bbn
BROKEN BAY NEWS
PUBLICATION OF THE CATHOLIC
DIOCESE OF BROKEN BAY
SEPTEMBER 2012 ISSUE 158
50th Anniversary Celebrations for Bishop David Pgs 12-13
in our diocese
SEPTEMBER 2012
Olympic Celebrations at Our Lady of the Rosary
O
ur Lady of the Rosary,
Waitara, celebrated the
beginning of the Olympics
with a bang! On 27 June the
school held an Olympic Day
led by their Year Six classes.
Their Olympic journey began
at the beginning of Term Three
when classes randomly chose
countries to represent on the
official day. Classes looked at their
chosen country closely, especially
the flag, national colours and
location in the world. It was also
during this time the Year Six
students were busy in ‘London’
preparing for the events. They
had to decide which events
to run, test them out, work
out the appropriate locations
for the events and organise a
timetable for classes to rotate
so everyone would have a go.
Students arrived for Olympic
Day dressed brightly in the
colour of their country’s flag.
The lovely parents of the Year 6
students organised a cake stall at
recess to assist with their annual
fundraising. The vital nutrients
in the cakes enabled the athletes
to enthusiastically endure twelve
events in two hours! Before
events began, the Olympic Day
was officially opened by the
Queen who came from London
briefly for the day. The Queen
welcomed the athletes from all
of the countries to London and
wished them all a wonderful
Olympic Day. The countries then
rotated around twelve events
Ecumenical Progressive Luncheon
By Mary Ford
Ecumenical Co-ordinator, St John the Baptist, Woy Woy
Despite wind, rain and cold, more than one hundred
people attended a progressive Ecumenical Luncheon
held on the Woy Woy Peninsula on 11 August.
First course of homemade soup and bread was held at St John the
Baptist Catholic church. 2nd course of roast lamb and various other
hot dishes was held at St Andrews Anglican church Umina, and a
3rd course with sweets was held at The Uniting Church Umina.
While guests ate sweets a very informative talk was given
by Rev Mark Watts from the Uniting Church about his
work as a police chaplain on the Central Coast.
The day was a great success, and the gathering also enjoyed
the company of guests from the Salvation Army at the lunch.
Everyone who attended really enjoyed the fellowship with people
who they had not met before from the different churches.
Synod – it’s in your hands!
Helping you bring the Synod to life in your community!
Bishop David Walker is offering a financial incentive to parishes and our Catholic Schools who, in drawing
on the wisdom of the Synod, seek to commence a new ministry or to refresh an existing ministry.
The incentive is offered to support parishes and schools who may be inspired
by the Synod outcomes but lack the resources to bring them to life.
Submissions for the incentive can be any made by any person in the Diocese
with the support of their Parish Priest or School Principal.
The Diocese will provide support on a dollar for dollar basis for projects which
meet the set criteria through a one off payment up to the value of $20,000
per project. A total of $100,000 has been allocated to this program.
For more information regarding submission criteria, please contact Natalie Acton, Project Coordinator
– Synod, on (02) 4334 2622 or natalie.acton@dbb.org.au Submissions close 1 December 2012.
2
that ranged from javelin, sock
wrestling, shot-put and relays.
After lunch athletes gathered in
the hall for the Closing Ceremony.
Each country chose a flag-bearer
to represent their country, and
the athletes, teachers and parents
were congratulated and thanked.
The Queen formally closed the
Olympic Day and the crowd
was entertained with a computer
generated fireworks display. What
a way to bring the Olympic Spirit
to Our Lady of the Rosary!
bishop david’s message
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
What God Calls one to do, God enables one to do
by
Bishop David Walker
Bishop for Broken Bay
I
n July, I celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of my
ordination to the priesthood. It was a happy
time, with celebrations. Many people gathered or
communicated with me, so that it felt as if I was
reliving the whole fifty years again. However it was
a time for personal reflection as well and I would
like to share with you some of my reflections.
While much has changed in those fifty years, both
in the Church and in the world in which the Church
exists, some things have not changed, but remain an
important element in the life that we lead. When I look
back on the priesthood I embraced fifty years ago, I
can still see that priesthood as the one that I exercise
today. What was essential and best in the priesthood
then is, I believe, essential and best in the priesthood
today. Perhaps, today they may be expressed or lived
differently, but what is being expressed remains the same.
The Church has continued to reflect on the ordained
priesthood, and has come to express more clearly
what role it plays in the Church. I have found this
to be a great support to me in living my priestly life
and ministry. One aspect of the Church’s reflection
was to link ordained ministry with the virtue of
“pastoral charity”, and to see it as expressing what
is best in that ministry. Pope John Paul II offers a
definition of pastoral charity: Pastoral charity is the
virtue by which we imitate Christ in his self-giving
and service. It is not just what we do, but our gift
of self, which manifests Christ’s love for his flock.
The priest represents Jesus to the community, and
self giving is the characteristic of Jesus’ love for us.
Another important reflection was how my life
and ministry have been influenced by many people.
Whatever I have given to others, I have received more
back. My family and friends have been very supportive.
Those with whom I have ministered, and to whom
I have ministered, have enabled me to do much
more that I could have done alone. As I celebrate my
anniversary here in Broken Bay, I feel that the support
and encouragement I have received over the years is
very much a present reality. I am grateful to all those
who have been such an important influence in my life.
As we reflect, we sometimes find the question arising:
“Would we do it all again?” I can honestly say that I
would. I am, and have been happy with my life and
ministry as a priest. Inevitably, in any life, there are
difficult times. However, as one looks back over a long
period one can see the bigger picture, and appreciate
that the overall choice was a good one. I appreciate that
some priests struggle with their choice and some may
choose another way of life. I have not had that struggle,
and none of the issues that have come up in my priestly
life and ministry have pushed me to such a reflection.
From the beginning, I have seen the ordained
priesthood as an invitation from God to serve the
Church. What God calls one to do, God enables
one to do. Individual ability and talent contribute to
one’s ministry, but ultimately it is the Lord working
through us. Perhaps the greatest mistake we can
make is to think we have achieved things on our own.
Ordained ministry is founded on the intimacy with
Jesus which is established in our Baptism, and needs
to be acknowledged and lived out as we mature. How
can one be to others the Jesus who has given himself
for them, if we do not model that in our own lives?
Looking back, and to the present, I feel a great
sense of gratitude for all that has been given to
me. This is a gratitude to God, but also to all
those who have been with me over the years. My
thanks to them, is to exercise my ministry well,
and to intercede for them before the Lord.
I encourage you to view an opinion piece by
NSW Parliamentary MLA, Greg Donnelly, on the
definition of marriage and the debates on samesex marriage. Please see this in the Recent News
section of the Diocesan website: www.dbb.org.au
Remember these deceased pastors, risen and glorified in Christ.
Fill your Australian Church today, Dear God, with the same spirit you poured out on these your Servants.
In September we remember our Priests who served in Broken Bay:
23: Rev Ashley Jones (1999)
27: Rev Noel Carroll (1994)
29: Rev Terence (Terry) O’Brien (2007)
30: Rev Philip (Phil) Murphy (2006)
30: Mons. Vincent Marley (2011)
DIOCESE OF BROKEN BAY
P O Box 340 Pennant Hills NSW 1715
Diocesan Office:
Tel (02) 9847 0000
Fax (02) 9847 0201
Caroline Chisholm Centre
Building 2, 423 Pennant Hills Rd
Pennant Hills NSW 2120
(Access off City View Rd)
Vicars General
Rev Vince Casey
Rev John Hannon
Marriage Tribunal
Rev John Hannon
Tel: (02) 9847 0458
CURIA
Bishop David Walker
Co-ordinator of the Curia, and
Diocesan Financial Administrator:
David Penny
Catholic Development Fund
Chris Field
Tel: (02) 9847 0748
PARISH SUPPORT UNIT
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
(CCD)
Director:
Carole Gan (02) 9847 0560
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OFFICE
Director:
Peter Hamill
Tel (02) 9847 0000
PO Box 967
Pennant Hills NSW 1715
Schools’ Editorial Co-ordinator:
Margaret Schuman Tel: (02) 9847 0370
THE BROKEN BAY INSTITUTE
(BBI)
Director and Principal:
Dr Gerard Goldman
Tel: (02) 9847 0030
CENTACARE
Executive Director:
Deirdre Cheers
Tel: (02) 9847 0000
PO Box 966
Pennant Hills 1715
Children’s Services:
Tel: (02) 9481 2660
Family Centres:
Brookvale – Tel: (02) 8968 5100
Naremburn – Tel: (02) 8425 8700
Gosford – Tel: (02) 4324 6403
Waitara – Tel: (02) 9488 2400
Wyong – Tel: (02) 4350 1700
Foster and Residential Care:
Tel: (02) 9847 0000
Mission, Hospital Chaplaincy and
Pastoral Care
(02) 9481 2658
Challenge Ranch:
Mr Gordon Crabb
Tel: (02) 4372 1221
Communications:
Broken Bay News:
Editor:
Annie Carrett
Tel: (02) 9847 0724 /
Fax: (02) 9847 0501
news@dbb.org.au
P O Box 340 Pennant Hills, NSW, 1715
Design: Chris Murray
The Catholic Development Fund
is the proud sponsor of the
Broken Bay News
24,000 copies of the Broken Bay News are
distributed monthly through 26 parishes
and 43 schools in the Diocese of Broken
Bay. The Broken Bay News is a member of
the Australasian Catholic Press Association
and the Australasian Religious Press
Association. Acceptance of advertisements
does not imply diocesan endorsement of
products or services advertised.
www.dbb.org.au
3
yearofgrace
SEPTEMBER 2012
STARTING AFRESH FROM CHRIST
Gift of Grace Retreat
4
P
icture it… A breathtaking
3 level country manor set
in a luscious bushland setting, the warm winter sun
streaming through the windows, home made food prepared by loving hands and 14
girls having the time of their
lives… Yes, The Gift of Grace
retreat was awesome!
