Connections Magazine - Issue 2, April 2024

CONFRATERNITYOF CHRISTIANDOCTRINE BROKENBAY

ALISON NEWELL

CCD Diocesan Coordinator

P:83791637

E:alisonnewell@bbcatholicorgau

MARICEL MALAPIRA

Diocesan CCD Admin

P:83791638

E:maricelmalapira@bbcatholicorgau

KRISTY KOMADINA

North Shore Region

P:83791674

E:kristykomadina@bbcatholicorgau

SUE-ANNE SHERWOOD

North Shore Region

P:83791639

E:sueannesherwood@bbcatholicorgau

JOHN DONNELLY

Northern Beaches Region

P:83791640

E:johndonnelly@bbcatholicorgau

MICHAEL TEBBUTT

Central Coast Region

P:83791641

E:michaeltebbutt@bbcatholicorgau

ALICIA KLEIN

Diocesan CCD Admin

P:83791642

E:aliciaklein@bbcatholicorgau

Registrations for CCD Training

P:83791643

E:registrations@bbcatholicorgau

WWJ Curriculum Resources

P:83791642

E:ccdresources@bbcatholicorgau

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FROM THE Called to Ministry:

Easter greetings to all Catechists and their families across the Diocese of Broken Bay May your homes and SRE classrooms be filled with the joy of the risen Christ during this Easter season. As you know the Season of Easter runs through to the great Feast of Pentecost, which this year falls on Sunday 19 May The first three weeks of Term 2 provide an opportunity to continue spreading Easter joy and blessings to your students leading into Pentecost Holy water is a lovely way to do this during the Easter season Invite the students to bless themselves with holy water as they come into and leave your classroom or include an opportunity in your prayer time for the children to bless themselves as you pray an Easter blessing, e g : “Christ is Risen Alleluia!” and the children respond: “He is Risen indeed. Alleluia!” Remind the students that blessing ourselves with holy water is a reminder of our baptism

The Easter season is a time for rebirth, expressed most dramatically by the life-giving waters of baptism at the Easter Vigil Our baptismal call to holiness calls us into a relationship with Christ, and into his mission of spreading the Good News of God’s everlasting love, mercy and forgiveness

You might recall that in the Term 1 edition of Connections I presented a Lenten Challenge to all catechists to “call others to ministry” by discerning who you might invite to become a member of the CCD community in our diocese I’m happy to report that this year we have had 58 new catechists recruited across the diocese, so it seems that many of you have taken up this challenge – thank you I would like to continue with the challenge during Term 2

There is no better time than Easter through to Pentecost to invite a friend or family member to join you in the Ministry of Special Religious Education.

During the Covid lockdown periods of 2020 and 2021, our volunteer SRE catechist numbers declined for obvious reasons For many of the catechists who could not return, it was a difficult time knowing that the ministry which they had devoted so much time to over the years could no longer be part of their weekly routine Teaching religious education, however, is part of their identity and so they choose to stay connected through continuing prayer

DIOCESAN COORDINATOR

Recruiting Volunteers to Teach SRE

You might recall, when we were able to return to teaching in schools post-Covid, CCD ran the Be There For Me campaign which focused on the children in the classrooms and the catechists who could no longer teach Several people came forward during that time to assist in covering classes to ensure that no student who was enrolled in Catholic SRE missed out on religious education

Recruitment is an ongoing component of any voluntary organisation, and this is certainly the case in our ministry Thousands of volunteers have served as catechists in the Diocese of Broken Bay since its inception 37 years ago The main quality that catechists bring to this ministry is their desire to share their faith with others Catechists can’t help themselves They simply must spread the Good News Inspired by their baptismal call to holiness many respond to the call with joy, trusting that the Holy Spirit will guide them, even if they also come with some trepidation, unsure of their ability to carry out God’s mission through this ministry.

Recruitment of catechists is a shared responsibility in parishes It is not simply the Parish Priest or the Parish Catechist Coordinator who recruit Every person in the CCD community at a parish level, whether a catechist in the classroom, a prayer partner, or a parent of a student in a public school, can play a part in the recruitment of catechists

I extend the challenge once more to all catechists to ask someone to join the Ministry of SRE in your local parish.

