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SAFEGUARDING

Archbishop Coleridge said insights and recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse have also shaped the new approach. Some of the bodies ceasing operation were established before or during the Royal Commission.

Eva Skira, the chair of AMPJP, said the members of the Association canonical stewards of Church ministries, including in education, health, aged care, disability and social and community services were supportive of the consolidated national approach.

“While Ministerial Public Juridic Persons as an ecclesial structure are relatively new and emerging, we are deeply committed to child protection and safeguarding in our various contexts,” she said.

“We are very pleased to be collaborators with the Bishops Conference and CRA, which have made significant progress in recent years.”

Said Br Peter: “AMPJP’s membership of Australian Catholic Safeguarding Limited extends the impact of the company across an even broader range of Catholic ministries.

“Our focus must always be on the safety of all those who come into contact with the Church.”

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STATE-SIDE TO DOWN UNDER: AMANDA PROULX, LASALLIAN FORMATOR 2016-20

Some East-Coasters USA might wonder why someone would want to leave ‘The Land of the Free’ to take up a new position in Lasallian resource/formation. Amanda Proulx, campus minister and theology teacher, did so in January 2016. She leaves Lasallian Mission Services after five years of formation activities for the ANZPPNG District, for more green paddocks.

The lure to Down Under, was Mr. Merv McCormack, attending with Amanda Lasallian Studies in Moraga, California. He saw an intelligent, articulate woman with considered views. Merv, the Executive Director of the District Lasallian Mission Council wanted someone to bring more competencies and know-how to District formation in the youth / young adult area or beyond. Amanda’s qualifications include a Master’s degree in theology and ministry and Buttimer Institute Lasallian Studies, as well as other bachelor degrees. These ready kitbag resources were not duplicated literally: a sultry Sydney summer day of 32 deg. greeted Amanda, but not her belongings!

Things quickly looked up as she brought a steadying influence, some fresh programs, and knowledge, all with her customary courteousness and respect for others, as Merv McCormack notes. The expertise seen in Moraga soon became apparent to a far broader District audience. More involvement in adult formation brought enlivening encounters. The respect she brought to interactions ensured her recognition of the gifts of others, and her encouragement for them to utilise their talents in ministries. In these various ways, she professed professionalism and broadened capacity-building. An initial two-year contract was extended to three, and later became five. Her status was recognised in being appointed the new Director of ‘Formation for Mission’ in 2020. Permanent residency was sought and achieved.

The current Visitor saw that she “met people in their own contexts and responded to their specific needs. “As a Lasallian woman, Amanda empathised with and accompanied women across the District”.

Her standing led to joining an international Lasallian committee in Rome. As she finishes five years of great and grateful service to youth and adults, in a culture and Church not her own, the District says ‘Bon voyage’ Amanda for the next stage of the life journey!

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YOURTOWN COUNSELLOR INDY SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE

Author: Br Patrick McCarthy

Br Patrick McCarthy, Chaplain Oakhill College, sat down with 23-year-old Indy to discuss her role as a Kids Helpline Counsellor.

Kids Helpline has been operating since 1991 and is a service provided by yourtown. yourtown formally known as BoysTown was founded by the De La Salle Brothers.

“yourtown is a charity with service young people can access to find jobs, learn skills, become great parents and live safer, happier lives. We believe every young person has the right to a brighter future” - Tracy Adams, CEO

What is your role - i.e. how would you explain what you do to someone you just met? As a Kids Helpline Counsellor, I support children and young people from all walks of life to talk about anything that is happening for them and to work with them around realising personal goals.

What’s unique about this type of counselling?

At the Kids Helpline, we focus on what the young person wants to talk about, and we allow them to lead the direction of the calls. We do this by ensuring we check-in with the young people during our sessions, to make sure we are hearing their needs as well as what they hope to achieve from a session with a Kids Helpline Counsellor.

Sounds like you have a great chance to make a positive difference to others’ lives - can you tell me about a time when that had a big impact on you?

Reflecting on my role as a Kids Helpline Counsellor, I feel sincerely privileged to be in a position to hear young people’s stories and to facilitate a safe space for them to share what can be the most vulnerable aspects of their life.

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For many young people, trusting others with their story and deepest parts of their life can be difficult for many reasons, however, when they get to a place where they are comfortable and feel safe enough to share this with me, I feel privileged.

What drew you to this field of work?

Ever since my primary school days, I have loved listening other people and being a support for them particularly those who may have been isolated by others. I’m passionate about really understanding young people and what has shaped or motivated them to become the person that they are today.

What is the biggest challenge in the role?

The most challenging aspect of the role would be working with young people who are in pain, facing adversity, while recognising my limited capacity to change their circumstances. However, I am hopeful that despite this, I might be able to make that small difference that enables a young person to stay safe.

What characteristics are important in a role like this?

As a Kid’s Helpline Counsellor, it is important to be empathetic and respectful in our work with young people. We need to be relatable in the way we communicate, non-judgemental and accepting of all people. Being flexible and having a sense of humour is a pre-requisite.

