QUEENSLAND SHRINE TO BLESSED PETER TO ROT.  BLESSING BY CARDINAL JOHN RIBAT MSC.

"Blessed Peter To Rot’s niece moved to tears at uncle’s Australian welcome in Marian Valley"

       January 23, 2020  Emilie Ng. With thanks to the Catholic Leader for permission to present this article and photos.

Blessed procession: Hundreds join the procession to the Chapel of Blessed Peter To Rot for the Mass to bless the chapel at Marian Valley, Canungra, last Sunday. Papua New Guinea Cardinal John Ribat celebrated Mass and blessed the chapel. Photos: Alan Edgecomb

THE niece of a Papuan catechist who was killed for preaching the Catholic faith was brought to tears as she saw hundreds of people venerate her uncle last Sunday.

Angie Kolita-Payne is the niece of Blessed Peter To Rot, a Tolai man who was killed in 1945 during the Japanese invasion of Papua New Guinea.

Her aunt on her mother’s side Paula Ia Varpit married Blessed Peter To Rot on November 11, 1936, when she was just 16.

Mrs Kolita-Payne, who lives in Brisbane, was not born when her uncle was killed, but lived with Blessed Peter To Rot’s daughter Rufina at the time of his beatification.

Mrs Kolita-Payne is completely lost for words at the global veneration of her uncle today.

“We’re in the 21stcentury and Peter was killed in the (Second) World War, and we’re still living his legacy,” she said.

His legacy is even more palpable in Australia, which is now home to the first chapel outside of PNG dedicated to Blessed Peter To Rot.

Mrs Kolita-Payne was among about 800 people who gathered at Marian Valley last Sunday for a Mass to honour Blessed Peter To Rot, and to witness the opening and blessing of the chapel.

She was in charge of creating a traditional necklace made of Tolai shell money for PNG Cardinal John Ribat, who celebrated the Mass and blessed the chapel.

Shrine: Brisbane Auxiliary Bishop Ken Howell, Cardinal Ribat and PNG chaplain Fr Paul Sireh.

The 56-year-old said she was proud to be representing Blessed Peter To Rot and her family in Brisbane, which she has called home for eight years.

“It’s not just Rabaul, it’s the whole of PNG and Australia together, honouring this man, a simple lay man from my home and, because of his faith, he’s being honoured today as someone who brought life and peace to East New Britain,” Mrs Kolita-Payne said.

“I was so proud. 

“That was just a beautiful service (on January 19) that really kicked in (his legacy).

“I was a bit teary.”

Blessed Peter To Rot is the first martyr and blessed from PNG, having been killed by a lethal injection for his staunch Catholic beliefs.

A trained catechist, Peter To Rot became the sole spiritual guide for Catholics in Rakunai in 1943, when the occupying Japanese military prohibited Christians to worship or participate in any religious gatherings.

When the Japanese military suggested to recover an old Tolai practice of polygamy, Blessed Peter To Rot publicly disagreed with the directive.

He was threatened and eventually imprisoned for his defence of traditional, monogamous marriage.

In mid-1945, while imprisoned in a cave, a member of the Japanese military posing as a doctor gave Peter an injection that eventually killed him at the age of 33.

One prisoner is said to have witnessed the tragic murder, and news quickly spread that Peter was killed for the faith.

Mrs Kolita-Payne said she knew little about the details of her uncle’s death until she and her family moved to Rakunai.

“I knew that Aunty Paula’s husband was killed by the Japanese and that he was given an injection,” she said. 

“That’s what I was told at the time, that he died because he was preaching, teaching and baptising children.”

It was reported that Peter was doing this in the village.

“I never knew that it was a big thing in the Church that he died for his faith, until I understood it more, when I was more mature,” Mrs Kolita-Payne said.

Dancing: Traditional dancers at the blessing of the Chapel of Blessed Peter To Rot.

She finally realised the international acclaim for her uncle, which was cemented by Pope John Paul II when he beatified Blessed Peter To Rot in Port Moresby on January 17, 1995.

She witnessed pilgrim after pilgrim visit the site where her uncle was killed.

“What really opened my eyes were the pilgrims,” she said.

“That kind of opened my eyes to realise how big an impact he is to the Catholic community.

“I think I just admired him more.

“You realise what he did was for the good of human kind and you go, ‘Wow’.”

Mrs Kolita-Payne said she thought of Blessed Peter To Rot whenever she read the biblical account of the betrayal of Jesus.

“You look at the Bible and there’s persecution there right there for you,” she said.

“At that part of the Bible, I just thought, ‘Wow, I know a good example’.”

FAREWELL TO KRISH MATHAVAN MSC, HENLEY BEACH

Krish Mathavan spent his deaconate at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish, Henley Beach in Adelaide. 

He was ordained there in November 2017 and continued working in the parish as a priest on the staff.

He was farewelled by Paul Cashen and the parishioners.

He has been appointed parish priest of Moonah in Hobart.  Next week our site will feature the transition of parish priests in Moonah.

