Lay MSC weekend, St Mary’s Towers.

News from Fred Stubenrauch. Posters design by Aidan and Clare Johnson

25 attended in person and others were able to be present via video link. The theme was ‘Time to see, time to choose, time to act’  and focussed on Spirituality of the Heart, The Uluru Statement for the Heart and Laudato Si.

On Friday the opening prayer was prepared by Lee and set the atmosphere for our weekend. It was very moving and beautifully presented.

On Saturday we were welcomed to Dharawal Country by Wendy Lotter who provided us with a cleansing smoking ceremony and informed and entertained us with her stories.

Claude Mostowik presented, as we have come to expect, a wonderfully prepared, inspiring paper on the Challenge of the Gospels, through the lens of Laudato Si and the Uluru Statement (Creation as God's Love Story).

 We were most fortunate to have a recorded message from Pat Dodson (who was suddenly called to the UN and went to considerable trouble to help us via the generous help of Phil Glendenning from the Edmund Rice Centre)  and the message that Yingiya Guyula presented at the Garma festival. Yingiya is MLA for the seat of Mulka in NT.

The film "The Hungry Tide" brought to us the devastating impacts that climate change is having on Kiribati.

Elizabeth Young rsm gave a wonderful presentation on Laudato Si.

Our day was completed with a beautiful reflection by Alison

Sunday, after Mass and morning tea with the parish we were guided on a "Walk on Country" by Narita - an attempt by us to experience something of the way indigenous people are vitally connected to their country.

This was followed, after a sumptuous meal for us by the SMT staff, by the appointment of the new National Council for 2022.

 Council