The Record Newspaper 18 April 1996

What's Inside...

Prominent journalist and a Perth mother to take turns in new weekly column - Page 7 Cardinal Clancy defends Church's right to speak out as bishops meet - Page 3 PRINT POST APPROVED PP602669/00303

PERTH, WA: April 18, 1996

Number 2993

POST ADDRESS: PO Box 75, LEEDERVILLE, 6902. WA LOCATION: 587 Newcastle Street, Cnr Douglas St (near Loftus St)

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US Catholic bishops criticise Fr Richard McBrien's book "Catholicism" again - Page 11 The Irish Famine remembered - Pages 8-9

eim Catholic pregnancy advice sentice comin

By Peter Rosengren A new pregnancy counselling service for the archdiocese of Perth, designed to help women in need, is expected to be up and running by August this year.

Archbishop Barry Hickey said last week the service will operate as an independent Catholic pregnancy counselling service that also offers women assistance in a range of crisis-pregnancy related areas.

It will be separate from the planned women's health care centre Archbishop Hickey announced in December last year.

"We're talking about a service available to women who are distressed by the pregnancy, that will offer crisis counselling, and also practical support by way of finding accommodation perhaps, or baby clothes, or friendship," Archbishop Hickey told The Record last week.

An initial steering committee meeting to discuss establishing the new service has been held and has begun examining a possible name, policy for the centre. and location and

staffing for the centre, he said.

The new centre's status as either a diocesan or an independent Catholic body, the establishment of a crisis phoneline and the training and supervision of staff were also under discussion.

"Its been suggested to me that it be in a house, accessible by either rail or public transport and not too far from the centre of the city," he said.

The archbishop said no decisions had been made yet on the number of staff. Nevertheless, the steering committee was already looking for a coordinator who would roster counsellors and carry out essential administrative duties.

"We must start with the coordinator (and) we've already had offers from trained counsellors and from two supervisors, people with degrees in the helping professions and who have experience at supervising counsellors," he said.

The decision to establish a new pregnancy counselling service had come following cussions with the Centrecare diocesan marriage and family service which has pmvided

counselling services to women with crisis pregnancies in the Past"Following discussions with Centrecare, its Board has informed me that, all things considered, it has decided to discontinue its Pregnancy Counselling Service," Archbishop Hickey said.

"I indicated to the Board that I would therefore move to establish a separate pregnancy counselling and support service under Catholic auspices."

He said the Centrecare deciArchbishop Bony Hickey sion had come as the result of the agency's own internal pendent, Catholic organisation deliberations to discontinue the rather than a diocesan agency," service, a decision which he he said. respected.

—This gives people the freeArchbishop Hickey said the dom to set their own direction steering committee meeting, within policy that needs to be which was held on April 11, approved by me, therefore it included trained counsellors would have its own Board," he and supervisors. said.

He said the new service The separate women's health would probably not be an offi- care service will provide cial diocesan agency nor would health-related services for it be completely funded by the women in fields such . as archdiocese . unplanned pregnancy, fertility "The archdiocese will help in concerns and natural family t immediate establishment of planning, in addition to assishI. centre but at this stage it tance in matters such as sexual the looks as if it will be an inde- abuse.

Archbishop Hickey said the pregnancy counselling and health care services would hopefully work closely together and be able to refer clients to each other.

—The women's health centre which is planned would operate under an existing Catholic health body, perhaps one of the hospitals," he said.

"It would accept referrals from pregnancy support services generally and from the general community, and we hope that the counselling service we're setting up will refer women to it where there is a medical aspect (to the pregnancy)," he said.

He said that meetings to set up the health care service were continuing and planning was A ell under way Many of the required women's health care services already existed within the Catholic health care system in areas such as gynaecology, cancer detection and obstetrics.

The women's health care service would be designed to provide easier access to specialist services for women as they were needed, he said.

,offto parish resurrects baptism by immersion "Has anyone ever died by having a few At the Easter Vigil in Holy F'amily parish.

Como, two young adults, Nina Fortune drops of water poured over the foreand Mwdme Dawson, were baptised into head?" Fr O'Dea asked rhetorically.

He said both the ritual for infant bapthe Catholic Church by total immersion. for Holy Family parish priest Father Frank tism, published in 1970, and the in 186, O'Dea of the Blessed Sacrament congre- the baptism of adults, publishedritual9 suggest immersion as the first choice. gation said this week this form of "The two young al• dies who were baption was the regular practice in the early tised were themselves the driving force Church for centuries.

"It also conformed with the teaching of I.' ind using immersion he said.

"One of them went to the trouble of St Paul: When we were baptised in Christ Jesus we were baptised in his death; in ringing up spa hire places to get the costs other words, when we were baptised we and availability. After the ceremony they went into the tomb with him and joined were overjoyed by the power of the expehim in death. (Romans 6:3-4)," Fr O'Dea rience they had been thmugh."

Immersion certainly had a great impact said.

"When Nina and Maxime were baptised on parishioners at the Easter Vigil, Fr O'Dea said. this symbolism was very evident.

"One of the older parishioners in Como "They went under the water as Jesus went into the tomb and then rose from remarked after the ceremony, hated the idea of immersion at first but now that the water as Jesus rose out of the tomb.

"And this took place on the very night I've seen it. I've been totally converted.'"

Fr O'Dea said Catholics unfortunately that the Church celebrates most vigomusly the rising of Jesus from death into a tended to associate immersion with bornagain Christians and this could be dffnew life - the Easter Vigil."

Fr O'Dea said baptism by being fully putting for Catholics but it would be betcovered by water, with its potential for ter to associate the method with the early drowning. wonderfully expressed the Church "which is always the hest model of Church that we have." theme of dying and rising.

Gabby Willaway was a gift from God to us Last Saturday I buried Gabby tion, alcoholic rehabilitation and Willaway. May he rest in peace. the like. His most recent job in Why was it that a large convoy Geraldton was helping to resolve of people travelled to Geraldton land issues in the Murchison from all over the State and area. beyond to attend his funeral?

It was mainly in Church circles Gabby was a remarkable man. that I knew Gabby and his family An Aboriginal. He was born in best. I met him while he was still New Norcia forty six years ago, playing football for East Perth and, under the profound influ- (Up the Mighty Royals!). ence of the Benedictines, Even then he wanted to make emerged as a committed sure that Aboriginal people Catholic, happy in his Faith. attained what Pope John Paul II He believed he was called by called their "rightful place within God to promote Aboriginal the Church". advancement both in society and He worked closely with the within the Church.

Pallottine Fathers at Rossmoyne, It would be very hard for any- and soon became aware of the one who has followed Aboriginal difficulties of drawing Aboriginal issues in Western Australia over people into mainstream Catholic the past twenty five years not to life, difficulties that have not yet have heard of Gabby. He was disappeared.

State Director of Aboriginal He worked within Catholic Health for a number of years. education circles, bringing about He was involved with the New far reaching changes. With his Era Aboriginal Fellowship on ability to bridge both cultures, he many issues affecting Aboriginal made many Catholic people people - medical services, educa- aware of the need for inclusion

and the need to respect differences. The number of nonAboriginal Religious and lay people attending his funeral was testimony to his ability to bring people together in a common Catholic vision.

God raised him up,Iam sure, to show us what can be done through good will, friendliness, frankness, strength, love and Christian principles to become one family under God. I remember some years ago when Gabby was employed in the Catholic Education Regional Office in Geraldton, I heard the Director say that he was the best fully Catholic person he had ever met.

That was the impact he had on people. He came across as genuine, open and totally committed to his vocation, his call from God - and always with a smile.

Aboriginal issues currently have a high political profile.

Given the Church's close

involvement in the past, we will be active participants in the resolution of these issues.

But Gabby did not stop with issues. He made it clear that we are dealing not just with issues but with people, and that, far more fundamental than any "issue", is the mutual acceptance of one another as brothers and sisters.

Without that basic Christian vision, nothing will be ever truly resolved.

Many people thank God for having known and loved Gabby.

He gave us so much.

My sympathies go out to Norma, his wife, to his children, to his brother and his sisters, and to the whole Catholic Aboriginal community that mourns the loss of an inspiring leader and a true friend.

God raised him up at a crucial time for the Church in its embrace of Aboriginal people.

Let us now go forward together.

Abuse reform defended Cardinal Edward Clancy defended the Church this week against accusations of being slow to deal with matters involving sexual abuse by Church personnel and of covering up instances when they occurred, saying bishops had trouble verifying facts when an accusation was made.

The allegations of a cover up emerged from the NSW Police Royal Commission while charges of slowness in dealing with the problem came from three senior Church figures at a conference on abuse by medical professionals held in Sydney during the week.

"It's easy to make an accusation and communicate that to the bishop but the bishop (often) has a great problem verifying the facts," he said.

He said such cases were sometimes complicated by victims not wishing to be publicly identified and not wanting to take the mat-

Bishop Geoffrey Robinson ter to the police. He said bishops had professionals they could turn to for advice and if charges appeared to have substance victims were urged to take the matter to the authorities.

He was backed by the chairman of the Bishops Committee for Professional Standards.

Bishop Kevin Manning. who said

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The Record, April 18 1996 Page 2

It was important to assume innocence until proven guilty.

The bishops' comments came following the charges made publicly by three members of the committee who have complained of the amount of time it was taking to work out a common approach in the Australian Catholic Church to the problem of sexual abuse by Church personnel.

The director of Sydney's Catholic Family Welfare and Centacare agency, Father John Usher, Sister Angela Ryan and Auxiliary Bishop Sydney Geoffrey Robinson said a common approach was achievable but they were frustrated because of the time being taken to achieve it.

The bishops and heads of religious orders established the committee three years ago.

Father Usher told The Record the main difficulty was the slowness of the process.

He said Bishop Robinson had

reminded the conference on abuse that the complexity of the Australian Church, with 32 dioceses and 123 religious congregations, was a major difficulty in getting mutual agreement.

Bishop Robinson had called for measures which would assist progress in this area, Fr Usher said, including initial agreement that a common approach to handling the problem be developed.

The bishop had also called for the adoption of a common set of principles regarding the handling of offenders in cases where abuse occurred, the development of a code of behaviour for religious and clergy, the creation of a uniform process for the investigation of victims' claims, and an examination of what could be done to prevent abuse occurring in the future.

Fr Usher said that although the Church now had a better perspective of the sex abuse problem this was no guarantee that it would not happen in the future.

Clergy appointments New Bishop for Changes to the Blessed Sacrament community in Perth have recently been announced. Fr Frank O'Dea and Fr Joe Gerain will transfer to Melbourne in June. Fr Philip Watkins and Br Damien Kennedy will go to Sydney They will be replaced by Fr Peter Collins as the new parish priest of Como-Kensington from April 13 who will be joined by Fr Laurie Sullivan SSS. and Brother John Vianney Carroll. Fr Mark Rigney, and Br John Pugh will remain.

Fr John Darbyshire, of the Diocese of Lismore, has been appointed to St Mary's Cathedral.

C HARISMATIC

H EALING

Pope John Paul II has appointed Monsignor Philip Wilson. up to now director of the Diocesan Tribunal of Maitland-Newcastle.

Bishop of Wollongong, to take the place of Bishop William Murray who has been Bishop of Wollongong since 1975 and who has retired.

Mgr Wilson, 45, has been an assistant priest, director of the Maitland diocese's religious education department, administrator of the Cathedral parish and vicar-general of Maitland.

Perspective

Domestic violence concern With researchers claiming that nearly five out of every ten women suffer from some form of domestic violence, the Australian Catholic Justice Council's statement on the Issue, released in December 1995, will be launched in WA next Friday.

The statement will be launched on Friday 26 April at an ecumenical prayer service for the recognition and support of people affected by domestic violence organised by the Perth Catholic Archdiocese's Catholic Social justice Commission.

The service is to be held at 8pm in All Saints' Chapel.

Allendale Square. in the city.

Common forms of domestic violence include physical beating. emotional torment, verbal abuse, insult and denigration. intimidation and threat, forced sex, denying money or income and preventing contact with family or friends.

Uppermost in the minds of those considering the issue have been ways parish and community members c:t n assist in its prevention, including education on the nature of the problem and the available medical, welfare assistance, refuge, legal protection and counselling resources: and the creation within parishes and communities of effective support for those who are abused through domestic violence.

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Th will not be silenced: Cardinal

times bleak the for A house e Church

For the first time in the 80 year history of Catholic bishops meeting in Australia, the bishops have allowed invited guests and the media to the opening of their twice yearly meeting.

Cardinal Edward Clancy of Sydney opened the bishops' meeting at St Paul's National on in Sydney Seminary Wednesday with a defence of the right of Church leaders to enter public political debate.

-From time to time... there are occasions when they have not only the right, but the duty, to speak." he said.

When basic human rights are endangered, when the weak and vulnerable have no one else to speak for them, when the mission of the Church is impeded: then the bishops, even if the

Cardinal Clancy

whole world is against them, cannot remain silent."

Linking abortion with the current debate on euthanasia, Cardinal Clancy said that yearby-year the bishops had seen respect for human life diminish in Australia.

Catholics and Christians had a duty to influence politics for the better. "The making of public policy is not some abstract game, but something that affects actual human lives. Christians in a democracy do not merely have a right to participate in that process, they have a duty to do so," he said.

Cardinal Clancy said the task of bringing people to know and love God was not the sole responsibility of bishops, priests and Religious but for all who have been baptised.

He called attention to overseas aid issues, the eradication of poverty and the plight of refugees, saying both the Church and Australia needed to improve the amount of overseas aid.

The bishops meeting would also discuss the Synod for Oceania to be held in Rome before 1999 and he said the Catholic Church would have to assess how well it was carrying out its mission in preparation for the synod.

Other agenda items included the current consultation with young people and women and the upcoming National Church Life survey.

By Colleen MoGuiness-Howard

Set inconspicuously among the general Coolbellup housing in the area, 99a Cordelia Avenue smells of fresh paint and has that 'squeaky clean' look with bright new curtains and homey decor which makes you feel immediately comfortable.

Once you enter, you're put at ease with some very hospitable folk indeed, who are very good at that - because that's why they're there.

It's not a drop in centre, but yes, it is "Church in the market place!" in Jeanne Porteous' view; she's the coordinator of this brand new brain child which is Some of Anam Cara's volunteers and helpers - Cath Phipps (left rear), Fr named Anam Cara (Gaelic for Jerome Watts 0.Carm, Jenny Troy, Fr Martin McMahon 0.Carm (chaplain to 'Soul Friend').

Foley Village), with (left front) Sr Kieran Kinsella SJA, coordinator Jeanne Anam Cara is described as a Porteous, Lucy Teixeira, John Doman ("Handyman with the real spirit of the welcoming space where visitors placer) and Mike Meenvald of the Society of St Vincent de Paul. will find acceptance and a listening ear, they don't have to the Apparition, help financially, official hours of 10 am to 3 pm have a problem, according to spiritually, and physically in commence.

Priests and the sisters are availJeanne, but maybe it's only to supporting the project which should a spiritual back-up able year. this 15 April on opened see another face and discuss the and Sr Gemma of required be Homes from also comes Support weather. will help Jeanne thought it time to set West (whose house they rent). St the Maranatha Institute for N'olformation spiritual the for with pay (who Paul de Vincent up a facility which would help unteers if required. items basic and electricity rent, sociin loneliness the counteract Any religious discussion howety whereby some don't have through Granary House which would be initiated by the ever, the for food discounted supplies the luxury of talking to another and not the volunteers visitors, importantly, most and needy) individual face to face for severis open to other service the given and who've parishioners the al days at a time. denominations. every in support unqualified She's completed the MaranaAnam Cara's future direction tha course and another at way from physically lending a in response to the Graylands, and speculates if hand to clean up. repaint and will develop and the fact it is needs, people's sertheir offering to refurbish, people in trouble had been able located in Coolbellup which is to talk over their feelings with vices as volunteers.

