OLSH RANDWICK, PREPARING FOR THE 2020 PLENARY SYNOD

Dioceses and parishes and particular groups have been involved in discussions to prepare submissions for the 2020 Plenary Synod.  Here is an example from MSC parish ministry.

Statement Summary of OLSH Group, Randwick, on the Plenary Council 2020:

We think God is calling our church to be more inclusive placing people ahead of rules akin to what Jesus lived and preached when he challenged Judaism to place people ahead of the law.

The sexual abuse scandal has revealed how much our church leaders lost their way. We were appalled with how our church leaders placed power and assets ahead of the protection of our nation’s young people. Regarding the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse we agreed that:

• ● Bishops and Leaders of Religious Orders should work with the Vatican in establishing a tribunal for canonical disciplinary cases

• ● Church leaders need to establish a transparent process for appointing Bishops which includes the direct participation of lay people.

• ● Australian Bishops need to promote more women to leadership positions in the Church. We considered that our present Australian church suffers from being 'overly institutional' rather than a 'community' based church. Members spoke of its clericalism and exclusiveness but saw this manifest not in our local parish but in the national church. Again this was linked to failures of our Bishops and the concentration of power into too few hands. We call upon the Australian church to:

• ● Remove the present mass text and replace it with the 1998 ICEL missal

• ● Strive for greater ecumenical ties with other Christian churches

• ● Investigate the introduction of a female diaconate

• ● Protect the seal of confession but re-introduce the option of the 3rd Rite of Reconciliation for pastoral reasons

• ● Re-examine the presentation of sexual morality in the Catholic Church regarding same sex attraction and other areas of personal morality…

• ● Allow divorcees who remarry outside the church to receive communion…

• ●Promote introduction of married clergy

We believe God is calling all those baptised to be more engaged in the life and mission of the church…(and) truly live up to the hopes and decisions of the Second Vatican Council which called on the laity to share in the salvific mission of the Church ( Lumen Gentium , 33)…

We spoke of the need for our national church…to seek the regaining of trust with its members and focus on attracting young people…Michael Blowes, (Convenor)

ANNALS, 130 YEARS OLD

An article by the editor of Annals Australasia, Paul Stenhouse MSC, from Annals, remembering the history from 1889 to the present.

                           ‘Wonder is dead, you say!/Wonder can never die.

                             Not while within a shining pool/a man can see the sky’.        

                                             Dame Mary Gilmore, ‘By the Roadside’, Annals, December 1926

ANNALS AUSTRALASIA

1899 – 2019

Annals was first published in November 1889 as an octavo A5-size monthly of 24 pages, costing 2/-annually at 2d an issue. She will be 130 years old in November 2019, a quarto or A4-sized journal of 48 pages, costing $33 annually or $3 an issue.

In 1989, her centenary year, Annals, The Bulletin and The Messenger of the Sacred Heart were among the few publications founded in the 1880s known to have survived. The Messenger and The Bulletin have since ceased publication in 1990 and 2008 respectively, joining all but a few of their myriad contemporaries that have returned to the pulp, lead, ink and dust out of which they were produced.

The first Annals, France, 1865

The first editor of The Annals of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was Mary Agnes Finn, a member of an old-established Randwick Catholic family. She was assisted by Father Emil Merg, the nominal editor, an MSC priest from what was then Alsace-Lorraine. His English was poor. Her role as editor was never publicised, and apart from the regular pieces carrying her by-line she worked in relative obscurity. Yet her role was crucial.

On numerous occasions over the past 130 years, there have been those who thought that Annals had had her day. This was the case in 1966 when I became editor. TV and radio were allegedly dealing deathblows to the print media and even the mighty Cinema was closing down in suburb after suburb, and printing and postage costs were on the increase.

In 1967, the ‘old lady’, by then 78 years old, looking none the worse for wear (although a little piqued by reports that some readers to the north of Australia enjoyed Annals because the paper was excellent for rolling cigarettes!) shook her skirts and strode into the 1970s.

The first issue of Annals for 1968 carried a new name: Annals ‘68. The former name ‘Annals of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart’ had not been dropped from any lack of regard for Our Lady whose magazine it remained but from a sensitivity to the kind of language that young people were using in those days. The circulation climbed steadily from 25,000 in 1966 to over 58,000 in 1972.

1981 was another pivotal moment. Annals was still useful and appreciated, but no longer, we were told, indispensable, and voices were again raised suggesting that the now 92-year-old lady should be pensioned off. Circulation had dropped dramatically and a rethinking of the role (if any) that a Catholic magazine could play in Australia the 80s seemed called for. With what I believe to have been correct insight, Annals appeared for the first time in November-December 1981 as Annals Australasia: A Journal of Catholic Culture, affirming with St Pacianus of Barcelona, who died in 391 AD: Christianus mihi npmen est, Catholicus vero cognomen’, ‘Christian is my first name but my surname is Catholic’.

