The Record Newspaper 05 August 2009 by The Record

The Travelling Priest: Vark Reidy interviews a remarkable man in Hong Kong Vista 4 World: Franciscan confessors at St Peter's feel the pulse of the Church

page 11

Perspectives: Derek and <aren 3oy1en on children and vocations

page 12

Bookshop: esources to helo adults, teens discern vocations.

page 20 "Be indefatigable in your purpose and with undaunted spirit resist iniquity and try to conquer evil with good, having before your eyes the reward of those who combat for Christ." -BISHOP MATTHEW GIBNEY 1874

THE PARISH. THE NATION. THE WORLD. w ww.therecorticom.au

Prisoner no more THE man now charged with helping young men in Perth discern whether Christ is calling them to the priesthood was once sitting in a Cambodian prison cell after police intercepted his trip from Vietnam to Thailand via people smugglers. Today, Fr Thai Vu has a love affair with God - he is a priest: alone, but not lonely. A fter a year as vocations director, he tells The Record that God calls men to be witnesses to Christ throughout the ages, regardless of the state of the world or the Church.

Western Australia's award-winning Catholic newspaper since 1874 - Wednesday August 5 2009

Perth, Western Australia $2

Special edition: Year for Priests

A vocation out of this world From altar boy to bishop: how the humble rise - Vista 1

Culture of vocations to restore priesthood - Page 7 Br

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GIVING hope to people and bringing Christ to a world that badly needs His presence are the big rewards of a priesthood, says Fr John O'Reilly, a retired priest who's worked extensively in youth ministry and as Perth's diocesan vocations director. Today, he's back at St Charles Seminary as a spiritual director, and has compassionate but strengthening words of advice for young men discerning a call to the priesthood: don't let your mates tell you what you should do. If Christ is calling you, what else matters? - See his story on Vista 2-3

QUOTABLE "Let the whole of mankind tremble, the whole of the world shake, and the heavens exalt when Christ, the Son of the living God, is present on the altar in the hands of a priest." - St Francis of Assisi "The priest continues the work of redemption on earth. ... If we really understood the priest on earth, we would die not of fright but of love. The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus." - St Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney

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August 5 2009, The Record

VOCATIONS

WYD Blesseds inspire youth

EDITOR Peter Rosengren cathrec@iinetnet.au

JOURNALISTS

Blesseds who started great works at a young age inspire Perth conference.

Anthony Barich abarich@therecord.com.au Mark Reidy reidyrec@iinet.net.au rthiini@gmail.com Robert Hiini

PRODUCTION 8c ADVERTISING Justine Stevens production@therecord.com.au

ACCOUNTS Cathy Baguley recaccounts@iinet.net.au

ADMINISTRATION Bibiana Kwaramba administration@therecord.

corn. au

BOOKSHOP Caroline Radelic bookshop@therecord.com.au

CONTRIBUTORS Debbie Warner Karen & Derek Boylen Anna Krohn Catherine Parish Fr John Flader John Heard Christopher West Bronia Karniewicz Guy Crouchback

The Record PO Box 75, Leederville, WA 6902

587 Newcastle St, West Perth Tel: (08) 9227 7080, Fax: (08) 9227 7087 Website: www.therecord.com.au

TWO inspiring individuals who overcame adversity to discern their vocation at a young age were announced as the new patrons of Perth's archdiocesan Catholic Youth Ministry office at its July 15-19 Hope Conference at Chisholm Catholic College in Bedford. Over 70 people turned out for the 'Hope' World Youth Day reunuion conference, with presenters taking Pope Benedict XVI's 2009 World Youth Day message and his 2007 encyclical Spe Salvi (On Christian Hope) for inspiration. CYM took the opportunity to announce their new spiritual patrons, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and Blessed Mary MacKillop. Frassati expert Fr Timothy Deeter and Josephite Sister Maree Riddler RSJ detailed the struggles, faith and good works of both venerable rolemodels in Catholicism. "Through their struggles and personal challenges, their faith is what helped them through it all and we can relate so strongly to their lives: CYM director Anita Parker told The Record. "The challenge now is to see if we can be more like them in our own lives." The conference, convened by Catholic Youth Network - a body made up of Catholic agencies and organisations with an active interest in youth - and administered by CYM, was CYM's first conference since the former WYD Perth Director Anita Parker took the helm as director in

Youth respond to inspiring talks based around Hope, the concept explored by Pope Benedict

in his encyclical Spe Salvi,

PHOTO: FLOOR FORTUNATI

late 2008. Attendees came from parishes, communities and movements throughout Perth and as far afield as Pinjarra, Narrogin and Katanning to hear inspiring messages from some of Perth's prominent Catholic personalities. The conference theme came from the Pope's chosen World Youth Day scripture - "We have set our hope on the living God" (1 Tim 4:10) - with organisers asking speakers and facilitators to focus on different sections of the encyclical. Speakers and workshop facilitators included Mike Sandrini from 24/7 Youth Ministry, Mario Borg from the Disciples of Jesus, Bishop Don Sproxton, diocesan vocations director Fr Thai Vu, Respect Life Office executive officer Bronia

The Record is a weekly publication distributed throughout the parishes of the dioceses of Western Australia and by subscription.

Oblates hit milestones

The Record is printed by Rural Press Printing Mandurah and distributed via Australia Post and CTI Couriers.

TWO Oblate priests well known to many in WA celebrated significant anniversaries in their priesthood recently - one who was born in Fremantle and ventured to Victoria and the other a Victorian who taught for many years in Perth. Oblate Fr Kevin Davine OMI hit the 50 year mark of priesthood on July 29 while Fr Henry McFall OMI celebrated his sixtieth anniversary of priesthood on June 29. Over the course of a 46-year education career, Fr Davine taught at Mazenod College in Lesmurdie from 1966-1972 and again from 1984-1986, becoming principal of the college from 2001-2003, with two previous stints as principal of Mazenod College, Victoria. Ordained in Sale (Vic) in 1959, he joined Mazenod, WA, two years after the college was founded - having fewer than 100 students - acting as Vice Rector for Fr Don Hughes OMI. His other colleague in those fledgling days at Mazenod, Fr Ian Mackintosh OMI, described Fr Davine as 'a man of prayer, a faithful priest and an eloquent preacher,' in a recent edition of the Oblate's inhouse newsletter, remembering his great love of teaching and affection for all his students. Fr Henry McFall OMI joined the Oblate novitiate in Geelong in 1941 having grown up in Fremantle - "a real son of the local soil" and a product himself, of an Oblate educa-

SAINT OF THE WEEK Clare of Assisi 1193-1253 II Though 10 years younger than her townsman, Francis of Assisi, Clare was drawn to his radical message of serving God in abject poverty. Despite objections from her aristocratic family, who wanted her to many, she gave up the world with Francis' help and founded the Second Order of St. Francis, known worldwide as the Poor Glares. For 40 years, she guided the San Damiano community, whose nuns included her sister and widowed mother. She served the other nuns who went out to beg, was often sick because of their hard life, and was proclaimed a saint just two years after she died.

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Ca)OTABLE "Jesus has made Himself the Bread of Life to give us life. Night and day, He is there. If you really want to grow in love, come back to the Eucharist, come back to that Adoration:' - Blessed Mother Teresa

Left, Fr Kevin Davine OMI. Right, Fr Henry McFall OMI.

tion, according to Fr Don Hughes OMI. After spending his final years of seminaryformation in Ireland, he was ordained there on June 29 1949, becoming the first WA-born man to become an Oblate priest. Fr McFall taught in all three of the Oblates colleges in Queensland, Victoria and WA as well as being a popular retreat master and serving in the parishes of Fremantle and Beaconsfield. "He was a natural, hard-working teacher who brought much originality to his profession:' said his long-time friend and fraternal colleague Fr Don Hughes recently. He also described Fr Joseph as a "faithful, people-oriented priest". "We Oblates thank you for the witness of your life as a man of prayer with a great love of the Eucharist and Our Blessed Lady."

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS August 2009 8

Padre Pio Mass, North Fremantle - Archbishop Hickey

Formal Welcome, Greek Seminarian Exchange Program Archbishop Hickey

• CRUISING • FLIGHTS • TOURS •

Karniewicz and local representatives from Caritas and the Young Vinnies. Mass and music were a daily feature with praise and worship provided by a dedicated music team made up of young Catholics from Leederville, Morley, Whitford and Bateman parishes as well as Impact Catholic Ministry. The conference concluded with a 'Sunday Sesh' at Greenwood parish - a CYM-run localised ministry night run in one north-of-theriver parish and one south, once a month. The Sunday night closing featured Perth author Norma Woodcock sharing her views on and understanding of the importance of prayer with the 85 young people in attendance.

Confirmation, Nollamara - Bishop Sproxton 12

Mass and Commissioning of Catechists - Bishop Sproxton

Council of Priests' Meeting Archbishop Hickey, Bishop Sproxton

"We know that we've been given the truth of the Gospel through no merit of our own. We need to proclaim it humbly and confidently even when other people object - and even if they're offended. The laity are Christ's primary missionaries to the world, and we [priests] have to form them much more deeply for the post-modern world in which they live:' - Archbishop. Charles J Chaput, OEM. Capuchin "Happiness attracts:' - New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan on his strategy for increasing recruitment to the priesthood

Mass with Sisters of Charity - Archbishop Hickey

Blessing and opening of extensions, Emmanuel Catholic College - Mgr Brian O'Loughlin VG

14-16

Parish Visitation, Ellenbrook - Bishop Sproxton

Mass to celebrate 20th Anniversary of Personal Advocacy Service, Morley - Archbishop Hickey

Judging of Angelico Art Exhibition - Bishop Sproxton

Opening of Angelico Art Exhibition - Bishop Sproxton

Heads of Churches Meeting - Bishop Sproxton

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Parish Visitation, Clarkson - Bishop Sproxton

August 5 2009, The Record

Page 3

VOCATIONS

Priest marked by compassion

Former miner overcame fears

Above: Bunbury Bishop Gerard Holohan celebrates Mass for Fr Marian's 25th anniversary to the priesthood at Our Lady Star of the Sea parish in Esperance. Below: Fr Marian with Rina Sweeney with the commemorative olive oil.

Fr Marian's 25th anniversary of priesthood.

Fr Gerard ConIan

FATHER Marian Brzozowski SDS celebrated his 25th Anniversary of Priesthood on May 31 - Pentecost Sunday - at Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Esperance where he has been parish priest for the past five and a half years. The formal celebrations were held on June 2 by Bunbury Bishop Gerard Holohan, his diocesan priests Fr Tony Chiera and the retired Fr Noel Fitzsymons, seven fellow Salvatorian priests and the two SDS seminarians, Daniel and Symon. Parishioners from Bruce Rock, where Fr Marian had previously served as parish priest, also made the long trip to Esperance for the occasion. Bishop Holohan was the chief celebrant, with the homily given by Fr Leonard, who spoke of Fr Marian's journey as a priest - first in Poland, before he moved to Tanzania, East Africa, then to the Major Salvatorian Seminary in Bangalore in India and finally to Australia, where he served in Carnarvon and then Bruce Rock, before coming to Esperance. Attendees reported that the beauty of the liturgy and celebration was enhanced by inspiring music, and the Mass with Fr Marian, Bishop Holohan and fellow priests and seminarians celebrating together was a rare and "wonderfully uplifting event and

we felt very privileged to be participants along with other parishioners and visitors" At the end of Mass, Pat Ivers, chairwoman of the parish pastoral council made a speech giving an insight into Fr Marian's compassion and leadership in the parish, prior to presenting him with a gift from the Parish. She invited Bishop Holohan, along with the priests, visitors and parishioners to join Fr Marian in celebratory supper where he cut his anniversary cake. A quarter of a century in any profession is a long time so much so that one family decided to answer their invitation to celebrate in an innovative way. The first crush of the 2009 harvest from "The Olive Farm" Esperance, was presented to Fr Marian in the form of fifty bottles of cold pressed olive oil, commem-

oratively labelled to acknowledge his 25 years of priesthood. The oil was made available for sale and all proceeds generously donated by Fr Marian to the Salvatorian Seminary in Poland. The celebrations continued with a few revellers sparring voices against each other in song; Polish love songs versus Irish ditties. The 'blonde fox' found the piano and another round of song and fun followed, ending a very enjoyable evening. We in Esperance are very thankful for our wonderful priests, special people who guide, teach and listen to us. We thank God for all the priests who have served us and are very appreciative that we have a priest such as Fr Marian with us in Esperance.

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FATHER Gerard Conlan is a man who had already proven himself a capable sort in WA's mine fields but for years thought he wasn't good enough to be a priest. "Fr Gerry," as he is known to the students and staff of the University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, where he is chaplain, eventually overcame those misgivings, taking the plunge into Religious life when he was 35, joing St Mary's Oblate Seminary in Melboune in 1996. A graduate of the Oblate's Mazenod College in Lesmurdie, Fr Gerry maintained contact with Oblates throughout his mining career, spending time at an Oblate mission in Cilacap, Indonesia, in 1991, an experience which opened his eyes to both the poverty of that region and the strong faith and joy of the local people. He has been chaplain at Notre Dame since January and works closely with campus minister Tom Gannon, to organise events and formation activities for students and staff as well as teaching in Notre Dame's Introduction to Theology unit. Apart from providing pastoral care and access to the sacraments, Fr Gerry says he most enjoys the opportunity for dialogue with staff and students that his current role provides, describing Religious life, not as a burden but an adventure."

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August 5 2009, The Record

VOCATIONS

Website opens the door genera for next tion of Columbans call for new missionaries Brothers Advertorials

Invitation to join global ministry of missionary priests.

You will be my witnesses... to the ends of the earth. ( Acts 1:8)

WHO? Columbans WHAT? Missionary Priests WHERE? To the ends of the earth YOU?

Fr Patrick McInerney Vocations Coordinator Ph. (02) 9352 8000 patrickmcinerney@columban.org.au w ww.columban.org.au

THE Columbans are calling for a new generation of young Australian missionaries. Though its members have traditionally come from Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, UK, and the United States, the Missionary Society (not Order) of priests is finding new members from Chile, Fiji, Korea, Peru, Tonga and the Philippines. The Columbans, whose purpose is "to proclaim and witness to the Good News in Jesus Christ of the full Christian liberation and reconciliation of all peoples" (Constitutions, 101), are also calling young Australian Catholics so that the Church's mission may be truly universal and inclusive of all peoples. Accordingly, Columbans invite young Australian men to join their peers from other countries for a lifetime of missionary adventure. Columbans are a multi-cultural society. Members of 10 nationalities work in 15 countries. Following the Gospel "option for the poor'', they freely choose to be in solidarity with the marginalised, witnessing first-hand the devastating effects on their lives of violence, poverty, injustice and ecological destruction. This combination of global and Gospel perspectives transforms them, and gives them the "missionary edge" that characterises their life and work. Columbans are at the frontier of the Church's involvement in working for peace, justice, reconciliation, and a sustainable use of resources. They are at the crossroads of dialogue between peoples, cultures and religions. The Columbans urge Australia's young people to take up the challenge that Pope Benedict XVI presented to the youth of the world in 2007: "Be prepared to put your life on the line in order to enlighten the world with the truth of Christ; to respond with love to hatred and disregard for life; to proclaim the hope of the risen Christ in every corner of the earth."

LAST week two young men commenced one of the most important journeys of their lives when they entered the first stage of the De La Salle Brothers Training Program in Melbourne. Bill, a 33-year-old school welfare officer from country Victoria, and Lewis, a 24-year-old teacher from Sydney, first established a connection with the De La Salle Brothers online a year ago. For Bill and Lewis, the internet played a crucial role in the initial stages of exploring a religious vocation and they found themselves regularly visiting the De La Salle Brothers' site. "When I first started looking at religious life, the internet was the sole tool I used. It provided a level of anonymity allowing me to explore religious congregations without having to actually make direct contact. It helped determine if my belief system and personal attributes were in line with the various Orders," Bill said. While Lewis explored numerous religious sites, he found that the extensive use of imagery and the language adopted on the De La Salle Brothers' site appealed to him. "The De La Salle Brothers' website provided me with a real snapshot of what Brothers do and how they carry out their mission. The images really inspired me. I

also found the information was conveyed in an accessible manner. The forum section answering questions about how Brothers live was a highlight as it spoke to me in a way that I understood. I felt that after exploring the website I had enough information to empower me to make contact with the Brothers; Lewis said. Both Bill and Lewis credit the De La Salle Brothers' website for its realistic approach to religious life and its ability to represent an Order which is moving with the times, all of which were significant in choosing to investigate the Order further. Since making contact with the Brothers both Bill and Lewis have been on a journey of discovery, under the guidance of Br Mark McKeon, about who the Brothers are, what they do and how each of them fit with the Order's existing members, structures and future directions. Regular community visits and contact with the Brothers have been instrumental in strengthening their personal conviction about religious life and in determining that this life is for them. If you would like information about the De La Salle Brothers please visit www.delasallebrothers.com or contact Brother Mark McKeon on 02 9795 6412.

