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CatholicOutlook 

Volume 13 

August 2010 

Is God calling you 

to priesthood or religious life? 

In this issue, read inspiring stories of men and 

women of faith who have answered ‘yes’ 

Cover photography: Alphonsus Fok & Grace Lu

2 CatholicOutlook August 2010 

Vocations on the up? 

THE BISHOP’S LETTER 

Bishop Anthony Fisher OP 

To my delight we have a new Marist 

community in Harris Park, with a vibrant 

group of religious consisting of Brothers 

Anthony Robertson, Tony Leon, Anthony 

Robinson and Michael Callanan. 

Meanwhile, the Diocese of Parramatta 

has 10 seminarians and some other 

Australian dioceses are also doing 

relatively well for vocations. 

Please pray for our seminarians: 

Deacon John Watkins, Peter Kuraya, 

Arnulfo Tolentino, Nino Canete, 

Alfredito Dalogdog, Anthony Saliba, 

Galbert Albino, John Sultana, Thomas 

Hien Bui and Charles Nwaorgu. 

Recently, I attended a number of 

conferences and meetings overseas 

and took the opportunity to visit 

my Dominican confreres. 

The Irish Dominicans have had only 

a trickle of vocations in recent years. 

Yet amidst the outrage and dejection 

occasioned by the sexual abuse crisis, 

when ordinary human wisdom would 

tell us to expect a collapse in vocations, 

13 novices entered this year! 

They are fine young men who fill 

me with confidence for the future 

and they have lifted the spirits of the 

whole Order and the Irish Church. 

In New York I found that the Eastern 

Province (one of four provinces of 

Dominican friars in the US) has 21 

novices this year alone – the biggest 

number in decades – and many 

more students for the priesthood 

further advanced in formation. 

In Nashville, Tennessee, where the 

Dominican Sisters were celebrating their 

150 th jubilee, I encountered more than 

50 young nuns in formation, including 

two Australians – bright, articulate, 

fun-loving, God-loving women. 

And on the day I returned to Australia 

three new novices and two new students 

joined the Australian Dominicans. 

What’s going on? 

What’s going on here? Why, in a 

secular age, when faith and religious 

practice are waning; in a consumer 

August 

age, when people are frequently valued 

only by what they own and control; 

in a non-committal age, when selfsacrifice 

is unpopular and life-vows 

seem impossible – why would vocations 

be on the rise in some places? 

The principal answer, I am convinced, 

is divine grace. Vocations are a pure 

gift. No matter what we consciously 

do to promote them – or what we 

unconsciously do that undermines 

them – God makes the call. 

Right now we need more vocations 

and God is clearly calling more young 

men to the priesthood, more women 

and men to consecrated life. God knows 

our need, He cares, and He responds. 

Mostly our job is just to get out of the 

way and let God work His magic! 

That said, we must also cooperate with 

God’s grace. We must do what we can. 

That means being open to the possibility 

that it’s one of our own children or 

grandchildren, family members, friends 

or fellow parishioners who God is 

calling to priestly or religious life. 

Daring to suggest a vocation to 

someone we think might have one. 

Praying for those who are discerning 

their vocations and those who are trying 

to live them out faithfully. Encouraging 

our existing priests and religious. 

For young people it means being open 

to the possibility that God is calling you. 

Asking God for wisdom and courage, for 

a big heart and small fears. Seeking advice 

from wise people. Talking it through, 

thinking it through, praying it through. 

Daring to take the first step by 

searching the net, talking to the 

Diocesan Vocation Director (Fr Paul 

Roberts), attending a discernment 

day or vocations retreat. Daring, in 

turn, to take the plunge. And being 

confident that God wants you, loves 

you, has great plans for you. 

Some people have a nagging sense 

that God wants them to preach the 

Gospel, offer the Eucharistic sacrifice, 

lead and minister to God’s people, teach 

or care as His vowed collaborators. 

No thunderbolts, no angelic visitations, 

just a growing clarity that this is where 

they could be most happy and do most to 

help others to experience ‘life to the full’. 

Some take a good while to sort out that 

this is right for them. Some seek a kind of 

mathematical certainty they’ll never have 

or want the approval of everyone around 

them, which is unlikely to come till much 

later. Some delay for too long making 

up their mind and ‘go off the boil’. Some 

join ‘the Order of Perpetual Discerners’. 

1 August 10am: Installation of Rev Peter Blayney as Parish 

Priest of St Patrick’s Parish, Guildford 

4 August St John Vianney Day for Clergy, St Patrick’s Cathedral; 7pm: Introduction 

to Saints/Sainthood – Parramatta Institute for Mission, Blacktown 

5 August Opening & Blessing, St Bernadette’s School, Lalor Park; 

Mary MacKillop Dinner, Sydney 

6 August Opening & Blessing, Mary MacKillop Primary, Penrith South 

11 August Catholic Schools Council 

13 August Opening Address: Dominican Governance Symposium, Strathfield; 

7pm: Confirmations at St Bernadette’s Church, Dundas Valley 

15 August 11am: Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta 

That’s not what we need here in 

Parramatta. What we need is young men 

and women of faith and daring, willing 

to embrace God’s call with full heart. 

No priests means no Eucharist 

means no Church – simple as that. No 

religious means no spiritual heroes, 

no hidden service, no one totally 

consecrated to God and His people. 

But with more priests and religious 

we will do great things in Western 

Sydney. Join me in this great adventure! 

Our seminary is waiting for you … 

Have a look at: 

www.parra.catholic.org.au/vocations 

One year to WYD2011 Madrid 

This month it is one year to 

World Youth Day in Madrid. There’s 

no better place to explore your 

vocation than on pilgrimage with 

two million other young people! 

I ask every parish, migrant community, 

school and movement to do what 

they can to encourage their young 

people to join one of the Diocese of 

Parramatta’s pilgrimages to WYD2011. 

Some young people will need our 

financial sponsorship; others need simple 

words of encouragement from us to 

dare to go. The rewards are enormous 

for every young person who attends 

World Youth Day and for those to 

whom they return. There might even 

be some vocations amongst them. 

Have a look at the WYD section on 

the home page menu of our diocesan 

website at: www.parra.catholic.org.au 

Eucharistic Adoration at 

St Patrick’s Cathedral 

Starting from next month we 

will have Eucharistic Adoration on 

the first Thursday night of each 

month in St Patrick’s Cathedral, 

specifically to pray for our young 

people and to pray for vocations. 

For further details see P14 in the 

Vocations feature in this issue of Catholic 

Outlook. Please support this initiative 

by your attendance and prayers. 

O God, you wish all people to be saved 

and to come to the knowledge of your 

truth: send, we pray, labourers into your 

harvest, and grant them the grace to speak 

your word with all boldness, to offer your 

sacraments with all reverence and to 

guide your people as true shepherds; so 

that all people may know and love you, 

the one true God, and the One whom 

you have sent, Our Lord Jesus Christ, 

who lives and reigns with you and the 

Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen. 

THE BISHOP’S DIARY 

16 August Opening & Blessing, St Canice’s Primary, Katoomba 

18 August Catholic Education Commission of NSW; Diocesan Finance Council 

19 August Catholic Education Office Biennial Awards 

21 August 8.30am: Youth Breakfast, St Patrick’s Cathedral Hall. Parramatta 

22 - 24 Confirmations at St John Vianney Parish, Doonside; 

August Visitation at St John Vianney Parish, Doonside 

26 August Opening address: Sesquicentenary of Catholic 

Education in the Diocese of Lismore 

29 August Installation of Rev Arthur Cook as Parish Priest 

of St Matthew’s Parish, Windsor 

31 August Mass for residents and staff at St Dominic’s Hostel 

Canonisation of 

Mary MacKillop 

Diocesan Celebration 

on the afternoon of 

Sunday 31 October 2010 

Everyone is invited to join together in a 

diocesan celebration of the canonisation 

of Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint. 

Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP, Bishop 

of Parramatta, will be the principal 

celebrant for a special Mass. The venue 

is the Morley Centre in the Westmead 

Catholic Education Precinct, Darcy Street, 

Westmead (opp. Westmead Hospital). 

Pick up the September 2010 issue of Catholic 

Outlook for full details of the program. 

What does Mary mean to you? 

The Diocese of Parramatta’s website has a 

section dedicated to the canonisation of 

Mary MacKillop. This section will include 

stories from people across the Diocese 

whose lives have been touched by Mary. 

If you have a special connection to Mary 

that you would like to share, go to “Mary 

MacKillop Canonisation” on the home 

page menu at www.parra.catholic.org.au 

The official publication of the Diocese of Parramatta. 

Publisher: 

Bishop Anthony Fisher op 

Tel (02) 9683 6277 

Fax (02) 9630 4813 

PO Box 3066, North 

Parramatta, NSW, 1750 

Email: 

bishop@parra.catholic. 

org.au 

Website: 

www.parra.catholic.org.au 

Editor: 

Jane Favotto 

Tel (02) 8838 3409 

Fax (02) 9630 4813 

editor@parra.catholic. 

org.au 

PO Box 3066, North 

Parramatta, NSW, 1750 

Advertising: 

Tel (02) 8838 3409 

Fax (02) 9630 4813 

Deadlines: Editorial and 

advertising – 10th of the 

month prior to publication 

School news: 

Catholic Education Office 

Tel (02) 9840 5683 

news@parra.catholic.edu.au 

Journalist: 

Virginia Knight 

Design: 

Chris Murray 

limad@mac.com 

Website: 

Andrew Emmerson 

Tel (02) 8838 3407 

aemmerson@ 

parra.catholic.org.au 

Peter Gresser 

Tel (02) 8838 3406 

web@parra.catholic.org.au 

Printing: Rural Press 

Printing, North Richmond 

40,000 copies of Catholic 

Outlook are distributed 

monthly through 49 parishes 

and 82 Catholic schools. All 

material in this publication 

is copyright and may not 

be reproduced without 

permission of the editor. 

Catholic Outlook is a 

member of the Australasian 

Catholic Press Assoc. 

and the Australasian 

Religious Press Assoc.

Parramatta’s Lord Mayor, Cr Paul Garrard, hosted a reception for Bishop Kevin 

Manning and Bishop Anthony Fisher OP. Photo: Karen Steains Photography 

Civic reception to honour bishops 


On 2 July 2010, the Lord Mayor 

of Parramatta, Cr Paul Garrard, 

hosted a civic reception for 

Bishop Anthony Fisher op 

and Bishop Kevin Manning at 

Granville Town Hall. 

Councillors, local dignitaries 

and businesspeople gathered 

with many representatives from 

diocesan ministries and local 

parish communities to welcome 

Bishop Anthony as the new 

Bishop of Parramatta and to 

acknowledge the long-serving 

contribution of Bishop Kevin, 

who retired in March this year. 

In his speech, Cr Garrard 

thanked Bishop Kevin for his 

tireless dedication to the people 

of the city of Parramatta over 

the past 13 years, and added 

warmly “you will always have a 

home in Parramatta”. 

In response, Bishop Kevin 

thanked the members of 

Parramatta Council for their 

cooperation during the rebuilding 

of St Patrick’s Cathedral, 

citing it as a place of reflection 

for all who live and work in 

the city. 

He likened the relationship 

between the Catholic Church 

and Parramatta Council to a 

partnership in building up the 

social capital of the city. “One 

of the highlights of my time 

in Parramatta has been the 

opportunity for inter-religious 

dialogue, probably one of the 

best in Australia, and Council 

has always been supportive,” 

he said. 

Bishop Kevin said he had an 

abiding interest in the city, its 

people and their welfare “and 

I pray for you daily. My time 

with you has been most enjoyable 

and fruitful and I thank 

you all sincerely”. 

On behalf of the people 

of Parramatta, Cr Garrard 

extended a welcome to Bishop 

Anthony. “I know that all 

Catholics in Parramatta welcome 

you to your new leadership 

role, and we look forward 

to the important contributions 

you will no doubt make over the 

coming years.” 

Bishop Anthony acknowledged 

the gracious welcome 

extended to him by people 

across the Diocese and 

thanked them for their support. 

“I undertake to pray for 

you and work with you as best 

I can for the good of the people 

of Western Sydney in the years 

ahead,” he said. 

He recognised Bishop Kevin’s 

contribution to the Diocese, 

noting that “history will remember 

him as one of the great leaders 

of the area”. 

Bishop Anthony spoke of the 

distinction between Church 

and state and the importance of 

developing a healthy collaboration 

to work together for the 

common good. 

He cited World Youth Day 

2008 as an example of this ideal. 

“One of the things that made me 

proudest was the way every sector 

of our community cooperated 

in the planning and delivery. 

It demonstrated a model of the 

relationship between Church 

and state, and between people 

of various religions and none, 

that can teach the world something 

very important.” 

Bishop Anthony spoke of the 

diversity of the Australian people 

and their capacity to coexist 

and cooperate with their 

neighbours in a generous ‘live 

and let live’ spirit. 

“It means we are willing to 

work together for the common 

good, for justice for the most 

disadvantaged, for freedom 

of religion and other proper 

liberties, for a recognition of 

our country’s constitutive values 

and traditions, and for a 

better Western Sydney in a 

better world.” 

CatholicOutlook August 2010 3 

National clergy gathering 

More than 250 Australian bishops, 

priests and deacons attended the 12-16 

July convention in Parramatta, reflecting 

on the changing face of contemporary 

ministerial priesthood and the 

risen Christ’s presence in the midst of 

this change. 

Fr Ian McGinnity, Chairman of the 

National Council Priests of Australia 

(NCP) and Parish Priest of Mary 

Immaculate Parish, Quakers Hill, said 

the conference was a time to reflect 

on the ministerial priesthood today 

and its role into the future within the 

Australian context. 

“It is an opportunity for priests to 

honestly face the challenges ahead and 

to renew their hope and vision that 

the risen Christ moves in and through 

this time.” 

In his welcome address, Bishop 

Anthony said the Diocese of Parramatta 

shared in the challenges faced by other 

parts of the Church in Australia and 

around the world. 

“The increasing secularisation of society, 

how to respond to rapid change 

in economy, ecology, technology and 

culture, the ageing and declining numbers 

of people in priestly, religious and 

married life, the effects of more than a 

decade of battering in the media on our 

credibility and morale, and the need to 

ensure that all people, and especially 

young people, are welcomed, safe and 

genuinely built up in our Church … 

every part of this country has particular 

challenges, related to size, distance, 

personal-ities, economy and history,” 

Bishop Anthony said. 

“In the context of current controversy 

about physical and sexual abuse by clergy 

and religious and the sometimes grave 

mishandling of these matters by Church 

leaders, it is appropriate that at this 

convention there will be a reconciliation 

liturgy acknowledging our personal and 

ecclesial responsibility and praying for 

healing and conversion.” 

Four keynote speakers addressed 

the convention: 

Fr Donald Cozzens: Writer in 

Residence and Adjunct Professor of 

Theology at John Carroll University 

in Cleveland. 

Prof Richard Lennan: Author of Risking 

the Church: The Challenges of Catholic 

Faith, The Ecclesiology of Karl Rahner, 

is a priest of the Diocese of Maitland- 

Newcastle and Professor of Systematic 

Theology at Boston College. 

Assoc Prof David Tacey: Author of 

books such as ReEnchantment: The New 

Australian Spirituality and Edge of the 

Sacred: Transformation in Australia 

is associate professor at La Trobe 

University, teaching literature, spirituality 

and Jungian psychology. 

Geraldine Doogue: ABC commentator 

and journalist, host of ABC TV’s 

Compass program. 

At the convention dinner, Fr Ed 

Campion launched Damien Williams’ 

book Sign of Unity, Instrument of Peace 

– A Short History of the National Council 

of Priests of Australia. 

Presiding at the closing Mass in St 

Patrick’s Cathedral, Bishop Anthony 

urged delegates to be bridge-builders 

between the sacred and secular worlds 

“Soon we will return to our daily 

bread, a world of many opportunities but 

one that too often presses us to eschew 

nuance and take sides,” Bishop Anthony 

said in his homily. 

“Ours must be a commitment to the 

whole of reality, to every human person, 

to the beautiful if challenging worlds to 

which they belong, and to the God who 

is our author and sustainer.” 

Fr Ian McGinnity addresses the NCP convention. Photo: Andrew Ballard 

ALBERT & MEYER 

FUNERAL DIRECTORS 

Serving the 

Parramatta Diocese 

since 1967 

Australian Family Owned & Operated 

301-303 PENNANT HILLS ROAD, THORNLEIGH 

9484 3992 

ALL SUBURBS 24 HOURS 

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Rebecca Pincott Michael Bolton


Celebrating the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman 

Daniel Ang 

On 19 September 

2010, Pope Benedict 

XVI will preside at 

the beatification 

of Cardinal John 

Henry Newman 

(1801-1890) in 

Birmingham, 

England, during 

a four-day tour 

of the UK. 

It will be an 

event celebrated 

by many throughout the world who have 

encountered in Newman a profound 

spiritual voice, a remarkable theological 

vision and a pastoral intent that has 

drawn generations of Christians, Catholic 

and otherwise, to his life and works. 

Much has been written of Newman’s 

life, which saw him progress from 

a moderate Anglican upbringing, 

through a phase of unbelief, the fervour 

of evangelical conviction, to the 

High Church tradition of the Oxford 

Movement, before his entry into the 

Roman Catholic Church in 1845. 

The Oxford Movement, or 

‘Tractarianism’, of which Newman had 

been an impassioned leader, had sought 

to emphasise the ‘catholicity’ of the 

Church of England, that is, its continuity 

with the faith of the primitive church. 

Through the writing of treatises or 

‘tracts’, Newman, with others, sought 

WIN 

A TRIP FOR TWO 

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for the Canonisation of Mary MacKillop 

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to revive the spiritual and intellectual 

atmosphere of the Church of England 

amidst what they perceived as a growing 

liberalism within the Anglican fold. 

It was his close reading of the Church 

Fathers, St Athanasius in particular, that 

led to Newman’s disillusionment with 

the church of his birth and his ultimate 

conversion to Roman Catholicism. 

In his famous Essay on the 

Development of Christian Doctrine, 

published soon after his reception 

into the Roman Church, Newman 

concluded, “Did St Athanasius or St 

Ambrose come suddenly to life, it 

cannot be doubted what communion 

he would take to be his own.” 

Newman was ordained to the 

priesthood in Rome in 1847, went on to 

establish an oratory in Birmingham (an 

institute of secular priests), author novels 

and devotional works, as well as classic 

theses in theology and philosophy, before 

being elevated to the College of Cardinals 

by Pope Leo XIII in 1879. Newman 

died in August 1890, at Birmingham. 

His written works cover a multitude 

of themes. There are reflections 

on the lay faithful and their role in 

the transmission of the faith, the 

development of Christian doctrine and 

the growth of the Church, the dignity 

of conscience, and on the university 

and the need to teach knowledge truly 

universal in scope, including theology. 

Newman’s sermons, both as Anglican 

pastor and Catholic priest, offer a robust 

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spiritual itinerary that evokes the full 

demand and promise of the Gospel (“We 

live here to struggle and to endure. The 

time of eternal rest will come hereafter”.) 