Past, present and future forms of Catholicism are inextricably bound together. Not to know and appreciate one’s Catholic past is to distort the present and vitiate the future for those who come after us.

From the archives

40 years on, was Annals has survived at least two savage global financial downturns, and her take on the Catholic dimension of the news continues to be appreciated and respected by thousands of Australians – Catholic and non-Catholic.

As on previous occasions when change in increasing costs are in the wind, Job’s comforters are out in force. But if I am not wrong in thinking that this much loved 130-year-old grand lady of Catholic media still has ‘a puff or two in the bellows’, and if it’s true, as many today think, that immersion in the digital world will soon be a requirement for living and surviving in society, then by way of testing the electronic water, Annals – in her 130^th year – may appear sometime this year in a digital as well as a print version. Readers will be kept in the loop.

Paul Stenhouse MSC

The print versions costs nevertheless remain a problem. I thank our generous and ever faithful subscribers and readers for their unfailing support, and encourage them to continue doing what they can to introduce Annals to new subscribers to find generous donors for us who can help us meeting increasing costs. The heartfelt gratitude of all Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus goes out to the countless thousands of readers who over 130 years have encouraged and supported Annals.

Making Dame Mary Gilmore’s words my own, it is as a shining pool reflecting the wonders of God and his creation that Annals has always seen herself,. Age can only enhance the sharpness of the images that she reflects. ’

NOEL MANSFIELD, VISIT TO BROOME

Broome and the North, Jan-Feb 2019

My intention was to celebrate my birthday with my sister, Joan, and then be present for her 90^th birthday in Broome on January 10^th. But I have often been invited by Malcolm Fyfe to come to Darwin whenever I wanted a break. So, I decided that this was the occasion to bring these two visits together.

Joan is a St John of God sister. Her birthday in Broome was a highlight that I was privileged to be present at. I knew she was well known around the Kimberley but this celebration was something beyond all my imagining. She has been in the Kimberley for 70 years. No wonder she is well known by the locals.

The preparations for the occasion were carried out without her knowledge. I am sure she would not have come if she knew it was going to happen. Having arrived in Broome a week or so before the occasion, I thought that she would have picked up things that being said and hinted at. But she missed all these hints.

The birthday party was arranged by Besky Fernandez and his lovely wife, Nithya. I had been privileged to celebrate their wedding in India in 2011. They now have a son, Christopher. They were the moving force behind the whole celebration. Without them it would never have come about.

Bishop Christopher Saunders was one of the special guests and spoke on the occasion. I was also asked to say a few words. Then there must have been ten or twelve other speakers. Most of these were Joan’s pupils at the school; but there were others besides.

To be continued, Visit to Darwin.

NEW MSC MISSION OFFICE DIRECTOR, ROGER PURCELL MSC

With the sudden death of Adrian Meaney, many of us wondered who could succeed him. Adrian achieved a great deal with the Office, assisting many communities around the world.

Projects director, Sean Donovan, and Donations manager, Sally Omar, provide continuity with their considerable experience.

The new director is Roger Purcell MSC. Since his ordination in 1976, Roger has spent most of his life in Papua New Guinea, on mission, working with the Movement for a Better World, working in Diocesan Pastoral Planning.

Here is a short description of an interview with him from 2015. He is speaking at some length, over 20 minutes. It is a fine opportunity to get to know Roger and his mission perspective.

You can watch the video on Youtube by Googling the line below.

“Papua New Guinea is a young country – only 250 years old with a population over 7 million – caught between modernity and the traditional ways. The Catholic Church, a missionary Church, is growing, with one out of three Papuans Catholic. To know more Mark Riedemann interviews Fr. Roger Purcell MSC whose work also includes a Catholic renewal program for Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.”

To view the video, Google:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7NMOlO-3bY

ROCHUS TATAMAI MSC COMPANION OF THE ORDER OF THE STAR OF MELANESIA, CSM.

Rev. Bishop Rochus Joseph Tatamai, MSC, DD was invested with the Insignia of the ‘Companion of the Order of the Star of Melanesia’ (CSM), on 4thApril, 2019 at the Government House, Port Moresby.

Bp Rochus received this award for his service to the community and the Catholic Church from His Excellency, Grand Chief Sir Bob Bofeng Dadae, GCL, GCMG, KSt.J.

His significant contribution as a Priest with diverse roles in Pastoral ministry, promoting vocations, the ‘Voice of Peter ToRot’ radio and television, as Bishop of Kerema, Bereina and Kavieng is recognized. He is also appreciated for his wider leadership as the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

“When the award was announced this year, I was at Lavongai, where a mother and a child died. This award symbolises the people who struggle and I accept this award on behalf of them. The award is for priestly and community service. It therefore belongs to the people”, said Bp Rochus. “With my role as the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference, it is my duty to highlight the plight of the people and voice the concerns as we stand up against the corruption, abuse and violence that is present in our society”, he continued.

