The MUSEUM Issue 21 Sep 2018

THEMUSEUM ISSUE 21 | SEPTEMBER 2018

A Magazine of the Preca Community Society of Christian Doctrine Australia

CONTENTS 3

Victoria’s Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017

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Preserving the Collective Memory of the SDC

7

My Personal Vocation Journey

10

Supporting the Early Pioneer Members

11

Embracing Change as a Blessing

17

Preca Action

19

Returned to the Father

20

Saint George Preca in Lourdes

23

Preca Community and Me

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200 Years of the Blessed Sacrament

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Bishop elect Fr Charles Gauci

Preca Community in Adelaide

THE MUSEUM is issued for friends and associates of the Society of Christian Doctrine in the Australian Region.

M.U.S.E.U.M. represents the first letter of a prayer in Latin, Magister Untinam Sequatur Evangelium Universus Mundus translating Divine teacher, may the whole world follow the Gospel.

A Magazine of the Society of Christian Doctrine, founded by Saint George Preca Cover photo: The Preca Family in Adelaide sendingoff Fr Charles Gauci, Our Lady of the Manger Chapel, Findon, August 2018 No 21 | September 2018 Editor: Peter L Judge Contact: Society of Christian Doctrine - Preca Community Preca Centre - Forteviot 500 Sandy Bay Road, Lower Sandy Bay 7005 P: 61 3 6225 1646 E: sdcpreca@internode.on.net This magazine is also available online at: www.precacommunity.org GOT A STORY? sdcpreca@internode.on.net Design: Fraynework

VICTORIA’S VOLUNTARY ASSISTED DYING ACT 2017 Stephen Parnis written by

In 2017, I celebrated the twenty fifth anniversary of my career as a doctor.

In that time, I have had the privilege of caring for many thousands of people, and a significant proportion of them have been nearing the end of their life.

With wonderful developments in medical care, nutrition, vaccination and other public health measures, average life expectancy in Australia has lengthened considerably - from 50 years around 1900 to over 82 years today.

“ But we are

mortal, and death is inevitable for us all.

”

I have been privileged to be a leader of the medical profession at Victorian and National levels and have sought to improve end of life care as one of my principal objectives. I believe that as a society, we have become, to some extent, quarantined from death, and unwilling

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to understand it in an open, healthy manner.

The reasons for this are complex, profound, and beyond the scope of this article, but I urge you to consider them.

For many decades, there have been those in Australia, and across the world who have sought the legal right to take their own life rather than face death from “natural causes”. For most of these advocates, it is about a fear of suffering, the loss of dignity, and the wish to assert their right to control over their own life and death.

Many attempts to pass laws to this effect were introduced across Australia, but were always defeated, except for a brief period in the Northern Territory in 1997.

In Victoria, that changed when a concerted effort from the current Minister for Health and the Premier initiated a process that culminated in the passage of a law late in 2017 which now legalises the right of Victorians who are dying of certain incurable diseases to take their life – so-called “assisted dying”. The regulations and details are currently being developed and are meant to take effect from early 2019.

There was a fierce debate in Victoria during 2017 over the ethical, legal and medical issues raised, and I took a prominent role advocating against these laws. The bill narrowly passed in the parliament, and advocates are attempting to build momentum across the nation.

I encourage you all to examine the issues, as it fundamentally changes the way our society views issues of life and death.

My stance against assisted suicide was practical and based on a commitment to fundamental medical ethics of doing good for the patient, as well as avoiding harm.

•

Our palliative care system could be so much better, and avert unnecessary suffering for the dying

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The dying are among the most vulnerable in our community, and at risk of coercion, despite all the proposed safeguards

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My interview on ABC 730 is a good summary of my position: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/ dr-stephen-parnis-on-victorias-euthanasiabill/9082168

This is a highly emotive topic, and my opponents attacked me and attempted to discredit me by falsely accusing me of blindly following religious teachings. They ignored the fact that an ethical framework is essential for good medical care, and fundamental to the functioning of a decent society. Issues of social justice, protection of the vulnerable, and respect for life are common to many religious and secular traditions. Indeed, some of my strongest co-workers are atheists!

In closing, I urge you all to think through the issues of end of life care. If done well, it can be a rewarding and humbling experience for all involved. For the Australian community in which we live, a fundamental shift to the law could mean harm to the vulnerable, and a dilution of the care we all deserve.

Dr Stephen Parnis has been associated with the SDC since his childhood. He is a Consultant Emergency Physician in Melbourne at St Vincent’s Hospital, the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, and John Fawkner Private Hospital. He was President of the Australian Medical Association in Victoria from 2012-14, and the Federal Vice President from 2014-16. He is the father of Rachel, 18, Luke, 16, and Rebecca, 11.

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Raising of the statue of Christ the King to the top of the Chapel; an occasion which took place on Saturday 5 July 1963.

PRESERVING THE COLLECTIVE MEMORY OF THE SDC The General House of the SDC in Blata l-Bajda, Malta consists of a number of facilities for the SDC including an Auditorium where meetings are held.

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Recently the SDC embarked on an extensive project to renovate the Auditorium. The project began in February 2016 and it is hoped that it will be concluded later on this year.

The Auditorium was inaugurated on 01 December 1968, i.e. fifty years ago. The renovation project involves a complete upgrade and refurbishment of the Auditorium.

General House in Malta in course of construction, April 1962.

Auditorium of the General House presently under refurbishment. Expected to be completed in December 2018.

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Incorporation of Members, December 1999.

Tonio, fourth from left.

MY PERSONAL VOCATION JOURNEY

written by

Tonio Agius

My Personal Journey A reflection on my vocation journey is an act of gratitude to our Lord God. It is in this respect that I write this reflection and also to give testimony to what God in his mercy and goodness has done with me. I sincerely say that I do not merit this, since as Fr Preca taught us, echoing what Saint Paul said:

From him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever. Amen.

(Rm 11: 36)

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Furthermore, I have learnt that God speaks much through experience and in the light of what the psalmist says:

do not forget all his benefits (Psalm 103;2) it is important for me to reflect on my faith experience and to notice God’s providence working for my good (cf. Rm 8: 28).

My Early Childhood Experience I was born on 3 October, 1979 and have been brought up in a very religious family. Although I have received a very simplistic and traditional religious formation, deep down my parents transmitted a deep personal love to the person of Jesus and instilled in us, their children, a deep respect for the Christian faith and principles through teaching and example. Their sincerity, simplicity, discipline, and love of beauty and nature transmitted to us values that imprinted on our character.

