Catholic Life October 2011

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Catholic Life

Publication of the Diocese of Sale

Nigerians arrive in diocese - Page 3

ISSUE 155

October 2011

Officer campus under way - Page 8

World Mission feature - Page 11

Priest a man of few words Fr John Dunlea dies THE sudden death of Oblate priest Fr John Dunlea, 79, on September 26 came as a shock to many.

He had been suffering ill health for a long while and after treatment in Melbourne, he decided to return home to his beloved parishioners at Moe to spend his final days with them.

Three days later he was dead.

Fr John Dunlea OMI In life Fr Dunlea was a man of few words and so this shypriest would have been embarrassed at his funeral to hear the many words in his praise for his caring, pastoral nature.

He regarded his life as a missionary priest as nothing more than God’s work.

He had spent a total 23 years in Moe, 20 of them as parish priest, and was responsible for building St Kieran’s Church in the 1970s.

Moe was his home and the

Your gift will go on giving

people of Moe were his people – most of them migrants like himself.

At the requiem Mass at St Kieran’s on September 30, more than 40 clergy attended including a large number of Oblates.

Bishop Christopher Prowse was main celebrant, concelebrating with Oblate Provincial Fr Harry Dyer and Bishop Emeritus Jeremiah Coffey.

Fr Dunlea, grew up in Cork, Ireland, and attended primary school with Bishop Coffey.

After primary school, he started his working life in the office of a bakery where his father and two uncles had delivery rounds but a year later began his secondary schooling and finally entered the Oblate novitiate at Cahermoyle, Limerick, in 1952.

The following year he went to the major seminary at Piltown, Kilkkenny, where he studied philosophy and theology.

He was ordained a priest in 1957 and was asked to indicate three preferences of where he would like to be sent. He chose the Philippines, California and home mission but was stunned to find he was being sent to Western Australia.

Initially he was terribly home sick, especially when he found himself celebrating his first Christmas Mass on Rotnest Island off the West Australian coast.

He spent three and half years at Fremantle working with the last Italian migrant community and was then transferred to the rural parish of Lesmurdie, where again there was a large Italian migrant population working in the orchards.

Fr Dunlea came to Gippsland in 1966 when he took over as

MOE parishioners escort the coffin of Fr John Dunlea OMI to the hearse watched by the gathered clergy, including Bishop Christopher Prowse (centre) and Oblate Provincial Fr Harry Dyer (right). parish priest at Moe, which had 1985 he moved to Brisbane Cemetery. been run by the Oblates, since to become parish priest of the The funeral was attended by the parish was founded in 1949. newly establish Burpengary, Fr Dunlea’s sister and a niece Again he was surrounded by where he again oversaw build- who arrived from Ireland just a predominantly migrant popu- ing of its parish school. before he died. lation, most of them working He returned to Moe in 1995 for the State Electricity Com- and found it a much changed mission. town from the one he had left The parish celebrated Mass 23 years earlier. on the ground floor of St KiThe privatisation of the SEC eran’s School, so he set about had led to high unemployment building a new church for the and many young families had town. been forced to move away.

BISHOP of Sale Christopher At the time, it was an exFr Dunlea retired four years Prowse is currently in Rome to tremely modern design with ago and chose to remain in Moe meet with Pope Benedict XVI pews fanning out from the altar to support new parish priest Fr and report on the state of Sale and outside he had a large cross Bernie O’Brien.

Diocese. erected which could be seen In his younger days Fr DunThe Australian bishops flew from most parts of Moe. lea was a keen athlete and hurl- out at the weekend for their In 1972 Fr Dunlea left Moe ing player, but in Australia he five-yearly Ad Limina visits for the outskirts of Adelaide found a love of golf which nev- with the Pope and various diwhere he was first parish priest er left him, and he always tried castries. of the rapidly expanding Tea to fit in a couple of rounds of Such visits have been taking Tree Gully area. He also built golf a week. place for more than 1000 years the parish primary school while After his funeral, mourners with each diocese expected to there. gathered at Moe Racing Club, provide a detailed report.

From there it was six years while the cortege took his reBishop Prowse sent his 100 back in Lesmurdie, then in mains to Springvale Botanical page report earlier this year.

When you donate to the Bishop’s Family Foundation you can be assured that the money will be assisting families in need for many years to come. Donated funds are held in a trust account to go on earning interest year after year. It is the income from these investments which have led to more than $700,000 being to organisations running programs to assist families in Sale Diocese.

Send tax deductible donations to Bishop’s Family Foundation, PO Box 508, Sale, 3853 Phone 5144 6132 for more information

Bishop in Rome for Ad Limina

Page 2 - Catholic Life, October 2011

Please pray for your bishop on pilgrimage in Rome DURING much of the month of October I will be with other Australian bishops on our Ad Limina pilgrimage in Rome. Please pray for me.

It is an ancient pilgrimage. It dates back to at least Pope St Leo III (d.816).

It refers to a pilgrimage to the threshold of the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome.

Briefly, it stands for the visit bishops of a certain country periodically make to Rome and the Apostolic See. Our last Ad Limina Australian visit was in March 2004.

It will be an opportunity for me to make a spiritual renewal of the ministry given me as your Bishop – the Bishop of Sale. Also, there will be an opportunity to seek advice and encouragement from the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. It will be a real blessing to speak to him privately. I will also meet curial officials. Some months

To God’s People in the Catholic Diocese of Sale ago I submitted to the Vatican a report on the Diocese of Sale to assist these interviews.

As I renew my obedience and loyalty to the Vicar of Christ, I know your prayers and thoughts will strengthen and sustain me.

With the bishops of Australia in Rome, I will celebrate Mass in the basilicas of St Peter’s, St Paul’s, St John Lateran and St Mary Major.

We will visit various offices of the Vatican and discuss with many key Vatican personnel the state of the Church in Australia.

We will receive advice and encouragement.

This will strengthen the bonds of unity we share with the Holy

Father, the successor of St Peter, in the universal mission we share in making Jesus known and loved throughout the world.

I wish to involve the entire diocese in my Ad Limina visit. Your intercessory prayer for me would be a great gift. Together in some way we can experience afresh both the local and universal dimensions of the Catholic Church.

It will assist in appreciating what we pray in our Creed: that we are part of the “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church”.

Each one of these characteristics of the Church is vitally significant for us in understanding ourselves as Catholics (CCC 811-870).

It is the Bishop’s particular duty to strengthen this foundational Catholic identity in his service of unity in his diocese.

Be assured that I will pray for you constantly in these precious days of spiritual renewal.

The Diocese of Sale is blessed with so many graces of the Holy Spirit. As we move more to a missionary mode in our pastoral priorities in the future, I will seek the Lord’s blessing on all our plans.

May we place the future of our diocese into the hands of the Saviour and His Mother, Our Lady Help of Christians.

Thank you so much in anticipation of your prayer support, especially in October.

God bless and protect each one of you and your wonderful families. + Bishop Christopher Prowse Catholic Bishop of Sale

Bulldust infection floors green-thumbed chancellor CHANCELLOR Fr Brian O’Connor considers himself lucky to be alive after a severe bacterial infection be believes he contracted from dust inhaled while putting some flowers into pots.

He purchased the plants in Rosedale and repotted them into wire baskets at home, using a bag of commercially marketed composted cow manure.

Two days later he came down with flu-like symptoms and got sicker and sicker.

His doctor originally prescribed tablets for the potentially fatal legionella virus but after his health continued to decline, blood tests revealed his body was wreaked by a bacterial infection.

DIOCESE OF SALE

Levels of the bacteria in his blood was 138.2 compared a normal reading of 3.0 and he was put on tablets and oral drops to kill the bacteria.

Fr O’Connor said that at time he felt near to death and was anointed by both Bishop Prowse and Fr John Speekman.

“I was so sick that I was willing to lay down and die.”

He went down to the archives office to collect some papers and discovered to his horror that one of the hot water heaters had developed a hole and flooded everything.

On the way home he went shopping and put the groceries on the back seat. At home he found he could not reach them from the driver’s side, so

Catholic Life

PO Box 183, Sale. Vic. 3853 Phone: (03) 5144 6132 Fax: (03) 5144 3855 catholiclife@sale.catholic.org.au www.sale.catholic.org.au

he went around to the passenger side door and it was then he spied the half used bag of cow manure on the garage floor.

It jogged his memory and he realised that it was the likely cause of his bacterial infection.

His doctor agrees it was probably the cause.

He said he was annoyed that the website for the supplier of the product does not carry warnings of the dangers of using the product.

Fr O’Connor has lost 10kg in weight and while his bacterial blood count has dropped to the low 20s, it is still seven times normal, and he has been suffering circulation problems in his legs.

He said he could see God’s

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REPOTTING these flowers caused a major infection. presence in all of what had gone on and he certainly felt much closer to Jesus through his illness.

He said he believed that God had answered his prayers to be rescued from the infection and may have had a hand in the flooding of the office. Had it not been for the shopping trip after discovering the flooded office, he might never have been reminded of repotting the flowers.

The flood also had another

upside because it would enable him to set up the archives in the way they should have been laid out originally.

“I will forever be grateful to God and I will never cease thanking him for the unique way that he has helped me.”

And a final warning to other gardeners, “Wear a face mask when handling potting mix or dried manures to avoid inhaling the dust.”

Editor: Colin Coomber Published monthly except January.

Deadline for advertising copy and editorial contributions for next issue is Monday October 31.

Issues distributed free through parishes and schools from November 9.

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Catholic Life, October 2011 - Page 3

Nigerian priests aim to repay Morwell parish the missionary spirit priest announced CARMELITE priest Fr Hugh Brown has been announced as parish priest of Morwell parish.

Bishop Christopher Prowse announced the appointment last week after discussions with his consultors.

The Morwell position has been filled by a series of administrators since 2003 when Fr John Speekman was removed

by Bishop Jeremiah Coffey.

Fr Brown, who is also parish priest of Churchill, has been the administrator of Morwell since the start of this year and will now reside at Sacred Heart presbytery.

He was ordained in Wentworthville, NSW, by Cardinal Edward Clancy in 1975 and served five years as prior of the Carmelite Theological College at Donvale.

He was a senior lecturer at Macauley College, Brisbane for four years, before serving six years as principal of Whitefriars College, Donvale.

He was parish priest at Middle Park and Port Melbourne before coming to Sale Diocese, originally to work in the Catho-

lic Education Office.

He has been Churchill parish priest since the end of 2006 and was chaplain to Monash University from 2008 to 2010.

Assistant priest at Morwell and Churchill will be the newly arrived Fr Francis Otobo.

In other announcements Fr Speekman has been appointed assistant priest at the cathedral parish, Sale.

Fr Joseph Abutu has been made assistant priest at Leongatha-Korumburra but will live in Cranbourne until December when Fr Peter Kooloos returns from sabbatical leave.

Fr Anura Gamlath has returned to Sri Lanka after three months in Sale Diocese.

He had never sought to come to Australia but had been convinced by his bishop to serve three years here after previously refusing the opportunity.

Homesickness and inability to cope with Australia’s winter temperatures were the catalyst for his return.

Fr Gamlath flew back to Sri Lanka a fortnight ago after meeting with Bishop Prowse.

FR Joseph Abutu (left) and Fr Francis Otobo.

TWO new priests from Otukpo Diocese in Nigeria have arrived in Sale Diocese and have spent the past two weeks acclimatising.

Fr Francis Otobo, and Fr Joseph Abutu, were selected by Bishop Christopher Prowse during his visit to Nigeria last year and are part of an exchange of gifts between the two dioceses.

The Nigerians priests will serve here for three years.

Both are keen to serve as missionary priests in Sale Diocese to bolster priest numbers here as a way of repaying the many European missionaries which took the faith to Africa.

Fr Otobo, 37 last week, has had first hand experience of that missionary zeal as he became a Christian in his teens.

He grew up in an extended

family in which his father had five wives and 15 children. His mother had three sons to his father and she has also become a Catholic.

He said that it was once common for men to have many wives in Nigeria but was lesscommon nowadays. There was no law against it but with the Catholic Church disapproving, the custom was quickly changing.

He was ordained a priest at St Francis Cathedral, Otukpo, in 2001.

Fr Abutu, 35 next month, also grew up in a rural area but his family was already Catholic.

He has two sisters and three brothers and was ordained a priest three years ago in St Francis Cathedral, Otukpo, by the current Bishop of Otukpo, Michael Apochi.

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Page 4 - Catholic Life, October 2011

Children knit to save lives

Beware of scam

BEWARE of a scam which comes in by email, purporting to be from a priest in dire need of money because of some circumstance which has occurred while overseas.

We get them from time to time in this office but it has been drawn to attention by a reader that she has received an email supposedly from a priest who used to be in this diocese asking for money.

She forwarded some money and was attempting to abort the transfer after her husband alerted her to the likelihood of a scam.

In this case it appears that a scammer had gained access to the priest’s contact list, so if you get a request such as this ignore it.

Under the stars

OUR bishop was been interviewed for at official World Youth Day website because he was deemed to be one of a handful of bishops who chose to sleep out with pilgrims rather than sleep in comfort of a hotel room.