When we call people to ministry, it is important that we invite them to join a vibrant and energetic community within the parish My experience of working with catechists is that they are happy and committed to the work of teaching SRE This is the face of the ministry that we should be sharing with others as we invite them to discern what God might be calling them to People often volunteer to give something back to the community, in our case the Catholic community that has nurtured their faith throughout their lifetime. It is vital that we invite people into something that is life-giving for both the children and them Please don’t tell people who you invite that “we are desperate for catechists” It gives the wrong message about why you are inviting them Our ministry is vibrant and alive – this is the message we want to put out to others as we invite them to discern God’s call

Research has shown that the number one reason people volunteer is because “someone asked me”. So, I encourage you to ask, ask, ask! Ask the question directly –“Would you consider volunteering to teach religion to Catholic children in public schools?” If their immediate response is “I don’t think I could do that because I’m not a teacher”, tell them they are a “witness”, and that CCD provides quality training and resources to equip them to do their ministry well

Who should you invite? People of all ages and backgrounds are part of the CCD community in Broken Bay - young parents, clergy, single people, retirees, religious, university students, seminarians and working people of all ages In this day of flexible working arrangements, we are seeing more and more people step forward who work full time but can arrange their workday to teach SRE Try to avoid making decisions for people Don’t put off asking them because you think they’re too busy Let adults decide for themselves We never know who God is calling to this ministry If you decide someone is too busy to invite, that person may not hear God’s call

Remember, the number one reason people volunteer is because “ someone asked me ” .

My Easter and Pentecost challenge to you is to ask yourself: “Who can I ask?” Then go ahead and ask, ask, ask!!! Let’s grow this ministry together, one catechist at a time

I wish you a happy and joyful time in the SRE classroom during Term 2 As always, my prayers go with you

We hope you feel rejuvenated and that you had an Easter filled with gratitude, love, compassion hope and faith and that the holidays have allowed you to rest and revive.

Welcome to all our new Catechists who were training last term and have now gained experience in the joy of teaching children It is great to see so many new, beautiful souls joining our ministry and quite a few returning to it. Congratulations to everyone involved in the recruitment campaigns Please consider doing a talk or writing a piece for your parish bulletin to help your Catechist Co-ordinator recruit next time It really helps

You’ll be able to tell that I’ve just come out of the CCDMI Curriculum training as that’s what I’m thinking about right now An early Easter really does change how we get through the curriculum It helps having those compulsory lessons asterisked on the Curriculum Contents page and then we can complete the Easter content through to Pentecost in week 3 of Term 2.

Remember to find out when your Parish is celebrating the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion to match those Curriculum Units to those months for Stage 2 (Yr 3&4)

As I head into the classroom this week, the Suscipe, an Ignatian prayer, stayed with me and I thought you may enjoy it too:

You have given all to me

To you, Lord, I return it

Everything is Yours

Do with it what You will

Give me only Your love and Your grace

That is enough for me

Amen

This week I heard a pithy little mission statement from a parish which was simply “Be disciples who make disciples.” It really appealed to my sensibility because I’m the kind of person who likes to say things in the least number of words How simple, how direct and yet it says so much about what our baptismal call asks us to do

I think it really describes precisely what it means to be a Catechist. We follow Jesus and we are complelled to go out to our state schools and share God’s love, God’s story and we want them to respond by following Him, just as we do

It is no accident that our Curriculm is called Walking with Jesus - Pathways of Discipleship It is by deliberate design that we do not ask children to pass a knowledge test at the end of each unit, rather we look to how they respond We pray and we hope through their encounters with us as Catechists, that we may walk with them on a journey to encountering Jesus for themselves, so that one day they too will follow Him

Jesus leaves us with His Great Commission: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matt 28:19)

Fellow Catechists, let us go be disciples who make disciples Let us accompany these kids who are entrusted to us and let’s lead them to Jesus who loves them Let us follow in Jesus’ footsteps and let us be Christ for others

Happy Easter! The Easter season continues to be with us until Pentecost I love our Catholic liturgical traditions, especially when it means that I can continue celebrating Easter well after the day Keep the chocolate eggs coming!

One of the best parts of my job is processing A1 and A2 forms from parishes and issuing them with authorisation cards Whether they are provisional (yellow) or fully authorised (green), it gives me great delight

You may wonder why this mundane paperwork makes me so happy in my work Surely there are more exciting things happening here at the Caroline Chisolm Centre!

To me it’s wonderful because I know that with every card I issue there is a new catechist recruit or a new catechist fully trained Our ministry is growing and this is a good sign that the Holy Spirit is working in the hearts and minds of so many good and faithful people in our Diocese.