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August 5 2009, The Record

VOCATIONS

Year for Priest iniatives flood the Internet Cardinal reports global positive response. VATICAN CITY (Zenit.org) - The Congregation for Clergy has successfully launched a new website for the Year for Priests, which began on June 19. The enthusiasm surrounding this occasion has echoed in initiatives across the globe. A letter from Cardinal Claudio Hummes, prefect of the congregation, expressed the hope that "this may be a time of grace that will produce great apostolic fruit, especially of fidelity and intense renewal in the work of the ministry." He explained that their new site offers spiritual resources and documents for priests and lay people to celebrate the year, in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. The cardinal affirmed that the Year for Priests "has been warmly received throughout the world" and the "positive effects will make themselves felt very quickly." He invited ordained ministers to "participate in it with every effort and creativity" and to "be unconditional disciples and audacious missionaries" for Christ. Another initiative was organised by WorldPriest, a group of Catholic communications professionals based on both the United States and Ireland. In addition to online resources, the group coordinated four Masses celebrated on different points of the globe on June 19, uniting English-speaking Catholic communities to pray for priests. Each Mass took place at 3pm local time, beginning with one in Sydney, celebrated by the Archbishop of that city, Cardinal George Pell. Next, Carmelite Father Sebastian Koodappattu presided over a Mass in Kerala, India, followed by Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam in Ireland's Knock Shrine. Monsignor Michael Curran completed the circle with a Eucharistic Celebration in New York. In addition, a special Mass was televised by WorldPriest on Sunday in honour of the World Day of Prayer for Priests, which the group promotes every year. Father Brendan Kilcoyne, president of St Jarlath's College in Tuam, presided over this Mass that was broadcast by the RTE national television station. Vocational renewal National initiatives in England and Wales are available through the new online portal created by the bishops' conference there.

Q_JOTABLE

"The priesthood is an astounding miracle, great, immense, and infinite." - St Ephrem "Being a Catholic is a bit like being married. We have a relationship with the Church and with Jesus Christ that's very similar to being a spouse. And that has consequences. If a man says he loves his wife,

Page 5

Country priest never forgets his first love Malaysia Day to tie cultural festival into youth ministry. • By Robert Hiini

Catholic Vocations Ministry Australia

Congregation for Clergy

FATHER ROY Periera, a priest who has spent the last ten years ministering in country WA - has never forgotten about his first-love of youth ministry. He is spearheading an upcoming event at the Perth Convention Centre where he hopes to raise tens-of-thousands of dollars to send 300 young people to World Youth Day (WYD) Madrid in 2011. The August 28 event has Malaysia Day as its theme and will feature Malaysian cuisine and performance as well as contemporary music for revellers wanting to dance late into the night. Along with event coordinator Francis Williams and their team of volunteers, Fr Pereira is confident of selling 500 tickets and will be handing over all funds raised to former-Perth World Youth Day Coordinator and current Catholic Youth Ministry Perth director

Anita Parker. GYM - which has merged with the now-defunct Perth World Youth Office in administering WYD arrangements for the Archdiocese - will administer the money, helping Perth youth to meet the expected $5000 cost-per-person of attending WYD Madrid. Hailing from Malaysia's largest city and capital, Kuala Lumpur, Fr Pereira says he was encouraged in his fundraising idea when a staffer at the Malaysian consulate informed him that there were between 18,000 - 20,000 Malaysians living in Perth. While organisers are hoping to attract people from any national background, the efforts have been bolstered by being able to attract Malaysian business owners and company directors to the event with a representative from the Malaysian consulate scheduled to address event-goers. Fr Pereira, who is on loan to the Archdioce of Perth from the Diocese of Bunbury, says he has always been in youth ministry, no matter what role or position he has occupied over the past 28 years. He was ordained by Bishop

Peter Quinn in Albany in 1999, and worked in Albany; then in the parishes of Katanning and Kojonup before becoming parish priest of Mandurah. In February he was recruited to the newly-begun Lumen Christi Archdiocesan Centre for Evangelisation, joining centre director, Fr Michael Slatterly, in planning and undertaking new initiatives for people making enquiries about Catholicism, including a series of youth retreats earlier this year. He remembers his uncles and cousins - several of whom are also priests - taking him to youth seminars and camps in his home country and in more recent years, has attended four WYD and says he will definitely be making the trip to Madrid. Next year, Fr Pereira hopes for a Malaysia Day event that is even bigger with 1500 guests, hoping to raise $200,000 overall before 2011. For tickets or more information about the 52nd Malaysia Day Celebrations, contact Lilia on 9417 4621 or Fr Roy on 0417 936 449. See Advertisement below.

WorldPriest.com

This website contains resources for priests, and allows users to browse through the online offerings of each of the 22 dioceses in the conference. Thus, for example, one can access the new website from the Archdiocese of Birmingham that features a multimedia "virtual seminary; posters, prayer cards, priestly testimonials and a seminary blog. Father Eddie Clare, committee chairman of the National Office for Vocation, affirmed that one important outcome of this year will be a "renewed emphasis on vocations." "The more we value our priests and their irreplaceable presence at the heart of the Church, more men may consider that this may be their calling in life; Father Clare told Zenit news agency, based in Rome. One institution that is offering visual demonstrations of the irreplaceable role of priestly ministry is the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. In a new website launched for the Year for Priests, it is featuring slide show presentations about its ordained alumni and the ways they have served the Church. The year will run until June 19, 2010, and will centre on the theme: "Faithfulness of Christ, Faithfulness of Priests."

his wife will want to see the evidence in his love and fidelity. The same applies to our relationship with God. If we say we're Catholic, we need to show that by our love for the Church and our fidelity to what she teaches and believes. Otherwise we're just fooling ourselves, because God certainly won't be fooled." - Abp. Charles 1Chaput, OEM. Cap

alay5trboar,\_ __ _. , . , lebratit59 ., _ ,,A, NNWith Malaysian cuisine buffet dinher'

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WORLD YOUTH DAY 2011 Perth Convention Exhibition Centre Friday 28 August 2009 7:30 pm- 1:00 am $85:00 per person - no B.Y.0 Dress attire: Semi-Formal (Malaysian costume) FOR TICKETS CONTACT: Payment by: Cash/Cheque Fr. Roy Pereira 0417 936 449 Fr. Philip Perreau 0424 636 150 Catherine Chua 0433 923 083 • Raffle Draw Melanie Cheah 0408 907 339 • Door Prizes Sammy Raj 0423 738 934 • Spot Dance Anton Augustine 9328 0347 Basil Augustine 9414 9134 Arnold Fernandez 9332 5581 Soma Muthucumaru 0403 536 805 Pedas — Pedas Natasha Fernandez 0420 787 402 & Malaysian Groove Collectiive Jessie Jayakugan 0411 413 987 Brian Pereira 0419 565 996 Lilia Fernandez (Treasurer) 9417 4621 Scott Queh Francis Williams (Coordinator) 9459 3873 / 0404 893 877

Page 6

August 5 2009, The Record

VOCATIONS

Model for youth to be canonised Bishop takes on powerful Brother Rafael found sanctity in AFL clubs over Good Friday everyday life. • By Carmen Elena Villa

ROME (Zenit.org) - A Cistercian monk proposed by Pope John Paul II as a model for youth is set to be canonised this October. Blessed Maria Rafael Arnaiz Baron, known as Brother Rafael, will be recognised as a saint along with four others who will be canonised on October 11. He is the youngest of the group, having died at age 27 in 1938. The postulator of his cause, Cistercian Sister Augusta Tescari, spoke with Zenit about his life, affirming that he found sanctity in the midst of renunciation and sacrifice, as well as the joy of contemplative life, ''with the style and the simplicity of a youth." "A pictorial style because he describes his experience as if he were painting," she said. "His spirituality is very simple, centred on the Eucharist, the greatness and goodness of God - in the dominion of God over his life:" Rafael Arnaiz was born in Spain in 1911 and studied at a Jesuit school. From a very young age, he showed remarkable sensitivity to spiritual themes, as well as interest in painting and art. His studies, however, were soon interrupted by illness. When he recovered in 1922, his father consecrated him to Our Lady. At age 19, he began a degree in architecture in Madrid. "It was a very turbulent era in which anticlericalism was ablaze," Sister Tescari noted. In 1932, Arnaiz left aside his studies for a few days to do the spiritual exercises. During that retreat, he felt called to become a Cistercian monk. At age 23, he was accepted in the monastery of St Isidro de Duenas. "I am not moved to make this life change by sadness, nor suffering, nor disappointment, nor disillusion with the world," he said when he entered the order. "What the [world] can give me I have. God in his infinite goodness has given me in life much more than I deserve." Surrounded by Gregorian chant and the murals of the' Trappist monastery, Brother Rafael felt that the vocation responded to his deepest longings. "Singing as they sing, with this fervour, it is not possible that Our Lady would not be

C J_ OTABLE "Jesus said, 'Go therefore and make disciples of all nations: He didn't say, 'unless you're embarrassed or feeling uncomfortable or really depressed: We are no better nor worse than the priests who came before us, all the way back to the men who followed the first Apostles. We have the same mission of converting the world, which means shaping a holy people, which means reforming our own lives beginning right now. Priests and

pleased by them,'' he wrote. "I believe that in these moments, the Queen of Heaven must gaze upon her sons with tenderness." He spent hours writing his mother - she would collect his letters in a book after his death - and his uncles, the dukes of Maqueda. Sister Tescari recounted Brother Rafael that reading his letters "above all those to his uncles, he seems to be their spiritual director. He was not a disciple of his uncles; rather, they were disciples of his:' "Days pass in the monastery,'' Brother Rafael would write. "What does it matter? I do not see great things, I don't see miseries, I don't see snow, I don't distinguish the sun. The world is reduced to a point, to the point of the monastery and in the monastery, only God and myself.' Despite his contentment in the monastery, diabetes would force him to leave three times. "This seemed to him almost a betrayal by God, but little by little he accepted the will of the Lord and stayed in his house a year and a half to recover," Sister Tescari explained. "He again asked to enter the monastery, [now] as an oblate because he couldn't follow the entire rule. He was accepted as a guest. He felt so strongly that he had the vocation that that is why he was accepted:' The simplicity and humour of Brother Rafael's letters do not diminish their theological depth and the telling of his experiences in the monastery, as well as his love for the Lord and Our Lady. In 1934, he received the white habit, something he told his mother with great joy: "I am very happy. I am all dressed in white, at least on the outside. Now I am going to try to be the same on the inside, which is what really matters:' Diabetes finally took his life on April 26, 1938. His cell in the monastery is preserved as a place of prayer and recollection for the monks of the community. John Paul II offered Brother Rafael as a model during the 1989 World Youth Day in Spain. The Pontiff proclaimed him Blessed in 1992.

bishops are the spark of the life of faith within the Church. If we priests don't change, nothing really changes." - Abp. Charles J. Chaput, OEM. Cap

Vocation includes standing up for Catholic truths. • By Anthony Barich

MELBOURNE Bishop Les Tomlinson has set himself in opposition to powerful AFL clubs by affirming that the Catholic Church does not want games to be played on Good Friday. Victorian clubs AFL Carlton, Collingwood, Geelong and Hawthorn have in the past month mounted cases for Good Friday fixtures, while North Melbourne has annually requested such games for most of the past 12 years, the Melbourne daily The Herald Sun reported. Extra pressure is being put on the AFL by these Victorian clubs, who have promoted the concept of a Good Friday game as a fundraiser for the Royal Children's Hospital. Media personality Fr Bob Maguire, a Melbourne diocesan priest, told The Herald Sun that "Catholics would be dying to go to the footy on Good Friday; it's just the 3pm thing where they all have to be in church': This prompted Bishop Tomlinson, Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Melbourne, to reaffirm the Church's position that any proposal to play games on Good Friday fails to properly consider the spiritual needs of people in the community. "It's not just about the three o'clock ceremony. It is about the day," said Bishop Tomlinson, who was ordained and installed as a bishop of Melbourne by Archbishop Denis Hart on June 17. "From our awakening to the end of the day, it is the day Christians remember that Jesus Christ suffered and died for us so that we might know and enjoy the love of God for all eternity" Bishop Tomlinson told The Record that Holy Thursday night, Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday games are already

Bishop Les Tomlinson

played, which is adequate. Bishop Tomlinson, 65, who grew up in the rural town of Mildura, never followed an AFL club, but supported his local grass-roots club growing up. "We are very proud of Melbourne's sporting culture; he said. "Easter and the Easter holidays are a season of the spirit and the spiritual for Christians." He said that Good Friday is part of Melbourne's culture and identity, and urged the AFL to "continue to show leadership in this matter; as it has done so effectively in other aspects of sporting culture". AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou told the Herald Sun he is personally against football being played on Good Friday, but respects the fact that others want to see it played. He also called on clubs to make a stronger case for change. Perth diocesan priest Fr Michael Rowe had written to AFL clubs prior to this season reminding them of the sacredness of Good Friday, receiving support from Mr Demetriou.

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August 5 2009, The Record

Page 7

VOCATIONS

New culture to gain priests Promotion work for priests and lay to boost culture. • By Anthony Barich

THE Archdiocese of Adelaide aims to promote the priesthood and the permanent diaconate within a new "culture of vocations" to save itself from an impending lack of priests. A number of parishes in the archdiocese have already merged, and the concept of promoting a vocations culture, the brainchild of Archbishop Philip Wilson, has been "in gestation" for two years. Adelaide currently has two permanent deacons and two more who have nearly finished their training at the Adelaide College of Divinity, an inter-denominational institute used by Flinders University and comprising Catholic Theological College, St Barnabas' Anglican Theological College and ParkinWesley College of the Uniting Church. The development of the concept of promoting the priesthood within a 'vocations culture' coincides with the Archbishop's Leap Ahead Project, which seeks consultation to address "major issues" facing the archdiocese over the next 10 years, including the looming priest shortage as many are due to retire soon due to old age or illness, or both.

The diocese's acting vocations director Fr Mark Sexton, who at age 50 is the last graduate of its St Francis Xavier Seminary that closed in 2000, said the plan to focus on local vocations would steer clear of scouting priests from overseas, as doing so would "deprive other countries of priests and the sacraments". If men from other countries ask the Adelaide archdiocese if they can study for the priesthood for South Australia, Fr Sexton said they would be asked to first enquire into their own diocese. "Priesthood is part of a culture of vocations, and we need to build it across the whole community. If we can get people thinking in terms of living their vocation as a mother, parent, teacher, etc, and if the younger ones hear people using those words unreservedly, they're more likely to think 'what's my vocation, maybe I'm called to Religious life, or the priesthood:' he said. He said the current perception is that 'vocations' only relates to priests and Religious, which must be changed if vocations to the priesthood are to rise. Four men are currently in training for Adelaide - three at Corpus Christi College in Melbourne and one in Rome. Several young men are enquiring, including two Sudanese, which is a large ethnic community in Adelaide.

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The long-term goal, Fr Sexton said, is to re-start St Francis Xavier Seminary, as Archbishop Wilson has made it clear "we'd like to train our own here". At least 10 students are needed for this to happen. Fr Sexton, parish priest of Barossa Valley and Kapunda, one of the oldest parishes in Australia that formed in 1847, joined the army after high school and taught as a secondary school teacher before entering St Francis Xavier Seminary aged 37. He and other priests addressed a number of schools on August 4-5 promoting Vocations Week, which was a special focus for the archdiocese, with a celebration similar to its pre-World Youth Day 2008 Days in the Diocese events. celebraVocations Week tions include a prayer vigil for the Catholic Church on August 7, with an evening Mass, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction, followed by a special Mass the next day on the centenary of the death of Blessed Mary MacKillop. Mary MacKillop started the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in Penola, South Australia. Vocations Week is to conclude with a Youth Ball that evening. There is also a monthly Diocesan Youth Gathering (DYG) that rotates around the archdiocese's Deaneries, where a youth council decides the topic of Catechesis and plans the liturgy.

110

Pope considers two facets of vocations work Both sower and seed have a role: Benedict XVI. VATICAN CITY (Zenit.org) - Those who work in vocations ministry should be instruments for God to sow his Word, but should also imitate the grain of wheat hidden in the soil, Benedict XVI told participants on July 4 in a four-day annual meeting of the European Vocations Service. The meeting, which ended on July 5 in Rome, had the theme Sowers of the Gospel of Vocation: A Word That Calls and Sends. In the context of the Year for Priests, the heads of the national vocation offices of the European episcopal conferences wanted to discuss the role of the Word of God in the life of the priest through biblical, sociological and pedagogical-pastoral reflections. In his address, the Pope asked priests and animators to make themselves instruments of sowing in the face of a "deep... sense of confusion that young people of today often experience" - there where "human words lack a future and a perspective, [and] also lack meaning and wisdom" and "an attitude of frenetic impatience and an incapacity to live a time of waiting is widespread." He recalled the duty of priests and animators to be a "grain of

C _JOTABLE "He who honours a priest honours Christ; he who insults a priest insults Christ." - St Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney

DEEPLY saddened by the crisis engulfing Christianity in the Middle East, Pope Benedict XVI has asked the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) to provide urgent help.