The bishop weathered the storm with our Sale Diocese pilgrims but managed only 3-4 hours sleep.

Ah, yes, auto PRIEST purchase a new shredder for his office after his old one stopped working.

New one didn’t work either but then he discovered that the choice of settings was reverse,

off and auto. In other words the shredder did not run unless a piece of paper was inserted in it.

For some reason, when the old one was turned on it would run continually, which he thought was normal, but had corrected itself which led him to think it was broken.

The priest now has two shredders, both working perfectly in auto mode.

Junk is valued

WE have just had hard rubbish collections in the Sale area and it is interesting to see the opportunists who scrounge the items dumped on nature strips.

Judging by the number of televisions and computer screens outside some houses, they must go around town collecting them, check whether they work, and if not, dump them outside.

Old computers are often just raided for their hard drives or memory chips, then tossed out again.

Scrap metal must be commanding good prices at the moment, judging by the number of people we saw just collecting anything made out of steel or aluminium.

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MORWELL - Some senior children from Sacred Heart Primary School in Morwell have joined a knitting club.

The students of the knitting club with the great support of the school and parish community have completed 50 blankets for the Save the Children - Born to Knit campaign.

As well as the enjoyment and satisfaction of learning a new skill and completing an item, the children have given their time to help other children who are not quite as privileged as they are.

These blankets will be distributed to new born babies in Malaysia.

The social interaction between the children and the adults involved in the knitting sessions is very positive and has ensured that the knitting club will continue to meet and create items for other worthwhile causes.

WRAPPED in their warm rugs are the senior children from Sacred Heart Primary with their knitting instructors Mrs Sertori and Mrs Tumney.

The pain of loneliness IN an attempt to describe his own struggle with loneliness, Van Gogh wrote to his brother, Theo: “One may have a blazing hearth in one’s soul, yet no one ever comes to sit by it. Passersby see only a wisp of smoke rising from the chimney and continue on their way.”

It is an extraordinarily powerful image, especially when one considers just how painful and isolating loneliness can be.

Every so often we read of someone dying alone, sometimes not discovered for weeks or even months after their death. Why did no-one miss them? Did no-one call on them? Did they have no family, no friends, no partner? What is sometimes even more distressing is that we discover that they did have family – Eric Bogle’s song about Clare Campbell was written because her body was not discovered for 12 months. She lay alone in that house despite the fact that she had family living in the same town. But what of her neighbors, the others in her street?

There are many faces to loneliness – even those on a crowded street, in the middle of the workplace, in the heart of the family can suffer from this predicament. Sometimes there seems no rhyme or reason why this should occur. But it does.

Cell phones and text messages, e-mails and Web sites, smart phones and Skype have possibly made us more connected, but less communicative; more contactable, but less present to each other, less aware of each other; more reachable and yet somehow so much more isolated.

There is so much noise now, so many ceaseless opportunities for entertainment or distraction, that I wonder whether we realise that there are many lonely people close by – we may be even less aware of our own isolation, less sensitive of our need for the company of others and therefore less sensitive and aware of those same needs in others.

Mother Teresa wrote that

Reflections

by Jim Quillinan “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.” But being less aware of others makes us poor too!

Our current way of living does encourage a state of ‘disconnectedness’ – superficially we don’t need others as we once did, our easy mobility encourages us to feel we don’t need to belong to a particular community, we are not reliant on them for company or entertainment.

We can travel easily, cocooned in our car, looking out at the world as we pass by.

We can become cocooned from our need for each other; our air-conditioned houses and places of work can isolate us from nature itself, isolated or unaware of our need for God. Jesus became one of us – from first-hand experience He knows our strengths, our weaknesses, our needs and desires. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of these needs in very, very vivid terms.

We will be judged, he said, on how sensitive we are to those needs, how we relate to others, how we care for each other. Jesus identifies with the weak, the lonely, the sick, the suffering.

I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ He adds, ‘I tell you, just as you did do it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.’

Matthew 25:31-46.

It is a very timely message.

The focus on ourselves, on satisfying our own needs and desires can trigger a deep loneliness.

Jesus message is very clear

- it is in reaching out to others that we find fulfilment and happiness. Happiness does not always come about by satisfying our own needs. Loneliness can teach us a very profound, although not always pleasant lesson.

It is in reaching out to others that we find ourselves, that we are at our best, that we express our real nature, it is in reaching out to others that we find God. All of us at some time or other will feel the pain of loneliness – it is part of our longing for God. But it can be a good master.

It can teach us to be sensitive to those who are fellow sufferers, sensitive to those who feel that they are unwanted and unwelcome.

They wait for someone to come and break into the suffering of their loneliness, the walls around them created by their feelings of being unwelcome, unworthy and inadequate .

They are not always those who are locked away, or abandoned in a lonely house.

They might well be beside you – in your street, in your workplace, in the places where we travel, in the places where we worship.

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Catholic Life, October 2011 - Page 5

Priest on extended leave FR Jacob Thadathil has been placed on administrative leave for an unspecified period of time.

A statement from Bishop Prowse advising Foster and Yarram parishioners was read at Masses on the weekend of October 1-2 by Fr Michael Willemsen.

Bishop Prowse said Fr Thadathil had been placed on leave so he could attend totally to some personal issues in his life.

He invited parishioners to join him in praying for Fr Thadathil in the time ahead.

Vicar-general Fr Peter Slater was last week appointed administrator pro-tem of the two parishes and weekend Masses will be celebrated by Traralgon assistant priest Fr Mathew Kannalayil.

Vocations director announced SALE Diocese has a new vocations director.

Fr Darek Jablonski’s appointment was announced last week

by Bishop Christopher Prowse.

Fr Jablonski, assistant priest at Cranbourne, is our most newly ordained priest and is extremely popular with younger people.

He replaces Deacon Tony Aspinall who has held the position for about 18 months.

Fr Jablonski has also been appointed youth chaplain for the diocese.

I do not fear tomorrow for I have seen today

Family Foundation gives $98,200 THE Bishop’s Family Foundation has allocated $98,200 to charities supporting families in Gippsland and the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Largest recipient is Centacare Gippsland which received $60,000 for three major projects.

Centacare Gippsland received funding for two ROCASS programs, one serving the Maffra, Heyfield and Rosedale areas, and the other servicing the Bairnsdale and East Gippsland area.

The programs will provide a flexible model of counselling support for individuals, couples, families and groups.

It also received funding for counselling services in the Warragul and Pakenham areas.

Centacare requested funding of $92,000 for its three projects indicating the level of need in the community.

It’s allocation is double what it received last year from the Bishop’s Family Foundation and is partially in response to a reduction in funding from government sources. The foundation funded 11 projects out of 20 which applied for funding from the annual disbursements.

The disbursements bring the total amount given to charities running programs for families to $775,000.

All the money has come from interest earned on investment of

donated funds which have all been retained by the foundation.

The successful applicants: Centacare Gippsland, CENCO and ROCASS programs across Gippsland, $60,000; Gippsland Uniting Care, Sale, activity

program, $2400; Good Beginnings Australia, Moe, education discussion groups, $3000; Interchange Gippsland, Moe, volunteer recruitment, $4000; St Vincent de Paul, Berwick, upgrade to soup van freezer, $3000; St Vincent de Paul,

educational expenses, $8000; St Vincent de Paul, Pakenham, back to school expenses and fuel vouchers, $3800; St Vincent de Paul, Newborough, tertiary education sponsorship, $9000.

Encouraging fitness and fun BERWICK - Students from St. Michael’s Catholic Primary School in Berwick have embraced the opportunity to run in a “joggers club”.

A number of students elect to push their limits and run extra laps each time they attend the non-compulsory, before school, running program which has provided a chance for the students to increase their running strength and fitness.

Collectively, this group has run a total of 9668 laps of the school’s oval which equates to the equivalent of running a relay from Berwick to Nambucca Heads in New South Wales.

The volunteer parents, who attend each week to assist with the program, expressed their happiness to work with such an enthusiastic group of children.

Physical Education teacher, Karen Hughes commented “how proud she is of all the students because they are having fun and also having a go”.

ST Michael’s students running on the school’s impressive synthetic track.

New vicar for religious in Sale Diocese SR Margaret Brown RSJ, pastoral assistant at Yarram, has been appointed Vicar for Religious for Sale Diocese.

She replaces Sr Doreen Dagge RSJ who has taken up an appointment in Western Australia.

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Page 6 - Catholic Life, October 2011

Changing education: New wine, old wine skins EARLIER this year, I was driving through northern Victoria, amazed to see hundreds of acres of farmland growing rows and rows of wine grapes.

It was extraordinary to think that just a few years ago, all these acres would have been under sheep and cereal crops.

What a huge decision it is for a property owner to make such a change! It involves learning new knowledge and skills, purchasing expensive new equipment, developing new marketing strategies and networks.

It would also be a challenge, I am sure, to let go of the old, into which much time and effort, perhaps even generations of family tradition, have been invested.

It would mean letting go of substantial financial investment, in sheds, equipment, transport, yards, etc. that would no longer be needed. Indeed, much of that investment might now be sitting idle on those properties.

Then it would mean spending many dollars investing in new infrastructure. Even more dramatically for the farmer, such a radical change may involve the heart-breaking decision to sell a property that had been in the family for generations.

A new crop, in a new mar-

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ket, requires radically different forms of infrastructure as the owner embarks on what is essentially a fundamentally different task. It is a case of new wine needing new wine skins.

The old wine skins would not work. (Mt 9:17) On further thought, it struck me that school systems are very much like that. As the years have unfolded, things have changed in fundamental ways.

Society has expected very different things from its schools.

Yet, for all those changes, school systems still look very much the same as they did decades ago. There is new wine, so to speak, but the wineskins are old.

Quite recently, I came across a book by American academic, Clayton Christensen, called Disrupting Class. (New York, McGraw Hill, 2008). Despite what the title might suggest, it is not a book about naughty children!

Rather, it is a book that suggests that, as the function of the school system has changed over time, the way that system works must be disrupted to enable it to meet its new challenges.

This disruption is very similar to the disruption the farmer would experience as he or she moves from wool and fat lamb production to wine, for example.

Now, while this book addresses the American public school context and, in fact, admits to making some broad generalisations that mask important details and exceptions, there are clear parallels to be found here in Australia.

In brief, Christensen argues that school systems and schools themselves have been extraordinarily successful in developing to meet the constantly changing demands that society places on them.

He suggests that, “schools have been required to do the equivalent of rebuilding an airplane (sic) in mid flight.” He argues that, in private enterprise, if dramatic changes in purpose were required, as he demonstrates they were in the USA over the past 200 or so years, entirely new businesses would have to be created.

That is because existing structures find it very difficult to make radical changes to themselves. However, he points out that schools and systems have managed to do that quite often and to do it successfully.

A similar argument can be

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Talking Catholic Education

with Peter Ryan

mounted here in Australia. In early colonial times, schools were established to “tame” children, to build an orderly society, conscious that its roots were actually in a convict society.

Schools were small and very few went beyond the early years of primary school. Education was an option available to relatively few.

As our nation grew through the 19th and into the 20th centuries, society made ever changing demands; the goal posts kept moving and schools moved successfully to line up those new goal positions.

The later years of the 19th century, saw the Education Acts, which made schooling “Free, Compulsory and Secular” – all three resulting in a completely different approach to school education and a very much wider clientele.

Structurally, it also led to the establishment of our Catholic schools – but that is a different part of the story. The Education Acts changed the goal posts.

School systems were disrupted.

They had to change the way they worked.

Over time we have moved from “taming” youngsters, to making them active contributors to society and the economy.

More and more people needed access to secondary school, though it was certainly not for everyone.

When the school leaving age was 14, I remember a significant number of pupils in my own primary and secondary classes of the late 1950s and early 1960s who were very clearly just filling in time and taking up classroom space until they turned 14 and could leave to get a job.

In those days, many of them still managed to make real successes of their lives.

Even those of us who stayed into secondary school at that time were offered a very narrow curriculum.

In the Catholic boys’ secondary school I attended in the 1960s, I had a choice of either maths-science or humanities.

That was all! Two choices!

Some who were considered less academic had the option of “tech schools” where choices were basically woodwork or metalwork. How different today! Society’s expectations have changed dramatically. The goal posts moved again.

A look at our VELS framework shows how broad is the learning offered in schools and, to look at the list of options available in the senior years of our secondary schools, is quite mind boggling.

One more set of goal posts was added, particularly during the 20th century. Schools became the means by which people were sorted into different

social classes.

One set of results from one set of schools ensured that there were plenty of people to take on the low paid, less desirable roles in the workforce and in society.

A different set ensured that there were people to take the roles of doctors and lawyers, as members of a “higher” class.

Of course, there were and still are exceptions, but the barriers remain very high.

Another way of looking at this “sorting” role carried by school systems, is to realise that it did not much matter, at that time, if a pupil “failed” at school (that is filled in time to leave on the 14th birthday!).

In fact, society needed such “failures” to fill its lower order roles. School systems today still carry some of that “social sorting” function in our society.