The other day I issued the 58th yellow provisional card to a new catechist this year which was up from 41 at the end of term 1 last year Similarly we are seeing so many more people completing our CCDMI training and filling up our Zoom classes and the green cards are being sent out to parishes in record number

With Pentecost coming up this term, I’d like to ask the Holy Spirit to keep intervening and making new catechists for our Diocese and I’d also ask you all to keep praying for new people to come into our ministry Let’s see if we can make this our best year ever!

Have a fantastic term 2! Always at your service!

When I began teaching in Catholic High Schools back in 1980, I was fortunate to work for a very wise principal, Sr Anne Henson (a Presentation Sister). We were a staff of young teachers in a new school and she had her work cut out for her in those early years

After six years working in the college, I was offered the position of Religious Education Coordinator in another senior high school Whilst initially excited and enthusiastic I hesitated at the thought of leaving the safety and security of the place I had grown to love and cherish Besides being nervous about the new place I could not imagine the old community without me in it

Sister Anne eventually gave me some ‘tough love’ when she challenged me to consider the move from another perspective How do you know God doesn’t have someone else ready for our college Could you be standing in the way of his plans for you and for us? Perhaps she just wanted me gone! But I think it was more a case of her experience of life in community and the movement of the Spirit

Since that move from my first job I have learnt to recognise the promptings of the Spirit and respond positively to God’s call to leave my boats behind and journey on to new horizons So much so that now I not only read the signs of the times but am always on the look out for those who might succeed me in a role or position

I believe it important in all ministries for those who are incumbent to not have an unhealthy ownership of the role or an inflated idea of how effective we are in it When was the last time you thought about someone who might replace you and encouraged them to consider a future in ministry? Good leaders are always on the lookout for people they could mentor into the role This is a natural progression from valuing the gifts and talents of individuals and calling them into ministry

During Lent this year, I became very aware of the fact that the children we teach consider Easter to be contained to Easter Sunday. This lead me to think about the way we celebrate Easter and for many people it would be about going to the Triduum celebrations culminating with the Mass of the Easter Vigil

Once the long weekend of Easter is over and we are all back at work or doing all those things that make up the regular flow of daily life, we don’t do much until Pentecost arrives, 50 days later But this should not be the case The season of Easter continues, and each Sunday after Easter Sunday is known as a Sunday of Easter. This Easter season I am making an effort to impress the students that Easter is more than one Sunday in the year when we get Easter eggs, or we spend quite a few hours in the church at the Easter ceremonies

Personally, I am spending more time reflecting on the effect that meeting the Risen Christ had on the disciples of Jesus Were they still afraid? What about those that went back to fishing on the Sea of Galilee?

There are also great examples of recognising Jesus in a meal on the beach or after discussing with a stranger all that the Old Testament said about the Messiah and why he had to die, and then recognising Jesus when he broke the bread and blessed the wine My challenge is to recognise Jesus in the everyday events of life this Easter and give thanks and praise to him for his continued presence in my life

Wishing everyone a continued celebration of Easter and many blessings for you, your families and the work that you do with the children in the classroom

Hello friends! I hope you are having a wellearned rest between school terms I am enjoying a short camping trip with my family these holidays!

Term 1 was a busy one Issuing authorisation cards, preparing training reports, making sure student books and teachers manuals were delivered to Parishes, and registering many of you for our Ministry Induction training courses. We have welcomed more than 50 new catechists since the end of last year, across many different parishes in our Diocese A big thank you to those new catechists for answering their call to serve We also thank our Parish Catechist Coordinators for their dedication to spreading the word about our ministry, answering questions and helping our new catechists with their administrative requirements You really are the face of God!

Most of those new catechists have spent some time in classrooms already and many are close to completing their Ministry Induction training and gaining their Green cards – well done!

Thank you to those catechists who attended Ongoing Authorised Curriculum training these school holidays We appreciate you taking the time to ensure your training is upto-date.

This coming term we will be running more Ministry Induction training, Level 1 training, plus Reflection Days We’d love to see you at one of these events Keep an eye on our website for details: https://www.bbcatholic.org.au/mission/ccd /training-and-events-calendar

Lastly, don’t forget to check the CCD Website for the latest WWJ Powerpoints; the Term 2 links have been added

Wishing you all a wonderful Term 2

The Holy Spirit From Creation to Today

As a child, I thought that the Holy Spirit did not make an appearance until Pentecost Sunday, the fiftieth day after Easter Sunday As I read and studied the Bible more and more over the intervening years, I was surprised to find that the Holy Spirit was active in the Bible from the very start.

