peshawar, and in Kenya, where an assault on a Catholic church in Wajir left one dead and two injured. Those atrocities are indeed appalling, but they cannot truly be understood without being seen as small pieces of a much larger narrative. Consider three points about the landscape of anti-Christian persecution today, as shocking as they are generally unknown. According to the International Society for Human Rights, a secular observatory based in Frankfurt, Germany, 80 per cent of all acts of religious discrimination in the world today are directed at Christians. Statistically speaking, that makes Christians by far the most persecuted religious body on the planet. According to the Pew Forum, between 2006 and 2010 Christians faced some form of discrimination, either de jure or de facto, in a staggering total of 139 nations, which is almost threequarters of all the countries on earth. According to the Centre for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, an average of 100,000 Christians have been killed in what the centre calls a ‘situation of witness’ each year for the past decade. That works out to 11 Christians killed somewhere in the world every hour, seven days a week and 365 days a year, for reasons related to their faith. In effect, the world is witnessing the rise of an entire new generation of Christian martyrs. The carnage is occurring on such a vast scale that it represents not only the most dramatic Christian story of our time, but arguably the premier human rights challenge of this era as well. To put flesh and blood on those statistics, all one has to do is look around. In Baghdad, Islamic militants stormed the Syriac Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation on October 31, 2010, killing the two priests celebrating Mass and leaving a total of 58 people dead. Though shocking, the assault was far from unprecedented; of the 65 Christian churches in Baghdad, 40 have been bombed at least once since the beginning of the 2003 US-led invasion. The effect of this campaign of violence and intimidation has been devastating for Christianity in the country. At the time of the first Gulf War in 1991, Iraq boasted a flourishing Christian population of at least 1.5 million. Today, the high-end estimate for the number of Christians left is around 500,000, and realistically many believe it could be as low as 150,000. Most of these Iraqi Christians have gone into exile, but a staggering number have been killed. India’s northeastern state of Orissa was the scene of the most violent antiChristian pogrom of the early 21st cen-
"Say 'religious persecution' to most makers of cultured secular opinion, and they will think of the Crusades, the Inquisition, Bruno and Galileo, the Wars of Religion and the Salem witch trials. Today, however, we do not live on the pages of a Dan Brown potboiler in which Christians are dispatching mad assasins... They're the ones fleeing assasins others have dispatched." - John Allen Above: A painting in the Church of the Holy Martyrs of Japan in Japan, Missouri. Right: Shahbaz Bhatti, pictured in front of a mural of Christ in 2009, was ambushed, shot and killed by gunmen on March 2, 2011 in Islamabad. PHOTO: CNS/BOB ROLLER
tury. In 2008, a series of riots ended with as many as 500 Christians killed, many hacked to death by machete-wielding Hindu radicals; thousands more were injured and at least 50,000 left homeless. Many Christians fled to hastily prepared displacement camps, where some lan-
The world is witnessing the rise of an entire new generation of Christian martyrs. The carnage is occurring on such a vast scale that it represents not only the most dramatic Christian story of our time, but arguably the premier human rights challenge of this era as well. Christians have been devastated. guished for two years or more. An estimated 5,000 Christian homes, along with 350 churches and schools, were destroyed. A Catholic nun, Sister Meena Barwa, was raped during the mayhem, then marched naked and beaten. Police sympathetic to the radicals discouraged the nun from filing a report,
and declined to arrest her attackers. In Burma, members of the Chin and Karen ethnic groups, who are strongly Christian, are considered dissidents by the regime and routinely subjected to imprisonment, torture, forced labour, and murder. In October 2010, the Burmese military launched helicopter strikes in territories where the country’s Christians are concentrated. A Burmese Air Force source told reporters that the junta had declared these areas ‘black zones’ where military personnel were authorised to attack and kill Christian targets on sight. Though there are no precise counts, thousands of Burmese Christians are believed to have been killed in the offensive. In Nigeria, the militant Islamic movement Boko Haram is held responsible for almost 3,000 deaths since 2009, including 800 fatalities last year alone. The movement has made a speciality out of targeting Christians and their churches, and in some cases they seem determined to drive Christians out altogether from parts of the country. In December 2011, local Boko Haram spokesmen announced that all Christians in the northern Yobe and Borno states had three days to get out, and followed up with a spate of church bombings on January 5 and 6, 2012 which left at least 26 Christians dead, as well as two separate shooting sprees in which eight more Christians died. In the aftermath, hundreds of Christians fled the area and many are still displaced. Over Christmas last year, at least 15 Christians are
believed to have had their throats cut by Boko Haram assailants. North Korea is widely considered the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian, where roughly a quarter of the country’s 200,000 to 400,000 Christians are believed to be living in forced labour camps for their refusal to join the national cult around founder Kim Il Sung. The anti-Christian animus is so strong that people with Christian grandparents are frozen out of the most important jobs —
even though Kim Il Sung’s mother was a Presbyterian deaconess. Since the armistice in 1953 that stabilised the division of the peninsula, some 300,000 Christians in North Korea have disappeared and are presumed dead. As these examples illustrate, antiChristian violence is hardly limited to a ‘clash of civilisations’ between Christianity and Islam. In truth, Christians face a bewildering variety of threats, with no single enemy and no single strategy best
adapted to curb the violence. Though fellow believers in the West may have special reason for feeling concern, the reality is that no confessional convictions at all are required to justify alarm over this rising tide of antiChristian animus. Because the bulk of the globe’s 2.3 billion Christians today are impoverished and live in the developing world, and because they are often members of ethnic, cultural and linguistic minorities,
experts regard their treatment as a reliable indicator of a society’s broader record on human rights and dignity. Just as one didn’t have to be Jewish in the 1970s to care about dissident Jews in the Soviet Union, nor black in the 1980s to be outraged by the Apartheid regime in South Africa, one doesn’t have to be Christian today to see the defence of persecuted Christians as a towering priority. Why are the dimensions of this global war so often overlooked? Aside from
the root fact that the victims are largely non-white and poor, and thus not considered ‘newsmakers’ in the classic sense, and that they tend to live and die well off the radar screen of western attention, the global war also runs up against the outdated stereotype of Christianity as the oppressor rather than the oppressed. Say ‘religious persecution’ to most makers of cultured secular opinion, and they will think of the Crusades, the Inquisition, Bruno and Galileo, the Wars of Religion and the Salem witch trials. Today, however, we do not live on the pages of a Dan Brown potboiler, in which Christians are dispatching mad assassins to settle historical scores. Instead, they’re the ones fleeing assassins others have dispatched. Moreover, public discussion of religious freedom issues often suffers from two sets of blinders. First, it’s generally phrased in terms of western church/state tensions, such as the recent tug-of-war between religious leaders in the United States and the Obama White House over contraception mandates as part of health care reform, or tensions in the United Kingdom over the 2010 Equality Act and its implications for church-affiliated adoption agencies vis-à-vis same-sex couples. The truth is that, in the West, a threat to religious freedom means someone might get sued; in many other parts of the world, it means someone might get shot, and surely the latter is the more dramatic scenario. Secondly, discussion is sometimes limited by an overly narrow conception of what constitutes ‘religious violence’. If a female catechist is killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, for
instance, because she’s persuading young people to stay out of militias and criminal gangs, one might say that’s a tragedy but not martyrdom, because her assailants weren’t driven by hatred of the Christian faith. Yet the crucial point isn’t just what was in the mind of her killers, but what was in the heart of that catechist, who knowingly put her life on the line to serve the Gospel. To make her attackers’ motives the only test, rather than her own, is to distort reality. Whatever the motives for the silence, it’s well past time for it to end. Pope Francis recognised this in remarks during a General Audience last month. ‘When I hear that so many Christians in the world are suffering, am I indifferent, or is it as if a member of my own family is suffering?’ the Pope asked his following. ‘Am I open to that brother or that sister in my family who’s giving his or her life for Jesus Christ?’ In 2011, the Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, who leads a church with more than its fair share of new martyrs, phrased the same questions more plaintively during a conference in London. He bluntly asked: ‘Does anybody hear our cry? How many atrocities must we endure before somebody, somewhere, comes to our aid?’ There may be no question about the destiny of Christianity in the early 21st century more deserving of a compelling answer. John L Allen Jr is author of The Global War on Christians: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Anti-Christian Persecution. This article first appeared in the print edition of The Spectator magazine, on October 5, 2013.
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Bringing our Aboriginal Catholics back to the Church The Catholic Church has assisted the nation’s Indigenous population immensely, according to Aboriginal Elder Robert Isaacs, but today’s challenges need a new approach, as Matthew Biddle explains... “The Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others.”
