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2 CatholicOutlook April 2011An Easter Message from Bishop AnthonyinsideDr Bruno Miteyo,Secretary General ofCaritas Congo, launchedProject Compassion atSt Patrick’s Cathedrallast month.P7It might seem a bit early for me to be talkingabout Easter, but we Christians never tire oftalking about Easter: it’s the turning pointof history, the cause of our salvation, thereason there are Christians at all.There’s another reason to talk aboutEaster right now. In the past few monthswe’ve really been through the wringer inour part of the world. Floods, cyclones andearthquakes have hit us again and again.The pictures of the ruins of the Catholicand Anglican cathedrals in Christchurch areetched on our memories even from the safedistance of Parramatta.And people ask: Where was God in allthis? Where was He in Jesus’ last days – inthe melee in the garden, the conspiracy ofthe priests and politicians, the jeering of thecrowd, the torture on the cross?Where was God at Auschwitz? Wherewas He hiding during the recent natural disasters?Is there any more to this world thandestructive natural forces and survival of thefit and fortunate?At one time or another we all wonderat the problem of evil, whether natural orhuman. Sometimes we find half-satisfyinganswers, until something new guts us. Thenwe feel as the Mother of the Lord musthave felt at the foot of the cross. We gapewith mute incomprehension and impotencebefore the mystery of suffering.Against the backdrop of these recenttragedies St Patrick’s Cathedral inParramatta was full on Ash Wednesdayand I predict it will be full again on GoodFriday. Whether queuing for the ashesor ‘creeping to the cross’, people respondwhen the liturgy speaks so directly aboutevil, suffering and mortality.Dust we are and to dust we shall return.No words, no answers suffice: as in truelove, so too in suffering, body languagespeaks louder than words.We stand by the cross and wonder at evil.But after the grief our gaping mouths and2011April1 April Opening & Blessing,Bishop Anthony Fisher OPMcCarthy Trade Training Centre, Emu Plains.Opening & Blessing,Our Lady of the Way Primary, Emu Plains.Penance Service for candidatesto be received into the Church atEaster, St Patrick’s Cathedral.3 April 11am: Solemn Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral6pm: Installation of Rev Robert BossiniSDB as Parish Priest of Our LadyQueen of Peace Parish, Greystanes.4 April 6pm: Guest Speaker at Theology onTap, PJ Gallagher’s Pub, Parramatta.6 April Wollemi College Mass, Werrington.Parramatta Diocesan Schools Council Meeting.Address CatholicCare Agencies Meeting7 April 7.30pm: Second Rite of Reconciliationfor Blacktown Deanery, StPatrick’s Church, Blacktown.8 April Bishops Commission for Health andCommunity Services Meeting.7.30pm: Second Rite ReconciliationChrist is risen – Alleluia!As dawn breaks over theGrose Valley in the heartof the Blue Mountains,pilgrims venerate the WorldYouth Day Cross in 2008.Photo: Tony Jacqueshaunted minds, our sickened hearts andparalysed bodies can move on …We try in our little way to make somesense and to find some comfort. We conclude,as Christians must conclude, thatstorms and quakes and other evils are no‘act of God’ whatever the insurers say; thatno innocent person suffers by God’s activewill; that even what God permits so as toallow us freedom costs Him greatly; thatsuffering and death are NOT the last word.Jesus dies upon the cross in solidarity withall suffering humanity. God goes down intotomb with all those we’ve loved and lost.Jesus goes to the land of the dead, to speakthe compassion of God even there. And Heshows them and us the way out. We movewith Him from the numbness, anger anddisgust, to better feelings such as pity andhope. We come to trust creation again, tobe reconciled with our enemies, to believeonce more.We too can know compassion, the compassionin own hearts for others who suffer,the compassion