Kete Korero August - October 2021 by Catholic Diocese of Hamilton, NZ

AUG - OCT 2021 PUBLISHER: Bishop Steve Lowe Diocese of Hamilton, New Zealand EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Brigid Conroy EDITOR: Samuel Harris samuelh@cdh.org.nz ADVERTISING AND LAYOUT: Brigid Conroy CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Ian Lewis Fr Juan Pedro Maldonado Angela Murray Teresa Fernadez Paul Flanagan Richard Turnbull PHOTOGRAPHS: Cheryl Surrey allthedaisies.com Bruce Norman COVER PAGES: Hayden Graham

Contents 03

LETTER FROM BISHOP STEVE

NEWS AND EVENTS

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK AND QUIZ

KIA KAHA - TAKE HEART

Catholic Women’s League

BASKET OF STORIES

LIFETEEN SUMMER CAMP

PROFILE: JOSELITO LANSI

SISTERS AND BROTHERS ALL

Interfaith Event

SAINTS AND SOLEMNITIES

I Come to Church Every Day

FEATURES

ARTS AND CULTURE

09 THE UNIVERSAL CALL TO HOLINESS

PHOTO ESSAY

27 #CATHOLICWORDS

Ordination of Fr Isaac Fransen

A JOURNEY WITH MANY STOPS

POETRY PLUMBS DEPTHS

Ngā Kupu Ā-kaupapa Katorika

MUSIC REVIEW

ketekorero.cdh.nz

Greg Johnson

EMAIL:

KIDS’ PAGE

WEBSITE:

kete@cdh.org.nz PHONE: 07 856 6989 POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 4353 Hamilton East 3247 Any web links provided in this magazine are not intended to be a blanket endorsement of everything on those sites.

THE CHALLENGE OF VOCATION AND THE CALL TO HOLINESS The word vocation has its origins in the Latin verb vocare, to call. God is always calling us into the mystery of his life and love. But the call, God’s part, is only half the equation. On our part we have to hear or listen and then we have to respond. Yet even in our listening and responding God has gone before us, for our capacity to recognise God’s presence and voice is itself God’s gift to us. In the same way, in our responding, we can recognise the movement of the Spirit and God’s grace working in us. Yes, all is gift.

As St Paul reminded the people of Athens, God is not far from any of us, since it is in him that we live, and move, and exist (Acts 17:28). As part of the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, the document on the Church, Lumen Gentium, reminded all of us in the Church of the universal call or vocation to holiness. All the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity; by this holiness as such a more human

BISHOP STEVE LOWE | DIOCESE OF HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND

manner of living is promoted in this earthly society. In order that the faithful may reach this perfection, they must use their strength accordingly as they have received it, as a gift from Christ. They must follow in His footsteps and conform themselves to His image seeking the will of the Father in all things. They must devote themselves with all their being to the glory of God and the service of their neighbour. In this way, the holiness of the People of God will grow into an abundant harvest of good, as is admirably

shown by the life of so many saints in Church history (LG 40). Each Sunday we pray our belief in a Church that is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. The Church is holy because Christ, the Son of God, who with the Father and the Spirit is praised as “uniquely holy,” loved the Church as His bride, delivering Himself up for her. He did this that He might sanctify her. He united her to Himself as His own body and brought it to perfection by the gift of the Holy Spirit for God’s glory (LG 30) This is the gift of God’s holiness. Everyone in the Church is called to holiness, according to the saying of the Apostle: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” However, this holiness of the Church is unceasingly manifested, and must be manifested, in the fruits of grace which the Spirit produces in the faithful; it is expressed in many ways in individuals, who in their walk of life, tend toward the perfection of charity, thus causing the edification of others (LG 39). This is the task of all God’s people. Holiness is different to piety. Piety or reverence is expressed in external actions or gestures. Holiness is about the transformation of the whole person so that our heart beats with the heart of Christ. In the light of the quote above from paragraph 40 of Lumen Gentium we can ask ourselves: How do I follow in Christ’s footsteps? Do other people see my words and actions reflecting the heart and face of Christ? Am I conformed to the image of Christ? Do my friends or workmates know I am Christian or Catholic? Would

they recognise this of me? Am I truly seeking the will of the Father in all things or am I subverting the Father’s will to my own will or way of thinking? Am I devoted with all my being to the glory of God and the service of my neighbour? At my eulogy, would people say of me that I was a saintly person? Perhaps you have met some saints in your life journey. Paul was a saint I knew from my first parish. He was a sickness beneficiary. He was always cold and wore two coats even when it was 30 degrees. He loved praying before the tabernacle. He never had a bad word to say about anyone. And when he talked of God, which he often did, his eyes sparkled and his face was radiant. He knew Jesus intimately and he had a tangible aura of holiness about him. I’d love to be holy. Sometimes I despair whether being bishop is the right place for me to be, to grow in holiness. But I believe this is where God has called me to be and this is where I have to grow and will be graced to grow in holiness - if only I listen for the call and respond to that call. Holiness is a vocation that belongs to us all and God calls to us, wherever we are. And our response? Together each of us are on the journey of holiness. And if our journey is authentic, we will grow more together in love and we will live no longer for ourselves but for Christ. And this is holiness!

AMONGST THE SHEEP Bishop Steve enjoys being on the on the road, visiting parishes across the diocese. Here are a couple of highlights from his Facebook page.

Congratulations to Athleen McCabe of St Joseph’s Parish, Te Aroha, who received a Benemerenti Medal on Sunday 18th July in recognition of a lifetime of living service in her parish, among the other Christian parishes in Te Aroha and amongst the wider community.

Congratulations to our new acolytes on their journey to be permanent deacons. L-R Mark Hassett, John Marneth-Rust and Glenn Clunie were installed into the ministry of Acolyte on Sunday 11th July at St Patrick’s, Taupō.

@CATHOLICDIOCESEOFHAMILTON | CDH.ORG.NZ

QUIZ Questions set by Marcel Bormans of St John’s College, Hamilton. 1. What nationality was St Patrick? 2. Which country (in its current form) was St Philomena from? 3. One of New Zealand’s patron saints is Mary, Our Lady of the Assumption: who is the patron of Oceania and the Diocese of Hamilton? 4. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Second Vatican Council documents Dignitatis Humanae and Gaudium et Spes, in discerning an action or stand to take every individual is obliged to follow what? 5. What do we call a truth revealed by God, which the magisterium of the Church declares as binding for its believers? 6. From 1309 to 1377 the popes resided in which city of which kingdom that made up a part of which empire? 7. What was the name of the pope who called for the Second Vatican Council? 8. Vatican City is approximately what size? a) 20 hectares/49 acres b) 49 hectares/121 acres c) 80 hectares/197 acres 9. Vatican City is built on one of seven hills of ancient Rome. What was the name of that particular hill? 10. What is the name of the saint who first used the phrase “the Catholic Church” and in about what year? Answers for this quiz can be found on page 21.