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HESE were the words of Pope John Paul II during his momentous address to the Aboriginal people of Australia in 1986. But, almost 30 years later, the Australian Church is arguably yet to become “the Church that Jesus wants her to be”. The number of practising Aboriginal Catholics in Australia is declining, and the gap between the Church and the Indigenous community is widening, according to one of the nation’s most respected Aboriginal leaders. Robert Isaacs is an Aboriginal Elder from the Bibilmum Noongar language group of South Western Australia, who has a long history of community involvement throughout WA. He is also one of the few practising Aboriginal Catholics, having served as an acolyte at St Jude’s Parish in Langford for more than 30 years. Mr Isaacs is passionate about improving several aspects of the lives of the country’s Aboriginal population, including their involvement with the Catholic Church and bringing them back to their faith. “In our parish, my wife and I are the only Aboriginal people who go to Mass there, and yet there’s a lot of Aboriginal people living in the city of Gosnells and Langford,” he says. “I know that they are Catholics but I don’t know why they don’t go to church.” Almost 27 per cent of the State’s Aboriginal population is Catholic, according to the 2011 census, a figure which is higher than the percentage of Catholics in WA as a whole. There are almost 19,000 Aboriginal Catholics in WA, and more than 124,000 throughout the country. One thing that would bring Aboriginal people back to the Church, according to Mr Isaacs, is the visible presence of Aboriginal leaders. There are no Aboriginal Catholic priests or seminarians in Australia. “[The Church] can encourage recruitment of Aboriginal people into its ministry to become priests, nuns and deacons,” he says. “I don’t think it’s been thoroughly progressed for many years... it seems to have gone at a slow place.” Mr Isaacs says there are a large number of Aboriginal people who were instructed in the Catholic faith through their education at various Catholic boarding schools, but who have since stopped attending Mass.
Above: Pope John Paul II holding a baby when meeting with Aboriginal people during his 1986 visit to Alice Springs. Right: Robert Isaacs receives his honorary doctorate on August 8 from Warnborough College in Canterbury in recognition of his contribution to social work and Aboriginal affairs. PHOTO: CNS, SUPPLIED
Nevertheless, he is optimistic that things can change for the better. “There’s a lot of Aboriginal people who want to come back to the Church but they want to see leaders here in the Church,” he says. “Aboriginal people can be leaders if they are given the leadership by the Church to become a Catholic priest or a nun.” Although the lack of Aboriginal religious in Australia concerns him, Mr Isaacs is immensely grateful for the work the Catholic Church has done with Aboriginal communities over many years. He recently met with Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB to thank the Church in WA for the support it has given to the Aboriginal community, particularly in regard to education and the handing over of buildings and land to the traditional owners. Earlier this year, the entire complex of Clontarf Aboriginal College, which was built in 1901 as an orphanage run by the Christian Brothers, was handed back to the Aboriginal community. “We did it right and now Aboriginal people are satisfied and happy,” Mr Isaacs says. “When I went there in the 1950s for my education and schooling, there was never any recognition by churches or governments of the day about the history of the traditional owners for country, as I call it.” Mr Isaacs, who was the chairman of the school’s board of management for 16 years, says the handover was a significant occasion. “The Christian Brothers have shown leadership
and foresight in handing the land back to the original inhabitants of this country,” he says. “Clontarf has given Aboriginal people opportunities for education and training, and a start at life.” With the first establishment of the Catholic Church in WA in the late 19th century, several missions were set up in remote parts of the State to assist Aboriginal communities. These included missions in the Kimberley, Broome and Kunnanurra. “The Pallotine Order has played a very significant role in the Kimberley, bringing young boys and girls down from the Kimberley
“I got a good education by the Christian Brothers,” he says. “I’m very thankful for the Catholic education I got; without that I don’t think I would be in the senior positions that I hold in my community today. “I’m very thankful for the Church; it played a significant role in my life, and in my wife’s life... If I wasn’t brought up within the Catholic system I don’t know where I’d be today. “The Catholic Church has given me the gift of faith, and Clontarf gave that to me, and being a person from the stolen generation, it put me in good stead through all
Almost 27 per cent of the State’s Aboriginal population is Catholic, according to the 2011 census, a figure which is higher than the percentage of Catholics in WA as a whole. There are almost 19,000 Aboriginal Catholics in WA. to further their education and their religion,” Mr Isaacs says. “We’ve had the Christian Brothers, we’ve had the Catholic nuns, we’ve had the Marist Brothers, we’ve had so many orders that have been a major player in getting young Aboriginal males and females into our major schools.” Mr Isaacs, who was raised at St Joseph’s Orphanage and Casteldare Boys Home before attending Clontarf, said his own education experience had been overwhelmingly positive.
my public life.” Even today, decades on from the height of Aboriginal Catholic education, Mr Isaacs believes the Catholic school system is still playing a pivotal role. “There’s a lot of Aboriginal people now going to the private sector of education, which links them into the Church, I know that’s happening right across WA,” he says. “The more Aboriginal people who go to the private sector, which is Catholic education, then I think it will start something to get them
back into church, I’ve seen it happen.” One of the reasons why combining Catholicism, through education, with the Aboriginal culture can work is because the two are complementary, Mr Isaacs says. “[Aboriginal people] are very spiritual,” he says. “A lot of Aboriginal people have their own ways of healing and spiritual ways when they’re talking to God.” Catholic Aboriginal Ministry, which was established in Perth in 1977 by Fr Bryan Tiernan, perhaps best exemplifies the successful merging of Aboriginal culture with Catholicism. “We sing the Our Father in the Noongar language, and Aboriginal people are given a very significant role in NAIDOC week of course, being part of the celebration of the Eucharist, and I’d like to see that continue,” Mr Isaacs says. “When Fr Tiernan set it up and ran it, it was really at its high peak, doing great things with the community. “They focused mainly on the fringe dwellers who were living in the bush out there in Lockridge, in the camps and that sort of thing.” But in recent times the Ministry has struggled for numbers, a sign that urgent change is needed in the approach, according to Mr Isaacs. “You need to go to the homes first, not just to a community,” he says. “If you go one-on-one and do visits to homes - it’s called a grapevine in the Aboriginal community - word spreads that there’s some-
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therecord.com.au October 23, 2013
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Tradition, not scholars, right on Matthew Having taught that Matthew the Apostle wrote the first Gospel, I find in a new Bible that “It is generally accepted by scholars today that the author of the first Gospel was not the Apostle Matthew”. Who is right?
Y
An Aboriginal man points out the sites to Pope Benedict XVI during a boat tour of Sydney Harbour on July 17 in Sydney, Australia. The Pope arrived by boat to greet 150,000 people for World Youth Day. PHOTO: CNS/ALESSIA GIULIANI, CATHOLIC PRESS
one who’s leading the way to get the people back to church and that could be a stepping stone.” Leadership roles are another key factor in both the Church and society for the Aboriginal community to “have a voice”. “I don’t know whether the priests right throughout the Archdiocese would even know how to contact an Aboriginal person, they’ve probably never worked with one or seen one in their life,” Mr Isaacs says. “That can easily be addressed, but only when we get Aboriginal people up there as priests, deacons
and acolytes, then I think you’ll see a change in this area.” The Catholic Church, both in Australia and Perth, could also benefit from getting out into the community more. “Here, in Perth, they want to sit around board tables and that sort of thing,” Mr Isaacs explains. “When Aboriginal people want to discuss business, they sit on the turf, on the ground in the bush, especially in the remote areas. “Aboriginal people want to be a part of the Church, they see the Church as a guide and as a leader.”
“If [Archbishop Costelloe] wants guidance and support he’ll get it from the Aboriginal community.” The Aboriginal community has derived a great deal from the Church in Australia for which it’s thankful, and Mr Isaacs says Aboriginal Catholics would cherish the opportunity to contribute to the Church. The Church must “open up”, he says, to be able to bring more and more people “through the door”. “Once that’s there, I think the Aboriginal community will benefit quite a bit.”
