Broken Bay News October 2018

A Fiver for a Farmer … how Jack sparked a national movement

Warnervale Parish …everyone is welcome!

New Diocesan Office for Safeguarding launched Celebrating Mission Month

BROKEN BAY NEWS PUBLICATION OF THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF BROKEN BAY

OCTOBER 2018

ISSUE 196

ACROSS OUR DIOCESE

Fr David Ranson appointed Diocesan Administrator for Broken Bay The College of Consultors of the Diocese of Broken Bay, the group of priests who have a canonical and civil role in the governance of the Diocese, met on Friday 3 August to fulfil its duty of electing a priest to serve as Diocesan Administrator, in the absence of a bishop following the appointment of Most Rev Peter A Comensoli as ninth Archbishop of Melbourne.

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he College of Consultors elected Very Rev Dr David Ranson. Ordained to the Priesthood at Tarrawarra Abbey in 1992, Fr David was later incardinated into the Diocese of Broken Bay in 2006 whilst on appointment to the Catholic Institute of Sydney where he served from 2001-2015.

Fr David has served most recently as Apostolic Administrator-Delegate and Vicar General (2015-2018) for the Diocese and is a member of the Diocesan College of Consultors.

He is currently Parish Priest of Holy Name Wahroonga.

“I thank the Consultors for the confidence that they have placed in me by their election; and I assume this service to our local Church of Broken Bay with every sense of the responsibility that it entails,” Fr David said.

“We are blessed in the Diocese with strong leadership, including the College of Consultors, who I know will give great support and guidance during this time of transition.”

As Diocesan Administrator, Fr David will lead the Diocese of Broken Bay until the Holy Father, Pope

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Francis, appoints a new bishop.

During this period between bishops, Canon Law states that there can be no innovation, but the many initiatives of Bishop Comensoli can be progressed through to their conclusion, with many functions and ministries of the Church continuing as normal.

“We go forward progressing the many initiatives of Bishop Comensoli’s exemplary leadership of the last three and half years, and, together, we await with prayerful and expectant hearts the appointment of a new Shepherd to lead us into the future.”

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…I assume this service to our local Church of Broken Bay with every sense of the responsibility that it entails…

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WE HAVE YOUR SOLUTION 2 OCTOBER 2018

ACROSS OUR DIOCESE

We do not exist for ourselves In one of the great temples of the ancient capital of Japan, Kyoto, there is a curious statue of the Buddha with a turned head.

FR DAVID RANSON

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t is quite different from other representations of the Buddha sitting serene in the lotus position. When I saw this statue, I thought it quite fascinating. It was a depiction of how enlightenment can come not through a focused concentration but rather through the distraction, the unexpected.

And so, it is: God leads us often through the disruption of our plans, and through the unexpected invitations in our life. On not a few times, I have reflected on my visit to Kyoto during these last weeks as we have farewelled Bishop Peter and as I have assumed my appointment as Diocesan Administrator. I had planned to be on a personal sabbatical: the time has been spent in a very different way. Yet, it is a singular honour to be able to serve our Diocese in this way during our time of transition. I thank you for the many messages of support and encouragement. I also express my appreciation to our Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Ylanna, and to many of our Australian bishops for their fraternal support, as I begin to exercise this ministry for you. I ask that you continue to pray for me and our Diocese as we wait with anticipation for the Holy Father to appoint us a new Shepherd.

It is an understatement to suggest that we live in tumultuous times as a community of faith. For over 25 years now we have had to confront the reality of the sinfulness present in our community. Almost at every turn, yet new revelations come to light throughout the Church. In our own context in Australia we are in the midst of the implications of the recent Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse which delivered its final report last December. Many of us will also be aware that, internationally, there are difficult and complex BROKEN BAY NEWS

arguments at play all of which lay bare the all-too-human reality of our Church. I can appreciate that these can be confusing and that they can create a good deal of heartache. They challenge us to keep coming back to what is most important in our discipleship: our trust in the Promise of God made manifest in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus – a possibility that remains always above the vagaries of our human fragility.

However, now is the time also to remind ourselves for who we exist.

We do not exist for ourselves. We exist as a Church to being the life of the Risen Lord especially to those on the margins of our society. If we take our gaze from here then we fail in our identity.

As St John Paul II taught so eloquently, we are a communion in mission, just as the very life of God as Trinity reveals to us.

We grow in our identity only to the extent that we become more conscious and more purposeful about our mission. Therefore, the primary answer to the problems that we experience in our Church must be a renewed dedication to the one thing that, in the end, endures: that sacrificial love for others which is at the very heart of the mystery of the Eucharist which is at the centre of our life together.

It is our practice of this love that will alone guide us through what storms we may experience.

Neighbourhoods of Grace. As we do, together, though, let us keep going outwards, beyond ourselves, at the service of those in which the Poor Christ await us. Only if

we do this, will we find life and hope, and will we recognise the blessing that it is to be part of the Church, so wonderfully complex, such a graced paradox.

We need to support one another, to encourage each other, to nourish the faith of one another.

We need to continue to be inspired by the lived reality of faith‌

Our time in history is a fractious experience. Feelings of disillusionment, of anger, of loss are understandable. There may even be thoughts of disengaging with the Church altogether. We need to support one another, to encourage each other, to nourish the faith of one another. We need to continue to be inspired by the lived reality of faith in all our OCTOBER 2018 3

NEWS AND ISSUES

A Fiver for a Farmer raises more than $1 million When Year Four students at St John the Baptist Catholic School, Freshwater learned about the NSW drought at school, they decided to do something about it.

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ittle did they know it would trigger a massive national fundraising effort with media fame through their “A Fiver for a Farmer” initiative!

“I heard that there are kids who are skipping school to help out on their farms – kids that are our age!” said ten-year-old Jack Berne.

Year Four teacher Sharma Taranto said, “This all started through a simple discussion about the drought and the hardships which the farmers are having in Australia, and the children just ran with it.”

With the help of his school mates and his mum Prue, Jack started a GoFundMe page to raise money for Rural Aid and Drought Angels, two charities which provide financial support to drought-affected farmers.

A Fiver for a Farmer began with the modest goal of raising $20,000 and asking people to donate just five dollars. In just over a month they raised over one million dollars, receiving funds not just through GoFundMe but also direct deposits in to a school bank account.

“We believe in community, we believe in having each other’s back and we believe in the Aussie spirit,” the GoFundMe page says. “We believe that together, we can make a huge difference to support the farmers.”

On 13 August, schools, pre-schools and organisations across the country held a dress-up day, with participants donating five dollars to dress up as farmers. Even the Diocese of Broken Bay

4 OCTOBER 2018

Catholic Schools Office got in on the action, along with most schools across the Diocese.

Jack Berne and the Year 4 class became Australiawide mini-celebrities, with many national news outlets and television shows such as Sunrise raising the profile of the cause and praising the children’s efforts. They even went international, with the American Catholic News Agency picking up the story about Jack and his mates!

But the fame has definitely not gone to Jack’s head.

“I feel the exact same in school, I’m still the normal person that I always was,” said Jack.

“Except now I have to pop out of class and speak with different people that want to hear the story. I think that everyone thinks I’m the same, because we have all been on this journey together. It’s been really cool, and I’ve loved it all.”

Since the campaign began, Jack has visited drought-affected farmers and seen first-hand the dire situation.

“Rural Aid and Drought Angels, the two beneficiaries of the fundraising have started to receive the funds,” said Prue Berne, Jack’s mum.

“They will be distributing it nationwide to the rural farming communities through care packages, hay bales and employing counsellors in the areas that need it most.”

The community at St John the Baptist, Freshwater have been amazing in their support for the cause.

“We love our Catholic School and even more the community that we are a part of,” said Prue. “We have been surrounded by love and everyone has offered to help us out whenever needed. Faith has helped us focus on what is important and knowing that we have empathy for those in need.

“Our Catholic community has come together for the greater good. Parents have taken days off work to be able to assist us with fielding media calls, assisting with replying to social media and emails. It is definitely times like these that you are grateful for being a part of a gorgeous community.”

Exploring our missionary outreach

NEIGHBOURHOODS OF GRACE

St Mary MacKillop Parish, Warnervale

…æ≤... everyone is welcome!

St Mary MacKillop Parish at Warnervale is a vibrant new faith community, named after Australia’s first saint, and specially designed on a state-of-the-art campus to incorporate school and church, forming one, cohesive parish community, where everyone is welcome.

BY DEBRA VERMEER

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pened in 2003, the Parish is still developing its way of life, according to the character and needs of its local community.

“It’s a very welcoming parish, because essentially, everyone is new here,” says Parish Priest, Fr Vince Casey. “And as new families move into the area they are welcomed in.”

Indeed, when a new section of housing development opens in this fast-growing commuterbelt of the Central Coast, students from MacKillop Catholic College head out in groups to place simple brochures of welcome into the letterboxes, inviting the families to come along and get to know the Parish.

Fr Vince says that when it was first planned, the community of Warnervale, sitting between Wyong and Toukley, was to enjoy not only new housing and easy access to the M1 Motorway, but also a town centre, recreational facilities and other infrastructure. However, those things, so far, have not come to pass.

“So, really the only big thing, apart from housing around here, is this School and Parish,” he says.

“Consequently, we’re a big part of the community BROKEN BAY NEWS

and people are keen to be a part of it, especially through the School.”

MacKillop Catholic College is a K-12 school of 1500 students, designed to achieve a blending of Catholic school community and parish.

Secondary Principal, Debra Ferguson, says the College is “extremely lucky that our students see our Parish Priest and the parishioners frequently across the various events held through the year.”

“From the Parish point of view, our connection with the School is really good,” says Fr Vince.

“On big occasions like St Mary MacKillop’s feast day, we have the School Parliament leaders come to Mass with the Parish and then we have a whole school Mass, of 1500 students in the school hall.

It’s fabulous. You wouldn’t believe how attentive, quiet and prayerful it was with all those students.”

College Principal, Steve Todd describes the relationship between the Parish and the College as unique with “many practical advantages for both communities in having our Parish Priest, Fr Vince, looking out for the College community as part of his Parish”.

“The Masses are a particular highlight, with four very big events across the year. The vibrance of the liturgies are something very special and spread tremendous spirit across the College.”

OCTOBER 2018 5

NEIGHBOURHOODS OF GRACE

Exploring our missionary outreach

“Fr Vince is not only Parish Priest to the Warnervale Parish, but also a key member of the MacKillop Catholic College community.”

to beautiful lakes and beaches, many of the young families and retirees who live there are struggling to make ends meet, and so is the Parish.

of Mass in the Syro-Malabar rite on two Sundays every month, celebrated by the Syro-Malabar chaplain for Broken Bay Diocese, Fr Leonse Kurian.

Acting Primary Principal Ann Jackson agrees that the College shares a close relationship with the Parish, “physically, spiritually, pastorally and cerebrally”.

“The people are committed to paying off their own mortgage and paying for schooling and other activities for their children,” he says. “They’re all working families, mostly commuting to Sydney.

“And we had a wonderful Grand Curry Night to celebrate their feast day, where, apart from the great food, the Indian community entertained us all night, with dances and songs,” says Fr Vince. “It was fabulous.”

“The Parish offices are within our College building and so we have easy access to Parish staff who also join us for school celebrations,” she says. “Our parishioners work with primary staff and students in a program called LAP where they befriend a student who just needs an adult they can form a supportive relationship with.

“We share adult faith formation opportunities, teachers are members of the Parish Pastoral Council and liturgy committees, and we engage spiritually during sacramental programs where some of our teachers lead groups, and of course in the sharing of Eucharist at school Masses, weekend class Masses and major Feast Day celebrations.

We are blessed to have a Parish Priest who is very approachable and willing to look at ways to make our celebrations joyous, engaging and affective.”

Fr Vince says while Warnervale is only a short drive

6 OCTOBER 2018

“But we also have a lot of retired people coming into the area to downsize. They are very happy here and very secure, but financially they are often struggling.

“We have lots of young families, but the demographic we don’t see is young adults. There is no work here and when they finish school they either head to Sydney or Newcastle for university or to find work.”

While the area is primarily Anglo-Celtic, Fr Vince says the Parish is blessed with the arrival of people from other cultural backgrounds.

“We have some Maltese, because this area was occupied by Maltese market gardeners before the housing developments. But the biggest group we would have is people of Irish background and the biggest increase we are seeing is people from the Indian, Filipino and Tongan communities,” he says.

The Indian population has prompted the introduction

The Maltese community also celebrate the Santa Maria Festival on the Feast of the Assumption with prayers, Mass, a procession and food. And there is a Tongan Mass celebrated once a month.

“So our new cultural communities are giving a lot of life to the place,” Fr Vince says.

Other devotions in the Parish include the praying of the Rosary after most Masses, as well as Divine Mercy devotional prayers, a meditation group, Eucharistic Adoration every Thursday after Mass, followed by Benediction, and the Morning Prayer of the Church once a week.

The sacramental programs for young people are held on Sunday mornings, with the parents also involved.

“And we have a steady flow of people being baptised or received into the Church,” Fr Vince says.

Exploring our missionary outreach

Fr Vince says there are nine nursing homes within the Parish and he is able to celebrate Mass at each nursing home every two or three months. A dedicated team of Ministers take Holy Communion to them every week.

