MSC Australia books, books about MSC Australia
Peter Malone writes: this website post has been with with my “working with Michael Fallon on our MSC Books Archive” hat on.
Have you wondered about how many Australian MSC have written books?
The quick answer is: more than a lot!
The news for this website post is that there is now An Annotated Bibliography of the Province. It will be an ebook on the Province website. This has taken some years to complete, interrupted for several years by Covid, and a realisation that many books were in the library at Kensington, quite a number upstairs on the second floor in the archives room, and so many all around the province.
After Paul Stenhouse’s death, Michael Fallon had the hefty task of organising that room, Paul’s books, coordinating the MSC books from the various sources, cataloguing them, arranging particular sections of Paul’s room so that it could become the book archive.
The Annotated Bibliography has, in alphabetical order, each Australian MSC author, the publishing details of each of their books, sometimes a short annotation, at other times longer, especially utilising the information on back covers. The books we have now are in alphabetical order occupying the wall space of half of the archive room. And, within this alphabetical order, the books written by former confreres, and these are also annotated.
In a corner across the room, is an increasing number of books about members of the congregation, different ministries, aspects of MSC life.
A request. We are eager to have copies of any books about MSC in Australia, individuals, ministry (an example is a thesis from Charles Sturt University, 2008, on MSC NT missions, with very full chapters on John Leary, Ted Merritt, Gerry Burke, more information than we have previously come across before.)
The Annotated Bibliography will find its home on the provincial website, in the section on e-books.
The person who compiled the Annotated Bibliography is website editor, Peter Malone MSC – persuaded to put in this photo of him as he stood on the library carriage which moves, rather heavily in the pushing, across the room, precarious to descend (rather easier to go up) and requires constant attention to balance! It is hoped that the bibliography maintains that good balance.
