BROKENBAYnews
B R O K E N B AY N E W S P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E C AT H O L I C D I O C E S E O F B R O K E N B AY A P R I L 2 0 1 7 I S S U E 1 8 7
St Patrick’s Gosford
Reaching out and inviting people to meet Jesus
A yearning for God Ashleigh representing Australia in Rome
The joy and hope of Easter
HEART TO HEART
Taking their first steps in their faith journey, 2017 Rite of Election candidates in Broken Bay
Learning the way of discipleship There is no such thing as an expert Christian. There are theologians and historians and Scripture scholars whom we might designate as experts in their fields of study about Christianity, but that doesn’t make them expert Christians.
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hy? Because a Christian is always a disciple of Jesus Christ and a disciple is someone who is to be found at the feet of the Master, learning. Christian disciples are learners, not experts. Our journey of Christian discipleship through Lent and Easter is essentially a journey into the Paschal Mystery, that is: the life, passion, death, resurrection, ascension and glorious reigning of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Discipleship is the journey of our lives into the life of Christ. This is why we should never consider ourselves as experts in Christ. When we think we are experts, then we have stopped journeying; stopped learning. Thankfully, there is always more for us to learn as we grow in our relationship with the Lord. In this time of Lent and Easter, it is
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St Mary of Magdalene who is perhaps our best witness to this ‘learning relationship’ of discipleship. It was she who remained at the foot of the Cross as Jesus died. It was she who saw the risen Jesus first, and became the Apostle of the Apostles. And it was she who, in her great love of Jesus, called him “Rabbuni” (which means ‘teacher’). Mary could tell others where to find Jesus, because she understood where she needed to be with him. St Mary Magdalene never claimed to be an expert in the faith, yet she was the one Jesus chose to be the principle evangeliser of his death and resurrection. Mary shows us all the way of Christian discipleship. It’s a pity we have no writings from Mary Magdalene, no personal record of her story. But I think she might very well have liked the words of St Paul, when he wrote: “May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Gal 6.14) This is not the proud boast of an expert, but the humble boast of a disciple. If St Mary Magdalene is our model of Christian discipleship, then how might we be like her today? As I’ve said in the past, the message of evangelisation is a simple one: to share the good news that we have received in Jesus Christ. To be able to share this good news, we have to appreciate it as ‘good news’ for ourselves first. For us who have come to Jesus
after Mary, our principal door of entry was our Baptism. At our Baptism, we died with Christ and were raised up into a new life in Him. We have already made the journey of the Paschal Mystery though our Sacramental Initiation. It is not enough, however, to then simply say: “Been there; done that”. Our faith in Christ can only deepen through the living out of this gift of the Paschal Mystery personally. We are invited to be daily learners at the feet of our teacher. In our Catholic tradition, we call this faith formation. Formation is about learning our faith, so that we understand and grow in love of Jesus and his Church. Often faith formation involves explicit instruction (catechesis), and often it involves an experience. But always, it involves growing in relationship with the One whose feet we sit at. We need this formation to help us stand confident in truth, to know what we believe, and give us the confidence to speak to others about our faith. All formation is intended to lead us to a deeper conversion, to know God more intimately. Faith formation leads us to transformation, and to a deeper conviction of God’s grace and presence, active in our lives. This is where the joy of the good news arises and we become more fully alive in our faith. Both informed and transformed, we then go out to others. We are equipped to become evangelisers with confidence and conviction.**
HEART TO HEART As our Catholic Life & Faith Formation team in our Office for Evangelisation share: In order to survive, we grow, learn, and adapt in all manner of ways. Our faith life is no different. Faith development is a life-long process. Can we afford to rely on the catechesis we received as children to carry us through life, with all its twists and turns? Through experience, reflection, prayer and study, we can come closer to the person of Jesus Christ for the sake of the world. Adult faith formation is a wide area of concern encompassing knowledge of the faith, liturgical life, moral formation, prayer, communal life, and
missionary spirit. Not for cosy self-appropriation or mere intellectual stimulation, intentional faith formation awakens the faith to the great story of Jesus Christ, and our place within the story. It is only when we truly know and are transformed by the great story that we are able to become its storyteller. The promise of the fullness of life in Jesus is ours to share. My more simple way of summing this up is to say: if we leave our relationship with Jesus to Mass on Sundays, and if we do nothing to nourish our relationship during the week, then we will end up eventually not coming to
Mass at all, and even abandoning our personal connection to Him. Like all strong and intimate relationships, we must fully commit ourselves for it to truly flourish. As I said at the beginning, Christian disciples are learners, not experts. So be a learner of our faith! You are in my prayers. Please remember me in yours.
Participants at an Encounter Course in 2016
Most Rev Peter A Comensoli Bishop of Broken Bay
** The Catholic Life & Faith Formation team in the Office for Evangelisation offers support to parishes in all areas of adult faith formation. A number of events and opportunities for formation across the Diocese are available and promoted in this edition of the BBN and online, including an ENCOUNTER series and Bible Conference. The team is there to assist you in building up a culture of faith formation in your parish, community or group. Contact David Patterson or Pina Bernard on (02) 9847 0514.
Chrism
Most rev peter a coMensoli invites you to join the broken bay coMMunity for the annual
Mass
tuesday 11 april 2017 at 7.30pm our lady of the rosary cathedral waitara
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NEWS & ISSUES
The Sacraments for People with Disabilities By Jo Karaolis On Thursday 16 February at Mary MacKillop Chapel in North Sydney, the national launch of the new Sacramental Guidelines for People with Disabilities, was celebrated with a Mass and a special presentation by Bishop Terence Brady DD and others on behalf of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
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et us become communities where the presence of Jesus Christ is recognised in everyone, where we can all participate and journey together in the rich life of our Church’. With these words, Bishop Terry Brady introduced the Sacramental Guidelines for people with disabilities that have since been distributed to every Diocese in Australia. The Guidelines are the work of the Australian Catholic Disability Council, chaired by Sr Myree Harris RSJ OAM. They are based on five key principles: • Celebration and reception of the sacraments for all • Full participation of people with disability and their families in the life of the Church in Australia • Access into and within Church buildings • Adaptation of programs • Attitudinal change and dispelling myths and misconceptions about disability Citing Canon Law, the Guidelines call on Pastoral Councils to make sure that any person in the parish can become a full participating member of the parish to the best of their ability, making sure the sacraments are readily available and that priests be accepting of their disabilities. The Guidelines deal with both the pastoral realities and the necessary pastoral practices in relation to each of
the sacraments. In relation to Baptism, the Guidelines quote a grandmother whose grandson was refused baptism because of his intellectual disability and because his mother was not Catholic. The grandmother herself was keen to take on the child’s formation and eventually found a priest who was willing to baptise her grandson. The Guidelines remind parishes that there are aids through their Diocese to assist in the formation of people with disabilities. In relation to Confirmation, the Guidelines state that people who because of developmental delay, intellectual disability or autism, may never attain the use of reason, are to be encouraged to receive the sacrament of confirmation at the appropriate time, with a sponsor to assist the confirmed person on the continuing path of Christian initiation. Plenty of resources are available through the Diocese that provide simpler written materials and visual prompts to assist in understanding. The Guidelines also cover issues relating to people with disabilities being able to access the Eucharist and Reconciliation. ‘In the case of individuals with poor communication skills, sorrow for sin is to be accepted even if this repentance is expressed through gesture or through visual aids’. Deaf Catholics should have the opportunity to confess to a
priest able to communicate with them in sign language, or if this is not appropriate, to make their confession in writing. During the national launch of the Guidelines, Sister Helen Merrin OP, who herself is blind and with severely impaired hearing, spoke passionately about the role of spiritual development in the life of a person with disabilities and told the assembled gathering of her experience as Chaplain to children with intellectual disabilities and autism. ‘Their souls are unimpaired,’ she said. ‘In fact, I think that in terms of spiritual development, they are able to surpass children who are intellectually and socially more competent.’ Other speakers at the Launch included members of the Australian Catholic Disability Council, senior students of St Edmund’s School and representatives of parishes of the Diocese of Broken Bay. Bishop Terry closed the launch by thanking all members of the Australian Catholic Disability Council for their years of hard work in developing the Guidelines and also Patricia Mowbray, Disability Projects Officer, for organising the launch. He also heralded the development of a website to support the Guidelines which will provide on-line resources to support parishes in providing access for their members with disabilities to the sacraments.
DIOCESE OF BROKEN BAY Most Rev Peter A Comensoli Bishop of Broken Bay
Diocesan Office: Tel (02) 9847 0000 Fax (02) 9847 0201 Caroline Chisholm Centre Building 2, 423 Pennant Hills Rd Pennant Hills NSW 2120 (Access off City View Rd) PO Box 340 Pennant Hills NSW 1715 officeofthebishop@dbb.org.au
CHANCERY OFFICES Office of the Bishop
Acting Private Secretary Director, Office for Communications Annie Carrett Vicar General: Very Rev Dr David Ranson VG Chancellor Jo Robertson Diocesan Financial Administrator, Director, Office for Stewardship: Emma McDonald Director, Office for Evangelisation: Daniel Ang Safeguarding (Chancery) Manager Jodie Crisafulli Tel: (02) 9847 0212 Director, Marriage Tribunal: Adrienne Connaghan Tel: (02) 9847 0458 Catholic Development Fund: Chris Field Tel: (02) 9847 0748 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) Alison Newell
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE Director: Peter Hamill Tel (02) 9847 0000 PO Box 967 Pennant Hills NSW 1715
CATHOLICCARE
Executive Director: Trish Devlin Tel: (02) 9481 2600 PO Box 966 Pennant Hills 1715 Children’s Services: Tel: (02) 9481 2660 Family Centres: Brookvale – Tel: (02) 8968 5100 Naremburn – Tel: (02) 8425 8700 Waitara – Tel: (02) 9488 2400 Warnervale – Tel: (02) 4356 2600 Foster and Residential Care: Tel: (02) 4340 0786 Mission, Hospital Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care (02) 9481 2658
BROKEN BAY NEWS
Editor: Melissa Loughlin Tel: (02) 9847 0722 Fax: (02) 9847 0721 news@dbb.org.au PO Box 340 Pennant Hills, NSW, 1715 Design: Chris Murray
Australian Catholic Disability Council and friends launching the guidelines for sacramental preparation, including Sr Helen Merrin and her guide dog
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21,000 copies of the Broken Bay News are distributed monthly through 26 parishes and 44 schools in the Diocese of Broken Bay. The Broken Bay News is a member of the Australasian Catholic Press Association. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply diocesan endorsement of products or services advertised. www.dbb.org.au
Our Neighbourhoods of Grace Exploring our missionary outreach
St Patrick’s Catholic Parish, Gosford Reaching out and inviting people to meet Jesus By Debra Vermeer
“Come to our parish community and meet Jesus. And then take him back out to others.”
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hat’s the simple mission of St Patrick’s Parish, Gosford, according to Parish Priest, Fr Tadeusz Seremet SDS. “We see our parish as a place where people come to get to know, love and serve Jesus and then take him to others,” he says. “So, anything we do should bring people to the Eucharist, and from there, take him back to their loved ones, to their workmates, and to the world. That’s the core of what we’re about.” St Patrick’s, with a history dating back to colonial days, aims to have an outward looking focus, where each parish ministry is focused on inviting others into the parish community. But everything starts with prayer.
