Downlands College. Opening of the school year 2021.

• Something important happened during Downlands Investiture Mass.

• Yes - we recognised our 2021 School Captains and Senior Leaders.
• Yes - we recognised our 2021 Boarding House Leaders.
• Yes - we recognised our 2021 Performing Arts Leaders.
• Yes - we recognised our 2021 Intra-House Leaders.

• BUT - most importantly, as our entire school was welcomed to the 2021 school year, our Principal, Mr Stephen Koch, following the example set by Jesus, demonstrated servant leadership; while our staff group sang the Servant Song.

• From our Principal, to our staff and, to our students, leadership at Downlands is characterised by the alignment of philosophy, process and practices with the MSC Vision for enhancing student growth, and is characterised by a focus on servant leadership as a core, relationship building, gentleness, and affirmation.

• The College has taken as its 2021 theme - FAMILY.
• Downlands is a place where your heart finds a home. Where our students’ educational journey is one that will develop selfless leaders who are advocates for values-based communities.

• Our distinctive culture is informed and guided by our beliefs and commitment to community, personal growth, relationships, spirituality, and individual learning journeys.

• Fr Vince Carroll MSC conducted the Eucharist and his message to the community reminded us of God’s love, community, respect, and family. What a a wonderful start to our school year.

And further celebrations

The Tradition and Spirit of Downlands

Friday marked a crucial point in our Year 7 students’ Downlands journey. Tradition and Spirit Day is a special day for all Downlanders as they move through Year 7 and learn more about Downlands and our strong MSC traditions.

Students participated in a Heart Ceremony, including being gifted their very own Class of 2026 song, craft activities and candles. The College Stories tour, heroes and role models held young peoples’ interest, with some wanting to know more even as they finished for afternoon tea.

• A swim in the pool was a perfect ending to a fun-filled and eventful day!

Ashes in a time of covid

An American priest writes: "I would think in this time of COVID, the significance of Ash Wednesday is even greater because we have to come face to face with our weakness, our mortality and our need for one another.”

The ashes symbolize both death and repentance. During this period, Christians show repentance and mourning for their sins, because they believe Christ died for them.

But…

Ash Wednesday is going to look different this year.

Instead of the priest or deacon using ashes to make the sign of the cross on people's foreheads, ashes will be sprinkled on top of people's heads.

Also, the priest will bless the ashes all at once instead of individually speaking to and blessing everyone.

Symbolic ashes in a pandemic – we do not  know when it will end.

The Breather Day before Lent

Around the Church and the world, Tuesday, today, is Shrove Tuesday, Carnival, Pancake Tuesday...  a moment of breath and lightness before the penance of Lent.

For us, a moment of levity as we look back at covid 2020 (and this is coming from Melbourne, Day 4 of our new lockdown)

Lay Papuans turn against Indonesian Church 'sellout'. Critique of Archbishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi MSC of Merauke.

Activists stage protest against Archbishop of Merauke signing deal with palm oil firm "at expense of environment"

Papuan Catholic activists collect funds from those attending Sunday Mass at the Good Shepherd Parish Church in Abepura, Papua province, on Jan. 31. They planned to give the funds to Archbishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi of Merauke as a form of protest against his move to sign

an MoU with a palm oil company.

Together with several colleagues, Papuan Catholic activist Melvin Waine stood in front of Good Shepherd Parish Church in Abepura, Papua province, on Jan. 31.

There was a box in front of them and they were holding up posters appealing for donations. "One thousand rupiah for Bishop Mandagi," the posters said, referring to Archbishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi of Merauke.

However, their effort was not in support of the bishop; it was a sarcastic stunt criticizing Archbishop Mandagi.

The local Church is set to receive billions of rupiah after signing a memorandum of

understanding (MoU) with a controversial palm oil company, PT Tunas Sawa Erma, part of the Korindo Group. The funds raised will be presented to the Diocese of Merauke. "The archbishop shouldn't be cooperating with this firm. It's scandalous that the Church conspires with a company that has brought suffering to Papua," Waine told UCA News. He said they collected 882,000 rupiah (US$63) from supporters who attended Sunday Mass in Abepura Parish and two other parishes.

