AURORA FEBRUARY 2021 by Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle

Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle February 2021 | No.209

Patience proves a virtue for the MCKINNONFAMILY

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Former Newcastle Knights player, now recruitment manager, Alex McKinnon with wife Teigan and daughter Harriet. Photo by Alannah Morton.

Featured f Kinder surprise

f Patience proves a virtue

f Secondary concerns addressed

f Inmates upskill for re-entry to society

f Career changers put life in perspective

f Data and analytics transforms 12

f Consolidated body takes safeguarding lead

f Pope bestows highest honour

f Inside job reaps rewards

f Dancing to change

f Comes a time

f A new type of club

f Ease transition for diverse learning needs 20 f Perfect time to seek our truth

FIRST WORD

Life is to be lived

On the cover

the Diocese

It was just before Christmas, as I was packing up my desk for the year, when I received a call from a lady I’d never met before. Her name is Felicity Lee, and she is a former contributor to Aurora. Felicity had called to discuss some of the recent articles she had read in the magazine, and to my delight, she passed on positive remarks along with some useful insights for further reading. I extended an invitation to Felicity to consider contributing to our February edition of Aurora, which is themed around “New Beginnings”. When I returned from leave a few weeks’ later, I was delighted to find that Felicity had taken up my offer. You can read her take on the concept on p17. When I first read her reflection, it caused me to pause and consider her wise words. I discussed her take with my colleagues and pondered her sentiments as I drove home that day. When I got to my front door, I discovered that I had been burgled whilst at work. The next morning as I awoke, still a little shaken, I heard the news that one of my friends, a mentor, had passed. Meg was only 53 years of age when she lost her

battle with breast cancer. I sobbed for several hours, wallowing in my grief. As I made my way to the supermarket that afternoon, I was grateful to run into a friend, who gave me a warm hug, and we exchanged fond memories of how Meg touched our lives. As we parted ways, Felicity’s words came back to me. It was a turning point. Until recently, I have struggled to reconcile how we, as Catholics, are meant to be so accepting of death. When I have lost people close to me, I have often felt suspended in my anguish for some time; stuck in the past and unable to imagine a future without them. Felicity's article was serendipitous, and her words bought me great comfort; I need not focus on Meg’s passing but instead be full of hope about her new beginning; of life after death. Each day since I have tried something new, embracing my days on Earth in a way Meg cannot. I've had some incredible adventures to places I have never been to before, embraced foreign technologies and challenged some of my preconceived

Contact Aurora Aurora editorial and advertising enquiries should be addressed to:

f First word

f My word

Aurora online Good news! You can still catch up with Aurora online, via www.MNnews.today.

Elizabeth Snedden P 0404 005 036 E elizabeth.snedden@mn.catholic.org.au PO Box 756 Newcastle 2300

f Frankly spoken

f Care talk

f Alumni 19 f Community noticeboard

f Food talk

In this edition of Aurora, you will read stories of many people who are embracing new chapters in their lives including Tessa Evans, Alex McKinnon, Dominic Wakely and Katrina Sweeny, Chloe Stewart and Housam Adre. You will also read about the launch of new and exciting programs and services, most notably the opening of Catherine McAuley Catholic College in Medowie, new inmate programs, the launch of Australian Catholic Safeguarding, an exciting new analytics venture and a program designed to help students and elderly alike. I hope that this edition brings you joy as you read how our brothers and sisters embrace change and look to the future with a sense of optimism. Life is to be lived, so why not try something new, who knows where it will lead?

Lizzie Snedden is Editor for Aurora

Next deadline 10 February, 2021

Regulars

ideas. Of course, starting anew is full of unknowns, and therein lies the beauty of possibility.

Subscribe E aurora@mn.catholic.org.au Editor: Lizzie Snedden Graphic Design: David Stedman Contributors: Elizabeth Baker, Ashleigh Banks, Darrell Croker, Brittany Gonzalez and Alexander Forster. Aurora appears in The Newcastle Herald on the first Saturday of the month, in the Maitland Mercury, The Singleton Argus and in the Manning River Times the following week. Aurora can also be picked up at IGA’s in Taree, Bulahdelah, New Lambton, Paterson, Karuah, Cameron Park, Wangi, Gloucester, Dungog, Shoal Bay, Boolaroo, Blackalls Park, Woodrising, Stockton, Caves Beach, Rathmines, West Wallsend and Windale. The magazine can also be read at www.mnnews.today

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MY WORD

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New beginnings Let us be frank: many people who know me, including friends and family, can get a little bemused or even concerned when my head seems to be stuck more in the sixth century (or the 14th or 19th or any other really) than by what “everyone thinks” now or by the latest research out of America says. So it was when, talking about the new Catherine McAuley Catholic College at Medowie, I began by invoking precedents from sixth and seventh-century Northumbria, a place I know well from the pages of Bede’s History, itself written in AD 731. In those days, despite kings having decided their tribe was now Christian, there were virtually no village churches and no parishes. The centres of Christian mission were monasteries to which locals came to sell their produce or for medical help or famine relief, and to which they sent their sons to be educated. Why, I said, can’t we base a pastoral ministry on a school rather than a local church? Instead of placing a priest in a parish where, almost inevitably, most of his ministry is directed to a smallish congregation, why not make his main pastoral responsibility the 1000 kids, 100 teachers and hundreds of families of a high school? In short, I’ve appointed a full-time priest-chaplain to Catherine McAuley Catholic College. The local community will also be served, because the College Chapel will also be the venue for weekend Masses and so on, taking on both the name and function of the present St Christopher’s in Medowie. Additionally, a St Nicholas Early Education Centre is also opening on the same site and, later, a primary school and, who knows, perhaps a CatholicCare centre. The priest on the site, Fr James Odoh, is the first and won’t be getting off lightly. You can see the Northumbrian thinking, I trust.

As to Catherine McAuley Catholic College itself, may I say that its opening this month will be a cause of the greatest satisfaction and no small relief. Finally. Some readers will know that it should have opened last year but was held up by what I can only call government department bureaucratic delays, one in particular. These extended into 2020, causing fears for a long time that we might not even have fought our way through the maze in time for the 2021 school year. But thanks be to God, our own properties people, and our builders, we have made it. There is still work to be done on the project, but we can accommodate Years 7 and 8 now while the next stages are built. I want you to understand something of how big an undertaking this has been for the Diocese. There’s a bit of a perception that we receive massive funding from government to build schools, but this is not really the case. First, you have to have the land before you can even apply for funding, so that’s millions upfront for a high school site. Second, the government grants that we have received will, in the present case, amount to less than 10 per cent of the building costs. In fact, the grant hardly covers the cost of the multiple studies and reports we were required to undertake, combined with the works required on the transport infrastructure on and off our land. We are grateful for government aid, but it is a relatively small factor in the project. The key thing has been our ability to borrow from our Catholic Development Funds, loans which we will, of course, be paying off for decades. Finally, a word of thanks to the small community of St Christopher’s, Medowie, and the wider Raymond Terrace parish of which they are part. It is proverbially difficult to make any changes to church

Fr James Odoh with Bishop Bill and St Christopher’s parishioners in the college chapel.

buildings without at least some people getting their backs up and fighting to the death to keep everything exactly as it has always been. The good folks of Medowie, I’m glad to say, have risen above that. Not only are they pleased to be getting a brand new local “church”, which might be expected, but they have really risen to the idea of reaching out to the school’s families to create a new community of faith. There will be teething problems, of course, as the practical arrangements for sharing the chapel are worked through, but I am so glad the locals have seen the opportunities to advance the cause

of religion in the area rather than just the “how will this affect us?” stuff. Good on you, St Christopher’s. Welcome, Catherine McAuley Catholic College.

Bishop Bill Wright Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle

Frankly Spoken If we start without confidence, we have already lost half the battle and we bury our talents. Spirit of St Francis: Inspiring Words on Faith, Love and Creation (2015)

Photo: Peter Stoop

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Kinder surprise ELIZABETH BAKER Tessa Evans was excited to commence Kindergarten this week.

Tessa Evans is as excited as every other child starting Kindergarten at St John Vianney, Morisset, but her life experiences aren’t those of your average five-year-old. Her mother Cassy Evans recalls the moment that shaped the past three years of the Lake Macquarie family’s life. “I was picking up Tessa’s brother and sister from vacation care when I received a call from our doctor who said initial test results weren’t looking good and we should go to hospital for more tests,” Cassy says. The call followed Tessa falling ill 10 days before with fevers and severe lethargy. After visits to various GPs, and antibiotics, Tessa was sent for blood tests. “We found out on a Thursday and I just thought, this is crazy,” says Cassy. “Only two weeks ago we had a healthy two-yearold. She started chemo the next day.” Despite the years of leukaemia treatment and different life experiences to her 23 peers in Kindergarten, Tessa shares the same emotions as she starts school. “She is so excited,” says Cassy. “I think she might get a bit nervous when it comes to walking in the gate, but she’s been wearing her sister’s uniform and asking for months when she will start.” Starting school is a significant milestone for any child and their family. This time brings with it hope, excitement, some nervousness, and many new experiences. It marks the commencement of education, a beginning of new friendships, connections – a community. And the family

is aware of the exceptional community that will support her and her daughter at the school. With her older siblings attending the school over the past three years, Cassy and Tessa’s father, Jonathan, have been part of that network as they navigated Tessa’s diagnosis and treatment. “They say it takes a village to raise a child,” says Cassy. “We were able to call on a community – many through the school, other friends and just calling on people when I needed it. There were times when I had to phone other parents at the school and ask them to help with my older kids as we had to unexpectedly rush to hospital. “The school is a close-knit community and I’ve been lucky to experience that. It’s big enough that there are facilities and good extra-curricular activities but small enough that we know each other.” Jonathan says; “The support was outstanding. Even just knowing that you have support in the background and calling on it when needed, that can make all the difference.” When Tessa became sick, the school developed a care roster and different families made meals for the Evans family. This initiative is something the school does regularly for any family going through a difficult time. “In the end, everyone was so kind and generous I ended up telling them it was OK to stop cooking,” says Cassy. “The little things like this have a made a huge difference to us.”

