The MSC site supports ACRATH, World Day, July 30th, The scourge of human trafficking.

May our prayer lead us to action against human trafficking

Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans (ACRATH) has developed a prayer and action resource to use in marking the 2020 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30.

“The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that there are more than 40 million people in our world today who are victims of human trafficking,” ACRATH says on its website.

“Some are women and men trafficked into forced labour in factories, agricultural fields, hospitality and domestic servitude.

“Some are children trafficked to pick our coffee or to work in dangerous mines for minerals to make our mobile phones, other electronic goods and cosmetics.

“Some are young girls, boys and women trafficked into sexual exploitation in brothels, dance bars and the pornography industry.

“The current COVID-19 crisis is impacting on people most vulnerable to trafficking because they often live in poverty and lack suitable housing and healthcare.

“Forced labour and human trafficking happens in every country including Australia. It is a billion dollar industry. Yet behind all the statistics is a human person and their story.”

The prayer and action resource suggests some practical things people can do to help put a stop to human trafficking. They include:

•          Become an ethical consumer of coffee, chocolate, fashion and electronic goods etc;
•          Ensure your school/workplace staff room and your own kitchen use only slavery free products;
•          Talk with 4-5 friends or family members about the issue of human trafficking;
•          Check out the following website to further educate yourself- https://acrath.org.au/;
•          Arrange a display or forum to raise awareness of the extent of the crime of human trafficking in
•          in and beyond Australia;
•          Put a notice in the school/parish bulletin about 2020 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons;
•          Organise a fund-raising activity to support ACRATH’s work against human trafficking;
•          Organise a letter-writing campaign asking federal politicians to support groups such as ACRATH who work with victims of human trafficking in Australia.

Praying together for an end to human trafficking:

Loving God, it’s hard to express what our minds can hardly comprehend or our hearts feel when we learn of people like us being trafficked because of human greed.

Response: May our prayer and actions cast light on the crime of human trafficking and help bring it to an end.

It’s difficult to hear of people being threatened, deceived and forced into sexual exploitation or forced labour. Response

We remember all who have been trafficked and robbed of their God-given dignity, that they will be strengthened by love and support that is tender and good. Response

Give us faith and courage to stand in solidarity with all trafficked persons that together we will find the freedom that is your gift and thus create a safer world. Response

Working in masks. Miinistry in masks. Life in masks.

A humorous commandment - but serious.

A photo of deacon Michael Angelo Acera Dacalos MSC at his first baptism, Philippines.

Wherever you are as you visit our site there may be discussion about wearing masks in these coronavirus times.Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews.

This post comes from Melbourne where the wearing of masks outside the home is compulsory – otherwise a fine of $200.

The issue of rights and freedoms comes up. Those asserting the right to not wear a mask do not mention responsibilities.

In Port Moresby, masks are obligatory – and here is the government slogan.

And a touch of humour.

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Announcement: New Appointment  for 2021 – Director of the Chevalier Institute, Anne McAtomney.

With recent approval of the Provincial in Council, I am pleased to announce Anne McAtomney as the next Director of the Chevalier Institute. Anne will commence in the role in January, 2021. After a comprehensive selection process that attracted many very well qualified candidates, it was apparent that Anne is the person to lead the Chevalier Institute in the next phase of its journey.

Remembering beginnings, Brett Adamson, Alison McKenzie, Bob Irwin.

Anne is a very experienced educator with a range of leadership experiences that ideally equip her for this role. Over the last 25 years, Anne has been deeply embedded in the Spirituality of the Heart through her significant involvement at Downlands College, culminating in her appointment as the Assistant Principal-Mission some ten years ago.

Downlands College logo.

Anne has relished this role in A P-Mission and in her own words: "it has given me the opportunity to work within a charism and spirituality that has become a passion for its beauty and the gift that it is and can be for others."

The co-facilitation model that has been used over and times where AP-Missions work with the Director to conduct programs for College staff has given Anne an excellent insight into the requirements of being the Director and will allow a very smooth transition into this most important role.

Retiring director, Alison McKenzie, General Secretary of the International Council of the Laity of the Chevalier Family.

I wish to acknowledge the extraordinary contribution by Alison McKenzie in the role of Director over the last eight years and look forward later in the year to celebrating Alison's retirement with as many of you as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Mark McGinnity

Director of MSC Education.

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Daramalan College, New Principal, 2021, Rachel Francis-Davies

With the recent approval of the MSC Provincial in Council, Daramalan College is pleased to announce Rachel Francis-Davies as the next Principal of the College commencing in January 2021. 

After a comprehensive selection process that attracted many well qualified candidates, it was apparent Rachel is the person to lead Daramalan in the next phase of its educational journey

Rachel is a very experienced educator with a breadth of leadership experience across three Catholic Colleges in the ACT that ideally equip her for this role. Rachel possesses an expert knowledge of the ACT secondary system and the requisite desire to maintain Daramalan College’s reputation as a leading co-educational Catholic school in the MSC tradition. Rachel is deeply embedded in the Spirituality of the Heart and last year had the opportunity to follow in Jules Chevalier’s footsteps when she participated in a Pilgrimage to Issoudun facilitated by the Chevalier Institute.

