The Record Newspaper 14 July 2010

THE R ECORD

Wednesday, 14 July 2010

URGENT TASK:

RENEWING MARRIAGE

AUSTRALIA badly needs the renewal of marriage and family life that family-based ministry Couples For Christ aims to strengthen, Archbishop Barry Hickey told the movement’s 12th Australia Pacific closing Mass at Trinity College in Perth on 11 July.

“In Australia, what is so painfully obvious is the collapse of marriage. It’s like a plague,” he said. The fact that his Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton also celebrated the opening Mass of the conference on 9 June spoke to how critical Couples for Christ’s ministry is to the life of the Church and the world, he added.

Too often, he said, marriage is no longer considered a life-long commitment but a phase in life, which is symptomatic of a world full of ego, individualism and self-centredness, rather than the other-centred self-giving that marriage requires.

Please turn to Page 7

Archbishop Hickey told several hundred people at the Couples for Christ conference last weekend their conference - and the subject of marriage - was so important that both he and Bishop Sproxton attended separately to support it.

Couples for Christ

COUPLES FOR CHRIST

was established in the Philippines in 1981 and has since spread around the world. The movement has a number of associated divisions for children, youth, singles, single women and single men. Its website is: www.couplesforchristglobal.org. The Australian website can be found at: www.cfcaustralia.org.

National Marriage Day 2010

NATIONAL MARRIAGE DAY 2010, 13 August, is an initiative of the Australian Family Association to celebrate and promote the importance of marriage and family life to the nation.

To mark National Marriage Day, the AFA has organised a national dinner to be held in Sydney on 12 August. For those who can’t make it from interstate, the Association has also launched a rosette-selling programme to help individuals raise funds for their schools or favourite charities. Anyone interested in either the dinner or the rosette programme can find more information on the internet at: www.marriageday.family.org.au.

Padre Pio relics coming to Perth

The first-class relics of one of the greatest mystics of the modern era will be in Perth in August

Fr Ermelindo DiCapua OFM, a Capuchin of San Giovanni Rotondo Italy, spent six years with Saint Padre Pio as his translator. He will visit Perth from 9-15 August as part of a St Padre Pio 2010 Australasian tour and bring relics of the astonishing saint to venerate. The visitation honours the 100th anniversary of St Pio’s ordination to the priesthood. Fr DiCapua will bring the relics to each venue for the faithful to venerate. St Pio (1887-1968) was canonised in 2002.

PARISH

“Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God’s heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips, but with your heart. In fact on certain occasions you should only speak to Him with your heart.” -Padre Pio

Marks of a Mystic Padre Pio was reputed to have the gift of reading souls. In 1947 he told a young Fr Karol Wojtyla he would become Pope. A 1999 book by Malachy Carroll relates how the prayer of the Italian mystic won back sight for Gemma di Giorgi, born without pupils. Fr Ermelindo’s programme: PAGE 2

THE Malaysian-Singaporean Catholic Community of Australia raised a net figure of $18,000 on 3 July for their own and Aboriginal youth to attend World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid.

Comparing it to Jesus’ miracle

of feeding 5,000 people with a basketful of loaves and fishes, organiser Fr Roy Pereira said he prayed for a miracle to feed 600 people for an event planned to only cater for 500.

There were so many people, organisers told The Record they Please turn to Page 4

SAINT OF THE WEEK

The exhumed body of St Padre Pio lies in a glass sepulchre in San Giovanni Rotondo, southern Italy, in 2008, 40 years after his death.

PHOTO: CNS/ALESSANDRO BIANCHI, REUTERS

Padre Pio relics, Fr Ermelindo programme

Here is the programme for the visit of the relics of Padre Pio and of Fr Ermelindo to Western Australia:

GERALDTON

7 August: 10.30am Mass at St Lawrence’s Church, Geraldton

8 August: 7.30pm St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Geraldton

PERTH

9 August: priests only) Little Sisters of the Poor, Rawlins St, Glendalough

10 August: 6.30pm Mass led by Archbishop Hickey at St Mary’s Cathedral

11-12 August: Private visitations

13 August: 11.30-2.30pm at All Saints Chapel, Allendale Square, Perth

13 August: 6.30pm at Our Lady of the Mission Church, Whitford

14 August: (Italian speaking day) at Infant Jesus Church, Morley

8.30am- Padre Pio DVD; 10amAdoration; 11am- Mass followed by BYO lunch in Parish Hall

14 August: 6.30pm Mass at St John & Paul Church, Willetton

15 August: 10.30am Matt at St John & Paul Church, Willetton

For further information about Fr Ermelindo’s tour, contact Perth coordinator, Des Scully on: scully8@optusnet.

Mary MacKillop

AT A GLANCE

Forthcoming events around the Archdiocese

Emmanuel Community

al/team registration and 9am for first game start. Play will go until approx 4pm. The tournament will be at Sacred Heart College, Hocking Parade, Sorrento on the oval and netball courts.

Caritas

When: 15 July at 6.30pm for 7pm start at the LJ Goody Bioethics Centre, 39 Jugan St, Glendalough

St Jerome’s, Munster

The Parish. The Nation. The World. Find it in The Record

Editor

Eph’phata: Be Opened - the Emmanuel Community in Perth is holding an open weekend retreat for anyone wishing to grow in their relationship with God. Join community members and live the Emmanuel Community lifestyle for a weekend. Special guests from Sydney will be speaking including Emmanuel Community Seminarian, Joshua Miechels who is currently in the middle of two years volunteering with FIDESCO, doing missionary work in Taiwan. All ages welcome, including families. RSVP by 19 July to Bridget on 0408 496 610. Cost for the retreat is $80. When: 23 - 25 July at Eagle’s Nest, 1406 O’Brien Road, Gidgegannup.

Peter Rosengren editor@therecord.com.au

Journalists

Bridget Spinks baspinks@therecord.com.au

Mark

Record

All Perth Parishes

Soccer & Netball Inaugural Tournament - Perth parishes are invited to put together a Netball and/or Soccer teams of minimum 5 players (max 10, including subs) for the inaugural Whitford’s Soccer & Netball Tournament. The day is open to those 15-65 years of age and the cost is $5 per player which includes a voucher for a sausage sizzle and drink. You can pay on the day but your team RSVP registration is due by 18 July. Games will be in two 15-minute halves with a two-minute break at half time. Enq: Peter: 0422 901 399 or whitford@ optusnet.com.au. When: 25 July at 8.30am for arriv-

Walk for Water - The Mayor of Cambridge, Mayor Simon Withers will open this event that will give locals a chance to understand the vulnerability of millions living without access to clean water, and learn about local water conservation initiatives. There will be a group walk around Lake Monger at about 11.30am to walk in solidarity with those who do not have access to safe water in communities around the world. The walk will be followed by a sausage sizzle, music and games until 1pm. For more information, visit www.bemore.org.au or call 1800 BE MORE. When: 1 August from 11am-1pm at Lake Monger, Lake Monger Drive, Leederville. Meet at Dodd Street car park, near the Speech and Hearing Centre.

Events for Young People in the Archdiocese

St Bernadette’s, Glendalough

SBG showing of John XXIII: The Pope of Peace (2008) - SBG youth will host a movie night where all parishioners and young people are invited to watch this feature film portraying Blessed Pope John XXIII. Hot chocolate and garlic bread from 6.30pm. All welcome. The movie lasts 200 minutes. There may be an intermission and a Rosary to follow.  Enq: st.bernadettesyouth@gmail.com.

Organisational Development on a part-time basis.

As the Director of Mission and Organisational Development, you will draw from your extensive experience to promote effective leadership and mission structure that develops the culture, philosophy, values and practices within the Hospital.

As a member of the Mercy Hospital Senior Management Team, you will participate in the planning and development of services and programs, and the preparation and implementation of policy. You will contribute towards:

• Ensuring that the Hospital fulfils its obligations as a Catholic Church agency and leads the Executive and Staff to own and demonstrate its Catholic identity;

• Influencing organisational culture to reflect MercyCare’s mission and values;

• Achieving organisational objectives;

• Ensuring that work practices and systems are reflective of our organisational culture.

More Information and to Apply

For further information about this role please contact Garry England, Chief Executive, on (08) 9370 9294. A detailed position description, which includes the selection criteria, can be found at our website at www.mercycare.com.au.

Catholic Youth Ministry Sunday Session - Mass at 6pm followed by a talk by Joanna Lawson on Don’t Show Me the Money at 7.15. The talk will cover different types of poverty, of material goods and of spirit. Joanna will draw upon her firsthand experiences working for Catholic Mission and in India as well as Pope Benedict XVI’s Encyclical Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth). Attendees are invited to bring a blanket to support the St Vincent de Paul Society and a donation for supper.

When: 18 July at St Jerome’s Parish, 36 Troode St, Munster. Mass is at 6pm, and will be followed by the Session at 7.15.

Whitford Parish

WYD One Year to Go Ball - Whitford young adults are hosting a ball to bring young people together one year out from World Youth Day in Madrid 2011. Forty young people from Whitford’s parish are registered for WYD and will be at the ball but everyone interested in WYD and gearing up for it is welcome to come. Live DJ, Cocktail/Formal Dress for young adults 18 and up. No BYO but licensed bar available. Tickets are $80 and include the five-course meal. To book a ticket call Caitlyn: 0432 948 712 or Nicole on 0411 542 619 or email wyd1yr2goball@gmail. com.

When: 6 August, 7pm til midnight at Hillarys Yacht Club in the Harbour View Room.

Send your parish events for At a Glance to baspinks@therecord.com.au

A message from The Record

Got a story? Send Parish stories to: parishes@therecord.com.au

School stories schools@therecord.com.au

Parish photos (hi-resolution) parishes@therecord.com.au

School photos (hi-resolution) schools@therecord.com.au

All other stories from parishes parishes@therecord.com.au

All other photos from schools schools@therecord.com.au

Alternatively...

Please send applications to Human Resources Department, Thirlmere Rd, Mount Lawley WA 6050 or by email at hrhospital@mercycare.com.au.

Applications should include a copy of your current curriculum vitae (CV) and statements addressing each of the key selection criteria as listed on the position description.

Applications close Friday 25th July 2010. adcorp F44118

Send Parish stories and photos to: parishes@therecord.com.au OR

Send School stories and photos to: schools@therecord.com.au

Crowds flock to Fr Rea healing Mass, events

A Healing Mass, with Fr John Rea SM, attracted a near capacity crowd at St Mary’s Cathedral on 1 July.

Fr Rea, a New Zealand priest, was in Perth at the invitation of Disciples of Jesus Community and the Hilton Parish Prayer Group, and followed a number of ministry events on the East Coast and internationally.

During this most recent visit to Australia, Fr John has been advised of over 48 healings that have been connected to his healing ministry.

One young family man gave testimony at the Cathedral to the medically unexplainable disappearance of a tumour following prayer from Father John.

Other testimonies of miraculous healings from cancer, tumours,

New Norcia Abbot to speak to men

Abbot John Herbert of New Norcia will speak at a buffet breakfast for men at St Patrick’s Basilica in Fremantle in August.

Abbot Herbert OSB will attend the breakfast together with special guest Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton of Perth on 28 August.

The breakfast will be held in the Parish Centre; tickets are $20 inclusive and can be arranged Mon-Fri (10am-3pm) by calling the parish office on 9335 2268.

Those wishing to attend will need to be present by 7am for a 7.30 start.

Notre Dame staff recognised

The Australian Learning and Teaching Council has awarded three Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

seemingly hopeless, incurable physical disabilities, addictions, and emotional and spiritual disorders, have been recorded.

Fr John’s Healing Ministry has featured in several TV programmes including A Current Affair

In Perth, Fr Rea ran a parish Mission in Hilton, a weekend in Pemberton with the Holy Spirit of Freedom Community and a series of events with Disciples of Jesus.

These included a ‘Touched by God’ Conference, Eucharistic seminars and specific events for youth, women, men, and married couples, and the Cathedral Healing Mass.

Fr Rea’s reputation as a remarkable healer and preacher meant all events were well attended throughout his visit to Perth.

to academics from the University of Notre Dame Australia.

Established in 2004 by the Australian Government, ALTC is an independent organisation dedicated to improving the student learning experience by supporting quality teaching and practice.

The successful Notre Dame recipients were Professor Richard Berlach (School of Education, Fremantle), Dr Angeline O’Neill (School of Arts and Sciences, Fremantle) and Ms Claire Kaylock, (School of Law, Fremantle).

Professor Berlach’s citation is for sustained commitment to facilitating learning through the development of research culture within the Fremantle Campus’ School of Education.

Dr O’Neill’s citation is for motivating and inspiring students through the creation and outstanding teaching of an innovative, sustained programme in English Literature.

Ms Kaylock’s citation is for using active student-centred approaches to promote student engagement within a constructivist model of legal learning.

During appearances at venues, Father Rea urges those he has prayed with to go into the assembled prayer groups for more prayer, so that he is not seen to be the sole vehicle for their healings.

Regardless of religious background, Father Rea’s healing ministry deeply touched those who witnessed, heard and experienced this humble priest.

Because of his international commitments, Father Rea will not be back in Perth until late next year.

In the meantime, many of the healings that have flowed through his ministry are detailed in his book Witness to Wonders which is available from Disciples of Jesus on (08) 9202 6868, and makes for exciting reading.

I’m John Hughes, WA’s most trusted car dealer

Is it true our company philosophy is “We are a friendly and efficient company trading with integrity and determined to give our customers the very best of service?”

Is it true I regularly publish testimonial letters from satisfied customers because of my tremendous reputation for outstanding service?

Is it true that most of my sales are not from direct advertising, but from personal recommendation, repeat business and reputation?.

Is it true I believe that before anyone buys a pre-owned vehicle they should choose their dealer before they choose their car and that dealer should be me?

Is it true that in 2008 I was Australia’s top selling Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Kia dealer?.

Is it true that Park Ford have just been awarded dealer of the year?

Is it true that from January to December 2008 we sold 16,881 vehicles, which was an all-time record?.

Priest turns entrepreneur for WYD

Continued from Page 1 had to source extra tables and chairs from Morley parish.

Fr Roy got what he prayed for, with Catholics from around the south west donating food so that everyone had their fill; and, like Jesus’ miracle, there were many more basketfuls left over, which Fr Roy promptly sold off in take-away containers for $5 each.

Lamb was donated by people from Katanning, pork from Narrogin pig farmers, fruit and vegetables from the Spud Shed, chicken from Mount Barker and eggs from Kwinana – from which the women from St Vincent’s Parish in Parmelia cooked and served it up. Serving everyone took over an hour; then the desserts came out – several tables full of cakes and other sweets that again filled everyone who still had room left after the main meal.

Several groups of musicians donated their time throughout the night, including one from Emmanuel College called Central Park Sunday. A $1,000 cheque from the night’s proceedings was also presented to students from the college whose friend had become a paraplegic two months ago from an accident playing with friends.

Past Newman College students Clarissa Buhagiar, 19, her boyfriend John Ryan and current student Claudia Giovannini, 17, who organised the liaison with Fr Roy, thanked all those who attended to help raise the money for Clarissa’s brother Samuel, who had the accident. Those who attended the night included practising and non-practising Catholics and nonCatholics. Word had spread like wildfire.

Clockwise from above: People who attended the fundraiser for youth to attend World Youth Day Madrid reach for balloons; the lead singer of a rock band from Newman College belts out tunes; children listen as Fr Roy Perera presents cheques to selected recipients; Clarissa Buhagiar thanks the 600-odd people who attended the fundraiser, which also gave $1,000 to help her brother Samuel, who is now a paraplegic after an accident while playing with friends recently.

Jubilee Academic Bursary

Due to the generosity of an Old Boy who was supported by a Bursary (Class of ‘72), Trinity College in conjunction with the Trinity College Old Boys’ Association are delighted to offer a Jubilee Academic Bursary. This Bursary is available to boys entering Year 11 in 2011 who have not had the opportunity to attended Trinity College due to financial constraints. Application forms are available from the Registrar on 9223 8121 or spencer.petra@trinity.wa.edu.au

Submissions close Friday, 3 September 2010. www.trinity.wa.edu.au

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Faithful flock for life, freedom, truth

The Archdiocesan Respect Life Office has launched its 2010 Embrace the Grace youth conference theme, Life, Freedom, Truth to further Perth youth’s formation and linking Catholic thinking to everyday life.

The theme is based on the quote “There is no true freedom where life is not welcomed and loved and there is no fullness of life except in freedom” from Pope John Paul II’s Evangelium Vitae (“The Gospel of Life”).

