Catholic Outlook Magazine |Season of Creation Edition | 2024 Issue

FREE
M A G A Z I N E
DIOCESE OF PARRAMATTA NEWS AND VIEWS
Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross | Remembering Bishop Manning | Our next crop of teachers
Parishioners recognised for extraordinary service | Our new Pastoral Plan I A cuppa with Fr Giovani
Season of Creation | Spring 2024

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
Deputy Editor:
Antony Lawes
Head of Communications and Engagement:
Anita Sulentic
Cover image
Cross in front of entrance to Church in Barichara, Santander, Colombia.
Photo by Marwin Hernando Tavera Vera. Source: Pexels.
Communications Manager:
Belinda Gadd
Senior Communications Offi cer:
Mary Brazell
Communications Assistant:
Mary-Jane Chemuel
Design:
Martin Zitricky
Nihil Obstat:
Fr Wim Hoekstra
Accounts:
accounts@parracatholic.org
Printing:
IVE Group Australia Pty Ltd
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.
Catholic Outlook is a member of the
Australasian Catholic Press Association.
© Diocese of Parramatta 2024
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.
Here in the Diocese of Parramatta, we gather on Country on which
members and Elders of the Darug and Gundungurra communities
and their forebears 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.
‘A symbol of Change and Self Reflection’ (2024) by Kaiden, a student at Xavier College, Llandilo. Image: Supplied.

A message from the Editor
Dear friends,
Our September 2024 issue celebrates and
rejoices in the new life and good news
abounding here among the People of God in
Parramatta.
It also challenges us to accept that such new life
can only really begin when we die to ourselves and
surrender our egos to the mercy of our
gracious God.
And I recommend for your reading the beautiful
reflection ‘While I breathe I hope’ (pp 54-55) by our
Vicar for Consecrated Life, Sr Patty Andrew OSU;
reviewing the faith-filled diary of theologian Richard
Gaillardetz in his last year of life.
September’s Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross
reminds us powerfully of a central paradox of our
faith: only in following the crucified Jesus, in his
dying and letting go, can we find true peace and joy
(See the moving reflection of Chris Monaghan CP
on ‘A Spirituality of the Cross’ (pp 56-57).
As we journey through the seasons of our lives, we
hopefully learn as Gabriel Daly OSA observes: “That
the world is not simply there for our convenience
and that, although we are stars in our own drama,
we have mere walk-on parts in the dramas of
others. We go through the alienating experience
of adolescence, the leaving of home, the loss of
friends. And so it goes on, with each crisis inflicting
lacerations and bruises which combine to make
an average life both an exercise in survival and an
adventure story.”
If, however, we can’t surrender and let go like Jesus
of Nazareth, then the danger is that we become
people who try to control others. Often, we risk
suffocating those we love, because we think we
know what is best for them!
But authentic Christian love sets people free
because it can let go. And such love is all around
us! The good news stories inside this issue illustrate
that so many people, ministries, schools and
parishes in our local Church live out such freeing
Gospel love.
As Karl Rahner SJ has put it so beautifully: “In the
end you leave with empty hands, that I know; and it
is well. At that moment you look at the crucified one
and go. What comes is the everlasting mystery
of God.”
As we celebrate this spring, may we all have the
courage to let go and follow our crucified Lord
more closely.
Br Mark O’Connor FMS
'Cross of Joy' by Mimmo Paladino.
Editor of Catholic Outlook and Vicar for Communications.
The grace-filled story of our Synodal Church
process and plan (pp 24-25), the devoted service
from Bishop Kevin Manning (pp 14-17) to Maureen
Sewell (pp 26-27) and Fr Giovani Presiga (pp 58-59)
are but a few examples of the witness of ordinary
people living out their faith by letting go.
03

Excellence Excellence in
in in in
education education
80 Our great Our 80 80 local great great Catholic local local Our Catholic schools 80 great are schools local enrolling are Catholic are enrolling now. schools now. now. are e
Learn more Learn Learn parra.catholic.edu.au
more more parra.catholic.edu.au
Learn more parra.catholic.edu.a

PAGE 14
On the
PAGE 22
Inside
PAGE 24
Season of Creation | Spring 2024
14 We pay tribute to Most Rev Kevin Manning DD:
Parramatta's second shepherd
22 Pilgrims of hope: Dr Myriam Wijlens on the renewal of
the Catholic Church
24 Building on our synodal journey:
A Diocesan Plan grounded in love
32 How young Catholics in the Diocese are deepening
their faith
44 Find out more about Catholic Schools’ new strategy
that captures the core mission of Catholic education
PAGE 32
PAGE 44
58 Priesthood to peacemaker: discover Fr Giovani
Presiga’s deep commitment to building a community of
peace through faith and service
FOLLOW US:
Want more inspiration and news that is totally free?
Subscribe to Catholic Outlook online – catholicoutlook.org.
PAGE 58
Diocese of Parramatta
@parracatholic
05

Outlook Looks
An outpouring of love for Bishop
Kevin Manning
On Friday 2 August, the Diocese of Parramatta lovingly
farewelled Bishop Emeritus Kevin Manning DD, the second
Bishop of Parramatta, during his Mass of Christian Burial at
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta. Archbishops, bishops,
clergy and civil dignitaries joined in the hundreds of
mourners paying their respects to Bishop Manning and the
extraordinary impact he had in the Diocese of Parramatta.
Turn to page 14 to read more about Bishop Kevin Manning’s
life and legacy.
The Solemn Mass of Christian Burial for Bishop Kevin Manning at St Patrick's
Cathedral, Parramatta. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta.
Launching our Pastoral Plan for a
Synodal Church
On Saturday 10 August, the Diocesan Pastoral Plan for a
Synodal Church 2024-2028 was launched. This plan emerged
from our 16-month synodal journey, which envisioned a new
path forward for our Diocese. Over 200 clergy and lay leaders
from local parishes, schools, and agencies came together to
celebrate this pivotal event. The Diocesan Gathering included
plenary sessions, practical workshops, and facilitated
dialogue; all leading to a collective commitment and action
toward local implementation.
The Diocesan Gathering at Western Sydney Conference Centre, Penrith.
Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta.
The Pastoral Plan is the result of extensive listening, dialogue,
and discernment throughout our Diocese. Find out more on
pages 24-25.
Supporting our spiritual fathers
While we always thank God for our wonderful fathers and
father figures each Father’s Day, it’s important to remember
our priests and spiritual fathers. Our Clergy Support
Foundation is raising awareness and funds to help support
our retired priests, many of whom would struggle without
the Foundation. Your generosity will help support our ageing
priests’ health and wellbeing during retirement.
Read more about the Bishop’s Father’s Day Appeal and the work
that Mark Buhagiar, Ellen Small and Peter Noone do in caring for
our retired priests on pages 36-37.
06
Retired priest Fr John Goulding (right) with parishioner Jason Irawan.
Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta.

Outlook Looks
Celebrating a year since World YoutH DAY
It’s been more than 12 months since our 170 World Youth Day
pilgrims returned from an epic journey to Lisbon, Portugal. Our
pilgrims gathered at West HQ, Rooty Hill to celebrate and reflect
on their pilgrimage experience, while discussing their faith,
deepening their relationship with God and revelling in Bishop
Vincent’s awesome ‘selfie’ skills.
A lot has happened in a year for our pilgrims, so find out more on
pages 28-29.
Bishop Vincent Long (centre-right) with World Youth Day pilgrims during
their one-year reunion at West HQ, Rooty Hill.
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
Social Justice Statement launcheS
in the Diocese
Each year, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) issues a Social
Justice Statement regarding current social, economic and ecological issues.
In the 2024-2025 Social Justice Statement, Truth & Peace: A Gospel Word in
a Violent World, Australia’s bishops scrutinise the signs of our own troubled
times, observe the violence around us, and ask why it is so. They also ask
what is needed if there is to be peace.
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, as Chair of the ACBC’s Commission for
Social Justice, Mission and Service, launched the 2024-2025 Statement
in late August at St Pauls Catholic College, Greystanes.
Read more about the Social Justice Statement Launch on Catholic Outlook online.
To download your copy of the Social Justice Statement,
visit socialjustice.catholic.org.au
Image: Supplied.
Child Protection Week bolsters the
power of conversations
National Child Protection Week is an important event in Australia
that takes place each year on the first Sunday of September.
Founded by the National Association for Prevention of Child
Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN), this year’s theme is ‘Every
conversation matters’, as conversations are a powerful tool in
understanding issues, creating solutions and raising awareness.
By participating in this week, we’re saying “yes” to making our
community a better place for everyone.
Image: Supplied.
To find out more about our commitment to
safeguarding, please visit
parracatholic.org/safeguarding
07

Outlook Looks
World Day of Migrants and Refugees
The World Day of Migrants and Refugees is observed
annually on the last Sunday of September, with this year’s
theme being ‘God walks with his people’. First celebrated
in 1914, this day is for Catholics to remember and pray
for the millions of people who are displaced by conflict,
persecution, and economic difficulties around the world.
The Diocese of Parramatta will be hosting an event
for World Day of Migrants and Refugees at the end
of September.
Check out parracatholic.org/events for more information.
Image: Shutterstock.
WE ARE
HIRING
HIRING
WE ARE
All experience levels welcome
Are you passionate about helping children
reach their potential?
All experience levels welcome
Are you looking for for a a workplace where you
Are you passionate about helping children
are respected and encouraged to to grow?
reach their potential?
Join our team!
Are you looking for a workplace where you
are respected and encouraged to grow?
Join our team!
Discuss your Ambrose options
with one one of of our our friendly team.
Email: jobs@ambrose.org.au
Discuss your Ambrose options
with one of our friendly team.
Email: jobs@ambrose.org.au
Visit: ambrose.org.au/find-a-job
Good luck to our HSC students!
We wish the best of luck to all our Year 12 students
across the Diocese who are gearing up for their HSC
exams in October. With all your hard work and dedication
coming to fruition, we pray that you are filled with
confidence and calmness as you tackle your final exams.
Remember to believe in your abilities, stay positive, and
take care of yourselves – you’ve got this!
Contact our Catholic Youth Parramatta team via
met@parracatholic.org for care packages
for our HSC students.
Year 12 student leaders at the LIFTED Breakfast with
the Bishop forum in June 2024. Image: Alphonsus Fok/
Diocese of Parramatta.
Ambrose is a is social a social enterprise of of the the Catholic Diocese of of Parramatta Services Limited

Compassion is
a universal language.
Come speak it with us.
www.caritas.org.au
1800 024 413
Charles
Zimbabwe

WHAT'S ON
in the Diocese?
11-13 SEPTEMBER
Catholic Diocesan Archivists of
Australia Conference,
Novotel Sydney Parramatta
12-14 SEPTEMBER
Virtual Catholic Earthcare
Australia Season of
Creation Convocation
14 SEPTEMBER
Diocesan Season of Creation
Gathering (part of Catholic
Earthcare Convocation),
Winbourne Edmund Rice Retreat
Centre, Mulgoa
BEGINNING 17 SEPTEMBER
FaithLIFE Spirituality Course
Bishop Bede Heather Centre,
Blacktown
19 SEPTEMBER
Worship Children’s Liturgy
Workshop
Bishop Bede Heather Centre,
Blacktown
20 SEPTEMBER
Holy Hour for Vocations
Mary Immaculate Parish, Quakers
Hill-Schofields
20 AND 22 SEPTEMBER
Pre-marriage preparation course
Bishop Bede Heather Centre,
Blacktown
24 SEPTEMBER
Natural Fertility Instruction
Session via Zoom
27 SEPTEMBER
Catholic Schools Term 3 ends
28 SEPTEMBER
Diocesan World Day of Migrants
and Refugees gathering
29 SEPTEMBER
World Day of Migrants
and Refugees
5 – 6 OCTOBER
Catholic Youth Parramatta
HSC Masses
14 OCTOBER
Catholic Schools Term 4 begins
15 OCTOBER – 5 NOVEMBER
HSC Examinations
17 OCTOBER
LIFTED GO: 2024-2025 Social
Justice Statement workshop,
West HQ, Rooty Hill
18 AND 20 OCTOBER
Pre-marriage preparation course
Bishop Bede Heather Centre,
Blacktown
18 OCTOBER
Holy Hour for Vocations
St Aidan’s Parish, Rooty Hill
20 OCTOBER
World Mission Day
The FaithFeed
Bishop Bede Heather Centre,
Blacktown
22 OCTOBER
Natural Fertility Instruction
Session via Zoom
25 OCTOBER
Special Religious Education
Teachers Reflection Day
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish,
Seven Hills
26 OCTOBER
LIFTED Live in the Forecourt
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta
27 OCTOBER
Annual Diocesan Wedding
Anniversary Mass
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta
28 OCTOBER
Special Religious Education
Teachers Reflection Day
St Finbar’s Parish, Glenbrook
BEGINNING 29 OCTOBER
FaithLIFE Ministry Skills
Bishop Bede Heather Centre,
Blacktown
6 NOVEMBER
Peace, Justice Ecology Sharing
via Zoom
7 NOVEMBER
Catholic Youth Parramatta
Duc in Altum Happy Hour
The Log Cabin, Penrith
12 NOVEMBER
Annual Vatican II Lecture
Bishop Bede Heather Centre,
Blacktown
Natural Fertility Instruction
Session via Zoom
15 NOVEMBER
Holy Hour for Vocations
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta
22 AND 24 NOVEMBER
Pre-marriage
preparation course
Bishop Bede Heather Centre,
Blacktown
22 NOVEMBER
Special Religious Education
Annual Mass and Awards
Presentation
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta
24 NOVEMBER
Local celebration of World Youth
Day
Catholic Youth Parramatta
Leaders Commissioning Mass
26 NOVEMBER
FaithLIFE Advent Scripture Night,
Bishop Bede Heather Centre,
Blacktown
29 NOVEMBER
Anniversary of the Dedication of
St Patrick's Cathedral
1 DECEMBER
First Sunday of Advent
For more events around the Diocese of Parramatta, or to register your interest, please visit parracatholic.org/events
10

Pope’s Prayer intentions
Each month, Pope Francis asks us to pray as a global community for his great
concerns for humanity and for the mission of the Church.
SEPTEMBER 2024 | For the cry of the Earth
Let us pray that each of us listen with our hearts to the cry of the Earth and of the victims of
environmental disasters and the climate crisis, making a personal commitment to care for
the world we inhabit.
OCTOBER 2024 | For a shared mission
Let us pray that the Church continue to sustain a synodal lifestyle in every way, as a sign of
co-responsibility, promoting the participation, communion and mission shared by priests,
religious and laity.
NOVEMBER 2024 | For those who have lost a child
Let us pray that all parents who mourn the loss of a son or daughter find support in their
community and may receive peace of heart from the Spirit of Consolation.
Two women are seen embracing during the 2023
Members of the inaugural Diocesan Diocesan Synod World during Day of the Migrants opening and session Refugees at CommBank
Stadium, Parramatta, in October 2023. Celebration. Image: Image: Alphonsus Diocese Fok/Diocese of Parramatta. of Parramatta.
11

A reenactment of the Passion of the Christ during Catholic Youth Parramatta’s Good Friday Night Walk at St Patrick’s Cathedral,
Parramatta, April 2024. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta.
12