The house comprises a an area not without its probanother person, perhaps personliving room, reading lems, is a real plus in Fr Jerome kitchen, been have al tragedies could a room for prayer or a Watt's opinion, because it is a and room, averted. and it's in this room house of advice, help, support time; quiet Anam Cara has the full backstart their and "a friendly place - to let peovolunteers the that ing of the Hilton Carmelites who half hour ple know they are not alone.' a with am 9.30 at day with the Sisters of St Joseph of Anam Cara's phone: 314 5440 prayer and reflection before the

Australia's Catholic teachers to meet A national conference of Australia's Catholic teachers and administrators, held only once every eight years and beginning in Canberra Monday week will explore issues of concern and importance to Catholic educators to the year 2000 and beyond.

Cardinal Pio Laghi, prefect for the Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome, will give the key-note address on Catholic

education from an international perspective. Western Australia's director of religious education.

Father Gerard Holohan. helped arrange the cardinal's visit.

The National Catholic Education Commission, the peak body of Catholic schooling in Australia. has organised the conference and will be held under the theme of Pilgrimage and Prophecy in Catholic education.

Issues to be considered will beyond catechesis include Catholic schools, tertiary education and adult faith education.

Since the last conference Catholic education has experienced an increase in enrolments. while two universities have appeared on the scene. Notre Dame in Fremantle and the Australian Catholic University in the eastern states.

O RGANISING SOMEONE'S FUNERAL IS POSSIBLY T HE HARDEST THING YOU'LL EVER HAVE TO DO. W E CAN HELP YOU MAKE IT EASIER.

care of everything, while others like to keep occupied Imagine, if you can, that your partner or close and involve themselves in the funeral arrangements. family member has unexpectedly died.

It can he a confusing and lonely time, so many What would you do? Who would you call? What people appreciate the professionalism and genuine are you meant to do in such a situation? care that has been part of Bowra & O'Dea Funeral It's hard enough to think about now without Directors' reputation since 1888. the shock and emotional turmoil you'd really We are fourth generation Western Australian famibe experiencing at the time. ly owned and operated, and are active members of the The simple thing to do is call Bowra & O'Dea. Australian Funeral Directors Association.

Our job is to provide professional advice on who For more information, we have a range of literature needs to be notified. We liase with the various at any of our suburban branches or our departments, and help you make all head office in 68 Stirling Street, Perth. arrangements. funeral necessary the RA & O'DA Telephone us on 328 7299.

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The Record, April 18 1996 Page 3

TOMORROW TODAY

Many choices a vocation make Next Sunday is the Church's World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Western Australia's vocation workers will have sent to parishes material to help parishes observe the vocations' day and hopefully help parishioners respond to God's call in their lives, not only as individuals and married couples but more particularly as priests and members of religious orders. The human formation director at St Patrick's Seminary in Sydney, Father Vince Casey, offers some thoughts on cultivating and discerning a vocation to the priesthood and the religious life.

F,

very vocation starts with a decision to love. At the Fsource of every healthy vocation is a capacity and willingness to love and be loved.

The basic training ground for learning to love is family life and significant friendships.

The critical role of strong marriages and family life in healthy vocational choices cannot be stressed enough.

An openness to God

God calls us. At each moment of our lives, through all our joys and difficulties, we are being invited to draw closer to God. A healthy vocational choice is fuelled by an openness to God's call - not just at one critical, decisive moment, but in all the little choices and decisions we make throughout our lives.

A life of regular prayer, and a willingness to ask "What does God want of me?" are cornerstones to every Christian vocation.

A willingness to serve

I am always suspicious of a man who says he wants to be a priest but has no track-record of Involvement in a parish ministry or some other kind of Christian service.

A willingness to serve is essential to Christian life. As Christians we believe that God gives us our gifts and talents, not just for the benefit of the individual person, but for the sake of our faith community in its mission to the world.

Joy

One thing I look for, both in the couples who come to me

requesting marriage and the men who apply for the seminary is joy.

Are they basically happy people? If they are always down in the dumps or negative or cynical about the world, thenI have serious doubts about their capacity to thrive in their choice of vocation.

Christianity is about Good News - and Christians are called to be Good News people.

A sense of freedom Discerning one's vocation is about freedom: the freedom to consider all possible options of life-choices.

To dismiss the possibility of marriage because of a bad experience in a relationship. or to refuse to consider a religious vocation because of outdated ideas of religious life is to restrict one's freedom.

When we are open to exploring all valid possibilities, we are in a much stronger position to make a truly free life choice.

Sexuality We are sexual beings. We are male or female and approach life as such.

We are never 'asexual'. We are always relating through our gift of sexuality because it is integral to our humanity.

This is as true of priests and religious and singles as it is of married people. Even if one's vocation excludes genital sexual activity, it never excludes the gift of one's womanhood or manhood.

In every vocation, God calls us to use the gift of our sexuality, our masculine and feminine qualities, in a way which is by-

Catholic Youth Information Centre

EAGLE'S NEST

Mother Teresa of Calcutta prays with sisters in religion: a symbol of total commitment to God's love and will.

ing, life-giving and faithful to one's calling.

Courage, commitment "Do they have some runs on the board?" That's one thing I look for in prospective seminarians.

I look for evidence that the person has gone after a goal and persevered with it.

If a mature-age man comes to me never having had a job for more than a year, I am cautious about his capacity to commit himself to a life-long vocation like priesthood or religious life.

It's not just a question of whether or not he will 'last', it's a question of whether he will real-

ly put his heart and soul into his vocation - especially during the tough times.

We can gauge that capacity in people now by looking at how they have handled their lives to date.

Do they follow-up their commitments?

Do they persevere in their goals? Do they keep their promises - even in the little things?

A vision for the future I often ask a person (or a couple): Where do you want to be and what do you want to be doing in five, ten years time?

I am interested to know if the

person or couple has goals for the future.

Can they imagine a way forward?

Are they people of hope?

Do they have ideals pulling them forward?

Is there a desire to leave their mark on the world?

Generally speaking, healthy vocational choices are not made by people who just bob along. letting the current of life take them wherever it will.

I get excited by individuals and couples who ask, "Will the world be a better place because we were here, and because I made this choice?"

Jesus enters young Antioch lives

1406 O'Brien Rd, Gidgegannup

Set in 17 hectares of natural bush adjoining Walyunga National park, and just 45 minutes from the city, Eagle's Nest can take groups of up to 55 in perfect surroundings for youth retreats, Christian living camps or other youth formation programs. Priority is given to Catholic parish youth groups, schools and other Church youth organisations.

The following dates are still available for 1995-1996 (I )(lips in: bold = weekend, Italics = unconfirmed. underlined = school holidays Available Dates for Eagle's Nest.

April 24-26 May 21-22, 27-29 June 1-3, 15-16, 17-19, 24-26 July 1-2 , 15-18, 22-24, 29-31.

Aug. 5-6, 12, 21, 27-28 Sept 2-5, 16-1Z 23-26, 30 1-3, 11,14-17, 21-24, 28-31 Oct. Nov. 1, 4-6, 9-10, 11-15, 16-17, 18-21, 25-28 Dec. 2-6, 9-13, 14-15, 16-20, 21-22, 23-27, 28-29, 30-31.

For bookings and enquiries, phone Eagle's Nest direct on 574 7030

The Record, April 18 1996 Page 4

Having fun at the Antioch weekend at All Saints, Greenwood, 22-24 March

Antioch's secret is its peer ministry - youth meeting the needs of youth.

Antioch provides a safe place for young people to explore their faith and values.

There are very few places for young people to share their story and safely allow Jesus into that story. Antioch gives them a forum

to express their multiple gifts, hone them further and add conviction to a faith in God that they have never been called to articulate.

• Nedlands/Claremont and Fremantle/Mosman Park are looking for recruits for their respective weekends on the 3rd -5th of May. Encourage your son

or daughter or relative to 'Come and See'.

Allow them the opportunity of giving and receiving through these valuable years.

Ring the adult support Tricia Fowler on (09) 385 2365 for Nedlands/Claremont and Rose Bray on (09) 384 2534 for Fremantle/Mosman Park for details.

When Australians entered an inferno on earth . . . .

Anzac Day next Thursday reminds Australia of the sacrifices Australians have made in war. In memory of their sacrifice we publish the well-known account of the landing at Gallipoli in Turkey in 1915 that gave birth to the Anzac legend

by Western Australian Catholic military chaplain. Father John Fahey.

H

ad I known the inferno 1 was rushing into, I believe I should have remained behind. We embarked on destroyer and torpedo boats from the troop ships and steamed slowly towards the shore. Each destroyer carried 400 men.

As we approached within a quarter of a mile of the shore, everything was very peaceful. Not a word was heard among the men, not a sound except the faint throbbing of engines.

Everybody was waiting in intense expectation of what would happen next.

It was 4.30am and there was a faint glimmer of dawn.

Suddenly inferno broke loose from the shore. Such a fearful hail of bullets from rifle, machine-gun and shrapnel as passes all imagination. It was appalling. We were packed so closely together that one bullet would wound or kill three men and we could not hit back - for the enemy was invisible.

The order was given for us to man the boats and we tumbled in as fast as possible and pushed off for the shore. It was only 300 yards away but it seemed miles. There was dreadful slaughter in the boats.

First the cox was shot then an oarsman fell dead across my feet: then a bullet came through the boat and grazed the puttee on my leg: then another of the men collapsed without a sound and we knew he was dead, and so on. It was

New Presentation leader elected

most famous charges in history. My first impulse was to grab a rifle and bayonet and go with them. The cheering and yelling would do your heart good to hear. But after clearing the first ridge I saw so many wounded and dying that I had to turn my attention on them.

Our casualties that day were over 1,000. The second and third days were almost as bad. Our men are now well entrenched and it will be a very difficult task to remove us.

If we should be driven back we have nowhere to retire to except into the sea.

I have heard confessions in all kinds of weird places with the shrapnel bursting overhead and bullets whizzing around.

Our men are brave and bear the most Fr John Fahey horrible wounds without a groan. Our horrible. I got on the beach exhausted regiment lost half its strength the first and had to lie down among the falling day we landed.

War Is abominable. I shall never volbullets to get my breath. unteer again in any capacity for I have stone and held it in I picked up a flat enough of it. It is not so much perseen front of my head and it was fortunate I sonal fear as the awful sights and nerve did so, because a bullet that would have shaking ordeals of fire one has to go brained me glanced harmlessly off it.

The lad on my left, not feeling safe, through.

You have no idea of what an awful raised himself a little and began to dig thing shell fire is.I have seen strong men with his entrenching tool. He was shot become gibbering idiots as the result of through the heart.

The beach was strewn with dead and a shell bursting near them and tearing wounded. Tx° boats landed about 50 men to pieces . ...

Five nights ago the Turks launched a yards from where I was. They held 50 The fierce attack along our line soldiers each but only 20 came ashore awful.

They Turks was of the slaughter altogether.

So far only a few minutes had elapsed came in massed formation only to be from the time we left the destroyer and mown clown by the concentrated and as there was a good number of men rapid fire of machine-guns and rifles.

At one o 'clock they broke and fled, but ashore the order was given "Fix bayocame on again at 3.30 and the slaughter nets and charge-.

I could hear the click of the bayonets continued until mid-day.

Their losses were computed at 7.000 fitting on the rifles and then in the semidarkness our men gave a wild and the ground in our front was strewn Australian cheer and rushed up the hill. with dead and wounded . . . . Well. I Poor fellows! Had they seen it in broad think I have said enough. War is horridaylight they would never have attempt- ble and I shall be pleased when it is ed it. Military experts say it is one of the over.

UNDERSTANDING

BLOOD COVENANTS Catholic Evangelist

Eddie Russell FMI Will give a series of five weekly teachings on the nature of Blood Covenants from Adam to Jesus.

Understand Your Bible, Salvation, Healing and the Eucharist.

Cathedral Parish Centre.

450 Hay Street, Perth.

There is no registration fee for this seminar.

A "Love Offering" will be taken up each week.

Flame Ministries international For Brochure or Information

(09) 382 3668

Presentation Sisters in Australia in 1866.

She said two Sisters from the Presentation foundation in New Guinea, which is not yet an autonomous foundation, also attended the congress.

PRIESTHOOD What is it all about?

What's life like in India's remote villages?

Day of Enquiry for men 16 years and over.

An opportunity to:

meet other people ask questions listen and reflect

V !siting remote villages in India is like going back in time. It is tough getting there on rough jungle tracks. The life style of the people has not changed in centuries. Progress has not come to them because no one has so far helped them. If only you could see and experience the conditions affecting their lives.

The average family of 5 children lives in a small mud dwelling devoid of material comfort. Families sleep on floor mats with 1 or 2 cotton blankets.

During heavy monsoon rains the floors often become wet and muddy.

F amilies try to survive on what they can grow and what edible food they can f ind in the jungle. This provides two meagre meals a day for perhaps five months. Until the next harvest seven months later families have just one meal a day. These meals lack nutrition and leave children weak and prone to hunger and malnutrition and to all kinds of sickness, some fatal.

Village dwellings have no electricity, sewerage or laid -on water. Several times a day in all weathers women carry the family's water supply in large containers from distant water wells or ponds.

Mothers are affected by hunger and malnutrition. Their babies are born in their humble dwellings without the assistance of a doctor or nurse who would protect the infants from unhygienic conditions and practices. During pregnancy they have no medical check-ups, no advice to eat more and rest more. No advice to curtail water carrying, wood collection and eliminate casual labouring jobs. Most are ignorant about hygiene, nutrition and how to care for new born babies.

It is amongst the poorest and the most uneducated that the needs are greatest. The poorer the family the greater the risks of low birth weight and m alnutrition, of diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infections, of poor growth and early death. Without education mothers are powerless to improve their own or their children's lives. They need to know how to combat the many threats to the health of their children. Many illnesses and much childhood malnutrition can be prevented by health education. The obstacles that uneducated mothers face must be overcome. Parents worry about their children. What does the future hold for them?

Priests and nuns have appealed for funds to establish clinics, mother/child health care centres and schools where isolated families can be helped to help themselves. A $50 donation is worth more than ten times that amount in our mission region. Whatever you can give will be greatly appreciated. Donations are tax deductible. Please make your cheque payable to "Australian Jesuit Mission Overseas Aid Fund" and post it with the coupon.

Sunday 5 May 1996 St Charles' Seminary 30 Meadow Street. Guildford 10.30am - 4pm (Mass included)

Lunch provided

RSVP: Seminary 279 1310

0

A

Australian Jesuit Mission in India 8pm Thurs May 2nd to Thurs May 30th

Brisbane Presentation Sister Kathleen Tynan has been elected president of the Australian Presentation Society for the next five years. replacing Sr Angela Cameron from Wagga.

The election took place at the National Congress of the Presentation Sisters of Australia that closed in Hobart last week after a week of deliberations on the main works of the congregation throughout Australia.

The congress is a major event in the Presentation congregation and is held only once every five years.

Congress media liaison officer, Sister Gabrielle Morgan, a member of the Hobart Presentation Sisters, said that among the main items of business considered had been the setting of goals for the next five years and the election of a new national president for the congregation.

"The major focus was to look at who we are in Australia today and where we can best serve in the most relevant ways over the coming five years," she told The Record. She said that 48 Presentation Sisters from Australia's 6 Presentation congregations had attended the Congress.

Also attending the congress were the coordinator of the International Presentation Association.

Sr Maria Lopez, from the United States, and Sr Catherine Mulcahy, head of the Presentation Sisters in New Zealand.

Sr Morgan said the congress had begun with a re-enactment in the Tasmanian town of Richmond of the arrival of the first foundation of

Word

cares for the poorest of the poor

Help us Lord to compare the misery t hese people suffer with our own well being. Help us to provide the material help these people need so desperately.

Donations are tax deductible

Father Tom O'Donovan, SJ. • National Director, Australian Jesuit Mission in India (Est. 1951), PO Box 193, North Sydney, NSW, 2059.