Late last year, Tessa followed the lead of her older siblings and decided to write a Christmas card to the school principal, Simon Devlin.

Cassy contemplates this new beginning – what finishing the leukaemia treatment last year means for her family, and what 2021 will bring for Tessa.

Mr Devlin says Tessa has always been positive and happy as part of the wider school community.

“It’s really just normalcy that I hope for,” says Cassy. “It seems like a bizarre thing to say, and we hear about the ‘new normal’ a lot with covid, but our family has been using that term for years.

“It’s an example of resilience and strength in someone so young,” he says. “In fact, the whole family has been so supportive of our community. They bring a lot of energy to the school.” Such energy is reciprocated. “There have been some lovely connections at the school and Tessa already knows her buddies,” says Cassy. “The school sent out letters from the buddies and we learnt about them and this really helped in making the kids feel more welcome.” Tessa’s connection to her new friends shines through. “My buddies will play with me at lunchtime,” says Tessa. “We can play in the playground. And at orientation, I got to go to my classroom. We made some things out of playdough.” With the companionship of her buddies and a bubbling confidence, Tessa will commence Kindergarten like any other child. Jonathan agrees she is counting down the days to school, looking forward to what lies ahead. “I just hope that she has fun and she really enjoys the whole journey,” he says.

“For Tessa, 2021 is about sharing ‘a normal’ with everyone else. Starting school, being with her friends and just being able to do things that all the other kids are doing.”

When Tessa became sick, the school developed a care roster and different families made meals for the Evans family. This initiative is something the school does regularly for any family going through a difficult time.

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Each Saturday in Aberdeen, masses of people come together. They unite in worship. They stand in solidarity. Countless sing in unison and observe age-old traditions. For many folks from the small Upper Hunter town, including Alex McKinnon, rugby league is a form of religion. Their love for the game runs through their veins. “There's a lot of similarities between going to Church and taking part in sport,” McKinnon says, as he reflects on his Catholic upbringing. “Both include a community of people coming together and sharing values, like honesty and respect.” So, what then, when the game you love so much, leaves you begging for your life to end? It was almost seven years ago that an eager McKinnon took to the field at Melbourne’s AAMI Park as a 22-year-old rising star, proudly sporting a Newcastle Knights jersey, before a lifting tackle changed his life's trajectory. In the days and weeks that followed, bound to his hospital bed with a spinal cord injury, at times McKinnon could be heard screaming in frustration about what his life had become. He felt trapped and embarrassed; and as his parents Scott and Kate kept a vigil at their only child's side, he sobbed as he questioned their motives. In his book, Unbroken, McKinnon recounts the moment he asked them: “How can you let me live like this? Is it just for yourself? I'm happy to die. I want this over. Why, why, why?” The now 28-year-old has been wheelchair-bound ever since that ill-fated match against the Melbourne Storm in March 2014.

Patience proves a virtue LIZZIE SNEDDEN

And while becoming a quadriplegic has restricted McKinnon's movement, and forced him to reconsider what he thought it meant to be a man, it certainly has not dampened his spirit. At least not permanently. “There have been some dark days and months,” he says, not unexpectedly. “My faith gave me patience,” McKinnon says. “It helped me to take some pressure off myself; I began to realise not everything that happens in my life is dependent on me. You start to believe in something else, something bigger.” McKinnon's optimistic outlook radiates as he goes on to share some of the incredible highs he has experienced since that life-changing event. Only two weeks after his accident, he became engaged to his childhood

sweetheart, Teigan Power. In 2017, they were wed at a ceremony in the Hunter Valley, surrounded by family and friends, many of whom they made while attending St Joseph's High School in Aberdeen. McKinnon credits Teigan, now a teacher at St Benedict's Primary School in Edgeworth, for her strength and compassion in supporting him over the years. “I lost myself,” he says. “I lost my identity to rugby league because that's who I was. But the beauty is that Teigan's been with me through the whole thing and allowed me to find myself again. She's allowed me to sit in some dark spots.” McKinnon recalls that in his youth, he was full of confidence, enthusiasm, and ambition. It is little wonder then with his natural sporting abilities and respectful nature that St Gregory's College, Campbelltown was eager to accept him into its fold. Making the decision to leave his family and a school that he loved in pursuit of increased sporting opportunities was difficult for Alex, and one that his parents ultimately let him decide. “My parents always valued a good Catholic education and were open to me staying in Aberdeen or attending school in Sydney,” he says, adding that ultimately his decision to attend boarding school from Year 9 meant he grew up fast and matured a great deal. “It was difficult to leave St Joseph’s and I always enjoyed the opportunity to return to Aberdeen on holidays. As an only child I really bought into the school environment there. Some of the friends I made at St Joseph’s, and St Mary’s Primary School in Scone, are still my best mates now.” Home, in Aberdeen, is where his parents, grandparents and other members of McKinnon's family still live. The local football oval, McKinnon Field, is named after his grandfather, Malcolm, who over many years dedicated a great deal of time and energy into supporting the local club, the Aberdeen Tigers. His father, Scott, still spends time tending to the field's upkeep in a voluntary capacity. Scott has been an important role model in McKinnon's life; part football coach for many years, part dad and always a pillar of strength. “Football is something my father and I had always bonded over, except for just after the accident, when I didn't have any interest in it. That was a tough time because we lost that shared interest, which was a key part of our connection.”

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It was at that same time, McKinnon struggled with facing the next chapter of his life, as he had only ever had his sights on becoming a professional football player. “Growing up in Aberdeen, I always felt the men there were really strong with their opinions and direction in life. So, when I got injured, I was scared because I had never really had those examples of men in my life reinventing themselves.” McKinnon need not have worried, because over the next few years, with the support of Teigan, his family and friends, he embarked on an exciting new chapter. In 2018, the young couple welcomed their first child together, Harriet Anne. McKinnon describes his firstborn as being incredibly caring and adaptable, which will no doubt come in handy when the family welcomes twin girls in a few months' time. “I'm really excited about the twins’ arrival, and to see Harriet as a big sister.”

“It has helped me to grow a lot as a person.” Change is something that McKinnon embraces, on all fronts. He says that fear of failure no longer holds him back as it did when his professional sporting career started to take off. “I think it's important to empower yourself and others that you love to grow, change and develop. “There's valleys and peaks. People will change, but there are traits within the people you love and care about, which will remain the same.” McKinnon is now working in recruitment for the Newcastle Knights and says he is keen to help the club win a premiership. What have the past few years taught him about himself, and life? “It all comes down to patience,” he says. “Find patience in your life. There is real beauty in time.

Second-time around McKinnon is also feeling more confident about his role as a father, and his ability to help Teigan with parenting duties. “You have a vision of what it's like to be a dad, because of your own experiences with your father. However, I realise now I can be my own version. “I don't always know how everything is going to work – but through trying and failing, and using my values as a guide, I'm finding my way.”

“Sometimes you need to sit in those frustrating periods. It's in those quieter moments – sometimes when change may be forced upon you – that you need to feel and absorb what's going on. It is not about being stagnant; it can be a time to build resilience and where some of your best work will be done.” Amen to that.

McKinnon admits that having a child and the love he has experienced in fatherhood have changed him.

Football is something my father and I had always bonded over, except for just after the accident, when I didn't have any interest in it.

" Photos: Alannah Morton

Photo: David Stedman

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Photos: Peter Stoop

Catherine McAuley Catholic College, Stage One, took almost two years to build.

Secondary concerns addressed Access to Catholic secondary education on the Port Stephens peninsula is now a reality, with Catherine McAuley Catholic College this week opening its doors to almost 300 eager students.

Staff at the college are eager to support the academic outcomes and emotional wellbeing of students.

Foundation Principal Scott Donohoe has been busy putting the finishing touches to the Hunter's newest school, with support from a group of experienced and passionate colleagues. The kernel for the college's foundation was a study Bishop Bill Wright commissioned in 2015-16. The investigation uncovered a strong desire from the Port Stephens community for a co-educational, Years 7-12 Catholic secondary college on the peninsula, which subsequently became one of the adopted recommendations. Given the historical roots of Irish Catholic families in the region, the Mercy congregation's solid presence at St Brigid's, Raymond Terrace, St Michael's, Nelson Bay and St Peter's, Stockton, there was a strong argument for naming the college after Blessed Catherine McAuley. This Irishwoman, who founded the Mercy nuns, could speak strongly to the young people of today with her deep sense of social justice and her commitment to the education and healthcare of poor communities in Dublin.

