Aurora - Autumn 2022

Autumn DIOCESE OF MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE | 2022 | NO.219

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Inside: My Word

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Church and State: A a productive combination

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Catholic news from across the diocese and around the world

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A celebratory service

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Atheism and Christianity: moving past polemic

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Serving up new opportunities

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Boost for refugee students

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A full heart

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Help from within

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Looking after our wellbeing together

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Be prepared, always

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My island home is waiting for me

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Identity Crisis

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Thanking our volunteers

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The Season of Lent

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LIZZIE SNEDDEN

The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is located on traditional lands of Awabakal, Biripi Darkinjung, Kamilaroi, Wiradjuri, Wonnarua, and Worimi peoples.

We honour the wisdom of and pay respect to, Elders past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the spiritual culture of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia. We have much to learn from this ancient culture.

Team Editor: Lizzie Snedden Design: David Stedman Regular Contributors: Elizabeth Baker, Alexander Foster, Gemma Lumsden and Sarah James.

Pray for Ukraine As I write this column for Aurora, it is still February, and media outlets are breaking news that Russia has commenced its invasion of Ukraine.

Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who heads the Ukrainian Catholic Church, released a statement just before the invasion that remains relevant.

“I call upon all people of goodwill to not ignore the suffering of the Ukrainian people brought on by Russian military aggression,” he stated.

“I would like to appeal to those with political responsibilities to do a serious examination of conscience before God, who is the God of peace and not of war, who is the father of all and not only of some, who wants us to be brothers and sisters and not enemies.”

The pontiff’s calls come when the Catholic Church worldwide, but particularly in Ukraine, has been preparing for a wave of people to be displaced from their homes.

“We are a people who love peace.

And precisely for that reason, we are ready to defend it and fight for it.”

Archbishop of Lviv, Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki, said they are ready to welcome people “into our churches and provide them with food and water.”

If like me, you are left feeling at a loss for what you can do, I encourage you to take up Pope Francis’ appeal to pray for peace in Ukraine.

“We have organised first aid courses for priests, religious and laity, so that in an emergency they can care for the wounded,” he said.

Before his general audience on 23 February, the pontiff said believers should fight “the diabolical senselessness of violence” that has engulfed the Russian-Ukraine border.

The Archbishop added that the prayers and support of people around the world are profoundly moving.

He continued his plea by adding that “Once again, the peace of all is threatened by partisan interests.”

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“War does not bring any solutions, only destruction, suffering, and lack of peace,” he added.

Archbishop Mokrzycki has also publicly stated that “as long as

people are still talking, there is a glimmer of hope.”

On this note, I would like to acknowledge that the crisis unfolding in Ukraine is happening at such a rate that we cannot adequately cover the humanitarian emergency in this, our first quarterly print edition of Aurora.

However, we take the situation very seriously. Accordingly, I encourage you to follow our Diocesan social media pages, where we will be sharing the latest Catholic news on the evolving situation.

In the interim, I hope you find this quarterly edition of Aurora a useful source of other Catholic news from across the diocese and around the world. I believe it further demonstrates how our Church responds to the needs of our community, whether that is through developing programs to support local students’ wellbeing or, responding to the natural disaster in Tonga. You will notice some changes to the way we have presented our stories, including QR prompts for you to read more online, and I welcome your feedback on this new direction.

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Stand with those who most need our care FR GREG BARKER Nothing stirs the ‘guts’ of a community, Christian or otherwise, more than what some refer to as the ‘gay agenda’. It is hard to define what this agenda is. The definitions vary dependent on which part of the sliding scale you stand, with the ‘righteous right’ having one opinion and the ‘anything goes left’ another, and most of us somewhere in between.

Ask the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual and other sexually or gender diverse (LGBTIQA+) community themselves, whilst some of the agenda varies from political to pastoral need, the consistency of their desire sits on a platform of acceptance, tolerance and understanding. Mostly they call on our community to stand with them when they are being discriminated against and to defend them in times of persecution and vilification. They want our language to be respectful rather than demeaning. They don’t think this is too much to ask.

I receive more letters on this agenda than any other. I never receive letters demanding that the Church do more about housing the homeless, or about feeding the hungry. I rarely get them in relation to refugees or asylum seekers. I have not received one letter demanding action in support of the Ukraine or peace in our time. ‘Why is that?’ I ask myself. I wish the same energy went into these areas of need as this other.

or sanctuary. We have thousands of children living without what is acceptable for a happy and full life.

The inalienable right, the fullness of the dignity of the human person as a created and loved in the image of God, is to live in peace, to be fed, clothed, and housed, and as God does to be loved.

Sadly, in many places that’s a lot to ask.

It should not be too much to ask here in Australia, and indeed, in Newcastle.

I was so grateful to those who joined me in lighting a candle for the women and girls of Afghanistan. Thousands of people were moved enough by the plight of their sisters to sit candles in their windows in solidarity. Maybe like me you are still lighting a candle, praying for them and like me joined our Pope on Ash Wednesday in praying for peace. How can we not be moved by those who are persecuted and oppressed?

I spent a lot of time on a recent pilgrimage ‘Walking in the footsteps of Jesus’ through Israel pondering the mystery of what he would do in the face of the many challenges confronting our community today. Who would he say is our neighbour? Who would he tell to get up and walk? Who is the woman at the well?

Who is the woman being stoned? Who is the leper? Where would he find them?

Too many people live in fear. We have many families without safety

With my hand resting on the stone slab where he lay in the tomb, I realised the call was not about what he would do

but rather what he would have me do in his name. It’s hard when you realise that ‘walking in the footsteps of Jesus’ places you in lots of different and sometimes difficult places, important places. Most of Jesus’ and the Christian’s best work is done on what is considered the margins and with those we meet there.

Wherever those places are, it is gentleness and kindness, patience and understanding, reconciliation and love that we bring to them. Always called to walk humbly, justly and lovingly in Jesus’ footsteps it’s not too much to ask that we invite others to do and be the same, to speak for those who can’t and to stand with those who most need our care without judgement, accusation, or prejudice.

Fr Greg is the Diocesan Administrator for the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

“How can we not be moved by those who are persecuted and oppressed?”

Photo: Lizzie Snedden

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Sean Scanlon with the principals of St Bede’s Catholic College and St Aloysius Primary School in Chisholm, and the Director of St Nicholas Early Education in Chisholm.

I recently joined a workshop for the Greater Newcastle Commission convened by the Committee for the Hunter.

The Committee is an independent champion for the people of the Hunter, providing advocacy and thought leadership to help build a sustainable and prosperous future for the region.

My interest in attending the workshop was to identify how the Catholic Church can, in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, continue to assist community partners in working towards this goal.

During the workshop, there were comments regarding the biggest employers in the Hunter region. While no organisations were mentioned, I suspect many thought Health, the University, the RAAF in Williamtown or perhaps mining as an industry, would have topped the list.

I doubt many would have considered the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle a key player, but with more than 4,500 employees across the Hunter and Manning, I suspect we ought to be considered.

The Church exists to serve a divine mission. Until recently in the Church’s history, the idea of employing people was probably very alien. Nevertheless, many devoted people served through their vocations to God. These were priests, nuns, brothers and so on. Indeed, there were times when religious orders exclusively

Church and State, a productive combination SEAN SCANLON

staffed our schools, but despite their contributions, they are not and never have been employees.

The trend towards employing teachers first emerged in the 1960s and accelerated in the 1970s. Today, only a handful of sisters work in schools across our diocese and no priests or brothers. Instead, an army of around 3,500 staff provide high-quality education to over 20,000 students in their place.

In the same way, what we now refer to as social services were once conducted very differently, almost exclusively in the domain of the parish. By contrast, nowadays trained professionals provide counselling, psychology, carer support, and youth services. Most, by the way, are not Catholic but working for Catholic services such as our own CatholicCare.

