Catholic Outlook October 2015

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CATHOLIC YOUTH Parramatta Diocese Youth Rally We’re bringing back our first large scale youth event to the Diocese of Parramatta for all young people aged 16-35. 22 October marks the Feast Day of Saint John Paul II, Founder of our Diocese and Father of World Youth Days. A huge outdoor concert and festival will take place on Saturday 24 October from 7pm to 9:30pm in the Cathedral Precinct. We have particularly invited school students, teachers, and young adults who are attending the Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Adelaide this December, and all those registered or still discerning joining us for World Youth Day in Poland next year. That being said, this is an event open to all as we celebrate the young Catholic Church in the Diocese of Parramatta. HSC Youth Masses Parra-Matters! Answering the Tough Questions This recent event was a great team effort by so many youth and young adults across the Diocese. Incredible music before the blessing ceremony was provided by Blacktown Parish Youth Minister and Diocese Youth Council member, Alison Ryan. Thanks goes to the many others who helped with welcoming the hundreds of guests. Saturday 24th October | 7 - 9:30pm St Patrick’s Cathedral Precinct, Parramatta “Celebrate the Feast of St John Paul II Father of WYD” For more details, go to: catholicyouthparra www.parrawyd.org @cyp_parramatta @catholicyouthparra Connect with other Young People Live Bands Food & Activity Stalls More Information for WYD & ACYF Good luck to our HSC students this month. We have personally invited each and every one of them to almost 30 parishes that have elected to dedicate a special youth mass to them in the week leading up to their first exam on Monday 12 October. They’re offering them a blessing, a BBQ, and some unique gifts to keep them going. Let’s get behind them! Pastoral Care Accredited Qualifications Pastoral Care attends in a sustained way to the emotional and spiritual needs of people through a ministry of presence, companionship and support. Nationally recognised qualifications: CHC41112 Certificate IV in Pastoral Care 91561 NSW Diploma of Ageing and Pastoral Care For further information contact: Holy Family Services Registered Training Organisation Tel (02) 9678 8200 email: educator@holyfamilyservices.com.au www.holyfamilyservices.com.au A highlight has been seeing youth and young adults making a pilgrimage to the statues over the last month at various times of the day and night, and posting their prayerful pictures online. What an incredible asset these monuments will be to the life of the Diocese, and especially young people and those involved in future World Youth Days. 91448NSW CatholicYouthParra @cyp_parra @cyp_parra Blessing of the St John Paul II Monument Photos: Adrian Middeldorp The youth leaders of Emu Plains Parish provided wonderful hospitality, music, and background information on their local ministry. The core part of the evening was an opportunity for everyone to learn a framework for deconstructing loaded statements that are often packed with multiple smaller questions. David Bradshaw was brilliant at doing this for us and providing some real examples from his time in youth ministry. This month’s Parra- Matters will be hosted by Granville Parish and will feature a presentation by our teams from Parramatta Young Christian Workers (YCW) and Young Christian Students (YCS) on the services and experiences that they provide to youth with the support of the Diocese. Live Jesus, in our Hearts, Forever. James Camden Director Catholic Youth Parramatta jcamden@parra.catholic.org.au Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy Penrose Park Fatima Day: Tuesday October 13 Main Celebrant: Fr Marek Dutkiewicz, osppe Order of St Paul the First Hermit Divine Mercy Devotions First Sunday of the Month Fatima Family Sunday: October 18 October is a special month when we commemorate Our Lady of the Rosary and the final apparition of Our Lady at Fatima in 1917. Let us pray the Rosary more often this month especially as a family. “The family that prays together, stays together.” Fr. Paton Upcoming celebrations in Our Shrine: November 2nd: Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed: Exposition and Devotions after the 11am Mass Pauline Father’s Monastery Address: 120 Hanging Rock Road, Berrima, NSW, 2577 Phone: 02 4878 9192 Fax: 02 4878 9351 Email: paulinefathers@yahoo.com.au Website: www.penrosepark.com.au 16 CatholicOutlook | OCTOBER 2015 www.parra.catholic.org.au @parracatholic facebook.com/parracatholic