A seniors group holds a number of activities each month, including craft days, dinner at the local club and bus trips.

There is a monthly Mass with anointing of the sick, followed by morning and tea and sometimes a guest speaker.

On the other end of the age spectrum, there is children’s Liturgy of the Word at the 10.00am Mass, attended by up to 50 children, and the youth group, known as Edge Group caters for young people in Years 6, 7 and 8, using the LifeTeen model from the US. “It’s going well and we’re looking to extend it,” says Fr Vince. “We have a Youth Mass on Sunday nights with really good young musicians and singers, and of course, there is a very strong and active youth ministry in the School.”

Adult faith formation is a constant in St Mary MacKillop Parish, with regular Bible studies and other opportunities.

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“For instance, we’re currently looking to the Plenary Council and what that invites us to, and recently we had a group getting together every Wednesday night to watch Bishop Robert Barron’s Catholicism video series,” says Fr Vince. “Now, they’re moving on to his series on the Mass, which will be held in parishioners’ homes.

“We have a strong ecumenical group in the Parish and Fr Gerard Kelly came to give a talk on that topic.”

The ecumenical group is part of the local community’s Churches Together grouping, which hold ecumenical services three times a year.

The Parish Social Justice group is also active and is currently focusing on two key areas – refugees and homelessness.

“Homelessness on the Coast is a major issue,” Fr Vince says. “Recently the Council did a study on homelessness and our social justice group has been inviting people to write to their local councillors to encourage them to look at the results of the study and take the results seriously by publicly releasing them and taking action.”

Warnervale Parish is also home to a group of women who are seeking a more active role for

NEIGHBOURHOODS OF GRACE

women in the Church. Taking Mary Magdalene as their patron, the women meet regularly and one of them provides a reflection on the scriptures at one Sunday Mass per month.

“All of the reflections have been outstanding and all have been really well received,” says Fr Vince.

Fr Vince says the Parish is blessed to have many good volunteers engaged in various aspects of Church life, including the liturgy and music.

There is a small team of dedicated catechists heading into the local public schools to share their faith with the students. St Vincent de Paul is also active in doing good for those in need in the local area.

“We’ve got a very generous community,” he says. “Although we could always use more volunteers!”

Fr Vince says that being the first parish in the Diocese to be named after Australia’s first saint is a real honour and an inspiration.

“St Mary MacKillop is very much part of the life our community. Mary and her writings are quoted often. She is a real example in the Parish. Her spirit really lives here, and that’s pretty special,” he says.

OCTOBER 2018 7

NEWS AND ISSUES

Two Broken Bay Families experience WMoF Dublin Two families from the Diocese of Broken Bay represented Australia at the recent World Meeting of Families in Dublin, Ireland from 21-26 August. The Jee family, selected as representatives for Broken Bay, and the Hyland family, specially selected by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference as Australia’s official delegates.

High five from Pope Francis!

Held every three years, the World Meeting of Families (WMoF) gives families from all over the world the opportunity to come together and celebrate, pray and reflect on the central importance of marriage and the family.

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he event consists of a three-day pastoral congress with various international speakers.

The congress was followed by a ‘festival of families’ which is a celebration of family life with testimony from families who have been through difficult times and have found strength in the teachings of Christ and his Church. The meeting concluded with a Papal Mass in which 500,000 people were expected to be in attendance.

Our first two days in Ireland were spent touring places of spiritual significance, the highlight of which was the old monastic settlement of Glendalough.

The stones on the ground to the entrance are well rounded by the thousands of pilgrims that have travelled to this holy place, this thought helped us connect as modern pilgrims to those who had gone before us. The round tower is an exceptional feat considering it was built in the 11th century. It acted as a bell tower for the community who prayed the divine office five times a day. Even though there were many tourists there at the time of our visit you could still feel the spiritual connection to the community founded by St Kevin here in the 6th century.

The pastoral congress itself was a good experience.

There was something for everyone of all ages.

There was a kids and teens program as well as a YOUCAT tent which was well suited for teenagers who seemed to enjoy hanging out there with other young pilgrims. Leanne and I managed to see most of the talks that we had planned to see. We both agree that Bishop Robert Barron’s talk on Chapter 7

BY SHANE HYLAND of Amoris Laetitia (AL) “towards better education of our children” was one of the best expositions of this document that we have heard so far.

The Bishop’s ability to use sports analogies to explain the virtue ethics used in AL was amazing and it would be in the interest of all educators of children to listen to his talk which is available on the WMoF website. He uses the analogy of baseball in which players of the game do not learn how to play baseball by reading the rule book, they learn to play by imitating the ‘good person’ and being corrected by their coach. He goes on to say that it is only by inculcating the ‘virtues’ of baseball that the player is “free” to play the game. Similarly, in life, virtues are learnt not by reading the rulebook, although rules are important, but by lived experience of habit and correction. The main point of this chapter is to affirm the role of the family as the ‘school of virtue’, where habitual inculcation of virtue occurs through parents who “lovingly correct” their children.

The festival of families was held in Croke Park, Dublin and was an exciting experience for everyone involved as it was the first event in which we were able to see Pope Francis. As the Pope drove around in his ‘Pope mobile’ Joshua, our eldest son, was able to get a high five from him and this was certainly the highlight of the whole pilgrimage for Joshua. Pope Francis addressed us, and his message reflected on stories of the families who shared beforehand.

His main message was simple and empowering.

He said that families need to say and practice saying sorry, please and thank you, he said that these are the most important words. He made us repeat them many times. He said that we should not go to bed without healing an argument otherwise there will be a cold war for many days.

He encouraged us to find moments of tenderness, which can be as simple as a caress on the cheek to let the other know that we are sorry.

The Papal Mass was a pilgrimage within a pilgrimage. Our day began at 9am as we started our journey on trains, trams and on foot towards Phoenix Park. The sheer number of people involved

8 OCTOBER 2018

meant that it took a lot longer than usual to get there though it was well worth the journey. It was great to hear Pope Francis during the penitential rite asking for forgiveness.

He asked for forgiveness for the hurt caused to those sexually abused by clergy and lay people in the Church, for the exploitation of those forced to work in institutions, for the silence of the hierarchy, for the poor treatment of single mothers, and for the failure to respond with compassion and justice.

The rain managed to hold off for most of the Mass, though the wind was quite relentless. The Mass itself was beautiful. The choir was magnificent, and the international flavour of the Mass was made manifest with the first reading in Gaelic and the second reading in Spanish. I felt a great sense of HOPE, hope for our Church, hope for the world we live in to turn away from lives that are ego driven, selfish and acts of evil and hurt. In the hope that families turn to each other and really be with one another.

This was an experience that our family will never forget, and we encourage everyone who is interested in learning more about the importance of marriage and family to attend the next World Meeting of Families which will be held in Rome in 2021.

NEWS AND ISSUES

A moment of providential grace “The greatest gift a man can give his children is to love their mother,” Pope Francis told the thousands gathered in Croke Park from the four corners of the world who shared the joy of families from across the world at the Festival of Families in Dublin, Ireland at the World Meeting of Families (WMoF).

BY DAVID JEE

“H

ow many of you teach your children to really make of the sign of the cross?”

Pope Francis asked us.

It was a moment of providential grace. Our first encounter was with Bishop Keenan (Paisley Diocese) from Scotland who I had been following on social media sitting in the seats immediately behind us. Social media with all its moments of encounter became a real personal exchange of joy.

We witnessed a family of nine children and one foster child from Ireland share their encounter of healing from drug addiction. Syrians told of the pain of leaving home for safety, losing their priest in war while others shared of the power of forgiveness to welcome home the estranged members of the family. People from all corners of the globe united in one faith witnessed the Joy of the Gospel.

We thank the Diocese of Broken Bay for the miracle of going on pilgrimage to Dublin, Ireland

Syrians told of the pain of leaving home for safety, losing their priest in war while others shared of the power of forgiveness…

BROKEN BAY NEWS

for the WMoF. As challenging as it was, bringing six lively children aged 14 to 4 years, brought many surprises to the numerous visitors gathered for the WMoF. Many were looking for hope and for a future for the Church rocked by scandal from the past. One journalist who travelled from Belfast left Dublin with his tiny Australian souvenir koala and witnessed great hope in seeing the joy in our children as the future in our broken churches.

Bishop Barron shared his thoughts and wisdom of raising a family for eternity to a packed crowd. “We are called to practice virtuous lives not just live in fear of rules and regulations. If you want to learn how to play golf, you study the great golf players.

To become virtuous, we study the lives of the great saints. As parents we need to lovingly correct our children at home to help them grow in virtue.”

We could feel the pain of the Irish Catholics rocked by the scandals that have ripped through our Australian and world Church. We met those who had forgiven those who hurt them or didn’t know their biological parents, born to a mother who was cared for by the nuns, but who had lived a happy life in an adoptive family and those who have returned to the faith through healing from drug addiction, alcoholism or the emptiness of modern life.

Adoration and confession were the moments they encountered the real happiness of the risen Lord hidden in the tiny white bread of the Holy Eucharist.

People from all corners of the globe united in one faith who spoke different languages witnessed the Joy of the Gospel.

Wiping away tears of sorrow for those who had been hurt by the sins of others.

Irish dancing, music, Mass, delivering your prayer intentions to Our Lady of Knock, talks, making new friends, Irish breakfasts of sausages, black pudding, eggs, beans, Irish stew and the joy of the friendly nature of the Irish, bouts of passing summer showers of rain, wind and the lush green of the countryside was well appreciated.

As Australians who gathered for Mass on Saturday morning in our small group of pilgrims, we wondered how we can encourage others to take the risk and make the sacrifice to attend the next WMoF in Rome in 2021, where it all began. All roads lead to Rome!

It is our hope that you will embrace an opportunity to encounter the hope of fellow pilgrims to share with your children the sacrifices made by the saints and missionaries to bring the joy of the Joy of the Gospel to our broken world.

OCTOBER 2018 9

NEWS AND ISSUES

Lindfield-Killara Parish hosts Child Protection Forum “Without the active participation of all the Church’s members, everything being done to uproot the culture of abuse in our communities (and the culture of protection of those abusers) will not be successful in generating the necessary dynamics for sound and realistic change”.

BY ELIZABETH REEDY

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ope Francis in his recent Letter to the People of God (20 August 2018) issued a call to all the baptised, not just the ordained, to address the issues of child protection and sexual child abuse within the Catholic Church.The Pastoral Parish Council of Lindfield-Killara, after much discernment and discussion felt that there was a need for the Parish to join as a community, together with the Diocese, in beginning to address these issues.

On the evening 26 June 2018, the Parish Pastoral Council hosted a forum at St Brigid’s Hall, Lindfield on Child Protection and the Child Sexual Abuse Crisis within the Church.

The purposes of the forum were identified as an opportunity to provide parishioners with objective information about the Royal Commission; information about the actions of the Parish and the Diocese to address these issues; a chance to ask questions, express views and feelings; and obtain counselling and pastoral support if needed.

The Parish was privileged to have a comprehensive panel of speakers, including Fr David Ranson, who spoke of the Diocesan response and Jodie Crisafulli, now Director Diocesan Office for Safeguarding spoke of the work of her office. Steven Crittenden, the former ABC religious journalist who was the principal policy officer and lead writer of the Royal Commission’s final volume on religious institutions

spoke of the work of the Royal Commission and factors that contributed to abuse in the Catholic Church. Aaron Tang, a parishioner and lawyer who was engaged in the private sessions of the Royal Commission spoke of the Parish response and stories of victims/survivors of abuse.

Tamara Hughes, now Safeguarding Manager from the Diocesan Catholic Schools Office was also in attendance. The evening commenced with short presentations by our panellists, followed by Q&A moderated by an experienced independent moderator, Ky Chow. Counselling support was provided by Julie Blyth, clinical adviser at the Royal Commission.

The forum was well attended with over 80 participants and an extensive amount of information was provided by the panel and an open and respectful discussion was conducted. The range of issues covered included questions about the release of the Truth Justice Healing Commission’s report, communication of the Church’s response to the Royal Commission, the Church’s compliance with Child Safe standards, Church governance and the role of the laity. Overall it was a positive and constructive gathering.

Subsequent to the forum, the Parish has updated its webpage to provide more information about its child protection measures and has appointed two child safety advocates to work with its child protection

ALBERT & MEYER FUNERAL DIRECTORS

As a Parish we look forward to this chance to get involved, to pray and to listen and speak with a humble heart… officer. The consensus view of those in attendance and others in the Parish is that the Church’s response to date represents a start but that more work needs to be done.

The Plenary Council 2020 process provides a necessary and perfect opportunity to continue to address the ongoing complex and difficult issues surrounding the Church in relation to the sexual abuse crisis and child protection as well as general issues on the future direction of the Church. As a Parish we look forward to this chance to get involved, to pray and to listen and speak with a humble heart and be open to the Holy Spirit in guiding us to transformation and change, so that our Church will be restored and become a stronger more vibrant community of faith.