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK When I rang Joselito Lansi to arrange a time to meet to chat with him for this edition’s profile, I told him how his parish priest spoke highly of him: he laughed and said, “Samuel, I’m just an ordinary man.” That’s the point of this section in the magazine: ordinary Catholic lay people talking about their daily lives and their faith, so that readers can be reminded of how we’re all in this together. Hearing one of our brothers or sisters speak of the actions of God in their ordinary life reminds us to look for, and expect, the movement of the grace of Christ in our own lives. Joselito talks about faith, challenges, family and friendship: I was moved by the way he spoke of how he and his friends, in the face of illness and death, companion each other with simplicity and kindness. Elsewhere in this issue we’ve got a series of photos from Fr Isaac Fransen’s ordination, and other contributors explore ideas around seeking holiness in marriage and family, about the way God leads us through the different seasons of our lives, about inter-faith relations, and about the delights of Christian poetry, and Bishop Steve reminds us that the challenge to wholeheartedly love God and neighbour is Christ’s call to each of us. It’s a small team here at the magazine, and a good one, with a mix of complementary backgrounds, personalities and skills. There’s been a change recently though: we’re sad to see Kete Kōrero art director (and diocesan resource designer) Hayden Graham leave - but we wish him well as he moves cities for new adventures with his family. We’ll miss his creativity and deft touch and friendly nature. A priority for the magazine going forward is to regularly update our pages on the diocesan website with fresh news soon after it happens, so if there’s an event in your parish or community that’s just occurred or is coming up, get in touch with us and we’ll aim to write it up in good time and then load it up to ketekorero.cdh.nz to share it with the diocese. Samuel Harris

BASKET OF STORIES “Christ has entrusted his Church with the task of companioning. … In the Gospels Jesus shows us that companioning is about patiently entering into [a person’s] story and then patiently and gently sharing our story. It is about enkindling in others and in ourselves the presence and fire of the Holy Spirit.” - Bishop Steve Lowe, from Together on the Journey.

or as they are often called “the be-attitudes.” Be prayerful, be compassionate, be humble, be righteous, be merciful, be holy, be peacemakers, be patient and be strong. Life is too difficult to live alone, best to go with good companions and ultimately God. - Aubrey

In the May edition we asked for stories from readers about how they have been companioned in their journey of life and faith. Jen and Aubrey Liew from the Parish of St Thomas Aquinas, Tauranga share with us something of their story:

This life is a journey we walk by faith, hope and love. Along the way we are gifted with companions to accompany us for a reason, season or lifetime. Personally, I am grateful for all who have been and some who continue to be part of my journey to know, love, and serve God more in our Catholic faith - my devout parents, caring siblings and wider family, faithful spiritual leaders, supportive friends, welcoming faith communities, and most of all now, my loving husband. Aubrey and I went on a Spirit-filled retreat at the Tyburn monastery at Ngakuru not too long ago. It was a solemn time to regroup with each other and more importantly with God after the challenging past year of our life and faith journey. The Tyburn nuns, Fr Carl Telford and the newly ordained Fr Isaac Fransen were just a few of the companions we saw as the Lord’s channels of grace while we were on the retreat. Thus, whether they be for a reason, season, or lifetime thanks be to God for all our companions on the journey! - Jen

THE ONE WHO COMES ALONGSIDE It is a cliché but true to say that you become who you surround yourself with. In my life, I have often found that it is generally a good idea to surround myself with better and holier people (like my wife). It is through them, good people who have accompanied me, that I have learnt the most in life. One such lesson I learnt from serving under the bishop of Brunei on many confirmation retreats is that the Holy Spirit is also known as the Paraclete or “one who comes alongside,” a companion. Much like using a boat cleat to tie up to a dock, the Holy Spirit comes alongside us and accompanies us on our path. He also comes to us through other people, especially if they themselves have a strong connection to God. Imagine what you could become if you walk with others, each of you accompanied by the Holy Spirit. Hopefully, you will become the best version of yourself possible. Surround yourself with good companions and be the best companion you can to them. A good basis for being good companions to one another is to internalise the Beatitudes

COMPANIONS IN THE MIDST OF CHALLENGES

WHAT’S YOUR STORY? Share it with your diocesan family on this page. Bishop Steve, in his recent pastoral letter Together on the Journey, which outlines in a five-year plan his vision for the diocese, speaks of the importance of rediscovering the beauty of the Mass. Music is an important part of liturgy and prayer so for our November issue we’d like to hear about music that’s important to you. What’s a favourite hymn of yours? What do you like about it, and why? Email kete@cdh.org.nz with “Basket of stories” in the subject line or give Samuel Harris a ring on 07 856 6989.

@CATHOLICDIOCESEOFHAMILTON | CDH.ORG.NZ

PROFILE

I COME TO CHURCH EVERY DAY: JOSELITO “BONG” LANSI We moved to Morrinsville in 2017, me and my wife Lilian. I retired in 2013 after working for 24 years in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and we moved back to the Philippines for two years then relocated to Auckland. My son first migrated here, followed by my daughter. When my daughter got married she asked us to move to join them in Morrinsville. It was a miracle, I’d say, because when they were trying to convince us to join them here we said to them that if they could find us a place very near the church, and if it’s possible, if there’s a St Joseph church, then we can move, we’ll have no questions. Because most of my family, our names are direct from St Joseph. My son’s name is Joseph, and his son is Jose. I am Joselito, my other grandson’s middle name is Jose. So we are all connected with St Joseph. I have been known most of my life as Bong. It’s a nickname - for formality’s sake I’d use Joselito. Most people, most of my colleagues, even in Saudi Arabia, they called me Bong. It’s a nickname - according to my grandfather, when I was younger I used to fall down the stairs. “There goes Bong - bong, bong, bong.” So that name remained until now. It’s easier for people - if people ask me, “What do I call you, ‘Hoselito’ or ‘Joe-selito’ or ‘Bong’,” I say, “Whatever is easier for you to pronounce.” Above: Joselito in the sacristy at St Joseph’s. 07

AS TOLD TO SAMUEL HARRIS | PHOTO BY SAMUEL HARRIS

I started my career as a sales person in the Philippines and left the job for better opportunities after ten years with the company. In Saudi Arabia, I worked as an account executive with an advertising outfit after which I moved to an airline company and worked as an inside support coordinator. Most of my responsibilities were involved in promotions and statistics. After the airline went bankrupt because of the start of terrorism at that time, I moved to a medical company where I was assigned as a brand manager for beauty products. For me there was a lot of challenges working in Saudi Arabia. My first time there, there were complications with my contract and salary. There were a lot of hassles and everything, and luckily I was able to go home. The second try was a blessing - whatever I lost on the first job I got even more on the second. Then I returned home again at one point to be with my family, to help my son, and didn’t work for a few years. After that I went back to Saudia Arabia, and Lilian came with me, and I joined another airline company where I spent the last fifteen years working as a secretary to the manager. That was the best job I had there. There are no Catholic parishes in Saudi Arabia. You’re not allowed to bring in any religious items or anything. I brought in a few very carefully, wrapped up well, and had a small altar in my house. But you’re not permitted to practice your religion in public. There are groups that