I have received the first catechism classes from the Franciscan Sisters. The Christian culture that surrounded my upbringing also played a role in my formation. Although I hail from a very traditional village, namely that of Qormi, its traditions helped me to value very much the Christian faith and values. In my childhood I used to enjoy very much the traditional village feast of my village and also used to participate in other local ‘festas’.

In my childhood, my hero was my father!

His characteristics: achiever, will-power, perfectionist, conscientious, and very loyal but questioning, left their imprint on my character.

This seed was strengthened with the education I received, first with the Augustinian Sisters, then with very dedicated teachers in the subsequent primary years. There I have absorbed very good examples especially from the teacher of the fifth grade primary, Mr Anthony Zahra from Fgura who until this very day is a source of inspiration to me. Looking back, I think that thanks to his great care and example as teacher that I first began contemplating the teaching profession!

During the Confirmation Celebration of my sister Doriette with my family in St George’s Parish Church Qormi, November 1991.

The First Inspirations Growing up in this backdrop I started receiving the first rays of light that began to inflame my heart. I am referring to the very early inspirations that I had, highlighting the profound desires that were buried in my heart. Those rays that I have started discovering started giving sense to my religious experience and filled my heart with great emotions. The first breakthrough was the film “the Mission” which I watched parts of it during my secondary school as part of a teaching practice of an SDC member. It really filled my heart with a great awe. The act of extreme faith and love for Jesus of Father Gabriel really inspired me. Also the music really touched my heart. I also remember many SDC members

working in the missions of the Society sharing their experiences with us in the SDC Qormi Centre. They used to inspire me very much.

I think that there I experienced the first seed of my vocation.

My childhood was also influenced by the political turmoil in Malta of the eighties. I used to look upon the then leader of the opposition who used to inspire me for his discourses, vision, and values. At this stage, I think that I started to interest myself in the Christian commitment to create a just and humane society and to appreciate more the lay vocation.

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Stars along the way!

The Lord has his own ways to prepare our heart and to build us as he wants. He showed me great persons that imprinted upon my character.

A book that influenced me very much in my early youth was:

It-Triq għaż- Żgħażagħ (the Way for Youths) especially the models it presented! People like Fr George Preca and many SDC members, Ignatius of Loyola, Pedro Arrupe, Mother Teresa, Oscar Romero, the founding fathers of the EU and others served as stars for me! The persons that kept focused and loyal to the will of God despite all the difficulties and the distractions of this world really struck me very much.

When I was a child and later an adolescent I always dreamt of falling in love with a beautiful lady and later on to form my own family.

However, I always loved the Society and was happy attending its sessions. In a special way, the monthly and weekend retreats helped me to see clearly where my deepest peace lied.

Although it wasn’t clear for me whether my real call was to love and serve our Lord either in the SDC or in the Society of Jesus, during the monthly retreat known as Spiritual Exercises I received the grace to understand where my deepest consolation lied and to see clearly Jesus’s will for me. There I realised that Jesus was asking me to go ahead in the SDC, offering my availability to serve in the missions of the Society.

The years that I passed as a student and worker at the University of Malta were golden years for me. The dialogues that I used to have with the then University Chaplain Fr Jimmy Bartolo SJ were a source of great inspiration.

I am also very grateful to the Lord for the great gift of spiritual direction. There I received great guidance especially in discerning the will of the Lord in the concrete circumstances of my life.

It’s all about Jesus!

Life is a whole learning process. During its course I am realising more and more that one of the most important things in life is the ability to listen the heart! I have to admit that only Jesus filled my heart. Only he gave me what I always desired and what is really true, nice and holy. Realizing that I am a great sinner, the Lord showed great mercy

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with me, befriended me and chose me to transmit his love to others by word and example. Thank you Lord God and forgive me Lord God. I pray to our Mother to keep me and my SDC brothers and sisters in her intercession in order to be loyal like her to the will of God until the end.

SUPPORTING THE EARLY PIONEER MEMBERS For the Maltese Members who have ministered in Australia and have returned to Malta, the SDC provides a home where Members live and share in the spirit and tradition of the SDC. For members who have ministered in Australia and have returned to Malta, the SDC provides a home where Members live and share in the spirit and tradition of the SDC. Pictured are ex-pats, Ben Brooks, a former member from Hobart on a visit to Malta, Peter Farrugia, Melbourne, Joseph Cassar, Sydney, John Micallef, current Delegate for Australia, Charles Galea, Sydney, Horace Pace, Brisbane, Charles Caruana, Hobart.

with like-minded Members. Fr George Preca was very mindful of the Members who have aged when he wrote the early Rule.

The SDC diligently prepared a home for the aged Members, wherein over forty Members share their life together. On one side is St Michael school, a college for boys administered by the SDC. While the other side a ‘state of the art’ conference centre also administered by the SDC has been established.

Surrounded by the young and the learned, the Members in the Samaritan do not feel isolation.

Many still attend a Preca Centre at night or participate in a daily prayer routine at the Samaritan Centre.

If any of our friends would like to contact one of these Members, please e-mail us and we will forward the details.

Residing at the Samaritan complex in St Venera, Malta, these ex-pats enjoy living and socialising 10

Young people being arriving by van at 91 East St Brompton in the early 60s.

EMBRACING CHANGE AS A BLESSING Preca Members in Brompton, Adelaide written by

Reflections of the 60th Anniversary of Preca Ministry in Adelaide Preca1, officially known as the Society of Christian Doctrine, celebrated 60 years of ministry in Adelaide, South Australia in 2017. Its bumpy history has been characterised by a race against time to evolve to uphold its founding vision and mission. The fact that Preca in Adelaide is still around and to some extent thriving, is an attribute to its Members who have embraced change as a blessing. In this article we would like to highlight some periods in the history of Preca in Adelaide that prove that taking up the challenge of change brings new opportunities which give new life and hope. Paradoxically the Chinese curse “May you live in times of change�, can also be turned into a blessing!

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Changing times following the end of the Second World War and the ensuing economic downturn in Malta were the catalysts for the establishment of Preca in Australia. In 1953 two Maltese Preca Members: Horace Cassar (1935 - ) and Henry Brincat (1934 - 2018), migrated with their families and settled in the town of Adelaide.

Full of enthusiasm and energy, both catechists volunteered to assist the Jesuit community in the parish of Norwood in preparing children for reception of the sacraments. Post-sacramental classes and activities for boys were introduced following the Preca tradition. Ministry flourished and was bolstered by the boom of new migrants from Europe who felt a cultural affinity to Preca.

