The Record Newspaper - 30 May 2012

Record

W E S T E R N A U S T R A L I A’ S A WA R D - W I N N I N G C AT H O L I C N E W S P A P E R S I N C E 1 8 7 4

the the

Parish.

the

N at i o n .

the

World.

What better year to get Confirmed Page 7

Grace bound

With people pouring out the Cathedral doors, Catholics in Perth threw themselves into a year of contemplating the face of Christ - a Year of Grace. Pages 6-7.

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Unified for Mama Africa

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LOCAL

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May 30, 2012

History is alive as treasures shared

Round-Up

use their talent in music and theatre to express a personal experience of God. The result was Rexband, a name taken from Christus Rex (Christ the King), which attracts youth all over the world with a distinctive and diverse style of music that fuses ethnic Indian styles with pop, dance, hip hop, house, reggae and rock.

CHRIS JAQUES

Our Lady of Fatima feted by Carnarvon

Drop leaflets for PA

Carnarvon Parish has a large Portuguese community which each year celebrates the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima. On Sunday, May 13, a celebration Mass was held for a church full of parishioners. Both the church and statue of Our Lady of Fatima were beautifully decorated with white flowers and, following Mass, the statue was carried in a procession along the road and eventually back to the church whilst

Pregnancy Assistance needs volunteers to ‘shout with JOY and sew the seed throughout Perth’.

It has a new supply of pamphlets, flyers and cards for distribution so if you can do a flyer drop anywhere you work or go to university or drink coffee, please contact PA on 9328 2926.

Lighting candles for hearts at St Joseph’s

PHOTO: ST MARY’S PARISH

the Rosary was recited. Finally, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Litany to our Lady and benediction followed in the church. A great social time was had by all, with the Portuguese men cooking kebabs in the traditional manner and with a marvellous array of other dishes and beautiful sweets.

The evening continued with much singing and dancing, and an auction of a special picture of Our Lady of Fatima, designed and made from tiles for the entrance of a home, was great fun and helped raise a significant amount of money for the parish’s building project.

Archdiocesan heritage experts displayed some of the gems of their work on May 12-13 as part of National Archaeology Week at the WA Museum. Punters were very interested in the picture the artefacts gave of the nascent and developing West Australian Church.

PHOTO: FR ROBERT CROSS

Record numbers for Walk for Life The Walk and Rally for Life took place on May 22 with record numbers of around 1,150. It began with prayers for an end to abortion, for wisdom and courage for civil leaders, for unborn children, pregnant women and all who have been hurt by abortion. While shortened by police due to traffic difficulties, it is hoped the walk will be even larger next year. Pro-life politicians were encouraging and promoters want all concerned to continue to target

local politicians, many of whom are new and were not involved in the abortion legislation voting in 1998.

They say, the more people involved, the more the possibility of change.

Book sale bargains in Kalamunda The Holy Family Parish in Kalamunda is having a book sale on Saturday, June 2 from 9am to 2pm. Please go along for a bargain and, if you can help on the day or before, call Antoniette Christie on 6293 1401.

SAINT OF THE WEEK

Robert Hiini

editor@therecord.com.au

Accounts Officer Phil Van Reyk

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Journalists Mark Reidy m.reidy@therecord.com.au Sarah Motherwell s.motherwell@therecord.com.au Juanita Shepherd intern1@therecord.com.au

Paula was born in the politically turbulent early 19th century in Genoa, Italy. With her priest- brother, she taught the poor children of the parish of Quinto. When other women joined them, Paula founded the Congregation of St. Dorothy. Despite many obstacles and few resources, the new teaching institute eventually prospered as Paula’s deep prayer life and wisdom became widely known. The congregation spread to other Italian cities, Portugal and Brazil.

Pope John Paul II declared Paula a saint in 1984.

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Thinking of that

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FLIGHTS

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TOURS

Debbie Warrier Karen and Derek Boylen Christopher West Bronia Karniewicz Bernard Toutounji

Tuesday 5th - Red ST BONIFACE, BISHOP, MARTYR (M) 1st Reading: 2 Pet 3:11-15, 17-18

Saintly lives Responsorial Ps 89:2-4, 10, 14, 16 Psalm: Fill us with love!

Gospel Reading: Mk 12:13-17

An honest man Wednesday 6th - Green ST NORBERT, BISHOP (O) 1st Reading: 2 Tim 1:1-3, 6-12

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Monday 4th - Green 1st Reading: 2 Pet 1:2-7

Escape corruption Responsorial Ps 90:1-2, 14-16 Psalm: I am with you Gospel Reading: Mk 12:1-12

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The Record PO Box 3075 Adelaide Terrace PERTH WA 6832 21 Victoria Square, Perth 6000 Tel: (08) 9220 5900 Fax: (08) 9325 4580 Website: www.therecord.com.au

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Catholic clarity for complex times CATHOLIC families and those searching for truth need resources to help them negotiate the complexities of modern life, many of which are also active challenges to the desire of parents to lead their children to an encounter with the beauty of the Church. At The Record’s bookshop you can find great books for the family at good prices.

Turn to Page 20 for some brilliant deals NOW!!

Premier Catholic Rexband filled the Octagon at UWA with its distinctive and diverse style of music on May 27.

Presented by Jesus Youth Australia, the Perth show was part of a series of concerts being performed Australiawide. The band aims to use the concerts to celebrate the presence of Jesus Christ with crowds of Catholics as they did at World Youth Day. With its conception in the early 90s, vibrant Catholic youth movement Jesus Youth decided they wanted to

Sunday 3rd - White THE MOST HOLY TRINITY (SOLEMNITY) 1st Reading: Deut 4:32-34, 39-40 The Lord is God Responsorial Ps 32:4-6, 9, 18-20, 22 Psalm: Justice and right 2nd Reading: Rom 8:14-17 Abba! Father!

Gospel Reading: Mt 28:16-20 Father, Son,Spirit

1809-1882 June 11

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Jesus on Facebook Facebook is set to make an historic launch in its first video game about Jesus, following earlier success with Lightside Games’ game on the life of Moses, registering over two million players. Head of Lightside, Brent Dusing, said, “There’s stories that need to be told in games and there’s not a lot of games where you can do really good, positive things from a Christian stand point”. He hopes the new game will bring the Gospel to those who might not otherwise be exposed to it.

READINGS OF THE WEEK

Paula Frasinetti Acting Editor

Rexband rocks Octagon for Jesus Christ

St Joseph’s in Subiaco is holding its annual Memorial and Thanksgiving service for the Heart Foundation at 2pm on Sunday, June 10. This interdenominational service provides an opportunity to light a candle to the memory of those who have succumbed to cardiovascular disease and give thanks for those who have survived.

Responsorial Psalm: Gospel Reading:

Appointed an apostle Ps 122:1-2 Eyes on the Lord Mk 12:18-27 God of the living

Thursday 7th - Green 1st Reading: 2 Tim 2:8-15

God always faithful Responsorial Ps 24:4-5, 8-10, 14 Psalms: The Lord is good Gospel Reading: Mk 12:28-34

Love your neighbour Friday 8th - Green 1st Reading: 2 Tim 3:10-17

You know my faith Responsorial Ps 118:157, 160-161, Psalm: 165-166, 168

Your decrees eternal Gospel Reading: Mk 12:35-37

Sit at my right hand Saturday 9th - Green ST EPHREM, DEACON, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH (O) 1st Reading: 2 Tim 4:1-8

Choose the right course Responsorial Ps 70:8-9, 14-17,22 Psalm: God’s love Gospel Reading: Mk 12:38-44

Widow put in all

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Year of Grace stories to parishes@therecord. com.au

Contemplate the

face of Christ

LOCAL

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Christian faith is still bearing witness in Sudan

By Juanita Shepherd THE Church is fighting the good fight in Sudan, trying to maintain the peace, a senior visiting cleric from the South Sudan capital of Juba told The Record this week.

Fr Martin Ochaya Lino, Chancellor of the Diocese of Juba, was in Perth for a three month sabbatical in Perth to raise awareness of the situation that confronts South Sudan in the wake of its independence on July 9, 2011.

Ravaged by conflict since 1956, Sudan is once again on the brink of war.

“The Church has been with the people throughout their years of suffering,” Fr Martin said.

“The Church played a key role for a peaceful settlement. They informed the international community and acted as a platform for talking and confronting political

leadership.” The spark of faith had not been extinguished, Fr Martin said, despite the horrors the Church in Sudan had faced, including the torture and arrest of priests as well as churches being demolished.

Fr Martin’s experience of that conflict was and is intensely personal. Fighting resulted in him being separated from his family for 15 years. For seven of those, Fr Martin believed his family to be dead, eventually locating them in a Ugandan refugee camp thanks to a Red Cross tracking agency.

“Over three million died in the fighting and over three million sought refuge,” Fr Martin said.

“To really understand the situation now, it’s best to start at the beginning.”

Sudan was a British colony until 1956 when it gained independence.

Despite freedom from colonial rule, it lacked a sense of unity, Fr Martin said.

“They are predominantly Muslim Arabs in the north and Christians in the South. Sharia law was imposed on the Christians ...

There was hardly any employment for Christians, unless you converted to Islam,” he said.

“Even with universities, you couldn’t study medicine or law if you didn’t study Islamic studies.”

The government enacted many repressive measures, Fr Martin said; foreign Christian missionaries were expelled and Christian schools closed.

Government attacks on southern protesters resulted in sporadic fighting and mutinies, transitioning into full-scale civil war, ending in 1972 with the Addis Ababa Agreement.

Failure to come to an understanding between north and south sparked the Second Sudanese Civil War in 1983 which ended with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement

of 2005.

South Sudan’s problems haven’t ended with independence, with demarcation remaining a great challenge for the fledgling nation.

“With prayer, everything is possible,” Fr Martin said. “There are many displaced people around Juba. Many women and children have hardly anything to eat, so the Holy Childhood Office in Australia is hoping to support Sudan’s Nutrition Program.”

The program has so far reached 22 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Juba, and over 9,000 children are learning to be self-sufficient. “The Church is about healing,” Fr Martin said. “The people are tired of fighting.”

Despite the threat of war, the Church in South Sudan is also tackling the issue of education and is determined to make a difference in the lives of the youth. “Many children in Sudan (only) speak Arabic

Fr Martin Ochaya Lino from South Sudan was in Perth to raise awareness for his fledgling nation. PHOTO: R HIINI

as English wasn’t taught in schools in North Sudan,” he said.

For anyone is interested in volunteering to teach children English in Sudan, contact Director of Catholic Missions, Francis Leong, on 9422 7933 or email cm@perthcatholic. org.au.

Competition rules for Perth clergy CLERGY Recreation Western Australia (CleRec West) held its first sports tournament for clergy since 2004 on Monday, May 14, 2012.

Formerly known as the Perth Clerical Association, CleRec West has hosted sporting tournaments going back 40 or more years.

In its early years, CleRec West only ran a golf tournament but added tennis in the 1980s and soccer this year.

The latest addition represents not only the changing cultural mix of clergy but also the younger generation which still has the legs to run for 90 minutes!

In the late 90s, when Father Robert Cross was on the staff of St Charles’ Seminary and was, as he still is, a committee member of CleRec West, it initiated days to bring together priests and seminarians to help them get to know each other.

These were very successful and may be revived in the future.

Now that CleRec West has reformed after a hiatus of seven years, it is anticipated that other recreational activities for clergy will be organised during the year, such as going to the movies, picnics or

even a day of fishing with the catch being shared at a BBQ. To help facilitate such future activities, a website is currently under construction by CleRec West which will advertise forthcoming events for Archdicoesan and visiting clergy. and report on events which have occurred.

If priests are interested in hearing about these activities, they can email Fr Robert at robert.cross@ perthcatholic.org.au. and be placed on a contact list.

A special thank you must be given to the very generous sponsors whose donations assisted in covering tournament costs.

The sponsors were Bowra & O’Dea, Catholic Church Insurances Ltd, Catholic Development Fund, Evolution Sports Imports Pty Ltd and Rich Harvest Pty Ltd. If you or your company would like to support CleRec West provide recreational activities for your clergy by a donation or offering some facility or other, please contact Fr Robert Cross at the Catholic Church Office on 92231351 or email him at robert. cross@perthcatholic.org.au

- www.perthcatholic.org.au

Time out for fun and frivolity with CleRec West at its first sports tournament in many years.

s l g tia in n k e o s o s B e re a THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME AUSTRALIA

Professor John Finnis

Law, Philosophy and Immigration Policy A public discussion When: Tuesday, 5 June 2012 • Commencing 6.00pm Where: Santa Maria Lecture Theatre (ND1/103) The University of Notre Dame Australia 19 Mouat Street, Fremantle John Finnis is an internationally renowned legal scholar and philosopher. He has authored several books, including: Moral Absolutes: Tradition, Revision and Truth; Aquinas: Moral, Political and Legal Theory; and Natural Law and Natural Rights

Light refreshments will follow. To reserve your seat please contact Rachael Miller (08) 9433 0840 or fremantle.events@nd.edu.au

JOHN HUGHES

PHOTO: FR ROBERT CROSS

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LOCAL

AFRICA

M MA

United in Christ

By Robert Hiini THE inaugural Africa Day Mass on May 25 was never going to be a sedate affair.

Standing before several hundred people at the North Perth Monastery, the woman who first suggested the event, Patience Sakonda, exhorted the congregation to the right kind of worship: “Let us praise the Lord in song and dance, the African way.”