“We have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every day for half an hour either before or after Mass and that generates that power and gives it to the people,” Fr Tadeusz says. The Rosary is also prayed every day before Mass and the Divine Mercy chaplet every day after Mass. The Sunday Eucharist is the focal point of the parish coming together as a worshipping community, with worship enhanced by a locally renowned choir and music ministry. After Sunday Masses, the Jordan Room, adjacent to the Church, is open for coffee, biscuits and a chat. St Patrick’s Parish is under the pastoral care of the Priests of the Society of the Divine Saviour
(Salvatorians), with Fr Tadeusz being assisted by Fr Sebastian Polak SDS, who has recently arrived from Poland. Geographically, the parish is the biggest in the Diocese, ministering to parishioners at St Patrick’s, East Gosford as well as the Chapel at St Francis of Assisi, Somersby and Holy Trinity Church at Spencer on the Hawkesbury River. The Divine Retreat Centre at Somersby also falls within the parish boundaries. The parish community is demographically spread, between seniors, families and young people. “With 10 public schools and three Catholic schools, we have hundreds of families with young kids living in our parish, and we are constantly seeking ways of inviting
more of them into parish life,” Fr Tadeusz says. Catechist and parishioner, Javier Alvarez, says evangelisation is the focus of every ministry at St Patrick’s. “Our parishioners and those in ministry here are all very passionate people, and the community is a very open and friendly one, so we’re always looking to bring in new people. Everyone’s welcome,” he says. Chair of the Parish Pastoral Council, Ian McGuinness, agrees, saying St Patrick’s embraces the two key functions of the Church as outlined in Scripture: to be fisher of men and shepherd. “So that’s about bringing people into Christ’s Church and looking
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Our Neighbourhoods of Grace Exploring our missionary outreach
after them when they get there – or even if they do not get there,” he says. Last year at St Patrick’s, 10 people were either baptised or received into the Church at Easter after participating in the RCIA program. The parish is also committed to reaching out to Catholics who may not have practised their faith for many years, through the Coming Home Program. “When you ask a lot of these people why they haven’t been back to Church for so long, many of them say, ‘because nobody invited me’, Fr Tadeusz says. Others have turned their back on the Church for different reasons, including the deep hurt and damage of sexual abuse. One St Patrick’s parishioner, Ellen Bucello, has shared on the
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parish’s Facebook page how happy she is to have returned to her faith following years away in the wake of such abuse. “I turned my back on my Catholic Church because I could not understand why the Church allowed children to be hurt,” she says. “It has taken me 20 something years to realise I cannot blame a whole community for the loss of innocence to a child. “After returning through the Catholics Returning Home Program in 2016, I was allowed to vent as to why I had not returned earlier. I am now a valued member of our choir family and feel loved and accepted. I HAVE RETURNED HOME.” Indeed, St Patrick’s seeks to reach out to all who are suffering, including those facing illness or grief, through a Cancer Prayer
Group and a Bereavement Group, which allow those struggling with sickness to feel supported and prayed for. During Lent, the Stations of the Cross are prayed for the bereaved. Seniors are lovingly cared for, with Eucharistic ministers visiting Gosford Hospital each Friday and Sunday with Holy Communion, as well as weekly visits to the three local nursing homes. Both priests also visit the nursing homes regularly to celebrate Mass. The parish has a set of home units for elderly parishioners, which allows them to walk to the Church and take part in Mass and other activities. A seniors’ craft group attracts up to 40 ladies each Friday. A strong emphasis on social activities results in all sorts of community fun, including an annual golf day, a Christmas ‘thank
you’ function for altar servers and one for all ministers, a St Patrick’s Day pot luck dinner, morning teas and barbecues. And for those who are lonely or looking for company on Christmas Day, the parish hosts a Christmas Lunch, which is open to all. Adult faith formation is a priority at St Patrick’s and includes a CaFE group, a weekly Bible Study course run by parishioners, Advent and Lenten programs, pre-marriage courses, ALPHA, Men Alive, as well as RCIA, RCIC and the Catholics Returning Home ministry. “We also have guest speakers come to the parish,” says Fr Tadeusz. “Most recently we had Alan Ames come and talk about his healing ministry.” Young people are welcomed and valued, with youth groups on offer
Our Neighbourhoods of Grace Exploring our missionary outreach
for both primary and high school students and a youth Mass on Sunday evenings. That relationship is further enhanced through the three Catholic schools located in the parish. Cheryl Walsh, Principal of St Patrick’s Catholic School, says the school and parish work very closely together to help students and families to feel part of the parish community. “We’ve got a good relationship,” Cheryl says. “There’s a lot of parish involvement from our students and the priests are regular and welcome visitors to the school. The parish holds Family Masses throughout the year, which our students take part in, and there are other Masses as well, such as the Kindergarten and Year 6 Buddies Mass in March. Our children are
also invited to get involved in the parish’s Palm Sunday procession.” Cheryl sits on the Parish Pastoral Council and, together with the school’s Religious Education Coordinator, meets with Father on a regular basis. Up to 10 of the school’s students are baptised in the parish each year. There is also a close relationship between school and parish when it comes to the sacramental program. “Father is very present in our school, and will come and hold special days with the staff and regularly pops in see the children. He also comes to the information night for our new parents, so that the link between school and parish is there from the outset for our families,” Cheryl says. Mark Bonnici, Principal of St Edward’s Christian Brothers College at East Gosford, says the
school, while being independent, has a strong relationship with St Patrick’s Parish. “Absolutely. We have a great connection with the parish,” Mark says. “Father celebrated our commencement Mass this year and my commissioning as Principal and he comes down to the school to offer Reconciliation for the boys. Our boys also go up to the Parish and work in the catechist program.” Likewise, Tony McCudden, Principal of St Joseph’s Catholic College at East Gosford, says they have good connections with all five of the parishes from which their students are drawn, including St Patrick’s. “Fr Tadeusz is a very big supporter of our school,” Tony says. “He helps us celebrate our feast days with Mass on St Joseph’s
Day and St Mary MacKillop’s feast day as well as regular Thursday afternoon Masses and Reconciliation. There’s a really strong connection.” A dedicated team of catechists reaches out to Catholic children in the 10 local State schools on a weekly basis. Not content to rest on its laurels, parishioners regularly come together after Mass for the ‘St Patrick’s Think Tank’, to discuss what they’d like to see in the parish and ask ‘how can we further evangelise?’ “We are committed to reaching out to people with a personal invitation so that they might come to know Jesus,” Fr Tadeusz says. “Like Pope Benedict said, it’s about proposing Jesus to people and inviting them to come and see.”
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CATHOLIC YOUTH BROKEN BAY
Hola Panama!
Preparations are underway for WYD 2019 By Kelly Paget, Team Leader, Catholic Youth Broken Bay In February, a small group of leaders from Broken Bay, Melbourne, Parramatta, Sandhurst and Sydney Dioceses, along with the Gabrielle Sinclair Project Manager for the ACBC Office for Youth, travelled to Panama to begin the ground work for pilgrimages to WYD 2019.
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city of great diversity, colour, culture and enthusiasm greeted us from our arrival and only grew in splendour as the week progressed. Throughout the week we
were able to not only visit many popular tourist sites but also the proposed venues for the major WYD events. A particularly special moment for our group was meeting with the Archbishop of
Panama City Jose Domingo Ulloa who spoke about his excitement in hosting the young heart of the church in his country and opened dialogue with us around our expectation of them as our host.
I can truly say that this visit to Panama has filled me with great joy about WYD 2019 and I can’t wait to return with my CYBBie family. Save the date now, January 22-27, 2019.
a u s t r a l i a n c a t h o l i c yo u t h f e s t i va l Open new horizons for spreading oy
YOung PeOPle, Faith & VOcatiOnal Discernment
S Y D N E Y 2 0 1 7
7 – 9 DECEMBER 2017 registrations open end of april 8
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SYDNEY www.dbb.org.au/youth
CATHOLIC YOUTH BROKEN BAY
Representing Australia in Rome By Ashleigh Green It is my great honour to be the Australian youth delegate at an International Meeting in Rome from 5 to 9 April 2017 on the theme: From Krakow to Panama – The Synod Journeying with Young People.
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he Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life is holding the meeting in collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. Two days will be devoted to assessing World Youth Day Krakow 2016 and preparing for World Youth Day Panama 2019. Another two days will be spent preparing for the next Synod of Bishops scheduled for October 2019: Young people, faith and vocational discernment. The chance to contribute to preparations for this Synod is an incredible opportunity, and it is an honour to be participating in groundbreaking, crucial discussions that will shape the future of our Church. On the final day, which falls on Palm Sunday, I will take part in the Diocese of Rome celebrations of the 32nd World Youth Day together with Pope Francis. Since receiving the news of my selection, I have been overwhelmed, excited and proud to be representing not only Australia, but also the Diocese of Broken Bay. I am a proud CYBBie, as Bishop Peter refers to
the Catholic Youth of Broken Bay, and I feel incredibly blessed to be part of a strong community of believers and world changers. Last year I was part of the Diocese of Broken Bay’s WYD pilgrimage to Krakow, where Pope Francis “launched us on the adventure of mercy… of building bridges and tearing down walls, barriers and barbed wire.” Since returning from WYD Krakow I have commenced my role as a Therapeutic Case Worker (Out of Home Care) for CatholicCare Diocese of Broken Bay. Every day presents new challenges, new stories and new inspiration as we work alongside some of the most disadvantaged young people in our Diocese to improve their wellbeing and instill in them a sense of hope for the future. As I travel to Rome for this International gathering, I will take with me my experiences of Church as a young, Australian Catholic. For me, Church is both local and global; it is a community, a foundation and a springboard into the world to be God’s hands and feet. As I travel to Rome, I will carry with me a spirit of
openness and willingness to learn from all the people whose paths I cross. Please keep me in your
prayers, and I look forward to sharing this experience with you upon my return.
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ACROSS OUR DIOCESE
A yearning for God led them here
By Melissa Loughlin
“It is the start of our journey as a family with God in our lives.”
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itchell, April and their three sons, Luther aged 10, Logan aged 5 and one-yearold baby Lawson, will become new members of the Catholic community in Terrigal this Easter. Mitchell, April and Luther are all Catechumens in the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program at Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Terrigal. A year or more ago, the Central Coast family weren’t religious at all. In fact, Mitchell and April had never really spoken about God to each other, even though they have known each other since they were in primary school. However, April had always felt a yearning for
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something, but didn’t quite know what that ‘something’ was. She would refer to her spirituality as the ‘universe’ rather than God. Mitchell on the other hand was a sceptic. “The way my mind is programmed is that I have to see it to believe it, it has to be factually based,” said Mitchell. “I absolutely was not into religion at all. But I also felt a ‘pull’ from somewhere, directing me. Where? I didn’t really know! I hadn’t given it any thought. It was just a subconscious feeling.” It wasn’t until their oldest son Luther came home from school one day and asked about Jesus and what he did, and why he
died, that sparked a conversation between them. “That is when we shared this yearning and the pull we felt, it all came together,” added Mitchell. “April became quite emotional and it was then that we decided to ‘go with it’, or now as we know it, ‘Go with God.’ “ Mitchell and April didn’t know what to do next, so they just started ringing churches around the Central Coast. “We Googled the closest and made our way further away from where we lived, we wrote them down with contact numbers. Our theory was that we would ring, starting from the closest and working our way out. We agreed that ‘we would know it’s right when you speak to that one person who we’d connect with, let the universe guide us!’” April started calling the very next day, and about a week later she spoke to Betty at Our Lady Star of the Sea, Terrigal. “When Mitchell came home from work I told him: ‘I found it Mitch, we have found the right Church! The lady’s name is Betty, she’s the one. This is the right place, this is where we are supposed to go’”, said April. “I saw the sparkle in her eyes and I knew it was right, I knew she had found the right person to guide us,” added Mitchell. The family later met everyone at the parish. “Betty, John, Blossom, Eva, Fr George and Fr Jacek were
all so lovely,” said Mitchell. “We were so sure that we were doing the right thing and heading down the path we were meant to, with such wonderful people from the Church guiding and teaching us. It really was like divine intervention!” The older members of the family were presented as Catechumens to Bishop Peter Comensoli at the Rite of Election ceremony held at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, Waitara on Sunday 5 March 2017. They will be baptised, confirmed and celebrate their First Eucharist at Easter this year in their parish at Terrigal. The younger boys will also be baptised. “It is the start of our journey as a family with God in our lives,” said April. For April, Mitchell and their children, it has been a process they have gone through as a family. “We don’t know anyone Catholic (friends or family),” said Mitchell. “It’s something that we feel strongly about in our hearts and it’s just something that we chose to do in our little family unit. As we learn about our faith, we then teach our children and it will be now, a part of all of us. “The RCIA program has been fabulous,” added Mitchell. “We have met such beautiful people and had the best time doing it. We would highly recommend it to people out there who aren’t sure about it all. Just do it and reach out!”