OUR question reminds me of those “consolation” questions Groucho Marx used to ask on his quiz show when the contestant failed to answer the prescribed questions. He would ask, for example, “Who was buried in Grant’s tomb?” or “Who wrote Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony?” Who wrote Matthew’s Gospel? Sounds familiar. Also, we have to be careful not to let the opinions of “scholars” or theologians become a “parallel magisterium”, which is given the same authority as the official teachings of the Church. But returning to your question, there is ample evidence that it was indeed the apostle Matthew who wrote the first Gospel, that he wrote in Aramaic, not Greek, and that he wrote it much earlier than 85AD. As regards the authorship, Christian tradition unanimously attributes the first Gospel to Matthew. Virtually all the ancient manuscripts that preserve the title of the work have some form of the words “according to Matthew”. Among the Fathers of the Church and other writers, St Irenaeus, Origen, St John Chrysostom, St Jerome and St Augustine all say that Matthew wrote the Gospel. On June 19, 1911, the Pontifical Biblical Commission (PBC), with the approval of Pope St Pius X, affirmed that Matthew was indeed the author of the first Gospel: “In view of the universal and constant agreement of the Church, as shown by the testimony of the Fathers, the inscription of Gospel codices, most ancient versions of the Sacred Books and lists handed down by the Holy Fathers, ecclesiastical writers, Popes and Councils, and finally by liturgical usage in the Eastern and Western Church, it may and should be held that Matthew, an Apostle of Christ, is really the author of the Gospel that goes by his name” (n I). As regards the language, according to the historian Eusebius (Church History III.39.16), the early Christian Papias said that Matthew composed the sayings of Jesus in the Hebrew language. Eusebius (Church History V.10.3) also says that in India Pantaenus found the Gospel according to Matthew written in the Hebrew language, where St Bartholomew had left it. And he says (Church History VI.25.3-4) that Origen in his first book on the Gospel of Matthew states that he had learned from tradition that the first Gospel was written by Matthew, who composed it in Hebrew for the converts from Judaism. St Jerome, too, repeatedly declared that Matthew wrote his Gospel in Hebrew
Q&A FR JOHN FLADER
(Ad Damasum, xx, Ad Hedib iv), as did St Cyril of Jerusalem, St Gregory of Nazianzus, St Epiphanius, St John Chrysostom, St Augustine and others. When they say Hebrew, it is understood to mean the Hebrew spoken in Israel at the time of Christ, which we know today as Aramaic. In spite of the certainty that Matthew wrote in Aramaic, there are unfortunately no surviving copies of that version, and only the Greek translation remains. In this regard, the PBC, in the same declaration, affirmed: “The belief that Matthew preceded the other Evangelists in writing, and that the first Gospel was written in the native language of the Jews then in Palestine, is to be considered as based on Tradition”, (n. II).
We have to be careful not to let the opinions of “scholars” or theologians become a “parallel magisterium”. As for when Matthew wrote his Gospel, it is most likely that he did so in the 50s or 60s of the first century. There are two main reasons for saying this. First, Matthew records Jesus’ prophecy that Jerusalem would fall, with the burning of the city (cf Mt 22:7) and the destruction of the Temple (cf Mt 24:2). Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed in the year 70, but there is no mention of it in the Gospel. Also, Matthew refers seven times to the opposition of the Sadducees to Christ and the disciples, but the Sadducees ceased to be a force with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the year 70. In this regard, the PBC declared: “The preparation of this original text was not deferred until after the destruction of Jerusalem, so that the prophecies it contains about this might be written after the event; nor is the alleged uncertain and much disputed testimony of Irenaeus (Advers haeres, lib III, cap I, n 2), convincing enough to do away with the opinion most conformed to Tradition, that their preparation was finished even before the coming of Paul to Rome” (n III). So yes, Matthew wrote his Gospel and he did so in Aramaic long before the year 85. - FRJFLADER@GMAIL.COM
FUN FAITH With
OCTOBER 27, 2013 • LUKE 18: 9-14 • 30TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
CROSSWORD
TODAY’S GOSPEL Luke: 18:9-14
HIMSELF COLLECTOR PHARISEE TEMPLE PARABLE Across
Down
4. But the tax ____, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying, `God, be merciful to me a sinner!’
1. The ____ stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank thee that I am not like other men...’
5. Jesus also told this ____ to some who trusted in themselves that they were good and disliked others:
Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were good and disliked others: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, cheaters, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give some of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying, `God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house supported rather than the other; for every one who raises themselves up will be brought down, but he who brings himself down will be raised up.”
2. I tell you, this man went down to his house supported rather than the other; for every one who raises ____ up will be brought down...” 3. Two men went up into the ____ to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
WORD SEARCH HOW MANY WORDS FROM THE CROSSWORD CAN YOU FIND?
“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who raises themselves up will be brought down, but he who brings himslef down will be raised up.”
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therecord.com.au October 23, 2013
15
Trying to keep it Christian
The moderators of a Facebook group to facilitate debate between Catholics and Protestants say they are determined to host a forum which not only enables but embodies honest and charitable dialogue, writes Matthew Biddle.
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AT H O L I C S and Protestants are taking to social media to engage in reasoned discussion about God, Jesus Christ, and the Church. A Facebook group titled ‘Catholic – Protestant Debate’ now has more than 1,000 members from around the world, including Australia. The group has several rules, prohibiting the use of profanities and insults, instead encouraging mutual respect. It states that: “This is an area for discussion between two groups plagued by misconceptions of the others… it is a forum for respectful, mature and educational inter-religious dialogue between Catholics and Protestants”. The group is controlled by several administrators, some of whom are Catholic, some of whom are Protestant. One administrator is American Presbyterian minister Jared Nelson, who told The Record his involvement in the group has been beneficial. “I wanted to explore issues in Catholic theology and was not able to interact with intelligent, knowledgeable and winsome Catholics near me,” he said. “The group allowed me to interact with interested people from around the country, and even the globe.” Mr Nelson said the most popular discussions within the Facebook group were the interpretation of Scripture and the means of salvation. Sydney-based Sam Green joined the group three years ago as a Protestant, and said social media played a major part in his conversion to Catholicism. “The use of social media for inter-religious and inter-denominational dialogue is indispensable,” he said. The 23-year-old said the internet had provided him with the opportunity to read and to learn from other Protestants and Catholics. “A good friend of mine, who was also my employer at the time, used to debate Catholics online,” he explained. “One afternoon I was working in his office and found a book on Catholic theology, specifically in regards to some of the general Protestant objections. “I read through the book and decided to jump online and see if there were some forums with Catholics and Protestants discussing their differences and soon found the “Catholic - Protestant Debate” forum on Facebook.” Mr Green said although he didn’t participate in many discussions online, he spent a significant amount of time reading what other people had to say. “I used the forum mainly as a way to ask some of the more knowledgeable Catholics about their faith and the reasons why they believed what they did, as opposed to my Protestant belief system,” he said. “Eventually, through some of the networking I had done on the forum, I connected with other Catholics from Australia and converted to Catholicism in November 2010.” While he values highly the use of social media, Mr Green admits the Catholic – Protestant Debate group on Facebook has its flaws. “It can often be hard for the [moderators] to delete and censor those participants who are not there to dialogue but are effectively just being ‘trolls’.”
Above, a detail of the Facebook page of the group Catholic-Protestant Debate. Through adherence to its rules of civility, the group hopes to keep discussion to the point, charitable and dignified. PHOTO: ONLINE
“In saying this, the people who benefit mostly from this media are, like I was, simply perusing the forums looking at topics which I had never studied for myself or questions I’d never thought to ask.”
I was working in my boss’s office and found a book on Catholic theology in regards to Protestant objections. I use the forum to ask questions of some more knowledgeable Catholics. Mr Nelson also said there were some disadvantages of using social media for religious dialogue. “It can be a horrible forum for discussing intellectual issues,” he said. “Social media does not allow for visual or intonation clues so that jokes or sarcasm are heightened in force.”
Mr Green said the desire for Christian denominations to form a common bond can make it problematic to openly discuss differing views or beliefs. “In my own personal journey I’ve found that questioning your own beliefs, as well as other people’s, can draw you closer to God and also help you better understand those who don’t necessarily share your faith,” he said. Although reading the discussions were beneficial to him, Mr Green still believes in the value of personal conversation. “The best way to examine the issues is to dialogue one-on-one with people who are interested in the issues at hand and less interested in forcibly converting you or condemning you to hell,” he said. According to the Pew Research Centre in the US, there has been a significant rise in the use of social media in the past decade. In 2005, just eight per cent of internet users surveyed said they use social networking sites, but in 2013 this figure had risen to 72 per cent. Eighty-nine per cent of people aged between 18 and 29 surveyed use social networking sites.
Courtyard of the Gentiles goes on after Pope Benedict The hope of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI that Catholics and Atheists could have a robust but charitable dialogue is still being fulfilled. “God, the unknown” was the theme of the “Atrium of St Francis”, an initiative organised by the Pontifical Council for Culture, the Holy Convent of Assisi and the Oicos Riflessioni Association, earlier this month. The meeting took place in the Italian town of Assisi on October 5-6 and was part of the “Courtyard of the Gentiles” project, a structure for permanent dialogue between believers and non-believers created by the Pontifical Council. The Courtyard of the Gentiles has already organised events in several European capitals. The Assisi meeting, in which more than forty speakers participated, was opened by Giorgio Napolitano, president of the Republic of Italy. The program, which involved nine meetings in nine “atria” at
different locations around the city of St. Francis, covered the following themes: “Work, business and responsibility”, “Young people, between faith and nihilism”, “The cry of the earth”, “Art and faith”, “The cry of the poor, the world economic crisis and sustainable development”. Among the participants were figures from the worlds of culture, science, art and economics, such as filmmaker Ermanno Olmi, architect Massimiliano Fuksas, and trade union leader Susanna Camusso.“In a second edition of his letter to the faithful St Francis addressed himself to ‘all Christians, religious, clergy and laity, to men and women, to all inhabitants of the world entire’”, notes Fr Giuseppe Piemontese, custodian of the Holy Convent of Assisi. “We are opening the ‘Atrium of St. Francis’ with great humility, and under the sign of that evangelical openness to others.”
