Catholic Life Publication of the Diocese of Sale
Free
ISSUE 188
June 2015
Berwick oncology centre BERWICK - The St John of God Berwick Day Oncology Centre held its official opening blessing ceremony on May 19. Bishop Pat O’Regan blessed and commissioned the oncology centre which is providing vital cancer care for patients in the western end of Sale Diocese. Other guests including State Member for Gembrook Brad Battin, Federal Member for Latrobe Jason Wood, Casey Mayor Cr Mick Moreland and Cardinia Mayor Cr Leticia Wilmont as well as staff, volunteers and patients. St John of God Berwick Hospital chief executive officer Lisa Norman said “We are honored that Bishop O’Regan could lead the blessing ceremony and mark this significant occasion in bringing healthcare closer to home, for people undergoing cancer treatment.” With 12 treatment spaces in the oncology centre and other cancer support services including radiotherapy, medical imaging, pharmacy and pathology on site, the centre provides an integrated cancer service that Ms Norman said was rarely found outside the centre of Melbourne. “The collaboration between our hospital and other leading health care providers like St John of God Pathology, Radiation Oncology Victoria, MIA Radiology and HPS Pharmacy increases the capacity of the service and offers a unique model of integrated cancer care.” She said demand for cancer services in the area had increased significantly in recent years and cancer survival was improved by offering services that allowed early diagnosis and improved access to treatment. The new oncology centre had been designed to be a calming and tranquil place for patients undergoing cancer treatment, with large windows offering natural light and views of Berwick and surrounding areas.
“We hope this environment is a place where family members feel comfortable to come and spend time with their loved ones during treatment. It also includes a wellness centre that offers patients and carers a comfortable, home like space to relax before or after treatment.” The centre is part of the new specialist centre at 55 Kangan Drive, Berwick, which is owned by Generation Healthcare REIT (GHC) a long term owner of healthcare property with a proven track record in constructing healthcare facilities across Australia. The centre was constructed by Hansen Yunken and designed by Silver Thomas Hanley Architects, was custom built with the needs and comfort of patients in mind. In April, St John of God Berwick Hospital and Generation Healthcare announced they have reached agreement to build a $120 million hospital development on Kangan Drive. (See story P5). All existing services provided by St John of God Berwick Hospital historic Gibb St. site will be relocated to the new hospital. St John of God Healthcare is Australia’s third largest provider of private hospital services, including seven hospitals throughout Victoria. In addition to Berwick the south east region of Melbourne hospitals include Pinelodge Clinic in Dandenong and Frankston Rehabilitation Hospital. The specialist centre in Berwick’s growing healthcare precinct opened in March. Tenants of the four level centre include St John of God Berwick Hospital, St John of God Pathology, ROV, MIA Radiology and HPS Pharmacy St John of God Health Care operates 18 facilities comprising 2571 beds in Australia and New Zealand, as well as pathology, home nursing, disability services and social outreach programs.
Trinity FAMILIES
A PATIENT receives treatment in the modern oncology centre at Berwick.
BISHOP Pat O’Regan, assisted by Fr Jeff Kleynjans, annoints the hands of St John of God staff during the blessing ceremony.
Keep your charity local. We ask you donate generously to our diocesan charity so we can help the people in our region. Phone: (03) 5622 6688 Visit us on Facebook and www.trinityfamilies.org.au
Page 2 - Catholic Life, June 2015
The first 100 days of meeting the people WE have just celebrated the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, and it is just now over a hundred days since my ordination on February 26. In these last 100 days I have had the chance to move around the diocese. I have not been able to get to every parish just yet, but I will have had that opportunity by the end of August. In each place I have visited, small or large, I have been able to celebrate the Eucharist. In each place it is not hard to see the hand of God at work amongst God’s holy people. In each place it is a delight to see the Body of Christ gathered in prayer, or gathered in service. The work of strengthening our local faith communities, to both be able to celebrate well the gift of the Eucharist and allow them to become more fully the Body of Christ, is our call and our joy and our continual challenge.
While there is much to be done, there is much to celebrate.
The Year of Mercy POPE Francis continues to lead us more deeply into the mystery of God’s love, continually putting before us what we so easily forget: the call to deepen family life; be attentive to our neighbor, to the beggar at the gate; our consecrated Religious and now he has called us to celebrate a Jubilee Year of
Mercy, beginning on Tuesday, December 8 this year. Pope Francis begins his letter entitled The Face of Mercy, which inaugurates the year of mercy, with these words, “Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy. These words might well sum up the mystery of Christian faith.” In typical fashion, Pope Francis summaries the complex and puts it in simple terms, easy for us to understand. Continually he calls us back to the person of Jesus Christ, who he reminds us is the face of the Father’s mercy. I encourage you to read this small and life-giving document. It is disheartening when our Church is in the news for all the wrong reasons. I once again acknowledge the real hurt and pain that many have experienced, and continue to experience, and affirm that we are taking steps to
ensure that the best care is given to, in the first instance, those who are deeply affected, and second to build into our normal way of life in our parishes and schools and all agencies of our diocese a safe and life-giving environment. Pope Francis says that we ought constantly, “contemplate the mystery of mercy. It is a wellspring of joy, serenity and peace.” (FOM #2). May our efforts in co-operating with the grace of God bring this about in all every part of our diocese. May we always focus on what is most important, and in whatever way we can seek to be the face of the Father’s mercy. God is Good. + Pat O’Regan Bishop of Sale
Cranbourne student Aussie of Year nomination CRANBOURNE - St Peter’s College Year 12 student and college leader Tess Macartney was one of the nominees for Australian of the Year 2015. Her nomination was for her voluntary work with Diabetes Victoria and the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation in raising awareness for type 1 diabetes. St Peter’s College Marian House leader Romi Bennett said “Tess has demonstrated a commitment to educating and working with people affected by diabetes for a number of years. Her commitment is outstanding and this award nomination is testament to her hard work.
“Tess has always shown dedication in all she does and has received numerous awards over the years for her work on diabetes. She is a positive example to all at St Peter’s College and is to be congratulated by myself, and indeed by everyone at St Peters College”. Tess has over past years presented talks at numerous gatherings, explaining what the symptoms to look out for are, so that early detection is diagnosed. She has also spoken with former Australian Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard as well as the local
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MP Anthony Byrne, regarding research funds to help find a cure. Through Diabetes Victoria she has attended many seminars promoting a positive outlook to living with this chronic illness, which at present has no cure. Tess was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2008 when she was 10 years old. The Australian of the Year was won by family violence campaigner Rosie Batty. PICTURED: Tess Macartney (right) with Marian House leader Romi Bennett.
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Catholic Life, June 2015 - Page 3
Trinity Families seeking projects to fund TRINITY Families is again calling on charities operating in the Greater Gippsland area to apply for funding for projects supporting families. It has around $130,000 to give away in its annual disbursement which will be made later this year. Over the past decade Trinity Families has given away almost $1.2 million. Executive officer Colin Coomber said applications for funding would be received up until the end of August and all applicants would be advised of success or otherwise by midOctober. All applications had to be on the on-line form on Trinity Families website www. trinityfamilies.org.au and prospective applicants could also read the distribution policy. He said that the main three provisos for a charity to be eli-
gible to share in the funds, were that it had to have tax deductibility status, that the program would broadly assist families, and that the program was in the Greater Gippsland area. The eligible geographic area comprised the municipalities of Casey, Cardinia, Baw Baw, Latrobe, Wellington, East Gippsland, South Gippsland and Bass Coast. Mr Coomber said he expected the demand for funds to be much higher this year because many charities were finding their traditional government sources of funding had been scaled back. “Last year we could have funded more than $300,000 in
family projects in Gippsland but this time it would not surprise if the amount sought by charities is closer to $450,000. “Part of the problem is that millions of dollars are raised in the region each year by worthwhile charities but most of the money went to national projects with little filtering down to assist needy people here.” He said basic family support services such as counselling, conflict resolution, suicide prevention, support for young families, the aged, troubled teenagers and children at risk were often under-funded and so Trinity Families had put a lot of money into supporting these areas in recent years. “Trinity Families can support the agencies running such programs to ensure that funds are available to provide free or reduced fee appointments to their needy clients. “We are also pleased that a
Church responds to growing push to redefine marriage THE Irish referendum approving of gay marriage had catapulted the subject onto headlines in newspapers around the world. Bills redefining the meaning of marriage to allow same sex marriages are currently before the Australian parliament. Some commentators express the view that it is only a matter of time before gay marriages are legalised in Australia while others are not so sure. A recent survey showed 59 percent of people in support, well down on the 72 percent in a similar survey last July. The Australian Catholic Bishop’s Conference has released a pastoral letter highlighting the importance of the meaning of marriage and putting some context on the Irish referendum, and announcements by both the Labor Party and the Greens that they will introduce draft legislation to allow two people of the same sex to marry. Marriage is both a personal relationship between a man and a woman, and the protective institution for their children. Marriage includes an emotional union, but it goes further than that. It involves a comprehensive bodily and spiritual union of a man and a woman. This union of a man and woman is the natural reproductive and protective environment for raising children. Marriage is the foundation of the family unit, which is in turn the first cell of society. If the union of a man and a woman is different – not the same - as other unions, then justice demands that we treat that union accordingly. If marriage is an institution designed to support people of the opposite sex to be faithful to each other and to the children of their union it is not discrimination to reserve it to them.
