Aurora May 2018

Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle May 2018 | No.179

COVER

S T O RY

Life on ; m the far od o d a i r y g re no mo

Sr Hilda Scott osb writes exclusively for Aurora Hear the voices of young people in the Year of Youth Why not be part of the Family Faith Forum?

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First Word On the cover Colin, Codie, Di and Rita Gee with friendly calves at “Dalara”.

COVER

Sr Hilda Scott osb writes exclusively for Aurora

STORY

Life on ; the farm d dairy goo re no mo

Hear the voices of young people in the Year of Youth Why not be part of the Family Faith Forum?

Featured  Reimagining the future

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 New ambulance the most vital delivery yet

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 Love life but don’t fear death

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 St Nicholas Early Education invests in its educators 11  Vatican images inspire local artist

church that speaks with particular resonance to young people, and this edition includes a number of young voices. I am delighted that Sr Hilda has written exclusively for Aurora in our Wisdom in the Square series. I would love to receive contributions from more of our local young people – especially the young men!

As I write, the joys of the Newcastle Writers Festival are still in my mind. The highlight for me was hearing Richard “Conversations” Fidler, who said, “If you stand very still and listen very closely, stories come right up to you.” So true!

Photo courtesy of Tracey Edstein.

Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle May 2018 | No.179

Joys, griefs and surprises

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 Young people the protagonists of their own futures 14  Powerful libraries make powerful learners 17  Maitland woman attends UN Commission 18  Doctors of Education shape the future of All Saints’ College

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 West Papuans cry out for freedom

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Regulars  First Word

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 My Word

4

 Wisdom in the Square

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 Soul Food

7

 CareTalk

9

 One by One

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 Family Matters

13

 Frankly Spoken

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 Seasons of Mercy

16

 Community Noticeboard

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 Last Word

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When I told a colleague I was travelling ‘up the Valley’ to visit a family of dairy farmers, I was asked, ‘Is that an Aurora story?’ It’s a question I ask myself all the time, since Aurora’s scope is deliberately much broader than that of other diocesan magazines.

You may be interested to participate in the Family Faith Forum on 19 May, and there’s a preview on page 8 of the message of the keynote speakers, Shane and Leanne Hyland.

With reference to ‘joys and griefs’, Benita Tait shares a journey that has been both life-giving and painful in this month’s “One by One”. Do read it.

“Reimagining the future” is an Aurora story because Aurora is concerned with “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men [sic] of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted…” That statement forms part of the opening sentence of Pope Paul VI’s 1965 Gaudium et spes: The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World.

Sr Jan Tranter rsj wrote after the April edition, “Congratulations on the freshness in each edition of Aurora. There are always surprises.” I trust you will find pleasant surprises in this edition!

After all, what is the point of a church – or a church magazine – that is not concerned with the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of all of us?

TRACEY EDSTEIN – Editor

Sr Hilda Scott osb is one of the voices of the

Contact Aurora

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Next deadline 7 May 2018

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Aurora enquiries should be addressed to The Editor Tracey Edstein E tracey.edstein@mn.catholic.org.au PO Box 756 Newcastle 2300 P 4979 1288 | F 4979 1119

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Advertising John Kingsley-Jones P 4979 1192 E john.kingsley-jones@mn.catholic.org.au Aurora appears in The Newcastle Herald on the first Saturday of the month, in The Maitland Mercury, The Singleton Argus, The Manning River Times and The Scone Advocate on the following Wednesday and in The Muswellbrook Chronicle on the following Thursday.

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My Word

Sea of Possibilities ‘Have you been here before?’ they all seem to ask, conscious that their corner of the world has not been high on the tourist bucket list. And I am revelling in being able to say ‘Yes, but not for 50 years.’ Papua New Guinea was even more remote from the jetset in 1968, but the schoolboy that I was then had indeed spent a fortnight or more on a tour with his father of the incipient banking industry of the soon-to-be nation. Many things I remember vividly.

This time I’m in PNG for the meeting, held every three or four years, of the Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania (FCBCO), comprising the bishops of PNG, Australia, NZ and the far-flung island nations, French- and English-speaking, that make up CEPAC, the Conférence des Évěques du Pacifique. There are 80 or so of us and Port Moresby is on high alert. In November they will host the APEC meeting, possibly with Trump and Putin, and this is a great opportunity for the government and local security people to practise. The paramilitary police escort on our jaunts across town and the occasional helicopter above do seem a bit more than a mob of bishops would normally be accorded. The hotel’s own security is no less obvious but, apparently by design, less intimidating.

The delightful Sebastian who guards the main door is a prime example; a small, broad-smiling Chimbu man, he is on for a chat and very happy to show you the workings of his pump-action Winchester shotgun. Friendly forces!

The heading of this article is the

subtitle of the Conference. The Pacific is a region with its own troubles, but ‘A Sea of Possibilities’. In large part, the program is designed for the real Pacific bishops to share their troubles with the bishops of the developed nations, Australia and NZ. The biggie is climate change and the rising oceans.

Sea levels around the world do not rise evenly, and the mid-Pacific is inundation central. The small coral islands, and hence some entire countries, are under threat and some have already become uninhabitable. The Archbishop of Suva is a bit of a star in this discussion, having recently provided land in Fiji for the population of a small island that has already become uninhabitable. There’s no doubt in this region about what has to happen about burning coal.

‘Climate refugees’ are not, however, the only refugees of concern. The Governor of the Port Moresby region gives Australia a fair old serve on the Manus Island debacle. PNG always knew it was an immoral ‘solution’, he says, but the Australians asked and they are our friends. But now they’ve broken all promises and walked away, leaving PNG to cope as best it can. Still, it’s a minor issue compared with the problem of the refugees from Indonesian West Papua who have flooded into the border zones of the Western Highlands. The Indonesians have no historic, ethnic or religious connection with the people of West Papua, he insists, and no right to be installing settlers from Java, but Indonesia is a big country and the West is letting them do what they like. Again,

PNG is left to cope with the fallout.

Finally, the PNG bishops are concerned about sea-bed mining. It’s an untested technology that will be trialled, by European miners, in the seas off New Ireland where presumably, if it causes an environmental disaster, only a few unimportant countries will be affected.

They want us to know what’s going on.

They want us to know and to care.

Perhaps in Australia what the church thinks and says is no longer of much importance, but that is not the case in the Pacific. PNG, the Prime Minister tells us at the Conference dinner, is a deeply Christian country. Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, on ‘care for our common home’ and the need for ‘ecological conversion’, is much quoted. PNG is more than half Catholic and would be unworkable without the church’s schools, clinics and aid services. They are enormously grateful that the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin, has come to Moresby for this conference. Here is their voice being heard on the world stage; the church can speak for them in the councils of the great, as the Pope has already done. There’s an innocence about their confidence in the influence of the church, but I do hope they are right and we can do something. The Pacific, and its wonderful peoples, are a Sea of Possibilities.

Bishop Bill Wright

Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle

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Feature

Reimagining the future There’s a butter churn in the dining room of Rita Gee’s home, “Dalara”, at Jerry’s Plains in the Upper Hunter. Rita recalls that she used it as a girl, growing up on a succession of Hunter Valley dairies run by her parents.

Rita and her husband Colin’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren may not know about hand- churning butter, but they do know about dairy farms. “Dalara” is a dairy farm where Colin has lived for all his (almost) 80 years and where Rita joined him when they married in 1962. They had four children – Paul, Pamela, Shane and Shanelle. There are 10 grandchildren and the third great-grandchild is on the way!

There have been six generations of Gees at “Dalara” – but sadly, an era is drawing to a close. With the agreement and understanding of all family members, they are selling the farm.

For many years now, dairying has been less and less profitable. There’s a family consensus that deregulation – the removal of restrictions and regulations in 1999 – is the culprit, but farming folk are tough and the Gees have worked harder and harder to maintain a viable property. The grass is green, the calves (lots of them) are happy and the sign at the entrance to the property proclaims that “Dalara” is a “Gee Partnership”.

Succession planning is not always easy but the Gees – like many families on the land – began the process years ago. When I visited “Dalara”, Rita and Colin showed me material assembled many years ago to help in their discernment of the best way forward. “It was the best thing we ever did, because everyone wrote down exactly what they would like to happen,” says Rita.

“It won’t work out as we hoped now, but the process brought all of us closer together.”

Paul Gee indicates that the price of cattle feed, cartage, electricity, fuel and so many other necessities rises and rises, but in real terms the price received for milk is at an all-time low.

Daughter-in-law Di says, “We’ve done everything that’s been suggested, taken every opportunity, but the price of milk paid to the producer is just not enough.” The Gees had built up a herd of over 500 cattle – a long way from the 25 Colin remembers milking by hand as a lad – but they were not able to maintain such numbers with the return so low.

Paul and his family and Shane both work the farm with Rita and Colin, and would love nothing more than to continue doing so, but it’s simply not viable. After leaving school, they followed their parents' advice and worked ‘off farm’, and those skills have been brought back to “Dalara”.

By TRACEY EDSTEIN

to leave the property in a better condition than she found it, and she and Colin have planted “thousands of trees over the years – and some of them have survived”. Now, however, although there’s a younger generation interested in an industry that demands daily commitment – cows needing to be milked wait for no man (or woman) – there are no prospects.

Paul and Di’s daughter Shayne-Anne, 18, is “devastated” that the farm will no longer belong to the family. When she was a student at St Catherine’s Catholic College, Singleton, she showed cattle and she continues to do so.

