Catholic Outlook Magazine | Lent & Easter | 2023 Issue

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M A G A Z I N E
DIOCESE OF PARRAMATTA NEWS AND VIEWS
Meet our three new priests I Vale Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Pell I Listening to children
The most influential woman in the Vatican visits the Diocese of Parramatta
Our Catholic schools’ new Executive Director I Why did Jesus appear to the women?
Lent & Easter | Autumn 2023

Imprimatur and Publisher:
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv
Bishop of Parramatta
(02) 8838 3400
PO Box 3066,
North Parramatta, NSW, 1750
bishop@parracatholic.org
www.catholicoutlook.org
Editor & Vicar for Communication:
Br Mark O’Connor FMS
(02) 8838 3400
PO Box 3066,
North Parramatta, NSW, 1750
comms@parracatholic.org
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Communications Manager:
Christina Gretton
Head of Communications and
Engagement:
Anita Sulentic
Communications Officer:
Mary Brazell
Nihil Obstat:
Fr Wim Hoekstra
Accounts:
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(02) 8838 3437
alfie.ramirez@parracatholic.org
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All material in this publication is copyright and
may not be reproduced without permission
of the publisher. 8,500 copies are printed
and distributed to 47 parishes, schools, after
school care centres and early learning centres
in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
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© Diocese of Parramatta 2023
2023 marks 50 years since diplomatic relations between Australia
and the Holy See were established. This artwork by Dr Miriam-
Rose Ungunmerr, an Aboriginal elder from Nauiyu, Daly River and
the 2021 Senior Australian of the Year, features in the logo created
for the anniversary. Permission to use this artwork has been
granted by the Australian Embassy to the Holy See.
Acknowledgement of Country
Here in the Diocese of Parramatta, we gather on Country on which
members and Elders of the Darug and Gundungurra communities
and their forebearers have been custodians for many centuries and
on which Aboriginal people have performed age-old ceremonies
of celebration, initiation and renewal. We acknowledge their living
culture and their unique role in the life of the region.
The Diocese of Parramatta reaffirms the
wise axiom attributed to Saint Augustine of
Hippo, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials,
freedom; in all things, charity.” In this spirit,
Catholic Outlook publishes a variety of
Catholic viewpoints. They are not necessarily
the official views of the Diocese of Parramatta.
Cover: The Risen Christ by William Hart McNichols.

A message from the Editor
Dear friends,
Welcome to the Easter edition of Catholic Outlook
Magazine, the ‘news and views’ of the People of God
in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
At this time of year, we celebrate the Passion, Death
and Resurrection of our brother and Saviour Jesus of
Nazareth. We seek to live the Paschal mystery in our
personal lives and in local communities and families.
We take time out for silence and prayer and
especially listen to the voices of those on the
margins. Often Jesus speaks to us in very surprising
places. That’s one of the reasons why I recommend
Dr Laurie Woods’ enlightening piece on why
Jesus first showed Himself to the women after His
Resurrection. What an interesting and profound
question to ponder, perhaps something to think
about on Easter Sunday night after our Easter
festivities.
As we journey with Jesus, we are never alone. That’s
why it’s wonderful our Bishop Vincent Long has just
formally convoked our first Diocesan Synod to be
held later this year. There, we will be able to come
together, listen, discern and affirm the Good News
that Jesus is very much alive in our diocese!
As you read the articles in this our Easter issue, let us
all go deeper in our spiritual lives:
• Reflect
• Pray
• Listen
• Respond
• Share
In the words of Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ:
Let him easter in us, be a
dayspring to the dimness of us...
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
Br Mark O’Connor FMS
Editor & Vicar for Communications
In the meantime, I encourage you to read as
preparation, the articles about Sr Nathalie Becquart
XMCJ, whom the BBC named as one of the 100
most influential women in 2022. Sr Nathalie recently
visited us and gently encouraged us all to walk
together in faith. That’s not always easy for us as
Church. Pope Francis constantly reminds us we are
still only beginning to implement Vatican II’s call to
reform and renewal of our sinful but graced Church.
Sr Nathalie’s uplifting message will assist to journey
onwards and you can find it on page 18.
Yes, we have much to be grateful for in our Diocese
of Parramatta. Excitingly, we ordained three new
priests this year. And we thank God for Pope
Emeritus Benedict XVI and Cardinal Pell and their
wonderful Gospel witness as they return to the
Father. May they rest in peace and rise in glory!
And let’s not forget to praise God on the tenth
anniversary of the election of Pope Francis. The Holy
Father’s extraordinary Petrine ministry of mercy has
touched many hearts. What a gift Pope Francis is to
us Catholics and to all people of goodwill!
01

Our teachers make
the difference
Our 80 great local Catholic schools are enrolling now.
Learn more parra.catholic.edu.au

12 26
36
20
On the Inside
Lent & Easter | Autumn 2023
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Diocese of Parramatta
@parracatholic
04 Outlook Looks
05 What’s on in the Diocese
06 Pope's Prayer Intentions
08 Short & Sweet
09 Listen
10 Bishop Vincent’s
Easter message
12 ‘God is love’: The key to
Benedict’s pontificate
14 Cardinal George Pell:
A Reminiscence
16 Newly ordained priests to
‘go out into the deep’
in their ministry
18 The most influential woman
in the Vatican explains
the future of our Church
20 Synodality sparks conversation
23 Interfaith: bringing others
‘into the tent’
24 Mothers: models of faith and love
26 Out of the mouth of babes
28 Aspirations for Western
Sydney students drive new
Catholic schools leader
30 ‘Towards a Spirituality of
Synodality’: Sr Nathalie
Becquart's visit inspires
Catholic educators
32 Looking Deeper
34 Cling to the rock
36 The women disciples
first to greet the Risen Lord
38 The Voice: Catholic
Considerations
40 Caring for God's creation: First
12 months of Laudato Si' action
42 A cuppa with the priest:
Fr Andrew Bass, Holy
Cross Parish, Granville
44 Parish profile: Holy Cross
Parish, Granville
46 Preparing future priests
to be signs of the Church
that goes forth
48 Watch, Read, Listen, Reflect
50 Kids’ Corner
51 Word search
52 Directory of services
53 Latest appointments
53 Voice of the people

Outlook Looks
Holy Week is here
During Holy Week, starting on Palm Sunday, we gather to reflect on
the events around Christ’s sacrifice and suffering and to celebrate His
Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Good Friday Liturgy at St Anthony of Padua Parish, Toongabbie. Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
Find out Mass and Liturgy times during Holy Week at
catholicoutlook.org/holyweek2023
Three new priests for Parramatta
Several years ago, three young men answered God’s
call, and as of February this year, we have three newly
ordained priests.
The Diocese of Parramatta’s three newest priests with
Bishop Vincent on the night of their ordination. From left
Fr Matthew Dimian, Fr Adam Carlow and Fr Jack Elkazzi.
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
If you haven’t caught up with them yet, we
introduce them to you on pages 16 and 17.
Research for
Reconciliation
From 26 May to 3 June, we mark
Reconciliation Week in Australia.
Use this time to find out more
about the Darug and Gundungurra
Aboriginal people – who are the
traditional custodians of the land
on which our parishes sit.
Image: Reconciliation Australia.
Visit Reconciliation Australia
to get some tips on composing
an Acknowledgment of Country
for your parish
reconciliation.org.au
A week to reflect on caring
Laudato Si’ Week, named after Pope Francis’ letter regarding the care
of our Common Home, takes place in May. Use the week to take stock
and reflect on your environmental journey – you may be doing more
than you think.
We outline what the Diocese of Parramatta has done over the past
12 months and include tips fo your own actions on pages 40 and 41.

Outlook Looks
Our Good Shepherds
are our future
The Diocese of Parramatta is
lucky to have a seminary where
we can develop and prepare new
priests to serve our Diocese. The
young men of Holy Spirit Seminary
Harris Park, need our prayers
and financial support so they can
stay on the path God has called
them to.
Bishop Vincent Long with the Holy Spirit Seminary Rector, Vice-Rector and
seminarians. Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
Find details on how you
can support our own Good
Shepherds on pages 46 and 47.
What’s On in the Diocese?
28 APRIL FOR FIVE FRIDAYS 10AM TO 2PM
A Study of Matthew’s Gospel by Dr Laurie Woods
maree.collis@parracatholic.org
2 MAY FaithLIFE
Short course on prayer (first of three sessions)
www.pfparra.org.au/faithlife
3 MAY TOTUS
Community and Formation for Discernment
met@parracatholic.org
12 MAY At The Well
A night for sharing with young Catholic women
met@parracatholic.org
17 MAY AND 21 JUNE AT 7PM
Holy Hour for Vocations, Pray for Vocations at St
Patrick’s Cathedral Chapel
met@parracatholic.org
18 MAY LIFTED Unplugged
A night of music, community, prayer and encounter
for young people
met@parracatholic.org
19 MAY Faith in Marriage Seminar
‘Faith-Filled Ways to a Better Marriage Relationship’
by Chris Padgett
marriage@parracatholic.org
19-21 MAY, 16-19 JUNE, 21-23 JULY
Pre-Marriage Weekend Courses
marriage@parracatholic.org
20 MAY Natural Fertility
Couples Hoping to Conceive
catherine.bourne@parracatholic.org
25 MAY Mass for Neophytes
met@parracatholic.org
30 MAY Pentecost Scripture Night
met@parracatholic.org
7 JUNE Theology Hour
Community and Formation for Young Adults
met@parracatholic.org
8 JUNE Natural Fertility Session
‘What is Natural Family Planning?’
catherine.bourne@parracatholic.org
2 JULY The FaithFeed
For 20s to 40s to converse on life and faith
met@parracatholic.org
7-9 JULY LIFTED Retreat
A weekend of friendship, prayer, community and
reflection for young adults
met@parracatholic.org
05

A time to renew your spirit
Journey of St Paul
Greece & Turkey
Footsteps of St
Mary MacKillop
Melbourne to Adelaide
the genuine pilgrim experience
Queen of Peace
Medjugorje Pilgrimage
Land only from $5690 Land only from $4290
Land only from $3190
Commences 29 May 2023.
12 Days. With Fr Paul Monkerud
A breathtaking journey in the footsteps of
St Paul and his companions through the
Acts of the Apostles, to rediscover the
faith and struggles of the early
Christian communities.
Also departs September 2023.
Departs 03 August 2023.
11 Days. With Fr John Greig
Set out together on a true Australian
Pilgrimage through the life and times of
St Mary MacKillop, as we rekindle the
story, landscapes and spirit of our
nations’ first Saint.
Also departs May and October 2023.
Commences 12 October 2023.
9 Days. With Fr Andrew Grace
Healings, miracles and conversions –
these have been occurring for so long.
Endless streams of pilgrims over the years
have come to receive these graces and
return to their homelands renewed.
Also departs April and September 2023.
BOOKINGS & ENQUIRIES
1800 819 156
www.harvestjourneys.com
Pope’s Prayer Intentions
Each month, Pope Francis asks us to pray as a global community
Here are the upcoming prayers
April 2023 | For a culture of peace and non-violence
We pray for the spread of peace and non-violence, by
decreasing the use of weapons by states and citizens.
MAY 2023 | For Church movements and groups
We pray that Church movements and groups may
rediscover their mission of evangelisation each day,
placing their own charisms at the service of needs
in the world.
JUNE 2023 | For the abolition of torture
We pray that the international community may commit
in a concrete way to ensuring the abolition of torture
and guarantee support to victims and their families.
Volunteers from St Vincent de Paul joined other Church
groups at the Parramatta Street Feast in November 2022
for marginalised people in the Diocese.
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
06

