Catholic life February 2018

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Catholic Life Publication of the Diocese of Sale

February 2018

ISSUE 203

Meetings prepare for 2020 A SERIES of meetings will be held in all 27 parishes in Sale Diocese this year as the diocese formulates its response to the national Plenary Council which will begin in October 2020.

A diocesan working group, known as Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope) has formed.

Bishop Pat O’Regan will make presentations at all open parish meetings.

The first meeting will be at St Joseph’s parish, Foster, on February 27 and the final one will be at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, on June 20.

Bishop O’Regan has called for strong attendance at the

meetings so that everyone can be informed and have input on the journey to the Plenary Council which will be looking at the future of the Catholic Church in Australia.

A Plenary Council is a rare occurrence in Australia, with the last such gathering being in 1937.

The Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference has decided that the Plenary Council will be in two sessions - October 2020 and May 2021.

The parish meetings will explain the purpose of the Plenary Council and parishes will be asked for their response, taking into account their individual strengths and weaknesses.

Gaudium et Spes members met for the first time at Warragul two weeks ago and are busy planning for the series of parish meetings.

The committee is a resource and advisory group to the bishop and is also the local face of the Plenary Council process.

Feedback from Sale Diocese will be passed to the national executive commission and facilitation team. Gaudium et Spes will collaborate with the facilitation committee to ensure that the dialogue, listening and consultation process is contextual and locally responsive.

The committee will provide information for parishes and liaise with the local network

of organisations, community groups, families, parishes, agencies, schools and businesses.

Members of the Gaudium et Spes committee are Bishop Pat O’Regan, Vicar General Fr Peter Slater, Fr Brendan Hogan, Deacon Mark Kelly, Sophy Morley (convenor), Michael Hansen, Jenny Fitzgerald, Anne Taylor, Dom Ryan, Jenifer Hanratty and Michelle Grimsted.

For a full list of meeting dates for your parish see the diary dates on Page 12 or check the diocesan website www.sale. catholic.org.au.

All meetings start at 7.30pm and people should only attend meetings in their own parish.

This issue highlights Yarram regains resident priest - Page 3 School governance change a first - Page 5 Photo pioneer gets an OAM - Page 5 Fasting and reparation days - Page 7 Newborough school 60th - Page 7 Project Compassion - Page 9 Tracking real St Valentine - Page 10

MEMBERS OF the diocese’s Gaudium et Spes committee meet for the first time at Warragul. Members are (standing, from left) Dom Ryan, Fr Peter Slater VG, convenor Sophy Morley, Bishop Pat O’Regan, Fr Brendan Hogan and (seated, from left) Jenifer Hanratty, Michael Hansen, Deacon Mark Kelly, Anne Taylor, Jenny Fitzgerald and Michelle Grimsted.

Trinity FAMILIES

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Together we can make a difference By financially supporting Trinity Families you are helping families in our diocese receive the welfare and charitable services they need.

Please give generously to the diocese’s official charitable fund.

To donate visit www.trinityfamilies.org.au or phone (03) 5622 6688 for a credit card deduction form.

Page 2 - Catholic Life, February 2018

Facilities coordinator appointed THE Sale Diocese has appointed a diocesan facilities coordinator who began work last week out of Sion House, Warragul.

He is George Wilmann who is on a fixed term of two years, working part-time for three days per fortnight.

This significant appointment reflects the importance that the diocese places on maintaining church property.

The diocesan facilities coordinator has responsibility for working with parishes to ensure they maintain church buildings and other parish facilities, ensure compliance with essential safety, have a process to identify hazards, are compliant with Occupation Health and Safety in the maintenance of properties.

Over the coming weeks Mr Wilmann will be in contact with each parish to make an appointment with the parish priest to visit.

He can be contacted by email at: georgesw@sale.catholic. org.au or phone: 5614 5111.

Diocesan archivist begins work ANNE Pawley, Traralgon, has been appointed part-time diocesan archivist.

She began work at Sion House, Warragul, this week and her first task will be consolidating the paper archives brought from Sale late last year.

She has been employed three days a week.

All is Grace - a challenge for us all AT the recent 9.30am Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, in which we commemorated Santo Niño, and during a recent commencement of School Mass, with 700 of our Catholic school teachers I challenged each person to see if, in the coming month, they could use the word, ‘grace’ 50 times.

Grace is such a quintessentially Catholic word. It is not just that ‘thing we might do before meals’ but much much more.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of grace as “…a participation in the life of God” (#1967); and “The grace of Christ is the gratuitous gift that God makes to us of his own life, infused by the Holy Spirit into our soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it…”(#1999).

And much besides. (For a fuller understanding have a look at the CCC ##19962005).

We all appreciate a person who is graceful person, a person who acts with grace.

We see that something is at work in that person’s life that causes them to be so.

Grace is a gift of God and a participation in the life of God. So whenever we use that word, whenever we act graciously we participate in the life of God, grace is God’s gift giving. This is such an important part of our spiritual tradition.

All is grace; Tout est Grâce. St Thérèse of Lisieux made that that the foundation of her ‘little

Catholic Life PO Box 1410, Warragul Vic. 3820 Phone: (03) 5622 6688

catholiclife@sale.catholic.org.au www.sale.catholic.org.au Editor: Colin Coomber

The Diocese and

by Bishop Pat O’Regan way’. Georges Bernanos at the end of his novel, The Diary of a Country Priest, concludes the novel with those words “All is grace”.

Why, you may be asking, is this important? It is important in our Christian lives to live always in the expectation that God’s gift giving is just that always giving.

This is especially so during the season of Lent that we are now embarked upon. May Lent 2018 be a grace-filled and graceful time. Maybe you could try to use that word more often during Lent.

Towards 2020 Another grace that we rejoice in is that of the coming Plenary Council of the Church in Australia to be held in 2020.

This is a journey which we begin now and will last beyond the year 2021.

In view of this I have convened a local group, to be known by the title the Gaudium et Spes, which translates to Joy and Hope, and will often be referred to as the G&S Committee.

This group of 10 members

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of the diocesan family, which met for the first time on January 30, will be responsible for assisting us as a diocese to prepare for the coming Plenary Council. Sophy Morley has agreed to be the convenor of this committee.

In 2018, as you might be aware, I shall be conducting a meeting in each of our 27 parishes.

This has the modest aim of letting people know what this process is all about; introducing who the members of local Gaudium et Spes committee are; giving an update of what the Sale Diocese looks like in 2018, and beginning the process of listening of members of each parish.

This is an open meeting and all are invited. Please watch for your local Bulletin for the date of your local parish meeting. It will begin at 7.30pm and conclude at 9pm.

These parish meetings are but a simple and first step, among many. Once the G&S Committee gets going you can expect to see more information coming forward.

What it does presume however is that each parish

has an effective local Pastoral Council operating.

In 2019, it is proposed that we have a Diocesan Assembly in preparation for the Plenary Council.

The Plenary Council is envisaged to be held in two gatherings, one in October 2020, another in May 2021.

A significant event that will be helpful in the preparation for the 2020 Plenary Council will be held in Brisbane this year from the July 12-14.

It is a national conference called Proclaim. I have invited the members of the G&S Committee to attend.

What would be helpful if parishes considered sending a representative or two to this conference.

It can be said that we have rushed into a Plenary Council of the Church in Australia, the last one was in 1937. So ask for your prayer at this time as we journey forward.

The Plenary Council, like the Royal Commission is a grace. Part of what the Catechism speaks of grace when it says “The grace of Christ is the gratuitous gift that God makes to us of his own life, infused by the Holy Spirit into our soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it…”(#1999).

Dear brothers and sisters, a joyful Lent and a hopeful journey to the Plenary Council.

God is good. +Pat O’Regan Bishop of Sale

New principals take charge SCHOOLS across the diocese got down to business at the end of January.

There was great excitement for the opening of the diocese’s 36th school, St Mary’s Star of the Sea, Cowes, with Cathy Blackford as the inaugural principal.

There were also several other schools with new principals or acting principals being reappointed as principals.

Jodie Ware is the new principal at St Michael’s, Traralgon; Brendan Maher takes over at St Mary’s, Yarram, and Terry Cahill is principal at St Agatha’s, Cranbourne, replacing Anne Hassall who has retired.

Anita Little who was made acting principal at St Thomas’s, Sale, last year in now the principal and Chris Black, who was acting principal at St Peter’s College, Cranbourne, is

also now principal.

New acting principals are Paul Cowan at St Therese’s, Cranbourne North, and Peter Fearnley-Sander at Mary MacKillop Primary, Narre Warren North.

New CDF face at Warragul THE Catholic Development Fund has a new relationships manager based at Warragul.

She is Lauren Mackenzie who has replaced Sue Eeles who retired at Christmas.

Lauren was previously based at the Melbourne office and worked occasionally at Warragul.

Schools and parishes can contact her on CDF matters on 5622 6699.

Catholic Life, February 2018 - Page 3

Centenary of Yarram Josephites THE centenary of the presence of the Sisters of St Joseph in Yarram will be celebrated this Sunday, February 18.

Bishop Pat O’Regan will celebrate Mass at St Mary’s Church, Yarram, at 10am and this will be followed by lunch in Mary MacKillop Hall at St Mary’s School.

There will be an opportunity to look over the newly refurbished school.

Any former student or parishioner wishing to join in the celebrations can email stmarysyarram@bigpond.com to advise attendance at the luncheon.

Bishop back from meeting in Washington BISHOP Pat O’Regan returned to the diocese this week after attending the meeting of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy in Washington DC, USA. The bishop represents the Australian Catholic Bishop’s Conference on ICEL and is one of the full members of the commission.

He also attended an ICEL meeting last October.

ICEL’s main role is to translate Latin documents of the Church into English and it was responsible for the new translation of the Roman Missal which came into effect in 2011.

Filipinos celebrate Sto. Nino THE Filipino community of Sale a district held its 8th fiesta gathering in honor of their revered Sto Nino, or Holy Infant Jesus, on January 28.

Bishop Pat O’Regan celebrated Mass in St Mary’s Cathedral, followed by a sumptuous morning tea shared with all Sale parishioners.

In the afternoon, the Filpino community gathered in the Sale Botanic Garden, adjoining Lakes Guthridge, for an afternoon of feasting, singing and dancing. The Filipino choir Bayanihan Circle entertained the gathering.

The idea of a local festival to celebrate Sto Nino arose when many members of Filipino community expressed that they missed the annual processions of their homeland.

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Yarram regains a resident priest ST Mary’s Parish, Yarram, will have a resident priest for the first time in many years once a series of priest moves take place in a fortnight.

Bishop of Sale Pat O’Regan has announced a series of moves, effective March 1.

Fr Janeesh Jose Puthenpurackal CMI, currently assistant priest of Foster, Leongatha and Korumburra, parishes, has been appointed parish priest of Yarram and

Foster.

Yarram last had a resident priest more than a decade ago, after which is was served by a priest resident in Foster.

Changes over the years have seen it serviced from Leongatha and more recently from Traralgon.