Horace further encouraged boys to attend the Preca activities by giving them restored second hand bicycles. Within a couple of years, both Members realised that they needed the support of another Member if this momentum was to be maintained.

Horace Cassar doing maintenance work at 91 East St Brompton in the late 50s.

On 26 October 1956 they sent a letter to the General House in Malta encouraging missionary volunteers. This letter2 further encouraged two Members: Emanuel Mifsud and Charles Azzopardi, who had already volunteered to be sent as missionary Members to Adelaide after an invitation given by George Preca on 8 August 1956. Both arrived in Adelaide on 22 May 1957.

That same year, Maurice Borg, a young Maltese migrant and a Preca Candidate3 in Adelaide, was incorporated at the first Australian Incorporation Ceremony4 which was held at Corpus Christi College, Werribee, Victoria. The next year Alfred Raggio and Paul Briffa, a cousin of Fr Charles Gauci, both from Adelaide, together with two young men from NSW were incorporated at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Brompton, SA. By the end of the 50s there were nine Preca Members 5 in Adelaide, four of whom shared a house at 91 East St Brompton. To reach out further, a Kombi van was procured. Being fuelled with the proactive dynamism and energy of young Members laid a good foundation for Preca.

The established monoculture in Australia in the early 60s harboured a mistrust of immigrants and their ways. The newly appointed leader Emanuel Mifsud experienced a big culture shock on settling in Adelaide, especially when trying to replicate the familiar Maltese cultural model of Preca. Although he was a holy person, as generous as one can be and had an excellent sense of humour, he frequently experienced misunderstandings within the local Church.

The 60’s were times of change for the Catholic Church at large, characterised by the sexual revolution and the Second Vatican Council.

Harry Brincat with the newly purchased Kombi Van in the late 50s

Within Preca, the early 60’s were marked by the death of the founder in mid-1962 and slow letter-based communication between the Maltese and Australian Preca leadership which limited the ability to adapt to rapid change. The Preca model of lay people living a semi-monastic lifestyle was very new to the Catholic Church in Adelaide which found it difficult to categorise the status and role of Preca in the local Church.

Auxiliary bishop of Adelaide, Reverend James Gleeson, visited Malta on his way back from the Second Vatican Council to learn more about the Society of Christian Doctrine which had started in his archdiocese. Some religious communities were suspicious of the group, which they felt was competing because it was expanding while they were declining. These types of misunderstandings made things difficult. Several Candidates joined the seminary – four of whom were ordained and most still ministering. More than seven Members resigned during these years for various reasons – most of them eventually married. Gaetan Callus, a young Member at the time, felt that “It was so discouraging to see the Members and Candidates resign in droves. It was only by God’s grace that I stayed”. The unprecedented rate of change in the social fabric of society and the daunting challenge to “read the signs of the times” and the wisdom and flexibility to rapidly adapt brought the nascent Preca group, the established lay associations, and most religious congregations to their knees by the late 60s.

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Emanuel Mifsud (standing third from left) at an excursion, Adelaide, early 60s.

Reflections of the History of Preca in Adelaide The early 70’s were bleak times for Preca in Adelaide, even though new Members and Candidates were coming into the group.

Emanuel Mifsud who was the local leader, was disheartened and felt let down by the Members and Candidates who had resigned.

Facing cultural and social barriers, the remaining Members could see no prospects for teaching the faith or inducting further new Members.

A low point was reached in 1976 when the first Australian Member Melvin Jones died following a stroke and Emanuel Mifsud resigned to get married. There was a sense of hope, however, as Emanuel had initiated the beginning of the next expansion of the Society by commencing a fund for a property to which all donated.

Joe Bacuriski, a young Member of Polish descent, was appointed as leader. He understood that Preca, with its grassroots lay foundation, was perfectly set for ministering to the type of Church that the Council had foreshadowed.

He was determined that together with the Members, they would give new life to Preca and its mission. In 1977 they bought the first Preca property at Evandale, 7km east of Brompton.

Three micro- buses were also acquired by Members to further expand ministry. The Members began parish-based sacrament training classes and youth groups, starting first in Seaton, 9km west of Brompton, with support from the Dominican and Canossian sisters, then in eastern suburbs with support from the Daughters of St Paul, followed by Port Wakefield and Balaclava 13

(both about 120 km North of Adelaide).

Letting go of the ‘fortress mentality’ disconnecting links to specific cultures, and synergising with other religious and lay people within a parish setting enabled the Preca group to start flourishing again.

Ted Farrugia (first from left), Joe Kielnerowski (second from left) and Gaetan Callus (second from right) with Catechists at the Mater Dei Parish, Seaton, 1980s.

On 31 August 1980, following the incorporation of two new Members and induction of several Candidates the second Preca Centre in SA was set up. This was at 91 East Street, Brompton, an inner western suburb of Adelaide which happened to be the original place of meeting for the group. Gaetan Callus was appointed as provisional leader. At the same time Ted Farrugia was appointed leader of the Evandale centre following the resignation of Joe Bacuriski who later married. Members led daily ministry either running classes for sacraments or youth ministry operating from the Evandale and Brompton centre. Youth activities included faith formation

meetings three times a week, weekly Sunday afternoon excursions and two or three weekend camps each year. In addition to this, sacrament preparation classes were also held in St Peters, Seaton, Hindmarsh, Payneham, Virginia (35km North) and Two Wells (60 km North of Adelaide GPO). Members purchased Toyota and Nissan minibuses to pick up youth for the daily sessions as a ’van ministry’.

This was once again a time of dynamism and growth. New Candidates and new Members gave a youthful vitality to the group, which unfortunately was stretched too thin managing centres on opposite sides of the city. Eventually, the energy required for daily ministry carried out immediately after each day’s work started taking a toll on Members, especially with the van ministry which meant late nights and little time to wind down. Also, an ageing migrant population in the suburbs of Seaton, Croydon, and Evandale impacted youth attendance.

Ministry at the Evandale centre slowed down to the point that in the late 80s it was decided to let go of the property and investigate other options for ministry in areas with a younger demographic that did not require such sustained effort. Unsustainable daily demands on Members and spreading ministry far and thin had caused burnout of some Members.

New beginnings in Elizabeth South Catholic Parish, 23 km north of Adelaide began in 1991 with support from Fr Charles Gauci, the chaplain of Preca and the parish priest of the same parish.