As in every year the conference has been held, participants are given a t-shirt with the thematic quote printed on the back. Participants are broken up into groups named after a specific saint about whom they learn more and also how to adapt the saint’s charism to their everyday life.

It was launched at a “Little Italy” themed fundraiser at Balcatta parish hall on 10 July which raised $2,100 with 120 people from across the Archdiocese – young and old –attending.

“The quote is versatile for all people in their different stages of their faith journey. It questions why our Catholic faith is the one true Church, and searches for answers,” Hanna Lyra from the Respect Life Office told The Record

It is relevant to our Australian culture and societal views, she said, due to the recent happenings in our political leadership, the recent introduction of legislation regarding life issue matters including euthanasia in WA and Tasmania and issues surrounding abortion in Brisbane.

The Respect Life Office also hopes the theme will refocus today’s youth back to Australia’s Catholic/Christian roots and will address why, today, Australia is lacking in the faith. Though 64 per cent of Australians called themselves Christian in the 2006 Census, Catholicism was the only Christian denomination to experience a rise.

Embrace the Grace is a five-day annual conference held at New Norcia for seven years with up to 150 participants between the ages of 16 and 35, targeting especially upper high school students.

The conference brings local and national guest speakers on life issues in today’s culture centred around femininity and masculinity, Catholic catechesis, with Mass and prayer opportunities, a “mini-Olympics”, a social dance and other initiatives to provide a holistic formation of young people.

Archbishop Barry Hickey founded the Respect Life Office in 2003 with Clare Pike - now Sister Bernadette, Mother Superior of the new Religious association Missionaries of the Gospel based at Willagee – as its founding director.

The Respect Life Office was founded to respect and promote the dignity of human life from conception until natural death, as per John Paul II’s Evangelium Vitae, released in 1995, and is a public relations organisation providing information and resources, networking and liaison between Catholic agencies and with the secular world.

The 2010 theme for Embrace the Grace

will also focus on related themes from Evangelium Vitae to help form youth, including: “The formation of conscience is the recovery of the necessary link between freedom and truth”.

Also, “When freedom is detached from objective truth it becomes impossible to establish personal rights on a firm rational basis; and the ground is laid for society to be at the mercy of the unrestrained will of individuals or the oppressive totalitarianism of public authority.”

Both these quotes are from Evangelium Vitae, which John Paul II issued to clarify the Church’s teaching on the value and inviolability of human life.

The Respect Life Office, which hosts Embrace the Grace, was able to make a profit for the conference due to Giovanni’s Kitchen, whose owner John came in on his holiday to spend days cooking for it; Balcatta Growers Fresh and Ma’s Family Bakery.

Several other sponsors and donators also ensured a profit for the successful hosting of the youth conference. Organisers were impressed and stunned by the large number of people of goodwill who stayed back to undertake the considerable task of cleaning up the parish hall.

“We had an overwhelming response of people wanting to contribute to the night, whether it be a donation or volunteering their time to help make the fundraiser a success,” Miss Lyra said.

“Whenever you do work for God and you place your absolute trust in Him, He will always look after you no matter what.”

Organisers were also impressed with the “amount of dedicated youth who came on the night”.

The Respect Life Office has changed its location from its founding office in Morley to 39 Jugan Street, Mt Hawthorn. Its new phone number is 9444 5320.

Perth puts migrant plan into action

A TEAM has been formed to educate and encourage parishes and schools to welcome and integrate migrants into their communities.

The Perth Archdiocesan Episcopal Vicar for Migration, Fr Blasco Fonseca and seven others representing the migrant chaplains, the main bodies involved in migrant/refugee pastoral care and research on issues of migrant/ refugee pastoral care, prepared a document presented to an October 2009 conference in Sydney hosted by the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office. The conference, called Graced by migration, discussed issues of pastoral care of migrants and refugees throughout the Church in Australia.

The conference recommended a National Pastoral Plan for migrants, and that dioceses prepare their own plan for the pasto-

ral care of migrants. Every Sunday throughout Australia it is estimated that Mass is celebrated in 35 different languages, according to Robert Dixon’s The Catholics in Australia (Australian Government Publications, 1996).

The Australian Catholic Bishops Council’s Pastoral Projects Office has calculated from the 2006 Census that among the Catholic population of the Archdiocese of Perth the five birthplaces with the highest proportion of recent arrivals are South Korea, other Middle Eastern and North African countries, North America, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Many of Perth’s recent Catholic arrivals also include Burmese and people from sub-Saharan Africa. The Archdiocese’s priesthood also reflects this ethnic and linguistic diversity.

“However, there is still much that needs to be done in order to welcome, integrate and uti-

lise skills and attributes of especially the more recently arrived migrants and refugees with which the Church and WA have been blessed,” Dr Woodward said.

Perth’s paper presented at the conference came up with two broad priorities - education of Catholics about hospitality and the needs of migrants and refugees, and action to encourage parishes and schools to be more involved in activities of welcome to migrants, refugees and other strangers within their parish and district.

Following a discussion between Fr Fonseca and Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey, a Migrant/Refugee Pastoral Care Team was formed which first met in February. It consists of Fr Fonseca, Sr Margaret Culhane, Christian Brother Jeff Seaman, who runs a St Vincent de Paul programme for the settlement of refugees, Dr Judith Woodard, former lecturer in history who just completed a doctoral thesis

on the pastoral care of migrants in Australia, Christine Freby Sidi and Gaston Kurubone.

After sending parishes a questionnaire, the Team has built up a profile of the demographic composition of each parish, gauging what activities the parishes are already undertaking in regards to “the stranger within its midst”.

Priorities of a pastoral plan for the Archdiocese – especially in relation to Migrant and Refugee Sunday in August - will be discussed by 15 representatives from various parishes at a 10 July meeting at the Catholic Education Office in Leederville.

The Team carried out part of the education part of its strategic plan in May-June with a series of Wednesday evening presentations by Dr Woodward on “The Stranger In Our Midst – the Church’s Outreach to Migrants and Refugees” at the Maranatha Centre of Adult Formation in Doubleview.

Dr Woodward said the response to this was so encouraging it is anticipated that the topic will be presented again at Maranatha next year during the day. The course, which covers hospitality in relation to migrants and refugees could also be presented in particular parishes should this be desired.

Fr Fonseca has also been working with several migrant chaplains, especially those engaged in pastoral care to foreign students at Perth’s tertiary institutions. Deacon Greg Lowe, manager of the Intensive English Centre at Aranmore College, which is understood to be the only college that has such a centre – has also been working with Fr Fonseca to prepare chaplaincies in tertiary institutions for Migrant and Refugee Sunday. For more information, contact Fr Fonseca on 08 9438 3704 or email blasco@perthcatholic.org.au. Dr Woodward can be contacted on woodward@it.net.au.

‘New Evangelisation’ takes new twist as Catholic Radio launches

History made as Catholic radio station launches online

A GROUP of young Sydney Catholics have heeded the call of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI to found an innovative new online radio service, cradio.org.au.

The online radio station, which aims to ‘nourish the soul of the digital generation,’ was launched on 17 July at Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral.

The station features daily news and current affairs, prayer and spirituality podcasts, recorded lectures and talks, a youth show and a question and answer programme with Sydney Auxiliary Bishop Julian Porteous, whose brainchild the initiative is. More shows will become available as the station expands.

After the launch, listeners can tune in to a livestream on the web, podcast via iTunes and as of August, an iPod application.

Bishop Porteous, Vicar for Evangelisation and Renewal in the Archdiocese of Sydney, sees Cradio as a “valuable tool” in supporting and inspiring Catholics of the digital generation.

“Since World Youth Day, many young people have been renewed in their Catholic identity and want to learn more about their faith and find ways to live it out more effectively,” he said. “Cradio offers an excellent background support to youth activities and can be particularly helpful to young people in rural dioceses who do not have the events and activities that the larger metropolitan dioceses can provide.”

Within two days during the week leading up to the launch, over 100 people joined a facebook group in anticipation.

Adrian Middeldorp, the station’s

manager, said the new website is a sign of the times.

“New technologies like this one offer very unique opportunities to reach out to the digital generation,” he said. “We know that people are after accessible, high-quality media to help them stay informed and grow as individuals.”

The daily current affairs show, The Rush Hour, will be presented by Jason Rushton, who said: “I’m thrilled to be able to produce journalism in a station that truly respects human dignity. Not only will we be reporting the truth about events in the world, we’ll be doing that in light of the full truth of the human person - that’s awesome, and I think there’s a huge demand for that.”

Natalie Ambrose will anchor a show for young women and says the station is a “brilliant idea”.

“It fills a big void in Australia for Catholics - and especially young Catholics - who are not really involved in their faith but want to know more,” she said.

While the station is based in Sydney. it aims to have a national focus and an international audience.

Other launches will be hosted in other cities around Australia in coming months.

Family movement wages war on secularism

A NEW movement in the Church focused on renewing and strengthening Christian family life is waging a spiritual battle against the secular forces attacking marriage and family – which the Church has long taught are the cornerstones of society.

Couples For Christ, started in 1981 in Manila, is a family-based ministry that is growing exponentially by getting back to the basics of Christianity. Ultimately, it aims to raise up from Catholic families more priestly and Religious vocations.

It is focused not on converting non-Catholic Christians to the Church or even non-Christians, but evangelising Catholics who have either stopped practising their faith or need their faith strengthened – and they do it through the medium that the Church has long taught must be the primary educator of children: the family.

Reaching those outside parishes has proved a conundrum for Bishops, priests and lay people alike.

Like many Catholic ministries before it, CFC’s method came about through trial and error.

“We certainly know what doesn’t work,” jokes John McMahon, CFC’s Adelaide-based mission director –or “chief evangeliser”.

“The focus, therefore, must be put back to how it was in the beginning – people relating to each other, eating together and celebrating the Eucharist. That’s what caused the Church to escalate exponentially, as they were able to have a loving relationship in a hostile world,” John said.

“We have a hostile world now, and if we can create an environment where loving relationships can be experienced, then we believe the faith will come to life.”

The gravity of the difficulty of such a task was highlighted for John recently when an enthusiastic new priest in Bulleen in Melbourne’s north-eastern suburbs welcomed CFC into his parish and personally visited over 60 local Catholic households, inviting them to a parish retreat. None came.

This shows that “there is a hardness of heart; therefore, this is a

spiritual battle that cannot be won by human efforts alone: prayer and fasting is also required,” and the power of the Holy Spirit, John said.

“This is the greatest area of difficulty we’re encountering,” he said. “Going into parishes and running parish retreats is not that hard.

“You can have people come as they want to experience transformation or learn more about their faith, but the people who are first and second-generation non-practising Catholics, it is very, very difficult to get them interested.”

Catholic education would theoretically be a treasure-trove for the ministry to mine, but experience has shown that after 12 years of Catholic education, up to 97 per cent are non-practising Catholics, which John says is “an indictment, really, on our Catholic education system”.

He admits, however, that most parents of children in Catholic schools handball the responsibility for passing on the faith to their children onto their grandparents, “who are the ones praying for the kids and who are looking for solutions to the problems”.

CFC’s battle started in 1981 in Manila, when a local Christian community tried a new approach to evangelise married couples by bringing together a small group of prospective couples in a private

home. There, they were brought to a living relationship with Jesus Christ and to renewal in the power of the Holy Spirit through a series of weekly informal discussions of the Gospel in a social environment. A Christian family life renewal programme was developed from this and made available to parishes and groups of married couples who wished to live out their Christian life in an active, supportive relationship with one another.

It spread to Australia in 1988 and on 9-11 June, Trinity College hosted CFC’s 12th Australia Pacific Mission Conference with participants from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Fiji, Vietnam, South America and the Philippines.

Both Archbishop Barry Hickey and his Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton celebrated the closing and opening Masses of the conferences respectively, which Archbishop Hickey said highlighted how critical the prelates believe the ministry is.

In Australia, CFC is present in Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Townsville and Melbourne, and with established programmes running in Perth parishes Bentley, Kwinana, Queens Park, Mundaring and Nedlands. CFC will spread again with another parish retreat planned for Geraldton in August.

Hickey calls for urgent task to renew marriage

Continued from Page 1

This trend is even more alarming, he said, as this mentality affects society’s youth, while children are considered a burden rather than a gift. The mission of Couples for Christ, therefore – which he said impressed him greatly - is critical in proclaiming that marriage is more than a contract, but that it is holy, it is for life, it is open to life, it is about love, and that it has Christ at its centre.

To foster this central notion of Christian life, the Archbishop urged the over 350 participants at the conference from around the Asia Pacific region to teach Moses’ commandment - to love God with all one’s mind, soul and strength, and to love others as themselves - to their children and to recite it daily.

“Let us take Scripture literally: we must teach our own children that we are to love God with all our mind, soul and strength, whatever age they are, because if God isn’t put first in our lives then we go down the wrong path in life,’ he said.

He said it is critical that Catholics witness this commandment everywhere – in the office, social or sporting environments, to act it out and speak about it, and to promote in parishes this “Good News” about love, marriage and children.

Citing a statistic he recently discovered that there are more children being taken from their parent (parents are often single these days) than ever before; the Archbishop said that children suffer because of this. “Foster parents do the best they can, but they can’t always make up for the hurt done by what happened to their original parents, which was beyond their control,” he said.

He also encouraged the participants to help those preparing for marriage, to help them realise it is not just about marriage but living a Christian ideal, “so they can be generous and love their spouses as Christ loves us”.

He also stressed the importance of ministering to and loving divorcees, as “we don’t know the circumstances of their lives”.

CFC’s Perth area head Tony Haber said Geraldton Bishop Justin Bianchini, like Archbishop Hickey, recognises the need to address the “serious breakdown in marriage and family life.”

CFC has a holistic approach with programmes for primary school, high school, married couples and singles, be they never married, divorced or widowed.

Though Couples for Christ is the banner ministry, other demographics are covered with Singles for Christ, Youth for Christ, Kids for Christ, Handmaid of the Lord and Servant of the Lord.

“We’re trying to put at the disposal of the Church the resources of people who are really committed to spreading the Catholic Faith, and we will go wherever the door is open,” John said. “It’s not so much about targeting certain areas; it’s more responding to opportunities that open up to us.”

A major area of concern for Bishops around Australia is rural areas where a solo priest often services a number of parishes hundreds of kilometres apart and can therefore only celebrate Mass once a month in some places.

A recent case is Kangaroo Island off South Australia’s coast which only has a Mass on the third Sunday of every month, so CFC runs a programme on the weekends they have Communion services.

For country and city parishes, therefore, CFC’s aims are four-fold:

●To bring renewal to the parish

● To bring non-practising Catholics back to full communion with the parish,

●To establish a unit of Couples for Christ to roll out its programmes in parishes after ‘service teams’ have moved on, and

●To create an environment to bring numbers of priestly and Religious vocations back up in the Church.

CFC’s ministry is driven mainly but not exclusively by Filippinos, which is handy, John says, as, due to the nomadic nature of Filipinos, once you’ve got them they go wherever the opportunities are, that’s how this movement has spread, with migration”.

It is a Charismatic ministry –a particularly enthusiastic way of worship that may not suit all, but

ATTENTION!

He urged the conference participants to thank God for giving them the understanding of Christian love and marriage.

This knowledge comes with an obligation to live the faith, he said.

The Gospel of the day – Christ’s Good Samaritan parable – speaks profoundly of the fact that religion must not, like the Levite and priests or the story, be so steeped in laws that it is removed from reality. This religion, he said, missed the fact that worship of God needs to be made personal by being applied to daily life. “Our religion must be centred on Jesus so it changes us,” he said. “With Him, we must offer what we have to those in need.”

The proclamation of Couples for Christ’s ministry, he said, is the same as what Christ preached in the Synagogue, that the lame walk, the blind see – “the Good News that is personal to us, so that our spiritual blindness may be cured too”. This proclamation imposes the obligation and privilege on Catholics to serve others who are disabled both spiritually and physically,” he said.

experience has shown that parishioners are happy to participate for the benefits it brings to their faith and family life.

When CFC starts in a parish it does so with a parish retreat which focuses on basic Christian truths like: God is love, who is Jesus Christ, what it means to be a Christian and repentance and faith.

It also focuses on living an authentic Christian life – loving God and neighbour and living as a Christian family; with a final focus on “growing in the Spirit”, as it is this which gives the Church the drive to evangelise.

At the retreat, there is a special session to pray for people to have a further empowerment of their baptismal graces in the Holy Spirit. There is a talk about growing in the Spirit through prayer, service and the Sacraments; and finally, people are invited to join the work.