Short & Sweet
We learned that the youngest Churches in our region have lessons to teach the more established
Churches about synodality and about maintaining the freshness of the encounter of the Gospel with
local cultures and societies.
Concluding statement from the Catholic Bishops of Oceania assembly, February 2023 in Suva, Fiji. Image: ACBC.
If, as Pope Francis affirms, synodality is the new way of being Church for the
third millennium, then we must seek to understand more deeply what it means
to be a synodal Church.
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv
In his welcome to Sr Nathalie Bequart XMCJ to the Diocese of Parramatta on 3 February
2023. Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
It is good to come, to join a professional group of people who share not only
professional qualifications and love for the law, but who also have something else
that's special about them as well, which is that we are part of the Catholic family.
Shadow Attorney General Michael Daley (As at 24 March)
At the Legal Red Mass, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta on 6 February 2023.
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
Part of listening, learning, and living in respectful relationship with one another
involves seeking to understand Aboriginal Spirituality, which is fundamental to the
Aboriginal people’s identity and world view. Aboriginal Spirituality is a dynamic,
evolving, contemporary expression of Indigeneity. Aboriginal Spirituality connects
past, present and future. It emphasises people’s relationships with each other.
Theresa Ardler, Dahrawal Nation Image: Supplied.
Read about considerations for Catholics as we approach the Voice referendum on page 38.
We look forward to labouring with you in the Lord’s vineyard and going to the
margins, and going out into the depths with you.
Fr Matthew Dimian
At the conclusion of his, Fr Adam Carlow’s and Fr Jack Elkazzi’s ordination on 2 February
2023 at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta. Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
The first thing with unhappy kids is to make them feel welcome and comfortable.
It’s a Gospel of joy and loving kindness. This experience of freedom and fun is
deeply transformative for many of the children.
Fr Jan (John) Walenciej
Former Director of the Don Bosco Youth and Recreation Centre, St Marys. The Salesian
Society, founded by St John Bosco, celebrates 100 years of presence in Australia, in 2023.
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
08

Listen
I hope, I hope, the Church becomes a place
where we can encounter authentic spirituality,
Where youth can come to the Church, and
contribute to the Church and bring the heart of the
Gospel and Christ's love and authenticity.
And bring the radical aspects into the world where
we can be emboldened and give and give.
I hope it becomes a Church of service,
and I hope it's a Church where we're really
inspired and driven by the Holy Spirit.
And I hope in that same way, we can be
transformed to appreciate our traditions,
and appreciate what is there.
I hope youth are brought into this
conversation and inspired and empowered,
to actually have impact and to be listened to.
That's an exciting thing, you know. To hear that we
are being listened to, that's genuinely exciting.
Jacob Boulus, from Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Kellyville, upon hearing the call to be a synodal
Church during the lecture of Sr Nathalie Becquart, February 2023, in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
09

Bishop Vincent’s Easter Message
BISHOP VINCENT LONG OFM CONV
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
In the Gospel of Mark, the Resurrection takes place
in silence!
There is almost something modest and ordinary
about it. There was a quiet, with a stillness that only
love and fear can create.
Some in the early Church apparently had difficulty
with the ‘silence’ of Mark. The ending was too sharp
and abrupt for them. How could the Resurrection,
which had begun in fear, not end in joy? How could it
end in silence and even fear?
But maybe our Resurrection faith must always
include an aspect of questioning, for the Easter
mystery is so dazzling; it is beyond our rational
comprehension.
Our Trinitarian God is a mystery. A mystery is not a
problem. A problem is a puzzle to which techniques
can be applied, intuition brought to bear, and a
solution found. Science tackles problems. It’s great
at it. But a mystery is not amenable to that strategy.
And life is littered with them.
We especially see all around us the terrible mystery
of evil, as it manifests itself in the chaos of the war
and conflict in Myanmar, Ukraine and the Congo
to name only a few places. And how can we ignore
the grinding poverty of so many people and the
ecological plight of our fragile, precious planet?
Human life is brutally devalued in the plight of
refugees fleeing their homelands and in the tragedy
of so many human beings whose precious dignity
and vulnerable lives are threatened from ‘the womb
to the tomb.’
We are also constantly bewildered by the ongoing
injustice still perpetuated against indigenous peoples
and the horror of violence, especially against women
and children. Not to mention the horrors of natural
disasters like the recent tragic earthquakes in Türkiye
(Turkey) and Syria.
Where can we turn as Easter people full of hope?
Jesus is our only answer to these great mysteries
that sometimes seem to overwhelm us. For all that
we know of God is, of course, revealed definitively in
Jesus of Nazareth.
But have you noticed how many times in the
Gospels Jesus himself asks questions, rather than
gives answers? Our journey living the Paschal
Mystery is often more about the questions than
the answers. Pontius Pilate asks Jesus a series of
questions and Jesus answers cryptically as if to say,
“you are really missing the point”.
And have you noticed that our Holy Father, when
unjustly criticised, also prefers to remain silent –
rather than repay pettiness with revenge?
Let’s recall then this Easter 2023 that the Easter
Mystery moves us through the terrible suffering
and death of the Son of God, the profound love
and courage that kept the women by his side
despite their own fears, and the time in the tomb,
that in-between space in which we spend much of
our own lives.
It invites us to rest in mystery, and then the
movement to the joyful moment of Resurrection
where even the disciples do not have the right set of
questions anymore because they fit the old answers.
Is this not the journey of our whole lives: the
movement from sorrow to courage, to grief to
waiting to joy, often holding elements of each at the
same time?
What are the questions stirring your soul these days?
Can we make space to live in them, not needing to
have the answers? The Synodal path we are on as
a Diocesan local Church is one way for us to listen
to those on the margins and make room for the Holy
Spirit in our busy lives.
My sisters and brothers. Jesus is Risen! Let’s journey
with him once more on the road to Emmaus and
encounter his mysterious presence in the breaking of
the bread. Alleluia!
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv
Bishop of Parramatta
10

Image: Diocese of Parramatta.

Pope Benedict at World Youth
Day Sydney 2008. Image: World
Youth Day Organisers.

‘God is love’
The key to Benedict’s pontificate
STORY ANDREA TORNIELLI
For many Australians, Pope Emeritus Benedict
XVI was the Pope they saw in person in their
own country when he visited for World Youth Day
in 2008 in Sydney. The Diocese of Parramatta
joined in mourning his death, which occurred on
31 December 2022. We publish excerpts from
Vatican News about the late Pope Benedict’s life.
“Teenager” theologian at the Council
Born in 1927 into a simple, very Catholic family
in Bavaria, and the son of a police commissioner,
Joseph Ratzinger was a protagonist of the Church in
the last century.
He was ordained a priest together with his brother,
Georg, in 1951, earned a doctorate in theology two
years later, and in 1957, was licensed to teach as a
professor of dogmatic theology. He taught in Freising,
Bonn, Münster, Tübingen and lastly in Regensburg.
His death marks the passing of the last Pope
personally involved in the work of the Second Vatican
Council. As a young man, already esteemed as
a theologian, Ratzinger had followed the council
sessions as the peritus of Cardinal Frings of Cologne,
leaning toward the reformist wing. He was among
those who strongly criticised the preparatory drafts
prepared by the Roman Curia, which would later be
scrapped by the will of the bishops.
Guardian of the faith under Wojtyla
Just after turning 50, Pope Paul VI appointed him
Archbishop of Munich in 1977, and a few weeks later,
created him a cardinal. Pope St John Paul II then
entrusted him with the leadership of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith in November 1981. That
was the beginning of a strong partnership between
the Polish Pope and the Bavarian theologian,
destined to end only with the death of Wojtyla.
‘Humble worker in the vineyard’
After the death of John Paul II, the conclave held
in 2005 elected Ratzinger – already an old man of
78 years – to succeed him in less than 24 hours.
Ratzinger was universally esteemed and respected,
even by his adversaries.
From the loggia of St Peter’s Basilica, Benedict
XVI presented himself as “a humble worker in
the vineyard of the Lord”. Alien to any sort of
protagonism, he declared he had no “programmes”,
but that he wanted “to listen, together with the whole
Church, to the word and the will of the Lord”.
Encyclical on love of God
He dedicated his first encyclical, Deus caritas est, to
the love of God. “Being Christian”, he wrote, “is not
the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the
encounter with an event, a person.”
He even found the time to write a book on Jesus of
Nazareth, one sole work that would be published in
three volumes.
Response to scandals
Benedict XVI was determined and unyielding in
dealing with the problem of the “filth” in the Church.
He introduced strict norms against the sexual
abuse of minors and asked the Curia and bishops
to change their mentality. He even went so far as to
say that the most serious persecution of the Church
does not come from external enemies, but from sin
committed within it.
Another important reform concerned Vatican
finances: it was Pope Benedict who introduced antilaundering
legislation in the Vatican.
‘A Church free of money and power’
Facing the scandals created by ecclesiastical
careerism, the elderly German Pope continually made
appeals calling to conversion, penitence and humility.
During his last journey to Germany, in September
2011, he invited the Church to be less worldly.
“History has shown that, when the Church becomes
less worldly, her missionary witness shines more
brightly. Once liberated from material and political
burdens and privileges, the Church can reach out
more effectively and in a truly Christian way to the
whole world, she can be truly open to the world.”
Pope Benedict XVI’s World Youth Day in Sydney
in 2008 was the first held in Oceania and attracted
nearly 500,000 young people from 200 countries,
600 bishops and cardinals and 6,600 reporters from
around the world.
The full article by Andrea Tornielli can be viewed
at Vatican News – vaticannews.va
13

Cardinal George Pell
A Reminiscence
STORY VERY REV PETER G. WILLIAMS AM
Image: Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney

Since his unexpected death on 10 January 2023 in
Rome, there have been many words written about
Cardinal George Pell.
Some of those assessments have been very positive
and attested to his extraordinary input into the
Church in Australia and internationally, and others
have been highly critical and, in some instances,
quite derogatory. There is little doubt that Cardinal
Pell could be a polarising figure and anecdotally you
either fell in the camp of being “for” or “against.”
My intention here is not to
add to the body of opinion,
which is now accumulating at
a prodigious rate, but rather to
reflect on my own encounters
with Cardinal Pell given that
I worked closely with him
during the preparations and the
execution of World Youth Day
in Sydney in 2008.
Firstly, I remember clearly being asked to come to
the Bishops’ Conference during one of their sessions
by Bishop Kevin Manning, because, as he said:
“The Cardinal would like to meet with you.” At our
meeting, he told me of his intention to have me
appointed as Director of Liturgy for World Youth Day
and that he had already consulted Bishop Kevin who
had agreed to release me. One thing that struck me
was that he had a clear mind about what he wanted
and he had thought carefully about the scope of the
role and the sort of person he wanted to fill it.
Secondly, just before the Opening Mass at
Barangaroo as the crowd had gathered and we
were ten minutes from commencement, I received a
message in the director’s tent that he wanted to see
me. I thought that something must have gone wrong
or there was a serious issue requiring resolution.
I made my way through the crowds (estimated at
between 125 and 150 thousand people) to under the
liturgical platform. He was lined up in the procession
with the other cardinals and bishops for the opening
hymn and when I approached him I remarked: “You
wanted to see me.” “Yes,” he beamed, “I just wanted
to wish you good luck!” Clearly, he wanted to ease
my anxiety and inject a small piece of humour into
the occasion at a critical moment.
Thirdly, I had responsibility for preparing the liturgy
booklet for the Dedication of the new altar in St
Mary’s Cathedral by Pope Benedict XVI. In doing so,
I had written a small piece to explain the significance
of the relics that were to be placed in the altar as part
of the liturgy. He told me in his study at St Mary’s
Cathedral House how impressed he was with the
booklet, and then enquired about the authorship of
the paragraph on the relics. I told him, “I wrote it”, to
which he replied, “It is very beautiful.” He was quite
moved and I could sense his appreciation for not
only what meagre contribution I might have made,
but also that of my whole team.
Whilst I appreciate that there
would be some people whose
encounters with Cardinal Pell
might have left them with a
contrary view, my memories
were positive.
That does not mean to say that you could not engage
in combative discourse, and we certainly crossed
swords on a number of occasions and over a number
of issues, but he was always respectful, and I think
he preferred the robust discussion rather than a
disposition of obsequiousness. He was above all,
as others have said, a man of his generation. There
is no doubt that he was devoted to the Catholic
Church, to the Church remaining strong and vibrant
and remaining a significant voice in the marketplace.
In that way, he was a dominating figure, not only
because of his physical stature, but because he was
unequivocating about his views on doctrine, morals
and ecclesiology. With the effluxion of time, others
will evaluate his legacy, which I think was substantial
in a number of positive ways. Perhaps we are still too
close to his life and death to be completely objective,
but the beauty of the passing of time is that it
provides that space to revisit people’s lives with a
different lens.
Very Rev Peter G. Williams AM is Vicar General and
Moderator of the Curia in the Diocese of Parramatta and was
Director of Liturgy for World Youth Day Sydney 2008.
15

