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Then he said to them Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19
VOL 24 ISSUE 3
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Discerning
Discerning with the Holy Spirit
I
t seems that 2019 is a year of discernment for many of us as we wait and pray for the appointment of a new bishop to the Diocese of Broken Bay. With Daniel’s Ang’s move to his new role in the Archdiocese of Sydney he continues to work closely with parishes and the wider community, sharing his love for the Church through his gift for evangelisation. Daniel remains on the executive committee for the Australian Plenary Council and I will continue to share the story here in Broken Bay. Many of you participated in one of the Listening and Dialogue sessions that were held across the Diocese in 2018 and many of you submitted responses as a result of the gatherings. The National Facilitation Team received a total of 17,457 submissions during this first stage of preparation as a result of the participation of 222,000 people across Australia. The process of collation by the National Centre for Pastoral Research was a massive undertaking because every story and every submission was read to inspire the data from which the National Themes for Discernment emerged. The six National Themes for Discernment have now been released. They invite people to reflect, to pray and to consider how God is calling the People of God to be a Christ-centred Church in Australia that is:
“The Holy Spirit Through the Pages of Scripture” Journey with us as we discover who the Holy Spirit is, and witness how the Spirit guides, enlivens and encourages our lives since the very first pages of scripture to the Church today. Dr Debra Snoddy Lecturer in Biblical Studies, Catholic Institute of Sydney Rev Assoc Prof Ormond Rush Lecturer in Theology, Australian Catholic University 11-12 October 2019 Caroline Chisholm Centre, Building 2/423 Pennant Hills Rd, Pennant Hills, NSW Registrations: www.trybooking.com/BCKBE Website: www.bbcatholic.org.au/bible
2 | CCD Newsletter Term 3, 2019 | Vol 24 Issue 3
• Missionary and Evangelising
• Inclusive, Participatory and Synodal • Prayerful and Eucharistic • Humble, Healing and Merciful
• A Joyful, Hope-Filled and Servant Community • Open to Conversion, Renewal and Reform While at first glance you may not see your voice in these themes, I encourage you to avail yourself of the Snapshot Guides that have been released relating to each theme for discernment. These guides break open the themes, identifying the topics that inspired them and telling the stories of some of the people who contributed to the themes. A comprehensive report on all the voices of participants will be released on 28 July 2019. In coming months, this national Discernment and Writing Groups will play a critical role in helping the Catholic Church move forward in considering the six Themes for Discernment, while people in faith communities across Australia will be called to participate locally in their own communal Listening and Discernment encounters. The fruits of what is discerned during this time will shape the agenda of the first session of Plenary Council in October 2020. As this journey continues, I am deeply aware that each of you are already the embodiment of those words that make up the National Themes for Discernment; Christ-centred, Missionary, Evangelising, Prayerful, Eucharistic, Humble, Joyful people of God, who bring the Joy of the Gospel to our children in the State schools. With deep gratitude for all you do,
Jenny Jenny Hildebrandt Manager, Office for Evangelisation To keep up with the latest news on the Plenary Council visit plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au
SRE Curriculum Pathways
Walking with Jesus: Pathways of Discipleship
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s you know, the Walking with Jesus K-6 SRE program is currently being reviewed into a third edition. This will be rolled out at the beginning of the 2020 school year. This is not a new curriculum, but an update of the current material. Catechists can be confident that they will not need to learn a different model of teaching, as the Teaching for Discipleship model that is a feature of Walking with Jesus is being more and more recognised in religious education circles as an effective way to engage children in RE lessons and to form children and young people in faith. Walking with Jesus received excellent reviews as an educational program in the recent Independent Review of SRE which was commissioned by the State Government. With learning outcomes and faith outcomes (which we call discipleship responses) included in the lesson scope and sequence, it was credited with hitting every curriculum target that the reviewer had identified.