The new school includes top-of-the-line features to enhance student learning.

FROM FOUNDATION PRINCIPAL,

Since that initial study was undertaken, Catherine McAuley Catholic College has transitioned from a vision to reality. This process has involved ongoing community consultation with local parishioners, families and the Worimi people to ensure the college reflects their hopes and aspirations.

Scott Donohoe

Robust and innovative design and building works will facilitate contemporary learning within environmentally intuitive spaces. Insistent research into best-practice pedagogies will ensure students' academic outcomes are optimised and their wellbeing remains at the fore.

Our college is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, but it is our relationships that will be critical in building a genuine sense of belonging and culture of trust within our community. At the heart of this are our values: Hospitality, Compassion, Courage and Faith in Action, inspiring our McAuley graduates to lead purposeful lives and contribute to a changing world.

In 2021 the college will offer educational opportunities to students in Year 7 and 8. In the years to come, this will expand by one new year group each year until 2025, when the college will reach capacity and accommodate up to 1,200 students in Years 7-12.

Our Moral Imperative is to empower a Mercy-inspired community of confident, agile, reflective learners.

A new school provides a beautiful opportunity to reimagine education as we prepare our young people to be life-ready and career-ready. Central to this will not just be knowledge, but also the development of essential skills and capabilities necessary to thrive. Our learning approach will honour the uniqueness of each child as we commit to offering choice in the curriculum, and meeting individual passions, interests and needs. As Foundation Principal of Catherine McAuley Catholic College, it is a tremendous honour and privilege to serve the families of Port Stephens. These next few years will be exciting ones as we build, together, a unique learning community that is â&#x20AC;&#x153;United in Mercyâ&#x20AC;?.

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Inmates upskill for re-entry to society DARRELL CROKER Pat Towns is the Maintenance Operations Manager at Cessnock’s Corrective Services Industries.

Transitioning from incarceration to the community is not always easy. Finding employment is a challenge for many in mainstream society, and this is often exacerbated for those with a criminal record. Kelly Pavan is Counselling & Clinical Services Manager – Psychologist for CatholicCare Social Services HunterManning. She notes from NSW Bureau of Crime statistics and other research that recidivism, or re-offending rates, within 12 months of release sit at 40 per cent for adults and 60 per cent for juveniles. “Providing additional support for an effective transition from custody into the community is essential,” says Ms Pavan. “Family, relationships, vocational options and even technology can move on significantly while prisoners are away. “Creating a new life and assimilating into the community can be incredibly daunting. I worked with a former inmate who was released after 20 years. He struggled with learning automatic bus passes, using a smart phone and even listening to music in a post cassette/post CD world. “It was like he’d stepped out of a time machine. He was also faced with an exponential number of daily choices after many years of living a structured and regimented life. “Little wonder he needed counselling to manage these overwhelming feelings.” Fortunately, that is not always the case. In their combined 35 years at Cessnock’s Corrective Services Industries, Pat Towns and Mat Beacher have given thousands of inmates a second chance.

The pair respectively lead the maintenance and business units at the Lindsay Street complex, which equip inmates with the skills, work ethic and qualifications to secure a job in a range of construction and trade industries. Maintenance Pperations Manager, Mr Towns, says it is rewarding to give people the opportunity to lawfully provide for their families. “Inmates walk in our doors with limited experience and through Corrective Services Industries leadership and guidance they leave with employable skills and a work ethic that provides them with choices,” says Mr Towns. “They go on to secure apprenticeships, tertiary education or their own business. “I was in a supermarket recently and bumped into one of our former inmates and he was telling me he now runs his own electrical company and employs three staff. It was a trade he achieved while in custody at Cessnock.”

taken for granted.” The workplace environments in Cessnock Correctional prepare inmates for their release from custody and give them the best chance of becoming contributing members of the community. The Cessnock complex employs 500 inmates and 45 staff in 11 areas, from food services and furniture production to powder coating, demountable construction and the new textiles unit.

Dreampath, Sedgman, Thiess, North West Mining and Speedy Staff Solutions. “The aim is to get them employed,” says Mr Boyce. “It’s about creating confidence within individuals through education and employment so that they work towards making smarter decisions, developing prosocial networks and understanding that they may not be able to change their past, but they can fix their future.”

The Cessnock maintenance team employs 60 inmates to look after the needs of Cessnock, Hunter and Shortland correctional centres, including plumbing, electrical and all repair work. Further up the Hunter Valley, the St Heliers Correctional Centre at Muswellbrook is also making good jobs for inmates easy to find.

Both officers put their success down to a commitment to mentoring inmates and getting them work-ready to ensure a positive transition into the community.

A unique partnership between St Heliers and Blackrock Industries, a 100 per cent Indigenous-owned service company providing people and equipment to mining and civil projects, has resulted in more than 60 Aboriginal inmates being offered employment opportunities while in prison and upon their release.

“A lot of the inmates come from backgrounds and personal circumstances that mean this is their first time in a job where they have to wake up at 6am, clock seven hours on the job, and turn up five days in a row,” says Mr Beacher.

“A lot of the guys don’t quite understand that a criminal history doesn’t really affect them as much as it used to, and that there are lots of people who want to give them opportunities for employment and a better path in life,” says prison staffer Paul Boyce.

“We take eligible inmates to Services NSW to teach them personal administration skills such as keeping operating licences up to date. Real-world lessons cannot be

Mr Boyce is committed to community safety and reducing reoffending. St Heliers also has successful works-release business partnerships with Mach Energy,

A lot of the inmates come from backgrounds and personal circumstances that mean this is their first time in a job where they have to wake up at 6am, clock seven hours on the job, and turn up five days in a row.

Photo: Lizzie Snedden

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Career changers put life in perspective DARRELL CROKER Dominic Wakely is enjoying his new career teaching at St Mary’s Catholic College, Gateshead.

People ponder changing careers, but financial and family obligations, or the pressure of study, can stymie the stimulation. Post-Covid employment trends though may function as a catalyst for many to challenge their career assumptions and attempt the move to a potentially more rewarding occupation. Aurora spoke with two diocesan employees – schoolteacher Dominic Wakely, and psychologist Katrina Sweeny – about navigating a mid-life change in profession. Katrina and Dominic successfully transitioned from successful jobs to even more fulfilling roles, and happier lives. Although unknown to each other, their stories have some interesting parallels, not the least their artistic backgrounds, and the “full-circle” journey to their preferred positions. Dominic is a paramedic turned teacher with a touch of “Hamilton, the musician”. He is now in his fifth year teaching music at St Mary's Catholic College, Gateshead. His life experiences extend from classical music to the busiest ambulance station in the southern hemisphere. After completing school, Dominic enrolled in a Bachelor of Classical Music, but after six months took up a job in the US at Buck's Rock summer camp in Connecticut. It was where he realised classical music was not his calling. Changing tack, he completed a degree in performance and composition at the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney and decided to be a session musician. Stability

nagged and as insurance, he completed a Dip Ed at the Australian Catholic University.

shot,” he says. “I was 32. I haven’t looked back. It was a sense of relief.”

But he needed a break from music.

He’s now home at 4.30pm every day to see his kids and give his wife a break.

“I was introspective,” he says. “Friends and family were in the health sector and I wanted to interact with people and do something where I could help too.” Aged 26, Dominic was accepted into the NSW Ambulance and was “privileged” to be offered Hamilton station in Newcastle for his training, during which he encountered some extraordinary situations. “It solidified my love of the job,” he says. “And my realisation of the good fortune of being in Newcastle. For someone in their mid-to-late-20s, it was a fantastic time.” Dominic remained a paramedic for six years. He worked at Muswellbrook, Parramatta (“the busiest ambulance station in the southern hemisphere”), tiny Bonalbo between Tenterfield and Casino, and Murrurundi, before he “ended up back home” in Hamilton. “I loved being a paramedic, but I was questioning how sustainable it was long-term,” he says. “I was constantly exhausted. Ambos sometimes talk about compassion fatigue. When that starts to set in you have to question if you should be there.” He re-instigated his teaching accreditation, and after some “really good” casual days with students at All Saints’, Maitland, he decided to change from the ambulance to the classroom. “St Mary’s was kind enough to give me a

“Teaching is wonderful,” he says. “The Catholic system passes on values of compassion and care. The ambulance service is so big, things get missed. Sometimes you just feel like you’re a number.” Katrina is a public servant turned psychologist and is also five years into the job. She draws on science and her experiences as an arts practitioner to help her clients. Like Dominic, Katrina understands the travails of government bureaucracy. In her time at a federal agency, she says there were days when going to work was hard, “but it was paying the bills and getting me through uni”. Job satisfaction is not an issue in her role with CatholicCare Social Services Manning Hunter. “I’m a late arriver at being a psychologist,” she says. “I’m early career in my early 50s.” Before joining the public service, Katrina’s background was in creative arts. She trained in Newcastle and worked as an actor and director. Her postgraduate work was in communities with serious illness. “I did an honours project on people affected by HIV and AIDS,” she says. “And then I did my masters around the community affected by cystic fibrosis. I

spent time in hospitals, with patients and families. We’d create of piece of work, and then I’d be gone. Art can be therapeutic, but it made me wonder what it would be like being on the receiving end of that experience.” Psychology had fascinated Katrina as undergraduate, and she was drawn back. In her mid-30s she completed her psychology qualifications part-time while working full-time for the government. “My life experiences settle me when I’m exposed to raw personal stories,” she says. As a jobbing actor, Katrina had to “get inside someone else’s head”. “I’m also a nerd, and science is part of my background,” she says. “The brain fascinates me. It’s good to know you can go back to science to help a person understand their behaviour.” As for changing professions: “You have to decide how much you want to invest in a career,” she says. “Imagine what you will have and who you will be, but stay flexible. “We carry ourselves wherever we go, so, pause and check-in. Does that career move meet an intrinsic need? Or is the drive extrinsic: because someone else believes you should make the change?”