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the 

Christian soul, the power of the Word 

of God, and the call of all Christians to 

the heights of holiness (by our seeking 

and obedience to the truth) are other 

central themes of Newman’s output, 

which continue to speak with power to 

our experience of discipleship today. 

Newman’s authority as a classic 

spiritual voice, and indeed the 

foundations of his own sanctity, 

sprang from his intimate embrace of 

the deepest principles or spirit of the 

Christian tradition, equalled only by his 

familiarity with, and concern for, the 

spiritual welfare of his contemporaries. 

As we celebrate the beatification of 

John Henry Newman, just weeks prior to 

the canonisation of Mary MacKillop, we 

are invited into the depths of discipleship 

and to reflect upon the circumstances 

of our time, which call for courageous 

witness and the proclamation of our faith. 

In their life and works, these saints 

embodied and expressed a call to holiness 

in which we, too, share. It is this promise 

of God’s possibility that Newman calls 

us to receive in each moment of our 

days and years, for “to obtain the gift 

of holiness is the work of a life”. 

Daniel Ang is the Coordinator of 

Pastoral Services for the Institute for 

Mission in the Diocese of Parramatta. 

For All the Saints 

To mark the canonisation of Blessed Mother 

Mary MacKillop and the beatification 

of Cardinal John Henry Newman, the 

Institute for Mission has planned a series, 

“For All the Saints” over three Wednesday 

evenings. These will be presented at the 

Diocesan Assembly Centre, 1-5 Marion 

St, Blacktown, 7-9pm. The first will be 

presented by Bishop Anthony Fisher OP. 

1. Wednesday 4 August (Feast of St 

John Vianney, patron saint of priests, 

and eve of the Feast of St Dominic): A 

general introduction to the saints and 

sainthood. What does it mean to be a 

saint? Who is called to be a saint and 

what is ‘the communion of saints’? 

Presenter: Bishop Anthony Fisher OP. 

2. Wednesday 8 September (Birth of 

the Virgin Mary): An introduction to 

the life and spirituality of Cardinal John 

Henry Newman. What do you know 

about this Cardinal and why is he to 

be beatified? Presenter: Daniel Ang. 

3. Wednesday 13 October: Celebrating 

the canonisation of Blessed Mother Mary 

MacKillop. Australia’s first saint, will be 

canonised in Rome on 17 October. What 

do you know about Mary MacKillop, her 

spirituality and her legacy in 2010? Hear one 

of her Sisters respond to these questions. 

Presenter: Sr Bridie O’Connell RSJ. 

Bookings are essential, but there 

is no charge for these talks. Phone 

Institute for Mission (02) 9831 4911: 

www.instituteformission.com.au 

Cardinal 

Newman 

Faith 

Resources 

Inc. 

342 Merrylands Road, 

Merrylands, NSW, 2160 

PHONE: (02) 9637-9406 

FAX: (02) 9637-3351 

NAME 

ADDRESS 

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MOBILE 

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Big crowds expected this year at Mary MacKillop Place 

The traditional feast day of Blessed 

Mary MacKillop will be celebrated 

on Sunday 8 August at key sites 

around Australia, including Mary 

MacKillop Place at North Sydney. 

While the official feast day in most 

dioceses has been moved to the 

canonisation day of 17 October for 

this year only, significant crowds of 

pilgrims are expected to observe the 

traditional feast day on 8 August. 

Sr Brigette Sipa RSJ, Director of 

Mary MacKillop Place, said arrangements 

were in place to accommodate 

and welcome the large number 

of pilgrims expected to visit the 

North Sydney site where Mary’s 

tomb is located in the chapel. 

There will be four open-air 

Masses celebrated on Glen Roy 

Green at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 

3pm. The Chapel will be open for 

private prayer and visitation from 

8.30am to 5pm. Pedestrian entry to 

Mary MacKillop Place will be via 

80 William Street. 

A Diocesan Celebration for the 

canonisation will be held on the 

afternoon of Sunday 31 October 

when Bishop Anthony Fisher op 

will be the principal celebrant for 

a special Mass. 

The venue is the Morley Centre in 

the Westmead Catholic Education 

Precinct, Darcy Street, Westmead 

(opp. Westmead Hospital). Everyone 

is welcome. See the September issue 

of Catholic Outlook for full details. 

Other news 

• ARIA Award winner Gary Pinto 

has launched his new song, Saint 

Mary MacKillop, which he wrote 

especially for Mary’s canonisation 

to share the message that there is 

hope for everyone, no matter what 

their circumstances. 

Saint Mary MacKillop is available 

for purchase on iTunes. Proceeds 

from the sale of the song will go 

towards the Canonisation Appeal. 

The video clip can be viewed on 

YouTube, and the sheet music 

is available on the official Mary 

MacKillop website at no cost. 

• The Catholic community can 

help to ensure that the canonisation 

is a celebration for all by contributing 

to the final Canonisation 

Appeal on 8 August. 

Proceeds will go towards the 

planning, logistics and coordination 

of celebratory events in Rome, 

the development and distribution 

of school educational materials, and 

will assist in involving a contingent 

of youth and Aboriginal and Torres 

Strait Islander representatives from 

across all dioceses to attend the 

canonisation in Rome. 

• The Diocese of Parramatta 

website has a section dedicated to 

the canonisation. This section will 

include stories from people across 

the Diocese whose lives have been 

touched by Mary. 

If you have a special connection 

to Mary that you would like 

to share, go to “Mary MacKillop 

Canonisation” on the home page 

menu at www.parra.catholic.org.au 

• More than 250 auditions have 

been held for roles in MacKillop 

the Musical with people travelling 

to Sydney from as far away 

as Adelaide to audition. An 

announcement on the lead roles 

will be made soon. MacKillop will 

be staged in October in Sydney by 

Artes Christi. 

For all your canonisation news, 

visit the Diocese of Parramatta 

website: www.parra.catholic.org.au 

St Patrick’s 

Cathedral 

Spring Fair 

Building and 

Supporting Community 

September 11 

Prince Alfred Park, Parramatta 

(opposite the Cathedral) 

Bring your family and friends and enjoy a great day out. Browse through 

the book, craft, plant and white elephant stalls. Sample delicious home 

baked goodies and try your luck on the Chocolate Wheel. Let the kids 

enjoy the rides while you enjoy the dancing and singing of our talented 

entertainers. Come and be part of the fun of Spring Fair 2010. 

Win A Trip To Rome 

Spring Fair 2010 and Harvest Pilgrimages give you the chance to attend 

the Rome canonisation of Blessed Mary MacKillop. A pilgrimage package 

worth $4,500 is on offer as the first prize for the Spring Fair’s major raffle. 

For raffle tickets and other information contact 

Mili tel (02) 8839 8411, admin@stpatscathedral.com.au 

Commission for Ecumenism & Interfaith Dialogue 

Seminar Day 

Ecumenism & Interfaith Dialogue 

Saturday 4 September from 9am-3.30pm 

Interfaith Dialogue: Sufism in Islam by Fr Herman 

Roborgh SJ and Imam Afroz Ali, Al Ghazzali Centre 

for Islamic Sciences & Human Development. 

Christian Ecumenism: The Theory and 

Practice of Intercommunion by Rev Dr Gerard 

Kelly, Catholic Institute of Sydney. 

Who can attend? Parish representatives, participants 

in the Certificate in Ecumenics & Interfaith Dialogue 

& anyone else who may be interested. 

Venue: Parramatta Institute for Mission 

cnr Flushcombe Rd & Marion St, Blacktown 

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL. Cost: parish reps free. 

All others $20 for the day (lunch provided). 

RSVP: 28 August tel (02) 9831 4911, ifm@tpg.com.au


Ordinary is not ordinary 

When anyone walks into a 

liturgical space they should be 

able to tell something of the 

celebration that is to come. 

Coloured swaths of cloth 

and vestments tell of the 

particular liturgical season; 

huge sprays of flowers, small 

arrangements or no flowers 

at all sets the ambience for 

a particular celebration. 

The place of the paschal 

candle, the number of candles 

lit on the altar, and banners 

all serve to tell us something 

of what is to come. 

The liturgical year is divided 

into sacred seasons and feasts, 

each distinct by appropriate 

scripture texts. We could 

look at this as an outsider 

looking at various events that 

mark the life of Christ. 

Instead, we might understand 

it as celebrating a single personevent, 

Jesus Christ. Because we 

are baptised, Christ’s history 

has become our history. Each 

celebration in the Church’s 

calendar not only recalls that 

history, but makes it present 

for us now. Jesus Christ is 

present and active in the 

Christian community today. 

The symbols of unlit candles 

on the Advent wreath and the 

richness of the royal colour 

purple tell us that Advent is 

a season of expectation and 

preparation. Starting four 

Sundays before 25 December, 

Advent is a time for us to 

recall the first coming of Jesus 

Christ and to also reflect 

and prepare for the Second 

Coming at the end of time. 

Christmas Day, of course, is 

the celebration of the birth of 

Jesus but the Christmas season 

extends to cover an eight-day 

period – an octave, which 

includes the feasts of the Holy 

Family, Baptism of the Lord, 

solemnities of Mary Mother of 

God and Epiphany of the Lord. 

This is why white or gold for 

joy is used during this season. 

And on into the Ordinary 

Time. That does not mean 

average or boring but 

comes from the Latin for 

ordo meaning rank; that is, 

these weeks are counted. 

Ordinary Time comes in 

two blocks beginning at the 

end of the Christmas season 

with the first block finishing 

on the Tuesday before Ash 

Wednesday and the second 

block commencing after the 

Easter season, the Monday after 

Pentecost, and continuing until 

the Saturday before Advent. 

The colour for Ordinary Time 

is green symbolising life and 

growth and a time when the 

Church celebrates the mystery 

of Christ in all its aspects. 

living 

JULIE KELLY 

The readings are not chosen 

according to a theme but 

rather in a continuous fashion 

to celebrate the life and work 

of Jesus as proclaimed in the 

Gospels of Matthew (Year A), 

Mark (Year B) or Luke (Year C). 

During Lent we again use the 

colour purple to help us focus on 

prayer, penance and love during 

this season. It is a time that calls 

for conversion to Christ that we 

celebrate in Baptism. Commencing 

During Lent we use the colour purple to help us focus on prayer, 

penance and love. Photography: Alphonsus Fok and Grace Lu 

on Ash Wednesday, Lent lasts 

for 40 days, until Wednesday 

before Holy Thursday, which 

commences the Easter Triduum. 

The joy of the Easter season is 

brought home by the use of white 

or gold and lasts for 50 days until 

Pentecost and is to be “celebrated 

in joyful exultation as one feast 

day, or better as one ‘great Sunday’.” 

(GIRM 22) We indeed celebrate 

that Christ is risen and with us. 

The Church observes many 

days that are not related to the 

Sunday celebration or to the 

liturgical seasons. Some are 

important enough to be ranked 

as “solemnities”; while major 

observances ranking below a 

solemnity are referred to as 

“feasts”. The Church also observes 

“memorials” of many saints. 

The Mass is always the 

same? Never. This time is 

ordinary? No way – but a time 

of growth: Ordinary Time. 

Monaghan 

& Gleeson 

FUNERAL DIRECTORS 

R

Campion is for 

thinkers … like you 

Open Day at Campion College 

8-14 Austin Woodbury Place, Old Toongabbie 

Saturday 28th August 2010, 9.30am – 4.00pm 

Trying to decide what to do when you finish Year 12? 

Want to get a first class education with a 

personalised experience at university level? 

Don’t settle for second best. 

Campion College is a high quality liberal arts 

college based in Western Sydney. 

Our graduates have moved on to studies in law, medicine, 

business, journalism, teaching and politics, to name just a few. 

Our Open Day will be a big event, with food and entertainment, 

so bring family and friends to discover more about Campion. 

Local residents are welcome. 

Campion College Open Day Schedule: 

TIME EVENT 

9:30 Sung Mass 

10:15 College Choir Performance 

10:30 Information Session 1: Address from President; 

Information on Campion College & Liberal Arts 

education from members of faculty 

11:15 Career Pathways & Graduate Testimonies 

11:45 Scholarships, Fees & Finance 

12:00 Student Performances 

12:30 Student Debate 

1:00 Public Speaking 

1:30-2:30 Public Speaking Workshop 

2:30 Information Session 2: Address from President; 

Information on Campion College & Liberal Arts 

education from members of faculty 

3:15 Soccer Match – All welcome to join in! 

4:00 Close 

1:00-3:30pm Band Performances 

We will be holding two information 

sessions on the day, and providing: 

ALL DAY 

BOOK SALE 

SAUSAGE SIZZLE 

TEA & COFFE 

BAKE SALE 

• opportunities to speak with the academic faculty 

• tours of the campus 

• information about the Bachelor of Arts in the Liberal 

Arts and careers available to liberal arts graduates 

Scholarships are available 

Minimum ATAR of 70 

For further information see our website: 

www.campion.edu.au 

email: info@campion.edu.au or tel: (02) 9896 9300


Our first reading (Isa 66:10- 

14) is full of that rejoicing 

that is proper to Christians 

at all times, but especially at 

celebrations such as this one 

today. The particular occasion 

for Israel’s joy is return from 

years of exile and the prophet 

Isaiah is positively exuberant 

about this homecoming. 

Prosperity will flow like a 

river in torrent. Hearts will 

rejoice and bodies flourish like 

the grass. All creation will be 

as new as a suckling child. 

And Jerusalem, we know, is a 

metaphor for the new creation 

that is the Church. All who love 

her are called to be glad for her, 

to savour her nourishment, to 

enjoy her comfort and peace. 

Now Paul, with his 

characteristic directness, takes 

up this theme (Gal 6:14-18): 

to be baptised is to be a new 

creature at home in a new 

creation, and though our past 

and the Cross itself can leave its 

mark on us, we should rejoice in 

Christ’s making all things new. 

In our Gospel passage (Lk 

BISHOP ANTHONY FISHER’S HOMILY 

Installation of Rev Bob Sheridan as Parish Priest 

of Sacred Heart Parish, Blackheath 

14 th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C, 4 July 2010 

10:1-12,17-20) the disciples 

experience that jubilation, as 

they return to Jesus on a high 

after their first experience of 

the evangelical life, the life to 

which each one here is called. 

Today we install as Parish 

Priest Fr Bob Sheridan, erstwhile 

Administrator of this parish 

made up of Sacred Heart, 

Blackheath, of St Joseph’s 

in the Megalong Valley and 

St Paul’s at Mt Victoria. 

Today the Lord instructs him 

as He does the first disciples: to 

go to you and stay put, rather 

than forever looking for greener 

pastures, to receive with open 

heart the hospitality of your 

community, to recognise the 

fruits of God’s work among 

you, to bring healing and 

to assist you in the spiritual 

battles that come to us all. 

There is a parallel, too, to 

the old and new creations of 

our readings. There is the old 

familiar home that is your 

parish community, and the 

novelties of a new bishop and 

a new local pastor. Obversely, 

 

The celebrations continued after Mass. Photo: Tony Jacques 

there is the new creation 

that is the community of the 

baptised of Blackheath and Fr 

Bob’s ‘homecoming’ to you. 

It will be his task to teach, 

sanctify and lead, to give the 

priestly service of proclaiming 

the closeness of the kingdom 

of God to you, of feeding you 

with that divine food of Isaiah’s 

imagery that we know to be 

the Eucharist, of leading and 

working with you to ensure that 

a new creation truly flourishes 

in Blackheath and beyond. 

Jesus recalls us all to our 

mission this morning. “Carry 

no money, no rucksack, no 

boots,” he says, be ready to let 

go of comfort and security, 

of what you’re used to, the 

familiar and comfortable. 

There will be trials ahead, 

wolves, serpents, scorpions, 

devils – you name it – and 

some people may not welcome 

you. There will be joys, too, 

of peace and hospitality, given 

and received, of the Word of 

God preached and converting, 

of the healing of bodies and 

souls, of the kingdom of 

God so close to home. 

But Christ knows us all too 

well. We can become cocky and 

complacent. We can delight 

in our own talents and plans 

and achievements. The 72 

return, measuring the success 

of their mission by who or 

what they’ve subjugated. Jesus 

responds, “Do not rejoice 

because the spirits are subject 

to you, but because your 

names are written in heaven.” 

That’s a good lesson for us all. 

As members of an evangelising 

and worshipping community, 

whatever success you have 

– and please God you will have 

many – will only be because 

of Christ’s work in you. 

You must be arms for Christ, 

reaching out to those who 

haven’t been here before, or 

not for some time, drawing 

them closer to God’s kingdom. 

You must be His eyes and ears, 

appreciating the fecundity 

of God and the potential 

harvest among you and 

collaborating in bringing it in. 

You must be Christ’s voice, 

speaking words of tenderness 

and challenge. You must be His 

hands, offering and receiving 

the Eucharistic sacrifice that 

nourishes our faith and life. 

Your pastor, too, must be these 

things and help to energise and 

coordinate, to serve and direct 

you all in these godly tasks. 

At my own recent installation, 

I retold the tale of the early 

Dominicans in Western Sydney 

and the Hawkesbury who set 

some precedent for Dominican 

pastoral care in our region. I 

know that Sr Lyn Eastmure op 

was Pastoral Director here 

Bishop Anthony installs Fr Bob Sheridan as 

Parish Priest. Photo: Tony Jacques 

from 2002 to 2008 and so you 

are well-used to Dominicans. 

Now, Fr Bob does not have 

the advantage of being a 

Dominican, but he has many 

other fine qualities for the 

pastoral care of this parish and 

he has the talents and graces of 

each one of you to draw upon. 

The Rites of Installation 

that we are about to perform 

might seem a little otiose as 

I introduce Fr Bob to various 

people with whom he is already 

well acquainted and to various 

points in this church in which 

he has already laboured for 

some time. You might say 

that he, rather than I, should 

be doing the introducing. 

But our Rite is a useful 

reminder to us all of his 

vocation and yours, rather like 

the renewal of baptismal vows 

which we do at Easter and, in a 

sense, at the time of the Creed 

in every Mass. Listen, then, to 

its description of his mission 

and yours. I ask you, of your 

mercy, to pray for and support 

your new Parish Priest, as he 

prays for and serves you.

Theology of the body 

– an overview Part one 

Anna Krohn 

What is the theology of 

the body all about? 

Many grandparents, parish 

priests and teachers are stunned 

into silence by the fervour and 

the impact of the ‘theology of 

the body’ revolution among some 

youthful couples, students and 

junior seminarians. 

The older folk wonder about the 

buzzwords and what lies behind 

comments such as: “TOB (theology 

of the body) has changed my 

life!” (a common refrain). They are 

mystified by the way the John Paul 

II generation (as it is sometimes 

called) devotedly keeps alive the 

memory of the Polish Pontiff. 

Have we not all been told for a 

long time now that Catholic and, 

still worse, Papal teaching on the 

hot-button issues is woefully and 

even dangerously out of touch? 

A quick browse of our breakfast 

newspaper will bring up a shopping 

list of complaints against the 

strictures of the so-called ‘official’ 

Catholic ‘policy’ on human 

fertility, sexual behaviour, personal 

morality, sacramental and 

liturgical practice, life ethics and 

family culture. 

Sadly, many baptised Catholics 

through misunderstanding or 

indifference absorb these accusations. 