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OPINION
EDITORIAL
Thank God for our confounding Pontiff
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eaders and commentators across the increasingly incoherent ideological spectrum have praised the ‘folksy’, ‘everyday person’ communication style of Pope Francis, ever since his election as Pope, seven months ago. Pope Francis is a man after the heart of the average person, they say, someone who “cuts through” with off the cuff comments about everyday issues. At one level that is, very thankfully, true, but at another, it is hopelessly wrong. The Pope’s numerous, paradoxical statements presume a level of formation, intellectual rigour and above all, mystical openness to God on the part of the faithful hitherto absent in many media contributions around the Church in recent times. He, like Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI treats ordinary Catholics like adults and rather more than that, brothers and sisters in communion; for this we should be thankful. The “I talk, you listen” model of communication that preceded and oddly succeeded the Second Vatican Council, albeit without mention of some of the more angular teachings of the Church, is no where in evidence when the Pope speaks. The Pope’s supposed ambiguity, however, has been both rigorously disdained and earnestly fetishised from all quarters. His lengthy interview with Italian Jesuit Antonio Spadaro in which he said the Church could not afford to be “obsessed” with abortion and gay marriage, and his statement of the following day decrying the “evil of abortion” are, together, an excellent case in point. His comment, the following week, that the most urgent challenges facing the Church were youth unemployment and loneliness among the elderly, was another. Steve Jalsevac, co-founder of the frequently intemperate Lifesitenews. com, was dismayed at the Pope’s seeming ambiguity following the interview printed in America last month. Jalsevac said that although he did “not want to appear to be critical of a Pope” and emphasised the importance of being charitable, Pope Francis “should be far more carefully explaining to the world exactly what he meant”. “I am not questioning the fidelity of Pope Francis… But, it is very plain, from many comments from the very best of people, that we have a huge problem here,” Jalsevac wrote on October 2. “Pope Francis is saying too many things that could mean this, or they could mean that, but no one is really 100 percent certain. He is raising disturbing questions that only he PO Box 3075 can clarify.” Adelaide Terrace On the other side of the PERTH WA 6832 church stalls, Religion New Service’s David Gibson hinted at the barely concealed glee office@therecord.com.au some have expressed at what Tel: (08) 9220 5900 they imagine the Pope’s comFax: (08) 9325 4580 ments and pastoral approach suggest: “Francis needs enough time to appoint bishops who share his views and who can in turn encourage and promote like-minded priests and seminarians,” Gibson wrote on September 19. “In many ways, the type of change Francis envisions will take a generation or more. Already, some in this current, more conservativeminded generation of bishops have signalled their unhappiness with the Pope.” Pope Francis himself has publicly expressed concern at the propagation of his own cultus, of his own trending celebrity. He would presumably be the first to reject the idea of his every word being sacrosanct and would expect robust discussion following his off-the-cuff comments. His comments last week however, about the falsity of ideologically driven faith, provide some antidote to the rush to certainty on all sides. “When a Christian becomes a disciple of an ideology, he has lost his faith; he is no longer a disciple of Jesus, but of this way of thinking,” the Pope said on October 17. “Jesus isn’t there, nor is his tenderness, love and meekness… ideologies are always rigid”. All of us, myself included, who like to hear our own opinions repeated back at us have forgotten, after Augustine, that when it comes to God, when we are too much convinced that we know, we almost certainly do not. Catholicism is a relationship with Jesus through the sacrament of his Church. To say as much does not somehow diminish the integrity of the deposit of the faith nor does it imperil an engaging embodiment of that faith, here and now. Relationship with Christ with the help of his Church is not just its reason for being, but its very lifeblood. Francis told his Jesuit interviewer that what the Church needs most today “is the ability to heal wounds and warm the hearts of the faithful”. “It needs nearness, proximity,” the Pope said. “I see the Church as a field hospital after a battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else… “The Church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules. The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you… The ministers of the Church must be ministers of mercy above all. The confessor, for example, is always in danger of being either too much of a rigorist or too lax. Neither is merciful, because neither of them really takes responsibility for the person.” “The rigorist washes his hands so that he leaves it to the commandment. The loose minister washes his hands by simply saying, ‘This is not a sin’ or something like that. In pastoral ministry we must accompany people, and we must heal their wounds.”
The Pope’s supposed ambiguity has been both rigorously disdained and earnestly fetishised.
THE RECORD
therecord.com.au October 23, 2013
LETTERS
Don’t stop printing the words of the Pope THANK YOU for printing the homily of Pope Francis in this week’s Record. His words are always inspirational. Only yesterday, I was told of a man who had become cynical and negative about everything Catholic. He was given a copy of the full interview Pope Francis gave to his fellow Jesuits recently. (The media, mainly in America, had taken out a couple of phrases, latched onto them and gave the impression that Catholic teaching was about to be changed, but the full text tells another story.) This gentleman informed a friend “this is the best thing that has come out in the Church for a very long time. I have read it three times and it has prompted me to pray”! Please keep on giving us the words of our beloved Pope. They can save souls. Rosemary Chandler SHELLEY WA
Did gay marriage sink the Labor government? AUSTRALIAN media columnists and political commentators attributed the downfall of the federal Labor government basically to its leadership squabbles. But, the main cause, I believe, is the fact both Kevin Rudd and Anthony Albanese brought to the front burner same-sex marriage during their campaign in the justconcluded Federal elections, as if same-sex marriage will redound to increased economic growth and decreased costs of living of all Australian families. Australian electors displayed their opposition to these proponents to same-sex marriage law. US Senator Ted Cruz’ statement - “Gay ‘marriage’ could lead Christian beliefs being punished
as ‘hate speech’ is a dire warning to Australia too! The evil war against marriage is cleverly marketed as all about equality in marriage and to end discrimination. Same-sex marriage is, in fact, awfully discriminatory because it downgrades heterosexual couples who are capable of procreating the next generations of human beings as equal to those who cannot fecundate their own offspring. Let us continue to pray unceasingly that such God-less laws of same-sex marriage and euthanasia will never be legislated across Australia and never embraced by the Australian civilisation. And, the Satanic law allowing the euthanasia of the pre-born Australians (killing of innocents) be repealed and/or Medicare funds slated for abortions be abolished. As a Catholic, I am vehemently opposed to being forced to pay income tax that is being used to procure abortions by Medicare. James Peter St John WEMBLEY, WA
Official title worthiest title says Romy I WISH to suggest to all parishioners of the Catholic Archdiocese of Perth to contact their local parish and their parish priests to ardently beseech His Grace, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, to make use in all official publications, flyers, notices, announcements, advertisements, postings, communiqués, bulletins, releases, etc, of the full title of our Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The common usage of its full title is most fitting on expressing the daily renewal of our Cathedral’s dedication and consecration of our Archdiocese to the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God and of our Mother. Thank you.
Article not the full story: parishioner AS A LONG TIME parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes Church Lesmurdie, I read with great dismay Matthew Biddle’s article ‘St Brigid’s struggles to help boarders’ published October 16, 2013. What the article fails to mention is why parishioners rejected the proposal from St Brigid’s College regarding housing boarders at the parish centre, and instead portrays the local church community as unwilling to help or support the adjoining Catholic college. To put it simply, the deal was financially unsound. The parish was being asked to foot the entire cost of the refurbishment, thus taking on a hefty debt and all the financial risk, whilst losing access to a vital community amenity. Given the parish budget is only just in the black, it would have been irresponsible to enter into such a poor commercial agreement. Our parish is a kind and generous one. In fact, just last week we raised more than $10000 for Fr Ken Asaba’s January mission to his homeland of Kenya. The best gift that we can give the next generation of Catholics at Our Lady of Lourdes is a parish that is spiritually rich and financially sound – to enter into the deal proposed by St Brigid’s College would have left nothing but a legacy of financial hardship. Barry Ellis, LESMURDIE WA
Something to say? LETTERS TO THE EDITOR office@therecord.com.au
Romy Lenon SORRENTO, WA
Gravity a film of real weight, rings with unexpected tones
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old on tight for the ride of your life in Gravity (Warner Bros.), a lostin-space adventure as exhilarating as it is terrifying. Director Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men), who co-wrote the screenplay with his son Jonas, serves up a modern-day horror story with top-notch performances and dazzling 3-D cinematography that envelops the audience in the majesty of space. The film’s life-or-death scenario evokes the spirit of the 2011 movie Apollo 18. But the danger here doesn’t come from aliens as it did in that feature. Instead, it results from all-too-human technology gone badly wrong. Amid the mayhem, “Gravity” has another, deeper story to tell, as the nearness of death provokes reflections on mortality and the afterlife. The space shuttle is in orbit 370 miles above Earth, and astronauts Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) are outside it, making repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope. The two crewmates are chalk and cheese: Stone the cool, reserved scientist on her first mission; Kowalski the cocky veteran, a fun-loving space cowboy with the gift of the gab who’s savouring his final voyage. “Houston, I have a bad feeling about this mission,” Kowalski quips lightheartedly to mission control
Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in Gravity.