meet together but I never joined them because it’s so risky, because once they catch you, you’ll be jailed and sent home. We could never say anything outside, or at work. You’re not supposed to mention anything about religion when you’re with Muslims, or you’ll get in trouble. There are religious police who will act. There are people with a lot of different religions there, and we all had to be careful. Every Sunday there is a priest who comes in from Bahrain for Mass, but it’s inside the American company - they request it - so nobody can touch that. But it was too far away from where I was - it was like going from here to Christchurch. You have to maintain your faith - it’s instilled in your heart, so you have to pray. My wife and I would pray the Rosary together. It’s up to you to build your own future. There’s a lot of temptations in Saudi Arabia for people working there, away from their country and family. If you’re weak you’ll give in. I didn’t permit myself to do that: first and foremost, aside from my faith, my very first inspiration is my family, nothing else. I said, “I want to succeed, I want education for my kids,” so I kept to what would lead to that. So to forget things, or avoid temptations, you’d go with your friends out to the desert, go camel riding, fourwheel driving, forget the other things. Living in Saudi Arabia, I was able to visit the places I wanted to go, and first and foremost, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jordan. These places were more than enough for me and my wife to visit. They strengthened our faith: to see the birthplace of Jesus, where he was baptised, these things. They were worth the challenges of living there. My family are Catholic, I grew up Catholic, went to Catholic school. One of my godfathers was a priest. I grew up like this and I don’t know how to change it. I believe what I believe. My parents and my school - I was educated by nuns - were the important things. We went to Mass every Sunday, we never failed. My father was a member of the Knights of Columbus. My mum used to go Mass every day, every day. She used to take us whenever we were free. I enjoyed it as a kid. In my second year of high school there was this feeling that I wanted to become a priest - I don’t know why, but it didn’t work! I had two friends who were thinking about this PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOSELITO LANSI

too. “Do you want to? Do you want to try? We can go?” But it didn’t happen. I’ve been married for 46 years. We’re almost there! We’ve got two children and four grandchildren. There’s no secret to a happy marriage. Just love your wife. There’s times I’m silent and I just stare at my wife. And I’m A blessing for the Lansis’ 45th always telling her I wedding anniversary from love her. I intend to Fr Mark Field and Fr Thomas die with her. Frankly Thanniyanickal, CMF. you have to always put in your mind that you love your wife, you love your friend. That’s the only way that you survive. The father is always happy to see the children have a bright future ahead of them. If kids go off track early, if you can do something to correct it you should do it soon, otherwise you’ll regret it. Fr Jelo, the parish priest before Fr Mark, he asked me if I wanted to be part of the responsibilities for the church. So I said, “If you’re talking about a job up the front, Father, I’m not ready, just to be frank. But if you have some other work for me to help some other people in the church, then I would be glad to do it.” I noticed at that time that the sacristan was something like eighty years old, and he was alone, so I said, “Maybe it’s a good thing to help this guy out with his responsibilities,” and then one day Fr Jelo approached me again and said, “Would you be willing to open and close the church every day?” And I said, “I think that’s an easy job, Father!” So they gave me a key, and from there I started to observe what the sacristan was doing. I already had an idea, because I used to spend a lot of time in sacrisites growing up, and I was an altar server and a member of the choir, and I grew up with Dominican sisters. He would check what I was doing, and so, slowly, slowly, I came to know how to prepare things that are needed before Masses, before baptisms and funerals. How to clean the chalices and ciboriums and purificators, jobs like that. Fr Jelo was recalled by his diocese to the Philippines. I’ve continued the job until now. @CATHOLICDIOCESEOFHAMILTON | CDH.ORG.NZ

I became very sick last year and Fr Mark said, “If you want to stop just tell me,” but I said, “No, maybe this is what the Lord wants me to do, and I need to sacrifice and keep going in spite of obstacles.” It was a challenge but I didn’t surrender. We have an additional person helping with the needs now - there’s three of us now each doing our bit - and I’m also teaching him the things he doesn’t know, like where to store things properly, how to keep things secure, where things are in the church. Something that happened once here was that the whole hall was flooded without anyone knowing it. That time there was a big storm - a cyclone I think - and I noticed the hall was flooded so I co-ordinated with the person in charge of the whole area of the parish and we all cleaned up. The whole thing is important to me - there’s no part of the parish church that’s not important to me - because I look at it this way: besides serving the Lord, I also want to ensure the security of the whole place. If something happens it’s my responsibility and I don’t want that. So that’s why I’m here. I check everything. Doors, windows, everything. So cyclone or no cyclone, hot or cold, I come to the church every day. I enjoy it. If you asked me what I think when I look back on my life, if I could go back to childhood, maybe I’d do things different. I don’t know exactly. (Maybe I’d be a priest... my wife will kill me!) As for now, I am contented with what I’m doing. If I can do more, I’d be willing to do it. My wife Lilian says to me, “The reason why you are in the church doing the sacristan job and so on is because you’re practising the law of God. What it teaches you from the day you were born until now, you have to follow it.” That’s why I married my wife, because she’s so religious. I knew she’d help me live my faith. Friends are important. Most of my friends from high school, we’re still exchanging chats every now and then. When one dies, we all cry. How many classmates have died in the last ten months, and they were still chatting with us before they died, and we used to comfort them. “We are your prayer warriors. Don’t worry, have faith. Remember always that you’re enduring part of Jesus’ 09

AS TOLD TO SAMUEL HARRIS

pain.” Words like that. One of them died just recently, she’s been having cancer a long time, and when you’d talk to her, and she’d say, “I no longer have the courage to live, I’m always in pain,” what will you tell her except good words, the words of God, that will make her feel more secure. We encouraged her on Zoom to pray, and to hang on to faith. We know the agony’s over, and she’s joined the Lord. When it’s your time, it’s your time, and the Lord will call you. If a person really wants to be successful in life he’s got to have one direction. Never leave his faith, especially when there are some temptations around, fight them off. Be yourself. Have your faith intact. Do what you know is right - like how you speak to people, refusing to speak badly about people. Don’t get involved in things you don’t need to get involved in. You have to have a straightforward line to follow, between your religion, your career and your future. I think that’s the way it should be.

FEATURE

THE UNIVERSAL CALL TO HOLINESS BY IAN LEWIS Matthew’s gospel, chapter 5: Jesus has just explained a whole bunch of things to a large crowd of people. This part of the gospel is commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. Our Lord gives some very specific advice on how to live according to God’s will, and how this will help us to be happy. Rather than just avoiding murder, he says we shouldn’t even harbour anger towards people. Rather than paying people back in kind (but no further) for wrongs they do to us - “an eye for an eye” - he ups the game and asks us to turn the other cheek, to forgive our enemies instead of taking revenge. Jesus is explaining to the people there that day - and through the Bible to us here today - that we are all called to go above and beyond what is typically seen as justice, to love. Love is an act of the will - a doing word - not just a feeling. It costs us and is therefore a precious act. Our Lord speaks very plainly here: there’s no ambiguity in telling us that when someone in another car cuts us off at an intersection, or gossips about us at work, or betrays a trust, or in so many other ways lets us down, that we should respond with forgiveness, not resentment and hatred - whatever our initial gut reaction might be.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY IAN LEWIS

In what seems like an impossible statement, Jesus then challenges his listeners - and he knows this includes us - to “Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.” It’s tempting to reach for a dictionary here, look up the word “perfect,” roll our eyes, and walk away from this impossible demand. However, when faced with an apparent contradiction like this (“Perfect”? How can we - imperfect and mortal creatures that we are - ever be perfect?) our response should be rather to seek to understand what Our Lord is saying. Is a perfect person someone who never makes mistakes? If that’s true, why did Our Lord give us the Sacrament of Confession? Is Our Lord really saying that to be perfect, all of us need to do these things he’s just explained? To forgive instead of to hate, to be generous with our time and our belongings, to go the extra mile with someone who needs it - cheerfully and with a smile? Yes, he most certainly is. When Jesus taught, he taught everyone. Crowds of people followed him and listened to his words. The gospels are for everyone, not just people who are interested in religion and love to talk about it a lot. This message is for all people. It’s for those so busy they find it hard to grab a few moments for prayer. Those trying to raise a family and juggling school, work and kids with tummy bugs. Those looking for work. Those sick and in hospital. Those at school or in other kinds of study. Those who are old. Those who are young. Those with lots of energy. Those who feel flat and depressed. The scared, the brave, the introverts and extroverts. People of all walks of life and all situations. @CATHOLICDIOCESEOFHAMILTON | CDH.ORG.NZ

preached the universal call to holiness - particularly aimed at ordinary people living everyday lives and doing ordinary work. “You must understand now, more clearly, that God is calling you to serve him in and from the ordinary, material and secular activities of human life. He waits for us every day, in the laboratory, in the operating theatre, in the army barracks, in the university chair, in the factory, in the workshop, in the fields, in the home and in all the immense panorama of work. Understand this well: there is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of you to discover it.”