GUATAMALA MARTYRS, 3 MSC MARTYRS, 7 LAY MARTYRS, 1980-1991

Visitors to the site will have been following the processes for beatification of our martyr; the Spanish Martyrs of Canet del Mar during the Civil War have been beatified.

Here is the latest news from the General Administration concerning Guatamala.

Pope Francis approved last Thursday, January 23, the decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints that recognize the martyrdom of our 3 priests and 7 laymen killed in Guatemala between 1980 and 1991 during the Civil War of Guatemala.

The decree signed by the Pope recognizes “the martyrdom of the Servants of God José María Gran Cirera and 2 companions, professed priests of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and 7 lay companions, killed in hatred of faith in Guatemala between 1980 and 1991".

We are glad for the testimony of our missionaries. The Philippines Province has created a Vocations :Poster incorporating the Martyrs.

AUSTRALIA DAY WEEKEND.

A long weekend with holidays and celebration:

Saturday 25^th, seen by many indigenous as ‘invasion day’ which also saw the announcing of the Australians of the Year, a strong emphasis on health and education (with Archie Roach as the Victorian Australian of the Year;

Sunday 26^th, Australia Day (with origins as Foundation Day, the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Harbour, a day of naturalisation ceremonies and concerts;

Monday 27^th, a public holiday, and, while a time of relaxation, we hope also a time for reflection.

Hence some excerpts from a timely article:

Australia Day as a day for humility

Andrew Hamilton SJ.

With acknowledgement to Eureka Street where the full article appeared.  Go to the Eureka Street website. 

Over recent years discussion of Australia Day has largely focused on how appropriate the date is for a national celebration. Many Indigenous Australians see the arrival of the First Fleet as an invasion which destroyed Indigenous nations and cultures and left their descendants disadvantaged strangers in their own land. The obdurate refusal to consider changing the date inevitably makes the public holiday a symbol of exclusion as well as of national unity.

The inappropriateness of the date, however, has some beneficial aspects. It focuses attention on the relationships between Indigenous Australians and later arrivals, and between Indigenous and the largely European cultures in Australia. Public discussion of these relationships often manifests prejudice and self-satisfaction. But it could also encourage humility and reconciliation, inviting a shared conversation about how our conflicted past has influenced the present Australian reality, and how reflection on it might shape a better future.

Australia Day would be wasted if it were devoted simply to self-congratulation and technological wizardry with no care for the future. It is a time for hard thinking about both our Indigenous and our European heritage.

In Australia this kind of thinking meets strong opposition. It is often based in belief that the settler culture is shared by all Australians and that it is a superior and richer culture than that of Indigenous Australians. The claim of superiority attaches to the ability of settlers to develop the land. It insists that the new arrivals had much to teach and nothing to learn from the first Australians.

When comparing cultures it is easy to contrast an abstract and idealised account of one's own culture with a superficial and critical view of other cultures. It allows us to claim for ourselves a Western culture with all the learning, texts, art and monuments associated with the phrase, and to set it against a supposedly nomadic, illiterate life of Indigenous peoples. Such a perspective frames our own culture as advanced and Indigenous cultures as primitive.

The Indigenous cultures that were supplanted by the European were communal. In them individuals found meaning through assimilating their received place in society and in country. The growth of the individual was tied to the wellbeing of the community which, in turn, was tied to the care of the earth and its flora and fauna. This world view and the rituals that embodied it were carefully passed on from one generation to another and governed people's behaviour. Fire was used to prune and promote growth, but not allowed to destroy it. The effect of this care was to conserve the earth which supported human life.

Western culture, as it was represented in the early settlers and their descendants, put high value on individual initiative and the amassing of wealth. It was competitive, often happy to operate at the edge of law and sometimes notably beyond it. It saw land as something for individuals to take possession of and to exploit, not to preserve and sustain for the good of the community.

Both these summaries, of course, are simplified and generalised, with perhaps a bias to romanticise Indigenous cultures and to demonise the settlers' culture. But taken together they invite us to ask whether the dominant individualist and technological culture in Australia has reached a point when it will destroy the world that it exploits. And whether Indigenous cultures offer, not technological solutions, but a more mature a way of imagining our relationship to the natural world.

MSC VIETNAM, CELEBRATIONS, JANUARY 2020, NOVICES AND POSTULANT

RECEPTION (TRONG Luu) AND SENDING OFF (HIEN Nguyen - KIEN Phan - VU Nguyen -  DAT Vu - KHOA Vu)

With thanks to our MSC correspondent in Vietnam, text and photos, Bang MSC.

Event of Acceptance the new postulant: TRONG and the Sending off of the five incoming novices: HIEN-KIEN-VU-DAT-KHOA. The event was on 11th, Jan, 2020.

The celebration was held in the HOP AN parish with the present of MSC Fathers and brothers, MSC sisters, OLSH sisters, Aspirants and LAY associates, family members of the 6 candidates and some benefactors.

Fr. HOANG NGUYEN is the celebrant together with Fr. Chris Mc Phee, our Provincial; Fr. KHOI NGUYEN, MSC; and Our MSC priest and some Priests, friend of our candidates.

It was a very meaningful celebration with the highlight of Fr. Chris’ homily which encourages and is clear to our MSC members and particularly to our 6 candidates is that no matter how good, intelligent, talented, etc…we are.