EVANGELISATION
Making Disciples in a ‘Change of Age’ By Daniel Ang, Director, Office for Evangelisation
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s a Church of the Great Commission, we are called to ‘go and make disciples’ within an ever changing context (Matt 28:19). Pope Francis has observed that we live not simply in an ‘age of change’ but a ‘change of age’ when old realities are giving way to the new. The shifting ground of global politics, the refugee crisis enveloping the world, and the changing nature of media and social networks alone confirm this reality. Closer to home, we are an increasingly diverse people. Almost half of Sydney’s population has been born overseas while roughly 40% of all Australian Mass attenders herald from a migrant background. The situation of individuals and families today are also radically different from even one or two generations ago. This includes an increase in ex-nuptial births (the birth of children outside of marriage) which now account for more than a third of all births compared to just 3-4 per cent in the 1960s. Cohabitation is becoming a social norm, with 76 per cent of marriages now preceded by couples living together, and there is also a greater degree of mobility among households. In parishes such as Manly-Freshwater, Lower North Shore, Warringah, and the Hornsby Cathedral Parish, less than 50 per cent of Catholics in these communities lived at the same residential address five years ago. ‘Preaching to the parade’ becomes more frequent as people come in and out of our communities of faith. On the Central Coast we are seeing increasing development and shifting needs as well, reshaping the life and plans of local communities. Further challenges are posed by the reality of declining Mass attendance, an ongoing trend since the 1950s. Of course, an immediate challenge for our faith is the Royal Commission which has brought to the forefront a need for higher standards of accountability and transparency within the Church, with the imperative to ensure a safe environment for all, especially the young and the vulnerable. Now, and in fact perpetually, we are called to change in order to remain faithful. The holiness and conversion of our Church remains a task rather than an accomplishment, demanding personal and communal reform. It may seem impossible to speak of evangelisation in this challenging context but our mission to make disciples remains as important as ever. The search for meaning and belonging persists. Many wait for someone to meet them on the road of life. Our effort in accompanying people to Christ, who we believe to be the fulfilment of our longing, is called to embrace those who have not heard the Gospel, those who may be nominally Catholic, those who have gradually slipped away from belief, those merely ‘sacramentalised’ but not yet active in their faith, as well as Catholics already
committed to faith. There will be no one way of reaching this variety of people. Helpfully, whatever the complexities of our age, we know that evangelisation begins with personal relationship. Even before people open themselves to hearing the Gospel, a bridge of trust calls to be developed through our Christian witness, listening and dialogue. People do not hear or engage with what they do not trust. The opportunity to build trust and relationship with others, sometimes described as ‘preevangelisation’, presents itself at the front doors of our parish offices, in our pews and in our homes, as well as in the myriad of our daily interactions. Many do not trust the ‘Church’ and the ‘Church’ can be represented by us and our communities. A way of hope is found in the outreach of St Paul who was perhaps the greatest evangeliser in the history of the Church after Jesus himself. In particular, Acts 17:16-34 details St Paul’s engagement of the Greeks in Athens. He seeks to build a relationship with these Gentiles, who worship other gods and who are completely unfamiliar with the Christian faith. We learn that St Paul first desires the good of the other and holds a deep concern for them (“he was distressed that the city was full of idols”). Without this desire not much is possible. He listens to the questions they are asking (“May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? It sounds rather strange to us, so we would like to know what it means”). He
identifies shared values (“Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way”) and in seeking to share the Gospel he uses evidence and examples from their perspective (“As even some of your poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring. Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold”). He avoids using ‘insider’ language so as to not cause defensiveness and he inspires curiosity, rather than providing pat answers (“When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, ‘We will hear you again about this’”). As we learn, in the end some became believers, “including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them”. St Paul encourages us in our everyday opportunities to evangelise, beginning with the building of relationships of trust and curiosity that can set people on the path to discipleship. A powerful testimony comes from a Catholic blogger who wrote, “I am not a Christian because it ‘makes sense’ or because someone sat down and diagrammed it for me. I am a Christian because I have been loved deeply and unconditionally by Christians… all of them loved me when I did not love them”. It is a wonderful reminder that it is not programs or structures that make disciples, but disciples that make disciples. This is our mission in a ‘change of age’, to welcome and meet people where they are and love them enough to lead them to God who meets us in Jesus Christ.
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…serving the Diocese of Broken Bay since 1967 Rebecca Pincott Michael Bolton
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NEWS & ISSUES
My Appearance before the Royal Commission By Fr David Ranson VG Having been invited by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse to be part of an international academic advisory panel through 2015, I was not surprised to receive the summons to appear for Case Study 50, “Catholic Church Authorities in Australia,” in February of this year.
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he Commissioners asked me to reflect with them on the questions of Governance and Culture (6 February) and Formation of Clergy (13 February). On the day of my first appearance, when I walked into Macquarie Tower where the Commission is based in Sydney, I found myself behind Anthony and Chrissie Foster. I had never met Anthony and Chrissie, but they were familiar to me through the media. They have become the face of those who had been so hurt by our Church, though, of course, so many of those who have been abused remain without any profile, clothed with anonymity. Anthony and Chrissie’s two daughters had been brutally assaulted by a Melbourne priest, and for many years they have fought for justice in the Church. I could not pass them by without introducing myself. When I revealed my identity as a priest to them, their difficulty in receiving me was evident. As we chatted, Anthony’s anger was palpable; Chrissie’s long suffering was painfully clear. When we brought the conversation to a close upon entering the Hearing Room, Anthony said bluntly to me, “The test of what you say in there will be whether you can look at me in the face afterwards.” I thank God for the gift of my
encounter with the Fosters. I was powerless before their anguish; I could offer no word that could come close to touching their anguish and hurt. I could only stand there. When I took the oath later that day, I could think only of them, and all the others who were there that day present with such incalculable pain – some of whom were good friends from Melbourne, and the many others whom I had not met personally. I knew that they were looking to me to say something, anything, that could speak to their pain. I could say nothing. And every word I uttered before the Commission felt entirely feeble before their hurt. And yet, I knew that it was for them and for the countless thousands of others who had been damaged by the institution of which I am an official representative that I was there, struggling to answer the questions of the Commissioners with as much honesty and intelligence as I could. My encounter with those who had been abused in our Church was the enduring memory I have of my appearance at the Royal Commission. To be honest, I can’t remember all I said to the Commissioners themselves, though the transcripts record it. However, sadly there is another image of that day that haunts me. The barristers enjoyed a private
room in the complex outside the Hearing Room into which the Church’s “witnesses” were invited, too. Here coffee was served them, as was lunch. This, regretfully, gave the impressions that the Church’s witnesses were being corralled for support. Nothing, though, was forthcoming from the Church for all the other people present there that day that had suffered horrendously at the hands of our community. They seemed left alone in the foyer, abandoned to fend for themselves, though they were well supported by the Commission itself. Though perhaps unintentional, the consequent impression given was of the “Church” looking after its “own”, whilst those so deeply offended against were left out. The gulf for me was dreadfully confronting. But
it forcefully illustrates, again, the extraordinary chasm about which most of us are not even aware, let alone prepared to bridge. We have found ourselves in the shocking situation portrayed by the Commission because we have been seduced as a Church, over many centuries, into a closed social system. Closed systems breed pathology – whether they be political, economic, or religious. We recognize the need for change. Yet, there is every danger that we will go on talking amongst ourselves about the changes required for the situation of abuse “never to occur again” and therefore unwittingly simply perpetuate the closed circle. There can be no future for us in this situation – and no genuine healing and change will occur – until we address the
Share the joy of Easter
as We gatHer in our local
Neighbourhoods of Grace For a Full list oF Holy Week and easter Mass tiMes in tHe diocese oF Broken Bay, please visit
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more false, yet never have I touched anything more pure, more generous or more beautiful. Countless times I have felt like slamming the door of my soul in your face – and yet, every night I have prayed that I might die in your arms! No, I cannot be free of you, for I am one with you, even if not completely you. Then too – where should I go? To build another Church? But I cannot build another Church without the same defects, for they are my own defects. And again, if I were to build another Church, it would be my Church, not Christ’s Church. No, I am old enough. I know better. Though I had written extensively from the late 1990s about the darkness of sexual abuse within our community, my appearance, nonetheless made me very nervous. The Commission had listed me as their first witness, immediately following the shocking revelation of the extent of abuse within the Church in Australia. I had met with Senior Counsel and the barristers of the Church’s Truth, Justice and Healing Council the week before, and been briefed by them. Nonetheless, it was daunting to appear before the nation, as it were, and be the first to explain the presence of such criminality in our community which professes
the care of the vulnerable to be primary to its mission. Now having read each day’s transcripts that followed my initial appearance, the discussions of Case Study 50 have been, I believe, both engaging and constructive. Notwithstanding, the exposure at times through the discussions of our failure to appreciate both the extent and the depth of what we are dealing with, we have been forced to acknowledge the enormous challenge of bringing consistency in professional practice over the 75 autonomous entities in Australian that constitute the “Catholic Church.” The hearings have identified the need for a stronger national Professional Standards body than is currently envisaged. The Commission has identified the need for transparent and accountable annual reporting of statistics related to claims of both abuse and sexual misconduct. And most importantly the Commission has wrestled with what kind of civil structures might ensue for greater professional accreditation, accountability, and supervision of clergy and Religious. It has laid bare the psychological profile of clergy, and put before us challenges to both their initial and ongoing formation. It has demanded
Magisterial and pastoral clarity on the nature of the confessional seal and Absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The test now will be found in the discussions that ensue at the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in May of this year, and the way in which our journey to the Australian Plenary Council in 2020 is shaped. I did not see Anthony Foster at the end of my first appearance. He and Chrissie had left the building by the time I came off the stand. However, after my second appearance a week later I saw them in a café on the ground floor of Macquarie Tower. Anthony was wearing a T-Shirt, declaring “I am ontologically challenged” – a play on one of the points of discussion at the Commission about the nature of priestly Ordination. I will never be able to say a word that can touch the pain that he and Chrissie carry. How could I ever come close to understanding the loss they have experienced because of the perpetration of such evil? But, thanks be to God alone, on that day, at least, I could extend my hand in greeting, enjoy a moment with them, and look them in the face. And for me, nothing else was more important.