"Whether we're a priest or a layman, no personal conversion is possible unless we understand what we're really like and how far we really need to go." - Archbishop Charles) Chaput, OEM. Cap

In many parts of the land Our Lord Jesus Christ knew so well, the faithful now live in fear as increasing poverty and growing extremism threaten the survival of these ancient communities. A mass exodus of Christians from the Middle East is now taking place. For some it is a question of escaping bloody persecution. In the Holy Land for example, the proportion of Christians has plummeted from 20% to as little as 1 .4% in the last 40 years.

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wheat [...] that knows how to live hidden in the clamor and noise" and "that renounces the pursuit of that visibility and image that today often become the criteria and indeed the purposes of life in many parts of our culture, and fascinate many young people." The parable of the sower teaches that "if the grain of wheat fallen to the ground does not die, it remains alone; but if it dies, it will produce much fruit." The one who "sows [the seed] in the heart of man is always the Lord alone", and "only afterward can the abundant and generous sowing of the Word of God go forward along paths of accompaniment and education, of forming and discerning."

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Page 8

The gift of the Priesthood

s many will - or should - know, the 12 months from July this year have been declared by Pope Benedict as the Year for Priests. One of the reasons this year is in every sense providential is that it will hopefully go a long way towards re-acquainting all those who make up the Church with an authentic concept of the priesthood that appears to have been in many ways diluted in the modern era. It is entirely true to say that not least among those who need to reencounter the astonishing thing we call the priesthood are many priests themselves. It is one of the little-known aspects of the Church of the last quarter of a century or so that, in many quiet and unseen ways, enormous labour has gone into reforming the priesthood on the part of Church leaders such as John Paul the Great and, now, Benedict XVI. One of the clear but little-noticed priorities of both pontificates has been the renovation of the priesthood after the cultural devastation of the affluent cultures of the world from the 1960s or thereabouts onwards wreaked its own havoc on an essential part of the Church. The havoc was experienced in seminary life and formation - or rather the lack of adequate formation in many countries but especially those which can broadly be described as the affluent westernised nations of the world. Australia can be included on the list. Whatever the precise cultural, theological and philosophical reasons for the decline in the standards of formation and selection experienced in seminary life over the last several decades are not for this paper to lecture everyone else about. What is important and what is heartening is that there has been a clear, consistent and concerted effort from the highest office in the Church and many bishops and leaders of religious clerical congregations, new ecclesial realities, ways, movements and one prelature around the world to reclaim the priesthood for the Baptised, the Church and the world. But why do priests matter so much? To our society priests often seem like the most uninPO Box 75 teresting of all individuals. Leederville, WA 6902 Actually, priests often seem to cathrec@iinet.net.au our contemporary society as almost the worst kinds of indiTel: (08) 9227 7080 viduals - mild, inoffensive, Fax: (08) 9227 7087 never to be found disagreeing with anyone, bland, anodyne and without an ounce of courage or character to be found from top to toe. Worse, they don't know how to be human or to have fun. They walk around saying 'nice' things to everyone and concentrating on being 'nice' because all Christians are meant to do and be is to be 'nice.' They smile pleasantly at everyone during weddings. If anyone recalls the moral relativist in a Roman collar who was portrayed as the Catholic chaplain, Fr Francis Mulcahy, in the 1960s and 70s TV hit series MASH, they will recognise the characterisation set out above. One problem with the TV model of priesthood is that it is, of course, utterly wrong. Fr Mulchay was enough to make one run screaming from the loungeroom whenever he appeared. But it is one of the popular myths of the Priest that has come to possess the minds of many. However, to put it plainly, a priest is not meant to be an inoffensive nerd. Priests came in all personality types but a man who is meant, if necessary, to die for his faith, to regularly accompany the dying to their eternal destiny, to hear the worst things in the confessional and to bring the hardened sinner back to love of God, who is meant to shout the Good News of the Death and Resurrection of the Son of God from the rooftops and who delivers Jesus to people in the Sacrament of the Eucharist may be many things, but he can hardly be called by a polite nerd. So why are priests so important? It is an interesting exercise to reflect on whether Jesus needed to establish the priesthood. Presumably, Christ could have risen from the dead on the third day, appeared to his followers and assured them that his rising from the death proved he was who he had claimed to be. Christ could simply have left it all at that. "Follow me, live accordin to my law of love and, if you fall, tell your Father in Heaven you are sorry,' is how he could have left the Church - could have, but didn't. Instead, he established the priesthood with the Great Commission to go out into all the world and make disciples of all the nations. We can all understand the priesthood better and see its importance by thinking of it as a gift. When one gives a gift, one does so for the good and happiness of the other. One ideally gives a gift because one truly loves the other. The truth is that Jesus gave human beings - some of us - an actual share in his salvific and redemptive role as the eternal High Priest of God. This tells us something important about the true dignity of human beings. In a certain sense, Christ is telling the human race that the dignity of being made in the image and likeness of God comes with the duty to carry out some aspects of God's own work in history - the work of salvation of the human race. The unique and particular sacramental vocation is not for all Christians but for those Christ '11 calls to be his sacramental ministers and ministers of the Word, his apostles. All of this is, of course, a mystery, as so much of our faith is "A priest in absolving a sina mystery. But it is also true. "We ner, performs the very office are called - and we don't know of the Holy Ghost in the why" is how one priest described sanctification of souls." part of the mystery of the priesthood to seminarians during an - St Ambrose of Milan occasional lecture at St Charles Seminary in Guildford some years "The apex of dignities is the priesthood?' ago. Although his personality may at times obscure it, your local - St Ignatius labourer of the vineyard represents no less a mystery than God who There are two reasons why marriage was instituted, that became one of us. His life is often we may live chastely and that tough and isolated, but like the we may become parents" One who called him his life is for us. For you. You could do much - St John Chrysostom worse than pray for him.

THE RECORD

(Z)OTABLE

August 5 2009, The Record

LETTERS Letters to the editor

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A new imperialism?

The trouble with myths

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

0 qic \NC\

ately there have been several letters to the editor in the press claiming the existence of God to be an unfounded myth, conjured up by our superstitious and scientifically ignorant ancestors. That is simply ignoring all the miracles which have occurred, and are still occurring in modern times, in answer to prayer, for which science has no explanation. All reported miraculous healings are scientifically investigated and documented, and cannot simply be dismissed as fake. The same rigorous procedures apply to the canonisation of a saint as well as at shrines such as Lourdes. In Italy alone, there are at least half a dozen miracles of the Eucharist on display, such as the one at Lanciano where around 700 AD the Eucharistic bread turned to flesh and the wine to blood. When tested at a reputable laboratory some 1300 years later, the flesh was found to be a slice of a living human heart, while a sample of the solidified blood, when liquefied, was found to be fresh human AB blood, complete with proteins. The miracle of the sun at Fatima in 1917, which was witnessed at the appointed time by thousands of people, and photographed by newspaper reporters, was well publicised, and the predictions have come to pass. In addition, there have been innumerable statues of the Virgin Mary worldwide visibly shedding tears throughout the twentieth century, some even shedding tears of blood. They were scientifically analysed and found not to have been tampered with. The stigmata is another area of interest, but it is impossible to deal with so many issues, about which volumes have been written, in a brief letter. Suffice it to say, that it is an entirely personal choice whether to believe or not in the existence of a supernatural Power, but factual evidence should not be misrepresented as hallucination or dismissed as unscientific. Nor should unsubstantiated claims be made of having all the answers. To put it mildly, it is unscientific.

hankyou to The Record and Mark Reidy for the great article on Catholic funerals. Catholics, including priests really needed to read this. Over the years Catholic funerals have become a 'celebration' of a person's life. We have been to funerals where the deceased wasn't even a practising Catholic, or was living openly in mortal sin and yet we always hear the same thing, "he or she is now in Heaven:' In other words Heaven is full of sinners as well as saints. There is no Sin, no Purgatory and no Hell, only Heaven. Many Catholics, including priests, have been horribly deceived by Satan and deny personal judgement, Purgatory and Hell. The poor Suffering Souls in Purgatory need our help and our prayers because they can no longer help themselves. If we are fooled into believing that everyone who dies goes straight to Heaven, we deny those we love the help they so desperately need. Catholic funerals need to be first and foremost a sacred liturgy. The funeral Mass, like every Mass is the holy Sacrifice of Calvary, where Christ is the Victim who is to be worshiped and adored. The funeral Mass is NOT merely a celebration of a deceased person's life, as a Catholic funeral has now become, with endless eulogies, rock music, film and slide presentations, etc. These should be banned from Catholic funeral Masses and replaced with reverent, heartfelt prayers for the repose of the soul of the deceased instead. And as for cremations, Catholics should always note that the Church does permit them but the ashes of the deceased cannot be 'tossed to the wind' but must be buried in a respectful manner.

G Aquilina Lynwood

Cecilia Natta Willetton

Thanks for the word on funerals

Work clarified vocation Nun says working with people with mental illness has changed her life. OMAHA, Nebraska (CNS) When Sister Nancy Kehoe began leading adults with mental illness in discussions on spiritual beliefs and values 28 years ago, she never thought it would affect her so deeply. She considered herself an outsider during those early group sessions and thought differently about mental illness. "Over time I really began to see how much alike we all are, and I was often intrigued by the way they would talk about faith with such sanity. I began to feel like one of them:' she said. Now, she calls herself "an honorary mental patient" not

because she has been diagnosed with a mental illness but because of her understanding of and connection to those living with the disease. Sr Kehoe, a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart and a licensed psychologist, said she has come to a deeper appreciation and understanding of her own life and has gained a connection to those living with the disease. "Being a Religious has been a real struggle for me. It helped me integrate the two parts of my life - the psychologist and the nun." Inspired by her clients, Sister Kehoe has written a book titled Wrestling With Our Inner Angels: Faith, Mental Illness and the Journey to Wholeness. She was in Omaha recently for a booksigning event.

he continued statements of Premier Colin Barnett, that he wants Chinese workers to work at Oakajee, north of Geraldton and would invite China to help develop the next stage of the proposed Ord River agriculture expansion (West Australian 27 July) must ring alarm bells. Catholics should not forget the long pogrom against the Church in China, when Bishops are incarcerated for no reason other than they are Catholic Bishops or that there were 13 million innocents killed by abortion last year. We should also not forget history. In 1942 Japan had territorial ambitions for the whole of southern Asia including Australia. It failed in its attempt by one futile throw of the dice when it bombed Pearl Harbour. This brought America into the war. With its industrial and military power it would never permit a Japanese victory in the Pacific. All that Australia had to do was to hold out against an overextended and steadily weakening enemy. We should also not forget the words of the Chinese leader, Mao Tse-tung who said: "We [China] are advocates of the theories of a protracted war and a final victory and, unlike reckless gamblers, do not advocate the theory of staking everything on a single throw of the dice:' (page 142 Mao Tse-tung: an Anthology of his Writings ed. Anne Fremantle.) What China appears to be planning is to gradually take over large chunks of Australia's industry and resources and make us subservient without firing a shot. Those who control industry seem all too willing to surrender to China for money and our Premier is all too willing to help. Yours faithfully, Brian Peachey Woodvale

in brief...

Schools delayed Two proposed Catholic single-sex schools in the Joondalup area have been delayed because of planning approval problems. Stormanston Catholic College for girls and St Ambrose College for boys were to open in 2010 but are now expected to open for the 2013 school year. The WA Catholic Education Office (CEO) was notified in March that the WA Planning Commission had declined an application to rezone their land from rural to urban usage. The reasons for doing so have not been made public. Planning for the colleges is proceeding however with the CEO welcoming enrolment enquiries, inviting interested parties to contact Kate Hastings on 6380 5130 or hastings.kate@cathednet. wa.edu.au for more information.

August 5 2009, The Record

VOCATIONS

Altar Server toTish,..oy

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`riTte Priesthood qs a Pilgrimage andPrivilege'

'Frederick Tlenry was ordained- a yriest for the Diocese of Condon, Ontario, on 'Iay 25, 1968. 'ife was ordained an auxiliary bishey of the diocese on 'June 24, 1986., and has been bishoy of Calgary since 1998. Ne was appointed as reyresentative of the Trolly See for the Ayostolic Visitation of Canadian seminaries. And it all started when he was an altar boy in a fiutlit-, i-c _parish.

Andrew Espar, an altar server at Queen of All Saints Parish in Michigan City, lights candles CNS PHOTO BY KAREN CALLAWAY before the start of a Mass for All Souls' Day at his church.

By Bishcy• Erecierick Teenry

ne of the great joys of my youth was to be an altar server. I was so taken by the Eucharist that I used to pretend to say Mass in my bedroom with my younger brothers acting as my altar servers. It was always a challenge to teach them their Latin responses and, while I was not always the soul of patience, our mutual perseverance seemed to win the day and we didn't do too badly. Being an altar server allowed me to see what the priest did up close.I can remember thinking what a privilege it was to be a priest and bring the Body and Blood of the Lord to people. As I observed my pastor's activity,I noted that the people would bring their newborn children to him and say, "give them the faith, baptise them." He always seemed to be there at the critical moments in their lives: weddings, sicknesses, funerals, and parties. I thought, "What a neat job!" The possibility began to emerge in my consciousness that maybe God wanted me to be a priest. Several years later, upon being appointed bishop of Calgary, I was being interviewed about my vocation on radio and I shared these early memories. It just so happened that my mother heard the interview and told me that I didn't quite get it right. She explained that one day during Mass at the cathedral, while still a preschooler, I pointed to the priest and blurted out: "I'm going to be one of those guys."

qvtysterious I have no recollection of this event, but it taught me something of the mysterious nature of the working of God's grace. God's presence is not always obvious and God's actions are sometimes subtle and hidden. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth,I consecrated you;I have appointed you as prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:4-5). Building on the internal drawing of God's grace, the identification with my pastor, the tapping on the shoulder by a religious sister who asked, "have you thought about becoming a priest?," the example and faith of my mother and father, and with the encouragement of my peers and people - both those with faith and those without - with whom I worked over the years, and the seminary formation personnel, together enabled God's call to be both clarified and confirmed. One of my father's comments proved to be of particular importance in my formation. We used to have many animated discussions around the kitchen table about religion and our parish activities. Sometimes, we would move into the realm of critical comments. My father was always uncomfortable about criticism of any of our priests and he would repeatedly say: "Yes, but he is a holy man." I wasn't always convinced, but Ibegan to understand the distinction between the office and the man. God makes use of human instruments, imperfect men, whom he calls to continue the role and mission of the Apostles, to do what he did. It is much like the Apostle Paul who could

write: "I who am less than the least of all God's holy people, have been entrusted with this special grace, of proclaiming to the gentiles the unfathomable treasures of Christ" (Ephesians 3:8). I was ordained a priest in 1968 and a bishop in 1986. It's been a wonderful journey, perhaps more aptly, a pilgrimage. I remember, with considerable embarrassment, praying at the end of first theology before applying for tonsure: "Alright, God,I will be your priest, but I hope you realise all that I am giving up for you." At the time I didn't understand: "In truth I tell you, there is no one who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or land for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times as much, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and land - and persecutions too now in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life" (Mark 10:29-31). God has certainly not been stingy with his blessings. Most of my experience of priesthood and the episcopacy has been lived under the motif of John 21. I can readily identify with Peter as he was repeatedly questioned by Jesus, "Do you love me?" Peter's response is much like my own - a measured, tested, but feeble and humble, "Yes, Lord, you know I love you."

Chosen

However, the really critical words are Jesus' rejoinder: "In all truth I tell you, when you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch your hands, and someone else will put a belt around you and

take you where you would rather not go" (John 21:18). I have never had one appointment that I would have chosen for myself. As a result of my discernment in the seminary,I concluded that God wanted me to be a parish priest, not a member of a religious community and certainly not a teacher. My first assignment as an associate pastor was to follow a very successful extroverted priest who had a special gift for working with young people. As an introvert,I did not want to follow him and thought that I had no gifts for working with young people. I did not want to do postgraduate studies but was asked to do so by my bishop and so I consented.I would also teach for a number of years at the seminary. I didn't want to become rector of the seminary, but rather to return to parish life andI told my bishop so.I added that I could only tell him where I was at, and that he, as bishop, would have to make the decision as to where I would serve based on the needs of the diocese. For my part, I would have to respond with faith and obedience. I thoroughly enjoyed being a seminary rector. I didn't want to become an auxiliary bishop, but God's will be done.I didn't want to be an ordinary in either diocese where I was assigned. However, by surrendering and letting myself be led by the Holy Spirit, each successive move became more satisfying and fulfilling than the previous one. So much so that, jokingly,Ihave said that I can't wait for the next move! Nevertheless, I am really happy where I am and it goes without saying: I don't want - ZENIT to move.