Baptism of Ian and Nicola’s daughter Jenny with their eldest children, Sarah, Anthony and Maryanne, and Fr Frank Eggleton. St Francis de Sales, writing in his Introduction to the Devout Life hundreds of years before the Second Vatican Council, said something pretty controversial for his time. At that period in history only priests and religious - monks, nuns, hermits - were commonly considered to be capable of truly and deeply living a Christian life. St Francis wrote this: “Almost all those who have hitherto written about devotion have been concerned with instructing persons wholly withdrawn from the world or have at least taught a kind of devotion that leads to such complete retirement. My purpose is to instruct those who live in town, within families, or at court, and by their state of life are obliged to live an ordinary life as to outward appearances.” In the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium (Light of the Nations) the council fathers wrote this: “For all [the laity’s] works, prayers and apostolic endeavors, their ordinary married and family life, their daily occupations, their physical and mental relaxation, if carried out in the Spirit, and even the hardships of life, if patiently borne - all these become ‘spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ’(199). Together with the offering of the Lord’s body, they are most fittingly offered in the celebration of the Eucharist. Thus, as those everywhere who adore in holy activity, the laity consecrate the world itself to God.” St Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei, also 11

BY IAN LEWIS

Most recently Pope Francis, in his 2018 letter Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad), said, “To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest or a religious. We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much time in prayer. That is not the case. We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves. Are you called to the consecrated life? Be holy by living out your commitment with joy. Are you married? Be holy by loving and caring for your husband or wife, as Christ does for the Church. Do you work for a living? Be holy by labouring with integrity and skill in the service of your brothers and sisters. Are you a parent or grandparent? Be holy by patiently teaching the little ones how to follow Jesus. Are you in a position of authority? Be holy by working for the common good and renouncing personal gain.” For many of us, married life is our very real path to holiness. Marriage brings with it a person to whom God asks us to give everything. During a marriage enrichment course my wife Nicola and I did a few years back, the presenter said, “Make no mistake: you are the primary means for holiness for your spouse that God in his infinite wisdom has given them, to help them to get to heaven.” A friend on the course quipped, “And also their primary source of mortification?” Jokes aside, I would say, “Yes, of course.” Holiness isn’t just about romantic dinners and kisses in the moonlight. It’s also about getting up to a puking child, offering up to God the daily tiredness, financial struggles of a family, sickness and injuries, children doing well, and children doing not so well - finding our own path of holiness through the ups and downs of our own lives. A husband or wife is one example of a companion God

challenge. Our Father knows that we need support in this life: we need companions. Our first companions are usually our parents, and often they are the ones who first led us to our faith in God and in his son Jesus Christ. For others it may be a friend or a colleague who helped us along this journey to discovering the true meaning of our lives. No matter who it is, God sends us these friends, these companions, to help us along the way.

The Lewis family praying with the livestreamed Mass with Bishop Steve during lockdown. places in our life to help us to be holy, to love him and serve him in others. And God also gives us other companions in life too. First and foremost he gives us himself. Bishop Steve, in the Strategic Pastoral Plan for the Catholic Diocese of Hamilton, explains the origin of the word “companion” as “someone to share bread (pan) with.” “From the beginning, throughout the Scriptures, we see God companioning his people to unity, leading them forth not only as individuals but also as a community. God’s companioning of his people is not passive - God engages, encourages, shapes, challenges and corrects us. This companioning has a dimension of shepherding and guiding beyond where we are now into ever new ways of being God’s people. The fullness of God’s companioning us, the people of God, is found in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who becomes one with us, one of us, who walked and talked with his disciples. He continues to do so in his Spirit so that we might become one with him and in him. Christ has entrusted his Church with the task of companioning.” This is very encouraging. We may often struggle when faced with the demands of modern life: the challenges of work, of family life, of personal situations, and more and more often in our modern age, a lack of meaning - a life that can seem at times to be boring, pointless and without

Jesus is our first and best companion - and he sent us the Holy Spirit too. Every time we go to Mass or to confession, or pray in front of the tabernacle, or on the bus, on the building site, in the classroom, brushing our teeth in the morning, or wherever we are, we are meeting with our best friend. At the end of Mass one day, I watched the priest lean into the microphone and say quietly, “Perhaps let’s save the chitchat for the foyer, and stay back and talk to our best friend before we rush off.” He pointed to the tabernacle with the little red light and said, “Jesus is there, waiting for us to come and say hello and to tell him about our day, and all our little joys and sorrows. So I invite you to stay here with me and talk with him for a few minutes. And remember to say hi to his mum too. Mary and Joseph are waiting for us as well.” We also have a guardian angel who has the job of helping us to get to heaven. This being of incredible power is also a companion God has given us to help us. We can and should talk with our guardian angel regularly - not just when we need a carpark. God also sends other helpers and companions to assist us with our journey to holiness: husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, parents, teachers, friends, priests, confessors and spiritual directors. Pope Francis has declared this year the Year of St Joseph. That humble, strong man - who God chose to raise his only son out of all other choices - was just like us. He had the struggles and trials that we face. He can help us too. Mary and Joseph both can be a great support for us as we try to live our lives as Jesus called us to in the Sermon on the Mount, today and every day. Let’s go to them both, and ask them to help us to get to know, love, and follow their son, Jesus Christ.

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ORDINATION OF FR ISAAC FRANSEN Isaac Fransen was ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary on July 17. It was a joyful celebration of the Catholic faith and the priesthood, with laughter, some tears and beautiful music. Captions adapted from the rite of ordination and Fr Isaac’s notes in the Mass booklet. Before Mass. “With joy I give thanks to the Lord for the many gifts he has given to me. The gift of life, faith and extraordinarily, the gift of his priesthood.” - Fr Isaac

Far left: Isaac shares a joke with Bishop Michael Gielen, Auckland auxiliary, before Mass. Left: Isaac with family members.

PHOTOS BY CHERYL SURREY | WWW.ALLTHEDAISIES.COM

Clockwise from top left: “Let Isaac Fransen, who is to be ordained a priest, come forward”; The “ordinand” or “elect” (the one to be ordained) sits with his family for the first part of the Mass, emphasising that a priest is called from the midst of the community of the faithful; “The bishop lays his hands upon the head of the candidate in silence. The gift of the Holy Spirit is conferred through this ancient gesture and the Prayer of Consecration which follows”; “The Father anointed our Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus preserve you to sanctify the Christian people and to offer sacrifice to God.” @CATHOLICDIOCESEOFHAMILTON | CDH.ORG.NZ

“The elect prostrates himself and the Litany of Saints is sung; all respond.” Right: Fr Isaac’s parents, Frank and Maryanne Fransen, and Fr Eamon Kennedy (obscured), assist with the investiture of stole and chasuble. Far right: Fr Isaac embraces his father.

