Catholic Life - July 2011 by Catholic Diocese of Sale

Free

Catholic Life

Publication of the Diocese of Sale

Two new priests in diocese - Page 3

ISSUE 152

Seminarian in critical condition - Page 5

July 2011

Everything for the Gospel - Pages 9-12

Gospel focus for Bishop’s new pastoral letter BISHOP of Sale Christopher Prowse has issued a new Pentecost pastoral letter, titled “Everything for the Gospel”, following up on themes he raised in last year’s pastoral letter “Finding Home in Jesus.” The new letter further ex-

pands on his aims for the Diocese of Sale to have a firmer missionary foundation and to set priorities for evangelisation over the coming years. He discusses the input received from a series of regional forums and a meeting with diocesan youth, and summa-

rises the things which people shared with him. Bishop Prowse then makes three major comments. • Devotional life leads to active Missionary life. • Missionary life leads tom active devotional life, and

•

The family brings together devotional and missionary life. He also comments on what Pentecost means in a secularised Australia and Diocese of Sale. As with last year’s pastoral letter, the bishop has included

a series of questions for discussion and reflection. The full text of the pastoral letter and questions are included as a lift-out in today’s issue of Catholic Life. There is also a summary of responses from the forums held over the past year.

Priest’s diamond jubilee By Colin Coomber

CHALKING up 60 years as a priest in Sale Diocese was a milestone to be joyfully recognised by our most highly decorated priest Mgr John Allman. St Michael’s Church, Traralgon, was filled by parishioners, family and well-wishers from around the state for the special Diamond Jubilee Mass on July 10. Not even a tumble by 85-yearold Mgr Allman while stepping down from the sanctuary before the start of Mass could put a damper on the day, although gale force winds and near horizontal rain tried hard. As Monsignor recalled in his homily, the weather was not too good at the time of his ordination either with there being heavy rain and widespread flooding. He recalled his journey to the priesthood from the family farm at Denison near Heyfield and how his parents had supported his decision, even though he would have been needed to help work the farm. Mgr Allman holds a unique position in the Church in Sale Diocese, having served six bishops since his ordination, five of them in major diocesan roles. He was ordained by Bishop

Richard Ryan in St Mary’s Cathedral in July 1951 and after a short period as assistant priest at Bairnsdale was recalled to Sale where he became the bishop’s secretary. Over the years until his retirement he served a succession of bishops as vicar general, Dean of the Cathedral, secretary, consultor, member of the Council of Priests, and in between bishops in 1988 was diocesan administrator. Remarkably, most of his priestly life has been spent in either the Sale or Traralgon parishes, both only a short drive to visit family members in the Heyfield-Denison district. Mgr Allman said he was pleased that successive bishops had faith in him and it had been a rewarding experience, although the downside was that it sometimes limited the social contact he could have with people. He had seen great changes within society and the Church in general since he entered Corpus Christ Seminary, Werribee, during World War 2. In the early years of priesthood many families did not have cars and so family life tended to centre more around the home. He said the other major changes which has altered the world forever were the advent • Continued Page 5

Monsignor John Allman, PA

Help restore St Mary’s Cathedral Bishop Christopher Prowse has launched an appeal to raise up to $1 million to restore and enhance the Mother Church of the Diocese of Sale. Please be generous in your giving. Send donations to Cathedral Appeal, Reply Paid 508, Sale, 3853 * Credit card form can be downloaded at www.sale.catholic.org.au. Fill-in on line, print, sign and post.

Page 2 - Catholic Life, July 2011

A new evangelisation of the Gippsland Mission AT the entrance to the Greenmount Catholic Cemetery near Yarram there is a sign that is symbolic of our efforts to evangelise Gippsland in our times. It refers to the first Catholic priest of the region, Fr Philip Kavanagh (1825-1883). This Irish born priest is buried in the Greenmount Cemetery. The sign refers to him as “The first priest to die in the Gippsland Mission established in 1851”. I am impressed that since our first days in this part of the world, Catholics generations ago referred to their work for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus as the “Gippsland Mission.” When we talk about developing a Diocesan Mission Plan, we are simply continuing this work of the Gippsland Mission. It is not simply a re-evangelisation. This would imply that the heroic efforts of saintly pioneer priests, religious and lay people floundered. But we are the fruits of their “seed” planting of the Gospel of Salvation, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. What we are referring to is a NEW EVANGELISATION of the Gippsland Mission. This is what recent Popes have been calling for. It refers to transmitting the Good News to people in a way that is new

To God’s People in the Catholic Diocese of Sale in Ardour, Methods and Expression. (John Paul II, March 9,1983). This is the Gospel task for us now. Nothing else is more important. It is what unifies us. It is what gives us the energy of the saints. It is the proclamation of Christ, fully alive in His Church. It is in this perspective that we are in the middle of giving birth to a pastoral plan in the Diocese of Sale for the years ahead. In recent months we met in regional forums around the diocese to discuss my Pastoral Letter, FINDING HOME IN JESUS. In this edition of Catholic Life we present to you summaries of what you said. You will also find a new Pastoral Letter from me reflecting theologically and pastorally on what I heard and experienced with you in these forums. I have called it: EVERYTHING FOR THE GOSPEL (1Cor. 9/23). I also add new questions that I request you answer in response to my letter.

We will need to meet again in diocesan groups in the times ahead to take the matter further. Our aim is to articulate several pastoral priorities that we can focus on in the years ahead. The Diocesan Pastoral Council is working with me to co-ordinate this important stage. So please read carefully the documents enclosed in this edition of our diocesan newspaper. The great aspect of this common missionary effort is that the Holy Spirit has already prepared the way for us. I received a wonderful example of this recently. Over these months I have been celebrating many Masses in which I have administered the Sacrament of Confirmation. I like to visit the children before or after I have confirmed them. Recently, I visited a group of school children recently confirmed. I asked the children how they have felt since receiving the Sacrament of Confir-

mation. One thoughtful little girl said she felt “new inside”. I asked her to explain further. She said she now had “more room for Jesus inside”. What a magnificent answer. It made me recall immediately the famous definition of prayer of another little girl who is now a saint and doctor of the Church, St Therese of Lisieux. She said: For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. (CCC 2558) Such an experience can only be the work of the Holy Spirit among us. Dear friends, we are not about something simply relying on human effort alone. We are involved in the work of God. Let us go out to meet Him as he calls us to be NEW EVANGELISERS IN THE GIPPSLAND MISSION of today. May the Lord Jesus bless you and your families always. Please pray for me sometimes. + Bishop Christopher Prowse Catholic Bishop of Sale

New Cranbourne East campus student ready CRANBOURNE EAST - Work is well under way on the new campus of St Peter’s College and it is anticipated students will move into classrooms this term. Forty students and four teachers who will form the inaugural batch of inhabitants of the new school, have been sharing facilities at the existing St Peter’s campus. The new campus is on a site opposite Casey Fields, the training facilities of Melbourne Football Club. DIOCESE OF SALE

St Peter’s principal Tim Hogan said it was a wonderful opportunity for the college to build on its fine reputation in the Cranbourne community by building a modern, state of the art facility. This would allow the college to extend to even more families an invitation of an education for their children which was centred on Christ. The first stage of the project is a two-storey science technology building which includes two science laboratories, a

Catholic Life

PO Box 183, Sale. Vic. 3853 Phone: (03) 5144 6132 Fax: (03) 5144 3855 catholiclife@sale.catholic.org.au www.sale.catholic.org.au

food technology kitchen and classroom, six general purpose classrooms, a centred shared breakout space and a small groups room. The second building is a discovery centre that will eventually house library services, information technology and special programs. Initially, it will also house administration. The educational model used for the design and shape of buildings is broken into three broad conceptual areas: Years 7 and 8 integrated curriculum,

Year 9 alternative programs, and Years 10 to 12, the VCE, VCAL and VET pathways program. Campus head James Roberts said literacy, numeracy and information-communications technology would be a focus at all year levels. Strong academic growth was a key feature of St Peter’s College vision and mission and this would not be lost at the new

campus. Visitors to the campus will notice extensive use of information technology throughout the campus with interactive whiteboards being a feature from day one and a plan to place them in all learning spaces. All students will have access to mobile laptop trolleys and the Internet through a wireless network.

Catholic business people

WANTED

Latrobe alley V uneral F Services

To advertise in Catholic Life Spaces available from as little as $50 a month

Phone 5144 6132

Editor: Colin Coomber Published monthly except January. Deadline for advertising copy and editorial contributions for next issue is Monday, August 8. Issues distributed free through parishes and schools from August 17. Published by Catholic Media Gippsland, an agency of the Diocese of Sale.

❏ Qualified, experienced and caring staff ❏ Modern chapels ❏ Refreshments and catering facilities available ❏ Secure, guaranteed, pre-paid and pre-arranged funeral plans ❏ Over 70 years of service to the Latrobe Valley

MOE 5126 1111

Printed by Express Print, Morwell. Member of Australasian Catholic Press Association & Australasian Religious Press Association

PAUL McINNES Director

JOHN GALBRAITH Consultant

MORWELL 5134 4937 TRARALGON 5174 2258 Owned and operated by Paul and Katrina McInnes Proud member of the Australian Funeral Directors Association and the Australian and British Institutes of Embalming

MARK RIDDLE Consultant 2002900

PO Box 124, Sale 3853 204 Raymond St www.lifefm.com.au

PH: 5143 0355 Fax: 5143 0388 admin@lifefm.com.au

Catholic Life, July 2011 - Page 3

Two new priests in diocese TWO overseas priests have arrived in Sale Diocese in the past few weeks and are acclimatising to the cold weather of a southern Australian winter. Both Fr Janeesh Jose from India and Fr Amura Gamlath from Sri Lanka are used to temperatures which hover between 28 and 33 degrees year round. Both priests have been hosted a week about in the Sale cathedral parish, Berwick and Leongatha and in the next week are expected to be given their first placements in our diocese. They have both agreed to spend three years in our diocese as part of a joint mission to help ease our shortage of priests and also to learn what we can offer which can be put to use when they eventually return to their own countries. Fr Gamlath is from the Diocese of Chilaw on the west coast of Sri Lanka but was born near the former capital Columbo where his father ran a Catholic book store. He has four sisters, all of whom are married. After deciding to become a priest he went to the seminary in Chilaw where he was ordained in St Mary’s Cathedral in 2007. His first appointment as a priest was as vice-rector at the junior seminary for a year, before being appointed assistant priest at Katuneriya. After a year there, the bishop appointed him to be director of youth for the diocese, a position

Needy families need your help Please give generously

FR Anura Gamlath in the grounds of the cathedral. he held up until coming to Aus- international airport at Cochin. tralia. Fr Jose entered the minor He said that when the oppor- seminary in 1996 straight out of tunity to come to Australia pre- higher secondary school and afsented itself, he was unsure be- ter four years there began nine cause he had always imagined years of study at the Carmelthat he would always serve the ite of Mary Immaculate major people of Sri Lanka. seminary. “However, the bishop conHe obtained Bachelors of vinced me to take up the chal- Philosophy, Theology and Arts lenge for three years and follow before completing his Master God’s call to serve in another of Philosophy degree. land.” He was ordained last year and He admits to knowing little as a CMI priest he is part of Inabout Australia and was sur- dia’s first indigenous congregaprised to discover its size and tion, founded in 1831. also that it had such differing There are about 18 CMI landscapes ranging from de- priests in Australia with most serts and tropics to temperate serving in Melbourne, Canberrain forests. ra-Goulburn or Brisbane. Fr Gamlath was taken on a Fr Jose’s younger sister has late afternoon tour of Sale area just begun training to become a by Catholic Life so he could see Presentation Sister. kangaroos in the wild. Fr Jose, 30, comes from the Diocese of Cochin in Kerala State which runs in a strip along the western coast of southern India. He is the eldest of a family of three and his father works at the

Bishop’s Family Foundation Donation envelopes available at all Sale Diocese churches or send your donation to: Bishop’s Family Foundation, PO Box 508, Sale, 3853

From the Mountains to the Sea CDF is supporting our Parishes, Schools and Catholic Communities

FR Janeesh Jose inspects the Mary MacKillop bronze in St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale.

Centacare Gippsland Marriage, Family and Personal Counselling For appointments phone:

WARRAGUL SALE BAIRNSDALE BERWICK

5622 1188 5144 4868 5153 2012 5996 8095

Fees: Sliding scale. Dependent on income. Negotiable. (No-one refused service)

The Catholic Development Fund Serving the Diocese of Sale Telephone: (03)5144 4311 Email: cdf@sale.catholic.org.au The Catholic Development Fund, Diocese of Sale is not subject to the provisions of the Corporation Act 2001 nor has it been examined or approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Deposits with the Catholic Development Fund, Diocese of Sale are guaranteed by CDPF Limited, a company established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference for this purpose. We welcome your investment with the Catholic Development Fund, Diocese of Sale rather than with a profit orientated commercial organisation as a conscious commitment by you to support the Charitable, Religious and Educational works of the Catholic Church. Neither the Catholic Development Fund, Diocese of Sale nor the Trustees of the Roman Catholic Trust Corporation for the Diocese of Sale are prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority; contributions to the Catholic Development Fund, Diocese of Sale do not obtain the benefit of the depositor protection provisions of the Banking Act 1959; the Catholic Development Fund, Diocese of Sale is designed for investors who wish to promote the charitable purposes of the Catholic Diocese of Sale.

