Catholic Observer - December 2015

Volume 50, No 4 DECEMBER 2015 $2.00

Bishop McKenna’s Christmas Message 2015

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n the middle of the night, a child is born.

In the darkness, there is a light. The light shines in darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.

Isaiah rejoices that “a blessings from God this people who walked in Christmas and next year. darkness has seen a great +Michael McKenna light; on those who lived in Bishop of Bathurst the land of shadows, a light has shone”.

There is darkness in the world, we know. There is darkness in our own hearts, too. But this darkness is not as strong as the light of Christ.

In the dark, we live in fear.

Only the light can chase those fears away. Let the light of Jesus come into your heart and, freed from fear, carry that light into the world.

In the first reading for Midnight Mass, the prophet May you receive abundant

Our front cover

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he Catholic Observer front cover artwork is entitled and Exhibition held in Dubbo in early November, which is “The Magi came to visit Jesus” by Claudia Tegart, featured on page 16. from St. Laurence’s Primary School, Dubbo.

Claudia was awarded the Parish Priest Award for Year 5, chosen by Father Greg Kennedy. Congratulations Claudia!

Claudia is a Year 5 student at St. Laurence’s and was an entrant in the 2015 Diocesan Christmas Art Competition Kimbalee Clews

Page 2 • December 2015 • C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t

The Year of Mercy – Merciful like the Father

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ope Francis has proclaimed a Jubilee Year of Mercy that will open this 8th December, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception; and close on Christ the King Sunday next year.

Door of Mercy in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Carcoar, recognising our Shalom Diocesan House of Prayer as a place of pilgrimage.

As the Pope has asked that this Year of Mercy be celebrated both He has chosen the date of 8th in Rome and in the Particular December also because it will Churches, I ask each parish in be the 50th anniversary of the the Diocese of Bathurst to be closing of the Second Vatican involved.

Council.

I have written a Pastoral There will, of course, be many Letter, entitled God the Father events in Rome and with the of Mercies (see page 19–22).

Bishop of Rome, beginning with As you may recognise from its the opening of the Holy Door title, the Letter emphasises the in St. Peter’s Basilica. However, Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Pope Francis has asked his Pope Francis has asked that brother bishops to involve each this Sacrament be placed at the local church in living out the centre of our observance of the Jubilee and to open a Door of Jubilee, that bishops celebrate it Mercy in their own cathedrals with their people and that they and other places of pilgrimage. and all confessors be authentic signs of the Father’s mercy.

On the Third Sunday of Advent, 13th December, 2015 I will open Finally, I pray that this year will our Door of Mercy before the be a grace for all the faithful.

10am Mass in the Cathedral of We all need God’s mercy: and St. Michael and St. John. This cannot speak of it credibly will also be the day when the unless we have accepted it bells will ring out again from ourselves. the restored tower, marking the completion of the first stage of our Cathedral’s renewal. That +Michael McKenna afternoon, I will also open a Bishop of Bathurst

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Australian Catholic Youth Festival 2015

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he Australian Catholic Youth Festival is a national gathering of Catholic young people established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

When asked about her expectations of the Festival, Niamh said, “I am really looking forward to being among thousands of young people, like me, who are all there to be in the presence of God together”.

It exists to provide them with opportunities to deepen their relationship with Jesus, be empowered to be disciples in the world today and encounter and celebrate the vitality of the Church in Australia.

From 3rd-5th December 2015, young people will come together to attend the festival hosted by the Archdiocese of Adelaide.

This year’s theme is “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” Mt 5:8.

“I am also very excited to do some of the workshops, meeting Steve Angrisano and Father Rob and seeing them on stage will be really fun and cool. I am also ready to just relax and have fun in the presence of God. I’ll get to finish the year on a high”.

Jacinta, Niamh, Lauren and Brooke.

Niamh Sinclair, Jacinta Thatcher, Lauren will attend the Festival, representing the Jones, Jess Myers and Brooke Gilliard Catholic Diocese of Bathurst.

We look forward to reporting about the girl’s experiences in Adelaide in the next issue of Observer.

Kimbalee Clews

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A Year in Rome

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hen Bishop McKenna asked me to undertake further studies in Rome, I felt both excitement and trepidation. Living in the Eternal City; but undertaking tertiary study in a new language! After being in Rome for over 12 months, I now take the opportunity to share a few brief reflections on a year that has been both wonderful and challenging.

I was overawed to discover that the University traces its continuing existence back to St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1551 and counts among its alumni 16 popes, 23 saints and 50 blesseds, the latest addition being Blessed Óscar Romero.

Yet, despite its impressive grandeur, ‘the Greg’ is really a big family and there is plenty of room, even for a country priest from the other side of the world.

Studying at the Pontifical Gregorian University, commonly known as ‘the Greg’, in particular, I am undertaking the two-year License in Patristic Theology.

‘Patristics’ comes from the Latin Pater, meaning father and this is the study of the great Fathers of the Church, who were key figures in the development of theology and Church teaching from the time of the Apostles to the Medieval period. I constantly cross paths with the likes of Ambrose, Augustine of Hippo, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Maximus the Confessor, and my special friend Cyril of Alexandria (special because his Christology is the subject of my thesis). This is not an esoteric exercise. On the contrary, the Patristic period is foundational to our Catholic beliefs and the ongoing development of Catholic thought and spirituality.

More often than not, there is a Patristic text from a great father provided in the Office of Readings for our daily meditation.

I am fortunate to live at Collegio San Carlo Borromeo, on the busy shopping strip of Via del Corso. The College is attached to the beautiful Basilica dei Santi Ambrogio e Carlo al Corso and was established for foreign priests undertaking post-graduate studies here. There are priests from all over the world; a little ecclesiastical United Nations.

Within this diversity all are united, it seems to me, by two things: the priesthood and an almost obsessive fascination with kangaroos, whether they are dangerous, and what they taste like! I have discovered that for the rest of the world, Australia is indeed exotic.

‘The Greg’ has about 3,800 students and it is a bustling centre of activity as people rush from one class to another, or to ‘the Greg Bar’ for a cornetto e cappuccino in the morning or, following the Italian custom, a simple espresso after lunch.

Despite this, the library is a tranquil place of academic pursuit. Housing one of the largest theological libraries in the world, it is a gigantic rabbit warren of rooms. It is a place of absolute silence: no whispering or mobile phone sounds are tolerated!

Meals at San Carlo are always interesting: an ever present reminder of the Catholic world’s great diversity. The Columbian priests speak of their beautiful country and its communities being scarred by decades of violence. The African priests often marvel at the things Westerners waste their time worrying about, while more fundamental necessities of faith, family and community are their main preoccupations. There is no mention of Russia to our lone Ukrainian priest - the pain and anger over recent events in Crimea being all too real.

While most of us have at least one European language to help smooth the transition to Italian, our Korean priests work linguistic marvels, surmounting the utterly foreign Italian in order to then learn Hebrew and Greek!

Meanwhile, the native Italians retain their sense of humour in the face of this colourful

group of foreigners butchering both, Rome came alive with their beautiful language! the daily flow of rumours and counter rumours, all excitedly Rome itself is an amazing city. dissected and commented It is steeped in history, art upon by countless ‘experts’. and culture. It is the home of Some people have told me countless holy sites: the tombs Rome is not healthy for one’s of the Apostles Peter and Paul, faith, but I disagree. Seeing catacombs, relics of dozens of the messiness of the Church’s saints; sites where the first inner workings reassures Roman martyrs died for the me that Christ is indeed the Faith, and the home of Peter’s Church’s one foundation and Successor, Pope Francis. It is the Holy Spirit its singular also a city of tourists and those guide. who would take advantage of them, of homelessness and These reflections hardly do begging, of fortune tellers and justice to the past year’s pickpockets and sometimes of experiences, but are a small chronic disorganisation and taste of life here in bella Roma. bureaucratic dysfunction. I am sure the next 12 months Rome is a city of over-lapping will fly past and before I worlds: a tapestry of all the know it, I will be boarding a very best and very worst of homeward bound flight. In the humanity. meantime, I will continue to pray for our Diocesan family Rome is also the centre of from here; please remember the Universal Church. As me also in your prayers.

I write, the second of two Arrivederci! synods on the family is Father Greg Bellamy drawing to a close. During

C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 5

Bishop’s Christmas Missionary Appeal

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he proceeds of the 2015 Bishop’s Special Missionary Appeal at Christmas will this year be directed towards the Diocese of Kohima, North Eastern India.

The Diocese of Kohima takes in the Nagaland region of North Eastern India, which constitutes 11 tribal groupings each identifiable by its own district. Sanis is a large township within the Wokha District and is one of the oldest Catholic village communities in the Diocese.

There is only one Catholic priest resident in Sanis, who coordinates the St. Peter’s Centre which was established in 2009.

The Centre has a multitude of functions serving Sanis and the seven other closely located Catholic communities. This includes providing education for the children, pastoral care, catechesis and evangelisation.

The Sisters of Divine Providence are actively engaged in the work of the St. Peter’s Centre and its pastoral outreach.

and missionary outreach in Sanis and its villages. Providing the necessary infrastructure at Sanis is a long and gradual process. The St. Peter’s Centre is in most urgent need of new classrooms. The existing school buildings are a shambles. We Bishop Thoppil from the Diocese need 17 new rooms altogether”. of Kohmia said, “The educational apostolate is the key to the To support the construction of Church’s pastoral, catechetical the Centre, Bishop McKenna

and the Council of Priests have agreed to commit the Bishop’s Christmas Missionary Appeal to the Kohima for the next three years.

We are fortunate to have wonderful educational facilities in our Diocese for our children. It would be a great blessing for the parishioners of Sanis if they could also enjoy

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quality school facilities.

There will be an opportunity to share the spirit of Christmas, and help bring this project to fruition, at all Christmas Masses across the Diocese. You can also send your donation direct to Bishop McKenna at PO Box 246, Bathurst, NSW, 2795.

Kimbalee Clews

Bishop leads pilgrims across the Diocese

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s part of the 150 year anniversary celebrations of the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst, Bishop Michael McKenna led a Diocesan Pilgrimage in September. The Bishop was accompanied by Parish Priest of Blayney, Father Tim Cahill, who is well versed in the rich history of our Diocese, as well as around 20 parishioners from across the Diocese. The pilgrims visited each of our 17 parishes and a few of our smaller Eucharistic communities. The following is Bishop Michael’s reflection on the pilgrimage: On 27th September, at the end of Sunday Mass in the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. John, I blessed 17 stones from the Cathedral restoration work, one for each parish in our Diocese. To each stone was attached a plaque with the words of St. Peter: Be living stones making a spiritual house as a holy priesthood to offer the spiritual sacrifices made acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1Peter 2:5).