• I enclose $ to provide medical aid and vital • ucation for remote village people in India. Tick • • L for tax deduction receipt.

• Mr/Mrs/Miss • (Block letters (please) PR.18.4 A ddress Postcode

• • • • • • • • • •

The _A Studied • Celebrated

J Contemplated J Proclaimed

Through Community based Prayerful and Scholarly Preaching and Teaching For Information Contact Fr John Neill OP, St Dominic's Priory, 816 Riversdale Rd, Camberwell 3124 Phone (03) 9830 5144 The Record, April 18 1996 Page 5

Allegation of Mass reform disaster rejected

By Peter Rosengren The results expected from the liturgical reforms of Vatican II had not occurred and the Church had instead experienced a disaster in Church life. English Catholic writer Michael Davies said in Perth last week.

Mr Davies was on the opening leg of a national speaking tour organised by the Australian Ecclesia Dei Society. The society represents Catholics who want to take advantage of Pope John Paul II's 1988 decision to allow the saying of the Latin Mass for those who are attracted to it.

Mr Davies, who writes extensively on the Latin Mass and why the Church should not have changed to the new Mass promulgated

by Pope Paul VI in 1969, said that the results spoke for themselves.

"Officially, the people in authority here and in Rome, they're still talking about a great renewal that has taken place since the Council, but every aspect of Catholic life is subject to a verification and there's been a massive collapse," he told The Record.

Father Thomas Elich, secretary to the Australian Catholic Bishops Committee on the Liturgy rejected Mr Davies' views as simplistic and said Catholics lived in a very different world today than that of thirty years ago and the increased options for sport and entertainment on Sunday in and outside the parish could distract worshippers. It would be wrong to link the decline in Mass attendance to a change in the structure of the Mass.

Mr Davies said that while the new order of the Mass was not in any way heretical, the reforms of Pope Paul VI had jettisoned much that contributed to the Catholic ethos, and resulting in widespread confusion.

But Fr Elich said the reform of the Mass had tried to recapture what was hest in Catholic tradition. "to try to get back to what was essential and to try to balance the different elements in the liturgy so that I would see it not as jettisoning what was important in being Catholic but to try to recover it and to restore a proper balance."

Pat Callahan speaks on the Mystery of God's Revelation through the Bible In a 4 week programme Pat will draw out the historical mystery of God's love, revealing his help for us all through his prophets.

A life in the Spirit Seminar will run concurrently with Pat's talks.

At Bethel Friday Night Prayer meeting, 8pm, commencing Friday, 26 April 1996

Bethel Centre 236 Railway Pde, West Leederville (app.

Railway station)

Church and Reception Music for Christian Weddings by Blue Stratos

Of God and Mammon Those who think that a drama based on an English cathedral choir is as far from rivetting entertainment as one can get might generally be right, but ABC TV's new five-part drama, the first episode of which has already been broadcast last weekend, is very good indeed.

The Choir, a BBC production, is based on Joanna TroHope's best-selling novel and shows an exceptional understanding of the art of politics in the general sense, especially as it occurs in the setting and context of a single Church Intrigue at Aldminster Cathedral community where its practice can be ing his time, looking for the right openjust as devious as its parliamentary ings to be there when called. Councillor cousin.

Frank Ashworth has a grandson in the The result is excellent drama which is Cathedral choir and an eye on the intelligent and will be particularly Cathedral close, which he wants to buy appreciated by Catholics and Anglicans, from the Church and turn into a comif only for the fact that it is set against munity drop-in centre. the more familiar backdrop of an Until now he has been rebuffed by the Anglican Cathedral, its attached school bishop and the dean. and the daily lives of the community His sympathies are clearly against the which centres around it.

Church which he resents as elitist. One lithe first episode is any indication. gets the impression that he is a Labour the remaining four will be fine viewing man through and through but not and we are all in for a real treat. averse to sacrificing a bit of principle to get what he wants.

But what is it all about?

Headmaster Alexander liny is willing Political and financial dramas loom over Aldminster Cathedral and its to go to almost any lengths to protect the boarding school. Dean Hugh Cavendish 400 year-old choir. The contrast of his sees his current bishop, a spiritual man, spiritual-centred character - instanced as not 'up to the job' and is clearly hid- in a scene where he tries to help the

boys of the choir to learn to pray - with the icy coolness of the dean's careful and worldly machinations create an exciting tension from the start.

As the first episode closes we learn the Dean has formulated a plan to sell the choir to the town council headed up by Councillor Ashworth so that he can afford the expensive repairs to the Cathedral.

The price of his soul is agreement to try and arrange the sale of the headmaster's house - the close as it is called, and an integral part of Aldminster Cathedral - to the council for their dropin centre.

Loyalties are divided, factions formed and friendships torn apart as the battle begins. And as the debate rages over the choir's future, intrigue and discord prevail.

Over and above all this the series is set against the grandeur of the Cathedral and the ethereal singing of the choir.

And quite apart from the various subplots and the quality of the drama, the most interesting features to this reviewer's eye are the ability with which the writer has grasped the drama to be drawn from the eternal question: which shall we choose - the things of God or the things of man?

There are four episodes left to find out.

Don't be a chump and miss them.

Full communion of four Greenwood Christians with the Church celebrated

Fr Szojda dies after illness Father Karol Fancisczek Szojda. a member of the Salvatorian Priests in Perth.

died on Friday April 12 in St John of God Hospital after a long bout with cancer.

Father Szojda was born on September 6. 1952. in Cielmice, Poland and was ordained on 29 April 1978. He worked as assistant priest in southern Poland at Bielsko Biala then left to spend 13 years In Tanzania as a missionary.

He came to Australia in January 1993 and decided to join the Salvatorian community in Western Australia.

He served at Greenmount parish and spent several months as chaplain at St John Greenhill, left, Sharon Casbone, Suellen Sanzone and Garnet Anderson toast each other John of God Hospital in Subiaco before being made parish priest of Carnarvon after the RCM ceremony. last before being diagnosed with cancer Around Australia this year hundreds of Garnet Anderson said the turning in August. adults were received into the Catholic point for him came when his wife, a Father Andrew Pyka. regional Superior Church, through Baptism, if they came Catholic, was approached to form a of the Salvatorians said Fr Szojda had from a non-Christian background, or Christian Life Group. Suellen Sanzone, been a dedicated and zealous priest and Into full communion with the Church if baptised an Anglican. married into a that wherever he had worked in Poland they were already Christian, through the Catholic family and had attended and Africa he had earned the reputation Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults.

Masses over 22 years. of being a caring priest in his work with The Easter Vigil service at All Saints She said she felt more and more she people. parish church in Greenwood this year had to make a decision about which He said that Fr Szojda had always saw four RCIA candidates complete faith she would practice with. spent a lot of time with the people in.his their journey to the Church when they Sharon Carbone was baptised care as he helped them in their preparawere received into full communion.

Catholic as a child and said she was tions and in the liturgy, especially with They were John Greenhill, Suellen relieved to be finally able to complete the young.

Sanzone, Sharon Carbone and Garnet her initiation into the Sacraments.

In Africa Fr Szojda had built a church Anderson. The four began their journey John Greenhill joined the program almost entirely on his own, raising funds into the Church in May 1995 when they because his sister was also received into from around the world, Fr Pyka said. each began attending the parish's RCIA full communion with the Church last "and that church is a standing monuprogram. year. ment to his work as well."

Chastity at centre of marriage spirituality

out in respect for God and for his plan of love, with fidelity, honour and generosity toward one's spouse and toward the life which can arise from their act of love.

Only in this way can their love be an expression of "Married people are called charity. to live conjugal chastity: othTherefore, in marriage ers practice chastity in conti- Christians are called to live nence." (Catechism of the this self-giving in a right perCatholic Church. 2349) sonal relationship with God. Parents are well aware that This relationship is thus an living conjugal chastity expression of their faith and themselves is the most valid love for God with the fidelity premise for educating their and generous fruitfulness children in chaste love and which distinguishes divine In holiness of life. love. (Humanae Vitae. 8 and This means that parents 9) should be aware that God's Only in this way do they love is present in their love, respond to the love of God and hence that their sexual and fulfill his will, which the giving should also be lived commandments help us to The Record continues this week publishing excerpts from the Pontifical Council for the Family's guidelines for sex education.

Quartet incl. female vocalist for Weddings, Cabarets, 60's.

Rock'n Roll.

Phone Darryl 221 3150 wk 458 1214 home • • The'Record, April 18 1996 Page 6

know. enables the 'manifestations There is no legitimate love, of affection' to develop at its highest level, which is according to their right pronot also love for God. portion and meaning, is a To love the Lord implies fruit not only of the virtue responding positively to his which the couple practice, commandments: "If you love but also of the gifts of the me, you will keep my com- Holy Spirit with which they mandments" (John 14:15). cooperate."(Pope John Paul In order to live chastely, II, 14 November, 1984) man and woman need the On the other hand, concontinuous illumination of vinced that their own chaste the Holy Spirit. "At the cen- life and the daily effort of tre of the spirituality of mar- bearing witness are the riage . . . . lies chastity, not premise and condition for only as a moral virtue their educational task, par(formed by love), but like- ents should also consider wise as a virtue connected any attack on the virtue and with the gifts of the Holy chastity of their children as Spirit - above all the gift of an offense against the life of respect for what comes from faith itself that threatens and God ("donum pietatis") . . Impoverishes their own So therefore, the interior communion of life and grace order of married life, which (cf. Ephesians 6:12).

&tilers lo The criminal condemns himself, not society /

agree with much of what Sr Lucy Van Kessel writes regarding the death penalty in The Record, 11 April.

However there is one point which Sr Lucy omitted and which really is the crux of the whole matter. Sr Lucy says that "The criminal deserves the chance of making creative compensation and of achieving moral growth and conversion."

This statement assumes that the criminal genuinely desires this chance and is willing to undergo conversion.

But without meaningful repentance on the part of the condemned how is it possible that the criminal can undergo conversion?

Surely it was not Christ's intention that in failing to condemn to death the woman who had committed adultery, she should go away and continue to commit adultery? In fact, quite the opposite.

Therefore, without genuine repentance and a desire for conversion, does not the criminal condemn himself?

I am in favour of giving so-called criminals a chance.

However, when do the interests of the public become more important than the Interests of a remorseless, callous, intransigent individual determined to continue to impose his misery upon the community? Surely common sense should prevail. and the man be made to pay for what he has done?

If he refuses to do even this, has he not condemned himself? Why should the public be forced to be condemned with him?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear in that in certain limited circumstances, the death penalty is justified. " . . . . the Church has acknowledged as well founded the right and duty of legitimate public authority to punish malefactors by means of penalties commensurate with the gravity of the crime, not excluding, in cases of extreme gravity, the death penalty."

This is simply a natural extension of the right of the individual to use the minimum force necessary to defend himself against an aggressor. In certain circumstances. minimum force could necessarily mean taking the life of the aggressor in defence of, or in preserving one's own life.

In the public arena, preserving the common good by rendering the aggressor unable to inflict harm may necessarily mean the imposition of the death penalty

upon an individual or individuals in certain rare circumstances.

Recognising that a nation state has a right and a duty to declare war upon an aggressor if this is the minimum force required for it to protect itself or its members, is an obvious example.

Less obvious is the equally valid right and responsibility of the nation state to preserve the common good internally for the benefit of the majority.

It is important that we are not sidetracked in our understanding of this issue.

It is not simply a case of "intelligent compassion" vs "vengeful power" as Sr Lucy would have us believe.

There are legitimate reasons for the introduction of stiffer penalties. (not excluding the death penalty) which go beyond Sr Lucy's narrow outline of the debate.

It is vitally important that we do not unreasonably infringe upon the basic rights of the innocent majority in a sometimes misguided attempt to defend the criminal from the consequences of his own actions.

Rory O'Hagan Attadale

What is Church view?

T

lie recent spate of serious crimes has resulted in that all too familiar knee-jerk reaction which has prompted some people to call for the reintroduction of the death penalty.

Heading the list is our own Premier.

Richard Court, who believes that capital punishment does not contradict Christian values.

Theologically speaking, he is probably right and, moreover, it may come as a surprise to many Catholics to learn that the Catholic Church does not sanction the absolute inviolability of life.

While I agree wholeheartedly with the local Catholic Social Justice Commission's views on this subject opposing capital punishment in their pamphlet Capital Punishment - a Catholic View, I find it extremely difficult to reconcile these views with the Church's official stance on the death penalty.

Traditionally. Catholic moral teaching maintains that the State has the power to inflict capital punishment for certain crimes, in "just wars," and in self-defence (The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2266,2309.2264). .

him (Luke 23:34).

Today, we live in a world where violence is a common occurrence, and respect for human life is rapidly disappearing.

But capital punishment is not the solution to society's ills.

The CSJC is to be commended for presenting an honest perspective of capital punishment. Capital Punishment - A Catholic View is a timely document that should be welcomed by all Christians.

I would dearly love to see the Catholic Church reconcile its official teaching on capital punishment with the current view.

Joseph Said Noranda

Baby death penalty

I Catholic Social Justice Commission project officer Elizabeth Way and Applecross parishioner Paul Halliley make their protest against the death penalty in Hay Street Mall on Holy Thursday.

The Fifth Commandment states: "You shall not kill". The Church holds this cannot be used as an argument against capital punishment - a right which society has - and uses Genesis 9: 5-6 to support this claim.

It is obvious here the Church has chosen not to adopt a literal translation of the Fifth Commandment, insisting that there may be legitimate reasons for the taking of human life.

There seems to be a great discrepancy between what the Catholic Church teaches and what it desires in reality concerning this issue of life and death.

Furthermore, the official teaching on this matter would also appear to be counter to Jesus' own teaching who forgave the adulteress rather than condemn her to death by stoning.

Throughout his entire life. Jesus taught that love and violence were incompatible.

In Matthew (26:52) he warns that "all who draw the sword will die by the sword."

Jesus also taught that we should not impose limits on our capacity to forgive others (Mat 18:21-22). In fact, we are to forgive our enemies and pray for those who do us wrong (Mat 5:44).

These were not mere words, for Jesus himself forgave those who had crucified

t is good to see the Catholic Social Justice Commission turning its attention from matters of taxation and industrial relations to matters of life and death.

But the secretary's letter on the death penalty (The Record, 11 April) raises three questions: Why do they call the death penalty murder?

Murder is deliberately killing an innocent person. A person convicted of a grave crime is not innocent. To execute such a person may be objectionable under some other description, but it cannot be called murder.

Why are they wasting a moment of their time on opposing the death penalty? For better or for worse, the death penalty is dead, everywhere in Australia. Politicians talking in favour of the death penalty have not the slightest chance of getting a death penalty bill passed in any parliament in Australia.

Why did they not begin by opposing genuine attacks on innocent life in Western Australia?

The IVF baby-makers have nearly 3.000 human embryos in their freezers, over 1,000 more than last year. Only about 100 of those babies will survive to birth. All the rest will die. Worse than that, a handful of doctors in Western Australia are aborting, every year, at least 9,000 babies.

Has the Catholic Social Justice Commission made a recent statement on these matters?

Dr Ted Watt State Co-ordinator. Right to Life Australia Claremont

Taking the kids for a swim with God at Mass on Sunday The Record begins today a weekly column of opinion that will shine a Catholic light on events and opinions in the Church and the wider society.

Melbourne daily Herald-Sun columnist Paul Gray will write one week and Perth mother and Catholic Youth and Young Adult Ministry worker Penny Ashcroft the alternate week Paul Gray is married with three schoolage children.

W

hy do Catholics go to Mass? It's not only a question non-Catholics

ask.

How often have we heard exactly the same question, in slightly different words, out of the mouths of our own children?

"I don't want to go to Mass", we hear them say. "Mass is boring."

Such comments pose difficult questions for Catholic parents.

How, for example, do we answer a charge that Mass is boring?

