pathways, August 2007
Sydney Mass for Religious
New Passionist Provincial
CLRI(NSW) to lend support
Sr Myree to represent Bishops at Rome conference
Award marks NZ Catholic prison chaplain's contribution
Canadian to give retreats
Make it count - an Australian first
Bishops to discuss Christian approach to HIV/AIDS
Dates for August
Sydney Mass for Religious
About 350 Religious attended a Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, followed by a sit-down lunch with entertainment in St Mary's Cathedral College Hall on Saturday, July 28.
Normally the Mass would be celebrated by Cardinal George Pell but due to recent surgery he was unable to attend and Bishop David Cremin was the principal celebrant.
In congratulating those present, representing the many religious congregations in the Archdiocese of Sydney, Bishop Cremin said: "I too know from experience over the years that this part of the Church would be a barren, ruined wasteland without you."
He acknowledged the enormous contribution of the many religious congregations in education, healthcare and the social works.
The Bishop quoted Karl Rahner: "You have come to your vocation in a strange 'misty' time when affluence, secularisation and scandals and more scandals have taken their toll".
The fundamental message, he said, was that of Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and always.
"His enormous love transcends all our positions, left, right, conservative, progressive. Before the world was made He chose us for his own kind purposes, a pre-determined plan. We are all participants in that plan, strategos. It is bigger than our small point of view."
Bishop Cremin also acknowledged the powerful role of the aged and sick Religious who "are praying their hearts out for the troops upfront in the trenches. Theirs is a grand apostolate and absolutely necessary."
In conclusion, he prayed:
May the Lord preserve in me / a burning love / for the world and / a great gentleness
And may He help me / persevere to the end / in the fullness of my humanity. (Teilhard de Chardin)
A day of appreciation.
photographs: courtesy, Sr Lyn Raferty RSJ
New Passionist Provincial
Fr Joachim Rego CP has been elected Passionist Provincial for the Province of the Holy Spirit for the next four years.
The Provincial Council members are Frs Brian Traynor CP, Tiernan Doherty CP, Thomas McDonough CP and David King CP.
Fr Rego was born in Burma and migrated with his family to Australia in 1969. He was professed a Passionist in January 1976, and was ordained a Passionist priest in November 1981.
At the time of his election, he was based in the Passionist parish of St Brigid's, Marrickville, NSW. As Provincial, Fr Rego will continue to be based in Marrickville.
Before January 2005, Fr Rego spent 18 years in Papua New Guinea where he held a number of roles of responsibility including Regional Vicar (eight years), Parish Priest, Novice Master, Director of Students and Retreat Master. He also spent three years as a lecturer at the Major Seminary and for a time, he was Novice Master in India.
Fr Rego said that at
the Provincial Chapter, early in July, the Passionists in Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand had pledged to promote and share their charism "to keep alive the memory of the Passion of Jesus" which "is to proclaim in word and express in deed the overwhelming Love of God for every human person and all of creation".
Members of the wider Passionist Family, including young people with whom the congregation works collaboratively, also attended the Chapter.
"Their contribution helped shape the nine priority areas which the Chapter chose to guide and promote the ongoing vitality of the Passionist charism, life and mission over the next four years," he said.
These priorities are:
1. Reinvigoration and sharing of the Passionist charism
2. Renewal and development of community life
3. Growth of the Passionist Mission in Papua New Guinea
4. Collaboration with the wider Passionist Family
5. Engagement with young people
6. Care of senior and infirm Passionists
7. Promotion of Passionist vocations
8. Commitment to justice, peace and the integrity of creation
9. International collaboration
Fr Ottaviano D'Egidio, CP, the Superior General of the Passionists, attended the Chapter which was held at Templestowe, Melbourne.
CLRI(NSW) to lend support
CLRI (NSW) plans to support the Asia Pacific People for Environment and Community (APPEC) Putting People into APEC! public forum and conference.
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) meeting of the leaders of 21 countries will be held in Sydney in September 2007.
World leaders including George Bush, Vladimir Putin, Shinzo Abe and key leaders from the region will meet in Sydney to pursue the APEC objective of zero trade and investment barriers in the Asia Pacific region for developed countries by 2010, and for developing countries by 2020. Zero trade and investment barriers in the region means removing regulations and policies that protect people and the environment, according to Sr Sharon Price RSM, CLRI(NSW) Executive Director.
She said that because APEC lacked democratic involvement and had always resisted formal engagement with civil society groups, a broad coalition of community groups was organising a public forum and conference in Sydney under the banner of Asia Pacific People for Environment and Community (APPEC) - Putting People into APEC.
"These events will be peaceful, high profile and intelligent presentations of alternative ideas to the APEC vision," she said.
A public forum will be held in the Sydney Masonic Centre, Banquet Hall, 5.30 for 6.30pm, on Friday, August 31. Leading thinkers, community leaders, NGOs, and other interested people would have the opportunity to learn about the narrow focus of APEC, and hear alternatives, she said.