The plaque went on to record that each stone was presented to a particular parish on the day of its visit from the Pilgrimage celebrating the 150 years of the Diocese of Bathurst. On Monday following 28th September, Morning Prayer in the Cathedral and a blessing from Father Joe Dooley, the acting Vicar General, I set off with about 20 other pilgrims (and the stones!) for a 1250 km bus trip that took us over five days to every parish church plus eight Eucharistic communities.

need to pray that the Holy Spirit, working through the Synod and Pope Francis, would reawaken our appreciation of Marriage and Family, this gift from God: and guide us in responding how to live it out, according to each person’s call.

Bishop Michael with Fr Reynold, pilgrims and parishioners at the Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Coonamble

groups will come into their own when they welcome more people At each stop, I invited those who are not regularly attending present to join in prayer for the Mass, or indeed may not be local community and for all the Catholics or Christians at all. communities that make up our Diocese. I asked them to pray The third request I made was with one heart, as members of a for parishes to unite in prayer diocesan family with a common for the Synod on the Family, which was to commence at the mission. conclusion of the Pilgrimage. We In most places, we prayed the Liturgy of the Hours for the appropriate time of day. This Prayer of the Church, consisting mainly of the Psalms, linked us to everyone throughout the world who performs this Divine Office that sanctifies each day.

25 of them.

After prayer, each community looked after us wonderfully well with food and drink. The four parishes we overnighted in also generously opened their homes to lodge the pilgrims. Hospitality is a hallmark of a true Christian community: and we found it at every stop along the way.

I thank God for the Pilgrimage; and for the organisers, parishioners and pilgrims who made it happen. It has been a sign of hope and joy as we meet the obstacles and opportunities that each day brings on our journey together to the Kingdom of God, our only future. +Michael McKenna Bishop of Bathurst

At the conclusion, before presenting the commemorative stone as a symbol that, together, we build up the living Church of Bathurst, I asked each community to do three things.

First, to listen to God. Often enough, in our prayer, we end up doing most of the talking.

But we need to let God speak to us, too. He communicates with It turned out to be a wonderful us in silence and in his Word, experience celebrating our especially through the Holy communion as a diocesan family. Scriptures.

It was certainly a blessing for me and, I believe, for the pilgrims Second, to share the Word of and the people who welcomed us God. Our faith is not given to us as a private treasure, but at every stop. something to be shared with One of our first stops was at others, whether they also have Portland, where we heard a some faith, or have yet to find it. comment that helped shape our That is when it grows. understanding of the journey. In welcoming the pilgrims, Charlie These two things – listening to O’Mahony said that he thought God’s Word, and sharing it – are pilgrimages only went to holy best done when we meet together places, so perhaps Portland was a in Christ. I encouraged people holy place. He was right on both to come to the Word and Faith counts. Everywhere there is a groups already operating, and to community of love and service is start new ones. They are an ideal a holy place and we were to visit setting to listen and share. These

One of the Pilgrimage Stones given to each of the 17 parishes

Bishop Michael and Sr Robyn McNamara visiting the residents at Cooee Lodge, Gilgandra

C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 7

Our First Permanent Deacons

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t 7.30pm on Friday 5th February 2016, in our Cathedral, I will ordain Charles Applin and Terry Mahony to the Diaconate. Charles and Terry, married men with many years as active members of the Church, have completed five years of preparation for this Sacrament.

Their Ordination as Deacons will be for life and will put them in a new and permanent relationship of service to the Bishop and Christ’s Faithful. Although this relationship is with the whole People of God, they will belong in a particular way to our local church.

Their wives, Joan and Christine, have accompanied them on this journey of discernment and formation and given their consent for Charles and Terry to make this life-changing commitment, which they will carry out in concert with their commitment to the Sacrament of Matrimony.

The new deacons will be pioneers of this ministry in the Diocese of Bathurst. They and all of us will learn through trial and error what this call from God will mean in practice. However, we shall not be travelling without a map. The renewal of this ministry after the Second Vatican Council is based on a tradition that reaches back to the earliest days of the Church.

Deacons directly help the Bishop in reaching out to people on the edges of Church life. These distances may be geographical (e.g. the smaller and more remote communities of our Diocese); or social and economic; or distances of the heart in faith and practice. They assist

Terry and Christine

Joan and Charles

with works of charity, catechesis and the disconnected. coordination.

Charles, Terry and their families, along At least in the beginning, I will not appoint with others who have undertaken the either deacon to a particular parish. They Formation Program, have given freely will carry out their ministry across the of their time and talent in responding to Diocese in different places at different this vocation. We pray that God will bless times, cooperating with the local priest, them, and those who have helped them on at my direction. Although sometimes the journey, with generous abundance. their work may be liturgical (leading or assisting worship; baptizing; celebrating weddings and funerals), this will grow out + Michael McKenna of their broader task of connecting with Bishop of Bathurst

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Wrap Up of Assembly Council Events

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he Diocesan Assembly Council was established to advise the Bishop on the evaluation and possible implementation of ideas that have emerged so far in the Assembly process. As part of the Council’s initiatives this year, various events were developed around the themes that were identified at our Diocesan Assembly in 2012 as requiring particular attention: Hearing and Proclaiming the Word of God; Worshipping God in Prayer and Sacrament; Building a Community of Love and Service and the participation of Indigenous Catholics, young people and families in our local church.

Proclaiming the Word of God Effectively

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vents were held in both Baradine and Lithgow over Friday 24th July - Monday 27th July, with more than 160 people attending the sessions. The workshops gave readers, as well as parishioners interested in reading at Mass, the opportunity to better understand why we proclaim the Word of God, gain valuable public speaking advice as well as practical lessons about the role and responsibility of the reader.

The workshops were also made available for students at a special school session in each location.

Bishop McKenna invited Father John McSweeney to be guest speaker at these events. Father John gave an excellent presentation on “How and why we proclaim the Word of God”, explaining the history, inspiration and interpretation of the books of the Bible as well as providing those in attendance with a very useful insights of what role the Proclaimer of the Word has within Liturgy.

The Diocesan Assembly Council was delighted with the response of those who participated and look forward to continuing to provide this kind of event in other parts of the Diocese in the future.

Kimbalee Clews

Family Fun Days

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he committees for the Domestic Church and the Community of Love and Service have jointly held three family events in Bathurst, Dubbo and Mudgee over the past year. The goal of the events was to bring families together, including those who do not attend church regularly, to enjoy time with each other, acknowledging that families are the basic building blocks of a Christian community and just to have fun!

Bathurst. This day was all about married couples. A Champagne Relationships lunch was held allowing couples to take time to focus on each other. Team members from Centacare gave a dozen couples strategies In Dubbo, well over 500 people and new ideas to ensure they had a most enjoyable day make time for each other and with the spirit of Christian prioritise their relationship. community alive and well in St. th Brigid’s parish on Sunday 14 Bishop McKenna and our June. parish priests were thrilled with the family involvement, with The family day in Mudgee more events being planned for st was held on Sunday 21 June, next year. with a slightly different focus Families came together for compared to Dubbo and Robert George Bathurst’s Family Fun Day, held on Sunday 26th April. The day was held in the Cathedral School grounds and attracted over 300 people after 10am Mass.

Catholic Faith and Aboriginal Spirituality

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n Saturday 11th July, 70 people travelled to Dubbo for the ‘Aboriginal Spirituality meets Catholic Faith’ day. Held at St. Laurence’s School Hall, the day aimed to educate and

promote understanding of how Indigenous Catholics marry their faith and their Aboriginal spirituality and culture and to explore how our parishes might become places where Indigenous Catholics feel welcome and valued.

Wiradjuri Elder, Aunty Elsie Heiss, and Gamilaraay woman Anne Dennis, were guest speakers and passed on some of their tremendous faith, knowledge and wisdom.

Both these women have a deep faith in the Catholic tradition and have meld that successfully in their lives with their deep sense of Indigenous culture and spirituality.

The day was hailed a success by all accounts, with people calling for more similar opportunities to learn and grow in understanding of the Indigenous Catholics in our community.

Fiona Lewis

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Formation Days for SWAP

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Positive feedback was received about the events being held in these locations, where SWAP is a common event, and that formation was occurring. A number of ideas were also generated by the people attending, which will be included in the planning for The formation used a mix future events. of styles including time for discussion and networking, acting out the Rite, answering David Nelson questions and prayer. hree formation days were held for presiders of Sunday Worship in the Absence of a Priest (SWAP) in September, with a total of 83 people attending. The events were held in Dunedoo, Canowindra and Portland.

Freedom Award presented to Sister Maree Marsh, csb

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ongratulations to Sister Maree Marsh, a Brigidine sister originally from Cowra, who has been awarded a 2015 Anti-Slavery Australia Freedom Award.

The Anti-Slavery Freedom Awards recognise the outstanding work and contributions of individuals and organisations for initiatives against slavery and slavery-like practices including forced labour, forced marriage and human trafficking.

Maree’s award acknowledged the work that she does supporting men, women and children who have been trafficked into Australia through her work as a psychologist at Anti-Slavery Australia. One person assisted by Maree commented that through her support “I have come to realise how capable I am and what I can achieve”.

Maree has had a long association with Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking Humans (ACRATH) and was the National Chairperson 2012-2014.

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Honouring our Principals

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he Diocesan and wider community continues to mourn, with his wife Sue; their daughter Melissa and their family and friends, the sudden passing of Terry McGoldrick, principal of St. Lawrence’s, Coonabarabran on 21st October 2016. The following is an excerpt of a message I penned for all of our teaching staff following his death, in an attempt to capture the essence of Terry, the teacher:

Terry also modelled for us the extraordinary achievements that our students can attain when we provide them with opportunities for leadership and skill development that fall outside and beyond the parameters of our common curriculum. Indeed, he taught us that when we do so, and connect those opportunities with and reveal to our students our own passions, then remarkable things can be accomplished.

First and foremost, Terry modelled for us that our most important quality as a teacher is love for children and a child-like approach to our engagement with them.

