2019, THE MSC YEAR THAT WAS - A RETROSPECT 

Each year a report is sent to the General Administration about the life of the Province.  Here is 2019.

 THE PROVINCE

in many ways, 2010 was a “steady as she goes” year. The administration moved into its second year. A provincial conference was held in May, reviewing the life of the Province and its spirit. Provincial, Chris McPhee, was a member of the General Conference held in South Korea in September.

Province Manager, Rene Balboa, participated at the first MSC Bursars’ meeting in Rome.

GROWTH

Unlike the provinces, unions and regions with more recent development, the Australian Province has quite slow growth. Frank Dineen is Vocations Director and notes that most interest in MSC life comes from the different ethnic groups in Australia.

Kenji Konda, who had worked in the MSC Missions Office as well as in the parishes of Randwick and Coogee, made his novitiate, and his first vows on 14^th of December.

Four young men joined the pre-novitiate in January (one leaving early). The three students for the year were Dean Fonseca (family from India, settling in New Zealand), Trieu Nguyen from Vietnam, Daniel Magadia (family from the Philippines, settling in Adelaide). Khoi Doan Nguyen was appointed pre-novitiate director. He organised quite a large number of members of the province and those associated with the province to conduct workshops with the students. Trieu continued his studies of the English language in the course at the Yarra Theological Union. He was joined there, as well as in the community, by Vietnamese student, Ahn, a pre--pre-novitiate student who is to enter the pre-novitiate in 2020. During the year, Khoi spent a month in Chicago, at the Institute of Sexuality Studies (associated with the Catholic Theological Union).

The three pre-novitiate men did a month’s pastoral work in October, Dean at Kippax, Thieu at Kensington, Daniel at Erskineville.

At the beginning of November the three men began their novitiate at Douglas Park with Peter Harvey-Jackson as Novice Master.

LOSS

There Is sadness each year with the loss of members of the province in death. We remember the five who died in 2020, men who were distinctive as well as distinguished in their MSC life and ministry.

Adrian Meany: Director of the MSC Mission Office for many years, fund-raiser extraordinaire, assiduous traveller, long time missionary in the Northern Territory and Papua New Guinea.

John Ehlefeldt: an archetype of the Brothers’ Life and ministry, 83 years professed, a long memory of life in the province, Pioneer on the Provincial Council, in Brothers Formation, age 102.

Greg McCann: his MSC life reflected changes in the province, his being professed as a brother and working in domestic communities, transitioning in the 1970s to teacher training, then studies for the priesthood, missionary activity, especially in Papua New Guinea as a priest. Age 102.

John Rate: longtime ministry in MSC parishes, studies in liturgy, decades-long national and international commitment to the Marriage Encounter movement, winner of their PMRC Impact Award in 2019.

Paul Stenhouse: editor of Annals for over 50 years, world expertise in Semitic languages, chaplain to Asian students and families in Sydney, many years on the international board of Aid to the Church in Need.

Boniface Perdjert, pioneer Married Deacon from Wadeye and serving there for many years, also died this year.

There were other areas of loss in 2019:

After 130 years, beginning in 1889, the Australian Annals ceased publication. Articles have been written about the magazine, its range of editors, its devotional and mission impact. A celebratory lunch was anticipated at the end of November. It did take place, but two days after Paul Stenhouse’s funeral. It was held at Kensington monastery, many contributors to Annals attending.

The Province also experienced the withdrawal from a parish, Hindmarsh in Adelaide, where the MSCs had been present for over a century. The parish was handed back to the Archdiocese with Paul Cashen as interim administrator. The principal MSC presence now in Adelaide is at the parish of Henley Beach. Paul McCormack has joined the parish team.

Many MSC who served on the staff of Daramalan College, Canberra, lived in the Residence. On December 8^th, there was a celebratory mass in the college as the last three MSC men in the community were to move out, Harold Baker, James Littleton, John Walker, who transferred to Kensington.

And many MSC had holidays at The Cliffs, Shoreham, Victoria on Westernport Bay. In recent years, Brian Gallagher had transformed the buildings and the grounds into a Retreat Centre. The Victoria-Tasmania community gathered there for a farewell. The site is to continue as a retreat centre – which will probably be part of the Growth report for 2020.

PARISHES

As noted above, the MSC withdrew from Hindmarsh. However, 2019 saw some dependence of the Australian province, drawing on its sense of Internationally and collaboration, on MSC from India and Vietnam. Three priests came from India, Peter Anthony to Randwick, Michael Nithin to Kippax, Partholomai Panyadimai to Nightcliff. There had been hopes that Danh, from Vietnam would come as a deacon to the Tiwi Islands. Visa difficulties prevented this. However, he gained a Visa after his ordination and came to Bathurst Island, Wurrimiyanga.

NORTHERN TERRITORY/ POPULAR NEW GUINEA/JAPAN

The principal celebration occurred in October, 90 years of the MSC presence in central Australia. While the Divine Word Missionaries are present in the parish of Alice Springs as well as at Santa Teresa, they hosted a celebration for the MSC, and symbolic stained-glass windows for the church.

The Australian audience enjoyed the film Top End Wedding, noting by the end that much of the action took place on Bathurst island, a number of the population serving as extras, many scenes in the church (a wedding after all). And, just as we might have been wondering about the parish priest and the sisters, a final credit comes up acknowledging Father Pat Mara and Sister Anne Gardiner OLSH.