Bishop Vincent Long, Bishop of Parramatta (second right), with newly ordained Fr Matthew Dimian (left), Fr Adam Carlow
(second left) and Fr Jack Elkazzi. Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
Newly ordained priests to
‘go out into the deep’ in their ministry
STORY MARY BRAZELL
Bishop Vincent Long says the ordination of
the three newest priests in the Diocese of
Parramatta is “a sign of hope and renewal of
God’s everlasting love for his people.”
On Thursday 2 February 2023, the Feast of the
Presentation of the Lord, St Patrick’s Cathedral,
Parramatta, was overflowing with friends, family
and parishioners as Bishop Vincent ordained Adam
Carlow, Matthew Dimian and Jack Elkazzi to the
priesthood.
“Adam, Matthew and Jack will rejuvenate and
reinvigorate the Church in Parramatta, bringing their
unique gifts and talents. They will go out into the
deep and spread the Word and love of Christ to all,
and I ask that we all keep them in our prayers as they
commence their priestly ministry.”
Watch the video of our
new Fathers here.
“The Diocese of Parramatta is the youngest and
most culturally diverse diocese in Australia, so each
ordination is a joyous occasion,” Bishop Vincent told
the congregation.
16

Fr Adam Carlow (fourth right) with Bishop Vincent Long
(centre), and his immediate family.
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
Fr Adam Carlow, Assistant Priest,
St Madeleine Sophie Barat Parish, Kenthurst
“[As a priest] I want people to know that they are
loved very much by God, and I hope through my
priestly ministry that I can be a witness to that, that
I can be faithful to God and truly live my vocation
faithfully.
“I pray that I will be an instrument of God’s love to
others in my life and in my ministry.
“I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for
supporting and praying for us.”
Fr Adam’s aunt and godmother Margaret: “I think he
will be an amazing priest. He will be fantastic with the
young kids – they’re going to love him. He’s going to
show them the way to God.”
Fr Jack Elkazzi (centre left) with members of his immediate
family, including sister Jackie (fourth left).
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
Fr Jack Elkazzi, Assistant Priest,
Our Lady, Queen of Peace Parish, Greystanes
“By completely devoting my life to Christ in a loving
relationship and sharing that love to all my brothers
and sisters, rather than being a father to one or two, I
become a father of many.
“I’m a priest to share the genuine love of the Gospel,
where Christ leaves the 99 and chases the one, and
giving people a sense of hope and love and knowing
that Christ is always there.”
Fr Jack’s sister Jackie: “I believe that the youth of
today are experiencing a lot of what Jack’s journey
entails, so for him to have that personal experience,
is going to be able to reach them and know exactly
what they are feeling and what they need to hear.”
Fr Matthew Dimian (second left) with Bishop Vincent Long
(centre), his parents and sister Mary (right).
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
Fr Matthew Dimian, Assistant Priest,
St Bernadette’s Parish, Castle Hill
“A vocation isn’t born in a vacuum, it’s born in the
heart of the Church, and it’s through the inspiration
of meeting good and holy people like yourselves,
hearing your encouragement and discernment, and
receiving the fruits of your prayers – it’s through
all these things that I have been able to join the
Seminary and come to ordination.
“All thanks be to God, and thank you all for being
instruments of God in encouragement, prayer, grace
and support.”
Fr Matthew’s sister Mary: “Matthew has a way of
really listening to people and trying to grasp where
the person is at, and I think that will carry through
into his priesthood. He sees the individual in the
place where they are, and I think that is essential to
bringing Christ to a person.”

The most influential woman in the
Vatican explains the future of our Church
STORY CHRISTINA GRETTON
In February, Catholics in the Diocese of
Parramatta heard what the Church could look like
in the future from the most senior woman in the
Vatican, Sr Nathalie Becquart XMCJ.
Visiting the Diocese, Sr Nathalie, a French Xavières
sister, described a Church where everyone was
heard, everyone played a part, and as a result,
everyone participated in our Church’s Mission.
Sr Nathalie is the only woman in the Vatican to have
a vote at the upcoming Synod on Synodality. Pope
Francis appointed her as Undersecretary of the
Synod in 2021. In forums and lectures in the Diocese
of Parramatta and other dioceses in Australia, she
explained what all Catholics need to do in order for
our Church to become ‘synodal’.
What is a Synod?
A Synod is a gathering of clergy and lay people in
the Church to discuss particular topics. They are
held regularly and can be at Diocesan and Vatican
levels. The Synod of Bishops on Synodality, called
by Pope Francis, commenced in 2021. Its meetings
will be held in October 2023 and again in 2024.
This Synod will focus on everyone in the Church
working together in decision-making about the future
of the Church. And “everyone”, according to Sr
Nathalie, means everyone, including young people,
women, and others who may feel on the margins.
Pope Francis has particularly stressed this, saying
“enabling everyone to participate is an essential
ecclesial duty,” and the structure of the Synod must
enable this to happen.
What would a synodal Church be like?
“It is a new style of Church, in which everybody is
called to be a protagonist. It is a Church that calls
for the participation of everybody in the Mission,”
Sr Nathalie said.
“It requires humility, learning together, teamwork,
deep listening, daring to speak.”
She likened it to a long journey. “As you know,
when you travel from Europe to Australia, it’s a long
journey. There are beautiful moments, but also those
that are not. It’s tiring. You know that you will receive
a lot of joy, but it’s difficult when you are tired. That
is the life with Christ when we come together to be
missionary pilgrims on the road.”
Sr Nathalie spoke about how the synodal path
celebrates and welcomes diversity. “Synodality is
dynamic,” she said, explaining that the Church in
the French diocese from where she hails is different
to the Church in Parramatta because of its people.
At the same time, Sr Nathalie said, the Eucharist is
what brings the Church together. “The Eucharist is
a kind of ‘matrix’ of our system that is about being
together as brothers and sisters in Christ, being
in communion.”
Those with concerns
Sr Nathalie acknowledges there are people who
are worried about the Church taking a synodal
direction which places a lot of trust in the Holy Spirit.
Sr Nathalie said their voices, along with all voices,
should be listened to. Listening to all voices and
opinions is a challenge she admitted, but, she said,
synodality is “an open creative path that can be full
of surprises, and we have to be open to that.”
In his welcome to Sr Nathalie at her lecture at St
Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta, on 3 February 2023,
Bishop Vincent said Catholics had an obligation to be
open to learning about synodality.
“If, as Pope Francis affirms,” said Bishop Vincent,
“synodality is the new way of being Church for the
third millennium, then we must seek to understand
more deeply what it means to be a synodal Church.”
18

Joining Sr Nathalie at her lecture, Australia’s
Ambassador to the Vatican, Chiara Porro, and CEO
of Caritas Australia, Kirsty Robertson, spoke on
their experience with synodality. “The BBC recently
named Sr Nathalie as one of the top 100 Women
of 2022,” said Ambassador Porro. “And they spoke
about how a door had opened for women following
her appointment.
“That’s indeed a pretty momentous decision that’s
really set the tone and importance that Pope Francis
attributes to ensuring that all voices are heard,
whether they’re women, minorities, indigenous
people, or those on the margins of society.”
The synodal journey for the Diocese of Parramatta
In thanking Sr Nathalie, Bishop Vincent announced
that the Diocese of Parramatta is embarking on a
two-year synodal journey from 2023 to 2025.
“All members of our Diocesan community are
invited to participate in prayer, listening, dialogue,
discernment and action, with the hope of deepening
our commitment to witnessing to the Gospel and
responding to the needs of our time,” he said.
Sr Nathalie’s messages on synodality
• The spirit of synodality is an attitude of
listening to the Holy Spirit. It takes us back to
the spirit of the early Church.
• While there is great diversity of people in the
Church, the Eucharist brings brothers and
sisters together in communion.
• Everybody in a synodal Church has a voice in
deciding the direction of the Church.
• Synodality is a process, which is ever evolving
and always moving. There is no end date.
• The synodal journey will be different according
to who you are and where you come from.
• The Church exists in the current moment.
That means the Church is for now, it exists in
the current context and needs to be what the
people of the current time need.
• The only way to be a synodal Church is to get
on and do it. It takes practice and “learning by
doing.”
More information about the Diocesan Synod’s first
gathering, to take place from 12 to 15 October is
found at parracatholic.org/synod2023
The Diocese of Parramatta has created several
videos of Sr Nathalie’s speaking engagements.
You can find links to all her talks, and articles
about her at catholicoutlook.info/SrNathalie2023
Sr Nathalie Becquart XMCJ
speaking at St Patrick’s Cathedral,
Parramatta on 3 February 2023.
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.

