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HOSPICE HAPPY: Murdoch golf fundraiser turns out big success Page 5
THE PARISH. THE NATION. THE WORLD.
NORTH
Western Australia's award winning Catholic newspaper
Perth, Western Australia • $2
PERTH GIRL IN•ROME: Sarah Kane nominated for Rome meeting Page 6
VIVA ST ANTHONY: Parish celebrates 50 years of Catholic Ed Page 16
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Putting Him first: Melbourne Catholics process along a street, bearing the Risen Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. The same sort of event could soon happen in Perth. FULL STORY
Parents complain to Channel 10, Qantas Corporations are being taken to task by Perth parents concerned at what is being offered as entertainment,
especially during the hours when children are up and about or in public spaces where options are limited.
BENEDICT SUMMONS YOUTH
The Diocese of Rome is preparing for its own diocesan World Youth Day and Pope Benedict XVI has called youth of the eternal city to re-focus on what's important in life.
WORLD FEATURE Page 9
• By Sylvia Defendi and Anthony Barich
A Perth mother has gone straight to the source to protect her 11-yearold daughter from being exposed to
a television show implying pre-marital sex and one-night stands as normal behaviour for young people. Tina Russo, a 43-year-old mother of three of Bassendean, was outraged when watching the prime-time soap
INDEX Editorial/Letters - Page 8 Life, the universe and everything - VISTA 4 The World - Pages 10-11 Reviews - Page 12 Classifieds - Page 15
opera Neighbours on Channel 10 at 6.30pm last week.
The episode showed a teenagt girl meeting a boy in a bar and waking up at his place the next day. Continued - Page;
THE MAN WHO FREED THEM
Two hundred years ago William Wilberforce lived to see the crowning achievement of his life in politics - the abolition of slavery. A new movie tells the Wilberforce story.
REVIEWS Page 12
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March 292007, The Record
Page 2
Parents take companies to task over viewing Continued from page 1
Meanwhile, Australian airline Qantas is under fire, not from multinational corporate raiders but from a father who was shocked at the airline's promotion of pornographic images. Social worker, Alex Leitch complained to Qantas over an in-flight comedy displaying multiple implied scenes of homosexual oral sex which could be viewed by children and teenagers. Mr Leitch was flying home to Perth from Melbourne on March 20 when he was bombarded with the images from the 'MA 15+' film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, starring popular British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. He told The Record his complaints to the airline over the appropriateness of screening the movie inflight have been disregarded. In Mrs Russo's case, she wrote a letter to Channel 10's Regulatory department in Sydney this week requesting the show's rating be changed and
•
"Holy Father, I want to ask you something!" Pope Benedict XVI answers questions on Vocation, Marriage, understanding Holy Scripture, and speaks of the Last Supper and the meaning of EASTER.
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EDITOR Peter Rosengren cathrec@iitiet.net.au JOURNALISTS Anthony Barlch Bronwyn Clune Sylvia Defendi Paul Gray Mark Reidy
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screened at a later time. It is another blow for Channel 10, which last year came under fire when its Big Brother Internet site screened the notorious "turkey slap" incident. After the show was hit by claims of sexual harassment, the two men were thrown off the show, Prime Minister John Howard called to "get this stupid program off the air" and the Federal Government's television watchdog, The Australian Communications Media Authority, investigated industry codes to test if they are tough enough. But after watching a recent episode of Neighbours, one of Australia's biggest television exports, particularly to the UK, Mrs Russo called for the show to be screened at a later time "to let children enjoy their childhood and not be exposed to adult themes". Mrs Russo, who also has a seven-yearold daughter and nine-year-old son, has since banned her daughter from watching Neighbours, but she sometimes accesses the show's website carrying episode synopses. "I am appalled that such adult themes are aired at 6.30pm - a time slot that, as no doubt you are very much aware, is family time," Mrs Russo said in her letter to Channel 10. Mrs Russo, whose three children attend a Catholic primary school, told The Record that she fears for primary school-aged children who may become "desensitised" by watching a show that "presents sleeping around like it's the norm". She told Channel 10: "I have started raising this issue with other adults who also agree (and like myself were completely unaware of the type of show this program really is). "They too are disappointed that our youth are viewing this type of program. Several persons have commented that when the program first aired the story lines were harmless and the program was family friendly. This is definitely not the case now. "I respectfully request that Channel 10 reclassify the G rating of this program and air it at a later time. Take the initiative to air decent, positive role model programs. Give our youth an opportunity to enjoy their childhood by providing fun, happy and good moral forming shows. This would create a positive family bonding environment." Family public policy advocate Bill Muehlenberg applauded Mrs Russo on her courage, but urged parents to think strategically on how to change programming and to target advertisers. "Television networks don't generally care about the morality of the sewage they're pumping into our living rooms, but they care about sponsors," Mr Muehlenberg said. "One or two calls aren't going to shake up a TV network as their bottom line is profit, so I encourage all concerned parents to monitor what's going on and feel free to complain instead of just getting angry. Find out who's doing the ads on the show, find out their contact details on the Internet and shoot them an email saying 'if you're promoting yourself as a
ADMINISTRATION Justine Stevens administration@therecord.contau ACCOUNTS Cathy Baguley
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Divisive: acha Baron Cohen stars in a scene from the movie "Borat."
family company, why are you placing ads during a show that is contrary to family values?" In the case of Mr Leitch, although he turned off his screen, other high-tech individual screens fitted to the back of each seat, allowed him to see at least another five screens clearly. While Qantas maintains that films with a classification higher than 'M' are edited to suit the diverse demographic of passengers, the sexually explicit scene, which displayed graphic nudity for three minutes, was retained. National research officer for the Australian Family Association, Angela Conway, told The Record that Qantas needed to recognise that the classification system was Australian law and not merely a suggestion. "If Qantas were satisfied that all their passengers were over 15 and that their parents conceded to the content of the film than perhaps this would not be such an issue. "Obviously, however, they have not done an adequate job of censoring the film. If I was a parent on that flight, I would be furious," she said. Mr Leitch said he expressed his concern for the children on-board to a steward during the flight to Perth, who stated it was a parent's job to avert the eyes of their children. The steward also said he had not seen the film in full, but had complete confidence in the censor's role in adapting the film. "Parents have enough trouble keeping their children entertained on long flights in confined spaces without having to avert their interest in something so vile," Mr Leitch said. A corporate communications team representative for Qantas Australia told The Record that each person had the right to watch what they wanted on screen and to refuse to watch the screens of adjacent passengers. However, Mr Leitch said a second steward later conceded that he was not the only passenger to have complained. The next day Mr Leitch contacted the
CONTRIBUTORS Derek Boylen Hal Colebatch Anna Krohn Catherine Parish Johnny Heard
The Record PO Box 75, Leederville, WA 6902 587 Newcastle St, West Perth Tel: (08) 9227 7080, - Fax: (08) 9227 7087 The Record is a weekly publication distributed throughout the parishes of the dioceses of Western Australia and by subscription.
PHOTO Cr,F, /20TH CENT! 5'
regional manager for Qantas in Western Australia, who said she was appalled that the film was being shown in any form during flights. He said he was told that his concerns had been taken very seriously and that a senior manager would directly contact him the following day, but Qantas failed to continue discussions. Instead, a letter of concern sent to him by the airline reads in part: "The selection of movies for general exhibition on an aircraft is inevitably a compromise between satisfying the requirements of our majority adult passengers and protecting the rights of children and their parents. We take our responsibilities in both these areas very seriously." Mr Leitch said he found it "very hard" to believe the airline took its selection and censorship of in-house entertainment seriously. "Not only does this letter imply that all adults enjoy watching sexually explicit material, but I would hate to see what inhouse 'entertainment' a young passenger would be offered if Qantas did not take their responsibilities seriously," Mr Leitch told The Record. He said that when he approached media outlets such as The West Australian, current affairs program Today Tonight and 6PR talkback radio host Howard Sattler his concerns were also dismissed. "Everyone I talked to laughed at my concern. WhenIthen asked if they would be happy to show it to their childrenI was met with silence," he said. But it is not just a case of protecting children, Mr Leitch said. "This material would be offensive to adults as well, to Muslims, Jews and Christians, to the elderly or indeed anyone who does not revel in the public display of pornographic images," he said. Mr Leitch said he had no problem with those wanting to view the controversial film in the privacy of a cinema or their own homes, but that it was wrong for the airline to "force" passengers to have to contend with multiple pornographic images in a public space. Mr Leitch said he would continue his campaign with written complaints to the Attorney General, the Premier of Western Australia and the head of Qantas. "Qantas are an amazing organisation and I honour them for that, but they are corrupting children and they should take responsibility for their actions," he concluded. Register your view: What do readers of The Record think? Get your letter to the editor in by Tuesday 5pm or via cathrec@iinet.net.au for next week's paper.
Page 3
March 292007, The Record
Students begin walking the bin walk Approximately 800 students and staff of Emmanuel Catholic College in Yangebup walked to their parish Church to prepare for WYD Emmanuel Catholic College in Beeliar officially launched its World Youth Day preparations at its annual Mass with Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton last week. The Mass, celebrating its college feast day on March 23, coincided with the Catholic Church's Feast of the Annunciation (March 25), when the Angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary she would conceive through the power of God's Holy Spirit and bear a Son and call Him Emmanuel, meaning 'God is with us'. This year the College Feast Day began with a pilgrimage of the entire Emmanuel College staff and student body leaving the college en masse at 8.45am and walking to the parish church, Mater Christi in Yangebup (approximately 2km), where a Solemn Mass was celebrated by Bishop Sproxton.
On the way: Perth WYD coordinator Anita Parker carries a cross with students of Emmanuel College. Among the walkers was PHOTO: GERARD DE SOUZA Archbishop Barry Hickey, at left of photo. About 800 students and staff did the pilgrimage walk, led by Archbishop Barry Hickey, college principal John Bormolini, the WA Coordinator for World Youth Day Anita Parker and student rep-
resentatives of the College. The Archbishop encouraged the students to establish a personal relationship with Jesus, while Miss Parker urged them to spend time in prayer with the WYD Cross,
Schools look at fun new use of gravity in physical education Climbing walls takes strength and team skills • By Sylvia Defendi Catholic schools across the metropolitan area are gearing up to incorporate rock climbing into their annual physical education program, with the opening of world-class facility, Urban Ascent. Officially opened on March 23 the rock climbing and abseiling
whether they are Catholic or not. Miss Parker said the students can use prayer with the symbol of the Cross as an opportunity to ask God to heal any pain they may be feeling in their lives. The
WYD Cross, which was given to the region of Oceania by Pope John Paul II in 1987 in Buenos Aires, was carried to the church by Emmanuel students, as was the College's own Cross and Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The aim of the Pilgrimage was to enable all college staff and students to experience first-hand the long standing tradition in the Catholic Church of a pilgrimage walk, whilst launching the college's preparation for WYD '08. WYD '08 in Sydney in July next year is expected to draw over half a million young people from around the world to celebrate the Catholic Faith with Pope Benedict XVI. Emmanuel College was the first Catholic Secondary College in the Oceania Region to use the World Youth Day Cross for a celebration of faith. The Cross will remain at the College for a week then be handed back to Miss Parker for its next pilgrim mission. A fter the Pilgrimage and Mass, the College Community walked back to the school grounds for a day of fun and entertainment, refreshed by their spiritual encounter.
in brief... Women at war
More than 160,000 female soldiers have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan compared to the 7,500 who served in Vietnam and the 41,000 who served in the Gulf War in the early 1990s. Today one in 10 US soldiers is female, according to a New York Times feature, The Women's War. Surveys suggest that more women suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and one report shows one-third of females veterans seeking health care had been raped.
facility, located in Bassendean, boasts 11.8 meter high walls with a hundred different hold combinations that can accommodate 28 people at the same time. Principals of several colleges attended the opening, and as many as six schools have demonstrated an interest in the new facility. Deputy director of Catholic Education, Mary Retel said that initiatives such as these provided schools with yet another occasion to give students opportunities that will hold them in good stead not only now but also in the future.
- NEW YORK TIMES
Same sex marriage
France's highest court has rejected as unlawful the marriage of two homosexual men carried out by the Mayor of Begles, in Bordeaux, in June 2004. The court ruled that "under French law, marriage is a union between a man and a woman." - GUARDIAN
,.-Couples Corner
Hints for a Happy Marriage with Derek Boylen
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Join Pope Benedict XVI in prayer March General intention: Hearing God's Word. That the Word of God may be ever more listened to, contemplated, loved and lived. Mission intention: Lay formation. That the training of catechists and lay people may be the constant concern of those responsible for the young Churches.
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March 292007, The Record
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Perth youth are called to Adore The national Adore Conference comes to Perth with a focus on the Eucharist • By Anthony Barich
Preparations for Perth's own version of World Youth Day next month have begun in earnest with the Oblates of the Apostles of the Two Hearts (OATH) Brothers arriving in town earlier this month. The event, a Eucharistic Youth Congress called Adore, is an international Catholic festival usually held in Australia annually, in a different city each year, but is held on average every two months somewhere in the world, drawing over a thousand people each time to hear inspiring testimonies. Though up to 400 youth are expected to attend the Perth Adore Congress, the highlight of the Perth event will be the Eucharistic procession through the streets of Northbridge on Saturday April 14, where anyone is welcome, not just Congress participants. Each day of the Congress will also have lunchtime entertainment by local bands, and the OATH Brothers are offering local talent the chance to perform. OATH national director Br Dominic Herrera, 27, said that Adore, to be held at Maida Vale's Advent Park on April 12-15, aims to make young people more aware of their faith and to grow in love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, adding: "And, of course, for Mary, who is the perfect adorer." "We're really encouraging the young faithful to grow in reverence for the things that we hold sacred, which these days is not really apparent." This is done through educa-
tion - talks from OATH priests and hopefully bishops, including Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney Julian Porteous and Geoffrey Jarrrett of Lismore, NSW, who is also a former Anglican priest. Talks are centred on the Eucharist, purity, great devotion to Our Lady and the idea of being an Apostle, so that by the end of Adore "young people will be armed for battle against all the uncertainties of this world". "We discovered with the previous Adores (last year's was in Brisbane) that the fruits of the Congress are that young people are able to realise their vocation in life, as once they discover Jesus truly present in the Eucharist, they come to understand His plan for us," Br Dominic said. "That's how we (the OATH Brothers) came to realise our vocation. Having the Marian spirituality helps us foster our devotion. "The overall result is they will aquire a sense of willingness to make decisions that are right and moral. A greater understanding of their faith will enable them to apply it to their everyday lives." Br Domenic said he believes there is much confusion among young Catholics today, as there are so many options available to them, "except for the one they should be focusing on". Registrations can be made on the day but bookings are encouraged early so the Brothers can book accommodation and catering. For registration or other info contact Br Dominic on 0422 602 232, Br Gabriel on 0433 093 833, Sr Sarah on 08 9422 7939 or email oathaus@bigpond.net.au.
Joyful in adoration: Br Richard Baculo, 18; OATH national superior for Australia, Br DominiL rierrera, 2/., dr Gabriel Sgro, 23; Sr Sarah Elias, 19 and Salwa Elias.
PHOTO: ANTHONY BAR1CH
Calling all Catholics out on the Streets It has been decades since Catholics took to the streets with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament to witness to their faith throughout the city of Perth. Generations of Catholics who have not had the opportunity to do so will be able to participate on Saturday 14 April when Jesus, in sacrament and community, will be taken through the streets of Northbridge in a procession led by our own Archbishop Hickey.