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marginalization of those who have been abused, a feature so graphically demonstrated to me on that first day of Case Study 50. Only when we have the courageous humility to put ourselves before those who have been hurt and dare to utter, not only “forgive us” but also, “teach us” will the change that is required truly occur. Then, the system might begin to open before the countenance of pain that must always be the starting point of genuine theology and practice. Being forced in the public domain to justify our perspectives and our practices as a Church was, I believe, the most important dimension of the entire three weeks before the Commission. For it took us out of the closed circle of discussion which can all too easily simply re-inforce the very attitudes that, in complex ways, contribute to the occasion of abuse within our community. The Commission has effected for our Church an enormous blessing. Nothing, I believe, has been so significant for Catholic theology and praxis in Australia for the last 150 years. It has demanded that what we hold and practice we do so with rationality and coherence, and it has exposed the fragility of a number of our positions. Sadly, it has forced again the recognition of a variance between rhetoric and practice into which we continue to slide almost despite ourselves. What change is now possible in our Church? My own expectations are very limited. We are part of a century-long process, maybe even longer, millennial in character. This, however, does not absolve us from the responsibility to make our small contribution upon which successive generations can continue to build in the project of cultural transformation that limits the possibility of such hurt occurring in our Church. I continue to turn to the prophetic prayer of Carlo Carretto, the Little Brother of Jesus writing in the late 20th century: How much I must criticise you, my Church and yet how much I love you. You have made me suffer more than anyone and yet I owe you more than I owe anyone. I should like to see you destroyed and yet I need your presence. You have given me much scandal and yet you alone have made me understand holiness. Never in the world have I seen anything more obscurantist, more compromised,
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Healing after the hurt
By Melissa Loughlin
Case Study 50 on the Catholic Church at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
O
n the first day of the hearing, Senior Counsel Assisting the Commission Gail Furness, gave a summary of key results of the Royal Commission’s data survey on abuse claims in Catholic Church Institutions. The statistics were horrific: 4444 alleged incidents of abuse between 1980 and February 2015 reported to Church authorities; 1880 individual alleged perpetrators of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, of these, 32 per cent were religious brothers, 30 per cent priests, 29 per cent lay people and five per cent were religious sisters. In a statement to the Commission, Francis Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council, said the numbers were shocking. When reading his statement about the statistics, Mr Sullivan said, “They are tragic and they are indefensible. Each entry in this
data… represents a child who suffered at the hands of someone who should have cared for and protected them. As Catholics we hang our heads in shame. And let’s not forget the ripples of the abuse also felt by their family, friends and carers. These secondary victims need not only to be acknowledged but to be tangibly supported and compensated for the impact on their lives.” Amidst these figures, another statistic arose whose implications are very sobering. On average it has taken survivors 33 years to come forward and tell someone about their abuse. Thirty-three years. A lifetime of withholding a story, not just publicly, but more often than not to family and loved ones; a lifetime of acting as two different people. As if the pain of abuse is not enough, what effect does this ‘secret’ have on a person?
“For a lot of victims of abuse, their trust has been shattered,” said Petrea King, CEO and founder of the Quest for Life Foundation. “The trust they had in what was sacred is destroyed, so they are suspicious of other people, their mistrust runs deep.” “As a consequence, people who have held a secret about their abuse often keep others at arm’s length; they sabotage relationships, blame themselves and have a low self-esteem. If you live with this level of emotional distress it often leads to drug and alcohol abuse, gambling addictions or domestic violence. Keeping secrets can destroy people’s ability to have intimate relationships.” Ms King, through her professional experience, has seen many victims begin to heal after they reveal their secret. She said a lot of people can’t deal with the emotional distress of disclosing,
but believes it is the best thing they can do. “People have to accept what happened, that it happened to them, then they are able to move on to some healing,” said Ms King. “If you have lived with a secret for a very long time and then you are able to finally speak about it, you’re already more than the incident. Healing is possible.” But telling a story, sharing the deepest rivers of pain and trauma, is not something that can be forced. This is a personal journey that can only be done when the time is right. If this has raised any concerns for you personally, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 for support and assistance. Alternatively, you can contact Jodie Crisafulli, Safeguarding Manager (Chancery), Diocese of Broken Bay on 02 9847 0212 for assistance.
Give generously to the CWF Appeal this May “Being in Pastoral Care offers me the opportunity and privilege of being a gift and receiving the gift of the other.” Louise Smith, Pastoral Care Practitioner, Royal North Shore Hospital.
D
id you see the beautiful story Louise Smith wrote on page 23 in this issue of Broken Bay News? By supporting the Charitable Works Fund (CWF), you complete the cycle of giving, so that Pastoral Care Practitioners like Louise can receive training and support, as they minister to patients and families during times of illness and trauma. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to the Charitable Works Fund (CWF) through your parish this May. The Charitable Works Fund supports many services for the community of Broken Bay, and funds raised across the three appeals are shared across the agencies listed below. 1. CatholicCare – Hospital Chaplaincies: Designated Priests and lay Pastoral Care
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Practitioners travel to seven hospitals in the Diocese to provide a listening ear, guidance, ritual, prayer and sacraments when required. This program exists to support people often in their most vulnerable times. Your generous donations fund this important ministry. 2. Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD): Over 1000 volunteers received specialised training to serve over 21,000 Catholic students in State schools in the Diocese. CCD staff work tirelessly in providing quality Catholic education in both primary and high schools. Without your support thousands of students will not receive Catholic education. 3. St Lucy’s School: St Lucy’s School is a K- 6 Primary School to approximately 140
students with disabilities. Students at St Lucy’s receive education with Catholic values along with the knowledge, attitudes and skills to flourish and participate fully in society. 4. St Edmund’s School: St Edmund’s is a 7 -12 high school for students with a wide range of disabilities including sensory impairment, intellectual disability and autism. St Edmund’s creates a holistic learning environment incorporating academics and personal wellbeing through co-curricular activities.
5. Ephpheta Centre: Ephpheta means “Be Open” and the Ephpheta Centre provides pastoral care, sacramental services, support and advocacy for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. The chaplaincy team visits people confined to their homes, nursing homes, hospitals and those in prison. If you would like further information on how you can support the Charitable Works Fund, please contact Liane Leslie, Development and Relationships Manager on 9847 0444 or email
liane.leslie@dbb.org.au
NEWS & ISSUES
Euthanasia’s march Down Under By Bishop Peter A Comensoli
The internationally renowned psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl experienced first-hand the utter depravity of Auschwitz and Dachau.
H
e knew the immense physical torment, psychological torture and spiritual desolation of those most inhuman of places. They were not called death camps for figurative effect. Suicide was not unknown among those sent there to suffer grievously and die. Yet, strikingly, Frankl writes in his autobiographical study, Man’s Search for Meaning, of the obligation fellow inmates accepted to frustrate such occurrences: “A very strict camp ruling forbade any efforts to save a man who attempted suicide… Therefore, it was all-important to prevent these attempts from occurring.” In naming the reason for this paramount calling, Frankl said: “When a man finds that it is his destiny to suffer, he will have to accept his suffering as his task; his single and unique task … His unique opportunity lies in the way in which he bears his burden.” As words such as “compassion” and “dignity” and “care” become (mis)appropriated by advocates for legalising euthanasia and assisted suicide (EAS), I have often thought of Frankl’s enduring insight that human life is essentially a quest for meaning. Advocates of legalised EAS seem unable to grasp the deep meaning to be discovered by a person in that uniquely human project of embracing what Frankl called “the wider cycles of life and death, of suffering and of dying”. It is realistic to acknowledge that some individuals, in the midst of their own mortal suffering, will seek out euthanasia, and that others will be willing to assist in that desperate act. God only knows – and only God can judge – the existential torment that might overwhelm a person, and their loved ones, as they suffer in dying. But when societies start to legislate for this, when they actively chose killing over living as the better way, then much will be lost of our common human project. Legalising EAS is a society giving up on its own people. Unlike in Britain, where debate happens on a national level, the question of legalising EAS in
Australia is a state-based issue. This is because healthcare is the responsibility of the eight states and territories, and not the single Commonwealth. Consequentially, there is a rolling debate on euthanasia across the country, depending on which parliament is considering legislative action at any particular time. The parliament of South Australia, for example, has recently defeated (by a single vote) the 13th attempt at legalising EAS. The State of Tasmania has had several goes at pushing through legalisation. A cross-party bill will be considered in the parliament of New South Wales this year, and parliamentary advocates in Queensland and Western Australia are testing the waters. This creates difficulties in rallying resources and people to counter such developments. The major battleground, however, is Victoria. It is in this state that, for the first time, a government-sponsored bill will be tabled in the second half of this year, following a parliamentary inquiry’s recommendation to legalise EAS. Who is supporting this move? There is a socially liberal disposition among many academics and the media, which is being encouraged by a handful of celebrity campaigners and supported by some professional bodies of medical practitioners. EAS is spoken of by these advocates as “a step forward”, “overdue” and “an idea whose time has come”. It is presented as the morally decent thing to do, demanding of those who resist change the justification of their unenlightened position. Those who do not support EAS are quickly dismissed as either “religiously motivated” or “doctrinaire”. It is telling that this most basic question of our common humanity is couched by EAS advocates in bygone sectarian images and language. Yet that is the nature of the debate in Australia: euthanasia is but one flank of a wider front in a battle for radical cultural change.
It is in the stories we tell that our humanity will be revealed. Personal stories of suffering are the currency used to validate the wielding of a blunt and crude legislative instrument over the lives of the dying. In telling only of ordeal and despair, advocates of EAS seek to privilege the reduction of a person’s entire life to the end part only. The task is no longer how to support someone in the living of their life, but how to effectively bring about their death. In the legalising of EAS, dying is no longer viewed as a uniquely human dimension of living, but rather as a process to be brought about as proficiently as possible. Might we not find a more truthful storytelling of our humanity in Viktor Frankl? “And finally,” he wrote, “I spoke [to my comrades] of our sacrifice, which
had meaning in every case. It was in the nature of this sacrifice that it should appear to be pointless in the normal world… But in reality our sacrifice did have a meaning… The purpose of my words was to find a full meaning in our life, then and there, in that hut and in that practically hopeless situation.” To legalise EAS is to give up on telling the story of the full meaning of our lives. This story is not always easily told, but it is a true story in need of listening ears. Printed with permission from Catholic Herald Ltd
WORLD APOSTOLATE OF FATIMA AUSTRALIA INC. 100th Anniversary of the Fatima Apparitions 25 DAYS | DEPARTING 6 AUGUST 2017
Join Fr Paul Rowse OaP, Chaplain on this wonderful pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes, Spain and Italy to mark the 100th anniversary of Our Lady’s Apparition at Fatima
For all queries please contact Rosetta Packman rosettapack@hotmail.com
Or call Rosa Tassone 0427 095 007
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Office for Evangelisation PULLOUT EVENT CALENDAR THE DIOCESE OF BROKEN BAY EXISTS TO EVANGELISE, TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST, GATHERED AS FRIENDS IN THE LORD AND SENT OUT TO BE MISSIONARY DISCIPLES. THE OFFICE FOR EVANGELISATION SERVES THIS MISSION AND PROMOTES THE GROWING MISSIONARY OUTLOOK OF PARISHES, FAITH COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS.
