The Record Newspaper 20 December 1990

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The Saviour is born

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Route we must take..

Archbishop Foley, assisted by Fr Dino Torresan, blesses the Catholic Migrant Centre's new premises in Victoria Square.

•

ARCHBISHOP'S CALL TO CATHOLICS IN HELPING MIGRANTS

Involving the people of the Church in the Catholic Migrant Centre's service to migrants "is the direction we Catholics must go", Archbishop Foley said last Saturday.

"The Church is people," the archbishop said noting the centre's intention to reach into parishes with concerns for migrants "about which some do not know if they live in certain areas".

"Most of us are of migrant origin, anyhow, and the development of population is healthy both for the migrants and for those who settled here some time ago.

"It is something we can do well because we are in touch with people who are well motivated and only need to be made aware and assured in this sort of effort."

•••

The archbishop was speaking before he blessed the enlarged and refurbished premises of the Catholic Migrant Centre in Victoria Square.

Noting that both federal and state governments had turned to agencies to take responsibility in accomodation and employment. Archbishop Foley said: "Migrants need to feel confident where they are going and those of a Christian or Catholic background feel comfortable and trusting when they go to a Church organisation.

"Some come from countries where trust in governments is almost nil until they get to know our own people and the departments who can help them."

Speaking of his own nine years as director of Catholic Migration and meeting hundreds of new arrivals, Archbishop Foley added:

"I found that a collar around the neck was enough to make a friend. They are complete strangers but they have a feeling that this is the Church and that's safe to go with."

The archibishop praised the partnership between government and Church in migrant services, even though there is a limit to what the Church can contribute.

Many of the migrant projects depend on government funding but we are glad to bring together the spirit of people and their skills to achieve better goals in partnership than the government could do by itself.

"The development of the Catholic Migrant Centre within the Church must go on if we are to offer a unique service that is so worthy of society."

in these changing times

Times have changed from when early migrants "were told to become Aussies", Archbishop Foley said at the blessing of the Catholic Migrant Centre.

"We went through the stage when they were told to speak like Aussies, to drink like Aussies and

to dress like Aussies if they wanted to be accepted.

"Those times have changed in as much as people are asked to recognise the values of culture in which they are born and from which they came.

"Without that pride in themselves in no way can

they become people able to contribute to anyone."

The archbishop said that the development from assimilation to integration is something governments and citizens had been able to cope with when difficulties were realised.

He said there was a certain confidence in the

nation to be able to cope with new arrivals.

And this, he said, meant "allowing them to be at home in their own culture while they put down roots in a new land".

But together they can contribute to an evolving cultural Australian environment with what

they bring and strengthened by the resources of a new land.

Archbishop Foley said that next year the Church would hold a convention to look at multi-culturalism in the Church and the value of the cultures from which migrants came and the new society Australia

Hill on law against racists

will need to create centuries down, that we may work together and enrich one another rather than find conflict.

That takes generosity on the part of those who have been here a long time and those who come here even in very recent limes.

Page 7

We wish you a happy and safe Christmas

McKenna's call for funding — Page 7

He said Father Dino Torresan had come with that special mission in mind and an increasing number of people, chaplains and religious, are working with him in the ethnic groups to pray together and express faith together as they recognise and value their cultures.

Archbishop Foley says . . .

In the joyousness of Christmas, our celebration of the birth of Jesus, we recognise the central mystery of our relationship with God. By coming to earth man, Christ as showed the love of the

••

Father. He called on us to respond to that love and to show that love to others.

As a helpless infant, as a youth, as a student, as a tradesman, as a priest he lived and worked amongst us, he showed us how to live

e're called to in harmony with the will of the Father. He shared our humanity that we might share his divinity.

He brought us the good news of life on earth and of life everlasting. And he called us to show others how to live in

his image.

We often feel pain and see pain and hurt around us. We know of Christ's own sufferings and of his compassion for the poor and marginalised in the society of his day.

Yet the message of Christ's birth is a

message of joy, of peace and of everlasting union with God. We are told to tell the good news to the poor.

That is quite a challenge. When a person is stressed, hungry, angry and hurt, the good news must indeed be good if it is

A Christmas reflection

The Infant Jesus born in the stable brought the power of God into the lives of us humans.

Was it not very strange that having decided to come amongst us the Eternal God concealed his presence and camouflaged his divine power in the fragile body of a new born infant?

It would seem He was feeling his way into our company, testing our readiness and evaluating the reception that might be given Him. Mary had the encounter with God's messenger and experienced the divine life

activating her maternal potential when she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and felt God at work within her.

Joseph was introduced to the divine action taking place in his and our world by the message from God given him in his dream.

Mary's cousin Elizabeth too had been taken into God's confidence as a key actor in the divine drama and she recognised the divine one within Mary when her John the Baptist leapt in her own womb.

The shepherds too and the wise men from the F st had

their special invitations making them part of a small group of privileged people welcoming the Saviour who still concealed himself from the masses of human beings who needed to know Him and welcome Him to find their salvation.

This was the way it was, this was God's chosen path. He would come into our very midst and be with us and share life with us and would be unrecognised until the time was ripe for Him to make Himself known.

Then the choice would have to be made and a welcome

There was the cripple and he walked.

The adulteress and the tax gatherer and they found peace of soul. The widow and she had her son brought to life.

Jesus was discovered by these and others and their lives were changed drastically.

To have the insights necessary to make sound decisions for ourselves or our families we can well find in Christ the model and the counsellor we need.

given Him by those who could say "save us Lord we perish!!" and they would be saved.

There was the blind man who called on Jesus and his sight was returned.

To walk through life with faithfulness and t houghtfulness for God and friend we can well find strength

Greetings card with meamng

capable of attracting attention.

By living a good Christian life we show others that not only can a good Christian life be lived, but that the joy of being part of the body of Christ on earth is more than compensa-

tion for whatever sufferings we might have to bear.

The deep realisation that we are daughters and sons of God can sustain us in dignity and help us to overcome the many setbacks in life.

It can also help us

By Bishop Quinn in the support he offers us.

To be able to master our tendency to material and sexual self indulgence we can find encouragement and forgiveness in our crucified Christ.

And to find comfort from our family and friends like that widow mother is possible when we share in faith and prayer with others and see our faith life as something out in the open and as natural to us Christians as the air we breath.

The Infant Jesus of Bethlehem is just the start of the call God makes to each of us. It grows stronger as we

follow Him through his lifetime of preaching and inviting followers until His suffering, death and resurrection.

He comes to us with a call and a challenge and offers us the privilege of being with Him children of His and our Father in heaven.

May His blessings from Bethlehem help us and our world to strive strenuously for peace, to show generously our concern for the needy and those hit by the recession and to bring the Infant Jesus into this world by the way we follow Him.

•

On one of the most meaningful Christmas cards which I received was this text: 'The meaning of Christmas, the true spirit of Christmas is love, and your love brings the meaning of Christmas to the hearts of every family every day of the year.'

God so loved our world that He sent His Only Son to be with us in our darkness, and to share our sufferings and sorrows, our worries and troubles.

It is the Birth of Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man from the

Virigin Mother that we soon celebrate, and I for one will not let the darkness and stupidity of today's world suffocate in my mind and heart that irreversible fact of Divine Love.

I will celebrate my festive Midnight Mass

on Koolan Island for all of you and I sing this work of God for me in wonder and thanksgiving. I pray that all of us irrespective of ethnic background, of Aboriginal, European or Asian descent, irrespective of language, colour or creed will one day

worship Him together in full communion of the true faith.

the gap which still separates the various Christian com munities.

This is the hope in my heart that the Child resting in His Mother's arms will — through us His people — transform our ailing society and bridge

May the Birthday of Our Saviour be a new beginning, may it fill your hearts with joy and with His peace and His love.

This is a time for peace As we approach the holy season of Christmas we traditionally pray for "peace and good will" for all mankind.

When the King of Kings chose to be born in the poverty of a stable to emphasise detachment from worldly goods and

pomp and power, he had several lessons for us, valid for all time. He was showing us how to find peace.

We say we have peace when we have good order in our lives, and tranquillity.

We know that the opposite to enjoying peace is to experience

conflict dissatisfaction.

and

Either state of being, peace or conflict, can be present in our family, in our place of work, in our community or in the world at large. It is up to us to encourage peace around us.

The root causes of conflict and dissatisfaction in any sphere are basically the same, though they may be dressed up in many and varied ways.

Simply put, if we are greedy we become dissatisfied and lose our tranquillity, if we

3.

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The staff of The Record, and itsproduction team at Vanguard Press wish the blessings of the new born Christ on those whom we have beenproud and happy to serve in the production of WA's oldest weekly, The Record.

2

The Record, December 20, 1990

By Bishop J. Jobst

By Bishop Healy are hungry for power, or have an inordinate desire for goods, we create conflict by usurping the rights of others and in so doing we destroy their tranquillity too.

As we prepare for the coming of Jesus we are told in the gospels of Advent to do penance, to pray, and to perform acts of charity. In this way we open ourselves to the grace of God's peace, so that we can celebrate joyously the wonderful feast of Christmas.

There are also amongst us those who through many and varied circumstances do not have enough of this world's goods to

enable them to be joyous or truly at peace this Christmas.

Let us pray that through the generosity of those more fortunate, or by a special gift of God's grace, they will be able to enjoy this Christmas and find peace in their lives.

Let us also pray that a long and lasting peace can be negotiated in the Middle East where so many people have been suffering for so long and where the threat of global conflict lies uneasily in the air.

May God grant each of you His peace and special blessings this Christmas.

•

share God's life... relate with others, more fortunate or less fortunate than ourselves, as sharers in God's grace.

We know from the scriptures that we must not stay idle while others suffer.

And we know from experience that to

help others can give us great fulfilment and peace.

Whether it is our vocation to show others by example how to accept suffering in peace and love, or whether we are called to share our good fortune with others,

the important thing is to recognise that we are witnesses for Christ.

We are continuing the work he came on earth to do.

The philosophers tell us that evil and sin and suffering are the absence of good

things that should be in place. The more we help to put those things in place the less suffering there will be in the world.

By the effort of our good example and by our prayer we are called upon to evan-

Blessed are peacemakers This Christmas the dark clouds of war are lowering.

The joyful seasonal song of "Peace on earth" sounds a little unreal as we are "swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight".

We do not know if peace will triumph or if we will see yet again what we have seen so often in this "advanced" century; nations locked in conflict.

World peace will only come when serious issues are resolved justly.

As long as greed exists or the desire to dominate, or wide-

spread poverty, or the denial of fundamental rights, peace is always threatened.

Political and economic links can keep nations from conflict but such a peace is fragile and superficial As bearers of the message of Christ we have much to offer.

Jesus gives us a moral perspective on the dignity of human beings and the living conditions that ought to reflect that dignity of human beings and the living conditions that ought to reflect that dignity.

In the matter of world peace, as in all "

moral matters we must be part of the dialogue. If not, Christ's voice may never be heard.

Not for us the militaristic stance.

As followers of Christ we must stand for the just resolution of conflict, for human 4.4.44r-

freedom and human rights, for forgiveness and mercy and for the vision of a human family that transcends the division of the world into xenophopic nations.

What we also offer the world is hope — hope, because there is goodness in every human heart, hope, because Jesus honoured the human race by becoming one of us, hope, because by his blood he has redeemed the world.

Peace can come through the interplay of grace and human freedom. We cannot afford to leave it to the deals and

gelise the world. As Christians we are Christ's body on earth, the only body he has to work with.

May God's strength and love descend on all of us this Christmas to help us to do His work.

By Bishop B. Hickey trade-offs pragmatists.

of

The process of peacemaking must be based on principle and truth and change in the human heart.

As we engage with the world as peacemakers, each of us in our own small way, we draw strength from the Prince of Peace who will guide and bless our efforts.

We pray that he will touch the hearts of our world leaders and "lead us into the way of peace".

My sincere best wishes to you all at this holy time of Christmas.

1 44:* 4411.4441!***FIP-12

7;neib e1 c The)itelm4/

St. 1888.

Michael O'Dea co-established Bowra & O'Dea in 1888. His

contribution to the progress of the Catholic Church in Western Australia set a standard the O'Dea family continues to uphold.

The O'Dea's have helped the Catholic families in Western Australia for more than 100 years. This care has been passed through 4 generations of the O'Dea family and is carried on by

Joe O'Dea and his sons Joe (Jnr.), Tony and Justin. In times where understanding and sensitivity are important, Bowra & O'Dea can be called upon.

Perth Joe O'Dea Jnr 68 Stirling Street 328 7299 Balga Kevin Brady 502 Wanneroo Road 349 0100 Cannington Keith Laird 1307 Albany Highway 458 5017 Midland Craig Murdoch 131 Great Eastern Highway 250 1088 Cottesloe Keith White 571 Stirling Highway 384 2226 FCIVS /1104

The Record, December 20, 1990 3

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1991 will mark the first year of a planned decade of evangelisation in the archdiocese, Archbishop Foley said this week.

The decade will include a new method of consultation and a new approach to the appointment of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council (currently the Diocesan Pastoral Council — DPC).

Metropolitan Consultation — Eastern Region: L to R: Lady unknown, Roy Smith (Kalamunda), Gerry Garbellini (Kalamunda), Celia Marcinkowski (Bassendean).

"Through the experience of the Year of Mission and the Diocesan Assembly we have identified a new way of implementing a process of consultation that will take place in five year cycles — two

years of preparation followed by three years of implementation.

"A new Archdiocesan Pastoral Council (APC) will be put in place after each archdiocesan assembly and the decisions made will be implemented with the resources of the Pastoral Planning Office and the guidance of its director, Sr Sonia Wagner.

"The strength and importance of the DPC in the life of the archdiocese has been demonstrated over the years.

"When we identified its weaknesses, mainly through

Process Three resolutions... used in 1990 PASTORAL CIRCLE

Social ft Analysis

Experience

The Pastoral Circle illustrates the process used with parishes during 1990.

Four key areas make up the pastoral circle: EXPERIENCE: The Year of Mission experiences and reflection on the Call to Mission commence the cycle of activity.

SOCIAL ANALYSIS: The opportunity for parishes to look at their present situation and to better understand their community. It also formed the basis for discussion between parishes at the consultations. Parishes were able to name their parish strengths and the various gaps and discuss these with others with a view to finding ways in which to improve different areas.

T HEOLOGICAL REFLECTION: A time of thinking back on the experience; a time of 4

Theological Reflection

Pastoral Planning [Action]

reflecting on the present with a view to understanding them more deeply in the light of our Catholic tradition and vision of Church today.

OR PLANNING ACTION: Parishes were encouraged to continue to take up the challenges of Archdiocesan Mission statement in the light of their experience. Out of the consultations various recommendations were made to the archbishop and his leadership group.

WHERE TO WITH THE PASTORAL CIRCLE? The diagram is a circle because the movement is cyclic. Parishes will be encouraged to continue with the process. Structural analysis, knowledge of urban development and other processes may help in the future planning and growth of parishes.

The Record, December 20, 1990

Three resolutions came from parishes during regional consultations held this year archthe across diocese.

• The establishment of parishes into regions to facilitate parish and archdiocesan development and communication and provide a forum for local issues and sharing.

• The setting up of an Archdiocesan Parish Development Team with two full-time and two part-time personnel, including a priest. continued • The appointment of a "Mission Liaison Person" in each parish.

The consultations held regionally throughout the metropolitan area

and the country gave Catholics an opportunity to take more responsibility for their parish, and for their archdiocese, and to become more involved in their joint mission.

The concept of collaboration (working together to bring forth some good thing) was recognised as an important principle during the consultations.

Parishes recognised that they need to look to all the persons in their communities to fully carry their mission rather than just to rely on one or two people (eg the priest or parish assistant).

It was agreed that taking responsibility and working together to achieve what we want in

our Catholic communities is imperative.

The people who participated were representatives from significant groups and organisations who, broadly speaking, share in the leadership of their parish communities.

May consultation: 440 people from 72 parishes met in eight regions.

September consultation: 291 people from 62 parishes (seven regions).

A ugust/September country 17 parishes met in four regions.

A strong recommendation was that the work of the Archdiocesan Parish Development Team of 1990 be allowed to continue and that an ongoing team should be

appointed early in 1991 to assist the parishes.

The majority of parishes accepted the idea of regions being developed and called for at least one meeting in each region in

1991.

Three ways were suggested on how regions should be formed and structured. The regions will be supported as they develop along their preferred path.

Another recommendation was that a person from each parish (the Mission Liaison Person)

be appointed as a link

with Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning and the other parishes in their region.

The role of the MLP is to provide better links and communication

between each parish/ region and the Archdiocesan Parish Development Team who will assist parishes in achieving their mission.

Country parish issues which need addressing include the training of catechists and other ministries in country centres.

Another is the need for pastoral care of young people from the country in their first year of studies or apprenticeship while living in the city.

The project of producing an Archdiocesan Directory was used as an example of communication at the consultation meetings. The parishes universally endorsed the development of this project.

Assembly was the key What's been happenthe ing since assembly?

Foley Archbishop announced in July 1986 the beginning of a pastoral planning project to assist the diocese in better achieving pastoral goals for the future.

The second of three phases was the Year of Mission.

Archdiocesan The Assembly was the key.

From this moment for the first time in the history of this archdiocese a mission statement reflected our own dreams and concerns for our Church. The "Call to

Mission" has been the • Parishes and their mandate for the work of ongoing development pastoral planning. needs.

• Archdiocesan It was a first attempt to work as a Church com- structures. mitted to a common • Information systems vision. to ensure adequate comand The Pastoral Planning munication Group has been working information. with Archbishop Foley Some of these reached and his policymaking completion towards the body, the Leadership end of 1990 and are Group, to set up those currently being implestructures which will mented. In the new year enable our mission to be many of these developrealised. ments will be established Four areas of priority and the results will be were set by the Leader- felt at the local level. ship Group: A major decision • New structures for recently taken by Archthe provision of adult bishop Foley is to estabeducation/ lish Archdiocesan Pasfaith toral Planning as an onformation.

going part of the diocese. • The implementation The new director for of the priorities estabArchdiocesan Pastoral lished in the mission Planning, Sister Sonia statement (three years).

Wagner, will take over This decision will also from the present direc- affect the role of the tor, Mrs Anne Fox, in Diocesan Pastoral CounFebruary 1991. cil. As part of this cyclical From the experience of process a new Archdiconsultation during the ocesan Pastoral Council Year of Mission a five- will be set up following Archdiocesan year cycle of consultation each Assembly. The council will consist of: will be representative of • Planning and prepa- the laity, religious and ration for the next priests.

Archdiocesan Assembly The Archdiocesan Pas(two years). toral Council will work • The assembly itself with the services and (and any other major guidance of Archdioceassociated events) and san Pastoral Planning the promulgation of the which will also be its mission statement. executive arm.

Work on directory to commence Work will commence in 1991 on a directory for the Archdiocese of Perth.

During 1990 a committee of Council of Priests began producing such a directory, but found it to be a huge task requiring adequate staff and time and now this work has been taken up by the Pastoral Planning Office.

The 1991 directory will be the first of annual productions with future publications being scheduled for release by February of each year.

It will be the first directory specifically for the archdiocese of Perth to :/:ther together information on parishes, movements, archdioce-

san organisations, religious orders and resources in the archdiocese.

"The directory will respond to the information needs people described at the parish regional consultations this year," said Sandra Brown who will coordinate work on the directory.

"People at parish consultations emphasised firstly that the directory should be widely distributed, that the information collected should be as extensive as possible, about each parish (parish council, pastoral worker, committees, projects etc) and that there is a need for an information phone

service, or 'info hot-line', in the archdiocese."

The directory, to appear in print in May 1991, will also establish the kind of information data base that may be used in a number of different ways, perhaps even the "info hot-line" suggested.

Of elfallge isation lack of information and communication, we made changes of membership to ensure that the council had the benefit of expert knowledge from the various agencies and commissions."

During the decade of evangelisation, he said, the Church in Perth will aim to reflect through its life and the lives of its members the good news of Christ.

"Through the new forms of c onsultation, outlined in accompanying stories, we will be enabled to do this faithfully," he said this week.

He said that in any consultation there are four separate stages.

"Firstly there is the gathering of facts, followed by the examination of those facts and the discernment of options for action; thirdly, taking decisions based on the options and finally the implementation of those decisions.

"We have arrived at this point after some 20 years of formalised consultation through bodies such as parish pastoral councils, finance committees, and the Diocesan Pastoral Council (DPC)."

Country Consultation — Merredin. L to R: Fr Kevin Cronin (Kulin-Kondinin), Jim Wotton (Bencubbin), Peter Kiely (Bruce Rock), Ronnie Hogan (Bencubbin) Vivienne Chapman (Merredin).

Communications network The archdiocese will develop a communications network which will make good use of today's information technology. A key area being looked at is a system to help parishes to be more effective in the way they their relate to parishioners.

A parish system needs

to provide a way of keeping in touch with who is in the parish and what sacraments parishioners have received. It also needs to cater for the

planned programs.

giving

Currently most parishes are recording this information on paper but there is a growing number of parishes who are starting to use computers for storing the information they coiled.

mation Systems Committee is aware that the Catholic Church Office needs some information from the parishes on a periodic basis and is looking to find some common format for parishes to use, whether or not they are using computers.

This common format will need to be built into the parish computer program.

As more parishes move toward using computers they are calling for some common computer program which will meet their needs at the local Mr Chris Voon, the Information Systems level.

The archdiocesan Infor- Consultant at the Pas-

toral Planning Office, said this week: "I realise that not all parishes are going to start using computers straight away, but the way that computers are coming into schools, homes and the workplace, I think that more and more parishes are going to consider using them over the next few years."

Mr Voon saw many benefits in parishes having a common computer program. "With a common program specifi-

cAlly tailored to their needs and supported locally they are going to be able to get their parish system up and running fairly smoothly.

"The parish program would not only take care of local parish needs but also ensure that reporting summary information to the Catholic Church Office was a much simpler task," he said.