The Eucharistic Procession is being hailed as an opportunity for the whole Catholic Community of Perth to celebrate their faith in God in the same, very public way that Jesus himself witnessed. Beginning at St Brigid's Church in West Perth at 7pm, Catholics will walk through one of the busiest areas of
Perth, both in traffic and commerce. The procession is being organised by the Alliance of the Holy Family International and is the pinnacle of the four-day ADORE 2007 Eucharistic Youth Congress. The Congress, to be held here between 12-15 April at Advent Park, Maida Vale, has previously been held in Melbourne (2004), Sydney (2005) and Brisbane (2006). The procession is being supported by His Grace, Barry James Hickey and Archdiocesan agency Catholic Youth Ministry. ADORE 2007 Secretary, Salwa Elias, says that the Eucharistic Procession is the central event of the congress. 'Jesus in the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith and so for ADORE, the Eucharistic Procession is the highpoint of our congress'. Salwa points out, however, that
the procession is not just for youth or for participants of the ADORE 2007 Congress. The procession is 'a call for all Catholic people, in parishes, schools and groups, to come together and proclaim their faith despite all their hardships and daily struggles in the world'. In last year's procession in Brisbane, 2000 people took to the streets, and organisers are confident that Catholics in Perth will answer the call with at least the same enthusiasm. Participants are encouraged by organisers to bring banners to represent their own parishes and organisations if they have them and to spread the Good News about this event to their friends and families. For any more information on the Perth Eucharistic Procession or to register for the ADORE 2007 Eucharistic Youth Congress ring the ADORE Hotline on 9422 7939 or email cym@highgate-perthcatholic.org.au.
Mandorla awards local artist Modern depiction of Christ wins prestigious art award for the curator of Edith Cowan University's art collection. • By Anthony Barich
Local artist Concetta Petrillo won the Mandorla Art Award 2007 with her intriguing portrait of Christ on the cross in a modern setting last week. Ms Petrillo, curator of Edith Cowan University's art collection, beat a field of 130. The prizes for the Award support her career development. For Ms Petrillo, it is a choice of a two-month sabbatical at an arts studio in the hills of Umbria, Italy or $10,000. Runners-up Michael Kane Taylor and Diana Hardy won $500 each. The Mandorla Art Award uses a theme of spiritual inspiration that
changes with each exhibition, held every two years. It is the only major thematic religious art award in Australia, as the religion-oriented Blake Prize is an open subject. Mercy Sister Rosemary Crumlin, one of three judges including Dr Ric Spencer and consultant Larry Foley, said Ms Petrillo's work, entitled 'Without finding any motive for his death, they condemned him and asked Pilate to have him killed', has taken the theme and evoked a special kind of mysticism. Sr Rosemary described the winning artwork as "a strong, dark and mysterious painting which invites the viewer into reflection over the meaning of the challenge of Christ in today's life". "The crucified figure (Ms Petrillo's painting) hangs in the manner of Spanish Baroque religious art, but the focus shifts to the figures below, especially to the huddled group with heads covered." The winning artwork now becomes
property of the inter -denominational Mandorla Centre of Inner Peace in Perth. Thirty finalists, including the winner and two runners-up, will be exhibited at the monastery gallery at the Benedictine Abbey of New Norcia, where the People's Choice Award will be presented on April 14. "This is an exhibition of great diversity reflecting the many interpretations of the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ - the theme of this year's Award - in today's culture," Sr Rosemary said. "The overall winners have pushed the boundaries of the theme sideways and used analogy or the tools of the artists' mediums to express a divergent reflection on the theme." This year's exhibition, which is open at Perth Central TAFE Art Gallery seven days a week until April 1, is less political in the artists' representations, unlike 2004 when the theme "Whatever you do for the least of them, you do for me" drew many politicised works about the Iraq war and boat people.
Winnor: Concetta Petrillo's winning depictio— 31Christ.
March 292007, The Record
Page 5
Hospice boosted as golf day tees off Up to $25,000 was raised for Murdoch Community Hospice by over 100 people slugging it out on the course at Gosnells Golf Club last week. March 7 saw the fourth Peter Evans Golf Day to celebrate the life of Peter Evans, a former patient of the hospice and well-known WA sports administrator, and to raise money for Murdoch Community Hospice, a stand-alone palliative care community facility. Murdoch Community Hospice provides palliative care for people with a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness, with little or no prospect of cure, and for whom the primary treatment goal is quality of life. The Hospice was opened in October 1998 and provides services to both non-insured and privately insured patients of whom 80 per cent are non-insured. To assist in ensuring its patients get optimal care and support to their families, to help supplement the monies provided by the Department of Health and Private Health funds, ongoing fundraising and donation support is paramount. This enables the hospice to acknowledge and
provide holistic care for patients in the primary treatment of pain and the provision of physical, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual care. The fundraising event was very successful and raised approximately $22,000. A raffle launched on the day is still in progress and will provide a further $3000. Event cocoordinator Kerry Hardwick said: "Palliative care honours the dignity of human life andI am grateful for all those who generously support the work of the hospice by providing sponsorship and donations for this event." "The application of the palliative approach to care of an individual patient should not be delayed until the end stages of their illness." Instead it should be introduced in the earlier stage of diagnosis so that the focus is on improving quality of life and significantly reduce the impact of distressing symptoms." tf anyone wishes to know more about how to access the services of the hospice please phone 08 9366 1366 and ask to speak to one of the Clinical nurses or Medical staff. Information is also available on the web at www.sjog.org.au/hospice.
OUR LADY OF LOURDES SCHOOL, DARDANUP Our Lady of Lourdes is a single stream coeducational primary school with an enrolment of 173 students from Kindergarten to Year 7. The school was established in 1922 by the Sisters of Mercy and is located 20 kms south of Bunbury. Due to increased enrolments, the school has a capital development plan which will lead to a full single stream school in the future. In 2006 the school commenced the RAISe (Raising Achievement in Schools) program. Specialist areas offered are in Music, Library, LOTE (Italian) and Computer Studies. A strong literacy focus is placed in the Early Childhood years. The School Board and Parents & Friends' Association have a strong commitment to develop and provide facilities and resources to meet the needs of the steady growth in this area.
Popular spiritual tours operator, Harvest Youth Tours, was appointed as the official Australian World Youth Day '08 (WYD08) tour operator on March 20. Harvest has organised World Youth Day tours for young Australians for more than 15 years and will be providing on-the-ground travel and tour services for the tens of thousands of people expected to visit Sydney for the world's biggest youth event in July 2008. "As a locally based tour operator, Harvest is ideally placed to plan and facilitate a range of tours around Australia to ensure interstate and international pilgrims have a fitting and unique encounter on one of the many roads which lead to Sydney," said WYD08 Chief Operating Officer Danny Casey. Harvest managing director Philip Ryall said the experience gained from organising pilgrimages for six World Youth Days means the tour operator has a rich understanding of the needs of young Catholic travellers. "Most groups plan and prepare over a long period and are entitled to professional travel advice, value for money and the reassurance of being well informed every step of the journey," Mr Ryall said. Sydney will host World Youth Day from 15-20 July 2008 and is expected to attract up to 500,000 pilgrims, including up to 125,000 international visitors. It will also mark the first visit to Australia by Pope Benedict XVI.
ST DOMINIC'S SCHOOL, INNALOO St Dominic's is an inner city single coeducational primary school with an enrolment of 217 students from Kindergarten to Year 7. The school was founded in 1955 by the Dominican Sisters. St Dominic's has an energetic and enthusiastic staff focused on improving student outcomes. The school was a foundation participant in the RAISe (Raising Achievement in Schools) program and programs are in place to identify and address learning needs in the Early Childhood years. The students are offered a wide range of extra curricular opportunities, including a Rock Band, Dance Troupes, Art Clubs, Sports and Tournament of Minds. Parish and school enjoy a close, harmonious and productive partnership. There is a vibrant community atmosphere in the school, which is well supported by the School Board and Parents & Friends' Association.
ST JOSEPH'S SCHOOL, SOUTHERN CROSS St Joseph's is a single stream coeducational primary school with an enrolment of 60 students. The school was established in 1896 by the Presentation Sisters and taken over by the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in the early 1900s. It is located 370 kms east of Perth along the Great Eastern Highway. The town is located in the heart of farming and mining operations. The Parish, School and Parent Community work closely together to ensure the religious, social, cultural and physical development of each student is well catered for. St Joseph's is a very well resourced school with an excellent library and well developed technology facilities. The school has a strong support program and is in its second year of the RAISe (Raising Achievement in Schools) program. The school has placed particular emphasis on literacy and numeracy skills in the Early Childhood years. St Joseph's is well supported by a dedicated School Board and a very active Parents and Friends' Association. The School Board has worked hard to ensure that there is a large comfortable house available for the Principal.
in brief... Mobile phones used in attacks
- CELLULAR NEWS
Winners are grinners: The winning team, Mike Burns, Peter McDonald, Peter Connell, Peter Starr.
PRINCIPALSHIPS
Harvest gets the nod for World Youth Day
The Italian government has banned the use of mobile phones by pupils inside schools following several incidents of "happy slapping", where camera phones are used to record attacks by pupils on each other. Education Minister Giuseppe Fioroni said something must be done before schools are "destroyed by delinquents".
Viigrailliii*********00.,-•••••••••
Catholic Education Commission of Wcstcrn Australia
The successful applicants for the above positions will be required to take up the positions at the commencement of Term 3, 2007. Applicants need to be practising Catholics and experienced educators committed to the objectives and ethos of Catholic education. They will have the requisite theological, educational, pastoral and administrative competencies, together with an appropriate four-year minimum tertiary qualification, and will have completed Accreditation to Teach Religious Education or its equivalent. A current Federal Police Clearance/100 Point Identification Check or a WACOT registration number must also be included. The official application form, referee assessment forms and instructions can be accessed on the Catholic Education Office website www.ceo.wa.edu.au Enquiries regarding this position should be directed to Helen Brennan, Consultant, Leadership Team on 6380 5237 or email sch.personnel@ceo.wa.edu.au All applications, on the official form, should reach The Director, Catholic Education Office of WA, PO Box 198, Leederville 6903 no later than 13 April 2007.
•
March 292007, The Record
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the nation New Oceania province for Christian brothers One of the emblematic organisations of Catholic school education, the Christian Brothers order, has announced the merging of its Australian province with those of Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, to form the new Christian Brothers province of Oceania. The new province headquarters will be in Brisbane. The province leader is to be Br Vince Duggan, who said the Christian Brothers of the future will strive to affirm their educational tradition, as well as to work for social justice. "This social justice focus is on the poor and marginalised, with special emphasis on care of the young," Br Duggan said.
Women's unpaid work contributes to nation: WAA Women's Action Alliance has criticised the report of a parliamentary inquiry into "work and family" for failing to take due account of the work of women in the home. "We object to the inference that educated women who choose to work in their families and communities without remuneration represent no return on the investment in their education," the Alliance says in its latest newsletter. The parliamentary Inquiry into Balancing Work and Family, chaired by federal Liberal MP Bronwyn Bishop, failed to take into account womens' care for children, the elderly and the housebound, the Alliance argued.
Bishops send young workers to Rome Young Christian Workers national secretary Sara Kane is one of two Australians representing the nation's bishops at a Youth Forum in Rome. "It is significant that young workers' lives are being taken seriously and a forum is being dedicated to this," said Ms Kane, whose YCW role involves collating young people's experience of work. The 9th International Youth Forum in Rome, from March 28 to April 1, is dedicated to the theme "Witnessing to Christ in the world of work." The other Australian delegate is Adam Crouch, a carpenter and builder from South Australia. (See stories page 7)
Muslims free to choose badly: PM Prime Minister John Howard says he does not have a view on who should be the Catholic archbishop of Melbourne or the Anglican archbishop of Sydney - and he does not have a view on who should be the mufti of Australia's Muslim community. Such things are "a matter for the religious grouping," the PM said on Sky News. However, he also said the reappointment as mufti of Sydney's Sheik Hilali has done damage to the Muslim community. "The impact of this decision will be extremely negative," the PM said.
PlaywOght spotlights Aboriginal domestic violence One of Australia's best-known playwrights, Louis Nowra, has released a book documenting horrific cases of domestic and sexual violence against women and children in Aboriginal communities. The book, Bad Dreaming, was inspired when Nowra spent three days in an Alice Springs hospital with pancreatitis. There, Nowra saw many Aboriginal women and young girls with shocking injuries caused by men, and he also shared a ward with a middle-aged Aboriginal man who boasted of raping a 13-year-old girl. Bad Dreaming is part of the 'Now Australia' series released by political publishing company Pluto Press.
Saunders: Set Hicks free In a strongly-worded media release put out the same day as the David Hicks trial this week, Bishop Christopher Saunders called for Mr Hicks' immediate release from detention. Hours after the media release, David Hicks pleaded guilty to one count of materially supporting terrorism. Sentencing was tipped to occur this weekend. Speaking on behalf of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, a body created by the Australian Catholic Bishops, Bishop Saunders challenged the legality
of the charge brought against Mr Hicks. Bishop Saunders also challenged the legality of the military tribunal process set up by the United States Government to try Mr Hicks. The Bishop referred to the five-year period of detention without trial at Guantanamo Bay which the US military had imposed on David Hicks. "The length and severity of his detention and his dignity as a human being make it imperative to end his detention now," Bishop Saunders said. The Record tried but was unable to
contact Bishop Saunders for further comment after the guilty plea by Mr Hicks was reported. The Hicks affair has been one of the most bitterly contested debating points in Australian politics in recent years. Opponents of his long-term detention have accused the US and Australian Governments of illegally abusing an Australian citizen's right to a fair trial. Opponents of Hicks, on the other hand, have accused him of consorting with alqaeda and the Taliban, implying he deserves whatever he gets.
Getting educated about living wills • By Sylvia Defendi
Issues surrounding the controversial advanced healthcare planning bill, commonly known as the 'living wills' legislation, have sparked the need for workshops, which will explore the legislation and its relation to Catholic doctrine. Perth's L J Goody Bioethics Centre is offering parishes the opportunity to explore these issues with a free workshop, presented by Fr Joseph Parkinson. Workshops can be organised on any day of the week, from Monday to Thursday and run for approximately 90 minutes. Participants will also receive their own copy of the Australia Catholic Bishops' Guide for People Considering their Future Health Care and Model Statement for Future Health Care. "There are just so many questions surrounding this legislation. Can we say 'no' to medical treatments without committing euthanasia? What help is available for Catholics facing difficult medical decisions?" Fr Parkinson said. To organise a workshop in your parish, contact Natalie Tarkka on: 9242 4066.
Getting an upgrade: Fr Laurence Murphy examines Our Lady of Lourdes extensions.
Salvatorian priest Fr Laurence Murphy stands in front of the Church extensions currently being built at Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Nollamara. The extensions are due to be completed in time for the 40th anniversary of the opening of the church in September.
When completed, the extensions will incorporate a narthex, a parish Priest's office, a parish secretary's office, a sacristy for acolytes and altar servers, another for clergy, a meeting Room, a unisex toilet and a kitchenette. A portico will complete the entry.
