In praise of the elders, Tony Young MSC, 60 years ordained

Tony has spent the best part of 60 years of priestly ministry in PNG, especially in Nimowa and Eastern Papua.

He established Hope Academy for online learning. We have featured the Academy over the years.

But with covid these years and other pressures, the Academy has been experiencing difficulties.

And, here is part of a report to this year’s Provincial Conference, one of the glimpses of challenge in 2022.

Levelling the Playing Field.

Last night a group of young men invaded camera and Highs School, robbed the students and teachers are phones, money, food, and anything else worthwhile, and a shootout with the police, and disappeared. The same thing happened at huggy Tech at high School a few weeks ago but there Hall of booty was much less. Father Joe has got “Memory” – a bullet hole in the side of his utility!

The big question for me is “why is this happening”? Although we have had what is almost a civil war between young men and the police for three years now, this is the first time the schools have been targeted.

One answer to the question might be that high schools are a symbol of privilege: a large majority of young people in the Province were never given a chance to further their education past Primary. They are definitely playing on an uneven field.

15 years of experience has convinced me that the only way to level the field is to give everyone who wants it the opportunity for free education. At the Academy, we have not been able to do that – yet. The possibilities there, but, again, the necessity for a permanent source of income for the Academy is clear.

Such of the dilemmas facing us now. We have no answers yet, but we will welcome suggestions from anyone who thinks they might be able to help.

Meanwhile, “Full ahead!”.

A PS to the Plenary Synod.

(Acknowledging Columban Missionaries for the illustration)

Many important decisions, as with First Nation issues and the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Disappointment as to articulating women and men in the Church, equality and ministry.

At the time, Pope Francis met with editors of Jesuit magazines, a paragraph offering a PS on the Synod.

This is the principle that I wanted to tell you about and that I recommend to you: reality is superior to the idea, and therefore you must deal with ideas and reflections that arise from reality.

When you enter the world of ideas alone and move away from reality you end up with what is ridiculous. Ideas are discussed, reality is discerned.

You may have been Googling to discover more about the Plenary.  Your editor discovered in dismay a Guest Contributor, Sandy Wallace, to the Catholic Weekly, Sydney, below.

If you are dismayed in reading these views, Google Christopher Lamb, journalist with the British Tablet who observed the Synod and gave the annual Helder Camara Lecture (text can be found in Parramatta’s catholicoutlook.org).

**The denunciation (you may need to breathe in): 

The Plenary’s agenda must be exposed

The Catholic Church is Mystical and Life giving by nature not synodal

The Catholic Church was born from the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. She is not a man made construct open to endless manipulation and change.

What has been taking place under the guise of a ‘Plenary Council’ over the last five years is a betrayal of most basic and fundamental understanding of the nature of the Catholic Church. The path that has been followed in the preparation and ‘process’ for the Plenary Council, it is not a legitimate ‘development’ of tradition, it is not a ‘new’ interpretation, consistent with the Canon Law or tradition. It is nothing less than a rejection of the authentic Christ given teaching of the nature of the Catholic Church.

“The very nature of what has taken place under the guise of a ‘Plenary Council’ can be considered nothing less than an offense to God that itself requires acts of penance.” 

In praise of our elders (Sirach 44). Our MSC 60 years ordained group.

Albert Chan, with Harry Chan OFM, already celebrating the 60 years.

Celebrations like this are becoming more significant with our numbers in the province. Recent counting indicates that there are 46 members of the province 80 and over. We have to celebrate our elders.

So, Congratulations to the 1962 ordination group:

Albert Chan, Brisbane

Tony Young, Eastern Papua

Paul Brennan, Douglas Park

Bede North, Kensington

And In Memoriam, Brian Healy (2016)

[Also in that group, men who did not continue as MSC, Alan Reis, Brian Hingerty)

Albert Chan is the senior of the group.

From the archives:

Father Albert Chan was born in Rabaul on 15th November, 1933 and comes from a very devout family. He is the tenth child of fourteen children. His parents were the late Mr John Ah Chai and Mrs Rosa Chan. Father Albert said at his homily that not many of us would have known his mother, Rosa who died in 1943 during the Japanese occupation of Rabaul, but a lot of us would remember his father, John Ah Chai who lived to a ripe old age of 91. He used to walk 15 minutes to Mass every morning until he was too frail to do so.