"The Planned Giving Office and ourselves agree that if they and the

CAFES will be a major initiative The Catholic Adult Faith as well as planning and Service implementing new initiEducation (CAFES), to be estab- atives. It aims to carry out lished early in 1991, is a this mission by: major initiative in the • Maintaining an overdevelopment of adult faith view of adult faith education in the education in the archdiarchdiocese. ocese, understanding CAFES is the fruit of the what already exists so as people's call for adult to identify the needs and education during the gaps in adult faith educaYear of Mission which tion. Provision of services led to the challenge by to meet these needs will the archbishop to be a high priority. "mount . . . structures • Networking among which facilitate faith provider organisations, education and forma- parishes and recipients tion". This challenge of adult faith education. resulted in a consultation This means linking peoto determine the best ple to resources that structures for adult faith already exist, providing a education in the consultancy service for archdiocese. parishes who would like In the first stage of to extend the education CAFES two people will they offer, getting people be employed by Archdi- to work together to ocesan Pastoral Planning address emerging needs. to implement the interim • Empowering people charter of CAFES. for mission through In June 1992 there will training and education, be a review of CAFES' eg training adult educawork in order to shape its tors, leaders, people for future direction. ministry.

• Being an advocate to CAFES' mission is to serve the archdiocese by ensure that disadvangroups are supporting and enhanc- taged ing existing adult faith included in adult faith education opportunities education opportunities.

Asked what difference CAFES will make for the average parishioner, Mr Michael Fox, from the group which conducted the Adult Education Consultation, said: "If a parish is not sure what adult faith education to provide then one of the CAFES' education officers could work with the parish to help them clarify what they might offer. Parishioners interested in a particular topic or faith experience will be able to call CAFES to help them find an appropriate person or group with expertise in that area.

"CAFES will ensure that faith education opportunities are advertised as widely as possible. It will work to create new initiatives where pa in adult faith education exist, for example courses for country parishes."

CAFES resulted from consultation with a wide cross-section of people and faith education organisations in the archdiocese. Ms Anne

Harris, the executive officer for the Adult Education Consultation, said: "Some clear trends from the consultation helped to shape the development of CAFES. Key areas people were keen to explore further were spirituality, scripture, role of the Church in the modern world, family life, social justice, prayer, personal development, relationships/marriage/parenting, and training for specific roles in ministry."

The last need has been targeted for special consideration in 1991.

"The needs of parishes and organisations to provide adult faith education were vast but largely revolved around the following areas: information about what resources are available, training for adult educators, a committee to organise faith education, and understanding what it is that people are interested in learning.

"The consultation discovered a vast pool of experience in the form of

parishes used a common format they could greatly reduce the amount of work involved in setting up planned giving in the parish.

"A common program makes it easier for a priest moving to a new parish to be quickly at home with the system there."

Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning is in the process of setting up databases of commonly used directory information for the archdiocese. In the not too distant future par-

ishes which have computers will be able to have access to these databases directly.

Over the next few months a decision will be made on the appropriate computer program to be used in parishes. Mr Voon suggests that parishes which are currently not using computers but are thinking of doing so defer their purchase of equipment until a decision is made about what parish program will be recommended for parishes in the archdiocese.

Pastoral people

resource people, groups, movements and organiThe development of the role of Mission Liaison sations who were providing valuable services in Persons was an important initiative of 1990. Each the area of faith parish was asked in February to select a link person between the parish and the archdiocese education. communication.

"However, a lack of co- to aid ordination has meant The Mission Liaison Persons proposed that for that people with the need for faith education are the position to be effective, the liaison person not able to reach the should have the confidence of the parish, some resources that already "standing" in the community, and there should be a set term of appointment. exist."

Directory of Adult Faith The MLP needs to have a clearly established Education will include information on adult and firm connection with the Parish Pastoral faith education organisa- Council. fions and the programs they offer, resource peoA meeting was held late October to talk with ple and their areas of the MLPs about their experience in the position expertise, as well as other during 1990. Wally Galos of Kingsley/Woodvale resources such as the reported: "I enjoyed being the Mission Liaison Catholic Library and Person for my parish and because of my tertiary courses. There involvement with this role some new activities will also be a section on have commenced in our parish." venues and how to run adult faith education Catherine Martins of Jooncianna parish says: "It programs. makes good sense to have one person The directory will be for responsible for communication between the individuals, parishes and archdiocesan office and the parish. The position organisations. Ms Anne can prove very useful in the continuing process Harris said that, "If of renewal within the archdiocese." organisations or parishes have not heard from us Michael Brodrick from Rockingham pansh yet and would like to be said: "Experience indicated to me the value in included in the directory having a continuing defined liaison role please phone me on between the archdiocese and parishes. Within 221 1548

possible."

as

soon as

parishes also there is an improvement in

communication because of their new focus."

The Record, December 20, 1990

5

:14

ii -11

Death touch fora good life .•.

I had a few brushes of the "death touch" recently but only for a healthier life.

Chi Dynamics master Anthony Wee promised to rid me of the aches and pains in my right shoulder.

"It will be my Christmas present to you," he said. (Death touch or dim-mak as it is called in Chinese is a special martial arts technique.)

It can destroy or cure.

Isuffered from what is known in Western medicine as a frozen shoulder. I was in pain for the past two months . . . until I pleaded with Anthony.

Recent X-rays showed nothing wrong with both my shoulders. However, an X-ray of my spinal

e t

column showed that all is not right with C4 and C5.

This then must be the root of the problem.

My shoulder started playing up last winter

Anthony Wee applying the "death touch" on my back. painful and playing golf virtually out of the question.

By Roy Lazaroo

I woke up every morning in tears. The habitual stretching I did in bed brought about unimaginable

martial arts expert. I knew, too, that he did intensive studies in Eastern medicine.

He was going to be

a few treatments.

There were lots of knotted tissues to undo.

Anthony's work on my shoulder can be likened to that of an e lectrician -cum plumber. He had to

Cure by Christmas pledge — the first signs being a tight feeling and an impeded movement.

I thought golf would help straighten things out but it was not to be.

My shoulder deteriorated rapidly. Soon pain set in. Then more pain. And more . . .

I soon found combing my hair a painful exercise, slipping into a T-shirt even more

PainAnti-inflammatory drugs did not help.

Medical acupuncture did not bring the desired results, laser treatment proved futile and three sessions with a reflexologist also did not help.

If it did, it was only for a few hours. Then it was back to square one.

I was desperate. I knew Anthony was a

my last hope.

Iapproached him for help. He agreed and promised to fix me up

by Christmas.

"re-wire" a complicated tissue system and clear "blockages" for a smoother blood flow.

"Yours is a simple matter," he said assuringly.

But it was not to be as Anthony himself found out. He admitted: "I was wrong.

Yours is more complicated than I had thought."

He said it would take

He had to defuse many areas that were "shorting".

He also had to untie many knotted tissues or the problem spots — eight of them. , Here's an account of my visits to him: Day 1: He spent about 15 minutes on

Picture of power that's Anthony

Anthony Wee at 47 is a fit, flamboyant "healing" side of the art. He learnt from a few masters the different aspects of and happy-go-lucky type of individual. martial arts.

He has a neck as thick as a tree trunk, Then he spent some time in China. massive arms and forearms and a well doing research with other masters. formed body. And though only 5ft 6in He became so obsessed with Chi (165cm) tall he is a picture of power.

Dynamics that he set up three schools in He has masterly skills — deadly if you Singapore which are still ongoing wish. institutions.

Chi Dynamics and golf are the joys of A University of Singapore graduate in political science and philosophy, he spent his life today. some time in the army and then worked He introduced Chi Dynamics in Perth in multi-national companies. in 1988 soon after he migrated.

His classes are held at his Bullcreek He got involved in martial arts when he was 16. Besides learning the art of self- home and among his students are doctors defence he also took a deep interest in the and martial arts exponents. ,•

starters Anthony had helped eliminate the pain I had suffered in the mornings. Things looked promising.

Day 2: "I am going to

use `dim-mak' or the 'death touch'," he announced at the start.

Dim-mak, he said, could be used to kill or heal.

He spent 90 minutes on my shoulder. He

only ended the session when he noticed

• •

Little history on Chi Dynamics to health".

The study helps one to realise the powers of the mind, the brain control (Nei Kong) also known as and human spirit. ;• ' Iron Shirt Art. Chi Dynamics is an ancient It was once used by the Lohans approach towards better health.

(Shaolin warriors) as the basis for What is Chi? It is energy their martial arts. inherent in everyone. It is just a The technique has since been matter of learning how to tap that modified "for the enhancement of reservoir of energy through correct breathing. our inner organs".

Correct breathing, according to Chi meditation techniques include the study of Yi and Shen Anthony, can help cure many as a "holistic meditative approach ailments.

What is Chi Dynamics, you may ask?

It is internal dynamic tension

•.•

,:

6

a great improvement when I moved my right arm.

Through a mishap in which I jarred my shoulder, I encountered pain in the morning two days after the second session.

Day 3: "Very stubborn blockages," remarked Anthony as he went about with his "death touch".

A t the end of another 90 minute cession I really felt on top of the world. The throbbing pain in my disapshoulder peared. I woke up the next day, stretched and there was no pain. Things were looking up. And as promised it looks like it is going to be a painfree Christmas.

I am crossing ray fingers. What a present it will be!

certain "untouched" points because he noticed that my shoulder had been manipulated in the past 24 hours.

"I can't do anything yet to those areas," he apologised. But for

44:**P1§(4$*

4421

-

41t4t

The Record, December 20, 1990 Aj

Pride... and prejudice The WA legislation on incitement to racial hatred was a model that other states could follow, Mr Gordon Hill said at the opening of the Catholic Migrant Centre's re-furbished premises.

He said that it was sad that such legislation had to be passed and he would have preferred not to have been in the forefront of doing so, but he was proud in being instrumental in doing so.

He said that the general

community in WA had culture they bring. It is munities as an example rejected a small group important to give them of West Australians "livthat was bringing the opportunity to recog- ing working and playing division. nise their cultural herit- together".

He said that the Noting that time was age and we are very when governments much enriched by that." Catholic Migrant Centre Noting that 27 per cent supplied social, ecohoped for assimilation, Mr Hill said: of West Australians are nomic and spiritual "People come here first overseas born, Mr Hill support for migrants that and foremost because said it was a credit that the state government they want to be Austral- we have such a diverse alone is unable to ians and to be recognised; racial mix living in provide. in the The aims of the centre they are and we welcome harmony community. were not unlike those of them.

He cited the town of the government, he said: "It is important to remember the enormous Newman which had a to help community contribution they make populaton of 5000 but 58 development, to provide because of the diverse different ethnic corn- equal life chances, and to

racial eradicate prejudice.

"The objectives we have here are very much the same as our own: to promote a harmonious society, to assist all who arrive here and make them part of our community. We cherish them as a very important part of the community."

Mr Hill praised the contribution that Bishop Hickey was making to the government's ministerial advisory council on community relations.

Funding: McKenna's hope The continuation of fruitful programs for migrants is dependent on Government funding.

This reminder came David from Mr McKenna, Chairman of Catholic Migrant Centre's board of management, at the official opening of CMC's new premises in Victoria Square.

Mr Gordon Hill, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs officially opened the new premises last Saturday.

In a welcoming address Mr McKenna noted that the State recently renewed the funding for

nine months and "we are hopeful that they will continue to fund this unique service".

Mr McKenna highlighted these areas of CMC's work — the Parish Support Refugee Scheme, Migrant Wards and the PLUM program.

The CMC, he said, has a staff led by Gerald Searle, who work together with Father Dino Torresan, coordinator of Multicultural Care and four pastoral migrant workers.

The CMC provides a dedicated and professional service.

The CMC also has a host of volunteers like English teachers etc.

many year Each migrants are assisted with counselling, English lessons, accommodation, advocacy and financial help.

In 1989 CMC handled over 7500 migrants of over 70 nationalities.

Migrant wards: The CMC is the sole agency for migrant wards seeking to locate their families.

Parish Refugee Support Scheme: This commenced three years ago as an initiative of the centre's staff.

Some 10 parishes have become involved and over 10 refugees assisted to settle through the help of these groups.

Diverse cultures

He called on all the clergy to get more involved in this direction.

The PLUM program: Observed Mr McKenna; "In this economic climate unemployment is high and this makes it more difficult for migrants and refugees to obtain employment.

Work experience is vital.

This program enables migrants to obtain that experience.

"Many who are given this opportunity are kept on permanently.

"The worth of the service provided by the employment officers is demonstrated by the fact the CES refers 200 people every six months

to the CMC for assistance in obtaining employment."

The employment officers are currently organising bridging for agronomists and pharmacists.

The new premises will enable the CMC staff to move more efficiently and carry on its dedicated work, he said.

The CMC does not see itself expanding further in numbers or in accom°dation but sees its future as obtaining assistance from parishes in programs such as PRSS and PLUM. He added: "Of course none of the above would be possible without funding."

• 11111.1.1111iwami, Above: Members of this band provided some lively Latin American music last Saturday at the official opening of the Catholic Migrant Centre's new premises.

Left: A drum duet by two Sri Lankan boys.

Right: This Cambodian trio doing an item called the Blessing Dance.

s*•

.

The Record, December 20, 1990 7

Condom pla 'insane'

A4r,

BISHOP TO FIGHT PROPOSAL TO SUPPLY THEM IN HIGH SCHOOLS

NEW YORK: A proposal to make condoms available to 261,000 students in 120 high schools has been called "an act of the worst desperation" by the bishop of Brooklyn.

Bishop Daily said the program "pre-empts the clear rights of parents to direct the moral education of their children by fostering the idea that non-marital sexual activity, really sexual promiscuity, is • acceptable behaviour as long as disease and pregnancy are avoided".

"We're going to 'fight this right to the end," said Family Development director Monsignor Woolsey, "This is an insane proposal."

The Rev Kevin Rhodes, the Rabbinical Affiance of America (Orthodox) and Monsignor Woolsy asked the principals to oppose "the administrative nightmare of a condom distribution centre that will yield no public health benefits and will otherwise be seen by the children entrusted to your care as a symbol of the school system's ethical despair".

What will Christmas mean to Nanda?

Nanda and her family had been doing well. Many years of backbreaking toil had seen their small farm slowly become productive. They had food on their table and produce to trade. The prospect of a good education for her children was no longer a dream.

Then came the fighting.

Like so much conflict in the world today, it came suddenly, with no warning, no reason, no sense.

And like so many caught in the path of conflict, Nanda and her family were forced to turn their backs on everything they held precious and flee for their very lives.

Christmas will find Nanda where she and her family are today: in a refugee camp. Where time stands still and one day is no different from the last. Where she and her family can only wait and pray that when the waiting ends they will have the will and the strength to return and start again.

Will you share your Christmas with the world's refugees? sm em mi Australian Catholic Relief 19 MacKenzie Street North Sydney 2060 LiI'd like to help and enclose a donation $ ElPlease debit my Bankcard ElPlease debit my Visa El Please debit my MasterCard

with the amount of $ Expiry date of card

/

Signed Mr/Mrs/Miss I

(BLOCK letters please)

Address Postcode Donations over $2 are tax deductible IMO MIN INN

8 The Record, December 20, 1990

‘cRo Um NM INN INN NEI

The Orthodox Church in America called the condom distribution plan "counterproductive", as well as "immoral, unjust and impractical".

Benedictine Father Paul Marx, president of Human Life International, said that if the plan is approved, his organisation will provide attorneys to rile "lawsuits on behalf of any girl who becomes pregnant, any boy who fathers a child and any student who contracts a sexually transmitted disease despite using a schoolsupplied condom".

'Guardian angel' VATICAN CITY: The late Cardinal Ottaviani who would have been 100 this month was not opposed to reform but was a "guardian angel" of the faith, says his current successor.

Cardinal Ratzinger said the cardinal, who died in 1979 aged 89, "knew well that reform is not aimed at destruction, but at purification and the renewal of the identity" given to the Church by Christ.

The cardinal's zeal for the truth was born of love for the Church, Cardinal Ratzinger said.

But his image was "deformed" by a world which "considers truth to be unimportant and unattainable" and therefore presents it as being "fanaticism and blindness, as expressions of a reactionary spirit and a lack of humanity".

Cardinal Ratzinger said, "I don't know if I would be able to remain as calm" as his predecessor did amid criticism.

"But the thing I admire most is the silence of the last years of his life," he said. "How many things for which he had suffered and fought went to ruin."

Canada's saint VATICAN CITY (CNS): Pope John Paul II canonised the first Canadian-born saint, Marie Marguerite d'Youville, and praised the "heroic charity" of her work among Montreal's poor.

The saint was a young wife and mother when her husband died in 1730. Seven years later, concerned about the living conditions of those around her, she founded the Grey Nuns with three other women.

Her marriage of eight years was not an easy one. Her husband was often absent and spent much of his time trading liquor illegally with Indians. She had six children, four of whom died in infancy. The family lived in poverty, and in 1730 her husband died.

St Marguerite raised her two sons, who later became priests, and welcomed a blind woman into their home. In 1737, she and three other women consecrated their lives to the service of the poor. The congregation — the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, known familiarly as the Grey Nuns — was officially recognised in 1755.

Today they number about 4000, most of them in Canada, the US and Africa.

Colonel among accused SAN SALVADOR (CNS): An army colonel and eight other soldiers are to stand trial for the murders of six Jesuits and two women in 1989. leading However, churchmen and US congressional investigators have said they believe the "brains" behind the killings remain at large.

There have also been allegations of an attempt by top officers at covering up the military's involvement in the crime.

Solving the murders

was one of the conditions part in the killings. A set by the United States ninth soldier deserted for unfreezing some $43 and will be tried in million in military aid absentia. withheld in September, Leading Jesuits, includpartly in protest at ing the order's chief human rights abuse by the US-backed armed representative in Central America, Father Jose forces.

Maria Tojeira, have said The accused colonel, there are indications that Benavides, the other officers superior to Benofficers and four of the avides took part in five soldiers were ordering the killings. arrested in January after Benavides is the most an initial investigation senior military officer ordered by President ever to face trial in a Alfredo Cristiani found human rights case in El that troops had taken Salvador.

Successful

Priesthood image being tarnished UNFAIR CRITICISM, SAYS US BISHOP

BROOKLYN, NY (CNS): In a letter to his priests, Bishop Daily of Brooklyn said the "image of the priesthood is being tarnished" by "unfair criticism, almost a persecution, . . in regard to our celibate commitment".

"The human weakness and failure of a few have been overly exaggerated to the detriment of so many committed, zealous priests," he said.

He lamented widespread "scepticism and criticism" concerning the value of celibacy and the adherence of priests to their promises.

Such views "simply do not correspond to what I know of the dedicated and committed lives of the vast majority of the priests of this diocese," he said.

"I am not denying that one may find human weakness and failure" among priests, he said, but those who focus on the failures "discourage dedicated priests and give scandal to those whom we serve".

"Celibacy is not something we accepted grudgingly

in order that we might be ordained," he said. "It is a way of life we freely and joyfully embraced with the courage of faith."

He said some today have questioned "the celibacy of Christ himself".

"This scepticism, sometimes blasphemously manifested, points out the tremendous lack of appreciation and the difficulty which our society has with the God-given dignity of sexuality, with marriage and, much more, with the celibate commitment," he said.

In such an atmosphere, he said, "we must defend the value of ecclesiastical celibacy, even when the existing society does not favour the heroic demands of virtue".

Bishop Daily urged his priests to respond to reports of failures "with a deepened commitment and constant vigilance on our own part, rather than critical judgement and discouragement.

OMAHA, Nebraska: The Jesuit whose absence probably spared him the San Salvador massacre of six other Jesuits last year fears not his return but that people will forget.

Father Jon Sobrino, professor of theology and philosophy at the University of Central America is the only surviving member of the Jesuit community at the university.

Six priests, a housekeeper and her daughter were killed November 16, 1989, when armed 'unformed men raided their quarters.

Father Sobrino was delivering a lecture to a seminar in Thailand when the murders occurred. He was out of the country because he had received death threats.

The Spanish-born Jesuit brushed off critics who contend the Catholic Church in Cen-

tral America, and the Jesuits in particular, are Marxists, saying 'They don't understand the meaning of Marxist" but "know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He also was said to be a subversive".

Sri TRINCOMALEE, Lanka (CNS): A Sri Lankan bishop in an area filled with violence has called on locals to "heal the hate that has crept into our communities".

In an Advent pastoral letter to the people of his mainly Tamil-speaking eastern diocese, Bishop J. Kingsley Swampillai said there was "absolutely no room in the Church for racism, hatred of brother against brother at any level, be it language, race or religion".

He also said there was no room "for violence and intimidation as means to achieve an end, however noble it maybe; no right for an individual to take another man's life".

Bishop Swampillai said people in the north and east are "today going through an unprecedented time of suffering", with loss of lives and

The real issue is to become real human beings with compassion, he added.

The mission of the University of Central America is "service to the poor, to know and investigate our national reality, to analyse the causes of poverty and to propose solutions", and to be "a voice of those who have no voice, of those who have the truth", the priest said.

Father Sobrino said

attacks against the Jesuits and University of Central America have been constant for 15 years but it

was decided "we will go on. We will go on to serve this country".

The tree ban follows the legal tussle that developed over the display of a Hannukah menorah, the Jewish seven branch candlestick.

The Supreme Court decision banning a Nativity crib scene on a public building was followed by another high court ruling that some government-sponsored religious displays are permissible if they do not have "the effect of promoting or endorsing religious beliefs", but said the nativity scene inside the Allegheny County

Courthouse in Pittsburgh violated that principle.

The court said the scene violated the constitutionally required separation of Church and state because it appeared to Christian endorse principles.

The justices also voted 6-3 that the menorah placed outside the

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In addition, he said, hundreds of thousands of people of all races and religions have been languishing in refugee camps for the past five months with no prospect for the return of peace and normalcy.

He urged Catholics to become "true instruments of peace".

"When will all this misery come to an end and peace be restored?

When will our children be able to move about free from fear and tension? Who will help us rebuild our broken homes?" the bishop asked, adding that the "saddest part is that no one is able to give the answer yet".

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man who objected to the ban on Christmas trees said: "It's just a decoration. I've never knelt down in front of a Christmas tree in my life."

Both symbols were accompanied by other decorations, such as Christmas trees, poinsettias and wreaths.

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The Record, December 20, 1990

9

Wise and expert collaborator...

VATICAN CITY (CNS):- The fingerprints of Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, who retired as Vatican secretary of state December 1, can be seen on every public document and every private initiative undertaken by the Vatican in the past 11 years.

The short and slight 76-year-old Italian cardinal is best known as the Vatican's pointman in negotiating for better treatment of the Church under the communist governments of Eastern Europe during the past 27 years.