Accordingly, they cut out 

of their lives the unpalatable ‘hard 

rules’ of Catholic teaching. 

It was Pope John Paul II who, 

with his lifelong pastoral/spiritual 

insight, his dramatic creativity and 

his genius for communication, 

realised that secular liberalism was 

an outgrowth of moral and spiritual 

legalism and flesh-denying dualism 

rather than a rejection of it. 

Far from leading disillusioned 

contemporary people into a 

happy reconciliation with their 

own personal dignity, sexuality, 

physicality or each other, the 

reverse was evident. 

At the same time the Pope carefully 

acknowledged the baleful 

effects of lop-sided, joyless and 

shallow (and therefore quasiheretical) 

attitudes and beliefs of 

Catholics themselves on the matters 

of the heart, the erotic, the 

senses and sexuality. 

It was the Pope’s frankness 

about human failure and his 

depth of insight into human 

desire that so appealed to those 

born after the ‘sex, drugs and 

rock’n’roll’ revolution and fed on 

fast food, immediate information 

and fleeting satisfactions. 

John Paul II’s programmatic 

‘theology of the body’ is more than 

clever sociological forecasting. It is 

also much more demanding than 

any revamped check list of moral 

prohibitions or a glib top 10 list 

of tips for relationship nirvana. It 

demands from its audience attention, 

meditation and sometimes 

painful honesty. 

What is the heart 

of the message? 

John Paul’s particular theology 

of the body was brought to light 

through 129 weekly talks delivered 

in short but dense catechetical 

bites in the early years of his 

Papacy, from 1979 to 1984. 

The theology of the body might 

be defined as a re-narrated and 

freshly integrated theological 

exploration centred on what God 

the Father, Son and Holy Spirit 

‘reveal’ through the gift of our 

bodies (that is, both God’s gift in 

creating embodied persons, and 

our desire to give/receive through 

our bodies). 

The dynamic and concrete vision 

of the human person tells of both 

the ‘suffering’ and the blessing of 

being human, and of being called 

precisely through our shared bodyexperience 

to God’s infinitely saving 

and satisfying love and revelation. 

In his extended reflections, Pope 

John Paul II employs three major 

biblical picture-frames: Genesis 

chapters 1 and 2; the Sermon on 

the Mount (Matt. 5); and Christ’s 

words about the resurrection and 

the kingdom (Matt. 19 and 22) 

along with St Paul’s reflections upon 

these themes (1 Cor 7 and 15). 

To this the Pope adds two more 

central scriptural reflections: upon 

the Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 

5; and upon the ‘wedding’ themes 

in the Song of Songs and the Book 

of Tobit. 

On to this vast biblical tree, Pope 

John Paul II weaves the bright fruits 

of Catholic Tradition in its mystical, 

moral, philosophical and even 

Anna Krohn writes on theology of the body 

its artistic dimensions. The result is 

a complex but captivating retelling 

of the whole. 

However, in touching, as he does, 

upon the body’s theological implications 

for procreation, sexual relationships, 

art, bioethics, politics, 

culture, education, worship and 

pastoral care, he does not aim to 

overwhelm or exclude. 

By choosing to deliver his 

teaching through the Wednesday 

Audiences, the Pontiff aimed to 

invite his audience to become fellow 

pilgrims to his own meditations 

– whether they were physically 

present or ‘listening’ from a 

time or place afar, whether in the 

Church or beyond, whether teenage 

backpacker or senior bishop. 

Anna Krohn is a sessional tutor 

in the Nursing Department at 

Australian Catholic University 

and an academic skills adviser 

at the John Paul II Institute 

for Marriage and Family. 

This article was first published 

in Kairos Catholic Journal 


Further resources 

Over the next few months it is 

the aim of this series to unpack 

the context, purpose, style 

and key themes introduced by 

Pope John Paul II’s theology 

of the body, following the 

structure of his presentation so 

that different levels of further 

reflection can be followed. 

Since space on the printed 

page is limited, and the Pope’s 

work is so rich, these articles 

will make further reading 

suggestions that will be made 

available via a web-link. 

The primary text for these 

articles will be the excellent 

compilation and translation of 

the Pope’s texts presented in 

Italian (but conceived in Polish). 

This printed edition is the fruit 

of nine years of scholarly labour 

by Prof Michael Waldstein 

and is accompanied by a 

valuable index/glossary and by 

insightful introductory notes. 

It is published under the title Man 

and Woman He Created Them: 

A Theology of the Body (Boston: 

Pauline Books and Media, 2006) 

and is generally available through 

good Australian bookshops. 

However, other online translations 

and printed collections are 

also widely available. 

Many other scholars, thinkers 

and speakers have contributed 

to the clearer exploration of the 

Pope’s important initiative and 

their works are invaluable for 

anyone hoping to understand the 

theology of the body more deeply. 

Notable are: Christopher West, 

Prof Janet Smith, Katrina Zeno, 

Mary Healy, Sam Tarode, Prof 

Kenneth Schmitz, Dr Mary 

Shivanandan, Cardinal Angelo 

Scola (of Venice), Australia’s 

Rev Anthony Percy and, not 

least, Pope John Paul II’s 

successor, Pope Benedict XVI.


2010 Federal Election 

What you need to know for 

your child’s education 

Samantha Rich 

When it comes to education, Labor, the 

Coalition (Liberal and National parties) 

and the Greens all share the same belief 

that access to a high quality education is 

fundamental to Australia’s future. However, 

there are significant differences in how 

each party believes this can be achieved. 

This article looks at some of the 

key education issues and the policies 

of the major political parties, and the 

potential impact on Catholic schooling 

in the Diocese of Parramatta. 

The Education Revolution 

In her first address to the nation, 

Prime Minister Julia Gillard reaffirmed 

Labor’s commitment to the ‘Education 

Revolution’, promising “to do even more 

to make sure that every child gets a 

fair go in life and a great education”. 

To date, this has involved funding for 

school infrastructure such as multi-purpose 

halls, libraries, language centres and 

science labs, the provision of computers 

for students in Years 9 to 12, and the 

building of Trade Training Centres in 

high schools in order to increase access 

to vocational pathways for students. 

Funding in these areas was not 

confined to government schools, and 

Catholic systemic schools throughout 

the Diocese have received funding 

for the Building the Education 

Revolution (BER) stimulus program. 

All schools in the Diocese received 

funding of up to $200,000 for minor 

upgrades and refurbishments; all primary 

schools received up to $3 million to build 

multi-purpose halls and learning spaces; and 

four secondary schools each received $1.97 

million to build language learning centres. 

McCarthy Catholic College, Emu Plains, 

and Loyola Senior High School, Mt Druitt, 

received approval and funding to build 

Trade Training Centres (TTCs). McCarthy 

opened with its first enrolments this 

year, offering students the opportunity to 

complete the Higher School Certificate 

while commencing qualifications and 

training in their chosen trade. Loyola will 

open to its first intake of students in 2011. 

Both the Coalition and the Greens 

are opposed to the provision of 

TTCs in schools. The Greens have 

stated that vocational education and 

training “should be primarily provided 

through the public TAFE system”. 

The Coalition believes that the 

additional $1.7 billion being spent on 

TTCs is an unwise use of taxpayers’ 

money. The Coalition has also proposed 

to cut spending on the Computers in 

Schools program, which has delivered 

300,000 computers to students in 

secondary schools over three years. 

The Coalition has also announced 

changes to the BER program by proposing 

to redirect unspent funds away from state 

education departments and instead give 

these funds directly to each school to 

decide on their own infrastructure; to self 

manage projects and to let schools keep 

any leftover funds for other projects. 

National curriculum 

Another major policy of the Labor Party 

has been the introduction of a national 

curriculum. The aim is to ensure all 

Australian children will be taught from 

a world-class curriculum regardless 

of the state or territory in which they 

live or the school they attend. 

The first stage of the K-12 draft 

curriculum for English, Mathematics, 

Science and History has been 

released for consultation and must 

be implemented (K-10) by 2013. 

EDUCATION TALLY BOARD 

KEY INITIATIVES 

LABOR COALITION GREENS 

Building the Education Revolution ? 

Trade Training Centres 

Computers in schools ? 

My School website 

National curriculum 

Funding for Catholic schools ? reduced 

Merit-based pay for teachers 

All three major parties agree on the 

need for a national curriculum in order 

to raise educational standards, although 

there is some disagreement over the 

nature and amount of content that 

should be covered in the curriculum. 

The Greens have also called for assistance 

for teachers to implement the new 

curriculum. The Coalition has promised a 

review of content in the national curriculum. 

For more information on the national 

curriculum and what it means for 

your child visit the website 

www.australiancurriculum.edu.au 

Merit-based pay for teachers 

The Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, has 

released an ‘Action Contract’, including 

a commitment to raise standards in 

education: “The Coalition will work 

with the states to give principals the 

right to pay the best teachers more.” 

The Coalition aims to provide incentives 

and recognition to teachers to move to high 

standards of professional performance, 

which improve student outcomes. 

The Australian Council for Educational 

Research conducted a study on the 

introduction of performance-based 

pay for teachers and while its research 

shows the possibility of positive student 

outcomes, it also emphasises the necessity 

of fair, valid and rigorous systems for 

evaluating teacher performance. 

The Labor Party, through the Council 

of Australian Governments (COAG), has 

committed $550 million to the Smarter 

Schools – Quality Teaching National 

Partnership (NP) to achieve significant 

gains in school leadership and teacher 

quality including new professional 

standards, recognition and reward 

for quality teaching, and a framework 

to guide professional learning for 

principals, teachers and school leaders. 

The Greens believe that a properly 

funded career path for teachers 

providing opportunities for advancement 

and promotion based on skills, 

experience and teaching, is a better 

alternative to performance pay. 

My School website 

Earlier this year, the Australian Government 

launched the My School website, which 

provides detailed information about almost 

10,000 schools, including national test 

data, and enables schools with statistically 

similar populations to be compared easily. 

The Australian Curriculum and 

Assessment Authority (ACARA), 

established under Labor, will continue to 

make enhancements to the My School 

website including: school financial data 

such as sources of funding; nationally 

comparable senior secondary information; 

national satisfaction survey data; growth 

data on literacy and numeracy; actions 

to minimise misuse of My School data. 

The Greens agree to provide “rich 

information to parents and the community” 

but see the need to tighten protocols to 

ensure national test score data published 

on the My School website is not used 

to create simplistic league tables. 

The Coalition will instigate a revision of 

the My School website to ensure it primarily 

publishes “overall school improvement, 

rather than the raw test results”. 

Funding 

In relation to funding for non-government 

schools, including Catholic schools, the 

Australian Bishops Commission for Catholic 

Education has recently called on the Prime 

Minister and the Labor Party to match 

the Coalition’s assurances to continue 

to fund Catholic schools from 2013. 

In a statement, the Chairman of the 

Commission, Bishop Greg O’Kelly, 

said “Catholic school authorities will 

particularly welcome the undertaking by 

shadow education minister, Christopher 

Pyne to ‘enhance funding arrangements’ 

for Catholic schools from this time if the 

Coalition becomes our next government.” 

The Education Minister, Simon Crean, 

has reiterated promises made by Julia 

Gillard that “no school would lose a 

dollar in funding from 2013, in the sense 

that their school budget per student 

would not reduce in dollar terms.”


However, Bishop O’Kelly is seeking 

clarification that there will be no 

funding shortfalls for Catholic schools 

following the review of funding by 

the Australian Government. 

“Basic school running costs increase 

by at least 5% per year,” Bishop O’Kelly 

said. “The actual outcome for hundreds of 

Catholic parish and regional primary and 

secondary schools is that their funding 

maybe frozen in ‘real dollar’ terms.” 

The Greens believe that funding to nongovernment 

schools should be reduced by 

prioritising funding to government schools. 

The Greens’ education policy states that 

the “federal schools funding policy should 

prioritise the public education system… 

[and] schools funding to be placed on 

an equitable footing by reversing the 

excessive increases in Commonwealth 

funding to non-government schools.” 

The Greens’ policy does not take into 

account the role of Catholic schools in 

educating about 20% of Australia’s children 

and, despite popular belief, Catholic 

schools operate at about 85% of the 

resourcing level of government schools 

when taking into account government 

funding and parent contributions (see 

separate story on P12 of this issue). 

Parents and politics – getting involved: 

SOURCES AND WEBSITES OF INTEREST 

www.alp.org.au 

www.liberal.org.au 

www.pyneonline.com.au 

http://greens.org.au 

www.ccsp.catholic.edu.au 

Parents and politics 

With politics and education so closely 

linked, it is crucial that parents are 

aware of the educational policies each 

party is proposing. Parents, and older 

students, have influence over how their 

child’s school or their own school will be 

resourced and funded, which impacts on 

the quality of learning and teaching. 

Danielle Cronin, Executive Director of the 

Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP) 

NSW/ACT, believes all parents have a 

responsibility to be aware of the education 

policies that affect their children’s schools. 

“Each of these educational issues has 

the potential for significant consequences 

for all schools, including Catholic 

schools,” Danielle said. “As parents, 

we have a vested interest in how these 

and any future policies are developed 

and implemented to ensure the best 

possible outcomes for children.” 

Governments are increasingly open 

to broad community consultation over 

education policies and parents are 

encouraged to take up these opportunities 

to shape the development and 

implementation of policies that will affect 

our schools and, ultimately, our children. 

• Attend school parent association meetings and read school newsletters 

to learn more about the broader educational issues; 

• Consider joining organisations like the diocesan Parents Representative Council or the 

Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT or visit their websites, which are good sources of 

information for parents and school parent associations interested in education policy issues; 

• If you become aware of government policies that you believe will have a negative 

impact on your child’s schooling, make the community aware – write a letter to 

the editor of your local newspaper or a metropolitan newspaper, or write a letter 

to your state and federal Members of Parliament expressing your concerns; 

• Visit the websites of the major political parties and see what they have to say 

about education – there may be forums on these sites for you to contribute to, 

such as the ‘Education, have your say’ section of the Liberal Party’s website. 

Policy positions current at time of publication. 

www.acara.edu.au 

Research on Performance Pay for Teachers, 

Australian Council for Educational Research, 2008 

Education Program Fails to Make the Grade, Sydney 

Morning Herald, Christopher Pyne, 24/1/2010 

Showcase performances ‘captivate’ audiences 

Primary and secondary students from Catholic 

schools across the Diocese captivated their 

audiences in a number of performing arts 

showcases recently. Four music showcases featured 

the work of students from 20 primary and 11 

secondary schools with a highlight performance 

by the combined primary and secondary 

choir comprising several hundred students. 

A dance performance showcased the talents 

of dance students across many dance styles, 

including combined schools dance ensembles 

choreographed by professional dance practitioners. 

Mary MacKillop ‘captivates’ with string orchestra 

Dancers captivate the audience at the showcase 

Captivate students learn from two of Australia’s finest dance 

practitioners 

Captivate dance students have had the 

opportunity to work with two of Australia’s 

finest contemporary dance practitioners, 

Shaun Parker and Fiona Malone. Shaun has 

collaborated and performed as a dancer and 

countertenor with high-profile national and 

international dance companies over the past 

15 years. He worked with a combined school 

dance ensemble comprised of a male group 

and a female group to produce a street-culture 

festival piece that explored cultural and ethnic 

diversity through street-styles of dancing. Fiona, 

One of Australia’s finest dance practitioners, 

Shaun Parker, works through a piece with 

St Clare’s Catholic High School students 

Mary MacKillop Primary, Penrith South recently 

formed four orchestras in Years 3 and 4 after the 

introduction of an exciting new strings program 

at the school. Phil Rooke from the Captivate team 

at the Catholic Education Office, Parramatta is 

working with Mary MacKillop’s music teacher, 

Scott Carroll, to teach the students how to 

play the stringed instruments. The school’s 

new learning centre is now home to almost 

30 stringed orchestral instruments, which the 

students use in the weekly classes. With about 27 

students, each class plays as a complete orchestra 

with cellos, violins, violas and double bass. 

who has worked in Australia and Europe in 

all manner of dance forms from folkloric to 

dance theatre, worked exclusively with Caroline 

Chisholm dancers to produce an independent 

dance piece. The pieces were previewed at the Captivate dance showcase in June and 

featured in full length at another showcase held in July. 

Parramatta Diocesan schools celebrate NAIDOC Week 

Phil Rooke from the Catholic Education 

Office’s Captivate plays with a string 

orchestra at Mary MacKillop 

Captivate is the Diocese of Parramatta’s performing arts initiative. For more information, 

including a media gallery from the showcases, visit www.parra.catholic.edu.au/captivate. 

Terra Sancta students complete university courses 

Gifted Terra Sancta students (from 

left) Andrew Bushara, Layahl El Jamal 

and Chrianthanne Jayamanne 

Students from Holy Family Primary, Emerton and 

Holy Spirit Primary, St Clair received a visit from 

Aboriginal elder and renowned singer/songwriter, 

Col Hardy as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations. 

NAIDOC Week (4-11 July) is an opportunity to 

celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 

cultures and recognise the contribution of 

Indigenous Australians. Col performed his songs 

about Aboriginal culture and told stories about 

Aboriginal Dreaming, using various cultural 

artefacts. Col was also joined by representatives 

from Taronga Zoo who brought with them a 

collection of live native animals including a 

python, possum, echidna, saltwater crocodile, 

cockatoo, lizard and a green tree frog. 

Three students from Terra Sancta College, 

Schofields recently completed units of courses 

at the University of Western Sydney (UWS) in 

a special program for gifted Year 11 students 

last year. Andrew Bushara, Layahl El Jamil, and 

Chiranthani Jayamanne completed university 

subjects while undertaking their HSC studies 

and passed with flying colours. Andrew 

performed well in Information Systems in 

Context while the school’s marketing students, 

Layahl and Chiranthani, scored credits in the 

Marketing Principles unit. In recognition of 

their outstanding achievements, all students 

were awarded priority places in their choice of 

course prior to completing the HSC this year. 

Col Hardy entertains students with songs of 

the dreamtime while a representative from 

Taronga Zoo introduces them to a python


Catholic school funding – the facts 

There have been mixed messages in the media about school funding. Here are 

the facts about the way funding is provided to Catholic schools in Australia. 

• Catholic schools have been providing 

a quality Catholic education for 

Australian children for 190 years. 

• There are approximately 1,700 

Catholic schools in Australia with an 

enrolment of almost 704,000 students. 

• In the Diocese of Parramatta there 

are 77 systemic Catholic schools 

serving more than 41,000 students. 

• In Australia, the Catholic school 

system employs more than 78,000 

teachers and staff. This is more people 

than the entire Australian workforce 

involved in the manufacturing of 

motor vehicles, or the same number 

of people employed across every 

department store in Australia. 

• There are more than 4,000 teachers 

and staff working in Catholic systemic 

schools in the Diocese of Parramatta. 

• Catholic school students receive 

PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS PER SCHOOLING SECTOR 

66% 

14% 

20% 

AVERAGE RESOURCING LEVELS GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS 

AND AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS * 

Funding per student 

$12,000 

$10,000 

$8,000 

$6,000 

$4,000 

$2,000 

$0 

100% 

$12,639 

GOVT 

85% 

$3,059 

$2,012 

$5,673 

CATHOLIC 

significantly less government funding 

than students in government schools. 