In recent times the Diocese has begun to offer early education and before and after school care services under the banner of St Nicholas Early Education.

These are a whole new world of services that didn’t exist 50 years ago. Then, typically, Mum stayed home, and Dad went to work. Today, however, St Nicholas Early Education’s 450 staff provide care for up to 1,000 children a day, enabling their parents to pursue meaningful employment.

I write about these things because I regularly hear that the Church should be taxed, that it is rich and

irrelevant. I agree that the personal emphasis that many in the community place on the Church has changed over the years. Irrespective of this, most diocesan property remains committed to schools, parishes, and other core community functions that assist the government in delivering education, childcare, and social support to anyone who seeks our services – regardless of religious beliefs and abilities, gender, sexuality or ethnicity.

I believe one of the critical indicators of the Church’s ongoing value is deeply rooted in our steadfast commitment to helping those around us in a way that is relevant to the times. From periods of depression when the Church stimulated the economy by commissioning the building of places of worship and education; to the modern day where we have developed new services to support working families, we have been willing to step forward to fill the gap left by government and for-profit organisations.

Many of the jobs and services we offer do exist because of the significant government funding that we see in education, childcare and social services.

This combination, of Church and State, we see as an advantage, with real and tangible impact and benefit on the lives of people in our region.

Sean Scanlon is the Chief Executive Officer of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

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Pope Francis appoints new ambassador to Australia Pope Francis has announced that American Archbishop Charles Balvo, a veteran of the Vatican’s diplomatic service for more than 30 years, will serve as the next Apostolic Nuncio to Australia.

Archbishop Balvo, currently the Vatican’s ambassador to the Czech Republic, was born in New York City and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of New York in 1976.

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president, Archbishop Mark Coleridge, welcomed Archbishop Balvo’s appointment as a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to Australia. Archbishop Balvo succeeds Archbishop Adolfo Yllana, who last year completed six-and-a-half years in Australia when Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus, and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine.

Politics and faith Each federal election Australia’s bishops issue a statement highlighting key issues to help Catholics, and other people of goodwill, reflect on the upcoming poll and consider how they will cast their vote. And so, with Australians set to head to the polls sometime between now and May, you are invited to keep an eye out for the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Election Statement 2022 on their website and social media.

More mental health support now available for people living in the Lower Hunter A year on from the successful launch of The Rosewood Centre in Hamilton, comes the opening of its newest service in Maitland. The Centre’s psychologists and clinicians provide mental health and wellbeing support to people in the community, helping them to live well and work towards their goals. The Rosewood Centre is a separate business unit of CatholicCare Social Services HunterManning, with all proceeds from its work contributing towards the charitable organisation’s many and varied programs. To find out more or to make an appointment at either location visit rosewoodcentre.com.au St Vincent de Paul lists Federal Budget priorities In its submission to The Treasury ahead of this year’s Federal Budget, the National Council of the St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia listed key policy issues which, if addressed, would significantly improve the lives of many people doing it tough, while stimulating economic growth.

National President, Claire Victory said at the very least the full Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment must be reinstated, the base rate of JobSeeker must increase, there must be an urgent additional investment in social and community housing and there must be more humane help for people on temporary visas.

“We know that over the last two years Australia’s 47 billionaires have doubled their collective wealth, while millions of others are struggling to make ends meet. This growing inequity must be addressed,” Ms Victory said.

CATHOLIC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE DIOCESE

World Day of the Sick tributed to health care workers As the pandemic entered its third year, Pope Francis dedicated the 30th anniversary of World Day of the Sick to healthcare workers, saying, “Your service alongside the sick, carried out with love and competence, transcends the bounds of your profession and becomes a mission. Your hands, which touch the suffering flesh of Christ, can be a sign of the merciful hands of the Father. Be mindful of the great dignity of your profession, as well as the responsibility that it entails.”

Families set to benefit from boost to before and after school care services Parents and carers of children enrolled in primary schools across NSW will benefit from a new $155 million program for Before and After School Care (BASC) services. The $500 voucher, made available from 28 February, will assist families who use BASC services by covering the parent gap fee component of their session fees.

St Nicholas OOSH, which operates 34 BASC services across the diocese, has welcomed the NSW Government initiative saying it will provide a financial boost to families’ investment in their children’s care.

That’s the shot Catholic not-for-profit hospitals have stepped up their push to encourage all Australians to get their third COVID-19 vaccine shot.

Catholic Health Australia’s Manager of Health Policy, Alex Lynch, said that with the surge in infections, hospitalisations and deaths caused by Omicron, a booster shot is more important than ever.

“A truly fully vaccinated community, with three doses for all who are eligible, will help alleviate pressure on our hospitals and the community at large, and keep us all safe,” Mr Lynch said.

Top marks for class of 2021 Despite the pandemic causing ongoing disruptions to the class of 2021’s senior years of schooling, students across the diocese of Maitland-Newcastle achieved top marks in their Higher School Certificate (HSC). Taree’s St Clare’s High School student, Wen Yuan Lim Schneider, achieved the top ATAR in the Diocese scoring an impress 99.25; and a further 61 students also received an ATAR above 90. Schneider’s efforts were complemented by Booragul’s St Paul’s Catholic College student, Caleb Baker, who received First in State for Retail Services – a massive effort considering he completed the course while still in Year 11. In addition, the NSW Department of Education announced five of the Diocese’s students as Top Achievers, two as All Rounders and a further 268 as Distinguished Achievers.

Finally, 336 students received Vocation Education Training (VET) qualifications and 38 young people completed school-based apprenticeships.

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AND AROUND THE WORLD New chapel on the cards in Chisholm Historic sale kicks goals Maitland Rugby Union Football Club, the second oldest rugby club in Australia, is set to turn a new page after purchasing Marcellin Park from the Catholic Diocese of MaitlandNewcastle late last year.

The Diocese accepted an approach from the Club to exchange on the parcel of land in Lorn, following a threedecade-long partnership between the two organisations, which saw the sporting group access the site at peppercorn rent.

The move comes as the Club takes its next steps towards its aspiration to develop a community hub and follows their successful application for federal government funding to bring its masterplan to life. The Club will soon lodge a Development Application for its masterplan with Maitland City Council, which includes a new clubhouse, netball courts and a multipurpose area, junior training and playing fields, improved parking facilities, lighting, and eventually, an indoor swimming pool.

In exchange for the sale, the Club proposed that schools in the Diocese could continue to access the facilities free of charge.

Chief Executive Officer for the Diocese, Sean Scanlon, said he wants to the Club succeed and is buoyed by the opportunities the new facilities will deliver to students. “Good things happen when organisations work together,” he said.

The Diocese has submitted a Development Application with Maitland City Council to construct a chapel on an undeveloped portion of land between St Aloysius Primary School and St Bede’s Catholic College in Chisholm.

The proposed development includes an architecturally designed single-storey building and associated landscape and gardens, which will be available for use by students and staff at both schools.

The timeframe for the project is subject to Maitland City Council’s review of the Development Application. However, the Diocese anticipates that construction will commence in late 2023 and be complete in mid-2024. In honour of the late Bishop Bill’s request, if the development gets the stamp of approval from council, it will be dedicated to both Saint Aloysius and Saint Bede.

Expansion to Chisholm childcare centre complete St Nicholas Early Education has recently completed a $2.3 million expansion to its Chisholm centre that will see it nearly doubling in size and enrolment capacity, from 77 to 134 places.

The expansion of the centre follows St Nicholas’ commitment to meeting the needs of families and is expected to open in the coming weeks.

Understanding change, loss and grief

Changes ahead

Adults with a desire to learn more about change, loss and grief are invited to attend an upcoming Seasons for Growth seminar.