Smiles abounded as the 50-person choir enthusiastically sang out the opening hymn in Shona, a Bantu language from Zimbabwe, punctuated by traditional high pitched cries from some of the women.

Two rows of girls led the book of the Gospel and concelebrating priests – Fr Daniel Chama, Fr Emmanuel Djimobi, Fr Leo Ugapo CSsR and Fr Blasco Fonseca - down the centre aisle, swaying and raising their arms from side to side in praise and supplication.

It was one of many spirited moments, with the choir singing hymns and Mass parts in languages from throughout the continent; in Shona (Zimbabwe), Chewa (Malawi), Ndebele (Zimbabwe) and Swahili (Kenya) among others.

“People enjoyed it,” said one of the event’s organisers and Record employee, Bibiana Kwaramba.

“Everybody was saying congratulations; that it was good. We were very happy.”

Many in the largely African congregation donned the dress of their

homelands, with women wearing the cloth of the church associations and guilds in their local home areas.

The Africa Day Mass commemorated the founding of the Organisation of African Unity on May 25, 1963, now known as the African Union; designed to assist its 53 member countries in meeting common challenges and opportunities.

The event grew out of the Memories of Africa choir, founded in 2008, with members from throughout the continent.

The day’s primary purpose was to praise God, Ms Kwaramba said,

Praising God and forming an African Catholic community in Perth the two aims: both goals achieved. but organisers also wanted to stimulate interest in forming an African Catholic community in Perth; a goal which they achieved.

Chief celebrant and homilist Fr Daniel Chama, assistant priest to the fledgling Catholic community in Baldivis, said Africa Day was about unity.

In his homily, Fr Chama said the challenge of Christ’s call to communion was a hard but ultimately liberating one.

“Here, inside this church gathered together, it seems we are all

Song and colour abounded at the inaugural Africa Day Mass with many of the continent’s 50 plus countries represented at the North Perth Monastery.

PHOTOS: ROBERT HIINI

completely united, it seems fantastic, but half the time we stab each other in the back. Don’t we do this?

Is this the way to Christian life? I’m not so sure about that,” Fr Chama said. “This word of God, this celebration, comes to invite us to do one thing: live according to the vocation that God has extended to us in our baptism; which is to be one, not only with Christ, but to be one with the people around us.”

“This Gospel comes to remind me to enter into a spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness, mercy and the same love that Christ has extended to us,” Fr Chama said.

The organisers are planning future events and initiatives, which will be advertised in The Record.

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May 30, 2012

LOCAL

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Local Run4Unity youth join hands and hearts HUNDREDS of thousands of young people of different ethnicities, cultures and religions from over 180 nations took part in a relay race across the world on May 12 to give witness to their commitment to peace and unity.

In Perth, a local Run4Unity group took the baton from Sydney by phone and moved from Point Fraser toward the Bell Tower in a happy gaggle – chats about unity, peace, faith, respecting differences, school classes and the finer points of iPhones were heard amidst much laughter, dance and flashes of colour.

Experiences of unity were shared along the way, with recollections of the event’s value statements: Yes to Creation, Life and Family, Solidarity, A Just Economy,

Responsibility and Peace - together with sculpture formations spelling “Yes” or the Australian equivalent “Yeah” made up of smiling, chattering, human bodies. At the Bell Tower, the baton of unity was

Peace and unity was the focal point for Focolare’s worldwide relay race which united 180 nations. passed to Bangkok to continue its trip around the world in the capable and loving hands of Youth4Unity. “‘Yes’ to creation resonates for me because everything deserves to

live,” participant Akshay told The Record. “Life shouldn’t die because of our actions.”

Run4Unity is an initiative of the Focolare Movement, formed in 1944 in Trent, Northern Italy to promote the ideal of unity through love.

Focolare is present in 182 countries and has two million adherents, in part being Roman Catholic but including Christians from 350 other churches and ecclesial communities together with Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and non-religious people who share the ideal.

Focolare is the Italian word for “hearth” or “family fireside”; the ideal of unity is based on the request from Jesus to his Father, “May they all be one” (Jn 17, 21).

A beautiful day and setting for youth to unite in a relay race across the world.

PHOTO: FOCOLARE

Sun shines on St Kieran’s celebration

By Robert Hiini and Glynnis Grainger IT WAS a case of one good announcement deserving another on May 20 as Catholics marched in procession for Maria SS Annunziata – Our Lady of the Annunciation, at St Kieran’s Parish in Osborne Park.

This year, the annual celebration was a little different as devotees were joined by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB. After the 8.30am Mass, the Archbishop joined parish priest Fr Michael Gatt in meeting and greeting parishioners.

“He was so happy to be with us and we were too, to have met him,” Fr Gatt told The Record.

“Yes, he is a great asset to our Archdiocese and we have given him a very warm welcome.”

A solemn Mass was celebrated at 10am and the procession and benediction followed.

The Mass and procession was held after a Triduum - three days of Rosaries and Masses in the lead up to the occasion.

The origins of the local procession go back to 1971 when a replica statue of Mary was brought to WA from Sicily to St Kieran’s Church.

Parishioners from Raccuia in Italy formed the Maria Annunziata Association and the yearly devotion has been held ever since.

In Sicily, the annual Maria SS Annunziata festival will be celebrated on September 20-21.

Fr Gatt thanked association president Mr Vince Alessandrino and committee members for their work.

The beautiful statue of Our Lady of the Annunciation at St Kieran’s, left, was the focal point of celebrations held at the church on May 20.

PHOTO: ST KIERAN’S

Faith-based pastoral care in schools being diluted The Australian Christian Lobby said a recent announcement by Schools Education Minister Peter Garrett that new chaplains are about to commence would seem good news if it didn’t herald another broken promise to the Christian community.

Mr Garrett announced that 1,000 new schools were joining the National School Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program and that, of those schools, 65 per cent had applied for a chaplain and 35 per cent for a student welfare worker.

ACL’s Jim Wallace said they did not have a problem with the government introducing secular student welfare workers but this should not have come from the money promised to the chaplaincy program during the 2010 election campaign.

“The Government announced the

expansion during the campaign but its commitment was that the chaplaincy program would retain its unique faith-based pastoral care emphasis,” Mr Wallace said.

In his May 24 announcement,

Chaplaincy program now funding student welfare workers as well ... contrary to election promises Mr Garrett said the program would receive $222 million over the next three years, with schools to receive up to $72,000 over three years to offer chaplain or student welfare services. “The chaplaincy

program has been very popular among schools and the changes we introduced mean that not only are more schools now benefiting from the scheme, but school communities have more choice over how they wish to take part,” Mr Garrett said.

In a video interview, conducted two weeks before the election, Mr Wallace asked Ms Gillard to reassure the Christian constituency that there were no plans to change this: “The unique pastoral care that is given by chaplaincy is because it draws particularly on its Christian faith ... Do you see that continuing, would that be your objective?” Jim Wallace asked.

“Yes, I do see that continuing ... it would continue as a chaplaincy program with everything that that implies,” Prime Minister Julia Gillard said.

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6

YEAR OF GRACE

therecord.com.au

May 30, 2012

Fix your gaze and let Jesus lead T

By Robert Hiini

urn your eyes to Christ, fix your gaze on him and allow him to lead you through the storms of life to safety and peace.

That is the call of the Year of Grace, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB told a packed St Mary’s Cathedral at the Perth launch of the nation-wide initiative on Pentecost Sunday.

Archbishop Costelloe encouraged Catholics to contemplate the experience of the Church’s first leader, St Peter, particularly as he stepped out onto the stormy Sea of Galilee, toward Christ.

“For Peter, it all fell apart when he took his eyes off Jesus. It is the same for us,” Archbishop Costelloe said. “If we lose sight of Jesus, or let ourselves get distracted, then, like Peter, we may well start to sink.

“The thing that saved Peter, of course, is that he realised, once he started sinking, there was only one thing to do. ‘Save me, Lord,’ he cried out, ‘I am going under.’ And Jesus put out his hand, took Peter by the hand, helped him into the safety of the boat, and then stilled the storm and brought peace,” the Archbishop said.

Representatives from parishes throughout Perth were there to receive the message and take it, and a special Year of Grace candle, back to their communities.

Around 60 people received a

candle from Archbishop Costelloe, as Perth’s Year of Grace coordinator, Paddy Buckley, called each of them to the sanctuary.

The Holy Spirit came to the disciples individually but only because they were united in Christ, the Archbishop said. Pentecost provided an excellent opportunity to contemplate the true nature of the Church.

“It means to be a group of people determined to be disciples of Jesus, and who are willing to try to be as

The Church is a group of disciples determined to follow Christ: Archbishop faithful as we can, in spite of our many failings and setbacks.

“Here is the call of the Year of Grace. As individual Christians and as the Catholic Church here in the Archdiocese of Perth, we are all being invited to once more turn our eyes to Christ, to fix our gaze on him, to allow him to take us by the hand and lead us through the storms of our lives to safety and to peace.”

Music was provided by the Cathedral’s youth music team.

For more information about the Year of Grace and for videos of the launch ceremony and the Archbishop’s homily, visit www. thefaith.org.au.

The Faith Centre’s Chris Jaques and Lydia Stanley, above, light up the evening’s Year of Grace candles.

PHOTOS: R HIINI

Left: St Charles’ seminarian, Stephen Gorddard, centre, and Somascan postulant, Chris De Sousa, left, collect Year of Grace candles on behalf of parishes, along with many others, including lay people, priests and religious from throughtout Perth.

PHOTOS: R HIINI

YEAR OF GRACE

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Elizabeth to foster unexpected joy

By Juanita Shepherd PREGNANCY Assistance have named their East Perth premises “Elizabeth’s House” to mark the Year of Grace.

The site has been named after Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, in Luke’s Gospel who, expecting a child herself, welcomed the pregnant and much younger Madonna when she came to visit.

Choosing to name the site for the Year of Grace was a recognition that Christ needed to be at the centre of Pregnancy Assistance’s work, director Lara Malin told The Record.

“We are so busy it is often so easy to lose what the Year of Grace is all about: asking where is Jesus in this?” Ms Malin said. “It’s so easy to say, ‘I’m so busy and that’s a knock at the door’. Have I really got the time for this? But we are here for the knock at the door.”

The image of Elizabeth House is the Pearl of Hope, a symbol of reassurance and love. “I thought this was really similar to an unexpected pregnancy,” Ms Malin said.

“The oyster can’t get rid of the grain

of sand which is seen as a problem but, over time, is recognised as a precious treasure.”

Elizabeth House receives close to 100 contacts a month, some over the telephone and some as visits.

Lara Malin began her role of director at Pregnancy Assistance at the beginning of the year.

“I love being here,” Ms Malin said. “I had the Year of Grace in my heart before I actually began work at Elizabeth House and I wanted to use that.

“This is a place women can come and get a fresh view on their pregnancy,” she said.

Elizabeth House is currently fundraising for an ultrasound machine; statistics claim that nine times out of ten an abortionvulnerable woman will not abort her child after seeing the child on an ultrasound.

With the start of the Year of Grace, Elizabeth House is ready to start anew with Christ, Ms Malin said. “We are relying on the Grace of God to carry us through.”

For more information: 9328 2929, info@pregnancyassistance.org.au.

Pregnancy Assistance director, Lara Malin, right and longserving volunteer.

PHOTO: R HIINI

All was dark, and yet there was so much light

By Robert Hiini

A

n hour after the standingroom-only launch of the Year of Grace, St Mary’s Cathedral was stilled to nothing, lit only by candlelight, save for a few overhead lights on the sanctuary and the tabernacle.

It was the perfect atmosphere for Spiritus, an organ and choral recital to celebrate Pentecost, the latest in the 2012 concert series for St Mary’s Cathedral.

The Cathedral choir sang Veni Creator Spirtus as they processed towards the sanctuary. It was a hymn concert-goers would hear throughout the night as Cathedral music director and organist Jacinta Jakovcevic and the choir processed to different sites throughout St Mary’s, where they would perform the concert repertoire.

Ms Jakovcevic encouraged the audience to move with them; an invitation several people took up as they shuffled to new seating positions in the dark to get a better view.

The repertoire included organ and choral pieces by VaughnWilliams, Palestrina, J S Bach, Lotti, Alain, and Messiaen. The choir processed to Our Lady’s Chapel to sing Tomas Luis de Victoria’s Ave Maria.

St Mary’s Cathedral Choir moves to Our Lady’s Chapel at St Mary’s Cathedral on May 27 for the Spiritus concert.

PHOTOS: R HIINI

At one point during the evening, the choir split in two, with one half stationed in the Sacred Heart Chapel and the other in St Teresa’s.

The two halves sang ‘in choir’, answering one another in one of the night’s highlights.

Spiritus ended in a similar vein

to how it began. After receiving the well-deserved praise of the audience, the choir processed from the sanctuary to the foyer in great solemnity.

The Cathedral’s next musical event, Community Singing, will take place on June 24, 2-4pm.

Shepherd’s promised Spirit arrives

By Juanita Shepherd SURROUNDED by friends, family and teachers, the Year 6 class of Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School in Kelmscott was confirmed into the Church on Sunday morning, coinciding with the Year of Grace.

The Confirmation Mass began with students placing gifts at the altar - a basket of fruits to symbolise the fruits of the Holy Spirit, Oil of Chrism symbolising the strength given by the Holy Spirit and candles representing the flame of the Holy Spirit.

Father Andrew Loytton, parish priest of Good Shepherd, spoke to The Record about confirming the children at the start of the Year of Grace: “It’s always beautiful to confirm children ... and their presentation of the liturgical movement reflect-

ed their confirmation journey; a journey which is the beginning of the Holy Spirit being with them throughout their lives.”

