MSC Australian Province for the General Administration: 2022: The Year That Was.
Pandemic
The key word for both 2020 and 2021, and with different emphases (and some relief) has been Coronavirus. And, this in its Covid-19 variants, especially Delta and its severity and spread in 2021, with Omicron emerging in the last months of 2021 and continuing into 2022.
While statistics faded from the media, there were still many covid infections, and for members of the Province – in all parts of Australia. This led to isolation but also to quick recoveries.
On the provincial level, for two years, the provincial was unable to travel much around Australia and not, as customary, visiting Vietnam for ordinations and profession. He has spent substantial time in Vietnam this year. At the local level, there has been more opportunity for travel around Australia. The 2022 Provincial Conference was held face-to-face, including delegates from Vietnam, Japan, PNG. Bridget Hawthorne is the Provincial Assistant.
International travel opened up enabling the APIA conference in Fiji to be attended by delegates from member countries as well as from the Generalate, Andre Claessens and Humberto Henriques – who were able to return to Rome via a visit to Melbourne. Chris Chaplin visited Australia on his way to the Pacific Island Chapter in Fiji.
The life of the Vietnam section of the province can be found in much more detail in the Vietnam Report.
Formation
At the end of 2021, Vincent Pham made his first vows at Douglas Park and began studies at YTU, living in Cuskelly House, with Mark Hanns as formation director. Hoa Tran had been professed in Vietnam, spent some time away and returned, coming to Australia, renewing his vows at Trand House and coming to Blackburn Daniel Magadia and Trieu Nguyen Two men, Nang from Melbourne, Long from north Vietnam studied English as a second language at YTU and resided in the Black burn presbytery with Alo Lamere. During the year they had meetings with Dominic Gleeson and at the end of the year spent some time at Douglas Park.
Khoi Nguyen attended the international conference in Rome for Novice Directors.
During the year there has been vocation promotion, with Frank Dineen and with Thang Nguyen (with an outreach to the Vietnamese in Australia). Trieu, Hoa, Daniel and Chung visited several parishes in Sydney promoting MSC Life with Frank Dineen. Later in the year, they went to Adelaide. There was organisation of retreats and meetings in Melbourne, in person and by zoom, as well as Trieu and Hoa working on the Australian Vocations Facebook Page.
Kenji Konda made his final profession in December.
Chris McPhee and Shane Carr celebrated Silver Jubilees of ordination.
Deaths
There were six deaths in the province during 2022, three Brother, three Priests:
Herman Kooyman, Dutch born, working in schools, PNG missions and the NT, a talented art and craftsman.
Barry Brundell, theologian, Rector of St Paul’s Late Vocation Seminary, Editor of Compass, PP, Kensington, Erskineville, 19th August, 30th July.
Martin Wilson, missionary in PNG, NT, seminary lecturer, editor of Nelen Yubu, publisher, September 19th.
Jos Beelen, Dutch-born, late vocation, work in schools and on the staff of the General House in the 1960s, 5th November.
Anthony Bolt, in colleges, science degree, mission work in India, 26th November.
Gerry Burke, brother, schools, NT mission, chaplain to hospitals, prisons, Chevalier College, 4th December.
Aged Care
As the members of the province age, the province appointed, in 2021, Catherine Molihan, with studies in Health Leadership and management, to supervise care for the aged, especially at Kensington monastery, and for those in care at St Joseph’s. Her main focus continues with provide every person with compassionate care and the necessary supports to maintain their independence and wellbeing within the comforts of their own home.
Albert and Gerard Shanley
The two senior members of the Province are Albert Yelds and Reg Pritchard. They both turned 97 in 2022.
Another feature of the life of the province is the diminishing number of Australian, confreres, who are ageing, working in PNG, Japan, the Northern Territory.
Safeguarding
A great deal of time and energy goes into safeguarding issues, compassionate, legal, financial. Meta Jackman as the safeguarding officer member of the International team coordinated by Tim Brennan from the General House attended the Safeguarding Conference in Rome with Peter Hendriks. Assisting with this work at Treand House is Anne-Marie Snelling. Demands on financial reimbursement for abuse cases is increasing.
Education
During 2022, MSC colleges experienced quite a deal of caution with staff and students catching covid.
Chevalier College had celebrated its 75 years in 2021 – finally able to celebrate in late 2022. Daramalan celebrated 60 years
Also a sign of the times is the diminishing MSC presence in our colleges: Vince Carroll at Downlands, Gerry Burke (who moved to Kensington and dying late in 2022, John Franzmann, John Mulrooney at Chevalier, Ted McCormack in residence for parish supply at Monivae. Bob Irwin, confined by lockdown for some time in 2021, contributed again to Monivae ministry for several months. Kimi Vunivesilevu, parish priest of Kippax, exercises chaplaincy outreach at Daramalan.
Foundation member of the Daramalan staff in 1962 and continuing for many years, Jean Reid, died at the age of 105.
Parishes
2022 saw MSC withdrawal from several parishes. Numbers and ageing were responsible for the diminishment in parish ministry.
The most significant was leaving the Tiwi Islands after more than a century. In the Northern Territory, the MSC presence is at Wadeye, at Daly River in 2022 but departure in train, Malcolm Fyfe as Vicar General, John Kelliher as parish priest of Nightcliff. Herman Kooyman died during the year.
After the MSC withdrawal from Adelaide is Hindmarsh Parish, we have withdrawn now from Henley Beach, a farewell ceremony held with a number of MSC who served in the parish in the past present. Paul Cashen and Paul McCormack will remain in Adelaide available for parish supply. Kenji Konda, completing Masters courses, made final profession, and moves to Treand House for Chapter preparations.