“It’s a matter of experiencing God’s love and being transformed by that,” John said, which he said is summed up in the Scriptural quote, ‘God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, that we may have life and have it to the full’.

Knowledge of the faith without acting on it is worthless, he said, which is why “every Christian on the face of the earth has the baptismal call to proclaim the Good News by their words and actions”.

“For our community, we believe the Lord in 2010 is calling us to do that corporately, because as individuals we can’t do it; but collectively when we’re all committed to the same thing we can do great things,” he said.

“It requires everyone in our community to respond to that call to bring new life into the Church today.”

This involves figuring out innovative ways of getting the message to lapsed Catholics, especially the central message that harks back to the time of the Apostles – “that the Mass is meant to be a celebration of our faith, but so few people even have opportunities to relate to other Christians, let alone worship with them in a celebratory way”, John said.

“So if you don’t have relationships, then there’s not much purpose in going to Mass and celebrating the Eucharist.”

Clergy, Chaplains, Lay Pastoral Ministers, Pastoral Workers and Associates, Parish Secretaries, Carers, Support Group Workers and Volunteers

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10th February – 31st March, Eight consecutive Wednesday (9.30am -12noon)

Term two: WORKING WITH THE BEREAVED

12th May – 30th June, Eight consecutive Wednesdays (9.30am – 12 noon)

Term three: GOOD COMMUNICATION IN PASTORAL CARE

28th July -15th September, Eight consecutive Wednesdays (9.30am – 12 noon)

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13th October – 1st December, Eight consecutive Wednesday (9.30am- 12 noon)

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A treasure Catholics need to rediscover

They have often been called the great undiscovered treasures of the Church and in a completely real sense they are. ‘They’ are the great papal social encyclicals and related documents such as apostolic letters that set out the Church’s social vision, by which is meant a vision of how society and the world could be if these were truly based upon principles of justice, truth, fairness and concern for the human person as a person.

Next year, 2011, will be the 120th anniversary of that remarkable document penned by Pope Leo XIII known as Rerum Novarum Addressed as an open letter to all the Bishops on the conditions of the working classes and entitled Rights and Duties of Capital and Labour, it discussed the relationship and respective obligations of workers and employers, governments and citizens. It backed the rights of workers to form unions, rejected communism and unrestricted capitalism and affirmed the right to private property.

It was followed by Pius XI’s Quadragesimo Anno in 1931, John XXIII’s Mater et Magistra in 1961, and John Paul II’s Centesimus Annus in 1991, demonstrating not an obliviousness to, but a constant awareness of the social and employment problems and needs of modern men and women everywhere. Among those whom this corpus of Church social teaching affected profoundly were influential thinkers such as GK Chesterton and his friend and colleague Hilaire Belloc, whose own readings of Rerum Novarum were to be so profoundly echoed in their own writings, and about whom a truly remarkable constellation of artists, economists, politicians, writers, philosophers and thinkers were to eventually come to orbit.

Adelaide Terrace PERTH WA 6832

cathrec@iinet.net.au

Tel: (08) 9220 5990

Fax: (08) 9325 4580

But is it all just an irrelevancy, a hopeless utopian ideal impossible to put into practice? No. Here, in Australia, former Whitlam Government MP Race Matthews has written extensively on the translation of the Church’s social and economic principles to be found in documents such as Rerum Novarum into the remarkable modern successes of the Mondragon Co-operative movement in Spain and similar other experiments around the world.

It is in reading the social teachings of the Church that one begins to appreciate a surprising fact, and to experience it almost as an epiphany: that in an era when so many write the Church off as irrelevant by virtue of its (obviously) extremely conservative stance on almost everything, it is actually the most radical thing around. The Church is radical in its social vision precisely because it sees the person as a person and not as a unit. It is this fundamental fact which leads it to disagree and embrace a counter-cultural position on so many issues. But whereas most will be basically familiar with the Church’s position on the sanctity of life, most (and especially Catholics) will have little or no familiarity with its inspiring vision of work and society and the relationship we often call employment, and therefore little or no appreciation of the profound and far-reaching implications these have.

It is a tragedy today that the social teaching of the Church, which has never been described as utopian, is almost completely unknown among Catholics. It seems to be on the curriculum in no Catholic school. No students and, one suspects, probably no teachers in Catholic schools have even heard the titles of some of the most remarkable documents ever to be produced in the last 150 years on issues which fundamentally affect our society. The same goes for the average Catholic. We are standing on top of a treasure which could transform our lives.

Maranatha Centre for Adult Faith Formation

Pluscarden Abbey

Congratulations on the lovely article on Pluscarden Abby by Paul Maughan, Vista section of The Record, 9 June.

It brought back memories to me of the beautiful area where it is.

I was born about 50km from there in Buckie on the Moray coast.

My husband, on seeing the photograph, commented that the roof was finished, as the last time we visited it had no roof.

Also, I enjoy doing the crosswords.

Catherine Cheffings Manjimup

Two speakers, different results

There were two excellent Catholic speakers in Perth within the last fortnight.

One was Immaculee from Rwanda, and the other was Steve Ray from

in brief

Jesus: volume 2 finished

VATICAN CITY — In May, Pope Benedict finished writing the second volume of his work, Jesus of Nazareth, and the text went to a Vatican translating team.

The first volume of Jesus of Nazareth was published in 2007.

The translators are being careful. So careful, in fact, that the book isn’t expected to be published before Lent of 2011, according to Vatican sources I spoke with this week.

It seems the first volume of Jesus of Nazareth has some discrepancies in the various language versions. To make sure

Maranatha has moved to a new Centre at 33 Williamstown Rd, DOUBLEVIEW

Maranatha offers courses for adults wishing to deepen their knowledge and understanding of their Catholic Faith and the living of it.

Courses for Term Three, 2010 begin on Tuesday, 27 July.

Morning (9.30am to12.00pm) and/or afternoon (1.00pm to 3.30pm) daytime courses (run for 8 weeks and cost $50) are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays and a morning course on Fridays.

Evening (7.00pm to 9.00pm) courses (run for 6 weeks and cost $35) are offered on Mondays and Wednesdays.

For more information, brochures are available at the Church entrance or contact Maranatha

Ph : (08) 9241 5221, Fax :(08) 9241 5225

Email: maranatha@ceo.wa.edu.au

the US. Their talks were about a week apart, and both were free.

Both had huge halls, seating hundreds, to speak in; one in Fremantle, and the other in Mount Claremont.

Immaculee’s audience was bursting out the doors. Steve Ray’s audience barely numbered 30 people.

I don’t know what went wrong, but I was so ashamed.

Fr Ruiz reporting...

Ihave good news; I went to China, and came back from China. What a wonderful experience. We flew from Macau to Nan-King, and after nearly three hours arrived to the leprosarium of Mingguang, under the care of four Sisters from Argentina.

The Sisters’ house, outside the leprosarium, is a new and beautiful house, with ground floor for us. We said the Mass in English for the Sisters who were very happy. After supper, I said the breviary, night prayers and went to bed as I was very tired.

On the second day I celebrated the Mass, prayers, then breakfast and we went to visit the leprosarium. The patients were very, very happy to see me after such a long time, as well as myself. They were well dressed. I greeted every one of them in their house. I was very happy to see them so happy. I talked with every one of them who were healthier than last time. Along with the Sisters, I visited

that doesn’t happen this time, the translators are doing a lot of cross-checking.

The Vatican wants the book to be released simultaneously in major languages. Lent would be an appropriate time to launch Volume 2, which treats Christ’s Passion and the Resurrection. The first volume of the work, which ran more than 400 pages, was published in the spring of 2007 and covered Jesus’ life from his Baptism to his transfiguration.

Meanwhile, it’s rumored in the Vatican that Pope Benedict is already making plans for a third volume on the life of Jesus, this one focusing on his infancy and childhood years. He’ll have time to work on it at his summer villa in Castel Gandolfo.

every corner of the house. Every place was very clean and they welcomed us with smiles and showed us their clean rooms.

In the afternoon, after my nap, all of them were sitting on the floor waiting for us. I greeted every one of them and gave them our gifts brought from Macau. All of them were very happy to receive a bottle of oil and a packet of spaghetti. We talked and sang for quite a long time until their suppertime. All were very happy.

The actual house is good for 46 lepers but they prepare new houses for the people who are to come, 90 of them. And the four Sisters are not sufficient to care for all. So we are asking for another two Sisters to help the four Sisters actually working there. The houses are already finished, quite beautiful. One year later the new lepers will come and we need more people to help them. The Argentinean Sisters are preparing themselves.

Next day we went to visit another leprosarium which was 4km from Tung Lim. It was renewed, but no Sisters. Then we went back to Mingguang, and I was very tired after many hours in the car.

The following day we went back to Nan-King and flew back to Macau where we arrived at 6pm. It was a great consolation for me.

We are deeply grateful for your kind help which enables us to continue our Lord’s work. You are daily present in our Masses and prayers. May God bless you abundantly and grant you and your dear ones a few days of good and peaceful rest in His company.

Children at War

Record contributor FR SEAN FERNANDEZ continues his reflection on the disturbing phenomenon of anti-Semitism

In this article, I am not setting out to be prosecutor and judge; questions of guilt, I leave to others. I hope it will be clear that I find anti-Semitism abhorrent. And if you read Church teaching since the Second Vatican Council you will find a significant shift in its treatment of the relationship between Christianity and Judaism. Anti-Judaism is not an acceptable position. This has been illustrated clearly in the statements of various European Bishops’ conferences on the position of the followers of Lefebvre; they will not be accepted back into full communion with the Catholic Church until they accept all the teachings of Vatican II including conciliar teaching on the Jewish people.

Anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism

I mentioned anti-Judaism and antiSemitism. Anti-Judaism may give rise to anti-Semitism, but the former is not identical with the latter. John Gager’s differentiation between the two is influential. Anti-Judaism encompasses certain Christian ‘religious and theological’ differences from Judaism. Anti-Semitism, on the other hand, historically designates ‘hostile statements about Jews and Judaism. Such statements show certain basic similarities to what we call anti-Semitism today. They are expressed by complete outsiders, betray very little knowledge of Jews or Judaism, and tend to sweeping generalisations’ (Origins of antiSemitism).

Difficulties and Complexities

Much of the historical ground of this

Unearthing Treasure

topic is contested. The documentary evidence, where it exists, does not lend itself to easy interpretation. How did the populace receive anti-Judaic diatribes? Were royal and episcopal decrees aimed at Jews implemented? Was there a degree of convivencia not just in the Iberian Peninsula (contemporary Spain and Portugal), but also in Western Europe? To what degree was the invective directed against Jews extraordinary? For every David Nirenberg (Communities of Violence) or Robert Moore (The Formation of a Persecuting Society) who writes of a persecuting society, one has a Cary Nederman or John Laursen (Beyond the Persecuting Society) who writes of the threads of tolerance in Mediaeval Europe. What is the amateur historian to make of the claims and counter-claims? I suppose I am leaving myself open to the accusation that I am choosing the interpretation which suits me; I hope I have drawn on solid and contemporary scholarship.

You will be appalled by the vitriol which was thrown at Jews, but I would point out that such opprobrium was not uniquely anti-Semitic or anti-Judaic. Anna Sapir Abulafia writes of Jewish invective against

Christians, invective which goes back to the fourth century: churches ‘were simply known as “houses of idolatry”; baptism as “[Christian] stench”’; and there was worse. Abulafia further points out that vilification of one’s opponents was quite common (Christians and Jews in the Twelfth Century Renaissance).

Of course, the peculiarities of history meant that Jewish communities were very vulnerable. Slander would at times give rise to mob violence and murder. Sometimes Christians would recognise the stories for the rubbish they were and ignore them. Frequently Bishops, princes and even the Popes would intervene to quash the rumours. These threads of tolerance only place in sharp relief the violence and dispossession to which Jewish communities were subject over the centuries.

We do not do justice to the courage and perseverance of the Jewish people by only seeing them as victims. They made homes and carved out a space for themselves in the midst of Christian communities. They made friends, sought patronage and navigated the politics of their time. When they were subjected to violence or expelled, they would wait for the opportunity to return to the homes they had made for themselves (Elukin, Living Together. Living Apart).

Jesus and the Infant Church

How did anti-Judaism arise? After all Jesus was a Jew. The first disciples were Jews. Jesus’ choice of the Twelve pointed to a renewal of the twelve tribes of Israel.

There were several crises in the rela-

tionship between Jesus’ disciples and the broader Jewish community. The failure of the Jewish people as a whole to accept Jesus as a Messiah frustrated the expectations and hopes of the disciples. It presented a challenge to the disciples’ preaching of the Gospel; why should anyone believe them when their own people did not? Another crisis was the problem of Gentile converts: if the ‘Christian’ movement was about a renewed Israel, did one have to be a Jew to be a member? We can read of some of these struggles in the New Testament. Some of the antipathy in the Gospels towards Pharisees reflects the struggles of the early Christians with Jewish teachers and authorities. An interesting point is made by Paula Fredriksen who points out that later Christians, who were distant from the Jewish context of the Scriptures, misinterpret them (The Birth of Christianity and the Origins of Christian Anti-Judaism); the early Christian movement was seen as a Jewish messianic one and so the arguments in the New Testament were written by Jews addressing their fellow Jews. The Christian polemic should be interpreted as reflecting intra-Jewish debates in other words. And it wasn’t just a debate between the disciples of Jesus and other Jews, but amongst the disciples themselves. We see something of the form the discussion took in the writings of St Paul. The great apostle’s argument sets out interpretation of the Scriptures (when Paul writes of the Scriptures he is referring to the Old Testament). For Paul the key to the Scriptures is Christ. And what of his co-religionists who reject his

Children at War

Record contributor FR SEAN FERNANDEZ continues his reflection on the disturbing phenomenon of anti-Semitism

In this article, I am not setting out to be prosecutor and judge; questions of guilt, I leave to others. I hope it will be clear that I find anti-Semitism abhorrent. And if you read Church teaching since the Second Vatican Council you will find a significant shift in its treatment of the relationship between Christianity and Judaism. Anti-Judaism is not an acceptable position. This has been illustrated clearly in the statements of various European Bishops’ conferences on the position of the followers of Lefebvre; they will not be accepted back into full communion with the Catholic Church until they accept all the teachings of Vatican II including conciliar teaching on the Jewish people.

Anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism

I mentioned anti-Judaism and antiSemitism. Anti-Judaism may give rise to anti-Semitism, but the former is not identical with the latter. John Gager’s differentiation between the two is influential. Anti-Judaism encompasses certain Christian ‘religious and theological’ differences from Judaism. Anti-Semitism, on the other hand, historically designates ‘hostile statements about Jews and Judaism. Such statements show certain basic similarities to what we call anti-Semitism today. They are expressed by complete outsiders, betray very little knowledge of Jews or Judaism, and tend to sweeping generalisations’ (Origins of antiSemitism).

Difficulties and Complexities

Much of the historical ground of this

Unearthing Treasure

topic is contested. The documentary evidence, where it exists, does not lend itself to easy interpretation. How did the populace receive anti-Judaic diatribes? Were royal and episcopal decrees aimed at Jews implemented? Was there a degree of convivencia not just in the Iberian Peninsula (contemporary Spain and Portugal), but also in Western Europe? To what degree was the invective directed against Jews extraordinary? For every David Nirenberg (Communities of Violence) or Robert Moore (The Formation of a Persecuting Society) who writes of a persecuting society, one has a Cary Nederman or John Laursen (Beyond the Persecuting Society) who writes of the threads of tolerance in Mediaeval Europe. What is the amateur historian to make of the claims and counter-claims? I suppose I am leaving myself open to the accusation that I am choosing the interpretation which suits me; I hope I have drawn on solid and contemporary scholarship.

You will be appalled by the vitriol which was thrown at Jews, but I would point out that such opprobrium was not uniquely anti-Semitic or anti-Judaic. Anna Sapir Abulafia writes of Jewish invective against

Christians, invective which goes back to the fourth century: churches ‘were simply known as “houses of idolatry”; baptism as “[Christian] stench”’; and there was worse. Abulafia further points out that vilification of one’s opponents was quite common (Christians and Jews in the Twelfth Century Renaissance).

Of course, the peculiarities of history meant that Jewish communities were very vulnerable. Slander would at times give rise to mob violence and murder. Sometimes Christians would recognise the stories for the rubbish they were and ignore them. Frequently Bishops, princes and even the Popes would intervene to quash the rumours. These threads of tolerance only place in sharp relief the violence and dispossession to which Jewish communities were subject over the centuries.