In other charges Fr Malcolm Hewitt will retire as parish priest of Cowes and will be replaced by Fr Manny Lomagno who has been at Wonthaggi for

many years.

The Wonthaggi position will be taken by Fr Darren Howie, currently administrator of Maffra and Heyfield-Cowwarr parishes.

Fr Siju Xavier, current parish priest of Morwell and Churchill parishes, will become parish priest of Maffra and HeyfieldCowwarr.

His place will be taken by Fr James Fernandez CP who is currently assistant priest at

Narre Warren.

Fr Saji John, who has been assistant priest at Traralgon and Yarram for the past year, will become assistant priest at Narre Warren in a part-time capacity as he will share duties with the Syro-Malabar Eparchy.

The changes mean that Fr Francis Otobo will be the only priest in Traralgon and Fr Aju Varghese CMI will be the only one serving the parishes of Leongatha and Korumburra.

Our Lady Star of the Sea sets sail THE newest school in the Sale Diocese opened at the start of the school year with 15 students.

Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School at Cowes has 18 enrolled for this year but three children are in the process of moving to Phillip Island with their family.

Principal Cathy Blackford said the students were accommodated in a large portable classroom which had been situated in the carpark of the adjacent church.

They were excited to see the new school being built a short distance away.

She said it was hoped that students and teachers could move into the new school on May 1 and the moment this appeared likely as plasterworks was well underway as the interiors were being fitted out.

The carpark and oval would be fully constructed before the move was made.

The new school’s first stage will comprise four classrooms and an administration section.

A further two stages have been

INAUGURAL students and staff line-up for a historic photo at Phillip Island’s first Catholic school. planned if required and include four more classrooms, a chapel, multi-purpose hall and early learning centre.

Total cost of the first stage is more than $5 million. Eventually the school will be able to accommodate 180 students.

Serra golf and bowls THE annual Sale Serra Club challenge against diocesan clergy has traditionally been a golf day on the Monday of Holy Week but from this year bowls has been introduced as an alternate sport.

The number of people to commit themselves either physically or timewise to a full 18 holes of golf has been falling in recent years so Serra Club organisers decided to introduce bowls as well.

All religious, Serrans and friends have been invited to participate on March 26.

Golf will be at Sale Golf Club, Longford, as usual with a 12.15 shotgun start.

Sandwiches and coffee will be served from 11.30am and to take part the cost is $20, which includes the lunch.

In recent years clergy from other denominations have been invited to compete and this has brought some strong competition to the event.

The Fr Frank Carroll Shield is contested between Serrans and Catholic religious, and the Bishop Jeremiah Coffey Trophy is fought out between Catholics and Other Religions.

The Neville McLeod Plaque is awarded for the best overall score on the day and there are

also other individual awards for Serrans, Friends or Serra, Ladies, Catholic religious and other religious.

Social bowls will be at Sale Lakeside Bowls Club from 2pm and the cost will be $10. Flat soled shoes must be worn and bowls will be provided.

No bowls experience is necessary and competition will be along the line of the popular Crackerjack bowls.

That evening there will be the presentation dinner costing $35 per head for a two course dinner and drinks at the Lakeside Club at 6.30pm for 7pm.

The day is provided without cost for all religious, whether golfer, bowlers or not, and the dinner is open to all, whether they have competed in the sports day or not.

Participants are expected to contact either Reg Carmody 5144 3349 or 0427 443 349, or Alan Wyatt on 0409 449 104 by Friday, March 16, so that the playing schedule can be finalised. Dinner bookings must also be made by that date.

More information about the event is available from both these men and they would love to see a strong contingent of competitors from across the diocese.

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Page 4 - Catholic Life, February 2018

Holy Smoke Highway slow go

WORD of warning to people from western end of the diocese travelling to any parts east of Warragul, you will now need to add 10 or 15 minutes to the length of your journey.

VicRoads is shutting the eastbound traffic down to one lane travelling at a reduced speed of 40kmh while they rebuild the bridge over Little Moe River.

The bottleneck will be in place until August and is sure to have traffic banked up several kilometres in the morning and late afternoons when traffic is normally heavy.

There are already multiple delays with reduced speed limits caused by highway duplication taking place in several spots between Traralgon and Sale, and installation of wire rope barriers in various spots.

We would say that travel time between Narre Warren and Sale will take a minimum two hours and 20 minutes for the next six months – and that

doesn’t include any stops.

Cross over buns

HOW disappointing to see hot cross buns sold in supermarkets as “festive fruit buns”.

The same thinking brought us “festive season trees” instead of Christmas trees at one outlet.

The supermarkets don’t care because they know they will still sell truckloads of them but we do wish that the Christian origins of things would continue to be acknowledged.

It is a misconceived notion that those of other religions will be offended.

Easter trickery

DID you know Easter coincides with April Fool’s Day? Here’s an idea which may help you to celebrate both occasions at the same time.

Don’t hide any Easter eggs in the garden but send the kids/grandkids out to hunt for them anyhow.

When they can’t find any you can say “April Fool!”

Triple treat at St Mary’s NEWBOROUGH - You’d think the chances of working with your old teacher would be slim but that’s exactly what happened when Chloe Haesler was employed at St Mary’s last year.

She works amongst two of her past teachers; one being Catherine Griffiths.

Catherine Griffiths’ children also attend St Mary’s in Newborough and Chloe had the pleasure of teaching Natalie in her Foundation Year, therefore three generation’s of teacher learning are taking place.

Catherine said; “It was a pleasure teaching Chloe in Prep and now for her to have taught my daughter in Prep is just surreal! I’m suddenly feeling old!”.

The other children have settled in well into their school routines.

The school ensures that their new Foundation students feel safe and welcomed. The school pairs every junior student with a senior learning partner to ensure that they feel safe and comfortable in the school.

They complete weekly learning tasks together to ensure that they feel comfortable with their partner.

Their senior learning partner then keeps an eye on them in the playground to make sure they have someone to play with.

Senior student Logan works

Of all the decisions we make in our lifetime, making a valid will is among the most important.

This final testament speaks loudly of the values, causes and possessions we hold most dear. We bequest personal treasures and mementos to special friends and loved ones and ask them to care for them after our passing.

If you hold the Church dear, you may consider leaving a percentage of your estate or a specific amount to the Diocese of Sale.

The Diocese is grateful for the support of its benefactors, who have enabled the Church to grow in its service of its people, and invite you to share in this rich heritage.

TEACHER Chloe Haesler (left), with her former Prep teacher Catherine Griffiths, and Catherine’s daughter Natalie who was in Chloe’s Prep class last year. with Blake and he said, “ I like I’m looking forward to being having the responsibility of her friend and making sure she looking out for Blake, he’s a is not lonely”. great kid”.

This program supports the Maddy from Year 5 has been school philosophy of a whole placed with Foundation student, school approach to positive Penny, and she said; “ It was fun behavior support for all. and enjoyable meeting Penny.

Courses for parents who are separated CATHOLICCARE Gippsland provides group courses and counselling for separated or separating couples in Warragul and Traralgon throughout the year.

Courses are held at other locations, depending on need.

There are three different courses available and certificates are issues at the completion of each course.

Course A: Building Connections is a six hour course which includes three hours counselling.

It focuses on parents learning how to manage disputes about parenting and contact arrangements, improving communication, reducing conflict and working towards solutions that are in children’s best interests.

Course B: Empathy Parenting and Cooperative Parenting is a 13 hour course which includes a one hour counselling session.

It is conducted as a two day workshop covering topics in the Building Connections course, and increasing understanding of children’s needs and how to attend to these needs.

Course C: Focus on Kids is a 13 hour course conducted over six Wednesday evenings and includes a minimum of one counselling session.

It builds on both courses A and B, but also covers loss and grief, the impact of conflict

on children, communication, conflict resolution, self-esteem and self-care. It is only held in Traralgon.

Those interested in participating in one of the courses should call 1800 522 076 for dates and further information.

A facilitator will do a phone assessment to ensure participants get the most appropriate service.

Separated couples do not attend the same course and some parents may attend for individual counselling instead of a course.

CatholicCare farewell after 19 years LONG-time CatholicCare counsellor Cathy Dixon is being farewelled this week after 19 years service.

She is well-known in Sale Diocese where she assisted in development of The Honeymoon and Beyond premarriage education program, and also as a family and individual counsellor in recent years.

Cathy and her husband Bob are also well-known to members of the Teams movement in our diocese through their involvement at regional level.

Catholic Life, February 2018 - Page 5

School governance no longer with priests IN a first for Victorian Catholic education, new governance arrangements are in place for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sale for the start of the 2018 school year.

Among the significant changes announced by Bishop of Sale, Bishop Patrick O’Regan, parish priests will no longer be the employer of staff in Catholic primary and secondary schools.

While it is an exciting new direction for Catholic education in Victoria, the shift has not been solely prompted by the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse which handed down its findings and recommendations late last year. Moves to change the governance structure of Catholic schools in the diocese have been discussed at a senior

level for around 10 years.

All parish priests in the diocese gave the changes their full support in May, and principals, who have also strongly backed the new arrangements, will continue to manage the schools in collaboration with their local communities but with oversight from the Catholic Education Office as a delegated authority from a board of directors.

Bishop O’Regan said the new governance model would better meet the changing needs of parishes and schools in the 21st century.

“Parish priests will be able to focus on the pastoral, spiritual and faith formation aspects of their vital roles in schools and parishes, without having to deal with legislative compliance which has become increasingly complex in recent years.

Living Liturgy popular

Photo lab pioneer gets Aust. Day OAM

THE Living Liturgy publication produced by diocesan pastoral coordinator Sophy Morley continues to expand its influence.

The electronic newsletter is published seven times a year and is available free within Sale Diocese but was so popular that 12 months ago it was offered elsewhere on subscription.

There are now 78 paid subscribers from other dioceses in Australia and New Zealand.

Living Liturgy is a valuable resource for musicians, liturgy groups, priests and schools as it has a planning guide for each Sunday and the major feasts of the liturgical year, as well as providing up-to-date liturgy news and resources.

Narre Warren rebuild progressing WORK is progressing on Our Lady Help of Christians Church at Narre Warren with a possibility that the extensive rebuild may be completed in time for Easter.

The $3.4 million reconstruction project was originally to have been completed several months ago but there have been various unavoidable delays.

Masses have been held in the Don Bosco Primary School hall for more than 12 months.

Parish priest Fr Brendan Hogan said he hoped everything would be ready for Easter but it was “touch and go” at this stage.

The redevelopment will allow up to 900 people to be seated in the church at peak periods when doors at the rear could be opened up to narthex and parish centre.

A new parish administration centre has also been constructed.

A WELL-known Newborough parishioner who pioneered fast photo processing in Victoria has been honored in the Australia Day honors list.

Mathijs (Matt) Broeren, 89, was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for services to business, particularly photography.

Mr Broeren emigrated to Australia from the Netherlands in 1952, a year after his fiancé Nelly had made the same journey with her parents and siblings.

He started work with the State Electricity Commission in Yallourn that year but after a few months when there was an economic downturn, he was made redundant along with all other new Australians working at the power station.

