Kete Korero November 2015

ketekorero November 2015

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The official publication of the Catholic Diocese of Hamilton

The R in education Bishop Steve’s first three ordinations Why euthanasia is wrong What the changes to marriage rules mean Yonder, the fire of youth

Sr Jeanne-Marie’s Cross

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In this issue...

ketekorero November 2015

bishop’s message

Read it online!

Open the door to mercy

S

ome good friends of mine always leave their front door unlocked or even open.

Friends don’t knock - they just walk straight in, and there is always a warm welcome.

In the coming Year of Mercy, you and I are invited to enter the Door of Mercy, who is Christ, the one who reveals the Father’s Mercy. The Year of Mercy begins on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, 8 December. Pope Francis will open a Holy Door at St Peter’s in Rome, “a Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instils hope.” The following Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent, the Holy Door of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome, will be opened. On the same day, Doors of Mercy will be opened in all the Cathedrals of the world, including our Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton. Over the year, we are all invited to make the journey home to Christ, to enter the door of his mercy in a deeper way so that we might become more like him, who is merciful like the Father.

Perhaps the parable that sums up this mercy is that of the Prodigal Son. It begins with the young son, “the self-centred one.” who wished his father dead by demanding the share of the estate that would come to him when his father died. He is the one lived out a wild, egotistical and pleasure-seeking lifestyle. He only recognised his father’s love and goodness in the midst of absolute despair when he had nowhere else to turn. Is this your experience? Have you moved from being a self-absorbed youth, only to much later discover the depths of your parents love or our God’s love?

The father is the “foolish one”, the one who embodies St Paul’s words “love is patient and kind.” Though it must have broken his heart, he gave the son his share of the estate. He let him go! As the saying goes, “If you love someone let them go free. If they return, they were always yours.” And, so the father is pictured in the parable with the waiting, patient heart, looking for his son’s return. After a long, painful wait, his love is rewarded as he sees him return. The father is moved with compassion, a compassion that turns to an explosive joy that impels him to pick up his robes and run to his son and enfold him in his arms of love and mercy. This is foolish of God, who runs to enfold us in His mercy whenever we turn to Him. Have you experienced this?

It is then we meet the “self-righteous son.” His arms are crossed in anger as he holds his rage within him. His scowling eyes breathe out fury and hate towards his brother and his father. He, like his younger brother, had never discovered his father’s love and goodness. He too is called to move from divinising his own self and opinions. He too is invited to have his anger and his self-righteous heart melted by the love and mercy of the Father.

In announcing the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis said, “Mercy will always be greater than any sin, and no one can place limits on the love of God who is ever ready to forgive.” In this Year of Mercy, you and I are invited to enter the Door of Mercy, who is Christ, having experienced his mercy to become like him who is merciful like the Father. My prayer for us all is that we will truly find the warm welcome of Christ’s mercy so that we might become more deeply his people of Mercy, his Church of Mercy.

Congregation of the Marist Sisters

The Marist Sisters were founded in Cerdon, France in 1817 by Father JeanClaude Colin, founder of the Marist Fathers and Jeanne Marie Chavoin, later Mother Saint Joseph.

In 1858, the first Marist community was opened in Spitalfields in London. They then spread throughout the world. There are 22 Marist Sisters in NZ with three communities in Auckland, others in Kaikohe, Rawene, Rotorua and Wellington.

In 2015, the 22 Marist Sisters in New Zealand serve the world and the Church in a great variety of ways, as our constitutions ask “Following Christ as Mary did in a Congregation that bears her name.” We

Sisters Margaret Therese and Mary resident in Rotorua. try to put into practice the ideals set before us in the classroom, visiting the sick and housebound, working with poor families, supporting migrants and in parish ministries.

We are conscious that, like all religious, we are called to be a sign of the presence of the Risen Jesus in the church and society.

Each Congregation makes one or more aspects of the Gospel visible today. The daily inspiration of our lives and all that we do in the church and society is the call to live the Gospel as Mary did in a congregation which bears her name.

Jean Claude Colin and Jeanne Marie Chavoin wanted the Marists to be a presence of Mary wherever they are.

Marists are challenged to think, judge, feel and act as Mary did. Our founder’s dream of a Marian Church where all would be welcome, as the song says, “Saints and sinners alike”. Marists should be “instruments of the Divine Mercy” especially to those who are on the margins for any reason at all.

www.proudtobecatholic.org.nz

Features Bishop Steve on putting religious into education 3 Three ordinations feature of Bishop Steve’s first year 8 Father Danny’s long journey 8 From family life to priesthood 8 Steel will drives Fr Joseph to serve as diocese priest 9 Sr Jeanne Marie takes up the cross for the consecrated life 10 Workshop against plans for euthanasia law 15 School News St Joseph’s at Waihi a team school 4 Millie shows practical compassion for endangered kakapo 5 Dynamic changes for schooling in Mount/Papamoa 6 Learning how to make faith a part of pupils’ lives 7 Parish News Knowledge, understanding key assets for new Vicar-General 11 Vicar for Schools - remaining true to values in modern learning environment 11 Membership of the new Council of Priests 11 New rules for Marriage Tribunals 13 A tribute to Pa Tim -70 years a priest 14 Catholic blokes coming alive 14 2016 launch for grief and loss service 14 Parish briefs 15 Youth Camp fires new passion among young musicians 12 Yonder, the fire of youth 12 The Kete Korero is an official publication of the Catholic Diocese of Hamilton.

Deadline for contributions to the next issue is 15 January 2016 Kete Korero Magazine c-/ 51 Grey St, P.O. Box 4353, Hamilton East 3247 Editor: Michael R. Smith, P.O. Box 6215, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua 3010 Tel: 07 349 4107, kete@cdh.org.nz Videos: http:/tinyurl.com/ketekorero Sponsorship and advertising: David Barrowclough, c-/ Chanel Centre 0800 843 233 Fax 07 8567035 or email: cdf@cdh.org.nz Design and layout: Sandy Thompson, Advocate Print 248 Fenton Street, Rotorua 3010 Printing: Beacon Print Ltd, 207 Wilson Road, Hastings 4153 ISSN: (print) 2357-2221 & (online) 2357-223X Cover Photos Front page: Sursum Corda Choir from St Mary’s Catholic School in Tauranga singing at the midday Mass at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton in October.

The panel: School photo at St Joseph’s Waihi; Millie Lucich and friends at St Mary’s Rotorua; and Anthony Mills and pupils at St Thomas More at the Mount.

Bottom corner: Shona Woodhead and the cross destined for the profession of daughter Sr Jeanne Marie.

ketekorero November 2015

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feature Bishop Steve on putting the religious into education Any entity that is planning to spend as much as $45 million – and maybe even $55 million – of government money on developing schools in the next decade has some heft. For all that weight in numbers, however, it was the spiritual side of the operation the titular owner stressed most at a recent meeting.

Bishop Steve Lowe was addressing the annual Proprietor’s Appointee Day at St Patrick’s Parish Centre in Putaruru on 19 September. Each of the boards of most Catholic integrated schools should have four appointees representing the bishop of the diocese under the terms of the governing legislation.

The appointees’ most obvious task would seem be to ensure that schools remain Catholic schools, a task with an implications for religious education programmes, teachers’ appointments, and student enrolments to all matters around special character.

More than that, however, the appointees are a communications bridge between the bishop and the school. They ensure the proprietor’s property is kept in good repair and ensure the operations grants issued to schools are used for this purpose.

As reported in the last edition of Kete Korero, increasing pressure from population growth has given rise to steps being taken to plan for developing greater capacity for pupils in areas of greater growth.

This included looking at new schools in places like Hamilton North and Papamoa, Tauranga.