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Photo: Peter Stoop

Data and analytics transforms the Diocese ZANNÉ VAN WYK Sean Scalon and Paul Greaves at St Joseph’s Primary School, The Junction, examining how the data will assist students to meet their full potential.

As parents, we are our children’s biggest cheerleaders. We want them to reach their highest potential in the classroom by encouraging them to do their best, and we are also willing to accept that their best might not always translate into an A ... and that’s OK. Imagine then, being able to tell them they are achieving their goals, and they not only hear it but believe it? The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is more than halfway through a three-year digital transformation in which it is building an advanced analytics and data science platform. In partnership with Microsoft, the data and analytics student intelligence project is working toward user-directed analytics to ensure evidence-based insight drives action and targeted interventions that enable parents and teachers to focus their efforts more acutely, and support all students to achieve their full potential. Using the tech giant’s Azure-based solution, the Catholic Diocese of MaitlandNewcastle relies on a data lake and advanced analytics to explore drivers of student learning of the almost 20,000 students in the Diocese’s 58 schools. Analytics help the Diocese better understand student growth and cater for intervention when needed, for either struggling or excelling students. This will be invaluable in motivating a child to reach their full potential. Using the attributes we’ve built around a student, we believe we can predict a primary school student’s performance in the HSC or Year 12. It means targeted interventions can start

in primary school to help, support, and prepare each student for their HSC. The in-depth analysis of more than 20 years of historical education data from various sources helps identify gifted students and give insight on targeted interventions for those students that might need additional support. The aim is to ensure student growth and that every student achieves their full potential. The analytics platform is already providing insights that may otherwise have been missed in isolation. For example, by analysing the data we were able to investigate the question of gender stereotyping regarding maths and science subjects. Research studies have repeatedly reported that maths and science are perceived as male domains and scientists as predominantly male. With respect to gender differences, our findings have shown that among female students, their maths and science marks do not differ significantly, meaning that female students rated similarly strongly as male students. The attributes include the expected – classes, teachers, academic performance, and attendance – but also add things such as the year they started school, and schools previously attended. We also have an understanding of the socio-economic status and external assessment records, including NAPLAN, PAT, HSC, and CogAT. Diocesan chief executive Sean Scanlon says the decision to set up a data and analytics capability was born of a desire to improve educational outcomes.

“It needed to be something where we had evidence and rational data, and analyse that data to understand how we were performing so we could target each and every child's education,” Mr Scanlon says. The Diocese has always collected data about student performance, but it was often siloed, difficult to access, and scattered through an array of disparate source systems and spreadsheets. It provided an incomplete picture of student performance and progress. “Without measuring those things, we couldn't hold people accountable and we couldn't see what we were achieving, and we couldn't set targets for improvement,” Mr Scanlon says. The Diocese believes data will also play an important role in generating optimal outcomes for its work in social services, supporting people in need and the vulnerable. “We can measure improvement to people’s lives or programs that have targeted a need,” Mr Scanlon says. “This allows us to then go to the government and say, ‘Look, here's the evidence. Here's the data we've analysed that proves our programs work’.” Paul Greaves, Assistant Director of the Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Schools Office and project sponsor for the data and analytics student intelligence project, says specific targets have been set around improving student academic achievement. “The creation of a ‘Leading Learning Collaborative’, which integrates the work

of world-leading education researchers such as Lyn Sharratt and Michael Fullan, is the vehicle we have designed to carry this initiative, and the fuel in the tank is data mixed with self-service analytics,” Mr Greaves says. “The student intelligence project is changing the way our system leaders, principals and middle leaders interact with data and analytics as it addresses a number of pain points we were previously experiencing.” NAPLAN tests have generally provided a level set for schools to gauge students’ performance and the potential need for extra help. But there were no NAPLAN tests in 2020. The student data the Diocese has collected provides an alternative measure of student progress. Mr Scanlon says the student intelligence project provides an opportunity to bring kids back on track if they're falling behind or if there are other issues. “We have more dimensions to this than NAPLAN has targeted,” says Mr Scanlon. “The wellbeing aspect, for example. This allows us to have greater insight and therefore to act more quickly.” Zanné Van Wyk is Head of Data and Analytics for the Diocese.

Photo: Peter Stoop

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Consolidated body takes safeguarding lead SEAN TYNAN Sean Tynan says 2021 promises to be the beginning of a new phase in the Diocese’s ongoing journey in safeguarding.

Taken in all, 2021 truly promises to be the beginning of a new phase in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s ongoing journey in demonstrating that we are a “safeguarding Church”. On 3 December 2020, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in combination with Catholic Religious Australia and the Association of Ministerial PJPs, announced the establishment of Australian Catholic Safeguarding Ltd (ACSL). The announcement described ACSL as a “consolidation” of pre-existing agencies and functions, including Catholic Professional Standards Ltd, the Implementation Advisory Group, the Australian Catholic Centre for Professional Standards and the Australian Catholic Ministry Register. ACSL will “provide a richer data source in order to manage and identify risk and be clearer about where energy and resources should be directed to continue to improve safeguarding efforts”. However, the establishment of ACSL is more than consolidation. It marks the beginning of the next phase of the Church’s journey in rebuilding trust, both internally with parishioners, families who receive services and ministry from Church bodies and the multitude of people who are in paid and unpaid work for the Church, as well as externally, with the broader community including people impacted by abuse. ACSL will quickly become the national “lead agency” in the Catholic Church in Australia to promote the safeguarding of children and adults who are assessed as being at risk. ACSL will offer a more

comprehensive and integrated approach to safeguarding through a range of activities, including: f driving the continued development and implementation of the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards f supporting the implementation of the National Response Protocol, which will replace The Melbourne Response and Towards Healing protocols f providing expert strategic planning and advice on the future development of the Church’s safeguarding strategies f supporting the development of safeguarding expertise within Church bodies f monitoring the Church’s ongoing implementation of recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and collating our annual reporting obligations to the Commonwealth Government f oversighting and supporting the integrity of the Church’s Australian Catholic Ministry Register. In May 2019, Bishop Bill Wright established the office of Director of Safeguarding by canonical decree. After a restructure and enhancement of resources, the former Zimmerman Services was launched as the Office of Safeguarding in September 2019 as a part of National Child Protection Week. The Office of Safeguarding is designed to provide the practical “onthe-ground” support and expertise to all those working and ministering on behalf

of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. ACSL provides the “whole-of-Church” framework for the Office of Safeguarding to promote and lead its development and implementation within the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

allows “the Catholic community to fully acknowledge the crimes and failures of the past, in public ways, and to ensure that neither those who suffered nor the crimes themselves are ever allowed to fade from memory”.

As part of this integrated approach, Bishop Bill has recently approved a safeguarding framework policy for the Diocese, which will be implemented over the coming year. The new policy articulates comprehensive safeguarding obligations for diocesan services, including providers of ancillary support services that don’t work directly with children.

The Diocese recognises that the pain and damage caused is current each day for some survivors and their families. Healing and Support (Zimmerman Services) continues to provide a highly personalised pastoral response and can be contacted during office hours Monday to Friday on 02 4923 0636 or via email healing. support@mn.catholic.org.au.

In complement with the new policy is a powerful safeguarding commitment statement that all diocesan personnel will be obliged to adhere to in the coming years. The statement spells out the comprehensive and integrated approach that is being championed by the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. Bishop Bill talks to the Diocese’s safeguarding commitment statement on the Office of Safeguarding website officeofsafeguarding.org.au.

Sean Tynan is the Director of Safeguarding in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

In talking about beginnings, it is important that we repeatedly restate our truth, that the past is with us today. The Diocese has, is and will continue to acknowledge, the shameful aspects of its history where children suffered abuse and some of its leaders failed to protect them from harm. Among other initiatives, Bishop Bill has established a special feast day in the Diocese’s liturgical calendar, making the Sunday on or before 15 September a Perpetual Day of Remembrance. This day

The establishment of Australian Catholic Safeguarding Ltd is more than consolidation. It marks the beginning of the next phase of the Church’s journey in rebuilding trust...