PHOTOS BY CHERYL SURREY | WWW.ALLTHEDAISIES.COM

Dora Fransen, Fr Isaac’s Oma, receives a blessing from her grandson. During the Mass Fr Isaac spoke of how grateful he was for the way his grandparents passed on the faith to him and his family. The tradition of first blessings takes place after the ordination.

“To Reuben, my youngest brother, I am in awe of your unconsious matryrdom which you have lived, it has inspired me in my priestly discernment and love for our Good Father. This side of heaven, we only have a glimpse of the witness you have been and continue to be.”

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“By the ‘fraternal kiss’ or embrace the bishop seals, so to speak, the admittance of his new co-worker into his (the new priest’s) ministry.” “In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the newly ordained exercises his ministry for the first time as he concelebrates the Eucharist with the bishop and the other members of the presbyterate.”

PHOTOS BY CHERYL SURREY | WWW.ALLTHEDAISIES.COM

“To Mum and Dad, thank you for your generosity as you live your vocation amidst trials and uncertainties. Your faithfulness has been an inspiring witness.”

A recording of Fr Isaac’s sibling Brother Thomas, of the Verbum Spei community, singing the hymn Sub Tuum Praesidium accompanied Fr Isaac’s private consecration to Mary. “Lastly, to Our Blessed Mother, the silent disciple of Christ, who has walked with me to this day, I give thanks and praise to God for your ‘Yes’ and ask you and those present here today to help me be faithful to my ‘Yes’.”

Fr Brendan Boyce, FSSP, was ordained at St Benedict’s, Auckland on July 3. Fr Brendan grew up in Cambridge and Whakatane, and, like Fr Isaac Fransen, is an old boy of St John’s College, Hamilton. Bishop Emeritus Denis Browne was the ordaining bishop, stepping in when Bishop Richard Umbers, auxiliary bishop of Sydney, was unable to travel due to Covid-19 restrictions. Fr Brendan is a member of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP), which is, according to the fraternity’s New Zealand website, “a community of Roman Catholic priests who do not take religious vows, but who work together for a common mission in the world ... first, the formation and sanctification of priests in the cadre of the traditional liturgy of the Roman Rite, and secondly, the pastoral deployment of the priests in the service of the Church.” Fr Brendan’s first posting will be in Sydney. He is seen here after celebrating Mass in the Extraordinary Form (the “Latin Mass” or “Tridentine Rite”) at St Pius X, Melville on July 24. A sizeable and diverse congregation assisted at the Mass, attendees including Bishop Steve Lowe, parish priest Fr Danny Fraser-Jones, Auckland’s Fr Antony Sumich, FSSP, an excellent choir and Fr Brendan’s parents, Ross and Phillippa Boyce of Cambridge.

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FEATURE

A JOURNEY WITH MANY STOPS BY FR JUAN PEDRO “JP” MALDONADO, CHAPLAIN AT UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO Up to the age of sixteen, I lived in a small town in southern Spain. Our life was very simple. There was only one high school, which served that town and other villages in the area. I still remember my perplexity when occasionally I would meet people from “the city” - that is, the capital of our province, Granada, more or less the same size as Hamilton - and they asked, “What school do you go to?” What school did they expect me to go to? I just went to school: to the school. There was no other! Yes, it had a name, but no one ever used it. What for? The horizon around our town was not too far away: actually, it is surrounded by mountains so you can’t really talk about horizons, unless you climb those peaks and - I have to admit - I never did as a child. 19

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY FR JUAN PEDRO MALDONADO

In that school and in that town, we were all pretty much the same. There were no foreigners, no people of other races, other religions, or other cultures. Anyone who didn’t share our lifestyle could be looked at with a certain kind of suspicion. I remember my fascination when a young Japanese man spent a few weeks in town. We would look at him as if he came from another planet. It was in those years when I came into closer contact with Opus Dei and ended up joining it. For those readers who may not know much about Opus Dei, I would describe it as a small part of the Church, a family within the universal family. The reason for Opus Dei to exist is to spread the message that we are all called to encounter God in the middle of our ordinary activities: in our office, our farm, our classroom, right in the middle of the world. When I joined Opus Dei, I continued to attend the very same school, of course. That was the idea: to find God in the place where I was: not to go looking for him elsewhere because he lives with us even in that remote little town where I lived at the time. In retrospect, I think that was the real turning point in my life, not later in life when I started interacting with other cultures and religions. In prayer, I started understanding that my Father God had many more children beyond those close horizons I had known until then. When my school years were coming to an end, our family moved to “the big city” and I went to uni. There, my

horizons widened still further. I could say that at that point I started “climbing the peaks around me.” I met people who spoke Spanish with a different accent; some of my lecturers - wonder of wonders - came from other countries! Little did I know by then that God was preparing me for a worldwide tour that I had not planned. From that time until now, somehow or another I have always been connected to the university environment, which is so essentially Catholic because both words mean the same. A university is a place where we come to exchange knowledge, ideas and views, in order to enrich each other, to acquire a more universal outlook. No wonder, as universities were born as an initiative of the Church in the late Middle Ages.

Stanford and others who came from Africa, Asia or South America. And everyone was a new world to discover. Variety is richness. We are so different and at the same time so similar to each other.

You might expect Rome to be an intimidating experience, but it was not. There is a famous book by the title Rome Sweet Home, by Scott Hahn. That is exactly how I felt there. Coming from a rural and not very developed region, I understood that I had a lot to learn, but also that my own experience held great value too. I met fellow students who had attended universities like Harvard, Oxford or

One day, a few of us were on the train going home after attending lectures at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, where we studied philosophy and theology. Some were reading, others were chatting, seated or standing because it was peak hour. Nothing could identify us as a group. One of the Africans was sitting engulfed in his study, even after four hours of lectures! I must say I was especially impressed by him. Although he came from a very small village in the heart of Africa, he held a degree in pharmaceutical chemistry, spoke several languages, and on top of that, he is one of the kindest fellows I have ever met. All of a sudden, a bunch of men started abusing him just because he was using a seat they wanted to use and his skin was black. He didn’t reply or even try to defend himself. He just stayed calm. As you can imagine, the rest of us rushed to support him and the story ended there, thank God, when the other guys saw that our friend was not alone. That day in my prayer I was wondering why it is that some people can be so blind and unable to see a fellow human being in front of them: even more, a fellow child of God. Perhaps that happens only to those who have not understood that they are also children of God. At that moment, my affection for this brother of mine - and for all those who may suffer such discrimination - became much deeper. We had to make him feel that he could feel

Fr JP at a fountain in a village near his birthplace, age 10

... and 40 years later at the same fountain.

After I finished my degree in linguistics and worked as a teacher for a couple of years, one good day the unexpected happened: I was offered the chance of moving to Rome and to engage in some ecclesiastical studies. There, I could also discern the possibility of a call to the priesthood. And I said yes. I was going to live in the city that was once called Caput Mundi, the Capital of the World!