The main changes to the program are to the student activity books, which will now be in colour. Scientific studies have shown that colour influences emotions, productivity and learning. Colours unavoidably affect our attention and motivation to work due to their impact on our emotions. The student activity books have been re-designed by Media company Living Well Media, who also designed the Diocese of Broken Bay Sacramental program activity booklets. The graphics are such that there is a recognisable link between Walking with Jesus and the Sacramental booklets. Another change to the student activity books is the removal of the family supplements from the back of the books. Family supplements will, in future, be available on the CCD website (from 2020) which can be accessed by catechists and parents. The main changes to the teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; manuals will be by way of additional notes throughout the lesson plans which are designed to assist the catechist to teach the material with sensitivity and in an age-appropriate manner. The unit outlines will also be updated, where necessary, to include more recent Church teaching particularly from Pope Francis, whose papacy began after the last edition of Walking with Jesus was rolled out. The unit outlines at the beginning of each unit of work are designed to provide background information for the catechist and are not intended as student material. It is the lesson plans which are designed to enable catechists to engage with the students in an ageappropriate and sensitive manner. There have been additional changes/updates based on feedback received from catechists across the Diocese. We thank those of you
who provided feedback in writing and would like to assure you that we have listened to the excellent suggestions from catechists and incorporated many of them either directly or generally. We also welcome feedback about typographical errors and appreciate the â&#x20AC;&#x153;proof-readersâ&#x20AC;? amongst you. Please always let us know if you find typos, as we can have these edited from year to year prior to our annual print-run. We are aware that many of our classes are now composite, that is they are grouped in educational stages, with combined classes for Years 1 and 2 (Stage 1), Years 3 and 4 (Stage 2) and Years 5 and 6 (Stage 3). Kindergarten is Early Stage 1 and always stands alone. Walking with Jesus was originally developed to be taught in stages, so we have decided to roll out one stage book for Kindergarten and one for each of Stages 1, 2 and 3 in 2020 and the other half of Stages 1, 2 and 3 in 2021. Thus, books will be supplied to parishes in stages and not individual year groups. For example, if you teach Year 1 or Year 2, in 2020 you will be provided with a new Stage 1 manual and student books for the children. In 2021 you will be given a different new Stage 1 manual and student books. Thus, across the two years of Stage 1, children will be taught both programs. For 2020 only, this will mean that some students will be taught the same material as the previous year but given the very different design of the student activity books, we feel that this will have a minimal impact. Curriculum workshops are being planned for Term 4 of 2019, so that the new material can be introduced to catechists. These workshops will be recognised as ongoing training (curriculum) for all catechists who attend, and you will be credited for your attendance. Training venues, dates and times will be advertised next term. We hope that you will be excited to use the new material and that the children in your classes will enjoy their SRE lessons even more. As always thank you for your commitment to the faith formation of the children you teach. We are delighted to provide you with fresh new look resources. I am always aware though that the greatest resource you take into the classroom is yourself. You embody the love of Jesus for His Father and, through your openness to the movement of the Holy Spirit, you teach the children the faith of their families with Christian love and witness. My prayers are always with you. God bless you all,
Alison
Alison Newell Diocesan Coordinator, CCD CCD Newsletter Term 3, 2019 | Vol 24 Issue 3 | 3
Jean Vanier
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ean Vanier was born on 10 September 1928, in Geneva, Switzerland, where his father was working for the Canadian government as a diplomat. Jean’s family lived in France and England during his childhood. As a young man he served in the British and Canadian Royal Navies and visited his family in Paris in 1945 at the end of World War II. Jean’s mother had volunteered to help people who had survived the Nazi concentration camps. Jean never forgot how thin and full of fear they were. Jean went to university to study philosophy, but later decided to do more spiritual or church work. Jean met a priest named Father Thomas Phillipe who worked with people who had intellectual disabilities. At that time, many children with special needs were sent by their families to live in institutions. An institution was more like a hospital than a home, and the people who lived there were called “patients.” Some of the people who lived in institutions were not treated with respect or love. They could be lonely places. Jean didn’t like what he saw. He has said, “We must do what we can to diminish walls, to meet each other. Why do we put people with disabilities behind walls?” Jean got to know two people, Raphaël Simi and Philippe Seux; two young men who lived in institutions. In 1964 he invited them to live with him at a home in Trosly-Breuil (TROSS-lee BR-hull), France. This was the start of L’Arche International—a group of communities where people with intellectual and developmental disabilities live with people who support and care for them. Jean believed that people with disabilities can teach others, and that they should not be thought of as burdens who should be kept separate from society. He also believed that every person wanted to love and wanted to be loved. Everyone who lives in a L’Arche community does chores, makes
decisions, and participates in meetings, get-togethers, and celebrations. They participate as they are able and as they choose. Today, people live together in more than 160 L’Arche communities in 37 countries on five continents. Jean lived in the original L’Arche community in Trosly-Breuil up until the last months of his life. Throughout his life he also wrote books and travelled around the world speaking to people about valuing those who have intellectual disabilities. Jean Vanier died on 7 May 2019. The organisation known as Faith and Light continues the work of advocating for those who live with disabilities. L’Arche (pronounced larsh, like marsh) means “the ark” in French. It comes from the story of Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6–9) and means that everyone in the community is welcomed and safe together. The logo of the Faith and Life organisation was created by Meb, a member of a L’Arche community. The logo is of a boat, with 12 figures in the boat. Above them is sun and clouds. Meb’s idea was that we are in a boat travelling together. Sometimes, the sea is rough, sometimes it’s dead calm, sometimes you need to row, and sometimes the wind blows the sails. https://www.jean-vanier.org/en https://www.faithandlight.org www.larche.org/welcome
Use Meb’s inspiration to complete the drawing and colour the picture in a way that captures his description and symbolism.
