Aurora July 2018

Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle July 2018 | No.181

What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?

Robert Falzon asks, ‘could you become a better father?’ Reading is so good for you

FEATURE

Rev Dr R i c h a rd L e nnan writes for Aurora

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First Word On the cover Maddison Delforce, Principal, John Murphy, and Brayden Woodyatt at St Bede's Catholic College, Chisholm.

See story page 5.

Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle July 2018 | No.181

What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?

Robert Falzon asks, ‘could you become a better father?’

Reading is so good for you

Au revoir Over the years, Aurora has featured a wide variety of vocation stories. Each of us has a call, but for some, identifying and answering that call is a long and winding path.

I am grateful to all – including staff of the diocese, Catholic Schools Office and schools, CatholicCare and other agencies and parishes – who have supported Aurora. I acknowledge with deep gratitude my loyal volunteers. The members of the editorial team are Trish Bogan, Shirley McHugh, John Murray, Michael O’Connor and Monica Scanlon. Sr Marie Craddock rsj is the most diligent and gracious of proof readers. Mum (Marie Edstein) and John Skippen have managed distribution with aplomb and Chisholm region has had its own courier service in Patricia and Adrian Banister.

FEATURE

Rev Dr Richard Lenn an writes for Aurora

Featured  St Bede’s is building a strong community

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 Holding the light for others

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 Everyday holiness

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 You’re never too old to help raise a child

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 Standing up for disorderly women!

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 What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?

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 Deacon helps young people navigate life 17  The work of SRE teachers supported by new report 18  Supporting principals to support school communities 19  Audrey Steinmetz: “vocation more than career”

Newly vowed Beguine, Lee-Ann Wein, is one such person. When I was travelling in January, I visited a cottage museum of a Beguine community in Bruges, Belgium. At the ordination of Bishop Brian Mascord, I reconnected with my former student, Lee-Ann, and learned that she was preparing to bring to life – and embrace – this medieval model of Christian life. She called the Beguines “my tribe”. Do read her story, “Hold the light”. Congratulations, too, to the Benedictine community at Jamberoo which is supporting Lee-Ann’s commitment.

This will be the last edition of Aurora edited by me.

The ‘Many parts. One body. One mission.’ process undertaken by the diocese has led me to a crossroads and it’s clear that it’s time to go. There is sadness, but when I was appointed 17 years ago by Bishop Michael Malone, I could not have imagined the myriad opportunities and blessings that would come my way. As I have said many times, being entrusted with people’s stories has been the greatest gift.

Finally, I acknowledge all who have read, written for – and carried bundles of – Aurora over the years.

So many have been so generous and I believe that’s kept the magazine engaging and fresh.

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard!” (AA Milne, Winnie the Pooh).

TRACEY EDSTEIN – Editor

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Regulars  First Word

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 My Word

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 Wisdom in the Square

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 Frankly Spoken

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 CareTalk

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 One by One

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 Family Matters

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 Seasons of Mercy

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 Soul Food

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 Community Noticeboard

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 Last Word

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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

Paying some dues I’ve just ticked over seven years as bishop, and I was out of action for the occasion. Flu. Like so many others. Still, the anniversary set me thinking, not so much about the bishop-years as about where it all began. When I visit school classrooms, the kids ask, ‘Why did you want to become a bishop?’ and I try to explain that it doesn’t work that way but, ‘This is why I chose to study for the priesthood.’ I tell them that, as a teenager, I was up to my neck in church youth groups and camps, and that I knew many of the young priests at that time in Sydney, that I admired them and what they did for us, and that, basically, I wanted to do things like that with my life.

Anyway, this anniversary has me thinking back beyond bishop-ing to the men who inspired me. It’s a bit difficult these days to speak well of priests – in some circles just being a priest brings you under suspicion – but I feel the need to say, ‘These were the men I

knew who did great things for me and for many like me.’ Of course the first thing was that they were good men, good human beings. When I was on a seminary staff, and we would be assessing students, I would sometimes invoke my own somewhat instinctive criterion, ‘A decent human being who believes in God’. Talent is nice, humanity is essential. But to get to some of these men…

The late Jim Granger was the curate of my later teenage years. He had been, and looked like, a Rugby League prop forward, a bit battered if the truth be told. By following through on a rather simple idea that the youth of the parish really needed to be brought together, he fell into running the biggest parish youth group in Sydney. Not that he was particularly ‘charismatic’. He wasn’t a stirring speaker, publicly or otherwise, but you listened because what he stumbled to express was thoughtful and ‘real’. And he was good at bringing in the charismatic people when needed.

But he held things together. He liked the possibilities in young people, liked to see them develop, and he worked hard to create the opportunities. Like many of those ‘60s priests, he worked hard in general. After about fifteen years of strenuous ministry, he had a serious breakdown and he and the Pope agreed that enough was enough. He continued to serve the church in its welfare services, but no longer in the front line.

At his funeral I met people I hadn’t seen in forty years, since we were kids. That’s lasting impact.

presents

Meanwhile, at school, I’d come under the influence of the late Fr Tom O’Donovan sj. It’s hard to sum Tom up, as it is with all of these men. ‘He was full of enthusiasm’, perhaps? He was Rector of the College, but no menial task was alien to him, like coaching Rugby Union which, as a good Victorian, he knew nothing about. Fortunately, the 14Bs didn’t know any better, and he at least made them keen. He stood by the pedestrian crossing each afternoon after school, telling boys to straighten their ties or pull their socks

up, but somehow without being the least bit headmasterly about it, as if he knew they meant to do the right thing but had forgotten it for a time. In fact, there was always that sense conveyed that he thought well of you, even if boys will sometimes be boys. Before he died in 2013 he suffered a degree of dementia. I was at a dinner in a Jesuit house when I saw him last and it is a thankful memory that he was so pleased to see me, and proud that I was a bishop, on at least three separate occasions that evening. Short term memory, shot. Long term enthusiasm and interest in his students, undiminished.

Finally, because of the constraints of space, my first parish priest, Monsignor Ian Burns. Unlike many parish priests of the time, Ian believed that a curate should be a colleague and, if possible, a friend. In parochial matters, he shared all his experience with me and let me make my contributions too. The popular clerical view was that he should have been a bishop, but he probably didn’t have the style or bearing then required, and he wasn’t going to act the part for anybody.

What he did have was a tremendous sense of duty in ministry and a genuine compassion, sort of a ‘preferential option’, for the poor of his inner suburban parish. I think of him ushering engaged couples quietly out of the presbytery at night, to avoid disturbing ‘Mick’, the town drunk asleep on the porch. Too many memories, not enough words. But thank you to these and other men, talented but also ordinary in so many ways, who showed me priesthood off the altar as well as priestly sincerity on it. I can’t imagine who I’d be if I’d not known them.

Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle

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Education

St Bede’s is building a strong community

By AMANDA SKEHAN

New diocesan secondary school, St Bede’s Catholic College, Chisholm, hosted a student showcase evening early in June. Despite the cold weather and a pending State of Origin rugby league game, some 350 people attended this event. The evening saw students proudly exhibit some of their amazing works. Included in this event were musical items, art displays, live scientific experiments and robotic demonstrations, poetry recitals, literature exercises and an Indian multicultural stall. There were also tours of the new building for parents and friends.

The College began in Term 1 with 110 enthusiastic students and a committed

and passionate staff of 10 full-time teachers and an equally positive and hard-working support staff. They will be joined by a full-time teacher learning hub/librarian at the beginning of Term 3.

With a delay in the opening of the first of four inter-connected buildings, the school commenced in what is warmly referred to as the Flexible Learning Village (FLV). Included in the FLV are a sheltered outdoor area and modern, air-conditioned demountables with new furniture. Beginning in such a learning environment has given the members of the community the opportunity to get to know each other more quickly and for students and staff to model a friendly, supportive and engaging culture.

In celebrating the learning achievements of the first semester, there is now much excitement as the community awaits the final touches to the new building and the arrival of furniture in time for Day 1, Term 3 − Tuesday, 23 July. In moving into a magnificent new building that is unlike any other in its unique and modern design, students will be taught in state-of-the-art facilities. The building is designed to cater for up to 420 students with a mix of open and closed learning areas. This is in addition to the FLV that has comfortably catered for the current 110 students.

With the College’s initial cohort of Year 7 students on their journey to making history as St Bede’s first graduates, this

contemporary and growing school will introduce an additional new year group each year until it becomes a full Year 7 to 12 co-educational college of over a thousand students in 2023.

After several years of planning, the first stage of the master plan for St Bede’s has been completed, comprising an entry plaza, car parking, a forecourt, playground and the first of four interconnected buildings.

Included on the ground floor of this truly contemporary air-conditioned building are an expansive entry and administration facilities, meeting rooms, staff room, kitchen, uniform shop, large walkways and break-out spaces, bathrooms, storage rooms and a workshop area. The middle floor includes a number of cluster learning areas, a learning hub/library, a huge science lab, an equally huge food technology kitchen, art room, male and female clinics, bathrooms and more walkways and break-out spaces. The top floor includes music and performing arts spaces, a specialised Learning Support Centre and cluster learning areas that will eventually be transformed into a senior learning area as additional buildings are completed.