With feigned outrage? "How dare you say Mass is boring!" Or perhaps a note of unconvincing optimism? "No, it isn't!"

engrossing entertainment "product" known to man.

For if we accept Catholic teachabout what occurs at Mass, ing My! 454Y/ then what happens in every ordinary suburban and country Church on Sunday mornings is . . . (41.it4 Pitke 9rity nothing less than the appearance of God before us - His physical under the appearances presence (Jr even with a threat of unnec- problem, there are only two pos- of bread and wine. essary discipline? - "Yes, Mass IS sible solutions to it.

I would suggest that anyone One is to make the Mass more who cannot be "entertained" in boring and I'm going to make entertaining. This seems to be front of such a spectacle is obviyou come along anyway!"

Many people in today's church the preferred solution of those in ously not concentrating, or see it as a problem of entertain- today's Church who want to they've grown so used to it down ment - kids today are used to "liven up" the Mass with more the years that they're failing to being entertained, and they are popular songs and music. If the see the true significance of it any unwilling to take the "trouble" of Mass is more in tune with what more. giving up an hour of their week- our kids are used to, and they What can we do to help ourwill willingly return. ends for Mass. remember what Mass is selves Personally, I think It would be all about? For me, having chilI think entertainment is indeed a large part of the problem with very difficult - if not impossible - dren has had a curious effect. people not wanting to go to Mass for the average suburban I have one daughter and two today. But I also think it is not just Catholic Mass to ever compete in sons. aged from five down to one. entertainment terms with the bil- From the time the first was born a problem affecting teenagers.

It also affects adults - and tiny lion dollar entertainment indus- to now, getting to - and more kids too. For with the recent rise try. importantly, staying inside What's more, it would be totally of the "leisure industry", from Church for Sunday Mass - has videos for pre-schoolers to pay unnecessary. For the truth is that been a chore.

TV for grown-ups, we're all more even the most humble parish All parents with young kids used to entertainment today than Mass, said by an old priest before know the drill. First there's the a handful of toothless parish- drama of getting the whole crew ever before.

So what's the answer? Logically ioners, already contains within it dressed and clean in time for speaking, if this is indeed the what is potentially the most morning Mass. Then when you

get there, the three-year-old starts banging his toys on the pew in front, and the youngest takes off for a marathon run straight up the main aisle. More drama.

You do not have to go through such a routine very often before you start asking yourself why bother. But it's in asking myself the reason, that I have found the answer comes through clear as a bell.

"We come to Mass to swim with God for a while", I once heard a wise priest say.

His poetic point was that God is like the water. When you come to Mass, you get in the water. Then you stay in the water until it's time to get out and go home.

And whatever you may do in between - ten decades of the rosary, five laps with the pusher or even just going to sleep through the sermon - makes little difference to the meaning of what has just transpired.

You have turned up for Mass.

God has also turned up. And for a little while, you have shared the same room.

Is that entertainment? Perhaps not. But it sounds like a good reason just the same.

Ar,

iovt. .Avr."0:4 ixtZ)

The Irish Famine: 150th Anniversary

Britons who fondly remember the Generations pass on the memory Empire forget Irish Famine disaster I Oppression has a way of searing memory of events into an ethnic and national consciousness for a long time. For many Irish men and women and their descendants overseas, the events of the Irish famine brought on in the 1840s by the failure of the potato crop and British bungling and hard-heartedness have been hard to forget. Perth historian George Russo here interprets the famine and Record journalist Colleen McGuiness-Howard, below, tells of a unique museum on the famine in one of the hotspots of the tragedy.

County Roscommon.

W

Evicted tenants prepare to emigrate to countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia

Migrants leave the "Emerald Isle" in an overcrowded ship during the Famine

hen it comes to offering an historical review of events that took place 150 years ago, the task is likely to be morally complicated, especially when it involves Anglo-lrish relations.

In January, 1900 the British press looked back on the 19th century with unqualified approval; 'It was a wonderful 100 years; it contained in its margins the glorious reign of Queen Victoria; it saw England grow in power, greatness and wealth beyond all rivals."

What it did not mention was the shattering catastrophe of the Irish famine.

The English connection is a central theme of Irish history. But what the famine gave birth to was Irish nationalism, and aligned it with the aspirations of both Irish Catholics and Protestants. No Irishman could forget the terrible atrocities that bespattered Irish history with such devastation and death.

Not that England wanted to get rid of the Irish - as is sometimes claimed - but it did not check the ravages of the natural disaster of the famine when it could easily have done.

British historians, on the one hand, saw the outbreak of famine as inevitable, though its victims could have been helped had the English government done more.

They put the cause down to the "economic theory" of the time "the doctrine of the Manchester school," which forbade State interference with the working of economic laws, rather than any longtime antagonism to the Irish.

Irish historians, on the other

hand, pointed out that the British government had never interested itself much in the affairs of Ireland, certainly did not treat the problem seriously enough, and took too few steps to avert the tragedy.

They even wondered what the English government would have done had the famine broken out in Manchester. In fact, the English attitude increased the scale of the tragedy by its failure to act on any principles of Christian charity As many might know, the cause of the famine was the potato blight. Remarkably, on this one foodstuff depended not only the whole peasantry, but most of the people, including the aristocracy, of Ireland.

By 1845 it was reported that cholera had attacked the potato crops, causing a killer fungus to blacken the potatoes and render them unfit for eating. Its victims contracted running sores like cancer, and, according to a parish priest, left the country in a "most melancholy state of despondency and tears to be seen in almost every face."

The Irish government had immediate recourse to the British Government for the protection of the lives of the people.

The Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel, believed the Irish exaggerated, but once reports reached him of so many deaths from starvation he decided to act by ordering weekly reports to be made on the state of the potato crops. He also initiated an official enquiry.

The results were useless, even frivolous, suggesting such measures as precautions for preserv-

ing potatoes and measures for

through hollow eyes, as they removing protectionist duties on begged for food. The suffering grain, which the people did not intensified, with miserable death the end result. want, anyway.

By the end of 1845 the situation Workhouses filled to overflowwas so critical that the ing, and those not admitted were Archbishop of Dublin called for prohibited from getting relief prayers, everywhere, to avert the from any government source.

The government then appealed calamity.'

By early 1846 the disease struck to the Irish landlords to relieve every county in Ireland, dealing out the worst possible death sentences, and causing misery all round.

Prime Minister Peel did act.

First, he ordered from America a large quantity of maize to be shipped to Ireland, for sale, at low cost from government depots which he set up.

He then appointed a committee of landlords and monied residents to provide public works in order that the poor may earn the money to pay for the cheap food.

The trouble was the people were too weak to work and therefore Sir Robert Peel unable to buy food at any price.

Although Christian charity the distress in the countryside. demanded the poor and needy Some came forward and providbe looked after before any con- ed assistance for their tenants, siderations of "political economy," even exonerated them from rents. the government would not give Others were merciless - evicting people food. starving tenants who were To do so, according to govern- unable to pay rent, and contributment argument, would have ing nothing to the work of the undermined market prices and local committees. allowed merchants to withhold Bailiffs were sometimes despatfood from the market altogether. ched to pull down tenant houses So the people had to buy their and even bare walls where hapfood. This was, of course, to forget less tenants sometimes sheltered that the poor were unable to from the cold while dying of afford food at any price. Market hunger. Finally, the government forces of supply and demand had wound up the scheme of public works altogether. to prevail.

In June, 1846 Lord Russell Riots broke out in parts of the country. sheep stealing and other became Prime Minister and crimes against property followed, immediately returned a cargo of and the government countered Indian corn bound for Ireland to with punishments of 15 years its Indian owners. These things transportation. The Coercion Bill were to be stopped lest they was passed. Litter some of these paralyse "private enterprise." He offenders would come to WA as wanted Irish agriculture left to market forces. Hardships and convicts.

The peasants' lot was wretched: tragedy predominated.

People were dying on the roads, bones protruded through their skin, and starving bodies stared found dead in bogs, exhausted for

want of food. Children were screaming and women wailing after being driven from their homes and left by the frozen hedges.

The winter of 1846 was severe, with people shivering and starving to death. Horror succeeded horror, and dead bodies accumulated.

Soup kitchens were set up to help provide some sustenance, but they were inadequate. Finally, consciences in Britain were disturbed, and some major charitable projects set up to dispense food, free, particularly the English Quakers. But the government did nothing It stuck to its merciless business principles and did not show compassion.

A priest described the daily scene of "funerals passing and repassing in every direction, congregations reduced by half, churchyards like fields lately tilled, without a green spot, constantly visited by processions of a few gaunt figures, carrying with difficulty the remains of some more fortunate relative or friend," and concluded that "from the sad effects of this calamity all classes have suffered severely."

If death provided relief for millions, emigration emptied the country of very many who survived.

People left from all over Ireland in a mass migration of its peoples.

Not only would it alter the population structure of Ireland, but it also established a bitterness towards the British government that would never be erased. It affected Irish national feeling, at home and abroad, permanently.

The terrible conditions on the immigrant ships is another story.

Suffice it to say that thousands died even before they reached their destinations; many women and little children.

It will never be known fully what damage the famine did to the people of Ireland, but it was never to be the same as more

rish-born, retired Group Captain Joe O'Sullivan, chairman of the AustralianIrish Heritage Association of WA has carried throughout his life a horror of hunger through his grandfather's stories of the Irish Famine.

"So one of my first jobs I took when I retired (from the Royal Air Force), was as director of the Freedom from Hunger Campaign."

Joe was only about five or six years-old when his grandfather told him of his memories of the Famine.

Joe's grandfather, in turn, was ten years of age when his mother ran a grocery store on the outskirts of Cork.

Many of the famine victims Joe O'SuNvan came past the store on their way to the port of Cork, where ships place, and the few left alive, not awaited them, and Joe's great more than skeletons," Joe's grandmother used to boil pots of grandfather recalled. "stirabout," which was Indian And he remembered the smell cornmeal boiled until tender. of the famine which overcame Even then, many of the people even the stench of the rotting were too weak to eat it, and their bodies was throughout the bloated bodies were just left on countryside. the side of the road with nobody "Joe said his grandfather to bury them: they stayed where recalls passing whole families they dropped. upon the ground before sitting Joe's grandfather said he patches, quite bewildered potato believed the respect the Irish stunned by the catastrohave for the dead in religious and ceremonies, wakes and so on, phe."

As for Joe. he states his interest stemmed from these times, and on a poignant note, told Joe how in commemorating the famine he'd been taken as a boy by his years, which he is currently mother to Skibereen - "one of doing through the Irishthe worst affected towns in the Australian Heritage Association, whole of Ireland" - to look for stems from this, and also from his belief that ills not a time for her brother. self-pity or recrimination, "but He was never found.

At Skibereen there a was place commemoration and paying that was nothing more than a tribute to our forebears who surCharnel house with famine vic- vived this awful catastrophe."

- Colleen McGuiness-Howard tims "lying dead all over the

than a million people emigrated to places like the United States, Canada and Australia.

Nor was Britain, for the famine carried within it the seeds of destruction of the United Kingdom with the establishment of the Irish Republic in the 1920s, and contributed to the bitterness that lies behind the terrible 'troubles' of Northern Ireland today.

But nothing would ever efface the memory of the terrible famine.

It had happened to Irish people in their own country, and in the name of the British politicians who governed them.

In the end, the Irish people would be free from English bonds - the final legacy of the potato famine in Ireland.

Landlords evicted starving, sick tenants who lived in holes in the bogs or in lean-tos against fences T

Luke Dodd in Perth: famine can be prevented The Record, April 18 1996 Page 8

he devastating Irish Famine of 1845 The formerly imposing house built in the was not taken too seriously because there to 1849 led to many things in Irish 1740's by Thomas Mahon, was bought with had been food shortages before, but with culture, one of which was the birth Its contents intact and, during the renova- the largely overall failure of the potato crop of the Famine Museum in Strokestown tions, a rich archival resource was found in late 1846, the majority had to survive the Park, County Roscommon, in 1994. which is now regarded as the best 'big savage winter of that year, with many seasonal fishermen having sold their boats Famine Museum director, Luke Dodd, house' archive in Ireland. spoke of the work of the museum in Not satisfied merely with the restoration and tackle to get through: which doomed reminding the Irish and their descendants of the house and extensive gardens which them for fishing again. living overseas when he was in Perth had been reclaimed by nature, the Famine It was with reluctance that Britain finally recently as a guest of the Australian Irish Museum was established in the four 17th faced the problem that starvation was rife Heritage Association. century stableyards of the house, "and is - in Ireland, and it then mismanaged its hanSince its opening, 50,000 people have the only facility in Ireland to represent the dling of the operation by a combination of gross ignorance, opting out of its responsipassed through and the museum acts not famine," explained Mr Dodd.

The museum, and Stephen J. Campbell's bilities, and choosing the wrong strategies. only as an educator of the appalling suffering of the millions caught up in it in the The Great Irish Famine, based on the Ultimately putting in place workhouses, greatest social catastrophe in the British museum's collections, tell of the tragic his- which were little more than prisons, the Empire of the 19th century but also as a tory of the famine. mitigating factors of a poor and inadequate reminder to the world that famines are Ireland's population was booming in diet, with abysmal hygiene, resulted in foreseeable and preventable, in Mr Dodd's 1841, especially among the poorer classes, deaths on a large scale within these estabview, "because with good national strate- and the census of that year gave a figure of lishments. gies, they can be averted."

8,175,124, which made Ireland one of the The County Roscommon workhouse The Famine Museum began to become a most densely populated countries of sketches a typical scenario: in that place in reality when the Westfield Group pur- Europe. early April 1847 there were 1,115 inmates, chased Strokestown Park in 1979 from the However, three million were already at 540 of whom were sick with dysentery, 254 last descendant of the Mahons, a family poverty level as early as 1832 - a hundred with typhus or relapsing fever and deaths that was a lightening rod for much anger thousand of whom were totally destitute. occurred at a rate of 74 a week. By late during the famine in County Roscommon.

April the doctor had resigned, the master When the potato blight first appeared it 4

* ,*

* •

,- ,A , t • A.

1

,.7

and mistress of the house had died, and 830 of the 990 inmates left had fever.

Disease and hunger were rife throughout Ireland, especially in the rural districts where the greater population and poor were mostly located.

At that time the bulk of the rural population were growing potatoes on small land plots leased from their landlord, which they in turn often had to sub-let to remain viable; the family unit itself of around 60 people subsisted by collective farming.

Mr Dodd cited Strokestown as being an example of the typical set-up whereby a Major Denis Mahon, the landowner, had 9,000 acres on which were housed 12,000 people.

Their rented mud built cottages reflected their abject poverty Mr Dodd said, consisting of one or two rooms with a fire in the corner, which they shared with their livestock.

Potatoes with the skin on were vitamin rich and, combined with butter milk, made the Irish the tallest and robust in Europe.

Enough potatoes could be produced on a heavily manured acre to feed a family of t'.

Major Ue - nis Mahon

six for many months.

However, it was impossible to store pota-

toes for lengthy periods and so the people had then to resort to near starvation rations until the potato harvest was due.

Thus, when the blight struck, the people were already hungry, without stored food supplies, and totally dependant on the potato crop to maintain them for the next several months. With the hunger and poverty brought on by the potato blight, many tenants were also rendered homeless. because they could not afford to pay their landlords who considered eviction and migration as the most desirable solution to their tenant problems.

The evicted poor lived in the holes or in a lean-to against a fence, and of the decimated population with one million dying from hunger and disease, and about two thirds of the "unregulated exodus" of 1.2 million migrating to Canada, death, and on-going migration reduced a population of approximately eight million at the time of the famine to approximately five million within 25 years.

Migration, however, had its own disasters. According to Mr Dodd, on one ship that was not meant for passengers), 500 people afflicted with hunger and disease lived in a hold without fresh water or day-

light. Not surprisingly, 200 were dead on arrival and it was anticipated another 200 died waiting to be checked out by Canadian immigration authorities, who only had one medical officer to process thousands of people.