Pope bestows highest honour ASHLEIGH BANKS

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St Brigid’s at Raymond Terrace was the venue for a significant event in December last year. Local parishioner Lidy Waanders received a special award from Pope Francis – the Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (for Church and Pope). Bishop Bill Wright presented Ms Waanders with the medal on 5 December at a Mass in front of her parish community. The medal is the highest honour the Papacy can award to lay people. Pope Leo XIII established the award in 1888 to commemorate his golden sacerdotal jubilee. The award was originally bestowed on men and women who had aided and promoted the jubilee. Pope Paul VI introduced the current version of Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice for distinguished service to the Church and Catholic community. The medal now depicts the Apostles St Peter and St Paul. Freelance writer and former Aurora editor Tracey Edstein, along with retired priest Rev Kevin Kiem, nominated Ms Waanders for the award.

Photo: Lizzie Snedden

“I was overawed when I received the phone call from Tracey to congratulate me on having been awarded the Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice,” says Ms Waanders. “I felt very humbled to have been singled out for this award, and feel enormous gratitude, especially as I was totally unaware that this award existed.” Ms Waanders has lived in the Raymond Terrace parish for almost all her 77 years. The child of Dutch immigrants, she was only eight years old when she arrived in Australia. She credits her parents’ faith and commitment to Catholic education for beginning her life of faith and service to the Church, built on by her Dominican education, and the TWEC Adult Faith Formation Course. Throughout her life, Ms Waanders has sought to emulate qualities of devotion to discipleship, service and evangelisation. She has given her time to key pastoral and liturgical programs in the Diocese that seek to spread God’s message. Upon retiring from full-time work in 2002, Ms Waanders moved into what became almost full-time church ministry. She recognised the significant needs within the parish, particularly relating to young people. She took on the leadership of two significant ministries in a voluntary capacity to do what she could to foster the faith of children.

Lidy Waannders received a special award from Pope Francis

Ms Waanders was co-ordinator of special religious education in the public school system for more than 16 years, as well as taking charge of the sacramental program. Each of these demanding

roles involved ongoing commitment and training and when volunteer numbers decreased, Ms Waanders took on more classes and more schools herself. She also takes communion to the sick, is a World Day of Prayer organiser, leads special liturgy and Sunday Celebrations in Anticipation of Eucharist and is heavily involved in bringing people to the Church via the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). In 2019, Bishop Bill awarded Ms Waanders the Magdalene Award at the Sacred Heart Cathedral. She is integral to the Raymond Terrace parish’s commitment to the promotion of, and participation in, the Diocesan Synod and the Plenary Council. “All of these programs and initiatives allow us to build the faith,” says Ms Waanders. Perhaps the most meaningful testimony of her commitment to the parish community is that she genuinely sees herself as a “parish person”. She cares about individuals and is committed to doing all she can to ensure the Church and her parish live up to their mission. A well-known and a much-loved member of her parish, she is a woman of deep faith in Jesus committed to sharing that faith with all whom she encounters. During covid, Ms Waanders became the face, or at least the voice of the parish, delivering bulletins and checking on people’s welfare. Ms Waanders understands the Papal Award is for her past service “to Almighty God and his Church” but it has left her feeling an overwhelming responsibility of living up to being a recipient. “I pray that I be given the graces necessary to continue to be of service to Almighty God and promote his Kingdom here on Earth,” she says.

Throughout her life, Ms Waanders has sought to emulate qualities of devotion to discipleship, service and evangelisation.

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Inside job reaps rewards FRANCES HOLZ

An intergenerational program involving occupational therapy students and patients at the Calvary Nazareth Retirement Community at Belmont is proving mutually beneficial.

living with dementia, and it was initially intended the students would volunteer there.

The program, Outside In, a collaboration between Calvary Retirement Communities and the University of Newcastle, is providing unique work experience opportunities and potential new career pathways.

Some agile thinking and a can-do attitude ensured the program continued amid the restrictions needed to keep everyone safe, especially those in residential care. Peter and Tiffany found themselves interacting more with the independent-living residents than initially planned. They did a letterbox drop to let their new neighbours know they were there and willing to help.

Teaching residents how to use Facebook to connect with loved ones during lockdown. Investigating equipment options to help a resident recover and flourish at home after surgery. Researching sensory boxes for residents with dementia. And organising a socially distanced Anzac Day service. It was all new to occupational therapy students Peter Chan and Tiffany Law when they signed on for the pilot program to live and volunteer at Calvary Nazareth, Belmont. Calvary’s Newcastle-based National Executive Aged Care Advisor, Luke Sams, says students don’t often get the opportunity to live and work in a residential aged-care service. “These students are being exposed to older people, and while they are still being trained,” says Mr Sams. “They are contributing to our services, but we are also giving back to them. The students themselves have been excited about it, and our residents are delighted by it. “One of the benefits is that it has exposed people early in their career rather than 10 years down the track. Hopefully they might want to stay in the aged care sector, and they can talk to other students who are coming through about being a part of it.” Lecturer in Occupational Therapy and practice education manager in the University of Newcastle’s School of Health Sciences, Kylie Wales, says the university is passionate about producing work-ready graduates. “The Outside In program is an excellent example of the amazing things our students are doing outside the traditional classroom to complement their studies,” says Dr Wales. “Knowing how to speak with people with dementia, knowing how to connect – it’s a different level of communication and those interpersonal skills are what Peter and Tiffany are ultimately going to walk away with.

It was a useful and timely change. “It was better to send Peter and Tiffany to fight over toilet paper than one of the residents,” says Dr Wales, recalling the long shopping queues and shortages in the early months of the pandemic. Both students were excited but a bit nervous at the start, aware of the many misperceptions about aged care living and stigma associated with dementia. Both have come to learn the mutual benefits. “Because we are not from the same generation, the elderly residents are being refreshed by some of our ideas that they might not know, and we are being refreshed by them because we are learning about their stories and a lot of stories that we don’t know,” says Peter. Mr Sams says Outside In encourages the students to understand that older people are a valuable part of our community and can still contribute. “Good aged care is all about developing relationships and seeing people not as a symptom or as an older, frail person, but as an individual, that they have experience and can still contribute as well.” Outside In is continuing at Nazareth this year and is one of several partnership programs the not-for-profit care organisation is embarking on to enhance the wellbeing of aged care residents, including those living with dementia. Founded by the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary, Calvary also operates 14 hospitals, including Calvary Mater Newcastle, and community care services nationally.

“I can see huge benefits for our students in learning about working with older people, about learning those communication skills and also in terms of companionship – and I can also see that for the residents as well.

You can learn more about the Outside In program at https://www.abc.net.au/radio/ newcastle/programs/mornings/ot-studentsat-calvary-nazareth/12993752

“What Peter and Tiffany have been able to do in the past year has been wonderful.”

To find out more about studying occupational therapy at the University of Newcastle, visit https://www.newcastle.edu.au/degrees/ bachelor-of-occupational-therapy-honours

The students live in refurbished independent living units in the Nazareth retirement community, one of 14 retirement and aged care facilities Calvary operates in the Hunter region. Nazareth includes a residential aged care home specialising in care for people Photos: Supplied

But then came the pandemic.

Frances Holz is Communications Manager for Calvary

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Photo: Peter Stoop

Dancing to change ALEXANDER FOSTER

Chloe Stewart is excited to welcome families to St Nicholas’s newest centre in Gillieston Heights.

It has been estimated the average person will change the course of their career seven times during their lifetime, with any number of reasons inspiring each change – money, differing circumstances, boredom – the list goes on. For Chloe Stewart, Director of St Nicholas Early Education’s newest centre at Gillieston Heights, her experience as a dancer inspired her love of working with children and her passion for leading and mentoring emerging educators. “I would always play a leading role in putting the shows together at my dance school,” says Ms Stewart, “so when it came to leadership, I understood what it meant because my dance teachers had guided me in learning those skills. “It was my dance teacher who asked me if I had ever thought about entering early childhood. She said I was really great with children.” Ms Stewart started out her early childhood career at a small centre in Mannering Park, but soon felt as though she had more to offer. “I did a bit of travelling and realised I needed a bit of a change,” she says. “I wanted to try something new.” She applied for a number of jobs in Melbourne, including a room leader position that allowed her to get her first taste of leadership in an early childhood setting. Once in Melbourne, Ms Stewart ’s career began to flourish. She quickly progressed from room leader, to 3IC, 2IC, centre

manager, and then in operations assisting with new centre openings. “I eventually became one of the coordinators for our organisation’s Positive Education model,” Ms Stewart says, “implementing it into the curriculum across their 14 centres.” However, despite all of her career successes, Ms Stewart began to miss home. “I decided my life was more about the people I was with rather than the place I was in,” she says. “I had worked really hard on my career in Melbourne and grown so much that I thought it was time for me to come back to Newcastle and go after something that I really wanted.”