before breaking into another yarn as his favourite country music plays in the background. Kowalski’s levity is misplaced. When the Russians launch a missile against a spy satellite, it causes a chain reaction in space, raining debris on the astronauts. Within seconds, the shuttle is destroyed, and Kowalski and Stone are the only survivors, cut off from Earth and spiralling into outer space. What ensues is E.T. in reverse, as our plucky marooned humans search for a way to go home (where gravity is taken for granted). With Kowalski steering his jet pack and Stone on a tether, they make their way to the nearest oasis, the International Space Station, where more challenges await. To describe what happens next would be a spoiler. Suffice it to say that, in the deafening silence of space, the duo has plenty of time
PHOTO: CNS
to meditate as they stare death in the face. For Stone, this is an epiphany. She laments that she is alone in the world, mourning the loss of her only child in an accident years ago. “Who will pray for my soul?” she asks. While she admits that she has never prayed herself, she regrets that no one ever taught her how. Such feelings are hardly surprising when the possibility of death is imminent. But Gravity - which provides a rare combination of enlightenment and excitement - uses these sentiments as stepping stones toward a resolution that viewers of faith will find both satisfying and refreshingly pro-life. In view of its underlying significance, and despite the elements listed below, some parents may consider Gravity acceptable for mature adolescents. - CNS
OPINION
therecord.com.au October 23, 2013
17
Put the smart phone down and no one gets hurt With our capacity to capture precious moment in pictures at an all time high, are we actually missing what matters?
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N 2014, it is estimated that 1.5 billion smartphone cameras will take nearly one trillion photos – that’s hundreds of thousands of photos every minute (three thousand in the time it took to read this sentence). Three hundred million photos are uploaded to Facebook every day capturing every poignant, funny, strange, exotic and dull moment, from our latest meal, to the TV show we are watching, to the item of IKEA furniture that we just assembled. Every two minutes mankind collectively takes as many photos as the whole of humanity took in the 1800s. While the digital camera of the late 1990s provided a freedom that was never known with film, the smartphone camera has gone even further, making every person with a phone in his or her pocket a photographer and turning every location (from the bathroom to the ballpark) into a backdrop. So I am just wondering... is there any chance we may be losing perspective when it comes to our photo taking lifestyles? Are
Foolish Wisdom BERNARD TOUTOUNJI
we taking photos at the expense of creating genuine memories? At a recent Beyonce concert in Atlanta, as she was sharing the microphone with some of those in the crowd, the singer scolded one fan who was preoccupied recording the show on his smartphone, “Put that damn camera down... see you can’t even sing because you’re too busy taping... I’m right in your face, baby. You gotta seize this moment”. And from the secular to the sacred, when Pope Francis first came out onto the balcony after being elected in March of 2013, the packed St Peter’s Square was literally a sea of tens of thousands of screens facing up to pixilate the historical moment. There is of course nothing wrong with taking photos; if I was at that concert or in that square I’d probably have my own iPhone out snapping away and uploading to
Instagram. The problem with our photographic obsession, though, is that we become less interested in ‘living’ the moment and more interested in ‘capturing’ the moment. Life, however, is meant to be lived, not tied down to eight megapixels for all eternity. Life is a movement. You can’t hold onto one note of Beethoven’s fifth symphony and claim to have experienced it. You must move through all four movements. You must sense the music within your being.
move through them, we flat pack the moment for two dimensional enjoyment at some later stage. The man at the Beyonce concert would only have been able to remember that concert through a digital image rather than within his experience unless Beyonce had told him to snap out of it! It is as if we are tying down our life into one spot, pegging our images to the earth in one massive digital album. How many babies are themselves treated like celebrities by over-eager
“Put that damn camera down... see you can’t even sing because you’re too busy taping”. Life is the ultimate symphony, it must be seen with our eyes, it must be smelt, heard, tasted and touched. The more we obsess with taking a photo of every moment in life (moments that more often than not have no need of being captured) the less we have the chance to live that life. Instead of enjoying and experiencing memories as we
parents who insist on preserving every smile, wink and laugh in full digital colour? How tragic if the baby missed out on looking into its parents eyes when it smiled for the first time and saw only a camera lens. Even if our photos could more completely capture an experience, they would remain lacking because we most often avoid photos of the
difficult times in life. Would we want to be photographed when we are in tears, when we have been let down or when we have been dealt a difficult hand in some aspect of life? Not likely, but suffering is all part of the tapestry of life – to be faithful to life, it must be included. But who pulls out their phone to take a few pics of the dying, the elderly or the incarcerated and then upload them to Flickr? The advent of highly accessible digital photography will surely be one of the most notable developments marking the start of this century but let it not be a chain that ties us to the moment and stops us moving forward with hope and anticipation. If we want to truly seize the moment and live a life that is full and rewarding, it will not be done through the screen of our Samsung Galaxy. What will last is the memory we have created of events and moments, loaded not on a ‘memory’ card but deep within our hearts and minds.
WWW.FOOLISHWISDOM.COM
My faith grows when children’s does
Marie Fernandez wanted her children to know the faith and has learnt more than she could have imagined in the process.
How I Pray DEBBIE WARRIER
M
y favourite time to pray is in the morning. It may be inside but usually outside where I can enjoy creation. I like somewhere quiet. Sometimes I bring my Bible and other times I sit, think and talk to God. I also pray before I go to bed and talk over with God what has happened throughout my day. Our family is involved in the Music Ministry in the Church and my older children are altar servers during Mass. So they’re not just passive but can offer during Mass as well as receive. I am a catechist and an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. I am a qualified high school Maths teacher and still tutor in that subject as well as work with gifted children who have special needs (children with high intelligence masked by learning disabilities like dyslexia). My husband and I have been married for 18 years and we have five children: Esther (16), Abraham (14), Susannah (12), Annabelle (10) and Rachel (7). I decided to get involved in the catechesis of the Good Shepherd (which is now at the Newman Siena Centre in Doubleview) when my eldest was two or three. I think I had two children at that time and I really wanted to spend more time developing their faith. Whilst I was trying to figure out how to do it, the opportunity to do a catechist training course came up. It was like it was jumping out at me and saying, “This is what you are called to do”. In practice, catechesis for children aged three to 12 is run using the methods of Montessori. There are three levels: level one is three to six year olds, level two is six to nine and level three is nine to 12. I have been doing this as a volunteer since 2000 along with six others. It is such a rich thing and it enriches my life so much. The whole philosophy of the catechesis (not to be confused with Catechism) is that it is not teaching but us learning together with the children. It is all about letting the
Mathematics teacher, Mum and catechist Marie Fernandez.
children experience their faith. The children from the age of three work with materials we provide them and you can see them growing in their understanding and knowledge of God. They make that connection by themselves and they own it because they discovered it by themselves. They are so close to God that they make connections we sometimes think are beyond them. As they get older they are more aware of moral issues like: Jesus taught us to love our neighbour like ourselves and we explore how they are going to do that. Then, in level three, we explore Salvation History though Bible studies. What they have to offer is as valuable as
what I have to offer. It is nothing like school at all. They get to choose how much they get involved. Some will write and copy things and others may paint a picture. When the children are older we might do a synthesis of the Annunciation and the Visitation for example. The type of materials we would use is what we call a diorama which would be an empty box, very plain on the outside. On the inside we would create Mary’s house which would be very simple as compared to Elizabeth’s luxurious house as she was better off. Then we would get the Scripture out and use the figures in the boxes to retell the stories. After that we ask them ‘won-
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
der questions’ like,” I wonder how Mary felt/thought?” Then, using Elizabeth’s house, we would talk about how her baby leapt for joy recognising Jesus was there even though He was not born yet. The synthesis may involve the Hail Mary prayer which is taken from the two stories so that makes them richer in their meaning. Into that we would present the prophecies from the Old Testament like “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” [Isaiah 9:1] and “Therefore the Lord himself will give this sign: the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel” [Isaiah 7:14]. Most of the work we do extends
beyond the historical context. We ask how that applies to today and what does that mean in the future. We discuss with the older children about how they have a part to play in the Kingdom of God and we talk about the “blank page” which is the part of the history that they write each day of their lives. They are as much a part of the history as the prophets and the adults that they see in society. They have got a role to play as well when Jesus comes again. We also hold Sacramental Retreat Programs for parishes and schools. Catechesis is very visual, hands on and concrete. It’s bringing to life something very abstract to something they can touch and see. God is not beyond them. We help them to discover God for themselves and fall in love with Him. There is a lot of theology and scripture reading in the work I do now with the older children. I find there things that I have read before and I see them in a whole new way. It all comes alive for me again. For example, I have been doing the story of Moses and the Covenant with the children and then, because I am an extraordinary minister in Church giving out the chalice with the precious Blood, I think, “Wow! This is the sign of the New Covenant in His Blood”. Things like that overcome me. I realise God is there. It doesn’t happen every time, just now and then you get this little gem - a precious gift. I can feel the Holy Spirit working through me. Sometimes when I am talking to the children I will think afterwards that I should have written it down so I can remember it for another time. I pray when I am preparing to do something and ask God to guide me in how I do it. Sometimes when that isn’t possible because you’re rushing around dropping your kids off somewhere, I know God has got that all in hand and it is His work not mine. I am just a servant and one of His tools. A saying we have in catechesis is: “Everything is a passage to prayer or prayer itself.” For information on catechist training courses or Catechesis of the Good Shepherd WA, contact 9241 5229 or goodshepherdwa@ gmail.com.