Synodality sparks conversation
STORY CHRISTINA GRETTON
While Sr Nathalie Becquart XMCJ, described as
the most influential woman in the Vatican, was
in the Diocese of Parramatta in February this
year, renowned journalist Geraldine Doogue took
the opportunity to lead a discussion of what
synodality might look like in Australia.
Along with Sr Nathalie, Australia’s Ambassador to
the Vatican, Chiara Porro, CEO of Caritas Australia,
Kirsty Robertson, and Chair of St Vincent’s Health,
Paul McClintock, came to the Mary MacKillop
Chapel in the Bethany Centre to talk about some
of the practical applications of synodality in the
Australian context. “This puts ‘flesh on the bones’
of the process that Pope Francis has initiated,” said
Geraldine, referring to the Synod of Bishops taking
place in 2023 and 2024.
Sr Nathalie told the group that she had heard a
common comment from many people in local
Churches around the world. “So many people have
said that it is the first time the Church is asking my
voice, is asking me to contribute,” she said. “This is
leading people to realise ‘yes, the Church is not only
the bishops, but all of us, and we want to continue’.”
Paul, who chairs an organisation with 80,000
workers, felt this concept could be challenging.
“There is a thing in the back of our minds that says,
‘do we really have permission?’ ‘Are we allowed
to do this?’,” he observed. “Synodality is hugely
important in telling us, ‘It’s time for us to rethink our
leadership role’.”
When Kirsty Robertson travels to some of the most
remote, poverty-stricken and powerless parts of
the world, she has seen people with t-shirts about
the Synod of Bishops. “This Synod is sparking
conversations around the world,” she said, adding
that people she encounters are now saying “I have a
voice” for the first time.
Sr Nathalie addressed the controversial nature of
synodality head-on, noting it ranges from anxiety
amongst bishops and priests who may be worried
20

Sr Nathalie Becquart, second from left, discusses synodality with from left, Paul McClintock, Geraldine Doogue,
Ambassador Chiara Porro and Kirsty Robertson in the Mary MacKillop Chapel at the Bethany Centre in Parramatta.
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
about losing their role, to women who feel they may
not be heard. “So, we really need to understand and
to speak also about our fears and anxiety,” she said.
At the same time, with the call for the Church of the
third millennium being synodal, she said, the central
question is “are we led by our fears and anxiety or
are we led by what we have discerned as a Church?”
Paul has experienced this in his work in the
Catholic health space. “A lot of people are finding
discernment uncomfortable because you don’t know
what the answers are.”
For Ambassador Porro, the concepts of synodality
align with the work of the Australian government,
particularly around recognising marginalised
groups, and the plight of the people of the Pacific
who are being most impacted by climate change, but
who are rarely heard.
Sr Nathalie summed up how intrinsic diversity is
to the Catholic Church. “What I think the Catholic
Church is learning is how to become a global
universal Church, with, and through the diversity
of the local Churches,” she said. “The vision of the
synodal Church is a Church of local Churches.
“From the beginning, the Catholic Church is built on
diversity. We have four gospels to tell the same story,
but not coming from the same communities. We
shouldn’t be afraid of diversity.”
Watch the full discussion between Sr Nathalie,
the panellists and Geraldine Doogue on
catholicoutlook.info/synodroundtableFeb23
Find further articles and videos
featuring Sr Nathalie here
21

Grow your money in the Diocesan Development
Fund and invest in our Church and its people
The parish community of Kellyville can now welcome all to worship, thanks to renovations made to their
church.
A beautiful new altar, rededicated in December 2022, a new crucifix and pulpit are the centrepieces of the
works which feature new entrances, ramps and accessible toilets for people who are wheelchair bound.
The forecourt was landscaped to include a contemplation space, and the entry can either be a crying room
or overflow area. Other upgrades included a new sacristy, twin confessionals, an expanded piety store, a
refurbished baptistry, and lovingly refurbished pews.
Alongside the generosity of parishioners, the parish reached out to the team at the Diocesan Development
Fund, who gave them advice on applying and taking out the loan, and how to pay it back.
The DDF’s services include:
• Providing loans to assist Catholic agencies to further their Mission. Loans are available for any worthwhile purpose including
construction, renovation, land purchase, furnishings, and equipment.
• Facilitating transactional services to Catholic agencies such as parishes and schools.
• Operating efficiently to generate income for the Diocese to support the Mission of the Church, pastoral priorities, and
ministry programmes.
• The development of deep long-term relationships with all Catholic entities within the Diocese.
To contact the DDF please phone (02) 8839 4500 or email enquiries@parraddf.org.au
Visit the DDF website at www.parracatholic.org.au/ddf
Disclosure Statement The Diocesan Development Fund Catholic Diocese of Parramatta (DDF) (the Fund) is required by law to make the following
disclosure. The Fund is not prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority nor has it been examined or approved by the
Australian Securities and Investments Commission. An investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or thedepositor
protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959 (Cth). Investments in the Fund are intended to be a means for investors to support the charitable,
religious and educational works of the Catholic Diocese of Parramatta and for whom the consideration of profit are not of primary relevance in the
investment decision. The investments that the Fund offers are not subject to the usual protections for investors under the Corporations Act (Cth) or
regulation by Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Investors may be unable to get some or all of their money back when the investor
expects or at all and an of the Fund are not comparable to investments with banks, finance companies or fund managers. The Fund’s identification
statement may be viewed at https://parracatholic.org or by contacting the Fund. The Fund does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence.

A woman in Abu Dhabi
waves the flag of
Pope Francis during
his visit to the United
Arab Emirates in 2019.
Image: Shutterstock.
Interfaith: bringing others ‘into the tent’
STORY CHRISTINA GRETTON
The Interfaith Commission of the Diocese of
Parramatta is a recently formed group with the
goal of building networks with people of other
religions. Members of the Commission explain the
power of listening and ‘letting others in’.
“All I can say is our poor world needs all peoples to work
together for our environment and the wellbeing of all,”
observes Lorraine Murphy, a member of the Interfaith
Commission in the Diocese of Parramatta.
Deep, respectful listening has been the key to
Lorraine’s success in creating bonds with people
of other faiths and she describes the Women’s
Interfaith Network she currently belongs to. “There
are two participants from each of the following faiths:
Jews, Muslims, Hindu, Bahá'í, Buddhist, along
with Christians of Anglican, Uniting and Catholic
Communities,” she says. The group nominates
a speaker to speak on a topic from her faith’s
perspective – “uninterrupted,” Lorraine is at pains to
point out, followed by a Q&A.
Sr Colleen Foley OSU is another member of the
Commission. “Jesus prayed that we all may be one,
to know the love of God for all God’s children,” she
reminds us.
“We are one human family, living on the one planet.
Everything is connected. People of faith have a
special role in bringing love and justice to our world
because we believe in God’s love and actively try
to be a reflection of that love wherever we are. We
need to walk together to make this a reality.”
In this regard, Sr Colleen refers to the example that
Pope Francis sets when he seeks to bring global
religious leaders together on issues impacting our
world. “Pope Francis is leading us by his words and
actions,” she says, referring to the document he
signed in 2019 in Abu Dhabi on Interfaith Relations.
Closer to home, the Interfaith group ‘Voices for
PoWer’ is lobbying for better outcomes in Western
Sydney for heat and energy.
She refers to the image of our Church as a ‘tent’
promoted by the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops document
“Enlarge the space of your tent” (Is 54:2) and how
well the Asian Synod of Bishops, SynodBangkok, has
expressed what is understood by Interfaith dialogue.
“The image of the ‘Church as tent’ projects it to be
a place of refuge that can be expanded to all in a
spirit of inclusivity,” agrees Sr Colleen. “It expresses
that God can pitch His tent wherever the Spirit of
God blows, including places of violence, unrest, and
suffering. Most importantly, in the tent, there is room
for everyone; no one is excluded, for it is a home to
everyone. In this process, those who in the past felt
'left out' now realise that they have a home in this
tent – a sacred and safe space.”
Lorraine considers Australians blessed for the
opportunity for Interfaith connections. “We are so
fortunate in Australia, and especially in Western
Sydney, to have the opportunity to get to know and
experience this diversity,” she says. “We are one
human family. All must be included.”
Find out more about the Synod of Bishops at
www.synod.va
23

Mothers
Models of faith and love
STORY MARY BRAZELL
Every May, we have the opportunity to thank God
for the gifts of our mothers, grandmothers and
mother-figures in our lives.
I spoke with three people about their mothers.
Mothers as educators in the faith
Jacob Boulus from Our Lady of the Rosary Parish,
Kellyville, described his mother Mary as “the source
of care and strength in our family.”
“She is deeply loving, a strong leader, and fulfils her
motherly duties with lots of grace,” he said.
“Hers is a love I can fall back on always.”
Year 11 student at Nagle College, Blacktown, Chevonne
Lobo, loves her mother Kelly’s infectious laugh.
“You can hear it from a mile away, which is great since
it can instantly put you in a good mood,” she said.
“Seeing the way she sings in the parish choir has
allowed me to start my own youth choir in Church,
which has strengthened my faith in God, and I have
her to thank for that.”
Deacon Batsirai Maringehosi from Our Lady of the
Way Parish, Emu Plains, is grateful to his wife Charity
for helping their three children grow.
“On Mothers’ Day, we come together as a family
in the evening and pray particularly for her in our
evening prayers," he shared.
“Her greatest spiritual gift to me was allowing me
to pursue my call to the ministry of Diaconate. Even
though it was my calling, she gave it her blessing and
has joined me on the journey, taking it as her own.”
Our Lady a ‘perfect example’
“Our Blessed Mother Mary is the custodian of my
faith,” Deacon Batsirai said. “She journeys with me and
she cheers me up when I am feeling spiritually low.”
Jacob added, “Our Lady is unconditional love and
mercy ever flowing.
“She teaches me to nurture and softens my heart to
those in need.”
Chevonne said, “Mother Mary is a perfect example of
how we should live our lives.”
Honouring our mothers every day
Outside of the breakfasts in bed, flowers and gifts,
each person explains the importance of showing our
mothers appreciation every day of the year.
Deacon Batsirai told me, “Mothers are great leaders,
they hold together families through love. We can
show them our appreciation and acknowledge
Our Lady of the Rosary Parish youth leader Jacob
Boulus (right) with his mother Mary. Image: Supplied.
Nagle College student Chevonne Lobo (left) with her
mother Kelly. Image: Supplied.
24

their God-given gift of leadership by offering them
leadership roles in society. That way, Mother’s Day
will have more meaning.”
Jacob explained, “Sometimes, it can be as simple as
speaking words of love and genuine compliments to
her at least once a day.”
Chevonne said “Our mothers are constantly taking
care of us, so expressing to them that we are
appreciative is extremely rewarding.
“Going to Church and praying for them, doing the
small things – they all go a long way.”
Lord Jesus Christ, You chose to put yourself—
tiny, needy and helpless—into the nurturing
and watchful hands of a human mother.
Since then, every act of mothering, both
physical and spiritual, in every time and every
corner of the world recollects Mary’s.
Inspired by this example, we, too, honour our
mothers and mother figures today.
Bless these women, that they may be
strengthened as Christian mothers and nurturers.
Let the example of their faith and love shine forth.
Grant that we, their sons and daughters, honour
them always with a spirit of profound respect.
We ask this in your holy name. Amen.
A Mother’s Day Prayer, with thanks to the
Diocese of Wollongong
Deacon Batsirai Maringehosi (right back), currently
serving at Our Lady of the Way Parish, Emu Plains,
with his wife Charity (left back) and their three
children. Image: Supplied.
Mass offerings
for priests in need
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poor as the people they serve. For over fifty
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the Mass offerings of our benefactors to help
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offer a Mass for the intentions of the donor.
This custom of Mass offerings - dating back to
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Masses can be offered for the living or
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Children playing at Ambrose Mary Queen of the Family Catholic Early Learning Centre Blacktown South.
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
Out of the mouth of babes
STORY ANITA SULENTIC
When Jesus said, “let the children come to me”,
the reason was clear - “to such belongs the
kingdom of Heaven” (Luke 18:16). As adults, we
have a lot to learn from children – their pure faith,
trust, innocence, vulnerability, desire to grow and
constantly learn.
Properly listening to children is difficult. Yes, we can
all hear them babbling, screaming or asking for the
basic necessities, but sitting down and hearing what
they are actually saying – both verbally and nonverbally
is a skill unto itself.
Donna Harding, the Director of Ambrose Mary
Queen of the Family Catholic Early Learning Centre
in Blacktown South, has over 25 years’ experience
in caring for and educating children from 0 – 6
years old. Every day, she is learning from children
by listening to what they are saying, but more
importantly ‘listening’ to what they are doing.
26

