Oceania Updates - Edmund Rice

Sadly the third candle spoke, ‘I Am Love and I haven't the strength to stay lit any longer.’‘People put me aside and don't understand my importance.They even forget to love those who are nearest to them.’And waiting no longer, Love went out completely.Suddenly...A child entered the room and saw the three candles no longer burning.The child began to cry,‘Why are you not burning?You are supposed to stay lit until the end.’Then the Fourth Candle spoke gently to the child,‘Don't be afraid, for I Am Hope, and while I still burn,we can re-light the other candles.’With shining eyes, the child took the Candle of Hope and lit the other three candles.Never let the Flame of Hope go out.With Hope in your life, no matter how bad things may be,Peace, Faith and Love may shine brightly once again.Kieran Fouhy, principal of St Peter’s College Auckland, would oftenstate that hope was at the heart of a Catholic school community.Over the past few weeks, we have definitely a sense of a renewedhope with the election of Pope Francis. Judging by his actions, heseems to be a person who is grounded, whose focus is about peopleespecially people made poor, who is not afraid to live out the valueshe believes in as has been shown in his approach to ritual, hisdecision about transport, how he dresses and where he lives. Hope isa powerful force for change.Some of the many developments and events around the Network which give hope are:• The community engagement model that is being developed with our projects and communities inthe Philippines.• A talk given by Heather Brett at the Western Australian Network Sundowner function, about theinspiring work undertaken at the Geraldton Flexible Learning Centre• The significant impact on people of the Edmund Rice Foundation’s Gone Fishing immersionprogramme which has been highlighted in recent articles appearing in Australian newspapers.• Callan Services’ programmes at the new Callan Special Education Resource Centre in Gerehu forstreet kids in Port Moresby.• The recent appointments of Mark McGlaughlin and Matt Johnson to key new roles in the ProvinceMission Directorate.• Cath Ford’s decision to take private vows inspired by the charism of Edmund Rice.• The developments in Adelaide with the Build the Bridge programme and Edmund Rice Camps.• The discussions among the Brothers about the Proposition – A Way into the Future.You would be able to name similar developments and experiences.For the Brothers the discussions around the evolving proposition - A Way into the Future - have beenimagining a future religious life and congregation. It is the result of reflecting on a journey which probablystarted thirty years ago with the 1982 spirituality conference growing understanding of Edmund’s charism and2