In addition to his special role in the Vatican's "ostpolitik" — its dialogue with communist governments — as the pope's No.1 assistant, almost everything officially said or done by the Vatican passed through his hands during his 11 year tenure.

The secretary of state is in charge of Vatican relations with governments and with national hierarchies.

He oversees and coordinates the work of other Vatican agencies.

In a speech last June, the cardinal said Pope John Paul II and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev were the two crucial figures in Eastern Europe's political revolution.

The election of Pope John Paul and the rise of Gorbachev were "two facts that, because of their unforseen nature and the influence they exercised, must surely be considered ftmdathe mental" to changes which have occurred in Eastern Europe over the past year.

The pope's defence of human and religious rights, particularly in his Polish homeland, and Gorbachev's realistic appraisals of the failures of communism combined to spark the changes, he said.

Cardinal Casaroli said that for decades he was convinced that communism was a bankrupt system that had moved far from its utopian goals.

10 The Record, December 20, 1990

But even with that conviction and with his first-hand experience dealing with communist officials, he said he was surprised when 1989 brought the downfall of communist rule in country after country.

The cardinal told a New York audience in late October that when he began his missions to Eastern Europe in 1963 he knew that "every attempt to defend or claim freedom of religion necessarily was a threat to the very foundations of a system where 'freedom', in the authentic meaning of the word, had no place".

But the Vatican, on behalf of suffering believers in those countries, had to make an attempt, he said, acting with prudence, courage and "certainly without naivete".

Gorbachev's 1989 meeting with the pope at the Vatican was seen as the culmination of Cardinal Casaroli's efforts.

Although at the time of the meeting he had already celebrated his 75th birthday, the normal retirement age, Cardinal Casaroli served for exactly one year more — seeing a V atican -Soviet exchange of diplomats, the Soviet Union passing a religious freedom law and Gorbachev's second visit to the Vatican.

The cardinal was the first Vatican diplomat to make an official visit to the Soviet Union since the rise of the Communist Party to power there.

In 1971, while still an archbishop and head of the Vatican Council for the Public Affairs of the Church, he spent six days in Moscow (Feb 24March 1).

He said his official mission was to deposit the Vatican's declaration of adherence to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty with the Soviet government.

But he said the trip "also offered the opportunity of contacts that I might call substantial and interesting talks with the

Soviet government" on religious issues.

Later, the Vatican's press officer said the archbishop had difficulty getting Soviet officials to talk about the status of Catholics in the Soviet Union.

During his long career promoting Vatican ostpolitik, Cardinal Casaroli was involved in negotiations with the Hungarian government in 1963 over the status of

Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty. In one of the most public cases involving human rights in the Soviet bloc, Cardinal Mindszenty, a critic of communist rule, spent years living in the US Embassy in Budapest, Hungary, after alluding arrest by Hungarian authorities.

In 1977, Cardinal Casaroli led a Vatican delegation for the first

Casaroli had hand in decades of Vatican deals

high-level talks with the Czechoslovakian communist government.

In a speech in Austria that same year, he defended the Vatican's dialogue with the Marxist governments as an alternative to war, hot or cold.

The Vatican "seeks always to inspire its own conduct, and to direct that of political authorities, by principles of the ethical order, taken as a whole and not always easy to be exactly applied in practice", he said.

In the ensuing years, the cardinal's attention was also drawn to international issues outside the East bloc.

Those issues ranged across the globe from China to Central America.

During the Iran hostage crisis of 19791981 in which American embassy personnel and others were held by Ayatollah Khomenei's followers, Cardinal Casaroli met with the Iranian foreign minister.

The Vatican officially denied the cardinal was negotiating for the hostage's release, but sources at the Vatican said he had raised the question during the discussions.

He also was involved in talks with Nicaraguan officials in the controversy over four priests who held high posts in the Sandinista government against the Vatican's wishes.

Not all of the cardinal's job involved the intricacies and whispered dealings of foreign affairs.

As top administrator of the curial offices, he launched an investigation of the Vatican bank's connection with the fraud-driven failure of a major Italian bank. He also dealt with Vatican employees who in 1982 came close to holding the Holy See's first strike in a dispute over pay and benefits.

Cardinal Casaroli also decided when and if, or in what detail, information on the Vatican budget would be released.

Agostino Casaroli was born November 24 1914, in the small town of Castel San Giovanni in northern Italy.

He entered the seminary in nearby Piacenza at age 15 and seven years later was studying canon law at Rome's Pontifical Lateran University.

In May 1937 he began his career in the Vatican's foreign affairs when he entered the Pontifical Ecclesial University — the church's school for diplomats. He was ordained that same year.

One of his first jobs upon entering service at the Secretariat of State in 1940 was helping work out a concordat with the Dominican Republic.

Nearly 40 years later. he was named secretary of state and made a cardinal.

Pope John Paul, announcing the cardinal's retirement December 1 praised the veteran diplomat as his "wise and expert collaborator".

"But relations between the two men were reportedly not always cordial when the pope was Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Krakow, Poland.

The Polish cardinal apparently felt at the time that the Vatican was giving too much away at the bargaining table with the communist regimes.

Then Archbishop Casaroli, the chief bargainer, often felt compelled to chide him about staying within the letter of Church-state agreements, said Eastern Europe Church sources.

In a lifetime in which talk was one of the main tools of his trade, Cardinal Casaroli once complained humorously to journalists that his post consigned him to the "Church of silence".

For a man as talkative and friendly as the cardinal, it seemed a contradictory thing to say.

But journalists who unsuccessfully tried to pry an inside look at Vatican diplomacy from beneath the gregariousness knew what he meant.

The soda volcano in the Philippines Several times in the Bible we read that Jesus was astonished. On one occasion, he tells those around him that quite honestly, in Israel among the Chosen People, he has never met faith like the faith of this person — this nonJew (Lk 7: 1-10).

Now I know how Jesus felt. I too have experienced faith that is a quantum leap away from mine and what I have seen in Australia.

I found it in the five weeksIspent recently in the Philippines.

I stayed with tribal people, peasants and Basic Christian Communities. Nuns, priests, Catechists, union leaders, bishops and activistsIalso met but my memories are mainly of the extraordinary faith of ordinary people.

Here are some random impressions.

One parish priest put into words an obvious truth of many Filipino lives.

His vision for the 60.000 in his parish was simply total human development.

He spelled it out — S.P.E.S. — Latin for hope — social, political, economic, (cultural), and spiritual transformation of the person in the image of God. For the Filipinos I met, there was no dichotomy between body and soul, work and faith, life and spirit. No, life is spirit!

I often stayed with families and asIlay in the parents' bedroom and as they lay on the mat on the floor with their five or seven children in another room, I had a chance to reflect on what was happening.

Surely this is what Jesus meant when he washed the feet of his disciples. For them this was not a radical act of hospitality as it would be in my house — this was the sort of love that one showed to any stranger. This was Matthew 25 enfleshed.

In Negros, I learned from the people there that salvation history did not stop 2000 years ago — it is still happening.

Just like Jesus, the peasants who are

•

Vs*

A Catholic chapel next to Manila railway.

rlessness and disease.

oppressed on a scale of magnitude we cannot imagine, are persecuted for opening their mouths to protest.

Like Jesus, they are killed with enormous violence by the state.

Like Jesus, they are labelled. But like Jesus, they rise above it.

Their laughter as they recount stories of false imprisonment, torture and regular and harassment threats makes a lasting impression.

It is no wonder that out of this social volcano has come a new popular line drawing of Jesus.

From his face — especially his eyes and open mouth,

laughter is seen and heard. A subversive laughter. A laughter that is not of this world.

Just like Mary, they are refugees, fleeing their homes to escape state violence for the sake of their children.

Like Mary, they yearn for the day when the mighty are pulled from their thrones and the lowly are lifted up.

Like Mary, they watch their children threatened, falsely charged and convicted, tortured and executed.

Like Mary, they are faithful and are gifted with the Spirit of God and are witnesses to the birth of the new Church in a never

ending pentecost.

Not only Jesus but enfleshed Mary before my eyes.

From the tribal people I felt first hand their intimacy with the land they call their mother and father.

This was expressed in their agile steps on treacherous paths, miraculous their speed of gathering wild banana, fern shoot, frog and eel and other food and of course in their song and dance.

It was here I experienced the "blessedness" of those who are poor.

There is nothing glorious about the complications of poverty — such as powe-

But in their poverty they had an empty space — a space for play, for family, for neighbour, for guest.

They had room for God's reign and the time and will to be part of it.

By contrast,Ibought another pair of black leather shoes on my return to Perth.Ineed them like another head. But they are symbols of my reflex consumerism. This has been one of several painful lessons for me.

It was sad too realise how anemic my faith was, how untested, compared to theirs.

The hope for me lies in a new relationship I have with people because of God. I say "because of God' because only grace allows me to see God in an other person.

As I was saying goodbye to the tribal people who had made a very long trip to see me safely home, they were calling out something to me.

"What are they saying?" I said to Sr Menggay.

"They are saying

goodbye to you," she said. "The young ones are calling you kaka which means big brother, the older ones call you little brother."

Now I know if I do something for these people, the Aetas (of Zambales), or the BCC's of Marbel (Mindanao) of La Granaja (Negros) or Bagong Silang (Manila) — it is not to help them.

It is because we are brothers and sisters. It is because we will be the freed from oppressor by God's love together.

Iencourage others to make pilgrimages too, by immersion in the culture of the Philippines.Iam grateful to Peter Stewart who was my starting point in Perth.

Most of all, I am grateful to the FilipinosImet and God-inthem, for their gifts to me.

"When is the dawn?" the student asked the master.

"When there is enough (of God's) light in you to recognise the face of your sister and brother," replied the master.

Albany parish's forward step With the signing of a $774,000 building contract, the Albany parish has taken a further forward step in the provision of housing for the aged at St Joseph's Lodge.

St Joseph's Convent in Aberdeen Street, Albany. Picture was taken in February.

the existing Lodge complex and the twostorey units will be built on the higher east end fronting Munster Avenue.

The single-storey and double-storey blocks of units will be divided by a splitlevel landscaped area with a central sitting square.

Homeswest will contribute to four of the rental ground-floor units in the twostorey blocks.

The contractor, Occano Homes, of Albany, will build 12 units behind the Christian Brothers former school and adjoining the southeast corner of the 13 existing units in Aberdeen Street.

On a sloping site, the units will be built in t wo single-storey blocks and two twostorey blocks with each unit occupying one level.

well Work is advanced on the four single-storey units which have already been pre-sold on on a lease-back agreement and should be completed by December.

The single -storey units will be situated on the lower west end of the site closest to

The remaining four upstairs units with direct access to Munster Avenue are for sale

at $82,000 each. They will have views across the town to Mt Melville.

The price of units has been kept to a minimum as no land content is included, the land for the complex having been donated by the parish.

The unsold units are spacious with two bedrooms, a living/ dining room opening on to a concrete balcony, an atrium entry, bathroom, utility room and kitchen.

They should be completed by April, 1991.

Brick paving will lead to these upper units from a six-car parking area off Munster Avenue which is one of two parking areas serving the complex.

Between the upstairs units will be centred a

reading room and directly below this, on the ground floor, will be a storage area.

On the lower level of the site, the singlestorey units will be divided by a covered walkway.

The exterior of the buildings has been designed to complement the colonial architectural character of the St Joseph's Community Centre and the old school building.

The complex has been designed by architectural designer Larry Boston, of Albany.

The first seven units for St Joseph's Lodge were built facing Aberdeen Street and later, in 1988, a further six units were added at a cost of $280,000.

The Record, December 20, 1990 11

4

Mother, child in art Bernard Hoffert studies some of the images of Christmas as they occur in different cultures

A Thai Madonna.

. . . AS SEEN BY DIFFERENT CULTURES

The nature of Christmas and its imagery is integral to most people's lives.

We await the time of the year expectantly; celebrate, we exchange gifts and locate our holidays around it.

While it is fundamentally a religious event, the commemoration of the birth of Christ, it has become a cultural phenomenon with vast commercial associations, but it has also become a very personal event.

The commercial aspects of Christmas are integral to our ways of expressing festivity, and the theological significance is the reason surely, why such festivities exist.

Beyond this, what these festivities mean at a personal level for each Christian is the way every individual relates to the meaning of Christmas.

While Christmas is a universal celebration, each person in every society throughout the world who believes that Christ is the Son of God draws a special meaning from the celebration.

This becomes dear when we see the vast range of moving religious imagery that Christmas has inspired.

Imaginative and varied nativity scenes, depictions of the Magi and the events of the Epiphany and perhaps, most evocative of all, exceedingly beautiful representations of the Madonna and the Infant Jesus.

The history of art is rich in this imagery.

Thousands of images have been produced over the centuries to commemorate the event, but more importantly, to convey its meaning. What precisely that meaning is varies.

Or rather, different societies throughout time have seen different qualities of the image of the Madonna and Child as significant.

The medieval cult of the Virgin centred on two major themes: Mary as Queen of Heaven, and Mary as mediator and reconcilor.

During this time the coronation of the Virgin was one of the chief scenes sculptured over the portals of cathedrals and churches many of which were dedicated to her.

Theologians were always careful to draw the distinction between worship due to the Father and Son, and the veneration that might be accorded to Mary.

However, the distinction was not always maintained in popular devotion.

Mary was often regarded as a goddess.

Images of this type depicted the Virgin and Child enthroned or resplendant in richly decorated robes much like Byzantine portraits of emperors and empresses.

In these scenes the Child appears omniscient and wise with a solemnity beyond his years.

In some images Christ is depicted not as a child but a small

man in order to highlight his role as king and Saviour of the world.

The practice of invoking Mary's aid began around the fourth century.

This again was a popular form of exultation rather than one instituted by the Church.

The intercession of the Virgin, so much less intimidating than the Father, could reconcile the timid soul with his or her God. The learned and earnest St Anslem described the sinners' refuge in his prayer written to be recited to the Virgin "when the mind is anxious with fear."

So the accused flees from the just God. To the good mother of the merciful God. This view of Mary as mediator foregrounds her humanity, her compassion.

The qualities are increasingly emphasised in images of the Mother and Child after the 14th century.

The softening of the imagery leads to the emphasis that we are most familiar with, and feel most rapport with that quality of motherhood.

The personal element, the focus on the affection between mother and child becomes the dominant theme.

The religious significance is no less evident but it has a new dimension, the quality of feeling that is part of human experience.

This view of the Virgin was largely a

result of the teaching of St Francis of Assisi.

The impact of his thought was profound especially in Italy and France. making Image changed to embody his views.

The Virgin left her starry throne in the heavens and laid aside her robes to sit crosslegged on the bare earth like a peasant mother with her child.

It is believed that the great Siennese painter of the 14th century, Simone Martin, inspired by Franciscan teaching painted the first of many images to come.

He showed her wrapped in a simple blue cloth, seated on a t ussock with the Child nursing at her breast and only the stars and moon about her to point to her exaltation.

The image of the Virgin of Humility compresses the new strain of poignant intimacy that people began to feel about the higher mysteries of Christianity.

The image formed part of the movement towards direct emotional involvement such as St Francis himself experienced.

It was St Francis who initiated the practice of the Christmas crib, transforming the symbolism of the Byzantine nativity into a struggling and roofless family.

It was he who ascribed to the Virgin the qualities of gentleness, meekness, mildness, and a tenderness to her child.

And it is these qual-

images, they repainted the robes that clothed the Madonna but out of awe, left their faces black.

Twentieth century depictions of black Madonnas are not westernised but have significantly altered the meaning of the image.

ities; the meeting of the two creates a poignancy in the image.

Another very human portrayal of the black Madonna shows the very strong bond between Mother and Child illustrated by the sweeping robe that encircles them both and ties them together.

The tenderness and affection between mother and child is highlighted in the image of the Aboriginal Mother and Child located in the Darwin War Memorial Cathedral. The Aboriginal character of the paintings is reinforced by the Aboriginal motifs that form the background and the haloes of the pair.

The tilt of the head of the Madonna and the look in her eyes suggests a melancholy that is not too far from that of the American negro.

ities that we see represented in the images of the Virgin and Child that we are most familiar with and feel most drawn to.

The development of the Christmas card last century which spread access to this imagery throughout the globe has ensured it is loved and appreciated everywhere but with this love and appreciation comes the inclination to make the subject of it CIIIT own.

As we have come to relate personally to the events of Christmas so each of us conceived of the human qualities of Christ and his Mother in a way that gives them most meaning for us.

This phenomenon has signalled the next great tradition in Christmas imagery.

The divine, the first emphasis, remained as fundamental to the emphasis of the human. Now both form the basis of the interpretation of Christmas in the personal.

Each society interprets the imagery of Christmas according to its own cultural traditions.

The images shown here depict Jesus and Mary in ways that make them accessible to the communities from which they evolve.

They give them the pgimentation, the physiognomic character and the qualities of experience that relate them to such society.

History of the Black Madonna...

The Black Madonna has a long history in the Church. f . The earliest known black Madonna, the Madonna of Montserral (Catalonia, Spain) was, according to legend, found by shepherds in 888AD. It had been hidden in a cave by a bishop to escape the Moors. It had been brought to Spain in 50AD by St Peter who had been given it by the sculptor, St Luke, who had carved it from life.

Black Madonnas are 1 411 also enshrined at Chartres, Rocama-

sr:

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dour, Loreto, Le Puvy, Orleans and St Maria Maggiore in Rome.

The Church has often explained their blackness in allegorical terms from the Song of Songs: "I am black but comely, o ye daughters of Jerusaof (Song lem" Solomon, 1:5).

Some of these images are carved in ebony, but another theory about their colour is that over the centuries the smoke of votive candles had blackened the wood or p..ment and when artists restored the

40Pf.*C'n

..1 .4*! : 44

12 The Record, Decembe, LO, 1990

The black Madonnas are not westernised but recognisable American negros or Australian Aborigines.

The images become politicised and yet retain traditional qual40:tt:44P§AtI 3

One image shows the Madonna staring out from the painting her eyes are no longer cast downwards in humility or do they engage tenderly with the child.

They challenge us.

The sorrow in her eyes speaks of her suffering. As the dispossessed and underprivileged in society she is the true successor of the Virgin forced to bear her child in a stable.

The suffering of the black community is still evident but so too is hope.

A warm light radiating from the top of the picture lights the upturned face of the Madonna to steer and steady her eyes on the source.

The image may not be as powerful but we know the plight of the Aboriginal in Australia is the same underprivileged and is dispossessed.

These images make the Christian message more intensely personal to the black minorities to whom they speak.

They also challenge the Church to direct attention to the true humility of the first Christians, to embrace in a meaningful way those who see hope and salvation in Claristiasity.

*414.101ftlItitrtg.4C4M4MAMSO!O

3 I

Putting Christ back into the Christmas picture

By Brother Andrew

The trick at Christmas is how to replace the everything but Christ in Christmas of the and c onsumer media world with the nothing but Christ of the true Bethlehem and the Gospel.

For Christmas comes down to a baby.

And babies are not much wanted in plenty of circles today — certainly not at Christmas parties or sales.

What if Mary and Joseph turned up?

The baby ready to be born — and they are poor. Poor people are a nuisance, especially at this busy time when Bethlehem inns are having their best run for years with this decree from the Emperor in Rome for a census.

Everyone is here.

Don't come along with a poor couple and their baby ready to be born.

So, Jesus, this is Your first mistake — coming along like this.

All Your life You're unwanted by the world, unpopular when You go beyond a reasonable point, when You call for honesty, truth, surrender, when You give the Beatitudes' call for humility, for giving the first place to the poor, the lepers, the beggars and sinners.

So let's get rid of the embarrassment. And today we would have to include babies with the lepers and the unwanted.

After all the economy is down. Certainly babies are unwanted in the business world, the media, the universities. New Age folk never talk about babies. Many conservationists see babies as real pests, worse than locusts and foxes.

Babies would not be welcome in many seminaries or work-

L

shops. And most definitely not in abortion clinics.

But somehow the poor in their simplicity still seem to welcome babies. They can always handle another baby — their own or someone else's.

Jesus, You come as a baby, not as an idea or an ideology. You'd mess up a scholar's room or a prestigious party. You'd hinder a career or buying a larger house. You're just an embarrassa ment and disturbance.

Babies (or certain other persons in my life) show me up in my poor response.

They measure me.

It's painful to see myself like this. And yet it's the truth — and Jesus says, It is the truth that sets us free.

The alternative is hypocrisy. No wonder He is not wanted.

Like the people of Bethlehem and King Herod, we are smart enough to sense in a God who comes to us poor and powerless, that everything he clings to is questioned, be we yuppie or scholar.

All our false gods are threatened. So our little egg runs screaming in frantic panic.

Still it's just a baby.

But how can we take in this God who comes as the baby of a poor couple if we are rich in anyway — financially or intellectually.

And yet he is the light that comes into our darkness, as the prayers and readings of Christmas night morning and proclaim.

We can't really expect to be more successful or acceptable than Jesus. His saints all know that — especially His Mother Mary.

There is a word of life here for the

the separated, divorced, the hurt, the angry, the resentful — for myself, whatever my story. It calls us to accept our wounded selves, the injustices and hurts we have suffered and the injustices and hurts we have given.

ONePr444§4,§~§At.

We have to accept the reality of what we cannot change. We have to forgive both .

the others and ourselves — as God forgives both them and me.

So, Little Babe, you call me to love You — at Christmas and on the nights after Christmas — to love You as the Light, as the One who frees me from my own darkness of the world around me. And You can only be loved in

Ar414.

all Your Littleness.

Your littleness and weakness, frailty and vulnerability ... I do truly share in these, for that is what I am.

But you my God come to me clothed in the same weakness. You join Yourself to me in my littleness and insecurity, not in my strengths.

Otherwise let's just turn the music up

4iftP§A.54eat*IP§kAt

louder and louder, and then we don't have to think at all.

But the wonderful, liberating Good News You bring is that it is all right for me to be small and weak and poor and quite a bit out of control.

After all that is where You were at Christmas in the beginning and at the end of the Cross. But ft$V40P141

beyond it all, you passed through to the Resurrection life of Easter dawn. And that is where You call me and all those I hold in my poor heart.

Our poor world and Church today will be all right because there are hidden people who are hearing and welcoming Jesus.

The Catholic Weekly 0!!