The St Bede’s community is now on the countdown to moving into the new building which will further provide the College with an opportunity to continue to develop a culture of high quality, values-driven contemporary learning.

“As we are not confined by out-dated building designs and an entrenched culture, St Bede’s is a dynamic school community that embraces opportunity and innovation. All staff are committed to creating a school community which provides students with a range of skills to best equip them for a changing society and workplace.

Isla and Brooklyn Jennings participated in St Bede’s recent showcase event.

“Underpinning all that we do at St Bede’s are the core values of love, truth, compassion and justice,” said Principal, John Murphy.

Amanda Skehan is Marketing and Digital Communications Officer, Catholic Schools Office.

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Feature

Louise Gannon rsj, Lee-Ann, Helen Bourne and Liz Latham after the ceremony.

Beguine Lee-Ann Wein holding the light before Abbess Mary Barnes osb.

Holding the light for others

By LEE-ANN WEIN

Q: What could a lay woman from the 12th century possibly have in common with a lay woman in 2018?

A: A movement of women called Beguines.

Beguines were committed lay women who followed this way of life from the 12th century until quite recent times, mostly in Europe. They were women who chose an alternative to marriage or religious life. They lived simple, contemplative lives of service. They made personal vows or promises rather than the canonical vows that married women or nuns make. Initially they lived alone or in small communities. Their numbers grew and for safety they lived in large communities called Beguinages. By the 15th century one of these Beguinages housed 2000 women. They were artisans, women of wisdom and many were mystics.

If you study the Spiritual Classics today, you may read Marguerite Porette’s work The Mirror of Simple Souls. She was imprisoned and burnt at the stake for that work.

After reading it again recently, I felt I had found some kindred spirits. I wondered if it were possible that I could be one of these women. Before his episcopal ordination, Bishop Brian Mascord made a retreat here at the Abbey. After listening to him describe the deep trust it took for him to say “Yes”, I felt inspired to follow what I was hearing within me and begin a discussion with the Abbey community. The community is open to supporting new expressions of commitment within the church, and has chosen to stand with me in my commitment to become a Beguine.

I am a Hunter Valley girl, educated at St Mary’s and St Peter’s High Schools, Maitland. I have been a veterinary nurse and a funeral director. I have spent time in initial formation with the Sisters of St Joseph, Lochinvar, and the Benedictine Nuns of Jamberoo.

The excellent formation I received in religious life has provided a framework for me to formulate my life values and personal vows as a Beguine.

The church in the middle ages was wealthy and powerful with little outreach to the poor. A large part of Beguine life was living the vita apostolica – apostolic life – in caring for the socially marginalised, the sick and the destitute. These women were the first nurses, midwives and teachers. They were often called on to sit with the dying, prepare the body for burial and attend the funeral. They cared for lepers and created the first hospices. In the large Beguinages they had The Table of the Holy Spirit, which was similar to our Vinnies outreach. They took particular care of women.

1. Simplicity of Life

Five years ago I came to live at the Benedictine Abbey at Jamberoo and work in the Sisters’ candle-making business. At that time I read Laura Swan’s Book The Wisdom of the Beguines: The Forgotten Story of a Medieval Women’s Movement and found it fascinating.

In living simply I endeavour to practise conscious consumerism out of respect for others and our planet, to recycle and repurpose, to choose ethically made products and to avoid large corporate entities in favour of local community.

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I have chosen to make three vows (promises): 2. Contemplative Listening 3. Service of Praying Compline (night prayer) for all survivors of sexual abuse and for freedom and dignity for all women.

In living Contemplative Listening, I honour my desire for wholeness by committing to personal and spiritual growth through reading, prayer, and solitude, taking the Rule of St Benedict as my guide.

Child sexual abuse affects some one in three girls.

This is why I pray.

The vow of service is the most important part for me. According to Our Watch (www.ourwatch.org. au) one woman dies each week in Australia due to male violence. According to the Association of Child Welfare Agencies, each week more than 60 children are placed in care because home isn’t a safe place.

Child sexual abuse affects some one in three girls.

This is why I pray. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, I have valued someone holding the light for me in my recovery from my trauma. My Compline prayer for survivors and for women is my way of holding the light for others.

As I move into my commitment as a Beguine, I feel I have 800 years of women standing with me as well as the support of the beautiful community of Benedictine women here at Jamberoo Abbey.

Lee-Ann Wein is following the Beguine way of life at Jamberoo Abbey.

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Wisdom in the Square

Change of era in Oz

By MICHAEL KELLY sj

In a revealing throwaway line, Pope Francis captured something that is true for the Church across the world but most especially for the Church in Australia. The Pope described our time in the church and wider society as “not so much an era of change as a change of era”.

It’s an elliptical expression that could mean about anything you want it to mean. But it certainly refers to something we all know is going on – that where we’ve been in the Church internationally and in Australia is no sure indication of where we will be soon enough.

Think about women, or participation in decisionmaking in the church, or gender and identity issues: we have hardly begun the discussion. And there are so many other issues.

What adds urgency and the unavoidability of profound change is the misnamed crisis of clerical sexual abuse.

I have believed for a long time that it’s more the crisis of incompetent leadership in the Church than anything to do particularly with sexual abuse. Just read the recommendations of the recent Royal Commission.

On one outstanding issue, the Catholic Church is disturbingly not even attending to its core business.

The stubborn fixation with clerical celibacy means that vast numbers in the church are deprived of the Eucharist.

representation of something far less visible: the death of a culture that kept the Church afloat.

But what are we to make of the evaporation of a culture that sustained the Church probably until the 1960s? As I was part of it, I think I am experienced and qualified enough to comment.

The first thing to ask is how it could have collapsed so completely if it was so good? And I think the answer is pretty simple: it was paper thin! If the faith was so robust among Australian Catholics, how has disintegration, alienation and dissatisfaction occurred, if not quickly then quite extensively? “Pray, pay and obey” was the clichéd description of what was expected of lay people in a clerically dominated, authoritarian and pious Church.

But first let’s ask what has disintegrated? It’s not just the complete collapse of confidence in the Church’s leadership. It’s not even the perception that the Church in Australia is just a club run by old men who have a rule book and keep telling everyone what the rules are. It’s simpler and actually very easy to understand.

That in itself is the tip of an iceberg called ministry.

Who is admitted to what ministry? How can the church organise and arrange its ministries so that it can do what it is founded to do – preach the gospel and enliven the world with vibrant communities at its service?

Until I was about 18 years old (1971), two things fortified Catholicism in Australia and had since the 1840s. They were tribalism and ritual conformity.

Catholicism meant you were Irish or Irish-Australian.

Post-World War II migration had not made an extensive impact by then and the contest with the wider non-Catholic and often Masonic society still affected job opportunities, suburban locations for Catholic families and of course, the schools children attended.

That’s why what we are experiencing is a change of era. You don’t have to be an actuary to see that the way the church was for its first 150 years in Australia is over! The sight of half empty churches with ageing congregations all across the country is the visual

The pre-Vatican II hierarchies of clergy and religious, the perception of priests, brothers and nuns in parishes and schools as our cultural heroes melded with the devotions, sacramental rituals, seasons and feasts that shaped Catholic faith.

We were the winning team and we wanted everyone to know it.

The Church kept growing in numbers, increasing its buildings and services. It was boom time for a very externalised understanding of Catholicism. A lot of it had to do with show and institutional machismo. We were the winning team and we wanted everyone to know it.

But that’s all gone for the most part and life as a Catholic now approximates more to another favoured image of the current Pope than anything else: a field hospital for the wounded and dying. And in my experience, time in hospital is always challenging and brings the patient back to basics.

One of the basics is an interior life and, in all the hugger mugger of tribalism and rituals, there was not much opportunity provided for the development of the interior life – helping us to become more self-aware, reflective and prayerful.

In fact, I’ve found throughout my life as a priest that real (rather than notional) faith usually only comes to someone when they get sick, fail, lose their job, get divorced or suffer one of the myriad reversals that come along in life, mine too: moments of failure, rejection, disappointment. You either dig deeper or you just park the whole subject and forget it.

We are in the first five minutes of a long day. We are in a change of era and the shape of that era is only just beginning to be explored.

Fr Michael Kelly is a Bangkok-based Australian Jesuit who led www.ucanews.com 2008-2018 and is now the publisher of the English editions of La Croix International and La Civilta Cattolica.

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News

Everyday holiness

By REV DR RICHARD LENNAN

“Holiness” has deep roots in the tradition of faith; it is the characteristic that the Bible and our liturgy apply most often to God. The tradition emphasises also that, through God, holiness is proper to us as well: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:44). The very idea of holiness, however, can be discouraging: it sounds too remote, too perfect, too much about all that is not true of us. Still more, we may feel a certain cynicism towards the term, associating it with the illusion of being better than others.

church that looks outward towards the world, not one that walls itself off from those who suffer, those on the “peripheries,” to use a term the pope employs often.