John Ah Chai had two sons already priests in Shanghai, China (Fr. Luke (ordained 1941) and Fr. Gabriel, SJ (ordained 1947). He also had two daughters who were nuns (Mother Elizabeth, a Helper of the Holy Souls in China and Sr. Mary, with the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart currently working with the Chinese Catholic community in Darwin. When Communism took over, Frs. Luke and Gabriel were imprisoned and suffered terribly, so did Sr. Elizabeth. Fr. Luke died of illness on 7th October, 1973. Fr. Albert was never fortunate enough to meet Fr. Luke who left Rabaul before he was born but he met Fr. Gabriel for the first time in 1988. Fr. Gabriel was imprisoned for 34 years, probably “the longest gaoled Catholic prisoner of conscience.” Despite his sufferings, Fr. Gabriel held no bitterness but only forgiveness for those who had hurt him.

Albert received his primary education from the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at St. Teresa’s Yang Ching School and the Sacred Heart School in Rabaul, New Britain, PNG. From 1948 – 1953, he was a student at Downlands College, Toowoomba, Qld.

He made his first profession 66 years ago in 1956.  Afer studies at Croydon, he was ordained 60 years ago in 1962.

The first decades of his ministry were spent in education, teaching science, supervising dormitories and the many tasks in MSC colleges. He taught at Downlands, Monivae and Daramalan.

In the 1980s, he began a ministry to the Chinese in Brisbane with memories of his family in China and in New Britain. This ministry has flourished. While Albert has retired, he is still very much involved and lives still in Brisbane.

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart statue, OLSH Kensington

Peter Henrdriks writes:

Earlier I informed you of a request we received from Javier Trapero from Spain inquiring about the OLSH statue below. All the information came in from Sydney, Wadeye, Melbourne, Adelaide and Africa and we can say:

o    The statue is in the OLSH Provincialate, Sydney.

o    Sister M Florine Gimson, Provincial in the 1970’s, came across it when she visited a sculptor in Melbourne to order a wood carving of Mary at the foot of the Cross, which is also at the OLSH Provincialate. The statue in the picture below was ordered by someone but had come back for it!

o    The statue is entirely hand carved and from Albion Metalware Pty Ltd

o    The statue is about 90cm (approx.. 3 feet) in height. Mary is young - as she was – and someone though, very maidenly.

o    Cards were printed with the Memorare on the back.

o    The sisters used to put the statue in various parts of the garden and take pictures of it.

o    The name of the sculptor hasn’t been confirmed but someone said it reminded them of Leopoldine Mimovich who sculpted in wood (and other mediums) and lived in Victoria until her death in 2019.  Above early photo of Leopoldine Mimovich at work. 

other works

The Mission of the Australian MSC Mission Office.

Established by Adrian Meaney MSC with an ever-increasing overseas outreach,

continuing with the present director, Roger Purcell MSC, Sean Donovan and his staff.

Outreach to the Pacific, to Vietnam, to African countries and links with the Mission offices in the Philippines and the beginning US office,

We are posting the recent series of posters highlighting the Office outreach,

The Office site is available on the misacor site – and its magazine can be downloaded.

Roger broadcasts his daily podcast, Mission Alive.

New book: Christ-figures: there on our screens. Peter Malone MSC

How do we find Christ in films that are not directly about Jesus of Nazareth? This has been one of the recurring challenges to Peter Malone who has spent more than fifty years as a reviewer of films with a constant interest in uncovering themes, characters and plots that reveal Christ-like figures and images.

Christ-figures - there on our screens is a fascinating insight into more than thirty films that the author explores for their - generally hidden - portrayals of characteristics that reflect the life and teaching of Jesus in the Gospels.

The book is offered to help us reflect on the films and to discuss them in formal or informal groups. It will also be a rich resource for Religious Education when film becomes a way of helping students appreciate how the Gospel messages are interpreted, portrayed and lived.

... a really fertile topic for examination and allows us to ask searching questions about how we may be afforded the opportunity to learn more about Christ through film and film through Christ. - Chris Deacy, Reader in Theology and Religious Studies, University of Kent.

... presents readers with a stimulating unmasking of how movies work, why they work, and what drives film critics to make the judgments they do... This is an outstanding book by an inspiring scholar. - Peter Sheehan AO, Associate of Jesuit Media.

Peter's writing provides us with contemporary theological language and keen insight that unpacks depictions of Christ and Christ-like characters.

- Charles Watt, Deputy Principal: Faith and Mission, Genazzano College, Kew.