That same year in December, Franco Zardo was incorporated as a Preca Member. Ted Farrugia and Joe Kielnerowski relocated in a newly purchased property at Elizabeth Grove.

They quickly integrated into the parish, joining in parish retreats and helping with sacrament formation, community events, and weekly Liturgy of the Word for Children at St Mary Magdalene and eventually St Ann’s Church.

A faith journey for adults began in 1995, along with RCIA groups. Some experiments with small groups of family home-based, parish centred, and school supported sacramental programmes gave promising results. Unfortunately Preca’s encouraging beginnings in the northern suburbs of Adelaide were impacted by the transfer of Fr Charles to the parish of Noarlunga on the Fleurieu Peninsula, 60km south in 1998, followed by frequent changes in the parish administration.

To further aggravate matters, all three Members at Elizabeth were out of action due to illness

or injury for a number of years (2000-2003).

Consequently sacramental ministry was let go, although keen groups of post-sacrament boys and girls continued to meet weekly at the centre.

During that time Brompton ministry was limited to preparing state school children for sacraments at the parishes of Seaton and Lockleys. On 1 February 2003, Franco Zardo was appointed as the leader at Elizabeth succeeding Ted Farrugia.

At the same time Gaetan Callus led a group of three Members at Brompton. Help was definitely needed to boost the ministry in Adelaide.

Ted Farrugia, Joe Kielnerowski and Franco Zardo conducting Liturgy of the Word for Children, Elizabeth South Catholic Parish, Elizabeth, late 90s.

Ted Farrugia leading a Bible Study Group for Youth, Elizabeth Preca Centre, Elizabeth Grove, November 2004.

In July of 2004 John Micallef was sent as a missionary Member and settled in the Brompton Centre. Similar to Emanuel Mifsud, John experienced a massive cultural shock.

Acclimatising to the Australian culture took over ten tough years. The cultural transition pains were alleviated by the support and the strong fellowship enjoyed by the Members.

Numerous missionary initiatives undertaken during this period were unsuccessful. Finally a breakthrough happened through Fr Dominic Gleeson, a young missionary of the Sacred Heart, 14

3rd Sunday Family Mass Sausage Sizzle, St Joseph, Flinders Park, September 2007

who enthusiastically accepted the help of the ] Members in helping out with the sacramental programme run by the Hindmarsh/Flinders Park parish. Gradually the Members started integrating into the parish, attending weekly Saturday and Sunday masses and eventually leading the Liturgy of the Word for children. In 2006 the Members pioneered a new initiative called the 3rd Sunday Family Mass followed by a community lunch prepared by different migrant communities.

Following the success of the Family Masses the Come and See Youth began in January 2008, meeting weekly on Friday nights. Unlike previous Preca Youth Groups, Come and See was co-ed and met at Cardinia – a parish catholic primary school at Flinders Park rather than the Brompton Preca Centre which at that time was too small and lacked facilities. Parents, especially mums were encouraged to attend and to help out.

The group which offered a mix of sport, community prayer, faith formation, eats, and plenty of community social time became popular with teens and parents. Parents formed a social group and a teens’ girl choir was established.

Although successful, encouraging the teens and parents to commit to prayer and weekly community mass was a hard slog. Taking initiatives, doing hard work, and creating synergy between parents and Members was a start but this was not enough. Building a faith community requires an element of grace.

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John Micallef (first left) and Franco Zardo (second left) at one of the First Meetings at Come & See Youth Group, Dulilli House, Flinders Park, February 2008.

The move to the Nazareth senior school with its sports and café facilities and the influx of Indian migrant families were graces from heaven for Preca in Adelaide. The gradual increase of young Indian families eager to genuinely nourish their faith and to help out provided new opportunities.

The Come and See youth group started to evolve into a faith community with the young and youth at the heart of the community. Following the suggestion of one parent, the first Preca Family Weekend was organised in the Adelaide Hills in the winter of 2016. Its success promoted the introduction of weekly community prayer time on Friday nights, weekly Adoration, and Mass on Wednesday night, biannual family weekends

Preca Family sending-off Fr Charles Gauci, Our Lady of the Manger Chapel, Findon, August 2018

and the occasional family day excursion.

Notwithstanding the growth and appeal of the Preca Community, inspiring commitment to build a Christian community on a regular basis, especially by youth, is the main challenge faced by the Members.

History seems to teach that

If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.

As the gap between secular culture and the Preca Catholic subculture increases, Preca and other similar faith communities face big challenges in the decades ahead. Bridging a wider cultural gap requires more skill, energy, and constant conversion. Ultimately to secure continuity of the Preca tradition, change needs to be seen as a blessing rather than a curse similar to the blessing of existence in the paradoxical mystery of an evolving universe created by an immutable God. 1 Preca – The term Preca in this article is being used to denote the Society of Christian Doctrine.

2 Original published in “Kalendarju Museumin” – Feb 1957 page 24. An English translation is included in this report.

3 A Candidate is a young adult who is considering incorporating as a Preca Member.

4 The Incorporation Ceremony is the official acceptance of Member in Preca.

5 “Superior Emanuel Mifsud, Charles Azzopardi, Harry Brincat, Horace Cassar, John Portelli, Paul Briffa, Maurice Borg, Freddie Borg, John Muscat, Gaetan Callus.

6 Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (1896-1957) in his classic novel “The Leopard” published posthumously in 1958 by Feltrinelli.

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PRECA ACTION Superior General Visits Australia The Superior General, NATALINO CAMILLERI on a pastoral visit to Australia visits the Preca Community in Hobart, Tasmania. Behind the faces is an image of Archbishop Young of Hobart visiting the tomb of George Preca in 1963. The Superior General, Francis Saliba who would become the second Superior General is pictured next to him.

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Celebrating the Years During April 2017, Members from Australia travelled to Malta to celebrate 110 years foundation of the Society of Christian Doctrine – Preca Community.

During the week of celebrations, we were able to meet up with Members who lived in Australia.

Here Members are enjoying lunch with Alfred from Sydney and Frank from Melbourne, former Members of the Preca Community (far right).

Joe’s Connected Garden

St George Preca

We have covered ‘Joe’s Connected Garden’ in a previous issue of The MUSEUM. But it was a surprise for us to see Joe featured on the cover page of the yellow pages of Adelaide, City to Bay 2018. The connection has gone beyond the geographical boundaries of the gardens in Elizabeth, South Australia.