WAY OF THE
CROSS
Lord Jesus, help us to see in your Cross all the
crosses of the world:
The cross of those who hunger for bread and for love;
The cross of those who thirst for justice and peace;
The cross of the elderly who are bowed down under
the weight of years and loneliness;
The cross of migrants who find doors closed because
of fear, and hearts sealed by political calculations;
The cross of the little ones, wounded in their
innocence and purity;
The cross of our weaknesses, our hypocrisies, our
betrayals, our sins and our many broken promises;
The cross of your Church which, faithful to your
Gospel, struggles to carry your love even among the
baptised themselves;
The cross of our common home that withers
seriously before our selfish eyes that are blinded by
greed and power.
Lord Jesus, rekindle in us the hope of the
resurrection and of your definitive victory
against all evil and all death.
Amen!
Excerpt from the prayer of Pope Francis at the 2019 Way of the Cross at the
Colosseum, Good Friday, 19 April 2019.
13

2.11.1933
20.12.1961
Born to a Catholic
Ordained to the
family, the second of
Priesthood in Rome
seven children
Remembe
Bishop Emeritus Kevin Manning
BY BELINDA GADD
We reflect on the life and legacy of the Diocese’s
second Bishop, who served God and the
community through leadership, humility
and courage.
Personable, humble and compassionate, Most
Reverend Kevin Manning DD was the epitome of
a Good Shepherd, having laid the foundations of
Australia’s youngest and fastest-growing Diocese.
Humble beginnings
Born on 2 November 1933 to a strong Catholic
family, and the second eldest of seven children,
Kevin Michael Manning was a country lad at heart.
His parents Kevin and Edith Manning sent him to
the local Sacred Heart Primary School, and he was
known simply as ‘Mick Manning’ to his loved ones as
he grew up in Coolah, NSW.
Being raised in the Catholic way during a post-
Depression era, showing generosity to others and
exuding gratitude for God’s gifts were values that
followed Bishop Manning throughout his life.
Following high school, he began studying for the
priesthood at St Columba's Seminary in Springwood.
He completed his studies at the Propaganda Fide
College in Rome.
From ‘Aussie battler’ to bishop
After being ordained to the Priesthood in Rome at
the age of 28, Bishop Manning served as a priest in
the Diocese of Bathurst for 16 years. He became the
eighth Bishop of Armidale in 1991, where he served
for six years.
In 1996, a devastating fire tore through St Patrick’s
Cathedral in Parramatta.
The destruction of the cathedral shook the tight-knit
community and received national attention. Following
the fire, Most Rev Bede Heather, then-Bishop of
Parramatta said that “a new St Patrick’s will rise from
these ashes”. From these ashes, Bishop Manning
sought a new opportunity working within the Diocese
of Parramatta, and he sought to build a new Church in
more ways than one.
14

1962 - 1978
Served as a priest
in the Diocese of
Bathurst for 16 years
red:
1987
Celebrated the 25th
anniversary of his
ordination
Muslim community,” Bishop Vincent said.
“In addition, he was a strong advocate for the
underprivileged and marginalised.”
1991
Ordained the eighth
Bishop of Armidale
Parramatta’s second shepherd
Bishop Manning was appointed the second Bishop
of Parramatta by Pope St John Paul II on 10 July
1997, and was installed in the Morley Centre at
Parramatta Marist High School, Westmead, on 21
August 1997.
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv described how
the restoration and construction of St Patrick’s
new Cathedral to meet the needs of the growing
congregation was Bishop Manning’s
“greatest legacy”.
“This was a project he oversaw and delighted in its
planning and construction after the disastrous fires,”
Bishop Vincent said.
Bishop Manning was also a pioneer in social justice
for the people of Western Sydney and the Blue
Mountains. He promoted unity among the world’s
churches and his role as president of the NSW
Ecumenical Council showed that he was a strong
supporter of ecumenism in Australia.
“Bishop Kevin was one of the first Christian leaders
in this country to reach out to members of the
“Let us give thanks to God for the many blessings
that Bishop Manning brought us through his
leadership and ministry for many decades.”
Bishop Manning served as Bishop for over 12 years
until his retirement on 4 March 2010 when he was
succeeded by then-Bishop Anthony Fisher OP, the
third Bishop of Parramatta. He was appointed as
Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Wilcannia-
Forbes in 2010 until 2012.
On 15 July, he passed away peacefully in Bathurst
at the age of 90.
Bishop remembered
Hundreds of mourners paid their respects during his
Mass of Christian Burial led by Bishop Vincent and
included Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP (Sydney),
Archbishop Mark Coleridge (Brisbane), Archbishop
Patrick O’Regan (Adelaide), as well as bishops,
clergy, relatives and friends, both in person and
online globally.
He is remembered for his excellent administration
and leadership, as well as his ‘no-nonsense’
common sense approach. His humble and generous
spirit was reflected in his limited number of physical
possessions. He enjoyed a good joke and a round
of golf.
15

1997
Appointed and installed
as the second Bishop of
Parramatta
29.11.2003
St Patrick’s Cathedral Parramatta is
dedicated by Cardinal Cassidy.
2006
Opened Campion College in
Toongabbie and was awarded the
Kahlil Gibran International Award.
A Diocesan legacy
• Served as Assistant Secretary then Secretary
to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
for 13 years
• Held many positions within several dioceses,
including Chancellor, Episcopal Vicar
for Education and Religious, Director of
Vocations, Director of Pontifical Missions
Society, and more.
• One of Australia’s first Christian leaders to
reach out to the Muslim community
• Inspired the Bishop Manning Lecture Series: a
leading forum for social justice
• Established the Diocesan newspaper (now
Catholic Outlook magazine)
• Opened Campion College in Toongabbie
in 2006
• Received the Khalil Gibran International Award
for his work among Arab Christian and Muslim
communities in 2006
• Led the design and construction of the new St
Patrick’s Cathedral, which opened in 2003
True to his nature, his motto ‘Christ the Bread of Life’
was the only one written in English rather than Latin
on his crest among the Armidale and
Parramatta bishops.
An outpouring of love
In delivering the homily at his funeral, Bishop Robert
McGuckin, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of
Toowoomba said justice and peace were very much
important issues to the late Bishop, whether it was
through fundraising, helping the poor and needy, or
rebuilding St Patrick’s Cathedral.
“Courageous he was and courageous he’ll always
remain,” Bishop McGuckin said.
He described Bishop Manning as “a man of faith,
service, hope, commitment, gentleness and
compassion, and especially – of communion.”
Following the funeral, Fr Paul Slyney from Our Lady
of the Nativity Parish, Lawson, remembered Bishop
Manning as “a good man”.
“He was an extraordinary man, who came in at
difficult times. He helped this Diocese to flourish.”
Fr Paul gave an example of how Bishop Manning
sought opportunities to make positive changes in the
lives of others, no matter how small.
Fr Paul shared how Bishop Manning worked closely
with the Catholic Education Office to implement a
program at an Anglican school with students with
16

2010
Retired as Bishop of Parramatta,
and served as Apostolic
Administrator for the Diocese of
Wilcannia-Forbes for two years
2011
Celebrated the 50th
anniversary of his ordination
2024
Died in Bathurst, NSW
disabilities to ensure those students were able to
participate in receiving the sacraments.
City of Parramatta Council Lord Mayor Pierre Esber
agreed. “He was a good man, a really distinctive
man,” he said.
President of the Australian Catholic Bishops
Conference, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB also
expressed his appreciation for Bishop Manning’s
“generous and faithful commitment to the work of the
Bishops Conference over many years.”
Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, Archbishop of Sydney
and the third Bishop of Parramatta, praised Bishop
Manning for his achievements as a faithful shepherd
with a heart for “battlers”.
“I was lucky enough to inherit from him a diocese
in very good shape: as its second bishop he had
presided over a period of rapid growth, so that it was
already bigger than most Australian archdioceses,”
Archbishop Fisher told the Catholic Weekly.
“Behind all these achievements there was a nononsense
country boy, a humble man of God, and
a good shepherd with a strong sense of duty and a
genuine interest in people.”
The Australian Catholic Church owes much to the
leadership, vision, mercy and compassion of Bishop
Kevin Manning. We continue to pray for the repose of
his soul and give thanks to God for his earthly life.
In Memoriam
Through his life, Bishop Manning touched
the lives and hearts of many within the
Diocese and beyond. Here are some
heartfelt condolences.
“Heaven has gained the most beautiful
angel, thank you for all your compassion in
all your work here on earth.”
Lucy (niece)
“Thank you dearest Bishop Kevin for your
support and prayers throughout the years.”
Salwa
“You formed, supported and walked with
many young people who were questioning
and unsure of their connection to the
Catholic Church with patience
and gentleness.”
Amanda
“Bishop Manning ordained me ... I'm forever
grateful for his support and friendship.”
Warren
“He was a gift to our earth.”
Susan
17

A man venerates a crucifix during the Good Friday Veneration of the Cross service at St Thomas Aquinas
Parish, Springwood. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta.
Finding strength
in carrying
Christ’s cross
BY FR FERNANDO MONTANO
The month of September brings to us the
celebration of the Feast of the Exaltation of the
Holy Cross on the 14th of the month. The feast
celebrates the dedication of the Church of the Holy
Sepulcher around the year 335 and the feast has
been part of the calendar of the Roman Catholic
Church since around the 7th century.
In Latin American countries like Mexico, where I
come from, the ‘Holy Cross Day’ as it is usually
known, is celebrated on 3 May and the tradition for
this day mentions that it celebrates the discovery of
the True Cross of Christ by St Helen on 3 May 326.
The diversity of celebrations about the Holy Cross
of Jesus is always an invitation for us to stop
and reflect on the importance and significance
that the Cross has in the Christian life. During the
celebration of the Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord
on Good Friday, we are called to “Behold the wood
of the Cross on which hung the salvation of
the world”.
The prominence of the Cross in the lives of the
disciples is something that comes from Jesus
Himself. In the minds and hearts of each of us, we
hear the voice of Jesus about the necessity to carry
our crosses and be ready to follow Him (Mk 8:34).
Only then, we will be worthy of being His disciples
(Mt 10:38; 16:24-28).
As we listen to the voice of Jesus, we are left
wondering what Jesus means when He says that
we need to carry our crosses to follow Him.
As we reflect on the words of Jesus, we see that
to renounce oneself, to take our crosses, to follow
Him, to lose our life, are all different aspects of the
same reality, which is to freely decide whether we
want to learn from Him as He slowly introduces
us into the mystery of His own act of love for the
Father who sent Him.
In some of my readings, I came across the
statement that “the cross is the price we pay for
being disciples”. This has been a very insightful
thought into the mystery of the Cross in my own
life. The reason for this is that many times we want
to limit the carrying of our crosses to situations we
do not like but that we do not have any control over
them and we end up with the phrase “maybe this is
the cross that I must carry”.
In my view, the carrying of the Cross has to be more
dynamic than just the passive acceptance - it has to
be the way we listen to the promptings of the Spirit
of God in the way Jesus does: with trust, with hope
and with prayer. Especially in those moments when
things are more difficult to bear. Many times, we
want to react according to our own impulses.
18

Many times, like the prophets of the
Old Testament, we just want to tell
God that life is too hard and we do
not want to keep doing what he is
asking of us (1 Kings 19:4-8). But the
invitation of Jesus comes to us with
the invitation and the condition that
being His disciples requires a different
way of reacting, a different way of
attitude, a different way of speaking
and at that moment, like Jesus, we
are willing to say ‘yes’ to the invitation
of being disciples and learn
from Jesus.
The feast of the Exaltation of the
Holy Cross invites us also to see the
invitation of Jesus as a sign of hope.
It is an invitation that in moments of
darkness, we do not close ourselves
in our loneliness where anger, despair,
uncertainty, frustration or sadness
would not give us the best advice.
On the opposite, we open ourselves
up to the invitation of Jesus that in
Him, we will find the rest and the
strength we need to continue learning
from Him in the school of His love.
The carrying of our crosses is also an
invitation to awaken in us a deeper
sense of solidarity with each other.
When we recognise that each of us
has been called to be disciples and
like disciples, we all are carrying
our own crosses, we do not journey
alone carrying our cross. We follow
and learn from Jesus, but we all have
a cross that we bear and, with the
advice of St Paul, we bear with one
another and we forgive one another
(Col 3:13).
Peace in Jesus.
Very Rev Fernando Montano is the Vicar
General of the Diocese of Parramatta,
Episcopal Vicar for Social Welfare and
Parish Priest of St Bernadette’s Parish,
Castle Hill.
A child prays in front of a crucifix during the Good Friday Stations of the Cross service
at St Finbar's Parish, Glenbrook. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta.
19

Image: Nagle College/Supplied.
Students become
the next crop of
Religious Education teachers
BY SAMANTHA RICH
Nagle College Blacktown students are embracing
an exciting opportunity to celebrate their faith
with others, taking on the role of Special Religious
Education (SRE) Catechist through the
SRE program.
For this group of students, teaching their younger
peers about the Catholic faith and helping to guide
them in their spiritual journeys has proven to be
both inspiring and satisfying.
Students from Nagle College, Blacktown, lead an SRE lesson at a local
public primary school. Image: Nagle College/Supplied.
Nagle College Blacktown currently has 16 Year
10 students taking part in the SRE program each
Thursday afternoon. The students have chosen to
give up their school sports time to teach Religious
Education to students in two local primary schools:
Blacktown South and Shelley Public Schools.
The dedicated students plan, resource, and teach
the lessons themselves. This important ministry
not only educates the younger children about God,
knowing Jesus and being Catholic, but also brings
the Nagle students closer together and strengthens
their own faith.
Elizabeth, one of Nagle’s SRE student leaders, says
being involved in the program is such a valuable
experience.
“I grew up with stories, testimonies, and beliefs
taught to me by my parents, teachers, and peers.
Doing SRE means I get to share exactly what I
was taught with little children who are the age I
20

was when I learned all these wonderful things. This
experience is extra special because these children
love to learn about Jesus too,” she said.
The students are supported with training and
teaching resources including manuals and
workbooks by the Diocese’s Confraternity of
Christian Doctrine and the College provides them
with any physical items they might need such as
Bibles and rosary beads.
Loren Pelham, Nagle’s Leader of Mission and
Religious Education says the students love being
part of the SRE program.
“I think it provides them with a deeper connection
with their Catholic faith and a sense that they are
doing the work of Nano Nagle, who, first thing
in the morning in her schools, would teach the
Catechism,” she said.
Students lead an SRE lesson and prayer. Image: Nagle College/Supplied.
For some students, the SRE program confirms
their desire to become a teacher, and some even
continue to teach SRE after graduating from Nagle.
This is testament to the positive experience the
program provides both for the primary school
students and the student SRE Catechists.
“For our students, this is a lived expression of being
Catholic, living out the College motto In Deed Not
Word and being a ‘Presentation Person’ — which is
something we emphasise with the students.”
To learn about how you can contribute to the sharing of
the Catholic faith to children in our public schools, visit
parracatholic.org/ccd
Samantha Rich is a Media and Communications Specialist at
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese.
Bishop’s Father’s Day Appeal
Support our ageing priests
Honour the Fathers who have guided us spiritually
Your kind gift this Father’s Day will enable the Clergy Health and Wellbeing
Team to provide vital care and support, including accommodation, medical
assistance, and daily living needs for our retired and unwell priests.
Give
your gift
parracatholic.org/fathersdayappeal