Peter has highlighted the Jesus figure in some of my favourite movies, and now I have a whole new list for my 'to watch list'. - Sr Rita Malavisi, National Chair, Conference of Spiritual Directors Australia.

Published  by Coventry Press, Melbourne 0477 809 037

Leaving Bathurst Island- Wurruminyanga – 2022, Vince Carroll MSC.

Its been a great privilege for me to have worked for a few short months on B.I., following in the footsteps of some mighty MSC – such as + Gsell, McGrath, Pye, Howley and Fallon. Our first Australian and iconic mission! I think I owe my vocation partly to Gsell’s book, read at age 15. A privilege and a challenge – being parachuted in here at almost age 82 - has made me call on all my resources often.

And good for my own spiritual journey and growth, demanding that I rethink and think again, what are we doing (here) and what legacy might we have left: how best to pray with the people and journey on? I don’t claim I have contributed much, but my aim in coming was to help ease the pain for the people as they grapple with their present community and church situation, and the fact that their missionaries are leaving them, now. Of course, rightly or wrongly, they think MSC = Catholic and vice versa. “Will it be the same?” is their plaintiff cry - “when these others come?” I hasten to assure them that the SVD are Catholics (not Moslems) and are good, if not “the best” Missionaries.

I jumped at the idea when the Vicar General (Malcolm F - still! - round about here since ‘78 when there were 42 MSC in the NT! – 4 now!) suggested it to me on Sat 8^th Jan. I was on the plane by Thurs 13^th! I had thought I was “too old” for Mission work when I was nearly 40 (PNG) and then South Africa (57)!

Thanks be to Bob I. who stepped into my shoes at Downlands and added “his own special talents” there. 14 Sundays later now. And I am now taking a short break (2 weeks)  to do things in Qld that I need to do.  

Its been a steep learning curve for me here, and I think it half killed me … the heat, the insecurity, my age… what’s going to happen next!? But I think I have coped. The people have made me very welcome: its “father” all round town. A priest is needed here. I think we have had 8 funerals and three deaths with their earlier and associated Healing services. The people are funny, like a good leg pull (e.g. “crocks in the 4 inch fresh water creek” I dip in! - right), and will get whatever they can out of you if you are silly enough to play along. Ask Sr Ann! “A gift today is an obligation tomorrow”, Rex Pye used to say! They also seem to have a deep faith and spirituality. But attending church is of the Italian type: when there is something that has to be celebrated, they will be there in goodly numbers. I am amazed at the number who come to communion on such occasions. The place is extraordinary in its Art and Cultural aspect: Bima wear, Tiwi Art, the Keeping place, and the gem of all – Sr Ann’s museum. There is nothing better than it anywhere in Australia on an aboriginal peoples Culture and on our MSC Mission here.

I suppose a lot of people who are not in the know think of “Tropical Islands as places of beautiful sunsets, coconuts blowing in the breeze in front of blue misty mountains with pretty girls ears-decked with frangipanis waiting on you’’ – the typical nirvana of the glossy brochures, and tourists come here in plenty search for something they have lost, or looking for what they want. But BI is not that!  Or not only that! It can be at times (few and far between): a place of rest and recovery.

But being here has forced me to reflect, especially with the visit of Fr Leo and Fr Chris these last days, on what we are really on about, what do we hope really is the legacy we have left? Yes, it might be in some worthy monument in the Heritage place (A bust of Francis Xavier Gsell perhaps, or some such?). Or is it what has happened in the hearts and minds of people over these 100 years or so of MSC and OLSH presence here? The Tiwi will, in their wisdom, and in their own time, probably be thinking it out, over the next months and years.  It maybe a deepening experience for them, a growth point!?

Fr Chris’ visit was a necessary event, and he spoke well to the people. They find it hard to comprehend all the same. He spoke to Sr Ann’s Strong Women  at a social event and then at a meeting and mass on Sunday, and he was available for over four days; Fr Leo all the while doing excellent backing up work in the good-missionary-way he has. Fr Chris was still regaining strength after huis Covid attack. But that all wernt as well as could be given the circumstances.

Bathurst Island will miss the MSC presence, there is no question. About a year into the SVD time, they will still remember us with great affection, and its then, in my opinion we should take our final farewell. Frank A’s song comes to mind: “You will draw water joyfully from the Springs of Salvation”.