Have you seen any positive ripple effects in the work you’ve done?

Yes, I have. One example of this would be when a young person called Kids Helpline for the first time and shared their experience of mental health which they had not shared with anyone else because of their fear (and unfortunately the reality) of judgement. Since our first session, this young person has developed the confidence to seek further support from specialist services and to improve their mental health and life generally.

What are some of the most common struggles/ issues that you are hearing in this time? How can young people and their families manage these?

The most common issues young people face in these current times include struggles with mental health concerns, emotional well-being and suicide-related concerns. We need to continue to encourage young people and families to keep the communication channels open and to ask for the help they need to move forward.

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What has been the most surprising thing for you about this role?

The most surprising thing has been how much insight young people have into the situation or issue they’re experiencing. They are often able to express positive and constructive ways to work towards solutions, when offered the opportunity to do so. So often, the voices of young people are ignored or diminished because they are not yet adults, however, I believe that young people often have creative and positive ways of working through tough times.

What advice do you share with others that you need to remind yourself to keep doing / practising yourself?

I believe that personal boundaries (i.e., physical, emotional and mental limits) are crucial, not just for Social Workers, Counsellors or Psychologists; but for everyone’s health and wellbeing. While listening, helping and supporting others is an important part of relationships, we need to be conscious of the energy we are outputting and recognise when we need to take care of ourselves. As the saying goes, “you can’t pour from an empty cup...” and I believe personal boundaries are the key to self-care!

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BERNADETTE OVE - A LASALLIAN GODMOTHER: Two Decades as Founding Lasallian Principal at Jubilee

The Papua New Guinean Lasallian Family is losing a shining light, as Bernadette Ove has retired as leader of Jubilee Catholic Secondary School in Hohola in December 2020. Never retiring in her zeal and commitment, she leaves a massive heritage with Lasallians.

Initiated by Br. Denis Loft in 2000, with six teaching positions and a K45,000 grant from the NCD Education Department, the first Years 11 & 12 Catholic school in Port Moresby, was looking for a Principal. Marie Hardwick, volunteered and was seconded from De La Salle Malvern. She became the mid-wife of the new venture, lead teacher and effectively in charge. Three classes of 35 were the initial students from Marianville. Br. Denis, Acting Principal later in 2000, had approached Bernadette, a principal in Goroka. She was one of a very few Level 9 teachers. Marie Hardwick’s strong belief in Lasallian practices ensured Mrs. Ove was mentored and partnered in developing a Lasallian ethos. In the new millennium, increasing emphasis was put by the District on lay Lasallian formation programs: Bernadette was urged by Marie to attend one such program at Narooma NSW in mid-2001.

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As Br. Denis says:

“She has been an extraordinary influence on the school, and made sure that the school was always seen as a Lasallian enterprise. She had various sayings of the Founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle painted in strategic places, named the school houses after Lasallian saints and family, and always had staff or students attend whatever programmes were happening in PNG or Australia”.

As a highly experienced Principal already, Bernadette became a dynamo in Jubilee Catholic School, leading by example and heavily involved in school activities. The quite outstanding academic results, always in the top tier, established Jubilee’s continuing reputation in NCD education.

Her early colleague, Marie Hardwick saw her as the “godmother of the school”. Other teachers and ex-students viewed her as a wisdom figure, encouraging, welcoming and selfless. Aware of those at the margins, she promoted moral values encapsulated in the ‘Five Characteristics of a Lasallian School’. Grounded in her judgments, other Lasallians have seen her as compassionate, collaborating and fully supportive of events like teacher formation seminars, the 2016 Inter-Schools Lasallian Cultural Day, and the more recent Women’s Symposium in New Zealand.

For many years, particularly when De La Salle Bomana was no longer administered by the Brothers, Bernadette was the one who maintained the Lasallian gatherings, retreats and publicity. Br. Joseph Gabel, then teaching at Hohola Youth Development Centre, remembers her high regard for the Brothers. She was:

“Passionate about all things Lasallian, and in particular about the quality of education the students received, and which teachers gave”.

In February 2018, her achievements and dedication to Lasallian education in Papua New Guinea was recognised with the Brothers’ Institute conferring on Bernadette the honour of Affiliation. In an interview recently, she maintains that her professional development, as well as her Christian spiritual formation, has been nourished by her involvement in the Lasallian educational mission. Her message to her co-Partners in the Mission, as she retires after 20 years of leadership, is to be “passionate about teaching”. And she sees the same passion needing to be engendered in students’ learning. For her, serving others in the ‘Holy Presence of God’ brings life. Lasallian spirituality is “very relevant to Christian educators”, and with other denominations common ground can be found in what is, we believe, ‘God’s work’ in God’s vineyard. (From an interview for Mambu magazine, November 2020).