However, role numbers have increased across the diocese, going up from 6,500 pupils in 2000 to 8,700 in 2014. Most of that growth has come from Aquinas College in Tauranga, St Thomas More in Mount Maunganui, St Patrick’s in Taupo, and Bishop Edwards Gaines in Tokoroa.

So, between building new schools and further developing and refurbishing existing stock, the additional numbers in

terms of dollars, teachers and administrators, pupils and families are going to add up rather quickly.

While all this is going on, the proprietor’s representatives remain charged with ensuring the Catholic character of the schools remains intact.

Bishop Steve started his discussion with the about 80 proprietor’s representatives gathered at Putaruru by asking them to discuss “who and what is the human person?” The bishop suggested that “we look at the human person as a being in loving relationship, a loving relationship with God and with others, a person with profound gratitude for self and the creation. At the heart of our schools should be the formation of the child in these relationships.”

As a result, it was important to help children recognise the “God moments” and the encounters with Christ throughout their lives. “We have to instil in kids the ability to recognise the signs being given and to give them a spiritual outlook on life.”

The purpose of the curriculum of religious education programmes was about delivering the faith of the Church.

“The religious education programme is different to other ‘subjects’ in that it is not just about delivering information – it is also about formation, it is about our being changed as a person. The challenge is about connecting THE faith to MY faith and connecting MY faith to THE faith.”

Bishop Steve shared his own experiences growing up and his time working in the Holy Cross

Bishop Steve Lowe with Proprietor’s Appointees at St Patrick’s Parish Centre.

Seminary in Auckland. Drawing on the human, spiritual, pastoral, and intellectual formation at the seminary he suggested these made a good platform for formation in our schools.

“One of the biggest issues we have with our children in New Zealand is that they aren’t happy with who they are. Television advertisements drive the desire to be bodily beautiful, to have the latest technology or fashion and to be never satisfied with what we got.

“Even in schools there’s a drive for excellence that not every child can achieve. We get caught up in our own interests, concerns and what I want, whereas it should be a matter of it’s not what I want but what I can give.

“Saints used to be heroes but children no longer have the saints [in that role]. Without an adequate faith formation behind them children were being formed by the example of musicians and sports players. There are so many voices shaping our young people.”

In terms of spiritual formation, Bishop Steve said: “People love the

values of our Catholic schools but living the values and embracing a life of faith is another thing.”

Spiritual formation was about building a sustaining relationship with God, which in turn impacted on our relationship with God’s people and our relationship with us.

“How do we help kids better their relationship with God?” Bishop Steve asked.

He also raised a couple of challenges our schools face. He especially questioned the thinking that faith was an isolated part of the curriculum rather than a spirituality that flows into all other education and a “one size fits all” religious education programme.

“Is the one religious education curriculum adequate for a child who comes to our school from a practising home compared to a child who has not been baptised or a non-preference child?”

Speaking on pastoral formation the bishop suggested “we need to form children who are appreciative of others, who engage with life and are generous in sharing our gifts and talents after the example of Jesus.”

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ketekorero November 2015

school news St Joseph’s at Waihi a team school St Joseph’s Catholic School in Waihi has a special spark that reflects its location in one of the most historic and beautiful areas of the Hamilton Catholic Diocese.

Established in 1902, the school has been located in various forms on the site at Mueller Street overlooked by the magnificent Coromandel Peninsula.

Principal Shaun O’Leary gives a lot of credit to the four teachers and secretary Jan-Marie Marshall for the school’s spark. The last group of nuns – Sisters of Mercy - were at the school in about 1990.

While areas may be growing faster, Waihi’s growth depends greatly on the gold mine located in the township, surrounding farming’s fortunes and tourism. So pupil numbers can fluctuate depending on the fortunes of those sectors.

Pupils are also drawn from nearby Waihi Beach.

The roll ranges from mid-60s up to around 80 pupils, depending on a number of variables. As well as fluctuations in population, the school is the only one in Waihi that goes up to Year 8. In some years, several Year 7 children might go off to Waihi College, a Year 7-13 secondary school, and other years all might stay.

Shaun says the children at St Joseph’s achieve to a high level, as illustrated by a recent positive report from the Education Review Office.

“We are a very sporty little community and the school does very well in local sports events.”

Being very close to the beach, the school also provides children with activities such as surfing for the senior children.

Shaun says the very supportive parish, located next door, is involved in school life, including recent activities such as an agricultural fielday and an international food day.

One of the key aspects to the school’s success is how a lot of work is done across various age

St Joseph’s in Waihi taking a team approch to education. groups, so the children are like a big team. working with the younger ones.”

This team approach was illustrated during a Shaun has been a teacher since 1983, apart visit to the expansive sports grounds, given the from time away doing other things such as school’s size. Adjacent to a purpose-laid sports working in Japan in a language school. area, the children were taking part in sport He has lived in the Waihi area since about events. Older children mixed in with and helped 1993 but taught at St Joseph’s Catholic School in to guide younger ones through their games.

Paeroa for about eight years, and was principal The school has also taken on board the concept there for the last 18 months. of a connected curriculum for religious education, But, living at Waihi Beach, he passed by St says Shaun. In doing the “God Strand” this year, Joseph’s Waihi every day. for example, Room One and Room Four, which While the school might be tiny compared to have the youngest and oldest pupils, combined some of the larger town schools, Shaun says it is and made model robots. The message taken from the exercise was “God creates and people well-resourced.

“I don’t think it is a disadvantage being a small make”. school.

In some ways it’s an advantage in that “It was a simple message but the younger children loved it and the older children loved everybody is on the same page and knows what’s going on.

“Every teacher knows every child in the school by name. We are all pretty proud of the school Join us in working for a world free from and proud of the children most of all, how they poverty and injustice interact with and support each other. We’ve got a pretty attractive environment and that makes it a great place for the kids to be.”

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Campion Collage students, brothers Liam and Ronan Wallace, won the national Smokefree Pacifica Beats award in the solo/duo category and they also took out the lyric writers’ award.

Their duo is called “one and a half men” is the inaugural winner of this award, and performed to a packed crown at the Auckland venue.

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school news Millie shows practical compassion for endangered kakapo Millie Lucich (centre) with (front) her sister Rosie and Billie Bradley (both Year one) and supportive Year 3 friends Maiah Ngawhika, Molly Bradley and Imogen Blundell.

(Below) Millie Lucich and her teacher Lynley Schofield.

O

n a freezing morning in early September, Millie Lucich and her dad set up a stall at the Rotorua Market to support the threatened native bird, the kakapo.

For once it did not rain at the Saturday market in Kuirau Park. However, it was cold, officially 4 degrees centigrade but lower at that early time of the day.

However, backed by her teacher and class at St Mary Mackillop Catholic School, 8-year-old Millie was on a mission. Year 3 teacher Lynley Schofield says the class studied sustainability

during term two, and this included why people should look after native birds.

Millie selected the endangered kakapo and talked to her parents, Cameron and Nuala, about the kakapo and how only 150 remained.

“I said really, really loved the kakapo, and its endangered and I would like to help raise money to save it,” Millie said.

Dad contacted the Department of Conservation, which suggested she raise some money.

The class got behind the project too, drawing kakapos that were reduced in size so that children

in the middle school could colour them in as part of the school’s Mary Mackillop Day for Service.

The drawings were then laminated and turned into bookmarks. The DoC also pitched in with flyers, stickers and badges.

Cameron and Millie set up their stall at the Saturday morning market, with a table and posters put up at 6 am.

Millie engaged in a discussion about the kakapo with people who came to the stall and gave them material about the endangered bird.