In the Bible, the first action of God’s Holy Spirit is intimately involved in the creation of the universe We read in the first chapter of Genesis,

‘In

the beginning when God

created

the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.’

And then in Chapter 2 of Genesis, we discover that God’s Spirit in the form of the breath of God, is the life-giving force to Adam

‘then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.’

In Hebrew, the word for ‘breath’, ‘wind’, or ‘spirit’ is RUACH and so the phrase ‘a wind from God’ or ‘the breath of God’ relates to God’s Spirit.

The Christian feast of Pentecost has its origins in the Old Testament It was originally called the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot and was celebrated seven weeks after the initial First Fruits feast (Passover) and then later, this Hebrew Feast became the celebration of the receiving of the Law of Moses from God

In Exodus we read about God and Moses meeting on Mount Sinai. Pay particular attention to the ‘atmosphere’ of this passage.

On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud covered the mountain, a loud trumpet blast was heard, and everyone in camp trembled with fear. Moses led them out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had come down in a flaming fire. Smoke poured out of the mountain just like a furnace, and the whole mountain shook. The trumpet blew louder and louder.

Moses spoke, and God answered him with thunder.

Exodus 19:16 – 19

Could this be what Luke had in mind when he was describing the descent of the Holy Spirit on those gathered in the Upper Room in Jerusalem on that Feast of Shavuot?

On the day of Pentecost all the Lord's followers were together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind! It filled the house where they were meeting. Then they saw what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions, and a tongue came and settled on each person there. The Holy Spirit took control of everyone, and they began speaking whatever languages the Spirit let them speak.

Acts 2:1 - 4

What are the similarities? In both cases there was a noise from heaven On Mt Sinai, there was thunder rumbling and lightning flashing about, while in Jerusalem there was ‘a noise from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind!’ and ‘what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions.’ Could these fiery tongues moving in all directions be another image of the flashing of lighting?

In the Mishnah, the oral teaching of the Jewish faith, it is explained that ‘on the altar stones on Mount Ebal (Deut 27) were inscribed all the words of the Law in seventy tongues' i e , all the languages of mankind ” (Mishnah, Sotah 7:5) This can be compared with the speaking in many languages in Luke’s writing in the Acts of the Apostles In The Acts, the apostles were able to speak in the languages of the time and all the visitors to Jerusalem that day could understand. This in turn, would enable the apostles to go to the ends of the earth and carry out the work that Jesus commissioned them to do.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:19 - 20

These simple Gospel truths are what we need to convey to the children - that Jesus Christ loves us and that He gave his life to save us, and now is living at our side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free us

So what does Pentecost Sunday mean for us as catechists teaching SRE in the state schools? In the pope’s general audience of Dec 6, 2003, he opened saying:

"The Spirit is the protagonist; he always precedes the missionaries and makes the fruit grow … as catechists, we must always remember that we are not there on our own but that God’s Holy Spirit has paved the way and already the children are being readied to hear the Good News.”

So let us allow ourselves once more to be filled with the Holy Spirit and know that God’s Holy Spirit prepares the way for us as we pray,

May God’s Holy Spirit, who hovered over the waters when the world was created, breathe life into our teaching in the classroom.

May we be set on fire by God’s Holy Spirit in order to bring our classrooms alive with the love of the Risen Christ and

May we be blessed in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Michael Tebbutt CENTRAL COAST REGIONAL COORDINATOR

Trace the path from the Holy Spirit flame to the Apostles

Pentecost Sunday Scripture Story

On the day of Pentecost all the Lord's followers were together in one place Suddenly there was a noise from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind! It filled the house where they were meeting Then they saw what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions, and a tongue came and settled on each person there The Holy Spirit took control of everyone, and they began speaking whatever languages the Spirit let them speak

Many religious Jews from every country in the world were living in Jerusalem And when they heard this noise, a crowd gathered But they were surprised because they were hearing everything in their own languages They were excited and amazed, and said: "Don't all these who are speaking come from Galilee? Then why do we hear them speaking our very own languages? Some of us are from Parthia, Media, and Elam Others are from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, parts of Libya near Cyrene, Rome, Crete, and Arabia Some of us were born Jews, and others of us have chosen to be Jews Yet we all hear them using our own languages to tell the wonderful things God has done