…serving the Diocese of Broken Bay since 1967 Rebecca Pincott Michael Bolton

Australian Family Owned & Operated 301-303 PENNANT HILLS ROAD, THORNLEIGH

9484 3992 ALL SUBURBS 24 HOURS www.albertmeyer.com.au 10 OCTOBER 2018

ACROSS OUR DIOCESE

Robert Fitzgerald, former Commissioner

Fr David Ranson, Robert Fitzgerald, Jodie Crisafulli, Melinda Rixon and Tamara Hughes

New Diocesan Office for Safeguarding Launched Following an extensive review of Safeguarding structures and the resolute commitment to fostering a culture of safety and care for children and those who are vulnerable, the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay officially launched its new Diocesan Office for Safeguarding at a function in Waitara on 19 September 2018.

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n the presence of Mr Robert Fitzgerald AM (Commissioner with the Royal Commission into the Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse); Narelle McMahon (Catholic Professional Standards Ltd); Kelvin Simon (Fmr Snr Investigator for the NSW Ombudsman), and more than 80 Clergy, Principals, Parish representatives and Staff from across the Diocese, the launch acknowledged the imperative for the people of Broken Bay to be able to experience the Diocese and its works as a place of safety, welcome and inclusion.

This integrated model of Safeguarding is a significant direction for the Diocese put in place by Most Rev Peter A Comensoli before his appointment as Archbishop to Melbourne and is the first stage in drawing together the important work being done in the areas of Safeguarding, Child Protection and Professional Standards across all sectors.

Speaking at the launch, Robert Fitzgerald praised the Diocese of Broken Bay for accepting the recommendations of the Review and building a new culture from the new structure.

“It is very fitting and appropriate that we make this announcement during our Diocesan month for Safeguarding awareness and education,” he said.

“This new structure and organisation – along with a Safeguarding Charter launched tonight, represent Bishop Peter’s resolute commitment to this area and are one of his most enduring legacies to our Diocese.”

“The way a diocese is structured is not a small factor that either contributes to a healthy culture of responsibility, accountability and transparency – or which descends into an organisation that is closed, self-reliant and secretive. We have begun to realise that the wounds of sexual abuse carried by our community cannot simply be addressed by necessary preventative measures such as screening and protocols. They will be healed by creating a new paradigm of inclusion, participation and openness – a framework in which people can work and lead together in the most life-giving way possible.”

“The harm and hurt is now part of our Church,” said Mr Fitzgerald. “It is now part of our mission. It is not about moving on from it but how we incorporate it into our lives. Trauma is never left behind to move on. A survivor carries it always as part of them. The Church is now in the same place.”

Newly appointed Director for the Diocesan Office for Safeguarding, Ms Jodie Crisafulli, will direct and oversee a consistent and accountable approach for Safeguarding and Professional Standards across the entire Diocese incorporating Clergy, Parishes, Schools, CatholicCare and Chancery Offices.

Diocesan Administrator, Very Rev Dr David Ranson, has warmly welcomed the new structure.

The Director will be supported by a new Safeguarding Executive comprising three

Safeguarding Managers representing Chancery, CatholicCare and the Catholic Schools Office, along with specialised staff embedded in these agencies. The Managers in turn will be informed by a Safeguarding Strategic Advisory Panel (to be appointed) which will bring national and international policy and best practice to Diocesan endeavours. The Safeguarding Offices across the Agencies will also be accountable to a Safeguarding Panel of Review (also to be appointed), which will provide independent evaluation of the redress the Diocese seeks to provide those who have suffered abuse.

“This important ministry of Safeguarding involves us all. Fostering a culture of care, that nourishes communities as places of safety and care is a responsibility we all must carry,” Director, Jodie Crisafulli said.

“I thank both Fr David and Bishop Peter for the commitment they have given towards the safety and care of our most vulnerable, and look forward to working with the Priests, Parishes, Schools, Agencies and the people of the Diocese as we continue to build and affirm a culture of care and safety amongst all the people of our Diocese.”

The Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay is committed to the promotion of an inclusive, welcoming environment that provides the foundation for transparent, accountable and risk-based approaches to ensure the safety of children and those who are vulnerable.

Liturgy of Commitment and Care

O

n Tuesday 4 September 2018, the Diocese of Broken Bay held a Liturgy of Commitment and Care.

All in the Diocese were invited to gather together to acknowledge the suffering caused by abuse of our most vulnerable, to give public expression to our sorrow, to seek forgiveness and to make a public commitment to safeguard all.

Fr David Ranson, Diocesan Administrator of Broken Bay, remarked that our current period of history is occasioned by our acceptance that our community

BROKEN BAY NEWS

of faith has not been a place of safety and care, and that it stands in need of radical redemption.

Fr David encouraged those who had gathered to sustain a mindfulness about our moral, legal and spiritual obligation to safeguard all those within the community. He challenged us to not just be people of action, but to be people who act together.

“The action of prayer is one powerful way in which a community can demonstrate its solidarity in committing to a culture of safety and care,” said Fr David. At the conclusion of the liturgy the next action

by the people of the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay was to read aloud, as one community, the Diocesan Commitment to Safeguarding.

The Liturgy of Commitment and Care signified the start of the annual Safeguarding Month held during September in Broken Bay. OCTOBER 2018 11

PLENARY COUNCIL 2020 CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF BROKEN BAY

Plenary Council 2020

Broken Bay Leading the Way The People of God in Broken Bay have heard and responded generously to the call to share their voice and shape the agenda of the Council and the life of the Church for generations to come.

BY DANIEL ANG

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n August, some 140 leaders from parishes, schools and agencies assembled for training provided by the Office for Evangelisation and National Facilitation Team. Designed to equip these ‘Local Animators’ with practical methods and tools to facilitate listening and dialogue with their people, the training days were also attended by leaders from the Diocese of Wollongong, the Archdiocese of Sydney and the SyroMalabar community who enriched the gathering by their presence. In total, five dioceses have taken up our Broken Bay resources for use in their own churches, and we are eager to learn from their experiences and insights as we walk the Plenary journey together.

The activity since our August training has been remarkable, speaking of the vitality of our Broken Bay communities.

Information nights and listening sessions have been held in local parishes with catechists, conferences of the St Vincent de Paul Society, following Masses and on specially convened gatherings of parishioners, in schools with staff, students as well as parent groups, with liturgical

committees and groups of charity and justice. Our migrant communities have also taken up translations of the Plenary listening guide and individuals have made submissions directly to the national Plenary Council website. Some faith communities are engaging the listening sessions to also develop pastoral plans for

the years to come while our clergy have participated in dialogue at a deanery level, sharing their questions and views as the ordained.

Deacon Roberto shared his experience of gathering with catechists of the Cathedral Parish in dialogue. “It was a refreshing experience. They felt empowered to be listened to and be heard.”

For Richard Houwing of St Agatha’s Parish at Pennant Hills, the local listening sessions in his Parish have provided much needed space for conversation in the Church. “I was encouraged by the maturity of the conversations. It was a good cross section of the community with people sharing respectfully and passionately their thoughts and ideas. While contentious issues were discussed there was a wonderful atmosphere of empathy. We need to help people understand the opportunity grace is giving us.”

12 OCTOBER 2018

In Chatswood Parish, Gail Gill also affirmed the experience of the Plenary process. “Parishioners who have so far engaged are heartened by the rhythm of the process itself, as a prayerful way of entering dialogue, especially when there are strong responses expressed in a group. They are encouraged to know that the draft Plenary Council papers will be released for further consultation next year.”

As the People of God in Broken Bay, our commitment to the journey of the Plenary Council expresses our conviction that God continues to speak to the Church today and will guide the Church into the future through the Holy Spirit. The Church has always gathered at moments of important decision, to attend to what the Spirit is saying and to respond.

The Church in Australia has arrived at one of those moments.

In the practice of speaking and

PLENARY COUNCIL 2020

…discernment is the grace of the Spirit to the holy faithful people of God, who constitutes it a prophetic people, endowed with the sense of faith and that spiritual instinct that makes it capable of feeling cum ecclesia (with the Church). listening in faith, we learn that the reform of the Church cannot take place without conversion. All of us shape the Church by our participation in it. In contrast to the world of politics, where a partisan debate of issues is the norm, the synodality and dialogue promoted by the Plenary Council is attuned not to our own preferences but to God’s mission. Hence, the question at the centre of our dialogue, ‘What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?’

As a communion of persons, discernment on this question takes place with one another because attending to the promptings of God’s Holy Spirit naturally leads us to seek out the presence of the Spirit in the lives and perspectives of others, and in the ‘signs of the times’ in which we live our Christian faith. It is only together that we arrive at the best view of things with the eyes and ears of faith.

As Pope Francis has shared, “discernment is the grace of the Spirit to the holy faithful people of God, who constitutes it a prophetic people, endowed with the sense of faith and that spiritual instinct that makes it capable of feeling cum ecclesia (with the Church). It is a gift received in the midst of the People and is oriented towards its salvation. Since from Baptism the Spirit already dwells in the heart of the faithful, the apostolic faith, bliss, righteousness, and evangelical spirit are not strangers BROKEN BAY NEWS

to them” (Address to Newly Ordained Bishops, 14 September 2017).

In short, the People of God can know what the faith is. It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to live this faith forwards with courage, rather than with fear or reluctance as if faith were a relic of the past. It is the Holy Spirit who allows us to be anchored in our faith and move at the same time.

As we continue to do our praying, our reflecting, our speaking and our listening, we invite all people, whether

deeply involved, partially engaged, disillusioned or on the margins, to share their experience of faith and the Church at listening sessions across our Diocese. Please contact your local parish or school for more information or check the Broken Bay website (www.bbcatholic.org.au) for forthcoming opportunities to share dialogue with others near you.

You can also make community or individual submissions to the Plenary Council website (http://plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au) until Ash Wednesday 2019 (6 March)

and shape the agenda of Plenary Council 2020 in this way.

Thank you to all those who have led dialogue in their local communities and continue to do so. At this time in our history it is not our words that matter to the world as much as our witness, expressed in action.

Whether challenging or serene, your dialogue about the future of the Church in Australia is testimony to the Holy Spirit pouring fresh heart and hope into the life and mission of our Catholic communities.

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CATHOLIC YOUTH BROKEN BAY

Nominate someone for the Youth Discipleship Awards The Year of Youth has provided the opportunity to prayerfully discern the importance and life-giving presence of young people in our local Neighbourhoods of Grace, within the Diocese of Broken Bay.

BY KELLY PAGET

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t has opened doors for dialogue and active engagement focused on the reconnection and renewal of a new generation of young people in the life of the Church. The voice and leadership of young people is critical to the present and the future of the Church in Australia and will be much needed as we journey toward Plenary Council 2020.

To celebrate and acknowledge the success of this year and its promise for the ongoing renewal called by the Plenary Council, we will be holding an End of The Year of Youth Celebration, on Saturday 24 November. Beginning with 5.00pm Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral and continuing with a celebration dinner in the Light of Christ Centre.

Dinner will include Stories of Joy from our parishes during their time with the CYBB pilgrim cross,

entertainment and presentations of CYBB Youth Discipleship Awards.

The Awards have been established to achieve 3 main purposes: 1. For local Neighbourhoods of Grace to acknowledge & highlight the achievements of young people in their faith communities.

2. To encourage and inspire young people to participate in all levels of parish life and beyond.

3. To hold up examples of strong missionary discipleship as lived out by young people and those who work to support them.

We now invite local communities to discern and acknowledge young people who have shown a commitment to service and leadership as missionary disciples, then nominate them for the CYBB Youth Discipleship Award. They will be presented at the End of The Year of Youth Celebration in 3 agebased categories; High School Students (12-18 yrs old), Young Adults (18-30 yrs old) and Youth Advocates (30+yrs) To be eligible for nomination they must meet the following criteria:

2 018 CHILDREN’S CHOIR GAMES

Hosted by the Catholic Parish of Lower North Shore

• Fit into one of the three age-based categories for the award; High School Students (12-18 yrs old), Young Adults (18-30 yrs old), or Youth Advocates (30+yrs) • Not be receiving any monetary payment for their ministry work • Participating in ministry within the boundaries of the Diocese of Broken Bay and/or is a parishioner of a Broken Bay Parish • Demonstrate and witness to a strong example of missionary discipleship in the ministry work or service they undertake If you would like to nominate a person for one of these awards, we invite you to complete a nomination form which can either be downloaded from the website www.bbcatholic.org.au/youth and completed by hand or fill in the online version.

Nomination close at 5.00pm Thursday 1 November, to allow time for the judging panel to discern the winner and notify nominees.

We look forward to seeing many of you at the End of The Year of Youth Celebrations and pray for continued empowerment of young people within our communities.

St Philip Neri Church, Northbridge Sunday 21 October 2018

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NEWS AND ISSUES

The Catholic Church has learned, is changing and will keep changing On 31 August 2018, Catholic leaders announced they accept 98 per cent of the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and have vowed that the Church’s shameful history will never be repeated.

J

osephite Sister Monica Cavanagh, the president of Catholic Religious Australia, and Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President Archbishop Mark Coleridge released a joint response, expressing their deep sorrow that vulnerable children were abused, weren’t believed and weren’t supported when seeking justice.

Sr Monica said the Royal Commission “was an important and necessary period for the Australian community” and expressed gratitude to the survivors “whose courage in coming forward and telling their stories will mean that the Church and society will be safer in the future.”

continue to change. Changing the culture of our Church to be answerable and open is part of the action that needs to occur.”

Archbishop Coleridge said the Catholic Church’s response to the Royal Commission’s recommendations is “a plan of action; it is our pledge to the Australian people; it is our promise of transparency and accountability”.