Those who gave donations were also given the special bookmarks, with a total of $150.60 raised.

“I was really impressed and happy.”

Millie was also grateful for the help she received from friends who came to help her. She learned that people do care about the kakapo and what the bird meant to them.

NOTE: Karen Arnold, the Conservation Services Ranger – Kakapo, who liaised with Cameron and Millie expressed her thanks as follows: “Millie’s generous contribution is about more than just the money. She has shown genuine compassion and commitment to a cause and, as a result, has influenced and inspired others to act in a positive way.

“At the same time, the kakapo recovery story has been spread to new audiences; our team’s hearts were warmed by her thoughtfulness.”

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ketekorero November 2015

school news Dynamic changes for schooling in the Mount/Papamoa The changing shape of St Thomas More Catholic School in Mount Maunganui reflects the dynamic growth of the surrounding region.

All Saints Day, 1 November was a particularly significant day for the churches at the Mount, Te Puke and Maketu. It was the day the combined parish of All Saints by the Sea was proclaimed.

The afternoon started with a public meeting at the Golden Sands School Hall to discuss the possibilities for the new Catholic school in the area which is expected to be a primary school with the possibility of a long term roll of 600 students. Following the meeting the participants walked to the site of the new Catholic school where Bishop Steve Lower performed a blessing.

The vision for the land has raised many expectations, including the possibility of a Catholic early childhood centre and a dedicated space for worship as well as a school.

St Thomas More is 15 years old, and principal Kath Joblin says it is constantly changing in terms of the numbers of pupils, teachers and buildings. The school started with a maximum roll allowance of 124 pupils in 2001 and after two reviews can now have a maximum roll of 240. When Aquinas College started in 2003, St.Thomas More was decapitated, losing its Year 7 and 8 pupils. Over the past three years the roll has sat just below or just above 240.

“We haven’t really reached our final shape, and we are constantly looking at what we are doing,” Kath says.

The buildings currently in the school grounds will be reconfigured in the future. While the outside may not look very different, the internal layouts of the buildings will differ greatly from the original shapes. A rebuild, starting next year, is the result of the work being done in the school on collaborative teaching and learning.

“For the past five years we have been working

Fr Darren McFarlane, parish priest, Bishop Steve Lowe, Kath Joblin and Graeme Roil, manager of the Catholic Integrated Schools Office, on the site of the planned new Catholic school. on collaboration and that ties in with our religious education programme too.”

Religious education (RE) is the focus for all teaching and learning, and staff have been working together to ensure that the “Head, Heart and Hands” curriculum (learning, faith and service) is apparent in all aspects of school

life. Opening up the classrooms includes teachers capturing themselves and their lessons on video, so they can share their experiences and outcomes with their colleagues.

“We want to change the shapes of our rooms so that teachers can learn from each other.”

A new entrant classroom, built in 2009 as a modern learning environment, has three teachers teaching 34 children. Teachers plan and teach as if they were working in a kindergarten.

The carefully designed environment provides the children with a comfortable transition in the early years of education.

The plan is to follow the model of two or three teachers working in a larger space mirrored throughout the school. A wall will be taken out between each of two sets of classrooms to enable this to happen.

Although the concept may seem simple, Kath says it has taken five years of professional development to open up the way the teachers talk to and work with each other.

“We’ve been trialling three quality learning circles each term, where teachers present to the other teachers about what they are doing in their classrooms and the differences they are making to their children and their learning. So our staff Continued on Page 7

St Thomas More principal Kath Joblin and the changing shape of classrooms...and teaching.

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ketekorero November 2015

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school news Making faith a part of pupils’ lives Religious education is integrated across the curriculum at St Thomas More Catholic School in Mount Maunganui.

Director of Religious Studies Anthony Mills (pictured) says this is carried through programmes taught at the school, such as literacy, maths, social studies, arts and science.

At the beginning of each term, staff set about planning together on some basic topics and themes to come up with what is entitled “The Big Idea”. The teachers go into their teams and break it down into their specific year levels.

“The big idea for term four is Leaving a Legacy and focussed on people who inspire us.

“This involves exploring the communion of saints, as well as looking at other people who inspire us generally and in our local community.”

The focus last term was on the four elements: earth, fire, water and air. “We were learning about how God is experienced through the elements, and this then related to a

Art work from the earth, fire, water and air focus.

curriculum focus on visual art and performing arts.

An end-of-term exhibition showcased art based on the themes connecting the elements, scripture and the Holy Spirit.”

Specific achievement objectives in the RE curriculum are drawn out to relate to the current big idea.

Each team at a particular year level will explore and brain storm ways in which this can be connected to classroom learning experiences.

The RE connected curriculum is usually geared towards some kind of celebration of learning at the end of the term by way of a school Mass, parents’ evening or community event.

The change in how RE was introduced into the curriculum came about four years ago, reflecting the belief it was felt as a more authentic way of teaching RE that made it more relevant and current for the children. A two-year cycle approach allows for curriculum objectives unable to be covered in one year, to be incorporated into the next year’s programme.

Anthony says the children find that the RE learning becomes more relevant for them and able to be

linked to their other learning areas.

“It enables the students to go a bit deeper in their faith, because they can make connections to other parts of their world through literacy, social studies, science, arts and technology .

“They see that their faith is a core part of their life, so they see it as a way of being rather than in isolation.”

This sense of faith at the core is also stressed in other parts of school life, such as weekly Gospel Liturgies, praying for sports team before competitions and prayer liturgy for those attending parent evenings.

Anthony has been at St Thomas More for 10 years, with six years as DRS after going into teaching following advertising agency work.

– transformation, excellence, Catholicity, relationship, justice and the common good.”

Events such as the grounding of the Rena and the downturn in kiwifruit production in 2011 badly hurt local schools. However, record numbers of people now want to live in one of the country’s most thriving areas. Kath has appealed to parents of existing pupils wanting to enrol their pre-schoolers to notify the school as soon as possible as pressure mounts from new families coming to live in the region.

“We are getting a lot of phone calls or inquiries from out of towners who are shifting to the Mount/Papamoa area.”

People uniformly told her the

reason they chose St Thomas More was that the web site contained a great deal of information, it was easy to navigate and they found answers to questions easily. Although many were people shifting down from Auckland, other inquiries included immigrants from the United Kingdom and a proportion from Brazil coming to work in the local beach-side food and entertainment sector.

However, open areas on the St Thomas More school site which could be used to build more classrooms are very limited.

The school is ideally located for access, transport and amenities.

Sports games, cross country and athletics take place on the public reserve next door, and seniors play there at lunchtimes.

The school is lucky to be able to use the parish centre and church facilities for assemblies and liturgies, concerts and evening events.

Kath, who has worked for 30 years as a teacher and principal, grew up in a strongly Catholic family in Fairfield, Hamilton.

Kath started by taking the best from teaching with great people in Catholic schools in Dargaville, Otahuhu and Te Aroha. Kath is currently the president of the Hamilton branch of the NZ Catholic Principals’ Association.

Continued from Page 6 members are quite comfortable talking about their practice with each other.”

Rather than being told the buildings are changing and so deal with it, staff members want the buildings to change. While some schools are changing only one block to see how it goes, Kath’s teachers have told her they would be frustrated if only one or two of them had the opportunity to be in a shared space.

“They all want to try it because that’s the culture of the place – we do things as a collective.”

As a relatively new school, the people employed at St Thomas

More have been chosen because they are open to new ideas and creative approaches.

“I’ve never really had a problem with trying to spark people’s imaginations. They come to the school knowing it is different from other Catholic schools – it looks different, and we do things differently.”

Although adjacent to St Thomas More parish church, the school was not founded by a religious order but by lay people.