There was also withdrawal from the Parish of Kings Meadow, Tasmania, again a ceremony of fellow well, especially to the last MSC parish priest, Des home, who has moved to Brisbane, available for parish supply.
Phil Hicks moved to semi-retirement at Kensington mid-year from being parish priest of Coogee. Thoi Tran, recovering from illness and returning from Vietnam took up the role.
Pat Mara was appointed to Randwick (and becomes parish priest in 2023). Bartha moved to Randwick from Nightcliff.
The other parishes continued as (more) normal, Kensington, Erskineville and Blackburn.
With the congregations able to return to Masses, there were fewer televised Masses.
Spirituality Ministry
For the Chevalier Institute and for the Retreat House at Douglas Park, lockdowns meant restricted ministries, with some courses and retreats conducted online.
Chevalier Institute was able to offer more courses in 2022 under the direction of Anne McAtomney. Brett Adamson, from the staff and recourse manager for the website, finished at the Institute.
The decision was made during 2022 to make a pause with activities at St Mary’s Towers and the setting up of a consultation about the future (to be decided at the 2023 Provincial Chapter). Long-standing director of the Retreat House, Michelle Vass, was farewelled.
Clare Shearman took up her role as Director of Heart of Life with a number of new members of staff for lectures and supervision. At Heart of Life, in its second year of accommodation at the Brigidine Centre, Kildara, in Malvern, there was a mixture of face-to-face sessions and Zoom, especially in the early months but requisite for many courses because of the part-time and full-time students for Siloam who were not resident in Melbourne. Numbers were strong at Heart of Life, for the part-time Siloam Program, students from Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea.
Chung Tran, delayed by covid restrictions in travel for ordination for two years, was able to go to the Phillippines in June, ordained, then coming to Melbourne, to Naughton House, to continue with full-time Siloam, The MSC member of the staff was Peter Malone, responsible for the Religious Experience course and facilitating the weekly tutorial for the six full-time Siloam participants (on Zoom). Ritchie Gomez MSC from the Philippines participated part-time. Two men from the Pacific Island Province began but withdrew during the year.
With four MSC students at YTU, and two in the English as a second language course (five of the six students have a Vietnamese background), the MSC presence is maintained, especially with the functions celebrating the YTU Golden Jubilee. Trieu Nguyen was the secretary of the Students Representative Council.
MSC Publishing and Media Report 2022 for the General Administration, Analecta.
The tradition has been to name the books and further publications of the province. However, worldwide readership of books has been diminishing, greater reliance on social media. This is reflected in the life of the province.
BOOKS.
James Littleton
MISSIONARY EDUCATORS, SOME REMARKABLE MSC
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Coogee, 2022, pp. 73.
Fr J.J. McMahon, Fr Gerald Kelly, Fr John McGhee, Br Bob Lysaught, Fr Kevin Murphy, Fr Harold Baker, Fr Jim Fallon, Br Ken Clancy.
Peter Malone
AIMING FOR EXCELLENCE. YARRA THEOLOGICAL UNION, 1972-2022 (Edited by.)
Coventry Press, Bayswater, 2022, pp. 215
Christ-figures there on our screens,
Coventry Press, Bayswater, Victoria, 2022, pp. 117.
MISSIONARIES OF THE SACRED HEART AT THE YARRA THEOLOGICAL UNION, 1972-2022.
Ebook. www.misacor.org
MSC SELECTION AND FORMATION OF CANDIDATES
Ebook, www.misacor.org revised 2022.
Khoi Nguyen
Hồng Ân Phía Bên Trong (Grace Within)
A collection of 39 reflections on ordinary life experiences and themes
Martin Wilson
Early Days at Peppiminarti Homeland Village.
Chevalier Institute, Kensington, 2022, pp. 53 (with 40 pages of photos).
Magazines
Quarterly, Be on Earth the Heart of God, from Treand House. Glossy paper, colour photos, original articles as well as downloads from the Province website. This has continued through 2022.
Articles
Peter Malone
TYPEFACE, British Association for Psychological Type.
Typewatching at the Cinema: Worth, What is a Life Worth? Thinking and Feeling Criteria. Winter 2022.
Typewatching at the Cinema: Type with a Northern Ireland Tone: Nowhere Special. Summer 2022.
THE SWAG, Quarterly magazine of the National Council of Priests of Australia.
An Orthodox Saint, Man of God, Winter 2022.
An Ordinary Saint, Father Stu is based on a true story about a boxer who became a priest, Spring 2022.
Film reviews. While monthly reviews appear on Peter Malone's website (on the misacor site), the reviews appear for Jesuit Communications on the Australian Catholics website. There is a monthly Visio Divina post on the Heart of Life Facebook page and a weekly Radio Broadcast on Radio Maria, Film and Faith review.
Podcast
MSC Mission Office
From the MSC Mission office, Roger Purcell does a daily podcast talk, around six minutes, sometimes inviting other MSC, Colin Sinclair, Greg McCann, and OLSH sisters. This has continued through 2022.
With the change in lockdown situations and parishioners returning to the churches, there has been a decrease in televising Masses.
However, the filming of Vigils and Requiem Masses continued in 2022.
Websites and Facebook pages.
The Province Website, MISACOR. au, established in 2006, in its present form since 2010, has six postings per week. And, automatically, the posting appears on the province’s Facebook Page. This has continued through 2022
Trieu Nguyen and Hoa Tran manage MSC Vocation Australia Facebook page with daily postings on vocation themes from the MSC congregation and stories and photos promoting vocations. Established in 2021, the page has developed strongly through 2022.
Deputy Provincial, Peter Hendriks, reaches most of the province with up-to-date news and information through email.
Many of the members of the province have their personal Facebook pages. Prominent among these is that for Claude Mostowik and the Justice and Peace office.
Khoi and Thang have sites/Facebook pages in Vietnamese.