Bishop Rochus Tatamai MSC moved from Bereina diocese to New Ireland, the diocese of Kavieng. Few Australian MSC continue to work in PNG, Paul Guy as vicar general of Bereina, Ben Fleming as vicar general of Port Moresby, Assistant to Cardinal John Ribat, Paul Jennings in education. There have been significant changes in the diocese of Alotau, Eastern Popular, with Joe Ensing being moved out of administration as well as from the catechetical centre. Brian Cahill continues his work in Tarpini.

Meetings were held at the end of 2019 in Japan with plans for re-organisation.

EDUCATION

MSC colleges continue successfully. The principal of Monivae College, Mark McGinnity, has been appointed the Director of MSC education, succeeding Bob Irwin. Jonathan Rowe becomes principal of Monivae. The MSC presence is far less in our colleges, Vince Carroll in Downlands, Gerry Burke, John Franzmann and John Mulrooney at Chevalier, Barry Smith in administration at Daramalan, Ted McCormack resident of Monivae but working in parish supply. Kimi Vunivesilevu, Kippax, has part-time chaplaincy at Daramalan. He is also the Community Leader for Canberra and Chevalier.

SPIRITUALITY SERVICES.

Chevalier Institute continued its inservices with Alison McKenzie and Brett Adamson.

Michelle Vass was reappointed as the Director of the St Mary’s Towers retreat House. Dominic Gleeson and Ed Travers directed seminarians in the 30 Day Retreat, Dominic doing this in Fiji. Tony Arthur also gave a retreat in Fiji.  Dominic is the new Community Leader at Douglas Park.

Director the Heart of Life Centre, Paul Beirne recuperated from cancer surgery with Philip Malone taking on MSC responsibility until Paul had recovered in mid-year. Siloam, the Spiritual Direction program, both full-time and part-time, continued. While most of the part-time participants were local, the full-timers came from Vietnam, the Philippines, China/Paramatta, and the former Superior General of the Columbans, Kevin O’Neill. Paul Castley joined the team directed the Spiritual Leaders program.

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

In mid-year, provincial Chris McPhee issued an apology on behalf of the MSC for MSC offences. He also issued some items on court proceedings.

Later in the year came the announcement that the MSC had joined the national redress scheme set up by the government in the light of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

All these items were made public on the website, part of Current News.

Tim Brennan completed his term at the National Catholic Professional Standards Office, took up a position at the MSC General House on Professional Standards issues.

Meta Jackson, with background in Child Care, works on Professional Standards issues at Treand House.

LAY MSC

September 13^th-15^th saw a significant gathering at Douglas Park, a retreat weekend but also the Commissioning of the Australian National Council of the Laity of the Chevalier Family. Joining the Lay MSC were representatives of the congregations, MSC, OLSH, MSC Sisters. (Details of the Gathering can be found in the Who We Are, dropdown Lay MSC.) Alison McKenzie is the first General Secretary of the Laity of the Chevalier Family. Fred Stubenrauch heads the Australian Lay MSC.

KENSINGTON MONASTERY

Significant developments have occurred at Kensington with MSC Aged Care Partnership with St Vincent’s Care Services responsible for the health and well-being of the community. There will also be changes in 2020 at the Chevalier Resource Centre, headquarters of the Chevalier Institute. There will be no more university student borders. There are to be some developments with the MSC Mission Office and MSC Education.

NEWS ITEMS: PERSONNEL

After more than 30 years, Albert Yelds has returned from Kiribati and is at Kensington Monastery.

After even many more years in PNG, Neville Dunne has returned to Kensington.

Barry Smith also moves to Kensington and has responsibility for maintenance of MSC properties.

There were Golden Jubilee of ordination for Paul Cashen and Joe Ensing. Golden Jubilee is of profession for Henk Bosman, Paul Guy, Peter Hearn, Dennis Rochford.

Stephen Hackett, Secretary of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, accompanied the Bishops on their ad limina visit.

There were seven men in the province who turned 80 in 2019.

Malcolm Fyfe, vicar general of Darwin, continued his correspondence with politicians concerning the treatment of refugees.

VIETNAM

The MSC in Vietnam belong to the Australian province and, since 2003 and the foundation, there has been constant support from Australian personnel, MSC in short-term and long-term work with the Vietnamese confreres, many visits. Bob Irwin has spent part of the year in Vietnam for many years. Thoi Tran is there. Members of the Indonesian province also contribute.

Mark Hanns went to Vietnam for the students’ annual retreat.

In 2019, Danh was ordained to the priesthood. Two students made their final vows. Seven students renewed theirs. The novices go to the Philippines for their novitiate. Qui has completed biblical studies in Rome. Hoang is the local superior. Thang has done language studies in Australia and completed the Siloam, Spiritual Direction program, at the Heart of Life Centre, and is now on the staff at the retreat house at St Mary’s Towers. Quang has done studies in the Philippines.

2019 BUSHFIRES

From September, Australia experienced bushfires as never before, extent and intensity. Earlier they flared in Queensland and northern and central coast New South Wales. There were fires in Western Australia and, extensively, in South Australia.

By December and into January 2020, Northern and Eastern Victoria were ablaze. Around Christmas and New Years, the southern coast of New South Wales and the hinterland suffered severe fires.