“That puts more responsibility on us to make sure that we are Catholic in the way we do things. We have a solid foundation of six values

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ketekorero November 2015

feature

Three ordinations feature of Bishop Steve Lowe’s first year The Catholic Diocese of Hamilton has seen four ordinations this year: In February, Bishop Steve Lowe was ordained. He then ordained Fr Danny Fraser-Jones in August; and this was followed by his ordination of Fathers Stuart Young and Joseph George in October. We recount their journey to priesthood.

The ordination of Danny Fraser-Jones: Above, the chandidate lays prostrate before the altar in the Litany of the Saints; left, the bishop’s presentation of the gift to the newly ordained priest; below, Fr Danny is surrounded by family.

Fr Danny’s long journey

F

ather Danny FraserJones’s has been a long journey towards priesthood.

Fr Danny was ordained at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary on his 39th birthday on 22 August.

The ordination followed the six-and-a-half years of training after a decade of the time taken for vocational discernment for the priesthood before entering the seminary. Although that differs somewhat from times past, it has become more of a trend in recent years as men come to the priesthood at varying stages of their lives.

“The traditional path of leaving school, entering a seminary and getting ordained is very rare nowadays.”

Fr Danny’s response to the call to start the journey to priesthood started in his early twenties by trying to answer the question: “What does God want from me”.

The length of time it took to respond meant that when he did make the decision to apply and ask the bishop, he had been through quite an internal process.

Fr Danny said it was a significant decision today for anybody to step away from the world and follow a priestly vocation, as reflected in the lower numbers being ordained today.

From a farming background in Te Aroha, Fr Danny did all the papers in a Bachelor of Engineering then worked in a holiday park at Papamoa, near Mount Maunganui, for nine years. He terms this period

of his life as great preparation for ministry – in terms of dealing with a vast range of people and the need to be available in all circumstances.

“I think it prepared me for that interaction with people because we had not only holidaymakers staying but also people who lived on site.”

During his time at the holiday camp, he was attending Mass and then parish priest Fr Michael Gielen helped lead him to participate more greatly in parish life.

Attending World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney formed part of his discernment, coming as it did a year before he entered the seminary.

This period also included a trip to Europe, where he visited the three major Christian pilgrimage sites – Santiago in Spain, the Holy Land, and Rome.

Fr Danny put in his application to Bishop Denis Browne on the last day for applying to the seminary for the 2009 year.

“Becoming a priest does take everything you have, you cannot be half-hearted, and you have to know that this is what you want, because it is so different from anything else.”

As an older person becoming a priest, the changes he experienced have been mainly around a love of Christ rather than around personal psychology.

“To a certain extent we are not that much different from lay people in that it is the same call to holiness that we all have. People in training for ministry get to focus on it in a privileged way.”

During his training, for example,

he was able to attend a 30-day silent retreat.

“I remember sitting in a park in Melbourne and thinking ‘how lucky am I, how blessed to receive that

gift’. Who gets to devote their life to getting closer to the Lord?”

Fr Danny is currently based at Frankton as an Assistant Priest to Fr Anselm Aherne.

From family life to priesthood

F

ather Stuart Young describes his journey to the priesthood as being “unexpected” coming as it did out of the death of his wife.

The 59-year-old was ordained at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 10 October along with Father Joseph George (see separate story). He is now the Assistant Priest to Fr Darren McFarlane, the Parish Priest of St Thomas More in Mount Maunganui and St Patrick’s, Te Puke.

Fr Stuart was in the Presbyterian Church before marrying Catherine Shona in Morrinsville and shortly afterwards converting to become Catholic. Fr Frank O’Reagan, the parish priest at the time, was also responsible for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and led him to continue to assist with RCIA in Morrinsville.

He did the RCIA work until the family left to go to Dunedin where he took up the position as General Manager for the Catholic Diocese of Dunedin.

Fr Frank views his time in

Morrinsville as part of his overall discernment on the road to priesthood.

“You don’t know what the Lord’s got planned for you and you just wonder at times why you are doing this.”

He also became involved in the new adult courses being taken by Cynthia Piper, initially through the Wellington Archdiocese, on behalf of The Catholic Institute (TCI). [http://www.tci.ac.nz/staffdir/24staffprofiles/124-cpiper] “Again, I didn’t know why I was doing that. Something inside me said ‘you’ve got to keep on doing these’.”

Fr Stuart was among those receiving the first diplomas under the programme, achieving a Diploma in Pastoral Ministry.

A couple of years on, he saw an advertisement for the Dunedin post and, half expecting Shona to turn it down, applied and was awarded the position. She was happy to live in Dunedin, so he started there eight years ago.

His experience in Dunedin also helped to set him up for his

ketekorero November 2015

9

feature

Steel will drives Fr Joseph to serve as diocese priest

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future vocation, providing valuable experience in the administrative side of the church and allowed him to rub shoulders with the clergy and work alongside the bishop.

“That then gave me a much broader path of understanding the diversity of clergy and people’s faith journeys.”

Shona, however, developed leukaemia – after initial treatment it had to be more aggressively treated a year later.

Referred to Christchurch for a bone marrow transplant, they arrived as the earthquake struck in February 2011. Shona received her bone marrow transplant in April but eventually succumbed to an infection and died.

Fr Stuart says it was Shona’s journey through the disease and her concern for others – as exemplified by her prayers for others arriving by emergency helicopter at Dunedin Hospital – and the way she handled her illness that saw the couple’s faith grow.

“We knew the Lord was with us, and that was very much a discernment process in many ways.”

After Shona died, it was suggested he join a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and in the footsteps of St Paul. Encouraged by his bishop, he went on the pilgrimage, and it was following in St Paul’s footsteps that Fr Stuart heard the saint calling to him.

When he came back, he started to work with Fr Mark Chamberlain in Dunedin as a spiritual advisor and then as a discernment guide

• •

towards eventual priesthood.

He initially remained in Dunedin, where Bishop Colin Campbell gave him a year away from his general manager role.

Bishop Denis Browne sent him to the seminary, and he was appointed to Morrinsville to assist Fr Mark O’Keefe with the building of the new parish church, becoming a deacon and working his way towards the priesthood.

“So it’s been a journey that’s been unconventional.”

Fr Stuart was joined at his ordination by his and Shona’s three children Andrew, Elizabeth and Campbell. Although he says he is not unique in being a priest who has been married and has children, Fr Stuart says he does not fit any box.

“I see myself hopefully as a priest in and with the people. I have come well and truly out of parish life, and I see myself still in the midst of parish life with the gifts and understanding I had as a lay member.”

Fr Stuart says whereas working aspects of St Thomas More are more collaborative than in a rural parish like Morrinsville.

At the Mount, the lay leaders do all the sacramental preparations, the adult formations, and school chaplaincies. As well, St Thomas More Catholic School shares the area with the church.

The planned development of a new school in Papamoa East provides a future with real growth that, Fr Stuart says, will bring many pressures and many opportunities.

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fascination with the priesthood from his very early childhood saw Fr Joseph George’s eventual ordination in Hamilton Cathedral on 10 October.

Fr George grew up in Kerala, southern India, in a family of four - parents George Mathew and the late Annamma George a younger brother Ebin. He was brought up in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, one of the Eastern Catholic traditions.

“I had a great fascination towards priesthood from my very early childhood become a priest. My mom used to say: ‘if you become a priest, your ticket to heaven is confirmed’. But I could no longer buy into that ideology after two years of my seminary life.”

That seminary life started straight after school. In 1999, he joined the Vincentian minor seminary and along the way of priestly formation he completed more than 11 years of orientation and degree studies.