Photography was one of his hobbies and so he fell back on that, knowing that many of the immigrants living in the Latrobe Valley, would want photographs to send back to their families in Europe.

In those days films were dropped into local chemists for onforwarding to Kodak’s processing plant in Coburg, and it usually took two weeks to get the black and white prints back.

“This decision was made after long and thoughtful discernment and discussion with Catholic education and other key stakeholders,” said Bishop O’Regan.

As part of the review process initiated by Bishop O’Regan two years ago, various models governing Catholic schools in other Australian dioceses were examined. After lengthy consideration and extensive advice from both civil and canon lawyers, Bishop O’Regan accepted the new governance model.

A company limited by guarantee, Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Limited, has been established to operate Catholic schools in the Sale Diocese. It was established under the auspices of the Bishop as the sole company

Mr Broeren went to the chemists to Moe, Yallourn and Morwell and offered them a 24 hour turnaround on printing and so his business took off with the bathroom being converted into a dark room and the bath carrying pots and pans of chemicals.

Many more chemists came on board and so he had to employ staff to help him and this led to the founding of his Focus photography processing business.

In the late 1960s color photographs began to take over from black and white and so he extended his laboratory.

He travelled overseas to study the latest developments and set about making his own developing and processing machines.

He was the first to introduce one hour processing in Australia, and in the 1980s he began building mini labs and establishing the Photo Express franchise Australia-wide.

He established another arm of his business called Prosomat and even sold processing units to his competitors such as Kodak and Ilford.

At the height of his business he and his wife employed about 120 people through the

member while a board of directors has been appointed to run the company under the Corporations Act 2001.

Another benefit of the new governance arrangements will be more consistent employment practices between schools, as there will be a single employer.

The company, as the employer, will delegate dayto-day responsibility and management of the schools in the diocese to the Director of Catholic Education, who becomes the chief executive officer of the company.

Director of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Sale, Maria Kirkwood, thanked Bishop O’Regan for initiating the review. “This is an exciting and welcome change to Catholic school governance in the Sale Diocese, “said Ms

Mathijs Broeren thriving Focus and was the largest employer in the MoeNewborough area.

The advent of digital technology spelled the end for film processing and so in 1995

Pope Paul VI sainthood?

THE Congregation for the Causes of Saints last week approved the second miracle needed for the canonisation of Blessed Pope Paul VI. The next step is for Pope Francis to also give his approval, with an official decree from the Vatican.

The miracle attributed to the cause of Paul VI is the healing of an unborn child in the fifth month of pregnancy. The case was brought forward in 2014 for study.

The mother from Verona, Italy, had an illness that risked her own life and the life of her unborn child, and was advised to have an abortion.

A few days after the beatification of Paul VI on October 19, 2014, she went

to pray to him at the Shrine of Holy Mary of Grace in the town of Brescia.

The baby girl was later born in good health, and remains in good health today.

The healing was first ruled as medically inexplicable by the medical council of the congregation last year, while the congregation’s consulting theologians agreed that the healing occurred through the late pope’s intercession.

If Pope Francis issues a decree approving it, the date of the canonisation will be set and according to some Vatican observers, may take place in October, during the Synod of Bishops on the youth.

The first miracle attributed to Paul VI’s intercession also

Kirkwood.

“Bishop O’Regan, the Canonical Administrators, parish priests and principals deserve great credit for being open to the proposed changes and supporting the new governance model.

“Catholic schools in the Sale Diocese will only grow stronger under these new arrangements and will continue to serve families who want a Catholic education for their children.”

All Catholic schools will be covered by the new model except Catholic College Sale which is co-governed by the diocese and Marist Schools Australia, and Lavalla Catholic College, Traralgon, which is governed by Marist Schools Australia on behalf of the diocese.

involved an unborn child with a serious health problem that posed a high risk of brain damage.

Mr Broeren closed the Focus empire and retired.

Mr Broeren became heavily involved in the Catholic Church when the Newborough church was built in 1955, serving on the parish council for 25 years, including terms as chairman, and he was also a member of the church choir for many years.

He is also a former president and member of Moe Rotary Club.

Page 6 - Catholic Life, February 2018

Four Seasons retreats on offer

In the image of God

SO God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; THE Emmaus Spirituality Emmaus is currently taking male and female he created Team is offering a Four Seasons expressions of interest, retreat program in 2018. particularly for the Summer them. Genesis 1:27 The invitation is to “Come away to a secluded place, all by yourselves, and rest awhile.”

(Mark 6:31) This program focuses on the seasonality of life the four season of the year, as you take time out from the general business of life.

The program consists of a one day retreat for each season: February - Summer, May -Autumn, July - Winter, September - Spring (10am to 3pm) at the Emmaus Centre, the former Josephite convent in Newborough, near St Mary’s church and school.

A minimum of five participants is required for the delivery of each of these four days.

program in February (Saturday 24th). For full details and registration: Contact: 0477 474 848 Emmaus is a joint ministry between the Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality (Jesuits) and the Sale Diocese.

The retreat style is Ignatian Spirituality, focusing on building a personal relationship with God. This can be achieved through guided dialogue with Jesus, using scripture to reflect on God’s presence in our daily life.

The walking retreat which was offered in Gippsland last year as part of the ‘Being with God in Nature’ program will be held again in 2018.

Away for a weekend and need to check local Mass times?

Use the QR scanning app on your smart phone and it will take you directly to the Diocese of Sale website

WHAT does it mean to be created in the image and likeness of God? Does God look like us and we like God? Or is it something deeper, something more spiritual perhaps?

It is a statement filled with mystery and wonder; it gives human life an extraordinary dignity and purpose.

From beginning to end, God knows and loves us. In the words of the Psalmists who speak often of the ‘Eternal God’, You know me through and through.

My innermost self you know.

When I was being made in secret, fashioned in the depths of the earth, your eyes could see my unformed substance Yet at the same time you could foresee my future actions, even before I came into being.

(Psalm 139).

Understanding what eternity means is not easy. The psalm here explains that we have been in the mind of God forever.

God knows us before we come into being, not just at every moment of our lives. But virtually everything we know

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We need to greatly enlarge our financial base so we can continue our support to charities providing vital welfare services.

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Reflections

by Jim Quillinan

and experience has a beginning and an end so grasping what eternity is like is not easy.

During the Mass for Christian burial we hear the words: When the body of our earthly dwelling lies in death, we gain an everlasting dwelling place in heaven.

From the very first moment of life, eternal life has begun and it does not end at the time of death. This is all part of being made in the image and likeness of the eternal God. We all share this precious gift called life, given to us by God who is love (1 John 4:8). How are we an image of the God of love then?

Firstly we come to grasp that from the very beginning of our life we are loved, God wants us to be, to live, to be the person we are created to be.

Pope Benedict put it this way: “Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed. Each of us is loved.

Each of us is necessary.”

Within ourselves, we have some sense of that. We have a sense that we are not here by some random luck or chance, that we are not victims of mere evolutionary accidents.

But there are times when we ask: can so many billions of people over so many ages also be unique and precious in God’s eyes?

We can begin to fear that we are not precious. And so we go about life trying to guarantee our own preciousness, trying to make ourselves loveable. But we already are.

Sometimes we can spend

years, a lifetime even, trying to be special, wanted, needed, trying to leave a unique legacy, trying ensure that we are remembered by amassing goods and a status that will ensure our immortality.

But eventually, although this can take time for some, we come to realise, that we are loved by God, not because of what we accomplish or achieve or amass during our lives, but rather we are loved simply for who we are.

In St Paul’s words: And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8:38-39 When we are in love, when we know we are loved, we don’t want that to end. Much of what we do is designed to ensure that it doesn’t.

We are precious, we are important, our life has meaning not simply from what we can achieve but because we are loved by the Eternal God who wants us to be with God forever.

Our life finds its most authentic meaning in the way we become an image of the Eternal God who is love.

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Catholic Life, February 2018 - Page 7

Fasting and reparation days in response to sorrow for child abuse THE Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference proclaimed the days from Ash Wednesday until the following Saturday (February 14-17) Days of Fasting and Reparation in sorrow for child sexual abuse and the healing of victims.

By the time many readers see this article, the period may be over but all Catholics are urged to take on the spirit of the fasting and reparation and to apply it throughout Lent.

In a message to the Catholic community, the bishops have declared the Days of Fasting and Reparation to be an “authentically Catholic response” to supplement the Church’s efforts in the area of the protection of children and vulnerable adults.

A number of liturgical and prayer resources have been developed for use in parish and other public settings, as well as a prayer for use at home.

The liturgical and prayer resources can be found on the ACBC website: https:// w w w. c a t h o l i c . o rg . a u / fastingandreparation Parishes and parishioners have been urged by Bishop Pat O’Regan to make use of the resources throughout the whole of Lent.

The bishops’ message reads: Dear brothers and sisters, Last December, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual

Abuse handed down its final report. Like the Australian Government and many other institutions, the Catholic bishops of Australia and leaders of religious institutes are currently studying the final report and its recommendations.

In the long years since the tragedy of child sexual abuse within the Catholic community became known, the Church has committed to policies, procedures and structures to respond better to survivors of abuse and their families, to establish professional standards for all ministers and Church workers, and to safeguard children and vulnerable people. For the Church, as for other institutions, this has involved gradual learning and development, and so it will continue to be.

Through these years, Australia’s bishops and other Church leaders have often expressed their sorrow and have offered their apology for what has occurred in the past – the harm suffered by victims and survivors, the instances of cover-up, the failure to believe survivors’ stories and to respond with compassion and justice, and the distress that many still experience.

Our apologies have at times seemed too little – not because they were insincere, but because trust has been broken. We stand firm in our resolve to ensure that the abuse of children never

happens again in the Catholic Church and to build new bonds of trust.

With the Royal Commission concluded, our country and our Church enter into a new moment. We are calling upon the Catholic community in Australia to embrace this new moment by beginning the penitential season of Lent with four days of fasting and reparation. These are spiritual practices which express our desire for God’s reconciling and healing grace.

Through fasting, we stand in solidarity with the victims and survivors of abuse whose much deeper hunger is for healing and peace in their lives. Through reparation, we make amends

for the sin of those in the Church who abused children or failed to listen and act when they should have.

The days of fasting and reparation in sorrow for child sexual abuse and for the healing of victims and survivors will be marked by prayer – in our homes and in our Catholic communities.

Please take to heart the importance of these days in preparing the Church to respond to the recommendations of the Royal Commission and to make the journey from Ash Wednesday to Easter. We cannot undo the past. With God’s help, we can make the future better.

Ex-local heads Townsville education A FORMER Traralgon woman has been appointed executive director of Catholic Education at Townsville Diocese.

Jacqui Francis is the daughter of Ann and Max Maloney of Traralgon.

She joined Townsville’s Catholic Education Office in 2013 as director of organisational services and capability.

Prior to that she was general manager of commercial operations with the NSW Roads and Maritime Services.

She will take up the appointment in April.