I
t is helpful for young disciples to hear stories of those who have lived good lives and served others especially the marginalised as Jesus did. The life and work of Jean Vanier is one such story. Relate his
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story using the written word or video then have students reflect on the images and colour the Faith and Light logo to reflect the spirit of this organisation. Researching the website may also assist some students.
TEAR OUT AND KEEP!
F
Saint Francis of Assisi the way they lived and allow them to become a religious order. This happened in 1210.
rancis was born in a small town called Assisi, Italy in the year 1182. His family was wealthy. Francis loved to sing, and his father wanted him to be a cloth merchant just like he was.
St Francis is remembered for many things but one thing we all know, and love is the Nativity Scene which celebrates the birth of Jesus. He received the idea for creating the Nativity Scene after visiting Bethlehem in the Holy Land. He constructed the scene in a cave at Greccio, Italy where he celebrated a special Mass. Francis wanted to teach the people of the area that Jesus, although he was the Son of God, he too was born into poverty and led a simple life.
When he was about 19 years old, he was involved in a battle with a neighbouring town, Perugia. He was captured and kept in gaol for a year. When his father paid the ransom, Francis was released. In his 20s Francis was sick with a fever and he had a vison from God. Francis thought God wanted him to join the Crusades and fight to save Jerusalem, but God had a different idea. He was calling Francis to help the sick and to rebuild the Church. This happened in the small church called San Damiano. Francis answered Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s call. He gave away all his money, which made his dad very upset, and he took a vow of poverty. He lived a very simple lifestyle and he began preaching to the people who lived in the towns which were near Assisi. Very quickly, Francis was joined by 12 other men who also took a vow of poverty and led very simple lives. Some people thought Francis and his friends were crazy, but others thought he was a great example of how Christians should live, walking in the footsteps of Jesus.
On 3 October 1226, at the age of 44, St Francis died in Assisi. Two years later he was named as a Saint in the Catholic Church by Pope Gregory IX. St Francis is remembered today for his simple way of living, his love of creation and his great spirituality. He was a great preacher and teacher and when Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope, he chose Francis as his name to honour St Francis.
Francis and his companions went to Rome to speak with Pope Innocent III. They wanted Pope Innocent to officially approve of
Michael Tebbutt, CCD Regional Coordinator, Central Coast
St Francis of Assisi Find-A-Word Q W E R T Y U I O P A S D F G H
J F K L Z X C V G V B N M Q S W
P R E A C H E R R R R O M E A T
C A S S I S I T E Y U I I O N P
Francis
Assisi
Poverty
Creation
R N A S D F G H G J K N N L D Z
E C O M P A N I O N S N A P A E
A I M N B C X Z R Q W O T T M R
T S T Y U I I O Y P L C I E I A
San Damiano Simple Lifestyle Preacher
I A S P O V R T I W E E V A A R
O T I Y U I O P X C V N I C N B
N M M Q W E R T Y U I T T H O O
Innocent
A S P O V E R T Y D F G Y E H J
K L L I F E S T Y L E Z X R C V
B N E B E T H L E H E M Q W E R
T Y U I O P A S A N S W E R E D
Nativity
Rome Companions Teacher
Bethlehem Gregory IX Answered
CCD Newsletter Term 3, 2019 | Vol 24 Issue 3 | 5
FROM THE REGISTRATIONS DESK
Why Do We Need to Register for Training and Events?