VISTA 2

August 5 2009, The Record

Take a look at who you are, Pope tells priests; and reflects on fundamentals of identity and mission. VATICAN CITY (Zenit. org) - Priests need to take a good look at their identity, says Benedict XVI, and he offered the example of St John Vianney and the Year for Priests as an opportunity for this examination.

The Pope took up again on July 1 during the general audience the theme of the Year for Priests, under way since the feast of the Sacred Heart on June 19. He spoke about how important it is for priests to understand their identity and their mission. He pointed to St John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests and model for this jubilee year, noting that "what shines forth in the existence of this humble minister of the altar

' d:look ;: 11 tsiell of:deinstraendatshoecr17B closely and you'll discover...

Fr Thai Vu

Fr Anthony Percy

Fr John O'Reilly

of his personal identity, which is not artificially constructed, but rather given and received freely and divinely," the Pontiff explained. "What I have written in the encyclical 'Deus Caritas Est' is also true for priests: 'Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.' 'Having received such an extraordinary gift of grace with

their 'consecration,' priests become permanent witnesses of their encounter with Christ. Beginning precisely from this interior awareness, they can plentifully fulfill their 'mission,' by means of the proclamation of the Word and the administration of the sacraments. [...] Jesus sends the apostles, at that time and now, to proclaim the Gospel and he gives them the power to cast out evil spirits. 'Proclamation' and 'power,' that is to say 'word' and 'sacrament,'

are therefore the two foundational pillars of priestly service, beyond its many possible configurations." However, Benedict XVI observed, without taking into account the "consecration-mission" of the priest, "it becomes truly difficult to understand the identity of the priest and his ministry in the Church." "Who in fact is the priest, if not a man converted and renewed by the Spirit, who lives from a personal relationship

with Christ, constantly making the Gospel criteria his own?" the Pope asked. "Who is the priest, if not a man of unity and truth, aware of his own limits and at the same time, of the extraordinary greatness of the vocation he has received, that of helping to extend the Kingdom of God to the ends of the earth? "Yes! The priest is a man totally belonging to the Lord, because it is God himself who calls him and who establishes him in his apostolic service.

And precisely being totally of God, he is totally of mankind, for all people." Thus, the Holy Father invited the faithful to take advantage of the jubilee and pray for all priests and for priestly vocations. He encouraged the multiplying of prayer initiatives and also "opportunities for silence and listening to the Word, and better attention to spiritual direction and the sacrament of confession, so that the voice of God, who always continues

calling and confirming, can be heard and promptly followed by many youth." "One who prays is not afraid; one who prays is never alone; one who prays is saved," the Bishop of Rome concluded. "St John Vianney is undoubtedly a model of an existence made prayer. "Mary, Mother of the Church, help all priests to follow his example so as to be, like him, witnesses of Christ and apostles of the Gospel."

A vocation that's out of this world

Eighteen years ago, a Vietnamese teen, Thai Vu, was sitting alone in a Cambodian prison, aged 13. Today he has a love affair with God - he is a priest: alone, but not lonely. Anthony Barich reports.

ince the Allies failed to drive the Communists out of Vietnam in the controversial war of the 1960s, Australia's south-east Asian neighbour has not been a friendly place for Catholics to live. Only last week in Vietnam, hundreds of Catholics, including priests, were severely beaten by police while restoring a church, then arrested. It seems nothing much has changed since 20 years ago, when a couple gave people smugglers money to send their son, Thai Vu, to Thailand to escape persecution. They could not pay for themselves. He was captured by police en-route in Cambodia, and was thrown in prison for a month for entering the country illegally. He eventually made it to Thailand, but when the UN High Commissioner for Refugees found out he was sent back to Vietnam, as minors could not claim refugee status without accompanying parents or guardians. Today, having migrated to Australia by legitimate means, his survival instincts serve him well as priest, especially as Perth's archdiocesan vocations director, appointed at a relatively young age (he's now 31) last year by Archbishop Barry Hickey. While the appointment was unexpected, the role has taught him much about himself and the way God works in men who, despite living in one of the most heavily secular countries in the Western world, have felt the call to radically follow Christ in the priesthood. Amidst this demanding role, Father Thai loves nothing more than jumping in a car, driving into the middle of nowhere and camping out with nothing but his survival instincts to protect him. He's driven just about all over the vast State of WA, and finds solace in solitude. This ability to be alone but not lonely is essential for the priesthood, where marrying is forbidden as, among other things, it hinders one's ability to truly serve God's people. This ability may not be well honed before one joins the seminary, which is partly why it's seven years of discernment and study before one is ordained a priest. Importantly, a student can leave at any time, "and that's perfectly normal", Fr Thai says. It is better that one serve the Church through others as a layman in the world than be ordained a priest unsuited for the role. Fr Thai had some refining to do himself during his years at St Charles' Seminary. He wasn t exactly a party animal, but was very active on weekends. With the help of the formation at the seminary, he gradually cut down

[is] the complete identification of the man with his ministry." It is fundamentally important for a priest to grow in progressive identification with Christ, the Holy Father explained, saying this "will guarantee him fidelity and fruitfulness in the evangelical testimony." It is the priest's awareness of his "new being," which is fundamental to his mission, he added. "The priest's renewed enthusiasm for his mission will always depend on the certainty

VISTA 3

his weekend commitments so he gets to the stage where he can return from Mass on the weekend and be content praying, reading or contemplating, while maintaining strong links with family and friends. "It didn't change over night, but if you're happy about it, it will change, andI am happy, that's why I changed," he says. Having been inspired to the priesthood by the good work of visible priests as he grew up, his tumultuous early teens gave him the resilience to get through his daily trials, always looking for a better tomorrow. "You have to enjoy the work of the Church," he says. There are many other signs young men can detect in themselves that could be telling them that Christ is calling. If he loves prayer, spending time working and helping others; if he loves to have time to be with himself, then he may be called. He must love himself with all his strength and weaknesses; yet he still needs friends, both Catholics and non-Catholics, male and female. Yet he must be rooted in prayer with a yearning to follow Christ. "Without prayer, he's finished (as a priest):' Fr Thai says. Developing a relationship with Christ is easier said than done - someone we can't physically see except when his appearance is veiled in the Eucharist. Fr Thai likens the relationship which is essential for being a priest with pursuing a girl. "First you see her for her looks and character, but the more you spend time with her you learn the qualities that you like, and hopefully you can follow those qualities and make them yours," he says. "It's the same with Christ", who can be discovered through much time in prayer and contemplation, he says, through studying His life in Scripture and in the teachings of the Church. Through all this, "you know who you

fall in love with - God. The more time you spend time with God the easier it will be to hear his call for you to discern:' Modelling oneself on Christ and serving God's people is also tough, as "Christ is God and can do many good things, but as humans we struggle with human weakness, we want worldly things, and we don't have the gift to do everything." So knowing your limits is the key, he says, while always pursuing Christ by following the example of God; love all to whom you've been put in service. Love the Church, with all its strengths and weaknesses. "The call to the priesthood will always be there, even though over the years the priesthood has experienced much controversy, but Christ continues to call men to be priests," he says. The nature of the priesthood changes through the centuries. St Peter was married, but "part of being the Church is trusting that the Holy Spirit has guided us through change". Fr Thai has changed much when Archbishop Hickey chose him at a young age to guide other young men through the discernment process into the priesthood. Some of the men he encounters have degrees, "and are more intelligent than me", but God still calls them. "The biggest challenge for all is to have the ability to say 'yes,I just want to have a go' he says. While seminary numbers in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth are healthy, the overall trend since those turbulent '60s has been a downward spiral, similar to the overall Mass attendance. "It's not that God isn't calling us, people are responding to the call differently, by volunteering for different causes, which in itself is part of the discernment process," he says. "If you don't need anything and have everything in life, you won't ask for help. But being honest we all need something. We may have all material things but in our hearts we have a yearning. "But whether we have the guts to answer that call or to go out and follow that voice in our heart makes the difference. "Religious life and the priesthood is not popular in the Western world. But for those who have really strong faith, that's not a problem. At World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney I saw hundreds of thousands of young faithful proud to be Catholic." The biggest challenge in the priesthood today he says, is that priests have so many meetings and deal with so many emails, calls, and requests for school references, among other things - which is fine, but it restricts the priest from what he used to be able to do in times gone by, which is focusing on the sacraments and service to others. As for the future, Fr Thai has no idea. Whatever it is, he feels secure in the knowledge that Christ can do all things, through him as priest.

For Fr John O'Reilly, receiving a Papal Honour is not as great as the truly rewarding work of a priest: giving people hope and revealing Christ to a world who desperately need Him. His message to young men considering such a calling is similar to the words of the late Pope John Paul II at the 1995 World Youth Day in Manila: Be not afraid. Anthony Barich reports.

he sacrifices one makes becoming a priest is worth the rewards of bringing Christ to a world that badly needs Him, says a Perth priest who received a Papal Medal for over 50 years of service. Fr John O'Reilly, who at 81 has been a priest for 51 years including being archdiocesan vocations director, chaplain of Aquinas College and running a successful Antioch group for 15 years at Applecross, said priests are a visible witness that the Christian life is worth dedicating oneself to. Being a priest - and visibly, identifiably so - is counter-cultural as society is about indulging where as the priesthood is a life of sacrifice; it would appear the priesthood is therefore unnatural, but nothing could be further from the truth, he says. The secular nature of society makes it harder to hear God's call today, and the very nature of the priesthood has changed as society itself has changed. When Fr John was first ordained, drug and internet porn addiction was not an issue. Today they are.

"It would be wrong to put off discerning a vocation because of what others might think." But this is all the more reason why courage is needed to show Christ to the world, he says. "It's not unnatural, it's different, and you need to be courageous enough to be different," he says. "The priesthood is making Christ present in the world today. "We all face the same things about what we're giving up. Most of us discerning a vocation would count the cost - iving up the normal social life, we re entering into a new way of life for something that's countercultural, but vitally necessary. "The rewards justify the things you give up. "I got home the other day after counselling a young man for about

three hours,I thought to myself driving home, 'there are the trophies of the job' - giving people hope. "I got a medal from the Pope and I'm thrilled to bits about it, but souls are our trophies, and the help we can give to people, lifting them up, like Jesus did during His ministry." He said the power of witness is essential, but can be daunting for discerning men afraid of wearing a priest collar or crosses on the collar, which represents the "ministry of witness" which all Christians are called to in the way they live. However, he said that when he was first ordained, his mates respected him more for not being shy about what he believes in. The priesthood, he says, is making Christ present in the world today. "If you feel that God's calling you,

what does it matter?" he says. "The early martyrs knew they'd be killed for their love of God and Christ; that love was enough to make them do it whatever the cost. "It would be wrong to put off discerning a vocation because of what others might think." "As priests and Religious we have a greater responsibility to witness as people can see that we've given our lives to something we believe is worthwhile," he says. "We're selling a product, not for our own sake but because it's worth letting people know that the Christian life is worth dedicating yourself to. "It's giving people a chance to know that we've got a product that's worth enquiring about. "If I was in trouble in the street I wouldn't know to call on a policeman for help if he wasn't in uniform." "To discerning young men who might be scared by the thought of wearing a collar, would you be just as intimidated wearing an army or police uniform? "Only with the help of God can we do it." Questions he gets about loneliness as priests can't marry are answered thus: "We're all as lonely or busy as we choose to be. "Of course, it's human to be lonely, but if we find something to fulfil it, we don't need to be lonely."

Fr Anthony Percy, Rector of the Seminary of The Good Shepherd in Homebush, Sydney, is a worldly, energetic priest - and a died-inthe-wool Sydney Swans fan.

Anthony is a renowned theological scholar and author of Theology of the Body Made Simple. A clear concise inspirational treatise on Pope John Paul II's catecheses on love, intimacy, sex and marriage, the book has been translated into Chinese, t's a vocation like no other. rhere Italian, Spanish and German and is now in its fifth printing. What sets it are no girlfriends, the pay is apart from other tomes is that along lousy, the training takes seven with his scholarship, Fr Anthony is years of intense study, and to cap it all off, the boss is someone you can't able to use his wit, warmth and downto-earth practicality to make even the see. most complex issues easily accessible "It's a vocation that's out of this to lay people, particularly the young. world," Fr Anthony Percy quips with Little wonder, he is in demand as a smile, amused by the definition of priestly life coined by a Canberra jour- a speaker at secular and non-secular universities across Sydney as well as nalist. "All of us kids worked in the shop on xt3.com, the international cathoWorldly, energetic, full of enthuand I also had a paper run, tosslic networking site set up for World siasm and a self-confessed die-hard ing papers at people's windows as I Youth Day 2008. Tackling issues that Swans footie fan, 46-year-old Fr pedaled by on my bike. Dad taught us concern young people head-on, he Anthony and his gregarious golden early on the value of things and made labrador, William the Conqueror, have gives them wise pastoral and spiritual us save our money. But he was also guidance on sex, marriage, relationbecome a familiar sight around the very fair and paid us above the award ships or questions of faith. tree-lined streets of Homebush, NSW rate," Fr Anthony recalls with a smile. "The sacrificial notion of celibacy since he took over as Rector of the From his father, Fr Anthony also means giving up something very beauSeminary of the Good Shepherd on learned the basic principles of business tiful. But just because we give this up January 1 this year. and from both parents not only develdoes not mean we don't understand Now overseeing the training of 42 oped a strong work ethic but a deep problems and joys or the excited by relationships Anthony is Fr seminarians, and profound faith and love of God. of marriage," he says. the "calibre of the young men coming "When I told my dadI wanted to While many in the secular world through" and says his aim is to help train as a priest, he went off to see proudly list letters after their names, them with their aspirations, and to the Archbishop and when we heard proclaiming their accomplishments in develop as young men and as priests. I'd been accepted, he said: 'well, if it academia or other fields, Fr Anthony "It is a privilege as well as a chalworks out, son, great. And if it doesn't, who has an honours degree and a lenge to be at the intersection of what doctorate, insists the only ones a priest that's fine too. He and my entire famGod desires for someone, and what ily were very supportive." ever aspires to are the letters PHD. the young seminarian himself is desirOrdained in 1990, Fr Anthony spent "Which stand for poor humble ing from his chosen vocation." the next several years as an assistant Diocesan," he explains with a twinkle, Determined to help create "great adding that like most priests, all he has priest in Queanbeyan and the wheat priests" of the highest quality, he ever wanted to be is a "normal run-of- belt towns of Ardlethan and Barellan stresses that no matter how deep and before being sent to Washington the mill priest" and "serve in a parish committed a young man's vocation, DC where he obtained his doctorate so I could help people and lead them his chances of becoming a great priest in philosophy and moral theology. to God." will not be realised without the conReturning to Australia, he served as a Vocation from childhood tinued support and help from others parish priest in Young, Gunning and Fr Anthony's desire to become a within the priesthood. "It is important most recently, Goulburn. childhood. began in with a priest through who come men young Then in 2008 he was appointed "I was still at primary school when real ecclesiastical personality underto his current post as Rector of the stand that they must work together in I first began thinking about it," he Seminary of the Good Shepherd. says, adding that later at secondary profound unity in their priestly life." A wonderful life school he had a bet with a mate they Lots offaith and lots of humour "I enjoy being a priest," he says would both become priests. "I bet Listing the qualities a priest needs unequivocally. "It is an all consuming as: "lots of faith, lots of humour, a love him he would and he bet I would. vocation not unlike a marriage and But he didn't and I did." The priestof people, a commitment to service when you commit yourself, your time hood however was still several years and humility," Fr Anthony adds that it is no longer your own. But that's not a in the future. After spending his final is also important a priest understand complaint. It truly is a wonderful life." two years of secondary school at St not only his strengths but where he And no matter how pressed for time Joseph's College, Hunter's Hill, he falls short. Fr Anthony is these days, he insists he enrolled instead at the University of "The priests I've known who are always can find 30 minutes or so to NSW where he obtained an honours exceptional are not the high powered walk William the Conqueror around degree in finance. ones. Instead they've all been very "Although I'd thought about becom- Homebush's streets, and a couple of humble, very human and very aware hours every month to catch a Sydney ing a priest, it really wasn't until my of their own weaknesses." Swans' game. second year at uni that I really began Understanding that as a priest you "My great great uncle was a priest in to give this serious thought. That's are not superman and that your weakWagga Wagga from 1917 and played when I realised God was calling me nesses and frailties are precisely the for the Melbourne Bloods, the team and as soon as I finished my degree reason God chose you, is vital for any that later became the Swans," he says in finance and risk management,I great priest. "If the person is a man of and with a grin adds: "But if he hadn't went straight to St Patrick's College at faith, Christ will help transform those played for the Bloods, I'd still be a Manly." weaknesses. Christ died in weakness mad Swans fan. The third in what he describes as a on the Cross but now he lives with "I'm a Swans addict and this is "typical middle-sized Catholic family" God in Glory." With a doctorate in Philosophy and of four girls and two boys, Fr Anthony one addictionIhave no intention of addressing." was born in Sydney but grew up in Moral Theology from the John Paul - INTERVIEW COURTESY OF THE Cooma, NSW where his businessman IIInstitute for Studies on Marriage ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY father ran a news agency. and Family in Washington, DC, Fr

Vista 4

Hope for those imprisoned by darkness Book Review Seeing beyond depression By Jean Vanier

Available from The Record Bookshop $13.95 plus P/H • Reviewed by Mark Reidy

JEAN Vanier describes depression as a dark and painful force that invades the deepest part of one's being and believes that it is an illness that cannot be sufficiently managed by the sufferer alone. In this simple and concise book, he provides, as the title suggests, hope for those who feel "imprisoned in this world of darkness". In "Seeing Beyond Depression", Vanier, the founder of L'arche International, combines spiritual wisdom with an insightful understanding of human nature, to address an illness that is incapacitating an increasing number of people from all walks of life. Vanier begins by differentiating between the temporary grief that derives from losing something dear and the more encompassing darkness that can completely govern the life and attitudes of those afflicted. Vanier explores the origins of such an overwhelming darkness and addresses the cyclic nature of depression, but emphasises the importance of recognising one's own rhythm so that when they finds themselves in winter, they can trust that spring will eventually follow. He stresses that one does not have to become a slave to their morbid sadness, but can learn to manage and then be liberated from it. He offers suggestions on how to recognise one's true self, acknowledge the battle raging within, identify root causes, as well as emphasising the need to carefully discern the people one associates with, the activities they choose and the food they eat. Vanier tends to focus on sufferer's surrounding themselves with a supportive network, but understands that professional help and medication can also assist with unlocking the prison door. The key to this door, Vanier believes, is trust - trust that deeper than all the feelings of sadness and death, lies one's hidden true self, which is unique and carries a promise of fullness of life. "Behind the black clouds", he proclaims, "the sun is shining".