As he does so often on many themes, Pope Francis in his recent exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate (“Rejoice and be Glad”), invites the church to a new perspective on holiness. Above all, he invites us to recognise and express in our lives the holiness to which the Spirit of God calls each of us.

The exhortation is uncompromising in rejecting any sense that only some people can be holy. In that vein, the pope repudiates the view that the church could be a community of the “strict and allegedly pure”. He disclaims too the idea that any of us can know where others stand with God. Here again, the pope rebuts the idea that the church is a community of the perfect. As his alternative to a false claim to perfection, especially a perfection we could accomplish by our own efforts and will-power, Pope Francis presents holiness as a work of grace, through which God’s Spirit “takes hold of us and transforms us progressively”.

The Pope states unambiguously that the call of the Spirit is not rare and exceptional, but part of our everyday life, as can be our response to the Spirit.

Holiness requires only the willingness to open our hearts in love to the needs of others. Pope Francis stresses that holy individuals and communities are those who practise “the little details of love” in daily life.

Pope Francis underscores the importance of everyday acts of mercy, compassion and generosity, all of which reflect God’s holiness. In doing so, Francis challenges us to understand holiness as something other than a static perfection – the creator God, the God who become incarnate in Jesus Christ, and continues to bestow the Holy Spirit on the community of faith and the whole creation, is surely anything but static.

In making clear that holiness “is not about swooning in mystic rapture,” Pope Francis emphasises that holiness does not separate us from the messy reality of daily life. Holy people are those who allow God’s Spirit to guide them in sharing God’s life with others, precisely in that messy reality. As ever, Pope Francis seeks a

In a way that is stunning, even shocking, the pope says of saints, the people whom we acknowledge as holy, “Not everything a saint says is completely faithful to the Gospel; not everything he or she does is authentic or perfect.” This acknowledgement reflects a conviction that emerges clearly from the text of the exhortation: holiness is a process, not a once-for-all, one-off event.

Pope Francis offers a list of qualities most likely to be evident in those who embrace the Spirit’s call to holiness: perseverance; patience; meekness; joy and a sense of humour; boldness and passion; a commitment to community; constancy in prayer. Each quality on that list can be a lifelong project. Each of them also contributes to our formation as people who embody the Beatitudes, the model of holiness that Jesus offers and on which the pope reflects extensively in his text.

Not surprisingly, Pope Francis showcases prayer as integral to the life of holiness. Prayer, which has its source in the Holy Spirit, frees us from the danger of sinking into “a dull and dreary mediocrity”. Prayer frees us to live more boldly as disciples of Jesus, and to

The Royal Commission has laid bare our church’s manifold failings; discerning how the Spirit is now calling us to live the gospel more authentically is an urgent task for us all. embrace all “that is great, better and more beautiful”.

True to his Jesuit heritage, Pope Francis stresses the importance of discernment, the “readiness to listen” to the movement of God’s Spirit in our lives. Discernment requires quiet, which, in contemporary terms, will call us to find some distance from the “zapping” (a most unusual papal word!) that can obsess us in the digital age.

Discernment can be disturbing: it brings us faceto-face with the ways we have damaged others and obscured the mercy of God. God’s Spirit speaks, however, with the compassion of Christ, calling us to reform and a renewed practice of justice. The Royal Commission has laid bare our church’s manifold failings; discerning how the Spirit is now calling us to live the gospel more authentically is an urgent task for us all.

Holiness is not perfection, but it is “the most attractive face of the Church”. Gaudete et Exsultate is a timely reminder that the Spirit enables us to be that face, to reveal Jesus Christ.

For details of Fr Richard Lennan’s visit to Newcastle, please see page 21.

Rev Dr Richard Lennan is Professor of Systematic Theology, Boston College and a priest of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

Frankly Spoken The call to mission is a call rooted in baptism and addressed to all the baptised. Mission is a ‘being sent forth’ that brings about conversion both in those who are sent and in those who receive their message. In Christ our life is itself a mission! We are mission, because we are God’s love poured out, God’s holiness created in his own image.”

– 1 June to Mission Societies.

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CareTalk

If you change nothing, nothing will change 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

I’m not coping with being at work at the moment. I feel like I am a hated person and a group of staff now ignores me because I told them they made me feel uncomfortable for speaking badly about other staff.

There seems to be a culture of negativity and when I raised my concerns with the manager, I was told to lodge a formal complaint and to access counselling. I just don’t see how counselling will resolve the bullying I am now experiencing. I am also afraid to lodge a formal complaint because these colleagues will know it is me and will probably make my work life even worse. I feel stuck and miserable – what if I lodge a complaint, put myself through a process and the investigation comes back in favour of the colleagues I have issues with? This has happened before and I don’t want to have to leave another workplace due to something like this. What do I do?

Firstly, consider how you might feel if you did nothing and this negative situation continued. You always have options available to you, some more uncomfortable than others, and no doubt you have been thinking about these options. Some that come to my mind include: ff Do nothing and see what happens.

Sometimes (but not too often, unfortunately), negativity resolves with time. ff Access counselling for emotional support but don’t lodge a formal complaint. Counselling can help you gain a clearer perspective on a situation, on how you have been coping, and will also provide you with strategies for coping.

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 Lodge a formal complaint and access counselling at the same time. Managers often recommend lodging a formal complaint so that an investigation can occur. It is important that you have examples of particular incidents or behaviours which can be documented and

explored further. A complaints process is meant to achieve the goal of clarity and make recommendations and the end result may offer some relief. But the process itself is quite stressful so emotional support through counselling or a trusted friend is so important at this time.

Sometimes processes can be drawn out for many reasons so having someone to talk to, whom you trust, is imperative. It’s also important to look after yourself physically and emotionally, knowing that you will be going through a difficult time.

Of course, you may choose to lodge a complaint and not access counselling. But carefully think about your self care if you prefer to deal with this on your own – this is not my recommendation.

Whether you choose to lodge a complaint and/or access counselling, do you need a short break from work to help refocus?

Would it be possible to have a week away somewhere nice, so that you can relax before making a decision? I suggest only a short break because sometimes, when

people take a break from work due to work-related issues, coming back can be much harder. If you do take a break, make it worthwhile and do things you will enjoy – don’t take a break if all you plan to do is be at home, thinking and worrying about the work situation.

You mentioned you did not want to leave this workplace due to these issues.

Leaving a workplace seems like a reasonable idea if you feel you have done everything you can to change a situation and nothing changes. Are you willing to confront courageously these issues in some way?

For you to make an informed decision, it might be worthwhile talking to someone in Human Resources (HR) so that you gain an understanding about how complaints are handled. Will it be investigated by your manager or by HR? How long will the process take? Having this information can help you feel prepared, despite the outcome being uncertain. Keep this in mind: if you change nothing, nothing will change. There is more than one way to achieve this.

Supporting your changing needs Calvary Retirement Communities provides safe, secure and relaxed community living through residential aged care, respite accommodation and self-care retirement villages.

We have care choices available in Belmont, Cessnock, Eleebana, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Sandgate, Singleton, Tanilba Bay, Taree and Waratah.

To arrange a visit or for more information on services near you call 1800 222 000 or visit www.calvarycare.org.au/retirementcommunities Continuing the Mission of the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary

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One by One

Scott, Charlie and Monica Asimus enjoying their weekend.

Scoring goals, on and off the field

By SCOTT ASIMUS I am an educator and leader of Curriculum and Sport at St Mary’s Catholic College, Gateshead. I currently hold the position of TAS Co-ordinator and I have been teaching in Catholic schools for 15 years in the Maitland and Newcastle areas. During this time, I have always tried my best in everything that’s come my way.

I am truly blessed! I have two amazing children named Monica and Charlie who attend St John’s in Maitland, as well as my lovely wife Averil, who now teaches at St Peter’s, Maitland. My beautiful daughter Monica Felice shares her name with my wonderful mother. Averil and I are childhood sweethearts, because we first met as students together in Year 11 at St Mary’s, Maitland. I always wanted to be a father who was visible and active in the lives of my children. I clearly remember the moment when I said to myself, I cannot keep coaching rugby league, I have a responsibility here, I need to be supporting my wife to ensure our children have the best start in life.

I have had very dark times. I have fought my way back from eleven major operations I endured in my rugby league career, but 10

my darkest time was at 17 years of age, while attending St Mary’s, Maitland. It was here that I lost both my parents in a car accident, which absolutely shattered me!

I would not wish this feeling on anyone, and the fact that my parents left that day still haunts me at times, especially being a parent to my own children. In saying this, it is my number one motivator, to be the best father I can be. It is my prerogative that my children are brought up the same way my mother and father raised me. This means a relationship guided by endless love and faithfulness. My life as a child was great, full of fun, love, support and family. I am the youngest of nine children, and if it was not for my family and friends, I would not be in the position I find myself today.

I sometimes look back at my life and wonder! I did not want to be a teacher when I was growing up, I only wanted to play rugby league! I wanted to be just like my two brothers and my Dad, Peter, who played through the glory years of the 1950s with the Maitland Pumpkin Pickers.