There will be no placing the reputation of the Church above the safety of children.

“The process is already underway to reform the Church’s practices to ensure that safeguarding is integral in all that we do as part of our ministry and outreach in the community,” Sr Monica said.

“Making the Church a safer place for our children and vulnerable persons is at the heart of our commitment to mission.”

Archbishop Coleridge said many changes had been made since the horrific reality of child sexual abuse became known, but they were sometimes too slow and too timid.

“Too many priests, brothers, sisters and lay people in Australia failed in their duty to protect and honour the dignity of all, including, and especially, the most vulnerable – our children and our young people,” Archbishop Coleridge said.

“Many bishops failed to listen, failed to believe, and failed to act. Those failures allowed some abusers to offend again and again, with tragic and sometimes fatal consequences. The bishops and leaders of religious orders pledge today: Never again.

“There will be no cover-up. There will be no transferring of people accused of abuse. There will be no placing the reputation of the Church above the safety of children.”

Sr Monica said the Church has already begun to change a number of practices, including in the screening and formation of those training to be priests or religious sisters and brothers, and more is being done to ensure the ongoing formation of priests and religious men and women.

“Today is not about us saying ‘we will do the bare minimum’ in responding to the Royal Commission’s important recommendations,” she said. “Today is about telling parents and telling the community that the Church has learned, it is changing, and it will BROKEN BAY NEWS

Sr Monica Cavanagh and Archbishop Mark Coleridge

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NEWS AND ISSUES

World Mission Month 2018 – You Are Mission

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This year’s Catholic Mission World Mission Appeal highlights the variety and scope of the work of Catholic Mission around the world.

t also encourages all of us to recognise our important role in mission work – through prayer and donations towards life-giving projects.

The theme of the appeal ‘You are Mission’ is a message to every supporter, young and old. It challenges the idea that mission work is only done by missionaries overseas and encourages us all to make a real difference. Pope Francis stated in his message for World Mission Day 2018, “Every man and woman is a mission; that is the reason for our life on this earth.”

But mission is not reserved for priests and sisters, catechists and lay missionaries. Rather, it is a calling for all people of good will to be co-creators with God of a better world. This World Mission Month, we encourage everyone to consider how they “are mission” today.

Throughout World Mission Month in October and beyond, we’ll revisit some of our favourite works of mission from past years, which our supporters have enabled, including that of Sister Clara Deveraj, a Salesian Sister who ran the Marialaya

Home for Girls in Chennai. She now continues her ministry for women and young people in Michaelpuram, a small village four hours’ southwest of Chennai. On occasion she is visited by the girls she has helped to raise into strong young women.

Shorti and Vandoosha were rescued from child labour and homelessness

by Sister Clara and provided with shelter, safety and love at Marialaya.

We first met them a decade ago, and now both are entering their senior years of school with ambitions to work in social service and help others.

Meanwhile, in Manila, a young girl has found greater independence thanks to the Canossian Sisters in Tondo.

Having suffered many fractures already in her life due to brittle bone syndrome, Bridget was unable to stand and support her own weight.

Her grandmother and primary carer Heide would carry her from place to place and around the home, which placed a significant burden on the 67-year-old’s shoulders. But thanks to support from Catholic Mission and the care of the Sisters, nine-year-old Bridget now has a wheelchair to move her about the home, relieving much of Heide’s strain.

You can read more about these stories and more in our special issue of Mission Today or online at our new website, catholicmission.org.au.

They are just some of the many stories of mission we celebrate together in October for World Mission Month, and this year we encourage you to be part of it!

2018 WORLD MISSION APPEAL Freecall: 1800 257 296 catholicmission.org.au/youaremission 16 OCTOBER 2018

life faith Holiness in Daily Life

By Dr Cristina Gomez

“The seventh day focuses on God alone, resting and prompting our worship.”

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hat image comes to mind when you think of holiness? Is it a picture of a saint, perfect in all ways, with a halo adorning their head, praying and looking up to the sky? Or maybe it is a picture of the God of Michelangelo in the Sistine chapel, the big man with a white beard looking down on us from heaven, sacred, pure and perfect, a complete contrast from ourselves, mere mortals, who

are imperfect and far from pure? Or perhaps you imagine this characteristic and way of life belonging to a monk, rabbi, guru, or religious brother or sister performing rituals or blessings, far from our own daily lives, the everyday and the mundane? In other words, do you imagine holiness as something separate from ourselves and our everyday living, possibly even unattainable at least for us in this life?

Holiness as a Separation/Distinction between God and not of God

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n the Hebrew Scriptures, we are told that holiness has to do with a distinction or a separation, between the sacred and the profane. One root meaning for holiness “qodesh” (Hebrew), is “to separate” (qdš). We find this separation in Genesis where God spends six days creating the world but on the seventh, God rested and made it hallow (qadash), distinguishing the seventh day from the other six, as the text says: “And on the seventh day God finished the work that God had done, and God rested on the seventh day from all the work God had done. So, God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that God had done in creation.” Genesis 2:2-3.

Whilst the six days are spent on creation, the human world in its complexity, the seventh day focuses on God alone, resting and prompting our worship. Romanian Religious historian Mircea Eliade would call the six

days which focus on the human world as the “homogenous space”.1 Meanwhile, the seventh day is to do with the divine. For Eliade, the homogenous space does not mean all human experience is the same or that they can be reduced to similar characteristics. Rather, as humans, we can somehow share in each other’s world view and life experiences. But with the plural number of experiences and worldviews, there is only relativism and no point of orientation.2 In a similar way, the six days of creation are all beautiful and manifestations of God’s goodness. But they only make sense in relation to the seventh day, the day of rest, where there is no creating, just resting in and with God. Therefore, the space in which we dwell, the human realm of activity and complexity, in its myriad experiences of beauty and ugliness, joy and sorrow, all of it is called to holiness, in order to give orientation to our human activity and perspectives.

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

Holiness is also about separating what is of God and what is not of God. Part of human experience is a tendency toward violence, conflict, hate, jealousy, fear, domination and relationship breakdown. This is what we have seen in the stories of Cain and Abel, Joseph and his eleven brothers, and even between Adam and Eve after they had disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden (“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” Gen 3:15). In contrast, the First Letter of John tells us these are not things of God. Rather, we are called to love, which is of God, as the text says: Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that God loved us … since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and God’s love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7-12) Our call to holiness is our call to be God’s love, to witness this love and participate in love with one another. For just as God is love, so we are called to reflect this love to others.

We are all called to holiness in daily life

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ur Scriptures tell us to strive for holiness as Leviticus 19:2 says “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.’” Further, in 1 Peter 1:15-16 we find: “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

The Vatican II document on the Church, Lumen Gentium (LG), tells us also: “Strengthened by so many and such great means of salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state, are called by the Lord – each in his or her own way – to that perfect holiness by which the Father himself is perfect”. (LG 11) In Gaudete et Exsultate (GE), Pope Francis’ latest exhortation on holiness, Pope Francis explains that this striving for

perfection to be like God is not meant to be about copying a path “that we are not meant to copy, for that could even lead us astray from the one specific path that the Lord has in mind for us” (GE 11).

Rather, Pope Francis emphasises, as in Lumen Gentium, that our call to holiness is particular to each individual “each in his or her own way”. He says: The important thing is that each believer discern his or her own path, that they bring out the very best of themselves, the most personal gifts that God has placed in their hearts (cf. 1 Cor 12:7), rather than hopelessly trying to imitate something not meant for them. We are all called to be witnesses, but there are many actual ways of bearing witness. (GE 11) How do we bear witness to God’s love and be the best of our very selves? Pope Francis says, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves we can exercise holiness, not necessarily by “withdraw[ing] from ordinary affairs to spend much time in prayer” even though this activity does have great value in the cultivation of the spiritual life (GE 14).

But what Pope Francis means is that we can exercise holiness “by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves.” He instructs further: Are you called to the consecrated life? Be holy by living out your commitment with joy.

Are you married? Be holy by loving and caring for your husband or wife, as Christ does for the Church. Do you work for a living? Be holy by labouring with integrity and skill in the service of your brothers and sisters. Are you a parent or grandparent? Be holy by patiently teaching the little ones how to follow Jesus. Are you in a position of authority? Be holy by working for the common good and renouncing personal gain. (GE 14)

Eleven traps on the spiritual path

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eflecting on a book by Mariana Caplan called Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path in conjunction with St Benedict’s Rule for monastics, Benedictine nun Manuela Scheiba names 11 so-called ‘Spiritually transmitted diseases’.3 There is benefit in being aware of these spiritual diseases as we seek to follow the way of holiness in our daily lives. They are:

1. Fast-food spirituality When we live in a culture that prizes or normalises multitasking, instant gratification and efficiency, we can approach our spirituality with the same expectations – looking for the ‘quick fix’ and seeking justification for time spent with God ‘doing nothing’. But while St Benedict recognises “the deep longing and zeal of people who desire nothing more than hastening toward the heavenly home”, he tells his monks to channel that longing and zeal into the monastic life – the welcoming of guests, the care of people in need, and during common meals. He also reminds them to persevere and to make that lifelong commitment to the monastic life.

2. Faux spirituality This is about “combating the tendency to talk, to dress and to act as we imagine a spiritual person would.” As St Benedict says: “Do not aspire to be called holy before you really are, but first be holy that you may be truly called so.”

3. Confused motivations We can have an earnest desire to love and follow Christ. But we need to acknowledge that there may be lesser motivations mixed in such as “the wish to be loved, the desire to belong, the need to fill our internal emptiness, the belief that the spiritual path will remove our suffering”. We can even have ‘spiritual ambition’ where we “wish to be special, to be better than others…”. To counter this, we must turn to a skilful or more experienced member of our faith community who can help us distinguish between our higher and lesser motivations. In the Benedictine tradition, this process of sifting through one’s motivations is called sollicitudo which means ‘careful attention’.

4. Identifying with spiritual experiences Scheiba describes this as “people on a spiritual journey [who] may begin to believe that they are embodying insights that have arisen within them at certain times.” So, they might “consider themselves to be ‘enlightened’ and/or to be capable spiritual teachers.” But this phase does not last long. Soon enough people find their feet on the ground.

5. The spiritualised ego Caplan describes this as such: “When the ego becomes spiritualised, we are invulnerable to help, to new input, or to constructive feedback.

We become impenetrable human beings and are stunted in our spiritual growth and all in the name of spirituality.” But St Benedict’s constant instruction to his monks was always to “Listen!”.

More specifically, he called them to attend to the ear of their heart.

6. Mass production of spiritual teachers A person on a spiritual path can begin to overestimate or misinterpret his/her own experiences and insights leading him/her to believe s/he has reached a spiritual mastery level.

As such that person does not hesitate to instruct others, becomes puffed up in his/her authority, sees him/herself as exempt from other authorities and creates discord in the community. To avoid this, Benedict instructed that monks should serve under the Rule and the abbot who must also serve under the Rule. The Rule is as Scheiba describes, “shaped by and contains essential human experience and spiritual wisdom, which has been passed on through a long biblical, patristic, and monastic tradition.”

7. Spiritual pride This occurs after many years of spiritual practice and can lead a person to believe s/he is spiritually superior to others and attained a certain level of wisdom. Benedict put forward 12 steps towards true humility as a counter to this temptation.

8. Group Mind Similar to ‘group think’ this mindset is described

by Sheiba as “a self-righteous cop-out, a selfreliant sealing-off.” She quotes Caplan explaining that this is “a spiritual group [who] makes subtle and unconscious agreements regarding the correct ways to think, talk, dress, and act…Individuals

and groups infected with ‘group mind’ reject individuals, attitudes, and circumstances that do not conform to the often-unwritten Rules of the group.” Again, the antidote to this is to create a culture of listening, even with those who we would not necessarily listen to or have completely opposite ideas to ourselves, as Pope Francis constantly encourages the Catholic community to do.

9. The Chosen People Complex This is as the name suggests, a group of people who believe themselves to be above other groups, more spiritually enlightened or evolved compared to others. They seal themselves off from other individuals and communities. It is the antithesis to the charism of Benedictine spirituality which is to listen, to welcome, and provide hospitality to others.

10. Survival of Ego Based in the illusion of separation This is the entertaining of the idea that spirituality is about me, the “I”. Real spirituality is not ego-centred but rather Christ-centred.

Therefore, it is “altruistic and communitarian”.

That is, it leads one out of oneself to reach out to others bringing the marginalised into the centre as envisioned in the kin-dom of God, where all are called to relate in loving mutuality and healthy interdependence rather than through domination or oppression of another.

11. ‘I have arrived’ disease A sure way to kill not only your own spirituality but also connection with others is to take the stance of having already arrived at the final destination of spiritual enlightenment or evolving.

Five Signs of Holiness

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urning these 11 traps of the spiritual path into more positive steps, we can look towards Pope Francis’ five suggestions, in Gaudete et Exsultate, which he explains as evidencing signs of holiness in a person’s life. They are:

1. Perseverance, patience, and meekness Underlying these attitudes is the real trust “in the God who loves and sustains us” (GE 112) and therefore this God walks with us in the journey of life, the sorrows and joys, the pain and the healing. Any hardship endured is temporary.

Death never has the last say. Rather, it is God’s love that always triumphs in the end.