EVANGELISATION & FAITH FORMATION: A WHAT AND HOW-TO GUIDE As Church, we exist in order to evangelise; to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ in the world (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi § 14). To evangelise is the essential identity and mission of a parish, but what exactly does it mean to evangelise, and how do we go about it? This course, over two sessions, sets out the imperative to evangelise; the reason for the Church’s existence; the call to active discipleship; the helpful unpacking of terminology; and the fruit of discharging our mission in and to the world. This course will also cover the ‘How-To’ of evangelisation, including the forming of evangelising teams; the importance of life-giving faith formation and how to achieve this; the importance of hospitality and good communication; forming small groups; and an audit of some successful parish initiatives.
Presenters: David Patterson & Pina Bernard, Catholic Life & Faith Formation Date: Session 1: Thursday 25 May 2017; Session 2: Thursday 2 June 2017 Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm Venue: St Patrick’s Hall, Victoria Street Primary Campus, East Gosford RSVP: By Monday 22 May 2017 to registrations@dbb.org.au or 4332 9825 / 9847 0448 Date: Session 1: Tuesday 30 May 2017; Session 2: Tuesday 6 June 2017 Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm Venue: Fr Patrick McMaugh Hall, St Patrick’s Church, 1 Royston Parade, Asquith RSVP: By Friday 26 May 2017 to registrations@dbb.org.au or 4332 9825 / 9847 0448 Date: Session 1: Wednesday 31 May 2017; Session 2: Wednesday 7 June 2017
Course Duration: 2 x 2 hour sessions
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Presenters: David Patterson & Pina Bernard, Catholic Life & Faith Formation
Venue: St Kieran’s Parish Centre, 2 King Street, Manly Vale
Date: Session 1: Thursday 27 April 2017; Session 2: Thursday 4 May 2017
RSVP: By Monday 29 May 2017 to registrations@dbb.org.au or 4332 9825 / 9847 0448
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm Venue: Our Lady Star of the Sea, 165 Serpentine Road, Terrigal RSVP: By Monday 24 April 2017 to registrations@dbb.org.au or 4332 9825 / 9847 0448 Date: Session 1: Tuesday 2 May 2017; Session 2: Tuesday 9 May 2017 Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm Venue: Our Lady of Good Counsel, 9 Currie Road, Forestville
ANNUAL ECUMENICAL SERVICE OF WORSHIP TO CELEBRATE AND REAFFIRM THE TRI-DIOCESAN COVENANT The Ecumenical Service of Worship to renew the Covenant signed in 2008 by the Bishops of the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay, the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle and the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle will this year be hosted by the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle.
Date: Session 1: Wednesday 3 May 2017; Session 2: Wednesday 10 May 2017
The Service will be jointly led by Bishop Peter Comensoli, Bishop Peter Stuart, Bishop Greg Thompson and Bishop Bill Wright. Please join in this celebration, and support this important ecumenical event as we celebrate our common faith in Jesus Christ and pray for unity ahead of the Week of Prayer of Christian Unity which commences on 28 May.
Time: 7:30pm – 9:30pm
Date: Tuesday 23 May 2017
Venue: Holy Family Catholic Church, Corner Pacific Highway & Highfield Road, Lindfield
Time: 7:45pm
RSVP: By Friday 28 April 2017 to registrations@dbb.org.au or 4332 9825 / 9847 0448
RSVP: By Monday 1 May 2017 to registrations@dbb.org.au or 4332 9825 / 9847 0448
THE FAITH WE BELIEVE: BREAKING OPEN THE CREED
Venue: St Luke’s Anglican Church, Metcalfe Street, Wallsend For further details please visit www.dbb.org.au/ecumenism-interfaith or contact Pina Bernard pina.bernard@dbb.org.au 9847 0474.
Catholic Youth Broken Bay TRAINING DAY
Recited on all Sundays and solemnities, the Creed acts as a measure of correct belief, having been developed as a response to conflict concerning doctrine lasting several centuries. What were the controversies, and how were they resolved? This two-session course will explore these questions and the meaning of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, giving participants a sense of the underlying themes that run through the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church. Please come along for a deeper appreciation of what it means to state, “I believe…”
CYBB Training Days are an opportunity to gather young people and youth leaders interested and involved in local ministry to network and receive essential spiritual and practical formation. Potential and present leaders will receive training and background on the Australian Mission & Vision for Youth (as found in Anointed & Sent). Our topic for the month of April will be “Making the Most of Mass.”
Course Duration: 2 x 2 hour sessions
Date: Saturday 29 April 2017
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Venue: TBC
Venue: The Light of Christ Centre, Hornsby Cathedral Parish, 23 Yardley Avenue, Waitara
For more details: youth@dbb.org.au
For more details and RSVP: youth@dbb.org.au
TWILIGHT TALKS Catholic Youth Broken Bay invites you to Twilight Talks. Join Young Adults from around the Diocese to connect, share a meal, pray and be nourished by inspiring speakers. Our theme for our next two evenings will be 1-“Joy of Love” and 2-“Encountering Christ.” The latter will feature Bishop Peter A Comensoli who will give a catechesis on Prayer & Worship and look at the opportunity for personal growth from actively participating in personal and corporate Prayer & Worship.
PRAISEFEST Join young people from across the Diocese at PRAISEFEST! Get a chance to catch up with friends while enjoying our pre-event Festival, encounter God through vibrant and honest worship, and receive spiritual nourishment through an inspiring and relevant message on Pentecost: Anointed & Sent. BBQ dinner will be provided from 6:00pm before our night begins. Date: Friday 2 June 2017 Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Date: 1-Tuesday 2 May 2017; 2-Tuesday 13 June 2017
Venue: Holy Family Catholic Primary School Hall, Catholic Parish of Lindfield-Killara, 388 Pacific Highway, Lindfield
Time: 6:30pm – 9:00pm
For more details: youth@dbb.org.au
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) CCD training and formation opportunities serve those involved in the mission of Special Religious Education (SRE) in our State Schools but are also open to those in catechesis and evangelising outreach in our Diocese. The Office for Evangelisation offers CCD training to all interested people providing formation that enables the Gospel to be taken into the lives of others. Our Level 2 course is open to everyone and we invite and encourage you to bring a friend.
CCD Level 2 CCDL2-01
Catechist Spirituality
CCDL2-02
Vatican II and Renewal in the Church
CCDL2-03
Development of the Child and Adolescent II
CCDL2-04
Sacraments of Initiation
CCDL2-05
Tools for Catechesis – Catechism & General Directory
CCDL2-06
Natural World and Religion
CCDL2-07
The Old Testament: Exodus, Sinai
CCDL2-08
The History of Liturgy
CCDL2-09
The New Testament: Jesus, the New Covenant
CCDL2-10
Catholic Social Teaching
CCDL2-11
Interfaith Dialogue & Ecumenism
CCDL2-12
Australian Perspective on World Religions
Venue: Caroline Chisholm Centre, 423 Pennant Hills Road, Pennant Hills (Vehicular entry via City View Road) Date: Tuesday 20 June 2017 Time: 9:30am – 4:00pm RSVP: By Tuesday 13 June 2017 to sharon.daroza@dbb.org.au or 9847 0492
Child Protection and Classroom Management The Department of Education requires all SRE teachers (catechists) and helpers to undertake initial and ongoing training in the areas of Child Protection and Classroom Management. It is mandatory for catechists and helpers to update this training every three years. Workshops are being made available in three separate venues across the Diocese to allow all catechists easy access to this important training.
Central Coast Region Venue: Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, 165 Serpentine Road, Terrigal
Central Coast Region – Course Type: Level 2
Morning Tea Provided; BYO Lunch
Venue: Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, 165 Serpentine Road, Terrigal
Date: Monday 3 July 2017
Morning Tea Provided; BYO Lunch
Time: 9:30am - 2:30pm
Dates: Mondays 15, 22, 29 May & 5, 19, 26 June 2017
RSVP: By Monday 26 June 2017 to registrations@dbb.org.au or 4332 9825 / 9847 0448
Time: 9:30am - 2:30pm RSVP: By Friday 8 May 2017 to registrations@dbb.org.au or 4332 9825 / 9847 0448
Northern Beaches Region
Northern Beaches Region – Course Type: Level 2
Morning Tea Provided; BYO Lunch
Venue: Our Lady of Good Counsel, 9 Currie Road, Forestville
Date: Wednesday 5 July 2017
Morning Tea Provided; BYO Lunch
Time: 9:30am – 2:30pm
Dates: Fridays 12, 19, 26 May & 2, 9, 16 June 2017
RSVP: By Wednesday 28 June 2017 to registrations@dbb.org.au or 4332 9825 / 9847 0448
Time: 9:30am - 2:30pm RSVP: By Friday 5 May 2017 to registrations@dbb.org.au or 4332 9825 / 9847 0448
Secondary Catechists’ Conference The Catholic Conference of Religious Educators in State Schools (CCRESS) is offering a one day conference in the Diocese of Broken Bay for all who teach Special Religious Education in high schools. The day will include a quality keynote speaker, a choice of workshops, and a panel discussion that will further equip catechists to work with adolescents in the SRE classroom.
Venue: St Kieran’s Parish Centre, North Harbour, 2 King Street, Manly Vale
North Shore & Hornsby Region Venue: Caroline Chisholm Centre, 423 Pennant Hills Road, Pennant Hills (Vehicular entry via City View Road) Morning Tea Provided; BYO Lunch Date: Friday 7 July 2017 Time: 9:30am – 2:30pm RSVP: By Friday 30 June 2017 to registrations@dbb.org.au or 4332 9825 / 9847 0448
Be kept informed about upcoming faith education and formation opportunities within the Diocese. Please contact David Patterson, Catholic Life & Faith Formation Coordinator, at david.patterson@dbb.org.au to receive a monthly e-News detailing events from around the parishes.
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EDUCATION
Holy Cross Has Got your Back Students at Holy Cross Catholic School in Kincumber raised over $1500 towards giving local homeless people a memorable Christmas present last year.
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he Holy Cross ‘We’ve Got your Back’ initiative was the brainchild of Jo Lloyd, a parent at the school. The children donated their old backpacks filled with practical supplies and goodies such as bottled water, toothbrush and toothpaste, hand sanitiser, sunscreen and snacks for the patrons of Mary Mac’s Place in Woy Woy. Each bag also contained a special teddy bear with a handwritten note from the students, wishing the recipient a Merry Christmas.
Mary Mac’s provides community and friendship opportunities for socially and economically disadvantaged people on the Central Coast. Mrs Lloyd approached the school with the idea after a trip to Melbourne, where she was surprised by the number of people living on the streets. “I had been [shocked] by how many people simply went about their business around [the homeless], not even seeing them,” she said.
Mrs Lloyd said that many people were happy to donate their unwanted clothes to the homeless, but that the project went a step further. “ This was about giving homeless people some dignity with new things, rather than things we don’t need or want anymore.” The Principal, Mr Craig McNee, said the school will make the project an annual event, with plans to involve the whole community.
Exchanging Views In February, St Paul’s Catholic College, Manly hosted Year 11 students from South Korea for a cultural, academic and religious exchange.
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ifteen students visited Australia from Daegun High, a Catholic school in the Incheon Diocese. Daegun is named after St Daegun, the first South Korean priest. The exchange was arranged by St Paul’s Assistant Priest, Fr Paul Kim, who was born in Incheon. “I was speaking with my old classmate, the Principal
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of the school,” he explained. “I’d seen an exchange with Japanese students and thought we could do that.” Students from St Paul’s were delighted to share their lessons with the visitors, who attended Mathematics, English and Science classes, as well as Mass at the school. They played sport and practised their English. They
also went on an excursion to Taronga Zoo and took a ferry across the Harbour to visit St Mary’s Cathedral. Students from St Paul’s will visit South Korea in July 2018 and Fr Paul hopes that this will be an ongoing exchange. “It would be great to keep it going, we can learn so much from each other,” he said.