I decided my life was more about the people I was with rather than the place I was in

She began researching providers of early education in the Newcastle and Hunter region, found St Nicholas Early Education, and immediately felt drawn to it. “I sent my resume in and Kerri [Armstrong – General Operations Manager, St Nicholas Early Education] called me two days later and mentioned there was a centre opening in Gillieston Heights, and it would be St Nicholas’s largest to date,” Ms Stewart says. “The growth of St Nicholas was something that really appealed to me. I didn’t want to come home and step backwards in my career, so I needed to find an employer willing to support my growth and development, and St Nicholas was definitely willing to do that.” Ms Stewart was offered the role of Director at St Nicholas, Gillieston Heights, and made the move back home to Newcastle to begin the next chapter of her career. Once settled, she began to pick up on a few key differences between Melbourne and Newcastle in relation to lifestyle and the early childhood sector. “One thing I noticed coming back to Newcastle is the quality of early childhood educators here,” she says. “A lot of educators who have come to St Nick’s have heard about its reputation as a highquality service. It attracts educators who share that passion for quality.” Ms Stewart also notes the close-knit community and focus on personal relationships as a key feature of Gillieston

Heights. “In Newcastle, I can’t go to the supermarket without running into six people I know, and I love that,” she says. “I’ve also noticed the families at Gillieston Heights are really big on personal relationships, which I’m all about. They want to be involved with their children’s learning.” Ms Stewart says she is excited about Gillieston Heights’ “bush kinder” environment because there are plenty of opportunities for parents and the community to get that involvement they are looking for. “I can’t wait to see what the families are going to bring to it,” she says. “We have a mud pit, a duck enclosure, and dry creek beds in there, however I want children and families to make it their own.” As challenging as it is to be the inaugural director of an early childhood service, Ms Stewart says she is ready to hit the ground running. And fortunately, Ms Stewart won’t be doing it alone. “I can’t wait to start working together with all the team and pass on all my experience and knowledge here at Gillieston Heights,” she says. St Nicholas Early Education, Gillieston Heights, opens this month. Places are limited. Ms Stewart encourages families wishing to enrol their children to do so as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

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Comes a time FELICITY LEE

The first book of the Hebrew scriptures and the last gospel of the Christian scriptures both open with the same phrase, “In the beginning”. Both scriptures imply there was nothing before the “beginning” they go on to describe. For us, as humans, it is very difficult to conceive or imagine nothingness. We are made of flesh and we live in a world of matter. For us, unlike the big beginning of the scriptures, beginnings have a definite “before”. Our beginnings are really a change, an alteration, even a replacement of what was before. For us, what was, with all its familiarity and comfort, is now no longer and the future, the after of the beginning, is unpredictable. This is true of our birth from the womb and, science tells us, of life itself even at the quantum level. The introduction of a new person into a group causes a shift in dynamics. A new personality and a new set of behaviour patterns require each one of the group to start thinking and behaving in a new way. We see this clearly when a single person becomes part of a couple. Things change. When a child arrives, the couple have to start a new relationship that will accommodate the child. If a second or third child arrives, each family member has to start again in a new pattern of behaviour and attitude and give even more wriggle room to others than previously. This change a new beginning brings can be very unsettling. It can be joyful or sad, slow or sudden, desired or feared, for the better or for the worse. There are some new beginnings many of us share – major beginnings such as marriage, school, a

new job, moving house, state or country. Other beginnings are unique to each of us and to our situation. With each new beginning there comes an ending. Endings and beginnings are inextricably entwined. One cannot exist without the other. And endings, like beginnings, can be just as unsettling and challenging. They too can be painful or pleasurable, anticipated or unexpected. As the human body grows and matures, many features disappear and appear. Baby fuzz becomes hair, gums acquire teeth, puberty brings acne and facial hair. Gone is the soft smooth skin and the marvellous flexibility of babyhood, but here approaches maturity. Many of us are fortunate and reach old age, albeit, as Shakespeare put it so succinctly “sans eyes, sans teeth, sans taste, sans everything”. (As You Like It: Act 2:7) Recently, a friend of mine pointed out that our ending is much like our beginning. Our hair thins out or may almost disappear, leaving just a fuzz. We lose teeth and can end up once again with gums. We rest, doze, sleep a great deal and sit or lie around a lot. Some of us become incontinent and start wearing nappies again. Yet others have to be hand fed nutritious purees and soft edibles. These are the signs that we are preparing for another beginning: life after death. Learning to live gratefully and graciously till the final ending becomes a challenge to be met every day. It is said that each day is the first day of the rest of your life. This truism begins to have a deeper, sharper meaning as the number of your

expected days shrinks before you. This new life, the last we shall experience in the human cycle, has no sciencebased guideposts. Unlike our earthly life about which biologists and psychologists have discovered quite a bit, life after death remains a mystery. Christian faith assures us that we need not fear this new beginning. As people of faith, we have St Paul's words to sustain us. The Letter to the Romans: 8 v28 says “all things work together for good, for those who love God”. And again, in Ecclesiastes: 3 v1-2 we are told: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born and a time to

die.” In John 14: 1, 2, 3 Jesus tells us: “Do not be troubled.” These scriptural assurances can encourage us to “go gentle into that good night” (Dylan Thomas) rather than try to fight against the inevitability of it. And, yes, it is a challenge and a step into the unknown. But isn't that just like all the beginnings of our lives? Felicity Lee is a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes, Beresfield. Scripture quotes from NRSV with the Apocrypha: Hendrickson, 2005.

This new life, the last we shall experience in the human cycle, has no science-based guideposts. Unlike our earthly life about which biologists and psychologists have discovered quite a bit, life after death remains a mystery. Christian faith assures us that we need not fear this new beginning.

ALUMNI CARE TALK

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Resolve to ignore the stigma ROBERT KILKELLY

CatholicCare’s registered psychologists address a new 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, call: CatholicCare P 4979 1172 or Lifeline 24/7 on P 131 114.

Do you have a question for us? Email your question to aurora@mn.catholic.org.au or write to Aurora-CareTalk PO Box 756 Newcastle 2300.

At the beginning of each new year, we often make resolutions, promises, or goals we are determined to follow through with to improve our lives. These resolutions are often to do with our physical or mental health, finances, work, or relationships. Given the challenges faced throughout 2020, mental health has come to the forefront of many people’s mind. When we talk about mental health many things may come to mind, for example, anxiety, depression, stress, emotional difficulty and the general perception of someone having a difficult time and requiring help. Oftentimes people get support from friends, family and partners. However, sometimes help from a professional may be required to help them get the kickstart they need to work towards a better sense of mental wellbeing. Many people feel there is still much discrimination and prejudice surrounding those with mental health difficulties. Some of them hesitate in seeking help from mental health clinicians for fear of the stigma of being labelled with diagnostic

terms such as depression, personality disorder, schizophrenia and autism. Labelling people with mental disorders is a contentious issue but it is clear that such labels can be very helpful for some. Take, for example, a person who has difficulties with personal relationships. They exhibit symptoms of anxiety and depression, act impulsively possibly using illicit substances and spending money they don’t have or binge eating. Some people may exhibit many of these symptoms for a plethora of reasons and be distressed as they do not understand why they do what they do even when they can see that it isn’t good for them. When they visit a clinician and are provided with a diagnostic name, it can help them feel understood and they can often gain an insight into their difficulties and beliefs about themselves. A diagnosis can also enable people to access services, medications, and support groups that were not previously available to them and which enable them to start on the path of treatment. This may ultimately lead to the attainment of the life goals they have set.

On the other hand, there is a growing number of people who wish to avoid labels altogether. They see labels as “pigeonholing” them into a narrow understanding of their thoughts, feelings, behaviours and experiences. Stigma may be present in their own minds, making them feel defective and powerless. When they move away from a label and embrace their experiences with a view to being empowered to make positive changes in their lives, it can often lead to meaningful changes toward their goals. Ultimately, the choice of whether or not a person wishes to identify with and “use” a diagnostic label to better understand themselves and their situation is a personal preference. While some may find a diagnosis comforting and a means by which to better understand themselves, others may feel empowered by the opposite approach. A discussion around this type of decision does not have to be made in isolation. Talking with family, friends and even a professional, such as a psychologist, can help in deciding which is best for you.

A new type of club NEIL JONES The 12 men gathering at the parish office of St Joseph’s, The Junction, were not apostles, but their profound effect on fellowship was great and the fact it continued for 11 years, speaks volumes. That initial meeting provided an opportunity for conversation and a connection for men. While membership was drawn from surrounding Catholic parishes, it was never limited to any particular religious view. This "Men's Breakfast Club" thrived for 11 years until COVID-19 struck. Attendance at the monthly meetings at St Benedict’s City Centre office at the Junction ranged from half a dozen to 15, where they listened to and interacted with an arranged guest speaker. Coronavirus has caused radical changes in all our lives, especially social

distancing, which resulted in an enforced break from our gathering as a group.

croissant. Breakfast is not critical; fellowship is.

Before the break, attendees attempted to have the "club" evolve into a more inclusive group. The word "men" was not meant to be sexist. Fully acknowledging that using gender had become an anachronism, attempts were made to convey that, in spite of the name Men's Breakfast Club, all were welcome at our meetings. It was considered the often-valuable content of the guest-speaker presentations should be accessible to all.

The idea of a new name for the group has persisted. The Men's Breakfast Club will be now known as The Breakfast Conversation.