Zara Tai says it was times of deep solitude in the bush that she worked out where God was calling her. Photo supplied. YEAR OF CONSECRATED LIFE First Consecrated Celibate in the Diocese of Parramatta By Elizabeth McFarlane Blue Mountains between 1998 and 2003, and it was there that she heard God’s call. “It was during the times of deep solitude in the bush that I really worked out where God was calling me,” she said. “The Gospels tell us that Jesus spent a lot of time in deep solitude with His Father, particularly before He did anything really important. I like to think I followed Jesus in that way. “However, I do believe it was the Holy Spirit that led me to the bush to pray and to discern.” Zara’s search came to an end when her old university chaplain suggested consecrated virginity. “My search for where I was called to be had come full circle; where I was called to be was exactly where I was,” she explained. “Loving God in the way I am called is the most life-giving experience. I am finally ‘at home’. The joy is like one who is totally in love.” Zara sees that she lives her consecration within the context of her workplace. “Witness and service is a wonderful part of it, whether I am down at the beach or at work. “People are surprised when I answer their questions about whether I am married. I get asked about faith and God and it is wonderful for me to answer the questions.” When asked what advice she had for women or men who were considering the consecrated life, Zara said the core of any religious vocation was being in relationship with God. “If what you see in the various forms of consecrated life does not ‘fit’ with what God is calling you to be, keep looking,” she said. “The vocation you discern should reflect who you are and make you the best person you can possibly be.” Zara Tai aspires to be a consecrated virgin, celibate for all her life. She will request to pursue this form of consecrated life when a bishop is appointed to the Diocese of Parramatta. Zara refers to herself as a consecrated celibate. Zara’s consecrated life is founded on her remaining chaste and being obedient to the local bishop. “My celibacy is set aside to God and not to man in a marriage,” she said. Saint John Paul II wrote in his apostolic exhortation Vita Consecrata: “The Consecrated Life, deeply rooted in the example and teaching of Christ the Lord, is a gift of God the Father to his Church through the Holy Spirit … In every age there have been men and women who, obedient to the Father's call and to the prompting of the Spirit, have chosen this special way of following Christ, in order to devote themselves to him with an undivided heart.” Zara’s calling to the consecrated celibate life is different to simply following the single life. “God was calling me to a permanent exclusive relationship, consecrated to God, but outside of a religious order,” she said. “Being single and being a good Catholic didn’t satisfy the yearning for God within me.” A consecrated celibate commits to a life of celibacy, daily prayer, and service to the local church under obedience to the Bishop. Zara felt a strong calling to serve the Church and dedicated many years to reflecting on where she was called to be. As well as regular prayer times, Zara is expected to engage in a structured and regular time of Christian service. “After discerning religious life since I was 15, I decided by my mid-20s that I wasn’t called to it. However, I still felt a strong desire to live a vowed life, but not as a member of a religious congregation” Zara said. Zara worked and lived in the Edmund Rice Retreat & Conference Centre Winbourne (Conducted by the Christian Brothers) Winbourne is a place of quiet reflection, peace and tranquillity, set on 100 hectares, located in Mulgoa. We welcome: School self run retreats Staff spirituality days School day groups Church groups Professional groups Sporting groups Reflective groups Special occasions Hermitage available for single retreat Our Centre offers various sized conference rooms with all AV equipment supplied, including free wifi. Accommodation is available on site along with catering. We welcome your enquiry. Enquiries Phone: 02 4773 5555 Fax: 02 4773 5500 Email: reception@winbourne.org Website: www.winbourne.org Address: 1315 Mulgoa Road, Mulgoa, NSW, 2745 Remembering loved ones we have lost can take many forms. At WN Bull Funerals we understand this. As the funeral liturgy expresses faith, it also contextualises the life of the deceased with traditional and contemporary elements. Even as our lives move on we may look back and recall the experience with warmth and gratitude. And isn’t that the mark of good funeral service? (02) 9519 5344 wnbull@wnbull.com www.wnbull.com.au AUSTRALIAN OWNED www.parra.catholic.org.au @parracatholic facebook.com/parracatholic CatholicOutlook | OCTOBER 2015 17
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Catholic Outlook October 2015

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