By early 1847 a thousand tenants had left the Strokestown estate of Major Denis Mahon to emigrate to the Americas.

Similar emigration enabled other landlords to affect agricultural rthanges such as amalgamating smaller holdings into large cattle pastures.

Mr Dodd said that in an attempt to reduce overcrowding, young women were encouraged to migrate under the Orphan Paupers Scheme in 1848 but, "having no social skills whatsoever, the scheme was dubbed white slavery, because destitution, and inability to earn a living, forced the women into prostitution."

As well as losing landless rural labourers to death and emigration, Ireland's tradition of oral history and folklore was broken,.

The famine also had an impact on the standing of the Catholic Church in Irish society when local clergy, some defended by their bishops, stood up for their starving flock The Record, April 18 1996 -Page 9

Movie Reviews

When clothes maketh the man a woman, actually.

•

C

hanging the locale from the French Riviera to Miami's South Beach, director Mike Nichols faithfully re-creates 1979's "La Cage aux Folles" as "The Birdcage."

The set-up is simple: Gay couple Armand (Robin Williams) and Albert (Nathan Lane) have lived harmoniously together for decades and raised Armand's 20(Dan Val year-old son, Futterman), born after a onetime-only encounter with a member of the opposite sex.

The young man announces he to is Barbara engaged (Calista Flockhart). (laughter of ultra-conservative Senator Keeley (Gene Hackman), co-founder of the Coalition for Moral Order, and his sweetly placid wife (Dianne Wiest).

The movie pokes fun both at sanctimonious politicians and at flamboyant gays, seeing both groups as, at heart, human and comically flawed.

Right from its eye-popping opening shot, which tracks just above the Atlantic, onto the festive boardwalk and straight Into the club during a colourful musical revue, "The Birdcage" sets a lighthearted, not-to-betaken-too-seriously tone.

While not showing any overt the sexual behaviour, movie's repeated use of the theme song, "We Are Family" underlines the film's stance that families are a good thing and to be supported, regardless of whether they are traditional.

Due to its sympathetic depic-

tion of the gay lifestyle, many sexual references and intermittent rough language, the US Catholic Conference classification is AN - adults, with reservations.

The trouble for Barbara is, that to gain her parents' OK, she told them Val's parents are happily married and that Armand is a cultural attache to Greece.

Val persuades Armand to live that lie when the Keeleys come for dinner.

Actually, Armand owns a gaudy drag featuring nightclub queens, of which Albert is "Starina," the star performer.

Their outrageously decorated apartment directly above the club is a dead giveaway as well.

Armand agrees to the temporary charade, going as far as getting Val's long-absent mom (Christine Baranski) to agree to play his wife for the night.

But jealous Albert is not about to be upstaged and before Val's natural mom arrives, Albert beats her to the punch, attempting to charm the in-laws as a middle-aged pretty-in-pink, matriarch!

And then there is the matter of the tabloid press, secretly following the senator's car to Miami, sniffing a scandal and eager to dish up any dirt.

As scripted by Elaine May, producer-director Nichols does not try to tamper with the original, opting to translate and transport the French farce across the Atlantic with an accomplished cast of comic actors.

•

•

Gene Hackman as the Senator Eschewing the showier role of drag queen Albert, Williams is still in fine fettle as the muchput-upon Armand, who must cater to Lane's often-hilarious mood swings backstage while assuring his insecure partner he is still queen of the queens on stage.

Hackman and Wiest add noticeably to the movie's humour by slyly understated performances as the confused couple unsure what is going on in this crazy household where the unpredictable butler (Hank Azaria) swishes around barefoot. calling himself Spartacus.

Audiences unfamiliar with "La Cage aux Folles" are in for a greater treat as this remake copies its French predecessor so closely.

Ultra-thriller is just a bit unbelievable

B

est friends turn mortal enemies in an eyeblink when one turns terrorist in the violent action thriller, "Broken Arrow" (20th Century Fox).

Director John Woo's flair for visuals shows up throughout, but unfortunately, so does his fondness for bone-shattering, brutal violence.

The initial hour of fast-paced suspense gradually gives way to ever-escalating violence in the latter half, pushing the movie over the fine line from simple escapist fare into the territory of mindless violence made to look exciting.

The story pits John Travolta's Major Vic Deakins, a renegade Stealth bomber test pilot, against his younger co-pilot, Captain Riley Hale (Christian Slater), while on a night mission with two nuclear warheads on desert the over board Southwest.

Deakins attempts but fails to kill Hale, who parachutes out.

So does Deakins minutes later after safely ejecting the warheads to land at a pre-arranged pickup point where other terrorists are waiting.

Deakins assumes Hale is out of the picture, not counting on his resourcefulness - or a solitary park ranger (Samantha Mathis) who sees him land on her turf.

Together the two set out to foil the terrorists, who are demanding millions from the Pentagon for the missing warheads - lest a major city vanish from the

map along with its quarter-million inhabitants.

Shootouts and explosions pockmark the narrative from the air, on foot, in jeeps, on trains, down a mine shaft; you name it, it rarely lets up.

The traitor has backup plans for every contingency, but the patriot has true grit.

Travolta seems to be relishing his villainous role, ferociously baring his pearly whites and casually adding nasty touches to his pure-evil character.

Fans of the actor may enjoy the performance, though for others it will seem straight out of a comic strip.

Slater struggles to keep one step ahead of a busy plot while Mathis quickly transforms from a vulnerable female to a dauntless opponent willing to take on any obstacle - or male - in her path.

Some of the close calls are ludicrous, especially in light of how pristine her uniform remains.

The Pentagon types are the usual stereotypical, duplicitous military men for whom honesty to the public is a last resort.

The screenplay does factor in enough twists to keep the pot boiling, but eventually the massive number of vicious shootouts and fiery explosions Is deadening.

Due to excessive violence, Intermittent profanity and much rough language. the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is 0 - morally offensive.

The vocation of teaching: recognised for its nobility A frustrated music appreciation teacher finds his life's work not where he ever in "Mr it expected Holland's Opus" (Hollywood).

It is 1964 and Glenn Holland (Richard Dreyfuss) reluctantly takes a day job as a high school music teacher, hoping to compose a grand symphony in all that time off he thinks teachers have.

(Olympia The principal Dukakis) has other ideas, however, involving him more and more in individual coaching and afterschool activities like starting up a marching band.

Soon Holland is helping students build their self-esteem

through playing instruments and sparking interest in classical music by linking it to his students' love of rock and roll.

His composing days get short shrift as he works summers to buy a house for his wife (Glenne Headly) and pay for expensive private education for their son, who is born deaf.

As the decades fly by, Holland faces marital conflict over neglecting his son in favor of teaching and the teacher is tempted with a second chance to follow his dream with a young student (Jean Louisa Kelly) headed for Broadway's bright lights.

It is only in the twilight of his career that Holland is made to

realize that by sidetracking his (Joseph Anderson) and 28 composing career he has (Anthony Natale) to convincingly given something wonderful to dramatise the troubled but eventually reconciled father-son relagenerations of students.

Dreyfuss turns in a finely mea- tionship.

Director Stephen Herek seldom sured performance as the unwillingly selfless teacher to kids over allows the movie to get contrived or sappy, which makes it a a 30-year span.

Never overacting - except per- satisfying experience as we see haps when leading his marching the novice teacher mature and band looking like a puffed-up bring out the best in his young Napoleon - Dreyfuss never lets charges.

An extra added bonus is the us forget how human he is, devoted to his students, yet not delightful staging of a school above scorning his son or feeling play, "Evening with Gershwin" in a failure for not making his mark which the beefy football team, resplendent in tuxedos, in the music world.

The film uses three hearing- dances up a storm that would impaired actors at ages 6 please Fred Astaire.

Without a stridently self-right(Nicholas John Renner), 15

eous tone, the movie stresses oldfashioned virtues, the impact teachers can have on lives - and the importance of an arts curriculum for young minds.

The film does not pretend to offer great insights beyond suggesting that life can offer much even when dreams are dashed.

The theme of the one teacher who made a difference is a familiar one, but it is well told here and Dreyfuss makes the most of the role, filling it with lots of heart and soul.

Due to very mild sexual innuendo and fleeting profanity, the US Catholic Conference classification is A-II - adults and adolescents.

Video Ratings NEW YORK (CNS) Here is a list of recent videocassette releases of theatrical movies that the US. Catholic Conference Office for Film and Broadcasting has rated on the basis of moral suitability.

USCC classifications: Al - general patronage; All - adults and adolescents; All! - adults; AIV adults, with reservations (this indicates films that, while not morally offensive in themselves, are not for casual viewing because they require some analysis and explanation in order to avoid false impressions and interpretations); 0 - morally offensive.

Assassins, 0 Babe, Al The BabySifters Club, Al Balto, Al Before Sunrise, All! Beyond Rangoon, Ain The Big Green, AI Braveheart, AN The Brothers McMullen, AN Bushwacked, Al! Cinderella, AI Circle of Friends, Al!!

Clockers, MV Clueless, 0 Congo, All Copycat, 0 Country Life, All Crimson Tide, AIII The Cure, Al! Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Dangerous Minds, Al!!

Desperado, 0 All! Delta of Venus, 0 The Amazing Panda Adventure, Devil in a Blue Dress, AIII All Die Hard with a Vengeance, 0 Angus, Al!!

Theipecc$4001,1P,L19 ,1 ek

Dolores Claiborne, AIII The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain, A Fair Game, 0 First Knight, All Fluke, Al! Forget Paris, Al!!

French Kiss, Al!!

The Glass Shield, AIII Gordy, Al Hackers, AIII Hideaway, AIII The Hunted, 0 The Indian in the Cupboard, AI Jade, 0 Jeffrey, 0 Judge Dredd, 0 Just Cause, Al!!

A Kid in King Arthur's Court, All Kids, 0 Living in Oblivion, All! Lord of Illusions, 0

Losing Isaiah, Al!!

The Madness of King George, Mallrats, 0 Miami Rhapsody, MI! Moonlight and Valentino, Al!!

Muriel's Wedding, AIII Mute Witness, AN My FamilyMi Familia, Al!!

National Lampoon's Senior Trip, 0 The Net, AIII Never Talk to Strangers, 0 Nine Months, Al!!

Only You, Al! Operation Dumbo Drop, MI Outbreak, AIII Party Girl, AN The Perez Family, AN Persuasion, Al! Pocahontas, Al The Prophecy AN Pulp Fiction, 0 A Pure Formality, AM

Pushing Hands, Al! Rob Roy, AIII The Run of the Country, AIV Safe, Al!!

The Secret of Roan Inish, All Seven, 0 Showgirls, 0 Smoke, Al!!

Something to Talk About, Al!!

Species, 0 The Stars Fell on Henrietta, Al!!

Strange Days, 0 The Tie That Binds, 0 To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, AIII Tommy Boy, AM Top Dog, AIII Truman, Al! Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, 0 Unzipped, AIII The Usual Suspects, AIII Virtuosity, 0 A Walk in the Clouds, Al!!

Waterworld, AN

Features

McBrien under fire again Embattled priest replies to critics

By Jerry Filteau WASHING FUN (CNS) - The revised edition of Father Richard P. McBrien's Catholicism has "certain shortcomings" as an introductory text on Catholic theology, a critical review by the Secretariat for Doctrine and Pastoral Practices of the United States' National Conference of Catholic Bishops said.

The 16-page critical review was made public April 9. It cited three main areas of problems in the new edition of the more than 1,300 page book: • "First, some statements are inaccurate or at least misleading."

• "Second, there is in the book an overemphasis on the plurality of opinion within the Catholic theological tradition that makes it difficult at times for the reader to discern the normative core of that tradition."

• -Third. Catholicism overstates the significance of recent developments within the Catholic tradition, implying that the past appears to be markedly inferior to the present and obscuring the continuity of the tradition."

Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk, acting chairman of the Committee on Doctrine, emphasised to the US bishops the critique of the book "raises no questions about the author's standing as a theologian and priest." But he said his committee, which had criticised the second edition of Catholicism in 1985 for certain ambiguities, determined that the new edition "had not corrected the ambiguities identified in the 1985 statement and that additional problems had been Introduced into the text."

Father McBrien, a widely known U.S. Catholic theologian, is a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame and former chairman of the university's theology department.

He told Catholic News Service that when the doctrine committee raised questions about his book. "I specifically requested use of the process . . .. for formal doctrinal dialogue" provided for by the US bishops' 1989 Doctrinal Responsibilities statement.

When that request was denied, he said, it left him without adequate means of challenging negative allegations about the book.

Archbishop Pilarczyk said the committee rejected Father McBrien's request for a formal doctrinal dialogue because it con-

Fr Richard McBrien sidered its review of the new edition of the book "simply a continuation of what went before."

Catholicism was first published in 1980.

In its first two editions it sold 165,000 copies.

The "completely revised and updated" third edition has sold more than 30,000 copies in the United States since it was introduced in May 1994.

Dominican Father J. Augustine DiNoia, executive director of the Secretariat for Doctrine and Pastoral Practices, oversaw development of the review.

Archbishop Pilarczyk told the bishops the secretariat was directed to review the work "precisely from the point of view of its wide use as a text for adult education. diaconal formation and introductory theology."

Among questions of what it described as inaccurate or misleading statements, the review took issue with the book's approach to: • The impeccability of Christ: Whether Christ absolutely could not sin or whether he was able not to sin and in fact did not.

• The theological, doctrinal and historical status of belief in the virginal conception of Jesus.

• The book's "purely descriptive and never systematic" treatment of Mary's perpetual virginity.

The review said the book's commitment

"to presenting a wide plurality of theological positions" led to an emphasis on description which "leaves the necessary task of synthesis relatively neglected."

"The book does not do enough to enable the reader to grasp what is the main current of the Catholic teaching and theological tradition," it said.

"The central problem is the fact that the intended audience of the book is those who are just beginning to study theology. . . . The danger here is that the reader WASHINGTON (CNS) - Father Richard could simply become confused about P. McBrien has objected to a critical what the Church believes," the review review of his book Catholicism by an said. It said theological positions on the office of the National Conference of fringes of Catholic thought were some- Catholic Bishops without benefit of a fortimes presented as if they were part of mal doctrinal dialogue. the mainstream and "the teaching of the The University of Notre Dame theoloPope and bishops is often reduced to just another voice alongside those of gian told Catholic News Service that he persistently sought such a dialogue but private theologians."

"For example, the presentations of the Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk. acting chairquestions of contraception, homosexuality man of the NCCB committee on doctrine, and women's ordination all take for grant- refused his requests. ed that these are open questions," it said.

Archbishop Pilarczyk said the committee It accused the book of tending toward rejected Fr McBrien's request for a formal "doctrinal minimalism, beliefs that are to doctrinal dialogue, based on procedures be considered essential to the proposed in the US bishops' 1989 stateCatholic faith." The review defined mini- ment 'Doctrinal Responsibilities, because malism as " reducing to an absolute min- it considered its review of the new edition imum the Church teachings and beliefs of the book "simply a continuation of what that are to be considered essential to the went before."

Catholic faith and to which one must The first review was concluded in 1985 adhere in order to consider oneself with a statement by the committee which Catholic." praised a number of aspects of the book The review said Catholicism overemphabut cautioned that it was "confusing and change and development with a sised ambiguous" in its presentation of certain "clear affirmation of the superiority of Church teachings. modern theology and modern anthropoloFr McBrien told CNS that a first draft of gy" over pre-modern thought.

"From the perspective of Catholicism, the new critique warned against use of modern thought has definitively super- Catholicism "as a basic catechetical manseded ancient and medieval thought . . . . ual or as an introductory text for young Modern thought becomes the prism people." through which the tradition must When he objected to that as a misunderbe viewed and judged," the review said. standing of the book's nature and pur'The book often implies that the 'pro- pose, he said, that portion of the introducgressive' theologians are pointing to the tory language was deleted, but the subfuture of the Church and that the Pope and stance of the critique that followed was the bishops have not yet caught up," it left unchanged. says.