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at home as much as any of us Europeans. On that train, we all became Africans. A few years later, I happened to spend a week precisely in the country my friend came from, and I, with some other white people, was the victim of a similar racist episode (fortunately it also had a peaceful ending). On that occasion, my African brothers were the ones to step forward and help us out. Since my ordination, life has taken me to Colombia, Kenya, Australia, and now Aotearoa! I would say that the Roman spirit, Catholic, universal, has never left me. Maybe that is why I have never felt like a stranger anywhere. I fell deeply in love with each of the countries where God wanted me to exercise my ministry: the countries and their people, from whom I have learned so much. I am trying to keep learning now from the kindness and warmth of Kiwis. Many times I am asked which of the places I have lived in is my favourite. I guess that to make my mum happy I still have to say: Spain! And I remain proud of my cultural roots. But for a Christian, everywhere is home. Other cultures are not really alien to any of us. Jesus is a Palestinian Jew, a lover of the traditions, language and geography of his homeland. Jesus never travelled very far during his earthly life, but he climbed the peaks - Tabor, Calvary - and from there his horizons reached from east to west, north to south: the whole world. His spirit and his message have crossed all boundaries. Wherever we go, we find him already there - or we carry him with us to that place that is also his own. He always makes us feel at home. The Church in New Zealand is multicultural and multiracial. Those of us who come from abroad feel immediately like part of the community: we might be different, but we’re not rare. The temptation could be to use our cultural group or our Catholic community as a shelter where we can take refuge in this environment foreign and new to us. But that would not be the attitude of our ancestors who carried the faith to new places with their apostolic zeal. God arranged things for us to end up in a land far away from ours. But here we receive so much, and the best way to reciprocate is to transmit our faith, the greatest treasure we bring with us. Otherwise, we would be physically here but our soul would have stayed behind. 21

BY FR JUAN PEDRO MALDONADO

So for a Christian it is very easy to get used to different things or different people. Different does not mean distant. Everyone and everywhere - even the town next to ours is different: different but also ours. “All things are yours,” Paul reminds the Corinthians (1 Cor. 3:21-23) when groups and politicking started dividing their local Church, “whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future: all things are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.” The owner of the vineyard (Matthew 20) is the landlord for each of us as well, wherever we find ourselves, and he wants to make a transplant of us. Like the gardener takes a sapling from the pot and buries its roots in fertile soil, waters and fertilises it so the plant will flourish and then give new life, so Jesus does with us as we move through the different changes and seasons of our lives.

NEWS AND EVENTS

KIA KAHA TAKE HEART BY BRIGID CONROY After a year of postponements, over a hundred women gathered together in Rotorua for the Catholic Women’s League of Aotearoa New Zealand Conference. The three-day conference at the Millenium Hotel opened with a beautiful pōwhiri thanks to the people of Mary of the Cross pastoral area and John Paul College’s kapa haka group. The theme of the conference, “Kia Kaha - Courage, Take Heart,” was promoted early to encourage members during lockdown last year. National president Susan Dickson expressed in her report the challenges of living without the Eucharist, and of the impact of loneliness and isolation on members because of the lack of faceto-face meetings. Dickson shared how inspiring it was to see innovation taking place through the use of online

Students from John Paul College Kapa Haka group welcome conference attendees with a pōwhiri. PHOTOS BY BRUCE NORMAN

Fleur de Farias, Auckland Diocesan President and Moira Kilbride, Hamilton Diocese Vice-President. platforms instead of face to face. The conference was all about celebrating who the Catholic Women’s League are and what they do: they are women of faith and service. Sister Clare Murphy, RNDM, League chaplain, led the conference in a beautiful reflection on the theme of the conference and the presence of the Holy Spirit, the source of courage, in our lives. “Here we are today, dedicated women at the ends of the earth, living the good news through our faith in action! We too are called to be apostles in our day. We too are called to be women of courage and of great love as we face uncertainty and change and commit ourselves to reimagining our future in new and creative ways. We too, take courage as we say, Kia kaha! The Spirit will indeed guide us!” Annah Stretton, fashion designer and social activist, was the keynote speaker. Annah shared about RAW, her initiative that works with women in Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility in Wiri, Manukau City, and Arohata Women’s Prison in Tawa, north of Wellington. RAW has had over eighty women go through their programme. The success of the programme is seen in how all participants work towards being fully integrated back into their communities, with no more @CATHOLICDIOCESEOFHAMILTON | CDH.ORG.NZ

CWLANZ Conference attendees after Mass at St Mary’s, Rotorua with Bishop Steve Lowe (back row), Msgr Frank Eggleton (back row), Fr Thomas Thanniyanickal, CMF (centre) and Fr Prakash Somu CMF (far right). repeat reoffending, the opportunity to gain educational qualifications and quality employment, and their children returned to them. The conference programme also included a bus tour of local places of faith significance; the conference dinner; workshops from knitting to writing karakia; and Mass with Bishop Steve - aptly on the feast of Mary Magdalene, “Apostle to the Apostles.” The conference was warm, inviting and full of connections being made by members from across the country. Rae and Emily from New Plymouth shared how the League is a wonderful way for women to share their faith and serve both their local community and those in need overseas. They also shared how the genuine, deep friendships they have made in the League have been what has gotten them and many others through tough times, whether it be losing one’s husband or another challenging season in life. Many of us could learn a thing or two from these faithfilled women about what it takes to make and grow real friendships, to companion those around us, to know that joy is found in giving oneself.

Quiz Answers: 1. English; 2. a) Greece; 3. St Peter Chanel; 4. His or her conscience; 5. A dogma; 6. The city of Avignon in the Kingdom of Arles in the Holy Roman Empire; 7. St Pope John XXIII; 8. b) 49 hectares/121 acres; 9. Vatican Hill; 10. St Ignatius of Antioch in AD 110. 23

BY BRIGID CONROY | PHOTOS BY BRUCE NORMAN

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UPCOMING EVENTS LIFETEEN SUMMER CAMP AOTEAROA 2022 BY ANGELA MURRAY Life Teen Summer Camp Aotearoa is back in 2022! For the last six years Summer Camp has welcomed hundreds of teens and young adults to a home away from home in Ōtaki and now we are excited to announce that we’re moving to the mighty Waikato! Life Teen Summer Camp Aotearoa 2022 will be five days and four nights of adventure, mud, fun, Jesus and new friends. Come and join us January 18 - 22 2022 at Christian Youth Camp Ngaruawahia. Although we’re changing venues, our mission remains the same: we want “to lead teens closer to Christ.” Through receiving the sacraments in daily Mass, reconciliation and exposition, dynamic catechesis presented by a special guest speaker, regular prayer times and engaging music ministry, campers will have ample opportunities to grow in their relationship with the Lord in a supportive and proudly Catholic environment.