New Life in God's Spirit Seminar set to transform • By Mark Reidy
With up to 400 people attending a New Life in God's Spirit Seminar in 2005 and many testifying to physical and emotional healings, one would expect that organisers would be satisfied with a repeat performance. However Jenni Young and Fr Hugh Thomas hold even greater expectations for the new course that begins on April 20. "We should always expect more from the Lord", Mrs Young said in a recent interview with The Record, "He is a God of immeasurable abundance". The nine-week seminar, entitled "Send Your Power", is designed not only to introduce new-corners to the power of the Holy Spirit, but also to deepen the understanding of
those already aware of the spiritual gifts that St Paul describes in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 14. Mrs Young claims that some participants received physical healings at the 2005 seminar, such as backs, hearts, cancer and hearing, while others received charismatic gifts such as tongues, words of knowledge, visions and prophecies. She believes that the seminar is a perfect opportunity for young people in particular to learn and experience the power of the Holy Spirit, especially in light of the World Youth Day in 2008. "We have been baptised into the life of Jesus", Mrs Young said, "but without the power to back us up we will make little impact on a world that is crying out for salvation. There is urgency in our world and in our Church today for people, young and old alike, to be made fully alive in their faith". She is adamant that this can only
be fulfilled if they are released into the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. With the Seminar being held during the year of the 40th Anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and Pentecost falling on the week of the releasing of the Spirit session of the course, Mrs Young is expecting that participants will be powerfully blessed and renewed with the Spirit of God's love. The Seminar will be held each Friday evening at 7.30pm at Our Lady of the Mission Church in Craigie. It has received approval from the Catholic Education Office for those holding an Accreditation Certificate, for 12 hours of in-service training. The cost of the entire Seminar is $15 for Adults and $10 for students, which includes a booklet with daily Scripture readings. To register or for further information contact 9307 2776.
March 292007, The Record
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Aussies make vital impact in Rome A day with Australia's delegates to the ninth International Youth Forum • By Michelle Jones in Rome
Our Sara dialogues with the world's young workers Perth's Young Christian Workers national secretary Sara Kane joined youth representatives from around the globe this week to dialogue with experts at the ninth International Youth Forum near Rome to discuss how to achieve unity between one's professional and Christian life. The forum, sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Laity will focus on "Giving Witness to Christ in the Working World", with about 300 participants. It will meet with speakers and experts to "look into the relationship between the young and the working world, highlighting the rapid transformations that mark the era of globalisation, the problems and present chal-
lenges," according to the Vatican press office. This analysis will be made in light of "the proclamation of Christ and the evangelical witness in the workplace," the Vatican communique said. It added that "human mobility, instability and unemployment, the frustrations and rights of poor communities all around the world" would be among the discussion topics. The Vatican said the young people will analyse "the role of Catholic associations in achieving what St Benedict called `ora et labora,' the unity of an individual's professional and Christian life". Benedict XVI will address the forum on April 1, in the context of celebrations for the diocesan level World Youth Day.
goal group leader at St Mary of the Angels parish in Port Lincoln. With the YCW, Sara takes Jesus' revelation of the dignity of the human person seriously and so works to transform situations in which young workers face injustice and exploitation; she is conscious that her YCW colleagues in other countries often encounter persecution and arrest for such action. Adam's work challenges him to instil a sense of meaning in his
young fellow workers and to be a living testimony to the supreme value of knowing Jesus. Sara and Adam have a deep sense of privilege, responsibility and excitement at being selected by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference to represent their nation at the Youth Forum. They are aware that, as Australians, they have a unique contribution to make to the discussion. Not only do workers in Australia face such
• By Anthony Barich
I suppose there are many ways to celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation in Rome. This year, I had the privilege of spending the day with two young Australians radiant with the true message of the Incarnation: Jesus' revelation of a God who embraces our human reality with passionate, transforming love. Sara Kane, 30, of the Archdiocese of Perth, and Adam Crouch, 27, of the Port Pine diocese, are the Australian delegates to the ninth International Youth Forum. Between March 28 and April 1 some 300 young people from all over the globe are gathering near Rome to reflect upon the theme "Giving Witness to Christ in the Working World." Sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, the Forum discusses such topics as the experience of young people in the working world, precarious work conditions and unemployment, the rights and struggles of workers in developing countries and the impact of globalisation. Already in their own lives, Adam and Sara each daily grapple with what it means to be an authentic Christian in the workplace. Sara is the national secretary of the Australian Young Christian Workers movement; Adam is an apprentice carpenter and a youth
Local councils to use power of prayer to halt Easter road death toll • By Sylvia Defendi
Local councils across the state are using the power of prayer to halt an increase in the death toll over the Easter period. The 'Blessing of the Roads' project, which was initiated by the RoadWise committee of Geraldton/Greenough in 1998, was developed as a means of involving local communities to promote road safety during a traditionally very busy time on the roads. Today the project is an annual campaign adopted by various councils across the state. Church groups and members of the
community are encouraged to attend a 'blessing ceremony' within their area, which will be led by a religious leader. As well as praying for the safety of all road users, the 'Blessing of the Roads' campaign provides blessings for police and emergency services personnel who work over the holiday period to help save lives and make the roads safer. The City of Wanneroo is arranging a large scale event to be held on April 6, the Shire of Mundaring will be hosting an event on April 3 and the Shires of Collie and Bridgetown are also holding 'blessing ceremonies.' More information on the 'Blessing of the Roads' campaign can be found at w ww.roadwise.asn.au/blessingofroads.
60th Anniversary of the Apparition of the Virgin of the Revelation at Grotto Tre Fontane Rome His Grace Archbishop Hickey will preside over the concelebrated Mass and procession to honour the Virgin of the Revelation at her Shrine, 36 Chittering Rd, Bullsbrook on Sunay, April 15 at 2.30pm. All are most welcome.
Springs of Living Water in the world of work: The Australian delegates to the 9th International Youth Forum, Sara Kane and Adam Crouch. PHOTO: MICHELLE JONES
issues as isolation, drought and multiculturalism, but also spiritual impoverishment in the midst of material abundance. This is a great contrast, Sara comments, to the situation in developing countries, where people of deep faith are often found in the most desperate of working environments. Additionally, Adam and Sara are eager to hear about the work and faith experiences of the participants from other nations.
Wandering home after my day with Adam and Sara, I reflected anew that God is truly with us. So, our world mediates the sacred, the human dignity of workers must be cherished and respected. Alive with this message, there is no doubt that the Australian delegates to the ninth International Youth Forum make a vital impact in Rome, and return home to share the fruits of their experience to powerful effect.
Perth remembers the unborn • By Sylvia Defendi
The Perth community celebrated the feast of the Annunciation very personally on March 24, with Mass for all unborn children. An annual event, the Day of the Unborn Child began in Argentina in 1999 and has since spread across the globe with pro-life groups celebrating the gift of life worldwide. "It is in commemoration of the day Jesus was conceived in Mary's womb and a celebration of the sacredness of human life and the blessings of parenthood," said director of Pregnancy Assistance in Perth, Lydia Fernandez.
Archbishop Barry Hickey led Perth's second annual 'Day of the Unborn' with Mass at St Joachim's Pro-Cathedral. Concelebrants included Fr Paul Carey, Fr Marcellinus Meilak, Fr Michael Brown and deacon Trevor Lyra. During his homily, Archbishop Hickey said much could be done to defend the sacredness of life, but that all actions needed to be based in prayer in order to triumph. He encouraged the faithful to be light bearers bringing light to the darkness that attacks human life. Each member of the congregation was given a flower in memory of a child who died before birth or in thanksgiving for a child conceived. These were brouglIf up to the altar during the offertory.
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Perspectives
editorial
A State of confusion Anyone picking up Monday morning's daily newspaper could easily conclude that WA has turned into a state of confusion. It is not the confusion that comes from people having divergent views on a range of issues like Yarragadee or daylight saving. It is the confusion that comes from people making statements that are seriously lacking in sense or consistency. High on the list is the statement from Health Minister and Attorney General Jim McGinty that the AFL should have a zero tolerance policy on drugs. The idea may have merit, but the statement has none when it comes from a Government that has massive tolerance for drugs; it allows people to own drugs, smoke drugs, grow more drugs than they can smoke, and grow more drugs than they can legally own. It also shows great tolerance for people who neither pay their drug fines nor turn up for the alternative one-hour counselling session. The current 'scandal' about footballers taking drugs also ignores the question: Why would young footballers be subject to random drug testing and lose their jobs on a one-strike policy when politicians, lawyers, doctors, journalists, entertainers and a myriad other people do not face the same testing or the same penalties? The trite response that they (and they alone, apparently) are 'role models' is simply a dishonest way of avoiding the question. The current media splurge about a few high profile footballers seems likely to be counter-productive in terms of the young people everyone pretends to be trying to protect. If footballers can win the Brownlow medal or finish high up in the voting while having allegedly long-running drug problems, youngsters are likely to question whether there really is a problem with drugs. A more subdued approach (as advocated by the AFL with the focus on rescuing players) might have a better result overall. On a deeper level, the current media hype is self-serving in the extreme as revealed by the paper's complaint on Monday "...West Coast continued to struggle to convince Ben Cousins to o public about his drug problem ......Denial is well-known feature of all addictive problems, including problem drinking and gambling. It is part of the self-deception and flight from reality that characterise these states. Learning PO Box 75, Leederville, WA 6902 to face the truth in oneself and to admit Tel: (08) 9227 7080, it to those in close relationships is a necFax: (08) 9227 7087 essary part of healing. cathrec@iinetnet.au However, there is no therapeutic value in having one's problems splashed on the front pages of newspapers or in the news bulletins of television and radio. Alcoholics Anonymous has known for the best part of a century that while an alcoholic must admit his problem to himself and to others who can aid his recovery, the information ought not to be divulged to those who cannot be trusted to respect it or to have the wisdom to support the decision for sobriety. When people are secure in their recovery they may choose to share their experience with others, but only journalists and their employers benefit from people "going public" before they have learned how to live free from their problem. "Going public" is just another exercise in unreality. Having police forces "going public" about people's problems - as in the recent case of the Victorian Police and several prominent sportsmen - is a disturbing trend that The Record has commented on before. Police are supposed to gather evidence of crimes, charge people, and present their evidence in court. It is not their function to ignore the courts and use the information they have obtained as gossip to feed to news mediums in order to damage the reputation of citizens. News mediums ought not to cooperate with them in this malicious behaviour, but like so many people with other addictions they cannot resist the lure of a 'good story' even when it is public gossip and not truly a matter in the public interest. Examples of confusion on other subjects in Monday's paper include the Health Minister (again), announcing that he would regard 100 category one patients waiting 30 days for elective surgery "as a success", even though he had promised that by mid last year there would be none, and on March 18 there were 130. Unperturbed about whether these statements made any real sense, the Minister repeated a promise that by July no one would be waiting more than a year for elective surgery. And then there was the editorial on daylight saving which claimed "it is too early to judge" whether it should become permanent. "The experiment should run its course to allow the community to make a considered judgement at the end of three years." This comes from a newspaper that arranges for about 400 people to be telephoned at random on occasional weekends and then presents the results as though they are the considered opinion of the population. One might also ask when this piece of political nonsense was elevated to the status of a quasi-scientific 'experiment'. Regardless of one's views on daylight saving, readers might be surprised to learn that they are guinea pigs in someone's experiment, and even more surprised to know that they won't be capable of making up their minds about it until they have been experimented on for another two years. When rational debate is becoming so increasingly rare, it is little wonder that we live in a society that does not understand the sanctity of human life and in which our Parliament is preparing to make decisions about creating human embryos in order to destroy them; about treating babies as commodities subject to various transactions (surrogacy); and about treating prostitution as a harmless occupation which every community in the State will have to accept in its midst. Roll on rational enlightment!
Raord
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letters to the editor the
March 292007, The Record
Good story, bad headline
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Blurring issues While I was flattered at getting "Last Word", I was rather surprised at the choice of the photo to accompany my article in last week's Record (March 22, 2007).
Perhaps the article itself was not clear enough, if so then I hope this letter will serve to clarify the point. The picture didn't illustrate the point I was trying to make at all but actually confused the issue as it blurred the line between our serious obligation not only as human beings but as Christians and Catholics to completely and vigorously oppose in whatever way we can things that are always objectively morally wrong - like abortion, euthanasia, cloning embryos or embryonic cell research for example - with our right to express our private opinions as individuals on matters that are not always objectively morally wrong, like capital punishment. If one were to be hypercritical, the choice of photo could even appear to give personal opinion or individual conscience primacy over objective right or wrong as upheld by the Church. The issue of capital punishment is a contentious one, but the case of Nguyen Tuong Van was justifiable as Singapore exercising its right to use capital punishment as a deterrent in an effort to control the heinous and destructive crime of drug trafficking. While I deeply pity the young man's family, I admired his personal realisation of the expiatory nature of capital punishment, when used by a legitimate public authority as a punishment for grave crimes, (see Catechism of the Catholic Church 2266). I feel that the photo did not support what I was trying to say, and it certainly did not express my own opinion about that particular case. Catherine Parish Leeming
Cheap shot I write in protest regarding the editorial comment in the current edition of the Record.It trivialises both subjects which have no connection. It demonstrates total lack of feeling for the pain and suffering of families who are experiencing the drug addiction of a family member. Ben Cousins may be a high profile young man, but he is also a son and a brother whose
n hearing that 'Jesuits attack Fisher on conscience' (The Record, March 22), readers might have feared the outbreak of civil war within the Church. Fortunately, the headline misrepresented both Mr Paul Gray's informative article and the Jesuit disposition towards Bishop Fisher. As in any magazine of opinion, even Jesuit owned, the articles in Eureka Street express the opinions of the writers and not those of the proprietors. Bishop Fisher's address on conscience deserved attention both for its arguments and because it raised issues widely discussed among Catholics. The responses of Fr Ryan and Dr Charlesworth were respectful and carried an important conversation further. Readers wanting to judge (and enter) the conversation will find it at www.eurekastreet.com.au. Andrew Hamilton, Si. (Editorial Consultant, Jesuit Communications)
family are trying to come to terms with what has happened and help him in the best possible way It beggars belief that such a comment should appear in a so-called Christian publication. It is in stark contrast to the article by Mark Reidy in the same paper. One hopes that it has not hurt too many people coping with a similar situation. Anne O'Ryan Winthrop
Cardinal hero Fifteen years ago Vinko Puljic became head of the Catholic Church in Bosnia Hercegovina when it was recognised as an independent country. Life there was hard and difficult. The Cardinal watched as his people were dispersed from Bosnia, Krajino, Banja-Luka and Posavina. Many were tortured and forced to leave taking only their few belongings in plastic bags, and escaping to the west. The Cardinal suffered very much. I see him as being like Simon of Cyrene who helped Jesus carry his cross. He was unable to do very much to help his people as his only weapon was his rosary beads. His Catholic population has now been reduced to half its size, while many of the churches have also been destroyed. As Cardinal Puljic continues to be with his people in their suffering and helping them to rebuild their churches, let us pray for these people and their spiritual father.
this block to be the centre of Perth. Roe had allocated the area as the site of an Anglican the However Cathedral. Anglicans had preferred the allotment where St George's Cathedral now stands. In 1859 Bishop Serra requested Governor Kennedy to concede the then vacant site to the Catholics of Perth. Kennedy agreed and granted the request on August 13, 1859. John Moynihan Duncraig
Whose interests?