…therefore this God walks with us in the journey of life, the sorrows and joys, the pain and the healing.

inner clarity, and easily succumb.” (GE 140) True holiness not only leads us to live in community and communion with others but also leads us to be open to other people including those who may have different ideas to ourselves. For it is in community that we truly learn what it is to love someone, as 1 John 4:7-8 tells us: “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Only in an atmosphere of loving relationships can we be challenged to expand our hearts and minds and grow in the love of God.

5. In constant prayer

2. Joy and a sense of humour Pope Francis says: “far from being timid, morose, acerbic or melancholy, or putting on a dreary face, the saints are joyful and full of good humour.”

(GE 122) He challenges Christians to be joyful rather than appearing as someone who has just returned from a funeral. As he says: “If you have a face of a funeral wake, how can they believe that you are redeemed, that your sins have been forgiven? This is the first point, the first message of today’s liturgy: you are forgiven, each one of us is forgiven…”4

3. Boldness and passion

“Our human life is oriented towards God and therefore we are called to holiness.”

If God has done great things for us, why would we not proclaim it to the mountain tops? As Matthew 5:15 says: “No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.” We are called to be unafraid to proclaim the Good News of God and proclaim a different narrative to what the world might give us. Where in this world the celebrities, politicians and media moguls define our economies, in God’s world it is the poor, the stranger, those different from ourselves, the marginalised, and forgotten who take priority. We must not be afraid to say another world is possible and to never grow tired of working towards a world of peace and justice. (GE 129)

4. In community When we do not live in community “we can grow too isolated, lose our sense of reality and

This seems obvious and yet it is one of those vital practices that can go by the wayside when our lives are already full and busy. Yet Pope Francis points us to the saints who found “an exclusive concern with this world to be narrow and stifling, and, amid their own concerns and commitments, they long for God, losing themselves [then] in praise and contemplation of the Lord.” (GE 147) Like the seventh day of creation, prayer provides orientation to the other activities we undertake in God’s name. We do not just build God’s kin-dom on earth without being in constant conversation with or in the presence of God.

All in all, holiness is for everyone. Our human life is oriented towards God and therefore we are all called to holiness. Holiness is not merely about going away to some quiet place to speak with God even though this is a vital part of the journey. It is also about discerning what is the best way to respond in love in this moment, towards oneself, others, and God, considering my own talents, motivations, resources, and what various authorities have to say in this moment – the authorities of tradition, human reason, and life experience (as Cardinal Newman would explain).5 There are traps on the journey but also help which can rescue us from the spiritual holes we can dig for ourselves. It is a path towards joy and freedom which has already been given to us as a redeemed people of God. Our life is then about becoming who we already are.

1 Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane: the Nature of Religion (San Diego, USA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1987).

2 Thomas Dozeman, Holiness and Ministry: A Biblical Theology of Ordination (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008).

3 Manuela Scheiba, “Test the Spirits: Helpful Arrangements in Benedict’s Rule in the Face of Momentous Traps on the Spiritual Path”, Tjurunga: The Australasian Benedictine Review 88 (2016): 5-22.

4 Dec 20, 2017, Weekly General Audience, Domus Sanctae Marthae.

5 John Henry Cardinal Newman, Conscience and Papacy (Letter to the Duke of Norfolk), (Michigan: Real View Books, 2002).

NEWS AND ISSUES

Church calls for action to stem the rising tide of homelessness

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The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has used its 2018-19 Social Justice Statement to express deep concern about Australia’s alarming growth in homelessness and insecure housing.

he Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has used its 201819 Social Justice Statement to express deep concern about Australia’s alarming growth in homelessness and insecure housing.

In A Place to Call Home: Making a home for everyone in our land, released on 6 September 2018, the bishops have called on Australians to look beyond the immediate challenges of the average household budget and to consider those who are homeless or facing housing stress because of skyrocketing rents and property prices.

In a letter to parishes, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President Archbishop Mark Coleridge said: “It seems hard to believe that in a rich nation such as ours, the latest Census figures show that the number of Australians who are homeless has grown to more than 116,000.

“House prices and even rents are spiralling out of reach of too many families and placing huge financial stress on ordinary people, even when they are employed. For those living on pensions or allowances, finding secure housing can be a far greater challenge – one that often takes a terrible toll on social wellbeing and mental health.”

and on our capacity to contribute to and benefit from our society. At its worst, the struggle leaves the vulnerable in our society homeless – sleeping on the street, in cars or in doorways, or hoping for a space on someone’s couch or floor,” said Bishop Long.

The Social Justice Statement draws on Jesus’ famous parable of the Good Samaritan, offering a reminder that when seeing people in the street in

need of help, wounded by violence, misfortune or poverty, there is a choice: Walk past or stop and help?

enough – or not enough – to keep themselves and their families housed and fed.

“Behind the people on the streets is another legion – those who are battling to keep the roof over their heads, wondering if they can make the next rent or mortgage payment,” Bishop Long said.

“Housing is a human right, asserted by documents like the UN Declaration of Human Rights and by the teachings of our Church. Housing is an essential entitlement for all people to meet their basic needs, flourish in community and have their inherent human dignity affirmed and upheld by others.”

“Often, these are people who are employed but whose income is barely

Warnervale Parish taking action

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he newly established Social Justice Committee formed at Mary MacKillop, Warnervale acted as a catalyst for launching a campaign of letter writing and petition signing. It requested that the Central Coast Council implement, at the highest level, recommendations of the Judith Stubbs report. This report provides detailed statistics of homelessness in specific areas on the Central Coast and recommends how council could alleviate this

In his foreword to the statement, Australian Catholic Social Justice Council Chair Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv said a ruthless housing market was leaving people struggling to find secure and affordable housing, whether they lived in cities or regional areas.

BY MARGARET HAGAN These groups wanted to alert the councillors that this report existed; that it should be published and be implemented at the highest level. Some members of the committee were part of the community consultation group and had established that it was a well-researched and workable document.

So far, the group has collected 1000 signatures for the petition

and well over 150 individual letters and emails have been written. It is an ongoing activity.

Hopefully this co-operation will continue to advocate for affordable housing and transitional housing for the homeless in our region with both council and the State Government.

Homelessness in our area has grown proportionally more than the Greater Sydney Area!

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OCTOBER 2018 21

EDUCATION

Success in the Pool Four students from the Diocese had huge success in the pool at the School Sport Australia Swimming Championships in Hobart, representing their schools and their State.

N

athan Ward in Year 11 at MacKillop Catholic College, Warnervale was selected as one of two Vice Captains for the NSW All Schools Swimming Team and won two gold medals in the 50m and 100m Breaststroke, silver in the 50m Medley Relay and bronze in the 50m Freestyle Relay. He also broke the Tasmanian AllComers record in the 50m Breaststroke.

Joshua Kerr from Maria Regina Catholic School, Avalon also had a very successful

Nathan Ward

competition, winning three gold medals in the 50m Breaststroke, the 100m Breaststroke and the Boys Medley Relay. Joshua then went to Adelaide to compete in the National Pool Rescue Championships, where he won a Silver and three Bronze medals representing Newport Surf Lifesaving Club.

Brendan Holden from St Gerard’s Catholic School, Carlingford, won his first NSW Championship title when he was just eight years old, and won three

Nathan Thomas

Joshua Kerr

silver medals in Hobart in the 50m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke and Boys Medley Relay for his age group.

Nathan Thomas from Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic School, Epping also had a successful competition, winning three bronze medals in Hobart in the 50m Backstroke and the Medley and Freestyle Relays for his age group. This was an especially impressive achievement as he was the youngest member of the NSW team.

Brendan Holden

MacKillop Screens The Song Keepers As part of NAIDOC week, MacKillop Catholic College, Warnervale hosted a special screening of the film The Song Keepers, which tells the story of a choir of Arrarnta women who travel to Germany to perform a unique take on traditional German hymns.

M

arilyn Fraser, MacKillop’s Aboriginal Education Worker, organised the event after hearing a review of the film on the radio on her way to work. The theme for NAIDOC week this year was ‘Because of her, we can!’ The Darkinjung people, the traditional owners of the land on which MacKillop College was built, were invited to attend, along with the local community.

“I was intrigued to find out more about this unique group [of women], who sang baroque German hymns first brought to Central Australia by Luther missionaries in the 19th century in Pitjantjatjara and Arrarnta.”

Eighty people attended the screening, with one audience member praising it as “an inspiring story about women, culture and song and how coming together brings strength to all.”

Others commented on “the cross-cultural connection that formed deep human relationships through their love of singing and keeping their languages alive.”

Some members of the audience were moved to tears and laughter.

MacKillop also celebrated NAIDOC week with a

22 OCTOBER 2018

visit from Melissa Jackson from the State Library of New South Wales, who spoke to students about her work and the meaning of NAIDOC. Artist and musician Adam Hill ran workshops with the secondary students and the primary students had a day of activities and workshops including a smoking ceremony and traditional performances.

“I was both humbled and grateful for the support shown by the staff of MacKillop and the engagement from our entire community of students,” said Ms Fraser.

EDUCATION

Broken Bay students lend a helping hand Mark Twain once said that “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.”

S

tudents from three diocesan schools found this out for themselves this year when they took trips overseas to engage in humanitarian work and immerse themselves in new cultures.

A group of Year Ten students from St Leo’s Catholic College, Wahroonga travelled to the Pacific Islands of Kiribati as part of the ongoing partnership program with Sacred Heart College and the Kiribati School for Students with Special Needs.

The students lived in very simple conditions and delivered resources to this impoverished nation threatened by rising sea levels as a result of climate change.

In July, Year 11 students from St Joseph’s Catholic College East Gosford visited Timor Leste as part of the Tetum Literacy Program, which is run by Mary MacKillop Today and the Josephite Justice Network. The students worked with small children to improve their literacy.

Amber, in Year 11 at St Joseph’s, said that the

experience had been “unique, inspiring and hopeful.

Due to the tragic history of Timor Leste, every person we met had an incredible story to tell.”

The annual St Paul’s Catholic College, Manly immersion trip to Cambodia for Years 10-12 saw students working in New Hope for Cambodian Children, an orphanage for children who are HIV positive. Boys from St Paul’s worked as teachers’ aides in basic Mathematics and English and also participated in small construction and gardening projects.

Men’s Gathering at St Patrick’s St Patrick’s Catholic School, Asquith held its first men’s gathering last term, with a barbeque and guest speakers which included Catholic singer and educator Andrew Chinn, as well as Fr John Frauenfelder from the Catholic Schools Office and Dan Mulvany, a parent at the school.

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he topic for the evening was Finding God in the Busyness of our Lives, and the speakers shared their perspectives with the group before opening the discussion for questions.

“This was an opportunity for men to come BROKEN BAY NEWS

together, have a chat with one another, and join in a discussion about our faith,” said Principal Bernard Cumming.

The men who gathered found the night very valuable, with increased interest in the next men’s night.

This was an opportunity for men to come together, have a chat with one another, and join in a discussion about our faith.

OCTOBER 2018 23

EDUCATION

Broken Bay Teachers Recognised Two teachers from the Broken Bay Diocese have been awarded for their excellence in teaching.

K

irsty Thorpe, The Assistant Principal and Maths teacher at Our Lady of Dolours Catholic School, Chatswood, was awarded the Premier’s Mathematical Association of NSW Scholarship for her passion in using Maths to solve creative problems.

Ms Thorpe will use the $10,000 grant to work with international maths gurus including Jo Boaler at Stanford University, whose seminal work on the positive mathematical mindset has been used in schools across the Diocese to reframe the way we teach Maths.

return from her study tour to work with teachers and parents in her school and other diocesan schools to enhance the creativity, resilience and perseverance of Maths students.

“I feel Maths can be a creative and problem-solving subject because children find deeper levels of success when they think critically and creatively about their problems,” she said.

Amy Gill, a former teacher at Mercy Catholic College, Chatswood, was awarded a Highly Accomplished Teacher by the NSW Government.

Ms Thorpe is excited at the prospect of being able to

Ms Gill knows the Diocese as both teacher and student, as she attended

Amy Gill

St John’s, Narraweena, St Mary’s, Toukley and St Peter’s, Tuggerah for her own schooling.

She worked at Mercy from 2013 until leaving earlier this year for a unique opportunity to teach at alternative school The Lakes College: Youth Off The Streets on the Central Coast.

Ms Gill’s family have seen three generations at Broken Bay schools, as her two daughters attend St Patrick’s Asquith and Mercy, and her mother also went to Mercy.

“The Broken Bay Diocese holds a very special place in my heart,” she said. “It is where I began my love of learning and school.”

The Broken Bay Diocese holds a very special place in my heart…

It is where I began my love of learning and school.

Kirsty Thorpe

Holy Cross Students Sing with Andrew Chinn Recently three students from Holy Cross Catholic School Kincumber performed as part of a choir for Catholic performer Andrew Chinn’s new album, Rise Up. Ava and Sophie Maloney and Nyah Chapman joined other children from the Dioceses of Parramatta, Wollongong, Wagga Wagga and the Archdiocese of Canberra-Goulburn to provide vocals for seven songs on Chinn’s album.

Their parents also joined in for the song, “With a Father’s Heart, with a Mother’s Heart,” which was inspired by a conversation Pope Francis had with a young boy whose father had died.

24 OCTOBER 2018

Mr Chinn selected the students personally after hearing them sing at their school or parish over the last two years. Ava and Sophie were one of five sets of sisters to be included.