July 2 – 4 saw Year 11
and 12 students from local
Catholic, State and Christian
schools engage in a retreat
designed to provide an opportunity to reflect on the gift of
Grace in their lives and what
it means to be young Catholic
women in today’s world.
Monday night saw the young
women arrive and settle into
their rooms. A pyjama party
was kicked off with hilarious
get to know you games, face
masks were applied by some
before settling in to watch a
girly movie. Before bed, evening prayer was a great way to
start the retreat feeling.
Tuesday morning prayer
set the tone for a wonderful
day. After breakfast, Session 1
started off with an extra special cupcake baking session
that lead into “Dignity and
Grace”, what each of these
terms mean in a Catholic context and why they are vitally
important in young women’s
lives. A media analysis looked
critically at the culture young
women are living in, the mes-
sages that are conveyed explicitly and implicitly by media
and how young women might
like to live differently to what
is on offer.
Session 2 explored significant women in the Old
Testament with an emphasis
on their circumstance, culture
and the qualities that made
them strong, courageous
women of faith.
Wednesday evening gave
the chance to reflect upon
the day’s sessions with participation in Adoration and
Reconciliation. Thursday
morning prayer outside in
the fresh winter morning
was topped off by a yummy
bacon and egg breakfast.
Session 3 explored Feminist
Theology – Far from being
scary, the girls looked at the
history of women in culture
and what authentic feminist
theology looks like in today’s
world. Female Doctors of the
Church were explored – who
they were, their impact on
the Church and how they
responded to the faith in
their times.
Session 3 also looked at
Catholic women today, what
they look like and understand
about themselves, and how
they give a unique integrity
and honesty to human relationships. The term coined
by Pope John Paul II, the
“Feminine Genius” was dis-
cussed and how this may
be lived out in the world by
young women.
Life’s Stories was the final
session, highlighting each of
the leaders journeys to their
vocations of single and married life, and how God has
played a part in that. Mass
was celebrated and a final
meal shared before each of
the incredible young women
were on their way home.
Thinking about coming
along next time…? Hear what
the girls have to say…
I am truly glad I went on
this retreat and I would hope
to go back next year if possible.
It allowed me to further understand my place in society and
within my faith. I encourage
all young women to engage in
this retreat or any retreat like
this, I can say that the retreat
changed my life and I would
experience it all again in a
second. – Tiarne
The best thing was probably
meeting new beautiful people
with whom I could reaffirm my
faith. – Gemma
The ‘Gift of Grace’ retreat
was a fantastic experience. It
taught us to value ourselves the
way we are. The retreat helped
Inspirational Weekend
O
n the weekend of the
25-27 May, Pentecost
weekend,
Ku-Ring-Gai
Chase Catholic Parish hosted
their first Light of the World
Retreat. It was a wonderful
start to the Year of Grace
and an awesome weekend,
where 50 parishioners
including Fr Biju, spent
time together with our Lord
Jesus Christ through adoration, listening to the Word
of God and renewal of the
Sacraments of Baptism,
Reconciliation, Confirmation
and Holy Eucharist.
Young and old shared
their life experiences of how
God had touched them on
their spiritual journey. The
fire that the Holy Spirit
had lit in the hearts of the
retreatants was burning
bright, as memories were
healed, hearts were melted
and new friendships were
formed. This was the very
first time the Light of the
World retreat team had held
a retreat at Pentecost and the
presence of the Holy Spirit
was evident throughout
the weekend. Following the
retreat, many retreatants
have continued their journey
through the ‘Growing in
Christ’ sessions and will
soon break up into smaller
us in our relationship with our
Lord and encouraged us to get
more involved spiritually which
was beneficial. – Alison and
Denise
The best thing about the
girls retreat was being able to
get away from all the stress of
my life and just being able to
chill out with friends, learn
great things and meet fantastic
people. – Lily
The Gift of Grace retreat
was a very memorable occasion. I am honoured to have
attended such an incredible
event.– Alanah
Before I attended this amazing retreat I didn’t really have
a strong faith in God, but since
going on the spiritual retreat I
have actually decided to become
a member of the Catholic
Church. – Taylah
Please contact Philipa
Caulfield, Special Projects
Officer – Youth for more
information on the next
retreat. Philipa Caulfield
9847 0472 or
philipa.caulfield@dbb.org.au
faith groups. May God’s
light continue to shine in
Ku-Ring-Gai Chase Parish!
Here are some testimonies
from the retreatants:
“The retreat was very inspiring, a spiritually uplifting weekend” – “The retreat was very
well organised and the speakers were very inspiring, especially enjoyed the young people
sharing their life experiences.”
– “My faith has been strengthened and my relationship with
God has deepened. I now have
a calling to go out and spread
the Good News!”
For more information
on Light of the World
Evangelisation Ministries,
contact Clive Pereira
0412869513 or Kathy
Gray 0402986751.
liturgy
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
What’s in a word?
In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God ( John 1:1)
By Julie Kelly
Diocesan Liturgy Co-ordinator
A
t a time when media and spin
are arguably as powerful as
armies, the outcomes of battles for
hearts and minds often shape the
world we live in.
Words have incredible power.
Words can hurt or bring great
joy. Words create worlds. The
words we use define ourselves
and the world around us. They
shape our reality. Our words
determine our ideologies.
In many ways, words are metaphors pointing to the objects they
represent. The word “tree” is not a
tree; it is simply a placeholder for
the real thing. Our understanding
of the world is built upon a deeper
set of presuppositions.
Words are our framework of
meaning. Every one is a metaphor
reaching to something beyond its
simple spelling and articulation.
Words are the foundation upon
which we build our lives.
We were reminded of the
importance of this most powerfully recently when we were given
a new English translation of the
Roman Missal. Although the
words we had been using prior
to 2010 were only used since the
mid ‘70’s, many of us knew no
other translation and our lack of
scriptural understanding made
them foreign to our experience
and comprehension. While some
still catch in our throat, most we
now know and appreciate.
I was painfully reminded again
of the importance of words when
a young musician was lamenting
that although he puts a lot of time
and effort into choosing music
for Sunday Mass, he felt it really
didn’t matter as people didn’t hear
the words he had so carefully
chosen. He expressed how he felt
he had done a good job when
people went out with a rousing
tune, hummed under the breath
in high spirits.
There are three criteria for
music in the liturgy. One is the
pastoral consideration. The purpose of music in the liturgy is not
to satisfy our musical sensibilities
or to make the liturgy an end in
itself. “Wasn’t that lovely!” Liturgy
is communal prayer designed to
deepen faith and call believers to
mission, and the role of music is
to help free a gathered assembly to
enter into that prayer.
Another is the musical judgement. Good music in the liturgical context is the same as good
music in any situation: a sense
of form, rhythmic vitality and
a good melodic contour. Good
compositional craft is fundamental, regardless of whether a piece
of music is a hymn, a chorale, folk
style or pop inspired.
With liturgical judgment, the
question needs to be asked: Does
the music help support the liturgical action? Sacred music is not
the same as liturgical music. The
quality of the music itself cannot
override the equal and often more
important consideration of the
text. Music helps express the text.
Metaphors need to build the communal nature of worship. The text
needs to be good poetry, rich in
symbolic and metaphoric language.
The text needs to proclaim good
theology, steeped in Scripture and
other sources of the tradition.
In other words, liturgical musical text has the power to use words
as God did: to bring order to
chaos, life to stillness and beauty
to emptiness.
5
parish support
SEPTEMBER 2012
PARISH SUPPORT UNIT
Training & Formation Opportunities:
September/October
Spirituality of Leadership: 7 September,
Peninsula and North Shore/Hornsby Deaneries
Identity and Integrity in Ministry: 14 September,
Peninsula and North Shore/Hornsby Deaneries
Lay Ministries Program: 8 September,
Pennant Hills – Ministry Specific Workshop
(Word, Music, Catechesis); 13 October, Pennant
Hills – Lay Ministries Reflection Day
Called to Ministry
By Alison Newell
Diocesan Coordinator CCD
T
he Second Vatican Council called for
the laity to play a greater role in the
Church in the modern world. Forty years
later, in his Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia
in Oceania, Pope John Paul II spoke about
the challenge of faith today and the role
of catechesis in meeting that challenge.
In the past 25 years, thousands of catechists
in the Diocese of Broken Bay have responded
to the call to educate Catholic children and
youth in State Government schools in the
faith tradition of their families. There are
currently over 20,000 Catholic students
attending State Government schools across
the five deaneries of the Diocese and 1100
catechists who teach the message of the
Good News of the Kingdom of God.
The spirituality of the catechist is
underpinned by a deep faith in God and a
desire to share this
faith with others.
Catechists are busy
people who take very
seriously their Baptismal
call to Christian holiness.
Regardless of their life
experience or background,
the most important qualifications of a
catechist are their Catholic faith and how they
witness that faith in fresh and relevant ways
to the current generation of young people.
The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
provides quality training for catechists to give
them the skills they need to go into classrooms
and teach children. An authorised user-friendly
Religious Education program Walking With
Jesus Pathways of Discipleship is provided with
step by step lesson plans that are easy to follow.
For further information on how to become
a catechist, contact Alison Newell on
4334.3367 or alison.newell@dbb.org.au
Loss and Bereavement Network: The Loss and
Bereavement Network aims to provide a community
network for support and the sharing of resources
and ideas. 20 September, North Shore/Peninsula
“Made in God’s Image” Do you Have a Child
with Special Needs?: Trish Mowbray, Disability
Projects Officer, Bishops Commission for Pastoral
Life. 20 September (Evening), Hornsby Parish
“To Love to the End: Who Will Make Your
Choices?”: Professor Nicholas Tonti-Filippini,
Associate Dean and Head of Bioethics
at the John Paul II Institute, Melbourne.