Now, though, emphasis is changing again. Now, it is expected that every child will have the opportunity to fulfil his or her potential. That was certainly not language I heard when I was a student at school.

“Failure” at school is not an option any more. Now, parents scan web sites and interview principals to find the “right” school for their child.

Schools are pushed into competition with one another and that competition is promoted and facilitated by such government initiatives as national testing and the MySchool website.

We have new wine that needs a new wine skin. But the way our school systems are structured look is the same as it was fifty or more years ago.

Through all these changes, it was not as though schools stopped meeting one set of expectations while they “tooled up” to meet another.

Rather, these new expectations were accepted as additional to those already existing.

It was as though school systems were kicking for two or even more sets of goal posts at the same time – and were expected to score on them all.

Schools have always dealt with moving goal posts, and will continue to deal with them.

But it does require new approaches, new systemic structures.

Teachers in schools are making amazing efforts to meet those changing goals. Some are flying; some are floundering.

But an outmoded system structure so often gets in the way. It remains a constant challenge to us all.

The traditional way that our school system is structured, a structure that we have inherited from previous days when the goals were different, will just not do it anymore.

We still have a school system today built on a “cages for ages” approach, one that sees pupils move through the school according to age, rather than through interest or level of knowledge.

It is a system that requires children to go to the nearest school, regardless of what it offers. It is a system that requires teachers to teach the same thing in the same way at the same time to a whole block of pupils who happen to have been born in about the same year and live in about the same vicinity.

While primary schools have greater flexibility and many are doing great work moving to create the necessary new structures, even within what is essentially a restrictive system, it is much more difficult in the secondary school.

There, despite extraordinary efforts to broaden the curriculum, the system places much greater restriction.

Yet, as young people mature in secondary schools, their needs and interests tend to be far more differentiated than those of primary children. But it is in secondary schools that the “cages for ages” is most evident.

I suggest that there needs to be a disruption to our schooling system just as there has been a disruption to those old sheep properties with which we began. We need to find new wine skins for our new wine.

This column raises a question rather than suggests an answer.

What that answer looks like is yet to be determined.

Christensen believes that the answer lies in technology. He may well be right.

I have every confidence that the answer will come from the commitment and creativity of teachers and schools. But by then the goal posts may have shifted again. I wonder what our new wineskins will look like then.

There are similar issues with changing goal posts in the realm of religious education, too, but that will have to wait until next month.

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Catholic Life, October 2011 - Page 7

Superannuation – many ways to wrap the assets!

I OFTEN have discussions with investors and clients who are worried about their assets in superannuation.

In times like these there are more discussions, and in many cases, more worry, too. These discussions are interesting, where investors sometimes blame the managers for volatility and sometimes blame the assets for the same, and sometimes the structure. Yet in any case it would be a combination of all three.

There is never a perfect answer to any investment question. Because we deal with the future all the time we can make educated forecasts, and get them right about as often as the weather bureau does.

Growth assets are business and property. Any other growth asset will be a variation on this – either property trusts or shares or derivatives of these.

Then we have the conservative investments – fixed interest and fixed interest equity investments such as Converting Notes and Preference Shares.

These are Stock Exchange listed investments that either pay interest (Converting Notes) or dividends (Preference Shares).

Term Deposits at banks and Credit Unions would fall into this category. “Secured Investments” through solicitors and similar companies are a mortgage based fixed interest investment.

These investments will pay

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a rate of return, but will never expect them to grow your capital. By nature their capital value is stable and you will need to equate their return with your tax rate and inflation to determine what return you’re really getting.

The more growth assets you have, the more your portfolio will grow over time but you will experience a far greater degree of volatility. Investors currently will be wondering about the length of time but the volatility is self evident, even with residential real estate. Usually in a super fund we try to have some of both classes of assets to reduce the volatility and underpin reliability of returns.

We also have what we call alternative investments – currency funds (foreign exchange), hedge funds and the like. These will use options, collaterised debt securities and credit swaps and other synthetic investments to attempt to guarantee a return whatever happen in their markets. Some alternative asset funds have a capital guarantee should an investor maintain their investment for a agreed

length of time. This can be done by investing most of the capital in a fixed interest investment and leveraging the rest in highly aggressive products to try to maximise growth. Some managers do it better than others!

However, in superannuation, the management is all important. Large retail funds (AMP, Colonial etc) will be using all manner of investments depending on the investor choices (balanced, growth, conservative etc). For this they obviously charge a fee and use investment managers. Industry superannuation funds also use the same investments. They also charge a fee and in some cases higher costs of investing which you don’t see. And yet, nearly all the same investments are available to the individual investor, usually for a lower fee and quite often a lower investment cost and smaller ongoing costs, too.

Some clients who run their own funds or have them run through investment advisers are looking to go into industry funds to reduce volatility. Some want to go to major retail funds to do the same. Some members

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of retail funds want to move to self managed funds. It’s a case of “the grass is greener somewhere, anywhere, else”.

The reality of the situation is that where you have a choice of investments – and that’s greatest in a self managed fund – it’s the investments that you choose that determines your returns and volatility. It’s not how you wrap the assets that’s important, but the assets that you’re wrapping.

Choose the options that will let you sleep at night but

will still get you to where you want to go. If you’re looking at changing your superannuation structure, take a look at what investments you have in the one you’ve got and see if there’s a better choice of investment.

• This report is intended to provide general advice. In preparing this advice, David Wells and RBS Morgans did not take into account the investment objective, the financial situation and particular needs of any particular person.

Before making an investment decision on the basis of this advice, you need to consider, with or without the assistance of an adviser, whether the advice is appropriate in light of your particular investment needs, objectives and financial circumstances.

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Page 8 - Catholic Life, October 2011

Seminarian on slow mend in hospital SEMINARIAN Tao Pham is showing good signs of recovering from septicaemia which has led to him spending months in intensive care.

He is looking much improved and while still in hospital as he recovers, he is now able to speak again.

He was interested to have the last Catholic Life read to him, particularly the pages about World Youth Day and the update on his health.

Tao wished to thank the bishop, priests, religious and everyone in the diocese for their prayers and support.

He said “Tell everyone I am surviving in St Vincent’s but still in need of more prayers and support, and I hope to be in good health soon but it is taking a long time and everyone’s prayers and support is appreciated. Please keep praying for me.”

Tao also said he was very happy all the WYD pilgrims came back from Madrid after having wonderful experiences. He was disappointed he was unable to go but hopes to attend the next WYD with the young people in the diocese.

Although still in hospital he has been going step by step in faith and following their activities and pilgrimage.

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New Officer SFX campus is under way

By Maree Chapman OFFICER - St Francis Xavier College reached an exciting milestone in the college’s history when Bishop of Sale, Christopher Prowse officially turned the first sod on the land for the construction of the college’s new campus in Officer.

The new junior campus will open in 2012 and is located on the northern side of the Princes Highway and Cardinia Road intersection, bordered by Majestic Drive and Grandview Boulevard.

The new campus will answer the need for a Catholic secondary college to cater for the growth in the Beaconsfield /Pakenham area and will be more easily accessible than the current Berwick campus for students living in the areas of Pakenham, Officer, Beaconsfield and Koo Wee Rup .

Construction of stage one of the new campus is currently due to begin by Devco Project and Constructions. The foundation Year 7 students of the Officer campus will be based at the Beaconsfield campus until they move to their new site mid 2012.

The first intake of students in 2012 at the Officer campus will cater for an anticipated 150 students in Year 7 and over the next three years enrolments will expand to include Years 8 and 9 to replicate the college’s current Berwick campus model. Students in years 10, 11 and 12 will continue to attend the St Francis Xavier senior campus in Beaconsfield.

College deputy principal Margaret Blythman will be the first head of the Officer campus.

Mrs Blythman has held various positions of leadership in her nine years at the St Francis Xavier College and is currently director of learning and VCE .

The Officer campus will be further facilitated by the new railway site at Lakeside which is rapidly approaching con-

BISHOP Christopher Prowse ceremonially turns the first sod at the site of the new Officer campus of St Francis Xavier College, watched by (from left) college vice captains Lucan Macreadie and Cassie Gawley, head of Officer campus Margaret Blythman, college principal Paul Desmond, Pakenham parish priest Fr Bernard Mahoney, college captains Michaela Foy and Bradley Abela. struction and the installation of traffic lights at the Princes highway and Cardinia Rd intersection.

This will be the third new development born from the original Beaconsfield campus after St Peter’s College, Cranbourne, and the junior campus in Ber-

AS Bishop Prowse attends his first ad limina visit to the Vatican since becoming Bishop of Sale, he has asked the diocesan community to become involved.

Vatican instructions make it plain to bishops that the best preparation is spiritual.

The instructions says each

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witnessed an incredible growth story in the 33 years since its establishment when it began with 72 students and has grown to a projected student population of over 2000 students in 2012.

Bishop urges everyone to be part of his ad limina visit

Reflect On Your Life

For more information contact:

wick.

A second Catholic primary school for St Patrick’s Parish, Pakenham, will also be included in the new development and is to be situated on the adjoining site with a projected opening for 2014.

St Francis Xavier college has

bishop will “undoubtedly sense the need to involve the entire diocesan community in reflection and prayer” on behalf of the action he is to perform in the good of the Church.

Bishop Prowse has asked people to pray with him and each other that the ad limina visit will be fruitful and spiritually enlivening for the Church, both locally and universally.

There are two basic purposes prescribed for an ad limina visit and these are to venerate the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and to meet with the Successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome (Pope).

Bishop Prowse said pilgrimages to the tombs had been practised from the earliest Christian times and they continued to hold deep spiritual meaning and significance for Church communion.

It was for this reason that these practices were institutionalised for bishops.

The pilgrimage and veneration of the tombs express the unity of the Church, founded by the Lord on the Apostles and built upon by Peter, their head, with Jesus as the chief cornerstone, together with His gospel of salvation for all people.

He said the meeting with the Pope served to consolidate unity in the same faith, hope and charity.

It also allowed the immense heritage of spiritual and moral

values that the whole Church, in communion with the Bishop of Rome, had spread throughout the world, to be better known and appreciated.

Bishop Prowse said an ad limina visit was also a sign of communion between the particular Churches that made up the Church in Australia today and the Apostolic See. This could be best done by an exchange of information and a mutual sharing of pastoral experiences, initiatives and plans for working and living.

He said there was value in group discussions in which each bishop could share in the spirit of collegiality, strengthening bonds of unity and instruments of service.

This could be achieved through visits to the various Vatican congregations and other organisations, which in various ways were responsible for serving the Church and its mission.

Bishop said there was also the private meeting with the Pope which fostered a complete openness and aimed to enlighten the consciousness of bishops regarding their duty to announce the Gospel everywhere.

He said the ad limina helped remind us that while the Church in Australia was young and vibrant, it was also deeply a part of the rich history, apostolic tradition and loving leadership of the universal Church.

Catholic Life, October 2011 - Page 9

One human family at Migrant and Refugee Mass

By Regina T Abraham NARRE WARREN – September 11 was a day that the whole world remembered for the sad events that changed our way of life a decade ago.

In a spirit of love and unity, the Diocese of Sale came together on this day, for the second time to celebrate Migrant and Refugee Sunday with the theme “One Human Family�.

The host parish this year was Our Lady Help of Christians, Narre Warren.

People from all the far reaching parts of the docese attended the Mass and it was a colorful event with many nationalities of the world represented by their flags, national costumes, languages and cuisine.

The ceremony began with a

procession of the people holding the flags of many countries.

They made a guard of honor for the Bishop, 10 priests and two deacons both at the start and the end of Mass.

The readings for the Mass and the prayers of the faithful were chosen from the countries of East Timor, Pakistan, Nigeria, Sudan, India, Indonesia and Poland giving preference to the countries that did not get a chance to pray in their language last year.

The Islander community brought in the lectionary with traditional dance and music just before the Liturgy of the Word.

As children of one Father, the Our Father was recited by all in their own native language.

In his homily Bishop Prowse, mentioned that we are all Mi-

WEARING garlands of flowers during the Mass are Fr Brendan Hogan. Narre Warren (left) and Fr Denis O’Bryan, Cranbourne.

Faith

...

grants in one way or other and we have a so much color and culture in Australia because of what we bring from our own countries.

He compared it to having variety in our cuisine, rather than just meat and three vegetables.

On a more serious note Bishop Prowse said the Catholic Church did not want to restrict anyone who was genuine in seeking asylum in Australia.

He also mentioned that we enjoy religious freedom in Australia, which was not the case in the many countries that were represented at the Mass.

Bishop Prowse’s words were echoed in the Pakistani prayer of the faithful, who prayed to the Father of all, that the people in Pakistan too may be free from persecution for the practise of their faith.

Bishop Prowse also spoke of his amazing experience with the Youth of the World at Madrid and how their faith and commitment to the Catholic Church were an inspiration.

He acknowledged the richness of faith brought into the Australian Catholic Church by the Migrant Community.

