Catholic Viewpoint Issue 6 April - June 2022

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ARMIDALE

MEMBER OF THE AUSTRALASIAN CATHOLIC PRESS ASSOCIATION ISSN 1446-0041

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marriage & family week Family love: A vocation and a path to holiness The Diocese of Armidale celebrated Marriage & Family Week from the 20th June ending with Marriage and Family Sunday on 26th June coinciding with the 10th World Meeting of Families.

CONTENTS 1 2 4 5 6 7 8

Marriage & Family Week The Priestly Ordination of Father Peterpaul Chikezie How Alpha can renew a Parish Welcome Father Deleep Around the Diocese Mothers who Pray for their children Filipino Independance Day

This year’s theme was Family Love: A vocation and a path to holiness.

Parishes celebrated Mass while couples from around the Diocese volunteered their time and energy to bring the Explore programme to the Diocese. These couples use their own experiences with faith, marriage and raising their families and bring invaluable advice and support to the next generation.

On the Sunday, the 10th World Meeting of Families (WMOF) organised by Vatican Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life along with the Diocese of Rome— is intended to highlight family love as a vocation and as a way of holiness, to understand and share the profound and salvific meaning of family relationships in daily life.

The WMOF is a great opportunity for Catholics on the local level to renew their commitment to family ministry in solidarity with diocesan communities from around the world and the Diocese of Rome.

Locally, in Armidale, ADIG sponsored a luncheon for our families after Mass and celebrated to coincide with the gathering in Rome.

Wednesday 29th June 2022 SAINTS MARY & JOSEPH CATHEDRAL ARMIDALE

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THE PRIESTLY ORDINATION OF FATHER PETERPAUL CHIKEZIE

At 11am on Wednesday 29th June, Clergy from the Diocese of Armidale as well as other invited clergy, students from St Mary’s Primary School, O’Connor Catholic College, Holy Trinity Inverell, and members of various parishes gathered together to celebrate the Priestly Ordination of Father Peterpaul Chikezie.

Father Peterpaul said ‘’The One thing I asked of the Lord, He has granted me! To God be the glory, my heart desire is to dwell in the house of the Lord; all the days of my Life and to behold the beauty of the Lord’’.

The ordination was followed by a reception in the Torreggiani Room full of great food, joyful Nigerian music, and dancing.

In his homily, Bishop Michael Kennedy said “one of the principal tasks of a Parish Priest is to protect and persevere the unity and communion of that portion of the Lord’s flock that is entrusted to your care. Love the Lord, love his people, and don’t take sides other than the side of charity and truth.”

We are certain that Father Peterpaul will be taking this approach when he commences his appointment as assistant Priest of Sacred Heart Parish Inverell. Congratulations Father Peterpaul!

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All photograph’s by Dave Robertson Photography

Chris Da Silva Director of Mission and Evangelisation

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how alpha can renew a parish

Some of our readers have probably heard bits and pieces about Alpha before. As a program run across a variety of Christian denominations for 30+ years with an impact that runs both deep and wide, you may have heard both pros and cons. In the Diocese of Armidale, St Francis Xavier Parish in Moree has led the way in recent times, running Alpha several times over the past few years, even online during Covid lockdowns!

As Church affiliation continues to decline, the need for numerous means to clearly, frequently and urgently proclaim the Gospel to the un-churched, de-churched, and not-sure-whether-they-want-tobe-churched-or-not continues to grow. And while not an explicitly Catholic program, Alpha continues to bear fruit for parishes around the world the more they integrate it into their broader framework of forming missionary disciples. To use more official Church-speak, Alpha fits perfectly into what is called the Precatechumenate: the period of preevangelisation and evangelisation that comes before someone decides to repent, believe in the Good News, and become a disciple of Christ.

Alpha is a kerygmatic resource for parish and community renewal. This means that it introduces people to the first proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ, otherwise known as the Kerygma: ‘Jesus Christ loves you; He gave His life to save you, and now He is living at your side to enlighten, strengthen and free you.’ (Pope Francis: Evangelii Gaudium, 164) Alpha invites people to respond to the good news through a decision to follow Jesus. Parishes around the world have seen significant growth in numbers and a new enthusiasm for mission. New members of the parish, having come to faith during Alpha, 4

Members of the Moree Alpha Group, L-R: Magitha Suresh , Maureen Wong, Cathy Corderoy, Nona Collier, Suzanne Bouliopoulos, Stefan Bouliopoulos, Julie Depczynski, Nora Carrigan, Felix Suresh

frequently join parish activities and bring the freshness and joy of their encounter with Christ into the life of the parish.