"If it were a catechetical text, I would The review concluded with a note that it had "focused exclusively on the problem- agree with them, but it's not," he said. atic aspects of Catholicism." It said that He said he also disagreed with another "there are many positive features to be of the critique's basic arguments that it found in the book" as well, but it viewed could be a source of confusion to beginthe problematic aspects as posing "serious ning theologians who use it. difficulties" for "people who are not speContinued on Page 14 cialists in theological reasoning and argumentation."

New encyclopedia an exercise in one-sidedness field and has obvious advantages as a condensed publication to suit the needs of families and students.

While undoubtedly the authors - and Father Richard McBrien as general editor - have striven to he first and most impor- produce an accurate work in tant point to grasp about what can only be described as a the Encyclopedia of Cath- demanding field, the reader olicism is that it is not an official would do well to be conscious Catholic encyclopedia. that it is not an official Catholic The last extensive Catholic encyclopedia and, even more encyclopedia produced in importantly, why it is crucial.

English was the 18-volume New One problem with the McBrien Catholic Encyclopedia published effort is that in a number of areas in 1967 in the United States it appears to generate just as shortly after the Vatican Council many questions as answers. This concluded, and which has been can sometimes be a problem. occasionally updated since then.

Ordinary Catholics or the As far as I can ascertain it is young, for instance, such as unfortunately now out of print Catholic secondary school stuand, in any case, costs some- dents - even religious education where over $1,000 to purchase a teachers - who turn to many complete set depending on con- entries for guidance will not necdition. essarily get the Catholic teaching It is for these reasons Australian but Fr McBrien's version as ediCatholic school libraries, univer- tor, plus the current reasons gensities and other institutions will erated by the theological acadebe attracted to purchasing the mic world for disagreeing with McBrien volume.

Church teaching.

At a fraction of the cost ($75), One wonders therefore, if this is and weighing in at a compara- the best approach in a field tively slim 1,345 pages, the sin- where much can depend on 'litgle-volume McBrien Encyclop- tle things' like definitions? After edia has been compiled by writ- all, whole churches have split ers from every relevant academic apart over fine differences in Encyclopedia of Catholicism, Harper Collins, Richard P..

McBrien, General Editor, 1350 pages, $75.

Reviewed by Peter Rosengren

T

understanding of fundamental doctrines.

Perusing Fr McBrien's encyclopedia, it is hard to escape the thought it was not so much theologians and academics compiling this book, as theologians and academics with intellectual axes to grind. example, the Take for Encyclopedia of Catholicism's treatment of what it calls recent efforts to reconnect the doctrine of the Trinity with the themes of salvation and the daily demands of human life.

The implication seems to be that such an understanding or emphasis on the connection between the Trinity on the one hand, and salvation and the exigencies of daily human life on the other, has not been the case in the lives of individuals or the teaching of the Church down through the ages.

But has teaching on the Trinity really become 'disconnected?'

This is one example of the sort of question that can spring to mind when perusing the Encyclopedia's entries and there aer others too, enough to cause the reader to wonder whether the approach has been as meticulous as it might have been. The encyclopedia's fairly clear pat-

tern of discomfort with the Church - a problem of his own Church on more controversial making. matters and especially with its But the mother of a friend who present Pope is also evident in visited her family in Holland sevthe entry on Catholicism in the eral years ago told me she was Netherlands, where the reader amazed when attending Mass in will learn that "appointments of her home town to see the priest very conservative bishops since cycle up to the sanctuary, park the 1970's, intended to over-come his bicycle at the foot of the altar divisions, served instead to exac- and do nothing except say the erbate the situation" in an actual words of consecration allegedly reforming church. everything else was done by lay The mischief of this entry and representatives. its implication - to discredit Pope At the end he simply cycled out John Paul in what others would down the aisle. describe as his efforts to save Although anecdotal, this story large swathes of the Dutch ndicates that there may be other i Church from renouncing the of looking at the same probways Catholic faith taught by Jesus - is more evident in the following lem other than in the terms presentence: "A synod of the Dutch sented by the Encyclopedia.

Coupled with its unconsciously bishops, held in the Vatican in 1980, was unsuccessful in resolv- persistent American chauvinism ing the problem of polarisation. - many relevant entries cite facts A once flourishing Catholic and statistics related to the Church declined under the American church only - the overweight of pastoral demoralisation all impression is of an attempt to convey a Catholicism which is and frustration."

In other words (but said in much more open to question at diplomatic terms) an intolerant, central points than it is to certiultra-conservative Polish Pope tude.

Ills not recommended by this wouldn't let Dutch Catholics have their way in liturgy and the reviewer, as much for what it received faith as he understands does not say as it actually says it, and has therefore been between its covers, and also for responsible for the widespread its lack of clarity, the most imporalienation of Catholics from their tant need of student and teacher.

imeobbitkikorit-timioeditioesiii

To Jesus through Mary. . . .

Testament present the character- "with recognition for the moral istics of the ideal woman, Mary, nobility of women, which is manifest especially in an attitude of VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Old chosen to bear God's son. trust in the Lord, in prayers speaking was Paul John Pope Testament stories focusing on obtain the gift of maternity and to foldays two the spending after women show them sometimes as sinners, but most often as God's lowing Easter at his summer res- in their petitions to God to save Israel from the assaults of its faithful allies in battles against idence at Castel Gandolfo.

He then returned to the Vatican enemies." sin and against God's enemies, But the New Testament genealin Rome for the April 10 audiPope John Paul II said. ence in St Peter's Square with ogy of Jesus even includes "three women sinners" - Tamar, Continuing a series of audience thousands of pilgrims.

Pope John Paul told the of pil- Rahab and Bathsheba - whose talks about the Blessed Virgin Mary and her role in sal- grims who were enjoying "behaviour recalls that of Eve," vation history, the Pope said the warm, sunny spring weather that the Pope said.

Their names are mentioned "to heroic women of the Old the Old Testament is filled

By Cindy Wooden

NEW YORK (CNS) - The Church's ban on women priests is supported by the Bible, tradition, theological reasoning and the "unwavering" teaching of the magisteriurn, and Catholics should give the assent Pope John Paul II has called for on the matter, prominent Jesuit, Father Avery Dulles, has said.

But he also said bishops "should be patient with Catholics who feel unable to accept the approved position," and "refrain from imposing canonical penalties on dissenters unless they show bad will or engage in disruptive behaviour."

Although the Pope has called for "firm assent" to the teaching, he has not called for "an act of divine or theological faith," Father Dulles said.

The status of the teaching as a matter of faith "has not been so clearly taught that one may accuse those who fail to accept it of heresy," he said.

The question of women's ordination was the theme of Father Dulles' annual spring McGinley Lecture at Fordharn University on April 10.

He discussed arguments against the Church's current position and said there were still "legitimate questions" to be explored, but that the Church's position had a firmer basis in Scripture and tradition than such dogmas as the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption and papal infallibility.

"The so-called 'iconic' or 'symbolic' argument ... may be in need of refinement in order to increase its persuasive force," he said.

Fr Dulles said the priest represents Christ in his role as bridegroom in relation to the Church.

proclaim that divine goodness is greater than sin," he said.

The Book of Proverbs, "even if it frequently alludes to the defects of the woman, sees in her a hidden treasure: 'He who finds a wife finds happiness; it is a favour he receives from the Lord,- the Pope said.

Proverbs "outlines the profile of the ideal woman which, far from representing an unreachable model, is a concrete proposal born from the experience of women of great value," he said.

While listing the variety of skills and attitudes the ideal woman has, the Pope said, the Old Testament makes clear that the "culmination of her possibilities and the great source of admiration for her" comes from trust and fidelity to God. In looking at the holy women of the Old Testament, the Pope said, "we catch a glimpse of the woman who would be the most blessed of all: Mary Most Holy, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Pope visits Tunisia to plant seeds of faith

By John Thavis CARTHAGE. Tunisia (CNS) - I'he small crowd of Tunisian Catholics had just finished reciting a litany of local saints when Pope John Paul II dropped to his knees to pray.

A hush fell in the amphitheatre of ancient Carthage, as rays of the afternoon sun gilded the stonework behind the pontiff's stooped figure.

It was the final event of a low-key, 12-hour visit on April 14.

The Pope took only a few moments for his private prayer, just long enough to look back at the rich history of the North African Church and ahead to its uncertain future.

St Cyprian, a third-century martyr bishop: St Monica. the influential mother of North Africa's most famous church father, St Augustine; Saints Perpetua and Felicity, Carthage women put to death for their faith in the same amphitheatre some 1.800 years earlier.

"Pray for us." said the tiny group of Scouts, parents and a few nuns.

After chanting the Our Father in Latin. they Pope John Paul prays in the amphitheatre prepared to sing their closing hymn: "When • In Lebanon, where Christians were once the Saints Go Marching In." half the population, civil war and economic Their voices strained to fill the hollowed hardship have forced tens of thousands ruin. of Christian families to emigrate.

The contrast between the "glorious pages" • In Jerusalem and the Holy Land, the of the Church's past and the survival strategy Christian population has continued to shrink, of its present shadowed the Pope throughout beset by Israeli-Palestinian strife and the lack his brief visit to Timisia. of economic opportunities. Today there are An aggressive evangeliser by nature, he had only 9,000 Christians in Jerusalem and fewer to tread carefully in this predominantly than 50,000 in the entire West Bank and Gaza Muslim land.

Strip.

In the Pope's view, this cautious approach is These trends weigh heavily on Pope John the key to preserving the nghts of the Church Paul, especially as he looks ahead at evangeand repositioning it for future growth across lisation programs for the approaching North Africa and the Middle East. third millennium of Christianity.

These are regions where Church memberBut the Pope did not come to plant a flag for ship has dropped drastically in recent Catholicism in Tunisia, Vatican spokesman decades, for a variety of reasons: Joaquin Navarro-Valls explained.

• In places like Tunisia, the end of French "He came to plant seeds, seeds that must be colonialism saw a drastic reduction in foreign planted now. He's looking ahead about 50-60 residents. years," he said.

For these seeds to sprout, they need the pro• In Algeria, a civil war between Muslim extremists and the government has forced tective soil of Catholic-Muslim friendship.

In North Africa, the model is Tunisia, where most foreign Catholics to leave and the the government espouses a gospel of tolerChurch's missionaries to fear for their lives.

• In Egypt, Muslim attacks on Christians ance and has taken sharp measures to curb have increased in recent years, forcing the the influence of Islamic fundamentalism.

Both Church and State have important reaChurch to keep a low pastoral profile.

Photo CNSReuters

Ordination teaching 'is solid'

. . . a column of Marian devotion

sons to demonstrate here that Islam and Christianity can coexist, and cooperate.

For the Church, that's a remarkable evolution from the time of the crusaders, who touched base in Carthage in the 13th century. and from the period of French colonialism a century ago.

On a hill above the ruins of Carthage, the Pope witnessed one symbol of the church's past ambitions - the double-domed Cathedral of St Louis.

Named for the crusading French King Louis IX, it was built in the late 1800s as a monument to a Church triumphant.

Those ambitions failed, and it was deconsecrated along with about 90 other churches in the 1960s.

But Tunisia, demonstrating its tolerance, has recently restored the basilica.

The Church's big plans of the past have given way to small plans today.

Last year, the Pope named the first Arab bishop in North Africa in modern times, Archbishop Fouad Twal of Tunis.

It has made a huge difference in dealing with the government, local Catholics said.

"We live day by day, and thank God we do the best we can. For now, that is enough."

Archbishop Twal said in an interview. He has 18.000 Catholics. 21 diocesan priests and five active churches today.

The Vatican lends a hand in the ongoing dialogue. Il ls about to begin a program of student exchanges between its pontifical universities in Rome and Tunisia's Zaytouna University.

As for the local Church in Tunisia and other North African countries, the Pope said it is a "fragile flock" but is still the Church of Christ in this part of the world.

Recognising that active proselytism is not allowed in many Muslim countries, including Tunisia, he advised the Church to "radiate" its message, clearly and without timidity.

Il ls a strategy of evangelisation through work and example, given the limits imposed by the Church's minority status.

The Vatican hopes that the strategy's initial success in Tunisia can spread along North Africa and into the Muslim countries of the Middle East.

Recently, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi asked the Church to send 150 more women religious to his country; Gadhafi appreciates their work. Vatican sources said.

Fleeing Religious tell of Liberian war horror as killers roam loose

By Cindy Wooden ROME (CNS) - Two bishops were among those evacuated from Monrovia, Liberia, in a US military operation that included about 500 Americans and more than 1,100 others.

Archbishop Michael Francis of Monrovia was evacuated on April 14.

Agence France-Presse, the French news agency, said the archbishop was evacuated to Sierra Leone after being robbed at gunpoint at his home.

Bishop Benedict Dotu Sekey of Gbarnga, Liberia, was evacuated to Senegal on April 12.

Archbishop Antonio Lucibello, the Vatican's nuncio to Liberia and Gambia The Record, April 18 1996 Page 12 , % •I

"In this situation, what can you do, where Sister Sepkowski said she and Sister and apostolic delegate in Sierra Leone, said on April 15 that Bishop Sekey was can you go when your life is at stake?" the Brown were taken to St Joseph's Hospital on April 9 "because our place was not expected in Sierra Leone the following archbishop asked.

Among American missionaries evacuat- safe." day.

"From our house to the hospital, which is Fifteen foreign religious remained at St ed safely was Fred Toomey, 60, a Salesian just two miles, we saw small bands of Joseph's Hospital in Monrovia after more lay missionary from Boston.

Bernardine Sister Miriam Sepkowski, 49, fighters. a lot of burned buildings, lootthan a week of fighting, looting and burna native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and ed buildings and one dead body," Sister ing in the city.

"We did not leave because we went Sister Laurene Brown, a Liberian nun Sepkowski said on April 11.

Most of the armed men roaming the through a lot of this in 1990," when an all- from her order, were also evacuated.

Sister Sepkowski delayed her evacuation streets were very young, "some are obviout civil war erupted "and the hospital ously on drugs, and many are drunk," she has always been respected," Father Brown until the military took Sister Brown.

A spokeswoman for the Bernardine said. said.

But Archbishop Francis, arriving in Sisters said both women were evacuated livo Italian Consolata missionary sisters told Vatican Radio they fled their religious Freetown, Sierra Leone, said he thought to Senegal.

From there Sister Sepkowski was flown house in Monrovia when it was sacked. the current crisis was the worst in They were taken by US helicopter to Liberia's history and added that he would to Germany, where she expected to catch travel to the Vatican to discuss the situa- the first possible flight to the United States. Freetown and arrived safely in Rome on In a telephone interview before she left, April 12. tion with Pope John Paul II.

International News

Child's letter to God full of love for a friend HOUMA, Louisiana. (CNS) - The letter in Bishop Michael jarrell's office mailbox was addressed simply, To: God, Heaven.

The bishop of Houma-Thibodaux received the child's letter at the chancery building a few days after it was mailed complete with a picture of Jesus drawn on the back and two 32-cent stamps to cover an anticipated extra cost for postage to heaven.

Bishop Jarrell included the letter in his weekly column in his diocesan newspaper, The Bayou Catholic, but also wrote personally to the local child.

The newspaper used different names for the writer and her friend in publishing the letter.

"Julie" wrote: "Dear God, Hi, my name is Julie, if you know already. Thank you for answering my prayers every night. If heaven's so big. will I be able to find Myrna? She died because she was hit by a truck and thank you for forgiving my sins and sorry I wasn't able to go to church today. Tell Myrna.

Julie said hi. Love always and a day. Julie Jones. PS. In heaven, is my bed a pillow of soft clouds? P.S.S. Please, please write back."

Based on the information in the letter, the chancery staff pieced together that the correspondent was a friend of another young girl killed in a widely publicised

Bishop Michael Jarrell received this letter addressed to God from 'Julie' whose friend had died.

accident that happened about a year earli- response from God, but that "it is fair to er. say that God has already written to you.

