Catholic Outlook October 2015

NEWS
CreateAbility participants, Mark and Kylie, with Disability Services Manager, Melissa Caldwell (right).
Photo: Elizabeth McFarlane.
Mamre Homestead
Welcomes CreateAbility
By Elizabeth McFarlane
Mamre Homestead in Orchard
Hills spans 200 acres of tranquil
gardens, farms, and orchards,
and is home to programs provided by
CatholicCare Social Services, Parramatta.
The programs support individuals living
with a disability, the unemployed, as well
as migrant and refugee families, and a new
service called CreateAbility aims to further
support individuals living with a disability,
in light of the National Disability Insurance
Scheme (NDIS), which has recently been
rolled out in Western Sydney.
Melissa Caldwell, the Disability Services
Manager for Mamre, noted that the NDIS
is a positive change for participants.
“The NDIS is going to be great for every
participant and family in the area, as they
will be able to have individualised funding
and will have more choice in what they
do and how they spend their money. Our
participants will get to say, ‘I want to come
here’ and ‘I want to do these activities,’” she
explained.
The new three-tiered CreateAbility
service is all about providing participants
with options for their day activities and
opportunities for them to self-manage what
it is they want to do. The service includes
the Community Participation Program
that targets young adults between 18 and
24, the Life Choices Program that targets
individuals between 25 and 64, and the
Active Ageing Program, which is offered to
older individuals over the age of 64.
The programs make use of the vast
land, rich in biodiversity and a focal point
for participants who enjoy lawn mowing,
weeding, planting, and pruning.
The Community Participation Program
aims to support young people living with
a disability to develop skills, socialise with
peers, and participate as active members in
their community.
The Life Choices and Active Ageing
Programs assist adults living with a
disability to maintain their independence
and participate as valued members of their
community.
Life Choices promotes social inclusion
and interaction between people, with a
focus on learning new skills. But Active
Ageing participants can choose to focus on
staying active and healthy, and linking with
the community, as they grow older.
CatholicCare Social Services receives
government funding, as well as funding
from the Diocese of Parramatta.
Pope Francis
streamlines marriage
annulment procedures
By Adrian Middeldorp
Pope Francis has streamlined
canonical procedures for marriage
annulment in a Motu Proprio,
“Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus” (Clement
Judge, Pastor of our souls). He has
also issued a separate Motu Proprio
for the Eastern Rite churches, “Mitis et
misercors Iesus” (Clement and Merciful
Jesus).
The Holy Father said it was his
concern for the salvation of souls that
remains his shared supreme objective
with brother bishops, as “they share with
him the task of the Church to protect
unity in faith and in discipline regarding
marriage, the cornerstone and origin of
the Christian family”.
“The drive to reform has been fuelled
by the enormous number of faithful
who, while wishing to be at peace with
their conscience, are too often separated
from the legal structures of the Churches
due to physical or moral distance.
Charity and mercy therefore require the
same Church, as a mother, to be closer
to her children who consider themselves
separated.”
The reforms cover key areas:
- A single judgement in favour of
executive nullity
- A single judge under the
responsibility of the bishop
- A shorter procedure: Aside
from streamlining processes for the
declaration of nullity, a form of shorter
process is designated – in addition to
the current documentary procedure – to
be applied in cases where the alleged
nullity of the marriage is supported by
particularly clear arguments.
- That the processes are free of cost
Most Reverend Robert McGuckin
DD MCL JCL, Bishop of Toowoomba
and Chair of the Australian Bishops
Conference, Commission for Canon
Law, explained, “It’s not that it will do
Most Reverend Robert McGuckin DD MCL JCL
"Charity and mercy
therefore require the
same Church, as a
mother, to be closer
to her children who
consider themselves
separated."
away with the teaching of marriage, but
that it will be compassionate in the way
we interpret, and indeed in the way we
try to assist people to have their status
sorted out rapidly within the Church”.
The changes come into place
in December and the Australian
Catholic Bishops Conference are
preparing resources before the time of
implementation within Australia.
2 SESSIONS • 15 October, 4:30 – 6:00pm & 7:00 – 8:30pm, Parramatta Leagues Club
Aged 50 or over? This seminar may benefit you.
Book your FREE retirement planning seminar and learn how to optimise your
savings for retirement and potentially SAVE TAX with an allocated pension. *
*members aged 55+ years and still working
SECRETS TO SAVING TAX ON SUPER
BOOK NOW – www.catholicsuper.com.au/seminars | 1300 658 776
SCS Super Pty Limited, ABN 74 064 712 607, AFSL 230544, RSE L0002264 Trustee of Australian Catholic Superannuation & Retirement Fund, ABN 24 680 629 023,
RSE R1055436 This document is not intended to be financial advice, therefore, you should consider obtaining independent financial advice before making any decisions
about your benefits in the fund. For further information refer to the Product Disclosure Statement available on the website.
PARTNERS
& FRIENDS
WELCOME
10 CatholicOutlook | OCTOBER 2015
www.parra.catholic.org.au @parracatholic facebook.com/parracatholic