In 2021 the Diocese commissioned an independent review of All Saints’ College, Maitland. The purpose of the review was to ensure the College, and notably its students, are set up for success both short and long-term and comes on the back of the 2015-16 report, Study into the Provisions of Secondary Education for the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.

As part of the seminar participants will examine the meaning of grief; review the range of changes and losses experienced in life; explore grief reactions and factors that influence them; identify different styles of grieving; and, explore strategies of empowerment, including the role of choice in the grief journey and the importance of networks of support.

Date: Saturday 12 March Time: 9am-12pm Cost: Free Venue: Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle (Toohey Room), 841 Hunter Street, Newcastle Reserve your spot in the seminar by emailing loretta.heffernan@mn.catholic.org.au or phoning 0408 895 951 prior to 6 March.

Following extensive consultation with the College community, and the review of contemporary research, expert advisers Dr Dan White and Ms Terry O’Brien made a series of recommendations including that the school move forward as an integrated Year 7-12 College on a single campus; and, that senior students return to a five-day week. Diocesan leadership accepted the recommendations late last year and following this, an implementation committee has been established. A copy of this review is available to view at maitlandasc. catholic.edu.au/about-us/2021-review

To read more Catholic news from across the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle and around the world visit www.mnnews.today or scan the QR code below. There, you will also find links to upcoming events, important dates for your diary and to live stream Sunday Mass from Sacred Heart Cathedral.

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Photo: Standing Free Photography

The Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle made history when it celebrated its first-ever LGBTIQ Mass, on 4 March 2022.

The Mass is part of the Diocese’s response to the call of the Diocesan Synod and of the National Plenary Council. During the discernment process, it became clear that many Hunter Catholics wanted the Church to be more openly inclusive of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) community.

Organised by the Diocese’s LGBTIQ Catholic Forum established in 2020 with the encouragement of the late Bishop Bill Wright, the LGBTIQ Mass was the same as a regular Mass but with prayers and scriptures addressing the needs of LGBTIQ people and their families.

When James was around 11-years-old, he noticed he was not like many other boys his age. He preferred to sit inside and discuss history, faith, and politics rather than play rugby. An interest in the Catholic Church followed and he contacted the Catholic Enquiry Centre.

“I readily embraced Catholicism, and like many converts of that era, I threw myself into it,” James said.

At 18 James was baptised a Catholic and two years later, in the late 1960s, he left his family home in Sydney to join the Oblate Seminary in Melbourne.

Diocesan Administrator, Fr Greg Barker, led the Mass held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Tighes Hill. In his Homily, Fr Greg referenced Pope Francis’ recent message to Catholic families, which encouraged parents who “see different sexual orientations in their children” to accompany, not condemn their children.

While his decision to become a priest was prompted by a desire to “do something good for society”, James was also hiding a secret.

“I am pleased to see the Catholic Church welcoming homosexual people into the worshiping community,” said Greg, who is also a member of PFLAG, the first and largest organisation for LGBTIQ+ and their parents, families and allies. “These people have felt very unwelcome in past years.”

In the lead up to the Mass, James Turner, a parishioner in the Diocese of MaitlandNewcastle now in his seventies, said he wished there had been a LGBTIQ Mass when he was a young man.

Diocese’ first LGBTIQ Mass.

James grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney with his mother, Joy, and Jack Turner, not his biological father but the only Dad he ever knew. James and his five younger siblings were enrolled at the local public school and on the weekend they attended Sunday School hosted by the Anglican Church.

The Forum’s secretary, Lawrie Hallinan, said the LGBTIQ Mass is an opportunity to celebrate that LGBTIQ people are created in God’s image and are welcome in the Catholic Church.

Greg Byrne forms part of the Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Forster-Tuncurry and drove two hours to attend the service, which was of significance to his family.

The LGBTQI Forum preparing for the

COVER STORY

“It would have saved me years of fear and selfloathing if my Church had clearly said, “God made you as you are, God loves you and we see you as a valued member of God’s Church”.

“I was aware I was attracted to men,” James said of that confusing period in his life. “I felt totally ashamed and had never verbalised it to anyone, let alone acted upon it.”

“Everything I had ever read on the topic made me think it was just a passing phase. In part, I felt that becoming a priest and following my faith would help me to ‘right the wrongs’ I was experiencing in my mind.”

“Taking up the vocation was never intended as a cover-up for my sexuality or self-imposed penance; I had a genuine desire to do something worthwhile,” he said.

While James was in his second year of study his mother and sister came to visit him at the seminary and their presence made him feel terribly homesick. “By this stage I had been to see a psychiatrist about the thoughts that had plagued me for over a

decade,” James said. “While my family was none the wiser, I had arrived at the understanding my attraction towards men was not a passing phase.”

He decided his best chance of “properly dealing with his sexuality” would be at home in Sydney. A short while later he left the seminary and enrolled at Teacher’s College in Wollongong. There he befriended another college student, Peter, with whom he formed a close platonic relationship. James’ Catholic faith remained as strong as ever.

“Peter was openly and unapologetically gay, with a strong personality to boot,” James recalled.

“He was much loved by his Catholic family who knew of and accepted his homosexuality.”

“This realisation made me begin to question the deep-seated myth I had held onto for so long; that my conservative family would shun me for being gay,” James said.

Despite this new insight, at the end of James’ first year at college his attraction to men still felt wrong and it was then that he sought out electric aversion therapy to make him “straight”.

James recounts that Peter was horrified when he learnt of his friend’s intention to partake in the week-long inpatient therapy at the Prince Henry Hospital in Sydney, which was to be followed by six months of outpatient follow-up with a treating psychiatrist.

“I could only assure him that it was something I felt I had to do. I was desperate to be “normal”,” James said.

Prior to his hospital admission James mustered the courage to confess his sexuality to his mother.

“My mother withdrew, feeling it was all her fault,” he said.

“Jack noticed she was acting differently and asked if I knew what was going on,” James said.

-9James Turner believes the LGBTIQ+ Mass

“I had been too nervous to tell him; after all, it took him a while to recover from me converting to Catholicism.”

“But to my surprise Jack was wonderful about it and simply responded with “is that all? I came across that all the time in the army”. It was such a relief.”

Not surprisingly the aversion therapy did not work, and at the end of 1972 James turned to the Charismatic Movement founded by Alex Reichel to “pray the gay away”. That didn’t work either and in 1974, while working as a primary school teacher, James approached his then parish priest, the late Fr Peter Morrissey, for guidance.

“He was my salvation,” James said.

“I went to him, and I said, “what is wrong with me? I am gay and I can’t seem to form a romantic attachment with other people.”

“He responded by saying, “you think too much about yourself, go out and help others”.

“He then asked me, “who made you?” and after fumbling with the answer before arriving at ‘God’ he responded with, “and James, God does not make rubbish, God loves you just the way you are – just the way he made you”.”

With Fr Morrisey’s wisdom ringing in his ears, James began volunteering at St Vincent de Paul. After Mass one evening he met a fellow parishioner who he fell “madly in love with”, and in 1975 the two entered James’ first ever relationship. Unfortunately the relationship did not last and almost seven years after James left the Oblates, now a qualified teacher, and partway through a psychiatric nursing course, he felt a call from God to return to the seminary.

Having come a long way in reconciling with his sexuality, James applied to the Oblates to be accepted back into training for the priesthood. The refusal was swift: “we don’t accept former students back into the Congregation”.

At various points in the decade that followed, while forging a successful career in psychiatric nursing and later as a general nurse, James formally enquired with three bishops about joining the priesthood but to

no avail. The reasons he was given varied, but in part he always felt it came back to his sexuality, whether he disclosed it or not. James does not resent the Church for this response but is hopeful that Pope Francis’ encouragement of ministry to LGBTIQ community will enable the Church to evolve.

celebrates his inclusion in the Church.