August 5 2009, The Record

VOCATIONS

Globe-trotting adorer endures Imminent death could not stop this priest's commitment to spreading perpetual adoration of Christ, reports Mark Reidy.

n a terrifying moment in 2002, as Melbourne-born priest Fr Pat Barry crossed the treacherous mountain range between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, he resigned himself to the fact that he would be robbed, bashed and abandoned in the freezing conditions. He was absolutely convinced, though, that no matter what the outcome, he would live to continue his mission to bring Perpetual Adoration to whatever place God was calling him. At the time of the incident, Fr Pat, 41, was crowded into a car with four burly, non-English speaking strangers - who reminded him of KGB villains from a James Bond movie - in an attempt to meet a Bishop in Kazakhstan in the hope of establishing the country's first Perpetual Adoration Chapel. But as with other harrowing encounters that he has endured in over a decade with the US founded, Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament, he did indeed live, unscathed, to tell the tale. Father Pat was sharing his adventures from the comfort of a Hong Kong apartment with myself and fellow Record journalist, Robert Hiini, during our visit to China earlier this year. His globetrotting mission to assist in establishing Chapels of Perpetual Adoration has taken him to, among other places; Russia, South Africa, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, USA, Mexico, South America, Israel, Italy, Vietnam, Kenya and Burma. When he first arrives at his des

Globe-trotting Fr Pat Barry speaks to The Record in Hong Kong. PHOTO. ROBERT HIINI

tination he liaises with Bishops and priests before identifying or being invited into parishes where he can raise a team of Lay faithful to establish, implement and maintain Eucharistic Adoration 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Fr Pat has witnessed transformations of both individuals and parishes that have established Perpetual Adoration. It is his desire to open these doors to as many people in as many places as possible. He said that providing the opportunity for people to love and adore Jesus in Perpetual Adoration and to offer the Holy Mass was at, "the very centre of his being". When we met Fr Pat he was passing through Hong Kong on his way to Kazakhstan. He spoke about the progress that has been made in the predominantly Muslim nation since that nervous mountaintop journey seven years ago. After a successful meeting with the Bishop a Perpetual Adoration Chapel was established in the capital, Astana. This has since incorporated a monthly all night vigil in which people from villages surrounding Astana travel great distances to attend. Fr Pat is amazed and

excited at the fervour of the growing number of people embracing Catholicism and desiring to spend time with Jesus. He shakes his head in astonishment at the extremes these new converts will go to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament (some citizens are travelling up to 800 kilometres for the vigil) when many Catholics in western countries wont even drive a few kilometres. He believes that there is no more important aspect of the Catholic Church than the Eucharist, described in the Catechism as the "source and summit of the Christian life", and he prays that an increasing number of Catholics will come to understand and embrace the unique gift that the Church has been entrusted with. Fr Pat is currently searching for personnel to train so that Perpetual Adoration can be spread throughout the entire Asian region of the former Soviet Union, using the Kazakhstan model as a blueprint. At present, he says that he doesn't really know where to call home. His years of adapting to new cultures, foods, time zones and languages have led him to a new freedom in which he doesn't feel attached to any particular country. He finds peace in his mission to open up places of prayer and in training others to do so. It is only through turning to Christ, he believes, that the world can reverse its downward spiral. The love for the Eucharist that Fr Pat has today was borne and nurtured during the years he spent with the Holy Spirit of Freedom Community in Melbourne. From his late teens, he left behind all his worldly possessions and became part of a small, dedicated team that reached out to those living on the streets and caught in addic-

tions, whilst relying totally on God's providence. The challenges and vulnerability that this lifestyle demanded led him to discover an intimate relationship with Jesus through the Blessed Sacrament - a relationship that ultimately led him to a seminary in the Philippines and to the mission that consumes him today. During our time together he enthralled us with tales of adventure and frustration as he relived some of the highs and lows of life as a wandering missionary. His contagious laughter punctuates the evening as he reflects on some of the more awkward moments, such as having to look grateful whilst eating cooked rat, and could even offer a wry smile at the more difficult times, such as trying to salvage his passport from a corrupt Soviet official. However, life without peers or a support network has taught Fr Pat to adapt quickly to unexpected situations and he has learnt to take each hurdle in his stride. But, he adds, the consequence of these regular challenges has led him to becoming even more reliant on God. Experience has taught him that he can only make it through each day with God's love, grace and providence. The Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament was founded by American priest, Fr Martin Lucia and now has 15 ordained priests and numerous laity travelling the world establishing places of unceasing prayer. In a recent article Father Lucia said that the goal of his Order was to, "...help every parish establish Perpetual Adoration, not only in the United States, but throughout the world". It may be a titanic goal, but you can rest assured that the passionate and unassuming priest that we met in Hong Kong, will be doing his part to take Jesus to all corners of the earth.

Mary central to discerning vocation Cardinal celebrates Mass in former atheism museum. KIEV, Ukraine, JULY 22, 2009 (Zenit.org) - An ongoing relationship with Mary "helps us to discover our personal destiny and the meaning of history in the light of Christ:' the president of the Governor's Office for Vatican City State said. Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo also affirmed that this perspective is key for vocations to the priestly or consecrated life. The cardinal highlighted the importance of Marian devotion after a procession in Zarvanytsia, Ukraine on July 18, the vigil of the feast of Our Lady as patron of the nation. "Mary teaches us to have faith in Jesus, and he teaches us to understand ourselves, to discern our vocation, to open ourselves to God's projects for the future," he said. "Contemplating the face of Mary, we discover the true face of God, his beauty, his goodness and his mercy," the cardinal continued. "Contemplating the face of the Virgin, we are enlightened by the divine light that also transforms our face. "Paying recourse to the intercession of Mary and listening to her voice, we renew fidelity to

our vocation and we receive the grace of revealing to the hearts of young generations the beauty of the vocation to the priesthood and the consecrated life." Cardinal Lajolo also visited Lviv, Ternopil, Berdychiv and Kiev, describing his trip to the Baltic nation as a "journey to experience being part of the Church in Ukraine?' It was an occasion to "give a testimony of unity in the Church" to a world that is marked by "so much indifference and sometimes so much hostility" that it has a great need for unity, he said. It was, the Vatican official continued, a chance to reaffirm "the spirit of fraternal communion that reins in the Church, which is one heart and one soul in Christ." On July 19, the cardinal celebrated Mass in a sanctuary that under Communism had been transformed into a museum of atheism, as a sign of hatred of the faith. Today, again serving as a sanctuary, it has taken on great symbolic significance. The image of Our Lady there was not destroyed because the museum administrators considered it of significant historical value. In reality, it is a reproduction of an image of Mary venerated in the Basilica of St Mary Major.

"In this place that was used against God, though in reality, also against man," the cardinal said, "let me tell you that there is something worse than denying God: It is forgetting about God, living as if he were not here. "Forgetting God is the great danger of Western culture." "Do not forget God - never," the

QU_ OTABLE "See that you all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as you would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist which is [administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church." - St lrenaeus of Lyons "A good priest or bishop sees the Church as his mother, not

cardinal exhorted. "God is Light. He gives the ultimate meaning to our lives. One who believes in him, who hopes in him, will never be deceived. "In Mary, we see the love of God for us in all of its strength, but also all of his tenderness, which always has its origin in Jesus himself?' a corporation or an institution. A good son listens to his mother, defends her, obeys her and respects and honours her by the holy witness of his life. A real brother supports his brother. The lack of fraternal charity among priests - the absence of real, sacrificial love for one another - is one of the biggest sources of sadness in the priesthood. A good priest disciplines himself to support his bishop as a brother and father, and he has a right to expect the same fraternal treatment in return. "As a bishop,I am not 'a boss: Priests are not my subjects. Our only competition should be the fraternal competition for holiness?' - Archbishop Charles 1 Chaput, OEM. Capuchin

August 5 2009, The Record

Kids bitz ARTIST :uj WEEK Ashley Quadros, Aged 5, of Kelmscott is our Artist of the Week with this fantastic, drawing. Well done!

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CHILDREN FREE WEEKLY GIFT KIDS BITZ ARTIST OF THE WEEK will receive a free

gift from the Record Bookshop. All you need to do is post or email in a drawing, poem or colouring picture. Please post or email. Justine Stevens, The Record, PO Box 75 Leederville WA 6902 or email: production@therecord.com.au

J M A NTLEMOJ E P K CQAAJH A E TDYZJD R E F IJYSRG IS T EHPORP C G H D J OQJHEE T TROMAU O E E AIFPWW M P A G E I FFOTOI F Z J NLVXLR L BUODZD H C Z RSMSPW A C 0 R LWINDJ X W H 0 Q Z PTSVAY X I K IFVHPP BETHEL

ELISHA

PORTION

CHARIOT OF FIRE

JERICHO

PROPHETS

DOUBLE

JORDAN

WHIRLWIND

ELIJAH

MANTLE

102. ELIJAH IS TAKEN TO HEAVEN (2 KINGS 2:1-11)

St Laurence

What we know of St Laurence (d. 258), a deacon under Pope Sixtus II, is taken from the writings of St Ambrose and other Christian scholars. When the Emperor Valerian published his edicts against Christianity in the year 257, one of the first Christians put to death under those edicts was the pope. Laurence asked why his friend and teacher was leaving him. The pope replied that Laurence would join him in three days. Laurence sold the church's sacred vessels, gave the money to the poor, then gathered as many of the poor, unfortunate and unhappy people as would follow him, and he brought them before the prefect, who wanted the money for the army and was furious at such a showing of people. Laurence told him, "Behold the treasures of the church." For his actions, Laurence was sentenced to death by slow burning, but his memory is still cherished by many Christians. We honour him on August 10.

PUZZLE Can you find the names of at least four Old Testamen prophets and one who is not a prophet that are hidden in the letters below? Each letter is used only once.

J JJ IEESOOZNREEA K ABMI I IAAEHHHL •qor itio!waiar lapfazg 'yomsi 'youor:

ELIJAH HEARS THE VOICE OF THE LORD By Joe Sarnicola

colouring SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS

CHILDREN'S STORY

Bible Accent: We recite the Lord's Prayer at Mass because Jesus gave it to us, but it is also referred to as the Our Father because those are the first two words of the prayer. First we acknowledge that God is in heaven and that his name is holy. Next we ask that God's promised kingdom come down to earth and that God's will be obeyed on earth as it is in heaven. When we ask God for our "daily bread," a reference to the manna sent to the ancient Israelites, we are also asking God to meet all of our spiritual needs. We ask God to forgive our sins at the same time that we promise to forgive people who have hurt us. We close by telling God we are weak by ourselves, and we ask him to keep us from temptation and to deliver us from any evil.

KING Ahab was very angry when he learned that Elijah had all of the prophets of the false God Baal killed. Elijah had shamed the prophets by showing the mighty power of God, who sent fire down from heaven and burned an altar even though Elijah has soaked it with water. Ahab told Jezebel what had happened, and she sent a messenger to find Elijah. The messenger reached Elijah, and said,"May the gods do thus and so to me if by this time tomorrow I have not done with your life what was done to each of them." Elijah was frightened, and he ran to Beer-sheba in Judah. He left his servant there and continued on for another day by himself into the desert. He found some shade under a broom tree and sat down to rest and to pray. "This is enough, 0 Lord," he cried out. "Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers." Then Elijah fell asleep under the tree. An angel appeared, and he touched Elijah and told him to get up and to have something to eat. Elijah saw that a hearth cake and a jug of water had been placed near him. After eating and drinking, he tried to go back to sleep. The angel of the Lord came back and woke Elijah up again. "Get up and eat," said the angel, "else the journey will be too long for you!" Elijah finished the food and walked for 40 days and 40 nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There, Elijah found shelter in a cave. When he entered the cave, the Lord called out to him, "Why are you here, Elijah?" Elijah answered, "I have been most zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, but the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life." "Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord; the Lord will be passing by." Elijah stepped out of the cave. A wind blew with such force that its power crushed the rocks that it pushed off the mountain. But the Lord was not in the wind. An earthquake shook the ground, but the Lord was not there. Then there was fire, but the Lord was not in it. Then Elijah heard the voice of the Lord in a whisper. READ MORE ABOUT IT: 1 Kings 19 Q&A 1. Why did Elijah run away? 2. Who called Elijah from inside the cave?

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August 5 2009, The Record

VOCATIONS

No matter what, he always 'acts like a priest' University President speaks on Divine Providence. • By Fr David M O'Connell, CM

WASHINGTON, DC (Zenit. org) - I wanted to be a priest for as long as I can remember. I think it was my pastor's visits to my dying grandmother, in particular, that first attracted me. He was so kind to her and so gentle. He brought her holy Communion and what we called then the sacrament of "extreme unction" during her final illness. The whole aura surrounding his visits, the mysterious sound of the Latin prayers, and the comfort that he brought her and my family were things that fascinated me. I went to Catholic school and became an altar boy at an early age - all these experiences strengthened my desire to become a priest. Often times, I tell people that I heard "the call" on a bus. I say that because I first became acquainted with the Vincentians through some vocation literature left on a bus seat that I found one day. I had never heard of the Vincentians (Congregation of the Mission) before, or of St Vincent de Paul, their founder. I liked what I read; I made a visit to the seminary andI was hooked! My seminary years were happy ones. I loved to study and truly enjoyed the company of the other seminarians and priests. I had good parents and three brothers of my own, so this was really a multiplication of my own family! And they were wonderful,

happy and holy priests who taught us. I loved the Mass and prayers we said together, the Order of Day, the work and the fun we had. From the time I entered until the day I was ordained, the seminary truly formed me by exposing me to the very best education and the very best role models in the priesthood: Vincentians who were "other Christs" by following the path of St Vincent de Paul. God's plan I do not recall any specific ambition as I prepared for ordination, although my superiors seemed to be moving me in the direction of further studies and eventual teaching. St Vincent spoke so often to the confreres about "Divine Providence" and I guess I just left it up to the Lord. To be perfectly honest, I have never asked for any assignment in these more than 27 years of priesthood, and I can truly say that I have always been happy in the work and ministry I have been given. I surmised my superiors' intentions accurately. My first assignment as a priest was teaching in an archdiocesan high school in suburban Philadelphia, 15 minutes from my parents' front door! I loved every minute! It was demanding work but I learned how to teach. I still hear from many of the students I taught in the early '80s - for some I witnessed their marriages, baptised their children, watched their families grow and, in some

Bishop William F Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, is accompanied by nurse Phyllis Benanti as he blesses patient Sam Keller at Good Shepherd Hospice Inpatient Centre in Port Jefferson, New York, on January 14. World Day of the Sick, observed annually February 11 on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, affirms the Church's duty to remember and serve the sick and the suffering. Below: Fr David O'Connell, president of The Catholic University of America, says he first felt the call to the priesthood through the inspiration of the priest who ministered to his dying grandmother. PHOTO: CNS/GREGORY A SHEMITZ, LONG ISLAND CATHOLIC

few cases, officiated at their funerals. It was great to hear them call me "their priest" As a seminarian, an older priest once counselled me always to remain "a man of the Church". That phrase has stayed with me through doctoral studies in canon law, seminary teaching, chancery and tribunal work, university teaching and administration. Going through formation and early priesthood at a time when the Church and attitudes within and outside the Church were changing so rapidly, even radically, I always tried to remain anchored in that wise priest's advice. Such an approach earned me the labels "conservative" or "traditional" among my fellow priests, but that never caused me much grief. I really did not care what people said. I still do not. Such words are cheap. Fast forward to my present assignment as president of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. I have served almost a dozen years here and, as with all my other assignments, I have been happy.