Prior to teaching, I began my rugby league career as a junior Knights player before joining the Hunter Mariners. I then

enjoyed playing first grade at the North Queensland Cowboys and the Northern Eagles. Following this, I captained/ coached the Maitland first grade team where I achieved the player’s player award across the entire competition. I have also recently been listed in the 40 best players for the Maitland Pumpkin Pickers. For my final playing season, I played at West Newcastle where I received the Player of the Year award, Best Forward and Man of the Match in the winning grand final team. Looking back, I really did enjoy my rugby league career, and now I have the opportunity to share my little boy Charlie’s journey. He plays in the Under 9s East Maitland Griffins team and absolutely loves it. Mainly, I want him to be happy and enjoy himself, not feel he has to play to make me happy. I would support him no matter what he did.

When I finished playing in the NRL, I needed to decide what to do next. I gravitated towards teaching because I wanted that sense of fun, love, support and family back in my life. It had left me a little through dealing with the pressures of extremely competitive professional sport.

For me, being a school student was fun!

I enjoyed every minute – even though I was very cheeky and at times found myself in a little trouble – school life was where I belonged. So I decided to attend Newcastle University where I completed the 18-month teaching course, because I had a trade as a chippy under my belt.

I worked hard to achieve this while I was playing rugby league.

There have been some major highs for me, such as my wife Averil and my children Moni and Charl, and playing in the NRL, but there have been some real lows. Especially as I get older I find myself seeing greater relevance in the Catholic community and seeking guidance there.

I feel the need to surround myself with fun (being with the students), nurturing love, and support (through my friends and colleagues) and to bring that sense of family into my school life.

Now you understand how I am truly blessed!

Scott Asimus is an educator at St Mary's Catholic College, Gateshead.

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CatholicCare

You’re never too old to help raise a child

By GARY CHRISTENSEN

Friends of mine are foster carers, albeit not with CatholicCare, and I happened to be at their home recently for dinner. I have known this wonderful couple and the extended family for around ten years. They are community-minded people who do all they can to assist those in need.

On the day that I was with them, they had just taken a sibling group of four children into their care. I am sure anyone who has been a parent would know how difficult it would be moving from being a couple with no children to an instant family of six people. The children were all under seven years and as is the case with most children in foster care, they were showing all the symptoms that come with the

trauma of being recently removed from their parents. These little ones needed plenty of tender loving care, reassurance and support; a huge task for my friends.

What struck me the most about this situation though was the fact that my friend’s parents had driven down from the far north coast to lend a hand whilst the little ones settled into their new home. My friend’s parents are retired and have raised their own children and now have plenty of grandchildren of their own. However, they saw their daughter caring for four precious little lives and knew that they could do their part to help, regardless of their season in life.

I reflected on this and it led me to wondering about how many more people who are in the ‘senior’ phase of their lives could be out there, willing to lend a hand without knowing it’s an option. The notion of being a foster carer often conjures up images of having to begin parenting again and have children living in your home permanently. Understandably, for many of us, this is not an option.

However, have you ever considered the notion of being a ‘foster-grandparent’?

That is, supporting some of our full time carers with different aspects of raising a child, much like my friend’s parents are doing. My friend’s parents aren’t providing immediate and full-time care, but they are

lending a hand for a few days at a time by reading stories to the children, taking care of them for a night so my friends can have a much-needed break, cooking some meals and generally being present in the home giving the little ones a positive grandparent experience.

There is a saying that it takes a village to raise a child. Our village needs you. If you would be interested in becoming a ‘fostergrandparent’, please contact us (02) 4979 1120.

Gary Christenson is the Director of CatholicCare Social Services Hunter-Manning

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News

Standing up for disorderly women!

A new publication by Dr Michele Connolly rsj was launched recently by Emeritus Professor Elaine Wainwright rsm in Sydney.

Disorderly women and the order of God: an Australian feminist reading of the Gospel of Mark is the work of a scholarly and lively mind!

Reflecting on her achievement, Michele says, “I think I have been a feminist since I was about three years of age but the language didn’t exist.

Really, I just wanted to express my energies and my drive for life but when I was growing up the freedom and opportunities we take for granted today for girls and young women didn’t exist.”

By TRACEY EDSTEIN

Michele is a Sister of St Joseph of Lochinvar.

She began theology studies in the late ‘80s, in Melbourne and then in Chicago. She taught New Testament Studies at Catholic Theological Union, Hunters Hill, and in many parishes and spiritual renewal centres before pursuing a PhD in New Testament in Berkeley, California. Since 2001 she has been teaching New Testament Studies at the Catholic Institute of Sydney.

Her study in the US exposed her to US feminist Biblical criticism. She says, “I realised that their feminism was strongly influenced by context and history. This is true to feminism which takes context very seriously. I wanted to write a feminist reading of the Gospel of Mark that took the Australian context in which we read equally seriously.

“I finally settled on comparing foundational texts written from young communities in two colonies of great empires. The Gospel of Mark is a foundational text of the young Christian community located originally in Palestine, a

Photograph courtesy of Rev Andrew Doohan.

province of the Roman Empire. I focused on the stories about women and the death of Jesus in this text. I read some texts about foundational events in early Australia, founded as a colony of the British Empire. I critiqued for its gender bias a novel about a famous female convict called Margaret Catchpole and various forms of the Anzac Myth.

“Both the convict establishment of Australia and the Gallipoli experience are regarded as foundational in Australia’s history and identity. I developed criteria from my critique of the Australian narratives with which to read the Marcan narratives. I found that in such narratives female characters tend to be marginalised, not allowed to speak and cast in a negative light. They are portrayed as disorderly, disturbing the steady progress of orderly male projects. Against this, I protest!”

Michele has a warning for readers of Mark’s Gospel. “It can tend to portray that around Jesus, it is normal for women to be marginalised, silenced and denigrated. In his best theological voice, Mark rejects denigration of the weak. He preaches God’s abundance for all; it takes the perception of our age to see the portrayal of persons by their gender as favouring some and disadvantaging others.”

Disorderly women and the order of God: an Australian feminist reading of the Gospel of Mark was published by Bloomsbury New York 2018.

Tracey Edstein is the Editor of Aurora Magazine.

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Family Matters

Could you become a better father?

By ROBERT FALZON “My son, you’re a Dad. Congratulations, Robert.”

I am not alone in my lack of training for effective fatherhood.

My father spoke these words like a blessing over me on 17 April, 1987.

It was the morning of Good Friday when my first child was born. What a profound moment in my life! It was painfully traumatic, especially for my wife, Alicia, but at the same time it was triumphantly terrific. “It’s a boy!”

The whole experience was surprisingly exceptional – a significant and prominent transition in my journey as a man. In that instant I was changed. I became a father. I had arrived, too!

I had a father who was absent much of the time. The experience of longing for my father, of needing a primary male figure in my first 20+ years and the pain of not having that figure, has been one of my greatest personal struggles.

My desire and deep need for approval, validation, boundaries and initiation into manhood were not met. Some writers call this experience and journey the Father Hunger and Father Wound.

There is an ancient saying, “What is not resolved is repeated.” Fr Richard Rohr has stated something very similar – “If the pain of your story is not transformed it will be transmitted.”

I looked at my son. I saw him, touched him, held him, smelled and kissed him, marvelling at the miracle and revelling in the mystery. Look what I had helped make! A new place deep within me was revealed; a strange surge of tactile, tangible warmth, a form of love I had never experienced before: Isaac, my firstborn.

Alicia and I have given life to four children – Isaac, Matthias, Chiara and Shem. The joys of fatherhood have been many. When I set out on the great adventure of fathering, however, I had no comprehension of what it would take to be the father I desired to be and dreamed of being. Nor did I know how I would go about fulfilling this great responsibility.

I was ill-equipped, idealistic and naïve – no training, no plan, no method, no instructions, no tools and no real sense of the generational imprint I would make in the most important task and vocation of my life. How would I do fathering?

I received more instructions on how to set up our new DVD player than anything I had been given to be a father.

Like it or not, my children were a great genealogical experiment.

I received more instructions on how to set up our new DVD player than anything I had been given to be a father

So what did I do when it came time to raise my own family? I repeated the historical patterns and pain of the past. I began a furniture manufacturing business in 1986 and over the years became extremely busy and stressed.

The demands of a growing business and a growing family were more than I could balance, so my family suffered.

My fathering was accidental and dissipated. I was frequently absent from the home and when present, I was emotionally spent. In the late 1990s I had a wake-up call.

I noticed that my children were growing up without me and I was missing them. I wasn’t the father – or husband – I hoped to be.

I needed to modify my life direction, to grow up, to man up, to reject passivity, accept responsibility and live courageously – to become a better father, a better husband and a better man.

I began to read many books about parenting, manhood and fathering.

I realised I needed to repair the wrongs of the past and I sought forgiveness for my failings.

I also started to reflect during a time of quiet and stillness every morning, a time to talk with God and a time for God to guide and instruct me. What began with ten minutes is now about an hour. This has helped me make the necessary change process a journey, rather than a ‘one shot’ event.