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PANORAMA
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25 Healing Mass Maddington Parish At Holy Family Parish, 34 Alcock St, Maddington. Followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Led by Fr Michael Payyapilly (Director - Divine Retreat Centre, Sydney). Enq: 9493 1703 or vincentiansperth@yahoo.com. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26 One Day Inner Healing Retreat 9am-1.30 pm at Holy Family Parish, 34 Alcock St, Maddington. Led by Fr Michael Payyapilly (Director - Divine Retreat Centre, Sydney). Program includes Praise and Worship, Preaching of the Word of God, Confession, Holy Mass, Eucharistic Adoration and Healing Prayers. Morning tea and lunch provided. Second Hand/Designer Clothing Sale 10am-4pm at Aranmore Primary School Hall, 20 Brentham St, Leederville. Funds go to Vincentcareraising awareness about suicide and mental health. Clothing donations by celebrities, sports teams and local businesses and individuals. Enq: Ciara Thiedeman 0416 765 933. Car Boot Sale – Armadale Parish 8.30am gates open at St Francis Xavier, 279 Forrest Rd, Hilbert. Entry for buyers is a gold coin donation. Morning teas with freshly baked scones, cake stall, sausage sizzle and activities for children. Come along and grab a bargain! Enq: 9399 4687. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 Auslan Cafe 10.30am-12 noon Emmanuel Centre hall next to St Francis Xavier Church, Windsor St, Perth. Ever thought about learning how to communicate with profoundly deaf people through Auslan (Australian Sign Language)? Now you can and it’s FREE. Come and learn in a relaxed and fun way. There is always an interpreter at St Francis Xavier Church for the 9.30am Sunday Mass. Lunch provided. Enq: Emma or Barbara at emmanuelcentre@westnet.com.au or 9328 8113. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29 Spirituality and the Sunday Gospels 7-8pm at St Benedict’s School Hall, Alness St, Applecross. Presenter Norma Woodcock. Everyone is welcome. Cost: collection. Accreditation recognition by the CEO. Enq: 9487 1772 or www. normawoodcock.com. Springtime with St Francis of Assisi 7.30pm Alverna Centre Meeting Room, St Lawrence Parish, 392 Albert St, Balcatta. Franciscan spirituality for youth 18-35 years. Join us on a journey of fraternity, of love, of trust – Pope Francis. Enq: Anne-Marie 9207 3691. Day of Reflection MMP 5th tuesday at Holy Spirit Parish, City Beach. Commences 10.30am. Rosary, holy Mass and talks, including Holy Hour of Prayer for priests concluding 2pm. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 First Friday Holy Hour 7.30pm at St Bernadette’s Parish, Glendalough, cnr Jugan and Leeder Sts. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, music and chants, silence, readings and meditative decades of the holy Rosary. Tea/ coffee and cake to follow. Enq: Sean Tobin of Bl Elisabeth of the Trinity Choir 0439 720 066. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Day With Mary 9am-5pm at St Anne Church, cnr Stirling Hwy and Alfred Rd, North Fremantle. Day of prayer and instruction based on the Fatima message. 9am Video; 10.10am Holy Mass; Reconciliation, Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic Adoration, Sermons on Eucharist and on Our Lady by Archbishop Emeritus Barry James Hickey, Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet and Stations of the Cross. Finish approx. 5pm. BYO lunch. Enq: Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate 9250 8286. One day Inner Healing Retreat. 9am–1.30pm at Holy Family Parish, 34 Alcock St, Maddington. Program includes Praise and Worship, Preaching of the Word of God, Confession, Holy Mass, Eucharistic Adoration and Healing Prayers. Morning tea and lunch provided. Enq: 9493 1703 or vincentiansperth@yahoo.com. Billings Life - 60th Anniversary Celebration 11am at Newman Siena Centre, 33 Williamstown Road, Doubleview. 60th Anniversary of Billings Ovulation Method, please join us for Mass, Celebrant Bishop Don Sproxton. Light refreshments later. Enq: Mandie 0407 577 435 bnfpwa@westnet.com.au. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 Divine Mercy - Afternoon With Jesus and Mary 1.30pm at St Francis Xavier Church, 25 Windsor St, East Perth. Homily by Fr Alphonsous on All Saints and Holy Souls followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Benediction, veneration of first class relics of St Faustina Kowalska and Reconcilliation. Refreshments follow. Enq: John 9457 7771. Schoenstatt Spring Fair 10am-2pm at 9 Talus Dr, Mt Richon. Grand Raffle Draw 2pm - 1st prize return tickets to Europe or Cash; BBQ; International Food Stalls; Books; Piety and Christmas Gifts; Raffles; Cakes; Plants; Children’s Gold Rush. Bargains and fun for the whole family! Enq: Sr Rebecca 9399 2349 or 0417 738 339 or www.schoenstattwa.org.au.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 AND THURSDAY NOVEMBER 7 Small Group Emmaus Walks 2.30pm Sunday at Bardon Park carpark, cnr Fourth Ave East and Bardon Pl, Maylands. Thursday, 10am. 10 minutes walk from the carpark to Friendship 2000 Townhouse on the Swan River walkway. With Gospel reading and reflection session on life’s Emmaus experiences. Refreshments, donation to Mission Partners Morley outreach. Bookings essential. Enq: margaretbox7@icloud.com or 9272 8263. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9 Divine Mercy Healing Mass 2.30pm at St Francis Xavier Church, 25 Windsor St, East Perth. Main celebrant is Fr Marcellinus Meilak OFM. Reconcilliation offered in English and Italian. Divine Mercy prayers followed by veneration of first class relics of St Faustina Kowalska. Refreshments afterwards. Enq: John 9457 7771. St Padre Pio Pilgrimage – Toodyay Church 8am- Buses depart to St John the Baptist Parish, Stirling Tce, Toodyay. 10.15am- DVD; 11.30amMass, Confession; 1pm- BYO lunch, tea and coffee provided; 2.30pm- Eucharistic procession, Rosary, Adoration, Divine Mercy and Benediction. 4 pm- Depart for Perth. Bus transport $17 p/ person. Enq: Leederville 9444 3617, Balcatta 9276 1952, Midland 92551938, Morley 9377 5017, Bassendean 9279 7261, Vic Park 9367 1366. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10 Commemoration of Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) 5.30-6.30pm in Government House Ballroom, St Georges Tce, Perth. Reflect and respond on the 75th Anniversary of Kristallnacht. Hosted by Council of Christians and Jews WA, in the presence of His Exellency Malcolm McCusker AC CVO QC, Governor of WA. Guest Speaker The Hon. Justice James Edelman Supreme Court of WA. Access from 5pm-5.20pm. RSVP by Mon, Nov 4: ccjwa@aol.com or PO BOX 1469, Booragoon, WA 6954. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 Medjugorje Evening of Prayer Group. 7-9pm at St.Gerard Majella Parish, 37 Changton Way, Mirrabooka. In thanksgiving The Medjugorje evening of prayer group meet monthly in a different parish to spread Our Blessed Mothers messages from Medjugorje. Free DVDs on Medjugorje. Enq: 9402 2480 or 0407 471 256 email medjugorje@y7mail.com. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15 TO SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17 Parish Mission with Robert Haddad - Theme: “I Make All Things New” Rev 21:5 At St Paul’s Catholic Church, 106 Rookwood St, Menora. Friday 15 - 7.30pm after 6.30pm Mass: “Why we need a new Apologetics, now!” Saturday 16 - 9.15am: “The Pope: The Prime Minister of the New Israel”; Saturday 16 - 11am: ”The Eucharist: The Fruit of the New Tree of Life”; Saturday 16 - 7.30pm (after 6pm Vigil Mass): “Mary: The Ark of the New Covenant” Sunday 17 - 11am (after 9.30am Mass): “A New Pope, a New Evangelisation and a New Apologetics: What’s New and Old about Pope Francis?” Free event open to all with CDs, DVDs and books available during the Mission. Enq: 9271 5253. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17 Toodyay Parish Celebrates 50th Anniversary 11am at St John the Baptist Parish (est 1854) Stirling Tce, Toodyay. Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB will concelebrate Mass at 11am followed by lunch at St Pio’s Hall. Fr Pavol Herda and the parish community cordially invites all past Priests, Religious, past and present parishioners and friends to join in this celebration. RSVP October 20 Barbara Moran 9574 5786 or oliomio@iinet.net.au. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24 Peranakan Community Perth - Fair 9am-2pm at Fr O’Reilly Centre, St Norbert College, 135 Treasure Rd, Queens Park. Proceeds from fair will go towards St Norbert College’s “breakfast club” to feed students who come to school without any basic nutrition; Holy Spirit Freedom Community for their Perth’s homeless, abused, poor ministry and those who have been hurt. Those interested in helping or running a stall offering anything typically Peranakan, are welcome. Enq: Fr Christopher Lim 0437 307 170 or 9458 2729.