The Christian tradition teaches that every human being is a unique and irreplaceable person, created in the image of God and loved by Him. Because of this, every man, woman and child has great dignity and worth which can never be taken away. This includes those who experience same-sex attraction. They must be treated with respect, sensitivity and love. Redefining marriage in the way now proposed would see marriage reduced to a committed, affectionate sexual relationship between any two people. All marriages would come to be defined by intensity of emotion rather than a union founded on sexual complementarity and potential fertility. Husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, will be seen to be wholly interchangeable social constructs, as gender would no longer matter. Chair of the Bishops Commission for Family, Youth and Life, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP said, “It is unjust, gravely unjust, to legitimise the false assertion that there is nothing distinctive about a man and a woman, a father or a mother; to ignore the particular values that real marriage serves; to ignore the importance for children of having a mum and a dad, committed to them and to each other for the long haul. “Children have a right to grow up with their natural mother and father, where possible. We should not be redefining marriage so as deliberately to exclude a child growing up with either their mother, their father, or both their parents. “If the civil law ceases to define marriage as traditionally understood, it will be a serious injustice and undermine that common good for which the civil law exists. “Surely there are other ways
of honoring the friendships of same-sex attracted and other people without further deconstructing marriage and the family,” Archbishop Fisher said. Some copies of the full 16 page booklet containing the pastoral letter are being printed off by most parishes, however, it can also be accessed on the ACBC website www.catholic. org.au, following the Media tab to Media Releases.
small input of funds from our organisation last year was able to ensure that a vital sexual assault service in the Pakenham area was able to continue when its normal funding was cut.” He said that the money available to be allocated each year was the proceed of Trinity Families investments and that because of the philanthropic nature of the organisation, its trust funds were not dispersed but were retained to earn income year after year. Mr Coomber said that the only way to overcome this
shortfall would be to grow the size of the trust fund. There had been strong support from the Catholic community and Trinity Families had recently received a bequest from a deceased estate for more than $40,000. Details of how to make donations were on the website. He said charities which received funding last year should now be preparing reports on the success of the programs funded to forward to Trinity Families before the end of the financial year.
Help where it is needed Show your support by donating today
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Ordination videos to buy VIDEOS of the ordination and installation of Bishop Pat O’Regan as the ninth Bishop of Sale are still available. They can be ordered for $20 which includes postage from Studio 51. To order a video contact Wendy on 0409 501 706 or studio51videography@ bigpond.com to arrange payment and delivery.
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Page 4 - Catholic Life, June 2015
Yarram centenary in October
Hello God
MILITARY chaplain addressing a group of new recruits at Kapooka gave a short talk before Mass asking them to switch their mobile phones off and to respect the solemnity of the Mass by refraining from texting. Recruits have extremely limited access to their phone throughout the 12 weeks of basic training but after the first few weeks are normally given the phones on a Sunday morning. Sure enough, shortly afterwards the priest’s phone rang. He took it from his pocket and tentatively said “Hello? Is that you God?”
Super tops
ONE you may have missed. Catholic Super came out on top in a recent survey by Roy Morgan Research into member satisfaction on financial performance, with more than 70 percent of its members saying they are satisfied with their fund’s performance. The country’s biggest 20 superannuation providers were put under the spotlight. Funds were scored on several measures, including the level of satisfaction fund members have with financial performance.
Scaffolding rises
SCAFFOLDING has been placed around Gippsland tallest church steeple as part of
restoration works. The scaffolding has gone up at St Mary’s, Bairnsdale, and will remain in place about six months. The church is a popular tourist drawcard because of the spectacular paintings on the ceiling and walls around the sanctuary. The parish is currently raising funds to undertake restoration works worth about $3 million. Bairnsdale-based Patties Bakeries recently donated use of a corporate box at the MCG worth about $5000, which was raffled to raise funds for the appeal.
Tip: Be early
THE centenary of the Fatima apparitions is nearing quickly and pilgrims wanting to take part in the celebrations in Portugal in May 2017 should be thinking of booking trips and accommodation. Pilgrimage tours are expected to book out as soon as they are released. Those wanting to get on a formal tour would be wise to get on the mailing list of the pilgrimage firms so they know when bookings open.
YARRAM - On the weekend of October 31 and November 1 St Mary’s Catholic Parish Yarram will be celebrating the centenary of the laying of the foundation stone of the Church by Bishop Patrick Phelan on October 10, 1915. Bishop of Sale, Pat O’Regan with attend this event. There will be a Mass for All Souls Day celebrated at
the Greenmount Catholic Cemetery at 3pm on Saturday, October 31. On Sunday, November 1 celebrations will begin with Mass at St Mary’s at 10am, followed by a spit roast lunch in the Mary MacKillop Hall, at St Mary’s school. Organisers hope to have as many present and past parishioners and students as
possible to help them celebrate the centenary. To help organise events it is asked that people register their intended attendance by October 16 by calling the parish office on 5182 5028, the school 5182 5659, emailing stmarysyarram@bigpond.com, or by writing to Box 59, Yarram 3971.
Baptism is a family affair THE baptismal rite for the Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross was used in Gippsland for the first time when Fr Ken Clark baptised his own granchildren. He had the great pleasure in baptising his and his wife Carmel’s, grandchildren Emily Rose and Olivia Grace. He said it was pleasing to have both members of the congregation, and family at the baptism. Their parents, Andrew Widdowson and Karen Azar, had been planning to have the children baptised for some time, and wanted their children to become members of the Catholic Church through the Ordinariate.
Of all the decisions we make in our lifetime, making a valid will is among the most important.
This final testament speaks loudly of the values, causes and possessions we hold most dear. We bequest personal treasures and mementos to special friends and loved ones and ask them to care for them after our passing. If you hold the Church dear, you may consider leaving a percentage of your estate or a specific amount to the Diocese of Sale. The Diocese is grateful for the support of its benefactors, who have enabled the Church to grow in its service of its people, and invite you to share in this rich heritage.
EMILY and Olivia holding their Baptismal Certificates with their parents, and grandparents around them.
ACBC guide for employers THE Australian Catholic Council for Employment Relations has published a handbook for Catholic employers and employees, entitled Good Works: the Catholic Church as an employer in Australia. Australian Catholic Bishops Delegate for Employment Relations, Bishop Les Tomlinson, launched the book last month during the bishops’ plenary meeting at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney. The Catholic Church is one of Australia’s largest employers with over 180,000 employees spread across a range of dioceses, congregations and agencies, employing two percent of the Australian workforce. The book includes a section about the importance of work, work-life balance, the principles underpinning the Church’s social teaching on work and the employment relationship. It also details previous encyclicals about work. Pope St John Paul II stated in
Labourem Exercens, “The basis for determining the value of work is not primarily the work being done but the fact that the one doing it is a person”. Bishop Tomlinson said “Workers in Catholic employment cannot merely be regarded as resources for delivering outcomes. Catholic organisations should particularly acknowledge and manifest the Church’s teachings on work and employment. The theology of work underpins Catholic social teaching on the mutual obligations of workers and employers”. “The book is a valuable resource because it articulates the mission and values of Catholic employment and provides practical advice about how good employment relations can be achieved,” he added. The book is available from ACCER. A copy of the book will be distribution to all Catholic employers. ACCER can be contacted on 03 9934 3355.