The Prophetic Voice
OF THE LAITY
Dr Myriam Wijlens presents a lecture in Parramatta.
Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
International theologian, ecumenist and canon lawyer Dr Myriam Wijlens spoke
about the vital role all the baptised play in supporting a synodal Catholic Church.
BY BELINDA GADD
As bishops, religious and lay people around the
world prepare to gather at the second Synod
Assembly in Rome this October, Dr Myriam Wijlens,
a member of the coordinating committee of the
Synod, shared her insights on the synodal process,
the art of listening and the importance of the
participation of women in the Catholic Church.
Dr Wijlens delivered a series of free public lectures
in Australia in August on the topic ‘The prophetic
voice of the laity in the renewal of the Catholic
Church’, as part of the Diocese’s ‘Bishop Vincent
Presents’ series.
Her contemporary insights and no-holds-barred
views on the role and value of all persons baptised
in the renewal of the Catholic Church attracted
around 200 attendees at St Patrick’s Cathedral Hall,
Parramatta, and more than 570 viewers online.
With opportunities for robust conversations and
plenty of questions, Dr Wijlens’ views provided a
collective contemplation of the work being done to
achieve synodality in the Diocese of Parramatta and
around the world.
Becoming pilgrims of hope
The world Synod is currently undertaking a process
of listening and discernment to better understand
the current issues facing the Church.
Dr Wijlens described the Synod on Synodality as
the people of God being “awakened” to the needs
of the Church and the world.
“It may well be characterised as the people of God
coming out of hibernation and becoming pilgrims of
hope to a world so much in need of it,” she said.
Dr Wijlens emphasised that the Church is not a
mere congregation of bishops, but the “people of
God” – so everyone’s voice matters.
“Being and becoming a synodal Church requires the
participation of all baptised in the Catholic faith,”
she said.
The participation of women in the Church
Since last October, the world Synod has brought
key topics to the fore. Such topics include a deeper
22

consideration of the participation of women, as well
as people who she refers to as “on the margins of
society and the Church”.
Dr Wijlens said the participation of women is
relevant in each and every local Church in the world.
“It is not just a Western topic.”
Having been elected in February as the first female
Roman Catholic vice moderator of the Faith
and Order Commission of the World Council of
Churches, Dr Wijlens knows first-hand the role
women can play in Church participation
and leadership.
She said women can and should be consultants
to the Church. “As a Canon lawyer, I can assure
you, it is not forbidden for a bishop to listen to
women, to appoint women as his consultants and
to see to statutes that secure their participation in a
substantial way,” she said.
A journey of listening and learning
Dr Wijlens said the process of synodality requires
the Church to listen and learn from the diverse
experiences of those around the world.
along the journey towards a synodal Church.
“In many ways, you are ahead of the rest of the
Church,” she said.
“The rest of the Church is not where you are at yet.”
Dr Wijlens noted how the world has taken notice of
the Plenary Council of Australia “with great interest”
and also Parramatta’s Diocesan Synod.
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv commended Dr
Wijlens for her inspiring work on the Synod and in
the Church.
“You are a truly contemporary embodiment of
Catholic women’s wisdom, courage and moral
authority,” he said.
Watch Dr Myriam's public lecture from
Parramatta on the Diocese of Parramatta's
YouTube channel.
“It requires us to listen to the experience of all
members of the people of God, and then reflect on
this together,” she said.
“There is a great circularity in this process under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit of listening, deepening,
discerning and deciding.
“We need to discover the meaning of synodality as
a ‘learning by doing’. The experience will help us to
grasp the notion.”
A diocesan leader in synodality
The Diocese of Parramatta recently published
its new Pastoral Plan for the strategic vision and
mission of the Church, following an extensive
synodal process that included listening and
collaborating with clergy and non-clergy across
the Diocese, including women, youth, religious and
non-religious groups, ministries, as well as cultural
and linguistically diverse communities.
Dr Wijlens commended the Diocesan Synod,
following the decrees of the Plenary Council of
Australia, for “learning by doing”. That is, walking
ABOUT
DR WIJLENS
Dr Wijlens is a theologian and professor
of canon law, clerical sexual abuse expert
regarding Church liability, ecumenist,
policy writer and published author.
As co-moderator of the international
research group Peter and Paul Seminar,
Dr Wijlens focuses on necessary reforms
of canon law in light of Vatican II. She is
also a consultant to the Synod of Bishops
and a member of the Coordinating
Commission of the Synod on Synodality.
23

A diocesan plan grounded
in love and with a vision of
living out the universal call
for synodal church
BY QWAYNE GUEVARA
God is the source and centre of our human
existence and continues to hold all creation in
love. We are called and invited to respond to God’s
love by becoming missionary disciples, followers
of Jesus Christ, who with the Holy Spirit, inspires
and animates us towards ‘the transcendence of
discipleship and towards the transcendence of
mission’. This requires bold humility and zeal for the
faith lived out in our daily lives and within our local
contexts, witnessing to our personal encounter of
the living God.
To live in God’s love for us compels us to go out
and serve, especially in places “where you
don’t want to go” (John 21:18). A life
following Jesus calls us daily to a
conversion of the heart, to take up
our cross and lay down anything
that may hinder our capacity to
receive God’s love completely.
With God’s grace, we are able to
commit to a life reflecting God’s
being and Trinitarian reality, that of
which is a self-gift, where our individualism
and self-centeredness melts away in the presence
of the recognised sacredness. This sacredness in
all things reminds us that everyone and everything
is connected. As Mother Teresa reminds us, “we
belong to one another.”
Our ever-growing secular society challenges the
reality of God. We only need to look around us
to notice the divisions that exist. People express
their experiences of isolation, anxieties, fears and
suffering. These were the stories shared through
our synod process leading to our Diocesan Synod
in October 2023. In the darkness of these lived
realities, the message of God who draws near and
enters our humanity becomes a source of hope
and opens us up to possibilities. Our response to
these real experiences of our people needs to be
authentic accompaniment and concrete action that
makes God’s love known, not as some vague and
lofty idea. Rather, it is love lived out through us,
through our service to others and our unreserved
witness of a personal relationship with Jesus in a
world crying out for meaning and purpose.
This is the vision of our Synodal Church in the
Diocese of Parramatta. It is a vision that is
orientated towards becoming a Church that is not
only for the poor (mission) but is poor (structural). In
this way, we realise that the Church doesn’t
have a mission, but rather God’s mission
has a Church – us. This is grounded
by the life and example of Jesus who
sought out those who are forgotten
and unseen.
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus
encounters those who society deems
the last, the least and the lost: the Woman
at the Well (John 4:1-42), the Blind Man
(Mark 8:22-25) and Zacchaeus, the Tax Collector
(Luke 19:1-10). Here we appreciate the Holy Spirit’s
movement in the universal Church today, which
invites us to draw all in communion with God, where
no one is left behind and no one is excluded from
the love that God gives freely.
It is a vision that honours and encourages
the baptismal call of every person, calling us
forward united in mission. To live united, with our
differences, witnesses to the Body of Christ and
the power of God’s mercy capable of inspiring
reconciliation and healing within us and between us.
Pope Francis exhorts that “there is no other way to
become one. This is the way of Jesus.”
24

Scenes from the official launch of the 2024-2028 Diocesan Pastoral Plan at the Western
Sydney Conference Centre, Penrith. Images: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta.
St Paul, a model of conversion and mission,
reminds us with great conviction that this is
possible, for we know “that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor
things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our
Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
As a pilgrim Church, together, we look forward
to the realisation of God’s beatific vision for all
of humanity, a vision beyond our imagination
and comprehension. Until then, we choose to
participate more fully in the life of our Church today.
Just like Jesus drew near and walked with the
disciples on the road to Emmaus, we courageously
commit to listening to the Holy Spirit, nurturing our
relationship with Jesus through prayer and worship,
and allowing ourselves to be thrust into mission,
cultivating our God-given creativity to respond to
the needs of the people of God in Western Sydney
and the Blue Mountains.
We invite you to read, reflect upon, and share this
important document with your local community.
We build on our synodal journey and continue to
move forward together. Our pastoral plan expresses
the call to ongoing renewal, both personal and
institutional, and offers a practical framework
that elevates every person’s baptismal call to
communion, participation and mission in the local
contexts of our parishes, schools and agencies, as
a priority for the Church in these times.
We take heart, trusting in God who loves us
unconditionally and without limits, allowing the
words of Jesus Christ to echo in our hearts –
“Behold, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20).
Qwayne Guevara is the Lead Facilitator for the Diocesan
Synod process and is the Manager - Catholic Youth
Parramatta in the Diocese of Parramatta’s Mission
Enhancement Team.

Maureen Sewell
‘My mantra to myself would be
never look back’
BY ANTONY LAWES
Maureen Sewell with her medal as Dame in the
Order of St Gregory the Great for administrative
services to the Church and wider Diocesan
community. Image: Supplied.
Maureen Sewell with (L-R) Chancellor (Administration) Monsignor Ron McFarlane,
Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia Fr Peter Williams AM and former Vicar General
Fr Chris de Souza. Image: Supplied.
At the end of this year, the Diocese of Parramatta
will farewell one of its longest serving, most trusted
and best-loved employees, Maureen Sewell, who is
retiring after nearly 26 years.
The former Redemptoristine nun, who was the first
Australian woman to join the closed order when
she was 18, has spent her entire life involved with
the Catholic Church – first, as a member of that
order and then as an employee with various Church
organisations, such as the Australian Catholic
Bishops Conference, Catholic Church Insurance
and the Diocese of Parramatta.
In her time at the Diocese, Maureen has worked
under three bishops and been executive assistant
to senior members of the Curia – including former
Vicars General Fr Bob McGuckin and Fr Chris de
Souza, and current Vicar General Fr Peter Williams
AM – as well as senior staff. For the past few years,
she has been in charge of organising visas for
overseas clergy coming to work in the Diocese.
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, the Bishop of
Parramatta, paid tribute to Maureen’s dedication
to the Diocese, “particularly to the overseas clergy
and religious as they negotiated the difficult journey
of inculturation into the Church and society in
Australia.”
“She has embodied the best of Christian tradition of
welcome, hospitality and respect which we hope to
build on as we move forward,” he said.
Sr Ailsa Mackinnon RSM, the Chancellor for
Ministries in the Diocese and a member of the
Curia, says Maureen has been a trusted colleague
whose faith “has been a shining example for those
around her.”
“Her life experiences have led her to be at peace
with herself, her God and all those she meets in her
daily life,” Sr Ailsa said. “Go in peace,
dear Maureen.”
Antonella Georgas, who, as Private Secretary to
Bishop Vincent, has worked closely with Maureen
for several years, says over that time, Maureen had
become a mentor and a friend and she will be very
sad to see her go.
“Every day I get to work with her feels like a
blessing,” she said.
“You could tell how everyone adores her, from
Chancery staff, education staff, parish staff and
clergy. The Diocese is going to feel a huge loss with
her leaving.”
26

Drawn to the energy of the Diocese
It was the late Bishop Kevin Manning who, in 1998,
asked Maureen to come and work in the Chancery,
the head office of the Diocese, in the busy years
after the fire in 1996 that burnt down St Patrick’s
Cathedral.
“He said, ‘we need someone out the front’. He was
very vague and I had no idea what ‘out the front’
meant. I envisaged myself sitting in the middle of
Victoria Road,” Maureen says.
“What he meant was they wanted a receptionist, but
we were a much smaller outfit then.
“It wasn’t the specialised establishment that
it is now. You did a bit of everything: catering,
secretarial, looking after the chapel fundraising – it
was just all hands on deck.”
This wide-ranging remit suited Maureen well. Her
14 years in the monastery had prepared her to be
adaptable; to stop what she was doing at the sound
of a bell. She also had experience working in a
small team at the ACBC for four years in Canberra
after leaving the monastery and then in the 14
years with Catholic Church Insurance after she
moved to Sydney. When she arrived at the Diocese,
she enjoyed the “flying by the seat of your pants”
energy, which culminated in the opening of the new
Cathedral in 2003.
“Anybody who worked here seemed to be aware of
the energy,” she said.
Giving back to God
Maureen was born in Wangaratta, in north-east
Victoria, into a “typical Catholic family” who had a
commitment to Sunday Mass and the sacraments.
Her dad was a manager at the home building
company Jennings and in the building boom of the
post-war years, the family moved a lot, as her father
was posted to different cities to meet this demand.
They finally settled in Canberra and Maureen says
some of her most vivid memories of this time are
riding her bike to Mass every day at their parish
church, St Christopher’s Cathedral, which she
still attends regularly and considers her “spiritual
home”. Then, when she turned 17, her father bought
her a car, “so I was able to drive to Mass, which
was rather nice”.
It was around this time that Maureen decided
to enter a contemplative order and chose the
Redemptoristines after an uncle, who was a
Redemptorist, suggested she consider them.
She joined the silent order when she was 18, the
first in Australia to do so, and stayed with them until
her mid-30s.
“We spoke for half an hour a day…but I’ve made up
for it since, my father later told me,” she said.
Other aspects of monastic life were challenging,
such as long hours kneeling to pray on wooden
floors and days and days of private retreat with no
access to the outside world. But Maureen says she
does not regret her time with the order. It taught
her to have an awareness of the “sacrament of the
present moment” – to “just deal with the moment
and do what you’re supposed to be doing”.
“It has given me far more than I gave, in terms of
values…in terms of the spiritual in my life.
“And I’d probably do it again.”
Since she left the monastery, Maureen has made
the most of everything she does. She is happily
married and has had a long, happy career working
for the Church. “It’s not just working because you
have to work or you need something to do. But it’s
also fulfilling and it’s also something that you can
give back to God.”
She says she is in awe of the vibrancy and skill of
her co-workers whom she loves being around. But
“it’s time to move on”.
“I feel that I’m fortunate to have journeyed
with some wonderful, highly talented, inspiring
colleagues,” she said. “Not everybody gets that.
“I think my mantra to myself would be ‘never look
back, keep forging on’.”
Maureen Sewell (second left) with Bishop Vincent Long and other long-term Chancery
staff members Lindsay Nakhoul (left) and Maree Collis (second right) during a
Chancery celebration in February 2024. Image: Mary Brazell/Diocese of Parramatta.
27

Bishop Vincent with World Youth Day pilgrims during their one-year reunion at West HQ, Rooty Hill. Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
Pilgrims reunite
BY TAYLOR HODGSON
After a transformative journey exploring Europe’s
most sacred places and seeing the Pope in Lisbon,
our World Youth Day (WYD) pilgrims gathered to
reconnect and share stories, returning to where it
all began a year ago for their formation sessions at
West HQ, Rooty Hill.
With some pilgrims welcoming babies, discerning
religious vocations or starting new jobs, they found
out that changes, whether big or small, had touched
them all since the pilgrimage to France, Spain,
Portugal and Italy in 2023.
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of
Parramatta, joined more than 120 of the Diocese of
Parramatta’s 170 pilgrims to celebrate the fruits of
what was a successful pilgrimage to WYD.
“The friendships, the camaraderie that I built with
the fellow pilgrims, that stays very much with me
and the experiences that we shared together,”
Bishop Vincent said.
“Wherever we are, we need to remember the Spirit
is with us, accompanying us, inspiring us,
guiding us.”
Referencing his infamous ‘selfie’ of the pilgrimage
group in Fátima that went viral on social media,
Bishop Vincent described it as the best he’s
ever taken.
“This was at Fátima and we have everybody in the
contingent of the Diocese there. I took this selfie
trusting the Holy Spirit,” he said, as the crowd
erupted with laughter.
The group was then invited to share how their lives
have changed since the pilgrimage.
Parramatta Marist Westmead student Noah said his
life had changed in a profound way.
“When going into WYD, I felt out of place like I
didn’t belong anywhere,” he said.
28