“The most important thing is listening to children’s
voices,” says Donna. “If you actually take the time
to do this, they have quite a lot to say. They will
talk about their likes, what worries them, and what
they are learning.
“At Ambrose, we respond to those questions or
comments by providing toys and ways of exploring
to build confidence and extend their learning.”
Donna explains how children can be very articulate
and verbal, or alternatively, some are yet to develop
language skills or are quite shy. So, says Donna, the
importance of watching how they play or interact is
paramount. She talks about an example at Ambrose.
“Children were bringing toy Matchbox cars from
home. We took a moment to reflect and think why,
as there are so many toys here. But we realised,
the one thing that we didn't have was those little
Matchbox cars.
So how can we all learn to listen to children properly?
“Give them freedom to explore,” advises Donna.
“Treat them as capable citizens. Then listen to what
they say, watch how they play, ask their parents and
educators about them, and observe their interactions
and interests.”
Ambrose operates 55 early learning and out-ofschool
hours care services across the Diocese
of Parramatta. Ambrose is a social enterprise
of Community Ventures, the recently launched
trading name for the agency Catholic Diocese of
Parramatta Services Limited.
Find out more about Ambrose at ambrose.org.au
“Although the children didn't say anything, they were
showing us through their play and interactions that
this was an area they really wanted to explore. Now
we have those resources, and they are exploring
motion, building their social relationships and
interacting with each other through play.”
When children do talk, says Donna, they can be quite
honest, even brutal! Don’t be surprised if they talk
about your age, your looks, or anything else adults
might keep to themselves!
But, explains Donna, their vulnerability and sincerity
are quite palpable.
“When children are new to preschool, there will
always be those who are unsettled in the morning.
A little girl who returned from last year said to her
educator: ‘Oh, I don't know if I feel very happy today.’
“The educators got down to her level to ask: ‘Is it
because our new friends are a little bit upset?’ She
replied ‘yes’. So, they all sat together in a sensory
area to have small, incidental conversations such as,
‘look at that bird flying across the sky’. This made the
children feel more secure and settled and built trust.
“That is ultimately what we want for children
first and foremost, because then we will see their
learning and development flourish.”
27

Aspirations for Western Sydney students
drive new Catholic schools leader
STORY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS PARRAMATTA DIOCESE
With more than 20 years of experience
leading some of Australia’s largest not-forprofit
organisations, Jack de Groot, our new
new Executive Director of Catholic Schools
Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) is excited to begin
his new journey.
Jack is driven by supporting an education for
children and young people that is holistic, studentcentred
and unashamed about the pursuit of
excellence. He is particularly passionate about
ensuring access, equity and inclusion across CSPD’s
80 outstanding local schools.
For me, a Catholic education
is about the imagination and
the world of seeing everything
through the lens of the student.
New Executive Director of Catholic Schools
Parramatta Diocese, Jack de Groot, with Bishop
Vincent Long, at the Catholic Schools Parramatta
Diocese System Leaders' Day on 25 January
2023. Image: CSPD.

Shaped by a working life that includes social and
public policy advocacy in Victoria, supporting school
leadership teams for the Catholic Education Office
in Western Australia, addressing global injustice at
Caritas Australia and the last six-and-a-half years
leading the St Vincent de Paul Society in NSW, Jack
brings a strong focus on Catholic values, social
outreach and mission.
Raised in Melbourne, Jack is an avid AFL supporter.
He studied in both Melbourne and Sydney and is a
family man who enjoys spending time with his wife
Fiona and their two daughters.
Jack says his faith, Catholic identity and values are
an important part of his life and what he brings to
each role that he undertakes.
“The offering we have for the world is God who
offers the event of Jesus with a fullness of life and is
a sign to all of love, service and accompaniment,”
Jack reflects.
He highlights the work of the CSPD Jarara Cultural
Centre with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
students and their families, welcoming students
with disability and a strong focus on wellbeing as
exemplary strengths of the Diocese.
“To go to the edges means we are all confident
that the core offering we have is strong and that
we have great confidence to make a difference to
those who have been denied voice, participation,
access and resources.”
As he begins his work in the new role, Jack says he
is very keen to meet with school communities and to
learn more.
At the beginning of 2023, Catholic Education
Diocese of Parramatta became known as
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese.
“My Dad was a physicist in the nuclear age, and he
served in the Second World War. He had a robust
intellect and curiosity about faith and meaning.
He saw God in all things, he knew a God who is
incarnational, evolving and cosmic. I come from a
place of faith that offers openness. Since my days as
a young teenager, I have loved being present in the
local community and collaborating with people who
know suffering.
“My work has always taken me to these places
and my faith has reinforced that desire for change,
love and service.
“Western Sydney excites me because it never
underestimates the human aspirations and flourishing
of its community. It is hungry for access, for equity
and for all boats to rise. It flourishes because it has
the largest community of First Australians wanting
voice and it has the largest community of the most
recent arrivals who have often experienced lack of
voice as they left countries and to give voice and
hope to their families.”
He says Catholic schools can provide a
constructive, supportive and safe place for important
conversations including about the referendum on the
Indigenous Voice to the Australian parliament later
this year.
“These conversations are about the future of young
people in our schools and the Australia that they
are to be active citizens within,” he said.
Your place
to go places
ACU Blacktown
Visit
acu.edu.au/
blacktown
CRICOS 00004G | PRV12008
29

‘Towards a Spirituality of Synodality’
Sr Nathalie Becquart's visit inspires Catholic educators
STORY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS PARRAMATTA DIOCESE MISSION TEAM
During her visit to the Diocese of Parramatta, the
Vatican’s most senior female leader, Sr Nathalie
Becquart XMCJ, gave a lecture and participated
in a roundtable discussion on the importance
of active listening and dialogue within the
context of synodality in the Catholic Church. Sr
Nathalie drew on the example of Jesus and the
disciples on the road to Emmaus to illustrate
how listening and conversation can lead to
important realisations.
Frances Garzaniti, Principal of Holy Spirit Primary
St Clair, attended this lecture and was inspired
by Sr Nathalie’s message. Frances reflected on
the significance of synodality in Catholic schools,
emphasising the importance of journeying with
communities, listening with compassion and humility,
and allowing the Spirit to work through people.
Frances sees this approach as critical in creating
collaborative and inclusive learning environments
that value the contributions of all members of a
learning community.
Another attendee, Mark Pauschmann, Principal
of Parramatta Marist High School, Westmead,
shared his thoughts on synodality. Mark stated that
he believes synodality calls us to embrace open
and frank dialogue within the Church. He believes
that such dialogue can lead to new and fruitful
interpretations of what faith means to each of us. As
a leader in a Catholic school, Mark sees the call to
engage with those within his community who hold
differing views or interpretations as an opportunity to
deepen understanding and enrich the expression of
Catholic identity.
Sr Nathalie emphasised the
importance of involving young
people in the Church, stating
that they bring a unique
perspective and energy that
is essential for the Church's
growth and renewal.
Michelina Shinella, Religious Education Coordinator
from Cerdon College Merrylands, understands the
importance of forging stronger relationships with our
youth. Through relationships, she recognises the
opportunities for young people to have their voices
heard to get involved in order to help schools and the
Church remain relevant and engaged in the world.
The emphasis on active listening and dialogue
during Sr Nathalie’s visit affirmed a strong focus
on collaboration and inclusivity among Catholic
school leaders in the Diocese of Parramatta. This
has the potential to continue to grow supportive and
inclusive learning environments for both students
and teachers.
30

Holy Spirit Primary St Clair
Principal Frances Garzaniti is
inspired by synodality as she
connects with community
members through school
leadership. Image: CSPD.
Will you support our seminarians to
humbly serve our faith community?
“It is our joyful duty as Catholics to support our seminarians as they grow in
faithful love of God and prepare to humbly serve our community.”
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv | Bishop of Parramatta
Please give generously to the Bishop’s Good Shepherd Appeal
yourcatholicfoundation.org.au/appeal-shepherd

The Paschal candle, during the Easter
Sunday celebrations at St Patrick’s Cathedral,
Parramatta. Image: Diocese of Parramatta.

Looking Deeper
Looking Deeper
The following articles encourage deeper reflection,
prayer and personal learning.

Christ and the Garden of Olives by Paul
Gauguin. Image: Wikimedia Commons.

Looking Deeper
Cling to the rock
STORY BR MARK O'CONNOR FMS
As we prepare, once again, for the Easter
mysteries, the dramatic scene of Jesus’ Agony in
the Garden (Mark 14:32-52), is a rich source for
our prayer and meditation.
Each person (and maybe even our Church at times)
has to face their own ‘Agony in the Garden’ and there
is never any clear-cut rational way through these trials.
Often the best one can do is
to simply ‘cling to the rock’
like Jesus in Gethsemane
and trust despite our
emotional distress.
For it is in times of greatest humiliation that we come
to real and true depth of soul. When we feel shame
or powerlessness, or when we are being abused and
cannot defend ourselves, we are certainly vulnerable
to despair. But it is precisely through such humiliating
times that we can grow deeper in compassion,
graciousness and forgiveness, and not fall deeper
into hate, anger and revenge.
According to eminent Dominican biblical scholar
Jerome Murphy O’Connor, Mark the Evangelist, in his
Gospel account of the Agony in the Garden, is telling
us that Jesus really and fully ‘broke down’, before the
greatest crisis of his life.
After all, it is a human thing to have a mental
breakdown if you are about to be tortured to death!
This was no make-believe play-acting. Jesus was
‘falling apart’ emotionally.
Some Christians do not like the idea of Jesus having
a mental breakdown, of Him being ‘out of control’.
But personally, I find it a great consolation.
Our faith as Christians
challenges us to accept the
human frailty of Jesus, as
well as his divine nature.
It’s natural that we all fear pain and the prospect of
our own diminishment. We just do not want to think
about it. None of us – unless we are masochists –
welcomes suffering and death.
However, this acceptance of creaturehood, this
coming to peace with our human finiteness and
vulnerability, is such an important part of the ongoing
Easter journey that we must all undertake.
In the face of the Paschal mystery, as it lives out in
our own lives, the keywords are often to: 'let go'.
This Easter, let's ponder poet Mary Oliver's profound
advice, as each of us struggles to gracefully navigate
our own personal ‘Agony in the Garden’ – whatever
that may be…
To live in this world, you must
be able to do three things: to
love what is mortal; to hold it
against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to
let it go, to let it go.
Br Mark O'Connor FMS is Vicar for Communications in the
Diocese of Parramatta.
35

Appearance of Christ by Ukrainian artist Ivanka Demchuk.