Rite of election THE annual rite of election for those being welcomed into the Catholic Church at Easter will take place at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, this Sunday, February 18 at 3pm.

Bishop Pat O’Regan will meet with catechuments, candidates and their families, sponsors and RCIA teams, in the Chapoter House at 2pm.

The rite of election of catchechumens and formal recognition of baptised candidates will take place at 3pm with people coming from all parts of the diocese for this important ceremony.

Afternoon tea will be served in the cathedral gathering space at 4pm.

Newborough school’s 60th anniversary NEWBOROUGH – St Mary’s Primary School will be celebrating its 60th anniversary on the weekend of March16-18.

A supper dance will be held on Friday, March 16, at Yallourn Golf Club, from 7pm. A light supper will be provided, drinks are at bar prices and there will be live entertainment.

Tickets are $25 per person.

Please contact Helen hprocak@ stmnewbor.catholic.au or Carol carolelswyk@bigpond.com to purchase tickets.

On the Sunday, St Mary’s will celebrate with Mass at 9am, followed by morning tea in the school and the opportunity to have a look around and browse through memorabilia.

St Mary’s extends a warm welcome to all past students, parishioners, principals, teachers and anyone who has been involved in the school over the years.

Please go along and reminisce and catch up with old friends.

Contact the principal Kerry Wadey for any more details on 5127 2342.

Collect bonus interest for regular savings while also supporting the Catholic Community. Sign up for your online student account today! www.cdfcommunityfund.org.au/students

Important Notice: Your investment with the CDF Community Fund ABN 94 380 397 118 (Fund) will be used to generate a return to the Fund that will be applied to further the charitable works of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, we are required by law to tell you that your investment with us is not comparable to those with banks, finance companies or fund managers. The Fund has been granted certain exemptions by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).Under these exemptions, we are required by law to tell you: • The Fund is not prudentially supervised by APRA. Therefore, an investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959. Investments in the Fund are intended to be a means for investors to support the charitable purposes of the Fund.

• Investments that the Fund offers are not subject to the usual protections for investors under the Corporations Act 2001 or regulation by ASIC. • Investment in the Fund is only intended to attract investors whose primary purpose for making their investment is to support the charitable purposes of the Fund.

• The Fund has an Identification Statement which contains information about the Fund may be viewed at www.cdfcommunityfund.org.au/aboutus.

• The Fund does not operate under an Australian Financial Services Licence. The Fund has entered into an intermediary authorisation with an Australian financial services licensee, CDFCF AFSL Limited ABN 49 622 976 747, AFSL No. 504202 which has an authorisation to issue and deal in debentures which will enable the Fund to rely upon the licensing exemption contained in section 911A(2)(b) of the Corporations Act 2001.

The Fund is required by law to tell you that you may be unable to get your money back. However, CDPF Limited, a company established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, has indemnified the Fund against any liability arising out of a claim by investors in the Fund. In practice, this means your investment is backed by the assets of Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Page 8 - Catholic Life, February 2018

Let laity run new child protection body - Sullivan

By Mark Bowling THE chief executive officer of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council has a blunt, final message to Australia’s Catholic leaders following completion of the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse: “There needs to be reform, renewal and refreshment in the Church”.

As the council’s chief executive officer since 2013, Francis Sullivan is compiling a final report to be handed to the Australian bishops by the end of March.

He is also preparing for the council to be disbanded after delivering the report, and for his own next career move.

Throughout the Royal Commission, Mr Sullivan pinpointed “the shameful and confronting” culture of Church in the past, and maintained the need for cultural reform if the Church was to seriously tackle child sex abuse.

His public statements were often met with polarised responses.

“It’s been five tough years,” the father-of-three told The Catholic Leader last week, as he also considered his own future.

“I said ‘I would do the job’.

“I literally have given my all, supported by my wife Susan.

“Child sex abuse is about the abuse of power and the Catholic Church unfortunately has a very

bad history about the abuse of power – and not just in regard to the abuse of children.”

The TJHC’s final report will contain an analysis of Royal Commission recommendations, and how, during the past five years, the council has spearheaded the introduction of child sexual abuse handling, safeguarding, care and prevention programs.

Mr Sullivan said the report would recommend Catholic leaders set up a new implementation body to guide the future Church governance of the protection of children and vulnerable adults.

“I do think it should be run by lay people, and I do think it should be something the bishops and religious leaders are advised by rather than sitting on the implementation body themselves,” he said, making clear he is not personally interested in joining any new body.

“I think the implementation calls for a different set of skills … I think its best to get out of the way and let other people have a go.”

Many remember the moment, inside the Royal Commission last February, when Mr Sullivan delivered the Church response to shocking figures of abuse by priests and religious brothers.

Mr Sullivan broke down as he spoke.

“I didn’t expect to be

Francis Sullivan so emotional, but I was overwhelmed by the harsh reality of the extent and the breadth of the abuse – also what those figures represented about the betrayal of trust,” he said.

“I am reminded of it quite often. People keep calling it my national blubber.

“People have also said it reflected what they were feeling. They could resonate on it.”

The Royal Commission has recommended sweeping reforms, and the Holy See and Australian Catholic leaders have said they would seriously consider them.

It will be up to the Pope and his advisors to consider at least 10 of the final report recommendations, including changes to canon law and voluntary celibacy for priests.

One of the recommendations appears non-negotiable.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president, Melbourne archbishop Denis Hart and Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher have both rejected the inquiry’s call for priests to break the seal of confession to reveal child abuse.

The Royal Commission suggested new canons that frame child sexual abuse as crimes against the child, not as moral failings or breaches of the obligation to observe celibacy.

It also called for amendments to remove the “pontifical secret” or confidentiality imposed during Church investigations of child sexual abuse.

Other amendments include making it easier to take internal disciplinary action and permanently remove from ministry priests or religious against whom abuse complaints have been substantiated, or their dismissal if they have been convicted.

Mr Sullivan said he was still grappling with how his final report would address some of the Royal Commission recommendations, and he predicted the “unfinished business” of cultural reform in the Church would be hard fought and could take years.

“That is why we will need an expert implementation group – because some of these issues will probably not be able to be settled until more information is available,” he said.

“There are parts of some of the (Royal Commission) case studies that are heavily

redacted because of ongoing investigations. So we don’t know the findings for a couple of the case studies.

“In time they (the case studies) will see the light of day and the implementation group will have real information to go with.

“There’s a fear amongst people that there won’t be the change people are seeking and there will be a propensity for the Church to go back into its shell for a while.”

Mr Sullivan said he counted three major successes in the five-year work of the TJHC. “The establishment of Catholic Professional Standards, the push for a national redress scheme, and the willingness for Church leaders and bishops to enable victims to sue,” he said.

“Those three major changes were ground-breaking.”

Mr Sullivan also praised Church leadership at a local level.

“I think there have been many people in dioceses and religious orders who have responsibility to professional standards who have worked overtime getting in place better programs, new structures, best-practice arrangements – during the Royal Commission period,” he said.

“It wasn’t the work of the TJHC, it was their work.

“The Church is a big entity and the goodwill within the Church is what makes us a force for good.”

Reprinted with permission from Catholic Leader, Brisbane

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Catholic Life, February 2018 - Page 9

YOUNG people are a vital part of the solution to the challenges in their communities and during Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion hundreds of thousands of students, and all generations in Australia, will take action for our global neighbors.

On Ash Wednesday, Caritas Australia, the international aid and development agency of the Catholic Church, launched its annual Project Compassion appeal – one of Australia’s largest humanitarian fundraising and awareness-raising campaigns.

In Sale Diocese our launch took place at St Francis Xavier College’s main Beaconsfield campus on Tuesday.

Each year Project Compassion, which runs through the six weeks of Lent, brings together communities across Australia, in solidarity with the world’s poor, to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.

This year the focus is on youth and their communities globally and providing them with a Just Future.

According to the United Nations, some 250 million children worldwide, live in conflict zones. Caritas Australia, through its work, believes that young people’s contribution is integral to building sustainable peace.

Caritas Australia’s head of engagement

A safe place to learn

BAYAN (centre) with her family.

THE seven year conflict in Syria has claimed over 400,000 lives and displaced more than half of the country’s 22 million people.

Caritas Australia is helping Syrian refugee children impacted by the war to continue their education.

Bayan is a 12-year-old girl Syrian girl living with her family in Jordan.

She grew up in the capital Damascus, living with her parents and six siblings. Her father was a construction worker and her mother a housewife.

“Before the war in Syria, we were safe. We lived a comfortable life,” says Hanan, Bayan’s mother.

“Everything was alright in terms of living expenses and the availability of education for the kids.”

The Syrian conflict turned their lives upside down and they were forced to flee to Jordan.

As the family’s time in Jordan extended, Caritas Australia and its partners, Caritas Jordan and Catholic Relief Services) stepped in to provide vital academic and psychosocial support through the Caritas Education Program.

Bayan started attending one of Jordan’s Caritas Schools which operate on Saturdays, providing tuition to disadvantaged students.

“The school brings them back to a normal life, as they start to dream again,” says Caritas education protection coordinator Abeer.

Bayan’s mother says that

and sustainability, David Armstrong said youth were often the game changers in fragile contexts globally, as highlighted in stories featured during Project Compassion, like Bayan’s, from Syria.

“Youth are the future and offer us hope for a better tomorrow. Engaging them and investing in the millions of young people who live in fragile contexts has never been more important.”

“I encourage you to support Project Compassion because your donations make a big difference to our capacity to help impoverished communities become stronger and more resilient.”

Money raised during Project

Compassion goes towards Caritas Australia’s humanitarian and long-term development programs in 27 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Pacific and with Australia’s First Peoples. Last year Project Compassion raised $11 million.

During Lent, Australians are invited to make a donation, or host fundraising events in their local school, parish, community or neighborhood.

Supporters can also to share their stories on social media at #ProjectCompassion.

To donate to Project Compassion or for fundraising ideas visit www.caritas. org.au/projectcompassion or phone 1800 024 413.

A future starts with empowerment

attending school has changed Bayan’s psychological state, giving her a sense of tranquillity.

“I would not be able to read and write,” says Bayan. “School has the power to lift us up, so we can reach our goals and learn quickly.”

IN Nepal, Caritas Australia and its partners are assisting the country’s youth to start their own businesses.

Janaki is a young entrepreneur who has turned her life around.

In the Surkhet district of Midwestern Nepal, where Janaki grew up, she lived with poverty and disadvantage.

Forced into marriage at the age of 12, her already vulnerable position deteriorated further following the death of her husband only two years after they wed.

“I was so frustrated that I thought that my life was a waste. Slowly I realised that I need to move on and have some skills,” says Janaki.

In 2015, she joined a youth club formed by Caritas Australia partners, Caritas Nepal and the Ekata Foundation Surkhet –

part of a Children and Youth who are supporting this wise Empowerment Program. cause. Through their help, CYEP gives jobless youth women who experience the skills and training they domestic violence and who need to start their own income- are financially vulnerable are generating projects. getting new hope in their life.”

Janaki not only participated in training but also received a loan from the youth club to purchase her sewing machine.