T
erm 2 saw another busy term for training and formation of catechists. We have completed three ongoing professional development workshops on Classroom Management, two CCD Ministry Induction courses, two Reflection mornings – From Disciples to Evangelisers, three Level 1 workshops days covering Miracles and Parables and Using Music in the Classroom, and a Secondary Catechist Conference entitled Cast Your Nets Wide. In addition, dozens of people have registered to complete training online. The CCD team are always excited to offer a variety of training and formation options to our catechists, however there are times that these opportunities are not taken up, when very few people register to attend these events. ‘Why do we need to register?’ I hear you say. Because we need to be responsible and accountable for our human resources, it is imperative that we don’t waste time organising and running events unless we know that people will turn up. There is a lot of organising that goes into running a CCD training course or event. We cannot run events with insufficient registrations. On the other hand, when we do run events and people have registered to attend, we know how many handouts we will need to take with us (as we don’t have
access to simply run off extra at some venues if required). We also have the responsibility to ensure the venue is the right size for the number of people attending and we comply with WHS requirements. There is also the catering, how much food, tea, coffee etc we need to bring along. Does someone have special dietary requirements? Occasionally due to insufficient registrations, we’ve had to cancel training events and still had people who had not registered arrive at the venue for training. It makes people unhappy to find that the event has been cancelled. Please note that if we do need to cancel an event due to insufficient registrations, we advise the people who have registered that the event has had to be cancelled and book them into another training date and venue. Why not give me a call to check your training record? Colleen Smith, Admin Assistant, Central Coast Note from the Editor: Our registrations desk runs efficiently, and Colleen is helpful and understanding of people’s commitments and busyness. Colleen will do everything possible to accommodate catechists into training programs or assist them with a log-in to train online.
DUTY of CARE
SAFEGUARDING KIDZ CORNER
Creating a Safe Working Environment in the SRE Classroom
Do use non-confrontational behaviour management and language
Do use a non-threatening physical stance Do seek support from the School and/or CCD
Coordinators if behaviour management issues emerge with a student
DO NOT
DO
STUDENT MANAGEMENT
Do not use confrontational behaviour management styles, threatening comments or gestures
Do not leave a student inadequately supervised Do not inappropriately isolate a student, eg: place in a confined separate space
Do use individual behaviour management plans in
Do not allow a negative attitude to develop
Do practise risk assessment and risk management
Do not give inconsistent consequences
consultation with the class teacher strategies
Do treat children consistently 6 | CCD Newsletter Term 3, 2019 | Vol 24 Issue 3
towards a particular student – seek advice
CAST YOUR NETS WIDE
C
A day of dialogue with secondary catechists
atechists who teach in the public high schools of the Diocese gathered at Caroline Chisholm Centre Pennant Hills in June to look at topics relevant to the young people they teach in SRE. A keynote address delivered by John Donnelly explored Generation Z and how young people learn in the technological age that is the 21st Century. Using data collected by Catholic Mission, we discovered that stress, anxiety and mental health are among the leading challenges facing young people today. Catechists brainstormed what they thought were the leading motivations that brought young people into the SRE classroom and some of the responses were surprising; the top seven responses being:
appropriately and pastorally, and staying on task with the lesson was a little tricky, but great wisdom came from the group in how to facilitate an authentic response while not straying from the lesson content. We discovered that every teacher in every key learning area of the curriculum is required to avoid controversial issues in the classroom and is required to work with the approved curriculum.
1. Parent/guardian’s authority and choice (perhaps force). 2. Young person’s faith choice genuinely wanting to be there. 3. Young person’s interest and enjoyment. 4. Young person’s curiosity, choice. 5. Subject of interest (today’s issues), desire to learn. 6. Peer pressure, friends influence. 7. School policy, practice and/or encouragement.
A huge thank you to our committed band of high school catechists for their attendance and their contribution to the day.