others show us whenService for Parramatta Deanery,Holy Trinity Church, Granville.10 April 10.30am: Installation of Rev Paul Sireh OCarm as Parish Priest of Our Lady of MtCarmel Parish, Wentworthville.5.30pm: Installation of Rev BrendanMurphy SDB as Parish Priest of OurLady of the Rosary Parish, St Marys.11 April 7.30pm: Second Rite of Reconciliationfor Blue Mountains Deanery, St ThomasAquinas Church, Springwood.12 April 7.30pm: Second Rite of Reconciliationfor Nepean Deanery, Padre PioChurch, Glenmore Park.13 April 7.30pm: Second Rite of Reconciliationfor Hawkesbury Deanery, Our Ladyof the Rosary Church, Kellyville.14 April 7.30pm: Second Rite of Reconciliationfor Holroyd Deanery, St Patrick’sChurch, Guildford.15 April 7.30pm: Second Rite of Reconciliation for HillsDeanery, St Michael’s Church, Baulkham Hills.we are hurting. In the cross of Christ isthe power to conquer sin, suffering anddeath. We find, as Australians and NewZealanders did amidst the recent naturaldisasters, that we can give of ourselves toothers, even to strangers.Where is God amidst these tragedies?With the victims, primarily, but also withthose who respond with divine pity, andcome to rescue and to care. Amidst therubble of Christchurch city or of Christ’schurch wherever it suffers, we see the RisenLord digging desperately amongst the rubble,trying to save whom He can and proclaiminghope once more to all!God bless you and your loved ones in theforthcoming Easter season. Christ is risen,as He said, Alleluia!Yours sincerely in Christ,(Most Rev) Anthony Fisher opBISHOP OF PARRAMATTATHE BISHOP’S DIARY16 April Address ‘Share the Dream’Conference, Melbourne.17 April 11am: Solemn Mass of the Palms,St Patrick’s Cathedral.6pm: Mass and WYD celebration,St Patrick’s Cathedral.20 April Catholic Education Commission Meeting,Sydney.Clergy Conference, St Patrick’s Cathedral.7.30pm: Chrism Mass, St Patrick’s Cathedral.21 April 7.30pm: Mass of the Lord’s Supper,St Patrick’s Cathedral.22 April 10am: Stations of the Cross, St Patrick’sCathedral.3pm: Commemoration of the Lord’sPassion, St Patrick’s Cathedral.23 April 7pm: Easter Vigil, St Patrick’s Cathedral.24 April 11am: Solemn Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral.1 May 11am: Beatification ofPope John Paul, Solemn Mass,St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta.3pm: Divine Mercy Sunday, Our Ladyof the Rosary Parish, Kellyville.Knowing when yourchild is ready for schoolinvolves more thanjust age; each child’sdevelopment is unique.P12On the 1 st Sundayin Lent, BishopAnthony conferred theMinistry of Acolyte onAlfredito Dalogdogand Galbert Albino.P18The official publication of the Diocese of Parramatta.Publisher:Bishop Anthony Fisher opTel (02) 9683 6277Fax (02) 9630 4813PO Box 3066, NorthParramatta, NSW, 1750Email:bishop@parra.catholic.org.auWebsite:www.parra.catholic.org.auEditor:Jane FavottoTel (02) 8838 3409Fax (02) 9630 4813editor@parra.catholic.org.auPO Box 3066, NorthParramatta, NSW, 1750Advertising:Tel (02) 8838 3409Fax (02) 9630 4813Deadlines: Editorial andadvertising – 10th of themonth prior to publicationSchool news:Catholic Education OfficeTel (02) 9840 5683news@parra.catholic.edu.auThe 3 rd NationalCatholic FamilyGathering – Sharethe Dream – will takeplace from April 15-17 at Xavier Collegein Melbourne.P16Last chance to registerfor World Youth Day2011 in Madrid!Registrations closeon Friday 15 April:tel (02) 8838 3418.P21Journalist:Virginia KnightDesign:Chris Murraylimad@mac.comWebsite:Andrew EmmersonTel (02) 8838 3407aemmerson@parra.catholic.org.auPeter GresserTel (02) 8838 3406web@parra.catholic.org.auPrinting: Rural PressPrinting, North Richmond40,000 copies of CatholicOutlook are distributedmonthly through 49 parishesand 85 Catholic schools. Allmaterial in this publicationis copyright and may notbe reproduced withoutpermission of the editor.Catholic Outlook is amember of the AustralasianCatholic Press Assoc.and the AustralasianReligious Press Assoc.