Shayne-Anne’s confident of finding work on another property “but it’s not the same”.

In 2010, Aurora published an item from The Sentinel (1941) lamenting the challenges facing anyone on the land, whether growing crops or raising stock. Rita contacted me then and said that if anything, the situation was worse. In 2018, despite regular appeals to Members of Parliament and communication with representatives of the dairying industry, nothing has changed.

At the same time, vegetable and fruit growers don’t always find it worthwhile to pick the fruit or harvest the vegetables – while supermarket shoppers buy American oranges and Turkish apricots.

Colin and Rita Gee are not complaining about their situation. They have lived long and fruitful lives at “Dalara”, and their extended family has reaped the benefits of their hard work and built up a business on a firm foundation.

Something that has helped the Gees is the concern shown, through phone calls and letters, by members of the community. As Rita says, “These people don’t know us but they have taken the trouble to contact us.”

Rita Gee is a woman of prayer, and while she’s grieving the loss of the future her family envisaged, she takes time for daily contemplation and still reminds her grandchildren to pray and to spend time with the Word of God. Back in 2010, Rita wrote, “The power of prayer is the only thing that will make a difference.” She stands by that today.

If you would like to contact a Member of Parliament to express your concerns, please visit www.aph.gov.au/Senators_ and_Members/Guidelines_for_Contacting_ Senators_and_Members.

Tracey Edstein is the Editor of Aurora Magazine.

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News

New ambulance the most vital delivery yet for Uganda maternity hospital

By MARK TOOHEY

It wasn't quite the delivery they are used to, but for Sister Mary Goretti and her small staff at St Luke Health Centre in Bujuni, it is one that will save hundreds of lives. The maternal health centre, located three hours from Kampala, can finally celebrate the arrival of its long-awaited ambulance, which supporters in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle helped to fund during last year's Catholic Mission Church and Schools Appeal.

Sr Mary with the new ambulance.

Locals may recall meeting Sister Mary Goretti, who runs the centre, last June when she visited the diocese to speak with schools, parishes and supporters about the state of maternal health in her home in rural Uganda. Due to the remoteness and economic situation of the small village in the central-west of the country, access to the health centre can be restricted and often dangerous. The Church Appeal last year told the story of local woman Evas, who lost her baby after riding for hours on the back of a motorbike while in labour. “I think if we get a vehicle it will really help us to save the life of the mother and the baby,” Sister Mary said at the time. Catholic Mission’s supporters across Australia raised nearly $2 million for the appeal, which contributed towards critical staffing, infrastructure and equipment upgrades for St Luke's, including the much-needed ambulance.

After a short customs delay, that vehicle has now arrived, much to the relief of Sister Mary and her staff.

“Finally, the ambulance has reached St Luke Health Centre,” she said.

“Thank you very much for your effort, and may God bless you abundantly.”

Along with the ambulance, St Luke’s received an ultrasound machine and a humidicrib, while key structural improvements are ongoing, including the expansion of the maternity ward.

Please support the people of Myanmar to build their nation for future generations.

2018 CHURCH APPEAL Freecall: 1800 257 296 6

catholicmission.org.au/Myanmar

In 2018, Catholic Mission’s Church Appeal focuses on Myanmar, and carries the theme “Healing a nation through education”. It tells the story of an “education revolution” in the country; part of the Myanmar Catholic Church’s push for peace in a land which has been gripped by internal conflict and political struggles for decades.

For more on that appeal and for updates on Catholic Mission’s work with communities around the world, visit www.catholicmission.org.au or P Mark Toohey, 4979 1141.

Mark Toohey is Diocesan Director for Catholic Mission at the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

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Wisdom in the Square

God is Us As I write, I know that you will be reading this long after I have written it.

Who knows what will have come across your path, painful and otherwise, that as yet is not? Who knows what lifechanging experiences will become yours that as yet are not? Who knows what the world will be like? I wonder where and how those experiences will leave you, in what shape you will find your heart and mind. One thing is sure, God will not have left us.

Perhaps you are familiar with George Bernanos’ novel, The Diary of a Country Priest (1936). It has incredible power to speak to our own human experience.

God become US in Jesus and took all that is US to the cross with him, therefore nothing which is US excludes God. Incredible but true! Let’s look at where we might find ourselves and God in this novel.

Soul Food

Set in northern France the story concerns a young French priest beset by all sorts of woes, not the least being his own stomach problems which the locals attribute to drunkenness.

Yet worse than that perhaps is the judgement he faces from others. The parish to which he is sent, Ambricourt, is notoriously lacking in faith, bored and ‘out to get’ this young idealistic priest who lives on potato soup and bread dipped in wine. Their need to know the love, forgiveness and understanding of God is glaringly obvious but they fight it off in every way possible. This young

By HILDA SCOTT osb

curate is laughed at by the Catechism class and criticised by the parishioners; his naivety and plain good will annoy them and his fellow priests object to his ascetic way of life.

month-old son, hatred for her daughter whom she blames for his death and a terrible bitterness toward God. The curate visits the Comtesse and with a tear running down his face says,

He is not well born, is unattractive, a terrible homilist, socially inept, scrupulous and over-sentimental. He is a timid soul, terrified by the experience of his own dark night. His selfperceived inability to pray, his emotional weakness and his ineffectiveness in the care of souls torment him. He is a trial to himself and to others…and he keeps going.

Hell is not to love any more, madame.

Have you found yourself anywhere here yet? If not maybe you have found shades of someone you know.

The Comtesse is changed and writes him a letter. His response is telling,

The book continues and one begins to see that this man could very well identify with Isaiah’s suffering servant, “a man of sorrows, familiar with pain” 53:3. His life is so wretched one could almost think God too was out to “get him” yet he is firm. “God is not a torturer” and “all is grace” this novel says. One gets the sense that this curate and God have their own understanding relationship, faithfully confided to a diary.

On the outskirts of the town is the Chateau of M.le Comte, his wife the Comtesse and their daughter, Mlle Chantal. The Comte is having an affair.

The daughter is consumed with anger and jealousy. The Comtesse is caught in terrible grief for her long-dead eighteen-

…But you know that our God came to be among us. Shake your fist at Him, spit in His face, scourge Him, and finally crucify Him: what does it matter? It’s already been done to Him. He (God) is not the master of love. He is love itself. If you would love, don't place yourself beyond love's reach.

Oh miracle — thus to be able to give what we ourselves do not possess, sweet miracle of our empty hands!

One can’t help but think of Jesus on the Cross.

The Comtesse dies and her daughter spreads the rumour that the priest contributed to her death. Still our priest keeps going, bringing peace to both the daughter and the child who taunted him in the catechism class.

Finally he is diagnosed with stomach cancer and cared for by an old seminary friend who is lapsed and living with a woman out of wedlock. As he was dying the young man wrote: Even from the cross ….. He did not own Himself a victim of injustice. ‘They know not what they do’….words some

Are we childish enough never to give up on God? would like to call childish, but the spirits of evil must have been muttering them ever since without understanding, and with ever growing terror. Instead of the thunderbolts they awaited, it is as though a hand of innocence closed over the chasm of their dwelling.

Now let us consider this. Today, where are we? where do we want to be? Are we childish enough never to give up on God? Are we childish enough to believe in the God who can never and will never give up on us? Are we childish enough to forgive?

Croatian Protestant theologian and pastor, Miroslav Volf, once said, “I am not who I tell myself I am. I am not who other people tell me I am. I am who God tells me I am, and He tells me that I am His beloved.” Despite all to the contrary, our country priest knew this.

May this be the time of your life when despite all that happens, you will know it too.

Sr Hilda Scott belongs to the Benedictine community at Jamberoo Abbey.

Beneath the surface of your life there is something good, beautiful and eternal going on. − John O’Donohue

w w w. j o h n o d o n o h u e . c o m

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News

Love life but don’t fear death

By TRACEY EDSTEIN

In keeping with the diocesan vision to live the joy of the Gospel and share it with the world, the 2018 Family Faith Forum will explore the potential of parishes to be centres of living and proclaiming the Gospel.

sport! My mother is my spiritual advisor and great friend in faith. I believe ‘faith’ teaches ‘faith’ and parents and teachers must be authentic, as it is through authenticity that faith can be experienced and understood.”

Keynote speakers will be Leanne and Shane Hyland of Warnervale. The Hylands – Leanne, Shane and Joshua (12), Alyssa (8) and Lachlan (5) – have been chosen as the official family delegates at the World Meeting of Families (WMF) in Dublin in August.

Shane shared a poignant experience from his family life. “Our son Lachlan was not expected to live after complications at birth. I prayed in the nondescript chapel at RNS for God to deliver my son from the horrible fate that was expected for him. Leanne and I prayed together and committed ourselves to the long term care of our beautiful child, no matter the outcome.

We believe that God was profoundly present to us during these times. I quit my job and began studying Theology as a result of some deep prayerful discernment and consultation with Leanne. God was asking me to do life according to his plan and I am now a specialist religion teacher.”

Shane was part of the 2016 diocesan Pastoral Placement Program while studying for a Masters of Education.

Last year he worked for the diocese as a prison chaplain in Cessnock and he’s now a specialist Religious Education teacher at St Mary’s Campus, All Saints College, Maitland. Shane and Leanne are deeply committed to MacKillop Parish, Warnervale, and Leanne teaches at MacKillop College.