That is, fun and laughter, awe and delight in regard to our natural world accompanied by an enquiring mind into how every aspect of it works, along with taking time to be attentive to the everyday things in life which bring us joy.

Above all, Terry modelled himself on Jesus, the teacher, through the uninhibited way in which he proclaimed his deep faith to all and particularly to his students. In him, his students saw a teacher whose whole life was lived in deep and open awareness of the fact that we are all created in the image and likeness of our God, created in love and for love. He radiated to his students, as we all must, his unwavering faith in the God who is love.

Terry modelled the maxim in teaching that relationships are everything. What a privilege it was for me to hear one of his students note last week the number of adults in her immediate and extended family whose lives had been touched

by Terry in various ways. The fact that her Principal’s connectedness and influence extended beyond his immediate cohort of students meant a great deal to that student.

extraordinary achievements of Mrs Cathy Gaudry, Principal of All Hallows, Gulgong and Mrs Barbara Howell, Principal of St. Joseph’s, Molong, both May we all take some time to of whom are concluding their reflect on the many ways in which principalships this year. Cathy our vocation as teacher reflects and Barbara have modelled the model of Jesus, the teacher, Christ-centred leadership in grateful acknowledgement of throughout their extensive careers the powerful and loving example and their legacy in their school, of Terry McGoldrick - teacher, parish and local communities principal, colleague and friend. is, therefore, substantial. The In this final term of the 2015 role of principal is increasingly school year, many opportunities complex and challenging. Both are being taken to celebrate the women have embraced their roles

The Catholic Observer is published by the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst (Diocesan Publications) PO Box 246, Bathurst, NSW, 2795 ph: (02) 6334 6400

with grace, courage, humility and good humour. We have and will continue to be richly blessed, not only by their achievements as principals, but by the way in which they lived their role each and every day.

We wish Cathy and Barbara every blessing in the next phase of their lives and we continue to pray for the repose of the soul of Terence Patrick McGoldrick.

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Page 12 • December 2015 • C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t

The Francis Effect Colloquium Pope Francis considers the environmental crisis as a critical “moral challenge of our time” and urgently appeals “... for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet” (LS 14), in his latest encyclical, Laudato Si. He proposes ways of action in a hope-filled way to protect the earth, dignify humanity and restore God’s gift of creation.

In an attempt to respond to Pope Francis’ call to enter into dialogue and engage with the vision of Laudato Si, The Francis Effect Colloquium was held on

29th October 2015 in Bathurst.

More than 60 principals, parish priests, religious education coordinators and parishioners were in attendance.

Developed and to be facilitated

by Catholic Mission, Catholic Religious Australia and Catholic Earthcare Australia, the keynote address was delivered by Mrs Jacqui Rémond, Director of Catholic Earthcare.

Other presenters included local practitioners sharing real life stories about how the theology of the encyclical is being lived out in the local context.

Jenny Allen, Angelo Belmonte, Beth Riolo, Jacqui Rémond, Sally Neaves, Maryanne Casanova rsm, Glenn Corben

Director of Schools, Jenny Allen we can address the concerns that said “The Colloquium was Pope Francis raises in Laudato a wonderful opportunity for Si”. everyone to see and hear how Kimbalee Clews

School Administration Conference Mudgee

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arlier in the year, the Bathurst Schools Administrators were together under the guidance of CEO Director of Schools, Jenny Allen and Schools Financial Officers, Jo Chirgwin and Jenny Stocks.

to new staff who have joined the schools in the last 12 months.

It is an opportunity for the many requirements and legislations that we all have to comply with to be explained and for the CEO management team to hear of the issues and processes dealt with in the school office.

These two days always generate great excitement and a little trepidation amongst the school The school office is a constantly secretaries as they gather together changing environment. Although small children and staff needs for the annual catch up. remain the same; questions The conference provides a relaxed answered, reassurance given setting to meet new faces and and band aids handed out, the members of the CEO team. It’s regulations, financial controls/ nice to put a face to the name of audits and information processing some of the IT team; Phil Eagan are always improving and and Stephen Ryan and to the changing, so the school secretary receptionists at the CEO; Karen is always juggling many different Bourke and Rhonda Smith and balls in the air and learning new

skills. Luckily, we all love our jobs and our focus is always on the spiritual, emotional, financial and physical welfare of the school community.

Thank you to Jo and Jenny and all the support network at the CEO and for the important opportunity to catch up with old friends.

Sarah de Lange

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C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 13

Farewelling Two Leading Ladies

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atherine Gaudry has been the Principal of All Hallow’s Primary School, Gulgong for the past 20 years and Barbara Howell has been the Principal of St. Joseph’s Primary School, Manildra for 16 years.

Both will be abdicating their thrones at the end of the year.

Farewelling these two quality leaders gives us and their school communities the opportunity to reflect on all they have given to and done for their schools in the promotion and provision of quality Catholic education for the students in their care. We wish them the very best in the next phase of their life journeys.

‘Your toolboxes overflow with expertise, so life for each of you ‘post-school’ is so chock-a-block with possibilities, on the open market you’ll be recruitment jewels.’

Janine Kearney

Cath Gaudry ‘Our Whirling Dervish’

Barbara Howell ’Our gentle, calm, wise zephyr’

Melbourne Cup ‘on the books’ at St. Columba’s

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he staff and students at St. Columba’s in Yeoval really ‘teamed with the theme’ on Melbourne Cup Day. The books being read in the library had nothing to do with the race however, but the jockeys and fashions on the field rivalled the big race itself, as did the enthusiasm in the viewing.

Janine Kearney

Fashions on the field… and a horse of course

School uniform for all Bathurst Schools including Stannies & MKC • All crests locally embroidered • Large range of trackpants • Flexibanded trousers for Stannies Jnr, Scots and All Saints • Diocesan pink dresses • $7.00 hems on uniform bought at Marietta’s • Layby welcome • Home of Combined Catholic Uniform Pool - Stannies and MacKillop • Alteration and repair service

231-233 George St Bathurst 2795 Phone 6331 1078 Easy Parking - near the cinema

Page 14 • December 2015 • C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t

Our student leaders experience iRise

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ecently, more than 100 senior student leaders from schools across the Diocese gathered together and were provided with a unique opportunity in Orange. Drawing on the individual gifts, talents and values of students, iRise - Lead, Proclaim Connect provided rich experiences of prayer worship and other activities that were designed to educate and empower student leaders in our Catholic schools.

Bishop Michael McKenna welcomed students and invited them to meet Jesus, where “in him is the forgiveness that brings peace here and now and the opening to eternal life today”.

Following a moving Gathering Liturgy, Pat Keady from Emmanuel Worship, Brisbane presented two keynote presentations that attempted to break open the meaning and significance of Christian leadership. In his address, Pat challenged students to consider many key aspects of leadership and how it can be used to serve in Jesus’ name.

Students seemed to resonate and be challenged with the presentations, illustrated by Tayla from St. Matthew’s Catholic School, Mudgee who commented: “by recognising and using our own gifts of leadership, we need to encourage others to find their gift so they don’t waste it. We are all role models and we each need to, and also collectively, have a vision that we can actively work toward and sustain so we can influence younger students in the right direction”.

In addition to presentations, students were able to select and attend two workshops that again challenged their leadership and role modelling in their school.

The conclusion and highlight of the day was the Mass prepared by students and celebrated by Bishop McKenna assisted

by Father Reynold Jaboneta and Father Philip Filby. Many of the contemporary songs introduced during the day encouraged students to participate with fervor and enthusiasm.

Bishop Michael McKenna said, “The gathering was a great day. It brings new energy to our mission in the Catholic schools when the student leaders are involved in thinking and talking about it.

It also brings new energy for the leaders and their schools when they mix and interact with their peers from across the whole Diocese”.

Bishop McKenna thanked the organisers for their excellent work and said he found real personal encouragement in his ministry by being part of the day.

Dr Angelo Belmonte

C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 15

Artistic talent shines in Christmas art competition

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n early September, the official opening of the 2015 Diocesan Christmas Art Exhibition was held at St. John’s Primary School, Dubbo. Now in its third year, the Diocese’s Christmas Story Art Competition and Exhibition has become a much-loved tradition in the lead up to Christmas.

Encouraged to create art works and written reflections on Advent and the meaning of Christmas from their studies in their Religious Education classes, students in Y5-6 began working on their entries in May. An estimated 2,000 children from 29 schools from the Diocese participated. From these entries, a short list of 167 finalist was created with the winners announced at the exhibition in Dubbo.

Eleven artworks by students of the Diocese of Bathurst were selected for final judging in the Christmas Story Art Exhibition and Competition. This competition, now in its 10th year, received over 900 entries from the Archdiocese of Sydney and the dioceses of Wollongong and Bathurst, as well as works from Catholic students in State schools. Amelia Drew from All Hallows’, Gulgong won the Y5 Highly Commended, Josie Kearney from St. Joseph’s, Blayney won the Spirit of Christmas Award and Jamison Auld from St. John’s, Dubbo won the Y6 Catholic Weekly Award. The prize winning artworks are now on display in the Crypt of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney.

Amelia’s work “The Gifts of Advent” is featured on the Bishop McKenna’s Christmas cards this year and the “The Holy Moment”

by Bray Porter, is featured on the Catholic Education Office’s cards. The Observer front cover artwork, by Claudia Tegart is called “The Magi came to visit Jesus” and was awarded the Y5 Parish Priest Award. Acknowledgement is made of all students who entered the competition; and their teachers for facilitating this most worthwhile activity.

Dr Angelo Belmonte

“The Beginning” by Josie Kearney awarded the Y5 First Prize

Special Awards Bishop’s Award

Amelia Drew

All Hallows, Gulgong

Director’s Award

Braye Porter

St. Mary’s, Dubbo

CDF Award

Daniela DeVera

St. Johns, Dubbo

Parish Priest Award Y5

Claudia Tegart

St. Laurence’s Dubbo

Parish Priest Award Y6

Chloe Perry

All Hallows, Gulgong

Eckersley’s Award

Jorja Lees

St. Columbas’ Yeoval

Year 6 Awards st

1

Jamison Auld

St. John’s, Dubbo

2nd

Mia Retallack

St. Joseph’s, Blayney

3rd

Mondira Paul

Cathedral Primary, Bathurst

Year 5 Awards 1st

Josie Kearney

St. Joseph’s, Blayney

2nd

Maddison Morrissey

All Hallows, Gulgong

3rd

Bella Butler

St. Joseph’s, Molong

“The Gifts of Advent” by Amelia Drew awarded the Bishop’s Award

“The Long Journey” by Jamison Auld awarded the Y6 First Prize

Page 16 • December 2015 • C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t

Little Joeys Caught Being Good

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he School-wide Positive Behaviour for Learning (SPB4L) Framework is being implemented brilliantly in some of our schools under the guidance of Vicki Hagney, our Diocesan SPB4L guru. SPB4L teaches children positive behaviours rather than assuming they have picked these up by osmosis. The effective use of this framework decreases the challenging behaviour rate significantly. What a novel and “good” idea! The students at St. Joseph’s in Molong, where the framework is being introduced, were “Caught Being Good” … and don’t they love it!