To be a priest I think the common thread running through my life has been the celebration of the Eucharist, personal prayer, the love of family, the company and support of good priests, a clear sense of identity and purpose, the ability to preach and "be" a priest no matter where I have been or what I have been asked to do. A faculty member once remarked about me, intending to be critical, "No matter what he does, he acts like a priest!" As though I would be anything else? As though I could be? I'll take such criticism any day. Last year, I had the privilege to host Pope Benedict XVI on our campus during his US visit. I had met him several times before and, although we did not have a great deal of private time together during his visit, he drew close to me as we rode in the elevator together and said, "I wish to thank you, Father, for what you have done here." I thanked him for his kindness, looked up to the heavens and said, "Take me now -- it doesn't get any better than this!"

How fortunateIhave been! How blessed to share in Christ's priesthood! I thank God every day for my old pastor, for that bus ride and for all that has happened since! Ad multos annos! Vincentian Father David O'Connell has been president of The Catholic University of America since 1998. He is also a consultor for the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education, and a national spokesperson on the implementation of "Ex Corde Ealesiae" in Catholic institutions. He was ordained a priest in 1982.

Medjugorje site not compromised by priest's laicisation Laicisation of former spiritual director of Medjugorje seers is not a judgment on the famous pilgrimage site: Superior. • By Jestis Colina

VATICAN CITY (Zenit.org) - Benedict XVI's approval of the laicisation of Father Tomislav Vlasic is not a judgment on the claims that Mary is appearing in

Medjugorje, says his former superior, the procurator-general of the Franciscan Friars Minor. Fr Francesco Bravi told ZENIT that the laicisation was not imposed by the Holy See, but rather was in response to a request presented by Fr Vlasic himself, to be dispensed both of priestly celibacy and his religious vows. "He requested it," Fr Bravi said. Fr Bravi said that, although Fr Vlasic was the assistant pastor in Medjugorje when the first apparitions were reported, the priest has been living in Italy for more than two decades. Fr Vlasic was a Religious of

QUOTABLE "Our Lord told His apostles that they would be hated by the world, just as He was. Nearly all of them died a martyr's death. As warriors in the Church militant, we must never resort to violence. But we must stand up fearlessly against the agents of death, the enemies of human life. Human beings are not Satan, but we know too well that they can come under his spell. They can become willing agents of death, numbed and poisoned in this culture of death. What about you?" - Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City-St Joseph

the Franciscan province of St Bernardino di Siena (L'Aquila) and had founded the community "Kraljice mira potsuno Tvoji - po Mariji k Isusu" (Queen of Peace, Totally Yours - Through Mary to Jesus). Fr Vlasic asked the Holy See to be dispensed from the obligations of priestly ministry, Fr Bravi added, because he does not want to accept the sanctions that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith imposed in 2008. These sanctions were levied because of reports about Vlasic regarding "the diffusion of dubious doctrine, manipulation of consciences, suspected mysticism, disobedience towards legitimately issued orders and charges contra sextum [against the 6th Commandmentr that decree explains. The decree announced five sanctions, including the obligation to remain in one of the Franciscan houses, to refrain from contact with any of the Queen of Peace group, and to leave aside the care of souls, preaching, etc. Fr Bravi told Zenit that Vlasic did not acknowledge the accusations and therefore was unwilling

to accept the sanctions. Fr Vlasic had an important role at the beginning of the Medjugorje event in 1981, when the six youth began to affirm that Our Lady was appearing to them. However, he was transferred to Italy in 1985. Though he has publicly and in writing offered interpretations of Medjugorje, he has on occasion been contradicted by the visionaries. For example, he affirmed that the community he founded was born because of an express wish of the Virgin, but Marija Pavlovic, one of the visionaries, denied this in a letter she sent to the Holy See. The bishop of Mostar, where Medjugorje is located, has made declarations against the apparitions, but the phenomenon continues to be studied by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, in his The Last Secret of Fatima, published in 2007, said that the bishop's declarations are not the definitive and official judgment of the Church. He clarified that personal pilgrimages are permitted to the site, as the investigations continue.

Above: Vicka lvankovic, who first reported apparitions from the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje in 1981, is seen in the village of Medjugorje, in what was then Yugoslavia, in this 1988 file photo. Top: Fr Via sic. ENS

August 5 2009, The Record

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VOCATIONS

St Peter's confessors bear sins of many F ranciscans get a puke of the Church hearing confessions in St Peter's. • By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Each of the 14 Conventual Franciscans who live in the Vatican and hear confessions full time in St Peter's Basilica offers absolution to an average of between 8500 and 9000 penitents each year. But they also are approached in the basilica's confessionals by non-Catholics who have questions about moral issues or are looking for spiritual advice, Italian Franciscan Father Rocco Rizzo, rector of the college of confessors at St Peter's, told the Vatican newspaper. While Vatican officials have spoken frequently about a decline in the number of people seeking the sacrament of reconciliation and have said the trend appeared to be turning around in the past couple of years, the interview with Father Rizzo was the first to provide statistics. Pope Clement XIV, who had been a member of the order, entrusted the ministry of reconciliation in St Peter's Basilica to the Conventual Franciscans in 1774, said the article in the July 31 edition of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. Father Rizzo said the superior general of the order nominates priests to the special ministry, but before they can begin they must go through an examination and interview with officials at the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court dealing with matters of conscience. The friar said a suitable candidate must be one "who particularly loves the sacrament of reconciliation and is willing to live his priesthood there, offering this gift above all others to his brothers and sisters." In addition to being patient and a good listener, Father Rizzo said, the basilica confessors must have a background in moral theology and

canon law and be able to speak and understand at least one language that isn't their mother tongue. Currently, he said, the 14-member college consists of two Italians, five Poles, a Spaniard, a Brazilian, a Maltese, a US Franciscan, a Taiwanese, a Romanian and a Franciscan from Croatia. Father Nevin Hammon, a native of Syracuse, New York, and a member of the US Conventual Franciscans' Immaculate Heart Province, has been a confessor at St. Peter's for 11 years. "You get the pulse of what the problems of the Church, the problems of the people are sitting in a wooden box in St Peter's five hours a day, six days a week," he told CNS on July 31. Father Rizzo told L'Osservatore Romano that each of the priests "confesses between about 8500 and 9000 faithful a year. The majority of penitents obviously come from Italy, then from English-speaking countries and Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries?' Father Hammon estimates he has heard "over 65,000 confessions" since he arrived at St Peter's in 1998. "That's probably more than any priest, bishop, cardinal or even Pope has heard, unless they have been a confessor in St Peter's," he said. The US Franciscan said over the past year the number of people coming for confession has gone down a bit, "primarily because of the economy. It (fewer visitors) is noticeable not just in the basilica and the confessionals, but in the stores and hotels?' Father Rizzo said people of all ages come to confession in the basilica. "Every day dozens of children come to the confessionals as well as adults and numerous elderly. Many young people come to us even just to dialogue and to deepen their faith," he said. "Sometimes we even meet people who are not Catholic: Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Protestants. They come to ask advice on current moral questions, about peace and about the meaning of life," Father Rizzo said.

A priest hears the confession of a nun during a penance service led by Pope Benedict XVI in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican last year.

PHOTO: CNS/TONY GENTILE, REUTERS

Given a growing awareness of social justice and the environment, the newspaper asked if the confessors have noticed any increased concern about those themes among the faithful going to confession. "In effect, there is a certain sensitivity among penitents to social sins, beginning with tax evasion, breaking the rules of the road and environmental pollution," Father Rizzo said. The Franciscan said the confessors also encounter penitents who come seeking forgiveness for serious sins requiring the intervention of the Holy See. Father Rizzo said when dealing with the specific sins falling into that category - "profaning the Eucharist, violating the seal of confession, a physical attack on the Pope, the absolution of an accomplice in a sexual sin and the ordination of a bishop without the authorisation of the Pope" the basilica's confessors work with the penitent and the Apostolic Penitentiary to establish a process for reconciliation.

Growing guilt means people ready for confession: Benedict VATICAN CITY (CNS) - While more and more people seem to have trouble seeing some of their actions as sins, the fact that so many people feel guilty means they are open to hearing about the need for confession, Pope Benedict XVI said. In a message to priests participating in a special course for confessors, the Pope said the formation and education of consciences is a pastoral priority for the Church. Paradoxically, "to the degree that one loses a sense of sin, unfortunately there increases a sense of guilt," the Pope said in a March 14 message. Catechesis, homilies and other forms of preaching, spiritual direction and the celebration of the sacraments of the Eucharist and of penance all are important occasions for helping people recognise their sins and their need for forgiveness, the Pope told the priests attending the course sponsored by the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican tribunal dealing with confession and matters of conscience. Religious education is especially important as an opportunity to help people understand what sin is in an age when the sense of sin has "faded or, even worse, is clouded over by a way of thinking and living as if God did not exist," the Pope said. Homilies and other forms of preaching, including multimedia presentations, "offer providential opportunities for proclaiming in ways that are new and closer to modern sensibilities the perennial and unchanging word of truth that the divine Master has entrusted to the Church," he said.

What happens when one falls head over heels for Christ Paul's Love letters get new review. ROME (Zenit.org) - The writings of St Paul elaborate what happens when someone falls hopelessly in love with Christ, according to the Benedictine abbot at the Pauline basilica in Rome. And, Father Edmund Power affirmed, the Pauline Jubilee Year that ended in June, has served to give new focus to those writings. "What I have noticed [about the

jubilee]," the Benedictine said in an interview with earlychristians. org, "is the great desire to know Paul better, on the part of so many people, and the sense that maybe they have missed something very important - because Paul's writings are sometimes difficult?' Father Power admitted that it is hard to judge what kind of global repercussions the jubilee brought about, but that at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, there was "a fairly constant round of celebration:'

(Z_JOTABLE "There are two things that help unite oneself with Our Lord and to accomplish one's salvation: prayer and sacraments?' - St Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney "The lay vocation is not about being a lector, altar server, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion or a member of the parish council, a lay ecclesial minister - although all of these things are important and should be enthusiastically welcomed. The vocation of the Catholic laity - the Church at its best - is to penetrate all the various levels of society and convert the culture for Jesus Christ?' - Archbishop Charles) Chaput, OFM Capuchin

So much so, he added, that "there is hardly room for anything else:' Benedict XVI convoked the Pauline year last June. At the end of June 2009 at St Paul's Outside the Walls, during vespers for the feast of Sts Peter and Paul, the Holy Father officially brought it to a close. Fr Power said the original idea for the jubilee came from the archpriest of the basilica. "It was discussed with us, the monks, and then proposed to the Holy Father who welcomed it with enthusiasm," he added. "Our proposal was a symbolic date, more or less coinciding with the 2000th anniversary of [Paul's] birth." The Benedictine priest said the Pontiff took the initiative as an opportunity to highlight two basic possibilities: First, the chance to better get to know St Paul, the apostle 'who has had more influence on the Christian tradition than any other - and knowing Paul and his writings means knowing Jesus Christ?' Second, Fr Power added, the Holy Father saw the celebration in an ecumenical perspective. The chance to grow closer to non-Catholic Christians, in

St Paul is seen during his conversion experience in Michelangelo's mural in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic CNS Palace at the Vatican.

fact, was one of the main effects of the jubilee, the abbot contended. He noted how the Orthodox ecumenical patriarch also called a year of St Paul, roughly coinciding with the Catholic celebration. As the Pauline Jubilee Year comes to an end, Fr Power recommended continuing, to go deeper into the writings of the Apostle to the Gentiles. "Paul is a person who fell 'hopelessly' in love with the crucified

and risen Christ," he said. "The experience marked everything he did from then on. This is the deepest vocation of the Christian, for people young and old. Paul's writings are an elaboration of the implications of this experience?' The Benedictine abbot suggested lectio divina as "one fundamental way to take advantage of this new prominence given to Paul." "We monks prepared a division of the 13 letters of Paul into 365 short consecutive texts, one for each day of the year," he noted. "You could start on any day, and continue for a whole year." He said that the Lectio divina includes the four traditional 'activities' of reading, meditating, praying and contemplating, and can be done alone or with other people. "To the four a fifth can be added: 'acting,' with the question, 'What does this word of God urge me to do in practicerhe said. "This leads to 'mission,' which was so important for Paul:' Nevertheless, the priest emphasised: "Mission follows falling in love with Christ: It doesn't precede it?'

•

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VOCATIONS

Husband's witness, Eucharist, led to entering Church

August 5 2009, The Record

Parents key in journey to calling Family is the Future with Karen & Derek Boylen

Vocations begin in families.

E Helen Coombs

was baptised into the Methodist Church (later the Uniting Church) and grew up in a Christian family in Victoria. The church was a big part of our family life in terms of worship, sport and social events. In my 20's I still believed in God but by then had drifted away from the church. I became a lapsed Christian. Then I met my future husband, Peter in the mid 1980's. He was a Catholic and occasionally I went to Church with him. We married in the Catholic Church in 1989. By the time we moved to Western Australia in 1993, I was a regular worshipper. I had been attending Mass for 15 years before my conversion to Catholicism. At my parish I am now a Reader and Special Minister. I am with Debbie Warner also a Primary school teacher and have been teaching in a Christian school for the past 17 years. My faith has helped me overcome several obstacles in my life. For instance, in 1990 Peter suddenly collapsed due to a cerebral haemorrhage that caused a serious stroke. I remember praying, "Please God, don't let him die." I felt peace then and knew that no matter what happened, he wasn't going to die. The pastoral care at the Catholic hospital was very supportive to Peter and me. Eventually he recovered. From that moment on I committed myself to attending Church regularly with him and to grow in my faith. From about 2001 onwards some of my family members were faced with serious health issues and many struggles. 2004 was terrible. There were several deaths, some unexpected and more ill health. My sister was admitted to St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne with a serious illness (from which she later recovered). I was there at the time and decided to leave the hospital for awhile to see the Passion of Christ play in St Patrick's Cathedral. Whilst sitting there and reflecting on life's struggles and disappointments, I felt a sense of belonging. I wanted to be able to take part in the Eucharist. That's when I decided it was time to become part of the Catholic Church and convert. When I returned to Perth, I began the RCIA journey, with Peter as my sponsor. I came into full communion with the Catholic Church at Easter, 2005. My husband has been a great witness to me in how he lives out his faith. To me, he walks the talk. He is always willing to serve others in whatever way he can. It is unconditional. Being able to discuss faith issues with him is helping me find my own identity on my faith journey. I also have great respect for Blessed Mary MacKillop. She faced many challenges but her love and trust in God never left her. Her efforts to relieve suffering and bring hope to all people are an inspiration to me. Knowing God's love and that Jesus died for us gives me the ability to cope in difficult times. Going to Church to worship, praise and give thanks to God is uplifting. The, Gospel gives me hope and strength to face any challenges in the coming week. One of my favourite verses from the Bible is Hebrews 11: 1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

WhyI became Catholic

If you have a story to tell please contact Debbie via debwarrier@hotmail.com

very now and then Elijah (7 years) plays the game he calls 'priests: He sets up the coffee table as an altar, get some water for wine and some bread. Then, using his little Sunday missal he will say Mass for us. It occurred to us not long ago that simply by going to Mass we are helping our children to understand that there are different vocations. We are helping them to begin that sometimes awkward process of discernment. Vocational discernment should begin in the family. Our vocation is a calling from God. The word vocation comes from the Latin and literally means 'calling: God has called both of us to the vocation of married life. We didn't come to that decision lightly. We both considered religious life and there was much talk and prayer. Some of the best people we spoke to were our families, the people who know us best. As parents, one of the most important aspects of raising our children is helping them to discern God's call in their lives. Often it's hard to know what we can do to help our children to discern their vocation but some of the following can help. Talk about vocations. It's important for us to talk to our children about the true meaning of vocation. A vocation isn't like a job, where you can pick and choose and change. It isn't something that is nine to five and you get the weekend off. Our vocation is something that God is calling us to be. In our society there is a lot of talk to our children about their future careers, about keeping your options open and about getting the best job you can. Very rarely do you hear people talking about their life-calling. Talk about your life-calling to marriage and about other

people living out their life-calling. We need to be a voice in our children's lives affirming the notion that it is possible to commit our whole lives to a particular purpose. It is an interesting irony that we live in a community which shuns the idea of vocation, of being tied down or committed to a particular role for life. And yet it is precisely the people in our community who have done just that who inspire us the most. Helping our children to understand the meaning of vocation and discern theirs is about challenging them to lead an inspiring life. Expose your children to people living out their vocations. Go to Mass and talk about the priest, his vocation and the types of work that priests do. We have a number of priests who are close friends. We invite them over for dinner and spend time with them. They are ordinary people like everyone else who have been called to a particular vocation. Visit local religious congregations of men and women with your children. Find out about the work they do; discover if there is anything you can do as a family to support their work. Visit the Benedictine monastery at New Norcia or even do a retreat there as a family and learn about monastic life. Expose your children to the married vocation. Sadly, in today's society, young people have fewer role models of a lasting, fulfilling marriage. Cultivate

friendships with couples who have successful marriages. Help your children to understand that real marriages aren't what they appear to be in romantic comedies or children's fairy tales. They take, love, commitment, sacrifice, patience and forgiveness. Help your children to understand that despite our imperfections marriage can be extraordinarily fulfilling. If you have young adults, be affirming. For some of us vocational discernment is a challenging process. We worry about making the wrong choice. We worry that by choosing one option we can close the door to other options. However, having supportive caring parents can make a huge difference when a person makes the decision to get married or to become a religious. It is a real strength for any married couple to have parents who support and encourage them. We also know from talking to priests and nuns that having supportive parents and family helped them greatly in finding their vocation. However, helping our children discern their vocation isn't just a parental duty. It is also a duty we have to the Church. It is hundreds of thousands of people around the world living faithfully their vocations of married and religious life that make up the Church, that do the work of the Church and that radiate the light of Christ for the world.