We do not do justice to the courage and perseverance of the Jewish people by only seeing them as victims. They made homes and carved out a space for themselves in the midst of Christian communities. They made friends, sought patronage and navigated the politics of their time. When they were subjected to violence or expelled, they would wait for the opportunity to return to the homes they had made for themselves (Elukin, Living Together. Living Apart).

Jesus and the Infant Church

How did anti-Judaism arise? After all Jesus was a Jew. The first disciples were Jews. Jesus’ choice of the Twelve pointed to a renewal of the twelve tribes of Israel.

There were several crises in the rela-

tionship between Jesus’ disciples and the broader Jewish community. The failure of the Jewish people as a whole to accept Jesus as a Messiah frustrated the expectations and hopes of the disciples. It presented a challenge to the disciples’ preaching of the Gospel; why should anyone believe them when their own people did not? Another crisis was the problem of Gentile converts: if the ‘Christian’ movement was about a renewed Israel, did one have to be a Jew to be a member? We can read of some of these struggles in the New Testament. Some of the antipathy in the Gospels towards Pharisees reflects the struggles of the early Christians with Jewish teachers and authorities. An interesting point is made by Paula Fredriksen who points out that later Christians, who were distant from the Jewish context of the Scriptures, misinterpret them (The Birth of Christianity and the Origins of Christian Anti-Judaism); the early Christian movement was seen as a Jewish messianic one and so the arguments in the New Testament were written by Jews addressing their fellow Jews. The Christian polemic should be interpreted as reflecting intra-Jewish debates in other words. And it wasn’t just a debate between the disciples of Jesus and other Jews, but amongst the disciples themselves. We see something of the form the discussion took in the writings of St Paul. The great apostle’s argument sets out interpretation of the Scriptures (when Paul writes of the Scriptures he is referring to the Old Testament). For Paul the key to the Scriptures is Christ. And what of his co-religionists who reject his

The Record’s founding Bishop Matthew Gibney invited them during the

St John of G o d Ho spital over the centuries ... St of God Hospital over the centuries...

The pioneerin

The Sisters of St John of God never really had a strategic plan to build an enterprise when they built their first hospital in WA at Subiaco out of wood.

The Sisters, considered the preeminent experts in the field of infectious diseases in the pre-antibiotic era, only ever responded to the needs of the times; and in a post-Federation WA hit by the potentially fatal typhoid fever in the chaos of the 1890s gold rush, they were desperately needed.

When eight Sisters arrived in 1895, responding to a request by Bishop Matthew Gibney and built their hospital at Subiaco due to the availability of fresh water and the proximity to the Subiaco train station, they were criticised as being “daft” for building such a thing “so far from the city”.

“There was great criticism of what was considered the daftness of the Sisters to put it so far out of the city, but it proved a wise choice,” said Sr Eugenia Brennan, Guardian of SJOG’s Heritage and History who helped set up the new Hospital Heritage Area in the main foyer of the Subiaco campus in June, which will be open forever.

Bishop Gibney’s gift of the land, paid off over about 10 years, was part of the Benedictine grant of land at Subiaco, known as Church Lands.

From the beginning when the Sisters’ congregation was founded in 1871 in Wexford, Ireland, the disci-

pline of health care was of knowing how to look after infectious diseases “which was the reason we were brought to Australia”, Sr Eugenia said.

Their arrival in 1895 was the beginning of the medical fraternity’s realisation that many diseases like typhoid were caused by an organism - a bacterium - and the Sisters were at the forefront of this knowledge.

Pope Paul VI’s comment that hospitals are called to humanise the place of human suffering is a guiding principle of St John of God Hospital, with the dignity of the human person the central principle,” Sr Eugenia said.

This is in line with the charism of St John of God himself.

In the first half of 16th century Spain, St John of God devoted a major part of his life to alleviating human suffering, to comforting and soothing the afflicted, sick and dying.

As the hospital’s website proclaims, he lived the teachings of Jesus Christ and, as a man who recognised the great injustice of those experiencing disadvantage, he was often heard encouraging others to: “Do good for yourselves by doing good for others.”

From Subiaco, the Sisters of St John of God went on to establish hospitals, pathology and social outreach services in Geraldton, Victoria and New South Wales in response to invitations from Bishops and local communities.

The Hospitaller Order of St John of God also came to Australia from Ireland in 1947 to care for people experiencing disadvantage,

and its Brothers be in NSW and Victor Christchurch, New Z initially on learning intellectual disability, atric care and child a services.

St John of God Hea broader organisation the wisdom and insp John of God Sisters a of St John of God Sisters of St Joseph of various Mercy Con Sisters of the Francisc of the Divine Mother the secular tradition of our ministry sour Catholic sector.

The arrival of the tal’s heritage exhibit reminder, Sr Eugenia history is being add All our todays beco past. Each one of making history - histo the future.”

The exhibition’s g over two decades ag held desire to “have tion of the hospital’s to everybody who co project only became the funds were made 2009-10 budget.

The Heritage Area a working party of CEO Dr Shane Kelly Mission Suzanne She er John Davies to dev “would create conve

Gold Rush. 110 years later, St John of God now celebrates the legacy of...

ng medical Sisters

egan ministries ria, and then in ealand, focusing difficulties and then on psychiand family social alth Care’s larger, of today reflects piration of the St and the Brothers along with the the Apparition; ngregations; the can Missionaries rhood; as well as s of those parts rced outside the Subiaco hospition is a timely a said, that “our ded to each day. ome tomorrow’s us is constantly ory for people of genesis is found go, from a longsome recognihistory available omes to it”. The e possible once e available in its a was steered by fcaregivers, the and Director of erry with designvelop an area that ersation around

who we are, where we have come from and the common thread that underpins everything we do,” a statement from the hospital said.

There are six themes in the Heritage Area symbolising Foundation, Philosophy, Change, Technology, Discipline and Inter-connectedness –to tell a story that “made some sense” among its long history, Sr Eugenia said. However, she insisted that, in doing so, “we didn’t want it to be laudatory of the Sisters or standout doctors”; it was “more to get the spirit of the hospital”.

Sr Eugenia’s concern was that the exhibition tell the story of what guides and motivates SJOG Healthcare and how a response to change is always guided by principles, especially the dignity of the person and the relationship between the carers and the patients.

Just as the founding Sisters started the hospital as part of a response to the urgent need of the time, so too does today’s institution continue to respond to adapt to changes in response to relevant areas like medical science and population growth and dynamics.

“The history of SJOG Hospital Subiaco illustrates that when there are people of good will doing their best, God is always present, and this means it will always survive and flourish,” Sr Eugenia said.

“The success of the hospital has depended extraordinarily on partnership with many people and convergence of people of good will, start-

ing with Bishop Gibney in securing the original plot, and throughout Australia with Bishops who have provided empowerment and facilitation by local Church.”

The exhibition shows the passage of time in both the external appearance of building and the wide range of people necessary to run a hospital, and how each group of people is interconnected.

This interconnectedness is highlighted by the fact that the hospital is the place of birth of many of its present senior staff; and the fact that “the hospital needs the community and vice versa,” Sr Eugenia said.

“For us the big thing was that work and prayer need to go hand in hand and that’s part of our tradition,” she said.

This interfaith harmony was cemented from day one when Bishop Gibney said at the hospital’s opening that there was to be no discrimination of person, creed, race or colour, Sr Eugenia said. “It’s a hospital for the sick, not a hospital for our own faith group,” she added. “I’m discovering an amazing interfaith cooperation always at the hospital.”

There is also interdependence with the local community, including fundraising efforts, “which has not been a constant but was there at the beginning and is there now”.

Pictures are the key element of the Heritage Area, creating a ‘living’ story - and the design allows for people to move through the exhibition in any direction.

Continued from Page 9 stance? He writes in his letter to the Romans: “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.” And, he goes on, “so I ask, have [the Israelites] stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now, if their stumbling means riches for the world, and if their defeat means riches for Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!”

Alas, some Christians through the centuries did not pay sufficient heed to the nuances of Paul’s argument.

Contemporary scholarship points to a vibrant Judaism and a nascent Christianity contesting a common space in the Roman Empire; both attracted converts and each saw the other as a challenge to their integrity. As we saw, both groups were not above name-calling. Christians depicted Jews as ‘fleshy’ and lacking in understanding. They accused them of hardness of heart and claimed that their role in the killing of Jesus was consistent with their history of killing prophets. Some went so far as to accuse the Jews of deicide. Vile and slanderous accusations against Jews were to spring up time and again: they murder Christian children (the egregious blood libel), they desecrate the Eucharistic species, they engage in sorcery. Christian polemic post-Constantine

From the fourth century with the seeming triumph of Christianity in the Roman Empire, Christian invective became more extreme. It seemed obvious to some Christians that it could only be sinful obstinacy that prevented Jews from recognising the truth of Christianity. Slowly, the protections which Jewish people had been granted by Roman law were eroded. One writer warned Christians that if they had any fellowship with Jews they were making themselves ‘comrades of the crucifiers’ (Flannery, The Anguish of the Jews). But as many authors have argued, the shrillness of the polemic is an indication of the bonds which bound communities; many Christians were not inclined to ostracise their Jewish neighbours.

St John Chrysostom preached that the Jews were ‘the most miserable of men ... lustful, rapacious, greedy, perfidious bandit ... inveterate murderers, destroyers, men possessed by the devil ... They have surpassed the ferocity of wild beasts, for they murder their offspring and immolate them to the devil’ (Flannery). It grieves me to repeat this awful vitriol, especially as I admire Chrysostom as a theologian, but in the ferocity of his attacks on the Jews he did a terrible wrong.

St Augustine of Hippo too struggled with what he saw as Jewish intransigence. However, he believed that their continued survival was part of God’s plan – they existed to bear witness to their own error and to the truth of Christ; they were part of God’s plan whereby salvation was to be brought to the nations. Augustine admonished Christians to charity: ‘let us preach to the Jews, whenever we can, with a spirit of love ... It is not for us to boast over them as branches broken off ... We shall be able to say to them without exulting over them – though we exult in God – “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”’

Judaism was left in this twilight world where its continued existence was deemed necessary, but its flourishing was in no way to be permitted. Ambivalence litters the discussion: even when a Pope indulged in a violent diatribe against Jews, he would order that their property be protected, that they be allowed to worship and not be subject to forced conversion (Elukin). Nonetheless, the anti-Judaic polemic of Christian rhetoricians sowed the seeds of anti-Semitism; ideological opposition gave rise to stereotypes and hatred. The Jewish people as a whole were judged guilty of deicide; God was obviously punishing them and Christians through the centuries took it upon themselves to be the instruments of divine vengeance.

Crusades

A terrible chapter in this long history of prejudice and persecution was written dur-

A brutal history

This relationship between Christians and Jews has been fraught with much hostility, but also - less well known - some good, writes Fr Sean Fernandez. Pope Benedict XVI talks with Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, above, the chief rabbi of Rome, during his visit to Rome’s main synagogue in January this year. His predcecessor, Pope John Paul II, is seen below greeting Rabbi Elio Toaff at Rome’s main synagogue in1986. The meeting marked the beginning of a new era in Catholic-Jewish relations and was the first time a pope had entered the Rome synagogue. Although Pope Pius XII was popularly caricatured by Communist propaganda as anti-Semitic, even secret Nazi reports acknowledged his strong defence of the Jews - and this at a time when many allied leaders were staying silent on the matter.

PHOTOS: ABOVE: CNS/PAUL HARING, BELOW: CNS/ARTURO MARI

ing the Crusades. The First Crusade saw terrible massacres of Jews. In the first half of 1096 it is estimated that 10,000 Jews were killed in northern Europe.

This terrible toll was despite the attempts of many Bishops, local clergy and townspeople to protect Jewish residents or refugees from the fanatical violence of the Crusaders.

The anti-Jewish violence of the later Crusades was less because the civil and ecclesiastical authorities were better prepared. St Bernard of Clairvaux too played a role; he condemned those who attacked Jews: ‘Who is this man who should make out [St Paul] to be a liar and render void the treasures of Christ’s pity and love?’ and ‘It is an act of Christian pity ... “to spare the subjected,” especially those for whom we have a law and a promise, and whose flesh was shared by Christ whose name be for ever blessed.’

Jews as merchants and money-lenders

Besides the physical and verbal attacks to which they were subjected, Jews also had, at various times and in various places, constraints placed upon their means of livelihood. They became known as moneylenders and merchants because they were forced into these spheres. There were several factors which helped some of them become successful. The far-flung Jewish Diaspora meant that there were Jewish communities all through the known world and a common faith helped them establish business relationships. The demand for money grew and Christians were not permitted to engage in usury.

Their success in money lending became a sword of Damocles over their heads. Those who drew on the services of money-lenders sometimes used mob violence to gain relief from their debts. At various times, one can see economic factors behind the expulsion of Jews from territories or pogroms. A Christian prince aware of his indebtedness and with his eye for the main chance would expel Jews from his territory, ostensibly as an act of piety.

Spain

I shall touch briefly on the situation in Spain. After the Christian re-conquest of the Iberian Peninsula there was a concern with Limpieza de sangre – or blood purity. Jews were amongst those singled out, including Jewish converts to Christianity. Various Popes condemned this racialism, but it, among other factors, was to give rise to a long history of suffering in Spain. In 1492, Jews were ordered to convert or to leave the Spanish kingdoms. The suffering was

immense; those who could, fled to Italy and Turkey where they were welcomed. Jewish communities which had existed on the Iberian Peninsula for 1,500 years were destroyed. Some Jews were subjected to forced baptism. It should be remembered that not all Christians welcomed this savagery; Christians who had lived with Jewish neighbours for generations were horrified at the cruelty to which they were subject and some sought to shield them, to plead for them, to hide them, but with limited effect. I should introduce a note of caution; historians like Philippe Wolf raise the question as to whether the Spanish pogroms of the 14th century are better seen in terms of classrebellion rather than anti-Semitism; it just illustrates how complex the situation was.

Conclusion

I have only touched on a little of the brutal history of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism; there are episodes and factors which I have omitted due to lack of space. There are many books on the subject; I would recommend Fr Edward Flannery’s The Anguish of the Jews I would like to suggest (boldly) that the situation for Jewish communities worsened with the development of national identity and the growth of the strong monarchical government. After the great expulsions of Jews of the 16th century only ecclesiastical states, in other words, territories under the rule of Bishops and other churchmen, were prepared to re-admit Jews to their territories; the secular territories were not (Elukin). The turmoil of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation sharpened antiJudaism and anti-Semitism. The weak are always prey to prejudice and violence in times of uncertainty - we do not have to look far to see the same dynamic at work in our own society. The anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism that took root in European soil ensured that Jewish communities were perennially vulnerable.

Before I end, I would ask that you remember how I started. The history is a terrible one, but it is not all black. It is also the history of a people making homes and lives for themselves in precarious times. It is the history of occasional charity being shown in the midst of hatred. It is the history of neighbours sometimes haltingly seeking to be good neighbours in times of need.

I hope that my Jewish brothers and sisters will not be offended by my temerity. I have sought to be honest in my portrayal, but I have not tried to be complete. Historians continue to explore this history and witness to its complexity. In the next article I shall be very bold indeed; I shall explore the nexus between violence and religion.

QUOTABLE “I

n a manner never known before, the Pope [Pius XII] has repudiated the National Socialist New European Order ... It is true, the Pope does not refer to the National Socialists in Germany by name, but his speech is one long attack on everything we stand for ... God, he says, regards all people and races as worthy of the same consideration. Here, he is clearly speaking on behalf of the Jews ...

[H]e is virtually accusing the German people of injustice towards the Jews, and makes himself the mouthpiece of the Jewish war criminals.”

- Official Nazi report on the papal Christmas address, 1942, from Heinrich Himmler’s Superior Security Office to Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop’s office.

Mercy Sisters leave legacy of teaching

TWO Mercy Sisters from the West Perth congregation passed away within a day of each other on 20 and 21 June.

Sr Joan Flynn, 87, also known as Mother Edmund, was the first to die, followed by Sr Mary John Hales, 92. Sr Joan entered the Sisters of Mercy West Perth at their novitiate at St Mary’s Leederville where she had shortly before completed her secondary education on 1 February 1940, just shy of her 17th birthday.

She made her first Profession in December, 1942 and was finally professed on 17 December 1945.

She began teaching almost immediately, gaining her qualifications by studying industriously in her spare time.

Sr Joan taught at the primary school, Leederville from 1943-46, then spent three years teaching at St Pat’s in Havelock Street, and then back to St Mary’s Leederville where she became Principal at the early age of 27, while at the same

time serving as the Superior of the Convent.