Janine Kearney

Caught Being Good at St. Joseph’s in Molong

All Saints?

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he students, staff and families of All Hallows in Gulgong celebrated All Saints Day (the School’s Feast Day) in fine style this year. The day began with Mass, where the children read like scholars and sang like angels.

Father Tony Hennessey reminded them that they may be the saints of the future because saints aren’t perfect.

The day was filled with activity and fun. The All Hallows Café proved to be a great hit with parents and community members. The students were wonderful hosts and the food was scrumptious.

Janine Kearney

Lewy’s Will be only be closed on…

Christmas Day, Boxing Day and NY’s Day. Open for dinner from 4.30pm all other days

Hosts at the All Hallows Cafe

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Greg, Kieran and the team at Lewy’s Pizza House wish you a Happy and Holy Christmas 145 George St, Bathurst (opposite the Carillon) Phone 6331 7311 or 131 PIZZA

• Locally owned and proudly Australian • Prepaid and Pre-arranged Funerals Servicing Orange, Blayney, Molong, Manildra, Canowindra and surrounding districts

Our family caring for your family C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 17

Ministry Hub delivers Music and Liturgy Workshops

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n 11th November, more than 160 primary and secondary students, teachers, members of parish choirs and other parishioners gathered at St. Philomena’s Primary School, Bathurst to experience a rich tapestry of music that would enhance the various Rites and songs of the Liturgy.

Facilitated by musicians and singers from Ministry Hub, the workshop offered a hands-on approach to music ministry. A special focus on music for Lent, Easter and Ordinary Time and the upcoming Jubilee Year of Mercy was highlighted. As part of the day’s program participants were able to attend workshops focusing on Music and Prayer for Today; Rhyme, Rhythm and Ritual and Sing as One Voice - a choral workshop.

In addition to the workshop, participants were invited to enter into ‘The Circle of Mercy’ and to reflect on God’s mercy and how they can bring mercy to their homes, schools and communities. This offered a unique and special opportunity to focus on the Year of Mercy, through an inspirational gathering of prayer, scripture, music and multimedia, which concluded an inspiring and challenging day.

The Liam Lawton concert planned for that evening was cancelled due to a family tragedy. The event was organised by way of partnership with the Catholic Education Office and the Diocesan Liturgy Commission.

Dr Angleo Belmonte

St. Phil’s Y6 class notches up a year of success

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hane Hanley, Y6 teacher at St. Philomena’s, Bathurst is rightly proud of his students. The year has been one success after another, starting with the fantastic win at this year’s Bathurst Eisteddfod.

Y6 performed in the verse speaking and came first in this category.

November, the students will go on to the next stage of competition, which will be held in Sydney. This will be against 30 other schools in the state for the state title.

“We are just a big family and this does not stop when you leave primary school. We love seeing our students flourish with the Mr Hanley, who has been working responsibilities that we give them at St. Phil’s for 25 years, has seen and we respect their individual many students come through power to make a difference”. and thrive as they continue their Congratulations is also in learning journey and growth as an order for the Y6 debating individual. team, which won the Catholic “Here at St. Phil’s we look to the Schools Debating Competition. students’ future, not just their time “Congratulations to all the Y6 here at the school. We nurture not students at St. Phil’s. We wish just their brains, but the whole them the best in the future as they start the next stage of learning at person”, he said. high school in 2016. It has been In October, Y6 students also came a privilege to teach them”, Mr first in chess when they competed Hanley said. in the Central West regional Eve Capper one-day tournament. Later in

St. Phils Y6 students with Mr Shane Hanley

Page 18 • December 2015 • C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t

GOD THE FATHER OF MERCIES A Pastoral Letter to God’s People of the Diocese of Bathurst

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Opening of the Jubilee of Mercy 8th December 2015

Dear Friends in Christ, Earlier this year, at midday on Saturday 20th June, the Angelus bells rang out in every parish of the Diocese of Bathurst, as we began the celebrations marking 150 years of our local church.

The Angelus was a wonderful prayer to begin with.

It recalls us to the moment of Mary’s yes when she conceived Jesus. It recalls a new beginning in human history: when the Word of God became flesh and dwelt amongst us: a moment of mercy. “The tender mercy of our God in which the rising sun has come to visit us.”

(Luke 1:78)

The celebrations which began that weekend will continue until October - November 2016, when we commemorate the events of the arrival of our first Bishop, Matthew Quinn; and our first community of Mercy Sisters, led by Mother Ignatius Croke.

This observance of our sesquicentenary will also, from today, be linked to a worldwide observance of the Jubilee of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis. That Jubilee will begin today, 8th December, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception; and close on the Feast of Christ the King Sunday, 20th November 2016.

God’s mercy is always available when we turn to him.

The Pope has announced this Year of Mercy because, as he says “at times we are called to gaze even more attentively on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father’s action in our lives.” He

tells us that this is a special time for the Church: “when the witness of believers might grow stronger and more effective.” (The Face of Mercy, 3).

In this year’s pastoral letter, I invite you to reflect with me on the life of our local church - past, present and future - in the light of God’s mercy.

Merciful like the Father The motto chosen by Pope Francis for this Jubilee is taken from chapter 6 of the Gospel According to Luke: “Be merciful as your Father is merciful.” (Lk 6:36) Mercy is not only an action of the Father: it is a way of knowing who his true children are.

The passage of scripture in which these words appear (Lk 6: 20-37) contains a clear and radical description by Jesus of what his true followers look like. Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly.

For many Christians, for all of us at times, that call is a step too far. We can be nice, we can be good - at least to those who will be nice and good in return. But Jesus offers us something more, if we would say yes and follow him. He invites us to discover the reality of mercy, what St. John Paul II called “the most stupendous attribute of the Creator and of the Redeemer” (Rich in Mercy, 15). We discover mercy, not by dreaming about it, but in receiving and living it.

C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 19

The Works of Mercy

The Corporal Works of Mercy

Pope Francis has said that it is “burning desire” for the Christian faithful to rediscover the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. “It will be a way to reawaken our conscience, too often grown dull in the face of poverty. And let us enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a special experience of God’s mercy.” (The Face of Mercy, 15)

1.

To feed the hungry. (Matthew 25:35; James 2:14-17)

2.

To give drink to the thirsty. (Matthew 25:35; 10:42)

3.

To clothe the naked. (Matthew 25:36; Job 24:7-10)

4.

To welcome the stranger. (Matthew 25:35; Genesis 18:1-8)

5.

To visit the sick. (Matthew 25:36; Sirach 7:35)

6.

To visit prisoners. (Matthew 25:35; Hebrews 13:3)

The Church has traditionally listed seven spiritual and seven corporal (“bodily”) works of mercy. They are plainly expressed and easy to understand. This year, we need to reflect together on how well our local church, as communities of love and service, does these works: where we are doing them: where we could do more, and what that would look like.

7.

To bury the dead. (Tobit 1:17; 12:12; Sirach 38:16)

The Spiritual Works of Mercy 1.

To counsel the doubtful. (Proverbs 11:14; Sirach 37:13-15) To instruct the ignorant. (Acts 8:30-31; 1 Peter 3:15)

2.

To admonish sinners. (Matthew 18:15:17; James 5:19)

3.

To comfort the afflicted. (Isaiah 40; 2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

And let’s each one of us ask himself or herself 4. To forgive offences willingly.(Matthew 5:38-46; Luke 23:34) the same questions, reflecting prayerfully on the 5. To bear wrongs patiently. (1 Corinthians 13:4,7; Matthew 18: 21-22) scriptures suggested for each work in the following 6. To pray for the living and the dead (Matthew 6:5-15; 2 lists.

Maccabees12:39-46)

The Calling of St. Matthew by Caravaggio The motto of Pope Francis (Miserando atque Eligendo) is taken from a passage from the venerable Bede, on the Feast of Matthew: Jesus therefore sees the tax collector, and since he sees by having mercy and by choosing, he says to him, ‘follow me’.

On the Feast of St. Matthew in 1953, the young Jorge Bergoglio experienced, at the age of 17, the loving presence of God in his life. Following confession, he felt his heart touched and he sensed the descent of the Mercy of God, who with a gaze of tender love, called him to religious life.

Page 20 • December 2015 • C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t

God, the Father of mercies…

The title of this Letter comes from the words of absolution that the priest prays over the penitent in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They are beautiful words to read, but much more beautiful to hear when they are spoken to you in this Sacrament: God, the Father of mercies through the death and resurrection of his Son has reconciled the world to himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins

All I can do is invite you again to discover the peace that this Sacrament can bring. God is always ready to forgive us the moment we turn to him - and to speak to our hearts about where we need forgiveness. God’s grace and mercy are always working in the world, but in the sacraments, we see, hear, taste, touch or smell him at work. As members of his Church, we know that we do not accept and live the mercy of God as individuals, but in belonging to one another in Christ.

The story of the Sacrament of Reconciliation has unfolded along with changes in the world and in the Church. The historical record is scant and we know that formal practices in the life of the early Church, who expected Christ to return very soon, took time to develop. The Epistle of James and The Shepherd of Hermas both point to the forgiveness of sins after Baptism involving not just God and the sinner, but the community of the Church.

The first clear shape of the Sacrament of Penance emerges for us in the 3rd century. How were the churches and of the Holy Spirit. to deal with the situation of Christians who, in the face Pope Francis has asked that Reconciliation (sometimes of persecution, renounced their beliefs and left? called Confession, or Penance) be placed at the These communities had to work through what to do centre of our observance of this Jubilee, that bishops when some of these people had a change of heart and celebrate it with their people and that they and all wanted to return. confessors be authentic signs of the Father’s mercy. in the name of the Father, and of the Son,

Recently, he has especially invited those who have been involved in abortions to find God’s mercy in the Sacrament and ensured that all priests will be able to bring penitents back into full communion with the Church. I join with the Pope in his invitation and take the opportunity to remind you that, in Australia, priests already have the faculty to absolve all sins and, in cases of abortion, lift excommunications.