I asked Shane and Leanne to share something of their faith. Leanne said, “I was raised in a large Catholic family where faith was of great importance.

All my faith experiences influenced my life and I always wanted to have a family that goes to Church, loves God and helps others. I was so excited when Shane and I decided to make Church and our prayer life a priority, even more important than weekend 8

The potential of parishes to be lifegiving and supportive is a key aspect of the Family Faith Forum. Shane and Leanne are deeply committed to their parish, and the wider church, and they ask much in return! “I believe we’ve been charged with the task of reforming the institution, and families such as ours have a large part to play in being that change. We expect the Bishops to listen very closely to their flock in the 2020 Synod and to implement the

Shane, Alyssa, Joshua, Lachlan and Leanne Hyland.

Image by Giovanni Portelli/The Catholic Weekly

changes recommended by the Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse.”

Leanne says, “I ask that the Church puts into practice recommendations from the Royal Commission, recognises and honours the role that women hold in the Church, listens to the reasons families have left the Church, engages with our youth and provides support for families in a variety of ways.”

That’s a tall order, but one that would I think be echoed by many who remain faithful in spite of all that Catholics have had to come to terms with.

Pope Francis wrote in Amoris Laetitia, “For nine months every mother and father dreams about their child….

You can’t have a family without dreams.” (#169) Shane is very clear that his dream “is that I can be the Father that my children look back on and say ‘Dad loved us and showed us how to love God’”.

Leanne sums up her dream: “I hope they love life and don’t fear death.”

The Bishops’ invitation to participate in the WMF in August is, in Shane’s words, “the opportunity of a lifetime. To travel to Ireland and be part of the “big C” church with other families from Australia is sure to be transformative. The kids are very keen to meet Pope Francis if the opportunity presents itself.”

Leanne adds, “We look forward to learning more about Amoris Laetitia so we can provide formation experiences when we return. We welcome the opportunity to learn about what other Catholic Churches are doing well and to share the information with the Australian Catholic Church.”

The Family Faith Forum workshops will focus on revitalising parish life – particularly through the ideas of keynote speakers, Fr Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran, in their bestselling book, Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter. White and Corcoran suggest a three-pronged approach to renewal: improve the music within liturgical and other celebrations, work on the delivery of God’s Word beyond the homily and offer more hospitality.

Thus the forum’s tagline is “Meals, Music, Message more than Mass.”

Director of the Office of Life and Faith, John Donnelly, says, “This forum is intended for those who are interested in the development of parish life beyond Sunday worship. All are welcome!”

To learn more or register for the Family Faith Forum, please P 4979 1328 or E olaf@mn.catholic. org.au Tracey Edstein is the Editor of Aurora Magazine.

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CareTalk

The aftermath of suicide Q

CatholicCare’s Manager of Counselling and Clinical Services, registered psychologist Tanya Russell, addresses an issue each month.

The advice provided is general in nature and does not replace ongoing support and advice from your health professional.

To talk to someone about counselling support, P 4979 1172.

Call Lifeline 24/7 on P 131 114.

A

One of my son’s friends recently died by suicide and, although he wasn’t in his immediate circle of friends, they spent time together through sport. Although my son seems to be coping as well as can be expected, I want to make sure I’m doing everything I can to support him and his friends.

What can I do for him?

A young person’s first experience of death is often not death by suicide. Any death is terribly sad and leaves a sense of loss in our lives. However, death by suicide can leave us totally confused and young people may experience significant difficulty in making sense of their friend’s death. Often suicide happens without obvious warning signs. When a young person is confronted by another young person’s death, even if they were not close to the young person who died by suicide, the reactions can be quite extreme, although understandable. The young person may react with confusion and isolation, seeking independence, but very much wanting support. Reactions may include: ff a lack of interest in school or academic work ff disruptive behaviour in class ff skipping classes

Do you have a question for Tanya?

Email your question to aurora@mn.catholic.org.au or write to Aurora-CareTalk PO Box 756 Newcastle 2300.

ff a lack of interest in activities which were meaningful to them ff chronic low mood ff preoccupation with death ff a need to find meaning through religion or spirituality ff sleeping difficulties ff anger

ff expressions of feelings such as abandonment or blame.

The most important way of offering support to your son is maintaining a good relationship and letting him know you are there for him. Your son may not engage in conversation with you willingly. Don’t let that stop you from telling him you are ready to talk about his friend and how he’s feeling anytime. Often, young people open up more when they are not in a direct face to face conversation. So every now and then, when you are driving, or doing an activity together, you might check in with him again.

Don’t take your son’s silence as a sign he is OK – if you notice other behaviour changes, keep spending time with him.

Remind him of your support by finding ways to spend time together – going to sporting events, movies, shopping, driving him to school and so on. Keep your focus on your relationship so he knows you are there if he needs you.

If your son does open up, try not to say things like “It’ll be OK” or “You’ll feel better in time” – he may feel you are missing the point even if this is true. Stay calm if your son becomes angry with you – reassure him that you are ready to talk when he is and keep trying.

Be ready to answer some questions like “Why did he do it?” or statements such as “If only I knew” or “How did I miss the signs?” You can talk to him about the fact that we never really know but many people who have mental health issues hide it well and even professionals can miss signs.

Ask your son what he needs from you to help him through this. He may also like to acknowledge his friend’s death in a symbolic way. Young people are pretty creative about ways to do this.

Spending time with his friends will also allow your son to be around people who “understand” – not that parents don’t understand, but his friends are his peers and they knew their friend better than his parents did.

For additional support, please consider: www.reachout.com.au – a resource helping parents and teenagers through everyday issues and tough times. Parent Coaching available for teens aged 12-18.

Lifeline – P 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au Suicide callback service – P 1300 65 94 67 www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au Kids Helpline – P 1800 55 1800 (24 hours, ages 5-25).

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Call 1800 222 000 or visit www.calvarycare.org.au to discuss your needs and view our available rooms.

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One by One

Grief was permitted to walk with me Last August, I told a friend I was “allowing my days to unfold in their own unique ways”. I was feeling stunned and in absolute awe of the beauty in the natural world surrounding us, and my regular walks amongst the trees provided my safe and sacred space. “Here,” I said, was “where I entered a space of nothingness”, suggesting that perhaps this is what surrendering really looks like – a place where there are no goals or purpose, other than to rest and absorb the wonder. With no planning or agenda in sight I was free to ‘be’, hope and trust.

This sharing – “I was travelling along in my part of the world quite slowly but caring for myself through the many turns and bumps in the road” – occurred eight months after I was diagnosed with cancer, two months after my Mum’s diagnosis of cancer and death three weeks later, two months after the first of two miscarriages in our family, two months before my decision to resign from a job I loved and three months before my mother-in-law’s cancer diagnosis.

As the reality of these losses was acknowledged and grief was given permission to walk with me for as long as it takes, a deep peace and acceptance settled within and around me. The challenge, however, of being on an unchosen and directionless path and the financial reality of my diagnosis, 10

Benita (second from right) with family members.

By BENITA TAIT

multiple trips to Queensland to be with Mum and later Dad, and my unplanned unemployment has at times threatened to derail me and take away the peace and calm that had graced me.

This was, nonetheless, the path I was on and so I began ‘unlearning’ a great many things, replacing them with a deepening awareness of and gratitude for who I am in this world and in this one life I have, of who I am for family, friends, acquaintances, strangers and most importantly, of who I am for the God who has held me and called me to a place of deep rest, stillness and silence. The priority to build into my day simple routines that healed and centred me became the building blocks to health and well-being in body, spirit and mind; sometimes they simply helped me to get through a tough day.

Daily reflections from Be Still Awhile…

Along the Track (Jim Quillinan) invited me to pause, slow down, be still. Soon I came to embrace Thomas Merton’s words, “You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognise the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.”

A collection of leaves…gumnuts… twigs, all part of a simple ritual from my

sojourn amongst the trees, could tell a story or two! They are the holders of my shock, anguish, fear, deep sadness and heartache; silently witnessing to the kindness and care that strengthened me. They honour truths behind hurts, disappointments, anger and decisions; telling of new and deeper friendships, regaining control and a deeper sense of myself; they see where forgiveness and acceptance have healed my heart and enfolded endings and beginnings. They speak of intense loss, fatigue, sleepless nights, discomfort, aching body, resistance and surrender to growth; all the while gently tending to my emptiness, aloneness and longing. They shout with pride and celebrate the gift of family and friends.

Lastly, they rejoice in the trust, gratitude, faith, hope and love that have carried me.

Recently, my mother-in-law played, “…Lord you gave me a mountain…

A mountain you know I may never climb...

It isn't just a hill any longer…You gave me a mountain this time” (Elvis Presley).

Through song she expressed her reality and acceptance of her diagnosis. As I near my first Mother’s Day without Mum, watch my Dad adjust to life without his ‘soulmate’, continue treatment, support my mother-in-law, observe excited but anxious parents journey through another pregnancy, the familiar mountain greets

me. The journey remains uncertain, much of it still unplanned, but the people I’ve met, the strengthened friendships, my awakening to life, deepening wisdom and love of my family empowers me to make decisions – intentionally and purposefully – that have led and are leading to a place of healing and hope.