The Record, December 20, 1990

13

This is a great time

Testament of their trudging "from inn to inn".

We are told "there was no room for them in the inn".

One inn. It follows that the innkeeper can be depicted as heartless in refusing shelter to a woman in Dear Kathleen, an advanced state of p regnancy.

But said the letter, I'd be nowhere are we told grateful for a spehe refused them cial piece from you shelter. for our Christmas It was quite common number . . . in the Middle F.ast Dear Editor, I should and several parts of have replied instantly, Europe — and the sorry, but between practice lasts as I now and Christmas I understand it — for may be in Timbuctoo animals to be housed — or on a 40-day on the ground floor of retreat or . . . a dwelling, the family The use of "may be" living above. would have left my This was the accomconscience clear, I modation, no doubt, think. offered Mary and It would have been Joseph. prudent to decline, for After all, the inn was what can one say full because there was about Christmas a register being made, which hasn't been a census taken by said before? muster just as the Well, there are a census was taken in couple of thoughts I the opening years of have had for a long white settlement in time, probably Australia. neither of them origi- I picture the landnal and more than lord apologising, sayprobably ideas which ing the main bulding some of our readers was full, perhaps the will sharply reject. annexe . . . ?

One: I often wonder I think he may well whether we have at have been a most times been given an compassionate man incorrect interpreta- and that the place tion of the story as it where Jesus was born appears in the second was not some rickety chapter of St Luke. All barn open on the sentimental stops are out when this time of fourth side to all the the year comes round. elements but a relatively secure haven.

More than once I Does it add to the have heard how the world rejected Jesus wonder of the birth of at the time and by the our Saviour to pile on place of his birth. the pathos? I think "Mary and Joseph not. went from inn to inn And why is Joseph but no one would give nearly always them a bed." depicted as an elderly There is no sugges- patriarch or, at best, in tion in the New middle age?

Love, argues Kathleen Dunlop-Kane, is the greatest Christmas gift, but love cannot be described, only felt . . .

&41

0:V!!*IPAIP!.

14 The Record, December 20, 1990

t ,, It is more than probable that he was a young pa.ssionate man who when he discovered his betrothed was expecting a child, as the first chapter of St Matthew tells us, "was for sending her away in secret. But hardly had this thought come into his head when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take thy wife Mary to thyself, for it is by the power of the Holy Ghost that she has conceived this child."

We are not told that the angel appeared to anyone else. So Mary and Joseph alone knew the secret of the Incarnation.

What was the reaction of the people of Nazareth? Do you imagine the people of that town were any more charitable than those in Brighton or Horsham, AlburyWodonga, Preston or Bairnsdale or any other town you care to name? You can count on it they weren't.

Apart from being free of Original Sin Mary was spared nothing of the slings and arrows of this world; gossip could well have been the first sword of sorrow this carefully brought would up girl

experience.

In a strange way one could hope it was for it would bring that young couple very close to us and the difficulties and misunderstandings and sorrows we experience. Mary and Joseph have been through it all.

We are used to asking Mary's intercession in our woes but do we neglect to ask Joseph's. Why? He is the husband of today worried about his wife's confinement, where they will live, how will they survive.

So this is what we celebrate each year — the birth of Christ, Our Saviour. I imagine his being born not in forlorn circumstances but born perhaps after months of criticism and unkindness.

So one of the meditations we could make at Christmas is a resolution to guard our tongues, curb our human tendency to believe the worst and deny ourselves the pleasure of thinking a witty comment will excuse lack of charity.

Terribly difficult to do, that last bit.

And now, having given my homily — and who is she to speak? some of my readers will undoubtedly say, and some may even put pen to

.*OlrAltttigt*Otre1 4. "

paper to tell me so — let us get on to the celebrations.

It is silly to be tempted into overspending but the actual idea of the rush and bustle, the getting together at family gatherings and parties, the carols in the stores, the decorations and jollity, children on holidays, is wonderful, because here and there is the acknowledgement of just what we are celebrating and this may be to many people their only contact with Christ.

I remember years ago the late George Walton wrote a poem on seeing a cheap little cross and chain among tawdry jewellery in what was then a "nothing over 2/6" store.

He wrote most wonderfully about the appropriateness of its being there and what it meant. Ihave not a copy of the poem and I have never seen it since but Ihave never forgotten it.

Among the tinsel and the gourmet foodshops, the urge to spend, spend, spend, there are reminders of the Christ child — a window devoted to the Nativity, some Christmas cards which are not of holly Attr41$

or robins but of shepherds or of wise men who have somehow over the centuries become three kings.

It's a great time, Christmas, if you have someone to share it with.

Not everyone has children or grandchildren, brothers or sisters, but with friends they create for a time a Christmas family of warmth and security.

But really we are all a family, aren't we?

And we ought to show it particularly at Christmas.

Love is the greatest Christmas gift. Love is not necessarily packing a lot of lonely or impoverished people into a town hall and serving them Christmas goodies or wrapping a piece of Christmas cake for the home help.

It is more than that and cannot be described but only felt. If you have it you know you have it and you show it in the way most appropriate to each person you meet.

If you haven't it I think you know that too and very bleak and lonely it is. Those unloved and unloving times happen to us all because sometimes we fail, poor selfcentred and un-

understanding urea t ures that we are.

I often think about a woman who many of you would remember.

She was not beautiful but had a most interesting face. She thought herself ugly and was haunted by it. She was gifted and entertaining. I once read that she disliked Christmas so much she always arranged to spend it in a plane flying somewhere.

She took her own life.

Somehow, somewhere, we as a Christian family had failed her.

Not really a Christmas story butIalways think of her at Christmas. Peace on Earth will not come about by summit meetings or books or television programs or by articles.

It will come by each of us bringing peace to those nearest to us, as spiritual inoculation against the virus of unhappiness.

Perhaps instead of saying hello we could say "Peace be with you" when we meet and kiss, and since kissing seems to be de rigueur on all occasions now we would, if sincere, be spreading the best of good wishes.

It beats "Have a nice day."

11:40:1

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ASSE See also Page 18

ARCHDIOCESAN COUNTRY PARISHES 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th SUNDAY BADGINGARRA 8.30am Sat. 7pm Sat 7pm BAKERS HILL Sat. 7pm Sundays 10.30 am BALLIDU 7pm Sam 7pm Sat. 10.30am 8am BEACON 8am 7pm Sat. Sat 7pm 10.30am 7pm BENCUBBIN Sundays 2, 4: 10 (winter 10.30)am Saturdays 1, 3, 5: 7 (winter 6.30)pm BEVERLEY 10am BINDI BINDI Sundays 7.30am at Keaney College BINDOON 10am Sat 7pm 8am Sat 7pm Sam BOLGART Saturdays 6.30pm 9am; Sundays BOULDER Sundays 8.30 (winter 9)am BROOKTON 9am 6.30pm Sat 7pm 6.30pm 9am ROCK BRUCE 7pm 7pm 7pm BULLFINCH 9.45am RAAF base (2.4.5) Church (1.3) BULLSBROOK 8am 9.30am CALINGIRI Sundays (1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th) 9.30am COOLGARDIE Sat 7pm 9am 6.30pm 6.30pm Sat 7pm CORRIGIN Sat 6pm Sat 6pm 8am 8am Sat 6pm CUNDERDIN 6.30pm Sat. 6.30pm Sat. DALWALLINU Sam DANDARAGAN Sat 6pm Sat 6pm 10am 10am Sat. 6pm DOWERIN Sat. 6.30pm 10.30am DUDININ Sat. 6.30pm 10.30am 8.30am 8.30am GILLINGARRA Saturdays 6.30pm GINGIN Sat. 6pm 10am 10am Sat. 6pm 10am GOOMALLING noon long weekends and school holidays GUILDERTON Barn (every Sunday) HERNE HILL Sundays 9am HYDEN 8am Sam 8am JENNACUBBINE 4th Sun. 11am CERVANTES: 1st Sun. 10.30am JURIEN 8.30am 8.30am KALANNIE (Ang. ch.) 8.30am Sundays 8.10am, 7.15pm KALGOORLIE Sundays 9am; Saturdays 6.30pm; NORSEMAN: Sundays 5.30pm KAMBALDA Sat. 8pm 7.45am 7.45am Sat. 8pm KARLGARIN 6.30pm 6pm 10am KELLERBERRIN Sat. 6.30pm 8am 7pm 7pm Sat 8am KONDININ 11am 7pm 7pm Sat. 7pm 8am 10.30am 7pm KOORDA 9am Sat. 8pm 9am 8pm 9am Sat. KULIN 5pm long weekends and school holidays LANCELIN Every third Sunday. Notices posted.

LEONORA/LAVERTON 7pm 7pm MARVEL LOCH 8am every Sunday MECKERING MERREDIN Sunday 8am; Saturday 7pm (weekly).

10am MILING Barn MOORA Saturdays 6.30pm; Sundays (1.4) 6.30pm, (2.5): 8am (3) 10am MOORINE ROCK 10am 8am 8am 10am 10am MT HAMPTON 10.30am MT WALKER 6pm MUKINBUDIN 7pm Sat. 10.30am 7pm 8am 10.30am MUNTADGIN 7pm NAREMBEEN 7pm Sat. 9am 6.30pm Sat 7pm 9am NEW NORCIA ABBEY 7.30, 9am every Sunday.

NORTHAM Sundays 7.30, 9.30am; Saturdays 6.45pm NUNGARIN Sundays 10am PINGELLY Sundays 1, 3, 5: 10 (winter 10.30)am; Saturdays 2, 4: 7.30 (winter 6.30)pm QUAIRADING 8am Sat 6pm 8am Sat 6pm 8am SOUTHERN CROSS Sundays 8.30am TAMMIN 7pm Sat. 7pm 7pm 10am 8am TOODYAY 10am 10am 10am 8am 8am TRAYNING 8am 8am 10am Sam Sat. 7pm WATHEROO 6pm 10am WESTONIA 10.30am 10.30am 6.30pm Sat. 6.30pm Sat. 8.30am WONGAN HILLS 6.30pm Sat. 8.30am WUNDOWIE 10am 10am WYALKATCHEM 10am 7pm Sat. 8am 8am 10am YEALERING 6pm 7pm YERECOIN 9.30am 8am YORK Sundays 10am

METRO MASS TIMETABLE 7.30, Applecross: 9.30am, 6pm; Sat. 7pm.

Attadale: 7.30, 9.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Armadale: 7.30, 9.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Highgate: 7.30, 9, 10am (It), 5.30pm (Viet); Sat. 6pm.

Hilton: 7.30, 9am, 5.30pm; Sat. 6.30pm.

Hollywood Repat: 7am.

Balcatta: 7.30, 9, 10.30 Inglewood: 9am.

(Italian), 6pm, 7pm Sats.

(Croatian), 6.30pm (See also Joondanna: 7.30, 9am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Gwelup.)

Balga: 8, 9.30am, 6pm; Sat. 6.30pm.

ICalamunda: 7.30, 9am; North Balga: (Majella Sat. 6.30pm.

School): 9am.

Karragullen: 9.30am.

Ballajura: 9.30am, 6pm; Karrinyup: 7.30 and Sat 6pm.

9.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Bassendean: 7, 9, Kelmscott: 8, 10am, 10.30am.

6pm; Sat 7pm.

Bateman: 8, 9.30, 11am; Kensington: 7.30, Sat. 6.30pm.

9.30am.

Bayswater: 7.30, Kenwick: 7.30, 9, 9.30am, 5pm; Sat. 10.30am, 5pm; Sat. 6pm.

6.30pm.

Beaconsfield: 8.30, Kwinana: 7.30, 9.30am; 10am, (Portuguese 7, Sat. 6.30pm.

11.30am), 7pm; Sat. Hope Valley 6.30pm.

6.30pm.

Wattelup: 9am.

Bedford Park: 8, 10am, 5pm; Sat. 6.30pm.

Leederville: 7, 8, 9.15 Belmont: 10am.

(Italian), 10.30am; Sat. Bentley: 7.30, 9.30am; 7pm.

Sat. 6.30pm.

8, 9.30am, Lesmurdie: 9, 11am, Brentwood: 5.30pm; Sat. 7pm.

7pm (See Willetton) Bullsbrook: Pearce Lockridge: 8, 9.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

RAAF: 9.30am (2, 4, 5); Church: 9.30am (1, 3); Lynwood: 7.30, 9.30am; Sat 6.30pm.

Gingin Sat. 6.30pm.

Carilla: 8.15am.

Carlisle: 8, 9.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Carmel Monastery: 11am.

Chidlow: 7.30am.

7.30, Claremont: 9.30am, 7pm.

Cloverdale: 8, 9.30am; Sat. 7.30pm.

Coolbellup: 10am.

Como: 9am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Conesloe: 10am, 5pm.

Crawley: (St. Thos.

More); noon, 5.45pm; Sat. 7.15pm.

Dianella: 7.30, 9.30, 10.45am; Sat. 7pm.

Doubleview: 8, 10am, 5.30pm; Sat. 6.30pm.

Dwellingup: 9.30am.

East Cannington: 9am; Sat. 6.30pm.

East Fremantle: 7.30, 9.30am, 7.30pm.

East Perth: 9.30am.

East Victoria Park: 7.30, 9.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Embleton: 7.30, 9am; Sat. 7pm.

Floreat Park: 8.30am, 10am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Fremantle: 7,8 (Italian), 9, 10 (Italian), 11am, 5pm; Sat. 6.30pm.

Glenda'lough: 8.30am, 5.30pm; Sat. 6.30pm.

Girrawheen: 8, 9.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Gosnells: 7.30, 9.30am; Sat 6.30pm.

Greenmount: 7.30,9.15, 10.45am, (Pol.), 6pm; Sat. 6.30pm.

Greenwood: 7.30, 9, 10.30am; Sat 6.30pm.

Guildford: 7.30, 9.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Gwelup: 11am.

Hamilton Hill: Sam (Port), 9.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Herne Hill: 8am.

Rossmoyne Mission: 9am.

Rottnest: 8am; Sat. 7pm.

Scarborough: 7.30, 9.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

St Catherine Laboure, Bedford Ave: 8.30am.

Serpentine: 9.30am, 1st & 3rd Sundays.

Shenton Park: 7.30, 10am; Sat 7pm.

South Lake: 8, 10am; Sat 6pm.

South Perth: 7.30, 9.30am; Sat 7pm.

Spearwood: 8, 10am; Sat 6.30pm.

St Mary's Cathedral: (See Perth).

Subiaco: 8, 10am; Sat 6.30pm.

Swanbourne: 8.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Victoria Park: 7.45, 9 (Italian), 10.15am, 6pm; Sat 7pm.

Wanneroo: 7.30, 9am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Wembley: 7, 9.30am, 5.30pm.

Wembley Downs: 8, 9.30am, 7pm; Sat. 6.30pm.

West Perth: 8.30am, (Italian), 10am 11.30am (Polish).

Whitfords: 8, 9.30, 11am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Willagee: 7, 9am; 7.15pm; Sat. 6.30pm.

Willetton: 7.30, 9, 10.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Wilson: 9.30am; Sat 7pm.

Maddington: 7 (after Easter 7.30, 9am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Maida Vale: 8, 9.30am, 6pm; Sat. 6.30pm.

Manning: 7.30, 9am; Yanchep: Noon, High Sat. 6.30pm.

School Library.

Maylands: 8.30. 10am; Sat. 6.30pm. *** Melville: 7.30, 9.30am; Sat. 7pm.

Midland: 7, 9.30am, DEAF Mass Windsor St. 5pm. last Sun. 7pm; Sat. 6.30pm.

Monastery: 7, 9.

10.30am, 6pm.

ITALIAN Mass: 7.30, 9, Balcatta: 10.30am: MorMorley: 10.30am, 11.30am (It.), ley 11.30am; Freman6pm; Sat. 6.30pm. tle: 8, 10am; West Perth: 10am; Highgate: Mosman: 8.30am; Sat. 10am; Leederville: 6.30pm.

9.15am; Bassendean: Mt Lawler 8, 9.30am; (1st Sun.) 7.30pm; Sat. 6pm.

Midland: 11am (1st, Mt Yokine: 8, 10am; 3rd); Osborne Park: Sat. 6.30pm.

10am; Vic. Park: 9am.

Mundaring: 9.15am; Sat. 6.30pm. (see Chidlow).

UKRAINIAN Mass: Maylands: 10am.

Nedlands: 8, 9.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

North Beach: 8, 10am, 6.30pm; Sat. 6.30pm.

North Doubleview: 7.30, 9.30am, 7pm; Sat. 7pm.

North Fremantle: Sam. Osborne Park: 8.30,10, 10am (Italian), 7pm; Sat. 6.30pm.

Ocean Reef: 8, 10am; Sat 6.30pm.

Palmyra: 7.30, 9.45am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Perth: (Cathedral): 7.30, 9, 10, 11.30am, 5pm: Sat. 6.30pm.

Queens Park: 7.30, 9.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

Redcliffe: 8am; Sat 7pm.

Riverton: 7.30, 9am, 7pm; Sat. 6.30pm.

Rivervale: 7.30, 9.30am; Sat. 7pm.

Rockingham: 8, 9.30am, 7pm; Sat. 7pm.

POLISH Mass: Maylands ,Polish Church: 8, 9.30am; 7pm. West Perth: 11.30am; Fremantle: (1st Sun.) noon; Northam: 2nd Sun 11am; Collie: 3rd Sun llam; Bunbury 4th Sun 11am.

MALTESE Mass: Bassendean: 2nd Sun. 6pm.

PORTUGUESE Mass: Beaconsfield: 7, 11.30am; Hamilton Hill: 8am.

VIETNAMESE Mass: Highgate: 5.30pm.

CROATIAN Mass: North Fremantle: 10am; Bassendean: 1st Sun. 4pm; Balcatta: 7pm; Midland: 8.15am 2nd Sun; Bassendean 1st Sun. 8am.

SPANISH Mass: West Perth: Saturday 6.30pm.

The Record, December 20, 1990

15

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God's plan for the poor

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Query for big shepherd

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Christmas visitor

By Father Eugene LaVerdiere, SSS

"Big shepherd!"

The little boy was coming out of church with his parents. He had just learned about the figures on the large Christmas banner above the main altar.

He was with his parents and he had asked them who those people were standing in the middle of the sheep. "Big shepherd", the boy kept calling.

Mass had just ended and the bishop was greeting parishioners in the vestibule of the cathedral.

"Big shepherd! Big shepherd!"

The little voice finally got through. The bishop, mitred and staff in hand, looked down into the eager face of a diminutive member of his flock.

"Big shepherd?" The boy spoke more softly.

"Yes, Jason," the bishop responded. "Can I do Seeing the puzzlement anything for you?" i n the boy's eyes, the "Where's Jesus?" bishop suddenly felt "Come with me," said inspired. the bishop, and he led the "Jesus is in your heart!" boy across the vestible to Jason's face lit up. He the manger set. Pointing ran off to his parents, to the figure of Jesus lying in the straw, the who had been watching bishop said, "There's and listening from a short distance. He Jesus." glowed. "Big shepherd "Not that one," said said Jesus is in my heart."

Jason, "the real one."

The boy was satisfied, Some children have his parents were happy, adult questions. and the bishop was Realising he had missed relieved. the mark, the bishop led There was plenty of the boy back into church time for a child to learn and pointed to the that the presence of Jesus tabernacle. "Jesus is in in one's heart is very the tabernacle." much connected with his "In there'?" Jason was presence in the Euchanot satisfied. "Why is rist, and also to learn that Jesus in that little place." the small figure in the The bishop felt very manger showed how close to being judged, Jesus was a person of and the verdict was not flesh and blood like all of good. Was he really us. responsible for locking For now, Jason had Jesus up like that? learned the most impor-

By Janaan Manternach

Long ago in a faraway land to the east, a poor woman lived all alone.

Her husband had died.

Her children had grown up and moved away.

tant hing: Jesus was in ha hart.

GUE SS what the bishop prea :hed on that Christmas?

The following Sunday, iasor had not forgotten.

He ran up to the bishop and beamed, "Big shepher 1, Jesus is in my heart!"

For Jason, knowing where Jesus was could mal« all the difference for his future as a Cath )lic.

The big shepherd calls to mind the little shepher l of Bethlehem.

The shepherds were the first to hear the good news Thei heard it from the angel. "Behold, I proclair. to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For tody in the city of David a savour has been born for you who is Messiah

and Lord" (Luke 2:10).

The shepherds went to Bethlehem and saw for themselves. The saviour, the Messiah and Lord, was wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manager.

He was offered as nourishment, eager to be received into the heart of everyone in the flock.

The shepherds then spread the good news of the birth and presence of Jesus among us.

Christmas is a very special feast. It celebrates an event of long ago, but people cannot really celebrate it unless the event is still with them.

The bishop's first answer was dearly off the mark, even for a little boy. His second answer was on target, but far beyond the reach of a little child. His third answer hit the mark

dead centre and within reach.

That is why Jason ran off in celebration. That is also why Jason remembered it and repeated it.

That is also why, like those who heard the shepherds that first Christmas night, we stand in amazement, ready to join Mary by treasuring these things in our hearts, and are prepared to join the shepherds in glorifying and praising God. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests" (2:14) Our thanks to Jason for his perseverance, and to the bishop, the big shepherd, for his inspiration. On Christmas 1990, we will all celebrate the birth of Jesus in our hearts.

Food for thought Christmas becomes an intimate festival.

But again, Christmas is more.

If Christmas turns The celebration of gaze toward the one's Christmas has a lot to do of home, it securities gift-giving, with also return the should obviously. But you have homeless and to ask, "What is the gift gaze to the the insecure. giving all about?"

First impressions of Gift-giving can mask or Christmas aren't meant unmask the spirit of to be the last. generosity and caring at A child's wondrous the heart of Christmas. impressions of this holiOn the surface, gift- day hint at its greatness. giving may appear to be But, thank God, there is a celebration of things always more meaning to and new possessions. It Christmas to grasp. Othcan turn into that. erwise, in time it might But it can symbolize get old. much more.

Instead, you can "grow Or, on the surface, into" the spirit of ChristChristmas appears to be mas over the years, a celebration of hearth celebrating it again and and home. Shared with again as though it were relatives and friends, always new.

Christmas isn't only what it appears to be on the surface.