• Some of this gap is made up by 

contributions from parents and 

parishes through tuition fees, levies 

and fundraising, however, Catholic 

schools keep fees as low as possible 

so they are affordable for families. 

• No child is ever refused 

enrolment because of a family’s 

inability to pay school fees. 

• Catholic systemic schools in the 

Diocese of Parramatta offer sibling 

discounts to all families, and fee 

concessions and scholarships are 

available for families in financial need. 

• On average, Australian Catholic 

schools operate at about 85% of 

the resourcing level of government 

schools, even when parent 

contributions are taken into account. 

Catholic school students make up 26% of total 

student population in the Diocese of Parramatta 

■ Other non-government schools 14% 

■ Catholic schools 20% 

■ Government schools 66% 

76% in Catholic 

systemic schools 

in the Diocese of 

Parramatta as 

parent contribution 

is $1,965 

* National Report 

on Schooling 2008 

Published 2010 – Information and graphs supplied by the National Catholic Education Commission 

■ 

■ 

■ 

■ 

State and federal funding 

Federal funding 

State funding 

Parent contributions 

Catholic schools brave the cold for Vinnies’ Winter Appeal 

Catholic schools across the Diocese have held 

fundraising events for the St Vincent de Paul 

Society’s Winter Appeal to support the thousands 

of Australians who will be homeless this winter. 

Teachers from Terra Sancta College, Schofields, 

and Holy Cross Primary, Glenwood, raised money 

and awareness in their schools by sleeping out in 

their school halls. St Mary’s Primary, Rydalmere, 

Holy Trinity Primary, Granville, and Holy Cross 

Primary, Glenwood, each held Pyjama Days 

where the students were able to support the 

campaign by wearing their pyjamas to school for 

Nagle College knits blankets for Wrap with Love 

Year 11 students, Allyson Gray and Hannah 

Farrell, enjoy their lunchtime knitting 

Holy Family Primary recognised for environmental initiatives 

Holy Family Primary, Luddenham, has been 

recognised in a local environmental project run 

by the Penrith Lakes Development Corporation. 

More than 80 primary and secondary schools 

in the Penrith region entered the Penrith 

Lakes Schools’ Environmental Competition, 

which required students to describe their 

school’s environmental initiatives in a 1000- 

word entry. Holy Family’s submission outlined 

the environmentally friendly practices at 

the school such as the collection and use of 

rainwater for toilet flushing, low energy lights, 

solar panels and their water recycling plant. 

Holy Family was one of three schools that 

were awarded $1,000. 

St Mary’s students enjoyed the pyjama day 

to raise funds for the Winter Appeal 

a gold coin donation. Students from Our Lady Queen of Peace Primary, Greystanes, and Emmaus 

College, Kemps Creek, also donated items such as blankets, canned food and clothing. 

Marco Torres shows students at Our Lady 

Queen of Peace the basics of filmmaking 

using various digital technologies 

Nagle College, Blacktown South, participated in 

the ABC 702 radio station’s annual Wrap with 

Love project, which aims to provide knitted 

blankets for thousands of people living in 

poverty or homelessness around the world. 

Thanks to the efforts of about 20 students and 

donations from their friends and families, Nagle 

College has so far produced close to 70 patches, 

which will be joined to make blankets for 

homeless people around Australia. The knitting 

campaign will run across ABC local radio until 

the end of July when donations in NSW will be 

collected by Rotary NSW. 

Innovative US educator inspires students and teachers 

Mini Vinnies groups tackle social justice issues 

Primary students from Catholic schools in the 

Diocese of Parramatta and the Archdiocese of 

Sydney participated in Mini Vinnies Gatherings 

held recently at the Australian Catholic University 

in Strathfield. Mini Vinnies, which is run across 

Australia by the St Vincent de Paul Society, aims 

to create awareness among young students about 

social justice issues in their local community 

and beyond. Students from Parramatta 

diocesan schools – St Thomas Aquinas Primary, 

Springwood, Holy Cross Primary, Glenwood, 

St Michael’s Primary, Baulkham Hills, Mary 

Immaculate Primary, Quakers Hill, and St Patrick’s 

The environmental team responsible 

for submitting the winning entry 

During May, innovative US educator Marco 

Torres visited Our Lady Queen of Peace Primary, 

Greystanes, the Catholic Learning Community 

of Blessed John XXIII, Stanhope Gardens, and 

the Aengus Kavanagh Centre, Mt Druitt, to lead 

challenge-based learning and digital storymaking 

workshops for teachers and students. 

Marco is internationally renowned for his work 

in helping students enhance their learning 

through the mastery of multimedia and digital 

learning tools. Staff and students learned the 

basics of filmmaking. The teachers were shown 

how to take key aspects of the curriculum and 

create a storyboard then bring the learning to 

life through a short film. 

Students learn about social justice issues 

in the Mini Vinnies workshops 

Primary, Blacktown – participated in workshops where they learned about social justice issues 

including refugees, homelessness, outreach, justice and peace, and disability issues. 

Receive more school news via email or news feeds. 

To find out how visit www.parra.catholic.edu.au

Diocesan Youth 

Leadership Breakfast 

Saturday 21 August 2010: 

8.30-10.30am 

St Patrick’s Cathedral Hall 

1 Marist Plc, Parramatta 


will be the guest speaker 

at the next Diocesan Youth Leadership 

Breakfast. All the Youth Leaders, 

Co-ordinators, Movements, Teachers are 

invited to attend. Cost: Gold coin donation. 

RSVP for catering is essential by 16 August to: 

Annabelle Cauchi tel (02) 8838 3418, 

youth@parra.catholic.org.au 

WYD the experience of a lifetime 

Annabelle Cauchi 

With World Youth Day 2011 ‘just around the 

corner’, parishes, schools, groups and movements 

are gearing up for this awesome event, 

to be held in Madrid in August next year. 

A Youth Mass was held at St Patrick’s 

Parish, Blacktown, on 25 June, which saw the 

launch of the WYD pilgrim packages for the 

Diocese of Parramatta. 

Fr Fernando Montano, Chairperson of the 

diocesan WYD committee, presented the 

four pilgrim packages and it was exciting to 

see all the different options. 

We have the chance to enjoy WYD week 

itself in the heart of Madrid as well as visiting 

places like Assisi, the holy town of the 

beloved St Francis, or Lourdes where Our 

Lady first appeared to St Bernadette, or 

the Holy Land, where we will be blessed 

enough to retrace the footsteps of Jesus 

Christ Himself. 

Many young people are already signing up 

with a pilgrimage option organised by their 

Diocese and have begun to raise the funds 

to be able to go. A feeling of exhilaration is 

already in the air! 

My first WYD was Rome in the Year of the 

Great Jubilee in 2000. Since then I’ve had the 

grace to attend four WYDs, both as a pilgrim 

and as a group leader. 

For me it brings about many different yet 

wonderful and unforgettable memories and 

experiences. WYD has changed my life for 

the better and has played a major role in 

shaping me into the person I am today. 

WYD brings together thousands of young 

people from all over the globe to celebrate 

their Catholic faith and love for God, and 

are invited to deepen their relationship 

with Jesus. 

WYD is also a lot of fun and the sense of 

joy and fraternity is very tangible. It leaves an 

indelible mark not only on the pilgrims but 

also on the secular society where it is held. 

Through my work as the Diocesan Youth 

Worker, I can see that the benefits of WYD08 

in Sydney are still being felt among the young 

people all around the Diocese. 

When someone asks me what World Youth 

Day is all about, I share with them some of 

my experiences, but I feel that one has to 

experience WYD to know what it really is! 

Join us on this wonderful journey to 

WYD2011 Madrid! For more information 

and how to register go to the 

Diocese of Parramatta’s WYD2011 web 

link: www.parra.catholic.org.au/youth 


Journey from genocide to forgiveness 

Amy Vierboom 

The Rwandan genocide of 1994 is a black 

spot in the history of humanity. After many 

decades of ethnic tension between the 

Hutus and Tutsis, the death of the President 

of Rwanda on the morning of 6 April 1994 

sparked what would amount to one of the 

most significant and horrifying cases of 

ethnic cleansing imaginable. 

Immaculée Ilibagiza was one of the few 

Tutsis who survived. When Immaculée 

stepped into PJ Gallagher’s Irish Pub in 

Parramatta on a Monday night last month, 

few in the 700-plus crowd of university students 

and young professionals would have 

been prepared for the message she delivered. 

Having grown up in a Catholic Tutsi family, 

with parents who were well respected 

community leaders and had surrounded 

their four children with love from birth, 

Immaculée never would have expected anything 

like the genocide was even possible. 

A few days after the tensions erupted, 

Immaculée’s father sent her to a Hutu pastor, 

who was a family friend, to find shelter 

and escape the killing spree happening all 

around outside. 

Immaculée recounted her experience of 

spending 91 days in a bathroom in the pastor’s 

house with seven other women. Amid 

the constant fear for her life, she found her 

Immaculée shares her story of courage 

strength in asking God for His protection 

in prayer. 

Few can remember a night where the 

Theology on Tap crowd has been so transfixed 

on their speaker’s words, as Immaculée 

explained her struggle with the Lord’s Prayer, 

when coming to “forgive us our trespasses, 

as we forgive those who trespass against us”. 

Her heartfelt desire to truly forgive, by the 

gift of God’s grace, those who were committing 

the atrocities all around her is a 

remarkable witness of faith. 

When Immaculée finally left the bathroom, 

she was to discover that her parents and two 

of her brothers had been murdered, along 

with many of her close friends and relatives. 

Yet despite the pain and grief, her story 

is one of profound hope and ever-trusting 

faith. For a young crowd her message made 

clear the way God is truly with us, protecting 

us, loving us and waiting to encounter us 

wherever we are. Her witness was one of a 

profound “yes” to the grace to forgive fellow 

man and share in the sufferings of Christ. 

Through her work with the Left to Tell 

Charitable Fund, Immaculée is helping to 

rebuild her country. It is little wonder her 

book Left to Tell was a New York Times bestseller 

and why those in the pub that night 

who hadn’t read it left with a copy under 

their arm: her life experience is so unique 

and her response of love is so profound. 

Theology 

On Tap 


Bishop of Parramatta 

will be the guest speaker 

at the next TOT 

Monday 6 September 2010 

Starts 6.30pm at PJ Gallagher’s Irish Pub 

74 Church Street, Parramatta. 

TOT is for young adults 18-35. 

Details: www.theologyontap.com.au


National Vocations Awareness Week 

8 August - 15 August 2010 

Three young adults share some vocation thoughts 

vocation director 

DIOCESE OF PARRAMATTA 

FR PAUL ROBERTS 

Dear friends, 

I remember being 23 and not knowing 

anyone else who had the same vocation 

thoughts as me! It was great to finally 

meet some once I started inquiring. 

Part of what I do today is to connect 

people, when the time is right, with 

others who share their thoughts. 

This article is trying to do a bit of that 

too. If any of it speaks to you, I invite you 

to give me a call (0419 219 819). Quite 

confidentially, I can put you in touch with 

support people in religious life or chat 

further if you’ve thought of being a priest. 

Here’s a short form of some of 

the responses from three people I 

asked about their vocation thoughts. 

I’ve just used pen names for now, 

particularly as one isn’t quite ready 

to tell his family he wants to be a 

priest! I once knew that feeling too. 

Name: Daniel. 

Age: Twenties. 

Keen to become: Religious Brother 

Name: Samiah. 

Age: Thirties. 

Keen to become: Religious 

Sister (has begun formation) 

Name: Peter. 

Age: Twenties. 

Keen to become: Diocesan Priest 

What are some words or 

phrases that describe you? 

Daniel: easy going, open to new 

experiences, willing to be of service, 

hard working, good sense of humor. 

Peter: happy, passionate, caring, 

trustworthy. 

What speaks to you in 

your life of faith? 

Samiah: God is what (who) most speaks 

to me; through scripture, community, 

liturgy, nature, the world around me and 

the people in my life. Our Congregation’s 

spirituality calls us to ‘listen with the ear of 

the heart’ to hear God’s voice in all of life. 

Peter: What speaks to me is Jesus’ life 

and self sacrifice. It keeps making me think 

about how much I am/we are loved. It 

keeps bringing me close to God. It keeps 

me free to live fully, secure in his love. 

What is a key influence in your 

consideration of this vocation? 

Daniel: I had a sense of ‘calling’ but 

thought my life had been too careless to 

be worthy of such a gift. I had to learn that 

God calls the imperfect. I had to learn of 

God’s forgiveness. Another strong influence 

was that Christ truly asks us to be of service 

with our lives. We each have a mission to 

be Christ for others. We each need to find 

how. As a Brother I can put my experiences 

and talents into ministry beyond borders 

and have a religious community with me. 

Samiah: It was important for me to get 

to know several Sisters. I was able to do 

this while working with them in one of our 

ministries. And I saw that they were unique, 

real, not-perfect women, but who were really 

focussed on something more. I was curious 

about that ‘more’ and here I am with them. 

Listening openly to God’s presence I hope 

to respond with generosity, hope and love. 

What do you want for your 

life in this vocation? 

Daniel: I want to be able to constantly 

grow in my relationship with Christ. And I 

want to inspire that for people I come into 

contact with. When I hit 80 and realise 

that my time on earth is almost done, I 

want to be able to look back and say: ‘It 

was a life well lived and a life lived well.’ 

Peter: I just have a desire to carry the 

torch the Lord has passed on to us as 

well as I can. I want to expand my faith 

and walk in His footsteps. I want to be 

a ‘mirror’ for others to see God’s love. 

And I want to be a channel for people to 

know God’s love through His Word! 

What might you say to others 

thinking of this vocation? 

Daniel: Never be afraid to follow Christ. 

Deciding to become a Brother has got 

to be the best decision I have made. I 

can follow my personal gifts/ministry, 

while being part of a massive family of 

equality, respect and love. The Brothers 

encourage and inspire each other plus 

support each other to improve. 

Samiah: Don’t think too much! Listen 

in prayer and in life to your own heart. 

Seek out people to help you listen and 

to support you wherever God calls and 

however you choose to respond. 

Peter: Do not worry. Trust that God 

that will take care of you in the path you 

choose. Be happy and keep your heart 

open for the Lord to come and stay! 

Blessings on your life purpose too! Come 

and join young adults and others at the 

Cathedral for some prayer/adoration/ 

inspiration on the first Thursday of 

each month in St Patrick’s Cathedral 

– further details in panel on this page. 

Cheers, Fr Paul. 

Prayer for Our 

Lives and Purpose 

A new gathering every 

1 st Thursday of the month at 7pm 

Adoration 

Inspiration 

A shared life story 

with youth/young adults and others 

Share a café meal with others 

at 8pm or go on your way 

St Patrick’s Cathedral 

Marist Place, Parramatta 

Starts Thursday 2 September @ 7pm 

For more details contact: 

Fr Paul – Vocations Director 

tel 0419 219 819 

Fr Suresh – Diocesan Youth 

Director tel 8838 3419 

Annabelle – Youth Office 

tel 8838 3418 

If you’re passionate about a purpose … 

… priesthood Parramatta might just be you! 

How’s the shape of your ‘yes’ with the Lord shaping up? 

To chat confidentially about priesthood, religious life options, male and female vocations, feel welcome 

to call Fr Paul. You can also find out this year’s dates and activities for the priesthood inquiry program. 

Fr Paul Roberts – Vocation Director, Diocese of Parramatta 

Ph: 0419 219 819 Email: vocations@parra.catholic.org.au




Fr Eric Burton celebrates 

60 years of priestly ministry 


On 24 July this year, Fr Eric 

Burton celebrated the 60 th 

anniversary of his ordination 

to priesthood. He is quick to 

point out that the honour is 

not his alone, but is shared 

with Fr Les Campion, Fr David 

Scott, and Mons John Walsh. 

These men were ordained on 

the same day in 1950, in the same 

ceremony at St Mary’s Cathedral 

in Sydney. Fr Stan Campbell was 

ordained later in Armidale and 

Fr Eugene Kenny in Rome. 

To celebrate this important 

commemoration of their 

commitment to priestly life, they 

were joined by family, friends 

and parishioners for a special 

Mass on Saturday 24 July. 

Bishop Kevin Manning, 

Emeritus Bishop of Parramatta, 

was the principal celebrant at the 

Mass, which was concelebrated 

by fellow jubilarians: Fr 

Campion and Fr Scott, Mons 

John Walsh, Fr Stan Campbell 

and Fr Eugene Kenny. 

Born in Newtown in 1925 

to Mary and John Burton, Fr 

Eric is the middle of three 

sons. He attended the parish 

school of St Paul’s Primary at 

Dulwich Hill and went on to 

Lewisham Boys High School 

for his secondary schooling. 

After a short stint as a 

telephone technician the young 

Eric entered the seminary at 

Springwood in 1942. “I grew up 

in a general atmosphere of faith,” 

he said. “It was a strong faith 

parish and Lewisham Boys had 

a great tradition of young men 

entering the priesthood – I was 

priest no. 79. We were always 

in competition with Joeys.” 

Fr Eric credits three priests 

from that time – Rev Dr Pat 

Toumey, Fr John Byrne and 

Fr Reg Reynolds – as having 

a significant influence on his 

decision to enter the seminary. 

While there was no defining 

moment, he felt gradually drawn 

to the priesthood, believing 

it was a worthwhile choice. “I 

thought there was more to life 

than material things,” he said. 

Fr Eric’s younger brother, 

Kevin, was also ordained a priest 

and spent much of his priestly 

ministry in the Communications 

Apostolate. “We were a great 

support to each other,” Fr 

Eric reflected on his brother’s 

important role in his life. Fr 

Kevin Burton died last year. 

Fr Eric’s first posting was 

for six years to Rockdale as 

Assistant Priest where he 

said his ministry involved a 

lot of parish visitation. “You 

could find people at home 

in those days,” he reflected. 

He was also involved in 

organising the youth group. 

Thereafter, he had a number of 

postings at Earlwood, Dee Why, 

Woolloomooloo and Balgowlah 

before coming to North Rocks in 

1970 as the first Parish Priest of 

Christ the King Parish. “There 

was lot of enthusiasm as there 

always is in young parishes.” 

Building materials were not 

easy to come by, so an old 

convent was transported by rail 

from Nymagee to Parramatta 

and re-erected. It comprised 

a small chapel, offices and a 

couple of bedrooms. The present 

church was built at North Rocks. 

For Fr Eric, the highlight of 

his priestly ministry has been 

celebrating the Mass and the 

sacraments with the people 

of God and endeavouring to 

meet the needs of the people 

in his parish. “An important 

part of priesthood is being a 

part of people’s lives, especially 

in caring for the sick and 

in the area of education.” 

He said one of the big 

challenges of today’s Church was 

inspiring the laity to become 

involved in the life of the 

parish. “They are an essential 

part in assisting the priest in 

his parish ministry, especially 

in the new evangelisation.” 

In his downtime, Fr Eric likes 

to get out and do battle over 

18 rounds with a regular group 

of friends who join him at St 

Michael’s golf course each week. 

For relaxation, he loves to 

read, including the works of 

PG Wodehouse, and revisit 

his Irish heritage by listening 

to the lilting ballads of the 

land of his grandparents. 