Looking Deeper
The women disciples
first to greet the Risen Lord
STORY DR LAURIE WOODS
In all four Gospels, it is the women disciples
who are the first to witness that Jesus had risen
from the dead. Details in each Gospel differ but
Matthew notes that Jesus met Mary Magdalene
and ‘the other Mary’ on their way to tell the
disciples, while John gives an account of Jesus
appearing to Mary Magdalene alone.
Mark notes that only the women disciples saw the
intense agony Jesus endured on the cross. They had
been with him since Galilee days and had nurtured a
strong and life-giving relationship with him over many
months. They were driven with love and compassion
to be with Him in His last moments and this same
inner force of respect prompted Mary Magdalene,
Salome and Mary, the mother of James, to come
to the tomb on the Sunday morning to anoint the
body of Jesus.
Matthew tells us that on their way to deliver the news
from the heavenly messenger, they were astounded
and thrilled at meeting their Lord in person.
Instinctively, they fell on their knees hugging his legs.
This is a powerful scene of warm and affectionate
relationship, showing something the male disciples
did not appear to have.
John gives us a different perspective as he portrays
Mary Magdalene going alone to the tomb to be
with her Lord. She finds it empty then turns and
sees through her blurred teary vision a figure she
supposes is the gardener. Her recognition dawns
when Jesus speaks her name, which is the one word
that defines the intimacy of their relationship.
The women come to the tomb on their own initiative
seeking Jesus. They followed him to the cross
and are still following. Their attachment to him as
disciples is still vibrant. They stand in sharp contrast
to the men who fled in fear of arrest, who were not
with their Lord at the end and who had to rely on the
women for news of His rising from the dead.
Showing what it means to
be a follower of Jesus, the
women disregarded the social
expectation that women
should remain at home
privately involved in their
domestic duties.
Drawn by the charisma of Jesus, they joined Him,
risking hardship and disapproval. In fact, some of
them were wealthy enough to fund the band with
their own money.
The women did not have to declare fidelity to Christ.
Their commitment said it all. Nor did they leave a trail
of broken promises like some of the male disciples.
Being first to see the risen Christ, they simply
modelled discipleship as heralds of the Good News –
He is risen.
The role of these ladies in the Gospel accounts might
prompt us to appreciate how Jesus saw the women
in his company. They proved to be unshakeably
attached to Jesus and, in the end, totally reliable
as committed disciples. This could well urge us to
re-evaluate the role women might play in today’s
Church as teachers, ministers and bearers of the
Good News.
Dr Laurie Woods is a retired senior lecturer in Biblical Studies
at the Australian Catholic University, and currently conducts
teacher in-service sessions and parish reflection days. He
lives in the Diocese of Parramatta and is a member of Our
Lady of the Nativity Parish, Lawson.
37

The Uluru Statement from the Heart. You can read the full statement at ulurustatement.org
The Voice: Catholic considerations
STORY SR ANTONIA CURTIS OSB
A voice said, “Cry out.” and I said,
“What shall I cry?”
Isaiah 40:1
Scripture abounds with pleas from God calling on
us to cry out; to challenge injustice; to hear the
voices of the poor, the powerless, and the weak.
As Christians we cannot ignore these voices. Jesus
was, and still is, constantly asking people to listen, to
hear, to reach out, to live justly. And so, in Australia
now, at this moment, we need to question ourselves
honestly as to how well we listen, to the voices on
the margins of our Church, and especially to our
Indigenous brothers and sisters whose cry is: ‘Give
us a Voice’. But also
What Aboriginal people ask is that the
modern world now makes the sacrifices
necessary to give us a real future…To let us
breathe, to let us be free…. Let us be who we
are – Aboriginal people in a modern world
– and be proud of us. Acknowledge that we
are here with our songs, our ceremonies,
our land, our language and our people –
our full identity. What a gift this is that we
can give you, if you choose to accept us in a
meaningful way.
‘Rom Watangu’: Galarrwuy Yunupingu, The Monthly, July 2016
38

Looking Deeper
The Uluru Statement from the Heart calls for a
First Nations Voice to Parliament.
In an upcoming national referendum, we will all be
asked to listen and respond to this call. The Voice
would ensure that the views of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people are heard by lawmakers,
and could help Parliament enact better and more
effective laws. Will we give them a voice?
Pope Francis marking the 50th anniversary of the
Synod of Bishops said to us:
The world needs the Catholic Church
to witness to that Christian vision of
community, participation, solidarity
and joint responsibility. In too many
countries power is in the hands of just a
few people, the dignity of many is denied
and authority is abused.
Perhaps we could ask ourselves whether we are up
to this challenge. Are we capable of softening our
hearts and opening our ears to hear the voice calling
from Uluru? Are we afraid of the consequences for
our Church, our country? Are we afraid of telling and
hearing the truth? These are serious questions, and
they require of us the courage to allow ourselves to
be challenged. For:
Australia has a dark history, and we
need to recognise that and own it. We
also need to recognise that the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander peoples of
Australia have a unique and inherent
connection to, and responsibility for,
Country under their law and custom.
Dr. Ed Wensing, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy
Research at the Australian National University.
Pope Francis asks: “Are we good at listening? How
good is the ‘hearing’ of our heart? Do we allow
people to express themselves?”
“Listen to the world, to the challenges and changes
that it sets before us. Let us not soundproof our
hearts; let us not remain barricaded in our certainties.
So often our certainties can make us closed. Let us
listen to one another.”
50th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops.
The Australian Catholic Bishops, on the
recommendation of their key Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander advisers, have endorsed the Uluru
Statement from the Heart informed by the words of
Pope St John Paul II, who in a visit to Alice Springs
in 1986, said to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples: “You must not be allowed to disappear…
Your songs, your stories, your paintings, your
dances, your languages, must never be lost.”
The Plenary Council in Australia has also made
positive commitments for the Catholic Church to
endorse the Uluru Statement from the Heart; to
accept our responsibility for the part played by the
Church in the harms Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people have suffered; and to commit to
continuing to work toward recognition, Reconciliation
and justice.
Can we individually commit to moving out from our
comfort zones and embrace something new; to
humbly accept that there are things we can learn
from our Indigenous brothers and sisters?
Collectively we must consider how to come to
terms with unresolved and legitimate grievances of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples arising
from colonisation and its ongoing consequences.
‘Console my people, console
them’ says your God.
‘Prepare in the wilderness a
way for Yahweh.
Make a straight highway for
our God across the desert.
Isaiah 40:3-4
Find out about The Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Voice at the Australian
Government website voice.niaa.gov.au
Sr Antonia Curtis OSB is a Benedictine Sister at Jamberoo
Abbey. She recently conducted an online retreat on
Aboriginal Spirituality with Theresa Ardler of the Dahrawal
Nation. You can access the course, Sacred Connections at
www.jamberooabbey.org.au
39

12 MONTHS OF ACHIEVEMENTS
www.parracatholic.org/laudatosi
May 2022
Workshop for
Catechists and Special
Religious Educators June 2022
Workshop for
Catholic Schools
July 2022
Social Justice Reflection
Evening with attendees from
Parramatta, Sydney and
Diocese of
Parramatta
Broken Bay Dioceses August 2022
Workshop for
Chancery Office
September 2022
Diocesan Season
6
Registered Catholic
Earthcare Parishes
16
Registered Catholic
Earthcare Schools
of Creation Mass
at Holy Family
Parish, Emerton
November 2022
• Workshop for
Catholic Care
• Self-Assessment
for Chancery
Office & Diocesan
Development Fund
February 2023
Workshop for
Community
Ventures
October 2022
• Season of
Creation
Camping Trip
• Ecological
Spirituality
Retreat Day
• Climate Justice
Multi-Faith
Prayer Service
at St Patrick’s
Cathedral
March 2023
Climate Justice
Multi-Faith Prayer
Service at St Patrick’s
Cathedral
April 2023
Networking &
Formation Day
for Parish Social
Justice Groups
and Catholic
Earthcare Parishes

Caring for God's creation
First 12 months of Laudato Si' action
STORY SEBASTIAN SALASKE-LENTERN
Just after Easter 2022, the Diocese of Parramatta
followed Pope Francis’ invitation and embarked
on a seven-year journey towards achieving the
seven Laudato Si’ Goals.
These goals provide us with guidance on how we
can care more deeply for God’s creation and our
sisters and brothers in need. All parishes, schools,
families and Diocese of Parramatta agencies were
invited to consider their own response to the Pope’s
call and to develop their own Laudato Si’ Action Plan.
In the past 12 months, a lot of wonderful things have
happened across our Diocese which you can see
on the opposite page. We spoke to the Earthcare
Leaders at St Thomas Aquinas Parish, Springwood,
St Finbar’s Parish, Glenbrook and the Parish of
Richmond. All three have created Steering Groups
that report into the Parish Council and Parish Priest.
Richmond and Glenbrook have already conducted an
ecological audit, and Springwood plan to complete
one soon.
These parishes have found practical and spiritual
ways to support Laudato Si’ – from participating in
events such as Clean Up Australia Day, Earth Day
and Recycling Week to installing rainwater tanks,
solar cells and batteries that have “reaped financial
as well as ecological benefits”, according to Melissa
McDonald from St Finbar’s.
There have also been formation events such as
reflection days, an Advent Ecological Retreat
celebrating God’s incarnation as creation to a special
Mass for the feast day of St Francis of Assisi where
parishioners brought their pets.
All parishes are encouraged to reach out to the
Peace, Justice and Ecology Team at the Diocese
of Parramatta to find out how to get involved.
Contact met@parracatholic.org
7 Laudato Si’ Goals
• Response to the
cry of the earth
• Response to the
cry of the poor
• Ecological economics
• Adoption of simple lifestyles
• Ecological education
• Ecological spirituality
• Community engagement
and participatory action
Sebastian Salaske-Lentern is the Peace, Justice and Ecology
Coordinator in the Diocese of Parramatta.
41

Fr Andrew Bass, Parish Priest of Holy Cross Parish, Granville, celebrates Mass on Christmas
Day 2022 at Holy Trinity Church, Granville. Image: Richard Zaiter/Holy Cross Parish Granville.
A cuppa with the priest
Fr Andrew Bass,
Holy Cross Parish, Granville
STORY MARY BRAZELL
Fr Andrew Bass sees the beauty in the Divine.
His ministry as Parish Priest of Holy Cross
Parish, Granville, since 2015 is focused on the
importance of the liturgy, something he feels his
parishioners respond eagerly to.
“Liturgy, as the Second Vatican Council defined, is
the ‘action of Christ the priest and of His Body which
is the Church’ and ‘is a sacred action surpassing all
others’ (Sacrosanctum Concilium, n.7).
“The liturgy is filled with signs and symbols
all of which portray something more than they
are in themselves, because they reveal to us the
reality of God.
“Often, people are not taught these things and
so they perceive the Mass and other liturgies as
meaningless and empty, but that is because they
have not been shown what it all means. They have
not been given the chance to engage with it, and so
the wonders of it all remain hidden.”
The parishioners of Holy Cross agree. Many have
commented that they feel that now they are not
observers, but active participants at Mass.
“What drew me to his style of ministry was a
willingness to answer questions. If I had a question
such as ‘why does this happen in the Mass?’ or
‘what does this gesture represent?’, he would go
out of his way to explain it,” Parish Business and
Projects Manager John Portelli said.
42

“His first homilies explained the different gestures
and symbolism of the Mass. It gave us a different
appreciation and understanding of the Mass.”
Youth and Sacramental Coordinator Rosette
Chidiac agrees.
“Fr Andrew’s arrival was a key moment when
I felt like I had stopped watching and actually
participated in Mass. I could see my role and that
has been very nourishing.
“There are key people in my life that walked into
a Church for the first time because of Fr Andrew.
Seeing how he was offering Mass with such
reverence was a pinnacle moment and since then,
they’ve been attending Church every week,” she said.
Ordained in 2008, Fr Andrew served at St
Patrick’s Cathedral Parish as an Assistant Priest
and Administrator, before being appointed the
Diocesan Master of Ceremonies under then-Bishop
Anthony Fisher OP.
In 2014, he undertook studies in Sacred Liturgy at
the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome,
before being appointed Parish Priest at Granville.
The parish, according to Fr Andrew, has a desire for
beauty in the liturgy.
“The young, in particular those who serve, and those
who serve musically, often express an enthusiasm for
the richness and the beauty of the liturgy,” he said.
“They recognise it as a means of transcendence, of
other worldliness, of something which lifts them
above the profane to the divine, that gives them a
sense of purpose and fulfilment.
“When someone begins to understand the liturgy
– even things like the meaning of the colours of
the vestments, why the priest holds his hands in a
certain way, why there is incense – they are given the
chance to open themselves up to the immensity of
what the Church has given to us and they see that
what is given is not given by man, but by God.”
The parishioners are active and engaged, particularly
around Holy Week.
“The Good Friday ‘Cross Walk’ itself is a means of
drawing what are often seen as two worlds together
– our everyday world and the Church,” he said.
“We walk, carrying the Holy Cross from Holy
Trinity Church to Holy Family Church, praying the
Stations of the Cross. The stations are parishioners’
houses who have offered their homes as a
place of prayer.
“The walk is bookended by the churches and in
between, we have the homes of the parish. It draws
the lives of the faithful into the life of faith.”
Fr Andrew Bass, Parish Priest of Holy Cross Parish, Granville, with parishioners
during the parish pilgrimage retreat day in 2019. Image: Holy Cross Parish Granville.