“Going on that pilgrimage made me realise that I’m
not alone. I felt like I couldn’t connect, but going on
WYD has made me realise that I can.”
Qwayne Guevara, Lead Facilitator of the Diocesan
Synod and Manager for Catholic Youth Parramatta
also shared how the pilgrimage has impacted
her life.
“When we left Sydney and we were at the airport,
we probably had no idea what we were going to
encounter,” she said.
“Could we have scripted it any better?
Probably not.
“There are things that we can script for ourselves
and then when we’re there, God can completely
change the direction of our lives. That’s how big
God is.”
For those who have started new jobs, teacher
pilgrims have stepped into ministry roles
since WYD.
“We’ve got so many teachers who are now part of
the Faith in Action team and at least one of them
are now Religious Education Coordinator,” said
small group leader and Mission Partner at Catholic
Schools Parramatta Diocese, Virginia Fortunat.
“When I first came to the formations, I felt lost and
like I wasn’t supposed to be here. I didn’t go to
Mass every Sunday or pray very often and I felt
guilty for that,” she said.
“During World Youth Day, I’ve gotten to know
some great people and I’ve eased into praying and
actually enjoying Mass, paying attention to the
homilies and applying them to my life.”
Young adult pilgrim Anne gave a summary of what
all the pilgrims were thinking.
“I’ve walked away with such a large community of
great Catholic friends. It’s gone from being a small,
tight circle to what I feel like I could have a party
with a bunch of Catholics,” she said.
“It’s very profound and powerful to be with a
group of young, like-minded Catholics who are on
different paths of our journey but are all walking on
that same path to God.”
Taylor Hodgson is a member of the Marketing and
Communications team at Catholic Schools Parramatta
Diocese.
“It’s really great to see some of our teachers
stepping up into leadership in our schools.”
For Fr Christopher del Rosario, changing parishes
from St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta to St
Thomas Aquinas, Springwood, was challenging.
“World Youth Day teaches you to be resilient, you
don’t know God’s plans. God gives you a lot of
consolation and difficulty,” he said.
“When I moved to Springwood, the first few months
were very difficult. At the same time, God is so
good in the difficulties and consolations that he
gives you every blessing. I really do love it and the
parish has grown exponentially and it’s been an
absolute joy. God is good.”
St Agnes Catholic High School Rooty Hill student
Paula said that her faith was reignited and that
World Youth Day enabled her to strengthen her
relationship with God.
World Youth Day pilgrims during their one-year
reunion at West HQ, Rooty Hill. Image: Diocese of
Parramatta.
29

Ambrose St John XXIII Educator Rosemarie Espero shows children
how to nurture their garden using donated coffee grounds.
Image: Ambrose/Supplied.
From Little Things,
Big Things Grow
BY ZOE CARTWRIGHT
Supporting children to care for the natural world
from a young age is vital for our future communities.
Much of children’s environmental education
happens through observation and role-modelling.
At Ambrose Early Years Education, educators are
dedicated to teaching through hands-on activities
designed to ignite children’s curiosity and nurture
their sense of environmental responsibility. This
approach to learning about sustainable practices
aligns with the Catholic Church’s Laudato Si’
encyclical released by Pope Francis in 2015, which
calls for adopting a sustainable lifestyle in response
to global needs.
With the support of a newly created Sustainability
Network Group, the Ambrose early learning team
collaborate on ideas, sharing their passion and
enthusiasm, which significantly influences the
children.
“Children are inspired by their educators’
enthusiasm and love participating in hands-on
experiences,” said Natalie Bugelli, Director of Holy
Family Early Learning Emerton and head of the
Sustainability Group.
The children at Our Lady Queen of Peace Early
Learning in Greystanes have been busy supporting
the tiniest garden visitors by creating Bee Watering
Stations. Introduced and guided by Educator and
Service Sustainability Leader, Carmel De Bono,
the children set up small dishes filled with colourful
rocks and gems, which they carefully fill with water.
These stations attract bees and insects, providing
them with a safe place to drink without the risk of
getting their wings wet.
“This encourages children to respect the
environment and all creatures God created, even if
they are small and can sometimes be dangerous,”
Service Director Narelle Bolton explained. “Caring
for our environment instils kindness, respect, love
and joy for the world around us.”
At St John XXIII Early Learning in Stanhope
Gardens, children have been learning how to
nurture the plants in their garden using coffee
grounds generously donated by a local McDonald’s.
Educator Rosemarie Espero noticed that bags of
used coffee grounds were being discarded and
knowing they are rich in essential nutrients for
plant growth, decided to show the children how to
repurpose them in the preschool’s garden.
Rosemarie values the crucial role educators play in
nurturing children’s agency and their right to actively
participate in all aspects of their lives. She explains,
by teaching small steps towards sustainable living,
Educators help children “empower their capacity to
advocate and act for positive change.”
Recycling and reusing materials are central to many
activities at Ambrose Early Learning Services. At
St Luke’s Marsden Park, children have creatively
crafted scarecrows for their garden using materials
30

such as cardboard, spare clothes and old brooms.
This activity teaches children the importance of
repurposing items in our daily lives, helping to
reduce waste and its impact on the environment.
Meanwhile, at Santa Sophia Early
Learning Box Hill, children are
fostering their creativity and
innovative thinking by finding
multiple ways to use and
reuse materials through
loose parts play. They use
items such as bottle tops,
pegs, leaves, buttons, gum
nuts, twigs, stones, pebbles,
beads, wool and paddle
pop sticks, many of which
are collected during community
walks, for various art projects and
construction activities.
Natalie Bugelli explains that the children at Holy
Family Emerton have been learning about different
types of recycling, which bins to use for various
items and what happens to the waste once the
garbage truck collects it.
Children at Ambrose Holy Family,
Emerton. Image: Ambrose/Supplied.
“It is important to instil these values in children from
an early age so they will carry them into the future.
Not only does it help them understand the needs of
the earth and why it is important to look after it, but
the children also take the message home and
continue the actions,” she said.
Ambrose believes sustainability is
not just an activity for children:
it is essential. Children will
inherit the future of our
planet, making it crucial to
instil a love for nature and
a sense of environmental
responsibility.
As Santa Sophia Ambrose
Service Director Rachael
Heylbut puts it, “In teaching the
children about showing respect for
the environment, we are reflecting the
teachings from the Bible, respecting the world that
God created for us all, and ensuring that it exists for
those that will follow us.”
Zoe Cartwright is the Marketing and Communications
Coordinator for Community Ventures.
Notre Dame’s Early Offer Program is
your opportunity to secure a place at
the university that values your growth
as a person.
Notre Dame is a 5-star rated university*
APPLY NOW
notredame.edu.au/early-offer
Madison
Early Offer student
* For Learner Engagement, Skills Development, Teaching Quality, Graduate Salary
and Full-Time Employment (Good Universities Guide 2024, undergraduate category).
CRICOS: 01032F

LIFTED Retreats allow youth to
‘Encounter God
in a renewed way’
BY ELEANOR BONWICK AND SEBASTIAN DUHAU
The Catholic Youth Parramatta (CYP) team always
feels a buzz of excitement during July as they
anticipate and prepare for the LIFTED Retreat.
This year, the excitement grew even more with the
increase in the number of retreats from one to three.
The decision to split this year’s retreats stemmed
from conversations between the CYP team
and young people across the Diocese. It was
acknowledged that young people of different ages
have vastly different needs and experiences, and
so the retreats catered to 16 and 17 year-olds;
18-24 year-olds; and 25-35 year-olds who all share
a growing desire to deepen their connections,
enhance their formation and share meaningful
experiences with peers in their age group. And what
an incredible response we received!
Our theme for this year’s retreat, ‘Ruah’ (or ‘Ruach’),
played a significant role in facilitating the positive
experiences we had. ‘Ruah’, a Hebrew word often
translated as ‘spirit,’ ‘breath,’ ‘soul’ or ‘wind,’ is
used in the Hebrew Bible to describe the Spirit of
God, the breath of life, or a powerful force like the
wind.
This theme served as a powerful reminder that
God’s Spirit is alive and active among us today.
It highlighted the dwelling presence of the Holy
Spirit in our hearts through baptism and the vibrant
presence of God’s Spirit in the world around us,
which we experience through faith.
While each retreat held the same theme, the way
that this theme was interpreted in each age group,
and the consequent dialogue which arose, was
32

LIFTED Retreat for people aged 18-24 at Carmel House, Varroville.
Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta.
very different. The group aged 18-24, with the help
of Sr Katherine Kingsley MGL, spent significant
time reflecting on the Holy Spirit as the person in
the Trinity who transforms us. Many of the youth
aged 16 and 17 centered around their relationship
with God and how they recognise God’s presence
in their lives. A core element of the retreat for the
group aged 25-35 was the recurrence of God
drawing near to people throughout history and
throughout their own lives.
For our CYP team, a highlight was witnessing the
formation of new friendships and seeing young
hearts deepen their personal experience of faith
through joy, community, prayer and reflection.
Participants from each retreat shared respectively
that they “were able to share a space of vulnerability
as people growing and understanding what it
means to be Christ-like,” that they appreciated the
“chance to spend personal time with God” and that
they “encountered God in a refreshing and renewed
way”.
One retreat goer said, “Separating the LIFTED
Retreat into different age groups allowed for older
young adults to connect about similar generational
issues.” Another attendee commented, “LOVED the
age bracket!”.
The CYP team hopes that the LIFTED Retreats will
continue to serve as an opportunity for young
people across the Diocese to reflect on their
lives, be in community with others, and
experience the presence of God.
Eleanor Bonwick and Sebastian Duhau are
MET Facilitators – Catholic Youth Parramatta,
part of the Mission Enhancement Team of the
Diocese of Parramatta.
Young people in conversation at Mt Schoenstatt Retreat
Centre, Mulgoa. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of
Parramatta.
LIFTED Retreat for 16 and 17-year-olds
at the Shrine of the Holy Innocents,
Kellyville. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of
Parramatta.
33

Bishop Vincent with the 2024 Diocesan Medal of Honour and Certificate of Merit recipients at St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta.
Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta.
Ordinary
parishioners recognised
for extraordinary service to Diocese
BY MARY BRAZELL
Nine ordinary members of the faithful who have
brought about the Kingdom of God across Western
Sydney and the Blue Mountains have been
recognised for their dedication, faith and service at
the 2024 Diocesan Awards.
During a ceremony at St Patrick’s Cathedral,
Parramatta, on Wednesday 7 August, eight people
were awarded the Diocesan Medal of Honour and
one person received the Diocesan Certificate
of Merit.
At the ceremony, Bishop Vincent Long OFM
Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, gave thanks for the
generosity, faith and love of each of the recipients.
“I give thanks to God for the way that His goodness
has been made visible in their lives,” he said.
“They have let the light of Christ shine through them
in their good deeds and the self-effacing manner in
which they were done.
“We rejoice in the fact that they have said ‘yes’ to
God, a ‘yes’ through which God has ‘done great
things’ for the benefit of others.
“Their example should encourage each of us to
seek to let His light shine more brightly in us through
lives of good deeds rooted in a love of God and
our neighbour.”
Sharon Clarke
St Nicholas of Myra Parish, Penrith
Sharon has been contributing
to the community for 15 years,
where she has served as a
member of the Sacramental
Team and assists as a reader,
Extraordinary Minister of Holy
Communion and with the parish’s
audio-visual ministry. She has
also served three terms on the
parish’s Pastoral Council.
Margaret Cobden
St Nicholas of Myra Parish, Penrith
Margaret’s primary service to
the community is in her role
as a volunteer administration
assistant in the parish office.
She also assists with visits to
the housebound, sick and dying,
leading the hospitality team, the
banner group and the piety stall
and is a Minister at the Altar.
Anthony Mansour
St Patrick’s Parish, Guildford
Anthony has been active in the
parish for over six decades,
serving multiple terms on the
parish Finance Council and
assisting on several committees
including the parish Fete
Committee over many years.
He was one of the first acolytes
installed for the Diocese, a
ministry he continues to
fulfil today.
34

Michael McAuley
St Bernadette’s Parish, Castle Hill
Michael was the President of
the St Thomas More Society
from 2012 to 2023 and was
instrumental in promoting the
Red Mass for members of the
legal fraternity in the Diocese and
Archdiocese of Sydney. In his
professional work as a barrister,
he has acted for hundreds of
people on a pro-bono basis,
including for asylum seekers.
Deanne O’Hare
Tribunal of the Catholic Church,
Diocese of Parramatta
Deanne has served at the
Diocesan Tribunal for over
30 years, serving under four
Bishops of Parramatta. She
has been commended for
her professionalism, personal
integrity and confidentiality in
the matters she deals with. She
ensures that clients and visitors
have felt welcomed at
the Tribunal.
Lorraine Stirton
St Bernadette’s Parish, Lalor Park
Lorraine has been a continuing
presence at her parish for over
five decades. She is a member of
the parish’s Seniors Group and
has assisted the local St Vincent
de Paul Conference for over 12
years with visitations and
food collections.
Rosa Watson
St Bernadette’s Parish, Lalor Park
Janice Weaver
St Bernadette’s Parish, Lalor Park
Christine Little
St Nicholas of Myra Parish, Penrith
Rosa has been a consistent
volunteer presence in the
parish office, assisting with the
production of the parish bulletin
and arranging the planned
giving envelopes. Particularly,
she has been a member of the
sacramental team for over 15
years and has been a Special
Religious Education teacher to
a kindergarten class at a local
public school.
Janice has been a parishioner
for over 60 years, with almost
20 of those being as an active
member of the local St Vincent
de Paul Society conference as
their Treasurer. She has been the
President of the parish’s Seniors
Group and has, for many years,
distributed Holy Communion to
the housebound, despite
not driving.
Following an invitation by a
parishioner to assist at a function
over 10 years ago, Christine has
been a regular member of the
parish’s hospitality group. Her
engagement with the community
showcases her passion for
service and has helped build
bridges of understanding
and respect.
Images: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta.
35

Fr John Goulding (left) with Clergy Health and Wellbeing Coordinator Peter Noone. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta.
Looking after those
who minister to us
BY ANTONY LAWES
For as long as he can remember, Fr John Goulding
wanted to be a priest.
The desire to serve others was there in him even
before he was sent to complete his schooling with
the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart at Douglas
Park at age 13.
But it was from there Fr John embarked on a
journey that ultimately led him to the priesthood – a
vocation that lasted more than 45 years of selfless
service shepherding God’s people in Papua New
Guinea (PNG) and Australia.
However, after retiring recently, his health suddenly
deteriorated. This transition wasn’t easy, given he
was used to supporting the people in his parishes.
Now he had to rely on the team from the Diocese’s
Clergy Support Foundation, whose care for our
clergy is made possible by the generosity of our
faith community.
“I’ve always believed that priests are not ordained
for themselves, but for other people,” Fr John said.
“Wherever I went, I loved the people. And in return,
they loved me…It’s this mutual love that brings the
community together.”
Fr John’s journey to the priesthood began with a
stint teaching in government schools, before he
decided to repay the kindness shown to him by the
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart by volunteering in
one of their schools in PNG.
“I taught there for six years and loved teaching as a
lay missionary,” he said.
It was while in PNG that a brother missionary asked
Fr John to join him in studying for the priesthood
in Sydney.
“I thought, ‘Well perhaps that was God inviting me.
He speaks to us through other people’,”
Fr John said.
So, in 1975, he entered St Paul’s Seminary in
Kensington. Three years later, he was ordained
and returned to PNG where he ministered in the
Archdiocese of Rabaul, on the island of New Britain,
for almost 20 years.
But a bout of malaria forced Fr John back to Sydney
for treatment in 1994 and on the advice of doctors,
he did not return to PNG. Instead, the then-Bishop
of Parramatta, the late Bede Heather, welcomed
him into the Diocese, where he served as Assistant
Priest at St Bernadette’s Parish, Lalor Park, and St
Matthew’s Parish, Windsor. He also spent 11 years
as Chaplain at Cardinal Gilroy Village in Merrylands.
After turning 80 in December, Fr John decided
to retire. But since then, a decline in his health
has meant this period of transition away from the
priesthood has been sudden and difficult.
“The last few months have been very hard,” he said.
“I’ve been a priest for 45 years. During those years,
I had constant contact with people I lived with and
supported. I shared their lives; I ministered to them.
Now that’s all come to an end. My life has
changed totally.”
36