27 September (Morning), Pennant Hills. 27
September (Evening), Woy Woy Parish
“Walking with Love: Alternatives & Pastoral
Responses to Abortion”: Marcia Riordan,
Executive Officer of the Life, Marriage and
Family Office, Archdiocese of Melbourne.
27 September (Morning), Pennant Hills. 28
September (Morning), The Entrance Parish
Parish Pastoral Council: Network
Gatherings: 4 October, Peninsula. 25 October,
Pennant Hills. 30 October, Central Coast
These courses are typically free of charge and
are available to all. For more information, and
to register, please contact your local Parish
Support Unit office: Pennant Hills 9847 0504,
Gosford 4323 7090, The Entrance 4334 3367
Your Invitation to Episcopal dialogue :
“Are Marriages
made in Heaven?”
Wednesday 31 October 2012
at Our Lady of the Rosary
Church, The Entrance
With Bishop David Walker, Bishop of
Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay and
Bishop Peter Stuart, Assistant Bishop
of Anglican Diocese of Newcastle.
Thursday 25 October 2012 at
St Albans Anglican Church, Epping
With Bishop David Walker, Bishop of Catholic
Diocese of Broken Bay and Bishop Glenn Davies,
Assistant Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Sydney.
There is time for questions after the
bishops have spoken. Do come along and
be part of this timely conversation.
6
ST JOHN’S NARRAWEENA
Five-O
FETE
SATURDAY 27 OCTOBER 2012
Celebrating 50 years of St John’s Catholic
Primary Narraweena
A Fun-packed day for the whole family
Entertainment and rides Sand-art
Face-painting Petting zoo
Market stalls Great food
Books and Cakes
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Leigh Arteaga on 0418 654 988
parish support
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
Young Adults and Joy – Taking up the call of the Year of Grace
2012 provided a weekend for
people aged 25-35years including young families, to retreat just
outside of Sydney.
Facilitated by Sr Hilda Scott
osb from the Benedictine Abbey
at Jamberoo, these young adults
were able to journey through
scripture exploring the theme of
joy and where it is evident in
their lives.
With the Year of Grace having
just been launched, the theme
of Joy tied in perfectly and definitely gave participants time to
reflect on the Face of Christ in
their lives.
With children in attendance,
ranging in ages from 6 months
to 14 years and three devoted
helpers, the joy of the Lord was
evident throughout the weekend
and in a special way, in the interactions between adults, families
and children. This was beautifully highlighted and emphasised
by communal engagement in
Morning Prayer and the Mass.
Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament and engagement in the
Sacrament of Reconciliation also
provided opportunities to experience Our Lord’s abundant love,
joy and grace.
The first of its kind in Broken
Bay, Fortes in Fide is set to run
twice a year over the next 2 years.
Details of the next retreat will
be made known through parish
bulletins and the Broken Bay News,
so stay tuned!
Reading the Bible to Children
Jesus better, and the Old Testament
contains the stories that Jesus himself would have grown up on and
known and loved.
To support parents, the Diocese
is offering a Children’s Bible in an
easy-to-read language suitable for
children, for the subsidised price
of $12. It is hoped that many will
take up this offer and make time
to unlock the riches of Scripture
in their homes and families. Each
Bible comes with a bookmark
which lists key stories for children
for easy reference.
Win a Bible
beautiful St John the Baptist,
Woy Woy.
The seniors have expressed
the desire for a further reflection
day, to be held on 27 September.
It is hoped the parish can hold
three such days each year.
Seniors have been asked what
content and format most appeals
to them. For the seniors in the
Warnervale parish there are also
regular Masses, with Anointing of
the sick, a monthly lunch at a
local hotel, and day excursions to
places of historic and church interest being planned.
By Michelle O’Sullivan
“I
have told you this so that my joy
may be in you and your joy may
be complete…” John 15:11
Fortes in Fide – Staying Strong
in Faith in Broken Bay – July
By Pina Bernard
H
aving three children has meant
countless hours of bedtime
stories over the years, from The
Cat in the Hat all the way through
to Harry Potter. What dawned on
me recently, though, was how little
of that time was spent reading stories from the Bible. Today there is a
lot of encouragement for children
to read, with the Premier’s Reading
Challenge as just one example. To
further encourage reading, libraries
have teamed with government and
other agencies to make 2012 the
National Year of Reading. This is
a great framework and mind-set
to encourage children to read the
Bible as well.
Taking time to do this with
children connects them with the
stories of our faith. In the New
Testament they come to know
To launch the new children’s
Bible, seven Bibles will be given
away to the best answers to the
following question: In 40 words or
less, apart from Jesus, who is your
favourite person in the Bible and
why? One bible will be awarded
to each of years K-6. Include your
name, age, school, year at school,
and contact number or email
address. Send entries to: Pina
Bernard at pina.bernard@dbb.org.au
or PO Box 340 Pennant
Hills 1715.
Reflection Day at Warnervale
By Jan Allen
Seniors Ministry Co-ordinator
Warnervale
O
n 26 May, Fr Paul Durkin
led a group of 25 parish
seniors from Warnervale on a
retreat day at Woy Woy.
The focus for the seniors’ retreat
day was Prayer, with input on
the Catholic teaching on Prayer,
reflection on Scripture, as well
as the opportunity for each participant to reflect on their per-
sonal experience of prayer and to
share this with others. There was
the opportunity for silence and
prayer, as well as plenty of time
for discussion. The key Scripture
texts for the day were Luke 10.3842, Matthew 6.6 and 7.7.
Within the group, there was
a vast range of experiences of
prayer. Participants willingly
shared these experiences and
many valuable insights.
The day ended with a joyful
celebration of the Mass in the
CHILDREN’S CATHOLIC BIBLE
A NEW OFFERING FROM THE DIOCESE OF BROKEN BAY
As part of the Biblical Apostolate and through the generosity of Fr Harry Davis, the
Diocese of Broken Bay is able to offer this Bible at a discounted rate.
CEV Children’s Holy Bible
This hardcover edition features: • 32 full-colour picture panels • Presentation page • Biblical maps
• Mini-dictionary for the Bible • Chronology of the Bible • Book introductions and outlines
The Contemporary English Version (CEV) is an accurate, easy-to-read translation suitable for children. It can be
used at bedtime to read to younger children, or is able to be read by primary-aged children themselves.
COST: $12
Also available: NRSV The Catholic Gift Bible $10 NRSV Encyclopaedia Bible $20
To place an order, please contact Pina Bernard, Parish Support Unit
on T: 9847 0474 or pina.bernard@dbb.org.au
7
news & issues
SEPTEMBER 2012
Transfigured in the Life of Christ
Reflections on the
7 World Meeting of Families Milan
th
By Janette Davidson
Diocesan Coordinator Family Life Ministries
Parish Support Unit.
O
ur Diocese sponsored 3
couples to attend this gathering 30 May – 3 June); Fionnuala
and David Armstrong (their son
Nicholas also attended) (Hornsby
Parish), Suzy and Joe Caruso
(Pittwater Parish), Anne WalkerRolls and Mark Rolls (their daughters Jess and Emalee also attended)
(Warnervale Parish). Below are
excerpts from their reflections on
the experience of participating with
families from around the world:
Fionnuala and David
“There were 6000 delegates from
every continent. From Australia
twelve families in all – comprised
of 24 adults and 20 children from
Dioceses across Australia – travelling together for the conference…
The World Gathering started
in 1994 by Pope John Paul II
and occurs every 3 years. It is a
gathering of families, scholars,
clergy and lay people to ‘share,
pray and examine in detail the
importance of the family in the
Church and society’…
A favourite part of the conference was the talk by Archbishop
Sean O’Malley from Boston. He
spoke on the power of celebration in family life. It’s part of the
essential rhythm of life that we
often overlook. It’s the heartbeat
of humanity that tells us we are
fully alive…
Pope Benedict’s XVI attendance
was a highlight. Over 1 million
people attended Sunday Mass,
where Pope Benedict affirmed
family life as a rich source of
blessing for all. Families are a gift
from God to help us live human
life in abundance!”
Suzy and Joe
“Among the most important
messages from the speakers at the
conference was the need for family to make sacrifices in adjusting
Emalee and Jess front row at the Festa of Families. (The
crowd was 1 km deep, about 1/5 km across).
“To Love … to the End:
Who will make you choices?”
The Parish Support Unit proudly presents:
Prof Nicholas Tonti-Filippini
(Assoc Dean and head of Bioethics JPII Institute)
Please join us for an opportunity to take an indepth look at the questions and concerns that
can arise when a person becomes unable to
make decisions regarding his or her own health.
Thursday 27 Sept 9.30am-11am
Caroline Chisholm Centre, Pennant Hills
Thursday 27 Sept 7.30pm – 9pm
St John the Baptist Church, Woy Woy
RSVP: 21 Sept to Patty Thomas; Parish Support Unit:
patricia.thomas@dbb.org.au or 9847 0518
8
schedules so that they can find
daily time to be with one another,
especially for worship on Sunday,
which then leads to the strengthening of the family and the empowering of the family to face the many
challenges of our time which can
often tear us apart…
He (Cardinal O’Malley) said to
the many of us parents that were
there, ‘You are the first teachers of
faith to your children.’
‘Your example of loyalty to the
Sunday Mass, prayer and morality
talk more than many sermons…’
At the concluding Mass, the
Pope spoke about finding the balance between family, work and celebrations and encouraged all the
married couples present to renew
our love for each other every day,
saying that it was through this love
that we would be able to change
the world.
He told us that falling in love and
those feelings that go along with it
are like the first wine at Cana, but
it runs out and couples need a
second wine – a more mature love
to carry them through and find
happiness in their relationships.
There are sacrifices and struggles
in married life that require the better wine, which is the wine that is
provided by Christ.