I have asked our priests to talk more about the Sacrament of Reconciliation and help people to understand it better. I have also asked them to consult with their pastoral councils and parishioners about whether the Sacrament needs to be available at different times to make it more accessible.

For many Catholics in our Diocese, even those who attend Mass regularly, this Sacrament has dropped out of their lives. Everyone has his or her reasons for that. For some, it is simply never getting around to it. For some, it’s not believing that they need it.

For some, particularly if they have been away from it for a while, there’s shyness or even anxiety about approaching the priest. For others, bad experiences with this Sacrament or with a priest in the past, can tragically still be a barrier today.

C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 21

This also applied to those whose sins of murder or There is not time here to tell the long and interesting adultery had separated them from the fellowship of history of the Sacrament. Catholics over 50 have seen it change in our lifetime. It has had many twists and believers. turns, it has been misunderstood and misused, but has A common practice became established for those who retained those same four elements we can see in its had committed major, public sins and now wanted to earliest shape: 1. Contrition; 2. Confession; 3. Penance; return to the Church. The first step was the change and 4. Absolution. And our reflection on the early days of heart that acknowledged the wrong and wanted to of the Sacrament helps us see more clearly its communal turn away from it. Second, was the open declaration character, which later practice may have obscured, and of this to the community gathered around the Bishop. more recently we have attempted to recapture.

Third, undergoing a period of public prayer, almsgiving, fasting and other penances. And fourth, again Most importantly, it remains a reminder that we rely on within the assembly presided over by the Bishop, the the mercy of God and walk in that mercy together. pronouncement of forgiveness and re-admittance to the May the observance of this Year of Mercy and our Eucharistic table.

Sesquicentennial celebrations enrich each other as our These practices have gone through many changes local church seeks to become Merciful like the Father. through the centuries to today. Now, we have private confession of sins to the priest, which he may not +Michael McKenna disclose to anyone. Reconciliation now is not a once in a lifetime event, reserved for serious sins, but something Bishop of Bathurst that can be repeated many times, in the slow work of continuing conversion of a Christian life. Penances, no longer severe, are now carried out after absolution, rather than before.

Important Dates of the Jubilee of Mercy 8th December 2015:

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception; Opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica

13th December 2015:

Opening of the Doors of Mercy of the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. John and The Immaculate Conception Church, Carcoar

10th February 2016:

Ash Wednesday; Sending forth of the Missionaries of Mercy

4th - 5th March 2016:

“24 Hours for the Lord”

3rd April 2016:

Divine Mercy Sunday

26th - 31st July 2016:

World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy” Mt 5:7

13th November 2016:

Closing of the Doors of Mercy in the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst

20th November 2016: Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the

Universe; Closing of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica and the

conclusion of the Jubilee of Mercy.

Page 22 • December 2015 • C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t

TERM 4 @ STANNIES Visitors from Indonesia

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he College has commenced planning for Vincentian School Connections with St. Vincent High School, Taiwan and St. Louis High School, Indonesia. Dr Anne Wenham, Mr Geoff Melville and Mrs Rosemary Clifton participated in a school visit and planning meetings in Taiwan earlier in the year followed by a visit by Ms Victoria Roth and Mrs Alex Clements to St. Louis High School at the beginning of Term 4.

The College welcomed from Indonesia, Dra. Sri Wahjoeni Hadi S (Yuni), Dominikus Donny Riandono (Donny) and Lucia Harvianti, S.S. (Vian). These teachers are participating in College life throughout Term 4. The College looks forward to pursuing ongoing links, which will also include student exchange, between the three schools - the only Vincentian school in each of their countries.

HSC Drama

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he College was delighted and proud to be informed by the Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) that the 2015 HSC Drama Class was selected by the Drama examiners to perform its Group Devised Piece, “Men of Metadata” for Onstage 2016 at the Seymour Theatre, Sydney. In addition, Jack Phillips’ individual performance was also selected for Onstage.

Yuni, Donny and Vian visiting from Indonesia

This is an outstanding achievement and we congratulate the 2015 HSC drama students and their teacher, Mr Graham Low.

Public speaking and debating news

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wo College debating teams from Y8 and Y10 progressed to the regional finals of the NSW Catholic Schools Debating Competition. Unfortunately for the Junior Team, Ryan Cooke, Mitchell Falcke, Oscar Mann and Aiden Macauley, they came up against a better side in the regional final.

The Y10 Team, Oliver O’Toole, Izaac Molenkamp and Dominic McCrossin, progressed to the grand final after defeating a number of Catholic schools including St. Paul’s High School, Boolaroo, arguing in the affirmative that “Our obsession with sport is detrimental to Australian society” and Edmund Rice College Wollongong, arguing again in the affirmative that “We live in greedy times”.

In the grand final, the Stannies students argued the negative against Bethlehem College, Ashfield that “Things are getting better”. The Stannies team was defeated in a very close 2-1 decision by the three adjudicators.

This has been a fine year for public speaking and debating at Stannies and we look forward to further encounters in 2016.

Dr Anne Wenham

Men of Metadata: Jack Ayoub, Jack Mitchell, Keegan Bringolf, Jack Phillips, Nick Forbutt and Adam Williams

St Stanislaus’ College EMBEDDING EXCELLENCE IN BOYS’ EDUCATION

As a boys’ school we strive to enrich the learning experiences of our students whilst providing them with the broadest range of opportunities for life beyond the classroom.

Enrolment applications for 2016 welcome.

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS FOR YEAR 7 2017 ARE NOW OPEN. Enquiries are welcome. Contact the College Registrar on 6331 4177 or registrar@stannies.com C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 23

News from MacKillop College

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ife at MacKillop has been very busy over the recent months. We warmly welcome Mr Grant Gunning to MacKillop College as our Finance and Administration Manager. Mr Gunning is a qualified accountant and teacher who has returned to his hometown of Bathurst from Melbourne. He brings with him a multitude of skills and expertise and is a great asset ti the College, overseeing the financial, maintenance and property management aspects.

Our Applied Technology and Language Literature teams won their division at the regional Tournament of the Minds at CSU. Both teams headed off to the University of NSW to compete against the rest of the State. Our Social Sciences team were narrowly beaten but received Honours for their outstanding performance, while the Maths Engineering team scored extremely well in the Spontaneous Challenge.

All teams performed with professionalism and maturity and we congratulate them.

In the sporting arena, our junior basketball team made College history for their age group, achieving second in the Division 1 CCC NSW Basketball competition. This was an amazing achievement due to some very committed and talented basketball players and their coaches. Our intermediate team were lucky to be provided a with a wildcard entry into the competition and also played some excellent basketball and were a joy to watch.

Further success was achieved in our hospitality department, with four of our students, Georgia Cornish, Emily Bohane, Kaitlyn Moir and Sophie Whitton all competing individually in the WorldSkills Cooking Competition here at the College. Our winner, Sophie, and runner up, Emily progressed through to the Regional WorldSkills level in Dubbo. Congratulations to both girls for another consistent performance at this level, with Sophie coming away with the silver medal and Emily, the bronze medal.

We are now full swing into Term 4 and congratulate our Y12 students on making it through the HSC. We are proud of the dedication and commitment you have shown to your studies and we wish you the best of luck with your future and are confident that you will achieve the results you truly deserve.

Wishing you a happy, holy Christmas and a joyous New Year. Enjoy this precious time with your loved ones.

Maureen Moore

Emily Bohane and Sophie Whitton competing in the Regional WorldSkills Cooking Competition in Dubbo

St Matthews Catholic School

Providing a comprehensive and quality education in the Catholic tradition for young people from Kindergarten to Year 12.

4 Lewis St Mudgee Phone: 6372 1742 New website: www.stmattsmudgee.catholic.edu.au Page 24 • December 2015 • C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t

Holy Family, Kelso – Supporting those in need

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tudents from Holy Family School, Kelso have recently raised funds to support Catholic Mission. The whole school community got behind the two major activities during Mission Week to raise awareness of the work of the Missions.

Developing this awareness is an important priority at the school.

On ‘Children’s Mission Day’, a crazy sock day was held at the school and students and staff added crazy socks to their school uniform. Gold coin donations were encouraged and $544.95 was raised from this Socktober activity.

The school also runs an ongoing ‘Cash A Can’ program where aluminium cans are recycled. Students raised $220.00 for this activity. A total of $766.95 was forwarded to Catholic Mission.

The school also recently held a Fathers’ Day morning breakfast for dads and grandfathers. From this, the school was supporting the CARITAS Nepal Earthquake Appeal and $507.40 was raised for this cause.

Kevin Arrow

The Catholic Mission cheque for $766.95 is presented to teachers, Mrs Jenene Hanckel and Mrs Carmel Clancy

Confirmation at St. Columba’s, Yeoval

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n Sunday 25th October, the St. Columba’s school community joined in a special Sunday Mass to witness our students receive the sacrament of Confirmation.

Congratulations to Milo, Annabelle, Jorja and Althea who were sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Once again, Bishop McKenna expressed his delight at being in Yeoval and he certainly showed this by managing to personally speak with many at the morning tea. It was fantastic to see so many families at Mass to support the candidates. A special thank you to Father Carl Mackander for his guidance, support and commendations.

Julia Enlgart

Bishop McKenna with Milo, Annabelle, Jorja and Althea

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C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 25

International Scholar Sows Seeds at Rahamim

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mid the tranquil surrounds of Rahamim Ecology Centre, participants in Rahamim’s Sowing Seeds Intensive program spent five days in September exploring a challenging new way to read our sacred texts in an age of ecological crisis.

Facilitated by emeritus professor and biblical scholar of Auckland University, Elaine Wainwright rsm, the program featured an ecological reading of the Gospel of Matthew along with a range of contemplative practices

Sister Elaine Wainwright, rsm with sabbatical participants

exploring materiality and the to care, not just for the human sacred. community but for the whole Earth community.