MSC Connections: some Queensland fires were close to Toowoomba and Downlands; many fires near Chevalier and St Mary’s Towers (where some elderly in residential centres nearby were welcomed during the crisis). Canberra experienced some road isolation and the airport closing at times. Canberra also experienced long periods of heavy smoke cover blotting out the sky. Smoke cover extended to Sydney and Melbourne.

A VISIT TO MSC FORMATION, KOREA

REPORT FROM HUMBERTO HENRIQUES MSC, GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

Taking advantage of the occasion of the 25th General Conference in South Korea, after its closing, I went to Seoul, the capital of the country, to visit the Houses of Formation. Once we arrived, we saw a warning: take off your sandals when you enter the rooms. A sign of cleanliness, but also of respect.

This attitude also teaches us not only good ways of behaving in another country, but also reminds us of the inner attitude that we must have when we meet with each individual person. It reminds me of the attitude I should have when I'm talking to the trainers and trainees. And it was in this spirit of mutual respect that this accompaniment took place in Korea, just as it has in other places.

I came across beautiful people who were committed to our mission. Formators who are well trained and who continue to seek answers to the daily questions that human accompaniment demands, especially in Initial Formation. Formands who, despite the challenge of the changes they face, ardently desire to respond to God's call in their lives.

 The Houses of Formation in South Korea are located in the same place on an island near the capital, where the Province also maintains a Retreat House and a beautiful newly built Church. At present we have 1 pre-novice, 3 novices and 3 scholastics (among these, 2 deacons). For next year, three new candidates are waiting to enter MSC formation. Taking into account the Christian minority, the secularization of society and the fact that we are not involved in parish ministries, this number of vocations represents a good work done by the Korean brothers, together with the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, with whom they work

It was an intense week with activities organized by them, meetings with the formands together and individually, and meetings with the formators. In addition, I had the opportunity to visit some tourist places with the students and experience the delicious and exotic dog meat!

The impression is that everyone did the best they could, taking their time and attention to make us feel like one family: the MSC family. At all times, we took off our sandals to respectfully approach each other's lives. And from one meal to another, one meeting to another, we recognized each other as brothers and encouraged those in formation to continue to fall in love with Jesus and the mission.

CONCERN FOR REFUGEES TO AUSTRALIA.

ST JOHN’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE DARWIN AND THE MELALEUCA REFUGEE CENTRE

Fr Peter Hendriks MSC has sent this article, an encouraging story of a partnership between St John’s Catholic College in Darwin (which was staffed by MSC Priests, Brothers, OLSH Sisters and lay staff in its early decades, 1960s-1980s), and the Melaleuca Refugee Centre.

A school located in the heart of Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory has partnered with a local refugee centre to support young people from a refugee or humanitarian program background transition to school in Australia.

To date, the program has supported 20 students – some of whom have fled from places like the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

St John’s Catholic College Principal, Cameron Hughes, says the college has a focus on Catholic identity, quality teaching and learning, and pastoral care.

‘The goal of the partnership between Melaleuca [Refugee Centre] and St John’s is to support and connect young people to education, and as a Catholic college we see this partnership as a big part of our mission,’ he says.

Hughes has taught at St John’s since 2004. In 2018 he was appointed Acting Principal and has since been appointed to the ongoing position.

In his first week as Acting Principal, Hughes visited Melaleuca Refugee Centre to introduce himself and the college to the Melaleuca staff.

‘A few weeks later, a Melaleuca case manager contacted me as they were having trouble placing some recently arrived students in a school. The students enrolled at St John’s and from here the partnership grew,’ he says. ‘Before this, the school was well placed to support students from a refugee or humanitarian program background, however, had not explicitly cultivated a relationship with the refugee centre.’

St John’s has an enrolment of around 200 students, 50 per cent of whom come from Darwin suburbs, 30 per cent from remote Indigenous communities, and roughly 20 per cent who come from international locations.

In addition, 40 per cent of students identify as Indigenous and over 60 per cent come from a Language Background Other Than English (LBOTE). Over 10 per cent of students come from a refugee or humanitarian program background.

Features of the partnership

Hughes says the school has various programs and structures in place to support refugee students. This includes a clinic staffed by a registered nurse, and a vertical pastoral care program to create a ‘Culture of Welcome, Where Everyone Belongs’. The school has also employed two staff members from a refugee background to support students and assist with translation and transitioning into a mainstream Australian school.

‘The college had an existing Intensive English Unit that catered for international students only,’ Hughes says. ‘The college repositioned this unit to cater for both international students and new arrival students, including refugee students. The college also provides access to education and supports families with tuition, uniforms and books.’

In addition, Melaleuca provides ongoing expert pastoral care and services for students and their families, including access to counselling, induction programs, and creating and strengthening networks.

CEO of Melaleuca Refugee Centre, Kwame Selormey also joined the St John’s Catholic College Advisory Board to further support the college and provide representation of refugee families.

Supporting students to succeed

To date, the program has supported the transition of 20 students and continues to grow. ‘It is hoped that over the next few years the program will continue to grow to support over 50 students,’ Hughes says.

The students from this program have achieved great success, and have taken on leadership positions in the school, Hughes says. The 2019 college captain and the 2020 captain and vice-captain have all been through the program.

‘Students are tracking very well through the academic programs on offer at the college, with senior students working towards the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET),’ he says.

Hughes adds there is a high level of integration of refugee students and their families into the school community – through academic, sports, cultural and religious programs.