They estimated the girls would both be In fact, he has written to everyone in the book we call the Bible." about 8 or 9.

In his column, Bishop Jarrell told Julie he "Also. God became a human being in the wasn't God, but for some reason her letter person of Jesus Christ so that he could personally deliver his message to the had reached him instead.

"I hope you don't mind if I answer for world. Pretty neat, huh?" the bishop wrote. him, because it is really difficult to get letBishop Jarrell told "Julie" he was pretty ters to God." he wrote, warning her that sure she'd be able to find her friend in she probably wouldn't receive a mailed heaven because "God told us about

US Cardinals condemn Clinton abortion veto

By Nancy Frazier O'Brien WASHINGTON (CNS) - Joining together in what they called a "virtually unprecedented" action, eight United States' cardinals and the president of the US bishops' conference have expressed "deep sorrow and dismay" at President Clinton's veto of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. They pledged, individually and through the bishops' conference, in a letter to President Clinton on Monday to "do all we can tA educate people about partial-birth abortions" and to tell Americans that partial-birth abortions would continue because he chose to veto the decision of Congress to President Clinton tries to explain on ban the procedure.

April 10 why he vetoed the Bill The letter was signed by The legislation vetoed by Cardinals Joseph Bernardin of President Clinton would have Chicago, James Hickey of Washington, Bernard Law of banned a procedure used in lateBoston, Adam Maida of Detroit, term abortions in which the foeAnthony Bevilacqua of tus is partially delivered before Philadelphia, William Keeler of surgical scissors are stabbed into Baltimore, Roger Mahony of Los the base of the infant's head. The Angeles and Joseph O'Connor of child's brains are then removed New York, as well as by Bishop by suction, allowing for easier Anthony Pilla of Cleveland, pres- delivery of the rest of the fetus.

In their letter, the cardinals ident of the National Conference linked the veto to two recent fedof Catholic Bishops.

eral court decisions on assisted suicide, saying it moved the US "one step further toward acceptance of infanticide" and, combined with the two recent federal appeals court decisions seeking to legitimise assisted suicide, it sounded the alarm that public officials were moving the US ever more rapidly to embrace a culture of death,.

The cardinals pledged to urge Catholics and other people of good will to do all that they can to urge Congress to override "this shameful veto."

The House of Representatives had been expected to vote today to override the veto. But House Republicans decided on Monday to defer the vote by referring the legislation to a committee.

In a separate letter, Archbishop John Donoghue of Atlanta urged Catholics in his archdiocese to consider such issues as the veto when they cast their ballots in the coming presidential election.

"The time for stronger action has come, and perhaps the voice, the actions and the votes of informed, loyal Catholics is just that forceful action which is needed."

the importance of friendships and togetherness. All friends of Jesus try to be friends with one another. If that is true on earth, I think it is also true in heaven."

"I know that you really miss your friend Myrna," Bishop Jarrell told her.

"I know that you are sad, because she had to die so young. It seems that sorrow is a part of our human life. But (the Bible) tells us that God stands by our side, helps us in all our troubles and is capable of overcoming every evil, even death itself.

From your letter I can tell that you truly believe that."

Bishop Jarrell urged "Julie" to continue praying every night or more often and to read the Bible to learn what God wants to tell her.

"I urge you to be a part of your church, the place where people talk about and celebrate what God has told us. You might even want to continue writing to God, even if you just keep the letters and don't mail them," he wrote.

"The postman has a hard time delivering mail to heaven."

And in an answer to her postscript.

Bishop Jarrell admitted he didn't know whether her bed in heaven would be a pillow of soft clouds.

"Some things we'll just have to find out when we get there," he wrote in reply.

US missionary backed for canonisation by bishops OKLAHOMA CITY (CNS) Guatemala's bishops have included the name of a US priest murdered while doing missionary work in Guatemala in 1981 on a list of martyrs for the faith in Guatemala who should be considered for canonisation.

Catholics from the Diocese of Oklahoma City are planning a pilgrimage to Guatemala to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the killing of the priest.

Father Stanley Rother.

Father Rother was slain on July 28, 1981, when death squad members burst into his rectory, beat him and shot him.

Those responsible were never brought to justice.

A missionary to Guatemala on assignment from his archdiocese since 1968. Father Rother had fled for a time to the United States in early 1981 upon hearing his name was on a death list, but he soon returned.

The list of 78 names, made public in March, was submitted to Pope John Paul II on February 6 in Guatemala, the second day of a pastoral visit to Latin America.

Father Rother is one of seven priests on the list. Also included were a lay brother and scores of Indian lay catechists.

The list was submitted to the Pope by Bishop Jorge Mario Avila del Aguila of Jalapa.

The Pope accepted the list and urged that the canonisation process be completed as soon as possible.

The sole condition for sainthood for martyrs is that they died for the faith. According to Jesus' words, "Greater love has

Fr Stanley Rather

no man than to lay down his life for his friends."

Nonmartyrs under consideration for sainthood ordinarily must have their lives and writings come under great scrutiny, and have miracles attributed to them.

"The memory of these brothers and sisters strengthens our faith and encourages us in our fidelity to Christ and to his Church as it is shepherded by Your Holiness throughout the world," Bishop Avila del Aguila wrote to the pope.

The bishop noted the soil sample presented to the Pope as he began his visit to Guatemala "has been not only watered by the daily sweat of peasants and farmers, but also, it has been fertilised by the blood of those who, because of their faith and example on the exercise or their ecclesiastical ministry, were sacrificed violently."

Holiday deaths caused by abandoning God: Archbishop

By Mike Lanchin SAN SALVADOR (CNS) - The high number of violent deaths during Holy Week in El Salvador was caused by Salvadorans choosing to indulge in "earthly pleasures" rather than attend Mass over Easter, said Archbishop Fernando Saenz Lacalle.

"The alarming number of victims of

crime (reported during Holy Week) ... is the result of people forgetting God ... and the Word of God," the San Salvador archbishop told reporters on April 7 According to official estimates, 255 Salvadorans died during Holy Week, as tens of thousands of people crowded onto the country's Pacific coast beaches for a few days of vacation.

More than 60 percent of the dead were

victims of violent crime. Most of the rest died by drowning at holiday resorts or in road accidents on highways leading to the coast.

Archbishop Saenz blamed the lack of "religious values" for the high crime rate hitting the country, which has resulted in emergency laws to combat it.

"The only way to do away with delinquency is ... taking on religious values that

preach the love of life," he added.

Referring to Holy Week activities in parishes throughout the country, Archbishop Saenz said the number of those taking part "could have been greater."

"The number of worshippers remained the same (compared with previous years). due to the spirit left behind by Pope John Yirsit" •

•

The Record, April 18 1996 Page 13

International News

In Brief esurrection 'really did IRA prison happen' experts confirm request

By Tracy Early YONKERS, N.Y. (CNS) - The Resurrection should get a larger place in preaching, ethical reflection and spirituality, according to scholars at the conclusion of a Resurrection Summit held in Yonkers the week after Easter.

The ecumenical and international group of scholars, committed to reaffirming the reality of Christ's resurrection, came together on April 8-10 at the New York archdiocesan seminary, St Joseph's.

The gathering was financed by an American family foundation.

It was organised by Jesuit Father Gerald O'Collins, an Australian teaching theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and the Rev. Stephen Davis, a Presbyterian who teaches philosophy and religion at Claremont McKenna College in California.

Rev. the Together with Marguerite Shuster, a Presbyterian who is professor of preaching at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena.

California. they held a press con-

ference at the conclusion of the conference to report on their efforts.

Participants included such figures as Anglican Archbishop Peter Carnley of Perth, Australia, who in 1987 wrote a book called "The Structure of Resurrection Belief," and Francis Schussler Fiorenza, professor of Roman Catholic studies at Harvard University and author of various theological works.

The summit also included some younger scholars, such as professor Paul Eddy of Bethel College In St Paul, Minnesota, and professor Carey Newman of Southern Baptist Seminary In Louisville, Kentucky.

Against various authors who have argued that the Resurrection was only something that occurred in the minds of the disciples, the participants insisted that it was an event that happened to Jesus.

And affirming the basic reliability of the Gospel accounts, they rejected the contention of authors such as John Dominic Crossan that Mark created his story of the empty tomb.

At the press conference, Mr Davis said he saw no difference between the Protestant and Catholic participants in their approach to the Resurrection, though there were variations among individuals.

He and Father O'Collins said they did not arrange the summit to oppose the Jesus Seminar, a group of scholars who have gained notoriety for denying the historical reliability of much of the material in the Gospels.

But they did express disagreement with the methods and results of the Jesus Seminar.

At a separate seminar on April 11 that summit organisers held for New York area clergy and religion teachers, they said members of the Jesus Seminar were giving the public a false impression that their assertions represented a consensus among all scholars and that their conclusions were based on new evidence that had come to light.

Summit organisers said no members of the Jesus Seminar were invited because the idea of the conference was to develop the position of those who accept-

ed the Resurrection and for preparing to publish a book expounding their view.

They said they hoped a volume containing contributions by summit participants would be published by Oxford Press next spring.

One unusual feature of the summit was the participation of a Jewish scholar, Alan Segal, who teaches at Barnard College in New York and specialises in Judaism of the period when Christianity arose.

Father O'Collins said resurrection was originally a Jewish idea. and Segal was invited to contribute his understanding of resurrection concepts in the time of Jesus.

In an interview, Segal said hp saw his role as providing background in a scholarly conference.

"We're all scholars and partners in research," he said.

He said he did not think the resJesus could urrection of be proved historically, but he said resurrection was "a belief that continues to animate the Jewish community."

Liberation Bishops question colleague's theology excommunication of dissidents 'not dead' MEXICO CITY (CNS) - As long as the number of poor people in the world continues to grow, liberation theology will have a future. said Brazilian theologian Leonardo Boff.

Boff, a former Franciscan priest who left the active priesthood after the Vatican disciplined him for his views, visited Mexico City for a Holy Week conference on liberation theology.

Boff said the current world situation is worsening the plight of indigenous people. the poor, blacks and women.

He said that by the end of the century, two-thirds of humanity will be in one of those classifications. which "raises great questions about life and liberty, not only for a privileged few, but for everyone."

Liberation theology is not dead, he said, and its central tenet, the preferential option for the poor, has been adopted by the Pope and the Church. nor "Neither socialism Marxism are the center" of liberation theology, he said. "It is the poor, and they are growing in the world. That constitutes the big challenge for the Church, to rethink its activity and ... denounce the perversity of a type of development that is done at the cost of the great majority," he said.

Boff also praised Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia of San Cristobal de Las Casas, who helped mediate the government-guerrilla conflict in the Mexican state of Chiapas.

"He is an expression of the best of liberation theology. . .

Fr Boff said.

WASHING-MN (CNS) - Two Colorado bishops have said the bishop of Lincoln. Nebraska, has called attention to important issues by invoking automatic penalties of interdict and excommunication for Catholics who keep their membership in certain groups, but said they would not adopt his tactics.

The action by Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz also provoked editorial comment in the Catholic press, a statement of support from a Catholic women's organisation, and a sharp rejoinder from the leader of two traditionalist groups that he barred Catholics from joining.

Besides those groups - the Society of St Pius X and those who participate in its ser-

vices - Bishop Bruskewitz in March prohibited membership in five Masonic groups, the Planned Society, Hemlock Parenthood, Catholics for a Free Choice and Call to Action and its Nebraska state chapter.

He said Catholics of the Lincoln Diocese still belonging to any of those groups as of April 15 would automatically come under interdict, barring them from holy Communion, and would be automatically excommunicated a month later if they persisted.

In Colorado Bishops Arthur Tafoya of Pueblo and Richard Hanifen of Colorado Springs said they would not do what Bishop Bruskewitz did.

"Excommunication is very seldom used," Bishop Tafoya said. "I

don't think that's the way to go. I think we have to teach morals and lead people in a correct conscience. That's the way to go."

He said each bishop speaks for his own diocese, but the condemnation of pro-euthanasia and abortion groups emphasised the importance of the Church upholding the sanctity of life.

Bishop Hanifen, a canon lawyer, said Canon 1318 of the Code of Canon Law has strong restrictions against the use of automatic excommunication.

"I would never interpret Canon 1318 the way Bishop Bruskewitz did," Bishop Hanifen said.

He said his primary approach involved in to Catholics such groups would be one of dialogue.

Priest replies to critics of book Committee on Doctrine's 1985 existed, did not use that docuContinued from Page 11 commit- ment's procedures.

Had he been able to address statement." He said the public • The revised edition has so a issue to tee expected such claims under procedures of many future" changes that it is not near statement the "in a formal doctrinal dialogue, he meet- the same work reviewed earlier. a for and dates suggested brought have said, he could • The new draft review "raises in testimony from teachers of ing before that.

In his response February 16 Fr issues and objections" that were undergraduate theology courses concerns not part of the earlier review or who use Catholicism as a text McBrien expressed of the statement. definition about of lack and find it "useful and instrucprocess to be used and asked for tive."

• The draft "misunderstands" a formal dialogue before the Fr McBrien provided CNS with issuance of any public statement the book as a "catechetical manual" and its "central criticism and copies of correspondence bet- by the committee. ween him and the committee, in He said a critical public state- adverse pastoral judgment ... is which he argued for several rea- ment by a bishops' commit- predicated largely on that sons that if a new review of his tee "would have the force and assumption."

• The proposed statement revised work were going to effect of a 'monitum' (an ecclesilead to a public statement criti- astical warning), which is a for- would be a formal action "without any antecedent formal cizing aspects of it, he should mal, not an informal, action." process." have the benefit of a formal docAfter receiving a draft of the Archbishop Pilarczyk wrote trinal dialogue. proposed statement Fr McBrien back reaffirming the commitIn a February 8 letter, In a five-page letter on March 4 Archbishop Pilarczyk said: "The again asked for a formal doctri- tee position that no formal committee does not feel that for- nal dialogue. He summarized his process was called for.

Fr McBrien answered that 'The mal doctrinal dialogue is called reasons in five main points: • The 1985 review, conducted issue dividing us at this point is for in this case since that has already take place, prior to the before Doctrinal Responsibilities that of process."

The Record, April 18 1996 Page 14

DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS) Cardinal Cahal Daly of Armagh, Northern Ireland, has asked Britain to allow a dying IRA prisoner to be transferred to a jail in Ireland.

Patrick Kelly, currently in Maghaberry prison in Britishcontrolled Northern Ireland was arrested and given a 25year sentence in 1983 for conspiracy to cause explosions and for attempted murder.

He is now suffering from advanced skin cancer and is not expected to live.

If he dies in British custody, it Is feared Northern Ireland will see disturbances similar to those of the early 1980s.

Composer buried IAKEIA 00D. Colorado. (CNS)

- Composer Robert Kreutz, was buried on April 11 in Denver. Kreutz, 72, died on April 7.

Born on March 21. 1922. in LaCrosse. Wisconsin, Kreutz was commissioned by the National Catholic Educational Association and the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.

He also composed music for Pope John Paul ll's 1987 Mass at Dodger Stadium in tos Angeles. for the Pope's Work!

Youth Day ceremonies in Denver in 1993 and composed an opera. "Francesco: A Musical Biography of St. Francis of Assisi," performed in Chicago in 1983 and 1988.

Magazine restart DES MOINES, Iowa (CNS) Catholic Rural Life, a magazine devoted to examining rural issues from a Catholic perspective, has resumed publication after a six-year hiatus.

Published by the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, the first issue of the magazine focuses on the subject of community in its many forms.

It will be published twice yearly and will be sent to members of the rural life conference.

IVF legislation OTTAWA (CNS) - The Catholic Health Association of Canada has welcomed the federal government's plan to regulate some of Canada's new reproductive technologies but said the Government had not gone far enough.

David Minister Health Dingwall recently said he would introduce legislation by the end of June that would outlaw commercial contracts for surrogate mothers and the of selling and buying human eggs and embryos.