After Mass, Fr Andrew joined the D’Lima family in the parish hall who were celebrating their son Quinton’s confirmation with lunch followed by cake.

Quinton and his classmates prepared extensively for the special moment when they were received into the Church. In addition to choosing their patron saints and sponsors, they went on a retreat to the Schoenstatt Shrine in Armadale, a place of grace and pilgrimage dedicated to Our Lady.

Quinton was initially unaware that his confirmation and the Year of Grace fell on the same day.

Prior to the day, he did not know much about the Year of Grace so he asked his mother. Mrs D’Lima was overjoyed that her son’s confir-

mation and the start of the Year of Grace happened on the same day.

“It feels beautiful for him to be confirmed on this day,” she said.

“Quinton asked me what the Year of Grace was and I told him it means he should put Christ at the centre of his life for everything. I think everything that happens in our lives is through God’s grace.”

A missing figure from the celebrations was Quinton’s grandmother. “My mum would’ve loved to have been here,” Mrs D’Lima said, “but she is here in spirit.” Quinton’s grandmother suffered a stroke a few weeks ago and is still recovering in hospital, family and friends praying for a speedy recovery.

“In this day and age, it is very easy for people not to look to Christ for help,” she said. “But my son’s confirmation and the Year of Grace are times (to make) Christ the focus.”

Quinton D’Lima, centre, is joined for his big Confirmation day by friends and family at Good Shepherd, Kelmscott.

PHOTO: J SHEPHERD

8

WORLD

therecord.com.au

May 30, 2012

All religions are in this fight together, Cardinal WASHINGTON (CNS) - After receiving the inaugural Religious Freedom Award on May 24, Baltimore Archbishop William E Lori encouraged people of all faiths to stand together to defend religious liberty.

“US bishops and faithful Catholics in this country, numerous though we may be, cannot fight the tide of radical secularism alone,” Archbishop Lori said at the 2012 National Religious Freedom Award Dinner, held at the Georgetown Four Seasons Hotel in Washington.

“I’m here to ask for your help.

Together, we can achieve great things,” he said.

Speaking to a crowd of 300 people from many faiths who came from across the country to attend an all-day National Religious Freedom Conference, Archbishop Lori said “fighting the tide of secularism in general, and current threats to religious liberty in particular, can seem like a daunting task, (but) we know that with God, all things are possible, and we know that prayer is the ultimate source of our strength in this fight.”

The conference was titled Rising Threats to Religious Freedom, and it was sponsored by the American Religious Freedom Program, which is part of the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

Speakers representing a range of religious backgrounds, and officials from state government and advocacy groups, spoke about threats to religious freedom and conscience rights across the United States, on the federal, state and local level, and in the military.

Archbishop Lori, who chairs the US bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, warned that the US Department of Health and Human Services’ mandate on contraceptive coverage “has now become the most critical religious liberty challenge that we face in the United States today.”

The mandate “would force virtually all employers, even those with conscientious objections, to provide health coverage for contraceptives, sterilisation and abortion-inducing drugs,” he said.

It marks, he said, “the first time that the federal government has compelled religious institutions to facilitate and fund a product contrary to their moral teaching.”

Archbishop Lori noted that earlier that week, Catholic institutions had “been forced to take action by litigation, a course no one desires, but a course that appears to be the only alternative left in order to seek relief from this unjust federal government mandate.”

On May 21, 43 Catholic dioceses, schools, hospitals, social service

The mandate includes a very narrow definition of a religious employer to qualify for an exemption. agencies and other institutions filed a total of 12 lawsuits in federal court around the country challenging the HHS mandate.

Archbishop Lori said an especially problematic part of the mandate is that the federal government defines “which religious institutions are ‘religious enough’ to merit protection of their religious liberty.”

When the health care legislation was being debated more than two years ago, the US bishops urged that it include strong conscience protections. Congress passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on March 21, 2010, and President Barack Obama signed it into law three days later.

When the contraceptive mandate was proposed on August 1, 2011, thousands of comments were filed

by people across the country urging that Catholic institutions not be forced to facilitate or fund services that violated church teaching.

Archbishop Lori noted that on January 19 of this year, Pope Benedict XVI addressed a group of US bishops visiting the Vatican, warning of growing threats to religious freedom in the United States.

Then, he said, the next day, “as if on cue,” HHS announced religious organisations could delay but not opt out of the mandate.

“Despite numerous opportunities to avoid the train wreck,” the archbishop said, the Obama administration on February 10 finalised the mandate and also announced that religious employers could decline to cover contraceptives if they were morally opposed to them, but that their health insurers would have to pay for the coverage.

Obama’s announcement about insurers paying the costs was rejected by the bishops and others.

Archbishop Lori said it addresses “only a small part of the overall problem, and does so inadequately.”

The mandate’s “unwarranted government definition of religion,” Archbishop Lori said, includes a very narrow definition of a religious employer that would qualify for an exemption - those employers would have to primarily hire and serve people of their own faith.

“This exemption attacks religious freedom by defining it away - by limiting protections essentially to houses of worship, the exemption reduces the freedom of religion to the freedom of worship,” he said.

Archbishop Lori said there has been much misinformation about the issue. “This is not about the Catholic Church wanting to force anybody to do anything; it is instead about the federal government forcing the church - consisting of its faithful and all but a few of its institutions - to act against church teaching.”

Archbishop William E Lori delivers the homily during Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore.

He emphasised the religious freedom fight is not one the nation’s Catholic leaders sought, but instead was forced by the government’s action.

“This is not a Republican or Democratic, a conservative or liberal issue. It is an American issue,” he said.

Archbishop Lori said the principles at stake - religious liberty and the life and dignity of all human beings - are central to the Catholic faith. Religious freedom, the first freedom in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights, Archbishop Lori said, was seen as an essential part the new United States by the Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson, he noted, once said: “No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects

the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority.”

Archbishop Lori concluded is talk by inviting people to participate in the June 21 to July 4 “fortnight for freedom” campaign organised by the Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty.

At the dinner following the archbishop’s talk, Brian Walsh, executive director of the American Religious Freedom Program, said the program, and that day’s conference, had been organised to defend the “God-given and constitutional” right of freedom of religion.

“Religious freedom is at the core of all of our freedoms,” he said, announcing that his group would be working to establish caucuses in all 50 states to defend religious liberty.”

Tough terrain won’t get priest down “IN July 2012 we are hoping to open three new parishes“, said Fr Kuafa Herve in a recent meeting with representatives of the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Aged 34, he is priest of the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia. The summer of 2012 will see the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Vatican and this nation of Central Asia. Since that day in 1992 the number of Catholics there has grown, slowly but steadily. At present there are four parishes and a total of around 800 Catholics in the country as a whole, served by 71 missionaries of which there are 49 religious 21 priests and 1 Bishop.

This is not many in a nation of 2.7 million inhabitants and a total area of over 1.5 million km².

Buddhism is the dominant faith in Mongolia; though like all other forms of religion it was massively oppressed during the Soviet era.

With the collapse of communism things changed, however. Today, for many Mongols, Buddhism is a part of their national identity. Other religions, including Christianity, are perceived as foreign. Catholic priests, like Fr Herve, feel this. For five years now, this Missionary of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM) has been braving the extremes of the climate - from - 30° C in winter to +30° C in summer.

But despite these extremes, and despite the daytime-night time temperature range of + or - 30°C, he is troubled less by this than by the changing official perception of

Fr Kuafa Herve ministers in Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia.

the Catholic Church in the country.

The tone is no longer as friendly as it was just a few years ago. Preaching

the written permission of their parents. Priests must not appear in public dressed as such. Fr Herve

PHOTO: ACN

Herve emphasises, Catholics in Mongolia are now a “beleaguered Church”.

Many Mongols see Buddhism as a part of national identity. Other religions, including Christianity are perceived as foreign. Fr Herve feels this. the faith is today permitted only within Church premises, and young people of 16 and under may only attend catechetical instruction with

teaches English, French and music, since the teaching of religion is not permitted in the schools but only inside the churches. Hence, as Fr

The first Catholic missions here began in the early 20th century and continued up to the time of the Soviet persecutions. After the polit-

ical changes there was a new beginning, and interest in the Catholic faith began to grow. In fact, in 1992 the post-communist, democratically elected government actually invited the Catholic Church into the country, expressly for the sake of her schools and social services.

In 2002 the Vatican established the apostolic prefecture of Ulan Bator.

At the time there were just 114 Catholics living in Mongolia. One year later the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul was formally consecrated in the capital.

Interest in the Catholic Church remains undimmed in Mongolia, however. ACN regularly supports the pastoral initiatives of the apostolic prefecture of Ulan Bator, most recently helping towards the purchase of an all-terrain vehicle for use in its pastoral work, given the vast distances in Mongolia, the lack of fully tarmacked roads and the difficult driving conditions.

As Fr Herve observes, in this country both man and machine need plenty of staying power in order to reach their goal. But then he adds, “Despite all the difficulties, in many respects things are only just starting.

“We are going out to the people.

And referring to Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, 19, we want to show them that love is also the service that the Church carries out in order to attend constantly to man’s sufferings and his needs, including material needs.

“And she is teaching people the value of a personal relationship with God in the prayer and of forgiveness.”

FUN FAITH WITH

SUNDAY, JUNE 3, 2012 • MATTHEW 28: 16-20 • HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY

HANNAH RAPHAEL, 8

BETH SCHILLING, 8 SEND YOUR COLOURED IN PICTURE TO THE RECORD AT PO BOX 3075, ADELAIDE TERRACE, PERTH WA 6832

‘Baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ - Matthew 28:20

CROSSWORD SPOKE OBSERVE GALILEE

WORD LIST AUTHORITY NATIONS

Across 3. Jesus came up and ____ to them.

4. Meanwhile the eleven disciples set out for ____, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to

FATHER WITH FELL

meet them.

6. And look, I am ____ you always; yes, to the end of time.’

8. Baptise them in the name of the ____ and of the Son and of the Holy

10

MILESTONES

therecord.com.au

May 30, 2012

Priest went above and beyond in care for others WELL-KNOWN priest Fr Brian Harris, former parish priest of Our Lady Help of Christians Church, East Victoria Park, for 25 years, died on May 2 at the Little Sisters of the Poor home in Glendalough.

He was 81.

On Saturday, May 5, Emeritus Archbishop Barr y Hickey concelebrated a Pontifical Requiem Mass for the repose of Fr Harris’ soul, with Fr Pat Cunningham and Fr Brian McKenna, at Our Lady Help of Christians Church.

About 40 priests were in attendance and the church was full, according to MC Fr Gavin Gomez, parish priest of St Bernadette’s Parish, Port Kennedy.

Fr Harris received his Papal Cross pro ecclesia et pontifice on November 12, 2009, awarded by Pope Benedict XVI for his 56 years' service to the Church as a priest.

Retired priest Fr Pat Cunningham told The Record that Fr Harris grew up in Leederville and was a great person to know.

Fr Harris went to school at St Mary’s Convent of Mercy, Leederville, then CBC, Leederville, then entered the seminary.

The influence of the priests of his childhood, while he was an altar server, helped him decide on his vocation to the priesthood.

He was the eldest child with one brother and three sisters and plenty of nieces and nephews, some of whom he later baptised.

He trained for the priesthood at

Obituary

Name: Fr Brian Gerard Harris Born: May 19, 1930 Entered eternal life: May 2, 2012 St Charles' Seminary, Guildford, from 1944-49, entering at the age of 14, and at St Patrick’s College, Manly, from 1950-53.

He was 23 when he was ordained on July 25, 1953 at St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth by Bishop Launcelot Goody with Archbishop Redmond Prendiville in attendance.

After stints at St Mary’s Cathedral, being chaplain to nurses for six years, with three years at Shenton Park, assistant priest at Kalgoorlie, Osborne Park, and South Perth, he became first parish priest at Armadale in 1970 for six years.

He spent 12 years at St Jerome’s, Spearwood, then went to East Victoria Park in 1984 as parish priest.

“God is very good; the highlight is the people I was given to serve – it was a delight to serve the people of God,” Fr Harris said in 2009.

Fr Harris became a renowned chaplain at Royal Perth Hospital, Fr Cunningham said, with an excellent memory for faces and names.

“He was interested in people, particularly those suffering from a particular difficulty and he was a good pastor.”

A beaming Fr Brian Harris, for whom "it was a delight to serve the people of God".

“He was a very good example for people who had diabetes, and was an inspiration for other diabetes sufferers,” Fr Cunningham said (Fr

Harris was a dedicated president of the Diabetes Association of WA).

Fr Harris officiated at thousands of weddings and baptisms, which

PHOTO: G GRAINGER

he enjoyed, with his extroverted nature, wonderful sense of humour and powerful baritone singing voice.

Perseverance, kindness, hospitality

By Abigail Slipper OVER one hundred years of perseverance, kindness and hospitality in the Kimberley has culminated in a prestigious WA Heritage Award recently for the Sisters of St John of God. The order’s Heritage Centre in Broome stole the award for their outstanding contribution to heritage by a community-based organisation.

In coming to their decision, award judges said the centre was “A shining example of a communitybased organisation, taking the lead in delivering a specialised and unforgettable heritage experience.”

Within the centre is the Relationships Exhibition, a permanent display opened in 2007 to celebrate the Centenary of the Sisters' work in the Kimberley.

Through the use of DVDs, touch screens, enlarged photos, storyboards of social historical information and a limited number of heritage items, visitors are taken through the 100 year story of the Sisters' various ministries and relationships with local peoples.