He shares the story of two students in particular, Chol and Wal Akol Jok, who fled South Sudan with their family and found themselves migrating to Darwin in 2018 as part of the Australian Government’s Refugee and Humanitarian program.

For the brothers, the support from the Melaleuca Refugee Centre and St John’s has been vital in making the transition to life in Darwin a success. Since commencing at the college in 2018, they have completed the intensive English program and are now in Year 12 working towards the NTCET.

‘We are very proud of Chol, Wal and all the students who have joined the college as part of the partnership. We as a community have been enriched by the contributions of the students and their families,’ Hughes says.

Evaluating the impact

Hughes says the school leadership team evaluates the impact of the partnership in several ways, including through monitoring student enrolments, student attendance and academic progress.

‘The refugee students contribute a significant amount to the college. All students are highly engaged in their learning and the co-curricular programs. Students are excellent role models – valuing education, excellent attendance, behaviour and work ethic.’

In 2020, Hughes has plans for the partnership to grow further and hopes to engage more parents and families. He also plans to apply for grant funding or further support to develop and enhance the program.

RIP, MANUEL HILARIO MSC, FIRST FILIPPINO MSC TO STUDY IN AUSTRALIA

In the early morning of January 9, 2020, Father Manny Hilario passed away at the age of 88 years. At the time of his death, he was confined at the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and being treated for the many ailments his advancing Parkinson Disease brought along. His final years had become an increasingly hard battle against his sickness. We do remember him for the courage with which he carried his suffering, most of the time with great equanimity, but he deserves it probably more if we remember him for the leadership he gave to our congregation and for the way he shepherded the people of many parishes in Nueva Ecija.

Fr. Manny with his classmate, Fr. Clem Mauricio, in 1958.

Manuel Hilario was born in Lupao, Nueva Ecija on September 19, 1931 as the eleventh child of what would become sixteen children of Roque and Felisa Hilario. In 1937, Lupao became an MSC parish and Father Reinier van Glansbeek – long-time parish priest of Lupao – became instrumental in showing him the way to becoming a priest in the MSC Congregation. As second-year college student, he entered the then still very new MSC Minor Seminary in Lapu-Lapu City. After his novitiate year (1957-1958) in Carcar, Cebu. He became a professed Missionary of the Sacred Heart on May 31, 1958. The next phase of his formation as religious and as future priest took place with the MSC in Australia, where the young Filipino members then went for their theological studies. By the middle of 1962, he had finished his studies and returned to the Philippines to be ordained priest in San Jose, Nueva Ecija on July 29, 1962.

As priest and religious Father Manny lived a rich pastoral life. After a short stint at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Angeles City, he spent the first ten years of his priestly life ministering to parishes: first to our Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Quezon City, and after that to many of our parishes and schools in Nueva Ecija: Muñoz, Pantabangan, Guimba and San Jose City. He loved the parish work and was good at it, and with his open heart for people and his very sound common sense, he was a gift to every place he served.

With Superior General, Abzalon, and the Province.

Nineteen-seventy-three brought him a new challenge, when he was asked – in line with the overdue Filipinization of our seminary formation, to be both Rector of the MSC Theologate and Novice Master in the MSC Novitiate, at that time both located at our Sacred Heart Scholasticate in Quezon City. There was an urgent need, urgent enough for him to set personal preferences aside and accept this new challenge wholeheartedly. Maybe he did it with a lot of fear and questions, because there was no time for any appropriate training or formators’ formation, but thanks again to his calm and thoughtful personality, he accomplished the task successfully.

After six years of formation ministry, he could go back to what he liked best: parish ministry, and in 1979 he returned to Muñoz, Nueva Ecija as parish priest and school director. Little could he have known that this would be only a sort interlude. After only two years in Muñoz, the MSC community elected him as Provincial Superior of the then newly established Philippine Province. It was a heavy burden to carry, not only because we were a very young province with few resources, but even more so because it was a time when human freedoms were suppressed by the powers in society, a time also when religious commitments were often radicalized and translated into political action. A time we needed an anchor in the storm, a rock to build on, a steady hand to keep us together. And that is what he was, in his own way, not always perfect, but always with dedication, conviction and courage.

He was our Provincial Superior for two terms. After that, he returned again to parish ministry. For almost 10 years he was still parish priest of Guimba, Nueva Ecija and for more than 15 years he was Director of its Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Academy. In 1999 he became the first parish priest of the new parish of Triala, Guimba.

In 2003 Father Manny retired from active ministry, first at the MSC Provincialate and later he was among the first residents of our Chevalier Home. His final years became difficult ones when his Parkinson disease progressed, and in the last days made speaking and eating almost impossible. Still, when he had to be hospitalized a few days after Christmas, we did not really foresee that he would not return in our midst.

We, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, together with Father Manny’s relatives and friends, mourn his passing and join in prayers around his remains. But more than mourning, we may feel grateful for what he did for people and for his confreres – and maybe even more for how he was, for his humor and common sense, for his wisdom soaked in practicality, for the courage he showed in accepting difficult tasks, and for the heart he had for everybody; in his own unique way, he was, a missionary of God’s heart. It is in God’s Heart, in God’s love he is now at rest.

HAVE YOU COME ACROSS THE STORY OF MARIE THERESE NOBLET: FRANCE, PNG, AUSTRALIA?