Other issues, such as setting, time, space, mobile phones and school administration were explored with practical suggestions offered. Catechists were reminded of the imperative to consider safeguarding as a key element of facilitating the learning of young people. Factors contributing to identity and meaning in the lives of young people need to be considered if we are to bring hope to the young as they explore their faith in a safe SRE environment. They keynote address was followed by several workshops. The first workshop presented by Michael Tebbutt looked at Science and Religion. The contents of the workshop were underpinned by the Vatican document written by Pope St John Paul II, Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason). Participants discovered the complementarity of science and religion, with science dealing with the natural world and religion dealing with the supernatural world. Quoting from Fides et Ratio we explored that “This truth, which God reveals to us in Jesus Christ, is not opposed to the truths which philosophy perceives.” (Fides et Ratio 34). The conclusion was drawn that students should come away from our classrooms with an appreciation of the natural world — fascinated by its intricacies and excited to learn more and that science and religion may teach the same thing with different answers or different things with answers that complement each other. Joe Pulis presented a workshop on the SRE Procedures where catechists were advised of their rights and also of their responsibilities when going into public schools to teach SRE. The workshop elicited a vibrant discussion about how SRE is implemented in different schools and the challenges that many catechists and coordinators face when negotiating requirements contained in the SRE Procedures. Michael Tebbutt and Alison Newell finished the day with a workshop on the Department of Education’s Controversial Issues Policy, where some of the parameters of teaching in public schools were explored. This was followed by a healthy dialogue around dealing with challenging questions that young people ask in SRE. We discovered that valuing the dignity of the young people who ask such questions, responding
Coordinators and catechists from the Diocese of Parramatta and the Archdiocese of Sydney joined their Broken Bay colleagues for a day of learning and sharing. Networking was alive and well on the day as catechists gathered to share their experiences with each other over a delicious morning tea and lunch.
Alison Alison
H
Devices or divisive
igh school catechists are frequently challenged by students’ use of personal devices such as mobile phones. Many schools have established policies and the NSW Dept of Education recently announced a ban of mobiles in Primary Schools. https://education.nsw.gov.au/news/media-releases/nsw-takes-action-onmobile-devices-in-schools Given the reality of 24/7 connectivity that most of our students enjoy, perhaps it is time to reconsider the place of devices within the SRE space. Perhaps the use of suitable websites may help facilitate learning both within our classrooms and beyond. Here are some sites that may be worth accessing as part of our lessons. 1 MyJesusJam (Instagram – memes) https://www.instagram.com/myjesusjam/?hl=en 2 Fr Rob Galea (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/FRGMinistry/ 3 Gus and Iggy https://gusandiggy.bandcamp.com/track/you-are-my-hope 4 Bible Online https://www.biblegateway.com/ 5 Live Loud https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoI6EFiNiBI By inviting students to use their phones as part of the learning strategy in SRE we may achieve far more than simply distracting them from social media. Once these sites have been accessed once, they become part of the young person’s search history and are more readily accessed again. This may encourage them to make use of these sites outside of SRE classes. There are some sites such as Kahoot which are designed with an app to enable students to engage in online learning activities. The puzzles and quizzes on this site can be used to assess student knowledge and skills or they can be adapted and modified by teachers to specific content. https://kahoot.com Who knows? The days of mobile phones being seen as the enemy of learning may be past. John Donnelly, CCD Regional Coordinator, Northern Beaches CCD Newsletter Term 3, 2019 | Vol 24 Issue 3 | 7
CCD Training and Formation Offerings 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.