Rita Daniels

Rachel believes very strongly that for Daramalan to achieve its vision of a “community that inspires learning, natures potential and is strong in faith, quality teachers and staff must be at its core”.

As the current Deputy Principal at Daramalan, Rachel has benefitted from the wisdom and example of Rita Daniels the retiring Principal, and her movement into principalship ought to be a relatively smooth transition for the College community.

we advise that our dear brother and confrere Neville Dunne died very peacefully this afternoon (Saturday) at St. Joseph’s Nursing Home Kensington.

Neville has been suffering the effects of dementia, a stroke and high blood pressure. He has been deteriorating lately. The wonderful care at St. Joseph’s has kept him comfortable and pain free these past few weeks.

May Neville now rest in the peace and love of the God whom he served so faithfully all his life.

What was your best letter to God...?

2020 has seen an increase in prayer – and different ways of praying. The Catholic Central Library in Melbourne has reported a large increase in sales of the weekly Missal.

But we all have our questions in our letters to God.

Here are question-letters to God from young children – written in their own scrawl! (But not without some metaphysical implications.)

And there are more...

And the PhD question...

Fr Ted McCormack MSC, an achievement, 60 years ordained.

Our congratulations to Ted, 87^th birthday on July 14^th, and 60 years ordained today.

Ted has had a fruitful ministry in PNG, in Australian parishes and, in more recent years, parish supply, especially in the Sandhurst diocese. (Though covid-19 has limited Ted’s and all our parish supply with church closures or limited numbers permissible at Masses and sacraments.)

Memories of Monivae, Ted and Peter Hendriks.

Ted lives at Monivae College, the only remaining MSC there. He is part of the Victoria-Tasmania MSC Community.

Acknowledging Albert Yelds MSC, turning 95 today.

We offer hearty congratulations to Albert Yelds on his 95^th birthday. And, on Monday, he will be 67 years ordained.

Albert has worked in MSC Colleges, was committed for many years to a travelling ministry of devotion to the Sacred Heart. In the 1980s, he served in India. After returning from India, he went to Kiribati where he spent the best part of more than thirty years.

Our photos are from Kiribati and Albert’s farewell.

New book,  Dear Movies, Peter Malone MSC

Why Dear Movies?

Jesus told stories. He entered into our ordinary lives and taught us something deeper: family inheritance, care for the battered, labourers looking for work, a widow pestering an unjust judge…  We have always liked this kind of storytelling.

We look for values and spirituality in music, in the visual arts, in theatre, in poetry and novels. What about, Lights…, Camera… Faith? How can the movies we enjoy contribute to our exploring values, gain insights into the spirituality of daily living and of more demanding challenges?

The 20^th century was the movie century.  Then it had to make allowance for the screen in the home, television. Then video cassettes, DVDs, a greater availability of movies. And now, at the touch of a tip of the finger, we have more movies than we can watch, movies and series streaming, movies whenever we want them.

101 movies have been chosen and the author writes to them, begins a conversation with each of them, opening up some of their themes, their way of telling stories, their role as fables and parables. He also shares what each movie means to him – then this could mean something more to the reader, discovering their dear movies, whether the movie can be described as ‘art-house’ or as multiplex entertainment.

There has been a great tradition of Lectio Divina (Godly Spiritual reading) throughout the Christian centuries.  Somebody coined the term Visio Divina (Godly Spiritual watching). This is what Dear Movies invites us to share.

 

From the back cover:

In Dear Movies, Peter Malone draws on his long experience of film reviewing and of writing and leading workshops on films and values.  He has often been asked, 'What's your favourite film?'  Dear Movies is part of his answer.

He has chosen to write letters to over 100 movies, each letter beginning a conversation with the film, opening up some of their themes, their ways of telling stories, their roles as fables and parables.  He also shares what each movie means to him, inviting us - the readers - to discover our dear movies: how the movies we enjoy help us to explore values, offering insights into the spirituality of daily living and more demanding challenges.

He remembers that Jesus told stories about the ordinary, familiar things of everyday life - stories that still teach us to look more deeply into ourselves and identify what is real, lasting, precious, encouraging, difficult and demanding.

This is the kind of storytelling we look for in films.  Dear Movies reminds us that while we have always looked for values and spirituality in music, in the visual arts, in theatre, in poetry and novels, movies too invite us to share experiences and to connect film with our understanding of God's purposes for our lives.

‘Reading Peter's Dear Movies is more than a joy and revelation.  It is a reminder of the power of pictures, and the important role movies still play in all our lives today’ - Foreword by Jan Epstein.

 

Available in Australia from the Coventry Press website, coventrypress.com.au

                 Outside Australia from local dominant national online booksellers.

 

 

Solidarity with our Central American MSC confrereres, Covid-19 claims the life of Juan Dore Chicas from Guatamala.

Humberto Henriques MSC writes:

Unfortunately, COVID keeps taking more and more known people. This time he was another missionary of the Sacred Heart, Juan Dore Chicas, Member of Central America and Mexico Province, he currently dedicated his mission as the postulantado trainer in Guatemala. Go in peace my brother.

Juan Dore Chicas MSC, 1974-2020

Professed :  August 6th 2003.

Ordained: June 7th 2008.