The Public are duped. Our Health Minister Jim McGinty has done it again! He has brainwashed the health professionals including our doctors into believing that his proposal for Advance Medical Directives, is in their best interests both legally and professionally. They are also termed as Living Wills, and is a legal document open to anyone from the age of 18 years onwards, leaving the way open to Medical Doctors to use their discretion in the case of open ended Directives. This is nothing short of euthanasia by another name. The general public too, are led to believe that it is their best interests to provide these Advance Medical Directives, completely unaware of their future health needs. People even with a minor treatable ailment will be left to the discretion of the doctor who will ultimately decide if the patient should be treated or allowed to die. But wait, Jim McGinty has a Anto Jelovic much broader plan to help ease Beaconsfield the Emergency patient wait all day for a bed. When this grand plan is in place, the patients deemed 'suitable' for treatment in a public With completion work in hospital will have beds availprogress your readers might able because there will be no be interested to know how St overcrowding. Our dialysis and other speMary's Cathedral came to be at cialist equipment needed on the present site. Monsignor Bourke's History a regular basis will be readily of the Catholic Church in available. The best part of this great Western Australia, 1929-1979 notes that the first Surveyor- plan will be that Palliative Care General, John Septimus Roe, for the terminally ill will be in drawing up a plan for the obsolete. Continued on page 14 town's expansion, had intended
Cathedral site
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40,000 heads, thinking 'Faith' Perth Vicar general Fr Brian O'Loughlin, at left, spoke to The Record's Anthony Barich, at right, of his observations at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. • By Anthony Barich
F
orty thousand people flooded into Los Angeles in early March, and it wasn't Disneyland or Universal Studios. Just across the road from Disneyland was the annual Religious Education Congress, sponsored by the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocesan Office of Religious Education at Anaheim Convention Centre and the surrounding hotels. Talk to Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony and he'll say the three-day Congress is the single biggest event in the life of the Catholic Church that's held on an annual basis. Far from big-noting his own diocese, he's actually not far off the mark. There is the Italian National Ecclesial Congress, held every 10 years, at which the Pope checks the pulse of the Italian Church; there is World Youth Day held every three years. But nothing compares to the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, where three key-note address givers and 400 speakers and workshop presenters addressed 40,000 congress participants on theology and RE. This three-day congress was preceded by a youth day which attracted over 12,000 young people. Even more remarkable was the fact that most registered delegates were visitors to Los Angeles and Orange County area of Anaheim where the Congress was held. Archbishop Barry Hickey's Vicar General, Fr Brian O'Loughlin, had heard for some years now about
Keen teens: Teens receive the Eucharist from Cardinal Roger M Mahony of Los Angeles during a late morning liturgy PHOTO- CNS preceding the Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, California. "This Congress is such a unique one place." The Americans were so this conference being the largest well organised that most talks were event in the life of the Church that event in the life of the Church. so participants could recorded, teacheducation So when the Archbishop our own religious of them on CD if copy a up pick would coordinators RE and ers the to pilgrimage returned from his it. missed they attend to plan to advised well be Canon a O'Loughlin, Fr Land Holy Each day started with mornLawyer, thought it was his turn to something like this as part of their prayer at 8am followed by a ing annual leave," Fr O'Loughlin said. expand his theological horizons. address, then a variety of key-note scholarsome perhaps "And Putting it mildly, it blew his for which one had to workshops source, whatever from funds, ship urges now he that mind, so much so would be a wonderful way of pre-register. West Australian religious educaEach one was so packed that Fr tion teachers to take a sabbatical of achieving that. was only able to attend O'Loughlin 400 were "The fact that there their own to this annual congress first choices; the othhis of three opportunity great a gave speakers to enhance their own faith, so that were two 'second attended he ers theon speakers many so hear to their to on it pass they may better 'substitutions'. three and in choices' education religious and ology tudents. s
This was a massive operation that took up the convention centres of many hotels in the area. Each talk or workshop began with a prayer inspired by the Congress theme, Stand in the Light. In these, Fr O'Loughlin met priests from California, Oregon and other Central and Western States. Some were US-born, though he also met a Polish-born priest who now lives in America who brought 120 of his parishioners along. The Vicar General also met English and Irish priests and Bishops; teachers and RE coordinators and many university students. There were parish pastoral workers and RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) leaders. Fr O'Loughlin concelebrated each of the main Eucharistic Liturgies - the first was presided over by Los Angeles Archbishop, Cardinal Mahony, so that a Native American could be the principal celebrant; and he was assisted by a Native deacon. As a concelebrant, the Vicar General found himself seated between the Archbishop of Dublin, and the Bishop of Nottingham, who had brought with him two bright young priests from his diocese. Bishop Malcolm McMahon of Nottingham said he'd attended this Congress for the past five years. opening Indigenous The Eucharist was preceded by an elaborate smoking ceremony and the procession was accompanied by dancing to drum beat, prompting Fr O'Loughlin to remark to Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin afterwards. "Didn't we just experience a liturgical and cultural feast!"
The common good Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin The new Archbishop of Dublin spoke of how he entered the Seminary for the Archdiocese of Dublin wanting to work as a priest in Ireland, rather than join a missionary order and work overseas. But providence intervened and he found himself following his study of theology in Rome, spending 32 years there or in the service of the Church in diplomatic missions and appointments, none of them in Ireland, until as he described it, his unexpected appointment as Archbishop of Dublin when he was working away as the representative of the Holy See to the United Nations offices in Geneva, Switzerland. He said religion can no longer be imposed on culture or society. It is much more difficult today to talk of the Common Good in a secular society. There needs to be continual striving for a common global ethic. In this the Church needs to support whole-heartedly all that is good and to criticise any evil or opposed to human dignity. There is a difference between the Common Good and
common interest. There is the difficulty in the political challenge to achieve economic growth balanced by equity. The problem is to resolve the growth-equity divide. Equity will not occur automatically, but needs to be planned and worked for. Then there is the health divide. In the Western developed world, people are living longer than their parents, while in Africa age expectancy has decreased. The developing world has a huge infant mortality rate. The preferential option for the poor is a statement about God - it is Christ bringing Good News to the poor. The Scriptures present images of God as a God of mercy and compassion. The miracles of Jesus testify to the compassion of God, seen in restoration of wholeness and restoration to community. The challenge for the Church is to recognise the dignity of the marginalised, be a voice for the poor - those with no voice and so no choice. Ethics needs to be seen as a dimension of human existence. The contemporary world is dominated
Good cause: Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, Ireland, spoke at the Congress of how his vocation PHOTO CNS took a different path than what he expected. by economics. This needs to be balanced by not land based nor capital based. But there the principle that we are responsible for the is unequal distribution. Too often, resourcforeseeable consequences of our acts. Each es are concentrated in capital cities rather than across the country-side. In this climate, human person enjoys a unique and inalienable dignity. People are not marketable. We unskilled people run the risk of becoming an are now in a knowledge based economy, underclass.
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March 292007, The Record
Rejoice: ,\ choir sings during the 40th anniversary gathering of the Religious Education Congress in California, which broke previous records with over 40,000 participants.
the Crescent
John Allen - Rome-based correspondent
John Allen analysed relationships between Catholicism and Islam, drawing attention to the fact the Pope John Paul II was the first Pope to visit a mosque, the Grand Umayad Mosque in Damascus, reputed to contain the remains of John the Baptist, and itself an early Christian church. From that visit, Pope John Paul was entering into dialogue with Islam, presenting our religions, not in opposition but partnership. This outreach was even more crucial in 2001, when within weeks of the devastating attacks on the World Trade Center of New York, Pope John Paul journeyed to Kazakhstan, a country 47 per cent Islamic, but with a sizable Christian population, the descendents of those deported by Stalin to the country to the north of Afghanistan. Allen outlined one of the difficulties the dialogue faces is that Islam does not have a clear, central authority like the Vatican, and no hierarchy with which to dialogue. But the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI see this inter-religious dialogue as necessary and a most consequential area. Allen said that Pope Benedict's Regensberg University address was not about Islam but about the relationship between reason and faith. The Pope certainly had no intention to inflame Islam, but miscalculated the reaction. Pope Benedict's refusal to issue an
In Days to Come
apology for the content of his talk indicates he does not intend to back down. He is making a statement that dialogue means a willingness to talk about real issues. He has issued a challenge to Muslims to reject violence in the name of religion. Pope Benedict's prayer in the Blue Mosque of Istanbul was a sign of respect, but he also wants Islam to reciprocate. He wants Islamic countries to afford Christians the religious freedoms their constitutions guarantee or the Universal Declaration on Human Rights calls for. In this regard, the Pope reminds Islam that the Rome Mosque, the largest in Europe, built between 1984 and 1993 was the beneficiary of $29,670,000 while the over a million Catholics living in Saudi Arabia, mainly as guest workers, have not one church and no bishops or priests. Saudi Arabia has funded the building of mosques throughout the west, but will not allow any churches or Christian places of worship in the kingdom. In fact, its religious police constantly harass priest chaplains and Christians attempting to bring in their bibles or meeting in houses for worship. The Pope is concerned for Christians persecuted for their faith in Sudan and parts of Nigeria. He is also concerned for the traditional Christian communities in Egypt and Syria. The Pope is deeply committed to dialogue, but he also wants reciprocation.
Marty Haughan - composer of the Mass of Creation arty Haghan spoke on the theme of Liturgy and the Call to Peacemaking, in which he emphasised the Eucharist cannot be separated from justice and peacemaking. The Eucharist is a welcoming feast, and Jesus was killed partly for who he ate with. This Liturgical year we can note that there are 19 banquets in the Gospel of Luke and at the heart of
Passion: Fr Bryan Massingale, a theology professor at Marquette University, spoke at the Congress.
Luke's Gospel is a great banquet. There is a relationship between what we do in the Eucharist and how we should speak and act in the world. Eucharist is radical in a way that most of life is not. In the Eucharist, Jesus, who said 'I call you friends', gathers us together. The Eucharist is transformative or as St Augustine said it so well: "Become what you receive". Pope Benedict XVI has taken this Augustinian teaching as one of the guiding points
CNS PHOTO/CISTFR NANCY MUNRO CC!
of his new Exhortation on the Sacrament of Love. Baptism is the way in the door.
When the Baptismal font is near the church door it emphasises this eloquently. To the unbaptised, Baptism is an invitation into a life-changing experience of love. St Justin the Martyr stated eloquently what Christians do at the Eucharist. He did this when he said: "We pray for ourselves, the newly
baptised and all the world." In the Emmaus account, Jesus is encountered not in the Temple or synagogue but on the road. In this way, it is as though the text is saying God is out there. Eucharist is a call to belong. This contrasts what the contemporary world seems to be saying: "Be afraid". The Eucharistic word is trust in God, do not be afraid. Marty interspersed his workshop with some of his well known hymns.
March 292007, The Record
Vista • Page 3
Jesus me bow. Rediscovering Catholicism Matthew Kelly - Australian evangelist Matthew Kelly gave perhaps the most rousing address. He had about 12,000 conference delegates in the palm of his hand as he spoke of "Re-discovering Catholicism". He started with the perception that Catholics are no longer considered a spiritual people, saying we need to re-discover Catholic spirituality and its relevance today. He then launched into what he called the Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality.
Confession Our culture believes that sin and evil no longer exist, but we know they are real. It is as though there is a line separating good from evil drawn through the centre of the human heart. Catholics are making excuses like "I can't confess to a priest" or "Confession doesn't work for me", but we also know of the human beings' capacity to self-deceive. The consequence is that we remake God in our image. We need other people to reflect on what is real with us. We need the priest as mediator to stop our self-delusion. There is a genius in Catholicism. Jesus is like the Divine Psychologist. Confession is the opportunity to be healed spiritually and emotionally. We know we have a dark side, but we pretend, we try to hide it, and when we do it gains power. Through the power ofConfession you can become the best version of yourself.
Contemplation Human thought is creative. The actions of your life are determined by your last most dominant thought. We have heroes in Christianity - saints - who utterly devoted their lives to God. They became what they thought.
Mass More and more adults are saying the Mass is boring. Can you imagine how transfixed the world would be if there was a
Lively: Young people perform a skit during a youth day preceding the Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, California. The all-day event's theme was 'Live Out PHOTOS. CNS/R.W. DELLINGER Love' and kicked off the March 2-4 congress. It drew nearly 15,500 teenagers and young adults from 510 different youth groups.
disease sweeping the face of the earth and people were being asked to give blood? Volunteers do so all over the world. You go to do so, they take your blood and that of your child. Doctors come appealing to you immediately, asking for your child's blood, saying it has the capacity to save the human race. The doctor says your child's blood is needed to save all. That's what the Mass is like. God gave His Son to save us, but we don't recognise His gift. It is as though God is saying: 'My Son died so that you can have a full and extra-ordinary life'. Part of bringing people to understand the Mass is to engage them, not to entertain them. People come to the Mass but they are not ready to hear God's Word.
They are thinking about what went on beforehand. They are not asking themselves: What is God saying to me? God shows me how I can become a better version of myself. God has a dream for me. I can know it by listening to the voice of God in my life. When we come to Mass, we can ask: What is God saying to me? What is God calling me to be?
Scriptures We need to make time to read and reflect on the Scriptures. There is power in the Scriptures, but at times we don't want to change our lives. The Word of God needs to sink into our lives. We need to ask ourselves: 'Who is Jesus Christ for me?' We find Jesus in the Gospels.
Fasting
The Rosary
There is a contemporary fascination with diets, it could be said people have made gods of diets. What we need is discipline. It is as though the great spiritual masters and guides are saying to us: You can't have happiness without discipline. Humans have the capacity to change. The soul is eternal and should guide and discipline our bodies. We discipline ourselves to have goals and so create opportunities for self-possession. We also need to fast from criticism of others and any self-loathing.
We live in a culture of complexity, so we abandoned the simple, humble prayer of The Rosary. Ponder the life and teachings of Jesus Christ through the eyes of his mother. As we look back over the decline of the Rosary, we need to remind ourselves that the abuse of the good doesn't diminish the good. For example, the fact that some people abuse the institution of marriage does not diminish the good of marriage. The prayer of the Rosary is like a tree with strong roots, it endures every storm. Our task is to listen to the voice of God again. Trust God and let God into your life. Our task is to genuinely let God in.
Spiritual Reading A recommendation of all the great spiritual masters and guides. We become the books we read! We feed our minds, our actions follow.
Spiritual realm causes revolutions Jim Wallis, American social activist and commentator, editor of Sojourners Magazine and founder of Call to Renewal Jim described himself as an Evangelican Christian, and it was notable that he had a Bible on the podium. Time magazine named him as one of 50 most influential Americans. He has authored God's Politics and The Soul of Politics. His thesis is that to change the world is a vocation of faith. He said politics is failing to resolve the deepest issues of our time. Competition and criticism of opponents has replaced the search for the common good. The world needs a revival of faith.
Jim Wallis
Looking at the great revival movements: William Wilberforce and the abolition of slavery, Pope John Paul II and the collapse
of Communism, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the collapse of apartheid, all these were based on the spiritual as the cause of change. Today's world needs a revival of faith. Narrow religion has been used as a wedge to divide. The best social movements have a spiritual foundation. I say to people, don't join politics, change it. The song Amazing Grace was composed by John Newton to commemorate William Wilberforce who was dissuaded from taking Holy Orders so that he could work in Parliament for the abolition of slavery which he achieved in 1807. The motivation of these men was that religion can transform nations and change the world.
But religion can not be called a revival until it has changed the world. Social change will not come through seeking issues and programs. Religion is not a debate over issues or programs. People need to learn to tap the deepest resources of faith. He once asked Archbishop Desmond Tutu "What gives you strength to carry on?" The Archbishop said: "I have a letter from an enclosed Convent of Carmelite Sisters saying they are praying for me and the struggle against apartheid, their prayers support me". The Saints are our cloud of witnesses supporting us. Faith prompts hope, creating action and making change. Politics will not be able to do what needs to be done without the movements.