Page 4 - Catholic Life, July 2011

Seminarian Tao’s condition critical

Tracking history

FOLLOWING our article last month on the return of the six angel tiles from the former high altar in St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, a little more information has come to light regarding other parts of the altar. It appears that some of the alabaster was used by the then Archbishop of Melbourne George Pell to have a private altar constructed for his residence. When the archbishop moved to Sydney and became a cardinal, the residence was sold, but not before the altar was removed. Apparently it is now in the Catholic Church at Barwon Heads near Geelong. We thank former Sale resident and church historian Daniel Drew for the information. He wrote a thesis on the changes to art and architecture of Victorian churches after Vatican 2 and this included a section on the cathedral, so he has maintained an interest on the whereabouts of pieces of the altar.

Crown pinched

AND while on the cathedral, it is disappointing that a thief has stolen the jewelled crown off the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help which was bought by first Bishop of Sale, James Corbett and blessed by Pope Leo XIII in 1890. The “jewels” were cut glass set into a delicate gold-plated

SEMINARIAN Tao Pham has been in intensive care at Sale hospital since collapsing shortly before Mass on June 26. crown. Whoever swiped it probably did it as an act of vandalism, rather than a mistaken belief that the jewels were real, because otherwise they would have also taken the crown from the infant Jesus. Appeals to the Sale public for help in locating the crown in case it was discarded somewhere, have not led to its recovery, so plans are afoot to replace it with a replica.

Forgetful soul

BISHOP’s personal assistant Cathy Dougan was dying for a cup of coffee so pulled into the drive through of a major take-away chain in Traralgon and ordered her brew. A few kilometres down the road she went to take a sip and discovered that after paying she had driven off without stopping at the next window to collect her coffee. She said she was too embarrassed to go back. What we can’t understand is, if she was so embarrassed, why did she tell us knowing that we would broadcast it to all and sundry. Any chance of you making a cuppa for us this morning, Cathy??

Turnbulls GIPPSLAND TURNBULL TOYOTA 303 York St., SALE 5144 9898

287 Commercial Rd YARRAM 5182 5722 Yarram, Traralgon, Bairnsdale, Sale, Pakenham, Jindabyne

Phone 0417 376 483

TURNBULL USED CARS LMCT 2140

73 Argyle St., TRARALGON 5174 8290

He has been on life support since suffering major multiple organ failures, believed to have been cause by septicaemia. Tao was to have been ordained a deacon in March but this had to be cancelled the week before when he fell seriously ill. His problems at that time stemmed from a thumb, which had accidentally been squashed

when a car boot closed, becoming infected and poisoning his system. He spent five weeks in St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, much of the time in intensive care unit, and since his release had been living in Sale as his health recovered. At the time of going to press, Tao’s condition is still regarded as critical but has shown some signs of improvement. An aunt and brother have flown out from Vietnam to be with him and have been generously hosted

by a Vietnamese family living in Sale.

The persistent sower THE last years of drought have tested many a farmer – so many planted seeds in the hope of some harvest – if not the most productive ever at least one that will keep them in front, if only a little. But hopes were dashed again and again by lack of rain or too much heat or cold and frost. Two thousand years ago, Jesus described how a sower scatters seeds in hope of a harvest. But only the seed that lands on good soil thrives. The rest withers or does not even sprout because it falls on rocks, grows in weedy soil, is trampled upon or is quickly devoured by hungry birds. Jesus explains how this is a metaphor for accepting, or not accepting, the Word of God in his listeners’ lives. Some years ago, Cardinal Martini, former Archbishop of Milan and a famous biblical scholar, visited Australia. Parables, he said, have many layers of meaning. They not only appeal to our imagination but they teach us and challenge us into further growth. One such parable is the sower and the seed – not much is left to the imagination as far as the seeds are concerned, he said but what happens to the sower? What does the sower experience when so many of the seeds, planted with such hope, do not grow into fullness? This sower, like thousands of farmers across Australia every year, experiences a great air of expectation and hope when spring arrives and the paddocks are readied for planting. Long hours are spent planting such a variety of crops – each seed holds within it great promise. When crops are poor and the growth is stunted, when hail or frost or storms come and destroy the growing crop, when strong sun and lack of

LEADING THE WAY IN PRINTING THROUGHOUT GIPPSLAND Graphic Design Colour Brochures ● Digital Printing ● Photocopying ●

●

17 Church Street Traralgon P: 03 5174 2348 F: 03 5174 6452 email: rob@lvprinters.com.au www.lvprinters.com.au Gippsland’s specialist in all types of printing

Reflections by Jim Quillinan rain wither it, the farmer often grows discouraged. Did Jesus, who sowed the seed of God’s message in the hearts and minds of his listeners, feel discouraged? Did he feel pained and disheartened when he saw how little effect his message had on their lives, how some had hardened their hearts against him, how some heard his message, believed it for a while but when the going got tough, abandoned it? Or did he maintain hope in spite of the very mixed results he received from his efforts? The gospels tell us that Jesus did feel disheartened. He felt disheartened and angry and how people had abused the temple (Mt 21:12), he felt angry and disheartened at those who continually came with questions to try to trap him, rather than coming with open minds and hearts (Mt 23:33). He felt disheartened by what some had done with the message entrusted to them for hundreds and hundreds of years. He felt disheartened when some of his own disciples still did not understand what Jesus was on about. (Matt 15:16). On more than one occasion, Jesus cried out to in frustration to “you people of little faith (Mt 6:20)”. But the Scriptures also remind us that Jesus never gave up. He did not give up on Peter who, when the chips were down, denied him. He did not give up on the rest of the disciples, nor did he give up on those who gathered with him on the mountain after the resurrection, some of whom worshipped but some doubted! Jesus continued to believe in the possibility of change and growth in every individual – after all, like the sower, Jesus still throws the seed on rocky, weedy and arid soil! There are times in life when it is easy to receive the message – there are other times when it is a challenge and it is not at all easy. And now it is our turn. We are also sowers of the seed. Each of us is called to spread the gospel message of faith, love and compassion by the way we choose

to live our lives, to invite others to find their home in Jesus. That can be so rewarding when we see the positive results from the seeds we have planted, so encouraging, a matter for rejoicing and giving thanks. But, like Jesus, we can also meet with defeat as we go about planting the seeds of his message – as parents or teachers or members of parish teams or those who work for justice and peace, or for those who work for those whom society has rejected. We can feel great disappointment when the seeds we have sown fail to take root or wither, but like Jesus and the farmers in the drought, we need to keep trying, keep hoping, keep believing. Sometimes our efforts meet with apathy and indifference, even with hostility at times. There are those who sit in judgement of our efforts, those who can see only their way of doing things, only their way of seeing the way God’s word is to be interpreted, that they alone are ‘the orthodox’. Others are disparaging, not encouraging of our efforts. Jesus met that kind of opposition often but he continued to sow the seed, he continued to be caring and compassionate, persistent and patient. That takes courage. It means letting go of our expectations for immediate results. Sometimes others will reap what we have sown. We may not see the harvest in our lifetime but we cannot give up trying. We may not even achieve the results we expected – God works in mysterious ways! Being such a hope-filled sower of God’s word requires persistence and resolve. It begins within – the first place for evangelisation is within which means working to make the Word of God take deeper root in our own hearts and minds. After all, as Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a person remains in me and I in them, they will bear much fruit…”(Jn 15:5)

Catholic Life, July 2011 - Page 5

The diamond jubilee of Monsignor John Allman • From Page 1 of computers and the credit age which enabled people to buy now and pay later but left them financially vulnerable. One of the biggest changes over the years had taken place within the mass media where communication was now almost instant. Instead of waiting for letters to deliver news weeks after the event, communication was now extremely fast with mobile phones, texting and the Internet available to virtually everyone. Mgr Allman said the makeup of the diocese had also al-

tered greatly. What had been a quiet rural diocese made up of mountain and farming communities, had changed greatly with the industrialisation of the Latrobe Valley, the opening of the brown coal power station and related industries. The addition to the diocese of several rural parishes from Melbourne Archdiocese in the 1950s had proved in recent years to be a major catalyst for growth in Sale Diocese because these parishes were now metropolitan growth areas in the cities of Casey and Cardinia. He said the make up of the priesthood in Australia had

Works beginning on new Officer campus OFFICER – Work is beginning on the new junior campus of St Francis Xavier College at Officer. It will be the third time the 33 year old Beaconsfield college has expanded as it already has another junior campus at Berwick South, and St Peter’s College, Cranbourne, was originally a St Francis Xavier campus. The new campus will by on the northern side of the Princes Highway and Cardinia Rd. intersection. It will meet the needs for a Catholic secondary college to cater for the rapid urban growth in the area and will be more accessible than the current Berwick South campus for

students living in Pakenham, Office, Beaconsfield and Koo Wee Rup. The campus is expected to open at the start of second term next year with the first intake of about 150 Year 7 students, attending first term in a special section at the senior campus at Beaconsfield. The new campus will expand to include Years 8 and 9 by 2014. St Francis Xavier College began with 72 students and will have more than 2000 next year. Another Catholic primary school is also being planned for an adjoining site and it is expected to be open in 2014.

also altered with the end of immigrant Irish priests, and a period where home grown priests were supplemented by those with Dutch, Maltese and Italian backgrounds. This had now changed again in recent years with the arrival of priests from Sri Lanka, India and Africa. Mgr Allman said that the diocese could no longer be regarded as a rural diocese because most of its Catholic population was contained in the rapidly expanding outer suburban area and many of the small communities in the eastern part of the diocese were in decline. He said the advent of Vatican 2 had been good because it enabled him to celebrate Mass with the people, facing them and praying in English. The changes meant the people could become part of the Mass. The traditional Catholic parish had also changed greatly with the schools becoming more influential in the life of the Catholic families than in the past when parish life centred more on happenings at the church. He said these schools were proving to be faith communities in their own right and now sometimes the parishes struggled to have influence.

Mgr Allman was one of a long line of Allmans entering religious professions. Several of his grandfathers’ generation had been priests in Ireland, two aunts had been Good Samaritan Sisters, his father’s cousin had been an Our Lady of Sion Sister, and he had four first cousins in religious orders – Srs Elizabeth and Ellen Allman were Sion Sisters, Sr Roche was a

Brigidine and Br Ignatius was a Missionary of the Sacred Heart Brother. He was made a Prelate of Honor in 1964 which gave him the right to the title Monsignor and in 1990 he received the highest Papal Honor of Prothonotary Apostolic, an award currently held by only six Australian priests.

THE magnificent 60th anniversary cake decorated made by Marilyn Gallop who works at O’Mara House where Mgr Allman lives in retirement. It is a model of St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, as it was when he was ordained in 1951. She used pictures from Peter Synan’s book on the Cathedral “Three Springtimes” to help her.

Stephen Baggs Funeral Directors Talk to us about our at-need, pre-paid or pre-arranged funeral services. 613 MAIN STREET BAIRNSDALE

Call 24 hours on 5153 2150 or visit us at www.stephenbaggs.com.au

MGR John Allman at the luncheon after his anniversary Mass with (from left) Sr Patricia Watson NDS, Mary Saunders (nee Donoghue) and Margaret Donoghue.

Page 6 - Catholic Life, July 2011

Common sense or politics approach to school funds? IN a recent article in Catholic Life, I suggested that Catholic education was approaching yet another â&#x20AC;&#x153;Crossroadsâ&#x20AC;? in their long history of negotiating an ongoing series of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Crossroadsâ&#x20AC;?. The one approaching again concerns school funding and it promises to be a critical one. Our current Australian Federal Labor Government promised a comprehensive review of the complex area of school funding. They are exploring that through a panel headed by David Gonski (hence the name â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Gonski Reviewâ&#x20AC;?). Mr Gonski is a prominent businessman who is, among other things, chair of the Australian Stock Exchange. His panel is charged with examining the way funding is distributed to all schools in Australia, government, independent and Catholic and will take into account levels of state funding as well. The panel is facing a daunting task. Its first task is to unravel the complex and confusing system that exists now; then to

come up with a viable and acceptable alternative. And all of this must be done in the face of enormous pressure from powerful lobby groups (one of which is Catholic education) right around the country. Having done that, they are required to deliver to the government a new model that can be implemented across all systems in all states in an extremely delicate political environment. That environment is so delicate, indeed, with the governments being there only by the wishes of the Greens and the Independents. We are, as they say, only one heart attack from a change of government! Catholic schools are under enormous pressure. It is easy to demonstrate that our schools perform at a high level, at less cost per head than either government or independent systems and are while providing an extremely high level of access across all social groups. The governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own MySchool website demonstrates that very

Col & Pal Semmens FUNERAL DIRECTORS

~Servicing Gippsland~ Maffra 5147 1954 Sale 5144 1954 Heyfield 5148 3354

Brad

Pal

Col

Our Family Caring For Your Family With 25 Years Experience

Faith

...

with Talking Peter Catholic Ryan Education clearly. However, there are other powerful groups hostile to Catholic schools and to the Church generally, who take advantage of the confusing funding situation we presently have. They use it to pedal half truths and present them as full reality. Sadly for us, the media, who have never been particularly friendly to Church, seem to support that thrust. These groups and individuals seem to have easy access to newspapers, while our own voice is rarely heard, and that is not for want of trying. Consequently, public opinion seems very much influenced by these interests, with the majority of people now apparently believing that Catholic schools are over funded! However, that is simply not the case. We might ask, for example, if they are over funded then they are over funded compared to what? Our schools cost less to run than others, we receive less government funding per head (considering state and government funds together) than do government schools.