“They were a very sweet choir and very efficient. It took us less than two hours to record all seven songs,” said Mr Chinn. “It was also a lot of fun, plenty of laughter and smiles.”

The album will be released in December.

EDUCATION

A Brighter Future Schools from across the Diocese are participating in the new STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) 4 Social Action Initiative which provides assistance to disadvantaged school children in developing nations.

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he Social Action Initiative is one of many run by Reach 4 The Future, an educational organisation which integrates STEM subjects to provide social benefits to children in Uganda, Fiji, the Solomon Islands and the Cook Islands.

The latest initiative sees students

assembling solar light kits which will then be sent to Mount Saint Mary’s Catholic School in Nadi, Fiji, which was devastated by the 2017 earthquake and is left with no access to electricity.

Students from schools across the Diocese have also donated water

bottles and sun hats to Mount Saint Mary’s School after a fundraising drive.

The new Social Action Initiative had its national launch on 6 August, with Victorian Deputy Premier James Merlino and World Vision Australia’s Reverend Tim Costello launching the program.

The latest initiative sees students assembling solar light kits …

TV stars STEM from Channel 9

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Stage 2 students at St Rose Catholic School Collaroy have teamed up with the Northern Beaches Council and Taronga Zoo to help create solutions to save Feathertail Gliders.

hese adorable marsupials’ numbers are decreasing and the St Rose students were grouped with mentors from Mater Maria Catholic College. Students were given the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) challenge to formulate a conservation that would either raise community awareness, help their habitats or protect them from predators. They even caught the eye of Channel 9 and were recently featured on the Today Show with five live cross overs for the weather updates by Steve Jacobs.

“The students are so engaged and enthusiastic about learning. Students took on board the challenge and produced ideas that followed the design and make process to build sustainable conservation solutions.

They have taken their learning further than the classroom and engaged all their families which is great to see” said Olivia Preston, Year 3 Teacher.

“The best part of Project Feathertail Glider is learning about these animals and finding ways to help them,” commented Imogen (Year 3).

“When I first found out about this project I was so excited to be able to help the very cute Feathertail Glider. I went straight home and decided to make my own website to try and create community awareness for these amazing creatures,” said Samara (Year 4).

“I have really enjoyed learning about the Feathertail Glider with my group.

It has been lots of fun working with the Mentors from Mater Maria and they have been very helpful and encouraged us to make a difference,” stated Giuseppe (Year 3).

BROKEN BAY NEWS

“It has been really interesting and fun to be a part of Project Feathertail Glider. I have really enjoyed it and I have learnt so much about native Australian animals,” said Fletcher (Year 4).

“It is extremely rewarding to see all of the hard work and effort that the children have gone to for this project to be recognised by the wider community. It makes the learning more meaningful for the students and shows them that they really can make a difference,” commented Jessica Macri, Year 4 Teacher.

OCTOBER 2018 25

ACROSS OUR DIOCESE

Celebrating Disciples of All Nations “You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:34)

BY CRISTINA GOMEZ

P

ope Francis began his message on the 104th World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2018 with this passage from Leviticus – reminding all Christians that our primary duty towards migrants, refugees and asylum seekers is to welcome. For as Pope Francis says: “Every stranger who knocks at our door is an opportunity to encounter Jesus Christ, who identifies with the welcomed and rejected strangers of every age (Matthew 25:35-43).” He says to welcome “means, above all, offering broader options … to enter destination countries safely and legally”.

But more than welcome, Pope Francis calls us also to protect, promote and integrate migrants and refugees. To protect “may be understood as a series of steps intended to defend the rights and dignity of migrants and refugees, independent of their legal status.” Meanwhile “promoting essentially means a determined effort to ensure that all migrants and refugees – as well as the communities which welcome them – are empowered to achieve their potential as human beings, in all the dimensions which constitute the humanity intended by the Creator.” The final verb, to ‘integrate’, is not meant as “an assimilation that leads migrants to suppress or to forget their own cultural identity.” Rather, it “means being open to [the other] in order to welcome their valid aspects and thus contribute to knowing each one better.” For Pope Francis, this entails a lengthy process but a worthy one with the aim of shaping “societies and cultures, making them more and more a reflection of the multi-faceted gifts of God to human beings.”

Pope Francis’ commitment to migrants and refugees is high on his priority list. As such since the creation of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in August 2016, in which a section

To protect may be understood as a series of steps intended to defend the rights and dignity of migrants and refugees...

is dedicated to matters regarding refugees and migrants, he has taken it upon himself to directly oversee this area (ad tempus) in any manner he deems appropriate.

On Saturday 18 August 2018, the Office for Evangelisation in the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay sought to bring this message of welcoming, promoting, protecting and integrating migrants and refugees to light by hosting an inaugural “Celebrating Disciples of All Nations” event at the Light of Christ Centre, Waitara, with the support of Hornsby Cathedral. The day was varied and featured three separate parts: a lunch with entertainment; an education awareness event with an address

by Most Rev Vincent Long Van Nguyen, Bishop of Parramatta, and presentations by Sr Jan Barnett from the Josephite Sisters and Mr Phil Glendenning from the Refugee Council of Australia and Edmund Rice Centre; concluding with a multicultural Mass with contributions via singing and participation from various cultural communities.

There was much joy, good will, and generosity at the opening lunch amongst attendees, volunteers and contributors alike: entertainers and singers had been practicing their performances weeks prior to the event while cooks had been busy shopping and cooking days ahead. Everyone who was willing to contribute to the event gave so generously with recognition that it was important to celebrate diversity, to encourage respect and gratitude for different cultures, and to affirm the embracing of one’s own country and culture of origin.

The address by Bishop Long, himself a refugee, highlighted that it is above all safety that refugees seek while the contribution that refugees make to their host countries, even those who are most traumatised and impoverished, are immeasurably positive. Australia itself is built upon the gifts and work of refugees and migrants. Yet, we are challenged by Government policies which exclude and vilify refugees who arrive by boat seeking to make their home in Australia.

Mr Glendenning noted that in ordinary circumstances, if a person were to beat up another, an offender would be charged, incarcerated, but is usually assured of release the next day or so.

Meanwhile innocent people, including children, seeking safety, are imprisoned for an indefinite amount of time, leading to lifelong trauma. In order to move us beyond feelings of helplessness or apathy, Sr Jan encouraged participants to take action either by writing letters to our local federal members and/or joining campaigns that are fighting for the rights of refugees. She pointed out that our faith must lead us to action otherwise it is

26 OCTOBER 2018

ACROSS OUR DIOCESE an empty, comfortable, and inward-looking faith.

On my own part, I highlighted that we needed to recognise and engage migrants within our parishes. Are these individuals and communities closest to us also being welcomed, promoted, protected, and integrated?

The final event of the day was the Multicultural Mass concelebrated by Bishop Long and our Diocesan Administrator, Very Rev Dr David Ranson.

The Tongan, Filipino, Chinese and Vietnamese choirs combined under the direction of Patricia Smith, accompanied by Tim Hildebrandt. The Mass included readings, prayers and songs in different languages.

Apart from these important touches to the Mass, other highlights were the welcome provided in national costume, Fr Ranson’s formal address for the first time as Diocesan Administrator, and when the Tongan community brought the gifts forward and placed a lei on both Bishop Long and Fr Ranson as a show of welcome toward them. Another highlight was the various anecdotes and messages from Bishop Long including his joy at crossing the border to celebrate with the people of Broken Bay, his reiteration of Pope Francis’ message to be an inclusive and welcoming Church. The Mass ended with a moment reminiscent of Pentecost itself when all were invited to sing the first verse of ‘Amazing Grace’, each in their own language.

In total there were eight different communities represented on the day - the Vietnamese, Indians, Tongans, Filipinos, Italians, Polish, Chinese and Koreans. All of them expressed gratitude and hoped next year’s celebrations will be bigger and better! It is hoped that other cultural communities in our Diocese will be able to come onboard for our celebrations next year. We raised $640 in total for the Jesuit Refugee Services, through gold coin donations. I thank all the community representatives

Teimumu Akaveka, Bob and Cynthia Alipalo, Donald Kim, Phuoc Vo, Tien Dang, Catherine Wong, Lucy Leung, John Calabrese, Antoni Davis and Monica Pazniewski for their dedication and partnership.

Thank you to the many other helpers for assisting with event organisation and on the day itself in a variety of ways. The final thank you goes to our former Bishop, Most Rev Peter A Comensoli, now Archbishop of Melbourne, who shared his initial vision for holding this day of celebration.

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OCTOBER 2018 27

Did you know we offer out of schools hours care services?

CatholicCare is an approved provider of before and after school care and vacation care for children aged 5 - 12 years.

Located within our school grounds, our centres provide safe, familiar and wellmaintained child-friendly environments, allowing us to offer a wide range of extracurricular activities catering to children of differing ages, interests and needs.

We currently have availability at the following centres: • Our Lady of Good Counsel OSHC, Forestville • Holy Cross OSHC, Kincumber • Holy Family OSHC, Lindfield • St Kieran’s OSHC, Manly Vale • St John Fisher OSHC, Tumbi Umbi

Our goal is to educate the children by offering activities that improve their physical, mental, communication and confidence skills. We are flexible, accommodating and provide fun experiences that nurture your child’s development.

For more information visit www.catholiccaredbb.org.au/oshc

Intensive Therapeutic Care for children & young people

by Katie Barry

In 2015 the NSW government commissioned a state-wide review into the residential care sector.

The review was triggered by concerns about the poor outcomes for young people aged 12 – 18 years, who were living in residential care homes, where their 24-hour care was provided by house supervisors and youth workers. Placement breakdowns and moves were common. As a result of the review, a new program was developed called Intensive Therapeutic Care. The aim of this model is to better meet the needs of young people, who have often experienced serious abuse and neglect, which effects their behaviour, self-esteem, emotional and educational development.

CatholicCare was successful in winning the tender in July to provide a suite of services

on the Central Coast. One such program is Therapeutic Home-Based Care. This is a program for professional foster carers to provide a time limited placement, where they can focus on meeting the needs of young people who would previously have gone into residential care. This is a fantastic opportunity for CatholicCare to develop an innovative program to see the best outcomes for vulnerable young people.

We are actively looking for couples and singles with previous foster caring experience for this new program. The successful carers will be given specialised training in the areas of trauma informed care and child development. They will

FAMILY CENTRES: Central Coast • Naremburn • Northern Beaches • Waitara DISABILITY FUTURES: Central Coast • Northern Beaches • Northern Sydney PERMANENCY SUPPORT PROGRAM: Foster Care • Residential Care EARLY LEARNING & CARE CENTRES: Forestville • Lake Munmorah • Terrigal • Waitara • Woy Woy

28

OCTOBER 2018

have weekly therapy sessions with a Therapeutic Specialist to help young people in their care. The carers will also be supported to attend weekly carer support meetings. This is an intensive caring environment and successful authorised carers will be financially supported to maintain these requirements.

The program aims to support the young person to move into a permanent home, with the carer helping either the birth family or future foster carers to make this a successful move. If this program sounds like something you would be interested in knowing more about, please contact our team at fostercare@catholiccaredbb.org.au

Three cheers for our amazing ‘Garden Gurus’ & ‘Mow-Hawks’!

by Julian Baez Avellaneda

Drop in and be inspired or stay and get your hands dirty at the Edgeworth David Community Garden.

This project, two years in the making, is a wonderful inclusive garden for all in the community.

Located in Hornsby on the corner of Sherbrook and Northcote Roads, it’s exciting to see the first harvests with pumpkins, bok choy and snow peas filling the collection baskets!

and fellow volunteers receive coaching supervision from CatholicCare staff Edward Waple and Joe Chan plus professional garden mentoring from James Quealy – the Council Horticulturalist.

values point of view. Their participation has brought tangible and real understanding about what social inclusion looks like, and how it can be practically fostered in the community. Awesome work everyone!

According to the Garden Management Committee, the participation of the “Garden Gurus” and “Mow-Hawks” has been crucial in the development of the garden from a

The garden is continuously growing, and volunteers are needed for several roles.

If you are interested, please contact edcommunitygarden@gmail.com

We’d like to acknowledge Paul Fletcher, MP for Bradfield and now Minister for Urban Infrastructure, for providing a grant of almost $15,000 which funded important garden purchases.

Our CatholicCare Disability Futures volunteers – the “Garden Gurus” and the “MowHawks” do a great job providing general planting and maintenance in the garden.

In a recent conversation with Matthew Muzman, a passionate “Garden Guru” member, he told me he was learning a lot about vegetable growing, seedling management and the seasons. Matthew

Safe Series book launch The NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian recently introduced Sam, Andy, Fiona and Eve. They are the stars of the Safe Series, a set of four books focusing on protective behaviour messages for children aged 2 - 6 years.

The books support the rights of children and promote them having a voice. They are designed to help children establish a circle of trust to help them understand their right to feel safe and protected.

CatholicCare, Diocesan and Children’s Guardian representatives (l-r) Caryn Millward, Fr David Ranson, Lyn Ainsworth, Ros Lloyd and Joe Stewart

We launched the Safe Series books at Our Lady Star of the Sea ELC in Terrigal on Tuesday 18 September as part of CatholicCare Diocese of Broken Bay’s commitment to safeguarding. We will continue rolling out the books in all our early learning centres over coming months.

OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOURS CARE: • Carlingford • East Gosford • Forestville • Freshwater • Kincumber • Lake Munmorah • Lindfield • Manly • Manly Vale • Mona Vale • Pymble • Tumbi Umbi • Waitara • West Pymble • Woy Woy HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY: Gosford • Hornsby • Manly • Mona Vale • Royal North Shore • Wahroonga (SAN) • Wyong

OCTOBER 2018

29

NEWS AND ISSUES

The Call to Everyday Heroism in the midst of Family Life In 1993, just a few months before we married, I went with Stella to the parish of Merrylands to listen to an elderly American priest called Fr Robert J. Fox.

BY STEVEN BUHAGIAR, TEAM LEADER, LIFE MARRIAGE FAMILY, DIOCESE OF BROKEN BAY

H

e gave a fascinating presentation, recounting numerous visits behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ in order to spread the message of Our Lady of Fatima to a Russian people who had undergone decades of de-Christianisation.

His stories of secret meetings and underground Masses, often at the risk of imprisonment, captured our imagination and left us wondering if we had the courage to do the same. This question was especially relevant in light of the book which Fr Fox had just authored entitled, “Only Heroic Catholic Families will Survive”.

I bought the book but it remained unread. The book’s title, however, has never left me.

As I reflect on 25 years of family life, I am only now starting to understand what Fr Fox meant when he made the call for an intentional heroism in the midst of contemporary family life and in this particular era of history.

We can describe a ‘heroic’ person as one who makes great efforts in challenging times and which call for bravery, courage, and fierce determination. I am going to be so bold as to say these truly are the essential characteristics which the families of today are called to live up to! It certainly isn’t easy to be a parent

Be holy as your Heavenly Father is holy 30 OCTOBER 2018

today and we can attest to the fact that it takes sheer determination to keep our families on a path towards human flourishing.

So what to do? What is at the heart of this heroism? Amongst so many other ways to answer this question I would suggest that, at its very core, it is to live a life of virtue. Virtue. A word deemed quite unfashionable in a world where “my truth” is as relevant as “your truth”. Virtue.

Positively, a word which has been the absolute foundation for countless persons through history who strove to know, serve and love God and their neighbour as themselves. I’ll move forward, therefore, in the sure accompaniment of this latter understanding!

The ‘cardinal’ or ‘hinge’ virtues of faith, hope and charity are a good starting point. So often it is around the standard of faith that the striking figure of heroism rises or falls. The key choices of yes or no, do this or shun that, have to do with what “I believe” and what I am prepared to stand up for in light of ‘faith’. It is a real ‘heroism’ and a sometime white martyrdom which safeguards this great gift given in Baptism and which parents are called to transmit via an inherent responsibility with eternal ramifications.

The example of a parent striving to live virtue is paramount! Here a life lived in caritas (love) provides a beautiful foundation of heroic endeavour. Our children learn more from what we do than what we say.

They are always watching and taking on-board our responses to the stimuli

of life. They are taking in what they see to be our priorities. They are sensitive to the moments when we are ‘counter-cultural’ and when we make a stand on principle. They recognise that as parents we are striving to live a life of caritas in light of the truth. They recognise the moment of heroism when it comes as surely as they do the mediocre response in matters of substantial moral bearing.

It is through our example that we form our children’s ‘heroic’ and moral edifice that is so very much required in a culture that is relative in the face of truth and sometime hostile to the objective nature of morality.

We have to admit that these challenges are real and not easy to live up to in daily life. And the reality is that we DO fall. The challenge is always to get up and seek in an intentional manner to be ‘holy’.

Another unfashionable word! However, this is exactly what Jesus calls us to do. “Be holy as your Heavenly Father is holy.” Pope Francis understands this reality. He tells us in Gaudete et Exsultate: “Our path towards holiness is a constant battle. Those who do not realize this will be prey to failure or mediocrity.” No holding back here from the Pope!

At the same time Pope Francis puts forward the means by which we can sustain this daily striving to lead our families heroically and on the path of Jesus. As we conclude this reflection, we might use the following as a base criteria by which to live out the heroism called for in our day and age.

Let us take it to heart as an initial starting point.

“For this spiritual combat (read heroism), we can count on the powerful weapons that the Lord has given us.” a. Faith-filled prayer b. Meditation on the word of God c. The celebration of Mass d. Eucharistic adoration e. Sacramental Reconciliation f. Works of charity g. Community life h. Missionary outreach The challenge is ours to take up and integrate these foundational and ‘heroic’ actions into our family lives. It WILL be hard and sometimes ‘uncool’ to do so, but in the long run and through the lens of eternity, our children will certainly thank us for forming them into the ‘superheroes’ of the future!

ACROSS OUR DIOCESE

St Lucy’s School announces their move to K–12 Education After 80 years as a primary school this is a game changer for families.

C

hoosing a school for your child is hard. Will they be happy?

Will they learn all they need to succeed? Will they have friends?

It’s a whole lot harder when your child has an intellectual disability and your journey is less about choosing a school and more about hoping that there will be, in fact, somewhere for your child to go.

our family, we want Harvey to know God and to know that he is loved just as he is.”

In Term 3, Harvey returned to St Lucy’s School and it was as though no time had passed.

Allison and Eddy had begun thinking about Harvey’s high school options.

When they were able to get a place at another school with high school provisions, they had to take it in case they missed their chance for Year 7.

“I know that he is excited about getting on the school bus – he smiles when he sees his uniform and feels happy and safe when he is at school,” added Allison.

Harvey attends St Lucy’s School, for children with intellectual disabilities.

He has complex medical needs too.

He has had three liver transplants in his short life. But, for the most part, Harvey’s educational journey at St Lucy’s was full of delight, learning and growing. And then it came time to think about high school. For many parents, the start of Year 6 means a shift in focus and begins the often painstaking journey of finding a new school that will be ideal for your special child.

“We cried when Harvey left St Lucy’s,” said Allison. “We have such a strong connection with the school, the staff, the values. We worried about how Harvey would cope but we had to take the leap.”

“Harvey started kindy at St Lucy’s in 2011 and we were so delighted with the whole school community,” said his mum Allison.

“His teachers all knew him so well and being a part of a spiritual community is very important for

Harvey settled in to his new school well and then, after two terms, Eddy and Allison heard St Lucy’s big announcement: After 80 years as a primary school for children with disabilities, St Lucy’s is moving towards being a K - 12 school starting with Year 7 in 2019, with a view to being K – 12 in 2024.

“We were delighted with his new teacher but we felt we had lost a wealth of community and when St Lucy’s made the K – 12 announcement, we were just over the moon,” said Allison.

St Lucy’s K – 12, a huge weight has lifted.

“When you make a commitment to a community, and they make a commitment to your child, that becomes your child’s whole life,” said Allison. “We are excited about Harvey’s next chapter at St Lucy’s.”

For Allison and Eddy, the K – 12 announcement meant that they were able to return to a community that have a wealth of knowledge about their child, his educational journey and their family. The staff love Harvey for who he is and the whole umbrella team of teachers, therapists, psychologists and specialists work together to provide a rich and robust education that is tailored to Harvey.

“We wanted this for his entire education and now we have it,” said Allison.

Other families have also celebrated St Lucy’s move to K – 12 Education. The school is receiving expressions of interest from current students wanting to continue and from past students who were in a similar situation to Harvey. For the families who can now go through

...we want Harvey to know God and to know that he is loved just as he is

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BROKEN BAY NEWS

OCTOBER 2018 31

JUNE – AUGUST 2018 2018 OCTOBER – DECEMBER

Office for Evangelisation EVENT CALENDAR The Diocese of Broken Bay exists to evangelise, to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, gathered as friends in the Lord and sent out to be missionary disciples. The Office for Evangelisation serves this mission and promotes the growing missionary outlook of parishes, faith communities and individuals.

DIOCESAN ASSEMBLIES TOWARD PLENARY COUNCIL 2020 An opportunity for the people of Broken Bay to gather as a diocesan community and share their experiences and insight toward the national Plenary Council. This year end diocesan-wide gathering will build upon local listening sessions taking place in our parishes, schools and faith communities. Join this final opportunity in our dedicated ‘Year of Listening’ to attend to and share hope with others, and have your responses included in our formal submission to the Plenary Council as the Diocese of Broken Bay. Date: Saturday 24 November 2018 Time: 1:00pm – 4:30pm Venue: Our Lady of The Rosary, Hornsby Cathedral Parish, 23 Yardley Avenue, Waitara RSVP by 21 November: Jenny Hildebrandt, Office for Evangelisation, at Jenny.Hildebrandt@bbcatholic.org.au or 8379 1625 This event is followed by the Year of Youth Closing Celebration And Date: Saturday 1 December 2018

Alpha Masterclass “Masterclasses” are an opportunity for Alpha Teams from the parishes of our Diocese to meet and exchange ideas and experiences of Alpha with each other for mutual support and networking. There will be opportunities to ask questions about all aspects of Alpha, and to look ahead to planning for great Alphas in the new year by drawing on best practice in running and sustaining Alpha as an initiative of evangelisation.

Presenter: Lorraine McCarthy, Alpha in a Catholic Context Coordinator in Australia.

Date: Tuesday 30 October 2018 Time: 7.00pm—9.00pm Venue: Caroline Chisholm Centre, Building 2, 423 Pennant Hills Rd, Pennant Hills RSVP: By 26 October 2018 faith.formation@bbcatholic.org.au Pina Bernard 8379 1627 Date: Wednesday 31 October 2018 Time: 7.00pm—9.00pm

Time: 1:00pm – 4:30pm

Venue: Jordan Room, St Patrick’s Catholic Church, 76 York Street, East Gosford

Venue: Our Lady of the Rosary, The Entrance Parish, 239-243 The Entrance Road

RSVP: By 26 October 2018 faith.formation@bbcatholic.org.au Pina Bernard 8379 1627

RSVP by 28 November: Jenny Hildebrandt, Office for Evangelisation, at Jenny.Hildebrandt@bbcatholic.org.au or 8379 1625

CATHOLIC LIFE & FAITH FORMATION Social Justice Reflection Afternoon What does it mean to be involved in social justice as a Christian? How have we lived out this dimension of our Christian life in the last few decades? Where is the way forward for the practice of social justice in our parishes? If you are looking to revitalise or start a social justice group in your parish, come along to this reflection and workshop afternoon with Cristina Gomez, Life, Charity and Social Development Coordinator, and Krishmalie Perera, Catholic Youth Broken Bay. We encourage you to attend as part of a group interested in or working in social justice from your parish, if possible.

Presenters: Cristina Gomez & Krishmalie Perera Date: Saturday 13 October 2018 Time: 1.00pm—4.00pm Venue: Caroline Chisholm Centre, Building 2, 423 Pennant Hills Rd, Pennant Hills RSVP: By 9 October 2018 faith.formation@bbcatholic.org.au or Cristina Gomez 8379 1628

Women in the Scriptures: Discovering their Stories There are many intriguing stories in the Bible which feature women across both Testaments. Over two evenings, rediscover these stories with biblical scholars and educators Dr Michele Connolly RSJ and Dr Debra Snoddy from the Catholic Institute of Sydney. Hear the voices of courageous, faithful, strong, gentle, or shrewd women, and understand their contexts, roles and relationships in the society and households of their times, as well as the way in which they are portrayed in the text.

Presenters: Dr Michele Connolly RSJ and Dr Debra Snoddy Date: Mondays 15 & 22 October 2018 Time: 7.00pm—9.00pm Venue: Caroline Chisholm Centre, Building 2, 423 Pennant Hills Rd, Pennant Hills RSVP: By 11 October 2018 faith.formation@bbcatholic.org.au Pina Bernard 8379 1627

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OCTOBER 2018

Be kept informed about upcoming faith education and formation opportunities within the Diocese. Please contact Catholic Life & Faith Formation Team, at faith.formation@bbcatholic.org.au to receive a monthly e-Newsletter.

CATHOLIC YOUTH BROKEN BAY Twilight Talks Catholic Youth Broken Bay invites you to Twilight Talks. Join Young Adults (18+) from around the Diocese to connect, share a meal, pray and be nourished by inspiring speakers. In October, we will be focusing on our new Diocesan Safeguarding Standards in conjunction with the National Standards in Australia.

Date: Tuesday 16 October 2018 and 4 December 2018 Time: 6:30pm – 9:00pm Venue: Hotel Pennant Hills, 352 Pennant Hills Rd, Pennant Hills

PRAISEFEST Join young people from across the Diocese at PRAISEFEST! Get a chance to catch up with friends while enjoying our event Festival, encounter God through vibrant and honest worship, and receive spiritual nourishment through an inspiring and relevant message. BBQ dinner will be provided from 6:00pm.

Date: Friday 2 November 2018 Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm Venue: Our Lady Star of the Sea, Terrigal Parish, 165 Serpentine Rd, Terrigal

End of Year of Youth Awards Ceremony & Closing Celebration Celebrating the successes of the Year of Youth and bringing it to a close with the celebration of the Eucharist at the Cathedral and a closing celebration and dinner at The Light of Christ Centre. Celebrations will culminate with the presentation of the Year of Youth Awards. See page 14 for nomination procedures for awards.