“Everybody used to doubt my skills. But I stand on my determination and stand firm to learn tailoring skills,” says Janaki.

Nine years on, Janaki has 11 sewing machines and is running her own small business, teaching others the craft. She is now considered a community role model.

“My confidence level has YOUNG Nepalese woman raised,” says Janaki.

“I appreciate all those Janaki has a much improved respected peoples of Australia future thanks to Caritas.

Through your generosity during Project Compassion this year, you are empowering young people to build a just future for themselves, their families and their communities.

A Just Future starts with your support! Donate now.

www.caritas.org.au • 1800

024 413

• #projectcompassion

Page 10 - Catholic Life, February 2018

Tracking the real St Valentine Strong attendance at youth festival

By Colin Coomber

WHILE Ash Wednesday marks a day of fasting and abstinance within the Catholic Church, this year in clashes with St Valentine’s Day. The two events couldn’t be further apart – one beginning a period of penance as we prepare for Easter and the other celebrating a love-fest with ancient pagan roots.

St Valentine’s Day, or Valentine’s Day as the commercial world prefers to call it, has a clouded history as little is known of the man or men, after whom it is named.

Like many of our Christian feasts, the dates were engineered in the early years of the Church, to coincide or compete with pagan festivals.

In ancient Rome there was the Feast of Lupercalia which ran from February 13-15, and which, according to many reports, was a drunken revelry with indiscriminate sexual behavior.

Women would line up to be whipped with the hides of dogs and goats which were sacrificed at the start of the festival in the belief that it would make them fertile, and then take part in a bizarre lottery to match them up with a partner for the duration of the festival.

The timing of the festival was the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, a time when it was thought that birds began to mate.

In the 5th Century Pope Gelasius, had enough of the lingering debauchery of this pagan rite and combined it with the Feast of St Valentine.

Several traditions relating to the saint have been passed down and it possible two are the same man because both were clergymen martyred in the 3rd Century by Emperor Claudius II.

One is said to have been a priest who, while in prison signed a letter declaring his love for the daughter of his jailer, “from your Valentine.”

The other was a bishop, Valentine of Terni, who it is said earned the ire of the emperor by secretly marrying couples so that the men would not have to serve in the Roman armies.

Both stories have a link with love and over the centuries the emphasis shifted from erotic love to enduring, affectionate and selfless love.

A third possibility is a 1st Century Egyptian Gnostic theologian named Valentius who was prominent in the formation of early Christian Church but whose teachings were later condemned as a being heresy.

Valentine’s feast day was not a highlight on any calendar until famous 14th Century English writer Geoffrey Chaucer named Valentine’s Day in his poem Parlement of Fouls (Parliament of Fowls) as the day when birds declared their love for each other.

A day to celebrate love was back in the minds of many and with the invention of the printing press, well-to-do bachelors began sending cards expressing their love for young women.

The habit did not reach the masses until the 1800s but really took off when a card

manufacturer began massproducing Valentine’s Day cards around the First World War. Since then February 14 has become one of the few Christian feast days that has made it into the secular world – Christmas, Easter and St Patrick’s Day would be the other main ones.

Nowadays, it has grown into a multi-million dollar business boost every year and people declare their love in newspaper advertisements and with flower, chocolates, tacky heart-shaped balloons and other gifts. Some years ago it estimated that florists did 10 percent of their annual turnover on the one day.

So while the secular world has adopted St Valentine in a big way, without really acknowledging who he may have been, they have missed noting that the saint was relegated to the list of lesser saints in a shuffle by the Church in 1996.

Valentine is now just one of 12 saints who share February 14 as a feast day with the main honors going to Cyril and Methodius, Thessalonian missionaries in Moravia, who worked with the people in the Slavic language and were ahead of their time in advocating that worship should be in the native tongue of the people.

Although not officially cited, it is thought St Valentine was demoted, the same as St Christopher, because there was little proof of his existence other than in legend.

Other saints who share the feast day are Abraham of Carrhae, Antonius of Sorrento, Auxentus of Bithynia, Conran, Dionysius, Eleuchadius, Maro, Nostrianus, and Theodosuis.

STUDENTS and teachers from Sale Diocese lead the singing at one of the youth festival Masses.

By Lillian Davine which was hosted in Sydney in 2008.

STUDENTS from four schools This gathering of youth in Sale Diocese made the provided all in attendance with pilgrimage to Sydney in early the opportunity to celebrate the December for the national energy that young people bring gathering of young Australian to the Church in Australia, to Catholics at the Australian deepen their faith, and to be Catholic Youth Festival. inspired to go and be disciples Students and staff from in their own communities.

Marist Sion College, Warragul, Each day the festival was St Peters College, Cranbourne, bookended by sessions Mary MacKillop Regional gathering all 19,000 in a College, Leongatha and central stadium for worship St Francis Xavier College, and reflection led by some Beaconsfield, celebrated their incredible musician such as faith alongside approximately internationally acclaimed Matt 19,000 young Australian Maher and Steve Angrisano, Catholics. various Australian bishops and The festival marked the other members of the clergy. beginning of the Year of Youth The rest of the day allowed in Australia, celebrating 10 for the students to be involved years since World Youth Day in a wide range of activities and workshops.

The festival featured international and national presenters and performers, Q & A sessions with bishops, seminars on a range of topics, Taize prayer sessions, and daily Mass.

The first of these daily masses at the festival, was celebrated by Bishop of Sale, Pat O’Regan.

Students from the secondary schools in the diocese assisted with the reading for the day, prayers of the faithful, and with some support from Robyn Rebbechi (Marist Sion) and Matt van der Velden (Mary MacKillop) sung the hymns beautifully to the congregation of over 2000.

The majority of students from the diocese had not experienced such a gathering of passionate young Catholics, and it was truly beautiful to witness the students throwing themselves into everything the festival had to offer.

This pilgrimage was a wonderful experience for everyone in attendance and preparations are now underway for ACYF 2019 which will be held in Perth.

Catholic Life, February 2018 - Page 11

What is this about Bitcoins and cryptocurrencies?

QUOTING from William Shakespeare’s Witches’ Song from Hamlet: “Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble. …

Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.”

What are these cryptocurrencies? Not coins and not money, for certain.

Effectively they’re nothing more than a computer generated credit that can be exchanged at agreed levels between two parties.

They use a system called Blockchain to verify the transactions, but don’t get Bitcoin confused with Blockchain. Crypto-currencies need Blockchain, but Blockchain is just a process and doesn’t need crypto-currencies.

They are not the same thing at all.

The quote above pretty much describes the wild swings and intense interest in the current crypto-currency frenzy that we’ve witnessed in the last few months.

The value of just one of the crypto-currencies, Bitcoin, rose from US$4225.95 on October 4, 2017 to US$19,343.04 on December 16 and has fallen since to US$8,635.

That equates to a rise of nearly 360 percent in 73 days and a fall of 55 percent (or more than 200 percent of starting value) in only seven weeks.

There are more than 1400 different crypto-currencies at present, and more are being created all the time.

All of these are “mined” by

their controller who can create more and more as necessary.

None that I know have a finite supply for at least 125 years! All it takes is very large computing power.

As an aside an assessment published last month stated that the power usage of cryptocurrencies in 2018 would exceed the entire usage by electric vehicles in 2025.

Japan is the only country that has accepted them as a form of legal payment, but nowhere are they really currencies.

None are backed by a government that guarantees payment (a true currency) and there is no basis for valuation of a crypto-currency other than two peoples’ opinion. That’s one reason we get so much variation in pricing.

Bitcoin is the largest but

Dollars

and $ense

by David Wells there are a few others which are growing rapidly. For them to become mainstream currencies, they will require government support and that will require far greater transparency.

One of the attractions of a crypto-currency is that they avoid the central banking system. All transactions are verified by all users (actually their computers) as a block, and then a new block is started all

DOUBLE, double, toil and trouble ... is the Bitcoin bubble about to burst?

over again. That’s Blockchain.

Our banks and even the Australian Securities Exchange have plans to use Blockchain technology but not cryptocurrency.

To all intents and purposes, using any crypto-currency is a form of bartering, rather than a monetary system, and authorities round the world treat them as goods, not money.

In Australia any gain on any crypto-currency is treated as a capital gain and is subject to Capital Gains Tax, allowing losses to be written off against other gains, too. These gains and losses must be declared in the year they are realised, too.

Are they secure? They are only as safe as the computers used to mine them or store them.

A recent report estimated that 14 percent of all cryptocurrency had been hacked and stolen – a far greater amount than happens from banks. And there’s no guarantees that an owner is protected.

In a number of cases the crypto-currency’s “miner” has gone bankrupt and their cryptocurrency immediately becomes totally worthless.

Most users of cryptocurrencies know nothing of the controls and safeguards that

MacKillop pilgrimage an experience

By Pat Gray OVER the years I have heard of people from Gippsland doing the Mary MacKillop Pilgrimage and hoped one day that I could be part of that trip.

This time last year Sr Mary Fermio RSJ put me in touch with the pilgrimage coordinators based at the MacKillop Place in Sydney.

whole pilgrimage including a wonderfully presented booklet of readings, prayers and reflections for each place visited.

The pilgrimage commenced in Melbourne where I met the 36 pilgrimages who had flown in from Queensland, West Australia and New South Wales.

I was the only one from

THE stone schoolhouse at Penola built for St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and her Josephites.

From there everything fell in place, dates, cost and itinerary were all e-mailed to

by Sr Therese Lleydon and Sr Annie Bond who put together

Victoria, but that gave me the opportunity to meet a very diverse number of pilgrims.

We were fortunate to have a priest from Brisbane who

was a pilgrim and said Mass at various places including Penola, Robe, Adelaide and Sydney.

From Melbourne we travelled by coach via Hamilton, Portland, Port Macdonnell, Penola, Mt Gambier, Robe then on to Adelaide for a two night stay.

From there we flew to Sydney and stayed at Mary MacKillop Place headquarters in Mount St., Sydney for a three night stay.

After the conclusion ceremonies in Sydney I flew to Melbourne arriving on November 18 after a memorable 10 days in The Footsteps of Mary MacKillop with a wonderful group of people.

The whole trip was superbly put together by Srs Therese and Annie, best quality accommodation, coach, meals and flights.

Should anyone be interested in the 2018 pilgrimage I can thoroughly recommend it as both spiritually and physically rewarding.

Dates and accommodation has already been arranged for this year's pilgrimage commencing around October 24 and finished November 2. A

little earlier than last year.

Details can be obtained by e-mail to Sr Therese Lleydon or Sr Annie Bond at mmp. nationalpilgrimage@sosoj.org. au.

apply to their electronic wallet.

In some cases, they would be very concerned if they did know.

Two weeks ago a cryptocurrency exchange was hacked in Japan and $660 million in NEM cryptocurrency stolen. Authorities are still trying to trace where the NEM went. I hope it wasn’t yours.

Crypto-currencies in some form will be used in the future, but I expect they will be very different from those we’re seeing today.