Many of us from the past used to hear the story of Marie Therese Noblet, her connection with Archbishop Alain De Boismenu, devil possession, her mission in PNG.  January 15th sees the 90th anniversary of her death.

 MARIE THERESE NOBLET, 1889-1930

by James Griffin, This article was published in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 11, (MUP), 1988

FRENCH ORIGINS

Marie Thérèse Augustine Noblet (1889-1930), Catholic mystic, was born on 30 September 1889 at Signy-l'Abbaye, Ardennes, France, second of three children of Charles Constant Noblet, a wealthy textile manufacturer, and his second wife Marie Angèle, née Panis, whose piety led them to endow a religious orphanage. In 1894, soon after his business failed, Charles died and the straitened family went to Rheims to Marie's father, a professor of medicine. Within eighteen months Marie Thérèse's younger sister, mother and grandmother died, leaving the traumatized child under the care of her awesome grandfather, who placed her as a boarder with the Sisters of the Child Jesus. After his death in 1900 she lived with relatives at Epernay. In 1896 she had received extreme unction for peritonitis which had permanently weakened her. In 1901 she wrote down her first 'decision for Christ'. Her irregular convent schooling ceased in 1903 but she was undoubtedly steeped in devout eschatological and legitimist traditions. In 1905, encased in plaster and unable to walk because of dorso-lumbar 'Pott's disease', she was suddenly cured in the Lourdes grotto, becoming the twelfth cure authenticated by the official Medical Bureau. Other ailments followed, and pilgrimages, one of which resulted in an unverified cure.

THE DEVILS

About 1910 Noblet took a temporary vow of virginity in spite of deep affection, which she retained, for a military officer 'of good birth'. The Carmelites rejected her because of physical frailty. From 1911 she felt persecuted by devils with such names as Isokoran (whom she believed to be a Japanese spirit of impurity), Sadoc, Jupiter (the most violent), Venus and Cupidon. Her cousin and a priest testified to finding her hurled from her bed and bound intricately and otherwise inexplicably by cords. In 1913, finally accepting her role as 'victim', destined to share vicariously in Christ's sufferings, Noblet felt herself violently stabbed, spat blood, and found a visible subcutaneous cross impressed over her heart. Satan or 'the old fellow' called her, she claimed, 'the child of Calvary'.

PNG, THE HANDMAIDS OF THE LORD

In early 1921 near Marseilles, Archbishop Alain de Boismenu, called in as an exorcist, witnessed her recovery from immobilization and blindness; on Holy Thursday she received a further stigma, a purple host below her throat. Believing her mystical powers might help 'to end Papua's long pagan lethargy', Boismenu risked derision by embarking with her for Papua in September; it was no environment for a semi-invalid. At Florival, Kubuna (Mekeo), she was almost immediately professed, contrary to canonical regulations, as mother superior of the recently founded (1918) Congregation of the Handmaids of our Lord. Living alone with and sleeping on a corn-cob mattress like her indigenous Sisters, she is said to have 'trampled on the barrier of race'. Divine approval was further signified by other transient and idiosyncratic stigmata. As Noblet rejected 'confidence and admiration', such symbols were witnessed only by a presumably sane and veracious Boismenu and a few other intimates during her life. Similarly her continuing Satanic 'possessions', 'paroxysms of disgusting hatred' and intermittent ecstasies were only disclosed to others posthumously. The stigmata are not mentioned in the most recent official history of the Sacred Heart mission (1985) presumably because of post-Vatican II scepticism and because her credibility is relevant to Boismenu's cause for canonisation.

MISSION IN PNG

To her charges and colleagues Mother Noblet appeared ineffably serene, always amiable and homely and devoid of any symptom of artful hysteria. In spite of her constricted upbringing, she was enthusiastic about her 'daughters' who climbed palms, played football and swam. Uncomplaining about her insomnia and dolorous infirmities, she travelled fearlessly on horseback in the bush. Her profound spirituality was credited with doubling baptisms to over 16,000 in 1921-30; new convents were founded; in 1927 she was triumphantly acclaimed by the barbaric Fuyughés as their 'mother'.

IN AUSTRALIA

Noblet spent most of 1928 in Sydney meeting canonical obligations, inconspicuously attending the International Eucharistic Congress and living at convents where she believed angels administered communion to her. Her death at Kubuna on 15 January 1930 was, said Boismenu, 'austere, swift and violent … like the death of Him Whose Passion she willed to continue in her body and soul'. She is revered by the Handmaidens who today number over 70 spread over eight dioceses. Photographs reveal a gracile, sorrowful madonna-like figure, hollow-cheeked with sensitive, piquant features. Even in Papua New Guinea her reputation has been obscure, but she influenced the vocation of the first Papua New Guinean Catholic priest and bishop Louis Vangeke and, posthumously, through Boismenu the conversion of the Australian poet and conservative polemicist James McAuley (1917-1976).

NETFLIX ALERT AND CAUTION : NETFLIX FILMS FROM BRAZIL, PARODIES OF THE GOSPELS

An ever-increasing number of us are watching Netflix - audiences watching all around the world.

Here is an alert/caution concerning two 48 minute Brazilian films screening on Netflix, worldwide, since December 2019. Their titles are: The Last Hangover, The First Temptation of Christ. 

Posted on the website of the Australian Catholics Bishops Conference, Office of Film and Broadcasting.

Note, small size stills have been included, not to promote the films but to indicate visually the tone.