Pentecost Sunday Crossword Puzzle

ACROSS

3 R is the capital city of Italy

5 The Holy Spirit came to the Apostles on P Sunday

6 A is one of the countries from which some of the people came

7 The apostles told the people of the wonderful things G had done

8 of fire appeared above the Apostles' heads

10 Write MALE backwards

13 Everyone felt e

14 Jesus promised to send the Spirit

15 E is where the pyramids are DOWN

1 The people in Jerusalem heard a mighty

2 When the Apostles received the Holy Spirit they were many languages

4 The Apostles were in J on Pentecost Sunday

9 Jesus met some of His Apostles in the area of G

11 Many religious J were in Jerusalem at this time

12 The noise from heaven sounded like a m wind

Listening to the Voice of the Child

Last term we looked at ‘Listening to the Voice of the Child’. We now look at ways to give students some say over what happens in class and this can promote engagement and a strong sense of community.

Welcoming Ritual

You could start each lesson with Breaking News! Ask the class “what acts of kindness did you perform this week?”

Highlight the little things students have done, like small chores or compliments

Find our who they are

This can help you connect with the students Use the knowledge you gain throughout the year in welcoming the students to the classroom, e g “how did the concert go?” or “how was the cricket match?” You could ask what they would like to do more of in Scripture class The introductory lessons at the beginning of each year provide a space for students to give this feedback, so be sure to read it to help you understand where the students are coming from. Keep it simple for younger students, one or two simple questions for Kindy and no more than three questions for Stage 1

Ask students about their lives beyond the classroom

When students are entering the class and you’re setting up, you could ask them how their week or weekend has been and relate your own stories. My son’s favourite teacher at school did not teach him. He just asked about his life in the passageway and listened to him.

Plan consistent opportunities for student voice

Ask yourself:

How often are students offered the opportunity to speak at the front of the classroom or write on the board?

Have I provided opportunities for students to connect what they’re learning in the classroom to their lives outside of school?

Have I asked students to share how they have lived what they learned in SRE?

Ask for student feedback – and respond

Ask what the students what they enjoyed doing at the end of each term Do a quick ‘hands up’ survey of three things and incorporate the feedback into activities for the following term. Use the student evaluation form at the back of your teacher’s manual and the introductory lessons so you can hear where they are coming from.

Stretch the imagination

Based on their own experiences and interpretations, students will come up with wonderful perspectives when asked, ‘What stood out for you in that bible passage and why?’

Engage in active Listening

Demonstrate to the students that you care about what they are saying. Students can explore and express their ideas, especially using questions like, “What do you think he meant?” or “How do you think they felt and why, when this happened?” or “What do you think you would have done?” For younger students use “I wonder” questions

Giving Children a Say

Appreciate and lift underrepresented voices

Whether shy or overcome by big personalities, some students can find it difficult to have their voices heard. Here are some tips to assist:

Try spontaneous prayer where you go around the whole class and everyone gets to say a thank you prayer No-one is forced to pray, but when a student says: “I don’t know what to say”, ask them what their favourite thing to do is and turn that into a thank you prayer for them They can either repeat the prayer or know what to do next time

Use the Walking with Jesus program open-ended questions and let each student respond in smaller groups or each write or draw something on A3 paper during brainstorming sessions

When singing a song, get students to work in pairs to come up with the actions to each line Praise actions from each group as everyone sings together with their own actions

Allow for creative expression: Let the students choose an activity to free draw, colour, write a prayer, make a poem, craft or change words of a popular pop song to tell a Bible story to be relevant to the lesson, e.g. for Pentecost or Christmas.

Vote to choose a classroom SRE song that becomes your year’s theme song and do it often. They’ll ask for it every week once they know it The songs for the year are available on the curriculum PowerPoints on the CCD website and are available for download

Play the songs for them to choose a favourite and use it throughout the year at various times They’ll sing along once they know it and it becomes their anthem for the year

In High School SRE, you could use post-it-notes for debates, responses, or surveys, which everyone can bring forward and stick on the board or chart as you brainstorm together

Along with the Bill Rogers’ Classroom Managemen my teacher’s manual as a quick reference

Sue-Anne

WATCHTHIS SPACENEXTTERM FORANARTICLE ON HOWTOGETYOUR PSTUDENTSTO ARTICIPATE

FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF MISSION

As we journey through this beautiful season of Easter and look forward to the excitement of Pentecost, I pray for all of our Catechists in the Diocese of Broken Bay You give of yourselves so freely, living out the invitation presented to us by Jesus before His Ascension Pentecost was, and still is, a momentous moment for our entire Church. That outpouring of the Holy Spirit continues today to empower us and encourage us to live out Christ's Mission.