“I cherished the idea of being a diocesan priest, but I ended up forming myself as a religious candidate as I did not know the difference between diocesan and religious priesthood.

During formation, I could make a further discernment on my call.”

Fr Joseph cherished the idea of being a diocesan priest in spite of swerving towards the religious congregation. Such was his drive that he ignored the first two opportunities when he was strongly advised to move out of the religious congregation.

“I applied for a discernment period and the place where one can go astray easily unless guided by the Spirit. I wanted to be open to the spirit: If I am not called to priesthood, I should find my real call.”

He spent his time in reassessment and further discernment on the call to the priesthood, and analysed his life and thoughts in the presence of God with sincerity and courage to respond positively to His will.

“Following a year’s prayer and discernment, I was convinced of my call to diocesan priesthood, and I

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decided to respond to it positively.

I shared my discernment with my superiors.”

They understood and respected his discernment but warned of the difficulties ahead, particularly the reduced availability of diocesan placements in the Syrian dioceses.

Nevertheless, he trusted in the Lord and believed He would lead him through.

Fr Joseph was then in contact with Most Reverend Denis Browne and Fr Michael Gielen of the Hamilton Diocese and the application process was initiated, processed and he entered New Zealand in May 2012. On here, he spent two years in parish ministry and a year in the seminary.

“When I look back, I can say that it is the Lord who took me

by His hand and brought me here otherwise I would not have been here at all as a priest who was ordained.

“The greatest challenge I ever faced was to discern the will of God in my life as to serve him as his priest or not? However, it taught me a great lesson of being open to the Lord and His ways.

“My greatest joy is that the Lord attracted me to His discipleship and then to His priesthood.”

Fr Joseph expressed pleasure at having his father, brother and a priest friend at his ordination. He is “happily” based at Waihi and open to the will of God that comes through the diocese.

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ketekorero November 2015

feature

Sr Jeanne Marie takes up the cross for the consecrated life

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or Shona Woodhead and her family, the occasion of the profession of her daughter Sister Jeanne Marie as a Sister of Mary, Morning Star is one of thoughtful excitement.

Like many young people Sister Jeanne Marie went through an experimental period in her late teens and early twenties while trying to find her place in life. After trialling a range of jobs and lifestyles, her search took her to India where she spent six months with the Brothers and Sisters of the Community of St John. After this experience, Sister Jeanne Marie knew that this was what she had been searching for.

Shona and her children are due to go to Spain in November for Sister Jeanne Marie’s profession as a sister in the order of Sisters of Mary, Morning Star. The order, much like Sister Jeanne Marie, has grown out of a difficult period in its journey since its initial formation.

The order started out as branch of the Community of St John, founded by Father Marie-Dominique Philippe in 1978.

After many changes and challenges, including dissolution by Pope Benedict in January 2013, the Sisters of Mary, Morning Star was established in June 2014 in Bergara, Spain.

The order has about 250 members in 10 countries. The community belongs to the monastic (or Coenobitic) tradition where members live a combination of solitary and communal life.

Although the sisters live in a way that is more associated with monastic orders, they live without enclosures. They describe themselves as “non-cloistered” contemplative sisters.

As much as the young Sister Jeanne Marie was deeply into the negatives of life, her sister Michelle

The following details of the Cross to be presented to Sister Jeanne Marie on the occasion of her profession as a Sister of Mary, Morning Star have been provided to Kete Korero: The cross, which will be taken to Spain by Sr Jeanne Marie’s mother Shona Woodhead and her siblings Michelle, Alana and Paul Robinson, went with the blessing of her home parishes.

Standing about 45 cm by 30 cm, the cross, made out of native matai, represents the whenua or land where Sr Jeanne Marie was born and has her roots. The earth that sustained this tree also sustained her as she grew into adulthood.

The two arms of the cross were worked and assembled by a joiner in her home town of Tauranga, and the carving completed by Albert Te Po, a Te Arawa carver based at Te Puia in Rotorua. Sr Jeanne Marie is the granddaughter of Ray and Joy Dibley and Rotorua is her family’s turangawaewae.

“The cross stands on a strong

Sr Jeanne Marie with Shona at the time of saying her vows. was living life as a strong faith-filled Catholic. Undaunted by the tattoos and piercings, Michelle encouraged her sister to get her life back on track by attending the Catholic

firm base and represents the strength of our family and our faith,” says Shona.

The cross is not flat but has a central ridge peak. This represents the maunga or mountains of New Zealand, the land formed from the sea.

The koru or fern frond design at the base of the cross signify growth and new life. It represents the new life that Sr Jeanne Marie is undertaking.

The poutama or stair designs through the centre of the cross are the stairways of knowledge that she will climb as she journeys through life, onwards and upwards to heaven and to God. The star that is inset in the middle of the cross represents the morning star and links her to her order Mary, Morning Star, Maria, Whetu o te Ata, and to the Southern Cross.

The pieces of paua shell represent the wounds of Jesus. The arms of the cross each end in a ngaru or wave pattern. These are the waves of the oceans connecting New Zealand with the rest of the world and connecting Sr Jeanne Marie back to her homeland.

Because of Sr Jeanne Marie’s strong connection to Tauranga the cross has, with the blessing of Father Mark Field and Father Darren McFarlane, passed through the parishes of St Thomas Aquinas and St Thomas More visiting the churches of St Joseph’s, Te Puna, St Mary Immaculate, Tauranga and St Thomas More.

summer school, Hearts Aflame.

“I always said that [Sister Jeanne Marie] was a try hard bad girl, but with a rock solid background. The strength of faith of her sister is something that has drawn her back into it.”

Shona says, as a Post-Vatican II child, her approach to Catholicism was quite different to that of her daughters.

While she accepted her faith as a given, her daughters wanted to learn the “why” behind it.

They grew in knowledge through experiences in Youth Groups, NET and Hearts Aflame and affirmed that Catholicism was the right pathway.

Sister Jeanne Marie’s journey towards her profession has taken her from her initial encounter in India to time spent living and growing with the community around the world.

This journey included convents in the United States, Philippines, Netherlands, France and, more recently, in Bergara, which is located in the autonomous “Basque Country” in the north of Spain.

The order’s unique approach includes not owning the buildings they live, work and worship in.

As such, where possible, they make use of abandoned or unused Church properties, such as former monasteries or convents, which are acquired after negotiation with the

current Catholic owners and the Bishops of each diocese.

The sisters are not sponsored so must make their own way in the world. They rely on God’s providence through the generosity of family, friends and other benefactors including a “begging” arrangement with local supermarkets and businesses.

The sisters also make and sell goods such as leather goods, lavender products, jams, greeting cards and candles. These are sold to the local community or online.

Sister Jeanne Marie’s artistic talents and her New Zealand practicality help her contribute to the communities in which she lives.

The community of Bergara is the novice house and consists of about 40 women who live work and worship together.

Their day is centered around the Eucharist and includes periods of silence, prayer and study. Their charism is to be a visible sign and presence of prayer in today’s world.

Overall, their life is one of expecting miracles to happen because of prayer. “...the thoughtful excitement of lonely rambles, of gardening, and of other like occupations, where the mind has leisure to must during the healthful activity of the body, with the fresh and wakeful breezes blowing round it...” Augustus Hare, English writer 1834-1903.

ketekorero November 2015

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parish news Knowledge, understanding key assets for new Vicar General

B

ishop Steve Lowe has announced Father Leonard Danvers as the new Vicar General of the Hamilton Diocese.

Fr Leonard (pictured right) was born in Hastings. He received the latter part of his primary schooling from the Sisters of Mercy in Manurewa, Auckland, and his secondary education from the Christian Brothers at St. Peter’s College in Epsom. His studies for the priesthood were undertaken at Holy Name Seminary in Christchurch and Holy Cross College in Mosgiel.