Level 1 Workshop
Level 1 Workshop: Tools for teaching in the SRE Classroom – for all catechists Level 1 consists of 6 x 2-hour units and is complementary to the CCDMI. The units offered provide tools and strategies for the SRE classroom. During Term 3 there are two units on offer. 1. Using Stories and Visual Resources 2. Using Drama in the Classroom
Northern Beaches Region
Tools for teaching in the SRE Classroom North Shore Hornsby Region Course Type: Level 1 Workshop Location: Caroline Chisholm Centre, 423 Pennant Hills Road, Pennant Hills (Vehicular entry via City View Road) Morning Tea Provided, BYO Lunch Date: Friday 23 August 2019 Time: 9:30am – 2:30pm
Course Type: Level 1 Workshop
Register by: Friday 16 August 2019
Location: Our Lady of Good Counsel, 9 Currie Road, Frenchs Forest
Central Coast Region
Morning Tea Provided, BYO Lunch
Course Type: Level 1 Workshop
Date: Friday 16 August 2019
Location: Meeting Room, Our Lady Star of the Sea, 165 Serpentine Road, Terrigal
Time: 9:30am – 2:30pm
Morning Tea Provided, BYO Lunch
Register by: Friday 9 August 2019
Contact: CCD Registrations. 8379 1643 or Email: registrations@bbcatholic.org.au
Date: Monday 26 August 2019 Time: 9:30am – 2:30pm Register by: Monday 19 August 2019
Level 2
The Church in the 3rd Millennium
CCD Level 2: The Church in the 3rd Millennium – for all catechists
Central Coast Region – Course Type: CCD Level 2
Consists of twelve 2-hour units. Units offered cover the teachings of the Catholic Church. A certificate is awarded on successful completion of Level Two.
Morning Tea Provided, BYO Lunch
• Catechist Spirituality • Vatican II and Renewal in the Church • Development of the Child and Adolescent II
Location: Lecture Room, Our Lady of the Rosary, 12 Ashton Ave, The Entrance Date: Friday 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 August & 6 September 2019 Time: 9:30am – 2:30pm Register by: Friday 26 July 2019
• Catholic Sacraments of Initiation
North Shore, Hornsby and Northern Beaches Regions
• Tools for Catechesis: The Catechism and General Directory for Catechesis
– Course Type: CCD Level 2
• The Natural World and Religion • The Old Testament: The Story of the Faith Community – Exodus/Sinai
Location: Corpus Christi, St Ives Parish Hall, 263 Mona Vale Road, St Ives
• The History of Liturgy
Morning Tea Provided, BYO Lunch
• The New Testament: Jesus the New Covenant
Date: Monday 5, 12, 26 August and 2, 9 & 16 September 2019
• Catholic Social Teaching
Time: 9:30am – 2:30pm
• Interfaith Dialogue and Ecumenism
Register by: Monday 29 July 2019
• An Australian Perspective on World Religions
Register by: Friday 27 October 2019
8 | CCD Newsletter Term 3, 2019 | Vol 24 Issue 3
School Holiday
Compulsory Ongoing Training
School Holiday Compulsory Ongoing Training: Teaching the Authorised Curriculum Ongoing Training for Green card catechists Authorised catechists on green cards are required by the Department of Education to attend ongoing training in the following topics every three years: 1) Classroom Management, 2) Authorised Curriculum and 3) Safeguarding Children.
Teaching the Authorised Curriculum North Shore & Hornsby Region
During the spring school holidays the training being offered is Authorised Curriculum.
Course Type: Teaching the Authorised Curriculum Location: Caroline Chisholm Centre, 423 Pennant Hills Road, Pennant Hills
Central Coast Region
(Vehicular entry via City View Road)
Course Type: Teaching the Authorised Curriculum
Date: Wednesday 2 October 2019
Location: Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish Hall, 165 Serpentine Road, Terrigal Date: Monday 30 September 2019
Time: 9:30am – 12:00pm Register by: Wednesday 25 September 2019
Time: 9:30am – 12:00pm
Northern Beaches
Register by: Monday 23 September 2019
Course Type: Teaching the Authorised Curriculum The Lakes Parish Hall, 21 Lagoon Street, Narrabeen
Contact: CCD Registrations. 8379 1643 or Email: registrations@bbcatholic.org.au
C E L E B R AT I N G
Date: Friday 4 October 2019
Spirituality Day for Catechists Spirituality Time: 9:30am – 12:00pm
T
he Spirituality Day for catechists and parishioners for Term 2 was held at Corpus Christi Parish St Ives on Monday 27 May. The focus for reflection was “From Discipleship to Evangelisation.”
O F A L L N AT I O N S
Celebrating our multicultural community in the Diocese of Broken Bay All are welcome We invite you to bring a plate to share from your cultural community, and to wear multicultural dress
Those who attended were privileged to receive input from a wonderful team comprising the Diocesan Coordinator of CCD Alison Newell, and the three regional coordinators, John Donnelly, Joe Pulis and Michael Tebbutt. In a beautifully structured series of presentations, we were invited to enter Scripture, Church Teaching, current societal movements and issues, and our own ministry and personal lives as disciples. Christ’s Light and how we can shine in the darkness was the lens through which we viewed our journey of walking in the light.