One thing that has kept Fr John going is the love
and support of the Clergy Support Foundation’s
Health and Wellbeing Team of Dr Mark Buhagiar,
Ellen Small and Peter Noone, whose ministry is
made possible through our faith community’s
support.
In fact, they look after the health and welfare of all
clergy in the Diocese, including 24 priests aged
between 70 and 91.
Fr John said he could not thank them enough for
the care they have given him since he moved into
James Dixon House, where he lives independently
with other priests.
“If I needed help, they were there. They have taken
me to all my medical appointments. They have
taken care of my medications. They have taken me
to hospital. In truth, I don’t know what I’d do without
them.”
Peter Noone, one of the Clergy Health and
Wellbeing Coordinators, said retired priests had
greater needs than other clergy and their health
could deteriorate dramatically in their later years.
With the rising cost of living, it is more important
than ever to support the work of this team, through
the Clergy Support Foundation’s Father’s Day
Appeal, so that retired priests can live in dignity and
comfort.
“These priests have given their whole lives in service
of others, and it’s a meaningful way to repay them
for their lifetime of sacrifice and service,” Peter said.
“Particularly when they’re coming into a time when
their needs will be greater, it’s a great opportunity to
say thank you.”
Fr John said he was very grateful to those who
support retired priests through this appeal.
“To all of you who support our Health and Wellbeing
Team, I thank you from the heart.”
Please support the
Bishop’s Father’s Day Appeal
by calling (02) 8838 3482
or visit our website:
parracatholic.org/fathersdayappeal
understand
To explore why Catholics believe what we do?
To better communicate these beliefs to others?
To equip yourself for ministry within the Church?
• Study at Australia’s only Ecclesiastical Faculty of Theology, accredited by the Holy See
• Choose from a range of academic programs (Diploma, Bachelor’s, Graduate Certificate, Master’s or Doctoral-level)
• Or, alternatively, audit any of our courses (attend lectures without completing assessments)
• Enjoy a personalised learning experience, supported by our dedicated faculty
• Financial assistance, government ‘HECS/HELP’ loans, is available for eligible students
For more information, please contact us or visit our website:
T: 02 9752 9500 I e: registrar@cis.catholic.edu.au | www.cis.catholic.edu.au
CIS is a Partner Institution of The University of Notre Dame Australia
99 Albert Road, Strathfield NSW 2135

Building for
the future
How Holy Family Services
is moving with the times
BY ANTONY LAWES
The Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family
of Nazareth (CSFN) already have a striking, heritagelisted
church on their site in Marayong. Soon, they
will have another significant building that will, like
the church, play a central role in their mission to
care for the needs of the local community.
Through their company Holy Family Services, the
sisters are planning a new aged-care building
that will be the first of its kind in the country when
completed in 2025.
The two-storey, $30 million complex that will house
60 residents, has been designed to exceed the
requirements of the federal government’s new
national aged care design principles and guidelines.
Holy Family Services CEO Alasdair Croydon
said this would mean instead of the old hospitalstyle
buildings, residents would now live in an
environment that was more akin to a house, with
individual ensuite-rooms, shared lounge and dining
areas and access to fresh air and the outdoors.
“We have a building that we completely redesigned
and it’s not like any other aged-care building in
Australia at the moment,” he said.
Each floor of the new building will be divided into
two ‘houses’ with no more than 15 residents in
each. “This will make it feel more like a community,
where residents can connect more easily with each
other,” he said.
Sr Grace Roclawska CSFN interacting with a resident at the Holy Family
Services aged-care facility in Marayong. Image: Supplied.
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth with a
resident at the Holy Family Services aged-care
facility in Marayong. Image: Supplied.
“We know from studies that if a resident with an
assistive device, a walker, has to walk more than 20
metres, they won’t go,” he said. “So these houses
would be built with the common areas within that
20-metre distance from each room.”
Another feature will include central kitchens,
featuring high-end appliances, which families and
residents can use to cook their own meals.
Mr Croydon said most residents had lived in their
own houses for up to 50 years, so when it came
time to move into aged care, they wanted the same
household feel and the same connection with other
people.
Sr Grace Roclawska CSFN, the Director Mission
at Holy Family Services, said the communitycentred
design of the new building is emblematic
of the work of the sisters since they arrived at the
Marayong site 70 years ago.
“The community experience in aged care that we’re
aiming for, it’s actually been lived here since the
beginning,” she said.
Back then, the sisters’ focus was on addressing the
needs of the Polish people in the surrounding area,
first with an orphanage and then a Polish school.
Later, they established a primary school and then a
secondary school for the wider community. Then it
was a hostel for older Polish people and an
aged-care facility, all on their eight-hectare site.
“They were always responding to the changing
needs of the people,” said Sr Grace. In later years,
they added a retirement village of 28 villas, and an
early learning centre for 39 children.
38

An artist's impression of the new Holy Family Services aged care facility
in Marayong. Image: Supplied.
Sr Margaret Kozub CSFN with a resident at
the Holy Family Services aged care facility in
Marayong. Image: Supplied.
As the number of Polish people has diminished in
the Marayong area and other groups have moved in,
the sisters have moved with the times.
Today, aged care residents come from 21 countries,
their 190 staff from 28 countries, and children at
their long day care centre come from 16 countries.
“We now have people who enquire about our place
who simply pass by when walking to the nearby
shopping centre,” said Izabela Gendera-Bres, Sales
and Marketing Manager, which she believes is a
sign that the place is now visible to all.
“The community spirit continues to be one of our
core values: hospitality, love and acceptance,” Sr
Grace said.
“We’re really with people on their different stages
of the journey. It doesn’t matter whatever their
background, as long as they respect our heritage.”
She said what makes their aged care facility unique
is the presence of sisters on staff, many of whom
had been there for decades.
She said this has made a “world of difference
because they are a great role model for people.”
Mr Croydon said for many residents, their faith is
very important and they find it comforting having
sisters on site, as well as having easy access to
a church.
“Often they’ve come from communities where
getting to church was becoming a struggle, they
come here and it’s not a struggle any more…
it’s easy,” he said.
Learn more about Holy Family Services by visiting
www.holyfamilyservices.com.au

Support the Good Works
of the MSC Mission Office
A Message from Fr Roger
Help us give
communities a hand-up!
With the help of supporters, the MSC Mission
Office has funded thousands of projects in
developing countries for more than 25 years.
Our projects are carefully assessed and supervised ensuring that
less than 10% of donations is spent on administration.
Projects in Asia Pacific,
India and Africa are lifechanging
for communities
and promote human
dignity, justice, peace
and compassion. Special
projects in Australia
respond to emergency
situations such as
bushfires and floods as well as indigenous and parolee support.
Donations can be tax-deductible and your generous donation
can be directed to any of the following:
• CLEAN WATER drilling bores, pumps, rainwater tanks, water
filtration
• DISADVANTAGED YOUTH projects training young people with
new skills
• HEALTH programs and supplies in remote areas
• EDUCATION projects to give children access to books and
school supplies
• ENVIRONMENT supporting projects that help communities
combat climate change
We also fund seminarians, missions and religious and these are
not tax-deductible. Thank you for your generosity which allows us
to continue our vital work.
Fr Roger Purcell MSC, Director
PLEASE PRAY FOR US
DONATE
TODAY
PHONE: (02) 9697 0983
ONLINE:
www.mscmission.org.au
MAIL: PO BOX 3050
Eastlakes, NSW 2018
EMAIL:
mscmisio@mscmission.org
Scan the QR code to go to
our Donations page
DONATE $100
or more
and receive
our special
Supporter
Keyring
Remember the MSC
Mission Office in your Will
Donate by: MAIL: PO Box 3050 Eastlakes, NSW 2018
ONLINE: www.mscmission.org.au | PHONE: (02) 9697 0983

Diocese hosts
FIRST memorial
service for
the homeless
BY MARY BRAZELL
On the longest night of the year, the winter solstice,
the Diocese of Parramatta remembered the lives
of some of the most marginalised people in our
community at the inaugural Homeless
Memorial Service.
Held on the steps of St Patrick’s Cathedral,
Parramatta, the gathering on Friday 21 June
recognised homeless people from across Western
Sydney and the Blue Mountains who have
passed away – some often without recognition,
acknowledgement or companionship. A similar
event was held in Martin Place, Sydney.
In a sign of ecumenism, Fr Robert Riedling, Dean
and Administrator of the Cathedral opened the
prayer service, Fr Robert Albayeh from the Maronite
Catholic Community gave the reading and Uniting
Church Minister Rev Geoff Smith from Parramatta
Mission closed the prayer service.
Reflecting on the significance of the event, Fr
Robert Riedling reminded participants of the
privileges that many of us have that we take for
granted and pushed for the recognition of the
human dignity in each person.
The inaugural Homeless Memorial Service at St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta.
Images: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta.
“We pray for those who are homeless now and
commit ourselves to doing what we can to alleviate
the suffering, to bring some sort of dignity to people
who are created in the image and likeness of God,
who perhaps society doesn’t realise or understand
or acknowledge in that way.”
During the service, participants were asked to light
candles representing those who had passed away
and placing them around a large cross. Members of
the homeless community were overheard dedicating
their candle to those they knew who had died.
Thread Together, St Vincent de Paul Society,
Anbaalayam Tamil community and the Cathedral
Parish’s social justice group provided warm
clothing, food and drink throughout the service.
The Diocese of Parramatta would like to thank our
partners in their assistance for this
memorial service.
41

Providing dignity,
purpose and peace
BY BELINDA GADD
We spoke with new Executive Director of
Catholic Care Western Sydney and the Blue
Mountains (WSBM) Helen Emmerson about
her vision for the long-standing social services
charity and her hopes for its future.
‘No matter where you come from, what you look like
or how you see the world, we truly care about you.
Nobody is left behind.’
This is the motto of Catholic Care Western Sydney
and the Blue Mountains (WSBM), and its new leader
Helen Emmerson is keen to continue its work.
“This is the most incredible service. I feel really
privileged,” she said.
Vision for the future
Since being appointed in April this year, Helen is
developing a clear vision for the future direction of
the service in the Diocese.
She draws on her many experiences as a
member of Catholic Care WSBM’s
advisory board over the past five
years, as well as more than 20
years’ experience in community
services, aged care, mental
health and disability.
“This role supports me to
identify the opportunities
that we can seize within
our local community,”
she said.
Services offered
Helen Emmerson. Image: Mary Brazell/
Diocese of Parramatta.
Catholic Care WSBM
provides professional care
and support, through the
Church, to the most vulnerable
and disadvantaged members of the
42

Catholic Care WSBM’s dedicated staff and volunteers at a recent planning retreat.
Mary Brazell/Diocese of Parramatta.
community; regardless of faith, religion, gender,
ethnicity, age or socio-economic background.
“We are called to continue Jesus’ ministry in the
community, by showing His compassion to all,”
Helen said.
Programs and services offered through Catholic
Care WSBM include parent education groups;
family support; helping those at risk of domestic,
family or sexual violence, homelessness or isolation;
mental health, financial and employment support;
relationship counselling and more.
“We offer many services to support the most
vulnerable, disadvantaged and marginalised people
to live a meaningful life with dignity, purpose and
peace,” she said.
standalone domestic violence service. We’re keen
to explore that,” she said.
Helen is also reviewing available data to build a
better picture of the service so she can identify
trends and opportunities in order to bolster its
services into the future.
“In order to further embed our services in the
community, I also think there’s a real opportunity to
deepen our partnerships, so we can be assured we
are providing holistic services for our community,”
she said.
People at the heart
Around 120 staff and volunteers implement Catholic
Care WSBM’s vital support programs and services
across the Diocese and they have been integral to
its journey and achievements.
Helen said the service has “the most welcoming,
diligent, loyal staff and volunteers”.
“They are the heart of this service,” she said.
Catholic Care WSBM, Diocese of Parramatta and
Department of Communities and Justice representatives
at a Houses 2 Homes residence in Western Sydney.
Image: Diocese of Parramatta.
A strategic way forward
While demand for these services is limitless, Helen
is set on taking a strategic approach to maximise
the benefit of Catholic Care WSBM in
the community.
“I’m trying to be really measured about how we
deliver our services in order to really make a
difference in the lives of people in our community,”
she said.
“For example, we have such a large proportion
of our clients suffering from domestic, family
and sexual violence, but we don’t have our own
“These people are out on the front lines, and they
go above and beyond to help individuals of various
ages and backgrounds navigate through the most
difficult times of their lives.”
Helen said past organisational changes in Catholic
Care WSBM have highlighted the continuing
strength, resilience and unity of the team.
“With so many programs and services on offer, we
continue to support each other and work as one,”
she said.
Catholic Care WSBM is a not-for-profit social services
organisation and charity established by the Diocese of
Parramatta.
Visit Catholic Care WSBM to learn more about the
services offered or donate to support those in need:
catholiccarewsbm.org.au
43