Alpha is a tool that helps parishes develop into ‘communities of missionary disciples,’ fostering a renewal for the Christian community that desires to be transformed by evangelisation. It offers a simple and attractive invitation to those outside the Church to come and ask life’s big questions.

The course goes for 8-11 weeks and focuses heavily on hospitality and accompaniment to show the Face of Jesus to those on the peripheries, and ultimately to invite them into a loving relationship with Jesus.

An evangelising community knows that the Lord has taken the initiative, ‘he has loved us first, and therefore we can... go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast.’ (Evangelii Gaudium, 24) We are blessed to have begun communicating with Alpha in a Catholic Context Australia who can help to resource us with free training and resources.

If you are interested in finding out more about how Alpha can renew your parish, do not hesitate to email me at chris@armidale.catholic.org.au.

love to drive since the roads are very free and you can maintain the stipulated speed limit. Such a thing you cannot do there in Kerala, it is terrible to drive there and even to cover 30 km it takes a minimum of an hour.

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welcome father deleep antony

Can you tell us a bit about where you are from and your family?

Introducing Father Deleep Cathedral parish armidale In November 2021, Armidale welcomed Father Deleep as an Assistant Priest. He has been working hard since his arrival and has been a welcome addition to the community. Don’t forget to say hi next time you see him!

You’ve now been in Australia (and Armidale) for 7 months! How are you finding the change?

I am doing well, slowly settling in and coping with the cold climate. Since I am coming from a tropical land I feel the weather is a little bit severe, however, I can manage the climate here because I love cold climate.

With regard to the food, I am not yet accostomed to Australian food but I’m managing it. I find people are welcoming and cordial. Of course it is a great challenge for me to do pastoral work in a country which is entirely different from where I am born and brought up. Speaking about my language I feel a bit intimidated because the way I speak is not clear to all the people here. In my native country I was a hero in speaking English but here I became zero! However, from zero, I now start to learn Australian English; the way of pronunciation, articulation, projection, etc. I hope I can also keep up with the language.

What has been the biggest culture shock for you?

I am still exploring Australia as it’s only been a few months I have been here. I really appreciate about the care given to the environment, especially the playgrounds, parks and green lawns are maintained in such a way, it is amazing. Maybe because of the population in Kerala, where I am from, we cannot find such a thing since it is thickly crowded. Here I 5

I am from the southern part of India, in a state called Kerala. I am coming from a small family which includes my father, mother, me and my sister who is eldest to me. My father was a day labourer in a government Bamboo corporation and now he is retired and at home. My mother is a homemaker and my sister is a nurse and had been working for 10 years in Saudi Arabia, she recently resigned from there and now she is preparing for her OET exams and planning to move and settle in the UK. I belong to the congregation of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus (RCJ). I have been almost eleven and half years in my priesthood.

What made you want to become a priest?

When I was a boy I was an altar boy. I used to walk to the church early morning to be included in the altar service since there were many of us and they followed a first-come policy so I needed to be earlier than other boys. I noticed the authority of the priest and the respect he was given by the people and especially in celebration of the Eucharist. There begun my desire to become a priest. When I was in high school at the age of 15, I almost forgot my desire to become priest.

But when I heard my cousin’s brother had joined the seminary my desire again was rekindled and I needed to wait for another two years to complete my higher secondary education since I was the only boy in the family. After my higher secondary education I joined for the vocation camp and I was selected from there I begin an another journey.

We heard that you have a talent for basketball, have you got any other hidden hobbies?

The funny thing is that when I was a boy I never played basketball. I was fond of playing cricket and soccer. Even in the seminary, I disliked to play basketball since I found it a little rough. When I was in The Philippines for my novitiate I didn’t have another option except to play basketball. From there I started playing and slowly I started to love playing it. Since I am an athletic, I like playing cricket, volleyball, cycling and swimming. Besides all these I love driving and adventurous trips as well.

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NEWS FROM Around the diocese

Meals on Wheels st josephs parish gunnedah Meals on Wheels volunteers from St Joseph’s Parish Gunnedah have been recognised as the longest serving organisation, with 54 years of delivering meals to the elderly and housebound.

The service began in Gunnedah after a committee was formed at a public meeting on June 8, 1965.

