Tasmanian Catholic - Volume 6 Issue 6 2010

Vol 6:6 Dec 2010/Feb 2011A publication of the Archdiocese of HobartComplimentary

10 -12

FEATURES

Defence Force Chaplains

FEATURES

The Sisters return with their story

16 -17

SCHOOL AND COLLEGE NEWS

Getting to know the Archbishop

28

Love incarnate

Editor

Mary-Anne Johnson

(03) 6208 6230

Production and Design

Cherie O’Meara

Published six times per year by the Archdiocese of

Hobart, The Tasmanian Catholic is distributed to

Catholic schools, hospitals, retirement villages and

parishes statewide.

We welcome contributions, but no guarantee of

publication can be given because of demands on

available space. Hard copy versions of items for

publication cannot be returned so please keep a

copy. Photographs submitted will only be returned

if accompanied by an addressed stamped envelope.

Contributions, advertising or other enquiries may

be made by email to [email protected]

or sent by mail to The Tasmanian Catholic,

GPO Box 62, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001.

Catholic Church Directorywww.hobart.catholic.org.au

The Office of the Archbishop

Phone: (03) 6208 6222 Fax: (03) 6208 6293

Business Manager

Peter Cusick CPA

Phone: (03) 6208 6227 Fax: (03) 6208 6292

Catholic Development Fund

Phone: (03) 6208 6260 Fax: (03) 6208 6290

Liturgy Office

Phone: (03) 6208 6233 Fax: (03) 6208 6292

Marriage Tribunal

Phone: (03) 6208 6250 Fax: (03) 6208 6297

The Office of Church Life and Mission

Phone: (03) 6208 6232 Fax: (03) 6208 6292

Tasmanian Catholic Justice

and Peace Commission

Phone: (03) 6208 6271 Fax: (03) 6208 6299

Towards Healing Help Line

Phone: 1800 356 613

Museum and Archives

Phone: (03) 6231 4740

Heritage Office

Phone/Fax: (03) 6224 5920

Catholic Diocesan Centre35 Tower Road New Town 7008, GPO Box 62 Hobart 7001

Phone: (03) 6208 6222 Fax: (03) 6208 6292

Vicar General

Fr Mark Freeman VG

44 Margaret Street, Launceston 7250

Phone: (03) 6331 4377 Fax: (03) 6334 1906

Chancellor

Fr Terry Rush VF PP

PO Box 42 Richmond 7025

Phone/Fax: (03) 6260 2189

Catholic Youth Ministry Chaplain

Fr Richard Ross

Phone: (03) 6326 1970

Catholic Education Office5 Emmett Place New Town 7008

Phone: (03) 6210 8888

Vocations Ministry

99 Barrack Street, Hobart

Phone: (03) 6234 4463

Centacare Welfare Services

Hobart 35 Tower Road New Town 7008

Phone: (03) 6278 1660

Launceston 201 York Street, Launceston 7250

Phone: (03) 6332 0600

Burnie 108 Mount Street Burnie 7320

Phone: (03) 6431 8555

Devonport 85 Best Street Devonport 7310

Phone: (03) 6423 6100

Willson Training

35 Tower Road New Town 7008

Phone: (03) 6208 6000

Diocesan Ecumenical Commission

Phone: (03) 6335 4708 A/H: (03) 6335 4826

DEADLINE NEXT EDITION January 25, 2011

All material in this publication is copyright and must

not be reproduced without the written permission of

the Archbishop of Hobart or his authorised delegate.

Printing

Foot and Playsted,

Launceston

(03) 6332 1400

Fax: (03) 6332 1444

INSIDE THIS ISSUEArchbishop Doyle writes 1

Reflection 3

News in Brief 4–5

Mary MacKillop celebrations

Photo feature 6–7

Our pilgrimage to Rome 16–17

Australian invasion of Rome 36

Fly on the wall

A flight North West 8

Pastoral Life

The Pontville Creed 9

Fr Felix –on a mission from Nigeria to Tasmania 13

Revised Mass translation in 2011 22

Features

Defence Force Chaplains 10–12

Big maps…big visions…big future 19

The Way across Tasmania 26

Social Concern

Tastex celebrates forty years 15

Caritas 20

Improving lives on the margins 24

Bridging troubled waters 25

Centacare’s 50 years of service 27

Dining with Friends 29

Edgeways

Sounds of silence 21

School and College News

My Israel experience 18

Getting to know the Archbishop 28

School and college news in brief 32–33

Kids’ Page 35

Lifestyle

Book and film reviews 30–31

Weddings 34

Brigid Noonan and Leif Shea

Sam Clear and Catherine Seiwert

Obituary

Fr Gerard Sheedy 37

CoverAll babies are love incarnate – made fl esh – and remind us of the special baby we remember at Christmas time. Our particular baby is Lauren Emma Stanelos, daughter of Michael and Clair Stanelos and grand-daughter of a very proud Cathy Murrowood, Liturgy Co-ordinator of the Archdiocese.