I struggled with my childhood relationship with my father and with fathering my own children. As I confronted important issues, I began sharing my experiences, discovering many men struggled with the same issues.

In 2003 I began a Catholic ministry for men called menALIVE, which has sought to be a fellowship and a community of life and nurture for these men. It has also sought to encourage men to rise to their calling to be good fathers, husbands and leaders in their families and communities.

My book The Father Factor, written with Peter O’Shea, is an evidence-based study on the impact of fathers on children, marriage and society.

Four factors determine success and happiness: The Father Factor, The Mother Factor, The Relationship/Love Factor and the Addiction Factor. We touch on all of these but have focused on the Father Factor because it is most in need of attention.

The book’s message is that father-child relationships matter. They help to mould our destiny. The poor state of many father-child relationships constitutes a social crisis which began decades ago. We are now suffering its consequences.

The Father Factor by Robert Falzon and Peter O’Shea was published in 2014 by Connor Court. Please visit www.menalive.org.au. To win a copy of The Father Factor, send an envelope with your name and postal address on the back to The Editor, Aurora, PO Box 756 Newcastle 2300.

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Opinion

What do you think God is asking

By TRACEY EDSTEIN

It’s become something of a cliché for groups protesting about injustice – perceived or real – to chant as they march: What do we want?

in the church, although one could be forgiven for feeling that it does not take centre stage as often as it might.

In fact Bishop Bill opined on the synodal church in Aurora back in August 2017:

The question at the top of the page is the focus of preparation for the Plenary Council of 2020, given the green light

by Pope Francis in March after the Australian bishops announced plans for such a gathering under the presidency of Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB.

“Some readers will be aware of Pope Francis’ ongoing remarks on the desirability of ‘synodality’ in the church or, indeed, of a ‘synodal’ church…. quite strong memories persist of the diocesan synod held in 1992-93. Others will be familiar with Synods of Bishops on particular topics that have been held in Rome periodically since the Second Vatican Council….‘Synod’ is simply derived from the Greek word for ‘a meeting’. So, although the rules and procedures of…the Synod of Bishops might be very precisely defined, to talk about the church being more ‘synodal’ simply means that its decision-making processes should be based around consultation, coming together to talk things through, and confidence in the collective wisdom that arises from the Holy Spirit’s presence in a group of believers.

The synodal approach is far from new

“The first great church issue was

Peace! [or justice, or truth…]

When do we want it?

Now! It’s hard to imagine the Australian bishops acting similarly, but if they did take to the streets, or the airwaves, they might be chanting: What does God want?

What do you think?

When does God want it?

When you’ve taken time to listen and pray about it!

whether pagans had to be circumcised to be baptised. The question was whether Christianity was a movement within Judaism or a new faith that was equally open to gentiles. The good folks in Antioch decided to send a delegation (“Paul and Barnabas and others of the church”) to Jerusalem to discuss the matter with the apostles and elders. “After the discussion had gone on for a long time”, Peter swayed the discussion with a speech, James proposed a resolution, the apostles and elders decided to send out a ruling, “and the whole church concurred. “It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves”, the apostles and elders in Jerusalem wrote to the “brothers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia”. ‘Synodality’ was born.

“Now we have synods to the right and synods to the left! ….a gathering of the bishops and the modern equivalents of ‘the elders of the church’ in Australia is in the offing. This will require massive consultations with the Catholic people at all levels. So we are now initiating the broad consultations that will help set the agenda for a diocesan synod, for

the good of the mission and the people of our diocese, but also to enable us to take our discernment of the signs of the times into the National Plenary Council.

These next few years promise to be full of consequence. I hope that very many of you will share in the talking and the praying, that we might get to the point of saying as a Catholic community, ‘It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by us that….’”

Now, the national Plenary Council Facilitation Team is inviting you – individually or as a member of a family, a parish, a religious congregation, or a group of friends or colleagues – to “Listen to what the Spirit is saying.” In fact, 2018 has been designated as a Year of Listening.

There’s something in me that feels that the People of God spend a lot of time listening – to the Word of God; to the breaking open of the Word in the homily or in a reflection by a member of the community; to Pope Francis, directly or indirectly. I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants to talk!

However, there’s a lot of wisdom in

An Aurora invitation While there will no doubt be invitations from parishes, groups within the diocesan community and for some, workplaces, those invitations may only reach those already engaged with the church.

The Plenary Council Facilitation Team very much hopes that participation will be as broad as possible. No one is excluded! I hope to include in upcoming editions responses to the critical question,

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What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?

Succinctness will be appreciated but I hesitate to impose a word limit. If editing for length is needed, it will happen! It would be great to receive a variety of responses so they can be shared with readers and encourage further responses. Please write to Aurora Editor, PO Box 576 or email aurora@mn.catholic.org.au – as soon as you can manage!

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News

Amen.

of us in Australia at this time? the Executive Committee (see http:// plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/staff/) so perhaps we are being called to trust those people’s judgement that some more listening won’t hurt?

2019 has been designated a Year of Discerning, and 2020 a Year of Proposing. The Plenary Council is not a ‘one off’ event but will be held in two sessions; the first in October 2020 and the second in mid-2021.

first session.

Most importantly, the time in between will allow us to ensure we are listening “to what the spirit is saying” (Rev 2:7).

President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Mark Coleridge, has said, “The plenary council isn’t a talkfest; it’s a time to discern, decide and act. If we do that under the influence of the Holy Spirit, things will change in unexpected and hope-filled ways.”

encouraged to “speak freely from their hearts.

a sanctuary where the thirsty come

“Pope Francis told bishops and cardinal during the Vatican's Synod on the Family that they should speak boldly. ‘Let no one say, ‘this cannot be said’. That’s a good rule of thumb for the Plenary Council – if it arises from prayerful listening and reflection, put it out there!”

and a centre of constant missionary

to drink in the midst of their journey, outreach.” (EG28) The colours are inspired by the colours of our sunburnt country – ochre of the red centre, green from the gum tree leaves, deep blue of the ocean that surrounds us and that characterises our nation’s flag. They are tones and

Our Lady Help of Christians, pray St Mary MacKil op, pray for us.

There will be two sessions in order to enable deeper discernment, further learning, dialogue and listening where it may be needed and to write or rewrite in response to the dialogue of the

Leader of the Facilitation Team, Lana Turvey-Collins, is keen that all those with an interest in the future of the Catholic Church of Australia be

The Plenary Council logo reflects a “community of communities”, drawing upon the message from Pope Francis about the nature of Church. He wrote in Evangelii Gaudium,

textures that reflect our beautifully unique Australian identity.

Tracey Edstein is the Editor of Aurora Magazine.

“It is a community of communities,

How do I get involved?

1. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide the Church through the process,

discernment and decisions of the Plenary Council for the life and mission of the Australian Church.

2. Begin conversations with your friends and neighbours about what it

means to live the life and mission of Jesus in contemporary Australian society. What do you think God is asking of us in Australia?

3. Reflect on the Gospel as well as the emerging social issues of our

time and how these are reflected in, and impact upon, the practice of our faith.

4. Engage with others in your parish, school or network on how you might create practical opportunities to listen and dialogue with others about the future of the Church, particularly between August and October 2018.

5. Create a group in your community to promote the Plenary Council and the conversations that will be encouraged.

6. Visit the website www.plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au and learn more about the Plenary Council. Share and play the videos in the “Resources” section in your local parish, school and communities to spread the word about this once-in-a-century opportunity.

7. Keep listening!

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Seasons of Mercy

Reading is so good for you

By SUSAN McLAINE

“There are books that are suitable for a million people, others for only a hundred. There are even remedies – I mean books – that were written for one person only…A book is both medic and medicine at once. It makes a diagnosis as well as offering therapy. Putting the right novels to the appropriate ailments: that’s how I sell books.”

This is a quotation from Nina George’s charming novel, The Little Paris Bookshop. Its protagonist, Perdu (how good is your French?), calls himself a literary apothecary. He prescribes books to address the ills of readers’ lives. This may sound fanciful but in fact bibliotherapy – including novels, short stories, poetry – is a recognised form of therapy.

Susan McLaine shares with Aurora readers her experience in bibliotherapy.

Bibliotherapy is broadly defined as using books to help people deal with psychological, social and emotional problems. The concept of bibliotherapy is both old and new.

Traditional applications use self-help books as an adjunct for mental illness.

Contemporary definitions, on the other hand, use imaginative literature to promote good mental health and as such nurture our wellbeing. I practise creative bibliotherapy in communitybased group settings. Group creative bibliotherapy has become a widely used form of bibliotherapy in community settings across the UK, Europe, the US and Australia.

Creative bibliotherapy programs are developed as a way to reach and connect with socially isolated and marginalised community members.

The groups I lead are for people who are homeless or are at risk of being homeless and for those in the psychosocial rehabilitation unit within Port Phillip Prison. However, anyone can

benefit from creative bibliotherapy groups; the program is developed around the idea of what it means to be human – an experience we all share!