He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Auckland at Manurewa in May 1974 by Bishop Delargy in what is said to be the first outdoor ordination in New Zealand as the parish church was too small. His first appointment was to Holy Cross Parish in Papatoetoe where he remained for four-and-a-half years.

He was one of the founding priests of the new Diocese of Hamilton, being an assistant in Tauranga at that time (1980).

In 1983 he was sent by the late Bishop Edward Gaines to Boston College in the United States to complete his Masters in Religious Education.

On his return, he was appointed parish priest of Mount Maunganui and given the task of building the new church and parish complex.

After five years he moved to St Mary’s Parish in Rotorua where he was parish priest for a short while before becoming parish priest of Te Awamutu.

Seven years later he moved to Whakatane and Matata where he remained for 11 years and for the past nine years he has been parish priest of Taupo/Turangi.

In December last year, he celebrated his 40th anniversary as a priest.

He was invited to become the vicar general by Bishop Steve, who made the announcement to the priests of the diocese on 15 September.

Membership of the new Council of Priests

Photo: Taupo Times

Asked what the role of the vicar general was, he said Canon Law outlined a number of requirements and duties but principally it was to assist the bishop in the administration of the diocese and to be a liaison between the priests and people of the diocese and the bishop.

Since his appointment people have referred to him as the “chief whip” or the principal deputy of the bishop. As it was a new role for himself and the new bishop, he felt the role would become clearer as time went on.

Asked what attributes he brought to the role, he said Bishop Steve had spoken of his “wide knowledge of the diocese and that he is good at process – ‘essential attributes for me as the new bishop’.”

Father Leonard has served on all the priest committees of the diocese at same stage as well as on the Diocesan Pastoral Council.

The bishop also consulted with his priests at the beginning of the year as to whom they thought might fulfil the role of vicar general.

Fr Leonard said he was happy to support and assist Bishop Steve in whatever way he could and was grateful for the trust and confidence the bishop had in him, in asking him to take on the role. In response to the comment: “an interested by-stander might say being the vicar general is good training to be a bishop” he replied: that

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Bishop Steve Lowe has announced the membership of the new council as follows: • Fr Joe Stack (King Country) (Chairman of the Council of Priests) • Fr Leonard Danvers (Central Lakes) • Fr Mark Field, Tauranga, also Vicar for Schools • Fr Vince Jones (Waikato South) • Fr Richard Laurenson (Hamilton) (JCL) • Fr Darren McFarlane (Te Akau ki Mauao) • Mons Trevor Murray (Kaimai) • Fr Robert Sharplin (Eastern BOP/East Coast) to his knowledge vicar generals seldom became bishops and that with the recent appointment of a young, gifted and energetic new bishop, he did not feel his job was in contention.

He said the appointment was for a fixed term, so that over a period of time, a number of priests will grow in a deeper sense in leadership and a sense of the diocese.

Vicar for Catholic Schools remaining true to values in modern learning environment

Bishop Denis appointed me Vicar for Catholic Schools soon after my ordination in 2008, and Bishop Steve has asked me to continue in the role, so it is timely – for me as much as for the reader – to recall what this role involves.

Any vicar is first and foremost a support to the Bishop and his authority, and in carrying out this role, I seek to assist Bishop Steve, as the Proprietor of our Catholic schools, in any way that I can.

Some of those tasks involve representing him on the Diocesan Schools Council; representing him from time to time at functions which he is unable to attend; and some administrative roles, such as the processing of Preference Card appeals.

In the Hamilton Diocese, the role of Vicar for Catholic Schools is not as onerous as in other dioceses, where Vicars fulfil many of the roles so ably carried out by our Schools Office, by people like Graham Roil (Schools Manager), Greg Day (Schools Support), Deacon Peter Richardson (Schools Catholic Character), and others. Thank goodness I don’t have to do their work also – parish life keeps me busy enough.

I have had a long involvement in Catholic schools, firstly as teacher, then in senior leadership and now in governance. The challenges of the future are immense, as we seek to equip our schools for the modern learning environment while, at the same time, trying to remain true to values “ever ancient, ever new.”

I am happy to continue to be involved in our schools, their staff and students, as we move forward.

Christ be our light!

Father Mark Field Vicar for Catholic Schools, Diocese of Hamilton

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ketekorero November 2015

youth Yonder, the fire of youth

When the thing we freely fórfeit is kept with fonder a care, Fonder a care kept than we could have kept it, kept Far with fonder a care (and we, we should have lost it) finer, fonder A care kept.—Where kept? Do but tell us where kept, where.— Yonder.—What, high as that! We follow, now we follow.—Yonder, yes yonder, yonder, Yonder.

A passage from the Golden Echo Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844– 89). Poems 1918.

Camp fires new passion for among young musicians Brianna Fransen or the past two years, St Columba’s youth music group has held a music camp for their youth musicians.

The camp focused on forming deeper relationships with one another through sessions and activities, all centred on growing musical knowledge for Mass and praise and worship events.

This year, St Columba’s youth music leadership team joined forces with the Catholic Youth Office to present REVERB. REVERB was open to all high school-aged youth musicians of the diocese, whether they were part of a parish music group or not.

The objective of the camp was to build a community where youth musicians could get to know each other, jam together, enjoy games and good food, and share music knowledge and resources, with the vision of coming together to play music in parishes, and praise and worship groups.

We gathered at Waihi Beach Christian Camp for a weekend in September. Around 50 people attended, including youth

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participants and adults from around the diocese who filled the roles of workshop leaders, mentors, worship leaders, chefs and helpers.

The weekend began with an inspirational talk from Roy ChouLee who shared his talent and love for music, and the impact of music on his life. Singer and instrument workshops were next, led by passionate musicians of the diocese, with experiences, tips and helpful skills to develop musical abilities with each person’s chosen instrument. The youth were then split into groups to each learn a new song to take back to their parishes, alongside the helpful guidance of mentors.

Our entire group celebrated praise and worship together on both nights of the camp The pinnacle of the weekend was the final session where each small group led everyone in worship with their new song. The youth experienced transitioning from a worship receiver to a leader of worship. The Holy Spirit was especially present in the room – it was amazing.

We will meet regularly as a group to spark the fires that were ignited during the camp.

With these words, DJ Johnny Light puzzled the audience with his retelling of the poems The golden echo and The leaden echo. He explained that the first time hearing them, the poems would make absolutely no sense and would most likely go over our heads.

However after some explanation and a second repeating of them, the audience found the true beauty kept in the poet’s words.

On Saturday the 5 September, Johnny Light was part of the Mosaic Festival alongside a number of talented musicians. The festival was for young Catholics to express and share their God given talents in music, spoken poetry, public speaking and hospitality to other Catholic Youth and young adults in a safe and accepting environment.

As we all arrived, Sam Ranapiri and Thach Tran entertained everyone with their amazing guitar skills. They had the audience singing, jamming and harmonising along with their playing. It was so much fun! Everyone joining together through music created a positive and happy mood to start off the concert.

So much talent was on display, including Monique Holden, Ben Stucki, and guest speaker Therese Joyce. Each act took the stage and impressed the audience - causing the occasional tear. The Master of Ceremonies, Joseph Monise, was hilarious and had everyone stitches. Ben’s collection of Maori,

original and classical songs moved us all. His rich, deep voice set a very high standard for all the following performers.

My sister Kylee and I both had the privilege of performing. We heard about the festival in our parish newsletter and once we applied were accepted to perform, there was no looking back. We sang four of our favourite gospel/country songs with harmonies. We had such a wonderful time performing and being able to express ourselves through the lyrics of the songs.