“The challenge is also our ability to share the resources God has blessed us with. Secondly, we need to make efforts to have an inclusion mentality for all our people in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. Therefore, rather than being self-centred, our focus needs to be to share these with the less fortunate”, said Bp Rochus.

Present for the ceremony was his sister Mechtild Tili Palawo, who has been involved in the field of education for the past 30 years. “He has been kind and loving to all of us. He has given us an example in responsibility and leadership. It is wonderful that he is recognized for his service to the church and the people”, she said.

Rochus with his sister

“He has been humble, down to earth, concerned about young people and has highlighted issues of marriage and family. He has been an outspoken figure highlighting the effects of Climate Change and Sea Bed Mining. While we congratulate him, we pray that he will continue to be the outspoken figure in the country”, said Michaela Dion, a friend of the family of Bishop Rochus.

The Catholic Church of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands congratulates Bp Rochus on his reception of the ‘Companion of the Order of the Star of Melanesia’ (CSM), award.

Fr. Ambrose Pereira sdb.  With thanks to Stephen Hackett MSC.

VOCATION POSTERS - DO THEY COMMUNICATE? DO THEY ATTRACT?

Here are some MSC posters from the US and the Philippines. The Philippines MSC have a Facebook site, often posting a range of posters.

We can check with some definitions and descriptions

Definition of vocation.

1a : a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action especially : a divine call to the religious life. b : an entry into the priesthood or a religious order. 2a : the work in which a person is employed : occupation. b : the persons engaged in a particular occupation.  Philippines posters:

Vocational discernment

is the process in which men or women in the Catholic Church discern, or recognize, their vocation in the church. The vocations are the life as layman in the world, either married or single, the ordained life and the consecrated life.

US personalised posters.

And people say:

• A strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation.
• ‘He was born in a Kerry farming community in 1938 and, in his early 20s, he received his vocation to enter the priesthood.’
• ‘And this pope actually had a deep influence on my own vocation to the priesthood.’
• ‘‘Teaching is a vocation as well as a profession,’ is John's guiding principle.’
• ‘I imagine that most people who go into the Police Service have a strong sense of vocation.’
• ‘The newspaper has a new astrologer and he found his vocation following careers in the Royal Navy, hotels and catering.’
• ‘I commend the New Zealanders who continue to study for those professions, regardless of the many disincentives, because they have a vocation and a real desire to help others.’
• ‘Marty perceives his mentoring not as a career but as a vocation and a faith commitment.’ 

A FIRST FRIDAY REFLECTION.  LENT, CONFESSION, WYD PANAMA 2019.

Pope Francis in sacramental action, Panama

On the day Pope Francis visited young detainees in Panama, celebrated a penitential liturgy and heard their confessions, WYD participants across Panama City were also receiving the Sacrament of Penance.

By Linda Bordoni

On Friday, Pope Francis brought World Youth Day to Panama’s young people who are not able to participate in the event.

He celebrated a special Penitential Liturgy inside the Las Garzas de Pacora detention center in Panama and heard the inmates’ confessions inside confessionals the young detainees had made themselves.

Across the city meanwhile, Catholic priests have been the hearing confessions of WYD participants  in parishes and in specially set up spaces.

Amongst them, Father John Paul Hudson from the diocese of Austin, Texas, in the United States.

He spoke to Sean-Patrick Lovett, Vatican Radio, about the humbling experience of hearing confessions.

And, Fr Alan Neville MSC, Irish Province, also in action in Panama

Speaking of the Sacrament, Fr John explains that for the priest hearing the confession, what is more important than what is actually said, is to hear the real repentance, but, he says “ I also hear the joy underneath! When somebody is asked to say the Act of Contrition and they say ‘Amen’, I can hear the lifting in the voice”.

“It’s like you’ve been carrying a hundred pound sack for a mile and then when you set it down there is a spring in your step” he says.

Fr John says that in such occasions you know the Holy Spirit is involved in moving these people  to make a good confession.

Sean asks the Catholic priest: “what does it feel like to take that hundred pound sack off somebody’s shoulders?”

Fr John describes it as a very humbling experience. He says he trusts in the Holy Spirit to give him the words to say, and of course “it also very humbling to be there in the place of Christ”.

Confession is catching in Panama

To the question “Is confession is going out of fashion?” Father Hudson says no, and says that apart from the intense experience of WYD, he hears confessions almost every day in his own parish.

“It is deeply connected to the faith”, he says, “and the realization that we are all sinners and we need God’s grace more than ever”.

SOME MILESTONES

NEVILLE DUNNE

The number of members of the Australian Province has increased by one!