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.
Cathedral Cafe Cathedral Cafe is now open every Sunday 9.30am1pm 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.
therecord.com.au October 23, 2013
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.
EVERY FIRST WEDNESDAY 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.
Vicky 0400 282 357, Fr Giosue 9349 2315, John/ Joy 9344 2609.
Praise and Worship 5.30pm at St Denis Parish, cnr Osborne St and Roberts Rd, Joondanna. Followed by 6pm Mass. Enq: Admin on admin@stdenis.com.au.
EVERY SECOND WEDNESDAY Chaplets of Divine Mercy 7.30pm at St Thomas More Parish, Dean Rd, Bateman. Accompanied by Exposition, then Benediction. Enq: George 9310 9493 or 6242 0702 (w).
RCPD Charismatic Prayer, Bible study/ teaching 6pm – 7.30pm, 2 King St, Coogee. Enq: 0409 405 585. Nov 13, ‘History of Mary’s Apparitions’ DVD Dec 11, God’s ‘Destiny of the Nations’ DVD & Intercession.
Miracle Prayers 7.30pm at 67 Howe St, Osborne Park. An opportunity to receive prayers for healing of mind, body and soul. Enq: miracleprayers@ disciplesofjesus.org or Michelle 0404 028 298.
EVERY SATURDAY Teachers, Parents and Friends Mission Outreach 10am at Morley Parish Centre, 47 Wellington Rd, Morley. Meet during school terms. Primary English teachers and prospective aides offer their services for a small remuneration and donations from the tuition are distributed to missionaries. “Come and See” sessions are offered. Enq: Maggie 9272 8263, margaretbox7@icloud.com. Children’s Religious Education Program (Pre-Primary and Year One) 11am–12.30pm at Our Lady Queen of Poland Parish, 35 Eighth Ave, Maylands. The official Perth Archdiocese Parish Religious Education Program gives an opportunity to children attending non-Catholic schools age-appropriate religious education in a creative and fun environment. Families outside of Maylands welcome. Enq: Hayley 0423 008 500.
Latin Mass 8.30am at The Good Shepherd Church, Streich Ave, Kelmscott. Enq: John 9390 6646. EVERY FIRST SUNDAY Singles Prayer and Social Group 7pm at All Saints Chapel, Allendale Sq, 77 St Georges 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 on 9344 7066. EVERY THIRD SUNDAY Oblates of St Benedict’s 2pm at St Joseph’s Convent, York St, South Perth. We welcome all who are interested in studying the Rule of St Benedict and its relevance to the everyday life of today for laypeople. Vespers and afternoon tea conclude our meetings. Enq: Secretary 9457 5758. Divine Mercy Hour 3pm at St Pius X Church, 23 Paterson St, Manning. There will be Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Divine Mercy prayers, Rosary and Benediction. Please join us in prayer. Enq: Mrs K Henderson 9450 4195. EVERY FOURTH SUNDAY Shrine Time for Young Adults 18-35 Years 7.30-8.30pm at 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: shrinetimemtrichon@gmail.com. Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood, Religious Life 2-3pm at Infant Jesus Parish, Wellington St, Morley. Includes Exposition of Blessed Sacrament, silent prayer, scripture, prayers of intercession. Come and pray that those discerning vocations can hear clearly God’s call. EVERY LAST SUNDAY 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 For You My Soul is Thirsting (Psalm 62:1) 7pm at St Thomas Parish, 2 College Rd, Claremont. Tend to your thirst for God. Begins with Adoration, then 7.45pm - Evening Prayer; 8pm - Communion Service and Night Prayer. Come to the whole thing, or just to a part! Enq: Michelle: 0404 564 890.
LAST MONDAY 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 0435 252 941. 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. EVERY FIRST TUESDAY Short MMP Cenacle for Priests 2pm at Edel Quinn Centre, 36 Windsor St, East Perth. Enq: Fr Watt 9376 1734. 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. Bible Study at Cathedral 6.15pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, Victoria Sq, Perth. Deepen your faith through reading and reflecting on holy Scripture with Fr Jean-Noel Marie. Meeting room beneath Cathedral. Enq: 9223 1372. Holy Hour - Catholic Youth Ministry 5.30pm at Catholic Pastoral Centre, 40A Mary St, Highgate. Mass followed at 6.30pm with Holy Hour. Enq: 9422 7912 or admin@cym.com.au.
EVERY THURSDAY Divine Mercy 11am at Sts John and Paul Church, Pinetree Gully Rd, Willetton. Pray the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy and for 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 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 Holy Hour Prayer for Priests 7-8pm at Holy Spirit Parish, 2 Keaney Pl, City Beach. All welcome. Enq: Linda 9341 3079. 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. FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAY Social Dinner (Young Adults aged up to 35) and Rosary Cenacle 6.30pm at St Bernadette’s Church, 49 Jugan St, Mt Hawthorn. Begins at 6.30pm with dinner at a local restaurant, followed at 8pm by a Rosary Cenacle, short talk and refreshments at the Church. Great way to meet new people, pray and socialise! Enq: 9444 6131 or st.bernadettesyouth@gmail.com. EVERY FRIDAY Eucharistic Adoration at Schoenstatt Shrine 10am at Schoenstatt Shrine, 9 Talus Dr, Mt Richon. Includes holy Mass, Exposition of Blessed Sacrament, silent adoration till 8.15pm. Join us in prayer at a place of grace. Enq: Sisters of Schoenstatt 9399 2349.
EVERY SECOND FRIDAY 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.
EVERY FIRST SATURDAY Vigil for Life – Mass and Procession 8.30am at St Augustine 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. Mission Rosary Making at the Legion of Mary 9.30am-2pm at 36 Windsor St, East Perth. All materials are supplied. The Rosaries made are distributed to the schools, missions and those who ask for a Rosary. Please join us and learn the art of Rosary making on rope and chain. Enq: 0478 598 860. EVERY SECOND SATURDAY Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Succour) and Divine Mercy Chaplet (Chant) 8.30am at Our Lady of the Mission Parish, Whitford, 270 Camberwarra Dr, Craigie. Holy Mass at 8.30am followed by Novena. Enq: Margaret 9307 2776. EVERY FOURTH SATURDAY Voice of the Voiceless Healing Mass 11.30am 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
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.
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).
Eucharistic Adoration - Voice of the Voiceless Ministry 7.30-9pm at St Brigid’s Parish, 211 Aberdeen St, Northbridge. Eucharistic Adoration, beginning with praise and worship; and reflection to the scriptures. All welcome. Enq: adrianluke1999@ yahoo.com.au.
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.
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 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. Pro-life Witness – Mass and Procession 9.30am at St Brigid’s Parish, cnr Great Northern Hwy and Morrison Rd, Midland. Begins with Mass followed by Rosary procession and prayer vigil at nearby abortion clinic, 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. Catholic Faith Renewal Evening 7.30pm at Sts John Paul Parish, Pinetree Gully Rd, Willetton. There will be songs of praise, prayer, sharing by a priest, then thanksgiving Mass and light refreshments. Enq: Ivan 0428 898 833 or Ann 0412 166 164 or catholicfaithrenewal@gmail. com. Communion of Reparation All Night Vigils 7pm-1.30am at Corpus Christi Church, Loch St, Mosman Park or St Gerard Majella Church, cnr Ravenswood Dr/Majella Rd, Mirrabooka. Vigils are two Masses, Adoration, Benediction, prayers, Confession in reparation for outrages committed against the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Enq:
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 and Evangelisation (National Code 51452). Enq: Jane 9202 6859. AA Alcoholics Anonymous Is alcohol costing you more than just money? Enq: AA 9325 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 ssraperth@catholic.org.
CLASSIFIEDS
therecord.com.au October 23, 2013
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CLASSIFIEDS Deadline: 11am Monday BEAUTY
PILGRIMAGES
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.
KEEN ON CATHOLIC TOUR WITH A DIFFERENCE?
TAX SERVICE
For details, email: info@alternative-events.net or call Sue at 0421 835 408.
QUALITY TAX RETURNS PREPARED by registered tax agent with over 35 years’ experience. Call Tony Marchei 0412 055 184 for appt. AXXO Accounting & Management, Unit 20/222 Walter Rd, Morley. Trade services.