In addition, the exhibition contains two large screens enabling visitors and locals to search through close to 40,000 photos.

The exhibition is run by volunteers with a large percentage who are part of the SSJG ‘family’ whose own images and stories line the walls of the Old Convent.

Another thing to note is entry is by donation, ensuring that no person is unable to visit due to financial circumstances.

Exhibition researcher and curator Sr Pat Rhatigan said her work provided many milestones and moving events.

“I think of the times when we have been able to connect a family with another family member for whom they have never seen a photographic image before: these have been moving and most worthwhile occasions,” she said.

“This often happens with those linked into the Stolen Generations,

Volunteers welcome visitors to the SSJG's Heritage Centre in Broome, winner of the prestigious WA Heritage Award.

or children linked into the Bungarun (Derby Leprosarium) story as well as children who became disconnected through being relocated for schooling.

“In a flip of the coin, we have also had younger generations of the Sisters who have come to find out about their aunt or great aunt as it may be.

“Former lay missionaries of the 50s, 60s and 70s or their children also come seeking to see where their family member was involved, what they looked like at that time, where they worked.”

The Sisters' work at the Heritage Centre was set in motion around the time of the order’s centenary in the Kimberley.

Old photos were produced and local people were invited to a gathering at the Old Convent which, much to their astonishment, caused an outpouring of memories, stories and much excitement.

As a result, and after the 1996 government hearings into the ‘Stolen Generation’, the Sisters made a commitment to provide access to archival documents and photographs that might assist in

the healing process. As such, the Relationships Exhibition was born, thus placing the Sisters five years later as front runners in this award category.

Sr Pat believed the Sisters had created a wonderful gift for the community through a treasure trove of images that lived with names and stories, of events, subjects and places.

“Through our conservation, people are able to come visit, dip into the treasure, take with them memories and knowledge, knowing they can return,” she said.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

“We would be so much less a society without the heritage that we have conserved and continue to conserve.

“It has to live and grow and it does this through interaction.

Without interaction, the story (in the broad sense) would die.”

Further plans for the centre include a program of temporary exhibitions, development of the Garden of Healing and upgrades of the public database.

For more information, check out heritage.ssjg.org.au/ or phone (08) 9192 3950.

MILESTONES

therecord.com.au May 30, 2012

11

Staying power in couple's great love

By Glynnis Grainger NOT many couples celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in hospital, with one of them suffering from pneumonia.

Pat and Frank Hackett, of Success, did just that on Thursday, May 17, with Pat visiting Frank in St John of God Murdoch and patiently sitting with him at his bedside.

Two of their four daughters, Donna and Bernadette, brought a huge arrangement of roses to the hospital, where Donna presented them with a papal blessing from Pope Benedict XVI, and certificates of congratulations from the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Governor-General, WA Premier and WA Opposition Leader, among others.

Hospital chaplain Fr Hugh Galloway, once WA Catholic Women’s League chaplain - said Mass in the hospital chapel that day, and Pat read the responsorial psalm and alleluia verse, whilst Frank watched the proceedings on TV in his room.

Applecross parish priest and Pat’s cousin, Fr Peter Whitely, blessed the couple and had arranged the papal blessing, as they had been long-time foundation Applecross parishioners, living five houses down from the present church in Ardross Street.

Daughter Ann-Maree sent a special album with photos from their wedding day at St Patrick’s Church, Fremantle, including photos of family and extended family.

The couple, both 87, have 14 grandchildren – seven boys and seven girls - and five great-grandchildren under four, three boys and two girls, with another girl due to be born.

Pat was an inaugural member of the Applecross CWL, for 43 years since the branch started in 1969, and became secretary for 11½ years, president and treasurer, and “always had a position”, she said.

She became international secretary for WA of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations during the 1970s and 80s, and Frank was a member of the Knights of the Southern Cross, St Vincent de Paul, and the Holy Name Society until Vatican II, served on the altar and sang

Frank and Pat, right, on their wedding day in 1952, and above, some few years later but with the same happy smiles.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

in the choir with Pat. The couple were the oldest choir members at St Benedict’s, Applecross, “since the Midnight Mass at Canning Bridge hall” before the church was built, and “came home with our throats raw,” she recalls.

In 1959, seven years after they were married, and while expecting daughter Louise, she became a catechist, a role she fulfilled for many years, and is “still commissioned a catechist”, Pat said.

Their nuptial Mass, in 1952, was celebrated by Shenton Park parish priest Mgr Edward Collins (Frank’s parish) and Fr Tom O’Byrne OMI, with a guard of honour either side of the aisle by the Children of Mary sodality for the month of May, Mary’s month.

As Pat arrived at the altar, the sodality president removed the Child of Mary blue cloak from around her shoulders and placed it over the rail around Mary’s statue.

A “wonderful surprise” was the singing by St Patrick’s choir during the Mass.

Pat is the second daughter of Frank and Eulalie Collins (nee Whitely) of Fremantle, in a family of 13 and Frank is one of four children of Norah and Paddy Hackett, formerly of Kilkenny, Ireland.

They first met in the Army at the Signals office at Swan Barracks, Perth while Frank was awaiting discharge from the Army.

They re-met five years later at the Stella Maris Seaman’s Institute, Fremantle where Frank was there with the young St Vincent de Paul men from Shenton Park and Pat was a hostess with her sisters and friends.

Her two sisters, Lal and Marie, were to be her bridesmaids.

Frank bought a block of land at 125 Ardross Street and the couple arrived back from honeymoon to live in a caravan, while family helped build their home, where they lived for 59½ years, and raised their four girls who attended St Benedict’s school nearby. The school, which opened in February 1953 with 50 children, had no toilet facilities

at first so nuns and students used the Hackett home’s facility, where she said “the children were like little brumbies”. The school was used as the original “church” until the old church, now the hall, was built. The new St Benedict’s church was opened four years ago in their street.

“When we built the house, we had no idea we were going to have the church there,” Pat said.

Frank was employed as manager of United Artists Trans-American Film Company, starting at 15 years of age, and with war years in the Army, was there for 46

years. Pat resigned from the Navy where she was a signalwoman in Communications, to marry and became a “home engineer”, doing volunteer work over those 59½ years.

She has a prodigious memory and is a historian and writer, when not nursing Frank in recent years.

Last year they moved to Southern Cross Retirement Village, in Success, which is near two of their daughters and their families.

They have made their “diamond” marriage a success, living out their vows “in sickness and in health” and have been very blessed!

Reward in bridges Fr Beeson built PRAYERS in Latin and Greek were offered on the fifth anniversary of the passing of Father Gerard Beeson in a moving ceremony in the Lady Chapel of St Mary's Cathedral.

Fr Beeson was the first convener of the Catholic Archdiocesen Taskforce for Catholic-Orthodox Bridge-building under the patronage of The Very Reverend Robert Healy (dec), former Auxiliary Bishop of Perth. It was established in 2001, the same year Pope John Paul II travelled to Greece to meet the Greek Orthodox Primate of Greece, His Beatitude Christodoulos. 'One of Fr Beeson's fondest memories was welcoming the Greek students to St Charles on the now well-estabished exchange program between Perth and Athens', remarked Ms Dimitrakos.

Wishes and prayers were sent from Hilton Parish, Father's last parish and as far away as Greece from former participants in the exchange program. Former seminarians who were on placement in his parish prior to ordination and now priests, offered Masses for his repose.

Pictured are Fr Gerard and Bishop Healy to the left in the first historic welcome of Greek Orthodox Bishop, His Grace Nikandros to Archbishop Hickey's residence.

Also pictured are Bishop Sproxton, current convener Philip Shields, Susana Dimitrakos and Fr Timothy Corcoran.

PHOTO: PHILIP SHIELDS

12

VISTA

therecord.com.au

May 30, 2012

HOW TO Ruin your

MARRIAGE

with

NFP

MEN, make your wife feel either “useful” or “useless” depending on her current fertility. For instance, if you agree to postpone a pregnancy, launch a relentless campaign to make her have sex anyway, or satisfy you in illicit ways.

You don’t have to use physical force; there are plenty of other ways to exert pressure.

You can be nasty or sullen toward the whole family when you’re abstaining.

You can always make her be the one who says “stop” as if she’s the owner of sex, and you’re the beggar - this should make you both resentful.

In the name of chastity, you can shun her when she’s fertile so that, by the time you get the green light, she will be so hurt by your attitude that your sex life will be abysmal.

You can turn to porn and masturbation, to make her feel like sex with her is your preference, but that there are many close seconds.

And when you do have sex, make sure she gives you what you’ve got coming.

You deserve it, for waiting this long.

CAUTION: If considering her pleasure to be as important as yours when you do have sex, you might have to ask awkward questions about what works and what doesn’t, and this will lead to better sex for both of you. If you let her know that you desire her madly, but care for her so tenderly you are willing to wait - if you clearly enjoy being with her even when she has clothes on - she will swoon. DO NOT DO THIS.

1

WHEN she is pregnant, make sure she knows it’s her problem, not yours.

Ditto for all aspects of childcare. This tactic is versatile: if you’re more practical than she is, you can shame her for falling for irrelevant, outdated pieties; or if you’re holier than she is, you can shame her for not being more open to life. Either way, it’s all her fault.

This is probably what St Joseph did.

CAUTION: If you spend time changing diapers, washing dishes, and playing with the kids, and listening closely when she explains what her days are really like - if you really care about what worries her, and how you can relieve her workload she will think of you as a real man, and may even experience less anxiety about conceiving in the future.

DO NOT DO THIS.

2

WOMEN, remember that sex is important to men because men are pigs. They actually receive love primarily through physical means, if you can imagine such a thing.

They are so foul and immature that they actually feel lonely and wounded when they don’t receive physical affection.

Make them feel guilty every time they touch you.

Be cold and scrupulous.

When abstaining, act like an Amish schoolgirl, as if married chastity is the same as unmarried chastity.

When you do have sex, chose that day to scrub the wallpaper or clean out the attic, so you will be

3

exhausted by the time your husband comes home.

Remember that holy women don’t enjoy carnal things, so make no effort to become skilful in bed.

Also, holy men only care about spiritual things, so make no effort to be physically attractive.

Do not learn his tastes; do not communicate your tastes.

Remember that the whole thing is just nasty, and basically a joke on women.

Make no attempt to remedy this attitude.

CAUTION: If, through trial and error, perseverance and communication, and lots of trips to confession, you do work out how to be physical enough to communicate love, but not so physical that you’re making things worse, your affection will deepen, and your sex life will probably improve. Abstinence will become more manageable, or at least more interesting. DO NOT DO THIS. REGISTER your dissatisfaction with NFP by charting sloppily. If you resent charting and do it poorly, your confidence will be shot, your guilt/resentment quotients will increase, and the next time you are faced with a serious need to avoid pregnancy, you will likely have a nervous breakdown.

Your husband will be too terrified to touch you. Voila! No pregnancy.

CAUTION: Charting conscientiously shows your husband that you’re very interested in finding as many available days as possible, because you desire him and his happiness. DO NOT DO THIS.

4

MEN AND W O M E N : Constantly compare yourself to other families you see at Mass, even though you’re seeing them at their best and comparing it to your secret, interior worst.

Also, when a stranger makes a comment on Facebook, take that very seriously; but disregard everything you know about your actual family, your temperament, your husband’s temperament, your history, your financial situation, your children’s needs, your emotional state, and your relationship with God. CAUTION: Making prayerful decisions about your individual, unique marriage can lead to maturity, increases in self-control and self-knowledge in all areas, healthy confidence, compassion toward other people, and a greater understanding of how free will operates in cooperation with God’s will. DO NOT DO THIS.

nature of sex.

CAUTION: Remember, Christ told us to take up our cross, and promised that suffering leads to salvation if we embrace it willingly.

DO NOT DO THIS.

CONSTANTLY surround yourself with secular influences, lest you hear firsthand the Church’s teachings about human sexuality.

Saturate yourself with the idea that sex is a right, and that NFP is the culprit that deprives you of your rights. Bitterly grumble that if NFP is so “natural,” it ought to be easy and pleasant, like natural bread or natural sunlight or naturally woven fibres in your favourite pants.

Never stop and think that truly “natural” things are things which make you consider their true nature. Never dwell on the true

naked.

CAUTION: Laughter leads to closeness and helps us to take ourselves less seriously. DO NOT DO THIS.

5

6

D O NOT talk about it with your spouse. Assume that, as in all things, men and women see life in exactly the same way.

There is no possible way you are misunderstanding each other’s motives, attitudes, or behaviour.

CAUTION: Talking about it may help you to understand your spouse better in general, not just in the bedroom, and may lead to enlightenment and compassion. DO NOT DO THIS.

7

8

DO NOT laugh about it. Sex is holy, and holy things are never funny. Ever.

Even when you’re

ABOVE ALL, never pray about it. God does not want to hear about yucky, embarrassing stuff like that. Ideally, you should suffer all the unpleasant consequences of original sin without enjoying any of the benefits of the Incarnation.

Remind yourself frequently that the main thing that God does is to say “NO” and that you unerringly

9

VISTA

therecord.com.au May 30, 2012

Couples who use NFP have an incredibly low rate of divorce, writes Simcha Fisher, and many couples have reported that using NFP to space pregnancies has led to an increase of grace, happiness, and intimacy in their marriage. Sound too good to be true? It sure is! Oh, using NFP can strengthen your marriage, but that doesn’t happen automatically. In fact, there are tons of easy and excellent ways to ruin your marriage while using NFP to postpone pregnancy. If you’re interested in sharing many miserable years with your spouse, here’s your action plan:

13

Devotion to Mary crosses all divides and churches

Dear Father, The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of the Akathistos in connection with devotion to Our Lady. I have never heard of it. Can you tell me what it is?