Research conducted by cognitive neuropsychologist Dr David Lewis offers further evidence that reading is good for you. In fact, the research showed reading works better and faster than other relaxation methods to reduce stress levels. Reading silently for six minutes reduces stress by 68 per cent. This was higher than listening to music at 61 per cent, having a ‘cuppa’ at 54 per cent, or going for a walk at 42 per cent.

More recently, studies involving creative bibliotherapy have collected evidence to show it has been successful in helping individuals with a wide range of psychological, emotional and social problems.

Creative bibliotherapy involves imaginative literature (fiction, inspirational stories, poetry) being read

aloud in a group by a trained facilitator who then leads a conversation exploring the themes found in the literature as a way of providing a new perspective on a problem.

Psychologists believe reading is good for you because the mind has to concentrate on the reading and so the focus shifts, leading to an easing of the tensions around the heart and muscles. However reading is more than a distraction; it is an active engaging of the imagination, which causes you to enter what psychologists describe as an altered state of consciousness. Studies are beginning to show a strong link to a correlation between reading fiction and developing empathy.

The facilitator offers support, guidance and access to literature. The facilitator specifically selects a text suited to the group and encourages members to share stories relevant to the themes under discussion. Through discussion, a facilitator can explore the behaviours

and attitudes of characters, transition points and moments of choice within the fictional narratives as a way to assist group members to explore their own problems and inner experiences from a ‘safe distance’.

With so many members of the community becoming more insular and perhaps disconnected, the possibilities of bibliotherapy are significant. In these groups no one had to read aloud or join the discussion unless they wished to do so. This approach provides the opportunity for the group members to be with other people without the pressure of an expectation to interact.

Even though there is no pressure for anyone to interact, people feel safe to share because sharing relates back to the narrative and the focus reflects the text. Group bibliotherapy can help people find meaningful ways to connect and offers a practical alternative to nourish connection in contemporary society.

Susan McLaine has travelled to the UK to undertake further research and training in the field of bibliotherapy. Since 2009, she has been initiating Australian developments in bibliotherapy, including developing and coordinating the State Library of Victoria’s Book Well program.

She has undertaken a PhD study, investigating how facilitators from non-clinical backgrounds can effectively deliver bibliotherapy to support the general well-being of individuals and communities.

You may like to visit https:// wordsthatheal.com.au/ Susan McLaine is Volunteer Co‑ordinator, People & Culture, State Library Victoria.

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News

Deacon helps young people navigate life

By MONICA SCANLON

Greg Kerr has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division for “service to youth through a range of roles”. He will receive his medal in September. Greg has taught and mentored thousands of young people in high Schools, Scouts and Army Cadets. He continues to support youth through his current roles as a Deacon in the Diocese of MaitlandNewcastle and as a Chaplain at the University of Newcastle.

After finishing school, Greg undertook formation to become a Patrician Brother. He remained for 13 years and his involvement with the Patrician Brothers community had a big impact.

He states “hospitality was always a prime characteristic. There was a big emphasis on developing a strong rapport with the students and on developing young people who had a strong faith.”

Today Greg continues to enjoy his roles and is dedicated to welcoming and helping others.

For 45 years Greg worked in Catholic high schools in the roles of teacher, science co-ordinator, year counsellor, school counsellor, assistant principal and principal. Greg was originally a maths/ science and religion teacher but he diversified to teach geography/history to help the school timetable! In Australia, Greg taught at Fairfield and Blacktown.

He then ventured overseas to work in Aitape, a missionary boarding school in Papua New Guinea, then moved to America to teach in California. On returning in 1983, Greg worked at St Francis Xavier’s College Hamilton, St Pius X High School Adamstown and St Peter’s Maitland, concluding his teaching career at St Paul’s Booragul in 2012.

Greg valued getting to know students and forming a bond with them, not just knowing them as “the kid who sat in the second desk on the right hand side of the classroom”. He would sit with students at recess and lunchtime and ask about their day. It was important

to Greg that students never missed an activity such as an excursion or camp due to financial constraints. He took an interest in students’ out of school activities such as sport, drama and music and would sometimes go and watch them participate.

When Greg returned to Australia from California, his wife Terry, whom he had met in America, volunteered him to be a scout leader – a role he undertook for five years. This involved training scouts and teaching skills such as tying knots, putting up tents, navigation and survival skills. He fitted in these extra activities whilst raising his children, Heather and Patrick.

After participating as an army cadet in high school, Greg went on to be an officer in the army cadets for 34 years. This role, which he undertook out of school hours, was similar to being a Scout leader but with a military framework. As an army officer Greg taught navigation, first aid, bush survival skills, leadership skills and weapon safety. Most school holidays, Greg was involved in running camps and also promotions courses for people from all over the state to become junior or senior leaders. He was also an army chaplain for part of this time.

Greg derived great joy from seeing students grow and solve difficulties life presented. He loved witnessing the growth of young people such as “seeing the nervous, insecure 12 year-old build self-esteem and confidence to become a competent young leader by the time they were 16 or 17 years old”.

In 2009 Greg was ordained deacon in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle after he had completed a theology degree and formation. There are currently 10 permanent deacons who serve the diocesan community in a variety of ways. Greg belongs to MacKillop Parish (Charlestown/Gateshead). He assists at Sunday Mass and sometimes preaches the homily. He has presided

at the weddings of many of his former students and also at the baptisms of their children.

exam week, the stress of coping with assignments or personal relationship or accommodation challenges.

Greg is currently a chaplain at Newcastle University. This has been a logical progression from teaching. Many of his ex-students were attending the university and it was a good way to keep in touch with them. The chaplaincy aims to provide a safe place of support, advice and counselling where students feel welcome to stop by for a chat about where they are in life. There are sixteen people in the chaplaincy team from twelve different denominations, Christian and non-Christian. The chaplaincy provides services such as organising for a JP to sign documents, chatting to students during the pressure of

Greg was surprised and humbled to receive his OAM. Ex-students and cadets have congratulated him on his award, in terms such as, “If it hadn’t been for you I would have ended up in gaol”; “You are an amazing example for today’s youth to aspire to” and “I have been lucky to have you as a teacher and a role model.”

Affirmations like these give Greg incentive to continue to follow his calling.

Monica Scanlon is a member of the Aurora editorial team.

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News

The work of SRE teachers is supported by new report

By JUDE HENNESSY

•

Truth revealed – Australians want faith values taught in schools

If you listen to some reports in the media, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Australians were a completely secular bunch who have turned their backs on religion and Christian values.

The opposite is true, according to new independent research released in May 2018.

The McCrindle Research “Survey of values, education and faith in Australia”, conducted using best practice methods, found that almost 99 per cent of people believe it is important to teach values to Australian school students.

Importantly, despite the fact that a large percentage of those surveyed did not identify with any religion or spiritual belief, 84 per cent believe that Christian heritage has been influential in shaping the values that we teach children, with almost 60 per cent believing this was “very” or “somewhat” influential.

The research also showed that parents overwhelmingly want the choice of faith-based values education, with only 16 per cent of those surveyed opposed to giving parents/carers a choice. This confirms what has been

parents overwhelmingly want the choice of faith-based values education

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evidenced by the provision of Special Religious Education.

It also validates the wonderful work done by thousands of SRE volunteers in public schools throughout NSW and the ACT, affirming the work of many churches here in the Hunter and across the state which recruit, train and support SRE teachers in local primary and secondary schools. Work was recognised in the 2015 SEE and SRE Review report that acknowledged the contribution SRE Providers have been making to NSW Public Education for over 100 years.

The 11 Catholic dioceses which are members of the Catholic Conference for Religious Education in State School (CCRESS) work alongside other churches and faith groups with the NSW Department of Education to ensure that Special Religious Education in public schools is something that parents and carers can choose for their children with confidence.

In co-operation with the Inter Church Commission for Religious Education in Schools (ICCOREIS) and the All Faiths Special Religious Education Group, (AFSRE) best practice support frameworks, networks and resources have been developed to ensure that SRE is celebrated as an essential strength of public schooling for years to come. Every two years, excellence in this field of SRE is acknowledged at a NSW Parliamentary celebration (18

October 2018).

Spokesperson for Christian Special Religious Education (SRE), Murray Norman, says the survey figures represent majority Australian thinking and “endorse the importance of spirituality and programs like SRE within education.

“The overwhelming majority of families want to choose the faith-based values to be taught to children, which is exactly what SRE does,” he said.

Importantly, he revealed that when able to choose, most parents choose SRE, with current figures showing 71 per cent of primary school children attending weekly lessons.

“We are aware of a minority voice that seeks to remove any form of spirituality and faith from NSW schools, and remove the choice families currently have, but that’s out of step with the values and wishes of Australian parents.”

He explained that SRE supports the Australian Government’s values for Australian schooling, saying, “it is clear that Australians recognise the Christian and faith foundation of these values,” while the NSW Department of Education framework says, “spiritual wellbeing relates to our sense of meaning and purpose.”