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Catholic Life, June 2015 - Page 5
SJOG announces new $120m Berwick hospital ST John of God Berwick Hospital and Generation Healthcare REIT have announced they will build a new $120 million hospital development on Kangan Drive in Berwick. While still subject to a number of conditions, the new St John of God Berwick Hospital is expected to open in July 2017 opposite Monash Health’s Casey Hospital, making the area a major health precinct in Melbourne. The hospital will be jointly owned by SJGHC and GHC. In addition to the $120 million hospital building itself, SJGHC will be investing in new state of the art equipment, furnishings, commissioning the new facilities, plus undertaking a significant upgrade of the facilities in Gibb Streetbringing the total project forecast cost to $150 million. All existing services provided by SGJBH at its historic Gibb Street site will be relocated to the new hospital and a significantly expanded number and range of services will be available, taking local health services in the area to a new level. Making the announcement, St John of God Berwick CEO Lisa Norman said it was an important milestone for the communities of Casey and Cardinia which form one of the most rapidly growing regions in Australia. “The new St John of God Berwick Hospital development will allow us to meet the growing health care demands of a rapidly expanding region,” she said. “It will provide more than 190 new beds, six operating theatres, two
endoscopy theatres, a cardiac/vascular catheter laboratory, six birthing suites and approximately 350 basement car parks. “It will also provide the first Intensive Care Unit for the region and a comprehensive range of cardiac services, including a dedicated cardiac unit. “We recently opened a new day oncology unit on the new Kangan Drive site and the new hospital will offer additional cancer services and complete our vision to provide a complete range of oncology care to improve cancer survival through improved diagnosis and treatment options to the people of this community.” Other St John of God Health Care services such as St John of God Pathology and St John of God Health Choices, a home nursing service, will also be expanded. Ms. Norman said the decision to proceed with the development after several months exploring the feasibility of the development coincided with the celebration of the hospital’s 75th anniversary. “Our roots are deep in the community and as the region continues to grow and expand, it’s fitting that we should look to the future and make sure we meet its changing needs at the same time as we celebrate our heritage,” she said. The new hospital will be designed to be open and accessible, with a warm and welcoming front foyer enabling access to all areas of the hospital, and a café, pharmacy and a volunteer desk to assist people to find their way.
Royal Commission to return to Ballarat THE Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse will return to Ballarat Diocese in November. It spent two weeks in the city, taking evidence from victims and representatives of the Church, including Bishop Paul Bird. Media interest was extremely high after the testimony of jailed paedophile, ex-priest Gerard Ridsdale dominated proceedings. The Commission heard claims that Ridsdale was moved to new parishes even though the then bishop knew he had abused children. Victims of child sexual abuse campaigned strongly through the media to have Cardinal George Pell be forced to return to Australia from Rome to answer charges that because he shared a presbytery with Ridsdale for 12 month, he must have known of his abuse. These calls were quietened when Cardinal Pell indicated he had not been asked by the Commission to appear but that he was willing to return to Australia should it require more evidence from him. The cardinal, as former Archbishop of Sydney, has previously been interviewed
and cross-examined by the Commission, and also gave evidence last year at the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry about his time at Ballarat. Sale Diocese has not been involved in the Royal Commission but urges any victims of abuse to go to police who will investigate the circumstances. Since 1996, the diocese has followed the principles set out in the Towards Healing process to respond to complaints of abuse and the procedures to be followed in responding to individual complaints. Persons who have been hurt or abused by a priest or religious are encouraged to take action and make their voice heard by going to police and to contact the Professional Standards Resource Group on 1800 816 030. A contact person takes the complaint and the appropriate religious leader or bishop is then asked to respond to it. If the complaint is found to be of a criminal nature, assistance is offered so that the complaint can be made to the police. From the beginning counselling and support is offered as the process moves through its various stages.
Archbishop’s Papal post POPE Francis has appointed Sydney Archbishop, Anthony Fisher OP, to the Vatican’s oldest and most influential congregation, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The congregation is the Church’s final intellectual and moral arbiter in questions of faith and morals, the body that draws the line between what is acceptable writing/teaching/behavior within the Church and what is not acceptable.
It was founded by Pope Paul II in 1542 as the Congregation of the Holy Office of the Inquisition to “spread sound Catholic doctrine and defend those points of Christian tradition which seem in danger because of new and unacceptable doctrines.” Almost a century later, it abandoned execution for heretics in 1640. The word “Inquisition’’ was dropped from the title in 1904.
AN artist’s impression of the planned new Berwick hospital. A chapel located at the rear of the will allow us to continue to deliver foyer will provide a designated space for exceptional care to a larger number of spiritual wellbeing. patients with a broader range of health The new hospital development forms conditions.” part of a three stage project. Stage St John of God Berwick Hospital one was recently completed, with the currently employs over 400 staff and opening in February of a $20.4 million a further 200 jobs are expected to be specialist centre at the site, including a created. day oncology clinic. Currently, nearly 400 visiting doctors Future plans have been developed for cover a wide range of medical and a third building that will take the site surgical disciplines, and an additional capacity to 316 beds and 12 operating 100 are expected to be required to theatres. administer the new and expanded Ms. Norman said the existing historic services. Ms. Norman said the additional and much loved Gibb Street site would jobs would be a positive opportunity for undergo redevelopment to enable it people living in Casey and Cardinia to to provide a new range of services, work for a values-based organisation including rehabilitation with a dedicated close to home. outpatient rehabilitation centre. The construction is still subject to a “The Gibb Street facility is where number of final approvals including town caring for the community began in planning plus successful completion 1939,” she said. of the building tender process with “Two hospitals providing a construction expected to commence comprehensive range of services before the end of this year.
Page 6 - Catholic Life, June 2015
My ‘To Do’list - June a good time for reflection DO you write “To Do� lists? Do you use reminders of tasks to be accomplished or important things to be remembered? All of us need reminders of one form or another at various stages. Traditionally, the Church dedicates the month of June to the Sacred Heart of Jesus – it is like a piece of string on our fingers, a reminder. Throughout the month of June, we are asked to spend some time reflecting on the love of God, shown to us so vividly in the life of Jesus. June is also set aside to remind us of the need to reflect on our own lives and our response to
Jesus’ call ‘to love one another as I have loved you’ because Christian love is essentially something to be shared. It is best seen and experienced in action. God’s love is seen uniquely in each person’s life – through our lives the love of God takes shape in our little corner of the world. The first letter of John is a great hymn to God’s passionate and faithful love for us. St John says: My dear friends, let us love one another, for love is from God‌. Love consists in this;
Reflections by Jim Quillinan It is not we who loved God but God loved us first and sent us His son‌ If God loved us so much, we should love one another. No-one has ever seen God but as long as we love one another God remains in us and
God’s love comes to its perfection in us. Let us love then, because God loved us first. (1John 4) We sometimes find it hard to believe that God loves us first – we often think that we have to earn it first, we have to please God then God will love
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us. No, God loves us first‌and unconditionally. Again, that’s sometimes hard for us to understand because as humans we often put conditions on love – I will be your friend if you do things my way, if you agree with me and so on. That’s not how God loves us. That’s not the example of Jesus. Remember His story of the Prodigal Son? Even in His encounter with the rich young man who turned away, Jesus still loved him (Mk 10 17-27). There were times when Jesus said to go and sin no more, not as a condition of His love but rather because the person was engaging in self-destructive activity. Pope Francis, in his usual down-to-earth manner, spoke of this: I have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person’s life. God is in everyone’s life. Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else - God is in this person’s life. You can you must - try to seek God in every human life. Throughout this month especially we are called to remind ourselves that we are instruments of God’s love, instruments of God’s peace and harmony. But any instrument needs care and attention. I cannot be an instrument by myself – I need to be aware of God’s love and goodness in my own life. Just as a flute needs someone’s breathe to make music, so I need to be aware of God’s constant and faithful love for me. That is the ‘as I have loved you’ part. The month of June is also about reminding us of the reality of the loving presence of God in my own life. As Pope Benedict reminded us: Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed. Each of us is loved. Each of us is necessary. Why not write a “To Doâ€? list for June. The first To Do: to spend of few moments each day thinking about where God’s love is evident in your own life. Don’t overlook the small things – the joy of the company of others, the feeling of a sense of purpose in life and so on. The second To Do: where have I been challenged to grow this week or today – who challenged me or what situation was the catalyst for growth? To Do number three: what sort of image of God did I present today or this week? What kind of music is God playing in your life now – what song title might sum that up? Glory be to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine (Eph 3:21). Amen