1

www.hobart.catholic.org.auwww.hobart.catholic.org.au

Archbishop Doyle Writes

May God bless each and

everyone of you as you

celebrate the wonderful

event that is the Birth

of Jesus, the Son of God

and Brother of us all.

Dear Friends in Christ,

We know, from the Gospel story, that in

the first place, God was prepared to

entrust His Son to the care of the Virgin Mary.

She had to give birth to her child in a strange

town, without proper accommodation or

any family support, which required of her, as

of other mothers when this happens, great

courage and serenity. But it does not seem

to have caused Mary any great difficulty

because she understood it to be part of the

plan of God. But very quickly, as we hear

more of the story, Mary was asked to do

more, to entrust her Son to all of humanity,

the good, the bad and the ugly.

Before long however, Mary also discovered

that her own privacy was at an end, and her

motherhood of all of us had already begun.

The first visitors came very soon after the

birth of Jesus, first the shepherds and the

travellers from the East. Mary had no option

but to show that she was pleased to see all

these visitors, and to indicate her readiness

to share her Son with everyone. And we share

her Son today.

When we stop to reflect, that is surely

something quite amazing, but then, as we

often hear it said: “God’s ways are not our

ways.” With the Birth of Jesus, there was a

coming together of surprise, joy and awe. It

was good news at the most unexpected of

times, in the most ordinary of circumstances,

and addressed to the most unlikely people.

This is a reminder that Jesus, and the

salvation He brought, was for all times, all

circumstances and all people. The Birth of

Christ, and the message He brought, are

not relevant and meaningful only at special

times and seasons, in carefully controlled

circumstances and for the benefit of just a

privileged few.

One of the ironies of the celebration of

Christmas is that it is often those who appear

to have less reason to be joyful and at peace,

who in fact understand better the message

of Christmas, because they know where true

peace and joy can be found.

We also need to be conscious of the plight

of those for whom Christmas still brings

sadness, because of their circumstances of

loneliness, sickness or separation.

Once again this Christmas, we have the

opportunity to recapture something of the

sense of the amazing grace that Christmas is,

the humbling awe and the limitless joy that

is there for those who can truly appreciate

what it means for the Good News of Christ

to come into our world.

I pray that again this year, for all of us,

Christmas will be that special experience

of the presence of Jesus in our lives today,

and that we can share the joy and peace

which such an awareness brings, to as many

as possible, in our families and in the wider

associations that we have in our lives.

May God bless each and everyone of you

as you celebrate the wonderful event that is

the Birth of Jesus, the Son of God and Brother

of us all.

Yours sincerely in Christ

ADRIAN L DOYLE AM

Archbishop of Hobart

Closing dates for the next edition are:Editorial January 25, 2011

Completed advertisements January 25, 2011

Please direct your enquires to:

Editorial: Mary-Anne Johnson (03) 6208 6230

Advertising: Vanessa Kaczorek (03) 6208 6243

We distribute to all Catholic schools, hospitals, retirement villages and parishes statewide.

In the last Archbishop Doyle Writes,

in the Tasmanian Catholic Vol 6:5, the

Archbishop addressed the issue of

suicide. There has been quite a deal of

grateful response from those affected

in some way, from far and wide. In

Tasmania there is help available from:

Lifeline 13 11 44

Centacare (03) 6278 1660 and

The Samaritans (03) 6331 3355.

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Underwritten by Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd ABN 15 000 122 850 AFSL 234708, promoted by Catholic Church Insurances AFSL 235415. Always read the PDS before deciding if this product is right for you.* Conditions apply. ** Please see full terms and conditions on our website www.catholicinsurances.com.au/magazine subscriptionOnly sales via the call centre on 1300 655 003 are eligible for the magazine subscription.

CCI Tas Catholic Ad 1110 indd 1 16/11/2010 1:57:18 PM

4 Volume 6 Issue 6 2010

www.hobart.catholic.org.au

RCIA and Sacraments of Initiation Rosemary Petchell is the new

receptionist at OCLAM, the Office

of Church Life and Mission.

She loves her new job at OCLAM

and believes that liturgy is a beautiful

expression of our love for God and it’s

important to get it worthy. Rosemary is on

a journey that has recently led her and her

family to become Catholic and she is most

grateful that God has drawn her into the

fullness of Truth expressed in the Mass.

She has a hobby farm that she and her

two children have built from the ground up over the last 3 years in

the beautiful Huon Valley near Judbury, overlooking the Huon River.