EDUCATION
Putting Faith into Action Twenty Year 11 students from St Leo’s Catholic College in Wahroonga created the Lion Heart Ministry to help homeless teenagers of Sydney.
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ast year, the then Year 10 Commerce students set up the Lion Heart Ministry as a business to help those less fortunate. The first project was to create thermal kits containing a blanket, beanie and gloves. Students volunteered their time outside school hours to negotiate with suppliers, raise funds and market the business. Under the guidance of HSIE teacher, Mr Nathan Smith, students learnt what it takes to run a small business – and help others at the same time. “From a teaching and learning
perspective, the aim was to introduce students to three of the main functions of business – operations, marketing, and finance – in order for them to gain an understanding of what it is like to operate a real life business,” said Mr Smith. Students raised money to finance the project through donations from businesses and the general public, raising close to $3,000. “Students gained knowledge and experience of how a business operates, and also put their faith into action to assist those who are in need,” said Mr Smith.
The thermal kits will be distributed in autumn to the homeless and the students are now brainstorming their next project. Should anyone wish to donate to the cause, they can visit the Lion Heart Ministry on Facebook or Twitter @LionHMinistry.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Teachers and students at St Martin’s Catholic School in Davidson have enthusiastically taken on board the new INSPIRE program, which develops children’s ability to be collaborative and engage well with learning.
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he program encourages children’s critical thinking skills with the students encouraged to consider all possibilities to take learning beyond the immediate walls of the classroom. The school redesigned every classroom and created flexible learning spaces so that the children’s learning could be more interactive. Teachers tried to imagine the classroom from the children’s point of view and removed distractions to create spaces where children could be alone, spaces where they could work in groups and a place for them to all come together. “Learning starts with children feeling comfortable and safe,” said Helen Leigh, the Principal. The classrooms have been divided to suit children’s different preferences, including high tables, bean bags, and more traditional desks and chairs. Teachers also deliver their classes in a way which fosters children’s engagement, builds good relationships within the classroom and offers chances for each student to participate and thrive.
“There’s less teacher-talk and more time for students to collaboratively try to solve the problems themselves,” Ms Leigh said. The INSPIRE program has been developed from Harvard University Professor Ron Ritchhart’s Project Zero program. St Martin’s teachers worked with Mr Ritchhart to develop and introduce the program, which Ms Leigh says prepares children to “take their learning to solve real life problems.”
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EDUCATION
Painting the Outback Indigenous students from MacKillop Catholic College, Warnervale and St Peter’s Catholic College, Tuggerah went on a spiritual pilgrimage through the Northern Territory, South Australia, outback Queensland and rural New South Wales.
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he students were accompanied for their 16 day trip by Dave Ella, the Aboriginal Education Officer, and Donna Sutton, Aboriginal Education Worker at St Peter’s. A Year 12 student from MacKillop,
Jake Racz, who is a Worimi man, was commissioned by Mr Ella to create a painting based on the pilgrimage. “I was very proud that I was able to represent my family and
my mob by expressing our culture through my art,“ said Jake. Jake used acrylic paints and traditional techniques to create an original painting which told the story of the pilgrimage. “Dave Ella and Gavi Duncan, Manager of Cultural Services and Tourism Co-ordinator at Bara Barang, have both helped me to connect with my culture and I know this is the same with other Aboriginal students,” he said. “I decided to put Uluru in the middle of the canvas to show that it is the heart of Aboriginal culture and that it was the highlight of the pilgrimage.” He said that Uluru was “a very spiritual and peaceful place that I felt I had a lot of connection to.” Jake’s painting also included a rainbow serpent as a symbol of the outback. “I painted the emus, dingo and kangaroo in X-ray art because I wanted to try the Northern Territory Aboriginal art instead of my own style.” Jake said that the pilgrimage was a unique experience. “It was an adventure we will never forget for the rest of our lives as Aboriginal people,” he said.
First Day of “Big” School Five-year-olds from across the Diocese started Kindergarten in January, and they were ready for it.
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host of new transition programs eased them into the change, helping them to adjust to the new setting, rules and routines, social cues and relationships. The transition programs focus on the social and emotional wellbeing of the child and their families. Children first attended short play sessions at school late last year so that they could meet their teacher and classmates. Every child in the Diocese was also sent a Getting Ready transition pack, filled with welcoming information along with goodies such as coloured pencils and play dough. “Parents and the school work together to
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provide stability and support to the child,” said Ms Sally Harrison, the Early Learning Project Officer at the Catholic Schools Office. In Wyoming, Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic School ran the Kinder Yana program, which meant children were familiar with their environment on their first day of school. “We don’t have any children coming in anxious and crying,” said the Principal, Frank Cohen. Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic School in West Pymble first met their 2017 Kindy students in Term 3 last year at fortnightly play groups run by Sue Host, the Principal.
Maria Regina Catholic School in Avalon ran the Starfish program, so named because starfish will transition between land and the ocean. “On the first day of term, children are more confident and happy because they know what to expect,” said Kathy Gee, the Principal. “Parents also feel much more relaxed because they know their children will be happy and feel safe.”
EDUCATION
2016 HSC Achievers Awarded Top performing students from across the Diocese had their HSC success recognised recently at the annual High Achievers Awards Ceremony held at the Catholic Schools Office in Pennant Hills.
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tudents with an ATAR which placed them in the top three at their school attended the ceremony, along with their parents. Each student was individually recognised with a certificate and Mr Peter Hamill, Director of Schools, acknowledged that the evening celebrated both students and their
teachers and acknowledged the culmination of years of hard work. “We know that the students will remember much more about their teachers than simply the science, history or mathematics they were taught. They will remember the people their teachers were,” he said.
He also acknowledged the input of parents as the “first and most important teachers of their children.” When he congratulated the leavers, he added, “I look forward with interest and enthusiasm to the important contribution you will make to the Australian community, and to our world.”
Annual Diocesan Schools Staff Mass The event welcomes new staff alongside newly-appointed leaders and congratulates those staff who have served in Catholic education for more than 25 years.
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efore the Mass, new staff members were welcomed with a special Diocesan education ministry pin. Newly appointed leaders were also blessed and commissioned by Bishop Peter A Comensoli, who then led the Mass. A highlight of the evening was the acknowledgement of long-serving staff. Bernie Martin, groundsman at St Mary’s Catholic School, Toukley celebrated 25 years of service with School Principal Kevin Williams later commenting, ‘Bernie is much loved by the children at our school. He especially enjoys the children greeting him every morning and his children and grandchildren all attended St Mary’s.” Another long-serving staff member, Ms Christine Wilkinson, has worked for over 50 years as a Catholic educator, the last 40 at St Joseph’s Catholic College, East Gosford received a standing ovation from her peers. Bishop Peter said that the Mass was an affirmation for the teachers of the dignity and value of their vocation. BBN
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Keeping Kids in Mind
(Names changed for privacy)
Colin and Michelle are recently separated and have two young children, four and two.
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s is common with relationship breakdown, both parents were fighting regularly before Colin and Michelle separated four months ago. “The separation process has been so unpleasant,” Michelle said in an interview with a counsellor. “Our poor children go from being showered with love to completely forgotten. It is just so hard to be consistent – I’m struggling to cope I can only imagine how they are feeling.” While researching options for custody, Colin stumbled upon the Keeping Kids in Mind website and decided to contact the 1800 number who transferred Colin to the Naremburn Family Centre Family Counselling Team. During a quick over-thephone assessment, it was agreed that the program was a good idea. Colin informed
Michelle who agreed to make contact with the Family Relationships Counsellors.
the range of support options available at the Naremburn Family Centre.”
In their initial face-to-face meetings, both Colin and Michelle agreed to commence Keeping Kids in Mind and also see counsellors separately to support them personally.
Colin and Michelle have another three weeks of Keeping Kids in Mind sessions and are connected with personal counselling sessions which will help identify other needs and solidify their goals going forward.
Both parents are currently attending separate Keeping Kids in Mind sessions and are on their second session out of five. Michelle and Colin have already made progress and are continuing to seek support from the team at Naremburn. “When I came for an initial interview it was all about me,” Colin identified. “I also wasn’t acknowledging my needs and concerns. Thankfully our counsellor has started helping me discuss a plan and helped me identify a way forward. I had no idea of
In the next Broken Bay News we will see how Colin and Michelle are doing. Keeping Kids in Mind (KKIM) is a postseparation support program, offering information, referrals and support to separated families experiencing conflict and other complex issues. For more information please visit: https://www.catholiccare.org/families/ post-separation/keeping-kids-in-mind
A record time for the Waitara Family Centre Homelessness Team (Names changed for confidentiality)
10am – Our worker spoke to a mother of
“I think the plants are fantastic… and I like being messy!”
Reactions like this from the children is what has motivated the educators at St Gerard’s OSHC to incorporate more practical sustainable activities into their educational program.
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introduced scrapbooks for all children to help lower paper usage.
The addition of the plants have added to the existing sustainability program consisting of a Siamese fighting fish Bing Bong (affectionately named by the children) and other recycling initiatives. Educators have also
Initiatives like this provide opportunities for children to engage in natural experiences which is an outcome of the My Time Our Place Learning Framework and the National Quality Standards. Educators at St Gerard’s OSHC are passionate about providing children with natural play opportunities and embedding this into their educational program with an emphasis on the importance of a sustainable future.
t the beginning of this year, educators and children planted various herb and flower seeds which quickly grew into seedlings. Whilst waiting for them to flower, children have been learning facts about our different plants and about the plant life cycle.
two, Jade (mother) and two daughters, Sarah 17 years, who is doing her HSC this year, and Beth, 18 years, who is working in a restaurant. They had fallen behind in rental payments due to Jade’s ex-partner leaving the family. After being evicted, the family were declared homeless and were put in temporary accommodation in Mount Druitt.
2.30pm – They met with the Waitara Homelessness Worker and Property Manager.
3.20pm – The workers found them a threebedroom property and went with them to inspect.
3. 40pm – Workers filled out a tenancy application and Housing Bond Loan Form. Due to the immediate need the workers advocated on behalf of the client to the real estate agent to hold off on needing the rental bond before signing.
4.00pm – The family signed the lease. The workers helped the family move in. Not bad for a day’s work!
FAMILY CENTRES: Central Coast • Naremburn • Waitara DISABILITY FUTURES: Central Coast • Northern Beaches • Northern Suburbs OUT OF HOME CARE: Foster Care • Therapeutic Group Care EARLY LEARNING AND CARE: Forestville • Lake Munmorah • Terrigal • Waitara • Woy Woy
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Caring for the Sick
By Louise Smith, Pastoral Care Practitioner, Royal North Shore Hospital
Catholic Pastoral Care in the hospital setting is the ministry of presence, “being for others” to our patients, families and staff.