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Catholic Life, June 2015 - Page 7
faith … learning … growth
From The Director…
WE live in troubled times as Catholics. Anyone who has been following the reports on the Royal Commission Hearings in recent weeks, and the subsequent letters and opinion pieces in various media outlets, will have been subjected to some harrowing stories. It is hard to imagine that men and women, who committed their lives to the service of the Church and the people of God, could have got it so wrong. In this I am referring to both the perpetrators and those who appeared to protect and support them. Whilst there is no way to defend the indefensible, and the abuse in any form of the young and the vulnerable is
indefensible, we view the actions and reactions of those in authority all those years ago with eyes that have been opened and educated in our modern world. We must continue to be vigilant in all areas of society, not just within the Church and schools but within families, sporting groups, clubs and organizations; anywhere that young people come under the care of those whose standing and authority give them power. It is at times like this that we need to reflect on the many good priests and nuns who have formed so many of us to be the faith-filled and faithful people that we are. I was privileged to have the opportunity to speak recently at the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Ordination of one of the finest priests of the Sale diocese, Fr Peter Slater. I was asked by some of those present for a copy of the address and thought this would be an opportunity to share it for those who were unable to be there to celebrate with Fr Peter. I first met Fr Peter in October 2011 when he chaired the interview panel which recommended to Bishop Prowse my appointment as Director of Catholic Education for the
Sale Diocese. As a result I have long thought him to be a man of great wisdom and discernment! Since then I have worked with Fr Peter in his roles as Vicar General, Diocesan Administrator and member of the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria. I have come to know and respect Fr Peter in all of these roles and to have great affection for him. Today we celebrate two significant concepts – Vocation and Commitment. Fr Peter’s 40 year journey to this point commenced with his listening to the call, that voice of God in his heart that led to the decision to embark on the journey of priesthood... We celebrate with him, not just that choice but the many choices Fr Peter has made in order to honour that commitment made 40 years ago. It is this commitment from which we and countless others in this diocese and beyond, have drawn care, solidarity, prayerful support, knowledge and wisdom. In the relatively short time I have known and worked with Fr Peter I have witnessed and personally experienced all of those values and principles. Friedrich von Huegel, a lay
theologian whose work helped to usher in the era of modern theology and scripture study, wrote – “The greatest thing of all is caring”. In my experience of Fr Peter it would seem that this basic tenet is at the cornerstone of his commitment. Those of us who know and have worked with him experience this commitment to caring on a regular basis. Some of us have been fortunate enough to have been by his side when that commitment to care came at great personal cost. Joan Chittister, the Benedictine nun, asks this question. “How do you know when you are really committed to something?” She answers her own question with these words, “Easy! When what happens to it still affects you are committed to it, whatever the discomfort of it all”. By this yardstick alone, Fr Peter lives his commitment on a daily basis. At CEOSale we have been fortunate to have Fr Peter celebrate Eucharist with us on many occasions. His homilies at those times are thoughtful, scholarly and grounded. Fr Peter’s commitment to finding ways to grow, to learn and to study is
inspirational. Mae West, that rather outrageous actress of the 1920s, made this comment, “Too much of a good thing is wonderful!” Commitment and dedication, in that context, means the ability to go overboard for something. We need to be unbalanced about something in this life in order to really live. It takes effort to keep the passion of commitment burning. Perhaps the best gift we can give to Fr Peter today is to commit ourselves to rekindle the passion in one commitment that might have waned in our own lives – a promise, a personal relationship, a cause, the spreading of the Gospel. Take just one action today in honour of this good priest to try and rekindle that flame of enthusiasm and passion. Fr Peter, thank you for being the inspiration, the carer, the fine priest and person you have been and continue to be for us all. Maria Kirkwood Director Catholic Education Office Diocese of Sale
Improving Numeracy at Lavalla Catholic College THE idea of offering a differentiated learning program sounds commendable, but is it actually possible? How far should the learning program go? Concerned with the need to improve Numeracy scores in NAPLAN, Lavalla Catholic College introduced a program which acknowledged a key element of the Marist charism: to know the students – surely the aim of a differentiated learning program. This meant knowing the talents and skills, deficiencies and weaknesses in Mathematics of every student and creating an effective learning plan for all. In 2014 the Maths Pathway program was integrated in
the Year 7 Mathematics course, with the intention of progressively introducing the program over the next 4 years. Maths Pathway replaces text books and is used in conjunction with lessons which offer a hands on approach. It is an internet based program which diagnoses the level of achievement in Maths of each student and sets work accordingly. Students watch video explanations of ideas which allows progress through the modules. Work is tested every two weeks and the students are provided feedback and move onto the next cycle of work. The feedback corrects and reports results in the
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form of percentage growth. This allows students at every level of Mathematics to achieve growth. The program has generally been well received by the students who appreciate the recognition of their efforts. Parents too understand the premise behind the program, knowing that more complex ideas are difficult to learn if the fundamentals have not been mastered. Furthermore, Maths Pathways also requires changes to Mathematics teaching to deliver the program. Accordingly, ongoing development is required to appreciate the paradigm shift from delivering a predetermined course of work to responding to intensive feed-
back from regular tests and building each student’s capacity with areas not mastered. The role of the teacher in the classroom is subtly changing and the students are becoming resilient learners.
faith … learning … growth
Page 8 - Catholic Life, June 2015
St John the Baptist Primary School Koo Wee Rup Inside this edition Page 1 Maria Kirkwood Director Diocese of Sale Lavalla Catholic College Traralgon Improving Numeracy Page 2 St John the Baptist Koo Wee Rup Kitchen Garden Classes Lumen Christi Churchill Citrus Fruit with Buddies
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Classes AT the beginning of Term Two, after months of planning and preparation, Grade Three and Four students at St John the Baptist Primary School have started an educational program to grow, harvest, prepare and share healthy food. The teaching and learning is supported by the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation which aims to provide pleasurable food education to primary school aged children across Australia. The students participate in one kitchen class and one
garden class per week. In addition, the syllabus is fully integrated into the curriculum and offers countless opportunities to reinforce literacy, numeracy, science, cultural studies and environmental sustainability. Training by the Stephanie Alexander Foundation has also been provided to some of our teachers to educate them in the philosophy of the Kitchen Garden Program. We have been extremely grateful for the donations of both time and goods by parents and local businesses as without these, such a project would not go ahead. Not only is the Kitchen Garden Program proving to
be a great learning experience for students and teachers, it has also been a fantastic opportunity for parents to get involved in the school community. We are very pleased with the progress made so far and it has been extremely enjoyable watching students experience hands-on tasks in both the garden and kitchen. The students have taken an active interest in all aspects of the program and have especially been making an effort to taste new foods. Grade Three and Four teacher, Meaghan Cook, said many students claimed it was ‘the best day ever’ on the first day of classes. Meaghan added,
“By implementing the program into our teaching, it has opened up a range of new experiences where the children can develop life skills through practical, hands-on activities. We have found that the program gives these children a sense of ownership and responsibility for their learning.” Although we are only in the early stages of the program, we look forward to what lay ahead for our students as we give them a real-life connection to their learning and promote healthy life-style choices for the community.
Page 3 St Michael’s Traralgon Remember the Anzacs St Ita’s Drouin Grandparents & Special Friends Day Page 4 St Mary’s Sale Working to our Strengths St Thomas’ Sale Energy from the Sun St Brendan’s Lakes Entrance Personalised Learning Students grow, harvest, prepare and share healthy food from the ‘Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden’ at St John the Baptist Koo Wee Rup
Citrus Fruit with Buddies at Lumen Christi Churchill OVER the past six weeks, Grade Prep, One and Two students have been learning about citrus fruits with their Grade Five and Six Buddies. The first week the seniors showed the juniors how to make pure lemon juice using the good old glass lemon squeezer. Some of the juniors had an opportunity to juice some lemons and to try some. The faces of the younger students were a good guide as to what they thought about this pure juice! The following week the Buddies studied a watercolour painting of lemons and a lime in a bowl. The buddies then constructed their
own version of this still life. Instead of painting, they drew and then cut out the fruits from paper and arranged them in the 2D paper bowl. The week after that the buddies made yellow orange and green play doh. An example of five fruits was an orange, a grapefruit, a lime, a lemon and a mandarin. Paper bowls, orange, yellow and green play doh were handed out. All Grade Preps, Ones and Twos made five balls of play doh defining the fruit. Expect a huge rise in the sale of citrus fruit!!