DISCUSSION POINTS good things; the rich he tion scene it is another Both Matthew and shakers who make headBy Father has sent away empty" aged couple, Simeon and Luke used their stories lines, even on the local John Castelot Anna, who occupy cen(Luke 1:49, 51-53). of Jesus' birth to level. announce the main Zechariah and Eliza- In the Visitation scene, a When Jesus is born and tre stage. themes of their Gos- beth, who enter first, are lovely tableau of simple cradled in an animal's pels. Like the overture suffering from an espe- domestic joy, Luke gives feed trough, the good This couple was able, to an opera, these cially agonising form of us Mary's "Magnificat". news is proclaimed first, for this occasion, to make only the offering of the narratives state suc- poverty: childlessness. It is a psalm typical of not to exotic stargazers poor of turtlecinctly the themes they Yet they maintain their the literature of "the poor who can offer expensive doves "aorpair two young will develop. dignity and their strong of Yahweh", that class of "gifts of gold, frankin- pigeons".

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In your own words, what is the message of Christmas?

Selected responses from readers: "Christmas is 'Jingle Bells' or 'Silent Night'.

It's shopping for presents or going to midnight Mass. It's a Christmas tree or a manger scene.

It's Santa Claus or the baby Jesus. It's commercial or it's holy. But either way, I think it's God-inspired love." — Laurel Yanish.

"It means God taking flesh so that we can encounter Christ in person and recognise ourselves in him . . . Christmas asks us the question: 'What does it mean that God took flesh in our world and that God continues to become flesh inour world through his body, the Church?' " — Father Steve Binsfield.

"It makes everyone sit up and take notice of their blessings, and what they can do for others. Life would be great if every day was Christmas, and we celebrated Christ's love for us." — Jeanne Pelletteri.

"Love entered the world in the form of a baby who was to grow to manhood and shower the world with mercy . . . Those of us who love him, he will gather into his loving and merciful arms when we die. Wow!" — Agnes Kaas.

cense and myrrh" (MatLuke's concern for the faith, the basis of hope. people whose only thew 2:11), but to she- If the Spirit anointed himthe Lord is wealth and Joseph are poor, the marginalised of Mary "living in the Jesus "to bring glad pherds keeps their society, gives his narra- humble Galilean villag- self, who keeping the tidings to the poor", that and fields powerlesstheir poverty, tive a special beauty, a ers from a town so same Spirit inspired night watch". warmth and an impres- insignificant it is not ness, from dehumanising Luke to anticipate those them.

Shepherds were a deseven mentioned among sive strength. glad tidings in his birth the hundreds of places This psalm is a power- pised underclass then, Not just a pretty little listed in the Old ful social manifesto, a cry considered "unclean" narrative, with a heavChristmas story, it makes Testament. and untrustworthy to enly messenger telling of hope. a compelling statement unwashed boot, with an unsavoury the about the place of the As far as people in the "The Mighty One has reputation, deserved or shepherds: things for poor in God's plan of sophisticated circles of done great "Do not be afraid, for shown not, for thievery.

He has Jerusalem me. . . and Judea salvation. were concerned, they might with his arm, Nor does Luke forget behold,Ibring you good All the characters are were nobodies, laugha- dispersed the arrogant of the elderly, always at the news of great joy that will quite ordinary people, ble — or despised — mind and heart . . . The mercy of those in their be for all the people" hungry he has filled with prime. In the Presenta- (Luke 2:10). not the movers and the "hillbillies".

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16 The Record, December 20, 1990

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She spent her days cleaning her small house, going to the village well to get water, chatting with her neighbours.

One night, three loud knocks on her door shattered her sleep. She jumped from her bed, shaking with fear. She lit a candle, rushed to the door and slowly opened it. What she saw made her knees tremble.

Three strong but gentle men dressed in royal robes and wearing kingly crowns stood at her door.

"Come in, come in, my lords," she said, bowing low before them. "You must be weary and hungry. My house is yours."

The three wise kings thanked the kind woman and entered. "We are following a star," they said. "It will lead us to a baby, a new king, who will wipe away everyone's tears, heal people's hurts and bring peace to every heart."

"I'd love to see this great new king," the woman told them. "I'd love to hold this baby in my "Then come with us," the three kings said in one voice.

The poor woman could hardly believe her ears.

Her heart pounded with excitement. Then the light in her eyes grew dim.

'Td love to go," she said sadly. "But I must clean my house and cook my

meals. I have so much to do."

The three kings felt sad as they said goodbye. She stood long by the door, gazing after them until the swirling desert sands swept them up.

She began to cook and clean, but her heart felt hollow. Tears washed her cheeks.

"What a fool I am," she said sadly, softly, over and over again. "I, too, must find the newborn king."

She hastily packed her small bag. In it, she hid a small gift for the baby king. She set off on foot, following the footsteps on the wise men's camels. But she soon lost the trail.

On and on she trudged.

Days turned into weeks, weeks became months and months melted into years. She stopped at every village, visited every house, searching for the child.

After many years, she learned his name, the Christ child. Many years later she learned that the three wise kings had found him. The good news spurred her on.

Her search goes on to this day. At Christmas, she visits every home where she finds children.

Her bag is filled now with gifts of all kinds for the child of her heart.

Not finding him, she leaves a gift in his name for every good child she does find.

In Russia they call her Babouschka. In Italy she is Lady Bafana. Along her way she finds the Christ child in every child she sees.

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The Record, December 20, 1990 17

GERALDTON DIOCESE

SUNDAY MASS TIMETABLE Continued from page 15

All times are regular for each Sunday unless otherwise noted.

GERALDTON: 7.30, Cathedral; 9.30am; 7pm; Sat 7pm.

8am; Rangeway: 5.45pm; Sat 7pm.

Bluff Point: 9am; Sat 7pm.

Wonthella: 7.30am.

BUNTINE: 2nd Sat. 7pm.

CARNARVON: 9am; see Shark Bay; Sat 7pm.

CARNAMAH: Sats. 7pm.

COOROW: 7.45am (alt.)

CUE: 8am.

DAMPIER 7.30am, Sat. 5pm.

DONGARA: 9.30am; Sat. 7pm.

ENEABBA: 7pm (alt.)

EXMOUTH: Base 9am; Town 10.30am; Sat. 6pm.

GREENOUGH: 8am.

KALBARRI: 5pm.

KARRAT'HA: 9am; Sat. 7pm.

LATHAM: 1st, 3rd, 5th Sats. 7pm.

LEEMAN: 5pm (alt.)

MEEKATHARRA: Sats.

6.30pm.

MINGENEW: 6pm.

MT. MAGNET: 10am.

MORAWA: 10am.

MULLEWA: 8am; Sat. 7.15pm.

NANSON: 6pm.

NEWMAN: 7.30, 9am; Sat. 6pm.

N ORTHAMPTON: 8.30am; Sat. 6.30pm.

NULLAGINE: 2nd Sun. 4.30pm.

P ARABURDOO: 10.30am; 7pm.

PERENJORI: 8am.

PORT HEDLAND: 8.30am; Sat. 6pm.

HEDLAND: SOUTH 8.30, 10am; Sat. 7pm.

TARDUN: 1st, 3rd, 5th, 9.30am.

THREE SPRINGS: 9.30am (alt.)

TOM PRICE: 8am; Sat. 7pm.

WICKHAM: 10am; Sat. 5pm.

YUNA: Sat 8pm.

YALGOO: 2nd, 10.30am.

THE DIOCESE OF BUNBURY 2nd

1st

3rd

4th

5th

ALBANY

Saturdays 6pm; Sundays 7, 8.30, 10am (Easter to Advent 7.30, 9, 10.30)

AUGUSTA AUSTRALIND

Saturdays 7pm Saturdays 6pm; Sundays 10am

BALINGUP

10am (10.30 Apr-Oct)

10am (10.30 Apr-Oct)

10.30am

BODDINGTON

llam

BORDEN BOYANUP

Sundays 10.30am (Dec-Feb 7.30am)

BOYUP BROOK

Sundays 9am

BRIDGETOWN

Sundays 8am (8.30 Apr-Oct) 8am

BROOMEHILL

8am

BRUNSWICK

Sundays 8.30am; Saturdays 7.30pm

BUNBURY (St Pats.)

Sundays 7.30, 10am, 7pm; Saturdays 7pm

BUNBURY (St Mary's)

Sundays 9am

BUNBURY (Carey Park) Sundays 8.30am Sundays 10am; Saturdays 7pm (May/Oct 6pm) BUSSELTON 8.30am

8.30am

CAPEL

10am

COLLIE

Sundays 10am, 7pm; Saturdays 7pm 10am

COOMALBIDGUP Sat. 6pm

CRANBROOK

Sat. 6pm

DARDANUP

Sundays 9am Saturdays 7pm

DARKAN

9am

8am

Sat. 6pm

9am 5.30pm

5.30pm

DONNELLY MILL 8.30am

10am

10am

10am

10am 8am

DUDININ

7.30pm Sat.

10am

DUMBLEYUNG

8.30am

8.30am

DUNSBOROUGH

Sundays 8am

DWELLINGUP

8am

ESPERANCE FRANKLAND RIVER

Sundays 7, 9am; (June-Aug 8, 10) Saturdays 6.30pm 6pm 10.30am

GAIRDNER RIVER

10.30am

GNOWANGERUP

10am

GREENBUSHES

10am

7pm

10am

10.30am

10.30am

10am (10.30 Apr-Oct)

10am (10.30 Apr-Oct)

Sundays 9am (Jun-Sep 10am), 7.30pm 9am

llam

JERRAMUNGUP KARRIDALE

8.30am 9am

GRASS PATCH HARVEY

8.30am

10am

CONDINGUP

DONNYBROOK

8.30am

Sundays 8am

KATANNING

Sundays 9.30am; Saturdays 6pm

KIRUP

Saturdays 7.30pm

KOJONUP

10.45am

8.30am

10.45am

8.30am

9am

KUKERIN

Sat 7pm

8am

7pm

10am

9am

LAKE GRACE

7pm (Suns 1.5. Sats 2.3.4.5.) Etam (Sun. 4), 10am (Sun 2.3.)

LAKE KING

8am

LOCKYER

Sundays 8.30am; Summer 8am

MANDURAH

Sundays 8, 9.30am; Saturdays 7pm (Dec 26 to 1st Sun Feb add Sun 7pm)

MANJIMUP

Sundays 8.30am; Saturday 7pm

MARGARET RIVER

Sundays 10am; Saturdays 5pm

MOUNT BARKER

9.30am

N=mi

8am

9.30am

8am 8am

MUNGLINUP MURADUP

Weekly 7pm Sat.

NANNUP

6pm Sats

NARROGIN NEWDEGATE

Sundays 9.30am; Saturdays 7pm 8am

NORTHCUFFE

Sundays 10.30am 10.30am

(alternate months)

NYABING/PINGRUP

10.30am

ONGERUP

8.30am

PEMBERTON PINJARRA

Sundays 8.30am; Saturdays 7.30pm Sundays 1.3.4.5: 10am, 2:7pm; Saturdays 7pm

RAVENSTHORPE

7pm

ROCKY GULLY

10.30am

10.30am 8.30am

8.30am

SALMON GUMS

Sat. 6pm

10.30am

8.30am

10.45am

STIRLINGS

8am

TAMBELLUP

8.30am

WAGIN

Sundays 10am; Saturdays 6.30pm

WAROONA WEST ARTHUR

1st, 3rd, 5th: 8.30am; 2nd, 4th: 10am Saturdays 7pm 8.30am 8.30am

WICKEPIN

8am

WILLIAMS

10.45am

8am

8am

8.30am

8.30am

WILSON PARK

8.30am

YARLOOP

1st, 3rd, 5th: 10am; 2nd, 4th: 8.30am

18 The Record, December 20, 1990

8.30am

Convenient phone nos._

PERTH (09) 325 9557 ARMADALE (09) 399 2143 FRE MANTLE (09) 335 2268 MIDLAND (09) 274 1159 MUNDARING (09) 295 1059 ROCKINGHAM (09) 527 1605 ROTTNEST (09) 292 5052 WANNER00 (09) 405 1110 ALBANY (098) 41 1129 AUGUSTA (097) 58 1990 BREMER BAY (098) 37 4091 BROOME (091) 92 1353 BUNBURY (097) 21 2141 BUSSELTON (097) 52 1687 CARNARVON (099) 41 1768 DERBY (091) 91 1227 ESPERANCE (090) 71 2091 GERALDTON (099) 21 3221 KALGOORLIE (090) 21 2353 KARRATHA (091) 85 1443 MANDURAH (09) 535 1847 MARGARET RIVER (097) 57 2264 MEEKATHARRA (099) 81 1120 MT MAGNET (099) 63 4050 NEWMAN (091) 75 1030 NEW NORCIA (096) 54 8018 PORT HEDLAND (091) 73 1687 SOUTHERN CROSS (090) 49 1049

Evening Mass SATURDAY Metro

7 PM (cont)

6.00 PM Ballajura Bayswater Highgate Mt Lawley South Lake 6.30 PM Armadale Attadale Balcatta Bateman Beaconsfield Bedford Bentley Cathedral Como Doubleview East Carmington East Vic. Park Floreat Pk Fremantle Girrawheen Glendalough Gosnells Greenmount Greenwood Guildford Hamilton Hill Hilton Park Joondanna Kalamunda Karrinyup Kenwick Kwinana Lockridge Lynwood Maddington Maida Vale Manning Maylands Midland Mirrabooka Morley Mt. Yokine Mosman Park Mundaring Nedlands Osborne Park Ocean Reef Palmyra Queens Park Riverton Scarborough Spearwood Subiaco Swanboume Wanneroo Whitfords Willagee Willetton 7 PM Applecross Bassendean Cloverdale Crawley Dianella Embleton Kelrnscott Kensington Leederville Lesmurdie

Maida Vale Melville-Myaree North Doubleview Reddiffe Rivervale Rottnest Rockingham Shenton Park South Perth Victoria Park Wembley Downs Wilson

Country 5 PM Margaret River 6 PM Albany Australind Busselton (May/Oct) Cranbrook Katarming Northam (6.45) 6.30 PM Boulder Esperance Gingin Kambalda Meekatharra Moora Nannup Northampton Wagin 7 PM Augusta Bluff Point Bridgetown Bunbury Busselton (Nov/Apr) Bullsbrook Carnamah Collie Dardanup Dongara Esperance Geraldton Kojonup Mandurah Manjimup Merredin Mullewa (7.15) Muradup Narrogin Northampton Pinjarra Rangeway Toodyay Waroona Wongan Hills York 7.30 PM Boyup Brook Brunswick Donnybrook Kirup Pemberton

SUNDAY 5 PM Bayswater Bedford Cathedral Cottesloe Fremantle Hamilton Hill Kenwick Mirrabooka 5.30 PM Crawley (5.45) Doubleview Glendalough Hilton Lesmurdie Wembley

7 PM Beaconsfield Brentwood Claremont Midland North Doubleview Osborne Park Riverton Rockingham Willagee (7.15) 7.30 PM East Fremantle

Country 5 PM Kalbarri

6 PM Applecross Armadale Etalcatta Ballajura Bellevue Hope Valley Kelmscott Maida Vale Monastery Morley Victoria Park

7 PM Bunbury Cowaramup Collie Geraldton Kalbarri

6.30 PM North Beach Wembley Downs

7.15 PM Harvey Kalgoorlie

5.30 PM Norseman Rangeway 6 PM Mingenew

Thi k of a ; Christ-child human ; and divine Peter Corcoran answers the question: "What is this child . . . on Mary's lap is sleeping"?

An old carol, usually sung to the air traditional Greensleeves, asks a question which is older than the carol and the tune: "What child is this, who laid to rest, on Mary's lap is sleeping?"

Many answers have been given to this the over query centuries.

The debate among Christians has not ceased.

People are still asking: "Who is this person whose birthday we celebrate with so much joy at Christmas-tide? If we claim him as God, why was he born and more importantly, how much real humanity did he have?"

The bland reply is that he had two natures in the one person, but this raises more queries than it answers.

It does not prove that he was like us, in every sense of our humanity, except that he did not sin.

It does not tell us if he had to learn by asking questions, as we do. For many of us have the feeling that his God-head superimposed understanding to his humanity.

As we look at the seemingly helpless infant in the crib on Christmas night, it may be appropriate to reflect on the humanity of this Christchild.

For if we accept that he was truly man, we will gain great strength for ourselves

in our times of trial.

We can compare his helplessness with our own weaknesses.

This infant had to be fed and washed and soothed. He must have been irritable at times. The long journey to and from Egypt must have thrown him out of his routine.

Parents know what this means to a young child.

The early Christians were puzzled by the conflict of natures in Jesus. The Council of Nicea pronounced him God, in 325 AD. It confirmed what had Christians believed for a long time. Yet it took another century and more for Christians to accept fully that he was truly human.

The Council of Chalcedon proclaimed. year the about 450AD. "He was like us in all things, except sin."

This did not stop the and questioning heresies.

The big questions were, and still are, did he know he was God? Did he really have to learn from his parents and teachers, or was his questioning merely a facade to hide his God-head?

The answer seems to be that he was truly like us in every way.

The Gospels give us many clues. They show that in many ways his knowledge was limited to the prevailing wisdom of his time.

We would not have expected him to introduce electric power to a startled Judea, but it is recorded in the Gospels that he folhistorical lowed errors when he quoted the Old Testament.

For these mistakes in

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A bauble of Mother and Child.

names and history were not known 2000 years ago.

The temple scene in St Luke's Gospel gives us an insight into the humanity of Jesus.

It pictures a young boy really seeking the truth. questions His astounded the scribes, but it was these scholars who supplied the answers.

Jesus was not playing games with these whom he men respected. This is the implication of Luke, when he wrote about the incident many years later. He was recalling a tradition, or perhaps using his own intuition.

It is this firm belief in the total humanity of Jesus which makes St Luke conclude this passage of his Gospel with the words: "He advanced in wisdom with the years." This is a reassuring depiction of a boy who had to learn the hard way, as do all of us.

Again, we learn from the Gospels, in fact from the recorded words of Jesus, that he had human feelings — that he grew tired, that he became hungry.

He admitted that he was human enough to fear his approaching torture and death for he had seen many crucifixions.

He was human enough to plead with his Father to spare him the agony. (And this was after it had been revealed to him that he was God!) This self-admission of his human fear is so pertinent that the scene at Gethsemani is recorded in great detail by three of the four evangelists.

The reality of his humanity must be a

source of consolation and encouragement to us, in our collective weakness. For we face enormous tasks in the modern world.

There are dilemmas which we must solve on our own. God is not going to work miracles for us.

The problems of the past are still with us, but they are being superseded (whether we accept it or not) by new world-wide catastrophes of our own making.

We have to face squarely the fact that the world is overpopulated for the available limited resources.

We have to admit that the lifestyles of the developed nations are destroying the Earth.

We know of worldcorruption. wide which is making the poor poorer. It often seems beyond the capacity of humans to come up with practimoral and cal answers.

Yet our inspiration is that the figure in the crib was also human.

Perhaps the crib scene is usually too angelic for us to appeciate the humanness of Jesus (perhaps not, for all new born infants are angelic).

"What child is this?"

The carol which asks the question supplies its own answer. "Hail, hail, the Word made flesh. The babe, the Son of Mary."

The Word made flesh entered our humanity, not only as saviour, but as a sign.

In him we see ourselves, with all our pains and doubts but also with our hopes and triumphs. This must be the inspiration and joy of Christmas.

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The Record, December 20, 1990 19

Christmas 1990 Special

Bathurst Island encounter From the sky Bathurst Island • looks like a vast uninhabited island with a small settlement area (Nguiu) but on the ground it is a place of activity • and industry.

We were greeted by Sr Tess (Teresa Ward), a linguist who lives and works on Bathurst.

Sr Tess has deve• loped a very well respected Language • Development and Literacy Centre at Nguiu where her work mainly involves translating and developing material in the indigenous language, Tiwi.

• At the Centre which is attached to the primary school, a number of staff, who all belong to the local • Tiwi community, work constantly to produce new material for use in the school.

• This local community school teaches entirely in Tiwi, the mother tongue of the children for the first few years of primary school.

Then the children are introduced to English as their second language and continue to learn in both languages.

All the teaching material is developed • and translated at the Centre.

A great deal of effort is put into encouraging the adults of the • community to tell and record their stories which are made into text books for use in school.

In this way much of the language and the cultural heritage of the people are preserved.

The children gain pride, dignity and self

By Christine Choo confidence through learning about their culture as part of their school curriculum.

With the aid of sophisticated technology and desk-top publishing computer programs, the material is prepared for the printer who works in the adjacent room.

An is artist employed full time to illustrate the stories.

At the school and the Language Development Centre the majority of the workers and teachers are local Tiwi people.

The school also draws on the adults and older family members to teach the children their culture and traditional practices. This school, St Teresa's, is run by the sisters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

Kaska Tipakalippa, Eileen Mary Tipuamantumiri and Mechtilde Mukwankini showed us around the village.

The women were open and friendly, proud to be able to show us some of the achievements of the community.

They answered all our questions, asked some of their own, joked and patiently explained many things to us as we walked along.

At the factory of Tiwi Creations, which are now nationally famous for their fine screen printing of cottons, silks and other fabrics, for their T-shirts and scarves, members of the workers co-operative are responsible for every stage of produc-

tion from the design of the print to finishing the product and preparing it for export.

Their designs are rich in colour and very attractive.

Bima Wear is another fabric industry run entirely by women who produce the designs for the fabric and clothing, print the material, operate a retail outlet under the guidance of a non-Aboriginal woman manager.

The project was originally launched in a small way under the auspices of the island's Church Mission and today, 20 years later, it is selfsufficient and fully operational with a well-equipped screen printing studio, modern sewing workshop and a large showroom and retail outlet.

Bima Wear is owned by an associated body of Tiwi Tribe women who look forward to much greater achievements in the years to come.

When we reached the Keeping House, the place where the artifacts, carvings and artwork produced by the people are kept for display and sale, one of the women proudly showed us the painting and decoration which were part of the construction and which were the work of her late husband who was a well known artist. family Outside groups sitting in the shade were involved in carving and painting the works which would later be displayed and sold to

tourists at the Keeping House.

Along the way we saw a man dressed in traditional clothes — a small loin cloth and covered from head to foot in red ochre-like material.

He was the father of one of the men who had died in a recent boating tragedy which happened in the strait separating Bathurst and Melville Islands.