After his retirement from nursing and subsequent move from Sydney to Nelson Bay in 2013, James strengthened his commitment to God, and himself, by resolving to attend daily Mass and to pray the Hours of The Divine Office. Since arriving in our diocese, James has taken up the ministry of providing Holy Communion to parishioners who, for whatever reason, cannot attend Mass and forms part of the choir at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

He describes his belief in God, his commitment to his Catholic Faith and great love of Our Lady and the Saints, as well as the Sacraments, as being the mainstay of his adult life.

“It is these things that have formed the background of my coming to terms with my sexuality,” James said.

Asked about his thoughts on the LGBTIQ Mass, he acknowledges that there will be those who will question it.

“To me the LGBTIQ Mass celebrates my inclusion in the Church, in the People of God, as a loved and welcomed LGBTIQ person.

The Mass acknowledges my right and role to walk together with all God’s People in the journey to build the Kingdom of God together,” James said.

It is for this same reason he has admiration for the current pontiff.

“Pope Francis is not changing the rules, but he is trying to understand, which is at least a step in the right direction,” James said.

So, while James does not labour over what could have been if there was more widespread support for the LGBTIQ community by the Church and broader society in his youth, he takes comfort in knowing that, “Catholics – including the lay and many in Clerical roles – have come a long way since my early days in Western Sydney.”

A celebratory service LIZZIE SNEDDEN

Photo: Standing Free Photography

&

ATHEISM Atheism and - 10 -

Christianity: moving past polemic

CHRISTIANITY DEBORAH STONE

A Catholic university might be the last place one expects to find serious study of atheism. But at the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry (IRCI) at Australian Catholic University (ACU), atheism is one of the major topics under examination.

Atheism and Christianity: Moving Past Polemic is an ACU-led project which brings together an international and inter-disciplinary team of philosophers and theologians. The researchers – from ACU, Yale and KU Leuven – are exploring what atheism and Christianity have in common, and what they can learn from one another.

The project’s leader, ACU philosopher and theologian Dr David Newheiser, said there was a profound anxiety about the place of religion in contemporary society, partly prompted by migration and the resulting changing religious make-up of western societies.

But why does this anxiety matter? Dr Newheiser says, “There is a risk that religious and secular people will become hardened in their positions and see the other as a threat to their freedom.”

The secular landscape

Religion remains an important force in places like Indonesia and the United States. However in Australia, some Christians now claim they are losing religious freedom to a secular society.

United States Attorney-General Jeff Sessions has announced a religious liberty taskforce in his department to counter what he calls the “dangerous movement” of secularism, “challenging and eroding our great tradition of religious freedom”.

Dr Newheiser believes navigating the relationship between how religion influences values, and the secularism of the political sphere, is an important contemporary challenge.

“What often gets missed in the polarised conversation that dominates the public discussion of religion is that there are complicated relationships between religion and the secular,” said Dr Newheiser. “Their histories intertwine. Appreciating their surprising affinities allows for much more open and complicated conversation and enables each side to learn from the other.”

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Not all atheists share the same beliefs

Atheism and Christianity – a match made in heaven

Dr Newhiser went on to explain how prominent atheists such as Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens represented only one variety of atheism and, like fundamentalist Christians, they tended to get a lot of air time.

Dr Newheiser hopes a more complex understanding of both Christianity and atheism will counter a growing impasse about the role of religion in public life.

“Atheism is actually much deeper than a lot of the discussion of atheism today would suggest. Many of the well-known proponents of atheism today – the so-called ‘new Atheists’ – focus on whether a Divine being exists and try to tally up the evidence for or against.

“But older atheist thinkers, like David Hume, Ludwig Feuerbach and Karl Marx, recognised that religion isn’t just a matter of believing certain propositions about the world. They focused on the way in which religion influences ethics, politics, and even aesthetics.”

Early modern critics of Christianity, such as Hobbes and Voltaire, are often seen as the forbears of contemporary atheism. But their writings draw heavily on moral sensibilities that can be traced to Christian ideas. Contemporary atheism often emphasises the freedom of the individual to pursue truth, a concept which has its roots in the Protestant Reformation.

“That’s not to say early atheists were secretly Christian,” said Dr Newheiser. “They disidentified with the religion around them, and that mattered. But it does mean they were drawing on a heritage that allowed points of intersection and tension with Christianity.

They are often drawing on some strands of Christianity in order to criticise others.”

On the flip side, some Christian thinkers use critiques developed by atheists to advance their ideas.

Liberation theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez cited Karl Marx’s criticism of religion in his work, which argues that Christians have sometimes hindered the cause of economic and social justice.

“On the one hand, there’s an idea that religion should simply be excluded from the public sphere. On the other, there’s a view – which I worry about – that Western society is founded upon Christianity and so we must cling to this heritage if we are going to have any foundation for morality.

“I think these two opposing views are actually wrong for the same reason. They try to make a single principle, whether that’s secularism or Christianity, dominant. I think that’s not how societies work and it’s not how Christianity works. Both of them are too complex and multilayered to allow any single perspective to serve as their foundation.

“I want to open the possibility that religious traditions can contribute to hot button issues like abortion or same sex marriage without trying to impose a theocratic authority on the public sphere.”

Christian theologians developed this way of thinking in conversation with biblical traditions and ancient Greek philosophy. Elements of it also exist in Judaism and Islam.

But he said some contemporary Christians attempt to exclude the capacity for doubt within theology.

“It makes for a neat picture if the role of religious authority is to tell people what to do, and with the rise of evangelical Christianity that’s what gets the attention. But I would argue that living with uncertainty is essential.”

In fact, Dr Newheiser believes that Christians who claim absolute certainty are profoundly un-Christian.

“Anything that Christians say they need to hold loosely.

Agnosticism is the precondition of faith. Christians who claim that they know with absolute certainty deny the possibility of faith.”

Dr David Newheiser works in the areas of classic Christian thought and contemporary continental philosophy. He is a researcher in ACU’s Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry.

Dr Newheiser said a key element of the project was the capacity of both parties to acknowledge the uncertainty surrounding the big questions of religion. There was a strong tradition of self-criticism within Christianity, but it was often drowned out by polemical discourse.

“The loudest voices are claiming a sort of certainty that on the basis of their traditions they should not claim. It’s very appealing in some ways. People want to have certainty, it quiets anxieties. But there is a very deep tradition that is informed by the knowledge that we need to hold on to uncertainty.”

Dr Newheiser is interested in negative theology, a form of theological thinking which says that human knowledge of God is always imperfect. Early

This article was originally published by IMPACT for the Australian Catholic University

- 12 -

Navigating the job market can be a murky business. This is particularly true if your qualifications are not recognised in your new homeland, English is your second language, and you don’t hold a NSW driver’s licence. However, CatholicCare Social Services Hunter-Manning’s new cleaning service, in partnership with its Refugee Hub, aims to change that.

CatholicCare’s Director, Gary Christensen, said that in the past month the organisation had more than 14 people from asylum seeker backgrounds ask for help to find a job.

“They have a strong desire to become meaningful contributors to their new community,” Mr Christensen said. “A lot of the refugees we support obtained qualifications such as teaching or engineering in their homeland – however they’re struggling to find employment in Australia as their credentials aren’t recognised here. Recognising this, many are happy to work in service roles that don’t necessarily require a qualification but as they have no experience, they’re often not given a lookin by potential employers.”

To help overcome some of these challenges CatholicCare’s Senior Management Team established the CatholicCare Cleaning Service.

The commercial cleaning service is the not-forprofit’s first social enterprise venture and one that aims to create an avenue for vulnerable people, including refugees and asylum seekers, to obtain meaningful employment and training while earning an income in line with the relevant award.

Husband and wife Jean and Mary, born in Congo, were provided with support from the Refugee Hub to apply for a position with CatholicCare’s Cleaning Service. They were successful in their application and each work approximately 16 hours every week at various locations across Newcastle, as well as working towards gaining their Certificate III in Cleaning Operations.