Families across the state must clearly recognise the importance of this aspect of their children’s education with around

430,000 students attending SRE classes across NSW with hundreds of school communities being served by local churches and faith groups. For example, there are over 100 Catholic volunteers attending 203 government primary schools in the Hunter and North school regions.

The Hunter Christian SRE committee supports these efforts with recognised training and reliable advice. Professional publishers produce high quality SRE programs with manuals and workbooks available for teachers and students at no cost to the schools. All this goes to ensure the quality of what is delivered to the students in NSW public schools.

Contrary to popular myth, SRE is provided free to families across New South Wales by authorised and trained instructors who are committed to the students they serve. It is these families that drive the provision by their choice for their children to participate.

Rather than religious fanatics, the organisations that support this largely volunteer workforce work closely with each other and the NSW Department of Education to maintain a high standard.

Jude Hennessy is the Director of the Office of Renewal and Evangelisation, Diocese of Wollongong.

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News

What does it mean to be catholic?

By LOUISE GANNON rsj

Circumstances over several months, both delightful and challenging, have been pushing me to consider more deeply what it means to be catholic, both personally and for us together. I could phrase the question along the lines of the Gospel: ‘Who do I say I am?’ and ‘Who do we say we are?’ I am not considering so much what I say with words, that’s easy. What I am considering is what I say with my life, day in and day out. What follows is something of what I have been pondering.

Firstly, to say I am catholic is to say that Jesus is the heart of all creation; the beginning and end; the inspiration and the measure. All else flows from believing with my whole heart that Christ abides in me, and striving with my whole being to ensure that I abide in Christ.

It follows that to be catholic is to place love, and therefore relationship, at the core of my life. Collectively we might say that love and relationship are our core business. To love is to seek to embody in my life the same values Jesus embodied in his: compassion, forgiveness, mercy, respect, justice.

These are but a few of the loving qualities we see in Jesus. Others are captured in the well-known reading from First Corinthians (13:4-7). What a gift it is to be so loved! And what a challenge it is to be so loving! It can be difficult always to be patient and kind, not to be rude or selfish.

I cannot say I love, and not prioritise relationships. But I can be in relationships that do not prioritise love. Relationships can be grounded in power, even unconsciously. Such relationships are the antithesis of the way of Jesus and the gospel. It is easy to slip into this way of being in relationship. Love pours itself out for the other. Power holds itself over the other.

To choose love is a life-long journey,

Soul Food

something I learn and relearn every day and sometimes every hour. Love carves me out, asks more of me, stretches and expands me to become more and more like Christ.

Related to love and intrinsic to relationship is the notion of healing.

If I say I am catholic, then I move towards pain, towards people and communities who are hurting. I move to touch the wounds and to stand with the wounded. These are the wounds of Christ, visible on all who suffer today, and as scripture says, it is ‘by his wounds we are healed’. Healing does not come if wounds are ignored in myself or others. It is not mine to judge wounds as perhaps invalid or self-inflicted, or that a person should be over that by now, or be able to cope better. If I am catholic I treat wounds with compassion, respect and patience.

Wounds and pain are my – and our – growth points. Unacknowledged and without compassion, they lessen me.

They lessen us.

Then there is that big catholic thing about wholeness: a unity that embraces and is strengthened by difference. If I say I am catholic then I am always seeking to grow unity. I look at life and the world as ‘both/and’ rather than ’either/or’. I seek not to be pulled into a binary view: good/bad, right/wrong, true/false. Sometimes when we get to

the boundaries there is clearly right and wrong, true and false. At these times I must take a gospel stand. However, for the most part, life challenges me to open my eyes and heart to what is different from me. My way, my insight, my understanding, my gift, is only part of the whole. Without the balance of other ways, other understandings, other gifts, there is no ‘whole’.

To paraphrase Richard Lennan, God’s presence generates difference and if there is not difference then we are not catholic. Appreciating difference as God’s gift to strengthen unity helps me understand that to be catholic is to be in dialogue with the other. To this dialogue I bring my experience and wisdom, and I listen to the experience and wisdom of others. In that often messy encounter, we discover the way forward together. Being catholic, I respect difference, allow for difference and seek out and celebrate difference.

To say I am catholic is to accept that I am, and we are, a ‘project under construction’. It is to live open to the Word of God, the Holy Spirit and to reading ‘the signs of the times’. It is to accept the responsibility we have to discern together how to live as disciples of Jesus in response to the circumstances we face in 2018. To be catholic is to grow in comfort with the uncomfortable, the unknown, the

constantly changing and emerging.

Finally, to be catholic is to be grateful, to open my eyes and heart to all the blessings in my life. Some blessings are overflowing with love. Other blessings emerge from the darkness of challenging times. To wait upon these blessings is not easy and can seldom be done alone. This is something I do in faith, believing and abiding in the paschal mystery, the epitome of the wisdom of God and the place from which new life emerges, usually in the most unexpected ways.

These are some of the things I am pondering as I engage with my question: Who do I say I am as a catholic woman living in 2018? I profess to believe in a church that is ‘one, holy, catholic and apostolic’.

Easy to say, challenging to be. I am reassured and somewhat comforted to know that I have not yet finished my race and I am still becoming catholic – constantly shaped by the Word, the celebration of Eucharist and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, and always accompanied by the community.

How are circumstances in your life pushing you to consider more deeply what it means to be catholic?

Louise Gannon rsj is the Diocesan Co-ordinator of Liturgy and Adult Faith Formation.

Subverting your world with a handful of stories The telling of stories is at the heart of making a new world they have inherent within them seeds of many possible futures that take root in the most rocky of soils and surprising places of uncertainty creating strongly blooming imaginations that have decided to live for ever” − John Cranmer

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Education

Audrey Steinmetz: “vocation more than career” John Murray shares a grace-filled encounter between past and present.

In May a funeral mass was held at St Francis Xavier’s Church at Belmont for Mrs Audrey Steinmetz, a woman described by Assistant Director, Catholic Schools Office, Gerard Mowbray, as a “…great servant of Catholic education and the Catholic church”. A large gathering of family members, friends, former students and colleagues in attendance was testament to the deep respect in which Mrs Steinmetz was held. At the time, Mr Mowbray, in a letter to teachers throughout our schools, referred to Mrs Steinmetz as, “one of the pioneers of lay teaching in our diocese”.

Audrey served as a Mathematics teacher at St Mary’s High School, Gateshead, from 1965 until 1982, becoming the school’s first lay principal during that time. Current principal of St Mary’s Catholic College, Mr Larry Keating, paid the following tribute: “We give thanks for a life which contributed in a significant way to the story of our community and helped grow the legacy which we are so very fortunate to be able to build on today.

We walk in the footsteps of strong and determined women who possessed great faith and displayed incredible courage and endurance in establishing our community. Audrey Steinmetz was one of these women."

As many would be aware, the 1960s

Audrey Steinmetz and Georgia Hayes.

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witnessed the beginnings of a process that was to change the face of education in Catholic schools across the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle – and indeed, across the country. The employment of lay teachers to replace the members of various religious congregations had its genesis at that time and gained such momentum that by the arrival of the new millennium, diocesan schools were almost entirely populated by lay people.

Although such a change has been outwardly observable, it is undeniable that the foundations of our present system, laid down by those wonderful women and men committed to their Dominican, Josephite, Mercy or Marist charism, continue to radiate a strong sense of identity and a solid tradition.

In many respects, lay teachers forged teaching paths in new territory. Audrey’s former colleague, Ms Louise Roach, observes, “Choosing to work in Catholic schools at the time [the sixties] was a commitment to vocation more than career.” She cites some ‘deficiencies’ in lay teachers’ conditions at the time: no paid sick leave, no holiday loading, no long service leave, no union representation, no superannuation and a ‘salary’ which was significantly less than that of teachers working in the public domain.

Audrey and others of her ilk persevered, undaunted by shortcomings but fired by things far less tangible; some, like Audrey, driven by God’s calling. Her life’s work was truly her vocation.

Audrey’s daughter, Margaret Sansom, cites ex-students’ comments about her mother that have been posted on the St Mary’s website. Many are direct and candid and accord with posts made by former colleagues. Words and phrases such as “great teacher”, “tough but fair”, “uncompromising” and “a force to be reckoned with” feature.

Then, perhaps less frequently, are observations such as “stern but very kind and understanding”; “a person of generosity and humility”; “insightful and

intelligent” and “one of my first visitors when I had my baby”. Margaret says that Audrey could portray a forbidding exterior. “Even some teachers were scared of her!”

As an educator and a pioneer, what was Audrey Steinmetz’s most important legacy? What precious bequest did she leave to the students and the school she loved?

Well, there is a touching postscript to such questions and to Audrey’s life. As it happened, she spent the last five years of her life a resident of St Francis’ Village, Eleebana. In a purely serendipitous occurrence, the Village was visited last April by some members of the inaugural Year 11 group of St Mary’s. One student, Georgia Hayes, having met Audrey, penned these words: “Although I met Audrey only once, the impact has stayed in my heart and has provided great comfort since her passing. She was so incredibly passionate and dedicated to my school and thought so fondly of her time there. This made me feel unbelievably blessed to have such a wonderful force of nature dedicate her time to bettering my school. She left me with the lasting impact of the wonderful woman she was.”