Date: Saturday 24 November 2018 Time: Mass 5:00pm Celebration 6.00pm – 9:00pm Venue: Our Lady of The Rosary, Hornsby Cathedral Parish, 23 Yardley Avenue, Waitara For more details on any CYBB events and RSVP: youth@bbcatholic.org.au

OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2018

LIFE MARRIAGE AND FAMILY BROKEN BAY

gift of our special needs family and to share in some joyous family hospitality time after our Sunday Mass celebration. Its going to be a great day!

Memorial Mass for Parents who have Experienced Pregnancy, Infancy and Child Loss

Date: Sunday 2 December 2018

An opportunity for our Diocesan family to accompany and prayerfully support families who have experienced the loss of a child. As a community we need to be aware of the grief that this loss causes and be prepared to accompany and support those afflicted in this way through prayerful support and communal presence. You are invited to attend this Mass either as a grieving family or as someone willing to walk alongside those suffering loss.

Date: Saturday 10 November 2018 Time and program: 9.00am Mass and then 9.45am Family Hospitality Venue: Corpus Christi Parish, 263 Mona Vale Road, St Ives NSW

Time and program: 9.30am Mass and then 10.30am Family Hospitality Venue: Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 241 The Entrance Road, The Entrance RSVP: Wednesday 28 November

Mass for Expectant Mothers, their Families and Friends Celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of Unborn Children with a Special Blessing for Expectant Mothers. The Church is for life! This Mass provides an opportunity to celebrate and affirm the inherent dignity and sanctity of human life as well as provide explicit support for mothers and families who are welcoming new life in their midst! Please come along and join in.

Date: Wednesday 12 December 2018

RSVP: Wednesday 7 November

Mass for People with Special Needs and their Families 2018 Celebrating the gift that people with special needs and their families are to our parish communities and our Diocese at large! Come along to Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, The Entrance to celebrate the wonderful

Time: 7.00pm Venue: Holy Name Parish, 35 Billyard Ave, Wahroonga RSVP: Monday 10 December Enquiries or RSVP to all Life Marriage Family events: Steven Buhagiar, steven.buhagiar@bbcatholic.org.au or 0415 600 290

CCD Training and Formation Offerings: CCD training and formation opportunities serve those involved in the mission of Special Religious Education (SRE) in our State Schools. This coming term, training will focus on teaching strategies for catechists, Using Stories and Visual Resources along with Drama in the Classroom. Our CCD Ministry Induction Course will be offered in all regions this term.

A one-day workshop to develop ‘Classroom Skills’: • Teaching Strategies: Using Stories and Visual Resources

CCD Ministry Induction – Compulsory training for new catechists and helpers CCD Ministry induction course is compulsory for all new catechists and those catechists returning to teach after an extended break from teaching. The CCDMI is also available to complete online. Please contact registrations for more details.

• Teaching Strategies: Using Drama in the Classroom

CCDL1-01MI CCDL1-02MI CCDL1-03MI CCDL1-04MI CCDL1-05MI CCDL1-06MI CCDL1-07MI CCDL1-08MI

Northern Beaches Region Location: Our Lady of Good Counsel, 9 Currie Road, Frenchs Forest Morning Tea Provided, BYO Lunch Date: Friday 26 October 2018 Time: 9:30am – 2:30pm

The Mission and Ministry of the Catechist SRE Teacher in the Parish and the School Child Protection Lesson Planning: Teaching the Authorised Curriculum The Development of the Child and Adolescent I Classroom Management: Positive Discipline Introduction to the Bible Using Interactive Whiteboard Resources

Northern Beaches Region

Register by: Friday 19 October 2018

Location: Our Lady of Good Counsel, 9 Currie Road, Frenchs Forest

Central Coast Region

Date: Thursday 18, 25 October, 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 November & 6 December 2018

Location: Lecture Room, Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, 241 The Entrance Road, The Entrance

Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Morning Tea Provided, BYO Lunch

North Shore Hornsby Region

Date: Monday 22 October 2018

Location: Caroline Chisholm Centre, Building 2, 423 Pennant Hills Road, Pennant Hills

Time: 9:30am – 2:30pm

Morning Tea Provided, BYO Lunch Date: Monday 5,12,19 & 26 November 2018

Register by: Monday 15 October 2018

Time: 9:30am - 2:30pm

Northern Shore & Hornsby Region

Register by: Monday 29 October 2018

Location: Caroline Chisholm Centre, Building 2, 423 Pennant Hills Road, Pennant Hills Morning Tea Provided, BYO Lunch

Register by: Friday 12 October 2018

Central Coast Region Location: Leo Mahon Room, St John the Baptist Parish, 125 Blackwall Rd, Woy Woy Date: Friday 9, 16, 23, 30 November 2018

Date: Monday 29 October 2018

Morning Tea Provided, BYO Lunch

Time: 9:30am – 2:30pm

Time: 9:30am to 2:30pm

Register by: Monday 22 October 2018

Register by: Friday 2 November 2018 For all registration and training enquiries, phone: 8379 1643 or email registrations@bbcatholic.org.au

BROKEN BAY NEWS

OCTOBER 2018

33

ACROSS OUR DIOCESE

Acclaiming faith at the fair A fantastic day of community engagement and outreach for the Our Lady of Dolours Parish was held on Saturday 1 September when our Acclaim Young Adults hosted a stall representing our community at the Willoughby Spring Fair.

I

BY ADRIAN BRANNAN t was a colourful and vibrant atmosphere when the diverse aspects of our locality were on show in a parade, cuisine and the many community stalls.

Our Lady of Dolours Chatswood Parish and the Diocese of Broken Bay were well represented, and our Catholic faith celebrated as part of our community. Over 200 ‘sample bags’ were distributed including material; promoting our

parish and its many ministries, the Broken Bay News, information about Pope Francis’ encyclicals, encouraging brochures to young families, prayer cards, flyers for upcoming events, information about RCIA and a couple of tours of our beautiful church were held.

The day was a resounding success, we played music from our Acclaim Choirs Mass playlist and

engagement levels with the many thousands of people who past our stall near the Interchange was high. The ecumenical popularity of Pope Francis was evident from the many comments and approaches from other Christians supporting our outreach on the day. We pray and hope that we have planted some seeds out in the community and are thankful for this opportunity for evangelisation within our own neighbourhood.

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In the 125 years WN Bull Funerals has been serving the people of Sydney there has been significant growth and change in the community. We are proud to have been able to readily adapt to these changes and remain compassionate, sensitive and responsive to the needs and wishes of our client families.

The recommendation of a tailored prepaid funeral plan is part of WN Bull’s proud heritage of providing real comfort and personalised care for the deceased and their families.

A WN Bull prepaid funeral will ensure that every detail is attended to so that the life lived is the life celebrated.

Paid in today’s prices it’s also a sound financial decision.

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NEWS AND ISSUES DIOCESE OF BROKEN BAY Diocesan Office: Tel (02) 8379 1600 Caroline Chisholm Centre Building 2, 423 Pennant Hills Rd Pennant Hills NSW 2120 (Access off City View Rd) PO Box 340 Pennant Hills NSW 1715 diocesan.administrator@bbcatholic.org.au

CHANCERY OFFICES Diocesan Administrator Very Rev Dr David Ranson Office of the Diocesan Administrator Senior Advisor, Director, Communications Annie Carrett Chancellor Jo Robertson Diocesan Financial Administrator, Director, Office for Stewardship: Emma McDonald Director, Office for Evangelisation: Daniel Ang Director, Diocesan Office for Safeguarding Jodie Crisafulli Tel: (02) 8379 1605 Director, Marriage Tribunal: Adrienne Connaghan Tel: (02) 8379 1680 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) Alison Newell

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE Director: Peter Hamill Tel (02) 9847 0000 PO Box 967 Pennant Hills NSW 1715

CATHOLICCARE Executive Director: Lyn Ainsworth Tel: (02) 9481 2600 PO Box 966 Pennant Hills 1715 Children’s Services: Tel: (02) 9481 2660 Family Centres: Brookvale – Tel: (02) 8968 5100 Naremburn – Tel: (02) 8425 8700 Waitara – Tel: (02) 9488 2400 Warnervale – Tel: (02) 4356 2600 Foster and Residential Care: Tel: (02) 4320 7700 Mission, Hospital Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care (02) 9481 2658

BROKEN BAY NEWS Editor: Melissa Loughlin Tel: (02) 8379 1618 news@bbcatholic.org.au Design: Chris Murray Printed by NCP Printing 18,700 copies of the Broken Bay News are distributed monthly through 26 parishes and 44 schools in the Diocese of Broken Bay. The Broken Bay News is a member of the Australasian Catholic Press Association. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply diocesan endorsement of products or services advertised.

www.bbcatholic.org.au

BROKEN BAY NEWS

Don’t abandon our Broken Church Through the eyes of one young woman, this series will explore what it means to be Catholic in the modern world. Starting with what it means to be a single Catholic and ending with social issues such as SameSex Marriage, this series hopes to provide a fresh perspective on the issues that are all too important.

BY CATHERINE DAY

W

hen I was in high school, from years 8-10, I was told daily, that because I was Catholic I was not Christian. It was the usual things that made me a target: because our parishes have Christ still on the cross, we do not believe in the resurrected Lord; we have idols; we worship Mary and the Saints; we believe that we are actually eating and drinking the blood and body of Christ; and the thing that seemed to offend them the most, we have a Pope. Almost every day, I would go home in tears because I could not understand how they were unable to see me as a Christian. Now, I am thankful for that experience. I have thick skin when it comes to my faith. I have learnt to brush off simple misunderstandings and outright hostilities. I am Catholic, and I am proud of it!

The Catholic Church has been instrumental in creating the world we live in today. It is because of Catholic thought that we have maps, telescopes, schools, universities, breathtaking art and architecture, and the elevation of women. It is because of the Catholic Church, Western Civilisation has lasted for centuries. It is because of the people, not just the popes, priests and monks, that the Church has remained the universal Church. But, just as she faced a crisis during the 16th Century, our Church faces a new crisis, and she needs her people.

Here in Australia, we have just had the Royal Commission hand down its recommendations. Ninety-eight percent of the 80 recommendations that directly or indirectly relate to the Church, have been accepted. This is a good start, but it is far from the end.

There is a long and difficult road to recovery ahead of us all, not just for the survivors. We have, all of us, been

hurt deeply by this and the trust gap between our priests and us is huge.

In America, the scandal is far worse.

Reports from Pennsylvania claim that 300 priests abused thousands of children. These men, while seminarians, were groomed on how to become predators. Almost every day, there is a new story relating the abuse back to Pope Francis and Pope Benedict. Last month, it was reported that Pope Francis has been too busy with climate change to deal with abuse claims.

The Church is broken. The men, who are meant to be leading us, are broken. However, this is a time where we should not leave the Church. Some people have, and that is understandable. The leaders of our Church have failed us. But, we do not ‘believe in’ the Pope, or bishops or priests. We have never been called to put our faith in them. They are there to guide us; we can look up to them; and love them as our own brothers and fathers. Yet, it is God whom we ‘believe in’, and it is in Him that we put our faith in.

Without wanting to brush away the horrors that many have endured, we need to remember that Christ himself chose broken people to represent Him. He chose Peter, even though He knew he would be betrayed. He chose Thomas, even though He knew he would be doubted. He chose Paul, even though Paul persecuted the

early Christians. We are all broken.

It is why we are Catholics. We understand that our brokenness can only be fixed by Christ.

There is a YouTube channel that I have subscribed to, Ascension Presents. On it, priests, friars and laymen discuss all things Catholic. I enjoy watching Fr Mike Schmitz because he is so down to earth and explains thing so well.

A couple of weeks ago he posted a video on Pennsylvania, I encourage everyone to watch it – I am brought to tears every time I see it. He says that while things are tough right now, we cannot leave. Just like a sick mother who needs her children to look after her, our Church needs us. It is up to us, to stand up amid all the horrible things and lead our Church. Now is the time for us to become saints. We need to peel back the lids on our lives and recognise our own brokenness.

We need to search our own conscience and find: Where is there compromise? Where is their infidelity?

Where is there two-facedness? Where is there corruption?

We need to bring to light all that is disgusting in our own lives, we need to weed it out and stop it. To help our Church, we need to become virtuous. We need to be relentlessly uncompromising with ourselves, so that we can lead our Church out of this crisis. Fr Mike finishes, as do I, with an invitation to be courageous, to be faithful, and to become holy. Be the saints the Church needs.

We need to be relentlessly uncompromising with ourselves, so that we can lead our Church out of this crisis.

OCTOBER 2018 35

Raising funds to support Hospital Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care ser vices

y a B n Brokety Race Chari 2018 Day

Thursday 1 November The Entertainment Grounds 4 Racecourse Rd, West Gosford NSW 2250

12:00pm – 6:00pm Cost: $85.00 per person

The Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay invites you to our 15th Annual Charity Race Day, a wonderful opportunity to raise funds for Hospital Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care services.

Your ticket includes a buffet luncheon, all day beverages including beer, wine, sparkling, soft drinks, tea & coffee, entry to the Race Track and Race Book.

Organise a group of colleagues, friends from your parish, school or community. Be part of the fun and even win some prizes!

Tickets must be booked and paid by 19 Oct 2018 Hazel Lim – 8379 1621 or events@bbcatholic.org.au

Proudly sponsored by