Would I want to change the events of last year, sparing family and friends anguish, concern and pain? There is no simple answer. Instead, like the trees on my walks, 2018 offers me the chance to keep living, to grow, to be surprised and battered by whatever storms come our way, to endure, to shed what is no longer needed or what has been outgrown, to bend and stretch with the ever-changing landscape, to reach for the light, to be ever nourished by faith, hope, love, and to celebrate the gift we have been given in each other.

What have I learned from all this? In the words of Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh, “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and more loved than you will ever know.”

Benita Tait is a Seasons for Growth Trainer for Good Grief and until recently co-ordinated the program in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

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News Educators Tina, Maddy, Mikenzie and Alex enjoy each day at St Nick’s.

St Nicholas Early Education invests in its educators

By JOANNE ISAAC

There are many things that make St Nicholas Early Education the early education provider of choice for many families across the region, such as the quality and ingenuity of the purpose-built centres, the play-based curriculum and the high ratio of early childhood teachers and staff to child ratios.

Something else that sets St Nick’s apart is the quality of its educators and the commitment of the St Nicholas Early Education team of the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle to ensure that St Nick’s is an employer of choice with a wide range of employee benefits.

New St Nicholas Early Education centres

were opened recently in Chisholm, Cardiff and Lochinvar. These centres join St Nick’s in Singleton and Newcastle West as part of a growing agency of the diocese with a total workforce of 120 people. When a range of positions was advertised for the Chisholm centre, over 100 people applied.

It is safe to say that the reputation of St Nick’s as an employer that focuses on the wellbeing and continuing education of its employees is well-known.

St Nicholas offers a comprehensive orientation training week for all new services in the week prior to opening. This intensive training allows each centre’s team of educators the opportunity to work together and be well prepared so

that they can offer the best in quality early education.

to continually support and assist the educators,” said Emma.

St Nicholas offers many professional development opportunities to individual educators as part of its annual wholeof-agency professional development program. In 2018 the focus will be on positively guiding and supporting children with behavioural challenges and also caring for educators.

Having spent time in all the St Nick’s centres, both through my work and as a parent, it is easy to see that the investment made in the ongoing care and development of the educators by the St Nick's Early Education team is bearing fruit. The smiles on everyone’s faces, children and educators alike, tell you everything you need to know.

Emma Pratten, Centre Director at Newcastle West, is impressed with the opportunities available to educators at St Nick’s.

Call 4979 1110 or visit the website stnicholasmn.org.au to learn more.

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News

Vatican images inspire local artist Regular visitors to Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton, will have noticed that for the major church seasons of Lent, Easter and Christmas, the four brown panels of the entrance doors are adorned with poster-sized images and verses. The images, which align with the church liturgical year, are sometimes pitched at children; for example, Jesus in the crib and the visit of the Magi at Christmas. The children or their parents or grandparents can read the words as they enter the cathedral for Mass, reminding them of the church’s season.

Parishioner Sue Paton enjoys using her skills to contribute to her parish community in her retirement. She worked for over 30 years as both a Religious Studies Co-ordinator and Art teacher at St Francis Xavier’s College, Hamilton, and has had a long association with Sacred Heart Cathedral. In conjunction with Cathedral Dean, Fr Andrew Doohan and parish administrative assistant, Margaret Cox, Sue discusses, plans and co-ordinates the images.

Dean of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Fr Andrew Doohan and Sue Paton with the Easter images.

By MONICA SCANLON

life.” The images, which are printed onto metal plates, are photographs of the old masters such as Raphael and Rubens – or of local scenes – and the words are appropriate to the season.

A parishioner has made beautiful padded bags so that the images won’t be scratched and the men of the Men’s Shed are making boxes to hold them.

Sue was inspired when she was in Rome and heard Pope Francis say he wanted a change of images on the doors of the Vatican, in line with the seasons.

Fr Andrew is delighted by “the way the images enhance the cathedral aesthetic and provide an orienting moment when people arrive. Sue is using her God-given gifts to give glory to God.” Responses to the images on the doors at Sacred Heart Cathedral have been positive, with one worshipper saying, “The doors are welcoming and you know what is happening. They tell the story.”

Sue strongly believes that “Visuals talk better than words as the visuals show off the words and bring the story to

Monica Scanlon is a member of the Aurora editorial team.

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Family Matters

More than meets the eye How do we raise girls to be strong and free? It actually starts in the toddler years. They need encouragement and permission to be adventurous, messy, noisy and physical. Fathers are often the key to this − many dads like to take their children into the outdoors, and are much more vigorous in how they play. This is good for a girl who can learn to trust and enjoy her body and what it can do. Of course you have to be careful − I read once that children are five times more likely to end up in hospital while in the care of their Dad! So some common sense is called for!

Tell her how kind she is, how strong, how funny, how good a friend, what a good climber she is.

The neuroscience is proving something very important – that nature is good for our brains. Your daughter, whatever her age, is a wild creature, one who needs to be in the rhythms, textures, seasons and peace of nature. An overgrown garden she can build cubbies in, pets she can cuddle and love – and even see die – and big landscapes of beaches and hills to run in are all essential to her mental health. Kids learn calmness in nature, away from screens and the jangling artificial world. Nothing in nature is saying be thin, be pretty, be

By STEVE BIDDULPH AM

rushed. She can find and be herself, happy in her own company, or teaming up with others to build or imagine.

The clothes and toys we choose are important because they may unintentionally limit her. Don’t dress your toddler in frilly, expensive or fragile clothes. That sends a signal to her that she is there to be looked at by others.

Don’t keep telling her how pretty she is, as she will start to think that’s what matters in life. Tell her how kind she is, how strong, how funny, how good a friend, what a good climber she is.

An occasional princess dress won’t do any harm, but in the main, avoid anywhere the words ‘kids’ and ‘fashion’ occur together. Dress her for messiness whenever you can.

Imagination develops better when toys are few and when they don’t determine how you play. A big box of wooden blocks is better than “My little clothes shop”. In fact, according to Simplicity Parenting author Kim Payne, halving the number of toys our kids have lying around actually makes it easier for them to play and learn to focus. It also helps not to have TV or radio on where

they are playing, as studies show that kids can’t concentrate. In a quiet living room, toddlers make up more stories and act out the conversations between their toys. It’s a brilliant (and often hilarious) way that they learn social skills and deal with their lives through play. TV and screens are not great for toddlers – a few, well-loved and wellworn DVDs or regular shows like “Play School” that are crafted to suit their brain development should be the only electronics in toddlers’ lives.

With a bit of thought, we can focus on raising little girls who feel that they are strong, active explorers and that the world is theirs to explore – and little girls who don’t give a thought about how they look. That’s the beginning of making them free.

Steve Biddulph’s book 10 Things Girls Need Most is published by Finch, and you can join in on Facebook at www.stevebiddulph. com.

Steve Biddulph AM is an Australian author, activist and psychologist.

Frankly Spoken We must risk, because love knows how to risk. Without risk, a young person ages, and the Church ages too. We need you young people, living stones of a Church with a face that is youthful, but not wearing makeup, not artificially ‘youthened’, but revived from within. And you provoke us to escape the logic of ‘it’s always been done this way’ in order to remain creatively in line with authentic tradition.”

– To youth, 19 March 2018.

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Feature

Young people the protagonists of their own futures In October there will be a Synod of Bishops on the theme “Youth, faith and vocational discernment.” In March this year, as Sean-Patrick Lovett wrote, “Pope Francis opened the pre-Synodal meeting in Rome…with a provocation: “Too often we talk about young people without asking what they think,” he said. There are those, said the Pope, who tend to “idolise” youth, and others who prefer to keep young people “at a safe distance”, rather than allowing them to be the protagonists of their own futures. (www.vaticannnews.va 19 March 2018).

Still a deep love and respect

By KIARA CONAGHAN The young people of today are symbols of the modern world, and as young people in the Catholic Church, we become symbols of the importance and relevance of faith as we face the challenges this modern world brings us. Young people are not afraid to ask the tough questions, and are not afraid to express themselves openly

and vibrantly. This, I believe, has allowed us to discover a whole new dimension of religious expression.

We now have social media as a church, concert liturgies, but at the heart, there is still a deep love and respect for the traditional values and rituals of the Catholic Church.

Kiara Conaghan is a Year 12 student at St Paul’s Catholic College, Booragul.

Something bigger than themselves

By STEPHANIE TRUNK Being a young person in today’s church provides challenges. Young people are trying to find out who they are in the world we live in.

When the media portrays the Catholic Church in a negative way young people become lost on their journey. Unfortunately, in today’s society our youth are experiencing negative backlash for wanting to believe in something bigger than themselves.

Those participants who were blessed to have been given the opportunity to experience the Catholic Youth Festival 2017 in Sydney were exposed to something bigger than themselves. They were invited to relate in a practical and communal way to our always loving God. The young people recognised that they are not the only ones in the world who follow the Catholic faith and church. Attending the

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daily seminars and participating in prayer reinforced just how meaningful and important our faith is today.

Young people are the future of our Catholic Church. They need to be the focus in the years to come.

How are we promoting the faith of the young people of Australia?

Young people can sometimes fail to connect the Gospels with life experiences.

How do we make the ‘one off’ experiences such as the Youth Festival impact on our young people so that they respond with commitment to participation at Mass and regular prayer?

How do we support the young in our church?

Stephanie Trunk is a teacher at St Catherine’s Catholic College, Singleton and was a group leader at ACYF Sydney in December.