Parish Profile
Holy Cross Parish, Granville
Diocese’s newest parish giving their best to God and the community
STORY MARY BRAZELL
As the global Catholic Church continues on
its pathway to synodality, Holy Cross Parish in
Granville has already had the opportunity to walk
together and listen to one another.
In September 2020, the two communities of Holy
Trinity, Granville, and Holy Family, East Granville,
were merged into one. Having a shared history
that dated back into the mid-1880s, the parishes
recognised that the merger would broaden and
enliven their community to work together.
Members of the parish community explained that it
wasn’t something that happened overnight, it was a
process that was undertaken step by step.
“We didn’t refer to parish events by referring to
individual parishes, but referred to them under
the Granville Catholic Community, to create
togetherness,” Parish Business and Projects
Manager John Portelli explained.
Parish “very blessed” to have Fr Andrew
The amalgamation wouldn’t have been possible
without their shepherd, Fr Andrew Bass, who
became Parish Priest in 2015.
“Fr Andrew is dedicated to giving so much to our
parish and during his time with us, has helped to
create so many new things, both devotional and
social, to try to get people to come together and get
involved,” long-term parishioners Spiro and Doris
Portelli said.
Youth and Sacramental Coordinator Rosette Chidiac
added, “Fr Andrew really utilises people’s skills. If
I’ve got an idea and the skill set, he trusts in us, he
doesn’t hold us back.”
Parish volunteer Claudette Takchi said, “He never
says no to an idea. He gives a lot of time to our
parish, and we’re very blessed to be led by him.”
“With a big change, it’s about the small steps you
take along the way, so when the new parish was
formed, nothing really changed. It had become the
norm because we had been collaborating for five
years leading up to it.
“For the parishioners, we might now be called Holy
Cross Parish, but the ins and outs and running of the
parish didn’t change.
“There were people that have been living in the area
for a long time who may have attended only Holy
Family Church or Holy Trinity Church and now were
crossing between Churches saying, ‘I’ve never been
to this Church before’, ‘I didn’t know this Church was
here’,” he said.
Piety shop volunteer and parishioner of 16 years,
Annette Wirz, added, “The parishioners help make
the parish grow. They are committed to building a
strong, God-loving and prayerful community.”
Parishioners of Holy Cross Parish, Granville (L-R), Claudette
Takchi, Annette Wirz, Doris Portelli, Spiro Portelli, Rosette
Chidiac and John Portelli. Image: Holy Cross Parish Granville.
44

Parishioners are seen during the Holy Cross Parish Good Friday
Cross Walk, a highlight of the parish’s Holy Week celebrations.
Image: Richard Zaiter/Holy Cross Parish Granville.
Holy Week allows parish to “give their best to God”
Like many parishes, the variety of liturgies and
devotions at Holy Cross invites parishioners to pray,
reflect and celebrate during the whole of Holy Week,
not just for a couple of days.
A highlight for many parishioners is Holy Thursday,
where they go ‘above and beyond’ to prepare altars
of repose for both churches that can take up to
four days.
“[In Holy Week], there is a camaraderie between us.
Sharing our resources between Holy Trinity and Holy
Family, and giving each other ideas means we are
giving our best to God,” John said.
Another way the parish comes together is during its
Good Friday Cross Walk, which travels between Holy
Trinity Church and Holy Cross Church. It was created
as a way to bring the former parishes together.
John said, “We’ll start getting requests before Lent
begins from parishioners to take part in the Walk –
it’s not just that they’re offering their houses as stops,
but they also take it upon themselves to create
outdoor prayer spaces, or offer bottles of water to
those taking part in the walk.
“It’s organic, it’s natural, it’s not requested or asked,
people just instinctively do it because of the spirit of
the occasion,” he said.
Rosette added, “If you want to see a testament of
community, it’s that Cross Walk.
“Granville is full of various religions, and walking
through the streets so publicly proclaiming your faith,
people stop with reverence, even non-Catholics.
People in cars do the sign of the cross, they turn
down their music as they drive past, and they stop to
let us cross the road. There’s always great reverence
throughout the whole thing,” she said.
Granville to become a home for people at Easter
In inviting parishioners and members of the Diocesan
community to see the Holy Cross Parish “at its best”
during Holy Week, the parishioners hope that the joy
of the Resurrected Christ enters their hearts.
“We see our churches filled throughout Holy Week, it
would be nice to see these people continue to go to
Mass during the year and get involved in the parish.
Just as we have benefited from helping in the parish,
so will they,” Spiro and Doris said.
“I hope that we all live our baptismal promises and be
the face of Christ to all that we meet,” Claudette said.
“I hope parishioners will be drawn to get involved more
in the parish and give what they can for the continued
growth of the parish and for God Himself,” John said.
“I hope that this season inspires many more people
to take this parish as their home,” Rosette said.
45

Seminarians Paul, Victor,
Jose, Jason, Patrick (back
row), Luke, Macky, Fr Paul,
and Fr John (front row)
Preparing future priests to be signs of
the Church that goes forth
STORY PARRAMATTA CATHOLIC FOUNDATION
Seminarians in the Diocese of Parramatta’s Holy
Spirit Seminary, Harris Park, are being formed for
faithful priestly service to our parish communities,
and, in turn, the people of our Diocese have an
opportunity to support and accompany them on
their journeys with a gift to the Bishop’s Good
Shepherd Appeal.
Thanks to the kind-hearted support of the people
of the Diocese of Parramatta, Holy Spirit Seminary
carries out its mission to prepare future priests
for the Diocese, like Luke Thien Quoc Huynh, and
provide excellent leadership in the communities
of the faithful.
Luke Huynh, now in his third year of formation, says
his involvement in the Church began as a child.
“The idea of becoming a priest came to me very
early,” he says.
Luke moved to Sydney as a student and continued
practising his faith, serving his Vietnamese Eucharistic
Youth Movement community as a youth leader while
completing a Bachelor of Accounting. But everything
changed when he attended the Diocese of Parramatta
Holy Spirit Seminary Open Day in 2018.
“After the ‘Come and See’ vocations event, there
was a desire which burned in my heart, to join the
Holy Spirit Seminary,” he says.
“I remember I sat in front of brother Matthew Dimian
(whom I can now call in joyfulness, Fr Matthew). We
had a great conversation and shared our stories.
He inspired me by answering my abundant, curious
questions and this set a fire in my thoughts to
discover more about my vocation.”
After graduation, Luke worked for a year in the
Diocese of Parramatta finance team before entering
the seminary.
46

“I recognised that my true inner peace, joy
and happiness were rooted in the service of
God’s people. It was here I found my journey –
my calling,” he says.
One of Luke’s seminarian brothers, Macky Amores, is
in his fourth year of formation at Holy Spirit Seminary.
It was through the Children of Today’s Choir in his
hometown of Bogo City, the Philippines, that Macky
received his first inkling of a vocational calling.
“I loved seeing the priest celebrating the liturgy of the
Mass and walking along the aisle. I imagined myself
wearing the white vestment and it seemed that when
I saw them I was lifted by the Holy Spirit, telling me
to be part of them,” he says.
A long journey brought Macky to Holy Spirit
Seminary. He went to university and became a
computer engineer, then a teacher. In 2011, he
was part of the Vincentian Popular Mission in
Negros Occidental. For the next six years, Macky
participated in mission trips across the Philippines
and began his novitiate formation with the
Vincentians before taking up teaching again.
In 2018, he was inspired to restart his vocational
journey and applied to join our Holy Spirit Seminary.
“Based on my own experiences as a missionary,
I wanted to take the chance and the opportunity to
share my abilities,” Macky says.
“In the future, we will become people’s servants,
leading them to salvation and to God, deepening
their faith and giving them a chance to be involved in
the Church.”
In his homily for the recent ordination of Fathers
Adam Carlow, Matthew Dimian and Jack Elkazzi,
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of
Parramatta, said the new priests were “a sign of hope
and renewal of God’s everlasting love for his people”.
He encouraged them to be “signs of the Church that
goes forth, sharing the presence, compassion and
love of Jesus with our brothers and sisters”.
Support our seminarians
to humbly serve our faith
community. To make
your donation, please
call (02) 8838 3482 or visit
yourcatholicfoundation.org.
au/appeal-shepherd

Watch, Read, Listen, Reflect
Catholic content for Autumn
Watch
Ride Like a Girl, 2019, PG, 1 hour, 38 minutes
Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the
Melbourne Cup in 2015, came from a Catholic family
in regional Victoria. Her biopic, Ride Like a Girl,
features the ups and downs of her story, including
the support she received from her local Church
community and the faith of her family where she was
the youngest of 10 children. Director Rachel Griffiths,
a Catholic, whose uncle is Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ,
has said in interviews she aimed to present a realistic
portrayal of a Catholic family. With a cast of wellknown
Australian actors, look out for the real Stevie
Payne who plays himself in the movie.
Image: Transmission Films
Ride Like a Girl is on Stan, Paramount+ or Apple TV
Read
Touch the Wounds, On Suffering, Trust, and
Transformation by Tomáš Halík
In this masterfully written book, Czech priest,
university pastor, psychotherapist and renowned
theologian Tomáš Halík calls upon Christians to
touch the wounds of the world and to rediscover
their own faith by loving and healing their neighbours.
One of the most important voices in contemporary
Catholicism, Tomáš Halík argues that Christians can
discover the clearest vision of God not by turning
away from suffering but by confronting it. Halík calls
upon us to follow the apostle Thomas’s example:
to see the pain, suffering, and poverty of our world
and to touch those wounds with faith and action.
It is those expressions of love and service, Halík
reveals, that restore our hope and the courage to live,
allowing true holiness to manifest itself.
Published by University of Notre Dame Press
48

Catholic Chats
Music
Sr Nathalie Becquart on
Soul Food
Alison Ryan from the Mission
Enhancement Team of the Diocese
of Parramatta sat down with Sr
Nathalie Becquart to discuss
synodality, her love of sailing and
having coffee with Pope Francis.
Add these tunes to your
reflection and family
prayer playlists.
• Altar
by Tekoa & Rory McKenna.
• Lean Back
by Capital City Music.
Available at thewell.org.au,
and Spotify
Catholic Influencers Podcast
with Fr Rob Galea
Join Fr Rob Galea, Alyssa
Agius and Justine Cumbo for
weekly conversations about
upcoming Sunday Mass readings
and relevant life topics from a
Catholic perspective.
• It Is Well
by Bethel Music.
• Canticle
by TAYA and Jon Guerra.
• I shall not want
by Audrey Assad.
• Jesus I Adore
by Emmanuel Worship.
Available on Spotify, and Apple
Classifieds
To place your ad in Catholic Outlook and reach over 8,500 families in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains,
contact Christina Gretton on 0439 594 726 or comms@parracatholic.org
Jesuit Refugee Services works with parishes to
raise awareness and give practical assistance to
people seeking asylum, refugees, and migrants in
vulnerable situations.
Download your Action and Solidarity Toolkit today
aus.jrs.net/en/take-action
At HW Catering, we deliver high quality and
diverse food in good time. Check our menu for
packages including finger foods, share platters and
business lunches.
Your order also supports the employment of
refugees and people seeking asylum.
howcatering.org.au

