The Record Newspaper 27 June 1996

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What's Inside... Archbishop Hickey condemns legalisation of prostitution - Page 3 Add a Resurrection focus to your Stations of the Cross with extra Stations of Light - Page 9 Number 3003

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Priest 'angry' over refugee access By Colleen McGuiness-Howard Father Walter McNamara, parish priest of Port Hedland and pastor for the Inunigration Reception and Processing Centre in the Pilbara coastal town has attacked the Federal Department of Immigration and Multi Cultural Affairs for restricting his access to the boat people interned in the Centre. He objects because his access rights to visit detainees are only the same as normal visitors to the Centre, except for being allowed in to say Mass on Sundays, and take Rosary and Bible study on Mondays, he told The Record this week. Fr McNamara was speaking after a Chinese couple and their disabled son were deported back to China from the Centre last week. Despite having received an assurance from the Prime Minister's office that he would be given access to the family prior to departure, Fr McNamara said he was "extremely disappointed and angry that this promise was unfulfilled." Immigration authorities barred Fr McNamara from access to the couple on the tarmac as they were departing, saying they had not received written authorisation for him to see them. He said that looking for an alternative entrance to the tarmac in an endeavour to catch a

glimpse of the couple and to give them a wave, "because I'd been ministering to them, and praying with them," his presence was challenged and he was escorted off the tarmac. He then saw two buses and a paddy wagon which he believed contained the couple and security officers, and people began boarding the aircraft. The deportation of the couple has raised world interest. Sr Margaret Ng of the Catholic Migrant Centre in Perth said International interest had been sparked through an interview she had given to the BBC in London. Father McNamara told The Record that even when saying Mass in the Centre for the detainees, officials are limiting the numbers of those who can attend. Obstruction had even extended to Christmas Day, he said. Last Christmas Day he experienced "obstruction and delay by the Australian Protective Services Officer on duty in the celebration of Christmas Mass," he alleged, when he was recalled to the entrance, interrogated as to whether he had received written permission from the manager a week in advance for his visit, "and Christmas Day notwithstanding,I was forcefully reminded that the Australian Government and not the Church regulated the Centre." After lodging a protest with the

manager he was given an apology. Fr McNamara also said an alleged conspiracy to make a mass breakout was uncovered in February this year and the Centre was searched for weapons. "I was told the Sunday Mass was cancelled because of the tension, but when I expressed my concern for the welfare of the Catholic residents, especially their leaders, the manager Informed him that that "I would be relieved to know that Chen Xin He Alan and Xie Guo Thong Thomas, the resident church leaders, were not involved." Sunday Mass was then cancelled for four weeks with residents not being informed why, Fr McNamara claimed "and Chen Xin He and Xie Guo Thong have been interrogated in virtual solitary confinement at Port Hedland for three weeks and transferred to the Perth Detention Centre, and were never told what they had done wrong." Soon after this, he said, notice was given that Mass could no longer be celebrated in the mess for safety reasons. However, he claimed, it is still used for all meals served to the Centre's population. When permitted, Mass is celebrated in the Visitors' Area in the open air, and shared with other visitors, he said. "However the number of Catholic detainees wishing to attend Mass exceeds that permit-

ted by regulations (five detainees per visitor up to a total of 40 are allowed)," he said. "But on a number of occasions, devout practising Catholics were denied Mass when they exceeded this number, with babies being included in the count" He said that he has been denied right of access to new arrivals until they are granted the relative freedom of coming to the Visitors' Area at Mass time. The Record contacted the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs for their comments. A spokeswoman said that some time ago "Fr McNamara was invited to attend a special meeting of the Advisory Committee of the IRPC to take place on 26 June 1996, where the issues he has raised will be considered." She said the department has already acted on some of the concerns Fr McNamara has raised. "For example, a new location providing easy access by Centre residents has been in use since 17 June this year for bible study classes, and was used by Fr McNamara on 23 June (last Sunday) for the celebration of Mass," the spokeswoman said. She said the Department "makes every effort to provide pastoral care services to residents," but given the operational nature of the Centre, there were occasions when such pastoral care could not be managed.

A plea for Sarah and Jane . . . Archbishop Barry Hickey has asked that the Catholics of the Archdiocese of Perth pray for the safe return of missing young women, Sarah Spiers and Jane Rirruner. The archbishop issued the appeal last week. The full text of the appeal follows:

'The disappearance of Sarah Spiers and Jane 'Zimmer has caused great distress to their relatives and friends and made many women in Perth feel very anxious and vulnerable. "Firmly believing that God can do all things and that our prayers are answered,Iappeal to the Catholic Community to pray for their safety. 'Should they be the victims of foul play, please pray that the truth about them be discovered. "Whatever their fate, it is important that their relatives know the truth and bring their worries and anxieties to an end. "I call on the many prayer groups in the Diocese to raise their hearts to God in an earnest plea that the mystery of the disappearance of these two woman be solved." Archbishop Hickey

Albany's Christians pursue unity at Holy Family Albany's Holy Family Parish took the Pope's recent encyclical to the Church on ecumenism Ut Unam Sint (That all may be one) encyclical letter to the Church literally earlier this month at a Sunday 9.30 am Eucharist when more than 500 people of Catholic, Anglican and Uniting Church faith come together on Trinity Sunday in ecumenical bonding. Parish priest Father Hugh Galloway said the other churches had been invited to 'Dance' with Catholic parishioners and quoted the early Greek Fathers of the Church where they referred to the Holy Trinity as the Epichoresus: the Dancing of God - Father, Son and Spirit. Fr Galloway said the churches of the East and West, the Reformation church and the Church of Rome were all struggling with the past with some holding on and others letting go, striving for faith, hope, love, tolerance, and keeping things in balance. He said that Christians need to make ecumenism happen, "and it's nothing to

do with corporate takeovers, mergers, or economic management strategies and skills." It's about seeking the Gospel together, Fr Galloway said, by praying together with, and for, one another and about understanding the Petrine Office given by Jesus to the Bishop of Rome. Instead of celebrating within one's own church on Trinity Sunday, he said, the different faiths in Albany came together to sing songs, hear readings and preachings together "in a communion of faith that many people had only dared dream about." Albany intends to repeat the event next 'Dimity Sunday, he said, and urges other parishes to reach out also. "Because shared study, meals together, interfaith concerts and gatherings, shared ministry, pastoral care for prisoners, youth, and the needy, and visitation are all paving stones on which we walk a path that to us seems to have the footprints of Christ."

Reverend Nick Stuurstraat, left, Archdeacon Ted Gibson, Fr Hugh Galloway and Rev David Tresslar lead their Churches at Holy Family Church on Trinity Sunday.


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