Saturday
17 August 2019 Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral Yardley Avenue, Waitara
5:00pm – 6:00pm Celebration of Mass Presider Very Rev Dr David Ranson, Diocesan Administrator, Diocese of Broken Bay
Time stretched! We had time for deep reflection, prayer, silence, sharing, a delicious morning tea of freshly baked scones and freshly baked carrot cake (provided by Sharon da Roza) and a very real opportunity to open our hearts and minds to the fresh movement of the Holy Spirit.
6:00pm – 7:00pm Refreshments and live entertainment
As an opportunity for personal spiritual growth and communion with others in ministry it was unifying, powerful and inspiring. Enquiries: Natalie Moutia
faith.formation@bbcatholic.org.au
8379 1626
Eulalie O’Keefe, Catechist, North Harbour Parish CCD Newsletter Term 3, 2019 | Vol 24 Issue 3 | 9
Proclaim
Called to Go Out to Proclaim the Good News “We are called not just to follow the light but to be the light for others. We are called to bring Christ’s light to all people, serving them in their need and celebrating their joys and hopes.” Most Rev Christopher A Saunders DD, Bishop of Broome
A
s disciples of Jesus, we are called to be disciplined in the way of living as Jesus did, the way of praying and relating to the Father as Jesus did and in the way of interacting with everyone we meet as Jesus did. We belong to a marvellous community. This community, however, must go outside from the walls of our church buildings and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. On Sundays we come together to be nourished by the Word of God and by the Body and Blood of Christ, and this is good, but we cannot stay in that comfortable space. We have been called to follow Jesus and to continue the work of Jesus. At the conclusion of the celebration of the Eucharist, the priest gives us his final blessing and then we are dismissed with the direction to go to love and serve the Lord. We are sent forth to be the Light of Christ and the Bread of the world.
maybe, it is the firm belief that the message of the Father, which was revealed to us through Jesus, His Son, is so fantastic and life giving that you just have to tell it to all and witness to it through the way you live. As catechists, we are Ministers of the Word, and just like the Special Ministers of the Eucharist take Eucharist to those unable to attend Mass, we catechists are taking the Word of God to those, who through no fault of their own were unable to be present at its proclamation at the Sunday Mass.
…maybe, it is the firm belief that the message of the Father, which was revealed to us through Jesus, His Son, is so fantastic and life giving that you just have to tell it to all and witness to it through the way you live.
In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis writes: Jesus’ whole life, his way of dealing with the poor, his actions, his integrity, his simple daily acts of generosity, and finally his complete self-giving, is precious and reveals the mystery of his divine life. Whenever we encounter this anew, we become convinced that it is exactly what others need, even though they may not recognize it: “What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you” (Acts 17:23).EG 265. Take a moment to consider what it is that enables you to go to class each week, to prepare your lessons, to gather the resources and take time out of a busy week to reflect on what it is you will share with your class and how you will go about it. Is it a feeling of having to pay forward what you have received or a sense that you need to do something? Maybe it is the thought that if I don’t do it, how will these children know about Jesus? Or
10 | CCD Newsletter Term 3, 2019 | Vol 24 Issue 3
We are called to evangelise. Like Abraham and Moses, we are sent forth. It is in being sent out that we shine the light of Christ for all to see and we encounter that exact same light.