Of the five men ordained on 

Fr Eric Burton. Photo: Virginia Knight 

that July day 60 years ago, Fr 

Eric is the only one still resident 

as parish priest and yet this 

gentle, quiet achiever shows 

no sign of slowing down, still 

enjoying serving in the parish 

he established 40 years ago. 

Fr Eric feels that his milestone 

of 60 years as a priest should not 

be celebrated as an achievement 

for his own sake, but as a 

celebration of priesthood itself. 

Caring for those who cared 

Father’s Day Appeal for Retired and Sick Clergy 

4-5 SEPTEMBER 2010 

Recently, Pope Benedict XVI declared a special ‘Year for Priests’ and you have been most generous in praying for and supporting 

your priests and in letting them know how much you love them for their ministry amongst you. 

My predecessor, Bishop Kevin, established an annual Father’s Day Appeal to ensure that our spiritual ‘fathers’ are looked after in their retirement. 

I know you are most grateful and that you want to see them properly housed and cared for. So please give generously to the Father’s Day Appeal. 

Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP 

Bishop of Parramatta 

Father’s Day Appeal – Caring for our Retired and Sick Clergy 

My donation is: $25 $50 $100 Other: $ ................................... All donations of $2 are tax deductible 

Cheque (payable to “Clergy Support Foundation”) 

I would like to become a regular donar. Please debit my [Mastercard y Visa 

Card no: Expiry date: .............................................................................. 

Cardholders name: .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 

Signature ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 

Address: ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 

Suburb ............................................................................................................................................................. P’code ................................................. Phone: ...........................................................

Jesus said: 

‘The harvest is plenty but the laborers are few… 

Why are you idle here doing nothing? GO AND WORK in my Vineyard!’ 

Personal testimony 

It was not easy for me to make up my mind to join a Congregation 

till one day I met some Sisters of St Paul de Chartres in a parish. 

Their zeal and simplicity of life somehow impressed me. 

Gradually I came to know them better and realized that motto 

“All things to all people” and their spirituality of St Paul brought 

them to many parts of the world from the year 1696. 

Looking at their community life and the joy of their togetherness, it gave me 

courage, because I will have the support of my Sisters when I need them. 

What attracted me most was their prayer life and the emphasis on the 

Eucharistic Celebration daily and their total commitment to God. 

Would you like to return God’s love for love 

By LIVING His life 

and SERVING His people 

through the Congregation of the Sisters of St Paul de Chartres? 

Would you wish 

to KNOW more and to EXPERIENCE 

HOW we live our lives with Jesus Christ 

COME and SEE! 

For more information and to book in for 

week-end ‘live in’ with the Sisters, please contact: 

Sister Mary Joseph spc 

The Vocation Coordinator 

3 Mitchell Street, Mentone, Victoria, 3194 

Tel: (03) 9583 7693 or (03) 9584 8974 

Email: sl_z83jc@yahoo.com.au




Jesus is calling you! 

Questions to be answered 

In times past and still now at present, many 

young women like you searching for the will 

of God in their lives have often asked themselves 

these questions: 

• What does God desire of 

me for my happiness? 

• How do I find out God’s 

plan and desire for me? 

• What should I do when I hear 

Jesus calling me to follow Him? 

• Am I worthy to be His bride? 

I myself had also asked those important 

questions when I was at your age, and by the 

grace of God, I had found the answer through 

prayer and through spiritual guidance from 

wise and holy people. 

When I understood that God is love, and to 

follow Him is to be an apostle of love, I made 

up my mind gladly to return love for love by 

becoming a Sister of St. Paul de Chartres. 

Who are the Sisters of 

St. Paul de Chartres? 

The Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres was 

founded in 1696 in Levesville, a small, remote 

village not too far from Chartres in France, 

by Fr Louis Chauvet and a young noble lady 

called Marie Anne de Tilly. 

Father Chauvet was a young and newly 

appointed parish priest, but he soon discovered 

poverty, ignorance and hunger in his 

parish. He wished to help those villagers to 

rise from their poverty. He wanted to teach 

them to know, love and worship God. 

So, with the help of Marie Anne de Tilly, 

they began teaching four young peasant 

girls reading and writing so that they could, 

in turn, teach other children in the village 

how to read and write. 

These four young girls eventually came 

together daily for prayers and began living 

a common life. This was how they formed 

the very first community of the Sisters of 

St. Paul de Chartres. 

This brave, humble, little community of 

young women dedicated to God and doing 

His good works by instructing the young 

and visiting the sick began to grow. 

In 1708, Monsignor Paul Godet des 

Marais, the Bishop of Chartres, blessed 

their work and gave them St. Paul the 

Apostle as their patron and Our Blessed 

Mother as their model. 

Like St. Paul, the Sisters are to “work 

zealously so as to make a living from the 

work of their own hands” and thus be able 

to serve others gratuitously and “be all 

things to all people”. 

International and Missionary 

Soon, the Sisters started to establish 

new communities around the district and 

beyond. Urged by the cry of the poor and 

the needy from far-off mission lands, the 

Sisters quickly sent missionaries abroad to 

the West Indies, Madagascar, and other 

parts of Europe. 

Now, we have Sisters in 35 countries 

spreading in five continents, serving 

people of all nations in Europe, Asia, 

America, Canada, the West Indies, Africa, 

Madagascar, Australia, Israel, Russia, and 

even in the North Pole! 

Called by love and for love 

The Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres never 

forget that it is God who chose each one of 

them with a very special love. They treasure 

this unique love and return love for love by 

spending their whole life, talents and energy 

in proclaiming the Good News of God’s 

Kingdom by prayer and action. That’s where 

they find true joy and happiness! 

A day in Sister’s life 

Every morning, the Sisters participate 

actively in the Eucharistic Sacrifice as a 

community, spending time with God in 

prayer and meditation. They do God’s work 

by educating the young, caring for the sick 

and the aged. 

They also engage in works of mercy in 

parishes, teaching the children, visiting the 

sick and the lonely, serving the poor and the 

needy in local areas and in the missions. 

Every evening after their daily work, they 

return to their convent where they join the 

community to thank God and worship Him 

in the Blessed Sacrament. 

At the end of the day, the Sisters meet 

together for relaxation and community interchange, 

rejoicing in one another’s company 

before retiring in silence for prayer and rest. 

Apostolate in Australia 

Here in Brisbane, our Sisters have established 

an Aged Care ministry to serve and 

care for the elderly of different nationalities 

and cultures, giving them ‘a home away 

from home’. 

In Moss Vale, NSW, our Sisters have 

founded an International College to educate 

the teenagers and young adolescents, showing 

them the way to what is true, good and 

beautiful; guiding them in personal development 

and preparing them for entry into the 

universities in Australia. 

In Sydney and in Melbourne, our Sisters 

are engaged in both education and in pastoral 

ministry. They work in parishes, schools 

and universities, guiding and nurturing the 

spiritual life of children and of youth, accompanying 

young men and women in discerning 

the call of God to priesthood and to 

religious life. 

The Sisters also go around visiting the 

sick and the aged in Nursing Homes and in 

hospitals, bringing Holy Communion to the 

Catholic patients and the elderly. 

Ready to be sent anywhere 

and be surprised anytime 

The Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres is an 

Apostolic and Missionary Congregation. 

Therefore, the Sisters could be asked to 

serve in mission lands far away from their 

home countries. 

But, each of them know very well that 

God’s grace is always there to give them 

strength and courage to do His work with 

cheerfulness and selfless love. 

Indeed, to be a Sister of St. Paul de Chartres 

is never boring! On the contrary, it is a life 

full of meaningful surprises because once an 

SPC Sister, you are launched into a challenging 

and exciting adventure with the Lord! 

For more information or to book a weekend 

‘live in’ with the Sisters, please contact: 

Sister Mary Joseph spc – Vocation 

Coordinator, tel: (03) 9583 7693 or (03) 9584 

8974, email: sl_z83jc@yahoo.com.au 

Did you ever have 

the crazy idea 

that you might be a NUN? 

… seeking union with God in a 

Benedictine life of divine praise 

and Eucharistic prayer for the 

Church and all humanity? 

Contact the 

Tyburn Nuns 

Rev. Mother Cyril OSB, tel (02) 9627 5171 

Tyburn Priory, 325 Garfield Rd East 

Riverstone, NSW, 2765 

ww.tyburnconvent.org.au


Josephites’ ministry on the margins: 

prison chaplains sharing God’s love 


Josephite sisters Sr Margaret Le Breton RSJ 

and Sr Marcia Cox RSJ are living witnesses to 

the Mary MacKillop spirit, working in their 

ministries to turn around people’s lives. 

They are both prison chaplains in the 

Diocese of Parramatta: Sr Margaret has been 

working nearly seven years at John Morony 

Correctional Centre at South Windsor 

and Sr Marcia for five months at Parklea 

Correctional Centre. 

Both said they were called to a religious 

vocation early in their lives, and although 

they grew up in very different parts of Sydney 

both attribute their childhood interaction 

with the Josephite Sisters through education 

and family support as a major influence in 

their decisions to embrace a religious life. 

Sr Margaret Le Breton RSJ 

Margaret was born in Paddington and as 

one of eight children grew up in rural Horsley 

Park. In her primary years she was educated 

by the Sisters of St Joseph at Rooty Hill. The 

family moved to Campbelltown where she 

completed her secondary education with the 

Good Samaritan Sisters. 

The move to Campbelltown was for the 

family to be closer to health services as the 

youngest child was deaf, blind and chronically 

ill. It was during those early years at 

Horsley Park, while her mother and father 

were constantly at the hospital, that Margaret 

cared for her younger brothers and sisters. 

The Sisters and the Parish priest were a 

great support to the family, travelling out to 

visit them and often staying with the children 

until a parent arrived home, praying the 

rosary with them and occasionally bringing a 

meal. Margaret was impressed with the ‘faith 

in action’ of the Sisters and Father. 

At the age of 14, Margaret entered the 

Josephites’ Juniorite, where she could finish 

her studies and prepare for religious life. “I 

couldn’t really concentrate on my studies,” 

she said. “All I could really see was the benefit 

of supporting people in trouble.” 

After graduation she went into teaching, 

but it became clear that her real interest 

lay in the pastoral care of those in the community 

who were struggling. Like Mary 

MacKillop, she wanted to work with the 

poor and disadvantaged. 

Margaret worked with young people in 

education and as a youth worker before 

becoming involved with Fr Jim McLaren’s 

Radio 2SM program in the late 1980s. 

Later she worked with the St Vincent 

de Paul Society as Co-ordinator of Rendu 

Youth Services, which included the Radio 

Out There program. Through the radio studio/program 

such skills as voice production, 

script writing and music were great tools for 

boosting confidence and creativity. 

It was a multi-faceted approach to rehabilitation 

and a complete welfare package, 

Government funded too, with supported 

accommodation, job-finding skills, assistance 

in budgeting, preparation for job interviews 

and literacy classes. Building self-esteem and 

confidence was vital for these young men 

who had been through drug and alcohol 

rehabilitation or recently exited prison. 

“One of the most difficult things when you 

come out is to get a job because of your history 

and lack of a CV,” Margaret said. 

So assisting the men to get jobs and thereby 

maintain themselves in the community 

remains one of society’s great challenges 

and responsibilities for keeping them out 

of prison, according to chaplains Margaret 

and Marcia. 

These programs always include teaching 

gratitude, how to be respectful and 

how to respond rather than react; simple 

techniques that both women use in their 

prison ministry. 

Sr Marcia Cox RSJ 

Marcia grew up in Concord and was educated 

in her early primary years by the Sisters 

of Charity. The family then moved to Sefton 

and later to the Central Coast where she was 

taught in both places by the Josephites at 

The Entrance and then completed her secondary 

schooling at Gosford. 

All through her primary years Marcia 

said she thought about becoming a nun. She 

was deeply impressed with the spirit of the 

Josephite Sisters, who were down to earth, 

caring of everyone regardless of position, 

supportive and happy. 

Both Sefton and The Entrance were 

Church schools at the time. The children 

sat on the kneelers and worked on the 

seats. Marcia has since been in a similar 

situation as a teacher and principal and 

realises how difficult it can be and yet 

special. She felt united in spirit with Mary 

MacKillop and the lovely Sisters who 

taught her in difficult situations. 



Sr Margaret Le Breton RSJ (left) and Sr Marcia Cox RSJ. Photo: Virginia Knight 

On a visit to North Sydney she and a friend 

were invited to the chapel to see one of the 

Sisters who had died. “I was praying under 

my breath for Monique to say ‘no’, as I was 

accompanying her that day as she sought 

information about entering. I found out later 

she was praying the same prayer about me, 

however, she said ‘yes’ because she was being 

polite,” Marcia said. 

“The Sister looked so peaceful and beautiful, 

I found myself saying to Mother Leonie 

‘what do I have to do to enter?’ I was 16 and I 

entered six months later.” 

Marcia spent 30 years in education as a 

teacher and principal in both city and country 

schools. After completing a CPE course 

she moved into pastoral care in hospitals and 

for a time worked in a nursing home. 

It was during her sabbatical that she felt 

herself being drawn towards working with 

people on the margins, the outcasts of society, 

and it was then that God steered her 

firmly into prison ministry. 

Marcia said the primary role of the prison 

chaplain was showing the men you respect 

them, giving spiritual and temporal support, 

and caring about their wellbeing. As she 

interacts with them she looks on them as 

nephews or brothers. 

Chaplains also offer opportunity for prayer 

groups, liturgy, the Seasons For Growth program 

and Bible studies, and one-on-one contact 

and follow up where and when necessary. 

Chaplains also facilitate others denominations 

offering services to their group. 

“In our role, if the men allow us to, we get 

to know other lovely aspects of who they 

are. They are now in a place paying the price 

for their crimes. We, as chaplains, pray and 

try to facilitate that they will take this as an 

opportunity to turn their lives around, to 

allow God to love them into a new way of 

thinking and being,” Marcia said. 

“If we, the chaplains, love them, how much 

more does God love them and want what is 

best for them! Jesus Christ came for everyone; 

we are all imperfect and need God in 

our lives. Jesus said, ‘I came that you may 

have life, and have it to the full.’ ” 

Chaplains make connections with the 

inmates’ families at their request and with 

their knowledge. “It is our way of showing 

respect and supporting them towards having 

a future, not just doing time,” Margaret said. 

One of the biggest hurdles is that for some 

men prison is their only secure place. For 

many reasons they cannot make it on their 

own outside and so they come back. A kind 

of mateship exists in prison where there is 

the sense of security, a bed and a meal. 

There is lack of resources and community 

support projects to assist them in adjusting 

to life outside prison. Other problems are 

the number of mentally ill men who are not 

receiving proper care in the community and, 

subsequently, find themselves in prison. 

As chaplains, Marcia and Margaret hope 

they can make a difference to the men’s lives 

while in prison, and enable them to embrace 

their future. 

Sisters of Charity 

For further 

information, you 

are welcome to 

visit our website 

www.sistersofcharity.org.au 

You might also 

like to contact us: 

Anne Taylor rsc 

anne.taylor@rscoffice.com



A vocation ‘realised and felt from within’ 


For Parramatta seminarian Alfredito (Red) 

Dalogdog, the journey to priesthood has 

taken place over many years in, taking the 

time to discern his calling and understand 

what role God had planned for him in 

this life. 

“It is always this calling to be part of people’s 

lives and serving them,” he said. “Vocation is 

not something to be forced from outside, it is 

to be realised and felt from within.” 

Born in Mindanao in the Philippines in 

1963, Red is one of 11 siblings (five brothers, 

and six sisters) born to Leticia and 

Alfredo Dalogdog. 

He attended the local primary public 

school and St Joseph’s College for his secondary 

school studies. After leaving school, he 

entered the Redemptorist Seminary. His formation 

activities and programs were mainly 

taken from the seminary except for his academic 

studies, which were taken from the 

University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu City. 

Red’s family went to Mass on Sundays and 

Wednesdays and prayed the rosary together 

every night. He appreciated this closeness 

to the Church and as a result felt the call to 

embrace a religious life even writing down 

‘priesthood’ as his ambition in primary class. 

“Since that day when I was 10, I have somehow 

been entertaining the idea of becoming 

a priest,” Red said. “Sometimes I thought of 

becoming a dentist or a lawyer, but then this 

vocation thing would always come up.” 

He graduated from the university (seminary) 

with a BA in Philosophy. During the 

Value the life God’s given 

God claimed 

Mary MacKillop’s Heart 

What’s written 

ON YOUR 

HEART 

final stages of formation he entered the traditional 

30-day silent retreat to discern his 

calling to priesthood. 

“I remember it quite clearly. On the 27th 

day, I said to myself ‘I want to give myself a 

chance outside the four walls of this monastery 

and see how I would cope’,” Red said. 

Entering the seminary straight from home 

and school, insulated and protected, he had 

never had to make his own way in the world; 

he wanted to experience what he perceived 

as the character-building challenges of life, 

which had helped his brothers and sisters to 

grow and mature. 

Red took a job in the corporate world. 

“Even so, people seemed to come to my office 

and want to talk to me. I listened a lot. I 

learned this from the seminary formation.” 

After a brief stint as principal at a Catholic 

school and part-time teacher at the university, 

he became assistant director of the 

BABA’s Foundation where he worked with 

the poor – the marginalised farmers, small 

business owners, women and children. 

He enjoyed these five years. “Maybe 

because of my background with the 

Redemptorists, working closely with people, 

organising and empowering people, I 

found fulfilment,” he said. 

“The poor in the Philippines are voiceless 

and empowering them is significant. 

It gives more meaning to their lives and an 

appreciation of their own power and how 

they see themselves.” 

Red felt satisfied and thought that perhaps 

he had found his vocation. Then his brother 

encouraged him to come to Australia to 

JOSEPHITE? 

Come explore 

the ways of living 

Mary’s dream 

“I would like to find out 

about ways of living the 

Josephite Spirit” 

Contact: Sr Ann Love rsj 

Ph: 8741-2322 

E: ann.love@sosjnsw.org.au 

GO TO www.sosj.org.au 

study, to broaden his horizons and further 

establish his credentials. 

He studied Business Management at the 

Kent Institute of Sydney but found he was 

constantly being drawn to the Church. Red 

recalls discussing his confusion with Rev Ron 

McFarlane, the Parish Priest of St Andrew’s 

Parish, Marayong. 

But it was not until he read a notice in 

the Blacktown Parish bulletin, calling people 

to vocation, that he made the decision to 

resume his journey. 

Red says that life in Holy Spirit Seminary 

differs slightly from that of a religious community; 

although you pray and live together 

in community there is more scope for maintaining 

your individuality. 

The day starts with Thanksgiving Prayer, 

followed by Morning Prayer and Mass before 

breakfast. For the rest of the day, the seminarians 

are either engaged in external study 

in theology, biblical studies and philosophy 

in classes held at Catholic Institute of Sydney 

(CIS) at Strathfield, or remain in the seminary 

researching or completing assignments. 

There is midday prayer and in the afternoon 

more study or housekeeping tasks. 

Adoration is followed by Evening Prayer, the 

Rosary, and the Angelis. After dinner there is 

personal time. 