During the Year of Youth declared by the Australian Catholic Bishops, Aurora has been asking local young people what they think, initially those who participated in the Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Sydney in December.

On these pages is a selection of responses – more are welcome. Just contact the editor, E tracey.edstein@mn.catholic.org.au or P 4979 1288.

Please visit youth.catholic.org.au/year-of-youth

A sense of being able to do our part in the Church

By CATHERINE LERCH I’m Catherine Lerch and I am a student at St Paul’s Catholic College, Booragul.

I am also an altar server at St Kevin’s in Cardiff. I enjoy being a young Catholic in Australia as it has given me the opportunity to travel and meet other young people as well as increase my faith. In December I travelled to the Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Sydney. There I met many people from across Australia who shared my faith and I made many friends.

The best part of the ACYF was the atmosphere when we all gathered in the main stadium. The music created a sense of unity while the talks were inspiring. We were able to hear from people with many different opinions and points of view. One of my favourite speakers was the Benedictine, Sister Hilda. She gathered a bunch of people and they sat and drank tea while we learned their stories, which was really cool. One was a teacher from one of the schools in another state. She spoke about how things were when she was younger. It was good to hear about how things could change in just one lifetime.

We also learned about different charities in a building called “The Dome”. We were able to visit various stalls, each of which spoke of a different charity.

We learnt about the work of each one and who they helped. We also learned about “Orange Sky” when Lucas and Nic talked in the main stadium. We found out about how they engage the homeless and wash their clothes. I was inspired by their speech because it made me realise that you could help other people by doing simple things like washing clothes. You did not have to do

something on a large scale to make a difference in people’s lives. They shared how their charity has now spread up and down the east coast.

Sean was our group leader and later I found out that he works with my Dad. When we walked back after the last Mass, there was a homeless person sitting on the side of the road. While everyone was going past, Sean stopped and spoke to him, which I thought was touching. I found Sean funny, even when there were problems between the people he was caring for. He was always smiling and knew how to handle tense situations. I always felt as though he had our back.

One of the people I met was Aisli. She had been going to ACYF and knew many of the participants. One day, on the train, it was early and everyone was tired. Aisli started a singalong, a catchy song that we had heard at the main stadium. Everyone in the carriage sang along, including my friends and myself though we were not the best singers.

It was fabulous because we were having a great time even though we felt so exhausted.

The main thing I would like to say to the bishops of Australia is that the ACYF was extremely effective as it gave us a chance to speak up about what is going on in the Church. It gave everyone a sense of being able to do our part in the Church. This is probably the main thing I took away from the festival. I would also like to thank the bishops for giving us this wonderful opportunity to participate in an event which helped strengthen my faith and sense of belonging to the Church.

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Feature Coming of age a matter of faith

By GABRIELLE LYNCH

Gabrielle Lynch responded to an invitation to reflect on the Church during the Year of Youth initiated by the Australian Catholic Bishops.

I was 10 years old when the World Youth Day Cross and Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary visited my school, St Catherine’s Catholic College, Singleton. I vividly remember my teacher explaining to my class how important this visit was and how lucky we were to glimpse them. Filled with anticipation, my classmates and I headed out into the playground to see what all the fuss was about. There they were, the much talked about Cross and Icon. I’ll admit it, I wasn’t particularly impressed and with the hot summer air stinging my skin as it tends to do in Singleton, I made my way back into the air-conditioned classroom and didn’t think much more about it.

This year is the 10th anniversary of Australia’s hosting World Youth Day and I’ve not long turned 21. I’d probably take more notice of the Cross and Icon if they appeared at my University today than I did as a 10-year-old school girl.

In my final years of secondary school, the place of religion and faith became more interesting to me. What is the role of faith in people’s lives? Why are some people devotedly religious and others not? What could religion offer me

Coming from a distinctly Christian context, having grown up in a Catholic family and schooled through the Catholic education system, religion has always been part of my life. It floated somewhere in the background; murmured in the utterance of a morning prayer or sung in the school song. In the same way that I ate Vegemite on toast for breakfast or had a passionfruit juice popper at recess, Catholicism was a convenient part of my routine that rarely received a moment’s thought in my young mind. Now that I’ve entered the adult world and have moved to Sydney for university, I have found myself bereft of my faith and have begun to seek the comfort it once provided me.

We young people are living in a world that demands so much of us. We need to be opinionated but still openminded, informed yet not arrogant – and we need to have realistic plans for the future. Through social media and the internet, we are exposed to a world that can seem so big that we don’t always know where we stand.

We know we can’t resist change and coming to terms with the workings of the world is a fantastic adventure for young people. As we try to find our place in it all, religion can offer us a landing place for when we fall. In the world of contemporary young people, the Catholic Church needs to remain non-judgemental. Church should be a place where young people can escape expectations and where the sounds and pressures of the exterior world can be paused, even if only for a few moments.

In my experience, finding young people who openly declare they are “practising Catholics” is somewhat rare today. The recent census data suggests something similar, revealing that Australians are rapidly ticking the ‘non-religious’ box. I don’t believe we are any less religious or spiritual than we have been in the past. In fact, in this increasingly complex world, I am inclined to believe that the desire for religious or spiritual expression is stronger then ever. So how can the Catholic Church reach out to young people?

Moreover, in the wake of the #MeToo movement and the current push for gender equality, the Catholic Church needs to make a conscious effort to promote and celebrate the achievements of women of faith in order to attract young people and especially young women. When I was in my final year of high school, my religion teacher introduced me to a 12th century German saint, Hildegard of Bingen, who promoted gender equality and once wrote, “Without woman, man could not be called man; without man,

as a young woman in an increasingly complex and diverse world?

woman could not be named woman.”

Hildegard was a feminist before the term existed and recognised that for Catholicism to be attractive for women, it needed to promote a feminine image.

Now more then ever, the teachings of religious women like Hildegard should be celebrated in the Church. In a world that can be particularly confusing and highly judgemental of young women, the church has a duty to provide a place of empowerment, inclusivity and equality.

That 10-year old girl, staring unimpressed at the Icon and Cross, couldn’t have anticipated the tumultuous years of adolescence and young adulthood that were ahead of her. Yet my religious faith stood as a constant – and so much more than blunt questions about ‘Do you believe in God’ or ‘Do you agree with this church teaching?’ As an institution, the Catholic Church can offer young people a sanctuary from a world that is frightening as much as it is exciting. I believe it’s important not to lose track of what really matters: a sense of community, opportunities for reflection and a source of inspiration.

Gabrielle Lynch is studying a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English Literature at the University of Sydney. To learn more, please visit www.youth.catholic.org.au/projects/ year-of‑youth.

Stephanie Larkin, Emma-Rose Bailey, Maddison Frima, Stephanie Trunk, Samuel O’Brien, Fr Peter Street, Jack Godschalk and (front) Nathaniel Edwards participated in ACYF in December 2017.

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Seasons of Mercy

Are you a Sophia woman?

By JUDITH LYNCH

I’m old enough to remember the heady years that followed Vatican II, when small groups were all the go and Catholics began to talk more freely about their faith. For the first time I noticed how women talk about their lives. They begin to tell you something, backtrack to add a detail or two and move back to the original topic before segueing into something that is kind-of-connected, return to the original thread, this time with an embellishment or two, before finishing back at the starting point. It drives most males mad, because while they talk about life in straight lines, women’s communication is more like a Strauss waltz.

the freedom to be who I am – a woman made in the image and likeness of God.

As a woman, relationships are intertwined with my DNA, meaning my life circles and spirals in and around family and friends. There was a household to run, children to grow, employers to satisfy and all manner of relationships that both enriched and challenged me and my God relationship took a back seat for much of it. I prayed when someone was sick or I needed a parking spot, but for anything further I dipped into vaguely remembered childhood religious practices. Then a Brigidine sister, a work colleague, suggested a course at a spirituality centre.

We are women of prayer, sometimes formal, often the kind of prayer that punctuates a day. Many, regardless of their religious denomination, have become dissatisfied with traditional ways of being Church.

They might still do the flowers and clean the kitchen after the parish Sunday morning coffee, but they not only want more, they need more.

This was a new beginning for me. The participants and presenters were women and in workshops and lectures I became aware that for centuries the way women had imaged God and lived their spirituality had been mostly ignored. I discovered that in the Bible the word Sophia, Greek for Wisdom, was a female personification of the gracious presence of God in the world. The imaging implicit in the word Sophia moved me beyond the words and images that called to mind the power, strength and assertiveness of a male world. For women like me who had tired of God images that didn’t recognise the empathy, creativity and relational sense with which we are gifted, Sophia came with the breath of new life, giving me 16

There’s a lot of us – in a shopping centre, at the daytime movies, having a coffee mid-morning or catching a bus, alone or with a friend, playing tennis and enjoying the freedom that mid-life and older can bring with it. We have a creative openness to the needs of others, whether it’s family, friends or the wider community. We can talk family, cooking, gardening, politics and religion with varying degrees of insight and fluidity, but there’s more to us than that. I call us Sophia women.

For ten years now I have met once a month with women like this, women who want to nurture the feminine God-spirit they recognise within themselves.

We started as a group of six strangers drawn together by a small notice in a spirituality centre newssheet.

What we shared in common was a need for affirmation that in the womanly expression of our Christian spirituality we were not alone.