Jean, who worked as a mechanic in Congo, is grateful to be able to give back to his family’s adopted community.

“We have felt so supported by the Newcastle community since we arrived here three years ago, and this is an important step in being able give back,” he said.

Mary, who was the primary carer for the couples eight daughters, said that the money they earn goes towards helping them to save for a house and, to help their family still living in their war-torn homeland.

Mary is glad to have secured a job with CatholicCare’s Cleaning Service.

“One of our daughters, my mother and brother are still in Congo and it’s important to us that we do what we can from here to support them,” she said.

Mr Christensen said that seven businesses have signed up to CatholicCare’s Cleaning Service and encourages other interested businesses to get in touch.

“Our clients have been really happy with the cleaning service and have been encouraged to know that all profits from the business go directly towards supporting CatholicCare’s Refugee Hub and Food Programs.”

This ethos of helping vulnerable people in our community to get a leg-up resonated with Rachel Jones, Principal of St Dominic’s Centre in Mayfield.

In desperate need of a new cleaning provider, the launch of CatholicCare’s Cleaning Service could not have come at a better time.

“I am all about giving opportunities to people who may not have prospects elsewhere,” Ms Jones said.

“The quality of service is impeccable! Considering the number of windows we have, and the number of kids we support who are very tactile, by the end of the day they can look like they haven’t been washed in years. But after the team works their magic, they look brand new again.”

While the commercial cleaning service has only been operating for five months, on the back of its immediate success Mr Christensen said CatholicCare plans to launch several other social enterprise ventures such as a café and food trailers.

“Our social enterprise employees have a lot to offer society and ultimately, when they’re ready, we want to them to go on to gain meaningful employment in the open market or establish their own small business; we’re just a stepping stone on their journey,” Mr Christensen said.

If you would like further information about CatholicCare’s Cleaning service please email bquick@catholiccare.org.au

Serving up new opportunities SARAH JAMES

Photo: Lizzie Snedden

- 13 Director of CatholicCare, Gary Christensen with the Director of Catholic Schools, Gerard Mowbray and Principal of St Columban’s Primary School, Danielle Reed.

Boost for refugee students LIZZIE SNEDDEN

Access to a good education is an important factor in the success and resettlement of young refugees arriving in Australia. However, many of these young people are subject to educational disadvantage due to the poverty and distress they suffer.

On the eve of Harmony Week 2022, a new partnership agreement between two Catholic Diocese of MaitlandNewcastle agencies – CatholicCare Social Services Hunter-Manning and the Catholic Schools Office – has been struck to assist students from a refugee background to gain an even footing with their peers.

The agreement includes the establishment of a CatholicCare Student Refugee Fund, which will provide assistance to refugee students that are attending or would like to attend Catholic schools within the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle; and are experiencing poverty or distress.

With assistance from CatholicCare refugee caseworkers, those eligible can apply for up to $6,000 in financial assistance per annum from the Catholic Schools Office. School fees; school resources; tutoring, or other forms of

Photo: Peter Stoop

support or extra-curricular activities; and counselling and mentoring services.

Principal of St Columban’s Primary School in Mayfield, Danielle Reed, is thrilled about the establishment of the bursary saying it will have a significant impact on the lives of many in their school community.

“St Columban’s has a longstanding tradition of welcoming migrant children,” Mrs Reed said.

“Many of our school’s migrant families currently only pay minimal school fees, negotiated on a case-by-case basis. We also often help with the cost of things like uniforms, incursions, excursions, sport, costumes, school camp, laptops and where necessary, translators,” she said.

Mrs Reed said the establishment of the CatholicCare Student Refugee Fund will help to formalise the support that’s available to these students and provide additional means to make their access to education resources more equitable.

The announcement comes on the back of a series of consultations undertaken by the Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People, in partnership with the Coordinator-General for Refugee

Resettlement in NSW and the Joint Party Working Group Refugee Youth Sub Group, between 2018-2019. The working group conducted a series of consultations with young refugees and asylum seekers across the state, including in the Hunter.

According to the study, education was frequently raised by the participants as one of the best things about being in Australia, saying it opened up opportunities for their future. Additionally, many reported enjoying school excursions, something they had not experienced in their home countries.

Mrs Reed said the study reaffirms what she has observed within the St Columban’s school community.

“All our children are happy to be at St Columban’s,” Mrs Reed said. “However, you notice there’s a heightened sense of appreciation from students from a refugee background to be in your class or particularly, to be handed a new school uniform or go on an excursion.”

“The CatholicCare Student Refugee Fund will provide an added boost to students across the diocese,” Mrs Reed said.

Afghanistan commitment needs to be more generous Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, chair of the Bishops’ Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service, says at least 20,000 more humanitarian places are needed for people fleeing Afghanistan. His calls come on the back of the Federal Government’s recent announcement for at least 15,000 places over four years.

Bishop Long conceded such a commitment, “sounds good, but the problem is that these are places within the existing humanitarian and family visa programs.”

“The scale of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan requires the urgent creation of additional places in Australia’s humanitarian intake,” he said.

“We need to scale up our practical compassion, not simply adjust priorities within existing plans.”

Photo: Peter Stoop

- 14 -

A full heart

SARAH JAMES

The Walsh family at Redhead Beach.

- 15 -

As Alex, Brendan and their three children wait for the photographer to set up on Redhead Beach, it was hard to miss the chorus of “look, it’s Mrs Walsh” from nearby youngsters enjoying an afternoon swim.

Spotting their favourite teacher ‘in the wild’ seemed akin to seeing a celebrity, a fact of life Alex has gotten accustomed to since she started teaching at nearby St Paul’s Primary School, Gateshead in 2009.

“We love living in Redhead, it’s the most beautiful community. We adore it here; I don’t think we’ll be leaving anytime soon,” Alex said.

Alex and Brendan are as Novocastrian as they come. The loving couple, who married in 2001, were first acquainted as youngsters when they attended St Joseph’s Primary School in Kilaben Bay. Upon meeting the Walsh family, it is their physical likeness that first strikes you, but it only takes a few minutes of talking to them to realise their most prominent similarity is their community mindedness.

Alex spoke fondly of her parents, Alan and Julie, who had four children together yet still prioritised helping others outside the family unit.

“Mum and Dad, through their words and actions, were always instilling that the most important thing you can do in life is help others,” Alex said.

Like Alex and Brendan, Alan and Julie were heavily involved in their children’s school community and the local parish.

“For a time, they lead the youth group at

church and took part in the Aunties and Uncles program to help foster children,” Alex said.

She goes on to recall that for as long as she can remember, her parents have been generous supporters of Caritas Australia. Supporting over three million people across the globe every year, Caritas Australia works in the most disadvantaged and vulnerable areas and uses long-term sustainable practices, such as working with

“My earliest memory of Project Compassion was at primary school where we would be given a paper mission box,” Alex said. “We would take the box home and sit it on the kitchen bench and anytime you had spare coins you’d place them in the box.”

“We do fundraisers, games, and sell ice cream to raise money,” Emma explained.

It was a similar experience for Alex’s mother Julie who still shares stories of how, as a child, she would receive paper boxes from the nuns at school and was asked to fill them with coins.

Reflecting on her children’s words, Alex offers the following.

“I was always encouraged to help others, so naturally that’s something Brendan and I hope we’ve passed down to our kids” Alex Walsh. local communities and NGOs, to build resilience and empowerment into the future. Each year during Lent, the charity launches its major fundraising appeal ‘Project Compassion.’

Supporting the charity is a benevolent tradition that Alex and Brendan have also taken up and one they hope that their children will continue into adulthood. Accordingly, when the theme for this year’s appeal was announced as ‘For All Future Generations,’ it struck a chord with the couple.