Red found sport was very much a part of 

Australian culture. The seminarians participate 

in an interdiocesan soccer competition 

and last year Red was training to be the goalkeeper. 

He was injured just before competition 

and had to retire, taking up cheerleading 

and waterboy roles on the sidelines. 


Alfredito (Red) Dalogdog 

In his downtime, he enjoys movies, 

catching up with friends and reading John 

Grisham thrillers. 

Last year, he visited the Philippines after 

two years away. “It is good to reconnect with 

your own homeland and people. It is a very 

nourishing and rejuvenating experience.” 

And on becoming a priest, Red said 

he was looking forward to growing in 

spirituality working with the people of the 

Diocese of Parramatta. 

To find out more about priesthood 

for Parramatta, contact Fr Paul Roberts, 

Diocesan Vocation Director, tel 0419 219 

819, vocations@parra.catholic.org.au 

Who will CARE 

if you don’t? 

Over 400 years ago in Rome, 

a man called Camillus de 

Lellis answered Christ’s call to 

follow Him, to Heal the Sick, 

and to Preach the Good News 

of the Kingdom of God. 

And Camillus gathered around 

himself a group of men who 

were also willing to allow God 

to work through them in order 

to show His Love for all, and 

especially for those who were 

Sick and most neglected. 

That has not changed in all 

these years: that need is still 

there, and men are still being 

called by Christ to give their 

lives in Love. Have you ever 

thought of dedicating your life 

for the service of the sick? 

The Camillians 

8 Perry St, Wentworthville, NSW, 2145 

Tel: (+61 2) 9769 1796 

Fax: (+61 2) 9636 3291 

Email: camilliansaustralia@yahoo.com or 

Sacred Heart Parish 

14 Ralph St, Westmead, NSW, 2145 

Tel: (+61 2) 9635 9262 

Fax: (+61 2) 9633 9813 

Email: shpwestmead@bigpond.com


A country girl at heart 

Sr Rosalie O’Malley 

A country girl at heart, I was born in 

a tiny town in rural New Zealand. As 

the third of six children I grew up in a 

loving Catholic family, my early years 

lived in the post-Depression time. 

My father was a good provider, and 

my mother held us lovingly with a loose 

rope, which gave us the freedom to 

grow and make our own life choices. 

My primary education was in a public 

country school and my secondary years 

were in a Catholic boarding school. 

My youth was full of fun-loving times; 

however, dancing was my passion. 

Each weekend I would gather with 

my friends, and my eldest brother 

would drive us to the nearest dance, 

keeping a protective eye on us. 

We all sat in the back of the truck in our 

dancing dresses and the piano accordion to 

get us into the swing of things on the way. 

Naturally, this wouldn’t be allowed now! 

During this time the call to follow 

Jesus more deeply was ever present, 

no matter how hard I tried to ignore it. 

Eventually, I knew I had to say “yes”. The 

love for my family and the desire to have 

one of my own was undoubtedly very 

strong. I knew I had to try, to be sure. 

I was professed as a Sister of Nazareth 

in 1958 in Melbourne, thus beginning my 

journey in earnest. I trained in as a nursery 

nurse in London and worked with children 

in the UK and in the Australian region. 

In 1981, I trained as a nurse in 

Launceston, Tasmania, then worked 

as a hostel supervisor for 20 years. 

The years working with the elderly 

have been especially precious to me, 

sharing the lives of those wonderful 

residents. My special loves were in 

dementia and palliative care. 

Caring for those people whose minds were 

troubled was very special, while walking 

with those who were preparing to meet their 

God was a privileged position to be in. 

My spiritual/religious journey has, like 

any other walks of life, had many ‘hills’ 

and ‘valleys’. These are the times of great 

spiritual growth, founded on the Cross and 

the ‘Mt Tabor’ that Jesus has shown us. 

Deacon Bernard Hancock OCD assists Bishop Peter Ingham 

Journey leads to Discalced Carmelites 

Bro Bernard Hancock OCD 

I grew up in the small town of Boonah 

in Queensland, the second oldest in a 

family of nine children. I attended All 

Saints’ Catholic primary school where 

the Sisters of Mercy were still teaching. 

As a child I never considered becoming 

a priest. The parish priest would 

visit our home and I always thought 

they were wonderful men, full of life, 

committed to their ministry. It never 

occurred to me that I could be a priest. 

After I left school, I worked in 

the Public Service then went to 

teachers’ college and spent 10 years 

as a primary teacher. It was during 

this time that I had a sense that I was 

being called to something else. 

Through much prayer and reflection, 

I realised to my astonishment that God 

was calling me to the priesthood. I had a 

sense if I was to have this type of vocation 

that it would be best lived as a religious. 

After journeying around NSW and 

Victoria, visiting various religious 

orders, I felt a very strong sense of 

where the Spirit was leading me. 

The Discalced Carmelite Friars at 

Varroville was the first community I 

visited and it was there that I had a strong 

sense of God, and a strong sense that 

this is where God wanted me to be. 

As I reflect on my experience thus far as a 

Carmelite I realise that God is helping me to 

become the person He wants me to become. 

A mature Christian, a person of prayer, a 

person of Good News who has experienced 

the love of God, a person who uses their 

own experiences of life to help others. 

I took Solemn Vows last year; in 

February this year I was ordained a 

Deacon and this month I will be ordained 

a priest in my home parish of Boonah.




Fr Ron McFarlane celebrates 40 years of priesthood 

On 4 July 2010, the parish 

community of St Andrew 

the Apostle at Marayong 

celebrated the 40th anniversary 

of the ordination to the 

priesthood of their Parish 

Priest, Fr Ron McFarlane. 

About 1200 people were at the 

Thanksgiving Mass, which was 

concelebrated by fellow priests 

from the Diocese of Parramatta: 

Fr Robert McGuckin VG, 

Fr Chris De Souza, Fr Clifford 

D’Souza and Fr Dave Hume. 

Speaking of his 40 years as 

a priest, Fr Ron said: “If I had 

the opportunity to start all over 

again, the fundamental option 

of accepting priesthood would 

still, I believe, be present. To 

date, it has been a great life, 

enjoyable and rewarding. 

“The challenges I see in the 

priesthood are the same I see 

for every life. They are to love 

each person as Jesus does; to 

see Jesus in the other and to be 

prepared to give time, attention, 

care and presence to them.” 

The Readings were read 

by Fr Ron’s brothers, Barry 

and Bernard. The choir was 

a combined choir from the 

various groups in the parish. 

Afterwards, the gathering 

adjourned to the John Paul II 

Campus of St Andrew’s College 

to continue the celebration. 

One of the wonderful things 

about this parish is that they 

know how to put on a party. 

Members of the parish 

music ministry staged a twohour 

concert, which was an 

entertaining and enjoyable 

way to finish the afternoon. 

The day had been organised 

by a committee of parishioners 

overseen by Joyce Inglis. The 

whole community came together 

and played their part in assuring 

that it was a memorable day 

for Fr Ron and for the parish. 

In his homily, Fr Ron spoke 

about being a priest for 40 

years and said he was still 

working at becoming a priest. 

He highlighted the importance 

Members of St Andrew’s Parish youth ministry team 

of the Mass and of the 

Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

He emphasised that the 

priest was an ordinary person 

journeying with other ordinary 

people and how it has been the 

people he has worked with and for 

who have been his main support. 

He stressed that all vocations 

were equal and mutual. He spoke 

about the wonderful rediscovery 

of lay ministry in the Church, 

which has seen many changes in 

parish life since he was ordained, 

and these changes were for the 

better. In this context, he spoke 

about how we all have a vocation. 

Fr Ron also spoke about what 

some people perceive as an 

identity crisis among priests. His 

point was that the priesthood 

was an objective reality, which 

is not defined by us for it is 

the priesthood of Christ. 

He made the point that 

at times we do not live up 

to the expectations of the 

Church and sometimes 

we might have difficulty 

keeping a proper balance. 

Fr Ron believes many men 

are called to priesthood but, 

for a variety of reasons, they 

do not accept the invitation. 

Fr Ron McFarlane with his cousin Bernadette, brothers 

Bernard and Barry, and sister-in-law Felicity 

He also pointed out that there 

is no certainty that a person will 

persevere even if they believe 

they have a vocation. The point 

he was making is that to discover 

what God is truly asking of us 

we need to be prepared to step 

out on a limb and take some 

risks. To Fr Ron, it was worth 

the risk because of the incredible 

gifts this vocation offers. 

Finally, Fr Ron shared 

a favourite passage: 

“The more I give the more I 

receive. The more I teach the 

more I learn. The more I minister, 

the more I am ministered to.” 

The great challenge of St Francis 

It’s easy to enjoy the life of 

St Francis of Assisi as he 

lived with so much love and 

delight in the Lord. He showed 

amazing charity to all men and 

women and to all creatures. He 

brought peace to people, both 

individually and between cities. 

He brought wonderful joy among 

the faithful, and was strong in 

Jesus Christ and His Church. 

The great challenge is how 

do we do this today? We live 

in a very different era full of 

technology, full of attitudes that 

were unimaginable in his time. 

It always comes to the point 

of the heart of St Francis’ 

spirit. He lived the Gospel of 

Our Lord Jesus Christ, putting 

it into practice in every way, 

and above all with profound 

love for the Lord Jesus and 

His Church. Everything he 

did was for love, for example, 

chastity for St Francis was not 

a discipline of deprivation, 

but the truest act of love. 

The Friars of St Francis live 

their lives in this way. They 

are full of happiness in serving 

Our Lord Jesus Christ and His 

Church. They lovingly serve the 

poor and those in need wherever 

they are. They powerfully 

proclaim the Gospel in fidelity 

and with a real spirit of joy. 

To follow Our Lord Jesus 

Christ in the consecrated life 

opens so many unimaginable 

doors. The Holy Spirit takes 

these friars to all sorts of places 

and situations. They have 

proclaimed the Gospel in many 

parts of Australia and the world. 

As small as this community is, 

their spirit is ever increasing. 

Dressed in the simple garb 

of St Francis, they are there for 

all to see, bringing the hope of 

Jesus Christ and His merciful 

love to young and old. 

They have assisted children 

suffering from HIV/AIDS in 

Thailand, they visit the sick 

and imprisoned, the young, 

the aged and the destitute in 

many parts of Australia. 

They love Christ and His 

Church, and live the spirit 

of St Francis here and now, 

contemplative and apostolic, 

happy in the Lord. 

Is Christ calling you to live 

His Gospel in the Consecrated 

Life? Do not fear. Do not be 

afraid to give yourself to Him 

and His will. Seek the truth 

and be free. Commit your life 

to Our Lord and He will act 

on your behalf! The more you 

give, the more you will receive. 

The vows we take are the 

key to true freedom and joy, 

to real love, to Christ. 

The Friars of St Francis want 

to share their life more and more. 

Come and help us on our great 

mission in proclaiming the Gospel 

as Christ has commissioned 

all of His disciples to do. 

Contact the Friars of St Francis 

St Bernadette’s Church, 1 Cox 

Crescent, Dundas Valley, NSW, 

2117, PO Box 1215, Parramatta, 

NSW, 2124. frcfsf@mac.com


DISCOVER Yourself! Become who you are! 

Our fast-paced world progresses rapidly 

in many facets of life such as technology, 

medicine, industry. But one area that lacks 

progress by comparison is the development 

of our souls. 

Think about your average day or week. To 

what and to whom do you devote your time 

and energies? Do you invest time in getting 

to know who you really are? What does it 

mean to be a woman? 

Which vocation has God planned for you? 

Your vocation is God’s unique plan for your 

life, which will help you to attain sanctification. 

It may be married life, single life or 

consecrated life. 

God has created each of us as an original 

being, with a unique soul. Stamped 

within our soul is a ‘Personal Ideal’ and 

a ‘Mission’. The founder of the International 

Schoenstatt Movement, Fr Joseph 

Kentenich, describes our ‘Personal Ideal’ 

as “an experience of my personal truth … 

it is how God created my soul and how I 

am destined to live in communion with 

Him. It is all about a special vision that 

inspires and fills my soul completely … It 

expresses who I am and what I am called 

to do in my life …” 

Do you want to discover your ‘Personal 

Ideal’ and ‘Mission’? Would you like to discover 

what it means to be a woman, or even 

begin to discern your vocation? 

May I invite you to DISCOVER – a weekend 

Retreat for Young Women aged 18-30 

from 17-19 September in the tranquil surrounds 

of Mt Schoenstatt, a “beautiful place” 

of grace. Become who you are! Discover the 

plan of love that God has designed for you 

from all eternity! 

For inquiries and bookings, please contact 

Sr M Julie Brcar tel (02) 4773 8338, 

juliebrcar@gmail.com 

Schoenstatt 

Lighting the jubilee candle 



Golden jubilee for Fr Gerry Iverson 

Six hundred parishioners, friends and clergy 

from across the Diocese of Parramatta and 

beyond have joined Fr Gerry Iverson in celebrating 

his golden jubilee Mass at Our Lady 

Queen of Peace Church, Greystanes. 

The Jubilee Mass was held 50 years to the 

day of Fr Gerry’s ordination on 16 July 1960. 

The Bishop of Parramatta, Most Rev 

Anthony Fisher op, was the principal celebrant 

at the Mass on Friday 16 July, joining 

with Archbishop Francis Carroll, Bishop 

Kevin Manning, Bishop Geoff Robinson, 

Bishop Bede Heather and 45 priests from 

the dioceses of Parramatta, Wagga Wagga, 

Sydney, Wollongong, Sandhurst, Adelaide 

and Port Pirie. 

In his homily, Bishop Anthony said: 

“Tonight we celebrate a golden oldie, one 

of the country’s and the Diocese’s bestknown 

priests. 

“In 1994 he was appointed to this parish of 

Our Lady Queen of Peace, Greystanes. Sadly, 

before his arrival it had been anything but a 

place of peace. Some parishioners were victims 

of clergy misconduct and in a sense the 

whole parish were secondary victims. 

“Fr Gerry was asked like St Francis in 

San Damiano to go and rebuild my Church. 

Again, he responded with a real sense of mission, 

to bind up broken hearts and comfort 

those who mourn. 

“What has been achieved here is a great 

testament to all the parishioners and their 

love for Christ despite the failings of some 

clergy; but it is also a testament to a Good 

Shepherd who has helped restore people’s 

confidence in the priesthood. 

“Fr Gerry is known as a priests’ priest, 

one who has followed up and given encouragement 

to those he knew as seminarians, 

through involvements with the Manly Union, 

the National Council of Priests, his monthly 

gatherings and other hospitality, and his care 

of priests on the edge. As one of his admirers 

put it to me: ‘Fr Gerry often leaves the 99 for 

the one that was lost.’ ” 

At the convention of the National Council 

of Priests held in Parramatta last month, Fr 

Gerry was presented with an award acknowledging 

his role as a founding member of the 

NCP and his ongoing care for his brother 

priests over many years. 

Called to be a Missionary in Mary’s way? 

Sisters of Mary 

We seek to imitate Mary 

Mary brought Christ, the Redeemer to the 

world. She stood at His side during His 

redemptive activity. We believe that we are 

called to bear similar witness. Mary is for 

us, our mother, sister, model and educator. 

Our vocation can be summarised 

as: To be Mary, and like Mary 

to work in modern times so that 

many people encounter Christ. 

This commitment is our contribution to the 

question of the meaning of womanhood as 

one of the great challenges of our time. We 

seek to achieve this as a Secular Institute 

in our modern world. We have currently 

over 2,300 sisters from 35 countries who 

serve the Church across the globe. 

Our Mission 

It is our mission to bring the presence 

of Christ, just as Mary did, wherever 

we are, discovering God’s love in every 

person, in all of creation and in every 

event of our lives. As such, we are 

involved in a variety of professions and 

ministries that are suitable for women. 

For more information contact: 

Sr M Julie Brcar 

230 Fairlight Road, Mulgoa, NSW, 2745 

Tel: (02) 4773 8338 

www.schoenstatt.org.au 

Become an SMSM 

SMSM Vocations Director, 

PO Box 662, Merrylands NSW 2160 

smsmvoc@yahoo.com.au www.smsmsisters.org 

FATIMA DAY – AUGUST 13 

Programme: 9.30am Confessions, 10.00am Exposition & Rosary, 

11.00am Solemn Eucharist, 1.30pm Eucharistic Procession to 

Grotto, 2.00pm Devotions at Grotto, 3.00pm Conclusion 

Our Main Celebrant: 

Fr Robert Stewart OFM Cap 

Vicar Provincial of the Capuchin Friars from Leichhardt 

ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY 

Divine Mercy Devotion – August 15 

11.00am Holy Mass with renewal of marriage vows followed by 

an individual blessing of families with the most Blessed Sacrament. 

1.30pm Devotions including Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, 

Chaplet, Benediction and veneration of relics of St Faustina. 

August 15 we remember those whose anniversaries 

are between 36 and 40 years 

Pauline Fathers’ Monastery – 120 Hanging Rock Rd, Berrima NSW 2577 – Open daily from 8 am to 5pm 

Although the address used for mail is Berrima please take care that you DO NOT divert off the Freeway to the village of Berrima as the Shrine is some 15km further 

south. It is the 3rd right turn after McDonald’s and Shell Service Station. 

phone (02) 4878 9192; e-mail paulinefathers@bigpond.com.au; website www.paulinefathers.org 

Bus contact numbers: Sydney (02) 9823 7763 or (02) 9642 3373; Northern Beaches (May & October only) (02) 9984 8988 Central Coast (02) 4329 3369 or (02) 

4396 6549; Illawarra (02) 4274 1490; Shoalhaven (02) 4423 3330; Canberra/Queanbeyan/Goulburn (02) 6254 6202




Our Lady’s Nurses for the Poor (Brown Nurses) 

“The cause of a person’s poverty is not yours to question. 

The fact a person is poor is the reason you help.” (Eileen O’Connor) 

It is a wonderful reality in our Australian 

story to know that Eileen O’Connor at 21 

years of age, with extraordinary courage 

and trust in Our Lady’s wish, would begin 

a work to nurse and care for the “ Sick- 

Poor” within the inner suburbs of Sydney. 

Commencing in 1913, Eileen attracted 

seven heroic women who were the 

foundation sisters of the Society. 

They were amazed that her organising 

ability was so rooted in a spirituality 

which focused on “God first, God only or 

Because of God, you have understanding 

enough to know and remember this. You 

must not forget if you are to do as Our 

Lady would and does”. (Meditations p63) 

Touched by her gifts of faith, prudence, 

and charity, they were gently molded 

by Eileen’s compassionate assessment 

of the Sick-Poor whom they would 

serve, she would teach them to be 

selfless in their care and give what was 

needed thereby improving the nursing 

care of all, in their own homes. 

Eileen’s nurses contacted local doctors 

for the medical care of their patients. 

Shopkeepers and barrowmen would 

always offer fruit and vegetables to the 

nurses for their patients. This generosity 

continued through many years. 

Eileen advised us: “Tell Our Lady that 

you want to seek Our Lord amongst His 

poor and ask her to be with you in your 

work.” (Meditations p103) The areas we 

touch in today’s work are as follows: 

• Mental illness affects many of our 

clients, some more severely than others. 