So what is our funding being compared to when the statement is made that we are over funded? It is true that a significant number of our schools attract funding greater than they would with the criteria introduced by the Howard government 10 years ago were strictly applied. When that funding model was introduced, many schools stood to lose substantial funds. The Howard government moved to protect those schools and systems by introducing the concept of â&#x20AC;&#x153;funding maintainedâ&#x20AC;? schools. This simply meant that some schools attracted funds above what they would if the socio economic status model was strictly applied. However, those critics who say that they are receiving more than they are entitled under the system, are the same critics who believe that the system is wrong in the first place. There is a serious inconsistency in their argument. The other, perhaps more serious, issue but one that is always ignored, is that, while many schools attract more funding than they might if the system

Learning

...

were applied strictly â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the operative word is â&#x20AC;&#x153;attractâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these schools do not in fact â&#x20AC;&#x153;receiveâ&#x20AC;? that same level of funding. That funding is provided to central bodies such as the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria. Those bodies pool all the funds and re-distribute them to other schools according to need. That is the nature of education systems. The funding maintained system was instituted in fact, not to protect the funding of individual schools, but to provide sufficient funds to a system, to a central pool, so that less affluent schools such as those we have in our diocese, could continue to operate effectively. I agree that it is a complex and confusing system. I agree that it requires significant adjustment, even if only to take away the confusion and to remove false arguments from those hostile to us. But any new system must not result in our losing funds. Whatever system recommended by the Gonski report, Catholic education must be funded at our present levels at a minimum in real terms. Catholic schools make an enormous contribution to Australian society and at a lower cost to the public than any other system. For a government to punish us would seem ridiculous, but it is a political process now, and politics often seem very ridiculous indeed.

Growth

&DWKROLF VFKRROV RIIHU IDLWK ILOOHG OHDUQLQJ HQYLURQPHQWV RXWVWDQGLQJ SDVWRUDO FDUH LQQRYDWLYH FXUULFXOXP GHGLFDWHG VWDII DQG DIIRUGDEOH IHHV ,I \RXU IDPLO\ RU VRPHRQH \RX NQRZ LV FRQVLGHULQJ D &DWKROLF HGXFDWLRQ SOHDVH YLVLW ZZZ FHRVDOH FDWKROLF HGX DX RU FRQWDFW \RXU ORFDO &DWKROLF VFKRRO GLUHFWO\

Catholic Life, July 2011 - Page 7

Why we have a portfolio ONE of the ways in which we can minimise investment risk is to diversify our investment assets. Given enough funds, we can buy property, shares and maybe have some fixed interest investments as well. Each of the asset classes will perform differently and so if one area is down it may be that others will be higher. Diversification will minimise risk, but as the adage goes, “where there’s no risk, there’s no reward”. So it is if we want a single asset class in our portfolio, be it property or shares. There’s residential property, and retail property, industrial and commercial. As in the share market we have the major five classes as industrial, resources, finance, infrastructure and property. Each of these have their own characteristics and while most will follow a market trend, all will provide differing rates of return. If we want to invest in shares we can still diversify over classes of shares. As well the share market allows fixed interest investments, although these are never classed as growth assets. During the recently ended financial year there was a noticeable difference in the returns achieved by each. Using the Accumulation Indices (to include dividends) we get surprising results which goes to show that you can’t always believe what you read in the dailies. The overall market average return (figures have been rounded) was 12 percent. Most of this was from Industrials which rose 16 percent and far less than resources which only went up 1.33 percent. Financial was over 9 percent as was listed property trusts. This is definitely not what you would expect from a market being driven by a resources boom.

DOLLAR$ & SENSE with David Wells

Enough of numbers. What it does mean is that on average, an investor who concentrated on the resources sector over the last year would have had a poorer result than someone who had invested across the entire market. This is not to gainsay the ability to pick exceptional stocks, but that’s not average, either. This year just gone in hindsight, it would have been most profitable to invest in the S&PASX 300 Industrial index. Last year that would have seen a smaller comparative return. Hence the importance of diversity. We can’t get everything right all the time, so it’s a good idea to look for a slightly lower performance level and diversify. That way even if part of the portfolio isn’t working, some part could be. Last year our suggested portfolio of 16 stocks outperformed the market by 18 percent, even though four stock were dogs and went backward a long way. The other dozen more than covered them. When we speak with new investors we emphasise the importance of building a good portfolio rather than putting all the eggs in one basket. It sometimes can’t be done immediately but over time a well balanced portfolio that is weighted toward the better performing sectors can be developed to benefit any investor. As an aside one of the problems some investors have with their portfolio is distinguishing

Explaining the share market Experienced stock broker and financial advisor David Wells will speak at three evenings on the share market and investing. Attend one of these FREE sessions to hear about the changing nature of investing, superannuation, retirement and the outlook for Australia in the world environment.

FOSTER Monday, August 22 Foster Golf Club , 7 Reserve St, Foster

YARRAM

Tuesday, August 23 Pelican Room Rear Wellington Shire Service Centre 156 Grant St

SALE

Wednesday, August 24 ACES, 55 Raymond St., Sale All from 7pm. Light supper provided.

RSVP farrerhouse@rbsmorgans.com or phone 1300 613 217 Bookings essential Meet the writer of one of most read sections of Catholic Life newspaper.

portfolio performance from individual performance. I have a client who runs a portfolio with us and another with another broker. Ours is his active portfolio so that most prices are of recent origin. His other portfolio hasn’t been traded in three years. His active portfolio is up, over the same time, by 93 percent but he’s hardly showing a gain on any stock. His other portfolio is up 45 percent and is showing a gain on all stocks! He can’t see the difference. It’s a case of not seeing the forest for the trees. Any active portfolio will always show a higher individual cost base, but it’s the portfolio performance that’s most important. For our members of our sophisticated Investor Program, we’d like to brag that our (RBS Morgans Farrer House) float of Fortis Mining won the Stockbroking Awards prize for the “Best Corporate Deal of the Year” • This report is intended to provide general advice. In preparing this advice, David Wells and RBS Morgans 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.

Bishops submission to Human Rights Act THE Catholic Church has made a detailed submission to the Victorian Parliament in relation to the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006. The 32 page submission had been sent to the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee which is headed by Pakenhambased Member of Parliament, Edward O’Donohue MLC. It is signed by Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart, Bishop of Sale Christopher Prowse, Bishop of Ballarat Peter Connors, and diocesan administrator of Sandhurst Mgr Francis Marriott. The document points out areas of concern with the legisla-

tion, particularly that the rights listed are selective and that there is inadequate protection for the right to life, including the rights of unborn children. They are also critical of the omission in legislation of the right of parents to educate their children in their own religious beliefs, and the omission in a clause of religious freedom which does not include protection contained in the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. The bishops have made a series of recommended changes and have indicated that they are willing to engage in further deliberations with the committee.

CEO director position to be advertised SALE Diocese will shortly advertise for a person to replace the Director of Catholic Education. Current director Peter Ryan has indicated that he will not seek an extension when his contract expires in October next year. Bishop Christopher Prowse has advised priests of his inten-

tion to advertise the position with a view to having a deputy director employed at the Catholic Education Office early next year. This deputy would be appointed director-designate and would work with Mr Ryan to ensure a smooth transition when he leaves.

Diocesan director is named for Year of Grace ANNE Taylor of Rosedale, has been appointed diocesan coordinator for the Year of Grace which begins at Pentecost next year. In announcing her appointment, Bishop Christopher Prowse said Mrs Taylor would be known to many because of her work with the sacraments programs and Catholic Education Office.

He thanked her for accepting the appointment and said she would ensure that the national and diocesan links are coordinated. The Year of Grace is an initiative of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference and will have the theme “Starting afresh from Christ.”

Reflect On Your Life A CDF Pre-Paid Funeral plan allows you to arrange and pay for your funeral in advance at today’s prices with the funeral director of your choice. Neither you nor those you leave behind will have to worry about it again. CDF Pre-Paid Funerals are the only Fund established specifically for South Eastern Victoria. Monies paid are invested locally through the government approved Trust Fund. Organise and pay for your CDF Pre-Paid Funeral through any participating funeral director within Gippsland, Mornington Peninsula and outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne. For more information contact:

CDF Pre-Paid Funerals PO Box 508 Sale 3853 Phone 5144 4311 Email: cdf@sale.catholic.org.au

Page 8 - Catholic Life, July 2011

Missal: New words, deeper meaning, same Mass By Sophy Morley IN welcoming the new translation of the Roman Missal, the most noticeable change for the people is in the greeting dialogues. The new texts are: Priest: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Lord be with you.â&#x20AC;? People: â&#x20AC;&#x153;And with your spirit.â&#x20AC;? There are five places in the Mass where this occurs: The Introductory Rite at the beginning of Mass; the Greeting before the proclamation of the Gospel; the Greeting before the Preface and Holy, Holy; at the Sign of Peace and finally, in the Concluding Rite before the Blessing and Dismissal. These particular text changes have, undoubtedly, been the cause of considerable controversy and heated discussion amongst English-speaking Catholics. Many wondered why

the change was necessary, given the familiarity with the previous responses in over 40 years of use. It is interesting to note that, following the Second Vatican Council, when the liturgy was translated from the Latin into the vernacular language, the English translation departed from the literal phrase â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ă nd with your spirit.â&#x20AC;? The French, Italian, Spanish and German texts all preserved the greeting in its original sense. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ă nd with your spiritâ&#x20AC;? is the literal translation from Latin â&#x20AC;&#x153;et cum spirito tuoâ&#x20AC;?. The phrase â&#x20AC;&#x153;The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spiritâ&#x20AC;? appears as a closing greeting in the Pauline Epistles (Galatians 6:18; Philippians 4;23 & Philemon 25). A similar phrase also concludes the second letter to Timothy (2Tim 4:22). Biblical scholars have suggested that the Pauline phrase

may have had its origin in the liturgy of the fledgling Church. Certainly, by the 3rd or 4th century, as noted in the Apostolic Tradition, this greeting was already part of the Eucharistic liturgy and also of the baptismal liturgy. Many in the English-speaking world were concerned at the reintroduction of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ă nd with your spiritâ&#x20AC;?, fearing that it would accentuate a division between the physical human body and spiritual dimension of the human person. In reading the Pauline Epistles, we see that for Paul the spirit, or soul, is in no way separate from the physical human body. The spirit refers to the spiritual part of a person, the receptacle of the Spirit of God, and the part of the person that is closest to God. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greeting to the early Christian communities speaks of this spirit in a collective

sense as well, something that has been conferred on the whole of the faithful, a recognition by our spirits of the presence and the grace of the Holy Spirit active in the community of Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disciples. When the priest greets the assembly with the words â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Lord be with youâ&#x20AC;?, what is the meaning of the assemblyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response â&#x20AC;&#x153;And with your spiritâ&#x20AC;?? We can refer back to the understanding of the Church, expressed in the writings of the Church fathers, in particular St John Chrysostom and Theodore of Mopsuesta (c. 4th Century). They taught that the assemblyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response referred to the special charism and character of priesthood, by which the priest, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, acts in the name of Christ. Now, when we say â&#x20AC;&#x153;And with your spiritâ&#x20AC;? we express our collective desire that the Holy

Spirit be present in the priest and in our faith community as we gather for worship. We pray that the presence of the Holy Spirit will be active with and through our priests as we celebrate Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence with us in the Eucharist. Ultimately, the new texts are there to help, not hinder, our participation in the Eucharist. In the awkwardness of becoming accustomed to new language, we may experience moments of Holy Spirit-given inspiration that enables us to pray more deeply and live more fully as Christ-filled people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.â&#x20AC;? (Gal 6:18) References: â&#x20AC;˘ Bulletin Clips by Diocesan Liturgy Team, Diocese of Sale. â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;And With Your Spirit is Rightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? by Rev Austin J Milner OP, Catholic Herald http://www.theherald.co.uk, January 27, 2011 â&#x20AC;˘ Words for Worship #2, National Liturgical Council http://www.romanmissalaustralia.org.au â&#x20AC;˘ Receiving This Translation in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Become One Body One Spirit in Christâ&#x20AC;? DVD Resource http://www.becomeonebodyonespiritinchrist. org/ â&#x20AC;˘ Next month: The Nicene and Apostlesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Creeds

As we all know kids will be kids and accidents happen. Our personal accident insurance covers children 24/7, wherever they may be â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at home, school, even on the sports ďŹ eld. There is no excess and it can provide a buffer between medical expenses and health insurance rebates. For the full list of beneďŹ ts, see the product disclosure statement available from us.