A painting of St George Preca surrounded by young adolescents in front of a village church in Malta. This recent painting for the Preca Community in Australia was commissioned to Joseph Pulo of Malta.

Preca Community, Adelaide A happy group indeed. Members of the Preca Community in Adelaide during a weekend retreat in January 2018.

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RETURNED TO THE FATHER Faithful Members of the Preca Community

Henry (Harry) Brincat

Zdislaw (Stan) Drozdow

29.05.1934 - 16.02.2018

25.11.1946 - 26.03.2018

Harry in the early days.

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Anthony Messina, Cardinal Ronald Knox, Archbishop of Melbourne, and Stan.

SAINT GEORGE PRECA IN LOURDES Joe Galea written by

The life of St George Preca was characterised by humility, to the point of expressing the wish to be altogether forgotten after death.

His canonisation by Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican on 3 June 2007 comes to mind. The day before his canonisation it was summer weather in Rome, with the organisers suggesting that whoever intended to be in St Peter’s Square should bring a supply of water quench the thirst and a hat to cover the head. Dry, hot weather was anticipated for Sunday 3 June; but instead, as soon as the function began, rain fell heavily from above, drenching all present in a way they could never forget. The idiom comes to mind: ‘to rain on his parade’. Once the function was over, the sun shone beautifully as though to confirm that, from heaven, St George Preca was not happy at all with a celebration in his honour.

His humble wish, however, was not to be realised

as people wanted the saint to be remembered not only in the island of Malta but much beyond its shores, as an icon of faith and of love of God and humanity.

This year, Saturday 30 June 2018 was another occasion that will surely be remembered.

It began through an initiative of a travel agency in Malta, Britannia Tours. A portrait of St George Preca was commissioned to the Gozitan artist Manuel Farrugia, with the intent to be carried to Lourdes and placed in the Chapel of Ss Cosmas and Damian, which lies on the left hand side in front of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.

It had to be the first official celebration presided by the recently appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Malta, Joe Galea Curmi.

Around one hundred persons, led by Bishop Galea Curmi, took part in a procession.

The walk began at 9.30 am on a fine morning.

A relic of St George Preca was carried by the Bishop whilst the picture of the saint was borne by two Members of the Society of Christian Doctrine, Joe Galea, and Raymond Zammit.

The procession walked in silence typical of the 20

The portrait of St George Preca

by Manuel Farrugia

environment around the Grotto of Our Lady.

It passed from Avenue Peyramale to Avenue Bernadette Soubirous, Boulevard Pere Remi Sempe, Porte Saint Michel, by the Breton Calvary, then around the statue of the ‘White Madonna” in front of the Sanctuary, from where it went straight to the chapel of Ss Cosmas and Damian, where the inauguration of the picture was to take place. The portrait was placed on a stand beside the altar, with the relic on the altar itself. The relic would then be kept in the altar of the same Chapel, whilst the portrait will hang on the façade behind the altar.

Mass was then celebrated in Maltese by Bishop Joe Galea Curmi. During the homily, the Bishop stated: “How I wish that when people hear the word Malta, St George Preca would come to mind. There are so many things that can come to people’s minds, and not necessarily good ones; but the thought of St George Preca would certainly give them truly something beautiful and worthwhile to help them in their spiritual life.

This is a way to spread something beautiful and precious. When St George Preca founded 21

the Society of Christian Doctrine, he made up the initials MUSEUM, which in Latin represents Divine Teacher, may the whole world follow the Gospel. And this is precisely what we heard today from the Gospel of St Mark.” Bishop Galea Curmi mentioned also an anecdote of his family related to St George Preca, when Fr George advised the Bishop’s mother not to be afraid to get married, as she was not sure that this was her vocation. After Communion, those present joined in a thanksgiving prayer from the booklet Ftuħ il-Qalb (Opening Our Hearts), with prayers from St George Preca, a copy of which was provided to every participant in the pilgrimage. A moving moment was at the close of the Mass, with the singing of the Maltese National Anthem.

On Sunday 1 July, the pilgrims took also part in the International Mass at the basilica of Saint Pius X. As expected on this occasion, a large number of faithful participated, with many people in the Lourdes wheelchairs and many volunteers assisting the sick. Most of these came from Spanish dioceses, adding to the celebrative occasion. The choir and the playing of the organ added to the festive atmosphere.

Pilgrims at the Grotto

Mass was presided by a Spanish Bishop, concelebrating with priests from various parts of the world. Bishop Joe Galea Curmi was one of the bishops around the altar. Before Mass, the parish priest of Lourdes announced the presence of the new Maltese Bishop Joe Galea Curmi.

Late in the evening the Maltese group of pilgrims, together with the tour’s spiritual director Fr Bertrand Vella and the two members of the Society, gathered on the other side of the river, in front of the Grotto of our Lady for a Marian celebration with prayers and salutations from St George Preca, including the singing of the beautiful litany Robe of Honour composed by St George Preca. Apart from Maltese hymns, we also sung the Salve Regina. This celebration included the praying of the Rosary from the Grotto of the Apparitions.

Then on Monday 2 July the pilgrims took part in a Mass in English, again in the Grotto, where Bishop Galea Curmi concelebrated again. In the afternoon the Rosary was prayed again at the Grotto, this time together with English speaking groups. Bishop Galea Curmi shared a message about St George Preca, referring to the saint’s contribution to the Church through the teaching of catechism to young and old. This Mass and the Rosary were being transmitted by Lourdes Direct TV and other TV stations.

Now that we have a picture of Saint George Preca in Lourdes, those who visit the Sanctuary may join him in prayer at the chapel of Ss Cosmas and Damian.

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St Matthew Chapel, Qrendi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by Frank Vincentz. Retrieved 15.08.18.

Here Ruth experienced an introduction to the spirit and charisma of the Preca Community.

PRECA COMMUNITY AND ME Ruth D Lasseter written by

A more recent innovation is the contact the Society of Christian Doctrine – Preca Community has made in South Bend, Indiana in the United States. South Bend is home to the 150-year-old University of Notre Dame. Driven by a friend of the SDC, Ruth Lasseter and in conjunction with SDC Leaders, connections have been made with reciprocal visits to Malta and South Bend in order to assess how this initiative can proceed.

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Three Preca Members - Tonio Caruana, Ian Galea, Andrew Borg, and I were enjoying a summer picnic under a shady oak tree in an Indiana field.

Andrew asked a sincere question, one that I’d been asked by other Preca Members before: “What was it,” he wondered, “that drew you and continues to draw you to the Preca Community?”