She remained at St Mary’s for the next 18 years, creating a wonderful vibrant school where the pupils achieved success in public examinations, on the sports fields especially in basketball, and in the singing eisteddfods and drama festivals. Then, in 1968, she was elected to the position of Congregation Leader and came to live at St Brigid’s Convent, Northbridge, and was Bursar of the Order as

well, establishing the finances on firm foundations. She also qualified as a real estate agent. Sr Joan loved the garden and had a green thumb, planting the whole garden at St Brigid’s on the Sisters’ return to the building in 1998. She helped establish Mercy College at Koondoola, including purchasing land, sourcing architects and appointing a principal. The College’s Flynn building, set to open on 17 August with a number of other new buildings, is named

Globetrotter helps choir without a roof produce CD

ST PATRICK’S Community Support Centre in Queen Victoria Street, Fremantle has its own choir, known as the Starlight Hotel Choir, “the hotel without the roof,” which is producing a CD.

Professional musician Dave Johnson, 45, the choir director with Peter Anthony, plays the guitar, mandolin, sings and writes songs. Dave said he has toured around the world, has been a musician for 25 years in the Fremantle area and has made three CDs.

The choir started about three and a half years ago with the goal of engaging people who are at risk of being homeless in an array of musical activities from learning guitar, group singing and song-writing. “It was originally a Challenger TAFE-funded Gate project called Street Beat, which also included visual arts and also worked in the streets as well as St Pat’s. Funding from TAFE ran out last year, so project manager Suzette Thompson and I put together a LotteryWest application to keep the choir running,” Dave said. “This year, we have been running a weekly Monday morning song-writing session and a weekly Thursday morning choir session.”

About 10 to 15 people attend the song-writing session and up to 25 people to the choir session, with both sessions proving very popular and productive.

“They may come in with enormous problems and (be) very aggressive or stressed,” Dave said.

“Often, people sit down and listen, often being cheered the next minute. We have written about 10 songs in the workshops – they are words and songs that have come from members of the choir.”

The choir is halfway through producing its first CD – comprised of songs written in the Monday morning sessions - and is at the mixing stage.

Sound engineer James Hewgill is recording for the CD at a studio in Highgate, with another

two months of work to do on it. The songs are unique and tell their very own story, Dave said, and the CD will be launched around October this year.

Starlight Hotel Choir has served many goals so far but the most important is the sense of inclusion and belonging the members get out of working together for combined goals and the friendships they have developed. It has performed many times over the years from council functions to John Butler supports (Gimme Shelter), thus also helping people feel included within the wider community and showing a very positive image of St Pat’s Community Support Centre to the wider community. Last month it appeared on the ABC1TV programme Stateline Choir members told The Record:

● “Performing, I feel I’ve

after her. In her 80s she developed Parkinson’s disease and lived out her religious life motto, “I can do all things in Him who strengthens me” in regard to the disease and all other difficulties which she encountered. Her basic stance in life was one of optimism; she was committed to her loving family and she loved people.

Sr John lived as a Sister of Mercy West Perth for 77 years and, as Marjory, entered her Religious life at St Brigid’s Convent West Perth (now Northbridge), on 15 August 1933 at a little over 15 years old.

She made her first Profession in March 1936 and was finally professed on 24 March 1939, her 21st birthday.

Sr John was the fourth child in a family of five, her mother and father being born in England.

Suffering from chronic asthma, her father decided Perth was the best place for his family to live and he was joined by his wife and small son in due course.

Sr John’s father died about 18 months after she was born in WA

and her mother acquired a retail business in Subiaco to support the family. She was educated to be a teacher of senior girls and studied to achieve a Teachers’ Certificate and BA from the University of WA. Her postings were to St Brigid’s West Perth, St Brigid’s College Lesmurdie, to St Mary’s, Leederville and for a short while to Mercy College Koondoola.

Sr John was appointed as Principal at St Brigid’s Lesmurdie from 1963-66 and for a short time at Koondoola in 1975.

After retiring from school around 1976, she received a qualification to teach religious instruction in government schools around the Nollamara parish where she also served on the Parish Council.

She travelled to the Holy Land and to Lourdes and did a spirituality programme with the Jesuits in Sydney, which included a 30 day retreat. She left Nollamara to live in Villa Maria, Lesmurdie, when she needed more care and died at Kimberley Nursing Home, West Leederville.

Christian Brothers open Philippines project for poor

THE Christian Brothers in the Philippines have started a new project to help poor children to help themselves.

Retiree Terry Gee and his wife Mimia visited Santa Clara parish Bentley over 26 and 27 June selling raffle tickets to support this cause.

Raffle prizes include a TV set valued at almost $3,000, a video camera, an outdoor patio gas heater and a video player, for the price of $2 a ticket, or a book of 10 at $20. Mr Gee, 72, told the Bentley congregation after Mass: “Through the provision of basic modern educational facilities to the very disadvantaged schools that the children attend, they are afforded an opportunity for quality education.”

ter opportunities,” said Mr Gee, whose close association with Br Ellyard began as a member of the Pearlshell Prayer Group, with Brs Peter Hardiman, Peter Thrupp, Pat Kelly and Basil Hickey. The first three were chosen to initiate the Brothers’ new venture in the Philippines. The focus of the Prayer Group was Blessed Edmund Rice, the founder of the Christian Brothers.

achieved something – it feels good”.

● “The first time I came it felt a bit daunting – I was nervous and didn’t know anyone. But I loved the music and after a few weeks I thought I could enjoy this and just kept coming back.”

● “I like the friendship, feel happy, content I’ve done something during the day – otherwise I’d be home all day.”

● “It helps with my depression, lifts my spirits. It’s like when you exercise – I’ve done and learnt something enjoyable.”

● “There are experiences in choir – songs and the words I can relate to that tell me I don’t stand alone in my situation – I’m not alone in what I’ve been through.”

● “In the future, I’d like the choir to write more original songs, entertain the senior citizens, move around and see more people and for them to see us performing our songs. That’s when the discipline really comes, not just from a recording – nothing’s perfect and it all takes practice.”

● “I’d been in therapy for two years but still didn’t leave home. But I’ve been coming to choir regularly and it’s better than any therapy.”

St Pat’s CSC is under the auspices of the Oblates at St Patrick’s Basilica, Fremantle.

Philippine Edmund Rice Mission (PERM) started in 2006 to help provide funds for this purpose and its fundraising efforts have assisted in the installing of more than 25 computers in each of the 19 Catholic schools in the Kabankalan area.

“This has excited parents and students alike, and has attracted many young people back to school,” Mr Gee said.

In 2009, they focused on library books and a number of Catholic schools in WA supported the project and sent boxes of books due for replacement from their own libraries. Many books have also been purchased in Manila, as these were found to be more suitable for the students than Westernstyle literature. “Our focus this year is to provide funds mainly for science equipment,” Mr Gee said.

Br Rod Ellyard, who is in charge of the Mission, made a recent review of seven schools which highlighted the extreme poverty of their science departments. He found science equipment is limited in the extreme with mostly homemade models for demonstration purposes, with no experiments, as they have nothing to use.

“It is good to remember that in supporting this project, we are providing facilities for disadvantaged schools that will be available to many more students for years to come. Better facilities mean better education and bet-

“Most of the Prayer Group were already involved in other voluntary activities, so my wife Mimia suggested we begin a group that would endeavour to raise muchneeded funds to help Br Ellyard in Kabankalan,” he told The Record “While he focused on improving the quality of the education system, we would endeavour to make a difference through financial support. We are currently moving among the parishes of the Archdiocese to promote awareness of the new work being done by the Brothers, and by means of a big raffle, requesting the help of parishioners through the purchase of raffle tickets.”

Of 405,973 teachers polled in a Philippine government-sponsored survey corroborated from earlier findings of UNESCO and other agencies, 55 per cent said their schools had no access to electricity, while 84 per cent had no running water and only 38 per cent had toilets.

About 25 per cent said they taught in classrooms without ceilings; 45 per cent of them said they brought their own tables to school and 43 per cent brought their own chairs.

Over $111,000 is urgently needed for school computers and cash for library books as well. The Christian Brothers’ Mission has inherited a remarkable legacy from the Columban Fathers who were in the region for more than 60 years.

Br Ellyard said: “We regard the teachers as heroes and, because they have been prepared to work for little return (the wages are pitifully low), the system has survived.”

Donations can be made to the “Christian Brothers’ Overseas Aid Fund”, c/o Br Geoff Seaman, Christian Brothers Residence, 26 Westbrook Way, Girrawheen, WA 6064

Washington protects pharmacists’ conscience rights

THE state of Washington has agreed to adopt conscience-protection policies for pharmacists who find it morally repugnant to fill prescriptions for abortifacient pills. In a lawsuit filed by pharmacists with the support of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, attorneys representing the state said that the government would alter its rules to protect conscience rights. The move allowed the state to avoid a trial in the case scheduled to begin later this month.

In 2006, the state Board of Pharmacy - under heavy pressure from Governor Christine Gregoire (who is Catholic) - set regulations requiring all pharmacists to provide the “morning after” pill, regardless of the pharmacists’ own moral objections. Two individual pharmacists and one family-owned firm joined in a lawsuit against that regulation. The plaintiffs have now agreed to postpone consideration of their case until the state’s new policies are unveiled. If the conscience-protection policy is adequate, the case would presumably be dropped.

Anglicans pave way for women Bishops

PAVING the way for the ordination of women Bishops with full governing powers, the House of Clergy of the Church of England has rejected a compromise proposal put forward by Archbishop Rowan Williams, the Church’s primate, that would have permitted traditional parishes to be governed by a male Bishop.

Seventy Anglican clergy met with Catholic Bishop Malcolm McMahon of Nottingham on 10 July to discuss the possibility of converting to Catholicism under the provisions of Pope Benedict’s 2009 apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus. One Anglican cleric estimated that 200 Anglican clergy are considering conversion.

2 million still living on streets in Haiti

SIX months after a devastating earthquake killed over 220,000 of the nation’s 8.8 million people, some two million Haitians are still living on the streets, according to the Fides news agency. “The situation is still terrible as far as the practicability of the roads; it seems that the earthquake just happened yesterday,” said Archbishop Bernard Auza, the Apostolic Nuncio. “There is no one to carry away the debris, and we can still not use certain streets in the capital. There are still no offices for some local government institutions. Many people who are living in tents still have nothing and then there are still many poor people who do not even have tents and do not see a way out.”

“As the Church, we are waiting for a sign from the Government in order to be able to act with all our strength,” he added. “For example, some religious institutions cannot begin to rebuild the buildings or houses, because they lack a safety certificate issued by the government for that area. And that part does not depend on us.”

Pope’s man to lead ‘path of purification’ for Legionaries

Pope names Vatican canon lawyer as interim head of Legionaries

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI named Italian Archbishop Velasio De Paolis, an expert in Church law who specialises in religious institutes, to be his personal delegate with authority over the Legionaries of Christ.

The 74 year old canon lawyer will act as an interim leader while the Vatican investigation of the Legionaries proceeds.

The Vatican announced the appointment on 9 July but provided no specifics of Archbishop De Paolis’ role. The Legion said it expected the practical details on how the Archbishop will fulfill his duties would be defined in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the Legionaries said they welcomed the appointment “with gratitude” and that they looked forward to receiving the Archbishop’s guidance.

“As they welcome the pontifical delegate, the Legionaries of Christ once again express their deep gratitude to the Holy Father for his fatherly solicitude and put themselves completely at the disposal of Archbishop De Paolis,” the Order said on its website.

The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, told journalists on 9 July that the papal delegate would be meeting with the Legionaries’ current superiors “very soon” to spell out the nature and extent of his mandate as well as any changes to the status of the Order’s current leaders.

He also will inform them of the terms and nature of the commission that will study the Order’s constitution, Fr Lombardi said.

The Pope’s intention in assigning a papal delegate and setting up the commission is to “accompany and help” the Legionaries on the “challenging path of purification and renewal that awaits the order,” said the papal spokesman.

The papal appointment was one of a number of steps Pope Benedict has taken

Pope Benedict XVI has named Italian Archbishop Velasio De Paolis, above, to be his personal delegate with authority over the Legionaries of Christ. Archbishop De Paolis, 74, will take charge of the Order as an interim leader while the Vatican investigation of the Legionaries proceeds. PHOTO: CNS/CATHOLIC PRESS

in the reform of the Legionaries of Christ after revelations that their founder, the late Mexican Fr Marcial Maciel Degollado, had fathered children and sexually abused seminarians.

Last year the Pope ordered a visitation of the Legionaries’ institutions.

Five Bishops appointed by the Pope visited almost all the Order’s Religious houses and most of its pastoral institutions, meeting with more than 1,000 Legionaries.

The Pope received the Bishops’ report at the end of April and on 1 May the Vatican said the Pope would name a papal delegate and a commission to study the Order’s constitutions.

He was to also name a visitor for the Regnum Christi movement at their request. The Vatican’s May statement also said that

the Legionaries would need to undergo very deep changes, including a redefinition of the Order’s religious charism and a revision of the way authority is exercised among its members.

The Pope will have the final word on whatever changes are eventually imposed.

Archbishop De Paolis is expected to work closely with the Vatican as it continues its investigation of the Order.

He is president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See and is a member of the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signature.

Fr Lombardi said that Archbishop De Paolis will continue to serve as head of the prefecture for the time being.

The Archbishop also serves as a consultant to the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Congregation for Eastern Churches, and the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.

He was born in Sonnino, Italy, in 1935. He was ordained a Scalabrinian priest in 1961 and named a Bishop in 2003. He was made an Archbishop in 2008.

Archbishop De Paolis received his doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, his licentiate in theology at the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas, and his law degree from Rome’s La Sapienza University. He has taught moral theology and canon law for many years in Rome.

He has also served on the governing body of his religious Order and held the positions of counsellor and procurator general for the institute.

After investigating allegations that Fr Maciel had sexually abused young seminarians, in May 2006 the Vatican ordered him to stop practising his ministry in public and to live a life of prayer and penitence. Fr Maciel died in January 2008 at age 87.

In early 2009, the Legionaries said that Fr Maciel had fathered a daughter; more recently, the Order’s officials acknowledged that he had sexually abused seminarians, and they asked forgiveness for failing to listen to his accusers.

Venezuelan President waging war on Cardinal

Venezuelan Cardinal target of ‘verbal aggression’: Vatican paper

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican newspaper weighed in on an increasingly hostile war-of-words being waged by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez against Caracas Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino.

L’Osservatore Romano reported on 8 July that Cardinal Urosa has been the target of “unspeakable verbal aggression” by Chavez.

The president has recently “thrown fuel on the fire concerning Church-state relations”most notably with remarks he made during a televised event celebrating the beginning of the country’s bicentennial anniversary of independence on 5 July, said the newspaper.

Local media reported that Chavez called the Cardinal a pig and said the Cardinal “talks like a troglodyte and he tries to scare people about communism.”

Chavez also reportedly said he would prefer that Bishop Mario Moronta Rodriguez of San Cristobal de Venezuela replace Cardinal Urosa.

The Vatican newspaper said the very serious insults came after the Cardinal recently denounced the government shutdown of many media outlets critical of Chavez and urged the government to respect the democratic rights guaranteed in the country’s constitution.

The newspaper and Vatican Radio both

reported how Catholic leaders in Venezuela have rallied behind the Cardinal, saying he has every right to express his concerns about the direction the country is taking and to guide Catholics on religious and moral values.

In a 7 July statement on the Archdiocesan website, Cardinal Urosa said the president has no right to insult, defame or slander any Venezuelan citizen, adding that it was unjust that he has been subject to verbal aggression in the public sphere.

The Cardinal reiterated his fears that the president was leading the country down the path of Marxist socialism and creating a dictatorship.

He said the Church does not presume to play a political role but that it does have a right to speak out about things that affect the life and future of the Venezuelan people.

“We desire what’s best, social harmony and progress for Venezuela with opportunities for all people,” he wrote.

Venezuelan Catholic leaders have been among the harshest critics of the policies of Chavez, who was first elected in 1998 and has promised to transform the oil-rich nation into a socialist state.

Church officials have accused the Chavez government of violating civil rights, permitting an explosion of crime and weakening democracy.

Chavez, in turn, has accused the Church leadership of elitism.

The Cardinal was installed by Pope Benedict XVI on 24 March, 2006 and welcomed officially into the post by the President on 30 March.