Intercessions essential to the Mass Sacrament of charity Fr Erasto Fernandez SSS

Faith flowering into surrender.

lively faith is extremely important for the effectiveness of our Eucharist, especially for the liturgy of the Bread. Through the Word, God reminds his people of what he has done for them throughout their human history. Their reflection enables them to see how God loves them also in the present. Having made this clear, God then asks: 'Now, therefore, if you will obey ... you shall be my very special possession in all the earth' (Ex 19:3-5). Being convinced of God's love and fidelity will certainly influence the depth and quality of our answer to this question of his: our obedience to God. Thus, the more consciously our faith is deepened, the more easily will we place our lives into God's hands. Breaking bread is symbolic of our readiness to break off our life in obedience to God and in service to our neighbour. Our breaking of ourselves,

and especially the extent and depth of our self-giving, will depend on our convictions regarding God's trustworthiness! Faith is what the Liturgy of the Word deepens when we make it as personal and emotionally charged as possible. This emotion is ideally an "a-ha" experience in which we suddenly realise how true are God's words addressed to us! "Now, at last, I see...!" (Acts 10:34-35). Or as John says: "We declare to you what ... we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands ... (1 Jn. 1:1-4). The Prayer of the Faithful which is the second aspect of our response is one of the oldest parts of the Eucharist and was always regarded as important to an integral Eucharistic celebration. Only the baptised and those in full communion with the Church could participate in this prayer of the priestly people of God. Called also the 'Universal prayer', it reaches out to the ends of the earth, as God's People exercise their priestly office on behalf of the entire world. However, the intentions must reflect the real present (here and now) faith of this particular community. The intentions should never be taken from a book or pamphlet having no concrete reference to any particular community. They can also be made spontaneously by members of the congregation; this could be organised in different

ways according to the convenience of the people. The special nature of the intercessions makes them a part of the liturgy that belongs to the people. It is not a presidential prayer and hence the Celebrant should not articulate the intercessions (GI. 47). Further, on theological grounds, the intercessions should be a regular part of every Eucharist and not just the Sunday Eucharist (GI. 45). From the viewpoint of liturgical structure, the Intercessions are the conclusion of the liturgy of the Word and hence cannot simply ignore the proclamation already made. Ideally, the intercessions are linked with the Word of God: a Scripture quotation from the day's readings is recalled briefly (not necessarily verbatim), and then the intention is framed in keeping with its message. This helps preserve the basic unity of each Eucharist. When our people have learnt how to pay better attention to the Word and pick out God's qualities outlined therein, they will have no difficulty in framing their own prayers, keeping the needs of the Church and world in view. Their enlivened faith will inspire them to reach out to all needy people wherever they are. Also, a true Christian prays not so much for his or her own needs, as for the needs of others. Eucharist is fundamentally bread that is broken for others.

August 5 2009, The Record

VOCATIONS

Atheists, tantalisingly close B Christo her West

Commentary on the Intersection of Faith, Sex, and Culture

Everyday Mysticism

or nearly two years I've been reflecting on something I read in an article by Father Ranier() Cantalamessa, preacher to the papal household. I can't get it out of my head. The article was provocatively titled "The 'Atheism' of Mother Teresa" (National Catholic Register, Sept. 9-15, 2007). It explored the meaning of Mother Teresa's extended "dark night" of union with Christ in his cry of abandonment from the cross. Father Cantalamessa wrote of a modern phenomenon he called "atheists in good faith" - people who feel abandoned by God. Perhaps they would believe if they encountered God, but they encounter only "the silence of God." And he observed that the mystics, like Mother Teresa, "exist above all for them; they are their travel and table companions. Like Jesus, they 'sat down at the table of sinners and ate with them' (see Lk 15:2)7 In other words, Mother Teresa lived in solidarity with those who don't believe. All the while believing, she "felt" in her own heart what the atheists feel - abandonment by God. As Father Cantalamessa says, "This explains the passion in which certain atheists, once converted, pore over the writings of the mystics. . . . There they find again the same scenery that they had left, but this time illuminated by the sun. . . . Because of this the mystics are

the ideal evangelisers in the postmodern world. . . . They remind the honest atheists that they are not 'far from the Kingdom of God'; that it would be enough for them to jump to find themselves on the side of the mystics, passing from nothingness to the All." All of this I find utterly fascinating. But I still haven't got to the line I've been pondering for two years now. Here it is: "Karl Rahner was right to say: 'Christianity of the future will either be mystical or it will not be at all." What does this mean? Are all Christians called to be mystics? We tend to think of mystics as those "far-out" saints who levitate or bleed with the wounds of Christ. Certainly we are not all called to that. But we are all called to an "every day" kind of mysticism. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it: "Spiritual progress tends toward ever more intimate union with Christ. This union is called 'mystical' because it participates in the mystery of Christ through the sacraments . . . and, in him, in the mystery of the Holy Trinity. God calls us all to this intimate union with him, even if the special graces or extraordinary signs of this mystical life are granted only to some for the sake of manifesting the gratuitous gift given to all" (No. 2014). Mystics are not dreamy believers out of touch with reality; they, in fact, are the ones most potently in touch with reality. They are men and women madly in love with God and burning to know him ever more deeply. They are men and women who have heard the divine love song and learned, through many purifying trials and tribulations, to sing back and harmonise with the Trinity. And, precisely because of their deep union with God, they feel a deep unity with and love for all of mankind. They are ready and willing to suffer for and with others, drawing them through such love into Love itself - or, rather, Love Himself. Without such love, St Paul tells us our faith is "nothing" (see 1 Cor 13:1-

he media has an almost unlimited potential for the common good of the world. Instead, it has probably done more damage to social progress than any other institution in human history. Episode 1:I still recall with something approaching astonishment the episode late last year when Pope Benedict XVI addressed members of the Roman Curia, the Vatican's equivalent of the Public Service, and, in passing, called for a deeper human ecology - in other words, a refocusing on the dignity and worth of the human person as our prime consideration in caring for the planet. The media of the world, taking their cue from gay activists in the main, transformed his comments into saying that saving the world from homosexuals (whom he didn't mention) was as important as saving rainforests. Episode 2: On his trip earlier this year to Africa Pope Benedict pointed out something that is scientifically crystal clear: condoms cannot prevent the

spread of HIV/AIDS. The media of the world ignited an immediate controversy and global outrage directed towards this bishop who in their eyes could not care less for the human suffering and consequences of his blind adherence to the letter of the law. It did not matter in the weeks to follow that many of the world's top scientists in this field (many of them not particulalrly religious or not at all) bluntly made public statements explicitly saying the Pope was right. If anyone can send me a cutting from any of our daily or weekly newspapers in Perth reporting their commentsI would be delighted. The above two episodes, not the first instances of media-led and created controversy surrounding religious belief, were like moments from Alice in Wonderland, sad reminders of the fact that many journalists carry degrees from institutions of higher learning and schools of journalism but, in my (admittedly limited) experience, cannot spell and are culturally illiterate. I once heard a rabbi say that the greatest insult he could offer anything was to describe it as beyond parody. In other words, some things are so ridiculous they defy the power of words to illuminate their stupidity or foolishness. That rabbi, whoever he was, was a good man. In relation to religion it is worth recalling that billions of people around the globe are searching for the transcendent meaning of their lives or find consolation and a sense of purpose from the one thing that the media appear to stare at with their lower jaws hanging open, wrists hanging limply and bent backwards and with an uncomprehend-

That's one smart Vicar General

Fr Flader: director dicaeccom.au

St John Vianney

3). Without such love, Christianity is not Christianity. This, I believe, is what Rahner's statement means. To be "mystical" means to be transformed by love, and without such transformation there is no future to Christianity. This also, I believe, shines a light on the importance of John Paul II's Theology of the Body at this historical moment. John Paul II's catechesis on the body is mysticism for the modern world. It brings John of the Cross's "spousal vision" to the whole Church, proposing it in some sense as the normal way for Christians to view reality. Could it be that, just like the "good atheists:' that there are those who have been swept away by our sex-obsessed culture who are not "far from the Kingdom of God"? Could it be that they only need to "jump" as Father Cantalamessa says, to find themselves on the side of the mystics? Who knows, maybe one day those now caught up in society's sex obsession may "pore" over John Paul II's TOB, finding "the same scenery that they had left, but this time illuminated by the sun:'

Who casts the first stone? Religious believers of all faiths are perfectly justified in their suspicion of the media.

Page 13

ing look in their eyes: religious faith. The most profound thinkers of our times have been men and women of deep religious belief. I think of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the man who singlehandedly intellectually discredited Marxism, or Malcolm Muggeridge, the journalist who fell so in love with God after encountering Mother Teresa. The same pattern has existed for centuries with the greatest enemies of Christianity and religion who have found the Church finally irresistible because they have discovered that God really is Love. Young journalists see the opportunities for fame and self-importance and career. They don't see that just like any other corporation in the world they work for an enterprise whose primary motive for existence is money. They are trained in schools of communication or journalism where the dominant orthodoxies are theories such as post-modernism, deconstruction or cultural studies and often the tools of analysis are gay or feminist critiques and a host of other pseudo-intellectual approaches. Such theories are inherently reactive against, and hostile to, Christianity but by the time young journalists emerge from this snowstorm of fashionable paradigms that hold sway over schools of humanities and the like they are convinced they are intellectuals. They certainly do not understand that religious belief is a deep and powerful reality of human existence that is universal. They give every appearance of never having looked at the carved stone archway of a silent cloister and wondered what moved men and women of another age to create such a thing of beauty.

Pope Benedict declared a Year for Priests on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the death of St John Vianney. Talking with my friends,Ihave discovered that none of us knew much about him. Who was he and why is he so important? t John Vianney, whose full name was JohnBaptist-Mary Vianney, was a French diocesan priest of the 19th century renowned for his Sholiness, and especially for his dedication to the sacrament of Penance. He is more commonly known as the Cure of Ars, because he was the parish priest, or cure, of the little village of Ars in southern France. St John was born on May 8, 1786 in Dardilly, near Lyons, the third of six children. His solidly Catholic parents Matthieu and Marie had a farm and were very generous with the poor. When the French Revolution, which began in 1789, forced priests into hiding, the Vianneys continued to attend Mass in private homes, even though it was illegal. Impressed by the generosity of the priests, who were risking their lives to serve the people, the young John Vianney looked on them as his heroes. Because the French educational system was disrupted by the Revolution, John was taught to read and write by his older sister, and he spent much of the day working on the family farm. At the age of 19 he was finally able to pursue his desire to be a priest and he went to the school which prepared boys for the priesthood run by Fr Bailey, parish priest of Ecully. Being of only average intelligence and lacking in formal education, he struggled, especially with Latin, but with his intense desire to be a priest and Fr Bailey's patience, he persevered. In 1812 he entered the seminary at Verrieres, where again he struggled with his studies and there was a real question about whether he should be ordained. An appeal was made to the Vicar General, who asked: "Is he pious?" "Yes", he was told. "Ordain him", the Vicar General replied. "The grace of God will do the rest:' He was ordained a priest in 1815 and was assigned as assistant to Fr Bailey at Ecully. In 1818, after the death of Fr Bailey, Fr John was made parish priest of the little village of Ars, close to Lyons. There were only some 40 families in the parish and they were careless in their faith, given over to much drinking and to working in the fields on Sundays. But the Cure set out to beg God for their salvation: "Grant me the conversion of my parish; I am willing to suffer whatever you wish, for my entire life!" In the early years in Ars, he spent a good part of his day praying in the church, so that the people knew where to find him. His prayer life was accompanied by a very demanding life of penance, including deprivation of food and sleep, plus severe bodily mortifications, much of it offered for the people who went to confession to him. He would say: "I impose only a small penance on those who confess their sins properly; the rest I perform in their place7 He was very generous with the poor and spent practically nothing on himself. A few years after going to Ars he established a home for destitute girls known as "The Providence". This was his pride and joy and it became a model for similar institutions all over France. The Cure himself instructed the girls in the faith, and soon his catechetical instructions became so popular that he had to give them every day in the church to large crowds. But the Cure was best known for his guidance of souls in the confessional. People came from everywhere to go to confession to him, often having to wait in long queues. By 1855, the number of pilgrims had reached 20,000 a year. During the last 10 years of his life, he spent 16 to 18 hours a day in the confessional. The saintly Cure died on August 4, 1859 at the age of 73. Only 15 years later, in 1874, Pope Pius IX declared him Venerable, and he was canonised by Pope Pius XI in 1925. He is the patron saint of parish priests and confessors.

Page 14

PANORAMA

August 5 2009, The Record

A roundup of events in the Archdiocese

Panorama entries must be in by 12pm Monday. Contributions may be emailed to administration@therecord.com.au, faxed to 9227 7087, or mailed to PO Box 75, Leederville, WA 6902. Submissions over 55 words will be edited. Inclusion is limited to 4 weeks. Events charging over $10 will be a put into classifieds and charged accordingly. The Record reserves the right to decline or modify any advertisment. Friday August 7 to Sunday August 9 BEGINNING EXPERIENCE WEEKEND Separated, Divorced, Widowed A weekend program at Epiphany Retreat Centre, Rossmoyne, designed to assist and support people in learning to close the door gently on a relationship that has ended, in order to get on with living. Eng: Maureen 9537 115 or Bev 9332 7971. Friday August 7 COMMUNION OF REPARATION ALL NIGHT VIGIL 7pm to lam at Corpus Christi Church, Locke Street, Mosman Park. Mass, Rosary, confession and Adoration with Father Bogoni and also books for sale. Friday August 7 PRAISE AND WORSHIP 7pm at 98 Wood Street, Inglewood, followed by Mass and a fellowship. Please bring a plate, optional. Petitions and Thanksgiving boxes are available at the back of the church. All are welcome. Eng: Priscilla 0433 457 352 or Catherine 0433 923 083. Friday August 7 CATHOLIC FAITH RENEWAL EVENING 7.30pm at St John and Paul's Parish, Pinetree Gully Road, Willetton. Songs of praise, talk by Bishops Donald Sproxton on Blessed Mary MacKillop followed by Vigil Mass and light refreshments. All welcome and bring your family and friends. Eng: Kathy 9295 0913, Rose 0403 300 720 or Maureen 931 4498. Saturday August 8 ST PADRE PIO DAY OF PRAYER 8.30am at St Anne's Church, cnr Aired and Stirling Rd, Fremantle North. St Padre Pio DVD, 10am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, Divine Mercy, silent Adoration and Benediction. 1 lam Holy Mass, Celebrant Archbishop Hickey using St Padre Pio Liturgy. Confessions available. Shared lunch BYO. Tea and coffee provided. Eng: Des 6278 1540. Saturday August 8 PRAYER FOR THE YEAR OF THE PRIEST 8.30am to 12noon at Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart Chapel, 16 York Street, South Perth. Mass will be celebrated at 9am followed by exposition. All Welcome. Eng: Sr Kathleen 0418 887 008 or 9334 0924. Saturday August 8 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF MARY MACKILLOP'S DEATH 6pm at Ballajura Parish, Cassowary Drive and Pelican Parade. Former parishioners and friends are warmly invited for the celebration Mass. Saturday August 8 and Saturday August 22 PRAYER GROUP 1.30pm to 3pm at St Cecilia's Parish Centre, Grantham Street and Kenmore Crescent, Floreat. Join us in prayers for the sick. The group will meet every fortnight after 22 August. Bring a plate to share optional. Eng: 9387 1158. Sunday August 9 THE WORLD APOSTOLATE OF FATIMA HOLY HOUR OF REPARATION 3pm at Our Lady's Assumption Church, Grand Promenade, Dianella. Eng: 9339 2614. Tuesday August 11 NATIONAL MARRIAGE DAY 12.30pm at Li Goody Bioethics Centre, launched by Jamie Bogle from the United Kingdom. Archbishop Hickey will give concluding remarks. Shared lunch, BYO, Eng: 9277 1644, or afawa@msn.com. Wednesday August 12 CHAPLETS OF THE DIVINE MERCY 7.30 pm at St Thomas More Catholic Church, Dean Road Bateman. A beautiful, prayerful, sung devotion, to be accompanied by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by Benediction. All are welcome. Eng: George