Alex’s daughter Isabelle, 9, then strides across the beach to excitedly exclaim the process remained the same today, two generations later.

Will outlines the family’s ‘pay it forward’ attitude to helping others. “If you help a stranger, they could help three people, and those three people help six people, and it goes on and on and on,” he said.

“I was always encouraged to help others, so naturally that’s something Brendan and I hope we’ve passed down to our kids,” Alex said.

But it isn’t just her own children Alex encourages to perform acts of kindness, but the entire parish and school community.

For the last seven years Alex has been the facilitator of St Paul’s Mini Vinnies program. Mini Vinnies is a fundraising group run by students who actively seek out opportunities to support those doing it tough both locally and abroad.

Ultimately, the MacKillop Parish member hopes to inspire the next generation to practice gratitude and think about the needs of others.

“As a community, we’re living such busy lives and it’s easy to get caught up in your world,” Alex said.

“At the end of Lent, we take the box to Mass and feel really proud knowing we were able to help other people in some small way,” Isabelle said.

“It’s good to stand back and have some perspective on what other people are going through, and through that perspective, ask ‘what can I do?’

Isabelle’s siblings, Will, 15, and Emma, 11, are also contributing to Project Compassion, in a sign the family’s altruistic gene is firmly entrenched in a third generation.

“Even if it’s as little as dropping five cents in a Project Compassion box or saying ‘hello’ to others when you’re down at the beach – small deeds every day can make a big difference.”

- 16 -

Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School Principal, Cheryl Henderson, has seen it all during her 50 years of teaching.

From the rise of online bullying to the instability of the past two years, she fears the mental health of our children has hit an all-time low. Her worries were confirmed when a report by The Black Dog Institute and Mission Australia found that one in four young people were experiencing psychological distress.

“A real passion of mine is advocating for children’s mental health and wellbeing, and I’m distressed at how limited the options are for children and adolescents who need specialist support,” Mrs Henderson said.

“COVID-19 has de-stabilised many families in our community, and we have a lot more children who are suffering panic attacks and experiencing anxiety.

But families are being told by private providers that they won’t be able to see a psychologist for at least six months.”

CatholicCare Social Services Hunter Manning’s Counselling and Clinical Services Manager, Kelly Pavan, refers to this mental health crisis as the ‘shadow pandemic’.

“There is a strong relationship between student wellbeing and effective learning outcomes,” she said. “If a student is emotionally, psychologically or physically unwell, their ability to engage in school or perform to the best of their ability is diminished.”

Coinciding with students returning to school for Term 1 2022, the Catholic Schools Office and CatholicCare have partnered to create ‘Within the Gates’, a proactive new program which will see caseworkers embedded in schools to support student wellbeing and provide early intervention.

These caseworkers come from multidisciplinary backgrounds including health, education and social work. They will provide support to students who may otherwise fall through the gaps of traditional support services.

“The beautiful part of this partnership is that they’re employed and supported

by CatholicCare, so they have access to all of the services provided by CatholicCare but are embedded within the schools. This means they have the insider knowledge of both agencies and are able to draw on the resources that provides,” Mrs Pavan said.

‘Within the Gates’ will expand upon the successful work of existing program, ‘Beyond the Gates’, which for the last four years has provided casework support to families outside of school hours. As the frequency of mental health issues increased in recent years, it became apparent an extra layer of support was required to assist schools’ wellbeing teams.

“Each year we increase our amount of counselling team members, and ‘Within the Gates’ is taking a different, complementary approach,” said the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s Director of Catholic Schools, Gerard Mowbray.

“We wanted to pursue an approach which provided extra resources for our Catholic Schools. We looked at various models, and we found a model that was well-researched and had case workers implemented in schools. So, we approached CatholicCare about partnering to deliver this style of program to our students.”

These programs formed part of the Dioceses’ holistic approach to creating well-rounded students and graduates, said Mr Mowbray.

“School isn’t just about results”, he said while reflecting on the specific aims of the program. “It’s about creating young adults who can live fulfilled, happy lives.

We want our students to graduate from school ready to pursue a meaningful pathway in the future.”

At this stage ‘Within the Gates’ caseworkers are embedded within five schools, however, this number is expected to increase depending on the results of the program.

For Mrs Henderson the support provided by the ‘Within the Gates’ program at Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School is the answer to her prayers. More often than not, her staff are assuming the roles of educator, psychologist, counsellor and social worker.

“We’re thrilled to be one of two primary schools to be selected to be part of the ‘Within the Gates’ program,” Mrs Henderson said.

“It’s going to be such a bonus to our children that they can talk to someone who is independent from their families and classrooms about their worries.

I see it as a real opportunity for us to deepen our foundation of care.”

Photo: Peter Stoop

Help from within SARAH JAMES

Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School and CatholicCare are working in partnership to deliver the Within the Gates program to students.

Photo: Peter Stoop

- 17 -

Psychologist Renee Tyczynski meets with students from St Joseph’s Primary School, Charlestown to discuss the wellbeing framework.

Looking after our wellbeing together GEMMA LUMSDEN A 2019 study found that almost half of all mental health conditions emerge by the age of 14 years.* Throw in the complications that have since emerged alongside COVID -19, and the intricacies of social media and there is no doubt the mental health of their children weighs heavily on many Australian families.

In a 2021 review of approaches to student wellbeing, commissioned by the Association of Independent Schools (AIS), it was found that whole-school wellbeing programs showed an improvement in social and emotional learning outcomes, as well as contributing to academic success.

Armed with this knowledge, for the past two years the Diocese of MaitlandNewcastle’s Catholic Schools Office (CSO) has been developing a wellbeing framework that will drive a whole-school approach to student wellbeing.

Renee Tyczynski is a psychologist for the CSO and co-writer of the framework: ‘Wellbeing Together – Student Wellbeing and Learning across the Whole School.’

Mrs Tyczynski said that the launch of the framework later this month would provide schools with an evidence-based guide for everyday practices that the entire school community can adopt to strengthen their support of students.

“We know that students thrive when they feel safe and connected to their peers and teachers,” Mrs Tyczynski said.

“The framework draws from national and international research around what school supports need to be in place for students to make positive and healthy choices to support their learning and achievement.”

Mrs Tyczynski said such measures included; clearly articulating to students the support structures that were available to them, promoting opportunities for feedback, ensuring adequate pastoral care was available and implementing wellbeing programs during class time.

The framework also incorporates valuable insight from a multi-faceted Diocesan working group that includes teachers, principals and assistant principals, pastoral care workers and religious leaders who worked collaboratively to create a structure that can be adapted to suit the local context.

“While we were developing the framework, we kept coming back to the student experience,” Mrs Tyczynski said. Accordingly, a key component of the framework is its emphasis on the importance of ‘student voice’.

‘Student voice’ refers to the views of all

students on their experiences of school, learning and wellbeing.

paramount to their growth and human flourishing,” Mr Frost said.

“It’s essential students are given the opportunity to participate in decisionmaking,” Mrs Tyczynski said. “All the research suggests that when school communities listen to and value student voice, it increases their engagement in learning and overall wellbeing.”

As part of the framework design phase, the working group facilitated discussions with parents and close to 100 students from primary and secondary schools across the diocese.

As part of the rollout of the framework, Mrs Tyczynski will be supporting staff to incorporate the views of students in both their classroom programming and whole-school approach to student wellbeing.

“In the classroom, this might be as simple as the teacher canvasing a class about how they might do an activity and getting immediate feedback,” Mrs Tyczynski said.

Adam Frost is an education officer for the Diocese’s Catholic Schools Office in the area of Religious Education and Spirituality Services and formed part of the working group that developed the framework.

“The aim of every Catholic school is to form the ‘whole person’ in a community environment which is loving, inclusive and accepting; where the wellbeing of each child and staff member is

“Overall, the feedback we received from them regarding the framework was really positive,” Mrs Tyczynski said.