Two of them have recently spent a period 

in acute psychiatric care in order to assist 

them to regain a measure of control over 

their lives. When the clients are discharged, 

our nurses will work closely with their 

mental health case managers to ensure that 

“The best tribute we can pay to 

Eileen is to carry on Her work 

in the way She has shown you.” 

Fr McGrath letter, 1921 

the clients are able to maintain reasonable 

living standards and appropriate self-care 

and are compliant with their medication. 

• The small miracles, as we call them, 

still occur. The client who agrees to be 

taken to hospital, the hostel bed that 

suddenly becomes available for the client 

who is unable to cope independently, 

the success with a housing application 

are all examples of the watchful eye of 

Eileen O’Connor, ensuring that the work 

she began in 1913 continues for the 

sake of the poor and disadvantaged. 

• Advocacy for our clients remains a 

strong feature of our ministry because 

for each one there is an inability to 

access services that are rightfully theirs. 

Because of their personal circumstances, 

they lack self-confidence and the 

ability to speak for themselves. 

The Brown Nurses are committed and 

energetic advocates for medical services 

and housing, in particular, and advocate 

strongly for these vulnerable people. 

• Sr Margaret Mary’s Newcastles work 

is a replica of the Coogee/Glebe story. 

This example of a family whose two 

daughters have Nethertons Syndrome, 

the girls have been known by the Sisters 

for many years, they are now young 

ladies. This lifelong commitment by their 

mother has been remarkable considering 

the needs and gravity of their condition. 

Their mum has depended on Sister 

for understanding and moral support 

over many years. What courage. 

• In Minto the needs are similar; Sr 

Patricia and Sr Kerry accompany many 

people to legal and welfare appointments 

and court, those who are drug dependent 

and on the methadone program. Personal 

and household assistance is given where 

needed, and women are supported through 

their pregnancy. Our Sisters walk with 

our Indigenous sisters and brothers, 

towards healing and reconciliation. 

Eileen O’Connor, founder of 

the Brown Nurses 

Our Lady’s Nurses for the Poor 

(Brown Nurses) 

Home Visitation for the 

Poor from 1913 to 2010 

Our deep relationships with the Poor 

Enables them and us to be: 

Challenged 

Have Vision 

Be fulfilled 

Enabling their Potential 

Empowers them for the Future 

Come and see if your life 

could help other lives. 

For further information contact 

Our Lady’s Home 

35 Dudley Street, Coogee, NSW, 2034 

Phone: (02) 9665 6331 

Email: oln@ourladysnurses.org.au


Congratulations to Sr Elizabeth Ng 

Recently, the Poor Clare Sisters celebrated 

with much joy and ceremony, the 

religious profession of Sr Elizabeth 

Ng. This followed her initial period 

of discernment of learning about and 

experiencing the Poor Clare way of life and 

prayer amongst the Sisters at Waverley, 

Riverstone and Faughart (in Ireland). 

The Poor Clare Sisters welcomed 

Elizabeth to their community in 2007 when 

she came to Australia from Singapore. 

Sr Elizabeth, believing strongly that 

this is her heart’s desire, made her first 

profession of the evangelical counsels in 

the Sister’s Chapel at St Clare’s Convent, 

Waverley, on Palm Sunday 2010. 

Palm Sunday 1212, was the day 

St Clare left her wealth and family 

and joined St Francis of Assisi in 

his passionate quest for God. 

In his homily, Fr Campion Murray 

OFM, posed the question: How does this 

event impact on society? The answer: 

“Every human life makes its impact on 

history and this profession ceremony has 

its effect on society and on history.” 

Fr Campion reiterated: “Today’s 

profession is an action centred totally 

on God. Sr Elizabeth begins her life’s 

work as she looks at God and is not 

distracted. The ceremony highlights 

the reality of God, the significance 

of God for us and for the world. 

“We congratulate and thank you, 

Sr Elizabeth, for the witness you give 

to us and to the world today. We are 

heartened to be present at an event 

that is centred totally on God.” 

If you wish to know more about the 

Poor Clares visit www.poorclares.org.au 

Sr Elizabeth reads her vows: (from left) Fr Paul Smith OFM, Sr Joanne Fitzsimons OSC 

(Abbess), Sr Louise Hume OSC (Vicaress), Sr Elizabeth Ng OSC and Sr Pia Galea OSC 



Provincial Fr Harry Dyer OMI with Bro Jason Duck 

Listen for the call 

“Through the eyes of Christ, we see the 

world.” This is one way that the Founder of 

the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, 

Eugene de Mazenod, implored his men to act. 

Concerned with the state of people’s faith 

and the lack of knowledge of God’s love for 

them, the future St Eugene gathered men 

around him who would spread the message 

of God’s redemptive love to them all. 

Jesus Christ’s love is personal, yet 

universal. Having felt and experienced 

that love, I want everyone to be reminded 

that Jesus Christ died for them out of love, 

so that they might live, and know truth. 

This is one of the challenges facing the 

Oblates today, the challenge of getting this 

message of love out to all God’s people. 

Just as in St Eugene de Mazenod’s time, 

here in Australia we live in a culture of 

apathy towards religion, and a country 

that is very secular in its outlook. This 

challenge needs to be accepted, and 

taken up by men who want to help 

make the world a better place. 

I had many long hours of discussion, 

and revelation about myself with my 

spiritual director, and eventually applied 

to join St Mary’s Oblate Seminary. 

The seminary is not a place to come and 

put your feet up. There are new challenges, 

both personal and communal. You are 

constantly listening and trying to discern 

what God might be calling you to do. 

Now I am at the end of my Novitiate and 

have taken my first vows. These vows are 

for one year. 

If you think you might share St Eugene’s 

vision please contact Fr John Sherman OMI, 

through our website: www.oblates.com.au/ 

vocations or email jsherman@oblates.com.au 

WAVERLEY 

Are you ready for the challenge of a ‘new, daring and 

imaginative’ way of living a contemplative Gospel 

lifestyle in the spirit of Clare and Francis of Assisi? 

Contact: Sr Pia Galea 

The Poor Clares, 166 Garfield Road, 

East Riverstone, NSW, 2765 

Ph: 02 9627 1198 

www.poorclares.org.au email: pclares@tpg.com.au



5 Sydney men commit to Dominicans 

It was with great joy that on the feast of St 

Peter and Paul at St James Church in Glebe 

two Dominican novices, Br Matthew Boland 

and Br James Baxter, having returned from 

their novitiate in Hong Kong, made their 

first profession of vows for three years. 

Brothers James and Matthew now have commenced 

their studies for the priesthood with 

the Order in Melbourne. 

It was a double joy, as part of this same 

celebration, to see three young men, Nigel 

Fam, Kiran Krishna and Eduardo Fernandez, 

also from Sydney, clothed in the habit of the 

Dominican Order, a ceremony that marks 

the beginning of their novitiate. They have 

now joined another 15 novices in our common 

novitiate in Hong Kong. 

“It has been a long time since we have had 

the ceremony of professions and clothing 

together, all five of them are fine young men. 

We can’t help but be grateful to God, for 

such a blessing,” said Fr Dom Murphy op, 

Vocations Director. 

“I have noticed a renewed interest in 

vocation to Religious life and priesthood, 

since WYD08 in Sydney, it bodes well for 

the future,” Fr Dom also commented, “The 

five of them are very different people, 

you’ll never meet two Dominicans the 

same I’m happy to say! They do share a 

generosity of spirit, a love of the Church 

and deep desire to share the faith with 

their generation and beyond. 

“A common theme that drew them to the 

Order is living in community – common 

prayer, common meals and the enthusiasm 

for theology study, and that is part of being a 

Dominican friar preacher.” 

From left: Eduardo Fernandez, Nigel Fam and Kiran Krishna with Friar Dominic Murphy OP 


Young Aussie steps up to De La Salle life 

On 7 August, Lewis Harwood left Sydney to 

join four other Novices in Napa, California. 

This marked the beginning of a year-long 

journey in the final stage of the De La Salle 

Brothers’ training program. 

“I’m really excited about the Novitiate in 

the US. It’s a great opportunity to strengthen 

my relationship with God and to deepen 

my understanding of the Lasallian tradition. 

Going to the Novitiate is a big step and it’s 

not a decision that I reached without careful 

consideration. But I’m definitely ready for 

it,” Lewis said. 

Lewis, 24, has been living and working 

with the De La Salle Brothers since mid- 

2009. As a qualified teacher, he has worked 

at the Brothers’ schools in Mentone, Victoria, 

and Bankstown, NSW. 

He first made contact with Br Mark 

McKeon, Director of Vocations, in 2008 

and since then he has been learning more 

Helping young people in need … Lewis participated in 

the Brothers’ volunteer program in PNG 

about himself, the Brothers’ life, and considering 

whether or not it is something that 

is right for him. 

“In the last two years I have seen Lewis 

grow in his determination to become a De La 

Salle Brother,” Bro Mark said. “It’s certainly a 

life which is not suited to everyone, but he 

has gone from strength to strength in being 

able to connect with the life of a Brother and 

the Lasallian mission. I have no doubt that he 

will shine as a De La Salle Brother. 

“Lewis is proof that religious life is not a 

thing of the past. It is still a possibility for 

young men today. If you are passionate about 

your faith and have a desire to help young 

people in need then the Brothers’ life is definitely 

worth considering. It has a lot to offer 

to the right person.” 

For more information about the 

De La Salle Brothers visit 

www.delasallebrothers.com 

For information contact: 

Fr Dominic Murphy OP 

Provincial Promoter of Vocations 

Email: dom.murphy@op.org.au 

Mobile: 0418 245 394


St Francis of Assisi: 

Living the spirit of minority 

This month we begin a new series on spirituality by Rev Paschal Corby 

OFM Conv, Assistant Priest at Our Lady of the Rosary, Kellyville. 

In this issue, Fr Paschal reflects on the spirituality of minority, 

which is foundational to the Franciscan charism. 



If you have ever had the grace of visiting 

Assisi, the heartland of Franciscan spirituality, 

you would have been inevitably drawn to 

the basilica of St Francis. 

This great monument to the life of the saint 

is filled with the frescoes of Giotto, Cimabue 

and Lorenzetti, and the oldest stained glass 

windows in Italy. 

Among these is a curious window in the 

nave of the upper church. The window, in 

two panels, depicts on one side the Blessed 

Virgin holding the Christ child, while in the 

adjoining panel, the adult Christ is seen holding 

St Francis – not Francis as a child, but 

an adult Francis, bearded and habited, made 

small to be ‘like’ a child. 

On gazing upon this image, immediately 

the words of our Lord in Sacred Scripture 

come to mind: “Unless you become as little 

children, you shall not enter the Kingdom of 

Heaven.” (Mt 18:3). 

Within this image is contained the spirituality 

of minority, which is foundational to the 

Franciscan charism. In founding his Order, 

Francis wanted his followers to be identified 

as friars minor, ‘lesser brothers’, who modelled 

themselves on the humility of Christ. 

It is not by chance, therefore, that the 

image of St Francis in the stained glass is set 

in proximity to the image of the Virgin and 

Child, since for St Francis, minority only 

made sense if modelled on the humility of 

Christ – who “though he was in the form of 

God, did not count equality with God a thing 

to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the 

form of a servant, being born in the likeness 

of men. And being found in human form he 

humbled himself and became obedient unto 

death, even death on a cross.” (Phil 2:6-8). 

This self-emptying of Christ, mirrored in 

the events of the Incarnation and the Cross, 

so consumed St Francis that Thomas of 

Celano notes, “so thoroughly did the humility 

of the Incarnation and the charity of the 

Passion occupy his memory that he scarcely 

wanted to think of anything else.” 1 

And so to capture the reality of the mystery 

of the Incarnation, Francis assembled the 

first Christmas crib at the mountain hermitage 

at Greccio, so that he could see with his 

own eyes the wonder of God made man. 

The mystery of the cross, likewise, was 

always before him, such that it became 

imprinted on his own body. Towards the 

end of his life, while contemplating the 

mystery of our salvation on La Verna, 

Holy Spirit 

Missionary Sisters 

CALLED BY THE SPIRIT 

– EMBRACING THE WORLD 

Give meaning to your life! 

Join us in our World wide mission! 

Francis personally experienced the passion 

of Christ, and himself became a living 

sacrament, an icon, of the crucified, being 

branded with the wounds of Christ’s passion, 

the sacred stigmata. 

Living the spirit of minority allowed St 

Francis to unite himself to Christ in a 

remarkable way. Minority also allowed him 

to perceive God’s saving grace made present 

through the simple signs of the sacraments. 

It was especially in the blessed Eucharist 

that St Francis encountered the humble, 

self-emptying love of the Lord. For St 

Francis, the Mass was not only the re-presentation 

of Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary, 

but also the continuation of the humility of 

His Incarnation. 

“Behold, each day He humbles Himself as 

when He came from the royal throne into 

the Virgin’s womb,” he wrote. “Each day He 

Himself comes to us, appearing humbly; 

each day He comes down from the bosom 

The parish community of Our Lady of the Rosary, Kellyville, is in 

the pastoral care of the Conventual Franciscan Friars 

of the Father upon the altar in the hands of 

a priest.” 2 

Through the profession of the evangelical 

counsels, to live in obedience, in chastity 

and without anything of their own, the friars 

throughout history have strived to imitate 

the humility and minority of Christ – to 

acknowledge their nothingness before the 

majesty of God, to identify with the lowly, 

to be lesser brothers in harmony with all of 

God’s creation. 

A friar exists to serve God and his Church 

in humility, simplicity, and with gladness of 

heart. In this way he endeavours to be faithful 

to the example of his father Francis, who 

followed Christ on his path of descent, making 

himself small and humble so that God 

might exalt him (cf. Mt 23:12). 

1 

Thomas of Celano, The Life of St Francis. 

Francis of Assisi, Early Documents. Volume 1. 

(New York: New City Press, 1999), 254. 

2 

Francis of Assisi, ‘Admonition 1’. FAED1, 129. 

We are dedicated to the service of life 

in 48 countries, in situations demanding 

Love – Courage – Wisdom 

Marriage Sunday 

12 September 2010 

HOLY SPRIT MISSIONARY SISTERS 

P.O. Box 129 Aspley, Qld. 4034 

Phone 07 32630328 

email mccooke@msn.com 

www: holyspiritsisters.org.au 

The Diocese of Parramatta has designated Sunday 

12 September as Marriage Sunday. This provides the faith 

community with an opportunity to highlight the vocation of Marriage 

and to celebrate and acknowledge the married members of parishes. 

Centacare Catholic Social Services, Parramatta on behalf of the Diocesan 

Pre-Marriage Advisory Committee, has provided a resource kit to each 

parish. This kit contains material to assist parishes to highlight the day. 

Check with your local parish team for information about 

how your parish will be acknowledging and affirming 

marriage on Sunday 12 September 2010



Divine Word Missionaries 

If you believe that God might be calling you to the life of a missionary priest 

or brother in this 21st Century, our congregation may be the right fit for you: 

Founded in 1875 by St Arnold 

Janssen, The Society of the 

Divine Word (SVD – Societas 

Verbi Divini), popularly called 

Divine Word Missionaries, is 

an international congregation 

of Catholic priests and 

brothers who primarily 

work where the Gospel has 

not yet been preached or 

preached insufficiently and 

where the local Church is 

not yet viable on her own. 

Today, more than 6,000 

SVD missionaries work in 

more than 76 countries across 

the world. The Society of the 

Divine Word is the only major 

congregation of religious men 

that has increased in numbers 

over the past 30 years. 

‘Prophetic Dialogue’ 

We believe that the deepest 

and best understanding of our 

call to mission is expressed in 

the term ‘Prophetic Dialogue’. 

Our call to mission is a call 

to reach out to the poor and 

the marginalised, reach out to 

faith-seekers and to people who 

have no community of faith, to 

engage in primary evangelisation 

and re-evangelisation. 

We include 

those who have 

never belonged 

to a faith 

community, others who may 

be alienated from the Church, 

and still others who may be 

searching for guidance beyond 

their own faith tradition. 

In short, we include all 

of those people who might 

welcome an invitation to be 

disciples of Jesus. We reach 

out to them in prophetic 

dialogue because we believe, 

together with our Founder, that 

“to proclaim the Good News 

is the foremost and utmost 

act of love for neighbour.” 

“The world is waiting; 

an adventure in the 

fields of the Lord 

might await you …..” 

Contact us: 

Vocations Office: 100 Albion Rd, 

Box Hill, Victoria, 3128. 

Phone: (03) 9890 0065, 

Fax: (03) 9899 1937 

Email: 

boni.buahendri@divineword.com.au 

viet.nguyen@divineword.com.au 

Website: www.divineword.com.au 

Warm welcome for Mary 

Sr Joan Westblade LCM 

Through seven rivers and into 

the land that God forgot, Mary 

came to the village of Lissadela 

At the time it seemed a simple 

request, “Can you find a statue of 

Mary for a poor, isolated village?” 

Without much commitment I 

said, “Yes”, but as time went by it 

seemed as if Mary, herself, was 

saying something more to me. 

This was no ordinary request 

and I became focused on buying 

a very good statue, one that 

would be suitable for an open, 

bamboo-type village chapel. 

Finally, on Easter Monday, 

5 April 2010, the people 

welcomed Mary to Lissadela. 

About a mile from the chapel, 

a welcome arch had been 

erected under which the all 

people of the village gathered 

in their traditional dress. 

Mary was unwrapped and with 

great devotion was placed on a 

small platform that was carried 

by four young villagers. Mary 

was crowned and a traditional 

tais was placed around her 

neck. After this, a tais was also 

placed around our necks. 

The old men welcomed Mary 

and the procession moved up 

the road. The women and young 

girls danced before Mary all the 

way to the chapel where there 

was another magnificent arch. 

More prayers were said before 

Mary was welcomed to her new 

home. I was deeply moved by 

the devotion and the solemnity 

given to this great occasion. 

They asked me to name 

the chapel. “Queen of Peace 

Chapel” seemed a fitting title. 

Sr Joan Westblade is a Sister 

of the Little Company of Mary 

and has worked for the past 

14 years with Mary MacKillop 

Mission, East Timor.


Committing to marriage ‘an act of faith’ 

Reflection on marriage 

Marjanna Gilchrist 

Just moments before the bridal procession, 

I am handed a little package 

beautifully wrapped in gold 

paper – a present from the young 

woman who very soon will become 

the wife of my son Lachlan. Ripping 

open the sticky tape reveals a lacy 

white handkerchief embroidered 

with their initials – a “tear hankie”. 

The strings begin to play 

Pachelbel’s Canon, and my husband, 

Anthony, smiles and takes 

my hand as together we turn to see 

this beautiful young woman, radiant 

with joy, walk down the aisle on 

the arm of her proud father. 

Standing with the celebrant Fr 

Kevin Bates is our son Camden who 

is an acolyte, our “baby” Jonathon is 

a groomsman, and our sons Gerard 

and Dominic share our pew. 

Sitting next to Gerard is his lovely 

wife Elizabeth, and little Maggie, 

our first grandchild, who is squirming 

and cooing with delight. 