With the word “Hangover” instead of “Supper” in the title of the first film, it is clear that these films would be not straightforward Gospel films. And they are not. They can be described as parodies. Some angry bloggers, for example on the Internet Movie Database, have been using the word “blasphemy” and have been calling for action against Netflix.

Bloggers have also been noting, critical of Netflix, that a parody of Islam or the Prophet, Mohamad, would not be streamed. We remember the violent consequences of Danish cartoons in the past as well as the shootings at Charlie Hebdo.

The Christian tradition, on the whole, has incorporated humorous interpretations of biblical episodes. Many contemporary political cartoons make their point with reference to biblical characters and biblical themes, especially for justice and for peace. And there have been some films which relied on audience knowledge of Gospel events to make their points by humour. Prominent was the 1979 The Life of Brian, and a Last Supper episode in Mel Brooks’ The History of the World Part I (1981). By and large, Christians and Catholics around the world saw the humour and recognised the Gospels while Christians of a more fundamentalist persuasion, with their adherence to literal interpretation without knowledge of literary forms, did not.

It would be very surprising if many, even any, Christians found these Brazilian films truly humorous. They are exaggerated parodies. If looked at as comedies, that would be judged as exercises in the broadest type of comedy for which the adjectives raucous, course, crass, irreverent quickly come to mind. Slang would call them “ratbag” humour. And, it would seem, that they have been calculated to be offensive to a wide range of people, especially Christians. The writers of the films indicate in their screenplays that they are familiar with the Gospel texts and with the theological/spiritual meanings of the texts. But then they ‘go to town’ on them.

The Last Hangover is basically a drunken binge, the effect of the supper felt the next day, the mystery of Jesus’ behaviour and his disappearance. The apostles are presented as a group of gross “boofheads”, not a spiritual thought in the heads, welcoming prostitutes to the meal, Peter particularly promiscuous, some Roman soldiers arriving, Jesus moody and erratic.

The First Temptation of Christ (with title echoes of The Last Temptation) offers another party, presided over by a rather cautionary and a somewhat clownish Joseph. Jesus is returning from his 40 days in the desert and is being welcomed home but wanting to leave. Once again, a lot of the behaviour is boorish, raucous and coarse. And the characterisations seem particularly crass. There has been a lot of criticism of the presentation of Jesus, implications of a gay orientation, some camp behaviour. However, the gay character he met in the desert turns out to be Satan himself, initially camp but ultimately vicious and vindictive. One of the strong criticisms of the film’s screenplay would be the character of Uncle Victor who turns out to be an incarnation of God the Father, Mary and Joseph revealing to their son that Uncle Victor is truly his father. There is a grubby parody tone when Uncle Victor is made to have lascivious designs and desires towards Mary – and she seems something of a willing accomplice.

Which raises the question of how to describe these films and whether they are blasphemous. Blasphemy implies explicit intent in mockery. Whether these films are blasphemous can be debated. Perhaps that was not the intention but rather the use of the usual explanation/ excuse: “just having a bit of fun”. At the least, the film-makers are quite profane in their interpretation of situations, creation of characters, crass dialogue (of the four-letter kind in the English subtitles), certainly an attempt to bring characters from sacred writings and traditions as far down to earth as possible.

In general, there can be too kinds of responses to films like this – the crusading response, the educating response. Crusaders prefer a militant approach, an attack on Netflix, urging customers to boycott the streaming service. Some would argue that this approach gives too much air and publicity to the films which might be better ignored. On the other hand, educators prefer to explore the phenomenon, offer some analysis, enable viewers to look at the material with some informed critical judgement.

There will be more nuanced responses to these films according to different sensibilities and sensitivities, cultural differences. This response echoes an English-speaking world culture. The most telling commentaries would be from Brazil, commentaries both religious and secular, and other responses from Latin American countries.

Eventually, after the controversies, the question would be raised whether these films are worth this kind of attention.

TERRIBLE NEWS BUSHFIRE AT ROSEDALE

Ex-teacher Mrs Jean Reid - who commenced teaching at Daramalan College on Day One in 1962 - lost her Rosedale home and possessions in the New Year's eve South Coast fires. She is safe but now homeless at 104-years of age and is staying with one of her daughters in Canberra. Another daughter, who lived next door to Jean in Rosedale, also lost everything in these terrible fires.

Mrs Reid is a true Daramalan icon who played a huge role in creating the first Learning Support department in the school’s early days.

Her family will need a lot of help in re-establishing their lives, so I have started a GoFundMe page to assist them and I would encourage your support in any way you can. The link is here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/mrs-reid-needs-our-help

I will keep you across any developments.
Thank you. Bernard Kane – Daramalan Alumni Administrator.

WEEKEND MSC PHOTOS

During this week there have been several posts which had stories in words.

To balance this, here are some images for stories.

Director of the MSC Mission Office, Roger Purcell, with Carmel Smith OLSH who designed the banner.

Discussions about our mission in Japan

MSC in Japan. Looking along the line, we can see Keith Humphries, John Graham and Brian Taylor.

Brother Warren Perrotto MSC works in Fiji but was back home in the US for his 72nd birthday.

Christmas at Via Asmara, with the General Administration - and Qui in front.

New Year at St Paul's. Nightcliff

Cardinal John Ribat and Bishop Rochus Tatamai carrying the coffin at the burial of Bishop Ambrose Kiapseni.

