our diocesan community - Catholic Diocese of Ballarat - Australian ...

The Last Word . . .
Recently I was challenged by a remark made by Mr David
Hawker, the Federal Member for Wannon at the opening of
additions to one of our schools. He observed that when he
left school in the early seventies, young people were said to
have acquired 75% of the knowledge required for life. Now
they leave with about 2%. Furthermore a leading academic
has predicted that by 2020, knowledge will double not in years
but every 73 days. We know from our own experience that our
changing world challenges us continually with new discoveries
and experiences.
Change calls us to new ways of responding and we see this
continually in the life of our Diocesan church. Centacare
Ballarat now employs more than one hundred people to provide
guidance, relief and support for families and individuals who
face many difficulties in coping with the demands of modern
life. How different it was in 1973 when the Catholic Family
Welfare Bureau was established with a very small staff to
assist families in crisis.
Also at about that time there were almost one hundred
priests available for ministry in the parishes of our Diocese.
Now there are forty one priests who continue to minister to
the same number of parishes. Parishes are responding to
this situation of change by establishing pastoral councils and
leadership teams to determine ways and means by which
their communities can stay viable and vibrant into the future.
Our Catholic schools too face many challenges in preparing
pupils for what has to be life long learning. The internet now
opens up possibilities not even thought of when many of us
were students and is now an essential component in the
pursuit of knowledge at all stages of education.
As we all know, we have experienced tremendous changes
in our lives as Catholics since the Second Vatican Council
which ended in 1965. Such has been the story of the Church
down through the centuries since the day of Pentecost. The
Holy Spirit, the great Easter gift of the Risen Lord, will never
abandon us in our endeavour to deal with change which is
an integral part of our journey together. May we look to the
possibilities that change offers us with courage and trust in
Jesus, our Leader.
+ Peter J. Connors
Bishop of Ballarat
COROROOKE PARISH
CELEBRATES AND FAREWELLS
SR. MARGARET CARMODY
The Beatitudes, which formed the Gospel in the fourth week
of Ordinary Time, provided the perfect prism through which
to view Sr. Margaret Carmody’s contribution to the Parish of
Cororooke. Her humble and compassionate service to the
community was recognized on February 3rd, when over three
hundred people gathered for Mass at St. Brendan’s Church,
Coragulac. The occasion also served as the Opening of the
Year Mass for the Parish School, with many schoolchildren
contributing to the optimistic spirit of the day.
Our celebrant, Bishop Peter Connors and concelebrant,
Fr. Eugene McKinnon, were joined in prayer by a diverse
assembly, composed of countless young people, many
members of other faiths, a contingent of Good Samaritan
Sisters and Sr. Margaret’s numerous family and friends, in
addition to the parishioners of St. Joseph’s and St. Brendan’s.
The gratitude that each person feels for Sr. Margaret was
articulated by a representative sample of the community, who
made presentations praising Sr. Margaret’s character and
giftedness. Liturgy, scripture and song combined to heighten
our appreciation of Sr. Margaret’s vocation, as well as our own
baptismal call to build faithful communities.
The companionship and joyfulness evident at the ensuing
barbeque lunch indicates the potential of the pilot programme of
parish leadership that is now to be undertaken by the community
- wherein members of the community will be commissioned by
the Bishop to coordinate the activities and mission of the parish.
Meanwhile, after thirteen years as Cororooke Parish Leader,
Sr. Margaret shall continue her ministry as Pastoral Associate
in the Hamilton Parish, thus maintaining her commitment to the
values of the Beatitudes.
Robert O’Shea - Parishioner
“Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.”
Pauline R. Kezer
20
Our Diocesan Community - April 2008