The event included a rare public lecture at Rahamim, “Habitat, “I want to situate these current Human and Holy: Parabled” in ecological imperatives in not which Sister Elaine described only the environmental context the principles of her ecological but also an ecclesial context”, framework for reading texts, she said. “Pope Francis is talking derived from eco-philosopher to us about our common home Lorraine Code’s “Ecological and challenging us to respond Thinking”. In applying this ethically. One of the ways we framework to Matthew’s can respond is in the way we parables, Sisterr Elaine interpret our sacred texts”. demonstrated how biblical texts speak compellingly to us By developing a framework today about our responsibility around ecological reading of texts

and contributing to the Earth Bible commentary series, Elaine’s work has broken new ground in biblical studies worldwide.

Drawing on the contributions of Rahamim staff, the program also included time for attentiveness to place through contemplation and ritual around the new Universe Story, Earth ethics, evolution and potentiality for healing and reconciliation of the Earth community into the future.

Sally Neaves

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Page 26 • December 2015 • C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t

In Celebration of People

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ll Hallows, Gulgong regularly celebrates the special people in their lives. The Annual Mothers’ Day High Tea and Fathers’ Day BBQ Breakfast are always highlights, as is the Grandparents morning tea, but there are other events which celebrate people in the community too. The activities undertaken in conjunction with All Saints Day are a major focus for Term 4.

On this day, the school celebrates with Mass and then the classes go out into the community and do for others who spend their lives volunteering. Their annual visits around town are greatly appreciated as they clean up the tennis courts and club house, visit Vinnies, clean the skate park, garden for the elderley , read to Wenonah residents, play with preschoolers, clean the churches or the VRA trucks.

The Saints Cafe is always a focus back at school, as volunteers from the community come to the school and are thanked for their efforts over the year in the community.

Catherine Gaudry

Logan washing windows at tennis Clubhouse

Anthony sharing a cuppa with volunteers at Saints Cafe.

Fathers’ Day Breakfast at St. Brigid’s, Coonamble

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n Friday 4 September, many dads, grandads, uncles and carers appreciated the early celebration for Fathers’ Day. The staff cooked bacon and eggs that were served on bread rolls and everybody enjoyed their breakfast.

At 9.00am the students sang a song for their Dads and carers. Each child then selected a book to read and found an adult, an older person or friend to read to and with. After 15 minutes of relative silence in the playground, the adults said goodbye and were on their way.

We were delighted with the many people who were able to attend and enjoy the company of their children and those present.

St. John’s College Band visits St. Brigid’s

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t. Brigid’s students recently enjoyed the talents of the St. John’s College, Dubbo band when they visited our school on Thursday 12th November. The wonderful students and extremely talented staff from St. John’s College performed for our students, staff and visitors who thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment.

Thank you St. John’s College Band for a most entertaining presentation John with his daughter Jess

Trish Crawley

St. Mary’s Primary School Dubbo

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Ph: (02) 6882 4790

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C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 27

James Sheahan students on mission in Sri Lanka

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ifteen students and three teachers from James Sheahan Catholic High School spent from 23rd September to 9th October, 2015 travelling in Sri Lanka.

The group landed in Colombo, staying with a De La Salle Catholic community, before travelling to Mannar via Kandy.

The students admired the beautiful sights of Kandy, in the central mountainous area of Sri Lanka, where they visited the famous Kandy Botanic Gardens and Buddha’s Tooth Temple.

This was a wonderful learning experience for the students, with the group learning about Sri Lankan culture and developing their understanding of one of the world’s great religious traditions, Buddhism.

The group then travelled to Mannar, a town in the far north west of the country where they spent a week in schools run by the De La Salle Brothers. Here, they taught lessons in English, Maths, Drama, iPads and Music as well as donating thousands of dollars raised through fundraising over the past 12 months to support the Brothers’ work in educating Tamil youth in this poor, war affected part of Sri Lanka.

They lived in very basic conditions, including becoming used to cold showers and extremely hot, arid conditions.

The students were able to swap their schooling experiences with Sri Lankan High School students on a tour of schools surrounding Mannar. They also celebrated Children’s Day, which included dancing with teachers and students under a very hot sun to traditional Tamil music. 300 show bags were prepared by the Mission Team containing school resources, toys and fun items.

The students stayed with the De La Salle community in Mannar and were overwhelmed by their warmth and generosity.

They witnessed the amazing contribution being made by the Brothers to education and the care of children on this poor predominantly Tamil area of Sri Lanka.

After leaving Mannar, the students travelled to Galle, where they visited a tea plantation where they learnt about this major Sri Lankan

export and the influence of the Portuguese, Dutch and English in past centuries.

They also visited the famous Dutch Fort of Galle, a stronghold for the Dutch during the days of the rich spice trade.

Returning to Colombo via the south west coast, the students stopped at a memorial to 50,000 Sri Lankans who died in the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, including over 1,000 people drowned in a train swamped by the massive waves.

The students also visited conservation parks for elephants and turtles and observed the wonderful work being done by volunteers to ensure the long term survival of these species.

The trip has given the students and greater insight into the a powerful insight into social earth’s fragile environment. justice and the incredible work Peter Meers being done by Catholic orders in 2015 Sri Lankan the name of Christ, the power of Mission Team humans in helping one another

Page 28 • December 2015 • C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t

Pilgrimage to Rome

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ast month, my son Jack and I spent time in Rome on pilgrimage with Christine and Terry Mahony.

We visited some of the important places in Christian history and prayed with fellow pilgrims from around the world in the Eternal City.

A highlight of our pilgrimage was that Father Greg Bellamy from our Diocese, who is studying in Rome, was able to celebrate Mass for us on two occasions.

The first of these was All Souls’ Day, at the Altar of St. Gregory the Great in St. Peter’s Basilica.

During Mass, prayers were offered for deceased members of our Diocesan family and the wider Church. Celebrating Mass in English in St. Peter’s, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the world, allowed me to experience the links between the church in Bathurst and the church in Rome. No matter where we come from, no matter what language, all are welcome to come together and worship God. Terry commented “It was wonderful to pray for our Diocesan family in Rome, a place so important to so many and a place where Pope Francis has called each of us to celebrate the love of the Father with the Jubilee Year of Mercy commencing on the 8th December; what a great start to this important year!”.

of the sisters from Kerala in India, the priests from Mexico, the school group from France or the seminarians from the USA, the universal Church is present in Rome, all united with the successor of St. Peter, the Holy Father, Pope Francis. Many different people, many different expressions of faith, many ways for people to see and know the love of God and the Church, all come together in Rome.

Jack and I were also lucky enough to be present at the celebration on the feast day of St. Charles Borromeo, founder and the patron of the College and Basilica where Father Greg lives. Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Stella and members of the Confraternity of St. Charles, custodians of the Basilica and College, were present. This truly was a blessed addition to an amazing pilgrimage.

Bishop Michael said of our recent Diocesan pilgrimage: “Pilgrimages are moments of grace and a time of change”.

This resonated with me while in Rome. The time spent there was a grace filled moment of prayer Statue of St. Lawrence on the Sanctuary at the Basilica of and change; a special time not St. Lawrence outside the walls many people can experience and basilicas and churches in Rome see a side of the Church that is one that will change my thoughts and of course the Vatican and not always remembered or even of Rome forever.

Sistine Chapel, we were able to realised. Whether in the form Josh Clayton

On 4th November, outside the walls of the Basilica of St. Lawrence, we joined Father Greg again for Mass. Prayers were offered for the Terry and for Charles Applin - currently Candidates for Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate for our Diocese - and their families and parishes. We also prayed for those in formation for the Diaconate and for all involved in ministry in our Diocese. Time was taken for individual prayer and to visit the tombs of St. Stephen, one of the first deacons and martyrs; St. Lawrence, martyred deacon of Rome and Justin Martyr, who began conversations with the world about Christianity in the 1st century - quite a selection of saints!

With plenty of time to visit many

Christine and Terry with Jack and Josh at the tomb of Saints Lawrence, Stephen and Justin Martyr

C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 29

HIPPY(Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters)

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IPPY Bowenfels had their graduation on Wednesday 4th November. This was a very happy occasion for all our HIPPY children and their families.

The HIPPY Dubbo children graduated on the 18th of November.

HIPPY prepares parents and young children for starting the big school. The children who go through HIPPY are proving to be much better prepared and developed both socially and emotionally for school. Their school-readiness is also rated better than other children.

The 2015 Hippy Graduates from Dubbo

Annette Myers

Centacare Sunday

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entacare Sunday was celebrated across the Diocese on 13th September. It provided an opportunity for the people in our Diocese to reflect on their ownership of the social service mission of the church. The Y12 students of St.

John’s College, Dubbo donated over $11,000 to Centacare as their nominated charity. Centacare and the Diocese are grateful to the student community at St. John’s for their generosity and commitment to social justice.

Professional Development

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entacare organised a number of professional development programmes recently. They include:• Working with Autism Spectrum Conditions (by Steve Den-Kaat) • Couple Relationships (Dr Dan Papero) • Intergenerational Family Connections (Bryan Gray), and

• Adolescent Brain (Dr Pieter Rossouw).

Centacare continues to build the capacity of professionals in the region to assist families and communities thrive. We also had two forums in Bathurst for parents and carers conducted by Julie Hollitt on the topic of understanding and managing the behaviour of children and adolescents. These forums were well attended. We hope to hold these forums in Orange, Dubbo, and other towns in 2016.

Sandy Dengate with Dr Pieter Rossouw

Christmas Closing

Centacare offices will be closed from 1pm on 24th December to 9am on 11th January, 2016 for the Christmas break.

For more information about Centacare’s services visit centacarebathurst.com.au or to make an appointment please call 1800 231 118 Page 30 • December 2015 • C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t

Staff member profile: Margaret Crowley

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entacare welcomes Margaret Crowley.

Margaret is well-known in the region, having been born and brought up here and involved in a number of initiatives in the Diocese of Bathurst, including being the inaugural youth worker. Margaret has an impressive professional profile having worked in very senior and vital positions in her career as a psychologist. She brings a range of skills and areas of expertise to Centacare.

Margaret now manages the schools programme, providing direct service to some of the schools in the diocese as well as supervising a team of school counsellors.

“The demand for our work is very high and there is a lot that we can do to assist the schools in ensuring the welfare of the whole school community”, says Margaret. Some schools, especially the ones in the outer regional areas, have limited access to professional resources and services and the role of the school counselling programme is proving to be very critical. “We come across family situations that can be highly complex. Some families exist isolated and disengaged from the services and the general community due to a number of reasons. These are the families which are most vulnerable and in need of our services. However, it is very resourceintense”.