A teacher with students at Trinity Primary School, Kemps Creek. Image: Gene Ramirez/CSPD
Detailed, earnest
and ambitious
Catholic Schools announces new strategy
BY OLIVIA O’CONNOR
Leaders from 80
Catholic schools
came together in
Rooty Hill recently for
the announcement
of the new Catholic
Schools Parramatta
Diocese (CSPD) strategy
focused on enriching
the lives of students
through education grounded
in excellence, inclusivity and
Catholic tradition.
CSPD has 80 great schools across Western Sydney
and the Blue Mountains and serves one of the
fastest-growing areas of NSW. Previously known
as Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta,
since 2023, CSPD is led by a dedicated Board and
Executive Director Jack de Groot. With a strong
focus on serving the community, Jack has led some
of Australia’s largest not-for-profit organisations
including Vinnies NSW and Caritas Australia.
“Our new strategy is detailed, earnest and
ambitious,” said Jack. “It is a response to the ‘sign
of the times’ and to the needs of our communities
Executive Director Jack de Groot
announces CSPD’s new strategy.
Image: Gene Ramirez/CSPD
that will set a shared
direction and common
goals that will unite us.”
Jack said the plan
identifies six strategic
priorities that will guide
CSPD over the next five
years, captures the core
mission of Catholic education
in Western Sydney and identifies
clear commitments for the future.
“We have engaged extensively with Principals,
staff and families across our system to inform
and directly shape a strategy that captures the
aspirations and needs of our community,” he said.
“It is a commitment to every child, every family. It is
a demanding thing to deliver, but our strategy seeks
to set a sensible standard for all CSPD schools.”
Embracing the NSW Government curriculum and
with a stronger focus on explicit teaching and a
move away from an ‘open learning’ classroom
design, the new strategy is committed to ensuring
student learning gains are underpinned by best
44

practice that enables all students to achieve their
potential.
Jack said the education landscape is evolving faster
than ever and the new strategy will build on the
strengths of CSPD, while also acknowledging the
need to deliver ‘more’.
“There are areas of excellence ranging from awardwinning
programs and early entry offers which the
new CSPD strategy aims to enhance and expand
across the system,” he said.
“These choices will help us to deliver the best
outcomes for our students, teachers and
communities and will support us to serve students
that represent our local communities, inspired
by our Catholic mission and as we walk together
towards a synodal Church.”
A teacher with students at Bede Polding Catholic College,
Windsor. Image: Gene Ramirez/CSPD
CSPD'S NEW STRATEGY
You can visit www.parra.catholic.edu.au to see a great
video from CSPD about this new strategy that’s all
about enriching the lives of students through education
grounded in excellence, inclusivity and Catholic tradition.
Olivia O’Connor is Communications Manager at Catholic
Schools Parramatta Diocese.
Good deeds will live beyond your
Good Good deeds deeds will live will beyond live beyond your your
lifetime with a gift in your Will to
lifetime lifetime with a with gift in a gift your in Will your to Will to
your parish and faith community.
your parish your parish and faith and community.
faith community.
After providing for your family and loved ones,
After
please
providing After
consider
providing for
sharing
your family for
God’s
your and
blessings
family loved and ones,
with
loved ones,
please consider please
future
consider sharing
generations.
God’s sharing blessings God’s blessings with with
future generations.
future generations.
For information on remembering your family in Christ and our
For information For information on remembering on remembering your family your in family Christ in and Christ our and our
compassionate Catholic ministries in your Will, please scan
compassionate compassionate Catholic Catholic ministries ministries your in Will, your please Will, please scan scan
your
ill to
nity.
ones,
with
45

Running to raise
awareness of our
future priests
BY BECKIE LEE
On a perfect winter’s day, 17 seminarians, priests
and parishioners from the Diocese of Parramatta
joined with 90,000 others in participating in the
annual City2Surf fun run.
While participants broke personal bests and
dressed in colourful costumes over the 14-kilometre
course from the Sydney CBD to Bondi Beach, the
Diocesan team got #Active4Vocations in order to
promote priestly vocations and to raise funds to
support our six Holy Spirit Seminarians’ education
and formation.
The Parramatta Catholic Foundation’s
#Active4Vocations team was led by Fr Matthew
Dimian, Assistant Priest at St Bernadette’s Parish,
Castle Hill, and a former Diocesan seminarian and
included a large group of parishioners from his own
parish as well as St John XXIII Parish Glenwood-
Stanhope Gardens, Our Lady Queen of Peace
Parish, Greystanes and others.
Fr Matthew Dimian joined #Active4Vocations to
“promote the dignity and beauty of priesthood and
that it’s worth pursuing as a vocation.”
“Answering God’s call to a life of service as a priest
requires a total giving of life - character, energy and
sacrifice with a lot of reward,” he said.
One parishioner, Ai Ling Lim from St Bernadette’s
Parish Castle Hill, was participating in the City2Surf
for the fourth time.
“I joined the #Active4Vocations fundraising efforts at
the City2Surf for fun and because it’s nice to meet
our future priests and support them.”
Ai said the fundraising brings front of the mind the
seminarians who are sometimes in the background.
She was grateful for the donations that she has
received primarily from her parish music group.
Before the race, on the steps of St Mary’s
Cathedral, Fr Matthew Dimian prayed for and
blessed the team.
Deacon Menard Gaspi, who is in the final stages of
formation towards the priesthood, and seminarian
Macky Amores have both participated twice before
in the City2Surf and are being supported in their
journey to the priesthood by the faith community of
Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
Deacon Menard chose to get #Active4Vocations
and be involved in the City2Surf as “I believe it is
important for the clergy and faithful to get out into
the community and be a visible presence of Christ
and the Church.
“To get involved in something as iconic as the
City2Surf is a reminder that the Church cares about
people’s goodness,” he said.
Macky hoped that through his participation in the
City2Surf, he was “encouraging and inspiring young
men called to the priesthood to consider or answer
the call to enter the seminary.”
46

#Active4Vocations
He added he also wanted to break his previous
time and wanted to strengthen health and foster
fitness by jogging or walking, reduce stress for
better mental health and self-care, foster community
bonding and to build fun experiences.
In our #Active4Vocations team’s race to the finish
line, Fr Matthew Dimian and Mark Buhagiar from the
Diocese’s Clergy Health and Wellbeing Team placed
equal first, with Vanessa Garcia from our Parish
Support and Fundraising team next across the line,
followed by Ai Ling Lim.
Having completed the scenic and sometimes
gruelling course, Macky said he loved being
with the people and feeling fit. Fr Matthew said
the run was fun and worthwhile as he was being
#Active4Vocations and inspiring young men to join
the mission of the Good Shepherd and give their life
to God.
Well done to all our #Active4Vocations team
members for completing the iconic City2Surf
2024, and for raising much-needed funds to
support vocations to the priesthood. The team did
a fantastic job, exceeding our fundraising goal of
$5,000 to support our Holy Spirit Seminarians and
their dreams to become priests.
The Active4Vocations team at the City2Surf fun run.
Images: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta.
We appreciate all the donations and support given
to our #Active4Vocations team and thank our faith
community for their support.
Beckie Lee is a freelance journalist and contributor to
Catholic Outlook.
We’d love to see you at the starting line
at next year's event.
To register your interest, please reach out via
yourfoundation@parracatholic.org
Check out all the fun, smiles and
action from the City2Surf here:
The #Active4Vocations 2024 team.
47

New leaders called
to serve schools through Mission
BY SAMANTHA RICH
(L-R) Members of the Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Mission Directorate Director Mission, Mark
Smith, Mission Manager Tania Melki and Head Mission Andrew Wilson. Image: Gene Ramirez/CSPD.
Three faith-filled local teachers have recently
taken on the leadership of the Mission Directorate
within Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
(CSPD), continuing in their commitment to foster
vibrant partnerships between schools, local parish
communities, and Diocesan church agencies.
CSPD’s new Director Mission, Mark Smith,
accompanied by Andrew Wilson in the role of Head
Mission and Tania Melki as Mission Manager, may
be familiar names to many within the Diocese
of Parramatta.
Stepping into his role as Director Mission, Mark
said he feels confident by the mentorship and
experience he has gained along the way.
“As Head Mission from 2018 to 2021, I had the
privilege of working alongside two Directors of
Mission – Gary Borg and Monica Officer – who
taught me a great deal about leadership and
commitment to our mission of Catholic education,”
said Mark.
“I hope to build on the legacy of Gary and Monica
as we move forward with projects and programs
that were in development during their time as
Directors.”
Mark previously led roles in student formation
and evangelisation in Broken Bay and Sydney
Catholic Schools as well as a variety of mission
and formation educational leadership roles with the
Sisters of the Good Samaritan. He joined CSPD as
Head Mission in 2018 and has been Acting Director
Mission since September 2023.
An experienced educator, Mark is passionate about
the role Catholic schools play in supporting children
and young people to grow in their faith and learning.
48

He said he is particularly looking forward to
CSPD school communities integrating a new
Religious Education Curriculum from 2025, titled
Encountering Jesus.
“Like the name suggests, this new RE
curriculum invites all students and
families to an encounter with
Jesus Christ,” Mark said.
“This encounter will be of the head, heart and
hands.
“For our students from other religious backgrounds,
this encounter is aimed at helping them grow in
their understanding and appreciation of the Catholic
Church and faith.”
Joining Mark in the leadership of the Mission Team
are Andrew Wilson and Tania Melki. CSPD’s Mission
Team plays an integral role in nurturing the Catholic
identity and mission of schools and office staff to
support quality Catholic education opportunities for
families in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
within CSPD, her leadership led to the development
of CSPD’s Stage 6 Learning for Mission program,
the Faith in Action Team network, and the annual
CSPD Office Staff Renewal week.
“I am looking forward to continuing my work with
the Mission team to develop diverse opportunities
and agency partnerships for school communities
to deepen their relationship with Jesus through
mission work, fostering close collaboration with
these communities,” said Tania.
As they embark on their next journey within CSPD,
the Mission leadership team are united in their faith
and commitment.
“Andrew and Tania are faith-filled, inspirational
leaders of mission who have been immersed in the
Diocese of Parramatta for many years,” said Mark.
“You can be sure that they will do all that they can
to support our Catholic school communities.”
Samantha Rich is a Media and Communications Specialist
at Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese.
For Andrew Wilson, now Head Mission, his faith
journey is deeply personal and communal. Residing
in the serene Blue Mountains with his wife and
three daughters, Andrew is a parishioner at St
Thomas Aquinas Parish, Springwood, where he
also supports music ministry.
A former Religious Education Coordinator at Nagle
College, Blacktown, and Assistant Principal at
St Patrick’s Marist College, Dundas, Andrew is
dedicated to ensuring teachers are equipped to
work, teach and lead within our Catholic
school communities.
“I believe that quality Religious Education,
formation and outreach are vital to the ministry of
Catholic education,” said Andrew.
“I am excited to step into this new role and look
forward to working with our students, leaders
and families to support and grow these important
aspects of the Catholic story in our system.”
Tania Melki is also excited about her new role as
Mission Manager. Since stepping into the acting
role in October 2023, she has navigated the team
through significant transition and alignment with
CSPD’s new strategic plan.
With a background as a Religious Education
Coordinator at St Andrews College, Marayong, and
as a Mission Partner/Mission Teaching Educator
Discover your
future career
Join one of our online Talk with Industry
webinars to hear from ACU alumni about their
professional experiences after completing their
studies with us. Take part in a Q&A session
with our graduates and find out what your
future might hold with one of our degrees.
Learn more
acu.edu.au/study-at-acu/
future-student-events/
talk-with

50

Image: A 12th century fresco of Christ's triumph on the cross, San Clemente
Basilica, Rome, Italy. Alamy.com
Looking
Deeper
“For, in the final analysis, our participation in the paschal
mystery – in the suffering, death, and resurrection of
Jesus – brings a certain freedom: the freedom to let go, to
surrender ourselves to the living God.”
Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, from The Gift of Peace, 1997.
51

The Crucified
Jesus is no stranger
BY BR MARK O’CONNOR FMS
‘White Crucifixion’ by Marc Chagall (1938). Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois.
52

The late renowned Nobel laureate and Jewish writer
Elie Wiesel once wrote a short memoir entitled
Night. He recounts his experience with his father
in the Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz
and Buchenwald in 1944-45, at the height of the
Holocaust and towards the end of World War II.
In that heartbreaking memoir, overflowing with so
much innocent suffering, Wiesel recounts a story
that is deeply moving. During the hanging of a
child, which the camp is forced to watch, he hears
someone ask: “Where is God? Where is he?” Not
heavy enough for the weight of his body to break
his neck, the boy dies slowly and in agony. Wiesel
files past him, sees his tongue still pink and his eyes
clear, and weeps.
“Behind me, I heard the same man asking: ‘Where
is God now?’ And I heard a voice within me answer
him: ‘Here he is – he is hanging here on
this gallows’.”
It is important we Christians humbly admit we
have no easy response to the mystery of evil. Like
Job, we can only fall silent before its full horror. We
certainly do not have easy ‘answers’. Perhaps, we
can only simply just point to the person of Jesus on
the Cross and weep.
For the Cross is certainly not the violent retribution
of God who demands ‘satisfaction for our sins’.
That would make God into some type of sadistic
monster. No! As early Church Father Irenaeus noted,
God “does not use violent means to obtain what he
desires.” It is we human beings who are violent. The
Bible is very clear that it is not God who is crucifying
Jesus, it is us!
Instead, the Cross mysteriously reveals God’s
immense love and compassion for every single
person. Jesus, our brother, died in solidarity
with – and in loving communion with – all human
failure, mistakes and absurdity, and thus made
them non-absurd.
Our response as disciples of Jesus must be to
spend our lives praying for an inner poverty of spirit
and openness to imitate this Crucified Christ.
Whether we arrive there as a result of our sins (more
usually), or as a result of our virtues, matters not at
all, provided we become poor with the poor Christ.
Struggling through this ‘becoming’ process, with
our eyes fixed on the poor Crucified Christ, is a
large part of our inner journey as disciples.
Martin Laird OSA, in his book Into the Silent
Land, describes it poetically as “the liturgy of
our wounds.” Unquestionably, it is a long and
demanding task for most of us. For there is a
deeply ingrained tendency to recoil from our own
brokenness, to judge it as others have judged it, to
loathe it as we have been ‘taught’ over a lifetime to
loathe it. In doing this, we avoid what God, in Christ,
draws close to and embraces.
God meets us then at that precise point where we
are most in need - in our poverty and brokenness.
As Sebastian Moore OSB wrote many years ago:
“The crucified Jesus is no stranger.” He is certainly
no stranger to anyone who has lived and loved, no
stranger to the universal experience of suffering,
despair, and loneliness. In that, He has destroyed
the power of evil and set us free.
Br Mark O’Connor FMS is Vicar for Communications in the
Diocese of Parramatta and Editor of Catholic Outlook.
53

While I Breathe, I Hope
BY SR PATTY ANDREW OSU
T.S. Eliot in his poem ‘Little Gidding’, from The Four
Quartets captured the cyclical nature of time:
“What we call the
beginning is often the end
and to make an end is to make a
beginning. The end is where
we start from.”
Such a means of imagining time contrasts with
the practical way we so often measure it; as life
progresses in a linear way minute by minute,
through the hours, weeks, months and years.
For those who receive a diagnosis of a terminal
illness, there is a heightened awareness of time and
its intimate connection to life and being alive. We
have been enriched by those walking this path who
have captured their experiences through journal
writing. One such person is Richard Gaillardetz who
was a distinguished theologian, lecturing at Boston
University College. In 2022, while still lecturing and
writing, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
As a man who embraced his Catholic faith tradition,
Richard recognised that the veneration of the Holy
Cross was not so much about his sinfulness, but
a place where he experienced his own aching
and infirmity being embraced and enfolded in
Christ’s own suffering. He notes that in gazing on
the crucified Jesus he “felt lifted up by an unseen
force”. In this lifting up, his vision was transformed
and in a new awakening came to see that “God
does not explain the reason for the suffering of
God’s creatures but instead takes the enormity of
human suffering into God’s very being”.
Richard approaches the last year of his life
with appreciation and the desire to deepen his
understanding of the mystery of suffering. Knowing
that he has very limited time, he moves into what
could be called a transparent time. As he grows in
acceptance and surrender, he comes to a way of
seeing through to something deep inside time itself
where the sacred becomes known in the ordinary.
The backdrop for many of Richard’s reflections is
the Church’s liturgical year. Within the framework
of his Christian faith, he notes that “no liturgical
event can match the majestic, symbolic sweep of
the Paschal Triduum”. In the final year of his life,
he came to realise that “the new way of life goes
through and not around our debilities and fears”.
Experiencing the austerity of Good Friday in a
heightened way, he noted that the bleak symbols of
absence touched him with a “hard blessing on his
own harrowing emptiness”. This movement enabled
him to look death in the eye. However, Richard
openly acknowledges that is not easy. He writes of
the struggle with his own darkness and doubt.
There is acknowledgment of “the perpetual tussle
of belief and unbelief” within himself. He describes
the movement of his heart as being like the swing of
a pendulum, “between grateful fullness and pained
murmuring against the strangeness of God”. He
reminds us that we are neither to run from suffering
or wallow in it. Instead we need to draw it into the
larger horizons of life.
This Richard does. In the last year of his life, he and
his wife Diana, just months before his death, embark
on a Caribbean Island cruise. Gazing out over the
vast ocean, he experienced a sense of the mystery,
realising that his own knowledge was only like a
small island in a vast sea. Graced with a flash of
spiritual insight, he experienced his spiritual vision
being expanded from the “floating island of himself
outward into the vast sea of infinite mystery”.
The final significant liturgical experience for
Richard was the baptism of his grandson. As he
gathered with his family and the People of God
during Sunday Eucharist, they all participated in
baby Elliot’s initiation into the Christian community.
The sacramental signs of water, oil and light
foreshadowed for Richard the ritual of Christian
Burial. As his family witnessed the ceremony, he
whispered to one of his sons, “Remember what we
are doing here. All of this will be invoked one day
at my funeral Mass”. Richard passed away on 7
November 2023.
54