LifeTeen Summer Camp Aotearoa is coming to the Hamilton Diocese January 2022. For more details please contact info@lifeteen.nz

Our theme for camp in 2022 is “New Fire.” This theme will encourage and challenge campers to bring a new fire back to their parishes and communities. Campers will be inspired to draw on the Spirit to grow as disciples of Christ who share the Gospel and grow the kingdom of God. Life Teen Summer Camp Aotearoa is open to young people from throughout New Zealand. Campers aged 13 - 18 can register as part of their parish. The roles of Summer Missionaries (our awesome summer camp helpers!) are open to those 18 or older. Keep an eye out for registrations and applications in August. We invite you all to pray for the success of Summer Camp, and to consider making a financial or material contribution. PHOTO PROVIDED BY LIFETEEN SUMMER CAMP AOTEAROA

@CATHOLICDIOCESEOFHAMILTON | CDH.ORG.NZ

NEWS AND EVENTS

Sisters and Brothers All BY TERESA FERNANDEZ AND PAUL FLANAGAN What do you know about other religions? How well do you know people from other religions? Like many Catholics in Aotearoa, you may have grown up knowing little about different faiths, and about the differences between various Christian communities. During the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and in the years since that significant event, the popes (John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis) along with the bishops of the world, have worked together to present a clearer understanding of what it means to be Catholic in the twentieth century - about the Church as an institution and especially as the people of God immersed in everyday human events. Part of this Vatican Council II teaching included two important documents: Unitatis Redintegratio (Restoration of Unity) - Decree on Ecumenism (1964), which spoke of ways to relate more closely with people of other Christian faith communities, and Nostra Aetate (In Our Time) Declaration on the relation of the Church to non-Christian religions (1965), which discussed how the Church, and we as the Church in our own country and communities, can look to engage in dialogue with our family members, neighbours and groups in our cities and towns who do not share our Christian faith. On October 3 this year, Bishop Steve invites all in the diocese to join him at the cathedral. At the 10.30am Mass, he will speak about the work of St Francis of Assisi, who was inspiring in his faithful dialogue with people of difference. In 1219 Francis crossed the battlefield between the forces of the Fifth Crusade and Muslims in Egypt, to meet with Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil. Francis shared about his Catholic faith with the sultan and was interested to hear from him about his Muslim faith. Both men came away with a new respect for the faith of the other. In 2019, during a visit to spend time with the United Arab Emirates’ one million Catholics, Pope Francis met with Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed ElTayeb, a Sunni Muslim authority in Egypt, and together 25

they signed A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. In 2021 Pope Francis became the first pope to visit Iraq (after attempts by both Benedict XVI and John Paul II to go there were thwarted by war) in an attempt to build bridges between different faiths and to encourage the nation’s Catholics after years of strife. Bishop Steve will also focus on the encyclical letter of Pope Francis titled Fratelli Tutti (Brothers and Sisters All) (signed at Assisi on 3 October 2020). That letter focuses on promoting community action and social friendship across the world. Following the 10.30am Mass, there will be an opportunity to gather at the Gerry Sullivan Education Centre (at Marian School) to join in lunch (12-2.30pm) and discussions (12.30-2pm) about Fratelli Tutti. Joining in that afternoon will be representatives from different faith communities all giving a reflection in response to the theme “Brothers and Sisters All,” and a performance from the Interfaith Choir. This event brings together a significant gathering of people who work for interreligious dialogue in our community. WIFCO (the Waikato Interfaith Council) contributes to channels of new understandings about people of faith in Hamilton and the Waikato (prayer at the city council; treeplanting; the WIFCO Choir) and the NZ Catholic Bishops Committee for Interfaith Relations (NZCBCIR) - represented by Colin McLeod, the chair of the committee - who will speak at the end of Mass and later at the Gerry Sullivan Centre. The NZCBCIR provides a platform for Catholics in New Zealand to reach out to people from other faiths in trust, understanding and mutual respect. On this day, there will also be a presentation about the NZCBCIR resource Te Whakataairanga i te Nohotahitanga o ngā Whakapono i Aotearoa: Promoting interfaith relations in Aotearoa New Zealand, and copies will be available. This resource is also accessible via our website interfaith.cdh.nz Come join in on this first anniversary celebration of Fratelli Tutti on October 3rd beginning at 10.30 am.

TERESA FERNANDEZ & PAUL FLANAGAN (MEMBERS OF NZCBCIR AND WIFCO)

Saints & Solemnities AUGUST

6 - The Transfiguration of the Lord 7 - St Dominic; Sts Sixtus and Companions; St Cajetan 8 - St Mary of the Cross (Mary Mackillop) 9 - St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) 11 - St Clare 12 - St Jane Frances Chantal 14 - St Maximilian Kolbe 15 - The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 21 - St Pius X 22 - Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary 23 - St Rose of Lima 27 - St Monica 28 - St Augustine 29 - The Beheading of St John the Baptist SEPTEMBER

3 - St Gregory the Great 5 - St Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) 8 - The Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary 9 - Peter Claver 14 - The Exaltation of the Holy Cross 15 - Our Lady of Sorrows 17 - St Hildegard of Bingen 20 - Sts Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and Companions 21 - St Matthew 23 - St Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) 27 - St Vincent de Paul 28 - Sts Lorenzo Ruiz and Companions 29 - Sts Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

“In everything, let us know only the straight way, and let nothing make us deviate from it.” - Ven. Suzanne Aubert

OCTOBER

1 - St Teresa of the Child Jesus (Thérèse of Lisieux) 4 - St Francis of Assisi 7 - Our Lady of the Rosary 11 - St John XXIII 16 - St Hedwig; St Margaret Mary Alacoque 17 - St Ignatius of Antioch 18 - St Luke 19 - Sts John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and Companions 22 - St John Paul II 28 - Sts Simon and Jude This year the national day of celebration for Ven. Suzanne Aubert is October 3. @CATHOLICDIOCESEOFHAMILTON | CDH.ORG.NZ

ARTS AND CULTURE

POETRY PLUMBS DEPTHS BY RICHARD TURNBULL

- from The Windhover: To Christ Our Lord

Peter Kreeft, the American philosopher and Christian apologist, said that in prose words are our servants and in poetry words are our masters. Poetry is our master because it is more emotional, personal and intuitive than prose; it is not irrational, but it plumbs depths that lie beyond reason. Years ago when I was an English teacher I asked one of my year 9 pupils – who was in the habit of scribbling poems at the back of his exercise book - why he wrote poetry. He replied: “I write poetry when I can’t put it into words.” I thought this an excellent reply!

Third, try and find out something about the poet’s life and times. Background knowledge of this kind often casts light on the poem. For instance, to know that T. S. Eliot rejected the ideology of progressivism, which says that what is modern must necessarily be superior to what is past, and embraced the idea of tradition, which says each of us is the product of a history and a culture and a faith that stretches back centuries, even millenia, helps one understand lines like:

In 2020 I shared my love of poetry by holding a sixweek course on Christian poetry at St Pius X parish and earlier this year I followed it up with a seven-week series at St Joseph’s. The course attracted a group of people who spanned every level of interest from the tentative and curious to the knowledgeable and enthusiastic. So here I just want to give a few brief suggestions to people interested in learning more about poetry. First, don’t exclude anything because it’s too old: sample poems from every age. That way you’re more likely to stumble upon an 800 year old anonymous lyric like “Adam lay i-bowndyn” which, with exquisite simplicity, expresses the profound theology of O Felix Culpa (Oh Happy Fault) which Catholics sing at the Easter Vigil. Second, don’t get too hung up on meaning. Yes, of course, the poem has to mean something to you at some level: but it isn’t a news report and the fact that it escapes paraphrase or, like mist, possesses intimacy without definition, should not worry you. Rather, ask yourself: Does it cast a spell on me? And if it does, trust the spell to yield riches by repeated readings. A good example is Gerard Manley Hopkins, a nineteenth-century Jesuit and poet. Here is part of his description of a falcon, or windhover: Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier! 27