Pioneer Sister Anne Gardiner OLSH

BOTH JOY AND SADNESS FOR OLSH SISTERS, JUBILEES AND A DEATH

Jubilees of Sr Josette and Sr Theresa

Today we express our appreciation and love to our Jubilarians – Sisters Josette and Theresa, Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, who over seventy years ago began a journey which has taken them to places and situations that they possibly never dreamed about, on their first profession day. Amazing 70 years ago! It would be difficult for many people in our society today to even imagine this sort of selfless commitment to God and to God’s people. Their lives of dedication and long-term commitment are an inspiration to all of us.

I have asked a few people to give me some inside information on these two valiant women. It is not easy to sum up 140 years in a few minutes.

Theresa was born in Sydney and went to school in the local area completing her Secondary Education next door at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College. Josette was born in Tumut, and very proud of it. One of my sources told me that any imported oranges that arrived in PNG had to be inspected by Josette to see if they came from Tumut. Josette completed her leaving certificate at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College here in Kensington.

Both Sisters have spent the majority of their religious life ministering in the field of Education. Theresa in our Primary Schools and Colleges in Australia and Josette in Schools in Papua New Guinea. Both instrumental in forming the hearts and minds of young people. Some of you in this room are can attest to their wonderful teaching. Some OLSH Sisters present here today were inspired to enter the Congregation because of their witness to God’s love.

Theresa was a highly respected teacher in both primary and secondary education. Former students have described her as treating all students the same and never having any favourites. She was a wonderful staff member whose warmth, ability to laugh and join in the fun attracted people to her. During her many years in education she was drawn to help those suffering, especially young people with difficult home situations. In her later years Theresa was involved with our associates and is well known for her wonderful organization and leadership of the Pilgrimages to Issoudun. Her passion for our Charism and love of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart led her to work tirelessly at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Randwick where she was able to spread this devotion through her witness and her many writings. Theresa is known in Community for her genuine care for others, compassion, graciousness, and positive attitude.

Josette’s teaching ministry was in Papua New Guinea, where she spent years in ‘out stations’. There were very few teachers and she soon found herself in Administration and training the local people to be teachers. From the first time she arrived in PNG she was described as being a ‘ball of energy’. It will not surprise anyone that Josette was a very competent sports coach in a variety of sports and organised many sporting carnivals for her students and her students won many competitions. Her energy and determination resulted in her making a major contribution to the future of education in the young nation. This is apparent by the awards she has received from the PNG Government for service to Education. Josette is well known for her love of ‘projects’ and from the inception of the PNG Province in 1964, she along with many other sisters worked tirelessly at fund raising to support the new Province. After retiring from teaching Josette ran a very profitable school canteen right up to the time, she left PNG. She made many friends in PNG, including members of the Chinese Catholic Community, some who are present with us today. Josette returned to Australia in 2013, Josette is known in community for her warmth, graciousness, kindness and generosity.

This brief summary certainly does not do justice to these heroic Sisters. Josette and Theresa have touched countless life’s over their many years of generous, dedicated, joy filled service to God and God’s people. Like Jules Chevalier and Marie Louise Hartzer, they have shown people the compassionate face of God and the church.

As I look at you today, Theresa and Josette, I can only say…your lives have been and continue to be an inspiration to us all, thank you for your witness to each one of us of what a faith filled, forever YES looks like….a life lived so close to Jesus that you cannot but radiate Joy. All that is left to say is, God bless you, thank you and congratulations to both of you, for sharing your many gifts and live with us all, may you continue to be blessed with good health and a positive spirit as you witness to God’s generous love.

I ask Moya and Pauline to present you with a rose as a symbol of our deep love and appreciation.

Josette and Theresa, we are proud of you and we love you.

Philippa Murphy olsh
Kensington, 4th January, 2020

Eulogy: Sr Emmanuel [Ena Francis Chapman] (24.05.1916 - 28.12.2019)

Come you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. (Lk 5:4)

After spending 83 years in the Congregation of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart as a tireless missionary I am sure Sr Emmanuel would have received such a welcome from Him whom she had served so well.

Ena was born into a devout Catholic family from which she gained her love of God and his mother. She said that her father was not a Catholic when he met her mother in Cooktown but he received “the gift of faith without which I don’t think my mother would have married him.” Frederick Chapman was a marine engineer from New Zealand and Evelyn O’Neill a nurse from Queensland. Some time after their first baby was born, a boy called Rolla, they went to Timaru, Frederick’s home town, in the South Island of New Zealand and it was here that Eileen was born. When they moved to Auckland where it was warmer Ena was born in 1916. Nearly two years later the family came to Sydney and settled first in Randwick and then in Coogee. It was here that Ena came into contact with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and Eileen with the Little Sisters of the Poor the congregation she later joined. Two more children were born after the family’s arrival in Australia, Francis and Mary. Ena received her first holy Communion from Father Peter Treand, the first provincial superior of the Australian MSC’s and the father of the Australian MSC’s. Her family was very involved in the life of the Church in Randwick and in Coogee.

As the family lived near the sea and her father had a great love of the sea so did Ena and she spent a lot of time in the surf at Coogee, first with her father and later on her own. She became a good swimmer! In 1929 when she was still only thirteen years of age, because of the Depression she had to leave school and gained employment as a messenger girl in the Swan Pen warehouse on the corner of Sussex and King Streets in the city. When she was 18 after a Mission in the parish church she felt God calling her to “become a nun”. However, this was not yet possible as her sister Eileen had just gone to the Little Sisters of the Poor and Ena’s financial help was needed by the family. Two years later in 1936 even though she loved swimming and dancing she joined the novitiate of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at Bowral. Her parents were very happy with her choice and looked upon the vocations of their daughters “as a precious gift from God.”