The Migrant Sunday Mass, according to the theme of “One Human Family� had a spirit of oneness and love among the People of God. Cr Amanda Stapledon of Casey Council was a guest at this celebration and was happy to have been invited to the Mass at a Catholic Church. She was

PROUD of their varied ethnic heritage and showing it are this group who attended the Migrant and Refugee Sunday Mass at Narre Warren. very impressed by the fellowship at afternoon tea later.

My experience always has been that at any of the Lord’s parties, there is always an abundance of generosity in serving the Lord, loads of food and fellowship.

The day was a success with detailed planning and coordination by Fr Brendan Hogan and his parish team, Fr Jacob Thadathil and a planning committee from the first Migrant and Refugee Sunday and diocesan liturgy coordinator Sophy

Learning

...

Morley.

One could see true Christian fellowship with people of all nations as one family in Christ.

In the words of St Paul, “There is one body and one Spirit, one hope; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all‌â€?

In the coming years we hope this celebration of our rich and varied culture will be a colorful annual event to look forward to within the Diocese of Sale. The next year’s host parish will be St Agatha’s, Cranbourne.

Growth

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Page 10 - Catholic Life, October 2011

Pentecost Prison trends are disturbing - Bishop heralds year of grace

By Ann Taylor PENTECOST Sunday 2012, begins a year-long Australiawide initiative entitled ‘A Year of Grace - Starting Afresh from Christ’.

This initiative comes from the Australian Bishop’s Conference as an invitation for the Catholic Church in Australia to undertake a spiritual journey.

Despite its wordy title, the invitation is a simple one: let’s spend a year focussing on knowing Jesus Christ. In all that we currently do, let’s take some time to reflect on the questions ‘What’s this got to do with Jesus?’ and ‘Who is Jesus for me?’

Australia has recently experienced two great graces in World Youth day and the canonisation of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. In order to build on this, a Year of Grace was born.

2012 seems an opportune time to embark on this initiative as this year also marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council.

Just like Vatican II, we need to be open to God acting in our future, while at the same time, doing something ourselves to combat the challenges of our society.

Next year will be a busy one for our diocese with many things happening including the administrative move to Warragul, the restoration of St Mary’s Cathedral and the formulation and implementation of Diocesan Pastoral Priorities.

The initiatives which will be suggested for a Year of Grace are not something more to be added to the overall busyness, but a way to focus on what Jesus has to do with all of this and the opportunity to see his face in and through our daily lives.

A Year of Grace is not a program but an invitation to reflection and contemplation in a variety of different ways and through different experiences.

Much of the planning is still in its early stages but focussing on the Word of God, prayer and sharing in the Eucharist will be integral, as will the concept of ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’. We will be offered the chance to get to know Jesus rather than only knowing about him.

Over the next few months, a clearer picture will emerge but the ultimate result will depend on us. How open are we in getting to know the face of Jesus?

PRISONS and the justice system in Australia were the focus of this year’s Social Justice Statement issued by the Australian Catholic Bishop’s Conference.

Bishop Christopher Prowse launched the statement “Building bridges, not walls” at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, on October 2.

He said it was important for people to realise the disturbing increase in the number of Australians behind bars.

Between 1984 and 2008, the number of Australians in prison per 100 people had almost doubled, yet during that time rates of crime were either steady or fell.

Bishop Prowse said it seemed

that increasing numbers were on remand, had been refused bail or were unable to raise the bail.

The slowness of the criminal justice system in bringing matters to court was also a major problem.

He said that of increasing concern was the increased imprisonment rates for indigenous people.

In 1991 they made up 14 percent of the prison population but by 2008 they made up about 25 percent, which was 17 times the non-indigenous rate of imprisonment.

“Is simply placing disadvantaged groups in prison really addressing the real issues, especially regarding our first Aus-

tralians?”

Bishop Prowse referred to Catholic social teaching and said prisons ought to be animated, not simply a punitive philosophy to offenders, but also tempered by the mercy expressed in a restorative philosophy in corrections.

This could best take place by increasing programs for intervention that built alternative bridges and not just prison walls.

He said so many people with mental illness and drug and alcohol addiction ended up in prison when early intervention might have helped to restore the person to health. Prisons could not really help such sufferers.

Bishop Prowse said Gipps-

land was well served by dedicated chaplains to Fulham Correctional Centre near Sale which was the state’s second largest prison.

Wonderful locals from ecumenical groups and mainline Christian churches regularly committed themselves to visiting the inmates.

He said these people provided the hope to dispel the despair that could easily overwhelm those in prison.

“We thank them for their commitment to this vital need.

They help build bridges, especially when the inmates finally leave prison looking for a future that supports the dignity they carry as fellow human beings.”

Stewardship a way to show gratitude

By Barbara Durand FIVE people from the Sale Diocese were among the 40 participants attending the Stewardship Institute 2011, hosted by the Catholic Diocese of Ballarat and Australian Catholic University.

They were Liz Mitchelson, Lakes Entrance, Sr Madeleine White, Orbost, Joan Robertson, Warragul, Barbara Durand, Drouin, and diocesan pastoral coordinator Sophy Morley.

The guest presenters for the two-day Institute were Ed and April Laughlin from Florida USA, who have intentionally lived a stewardship way of life for over 30 years while raising five children and being actively involved in a wide variety of parish activities.

For more than 25 years the Laughlins, as a couple, as a family and as individuals have brought the stewardship message to over 500 parishes in more than 60 dioceses across almost 40 states in North America and three foreign countries.

In November 1992, the Bishops of the United States issued a pastoral letter called “Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response”. In this letter the bishops reminded that each person is challenged by the Lord to be good stewards of our many gifts.

This truly is a challenge in today’s society which glorifies a culture of consumerism and materialism. It is also a challenge because stewardship presupposes Christian community, and our society has moved toward the privatisation and the individualisation of faith and morals.

The Lord has given everyone

free will thus, living as a good steward is a choice each of us must consider.

The message given at the institute was that stewardship is a way of life. The vision of stewardship is taken directly from Sacred Scripture. Stewardship acknowledges that we exist in a God-centred creation. The Hebrew people of Old Testament times understood this very well.

Throughout his ministry, Jesus used many parables to illustrate the themes of God’s gifts and the imperative to be wise stewards of those gifts. Likewise the Epistles exhort their Christian communities to share what they have with others.

The notion of stewardship has been often misunderstood as parish planned giving, with most parishes associating stewardship with Catholic fundraising.

However, stewardship has always been understood as a much broader vision of Christian faith and discipleship, and drawing its inspiration for scripture, presents us with a way of responding to God’s invitation to accept and use the gifts that we have been given so abundantly.

It is an understanding that God is the gracious Giver of all that we are, what we own, what skills and talents we have and that it is all gift. Therefore, as grateful people of God, we use those gifts in the building up of God’s kingdom, in works of faith, charity and justice, for the good of others.

It is an attitude of gratitude.

Time, talent and treasure are our gifts to God. God did not intend that we be the actual owners of these gifts, using them mainly for ourselves, or hoard-

THE Sale Diocese representatives (from left) Liz Michelson, Sr Madeleine White RSJ, Barbara Durant, Joan Robertson and Sophy Morley. ing them, or ignoring them but Jesus. The steward receives rather, God’s purpose was that God’s gifts gratefully, cherishes we would be good stewards of and tends them in a responsible these gifts by using them gen- manner, shares them in love and erously and wisely for building justice with others, and returns up the kingdom of God. them with increase to the Lord.

All of us, as Catholics are on a The world, our lives, all that stewardship journey that begins we are and have, is a garden at our Baptism. Stewardship is entrusted to us. Stewardship is giving out of love and gratitude, spirituality and a lifestyle. The not from obligation or duty. It key words in the spirituality is the way in which we live out of stewardship are faith, trust, our faith. gratitude and love.

Stewardship is not a program The model of stewardship in but a continuing process. It is parishes helps people undera conversion experience and stand that they are gifted, to be change of heart (metanoia) in able to recognise and identify which we live as Catholics daily their gifts and finds ways and Jesus’ life and his teachings ministries where they can use give meaning to what we un- their gifts. derstand stewardship to be. A There are many fruits of stewdisciple is one who responds ardship in parish life, a sense to Christ’s call and then shapes of community, shared vision, her or his life in imitation of deeper faith commitment, hospitality and welcome, continued growth and development and evangelisation.

• Barbara Durand is the Pastoral Associate at St Ita’s Parish Drouin. The pastoral councils of Warragul and Drouin, under the pastorship of Fr Herman Hengel have begun the process of exploring the vision of Christian Stewardship as a way of strengthening the faith life and mission of their parishes.

Catholic Life, October 2011 - Page 11

Here my voice: World Mission Day EVERY year we look closely at the Pope’s World Mission Sunday statement as a communication of hope and inspiration.

This year, we are invited by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI’s message to stand in solidarity to help carry out evangelising activities in mission territories and support the work of the Universal Church.

“The universal mission involves everyone, everything and always. The Gospel is not an exclusive possession of those who have received it, but it is a gift to be shared, good news to be passed on to others.”

We are also inspired by Pope John Paul II on his visit to Alice Springs in 1986, speaking from his heart to Australia’s indigenous peoples: “The Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others.”

National Director of Catholic Mission, Martin Teulan said “As Australians in mission we are all encouraged to come together as one in the name of Christ: to share and to listen.”

“Hear My Voice” is our theme for this year’s World Mission Month, where we hear the voices of the world’s indigenous peoples. We celebrate their contribution around the world with their unique cultures, languages and spiritual traditions, all enriching our Universal Catholic Faith.

In Australia we look at the remote community of Wadeye in the Northern Territory and we follow Angela, an indigenous woman, who has just been involved with theological studies at Nungalinya College in Darwin. We share her journey of providing spiritual support to many.

Internationally, we focus on the Parish of St Mary Pataxte in Guatemala. We celebrate with a local leader of an Indigenous community called the Q’eqchi.

This is Catechist Pedro Xol Mucul who brings the people together every Sunday for celebration of the Word and Communion. In Guatemala the Church is characterised as an indigenous community led and sustained by laity.

Be inspired on World Mission Sunday, October 23 to Hear My Voice and share your faith with the world!

Guatemala: Grassroots Church sustained in faith FOR the Mayan civilisation first contact with the Conquistadors’ guns, germs and steel began the precipitous slide into dispossession, persecution, disease and poverty.

The brutality of Guatemala’s recent civil war is but the latest chapter in 500 years of exploitation and discrimination visited upon its indigenous people.

The social gulf between the descendents of the Spanish and the Mayan is stark.

The former, comprising three per cent of the population live in the cities and own 70 per cent of the productive land.

They control the nation’s finances, political institutions and military.

The Mayans’ descendents, the Q’eqchi people by contrast form a numerically superior though much neglected underclass. With little access to education and careers, most are poor subsistence farmers eking a living on marginal mountainous lands.

The Mayans’ living legacy however is everywhere to see. It is as plain as the aquiline nose on Pedro Xol Mucul’s face.

His high cheekbones and his black almond-shaped eyes mirror the Mayan deities carved into the ancient temples.

Pedro along with tens of thousands of other lay catechists is the embodiment of the Church in Guatemala.

He is a catechist in the remote village of Chapin Arriba in the parish of St Mary Pataxte, in Izabal Diocese.

“I am a Q’eqchi man,” Pedro says. “My role is primarily as a missionary to announce the Good News to my people. I am an instrument of the Lord to bring others to salvation.”

With fellow ministers Pedro gathers the community together on Sundays for the Celebration of the Word and Holy Communion.

He presides at mid-week services, takes the Eucharist to the sick and dying, and offers prayers of intercession in the traditional Q’eqchi style known as Mayajak.

“In Chapin Arriba a priest will come

Learning languages in NT WHEN you think of bilingual schools you might think of countries overseas, in Europe, perhaps, where English is taught as a second language.

You might even think of some exclusive and expensive school in Australia.

You don’t necessarily think of the Australian Outback.

Wadeye is a remote town a few hundred kilometres away from Darwin at the western edge of the Daly River.

A population just over 2000 people, with seven different languages from 20 different tribes make up the townsfolk.

In fact, Wadeye is the largest Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory.

The town itself is totally cut off during the wet season, and only accessible by sea or air.

Thamarrurr School has a dedicated unit to develop educational resources in the dominant Aboriginal language of the town, Murrinh Patha.

Murrinh Patha is taught to each and every student. It is the predominant language used in Early Learning Literacy for all students’ right through to year three. English is a language they speak orally until then.

From year four, students can only learn Murrinh Patha in Religion class.

Sr Teresa (Tess) Ward OLSH has been teaching at Thamarrurr School for many

years and says “It is very important for the students. They have a right to learn in a language that is their own mother tongue.” English, for them, is not a second language, but a foreign one.

So they begin at school only speaking English, so they can understand it and have a comprehension of what they are saying.

World Mission Day Appeal

PEDRO is typical of the indigenous laity that characterises the Guatemalan Church to celebrate Mass once a month or six weeks,” Pedro says. “The life of the catechist is demanding because you are the presence of the Church for people for all the other days of the year.”

Pedro and his wife Rutilia Cus Caal have four children, aged 5 to 14. They work their own plot of land and grow maize to eat.