Trelationships, engaging a Catholic hat often includes; building
priest, listening to life stories without judgment, articulating empathy and respect, nourishing, sustaining and guiding, particularly in times of grief and trauma, enlivening the spirit and providing Sacraments, ritual and prayer when requested. Pope Francis tells us: “Occasionally the world forgets the special value of time spent at the bedside of the sick, since we are in such a rush, caught up as we are in a frenzy of doing and of producing” (Pope Francis Sapientia Cordis Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of the 23rd World Day of the Sick, 11 Feb 2015). Being in Pastoral Care offers me the opportunity and privilege of being a gift and receiving the gift of the other. Entering into an encounter not knowing where the journey will take both of us. I always pray as I enter the hospital that I will be surprised by God in the encounter, and to accept the gift of the other. I believe pastoral care offers the opportunity for spiritual growth, not just for the patient, but for me also. I had the privilege of recently witnessing this self-transcendence with a patient who had fear of Church, clergy and the sacraments, to being able to once again joyfully sing the hymns and sacred songs from her younger days in a choir. This was my fifth visit where spirituality and prayer had become the focus, culminating in her words “You have lifted my spirit”. Despite physically dying, she was opening her arms and her heart to the light of Christ. I recall the outstretched hand of the
patient who once said to me, “It was worth being ill in this hospital this week just to have met you.” I had just sat in silence for 45 minutes listening, as she cried out her story. A week later when I returned to visit her she did not remember me as her disease had progressed significantly. I walked away in awe and humbled as I reflected on the gift I had been given the previous week by God; the gift of attentive listening, the gift of her truth, on that occasion and at that time only. At times, I glimpse the heart of a staff member, family or patient who feels angry with God – wonders if God is there at all and then transcends to a place of acceptance and peace with God and with self. At other times, there is an overwhelming sense of confusion, doubt, despair, agony, helplessness, anger and blame, particularly for families as they watch a loved one die. As a pastoral carer, this is a time for presence, silence, waiting, and sometimes praying when invited by the family, or sensing the moment for prayer. I am conscious that being a Pastoral Care Practitioner is made more effective by the fact that I am part of a team including Priests, Eucharistic Volunteer Coordinator and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Every week Extraordinary Ministers bear Holy Communion to the sick, and are often the first point of contact with the patient. Together as a team we offer dignity and hope to those in hospital, in confronting, isolating and unknown environments, and restore a sense of belonging and
community. I am blessed to work for CatholicCare Diocese of Broken Bay who provide me with excellent support and ongoing supervision, in order to be a supportive listening presence to others. CatholicCare provides lay Pastoral Care Practitioners to seven hospitals within our Diocese, namely Gosford, Wyong, Royal North Shore, Manly, Mona Vale, Hornsby and Sydney Adventist Hospitals. If you or your loved ones are admitted into one of these hospitals, please let Admissions staff know you are Catholic. If you need Catholic pastoral care for yourself or your loved one whilst in any of these hospitals you can call your local Parish Office or ask any hospital staff to contact a Priest or Catholic Pastoral Care Practitioner, or arrange to receive Holy Communion. For further information, or should you feel called to take communion to the sick, please contact Peter Brown, Coordinator Hospital Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care on 0418 616 602.
OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOURS CARE: Carlingford • Collaroy Plateau • Davidson • East Gosford • Forestville • Freshwater Lake Munmorah • Manly • Mona Vale • Narrabeen • Pymble • Waitara • West Pymble • Woy Woy HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY: Gosford • Hornsby • Manly • Mona Vale • Royal North Shore • Wahroonga (SAN) • Wyong BBN
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VOCATIONS
Welcome to our new seminarians! By Fr Paul Durkin
On Thursday, 2 February Martino Hoang, Hien Vu and Aldrin Valdehueza began as seminarians for the Diocese of Broken Bay (DBB) at the Seminary of the Good Shepherd (SGS) in Homebush.
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hey join DBB seminarian Sam French who continues his studies at SGS this year. A week later, on Thursday, 9 February the Seminary staff, seminarians, family and friends joined with Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney and twelve concelebrating priests for the opening Mass of the Seminary year. It was followed by a lunch to celebrate. Archbishop Anthony acknowledged that, in these days, it takes great faith and courage to set out on the path to priesthood. He encouraged the seminarians to be, above all, men of prayer and offered us a personal reflection of what that meant for him in his life. Fr Danny Meagher, the Rector of the Seminary, warmly welcomed the families and friends of the first year seminarians, assuring them that the Seminary is a place of love and prayer, where those in formation are encouraged to find their deepest happiness as they grow as human beings and as men preparing to be good and dedicated priests.
This year, 14 young men began their studies for the diocesan priesthood at SGS, preparing to commit their lives to the service of Jesus as priests throughout NSW. The first year seminarians were pleased to show visitors through the Seminary and to share what they had already learnt in the first week of classes and on retreat. The people of Broken Bay wish the seminarians every blessing for the years ahead. Let us pray for all seminarians throughout the world. May these young men encourage others to consider how God is calling them in their lives. Are you being called to the priesthood or to consecrated life? Do you know someone whom you would encourage to consider this call? The Vocations Office offers an opportunity for discernment through participating in the Samuel Group. It is held every last Wednesday 7:00pm-9:00pm at St Agatha’s Parish, Pennant Hills.
Fr Geoff Bugden with Second Year Seminarian for Broken Bay, Sam French
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New seminarians for Broken Bay: Martino Hoang, Hien Vue and Aldrin Valdehueza with Fr Paul Durkin
Martino, Fr Geoff, Hien, Aldrin, Sam and Fr Paul at the opening Mass of the Seminary year
I invite interested young adults to set aside a Wednesday evening each month in order to pray and meet with others and to discern your vocation, a special call from God to leave a mark in this world.
If you are interested and want to know more contact Vocations Ministry: Fr Paul Durkin 0425 746 749 or Sr Margaret Kozub 0418 522 449.
Celebratory lunch to open the new Seminary year
NEWS & ISSUES
Crisis continues in Syria despite ceasefire
A sister helping Christian families in war-torn Syria has revealed the severity of the on-going crisis across the country – despite the holding ceasefire. peaking at a recent Aid to the Church in Need conference, Sister Annie Demerjian of the Sisters of Jesus and Mary said: “No house in Syria has been unaffected by war”. She added: “In Aleppo there is a major shortage of electricity, sometimes we only have it on for one or two hours per day, sometimes not even that and we have to use candles for light. “There is a problem with fuel, the government are not able to distribute fuel.” She went on to say: “In Aleppo there is also a water crisis, it is the city without water, sometimes there can be one and a half months without water.” Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has been giving vital help to people in need through local Church partners since the
beginning of the conflict and last month the charity announced it will be providing more than $20,000 in medical aid for 2,200 Christian families in Aleppo. As well as providing the basic essentials to poor families in Aleppo, Sr Annie and her team of volunteers are helping Christian families in Damascus by supplying food vouchers. She described the help for internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Syrian capital who fled northern Syria because of the violence there. “In Damascus… we are working with two supermarkets so the families can go and choose what is right for their needs,” said Sr Annie. ACN has recently assisted the work of the Church in Syria with more than $237,000 towards emergency aid, by feeding 1,500
families with food parcels for three months in Damascus and the surrounding rural area. Sr Annie made a request for peace in the Middle East: “During Mass on Shrove Tuesday I was thinking that in Syria we have been in Lent for five years now and I wish one day for the resurrection of Syria, Iraq and the Middle East. “God’s hand is in everything, even in the most difficult of times. We want people to make a bridge of peace, we want peacemakers, all our political parties must come together.” Sr Annie confirmed the support
is helping Christian families. “You cannot believe how much you are helping the families and how much you are relieving their suffering… You stand with our families to help them stay in their own lands and help them retain their dignity and their lives.” Sr Annie added: “ Thank God for everything you are doing for us, helping families… We pray for ACN benefactors with open hearts… I have prayed that ACN would say, ‘Yes’ to our appeals for aid, sometimes I have had tears in my eyes when they have been accepted.”
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The Mother Teresa rosary will be sent out to all those who can assist this cause with a donation of $20.00 or more and tick this box
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NEWS & ISSUES
Light to the Nations Pilgrimage
By Bridget Haywood and Sr Rosie Drum MGL
Easter is a challenging and life-giving reminder of the eternal love of God for His people.
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his year at Light to the Nations you too can be immersed in the death and resurrection of Jesus over 2000 years ago and in the process, encounter the real and living God in the present day. Celebrated nationally, the Easter youth pilgrimage, Light to the Nations (LTTN) will be held at Chevalier College Bowral in the Southern Highlands of NSW. Running from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday (13-16 April, 2017) the pilgrimage draws more than 1000 young people from across Australia and the Asia Pacific. For three days, pilgrims delve into the mystery of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus for which they have prepared through the season of Lent. Whilst the pilgrimage
includes the usual liturgies celebrated in parishes across the world, it adds another dimension through worship ministry, drama, formation, and personal sharing. Light to the Nations is hosted by the Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community (DOJ), a Catholic community of both lay and consecrated members who live the graces of the Charismatic Renewal. The community aims to immerse young people into the heart of Jesus and experience His salvation firsthand, through being filled with the Holy Spirit. Within DOJ are priests and consecrated men and women called the Missionaries of God’s Love. Throughout the Easter Triduum, the many MGL priests, brothers and sisters take up the
task of bringing the sacraments and liturgy to life. The pilgrimage involves participants camping onsite, with the main events located in a number of large marquee tents. The atmosphere is simple, with a deeply communal feel, perhaps due to the pilgrimage being fully coordinated and self-catered by DOJ members, who have a particular focus on evangelisation with deep roots in living their faith together.
Testimonials on the LTTN website describe it as an experience of the ‘richness of the Church’ as many young people who attend come to a realisation that the Church is very much alive and relevant to today’s world. For more information on the event, and to register, visit the website www.lttn.org.au, follow LTTN on Instagram @lighttothenations or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ light.to.the.nations.pilgrimage
Insurance that gives back to the Catholic community When you choose CCI Personal Insurance, you not only get great insurance at a great price, you’re also supporting the Catholic community. Each year we give back via a range of Catholic community programs. We also support worthy initiatives and causes, all with the objective of making a positive contribution to the Catholic community. So when you choose CCI Personal Insurance, you’re not the only one who benefits. Visit our website or call us to learn more about CCI’s dedication to the Catholic community.
catholicinsurance.org.au/ community 1300 655 003
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09/07/2015 3:42:00 PM
ACROSS OUR DIOCESE
Walk ‘n Talk for mental health The St Lucy’s School and parish community in Wahroonga are still reeling from the tragic deaths of the Manrique-Lutz family in October last year.
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t has prompted many in the community to want to take action and help others to avoid another such tragedy happening again. On Sunday 12 March, about 60 families and groups took part in a Walk ‘n Talk event organised to raise awareness of mental health and the importance of community support. The initiative of a couple of men from the parish of Holy Name church in Wahroonga, the walk was organised in five stages, beginning in the dark at 5.00am at Cowan and concluding with a BBQ at the church. People joined in at different stages according to the level of their fitness and enthusiasm. Money raised from registrations and sales will go to Lifeline and also to St Lucy’s School, to support the establishment of a
bursary in the name of Eli and Martin Manrique. As one of the organisers explained, having a member of the family with mental health issues brings home to you how important understanding and support from the community is, particularly for men who aren’t always good at listening to each other and confiding difficulties. The hours spent walking through the incredibly beautiful bushland of the Guringai national park provided many walkers with the opportunity to share their thoughts in depth with each other. Others commented on the number of people they had met and got to know along the way. A couple of men who had read about the Walk ‘n Talk on the internet, and come along as a fitness exercise to prepare them for the Oxfam Trailwalker in
Elisa, Maria Claudia and Martin
August, were so impressed with the organisation and the company that they vowed to join in again next year and bring some of their mates along. Everyone agreed that this was an initiative worth continuing: the opportunity to walk and talk with friends
through amazing scenery for a hugely important cause. If you would like to donate to the Eli and Martin Bursary, to assist St Lucy’s students and their families experiencing financial difficulties, please visit
http://www.stlucys.nsw.edu.au/
Annual Ecumenical Service of Worship
to celebrate and reaffirm the Tri-Diocesan Covenant
Tuesday 23 May 2017, 7.45pm St Luke’s Anglican Church, Metcalfe Street, Wallsend. The Ecumenical Service of Worship to renew the Covenant signed in 2008 by the Bishops of the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay, the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle and the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle will this year be hosted by the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle.