For obvious reasons I called it a Sophia Circle, a time for women to share the circles and spirals of their everyday stories and know that whatever they say will be heard in a reflective space where the voice of God can be heard. In one grouping or another we’ve met in spirituality centres, a church hall, assorted lounge rooms and around a dining room table. One woman might be hurting, another jubilant, yet another facing tough decisions. Each was listened to without interruption, the individuality of their story respected,

supported without anyone stepping rough shod over the intimate places where God hid in the joy and pain and all the other bits in between. It might be ordinary stuff but it has an extra-ordinary edge.

Last year the group I still facilitate was showing signs of becoming stale so we decided to spend this year reading a book by Christine Valters Paintner, The Wisdom of the Body: A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women. For women who were not used to reading non-fiction, let alone spirituality, it wasn’t an easy ask. Written from a Benedictine perspective, each of the ten chapters in her book incorporates prayer, questions for reflection, a focus and creative activity such as yoga and poetry. We’ve agreed to read a chapter a month, in our own time, paying special attention to the words or even the sections of the chapter that resonate with our own lives. That, in its personal reality, is what we share when we meet.

Sophia women are wisdom women who have matured in real life, as Pope Francis very succinctly said recently. Sophia Circles are a gift we can give ourselves and each other, our gift to a Church struggling to find its place in an increasingly unresponsive world.

Judith Lynch’s writing flows out of the patchwork of her life and the spirituality she finds in it.

Visit her website www.tarellaspirituality.com, named after her pioneer grandparent’s wheat farm in Victoria’s Mallee. The Wisdom of the Body: A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women is published by Sorin Books, Notre Dame Indiana, 2017.

Judith Lynch is a writer who lives in Melbourne.

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Education

Powerful libraries make powerful learners

By AMY THEODORE

No longer just a quiet place to sit and develop literacy skills, school libraries have evolved into engaging, forwardthinking contemporary learning hubs.

While you will still find plenty of space dedicated to recreational reading, the development of new educational technologies and the increasing use of the Internet over the last decade have seen libraries become more and more important in education.

Sitting at the ‘heart’ of the school, libraries have been transformed into learning hubs that provide access to a variety of technological resources that enhance individual and group learning for students and aid teaching and learning requirements for staff.

They provide a place for students to connect with their peers around shared interests and on school-based collaborative work, while staff can utilise these spaces for their own development in delivering targeted literacy, ICT and information skills lessons and conducting professional gatherings.

The newly opened learning hub at St Pius X High School, Adamstown, is a perfect example of how these spaces have been transformed.

The ground floor of the new light-filled, two-storey St Pius’ X High School library accommodates a designated research area, a seminar room and research pods and houses a non-fiction collection to encourage recreational reading.

The upstairs entry level features circulation and reference desks, another teaching space and a substantial fiction collection.

“This library is a magnificent facility that will certainly enhance the learning experience of every student at St Pius’,” said principal, Robert Emery.

This new space gives students access to an array of resources to further their learning and collaborate on projects such as the school newspaper, mock trial and debating preparation, STEM projects and other tasks set by teachers.

“Not only is the building aesthetically appealing, it represents an important step in the school's longterm educational planning,” said Teacher Librarian at St Pius X, Stephanie Strachan.

Stephanie Strachan assists students in the library at St Pius X High School.

“It supports current evidence-based research that ‘powerful libraries make powerful learners’ and is a visual reminder of exciting opportunities for collaboration and 21st century learning pedagogies.”

This evolution of the school library has also seen a shift in the role of the school librarian.

No longer just there to help students hire books and hush students to silence, the teacher librarian is a vital educator who continually evolves and adapts to suit the changing needs of the school community.

With library catalogues and resources now available 24/7, teacher librarians are constantly responding to current and emerging information systems and helping staff and students gain the skills they need to navigate this new online space.

As well as ensuring that staff and students are given the best possible access to available resources, the teacher librarian also sifts through vast sources of information available online to determine what is trustworthy and relevant.

On top of managing the resources and the library space, teacher librarians also provide professional development for staff, teach new skills and content, promote reading and continually provide data to support their programs.

Aside from the educational benefits, learning hubs are proving to have a positive impact on student wellbeing as they become warm, welcoming and inclusive retreats.

Regardless of what is happening at home or on the playground, libraries give students access to uninterrupted thinking time and provide a space where they know they can go and always feel supported.

These contemporary learning facilities are helping to develop the future of education and are creating successful, confident and creative learners.

“While the demise of books and the library has been a topic of conversation, I think we often forget that a book is just one way of distributing information,” said Teacher Librarian at St Paul’s Catholic College, Booragul, Kerri Beezley.

“Having new ways to distribute information has highlighted the importance of libraries and teacher librarians in equipping students with the skills to be information-literate and responsible digital citizens.”

Amy Theodore is a Communications Officer for the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

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Opinion

Maitland woman attends UN Commission focusing on rural women

By MADELEINE BANISTER

Aberglasslyn’s Madeleine Banister recently represented the Catholic Women’s League of Australia at the 62nd United Nations Commission for the Status of Women. She shared her experiences with Aurora.

Q How did the opportunity to participate in the UN Commission arise?

A I was recently appointed the National International Secretary of the Catholic Women's League and part of my role within this position was to represent the organisation at the UN Commission of the Status of Women in New York.

Q Briefly, how does the Commission work?

A How the Commission works has developed through the years. The end goal of the annual Commission is to create a set of Agreed Conclusions, a type of call to action, based on the priority theme for that particular year. This year the priority theme was rural women.

Initially, civil society (non-government organisations etc) played a significant role in the process in creating the Agreed Conclusions, but as the event grew and more organisations became involved, this role has become more observational and the negotiating is left up to the member countries and delegates. In order for the majority of civil society to be heard, countries must contact a delegate and lobby them, and then the delegates do some lobbying themselves. So, nowadays, whilst the negotiating is occurring, civil society and members of the public attend side and parallel events put on by different organisations, which are like mini lectures on different topics, but centred on the priority theme.

An interesting fact about the negotiating process of the Agreed Conclusions for the Commission on the Status of Women is that the majority of the delegates, and those negotiating within the room for the rights of women, are men.

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Q What have been some highlights of the Commission for you?

A There was a number of highlights at the Commission this year, but here are my ‘top three’!

Within an event run by the Holy See, it was acknowledged that those who are trafficked and enslaved are disproportionally found within poor, rural areas as the females within these areas typically lack access to education and health and are therefore more susceptible to promises of a better life. The speakers at the event spoke about how firsthand voices need to be heard and how smaller NGOs need to be better funded as they are typically the ones ‘on the ground’ with the most knowledge. Within the event, it was also said that Pope Francis praised the religious organisations for the work that they do – often silently – in this area but that he also stressed that religious women cannot take on this burden alone as it has become such a global issue.

An Australian panel discussed the difficulties domestic violence workers in rural Australia face. The information and statistics communicated in this event were quite jarring as they described an environment which often leaves those who are trying to help other women isolated and frightened to engage in their local communities. The backlash stems from numerous sources, including a lack of education in relation to family violence in rural communities and also the strong sense of community. This can be a positive aspect but also tends to mean community issues can be swept under the rug due to familiarity and not knowing what is going on behind closed doors.

The majority of the delegates, and those negotiating within the room for the rights of women, are men.

Madeleine Banister, looking at home in New York City.

A session run by the Invisible Girl Project was probably the most significant event for me. The UN has estimated that 50 million girls and women are missing from India’s population due to ‘gendercide’.

(The Indian Government estimates this to be more like 63 million). Gendercide is the systemic mass killing of females due to their gender. Some of the main causes of gendercide within India are the extreme demands of dowry and the lack of social security, which leads to a reliance on sons by the ageing population and the extreme disempowerment of girls and women. A shocking example of this is the practice of naming girls ‘Nakusha,’ which means ‘unwanted’ in India. In one village, 280 girls were found to have this name.

of Women has only strengthened my resolve to become more involved in decision-making processes. The fact that the majority of the people in the room making decisions in relation to the rights of women globally are men is one of the most confusing and frustrating things I've ever encountered. It's 2018 and we still have rural girls who aren't getting adequate education, don't have proper access to services and are being targeted and discriminated against based on their gender. In order for women to be considered equal citizens within society, we must have a seat at the table, even if we have to kick the door down ourselves.

At this stage, I don’t think a polite knock will do.

Q What impact has this experience had on you personally?

A Hearing and learning about these types of inequalities and injustices has made me even more focused on using my privilege to work towards social justice. If anything, attending the Commission on the Status

Madeleine Banister is a student at the University of Newcastle. She has a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Politics, International Relations and History and is currently studying for a post-graduate Juris Doctor/Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.

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Education

Doctors of Education shape the future of All Saints’ College

By GABRIELLE SUTHERLAND

Drs Daniel Belcher, Kylie Harris, Chris Mooney and Bryan Maher at St Mary's Campus, Maitland.

The students of All Saints’ College, St Mary’s Campus, Maitland, are fortunate enough to have four Doctors of Education – Kylie Harris, Bryan Maher, Daniel Belcher and Christopher Mooney – contributing to the development and strategic nature of the senior curriculum at the college.

As All Saints’ College redefines its future as an institute in senior education, the history of the college and the strength of knowledge and expertise of staff are highlighted with four doctorates of education amongst staff who contribute to the diverse curriculum.

Head of Campus, Mark Romano, says, “We are blessed that these teachers chose to work at All Saints’ College.

Having four teachers who have PhDs across multiple subject areas is an enormous advantage to our students.