(t I would recommend that our colleges develop a policy of offering a scholarship to an RE Co-ordinator everyfew years and then give the staff member opportunities to share with other staff
)1
Fr Brian O'Loughlin Vicar General
Page 4 • Vista
March 292007, The Record
Opinion
life, the universe and everything
Are we narks or neighbours? A young
The schoolyard antic of dabbing each other in has metamorphosed into a monstrous pandemic of suspicion and getting even. Have a look at the planks in our own eyes first! • By Anna Krohn
Nark n. (slang) decoy, spy, informer Romany nak nose) Neighbour (n_lber) n. Dweller next door, near in same street, esp. regarded as one who should be friendly or having claim on others' friendliness. - The Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary
J
Singaporean-Australian mother reported recently how quickly her little son had imbibed the "don't tell the teacher" ethos at rimary school. It's a hoary Australian ritual.Iremember the fearful weight of the title "dobber" at school and the gritted teeth and even the punishment that very little children would endure to avoid it. Sociologists put it down to our convict past. It also owes much to the English public school system with its complex system of silent taboos. As a child I could see that simply "not telling" was not a solution to problems of classroom justice either: Bullies could hide, petty thieves could carry on unnoticed and children with serious needs could be neglected. I thought then that an indiscrimiately "anti-dobbing" regime was morally blind. But there seems to be something wrong with the rise of "dob-in" lines and anonymous complaints systems too. As the coherent network of family and local neighbourhood are strained or broken down by contemporary pressures and mores, governments at every level and private companies resort to social control by
in brief... Abortion showcased A leading European abortionist has opened a museum in Vienna to display contraception and abortion paraphernalia he has collected over several decades. The discordantly named Dr Christian Fiala, chairman of the International Association of Abortion and Contraception Specialists, began his career in Europe but has also worked in Asia and Africa. His display is arranged in two rooms. The abortion room, which must be accessed through the contraception room, is dedicated to the idea that
abortions used to be terribly dangerous and are now safe. He believes "no-one other than the womanherselfcan or should make any decision about her pregnancy". - DEUTSCHE WELLE, MARCH 18
Gay adoption forced on agencies The British House of Commons has approved by 310 votes to 100 equality regulations that will force Catholic adoption agencies to handle requests from same sex couples. The House of Lords has yet to pass them.
top-heavy administrative rules, forests of regulations and of course the accompanying "surveillance" to make it all stick. As people lose the mutual concern of a community, they resort to ringing the social welfare officers instead of knocking on a door to see why a baby is crying. The response is sometimes one of genuine worry for the good of the child. But there is a temptation to allow irritation and personal dislike to be a motivating force. Moral intention, context and evidence which is important to our rule of law are replaced by appearances and assumptions of guilt. During our Stage Three water restrictions here in Victoria, self-appointed water police damage property under cover of darkness because they assume that a keen gardener has flouted the watering regulations and should be punished. Householders living in fear that their lawn has patches of suspicious looking green - post up notices which plead: "This garden uses grey water". But sometimes this doesn't save them from being reported or resented. There are incidents of unnamed callers reporting migrant families to the immigration officials simply -because they "don't look as though they have visas".
Miss Jamaica's iron will amaican beauty queen Sara Lawrence has J renounced her Miss Jamaica World title after becoming pregnant and refusing to consider an abortion. She said it was her "moral obligation to do . . . what I believe to be right". Her boyfriend and her parents fully support her decision.
Stand in the light
Religious educators to form and transform
F
r Massingale's keynote address focused on how religious educators must move from information to to formation transformation. He reflected on the Congress theme "Stand in the Light" saying that the challenge of Jesus was that you cannot stand in his light unless you sit at table with Jesus and those whom he invites. As the previous Sunday's Gospel stated so well: Tax collectors and sinners were coming close to Jesus
- JAMAICA GLEANER ONLINE, MARCH 15
- LONDON TELEGRAPH
Continued from Vista 3
Rev Fr Bryan Massingale, STD, Professor of Moral Theology at Marquette University, and apriest of Milwaukee Archdiocese.
The families may eventually sort out their true status in the country, but not before experiencing the terrible disruption and fear of investigation by forceful government officials who tend to act first and ask questions later in their bid to "process illegals". A small-scaled but outrageous variation is the case of a young pregnant married mother of several little children who was accused by a stranger in a supermarket of being a social security cheat and dole bludger! Her abuser assumed the monstrous office of "fertility monitor" assuming that due to her age, she was a single mother milking the baby bonus system. What we see arising is not a climate of being "alert and aware"; good and fitting qualities in the crime prevention "Neighbourhood Watch Scheme", but one of being "suspicious and getting even." In the place of concerned neighbours who resott to authorities when our resources and imaginations reach their limits, we readily become impatient narks alienated from the human condition of others. Lent is a sobering time to think about this tendency - and Christ's own words about the priority of removing "planks" from our "own eyes." annakrohn@hotmail.com
and eating with him, and the scribes complained. Jesus made it easy to be at table with him. In every society, who comes to table gives an important picture of who counts, who matters. Fr Massingale told a story from his own Afro-American family, its context will mean more to those familiar with North American customs. He said, therefore, that perhaps we should substitute Christmas for Thanksgiving. He recounted how his brother invited his new fiance to Thanksgiving Dinner. During the extended family gathering, his father from the head of the table noticed how other
family members were scrutinising his brother's invited guest. His father intervened and said he welcomed the guest to his table. Jesus was like that in whom he welcomed to his table. Jesus ate not with everyone but with anyone. He conveyed that earthly divisions and exclusions mean nothing to God and for this teaching and example, he was rejected. The religious authorities of his day denounced, betrayed and killed him. Jesus was radically indiscriminate. The image is graphic, but the Reverend thought it needs to be balanced by the other parables, like that of the wedding garment.
Congress open to controversial speakers
A measure of the breadth of scope of the Religious Education Congress is that some controversial speakers were numbered among the presenters, including Fr Richard Rohr, OFM who spoke of Jesus as the first non-dualist teacher and Fr Donald Cozzens, a former seminary rector and author of The Changing Face of the Priesthood, made a call for optional celibacy among Diocesan priests. On the more practical side, Sr Donna Markham OP, a professional psychologist, gave a workshop titled Pastoral Challenges: Managing Difficult People. Perhaps reflecting the changing face of American Catholicism, in addition to a number of workshops in Spanish, there were others in Tagalog and
Vietnamese. I consider myself privileged to have attended. I would suggest that any Catholic teacher, especially RE teacher, who may be on long service leave in late February or early March and vacationing in the Los Angeles area log onto RECongress.org and investigate this annual event. The biggest expense is the fare and so an RE teacher already visiting the USA may be the best placed to take advantage. With such massive numbers, it is important to register early.I would recommend that our colleges develop a policy of offering a scholarship to an RE Co-ordinator every few years and then give the staff member opportunities to share with other staff. Perhaps the Catholic Education Office would consider sending an RE Director occasionally, even by scholarship. Fr Brian O'Loughlin, Vicar General.
March 292007, The Record
Page 9
The World FEATURE
Trust in a love that is true and strong
Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI to the youth of the world on the occasion of the 22nd World Youth Day, 2007 - Palm Sunday Cor 1:25). Moreover, the Crucifix, which after the Resurrection would carry forever the marks of his passion, exposes the "distortions" and lies about God that underlie violence, vengeance and exclusion. Christ is the Lamb of God who takes upon himself the sins of the world and eradicates hatred from the heart of humankind. This is the true "revolution" that He brings about: love.
"Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another" (in 13:34). My dear young friends, On the occasion of the 22nd World Youth Day that will be celebrated in the dioceses on Palm Sunday, I would like to propose for your meditation the words of Jesus: "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another" (Jn 13:34).
Loving our neighbour as Christ loves us
Is it possible to love? Everybody feels the longing to love and to be loved. Yet, how difficult it is to love, and how many mistakes and failures have to be reckoned with in love! There are those who even come to doubt that love is possible. But if emotional delusions or lack of affection can cause us to think that love is utopian, an impossible dream, should we then become resigned? No! Love is possible, and the purpose of my message is to help reawaken in each one of you - you who are the future and hope of humanity - trust in a love that is true, faithful and strong; a love that generates peace and joy; a love that binds people together and allows them to feel free in respect for one another. Let us now go on a journey together in three stages, as we embark on a "discovery" of love.
God, the source of love The first stage concerns the source of true love. There is only one source, and that is God. Saint John makes this clear when he declares that "God is love" (1 In 4: 8,16). He was not simply saying that God loves us, but that the very being of God is love. Here we find ourselves before the most dazzling revelation of the source of love, the mystery of the Trinity: in God, one and triune, there is an everlasting exchange of love between the persons of the Father and the Son, and this love is not an energy or a sentiment, but it is a person; it is the Holy Spirit.
The Cross of Christ fully reveals the love of God How is God-Love revealed to us? We have now reached the second stage of our journey. Even though the signs of divine love are already clearly present in creation, the full revelation of the intimate mystery of God came to us through the Incarnation when God himself became man. In Christ, true God and true
Sacred: Redeemed by His blood, no human life is useless or of little value, as Mother Theresa showed us with her love. Man, we have come to know love in all its magnitude. In fact, as I wrote in the Encyclical Deus caritas est, "the real novelty of the New Testament lies not so much in new ideas as in the figure of Christ himself, who gives flesh and blood to those concepts." (n. 12) . The manifestation of divine love is total and perfect in the Cross
where, we are told by Saint Paul, "God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us" (Rm 5:8) . Therefore, each one of us can truly say: "Christ loved me and gave himself up for me" (cf Eph 5:2). Redeemed by His blood, no human life is useless or of little value, because each of us is loved personally by Him with a passion-
ate and faithful love, a love without limits, The Cross, - for the world a folly, for many believers a scandal, is in fact the "wisdom of God" for those who allow themselves to be touched right to the innermost depths of their being, "for God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength" (1
Now we have arrived at the third stage of our reflection. Christ cried out from the Cross: "I am thirsty" (Jn 19:28). This shows us his burning thirst to love and to be loved by each one of us. It is only by coming to perceive the depth and intensity of such a mystery that we can realise the need and urgency to love him as He has loved us. This also entails the commitment to even give our lives, if necessary, for our brothers and sisters sustained by love for Him. God had already said in the Old Testament: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself" (Lev 19:18), but the innovation introduced by Christ is the fact that to love as he loves us means loving everyone without distinction, even our enemies, "to the end" (cf In 13:1). The second half of the Pope's WYD message to youth will be revealed next week.
Schools, 'Triple your WYD numbers' • By Anthony Ranch
The Perth Archdiocese's World Youth Day coordinator Anita Parker has told West Australian Catholic school representatives to "double and triple" the number of students they plan to take to the global event in Sydney next year. "Whatever number of students you are thinking of taking - double or triple that," said Miss Parker at a meeting with Catholic Education Office assistant director of religious education and faith formation Debra Sayce; 30 teachers representing 20 Catholic high schools from around the state and Kathy Campbell, the Sydney CEO's coordinator for schools, The teachers were presented with religious education curriculum material from the WA CEO and WYD curriculum material in the meeting at Chisolm College, during which Miss Parker called
for a rejuvenation of parishes, developing Catholic formation for youth leaders in schools and parishes, focusing on young peoplc becoming Christian witnesses in our present culture. "Make WYD and your preparations accessible to people wherever their faith journey may be," said Miss Parker, stressing that WYD was for everyone including staff, students, parents, principals and chaplains, "Schools need to reconnect with their local parishes and encourage students to get involved with parish activities." This point was also emphasised by Mrs Sayce. Miss Parker, on a two-year secondment from Mazenod College, where she was a maths and music teacher, urged teachers to get young staff and students involved at the local diocesan level, encouraged participation of the school community with parish activities and fundraise to support a young pilgrim from overseas or a local pilgrim with
financial difficulties. Teachers were also encouraged to follow the WYD Cross and Icon with a map in the classroom, use the WYD schools curriculum materials from the Sydney website or from the Perth CEO office, involve the school community in the prayer campaign and to sign up for e-pilgrimage which can be used in assembly reflections, schools, newsletters and classroom activities. "The best pilgrim experience is enhanced through good preparation before they depart - so start evangelisation and catechesis now," Miss Parker said. She also urged teachers to use WYD music in school liturgies, informed them that a post-grad WYD course at Notre Dame University is being developed, and proposed a WYD Liturgy to be held simultaneously diocesewide next year. As 'WYD was heavily promoted at a grass-roots level in WA schools, Perth Catholics are set to join with Catholics around
the world for World Youth Day - Palm Sunday each year - on a diocesan level with the Seven Churches Walk from the chapel of St Therese of Lisieux at the Catholic Pastoral Centre, 40A Mary St, Highgate from 10am. Miss Parker will read Pope Benedict's speech he will give in Rome that day, which will also be broadcast by the Sydney WYD office in NSW. From there the walk will progress to the Redemptorist Monastery, the Greek Orthodox Church, St Brigid's, All Saints Chapel, St John's Pro-Cathedral, finishing at 3pm at St Francis Xavier church. Build-up towards WYD continues with Stations of the Cross and Mass at Notre Dame University's Chapel of the Holy Spirit at 12.30pm on April 4 before the WYD office's major event: the Sand Sculpture cornpetition at Scarborough Beach on April 21. Teams can enter by contacting Mario Borg on 92026843 or email Mano@disciplesofiesus.org.
March 29 2007, The Record
World Youth Day cross inspires Guam archbishop calls visit of World Youth Day cross, icon a blessing • By Tony C. Diaz
Ty
housands of Catholic ouths and young adults opened their arms to welcome the World Youth Day cross and a Marian icon to Guam on March 8-11. Guam was the first stop in the Mariana Islands for the symbols of the world's largest youth event which have travelled tens of thousands of miles around the world. The symbols will travel through 20 nations in Asia and Oceania and then through 28 Australian dioceses before they arrive at the World Youth Day opening Mass on July 15, 2008, in Sydney. In Guam, at Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores Church in Tumon, Archbishop Anthony Apuron of Agana hailed the arrival of the cross and icon as a great blessing for the island. They were brought to the church directly from the airport. It was fitting their first stop was Blessed Diego Church, named for the Jesuit martyr who established the Catholic Church on Guam about 400 years ago. "Welcome to this blessed ground which our forefather Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores paved for us here on our island," Archbishop Apuron said. From the church the archbishop led children, teenagers, young adults and even elderly people in a four-day pilgrimage that spanned the length of the island. The pilgrims escorted the cross and icon to each of the Archdiocese of Agana's 25 parishes.