A conference will be held at the University of Technology, 9.30 for 10am, Saturday, September 1. This would provide a collaborative community space that would draw people together for engagement on the topics APEC failed to address, such as human rights, labour rights and the environment, she said. Panel sessions, workshops, information stalls, art exhibition and doco screenings would be among the activities.
Sr Myree to represent Bishops at Rome conference
Sr Myree Harris RSJ will represent the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference at the First International Pastoral Meeting for the Homeless to be held by the Vatican in Rome in November.
Sr Myree is the founder and community leader of the Gethsemane Community, long-term community housing for people with mental illness, intellectual and other disabilities. She is a member of the St Vincent de Paul National Mental Health and Homelessness Committee and has a long involvement in the areas of homelessness, mental illness, substance abuse and disability. (
media release)
Award marks NZ Catholic prison chaplain's contribution
The PRIDE award (professionalism, responsiveness, integrity, diversity, efficiency and effectiveness) to Good Shepherd Sr Teresa Donworth by the Chief Executive of the Corrections Department was very well deserved according to Eric Allan, Director of Catholic Family and Community Services, Auckland, New Zealand.
The award was made in response to Sr Teresa's involvement in negotiations when a corrections officer was taken hostage at Auckland Prison, Paremoremo, in September last year. As a person well trusted in the prison, Sr Teresa played a key role in resolving a dangerous hostage situation. As the matter is still under investigation more specific details are not available.
Sr Teresa is about to retire after more than 12 years working at Paremoremo. Prior to that she worked at the former Pentridge Prison, in Melbourne.
Mr Allan said that her contribution has been enormous over many years, not only in Auckland Prison but also in supporting new chaplains as they have come into the ministry. (source: Catholic Communications NZ)
Canadian to give retreats
Canadian Jesuit priest known for his innovative exploration of Ignatian spiritality, Monty Williams, will be in Australia and New Zealand for several weeks from the end of August giving a series of retreats.
The visit will take him from Brisbane, Qld, to Sevenhill, SA, before he spends time in New Zealand.
Fr Williams is a lecturer in Spiritual Theology at Regis College at the University of Toronto, Canada, and is the Director of the Loyola/Regis College Internship Program in the Ministry of Spiritual Direction. He is the co-author (with John Pungente, SJ) of Finding God in the Dark, a book of exercises which uses popular films to engage the reader on a significantly personal and transforming journey through the Spiritual Exercises.
Fr Williams was born in Guyana in 1944 and entered the Society of Jesus in the Upper Canada Province in 1967. He was ordained in 1977 and completed his doctorate in English Literature in 1985. He has received awards for his poetry and has published two books, a study of the rhetorical use of ambiguity in the writings of T.S. Eliot (1991) and Finding God in the Dark (2004).
Included on his programme will be the annual Faber lecture,
The Stories We Live By - Beholding the World With God, at Holy Spirit Church, Auchenflower (Brisbane), 7.30pm, on August 31; several day talks and three eight-day retreats, August 26 - September 4,
Faber Centre of Ignatian Spirituality, Brisbane; September 11 - 20 at
Canisius Centre of Ignatian Spirituality, Sydney, and from September 25 - October 4, at
Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality, Melbourne.
Make it count
In an Australian first, the leaders of Australia's two major political parties have agreed to speak live to Christians across the nation.
Christians from a wide range of denominations are expected to gather in their churches on August 9 to watch a live web-cast of the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, and the Opposition Leader, Mr Kevin Rudd, addressing church leaders.
Federal Election 2007 - Make it Count will be hosted by the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) at the National Press Club in Canberra from 7 - 9.30pm (EST).
About 200 church, para-church and denominational leaders will be in Canberra for the event, which will include an opportunity for them to ask questions of both Mr
Howard and Mr Rudd, after their separate talks.
Both the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader's addresses and the question sessions will be web-cast simultaneously to congregations meeting in locations
throughout Australia, with a delayed web-cast from 7.30 pm for West Australians.
ACL Managing Director Mr Jim Wallace said that participating churches would need to register prior to the event through the
ACL website.
He said the website also provided full details about the event and technical information for receiving the web-cast. Details of participating churches in different locations also would be placed on the ACL website.
Bishops to discuss Christian approach to HIV/AIDS
A Catholic Bishops conference in Samoa will discuss ways in which Christians around the region can deal with HIV/AIDS - from a spiritual rather than a medical point of view. (
Radio New Zealand International)
Dates for August
Please visit the diary for details of these events and more ...
CR-WA general meeting; the Brigidine Festival of Ideas; free dementia information seminars, Catholic Religious Australia National Council meeting, Winter Conversation 2007, Missing from the Table; the Paul Noonan Conversation 2007, Standing One's Ground - when conscience meets politics, NSW Ecumenical Council seminar - Asylum: Upholding Human Rights (the diary page is updated as details are received)
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