For decades, Neville Dunne has worked in PNG, becoming a member of that Province, serving as Provincial Superior.

He has retired from PNG to Kensington’s Sacred Heart Monastery and has returned to the Australian Province. (Never too late!)

ALO LAMERE

Alo Lamere MSC, parish priest of Our Lady of the Rosary. Kensington, has officially become an Australian citizen.

Someone asked whether he now adopts shorts, thongs to put a shrimp on the barbie!

Alo’s history, from John Bosman’s homily at Alo’s silver jubilee of ordination in 2017 - and a tribute,

From being a Parish Priest in Manado to Director of the Pastoral Centre in the Archdiocese of Makassar, became the High School Principal in Makassar… then you took a big leap of faith and went to an unknown place for many of us… you entered into another culture that was much different from your own and travelled to the Kiribati islands and became director of our MSC Aspirants… later you were then moved to be the Novice Master for the whole Pacific Islands… after this you became the Union Superior of the Pacific… and then, realizing your talents, you were called back to Indonesia to be Novice Master.  While back in Indonesia you took on the task of being Provincial Secretary…

in Australia, you were a member of the Siloam, Spiritual Direction program at the Heart of Life Centre,and now today you are here as the Parish Priest of Kensington… what an experience… and you, you as a man of God, you, as an MSC have witnessed to this oneness…by your very life…   to being one of many MSC throughout the world – no matter where you are.

CARDINAL JOHN RIBAT VISITS THE US MSC PROVINCE

CENTER VALLEY, PENNSYLVANIA

We thank Cardinal John Ribat, MSC and Fr Ben Fleming, MSC for their presence among us at Sacred Heart Villa for this past week. We are honored to have our first MSC Cardinal in our house. Fr Joe Gleixner and I will  bringing them to the Philadelphia airport today for their journey to our men in California and then back to PNG. .

PALM SPRINGS 

From David Foxen MSC

Palm Springs is used to welcoming visitors from all parts of the world. It is one of the exciting things about living here. This coming week we are getting ready to welcome Cardinal John Ribat, MSC. He is coming to visit our MSC Community here in California. Forty years ago John Ribat, a young man from Papua New Guinea, made his profession of religious vows as a member of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. After being ordained a priest in 1985, he began his ministry as a parish priest in his native country. With a capacity for pastoral leadership, he was made bishop of the Diocese of Bereina. Six years later he became the archbishop of Port Moresby, the nation’s capital.

With the MSC Sisters

On November 9, 2016, Pope Francis made him Cardinal John Ribat, MSC. This made him the first person from Papua New Guinea and also the first member of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart to become a cardinal. He chose for his motto “Peace through Jesus’ Heart.” These words tell us much about how he lives his priestly ministry. He sees the way to healing that brings genuine peace in the compassion visible in the human Heart of Jesus.

With - some of the congregation...

Cardinal Ribat is anxious to share his concern for the environment and climate change. He has a great appreciation for Pope Francis’ encyclical letter (Laudato Si) on the environment which recognizes the earth as our common home. For Cardinal Ribat, climate change is personal. The climate changes are having a great impact on the people of his native Papua New Guinea. Many of the people in that part of the world live on islands or along coastal land which is near sea level. Rising seas are putting many of the families in danger of losing their homes and land. Some are already experiencing being forced to abandon their homes or are experiencing salt water coming into the wells they depend on for drinking water. He realizes that climate change needs the cooperation of all nations, and he is deeply concerned that the United States has withdrawn from the Paris climate accord. For him and his people climate change is here and now and is disrupting lives and uprooting people.

With Jim Miller msc, Superior of Center Valley, memories of PNG

Cardinal Ribat knows some of the MSCs working here in our California Community from when they were missionaries in Papua New Guinea. He is going to spend a few days here with us in Palm Springs and with the MSCs working in the Riverside area. We are hoping he will be able to visit our three parishes here in Palm Springs. We are planning to invite him to celebrate a Mass at Our Lady of Solitude on Friday, March 29, around 6:00 PM and then go to our Lady of Guadalupe for a reception on the patio. On Saturday he will celebrate the 5:00 PM

Mass at St. Theresa. He will go to St. Catherine of Alexandria, the MSC parish in Riverside, for the 10:00 AM Mass on Sunday, March 31. It is a quick visit but we are deeply honored to have him visit us. It will remind us that we are all part of the universal Church and that we are united with all our brothers and sisters in all the parts of the world.

At Center Valley

MSC Music - An Invitation

A FREE MSC Music e-Hymnal covering some favourites from Frank Andersen and James Maher for those parishes and schools that are members with OneLicense.

Just add your OneLicense number on the booklet (download with link below) and don't forget to report your usage with OneLicense if you use the music at Mass or School.

Message us if you need printed versions.

MSC Music Hymnal Assembly Edition (v2 October 2019)