The basic foundation which MSC members need to have and to develop is that: -The desire for God - Making space for God - Discerning and looking for God’s will for us and His people. Then he expressed his gratitude to the parents of our candidates and to all those who supported our MSC in one way or another.

In this occasion, we also celebrated the Tet celebration for Lunar New Year and Farewell to Fr. Andrew for his new mission.

We have some activities during the party together with our Chevalier Family members, Priests, our Guests and relatives of our candidates.

Fr. Chris McPhee gave some lucky charm to everyone as our Vietnamese tradition in TET holiday.

We end our day with full of joy, grace by greeting each other with good thing in this Lunar New Year, particularly to our 6 candidates on this stage of their life.

NOTICE;  APPLICATIONS FOR BUSINESS MANAGER

Business Manager

• Catholic Religious Congregation
• Location: Coogee, Sydney

The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart is an international order of Brothers and Priests, within the Catholic Church, numbering about 1,900 who work in over fifty-five countries, on six continents. The Australian Province has around 140 members and their ministries include Parishes; a Retreat Centre; Education; Chaplaincy; and Aged Care.

Reporting to the Provincial of the Australian Province, this role has responsibility for a broad range of financial and commercial matters for the Australian Congregation, both strategic and day-to-day.

If you are an experienced, hands-on finance and accounting practitioner and seek a role which is energised by the organisation’s mission, then please visit traksearch.com to obtain further information.

To express your interest, simply send a resume from this site; from the Trak Search website; or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. quoting ref number TS1421. Enquiries are also welcome to John Chesher on 0417 068 220.

Closing Date: Monday 10th February 2020.

CHEVALIER INSTITUTE 2020

Chevalier Institute is a ministry of the Australian MSC province.

We work significantly in formation in Heart Spirituality with staff in MSC Colleges and schools associated with MSC parishes. Our experience in formation of lay people also has relevance within parish communities and other ministries and we would be happy to consider any request for assistance. Our brochure outlines the current programmes we run and these programmes are open to anybody who is interested in formation in Heart Spirituality. We welcome enquiries.

NEW ADDRESS, KENSINGTON MONASTERY

A recent announcement that the following confreres have or will become members of the Kensington Sacred Heart Monastery community.

In case you were wondering:

HAROLD BAKER

Coming from Daramalan.

JIM LITTLETON

Coming from Daramalan

PATRICK SHARPE

Coming from Chaplaincy, Brigidine House Aged Care Hostel, Randwick (during February)

COLIN SINCLAIR

Coming from Fiji

BARRY SMITH

Coming from Douglas Park, base for MSC buildings maintenance

JOHN WALKER

Coming from Daramalan

2019, THE MSC YEAR THAT WAS - PS, MSC PUBLICATIONS

Cover of Paul McCormack's CD

PUBLICATIONS 2019

The MSC year that was, written by Peter Malone MSC.

Several books were published in 2019 and a CD of songs.

The Province website posts six items of news, spirituality, general interest, each week. Each current news item automatically appears on the Province Facebook page.

Meetings are currently in progress for renovations and some changes to the look of the site and easier access to some items as well as highlighting more strongly Professional Standards as well as Lay MSC

The quarterly MSC print magazine has select items and news as well as drawing on posts from the website.  It is available from Treand House. The quarterly Bulletin from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish, Randwick, stands out with its production and range of stories and the life of the parish.

As has been noted, Annals completed its final, 130^th year, in November.

Music:

Paul McCormack, Hymns for the Hard Road.

Books:

Brian Gallagher:      Set Me Free, Spiritual Direction and Discernment of Spirits, Coventry Press, Bayswater.

(The official launch was by Mary Coloe PBVM. Additional support came from Tim Maloney CFC, Chair of the National Association for Spiritual Directors.)

Brian Gallagher:      The Eyes of God, Living Discernment, Coventry Press, Bayswater.

Jim Littleton: 105 Years: MSC Ministry in Hindmarsh Parish. MSC, Provincial house, Coogee.

Khoi Doan Nguyen,  Towards Calvary, the Stations of the Cross in Everyday Life, Coventry Press, Bayswater.

Michael Fallon:  Jesus of Nazareth as portrayed in the New Testament, published on line, mbfallon.com

Paul Castley: A Time to Hope, Finding Encouragement in Prayer and Ministry, Coventry Press, Bayswater.

(Launch by Greg Burke, National Ministry to Priests).

Paul Stenhouse: Islam, Context and Complexity, Australian Scholarly Publishing.

Peter Malone: Screen Priests: Depictions of Catholic Priests in Cinema: 1900-2018. ATF Press, Adelaide.

(Launch by Richard Leonard SJ, Director, Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting).

A GOOD NEWS STORY FROM THE NT: TED MERRITT MSC, CELEBRATING 92

With thanks to Peter Hendriks for the photos and the news of the celebration.Ted has spent most of his long life in MSC ministry in the NT, even to being a pilot.

Peter added 'We all feel blessed'.

So, a cake.

And a toast and a can (with a caption):

And good company.