All through the ceremony 

Anthony sits, stands and kneels 

beside me. At times he holds 

my hand and gives it a squeeze, 

particularly when Fr Kevin says 

to the young couple, “ … so, not 

knowing what is before you, but 

trusting in God’s companionship, 

you take each other through the 

best and worst of what lies ahead 

until death”. 

What an amazing act of faith it 

is to commit to another in marriage 

– an act of faith in each 

other, and an act of faith in God. 

After nearly 30 years, Anthony 

and I have been through so much 

together. We have experienced the 

good times, and we hope we have 

experienced the worst. 

In our ministry as Pre-Marriage 

Educators with Centacare Catholic 

Social Services we have many 

opportunities to reflect on our 

marriage. We can talk eloquently 

now about the importance of communication, 

but at the beginning 

there was always so much unsaid, 

hinted at, guessed at. 

Both Anthony and I have always 

been somewhat strong willed and 

so we spent a lot of time working 

through various disputes – the 

interminable power struggles. 

However, we have always had 

faith in our love, and in the love of 

our God, and that faith is what sustains 

and nourishes our marriage. 

We have come to understand that 

the maintenance of this love and 

faith is our first priority. 

During the Pre-Marriage Course 

we lead a reflection in which we ask 

the participants to recall a special 

moment where they felt close to 

each other, when they knew they 

were loved and where they felt loving 

towards their partner. This is a 

reminder of the necessity of having 

a “bank” of these memories. 

As Anthony and I sat in the 

church listening to Lachlan and 

Tegan exchange their vows it was 

a time for us to give thanks for the 

cherished shared history of living 

with a spouse who is a best friend. 

Marjanna and Anthony 

Gilchrist are members of Sacred 

Heart Parish, Blackheath. 

Silver jubilarian Fr Vincent Savarimuthu 


Fr Vincent Savarimuthu. 

Photo: Virginia Knight 

As the Assistant Priest at St 

Matthew’s Parish, Windsor, and 

Chaplain to the Tamil community 

in the Diocese of Parramatta, 

and Chaplain, NSW Corrective 

Services at John Morony, Rev 

Vincent Savarimuthu’s priestly 

ministry has been distinguished 

by his willingness to champion 

the cause of the poor and disadvantaged 

in his home country 

of India and the Philippines 

and now in Australia. This year 

he celebrates his silver jubilee of 

ordination to priesthood. 

Born on 31 May 1959 in the village 

of Puliadithammam in Tamil 

Nadu, Fr Vincent is one of 12 children. 

He was educated in Catholic 

schools in the parish of the Sacred 

Heart of Jesus in Sarugani, walking 

4km every Sunday to Mass. 

Fr Vincent credits his parents as 

the most significant influence on 

his faith life. “They initiated me 

into the life of prayer and implanted 

in me the value of respect for other 

human beings and the importance 

of upholding their dignity,” he said. 

Despite the strict parameters 

of India’s caste system, his parents 

welcomed all people into 

their home as equals, something 

that would impact his view of 

the world. 

He was also attracted by the 

simple lifestyle of the Parish 

Priest, a French missionary Fr 

Louie Levi, and his dedication to 

the poor and marginalised. 

Consequently, the young Vincent 

was inspired to enter the preparatory 

seminary in Gnanaolivupuram, 

Madurai at age 13. However, he 

said he did not really understand 

the nature of priestly life until he 

went to Arul Anandar College, 

Karumathar, where he completed 

a BA in Philosophy. 

After his Theological studies 

at St Paul’s College, Trichy, he 

was ordained on 21 April 1985 in 

Madurai and celebrated his first 

Mass in his home town. 

His first appointment was as 

Assistant Priest in the parish 

of Sacred Heart of Jesus, 

Srivilliputhur. As there was no 

chapel or church, Fr Vincent celebrated 

the first street Mass with 

the people congregating on a corner 

under the street light. 

“It was a beautiful experience 

and drew a lot of people back to 

the church,” he said. From this 

experience he realised the importance 

and the impact of reaching 

out to the people at the grassroots. 

On Social Justice Sunday, in the 

parish of Kamuthi, he preached 

against discrimination and the 

caste system. The rich and famous 

of the parish threatened not to 

attend Mass again if he persisted. 

However, his professor in the 

seminary was quick to offer 

encouragement. “He said, ‘Fr 

Vincent, you should be proud 

of this, because, so many people 

don’t even listen to the homilies!’. 

“Sometimes we need to run 

against the current and do 

something good for the sake of 

the people.” 

During his posting to the 

Philippines, Fr Vincent completed 

his Masters in Family Counselling 

while Assistant Priest of Lord of 

Divine Mercy Parish. He studied 

Cultural Anthropology and was 



the first foreign priest to celebrate 

Mass in the Philippines Senate. 

When he arrived in 

Australia on 1 June 2005, Fr 

Vincent said it was a huge 

cultural shock to see only a few 

people attending Mass. He was 

appointed Assistant Priest at Holy 

Family Parish, Luddenham, and 

Chaplain to the Tamil community 

in the Diocese. 

With the encouragement of 

Fr Paul Marshall, currently the 

parish priest at Toongabbie, 

he was able to minister to the 

Luddenham Community. 

Every last Sunday of the month, 

he celebrates the Eucharist with 

the Tamil Community of Sydney at 

Sacred Heart Church, Westmead. 

Every time the church is packed 

with more than 200 people. 

Fr Vincent encourages the adults, 

young people and children to be 

involved in planning and participating 

in the Mass. They take turns 

to organise the celebrations. 

He extends his heartfelt thanks 

to the Tamil Community for a 

wonderful celebration of his jubilee 

at Seven Hills on 13 June this year. 

Fr Paul’s presence on this occasion 

and the participation of the 

representatives from Luddenham 

and Windsor parish communities 

added colour to the celebration. 

For Fr Vincent, the marvellous 

gift of priesthood is celebrating 

the sacraments and to be a part 

of people’s life. He is able to be 

a source of consolation, comfort 

and guidance for many people 

who are in trouble. “We are an 

icon of the face of Jesus in building 

the atmosphere of love in the 

family and the community.” 

To young people considering 

a vocation he would encourage 

them to embrace the spirit of 

service in what is an uplifting 

and fulfilling ministry. “Life is not 

easy, but since you are responding 

to God’s call, I am sure that He 

will be there with you.” 

Now incardinated in the Diocese 

of Parramatta, Fr Vincent’s motto 

for his priesthood is “bloom where 

you are planted” and “never be a 

reason for another’s misery”. 

GROW 

WITH 

US 

We, the Religious of the Sacred Heart, are joyful women of prayer, 

adventuring together on the path of life. We share an international mission: 

discovering and revealing God’s love in the heart of the world through the 

service of education. We believe that together we can transform lives. 

SOCIETY OF THE SACRED HEART 

Australia and NZ PROVINCE 

www.rscj-anz.org 

Cloistered 

Poor Clare 

Colettine Nuns 

For more information 

please write to: 

Mother Abbess 

Monastery of the Holy Ghost 

18-20 Edwards Road 

Bendigo, Victoria, 3550



From left: Br Justin Golding, Br Patrick Connell, Daniel Lynch, Gerard Barklimore, 

Ashley Higgins, Fr Brian Mascord, and Br Greg McDonald 

Questions call for serious discernment 

Br Tony Leon FMS 

“What do you want?” 

“Who do you say I am?” 

“Do you love me?” 

Three seemingly simple questions, 

when taken in the context 

of a religious vocational story, 

demand serious discernment and 

considered responses. 

These were the questions posed 

to several young men in different 

stages of formation for the 

Marist Brothers. They were invited 

to present their responses to 

other young men in conversation 

about possible religious vocation 

at a weekend held early in July at 

Marist Hermitage, Mittagong. 

The young men spoke with honesty 

and conviction demonstrating 

a deeply personal journey, which 

articulated authentic lived experiences 

of God in their different 

stages of life. 

Br Justin Golding, a temporary 

professed brother, answered 

these questions in the context of 

his current ministry in Lismore. Br 

Patrick Connell, a novice preparing 

for his first profession, described 

an intimacy with God, reflecting a 

contemplative youthful heart. 

Daniel Lynch, a postulant 

completing his honours degree, 

expressed a desire to continue 

to embrace these questions into 

the novitiate. 

Ashley Higgins, an aspirant, 

approached these questions as 

a desire to continue to unpack 

what God’s call involves for him 

and is not daunted by whatever 

the demands may be, knowing 

that others are with him on this 

same journey. 

When confronted with these 

questions, a young Queensland 

man inquiring into the life of the 

brothers said: 

“What is lacking in the 21 st 

Century is a greater sense of spirituality. 

I attended a Marist school 

where I encountered the brothers, 

who educated me to see that 

spirituality is an important part 

of my life. We need people like 

these brothers to continue asking 

us these questions when it comes 

to our relationships with God.” 


Gifts and strangers 

Sr Valda Dickinson RSM 

I once visited a family in an African 

village with a religious brother. The 

Kenyan countryside was suffering 

from a severe drought and hunger 

was widespread. 

We could be seen coming from 

a distance, as we had to cross 

several fields before reaching 

the compound. By the time we 

arrived the father of the family 

had already made arrangements 

for a cool drink and a meal to be 

prepared for us. 

At the end of the meal one of 

the three wives took the bangle 

from her arm, walked over and 

offered it to me. I had learnt 

by this time, after some previous 

blunders, always to accept a gift 

from whoever offers it, no matter 

how poor the person and how 

unable I am to reciprocate. 

Although the bangle does not fit 

me and there are beads missing, it 

is one of the few gifts from abroad 

that I have kept. It connects me 

with her, the women of Africa and 

women in general. 

It reminds me that Africa is the 

cradle of humanity and that it 

was from the courage, generosity 

and wanderings of Africans that 

humankind spread throughout 

the world. It also reminds me that 

the earth is finely tuned and all 

species suffer from its desertification 

and devastation. 

Moreover, at this time in my life, 

this memory motivates me to view 

my ministry as a Sister of Mercy 

as one of inviting “the stranger” to 

feel welcome. 

I want those I meet in planned 

and unplanned ways to know that 

regardless of any social, cultural, 

religious and ethical differences we 

are all kin. 

We are all part of a wider evolving 

universe and world that quivers 

with mercy to its deepest core 

and calls for healing, care, respect 

and gratitude. 

To welcome 

the ‘stranger’ 

is at the heart 

of being a 

Sister of Mercy 

Is your heart 

calling you to be a 

Sister of Mercy? 

To find out more contact: 

Sister Margaret Sheppard RSM 

02 9683 2555 

parra@mercy.org.au 

Some Mercy websites to check: www.parramatttamercy.org.au 

www.mercy.org.au www.mercyinternational.ie


Year for Priests: 

Pilgrims gather in Rome 



In June this year, four priests from the 

Diocese of Parramatta journeyed to Rome 

for the closing of the Year for Priests 

celebrations with Pope Benedict XVI. 

Rev Luis Fernando Montano Rodriguez 

MG, Parish Priest of St Monica’s in North 

Parramatta, made the pilgrimage with fellow 

Parramatta priests Rev Edmund Kenny, Rev 

Gerry Nworie, and Rev George O’Mara. 

Fr Fernando’s journal reveals a 

journey of faith, love and inspiration: 

I am so happy to be home after 

my short pilgrimage to Europe for 

the closing ceremony of the Year 

for Priests in St Peter’s Square. 

The pilgrimage was mainly to three 

places: Paray le Monial, Ars and 

Rome. Our group consisted of a dozen 

priests from Sydney and Parramatta, 

with Sydney Auxiliary Bishop Julian 

Porteous our group leader. 

After a long flight, we arrive in Paray le 

Monial for the first stop in our pilgrimage. 

Paray le Monial is the site of the apparitions 

of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St Margaret 

Mary Alacoque in the 17th Century. 

One of the main spiritual insights I will 

keep from this place are the words that the 

Sacred Heart said to St Margaret during 

the octave of Corpus Christi, 1675. 

This is when the vision known as 

the ‘great apparition’ reportedly took 

place, where Jesus said: “Behold the 

Heart that has so loved men … instead 

of gratitude I receive from the greater 

part (of mankind) only ingratitude …” 

The second stop in our journey was 

Ars, the little village where St John 

Baptist Marie Vianney lived in the 

1800s. Known as the Cure of Ars, John 

Vianney is the patron saint of priests. 

It is still a very small place, its main 

feature the Basilica of St John Vianney. 

During our time there, we prayed for our 

parish communities, for our ministry, 

for the people who asked for our prayers 

in these holy places, for seminarians 

in formation, for priests in doubt or 

troubles. It was an inspiring moment. 

Full of energy and enthusiasm, we 

arrived in Rome! The congress was set 

to be a memorable occasion as more 

than 10,000 priests were registered. 

On the Thursday evening, we had a vigil 

with the Holy Father. Spirits rose as the 

time drew closer to see the Pope. He finally 

came out in the Popemobile and made the 

traditional round of St Peter’s Square … 

with all the media and the bad publicity 

priests had received in the past few months, 

it was the time for us to show our love 

for the Church and the Holy Father. 

As the camera made a close-up of 

him, we could see a tear in the Pope’s 

The pilgrims celebrate Mass in Ars, in the crypt below the Basilica of St John Vianney. 

eye. And when it came time for him to 

speak, he spoke from the heart: how the 

priesthood is a vocation, not a career. 

He spoke of the importance of a 

celibate life as a sign of the life to come 

– and the necessity of testimony in 

times like these, when the priesthood 

has been challenged by the recent 

scandals in different parts of the world. 

The following day was the big day 

– the closing of the Year for Priests 

on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart 

of Jesus. Very early in the morning, 

15,000 priests were gathering outside St 

Peter’s Square for the big celebration. 

The Mass was very solemn and 

the homily inspirational: it will be 

remembered as the homily when 

the Pope said “the priesthood is a 

gift from the Heart of Christ”. 

At the end of the Mass, the Pope made 

an act of consecration of the priests 

to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. A 

beautiful prayer that we all said kneeling 

down under the Roman heat, but with 

true devotion, praying not only for our 

own priesthood but also for all our 

brothers in the priesthood, especially 

those most in need of our prayers. 

The Holy Father reminded us that even 

though the Year for Priests had come to 

a close, the meditation and the insights 

about priesthood need to continue always. 

Hopefully, the Sacred Heart of 

Jesus will inspire many young men 

to follow Him more closely. 

 

If you’re passionate 

about a purpose 

Priesthood in 

Parramatta might 

be just for you! 

To chat confidentially about 

priesthood, religious life options, male 

and female vocations, feel welcome to 

call Fr Paul Roberts – Vocation Director 

Tel 0419 219 819, 

vocations@parra.catholic.org.au 

Leonardo da Vinci was one of the most brilliant 

men in the history of the world. An accomplished 

scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, 

painter, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician, and 

writer, Leonardo was the ultimate Renaissance man. 

But he also made mistakes. In fact, he encouraged 

them. Leonardo practiced a school of thinking 

referred to as Dimostrazione – a commitment to 

test knowledge through experience, persistence, 

and a willingness to learn from mistakes. 

At Campion College, we know that people see things 

differently. Especially brilliant men like Leonardo. And 

we know that often to arrive at the best solution, you 

must sometimes travel a different path. At Campion 

College, we always keep searching, seeking, interrogating 

and exploring in search of solutions. The Campion 

College Liberal Arts Degree is grounded in the study 

of Philosophy, History, Literature, Theology and Science. 

These things arm our students with all the tools they need 

to train their minds for the rigours of life. And because 

they are already high achievers, they know how to learn 

from mistakes. In fact, they thrive on this way of learning. 

Our foundation is the teaching of The Catholic 

Church and our resolve is a continual fascination 

with the truth. That fi ne line we walk between 

faith and reason. So, if you’re up to the task, 

why not start exploring the wonder of Truth? 

Who knows were your imagination might take you?



Ministry of Presence 

Sr Cecilia Prest mfic 

She was a waif of a child, forced 

upon the mother who never loved 

her. When Fr Pat first met her 

coming for lollies after school she 

was eight – a charming, beautiful, 

quick-witted child and natural 

leader among her peers. 

One day he found the young gang 

in his storeroom; one boy trying 

to give another a haircut with the 

electric drill while another upended 

a box of nails and a girl demolished 

a bottle of altar wine. 

The kids scattered, but when 

Fr Pat couldn’t stop laughing they 

returned to help clean up the mess. 

When he realised She was missing 

he raced out to the kitchen just in 

time to see her nipping out the gate 

with his biscuits! 

She was in and out of trouble over 

the years and was sent to the Child 

Shelter out of town, but she knew 

we loved her and always called in 

after school. 

In her teens she became addicted 

to petrol sniffing. At 5am one day 

I heard the church window smash 

and saw a slight figure in a balaclava. 

Fr Pat wasn’t home. 

When I got there the church was 

empty. The figure was outside on 

the street. There She was, clutching 

a plastic bottle – the petrol fumes 

took my breath away! 

She looked so sad and thin; so 

lonely and unloved, and so ashamed. 

We sat together. She agreed to tip 

out the petrol and listened as I 

described God’s dream for her … 

made in His image … so precious. 

She returned to Woorabinda 

after years away and proudly introduced 

us to her boyfriend, a shy, 

gentle young man who obviously 

loved her. She was radiant and joyfully 

announced she was pregnant 

– a little girl – and they wanted her 

“done” (baptised) in our church. 

Despite everything, she remembered 

she was loved, and that 

changed everything. Alleluia. 


Join the Columbans for a lifetime of missionary adventure 

‘You will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth.’ (Acts 1:8) 

Columbans are missionary priests 

sent “to the ends of the earth”. Our 

purpose is “to proclaim and witness 

to the Good News in Jesus 

Christ of the full Christian liberation 

and reconciliation of all peoples”. 

(Constitutions, 101) 

Traditionally, our members have 

come from Australia, Ireland, 

New Zealand, the UK, and the US. 

Now our new members are coming 

from Chile, Fiji, Korea, Peru, 

Tonga and the Philippines. 

However, God continues to call 

young Australian Catholics too, 

so that the Church’s mission may 

be truly universal and inclusive of 

all peoples. 

Accordingly, Columbans invite 

young Australian men to 

join their peers from other 

countries for a lifetime of missionary 

adventure. 

Our international membership 

and diverse experience of mission 

in different places give us a global 

perspective on the Church and 

the world. 

Following the Gospel “option 

for the poor”, we freely choose to 

be in solidarity with the marginalised, 

witnessing first-hand the 

devastating effects on their lives 

of violence, poverty, injustice and 

ecological destruction. 

This combination of global and 

Gospel perspectives transforms 

us and gives us the “missionary 

edge” that characterises our life 

and work. 

Columbans respond with 

Gospel concern to the needs of 

our sisters and brothers around 

the world. We call forth a new 

generation of young Australian 

missionaries to help carry God’s 

mission into the future. 

Take up the challenge that Pope 

Benedict XVI presented to the 

youth of the world: “Be prepared to 

put your life on the line in order to 

enlighten the world with the truth 

of Christ; to respond with love to 

hatred and disregard for life; to proclaim 

the hope of the risen Christ 

in every corner of the earth.” (20 

July 2007) 

Contact Fr Patrick J. McInerney ssc 

tel (02) 9352 8000, 

patrickmcinerney@columban.org.au 

www.columban.org.au 

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