They are experts who can cater for a diverse range of abilities and use their knowledge and experience to collaborate with colleagues so that all teachers and students can benefit.

“As Head of Campus it is reassuring knowing that our students and staff have access to such capable experts.”

Dr Chris Mooney holds a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) in History from the University of Newcastle and is currently teaching Ancient History and Studies of Religion at St Mary’s.

“During my teaching career, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to undertake higher studies in my discipline. I have also had the opportunity to be part of an excellent teaching team.

“As a result, I have attempted to put in place an educational approach which has as its foundation a spirit of collaboration and mutual respect. I hope my students develop (like myself) a passion for the discipline and an understanding that our interactions are mutually beneficial,” he said.

As a former St Mary’s student with expertise in the field of physics and mathematics, Dr Daniel Belcher also holds a PhD from the University of Newcastle.

“I have been very happy to come back to the college and share my love of mathematics and science. I am hopeful that my enthusiasm shines through to encourage students to remain curious

and driven, even on a Friday afternoon.

“I enjoy it when students pose difficult or thoughtful problems as it encourages both student and teacher to extend and achieve something memorable. I have had the pleasure of continuing to work with students who have transitioned to tertiary education both in a teaching capacity and in a mentoring one. I am pleased to say that the students from St Mary's are very often high calibre and have successfully transitioned to a more individual learning environment; this speaks highly of the teachers here!”

Dr Bryan Maher hopes his PhD will encourage students to become curious about the possibilities of higher education, and to realise that study and learning can have a purpose other than purely utilitarian - that there isn’t any extra dollar value, just satisfaction in pursuit of an area of passion!

“I think the rigour of obtaining a PhD helps me sift through the plethora of educational ‘fads’ and to try to focus on those ideas that might actually have some educational merit.

As a passionate educator in her fourth year at St Mary’s, Dr Kylie Harris hopes

to bring to the college community a commitment to learning as a lifelong pursuit.

Dr Harris’ involvement in redeveloping the senior curriculum has placed a dominant focus on the power of research and reflection in line with the new NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Stage 6 Syllabus requirements for all levels of English and has enabled a dynamic and progressive approach to teaching and learning.

“Having a PhD does not change the world or make me a better teacher – or, unfortunately, mean I am paid more – but it does mean that I am dedicated to making a difference. I believe in the power of critical thought and I see the potential in encouraging students to be independent thinkers.”

St Mary’s Campus continues to thrive with passionate educators who empower their students with the knowledge and skills to become driven and dedicated learners.

Gabrielle Sutherland is a Communications Officer for the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

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Opinion

West Papuans cry out for freedom

By Australian Catholic Social Justice Council

After more than 50 years of repression, the indigenous people of West Papua hold on to the belief that one day they can reclaim their country.

While thousands of Papuans have been beaten, jailed, raped and murdered for standing up for their rights, Papuans young and old continue to risk danger by publicly campaigning for freedom from Indonesian rule, which began as a result of a fraudulent and unjust process enforced by the Indonesian Government and supported by other countries, in particular the United States.

In the latest Catholic Social Justice Series paper, Into the Deep: Seeking justice for the people of West Papua, author Peter Arndt recounts his personal experience of meeting West Papuans in their homes and villages, and describes the importance of faith and solidarity in their struggle for justice.

Australian Catholic Social Justice Council Chairman, Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen, commends Arndt’s account of the sufferings of the indigenous people of West Papua. “He shows how he has come to understand their indomitable desire for selfdetermination and to recognise how the Gospel calls him to walk beside his friends on their journey.”

Arndt notes that the vast majority of Papuans are Christians and their faith sustains them in their resistance to Indonesian occupation, with many public acts of resistance taking the form of prayer gatherings.

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“It’s worth noting that, as much as their faith strengthens Papuans in their struggle, Indonesian soldiers and police often respond by denigrating and mocking their Christianity,” he writes.

The author relates the story of being stopped on the road by soldiers who collected an illegal toll.

“The military and the police not only bring violence and the threat of violence to the Highlands and every other part of West Papua. They also exploit the land and its people for monetary gain.

“Our Papuan colleagues told us how the security forces control the trade of every commodity, from rice to petrol.

The various military and police units divide different types of commodities in particular districts between themselves and operate what is effectively a protection racket. They also operate brothels, trade in pornography and alcohol and illegally sell wildlife, including West Papua’s iconic birds of paradise.”

In the aftermath of the killing of four young men following a pre-Christmas vigil, security officers approached family members offering large sums of money to settle the case and keep them quiet.

“It was blood money.”

Some time later, Arndt found that the case was still being investigated by the National Human Rights Commission and no-one had been held to account for killing the four boys. “That remains the case to this day, despite repeated assurances by the Indonesian

Government that resolving the case is a high priority.”

support for their cause in other parts

“Many Australians, Americans and Europeans seeking to support the people of West Papua baulk at any form of support for a political objective. I have heard people of good will who say that they cannot be involved in political action and so restrict themselves to human rights advocacy. Some advise Papuans that self-determination is an impossible dream.

for a self-determination referendum,

“I am immensely troubled by any approach that actively discourages Papuans from seeking freedom in the way they want it.”

to capitalise on the gains that have

The paper also describes the way Papuans are marginalised by the waves of Indonesians who have migrated from places like Java, Flores and Sumatra.

In some cities, the indigenous Papuan proportion of the population is now a little over 36 per cent.

Papua, not with a view to telling them

Despite the danger of publicly campaigning for their self-determination, support is growing for the organisation formed in 2014 to advance the cause of West Papuan freedom internationally, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).

The leaders of seven Pacific nations spoke in the UN General Assembly in 2016 about human rights abuses in West Papua and supported a statement calling for a report on human rights abuses at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in March 2017.

ULMWP leaders are now seeking

of the world and are campaigning beginning in September 2017 when ULMWP leaders presented a UN official with a petition from well over one million Papuans.

Papuans from every part of society, from customary leaders to the student movement, see the need to unite in support of their leaders in the ULMWP been made since 2014.

Arndt emphasises the importance of solidarity with the people of West what to do, “but with the desire to walk with them in their struggle to shape their own future as the First Peoples of their land”.

This article was first published in Justice Trends, the quarterly newsletter of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, No. 168, March 2018.

E admin@acsjc.org. au or P 8306 3499.

Into the Deep: Seeking justice for the people of West Papua is available for $7.50.

The ACSJC is the national justice and peace agency of the Catholic Church in Australia.

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Community Noticeboard Mum’s Cottage Activities Life Connections Mums’ Cottage, in association with the Iris Foundation, will hold a 10 week program for grandparents who have some care of their grandchildren. The program runs from 1 May - 3 July each Tuesday morning from 10am to 12.30pm. It will be held at Mum’s Cottage, St Helen Street, Holmesville. Register your attendance P 4953 4105. All enquiries to Melanie Clark, Program Co-ordinator/ Facilitator P 0431 432 092.

Open Day All are invited to this event to be held on Friday 11 May from 10am - 2pm at 29 St Helen Street, Holmesville. Come and rejoice in the gift of Motherhood and experience some of the workshops and activities that are held at Mums’ Cottage.

Trivia Night Fundraiser To be held on Friday 8 June from 7.30pm at Club Macquarie, 458 Lake Road, Argenton.

Mums’ Cottage greatly needs a new oven, fridge and freezer to aid in supporting and caring for families in the community. It will allow us to accept more donations of food items, and hold more cooking classes.

Teams will be 6-8 people, cost $10pp, paid before the night if possible. To register your team P 4953 4105.

Palms Australia Palms Australia is holding a volunteer information session on Saturday 12 May from 3-5pm at The Resistance Centre, 472 Hunter Street, Newcastle. They are looking for volunteers from all walks of like to share their skills with communities in Africa, Asia and The Pacific.

For information P 9560 5333 or E palms@palms. org.au to RSVP. “Before We Say I Do” 2018 Marriage Education is a vital part of planning for a life partnership. CatholicCare offers a selection of courses for married and soon-to-be married couples to assist them in preparing for, and maintaining, their commitment to one another.

Couples are advised to attend a course around four months prior to the wedding. Book early as some courses are very popular. “Before We Say I Do” is a group program held over two days or four evenings. P Robyn, 4979 1370.

Marriage Education Course (FOCCUS) at the Toohey Room, Newcastle, 14 and 21 May. 5.15pm-7.30pm.

Marriage Education Course – Before We Say I Do, 3 and 4 August, Toohey Room, Newcastle.

Friday 5pm-9pm, Saturday 9am‑5pm.

Marriage Education Course − (FOCCUS)

at the Toohey Room, Newcastle, 3 and 10 September. 5.15pm-7.30pm.

Marriage Education Course – Before We Say I Do at Singleton CatholicCare, 19 and 20 October. Friday 5pm-9pm, Saturday 9am‑5pm.

Marriage Education Course – (FOCCUS) at the Toohey Room, Newcastle, 29 October and 5 November. 5.15pm-7.30pm.

Marriage Education Course – Before We Say I Do, 23 and 24 November at the Toohey Room, Newcastle. Friday 5pm-9pm, Saturday 9am-5pm.

Interfaith Visits Members of the Catholic Ecumenical and Interfaith Council invite all to join them on Thursday 10 May 9.30am-12pm for an Interfaith visit to the International Buddhist Cham Shan Temple of Australia, 85 Freemans Drive, Morisset. For catering purposes RSVP Brooke Robinson E brooke.robinson@mn.catholic.org.au or P 4979 1111.

