MSC Formation, a busy week at Blackburn.

This last week has been busy at Cuskelly House, Blackburn:  end of year Mass at the Yarra Theological Union, 50 years’ Jubilee, Heart of Life end of year Mass and Khoi and Chung graduating the Siloam program, a visit from Meta Jackman, the Province Professional Standards Director, Daniel turning 30, a Provincial visit and birthday (more than twice Daniel)…

Khoi has sent a report and photos of :

REPORT ON SEXUALITY PROGRAM 23-25 NOVEMBER 2022; By Khoi Nguyen msc

For the last three years or so, sexuality has been a constant theme in the formation and ongoing formation agenda for our men. In July last year, you probably remember we had a week program on this topic and it was a meaningful and life-giving experience for those who were in initial formation and those young MSC priests who just arrived from overseas to work in Australia. So, this year, we decided to continue this journey of exploring and understanding more about sexuality in terms of emotional maturity and integration on Nov 23-25, at Cuskelly House, Blackburn. This year’s participants are: Trieu, Vincent, Daniel and Hoa from the post-novitiate, and Bartha (Randwick), Michael Nithan (Kippax) and Chung (recent Siloam Graduate), and Mark Hanns (post-novitiate director, sitting in for some sessions).   

On the first day, we started the day with recapturing what we had covered in the past. Then, we went into reflecting on our experiences of loneliness. In the afternoon, we did a similar process of reflecting and sharing with our experiences of awe and wonder. On the second day, we welcomed Dr Katrina Anderson, a medical doctor and doctor-training lecturer (also holding a Master’s degree in Theology) and who also works with different male and female congregations for workshops and ongoing formation. She spent a day talking to us about living life wholistically, recognising and learning from our vulnerability and needs, establishing physical boundary in ministry and life relationship. On the third day, I facilitated some case study on healthy/unhealthy relationships and their boundary, and on pornography in religious and married life.

Overall, it was a time where we come together, share our experiences with one another non-judgementally, and hopefully go away with a sense of being supported and cared for in community. These days are not academic experience per se but a hearted experience which I hope gives us enrichment and nourishment from one another, and ultimately from God’s very self, who is the source of all sexualities.      

(And of Sunday Trieu and Daniel will be Lectors and Acolytes) 

Not every moment is serious!