T

Do not laugh about sex. Sex is holy and holy things are never funny. Ever. Even when you’re naked.

anticipate everything that God has in store for your life.

CAUTION: Remember, sex is a powerful thing which can, in any marriage, become cramped, dark, and full of pain. If you pray about sex to God, who invented sex, he may shed light on it for you. He may transform your sexual relationship with your spouse into a source of joy

which transforms your life, whether you’re abstaining or not. DO NOT DO THIS. WELL, there you have it.

Using these simple guidelines, you can do a bad job of avoiding pregnancy and do horrible damage to your relationship.

The best part?

You can just blame NFP

Simcha Fisher lives in New Hampshire, US, with her husband and nine children. Simcha and her husband use Natural Family Planning.

This article was originally published in the National Catholic Register and was used with the publisher’s permission.

HE Catechism mentions this prayer in Part Four, dealing with Christian prayer, in Article Two on “The Way of Prayer”. After commenting on the words of the Hail Mary, the Catechism goes on to say: “Mediaeval piety in the West developed the prayer of the Rosary as a popular substitute for the Liturgy of the Hours. In the East, the litany called the Akathistos and the Paraclesis remained closer to the choral office in the Byzantine churches while the Armenian, Coptic and Syriac traditions preferred popular hymns and songs to the Mother of God” (CCC 2678).

Those of us familiar with Marian devotion in the Western tradition, with its emphasis on such devotions as the Rosary, Angelus, Memorare, etc, have probably never heard of the Akathistos. We are thus grateful to those who wrote the Catechism for including much material on the Eastern tradition, broadening our horizons and making us aware of a whole dimension of the Church of which we were quite unaware.

Returning to your question, the Akathistos is one of the most wellknown prayers or hymns to Mary in the Eastern tradition. It is chanted in Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches on the five Fridays of Lent in preparation for Holy Week and the Easter services, as well as at other times.

The hymn seems to have originated in the 6th century, and has been added to over the years. It is associated with a great favour attributed to Our Lady in Constantinople in 626. In that year, during Emperor Heraclius’ reign, Constantinople was besieged by the Sassanid Persians and Avars who came with a fleet of ships and over 80,000 soldiers.

There were only some 12,000 soldiers to defend the city.

After several months of the siege, with the people of Constantinople becoming desperate, the Patriarch Sergius led a procession around the city carrying an icon of the Theotokos, the God-bearer Mary, praying for deliverance.

A great storm arose and in the huge waves most of the ships of the attackers were sunk and the enemy retreated. The people then spontaneously filled the Church of the Theotokos and spent the night giving thanks to Our Lady, chanting praises including the Akathistos.

The name Akathistos in Greek means literally not seated. In the Eastern tradition, the people always stand while reciting the prayer as they do

Q&A FR JOHN FLADER

while listening to the Gospel.

The Akathistos is divided into four sections, corresponding to the themes of the Annunciation, Nativity, Christ and finally the Theotokos herself. In Lent, one part is used on each of the four first Friday evenings and the entire Akathistos is recited on the fifth Friday.

The prayer consists of 24 stanzas, each consisting of a Kontakion, or prayer, followed by an Oikos, with responses of the people. The first word of each Oikos begins with a different letter of the Greek alphabet, from the first to the last.

The first Kontakion makes reference to Our Lady’s power in defending the people: “Queen of the Heavenly Host, defender of our souls, we thy servants offer to thee songs of

The Akathistos is one of the most wellknown prayers or hymns to Mary in the Eastern tradition. victory and thanksgiving, for thou, O Mother of God, hast delivered us from dangers. But as thou hast invincible power, free us from conflicts of all kinds that we may cry to thee.”

The people respond: “Rejoice, unwedded Bride!”

This is followed by the Oikos, which says: “An Archangel was sent from Heaven to say to the Mother of God: Rejoice! And seeing Thee, O Lord, taking bodily form, he was amazed and with his bodiless voice he stood crying to her such things as these.” The people respond with a series of chants, beginning: “Rejoice, thou through whom joy will flash forth! Rejoice, thou through whom the curse will cease! Rejoice, revival of fallen Adam! ...”

Fr Vincent McNabb, who translated the hymn into English in London in 1934, wrote in his foreword that no apology was needed for introducing the Akathistos to the Christian West and, indeed, that the West might well be apologetic about its neglect, or ignorance of such a liturgical and literary masterpiece.

14

VISTA

therecord.com.au

May 30, 2012

PENTECOST Wednesday every

There’s nothing quite like being up close to the Successor of Peter, writes Bridget Spinks, after a recent trip to the Vatican.

I

was at the Papal Audience on the Wednesday between the Pope’s birthday (April 16) and the seventh anniversary of his election to the See of Peter (April 19).

The experience of being present on that day when the world wished Pope Benedict “Happy Birthday”, taught me something: that it’s very special to be close to the Pope.

I was as close to as I have ever been because this time, our group had seats in the section on the steps of St Peter’s. Anyone can get tickets to the weekly audience; I have been at least twice before, but never really understood why it was so special to go along.

I was in Rome for a congress for Church communications offices, and attending the weekly audience was part of the program. There were 300 participating in the conference and we were asked to congregate around 9am outside the Sala Stampa (Press Room) to collect our tickets and head over to St Peter’s Square. It was sunny, so the Audience would be outside in the Square.

There was no rush to get in this time and, in the end, the square was less than half full but there were still hundreds of thousands of people gathered to hear their Shepherd preach. They extended out to the Obelisk; a popular modern meeting point and monument that was erected in the Colonnade Square in the 16th century at the wish of Pope Sixtus V. I heard a marching band warm up while the crowd piled in. Our seats were on the other side of St Peter’s – the Sistine Chapel side – and we walked past the very seat where St Peter’s successor would sit.

Right on time, at 10.30, the Pope Mobile came in from the other side, with the Holy Father standing, waving, smiling and greeting the flock who had come to support him.

The scene was a throwback to the

Palm Sunday of the New Testament; where people once rejoiced to see Jesus ride in on donkey-back, we rejoiced to see his representative come in just the same.

I have always been taken with the event of Pentecost, when the apostles preached in their own language and everyone understood. It’s like Pentecost every time we go to a Papal Audience, because we do get to hear something in our own language.

The reading was proclaimed in English as well as other main languages and Pope Benedict read a synopsis of the sermon in English.

But the bulk of his homily – for some 13 minutes – he read in Italian and there was a certain hush that fell across the crowd.

Pope Benedict preached on Christian prayer. He has been giving a series of Catecheses on this.

He focused on the “little Pentecost” (Acts 4:31), which came when the “nascent Church” was in time of trial.

He emphasised an important basic attitude the early Christians had when faced with persecution for preaching about the Resurrection.

“When the first Christian community is confronted by dangers, difficulties and threats it does not attempt to work out how to react, find strategies, defend itself or what measures to adopt; rather, when it is put to the test, the community starts to pray and makes contact with God,” he said.

Trying to find a little peace and quiet in bustling daily life or Rome on any given day is not always easy, but here the Pope - even while preaching in Italian - had a captive audience, just like Jesus did during the Sermon on the Mount.

And yet, the summary of the homily given in English was all I needed to hear.

It’s an interesting phenomenon, because these days, we don’t really

go to the Papal Audience any more to hear the preaching and understand it while we are sitting there.

That’s what the Internet is for; we can easily access the address and read it later if we really want to know what he said to us that day.

I learnt that day I was sitting in the Audience on the steps of St Peter’s Basilica, and later took photos just metres from where he stood on the Pope Mobile, that we make an effort to be present not only to see the Holy Father, in the flesh, but to let him know that we exist too: that he is our Shepherd and we are his flock; that we are together, that we are behind him, that we support him.

The Master of Ceremonies announced that the Englishspeaking group of people who were

“present” at the audience wished to express to him their affection and good wishes for the seventh anniversary of his election to the See of Peter.

“They also wish to assure you of prayers for your ministry as universal pastor,” the MC announced. The crowd cheered.

Then the MC called out the name of a group that was listed as being present and that group would cheer from wherever they were in the Square.

From the English-speaking world he announced that there was: “a group of Zambian Catholics; students and faculty from Leeds Trinity University College; and the Westminster Cathedral choir school” and they cheered.

“From Ireland, members of

the Fraternity of St Genesis,” who clapped; “From Finland, members of the Association of Lutheran Priests” who clapped and cheered; and the list went on.

A group of pilgrims from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam were listed.

“From Canada, students and professors from the Faculty of Canon Law, St Paul’s University, Ottowa”, who cheered, followed by mentions of the American parishes represented that day.

This is a practical way for the Pope to get a sense for who was in his Audience and he connects with thousands in a matter of minutes. A wave here, a smile there. Amazing.

Some Italians who were prepared for the birthday sang him Happy Birthday in Italian and some

VISTA

therecord.com.au May 30, 2012

15

‘There but for the grace of God’ is modus operandi Many think he’s crazy but Fr Peter Carroll finds grace in his ministry of prison chaplain and insists on the value and dignity of the individual, as he tells Debbie Warrior.

I

Scenes from a visit to Rome which took in St Peter’s Square and Domus Australia among other sites.

PHOTOS: BRIDGET SPINKS

Spanish pilgrims did the same in their native tongue.

It was like attending his birthday party on the global stage.

The tune to Happy Birthday is the same in Italian and Spanish as it is in English, so the rest of us in the Audience could chime in.

But it was also a very human moment to realise that our Pontiff - who is the head of the Catholic Church in the world, a successor of St Peter and the apostles and, more recently, of Bl Pope John Paul II – is also a human person, just like us, and he also has a birthday.

This year, he turned 85. And he is still working, still remaining true to what God has called him to, still bearing witness to the Light, still running the race, still being

Catholic, still leading the way to Heaven.

His preaching, teachings and works are all ways we can read our ways into getting to know the mind and heart of Joseph Ratzinger, who is Pope Benedict XVI. He in turn leads us to know the holy trinity of persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Being there on his birthday didn’t just bring us closer to him, it brought him closer to us.

Pope Benedict XVI is a real person, prone to human weakness, frailty, old age and yet, supported by the grace of God, he came among us and is sustained among us through prayer – through our prayers.

Prayer has a way of bringing about spiritual unity between those who pray for one another: there is a parting phrase pilgrims say to one another, which I heard in French last year, union de priere (united in prayer, or union of prayer).

In response to the well wishes, Pope Benedict expressed his heartfelt thanks for the congratulations on his anniversary and his birthday and asked for prayers.

“I ask you always to sustain me with your prayers so that with the help of the Holy Spirit I may persevere in my service to Christ and to the Church.”

Archbishop Barry Hickey and Pope Benedict XVI have the same birthday, nine years apart – 16 April.

PRAY mostly by personal meditation and run a weekly meditation group for prisoners. I find it gives me a simple appreciation for God’s presence. It is also an opportunity for me to invite prisoners to know God and find the beauty within. As a prison chaplain, I don’t tell people how they should be or the way they should pray but start with where they are in their relationship with a God who stands by them.

I started in prison ministry in 2003, part time in the women’s prison at Silverwater and began full time ministry in 2005 at the Long Bay complex.

Most of my time is spent in the five prisons at Long Bay but I also regularly attend four of the prisons at the Silverwater complex, including the women’s prison. I am available for sacramental and some program support. The role of prison chaplain overlaps and interlocks with most of the non-custodial services of psychology, welfare, education and health.

Many prisoners have poor self-image, are mentally ill, intellectually handicapped, from impoverished socioeconomic backgrounds and in some way vulnerable. In prison, there is nowhere to hide. The systemic violence of the environment provokes bullying and abuse of various kinds and it becomes a school for criminality.

Further, a general lack of funding along with the continuing growth in people being incarcerated means a growing lack in services and staffing cutbacks, both custodial and non-custodial, thereby leaving little time for the best of staff to respond even adequately to prisoners, let alone compassionately.

I am over expecting a change in the cruelty of life in prison.

Instead, I try to counter that, insisting on the value and dignity of each person.

I believe the heart of my ministry is to be the Good News of God’s love to people.

It is a matter of discovering the goodness that is at work in each person’s life, getting to know the God who has always been there.

My favourite mantra has

How I Pray DEBBIE WARRIER

become: ‘There but for the grace of God’.

It is imperative communitybased aftercare systems be established in order to bring positive change to ex-offenders’ behaviour and communities in general, like the Cana Community in Sydney where I am based. Presently, Cana and I are in partnership developing a post-release support network to mentor those whom Cana can assist with integration into the community.

The Catholic Chaplains, New South Wales Network facilitated the inaugural National Catholic Prison Chaplains Conference in 2009. The Conference nominated me

Meditation gives me a simple appreciation for God’s presence and is an opportunity to invite prisoners to know God and find the beauty within. as delegate to the Australian Bishops Conference to attend the International Commission for Catholic Prison Pastoral Care Conference 2011 and my nomination was accepted by the Bishops. The Network is presently in the process of establishing a national network of prison chaplains and collaborating on a national statement from them with the hope of encouraging a more compassionate disposition to prisoners and those affected by incarceration in Australia.

People think what I do is crazy. I respect their opinion but have the courage that comes from conviction.

It’s not always easy to deal with the crime, like in the case of murder. But that is always only a part of their life story.

There is a need for forgiveness as well as accountability.