He is dressed like this from the day of the first mourning ceremonies until the pukamani final (mourning) rituals.

There are many things that are taboo for him — he is not allowed to touch food at any time and his family must feed him by hand to respect this taboo.

The Tiwi have complex and lengthy mourning rites with various ceremonies at significant stages over periods of many months and even years. These ceremonies are important community celebrations which act to reinforce family and other ceremonial links.

Here on Bathurst Island, the first mass was celebrated by Fr Gsell, who later became Bishop Gsell, on June 8, 1911 on the feast of the Sacred Heart.

The Tiwi people have since then embraced the Catholic faith, combining their new faith with their traditional ways. This is evident today in the way in which those who attend mass participate in the service and singing in their own language. They have

The sanctuary of the Catholic Church in Bathurst Island composed some beautiful songs in Tiwi using new tunes and tunes from their own traditions.

What is commonly sung as the tune of the "Our Aboriginal Father" is a tune now owned and sung by a Tiwi from Bathurst Island, Stanley Puautjimi whose father Daniel Puautijimi owned the tune before him.

This tune was picked up and the words of the Lord's Prayer put with it by Fr K Mckelson in the West Kimberleys.

It is now gaining popularity in Aboriginal communities in

the North, and slowly spreading to other parts of the state.

The women who showed us around invited us to join them in the "Coconut Grove" where they were having a gathering for song and prayer.

This open air gathering under the trees began with a collection of songs in both Tiwi and English and continued to the small hours of the night, when we could still hear them having a good time after we had crept to our flat, exhausted.

It is interesting to learn how communities adapt and change,

how they take in new ideas, adapt them and make sense of them in their own understandings and cultural perspectives.

This is very much how the faith has spread from community to community and from individual to individual as each gives witness in living out what he or she believes.

There are many beautiful and valuable things we can learn from the Tiwi people at Nguiu, including their sense of generosity, openness, hospitality, creative adaption to 'change and their faith.

The writer reveals her intentions

CHRISTINE CHOO received the 1990 Archbishop Goody Award to visit Aboriginal communities in the north.

"My intention was to spend a little time with people from Aboriginal communities in order to learn from them about their spirituality, the way in which they have combined Christianity with

20

their original spirituality, and how they express this through their liturgies.

"My involvement with Aboriginal people had begun in 1969 and deepened further when I commenced working with the Aboriginal Medical Service in 1974.

"At Bathurst Island, the land of the Tiwi, we

The Record, December 20, 1990

were invited to one of their funeral ceremonies, and on another occasion taken out gathering turtle eggs and shown us their bush food.

"We all returned that night on the back of a truck with a small collection of turtle eggs and a couple of wallabies.

prised a mother, her three grown up daughters, a son-in-law, and numerous grandchildren of all ages.

"Unfortunately we couldn't fish for the barramundi we dreamt about, as the strait was taboo following a serious boating accident in which a number of people had died; the community was still in mounting.

"During this visit to the north, I experienced the kindness, generosity and hospitality of so many people, both Aborigiand nal nonAboriginal. I caught more glimpses of the richness of Aboriginal culture and spirituality, and of the suffering and oppression they still experience.

"I am aware that there is so much that we can all learn from them.

"On my travels I met many courageous people who, in their particular way, support and work under difficult conditions in solidarity with Aboriginal people, and many Aboriginal people themselves who work

continuously to improve the situation for their own people.

"In particular I have been impressed by the efforts that are being made to deal with the effects of alcoholism in the communities, from support programmes for school children to women's activities and rehabilitation programs for the adults."

out I'Reach to shy

Christmas 1990 Special

Aborigines

West Australian !ffi1 Catholic Aborigines are backing strongly the second national conference of the and Aboriginal Islander Catholic Council in Adelaide in May. Perth Aboriginal Catholic Ministry along with representatives of Geraldton and Broome hosted a working party meeting, making preparations for the Adelaide meeting, that will follow up on the first national meeting held in Cairns two years ago.

Among the 250

▪

expected at Adelaide there will be at least 20 representatives from WA. Some 50 religious and priests will be attending along with three bishops and three deacons.

Archbishop Foley said Mass for the participants on the vigil of Christ the King, using the new eucharistic prayer compiled for use at La Grange.

Concelebrating the Mass was veteran PaHotline missionary Fr Francil Huegel who has just retired

after 60 years in the Kimberleys.

Norma Willaway and Ben Taylor were WA representatives at the working party meeting and Ben is keen on two of the objects that will be part of a proposed AICC corporation.

"To assist and encourage Catholic Church authorities in their support for Aboriginal and Islander people in their struggle for dignity, justice, selfequality, management, self determination and other issues affecting them.

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Mr Ben Taylor "To be a consultative body providing advice to Catholic Church organisations on issues relevant to

said: "We are the church and the church hierarchy has to come and sit down with us because we are the church. The church will not be the church until it makes its conunitment to the Aboriginal people of Australia."

Ben Taylor says he is keen "to do a lot for my people", pointing out that WA has the highest number of Aboriginal Catholics of all the states.

"We've got to get to them, we need more manpower, more more ministry, churches. We know

Aboriginal and Island people."

Ben Taylor feels that Catholic authorities should come more often to Aborigines for their views and that there should be more input from Aboriginal people into Church thinking.

'We need them to extend the hand to friendship, to realise that we are a very spiritual people, that we are a shy people and that they should make us welcome.

Citing the call of Pope John Paul at Alice Springs, Ben

the people are there.

We have to help to bring them in.

"They are shy. They are still wary of the days of Native Welfare and they don't like government people knocking at their door.

"But with us working in there they are finding an identity. I could point out hundreds of my relatives in the greater metro area and we get to know them when we sit in their houses.

The don't like other religions but we have got to do the reaching out."

Black stump birth poser •

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The Black Stump?

Would Jesus choose to be born, in Australia, behind a burnt jarrah stump, asks the St Brigid's West Perth crib.

Christmas recalls how God became man like us, sharing our life in this world made

by Him. The ecological environment surrounding us — the earth, the water, the air, the desert, the animals, the bush, etc; all of this has become "sacred" because our God became man in Jesus.

And we all have a moral obligation to respect it.

With the crib, this year, St Brigid's wants to remind "ourselves and everyone" that we must treat with care and love the ecological environment, as God's creation.

The Australian bush, so sensitive and beautiful, is the breathing lung of Australia; without it our nation would be in real and serious trouble.

The little crib is a burnt tree-trunk. Jesus, born inside it, symbolises the new life from within, a life which He has come to give us.

Christmas may be the beginning of something new and special in our lives. It is up to us to let God in Christ to be born again in us, transforming death into life.

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The Record, December 20, 1990 21

Christmas 1990 Special

Welcome the stranger

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By Fr Dino Torresan Coordinator of Multicultural Pastoral Care in the archdiocese

1 Flashback! New migrants who were feted and entertained by the Catholic Migrant Centre last year.

I have a suspicion that Mary and Joseph, internal migrants in the then Palestine, were refused shelter in the inn not because of real lack of room, but simply because they were strangers.

History repeats itself.

We too are afraid of strangers, and to live out Jesus's invitation "I was a stranger, and you made me welcome."

(Mt.25:35) is not an easy task.

Today even our Australian society is very much affected by such fear.

There is no need to have a go at migrants in our midst.

Even the next-door neighbour has become a stranger, very often feared.

Up to a few years ago, our homes were left open: nobody would have dared to touch anything, and least of all to steal.

Today we bolt doors and windows, we have alarm systems; even when we are inside our dwellings we don't feel safe.

The welcoming of the Gospel becomes a difficult challenge to practice.

A question then arises: What's happening to the trusting attitude, typical

of our Aussie culture?

Fear can transform an tion, despair, etc.

To be capable of wel- insignificant event into It seems safe to say that coming is to be filled something of tragic lack of concern, genuine, with trust. But it is hard consequences. honest, sincere concern for little people to nurChristmas reminds us is at the root of practiture such a trust, when that welcoming the cally every one of these even their leaders fail stranger is an ad of bleedings. And a family them. cannot be both fragtrust.

If we can see the mented and Christian.

Too many events of lately have revealed that handwriting of God in Integration too is never the integrity expected at others, then the welcom- painless. the top showed itself far ing is easier, and our It requires that we let from being immune of trust will come from the matters rub up against heart of God himself. guilt and corruption. each other, that we fully "There is no room!", experience the tension of What was the pride of needs, yesterday has become "We are already too conflicting many!": these will not be demands and interests, the shame of today.

The community at large our words. As the pro- that we even be emotionhas become confused verb says: "In a shared ally torn apart by them.

Since integration is and hurt, and we risk to fish, there are no bones!" never painless, communfall into the trap of "each Christmas: a time ity is never painless. one for himself". of healing Christmas is a time of Love heals. Community It requires itself to be welcoming. The diatribe should heal. The worker fully open, vulnerable, to of the last few months who has taken bumps of the tension of conflicting about migrants and their all sorts during the day (a needs, demands and negative impact in our sharp correction . . . a interests of its members society has shown that mistake . . . a drop in and of the community as we have lost the serenity sales. . , unjust a whole. of our outlook, and that blame . . .) should be It does not seek to avoid our vision has become able to return to a loving conflict but to reconcile blurred in its capacity of family atmosphere to be it. judgement. healed.

And the essence of Either we like or not, Communal worship in reconciliation is that what is happening in the the parish church should painful, sacrificial proworld at large is reflected bring healing into the cess of emptying ourin smaller societies, lives of those who join in selves sufficiently to groups, families and the praise of God. make room for the other individuals.

There are many bleed- point of view, the new The pathology of fear is ing ills today in our and different undera very subtle sickness, society and families: standing. and penetrates deeply fragmentation, alienaChristmas can be a the hearts, the emotions, tion, hostility, competi- beautiful and rewarding loneliness, time of healing, when we the minds and the behav- tion, iour of people. uprootedness, manipula- are urged both as indi-

viduals and as a com- cend our differences. munity into ever deeper "Most of the trouble in levels of integration the world," said T.S. Eliot, through healing. "is caused by people be to wanting commulticultural Our munity implies such important".

Christmas calls for practical challenge. inclusiveness, because Christmas: a time Christ and the Gospel of inclusiveness message are transcultuAn English proverb ral. The Gospel may be a says: "Many can bear source of untold peace, adversity, but few but it nevertheless brings contempt!". unavoidable tension and Love triggers trust: I Pain. trust becauseIknow lam Inclusiveness does not loved. One act of love mean that "everything" of a particular culture is triggers another. good and healthy for the gospel Members of a community must be community as a whole.

A selection of true inclusive, even of the least of the brothers and values must be carried sisters making up such a out, in the freedom of the Spirit. The true Christian community. indeed paying a great is There is no room for fear or mistrust in inclu- price for "the pearl of siveness. Not even half great price" and is willing to sell "all that he or she measures. has" to buy it (Mt.13:44).

It is true: the process of In my opinion two inclusiveness does not questions should be an take place overnight. integral part of our Even in a committed inclusiveness: (1) are we Christian community fulfilling courageously the profound differences our prophetic role? or are of temperament, charac- we taming the wild tiger ter and culture make it (the Gospel challenge) difficult to live together into a pussy cat? (2) do harmoniously. we appreciate the weight Yet, because of Jesus Christ, it is possible for us to transcend our own childhoods, our cultures and our past experiences, and hence, without obliterating them, to transS.

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The Record, December 20, 1990

selves and resolve such tensions: the tensions between the Gospel, the universal tradition of the Church, the local traditions and the traditions of the new cultures.

I believe that the more our Australian culture support a people's faith, the more integrated is the faith with culture.

In reading once again Luke 2:7,I think that the risk of being told that "There is no more room for them in the inn" is still very real for Mary, Joseph, little Jesus — the "strangers" coming to knock at the door of our country.

But I also believe that the majority has a clear conscience, not as a result of a bad memory, but because they sincerely try to welcome, heal the differences and include Christ corning to them in the many "strangers" of today.

Like myself, many took for granted that God, aside from a few odd words in Hebrew, had never spoken anything but the most dignified English (or Italian, or whatever).

Today I knov that He of the cross that the individual Christian is can speak f, uently a variety of languages, the carrying?

The local Church and same languages I here in the local Christian com- the streets of Perth.

Dino Torresan munities must con18/12/90 stantly examine themS.

Christmas 1990 Special

It will back to God's farm International and national pilgrim for Brother God, Andrew who was cofounder with Mother Teresa of the Missionary of Charity Brothers is returning to "God's farm", Gracewood, to give seven retreats as from January 23, 1991 for three

weeks.

ii

Gracewood, whose proprietor is Mrs Betty Peaker, is a 200 acre slice of tranquillity and peace which has a retreat house with its own beautiful chapel (complete with organ) handcrafted from property granite and containing a tabernacle with the consecrated hosts. is Gracewood located just out of Cowaramup between Busselton and Margaret River, ten minutes from the sea, and is handy to both churches.

There is no stress and strain at Gracewood, said Mrs Peaker, "because Brother Andrew puts things very simply".

Getting Brother Andrew to come to WA — or anywhere for that matter, isn't easy because he's booked up for years ahead.

During the past year since he was last here, Brother Andrew's pilgrim retreats have taken him to the Philippines, Hong Kong, Korea, Canada, the USA and Scandinavia.

What struck him most in the richer countries including Australia, he says, "is the very great suffering in the lives of ordinary people — people who look like they're okay. But they're not."

"There are those painful family situations, separations,

horrific relationships often coming out of emotional brokenness and wounds.

"There is a lot of emotional depression, and then the destructive escape routes into alcohol, drugs, overeating, and so called freedoms through sexual twists, excesses or unmanageability."

It's not just the economic and financial problems, Brother Andrew reflects; it's just one symptom of a world gone to excess.

Many in the west are so "disconnected" from their spiritual and religious roots, with the resultant loss of vitality, droopiness, death and depression, he said.

"The time has come for preaching the Good News of life, and there is clearly a movement of people coming to retreats, churches, prayer groups out of their pain, and looking for something solid. The fundamentalists and the cults are much smarter than we Catholics and the mainline Protestants, in touching this need.

And they're sure attracting people!"

Brother Andrew touched on the injustices, degradation, shocking spiritual and material impoverishment of so many, and pointed to the darkness, ignorance, despair and trivia "in which people live their precious lives".

Hence the need for prayer of intercession, reparation, the consecrating of the world and lives of the poor, especially the spiritually poor and devastated.

And the urgent need to believe His words which The Way, Truth and the Life show as a beacon of light in this world of

anguish, breakdown and increasing death.

Brother Andrew says he relishes his life of poverty (his sole possessions for the last three years of his pilgrim apostolate are contained in his backpack, not even possessing a driver's licence), and the freedom this gives to worship God, enabling him to centre his life on Him. This detachment from worldly goods gives joyful release "in an explosion of consumerism, media communication, and a flood of angry issues".

Brother Andrew rejoices to see others who seek a life of prayer living within their home, room, or family, where they choose a life of deeper prayer and embrace the freedom of poverty, loving the poor, broken and scattered, in their own way.

Mary's rosary becomes a rediscovered prayer for those who walk the roads and market place and for those who must stay at home.

"The Blessed Sacrament, Mass, and an hour before the exposed Blessed Sacrament, are a rich part of His way," Brother Andrew said. "'The solid truth of the Church's teaching and morals has become a much needed pillar or foundation in a world of confusing, many demeaning and enslaving voices."

But Brother Andrew is optimistic for our because future "already there are hidden people who are hearing and welcoming Jesus".

And he is filled with hope also at seeing Christianity on the surge in the eastern

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bloc countries which have broken the shackles of enslaving C ommunism and allowed its Christians to reach the bloodline of Christian input which free Christian countries supply.

Some are euphoric at the chance to participate and unfetter their forcibly hidden faith, and others have "dulled eyes because of the absence of doctrinal learning and faith practice".

He also doesn't go along with those who say our churches will be devoid of priests within the foreseeable future, because he states some countries are bursting with vocations from behind the former Iron Curtain, and in third world countries.

This vitality is not only welcome but also essential he believes "to a Church with modernist much watering down".

He also mourns the death of the Victorian Catholic Advocate newspaper with its demise after 122 years, which was adult education for ordinary Catholics, he states.

And contrasts the newly emerging Church in eastern Europe where there is

much etiort to get printing presses to communicate God's Word to a hungry people.

In the midst of all this aridity, Christmas comes again as a call to hope, promise and guarantee of redemption, Brother Andrew says, "and with my increasing age and time running out in the face of the world, I feel a call to witness the hope, joy and meaning in life which I personally experience".

A call he says which arises out of the pain and suffering of a helpless world — helpless in its power, might and brilliance.

We need Christmas, says Brother Andrew, and the Christmas call comes with the ridiculous littleness and powerlessness in Mary's babe at Bethlehem.

"And so I put these two elements together at Christmas: The immense cry of pain and suffering across the world plus the total weakness, frailty and poverty of little people, broken and totally powerless which represent myself and many of you."

Brother Andrew says we can no longer "leave it to the experts" — because they've failed. The scholars, professionals, theologians and power people in state or Church.

The call is once again to the Anawim, God's poor, the suffering little ones.

"We have to live and witness God's life and love in Christ with all the poverty and simplicity of Bethlehem and Galilee." Brother Andrew cited the seventies when academics and theologians spoke of "the death of God".

"Yes, God has died in the universities, in the media, politics, the world of power and money." God, he says, has even died in many seminaries and religious congregations which have all but fallen apart.

"But the wonderful good news of hope is that God has not died for the little ones, the poor or the battlers.

"And! meet so many in parishes, days of prayer, communities that welcome the homeless and broken, in parents struggling to preserve sound values in their children in the face of values, demeaned and degraded in the media — and even at times, sad to say, in religious education and preaching."

God is not dead also for the voiceless and unheard poor in Africa, India, the Philippines, Poland — and even the voiceless ordinary Australian Catholics who are not listened to by the sophisticated and those in power corridors within the Or government Church.

Brother Andrew said we little people should encourage each other and through our following of God's way, bring light and life into the world. "And live Christmas, which is nothing less than God's love, life and light which He brings into a dark and dying world."

Jesus came into the world devoid of power, position or wealth, and with not even an inn room for His birth.

"But He is God — totally beyond earthly power. Let Him transform our world into His beauty, life, free-

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dom, love and happiness.

"For poor as I am, and a nobody, I experience within myself a happiness and joy that I can't express.

That is Christ alive in me.

"That is Christmas.

"Let this joy and love be our Christmas gift to each other, to our children, and to our broken sorrowing world of 1990," said Brother Andrew.

"The Christmas we so badly need is here at hand."

Dates of Brother Andrew's retreats are: Brother Andrew on: Christ's Answers to Today's Problems from Jan 23, 11am to Jan 25, 4pm. (All prices are suggested donation) $65. And from Jan 25, 7pm to Jan 28, 1pm, $75. If anyone wishes to combine those two retreats from Jan 23 to Jan 28, please enquire promptly.

Jan 29, llam to Feb 1, 3pm, $100 (joy filled silence). This retreat is especially for young people and goes from Feb 1 (no later than 8pm arrival or Sat 9am) to Feb 3, 4pm, $65.

Feb 5, llam to Feb 8, 3pm, $100. Feb 8, 8pm to Feb 10, 4pm, $65. Feb 12, 10am to Feb 15, 1pm, $100.

Brother Andrew offers private interviews with retreatants if requested. Please bring your own sheets, pillowslip and towel if possible, plus Bible, prayer book, notebook and pen.

Bus travellers can be mBet if requested.

Enquiries and bookings to Mrs Betty Peaker, Gracewood, PO Box 24, Cowaramup, WA 6284, phone (097) 55 6212 or 55 5444.

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The Record, December 20, 1990 23

Showing the path Mary Leon Le Grand's name could be loosely translated from the French as Leo the Great! And a great man he undoubtedly is.

:4

It was one thing to have gone to Medjugorje four and a half years ago and have been bowled over by the sheer power of Our Lady's presence there.

But yet another to have liquified millions of dollars of his assets to promote her messages.

It really says a lot.

Because instead of relishing the joy of discovery of Our lady and settling back into his life with a few modifications here and there regarding lifestyle, he went all the way.

Inspired his family.

Sold possessions. Produced at his own expense vast quantities of promotional material telling the world at large about Our lady and her vital messages, and by his constant travelling meetings, showing everyone the path Mary wishes us to follow.

He didn't have to do any of that. And most don't. But he did. And now along with people like Wayne Weible, Lutheran ambassador of Our Lady, his complete life (along with his wife Carly, 20 yo son and 21 yo twin daughters) has changed dramatically from the very rich and affluent, to the itinerant speaker. Urging.

Urging. And warning.

He's definitely not a messenger of doom.

But he does state the consequences we can expect from our sinful lives and along with that, tells us that to these minimise potential admonishments from being worse than they'll be, we should do everything we can through saying the rosary often, Friday fasting, and praying sincerely with frequent attendance at preferably daily Mass and Reconmonthly ciliation.

Leon came to WA in early December for a week and a half of packed country and metropolitan meetings with adults and children in schools.

1

He spoke to around 8000 people in that -time and left no stone unturned in his endeavours to make us face up to our in responsibility shaping our own destiny.

It's simple. Pray sincerely, frequently, and fast. Or expect the worse. Because Our Lady asked the world to turn back to God or else three dire chastisements would take place.

As a result of the millions who have heeded her call, one has chastisement been removed. But there are still two to come, which will apparently result in a huge loss of life of the good and the bad, followed by a sign which points indesputably to the existence of God. If then some still turn away from Him, then it's too late for them because within a short period of time, the third chastisement will befall only the wicked, and only the good will remain.

After that will follow a period of long peace, with some suggesting the thousand years spoken of in the bible.

It seems obvious that Our lady deliberately and precisely chooses her ambassadors and her choices are to be admired.

Leon came to her as a best selling author.

A highly successful businessman who'd made his rust million at the age of 30 and then went on to rapidly become a multi-millionaire.

A 58 minute a week Catholic is how he describes his former self but a trip to Medjugorje in 1986 changed him from a Medjugorje sceptic into a totally committed man who has now been there 17 times.

To talk to he's an man interesting emanating positive power from his being and 100% commitment to the Virgin's cause — which are entreaties to mankind to get them to return to her Son. Primarily because the world's in such a moral mess and seemingly ever on the down slide, and secondly, because she is warning us that if we can't stop this

4 tAIMINO:ttf.i4AA-44§01 24 The Record, December 20, 1990

through prayer and fasting, then God will through chastisehas He ments planned.