Sharing our God-given talents in such a friendly and accepting atmosphere made my sister and I feel like we were performing in front of old family friends. Singing with my sister is one of my most favourite things in the world.

Joseph Monise and John de Vega pose at Mosaic Festival.

Patrick Conroy provided lovely entertainment by singing and playing the guitar during supper.

Monique Holden treated us to some of her lovely originals. Her song Hallelujah was a personal favourite of mine, and she had such wonderful stage presence.

Guest speaker Therese Joyce spoke about her creative pilgrimage which led her to found a little dressmaking business called Songs of Solomon.

Her main message was to keep on fighting, even when everything is going wrong.

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13

parish news Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus

New rules for Marriage Tribunals: Declaration of freedom to marry in the Catholic Church Richard Laurenson, JCL

O

n the Feast of the Assumption of our Lady into Heaven, Pope Francis signed and a new set of Laws that changes some of the ways the Church studies and answers the question “Was my previous marriage one that has bound me for life?” he document is called The Lord Jesus, A Gentle Judge. A similar document for the Catholic Eastern Churches is called The Gentle and Merciful Jesus, Shepherd and Judge. Effectively both documents say the same thing. It has long been a concern for bishops as well as many of us working in this area that there are high hurdles to leap when people come enquiring about their previous marriages. And so the Pope is asking us to change some of the ways we go about studying the question posed to us.

The pope has made three major changes. The first change is to remove the automatic appeal to a second court. Now unless one of the parties lodges an appeal themselves, the decision of the first Tribunal will come into effect a month later, allowing the people to marry in the Catholic Church.

The second change is to expand which diocese can engage in the study. Before consideration centred only on the place where the marriage was performed or the place where the respondent (the one not asking for the study) was living.

Any tribunal office can now effectively accept the request and start the process.

The third major change is not one that will affect New Zealand much. It’s called the “Briefer Process” and is designed to encourage bishops

T

who do not have any legal experts to hear annulment cases themselves. There are many diocese in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific where this is the case. This process requires that both former spouses ask for the trial that everyone (former spouses, witnesses Advocates, notaries, Defender of the Bond....) gathers with the bishop who will hear the case in a single day and after collating the evidence give his judgement 30 days later. In New Zealand we are too spread out and more often than not the former spouses are not talking to each other, let alone willing to ask for this process to happen.

It is a sad but real fact that our Western world is deeply fractured by a worrying inability to construct and sustain life-giving marriages.

There are many reasons for this, some are obvious, others not so much. However, our Lord Jesus has also instructed us to protect marriage.

A true marriage can never be set aside he told us. It binds for life, and if someone leaves a true marriage and weds again they commit adultery.

The Good Lord has given us the means to determine if a failed marriage did infact have all the ingredients necessary to allow God to bring the couple together. A bishop has the power to judge his flock, exercising the power of Jesus, our Gentle Judge and King. Generally speaking bishops are busy with so many things, and so have passed on this ability to other priests. In New Zealand, the bishops have given the power of judging to the priests of the Catholic Tribunal of New Zealand, who together are entrusted with the task of looking into these questions.

Because marriage is so important, (After all Heaven is ‘The Wedding feast of the Lamb and his Bride, the church, has made herself ready’ -

Rev: 19:7-8) we cannot be cavalier about setting aside previous attempts at marriage. Otherwise Jesus will rightly accuse us of promoting adultery. That is why the church entrusts the task to judges, and requires the judge to investigate with rigour the claim that this first marriage was in some way lacking in a necessary ingredient, and therefore is invalid.

The Church has always insisted on a proper trial, a robust court process. However the Church’s court is not at all like a civil court, where two lawyers fight it out “on the mat”. For us the bishop (through his judges) investigates the claim, organises interviews and collects the information he needs. It looks more like researching and writing an essay than “Rumpole of the Bailey” or CSI, or whatever passed for legal drama today.

Just as not every coupling is a marriage for example de-facto relationships - not every wedding the State recognises rises to the standard required by God for a proper marriage.

For example, an ordained man cannot validly marry a wife without dispensation from the pope himself. Even our civil law still recognises that a person still bound to another cannot marry a second spouse.

At present the Hamilton Office studies about 10 marriages a year. This number is less than 20 years ago when Hamilton was studying 2030 each year. One of the reasons is that people are not marrying as often as before. And where in the 1970s people were desperate to marry, nowadays youngsters seem happy to cohabitate in de facto situations. The break ups still happen at the same rate, but without the complications of a wedding constructed in haste.

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ketekorero November 2015

parish news A tribute to Pa Tim - 70 years a priest

By Marcel van Leeuwen

K

ia Ora Father Anthony Timmerman. Pa Tim, I would like to congratulate you with your 70 year Priesthood, what an achievement!

I try to imagine how you would look back at your life Pa, not easy for sure because there is so much to remember.

So many people you have met and made connections with, many of those already passed on to the other side.

A natural consequence of becoming the oldest of the tribe, “The last of the Mohicans” as it were.

But, as a fellow Dutchman, I can only try to pick some pointers, these are just some of the fond memories of all those years of St Joseph, your “own” little church. Just thinking on how you’re St Joseph, helped to form our families and how we still have long lasting relationships between us. The church is gone now but something has endured.

Pa Tim lived his early years in Leiden situated on the old Rhine, an old university town; you could call it the Oxford of the Netherlands. His father had a Hout handel there, freely translated this means a “Timber yard”.

With the help of our imagination we may picture the typical early 1900 Dutch canals with flat bottom boats carrying loads of timber. Even the name Timmerman (Carpenter) might be a lead as to a hidden connection with the naming of St Joseph parish many years later.

Pa Tim is well in his nineties now, this also meant he lived through the “Great Depression” and later the Second World War. During the war years he was in the seminar I believe. For sure these are all experiences that shape people and their faith. My parents, being of the same era, also kept this motto of “Waste not want not”.

It is so different from today’s consumer culture. Pa Tim also had this motto instilled in

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The late Monica Manaena (left) and Marie Lyme with Fr Timmerman on the occasion of a tree blessed in his honour. him and as it turns out it has to become a very valuable attribute again in today’s world. If we don’t accept it in one form or another the world will consume itself into deep trouble, perhaps we already have?

Pa Tim had his meals on wheels organised in Rotorua for years and who knows his good health might be contributed to this? His healthy digestive system allowed him to become an expert dinner guest, visiting his “guest houses” on a regular basis.

His little note book always at hand to record the extra invitations between his standard regulars. The “happy hour” created moments to meet families better and interact with their young ones. His after-Mass jelly beans complemented this, these days perhaps politically incorrect but nevertheless an effective strategy remembered and enjoyed by many.

His long standing connection to the Rotorua district and its people is not only unique as priest but also your commitment to all of us during this period. No bishop stood in your way to achieve this and we are grateful for that.

Pa Tim was also a handyman and was proud on it, he was a priest who had a shed like every good Kiwi bloke. Carpentry, plumbing or electrical jobs - he tackled it all, a St Joseph in his own way. His electrical skills were somewhat hair rising from my perspective but they showed great faith and perseverance. Somehow all of these experiences led you want to live your life in service of Christ.

Emigrate to New Zealand, learn two new languages and serve a community for 70 years, on believable really, a mystery of faith.

As you know, living as Dutchman is hard enough Pa! Thanks Father Tim for being part of us.

Catholic blokes coming alive in the Hamilton Diocese Men are coming alive in the Hamilton Catholic Diocese under the encouragement of Bishop Steven Lowe.

Two events have helped to lure men of the diocese out of their often reticent selves in regards to religious aspects of their lives.