Notwithstanding their commitments to the faithful, of necessity the couple hunt out labouring work in the neighboring “finca” or plantation, earning about $8 a day.

Catholic Mission financially supports the catechumenal training of Guatemala’s laity and the supply of teaching materials.

All over the world Indigenous communities

share their faith – our faith.

Freecall: 1800 257 296

Please give generously in your parish or visit catholicmission.org.au

Page 12 - Catholic Life, October 2011

MADRID WYD2011 REFLECTIONS More pilgrim reflections of WYD Jess Van Diemen IN Madrid the catechesis sessions were given by a bishop from a different country each day an also included singing and dancing from various groups.

After catechesis came Mass.

It was amazing in Madrid to participate in Mass with 15,000 people, 300 priests and about 40 bishops each day. The main events were held in the evening as the temperature each day was about 40°C which should of given us time in the afternoon for siesta however the were one and a half million people trying to get a good spot close to the events so if you wanted to be anywhere near the events you had to go straight there from catechesis and wait around all day. Even then our group only ever found places where we could see a screen not the actual event. Some of the events included the opening mass, Papal arrival and Stations of the Cross.

There were so many highlights of WYD, a few that were really amazing are: On our first full day in Madrid the opening Mass was to be held in a big intersection in the middle of the city.

We hadn’t realized yet the full amount of people that were in the city for this amazing event so when we arrived at 7pm for a 7.30pm start we were shocked to see the massive crowds. We couldn’t even see the intersection, we could see a screen but there was no sound and everyone was just singing, dancing and mucking around, not really the right atmosphere for a Mass so our group walked back down the road about five minutes and found a open space on the side of the road where Fr Michael Willemsen decided he would say Mass for us.

As I have only ever been to Mass in a church it was an amazing experience to participate in a mass on the side of the road. People walking by joined us and others who were talking and singing with their groups went quiet as they passed us as a sign of respect.

Retiro Park is a big park in the middle of Madrid and this is where the cross and icon were held and where reconciliation took place. When we visited

Retiro Park we were surprised to discover that unlike Sydney where everything was held in big tents, in Madrid the cross and icon and reconciliation was out in the open. For reconciliation there were rows and rows of little shelters for priests and pilgrims to sit at, right next to the road.

Cuatro Vientos is the airfield were the vigil and final mass took place. The day that we walked there was the hottest day of the Spanish summer and the residents had been warned by the government to stay at home but one and a half million pilgrims were sitting out in the sun waiting to see the Pope.

There were fire trucks going round spraying water on everyone. That night there was a storm so instead of sleeping in the heat we slept on the ground in our wet clothes, it got quite cold as we weren’t prepared for the storm.

After Madrid we headed to Navarre in Northern Spain for a few days of quiet retreat before we headed home. While we were there we visited St Francis Xavier’s Castle where he was born and grew up. This was quite special for me and other members of my group as I attended St Francis Xavier College and we also had a group of students from there with us.

Our final dinner together was a special and sad occasion as we would be returning to our individual lives after spending two weeks of prayer and reflection together. We were each given another person from our group to give an affirmation about. It was beautiful to hear the wonderful things said about each person.

Over the trip a few things happened to our group to show that God was with us and looking out for us. When we arrived in Talavera we thought we would be sleeping on classroom floors because we didn’t know the school was a boarding school.

It was a wonderful surprise to find out that we had beds and bathrooms to share with two or three other people.

As there were so many people in the city the day of the Papal arrival we couldn’t get close to the event and had to watch on screens. This was very disappointing because seeing the

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Pope was one of the things we were all looking forward to.

The day of the vigil we walked out of breakfast to find police lining the street. We were curious so we asked one of them what was happening and he replied that the Pope was about to drive past. This was very exciting, as he drove past we had a clear view of him from the side of the road and even saw him wave at us!

Part of our journey to Cuatro Vientos included a train ride.

When we arrived at the station it was so full we could barely get on the platform and all the trains passing us were so full we could only get one or two people on at a time. Then after about five trains passing us an empty train pulled up so we could all pile on.

I was so inspired by the huge crowds of young people not afraid to show their faith. These days it is very hard to show your faith and not get ridiculed for it and here were one and a half million young people gathered to do just that. We have to express what we believe and not be ashamed of it, it is okay to be different, it doesn’t mean you are wrong. I also have come back to Australia with a new group of friends with wonderful experiences that we have shared together.

Rhonda O’Connor I had the privilege of travelling with my daughter Meaghan, Len Cooke (teacher) and nine students from St Francis Xavier College.

The Days in the Diocese in Talavera and Toledo were amazing. Being immersed in the medieval towns and surrounded

by Spanish culture, spirituality and history was fantastic. We were given a tour of The Toledo Cathedral. It is amazing with paintings and gold on every wall and ceiling. History says it is built around a rock which was the place where Mary appeared in the 6th Century!

We then continued to travel by bus to a little village called Talavera for the “Days in the Diocese”. We knew we were staying at a school, but did not know what to expect or if we were sleeping on the floor or what we would eat. We were very surprised to be greeted by 40 nuns in full habits and veils, and 250 French pilgrims all cheering and welcoming us!

It turned out that we were staying at a girl’s boarding school – we all had beds, showers and fed with wonderful hospitality.

We had three wonderful days of crazy site-seeing, fun, meals and communication in three languages. We learned that we share a common faith and sense of fun, as well as an ability to pray together with respect and reverence, even if we don’t really understand all the words.

We had a presentation from the nuns about their Order – the

Say to him ‘Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God, who has given your life for me. I want to follow you faithfully and to be led by your word. You know me and you love me. I place my trust in you and I put my whole life into your hands. I want you to be the power that strengthens me and the joy which never leaves me’.

- From the homily Pope Benedict XVI final Mass, World Youth Day, August 21, 2011

BISHOP Christopher Prowse with some of the Sale Diocese pilgrims.

Company of Mary –a teaching order founded by St Jeanne of Lestonac to educate girls.

We also got to visit and walk through a 14th Century castle at Oropesa, part of which was actually built in the 6th century!

We finished with the Way of the Cross that started at 9.30pm – very hot and crowded. Around 2000 pilgrims and lots of locals made for a very noisy and crowded but amazing experience. We then travelled back to Toledo for the commissioning mass – there were 15, 000 pilgrims all heading to Madrid for WYD! We arrived in Madrid at midnight and found our accommodation in the University – right in the heart of the city!

On the first day in Madrid we navigated the underground Metro to attend the Australian Gathering – 4000 Aussies singing, praying, and listening to young people speak about their life and faith, and how we can grow in faith in Australia – it was one BIG party!

We then spent a crazy week filled with crowds, noise, street parties, concerts and performances. Each morning we also attend the big catechesis sessions – talks about life and faith given by different Archbishop’s from around the world. They were held in a venue like Rod Laver Arena – with 15,000 people each day. In the afternoon there were different festivals and concerts to attend.

The really big events were held each evening – the opening Mass, the official welcome

of the Pope and the Stations of the Cross.

A wonderful surprise was one morning at breakfast we heard a rumor that the Pope was driving down our street on the way to a Mass. We came outside and waited along the street for 30 minutes. Then we saw the Pope mobile coming down the street and he drove straight past us – about five metres away! It was amazing after three days of not even being able to see him on a screen, and then he was right in front of us – with no crowds!

The week ended with the walk out to Cuatro Vientos for the sleep out – it is an airfield divided up to accommodate two million people. It was really hot – 41 degrees and really crowded. Fire trucks were driving around spraying us with water to keep us cool. Then that evening just as the Pope arrived for the vigil we were hit with a massive storm – thunder, lightning and a lot of rain! After 30 minutes, the vigil continued and we experienced the feeling of two million people kneeling or standing SILENTLY in prayer. The SILENCE in the midst of that amount of people was amazing.

After a cold, wet night we woke to songs, prayer and a very multicultural celebration.

The Pope celebrated Mass with us and then announced that the next World Youth Day would be in Rio de Janiero in Brazil in 2013. The Brazilian people went CRAZY - waving flags, singing and dancing!

Catholic Life, October 2011 - Page 13

On the pilgrim’s road to Santiago de Compostela Mike Hansen of Traralgon continues his series on his experiences of the classic walking pilgrimage from France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain which is dedicated to the disciple St James whose remains are believed to have been found there.

The Road Itself THE road to Santiago snakes its way over the Pyrenees following Napoleon’s invasion route.

It traces the original Roman road, sometimes rocky and steep, sometimes paved or cindered ... always challenging to pass silently across the great Meseta by fields of drooping sunflowers and golden stubble.

Through sleepy villages and quiet streets ... leaving behind the great cities and their glittering cathedrals ... over mountain passes that nurtured a people who conquered the New World.... slipping through chestnut groves and eucalypt plantations to march triumphant into Santiago.

The Camino de Santiago is a rich metaphor for life.

On the road, we meet wonderfully warm companions who stay with us for a graced time and then urgency of need moves them further along the way or they take a different path to the one we follow.

We are close for a fragment of time, there is the glint of empathy as we pass... then they are gone. We know in our hearts we will never see them again.

There are moments of grinding hardship as well as crystal-

THE magnificent rose window in the former Templar Knight Church of Santa Maria la Blanca in Villasirga, Spain. line flashes of illumination.

There are times when we confront our own fragility and occasions when we shatter the boundaries of our self imposed limitations.

Any sense of abandonment is replaced with the surety of surprising new relationships. And always, always, there is someone in front to lead the way and someone behind to watch our back.

Santa Maria la Blanca It was always a deep joy to arrive at a little village and enter the church to pray. There

is a wonderful sense of peace in buildings that ring with the last cadences of the dismissal prayer of Sunday mass.

It is like walking into a holy vacuum, resonant with the prayer life of centuries.

These are sacred places. The sun creates deep pools of shadow across the paved floors, shafts of light that add grace to ancient statues of the virgin and child or rustic wooden pews.

At Villasirga I visited the church of Santa Maria la Blanca (The White Virgin). It is a national monument ... a significant church of the Templar Knights. High and cool, the interior is lit by a glorious rose window.

In an enclosure reserved for the burial of patrons of centuries gone by is a small stone statue of Mother and Child.

The body of the child Jesus is long gone ... only a fragment of arm and leg remains. But the sweet face of the virgin is untouched by the march of time.

There is an innocent but knowing acceptance in her young face, an enigmatic smile that reaches from the corner of her mouth to her downcast eyes.

Perhaps 700 years old, it portrays such a realistic interpretation of the Incarnation event.

Ways to welcome children

THE group from Sale Diocese at the conference in Ballarat.

WELCOMING the Children was the theme for the state conference of Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults which was held in Ballarat.

Keynote speakers Sr Ursula O’Rourke and Mandy Robinson provided plenty of ideas and challenges for those who attended, which included 15 people from the Sale Diocese.

Participants were reminded of key areas of the RCIA process - RCIA is an activity that involves the whole parish community, that the sponsors are chosen by the parish, that there is a need to reread the rite each year prior to beginning each catechumenate journey.

Separate RCIA processes

should be run for children aged 7-12, teenagers, and adults, with the ideal being three teams of catechists who would meet regularly.

There is no RCIA for children as such. Rather the RCIA must be adapted to meet the needs of children of catechetical age.

One model of adapting the RCIA for children aged 7-17 was presented. This model involves asking the children seeking baptism to attend Children’s Liturgy of the Word during Sunday Mass regularly from the beginning of third term, and dismissing these children at the end of Children’s Liturgy of the Word to receive further instruction accompanied by their par-

ents and catechists.

The people who attended the conference were told that, for children, the Rite of Acceptance into the Catechumenate and a scrutiny (one scrutiny only is required for children) can be adapted and used during Children’s Liturgy of the Word.

A format for these adapted rites is available on www.cam. org,au/evangelisation, by clicking on the RCIA link and downloading a copy of A Parish Experience.

It was suggested that when children of catechetical age seek baptism, the parish finds sponsor families for the children and the parent(s) as necessary.

THE face of the virgin impressed Mike Hansen on his visit to the church.

It remains the most beautiful sion far too aware of the folly religious image I saw on the of those gathered for prayer and forgetful of her own maidCamino.

Most images of Mary are enhood.

The gold carved facades, from a much later time and we see her fully clothed in rich be- whilst telling the story of salvajewelled fabrics, perhaps carry- tion and the lives of the saints have occluded the joyous siming a kerchief or handbag.

Her face is stylised and stern plicity of the ancient faith ... ‘a gazing out from her elevated maiden is with child’. position with a solemn expres-

Change of presbyteries KOO WEE RUP - Fr John Allen has now moved from the old Iona presbytery to the more modern Koo Wee Rup presbytery.

The Josephite sisters who previous occupied the presbytery have moved to another home in Moody St. The Iona parish office has been relocated from Iona to St James Church, Nar Nar Goon.

The changes took place last weekend after being in the pipeline for several months after it was decided that it was no longer practical to use the Iona presbytery.

Mass times for Koo Wee Rup and Iona -Maryknoll parishes have also changed.