Appearing at Medjugorje in June 1981 to six children, she has promised the seers ten secrets, while appearing on a daily basis to them. Already she has given the full ten to two and the remaining four continue to see her daily.

Her message is still the same with a five point program of: Commitment to God — let Him rule your life. Begin by turning away from sin. Faith — it's your lifeline to says, she God, therefore live by it.

Prayer — regular Mass, monthly confession, daily rosary.

Fasting — bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays if you can. Peace — in

yourself, in your human relations.

When she has given the ten to all the seers, she has said that will be the finish of her apparitions on earth.

It is when these have been given to the last seer, that the chastisements will begin.

Not that Our Lady or her ambassadors dwell on that.

The idea is to convert, repent and pray

and then whatever happens you will be at peace with God. And that peace, according to Leon, is worth more than all his wealth and previous lifestyle.

Interviewing him is like being with someone who has a time bomb ticking away in them. A type of highly strung restlessness that forces him to deliver the messages and then he's off on another energy surge to tell yet others. With the sort of energy expenditure that people have when they feel as though time is running out for what they have to do.

That, I believe, is what is driving him.

We are in End Times, he says. Not the end of the earth but towards a destiny mapped out because we insisted on running the world

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Most disturbed at what he saw, Ivan trembled with fear when explaining hell to people and he with the other seers says the punishment of hell and rewards of heaven are beyond our imagination, but no one would refuse God's invitation to heaven if they knew how wonderful it was.

Leon was here in 1988 but said he was urged by the Holy Spirit to return to WA, despite the fact it meant missing out on his 21 yo twin daughters' birthday party, and he left with the bad news that his father has terminal cancer with a short life expectancy.

However, he was with his family when one of the twins married at a concelebrated nuptial Mass on December 15, by Mons Kevin Twoomey, Vicar General, Mons Deakin, Mons Walsh (papal visit organiser), Father Bernard Philberth, well known to Perth people, is flying in from Munich, and also present will be St Vincent's hospital chaplain (where Lisa is a nurse) Father Gerry Fitzpatrick.

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and our affairs our way and in the promade one cess almighty mess of it while spurning God in the process and allowing evil to play a dominant role. Many people go to hell for sins of a sexual nature, Our Lady has told the seers, and they themselves have been shown visions of heaven, purgatory and hell.

All of the Le Grand family participate in running the Medjugorje Centre for Peace in Melbourne where, according to Leon, activity is very much on the increase.

They have expanded to a staff of 12 with many volunteers and are the largest mail order Catholic book and video shop in Australia.

They produce three magazines, one being a quarterly magazine: The Message of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose editor is Father Frank Maher SJ, previous editor of The Messenger.

"This magazine is the fastest growing Catholic periodical in Australia," said Leon, "with an annual subscription of $8, and contains articles by contributing international writers. It's great for Catholics who want good pious traditional reading."

Leon says there is space for readers' letters and has the latest news on Medjugorje with a variety of piety stories.

They also review good Catholic literature and videos at a modest price.

Address is The Medjugorje Centre for Peace, 91 Auburn Road, Auburn, Victoria 3123.

Address of our WA Centre for Peace is PO Box 60, Hillarys, 6025, tel 401 6368 and 245 1927.

Latest news from said Medjugorje, Leon, is the decision by the Yugoslav Bishops Commission to send a rotational bishop from the investigative committee to celebrate Mass at St James church on evenings Sunday which is when Our Lady appears in the ante room to the four seers.

"This is a significant move towards a decision of a positive nature which is expected as soon as apparitions the finish."

Leon says that it is the r umoured Bishops Commission is seeking permission from the Vatican to make Medjugorje a Marian shrine.

With a feeling that time is running out, Leon has dramatically increased his talks in all states, with particular emphasis on Catholic schools.

The children accept Mary's messages with great enthusiasm, he said, and often the whole class or as individuals, write to him showing their and response appreciation.

After his talks, Leon to spoken has hundreds in WA alone who've said they are returning to their faith, have just gone to reconciliation after years of spiritual drought, or who have

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wants us to follow; patched up their marriage due to Our Lady's influence in her messages.

The videos put out by the Auburn Medj ugorje Centre for Peace also play a big part in showing people the way with more productions planned for 1991. They will include several of professional standard on the Mass (the greatest prayer of all, says Leon), and Pro Catholic phecy . . . a follow up on Medjugorje Place of Miracles video — which was shown on EWTN to 37 million viewers. It is the largest Catholic TV station in the world and is run by Mother Angelica in Alabama, USA. Four of Leon's videos have been played there to date.

On the mail front, the volume has enorincreased mously at the Centre with the mail having exceeded a thousand kilos for the first time last week. Prior to it averaged around 500 kilos weekly.

Leon believes this is a sign that Mary is telling us something when the mail increases for no apparent reason.

Central to the letters they receive, is the indication that thousands of Australian Catholics are deepening their faith and returning to the sacraments.

But on the negative side, there is much more work to be done and other areas of decline which have to be stopped. Our Lady has said that the Church is facing the greatest crisis in its history, said Leon, and in Victoria 4.3% Catholics ceased to attend Mass.

If this is typical of all states and continues for the next 10 years, "what would we have left?" he asks.

On the WA scene, Leon was delighted to see the good work of the enthusiastic Marian supporters "whose prayer I am sure is doing wonders for the Church".

Whether Our Lady is appearing or not, said Leon, is of little consequence. What really matters he states, is that the messages from Mary really work.

"Our Lady has said

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Mr Le Grand. . . pray sincerely. that the world is in the greatest crisis ever known, and she has come with a plan for the salvation of mankind. She says peace comes from conversion and requires deepening the faith, fasting, reconciliation, daily prayer from the heart and reading the bible."

The peace that follows comes from God

which the priest has said."

Illustrating this, Leon quoted St Augustine who stated that to lose a word of the gospel is like spilling God's precious blood on the floor.

Our Lady strongly advocates the home rosary as being the family prayer and Leon suggests young

'Main thing is we must be prayerful' and affects the person, their family, and in turn the world.

"My feeling is that we are approaching a period where world events will put enormous pressure on the Church and its followers.

"Whether it be war or not, is unimportant. The main thing is that we be prayerful and ready to accept anything that comes."

While daily prayer is essential, said Leon, the quality of prayer is equally important.

Praying meaningfully. Saying words so we understand them and the Mass. "We should say each word knowing what we are saying and say Amen to a prayer that we understand fully

couples would do well to reflect on the saying that The family who pray together, stay together' and has found personally this to be invariably true, citing his own family where his young adult children still live at home and whose strong family bonds have been forged by prayer and the peace it brings.

Some people he says, fear for their spiritually delinquent children. But he advises them not to worry but continue to pray to Our Lady "because spiritual life flows like a river, and if we force our children, it changes their lives and dams up the river, muddying it".

Our Lady has told us to pray so God will comfort these children because He is the

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only one who can.

And this will give hope to any parent or grandparent who grieves over their family's spiritual life.

(Closed Dec 24 to Jan 14)

Leon believes with a rosary in one hand a bible in the other, we could survive like the persecuted Church in the French Revolution when every Church was closed and the priests deported.

Even if this never happened to us, he says, so much would be gained by reading God's word and praying the rosary — the two most powerful prayers of all.

People don't realise what they miss out on with all the graces they could receive by daily Mass, said Leon, and would do well to emulate the people of Medjugorje who pray from the heart at their daily Mass when each family from the various villages which make up the parish, attends.

The Christmas message from Leon which is the message of Medjugorje also, is: "Pray in earnest this Christmas as we celebrate the birth of Our Saviour, that Mary's message will renew the living gospel of her Son and Our Lord Jesus."

And if we always did this, one can surely believe the world would become exactly as God has always wanted it to be — perfect.

4t.1

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MEDJU eJE

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The Record, December 20, 1990

25

Beloved Jesus 0 Little Town of Bethlehem

0

These two pages

by Colleen McGuiness-Howard

little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting light; The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight.

How silently how silently, The wondrous gift is giv'n!

So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of his heav'n.

No ear may hear his coming; But in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive him, still The dear Christ enters in.

0 morning stars, together Proclaim the holy birth, And praises sing to God the King, And peace to men on earth.

For Christ is born of Mary And gather'd all above, While mortals sleep, the angels keep Their watch of wond'ring love.

0 holy child of Bethlehem, Descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin and enter in, Be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell; 0 come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel.

PHILLIPS BROOKS

In a world that seems not only to be changing, but even to be dissolving, there are some tens of millions of us who want Christmas to be the same . . . with the same old greeting "Merry Christmas" and no other.

Little Jesus, wast Thou shy Once, and just so small as I? And what did it feel like to be Out of Heaven, just like me?

Hadst Thou ever any toys, Like us little girls and boys?

And didst Thou play in Heaven with all The angels that were not too tall, With stars for marbels? Did the things Play Can you see me? through their wings?

Didst Thou kneel at night to pray, And didst Thou join Thy hands, this way?

And dost Thou like it best, that we Should join our hands to pray to Thee?

I used to think, before Iknew, The prayer not said unless we do.

And did Thy Mother at the night Kiss Thee, and fold the clothes in right?

And didst Thou feel quite good in bed, Kissed, and sweet, and Thy prayers said?

Thou canst not have forgotten all That it feels like to be small.

To Thy Father show my prayer (He will look, Thou art so fair), And say: "0 Father, I, Thy Son, Bring the prayer of a little one."

And He will smile, that children's tongue Has not changed since Thou wast young!

— Francis Thompson (1859-1907)

We long for the abiding love among men of good will which the season brings . . . believing in this ancient miracle of Christmas with its softening, sweetening influence to tug at our heart strings once again.

Whosoever on the night of the nativity of the young Lord We want to hold on to the old customs and traditions because Jesus in great snows shall fare they strengthen our family ties, forth bearing a succulent bone bind us to out friends, for the lost and lamenting make us one with all mankind hound, a wsip of hay for the for whom the Child was born, stranded wayfarer, a flagon of and bring us back again to the God Who gave His only begotten red wine for him whose Son, that "whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but marrow withers, a garland of have everlasting life." bright berries for one who has So we will not "spend" Christmas . . worn chains, gay arias of lute nor "observe" Christmas. and harp for all huddled birds We will "keep" Christmas — keep it as it is . . who thought that song was in all the loveliness of its ancient traditions. dead, and divers lush sweetmeats for such babes' faces as May we keep it in our hearts, peer from lonely windows— that we may be kept in its hope.

To him shall be proffered — Peter Marshall and returned gifts of such an (1902-1949) astonishment as will rival the hues of a peacock and the For this day of the dear Christ's birth, for its hours of harmonies of heaven, so that home gladness and world gladness, for the love within though he live to the great age these walls, which binds us together as a family, for our food on this table, for our surroundings in a land of when man goes stooping, yet freedom, we bring to Thee, our Father, our heartfelt shall he walk upright and gratitude. Bless all these, Thy favours, to our good, in remembering, as one whose heart shines like a great star Jesus' name. Amen.

— H.B. Milward within his breast.

— Anonymous things good these all for today you Dear Lord, we thank to eat and drink, and especially for those dear friends and family members (names) who have come to be with us.

May the happiness we share together on this Christmas Acknowledgements: Prayers from A Family day shine in all our hearts forever. Amen.

— Anonymous

26

The Record, December 20, 1990

Christmas (Reader's Digest through Collins) and A Golden Christmas Treasury (Picturemac). Graphics from Piccolo Book of Carols.

Oasis of \ sanity in a crazy world You know you can go to You could say that after 2000 years every- her and if you've done thing that could be your bit, she'll do hers. said, written or sung Once you give everything about Christmas, has over to her, you can sleep at night. All's taken care been. of.

But it hasn't. Because The secret's simple! Just it comes anew for each believe . . . of us, springing from But getting back to the pure joy and hope people — that's the of Jesus' birth and that thorny one!

The bad guys are really it will put a fitting close to our Christian year hard to rub shoulders and start us off right with and seem to get with (please God) worse as time goes by!

They're on the roads so another.

I

With that uniqueness and freshness which only His birth and constant presence can give.

The New Year doesn't mean much to me, but Christmas is the cherry on the icing.

It's sort of like limping into the door of the stable and going up to the manger with your life rolled up like a limp rag.

And saying: "Please Jesus would you straighten it out?"

Let's face it. Some may have skimmed over the previous months without a hitch, but I bet for most of us there have been ditches to fall into, dangerous ravines we've narrowly missed, far too many bums we've encountered in too many places, and a few things here and there which have guaranteed a continuance of wrinkles and grey hairs.

Funnily enough it's always man-inspired. The hassles I mean. Because anything God produces is good.

His magnificent universe right from the tiniest flower in all its microscopic perfection, to the awesome majesty of His star filled heavens. All sitting in perfect place, reassuring us our Master Creator has everything under control.

Which He has.

God I can cope with.

He's the greatest. And Mother Mary? Well she's got everything the perfect mother has with her infinite love. But even more. Because she has the power of God behind her and that's really some ..‘ generator!

eager to run you off.

They're so nasty. So tragically full of hatred of something. Guess it must be their fellow man.

They're with you at work doing their worst. Perhaps even among your 'mikes' and as some have discovered, even among their 'friends'.

In the market place they abound and the super ones are the corporate crooks. All share one common theme — they're out to get someone. Sad isn't it?

You dream of a Utopia, or the thousand years of peace predicted after the chastisements told of at Medjugorje, and hope that you survive it all to walk freely in green pastures without being stabbed in the back.

But then one shouldn't dwell on those realities which do exist, largely in our cities, because one has to just turn around and look for those precious jewels — those treasures who are gifts to humanity.

They spend their days dishing out smiles instead of misery, good instead of evil, and positives instead of negatives.

Firstly you look at babies — how we all were before we used our free will to allow the devil's work to be done.

Then you look at small children with their chubbiness and bouncing, innocent ways. Such freshness!

As they grow they still retain that beauty ,

And how much love, reassurance and good guidance they've been given.

Into teenagerhood, some leave you breathless with their drive, enthusiasm, desire to re-create a new world or straighten up and dean up the old.

Their spontaneity. Their natural love of people which is God inspired.

Because people-haters are surely devil inspired.

And their willingness for self-sacrifice; their eagerness to help others. Of course not all are like that, but if not, perhaps we largely have ourselves to blame in their raising.

Then there are the adults. You find much variety there! but broadly they're dassified into two groups. The good guys and the bad.

Then too you find the hypocrites who pose as good guys when they're not. They're the worst of all.

You find too, the selfish.

And the greedy — besotted with money which is their God. So eaten up with money acquisition they've no conscience, decency or sensitivity left.

To them, only money matters.

Narrowing it down to Catholics — you look at some and wonder why you are. You look at others and KNOW why you are.

And among these very special people you find the most beautiful jewels.

They are dose to perfection, and indeed there are many of them if you delve around.

They love their fellow man regardless — despite the sometimes ugliness of his soul; and instead praise the beauty of its original state.

They never judge, and always excuse. Their aim

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ness, rather than destroy. .

Their souls shine like the'''. sun and there is no trace of bitterness within them.

They have generous I thank God for the birth natures always wanting to of Jesus His Son, who in pick up, dust down, and identifying so dosely with face the fallen in the right humanity has made Himdirection. self that much more Their love knows no accessible to our minds bounds. They have and more special to us. reached a high degree of I marvel at the beauty of sanctity which many of us God's world — the parts will probably never reach. haven't we yet destroyed.

They deflect off poisonall, I thank above And of shield a with ous barbs son His Jesus and God, moral goodness and so for the — Mary Mother the poisoned tips never treasured incomparable, pierce their spirit or flesh. of my children They are like beacons of gift whom they through light and models for us to me. to speak emulate.

Whose light is that They exist among lay and which wandering beacon religous and in all age souls so badly lost and groups. need.

Their peace emanates And on behalf of all out and their auras touch and bathe those around earthly parents, I thank them with their gentle that heavenly team for allowing us to be custodivibes.

I thank God for these ans of their priceless people because although children.

Who were sent to show I am not one of them, I too need their reassuring us all the way, in their fresh naivety, combined light to see the way.

They are truly God's with their great wisdom people and He speaks to and uncorrupted souls, gleaming with their us through them.

My Christmas hope honesty and spontaneous would be that if only we love.

And finally, for extendcould all try very much ing their young, strong harder to be like that, the firm hands to guide and world would be well nigh our weak, faltering on us perfect. If it isn't, which it ways. isn't, then it's our own Christ said it all — fault.

But if each of us tried "Unless you become like harder, like forging our- little children, you shall selves as links in a chain to not enter the kingdom of God, we'd get there. And heaven".

I can see His point. then nothing could drag They've got it all together. us away from His path.

But meanwhile I praise It's largely we adults who Almighty God for those have to get it right.

May we ever be open wonderful reflectors of receptive enough to and His light. working God feel I praise Our blessed through them so they can mother for her constancy show us the way — a and compassion in underdirection we so badly standing and forgiving . . need . our troubles and falterings. And putting up with our immature, selfish,

by Colleen nasty and hedonistic ways.

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The Record, December 20, 1990

27

TOMORROW TODAY with Father Joe Parkinson

Six for the 'roads

Several Catholic secondry schools in Perth are sponsoring young people to take part in the 1991 Catholic Youth Conference "Crossroads to Tomorrow", and five young ladies sponsored by the Perth Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy were among the first to register.

Patroni, Jane Daniel and Nadia Buralli (Santa Maria) and Sabrina Brizzi and Amanda Stainthorpe (Mercedes) will be representing their respective colleges at the event, which begins on January 11 at Aquinas College in Manning.

The girls have already nominated their workshops, sent in their Thanks to the Sisters of registration forms, and Mercy's sponsorship, are now looking forward Rebecca Harris (Ursula to the conference, shapFrayne College), Melissa ing up as the biggest yet

1991 Youth Conference 3 WEEKS TO GO! "Crossroads to Tomorrow"

held in WA. Registrations are still coming in, and there is still time for any young person to reserve a place at the event, but the cutoff time is now just over one week away.

During the ChristmasNew Year break, registrations can be lodged by phone at the Catholic Youth Office on 328 9878, but time runs out on New Year's Eve. Leave your name and

YOUTH OFFICE DIRECTORY

31!

Testing our love ...

Christmas is 'The only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-in hearts freely" — Charles Dickens.

Young Christian Students workers Lisa Legena, Margaret Maassen and Annette Watkins.

and freedom for their spirits.

I believe that what selfI have the audacity to centred people have torn believe that people ever- down, other-centred peoywhere can have their ple can build up. three meals a day for I still believe that one their bodies, education day mankind will bow and culture for their before the altar of God minds, dignity, equality and be crowned triurn-

phant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent, redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land.

And the lion and the lamb shall lie together, and every person shall have their own vine and rig tree, and none shall be afraid.

I still believe that we shall overcome.

Sandra Goulder

At Christmas there seems to be two opposing forces at work.

It seems there is just not enough shopping, working, visiting, praying and postal days to purchase all of the expensive presents and organise lavish feasts.

The objective for many is to get through all this chaos of conflicting obligations so that suddenly, miraculously, we hope that this day may be calm, peaceful and full of the love of Christ.

Christmas day was when the Word was made flesh. It started at the birth of a small infant in a grotty manger.

It involved a young, scared woman who was compelled to leave her home and to travel in great discomfort to an unknown place.

Charis When I was a little girl, the most exciting time of the year was Christmas.

Everything was bright

CHAPLAIN: FR PARKINSON 328 9878

ANTIOCH 328 9878

CPY 328 8136

YCW 328 9667

CRYO 328 9878

YCS 227 7061

TYCS 328 4071

28 The Record, December 20, 1990

Five of the six sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy and heading for "Crossroads": (front l-r) Sabrina Brizzi, Amanda Stainthorpe, Rebecca Harris and Melissa Patroni, (behind) Sister Maura Kelleher and Nadia Buralli.

phone number on the answering machine if no-one is able to take your call personally, and you will be contacted on the next working day for details of your registration.

Payment for the Conference can be lodged on the opening night, Friday January 11, but registrations may not be able to be accepted at that time.

Make sure you call 328 9878 by December

With little help from other people, Mary had to cope with her own pain and weariness, the heat and overcrowding of the town and at the same time escape the red tape of a census, to find a place to have her child.

In herself she had to find joy, so as to bring forth the Saviour of the world.

At the birth, the message of the Saviour was brought to the poor, such as wandering shepherds, while in contrast a lot of us act out the rich models of kings, the wise men, arriving late with worldly goods.

It is easy to recognise that it is Christmas, as traditional carols are heard continuously, tall Christmas trees are decorated and gifts placed all around it ready to be

received on Christmas morning.

But all of this can replace the real mewling of this season. It is a time of love.

This festive season highlights the real need of people to be loved, and the importance of giving love. It is a time of celebration and of celebrating in a community.

At this time it is easy to remember our family and to show our love towards them by buying presents, but what about the lonely and homeless?

This refers not only to the desperately poor, but also to the lonely and sick.

It is a time to be outreaching and to follow the example of Christ.

Christmas seems to bring with it a time of

happiness and love. Our real test is to continue this spirit of loving and caring for each other not only in this season but throughout the year.

We are called then to make a resolution at Christmas. To put across the message of Christmas, the best gift we have is ourselves.

God sent himself in the form of Christ. In contrast, we have God within us and hence can only give of ourselves to live out the message.

All of us in the Young Christian Students Movement wish you and your family every blessing for Christmas, and every gift of God for the New Year.

Gifts given and magical. Our Christmas trees were always so tall and decorated beautifully. I used to sit for hours at night watching as the lights flickered on and off, mesmerised in their glow.

Even though we have only a small family, Mum and Dad tried very hard to make it a special day for my brother and I. I could not wait for Mass on Christmas Eve, so I could dress in my best clothes to welcome baby Jesus. I remember the thrill I felt, watching the priest holding baby

Margaret Maassen, Lisa Legena and Annette Watkins

wrapped gifts.

If as an adult I could draw a parallel with the enormous gifts of love, kindness, contentment, joy and tenderness that Jesus has given to me, it would be like all the special gifts under the tree.

Each in a pretty box with my name on it, each giving me life, teaching me truth, encouraging me in my life. It is at this point that I ask, what have I to give, worthy of such a king?