Even as I tried to answer then, I was amazed that he would wonder about something that seemed so obvious. The question itself reminded me of the stories told by Europeans returning from Zimbabwe in the 1800s; they were amazed that the indigenous people living near Victoria Falls seemed not to hear, or were unaware of hearing, the sound of the nearby thunderous torrent of falling water. I was still pondering the question a week later when I drove Tonio to Niagara Falls.

The spectacular falls seemed to speak not only of the simple beauty of the created world but symbolically of the eternal flood of God’s mercy; it was a wonder, indeed, which drew all sorts of people in great numbers from all over the world.

In the following narrative, with the thunder of

God’s Mercy as a backdrop, I’ll try to account for the mystery of both love and of longing, which has already been written fully in Psalm 84 where “…even the sparrow finds a home…”

‘Why is it that God seems to love and favour the Preca Community?’

I wonder what you would say?

Perhaps my love for St George Preca and the Preca Community began in my first visit to Malta because I glimpsed Bethlehem in our midst, and the glory of that flash shone forth once again, even at the picnic table where the four of us met last July. If that afternoon’s conversation had been longer, I might have asked a question of my own back to the Members: “Why is it that God seems to love and favour the Preca Community?”

I wonder what you would say? I tend to think that it is because, like Bethlehem, Eprathah in Micah 5:2, Preca is little. And not just a small community from a little island, but little in that the Infant Jesus is present, though hidden, and growing towards fulfillment of his “Easter purpose” in the Members, wherever they may be, as in this prayer from a poetic line written by Gerard Manley Hopkins: “Let him easter in us, be a dayspring to the dimness of us, be a crimson-cresseted east.”

There are more than a few scriptural references to God’s preference for the insignificant and lowly; Our Lady’s Magnificat is a song of love returned to dearest him, who is Altogether Lovely, for having “regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden.” In such little places and people, “too little to be among the clans of Judah,” the Word of God was made flesh and dwelt among us, and the Lion of Judah was born as a tiny baby.

The interior place of God’s holy mountain, where the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God are one, is the very core of peaceful kingdom where, “there shall be no hurt nor harm on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

Preca is little.

However, a more down-to-earth explanation might be summed up in a Shaker saying on a little placard that for many years hung over my stove: “Food should be cooked with butter and love.”

American Shakers lived daily by such maxims; they did everything with natural ingredients, employed with great love. They were a hardworking people who honoured God through simplicity and humility: “hands to work and hearts to God,” they said. They welcomed guests with great hospitality, as if each guest were Jesus in disguise, “We make you kindly welcome!” was their enthusiastic greeting! The Shaker Cookbook: Not by Bread Alone, taught me to appreciate the presence of God in all things that build communion. It also trained me to love – as well as to cook – a simplicity and spirituality in a lifestyle that was similar to what I met in the Preca Community 45 years later. Although limited by their Protestant heritage, the English Shakers seemed to reflect the inspiration of the Holy Spirit acting through Fr Preca a century later in Malta.

There were, of course, many areas of difference.

Obviously, the English/American version was limited by its Protestant and non-sacramental origins and by the Shakers’ desire to keep to themselves; they strengthened their own members but did not send out missionaries to evangelize the greater society of the New World. With their founder, Mother Anne, a small group migrated to New England and spread as far west as Kentucky. Their full name was the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. They were first known as “Shaking Quakers,” because of they shook and quivered with the intensity of their form of worship; this was channeled into ecstatic, ritual dancing when the community was called to “Come to Zion!” for worship.

Celibacy brought them closer to God. The Shaker’s chose to live celibately because they held that celibacy brought them closer to God; it was in line with their belief that they were living in the Resurrection – a kind of holy utopia, or heaven on earth. Also, they were pacifists and did not want to fight or argue or to experience 24

resentful tension, all of which are unavoidable in the married state, from time to time, even at its highest configuration of Sacrament, which it was not among the Shakers or any of the Enlightenment culture of their day.

Even with their peculiarities and counter-cultural lifestyle, Shakers became an important, though small, religious movement in 19th century America and a voice for pacifism during the Civil War of the 1860s. They built their communities and quietly, in a non-political way, shaped a great part of the character of the vast USA. The Shakers valued simplicity, humility, and meekness. They believed they were already living in the Resurrection, since the coming of Jesus Christ, and were resolved to protect this grace in peace and sin no more. They wrote hundreds of hymns; one Shaker song, “Simple Gifts” is well known. Another, “Love is Simple, Love is Low,” makes a beautiful round for singing together. One of their lesser known hymns is like a cry from the heart about gentle meekness; it has only four short lines:

We must be meek; we must be low, or God could never own us… for Jesus’ sake, we must be low.

The Shakers believed that to squander either time or any other resource was sinful. Striving to give glory to God in everything they did, the Shakers wasted nothing and took great care of the land and its fruits. They were wonderful farmers, weavers, cabinetmakers, inventors and cooks. Although they did not marry and have families, they adopted orphans and cared for the aged. In the 1950s and 60s, Fr Louis – better known as Thomas Merton - lived with his Trappist Community at the Abbey of Gethsemane just 50 miles away from Pleasant Hill, which had been a thriving Shaker community in Kentucky until the 20th century. Merton felt powerfully drawn to visit and take photographs of the grounds and structures of Pleasant Hill, even though 25

the original Shakers were long gone; he also loved their architecture and furniture. Indeed, Merton had a Shaker rocking chair at his hermitage, of which he said, “It was made by someone capable of believing that an angel might come and sit on it.”

Yet, despite my early formation and love of the same Shaker characteristics that later drew me to the Preca Community, it is amazing that we ever met at all. Just how likely is it for an old, arthritic, non-Maltese widow – who seldom travelled outside of the USA and had lived a hidden life as wife, mother, and grandmother – to be introduced to the teachings of St George Preca and so come to know and love the Members of the Preca Community?

The way of life of Preca Members is the ‘real deal’.