Another vital component of the framework will be ensuring that schools are including parent and family voices in the decision making around the wellbeing of students.

“Our aim is to build trust and to collaborate with students, families, staff and communities to support student learning, safety and wellbeing, and the development of the whole child,” Mrs Tyczynski said.

“It is through this approach that our students will feel that we know them, we understand them, and that we care for them. After all, that is the crux of the framework.” * As indicated in a 2019 review conducted by the Sax Institute in partnership with Be You.

- 18 -

The recent volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga has reinforced the Tongan proverb: “Motu ka na’e navei”, which translates to, “always be prepared for a disaster”.

As a humanitarian worker this way of thinking is crucial. It’s not just a question of how you respond to each disaster, but rather the rebuilding process and ensuring the community is able to cope long-term.

But even for Tongans, who are used to natural disasters, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai undersea volcanic eruption was like nothing they’d experienced before.

The eruption on 15 January is believed to be the largest volcanic event of the last 30 years. It was 600 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima and could be felt as far away as Alaska. It caused a tsunami which reached Australia. In faraway Peru two people drowned in abnormally big waves triggered from the blast.

Be prepared, always DAMARIS PFENDT

In Tonga tidal waves flooded coastal roads and properties but after the water receded ash cover became the greatest threat to health and safety. Up to five centimetres of volcanic ash, a thick layer of abrasive and corrosive particles, has been reported in some areas. The ash can cause breathing difficulties, crop failures, and water contamination. This is Tonga’s frightening new reality.

Water is currently the most vital need after many sources were contaminated by saltwater and volcanic ash. The tap water is safe in Tongatapu, but testing has found that the water in Fonoi, Tungua and Nomuka is not fit for human consumption. For now people are managing with bottled water but for a relatively isolated country in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, this is unsustainable. Supplies will not just run out but imported bottled water may become unfeasibly expensive for poorer communities.

Surveillance flights by the New Zealand Defence Force and Australian Defence Force showed significant damage to houses, roads, water tanks and other infrastructure on the west coast of Tongatapu, the Ha’apai island group and the west coast of ‘Eua. The International Federation of the Red Cross estimates that 85,000 people – up to 84 per cent of the total population – have been affected by the eruption, tsunami and associated volcanic ash.

In addition, two undersea internet cables were damaged, effectively leaving Tonga cut off from the rest of the world. Limited satellite phone communication has been re-established along with some mobile network coverage – but many

humanitarian organisations are still trying to understand the true extent of the damage.

Even worse, as Tonga continues to reel from the impact of the eruption, another potential crisis looms in COVID-19. Until recently, the small island nation has been able to keep the virus outside its borders, but on 1 February, two wharf workers tested positive and the Government declared a countrywide lockdown the next day. By 9 February, case numbers had reached 34 and continue to climb. During the lockdown period schools and offices are suspended and no shipping between islands is allowed. These restrictions will make the humanitarian response even more challenging.

Right now we know that the people of Tonga are in urgent need of: clean drinking water; shelter for those who lost their homes; psychosocial support for people who were evacuated; and, food support for communities whose soil and crops were contaminated by saltwater and toxic ashes.

Caritas Australia is working in partnership with Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand and Caritas Tonga to respond to the crisis. It’s all about rebuilding better and stronger from the disaster. This means constructing more durable houses and making sure water supplies are more robust and less likely to be contaminated in the future – a significant challenge in a country that relies almost entirely on rainwater and groundwater reserves.

Damaris Pfendt is Caritas Australia’s Pacific Humanitarian Coordinator.

Through the partnership with Caritas Australia and Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, Caritas Tonga will continue to support the most impacted communities through Church networks.

Caritas Australia is currently raising funds to support communities impacted by the eruption and tsunami in Tonga. To donate to our Pacific Emergency Appeal visit caritas.org.au/donate/emergency-appeals/pacific/ or call 1800 024 413.

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My island home is waiting for me LIZ BAKER

Natural disasters in foreign countries can seem far removed from everyday life in Australia.

A frightening five days passed during which the Fenech family lost all contact with family in Tonga.

For Isabella Fenech of Maitland, the volcano and subsequent tsunami in Tonga earlier this year were deeply personal.

“My poor mum and dad were worrying even more than I was. They were thinking, ‘Did she evacuate?’, ‘Is she safe?’, ‘What can we do?’ That was a really worrying time,” Isabella said.

The start of 2022 was looking hopeful for Isabella. Having just graduated from All Saints’ College Maitland she was looking forward to the year ahead and considering a trip home to Tonga to visit her “Big Sissy”, Lopeta, and meet her six-month-old niece Elisabetta.

“I moved to Australia in early 2020 and then COVID hit so I haven’t been home in so long and I was hoping to go back and visit this year and now this has happened,” Isabella said.

“Life in Tonga doesn’t sound completely normal at the moment. Thankfully my sister and her family are safe, and all my friends too but it’s been really hard.”

With a visit on hold, yet again, Isabella has been doing what she can from Australia but acknowledges it’s not the same as being there.

“It was so hard when everything was unfolding. My sister called us because there was a warning but it didn’t seem big. When I lived in Tonga there were regular tsunami warnings but no one really panicked because there had been so many false alarms.”

“My family and I hung up the phone and all just thought, ‘that’s the end of it’ but at about 4pm she called again freaking out. We could hear the volcano noises through the phone – big bangs and smashes. It was really scary, but we were trying to calm her down,” Isabella said.

“We encouraged her to just do what the authorities said but we could hear people going a bit crazy – horns honking everywhere and people starting to evacuate.

Then, we could hear the ash starting to fall which sounded loud, like hail, and then in the middle of the call the network just went dead.

Isabella Fenech is hoping to visit her family in Tonga later this year. Photo: Peter Stoop

“I felt so helpless, we were scared and we didn’t know what to do.”

Isabella was reaching out to different family and friends in Tonga trying to contact her sister in any way possible.

“When we finally got in contact with Lopeta, we were so relieved. She lives near the coast so we were extra worried but thankfully the water didn’t make it to her area – she was alright,” she said.

“In fact, Lopeta had started the clean-up which seemed like a big job. She had to get rid of ash all through her house and even worse, remove it from the water tank which meant they didn’t have clean water for a while. She had been trying to contact us the whole time but couldn’t get through.”

Internet cables were badly damaged during the eruption preventing Isabella from staying in regular contact with her sister.

“It’s still really patchy to connect. We schedule calls at 5am when there’s limited activity on the network – even then you’ll be having an okay conversation and then it just cuts out.”

In a brief conversation Isabella asked her sister what she was thinking as the volcano erupted.

“She said she was crying and terrified, she thought she might die,” Isabella said.

While the initial terror and shock may have settled, the impact of the disaster is still being felt both locally and abroad.

“I told her how worried people here have been and how they got together to help – I know there’s been a lot of fundraisers,” Isabella said. “What we really just want now is to have a full, normal conversation.”

Isabella is hoping that conversation will happen in-person later this year.

- 20 -

Identity crisis We face an adversary which has a clear idea of what it is, and what it wants, at a time when we are internally divided.

I had hoped that a crisis like COVID-19 might unite us, but it turns out we are still a collection of colonies masquerading as a nation.

So, what can we do?

We have to be prepared to fight in the public marketplace for the redemption of the liberal democratic tradition. We have to learn from our history, fix what is wrong and treasure what is timeless.

I speak especially to those who call themselves Christians, because you already know what to say: Bear witness to the Truth. You must live by the faith you proclaim. You have to be known by your deeds and your deeds must match your words.

Nothing has done more damage to the Church than hypocrisy, and there has been no hypocrisy greater than the sins of the clergy and the religious on the innocents, and the bishops who covered it up. This is a soul-deep stain on the Church and an abject betrayal of the faithful.