Bishop Steve outlined his view of the important role men play in the life of Catholic families at a Blokes Breakfast held at the Saint Columba’s School Hall.

This successful event was followed up with a Men Alive event run over a weekend in early November.

Mike Balemi reports: Arriving at the Blokes Breakfast with the Bishop venue I was met by a crowd of men queuing outside the Saint Columba’s School Hall. The event was a sell-out.

Both old and young men were present along with a number of priests.

I was looking forward to this event to meet Bishop Steve and listen to what he had to say.

Also, over the years I have met a lot of good men around Hamilton and I hoped I would catch up with some of them.

I was not disappointed on either count. A delicious cooked breakfast was served before Bishop Steve was invited to “Speak to the men of Hamilton.”

Bishop Steve did not mince his words. His message, “Jesus needs Blokes” was challenging, hard hitting and unambiguous.

Citing a study done in Switzerland on the faith practices of families, along with passages from the Gospel of John, Bishop Steve spoke of how important men’s authentic example of a lived Catholic faith is to our families.

Information on this and other aspects can be found on the web site www.menalive.info.

2016 launch for grief and loss service

Seasons for Growth (SFG) provides grief and loss processes for grieving children and teens aged 6 to 18 years, and also for grieving adults or for adults working with children with a trained Companion.

Gabrielle Daly-Fong (pictured) is a trained Companion for SFG and is working towards becoming the Trainer for Hamilton Catholic Diocese in 2016. She will be able to train more Companions as needed. Catholic Family Support Services also offers SFG Companioning in the diocese.

SFG is available to both State and Catholic

schools, and is a process for grieving a loss: be that death, separation of parents, divorce, suicide, or loss of a significant friendship, or opportunity in life. SFG is a programme developed by GOOD GRIEF (Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, Australia), written in response to the challenge of St Mary of The Cross McKillop, “to never see a need without doing something about it”.

Gabrielle is available now for small group work run in a variety of ways. You may contact her through the SFG Coordinator, Deacon Peter Richardson at Chanel Centre, 07856-6989.

ketekorero November 2015

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parish news Workshop against plans for euthanasia law Adam Kirkeby Parishioner, Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church, Taupo athaniel Centre director John Kleinsman visited Rotorua on 8 August 2015 to present a case against the legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide in New Zealand.

Representatives from various parishes from throughout the Hamilton Diocese attended the gathering.

Kleinsman (pictured) spoke with clarity and precision and demonstrated a sound knowledge and understanding of the issue.

Kleinsman argued that the legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide would very seriously impact the safety of the most vulnerable members of our society and place the welfare of the elderly, disabled and sick in grave danger.

He made the point that how New Zealand is facing the prospect of an ageing population and constant reminders regarding the scarcity of health care resources. He mentioned a recent Radio New Zealand discussion on euthanasia and assisted suicide where one panellist disturbingly linked our ageing population with taxpayer burden and received little or no protest for doing so.

N

Elder Abuse Kleinsman also discussed the growing issue of elder abuse in New Zealand. A 2007 document from the Ministry of Health estimated that between 2 and 5 per cent of older New Zealanders suffer from elder abuse. The document stated “there could be between 9008 (2 per cent) and 22,520 (5per cent) older New Zealanders suffering some form of abuse and neglect”.

Kleinsman said that recent figures suggest that some 9375 cases of elder abuse occured each year in New Zealand and he argued that “legalising euthanasia and assisted suicide will create new pathways for abuse”.

Elderly an already weakened and vulnerable state, worried about the pressure their illness is placing on family and constantly aware of constraints to medical funding could be forced into a situation where they feel like a burden. As a result, Kleinsman said, the elderly could easily be exploited with the availability of euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Kleinsman discussed how some people promote the legalisation of euthanasia as an opportunity to provide people with choice at the end of their lives. However, he argued, euthanasia would in reality undermine any perceived choice.

Firstly, it would force people to make a decision of life and death at a time when they and perhaps their families are most vulnerable.

Secondly, as Kleinsman said, “in a society in which families are increasingly fragmented, the elderly are becoming more socially isolated and we are being constantly reminded about the scarcity of health resources, the burden of proof will inevitably shift onto those who are elderly and disabled to justify their continued existence”.

Using a quote from long-time American nurse Nancy Valko, Kleinsman explained that wanting

to live could become simply a whim.

He quoted Valko as asking “do assisted suicide supporters really expect us doctors and nurses to be able to assist the suicide of one patient, then go on to care for a similar patient who wants to live, without this having an effect on our ethics or our empathy?

“Do they realise that this reduces the second patient’s will-to-live request to a mere personal whim - perhaps, ultimately, one that society will see as selfish and too costly?

“How does this serve optimal health care, let alone the integrity of doctors and nurses who have to face the fact that we helped other human beings kill themselves?”

Youth Suicide Kleinsman also argued that the legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide would send a hypocritical and contradictory message to our young people.

New Zealand already had a well-documented and appallingly high youth suicide rate. A law which sanctioned assisted suicide would send a very disturbing message that suicide was an acceptable way of dealing with existential suffering.

As had been demonstrated in the Netherlands and Belgium, among the few places where euthanasia had been legalised, so-called safeguards surrounding a euthanasia law did not work.

Kleinsman pointed out a quote from Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director and International Chair of Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, who stated “Once you open the door to assisted suicide and euthanasia it always becomes wider and wider and wider, and before you know it what starts as an option for a few becomes what’s expected for the many”.

In addition, it was noted that: “In the Netherlands euthanasia was initially only available to dying adults who were able to give informed consent. These restrictions have now fallen away and euthanasia is available for new-borns, teenagers, and persons with dementia or depression without their consent.”

A similar line of policy development is underway in Belgium where the law now allows for euthanasia of persons of any age, including children The presentation was a call to all New Zealanders to stand up and defend the safety and care of the elderly, sick and disabled. The most vulnerable members of our society need our help to stop the legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide.

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Lost souls set for formal farewell A ceremony in February 2016 is set to give a group of “lost souls” buried in South Waikato farmland the rest they are due.

Among the 500 people buried in unmarked graves at the former Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital Cemetery are about 70 Catholics.

Mark Reinsfield, of Hamilton undertakers James R. Hill Funeral Directors, is one of a small group who set out earlier this year to commemorate those buried in what is now a farm adjacent to the now-closed Tokanui Psychiatric Hospital.

The project started when Hamilton man Maurie Zinsli found his great-aunt had been buried in the paddock where the only visible headstone stated: “Tokanui Hospital Cemetery, 1914-1964. May the 500-plus people buried here - Rest in Peace”. James R. Hill has sponsored a wall at the site, which will have a plaque with the names of the 500 dead engraved into it.

The nature of the burials – their haphazard and unrecorded manner – was to some extent reflective of attitudes towards the mentally ill during those years, he says. It is hoped the wall and the unveiling ceremony will help go some way to providing not only better recognition for those involved but also access for relatives.

The cemetery is in three blocks: Anglican, Non-conformist, and Catholic.

For more details, contact: Mark Reinsfield at 07-855 5541.

Social Justic Group results from workshop The formation of a combined Social Justice Group in the Parishes of the Holy Family has been the result of the recent Euthanasia workshop. The group will be important in the life of the parish community – discussing political, social and moral issues.

Bishop Steve Ordination Video Now available from the Bishop’s Office at $10.00 each.

Please contact Colleen Graham, Secretary to the Bishop, colleeng@cdh.org.nz or 07 856 6989.

McKillop College Rotorua 50th Reunion Registration now open. For further information please contact Beryl Harris (Winterburn) at Beryl.Harris@ lakesdhb.govt.nz or Rosemary Northcott(Preston) at roanyne@slingshot.co.nz

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