Call 1300 655 003 or visit www.catholicinsurances.com.au

* $32 per kid, per year inclusive of GST and statutory charges. Prices based on a policy with one insured person. This Insurance is underwritten by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited (Allianz) ABN 15 000 122 850 AFS Licence No. 234708 and is arranged by Catholic Church Insurances Limited ABN 76 000 005 210 AFSL 235415, 485 La Trobe Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, as a promoter for Allianz. A Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for insurance products can be requested by calling 1300 655 003; or online from www.catholicinsurances.com.au. Any advice here does not take into FRQVLGHUDWLRQ \RXU REMHFWLYHV ÂżQDQFLDO VLWXDWLRQ RU QHHGV ZKLFK \RX VKRXOG FRQVLGHU EHIRUH DFWLQJ on any recommendations. You should read and consider the PDS before deciding whether to acquire any products mentioned. If you purchase this insurance, Catholic Church Insurances will receive commission on these insurance products as a percentage of the premium paid for each policy. Ask us for more details before we provide you with any services on these products.

Catholic Life, July 2011 - Page 9

Pastoral Letter: Pentecost 2011

Everything for the Gospel Bishop Christopher Prowse Catholic Bishop of Sale

“I do everything for the Gospel” - 1Cor. 9:13 Dear friends in Christ, Last year (2010) I wrote to you a Pastoral Letter called: “Finding Home in Jesus” (see www.sale.catholic.org.au/bishop-prowse/statements). It outlined the basic Catholic principles of evangelisation. My aim was to place the Diocese of Sale on an even firmer missionary foundation. This was to be achieved ultimately by stating perhaps some pastoral/evangelisation priorities for the diocese for the years ahead as we move onto the next phase of our shared life in Christ Jesus. Whilst Christ himself is the center of all future plans we have, we do need to articulate these practical pastoral priorities together (see Novo Millennio Ineunte (John Paul II, 2001, n.29). In my 2010 Pastoral Letter to you, I recapped aspects of our past diocesan missionary and pastoral history. Regarding the key characteristics of Catholic evanglisation, much reliance was placed on the teachings of recent Popes on this vital topic. I encouraged further discussion. My key question became: “How can we co-operate with the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our times to help people in FINDING HOME IN JESUS? A series of questions were added to assist in local discussions on my Letter. I am grateful for the regional forums that have taken place over this last year on my 2010 Pastoral Letter. There was evidence of prudent pastoral leaders giving leadership in activating such discussions.

3. Name three areas that you think are pastoral priorities for our diocese? After these forums, the Diocesan Pastoral Council met to consider what we had experienced. Our initial observations were as follows: • All the forums were well attended. Thank you. • The forums were most prayerful and everyone was trying to listen to each other carefully. • Various opinions and attitudes in our diocesan life were represented. There was the possibility of factions forming. However, this did not take place. Indeed, a deep spirit of unity, trust and respect for each other was manifest. • People were keen to gather. We experienced the “bigger” Church by listening to Catholics from different parishes. The “family” of the Church was present. • For some, it was the first time that they had stood up and “testified” to the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. • The first question above was answered fulsomely. Most of our time focused on this question. The second and third questions need further consideration and time. My own observations were that the forums were not simply “events” but they became “encounters”. At the start, we meditated on the Emmaus scene (Luke 24:13-35). We noted that there were two types of approaches after the resurrection of Jesus in this biblical scene. The first was captured in the sad scene of the two men walking with their backs to Jerusalem (the places of the death and resurrection of Jesus). They were dragging each other down with their faithless chatter. They had become the “we had hoped” people. The second was the complete opposite to this. After their encounter with the Eucharistic Jesus, they ran back to Jerusalem to testify their Easter faith to the apostles. They had become the “did not our hearts burn within us” people. We started our forums by deciding to become “did not our hearts burn within us” people of the Risen Lord. We would testify to our faith and refuse to drag each other down. That set the tone of the whole Forum. It was a true grace of the Holy Spirit. There was trust and respect. It became an encounter with the Risen Lord, rather than simply another meeting.

THE REGIONAL FORUMS (March – May 2011) Four REGIONAL FORUMS were organised. There was also a briefer meeting with some youth. They provided me with opportunities to listen carefully to your responses and thoughts. We attempted to gain insight into three questions: 1. Where do you see signs of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the Diocese of Sale? 2. Where do you feel that the Holy Spirit is leading us now and in the future?

This encounter was exemplified in the types of testimonies of faith that were heard by us all. People spoke of what was important in their own personal Catholic faith. They spoke of what was important in the diocese for them in encountering Jesus. We heard from “cradle” Catholics and from some “new” Catholic converts. Please read the summaries prepared from these Forums (attached). We began to reflect on how the Holy Spirit was moving in the Sale Diocese through these beautiful testimonies of faith. As observed above, we became so animated by locating these signs of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the diocese of Sale, that the final two questions regarding the future were eclipsed somewhat. Let us thank the Lord Jesus for giving us these encounters with the Holy Spirit in these Regional Forums.

Page 10 - Catholic Life, July 2011

Everything for the Gospel INITIAL OBSERVATIONS INITIAL THEOLOGICAL/PASTORAL OBSERVATIONS OF OUR REGIONAL FORUMS Having attended all the regional forums, listened carefully, and since reflected in prayer, especially with the Diocesan Pastoral Council, I wish now to make some theological/pastoral observations. I hope these initial remarks will encourage further discussion as we move towards articulating pastoral priorities for our diocese. I wish to make three comments: 1. DEVOTIONAL LIFE LEADS TO ACTIVE MISSIONARY LIFE One major recurring theme was focused on deepening the devotional life of the diocese. Comments such as the following were common: the importance of silence, Holy Hours, the sacraments well prepared and celebrated, retreats and a retreat centre, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Marian devotion, importance of Sunday Mass and hymns beautifully sung, prayers for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, Masses with prayers for Healing, well prepared homilies, and so on. Parish groups that should be encouraged further to promote our devotional life included: charismatic prayer groups, cells of evangelisation, rosary and Eucharistic groups, new ecclesial movements, parish and diocesan missions, scripture groups, Lenten/Advent groups, and so on. I am delighted to see the emphasis spontaneously given to this foundational aspect of our shared Catholic life. We cannot imagine a Catholic Christianity without the Marian Principle in action. Namely, unless we “ponder and treasure”(Luke 2:51) as the Blessed Virgin Mary did on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, then our faith will have no heart. But, may I make this observation? It was not self-evident to me in listening to the comments offered during the Forums how this vital devotional life was to be translated into developing a social conscience and expressing itself into works of charity, especially to the poor and oppressed. Our encounter with Jesus leads to an encounter “with the least”(cf. Matthew 25:40). The teaching of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, can help us in making clear this connection. In his Encyclical Letter, Deus Caritas Est (2005, n.18), he writes: “Love of neighbor … consists in the very fact that, in God and with God, I love even the person whom I do not like or even know. This can only take place on the basis of an intimate encounter with God, an encounter which has become a communion of will, even affecting my feelings.” (n.18) He then adds: “Seeing with the eyes of Christ, I can give to others much more than their outward necessities; I can give them the look of love which they crave. Here we see the necessary interplay between love of God and love of neighbor …” (n.18) The Holy Father exemplifies this by drawing attention to the life

of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. We could say the same surely in reference to our own St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Let us reflect more deeply on this single commandment between love of God and love of neighbor in the times ahead. A strong devotional life in the diocese without equally strong practical expressions of caritas towards our neighbor will not do. Catholics are not members of a pious sect or devotional clique. We are the Body of Christ in the world today. We are missionaries “to the gentiles”. We are not simply missionaries to our own parish or simply to lapsed Catholics alone. We are not simply part of a local Catholic parish. We belong also to the universal Catholic Church. In our Apostolic tradition of over 2000 years we have reflected together on the Holy Scriptures in so many ways as one Church. From this true devotion, guided by the Magisterium of the Church, history has shown us to be missionaries particularly in education, health and social services. In Australia, and our own diocese, we can see some many examples of this. We thank the Lord Jesus for sending us so many courageous men and women of faith as priests and religious brothers and sisters. Now the baton of faith is in our hands. Let us be courageous in our thoroughly secular Australian culture. This imperative would challenge an honest comment I read on one parish’s response sheets at a regional forum: “I like to testify to my faith but only to friendly people!” 2. MISSIONARY LIFE LEADS TO ACTIVE DEVOTIONAL LIFE Another major recurring theme in our Regional Forums was that active and practical missionary initiatives in the diocese ought deepen and increase. These comments were often heard: outreach to those on the margins, sensitivity to aboriginal peoples, response to the political/ethical issues of our times, the forming of support groups for men, encouragement of marriage and family life, more linking of parish and school, outreach to youth, care of migrant groups, care of the dying and bereaved, welcome home the lapsed and people of no belief, and so on. Appreciation of groups already functioning in the diocese that respond to these areas were acknowledged. Groups may be, for example, St. Vincent de Paul Society, adult education groups, parish outreach groups (e.g. RCIA and parish visitation), family groups, schools and school committees, diocesan agencies and initiatives, recruiting priests from overseas, youth groups, ecumenical groups, and so on. These contributions indicate that the missionary impulse of our Catholic life is still present and alive in our diocese. There is so much “gospel energy” in the groups mentioned above. Catholics do become motivated and involved. Heroic priests lead the parish communities. The missionary heritage of the diocese of Sale continues today. New ideas and initiatives to spread the Gospel abound. Wonderfully committed Catholic lay people are to be found in our parishes and schools. Catholic evangelisation is a term more frequently used and understood. We seem to be in a “golden age” whereby Papal teaching on evangelisation has been articulated for us to digest and apply to our particular situation. Programs and resources, both nationally and internationally, are to be found on the missionary dimension of our faith. We thank the Lord Jesus, the first evangeliser, for strong evidence of missionary zeal in the Diocese of Sale.

Catholic Life, July 2011 - Page 11

Everything for the Gospel But, in contrast to what I stated above, the comments I heard in the Regional Forums on this topic left me with a question of immense consequence: How does all this wonderful missionary zeal lead us back to the well springs of our devotional life in Christ? A missionary zeal without a profound contemplative foundation is bound to flounder. Once again, I turn to the teaching of the Holy Father in Deus Caritas Est. He writes: “It is time to reaffirm the importance of prayer in the face of the activism and the growing secularism of many Christians engaged in charitable work.” (n.37) Earlier in his teaching he states: “For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being”(n.25). May I recommend you to return to my Pastoral Letter of 2010 (FINDING HOME IN JESUS). I have attempted there to outline the theological/pastoral foundations of Catholic evangelisation (n.1,4&5). It indicates how our evangelisation is a fruit of our devotion to the Trinity. It also articulates some basic characteristics of the “new evangelisation” required today. Simply, may I make the following point? Let us ensure that our attempts at missionary activity in the name of the Church are deeply anchored in our Catholic faith. The enthusiasm to be a missionary people needs careful discernment and on-going formation. The wind of the Holy Spirit “blows where it chooses” (John 3:8). However, we belong in a hierarchical communion in the Church. We stand ready to discern what is of the Holy Spirit or what is not of God. Here the particular teaching and discerning role of the Pope, Bishops, Priests and Deacons becomes of service to our missionary activities in the name of the Church. We do not want a fragmented Church. As our Creed proclaims, in the Holy Spirit the Church becomes “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic” (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, n.811-865). Let us move forward in the unity of our faith in the years ahead. 3. “THE FAMILY” – BRINGS TOGETHER DEVOTIONAL AND MISSIONARY LIFE Upon reflection of your responses, the Diocesan Pastoral Council considered the family as central to our future plans in the diocese. We know already that the future of society will come through the family. If we want a strong Australian society then we must work for strong Australian family life. The same could be said for the future pastoral priorities of the Diocese of Sale. Namely, the future pastoral priorities of the Diocese of Sale will come to birth through our family life. Let us reflect a little on this observation. We have agreed that we do not need to invent a new program for the Diocese of Sale: it is already given. As Blessed John Paul II stated: “it has its centre in Christ himself” (Novo Millennio Ineunte (2001, n.29). But he then says: “it must be translated in to the pastoral initiatives adapted to the circumstances of each community” (n.29). Our initial regional forums seem to have located two pillars around which all future pastoral initiatives ought turn: the devotional and missionary dimensions of our faith. The issue arises – how can these two pillars become practical in our diocese in the years ahead? The suggestion to consider is whether the family provides the focus from which we launch forward. The word “family” needs a little definition. In the first and most essential meaning, it refers to the family of father, mother, children. They are to mirror the life of the First Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Here is where all devotional life finds a real home. It begins with the acknowledgement that God is our heavenly Father. But there are derived meanings of the word “family” too. For example, there is the family of the parish, the family of the diocese,

and the family of the Catholic Church universal. If we approach the matter in this way, then surely we can start to talk, for example, about the need to bring the scattered back to the family (the home) of Jesus. Our priests would be understood more deeply as “Father” of the parish family. The poor become our “family” responsibility. Action for justice in the world that defends the dignity of the human life from womb to tomb becomes part of our response to the “global family”. Whatever “family”, there is a radical solidarity in Christ undergirding our attitudes and actions. Let us discuss this in our next set of forums in the diocese. We will need to regroup again perhaps in a different formation around the diocese. The final question from our last gatherings will need to be the focus of our attention: Name three (3) areas that you think are pastoral priorities for our diocese. Let us answer this as a FAMILY united in the bonds of Jesus who is always our way, our truth and our life (cf. John 14:6).