Faith is a way of living.

16

OPINION

EDITORIAL

Time is ripe for a Year of Grace WHEN Pope John Paul II decided to offer the Church some guidance as it entered into the third millennium, he reflected on what he saw as a fundamental aspect of the Church’s life and mission. At that time, 12 years ago, he posed a very significant question. It is one which is still urgent today. This is what he said: Is it not the Church’s task to reflect the light of Christ in every historical period, to make his face shine also before the generations of the new millennium? I think it is worth our while to reflect on this question for a moment. People sometimes ask what the Church is for. Even the most faithful and committed Catholics can wonder sometimes what we are supposed to be doing and just why it is that God has given us the gift of faith. After all, God doesn’t seem to offer this gift to everyone. Certainly not everyone has accepted it. In Pope John Paul’s thinking, the reason for the Church’s existence is really fairly simple. We are a people, a community, who are called by God to make the face of Christ shine for the people of our own time and place. The Pope challenged us with this simple but demanding statement 12 years ago. We are still challenged by it today. How do we, as a Catholic community here in the Archdiocese of Perth, reflect the face of Christ to others? How do we reflect his face to each other? And how do I, a member of the Church, in the particular circumstances of my own daily life, make Christ’s face shine for others? These are the questions which have prompted the Catholic Bishops of Australia to call for a Year of Grace. It will begin on Pentecost Sunday this year and will conclude 12 months later, on Pentecost Sunday in 2013.

This Year of Grace is not so much a call and an invitation to do something as it is a call and an invitation to be something. At its heart, it is a call and an invitation to be, and become more and more, a disciple of Jesus. It is a call to really come to know him more deeply and to love him more completely – in other words, to put him at the heart of our lives where he really belongs. The knowing and the loving of Jesus will lead us to serve him more faithfully.

And when we know him, and love him and serve him, we really will be his disciples and we really will make his face shine before the people of our own time – our families, our friends, our work colleagues, our parish community, our needy brothers and sisters, all the people we encounter in our daily lives.

The sad thing is that we, the members of the Church, are not always successful in this great task and privilege of making the face of Christ shine. Certainly, our own weakness and sinfulness betray us, but it is also true that sometimes we get so caught up in the various issues and challenges that confront the Church, whether they be at the level of the worldwide Church, the archdiocese or our own PO Box 3075 local parish community, that Adelaide Terrace we can easily get lost. We fail PERTH WA 6832 to see the wood for the trees.

This is why Pope John Paul office@therecord.com.au II has said very directly that Tel: (08) 9220 5900 we, as the Church, need to Fax: (08) 9325 4580 get our priorities right. The witness to Christ that we are called to give, he says, would be hopelessly inadequate if we ourselves had not first contemplated the face of Christ. We can only offer Christ to others if we both know him and love him ourselves. Otherwise, we run the risk of putting ourselves and our own ideas and wishes in the place of Christ.

The Year of Grace, then, is a time for us to step back from the problems and the issues and the challenges, not to ignore them but to prepare ourselves to better address them. It is a time for us to shift our gaze and fix our eyes, the eyes of our hearts, on the face of Christ. If we want to be in a position to respond to all the challenges we face, then the very best thing we can do is start afresh from Christ and make him the centre of our lives, of our initiatives, of our hopes and dreams for our Church, for our society and for our world.

So, here is the invitation. Come to know Christ once again by meeting him in the pages of the Gospels. Open yourselves to him by finding him in the celebration of the Eucharist. Encounter him by entering into moments of prayer and meditation. Rediscover him by tracing the pattern of his presence and his love in your life. Spend time with him in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

Share your discovery and your experience of him with others. If we all do this, Christ will shape our minds and hearts so that we can recognise him and meet him in others and serve him in them. This is the challenge of the Year of Grace. It is the journey to which the bishops of Australia are committing ourselves: it is the journey in which we are hoping you will join us. Together, with God’s grace, we can enable the face of Christ to shine before the people of our own place and time. Our own Year of Grace will become a Year of Grace for everyone, a special gift which we can offer to all who are open to receive it.

This is an edited version of the transcript from Archbishop Timothy Costelloe’s Year of Grace launch video.

therecord.com.au

May 30, 2012

A fiance, a baby, a plan and the belief that God is love Alison Berrisford tells her story to Debbie Warrior

We can only offer Christ to others if we both know him and love him ourselves.

THE RECORD

B

ECOMING Catholic is a journey I have been on for some time. In 2002, things were very different for me. I had lost my job and come out of a long term relationship. I felt alone and very depressed so I saw a psychologist and got counselling.

I decided I needed someone full time in my life, not just when times were tough. I researched different religions, like Buddhism.

I read a lot of books and went onto the internet. I tried different churches but never felt I belonged.

Then I went to the RCIA with an open mind and found a religion I could commit to. I think deep down I have believed in God since I was a teenager and since turning to him I feel at peace and very positive about my future. I was welcomed into the Church in Easter 2012.

I recently became a mum and my seven week old daughter Taylor has become the centre of my life.

Things that would have worried me before don’t anymore. My fiancé, Brendan Stanley, is Catholic and we plan to get married at St Thomas More Church in Margaret River this year. I knew I always wanted to get married in the Church and I want to give my children the opportunity I never had, which is to be brought up in the Catholic faith. I want them to have those core values the Catholic faith believes in. My mother has also become Catholic so her conversion, marrying a Catholic, motherhood, all influ-

Why I became

Catholic

DEBBIE WARRIER

enced my decision to be Catholic too. Becoming Catholic is like getting married. You have a relationship with God and are making a commitment to him.

Now I want to get married in front of God and to honour him.

I think that decision has brought my fiancé and me closer. I believe a wedding in the Catholic Church is the right thing to do and God is

“It was a really powerful feeling that was difficult to explain but from then on a lot of things made sense.” the reason we met one another. He has guided me and helped me make so many great decisions in my life.

If I listen to him, I can’t go wrong.

Last year, I had a miscarriage.

When I lost my baby, I lost hope that I would be able to have another child again. I realised I couldn’t do everything by myself and that I needed help.

Again, I turned to God. I found I could relate to the Bible passage where the Archangel Gabriel visits

Our Lady and tells her she is going to have a child and her cousin Elizabeth is also pregnant. I connected with that and it gave my hope back. They said Elizabeth was barren, yet she had a child. I realised everything is possible through God. That’s why I chose the name Gabriel for my Confirmation.

At first I thought the Catholic faith was like, “You should do this” and “You should do that.”

But through the RCIA I learnt it is not like that at all. I found the coordinators quite nonjudgemental and very supportive of my journey.

Now I know we all need rules to guide us, like children. We are all God’s children and he is not going to punish us for our mistakes. I am looking forward to my first Reconciliation as that is where you receive the grace of God. I believe I get messages from God through the Mass, Bible readings, family, friends and nature. I remember the first message I got and it was: God is Love. I was on my own, feeling really down and that thought came to me. Where did that come from? It must have come from God. It was a really powerful feeling that was difficult to explain but from then on a lot of things made sense.

Time and time again, God has shown himself to me. Like when things have turned out ok when I didn’t expect them to.

Becoming Catholic is one of the best and most important decisions I have ever made.

OPINION

therecord.com.au May 30, 2012

17

How could we simply leave these babies to die?

The “A” word remains a troubling issue in our society and still, some don’t want to know, writes the Hon Nick Goiran.

W

E LIVE in a society full of contradictions.

You may have read an opinion piece (The Record, March 7, 2012) about how two academics from Melbourne University came to the “logical” conclusion that afterbirth abortion (or in plain terms, infanticide) is permissible. Here, it appears the conduct of some medical practitioners in our hospitals is effectively in line with this view and has resulted in abhorrent outcomes.

On May 24, 2011 it came to light, through Parliamentary questioning, that since 1998 when abortion became legal in WA there have been 14 babies born alive after an abortion procedure and left to die. These are 14 citizens who have been born and subsequently deprived of the right to medical care and attention, simply because the first attempt to kill them was unsuccessful.

Isn’t it tragic that our society has so confused and distorted the rights of women that it permits the killing of innocent children? It reminds me of the stories of how, during the Roman Empire, people who did not want their babies left them at the base of a wall, to be dealt with

by the natural elements. How is it that in the 21st century, in what we consider to be a civilised society, these 14 babies have simply been left to die?

Under the WA Criminal Code, section 269: “A child becomes a person capable of being killed when it has completely proceeded in a living state from the body of its mother …”

So not only is it morally wrong to leave these babies to die, but also illegal. A year has passed since this information came to light and still there has been no substantive inquiry. Nothing is being done to prevent future babies suffering the same fate. This is not a problem with the law, but with either its understanding or alternatively its enforcement.

These deaths are in stark contrast with the care expected in our health system. King Edward Memorial Hospital is renowned for the high standard of care taken to preserve the lives of babies born prematurely.

On Tuesday, May 22, 2012 an enormous crowd attended the Rally for Life, with the procession from King’s Park to Parliament.

It was at this rally that members of Parliament from both sides of

the political spectrum stood up for the rights of the unborn and denounced our current culture of death.

Abortion (which in parliament I refer to as the “A” word) is a controversial issue, and is often the last thing parliamentarians want to discuss. In fact, it seems to me the “A” word tends to cause a type of

paralysis amongst MPs. This issue, however, goes beyond abortion, beyond personal views, to the very core of our values as a society.

Despite the many petitions of concerned individuals, nothing is being done to investigate these deaths.

In fact, it seems at one level that everything is being done to avoid

investigating these tragic circumstances.

I implore you to engage on this extraordinary issue and articulate to your local MP that this issue needs to be addressed.

Hon Nick Goiran MLC is three years into his first term as a Member for the South Metropolitan Region in the Parliament of Western Australia

Fussing the joy out of vibrant living What will happen to the grandeur that wildness can bring as we are shepherded through experiences?

Clear view GUY CROUCHBACK

I

N my teens and 20s, I spent a good deal of time at Penguin Island, a wonderful place, close to the city and yet a completely different world.

In the off-season, it was little visited. Once, I hired one of the two bungalows then standing there for about ten days, listening at night to the penguins calling under the floorboards. There was nobody to interfere with them, or with me. I remember reading Chesterton’s The Everlasting Man there.

I won’t go into everything that was to be seen, because, as Jim Hawkins said when concealing the bearings of Treasure Island, “There is treasure still unlifted”, even if it is a different sort of treasure to that which Jim was writing about. I’ll just say that, for a tiny island, it had a variety of wild and fascinating landscapes and wildlife.

Last time I went there overnight stays were forbidden, and there was a walkway for visitors between the penguin burrows.

One site advertising Penguin Island on the Internet speaks of: “The Penguin Experience Discovery Centre, touch table, interpretive signage and friendly rangers offer(ing) a range of educational and interpretive experiences for both children and adults.”

Another tells us: “The Penguin Experience Island Discovery Centre allows visitors to see little penguins up close in an environment similar to their natural habitat, and learn about them through feedings, commentaries and displays. The birds that live in this facility have either been rejected by their mothers as chicks, and raised by wildlife carers or nursed back to health after injury.

They would otherwise have died.

They have now become so used to people that they would probably be unable to survive in the wild.

Visitors can also enjoy picnic areas, lookouts, pristine beaches and the beauty of the island itself.

Snorkelling, scuba diving, swimming, surfing and exploring the island’s network of boardwalks and walkways are other popular pursuits.

A newly constructed boardwalk provides access between the jetty, picnic area, toilets and The Penguin Experience Island Discovery Centre for people with disabilities.”

The island is closed at night.

My first time in Britain, I visited Stonehenge. The ancient stones were standing silent in a field.

Now, I am told, one enters the area through a sort of mini-tube station with turnstiles, audiovisual displays

etc, etc. I am fully aware that at both Penguin Island and Stonehenge protection and preservation is necessary.

I have spent some time in a wheelchair and have nothing against people with disabilities being catered for; quite the reverse.

I have no doubt the Penguin Island rangers are friendly. The stones are better protected from grafitti and vandalism. And yet … something has been lost. Have we become, like the penguins, unable to survive in the Wild?

There is a real dilemma or paradox here, quite difficult to express.

The ultimate end would seem to be a condition in which nothing is left to itself. Everything is

ticketed, audiovisually interpreted or explained, nothing remains for people to discover for themselves (“Queue here for solitude?”). It must all come as a prepackaged “experience”. The Jesuit poet Gerald Manley Hopkins was, in Victorian times, one of the first I know to write on the strange contradiction in our attitude to nature, that when we try “to mend her, we end her.”

It was he who said in one of his most famous poems, “The World is charged with the grandeur of God” and that grandeur is to be found in all manner of aspects of nature.

And not only nature, but anything in the world of excitement, uniqueness and wonder. When, in Britain, I read of plans to convert

yet another famous historic site into a theme park, an idol for the god of tourism, I felt something not far removed from rage.

I remember the strange thrill I felt in Cornwall when, late one night, I stopped my camper van in a field and, when dawn broke, found I was parked between two megalithic standing stones, without a signpost anywhere in sight, standing stones which no one had directed me to, sold me a ticket to, or set up an audiovisual information booth in order to explain them to me. They stood alone and silent but for bird calls, as they had stood for thousands of years. It was suddenly like being on the barrowdowns in The Lord of The Rings.

18

PANORAMA

SATURDAY, JUNE 2 Day with Mary 9am-5pm at St Gerard Majella’s Parish, cnr Ravenswood Dr and Majella Rd, Mirrabooka.