9310 9493 home or 9325 2010 work. Thursday August 13 ST PEREGRINE HEALING MASS 7pm at SS John and Paul Church, Pinetree Gully Road, Willetton. A Healing Mass in honour of St Peregrine, patron of Cancer sufferers and helper of all in need. Celebration will include veneration of the Relic, and Anointing of the Sick. Eng: Noreen 9498 7727. Thursday August 13 KELMSCOTT MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP 12noon at Good Shepherd, Parish Hall, 42 Streich Avenue, Kelmscott, everyone welcome. Eng: Clive 9 495 1919 or Marge 9 291 6397. Saturday August 15 ASSUMPTION DAY CELEBRATION 9.30am at St Paul's Church, 106 Rookwood Street, Mt Lawley. Rosary and Litany, followed by Mass at 10am with Fr Timothy Deeter, celebrant and homilist. Bring flowers, fruits and herbs for your table, and seeds for your garden for the traditional Assumption Day blessing. Tea provided later. Eng: 9271 5253. Sunday August 16 BULLSBROOK CELEBRATION SOLEMNITY OF ASSUMPTION 2pm at Shrine of the Virgin of the Revelation, 36 Chittering Road, Bullsbrook. Rosary procession, followed by Mass and consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary. All are most welcome. Eng: SACRI 9447 3292. Wednesday August 19 LESMURDIE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP 7.30pm to 9 pm at Our Lady of Lourdes Church Hall, 207 Lesmurdie Road, Lesmurdie, everyone welcome. Eng: Marge 9 291 6397 or Ann 9 291 6670. Wednesday August 19 TAIZE MEDITATION PRAYER 7.30pm to 8.30pm at St Thomas More Catholic Church, Bateman. Come and spend an hour in Group Prayer and relax after a busy workday in a candlelight atmosphere of prayer, song and meditation. Eng: Daisy/Barney 9310 4781. Friday August 21 ALAN AMES 7pm at All Saints Catholic Church, Corner Orkney Road and Liwara Place, Greenwood. Mass followed by talk and healing service. For more information, call Loreta on 9444 4409. Sunday August 23 JUDAISM TODAY A miniature history of Judaism from Abraham to date. 3pm at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Angelico Street, Woodlands. The Jewish legacy in the Gospels and in Christian practice. Questions presented by Kenneth James Arkwright OAM. Eng: Jeff 9446 3655. Friday August 28 52ND MALAYSIA DAY CELEBRATIONS 7.30pm to lam, at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre, in support of World Youth Day 2011, no BYO. Dress attire, Semi-formal Malaysian costume. See noticeboard of your parish for more information. Eng: Fr Roy Pereira 0417 936 449. Tuesday August 25 THE CATHOLIC PASTORAL WORKERS ASSOCIATION Eucharistic Celebration and Dinner 5.30pm at St Catherine's House of Hospitality, 113 Tyler Street, Tuart Hill. Guest Speaker Mr Gerry Smith of Grief Management and Educational Services, on Please Hear What I am Not Saying. Cost $25. RSVP by 21st August. Eng: Margaret 9390 8365 or Maranatha 6380 5160. Sunday August 30 to September 2 CATHOLIC WOMEN'S LEAGUE Biennial National Conference

3pm at Redemptorist Monastery Church. Opening Mass celebrated by Bishop Don Sproxton. All welcome. Conference will be held at Novotel Langley Hotel, Perth. Wonderful guest speakers lined up including Celia Hammond, Vice Chancellor of Notre Dame University, Fremantle, who will present the keynote address. Eng: Maria sec.cwlaidwestnet.com.au or 9751 1936. Friday September 4 THE ALLIANCE, TRIUMPH AND REIGN OF THE UNITED HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY 5.15pm at St Bernadette's Church Glendalough. Confessions, Mass at 5.45 pm followed by exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, hourly Rosaries, hymns and reflections etc. Prayer Vigil concludes with a Holy Mass at 12 midnight in honour and thanksgiving of the coming reign of the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Eng: Father Doug Harris 9444 6131 or Dorothy 9342 5845. Saturday September 5 DAY WITH MARY 9am to 5pm at Holy Spirit Church, 2 Keaney Place, City Beach. Day of prayer and instructions based on the Fatima message. 9am Video, followed by Holy Mass, Reconciliation, Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic Adoration, Sermons on Eucharist and Our Lady, Rosaries and Stations of the Cross. BYO lunch. Eng: Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate 9250 8286. Sunday September 6 DIVINE MERCY 1.30pm at St Joachim's Church, Shepperton Road and Harper Street, Victoria Park. Holy Rosary and Reconciliation, then sermon on St Gregory the Great with Fr Doug Harris followed by Divine Mercy prayers and Benediction. Refreshments later. Eng: John 9457 7771 or Linda 9275 6608. Thursday September 10 to Sunday September 13 FEAST OF OUR LADY MARIA SANTISSIMA DEL TIN DARI 7.30pm, Basilica of St Patrick, Adelaide Street, Fremantle. Triduum will be celebrated by Fr Giovanni Gandini from 10 to 12 September and concelebrated Mass, principal celebrant Monsignor Michael Keating on 13 September. The procession will commence at 2pm from the Basilica through the streets of Fremantle. Eng: Joe 0404 501 138 or 9335 1185. Friday September 18 to Sunday September 20 ANNUAL SECULAR FRANCISCAN RETREAT We Are a Gospel Family 6.30pm at the Redemptorist Retreat House, North Perth. Celebrating 800 years of the Rule of St Francis, all those interested in learning more of Franciscan spirituality are welcome to attend given by Fr Pat Colbourne OFM Cap. Bookings, Angela 9275 2066 by 31 August 2009. Saturday September 19 FEAST OF THE STIGMATA OF ST OF ASSISI 2.30pm at Redemptorist Retreat House, North Perth. All are welcome to join the Secular Franciscan Order in WA in celebrating the Feast with the readings of the Stigmata of St Francis. Will conclude with tea. Eng: Angela 9275 2066. Saturday September 19 ST PADRE PIO PILGRIMAGE - TOODYAY 8am depart, 10.15 DVD, 11.30am Mass, confession available, 2.30pm Eucharistic Procession, Rosary, Adoration, Divine Mercy and Benediction, 4pm return. Times are approximate. Contacts for Midland, Catrina 9255 1938; Bassendean, lvana 9279 7261; Morley, Joan 9276 9439; Leederville, Leena 9444 6317; Balcatta, Rosa 9276 1952; Glendalough, Mary 6278 1540; Victoria Park and Girawheen, Nita 9367 1366. Saturday October 17 REUNION FOR LA SALLE COLLEGE Class of 1974/76 Eng: Sue Wester (Sweeney) sue.westergiinetnet.au or 0407 985 935 or Liz Bradley (Butcher) Ibradley0iinet. net.au

Saturday following the First Sunday of the Month DIVINE MERCY HEALING MASS 2.30pm to 3.30pm at St Francis Xavier Church, Windsor Street, East Perth. Reconciliation available with Fr Marcellinus Meilak. O.E.M. Refreshments will follow afterwards. Eng: John 9457 7771. AL-ANON/ALATEEN FAMILY GROUPS If your home is unhappy because someone drinks too much we can help you. For understanding and support to families and friends of problem drinkers. Eng: 9325 7528.

SACRED HEART OF JESUS - PIONEERS Any Pioneers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus out there in society, we invite you if you would like to meet other members in prayer and reflection. Eng: 9457 7771. STATUE OF MOTHER AND CHILD OR HOLY FAMILY If any parish or person has one extra to their needs, please ring Mrs Gay Morey 9091 8403 or Fr Joseph 9021 2100 or email stmarys(a)emerge.net.au. Every Sunday LATIN MASS 2pm at the Good Shepherd Parish, 40-42 Streich Avenue, Kelmscott, according to the 1962 missal, with Rosary preceding. All welcome.

Third Sunday of the Month OBLATES OF ST BENEDICT MEET 2pm at St Joseph's Convent, York Street, South Perth. Oblates affiliated with the Benedictine Abbey New Norcia, welcome all who are interested in studying the rule of St Benedict and its relevance to the everyday life of today for lay people. Vespers and afternoon tea conclude meetings. Eng: Doris 9457 5758.

Fourth Sunday of the Month HOLY HOUR FOR VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD AND RELIGIOUS LIFE 2pm to 3pm at Morley Parish Church, 47 Wellington Road, Morley commencing 26 July. Includes Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Come and reflect on the grace of being called to serve God in consecrated life. Prayer works! All Welcome. Eng: 9276 8500. Every Monday LUNCHTIME MEDITATION 12.15pm to 12.45pm at Wesley Uniting Church, William and Hay Streets, Perth. Ecumenical Christian meditation, in the tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. All Welcome. Eng: CMC 9444 5810. Every 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Monday of the Month LATIN EXTRAORDINARY RITE MASS 7.30pm at St Joseph's Church, 20 Hamilton Street, Bassendean. Every Tuesday CATHOLIC ADULT FAITH EDUCATION GROUP 7.15pm to 9.30pm at Sts John and Paul Parish, Willetton presents Letters of St Paul led by Sr Shelley Barlow RNDM, commencing 18 August for 6 consecutive nights. This is an opportunity to deepen your faith, through bible study in a warm supportive environment. Eng: Angeline 0402 122 940 or Parish Office 9332 5992. Every Tuesday PRAYER MEETINGS 7pm St Mary's Cathedral Parish Centre, 450 Hay Street, Perth. Overcome the burdens in life making prayer your lifeline with Jesus. Personal healing in prayer, Rosary, meditation, Scripture, praise in song, friendship, refreshments. Be united with Our Lord and Our Lady in prayer with others. Appreciate the heritage of the Faith.

August 5 2009, The Record

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Daily Mass Readings 9 S 19th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Gr 1 Kings19: 4-8 Get up and eat Ps 33:2-9 Taste and see Eph 4:30-5:2 Seal of the Spirit in 6:41-51 The bread of life 10 M S St Lawrence, deacon, martyr Feast 2C0r 9:6-10 Red Something to spare Ps 111:1-2.5-9 A steadfast heart in 12:24-26 A rich harvest 111St Clare, virgin (M) Wh Deut 31:1-8 Be strong, stand firm Deut 32:3-4.7-9 The days of old Mt 18:1-5.10.12-14 My Father in heaven 12W Gr

Deut 34:1-12 Ps 65:1-3.5.16-17 Mt 18:15-20

14 F St Maximilian Kolbe, priest, martyr (M) Red Josh 24:1-13 We are witness Ps 135:1-3.16-18.21-22.24 His love everlasting Divorce pretext Mt 19:3-12 155 THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN Wh Solemnity Vigil Mass

1 (hr 15:3-4.15-16;16:1-2 Ark inside the tent Ps 131:6-7.9-10.13-14 My resting place 1Cor 15:54-57 Where is your sting? Lk 11:27-28 Blessed wombs Woman escaped He is your Lord The last enemy The most blessed

PANORAMA cont Every Thursday KNOWING YOUR CATHOLIC FAITH 6pm to 7.30pm at St. Joseph Church 20 Hamilton Street, Bassendean. Catholic Questions and Answers and Catechism of the Catholic Church. Every 1st Thursday of the Month PRAYER AND MEDITATION SERVICE Taize Songs 7.30pm at Our Lady of Grace, 3 Kitchener Street, North Beach. Come for a prayerful meditation singing together beautiful easy to learn chants from Taize. Spend time in meditative silence, bathed in candlelight reflecting upon themed readings. Eno: Beth 9447 0061 or 9448 4888. Every First Friday of the Month HOLY HOUR FOR VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD AND RELIGIOUS LIFE 7pm at the Little Sisters of the Poor Chapel, 2 Rawlins Street, Glendalough. Mass celebrated by Fr Saminedi followed by Adoration with Fr Don Kettle. All welcome. Every First Friday of the Month ST PIO OF PIETRELCINA - LATIN EXTRAORDINARY RITE MASS 7.30pm at St Joseph's Church, 20 Hamilton Street, Bassendean.

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IN MEMORIAM • KIRKWOOD (ARTHUR) In loving memory of my dear Father, who died on August 11, 1991. With fond thoughts and prayers. May God be with you always, 0 my Pappa, and with darling wonderful Mother. I love you both so much. Moira. May they Rest in Peace.

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PERSONAL • CHRISTIAN SINGLES Don't wait for God to bring someone to you. Change your life now. Join up and join in! Social activities. Drinks & games nights. Dating. Ph: 9472 8218 www.figtrees.com.au.

POSITION VACANT • SUPERVISING OFFICER AFTER SCHOOL CARE SERVICE Holy Spirit Parish, City Beach is seeking a suitably qualified Supervising Officer for its After School Care Service. Please apply to Holyspirit. Parish@perthcatholic.org.au

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VOLUNTEER The Ruah Centre is seeking a volunteer to pick up a bread donation each Thursday evening from Mount Lawley and deliver the following morning to the Centre in Northbridge. Please contact Margaret Nelson 93287682 or email margaretnelson@ruah.com.au

Church asks govt to pay: Nigeria Violence against Christians and Christian churches continues. LAGOS, Nigeria (CNS) - A Catholic official in northeastern Nigeria has asked the Borno state government to pay for 11 Christian churches burned by Islamic extremists. Father Heladuwa John William, administrator of the Diocese of Maiduguri, also said it was wrong to conclude that the five days of violence in late July were not related to religion because "no single mosque was reportedly damaged." Father William made the appeal on August 1 and chronicled the violence in Borno, Bauchi, Yobe and Kano states. Red Cross and military officials said that in Maiduguri alone, more than 700 people were killed in an uprising by Boko Haram, an extremist Islamic group that opposes Western education and insists on the imposition of Shariah, or Islamic law. The violence began July 26 in the city of Bauchi, when Boko Haram members staged attacks after the arrest of some of its members. In his statement, released to journalists Aug. 3, Father William said the exact

number of the dead in metropolitan Maiduguri was difficult to prove since there was no formal procedure for recording deaths. "People are of the view that between 1,500 and 3,000 persons lost their lives during the unfortunate incidents," he said, adding that 300 bodies were buried July 29 when it was discovered that some had begun to decompose. "From the railway terminus itself, which is the main place of battle, over 600 bodies of the dead were collected. "All this number does not include the corpses that were collected by individuals and those who were buried by the disciples of Sheik Mohammed Yusuf," he added, referring to the founder of Boko Haram who was killed by police July 30. "Those who are badly affected are the Christians, not even the government. Since it is a fact that Christians, particularly the Catholic Church, are never compensated for anything, they - especially Catholics - will be left alone to suffer their loss and mourn their dead," he said. Father William has been administering the Maiduguri Diocese until the ordination of Bishop-designate Oliver Dashe Doeme on August 13. On July

30, Nigeria's Catholic bishops said it was "regrettable that the activities of the Boko Haram movement ... have caused untold hardships and the loss of innocent lives and properties." "We condemn any religious movement that would subvert the progress that has been made in education and technology in Nigeria and at the same time thwart law and order," said the bishops' statement. "We condemn a descent to religious fanaticism that would destroy our national peace and stability," the bishops said. They identified poverty as the cause of current and previous violent hostilities in the country and advised the government to take urgent steps to help the poor. "In this way, we can overcome personal and community frustrations and youth unemployment, which undermine most of the efforts of peace, justice and reconciliation in our country. As religious bodies, we must support one another and contribute to the growth and development of our country anchored on mutual respect and interest for the future. It is because of this that we must style our daily life to reflect the great teaching of Christ who came so that human beings might have life and have it more abundantly."

MISSION MATTERS Missionary reflections on this Sunday's Gospel; Mark 1: 41-42 the Nation the World

Read it in The Record

"... Do not work for food that does not last but work for food that endures to eternal life..." Working on refugee camps in sub-Saharan Africa, it never failed to strengthen my sense of Faith and missionary calling to notice that despite the terrible physical suffering and deprivation, there were often ten times more people assembled and waiting for mass to begin than there were for the World Food Programme delivering the weekly food rations. The food for eternal life seems more important for those whose livelihoods and lives have been broken and shattered amidst unimaginable poverty and violence.

Jik

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August 5 2009, The Record

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