RELIGIOUS PRODUCTS RICH HARVEST - YOUR CHRISTIAN SHOP Looking for Bibles, CDs, books, cards, gifts, statues, Baptism and Wedding candles, etc. Visit us at 39 Hulme Ct (off McCoy St), Myaree. Ph 9329 9889 (after 10.30am Mon to Sat). We are here to serve. KINLAR VESTMENTS www.kinlarvestments.com.au Quality vestments, Australianmade, embroidered and appliquéd. Contact Vickii for a quote - 08 9402 1318, 0409 114 093 or kinlarvestments@gmail.com.
SERVICES BRENDAN HANDYMAN SERVICES Home, building maintenance, repairs and renovations. NOR. Ph 0427 539 588. PAINTERS IN PERTH since 1933. AJ Cochrane & Sons 08 9248 8211. BRICK RE-POINTING Ph Nigel 9242 2952. PERROTT PAINTING Pty Ltd For all your residential, commercial painting requirements. Ph Tom Perrott 9444 1200. BOB’S PAINTING Registered and insured. Free quotes 0422 485 433 www.bobthepainter.com. au. VAN REYK MEDIATIONS Alternative Dispute Resolution. Contact Lisha Van Reyk on 0404 290 778.
Continued from Page 18 Enrolments, Year 7, 2014 La Salle College now accepting enrolments for Year 7, 2014. For prospectus and enrolment, please contact college reception on 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. Donate Online at www. ginginchitteringparish.org.au. 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. Pilgrimage: Following Christ and His Saints Fr Tim Deeter and Fr Michael Rowe will lead a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and
SINGAPORE. Departs Fremantle (Perth) on Tuesday, July 8, 2014.
Sri Lanka (November 16-25, 2013) Myanmar (December January 5, 2014)
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14 DAYS: PETRA/AMMAN, HOLY LAND AND DUBAI Departs Perth on Saturday, March 8, 2014. Spiritual Director: Fr Son Kim Nguyen. 17 DAYS: POLAND (DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY), LOURDES, FATIMA, AND MEDJUGORJE Departs Perth on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. Spiritual Director: Fr Emmanuel Tv Dimobi. 20 DAYS: CANONISATION OF BLESSED POPES: JOHN XXIII AND JOHN PAUL II, ROME, POLAND, LOURDES AND FATIMA. Departs Perth on Monday, April 21, 2014. Spiritual Director: Fr Vinh Dong. 17 DAYS: CANONISATION OF BLESSED POPES: JOHN XXIII AND JOHN PAUL II, ROME, SHRINES OF ITALY AND POLAND. Departs Perth on Thursday, April 24, 2014. Spiritual Director: Fr Irek Czech SDS. 16 DAYS: PETRA/ AMMAN, HOLY LAND AND MEDJUGORJE. Departs Perth on Saturday, September 6, 2014. Spiritual Director: Fr Nicholas Nweke. 18 DAYS: PETRA/AMMAN, HOLY LAND AND POLAND. Departs Perth on Saturday, September 6, 2014. Spiritual Director: Fr Dariusz Basiaga SDS. 22 DAYS: POLAND, ITALY, LOURDES AND PARIS. Departs Perth on Monday, September 22, 2014. Spiritual Director: Fr Tadeusz Seremet SDS. 12 NIGHTS: ASIA CRUISE ON SEA PRINCESS. LOMBOK (INDONESIA), PORT KELANG (KUALA LUMPUR), PENANG, LANGKAWI, PUKET AND
Italy, Jan 6-31, 2014. Israel and Jordan, Rome, Subiaco, Genazzano, Norcia and Cascia in Italy. $7,850 from Perth is allinclusive except your drinks and souvenirs. Enq: casapgf@iinet.net.au or 9271 5253. Acts 2 College of Mission and Evangelisation Competition Create a viral 30-second video that will promote Acts 2 College of Mission & Evangelisation and win a Samsung Galaxy Tablet 2.7” 8GB Wi Fi. Acts 2 is a Catholic Bible College under the authority of the Archbishop and a fully registered training organisation. Enq: 9202 6859 or http:// acts2come.wa.edu.au. Free Rosaries For The Missions If you or anybody you know are going to the missions and would like to send or take rosaries to spread the faith local or overseas or for school or first Holy Communion please contact Felicia 0429 173 541 or Hiep 0409 128 638. PERPETUAL ADORATION Would You Not Watch One Hour with Me? Adoration - St Jerome’s, Spearwood Adorers are needed. Please contact Mary 0402 289 418. Holy Hour slots at St Bernadette’s Glendalough “Every Holy Hour we make so pleases the Heart of Jesus that it will be recorded in heaven and retold for all eternity” ~ Blessed Mother Teresa. Adorers needed for: Sundays 4am-5am; Monday 2am to 3am and 3am to 4am; Thursday 4pm to 5pm; and Friday 12noon to 1pm. If you would like one of these hours or would like more information please call the parish office 9444 6131.
For itinerary and more information, please contact: Francis Williams (Travel Coordinator) T: 9459 3873 (after 4pm) M: 0404 893 877 (all day) E: perthfamily888@gmail.com Skype ID: perthfamily88. RESERVE YOUR SEATS FOR THE CANONISATION OF BLESSED POPE JOHN PAUL II AND BLESSED POPE JOHN XXIII. Pilgrimage to Italy and France (covering Rome, Assisi, San Giovanni Rotondo, Lourdes, Paris) from April 24 to May 15, 2014. For details, email to Sheila or Sue at info@alternativeevents.net or leave message for us on 08 6461 6183. Call or text on 0433 77 1979 / 0421 835 408. DON’T MISS OUT ON THE EXPERIENCE! Treasures of the Holy land (Jordan and Israel for 14 days) - Nov 17 to Dec 1, 2013, March 14-27, 2014. For details, email Sheila or Sue at info@alternative-events.net or leave message for us on 08 6461 6183. Call or text on 0433 77 1979 / 0421 835 408.
FURNITURE REMOVAL ALL AREAS. Competitive rates. Mike Murphy Ph 0416 226 434.
IN MEMORIAM BRIAN JOSEPH CANNY 11th Anniversary 18/10/2002 - Loved husband of Janet, dearly loved dad of David, Janine, Paul and Gregory. Pa of eleven, great Pa of four. May his soul rest in peace.
FOR SALE RETIREMENT VILLAGE OPPORTUNITIES in Albany 4 new, 2-bedroom Independent Living Units with garage. Close proximity to church and all city amenities. From $230,000 to $295,000. Contact: Board of Management (08) 98474303 email: manager@stjosephslodge. com.au.
WAAPA to sing Durufle’ Requiem during Mass at St Paul’s The Classical Choir from the Western Australian Academy for the Performing Arts will sing Maurice Durufle’s moving Requiem during the 6pm Mass on All Souls Day, Sat, Nov 2, at St Paul’s Church in Mt Lawley. This will be a unique opportunity to hear the Requiem sung, not as a concert piece, but within the actual setting of the Mass for which it was composed. The liturgy will combine readings and prayers from the Masses of All Souls Day and the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time.
C R O S S W O R D ACROSS 1 “There is a ___ in Gilead” 4 “___ you destroyed our death…” 7 It’s gold and white with a papal symbol on it 9 Purloined fruit of Augustine’s Confessions 10 OT prophetic book 12 Ursuline order letters 13 Influential Catholic Hollywood costume designer 14 Receptacle for the host 17 Commandment word 18 Altar balustrade 21 Solomon’s father 23 He could speak well (Ex 4:14) 24 Father of David 26 Catholic Surrealist painter 29 ___ Christi 30 Diocese in California 33 Biblical site of the temple of Dagon 35 “As it was in the beginning, is ___…” 37 Jesus entered Jerusalem on this type of animal 38 OT prophetic book 40 She and her sister Rachel were both married to Jacob 41 Rosary starter 42 “…___ this day be at my side…” DOWN 2 “His mercy is from ___ to…” (Lk 1:50) 3 He installed the Vatican radio system 5 What you do not use in unleavened bread 6 Tribe of Israel 7 “I believe in God the ___…” 8 Father, in the Bible
W O R D
PANORAMA Deadline: Every Friday, the week before the edition, by 5pm. Panorama entries must be kept to a maximum of 55 words in order to include all the notices that get sent to us.
S L E U T H
9 Former DRE 10 Communion wafer 11 “Let the dead ___ their dead…” (Lk 9:60) 15 Land in which Cain settled 16 Angelus time 19 Catholic Association of the Performing ___ 20 Biblical physician 21 David asked Saul if he pursued a “___ dog” (1 Sam 24:14) 22 Veronica’s covering 23 Knighted Catholic actor 24 The Solemnity of Mary is celebrated in this month (abbr.) 25 ___ unction 27 “Here am I; send me!” speaker (Isa 6:8) 28 Catholic family conference 29 They fill the church 31 He spoke to the pharaoh 32 ___ of the Covenant 34 Celestial being, to Jacques 36 In ___ Signo 39 First woman
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