Youths of San Dionicio Parish in the southern village of Umatac on the island of Guam carry the World Youth Day cross in early March. PHOTO CNS
Each parish held a prayer service. Some featured youths depicting Jesus, Mary, the disciples and Roman centurions during the Stations of the Cross. With a few exceptions because of dangerous road conditions or especially long distances, pilgrims travelled by foot to each parish, with youths taking turns carrying the heavy wooden cross on their shoulders. They covered about 24
miles that included travelling along winding, hilly roads. Just a few days before the start of the pilgrimage, the island was deluged by heavy rains, but the pilgrims on this trek were greeted by beautiful weather. Many Guam youths were visibly touched as they welcomed the World Youth Day symbols. "Once it came it was like sort of a life-changing experience," Katrina
Australian soldiers condemned Timorese priest accuses Australian troops of ruining church property A priest in East Timor has accused Australian troops of forcing their way into his church and destroying property in their search for a rebel leader. "About 2am on March 23, fully armed Australian soldiers came here when the electricity was off. They went around the church, kicked the back door and forcedly entered," Father Heremenio Gonsalves told UCA News, an Asian church news agency. "They thought we had hidden the rebel leader there." The soldiers ruined the door of Sts Peter and Paul Church in Aileu, outside Dili, he said. The soldiers also destroyed property as they ransacked an adjoining guest room located inside the church building, Father Gonsalves said. "I just heard their shouts saying that Alfredo is inside the church, to hunt for him inside the
Ale An Australian soldier on duty in East P HOTO L_NP, Timor.
church," Father Gonsalves said. The priest said he was not sure of the number of Australian soldiers who raided the property. Alfredo Alves Reinado, who led a revolt that plunged East Timor into chaos in April 2006, has evaded capture by the Australianled international peacekeeping force in the country. He has been a fugitive since he and 50 other inmates escaped from a Dili jail in August. The 2006 revolt led to months of arson, looting and gang vio-
Quinata, 14, said about the cross. You never would have known what you would feel just looking at it and seeing that you're able to touch it, a cross that has been going around the world," she told The Pacific Voice, the archdiocesan newspaper. Katrina, a member of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in the southern village of Merizo, was among more than 300 people who welcomed the cross on March 10.
She and other youths knelt by it with a few adults. "I put myself in the presence of God and I just thought of seeing Christ right in front of me," Quinata said. At St Jude Parish in Sinajana, Father Gus Gumataotao reminded people that the crucifixion of Jesus "was not to end in sadness but in joy because he rose from the dead." "So this symbol is the symbol of the love of Christ," said Father Gumataotao. "We're so important to him that the Lord Jesus Christ who loves us so much was willing to suffer - carry the cross to be crucified on it because of us." Young Catholics also gave testimonials that inspired. At St Joseph's Church in Inarajan, religious education teacher Natasha Afaisen described how turning to Jesus on the cross lifted her up from a dark and difficult time in her life. "Anytime you feel like that, turn to the Lord," she told the group. "Turn to our God, because he answers all our prayers." At the conclusion of the pilgrimage, about 3,000 people joined Archbishop Apuron at Santa Barbara Church in Dededo. During the closing Mass, the archbishop called on Guam's youths to follow the steps of Jesus in all that they do. "I ask you this Lenten season to return to God and receive the grace you need today to bear fruit," he told them. Make use of your time in positive and constructive ways to help build your self-esteem," the archbishop said. "Begin to prepare yourselves to welcome Christ in your hearts and in your lives and let us help to make the world and our community, our families, ourselves better in the sight of God." -CNS
Hell exists and is eternal
lence, pitting people from the eastern and western parts of the country against each other. At least 20 people died and 100,000 were displaced. Since then, international peacekeepers from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Portugal have been stationed in East Timor. In early March hundreds of young men blocked roads in the Dili area and burned tires in support of Reinado after a predawn raid failed to capture the rebel leader. Father Gonsalves said he suspects the Australian soldiers thought Reinado was hiding in the church because many journalists covering the April 9 presidential election campaign stopped at the parish the previous day. "The Australian soldiers might have thought the journalists came to interview Reinado," Father Gonsalves said, questioning how the Australian soldiers could think the Catholic Church would harbour a fugitive in a place of worship. -CNS
God's mercy and love are great, but those who reject him should know that hell "exists and is eternal," Pope Benedict XVI said. The Pope made the comments during a visit on March 25 to a Rome parish that serves a predominantly immigrant population, including the city's Filipino community. In a sermon, the Pope focused on what has become a running theme of his pontificate: the importance of divine love. "Only God's love can change from within the existence of the person and, consequently, the existence of every society, because only his infinite love liberates from sin, the root of every evil," the Pope said. That same love is reflected in the sacrifice of Christ, who came with the concrete goal of saving souls, he said. "Christ came to tell us that he desires all of us in heaven and that hell, which isn't spoken about much in our time, exists and is eternal for those who close their hearts to his love," the Pope said.
The important thing is to understand that "the true enemy is attachment to sin, which can lead us to the failure of our own existence," he said. The Pope emphasised that God also offers mercy and forgiveness for sinners. While it's true that God represents justice, he is first of all love, he said. "If he hates sin, it's because he loves each person infinitely," he said. As a theologian, the Pope wrote about hell on several occasions. In the 1968 book, "Introduction to Christianity," he described hell as a state of existential abandonment, "the loneliness into which love can no longer reach."In "God and the World," a book-length interview in 2000, he said the Church reminds people of heaven and hell in order to underline that "there is a responsibility before God, that there is a judgment, that human life can either turn out right or come to disaster." The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines hell as "the state of definitive selfexclusion from communion with God and the blessed." -CNS
March 29 2007, The Record
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The World
Japanese Archbishop takes stand against PM Japanese archbishop: Boosting military would threaten Asian neighbours • By Regina Linskey Boosting the military of Japan would be a "grave threat" to Asian Pacific countries, said a Japanese archbishop. Archbishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami of Nagasaki strongly criticised Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's upcoming referendum to revise Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which is an obstacle to Japan's remilitarisation and military involvement overseas. "Japan without Article 9 would be a serious threat to neighbouring countries" because of Japan's aggressive history before World War II, said Archbishop Takami. If Japanese citizens vote in favour of the referendum on May 3, Japan's Constitution Day, the government would be permitted to maintain de jure military forces which could be deployed for combat. Japan's military would be the third largest in the world, behind the United States and Russia, said the archbishop. However, Abe and supporters of the referendum argue that
Archbishop Takami spoke out against an upcoming referendum in Japan that would increase the country's military PHOTO: C NS capability. Japan should be able to protect itself from North Korea and China. Archbishop Takami spoke on March 12 at Georgetown Washington. University in Sister Shizue Hirota, a member of the Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz and president of the Japanese bishops' Commission for
Social Concerns, briefly answered questions after the presentation, which was sponsored by the university's department of theology, the Woodstock Theological Centre and Pax Christi USA, the national branch of the international Catholic peace movement. The archbishop and Sister
Hirota also met with congressional leaders on March 12-14 to discuss the referendum. Article 9 was originally required by the United States after Japan's surrender in 1945. It has since been embraced by the Japanese people, who remember the August 1945 atomic bombings
on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, said the archbishop, who noted that he survived in his mother's womb but lost relatives in the bombings. The atomic bombs "taught us a great appreciation of nonviolence," he said. Japan must remember its history "not only as a victim, but also as an aggressor," said the archbishop. The archbishop pointed out examples of how the Japanese military has been "strengthening coordination" slowly - with the support of the US - since the mid-1990s. "All these moves are unconstitutional," he said. Article 9 is supposed to be an obstacle, but "it has been conveniently ignored by US and Japanese forces," said Archbishop Takami. Archbishop Takami pointed to a 2000 report, called "The US and Japan: Advancing Toward a Mature Partnership," by an American bipartisan study group of former government officials as an example of US support of the increasingly interconnected US-Japanese military. The report argued that the relationship between Great Britain and the US is a good model for the US-Japanese alliance and that "Japan's prohibition against collective self-defence is a constraint on alliance cooperation. Lifting this prohibition would allow for closer and more efficient security cooperation." -CNS
Looking out for the spiritual needs of Olympians in China Chinese Catholics begin plans for religious needs of Olympic athletes Catholic leaders in China are making arrangements to meet the religious needs of foreign Christian athletes and visitors during the 2008 Olympic Games in China. Anthony Liu Bainian, vice chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, recently urged the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference to "provide English-language Bibles in hotels." Liu is a member of the
consultative congress, the top advisory body of China's central government. On March 21, he told UCA News, an Asian church news agency, that his proposal aims to meet "the religious needs of foreign athletes," since many of these visitors are Christians. The 2008 Olympic Games are scheduled on August 8-24, 2008. Most venues will be in Beijing. However Qingdao, a port city, will host sailing events, and Hong Kong will host equestrian events. Bishop Vincent Zhan Silu of Mindong, another member of the consultative congress, told UCA News that
news in brief Pope remembers Romero Pope Benedict XVI recalled the assassination of Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero and prayed for the many missionary martyrs of recent years. Speaking at his noon blessing on March 25, the Pope noted that the previous day marked the 27th anniversary of the slaying of Archbishop Romero. The March 24 date has been chosen for fasting and prayer for all missionaries who have given their lives for the faith. Archbishop Romero was shot and killed in 1980 as he was celebrating Mass in a San Salvador hospital chapel. After El Salvador's 12-year civil war, a truth commission found that a group of army officers and right-
conference members from the five government-recognised religions discussed the religious needs of Olympic Games participants at the recent meeting and made suggestions to the Beijing Olympics organisers. The five religions are Buddhism, Catholicism, Taoism, Islam and Protestantism. "We religious groups should prepare well to receive foreign visitors, such as training suitable local personnel to provide good services," Bishop Zhan said, adding that the local Catholic Church can arrange for priests who speak foreign languages to celebrate Mass and for nuns who speak foreign languages
ist businessmen planned the archbishop's murder. Archbishop Romero's sainthood cause has been under study at the Vatican for several years. Sources have said the Vatican is satisfied that the archbishop's writings, homilies and speeches were free of doctrinal error.
DVD on 1111 released The Vatican released a complete catalogue of DVDs documenting the life and death of Pope John Paul II, the papal transition of 2005 and the Second Vatican Council, as well as what goes on behind Vatican City's walls. To mark the second anniversary of the death of Pope John Paul and the election of Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican television centre presented a catalogue showcasing
to serve at the event. The bishop, whose diocese is in eastern China's Fujian province, said he believes the Beijing Diocese is prepared to meet such needs. It holds English Masses on Sundays at Immaculate Conception Cathedral, also known as Nantang or South Church, and other churches. Father Peter Zhao Jianmin of Beijing told UCA News on March 14 that his diocese is preparing a "comprehensive service plan" for the Olympics, and church personnel will further discuss what needs to be done after Easter. The diocese may seek help from other church areas if there are not enough priests
the seven DVD collections for sale. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said at a March 27 press conference that the collection is unique "because CTV (Vatican television centre) cameramen can get close to the Pope" and capture images and events that other television crews cannot. For example, the hourlong documentary, "Benedict XVI: The Keys of the Kingdom," starts out by giving the viewer a ride in the back seat of the popemobile. The camera peers over Pope John Paul's shoulder and shows crowds waving to him as the Pope is driven home from Rome's Gemelli hospital a few weeks before his death on April 2, 2005.
Peace hope Irish and British church officials wet-
to celebrate Masses in foreign languages, said Father Zhao, who is Bishop Michael Fu Tieshan's assistant for managing and coordinating diocesan affairs. Liu told UCA News that 20,000 copies of the Bible will be needed. He said he was optimistic that his suggestion would be approved and added, "I will think of a way to get the Bibles." The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the Bishops' Conference of the Catholic Church in China have designated the Beijing Diocese to provide pastoral care during the 2008 Olympic Games. -CNS
corned the announcement that political parties in Northern Ireland have agreed to share power again. The March 26 announcement represents "an important and welcome development in the search for a stable future for Northern Ireland," said a statement from Ireland's Catholic, Presbyterian, Anglican and Methodist church leaders. Among those signing was the Irish primate, Archbishop Sean Brady of Armagh, Northern Ireland. The statement said the churches had worked for a devolved government for Northern Ireland, "and we trust that this is now to be realised." It encouraged people to continue to pray for their communities. The British section of the Catholic peace movement Pax Christi welcomed the -CNS announcement
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Reviews
March 292007, The Record
Life ofjPII dramatised and serialised for television, set to begin screening on SBS this weekend
Giant life a gripping subject for viewers TELEVISION Pope John Paul ll Two-part mini series Screens on consecutive Sundays, SBS-TV Beginning April 1, 10.30pm Concludes April 8, 10.35pm
s
hot on location in Krakow, Poland and in Italy, the two-part mini-series, Pope John Paul II, will screen on SBS Television over two consecutive Sunday nights, beginning Palm Sunday, April 1 at 10.30pm. Historians at the Vatican provided script consultation for the series, and exclusive footage was filmed on St Peter's Square, in the Sistine
Chapel and in surrounding areas of the Vatican. Cary Elwes portrays Karol Wojtyla from age 18 to 50, in the years prior to being elected Pope on 16th October, 1978. Academy Award winner and rrultiple Golden Globe Award winner Jon Voight portrays him during his extraordinary 26-year reign that ended with the Pontiff's death on April 2, 2005. The cast also includes Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award nominee James Cromwell (Babe, The Queen), Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Ben Gazzara (Dogville, The Big Lebowsky) as well as Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings). Pope John Paul II is a two-part drama series about a man whose papal odyssey encompassed more than 120 countries and earned him
Big ask: Jon Voight plays Pope John Paul II in the forthcoming series. ENS
the reputation of an international fighter for freedom. It follows Karol
Wojtyla's journey from his youth in Poland through his last days on the Chair of St Peter and explores the 264th Pope's fascinating life behind the scenes: how he managed to touch the hearts of millions of people and change the face of the Church and the world; how he defended the dignity of mankind against Nazism, Communism and consumerism; and how he successfully related to people of all ages. The series begins on the eve of the German invasion of Poland. The charismatic Karol Wojtyla is passionate about literature, the theatre and poetry. Along with his friends, he covertly resists the systematic persecution of Polish culture and joins the clandestine Catholic resistance. To the amazement of his friends, Karol announces his intention to
HISTORIANS at the
Vatican provided script consultation for the series, and exclusive footage was filmed on St Peter's Square, in the Sistine Chapel and in surrounding areas.
enter the Church. Thus begins the extraordinary career of a man who at the age of 38 became the country's youngest Bishop.