Abuse, women’s ordination norms revised

Revised Vatican norms to cover sex abuse, attempted women’s ordination

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican is preparing to update the 2001 norms that deal with priestly sex abuse of minors, in effect codifying practices that have been in place for several years.

At the same time, it will include the “attempted ordination of women” among the list of most serious crimes against Church law, or delicta graviora, sources said.

Sexual abuse of a minor by a priest was added to the classification of delicta graviora in 2001. At that time, the Vatican established norms to govern the handling of such cases.

The revisions of those norms have been in the pipeline for some time and were expected to be published in mid-July, Vatican sources said. While the changes are not “earthshaking,” they will ultimately strengthen the Church’s efforts to identify and discipline priests who abuse minors, the sources said.

The revisions will be published with ample documentation and will be accompanied by a glossary of Church law terms, aimed at helping nonexperts understand the complex rules and procedures that the Vatican has in place for dealing with sex abuse allegations.

The revisions were expected to extend the Church law’s statute of limitations on accusations of sexual abuse, from 10 years after the alleged victim’s 18th birthday to

Pope names successor to disgraced Mixa

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI named a new Bishop to Germany’s Augsburg Diocese, whose former Bishop resigned in the wake of accusations of hitting students and financial impropriety.

Bishop Konrad Zdarsa of Gorlitz will succeed Bishop Walter Mixa in the Diocese of Augsburg, the Vatican announced on 8 July. Bishop Mixa’s resignation was accepted by the Vatican on 4 May.

Bishop Zdarsa, 66, received his doctorate in canon law from Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University and served many years at the Diocese of DresdenMeissen in a variety of capacities, including president of the diocesan Caritas.

Bishop Mixa had been accused of hitting children during his time as a priest in charge of a children’s home near Augsburg.

20 years. For several years, Vatican officials have been routinely granting exceptions to the 10 year statute of limitations.

The revisions also make it clear that use of child pornography would fall under the category of clerical sexual abuse of minors. In 2009, the Vatican determined that any instance of a priest downloading child pornography from the Internet would be a form of serious abuse that a Bishop must report to

He originally denied the claims, then admitted that he had perhaps “boxed the ears” of some of his wards. Bishop Mixa also faced accusations of misappropriation of funds from the children’s home. German prosecutors also investigated Bishop Mixa for alleged sexual abuse of a minor when he was Bishop of Eichstatt from 1996 to 2005 but dropped the investigation in May for lack of evidence. Pope Benedict met with Bishop Mixa in a private audience at the Vatican on 1

the doctrinal congregation, which oversees cases of sexual abuse.

In addition, the revisions will make clear that abuse of mentally disabled adults will be considered equivalent to abuse of minors. In the law on the sexual abuse of minors, the term “minors” will include “persons who suffer from permanent mental disability,” sources said.

When Pope John Paul II promulgated the norms on priestly

July. After the closed-door meeting, the Vatican said the Bishop would “retreat for a period of silence, contemplation and prayer.”

After a period of “treatment and reconciliation,” the Vatican statement said Bishop Mixa would be available for pastoral work authorised by his successor.

The statement said the Pope specifically asked German Bishops to put aside ill feelings and help guide their brother “back to the right path.”

sex abuse in 2001, he gave the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith juridical control over such cases.

The revisions incorporate changes made by Pope John Paul in 2003; those simplified some of the procedures and gave the doctrinal congregation the power, in some “very grave and clear cases,” to laicise without an ecclesiastical trial priests who have sexually abused minors.

In April, the Vatican placed online a guide to understanding the Church’s provisions for sex abuse cases.

That guide mentioned the revisions under preparation and said those revisions would not change the basic procedures already in place.

The sources said the Vatican was not preparing to publish other documents on priestly sex abuse.

Although some have argued that some of the strict sex abuse norms adopted by US Bishops in 2002 should be universalised, the sources said there was no imminent plan to do that.

Pope John Paul’s 2001 document distinguished between two types of “most grave crimes,” those committed in the celebration of the Sacraments and those committed against morals.

Among the sacramental crimes were such things as desecration of the Eucharist and violation of the seal of Confession.

Under the new revisions, the “attempted ordination of women” will be listed among those crimes, as a serious violation of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, informed sources said.

As such, it will be handled under the procedures set up for investigating delicta graviora under the control of the doctrinal congregation.

In 2008, the doctrinal congregation formally decreed that a woman who attempts to be ordained a Catholic priest and the person attempting to ordain her are automatically excommunicated. In 1994, Pope John Paul said the Church’s ban on women priests is definitive and not open to debate among Catholics.

Hawaii Governor vetoes same-sex civil unions

Hawaii Republican Governor’s decision to veto same-sex civil unions ‘not based on religious

beliefs’, reflects ‘will of the people’

HONOLULU - Hawaii

Governor Linda Lingle announced on 6 July that she would veto a bill that would have established civil unions in Hawaii, stating that she believed the legislation was “essentially (same-sex) marriage by another name.”

Soon after the announcement, the Hawaii Catholic Conference and the Hawaii Family Forum issued a joint statement praising the governor’s decision.

“We are convinced she has come to the proper and only conclusion that will best serve the people of Hawaii,” the statement said.

“Her veto affirms the will of Hawaii citizens.”

A coalition of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups issued a news release deploring the veto.

Alan Spector of Equality Hawaii called the governor’s action “political manoeuvering.”

“We’re disappointed and outraged that same-sex families will not be treated equally under Hawaii law but vow to come back and fight this fight another day,”

he said. Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva had urged Hawaii Catholics to pray for a veto on 17 May.

In a new development on the federal ban on gay marriage, a federal judge in Boston ruled on 8 July in two separate Massachusetts cases that a key provision of the Defence of Marriage Act is unconstitutional because it prevents the state from exercising its right to define marriage.

Opponents of US District Judge Joseph Tauro’s rulings criticised his action as judicial activism.

In the rulings, which only affect the law as it applies to

Massachusetts, Tauro said the federal ban also violates the Equal Protection Clause; the plaintiffs had argued the US law discriminates against spouses.

In Hawaii, HB 444 would have allowed homosexual couples to gain the designation “civil union,” a status identical, except in name, to marriage in Hawaii.

It would not affect any federal rights or benefits.

The law also would have allowed a heterosexual couple to procure a civil union.

The state House of Representatives approved the bill

by a 31-20 vote on 29 April, the last day of this year’s legislative session.

The House would need 34 votes to override a veto.

The state Senate approved the bill in January by enough votes to override a veto.

In a statement explaining her action, Lingle said she has been “open and consistent” in her opposition to same-sex marriage. She said this issue should be settled, not by the Legislature, but by a vote of the people.

“I have become convinced that this issue is of such significant societal importance that it deserves to be decided directly by all the people of Hawaii,” she said.

“The subject of this legislation has touched the hearts and minds of our citizens as no other social issue of our day,” the Governor said.

“It would be a mistake to allow a decision of this magnitude to be made by one individual or a small group of elected officials.”

The Republican Governor, who is Jewish and not running for reelection, said her decision was not “based on my religious beliefs or on the political impact it might have on me or anyone else of either political party in some future election.”

Lingle’s lieutenant governor, James R “Duke” Aiona Jr, a Catholic and outspoken critic of HB 444, is running to succeed her.

The Hawaii Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the statewide Diocese of Honolulu, had worked closely with Hawaii Family Forum, an organi-

sation representing many Hawaii evangelical Protestant churches to defeat HB 444.

In their joint statement, they thanked the “thousands of people who took action to express their beliefs and stood strong in support of traditional family values and the definition of marriage as being limited to one man and one woman.”

The governor waited until the last day possible to announce her action.

Her alternatives were to sign the bill or to allow it to become law without her signature.

For most of that day, proponents and opponents of the bill awaited her decision in separate gatherings at the state Capitol in downtown Honolulu.

Supporters, many wearing multicoloured paper leis representing the spectrum of the rainbow, rallied behind the statue of St Damien which fronts the building, listening to speeches and recorded music.

Opponents of civil unions, most of whom were wearing white shirts and red “I vote” buttons, gathered at the opposite side of the Capitol and later in an area on the fifth floor outside the governor’s office.

Lingle made her announcement in her office shortly after 3pm at an invitation-only news conference. Her voice was also broadcast in the Capitol’s open-air atrium, and when it became apparent she was going to veto the bill, loud cheers arose from the HB 444 opponents gathered on the fifth floor, while a few civil union supporters shouted angry denunciations.

Treat pro-lifers like terrorists: late-term abortionist

A NOTORIOUS late-term abortionist has called for more aggressive police action to curb pro-life activism.

“Treat them like terrorists,” LeRoy Carhart suggested in an interview with the Boston Phoenix. Carhart was in Boston to speak at a fundraiser for the National Organisation for Women (NOW). NOW President Terry O’Neill emphatically supported Carhart’s suggestion, adding: “Unlimited detention! Freeze their assets!”

‘Pro-choice not a Catholic option’

WRITING in the local Catholic newspaper, Archbishop Robert Carlson of St Louis takes a hard look at the implications of the Fifth Commandment, particularly on disputed issues such as abortion, euthanasia and the death penalty.

Regarding abortion, he is forthright: “You cannot be “prochoice” (pro-abortion) and remain a Catholic in good standing,” he said.

“That’s why the Church asks those who maintain this position not to receive Holy Communion.

“We are not being mean or judgemental, we are simply acknowledging the fact that such a stance is objectively and seriously sinful and is radically inconsistent with the Christian way of life.”

China underground Bishop freed from detention

BISHOP Julius Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding, a 75 year old Bishop faithful to the Holy See, was released from detention on 8 July according to the Cardinal Kung Foundation.

Bishop Jia, whose ministry is not recognised by the Chinese government, has been arrested 13 times since 2004 and had previously been imprisoned for 18 years. A priest from the Zhengding Diocese said the Bishop was taken away by government authorities on 5 June 2007.

Catholic-Methodist dialogue examines Eucharist

PARTICIPANTS in the dialogue between the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United Methodist Church met from 28-30 June to discuss the relation between the Eucharist and the environment.

“In our dialogues and final report, we hope to help fellow congregants see how our public worship, particularly the Eucharist, shapes us to see God’s glory in creation and to care for the creation as faithful stewards,” said Methodist Bishop Timothy Whitaker.

Mgr Kevin Irwin, Dean of Catholic University of America’s school of theology, said: “The very preparation of taking, blessing, breaking, and giving [bread], imply work and communal responsibility to share all of the earth’s resources with all on the earth, lest we rape the world and leave it devastated for the next generation.” A proper understanding of the Eucharist, Mgr Irwin said, “reveres the means of production in terms of human ingenuity and it reveres food as the gift of the God of creation and redemption.”

America Magazine editor Fr Drew Christiansen, who was also a participant in the dialogue, highlighted Pope Benedict’s teaching on the relationship between care for the environment and “human ecology”- a respect for the natural moral law.

Worshippers fare better in society

PATRICK Fagan, director of the Marriage and Religion Research Institute at the Family Research Council, has noted that “It’s little known to the public or to elite commentators in the national discourse”.

“But an amazing phenomenon has been uncovered in the social sciences: the more frequently Americans worship, the better they do on every observable outcome measured to date,” he said.

“This holds for rates of smoking, getting drunk, use of hard drugs, being charged by the police, theft, shoplifting, adultery, running away from home, watching x-rated movies, homosexual conduct, cohabitation, or the number of sexual partners that teenage girls have. The documented relationship of religious practice to other goods include: children’s positive social development, the quality of parent-child relationships, levels of happiness – including marital happiness – participation in charitable services, and pride in work.”

Vatican in the red due to renovations, economy

Major renovations, sluggish economy keep Vatican budgets in the red

VATICAN CITY - Major renovations, infrastructure upgrades and a sluggish global economy left the Vatican City State budget in the red; however, donations to the pope were up from recent years.

The 2009 fiscal period marked the third year in a row that Vatican expenses outpaced revenues.

The budget of Vatican City State, which includes the Vatican Museums and post office, ended 2009 with a deficit of US$9.8 million, the Vatican said in notes on the budgets released on 10 July.

The separate budget of the Holy See, which includes the offices of the Roman Curia, finished 2009 with a registered deficit of more than US$5.15 million.

The figures were released in early July after a three-day meeting of a council of cardinals charged with reviewing the Vatican budgets.

In explaining the city-state’s deficit, the council’s press statement mentioned that the Vatican Museums had opened new exhibition spaces and had extended visiting hours, which means the payroll grew.

Vatican City is also launching a major overhaul of its telecommunications infrastructure in which a high-speed fiber optic network will be installed over some 250 miles.

Building, maintenance and restoration work on the colonnade in St Peter’s Square and on the basilicas of St John Lateran, St Paul Outside the Walls and St Mary Major required substantial expenditures, the release said. In addition, “the costs sustained for security inside Vatican City State” and for the major renovation of the Vatican Library, which should open in September, added to the deficit, it said.

The budget of the Holy See saw US$319.6 million in outlays and US$314.4 million in revenues including US$62.8 million from the Institute for the Works of Religion, otherwise known as the Vatican bank.

Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, head of the Vatican Press office, told journalists on 12 July that the institute was just one of a number of foundations that donates money

to fund religious activity of the Holy See. It was the first time the budgetary council publicly listed the institute as a contributor, even though it is a regular donor, he said. It was the highest donor among foundations last year, he added.

The budget of the Holy See includes the Vatican Secretariat of State and its diplomatic missions around the world, Vatican congregations and pontifical councils, the Holy See’s investment portfolio and properties as well as the Vatican’s newspaper, radio, publishing house and television production centre.

Among expenditures for the Holy See, the most substantial item is the wages of its 2,762 employees.

Vatican City State covered the payroll of 1,891 people last year and about 4,587 former employees received pensions from the Vatican.

The Vatican statement included a report on two special sources of

income: the Peter’s Pence collection, which is used by the pope for charity and emergency assistance; and the contributions of dioceses around the world made to support Vatican operations.

In 2009, Peter’s Pence collected US$82.5 million, nearly US$7 million more than 2008.

Catholics in the United States were the top contributors to Peter’s Pence, followed by Catholics in Italy and Germany, it said.

But the Vatican added that in relation to their small Catholic populations, the Catholic communities of South Korea and Japan sent significant donations.

The contributions of dioceses amounted to just over US$31.5 million, an increase of US$2.3 million from the 2008 figure, the Vatican said. Dioceses in the United States gave the most, followed by dioceses in Germany, the Vatican said.

WYD a chance to be conquered by love: Pope

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI became the first person to register for the international World Youth Day gathering in Spain next year.

The Pope kicked off the registration process at a 2 July meeting with Cardinal Antonio Rouco Varela of Madrid and other organisers of the event.

In a talk to the group, the Pope said the gathering offers young people a great opportunity to know Jesus Christ and learn to trust His guidance in their lives.

They will also be able to share their values and aspirations with

others from around the world, united by “the desire to build a better world inspired by Gospel values,” he said.

The World Youth Day international gathering is to be held in the Spanish capital from 16-21 August 2011.

Pope Benedict will join the young people for a vigil on 20 August and Mass on 21 August.

The Pope told the Spanish Cardinal the event “is not just a mass gathering but a privileged occasion for the young of your country and of the entire world to allow themselves to be conquered by the love of Christ Jesus, the Son of God and of Mary, the faithful friend, the victor over sin and death”.

The young people will find, the Pope said, that “those who trust in Him will never be disillusioned, but will find the strength necessary to chose the right path in life.”

Pope Benedict XVI’s predecessor as the Vicar of Christ, the late Pope John Paul II, established World Youth Day in 1985.

Organisers in Madrid are encouraging early registration because it helps them to predict attendance, plan activities and build funding for the events.

Registrants are being asked to contribute 10 euros to a “solidarity fund” that will enable youths from poorer countries to participate.

Registration can be done online at www.en.madrid11.com.

Church builds reconciliation in lead-up to Zimbabwe elections

Zimbabwe’s Church begins election prep: work on healing, reconciliation

CAPE TOWN, South AfricaZimbabwe might not be ready for elections in 2011 but the Catholic Church has begun work on the first step in preparation for elections: healing and reconciliation, said a justice and peace official.

“A call for a new election will open old wounds” among the electorate said Alouis Chaumba, who heads the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe, noting that “the country is not sufficiently healed for elections to take place” in 2011, as mandated by a 2009 agreement that formed a coalition government.

“To create the conditions for free and fair elections, we need an end to violence and a full return to the rule of law,” he said in an early July telephone interview from Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital.

Harare’s justice and peace commission said it has started this work by holding workshops in its parishes and has joined counselling organisations to help people who have been traumatised.