PENTECOST IN A SECULAR AUSTRALIA We are all aware of pressing difficulties in the passing on of the Catholic faith in our own time and place. The Diocese of Sale, along with all in Australia, know of this on a daily basis. When we look even briefly at Church history, however, we may not wish to change places with other times and places too quickly. There are always challenges to the faith in any place or time. But the particular crisis facing all of us in Australia regarding the transmission of the Gospel in our times is that we are evangelising in the context of secularism. This living a supposed happy life without any reference to God is the real challenge to the faith today. The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, our master teacher of the faith, continually draws our attention to the fact of secularism in Western countries. He expresses the essential challenge in this way (from: Light of the World (2010, p.56) “It is important for us to try to live Christianity and to think as Christians in such way that it incorporates what is good and right about modernity – and at the same time separates and distinguishes itself from what is becoming a counter-religion.” As always, a continual Pentecost is with us on our pilgrim journey to the Father. We are never alone. The Holy Spirit is present to us in this moment of challenge no less than in the upper room of the first Pentecost. We are with Mary, the mother of us all, as she points out Jesus to us as she did at Cana. Perhaps St Paul had the best attitude in responding to the challenges of passing on the Gospel in his time. He said: I do everything for the Gospel (1Cor.9:23). This is a triumphant shout of trust in divine providence. May it be our “shout” too as we go forward together. May whatever we “do” in the future in our diocese, be “for the sake of the Gospel”. Only then will it receive the blessing of the Lord Jesus who alone transforms the human heart into something truly wonderful in the sight of God, our merciful Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Page 12 - Catholic Life, July 2011

Everything for the Gospel Questions for Reflection “I do everything for the Gospel” - 1Cor. 9:13

1. DEVOTIONAL LIFE LEADS TO ACTIVE MISSIONARY LIFE 1.1 Why is it true to say that: “We cannot imagine a Catholic Christianity without the Marian Principle in action”. 1.2 Describe a time in your life when you felt close to Mary. 1.3 What helps you to “ponder and treasure” (Luke 2/51) as the Blessed Virgin Mary? Why is it important? 1.4 How is it possible to have faith that has “no heart”? How would this be expressed? 1.5 How can you ensure that your devotional life can be translated into “developing a social conscience and expressing itself into works of charity, especially to the poor and oppressed”? 1.6 Describe someone you know whose life expresses “a strong devotional life” and “equally strong practical expressions of caritas” towards others. 1.7 Describe some of the “courageous men and women of faith” you have met or know about. Why was their faith “courageous”?

2. MISSIONARY LIFE LEADS TO ACTIVE DEVOTIONAL LIFE

3. FAMILY BRINGS TOGETHER DEVOTIONAL AND MISSIONARY 3.1 Why is it true that: “the future pastoral priorities of the Diocese of Sale will come to birth through our family life”? 3.2 How can the two pillars, the devotional and the missionary dimensions of faith, be expressed in our diocese in the years ahead? 3.3 What are some of the meanings of “family”?

2.1 Why is it true to say that “the missionary impulse of our Catholic life is still present and alive in our diocese”? 2.2 Describe a person in whom you see “gospel energy”. 2.3 How does missionary zeal “lead us back to the well springs of our devotional life in Christ”? 2.4 Why is it true to say that: “The enthusiasm to be a missionary people needs careful discernment and on-going formation”?

3.4 How can the “family” provide the focus from which we launch forward? 3.5 How can: “action for justice in the world that defends the dignity of the human life from womb to tomb become(s) part of our response to the “global family”? 3.6 How can we ensure that: “there is a radical solidarity in Christ undergirding our attitudes and actions”?

2.5 What can lead to the fragmentation of the Church?

4. PENTECOST IN A SECULARISED AUSTRALIA 4.1 What are some of the “pressing difficulties in the passing on of the Catholic faith in our own time and place”? 4.2 Name some of the challenges that the Church has had to face in times past. 4.3 Why is it true that: “There are always challenges to the faith in any place or time”? 4.4 Why is secularism “the real challenge to the faith today”? 4.5 Why is it important “for us to try to live Christianity and to think as Christians in such a way that it incorporates what is good and right about modernity – and at the same time separates and distinguishes itself from what is becoming a counter-religion”? 4.6 How can St Paul’s motto “I do everything for the Gospel” (1Cor.9/23) inspire your life?

Catholic Life, July 2011 - Page 13

Finding Home in Jesus responses COLLATED responses from Diocesan Regional Forums. (March – May 2011) Where do you see signs of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the Diocese of Sale? • Children’s Liturgy x 2 • The work that members of St Vincent de Paul do in reaching out to the poor x 3 • Social Justice • Visiting of the sick • Outreach groups • Soup kitchens • Charity groups • New types of “Mission” and “retreats” are emerging in our midst. • I see the outreach to men provided by the MenAlive as an opportunity • Priests • Parish committees • Legion of Mary • The communion of saints and their participation in our daily life • Devotional life of the church and to bring it more central • Lenten Groups. • Prayer life of parishioners • Intercessions and prayers through Mary MacKillop • Intercession • Welcoming at church services x 3 • CWL • RCIA x 4 • RCIA candidates, people of all ages wanting God in their life. • Catholic education – values taught – schools x 4 • In the few people who try so hard to keep their parishes going by participating in activities, volunteering, attending church. • I see people who care for the needs of others, offer them hope, friendship and love. • Through personal witness of love in the community. • I see parishioners caring for their priests. • People keen to share views, participate in forums. • All the various church groups x 2 • The Philippines community singing at St Mary’s Sale • Family Groups - young families • Positive Catholics • Hospitality adoration x 2 • Persons with disability brought people to Holy Spirit • Time of grief – Catholics do good funerals • Faith helps in difficult situations. • Catering for funerals • Unreal care and hospitality from parish re a family funeral. • Church the home of healing • New ecclesial movements • Reconciliation x 2 • Sacrament Program x 2 • Catechesis for parents through sacrament programs • Partnership of parish, family and school

• Baptism of children • The involvement of parishioners, parents and children in sacrament preparation. • Mass especially welcoming new baptisms, • Young mums – part of group praying. • Cells of Evangelisation. • Greatest work of the Church is evangelisation. • The Church will lead people to solid foundation in life • Building of a New Church. • Divine Mercy • Presence of the Blessed Sacrament. • Catechism helps to understand faith • In the four seminarians from our diocese. • Holy Hour devotion. • Baptism. Priest and parish welcoming the families of the child to be baptised. • The Holy Spirit drawing back people who have fallen away. • Youth speaking to youth, WYD attendance and follow-up response. • In our Catholic schools, in parents and students. • Grass roots evangelisation in our parishes. • Through Missions, retreats, prayer groups and Gospel reflection groups. • Young people getting involved in parish • New ecclesial communities. • Remar and CSYMA movements in schools and WYD for youth.

rament preparation.

Name 3 areas that you think are pastoral priorities for our Diocese. • • • • • •

• • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Where do you feel that the Holy Spirit is leading us now and in the future?

•

• To bring peace, calm and love to an increasing distracted and anxious world. • To remain open to change to “launch out into the deep” to continue looking outwards the marginalised people. • The Holy Spirit is leading young people to work for social justice. • The Spirit is leading more people to take a more active part in liturgies. • I struggle with the return to a more strictly interpreted liturgy. Deeds matter, not archaic wording. • Very difficult to answer, big division between schools and older parishioners – them and us • Evangelising – reaching out to others • Standing up to be counted. • Adult education and leadership • Ongoing spirituality • Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group • Healing Mass of Anointing for the sick, frail and aged. • Calling to Ministry • By 2015, 30 percent of the Catholic faithful will be migrants. They bring a wealth of faith experiences. • To evangelise the young at schools both Catholic and State, and their parents. • To evangelise through Sac-

• • •

• • • •

Youth Elderly Outcasts Outreach to men Marriage Opening arms to people whose marriages have broken up, and those who have remarried. Help for married people – retreats Ecumenical involvement Encouraging our young adults back into the church. Re-energise youth involvement (liturgy/social groups) Motivational speakers for youth Reach out to youth and parents who do not know how to pass on the faith to their children e.g. have a welcome home Sunday Supports for youth need to be increased. Diocesan group activities for youth and young adults. Youth coming together to share their faith. Publicise youth ministry more. Involve youth ministry, CSYMA in our parishes not just in schools. Youth – maybe more youth workers/ministers employed? Youth – encourage and support interested youth so they can evangelise their peers Teaching and preserving the faith within young, helping them grow to be practising and happy Catholics with vibrant faith. Involving young adults and teens through singing and music practice, sports, dance Attracting the ‘Lost Generations” back to Mass Church needs to be active in encouraging “no longer” or “Easter/Christmas only” practicing Catholics to become more frequent in their participation in Church activities RCIA. Lapsed Catholics. Friendships that lead to/or back to church community. True understanding of Catholic faith; the teaching and practice of it. Far flung diocese – time to get together at different centres/churches on a more regular basis. Foster social justice groups via parish support/encouragement visiting Education (schools) Education of young and old in Catholic faith. More adult faith development – Bible study in small groups, as well as talks to develop a better personal relationship with Jesus Adult education of parishioners Open the doors of schools to educate parents Strengthen young /weak families. Catechesis needed. Study/survey of family time use. How do we best reach

out to them? Mass times etc • Encouragement and support of youth and young families • Faith and Sacrament workshops for youth and young families (catch-up sacraments). • Consultation – ie the opportunity to allow parishioner comment (and education) re future directions. • Development and employment of pastoral associate • Promoting the Catholic faith as a practice that provides peace, love and calm. • Personal relationships are important. • More devotional homilies • Pre evangelisation in building relationships prior to evangelisation • Establish a Ministry of Healing to those who are suffering or are alienated • We all become active missionaries • More praise and worship • Improve the understanding of sacraments for children and adults • More involvement of people with disability in our liturgies • Home: Groups out of marriage – man and woman coming together voluntarily for life, Also marriage of Jesus and his church. • To reach out to all people with peace and love and in truth. • Provide (teach) people with the tools to live in a modern world by using their faith. Tell people how the Catholic faith will help them live in a modern world • Retreats for families • Taking care of the youth was frequently mentioned as they are the Church of tomorrow • Baptism – capturing back parents and others through baptism of child • Liturgy of the Word for children. • Improved welcome and hospitality within parish and at Mass. • Evangelising not just catechising. • Improved religious education in schools, improved instruction in Catholic faith.

ished Establ ars 33 ye PAVING GIPPSLAND & LATROBE VALLEY

• Links between natural and spiritual family. • Small groups where relationships can be nurtured and faith formation can happen. • Strengthen links between school and parish and wider community. • Improve links between family, school, parish, clergy. • Teacher and student opportunities to go overseas on mission projects. • Change context in which we evangelise. • Monthly fellowship groups with meal and faith topic discussed. • The fight against abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage. • Faith formation, especially about the Eucharist and its relevance in our lives. • Hospitality, inclusiveness of all people. • Speaking out fearlessly in the name of justice and freedom eg refugees. • Encourage active faith commitment in our school staff. • Education of older parishioners re evangelisation. • Reaching out to English as Second Language families. • Physical presence of priests in our schools beyond saying mass. • Opportunities for faith sharing/education and growth in prayer life. • Resourcing. • Missionary outreach, Evangelisation. • A website of good books on spiritual topics with a short summary of the content. • Further assistance to parishes with Liturgy of the Word services. • More communication between diocese and parishioners. • Active Catholicity. • Small faith groups, home based groups, prayer groups, Gospel reflection etc. • Liturgy as a gathering of friends not strangers. • Priest should be the real shepherd; more parish priests and deacons in parishes.