For a start they will need government endorsement (and therefore backing) just as real currencies have now. To do this they’ll need a central authority just as real currency which is what they’re trying to avoid.

Is a crypto-currency an investment? Definitely not. It seems to have been designed for speculation and as such this looks like an enormous bubble, possibly similar to the Dutch tulip bubble, when a single tulip bulb sold for 15 years average income, or the South Seas bubble that nearly saw London go bankrupt.

In 1968 Poseidon shares went from 20c to $280. And a few years later the company went bankrupt without producing any nickel.

Surely most of us can remember the Dotcom bubble of 2001. Crypto-currencies may well go the same way.

Until you can use them at the local supermarket, please don’t think of them as anything but gambling chips. And don’t believe the hype you will hear everywhere about how much money you can make – that’s just a sales pitch to get you in.

• This report is intended to provide general advice. In preparing this advice, David Wells and Shaw and Partners did not take into account the investment objective, the financial situation and particular needs of any particular person. Before making an investment decision on the basis of this advice, you need to consider, with or without the assistance of an adviser, whether the advice is appropriate in light of your particular investment needs, objectives and financial circumstances.

Investments made simple.

Personal advice Unrivalled experience Buy and sell shares, portfolio managememt Investment research and daily market information Investment advice for self managed super funds For all your investment needs please contact: David Wells W , Senior Investment Adviser on 03 9268 1157 or toll free 1800 150 009 or dwells@shawandpartners.com.au

Page 12 - Catholic Life, February 2018

Your Guide to What’s On & When FEBRUARY 14 - Project Compassion Lenten Appeal begins 15 – Valley Region meeting, St Kieran’s, Moe, noon 17 – West Region Youth Conference, St Agatha’s, Cranbourne, 8.30am to 4pm, includes 9.30am Mass 18 – Bishop celebrating Mass for centenary of Josephite Sisters presence in Yarram, 10am 18 – Rite of Election, St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, 3pm 20-23 – Bishop in Sydney 22 – Ordination of Bishop-elect Brian Mascord as Bishop of Wollongong 24 – Foster Show 25 – Bishop celebrating Mass at St Ita’s, Newry, 11am 27 – Clergy reflection day, Sion House, Warragul, 10am 27 – Open parish meeting 1, St Joseph’s parish, Foster, 7.30pm 28 – West Region meeting, Cranbourne, 10.30am 28 – Open Parish meeting 2, St Joseph’s Parish, Korumburra, 7.30pm

MARCH 1 – Bishop’s Mass for Gippsland Catholic Primary Principals’ Association, St Michael’s Church, Traralgon, 9.30am 1 – Open parish meeting 3, St Laurence’s Parish, Leongatha, 7.30am 2 – Chancery staff meeting, Sion House, Warragul, 11am 2 - World Day of Prayer 3 – Warragul Show 3 – World Wildlife Day 4 – Bishop saying Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, 9am 4 - Clean Up Australia Day 7 – Open parish meeting 4, St Michael’s, Berwick, 7.30pm 8 – St John of God 8 – Blessing by Bishop of new St John of God Berwick Hospital, 11am 8-9- Traralgon Pro-Am Golf 11 – Bishop saying Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, 9am 11 – Stoney Creek Cup 12 – Labor Day Public Holiday 13 – Council of Priests meeting, Sion House, Warragul, 9.30am 13 – Consultors meeting, Sion House, Warragul, 1pm 13 – Meeting of Roman Catholic Trust Corporation for Diocese of Sale, Sion House, Warragul, 4pm 14 – Open parish meeting 5, Lumen Christi Parish, Churchill, 7.30pm 15 – Open parish meeting 6, Morwell Catholic Parish, Sacred Heart, 7.30pm 16-18 - 60th anniversary celebrations of St Mary’s Primary, Newborough 17 – St Patrick’s Day 17 – Pakenham Show 18 – Bishop saying Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, 9am 19 – St Joseph 20 – Diocesan catechists’ Mass and lunch, Sion House, Warragul, noon 20 – Open parish meeting 7, St Coleman’s parish, Orbost, 7.30pm 21 – Open parish meeting 8, St Brendan’s parish, Lakes Entrance, 7.30pm 21 – International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination 22 – Open parish meeting 9, St Mary’s parish, Bairnsdale, 7.30pm 22 – Start of AFL season 25 – Palm Sunday

25 – Bishop in Sale 25 – Melbourne Grand Prix, Albert Park 26 – Sale Serra Club Sports Day and dinner, Sale, golf 12.15pm, bowls 2pm, dinner 6.30pm 27 – Chrism Mass, St Mary’s Cathedral, 11am, followed by clergy lunch 29 – Holy Thursday 29 – Project Compassion Lenten Appeal ends 29 – First term holidays begin 30 – Good Friday 30 – Special collection for Holy Places at all Good Friday services 31 – Easter Vigil 31 – Public Holiday

APRIL 1 – Easter Sunday 2 – Easter Monday Public Holiday 7 – World Health Day 8 – Divine Mercy Sunday 8 – Special collection at all Masses for Education of Seminarians Bursary Fund 8 – Bishop’s Mass for Institute de Voluntis group, St Agatha’s Church, Cranbourne, 11am 8 – Bishop’s Mass for Divine Mercy Sunday, St Agatha’s, Cranbourne, 3pm 9 – Annunciation of the Lord 9 – Institute de Voluntis group Mass for Feast of the Annunciation, St Agatha’s, Cranbourne, 9.30am 9-13 – Sale Diocese clergy retreat, Pallotti College, Millgrove 9 – Catholic Life deadline 10-17 – Bishop attending meeting of Federation of Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania, Port Moresby 16 – Second term begins 18 – Catholic Life published 18 – Open parish meeting 10, St Mary’s, Newborough, 7.30pm 19 – Valley Region meeting, St Michael’s, Traralgon, noon 19 – Senior clergy day, venue TBA, 9am 19 – Open parish meeting 11, St Kieran’s parish, Moe, 7.30pm 22 – Good Shepherd Sunday 22 – Special collection at all Masses for Military Ordinariate 24 – Gathering of clergy ordained less than 20 years, venue TBA 24 – Open parish meeting 12, St Patrick’s, Pakenham, 7.30pm 25 – Anzac Day Public Holiday 26 – Bishop attending Come and See gathering of students working in youth ministry, Sion House, Warragul, 10am 26 – Open parish meeting 13, St Michael’s parish, Traralgon, 7.30pm 27 – Bishop at annual Peace Mass, Bishop Phelan Stadium, Catholic College Sale, 11am 27 – Bishop’s Mass for education leadership as part of Catholic Education Week, St Michael’s Church, Traralgon, 6pm, followed by dinner 28 – Confirmation, St Joseph’s Church, Iona. 10.30am 28 – Confirmation, St John’s Church, Koo Wee Rup, 2pm 28 – Confirmation, St Joseph’s Church, Wonthaggi, 6.30pm 29 – Bishop saying Mass at St Mary’s Church, Cowes, 9am (confirmation if any candidates)

MAY Trinity Families parishes appeal month 1 – Council of Priests meeting, St

Email your events to catholiclife@sale.catholic.org.au or phone 5622 6688

Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, 9.30am 1 - Consultors meeting, St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, 1pm 2 – Chancery staff meeting, Sion House, Warragul, 9.30am 2-10 – Bishop of Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference plenary meeting, Sydney 8 – East Region meeting, Lakes Entrance, 10am 11 – Confirmation 1, St Michael’s, Traralgon 6pm 12 – Bishop at Teams movement retreat for Rosedale-Traralgon team, St Michael’s, Traralgon 12 – Confirmation 2, St Michael’s, Traralgon 6pm 13 – World Communications Day 13 – Mother’s Day 13 – Confirmation, St Mary’s Church, Yarram, 10am 13 – Ascension of the Lord 15 – Clergy and religious day, Sion House Teacher’s Centre, Warragul 15 – Diocesan Finance Council meeting, Sion House, Warragul, 5.30pm 16 – West Region meeting, Narre Warren, 10.30am 16 – Open parish meeting 14, St Mary’s Church, Cowes, 7.30pm 17 – Open parish meeting 15, St Joseph’s Church, Wonthaggi 19 – Confirmation, Lumen Christi Church, Churchill, 6pm 20 – Pentecost Sunday 20 – Confirmation, St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, 9.30am 20 – Confirmation St Mary’s Church, Maffra, 2pm 22 – Open parish meeting 16, St Mary’s, Yarram, 7.30pm 23 – Open parish meeting 17, St John’s Church, Koo Wee Rup, 7.30pm 24 – Our Lady Help of Christians 24 – Bishop’s Mass at Sion House, Warragul, noon 24 – Open parish meeting 18, St Joseph’s Church, Iona 25 – Confirmation, St John’s Church, Trafalgar, 7pm 26 – Confirmation 1, St Joseph’s Church, Warragul, 7pm 27 – Trinity Sunday 27 – Confirmation 2, St Joseph’s Church, Warragul, 9am 27 – Confirmation, St Ita’s Church, Drouin, 2pm 29 Open parish meeting 19, St Thomas the Apostle Parish, Clyne North, 7.30pm 30 – Open parish meeting 20, St Agatha’s parish, Cranbourne, 7.30pm 31 – Open parish meeting 21, Our Lady Help of Christians parish, Narre Warren, 7.30pm

JUNE 2 – Confirmation, St Laurence Church, Leongatha, 5pm 3 – Body and Blood of Christ 3 – Confirmation, St Joseph’s Church, Korumburra, 9.30am 4 – Catholic Life deadline 5 – World Environment Day 5 – Priests’ Welfare Foundation meeting, Sion House, Warragul, 10.30am 5 – Consultors meeting, Sion House, Warragul, 1pm 5 – Roman Catholic Trusts Corporation for Diocese of Sale meeting, Sion House, Warragul, 4pm 5 – Open parish meeting 22, St Joseph’s Church, Warragul, 7.30pm 6 – Open parish meeting 23, St Ita’s Church, Drouin

8 – Sacred Heart of Jesus 8 – Bishop blessing and official opening of refurbishments at Sacred Heart School, Morwell, 2pm 8 – Confirmation 1, St Michael’s Church, Berwick, 7.30pm 9 – Immaculate Heart of BVM 9 – Confirmation 2, St Michael’s Church, Berwick, 11am 9 - Confirmation 3, St Michael’s Church, Berwick, 2pm 11 – Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday 12 – Grade 5 Pilgrimage Mass 1, St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, 11am 12 – Open parish meeting 24, St Mary’s Church, Maffra, 7.30pm 13 – Catholic Life published 13 – Open parish meeting 25, St Michael’s Church, Heyfield, 7.30pm 14 – Confirmation 4, St Michael’s Church, Berwick, 7.30pm 15 – Confirmation 5, St Michael’s Church, Berwick, 7.30pm 16 – Confirmation 6, St Michael’s Church, Berwick, 11am 16 – Confirmation 7, St Michael’s Church, Berwick, 2pm 17 – Confirmation, Sacred Heart Church, Morwell, 10.30am 19 – Grade 5 Pilgrimage Mass 2, St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, 11am 19 – Open parish meeting 26, St John’s Church, Trafalgar, 7.30pm 20 – World Refugee Day 20 – Clergy and parish administration staff day, Sion House, Warragul, 10am 20 – Open parish meeting 27, St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, 7.30pm 21 – Valley region meeting, Morwell, noon 21 – Confirmation 1, St Agatha’s Church, Cranbourne 22-23 – Special collection at all Masses for St Vincent de Paul Appeal 22 – Bishop’s Mass at Shanagolden aged care facility, Pakenham, 11am 22 – Confirmation 2, St Agatha’s Church, Cranbourne, 6pm 23 – Confirmation 3, St Agatha’s Church, Cranbourne, 11am 23 - Confirmation 1, St Thomas the Apostle, Clyde North, 2pm 23 – Confirmation 2, St Thomas the Apostle, Clyde North, 6pm 24 – Nativity of John the Baptist 24 – Confirmation 4, St Agatha’s Church, Cranbourne, 10.45am Marist School’s Association netball tournament open Mass with bishop, Marist-Sion College hall, Warragul, 5pm 26 – Grade 5 Pilgrimage Mass 3, St Mary’s Cathedral, Sale, 11am 29 – Sts Peter and Paul 29 – Chancery staff meeting, Sion House, Warragul, 11am 29 – Second term holidays begin

NOTE: Dates, times and venues may change without notice being given to Catholic Life to make amendments.