O’Connor Catholic College Armidale CLARE HEALY - pRINCIPAL O’Connor Catholic College Armidale has welcomed their new principal Mrs Clare Healy. Clare has moved to the New England area to lead O’Connor and is enjoying both her new appointment and her involvement in Armidale’s Catholic community.

She has been impressed with O’Connor’s proud tradition of service to the community such as the participation of students at the ANZAC ceremony, Reconciliation Bridge Walk, Z-Club activities (Zonta), and the College’s Vinnies program.

Clare has had the privilege of working in a number of large secondary schools in Sydney. These experiences have shaped her vision for education and the importance of creating opportunities for students to be successful. We know she will bring her wealth of experience to the O’Connor community and we are very happy to welcome her to Armidale.

Representing volunteers past and present at the recent gathering were Helayne Horder, Margaret Nott, Deirdre Andren, Sr Christine. Front: Pat Scott, Brenda Tunningley, and Sr Gabrielle.

First Holy Communion on Corpus Christi ST BRIGID’S PARISH QUIRINDI Along with many other wonderful children of our Diocese this past year, the children of St Brigid’s Parish Quirindi received their First Holy Communion on Sunday 19th June. The sacrament was celebrated on Corpus Christi making it extra special.

Pictured is Father Henry Kingsley Etoh, Parish Priest and coordinators of the sacramental program in the parish along with the wonderful children who made their First Holy Communion.

Congratulations to the children and may the blessings of Jesus be with you always.

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mothers who pray for their children 8th National & 1st International Meeting 29th April - 1st May brazil 2022 Father Vic Ignacio from the Moree parish traveled to Brazil in April to participate and concelebrate in the 8th National and 1st International Meeting for mothers who pray for their children.

The three-day meeting gathered religious and lay people from all over the world to come together and celebrate the power of a mother’s prayer for her child. They celebrated Mass with Archbishop Dom Joaquim, said the Rosary, and had many brilliant key speakers including Angela Abdo and Father Hadeleon Santana, who held sessions throughout the three days.

Archbishop Joaquim in his homily said, “Mothers, persevere, persevere in prayer, in penance and charity. May this meeting, which starts now, place us on the conversion path and move the actions of the Holy Spirit in us and also move our families courageously to the definitive kingdom!”

This inspiring and wonderful movement was started by the Brazilian foundress, Angela Abdo, under the patronage of Our Lady of La Salette and St Monica. The Australian coordinator is Carolina Ceteneraski who has spread the movement in Victoria.

Carolina visited Moree and was welcomed by Fr Vic Ignacio, La Salette Missionary and Parish Priest.

Suzanne Bouliopoulos accepted the challenge of co-ordinating the Moree branch in the Parish this year. The group currently gather in the Parish Centre chapel on Tuesday evenings from 5.00pm until 6.00pm. It is envisaged that this group will grow, and the movement will spread to other Parishes in the Armidale Diocese. People are invited to send petitions for prayer to Suzanne.

The meetings are simple and prayerful, and welcoming of new members. For further information on the meetings and how to be involved please email Suzanne at sbouliopoulos@hotmail.com We pray that this new movement will spread throughout Australia, as it has flourished in Brazil.

Top: Fr Vic Ignacio pictured with guest speakers Angela Abdo and Salette Ferreira, Archbishop Dom Joaquim with clergy from the meeting in Brazil, Bottom L-R: Maureen Wong, Sue Sirl, Suzanne Bouliopoulos, Fr Vic Ignacio, Loretta Silver who started the group in Moree.

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Filipino independance day Kayayaan 2022 Rise Towards the Challenge of a New Beginning Independence Day is an annual national holiday in the Philippines observed on 12 June, commemorating the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain on 12 June 1898. It is the country’s National Day. The day of celebration of war and love varied throughout the nation’s history.

The Filipino nation marked this year’s Independence Day as the country prepares to welcome a new set of leaders as it gradually recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic. The theme this year emphasizd recovery and the rise of the country to the problems of the past years, particularly the pandemic.

Father’s Paul Anthony Aguilar, Abmar, Ignacio, Roel and Deacon Paul Manvell celebrated Mass at St Edwards concelebrated by our Filipino clergy members and supported by Parishioners across the Diocese. They then joined a festive celebration of food, singing and dancing with memeber of the Filipino community from all over the Diocese.

contact us Catholic Diocese Of Armidale 3/131 Barney Street Armidale NSW 2350 E. chancery@armidale.catholic.org.au P. 02 6771 8700

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