Impossible as it seems and despite all obstacles and handicaps, I recognised authentic, living Catholic Christianity in being and action in the Preca lifestyle and vocation. I saw that the way of life of Preca Members is the “real deal” – a lifestyle of constant prayer, spiritual direction, self-formation, adoration, and instruction of others in charity and practicing the presence of God. My “mind is set – my heart convinced” that everyone who would know true love – through falling into humility, becoming alive in the Gospel, and questing for union with God – should imitate the spirituality of daily holiness, which the Preca Members live in following Jesus. It is through God alone that anyone recognises the value of poverty, simplicity, meekness, humility, embracing contempt and loving one another with great charity. When I lived among you in 2013, visiting the Centers and talking with the Preca members, it seemed to me that a more Christian assembly of devout and self-giving gentlemen could not have been found on any continent or in any century, not even among the gentle Shakers of central Kentucky, an area where my own ancestors had once lived. When I met the Preca Community, there was a déjà vu sense of having met this before, but there was an added dimension: unity of time and being, combined in a sense of belonging, like “birds of a feather” flying home.

And there was something else, something more difficult to express. When I began to learn about the Preca Community, to pray the Watch, and Sanctuary of Christ’s Spirit and the Letter on Meekness, something unexpected happened.

What I was reading seemed to wound me. I’ve reflected on this and cannot explain it. All that I knew for certain was that I was blind, where I once claimed to see, and that my life was no longer in my hands. I realised that it never had been; I had only thought as much. Yet, this wound was caused by having been struck by holiness. Such a wound is unavoidable when greater life and love, instead of becoming a realised wholeness, crushes the heart and is known only as a partially reality. Time and patience are required for the greater reality to become the only Reality – which is Divine Love.

The woundedness comes from meeting “a god greater than I, come to rule over me,” as Dante put it in his Vita Nuova.

Yet, this wound was caused by having been struck by holiness.

Moreover, this wound included the recognition of sin as a permanent fixture, along with the presence of Grace, which is greater than either the wound or the sin. I don’t mean a specific act, not “this sin” or “that sin,” but the over-arching sinful attitude of always justifying myself, always having “a better idea” about everything. Finally, there was also the reality of death that, whenever it should come, became part of my daily reckoning and not pushed away as a far-distant and fearful specter; God’s own hand stripped away both fear and anxiety about both death and life.

Simplicity, humility and meekness This interior soul-wound has remained, and it is a blessing, a conduit of change; my life seemed to flow into the life of the Preca Society, even though I could not be incorporated, at least not

officially “enrolled.” This conduit or channel’s fountainhead, which had been sealed for a long

Jonathan Sammut sdc, Ms Ruth Lasseter, Sr Danielle Peters and Christopher Grima sdc Preca Cottage, South Bend, Indiana.

time, gushed forth from whatever empty space within me had been scooped out by the Preca reading and learning. It seemed that there was both a release and a coming together of all that I had learned, known, loved and believed – even including my failures and sins, under God’s mercy – a complete unmasking of all that I’d tried to accomplish on my own; it was all futile, and I had to acknowledge that I could do nothing on my own.

Could it be possible for there to be a vocation within a vocation? If so, as this appeared to be, what was there to do or say except “Thank you – Thank you – Thank you!” to God for his saint, Father Preca, for endowing the Church with the Preca Community. The Director of the Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame, Professor John Cavadini, stated something similar in his class for catechists, “The more you know about Christian Doctrine the more all you want to say is ‘Thank you’!”

‘Thank you - Thank you - Thank you!’ to God for his saint, Father Preca.

Like all vocations, there is both a seriousness as well as merriment that it should exist at all!

I remember asking the Superior General at our first meeting, “Do the Members laugh? Or are you always serious?” Natalino smiled and, closing his eyes for a moment as if he remembered something: “Oh, yes!” He said. “We laugh.”

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It has been my experience that laughter is not often found among committed Christians, many of whom seem virtuously aloof, if not actually “dragons of virtue,” a term used by Dom André Louf, OCSO for those who congratulate themselves on their spiritual or moral superiority.

One cannot easily love a dragon of virtue, and I’ve yet to meet even one in the Preca Community – maybe a few sleepy bears, but no dragons.

Despite the Members prizing and cultivating virtue, it does not seem that virtue is sought for its own sake, nor righteousness to be grasped by human effort, but given by God’s hand alone as part of a “package deal”: humanity and holiness, sin and grace, merriment and seriousness. Being childlike, myself, I appreciated the easy humour and the friendly and playful exchange among the Preca Members. Moreover, the corny jokes and funny remarks, did not ridicule others, but may poke a little light-hearted fun. I remember a scenario when, after some event, we were talking in a group and a nearby Member held out nothing but his cupped hands to receive the Kinnie drink being poured out by another Member.

With smiles, all around, a third Member slipped a paper cup under the tipping spout at the last minute to catch the stream of the soft drink, amidst appreciative laughter.

Similarly, I appreciated the welcoming atmosphere of the Preca Centres, including a natural sort of friendly casualness, even of the General House. I had learned from Shaker simplicity that a “well-appointed house”— all show and spotlessly tidy – was more likely to be an idol. In such a show-place Love could not flourish, and it is not possible to feel “at home” or even comfortable. The contradiction of true Love is that, in its very messiness, it is in harmony with the simplicity of orderliness.

There is a unity in just that harmony, like a child at play. Even Preca prayer is like a child at play.

It was the Preca way of prayer that also attracted me. Many people do not know how to pray, even teachers of religion and so-called catechists often find authentic and deep prayer impossible. Pope Francis remarked in October 2017: “A man who does not pray … cannot be a theologian. They might … know every possible existing doctrine, but they’ll not be doing theology. They’ll be a compendium or a manual containing everything.

But today it is a matter of how you express God, how you tell who God is, how you show the Spirit, the wounds of Christ, the mystery of 27

Christ…” Elsewhere, the Holy Father said that the difference between a saint and a theologian is like that between a living flower and an artificial one. He said that a saint produces a sweet fragrance with flowers and fruit, while a theologian produces no fruit and no flowers – but both can look the same at first glance or from a distance.

The Preca apostolate and way of life seems unique to me. There may be other apostolates in service to the Church that teach. But what is being taught? Faith cannot be passed along like a sack of groceries from one hand to another; it must be enkindled, like a flame. Without the hierarchy of love, expressed in prayer, with Adoration of Our God being in first place, confusion is unavoidable. When I learned that it was St George Preca himself who had given the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary to the Church, it expanded my heart with appreciation. In our time of violence, constant alarms, fake news, and salacious rumours, this vocation of adoration and return to prayer affirms the peace that is from God and which endures after the ephemeral news du jour.