School holiday dates can vary from school to school depending on in-service days etc.

Catholic Life, February 2018 - Page 13

The Church in the World Make homilies short and well-prepared, says Pope POPE Francis has urged priests and deacons to make their homilies no more than 10 minutes long and to make them well-prepared.

In one of his general audience’s last week with groups of pilgrims from all over the world, he continued with the catechesis on the Mass.

He said a homily was continuing the dialogue already open between the Lord and His people through the Gospel and other readings.

“The Word of the Lord enters by the ears, reaches the heart and goes to the hands, to good works. And the homily also follows the Lord’s Word and follows this course as well to help us, so that the Lord’s Word, passing through the heart, reaches the hands.”

Those who were listening to the homily must do their part, first of all, by paying due attention, by assuming the right interior dispositions, without subjective demands, knowing that every

preacher has merits and limitations.

He said sometimes there was reason to be bored by a long, or unfocused, or incomprehensible homily, but at others times it was prejudice that created the obstacle to understanding.

“And one who gives a homily must be conscious that he’s not doing something of his own; he is preaching, giving voice to Jesus, he is preaching the Word of Jesus.

“And the homily must be well

European parliament told of many persecuted Christians

By Marcela Szymanski THE European Parliament held a public hearing for the first time late last year on persecuted Christians.

As “Red Wednesday” was being observed in many countries around the world commemorating the sacrifice of the martyrs of their faith, the European Parliament, held a public hearing in which for the first time it specifically sought to gather information about the global persecution of Christians.

The Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need was invited to provide background information as contained in its recent 2015-2017 edition of Persecuted and Forgotten? a biennial report on Christian persecution.

Presenting after the UN Rapporteur and the EU Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion, Marcela Szymanski of the ACN EU office provided a summary of the main findings, and a country-by-country review of case studies.

The report elicited interest especially in those countries where the members of the European Parliament were not as aware that Christian

Euthanasia battle in NZ NEW Zealand Catholic bishops are fighting a rearguard action to prevent the country legalising euthanasia.

They are urging Catholics to make submissions opposing the legislation.

Parliamentarians voted 7644 to pass the first reading of the End of Life Choice Bill in December.

The Bill passed to the Justice Select Committee which is accepting submissions until next week.

The Bill seeks to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide as an option for those over 18 years of age, who are terminally ill and likely to die within six months, or who have a grievous and irremediable condition.

NZ Maori leaders are also opposing the legislation.

MARCELA Szymanski presenting to the European parliament ACN’s recent 2015-2017 edition of “Persecuted and Forgotten?”, a biennial report on Christian persecution © European Union 2017 persecution was so acute such as, for example, in India, China and Nigeria.

As many of the preceding speakers had already described a realistic, dark picture of the growing persecution of Christians, ACN also provided some positive case studies, notably an update to the Nineveh Reconstruction Project - an effort by the charity to rebuild Christian homes, churches and religious institutions in Iraq following the devastation of ISIS. This last point received particular attention and unity of support by the parliamentarians as a concrete and positive example for this troubled region of how to help persecuted Christians return to their homes and in so doing help retain the plurality of Iraqi society.

The UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion, Ahmed Shaheed, indicated that in the coming months the UN will look especially to the situation of Christians in Indonesia, Pakistan and the North of Africa.

Jan Figel, the EU Special Envoy, revealed that he is working with his colleagues to emphasise in their contacts with countries where persecution occurs that the most important concept to defend is “citizenship”, promoting equality to all regardless of their faith.

The members of the European Parliament concluded with

a note of gratitude to the participants and for the insightful information as well as the need to review the instruments at their disposal to promote freedom of religion and religious literacy.

Aid to the Church in Need Public Affairs, through the dissemination of its “Religious Freedom” and “Persecuted and Forgotten?” reports as well as by facilitating first-hand testimony from project partners working on the ground, seeks to help inform policy-makers on issues related to the persecution of Christians around the world.

prepared; it must be brief, brief!”

The Pope said people were often seen to fall asleep during a homily, others chat or go outside to smoke a cigarette .

“Therefore, please, make the homily brief, but it must be well prepared.

And how is a homily prepared, dear priests, deacons and bishops? How is it prepared? With prayer, with the study of the Word of God and by doing a clear and brief synthesis; it must not go beyond 10 minutes, please.”

Descendants of slaves take on Jesuit university A GROUP of descendants of slaves owned by Jesuits in the United States are demanding a better response from the order and Georgetown University which it runs.

In 1838 the Maryland Jesuits sold 272 slaves they owned to keep the university in Washington DC from closing.

A descendant’s group called GU272 after the university’s initials and number of slaves involved has engaged an attorney to assist them.

Dee Taylor, Chicago, who is a descendant of one of the slaves Isaac Hawkins, held a press conference at which she claimed talks with the

university had stalled.

She said she appreciated the apology from the university for its role in the slave trade and the symbolic gesture to rename a building in Hawkins’ name.

The university had also set up an institute to study slavery and was considering giving preferential admission to any of the descendants.

“But in my heart, deep down, I don’t feel whole. I believe descendants deserve more and Georgetown has the means to do much more,” she said.

The university has more than 17,000 students and is reported to have a permanent capital of more than $1 billion.

Same-sex blessing 'possible' GERMANY - The president of the German Bishops’ Conference believes priests can conduct blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the Archbishop of Munich and Freising, told the Bavarian State Broadcasting’s radio service that the decision of whether a homosexual union should receive the Church’s blessing should be up to “a priest or pastoral worker” and made in each individual case.

He said that, for him, the important question to be asked

regards how “the Church can meet the challenges posed by the new circumstances of life today – but also by new insights, of course,” particularly concerning pastoral care for the individual.

Such closer pastoral care must also apply to homosexuals, he said: Asked whether he really was saying that he “could imagine a way to bless homosexual couples in the Catholic Church,” Cardinal Marx answered, “yes” – adding however, that there could be “no general solutions”.

Pope's sky-high wedding role POPE Francis has performed an impromptu wedding ceremony midflight aboard the papal plane in Chile.

During his flight to Iquique last month, the Pope was approached by LatAm flight attendant Carlos Ciuffardi Elorriaga and asked for a blessing for him and his wife, flight attendant Paula Podest Ruiz.

The couple were supposed to be married in their home parish in Santiago in 2010.

However, tragedy struck when an earthquake destroyed the church. Eight years later, they remained only civilly married.

Mr Ciuffardi told journalists aboard the flight that, after he explained their story, he asked

the Pope for their blessing.

At that moment, Francis surprised the couple with offering to marry them right there on the plane.

Mr Ciuffardi said the Pope asked the couple, “Well, do you want to get married?”

“I said, ‘Well, yes. Are you sure?’ Then the Pope said, “Are YOU sure?’ I told him, ‘Yes! Let’s get married,’” Mr Ciuffardi recalled excitedly.

The newlywed said he asked his boss and president of LatAm airline, Ignacio Cueto, to be his best man and one of the Vatican prelates drew up a handwritten marriage certificate.

“The Pope said it was historic!

Never has a pope performed a wedding on a plane!” Mr

Ciuffardi said.

The Pope was on his way from Santiago to Iquique before heading to Peru later in the day.

Holy See Press Office, Greg Burke, says the wedding was “totally legit” and “doctrinally OK”, Vatican News reports.

Mr Burke said, “Doctrinally it’s OK, because to be married the actual ministers are the people themselves. You just need a witness. There are a couple of other things, normally there are publications. And there were things that had to be passed over, but it’s totally legit, and everyone’s happy!”

He said it “was not the Pope’s idea; it was their idea, but the Pope was happy to do it.”

Page 14 - Catholic Life, February 2018

For the Young and Young at Heart THE Olympic Games was a sellout, so three mates – an Englishman, a Scot and an Australian decided to use ingenuity and cunningness to get themselves through the gate.

The Englishman got himself a straight stick, sharpened the end, wrapped some electrical tape around the middle and turned up at the gate.

“Mitchell Thistlethwaite, England, javelin” he said, and they let him through.

The Scot found an old cricket ball, strolled up to the gate, holding it under his chin and said “Sandy McDougall, Scotland, shot putt,” and he too was let in.

The Aussie looked everywhere for something to aid his deception and finally settled on a piece of barb wire from the top of security fence.

He walked up to the gate and said “Bluey Jones, Australia, fencing.”

FRED was given a job to drive a racehorse transport truck from the trainer’s stables to the racetracks.

When he didn’t have horses to transport, he was allowed to use the truck for private use.

One day he was rocketing along in the truck when he was caught by a police radar.

The policeman checked Fred’s licence, then asked what his excuse was for speeding.

Fred replied he was in a hurry to get the horses to the racetrack.

The policeman strolled around the transport and noted that there were no horses on board.

“Oh No!” cried Fred. “They’ve given me the scratchings again.”

DAVE got a job in charge of an outback railway station, serviced by a single line.

The pay wasn’t much but he was given a little cottage for his family to live in so things weren’t too bad.

The line split into two for a few hundred metres at the station and it was his job to make the passenger train wait at the platform for a few minutes each day while a goods train coming from the opposite direction passed through.

The railways inspector called on him one day to check that the processes employed by Dave were correct.

“What would you do if one day the passenger train wasn’t yet at the station and the goods train was hurtling through?”

“I’d switch the signals to red so both trains would have to stop,” replied Dave.

“But what if the lights were out of action?”

“I’d fire the emergency flares,” replied Dave.

“What if the flares were damp and wouldn’t go off?”

Dave thought for a moment and replied “I’d go and get the wife and kids.”

“What good would that do?” shouted the inspector.

“Well for a start, none of them have ever seen a train crash before.”

sitting at the table with three men playing poker.