MACHINE LAID ASPHALT • DRIVEWAYS • ROADWAYS • CARPARKS • SUBDIVISIONS • BITUMEN SPRAYING

• ROAD PROFILING & STABILISATION

• FULL CONSTRUCTION • TENNIS COURTS ACRYLIC SURFACES

• SYNTHETIC GRASS

5152 2941

CRANES ASPHALTING & BITUMEN SEALING PTY LTD

Page 14 - Catholic Life, July 2011

The Dumbalk district a typical Gippsland rural area DUMBALK is a typical Gippsland small town. It is set in the middle of the Tarwin Valley in South Gippsland between the eastern and western Strzelecki ranges, with Mirboo to the north and Meeniyan on the South Gippsland Highway to the south. Dumbalk is the centre of a lush dairying and beef farming area with extensive river flats, watered by rain storms from Bass Strait which fall so prolifically on these southern slopes. The Tarwin Valley was pioneered by the selector Frank Dodd who arrived at his selection at Mirboo on New Year’s Day, 1878. He came in from the north via the Moe area along Lydiard’s Track, crossed the hills later called the Grand Ridge south of Boolarra, and settled on the east branch of the Tarwin River at Mirboo. This was before the town of Mirboo North had been founded. His wife and children joined him 18 months later. One child who died in Melbourne in infancy was brought home dead on the train by his wife and buried on the family’s Mirboo block. Dodd later blazed a track south to Foster which was named after him. Dodd has an entry in the famous history of the pioneers of South Gippsland, The Land of the Lyre Bird. What is unusual about his entry is that almost all the other entries are by selectors in the south west of the Strzeleckis in today’s Bass Shire, whereas Dodd settled quite a long way from them. The Tarwin Valley area was the last part of the western Strzeleckis to be settled. The range of forested hills and mountains to the east had not yet been opened up. Gradually a community formed south of the Dodd farm. Selectors came in to fill up the Tarwin Valley in the 1880s and 1890s. Unlike Dodd they mainly came in from the south, from the Inverloch and Korumburra districts. Prominent selectors in the Tarwin Valley included Goldsmith, Benn, Bright, Trease, Hughes, Pocklington, Ashenden, Littlejohn and Carmichael, many of whose descendants remain in the district. In the 1970s my wife played netball and I played cricket for Mirboo, and as a result got to know some of these families. The district was lucky it had

Gippsland History with Patrick Morgan people who were community minded, and gave the town a pleasant and co-operative atmosphere. The early days were very tough. Frank Dodd has given us a graphic account of the burial of the Goldsmith grandfather: “One of the grandsons, Jas. Goldsmith, went to Mirboo North for the coffin. It being winter and the roads very bad, he essayed to pack the coffin down on horseback. Being of an awkward shape, it would not ride properly, and so gave a lot of trouble to balance it. In one place it capsized, and in putting it right again Jim lost his boot in the mud and could not find it. He finished the remainder of the journey, some five miles, with one boot on. “A number of young men took turn about to carry the coffin to the grave. The night was dark, and torches made of bark were lighted to show the way. When the grave side was reached it was found that the side had started to fall in. The coffin had to be lowered end on, and young F.C. Dodd, being the smallest of the party, was let down into the grave so that he might lift the coffin along the bottom of the grave “This was no easy job, and, when completed, he looked up to see the faces around the grave peering in, and his father holding a lighted lamp so that the clergymen could see to read the burial service.” Dumbalk developed as the largest town in the area, with a smaller community at the road junction at Dumbalk North. In the early days supplies were brought in from the south via Meeniyan. Dumbalk itself acted as the supply town for outlying districts in the hills such as Mirboo East, Milford, Turton’s Creek, Dollar, Mardan and Neerena. The area has very productive farms, being a wide river plain surrounded by hills on both sides. In this it resembles Yinnar with its Hazelwood flats, Yinnar being in a comparable position on the Morwell River valley to Dumbalk on the Tarwin.

BARRY AND ANNETTE LETT

Funeral Directors

Barry, Annette and Bradley Lett offer care, compassion and service with dignity for the people of Gippsland. Caring and personal 24-hour service. Prepaid and prearranged funeral plans available.

67 Macarthur St., Sale 3850

(03) 5143 1232

The Hughes brothers were important figures in the district. Thanks largely to their efforts, a butter factory was established at Dumbalk in the late 1890s, and successively enlarged, with three auxiliary creameries in

of the district called A Town in the Tarwin Valley, for the Backto Dumbalk celebrations. The author had previously published a book of poetry called The Bullant and All That. The well-known middle distance runner of the post-war years, Merv Lincoln, came from Dumbalk, as did Frederick Henry Brookes, the Director General of Education in Victoria in the 1960s, When I came to Gippsland in the early 1970s the first person I met who was interested in

THE Dumbalk Butter Factory. outlying districts. This was a successful operation but was taken over by the Murray Goulburn company in the 1970s. In 2008 a descendant of one of the early families, Arthur Ashenden, published a history

Gippsland history was Bryan Fitzgerald, a dairy farmer from Dumbalk. He had in his mind an extraordinary personal knowledge of the family linkages in the area. He naturally focused on own

group, the Irish Catholics, as far south as Fish Creek, but he also knew families of other denominations, whom he referred to in the title of one of his books as ‘the water drinkers’. Bryan Fitzgerald supplemented this personal knowledge by travelling regularly to the Public Records Office, then at Laverton, to look up selectors’ files. From these sources he put together about five or six valuable books full of information and anecdotes about the early selectors, material which without his efforts would never have been retrieved. I learnt from him to get some feel for the unique quality of the Gippsland experience. In recent decades the town, like many others in Gippsland, has lost some of its key assets, in this case its dairy factory, which has left a big gap in the middle of the town, and more recently its primary school. Today Dumbalk has as its supply towns for larger goods and shopping Mirboo North to the north and Meeniyan to the south, both towns which, like Yarragon, have recently thrived with local markets and the tourist trade.

A New Children’s Mass Book THE AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN’S MASS BOOK, published and distributed by John Garrett Publishing, paperback, 34 pages, rrp $9.95. WITH the changes to the text of the Mass now here, it creates an ideal time to purchase a Mass book for the children so they can learn the correct wording. This small booklet is an ideal size and would suit children of reading age. More importantly it is an Australian publication, carrying the imprimatur of Melbourne Vicar General, Bishop Les Tomlinson so we can be sure of the accuracy of the text for our country. The illustrations are modern and colorful enough to be appealing to youngsters. There are some brief explanatory notes but basically it is straight into the Mass with the relevant responses which need to be given. While designed for children, these could really be used by adults as well because all the information on those prayer cards we now have on the pews is contained here. While designed for this period of change, I believe these books will be popular for many years at our piety stalls as gifts for first communicants. There is even a presentation page which can be filled out to note the occasion on which the book was given as a gift. MY BEST BEDTIME BIBLE, published by Lion Hudson, distributed by Rainbow Books, text by Sophie Piper, illustrations Claudine Gevry, cardboard pages and padded cover, 41 pages, rrp $16.99.

Talking about Books conclude reading time. THIS is a quality book for younger children, telling 10 popular Bible stories covering both Old and New Testaments. It irks us that every book of Bible stories nowadays seems to be called a Bible, so don’t be misled. This book is a collection of very short stories which are beautifully illustrated, and followed by a short prayer which sums up the theme of the reading. Young children will appreciate this and the length of each story is ideal for parents to slip in as an “extra” after reading other bedtime stories - and then there is the added benefit of having a prayer with which to

MEDITATIONS FOR EUCHARISTIC ADORATION by Bonnie Taylor Barry, published by Paulist Press, distributed by Rainbow Books, paperback, 150 pages, rrp $19.95. EUCHARISTIC adoration is being encouraged once again in many of our parishes as people are encouraged to reacquaint themselves with this age-old practice. This little book is the perfect companion for those who spend time worshipping Jesus, be it at exposition, adoration, benediction or a 40-hour devotion.

Central Catholic Bookshop 322 Lonsdale St., Melbourne (Next door to St Francis Church) Visit our Website at www.catholicbookshop.com.au

Browse through our range of books and sacramental and religious gifts, or search for specific items by author, title or keyword. Open seven days Phone and mail orders welcome. Credit cards accepted.

Phone (03) 9639 0844 custserv@catholicbookshop.com.au

Catholic Life, July 2011 - Page 15

Quick calendar

Bishop’s Diary July 29 - Governance meeting with Catholic Education Office, priest and principals, Warragul July 23-24 - Mallacoota visit, Mass and confirmations. July 26 - Meetings with Centacare and Catholic Social Services, Warragul. July 26 - National Youth Council teleconference. July 27 - Official opening and blessing of new buildings at St Catherine’s Primary School, Berwick South. July 29 - Official opening and blessing new facilities at St Gabriel’s Primary School, Traralgon, 11am. July 29 - Confirmations at Cranbourne, 7pm. July 30 - Confirmations at Cowes, 11am. July 31 - World Youth

Day pilgrim commissioning Mass, St Mary’s Cathedral. August 2 - Diocesan Pastoral Council meeting, Traralgon, 10.30am. August 2 - Confirmation visits to St Keiran’s, Moe, and St Mary’s, Newborough. August 3 - Council of Priests meeting, followed by Consultors meeting, Sale. August 4 - Official opening and blessing of new facilities at St Laurence’s, Leongatha, 10am. August 5 - Address religious education coordinators at conference at Rawson, noon. August 5 - Confirmations at Traralgon, 6pm and 8pm. August 6 - Confirmations at Newborough, 2pm. August 6 - Confirmations at Moe, 6pm.

What’s on & when July

August 7 - Confirmations at Trafalgar, 10.30am. August 9 - Tentative date for opening of new facilities at St Agatha’s and St Therese’s Schools, Cranbourne. August 11 - Depart for Spain to attends Days in Diocese at Toledo and World Youth Day, Madrid. August 12-25 - In Spain at World Youth Day activities. August 26 - Arrives back in Australia. August 28 - Confirmations at Yarram, 11am.

Founder’s Day at Lavalla TRARALGON - In a niche on the façade of St Peter’s in Rome stands the statue of a French priest Marcellin Champagnat. Born into a farming family in the rolling countryside south of Lyons, Marcellin became the pastor of a little village called Lavalla nestled on the slopping face of a hillside near the river Gier. Startled by the impoverishment and lack of education amongst the young, he gathered around him an ex-soldier and some local lads and by forming them into a tight band of brothers began to roll back the tide of ignorance in the villages scattered around the slopes of Mt Pilat. Against all the odds, the work of Fr Champagnat and his Brothers bore fruit in the vacuum created by the French Revolution. In what can only be described as the work of God, the Marist vision of education flourished as the early Brothers opened schools across Europe and beyond. They arrived in Australia in the 1880’s and in Traralgon in the mid 1960’s. Fr Champagnat died, exhausted, in 1840 and was canonised by Pope John Paul II in 1999. What an extraordinary man Champagnat must have been! He managed to release an energy in France that inspires people around the globe. There are many good men and women who work courageously and will never be recognised by the universal church for their heroic virtue or have a statue raised in their memory. We all know individuals like this. We work and live with them. We see them in our communities and on the world stage working quietly away doing whatever good they can in sometimes trying circumstances. They inspire us with their selflessness and dedication to the common good. These are the people to whom we are nat-

31 – Diocesan Youth Gathering, WYD Pilgrim commissioning, St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, 11.30am to 4pm 31 - Information session on proposed Holy Land Pilgrimage next year, St Brendan’s Lakes Entrance, 3pm

August 1 – Ramadan begins 6-7 - menALIVE retreat at Cowwarr 7 - Information session on proposed Holy Land Pilgrimage next year, St Mary’s Cathedral chapter house, Sale. 8 – Deadline for August Catholic Life 9 - Heart region meeting, (venue TBA), 4pm 9 – East region meeting, Bairnsdale, 10.30am 10 - South region meeting, St Laurence’s parish centre, Leongatha, 11.30am 11-26 – World Youth Day pilgrimage to Madrid 17 - August Catholic Life published 17 – CDF Board meeting 18 - Valley region meeting, Moe, noon. 22 – Finance Council meeting 24 – West region meeting St Michael’s new hall, Berwick, 10.30am 31 – Applications for funding from Bishop’s Family Foundation close

September

CHAMPAGNAT Medal recipients with senior staff and guest speakers. urally drawn because we sense plify the college motto Strong that they have discovered some- Minds, Compassionate Hearts thing that we too have been were honored with the receipt of the Champagnat Medals and searching for. Perhaps by chance and cer- a new painting of the Marist vitainly by being alert to oppor- sion was unveiled. As the college community tunities, people like Marcellin Champagnat have found that gathered around the same table sweet spot where their deep each of us was urged to remempassion has met the world’s ber the power of our shared great need. Their life has taken story, a story that has the power on a deeper meaning and pur- to continue to change the world. The 2011 Champagnat Medal pose. We, too, desire that in our recipients: Year 7: Nicholas Duncan, own lives and we find ourselves throwing in our lot with them. Erin Roberts Year 8: Bayley CharalamIn our hearts we urge them on, sometimes support their work bous, Maggie O’Keefe, Georfinancially and wish we could gia Pollard Year 9: Melanie Renninson, emulate them. So, on June 6 the college Danielle Vickery-Howe, Jacob paused to remember and cel- Farmer Year 10: Stephanie Spehar ebrate the life of St Marcellin Year 11: Jake Ainsworth, Champagnat, founder of the Marist Brothers of the Schools. Kristina Psinas Year 12: Rhys McDonald, SaThere was a Mass at 9.30am in the Champagnat centre rah O’Dowd Staff: Beverley O’Brien, Kim named in his honor on the St Paul’s Campus. Widrich Fr Hugh Brown of Churchill - Contributed. was the celebrant. The Champagnat address was delivered To advertise in by Br Stephen Bugg who spoke of the need for solidarity with Catholic Life those who have less. 5144 6132 Students and staff who exem-

4 – Father’s Day 5 – Deadline for September Catholic Life 5 – Diocesan CSYMA student conference, Lavalla Catholic College, Traralgon 7-9 – Australasian Catholic Press Association conference, Adelaide 9-11 – Australasian Religious Press Association conference, Adelaide 13 – Central Region meeting, Marian Room, St Joseph’s, Warragul, 7.30pm 14 - September Catholic Life published 18 - Solemn High Mass, St Mary’s Cathedral Sale, 11am, to mark anniversary of the cathedral 19-23 – Sale Diocese clergy in-service, Corpus Christ College, Carlton 23 – Healing Mass at St John’s, Korumburra with Fr

Peter Bickley. 6pm exposition, 7pm Mass 23 - School holidays begin 23-25 – WYD boot camp post retreat 28 – WYD national briefing day

October 3 – Deadline for October Catholic Life 7-24 – Bishop in Rome for Ad Limina meeting 10 - Fourth term begins 11 - Heart region meeting, (venue TBA), 4pm 11 – Diocesan Migrant Sunday Mass celebrated by Bishop Prowse, Our Lady Help of Christians Church, Narre Warren, 2pm 12 - October Catholic Life published 19 – CDF Board meeting 20 - Valley region meeting, Newborough, noon. 22-23 Youth ministry leader training (venue TBA) 26 – Finance Council meeting 31 – Deadline for November Catholic Life

