Record PERTH, WA: October 31, 1991
Registered by Australia Post Publication No. WAR 0202
Number 2762
POST ADDRESS: PO Box 50, Northbridge, 6000 W.A. LOCATION: 587 Newcastle Street, Cnr Douglas St (near Loftus St)
TELEPHONE: (09) 22 77 080
FAX (09) 22 77 087
PRICE 60C
Children pray best with their parents Parents will find it difficult to encourage children to pray if they are not praying themselves, Archbishop Hickey says in his first pastoral letter to the archdiocese.
Some parents are praying with their children at meals and bed-time, he says but others are not. The answers he gets from children whether prayers are said at home convinces him that "we have to get back to family prayer again". The archbishop's letter, sent to parishes for publication and promotion this weekend says that the practice of prayer cannot be left to the parish or schools in the hope "that somehow it will just happen". It is one of the responsibilities parents accept when presenting children for baptism, he says. Archbishop Hickey sees children's prayer arising out of the parents' own habits of prayer. "Do you turn your mind and heart to God during the day? Do you pray for your spouse and for your children? Do you ask God for help to be a good wife or
husband, mother or father? Do your children ever see you praying?" Urging parents to start afresh with booklets of prayer the archbishop urges parents not to stop with teaching only the Our Father and the Hail Mary. "The more simple and spontaneous your prayers the better, because your children will know they come from the heart." A recent survey, he says, shows people find fulfilment not outside marriage but in the companionship of family life. "Your vocation is a precious one," he says, thanking parents for the love and care they show. Calling on the Church to be a prayerful people Archbishop Hickey says: "Without the constant and deep communion with God that prayer sustains. we might make great strides, but as St Augustine reminds us, they could all be in the wrong direction. "The Church calls us to be active in the world, to bring the good news of salvation to all nations, to love the poor and insist on social justice. We will do none of these things well without the strong foundation of prayer."
Beware pitfalls in faith's journey A leading Carmelite other sources such as has warned against the visions, apparitions and danger of seeking to locutions," he said in his augment the Catholic homily. faith with visions, "Where they occur, we apparitions and are thankful for them locutions. and we benefit from Speaking at the annual Marian pilgrimage at New Norcia last Sunday, Fr Brian Pitman urged pilgrims to grow in their confidence in the revelation that God has made known in Jesus Christ. "We don't need — except for our own human weakness — to be searching to augment this revelation with
them as long as they are orthodox. "Faith in Mary tells us that we have to move beyond these things. We have to mature in our faith. "We have to listen to the spirit of God speaking with us." Pilgrims from many national backgrounds basked in bright sun-
shine as the eucharist By Dom Francis was celebrated outside Byrne, OSB the historic Abbey Church. Fr Pitman told the gathering that they had dence that we are indeed all come together at the a pilgrim people, a journeying invitation of the Benedic- people tine community as a through this life to the pilgrim people and to fulfilment of a destiny. walk in the company of He went on: "Wherever Mary. we walk as pilgrim "To be a pilgrim church people we necessarily is to be Marian," he walk with Mary. . . it is added. her transforming faith Some people he felt that we want to emphabelieved that it was not sise today. We must allow necessary to emphasise ourselves to be absorbed the idea of a pilgrim into the mystery of Mary, church. The turn-out at into the mystery of New Norcia was evi- Christ."
He referred to the fact that in these "very anguished times" we needed to have more confidence and trust because Mary the Godbearer and Mother of the Church is with us. Mary was a sister to us in our humanity and our faith. She was a woman of ardent desire for the plan of God and had a deep trust in his plan. The Benedictine community of New Norcia had turned to her in prayer in 1847 when a fire threatened the mission.
He believed that all those present had come to New Norcia in this "spirit of faith", a visible sign of a pilgrim church to the world. The choir, in impressive gowns, were the Julian Singers from the Perth area. Students from New Norcia Catholic College assisted in a variety of duties throughout the day. Fr Kevin Long, OSB was Master of Ceremonies. Many religious from the Perth archdiocese — acolytes, nuns, brothers,
priests — were represented and one of the most colourful groups was the Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre. The Guild of St Stephen was also present. The side altar containing the painting of Our Lady of Good Counsel was beautifully decorated with native wildflowers. Following the pilgrimage hundreds made their way to the museum where the Mandorla Exhibition of Religious Art is on display.