When we look beyond ourselves, we can shine the light of Christ out into the world as a light house does in the dark of night. When we look beyond ourselves, we move our focus out into the community and can reach out to those who are in need. The Catholic students attending the government schools in our parish are the people we encounter, and it is when we meet with them that they meet Christ in us, and we meet Christ in them. We are encountering Christ. 37 Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ 40 And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ (Matt 25:37 – 40)
Michael Tebbutt CCD Regional Co-ordinator, Central Coast
Caroline Chisholm Centre 423 Pennant Hills Rd PENNANT HILLS NSW 2120 PO Box 340 PENNANT HILLS NSW 1715 ALISON NEWELL CCD Diocesan Coordinator P: 8379 1637 M: 0424 737 911 E: alison.newell@bbcatholic.org.au SHARON DA ROZA Diocesan CCD Admin (NSH & NB Regions) P: 8379 1638 E: sharon.daroza@bbcatholic.org.au JOE PULIS North Shore Hornsby Region P: 8379 1639 M:0438 229 541 E: joe.pulis@bbcatholic.org.au JOHN DONNELLY Northern Beaches Region P: 8379 1640 M: 0437 964 072 E: john.donnelly@bbcatholic.org.au Central Coast CCD Resource Centre 12 Ashton Ave THE ENTRANCE NSW 2261 (Behind OLOR Church) PO Box 390 THE ENTRANCE NSW 2261 MICHAEL TEBBUTT Central Coast Region P: 8379 1641 M: 0407 218 677 E: Michael.tebbutt@bbcatholic.org.au COLLEEN SMITH Central Coast Admin P: 8379 1642 E: colleen.smith@bbcatholic.org.au Registrations for CCD Training P: 8379 1643 E: registrations@bbcatholic.org.au WWJ Curriculum Resources P: 8379 1642 E: ccdresources@bbcatholic.org.au
A Catechist’s Story Catechist
Yes, why not!
CONFRATERNITY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE BROKEN BAY
“I
want to help but I work full time and have crazy hours. It’s impossible, I cannot be a catechist.” This was something in my mind when I first heard about the Catechist recruitment appeal six years ago.
I work as an architect and we do have crazy hours. Sometimes it can be from morning till 10pm or even midnight. I hadn’t worked normal office hours for three months straight during a certain phase of my assignment. At that time, I was exhausted with the work that I had. My head kept telling me “It’s impossible,” my heart, however, said “There must be something else in life besides work and I can do something with children.” It took me two years of struggle before a small voice said to me “Why not, just ask!” I went to my then employer with expectation that my proposal would be rejected. On the contrary, my employer accepted that ‘I can come to work late for 36 out of 52 weeks so long I make up for the late times’. The ‘Yes, why not!’ kept me going when I changed my job twice. During the interviews, I told my prospective employers that I do voluntary work and will be late for work on Thursdays during school terms but will make up for them. Voilà! Here I am in my fourth year as a catechist! I actually receive much more than the time I put in for doing the classes. Seeing the children, teaching them about Christ, sometimes noticing that some of them applied what they have learnt in the classroom and even in their daily lives, all these lift my spirit and even the stress from my work. The children have made a difference to me. As the bible says: “Ask and you shall receive”. I hope my story can relate to others, listen to your inner voice and say: “Why Not”! Regina (Maya) Soeryanto is a catechist currently teaching at a primary school in the Parish of Epping and Carlingford.
R
A Classroom Moment
ecently I had a wonderful experience in a Year 2 Class at Umina Beach State School. The Class watched a video of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane: Lesson 2.3.1 Jesus Prays in the Garden. The activity suggests writing what Jesus prayed for and colouring in the picture. Most headed for the coloured pencils. However, one young boy, who is accompanied by his carer, had obviously paid attention to the video, and without any help wrote, “if there was another way to sacrifice all the mistakes in the world so everybody will have happiness and joy”. His carer called me over to see what he had written, she told me she had corrected the spelling of just one word! I’m still amazed at the thought process and understanding of this 7-year-old. Dorothy Fulton Woy Woy Peninsula Parish CCD Newsletter Term 3, 2019 | Vol 24 Issue 3 | 11
An invitation to SRE Catechists, Sacramental Teams and all those working inChildren’s Ministries An opportunity to reflect on your role as a Catechist Discerning Discipleship in Ministry with Children Presented by Sherry Weddell (Author of Forming Intentional Disciples)
Friday 13 September 2019 10.00am – 2:30pm
Topics include: • Exploring Intentional Discipleship • Thresholds of discipleship, with a focus on ministry to children • Discerning our own calling as disciples, and identifying our gifts
Venue: Caroline Chisholm Centre, Building 2, 423 Pennant Hills Road Pennant Hills Limited parking available Four minutes’ walk from Pennant Hills Station Morning Tea and Lunch provided Registrations Essential: Colleen Smith registrations@bbcatholic.org.au or 8379 1643 This is a free event. RSVP by 6 September