Margaret’s role also includes the management the Dubbo regional office of Centacare, where she is based.

Margaret Crowley

Out of School Hours Care Program

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s part of its initiative to extend services to families, Centacare in partnership with the Catholic Education Office and our schools, is working towards establishing Out of School Hours Care Services in the Diocese.

This is a much needed service and one very well delivered by some of the other dioceses. The initial goal is to establish the service in four locations by term two next year.

Currently, St. Joseph’s Oberon and Assumption School, Bathurst are progressing well through the various accreditation requirements. Orange, Dubbo and small regional towns are also being considered.

Karen Wilkie is the project officer for this programme.

Karen spent time with Diocese of Broken Bay to gain an understanding and experience of their Out of School Hours Care Programme.

Karen said “It is a challenging but exciting initiative.

Centacare is endeavouring to provide an equitable, non-commercial approach to the provision of these services to benefit all”.

This will in time create a common approach throughout our Diocese based on the Church’s social mission.

Robert George

C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 31

Nine generations of faith

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arlier this year, Father Owen Gibbons baptised his great grand niece, Bella Kylie Hayden at Oberon which marked the ninth generation of the Catholic faith being passed on in this family. Five generations were present at the baptism, all descendants of convicts, Phillip and Mary Hogan.

Bella is the daughter of Bobby and Kylie (nee Barker) Hayden, Bobby is the son of Bernadette (nee Hogan) and Robert Hayden; Bernadette is the daughter of Karel (nee Gibbons) and Kevin Hogan; Karel is the daughter of Betty and Morton (deceased) Gibbons. Betty Gibbons (nee Hotham) is the fifth generation Australian through Edward Hotham, son of Elisabeth Hotham (nee Behan), daughter of Margaret (nee Hogan) Behan, daughter of Phillip and Mary Hogan.

The first generation of our family arrived in Australia in1800. In the year 1797, Phillip Hogan was convicted at Clonmel, Ireland for belonging to the United Irishmen and sentenced to transportation to Australia for life. He arrived in in Sydney on the ship ‘Friendship’ on 16th February 1800. So began our family’s Catholic faith journey in Australia.

Mary McMahon was sentenced to seven years and arrived at Port Jackson 13th May 1803, and later married Phillip Hogan.

Their union produced ten children.

The Irish made up two thirds of the population in the early 1800s. There were a number of Catholic priests transported on other ships, so the faith life of the convicts would have been attended to in an ‘underground’ Church, as Catholics were not allowed to practice their faith. The priests returned to their home countries when there time was served, so the people were often left without a priest.

Father O’Flynn arrived in 1817 and ministered to the convicts for about five months, being concealed in one home after another until he was found and deported.

Mary and Phillip would have been among his faithful. They were assigned to Reverend Samuel Marsden as farm workers. They later received grants of land and stock from Governor Macquarie.

The Hogan clan travelled via Berrima to the Abercrombie area around the early 1820’s. Old folk used to think they were in the district before this and joked that the old Hogans had the billy boiling to give Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson a cuppa after they crossed the Blue Mountains.

The 1832 Govett’s map names Hogan’s Station on the Abercrombie River. Phillip Hogan died in 1829, and he and Mary had settled here some years before he died. Phillip Hogan is buried in the old Parramatta cemetery.

Father Owen with his mum Betty, Karel, Bernadette, Bobby and Bella

One of their decedents, Cathy Francis (nee Hogan) and her husband Neil, still own property on the banks of the Abercrombie River. Their children and grandchildren have all been baptised at St. Dymphna’s Church, Burraga.

The family soon spread out to around Porters Retreat, Shooters Hill, Tuglow and Black Springs. The original mother of the Hogan clan, Mary McMahon Hogan died in 1859 and is buried in the old Black Springs cemetery with generations of her descendants.

Phillip and Mary’s son, Michael married Catherine Scott-Rogers on 26th September 1826, celebrated by Father Therry, who arrived in 1820 and celebrated the first Mass in Bathurst. His ministry was far and wide as he rode his horse over the harsh country.

Many Black Springs ancestors received the benefit of his ministry, in Mass centres and homes between Bathurst and Sydney.

Phillip and Mary’s daughter, Margaret, married Peter Behan on 6th August 1832.

They called their farm at Black Springs ‘Claremont’ after Clare in Ireland where Margaret’s mother Mary came from. They donated some of their land for the Avoca Church, now the St. Vincent de Paul, Black Springs.

From 24th-26th October 1885, Bishop Byrne spent three days in a tent mission at Avoca.

His notes say he confirmed 76 and baptised two converts at Avoca and about half that amount at Porters Retreat a few days before. The Bishop selected a hill on Peter Behan’s land to build the church and laid the foundation stone for Avoca Church on 30th October. The stone for the church was quarried from the ‘Glenroy’ farm on the opposite side of the road belonging to the Peter’s sister, Elisabeth Hotham and her husband, Edward. The old Black Springs cemetery, where Mary McMahon-Hogan is buried, is about two kilometres from the church.

Another Black Springs historic Catholic name is Patrick Hanrahan, a convict who arrived on the ‘Atlas’ in 1802. Patrick helped build the Cox’s Road over the Blue Mountains. He married Catherine Hogan.

They gave land from their farm ‘Hillsbury’ for the Old Black Springs cemetery.

The history includes bushrangers, suspicious deaths, ghosts and many folklore stories of the early characters. Cherished memories of the faith in Black Springs include Irish songs, midnight Mass with candles and lanterns before electricity, the Latin Mass, kneeling at the altar rails, the smell of burning candles and incense, missions lasting seven days and evenings, devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Infant of Prague, and a deep devotion to Our Lady of Fatima with the daily family rosary a normal part of every household.

One priest, Father Owen Gibbons and many religious are decendants of Phillip and Mary Hogan including: Sr Edward Maloney, Philomena Linda Ryan (Sr Leo), Nell Dennis (Sr May Damien), Mary Dennis, Eileen Dennis (Sr Thecla), Brigid Ryan, Theresa Stapleton (Sr Thomas), Esma Stapleton (Sr Dominica), Annie Stapleton (Sr Mary Rosarii), Marie Francesca Stapleton, and Sr Miriam Gibbons rsm.

We pray our faithful Catholic heritage continues strong into the future.

Karel Hogan (nee Gibbons)

Page 32 • December 2015 • C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t

NATSICC 2015 Darwin Assembly

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n July this year, the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst sponsored Kodi Brady from Coonabarabran to attend the NATSICC 2015 Assembly in Darwin, Northern Territory. Below Kodi gives a brief account of what sounds like an amazing few days.

The NATSICC Assembly is one of the most rewarding few days of my life. To be amongst fellow Indigenous Catholics, praying, worshiping, celebrating and sharing stories, love, dance and differences. It was so special to be among 300 others who are the same culture. In my own community, you sometimes feel isolated and not connected, being a minority. The location of the Assembly made it extra special, to be held in the top end of Australia where Aboriginal culture is strong, accepted and on show for the world to embrace.

At many stages in my life I have struggled between culture and my faith. Attending the Assembly reassured me and continues to guide me on my

journey with God. I spent a lot of the time at the Assembly with the youth, mentoring, guiding and working alongside them. I was lucky enough to be put on the schedule where I spoke about my own life and what I do. I also explained my journey and where I want to go in my life and in my relationship with Jesus. I worked with the Youth Councillor to organise the days and workshops for the youth, as I feel the need to engage with the youth of the church, as they are tomorrow’s leaders.

I was chosen to deliver evening prayer, which again was truly a blessing, to be standing in a room with people from every corner of this beautiful country.

the same road, just at different stops along the way.

I see NATSICC as an essential part of the church and a voice for Indigenous Catholics all over Australia. It certainly Attending NATSICC grounded encourages, engages, motivates me and guides me in the and disciplines me in my faith. direction I want to go. Summing up, I owe a huge Everyday there were different big thank you to Bishop keynote speakers including Michael McKenna and all at Aunty Miriam Rose, Aunty the Bishop’s office for fully Elsie Heiss, Aunty Vicki supporting me to attend the Clarke and many more from all Assembly. over Australia - many different stories and paths, but all on Kodi Brady

The Board, Management and Staff of the Catholic Development Fund wishes everyone Peace and Joy in this Holy Season.

The CDF’s operating hours over the Christmas/New Year period are as follows: Thursday 24th December, 2015 Friday

25th December - Friday 1st January

Monday 4th January, 2016 Resume Normal Hours

9am - 1pm CLOSED 10am - 4.30pm

Disclosure: The Catholic Development Fund Diocese of Bathurst (CDF) is not subject to the provisions of the Corporations Act 2001 nor has it been examined or approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Deposits with CDF are guaranteed by CDPF Limited, a company established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference for this purpose. We welcome your investment with the CDF rather than with a profit oriented commercial organisation as a conscious commitment by you to support the Charitable, Religious and Educational works of the Catholic Church. CDF, nor the Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Bathurst are prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority; contributions to CDF do not obtain the benefit of the depositor protection provisions of the Banking Act 1959; CDF is designed for investors who wish to promote the charitable purposes of CDF.

C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 33

Foundations of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel

T Completion of Stage 1 of the Restoration of the Cathedral

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everal major milestones of the Restoration of the Catholic Cathedral of St. Michael and St. John were reached in late November, as stage one of the restoration process was completed.

Bishop of Bathurst, Michael McKenna said, “On the Third Sunday of Advent, I will open our Door of Mercy in the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. John. This will also be the day when the bells will ring out again from the restored tower, marking the completion of the first stage of our Cathedral’s renewal”.

without its challenges.

“The Cathedral is an extraordinary and quite rare piece of architecture, not often seen outside metropolitan areas. It was extremely deteriorated after more than 150 years of exposure to the elements, with severe salt and water damage.

Working 23 meters above the ground through two Bathurst winters also created difficulties”.

Ron described the Cathedral as being very complicated in its construction. “We needed to approach the work from quite a different angle, taking into Over the past two years, every account the unique aspects of single mortar joint of the bell the building”. tower has been replaced. For The final stones were replaced those not with a construction in the bell tower in late background, this means every November, one being the piece of mortar between each Cathedral gargoyle. and every brick, from top to bottom on all four sides of In the first weeks of December, the 23 meter high tower was the finishing touches were made removed and replaced. to the brickwork and jointing around the replaced sandstone More than 100 pieces of and cleaning of the walls was sandstone were removed and completed. The top section of replaced with replicas of the scaffold came down, followed original stones, which includes by installation of louvres and extremely ornate scrolls, roses mesh screens and installation and the original gargoyle, taking of the newly refurbished bells many hours of hand carving occurred. and shaping.