“We do not want to wait for a national process that might never happen,” the commission said in its July newsletter.

The nationwide collection of public submissions for a new constitution has brought “a new wave of intimidation and harassment, largely because the constitutionmaking process is linked to elections, which in Zimbabwe are times of violence,” Chaumba said.

Brutal state-sponsored violence targeting the opposition after disputed March 2008 elections left more than 80 people dead and 200,000 displaced, human rights groups said.

The long-delayed programme to amend a constitution adopted after Zimbabwe’s independence from British colonial rule in 1980 is behind schedule under an agreement that formed a coalition government between President Robert Mugabe and his former opposition leader, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

The agreement calls for a new constitution ahead of a foreign-

monitored election planned for 2011.

Noting that “bickering between political parties” and shortages of cash to deploy officials to the more than 2,000 meeting centres are delaying the constitution-making programme, Chaumba said Zimbabwe “is a highly polarised country.”

Almost all elections in Zimbabwe have been marred by violence, Fr Kenneth Makamure of Chishawasha major seminary wrote in the Harare justice and peace commission’s newsletter.

“This violence has left people polarised and in need of reconciliation,” he said, noting that while “efforts are being made by the inclusive government to get people reconciled,” it has become apparent that the link between reconciliation and justice “has been forgotten or ignored.”

Noting that “oppressive governments are built upon lies, lies about victims and how they deserved to be attacked,” Fr Makamure said “the first thing is to establish the truth of what actually happened.”

For example, “who died, who disappeared, who was maimed,

who ordered the deaths and disappearances, who carried out the orders,” he said.

Also, “justice demands that structural iniquities which were the cause of injustice and conflict be addressed,” such as the rule of law and the use of state agents, including the army and police, to inflict harm on citizens, he said.

Zimbabweans must have safe zones where victims can tell their stories and call perpetrators to account, Fr Makamure said, noting that “if perpetrators are not called to account for their evil actions” they are likely to continue being violent.

Chaumba said that besides pushing for presidential term limits and strengthening parliament in a new constitution, the Church in Zimbabwe advocates that the constitution allow local people “to have a say in how the country’s mineral and other natural resources are utilised.”

Mugabe, 86, who has been in power in Zimbabwe since 1980, opposes proposals that will limit presidents to two five-year terms.

The Church has “presented its position through its outreach programmes” and parishioners

“are ready to contribute their ideas in the consultative meetings scheduled to take place around the country,” Chaumba said.

“We need to build confidence in the electoral process so that people believe that their vote does count,” he said.

In efforts to help Zimbabweans overcome their fear of involvement in politics, the national justice and peace commission has held countrywide “meet your leader” discussion forums, aimed at increasing engagement between citizens and their elected representatives, such as members of Parliament and local councillors, member Vitalis Gutu said in the commission’s newsletter.

The idea “is to make the electorate realise that they are an important stakeholder in development of their areas” and that “their active participation is indispensable,” Gutu said.

Close to 200 members of justice and peace groups in parishes in Harare and Chinhoyi dioceses “have toured Parliament to appreciate how it works, what their elected representatives do ... and how they could engage with them,” he said.

Bishops give mixed reviews for Poland’s new Catholic President

WARSAW, Poland (CNS)Polish Bishops have given a mixed reception to their country’s new president, Bronislaw Komorowski, a 58 year old Catholic father of five and former seminary history teacher.

“I see him as a man of ideas with many personal qualities, a person of dialogue who can also listen - I think this election serves Poland well,” said Archbishop Henryk Muszynski of Gniezno.

“I’m also pleased with the manners shown when the results were announced. I see clear progress over what happened previously and a good sign for the future when it comes to the style of exercising government in a democratic country,” he said.

In a presidential runoff on 4 July, Komorowski garnered 52.6 per cent of the vote while his conservative challenger, former Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, got 47.4 per cent.

Komorowski told Poland’s Catholic information agency, KAI, on 6 July that the election, which saw a national turnout of less than 55 per cent, had marked a break from “factionalism and hunting for special benefits” and a move toward a “quest for what unites.”

He said it would help stabilise democracy by leaving a strong government and opposition.

However, another senior prelate said he feared the victory of a candidate from a party already in government risked “not just a party

monopoly, but also a monopoly of haughtiness and disdain,” and would strengthen “the diktat of the big cities, with their power, business and media.”

“Every monopoly generates deviation, scorn and foppery toward the weakest,” Archbishop Slawoj Glodz of Gdansk told KAI. “So the Church will defend the weakest - this isn’t only its right, but also its duty.”

As speaker of the Polish parliament, Komorowski became acting head of state after the 10 April death of President Lech Kaczynski with 95 others in an air crash in Russia. Jaroslaw Kaczynski was the late president’s twin brother. Arrested several times in the 1970s for anti-communist activi-

US Bishop criticises rulings against Defence of Marriage Act

WASHINGTON (CNS)

- The chairman of the US Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for the Defence of Marriage on 12 July criticised a federal judge’s ruling in two Massachusetts cases that a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional.

“To claim that defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman is somehow irrational, prejudiced or even bigoted is a great disservice not only to truth but the good of the nation,” Archbishop Joseph E Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, said in a 12 July statement.

“Marriage exists prior to the state and is not open to redefinition by the state,” he explained. “The role of the state, instead, is to respect and reinforce marriage.”

The Archbishop’s comments came four days after US District Judge Joseph Tauro ruled that the Defence of Marriage Act is unconstitutional because it prevents the state from exercising its right to define marriage.

In the rulings, which only affect the law as it applies to Massachusetts, Tauro said the federal ban also violates the Equal Protection Clause; the plaintiffs had argued the US law discriminates against spouses.

Archbishop Kurtz argued that Tauro’s 8 July decision “uses the power of the state to attack the perennial definition of marriage, reducing it merely to the union of any two consenting adults. Only a man and a woman are capable of entering into the unique, life-giving bond of marriage, with all of its specific responsibilities. Protecting marriage as only the union of one man and one woman is not merely a legitimate but a vital government interest”.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office of General Council described Tauro’s rulings as “mistaken” because of the unique meaning of marriage and said “nothing in the Constitution forbids Congress from defining marriage - as that term is used in federal statutes, regulations and rulings - as the union of one man and one woman.”

ties, Komorowski was jailed with other Solidarity union supporters under martial law from 1981 to 1983. He became a member of parliament in 1991 after the restoration of democracy and served as defence minister from 2000-2001.

As presidential candidate for Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s business-linked Civic Platform, which favours free-market reforms and closer ties with the European Union, he failed to win outright in a 20 June vote.

Several Catholic commentators have criticised Komorowski for failing to back the Church on key issues, including its strong opposition to a government bill to allow state funding for invitro fertilisation.

The fabric of US society depends on the definition of marriage as remaining unchanged, Archbishop Kurtz said. “Nothing compares to the exclusive and permanent union of husband and wife,” he added. “The state has a duty to employ the civil law to reinforce - and, indeed, to privilege uniquely - this vital institution of society.

“The reasons to support marriage by law are countless, not least to protect the unique place of husbands and wives, the indispensible role of fathers and mothers and the rights of children, who are often the most vulnerable among us.”

PANORAMA

A roundup of events in the Archdiocese

Panorama entries must be in by 12pm Monday.

Contributions may be emailed to administration@therecord.com.au, faxed to 9325 4580, or mailed to PO Box 3075, Adelaide Terrace, Perth WA 6832.

FRIDAY, 16 JULY

Carmelite Feast – 75th Anniversary

11am at 100 Aldema Rd, Nedlands. A concelebrated Mass will be offered with Archbishop B Hickey as principal Celebrant for the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mt Carmel and we also celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the Monastery. All welcome. Light refreshments offered after Mass.

SATURDAY, 17 JULY  SUNDAY, 18 JULY

Change of date for Annual Retreat – Alliance of the Two Hearts

8am at St Peter’s Church, 91 Wood St, Inglewood. There will be talks by Fr Edgardo Arellano, Rosary, Confession and Holy Mass. BYO lunch. Enq: Vicky 0400 282 357 or Catalina 0439 931 151.

TUESDAY, 20 JULY AND TUESDAY, 3 AUGUST

Christian Life Community

7.30pm at Holy Rosary Parish Centre, Elizabeth and Tyrell Sts, Nedlands. We come together in small prayerful groups to support each other to live out Gospel values in our everyday lives. We explore how the spirituality pioneered by Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, can guide us in this. All welcome to attend one or both sessions. Enq: Judith 9387 8605 or Chiara 9284 4234.

WEDNESDAY, 21 JULY

Eastern Hills Catholic Mental Health Support Group

6-8pm at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Hall, 207 Lesmurdie Rd, Lesmurdie. Mrs Helen Dullard, CEO of the Hills Community Support Group, will address the topic What is in the Community to support people with mental health problems and their families. Participants are asked to bring a small plate of finger food. Enq: Ann 9291 6670 or Barbara 9328 8113.

THURSDAY, 22 JULY

The Infant Jesus Morley Catholic Mental Health Support and Wellbeing Group

7-8.30pm at the Infant Jesus Parish Hall, 47 Wellington St, Morley. Mr Gerry Smith will talk on Guilt and its benefits. Enq: Darren 9276 8500 or Barbara 9328 8113.

FRIDAY, 23SUNDAY, 25 JULY

Annual Marian Movement of Priests Lay Retreat 7pm at Redemptorist Retreat House, Vincent St, North Perth. Enq: 9300 8389.

SATURDAY, 24 JULY

Christian Meditation Community

10am-3.45pm at St Cecilia’s Parish Centre, Grantham and Kenmore Rd, Floreat. Does ‘spirituality,’ as it is often presented today avoid or evade the struggle for a more equal and just world? What is the link between ‘spirituality’ and human liberation? Presented by Fr Paschal Kearney. BYO Lunch. Tea and coffee provided. Donation $10. Enq: Marian 9387 4716 or christianmeditation@iinet.net.au.

SUNDAY, 25 JULY

Official Opening of St Anne’s Church

2.30pm at Hehir St, Belmont. Pontifical Mass with Archbishop Hickey to celebrate the feast of St Anne and the opening of the church for the Latin Mass Apostolate. Followed by afternoon tea. Enq: Fr Michael 9444 9604.

FRIDAY, 30 JULY

Medjugorje-Evening of Prayer

7pm at Our Lady Queen of Poland, 35 Eighth Ave, Maylands. An Evening of Prayer with Our Lady Queen of Peace with Adoration, Rosary, Benediction concluding with Holy Mass. Free DVD on Donald Calloway’s testi-

mony from life of sexual promiscuity, drugs and crime through to his conversion to the priesthood. Approximate conclusion 9pm. All warmly welcomed. Enq: Eileen 9402 2480 for Fr Bogoni.

SUNDAY, 1 AUGUST

Divine Mercy

1.30pm at St Francis Xavier Church, 25 Windsor St, Perth. An afternoon with Jesus and Mary. Fr Doug Harris will give homily on St John Vianney. Refreshments afterwards. Enq: John 9457 7771.

Caritas Australia - Family Fun Day

Be More Walk For Water

11am-1pm at Lake Monger, Lake Monger Dr, Leederville. Meet at Dodd St carpark near Speech and Hearing centre. There will be walkathon, music, face painting, sausage sizzle. Come prepared for the weather; bring buckets and tap water to keep hydrated. Enq: Caritas Australia 9422 7925.

TUESDAY, 3 AUGUST

Faith Enrichment Series

7.30-9pm at Applecross Parish Centre, 115 Ardross St, Ardross. Murray Graham will talk on Do You Want a More Loving and Resilient Family? The talk will make a crucial link between the Psychology and Spirituality of Resilience with some key research findings. Enq: Wim 0421 636 763.

SATURDAY, 7 AUGUST

Faith Enrichment Series

4-5.30pm at Applecross Parish Centre, 115 Ardross St, Ardross. Murray Graham will lead discussion Growing in Love and Silent Reflection on Deepening of Spirituality, link between Being Loved and Changing Behaviour, How to Grow in Love. Presentation followed by Mass. Donations. Enq: Wim 0421 636 763.

Day With Mary

9am-5pm at Our Lady of Grace Church, 3 Kitchener St, North Beach. Day of prayer and instruction based on the Fatima message. 9am Video, 10.10am Holy Mass, Reconciliation, Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic Adoration, Sermons on Eucharist and Our Lady, Rosaries and Stations of the Cross. BYO lunch. Enq: Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate 9250 8286.

FRIDAY, 13 AUGUSTSUNDAY, 15 AUGUST

Beginning Experience Weekend Programme

Separated, Divorced, or Widowed 7pm at Epiphany Retreat Centre, Rossmoyne. Beginning Experience is designed to assist and support people in learning to close the door gently on a relationship that has ended, in order to get on with living. Enq: Maureen 9537 1915 or Bev 9332 7971.

SATURDAY, 14 AUGUST

Divine Mercy 2.30pm at St Francis Xavier’s Church, Windsor St, East Perth. Healing Mass, main celebrant Fr Marcellinus Meilak OFM, followed by veneration of First Class Relic of St Faustina Kowalska. Reconciliation in English and Italian will be offered. Refreshments afterwards. Enq: John 9457 7771.

GENERAL NOTICES

Perpetual Adoration

Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is in its seventh year at Christ the King Church, Beaconsfield. Open 24 hours except at Mass times. All welcome. Enq Joe 9319 1169.

Perpetual Adoration

Sacred Heart Church, 64 Mary St, Highgate. All that is needed is for each one of us to be willing to spend one hour a week with Jesus so that all the hours are covered with one person in the Chapel. Available times, Monday 2-3am, 4-5am, Saturday 11am-12 noon, Tuesday 11am12 noon, Sunday 2-3pm, 3-4pm; Thursday 7-8pm. Enq Helen 9444 7962.

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

The Church of St Jude in Langford is seeking to put together a visit to Jordan, the Holy Land and Egypt, leaving 8 September 2010. The duration of pilgrimage is expected to be 15 days and could accommodate 28-30 people. Fr Terry Raj will be the Spiritual Director. Enq Matt 6460 6877, mattpicc1@gmail.com.

Archbishop Goody Award Applications

Award established by The Most Reverend Sir Lancelot Goody, KBE to further the lay apostolate in the Archdiocese of Perth by financing the formation, education and training of lay people. This year we are particularly interested in endeavours having to do with the Rite of Christian Initiation. Applications for the Award are to be submitted before 31 July 2010. Enq: Kim 9384 0598 or claremont@perthcatholic.org.au.

EVERY SUNDAY

Pilgrim Mass - Shrine of the Virgin of the Revelation 2pm at Shrine, 36 Chittering Rd, Bullsbrook. Commencing with Rosary followed by Benediction. Reconciliation is available before every celebration. Anointing of the Sick administered during Mass every second Sunday of the month. Pilgrimage in honour of the Virgin of the Revelation, last Sunday of the month. Side entrance to the church and shrine open daily between 9am-5pm. Enq SACRI 9447 3292.

EVERY SUNDAY AND MONDAY

Extraordinary Form of Latin Holy Mass 11am Sunday and 7.30pm Monday except 3rd Monday of the month, at St Joseph’s Parish, 20 Hamilton St, Bassendean.

EVERY FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE MONTH

Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood, Religious Life

2-3pm at Infant Jesus Parish, Wellington St, Morley. The hour includes Exposition of the Blessed Eucharist, silent prayer, Scripture and prayers of intercession. Come and pray that those discerning vocations to the Priesthood or Religious life hear clearly God’s loving call to them.

LAST MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH

Christian Spirituality Presentation

7.30-9.15pm at the Church hall behind St Swithan’s Anglican Church, 195 Lesmurdie Rd, Lesmurdie. Stephanie Woods will present The Desert Period of Christianity, 260 to 600AD. From this time period came the understanding of the monastic lifestyle and contemplative prayer. No cost. Enq Lynne 9293 3848.

EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT

Novena and Benediction to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

6pm at the Pater Noster Church, Marmion and Evershed Sts, Myaree. Mass at 5.30pm. Enq: John 0408 952 194.

EVERY WEDNESDAY

Holy Spirit of Freedom Community

7.30pm at The Church of Christ, 111 Stirling St, Perth. We are delighted to welcome everyone to attend our Holy Spirit of Freedom Praise Meeting. Enq 9475 0155 or hsofperth@gmail.com.

EVERY THURSDAY

Catholic Questions and Answers

7-7.30pm at St Joseph’s Parish Centre, 20 Hamilton St,

Bassendean. Catechesis learned easily with questions and answers. The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Adult learning and deepening of the Catholic Faith, with Fr John Corapi DVD series, 7.30-9pm.