Day of prayer and instruction based on the Fatima message. 9am video; 10.10am Holy Mass; Reconciliation, procession of the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic Adoration, sermons on Eucharist and Our Lady, Rosaries and Stations of the Cross. BYO lunch. Enq: Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate 9250 8286.

Big Meditation Day - the Christian Meditation Community (WA) 10am-3.30pm at Redemptorist Monastery Retreat Centre, Vincent St, North Perth. “Meditation and prayer in our lives” by Fr Michael Leek. Christian meditation will be introduced. Cost: donation.

BYO lunch. Morning tea provided. Enq: CMC (WA) – 0429 117 242.

Inner Healing One Day Retreat 9.30am-5pm at Holy Family Parish, Lot 375, Alcock St, Maddington. Includes talks on Holy Eucharist, Reconciliation, prayers for inner and physical healing. Cost: free – but registration is required. BYO lunch. Registration and Enq: Aristen 0407 472 677.

A Morning Retreat, ‘Inner Freedom and Healing’ 9-12pm at Inigo Centre Director, MacKillop Room John XXIII College. Presenter: Murray Graham.

Cost: Donation for Inigo Centre. Registration and Enq: Murray 9383 0444 or graham.murray@ johnxxiii.edu.au .

NEXT WEEK SUNDAY, JUNE 3 AND SUNDAY, JUNE 17 Latin Mass - Kelmscott 2pm at Good Shepherd Parish, Streich Ave, Kelmscott. Enq: John 9390 6646.

TUESDAY, JUNE 5 The Body and Blood of Christ - Feast of Corpus Christi 7-8pm at St Benedict’s School Hall, Alness St, Applecross. Presented by Norma Woodcock. View a weekly short video broadcast at www.thefaith. org.au. Cost: collection. Accredited - CEO - Faith Formation for ongoing renewal - $10 reg. Enq: Norma 9487 1772 or www.normawoodcock.com.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7 Prayer in Taize style 7.30-8.30pm at Our Lady of Grace Parish, 3 Kitchener St, North Beach. Prayer, song and silence in candlelight – the symbol of the light of Christ.

Enq: Beth 9448 4888 or Joan 9448 4457.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7 TO FRIDAY, JUNE 15 Novena Rosary in preparation for Triduum St Simon Peter Parish, Prendiville Ave, Ocean Reef: Thursday 7: After 9am Mass; Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri: 8am; Sat: after 8.30am Mass; Sun: after 8am Mass.

Novena Intention: That the plan of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary will be realised in the world - with the approval of Archbishop Emeritus B J Hickey and Archbishop T Costelloe. Enq: Beatrice 9409 6473.

SATURDAY, JUNE 9 Divine Mercy Healing Mass 2.30pm at St Francis Xavier Parish, Windsor St, East Perth. Main celebrant: Fr Marcellinus.

Reconciliation in English and Italian. Followed

by Divine Mercy prayers and veneration of first class relic of St Faustina Kowalska. Refreshment afterwards. Enq: John 9457 7771.

UPCOMING

socialisation after Mass. Enq: Fr Nelson Po 0410 843 412, Elsa 0404 03 8483.

SATURDAY, JUNE 16 AND SUNDAY, JUNE 17

Evening Adoration and Mass 7pm at St Thomas Parish, Claremont, cnr Melville St and College Rd. Eucharistic adoration, reconciliation, evening prayer and benediction, followed by Mass and night prayer at 8pm. Enq: Kim on 9384 0598 or email to claremont@perthcatholic.org.au.

Books Books Books 10am-4pm at Myaree Parish, Evershed St, Myaree.

Pater Noster School/ parish hall.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21 Auslan Café - Australian Sign Language 10.30am-12pm at Emmanuel Centre, 25 Windsor St, Perth. Learn sign language and share a cuppa.

Following dates: Thursday, July 26; Thursday, August 16; Thursday, September 20. Enq: Emma 9328 8113 or emmanuelcentre@westnet.com.au.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30 Embracing Womanhood A Spiritual Dimension Over a Cup of Tea 9am-2.30pm at St Thomas More Bateman Parish Hall, cnr Dean and Marsengo Rds, Bateman. Mass celebrant: Fr Clayton. Cost: $5. BYO: lunch, morning tea provided. Daycare available for children.

Enq: Gertrude 0411 262 221 or Brenda 0403 226 350 or Carolin 0432 855 605.

TUESDAY, JULY 10 TO SUNDAY, JULY 15 RSCM Choristers Camp At WA College of Agriculture, Narrogin. Stay tuned for more info. Enq: 9332 4994 or tburbid@bigpond.net.au.

REGULAR EVENTS EVERY SUNDAY Gate of Heaven Catholic Radio Join the Franciscans of the Immaculate from 7.309pm on Radio Fremantle 107.9FM for Catholic radio broadcast of EWTN and our own live shows. Enq: radio@ausmaria.com.

Pilgrim Mass - Shrine of the Virgin of the Revelation 2pm at Shrine, 36 Chittering Rd, Bullsbrook.

Commencing with Rosary followed by benediction.

Reconciliation is available before every celebration.

Anointing of the sick administered during Mass every second Sunday of the month. Pilgrimage in honour of the Virgin of the Revelation last Sunday of the month. Side entrance to church and shrine open daily between 9am-5pm. Enq Sacri 9447 3292.

EVERY FIRST SUNDAY St Mary’s Cathedral Youth Group – Fellowship with Pizza 5pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, 17 Victoria Sq, Perth.

Begins with youth Mass followed by fellowship downstairs in parish centre. Bring a plate to share.

Enq: Bradley on youthfromsmc@gmail.com.

Singles Prayer and Social Group 7pm at All Saints Chapel, Allendale Sq, 77 St George’s Terrace, Perth. Begins with a Holy Hour (Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary and a teaching) followed by dinner at a local restaurant. Meet new people, pray and socialise with other single men and women. Enq: Veronica 0403 841 202.

Divine Mercy 1.30pm at St Francis Xavier Parish, 25 Windsor St, East Perth. Homily: The Body and Blood of Jesus. Main Celebrant: Fr Johnson Malayil.

With Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Reconciliation, Holy Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Divine Mercy prayers, followed by Benediction and veneration of first class relic of St Faustina Kowalska. Refreshments afterwards.

Next Divine Mercy: Sunday, June 3. Enq: John 9457 7771.

EVERY SECOND SUNDAY Healing Hour 7-8pm at St Lawrence Parish, Balcatta. Join us for songs of praise and worship, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and prayers for the sick. Enq: Fr Irek Czech SDS or parish office Tues - Thur, 9am2.30pm 9344 7066.

THURSDAY, JUNE 14

EVERY THIRD SUNDAY

Healing Mass in honour of St Peregrine – Patron of Cancer 7pm at Sts John and Paul Parish, Corner of Pinetree Gully Rd and Wainwright Cl, Willetton. Includes veneration of the Relic of St Peregrine – Patron Saint of cancer sufferers and helper of all in need - and anointing of the sick. Enq: Jim 9457 1539.

Oblates of St Benedict – Meeting 2pm at St Joseph’s Convent, York St, South Perth.

For all interested in studying the Rule of St Benedict and its relevance to the everyday life of today for laypeople: Vespers and afternoon tea afterwards. Enq: Secretary 9457 5758.

FRIDAY, JUNE 15 TO SUNDAY, JUNE 17 Triduum - Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary St Simon Peter Parish, Prendiville Ave, Ocean Reef: Fri, June 15 - Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: 6.20pm Rosary and Litanies; 7pm Holy Mass and Consecration followed by Benediction.

Sat, June 16 - Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: 5.20pm Rosary and Litanies; 6pm Holy Mass and Consecration followed by Benediction.

Sun, June 17 - The Lord’s Day: 4.20pm Rosary and Litanies; 5pm Holy Mass and Consecration followed by Benediction. Celebrant: Fr Zygmunt Smigowski . Enq: Beatrice 9409 6473.

SATURDAY, JUNE 16 10th Anniversary of St Padre Pio’s Cannonisation 5pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, Victoria Sq, Perth.

Begins with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, Divine Mercy, Adoration and Benediction.

May 30, 2012

Confessions available. 6pm Mass. We are also celebrating the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Enq: Des 6278 1540.

Eucharistic Hour 3pm at Our Lady’s Assumption Parish, Grand Prom, Dianella. Eucharistic hour - World Apostolate of Fatima. Enq: Diana 9339 2614.

SUNDAY, JUNE 10

therecord.com.au

EVERY FOURTH SUNDAY Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood, Religious Life 2-3pm at Infant Jesus Parish, Wellington St, Morley. The hour includes exposition of the blessed Eucharist, silent prayer, scripture and prayers of intercession. Come and pray that those discerning vocations can hear clearly God’s call.

EVERY SECOND AND FOURTH MONDAY A Ministry to the Un-Churched 12.30-1.30pm at St John’s Pro-Cathedral, Victoria Ave, Perth (opposite church offices). With charismatic praise, and prayer teams available. Help us ‘reach out to the pagans’ or soak in the praise. Enq: Dan 9398 4973.

EVERY LAST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH Filipino Mass 3pm at Notre Dame Church, cnr Daley and Wright Sts, Cloverdale. Please bring a plate to share for

EVERY MONDAY

LAST MONDAY OF THE MONTH Be Still in His Presence – Ecumenical Christian Program 7.30-8.45pm at St Swithun Anglican Church, 195 Lesmurdie St, Lesmurdie (hall behind church).

Begins with songs of praise and worship, silent time, lectio divina, small group sharing and a cuppa at the end. Enq: Lynne 9293 3848 or 043 5252 941.

EVERY TUESDAY Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal 6pm at Pater Noster Church, Marmion and Evershed Sts, Myaree. Mass at 5.30pm followed by benediction. Enq: John 040 8952 194.

Novena to God the Father 7.30pm at St Joachim’s parish hall, Victoria Park.

Novena followed by reflection and discussions on forthcoming Sunday Gospel. Enq: Jan 9284 1662.

EVERY FIRST TUESDAY Short MMP Cenacle for Priests 2pm at Edel Quinn Centre, 36 Windsor St, East Perth. Enq: Fr Watt 9376 1734.

EVERY WEDNESDAY Holy Spirit of Freedom Community 7.30pm at The Church of Christ, 111 Stirling St, Perth. We are delighted to welcome everyone to attend our Holy Spirit of Freedom praise meeting.

Enq: 042 3907 869 or hsofperth@gmail.com.

Bible Study at Cathedral 6.15pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, 17 Victoria Sq, Perth.

Deepen your faith through reading and reflecting on holy Scripture by Fr Jean-Noel. Meeting room beneath Cathedral. Enq: Marie 9223 1372.

Holy Hour - Catholic Youth Ministry CYM is back in 2012. Mass at 5.30pm and Holy Hour (adoration) at 6.30pm at the Catholic Pastoral Centre, 40A Mary St, Highgate. Enq: www.cym.com or 9422 7912.

Adonai Ladies Prayer Group 10am in the upper room of St Joseph’s Parish, 3 Salvado Rd, Subiaco. Come and join us for charismatic prayer and praise. Enq. Win 9387 2802 or Noreen 9298 9938.

EVERY FIRST WEDNESDAY Holy Hour Prayer for Priests 7.30-8.30pm at Holy Spirit Parish, 2 Keaney Pl, City Beach. All welcome. Enq: Linda 9341 3079.

Novena to St Mary of the Cross MacKillop 7-7.45pm at Blessed Mary MacKillop Parish, cnr Cassowary Dr and Pelican Pde, Ballajura. Begins with Mass, novena prayers and Benediction.

Followed by healing prayers and anointing of the sick. Enq: Madi 9249 9093 or Gerry 0417 187 240.

EVERY SECOND WEDNESDAY Chaplets of Divine Mercy 7.30pm at St Thomas More Parish, Dean Rd, Bateman, on the second Wednesday of each month. A powerful, prayerful, sung devotion accompanied by Exposition and followed by Benediction. Next devotion: Wednesday, June 13.

Enq: George 9310 9493 or 6242 0702(w).

EVERY THURSDAY Divine Mercy 11am at Ss John and Paul Church, Pinetree Gully Rd, Willetton. Pray the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy and for the consecrated life, especially here in John Paul Parish. Concludes with veneration of the first class relic of St Faustina. Please do come and join us in prayer. Enq: John 9457 7771.

St Mary’s Cathedral Praise Meeting 7.45pm every Thursday at the Legion of Mary’s Edel Quinn Centre, 36 Windsor St, East Perth. Includes praise, song and healing ministry. Enq: Kay 9382 3668 or fmi@flameministries.org.

Group Fifty - Charismatic Renewal Group 7.30pm at the Redemptorist Monastery, 150 Vincent St, North Perth. Includes prayer, praise and Mass. Enq: Elaine 9440 3661.

EVERY FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH Prayer in Style of Taizé 7.30-8.30pm at Our Lady of Grace Parish, 3 Kitchener St, North Beach. Includes prayer, song and silence in candlelight – symbol of Christ the light of the world. Taizé info: www.taize.fr. Enq: secretary 9448 4888 or 9448 4457.

EVERY FIRST FRIDAY Healing Mass 7pm at St Peter’s Parish, Inglewood. Praise and worship, exposition and Eucharistic adoration, Benediction and anointing of the sick followed by holy Mass and fellowship. Celebrants Fr Dat and invited priests. 6.45pm Reconciliation. Enq: Mary Ann 0409 672 304, Prescilla 0433 457 352 and Catherine 043 3923 083.

Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life 7pm at Little Sisters of the Poor Chapel, 2 Rawlins St, Glendalough. Mass followed by adoration with Fr Doug Harris. All welcome. Refreshments provided.