The book concludes with an epilogue by his close
friend, theologian and editor Grace Agolia. She
noted that “dying is a little more bearable when
we know of the accompaniment of our family and
friends and the encouragement of our community
of faith”.
Together, Grace and Richard often prayed the
Prayer of the Church and found comfort especially
in the closing lines of the Benedictus, “In the tender
compassion of our God the dawn from on high
shall break upon us to shine on those who dwell in
darkness and in the shadow of death”.
Richard completed each reflective chapter of his
book with the Latin phrase Dum spiro, spero.
Translated into English, it became the book’s title
While I Breathe, I Hope. Such a name reflects the
origin of human life, where God infused life through
sharing the divine breath (Genesis: 2.7). This image
of the breath of God calling us into being, holding
and sustaining us, is anchored deeply in our
Christian faith tradition.
In our veneration of the Holy Cross, especially as
the wounded and crucified Jesus becomes real in
our present life and our suffering world, may we be
strengthened and inspired, “to weave the fabric of
eternal life from the uncertainty, the pain and the
suffering”.
With our gaze fixed on the Holy Cross, may we
experience the loss and endings of the pain
and darkness of dying, transformed into new
beginnings.
Sr Patty Andrew OSU is the Vicar for Consecrated Life in
the Diocese of Parramatta.
Richard's book, While I Breathe, I Hope, can be purchased
from Garratt Publishing: www.garrattpublishing.com.au
'Christ and the Garden of Olives' by Paul Gauguin. Image: Wikimedia Commons.
55

For Christians of every age,
the invitation of Jesus to “deny
themselves and take up their cross
daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23)
is a challenge that has
many dimensions.
A spirituality
of the Cross
for today
BY FR CHRIS MONAGHAN CP
For the first generations, the
message was clear: If you want
to follow Jesus, you have to be
prepared to put your life at risk for
the sake of the Gospel. Over the
centuries, we have tended to focus
on how we carry our individual
crosses – sickness, death,
broken relationships and personal
struggles that involve suffering. It
is important that we do this, but
a spirituality of the cross means
much more than stoically bearing
with sickness and suffering in its
many forms.
56
'Christ of Saint John of the Cross' by Salvador Dalí (1951). Image: Wikimedia Commons.

Any spirituality of the cross needs to begin with
Jesus. The Gospel writers focus on Him as a model
of authentic faith, courage and care for others. In
the Garden, He wrestles with the journey that lies
ahead and prays that he might be able to do the
will of the Father (Matthew 26:42). Even though He
feels abandoned and isolated, praying in the words
of Psalm 22, He is still able to pray that God will
forgive those who crucify Him (Luke 23:34) and He
promises the repentant thief a place in
paradise (Luke 23:43).
As He dies, the Gospel writers depict Him as
handing over His spirit with confidence and faith.
In the difficult moments of our lives, we too seek to
pray those beautiful words of Psalm 31:5, “Father,
into your hands I commend my spirit.”
A spirituality of the cross has many dimensions as
we honour its meaning for society, creation, the
Church and the individual. Carrying our cross is not
simply about enduring suffering nobly, though that
has its value. The cross always calls us to share
in Jesus’ mission in the circumstances of our own
lives, that of our families, our communities and the
world.
What a spirituality of the cross and passion doesn’t
mean is glorifying or accepting meaningless
suffering.
What the New Testament writers spoke about was
that Jesus was not simply a victim of an act of
violence, one who suffered a brutal death. Those
who called for His death wanted to eliminate a
threat to the power of Rome and to the religious
authorities of His day who saw Him
as a blasphemer.
If we look deeper, Jesus’ suffering and death were a
result of God’s commitment to humanity and Jesus’
own commitment to us. Many centuries before,
Isaiah cried out for God to tear open the heavens
and come to be with us (Isaiah 64:1). God’s reply to
that plea was Jesus.
Jesus’ death was a consequence of being faithful
to a mission to preach the coming of God’s reign
of love and justice, healing the sick and wounded,
bringing the lost sheep home and offering hope
to sinners. To use Paul’s words, the cross has the
power to radically change lives so that “the life I
now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me”
(Galatians 2:20).
Jesus shared in our vulnerability and suffering and
we are called to continue that mission. This is why
the opening lines of the Vatican II document on the
Church in the modern world, Gaudium et Spes,
continue to resonate for every age:
“The joys and the hopes, the
griefs and the anxieties of the
men of this age, especially those
who are poor or in any way
afflicted, these are the joys and
hopes, the griefs and anxieties of
the followers of Christ.”
Taking up our cross every day is a commitment
to what Jesus was committed to, namely,
transforming, healing, renewing and building
community in His name.
Each of us share in Jesus’ mission in our own way
– showing that love is more powerful than hate
by being in right relationship with others despite
violence and hatred. It is making the world a better
place – trying to make it whole, since holiness is
ultimately about becoming whole.
Together, we search for justice and share in the
struggle of creation to become what God is calling
us to be. As Paul knew so well, all creation is
groaning and suffering in giving birth to the new
creation that we all long for (Romans 8:18-19). A
spirituality of the cross means bearing with our
own sufferings in loving and hope-filled ways. Pope
Francis has called us to embody the joy and hope of
the Gospel for others becoming “a field hospital”, a
place where people come to be healed.
In the words of St Paul, “we proclaim Christ
crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness
to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both
Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the
wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).
As we take up our own crosses each day, let’s pray
that we make that wisdom our own.
Rev Dr Chris Monaghan CP is the President of the Yarra
Theological Union, Box Hill, Victoria.
57

Fr Giovani Presiga Gaviria. Image: Mary Brazell/Diocese of Parramatta.
CUPPA with a PRIEST
Fr Giovani Presiga Gaviria
Parish Priest at St Madeleine Sophie Barat Parish, Kenthurst
BY ANTONY LAWES AND BELINDA GADD
Eleven years ago, Fr Giovani never thought his work
would take him from the conflict in Colombia to a
growing area of Western Sydney.
After serving several parishes, Fr Giovani was
installed as the third-ever Parish Priest at St
Madeleine Sophie Barat Parish on 18 February
2024, working alongside Assistant Priest Fr Adam
Carlow and Sacramental Coordinator
Sandra De Nardi.
“It’s a very welcoming community,” Fr Giovani says.
But his journey has had unexpected twists along
the way.
From priesthood to peacemaker
Fr Giovani grew up and studied in the Colombian
town of Urrao, located in the Archdiocese of Santa
Fe Antioquia. He made the decision to become a
priest at 17 years old and was ordained in Colombia
before being appointed assistant priest. He also led
the youth ministry in his archdiocese.
“I belong to a very Catholic family and I was
influenced by my grandmother. She was a very
religious woman and I was very close to her,”
he said.
After returning to Colombia from Italy, where he
spent three years studying theology, Fr Giovani
witnessed an increase of local violence and social
problems caused by the conflict between various
armed groups.
The local bishop asked Fr Giovani to lead the
‘pastoral social’, an initiative to support those in
need and those more affected by the conflict in
the region.
“I was in charge of developing different projects to
support people who were displaced, and I became
a mediator in the conflict,” he said.
For nine years, Fr Giovani worked in favour of
vulnerable communities thanks to the support of
international aid and human rights agencies such as
the International Red Cross among others.
He dealt with people who had been kidnapped,
released and acted as a peacemaker towards those
involved in local conflicts.
58
Fr Giovani (second right) with Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv (third
left), Fr Adam Carlow (fifth right) and representatives from the local
schools at his Installation Mass in February 2024. Image: Mary Brazell/
Diocese of Parramatta.
“I received training from the international agency
and spent one month in Berlin with people from
different countries. This was to learn how to deal
with the situation and support a new culture of
peace in our communities.”

Despite the challenges, Fr Giovani recalls this work
as a ministry of faith.
“We were doing the work on behalf of the Church,
so it was based on the Gospel,” he said.
“Jesus Christ was always in favour of the poor
people and those more in need.”
A new parish Church
Ever the peacemaker, Fr Giovani continues to lead a
faith-filled community in Kenthurst.
“The parish has a good connection with the
schools, with all the activities, celebrations and
sacraments,” Fr Giovani said.
With more young families joining Mass and
parish celebrations, Fr Giovani is keen to
proactively engage this growing demographic
and support their spiritual growth.
“We want to have a youth choir, or a youth
group. That’s one of the plans to put into
practice very soon.”
With Catholics making up more than 31
per cent* of the suburb’s religious
affiliations, Fr Giovani says the
Kenthurst community has “a
deep sense of belonging” to
the local parish.
“It’s a nice community
really – very supportive
to the parish and
we have a lot of
volunteers,” he said.
He credits the strong
sense of community to
the parish’s newly built
church, which opened in
November 2019. Prior to this,
the community had worshipped in
the Parish Worship Centre for 32 years.
“The people were involved in the building of the
church,” he said.
The church’s innovative design includes a central
gathering space, resembling a ‘piazza’, where
parishioners often share meals, tea and stories
after Mass.
“It is wonderful to see families sharing food from
their countries.”
Engaging a growing local youth population
The Hills Shire is a fast-growing area of Sydney, and
Fr Giovani has observed new families joining the
parish from nearby suburbs such as Box Hill.
Fr Giovani blesses students from the local
primary school at his Installation Mass in
February 2024. Image: Mary Brazell/Diocese
of Parramatta.
Reflections on the Diocesan Plan
The local community has been
instrumental in shaping the
Diocese of Parramatta’s new
Pastoral Plan, particularly
with respect to youth
engagement.
“For our parish, the
question is how to
involve new families that
come into the church,”
he said.
A further challenge to be
addressed is the drop-off
in Mass attendance by high
school families and youth.
“We need to work together across
parishes to define strategies on how to reach
these families,” he said.
“Maybe we can refresh our parishes, because
I think we share the same situation in other
parishes in this Diocese.”
Fr Giovani also says prayer remains key to
spiritual connection and renewal.
“The Holy Spirit is always available for us,” he
said. “The best prayer we can say is the prayer
that comes from our hearts.”
Local primary and secondary schools, including
Marian Catholic College at Kenthurst, have been a
drawcard for families to the parish.
* Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021.
59

The faith community of Our Lady of the Way Parish, Emu Plains, during their 50th anniversary celebrations in May 2024.
Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta.
PARISH PROFILE
Our Lady of the Way Parish, Emu Plains
‘A community of friends at the foot of the Mountains’
BY MARY BRAZELL
What lies at the core of Our Lady of the Way Parish,
Emu Plains, is in the first line of their parish mission
statement: ‘To be a community of friends who know,
love and serve the Lord.’
Having celebrated 50 years, the parish is grateful
for the solid foundations developed over the years
which grounds them into the future.
Parishioner John Cowen, who is a member of the
Finance Committee and was the Chair of the Parish
Council for 13 years, joined the parish in its early
years as it was an easy spot to bring his
mother-in-law to Mass.
What kept him around was the “community of
friends” that he found.
“A number of years ago, we looked at the number
of parishioners involved in parish activities and we
counted more than 50 in any given week. This has
reinforced for me our mission statement and that we
are serving together as a community of friends for
the good of all,” he said.
A sense of homeliness drew Sacramental
Coordinator Cate Kensey to the parish.
“We were looking to buy in the area, and I remember
when we went to Mass here, I just had this feeling of
‘this feels right’.
“There’s a real humility in the parishioners. I’m
humbled in my role as to the amount of people who
selflessly give up their time to help with sacramental
registrations, making cups of tea, setting up the hall
or Church, serving at Mass and providing music for
the sacraments.”
Parish Secretary Joanne Hamilton feels blessed to
have been welcomed into the parish community
four-and-a-half years ago.
“In the beginning, we were quietly a part of the
parish. Now, my children have become involved in
the parish, they feel that this is their parish and this
is where they belong.
“Everyone here is so humble and genuine and very
dedicated. Everyone involved in the ministries in our
parish goes about their role quietly and not wanting
any special thanks, just doing it for the glory
of God.”
Fr Michael has whole community in mind
and heart
Even Parish Priest, Fr Michael Gathuku, feels he has
a home at Emu Plains.
Having lived in Australia for 13 years, joining Emu
Plains in the middle of COVID in 2020 was his first
ever appointment as parish priest.
“It’s a good community of people,” he explained.
“I owe it to the previous priests of this parish for it
being very welcoming and all inclusive, because
everybody feels that he or she has a place and has
a home.
“Whenever someone comes into the parish, even
if they are coming from neighbouring parishes,
they never feel like they are a foreigner or are
unwelcome.”
The parish team feel that Fr Michael has the best
interests of parish at heart.
60

“He’s very approachable,” Joanne said. “I always
feel I can go and ask him something or talk to him.
He listens, he takes on board what everyone is
saying to make the best decisions that he can and
tries to do right by the whole community.”
Cate said, “he brings a lightness and relaxing nature
to the office, which makes it a really nice
working environment.”
Older parishioner Phyllis Goderie said, “Fr Michael
is always willing to offer up Masses for my relatives
and friends or to hear my confession. He is very
patient, kind and friendly.”
Anniversary celebrations
connecting past, present
and future
Joanne said, “learning about the hard work and love
that went into making this parish, it really made it a
memorable day and a day to celebrate community.”
25-year parishioner Tony Donley received a special
blessing during the anniversary celebrations as it
was also his 90th birthday. “It nearly knocked me
flat,” he told Catholic Outlook about the
special recognition.
Strengthening relationship with God, community
in the future
With the launch of the Diocesan Pastoral
Plan, and looking ahead beyond its
first 50 years, the parish hopes to
continue in the footsteps of
its pioneers.
The parish’s 50th anniversary
celebrations in late May were
full of joy, nostalgia
and gratitude.
A great blessing on the
day was having a number of
founding members participate in the
celebrations, by sharing anecdotes from the
parish’s early history and cutting a large
celebratory cake.
“We thank them for a magnificent legacy in terms
of a great physical building as well as a cohesive,
generous and supportive Christian community,”
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of
Parramatta, said during the celebration Mass.
Fr Michael said, “the memories and reflections of
the anniversary will live with these pioneers, even if
some of them no longer live in the area.
“It also meant a lot to the current parish community
as it keeps that connection between past, present
and future," he said.
John said, “to think we could share 50 years with
the people who started this parish was wonderful
to see.”
50th anniversary of Our Lady
of the Way Parish, May 2024.
Image: Alphonsus Fok/
Diocese of Parramatta.
“Although I won’t be here in
50 years, I pray that we will
grow more in faith and love of
Jesus each day,” Phyllis said.
Joanne said, “I hope that
parents bringing their children to
be baptised feel that same sense of
belonging to the parish that many of us
witness and that this is a place for them too.”
Fr Michael said, “I feel this Diocesan plan will give
us parishes assistance and direction to work,
listen and walk together as a community so that
everybody feels that he or she belongs, are included
and are being heard.”
Cate said, “I hope there is an emphasis on
reclaiming the beauty of what we have to offer
as Catholics through knowing Jesus through the
sacraments, through scripture and opportunities
where people can come and experience the Lord
and His love and healing.”
John said, “my hope is that we will be motivated
to respond to the Holy Spirt as we strive to
accompany each other on our journey and that we
will achieve a deeper relationship with God in
the process.”
(L-R) Parish Priest Fr Michael Gathuku, Parish Secretary Joanne Hamilton, Sacramental Coordinator Cate Kensey and parishioner John Cowen.
Image: Mary Brazell/Diocese of Parramatta.
61