She loves quilting, gardening, dancing, seeing movies, TSO concerts,

Cygnet Singers and being with her children. Her most immediate prior

employment has been as home educator of her children for the past

twelve years. Quite an achievement! Welcome, Rosemary!

State Gathering

All involved in Christian

Initiation are invited to

a day of formation, including

workshops, discussions and

sharing ideas.

Parish Sacrament Teams

RCIA Teams

Baptism Teams

Priests

Teachers

Catechists

Parishioners

Families

Saturday 19 March 2011

The Grange Meeting and

Function Centre

87 High Street

CAMPBELL TOWN

10:00am – 3:00pm

For further information: Ben

Brooks RCIA and Sacraments of

Initiation Co-ordinator

Phone: (03) 6208 6235. Fax: (03)

6208 6292. Mobile: 0418 126 434.

e: [email protected]

New face at OCLAM

Welcome to our bumper Christmas

issue of The Tasmanian Catholic.

We’ve added four pages to show some of

our celebrations around the Canonisation

of Mary MacKillop; there are pictures from

several anniversaries – Tastex, Centacare

and St Brendan-Shaw College; there are

ordinary Catholics doing their bit for the

kingdom; special events in peoples’ lives;

news from the wider Church; issues of social

inclusion and asylum seekers – all aspects of

Catholicism as it is lived in Tasmania.

Trip of a lifetime for students

Green thumbs beautiful blooms

Many thanks to Clair and Michael Stanelos

whose daughter, Lauren, is on our cover.

Thanks to all those who have contributed in

any way, and apologies for all the aggravation

I’ve put you through! A particular thank you to

Cherie for her brilliant design and production

work which has transformed the raw material

of stories and photos into the finished product

you see.

A most blessed and happy Christmas to

all our readers!

Mary-Anne Johnson, Editor

Christmas Greetings

Six Tasmanian students,

from the Government

and non - government

sector, have won the trip

of a lifetime to the World

War I battlefields of Turkey,

Belgium and France as

part of the annual Frank

MacDonald Memorial

Prize. To date, 33 Tasmanian

students have had the

opportunity to visit these

historical sites as a result of

the competition and been able to expand

their knowledge and understanding of

World War I.

Winners from the Tasmanian Catholic

Education sector, Declan Fahey from Marist

Regional College and Scott Bowden from

St Virgil’s College, will join with Phil Pyke

from the Office of the Archbishop, who is

representing the RSL.

Sr Kath Howe has been gardening longer

than she can remember.

The Sisters at St Joseph’s in New Town

appreciate her efforts and she is also

appreciated wider afield. She recently

received awards for her orchids at the Hobart

Spring Orchid Show. Well deserved, as these

pictures show!

L-R: Phil Pyke, Declan Fahey and Scott Bowden.

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5


of [email protected]

In October, Australian youth ministry co-

ordinators, including myself (Rachelle

Smith), travelled to Madrid in preparation

for next year’s big event – World Youth

Day 2011!

The people of Madrid are very excited

about hosting the youth of the world

in their city next year when they gather

for the week long celebration. We were

Rachelle’s been to Madrid!

Pilgrimage gift voucher

Pilgrimage to WYD11

St Joseph’s statue at Grange Villas Taroona

Lucky winners

welcomed with open arms by the Madrid

World Youth Day office. They were happy

for us, as the previous host country of WYD,

to be visiting.

Planning for WYD11 is charging full steam

ahead, Madrid is an absolutely beautiful city

and the people are fantastic. World Youth

Day 2011 is shaping up to be one terrific

event – make sure you do not miss out!!

On Thursday October 28,

Fr Michael Tate blessed the

restored and re-located statue

of St Joseph at 26 Channel

Highway, Taroona.

The bronze statue was

originally imported from Lyon

in France by Mother Xavier

Williams rsc and placed over the

main entrance door at St Joseph’s

Orphanage, Harrington St,

Hobart, in 1879. It remained there

until 1970 when the building was sold. The

sale enabled Sr Catherine Ellis rsc to buy part

of Dr Boot’s property at 26 Channel Highway

and extend her plan for Family Group Homes

and when the Sisters and children

moved in, St Joseph went with

them to continue his guardianship

role.

In the 1980s and 90s Centacare

used the facility as a Crisis centre

until 2000, when it was sold to

Mary’s Grange for the present

Retirement Village. The statue was

placed outside the main entrance,

but unfortunately became a

target for vandals.

To ensure the safety of the statue, it has been

beautifully restored through the concerned

efforts of Joyce and David Cummings and

moved to a more appropriate position.