Time present and time past Are both perhaps present in time future And time future contained in the past. - from Four Quartets (I recall telling my English teacher when I was fifteen that T. S. Eliot was rubbish – he had read us a couple of excerpts from Little Gidding – but deep down I knew it wasn’t true. What I felt, even then, and what I should have said, is: “I cannot understand a word of this but I find it hauntingly evocative.”) Finally, if you are looking for somewhere to start then I would recommend the seventeenth-century poet George Herbert, considered by many to be the greatest of all Christian poets. You could start with poems such as Love bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back; The Collar; Conscience; and Prayer (1). Let George Herbert be your invitation to the delights of Christian poetry: Lord I have invited all, And I shall Still invite, still call to thee: For it seems but just and right In my sight, Where is all, there all should be. - from The Invitation

NGĀ KUPU Ā-KAUPAPA KATORIKA BY SAMUEL HARRIS Catholic words / ngā kupu ā-kaupapa Katorika (words for a particular project or work): this column explores some particular words we use in telling our Christian story. PASTORAL

As in “strategic pastoral plan” and “pastoral council.” Homiletic and Pastoral Review magazine explains this kupu’s origins: “The term ‘pastoral’ comes from the Latin ‘pastor’ meaning ‘shepherd,’ and thus refers to the work and concern of the shepherd for his sheep. Jesus referred to himself as ‘the Good Shepherd,’ and to those who believe in him as his ‘sheep,’ so the terminology is founded on the very words of Christ.” So Bishop Steve’s recently launched diocesan pastoral plan is the words of a shepherd describing his plan to care for his flock.

embarrassment!”; is used in medical science to refer to localised tissue death; and in discussion of differences between serious and more serious sin. There’s a further meaning, though, seen in Scripture. “Then [Jesus] said to all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’.” (Luke 9:23, NABRE). According to spiritualdirection.com, “In the spiritual life, therefore, mortification refers to voluntary actions by which we gradually ‘put to death’ all of our vices, sinful habits, and the self-centered tendencies that lurk beneath them.” This kind of mortification, then, paradoxically leads always to life, to Jesus’ words again, in the Gospel of John: “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

PILGRIM

The website etymonline.com says that this word comes from the thirteenth-century word “pilegrim,” which meant “a person traveling to a holy place (as a penance or to discharge some vow or religious obligation, or seeking some miracle or spiritual benefit), also ‘a traveler’ generally, ‘a wayfarer’ … from Late Latin pelegrinus.” The word “peregrination,” meaning a long or meandering journey, comes from the same root. Te reo Māori words along the same lines are manene meaning pilgrim and haerenga tapu meaning sacred journey or pilgrimage. Hikoi, meaning a march, hike or journey, could also be used to describe a pilgrimage, as seen on catholic. org.nz: following the recent renewal of New Zealand’s dedication to Our Lady Assumed Into Heaven, “A hikoi of a new artwork of Mary and Jesus will take place around the country.” MORTIFICATION

Used in an essay in this issue, this word comes from Latin roots. dictionary.com describes its origins: “From Latin mors, ‘death,’ and the verb facere, ‘to do’.” Mortification can refer to a feeling of shame, as in “I was dying of @CATHOLICDIOCESEOFHAMILTON | CDH.ORG.NZ

ARTS AND CULTURE

Greg Johnson Tilt Your Interior BY SAMUEL HARRIS It’s interesting to see musicians adapting to the way Covid-19 has impacted their industry and their art. For some years now, the bulk of a working musician’s income has been made in ticket sales rather than album sales, and these days there are very few of the usual extended tours taking place in most countries. Liam Finn, a solo artist and now a member of Kiwi icons Crowded House, is currently promoting a behind-the-scenes livestream showing the writing of his upcoming album, culminating in selling tickets to a three-night live recording of the work. Greg Johnson, a New Zealander who’s been based in California for many years, funded his latest album by selling a digital box set which included photos and every song he’s ever recorded. The album, Tilt Your Interior,

was spliced together from contributions sent to Johnson by musos from around the globe. The introspection and occasional melancholy that are a feature of Johnson’s work are still there, but they fall away alongside the other features of his music - big hooks, layers of colour and instrumental interplay, a sense of humour, thoughtful lyrics and Johnson’s big voice. The album is clearly the product of a man looking back at his life and career and weighing it up while also just getting on with it. This is there in the opening track. “Time is a traveller and she’s not slowing down,” he sings over sunny acoustic guitar and cascading keys. “Bills keep on piling up at my door / I don’t need no more / Cannot afford.” We all know what that’s like. Remnants is similarly reflective. “Will there be a time for loving once again / We are living through the remnants of a storm / We might find only fragments of the form / History tells us not to waste time.” Lifetime Walk is a forward-looking statement of hope. The song talks of difficulty in relationships, but yet: “I know a place / Once we’re there / We’ll find warm smiles / And laughter in the air.” Little Victories has a gorgeous violin line over keys and electronic glitches and chirps in the background. Again, the narrator is reflective, thinking about the most important things in life: “I would reach my wilted hand out to you / Try to have you on my side / With the sky so low / You my friends - I need you in my heart.” Listeners might not agree with every idea Johnson explores in other songs on Tilt Your Interior but there’s beauty, honesty and truth here. Highly recommended.

Greg Johnson and drummer Wayne Bell during a recent concert in Mt Maunganui, on Johnson’s first tour since 2019. Read a review of the show at ketekorero.cdh.nz 29

PHOTO BY SAMUEL HARRIS

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WATCH KARA TE KEA SEASON 1 AT RESOURCES.CDH.NZ

St Pope John Paul II often said to young people,

“Don’t be afraid to open your heart to Jesus.”

Wordfind

Ask your family to help you with the big words in the longer quote from John Paul II below, and then talk to Jesus about how he can help you grow in friendship with him:

AUBERT BEAUTY BREAK BREAD CALL COMMUNITY FORGIVE FRIEND

GROW HOLY SPIRIT HOPE JOURNEY MASS ORDINATION PILGRIM

POETRY PRAYER PRIEST SEASON SHEPHERD WALKING WHOLE

“Dear young people, the Church looks to you with hope; she counts on you. Let yourselves be renewed by Christ! Live in intimacy with him; discover the riches of his person and his mystery in prayer; turn to him when you are in need of the grace of forgiveness; seek him in the Eucharist, the source of life; serve him in the poor and needy. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity. Do not be afraid to be holy! Full, true freedom is born from holiness. Seeking Christ will help you discover genuine love, untainted by selfish and alienating permissiveness; it will make you grow in humanity through study and work; it will open you to a possible vocation to the total gift of self in the priesthood or the consecrated life; it will transform you from being ‘slaves’ of power, pleasure, money or a career, to being free young persons, ‘masters’ of your own life, ever ready to serve your needy brothers and sisters in the image of Christ the servant, to bear witness to the Gospel of love.” John Paul II, from Message of the Holy Father to youth meeting in Santiago de Compostela (1999). (Abridged.) @CATHOLICDIOCESEOFHAMILTON | CDH.ORG.NZ

And that we might live no longer for ourselves but for him who died and rose again for us, he sent the Holy Spirit from you, Father, as the first fruits for those who believe, so that, bringing to perfection his work in the world, he might sanctify creation to the full. - Eucharistic Prayer IV

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