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Catholic Life
Publication of the Diocese Diocese of of Sale Sale
ISSUE 146100 ISSUE
December 2010 November
Catholic Life wishes all its readers and contributors a very happy and holy Christmas and new year. We pray that everyone is kept safe while travelling on the roads during the busy holiday period and we will be back with you in February. First lay principal appointed - Page 3
What’s News
Cathedral book is launched - Page 5
Celebrating 120 years of Sion - Pages 12
Ordination of Fr Dariusz THE ordination to the priesthood of Fr Dariusz Jablonski was a moving moment for the Church in Sale Diocese. The Polish-born priest is the first to be ordained in the diocese since 2006. Priests and parishioners from across the diocese gathered in St Mary’s Cathedral on November 27 to bear witness to his ordination by Bishop Christopher Prowse. Fr Jablonski’s mother Theresa travelled from Poland to attend the ceremony. In his homily Bishop Prowse pointed out that the Lord had called Dariusz to religious life As a boy he had thought of becoming a dentist but by the time he was 14, he felt deep religious faith grow within. “You wanted to go to Church alone and be there for some time in solitariness before and after Mass. It attracted you. It was deep. It was silent. “It was Jesus calling you to something greater. Jesus was calling you in Poland to this moment of your ordination here at Sale – on the other side of the world!” Bishop Prowse said Dariusz had wrestled with the call to the priesthood for quite some time and from today would share in the Fatherhood of God in service of God’s people, especially in the Catholic Church through the Sacrament of Holy Orders as a priest. He said that last month, Pope Benedict XVI wrote a beautiful letter to seminarians in the world in which he said the priest was not the leader of a sort of association whose membership he tried to maintain and expand.
“He is God’s messenger to his people. He wants to lead them to God and in this way to foster authentic communion between all men and women.” Bishop Prowse said “That’s precisely it, dear Dariusz. You are not called to maintain an ecclesial organization like some corporate manager. A priest is to be Christ to people. He is to be ‘another Christ.’ “He is to be a spiritual father to them. That is why we are called ‘Father’ by our people. The priest lives in radical detachment of all else except Christ. The priest’s detachment to the things of this world leads him to become totally attached to Christ, priest and victim.” He called Dariusz to promise today to be a victim for Christ, a victim with and in Christ for the life of the world. “Surrender all to the majesty of Christ. You have so many talents and capacities to serve others. But may it always be as Christ who serves in you.” The preface of the Mass proclaimed: God calls priests “to lead his holy people in love, nourish them by the word and strengthen them through the sacraments.” Bishop Prowse thanked God that He had called Dariusz, to us all the way from Poland. “You were attracted to a rural diocese in a country in need of priests. Through the Holy Spirit you were led to us in the Diocese of Sale. “We rejoice in your generosity to lay your life down forever among us here in the service of the Gospel.” Fr Jablonski has been posted to Berwick as assistant priest. • More photos Page 8
BISHOP Christopher Prowse (left) annoints the hands of Fr Dariusz Jablonski (right) during his ordination in St Mary’s Cathedral. Watching on is Deacon Tony Aspinall.
Cathedral Restoration Appeal An appeal has been launched to raise up to $1 million to restore and enhance St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale. Your support is needed to implement works to prevent the Mother Church of the Diocese of Sale from falling further into disrepair.
Send donations to Cathedral Appeal, Reply Paid 508, Sale 3853 * Credit card form can be downloaded at www.sale.catholic.org.au