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A REMOTE PLACE WITH A RICH CULTURE, SPECTACULAR WATERFALLS, TROPICAL GARDENS AND A COMMITTED LASALLIAN

Ever wanted to work in a remote place with a rich Melanesian culture, spectacular waterfalls and tropical gardens? One could try Enga Province, in the north Highlands of PNG, where many do not speak English or Tok Pisin. Aileen Fapiou Saleu is a Catholic teacher and proud Lasallian, there at Holy Cross Primary School, Pompabus. This Catholic school shows the impact Christianity has had on Papua New Guinea as a nation of sometimes remote tribes, first colonized by European powers in the nineteenth century. (In fact, German De La Salle Brothers established a brief mission in Vunapope, present New Britain, from 1914 to 1921). Other Catholic and Protestant missionaries had come in the 1880’s to spread the Christian Gospel.

In an interview, Aileen explained that her school of 400 students has 15 predominantly Catholic teachers, in “a Catholic area (that is) inviting and welcoming”. The school is quite well-resourced, with teachers using their mobile phones for preparation for class. While there are 50 students per class, the school doesn’t suffer from teacher absenteeism. She is the sole ‘Lasallian teacher’ but the majority of staff were inducted in Lasallian spirituality “but yet to see commitment”.

Aileen has taught at Holy Cross for two years, as a Senior Teacher and has a delegated duty as Assistant Religious Co-ordinator. Overall, she sees that youth in the nation are challenged by peer pressure to be wayward socially. Family issues include broken marriages and some acceptance of polygamy. Youth living with relatives only “are most times abused, and this affects their learning”. Teachers can struggle with “lack of support of learning materials, not having a supportive (School) Management, problems with salaries (unnecessary deductions)”. as well as family and marriage problems and problem students.

As a convinced Lasallian, Aileen’s history is long and enriched. “Being a Lasallian means so much to me.

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Being one instilled with faith continues to ignite in me personally, and guides me in my daily life (It) helps my own children at home, and those in my class and school, not forgetting the vulnerable children. My call as a Lasallian (has led me) to see the life of St John Baptist as a guide to living the gospel.”

Where does this rich inspiration come from? Aileen mentions, seemingly proudly, that she is one of the pioneer Lasallian youths that were inducted by Br. Ignatius Kennedy (RIP), the founder of the Lasallian Family in Papua New Guinea. Br. Ignatius “inducted me into a great family of teachers, who followed the footsteps of St John Baptist De La Salle. He lived that life fully as a De La Salle Brother when serving in PNG. He was a dawn to each brother (and sister) and his faith was tremendous and great. He had time for all of us, and was firm and gentle in his decisions. As one of his first youths, he inspired me into living the Lasallian spirituality. He was a living saint to us”.

As an assistant to the Area Co-ordinator in the local Lasallian Family, Aileen aims to “revitalise and energize effective teaching and learning”. Her action starts with living in the conscious presence of God. She reads about the Founder and attends Family gatherings and retreats. She herself initiates Lasallian formation through the above means. She promotes Lasallian youth ministry, empowering youth in the school through teaching prayer etc. Her own constant prayer, she says, helps her answer the real challenges in Enga. These include lack of response to communication with other teachers, lack of meeting attendance and a lack of resource material. The latter includes the need for crucifixes, rosaries, bibles and statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as material on the Founder’s life and thought.

She has been able to inspire her family so that all her children are now ‘Lasallian Youths’. Her husband, who is not a teacher or educator, but a medical lab technologist, is supportive towards the Mission by providing funding, assisting with documentation, and also attending gatherings with her and their children.

“My call as a Lasallian is truly a blessing to me and my family. It also guides me, and that taught me the 12 virtues of the good teacher (from De La Salle) to the students. It often reminds me on how to look at each child in class. The job I have is not just a paid job but a vocation which I live by the Lasallian Values in teaching my students, identifying vulnerable students. Continuously working together and by association with my Lasallian lay partners, Communities of Brothers and the communities (we create)”.

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YOURTOWN BOARD DIRECTOR AWARDED AN AM

Author: The Standard www.standard.net.au

Her childhood was marked by instability, but Megan Mitchell has spent the decades since changing the lives of children just like her.

The Sydney woman went on to become Australia’s first National Children’s Commissioner, in a career driven by the firsthand knowledge of what it is like to be a vulnerable kid.

Ms Mitchell has now achieved another career high, being recognised in the Australia Day honours for her significant service to children, human rights, and wellbeing initiatives.

She is thrilled but shocked to join the likes of Olympic champion Ian Thorpe, award-winning actress Rachel Griffiths, and a host of politicians and industry and community leaders, as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia.

“I thought it was a mistake,” she told AAP with a laugh.

Ms Mitchell has spent her career quietly going about the work of protecting and uplifting children who were born at a disadvantage.

“My mum was a single parent with hardly any help around her, and she did it pretty tough ... we moved 14 times before I was 17,” she said.

“I’ve always had an appreciation for those people who are poor or who are disadvantaged.”

Ms Mitchell has been the chief executive of the Australian Council of Social Services, and held senior public service roles in the areas of child protection and disability in two states.