Nar Nar Goon will have a Mass at 6pm every Saturday evening.

At Koo Wee Rup Mass will be at 9.30am Sundays and at Iona at 11am Sundays.

Lang Lang will have Sunday Masses at 5pm on the 2nd and 4th Sundays.

Maryknoll Masses will be at 5pm on the 3rd and 5th Sundays.

Weekday Masses will be Tuesday, Koo Wee Rup, 7pm; Wednesday, Maryknoll, 9.30am; Thursday, Koo Wee Rup, 9.30am; Friday, Nar Nar Goon, 9.30am; Saturday, Iona, 9.30am, followed by Holy Hour and sacrament of reconciliation.

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Page 14 - Catholic Life, October 2011

Autobiography tells memoirs of Traralgon history WELL-known in Traralgon and the Latrobe Valley identity Grace Youl, has in her late 80s written her autobiography entitled A Charmed Life.

I knew her and her son Bryan a little in the 1970s through mutual friends.

Her life falls into two parts, firstly growing up in Traralgon, marrying and bringing up four sons after the Second World War, and then after her husband Harry’s death from a stroke in 1989, leading a different type of life with plenty of travel and new interests.

Grace Cave was born in 1918, the last year of the First World War; her mother died in the next year during the worldwide influenza epidemic before Grace was two years old.

She was sent to be brought up by her grandparents, the Jones of Traralgon. Their property Minniedale to the south east of the town has been consumed by the Loy Yang open cut.

In 1940 she married Harry Youl, who came from a dairy farming family from Turton’s Creek deep in the hills of South Gippsland and they settled in Traralgon.

Grace describes their life there from the 1940s onwards as not impoverished but frugal and basic - jobs were hard to get, they lived in a Housing Commission house on the outskirts of the town with very few amenities, the family budget had to be constantly watched.

She writes of those times: “Survival on one salary was high on the agenda. We wasted nothing, especially food. Everyone had learnt from the Depression and wartime years. A keen vegetable gardener, Harry supplemented the shopping. Plum trees go on forever and the pear tree was valuable, although retained today just for its shade.

We made sauce and pickles, bought cases of fruit for jam, and brewed ginger beer. Using the trusty treadle machine Dad had given me, I made my own dresses, as well as short pants for the young ones. One cut off the legs of Harry’s long trousers and, using patterns, made new pants, lining them with calico bags from the grocer, a tricky business.”

These experiences were pretty typical of the time, before life in Australia changed from the 1960s onwards.

To cope, families such as the Youls became self-starters, not relying on others or dependent on governments, hard working, respectable, community minded, and in the long run able to improve their position.

A feature of her life is the immense number of people she and her family know as long-term friends - neighbours, relatives, fellow members of the local community, and acquaintances met on holidays in Australia and overseas, whom Grace has kept up contact with.

This group constitutes a natural community which shapes its members lives and gives them context and meaning. Today people have to consciously and artificially construct what

Gippsland History with Patrick Morgan they call ‘networks’ to replicate what used to happen naturally.

Grace through necessity became a Jack or rather Jill of all trades: mother, typist, secretary, teacher, committee member, graduate, traveller and now author. She comes across as a woman of great energy, determination and focus.

Her four sons and her grandchildren, naturally curious and wanting to live a full life, are high achievers, having completed university courses and moved into the professions.

Two were engineers, one a forester, and the youngest son Bryan became a doctor and is now a successful neurologist in London. The Youl descendents mix ability in practical matters like home renovation with an interest in culture, food, music and travel.

Familiar Latrobe Valley identities who appear in these memoirs include the Anglican Deaconess Sheila Payne, the piano teacher Ivan Larsen who taught Grace, the headmaster Keith Brownbill who runs University of the Third Age classes, and Kath Teychenne who founded the Latrobe Valley Eisteddfod, which Grace’s sons participated in. Her Morwell relatives Bruce and Elsie McMaster are prominent in local government and local history circles.

People who become teachers and write books often have education in their background.

Grace Youl’s great grandfather was a Welshman with an English university degree who became a headmaster in Australia in the nineteenth century.

Grace has written a book in her eighties, but so did two other members of her family.

Her sister-in-law May McMaster was a remarkable woman who died when 103 and lived in three centuries. She wrote a history of her area, Turton’s Creek, in her eighties. Grace’s uncle, Horrie Jones, wrote two books on his area of Traralgon late in his life.

In recent decades Grace has spent much of her life travelling, mainly in Europe. She is lucky in having her youngest son Bryan living in London, which provides a base for European travel.

In addition Bryan and his wife Pat own a house in the Camargue region of Provence in southern France, where each year in high summer they stage a music festival. The family is immersed in music – one granddaughter sings at the London Proms.

Grace’s life is a representative illustration of how dramatically Australia has changed over the past four or so decades, mainly due to enormously increased wealth.

In her first 50 years Grace Youl lived a life which was ba-

sic, where every penny had to be watched, with no luxuries or discretionary spending power, as we now say. But in the last three decades she has been able to go overseas many times and at last to enjoy the good things of life.

A great number of Australians now explore overseas, like Americans did in Europe after the First World War. Hundreds of thousands of Australians went overseas every month this year, partly because of the high Australian dollar. Reciprocally these trips have altered the way we view Australia. Grace Youl’s life and memoir is a wonderful expression of these changes.

Recipes from nun’s kitchen WHEN ANGELS Cook by Sr Germana Consolaro, published and distributed by St Pauls, hardback, 303 pages, rrp $34.95.

WHEN it comes to cookbooks there are literally hundreds to choose from, most endorsed by various celebrity chefs all looking for a cut of the proceeds.

Sr Germana is virtually unknown in Australia but in Italy, her recipes are famous.

She is one of the country’s best known cooks, famous for 30 years of weekly magazine articles and frequent radio and television appearances.

Her inspiring recipes are for authentic Italian home cooking, the thing that most Italian restaurants here in Australia strive to achieve.

The recipes are simple without the need to go and restock the shelves with a nest of ingredients.

The Italian version of this book has sold more than two million copies and has since been translated into 15 other languages.

As a young nun she was assigned to run cooking classes for young women about to be married and then after these classes became successful she helped to establish a course for engaged couples and a variety of services to help families.

Sr Germana explains that every dish we prepare should be an expression of our love and care, and confirmation of how good it is to be together, sitting joyfully around a table at the most important part of the day.

She also says good food is the opportunity to help others smile and feel loved.

It is a great book, full of great tips for getting the best out of traditional Italian foods.

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS, illustrated by Simon Mendez,

Talking about Books retold by Karen Williamson, published by Candle Books, distributed by Rainbow Books, hardback, 12 pages, rrp $16.95.

WITH Christmas just around the corner, it is time to start looking for inspirational books for youngsters.

This beautifully illustrated book simply retells the birth narrative from the Bible and concludes with an amazing 3D pop-up of the nativity scene, complete with baby Jesus in the manger, visited by the shepherds and wise men.

Youngsters will love it and I am sure it will have to be read to them over and over.

TWO MINUTE PARABLES, retold by Elena Pasquali and illustrated by Nicola Smee, published by Lion Children’s Books, distributed by Rain-

bow Books, hardback, 46 pages, rrp $16.99.

THE parables Jesus spoke contain much wisdom.

It was his way of conveying important messages so they could be remembered.

They had a big impact because they were remembered by the Gospel writers and recorded so that everyone could share in the wisdom.

The parables featured in this book are pitched at younger readers, perhaps 8-10 years old.

They will be able to understand the basic message contained in each and will remember the parables when they next hear them read at Mass.

The illustrations are good and the layout of the parables encourages youngsters to be interested in the book.

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Browse through our range of books and sacramental and religious gifts, or search for specific items by author, title or keyword.

Open seven days Phone and mail orders welcome. Credit cards accepted.

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Catholic Life, October 2011 - Page 15

Quick calendar

Bishop’s Diary October 12-23 - Ad limina visit to Rome with Australian bishops.

October 25 - Return to Australia.

October 26 - Diocesan Finance Council meeting.

October 30 - Mission Sunday Mass, Narre Warren, 11am. Admission to candidacy for the priesthood of Siju Xavier and blessing of VCE students.

November 1 - Melbourne Cup Day holiday.

November 2 - Annual meeting of Victorian bishops with religious leaders, Melbourne.

November 3 - Corpus Christi Seminary meeting, Carlton.

November 3 - Catholic Theological College meetings, East Melbourne.

November 4 - Regional

forum, Pakenham, 7.30pm.

November 5 - Regional forum, Bairnsdale, 11am.

November 5-6 - Masses in cathedral.

November 7 - 11 - Conduct retreat for Scalabrinian priests, Sydney.

November 13 - Mass for deceased bishops of Sale, St Mary’s Cathedral, 9.30am.

November 15 - Catholic College Sale governor’s dinner.

November 16 - Staff reflection morning, followed by lunch.

November 19 - Diocesan pastoral council meeting, Churchill, 10am.

November 19 - Regional forum, Churchill, 1pm November 20 - Final Mass at Bruthen, noon.

November 20 - Pilgrim-

What’s on & when October

age to Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St Mary’s Cathedral, 2.30pm.

November 21 - Meeting of Bishops’ Commission for Ecumenism and InterReligion, Sydney.

November 21 - Meeting of Bishops’ Commission for Relations for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, Sydney.

November 22-25 - Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference plenary session, Sydney.

Nagle e-Store making history BAIRNSDALE - The manuals on how to educate secondary students are being re-written at Nagle College in Bairnsdale as their VCAL students undertake a revolution in learning.

The combination of a group of teachers with a range of skills and a passion for engaging students in applied learning has resulted in an engaging program that consists of students designing and marketing a product to sell on an e-Store.

All aspects of this pilot program have been delivered at Nagle College with the end result going live on-line.

Nagle College co-ordinator for applied learning, Tina Sonka, explains the initiative VCAL students at Nagle College behind the program: “As teach- of their projects. ers we identified a need for stu- in the Philippines). There are dents to undertake a project that many such areas throughout the was creative, developed em- Philippines where tens of thouployability and entrepreneurial sands of Filipinos live and die skills, and gave students the experiencing little outside of chance to problem solve and this humble existence. work in teams.

Most make a meagre living “Students were required to off recycled plastics and metals design a product using recycled collected from the dump sites materials. They developed a and surrounding areas – usually prototype which was critically less than $AU2 a day. To buy a analysed by their peers and sow costs $AU100 or approxiteachers. Feedback from this mately 4500 pesos. However process was discussed between raising and selling the piglets the students and implemented from one sow can potentially in their final products. Students support a family indefinitely. had to photograph their prodStudents in the Nagle College uct, write a blurb, cost the prod- VCAL program researched and uct and place it on the e-Store designed chicken coops and pig site.” pens that were durable, could To meet the needs of the be flat packed and shipped to community service aspect of the Philippines. Each coop or the program the students, as a pen will be provided with the group, needed to decide where funds to purchase the livestock the profits of the e-Store would in the Philippines. go.

This integrated and holistic After researching their op- approach to learning has altions through Caritas and the lowed the students to develop Salesian fundraising, the re- and demonstrate a range of sults saw them designing and skills that include: creating pig pens and chicken • Using a range of resources coops for the Smokey Moun- to research appropriate materitain dumpsites (generic name als and designs for the rubbish dump areas • Creating instructions on

working on boomerangs for one how to assemble the coops and pens • Costing the materials and end products • Understanding the currency exchange when purchasing livestock • Organising shipping of the products to the Philippines • Demonstrating work related skills • Participating in a community service project • Working as a team to problem solve.

With the launch of the e-Store Nagle College has taken the next step in providing a learning approach that is innovative, contemporary and student driven.

As a regional school, Nagle College is proving that location is no longer a factor in determining success as students from rural areas have great opportunities to succeed when teachers are willing to ‘think outside the box’.

This holistic program is a bold venture into the future, a future that holds much promise for new initiatives in education.

15 – Feast of St Theresa of Avila 19 – CDF Board meeting 20 - Valley region meeting, Newborough, noon.