Join in this celebration, and support this important ecumenical event for our Diocese. BBN
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ACROSS OUR DIOCESE
The Reformation A tragedy and/or a necessity?
By Pina Bernard
It was Jaroslav Pelikan some decades ago who suggested that the Reformation was a “tragic necessity”, and that Catholics needed to better understand the necessity of the Reformation, whilst Protestants should better come to understand the tragedy of the divisions caused.
understandings and so allows a number of positions to be held within the Anglican Communion. Dr Gerard Kelly then spoke about the Catholic situation at this time. Prior to the Reformation, the Church was part of the structure of all dimensions of life, and life was shaped by the liturgical year and its fasts and festivals. Some corruption had crept into almsgiving, for example the selling of indulgences. In addition, clergy were not always well educated; and bishops spent little time in their dioceses. Notably, even prior to Luther, some movement towards reform had already begun to correct abuses and to grapple with a changing world. The Council of Trent (1545 – 1563) responded, in effect, by focusing on refuting the Protestant proposals. This approach shaped the way that Catholics learnt doctrine from this point on, and a greater weight was given to Tradition. A positive
aspect was the increased education of priests in seminaries, and the requirement for bishops to live in their Dioceses. So was the Reformation a tragedy or a necessity? Since Pelikan’s statement was written, the rise of the ecumenical movement has seen considerable shifts in understanding, and a move away from such a dichotomy. It was acknowledged that it is remarkable what has been achieved ecumenically in recent decades at both an official level through theological dialogues, and at the popular level through studying, worshipping, praying and acting together. Ecumenism is essentially about our relationships, and the approach of receptive ecumenism, where we listen to each other and see what we can learn from each other, is beneficial. Ultimately, the question is: how do we together, in a world that seems disinterested about God, bring the Good News in a new way for the world today?
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from a humanist tradition, and his views were morally strict, yet also humane – an understanding that theology needs to interact with the public issues of the day. Calvin introduced a new system of preaching services for the people focusing on the Bible, and his importance on education made public education available for all children. Dr Fergus King then spoke about the English Reformation, which was spurred along through King Henry VIII’s desire to divorce his wife. The English Reformation tapped into the political and theological tensions of the Reformation that were already taking hold in Germany in establishing freedom from the Church. The Anglican Church, unlike many of the Reformed Churches, did not establish a ‘confession’ of faith expressing consensus on doctrine, but rather used a series of Prayer Books to contain doctrine and worship. The understanding is that how one worships establishes how one lives. The Anglican Book of Common Prayer sets boundaries that can encompass different
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his was an interesting observation made by Rev Dr William Emilsen of the Uniting Church, at the recent forum “Understanding the Reformation Then and Now” hosted by the Parish of Lindfield-Killara on 18 February 2017. Over 120 people gathered to hear Rev Dr Emilsen, along with Rev Dr Fergus King from the Anglican Church, and Rev Professor Gerard Kelly from the Catholic Church, with each speaker taking a different perspective on the topic at hand. Indeed, it became clear that “the Reformation” was in fact a series of reform movements across Europe, commencing with the Lutheran Reformation in Germany which we symbolically mark as beginning on 31 October, 1517, with the posting of Martin Luther’s 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg Church. Dr Emilsen focused his presentation on John Calvin, a subsequent influential Reformer whose thinking had an enormous impact on many Churches, including the Uniting Church. Unlike Luther who was a monk, Calvin was a lawyer coming
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Prague (2) • Czestochowa (2) – Shrine of Jasna Gora • Auschwitz • Wadowice • Krakow (3) – Divine Mercy Shrine & JP II • Wieliczka – Salt Mines • Zakopane (1) – JP II Mountain Retreat • Budapest (2)
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NEWS & ISSUES
Entry into relationship. This is the heart of life. A symposium with Professor Jean Vanier
By Debra Vermeer
The greatest evil in the world today is division, which breeds fear, rather than the friendship and openness to others that is at the heart of Jesus’ teaching, the Canadian Catholic philosopher, theologian and humanitarian, Jean Vanier told a symposium in Sydney recently.
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he opposite of peace is fear,” he said. “People are frightened. They’re frightened of the other. Whereas what Jesus teaches us is to be open to others… but that openness comes as we get closer to God. And to get closer to God we need to get closer to others.” The Symposium, hosted by BBI – The Australian Institute of Theological Education, presented Vanier speaking with BBI Associate Dean, Dr Zachariah Duke, in a pre-recorded interview, filmed in France. Following opening prayer, sung and acted out by members of Sydney’s L’Arche community, the interview was played in segments, with responses from a range of Australian and international theologians and people involved in the L’Arche way of life. Jean Vanier founded L’Arche in 1964, in France, after becoming aware of the institutionalisation of people with learning disabilities. He invited two of the men he met, Raphael Simi and Philippe Seux, to leave their institutions
and come and join him in his own home. Today there are 149 L’Arche communities in 37 countries around the world, including five established communities in Australia and a further four developing communities. L’Arche aims to make known the gifts of people with intellectual disabilities revealed through mutually transforming relationships. For Vanier, those relationships, or friendships, are at the heart of Jesus’ teaching, especially as presented through the Gospel of John and the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. “The Gospel of John is really a Gospel leading us to friendship with Jesus,” he said. “We see it in the 15th chapter: ‘I don’t call you my servants, I call you my friends’. And you see it in the sixth chapter on the Eucharist: ‘He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him’. “So, everything is about growth to friendship. Entry into relationship. This is the heart of life.” He said the story of the woman at the well emphasises Jesus’ reaching out in friendship to the Samaritan woman, who has been humiliated, is despised, has had family problems and is fragile. “And Jesus meets her in her fragility asking: “Will you give me
a drink”. And then what happens is that there is a relationship and she is transformed,” he said. “And so maybe the whole message of Jesus is to meet those who have been humiliated”. Responding to Vanier’s comments, the Bishop of Broken Bay, Most Rev Peter A Comensoli, said Vanier’s own life, lived in friendship with people with disabilities, embodied this teaching of Jesus. “Friendship is not an achievement of humanity that needs to be gained,” Bishop Peter said. “It is a given of our humanity, and can be lost. Friendship belongs to our humanity. It is something to be discovered or recovered, not attained. Friendship is always in the direction of self-giving not self-making. “It is in recognising the humanity of Christ that we discover the kind of persons that we all are – creatures who are made for friendship.” The Symposium also touched on
Vanier’s thoughts on the Church of Mercy, which urges people towards the margins, to meet those who’ve been rejected or are lonely and “help them discover that you are more beautiful than you dare believe”. Other topics included disability and theology – a theology of the heart, the urgent call of Pope Francis in Laudato ‘Si to care for our common home, and Vanier’s delight in winning the 2015 Templeton Prize because it shone a light on people living with disability. Speakers at the Symposium included BBI CEO Dr Gerard Goldman; Dr David Treanor of L’Arche Australia; Prof John Swinton, University of Aberdeen (via videolink); Prof Anthony Maher, BBI-TAITE; Dr Sandra Carroll, ACU; Ms Catherine Anderson, ACU and L’Arche Genesaret; Rev Dr Gerald Arbuckle SM, theologian; Dr Peter Mudge, BBI-TAITE; Ms Cristina Gangemi, The Kairos Forum (via videolink); and Dr Medi Ann Volpe, Durham University (via videolink).
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NEWS & ISSUES
Give Us a Sign in May 2017 Standing Together with the First Peoples of Australia The annual Give Us a Sign campaign emerged out of conversations within the Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Churches in the Hunter and Central Coast as a powerful initiative to highlight social justice issues across the wider community.
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his year, our country acknowledges the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum, which permitted the Federal Parliament to make laws for First People and included them in the Census. This is an appropriate time to reflect on
both what has been achieved and what still needs to be addressed in relation to the First Peoples of Australia. It is important that we mark National Sorry Day (26 May), Mabo Day (3 June) and National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June).
To raise awareness of this important milestone and the work that still needs to be achieved, the Give Us a Sign campaign is calling on Churches and Christian organisations to post a message at least one day EACH week on Church or school noticeboards
from 1 May to 4 June to stand together with the First Peoples of Australia. Photos of noticeboards can be uploaded to a website and Facebook page. For further information, as well as suggested messages, please visit www.giveusasign.org
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As the funeral liturgy expresses faith, it also contextualises the life of the deceased with traditional and contemporary elements.
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ACROSS OUR DIOCESE
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to the religious formation of children aged between 3 and 12 years.
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rounded solidly in Scripture and the Liturgy of the Church, then framed by Montessori principles of education, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is based on the premise that God and the child are already in relationship, and provides a sacred space where children can fall in love with and build their personal relationship with Jesus the Good Shepherd. This program first began in Rome in 1954 and is now found in over 60 countries throughout the world. It has been in Australia for 21 years and has a presence in all mainland states and territories. In the Diocese of Broken Bay, the Catechesis of the
Good Shepherd may currently be found at Our Lady of Dolours, Chatswood Parish, and Ku-ring-gai Chase Parish at Berowra Heights. On Friday 30 June, the Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Australia is excited to host a rare and wonderful opportunity for the people of Sydney to attend a special evening with a highly experienced leader in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd from the United States of America, international guest speaker Rebekah Rojcewicz. Rebekah represents the Englishspeaking world on the Executive Committee of the International Council of the Catechesis of
the Good Shepherd, and has a wealth of experience to share about the child’s relationship
with God. During the evening Rebekah will give an address entitled “The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd—A Gift to the Church at this Time”. Anyone who is interested in the spiritual development of the child will find this event invaluable! The dinner will be held at North Ryde RSL, cnr Magdala & Pittwater Roads, from 6.30pm. Tickets will be $60.00 per person. To book your place, go to
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For more information, please contact Angela Hague on 0411 441 289 or visit www.cgsaust.org.au
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Want to learn more about your faith, theology and spirituality? Turn to BBI for flexible, affordable online study and face-to-face courses
Academic Courses 2017
13th National eConference 2017 Gospel Leadership in Times of Chaos: the Hope of Pope Francis
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Take on a new challenge in 2017 and enrol in one Theology unit, as a tastetester. Complete the assessments and your study will be awarded into an academic qualification, such as a Graduate Certificate or Masters. Online coursework provides you with the ultimate flexibility when you study. You receive week-by-week guidance, videos, interactive quizzes and discussion forums. Choose from four academic disciplines:
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Professional Development 2017
AICD Company Director Courses in partnership with BBI 22 – 26 May • 13 – 17 November – Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney
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National Symposium: Religious Education, Secularisation and Australian Catholic Schools 27-28 July 2017 - Sydney • Explores the relationship between secularisation and religious education in Catholic schools • Keynotes by international experts: Professor François Moog and Professor Henri-Jérôme Gagey, Catholic Institute of Paris • Opening address by Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Archdiocese of Brisbane • Workshops delivered by national experts on RE: Emeritus Bishop David Walker, Mr John McGrath, Professor Richard Rymarz, Professor Therese D’Orsa, Professor Graham Rossiter, Dr Peter Mudge
P: (02) 9847 0030 www.bbi.catholic.edu.au