After her profession in 1938 she began on her epic journey as a teacher in Northern Australia for the next 73 years. Her first mission was to Thursday Island to where she was sent because she could swim. The sisters had to travel by boat from Thursday Island to Hammond Island for catechetics and not long before a boat carrying the sisters there capsized and one of the sisters drowned. When the war started in the Pacific in 1941 this intrepid missionary accompanied 25 children who were evacuated to Cooyar, about 70km from Dalby in Queensland and then in November, 1944 she joined the Melville Island evacuees in Carrieton, South Australia. Having had a trial run as a teacher with Sr Vianney at Our Lady of the Rosary Kensington who said she would be a good teacher, Sr Emmanuel taught from 1939 in Thursday Island and then in the two places of evacuation. After her arrival in Port Keats in 1946 she completed her school education by correspondence from Western Australia and then followed this with Theory and Practice of Education with the South Australian Department of Education. She said this gave her great satisfaction.

For the next 49 years in Port Keats [now called by its indigenous name, Wadeye] Melville Island, Bathurst Island and Daly River, Sr Emmanuel was an Early Childhood teacher who prepared the children for their first Holy Communion. Also, she was highly regarded by the members of both the Catholic Education Office and the N.T. Education Office for the way she embraced the new trends in education and she was considered as one of the best Early Childhood teachers of mathematics in the Northern Territory. At the end of 1995 she had to officially retire as a paid teacher. The following year when she began as a “volunteer full time teacher” of Year 2 at Wadeye she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to education, particularly in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. During the investiture she received much praise as an extraordinary Australian who for 57 years of educating young people in remote Aboriginal communities is a remarkable example of dedication and selfless service.

For the next four years she continued as a full-time classroom teacher and then for the following 12 years as a remedial reading teacher in the mornings. Then at the great age of 96 she returned to Kensington convent where she was a much-loved member of the community here and then for the last few years at St Joseph’s. It was amazing the way she was always interested in the news and who was winning in the cricket! Her ready wit and her interest in everything will be greatly missed.

The people of Wadeye have never forgotten her and when they heard of her death sent a message of sincere sympathy to the sisters because of their loss. Several of the indigenous teachers from Wadeye are present today to pay their respects.

Throughout her life her love of God, the Church, our Blessed Mother, our congregation, and the people she served was very evident. The words of St Paul to the Corinthians can certainly be applied to her, “We prove we are servants of God by great fortitude in times of suffering,....by our purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; by a spirit of holiness and by a love free from affectation.”

Sr Emmanuel spent her entire religious life endeavouring to live out our spirituality, to make the Sacred Heart of Jesus everywhere loved.

Emmanuel thank you for your wonderful witness of a joy filled, faith filled life. May your gentle soul rest in peace.

Written by Helen Simpson olsh

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE SACRED HEART DEVOTION   

Chris Chaplin MSC, member of the General Administration was present. Here is his report.

THE SACRED HEART DEVOTION INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE was held November 8, 9 at Villa Aurelia in Rome. It was hosted by the Priests of the Sacred Heart (Dehonians), in conjunction with the Lucerne University of Teacher Education, under the Patronage of the Pontifical Council for Culture.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart was considered from multi- disciplinary perspectives, by academics from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, the US, Canada and Indonesia focussing on iconography, memory, emotion and body in the language, imagery and rituals of the Sacred Heart. Among the theologians, historians, religious scientists, sociologist and art historians who presented their research, these are a few.

Jean-Jacques Olier

Professor David Morgan and Dr. Paul Airiau, explored the development of the iconography in the French school, with Cardinal de Berulle, Jean-Jacques Olier (founder of the Sulpicians), and Jean Eudes, who focused on the sentiments of the Heart of Christ which are signified using symbolic representations. Against this was pitted the anatomically detailed human heart of the person of Jesus promoted by the Jesuits. An interesting rivalry. The piety of Margaret Mary Alacoque in the development of the devotion received frequent mention.

Cardinal de Berulle

A Spanish academic María Antonia Herradón Figueroa PhD, exposed the influences that the devotion has had on politics in Spain, particularly mentioning its use by conservative partisans.

One of the famous images of the anti-Catholic persecution in the Spanish Civil War was the Red militiamen shooting the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Cerro de los Ángeles in 1936. The cry of «Viva Cristo Rey» is associated with this. General Franco later rebuilt the monument.

The theologian Professor Elke Pahud de Mortanges, investigated the relationship of embodiment to the devotion; the individual body, ecclesia as body, geo-political bodies and gender. The Sacred Heart has been a motive in all these modes. Professor Fransiskus Purwanto, reflected on the non-western expression of the devotion seen in the Shrine to the Sacred Heart in Ganjuran, Indonesia. Professor Nicolas Steeves, of the Pontifical Gregorian University, shared some enticing ideas with regard the Sacred Heart as a fundamental stimulus for theological imagination. Most stimulating was his thoughts on faith as imagination.

I  look  forward  to  further  opportunities  to  visit such research. Perhaps they will include our own developments in Heart Spirituality.