Family Faith Forum This will be held on Saturday 19 May with the Hyland family, delegates to the World Meeting of Families in Dublin in August, as keynote speakers. The forum will be in the Toohey Room, 841 Hunter Street, Newcastle, from 9am‑3.30pm. P Office of Life & Faith 4979 1328 or E olaf@mn.catholic.org.au and see page 8.

Confirmation Work Space On Saturday 26 May (10am-1pm) sacramental teams from the Manning/Northern Region are invited to set up camp at St Joseph’s Primary School, Taree, to work on their confirmation liturgies. Supported by the Diocesan Liturgy Council and each other, there’ll be time for discussion before teams work through their liturgies on computers provided. By session end confirmation liturgies should be close to ready for submission to Bishop’s Office.

Go to www.mn.catholic.org.au/media/3385/ 180526_confirmation-work-space_flyer_taree.pdf for more details, E sharon.murphy@mn.catholic. org.au or P 02 4979 1134.

Grieve Writing Competition You are invited to enter the 2018 Grieve Writing Competition. Write a ‘grieve-themed’ 500 word story or a poem up to 36 lines. Entries close on 28 May. Please visit www.hunterwriterscentre. org/grieve-project/.

St Joseph's High School Reunion St Joseph's High School, Merewether, will be holding a school reunion (for all years from 1932 to 1984) on Saturday 9 June. The school will be open for all former students to visit between

10am and noon, followed by lunch from 1pm in the Windsor Room, South Newcastle Leagues Club, 46 Llewellyn Street, Merewether. Cost is $50 per person (not including drinks). Please deposit into the account below asap, including full name as the reference when transferring your payment. Newcastle Permanent Building Society, BSB 650 000; account name M Harris, T Butler, C Doyle; account number 530680904. Sr Ellen (Leo) and Sr Carmel Moore have confirmed their attendance! Memorabilia will be on display. Please visit the St Joseph's High School Merewether Facebook page or contact T’ese on 0411 252 094 or Margie on 0438 286 513.

Seasons for Growth Companioning Training, Children & Young People’s Training Taree 19-20 June and Newcastle 7-8 November. This training is essential for those wishing to facilitate the Seasons for Growth program with children/young people or adults. Please P Jenny 4947 1355 to learn more about becoming a Companion.

Enrolments for training are completed at www.goodgrief.org.au.

Three Returning Theologians Mid 2018 will see national and international theologians return to the diocese for a variety of speaking engagements: 23-26 July Dr James McEvoy to speak on The Spirituality of the Child at various events in the city, Lower and Upper Hunter, including a dinner seminar.

7 August The return from Boston of our own Rev Dr Richard Lennan. One twilight event only.

9-15 August Dr Richard Gaillardetz will again engage with us on issues of church leadership in a variety of seminars and open lectures across the diocese.

For information, including dates, times, venues, contact the diocesan Adult Faith Formation Office. E sharon.murphy@ mn.catholic.org.au or P 4979 1134.

Further details in upcoming editions.

Claiming the Date 14th National BBI-ACBC eConference Will be held on Wednesday 8 August from 10am to 2.05pm. Topic is Synodality in Practice: Listening to the Spirit and Leading Change.

Speakers and panellists include Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Mrs Lana Turvey-Collins, Professor Massimo Faggioli, Professor Richard Lennan and Dr Gemma Cruz. Further information P 9847 0030 or E econference@bbi.catholic. edu.au.

For your diary May  5

Feast of Blessed Edmund Rice, founder of the Christian Brothers

 6

6th Sunday of Easter

 8

World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day

 12 World Fair Trade Day  13 The Ascension of Christ

World Communications Day. Theme: ‘The truth will set you free.’

Mothers’ Day

 15 International Day of Families  16 World Debt Day  19 Family Faith Forum (see page 8)  20 Pentecost Sunday  21 Diocesan Clergy Seminar begins.  24 Mary Help of Christians, Patron of Australia  25 St Bede the Venerable  26 National Sorry Day  27 Trinity Sunday

National Reconciliation Week begins.

 28 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins.  31 Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth

World No Tobacco Day

June  1

St Joseph the Worker

For more events please visit mn.catholic.org.au/calendar and mn.catholic.org.au/community.

Interfaith Forum:

The forums this year will explore more about our faith in action, by discovering our differences, as well as looking at what we can learn from each other about Finding Spirituality, God’s Messages and our Discernment Process.

7 June KILABEN BAY

13 September MAYFIELD

22 November NEWCASTLE WEST

You are welcome to attend one or all of the forums. For catering purposes please register with Brooke Robinson E brooke.robinson@mn.catholic.org.au or P 4979 1111.

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Last Word

Aurora on tour Aurora provided a moment of relaxation in a riad (hotel), deep in the heart of the Marrakesh medina.

Review

By NICK MATTISKE

Norman Cardinal Gilroy was one of Australia’s most influential churchmen, but his talent for administration rather than controversy and tendency to hide his private thoughts and feelings has meant that he is neglected in historical evaluation, a lack John Luttrell’s Norman Thomas Gilroy: An Obedient Life addresses.

Gilroy’s mother offered a model of faith while his father was a model of instability, prompting in Gilroy consistency and financial prudence.

He claimed he always wanted to be a priest, but first he was a telegrapher which took him to Gallipoli.

After being priest and then bishop in Port Augusta, his elevation to Archbishop of Sydney, and later cardinal, recognised his organisational skills but was also prompted by the need to ‘Australianise’ church leadership at a time of Irish dominance.

His talent for bureaucracy led him to amalgamate a bag of semiindependent Catholic papers into the Catholic Weekly, ensuring nothing of which he didn’t approve was published. Post-war, he handled the huge pressure on the Catholic schools from immigration, as student numbers doubled.

The issue of communism created pressure from all sides. Gilroy saw communism as a world-wide, godless conspiracy – which Luttrell suggests was ‘simplistic, if not naïve’ – and unrelentingly supported the Vietnam War. The ‘Movement’ caused more headaches. Although Gilroy supported its anti-communism, he was also fearful of ‘Catholic’ organisations out of direct Church control, not to mention the damage to Labor, then closely tied to the Catholic Church.

As for Vatican II, Gilroy was loyal but “unenthusiastic”. He upheld

Chef Bartholomew Connors, Cathedral Café

Ingredients f f 1 tablespoon oil f f 1 tablespoon butter f f 2 brown onions, sliced f f 1 leek, washed and diced f f 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced f f 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped f f 6 sprigs thyme f f 2 celery stalks, sliced f f Bone from 5kg leg of ham f f 500g packet split green peas, soaked overnight and washed.

the hierarchy of the Church and was not keen on the more egalitarian and democratic aspects of the Council. The world the ‘60s ushered in increasingly “bewildered” him.

Luttrell uses the metaphor of Gilroy steering the ship through turbulent waters, but it could also be argued that he was reluctant to modernise the ship. Gilroy would have agreed with Chesterton that the Church is not to move with the times but is a rock upon which the waves of modernity break.

Luttrell’s distillation of much research is impressive but Gilroy remains a closed book – almost certainly what he would want.

John Luttrell Norman Thomas Gilroy: An Obedient Life St Pauls 2017.

Pea and ham soup As the temperature drops, soup season begins!

This is a tasty traditional favourite.

Method

Chef Bart’s culinary gifts can be enjoyed at Cathedral Café, 843 Hunter St Newcastle West, 9am–1.30pm, Monday to Friday.

P 4961 0546.

Heat oil in a large pot on medium heat, melt butter and stir in the onions and leek to sear for 5 minutes. Add carrots, garlic, thyme, celery and ham bone. Cook another 5 minutes, turning the bone. Add split peas and enough cold water to cover the bone.

Bring to boil and simmer for 2-2.5 hours, skimming and removing impurities.

Remove bone, pick off the meat and return meat to pot.

Season to your liking and serve immediately.

To store, allow to cool and refrigerate for up to 5 days or divide into portions, place in containers and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

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New Release

Burial and Crypt Options at Sandgate Cemetery

Sandgate Newcastle

Northern Cemeteries understands the importance of memorialisation, we are dedicated to caring for a diverse community by offering many options which respect the faith, culture and needs of families.

Sandgate Cemetery has been listening to the needs of the community and developed and opened new areas, more new areas are currently under development.

To find out more or to book an appointment our office is open Monday to Friday 8am-4pm.

Please contact us on 02 4968 3602.

Crypts

An intimate outdoor chapel with a suspended domed roof and surrounded by free standing pillars. The crypts provide families the choice of single or double sites.

Macedonian

Lofty conifers and evergreen tuckeroo trees are the plantings of choice and beautifully accentuate the ambiance of this full monumental memorial area for the Macedonian community.

Monumental Lawn

Situated in a manicured lawn setting conveniently located by the front gates. Add a prestigious final touch to honour your loved one with a sculpted granite headstone.

Greek

The expanding Greek section offers an area for traditional monumental to honour history and those who have passed.

Please enquire about Northern Cemeteries deferred payment plan for all site purchases.

Northern Cemeteries | Sandgate Cemetery | 116 Maitland Road, Sandgate, NSW 2304 Telephone (02) 4968 3602 | info.sandgate@northerncemeteries.com.au |northerncemeteries.com.au Office Hours Monday to Friday: 8am - 4pm

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