Anne and Mark
“The theme of the conference,
‘Family: work and celebration’, captured the challenge for ‘family’ in its
myriad of forms. Experiencing the
conference in Milan gave me time
to reflect on the challenge of finding a balance between work and
celebration, between the hardships
and challenges of family mixed
with the joys and celebration of all
that ‘family’ is to each of us…
The conference confirmed that
it is up to me to make the decisions and take the actions that are
best for each member of my family
but to do that well, I need to be
open to God who always wants
to be part of that journey with
each of us.”
I am looking forward to deepening my internal awareness of God’s
presence in all I do each day. Then
to integrate this awareness into
action in my life.
My hope is: that families today
will be transfigured in the life of
Christ. Able to listen and be present for one another. Imitating the
example of Jesus to create connection with each other, which can
then spread peace, joy and happiness from the family to the community and then to the world.”
Emalee and Jess
“It was a great experience, listening to different languages, and
participating in activities that
really showed we are all equal and
share the same spiritual connection even though we do not speak
the same language or live in the
same country.”
“One major thing that was
highlighted from my experience
was the fact that so many people
young and old came together to
celebrate the value and importance of family and it was amazing that we could all celebrate the
love of God together.”
in our diocese
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
Diocesan Praise and Worship Nights
P
raise and Worship
Nights in the Diocese
of Broken Bay have arrived
and started with a bang!
Fri, 3 August saw approx
130 young people gather at St
Patrick’s Asquith to experience
and pray to God through
song, music and adoration. Fr
Rob Galea from Melbourne
led the Praise and Worship,
supported by talented young
musicians from the Diocese.
After kicking off with a few
songs, Bishop David Walker
led a catechesis on Grace and
how young people can see and
look for it in their lives. Fr Rob
then shared his testimony of life
and the love he has for Jesus,
Music Workshop with Fr Rob Galea
O
n 4 August, Fr Rob Galea
led a Music Workshop
specially designed for young
people, to look at the gift that
musicians have in leading others
to God and at ways to encourage
more young people to attend
Mass using the gift of Music. A
Catholic Priest currently serving
in Shepparton, Victoria, Fr
Rob’s passion is to draw others
to the heart of God and believes
that music is an important
instrument in understanding the
need for intimacy with God.
Hosted by St Patrick’s at
East Gosford, the workshop
was an intimate gathering
of musicians who enjoyed
hearing from Fr Rob about the
power of music and how it can
appropriately enhance the Mass.
reminding the young people
that Jesus loves them just as
they are, that they are always
worth something, and that God
wants them to love him. He
then lead into a short period
of spirit filled adoration and
prayer followed by more upbeat
praise and worship songs.
All those who attended loved
being able to participate in an
event designed for young people
to praise God in a lively way.
The next Diocesan Praise and
Worship Event is being held at
Holy Spirit Parish, Kincumber
on Fri 19 October, 6:30 – 9pm.
For more details, please contact
Pauline Finch on 9847 0444
or pauline.finch@dbb.org.au
Praise and Worship
Come along and share the
passion – all welcome
Friday 19 October 2012 6.30-9pm
Holy Spirit Catholic Church,
Fr Patrick Croke Circle,
Off Kincumber Drive, Kincumber
For further information contact:
Pauline Finch on 9847 072 or
pauline.finch@dbb.org.au
9
“to serve in justice and love”
www.centacarebrokenbay.org.au
Welcome Jennie Stanley
Newly Appointed Senior Manager, People and Culture
Jennie writes:
“Even though my appointment
as Senior Manager People and
Culture for Centacare is as recent
as 4 July 2012, my association
with Centacare started 15 years
ago, and I have been forever
grateful for that relationship.
Fifteen years ago, at only 10
weeks of age, my daughter was
diagnosed with life threatening
allergies, and had many traumatic
visits to the Sydney Adventist
Hospital at Wahroonga. When
Kyra was approximately 1 year old,
I tried to get her into long day care
for one or two days a week, but
due to her severe allergic reactions,
no one would accept her. That
is until I contacted the Mercy
Family Life Centre (as it was then
known). They worked tirelessly
to find a Family Day Care mum
(Chrissy) who would take Kyra in
and care for her while I worked.
Chrissy treated Kyra as a family
member, and gave her a loving
and supportive environment in
which to socialise, learn and play
during her formative toddler
and pre-school years. She gave
our family the opportunity
to be normal, and for me to
continue working knowing that
Kyra was well looked after and
secure in the knowledge that
her medical condition was in
very capable and loving hands.
Now today, as I start my new
role with Centacare, I reflect
on what a wonderful service
Centacare’s “Family Day Care”
offers to families. Your precious
child is safe and secure in a loving
close-knit family environment,
with the opportunities to interact
and learn with other children.
In my case, Kyra was given the
opportunity to be normal, and
not to be labelled by her medical
condition. Today, Kyra is a happy
and healthy 15-year old, who
still has very fond memories
of her time at Chrissy’s.”
Do You Like to Travel? Take this trip (A Special Journey)
I
magine this: born in Europe to
a teenage mother, drug addicted
and victim of severe domestic
violence. A couple of years later
and unable to cope, she leaves you
on the doorstep of an orphanage.
Any life, she thinks, would be
better for you than this one.
Now you are seven: you
have learned to negotiate the
mean streets of your war-torn,
impoverished country. You can
scab cigarettes and money from
strangers, pick pockets and sleep
on the street. But the orphanage
has found someone to adopt you.
So, you move to a new family.
But, there’s not much work
so your new mother decides
to return to Australia.
And now you are nine. No
roots, no real friends, no idea
where you belong. So you pick
up your old life where you
took care of yourself. You keep
running away, so when you
are eleven, you are placed in
the care of the government.
Welcome to Centacare Broken
Bay. This is just one of our stories.
Stories of children needing
homes and families where they
can feel a sense of belonging and
self worth. Fostering children
is an indispensable role in our
communities. It enables abused
and neglected children and young
people to have experiences that
they would not otherwise have.
The NSW Special Commission
of Inquiry into Child Protection
recommended that all children in
foster care should be placed with
non government organisations like
Centacare. As a result, we have
been working hard to expand our
Foster Care Program. You may
have seen Centacare’s promotional
posters placed in various locations
around the Central Coast, an
advertisement, or attended one of
Become a Family Day Educator with Centacare Broken Bay!
Family Day Care provides quality care for children aged 6 weeks to 12
years in the Hornsby local government area in the warm, secure and
family-focused homes of approved Family Day Care Educators.
Anyone over 18 years of age who enjoys children and assisting in their
learning and development can become a Family Day Care educator.
People become Carers for many reasons. You may want to:
• start your own business and earn an income from home
• work hours that suit you
• provide companionship for your own children
• be home when older children come home from school
Some Family Day Care Educators with Centacare Broken Bay earn
$20,000-$50,000 per annum running their own Family Day Care
businesses. Call our Family Day Care Coordinator Kate Frost on
9488 2402 for more information, and learn how Centacare Broken
Bay can support you to become a Family Day Care Educator.
10
our information sessions.
As a community, we need to be
able to stand up and support foster
parents who care for children.
They provide opportunities in
well supported, nurturing and
loving homes to give children
(and their families) resources
to enhance their quality of life
and enable them to realise their
potential. Being a presence to
those in need is living the message
of the Gospels to the fullest;
this is the journey we are on.
For more information about
Centacare’s Foster Care
program call 02 4340 1030.
Children’s Services
Family Centres
Out of Home Care
Disability Day Services
– skills, activities, independence!
D
id you know that Centacare provides
many services to children and adults
affected by a disability? Waitara Family
Centre has three, day services for adults
affected by disability. These houses
provide Social activities, community
integration and learning and maintaining
independent living with a dedicated team
who provide professional support.
Currently “Amaroo” house is focusing on
creating a herb and vegetable garden and each
person has selected a herb or vegetable they
wish to grow and will then use in their cooking
program and an “Eco Friendly Garden”.
Listen out on the Radio for our team at Pals
who are now live on radio every Wednesday
morning between 11-12pm. This is a great
activity as it involves the team to be writing
scripts, selecting songs and picking what
they wish to talk about on the radio. They
then go to the studio and are supported to
be on the radio station at a live recording.
Please tune in to 100.1 Hornsby Community
Radio and listen to the talent of those who
participate in Centacare Day Services.
We also celebrated the Olympics holding
our own Olympic games. There were
Bronze, Silver and Gold medals won. We
also tuned in to certain Olympic Games to
support Australia and the Olympic teams.
ALBERT & MEYER
FUNERAL DIRECTORS
Sam’s Trio
Sam’s Trio
Weddings,
dinner dances,
lounge music,
corporate
functions.
Contact Sonya
on 043 051 2592
or Dennis
on 0419 209 272
E: sam@clubmusika.com.au
www.clubmusika.com.au
…serving the
Diocese of
Broken Bay
since 1967
Rebecca Pincott Michael Bolton
Australian Family Owned & Operated
301-303 PENNANT HILLS ROAD, THORNLEIGH
9484 3992
ALL SUBURBS 24 HOURS
www.albertmeyer.com.au
11
in our diocese
SEPTEMBER 2012
rates
b
e
l
e
C
y
a
B
Broken
avid
D
p
o
h
s
i
B
h
wit
hedral,
at
the Rosary C
Our Lady of th anniversar y of
at
ld
he
e
er
w
k the 50
Celebrations
21 July to mar ation to the Priesthood.
Waitara, on
in
rd
O
Walker’s
Bishop David
Excellency
Nuncio – His ,
l
pa
Pa
e
th
was joined by
evin Manning
Bishop David zzarotto; fellow Bishops K
Guiseppe La e and Bernard O’Grady;
on
Michael Mal iends; and people from
; fr
ily
m
fa
s;
st
prie
ken Bay for
iocese of Bro thering.