Religion in media WASHINGTON (CNS) Prime-time network television makes a reference to matters of religion or faith only about once in every six hours of broadcasting, according to a by conducted survey the Media Research Centre.

Network news was similarly spare in its treatment of religion, which figured in about 1 percent of all stories, the survey said.

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GRAHAM WILSON complete garden care, lawns mowed, edged. yard cleanups, gutter cleaning, pruning, weeding, phone 349 4800 or 275 5669.

ELECTRICAL, contractor house rewires, ceiling fans, power points, lights, safety switches, boat pumps. pool pumps. Lic. 004003. Phone Stephen Tierney 354 2263 MASTER plumber and gas fitter, Lic No.140, bathroom renovations, sewer conversions, all maintenance work. new houses. Good rates. all hours. Contact John on 457 7771.

LAWN. All areas. 7 days a week. Supplies delivered or installed. Reticulation and landscaping. Ph: 359 2112 or 041 992 7789 HANDYMAN, painting, gardening, pruning, tree lopping, rubbish removed. clean windows, houses, will do contract work 377 n? 121 Martin. Credit cards

PERROTT PAINTING Pty Ltd for all your residential, painting commercial requirements. Phone Tom Perrott 444 1200.

PROFESSIONAL property maintenance, carpentry, fences, roofs, gutters, down pipes, reticulation, minor plumbing, paving, tiling. No job too small.

Phone Paul 309-4751, mob 041-895-4771

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION WINTER SUNSHINE, BREEZES. SUMMER Kalbarri, comfortable, self contained accommodation by the sea, within walking distance of shops and entertainment, $140 for two: $210 for four, for seven days. (09) 459 8554.

BEACH FRONT. Silver Sands, Mandurah two storey holiday villa. 3 bedrooms, sleeps 12, two bathrooms, two toilets, walk to shops. no smoking, no pets. $80 a day. $120 holidays. 018 92 8895.

ACCOMMODATION WANTED MALE STUDENT 21 yo wishes to board in house in Perth or Tuart Hill area.

Phone 271-3709 for offers.

FURNITURE CARRIED housefuls, units, flats offices, including single items, small medium and large vans available with 1 or 2 men, all metro areas and near country. Mike Murphy 008 016 310 (free call all areas); or 24 hour 480 5006.

SUPPORT PSORIASIS GROUP meets every first Wednesday of the month at Bassendean Community Hall at 7 pm. Supper provided. Next meeting, 1 Enquiries Gwen May. Fenech (w) 377-2190, (h) 279-2756.

PERSONAL Awareness The Communication. resource centre has new course for men and women beginning soon.

The course is to synthesise personal awareness and relationship education with the teachings of the Church and Catholic Scripture in order to promote faith in Jesus Christ with an emphasis on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Authenticity at every stage of development.

Tolerance and unity in relationships. People who are interested. phone Eva or Helmuf on 418 1439

Getting married soon ...?

We'd love to talk to you, near or far, our phone's close

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING 221 3866 Country clients welcome. Phone or write Phone (008) 11 4010 (local charge)

tr* ' Continuow Concrete Garden edging in various colours For obligation free quote \pane John on 331 24001

Natural Family Planning Centre 29 Victoria Square Member of the Australian Council of Natural Family Planning Inc

HEALTH & BEAUTY Kombucha Tea. Nutritional and Personal Care products now available in WA. Independent distributors urgently required. Country enquiries welcome. Phone Anne 242 5351

FOR SALE Table, as new, suit dressmaker or a craft person, grey laminex, $80. 446 6390.

IN MEMORIAM LEE (nee Swarbrick), died 10.4.89. Of your charity please pray for my dearly loved sister Dulcie. So sadly missed. Ethel.

PLEASE pray for the repose of the soul of my husband and dearest father, Edmund William Dunn, whose anniversary occurs on Saturday 20th April. His loving wife Peg and children.

THANKS THANK YOU Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Lady of Lourdes. St Joseph, Our Lady of Good Health of Vailankanni, St Gerard. St Anthony and St Teresa of the Child Jesus for all your intercessions to Our Lord for a very special Blessing received. Please continue to help and pray for us. JP

BIRTH WE welcome with love our grandaughter darling Jasmine Anne born 10 April. 1996. Thank you Lord for the precious gift you have given us. Love Nana. Poppy. Uncle Jim, Uncle Rob, Aunty Serina and Aunty Vasuki.

111ANKS

THANKS to St Clare for favours granted. GR. THANKS to St Clare for favours granted. SR. THANKS to St Jude and St Anthony for favours granted. G.F.

IN thanksgiving to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and St Jude for prayers answered. D.E.

M AY 2

Mass and Opening of Hostel at Catherine McAuley Centre Archbishop Hickey

Parish Scene, continued from page 16 C ATHOLIC WOMEN'S LEAGUE The CWL is holding a Film Morning -While You Were Sleeping, at the Windsor Theatre on Monday. April 29. Coffee and biscuits in the foyer, and stall. Raffle. Doors open 9.30 for a 10 am start. Proceeds to St Charles Seminary. Please come and support our very own Western Australian Seminary.

THANK you St Jude. L.E

Menopause Information for Women from age 40 onwards Date: Time: Venue: Cost: Contact:

APRIL 15-24 Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference Plenary Meeting, Archbishop Hickey, Bishop Healy 100th Celebrations of City of 21 Subiaco, St Joseph's Monsignor Keating Blessing and opening of extensions St Paul's Primary School, Mt Lawley Rev Fr P Cunningham ANZAC Day Parade and 25 Service - Rev Fr J Petry MBE Ecumenical Prayer Service 26 and Launch of ACSJC Document on Domestic Violence, All Saints Chapel Archbishop Hickey Investiture Mass, Equestrian 27 Order of the Holy Sepulchre St Mary's Cathedral Archbishop Hickey 29 - 3 May National Education Conference, Canberra Bishop Healy Civic Reception for 29 Ambassador of Belgium - Rev Fr F Marlow SJ Heads of Churches Meeting 30 Archbishop Hickey Italian Apprentice of the Year Award, Osborne Park Monsignor Keating

Friday 3 May 1996 9.30am to 2.30pm 29 Victoria Square Perth $10 (includes light lunch) Ann 221 3866 for bookings

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CLARE VALE ISAIA 684 ALBANY HIGHWAY, EAST VICTORIA PARK TELEPHONE 470 4333

The Catechism of the Catholic Church The appearances of the Risen One 641 Mary Magdalene and the holy women who came to finish anointing the body of Jesus, which had been buried in haste be cause the Sabbath began on the evening of Good Friday, were the first to encounter the Risen One. Thus the women were the first of Christ's messengers Resurrection for the apostles themselves. They were the next to whom Jesus appears: first Peter, then the Twelve. Peter had been called to strengthen the faith of his brothers, and so sees

the Risen One before them; it is on the basis of his testimony that the community exclaims: "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!"

642 Everything that happened

during those Paschal days involves each of the apostles and Peter in particular - in the building of the new era begun on Easter morning.

As witnesses of the Risen One, they remain the foundation stones of his Church. The faith of the first community of believers is based on the witness of concrete men known to the Christians and fo. toe most part still living among them. Peter and

the Twelve are the primary "witnesses to his Resurrection," but they are not the only ones - Paul speaks. clearly of more than five hundred persons to whom Jesus appeared on a single occasion and also of James and of all the apostles.

643 Given all these testimonies, Christ's Resurrection cannot be interpreted as something outside the physical order, and it is impossible not to acknowledge it as an historical fact. It is clear from the facts that the disciples' faith was drastically put to the test by their master's Passion and death on the cross, which he had foretold. The shock provoked by

the Passion was so great that at least some of the disciples did not at once believe in the news of the Resurrection. Far from showing us a community seized by a mystical exaltation, the Gospels present us with disciples demoralised ("looking sad") and frightened.

For they had not believed the holy women returning from the tomb and had regarded their words as an "idle tale." When Jesus reveals himself to the Eleven on Easter evening. "he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those ‘yhn saw him ar'ter he had risen."

644 Even when faced with the reality of the risen Jesus the disciples are still doubtful, so impossible did the thing seem: they thought they were seeing a ghost.

"In their joy they were still disbelieving and still wondering."

Thomas will also experience the test of doubt and St. Matthew relates that during the risen Lord's last appearance in Galilee "some doubted." Therefore the hypothesis that the Resurrection was produced by the apostles' faith (or credulity) will not hold up. On the contrary their faith in the Resurrection was born, under the action of divine grace, from their direct experience of the reality of the risen Jesus.

TIN RecordiAorit,18 1.996 Page 15

Edmund Rice Beatification Tour Dep. Perth 18 Sept. for 33 or 26 days Lourdes, London, Dublin, Waterford, Rome, Assisi, taste of Israel optional

Information Evenings

about destinations, options, approximate costs.

absolutely obligation FREE, commencing 730pm

Monday April 22 SteIlla Mans, 12 Queen Victoria St, Fremantle Park in Beaurepaire's opposite

Tuesday April 23 450 Hay St, Perth Cathedral Parish Centre

NB: Tour seats are limited!

Register interest NOW Phone Michael Deering 322 2914

Interw4*r rld Travel

184 St George's Terrace, Perth WA 6000 Lic. 9TA 796

MANNING & ASSOCIATES

OPTOMETRISTS

THE PARISH S CENE

or tour the factory via Internet http://www.allenorgan.com

FIRST SATURDAY: Our Lady requested at Fatima, that reparation be made to her Immaculate Heart on the first Saturday of five consecutive months. In accordance with Our Lady's request, five ALL NIGHT VIGILS will be held at Holy Spirit Church, Keaney PI, City beach.

The first vigil will commence at 8 pm on Friday, May 3 and conclude with Holy Mass at 9 am on Saturday, May 4. If you can spend one hour with Our Lord, please phone Margaret on 4461935 or Lorraine on 446-9682 to advise the time slot. The Rosary and Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary will precede Mass. Prayers will also be offered in reparation for abortion.

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINAR for women to experience the peace that only God can give.

This 7 week seminar at the Bethel Wednesday Ladies' Prayer Meeting starts on Wednesday 24 April at 10 am in association with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, at the Bethel Centre, 236 Railway Pde, West Leederville opp. Railway Stn. Enquiries 381-2516. a/h 3872808.

Grove Plaza, Cottesloe 384 6633 or 384 6720

Call for Volunteers Hospital Kiosk duties

Visit us at 14 AMERY ST, COMO 450 3322

BUSSELTON MARIAN PILGRIMAGE: The 14th annual pilgrimage will take place at Bove's farm, Roy Rd, (off Bussel Highway), Busselton on Sunday, May 5.

Mass at the grotto celebrated by Bishop Peter Quinn at 1 pm, followed by Rosary procession and Benediction. Refreshments provided. All welcome. For further info please phone (097) 557-554, or Paul Galea 244-2626.

CONTACT LENS CONSULTANTS MARK 1KALNENAS (B. OPTOM)

Mercy Hospital Mount Lawley, formerly St Anne's Mercy Hospital, requires assistance in staffing the Hospital Kiosk. We are desperately in need of immediate help on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons between 1.00pm and 4.30pm and will need help at other times. If you can spare some time on any of those days, we would greatly appreciate it. No experience required.

Volunteer activities provide a great opportunity for meeting people. If you are able to help out, please contact Jan Bateman on 370 9230.

BUYING AN ORGAN? UPGRADE TO AN ALLEN

BUSINESS PERSONS' MASS will be celebrated at All Saints Chapel, Allendale Square, Perth on Friday 26 April at 7 am, followed by a Breakfast Meeting at The Venice Cafe, Trinity Arcade, Perth. Cost of breakfast S8.

Enquiries phone 384-0809.

PAT CALLAHAN speaks on the mystery of God's revelation through the Bible. In a 4 week program Pat will draw out the historical mystery of God's love, revealing his help for us all through his prophets. A Life in the Spirit seminar will be concurrently held with Pat's talks.

Venue: The Bethel Centre, 236 Railway Pde, West Leederville (opp Railway stn), at the Friday Night Prayer Meeting at 8 pm commencing Friday April 26.

Celebration of the Liturgy in honour of

ST PEREGRINE Patron Saint of Cancer Sufferers

Friday, 3 May 1996 Programme: Z3Opm Healing Mass Blessing and veneration of relic of St Peregrine, OSM Anointing of the Sick Venue: St Denis Church, cnr Roberts and Osborne Sts, Joondanna, WA All welcome.

Enquiries: Fr Carlo Marchetti, OSM, Servile Community, ? Morgetts Street, -4 'Mart Hil). Phnt ?2?

St Peregrine, OSM Order of the Servants of Mary Penitent and Viracle worker - . '

The Record. April 18 1996 Page 16

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MERCEDES COLLEGE FETE celebrating 150 years will be held in the school grounds, Victoria Square, Perth, on Sunday May 5 from 10 am to 3 pm. Special exhibitions and tours for the 150th celebration as well as many variety stalls are awaiting those who love fun and lots of entertainment!

THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR at Glendalough need collectors (over 16 years of age) to help with their Street Appeal on May 3. All help, no matter how short the time, will be greatly appreciated.

'COME TO THE WATER' You are invited to a day of retreat for people who care for a person with a disability.

Venue: ' Wellsprings', 44 Wincanton Rd, Karrinyup. $15 person (morning/afternoon tea and lunch provided).

The day will be led by Sr Anne Noonan and Mrs Jenny Gardner.

To register 'phone Jenny at Catholic Care on 474-3303.

1995/96 ARCHDIOCESAN DIRECTORY Copies of the third edition of the Archdiocesan Directory are still available at a cost of $10 plus postage.

The Directory contains information on parishes, agencies, groups, religious and secular institutes and venues. To order your copy of this valuable resource please contact the Archdiocesan Liturgy Office, Tel. 221-1548.

BULLSBROOK PILGRIMAGE The monthly Pilgrimage at the Shrine of The Virgin of The Revelation, Chittering Rd, Bullsbrook will take place on Sunday, April 28 at 2 pm. with Rosary, homily and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. All welcome. Please phone 4447565 or 458-6302 for bus bookings from Marangaroo, Tuart Hill, Perth, Highgate and Midland. For the Fremantle bus telephone 339-4015.

Further info please contact the SACRI Assoc, PO Box 311, Tuart Hill 6060 or telephone 447-3292.

FR PAULINUS COSTA who visited Peth some years ago, will be ordained Bishop of Rajshahi (Bangladesh) on Friday.

April 26.

He asks for prayers from Perth's Bangladesh community and his many priest friends in Australia.

FREE ORGAN RECITAL Annette Goerke, Director of Music of St Mary's Cathedral, will give a free organ recital in memoriam of Olivier Messiaen (19081992). To commemorate the fourth anniversary of his death, Mrs Goerke will play excerpts from his epic works for organ - Les Corps G lor ieux ; Meditations sur le Mystere de la Trinite, Sainte Livre du Saint Sacrement, at St Mary's Cathedral on Sunday April 28 at 3 pm.

(Continuer( page lbi

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MARANATHA INSTITUTE COURSES TO NOTE

Friday April 26 9.30 - 12.00 Personal Development, Myers Briggs, Sr Elizabeth Devine (6 wks) Monday, May 14 9.30 - 12.00 Unifying Faith ana Li*...

Br Des Crowe (7 wks) 1.00 - 3.00 Basics of Moral Theology.

Fr Owen Ryan (10 wks) Friday, May 17 1.00 - 3.00 Our Lady in the Church, Br Des Crowe (4 wks) Friday, June 7 Adult Faith Development, Sr Elizabeth Devine (6 wks) Friday, June 14 What Catholics Believe: The Creeds.

Fr Brian Pitman (10 wks) For information, enrolment, phone Brother Des Crowe, 388 4311

Corpus Christi College Murdoch Drive, Bateman

Craft Fair Sunday 28 April. 9.30am - 3pm pottery jetivflery woodcarving, paper tole. ceramics for saie