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Students from the junior grades learnt about citrus fruits with help from their Buddies
faith … learning … growth
Catholic Life, June 2015 - Page 9
St Michael’s Traralgon - Remember the Anzacs TRARA LGON’S S t. Michael’s Grade Three and Four students have been learning about the ANZACS. Who they were, what happened and when as well as discussing other wars. Their learning has taken place using many different learning tools including completing information grids, reciprocal reading, watching Behind the News videos, collecting artifacts, researching, writing summaries, making a wreath, leading a Mass and holding a learning assembly. Teachers introduced the book, “Don’t Forget Australia” to enhance the children’s knowledge of what happened at VillersBretonneux in World War I. Students used reciprocal reading to clarify, question and summarize the story.
To showcase thei r knowledge the Grade Three and Four students held a learning assembly where some of the students invited family and friends to share their experiences of war and being members of the armed forces in both peacekeeping and war. Family members brought in lots of medals, photos and documentation of their families’ experiences to share at the assembly. The children then spent time filling out information grids about themselves that Grade Three and Four teacher, Sue Hill, is taking to the Victorian School in VillersBretonneux when she visits later this month. School Principal, Cathy Blackford said, “At St Michael’s we are always trying to improve the communication between the
home and the school; Learning Assemblies are one way of doing this. These assemblies are a vital and exciting way of informing parents about the learning that is happening within the classroom. It shows the parents contemporary teaching and learning practices which promote opportunities for children, as individuals, to learn within a structure that is flexible. Today’s assembly was a time for the parents, grandparents and the children to share their knowledge of ANZAC day and the different wars Australians have been part of. The children spoke of what they had learned and the adults shared their own experiences and memorabilia from the various wars. It was an extremely informative and exciting session.”
Tom and Riley working on their information summary
Lest We Forget
Grandparents & Special Friends Day at St Ita’s Drouin ST Ita’s recently celebrated Grandparents and Special Friends day as part of their annual Catholic Education week celebrations and what a turnout we had. This special day has rapidly become one of the main events on the St Ita’s calendar. Grandparents and Special Friends Day showcases the importance of these special people in the student’s lives. The day’s celebrations began in the classroom where the children had the opportunity to showcase their learning and share in a range of modern numeracy and literacy activities. After the open classroom session the children accompanied their Grandparents or Special Friends to the Church
for a Mass that was planned by our student liturgy team and school Religious Education Leader, Mrs. Winterton. During the Mass the Liturgy team took up a collection for the St Vinnies Winter appeal and raised just over $1000. At the end of the Mass, St Ita’s principal Andrew Osler delivered a presentation on the importance of Grandparents and Special Friends. His key message was, ‘what children need more of are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance: unconditional, love, kindness, patience, humour, comfort and lessons in life.’ After the Mass the Grandparents and Special Friends were then treated to a variety of different musical performances by our Grade Prep, One and Two students and our school choir who presented pieces from the musical Les Miserables. One of the highlights this year was the unveiling of the St Itas Ukulele Orchestra who performed that wonderful classic, Pick a bale of Cotton. This was a real show stopper and received a powerful round of applause.
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When the concert finished the Grandparents and Special Friends had the opportunity for a photo after the concert and the chance to say goodbye. Then they were treated to a beautiful morning tea which was organised by the St Ita’s Parents and Friends association. Grandparents and Special Friends Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the important role these wonderful people play in our children’s lives. When children are given the opportunity to spend quality time with these special people, their lives are enriched through the very special bond that been formed. Nothing demonstrates the above more beautifully than Grandpa Kevin’s proud comment when talking about his granddaughter on
the day, “My granddaughter has taught me that true love means watching Dora the Explorer cartoons with her whilst my Tigers are playing football on another channel."
Students, Grandparents and Special Friends enjoying Mass and celebrating this special day together at St Ita’s Drouin
faith … learning … growth
Page 10 - Catholic Life, June 2015
Working to our Strengths at St Mary’s Sale AT St Mary’s in Sale we are proud of the fact that we are a small school. It’s our point of difference and so we make conscious decisions to use it to our advantage. Our small size allows staff great knowledge of students and it is knowing them that allows us to work together and achieve the best possible academic outcomes. As a result of the Renewal Process in 2014, we decided to use size as a shaping force to drive some
initiatives into 2015. Under close examination our data revealed that our Intervention programs were effective. We had closed the gap for students who had been achieving below standard results. However it became apparent that whilst we encouraged students to work to their full potential, there remained a group of students who were not improving as well as they possibly could. Our high achievers, students who really generally cruise
Students and teachers involved in extended learning at St Mary’s Sale
through, who rarely ask for assistance, or who, at times, are disengaged through lack of stimulation. Students that don’t just need harder work, but need to be challenged to develop new and critical approaches to learning. To that end we developed several extension programs. Initially junior and senior maths extension groups were established. Students were challenged to not only extend their learning but to prove and justify their answers. They loved it! Explaining their knowledge and applying skills with like -minded children, supported by a skilled teacher, lifted and inspired them. Our next initi ati ve involved literacy. With specific guided teaching, students in the middle school worked in positive and enthusiastic small groups composing, constructing, editing and critiquing their work. They were challenged to extend their vocabulary, invited to use rich and descriptive sentences, to vary the structure and style of their
individual work as well as compare it to marking rubrics. It was interesting to note the reactions of these children whose work in the classroom setting is of quite a high standard suddenly be exposed to only high standard work. They loved applying themselves in ways that had rarely been required of them. Finally teachers identified senior students who would relish the opportunity to develop their inner creativity and developed a creative writing group. Working within these groups allowed students the opportunity to take risks and explore personal expression without the worry of personal vulnerabilit y. T hey blossomed; their voice could finally be heard! Poetry, in its beauty and complexity, was also explored, analysed and eventually created. At all times the teaching remained a vital component. Teachers became quite self critical, examining how the y ha d p r ese nt ed,
engaged, challenged and monitored, realising that at all times great teaching was required to achieve great results. The students strived! They demonstrated fair but critical reviews of their own and their group’s work. Importantly they have learnt to become active participants as the learning environment was geared to their learning level. They had real opportunities to actually think through and present an idea or solution. An unexpected spinoff was the incentive for other students to become involved and began to demonstrate a desire to improve their skills and approach. Classroom teachers reported that others took the opportunity to be more active and accountable during lessons. Parents reported positively to the drive and determination shown. It proved to be a win -win situation all round!
Energy from the Sun at St Thomas’ Sale Personalised Learning at St Brendan’s Lakes Entrance RECENTLY, Ian Southall visited St Thomas’ in Sale and brought his renewable energy trailer to teach the students from Grades Three to Six about how we can save energy and help protect our planet. We learnt that it takes eight minutes and 17 seconds for light and heat energy from the sun to reach the earth which is amazing considering the sun is over 100,000,000 km away!
We also learnt how solar panels work and saw them power various objects including an x-box! Ian told us that that best light bulbs to use in our houses are LED bulbs which use a lot less energy and last for up to 50,000 hours! We have recently replaced all of our bulbs in the school with LED lights.
Students and teachers learning about Solar Energy
St James students learning ‘Mindfulness’ tools.