Watch
Freud's Last Session
UK, 2023
On the eve of the Second World War, and towards the end
of his life, Freud's Last Session sees Sigmund Freud invite
author C.S. Lewis for a debate on the existence of God
and the future of humanity.
Set in 1939, the film, based on Mark St. Germain’s stage
play of the same name, poignantly captures Freud’s
struggle with mouth cancer while he engages in a deeply
intellectual dialogue with C.S. Lewis, who represents a
younger generation of thinkers.
The interplay between Freud’s scepticism and Lewis’s
faith creates a compelling tension, transforming the film
into a timeless exploration of existential themes. Humour
alleviates the tension between the exchange of ideas.
The film interweaves flashbacks from Freud and Lewis’s
past, present and fantasy, pushing the boundaries beyond
the confines of Freud’s study. It explores their complex
relationships with others, making it a compelling reflection
on belief, science, and human connection.
Freud's Last Session stars Anthony Hopkins, Stephen
Campbell Moore, Matthew Goode, Padraic Delaney, Jodi
Balfour, and Liv Lisa Fries.
It is 109 minutes and is rated M (Mature themes and
sexual references).
Anthony Hopkins as Sigmund Freud in Freud's Last
Session. Image: Sabrina Lantos/Courtesy of Sony
Pictures Classics.
Listen
62

Listen
Catholic
Influencers
Podcast by ICON
Ministry
ICON Ministry, 2024
The Catholic Influencers Podcast invites
listeners to delve deeper into upcoming
Sunday Mass readings and explore
relevant life issues and topics from a
Catholic perspective.
The episode titled ‘You Don’t Understand
Me’ (Season 11, Episode 14) covers the
Gospel of Mark 3:20-35, where Jesus
Christ is doubted by his own family and
accused of being possessed by the
Teachers of the Law. The team discusses
how Jesus felt misunderstood by his
family and how Catholics today can
relate to similar feelings in a modern,
secular society.
The discussion also explores ideas
about unity and how Jesus spoke about
a kingdom divided against itself not
standing. The podcast offers insightful
reflections on the Gospel and how
Catholics today can serve the Kingdom
and foster unity.
The Catholic Influencers Podcast, by
ICON Ministry, is hosted by Fr Rob Galea
(Diocese of Sandhurst), Alyssa Agius,
Justine Hughes and Augie Angrisano.
Image: Courtesy of Catholic Influencers
Podcasts/ICON Ministry.
Struggling to
Believe? The
Journey of One
Contemporary
Believer
Monsignor Tony Doherty
A finalist in Garratt Publishing’s 2023 Book of
the Year, Struggling to Believe? discusses the
language of belief and the confusion that exists
when people talk about God. Has the mystery
surrounding God been lost?
Drawing on personal experiences such as visits
to mosques in the Middle East, sacred cities
in India and rural Indigenous communities in
Australia, Doherty illustrates how these diverse
encounters have broadened and deepened his
faith but also enriched his grasp of the broader
spiritual and existential questions that people
grapple with today.
Struggling to Believe? takes its readers on a
contemplative journey that challenges them
to rethink and renew their own beliefs and
understanding of their faith and how that fits into
modern Australia.
Monsignor Tony Doherty is a retired priest from
the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. With over
six decades of his life serving as a priest in the
Catholic Church, he served 10 years as the
Dean of St Mary’s Cathedral.
Image: Courtesy of Garratt Publishing.

Kids Corner
Learn more about the San Damiano cross
WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THIS CROSS?
In 1205, a young man by the name of Francis came
upon the ruins of an old church near San Damiano,
in Italy. Something made him enter the ruins where
he saw the image of a crucifix, so he knelt to pray.
Italy. There is a copy in its original position, over the
altar, in the ancient church at San Damiano.
“The same things that the Book of the Gospels
explains by means of words, the painter shows
by means of his works.” – St Basil the Great.
It was while he was looking at the figure of Jesus on
the Cross that he heard a voice say to him: “Francis,
go and repair my church which, as you see, is all
in ruins.”
In his heart, he realised that the Holy Spirit had
led him there and Jesus had spoken to him. It
took some time for Francis to realise that God was
asking him to work in the Church to change some of
the wrong practices and reach out to the poor – not
to rebuild churches stone by stone.
So, St Francis began rebuilding the church by
talking to people about God and looking after the
poor and those in need. He also began to find
other people who wanted to join him, and so the
Franciscan friars began.
THE TOP OF THE CROSS
above Jesus’ head.
At the very top is the Hand of God with two
fingers pointing to bless Jesus.
The 10 angels crowded around Jesus as
He leaves the tomb are welcoming Him into
heaven. He is carrying a cross, like a banner
to show that He has risen.
Today, the cross that St Francis saw in that church
is called the San Damiano Cross, and it is a symbol
for all Franciscans of their mission to rebuild
the Church.
WHAT KIND OF ART IS THIS CROSS?
This cross is an icon. It is said that icons are
‘written’ not painted because they teach us about
the event on the icon and help us remember our
faith in God. Icons are usually images of saints
or scenes from the Bible. Writing icons has been
around for hundreds of years. The San Damiano
Cross was ‘written’ in around the 12th century.
WHERE IS THE SAN DAMIANO CROSS NOW?
The Poor Clare sisters moved from San Damiano
in 1257 to Assisi. Therefore, it now hangs in the St
Giorgio Chapel of the Basilica of St Clare in Assisi,
THE MIDDLE OF THE CROSS
The body of Jesus
Above the body of Jesus are the words:
Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaiorum
(Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews).
Jesus is not dead hanging on the Cross. He
has risen, He is looking at you, showing you
that He loves you and is blessing you. This
shows you the gentleness of living with God
forever when we die.
64

THE HORIZONTAL BAR OF THE CROSS
The body of Jesus
On the left near Jesus hands, there are
angels. On the right near Jesus’ hands
there are angels also.
These are angels possibly discussing this
wondrous event of the Resurrection.
NEXT TO THE LEFT LEG OF JESUS
There is a rooster to remind us that Peter
denied Jesus three times.
BELOW JESUS’ FEET
This part of the cross is almost destroyed
but there are six figures and two have halos.
It is believed that they are the patron saints
of Umbria: St John, St Michael, St Rufino, St
John the Baptist, St Peter and St Paul.
BESIDE JESUS
On the left The figure in blue is Mary, Jesus’
mother, and next to her is the disciple John,
whom Jesus loved. They have halos because
they witnessed the Resurrection.
On the right (L-R) is St Mary Magdalene,
St Mary Cleophas and the Centurion who
asked Jesus to heal his son (Behind him is
the boy that Jesus healed because
the centurion had faith
(John 4:45-54).
There are two smaller figures near their feet.
On the left is Longinus, the name given to
the Roman soldier who pierced the side
of Jesus.
On the right is Stephaton, the name given
to the soldier who offered Jesus a sponge
soaked in vinegar wine.
Good Shepherd Plumpton
OPENING SOON!
For ages 2 to 5 years
open 7am - 6pm
ENQUIRE
NOW
for 2025
AN ACTIVITY
FOR YOU
Can you create your own cross, tell the story of the
birth of Jesus and show all the people in the story?
Ambrose provides education and care in a child centred,
play-based learning environment. With a foundation of
Catholic values, our programs are designed to celebrate each
child’s curiosity for learning through exploration and discovery.
CCS APPROVED . PRESCHOOL FEE RELIEF
ambrose.org.au
Ambrose is a social enterprise of the Catholic Diocese of Parramatta Services Limited

Directory of services
Call us on (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)
1300 2VENTURES (1300 283 688)
enquiries@cdpsl.org.au
www.communityventures.org.au
Ambrose Early Years Education
and School Age Care
1300 4AMBROSE (1300 426 276)
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/connect
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
Family and children’s services
We run family support programs, including positive parenting in Blacktown
and Penrith to help vulnerable and disadvantaged families grow and thrive
in the community. We also provide family and parenting counselling and
caseworker support for families and carers.
Pregnant and young women with children
Houses 2 Homes provides holistic support and transitional housing across
Blacktown and Parramatta for pregnant women and young mothers aged
between 16 and 25 years, who are homeless or at immediate risk of
homelessness due to financial, family, domestic and sexual violence.
Project Elizabeth provides prenatal and postnatal trauma counselling; as
well as practical parenting support for women and their families who are
expecting a baby, have lost a baby, have had an abortion, or who need
support with a child aged up to three years.
General counselling
We offer confidential counselling for individuals and families experiencing
life’s challenges, including grief and loss, parenting, financial issues,
relationships and trauma, including domestic, family and sexual abuse.
Childcare services
Through our HIPPY program, Family Day Care service and a creche centre
at Mamre House in Orchard Hills, we provide essential care for children;
including engaging activities to support child development during their first
2000 days of life and beyond.
Aboriginal Catholic Services
Through Aboriginal Catholic Services, we provide a range of social services
and supports for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Catholic
faith and the wider community of Emerton.
Community outreach
We support people from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds, as
well as those experiencing disadvantage and/or social isolation, through
various drop-in centres at Emerton, Springwood, Mamre and All Saints of
Africa at Blacktown. Support includes English classes, food banks and a
range of social and wellbeing support groups that aim to connect people
within our communities.
Volunteer services
Our volunteers support our wide range of services, including visiting the
elderly and socially isolated, as well as working with disadvantaged and
vulnerable community groups.
VOLUNTEER TODAY
If you are interested in supporting the work of Catholic Care
WSBM, please scan here to find out more and volunteer.
66

Latest appointments
Most Rev Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, has
confirmed these appointments in the Diocese of Parramatta:
Rev Johnson Joseph CRS
Parish Priest at St Padre Pio Parish, Glenmore Park,
from 1 July 2024.
Rev Sheldon Burke CRS
Assistant Priest at St Padre Pio Parish, Glenmore Park,
from 1 July 2024.
Rev Kevin Redmond SM
Parish Priest at St Andrew the Apostle Parish, Marayong,
from 1 July 2024.
Very Rev Wim Hoekstra EV
Parish Priest of Mary, Queen of the Family Parish, Blacktown,
from 19 August 2024.
Rev Joseph Lam
Parish Priest of the Parish of Baulkham Hills.
from 1 October 2024.
Very Rev Gayan Thamel EV
Inaugural Parish Priest at St Luke’s Parish, Marsden Park,
from 1 January 2024.
Rev Percival Perez Sevare OSA
Parish Moderator of Holy Spirit Parish, St Clair-Erskine Park,
from 1 July 2024.
Rev Raymond Ugwu CSSp
Parish Priest at the Parish of Richmond,
from 8 July 2024.
Rev Pio Yong Ho Jang
Assistant Priest at St Nicholas of Myra Parish, Penrith,
from 8 July 2024 to 31 August 2024.
Rev Rojan Cheriyadan George MS
Assistant Priest at St Nicholas of Myra Parish, Penrith,
from 24 July 2024.
A time time to to renew renew your your spirit
spirit
Great Journey Saints with of the
Italy
Rome Italian to Venice
Saints
With Joelle Maryn
Pilgrimage Graces of Japan
of Mercy
Budapest Kyoto to to Tokyo
to Prague
the the genuine pilgrim experience
Journey Wonders of of
St Paul
South Korea
Greece & Turkey with
Bishop Seoul to Mark Seoul Edwards
Roundtrip
Land only from $6690
$6290 Land only from $5890
$6890
Land only from $6890
$5890
Commences 08 08 March 2024.
Commences 16 1107 June May 2024. 2025. 12 Days.
Commences 16 September 2024.
Commences 12 12 Days. With 21 accompanying October 2024. 11 Chaplain
Days.
Commences 13 October 2025. 13 Days.
11 With 12 11 Days. Priest With Chaplain.
12 Days. With Bishop Mark Edwards OMI
Fr Fr Christopher Sarkis
With Join Catholic Fr Christopher Actress Joelle del Rosario.
With Priest Chaplain. Explore the Christian
Maryn on
on
The Acts of of the the Apostles will come alive as
as
of a a healing pilgrimage on on the the trail of
of
A unique rare combination and captivating of Eastern journey
Europe’s
heritage of South Korea, rich in culture, the
Stunning landscapes, picturesque towns
we we go go out with St St Paul and his his companions
of Italy’s greatest saints, visiting Rome,
through most intriguing Japan during cities of the Budapest, mesmerizing Krakow arts and faith and made sacred by the blood
and peaceful shrines like Assisi, Siena and
to to rediscover the the faith and struggles of of the
the
Be by the Montecassino, San Giovanni Rotondo,
cherry and Prague. blossom Be blessed season, by where the powerful
draw
early
of the Christian
martyrs. communities.
From the city Have
of Seoul your
journey
Florence await. Explore the rich tapestry
faith
graces of of the the great Shrines of of Divine Mercy
Assisi, Florence and Venice. Experience the
the
inspiration and strength from the saints
rekindled
out to beautiful as as we we set set
villages out to to
and capture
towns afresh
and
of culture, faith, art, and history that Italy
the
the
the the Black Madonna Czestochowa.
offers. rich tapestry Also departs of of culture, May faith, 2025.
and history
and martyrs whose profound witness has
fervour
discover and
the spirit
story of of
of the the
how Church’s
ancient greatest
dynasties
Also departs September 2024
that Italy has to to offer.
shaped the faith of this fascinating country.
evangelist.
embraced Also
the good departs
news April
of the 2024
gospel.
BOOKINGS & & ENQUIRIES
BOOKINGS & ENQUIRIES
1800 819 156
www.harvestjourneys.com

“The new digital payment system organised by
the Diocesan Development Fund has allowed us to
reach a diverse range of givers on a wide range of
payment platforms. It makes fundraising events easier
to organise. Payments for facilities hire, donations
for weddings and other sacraments are received
promptly.” – Mili Lee, Manager, St Patrick’s Cathedral Parramatta
MAKING DONATIONS EASIER
THROUGH DIGITAL PAYMENTS
The Diocesan Development Fund (DDF) is offering digital payment systems to all parishes.
Making it easier for people to donate to parishes in today’s cashless society, they reduce
the amount of cash you need to keep on premises and make reconciling easier.
DDF can help with online payment platforms including tap to donate solutions such as
CommBank Smart Tap to Donate and CommBank Bpoint a secure online payment system.
Merchant facilities are provided through the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
The Diocesan Development Fund (DDF) provides financial services that helps to promote
the continued growth and development of a vibrant and evangelising Catholic Church in
the Diocese of Parramatta.
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/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.