Iron John helped (*See below). and I have heard more confessions than in the last 10 years!). I have kept myself pretty focused: e.g. not trying to go to the School or College unless asked, keeping away from the Club, avoiding Community Meetings etc – but PP “work” can be and is done, anywhere- e.g. I’ve taken in as many games of footy as possible (standard pretty good, and the last 2 games finished 2 points the difference at full time at the level of 70 points) and the local two shops are often places the people are “reminded” they had something to ask of you.  It sings well in any languages I know.

+ Iron John is a Jungian type fellow I met in my Heronbrook Sabbatical in ’88. Refer Johnston et alii. He lives in the bottom of the well of most men (and women) and is rusted on there. He comes out only when he has to: when you may think for example; “This has to be done and I have to do it – and if not now, when?” He is found often on battlefields. But its exhausting wrestling like Jacob with this fellow; too much of him and you will soon burn out, but as I said to Sr Ann, “he makes you tough!” Boys or men playing a hard game on the football field are only playing with Iron John - that not the real thing – but counterfeit! I've had to call on Iron John many times since I’ve been here!

From the recent edition of Be on Earth the Heart of God.

Managing a computerless day. How?

And why do computers break down on weekends?  Not functioning Sunday. Off to Business Works first thing Monday. Diagnosis? Prognosis? Booked into computer rehab.

So, what to do on computerless days? No email, no checking sites, no Facebook (thwarting addiction to checking Like and Love emojis), no IMDb, no Zoom, no CathNews, no Netflix... What to do? Read, snooze, sudokus, grab a byte (pun from our community leader), write (search for biro and pad). Solution: tidy the room.

If site visitors have been anxious. Happy day now, the computer has been discharged, healthy, back home. Back to the old normal and posting for the website. Computer and editor both doing well – and some of the room tidier.

Some photos from this last week.

Chung recently arrived from Vietnam visits Sydney for the first time and is glimpsed promoting the Opera House.

Delegates and members gathered for the Plenary meetings.

Philippa Murphy OLSH, Vincent Long OFM Conv, Chris McPhee MSC, Gerard Brady CFC

Table number 5. Provincial between bishops (Tim Norton and Peter Comensoli)

And Frank Andersen turned 80 with a celebration at Kew.

The gathering

including a former Melbourne community member, now Consigliere Terzo at Via Asmara.

And Madeleine Barlow RNDM 

And Frank's Birthday Card - To whom it may concern!

100 Days with Tata/100 Dias con la Tata

Spain, 2021, 88 minutes, Colour.

Miguel Angel Munoz, Luisa Cantera.

Directed by Miguel Angel Munoz.

A popular documentary when that appeals to the funnybone as well as to tears!

It is a tour de force for comedian, singer, actor, director, Miguel Angel Munoz who is behind the camera directing but, for the most part, and happily and eagerly, starring in front of the camera. And has won some awards.

Miguel has always been in touch with the sister of his great-grandmother, Luisa Cantera. The film fills in some background about Luisa, photos of her from the past, film clips. We build up a picture of her, especially as she is growing older, some episodes when she is 90. However, for the main part of this film, she is 95.

Miguel, highly extroverted and excitable, generally in great humour, devoted to his Tata, He has spent a lot of time with her, talking, laughing, taking her out, entertaining her.

But, the key of the film, and this makes it significant for carers who are watching, is that the hundred days take place in the lockdown because of Covid 19 in 2020. The couple spend over three months together, in the confinement of the apartment.

With the focus on Luisa, there is a great deal to be appreciated about growing old, growing old graciously, keeping a sense of humour, knowing physical limitations, knowing mental and memory limitations, but always responding to the care of Miguel. For Miguel, it is a continuation of his care for his Tata in the past, but trying to be inventive in living in close quarters for such a long time, conversation, meals, physical care, showers, putting her to bed, her physical limitations.

But, it also puts pressure on Miguel himself, the psychological pressure, the physical consequences.

One of the ways in which they spend their time is for Miguel to photograph Luisa, especially putting her on Instagram. And, rather suddenly, there is a good number of followers, a great number of followers, an increasing number of followers, fans willing to give their opinions on Instagram as well. Tata becomes a social media star entertaining so many people in the Spanish-speaking world and beyond, through Instagram.

The amount of enjoyment from this film will depend on audience interest in and liking for Miguel and Tata – Miguel sometimes straining audience response with his more than touches of on camera exhibitionism! But, as can be seen, it is all in a good cause.