Thinking back on my Christmas memories, I have two very special YOUNG FRANCISCAN WEEKEND -11 people to thank — Mum and Dad. are invited to a weekend at The greatest gift I can is to be their bright give NANGA BUSH CAMP (near Dwellingup) light, to make them laugh FEBRUARY 8-10, 1991 and keep them happy, to Come and share in a Franciscan experience with other share with them the love young searchers 18 years old and over.

I feel in my heart, and to Get closer to God and St Francis of Assisi. treat them with the Interested? respect they deserve — not only today, but every Contact Fr Andrew 349 2837 Pat Meek 349 1474 or Fr Finian 274 1159 j day.

r

L

Jesus and placing him with Mary and Joseph in the manger — Christmas truly was here!

After Mass it was time to go home and prepare for the arrival of Father Christmas.

Carols filled our house, which was a constant reminder that Jesus was coming. It was always hard to sleep on Christmas Eve. Iawoke with an incredible feeling of expectancy and excitement. I ran to the lounge room to see under our beautiful tree many thoughtfully

YOU

Cathy Wass

TOMORROW TODAY with Father Joe Parkinson

Opening gifts

Wishing you

A happy, holy and Peace-filled Christmas.

From the youth workers and staff of Catholic Youth Ministry

God has given everyone many beautiful gifts, some easy to utilise and others difficult.

A gift from God, whether simple or challenging, needs to be shared before it can truly blossom.

This Christmas, the greatest gift I feel I can give is the God-given gift of openness — openness to God, to myself and to others.

In order to be more tionships we have with open to what is within our family and friends. myself, I have to try to To give truly the gift of become more aware of openness, I must rind it who I am, my emotions within myself and then and my faith. give it to someone else.

When I am listening to This is the greatest gift God within myself and I feel I can give this am open to love, I am Christmas. starting to utilise my gift The best way to give this of openness. openness is to try to Being open to love at lessen the facades, masks Christmas time is very and protective barriers I important. build around myself.

So often we take for When a few of these granted the warm rela-

barriers are loosened, the `Christlike' part of a person comes to the surface.

Once I have an openness to myself, I need to gain an openness to others. I can do this by caring, listening, talking and sharing with them.

The gift of openness can be the best gift of all to give because it is a gift from God of yourself.

This will be the first Christmas that I will be away from my family, so it will be a very different Christmas for me.

In the rush of modern day life we can easily lose contact with families or relatives through just not having enough spare time to be with them.

People have been so good, to have extended an invitation for me to spend lunch or Christmas dinner with their families.

This to me is the 'greatest gift'.

In his life, Jesus was never recorded as having said, "Make an appointment with my apostles", or "My day is full of healing people, delivering a few sermons, and I just don't know if I will

be able to catch up with you,,.

Christmas tends to be a buying period, with parties, shopping and catching up with family members mainly, but I think it is important to aim for 'quality' rather than 'quantity'.

Jesus is "God among us" — this means that God 'dropped in'.

To give of ourselves is

the greatest gift, and anything else that we give is additional to this as we share our meals and our time. This is where we rind the gift of life.

Sally Edmondson

Giving quality

Young Christian Workers national Chaplain Father Denis Sheehan with Perth fulitime worker Joe Heffernan.

The reason for the season

Around this time every year we hear the same stories, the same commercial abuse of the season and the same odd person jumping up and down, saying that Christmas these days puts too much emphasis on presents, holidays and partying.

What do I think? Is it important what I think?

Judge for yourself — what is Christmas really about.

"Mary gave birth to her rust son, wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger. . . and the angel said, Do not be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. This very day in David's town •

your saviour was born — Christ the Lord!'"

I will not jump up and down and tell you things you already know. All I ask is that you think about it even for only a few minutes.

Jesus is the good news of which the angel spoke.

He is also our reason for joy and hope, even in such troubled times.

It may be that we have heard this message a hundred times before, but perhaps this Christmas we will hear it differently and see the truth and reality of Christ's birth.

Stacy Punrinskis Well, another year has gone, and almost my first as a fulltime youth worker, and it is Jesus'

birthday once again.

In my over-the-hill youth years ( I am over 20!), asIthink and reflect on life, God and myself more and more, I am beginning really to dislike the commercial giving of gifts.

It seems it is the giving of gifts which is so important.

Giving is always good, and hopefully we at least think about the person we give that gift to, but what about the person who made December 25 'a good excuse to give gifts' — Jesus?

As Christians, we are called not only to remember, but to change and to grow closer to God through Jesus, the reason for the season.

These words often have been construed as a call for youth to stand up for their rights in a world which at times seems to underestimate and even deliberately downplay the goodness and dignity of young people.

That interpretation is not only a fundamental misunderstanding of the wisdom of St Paul: in itself it contains an implicit degrading of the potential of youth.

I will recall 1990 as the

year in which, from firsthand experience,Ibegan to appreciate and to understand the enormous goodnes, even heroic goodness, of young people today.

So many sincerely wish to do great things in their lives and with their lives, not in mere selfaggrandisement but as an expression of their genuine desire to plumb the depths and scale the heights of their Godgiven potential for goodness.

The signs are everywhere: in their desire for a more just and peacefilled society, their earnest search for fulfilling employment, their striving to understand and devleop truly life-giving

relationships, and their enormous capacity to spend themselves selflessly for good and honourable causes.

Often that potential remains undirected and uninformed, is therefore unrealised, and sometimes expressed in ways which are as unfulfilling as they are exhuberant.

But given appropriate direction and formation, young people rind in themselves the seeds of a greatness founded not on the mere fact that they are young, as though youth were a virtue in itself rather than a neces.sary passing and sometimes painful stage of life, but on the realisation of a truth they all know but have been

Joseph Heffernan

God chose us long ago, he desires to be with us, and he loves each of us personally. So how much do you respond to this love of God? Be blessed in God.

Mladen Milicich

Four months ago, in September, I was walking through my local shopping centre when I happened to pivot and look into one of the big chain stores.

I was shocked to see, in the front aisles, Christmas paper, crackers and decorations in bulk.

It made me stop and think, "just what is Christmas about?"

Is it just an excuse for retailers to make a huge profit and for us to eat,

Gifts already received The words of St Paul to Timothy, "Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young" (1 Tim 4:12) are an excellent summary of everything that I wish for all young people this Christmas.

Iwill aim to give quality time this Christmas to my friends and those with whom I spend Christmas Day,

unable to name.

It is a truth to which we can become so accustomed that even older people sometimes fail to feel its fa impact, and so fail to announce in all its power.

It is the truth of this time: the truth that God is with us.

God is with us indeed, not to threaten and condemn us in our frailty but to reveal the enormous capacity for goodness which He himself has planted within us; not to constrict our growth but to free us from the smallness of our dreams and to reveal, and to help us achieve, our fullest potential to live in genuine love and human fulfillment.

Catholic Parish Youth staffers Mladen Milicich, Stacy Purvinskis and Patrick Devlin.

1990 years ago Jesus our celebrate the fact that giving of time, ideas, saviour was born? meaning of Christmas. energy and sacrifice for Not that I am against Patrick Devlin our organisation. partying, but this year We would like to wish when we get together To all those who have you all a very happy and with family and friends been associated with holy Christmas, and we to celebrate, let us all Catholic Parish Youth look forward to working remember the true during the year, we really with you in the new year. drink and party three have appreciated your The CPY Team times as much as usual?

Or is it a chance to

ARCHDIOCESE OF PERTH We need to realise, and we need help to realise, that only in God can we fully understand and achieve all that we have the potential to become.

So give people no cause to look down on you simply because you are young.

Rather give them reason to admire and to praise you as you seek to live in the love of Jesus Christ, God-who-is-with -us, allowing him to lead you and challenge you to fulfil your potential, to become far more than you yourself have ever hoped or dreamed.

— Father Joseph Parkinson

Y.C.W. FULLTIME WORKER Applications are invited for the position of fulltime worker for the Young Christian Workers Movement in the Archdiocese of Perth.

The applicants: • must have experience in the workforce and commitment to young working people; • must be committed to the mission of the Church shown by an involvement in Christian action in their daily life; must have an openness to learn and • understand the Review of Life method of formation; • own transport desirable.

Applications should apply for a minimum of a 12 month term.

For criteria and job description contact:

PERTH YCW OFFICE PO Box 194, North Perth 6006 Phone 328 9667 Abblicaions close on December 3L The Record, December 20, 1990 29

••

A special letter from Rome...

••

If you were taken back to Roman • times, what would you bring with you to show that you came • from the 20th century?

This queston, a friend tells me, on a recent TV show, was left unanswered.

He went on to say that his suggestion would be a rocking chair as a symbol of the restlessness of our age.

Reputed to be an American discovery, it enables one to rest while they continue • to be restless.

Since coming to Rome, ostensibly for a six to eight month stint, and that was nearly four years ago, I have been part of a Pontificial Council • which has as its special responsibility, the promotion of pastoral care for the millions of people who in various ways are mobile around the world.

Among those groups are principally, the refugees, migrants, air travellers, pilgrims, overseas students, itinerant people, tourists, nomads and last, but not least, the seafaring people, for whom I have been particularly responsible.

The numbers of people moving over the face of the earth at any one time are quite staggering.

While some, like tourists and most migrants do so voluntarily, large numbers do so out of dire necessity and very often out of compulsion.

For the time being they are beyond the scope of the ordinary care of the normal parish and hence the need for special pastoral structures to cater for their spiritual, social and material needs.

It has been a great privilege and a singular pastoral experience to be closely involved in this world wide effort at meeting the multiple needs of so many 'people on the move'.

I am grateful to Archbishop Foley for his generosity in extending my time in Rome until a replacement could be found.

The imminent return to WA is eagerly anticipated.

The fact that it is getting cooler by the day in Rome has no real bearing on the foregoing sentiments.

Last week's rains

were the heaviest I had experienced here and as a consequence the Tiber River was rushing through the city in full flood, a very muddy river too.

There is no doubt, had the embankments not been in place the central city would have been under water, as indeed it had been every so often in past centuries.

On the way back from St Peter's on Sunday,Ichecked the date on a flood marker under an ancient archway not far from where I live. mark is The shoulder high and the date on which the flood reached that level was MCCLXXVII (1277).

The lower reaches of were the Tiber cleared and the embankments were put in place at the end of the last century.

The presence of a priest acquaintance from Cairns, Father Miah McSweeny, for the November Congress on Tourism, together with urgings from Perth, provided the final spur to make the to visit Gennazzano.

Cairns diocese has strong associations

with the Augustinian Fathers who promote devotion to Our lady of Good Counsel, so the visit to the famous Shrine was both a duty and a rewarding one at that.

Set among the foothills of the Appenine range mountain which divides the Italian peninsula and more than 40km south east of Rome, the city is a small but very picturesque one.

Subiaco of Benedictine fame is nearby.

The Shrine church is not at all as impressive as many of Rome's minor basilicas but the actual image of the Mother and Child preserved on an ancient wall and surrounded by a beautiful shrine, is really special.

Not quite the Roman scene, but very much hot news and of particular interest to those from or privibe to leged acquainted with West mid a Clare, December archeological dig at the site of the ‘Bansha Leacht', has brought to light an ancient altar which it is thought could date back to St Senan, the patron saint of West Clare.

St Senan died in the middle of the sixth

Written by Monsignor Sean O'Shea

and it century appears the altar was covered over during penal times despite a local tradition that it had also been used as a mass site during that sad period.

I might explain the gaelic term 'Leacht' means a sacred site and usually cona with nected pilgrimage.

The site is on an eminence and could not be approached unseen, hence its suitability as an open Mass site during penal times.

On an extremely clear day during last summer I had the joy of seeing quite distinctly from the site the three neighbouring counties, the twelve Bens of Connemara, some 80km distant, McGillicuddy's Reeks in mid Kerry 100Icrn to the

south west and of course Co Limerick just across the river Shannon.

One of the party claimed they could also see the Silvermines mountains in Tipperary well past the Mount Callan and the great West Clare plain.

In clear view on my left was the site of the ancient parish church of Killard which was razed by Oliver Cromwell in 1650.

On returning to England and claiming in his report to Parliament that he had razed all the altars in the land of Ireland, he evidently had some misgivings for he went on to say, and these are his exact words, 'the problem is, every cursed home in Ireland is an altar'.

In a recent article in a widely circulated

UK news magazine some rather negative assessments were made of the Italian handling of the rotating presidency of the E uropean community.

Another non-Italian journal however in pointing out the Italian talent for diplomacy and eventually getting things right, suggesting that Italy coped very well during an eventful turn in office.

Even former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher must vividly remember an earlier sumit meeting in Rome when 11 of the 12 nations led by the Italians decided despite her objections to form a central European Bank by 1994.

On her return to London she was summarily dumped by her fellow Conservative colleagues.

••

What does Christmas mean?

What does Christmas mean?

Christmas is a magical time for children. They look at the crib and see a baby and animals, and stars. The Christmas story is a simple one which brings to the eyes of a child something of wonder and awe.

Christmas is the story of a baby born in

a stable. A young couple, the wife near to childbirth, seek accommodation at an inn in the town of Bethlehem.

But the inn is full; that is where the welloff are staying, a place for them to experience all the comforts they are used to.

Mary and Joseph have logo to the stable where it is bitterly

30 The Record, December 20, 1990

cold, the only warmth coming from the presence of the animals.

There the baby is born, wrapped in simple cloths and laid in the manger.

That night some shepherds came to see him. They had been out on the hillside with their flocks.

The night was to them so full of God; in the darkness, in the

By John O'Keefe

CM, Laverton

depths of space, in the bright shining stars they heard in their hearts a hymn of praise to God. It was with that hymn of praise in their hearts that they went to the stable and saw a newborn baby.

No signs of majesty and grandeur, just a

newborn baby boy.

What was it they saw in that baby? They saw his innocence, his simplicity, his beauty, his total dependence on others. That is all they saw.

But because the praise of God was in their hearts, they knew they were face to face with the revelation of God, the Godlikeness which is there in every new•

born baby, and in each one of us.

The creative energy of God has to take flesh in us today so that the world may see the glory of God, full of grace and truth.

Christmas is a time too when we should reflect on what we adults are doing to children because of our selfishness and greed.

Abortion, neglect, child abuse, the alienation of our youth, juvenile crime, the thought of putting even one child's life at risk by war, or even by the way we drive our cars, are some of the ways in which we, like Herod, put to death the revelation of God. chalChristmas lenges us to do better than that!

••

Ia. 'A

U.. •

Proof of travel promotion Travel consultants Michael Deering and Peter Fleay tuned into the hum of the Vanguard presses last week as printer George Popham showed them proofs of the brochures promoting their pilgrimage travel opportunities that include Eastern Europe destinations such as Poland and Hungary in addition to the better known Christian centres in Europe.

Rome with a walking tour of the Vatican and a seven full day sojourn in the Holy Land are linked to the already popular destination of Medjugorje.

Lourdes can be linked with Medjugorje or as a separate destination, along with Fatima on regular tours out of London.

Faith and Light groups from all over Australia are to link up with other groups to celebrate Easter in Lourdes on a unique five-day visit.

Hills retreat joy

,

N

Joe Dunne (left) accepts a commitment for profession from Tres Jervis, Owen Hanlon and Geneveva (Jenny) Ramos into the Secular Franciscan Order, watched by their spiritual assistant, Father Hugolin Bourke OFM of the Midland Friary.

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Novena to the Sacred Heart.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, may your name be praised

and glorified throughout the

world now and forever.

Amen. (Say nine times a day for nine consecutive days

and promise publication.)

Thanks to the Sacred Heart for prayers answered. Liz.

RECORD CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS

Recently the St John of God's Mt Madonna hills retreat in Glen Forrest witnessed a joyful day for the Secular Franciscan Order when three of its candidates made their profession which was accepted by Joe Dunne.

Genoveva (Jenny) Ramos, Tres Jervis and Owen Hanlon celebrated their special day with a Mass celebrated by the Midland SFO's spiritual assistant Father Hugolin

IN MEMORIAM

in loving GRANT, memory of our deceased parents Ellen Grant, 2/12/ Minimum $5 for first 28 words. Post or deliver. 1976 and Edward Thomas No phone ads. Closes noon Wednesday.

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nance of buildings, gardens and grounds?

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and Midland and communities at Bindoon, Collie and Dardanup.

Members are made up of married and single men and women plus diocesan clergy who aim to follow the way of perfection of the gospel life following St Francis of Assisi's example, emulating his charism as a witness to the world.

As SFO members, they promise to follow Jesus Christ and to live in gospel the fraternity.

By Colleen McGuiness-Howard Bourke OFM, and a lunch put on by their f riends and SFO members.

Integrated in the c eremony was their receipt of Franciscan crosses and they now wear as their Franciscan habit, the Tau cross.

There are six fraternities in Geraldton, Leeman, Balcatta, Perth, Victoria Park

Material submitted to The Record should preferably be typewritten or clearly and legibly handwritten, at least triple spaced with wide margins, in upper and lower case, and in style for the section for which it is intended.

KEVIN SULLIVAN AND ASSOCIATES

Sheila Pye wishes everyone a Happy g Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.

Office 383 3333

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(008) 11 4010 (free call) (Metro callers please use 221 3866) Natural Family Planning Centre 27 Victoria Square I

Member of the Australian 'Council of Natural Family Planning Inc. .

The Record, December 20, 1990 31

•.>

1990 was a very good year for vocations: Seminary director "It is a mystery why so many showed interest this year," says Fr Justin Bianchini about a day of enquiry for the priesthood at St Charles' Seminary in Guildford.

"But I am thrilled and grateful for this past year and it has been very lifegiving for me."

Ten men with ages ranging from 16 to 60 attended, some coming from as far as Northam.

They were able to discuss priesthood with priests and seminarians and with the men who have been in residence at St Charles' this year.

Fr Justin Bianchini, the director of vocations, said

By IAN ESMOND

1990 had been a very

good year for vocations.

"There has been a great deal of interest shown in that nine men have lived at St Charles' and two others were in constant contact with the Archbishop about the priesthood," Fr Bianchini said.

"Up to seven of these will be going to the seminary in Adelaide and Sydney in 1991, and two others are still keen to go at a later time."

Fr Bianchini said this was the highest number of men who had approached the archdiocese about priesthood for many years and it was certainly the highest in his five years as director of vocations.

St Vincent De Paul

BOOKSHOP at 19 Bronte Street, East Perth

Closes December 21 re-opens January 21

A bove: The photographs of St Charles' Seminary on its opening in 1942 caught the a ttention of Patrick Barry (23) of Melbourne and Damon A ngelatos (21) of A pplecross who has spent this year at St Charles' and begins s eminary studies in A delaide next year.

Fr Bianchini noted that two of the men beginning at the seminary next year had been delayed from going in previous years.

"We are sometimes asking people to wait longer before they go to the seminary," he said.

"They are not being rushed. We give them more time for consideration and preparation before entering the seminary."

Left: Taking in the scene at St Charles' were Mark Lewis (26) of Victoria Park, Harry Argus, who commences at St Paul's Seminary Kensington next year and Phillip Power (22) of Lake Grace.

Fr Bianchini said he already had at least two "starters" to live at St Charles' next year and so far three others were also enquiring about doing so.

The Norbertine Tradition and Experience Veeezmiset Co•ordeveseor : r e Tam kleeshy 0 hates Se Nadler. reuse" Ql11.1,4 rAPIC. WA 11.10/

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LIFE TO THE FULL in and through the gifts of the Holy Spirit

JANUARY 4-5

The Provincial Bishops of Western Australia

Newman Siena College Williams Town Road, Doubleview Presented by Bethel Covenant Community Ph: 388 1333

MEMBERSHIP VACANCIES Parent Representatives (2) Lay Teacher Representative (1)

CRITERIA: The Criteria for membership are: • ability to reflect a knowledge and understanding of particular aspects of education, particularly Catholic education (and for the lay teacher representative — particularly with respect to classroom practice and needs, including the needs of students): • ability to understand the total Catholic education effort (nominees) do not represent or work for particular schools or groups of schools or particular sections of the community); and • ability to devote the necessary time and attention to Commission business (attendance at one meeting per month of approximately three hours duration, commencing at 1pm on the first Friday of each month, and membership of various sub committees and work-parties would be required).

NOMINATIONS: Nominations are invited from those parents and lay teachers who consider that they satisfy the qualification for membership. They may nominate themselves by: • indicating clearly the qualifications and skills that they possess and that they estimate will contribute to the success of the work of the CECWA on behalf of all Catholic schools and their communities; • giving an assurance that they will be able to attend meetings and make a useful contribution to deliberations and devote a proportion of their time to Commission business between meetings; and • securing an endorsement of their nomination by a person of some status (eg principal) in the school community.

Membership is for a period of up to three years with the possiblity of reappointment for two further terms.

Further enquiries and application forms may be obtained from Sr Joan Buckham, Executive Secretary to the Commission on 388 4275.

CLOSING DATE: Nominations for membership must be received

by Wednesday, January 16, 1991 and should be addressed to: The Secretary, Electoral Committee Provincial Bishops of WA Cl- Catholic Education Commission of WA PO box 198 Leederville WA 6007

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The D'Orsogna family extends to you Christmas Greetings and best wishes for the New Year.

IN Since 1949 the D'Orsogna family has been producing creative meatproducts in the finest European tradition. Today, the name D'Orsongna appears on only superior quality smallgoods. The D'Orsogna range ofgourmet hams is an excellent example of this proud tradition. . . to be shared by all West Australians.

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The directors and staff of

(CTIF itgrintage Traud (Centre extend to all the love and joy of Christmas and may the coming year see true peace throughout the world.

With this Christmas edition of we have enclosed for the Christian traveller a complimentary copy of our 1991 Pilgrimage Tours brochure.

Features of this brochure are the quality and fully escorted pilgrimage tours to: LOURDES MEDJUGORJE ROME CZESTOCHOWA EASTERN EUROPE and the HOLY LAND

The Christian Traveller Is Welcome At

'The Pilgrimage Tram' CCentu P.O. Box 251, 1304 Hay Street, West Perth 6005 Western Australia Tel: 61 + 9 + 324 1234 Fax: 61 + 9 + 481 0890 A division of Professional Travel Services Pty. Ltd. Lic No. 9TA 00487 INC WA A.C.N. 009367828