"We will continue this at other churches every Sunday. We are also preparing to collect online," he said. Their aim, he said, was for the archdiocese to cancel the MoU, signed on Jan. 5, in which the company committed to providing 2.4 billion rupiah, which is given in stages over three years. The company will also give the archdiocese operational cost 20 million rupiah a month for three years.

Archbishop Mandagi has said the archdiocese needs to raise money, including from palm oil companies, to fund services including the construction of a minor seminary. He said the Church still expects the company to adopt environmentally sustainable practices.

However, for Waine, what the archbishop has done has aided the destruction of Papua's forests, which the Korindo Group, a joint Indonesian and South Korean venture, has been accused of doing.

"It would be better for the money to have been collected from the people rather than

companies that are clearly bringing suffering to Papuans," Waine said.

Petrus Supardi, another layman, said that "Archbishop Mandagi has rubbed salt in the

wounds of Papuans."

"How do you set up a seminary, an educational center for future church leaders, by

collaborating with companies that destroy Papua's natural forests?" he asked.

Among the religious themselves, this cooperation is equally controversial.

Father Alexandro Rangga, a Franciscan priest from Papua who is studying in Rome, said he cannot stop thinking that the Church now supports palm oil companies.

"The Church must be firm in rejecting palm oil. We already know the impacts and that is always the poor who are the biggest victim," he said in a recent webinar organized by the Franciscan Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC).

In November, Greenpeace Indonesia and Forensic Architecture reported that Dongin

Prabhawa, one of Korindo's subsidiaries, had destroyed 57,000 hectares of rainforest, basedon forest fires captured on NASA satellite imagery between 2011 and 2016. In "Burning Paradise," a report released in 2016, environmental group Mighty Earth also pointed to Korindo's systematic and abundant use of fire during land clearing.

Sacred Heart Father Anselmus Amo, chairman of Merauke Archdiocese's JPIC Commission, did not respond to UCA News' request for comment. However, speaking to local media, he criticized the laymen's actions and asked them not to doubt the agreement, stating that the archdiocese would not cancel it.

"Whether the bishop will accept [the money they collect] is up to the archbishop. The point is we should not think negatively [of the cooperation]," he said, as quoted by the Papua Selatan Pos newspaper. Archbishop Mandagi is currently hospitalized in Ambon, Maluku province, after being diagnosed with Covid-19 on Jan. 29.

The protesters also issued a statement last month in which they declared they had lost trust in bishops from Papua and the Indonesian Bishops' Conference, whom they accused of not caring about Papuan issues. They added that the Vatican should consider appointing native Papuans, or at least those who understand the situation in Papua, as bishops in Indonesia's easternmost region.

"We need those who care about the local situation, especially regarding human rights

violations and environmental damage," they said. They said that they no longer felt that the Catholic Church offered hope for salvation. Waine, who participated in drawing up the statement, said they represented lay groups from five dioceses in Papua.

"We have formulated this call after reflecting together on the recent development of the Church," he said. "We are forced to do this, so that the Church will return to its mission, to its calling to be the voice of the voiceless." Marthen Goo from Papua Itu Kita (Papua Is Us), a Jakarta-based advocacy forum, said the opposition is something that the Church must take seriously.

St Mary’s Towers, Douglas Park, a visit to the Ashram, Part II

More recent photos of the Ashram, photos from Roy O'Neill MSC. Renovations.

Interiors    

Outside   

and a tribute to Vyn Bailey

Congratulations: Ordinations and Professions, MSC around the world           

Congratulations to our confrere, Rev. Janray G. Castañares, MSC who has been ordained Deacon today!

Rev. Janray was ordained by His Excellency, the Most Rev. Jose S. Palma, D.D., the Archbishop of Cebu, at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

Rev. Janray is assigned to our Education and Youth Ministry in San Sebastian School in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

On February 2, 2021, the day of the Presentation of the Lord, the Congregation of MSC received three more youths through the First Profession of the Votes of Obedience, Poverty and Chastity.