20 – Marian retreat led by Fr Francis Merlino OFM, t Mary’s Cathedral 10.30am to 3pm 22-23 Youth ministry leader training 26 – Finance Council meeting 27 – Ecumenical gathering Christ Church, Anglican Church, Drouin, 11am 30 – St Sofia Festival, Koo Wee Rup, Mass 9.30am 31 – Deadline for November Catholic Life

November 1 – Melbourne Cup holiday 1 – All Saints Day 2 – All Souls Day 8 – East region meeting, Orbost, 10.30am 9 - South region meeting, St Laurence’s parish centre, Leongatha, 11.30am 9 - November Catholic Life published 11 – Remembrance Day 15 – Central Region meeting, St Ita’s parish room, Drouin, 7.30pm 20 – Annual pilgrimage to Shrine of Our Lady at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, 2.30pm 21 – Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary 23 – West Region meeting, St Michael’s new hall, Berwick, 10.30am 27 – First Sunday of Advent 28 – Deadline for December Catholic Life

December 1 – Valley Region Christmas break-up, Morwell Club, noon 3 – Feast of St Francis Xavier 4 – Advent reflection afternoon 6 - Heart region break up 7 - December Catholic Life published 8 - Immaculate Conception 14 – Joint meeting of CDF Board and Finance Council (tentative)

16 - Primary schools break-up 25 – Christmas Day 26 – Boxing Day 31 – New Year’s Eve

2012

January

1 – New Year’s Day 1 - World Day of Peace 2 – New Year’s Day public holiday 8- Epiphany 9 – Baptism of the Lord 17 – Memorial of St Anthony 24 – Memorial of St Francis de Sales 26 – Australia Day public holiday 28 – Memorial of St Thomas Aquinas 30 – Deadline for February Catholic Life

February 1 – First term begins 2- Presentation of the Lord 8 – February Catholic Life 11 – Our Lady of Lourdes 21 – Shrove Tuesday 22 – Ash Wednesday, beginning of Lent 27 – Deadline for March Catholic Life

March 7 – Catholic Life published 8 – St John of God Memorial 12 – Labor Day public holiday 17 – Solemnity of St Patrick (St Patrick’s Day) 19 – Solemnity of St Joseph 26 – Annunciation of the Lord 30 – First term holidays begin

April 1 – Passion Sunday 6 – Good Friday 7 – Holy Saturday, Easter Vigil 8 – Easter Sunday 9 – Easter Monday public holiday 10 – Deadline for April Catholic Life 15 – Divine Mercy Sunday 16-20 – Sale Diocese clergy retreat 16 – Second term begins 18 – Catholic Life published 25 – Anzac Day

Commemoration of ecumenical event IN October, 1986, 160 religious leaders responded to Pope John Paul II’s invitation to gather at Assisi.

Some 32 Christian religious organisations were represented.

In addition, representatives of the following non-Christian world religions attended: Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, African and American animists, Shintoism, Zoroastrianism, and Baha’i.

On January 1 this year Pope Benedict XVI announced that

he wished to commemorate this historic meeting. The Australian Bishops’ Commission for Ecumenism and Inter-religious Relations has invited Australian dioceses to join in with this commemoration.

Accordingly, an ecumenical gathering will take place at the Anglican Christ Church, Drouin, on October 27, stating at 11am.

Members of the Sale diocese are encouraged to join this Pilgrimage of Truth, Pilgrimage of Peace

Page 16 - Catholic Life, October 2011

A Page for Youth

‘Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith’ (Col 2:7)

Good Youth News with Jess Denehy & Kelly Lucas

AT the beginning of the September school holidays we were blessed to gather with our fellow WYD2011 pilgrims from the Diocese of Sale for a weekend of prayer, reflection and retreat.

Over the weekend we discussed Jesus’ call for each of us.

On the Sunday Bishop Christopher’s homily to us delved into Pope Benedict’s words during WYD2011 – we’d like to share that homily with you now: Dear young friends, we have just listened to the Gospel where there are two responses to the constant invitation of the Lord to work in his vineyard.

One response is to say ‘Yes Lord I will work in the mission”. However, after a short period of time the person making the statement walks away without following through. The other response is someone who says “No Lord, I will not work in your vineyard as a missionary”. Later the person thinks better of it and then works in the vineyard of the Lord.

The important thing to remember, however, is that the call from the Lord is constant.

It is merciful and loving but does require everything from us. Missionary work in the Lord is not part time. As one expression phrases it, it is something “costing little less than everything”.

My dear young friends, my prayer is that you will in these times of the grace of World Youth Day Madrid, experience God’s constant, merciful and loving presence in your life.

You may not have been aware of it because it was preached in Spanish language, but Benedict XVI in his homily on Sunday morning 21st August 2011 at World Youth Day Madrid, had the following important point to say about friendship with the Lord which is totally in harmony with today’s Gospel. He preached: “Dear young people, today Christ is asking you the same question which he asked the apostles ‘Who do you say that I am?’ Responding to him with generosity and courage as befits young hearts like your own, say to him ‘Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God, who has given your life for me. I want to follow you faithfully and to be led by your word. You know me and you love me. I place my trust in you and I put my whole life into your hands. I want you to be the power that strengthens me and the joy which never leaves me’.”

This is such a beautiful prayer of surrender that our Pope gives each one of us. May I recommend that you get to know this

prayer well and say it daily as a Surrender Prayer to Jesus. We are surrendering into His Majesty. We are surrendering into His Love which knows no end.

We may be unfaithful but Jesus is always merciful and faithful to us. This is the first pillar of friendship with Jesus.

But then the Pope goes on in the homily to talk about a second important pillar in friendship with Jesus. Let us return to the text in which he offers us this second foundation of our life with Him. “Having faith means drawing support from the faith of your brothers and sisters, even as your own faith serves as a support for the faith of others. I ask you, dear friends, to love the Church which brought you to birth in the faith, which helped you to grow in the knowledge of Christ, and which lead you to discover the beauty of His Love. Growing in friendship with Christ necessarily means recognising the importance of joyful participation in the life of your parishes, communities and movements, as well as the celebration of Sunday Mass, frequent reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the cultivation of personal prayer and meditation on God’s Word.”

So this second pillar of friendship with Jesus means that we cannot believe alone. We are not individuals separated from each other. Jesus has given us his Church. It is the Body of Christ. Of course we are aware there are many weaknesses in the Church because of human involvement. However, Jesus lives in us. He is holy within us.

For this reason we can say the Church is holy. It is His Body within us and we draw strength from the life that he gives us in the Word of God and the Sacraments particularly.

But there is a third and final pillar of friendship with Jesus that the Pope draws to our attention at the final Mass of World Youth Day Madrid.

This pillar concerns the work of mission and evangelisation which we are all called to.

I quote from the Pope again, “Friendship with Jesus will also lead you to bear witness to the faith wherever you are, even when it meets with rejection or indifference. We cannot encounter Christ and not want to make Him known to others so do not keep Christ to yourselves! Share with others the joy of your faith. The world needs the witness of your faith, it surely needs God. I think that the presence here of so many young people, coming from all over the world, is a wonderful proof of the fruit-

fulness of Christ’s command to the Church; ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole of creation’ (Mk 15:16). You have been given the extraordinary task of being disciples and missionaries of Christ in other lands and countries filled with young people who are looking for something greater, and because of their love, tells them that more authentic values do exist, they do not let themselves be seduced by the empty promises of a lifestyle which has no room for God.” These are indeed wonderful and challenging of the successor of St. Peter, our Pope Benedict XVI! So let us be courageous in the times ahead. World Youth Day Madrid would be seen by all of you as a major stepping stone in your life in Christ. But it is a stepping stone, it is not the first and it won’t be the last. May we grow together in the love of the Lord alive in His Church to become the missionaries God wants us to be.

May I conclude by thanking you all so much for all that you have done, especially our Youth Leaders, and I pledge to you my support and prayerful best wishes in the times ahead.

Recharge your youth ministry batteries

PARTICIPANTS enjoy Recharge last year.

YOUTH ministry leaders and volunteers are invited to “Recharge 2011” with a day of prayer, reflection and skillbuilding.

“Recharge 2011” is an opportunity to meet other people involved in youth ministry in the diocese, to share some of our experiences and to nourish ourselves, and our vocation, with prayer and professional development. The day will include practical youth ministry workshops and lunch will be provided.

Fr Christian Fini OMI will be our special guest for “Recharge 2011”. Fr Christian is the director of Oblate Youth Australia and has many years

experience working with young people in both school and parish environments.

“Recharge 2011” will be held 9.15am - 4.30pm Sunday October 23 at the St Ita’s Hall, 50 Victoria St, Drouin. Mass will be at 10.30am.

If you are a youth ministry leader working or volunteering in our parishes, schools or diocesan community make sure you set this day aside to invest in yourself and your youth ministry vocation.

The “Recharge 2011” professional development day will cost $20 per participant. Please RSVP to Jess on jessd@sale. catholic.org.au to register your attendance.

Student conference day rocks LOUD and enthusiastic are the two words you would use to describe the CSYMA (Catholic Schools Youth Ministry Australia) conference day held at Lavalla Catholic College this month.

200 students from across the diocese gathered for a day of workshops, prayer and fun lead by gun youth ministry staff from our schools.

Students could choose from many workshops including prayer, leadership, games, drama, social justice, leadership and music. With the option to try three throughout the day students could focus on their interests and passions.

Guest presenters included Roz Kelly from the St Vincent De Paul society and musician Steven Kirk.

Steven flew in from Canberra for the day and led the music ministry, with support from the St Francis Xavier band, for the whole day.

The afternoon saw everyone coming together for a moving liturgy.

Dead silence descended the room as the candles were lit and scripture and meditation followed.

To complete our time together the volume was pumped up and many students had the op-

portunity to put what they had learnt during the workshops into action.

The band rocked out the songs they had worked on. The drama group performed the ‘Box’ drama. The world youth day pilgrims gave a sharing about their experiences in Madrid. The band and crowd got

even louder. Then finally the prayer group closed the event and sent us on our way.

Still buzzing, with our ears still ringing, we munched on traditional youth ministry food, pizza, before heading home.

Lavalla had been terrific hosts and a wonderful day was had by all.

Wedding bells are ringing

CONGRATULATIONS to Jason Blackburn and his bride Bianca who were married this month at St Ita’s Drouin.

Jason is a teacher at Marist Sion College Warragul and the leader of the Year 10 Remar, youth ministry group.

Jason and Bianca were surrounded by family and friends

on the day including staff from the college and Jason’s own religion teacher from Year 12 at St Peter’s Cranbourne.

The bride looked stunning in a strapless, lace and beaded gown while Jason was beaming with his new wife on one arm and his rosary bracelet on the other.

Catholic Life, October 2011 - Page 17

For the Young and Young at Heart Time for a Laugh THE carpet layer had just finished installing carpet for a lady. He stepped out for a smoke, only to realise he’d lost his cigarettes.

In the middle of the room, under the carpet, was a bump. ‘’No sense pulling up the entire floor for one pack of smokes,’’ he said to himself.

He proceeded to get out his hammer and flattened the hump.

As he was cleaning up, the lady came in. ‘’Here,’’ she said, handling him his pack of cigarettes. ‘’I found them in the hallway.’’ ‘’Now,’’ she said, ‘’if only I could find my budgerigar.’’

A CHAMPION jockey is about to enter an important race on a new horse. The horse’s trainer meets him before the race and says, ‘’All you have to remember with this horse is that every time you approach a jump, you have to shout, ‘ALLLLEEE OOOP!’ really loudly in the horse’s ear. Providing you do that, you’ll be fine.’’

The jockey thinks the trainer is mad but promises to shout the command. The race begins and they approach the first hurdle. The jockey ignores the trainer’s ridiculous advice and the horse crashes straight through the centre of the jump.

They carry on and approach the second hurdle.

The jockey, somewhat embarrassed, whispers ‘Aleeee ooop’ in the horse’s ear.

The same thing happens-the horse crashes straight through the center of the jump.

At the third hurdle, the jockey thinks, ‘’It’s no good, I’ll have to do it,’’ and yells, ‘’ALLLEEE OOOP!’’ really loudly. Sure enough, the horse sails over the jump with no problems. This continues for the rest of the race, but due to the earlier problems the horse only finishes third.

The trainer is fuming and asks the jockey what went wrong. The jockey replies, ‘’Nothing is wrong with me-it’s this bloody horse. What is he--deaf or something?’’

The trainer replies, ‘’Deaf?? DEAF?? He’s not deaf--he’s BLIND!’’ A YOUNG man lay sprawled across three entire seats in the posh cinema.

When the usher came by and

Columbus seeks the way

noticed this he whispered to the youth, “Sorry, sir, but you’re only allowed one seat.”

The youth groaned but didn’t budge. The usher became more impatient. “Sir, if you don’t get up from there, I’m going to have to call the manager. The youth just grunted.

The usher marched briskly back up the aisle. In a moment he returned with the manager.

Together the two of them tried repeatedly to move the youth, but with no success.

Finally, they summoned the police.

The policeman surveyed the situation briefly then asked, “All right buddy, what’s your name?”

“Sam,” the youth moaned.

“Where are you from, Sam?” With pain in his voice Sam replied.... “The balcony.”

A PREACHER, who was “humor impaired,” attended a conference to help encourage and better equip pastors for their ministry.

Among the speakers were many well known and dynamic speakers.

One boldly strode to the microphone and in a loud, confident voice gathered the entire crowd’s attention, then said, “The best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman that wasn’t my wife!”

The crowd was shocked!

After a brief pause, he followed up by saying, “And that woman was my mother!”

The crowd burst into laughter and he delivered the rest of his talk, which went over quite well.

The next week, the pastor decided he’d give this humor thing a try, and use that joke in his sermon.

As he surely approached the pulpit that sunny Sunday, he tried to rehearse the joke in his head. It suddenly seemed a bit foggy to him.

Getting to the microphone he said loudly, “The greatest years of my life were spent in the arms of another woman that was not my wife!”

The congregation inhaled half the air in the room.