November 1 – Melbourne Cup holiday 1 – All Saints Day 2 – All Souls Day 8 – East region meeting, Orbost, 10.30am 9 - South region meeting, St Laurence’s parish centre, Leongatha, 11.30am 9 - November Catholic Life published 11 – Remembrance Day 15 – Central Region meeting, St Ita’s parish room, Drouin, 7.30pm 23 – West Region meeting, St Michael’s new hall, Berwick, 10.30am 27 – First Sunday of Advent 28 – Deadline for December Catholic Life

December 1 – Valley Region Christmas break-up, Morwell Club, noon 4 – Advent reflection afternoon 6 - Heart region break up (venue TBA) 7 - December Catholic Life published 14 – Joint meeting of CDF Board and Finance Council (tentative) 16 - Primary schools breakup 25 – Christmas Day

WITH CARE AND DIGNITY WE RESPECTFULLY SERVE THE DISTRICTS OF:

LEONGATHA/KORUMBURRA (03) 5662 2717 Paul and Margaret Beck

FOSTER

(03) 5662 2717

Paul and Margaret Beck

WONTHAGGI/INVERLOCH

(03) 5672 1074

Ray and Maree Anderson

PHILLIP ISLAND

(03) 5952 5171

Ray and Maree Anderson MEMBER OF AUSTRALIAN FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION

Page 16 - Catholic Life, July 2011

A Page for Youth

‘Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith’ (Col 2:7)

51 from diocese heading to Madrid for World Youth Day AN estimated 51 young people from the Diocese of Sale are going to Madrid for World Youth Day next month. The diocesan travel group has 41 pilgrims in it and then there are 10 others travelling with other groups. The diocesan group is made up of 21 females and 20 males. The number is pleasing as it is about double the number which went to the last overseas WYD in Germany. Our pilgrims have a busy time before they wing their way to Spain on August 11. Many have already attended several pilgrim boot camps over the past 12 months and all have been encouraged to attend RE 4 the Rabble reflection evenings.

The next event on their schedule is the diocesan youth gathering at Sale on Sunday, July 31. This will involved a special commissioning Mass celebrated by Bishop Christopher Prowse for pilgrims, followed by a Taste of Spain lunch and a Spanish fiesta to help pilgrims get in the mood for Spain. Mass will be at 11.30am and it is expected that the activities will end around 4pm. The first week in Spain our pilgrims will be hosted at the historic city of Toledo where they will an opportunity to learn something of the country’s rich culture and to be involved with youth there. After these Days in the Diocese, it is on to Madrid for the

six days of World Youth Day activities which involves catechesis and daily Masses. Pope Benedict XVI will be in Madrid for four days. Pilgrims will make their way to Cuantro Vientas aerodrome on August 20 for the overnight vigil with Pope and then the following day he will celebrate the Papal Mass for what is expected to be a massive crowd of pilgrims. Our travellers will begin making their way home with most arriving back by August 26. A post World Youth Day weekend for pilgrims is scheduled to be held at St Paul Retreat Centre, Wantirna, on the weekend of September 23-25.

Meet some more of the WYD2011 pilgrims Rodney Pasura

If your coming I think you are guaranteed to have the time of your life, and you’re not attending I recommend you come next time!

Jack Fitzgerald

MY name is Rodney Pasura,. I am 17 years old and I’m originally from Zimbabwe. I came to Australia in 2004 and have been living here with my family ever since. I am a student at St Peter’s in Cranbourne. I haven’t had previous experience of WYD apart from hearing a lot of stories from my friends that attended and watching it on T.V. I have wanted to go to a WYD event since I heard so many great things about Sydney and I think Madrid will be a great way to enhance my knowledge of God and of who I am. I have been preparing for WYD 2011 by doing regular walks or jogs depending on how busy I am. I have also been fundraising a fair bit to repay all the money used. I am hoping that WYD2011 will be an experience that I will be talking about for years to come. I’m not necessarily nervous but more excited, I just can’t wait for August to come. I’m looking forward to being in Spain and being in such a beautiful ancient country.

HEY my name is Jack Fitzgerald, 17. I love sport and I’m not really interested in school at the moment. I’m from Sale and I am part of the Sale Diocese. I have never been to a WYD before, but I am really looking to WYD 2011 in Madrid, Spain. I decided to be a part of this pilgrimage mainly because my mum is going, and I also would like to grow stronger in my faith. I am preparing for WYD by participating in fundraisers and by trying to take more notice of my faith and the part it plays in my life. I’m not really worried about any aspects of this pilgrimage, although I do not know any Spanish. I hope to learn more about the ways of Christ so I can share more with my friends, and be able to answer questions they may have. I am really looking forward to the wonderful experience this WYD will be and how things are in a foreign country.

Ed Barnes

HEY, my name is Ed Barnes. I’m 24 and have lived in Rosedale forever. I attended WYD in Sydney and it was an amazing experience with so many Catholics from all over the world. I really want to be part of this pilgrimage because it will be great to spend time experiencing Jesus with thousands of other youth and to strengthen my faith. I am hoping to learn a

little Spanish and to make new friends from around the world. I am looking forward to seeing a new country and the challenges of learning their culture and being able to communicate.

Amanda Lonsdale

MY name is Amanda Lonsdale, and at 35 years old, I am one of the more mature ‘youth’ travelling to Madrid. I am from St Michael’s parish, Traralgon. I am originally from Sale but after a couple of secondments elsewhere I returned to the Sale Diocese in 2008. My previous WYD experience is quite a story, but here is a condensed version. The first and only time was Sydney 2008. Originally, I only went because it was going to be a momentous occasion for our nation and our church. WYD became much more to me than an event. It was an experience that affected my life. I was living interstate at the time and had given a lot of thought about going to Sydney on my own. When I heard that Sale diocese was sending a large group, which my best friend was a part of, I thought I would join in with them. My

world was rocked only the month prior when my father was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer - A time when faith could be challenged. To say I was broken hearted was an understatement. The time when I was the most shattered, I was comforted by my fellow pilgrims. The strength of faith I drew from this time in my life has given me more certainty in the decisions I make. This includes the one I made on my return from Sydney which was to move back to Gippsland and deciding that I would settle in Traralgon. The reassurance of my faith continues. I am an active contributor to parish life by sharing my time and talents with the community that played a part in mending my broken heart. I decided to be part of this pilgrimage because I still fit within the youth age range! Sydney was such an awesome time. The singing in the streets, the presence of the Spirit as thousands massed around Sydney harbour... and Madrid is going to be bigger!

Melina McCallum-O’Dea

HI my name is Melina and I am 16 years old. I am doing year 10 at St Francis Xavier College, Beaconsfield and will be one of the pilgrim’s going to World Youth day in Madrid. I am very excited to be given this opportunity and the experience I will gain is one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. To be among young Catholics of various diverse backgrounds, throughout the world, will bring unity in

sharing common goals, and this I believe will extend my faith. This will assist us in taking leadership roles as we continue to grow.

Gemma De Moel

MY name is Gemma De Moel, 17. I’ve had no experience of world youth day but am looking forward to it. I first wanted to go to WYD after my brother went to the last one and ever since then I’ve had my heart set on going. I’ve been preparing by attending all the WYD evens we have planned and doing fundraising every opportunity we get. During WYD I am hoping to get stronger in my faith with God and with myself. I hope this trip will open my heart more to God and his way. I’m not really nervous about going to WYD, but more just excited. I am most looking forward to seeing so many teens my age coming together because of their faith and belief in God. I hope to share with others what I am hoping to feel and experience and I hope to reach out to others my age. This will be a fantastic trip that I know I’ll learn a lot from.

Catholic Life, July 2011 - Page 17

For the Young and Young at Heart Time for a Laugh PADDY was a youthful and hard working Irishman at a Coastal village in Ireland. Daily he would pole a heavy old punt out to sea then work a heavy iron grapple to bring up the sand oysters which he sold to the local ice works. He was a man of regular habits and always arrived home each day at a certain time. Sadly, Paddy did not realise the heavy grappling was taking a toll on a faulty heart. One day he failed to come home so his wife contacted the police to investigate him being missing. They rowed out and found Paddy dead in the punt beside him a huge grapple full of oysters he’d tried to hoist aboard. Next day the Irish Times carried a headline “Oysters Kilpatrick” Note: Four our younger readers who might miss the pun. Oysters Kilpatrick is a meal of oysters cooked with bacon.

It’s a winter wonderland

“Never mind the pain - Just pull it out!” “That’s a brave attitude,” said the dentist. “Now which tooth.” “Enid, hop in the chair and show the dentist which one of your teeth is aching,” said the husband. A POLICEMAN pulled over the old lady after she had driven down a one way street. “Don’t you know where you are going?” he asked. “No. But wherever it is, it can’t be a popular place because everyone is coming back from there!”

A TOURIST was travelling the back roads of Tasmania when he came across a drover herding a huge flock of sheep. He stopped to ask the drover how far he had driven the sheep. “All the way from Queensland,” replied the driver. “Fair go. How did you get across Bass Strait?” THE policeman was in- “Oh, I didn’t come that terviewing the pretty young way.” driver about an accident she had in her car. LITTLE Billy’s parents “What gear were you in?” had a visit from the priest asked the policeman. and they asked Billy to “I had a black mini skirt, make the cups of tea. white blouse and black When he carried the cups shoes,” came the reply. in on a tray, his mother THERE’s plenty of snow around in Gippsland at the moment at our favorite skiing places asked if he had strained the such as Mt. Baw Baw, Mr St Gwinear, Dinner Plain and Mt Hotham. “QUICK! I want a tooth tea. pulled as fast as you can,” “Yes, but I couldn’t find said the man to the dentist. the strainer, so I used the fly Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Age . . . . . . “I have to catch a plane and swat!” I don’t even have time for an “What?” exclaimed mother. anaesthetic. Just rip it out!” “Don’t worry, I didn’t want Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The dentist replied “It can to damage your new one, so be very painful without any- I got the old swat.” School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . thing to deaden the tooth.” Send entries to: Colouring Contest, c/- Catholic Life, PO Box 183, Sale. 3853

A secret message for you THERE’s a secret message hidden in this following silly paragraph. See if you can work it out: Josie Everitt suspected Uncle Simon. “Could he really iron?” she thought. We asked Simon, “Bring our really new orange necktie.” Could he really iron? Should Therese, my aunt, still doubt all you? HINT: Use a mirror to read below esu dna drow hcae fo rettel tsrfi eht ekaT egassem eht tuo lleps ot meht

Five lucky winners WE have five winners of The Australian Children’s Mass Book to give away to the best entries from last month’s colouring contest. Our very talented winners are: Elouise O’Hare, 9, from St Thomas’s, Sale; April Simpson, 5, from St Joseph’s, Warragul; Maddie Hill, 12, from Lumen Chris-

ti, Churchill; David Binoy, 9, from Don Bosco Primary, Narre Warren; and Laura Stinziani, 11, from St Catherine’s, Berwick. We has about 200 entries so judging was hard. We were impressed by the high standard of entries. Thanks again to John Garrett Publishing for donating this great new book.

EMILY Ryan shows the cool book of Bible Facts she won in our colouring context. Behind her are some of her classmates from our newest school St Brigid’s, Officer.

Page 18 - Catholic Life, July 2011

world news ...