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AT St Brendan’s Lakes Entrance we firmly believe that we are all made in the image of God. Therefore it is extremely important to staff members and parents alike that we work together to help every students reach their potential. Our approach is multifaceted including strong leadership, good communication, focused teaching, personalised learning and continued professional development. All decisions are made in the best interests of our students. At the beginning of 2015, teachers were required to complete Mathematics Assessment Interviews on every student. Results were collated and analysed. It was decided that the first major focus for this year would be Mathematics, specifically to improve addition and subtraction. External professional learning was undertaken by school leaders, the Extend-
ing Mathematical Understanding Teacher and other teachers to address goals from Professional Learning Plans. Delma Shepherd, Mathematics Co-ordinator, took responsibility for facilitating Professional Learning Community Meetings. In this forum teachers improved their knowledge by completing professional reading, receiving input into current best practice in Mathematics teaching and participating in a range of learning tasks suitable for the classroom. These openended tasks can easily be scaffolded or extended to enable every child to participate. Every teacher designed an action research project, included in class planning, focused on improving learning in addition and subtraction. Each teacher is required to present their process, and evidence of the impact of the sequence of lessons on the learning of
three students to colleagues at our final PLC meeting in Term Two. Delma’s coaching role modelled good mathematical teaching practice in classrooms and provided feedback and support to teachers and students. She also facilitated workshops where parents experienced learning Mathematics in the here and now with a sense of fun and celebration.
Students involved in the Personalised Learning program at St Brendan’s
faith … learning … growth
Catholic Life, June 2015 - Page 11
Ex-director gives Knox lecture THE former Director of Catholic Education in Sale, Professor Therese D’Orsa, was invited to give the 2015 Knox Public Lecture at the Catholic Leadership Centre in Melbourne recently. This prestigious lecture, sponsored by the Catholic Theological College, is an annual event that commemorates the founder of the College, Cardinal James Knox. For the past three years the lecture has highlighted developments in both thinking and practice as the Church globally has addressed Vatican II’s agenda for renewal over the past 50 years. Prof. D’Orsa, who is the Professor of Mission and Culture at the Broken Bay Institute, spoke on developments in Catholic education across this time focussing on changes in the context in which Catholic schools now function and the challenges teachers now wrestle with in educating the first generation of globalised, post-modern and techno-savvy students. It has been a busy month for her and her husband, Jim who also lectures at BBI. They have just returned from Rome after attending a three-day conference at the Urbianna University celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Vatican Council’s document on Mission called Ad Gentes. The conference was
multilingual with papers given in Italian, German, Spanish and English. Prof D’Orsa attended as an executive member of the International Association of Catholic Missiologists, one of the three groups sponsoring the conference. Speakers at the conference focused on developments in how the Church is re-framing important aspects of its mission as we enter a globalised, multicultural and multi-religious world. Much attention was given to the way in which Pope Francis is refocusing attention on what is core to the Gospel – care for those who are marginalised and in need. A number of speakers at the conference, which included cardinals, bishops, priests and lay people, addressed the growing need for Catholic communities to deal with the causes of marginalisation even as they continue the task of meeting the new needs that arise from globalised nature marginalisation that now takes many forms - economic, political, religious and cultural. Catholic schools can play an important role in addressing this Gospel-based mandate. In her Knox paper “Treasure Old and New – Catholic Education Fifty years on from Vatican II” Prof. D’Orsa argued that Catholic school leaders are being forced by rapid changes in the context to rethink the
school’s mission in much the same way as the Church itself is coming to rethink its place in the emerging globalised world. She concludes that now is an important time for Catholic education, a time in which meeting the new challenges faced by the schools is not for the faint-hearted. RIGHT: Prof. Therese D’Orsa and husband Jim with other executive members of the International Association of Catholic Missiologists at the Urbianna University which is almost next door to St Peter’s in Rome, Fr Francis Vincent (India), Fr Andrew Reception (Phillipines) and Sr Zenzili (Congo).
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Page 12 - Catholic Life, June 2015
Debunking religion and war By Fr Herman Hengel Warragul QUITE often you will hear a statement like, “religion causes war” or “religion is the first cause of violence and war throughout the history of mankind.” When I come across people making statements about religion and wars I ask them: “State some of those wars”. And I get references to the present conflicts with terrorism and also some vague answers about Crusades or some wars in Europe after the Reformation, all hundreds of years ago and quite often had as much to do with power of rulers or leaders involved as with religion. Certainly, the great wars of the last century, 1st and 2nd World Wars, and most other wars had nothing to do with religion. An interesting source of truth is a three volume Encyclopedia of Wars (Philip and Axelrod), which give details of 1763 wars that have been waged over the course of human
history. Of those wars, the authors categorise 125 as being religious in nature, which is a very low 6.98 percent of all wars. This can be further divided to about half Muslim and the other half all other religions. This sort of puts a serious dent in any claim that religion is the main cause for wars. If you look through history, the great wars fought by empire builders, from Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, the leaders of the Roman Empire, to Napoleon, Hitler and Stalin, and let us not forget the different Colonial powers, who colonised Africa, the Americas and Asia. Religion was not a motive, it was all about power and wealth. The truth is that non-religious motivation (e.g. quest for power and empire building) and naturalistic philosophies (e.g. Nazism, communism) bear the blame for nearly all of mankind’s wars. Lives lost during religious conflicts pale in comparison
with those experienced during the regimes who wanted nothing to do with the idea of God. (cf R. Rummel: Lethal Politics and Death by Government) He gives some statistics of war deaths during the time of non-religious dictators: Stalin 42,672,000, Mao Zedong 37,828,000, Hitler 20,946,000.
Evangelist’s return visit SRI Lankan evangelist Br Lalith Perera, who has led several retreats in parts of our diocese will again be here later this month. He will be at Narre Warren for two days during his trip which will also see him leading His praise, teaching and worship/ adoration sessions at Our Lady Help of Christians, Narre Warren, will be on June 24-25, at 7.30pm both nights. Br Lalith is leader of the Community of the Risen Lord, a charismatic movement.
Dancing on the world stage CRANBOURNE - Joining Mum’s dance classes from the age of three years, has paid off for Callum McGregor. He was a long way from home but it was worth it. He achieved ninth place in the World Boys 15-16 Year Old Irish Dance Competitions held in Montreal, Canada in April. On many occasions Callum considered giving up his dance lessons and commitments. “If I had to pick out one person to thank first for helping me
Media strategy group forms THE Diocese of Sale has formed an in-house media strategy group to look at ways of better connecting with people through social media. The committee is investigating whether to be involved in Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, e-newsletters, blogs and similar platforms in the future. It is also looking at redesigning the diocese web page, which is currently a static information site, to something which is more dynamic and inviting for people to visit regularly.
achieve this wonderful result, it would be my Mum. “On the many occasions when I wanted to give Irish dancing away, Mum convinced me to continue. “So this win is thanks to you Mum!” Callum started dancing at the age of three, or it may have been younger, as he attended the Irish Dance School where his mum taught Irish dancing. His Irish heritage comes from his grandmother who was born there before living in England and then immigrating to Australia, when Callum’s Mum was a child. Throughout the last 13 plus years Callum has won state championships in his age group eight times in a row. Although it takes a great deal of dedication on the part of the young dancer, and immense hours of support from his family, Callum still finds the time to set up a mini photographic business, to earn the money which allows him to travel in Australia and Internationally to compete. That along with stints busking in the city, helps him meet the immense cost of following his dream.
Callum McGregor
Interim Vicar General appointed FR Bernard Buckley, parish priest of Traralgon and Yarram, has been appointed interim Vicar General for the Diocese of Sale. He was appointed last week to fill-in for Fr Peter Slater, VG, Berwick, who is on three months leave.
Bishop chairs liturgy group BISHOP of Sale Pat O’Regan has been appointed chairman of the Liturgy Commission for the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference. He was also made a member of the Church Ministry Commission. While last month’s plenary was the first for Bishop O’Regan since his ordination, he had previously attended meetings as diocesan administrator for Bathurst Diocese when it was awaiting a bishop to be appointed.