D
e
across th
ga
Mass and
a celebrator y
Photos by Andrew Introna
12
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
in our diocese
13
in our diocese
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
Reaching for
the Stars
By Debra Vermeer
S
t Leo’s College Wahroonga Year 11
student Lachlan Hinds has become the
youngest Australian male ever to swim
the English Channel, and he thanks his
school Principal Anthony Gleeson for
inspiring him to ‘reach for the stars’.
Lachlan, or Lochie, as he is usually
known, from Normanhurst, completed
the gruelling swim in 12 hours 22
minutes on 6 July. Big summer tides
meant that he was forced to swim about
60km, rather than the expected 32 km.
“It wasn’t easy and I did throw a
few tantrums and at one stage I did
say I wanted to get out, but I’m really
glad now that I pushed on,” he says.
Lochie has been swimming since the
age of three and competing in ocean
swims since he was nine, but it was a
talk from St Leo’s Principal, Anthony
Gleeson at school one day that spurred
him on to tackle the Channel.
“I was at school about 18 months
ago and Mr Gleeson was talking about
reaching for the stars – that was basically
the school motto for the year – and I went
home to Mum and asked her what the
hardest swim was, hoping it wasn’t the
English Channel – and it was,” he laughs.
“But I decided then that I would go for it.”
After preparing a training plan with
his coach, Lochie hit the water like never
before, boosting his training regime from
60km per week to 80km per week. He
trained in the pool for about two and a
half hours in the morning and two hours
in the afternoon, as well as a Saturday
session and weekend ocean racing events.
He travelled to Melbourne for cold
water training and completed an eight
hour swim in cold conditions. Over four
days in Melbourne he clocked up 135km.
“It wasn’t easy. Most of the time it was
mental training. You wake up and think
‘oh, I can’t do this anymore’, but then
hopefully it works out in the end,” he says.
“And that’s the hardest thing sometimes,
putting all this hard work in and not
knowing if you’re going to do it. You
just have to trust that what you’re
doing is going to get you through.”
All the training did pay off when Lochie
set off from Shakespeare’s Beach in Dover
at 9.15am on July 5 and just kept on
swimming until he reached Cap Gris Nez,
the headland halfway between Calais and
Boulogne in France after midnight on July 6.
Lochie was wearing just swimmers,
cap and goggles in the 12 degree C water,
but was lathered in a wool-fat based
grease to try to ward off hypothermia.
“I sang a couple of songs in my head
but got bored of that after about two
hours. I really can’t remember what
else I thought about,” he says.
“In the later stages I got hypothermia
so I can’t really remember the later stages
of the swim, or I can only remember
bits and pieces. I can’t remember getting
onto the boat. You get disoriented and I
vomited pretty profusely along the way.”
Despite the vomiting, Lochie did
manage to get some food down during
the swim – a sports drink and Milky Way
chocolate, passed to him via a cup on the
end of a pole. His support team in the boat
alongside included his mum Stephanie,
Dad Darren and best mate Daniel Hay.
The mammoth swim came to an end when
he finally touched the rock at Cap Gris Nez.
“A rubber ducky picked me up and dragged
me into the boat. I can’t remember that
– I’m just going off what people tell me.
They pulled me up, got all my wet stuff off,
put me in warm clothes, put a sleeping bag
around me and I was out to it,” he says.
“I had a lot of pain in my arms
afterwards. And the pain during the
swim – I’ve never felt that kind of
pain before. It felt like somebody was
sticking knives in my shoulder.”
Lochie says that when the going
got tough during the swim, there
were times that he talked to God.
“Oh yeah, there were a fair few times when
I was having a chat to God,” he laughs. “I
was talking to myself and then I’d be like ‘no,
I’m actually talking to you, God’. We had a
deep and meaningful conversation. And at
some stages I was saying, ‘God this is your
fault. Why did you give me these talents?’”
Back home a few weeks after the big
swim, and having had time to reflect
on the feat, Lochie says the experience
taught him a lot about himself.
“I found out I’m obviously a lot more
mentally tough than I thought,” he says.
“It’s a mental challenge. So I’m not too
worried about the HSC now because I
don’t think it can be that tough. But I’ve
got very good support here at St Leo’s and
I’m learning everything I can. All of the
teachers were behind me and still are.
“Also, my family were just amazing.
I’ve had such strong support from my
parents and that’s the real reason I could
do it. I’ve been lucky I’ve got a supportive
and financially stable family and I’ve got
talent, so they’re the building blocks.”
And having become the youngest
Australian male to swim the English
Channel, what’s next for Lochie?
“I haven’t really set any new goals yet,
apart from having a rest and getting
back to where I was with my swimming
and then evaluate my goals,” he says.
“But the Channel does open doors for
other big ocean swims, like Manhattan
Island and Catalina. If you do the three
you do the Triple Crown and not many
people have ever swum the Triple Crown.”
15
education
SEPTEMBER 2012
PARENTS IN EDUCATION
BROKEN BAY PARENTS HAVE A VOICE
P
ractical seminars and workshops,
family camps, a dedicated website
and support for P&Fs are just some of
the resources that parents with children
at Catholic schools within the Diocese
of Broken Bay need to know about.
The Diocesan Parent Council (DPC) is the
official parent body recognised by the Bishop
and the Catholic Schools Office to represent
all parents of children attending Catholic
Schools in the Diocese of Broken Bay.
With parent representation from each of
the Clusters of the Diocese – Central Coast,
North Shore and Peninsula, the DPC’s
main aims are to support parents; promote
and strengthen partnerships; encourage the
participation of parents in schools; keep
parents in touch with educational and social
issues; and actively promote the Catholic
school parent perspective at all levels.
Parents who form part of the DPC are
committed to keeping resources and support
relevant to the way families communicate
and their living and working circumstances.
DPC Executive Officer and CSO
Education Officer-Parent Liaison, Carmel
Hewitt, has already seen changes that
reflect the changing way we communicate.
“We know that many parents are timepoor these days, they need accessible
ways to support and engage in their
children’s learning especially if they can’t
physically get to the school for example
because of work commitments”.
“We now have a new website brimming
with resources – parents can access
the information anywhere, anytime.
Also some of our seminars and
workshops are now videoed or
have videoconference links.”
Diocesan Parent Council:
www.brokenbayparentcouncil.com
The Family Liaison Officer
discusses upcoming
activities with parents
Valuable Support for Parents
S
t John the Baptist Catholic Primary,
Woy Woy, is encouraging parents to
partner in the learning journey of their
children, with a number of initiatives
underway within their school community.
One such initiative will see St John the
Baptist parents benefit from a room set
up specifically for their use. The Parent
Resource Room will enable parents to
connect with each other, obtain resources,
attend workshops and group sessions, and
importantly make connections with the
school. The project has been led by the
School’s Family Liaison Officer, Catherine
Wilkinson, working with parents to
16
create a space where they can actively
partner in their children’s learning.
The role of Family Liaison Officer is
an important part of St John the Baptist
helping support and link families with
the school. Throughout the year there
are parenting groups and workshops,
equipping parents and carers with practical
parenting tools as well as making resources
available for parents to take home.
Catherine is enjoying seeing the positive
response from families to some of the new
initiatives, “We have started some great new
programs, such as the PenPal Program which
links our Year 3 students to local community
The role of Family Liaison Officer is
funded by the Catholic Schools Office,
Diocese of Broken Bay. Family Liaison
Officers are located at Diocesan
Catholic Primary Schools at St
Kevin’s , Dee Why; St Brendan’s, Lake
Munmorah; St John’s, Narraweena;
and St John the Baptist, Woy Woy.
members in nursing homes – developing
their sense of community awareness; our
Homework Sessions help parents get a grasp
on what homework the kids are bringing home
and how parents can support their child’s
learning; and our Mothers/Daughters, Fathers/
Sons, Mums/Sons, and Daddy/Daughter
days kick off this Term to get our families
having fun and connecting with each other.”
education
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
The Evolving Role of the Parents & Friends Association
I
n recent years the role of the Parents &
Friends Association (P&F) in Broken Bay’s
systemic schools has evolved. Fundraising,
social events and P&F meetings used to be
the major focus for parental involvement.
New research is proving that the role of
the P&F can offer so much more to parents.
Parents who are engaged both in their child’s
learning and involved in their child’s school
can positively impact on learning outcomes.
With a commitment to supporting
parents to be partners in their child’s
learning, the Catholic Schools Office has
responded to this research working directly
with the leadership of P&F teams in the
Diocese to extend and expand their role.
A series of workshops have brought
together the P&Fs from all 43 systemic
schools to look at ways they can
develop partnerships with their school,
create welcoming and supportive
communities and link their activities to
support learning in the classroom.
At the beginning of the year a P&F
Leadership Evening invited parents and
principals to look at ways to work together
so that parents feel welcomed to schools
as partners/ co-educators. The leadership
evening was followed up with a series of four
workshops covering important areas of P&F
operations including communicating with
parents, especially with those who are unable
to make it to the school or P&F meetings;
ensuring that fundraising initiatives build
community as well as raise funds; strategies
to manage finances to keep the stress away
from parents constantly contributing; and
the final upcoming workshop will focus
on how P&F teams can support parents in
becoming engaged in their child’s learning.
Diocesan Parent Council President,
Mark O’Connell, has welcomed the CSO
approach to support parents and P&Fs.
“The role of the P&F has changed quite
markedly, and in a positive way. It’s not
all about fundraising anymore; we are
learning how to help each other get more
involved in our children’s learning.”
Parents + School = Numeracy Confidence
“I
wasn’t good at maths at school” or
“I can’t do maths” can be common
parent responses to children’s homework
questions. A practical new program is
looking to turn that culture around, lifting
parents’ numeracy confidence and enhancing
their children’s attitude to learning.
Delivered in two workshops at Broken
Bay Systemic Catholic schools, the program
has been developed by the Catholic Schools
Office through the Parent Education
Program which supports Diocesan schools
with resources and workshops to support
parents as co-educators in the home and
encourages family-school partnerships.