After standing there for almost 10 seconds in the stunned silence, trying to recall the second half of the joke, the pastor finally blurted out, “...and I can’t remember who she was!”

CHRISTOPHER Columbus was looking a new way to India but bumped into America instead. Send in your colouring for a chance to win a prize.

Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Age . . . . . .

Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Send entries to: Colouring Contest, c/- Catholic Life, PO Box 183, Sale. 3853

Colouring contest winner

Two for the road

A CAT and a mouse died on the same day and went up to Heaven. At the top they met God and he asked them ‘How do you like it so far?’

The mouse replied ‘It’s great, but can I get a pair of roller WINNER of last month’s skates?’ God said ‘Sure’, and he gave him a pair of roller contest is TAYLA DYKE, skates.

10, who attends St Joseph’s The next day God saw the cat and asked him ‘How do you Primary School, Trafalgar. like it up here so far?’ and the cat replied ‘Great, I didn’t Congratulations for doing know you had meals on wheels up here!’ such a good job of the man sitting on the desert island.

THE man was trying to buy a health insurance policy. The We will try to deliver Tay- insurance agent was going down the list of standard quesla’s prize next week. tions.

To those who missed out, “Ever have an accident?” keep trying.

“No, not a one.”

We love receiving your en“None? You’ve never had any accidents.” tries in the colouring contest.

“No. Never.”

Children should try to have “Well, you said on this form you were bitten by a snake entries in to us no later than once. Wouldn’t you consider that an accident?” the end of the month.

“Heck, no. That reptile bit me on purpose.”

Page 18 - Catholic Life, October 2011

New words, deeper meaning, same Mass

By Fr Bernie Krotwaar LAST month, the new texts of the Holy, Holy and the Memorial Acclamations were introduced. This month we begin using the texts for the Rite of Communion.

LAMB OF GOD The ‘Lamb of God’ is a prayer of invocation within the Fraction Rite.

FRACTION RITE … THE BREAKING OF BREAD Following the Rite of Peace, the Fraction Rite is that part of the Mass where the Bread is broken for distributing Communion.

This is an ancient rite that has

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its origins in the action of the Lord at the Last Supper: ‘He took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to his disciples …’.

It was part of the Eucharistic celebration from its beginnings, and in fact, in the early Church the celebration of the Eucharist was known as the ‘Breaking of the Bread’.

Before the distribution of Holy Communion, the Priest breaks the consecrated bread into smaller pieces, then takes a piece of this bread and drops it into the chalice. These actions have great symbolic value. The breaking of the bread which is to be distributed to all present is a sign that we who are many are made one body by receiving Communion which is Christ,

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the one Bread of Life. In Baptism we were given a share in the life of Christ; we became members of his Body. Our common sharing in the life of Christ also unites us to one another and each time we receive the Body and Blood of the Lord in Communion our unity with him – and with each other – is strengthened. When we come to Mass we do not come simply as individuals; we gather as the community of the baptised, made one by our common life in Christ.

LAMB OF GOD As the breaking of the Bread begins, the Lamb of God or Agnus Dei is sung. As a chant, it is in litany style, consisting of an ‘invocation’ followed by a response: “Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.”

Ideally, the ‘Lamb of God’ invocation is sung by a choir or leader in chant, with the people’s sung or chanted responses.

The invocation normally follows a set of three repetitions – the first two times the response being … ‘have mercy on us’.

The third response, however, is … ‘grant us peace’. If the ‘Lamb of God’ is not sung it is recited by the people.

TEXT Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us

peace.

If the fraction is prolonged for any reason – e.g. breaking Bread for a large community – the invocation can be repeated a number of times beyond three.

Yet the final time, the response is always ‘grant us peace’.

INVITATION TO COMMUNION Within the context of the Fraction Rite, the ‘Lamb of God’ furthermore precedes and links into the Invitation to Communion – picking up the same accent: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

There is a marked change in the text of the response by priest and assembly to the Invitation to Communion: ‘Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but onlysay the word and my soul shall be healed’.

These are the words spoken by the Roman centurion who comes to Christ asking him to heal his servant (Matthew chapter 8).

Like other liturgical texts, these words of the priest to the people have more than one meaning.

As well as inviting us to partake in the Body and Blood of Christ in Communion, the words remind us of the eschatological aspect of the Eucharist.

They remind us that ‘this supper’ – in this Eucharist – also anticipates our being at the eternal banquet with Christ in the

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everlasting kingdom. By this Eucharistic image of intimacy with God, the Church expresses that while on this earth we yearn for the ‘new heavens and new earth’, God in the meantime supports and sustains us here and now at the Lord’s table with the food of life for ever.

The meaning of this paradox of the ‘now’ and the ‘not yet’ is clear. The world as we know it will come to an end. And our lives on earth will come to an end.

We look to both of these ends encouraged by our belief in the paschal faith that leads us to ‘watch for’, ‘await’ and ‘work towards’ the second coming of Jesus which will bring all things to completion. Meanwhile we celebrate the Eucharist in joyful hope and eager expectation.

In a unique and privileged way, at Eucharist we receive again and again what St Paul himself received from the Lord and has handed on to us: belief in the resurrection and the experience of resurrection through the Eucharist.

In turn, we – as ministers and faithful gathered assemblies of the liturgy – hand on to each other what we have seen and heard … that which we ourselves too have received from our forebears in faith; namely, the unique mystery of Jesus the Christ himself.

Next month: Welcoming the Full Implementation of the revised Roman Missal

Former Moe priest dies, age 79 ANOTHER former parish priest of Moe has died.

Fr Patrick O’Reilly OMI died on Sunday at 9am at the John R. Hanna aged care facility at Mulgrave.

Fr O’Reilly, 79, was parish priest in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

He was born in Ireland in 1932 and after being ordained in 1960 spent his entire priestly life in Australia.

He celebrated the golden jubilee of his ordination last year.

After serving at Moe, Fr O’Reilly went on to be parish priest at Rosebud.

He has been in ill health for the past few years.

Reqiuem Mass will be celebrated tomorrow, October 13 at 11am at St John Vianney Church, Springvale North.

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Catholic Life, October 2011 - Page 19

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situations vacant Catholic Education Office Diocese of Sale Youth Minister Secondary Colleges The Catholic Bishop of Sale is seeking to appoint a Youth Minister Secondary Colleges. The position is a full-time position in the Diocesan Youth Ministry. The primary role of the Youth Minister Secondary Colleges will be to oversee the implementation and development of the Catholic Schools Youth Ministry Australia (CSYMA) Program in all 7 diocesan secondary schools in accordance with the vision outlined in ‘Towards Courageous Renewal.

The Youth Minster Secondary Colleges is accountable to the Bishop of Sale through the Director of Catholic Education, the Assistant Director (Religious Education) and their representatives. In the day-today operation of the role the Youth Minister will report to the Youth Ministry Coordinator and work collaboratively as part of the Diocese of Sale Youth Ministry Office team.

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public notices

VOCATIONS Priests & Deacons Are you considering a vocation as a priest or deacon for the Diocese of Sale?

If so please contact Diocesan Vocations Director

Fr Darek Jablonski 5996 1985 vocations@sale.catholic.org.au

Selection Criteria The successful applicant will have: • experience in youth ministry • demonstrated ability to work in a Catholic school environment • active engagement in a local Catholic parish or equivalent body • demonstrated organisational ability • efficient communication skills • a current ‘Working With Children Check’ or VIT registration

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Catechists gather SALE - A group of catechists gathered at St Mary’s Cathedral chapter house last month to renew friendships made 20 years ago.

They met in the chapter house where many of their meetings occurred.

It was here they attended workshops (music, art, role playing), accreditation classes

and even taught classes.

On a white board those present wrote down the names of other catechists, priests and religious who had encouraged them and Bishop Jeremiah Coffey who was always a great supporter of the catechists.

There was much laughter and joy reminiscing and Fr Andrew Wise joined in the celebration.

Showing their colors

Tenure The appointment is full time and for a period of up to three years.

Salary and Conditions Salary and conditions for the position will depend on the qualifications and experience of the successful applicant and will be in line with the Diocesan guidelines (attached).

If the position involves secondment of a teacher from within a school of the diocese, then payment will be negotiated as a percentage of the person’s current salary. Each year of service as a Diocesan Youth Minister Secondary Colleges will be counted as a year of teaching experience.

A current Victorian Driver’s licence is required.

Applications Enquiries may be directed to Mrs Pauline Low, Professional Assistant to the Director on (03) 5622 6634 or email plow@ceosale.catholic. edu.au A detailed Position Description, Application Form, Confidential Referee Assessment Forms and other relevant information may be downloaded from the Catholic Education Office website www.ceosale.catholic.edu.au Please return the completed letter of application, Application Form, and Curriculum Vitae to: The Director Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Office 6 Witton Street WARRAGUL VIC 3820 Attention: Mrs Pauline Low plow@ceosale.catholic.edu.au Closing Date: 21 October, 2011

Bishop’s Family Foundation If you are making or updating your will, you may consider leaving a bequest to the Bishop’s Family Foundation.

The Bishop’s Family Foundation has produced some easy-to-read booklets explaining bequests which may be an advantage to read before seeing your solicitor to prepare or update your will.

Copies may be obtained by phoning Pat on 5144 4991 Do it today and sleep easy knowing you have done your part.

SOME enthusiastic young parishioners gather with Fr John Allen following the raffle draw.

KOO WEE RUP – St John’s Throughout the day, the chilPrimary School held its annual dren completed literacy, nufootball day just before break- meracy and physical education ing up for the holidays. activities based on football.

It was fantastic to see so many A big thanks goes to the Parchildren in their colors and sup- ents and Friends Association porting their team. for organising our footy lunch.

The children completed the The children really enjoyed whole school team graph with having a pie or hot dog and a Collingwood being the most can of soft drink for their lunch. supported side.

Page 20 - Catholic Life, October 2011

Latin High Mass draws about 120 ABOUT 120 people attended the sung Latin High Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral on September 18.

Bishop Christopher Prowse precided with Dean of the Cathedral Fr Andrew Wise being the principal celebrant, assisted by priests of the Latin community at St Aloysius, East Caulfield.

It is believed to have been the first Solemn High Mass in the cathedral in more than 40 years.

It is intended to hold such a Mass annually to celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of the cathedral.

For many of those attending it was their first experience of a Latin High Mass.

DEAN of St Mary’s Cathedral, Fr Andrew Wise celebrates Mass with his back to the congregation.

Nagle student conquers slopes to be champion BAIRNSDALE - Nagle College Year 7 student, Cara Plant, competed in a number of events at the Victorian Interschool Snowsports Championships held at Mt Buller.

These are very competitive championships with up to 280 competitors in some events.

Cara competed in Alpine GS, Skiercross, BoarderX and Snowboard GS in the Division 3 (Year 7 and 8) Girls.

Her first three races were a bit mixed, with a few crashes, although she qualified top 16 in the SkierX, and finished 22nd in the final.

On the final day Cara competed in the BoarderX event.

After her first run, she was in equal first. For the final Cara was the last competitor down and managed to win by 1 second, a great achievement after all that nervous waiting.

Cara is now the state champion in this event. She went on

the contest the national titles a few weeks later and finished a creditable eighth.

The course at Falls Creek was heavily rutted and icy, making it difficult and dangerous for the competitors, with many getting knocked unconscious from heavy falls.

Cara qualified for the finals in her BoarderX event and found herself up against members of the New South Wales Institute for Sport Snowboarding Squad.

Again, Cara was the last competitor down the treacherous slopes, and had seen the success or failure of those who had gone before her.

Showing true grit, Cara navigated the course in style, successfully making it down without crashing out.

Nagle College congratulates Cara Plant on this fantastic achievement and wishes her well for future snowboarding events and competitions.

Marian retreat at cathedral HAVE you thought on occasions, like so many of us, that your relationship with God and His Church could be better – that you would like to get to know Our Blessed Mother, Mary and her role and importance as intercessor in leading us to Jesus?

However, you continually experience obstacles which block you in fulfilling your important spiritual desires i.e. “something always comes up to stop me from spending time with God” or commonly “there aren’t enough hours in the day” or “ there is not enough of me to spread around – so I can make the time”.

Before we know it – time has passed and we haven’t progressed in our genuine intention of spending more quality NAGLE College Year 7 student, Cara Plant, tackles the slopes at Mt Buller during the State Inter- time with God and His Mother, in the hope that our faith will school Snowsports Championships where she won the BoarderX event to become State Champion. deepen enabling us more trust-

ingly to answer God’s call and thus strive to act upon His Will for us.

Then, perhaps, you may consider taking the first step by attending the retreat hosted by Fr Francis Merlino OFM , responsible for the Marian Movement of Priests in Victoria, on Thursday, October 20 at St Mary’s Cathedral, Pearson St., Sale.

The retreat will commence at 10.30am with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and the day will include Holy Mass, Adoration, Benediction, Confession, Cenacle (Rosary and Prayers for Pope Benedict) three Reflections and close at 3pm with a Consecration to Our Lady.

BYO lunch – tea and coffee will be provided. Everyone is welcome. For more information please contact Marianne Bagguley on 5147 1019.