We continue to agree that gatherings are about the conversation. COVID-19 has made providing breakfast problematic. Attendees at future meetings will be encouraged to bring their coffee and

Past speakers have come from wide and varied areas of work and life including a Newcastle Knights coach and a local area police commander. Our topics have been mixed, embracing medicine, history, sport, and finance. The speakers are informative with content that can range from being humorous to moving, and inspiring. There is always an opportunity for conversation. COVID-19 restrictions continue. It means we have to be creative while working within the rules. For February and the coming

autumn months, we will choose outdoor venues, and in the winter months, who knows? By winter we may be back to our home base at The Junction. We have changed the start time to a more agreeable 7.15am. Meetings usually last for 60 to 75 minutes. Our first meeting will be on Monday 8 February. Our guest speaker will be psychologist, Roger Peters. Dr Peters will talk on the impact COVID-19 has had on the mental health of so many people during the past 12 months. We will gather at 7.15am in the rotunda on the western side of Centennial Park, Bruce Street, Cooks Hill. BYO breakfast. All people from all walks of life are most welcome.

W W W. M N N E W S . T O D AY / A U R O R A

ALUMNI ALUMNI

Fr Matthew Muller has a long and distinguished history serving parishioners in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. In 2012, Bishop Bill Wright asked Fr Matthew to study canon law at Saint Paul University, Ottawa where he completed graduate diplomas in Canon Law and Conflict Resolution, Canon Law and Ecclesiastical Management, a Licence in Canon Law and a Masters in Canon Law. On his return to the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle in 2015, Bishop Bill appointed him Chancellor of the Diocese and Canonical Advisor. What Catholic schools did you attend? St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in my hometown of Mudgee, and then Years 5 and 6 at Marist Brothers, Kogarah after my family moved to Sydney. My father was appointed as an automotive teacher at the Newcastle Technical College and I completed my secondary education at Marist Brothers, Hamilton (which later became St Francis Xavier’s College). Why did your parents choose a Catholic education? I do not think they would have thought to do anything else. Being a Catholic family, we have always been involved in our parishes. What is your fondest memory from your time at Marist Brothers, Hamilton?

became involved in many aspects of this physical move and especially interested in the spiritual side of Church life. I was involved in developing and delivering youth and adult retreats both within the parish and within the Diocese. I felt I had found a better use for my gifts and talents. Working with and helping people was more rewarding than working as a chemist. Chemists were paid well, and the lifestyle attached to the job was also good, but it was not fulfilling. My relationship with my parish priest heavily influenced my decision to move from enjoying the parish life personally, to pursuing it as a vocation. I commenced studies in 1986, was ordained in 1993 and appointed as assistant priest to Bishop’s House, Maitland.

Why did you leave in Year 10 to begin a traineeship?

You’ve experienced a lot of change in your life; moving towns at a young age, changing vocations in your 20s, leading various parishes, and living in Canada. Then Bishop Bill asked you to study canon law and you were appointed Chancellor of the Diocese and canonical adviser. What advice would you give on managing change?

It was not planned. The chief chemist from BHP used to visit the school each year and ask for the best science students, who were then offered a job. The Year 12 boys would take on an industrial chemist traineeship at the University of Newcastle. When I was in Year 10, it was the first year he also made an offer to students in our form, to complete a TAFE equivalent – a Certificate in Chemistry. Myself and three other boys were selected and when I arrived home to tell mum and dad I had been offered the job, they nearly flipped because they thought I would go further in my studies. But, in the end, I decided to take the job.

People wish to believe that things will always stay the same and be stable. It's an optical or mental illusion we create to provide ourselves with some sort of security. It’s like gravity. How would we deal with not believing in it? Life is all about change and always will be. You have a choice to embrace it and work with it, and grow as an individual through those challenges, big or small. And I encourage people to do so. I make two recommendations to navigating change. Identify what scares you so you can maintain better control. Put yourself in the role as a player in the change rather than a victim.

My Marist Brothers science teacher was very supportive, which made the decision easier. The traineeship, which I took on in 1976, led me to work as an industrial chemist at BHP for six years, followed by two years at Cargo Superintendents and two years at Tomago Aluminum.

The Church is on the verge of change due to the Plenary Council and the Synod. Your thoughts?

I enjoyed the study and made some lifelong friendships. There were some good teachers who took an interest and looked after students.

After a decade of working as an industrial chemist, why switch careers and become a priest? Parallel to my work as an industrial chemist was my involvement with my local Toronto parish. At that time, the parish was engaged in selling five sites and building a new community complex on a more central site including a church, a school, and a youth centre. I

It is a bit scary, but again, it comes back to change. The world's changing, people's expectations of everybody are changing, the way relationships are operating are changing. covid has given us a real pause to reflect on how we relate to one another. The Church is all about relationships. When you cannot meet and cannot talk, you are not able to relate. The biggest change the Plenary Council and the Synod must consider is how we relate to one another in this modern world.

Accepting the constancy of change BRITTANY GONZALEZ

Photo: Lizzie Snedden

A U R O R A C AT H O L I C D I O C E S E O F M A I T L A N D - N E W C A S T L E

Ease transition for diverse learning needs CATHERINE GARRETT-JONES

Each year, families in our Diocese and beyond prepare themselves and their children to begin school. For some, it may be a whole new experience as they commence Kindergarten. Others will venture into secondary school, or maybe a new school altogether with new routines, teachers, friends and expectations. In whatever way the year begins, it can be the “newness” of it all that can result in butterflies in stomachs, and feelings of illness and tears. That applies to parents and carers too. If your child is living with additional needs, there may be further preparations to be considered to ensure as smooth a transition to school as possible for you, them, and their school. Many of our children and young people have diverse learning needs ranging from those that are visible to those that are

not so visible yet have an impact on their learning. All children and young people with diverse learning needs are valued in their school communities and together, through the development of a close and co-operative partnership between the school and family, we can realise our aim of improving their outcomes. Preparation and organisation are key here. Considering the needs of your child and gathering information to share with the school, developing good communication processes and a positive relationship with your child’s teacher, all support a great start at school. Catholic schools in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle have a vibrant and engaging peak parent and carer group known as the Federation of P&F Associations. Through its work and in

association with parents from the state peak Catholic school parent body, the Council of Catholic School Parents, a guidebook has been prepared by parents for parents that offers a wealth of information based on many years of parents’ and carers’ lived experience partnering with schools. The guidebook, Supporting Diverse Learning in Catholic Schools – NSW/ ACT: A Guide by Parents for Parents was conceived by Cheryl Murphy, a parent of three children, one of whom lives with additional needs, and her experiences navigating Catholic schools in the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese.

“I realised that my role in supporting the school and sharing details regarding how my child thought and reacted at different times was so beneficial,” she says. “This enabled the school to better support and understand my child.” The guidebook is available to download at: www.ccsp.catholic.edu.au/students-withdiverse-learning-needs Catherine Garrett-Jones is the Professional Officer (Parent Liaison & Resources) with the Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Diocese Schools Office.

Ms Murphy says her experiences led her to discover that resources for parents of children with a disability were extremely limited and any information available depended on the school your child attended.

Community noticeboard For your diary

For the latest news and events in our Diocese You can download the Diocese phone, iPad or tablet app

FEBRUARY 2

February: Presentation of the Lord Feast

16 February: Project Compassion launch 17 February: Ash Wednesday/ first day of Lent 20 February: World Day of Social Justice 21 February: First Sunday of the Synod Lenten Reflection program

CACW GETS THE MESSAGE OUT The Council of Catholic Women (CACW) was disbanded in early 2020, which created challenges around keeping members informed and included in conversations about future directions. But the former diocesan contact group is embarking on a new beginning. Erstwhile members have written to Bishop Bill to sound out interest in forming a Diocesan Council for Women. Awaiting a response, they have scheduled a meeting for Thursday 11 February at 4pm in the Toohey Room. Please enter this date in your diary. Our vision is to include all diocesan women through conversations, visits or Zoom and create interest groups that are

inclusive, reflective and fun. The annual Magdalene Awards will take a break in 2021. The replacement is a celebration of Women in our Diocese. Sunday 7 March is International Women’s Day and we have invited Bishop Bill to mark the occasion when celebrating the 9.30am Mass at the Cathedral. Hopefully we can all come together for a morning tea, but this will depend on Covid restrictions. Parishes will also be invited to recognise women in their Mass centres through prayer and hopefully hospitality.

W W W. M N N E W S . T O D AY / A U R O R A

COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD

Perfect time to seek our truth ROSE McALLISTER

It seems only fitting that Bishop Bill formally convoked the Diocesan Synod of Maitland Newcastle on the feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. One of the well-known sayings from Australia’s first saint is “Never see a need without doing something about it”. We now have an opportunity to explore our diocesan needs through a synod at a time when our nation is conducting a Plenary Council. It is synchronous that before Mary MacKillop’s canonisation, now 11 years ago, Australia recognised August 8 as the feast day of St Dominic de Guzman, the founder of the Dominican order whose motto “Veritas”, which means truth. As we journey towards the second session of synod in May 2021, we can focus on these two concepts – what is our truth, and what are our needs and what can we do about them? Active and contemplative life for many theologians, religious and lay people has been the subject of debate for centuries. Thomas Aquinas engages in a disputation in his Summa Theologiae on the active life in comparison with the contemplative life and tries to determine which is of greater value. Which of them has greater merit? Does the active life hinder the contemplative life? Does the active life precede the contemplative? Both points

DIOCESAN LENTEN REFLECTION GROUPS

of view would concur that active and contemplative forms of encounter with God are equally important and needed.

experienced logically but rather in the context of mystery that invites us to deep reflection.