KIDS’ CORNER
JESUS AND MARY MAGDALENE AT THE TOMB
This Easter we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. Mary Magdelene
was one of Jesus’s loyal followers who was there when he died,
and she was the first person who saw Jesus on Easter Sunday.
By being able to tell others that she had seen Jesus alive again,
Mary Magdalene helps build the faith of others.
Image: TheCatholicKid.com
50

WORD SEARCH
P A R T I C I P A T I O N E
G U N T R I D U U M I M M S
G E T H S E M E N E O R A Y
P H N O I S S A P T M I E N
H O P E R R N N H A U Y T O
N E S I R O L E G L R S A D
M A O N I A R D E E L S L A
R N H S H M A L T P I H I L
O M S C A L L S T A A E P I
F I S R E A Y E N R U O J T
M A Y N S M F A S T I N G Y
P R E S U R R E C T I O N M
M T G N I V I G S M L A P I
R C H T I R I P S Y L O H S
ALLELUIA
ALMSGIVING
FASTING
GETHSEMENE
HOLY SPIRIT
HOPE
JOURNEY
MAGDALENE
MISSION
MOTHER MARY
MYSTERY
PARTICIPATION
PASCHAL
PASSION
PILATE
RESURRECTION
RISEN
SYNODALITY
TRIDUUM

Directory of services
(02) 8843 2500 or visit catholiccarewsbm.org.au
Chancery Office
www.parracatholic.org
(02) 8838 3400
diocese@parracatholic.org
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv
(02) 8838 3400
bishop@parracatholic.org
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
parra.catholic.edu.au
(02) 9840 5600
communityliaison@parra.catholic.edu.au
Community Ventures
(Catholic Diocese of Parramatta
Services Limited)
(02) 9407 7044
enquiries@cdpsl.org.au
www.communityventures.org.au
Ambrose Early Years Education
and School Age Care
(02) 9407 7044
enquiries@ambrose.org.au
www.ambrose.org.au
Catholic Care Western Sydney
and the Blue Mountains
(02) 8843 2500
catholiccarewsbm.org.au
Mission Enhancement Team
(MET Parramatta)
Catholic Youth Parramatta;
Peace, Justice, Ecology; Marriage;
Natural Fertility; Worship;
MET Facilitators
met@parracatholic.org
parracatholic.org/met
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
(02) 8838 3486
ccd@parracatholic.org
Tribunal Office
(02) 8838 3480
tribunal@parracatholic.org
Vocations
(02) 8838 3460
vocations@parracatholic.org
Parramatta Catholic Foundation
(02) 8838 3482
yourfoundation@parracatholic.org
Diocesan Development Fund
(02) 8839 4500
enquiries@parraddf.org.au
Holy Spirit Seminary
(02) 9296 6300
Office for Safeguarding
(02) 8838 3419
safeguarding@parracatholic.org
Ageing Well
Whatever your age, you will never be invisible to the people at Catholic Care. Our range of
supports aim to keep you living independently in your own home for as long as possible,
while staying connected with your friends and community.
Our Commonwealth Home Support Program support elderly people to stay living
independently at home, while our Community Visitor’s Scheme aims to reduce loneliness
and enrich people’s lives through fortnightly visits to residents at aged-care facilities.
Bringing a baby into the world
There are few things more important than caring for a newborn child. Our programs have helped
many young women who are feeling lost or have been excluded from their community and are
at risk of homelessness, to get the support they need. Our parenting support program supports
new parents finding the challenges of a newborn overwhelming.
Chaplaincy
Our chaplains provide spiritual and emotional support for patients and inmates, their
families and staff in the seven hospitals and three correctional centres throughout the
Diocese of Parramatta. An inclusive ministry available to all faiths, our 15 chaplains work
alongside others involved in the care of patients and inmates.
Children
Catholic Care offers a range of support services to ensure children are taken care of in any
situation. It starts with early years learning and childcare — our home-based early learning and
parenting program for families with young children helps them and their parents develop skills,
and our family day care helps kids get a good start with their education. Our creche is a thriving
early learning centre, providing care for children of Sudanese refugee women enrolled in English
classes offered on the grounds of Catholic Care.
Connecting with my Community
Our drop-in centres provide a safe place for people to belong and connect with others.
They are a place to be, a place to get information, join a group, and be accepted.
In Emerton, Aboriginal Catholic Services is a drop-in centre led by Aboriginal people for
Aboriginal people. In Blacktown, culturally and linguistically diverse families are accessing
support to settle into life in Australia by the team at All Saints of Africa. And at our Springwood
Drop-in Centre, established to support the community after the 2014 bushfires, clients stop by
for a chat, join a reading group or seek support with their mental health.
Living well with Disability
We all need a support network to live our lives to the fullest. Our disability support team, can
help you with living, learning and overcoming obstacles on your journey, whatever they may
look like. We can help you set goals, and achieve them, and help you build a brighter future.
As a registered National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider, we support clients
at home and in the community, whether you want to learn how to cook, need support with
personal care, or want to play sport.
Support for my Family
When life gets tough for our families, the people we care about most can suffer. Our range
of family support services can support you to better relate to your spouse and understand
their behaviour, to deal with dependence or gambling problems, single parenting, or just
connecting with your kids.
We support families who are going through the most difficult of times to cope through
separation, and with grief and loss. We help parents deal with all the stresses that can
impact your family, from anxiety and depression to money worries, gambling—we have the
people, the resources and the support to help you make it through.
52

Latest appointments
Most Rev Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, has confirmed these appointments in the
Diocese of Parramatta:
Rev Mr Tom Green
Deacon assisting at Mary, Queen
of the Family Parish, Blacktown,
as of 27 November 2022.
Rev Januario Pinto OCarm
Parish Priest at Our Lady
of Mount Carmel Parish,
Wentworthville,
as of 26 December 2022.
Rev Jepser Bermudez OSA
Parish Priest at Holy Spirit
Parish, St Clair-Erskine Park,
as of 13 January 2023.
Rev Chadi Ibrahim SBD
Assistant Priest at the Parish of
Baulkham Hills,
as of 16 January 2023.
Rev Neil Kumar
Bulathsinhalage SBD
Assistant Priest at St Aidan’s
Parish, Rooty Hill,
as of 16 January 2023.
Rev Galbert Albino
Assistant Priest at St Matthew’s
Parish, Windsor,
as of 16 January 2023.
Rev Jeff Miller SDB
Assistant Priest at Our Lady of
the Rosary Parish, St Marys,
as of 1 February 2023.
Rev Mr Jerome Emmanual
Deacon assisting at St
Bernadette’s Parish, Lalor Park,
as of 1 February 2023.
Rev Mr Charles Abela
Deacon assisting at Sacred
Heart Parish, Luddenham-
Warragamba,
as of 1 February 2023.
Rev Mr Alan Skofic
Deacon assisting at St Mary
of the Cross MacKillop Parish,
Upper Blue Mountains,
as of 1 February 2023.
Rev Treesen Silva
Assistant Priest at St Patrick’s
Parish, Guildford,
as of 8 February 2023.
Rev Adam Carlow
Assistant Priest at St Madeline
Sophie Barat Parish, Kenthurst,
as of 13 February 2023
Rev David Austin OSA
Assistant Priest at Holy Spirit
Parish, St Clair-Erskine Park,
as of 13 January 2023.
Rev Jeremy Santoso OSPPE
Assistant Priest at St Margaret
Mary’s Parish, Merrylands,
as of 28 January 2023.
Rev Mr David Dowling
Deacon assisting at St Patrick’s
Cathedral Parish, Parramatta,
as of 1 February 2023.
Rev Matthew Dimian
Assistant Priest at St
Bernadette’s Parish, Castle Hill,
as of 13 February 2023.
Rev Raymond Ugwu CSsP
Assistant Priest at Our Lady,
Queen of Peace Parish,
Greystanes,
as of 16 January 2023.
Rev Andrew Rooney
Assistant Priest at Mary, Queen
of the Family Parish, Blacktown,
as of 16 January 2023.
Rev Marcus Hazelman
Assistant Priest at Sacred Heart
Parish, Mount Druitt South,
as of 25 January 2023.
Rev Christopher Shorrock
OFM Conv
Parish Priest at Our Lady of the
Rosary Parish, Kellyville,
as of 1 February 2023.
Rev Mr Jerome D’Rozario
Deacon assisting at St Aidan’s
Parish, Rooty Hill,
as of 1 February 2023.
Rev Mr Batsirai
Maringehosi
Deacon assisting at Our Lady of
the Way Parish, Emu Plains,
as of 1 February 2023.
Rev Jack Elkazzi
Assistant Priest at Our Lady,
Queen of Peace Parish,
Greystanes,
as of 13 February 2023.
Rev Br Hoang Huy Nguyen OSA
Deacon assisting at Holy Spirit
Parish, St Clair-Erskine Park,
as of 24 February 2023.
Voice of the people
As the global Catholic Church continues on its journey of synodality, how can we all be ‘Church’?
“The Church is
still in an uphill
journey to engage
with everyone in
synodality. We
are not yet in the
habit of this deep
listening (what aboriginals call “dadirri”),
of opening ourselves freely to the Word
of God coming through the Spirit. Part of
the struggle in the Church is the different
understandings of ecclesiology, of what
“Church” actually means and its purpose
and that might be a good place to start.”
Fr Gregory Jacobs SJ
Parish Priest at Holy Family Parish, Mt
Druitt. Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
“By recognising
that each of us
make up the
Body of Christ,
and are called
to do our part
in building
relationships based on trust,
understanding, kindness and
compassion towards all people. For
me, I look out for those ‘everyday’ kind
of moments to be a witness of the
gentle yet bold example of Jesus.”
Gen Bryant
Melbourne-based Catholic singer-songwriter,
who performed at the Catholic Youth
Parramatta LIFTED Launch in February
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
53
“We can all be
‘Church’ through
the way we live
out our faith in
our daily lives,
particularly
how we show
love and compassion to those around
us. We must be open to journey with
others through dialogue and to hear
new perspectives to help us to see our
common humanity.”
Melinda Chand
local teacher and parishioner at Our Lady,
Queen of Peace Parish, Greystanes.
Image: Supplied.

LENT APPEAL
Celebrating 25 years
COIN OFFER
To celebrate our Silver 25-year milestone we have created a special commemorative coin to
thank our supporters. We ask you to donate $25 a month for four months (or longer) or donate
$100 or more and we’ll send you this limited-edition souvenir in a display box. The coin features
a beautiful colour image of our founder Fr Jules Chevalier. This year we need to fund more
projects than ever before, and you can make a difference to the lives of thousands of people
in developing countries by contributing to worthwhile life-changing projects that give people
a hand-up not a hand-out. Our administration costs are minimal ensuring over 90% of funds
donated actually are spent on the ground. All donation money is fully accountable, and all Coin
donations are tax-deductible.
We sincerely thank you for your valuable support. Please consider a donation to help us
help others. Phone our office today.
DONATE TODAY
PHONE: (02) 9697 0983 | ONLINE: www.mscmission.org.au
MAIL: PO BOX 177, Kensington NSW 1465 | Donations are tax deductible $2 and over
www.mscmission.org.au | Phone (02) 9697 0983
Scan the QR code
to go to our Donations
page
MSC Mission Office Australia
02 9697 0983 | Donate online at www.mscmission.org.au
PO Box 177, Kensington NSW 1465
E mscmisio@mscmission.org