Quick calendar
What’s on & when JUNE 18 – Valley region meeting, St Kieran’s, Moe, church meeting room, noon 23 – Second Year 5 Pilgrimage Mass, St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, 11am 24 – Nativity of John the Baptist 24-25 Evangelist Br Lalith Perera in Narre Warren 26 – Second term ends 29 – Sts Peter and Paul JULY 3 – St Thomas the Apostle 5 – World Youth Day, One Year to Go briefing, Melbourne 8 – West region meeting, St Agatha’s, Cranbourne, 10.30am 11 – St Benedict 13 – Third term begins 22 – St Mary Magdalene 23 – St Brigid 25 – St James the Apostle 30 – Serra International convention begins, Melbourne AUGUST 3 – Deadline for August Catholic Life 6 – Transfiguration 8 – Mary of the Cross MacKillop 10 – St Lawrence 11 – St Clare 11 – East region meeting, Bairnsdale, 10.30am 12 – Catholic Life published 15 – Assumption of BVM 18 – Diocesan Pastoral Council meeting, Sion House Warragul, 9.30am 20 – Valley region meeting, Lumen Christi Hall, Churchill, noon 22 – Queenship of Mary 28 – St Augustine SEPTEMBER 3 – St Gregory the Great 14 – Exaltation of the Holy Cross 15 – Our Lady of Sorrows 15 – Central region meeting, venue to be announced 18 – Third term ends 21 – St Matthew 23 – St Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) 28-30 – Youth camp, Phillip Island
OCTOBER 1 – St Therese of the Child Jesus 2 - Grand final eve public holiday 3 – AFL grand final 4 – Daylight saving begins (turn clocks forward one hour) 5 – Term four begins 5 – Deadline for October Catholic Life 7 – Our Lady of the Rosary 14 – Catholic Life published 15 – Valley region meeting, St Mary’s Church meeting room, Newborough, noon 18 – Mission Sunday 22 – St John Paul II 31 - Greenmount Cemetery Mass, 3pm NOVEMBER 1 – All Saints Day 1 - St Mary’s, Yarram, centenary. 2 – All Souls Day 3 – Melbourne Cup holiday 4 – West region meeting, St Agatha’s, Cranbourne, 10.30am 10 – Diocesan Pastoral Council meeting, St Michael’s Parish Centre, Traralgon, 9.30am 17 – East region meeting, Orbost, 10.30am 22 – Christ the King 23 – Deadline for December Catholic Life DECEMBER 2 – Catholic Life published 3 – St Francis Xavier 3 – Valley region Christmas lunch, Morwell Club, Helen St., noon 3-5 – Australian Catholic Youth Festival, Adelaide 8 – Immaculate Conception 8 - Year of Mercy begins 14 – St John of the Cross 18 – School year ends 24 – Christmas Eve 25 – Christmas Day 26 – Boxing Day 27 – Holy Family 27 – Boxing Day alternate holiday 31 – New Year’s Eve
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Catholic Life, June 2015 - Page 13
Securing retirement income - risks and rewards THE Reserve Bank has recently warned that many retirees, and soon to be retirees, are not going to have the retirement income they thought. This isn’t a new thought by any means, but the present record low interest rate environment will almost certainly mean that many retirees will be forced onto the age pension at some stage. The Westpac retirement incomes survey concludes that a couple needs an annual income of around $60,000 for a comfortable retirement. That’s not for luxury retirement and only allows one holiday in Australia a year and few if any overseas trips. The problem that most retirees have is that they now have the choice of their own super pension and/or the age pension. Very few of us have the public service pensions that are indexed and many that also provided a lump sum in addition.
DOLLAR$ & SENSE with David Wells
In retirement people generally look for security of their capital, so term deposits, government bonds and other interest rate securities. However, when our official cash rate (between RBA and Banks) is at 2 percent, term deposits are at less than 3 percent and government bonds even lower, then what we earned three years ago is just a memory. In revisiting Investment 101, your superannuation money is invested in the same places as other investment funds and generally the same whether you have an institutional fund or a self managed fund. It will be in cash, term
If you like reading ‘Dollars & Sense’, why not speak to the author? David Wells, MSAA, is a sharebroker and financial planner at Shaw Stockbroking. Established in 1987, Shaw Stockbroking is one of Australia’s largest independently owned full service stockbroking firms with private client and institutional advisors, supported by staff and management, including an in-house research department. David is only too happy to visit you anywhere in Gippsland. If you or any one in your family, need advice or information on : • Shares, • Self Managed Super and Pension Funds • Discretionary Portfolio Management • Portfolio Administration • Life and Income Insurance and more –
Please contact: David Wells 1800 150 009 or 9268 1157 dwells@shawstock.com.au
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annuity, there is no value. You can’t generate a sustainable retirement income without taking risks with your investments. In these times of low interest, you will need to invest in shares or property if you are to generate any reasonable level if income. If you haven’t retired yet, you will need to start today and if you’re just starting out, put a little more into super than you need – you’ll need every penny working for you in the future. The secret is to invest sensibly and to be informed of what, why and how much. That will only come through good professional advice that’s tailored to suit you specifically. Shares are a really great place to invest, provided you want an income and don’t need your capital in a short time. Property is also good (yields are lower) but you need to plan for the illiquidity. And take expert investment advice, not from the real estate agent who’s trying to sell you any property. • This report is intended to provide general advice and figures used in this instance from realestatate.com.au are for indicative purposes only. In preparing this advice, David Wells and Shaw Stockbroking did not take into account the investment objective, the financial situation and particular needs of any particular person. Before making an investment decision on the basis of this advice, you need to consider, with or without the assistance of an adviser, whether the advice is appropriate in light of your particular investment needs, objectives and financial circumstances.
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deposits, property or business or it can be in synthetic securities which are based on those classes. A part of Investing 101 is that reward increases with risk and vice versa. If you are looking for absolute security, then you return will ultimately be negative. As you look to generate higher returns the risk level increases commensurately. For instance investing in cash – the safest – would mean that to generate $60,000 in income you would need you would need more than $2.5 million in the best cash management account, or just over $2 million in term deposits. And that’s before inflation, currently 1.7 percent annualised in the March quarter, and tax, if applicable. That just demonstrates that cash isn’t an investment. Looking at real property in Gippsland, it seems that to generate a return from property you’ll need to own lots of houses. Figures from realestate. com.au, based on estimated net rental income, show that to earn $60,000 p.a. you’d need 21 average three bedroom houses fully let in Warragul, 12 average three bedroom homes fully let in Morwell or 14.5 houses in Sale.
On median prices that’s $6.3 million for Warragul, $1.8 million in Morwell, or $2.8 million in Sale. Property values are currently growing at 1 percent to 3.9 percent across Gippsland A share portfolio on average would be expected to earn you, at present, a gross yield of 6.91 percent on the 50 leaders. Telstra is paying 7.1 percent National Bank 8.8 percent and ANZ 8.21 percent., with a once only 1 percent establishment cost. A 50 leaders portfolio to generate our required income would be only $868,000. The ASX 50 has grown in each of the last four years, and in two of them the growth exceed 16 percent. The problem of course is that shares and property have the two threats of volatility in the case of shares, and illiquidity in the case of property, although there’s a further problem that in some Gippsland towns it takes more than nine months on average to get paid for a property after its listing. However for long term holders, these drawbacks can be planned for and accommodated. As an aside, the Global Financial Crisis only brought our share market back to its long term trend. The real problem was people thinking that the previous four years was normal and would continue forever. If you see an annuity offering an income of 6 percent a year, be confident that two thirds of that return is your capital being returned. At the end of the
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Page 14 - Catholic Life, June 2015
For the Young and Young at Heart This is Gippsland crossword
Time for a laugh AT the start of an important trial, the solicitor calls a sweet elderly woman to give evidence. He approaches her and asks “Mrs Jones, do you know me? She responds, “Yes, I do. Mr Williams I have known your since you were a young boy. You are a huge disappointment. You lie and cheat and talk about people behind their backs. You think you are a hot-shot lawyer but you just don’t have the brains.” The solicitor is stunned. Not knowing what to do next, he points across the room at the defence lawyer and says “Mrs Jones, do you know him?” She replies, “Of course, I do. I’ve known Mr Bradley since he was youngster too. He’s also a disappointment. He’s lazy, bigoted, never has a nice word to say about anybody and drinks like a fish. He’s been divorced three times and runs a shoddy law practice.” The magistrate raps his gavel to quieten laughter among people sitting in the gallery and then calls both solicitors to approach the bench. In a quiet, menacing voice, he warns “If either of you clown asks her if she knows me, you will be thrown in gaol for contempt.”
Moses leading the way
A PRISONER digs a tunnel from his cell and comes up outside the gaol walls. As he exits the tunnel he finds himself in the middle of a children’s playground. “I’m free! I’m free!” he shouts. A little girl coming off the slide is unimpressed and announces “So what? I’m four.”