St Bernard’s Catholic Primary in Berowra
embraced the program earlier in the year,
running the workshops for parents during
Catholic Schools Week as well as providing
opportunities for them to visit classrooms and
interact with their children and how they learn
numeracy. Parents were encouraged to not
only visit their own child’s classroom but to
visit other year groups to gain an idea of how
learning might change between age groups.
Mrs Luanna Fletcher, Principal
at St Bernard’s, was impressed by the
response from the parent community.
“We had in excess of 50 parents attend
the sessions – there were even some
grandparents. Those who attended left
with a numeracy themed show bag we put
together with practical resources for home”.
“Equipping our parents with the current
language of numeracy and practical
strategies to encourage early numeracy
development are important steps to
creating a confident family approach”.
In response to feedback from working parents
and those unable to attend the workshops,
the Catholic Schools Office filmed the
workshops at St Bernard’s producing an
online education module for parents that
will be available in the near future on the
Diocesan Parent Council website.
17
education
SEPTEMBER 2012
Mothers’ Monday
and Fathers’ Friday
P
arent participation and involvement in their
child’s education, has been shown to develop
a more positive attitude towards learning. St
Cecilia’s Catholic Primary, Balgowlah has
embraced this concept with two annual events
that have become the highlight on the school’s
calendar for both the children and their parents.
Mothers’ and Memories Monday and
Fathers’ Friday invite parents and special
friends to spend an exciting full day of
learning in the classroom with their child.
Throughout the days parents experience
and participate in a variety of learning
experiences, including reading, writing,
maths, science, HSIE, art and sport.
Mothers and students in Years 1, 5 and
6 made a special Mothers’ and Memories
Book. Children collected photos of
themselves for each year of their life
and then decorated the pages of this
special book along with their mother.
On Fathers’ Friday, fathers and significant
males joined their children in Years 2 and 4
for a full morning of learning in the classroom,
a lunch order with their children from the
School’s Crunch Café, followed by some active
fun with sport activities on the oval. St Cecilia’s
Assistant Principal, Stephanie Harding said
that the positive evaluations from parents
after both days spoke volumes about their
engagement with their children’s learning.
“Many parents commented that they
didn’t realise how much actually happens in
a school day, and walked away with further
respect for the teachers and appreciation
of their children’s busy school day.”
Students enjoying their new playground on their Mini Olympics day.
PLAYGROUND PARTNERSHIP
Q
uality outdoor play at Our Lady of the
Rosary Catholic Primary, Waitara has
been on the agenda for well over a decade.
In designing a new play space, both parents
and teachers came together and formed a
playground advisory group. The group was
able to explore concept ideas, merging best
practice in developing an outdoor place
where imagination and engagement with the
natural environment was the main focus.
In recognising the importance of active
18
outdoor play teachers are given the chance
to observe, reflect and facilitate children’s
intentions as children direct their own selfinitiated play. The ‘aliveness’ of a natural
space ensures that with each new day
children are able to create and discover
new ideas and ponder new curiosities.
The children are thoroughly enjoying the
open-ended possibilities of the playground.
There are also great possibilities to
build on the space in the future.
The great success can be attributed to
the partnership and vision of the leadership
team, teaching staff and the P & F at
the school in working collaboratively in
designing a space where both play and
learning opportunities can be explored.
For many families, both past and
present, who have been instrumental
in the fundraising and development
of the outdoor environment, the
delivered product is a credit to all.
education
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
ALL HANDS ON DECK
W
hen Maria Regina Catholic Primary,
Avalon, identified that they would like
an outdoor learning area, their responsive
P&F took it on as a school community
project. Keen to enhance their children’s
learning, the P&F knew they had the expertise
within their parent community to build
the project to high quality specifications.
Year 1 parent and builder, Alex Stritt,
led a team of volunteer Dads to build
the deck, with the assistance of work
colleagues of Alex’s and volunteers.
The deck is in the shape of an
amphitheatre so that it can be used as
an outdoor classroom and lunch space,
as well as a play area for the children.
Maria Regina Principal, Kathy Gee, said
“The deck is a wonderful addition to our
playground, naturally shaded by trees. It is
conducive to creativity, with students playacting and performing there. The strong parent
support at the School is very much appreciated
and we are also grateful for the contribution
of the volunteers and local businesses.
THE DPC ARE PROUD TO BE BRINGING TO
AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING WRITER
AND STORYTELLER CELIA LASHLIE
Author of:
He’ll be OK: Growing Gorgeous Boys into Good Men and
The Power of Mothers: Releasing our Children
19 September (Pymble), 20 September (Wyong): 7.30pm
All welcome – no charge
RSVP: www.brokenbayparentcouncil.com
19
The Broken Bay Institute
Providing Academic and Adult Faith Education –
Caroline Chisholm Centre
Bldg 2, 423 Pennant Hills Rd,
Pennant Hills NSW 2120
(Access via City View Rd)
Postal Address: PO Box 340,
Pennant Hills NSW 1715
Tel. (02) 9847 0030
Fax. (02) 9847 0031
info@bbi.catholic.edu.au
www.bbi.catholic.edu.au
Director / Principal
Dr Gerard Goldman
Academic Dean
Prof Terry Lovat
Operations Manager
Liz Jones
Reception
Nina Elliott
Tel: (02) 9847 0030
Online Co-ordinator
Francis Flores
Faculty
Church History
Dr John Luttrell fms
Mission and Culture
Prof Therese D’Orsa
Spirituality
Dr Peter Mudge
Dr Catherine Thom RSJ
Theology
Dr Leonie Crotty RSM
Dan Fleming
Mike Foley
Religious Education
Dr Peter Mudge
Dr Leonie Crotty RSM
Bishop David L. Walker Library
Heather Lang
Tel: (02) 9847 0566
Theology
Liturgical Studies
Youth & Campus Ministry
Spirituality
Church History
Lay Ministry Training
Scripture
Mission & Culture
Religious Education
Vatican II eConference
… The Spirit that Speaks to Justice
by Dan McAloon
When Pope John XXIII announced the Second
Vatican Council his vision was of “a new
Pentecost” heralding the renewal of the graces
of the first Pentecost by activating the gifts of
the Holy Spirit in our lives and in our Church.
Like that first Pentecost, Vatican II was a
transformative event for God’s people, affecting
millions of Catholics and defining their relationships
with each other and their neighbours. The Council’s
enduring legacy exists in sixteen documents
promulgated at its conclusion by Pope Paul VI, but
for individuals the act of faith renewal became
as immediate as saying the Mass in English
and offering our brethren the Sign of Peace.
The national eConference ‘Vatican II: An Event of
Grace’ on Wednesday 10 October coincides with
the fiftieth anniversary of the Council’s opening
session in 1962. Presented by The Broken Bay
Institute in association with the Australian Catholic
Bishops’ Conference, the eConference will look
at how Vatican II resounds in the present day.
“The Year of Grace is an opportunity to
examine Vatican II in the light of the Catholic
tradition and in respect of questions that have
arisen since,” says keynote speaker, Bishop
Michael Putney, Chairperson of the ACBC
Mission and Faith Formation Commission.
“Fifty years on, the Council’s call for spiritual
renewal and evangelisation, ecumenism and
adaptation are still being assimilated.”
The eConference also presents perspectives
from Sister Maryanne Confoy RSC, Jill Gowdie
and Paul Power. Paul Power, Chief Executive
Officer of the Refugee Council of Australia
(RCOA), readily says Vatican II has impacted on
his life’s work. He says everyone should know
the grace and wisdom contained in Vatican II’s
key document ‘Gaudium Et Spes’ (the Pastoral
Constitution of the Church in the Modern World).
“Important concepts in Gaudium Et Spes are
that the Church and the world learn from each
other,” says Paul. “We are called to scrutinise
the signs of the times. Each must work for the
common good, taking into account the needs
and legitimate aspirations of others. We have
an inescapable duty to make ourselves the
neighbour of every person, including the isolated
aged person, the foreign worker despised by
others, the refugee, the starving person.”
Born in 1963, Paul remembers growing up
Catholic and encouraged to think and act on
social justice issues. As a young man, aged
21, heading into a career in journalism, he
found himself caught up in the overarching
anxieties of the times, “of the US and USSR
poised on the cusp of nuclear annihilation that
any small conflict or mistake could ignite.”
“In a Christian social justice group I was asked to
research the Catholic Church’s response to nuclear
disarmament. To my amazement I found the
Church had been advocating nuclear disarmament
for nearly forty years. The Catholic Church had
among the Christian churches been the strongest
and clearest against the nuclear arms race, and
had been so for decades, and I was unaware of it!”
Paul says the revelation “made a big impact on me
and everything that came afterwards”. After a 12year career as a journalist and editor, he worked
for Caritas as a media officer, trainer, researcher
and manager. Prior to joining the RCOA, he
was involved with projects in international aid,
community development, mental health support,
volunteer training, social research and advocacy.
“I say don’t ever doubt the transformative legacy
of Vatican II in the world today,” says Paul. “The
Catholic community is a quiet but significant
force working for the good of humanity.”
Catholic organisations and individual
Catholics – “both practising and not” – are
over-represented in the networks of RCOA,
says Paul. “Twenty five of 150 organisations
are Catholic in origin and purpose.”
The many ecumenical, inter-faith and social justice
movements that engage Catholics in this century,
says Paul, are traced back to “the springboard”
of Vatican II. “For my generation being called
in Christ’s name to reveal His unconditional
love to the world is a heartfelt vocation.”