Rev Brendan Murphy SDBLast month, the Catholic community ofOur Lady of the Rosary Parish at St Maryswelcomed St John Bosco, founder of theSalesians of Don Bosco, with the arrival of alife-size statue of the Italian saint-educator.The beautiful pilgrim statue, in whicha bone from the saint’s arm had beeninserted, arrived from Melbourne on21 March in the company of Sergio,a Brazilian, and Carlo, an Italian.These men are travelling fromnation to nation with the relic; theirlast port of call before Australia wasEast Timor. Also accompanying DonBosco is an Aboriginal message stick.During the saint’s visit, peoplecame from Newcastle, Melbourne andCanberra. On Wednesday evening abus-load of pilgrims arrived from StJohn Bosco Parish at Engadine for aMass with Bishop Anthony Fisher op.The visit brought many former DonBosco students together. They came fromas far afield as South America, Africa,the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka.More than 1,000 people attendedthe relic reception, Masses, talks, allnightEucharistic prayer vigil and silentveneration and prayer times, with manyavailing themselves of the opportunitiesfor the Sacrament of Reconciliation.Students from Our Lady of the RosaryPrimary School and Wollemi College atWerrington, together with representationsfrom Emmaus College at Kemps Creek, andSt Dominic’s College at Penrith, came tolearn something of Don Bosco, the ‘fatherand teacher of youth’. St Dominic’s Collegeband provided music for the Mass in honourof Don Bosco’s student, St Dominic Savio.Only God knows all the graces of thevisit, but a time of grace it was; a timeof silent and communal prayer andveneration, of joy, of encouragement, and ofre-visiting Don Bosco’s perennial message.“Absolutely spiritually uplifting – out ofthis world,” commented an Africanpast student.“A once-in-a-lifetime experience,”said a young Filipino Bosconian.On the evening of 23 March, BishopAnthony Fisher op was the principalcelebrant for a Mass in honour of DonBosco. In his homily, Bishop Anthony saidthe saint’s early experience of the strugglesof families in poverty and as a shepherdboy were a premonition of his eventualvocation as a shepherd of poor boys.“As a young priest he was appalledto discover poor children in dreadfulconditions in jail, with little ahead of thembut the gallows. A contemporary of StMary MacKillop and driven by a similarcompassion for poor children, he resolved,as she put it, ‘to never see a need withoutdoing something about it’. He devoted hislife to the rescue of these young outcasts.“In our contemporary world we mighteasily read Don Bosco as an heroic socialworker. He was that, but he was muchmore than that. He was a Christian, afterthe spirituality of St Francis de Sales. Thechildren in his oratories learnt not onlywoodwork but also catechism; not onlyhow to talk civilly to one another but alsohow to talk to God in prayer; not onlyhow to live in charity but also how tobecome apostles of charity themselves.“Tonight Don Bosco is here in Australia,in the land of Our Lady Help of Christians,or at least a major relic is. Relics connectus with the saints. They increase ourdetermination to emulate their virtues.More than any picture or writing,they bring us close because they wereactually part of the saint’s earthly life.“Any ordinary person understands whyyou might want to keep a locket of a lovedone’s hair or a jumper that they wore. Butholy relics are not just mementos of gracespast but also conduits of graces present.”Bishop Anthony’s homily can be readin full at: www.parra.catholic.org.auFollowing the Mass, Don Bosco departedfor Hong Kong and Burma on the next legof his pilgrim journey. And his family arebetter for his visit, having been remindednot only of his achievements, his loveand his very real ongoing presence, butalso for his messages of love for Christ inthe Eucharist, Mary our Helper, the Popeand the Church, and the needy young.A time of grace, and a time ofencouragement and renewal. Thanksbe to God, and to Don Bosco.Pictured far right: (back, from left)Deacon Owen Rogers, Fr Guy Riolo sdb,Br Stan Rossato sdb, Don Bosco,Fr Brendan Murphy sdb; (front, from left):Fr Jeremiah Breen sdb, Fr Shane Reade sdb,Bishop Anthony Fisher op,Fr Joseph Na sdb, Fr John Briffa sdb.CatholicOutlook April 2011 3Our Lady of the Rosary Parish community welcomes St John BoscoHoly Week and Easter Celebrations in St Patrick’s CathedralPalm SundaySaturday – 6pm: Vigil8am, 9.30am, 11am: Solemn Mass of the Palms withBishop Anthony, gather outside Cathedral at 10.45am forprocession of palms6pm: Mass with Bishop Anthony and World Youth Daycelebration, gather in Prince Alfred Park at 5.45pm for processionof palmsMonday 18 and Tuesday 19 April6.45am and 12.30pm: Mass.Wednesday 20 April6.45am and 12.30pm: Mass. 7.30pm: Chrism MassHoly Thursday6.45am: Morning Prayer, no morning or mid-day Masses7.30pm: Mass of the Lord’s SupperPhotography by Alphonsus Fok, Grace Lu, and Raymund MarananGood Friday9.15am: Morning Prayer & Office of Readings (Sung).10am: Stations of the Cross.3pm: Solemn Celebration of the Lord’s PassionHoly Saturday9am: Morning Prayer; 6.30pm: Easter VigilEaster Sunday8am, 9.30am, 11am and 6pm: MassSacrament of Reconciliation in Holy Week18-21 April: 11.30am to 12.20pmGood Friday: 11am to 12.30pm; 4.30pm to 5.30pmHoly Saturday: 11am to 12.30 pm; 4pm to 5pmSt Patrick’s Cathedral, 1 Marist Place, Parramatta. Tel (02) 8839 8400, www.stpatscathedral.com.au
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