Healing and Anointing Mass 8.45am Pater Noster Church, Evershed St, Myaree.

Begins with Reconciliation followed by 9am Mass of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, anointing of the sick and prayers to St Peregrine. Enq: Joy 9337 7189.

Catholic Faith Renewal Evening 7.30pm at Ss John and Paul Parish, Pinetree Gully Rd, Willetton – Songs of Praise and Prayer, sharing by a priest followed by thanksgiving Mass and light refreshments after Mass. Enq: Kathy 9295 0913 or Ann 0412 166 164 or catholicfaithrenewal@gmail.com.

Communion of Reparation All Night Vigils 7pm-1.30am at Corpus Christi Church, Lochee St, Mosman Park or St Gerard Majella Church, cnr Ravenswood Dr/Majella Rd, Westminster (Mirrabooka). The Vigils consist of two Masses, Adoration, Benediction, prayers and Confession in reparation for the outrages committed against the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Enq: Vicky 0400 282 357 or Fr Giosue 9349 2315or John/Joy 9344 2609.

EVERY SECOND FRIDAY OF THE MONTH Discover the Spirituality of St Francis of Assisi 12pm at St Brigid’s Catholic Parish Centre. The Secular Franciscans of Midland Fraternity meet for lunch followed by 1-3pm meeting. Enq: Antoinette 9297 2314.

EVERY FIRST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH Healing Mass 12.35pm at St Thomas Parish, cnr Melville St and College Rd, Claremont. Spiritual leader Fr Waddell.

Enq: Kim 9384 0598, claremont@perthcatholic.org. au.

EVERY LAST SATURDAY Novena Devotions – Our Lady Vailankanni of Good Health 5pm at Holy Trinity Parish, 8 Burnett St, Embleton.

Followed by Mass at 6pm. Enq: George 9272 1379.

EVERY FOURTH SATURDAY OF THE MONTH Voice of the Voiceless Healing Mass 12pm at St Brigid’s Parish, 211 Aberdeen St, Northbridge. Bring a plate to share after Mass.

Enq: Frank 9296 7591 or 0408 183 325.

GENERAL Free Divine Mercy Image for Parishes High quality oil painting and glossy print – Divine Mercy Promotions. Images are of very high quality.

For any parish willing to accept and place inside the church. Oil paintings - 160 x 90cm and glossy print - 100 x 60cm. Enq: Irene 9417 3267 (w).

Sacred Heart Pioneers Is there anyone out there who would like to know more about the Sacred Heart pioneers? If so, please contact Spiritual Director Fr Doug Harris 9444 6131 or John 9457 7771.

St Philomena’s Chapel 3/24 Juna Drive, Malaga. Mass of the day: Monday 6.45am. Vigil Masses: Mon-Fri 4.45pm. Enq: Fr David 9376 1734.

Mary MacKillop Merchandise Available for sale from the Mary MacKillop Centre.

Enq: Sr Maree 041 4683 926 or 08 9334 0933.

Financially Disadvantaged People Requiring Low Care Aged Care Placement The Little Sisters of the Poor community - set in beautiful gardens in the suburb of Glendalough.

“Making the elderly happy, that is everything!” St Jeanne Jugan (foundress). Registration and enq: Sr Marie 9443 3155.

Resource Centre for Personal Development The Holistic Health Seminar “The Instinct to Heal’’, every Tuesday 3-4.30pm; and RCPD2 “Internalise Principles of Successful Relationships and Use Emotional Intelligence and Communication Skills” every Tuesday 4.30-6.30pm, 197 High St, Fremantle - Tuesdays 3-4.30pm. Enq: Eva 0409

405 585. Bookings are essential.

Courses held at The Faith Centre in 2012 450 Hay St, Perth 1. RCPD2 - Internalise Principles of Successful Relationships and Use Emotional Intelligence and Communication Skills This course provides knowledge of principles that, if applied, will improve all relationships. Skills of self-analysis are taught as well as communication skills. Mondays: 5-7pm, until 10 Dec. For enquiries or bookings ph Paul 0402 222 578.

2. RCPD4 – Increase Personal and Spiritual Awareness and Improve Relationships This course promotes self-awareness and spiritual growth. Emotional development is explained in order to improve understanding between persons. Study of Psychology and Theology. Mondays: 10am–12.30pm, until 10 Dec. For enquiries or bookings ph Eva 0409 405 585.

3. Higher Certificate in Biblical Studies The Higher Certificate of Biblical Studies is a distance education program that can be followed in your own home at your own pace with periodic face-to-face contact workshops. Tutorial assistance is available as required. It is equivalent to a one-year tertiary course, although it is recommended that you aim to complete it in two years.

For enquiries and enrolment, ph The Faith Centre on 6140 2420.

Is your son or daughter unsure of what to do this year?

Suggest a Certificate IV course to discern God’s purpose for their life. They will also learn more about the Catholic faith and develop skills in communication and leadership. Acts 2 College of Mission & Evangelisation (National Code 51452).

Enq: Jane 9202 6859.

AA Alcoholics Anonymous Is alcohol costing you more than just money? Enq: AA 3253 5666.

Saints and Sacred Relics Apostolate Invite SSRA, Perth invites interested parties, parish priests, leaders of religious communities, lay associations, to organise relic visitations to their own parishes, communities, etc. We have available authenticated relics, mostly first-class, of Catholic saints and blesseds including Sts Mary Mackillop, Padre Pio, Anthony of Padua, Therese of Lisieux, Maximilian Kolbe and Simon Stock and Blessed Pope John Paul II. Free of charge and all welcome. Enq: Giovanny 0478 201 092 or ssra-perth@ catholic.org.

Enrolments, Year 7, 2014 La Salle College is now accepting enrolments for Year 7, 2014. For a prospectus and enrolment form please contact college reception on 9274 6266 or email lasalle@lasalle.wa.edu.au.

Pellegrini Books Wanted An order of Sisters in Italy is looking for the following: The Living Pyx of Jesus, Fervourings From Galilee’s Hills, Fervourings From the LoveBroken Heart of Christ, Fervourings From the Lips of the Mast, Listening to the Indwelling Presence, Sheltering the Divine Outcast, Daily Inspection and Cleansing of the Living Temple of God, and Staunch Friends of Jesus, the Lover of Youth. If you are able to help, please contact Justine on 0419 964 624 or justine@waterempire.com.

Secondhand Electric Organ Good working condition. Angela Vigolo would like to give it away to a good home; maybe a parish would like it? Enq: Angela 9276 9317.

Panorama Deadline Friday, 5pm

See Page 20 for the newest and most exclusive books for

2012

CLASSIFIEDS

therecord.com.au May 30, 2012

19

CLASSIFIEDS Deadline: 11am Monday RELIGIOUS PRODUCTS

FURNITURE REMOVAL

CONGRATULATIONS

CATHOLICS CORNER Retailer of Catholic products specialising in gifts, cards and apparel for Baptism, Communion and Confirmation. Ph 9456 1777.

Shop 12, 64-66 Bannister Rd, Canning Vale. Open Mon-Sat.

ALL AREAS. Competitive rates.

Mike Murphy Ph 0416 226 434.

DAVID GALLO MARTINEZ AND YARELIS SANZ ALVAREZ for the birth of your beautiful baby boy: Miguel Eduardo Gallo Sanz.

Born on May 19, weighing 4.8kg, 55cm long. May God bless him abundantly and may Our Lady lead him in the path of sanctity.

We love you Miguelito! From Tia Catherine and Zio Gaetan

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

We are here to serve.

KINLAR VESTMENTS www.kinlarvestments.com.au Quality handmade and decorated vestments: albs, stoles, chasubles, altar linen, banners, etc. 12 Favenc Way, Padbury. By appointment only.

Ph Vickii on 9402 1318, 0409 114 093 or kinlar.vestments@ gmail.com.

BOOK BINDING NEW BOOK BINDING, general book repairs; rebinding; new ribbons; old leather bindings restored. Tydewi Bindery 0422 968 572.

HAIRDRESSER RURI STUDIO FOR HAIR – Vincent and Miki welcome you to their newly opened - international award winning salon. Shop 2, 401 Oxford St, Leederville. 9444 3113.

FOR RENT ROOM FOR RENT IN A CATHOLIC SINGLE WOMEN’S HOUSEHOLD This Mt Hawthorn house is walking distance to Glendalough train station and St Bernadette’s, Glendalough.

Close to the beach and cafes.

We are looking for someone who is a Christian and youngish (2035). Contact: Bridget: 0408 496 610 or Caroline: 0421 818 887.

RENT SCARBOROUGH. FURN 1 BED OVER 55s villa – walk to church. $350/week. Barbara 9341 5346 Pilgrimages

TAX SERVICE QUALITY TAX RETURNS PREPARED by registered tax agent with over 35 years’ experience.

Call Tony Marchei on 0412 055 184 for appointment. AXXO Accounting & Management, Unit 20/222 Walter Rd, Morley.

VICTOR AND ELENA GALLO:

TRADE SERVICES BRENDAN HANDYMAN SERVICES Home, building maintenance, repairs and renovations. NOR. Ph 0427 539 588.

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE Your handyperson. No job too small. SOR. Jim 0413 309 821.

BRICK RE-POINTING Ph Nigel 9242 2952.

PICASSO PAINTING Top service. Ph 0419 915 836, 9345 0557 or fax 9345 0505.

PERROTT PAINTING Pty Ltd For all your residential, commercial painting requirements. Ph Tom Perrott 9444 1200.

LAWNMOWING AND WEED SPRAYING Garden clean ups and rubbish removal. Get rid of bindii, jojo and other unsightly weeds. Based in Tuart Hill. Enq: 9443 9243 or 0402 326 637.

THANKYOU DEAR ST JUDE. Beloved cousin of Jesus – as always, thank you.

Love Joan FR BRIAN HARRIS RIP The members of the Harris family offer heartfelt thanks to the Little Sisters of the Poor and their staff who lovingly nursed Fr Brian. Our gratitude is also extended to those who supported us by attendance at the vigil prayers, funeral Mass and for the many expressions of sympathy that we received.

MISSION ACTIVITIES LEARN HOW TO MAKE ROSARY BEADS for the missions and special Rosaries for family and friends. Phone (02) 6822 1474 or visit our website: OurLadysRosaryMakers.org.au.

Subscribe!!!

Congratulations on becoming grandparents. What a beautiful blessing!

SANTIAGO GALLO DIAZ: Congratulations on your first great-grandson – a little Gallo to carry your name. We love you Papi.

SETTLEMENTS ARE YOU BUYING OR SELLING real estate or a business?

Why not ask Excel Settlements for a quote for your settlement.

We offer reasonable fees, excellent service and no hidden costs.

Ring Excel on 9481 4499 for a quote. Check our web site on www.excelsettlements.com.au.

PILGRIMAGE IN THIS YEAR OF GRACE & FAITH a special Pilgrimage organised to Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. For 24 days (Sep 6-29) to explore holy places in Europe for just AU$5,990. The highlights of the tour: Rome, San Giovanni Rotondo, Lanciano, Loreto, Assisi, Padua, Venice, Milan, Turin, Gerard Majella, La Salette, Nevers, Cure of Ars, Lourdes, Garrabandel, Avila-Fatima, Lisbon, and many more historical and holy places.

Enq: Dax Gatchalian 0420 643 949; Noelene 0426 826 643 or Noelene16@hotmail.com; Fr Emmanuel 0417 999 553 or emmanmaria@yahoo.com or Fr Sam 0426 506 510.

For $85 you can receive a year’s worth of The Record delivered to your house

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C R O S S W O R D ACROSS 1 Judah, to Esau 5 Catholic United States Supreme Court justice 8 Top monk 10 He shared an occupation with Paul (Acts 18:3) 11 Nevada diocese 12 Commandment command 13 Catholic creator of Sherlock Holmes 15 God, in Paris 16 “I will ___ up for David a righteous Branch” (Jer 23:5) 18 The Mass is one 20 Wife of Jacob 24 Man of the ___ 25 Brother of Jacob 26 Donate a portion of money to church 28 “___ Dolorosa” 30 Marriage vows 32 Paul went here when he left Damascus (Gal 1:17) 33 Shroud city 34 Image for the “hope of salvation” (1 Thess 5:8) 35 Death place of Saul (1 Sam 31:1– 6) DOWN 2 Island converted in the 5th century 3 Diocese in Hawaii 4 What Jesus told the blind man to do at the pool of Siloam (Jn 9:7) 5 “O, ___ of wonder…”

6 Non-ordained members of the Church 7 Christian love

W O R D S L E U T H

9 11 14 16 17 19 21 22 23 26 27 28 29 31

Catholic star of “The Life of Riley” On the pale horse, his name was Death (Rev 6:8) “…the greatest of these is ___” (I Cor 13:13) Article of clothing or bone of a saint “…thy will be done on ___” “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” (abbr.)

Pertaining to those who have received Orders St. ___ Bertrand Pater ___ “Lord, ___ us to pray” (Lk 11:1) Peter and Andrew may have used this Gospel with the most chapters (abbr.)

Sign of papal office Book containing calendar of Masses

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

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TheTRecord he Record LastBookshop W in ord 1911 The

15 February 2012, The Record

June Catalogue RESOURCES FOR EVERY CATHOLIC FROM

$19

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RESOURCES FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE FROM

$40 BIBIANA KWARAMBA Bookshop Manager

Telephone: 9220 5912 Email: bookshop@therecord.com.au Address: 21 Victoria Square, Perth 6000