The Broken Bay Institute
Caroline Chisholm Centre
www.bbi.catholic.edu.au
Bldg 2, 423 Pennant Hills Rd,
Pennant Hills NSW 2120
(Access via City View Rd)
Postal Address: PO Box 340,
Pennant Hills NSW 1715
Tel. (02) 9847 0030
Fax. (02) 9847 0031
info@bbi.catholic.edu.au
Insider Knowledge Marks Information Day
by Dan McAloon
the lower Blue Mountains, the South Coast,
Central Coast, Newcastle, and the Hunter.
If you thought the blackboard had long
since been replaced by the whiteboard, think
again. Blackboard is the name of the newest
online learning mode used by The Broken Bay
Institute and the University of Newcastle.
Among them was Sister Naomie-Ruth
Vanakulasingham from the Benedictine abbey
at Jamberoo, who is studying for a Bachelor
of Theology degree.
For the enrolled theology students who
attended the recent BBI information day held
at the Caroline Chisholm Centre, becoming
familiar with Blackboard, discussion boards
and databases, and tips on optimising library
catalogue searches were just some of the
useful topics under discussion.
Sr Naomie-Ruth, who entered the
contemplative community 15 years ago,
says online learning is perfectly suited to
monastic life. “We have a very full life of
prayer and work,” she says. “To go online for
study we need special permission, but given
my disciplined life in community it is a very
attractive, practical way of learning.”
Presentations on online learning and
assessment were given by BBI academics
Dan Fleming, Mike Foley and Zachariah
Duke. Meanwhile Dr Peter Mudge outlined
the latest insights that neuroscience has
revealed on human learning, including why
studying in 30 to 40 minute periods followed
by exercise aids memory retention.
For staff and students alike the day was a
chance to put the names to the faces. BBI’s
reputation is such that the students come
from all over NSW, and beyond. The group
on this day had travelled from Sydney and
Sr Naomie-Ruth says she chose BBI because
it is a leader in providing online theological
studies. “I have done five units through
Broken Bay – and now I’m coming back to my
studies and I’m loving it.”
Patricia Gemmell, of St Leonards, who is in
the fourth semester of a Masters of Theology
also says she “loves the depth of learning
in theology”. A schoolteacher of Latin and
French, Patricia says theology through BBINewcastle University is a preparation for her
next calling.
Sr Naomie-Ruth, online learning is
“a very attractive, practical way”.
“Why theology? I wanted to write essays
that made me think,” she says. “Secondly
I wanted to discern what I wanted to do
in the second half of my life. The question,
‘What am I being called to do?’ is one that
resonates throughout the Bible and goes to
the heart of God’s plan for us.”
Dr Gerard Goldman, the Director of BBI, in
thanking the students for their participation,
described how teaching and learning at BBI,
“honours scripture and Church tradition and
the social disciplines.”
Patricia Gemmell “I wanted to write essays that made me think”.
“Human experience is the beginning
point of theology,” Dr Goldman says.
“We take your experience and the human
experience of community seriously.
Scripture and Church tradition, culture,
history, anthropology, linguistics – all
those things are ways of taking human
experience seriously. They all inform on
our teaching style here at BBI and into our
partnership with Newcastle University.”
in our diocese
SEPTEMBER 2012
Saints of
Ireland Pilgrimage
By Mike and Maureen Rutlidge
The Lakes Parish
I
n June, four people from the Broken
Bay Diocese travelled to Ireland for
the Eucharistic Congress. When the
proposed Broken Bay Pilgrimage was
cancelled, due to insufficient numbers,
Maria Woods (Our Lady of Dolours,
Chatswood); David Evernden (St
Patrick’s, Gosford) and Mike & Maureen
Rutlidge (The Lakes Parish, Narrabeen/
Collaroy Plateau), joined the Townsville
Diocese “Saints of Ireland” Pilgrimage,
led by Bishop Michael Putney DD.
The first 3 days were spent at the 50th
International Eucharistic Congress in
Dublin. We were especially blessed in
attending the Opening Mass; and the
music, homilies, and talks were inspiring.
Leaving the Congress we then travelled
for the next week to sites, some from the
5th & 6th Centuries, where we heard the life
stories and legends surrounding such saints
as St Brigid, St Kevin, St Patrick, St Colman,
St Columba, St Declan and St Kieran.
Visiting the more recent homes and graves
of Blessed Edmund Rice, founder of the
Christian Brothers and Mother Catherine
McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy
was a special experience. When visiting
Newmarket, where a statue of St Mary of
the Cross MacKillop was erected last year,
we learned that over a period of 50 years,
704 young Irish women left from there to
join the sisters of St Joseph in Australia.
Another place of inspiration was
Knock, where we celebrated Mass in
the Church of the Apparitions, where
Our Lady appeared in 1879.
Throughout our Pilgrimage, we were
deeply impressed by the friendliness of the
people we met, from the organisers and
volunteers at the Congress; the Priests and
parishioners who welcomed us in all the
churches where we celebrated Mass, and the
Sisters and other local guides who showed us
around some of the monastic ruins. Through
stories and legends, they brought to life those
Saints of Ireland whose influence is felt to
this day, from Ireland to our own country.
“Shop till You Drop”
Bus Trip
Fundraising for St Bernard’s Catholic
Primary and St Joseph’s Catholic College
International karate athlete, Alice Carrett
Saturday 13 October 2012
Your day will include shopping at a
variety of warehouses as well as a great
pub lunch (inc in cost) – $55 per head.
A truly great day will be had – so ask
you friends and family.
For more information contact Rhonda:
rmandersen@hotkey.net.au or call 0412 567 067
22
in our diocese
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
Good Friends
Celebrate 60 Years
T
here were major celebrations in
Ku-ring-gai Chase Parish on
the weekend of 21 – 22 July.
Two good friends celebrated their
60th Anniversary of Ordination in the
churches where they had been Parish
Priests before their retirement.
Father Patrick McMaugh and Father Denis
Callahan first met at the age of 13 as they
travelled together on the train to St Columba’s
College at Springwood to begin their journey
to priesthood. Father Pat celebrated his
anniversary Mass on Saturday evening at St
Patrick’s at Asquith where he had been Parish
Priest for 26 years. He was assisted by Deacon
Kevin Hale. Priests who concelebrated were
Bishop David Walker, Fr Biju Puthenpura,
Fr Robert Borg, Fr Michael McLean, Fr Paul
Fr Robert, Fr Pat and Fr Denis.
Frs Pat McMaugh and Denis Callaghan, pictured centre, at St Bernard’s Berowra Heights.
Finucane and Fr Eric Burton. Children’s
Choir, Senior Choir and instrumentalists,
combined to inspire the congregation with
their beautiful music. A celebration supper
followed, in the Father Patrick McMaugh
Hall, where all those who love and admire
Father Pat gathered to congratulate him.
Father Denis celebrated at the 9am
Mass at St Bernard’s at Berowra Heights,
assisted by Deacon Kevin Hale. A parish
priest here for 5 years before his retirement,
Father Denis had made many friends who
came to wish him well on his Anniversary.
Fr Patrick McMaugh, Fr Vince Casey, Fr
Thomas Alackakunnel and Fr Robert Borg
concelebrated Mass and beautiful music was
provided by the singers and musicians.
Morning tea followed in the Father Denis
Callahan Hall where parishioners were able
to gather and reminisce with Father Denis
about his time with them as Parish Priest.
Two remarkable journeys, made by two
extraordinary men over 60 years, have
now been celebrated and the parishioners
of Ku-ring-gai Chase Parish have been
privileged to be part of this milestone in
the lives of Father Pat and Father Denis.
Fr Pat McMaugh.
Catholicism
Project Success
K
u-ring-gai Chase Catholic Parish
rejoices in the overwhelming success
of its “Catholicism” faith formation nights
that were held in May and June.
An average of 70 parishioners attended
regular Monday night sessions that included
a generous sit down screening of Fr
Robert Barron’s revolutionary Catholicism
DVD series. The series was filmed by
Word on Fire Ministries, a Chicago
based Catholic evangelisation ministry
passionate about the sharing the faith.
Each week Ku-ring-gai Chase parishioners
were joined by those from all over
Sydney including Waitara, Wahroonga
and Pennant Hills as they learned more
about Jesus, the Church, the Sacraments
and Mary. The screening was followed
by a light supper, discussion and a very
lively and enlightening Q and A session
led by Mr Andrew Wood, director of the
St John Centre for Biblical Studies.
During the sessions, participants expressed
amazement at Fr Robert Barron’s insightful
and enthusiastic explanation of the Catholic
faith in many of the most beautiful and
sacred destinations around the world. Many
remarked that they had learned more from the
sessions than they had in their whole lives.
The small but dedicated team from Ku-
ring-gai Chase Parish who organised the
event has been astounded by the enthusiasm.
In response to the growing interest, a second
5 week Catholicism screening event is
planned for October. Episodes will include
God and the Trinity, St Peter and Paul, The
Saints, Prayer, Heaven, Hell and Purgatory.
All are invited to attend. For more
information please call organiser
Alicja Pieprzyk on 0438 776 945.
23
Spring
R
Catholi acing is O
c D
n
iocese
of Brok Again!
en Bay
Charit
Race D y
ay
Thursd
ay 15
Novem
Relive
the exc ber 2012
ite
of Mel
bourne ment
Cup.
Gosfor
d Race
Great v Course
enue
Air Co
ndition
ed
Pan
MC Ex
traordi oramic Views
na
3-cours ire – Donnie
Venue e meal and d Sutherland
TAB
rinks
Raffles and Bookmak
, comp
etitions er
There
a
commu re many peo
nity w
ho do n ple in our
comfor
Throug ts we take f ot enjoy the
o
the Dio h the Charita r granted …
cese of
ble Wo
rks Fu
Broken
procee
nd,
d
B
to prov s of the Race ay will use
th
ide ass
D
istance ay to contin e
ue
to thos
For Ra
e in ne
c
e
D
a
e
y
d.
bookin
gs cont Luncheon tic
a
k
c
e
t: Rh
ts an
the Car
oline C onda Anders d
h
e
(02) 98 isholm Centr n at
e
4
rhonda
.ander 7 0726
sen@db
b.org.a
u
ts
nd resul s
a
y
a
d
e
g effort
ess of th
The succ n our fundraisin t the
i
u
achieved t possible witho rship and
nso
are no
rt in spo ors. If your
o
p
p
u
s
s
generou from our spons donating
s
donation y is interested in towards
Compan cts or vouchers y please
u
a
any prod drawn on the d ls above.
s
ai
le
the Raff honda at the det
contact R
in our diocese
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
Warmun – Our Story
St Joseph’s students pictured with Bishop Saunders after Mass in Broome.