Dissolute-turned-evangelical missed slavery's nuances FILM Amazing Grace The inspiring story of how one man changed history by getting England to abolish the slave trade. • Reviewed by Justin Myers, Mercatornet
/
n late 18th Century England, an
up-and-coming young member of Parliament named William Wilberforce had what he later described as a "conversion". While sitting in his garden one day, he realised that God's earth was beautiful and that His grace was worth attaining. For a time he agonised over whether he should pursue a career in politics or do God's work. When Wilberforce finally realised that he could do both at the same time, he struggled tirelessly for the next 20-odd years to achieve the abolition of the slave trade in the British Isles. This noble struggle is the subject of Michael Apted's Amazing Grace, a stirring film which will have all but the most cynical viewer cheering at the end. Apted and screenwriter Steven Knight largely forego the gimmicks and inventions which often plague similar historical biopics in favour of honest story-telling. They let the true story, a compelling one, and the intriguing real-life figures provide the .entertainment. The result is safe and derivative, but a truly delightful and inspirational movie. As Wilberforce, loan Gruffud offers a subdued performance, bringing suitable integrity to the part. With reasonable efficiency Gruffud conveys, mostly with just his face, the anguish a man as empathetic and caring as Wilberforce suffers when confronted with senseless cruelty. Note an early scene when Wilberforce feels obligated to challenge a man brutally beating his
horse. Later he becomes literally nauseous at the gaming table when unexpectedly brought face-to-face with the evils of slavery. Just as Wilberforce relied on a great deal of help from others in his fight against slavery, a fine supporting cast surrounds Gruffud. Alongside Wilberforce every step of the way was his childhood friend, William Pitt, believably portrayed here by Benedict Cumberbatch. Known as William Pitt the Younger (his father was in politics too), his ambition propelled him to accepting the office of Prime Minister at a very young age. Always sympathetic to his good friend's cause, Pitt never blatantly called himself an abolitionist for fear of negtive political repercussions. He did his part nevertheless, and he and ilberforce are fittingly buried n t to one another in Westminster A ey. Several other re arkable reallife characters popu e the film in support of Wilberfotc 's righteous cause. The adamant 'Slhomas Clarkson is played with con 'ction by Rufus Sewell. Lord Charles Fox Undaunted: loan Gruffudd, looking much as he did in TV's popular Horatio Hornblower, plays the great foe of slavery, (Michael Gambon) was a powerWilliam Wilberforce. PHOTO: CNS/SAMUEL GOLDWYN/ROADSIDE ful senior member of Parliament whose support, after his conscience \ s ing to do with the composition slavery and then flashes back to the one man really can change the drove him to join the cause, proved V* this beloved hymn, as some of time when the young politician had course of history. Albeit with great indispensable. Senegalese musician the trailers have suggested, but his conversion. This is intended to support from many like-minded Youssou N'Dour plays Olaudah the sQng's lyrics are central to the heighten the drama. individuals, William Wilberforce Equiano, a decent and intelligent theme.\ Anyone (or any society) The earliest scenes cover a cru- persisted in fighting what he saw ex-slave, whose autobiography, who looks for it can find grace. cial point in Wilberforce's life. His as injustice. Looking back at that a best-seller at the time, greatly Newton sçally was a wretch until tireless work has caused ill-health, time period with 21st Century fuelled the abolitionist movement. he atoned, an Finney brings to the prompting him to go to Bath where eyes, arguments for the instituSubmitting the most skilled character a potept dose of haunted, he questions continuing his efforts tion of slavery seem either silly or performance of the picture is the desperate remorse„At one point, he to abolish slavery. There he meets downright obscene. always impressive Albert Finney struggles to rememliker the horrific Barbara Spooner (Romola Garai) Men argued that slavery should as John Newton. Newton, a man details of what transpired on the who encourages him to press on. just be allowed to die out naturally with a story as fascinating as slave ships. He says: "I'm starting Eventually they marry. and gradually. Others asserted that Wilberforce's, had been the capto forget everything. Sometimes I What the structure actually abolition would destroy the British tain of a slave ship. Overwhelmed only remember two things -,that I produces however, is a somewhat economy and that the French would by guilt, he renounced his life as am a great sinner and that Cliri,st is clumsy narrative flow. Periodic immediately fill in the void. a slaver and lived out his waning a great Saviour andIguess that's al subtitles, "fifteen years earlier", Of course, it is only due to the years in penance as a monk, serv- I really need to remember." present day", are necessary to keep efforts of Wilberforce and aboliing as Wilberforce's theological Anyone who has ever considered the audience aware of the time, cre- tionist movements across the world mentor. the lyrics of "Amazing Grace" too ating the false sensation that the that these arguments seem so erroWhile a monk, Newton wrote overstated need only contemplate opening scenes comprise the end of neous today. We were blind and several hymns including the the background of its author. Wilbeliorce's career. now we see. famous one from which the film The film opens in the middle Despite the structure, Amazing Justin Myers is a film reviewer and teacher of gets it name. The movie has nothof Wilberforce's crusade against Grace satisfyingly professes that Latin and Greek in the Washington DC area.
March 292007, The Record
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The family who died for sheltering Jews Two books recall "Unsung Heroes of the Holocaust" ROME (Zenit.org) - For harbouring Jews, the nine members of the Ulma family were executed by firing squad in 1944 in their German-occupied Polish village. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, mentioned the Polish family in a speech given recently in Rome on the occasion of the publication of a book by British historian Martin Gilbert entitled "The Righteous: The Unsung Heroes of the Holocaust." The Ulmas' story was also told recently in an interview with the magazine Inside the Vatican and Mateusz Szpytma, a Polish historian and co-author of the book "The Sacrifice of the Just: The Ulma Family Gave Their Lives for Helping Jews." Szpytma began, "In the summer and spring of 1942, Germans murdered the majority of the Jewish citizens of Markowa," a small village in southeastern Poland. "One of the families who made a heroic decision to hide the Jews was the Ulma family," Szpytma explained. "Eight Jewish people found shelter in the Ulmas' house."
Standing strong: ozef Ulma, in an undated photo from Poland's National Remembrance Institute. SN "At dawn on March 24, 1944, military policemen arrived at the house of Jozef Ulma. There were soon thereafter a few shots heard - the Jews were killed first." Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma were then "led out of the house and executed." A witness to the tragedy testified that "the children were calling for their parents, but the parents were already dead. It was a shocking sight." Szpytma explained that "having
All together Wiktoria Ulma in an undated photo with three of her children and the children of relatives outside the Ulma home in Markowa, a village in southeastern Poland. PHOTO: CNS COURTESY NATIONAL REMEMBRANCE INSTITUTE
shot the parents, among the yells, the policemen started to discuss what to do with the children." It was decided the children should also be executed. And so died the Ulmas' six children "and the seventh child in his
Amnesty supports abortion Amnesty International UK endorses policy to campaign for abortion • By Simon Caldwell LONDON (CNS) - The British section of Amnesty International has endorsed a policy in support of legalising abortion which could change the human rights group's global neutral policy on abortion. The Amnesty International UK move, which formally adopted the legalisation of abortion in cases of rape, incest, sexual assault and when Freedom no more: Amnesty UK now supports the mother's life is at risk, the trap of abortion, going against the wishes of came despite the results of the majority of its regular members. a year-long consultation However, Debby Wakeham of which showed that the majority Luton, England, said the policy of regular members did not want clearly was being "imposed from to abandon the neutral position. top down". The board pushed through the She told Catholic News Service motion at a March 23-25 meeting on March 26 that the pro-abortion in Edinburgh, Scotland. motion was passed because the The International Executive delegates at the meeting did not Committee of Amnesty represent the views of the memInternational will decide as early bers. Wakeham said the abortion as next month whether or not to push "has not come from the memchange the current position. bership, and it has not come from If the committee decides there the countries in which Amnesty isn't sufficient support from its works". branch members for a revision, "I'm extremely angry," she the British section's stance would added. "I think it is outrageous be moot. that the views of the membership Christine Usher, the board memare being disregarded in this way." ber who proposed the pro-abortion Michael Hill, a Catholic memresolutions, told the UK Amnesty ber from Rotherham, England, International meeting that there said: "I feel very disappointed and was sufficient support among the let down. They (the board) have 72 national sections for a policy to manipulated the decision-making be implemented soon. process until they got what they
wanted." Sarah Green, Amnesty International spokeswoman, said in a March 26 statement that the aim of any policy on abortion would be to help address human rights abuses such as rape and sexual violence in Africa. "Amnesty International would continue to take no position on the rights and wrongs of abortion, which it sees as a matter of personal choice," she said. In 2005 Amnesty International decided to set a policy on abortion, pending the 2006 global consultation results, on the questions of "decriminalisation of abortion, access to quality services for the management of complications arising from abortion, and legal, safe and accessible abortion in the cases of rape, sexual assault, incest and risk to a woman's life." The further question of whether a woman's "right to physical and mental integrity includes her right to terminate her pregnancy" will be decided at the next International Council Meeting in Mexico in August 2007. Bishop William S Skylstad of Spokane, Washington, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, has said that for Amnesty to abandon the organisation's long-standing position of advocating for human rights on behalf of all vulnerable populations "would be a tragic mistake ... diverting Amnesty International from its central and urgent mission." Amnesty was founded in 1961 by English lawyer Peter Benenson, a Catholic, to fight for the release of prisoners of conscience, for fair trials for political prisoners, and for an end to torture, ill-treatment, political killings, disappearances and the death penalty.
mother's womb, just a few days before the day of his planned birth. In just a few dozen minutes 17 people were killed," recalled Szpytma. "Owing to the help of other Poles who kept Jews in their houses until the end of the war, at least 17
people survived in Markowa," the historian said. The Ulma family has been honoured with the title Righteous Among the Nations, and their beatification process was initiated on the diocesan level in August 2003.
Vatican begins move to high-definition TV VATICAN CITY (Zenit.org) - The Vatican Television Centre will begin broadcasts in high definition and its first venture into the medium will be Benedict XVI's 80th birthday Mass. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the television centre, made the announcement this week in a press conference from the offices of Vatican Radio. Fr Lombardi explained that the use of this television standard aims to offer the best possible image quality. High-definition television (HDTV) is expected
to soon replace earlier forms of broadcasting. "We are preparing to be ready and the first time we will be broadcasting a complete production in high definition will be on April 15, in collaboration with the Salesian Missions," Fr Lombardi said. Archives of material in high definition will also be started. In this way, Vatican TV will be able to offer broadcasts to stations that already use high definition, especially in Korea, Japan, the United States, Germany and Italy.
Ukrainians come to the rescue of ageing Italians hard-pressed Financially Ukrainian women are coming to the rescue of ageing Italians whose children are too busy working to look after them. The elderly do not want to move to retirement homes, but Italian caregivers do not want live-in jobs. The Ukrainian women, however, are happy to work as live-in companions for the elderly for between $865 and $1112 a month plus accommodation and meals. Because some are working illegally, estimates of the number of immigrant caregivers - who also come from Moldova, Romania and Peru - range from 600,000 to 1 million. One academic guesses they are saving the Italian health system over $1 billion a year - and stopping it from collapsing. The women send money and goods
home to their struggling families. Inflation in the Ukraine reached 18 per cent in 2005.
"Italy is good, we all like it. People are kinder," says Tatiana. But it hurts her to see how extravagant the locals are: "Dogs and cats here are pampered more than children in Ukraine. Store here will throw away food the day after the expiration date... It hurts, for me to eat well while my son (18) does not." The Ukrainians have a reputation for being the most reliable domestic workers. Alina, formerly an accountant for a huge factory in the Ukraine says it's because they "like to work more". They are generally well educated also, with around two-thirds having at least a high school degree. -CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
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March 292007, The Record
letters to the editor
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Continued from page 8
Sounds too good to be true! Our state of WA will be renamed to West Australia - State of Utopia. Even our tourism might get a boost with people flocking from all corners of the world. Wake up, people of WA before its too late. This legislation is an absolute disgrace for a first world country. We all know that there is much to be done in many areas of political and social mismanagement but sorry, Mr McGinty, euthanasia is just not an option. Deirdre Lyra Maida Vale
Jesuits and dissent Once again we read of members of the Jesuit Order expressing dissent from sound Catholic teaching. I read in this week's Record on page 3 of the attack on what Bishop Fisher said about one's conscience. It reminds me of the words of CS Lewis to a gathering of Anglican clergy way back in Carmarthen, Wales, at Easter, 1945 (from God in the Dock). "It is your duty to fix the lines [of doctrine] clearly in your minds: and if you wish to go beyond them you must change your profession. "This is your duty not specially as Christians or as priests but as honest men. There is a danger here of the clergy developing a special professional conscience
which obscures the very plain moral issue. "Men who have passed beyond these boundary lines in either direction are apt to protest that they have come by their unorthodox opinions honestly. "In defence of those opinions they are prepared to suffer obloquy and to forfeit professional advancement. They thus come to feel like martyrs. "But this simply misses the point which so gravely scandalises the layman. "We never doubted that the unorthodox opinions were honestly held: what we complain of is your continuing in your ministry after you have come to hold them. "We always knew that a man who makes his living as a paid agent of the Conservative Party may honestly change his views and honestly become a Communist. "What we dcny is that he can honestly continue to be a Conservative agent and to receive money from one party while he supports the policy of the other." What a pity that those dissident Jesuits don't read the above words and act on them in conscience. John Rayner Marys
The Patriarch, the Pope, the author and the financial analyst... In a recent financial e-letter, the Daily Reckoning, one of its founders Dan Denning waxed philosophical about the state of the financial world and its likely outcome. Writing about the seemingly endless good times we have been experiencing for the last decade or so and the accompanying rampant inflation he wrote, "... excesses in personal behaviour are also the sign of a kind of inflation in the animal spirits of people in boom times. "The
Jazz Age was the Jazz Age partly because the 1920's were awash in rising stock prices and global travel. ...Maybe inflation causes a sort of moral vertigo." Mention of the twenties is a reminder of the writer Evelyn Waugh, who in novels such as Vile Bodies, The Loved One, Decline and Fall, mercilessly parodied his generation of that era as the Bright Young Things; the Mayfair set, morally vacuous, promiscuous, self absorbed, flitting from party to party, affair to affair, with little or no thought for tomorrow, endlessly deferring such tiresome concepts as responsibilities. Coincidentally I had also just read a quote from Cardinal Manning who lived in the 19th century. Coming from an impeccable establishment background, blessed with a towering intellect and great oratorical ability he was a foundation member of the influential Oxford Movement and one of the most influential figures of that era. On the subject of wealth and its effect upon piety he said, "I must say plainly this, that the comforts of life are the main cause of our want of love of God; and, much as we may lament and struggle against it, till we learn to dispense with them in good measure, we shall not overcome it. "Till we, in a certain sense, detach ourselves from our bodies, our minds will not be in a state to receive divine impressions, and to exert heavenly aspirations. "A smooth and easy life, an uninterrupted enjoyment of the goods of Providence, full meals, soft raiment, well furnished homes, the pleasures of sense, the feelings of security, the consciousness of wealth - these and the like, if we are not careful, choke up all the avenues of the soul, through which the light and breath of heaven might come to us." Recently Pope Benedict said, "In dialogue with Christians of different denominations, we should commit ourselves to taking care of creation, without depleting its resources and sharing them in solidarity." Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew also recently wrote,
"...Each of us is called to make the crucial distinction between what we want and what we need. "Only through such self denial, ...we will discover our true human place in the universe." It seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Whether it be the late nineteenth century, the early twentieth or now the twenty first; whether it be the Pope, a Patriarch or writer of a finance e-letter, they are all trying to warn us: you can't have it all. When individuals ignore this on a mass scale the consequences are likely to be nasty. It seems that Lent isn't just good for the soul, but its practical message has very real consequences also. Barry Morgan Samson
Apologies please? It was inspiring to see the Japanese PM apologise for his nation's treatment of forced sex slave women in the past. Can one still hope for our PM to apologise for anything? Norm Bernard Brigadoon
Conscience a gift Let us warmly support Bishop Anthony Fisher for his insightful and courageous exposure of faulty interpretations of conscience. It is indeed deplorable that there are "Catholic" institutions collaborating in evils such as abortion and euthanasia. It is likewise deplorable that a "Catholic" publication defiantly attacks the Magisterium of the Church, as "mistaken". Muddle-headed relativistic notions, so rightly and clearly identified by our Holy Father, Benedict XVI, in his last public address as Cardinal Ratzinger, have indeed invaded the thought processes of many who claim to be Catholic, sowing confusion among the faithful.Of semantic
interest are the self-contradictory statements of Fr Ryan, who advocates "a nuanced treatment of the topic of conscience", while at the same time referring in a derogatory way to "some nebulous objective reality." These words are synonymous, referring to cloud or fog, 'nuanced' being derived from the Latin `nubes.' There is nothing foggy about objective reality, which is totally unambiguous, while "nuanced" subjective opinions are foggy indeed. Bishop Fisher is accused of "introducing a disturbing dichotomy between the Church and the world". In fact it was Jesus who introduced such a dichotomy: "If you love Me, you will keep my Commandments, and I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Counsellor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you" John 14: 15-17. There is much in Sacred Scripture that is disturbing to those who seek to conform the Church to the world. Conscience is a gift from God to enable us to distinguish between good and evil, not to decide what is good and what is evil. That is the advice of Satan, you will be like God, knowing good and evil" Genesis 3 : 5 A renowned Catholic preacher, Fr John Corapi, using the analogy of electricity, identified very well the problem of calling evil good, and good evil: "If the positive and the negative are transposed, the lights of civilisation go out!" Anne Kirkwood Attadale
Rieord PO Box 75, Leederville, WA 8902 Tel: (08) 9227 7080, Fax (08) 9227 7087 cathrec,@iinet.net.au
Saints
Therese Heralded as one of the most inspiring films in recent years, Therese recounts the life of Therese of Lisieux, the most popular saint of modern times. A drama of tragedy and triumph, Therese presents the true story of an ordinary girl with an exraordinary soul. $49.95 +postage
This thirteen program series from EWTN TV featuring Dr Scott Hahn and Jeff Cavins, walks through salvation history from Genesis to the Catholic Church using the chronological narrative of the Bible. - A three disc set. $114.95 +postage
This is the first feature length dramatic film on the life of St Anthony of Padua, one of the most popular saints in Christian history. Shot on location in Italy, this film tells the story of his amazing life. - Italian with English subtitles $29.95 +postage
Contact Justine or Cathy on (08) 9227 7080 or at cathrec@iinet.net.au for further purchasing information.