I often reflect on that moment of Pentecost; there must have been such a feeling of exhaustion and overwhelm among the disciples as they gathered in that upper room It would have been weariness not just from Christ's Passion, death and resurrection but also from the three years they had collectively journeyed with Jesus in his earthly Mission Recently, I heard a reflection on the Pentecost, which stood out for me, especially as a mother and a woman and as a person who, at times, feels unworthy of participating in the Mission.

At that moment of Pentecost, the disciples would have gathered around Mary, and Mary would have been the host of that upper room, gracious and radical in her hospitality But it is possible that the Disciples may have felt somewhat embarrassed to join her there Tradition tells us that at that critical moment, at the foot of the Cross was Mary His mother, Mary Magdalene and some other women, either followers themselves and/or mothers of the disciples, and of course, the 'beloved' disciple John. The other disciples had dispersed, confused and afraid

As this reflection offers, Mary becomes a presider of Pentecost, where she welcomes the disciples, drawing them close as they awaited the power Jesus had promised them In this moment of great welcome, she too receives the gift of the Holy Spirit with the disciples, just as she had at the Annunciation. As Catechists,

“Pentecost” by Jen Norton

I pray that you see yourselves as presiders of the power of the Holy Spirit through your work and witness. May you draw young people to Jesus, giving them the courage to live a life in relationship with Him and the fortitude to be missionary disciples

If you would like to hear more of this meditation, I recommend the book Meditations in the Upper Room by the Most Rev Dr Charles Jason Gordon I recently had the honour of walking alongside Archbishop Jason at the Synod for a Synodal Church We spent several bus rides talking about life, living Synodally, Pentecost, and Mary's role in the early Church He certainly opened up new perspectives for me and allowed me to sit myself in that Pentecost moment in a new way.

Throughout his Pontificate, Pope Francis has repeatedly emphasized the importance of our role as missionary disciples, emblazoned by the power of the Holy Spirit Every one of us, as baptized Christians, is invited into this missionary activity of the Church to be priest, prophet, and king May we learn to live in this reality, not shy away from what may seem foreign and confusing or that we believe we are unworthy of because of our past actions May Mary continue to radically welcome us into a space where we can be open to God's outpouring of Grace to empower us to serve His people

“We are an Easter people, and Hallelujah is our song!”

Training and Formation

Safeguarding

In April 2024 the Bishop of Broken Bay, Most Rev Anthony Randazzo released a statement and some resources on the disturbing issue of domestic family violence in our community with a focus on advocacy

As catechists who teach children who come from many different family settings and backgrounds, I encourage you to familiarise yourselves with these important resources Bishop Anthony has highlighted how this increasingly alarming issue impacts many families – women, children and men

As you would know from our Safeguarding training, the responsibility to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults is one that is shared by the whole community of the people of God in Broken Bay and, indeed, beyond. It is my belief that catechists are at the forefront of creating a culture of safeguarding both in our schools and in our parish communities.

Our ongoing Safeguarding training is currently being updated for the next three-year period and will be presented for the first time this year during the Winter school holidays Included in this new training package will be a section on recognising the signs of domestic family violence and what to do if we suspect that a child or young person may be at risk of significant harm

In the meantime, I encourage you to become familiar with the resources – A Catholic Response to Domestic Violence which can be located on the Diocese of Broken Bay website at the following link:

https://www bbcatholic org au/safeguarding/a-catholic-response-to-domestic-violence

Alison Newell

Upcoming Training & Formation Opportunities

For those Catechists who have completed their CCDMI training, we are offering Level 1 training over Zoom and in workshops

Keep an eye out in your emails for the flyer with all the details We have opened up registrations for our Ministry Induction training on Zoom during May, June and July If you are new or still on a yellow card, check with your parish coordinator if there are any units your still need to complete then RSVP as soon as possible as places are filling fast.

Ongoing Safeguarding Training will be offered in the winter school holidays, so stay tuned for when registrations open up over the coming weeks.

We are offering a Reflection Day in each of our three regions in the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June/July Please see the flyer on the back of this issue of Connections

For Catechists on green cards who are looking to expand and extend their formation, we are offering Level 3 training in the second half of this year on Fridays via Zoom More information to come in the next issue of Connections and via your parish coordinator

What to Look For in a Bible

Who is it for?