A beautiful insight! The tiniest glimpse into another’s soul is an enriching experience.

At Audrey’s funeral a Year 11 group formed a guard of honour as she was farewelled. This simple act became a poignant symbol reconnecting Audrey to the school she loved and at the same time pointing toward an educator’s vision concerning hope and the planting of seeds.

Please visit gatesheadsm.catholic. edu.au

John Murray is a member of the Aurora Editorial Team.

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Community Noticeboard NAIDOC Week Because of her, we can Celebrate the beginning of NAIDOC Week at Christ Church Cathedral, Church Street, Newcastle, Sunday 8 July 3-4.30pm.

The service commences with a smoking ceremony and will be followed by soup and damper. All welcome! To learn more please P 4929 2052.

Interfaith Dialogue There will be an opportunity to join with our Muslim and Christian communities on Thursday 19 July at St Mary’s Campus, All Saints’ College, 16 Grant Street, Maitland from 6.30‑9pm. Panel members from both Muslim and Christian communities will explore what Mary, the mother of Jesus, means to their faith with a Q&A session following the dialogue.

A light supper will be served. Please rsvp to Brooke or Jenny, E Events@mn.catholic.org.au or P 4979 1111.

“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 – 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. 5.15-7.30pm.

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. 5.15-7.30pm.

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

Council for Australian Catholic Women

Hiroshima Remembrance

The diocesan contact group for the Council will meet on the following Saturdays, 9am for 9.30am and all are welcome. Dates are 25 August, 27 October, 24 November (Christmas gathering; time may change slightly). The group meets at St Benedict’s Centre, The Chapel (entrance through driveway), 25 Farquhar Street, The Junction. Further information P Ellen Hazelton 0407 513 813.

An ecumenical service remembering 73 years since 1945 will be held on Sunday 5 August at Adamstown Uniting Church, 228 Brunker Road, Adamstown at 6pm. Fr Frank Brennan sj, long-time advocate for human rights and social justice in Australia, will be a special guest. The organisers are Christians for Peace and to learn more, please P Doug Hewitt 0431 935 097 or E doug.isabel35@gmail.com.

St Vincent Pallotti Scholarship The St Vincent Pallotti Scholarship Trust offers scholarships to enable lay people to further their understanding and skills in leadership/ministry or a specialised activity such as promoting faith enhancement, social justice and pastoral care.

Applications close 23 July. Please visit www.pallottine.org.au/scholarships/st-vincentpallotti-scholarship-for-lay-ministry.html Three Returning Theologians Mid 2018 will see national and international theologians return to the diocese for a variety of speaking engagements: 23-26 July Rev Dr James McEvoy to speak on 'Seeing our children through God’s eyes' 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 for The future of faith: challenges & possibilities. One twilight event only. 5.30-9pm at Newcastle.

11-15 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 and venues, visit http://mnnews.today/yourdiocese/2018/31848-speakers-coming-tothe-diocese-of-maitland-newcastle-in-2018 or contact the diocesan Adult Faith Formation Office. E Jenny.Harris@mn.catholic.org.au or P 4979 1334.

Australian Church Women The guest speaker at the Fellowship Day Service on Friday 27 July will be Sr Di Santleben op (Zara’s House for Refugee Women and Children).

The service begins at 10.30am at New Lambton Uniting Church, 48 Regent Street, New Lambton and will be followed by a light lunch. P Denise Secomb 4951 6885 or Isabel Hewitt 4969 6336.

14th National BBI-ACBC eConference This 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 E econference@bbi.catholic.edu.au or P 9847 0030.

Mums’ Cottage Invites grandparents to Grandparent and Toddler day, every Wednesday during school terms from 10am-noon at 29 St Helen’s Street, Holmesville.

Enjoy some companionship with other grandparents while children play. Mums’ Cottage offers a range of services, programs, workshops and family events and would love to welcome you at any time. For more information, P Mums’ Cottage 4953 4105, E admin@mumscottage.org. au or visit www.mumscottage.org.au.

Youth Mass On the last Sunday of each month, the 5.30pm Mass at St Patrick’s Church, Macquarie St, Wallsend, has a youthful flavour. Everyone is welcome.

For your diary July  8

NAIDOC Week commences..

Service at Christ Church Cathedral (see opposite).

Sea Sunday (Apostleship of the Sea)

 11 World Population Day  14 Proclamation of Aboriginal Flag and

Torres Strait Islander Flag as official

flags of Australia.  19 Interfaith Dialogue, St Mary’s Campus,

Maitland (see opposite)  22 Bible Sunday  23 Bishop Bill begins annual leave.  27-29

Be Grow Show Retreat at Singleton  29 National Tree Day  30 International Day of Friendship

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

August  5 (eve of) Hiroshima Day Uniting Church

service with Fr Frank Brennan sj as

guest speaker (see opposite).

Volunteering with Palms Australia Palms is seeking qualified and experienced Australians to assist in various missionary and development activities. There are opportunities in a wide range of areas, from teaching in Timor Leste (pre-school, primary and secondary) to assisting with the development of a brass band in Kiribati; from plumbing/building in Papua New Guinea to English/Science teaching/mentoring in Samoa. Whatever your skills and experience, there is a place for you! To learn more P 9560 5333 or E palms@palms.org.au.

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

Stay up to date with news from across the diocese mnnews.today mnnews.today

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Last Word

Aurora on tour Dairy farmers meet terracotta warriors near Xi'an, China!

Review

By PAUL INGLIS

A myth is not a lie. With that introduction to Christmas, Myth, Magic and Legend: Making sense of the Christmas stories, John Queripel captured my interest and held it. We are not to pretend that the stories are history but rather to enter the experience and be transformed by them. John’s forensic skills have produced a critical analysis of the Christmas narratives, bringing into focus powerful symbolic and metaphorical teaching. At the same time he has dismantled a deal of overly simplistic thinking by sourcing the forces that have shaped and politicised the gospel writers. John helps us to see past our Western scientific mindset, profoundly shaped by the Aristotelian logic of factual, objective and verifiable truth.

Truth lies in myth….not realising this means missing out on greater understanding of the purpose of biblical stories.

He has much to say about the way we have blended the two accounts of Matthew and Luke. His wonderfully attentiongrabbing style opens up to analysis many assumptions about the world of Jesus. He shows how important is an understanding of the radical changes taking place in Judea at the time of the gospel writings. This includes challenging traditional views about Pharisees, the Jesus Jews and the rabbinic Jews, and their differences in terms of the sacred traditions.

I found his exposé of the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke, their common ground and emphases, fascinating and informative. Each gospel writer has a different agenda.

Chef Bartholomew Connors, Cathedral Café

Ingredients f f 1 small red onion, chopped f f 1 small green capsicum, diced f f 1 small red capsicum, diced f f 1 chorizo sausage, diced f f 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced f f 1/3 bunch coriander f f 1 tablespoon hot paprika f f 1 packet mixed pizza cheese f f 1 avocado f f 1 sour cream f f Large tortillas f f Dash of oil

Knowing this is part of the exploration of honest theology.

After reading his comments about Mary’s journey to Bethlehem on foot over ten days, heavily pregnant, so Joseph could be included in the census of males, it’s not hard to accept that the narrative has another purpose of fulfilling ancient prophecies about where the Messiah will emerge.

Highly recommended!

John Queripel Christmas, Myth, Magic and Legend: Making sense of the Christmas stories Morning Star Publishing 2018. Please visit http:// morningstarpublishing.net.au/product/

Chorizo and Capsicum Quesadilla Instead of pizzas or tacos, why not try this quick and easy week-night dinner?

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.

Method Add a dash of oil to a hot pan and cook onion for 5 minutes.

Add diced capsicum and cook for 4 minutes.

Stir in chorizo and cook for 1 minute then add sliced mushrooms, coriander and paprika.

Cook another minute and allow to cool.

Spoon mixture onto half a tortilla, top with cheese, fold in half and cook in a sandwich press or hot pan until lightly browned.

Serve with smashed avocado and sour cream and your favourite salad.

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Chisholm

Lochinvar

Cardiff

Singleton

Limited availability at all St Nicholas centres.

Enquire today: P 02 4979 1110

Newcastle West

St Nicholas Early Education in Chisholm, Lochinvar, Cardiff, Singleton and Newcastle West.

Taking enrolments now!

E enquiries@stnicholasmn.org.au

www.stnicholasmn.org.au 21461

Lovedale Rd 10mins Anaconda Amart Toys R Us

New England Hwy

Anambah Rd

Opal Nursing Home (Under Construction)

Newcastle 40mins Newcastle Airport 40mins Sydney 90mins

To Hunter Valley

Domayne BCF Harvey Norman Ten Pin Bowling

Rutherford Shopping Centre

Medical Centres Woolworths, Coles, Chemist, IGA, Aldi

To Newcastle

01950 21461