If, in the spirit of the words of Lincoln, every crime demands a decade of humiliation and repentance, who would say that the penance was anything but just? But that was not the crime of the faithful, those millions who live by the creed preached by their priests.

People like my mother, Mary. It is people like her who live lives that are beacons to others. The example of their faith is transformative.

Among my mother’s dying words were an entreaty to her children that we love one another.

CHRIS UHLMANN

She drew that from the New Testament, from the words of Christ on the two great commandments; that you love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.

And your neighbour as yourself. Simply, that you do unto others what you would have them do to you.

Mary lived by the example of the life of Christ. I have lapsed in my relationship with my Church but still call myself Catholic in deference to my mother, and because from her I learned the power of faith.

To die like this was to be abandoned

by God. Christ gives voice to that: Eloi Eloi lama sabachthani. “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

we long for, something we can never have. This is a profound piece of wisdom because the one thing we all struggle with is our mortality, our limits.

But when he dies the Gospel says the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. That veil covered the entrance to the Holy of Holies, the place where it was deemed that God dwelt.

The fact that death cannot be evaded and that we wonder if this fierce now is all there is, and what the purpose of it is.

And at that moment the author has a Roman centurion – not a Jew, not a disciple – say “in truth this man was a son of God”.

“love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.”

The years I spent in a Catholic seminary gave me insights that I’ve carried for life. None more so than a term spent studying the Gospel of Mark.

Mark was the first Gospel written and for a long-time, scholars neglected it. It did not have the majesty of the Gospel of John. The Greek was coarse, and the Christ in Mark’s Gospel was a stark figure.

From the outset Mark’s Jesus is on the road to the cross. His disciples don’t understand the grim things he says like the ‘Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men and they will put him to death.’ When Christ is captured, his disciples run away.

He is crucified between two thieves. And for a Jew, crucifixion was a shameful death. There was no loin cloth; you were crucified naked and humiliated in public.

There was no concept of an afterlife.

When he is at his most human, when he reaches the point none of us can evade – death – then Christ bridges the gap between heaven and earth with his body. Because to be truly human is to share in the divine.

Christ offers the chance for everyone to do that, by accepting their humanity.

As it says in Philippians, “He did not cling to his equality with God but humbled himself and became as men are. And being as men are, he became humbler yet, even to accepting death. Death on a cross.”

This goes to the heart of the great human frustrations. That we have awareness, that we have reason and that we are not gods.

It is the essence of the insight into humanity in Genesis, what was offered that you shall be as gods; something

The Incarnation, the Logos, the Word made flesh is the great blessing of humanity, because if it was good enough for God to choose to be human, it should be good enough for us.

This is a beacon of hope, and the enduring genius of humanity is our capacity to hope. And from the example of Christ is born a revolutionary idea; that everyone, slave or free, can have a personal relationship with God. And that every individual has worth, and none is more worthy than anyone else.

The idea of the individual is born alongside the notion that the individual only thrives in a community of the faithful. And so, the balance of democracy is written.

A society that gives to each what they need and demands only what they can give the individual and the common good.

These are the foundations of the tradition we inherit. Your job is to bear witness to that; to defend it. To learn from our mistakes but to redeem the best of our tradition.

Chris Uhlmann is national political editor and on 9 December delivered the extended version of this excerpt at the launch of Ethos, a new series of major events produced by the Australian Catholic University that focus on the big public ethics issues of the day and what they mean for the future of Australia.

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“Sowing goodness for the benefit of others frees us from narrow self-interest, infuses our actions with gratuitousness, and makes us part of the magnificent horizon of God’s benevolent plan” An excerpt from Pope Francis’ 2022 Lenten message.

Thank you The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle deeply values the significant contribution volunteers make to our various committees, schools, parishes and social services. Through their good deeds our volunteers enrich the quality of life for the people we support and create a better society for everyone.

From visiting fellow parishioners in their time of need, to providing informed advice on topics that matter; our volunteers’ efforts are always appreciated. From reading books to students, to teaching English to new migrants; their time is of such value. From cooking meals for the vulnerable, to providing a shoulder to cry on; their care inspires hope.

In the lead up to National Volunteers Week, 16-22 May 2022, Aurora will be sharing stories of volunteers who are lending a hand to help others.

We invite you to be inspired by their experiences at places like Mum’s Cottage, CatholicCare’s Refugee Hub, schools and the Mission to Seafarers by visiting mn.shor.tn/ourvolunteers or scanning the QR code.

Robyn started volunteering at St John’s Primary School in Lambton 18 years ago, after her eldest grandchild enrolled at the school.

But now, years after her youngest grandchild has graduated, she continues her service there and at many other local instructions such as Ronald McDonald House, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service and the Hunter Medical Research Institute.

“It’s good to give back and be useful.

Volunteering makes you more resilient and gives you a different perspective on life” Robyn Benney.

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The Season of Lent FR ANDREW DOOHAN “Lent is marked by two themes, the baptismal and the penitential. By recalling or preparing for baptism and by repentance, this season disposes of the faithful, as they more diligently listen to the word of God and devote themselves to prayer, to celebrate the paschal mystery/ The baptismal and penitential aspects of Lent are to be given greater prominence in both the liturgy and liturgical catechesis.”

Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy, 109.

Many people will be familiar with the penitential dimension of the Season of Lent, a time when we engage in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in any number of forms. Embracing such external actions has a long history in the Church’s Tradition and remains worthy of emulation today. There are many good suggestions available as to how to embrace practices and disciplines that are in keeping with the penitential nature of Lent.

Yet these actions are not undertaken for their own sake. Each one of them “invites us to conversion, to a change of mindset, so that life’s truth and beauty may be found, not so much in possessing as in giving, not so much in accumulating as in sowing and sharing goodness”(Pope Francis, Message for Lent 2022, 1).

The Season of Lent is when we embark on a time of renewal and refreshment of our relationship with God and with our brothers and sisters, not just a time when we undertake external penitential practices. There is a reason we do what we do; it is the ‘why’ of what we do that is important to remember, rather than focusing only on the ‘what’ of our Lenten discipline. The mindful approach to our Lenten practice helps us to focus on the underlying purpose of the Season of Lent.

However, I wonder how many people would think of the Season of Lent as a period when baptism should also be considered. Those parishes within whom the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) takes place might have a better idea, as their catechumens enter into what the RCIA refers to as a “Period of Purification and Enlightenment” with its associated scrutinies and presentations.

Admittedly, only when the RCIA is seen as the

ministry of the whole parish will this be a possibility.

If the Season of Lent is a time of preparation for Easter, which is the celebration of the Paschal Mystery par excellence, then it is hard to avoid the theme of baptism. In baptism, we are united to Christ’s Death and Resurrection, i.e. to Christ’s Paschal Mystery, and so Lent calls us by definition to reflect on our baptism, just as those to be baptised at Easter are called to do.

The practice envisaged by the RCIA for Lent is as relevant for those who are already baptised as it is for those not yet baptised. Using the Season of Lent to reflect on what it means to be baptised, on the significance of being caught up in the Death and Resurrection of Christ, would certainly not be wasted time.

It can be tempting to focus on only one aspect of the Season of Lent. It is easier to do and less complicated to engage with when there’s only one aspect of anything, let alone something as significant as Lent. Yet the dual focus of the Season of Lent, both on baptism and penitence, cannot be sidelined quite that quickly.

The Season of Lent is inescapably dual-themed.

Not only are we called to repentance via prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, but also to deepen the understanding of our baptismal identity that is firmly founded in Christ’s Death and Resurrection.

As is so often the case inChurch life, we are called to embrace a ‘both/and’ rather than an ‘either/or’ approach.

Fr Andrew Doohan is the Dean & Rector at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton and Master of Ceremonies.

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