He found the dog’s owner sitting at the bar and remarked what an extremely clever dog he had.

The owner replied “He’s not so smart. He wags his tail when he gets a good hand.”

FOUR people were travelling in a train compartment, an old woman, a young lass, a young chap and an obnoxious, know-it-all salesman.

The train went into a tunnel and in the few seconds of darkness there was the sound of a kiss, followed by a loud slap. When they came out of the train the salesman was lying on the floor rubbing his cheek.

The old woman thought “What a proper young lady to resist the unwanted advances of that man.”

The young woman thought “Why on earth would that man kiss the old lady instead of someone young and attractive like me?”

The salesman thinks “Lucky young guy. He gets to kiss the girl but unfortunately she missed him and accidentally hit me.”

The young guy thinks. “I kiss the back of my hand and get to slap that obnoxious creep but no-one knows.”

TWO lions escaped from the zoo one day. One was recaptured within a few hours but the other wasn’t found until nearly a year later.

When the two lions were reunited one asked the other how he managed to stay away so long without being detected.

He replied that after escaping he noticed the back door of a large Federal Government office block was open and he had slipped inside and hidden in a vacant room in the basement.

He said that whenever he was hungry he used to eat one of the hundreds of government advisors who were in the building.

“I could have lived there for years without being detected but I made a mistake and they found me.”

“What was the mistake?” asked the other lion.

“I ate the lady who wheeled the morning tea cart around. If only I stayed with the advisors they may never have known!”

A MAN was amazing to see a dog

Quick jokes for the juniors WHAT did the chewing school?” gum say to the shoe?

Andrew: “Because the bell I’m stuck on you goes before I get here.”

HOW do you tell the age of THERE were 10 zebras an elephant? in the zoo and all but nine You count the number of escaped. How many were candles on his birthday cake. left?

Nine. (read it again) WHAT makes men go bald?

MOTHER: “What did you Their hair falling out. learn at school today?”

Daughter: “Not enough.

TEACHER: “Andrew, I have to go back again why are you always late to tomorrow.”

WHAT do you get if you cross an eagle with a skunk?

A bird that stinks to high heaven.

Solar system wordsearch

WHY didn’t the skeleton go to the party?

He had no body to go with.

DID you hear about the granny who plugged her electric blanket into the toaster by mistake?

She kept popping out of bed all night long.

COLOUR in this picture of the Last Supper. Jesus is sharing bread and wine with his disciples as Judas slips away to betray him.

Teacher: “If I gave you 2 cats and another 2 cats and another 2, how many would you have?”

Johnny: “Seven.”

Teacher: “No, listen carefully ... If I gave you two cats, and another two cats and another two, how many would you have?”

Johnny: “Seven.”

Teacher: “Let me put it to you differently. If I gave you two apples, and another two apples

and another two, how many would you have?”

Johnny: “Six.” Teacher: “Good. Now if I gave you two cats, and another two cats and another two, how many would you have?”

Johnny: “Seven!”

Teacher: “Johnny, where in the heck do you get seven from?!”

Johnny: “Because I’ve already got a cat!”

Catholic Life, February 2018 - Page 15

Remote student expand their tertiary horizons

By Trevor Fogarty THIS month many students from small, remote communities in Gippsland will venture far from home to commence several years of Tertiary Studies.

They will be from communities that are rarely represented at university or

prayer HOLY SPIRIT You who makes me see everything and shows me the way to reach my ideals, you who gives me a divine gift to forgive and forget the wrong that is done to me; in this short dialogue I want to thank you for everything and affirm once more that I never want to be separated from you, no matter how great the material desire may be. I want to be with you and my loved ones in Your perpetual Glory. (Mention your request). Thank you Holy Spirit for your love towards me and my loved one. Amen This prayer should be said for 3 consecutive days. After the 3rd day the request will be granted, no matter how difficult it may be. While making the request one must either promise to publish on granting the favour or promise to circulate copies of it to as many people as possible. This is to spread the wonder of the Holy Spirit.

St Jude NOVENA. May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be loved, adored, glorified and made renowned throughout the world now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on us, Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary pray for us. Thanks St Jude for prayers answered.

Say this prayer nine times a day for nine days. By the eighth day your prayers will be answered.

It has never been known to fail.

Publication must be promised.

READERS please note that published prayers reflect the beliefs of those who place the advertisements. We ask readers to judge for themselves, especially in regards to suggested fulfilment of requests made in these prayers.

public notices

TAFE courses.

It’s a huge step for these students to venture so far from home, seeking to gain tertiary qualifications that set them up with the career of their dreams.

What is it that enables many of them to leave their remote community to chance their futures in the big world?

In 2001 a government report highlighted the fact that students in remote, rural communities were grossly under-represented in doing tertiary studies.

The Gippsland Council of the St Vincent de Paul Society set up a sub-committee to see if this imbalance could be addressed.

In 2003 Vincentians Pat Bourke, Sale, with Leo and Josie Bleeser, Leongatha, helped initiate a trial program involving five Catholic colleges and a government college to encourage particular students to move beyond Year 12 and do further study. The late Sandra Walker, Newborough, became

the first coordinator.

One student from each college, selected by senior staff as being capable of such study, eager to be involved, yet lacking

wanted known

Your will be done Trinity Families asks you to consider assisting our work in funding charitable projects across the diocese.

Remembering Trinity Families in your will by making a bequest is an effective way of ensuring that you do something to help those struggling families in our midst.

If you need more information on bequests contact: PO Box 1410, Warragul 3820 Ph: 56 22 6688 ABN 51 486 581 500

the family financial resources to take this step away from home, was offered financial assistance by the Gippsland Central Council of the Society.

This trial was deemed to be very successful and the program was quickly increased to 16 colleges. These colleges eagerly embraced the concept and their choice of students for the program has been excellent.

The scheme was named the Tertiary Education Sponsorship Program.

Students from such places as Mallacoota and Swifts Creek, Yarram and Foster now receive this incentive to achieve qualifications that will set them up for life, while being a role model for other students to follow in their footsteps. Most students were the first from

their family ever to undertake tertiary studies.

By far the majority have achieved a significant qualification at institutions from such places as Churchill, Melbourne, Ballarat, Canberra, Hobart and other centres as well.

Those students who haven’t finalised their courses have at least experienced life outside their small community.

The St Vincent de Paul Society is proud of the opportunities given to these students and receives many testaments of appreciation from them for the support that has been provided.

The stories of the over 200 students so far supported are heart warming. © 123RF stock photo

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Page 16 - Catholic Life, February 2018

College play awarded best production in state LEONGATHA - Late last year the cast of Mary MacKillop College’s Production of Blood Brothers was invited to the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria in Bendigo to perform the musical’s final number ‘Tell me it’s not true’.

This was not the sole reason the school travelled across the state to attend the awards ceremony in December.

They were awarded the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria ‘Junior Production of the Year’. Year 12 student Isaac Muldoon also won junior male performer in a leading role for his performance as Mickey in the show.

Blood Brothers was Mary MacKillop’s

third production and first show judge by the guild. Director Bron Kalos said the students were “over the moon and excited to win the award because it covers all the elements that are often unseen in the school production”.

Producer and deputy principal – learning, Sam Wright was also delighted with the recognition.

“The Music Theatre Guild of Victoria Awards evening was the public recognition for what our school community has felt since we embarked on the path of producing musicals three years ago.

“We have an amazingly talented

group of students that have been guided/ mentored/taught ever so professionally by a team of dedicated and passionate staff.

“The ‘Brick’ as they are commonly known is an award to the whole school community, including the dedicated parents and talented ex-students who have made the last three years and last three musicals such a success.

“Our director Bron Kalos role modelled excellence in the musical theatre space, also received her own Brick (Bruce Award) for her role in Wonthaggi Theatrical Group’s Chicago as well as her nomination for director of

the year.

“Our creative director Meg Steenholdt ensured authenticity to the production with attention to every small detail so much so that the audience felt they were themselves transported to the rough back streets of Liverpool for each scene.

“Elly Poletti, also nominated for her musical direction enabled the singing to build to the emotive heights associated with such a heart wrenching story.”

The college will be continuing with success in the school production and will be performing High School Musical, with a cast of possibly 70 students in mid-July.

Oblates retain annual golf trophy against diocese THE Moe Oblate community hosted the 42nd Felix Open Golf Championship last month.

A mixed field of 10 Oblates and diocesan priests accepted the challenge of the Trafalgar golf course in ideal conditions.

Following the golf 18 priests attended the annual dinner where we were able to welcome Bishop Patrick O’Regan, Bishop of Sale, for the first time. Fr John Allman made the effort to attend the dinner.

The Felix Open Championship Plate was retained by the

Catholic Life Sale

DISPLAYING the prize for the day’s golf are (from left) Fr Brendan Hogan, Fr Denis O’Bryan, Fr Michael McMahon OMI, Bishop Pat O’Regan, Fr Michael Willemsen, Fr Peter Slater, and Fr Harry Dyer OMI.

Oblates through back to back wins by Fr Michael McMahon OMI. Winners: Felix Open Plate – Fr Michael McMahon OMI, 2nd Fr Brendan Hogan, 3rd Fr Peter Slater.

Handicap Event: Michael Willemsen tied with Denis O’Bryan, 2nd William Ousley OMI, 3rd Asad Gill OMI. Nearest the Pin-8th Hole: Fr William Ousley. Longest Drive- 18th Hole – Fr Michael McMahon. Special Award: Fr Peter Kooloos

Back from Ireland for golden jubilee PAKENHAM - Well known Josephite Sr Christina Scannell RSJ returned to Pakenham parish last month during her celebratory visit to Australia for her golden jubilee.

Sr Christina returned from Ireland to celebrate her 50 years as a Sister of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart.

St Patrick’s Pakenham hosted a morning tea for her on January 14.

Parish worker Marianne Dineen acknowledged the sister’s service to the Pakenham community over many years.

Mrs Dineen said she had learnt much from Sr Christina and she was a great living example of the spirit of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop’s work during her time in the parish.

Sr Christina told the story of her calling to religious life.

She recounted meeting the Josephite Sisters at Mass on their visit to her hometown in Ireland.

She returned home late that night and woke her parents to tell them she was moving to Australia to join the order.

Her mother said “You’re tired dear go to bed.”

The next morning her father suggested she go into town and join one of the Irish-based orders but Sr Christina said she had never regretted ignoring his advice and making the decision to become a Josephite.

“If I’d taken his advice I’d would have never meet all of you. I’ve loved every minute of it.”

Sr Christina served most of her 50 years in Sale Diocese

SR Christina Scannell RSJ cuts her golden jubilee celebration cake in the St Patrick’s Pakenham Hall. and her last appointment was as pastoral associate at Pakenham.

Her roles throughout the diocese varied and ranged from parish work to teaching roles including principalship.

She returned home to Ireland just over four years ago to care for her sister and take on other duties for the Josephites.

During her Australian visit she formally celebrated her jubilee with 30 other sisters at Mary MacKillop Chapel in Sydney on January 5.