EVERY FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH

Group 50 – Catholic Charismatic Renewal Prayer Meeting

7.30pm at Redemptorist Monastery, 190 Vincent St, North Perth. Prayer and Praise, Mass and the Sacrament of Anointing. All welcome.

FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH

Communion of Reparation All Night Vigil

All warmly invited 7pm-1am at Corpus Christi Church, Lochee St, Mosman Park. Mass, Rosary, Confession and Adoration. Enq Vicky 0400 282 357.

Mass for Vocations

7pm at the Sisters of the Poor, 2 Rawlins St, Glendalough. Celebrated by Fr Doug Harris, followed by Holy Hour and Benediction, refreshments will follow.

Healing Mass

7pm at St Peter’s Church, 93 Wood St, Inglewood. Benediction, Praise and Worship followed by Mass with Fr Sam and Fr Joseph Tran as celebrants, later fellowship. Enq: Priscilla 0433 457 352.

EVERY FRIDAY LUNCHTIME

Christian Meditation comes to the City

12.15-12.45pm at The Wesley Uniting Church, William and Hay Sts, Perth. Ecumenical Christian meditation as taught by Fr Laurence Freeman. All welcome. Enq: CMC WA 9444 5810, Anne 9335 8142 or christianmedittion@ iinet.net.au or www.christianmeditationaustralia.org.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

BIRTHS

Nikolas Perry Pejcinoski, 2.8kg and 48cm

Congratulations to the parents, Patricia and Danny for the healthy birth of their son Nikolas Perry. Heartfelt wishes and prayers from your friends at CYM and The Record.

BIRTHDAYS BAPTISMS MARRIAGES ANNIVERSARIES DEATHS IN MEMORIAL

MOHEN (Brother Pat) CFC. The Mohen Family wish to thank everyone for all your expressions of sympathy at the passing of Brother Patrick. “Fly into Godness, Free Spirit”.

Text only: $10.00 Text with photo: $20.00 Limit of 30 words per announcement.

To place an announcment in next week’s issue, please contact production@therecord.com.au.

Ph Nigel 9242 2952.

PERROTT PAINTING Pty Ltd

For all your residential, commercial painting requirements. Ph Tom Perrott 9444 1200.

PICASSO PAINTING Top service. Ph 0419 915 836, fax 9345 0505.

FURNITURE REMOVAL

ALL AREAS. Competitive Rates. Mike Murphy Ph 0416 226 434.

LAWN MOWING

WRR LAWN MOWING & WEED

SPRAYING Garden Clean Ups and Rubbish Removal Get rid of bindii JoJo and other unsightly weeds. Based in Tuart Hill. Enq 9443 9243 or 0402 326 637

BUSINESS

Business Opportunity

Work from Home - P/T or F/T, 02 8230 0290 or visit www.dreamlife1.com.

RELIGIOUS PRODUCTS

CATHOLICS CORNER Retailer of Catholic products specialising in gifts, cards and apparel for Baptism, Communion and Confirmation. Ph 9456 1777. Shop 12, 64-66 Bannister Rd, Canning Vale. Open Mon-Sat.

OTTIMO Convenient city location for books, CDs/DVDs, cards, candles, statues, Bibles, medals and much more. Shop 108, Trinity Arcade (Terrace level), 671 Hay St, Perth. Ph 9322 4520. Mon-Fri 9am-6pm.

RICH HARVEST YOUR CHRISTIAN SHOP Looking for Bibles, CDs, books, cards, gifts, statues, Baptism/Communion apparel, religious vestments, etc? Visit us at 39 Hulme Ct (off McCoy St), Myaree, Ph 9329 9889 (after 10.30am Mon to Sat). We are here to serve.

KINLAR VESTMENTS Quality hand-made and decorated vestments: Albs, Stoles, Chasubles, altar linen, banners etc. 12 Favenc Way, Padbury. By appointment only. Ph Vicki 9402 1318 or 0409 114 093.

SETTLEMENTS

ARE YOU BUYING OR SELL

ING real estate or a business? Why not ask Excel Settlements for a quote for your settlement. We offer reasonable fees, excellent service and no hidden costs. Ring Excel on 9481 4499 for a quote. Check our website on www.excelsettlements.com. SI NE

Truthful heart

Col 1:24-28 Hidden mystery Lk 10:38-42 One thing only

19 M Mic 6:1-4.6-8 Love tenderly

Gr

Mt 12:38-42 Like to see a sign

20 Tu St Apollinaris, bishop, martyr (0)

Gr Mic 7:14-15.18-20 Incomparable God

Ps 84:2-8 Revive us, God

Mt 12:46-50 Anxious relatives

21 W St Laurence of Brindisi, priest, doctor of the Church (0)

Gr Jer 1:1.4-10 I am with you

Ps 70:1-6.15.17 A rock to save me

Mt 13:1-9 Sower sows seeds

22 Th St Mary Magdalene (M)

Wh Song 3:1-4 I will seek him [Alt. 2 Cor 5:14-17 A new creation]

Ps 62:2-6.8-9 I will bless you

FOR SALE

ART FOR THE CATHEDRAL

www.margaretfane.com.au.

PEEKABOO CORNER Good quality & affordable branded kids’ clothing. For boys & girls 0 to 6 years. Don’t miss out 20% discount for first 20 customers. Errina: 0401 454 933. Email: peekaboo.corner@gmail.com or visit www.peekaboo-corner.blogspot. com.

ORGAN FOR SALE Old fashioned chamber organ. Wilcox and White. Meridian Gonn USA. Photo and details email:gschaefer@ amnet.net.au or call George on 08 9386 1695.

CHURCH KNEELERS

Pair of splendid jarrah three metre kneelers. Photo and details email: gschaefer@amnet.net.au or call George on 08 9386 1695. Your advertisement could be very effective here.

Jn 20:1-2.11-18 Mary! Rabbuni!

23 F St Bridget, religious (0)

Gr Jer 3:14-17 The Lord’s throne

Jer 31:10-13 Mourning into joy

Mt 13:18-23 Parable of the sower

24 S St Sarbel Makhluf, priest (0)

Gr Jer 7:1-11 Listen to God’s word

Ps 83:3-6.8.11 My king and my God!

Mt 13:24-30 Let them both grow

Ph Nigel 9242 2952.

PERROTT PAINTING Pty Ltd

For all your residential, commercial painting requirements. Ph Tom Perrott 9444 1200.

PICASSO PAINTING Top service. Ph 0419 915 836, fax 9345 0505.

FURNITURE REMOVAL

ALL AREAS. Competitive Rates. Mike Murphy Ph 0416 226 434.

LAWN MOWING

WRR LAWN MOWING & WEED

SPRAYING Garden Clean Ups and Rubbish Removal Get rid of bindii JoJo and other unsightly weeds. Based in Tuart Hill. Enq 9443 9243 or 0402 326 637

BUSINESS

Business Opportunity

Work from Home - P/T or F/T, 02 8230 0290 or visit www.dreamlife1.com.

RELIGIOUS PRODUCTS

CATHOLICS CORNER Retailer of Catholic products specialising in gifts, cards and apparel for Baptism, Communion and Confirmation. Ph 9456 1777. Shop 12, 64-66 Bannister Rd, Canning Vale. Open Mon-Sat.

OTTIMO Convenient city location for books, CDs/DVDs, cards, candles, statues, Bibles, medals and much more. Shop 108, Trinity Arcade (Terrace level), 671 Hay St, Perth. Ph 9322 4520. Mon-Fri 9am-6pm.

RICH HARVEST YOUR CHRISTIAN SHOP Looking for Bibles, CDs, books, cards, gifts, statues, Baptism/Communion apparel, religious vestments, etc? Visit us at 39 Hulme Ct (off McCoy St), Myaree, Ph 9329 9889 (after 10.30am Mon to Sat). We are here to serve.

KINLAR VESTMENTS Quality hand-made and decorated vestments: Albs, Stoles, Chasubles, altar linen, banners etc. 12 Favenc Way, Padbury. By appointment only. Ph Vicki 9402 1318 or 0409 114 093.

SETTLEMENTS

ARE YOU BUYING OR SELL

ING real estate or a business? Why not ask Excel Settlements for a quote for your settlement. We offer reasonable fees, excellent service and no hidden costs. Ring Excel on 9481 4499 for a quote. Check our website on www.excelsettlements.com. SI NE

Truthful heart

Col 1:24-28 Hidden mystery Lk 10:38-42 One thing only

19 M Mic 6:1-4.6-8 Love tenderly

Gr

Mt 12:38-42 Like to see a sign

20 Tu St Apollinaris, bishop, martyr (0)

Gr Mic 7:14-15.18-20 Incomparable God

Ps 84:2-8 Revive us, God

Mt 12:46-50 Anxious relatives

21 W St Laurence of Brindisi, priest, doctor of the Church (0)

Gr Jer 1:1.4-10 I am with you

Ps 70:1-6.15.17 A rock to save me

Mt 13:1-9 Sower sows seeds

22 Th St Mary Magdalene (M)

Wh Song 3:1-4 I will seek him [Alt. 2 Cor 5:14-17 A new creation]

Ps 62:2-6.8-9 I will bless you

FOR SALE

ART FOR THE CATHEDRAL

www.margaretfane.com.au.

PEEKABOO CORNER Good quality & affordable branded kids’ clothing. For boys & girls 0 to 6 years. Don’t miss out 20% discount for first 20 customers. Errina: 0401 454 933. Email: peekaboo.corner@gmail.com or visit www.peekaboo-corner.blogspot. com.

ORGAN FOR SALE Old fashioned chamber organ. Wilcox and White. Meridian Gonn USA. Photo and details email:gschaefer@ amnet.net.au or call George on 08 9386 1695.

CHURCH KNEELERS

Pair of splendid jarrah three metre kneelers. Photo and details email: gschaefer@amnet.net.au or call George on 08 9386 1695. Your advertisement could be very effective here.

Jn 20:1-2.11-18 Mary! Rabbuni!

23 F St Bridget, religious (0)

Gr Jer 3:14-17 The Lord’s throne

Jer 31:10-13 Mourning into joy

Mt 13:18-23 Parable of the sower

24 S St Sarbel Makhluf, priest (0)

Gr Jer 7:1-11 Listen to God’s word

Ps 83:3-6.8.11 My king and my God!

Mt 13:24-30 Let them both grow

THE LAST WORD

The terror of building cathedrals

St Mary’s Cathedral architect Peter Quinn said winning the George Temple Poole award was “a great honour” and a “wonderful climax” in his career because the Cathedral is such a “major iconic public building”.

But to work on the project was “terrifying,” he said, “because the Cathedral is so well known and such a frequently visited building”.

Mr Quinn won three major honours at the WA Architecture Awards on 25 June: the George Temple Poole Award for best piece of architecture overall, the Jeffrey Howlett Award for Public Architecture and the Architecture Award for Heritage.

He said light and glass were two key elements used to connect the 1865 and 1930 parts of the Cathedral with the 2010 connection.

The gothic characteristics of the original 1865 building were carried through in subsequent additions and renovations up to 1930.

In the gothic architectural tradition and in Peter Quinn’s work, light is a key feature.

“I always like having light. I introduce as much controlled light as possible into any building I do. Many of the parish churches I do have a lot of glass and an indooroutdoor connection.”

“The quantity of light coming in energises the interior of the building.”

Glass, the medium which transmits light, is prominent in St Mary’s, beginning with the glass front door showcasing metal filigree artwork and proceeding to the foyer where blue glass artwork hangs above the baptismal font. The font is also of glass.

In the centre of the Cathedral, the legs of the altar are of glass, as are the backdrops to the Stations of the Cross hanging in the

Peter Quinn is originally from Melbourne but moved to Perth in the early 70s after spending some time working overseas. He has spent the last 32 years working on Catholic churches, schools and prayer spaces.

His first church was Sts John and Paul, Willetton and his second was Infant Jesus, Morley. His third project was the Chapel at Kolbe Catholic College, which he says is “almost his favourite apart from the Cathedral”.

Mr Quinn also designed the non-

Architecture Award for Heritage

Edited Jury comments

“St Mary’s Cathedral is a place of considerable cultural heritage significance. Since its foundation in 1865, the Cathedral has been the heart of diocesan worship for the Roman Catholic community in Western Australia and, located on a prominent hilltop, has remained a Perth landmark. It is important for its aesthetic contribution to the core of historic buildings at the eastern end of Murray Street and is the centrepiece of a concentrated group of historic Catholic buildings around Victoria Square.

“The earliest fabric dating from 1865 was significantly altered in 1905, whilst plans for a new Cathedral in 1923 were only partially realised, awaiting completion by future generations.

“The brief for the restoration and completion of St Mary’s

Cathedral’s midsections. Coloured glass at the top edge of the tall windows in the 2010 addition and the prominent glass feature tabernacle screen are also part of the motif in the building.

Peter Quinn did not introduce the artificial coloured backlighting of the screen, but he did do the timberwork that forms its frame.

“I designed the shape of the timber screen to disguise the back access. There was a practical reason; it became the reservation

denominational worship centre at Murdoch University, St Bernadette’s parish church in Port Kennedy, St Vincent’s in Kwinana and reworked the existing church of Holy Family at Como. St Emilie’s in Canning Vale, which officially opened two months ago, along with the entire school was Mr Quinn’s most recent project.

“A modern church should look like a modern church,” he told The Record “I was educated on the maxim that form follows function.”

Cathedral required that the place continue to serve contemporary liturgical needs, expanding its capacity whilst providing excellent sight lights and acoustic environment, and preserving as much as possible of the earlier sections of the building.

“The design approach to expand the original narrow nave with gently curving transparent walls, contrasting the solid masonry of the early forms, has created a new light filled interior and contemporary ambiance. The loss of portions of the 1865 nave is regrettable. However, the jury considered that in making the new work clearly identifiable and simultaneously uniting the earlier and highly significant fabric of the place, the architect has produced a commendable response to the challenging brief. Attention to detailing and finishes and interpretation of traditional ecclesiastical elements display sensitivity to the spirit of the place.”

chapel and needed a suitable backdrop for the tabernacle,” he told The Record last week.

The use of artificial coloured lighting around the tabernacle, which changes colours according to the liturgical calendar, was the preference of the artists Peter Bowles and Anne Clifton.

Since there was no natural light, the tabernacle screen required the introduction of artificial light.

When asked to comment on how he might try to create a sense of the

divine when working on projects that involve creating prayer spaces, he said he tries to create a “mystique” through the architecture. “You try to invoke the transcendent. That’s why I use light. It’s a large space and I use light to create the focus on the altar. The aim is to create a beautiful space that is functional. It needs to be beautiful, otherwise it just becomes another community hall,” he said, adding - “beautiful without relying on the liturgical furnishings.”

George Temple Poole Award

Jury comments

“The completion of St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth is a major civic work which has been lovingly executed by a sole practitioner. Such an endeavour over a considerable period has required a complete commitment to one project. Whilst the architect is to be congratulated for his dedication to the task, it is the excellent result that has been achieved that is recognised by the George Temple Poole Award.

“Approximately 50 years ago when the liturgy of the Catholic Church was revised, it was necessary for the spaces within the church to respond to that revision. In a striking way, the now completed St Mary’s Cathedral has achieved that requirement and has done so in a manner which has produced a ‘today’ facility, which has recognised yesterday.

“The finished building tells its own story through the superb detailing and sensitive relationship of the old to the new.

“In short, the project has captured the impact of the work by noting that St Mary’s Cathedral is a delightful masterwork of public architecture, which must be recognised.”

Jeffrey Howlett Award for Public Architecture

Jury comments

“The jury found this project, the result of a limited design competition, to be an outstanding accomplishment in the realm of public architecture.

“The Cathedral and its grounds are open and welcoming to the city and its citizens. The architect’s design strategy of retaining the Cathedral in ‘a green square’ by carving out ground from beneath the building for other required facilities allows the maintenance of a delightful public park and a gathering place before and after services.

“The fragmented formations of the previous three stages developed over a period of 70 years have been skilfully bound together with great care and an exceptional level of detailing, the new work being simply and beautifully expressed.

“The planning approach achieved the required additional seating by changing the layout from a traditional linear nave to one in the round with the altar beneath the crossing.

“The realignment of entry sequences along Murray Street reconnects the axis of the Cathedral to that of the city and the layers of history, tradition, and construction are revealed in an excellent example of the application of the Burra Charter.

“St Mary’s Cathedral is a delightful masterwork of public architecture, which must be experienced.”