March 292007, The Record
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Classifieds
P ANORAMA
a roundup of events in the archdiocese Sunday April 1 DIVINE MERCY An afternoon with Jesus and Mary will be held at St Joachim's Church, corner Shepperton Road and Harper St Victoria Park at 1.30pm. Program: Holy Rosary and Reconciliation. Sermon: with Fr Johnson Malayil on Good Friday before Easter Sunday, followed by Divine Mercy Prayers and video on Holy Rosary with Fr John Pirapi. Enquiries John 9457 7771 and Linda 9275 6608. Thursday 5 - Saturday April 9 HOLY WEEK 2007 TRIDUUM IN THE TRADITIONAL LATIN RITE St Francis Xavier Church, corner Windsor St and West Parade, East Perth. Maundy Thursday 6.30pm Latin Mass followed by Adoration. Good Friday 1.30pm Stations of the Cross, 3pm Solemn Liturgy of Passion and Death of our Lord (fast and abstinence), 6.30pm Ancient Ceremonies of Tenebrae. Holy Saturday Vigil, 9.30pm Ceremonies and Mass of Easter. Enq: Fr Michael Rowe 9444 9604. Friday April 6 CATHOLIC AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE - BINDOON Good Friday ceremonies at 1 1 am - Stations of the Cross, 2.30 pm - Solemn ceremony of The Lord's Passion. Confessions from 10 am and after Stations of the Cross. All are welcome! For more details contact Fr Paul 9571 1839.
Sunday April 15 CHARISMATIC RENEWAL HEALING MASS CCR Perth present their third Regional Healing Mass. Held at the parish church of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, 175 Corfield St, Gosnells, at 5.30pm with Prayer and Praise, followed by Mass, concluding with Prayer Teams and supper afterward. A collection will be taken up. Please bring a plate. Enquiries Dan Hewitt, 9398 4973. Sunday April 22 THANKSGIVING MASS Parishioners, past parishioners, friends are invited to attend Thanksgiving Mass and luncheon to celebrate the 50th Anniversary Our Lady of Good Counsel Church Chidlow, Mass at llam followed by a light luncheon. Invitation only: Helen Ball (Giles) 9295 2965, Mary Ball (Love) 9295 1841, Marie McGuckin 9572 4343. Monday April 23 - 30 R U COMING TO DINNER? Australia-wide ALPHA program begins in Perth churches, parishes and centres. To join St John's Northbridge course (Sunday nights) ring Harry 9444 4626.
Friday April 6 ANCIENT CEREMONIES OF TENEBRAE IN HOLY WEEK 6.30pm St Francis Xavier Church, corner Windsor St and West Parade, East Perth. Sung at the close of day, in order to signify the setting of the Sun of Justice and the gibbet of the Cross. Candles are extinguished gradually commemorating the death of Jesus Christ. Enq: Fr Michael Rowe 9444 9604.
Thursday April 26 CATHOLIC POLICE OFFICERS ASSOC. MASS AND AGM Serving and former sworn/staff and families are invited to attend Mass and AGM at our Lady Help of Christians, 43 Camberwell St, East Victoria Park, Mass 7pm. Followed by short AGM, and light supper. RSVP 23/4/07 Peter Browne 9321 2155 or Insp. Paul Newman 9222 1474 or Des Noonan 9291 8641.
Friday April 6 GOOD FRIDAY PRAYER VIGIL St Bernadette's Church, Glendalough, from Friday lOpm until Saturday 3am. All are invited in keeping a prayerful vigil with the Mother of Sorrows. Scripture passages of the Passion of Our Lord, Stations of the Cross, Sorrowful Mysteries (Rosary), the Divine Mercy Chaplet and silent reflection. Enq: 9444 6131 or 9342 5845.
Friday April 27 FATHER PAUL RAJ - SILVER JUBILEE Holy Family Parish Kalamunda are holding a celebration Mass and supper to honour the Silver Jubilee of Father Paul at 7pm Friday April 27. Father's former parishioners are cordially invited to join us on this happy occasion. RSVP Maureen Humpheys 0419049 496 or e-mail ma urjohn@iinet. net.au.
Friday April 6 PASSION PLAY Holy Spirit School oval, Bent St, City Beach. Dramatic depiction of the Stations of the Cross, with a cast of 32 actors from Disciples of Jesus Community. The presentation lasts about 40 minutes and is accompanied by narration and songs. All welcome. Enquiries to Janny Firth on 9245 2662 or 0420 635 919.
Sunday May 6 BUSSELTON MAY ROSARY CELEBRATION In Honour of Our Lady held at Bove's Farm, Roy Road, Jindong. Singing at 12.30pm. Mass led by Fr Tony Chiera, commences at 1pm, followed by Rosary Procession and Benediction, refreshments provided. Bus bookings from Perth to Bove's Farm can be made with Francis Williams 9459 3873 or 0404 893 877.
Friday April 6- Monday 9 HOLY WEEK 2007 In the City at St John's Pro-cathedral, Victoria Ave, Perth. Good Friday 10am, Stations of the Cross, Easter Sunday 7.30am, 9.15am and 11.15am Holy Mass, Easter Monday 9.00am, all welcome. Enq: Fr Michael Rowe 9444 9604.
Sunday May 20 CATHOLIC POLICE OFFICERS BBQ Serving and former sworn/staff and families, are invited to a Marian BBQ/Picnic at the Schoenstatt Shrine, 9 Talus Dr, Armadale. Rosary at 12.30pm followed by BYO BBQ/Picnic. No BBQ available on site, will need to bring one if required. Enq: Des Noonan 9291 8641.
Saturday April 7 PASSION PLAY - FREMANTLE llam, in the middle of the High St. Mall, outside the Town Hall. Come and witness the dramatic unfolding of the Passion of Christ. In the middle of shoppers, a cast of 32 actors from Disciples of Jesus Community give graphic testimony to the Easter message. A great opportunity to bring friends who may not be involved with their faith. Enq: Janny Firth 0420 635 919. Thursday April 12 HEALING MASS 7pm, in honour of St Peregrine, patron of Cancer sufferers and helper of all in need, will be held at the Church of St John and Paul, Pinetree Gully Rd. (off South St) Willetton. There will be veneration of the Relic and anointing of the Sick. Enq: Noreen Monaghan 9498 7727. Saturday April 14 DAY WITH MARY St Thomas the Apostle Church, 2 College Road, Claremont 9am-5pm. A Video on Fatima at 9am. A day of prayer and instruction based upon the messages of Fatima. Includes Sacrament of Penance, Holy Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Sermons, Rosaries, Procession of the Blessed Sacrament and Stations of the Cross. BYO lunch. Enquiries Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate 9250 8286. Sunday April 15 CORRIGIN CONVENT REUNION As the school rooms are to be demolished a reunion of all past pupils of the Corrigin Convent parents and friends will be held on April 15
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at 10.30am in Corrigin. Please contact Gwenda Walton PO Box 92 Corrigin or 9063 2740 after hours.
Friday June 15 GOOMALLING 100TH ANNIVERSARY Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Goomalling is celebrating its 100th Anniversary. If you have any old photos or information that might be relevant to this celebration, please contact Fr John Daly on 9629 1147 or Mrs Carmel Baird on 9629 1044. Fortnightly BIBLE REFLECTIONS The 'Workers in the Garden of the Holy Family' are conducting fortnightly Bible reflections at St Mary's Church, Parish Centre (40 Franklin St, Leederville) commencing at 7pm, April 18, May 2, 16 and 30, followed by refreshments. For enquiries phone 9201 0337. Every Forth Sunday SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER The Perth Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order no longer meets at the Pro-Cathedral but instead assembles every fourth Sunday at 2.30pm in the Chapel of RSL Care, 51 Alexander Dr, Menora. Enquiries John 9385 5649. Every Month MONTHLY SCRIPTURAL PRAYER PROGRAM The Council for Australian Catholic Women (CACW) is offering a Scriptural Prayer Program developed in the Jesuit tradition. This form of prayer can lead to more reflective living, greater spiritual depths and promotes lay spiritual leadership in the Church. Led by Kathleen Brennan (ibvm). April 23, 7.30pm, 49a Vincent St, Highgate. Enq: 9345 2555.
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• RETREAT IN DAILY LIFE - 5 TO 26 MAY 2007 A non-residential, one to one, retreat suited for those who need to continue their daily routine while seeking to deepen their relationship with their God. The retreat is conducted over 3 weeks, meeting with a Director twice weekly. Enq: Veronica Reutens 9310 1147 geeron@iinet.net.au or Anne Zevis 9335 8142 zevises@bigpond.com
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Official Diary MARCH 30
Graduation and Commissioning Mass for Acts 2 College of Mission and Evangelisation - Archbishop Hickey
APRIL 1
Palm Sunday Mass, 11 am, St Joachim's Pro-Cathedral - Archbishop Hickey
3
Chrism Mass, St Thomas More Church, Bateman - Archbishop Hickey, Bishop Sproxton
5
Mass of the Lord's Supper, 7.30 pm, St Joachim's Pro-Cathedral - Archbishop Hickey
Mass of the Lord's Supper, Sacred Heart, Highgate - Bishop Sproxton 6
Celebration of the Lord's Passion, 3 pm, St Joachim's Pro-Cathedral - Archbishop Hickey
Celebration of the Lord's Passion, Sacred Heart, Highgate - Bishop Sproxton 7
Easter Vigil, 7.30 pm, St Joachim's Pro-Cathedral - Archbishop Hickey
Easter Vigil, Mirrabooka - Bishop Sproxton 8
Easter Sunday Mass, 11 am, St Joachim's Pro-Cathedral - Archbishop Hickey
10
Heads of Churches Meeting - Bishop Sproxton
12
Council of Priests' meeting, Glendalough - Archbishop Hickey, Bishop Sproxton
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The Last Word
March 29 2007, The Record
Teachers, love your students' souls Timeline • By Anthony Barich It has been 22 years since Salvatorian Father Laurence Murphy left St Anthony's parish, but he returned last Sunday to give a penetrating message at the 50th anniversary of the school's Catholic education. It was a message of hope for the spiritual future of the primary school and a prayer of thanks for the tireless efforts of various orders and the struggles of parents to ensure their children had the opportunity to know Christ. The central message was this: Christ must be at the centre of Catholic education. This does not absolve parents of their responsibility to bring their children up in the faith, but without Christ there is no point in a school existing as a Catholic institution. While paying tribute to the Franciscans, Josephites, Daughters of Charity and Salvatorians, Fr Laurence, who helped build the current site of St Anthony's at Blackboy Hill as parish priest from October 1966 - December 1984, prayed that future generations can make the school a place of spiritual enrichment. With WA Catholic Education director Ron Dullard in attendance, Fr Laurence stressed that not only does Christ underpin the very faith that St Anthony's school motto, "Act justly, love tenderly, walk humbly with your God" promotes, He is also the central inspiration of the very orders that helped build the parish, school and community of St Anthony's. "It is through faith in Christ that these orders first sprang up and stirred them to do their works," Fr Laurence said in the Mass last Sunday that was concelebrated with Archbishop Barry Hickey, six Salvatorian priests (Greenmount PP Fr Karol Kulczycki, Salvatorian Superior Fr Boguslaw Loska, Fr Chris Kowalczyk, Fr Francis Kot)
In prayer: Fr Laurence Murphy (left), Archbishop Hickey and Fr Fr Loska concelebrate the 50th anniversary Mass in St Anthony's Church, Greenmount. PHOTO: ANTHONY EMRICH and one Fraticiscan, Fr Michael Brown. "While the Eucharist was celebrated for the first time in Midvale in three classrooms (in one of the first incarnations of St Anthony's), we always prayed for the Pope, who represents the Universal Church; and the local archbishop of the time, who is our link to the Universal Church. "It is a reminder that these parishes and (Catholic) schools do not exist on their own, but are intrinsically linked to the Church." Crucially, Fr Laurence, highlighted the central role of teachers in Catholic schools to not just tend to their academia but promote the faith. "Teachers are in love with the souls of their pupils," he said, quoting a previous Pope. "Academically, we could be brilliant; and while great, this does not give us the fullness of life. We need to delve into people's spirituality. "There are many educational institutions, but the recognition of spiritual direction of the Spirit of God, and the relationship with Christ through baptism are essential; for without Christ we
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Good old days: The Daughters of Charity with a first Holy Communion class breakfast at St Anthony's in Midvale during the school's foundation years.
P HOTO COURTESY OF ST ANTHONYS SCHOOL GREENMOUNT
are nothing in a spiritual sense. Without the foundation of Christ, the school of St Anthony's wouldn't be here. I must acknowledge parents' struggle for what they believe was worthwhile: for their children to learn the value of knowing Christ. Blackboy Hill was the site of a training camp for volunteer soldiers during World War I, and was the birthplace of the Australian Imperial Force. It is appropriate,
then, that the very site on which Australians were trained to fight for our freedom would be used to fight for the souls of our next generation - among them the children of St Anthony's." In this spirit, Fr Laurence paid tribute to one of the early pioneers of Catholic education in WA, Fr James Nestor, "who virtually was the Catholic Education Commission at the time". Fr Laurence, a young curate at
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1957 St Anthony's School opened in Beaconsfield Ave, Midvale, through enthusiasm of Franciscan Fathers, staffed by the Daughters of Charity with 30-50 students. Sr Xavier was the first headmistress. 1966 St Anthony's first open day. 1967 The first lay teachers appointed. 1968 Daughters of Charity had to withdraw from the school, St Anthony's forced to close in 1969. 1970 St Anthony's reopened with the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, Sr Stephanie its first principal. 1972 Aprox 150 students. 1977 Enough students for seven grades. 1983 First lay principal appointed, Mr Terry Palmer; first preprimary class started in church hall. 1984 Last Josephite, Sr Philomena, left school. 1986 School Board starts planning relocation. 1988 Years 1 & 2 classrooms built. 1989 School oval construced through efforts of parents working weekends. 1990 Whole school operating at Greenmount. 1997 First Kindergarten classes start in church hall. the time, said he knocked on "Fr Jim's" door constantly urging him to help the move of St Anthony's from Bellevue to the current site at Greenmount. "It was Fr Jim who was the worker who made us achieve all this," Fr Laurence said.
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