Sacraments to Burma refugees Church sails on Holy Spirit: Pope

BURMESE refugees in Thailand could be as high as 2.5 million people. grants being those who have sustaining the Church among By John Newton made the journey for social and the Burmese. There are lay catechists and A CATHOLIC charity is sup- economic reasons. While Burma has fewer jobs women’s associations which asporting six priests in their heroic struggle to minister to huge available – and wages are low sist the catechists, teach young numbers of migrants and refu- compared to every-day expens- children and regularly meet to es – neighbouring Thailand pray together. gees in Thailand. According to the Church fig- needs a lot of manual workers. Both groups face significant ures there may be up to 2.5 million people from Burma (My- restrictions, migrants are not anmar) in Thailand, with more freely allowed to travel from entering the country every day. one area to another and must Thailand’s Bishop Joseph stay in the area where they are Visitnondachai of Nakhon working, while refugees are Sawan diocese – head of the not allowed to leave camps nor country’s Catholic Office for work. Those in the camps are de- VATICAN CITY (Zenit) - The Emergency Relief and Refugees – explained how the Thai pendant on supplies from relief canonical situation of the Society of St Pius X has not changed, Church brought in priests from agencies and NGOs. The priests make weekly vis- and therefore the recent ordinaBurma to the work with immigrants because of a shortage of its to the refugee camps to cel- tions carried out by bishops of ebrate masses, hear confession, the group are illicit, confirmed clergy. However, while the Burmese and celebrate other sacraments the Vatican spokesman. Jesuit, Fr Federico Lombardi, priests could more easily com- such as baptism, and the anointdirector of the Vatican press ofmunicate with the immigrants, ing of the sick. the Church did not have the reBishop Visitnondachai said: fice, addressed SSPX priestly sources to provide basic essen- “The visit to the sick is very ordinations in response to questials for the priests. important, so this is the duty of tions at a press conference last Bishop Visitnondachai said: the priests, but one priest can- week. He referred to Benedict “At first we didn’t know how not give service to all, which is we would feed the priests – why we are building up volun- XVI’s letter of March 10, 2009, but Aid to the Church in Need teers [from migrant communi- and reaffirming what has been stated in response to similar said ‘Don’t worry, we will help ties].” you.’” Establishing lay involvement situations in the past. “While the fraternity does not The charity for persecuted has been key to building up and and other suffering Christians is providing Mass offerings for the priests, which enable them to purchase the basic essentials they need to live. BOGOTA (Zenit) - The presi“The ideal would be that it Bishop Visitnondachai said: dent of the Colombian Epis- didn’t happen in our homeland; “Only by the help of Aid to the Church in Need can we give sti- copal Conference is reiterating the ideal would be that we truly pends to the six priests who are the Church’s appeal for an end live in peace.” “Our message has always visiting the refugee camps and to armed conflict in the country. Archbishop Jesús Rubén Sabeen that the conflict, please, the migrants.” lazar Gómez of Bogata stated cease. I think Colombia has In addition to providing Mass Monday that the military operaevolved sufficiently in the last offerings for the priests, ACN is also currently supporting tions against “Alfonso Cano,” years so that there can be a real the pastoral care of migrants the supreme leader of the FARC consensus, a dialogue, in which and refugees from Burma with (Revolutionary Armed Forces all really participate in the con$60,000 over a two-year peri- of Colombia) guerrilla group, struction of a better country,” the archbishop added. od. This follows a grant of over wasn’t an ideal situation. “Unfortunately these types The comments of Archbishop $95,000 for 2008-10. Burmese priests have been of actions happen in the logic Salazar Gómez were made in caring for both refugees and of an armed conflict,” he said in the context of the XCI Plenary migrants – refugees have fled a statement on the conference’s Assembly of the Colombian armed conflict whereas mi- Web page. episcopate, which ended today.

VATICAN CITY (Zenit) - The Church isn’t a philanthropic organisation, but it is capable of making the world a more human place because it opens its sails “to the breath of the Holy Spirit,” says Benedict XVI. The Pope made this observation when he received in audience a group of several thousand pilgrims from the southern Italian Diocese of AltamuraGravina-Acquaviva delle Fonti. The diocese is having a local synod, and the Holy Father spoke of this occasion as an opportunity to experience the Church as a pilgrim people. “This signifies recognising that the Church does not possess in herself a life-giving principle, but depends on Christ, of whom she is the sign and effective instrument,” he said. “In the relationship with the Lord Jesus she finds her own most profound identity: to be gift of God to humanity, prolonging the presence and work of salvation of the Son of God through the Holy Spirit. In this context we understand that the Church is essentially a mystery

St Pius X ordinations still not valid: Vatican have a canonical position in the Church, its ministers cannot exercise legitimate ministries in the Church,” he said. “Until the questions concerning doctrine are clarified, the Fraternity has no canonical status in the Church,” and its ministers “do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the Church.” “Hence,” Fr Lombardi concluded, “the ordinations are considered illegitimate.” So far this year, the SSPX has carried out some 20 priestly ordinations.

of love at the service of humanity in view of its sanctification.” Citing the Second Vatican Council, the Pontiff said that the Word of God “has really created a people, a community; it has created a common joy, a common pilgrimage toward the Lord.” The Church isn’t a fruit of human organisational skills, he said, “but finds its source and its real meaning in the communion of love of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: This eternal love is the source from which the Church springs.” The unity and diversity of the Trinity is its model, moulding the Church “as a mystery of communion,” he added. The Bishop of Rome said that any failure to keep sight of this vertical dimension of the Church would alter its identity and make life poorer. “It is important to stress that the Church is not a social, philanthropic organisation, as so many others are: She is the Community of God, the Community that believes, that loves, that adores the Lord Jesus and opens her ‘sails’ to the breath of the Holy Spirit, and because of this, she is a Community capable of evangelising and humanizing,” he said. Benedict XVI spoke of men and women of today who need to encounter God. He reflected on God’s call to “make it understood that it is good to live as man,” noting the “complex attitudes” that mark the present moment in history: “Withdrawal into oneself, narcissism, desire to possess and to consume, feelings and affections bereft of responsibility.” The Pope said that behind all this is “a negation of the transcendent dimension of man and of the fundamental relationship with God” and he said that in such a context, the Christian community must “promote sound and demanding journeys of faith.”

Church plea to end armed conflicts In his opening address to the plenary, the archbishop of Bogota noted the efforts made in recent years “to try to understand the fundamental challenges posed to the Church’s evangelising endeavor.” He noted that the task is difficult due to the “chronic evils” afflicting the country. The conference president, however, praised the progress of pro-life work in the nation, and the way it “has fostered the defence and promotion of life not only in the evangelising actions proper to the ecclesiastical jurisdictions but also the nu-

merous and varied institutions that fight for life.” Archbishop Salazar Gómez said that thanks to the coordinated efforts of the pro-life movement, the “it has been possible to intervene appropriately in the debates carried out in the Congress of the Republic on different occasions in the discussion of some laws.” “As culmination of this work,” he added, “we have begun to focus on the subject of peace, understood not only as an end to the armed conflict but also as the fruit of the building of social justice in the country.”

Catholic Life, July 2011 - Page 19

Classifieds public notices

wanted known

Let’s leave something for those in need

VOCATIONS

Bishop’s Family Foundation If you are making or updating your will, you may consider leaving a bequest to the Bishop’s Family Foundation. The Bishop’s Family Foundation has produced some easy-to-read booklets explaining bequests which may be an advantage to read before seeing your solicitor to prepare or update your will. Copies may be obtained by phoning Pat on 5144 4991 Do it today and sleep easy knowing you have done your part.

PRIESTS AND DEACONS Are you considering a vocation as a priest or deacon for the Diocese of Sale? If so please contact Diocesan Vocations Director Deacon Tony Aspinall 0414 468 692 vocations@sale.catholic.org.au

to help you discern God’s call THANK YOU St Jude. O Holy St Jude Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke your special patronage in time of need. To you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg you to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance. Help me in my present and urgent petition. In return I promise to make your name known and cause you to be invoked. St Jude pray for us and all who invoke your aid. Amen.

Celebrating 100th birthday BAIRNSDALE - St Mary’s parish has helped celebrate the 100th birthday of Glenda Josephine Moulton. She was born on June 13, 1911, in Leongatha. Her family had a bakery, a successful catering business and the hotel at Inverloch, where, for three generations, they enjoyed the family holiday house by the sea, now MacNamara Park. She excelled in music, both cello and piano, but her desire after school was to spread her wings and become a nurse. At 21 years of age, she was finally allowed to undertake her nursing training at Corowa Hospital in NSW. After her initial training she worked for a period at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne and then went to Sydney to the innovative ‘Cabarisha’ Private Hospital, Castlecrag, which was designed

bingo Sacred Heart School

BINGO Every Friday

Morwell RSL Club, Elgin St., Morwell

Eyes down 11am. Ticket sales 10.30am Now 55 games at 20 cents per game.

Further details phone 5134 8484 or 5133 7221 (AH)

by great American architect, Walter Burley Griffin. In 1939 she enlisted in the Australian Army and then the Royal Australian Air Force. Her postings included, Madang, in Papua New Guinea, where she was a theatre sister. She nursed many of the wounded, including Japanese prisoners of war. She also accompanied an eye surgeon to villages and outstations where they operated on many of the natives to remove cataracts and address other endemic diseases. In1949, Glenda married John (Jack) Moulton, a widower, who had three young children, Helen, Roy and Julie. Glenda and Jack went on to have two more children, John and Josephine, and in 1956, the family moved from South Gippsland to Bairnsdale where Jack worked as an insurance agent

Catholic Life

Classified Ads 1, 2, 3 step advertising 1...Fill in form, one word per square

2... Check cost at right hand side

3...Post form with appropriate amount.

Please send cheque or money order with advertisement to:

CATHOLIC LIFE CLASSIFIEDS CATHOLIC MEDIA GIPPSLAND PO BOX 183 SALE VIC 3853

Closing date for next issue is AUGUST 8, 2011

$10 minimum for first 24 words.

Add $1.20 for additional six words or part hereof

$10.00 min $11.20 $12.60 $13.80 $15.00

Name: ........................................................................................................... Address: ....................................................................................................... ........................................................... Phone: ............................................... Boxed display classifieds are also available at $7.70 per column centimetre. Please phone Catholic Life on 5144 6132 if you are having difficulty calculating cost of an advertisement.

and financial adviser, his business extending into remote East Gippsland. Glenda entertained clients and business associates, acted as a home secretary and juggled parenting with the long-term care of her father (affectionately known as Poppa Mac) who lived with the Moulton family, on and off, for over 30 years. During the 1950s and 1960’s Glenda was the volunteer pianist for St Mary’s and Nagle College, accompanying the ballet and physical culture classes. She joined the Catholic Women’s Guild to raise funds for the new schools. Both she and Jack were keen golfers throughout their lives, and they helped to build the first golf course in Bairnsdale in the 1950s. In the 1970s, she presided over the establishment of the bowling club at the Bairnsdale Golf Club. She was also an inaugural member of her beloved Bairnsdale Bridge Club, which has given her great pleasure, companionship and support over the past few decades. Glenda still lives independently in her home in Bairnsdale with the help of a team of gentle and professional carers and she communicates regularly with her five children, 17 grandchildren and five great grandchildren. She still makes her distinctive grapefruit marmalade that is distributed globally throughout her wide network of family and friends and whips up a pavlova for everyone’s special occasion. Glenda received a Papal Blessing presented by Bishop Prowse, and she has recently received congratulatory messages from the Queen, the Governor General. and Brigadier D.M. Luhrs, Brigadier Commandant of the Australian Army, and Victorian RSL president Major General David McLachlan. Over 120 guests of family, relatives and close friends celebrated Glenda’s 100th birthday at her daughter, Jo Moulton’s, home in Calvert St, over the Queen’s Birthday weekend. Glenda comments on her long life, “I have had some ups and downs in life; but family and faith have always been important to me. Looking after others is important. I think it is wise to keep taking on new challenges in order to keep alive and active.”

Page 20 - Catholic Life, July 2011

Donated painting relives college history Cowwarr SALE - An oil painting depicting an historic time in the life of Catholic College Sale has been donated to the college by Jim Ford of Sale. The painting shows the opening day in 1922 of St Patrick’s College, now the St Patrick’s campus of CCS. The painting is by Terry Petersen of Omeo, an artist renowned for his love of the history and heritage of the Victorian High Country. When Mr Ford stumbled across the painting hanging in a gallery in the High Country he knew he could not leave it. Mr Ford is a former student of the College who attended in the early 1940’s. From 1950 - 1955 he worked with a young Br Majella in the management of the college farm. Br Majella, who still works at the college providing an invaluable service as the college archivist, also taught Mr Ford’s children, Kaye, Stephen and Linda. Mr Ford’s daughter Kaye Richards who was among the first students in 1973 to experience co-education at Catholic College Sale, accompanied him at the unveiling of the painting. ‘Opening Day at St Patrick’s College’ was unveiled by Mrs Richard’s son Callum, a current student of Nagle College Bairnsdale.

retreat for men

COWWARR – A menALIVE weekend retreat fort men will be held at Cowwarr Retreat Centre in August. menALIVE is a parish based weekend retreat for men that started in Brisbane in 2003 and since then the retreat has been introduced to parishes throughout Australia. Within Victoria these retreats have been held Melbourne Archdiocese and Sandhurst Diocese, and now, with the approval of Bishop Christopher Prowse, they will be introduced to Sale Diocese. The retreat on the weekend of August 6-7 will be conducted by a team made up of men from Melbourne and Hobart. Saturday is a full day starting at 9am and going until 9.30pm. The retreat is not live-in so men go home on Saturday, night and return for an 8.30am start on Sunday morning. The retreat finishes with Mass at 1.30pm. Registration forms and further information can be readily obtained from either Kevin Christenses (5141 1943), garfield@wideband.net.au; or John Cooney (5148 9220), jandjcooney@bigpond.com.

JIM Ford, his daughter Kaye Richards and grandson Callum Richards. Callum unveiled the painting on behalf of the Ford family, a family with a long and proud association with the college. Mr Ford’s father was involved in the early construction of parts of both Our Lady of Sion and St Patrick’s College buildings so he was very pleased to be able to present this piece of history to the principal Chris Randell. Mr Randell was happy to accept the painting on behalf of the college. “This is a magnificent representation of the opening of our college and we are thrilled to have had it gifted to us” he said.

Donation Form: Children Praying the Rosary - Joy, Light, Sorrow & Glory

Cath Life

Chinn’s up and away

NEWBOROUGH -Australian religious songwriter and singer, Andrew Chinn, visited St Mary’s School, Newborough. Chinn’s songs are used in classrooms and liturgies around Australia and New Zealand. Andrew performed many

of his popular songs such as ‘These Hands’ and ‘Rainbow’. He ran workshops during the day and then led a celebration of faith and fun in the church in the evening. The children and families thoroughly enjoyed it.

To advertise in

Catholic Life 5144 6132 Aid to the Church in Need …. a Catholic charity dependent on the Holy See, providing pastoral relief to needy and oppressed Churches