Before we act, we need to think, reflect and contemplate. Deep listening within ourselves, with others and with our God not only enhances and encourages strong relationships, it reveals truth and uncovers needs.

The process each week is to engage in contemplative dialogue through focusing on scripture, visual liturgy, our story, foundational statements, and concerns and recommendations.

This year during Lent we are being provided with the opportunity to stop, be still, and listen through contemplative dialogue as we break open the synod’s theme of Building the Kingdom of God Together. Each week during Lent, individuals and groups, delegates and observers, will focus on one of our diocesan five foundations of Identity and Community, Worship and Prayer, Formation and Education, Mission and Outreach, and Leadership and Structure. The resources that form part of the experience engage the Catholic imagination and invite everyone, as Pope Francis states in Evangelii Gaudium, to a “renewed personal encounter with Christ, or an openness to letting God encounter you. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, no one is excluded from the Lord’s Joy.” The Catholic imagination provides the means to encounter and be in a relationship with God who cannot be

As disciples of Christ, what needs to happen in our hearts and in our minds and in our community for us to be a Christ-centred Church? Each week during Lent you are encouraged to immerse yourself in the range of resources accessed online at https://www.domnsynod.com.au/getinvolved/lent-2021-reflecting-together/ You are invited to connect with community across the Diocese this Lent in contemplative dialogue as we prepare for the second session of Synod. Groups will engage in a different foundation each week.

The type of dialogue is a contemplative way of being together; a way of engaging in meaningful conversations that are rooted in deep listening. There are key questions. What resonates with you? What challenges you? What is the invitation to you personally and for your local Church community? These will be contemplated and explored through engagement with the resources and each other. Contemplative dialogue leads to a shared understanding, as people with unique gifts, points of view and values grow in capacity and willingness to think creatively together. The practice of contemplative dialogue supports building a shared approach that is effective, practical, and better allows us to bring our best selves together and to participate in cultivating a creative common ground.

in another’s point of view. Contemplative dialogue is a means of readying the ground for collective transformation, for helping shift from I to we, from individualism to communion. It is through contemplative dialogue that we can translate our thinking and our feeling into language that creates a flow of coherence and shared meaning among us. The challenge of dialogue is to simply allow numerous points of view to be heard; it is about listening to your own thinking in the silence and to others’ thinking when they are speaking. As the Diocese prepares for the second session of synod, we as church are invited into a unique space that will only be experienced once, or for some, twice in a lifetime. This is a time in which we are encouraged to engage in our Christian story, and break open our current concerns around truth and our needs. Action will derive from contemplation and enable our Diocese to Build the Kingdom of God Together. Rose McAllister is Manager of Formation and Education in the Diocese of MaitlandNewcastle.

We listen from an inner silence that creates a space where something new can emerge. Our intention is to move beyond the personal as we probe significant ideas together and listen deeply for truth

Week 1: Identity and Community Week 2: Worship and Prayer Week 3: Formation and Education Week 4: Mission & Outreach Week 5: Leadership and Structure. You are invited to attend one session each week Mondays: 22 February – 22 March, 9.30am to 11am Tuesdays: 23 February – 23 March, 1pm to 2.30pm Wednesdays: 24 February – 24 March, 6pm to 7.30pm Thursdays: 25 February – 25 March, 10.30am to 12pm, or 6pm to 7.30pm Fridays: 26 February – 26 March, 9.30am to 11am Saturdays: 27 February – 27 March, 2pm to 3.30pm

DATES FOR THE DIOCESAN SYNOD Second session of Synod Discernment is on 22 May 2021 Third session of Synod Implementation is on 21 November 2021 For more information, please visit our website www.domnsynod.com.au

Food talk

A U R O R A C AT H O L I C D I O C E S E O F M A I T L A N D - N E W C A S T L E

Syrian grocer shares a favourite Housam Adra arrived in Australia as a refugee in February 2020, and within months opened a speciality grocery store in the vibrant Newcastle suburb of Hamilton. Born in Syria, Housam was displaced by war. In 2013, with assistance from the international aid organisation UNHCR, he was moved to Kuala Lumpur as a refugee. It was there he met his now-wife, Mona. They now have two children. Last year, UNHCR instructed Housam and his family to move to Australia and were told Newcastle would become their new home. It was a significant change for the Adra family, who had become accustomed to the hustle and bustle of life in the Malaysian capital. While Housam loves his newly adopted home of Newcastle, he noticed a distinct lack of Mediterranean groceries available. When he spotted a vacant shop in Beaumont Street during the pandemic, it sparked an idea. Housam has been involved in marketing

and merchandising since he was a teenager, and decided to draw on this experience and open his own store, Jasmine Mart. The store offers a wide range of unique and authentic Mediterranean products to preserve and fulfil the diverse grocery needs and cultural tradition of many communities including Persian, Arabic, Syrian, Armenian, Kurdish, Indian, Afghani and Turkish. The selection of foods available includes locally sourced and imported herbs, fruits, vegetables, spices, rice and grains, sweets and desserts, dairy, olives and olive oil, and bakery items. “I pride my business on consistently aiming to serve the finest products and will never compromise on quality,” says Housam. He has kindly shared one of his favourite recipes with Aurora readers, with many of the ingredients available for purchase at Jasmine Mart (34 Beaumont St, Hamilton).

Housam Adra at his Mediterranean grocery store, Jasmine Mart, located in Beaumont Street, Hamilton.

Khoresh-e ghormeh sabzi (Persian herb, bean and lamb stew) There are three essential elements to this khoresh, or stew, which is often called Iran’s national dish. First, the sweet, pungent flavour of dried or fresh fenugreek leaves defines the stew, which simply isn’t the same without it. Likewise, Omani limes (also known as dried Persian limes) add a distinct aged sourness that is vital to the dish. Finally, the classic Persian technique of sautéing a mountain of finely minced herbs lends character and complexity to the foundation of the stew. Don’t be afraid to really cook down the herbs until quite dark and dry; this step is essential to concentrate their flavour.

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

700g lamb shoulder or beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 5cm pieces

1 In a medium bowl, season the meat with turmeric, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

1 heaping teaspoon ground turmeric Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ½ cup dried kidney beans 3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 large brown onion, thinly sliced 400g Italian parsley (about 3 large bunches) 400g coriander (about 3 large bunches) 2 bunches chives 1 bunch spring onions, roots trimmed 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves 4 Omani (dried Persian) limes, rinsed and punctured multiple times with a fork ¼ teaspoon crumbled saffron threads Polo ba tahdig (Persian rice with bread crust), for serving Mast-o khiar or plain yogurt, for serving

2 Rinse the beans and place in a medium bowl with 1 cup water and a generous pinch of salt. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes. 3 In the meantime, place a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons oil. When it shimmers, add meat and cook, turning regularly so that it browns evenly on all sides, about 15 minutes. Once the meat has browned, move it to the edges of the pot and add the onion to the center of the pot, along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, until the onion begins to soften and turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes. 4 Drain the beans and add to the pot, stirring to combine everything and coat the beans with oil. Add 4 cups water, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot and simmer for 2 hours. 5 In the meantime, prepare the herbs: wash parsley and coriander, then use a salad spinner

to dry very well. Remove and discard the tough stems. Chop the leaves and tender stems very, very finely, or feel free to use a food processor to get these herbs as finely chopped as possible. The more finely chopped the herbs, the more green and unctuous the ghormeh sabzi will be. 6 Separately chop the chives and entire bunch of spring onions (including the green tops) as finely as possible by hand. These, too, must be very finely chopped – nearly minced – but they will turn to mush in a food processor and thus should be chopped by hand. 7 Set a large frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the spring onion mixture. Allow to wilt, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes, then add remaining chopped herbs and fenugreek leaves, crushing the fenugreek leaves between your fingers as you add them. Cook, stirring continuously, until the herbs are wilted and very dark green – but not burned – and they give off a bright green oil when pressed with a spoon, 18 to 20 minutes. This step is crucial to the flavour and colour of the stew. You’ll know the herbs are ready when they feel dry and emit a strong, savory aroma.

8 When the meat has cooked for 2 hours, add the cooked herb mixture, Omani limes and 1/2 cup water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer for another hour. Check on the limes occasionally to make sure they are submerged in the stew but not falling apart. Gently push them into the stew if they’re still floating after 20 minutes. 9 As the stew nears the 3-hour mark, remove the lid and check the meat; it should be very tender. If the ghormeh sabzi seems a little watery, leave it uncovered for the last 20 minutes of cooking and allow to reduce into a thick stew. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. If the stew needs a little acidity, juice a lime into the stew through a sieve by pressing down on it with a spoon (avoid letting the seeds through the sieve, as they can be bitter). Set aside. Taste the stew and continue adding more lime juice until the stew is sufficiently tangy. Stir in the saffron. The stew should be a very deep, dark shade of green and quite thick when done. Return dried limes into the stew to serve. 10 Serve hot with Persian rice and mast-o khiar.

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Patience proves a virtue