Depending on what your bible will be used for, you might choose differently. A gift for a child receiving the sacraments might see you purchase a hard cover illustrated Children’s Bible. If you are presenting bibles to a graduating Year 6 class, you may look to the Bible Society’s https://shop biblesociety org au/ mission bible discount boxes The Contemporary English Version (CEV) is recommended for young readers and for children the books tend to contain selected stories which are heavily illustrated

What is it for?

If you want a Bible as a keepsake in your home or for display in a sacred space in class or for liturgies. In these cases the cover and the dedication pages might be an important consideration. Traditionally, Family Bibles have contained a record of births, sacrament reception eg marriages and deaths

If the Bible is for study, then obviously the age of the reader is important There are different translations of the bible for various reading ages and abilities There are also large print and audio bibles as well as many videos versions

How will it be read?

Adult study bibles will have a lot of cross-referencing and footnoting to elucidate the text. Some of the more recognised versions for study are the New Revised Standard, New International and New Oxford Annotated. Some of you may be surprised to learn that different Christian churches have different numbers of books in their bibles It is therefore advisable to ensure that you find a Catholic edition which has a number of books and parts of books which are known as the Apocrapha or Deuterocanonicals for study purposes

Where to find your bible?

Finally, here are some places to going looking for your bible

There are online sites like:

Gateway Bible https://www biblegateway com/ or the Catholic Life https://mycatholic life/bible/ Not to mention phone apps which are very convenient Bookshops such as St Paul’s Books and Media and Koorong in Sydney in Castlereagh St Sydney or Koorong in West Parade West Ryde.

Our own Broken Bay Diocese has a selection of bibles at discount prices thanks to a bequest by Fr Harry Davis.

https://www.bbcatholic.org.au/mission/biblical-resources/ broken-bay-bible-offer

Many parishes have piety shop which sell to parishioners at reasonable prices

Donnelly

3 Steps to Using Your Bible Daily

1. Lectio Divina

This is a style of prayer in which you reflectively read through passages of Scripture, allowing God to speak to you through the text It can be done on your own or within a group Here’s a basic outline:

Step 1: Select a passage from the Bible

Step 2: Find a quiet place, and recollect yourself with an interior silence where you can call upon the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to what God wants to say to you.

Step 3: Read through the passage.

Step 4: Re-read through the passage allowing any words or phrases to jump out at you. Pause and reflect upon these points that strike you – stay with them Let God speak to you through them You may wish to place yourself into the passage; envisage what is happening around you, which character you are Listen!

Step 5: Pray In Step 4 we listened, now speak with God about whatever comes into your heart Give thanks for His Word!

Tip: Our team uses pray-as-you-go.org every morning to pray with the scriptures.

2. Journal

Journaling is a great way to “journey” through the Scriptures while also giving words to your interior life To do this all you need to do is get a pad of paper (and a pen), and much like with Lectio Divina, you can select a passage from the Scriptures, prayerfully reflect upon that passage, and then try to write down everything that comes to you The beautiful thing about keeping a journal is that you can read back over it at a future date and see how God has spoken to you through His Word in Sacred Scriptures.

If you already keep a prayer journal of sorts, then including Scripture reflections into that journal will complement that which you already write. And you’ll know that there is a great richness in putting pen to paper and solidifying what God is doing in your life

Tip: Don’t rip out pages! You’ll know what I mean when you feel it – going back over what you’ve written previously and slightly cringing. But the beauty of a journal is that it’s all real, in that moment the words that you write are real, you really felt that that was what God was saying to you! So leave those pages alone!

3. Routine

I have a love-hate relationship with routine, but I must admit that when it comes to having things that I need to do (particularly if I’m not naturally good at doing them), then routine becomes my best friend

If we can get into the routine of reading and praying with the Bible daily, then entering into that dialogue with God will become much easier as we grow familiar with the texts and the way in which our heart is receptive to them.

Tip: I recommend either the start or end of the day –and keep the Bible already open on your desk so you can go over to it and just read! Find a Video series or even an App that will take you through the Bible by an ordered study program

Finally, do not be afraid to take that Bible down off the shelf! Remember, through the Scriptures ‘the Father who is in Heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them ’ (Dei Verbum, 21)

Kristy Komadina

NORTH SHORE