A SMALL child is lost, so he goes up to a policeman and says “I’ve lost my dad.” “What he like?” asks the policeman. “Usually beer, football and golf,” comes the reply. A MAN goes to the eye doctor who asks why his is there. “I keep seeing spots before my eyes,” he man replies. “Have you seen a doctor before?” “No just the spots!” AN old lady is visiting a famous museum and accidentally knocks a vase off the stand. It smashes into many pieces on the floor. The museum guard rushes over and says “Madam. That was a 500-year-old vase you just broke!” “Thank goodness,” she replies. “I thought it was a new one.” YOU know its a bad day when your twin sister forgets your birthday. YOU know its a bad day when the horn on your car sticks when you are travelling down the road behind 40 or 50 members of an outlaw bikie gang. THE Hunchback of Notre Dame is up in the bell tower when he slips, hitting his head on the bell and then lands with a thud on the floor below. Two men visiting the famous cathedral rush over to where the Hunchback is groaning. “Do you know him?” asks one. “No but his face rings a bell,” says the other.
Terrific trivia questions
1. Is rice paper made from rice? 2. What sort of horse is a hippocampus? 3. Are there any poisonous snakes in the British Isles? 4. Which of the following countries is not in the Northern Hemisphere? Thailand, Ethiopia, Venezuela, Philippines, Zambia 5. Roughly how much snow is equal to 25mm of rain? 6. What was Vegemite called between 1928 and 1935? 7. What Sydney landmark is nicknamed “The coathanger”? 8. In golf what is two shots under par called? 9. Who was the second Bishop of Sale? 10. Which Babylonian King captured Jerusalem in 597BC?
Check your answers below 1. No it is made from the rice paper plant 2. Seahorse 3. Yes, the Viper or adder. 4. Zambia 5. 100mm 6. Parwill. Vegemite sales were struggling against those of British company Marmite so it was rebranded Parwill - a bad play of words in the slogan “If Marmite ... Parwill”. 7. Sydney Harbor Bridge 8. Eagle 9. Bishop Patrick Phelan 10. Nebuchadnezzar II. (I’ll bet you are glad this is not a spelling test!)
COLOUR this picture of Moses leading his people through the waters of the Red Sea to escape the Egypian Pharoah. Do you know the story?
Catholic Life, June 2015 - Page 15
Come and see Emmaus at work
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prayer IN thanksgiving to St Jude and the Infant Jesus of Prague for favours granted to my daughter Linda D’Monte. With heartfelt thanks, Camille D’Monte. HOLY SPIRIT You who makes me see everything and shows me the way to reach my ideals, you who gives me a divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me; in this short dialogue I want to thank you for everything and affirm once more that I never want to be separated from you, no matter how great the material desire may be. I want to be with you and my loved ones in Your perpetual Glory. (Mention your request). Thank you Holy Spirit for your love towards me and my loved one. Amen This prayer should be said for 3 consecutive days. After the 3rd day the request will be granted, no matter how difficult it may be. While making the request one must either promise to publish on granting the favour or promise to circulate copies of it to as many people as possible. This is to spread the wonder of the Holy Spirit. READERS please note that published prayers reflect the beliefs of those who place the advertisements. We ask readers to judge for themselves, especially in regards to suggested fulfilment of requests made in these prayers.
THIS year has been a wonderful beginning for Emmaus Spirituality Ministry. Gentleness and prayerfulness has been the call of our ministries. We welcome our new Bishop Pat O’Regan and wish him God’s blessing and our support in his apostolate in the diocese.
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public notices
VOCATIONS Priests & Deacons Are you considering a vocation as a priest or deacon for the Diocese of Sale? If so please contact
Fr Peter Bickley 5152 3106 vocations@sale.catholic.org.au
Catholic Life
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We have had many people that have completed or are still making the full spiritual exercises over nine months. Many are coming for individual spiritual direction. There have been many different retreats held at Greenmount Retreat House, 56 Greenmount Road, Yarram, both through Emmaus Spirituality Ministry and from parishes and groups. At the Greenmount Retreat House we were delighted to host the Valley Regional Meeting at which St Mary’s Parish, Yarram, were welcomed into the Valley Region. On Monday, August 17 we will be giving Inner Peace in Friendship with Jesus at St Mary’s Parish, Bairnsdale. On Wednesday, September 2 the same program will be offered at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, Narre Warren. This program is for all, who would like the opportunity to deepen their interior life. The program is run over four weeks during which you will commit to attend a morning or afternoon session of two hours, per week. Further information can be obtained either by our website or by contacting Emmaus team on 0400 800 799. Other programs are available upon request that can be held at your parish or group as well as silent retreats at Greenmount Retreat House, these silent retreats can be made over three days, six days or eight days. For further information please visit the website emmaus_ spirituality.org or email salespirituality@hotmail.com or phone 0400 800 799
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Page 16 - Catholic Life, June 2015
One year to WYD Joy of Gospel youth rally in THE Victorian dioceses are celebrating the official launch of World Youth Day 2016 with a One Year To Go “Festiwal” (that’s Polish for festival) to mark 12 months until World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland. There will be Polish food, Polish dancers, a special performance by Fr Rob Galea and the Stronger band, plus a chance for pilgrims to win one of two $2000 grants to go towards the cost of their pilgrimage to World Youth Day in 2016! Details about pilgrimage options, pricing and local
information sessions will also be available at the Festiwal. This event will be held on Sunday July 5, beginning with Mass at 2pm, followed by the Festiwal from 3.30-5.30pm at the Catholic Leadership Centre (Cnr Victoria Parade and Hoddle St, East Melbourne). Free event – no tickets required. This is a must for those young people interested in attending World Youth Day 2016. For more information contact Leeanne Grima at the Melbourne Archdiocesan Office for Youth on 9287 5565.
Berwick a huge success
DIOCESE youth joining in the fun of the entertainment at the youth festival. By Cassie Gawley MORE than 220 young people from across the Diocese gathered together to celebrate the Joy of the Gospel at St Michael’s Primary School, Berwick, last month. It was a fantastic night, with so much joy filling the room. The young people participated in games, shared pizza, sang and danced and praised God. Dan Woodhouse and his
Festival band consisting of Bernard Guevara, Nicholas Marturano and Lawson Kennard, set the scene for the night with some fantastic upbeat covers including Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” and then bought the mood down to engage the youth in worship through music. Genevieve Bryant then delivered a wonderful presentation on how she spreads the Joy of the Gospel in her own life, and shared some of her own music with us. A very special thank you to the
CSYMA staff and Year 11 and 12 students of St Francis Xavier College for their fantastic contribution to the night, to Jump Sound and Cosmic Sound and Lighting for the audio and lighting, the Melbourne NET team for their assistance, and Fr Peter Slater, Luisa Wilkinson and St Michael’s Primary School, Berwick, for letting us use their stadium. We are now looking forward to hosting another Youth Rally within our diocese later this year.
Cameroon
A priest in the Andes annointing the sick The Centrepiece of the Year of Consecrated Life rosary, is inspired by the Gospel passage “He said to them, Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men”. Matthew 4:1920. Peter, drops the nets and follows Him. The Cross of the rosary is inspired by the word “YES” in faithfulness to His Call and to His Mission. The different languages represent an answer to the Love that knows no boundaries. The centre of the Cross depicts The Annunciation where Mary answers “YES” and from that moment Mary’s faith receives new light. The heart is inspired by the words of St Augustine: “You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you”.
Cath Life Sale
By Cassie Gawley
COURTNEY, Simon and Lindsay at the youth rally.
Vatican changes to accountability POPE Francis has approved a new system of accountability for Catholic bishops who do not appropriately handle accusations of clergy sexual abuse. The system allows the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to judge bishops “with regard to crimes of the abuse of office when connected to the abuse of minors.” It will also establish a new office to undertake work as a tribunal to judge such bishops. Only the pope can terminate a bishop’s appointment and it is generally a lengthy process which takes some years to achieve. Vatican spokesman Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi said that while the power ultimately remains with Pope Francis, the pope usually accepted the de-
cisions of those he put in such tribunal offices. Fr Lombardi said the pontiff had approved the system following unanimous consent on the matter during discussions among the nine-member Council of Cardinals, the group of prelates advising Francis on reforming the Vatican bureaucracy. The new system was proposed by Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley who is also head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The new accountability system, which the Vatican said was developed by the pontifical commission, contains a set of five points agreed upon by the Pope.