By Fiona Green
Youth Ministry Co-ordinator
St Joseph’s Catholic College, East Gosford
A
great deal of time, work and money goes
into taking a small group of teenagers to a
remote part of Australia and placing them in a
very different and challenging cultural context
for two weeks. Yet, in June and July this year,
two teachers from St Joseph’s Catholic College,
East Gosford, accompanied by Denise Maguire
from Catholic Mission, did just that. One is justified in asking the question “Why?” You should
also probably ask: “What did the students gain
from the experience?” and “Did the local people
benefit from this visit?”
To answer these questions I will tell the story
from the beginning…
Saint Joseph’s has very strong ties with the
Sisters of St Joseph who founded our school.
The College works hard to ensure that our students leave school with a strong sense of social
justice and with a desire to continue the work
of Mary MacKillop to never see a need without
doing something about it.
It was felt that our students should develop
an understanding of the reality of life for
indigenous Australians. We knew that the
Sisters of St Joseph were working with indigenous Australians in the Kimberley region, so
we set to work to discover if we could develop
our relationship with them and connect with
their ministry.
In partnership with Catholic Mission
Australia, we made a connection with the
community in Warmun (Turkey Creek),
Western Australia.
Warmun is a remote Aboriginal community in the East Kimberley. The land consists
of rugged sand and limestone hills, eucalypt
woodlands and sweeping savannah grasslands
out of which arise mighty boab trees. Warmun
is situated alongside the highway that connects
the towns of Kununurra and Halls Creek.
The majority of Aboriginal people in Warmun
are members of the Gija language group. Their
ancestors have always lived in this area. Today,
the Warmun community consists of about 600
people. The community consists of a medical
clinic, a sport and recreation centre, a mechanical workshop, a community centre, a childcare
centre, a police station, a general store and a
school (pre-primary to Year 10). The Sisters of
St Joseph were invited to establish the school
in Warmun and they opened Ngalangangpum
(“Mother and Child”) School in 1979 as a twoway school.
On our arrival in Warmun we were greeted
by the school principal, Leanne Hodge, who
orientated us with a comprehensive talk about
the community and a tour of the town. Our
students were allocated to classes and, after
a smoking ceremony which welcomed us to
country, we immersed ourselves into the daily
life of the school.
The St Joseph’s students developed strong
bonds with the Ngalangangpum students,
working alongside them as they studied subjects such as English, Mathematics and Music.
They quickly discovered that the school day
starts very differently to that in East Gosford.
As the Warmun kids arrive at school at various
times throughout each morning, they put on
their uniforms (which are stored in their desks)
and they brush their teeth. The St Joseph’s
students observed extreme differences between
the health of the Ngalangangpum students
and of the children back home, and despite
illnesses, worked hard and without complaint.
During the visit, there were two deaths in the
community, which dramatically reduced school
attendance for a few days. Abuse of alcohol
in the homes of some of the children led to
restless nights with little sleep and tiredness at
school on the following day. Our presence in the
classrooms enabled trust to develop and the St
Joseph’s girls delighted in the hugs and affection
they received from the children.
We learnt a lot and we tried to help
out where we could. Being able to assist in
the classrooms, relocating and sorting out
flood damaged school resources stored in a
shipping container, tidying and sorting out
language resources in the “Gija Room” and
helping the Aboriginal teacher aides to serve
lunch gave us practical and useful ways to be
of service as we began a relationship with the
people of Warmun.
After we left Warmun, a debrief session
allowed our students to express how passionately they had felt about their time in the
community, and many expressed a desire to
return one day to continue to work with the
people of Warmun. All of the girls expressed
a fervent desire to be advocates for indigenous
Australians. Aware that there are no simple
solutions to the problems facing communities such as Warmun, the students discovered
great joy in developing relationships with
the community. In summary, we went to the
Kimberley to gain insights into the reality of
life for indigenous Australians and to develop
an informed moral conscience. We also went to
the Kimberley to form relationships with the
community of Warmun with which we already
had a connection through Mary MacKillop. If
you ask our students what they most valued
from this experience, they would tell you the
friendships that they made with the children.
Yes, we gained incredible and valuable insights
but, more importantly, we made friends. The
friendships we began with the Warmun children and elders, with the school staff and the
principal, with Sister Teresa and Sister Mary,
are priceless. Did the people of Warmun benefit from our presence? We cannot be sure, but
we hope so.
Inspired by our experience, we left
Warmun with hope in our hearts for a better future for all Australians if we can walk
together into the future with our indigenous
brothers and sisters.
25
in our diocese
SEPTEMBER 2012
The
Brick
By Barry Finch
Diocesan President, St Vincent de Paul Society
A
young and successful executive was
travelling down a neighbourhood street,
going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He
was watching for kids darting out from
between parked cars and slowed down
when he thought he saw something.
As his car passed, no children appeared.
Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag’s
side door! He slammed on the brakes
and backed the Jag back to the spot
where the brick had been thrown.
The angry driver then jumped out of the
car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him
up against a parked car shouting, “What
was that all about and who are you? Just
what the heck are you doing? That’s a new
car and that brick you threw is going to
cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?”
The young boy was apologetic. “Please
mister … please, I’m sorry but I didn’t know
26
what else to do,” he pleaded. “I threw the
brick because no one else would stop … ”
With tears dripping down his face and off
his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just
around a parked car. “It’s my brother,” he
said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of
his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.”
Now sobbing, the boy asked the
stunned executive, “Would you please
help me get him back into his wheelchair?
He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”
Moved beyond words, the driver tried
to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his
throat … He hurriedly lifted the handicapped
boy back into the wheelchair, then took
out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the
fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told
him everything was going to be okay.
“Thank you and may God bless you,” the
grateful child told the stranger. Too shook
up for words, the man simply watched the
boy push his wheelchair-bound brother
down the sidewalk toward their home …
It was a long, slow walk back to the
Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable,
but the driver never bothered to repair
the dented side door. He kept the dent
there to remind him of this message: Don’t
go through life so fast that someone has to
throw a brick at you to get your attention!
God whispers in our souls
and speaks to our hearts.
Sometimes, when we don’t have time
to listen, He has to throw a brick at
us. It’s our choice to listen or not.
Thought for the Day
If God had a refrigerator, your picture
would be on it. Now read this line very
slowly and let it sink it: If God brings
you to it, He will bring you through it.
whats on
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
Robyn Somers-Day
CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2012
SEPTEMBER
yearofgrace
STARTING AFRESH FROM CHRIST
Child Protection Sunday: For more information visit www.playyourpart.org.au
Australian Catholic Historical Society: Guest Speaker, Mr Alan Gill. Formerly Religious Affairs
Editor, Sydney Morning Herald, will address the Colloquia on: ‘Reporting on Religion’.The Colloquia
are held on Sunday afternoons, at 2.30pm, in the foyer of St Mary’s Cathedral College hall, Cathedral
Street, Sydney. Best entry is from Cathedral Street, near the entry to the Cathedral Street Parking
Station. Paid parking is available in the parking station. Enquiries: secretaryachs@gmail.com
15-16 Celebrate Love: A mini-retreat consisting of talks and reflective exercises designed
to lead couples to explore a variety of topics. This is not a residential retreat. Holy
Cross Parish, Kincumber St, Kincumber. Bookings: Philipa and Luke Caulfield 0402
700 093 Information: info@celebratelove.com.au or 9662 7272
19
Inaugural Catholic-Uniting Church Dialogue: Following in the tradition of the well-established
Episcopal Dialogues, Bishop David Walker is please to invite you to an inaugural Dialogue between
himself and a representative of the Uniting Church – The Rev. Greg McConnell, Chairperson of the Kuring-gai Presbytery of the Uniting Church –7:30pm in Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral at Waitara
(23 Yardley Ave). The topic to be addressed is: The Catholic Church and the Uniting Church: What
unites us, and what divides us? The evening will include an opportunity for questions to the speakers.
27
Respect Life Issues – “To Love to the End: Who will make your choices?”: An opportunity
to take an in-depth look at the questions and concerns that can arise when a person becomes unable
to make decisions regarding his or her own health. Professor Nicholas Tonti-Filippini will cover a
number of end-of-life issues, such as future care planning and advanced directives. 9.30am – 11am
at Caroline Chisholm Centre Pennant Hills OR 7.30pm – 9.00pm at St John the Baptist
Parish Woy Woy. RSVP to Patty Thomas at patricia.thomas@dbb.org.au or to 9847 0518.
27
“Walking with Love alternatives and responses to abortion”: Marcia Riordon, Bishops
Conference Life Council, provides us with an opportunity in this Year of Grace to reflect on how we
might develop a more effective pastoral response, a more complete, compassionate and positive
message to those who are suffering and grieving. 11am – 12 noon at Caroline Chisholm Centre
Pennant Hills. RSVP to Patty Thomas at patricia.thomas@dbb.org.au or to 9847 0518.
9
9
Contact Robyn 0418 973 656
robynsomers-day@optusnet.com.au
www.youtube.com/robynsomersday
To have your event included in this section please send details to the Editor at:
news@dbb.org.au FAX: (02) 9847 0501. TEL: 9847 07824
DEADLINE for OCTOBER 2012 edition of Broken Bay News: Monday 10 September 2012
27