Stage 2 of the restoration of the Stone Restorations from RylCathedral of St. Michael and stone, completed the restoraSt. John will commence in the tion work of the Cathedral bell New Year. tower. Ron Lodewijks from Stone Restorations said that Kimbalee Clews the huge piece of work was not

he Blessed Sacrament Chapel was part of the early additions to our Cathedral in the 1890s, which included the Nun’s Chancel and extending the Chancel and Sanctuary. The Nun’s Chancel was also known as the Sister’s Chapel and was connected to the adjacent St. Mary’s Convent. At the time of demolition of the Convent, the original timber floors of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and Sacristy were altered to concrete. Due to trapped moisture below ground, there has been extensive damage to the exterior brick, stonework and mortars of the Cathedral.

This dampness is caused by lack of ventilation that does not allow the subfloor areas to dry out in a traditional manner. Thus water gets out the only way it can - by rising up through the bricks, sandstone and mortar.

In early November, the carpet was temporarily taken up and a number of core holes drilled through the concrete floor to answer the two questions of thickness and what lay under the floor.

Now that the investigation is complete, we have a much clearer idea on what will be required to demolish and remove the concrete floor and prepare the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. We will rebuild the floor so as to eliminate as many steps and varying levels throughout the building as practicable.

The Liturgy Sub-Committee of the Restoration Committee is examining the question of how to refurbish the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. The aim is to make the renewed Blessed Sacrament Chapel into a beautiful space that would only be used for the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament and for private prayer and devotions.

We are in the early stages of this examination and many ideas and possibilities are being looked at. As we move to some more precise thoughts on this refurbishment, we will put them out to the wider parish for comment and feedback.

Since the concrete floor is the key problem it is important that it be taken out and replaced with a raised floor that will enable air to flow underneath and allow the building to breathe again. As there were no records of what was underneath the concrete, or how thick it was, it was essential to first Work will begin on the Blessed investigate these questions, Sacrament Chapel sometime so as to determine the most during 2016. appropriate way to remove the Father Paul Devitt concrete.

Dean of the Cathedral

Core holes drilled in the Chapel floor show moisture

Page 34 • December 2015 • C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t

CKM Law join the Cathedral Restoration Appeal as a Visionary Partner

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e are delighted to announce that CKM Law has agreed to become a Visionary Partner of Cathedral Restoration Appeal, committing to providing significant support to the restoration of the Cathedral.

CKM Law is a forwardthinking, Bathurst based law firm, providing legal services to Bathurst and the Central West community. Directors Timothy Cain and Jane Kensit were mentored under the keen legal eye of respected Bathurst lawyer, the late Peter Cain.

Timothy, Jane and the CKM Law team provide specialist legal services to the diverse range of clients, focused on providing proactive, sincere and quality legal services.

individuals by providing a reliable, transparent legal service. Our services are tailored to our client’s needs and we remain 100 per cent focused on delivering successful outcomes”, explained Timothy.

supporting the Bathurst region and its people. We are dedicated to supporting local cultural projects and feel the restoration of the Cathedral is a great fit with our values. We see the importance of preserving the beauty and function of this When asked about their historic, much loved public involvement with the building”. local Restoration Appeal, Jane said and “CKM Law is committed to Celebrating 154 years this year

CKM Law specialises in domestic and commercial conveyancing and property law; wills, estates and succession planning; criminal law, business law, employment law, commercial litigation and family law.

“We’re here to help businesses, families

CKM Law Directors, Timothy and Jane with Cathedral Restoration Chairman, Phil Burgett

since its construction as the Parish church, the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. John is in urgent need of repair. With stage one of the project, the restoration of the bell tower, almost complete, stage two will commence early in the New Year.

Kimbalee Clews

MenALIVE in the Cathedral Parish

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ecently, the second menALIVE parish weekend for the Diocese of Bathurst was held in the Cathedral Parish.

A group of men gathered and spent the weekend with the menALIVE team, in prayer, fellowship and journeying together in developing a stronger understanding of what it means to be truly alive Phil Burgett from Bathurst in their relationship with God, attended and shared the with our Church and with each following reflection; other.

“I had no idea what I would Robert Falzon and his team experience at the recent provided the context and the menALIVE weekend, which space to explore the thoughts meant my mindset was of those who attended. The filled with the self-doubt menALIVE team shared experienced when embarking powerful life experiences and on something new. The reality demonstrated the messages of the menALIVE experience of scripture and the power of was that I am no different to prayer are a source of great the other men sharing the support to provide context and weekend. Everyday challenges guidance for life. of life around relationships,

will be supported by simple actions including conversing with Jesus in prayer each day; joining a group of men which meets regularly to reflect on life’s experiences and maintaining an active role in the Church”.

Tim Cox also attended the weekend and said “I found the menALIVE weekend well presented with excellent structure and fellowship. For the first time in my life, I have learned a way to pray to God with vigour, meaning and sincerity”.

work/life balance, involvement in the church community and meaningful worship were amplified in the sharing conversations, either in small Next year, St. Joseph’s Parish, groups or with individuals.

Orange will host a menALIVE “The menALIVE weekend reaf- weekend. Bishop Michael firmed the value I place on the McKenna, and the previous key relationships in my life and participants in Dubbo and allowed me time to reflect on Bathurst would encourage all behaviour that detracts from men to attend. For more inforsustaining my primary founda- mation about the menALIVE tions. menALIVE has given me program, visit menalive.org.au confidence in my ability to rePatrick Cooper spond in a fulfilling way, which

C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 35

O

BLAST 2015

n the weekend of 21 st22 nd of November, more than 70 youth from all around the Diocese, joined together with leaders and adults at Ridgecrest Christian Convention Centre for the annual youth festival, BLAST. The young people participated in gatherings, workshops, discussion groups, small group challenges and of course some fun in the sun on the waterslides.

Bishop Michael joined us on Saturday and celebrated Mass.

We were also very fortunate to have Tess Corkish from Catholic Earthcare, Wirradjuri Echoes and Father Reynold to run the various workshops.

Other workshop presenters included Karl Sinclair, Charlotte Cooper, Emily Bennett and Garry Anderson. We were also blessed to hear the vocation stories of two of our seminarians, Thao and Diep.

Special congratulations to the Purple Team “Purple Poisonous Phythons” who were the winners of the James Patterson Memorial Trophy for the small group challenges over the weekend.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all presenters, our small group leaders, the band members of PPK and other behind the scenes people who ensured that Blast was a great success. Everyone had a fantastic time and we look forward to next year’s Blast.

Nicole Twohill-Scott Photo credit: Garry Anderson

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BLAST 2015 C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t • December 2015 • Page 37

Mudgee celebrates 150 years of Diocese On Friday 25th September, the St. Mary’s Parish, Mudgee began a four day event to celebrate the 150 years of the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst.

Around 40 people attended the wine and cheese evening sponsored by Gooree Wines.

by people visiting for the Mudgee Wine Festival.

The celebrations concluded on Monday with a visit from Bishop Michael McKenna as he led a Diocesan Pilgrimage as part of the sesquicentenary celebrations.

Mass was concelebrated at St. Mary’s Church by Bishop McKenna, Fathers Tim Cahill, Philip Filby, Antony Vattakkunnel and me. Bishop McKenna and the priests then enjoyed dinner with parishioners and pilgrims, in a fitting way to draw the celebrations to a close.

The evening began with music and singing followed

by Ross Kurtz reciting one of Kevin Pye’s and two of Henry Lawson’s poems about Mudgee and district. Martin Milton also regaled tales of the hardships and an insight into the lives of our early priests. There was also a keen interest in the display of photographs dating back to 1843.

Father Tony Hennessy

Saturday saw 60 people take the opportunity to walk back in time when they visited St. Mary’s Church c. 1876; the Presbytery built 1851; the Convent of Mercy c. 1880 and the Monsignor Flanagan Hall c. 1860, where Henry Lawson attended school.

The Sunday celebrations began with a family Mass with the children involved in activities and Logan Birchall playing the trumpet from the choir loft. This was followed by a mini fete of trash and treasure, speciality stalls, jumping castle, face painting, morning tea and more. The fete was well supported

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Mudgee’s Animal Blessing Service

O

the clergy present, with a short prayer service with hymns, finishing with an Aboriginal blessing for the land.

n Sunday 11th October 2015, an Animal Blessing Service was held at St. Johns Anglican Church grounds opposite St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mudgee.

The service included Bishop Ian Palmer, Anglican Bishop of Bathurst; Father David Craig, transitional Priest at St. Johns; Father Bruce Kurtz, Honorary Assistant Priest of St. John’s; and in our pets; a very special part of Father Tony Hennessy, Catholic creation for many people.

Parish Priest of Mudgee.

The idea originated from Father About 40 people attended David, with a theme flowing with their much loved dogs, cats, from the mission of St. Francis some birds and a local donkey of Assisi and Pope Francis with that led the group in a procession the focus on caring for creation in the church yard, symbolising

A BBQ lunch with drinks followed with the local Catholic community providing a jumping castle and face painting to add to the fun of the day for the children who attended the event.

While a small crowd, it was a that all people and their pets are powerful witness to the love and respect for creation that we part of God’s creation.

Christians need to have.

An individual blessing was Jennifer Maloney given to all the animals from

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When:

Thursday 17th March, 2016 at 6.30pm

Where:

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC),

105 William Street Bathurst

Cost:

$45 per head which includes a two course meal.

Tickets will be available from 18th January at BMEC, online at bmec.com.au or at the Chancery Office, 118 Keppel Street, Bathurst.

Entertainment:

The Nodding Thistles will perform and the night will include a Q&A segment on our Irish Heritage.

This evening is part of the 150th Anniversary celebrations of the Catholic Diocese of Bathurst.

The Sisters of St. Joseph and the Sisters of Mercy in the Diocese will be special guests on the evening, as a thank you for all they have contributed over the past 150 years.

Page 40 • December 2015 • C a t h o l i c O B S E RV E R , T h e D i o c e s e o f B a t h u r s t