Five years ago, at the episcopal ordination of Mgr Charles Scicluna and my first trip to Malta, my life and that of the Preca Community effectively became interwoven, though none of us knew it at the time. Then, a year later, in September 2013, I was brought by the Preca Community to Malta to live for three months and learn about your way of life. I came back to the USA from that time convinced that St George Preca was one of the greatest saints that has ever lived, precisely because of his insistence on ordinary holiness in everyday living. Moreover, I appreciated the diversity of personalities and gifts and jobs among the array of Members. The men were so different! I smiled interiorly with appreciation that all had been liberated from the symbol of enslavement to the world of business and money: the necktie.

On that first visit in 2013, on the very eve of the feast of St Michael, one of the Preca Members took me to the St Matthew Chapel, Qrendi and there I had my first large-scale introduction to the Preca experience. There were about 100+ members who came together in the darkened little chapel, lighted only by votive candles, to pray/sing the Rosary. Each decade was punctuated with the sounding of a little chime and there were projected images on the wall of

‘Dads and Lads’ meeting held at Preca Cottage, South Bend, Indiana.

God’s beautiful creation. More than a hundred men were there, just quietly, and all praying in Maltese and singing together to Our Lady! I didn’t understand a single word of Maltese, not even so much as an Eva! or Grazzi ħafna! But the event moved me to the very bottom of my soul and my dusty sandals! And that reminds me that I was drawn to the Preca Community because of the School of Bethlehem, where the Word made Flesh first began his blessed instruction in the way of the Beatitudes, the way of the Kingdom of God, to which we are all journeying.

In this manifestation is the essence of the Preca vocation: to accept, as Mary accepted in her Fiat, the Mystery of the Word of God Made Flesh – as a helpless baby.

Not only is all of humanity journeying towards the final perfection, but it is the Preca Members who inspire others to want to take that way, the way of humility, where the means of travel is also the destination itself! Your daily resolutions are a road map for living the most important mission and way of life in the Catholic Church today, but I might change the order: “We resolve to love one another with great charity” would be first, holding the primary position, for it is from this resolution that, as I tend to think, the rest follow.

We resolve to be poor, simple, meek, humble and – Yes! Eva! even ‘to embrace contempt’.

“We resolve to be poor, simple, meek, humble and – Yes! Eva! – even “to embrace contempt.”

I pray against evil, through St Michael’s great protection and Our Lady’s tenderness. May the Preca Community not be infected with the charms of secularism or the arousal of discontent brought about by false advertisements and false prophets.

Alas, this multi-facted lust and self-seekinpride has caused such confusion, unhappiness, and violence in the world, including both of our homelands. This is the hour of St George Preca and the Preca Community that he created; a deep sea-change is underway.

The Preca Community is a truly Incarnational community and authentically spiritual – small, slow, and quiet. Even though my participation is from a great distance and by prayer, the knowledge that you are in the world, doing what you do and becoming what you are in God’s own hands; this knowledge suffices. It is enough to sustain my spirit in perseverance to know that you are at work in the world and that God is at work within each of you. Preca spirituality is abundant life. It is not only a vocation-within-avocation, but the very precincts of felicity! What greater happiness could there possibly be than living and dying in friendship with Jesus Christ, the Word of God who became flesh and made us his brothers and sisters, uniting us together in the bond of Love. The Preca ministry is the fruit of a life of Adoration, which wounds with incurable longing for God’s home.

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200 YEARS OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT The year 2018 marks the 200th anniversary of a lesser known, but a significant event in the history of the Australian Church.

On 19 November 1817 an “uninvited” priest, Fr Jeremiah O’Flynn, arrived in Sydney Town.

He was not government endorsed and began a secret catholic ministry. He was the only Catholic priest in the colony of Sydney. Governor Macquarie was determined to expel him but he hid for nearly six months among the Catholics, celebrating Mass, weddings, and baptisms. He was arrested while celebrating Mass, and was deported on 20 May 1818.

Before being deported, Fr O’Flynn left the Blessed Sacrament reserved in a faithful Catholic’s home so that the colonists and prisoners could come to adore Christ present there. For two years the Blessed Sacrament in this Sydney home was the source and centre of worship and consolation for the priestless Catholics of the Australian colony.

It is generally believed he left the Blessed Sacrament at the home of William Davis.

On his forced return to London, Fr O’Flynn appealed to the British Government for help and legal status for the catholics of New South Wales. Fr John England, chaplain to Cork Jail in Ireland, from where many of the convicts left for Australia, took up his cause. A month after Fr England’s “Open Letter” in the “Cork Chronicle” of 5 January 1819 was printed, the House of Commons instituted a Commission of Inquiry into the conditions of the Colony.

The outcome of the Commission’s inquiry was that Governor Macquarie’s powers were curtailed and all future governors had to have

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a Council. This developed into our present day State Governments. Provision for two Catholic Chaplains was made, and the Governor resigned.

O’Flynn had unknowingly become the reformer of British social policy in Australia.

Jeremiah O’Flynn managed to conflict with authority wherever he went, yet his clash with the Colonial Office helped to publicise the needs of catholics in New South Wales and to influence the British government in 1820 in allowing the first official Roman Catholic missionaries to be sent to Australia.

Today there appears to be a revival in eucharistic adoration, especially encouraged as a source of prayer for vocations. Pope Francis adds to this practice: Moreover, I want to encourage everyone to visit – if possible, every day – especially amid life’s difficulties, the Blessed Sacrament of the infinite love of Christ and his mercy, preserved in our churches, and often abandoned, to speak filially with him, to listen to him in silence, and to peacefully entrust yourself to him.”

Catholic Community in Sydney c. 1818’ – this painting by Paul Newton depicts Catholics in the colony of Sydney in 1818 adoring the Blessed Sacrament in a private home.

Fr Charles at a recent gathering of the Preca Community in Hobart.

BISHOP ELECT FR CHARLES GAUCI Our prayers and esteemed respect to Fr Charles Gauci, Chaplain to the Preca Community in Australia on his appointment as fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Darwin, Northern Territory.

His episcopal motto is from St John’s Gospel, Verbum caro factum est: the Word became flesh which guided St George Preca’s every action.

“

T he E pi s c o pal Ord in ation of T he M o s t Reveren d

CHARLES VICTOR EMMANUEL GAUCI A s t h e 5 t h B i sho p o f D a rwi n

St M a r y ’ s St a r o f t he Sea C a t he dr a l Darwin

“

2 6 Se pt e m ber 2018 a t 7 pm

In choosing this same phrase for his episcopal motto, Bishop Elect Fr Charles Gauci is demonstrating his strong connection to the man who founded the Society of Christian Doctrine and whose legacy is the worldwide Preca youth movement.

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