Erick Bryan de Matos (province of São Paulo),

 Miguel Alejandro Ibarra (province of Ireland) and

Witalo Souza de Jesus (province of Rio de Janeiro)

took their vows in the city of Itajubá, Brazil with the presence of some confrontations and faithful.

Bill Graham MSC, honoured as distinguished Catholic educator.

Jim Littleton has written:

  Readers will be pleased to know that in a recently published book, "Not Forgotten", which is Volume One of the Bibliographical Dictionary of Australian Catholic Educators, 1820-2020, one MSC, Bill Graham, is among those so honoured.   The editors of the book are Anne Benjamin, who is an MSC Education Company Member, and Seamus O'Grady.    The book is published by Coventry Press.  

It contains short biographies of 30 people who have contributed in a significant way to Catholic Education in Australia in those two centuries.     The editors used the biography of Bill Graham that I had published in "Saints and Scholars" in 2016.

From Jim Littleton’s account in his book Brotherhood in Mission.

He was a great sportsman and when leaving to go to Kensington was told “when you get to Kensington, don’t let them take away your laugh”. Those who heard it resound across the lawns of Downlands know just how well he followed that advice. (His nickname among the boys was “Mini-ha-ha”.)

He was sent to Downlands thus beginning a career in the education of youth which is without comparison in the history of downland is.

(After postings as curate at Camp Hill, 1943 and in January, 1944, to Randwick,) he returned to Downlands, winning the hearts of all during the next 27 years. Sadly, his life was cut short by a car accident and Dalby where he was engaged on pastoral work.

Photo credit: Toowoomba MSC tombstones, Gerry Burke MSC

MSC Formation Statistics around the world, 202-2021

In these covid times, it is heartenting to see that the society is still alive and active, looking to the future.

Farewell to Terry Bowman MSC, leaving Blackburn Parish.

From the parish bulletin, a letter from Khoi Nguyen MSC, Assistant Priest.

Dear Parishioners,

I remember a Vietnamese poet once said, “to love is to die a little inside”. I think we can say at this moment, “to say goodbye is to die a little inside”, as we are saying goodbye to Fr. Terry. Only when we say goodbye to someone do we really come to know how much we love that person. I think this is our common feeling at this time, for you and me, and also for Fr. Terry himself.

Over the last six years ministering to the people of God in this parish and beyond, Fr. Terry has given his life and heart, his soul and spirit. I, personally, admire him for his pastoral zeal and presence to everyone he serves. His energy is overflowing, his enthusiasm is incredible (like his singing!), And his love is affectionate and contagious – in a very good sense. In recent days, I have been hearing from you how much Fr. Terry has done for you and your families, especially at funeral times or sicknesses. I was deeply moved by this, and I am sure Fr. Terry would be to.

As the gospel this weekend suggests, Jesus, after having a very fruitful time at Simon Peter’s house, has to move on to other places to preach – for this is why he came. Our missionary life is a constant coming and going. Sometimes we don’t want to go, we don’t want to leave people we have loved and cared for, but we are called to keep going, because this is why we are here.

With much sadness and heartache of farewelling Fr. Terry, we wish and pray for him, for his health, for his new mission in Kensington Parish, and for his family, especially in this still troubling time for them all.

Blessing to Fr. Terry and to each of us,

Fr Khoi MSC

Terry and Khoi, and the Victorian community leader masked and in the background.

Gathering in the hall.

Chevalier College, Bowral, celebrating 75 years.

The Australian MSC Province opened 4 colleges, one in the 1930s, Downlands (1931), one in the 1940s, Chevalier (1946), one in the 1950s, Monivae (1954), one in the 1960s Daramalan.

The MSC staff 1946

A photo of the 1946 students

The College began the year with an Opening Mass, John Mulrooney MSC presiding

The following Chevalier students joined the MSC.

Don Smith

Doug Smith

John Mulrooney

Keith Humphries

Paul Brennan

Peter Malone

Philip Malone

Richard Hillsdon

Roland Kaupp

Terry Herbert

Tony Arthur

William Welsh

And, acknowledging past students:

Pat Power, Emeritus Auxiliary Bishop of Canberra Goulburn

Bruce Duncan, Redemptorist

John Gibson, John of God Brothers (later ordained for his congregation)