Registrations are now open to join the

Tasmanian Pilgrimage to World Youth

Day 2011. Catholic Youth Ministry held

the first gathering of WYD11 Pilgrims on

the weekend of 4-5 December.

If you missed this, it is not too late, but

make sure you go to www.wydtas.org.au

as soon as possible for all your information

on the Tassie WYD11 Pilgrimage and for an

application pack.

Do you have a child, grandchild, niece,

nephew, cousin, friend or parishioner

going to World Youth Day 2011?? Why not

consider a WYD11 voucher as a Christmas

gift (or Birthday, Graduation or any other

special occasion) to help them on their

way.

The Harvest Gift Certificates make an

ideal investment into the faith life of your

loved one. Kick start the pilgrim’s road to

Madrid now and make a difference in the

life of a young person! To purchase go to:

www.wydtours.com.au/gift.

Judy Dillon won the Jewish-Christian

Liturgical Calendar, courtesy of Etz-

Hayim.

The five winners of Mary MacKillop Stamp

packs, courtesy of Australia Post are:

Judith Kerr, J Aiken, Angelina Cash, Bernadette

Dean and Rozanne Parsons.

Book and DVD Giveaway

To win a copy

of the book, Yu -

The Dragon Tamer by Ted

Scott a book about a man,

Yu, who suffers from mental

illness, send your name and

address together with the

author’s name on the back

of an envelope to:

Yu Competition, Tasmanian

Catholic, GPO Box 62, North

Hobart, 7001.

To win a copy of the DVD,

Mary – the Mary MacKillop

Story, send your name and

address on the back of the

envelope to:

Mary DVD Competition,

Tasmanian Catholic, GPO Box

62, North Hobart, 7001

Deadline is January, 25, 2011

and the winners will be in our

February edition.

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Mary MacKillop’s Canonisation was acknowledged around

Tasmania with banners, art work, Masses, a special walk,

dinners, newspapers articles, TV segments, school activities, a

stained glass window and more. The photos show some of the

celebrations within the Catholic Community.

Mary MacKillop

celebrations

7



The fly on the wall flew up as far as Devonport in November and

landed at a meeting of the Catholic Women’s League, where

thirteen faithful ladies were gathering.

As I waited for the meeting to begin, I noticed the table next to

the meeting kept receiving offerings of food as ladies brought their

plates towards the lunch. A big pot of soup was on the boil in the

kitchen. Plenty of pickings for a hungry fly!

The old convent is now the Emmaus Centre, used by many groups

within the Parish. It has a well-loved and homely ambience with sun

shining through the lace-covered windows as the ladies greet each

other and take their places around the room.

On the front table, there are symbols of the league – a crucifix, the

sign of Christianity and a net, which signifies the circling of the globe,

with the members represented by strands and the branches by knots;

a handbook and a banner. I’m told they used to also have red flowers

set up at each meeting to remember the women still behind the Iron

Curtain of Communism. There are also jars ready to take offerings from

members for the raffle, foster child, self- denial and the ecumenical

Fellowship of the Least Coin.

It would be difficult to come to the meeting with empty hands.

There’s also a spot to collect groceries for the neighbouring Youth

Drop in Centre. Joyce, who sits knitting socks, is never idle and always

has a pair of socks on the go, for meetings and when she’s travelling.

So far this year she’s knitted eleven pairs of socks – not bad for an

octogenarian!

A bell is rung to start the meeting and the president welcomes

everyone. They start with the opening prayer from the CWL handbook.

They ask Mary Help of Christians to pray for them and then the Rosary

is offered up for the sick. It’s a lovely meditative prayer. “Pray for us,”

they intone, “that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.”

Praying takes up nearly the first half hour of the meeting.

The business starts with apologies, then a happy birthday to a

member who will be 91 this month – and who is looking forward to

making 100!

Copies of the month’s Review magazine have been distributed

and the reflection from it is read out. A discussion on the life and

Canonisation of Mary MacKillop follows.

The minutes from last month are read and confirmed, followed

by correspondence, treasurer’s report and other reports. Meanwhile

the pie heater is switched on, as these are practical as well as spiritual

A Flight North-Westwomen. There is a Stamp report

on collection of stamps for the

Missions; a report on the World

Community Day recently held at

Our Lady of Lourdes church and

a report on the Baptism cards,

which are handmade and sent

to all babies being baptised in

the area – 412 have been sent

out since 1999!

There is a reading from

the Review of items of interest

and discussion of possible

responses.

At noon, there is a break for

the Angelus, which is said for

peace in our hearts and in the

world.

Every meeting has a reading from Women’s Voice, the international

newsletter of WUCWO – the World Union of Catholic Women’s

Organisations. An inspirational message called ‘Woman, why do

you weep?’ is read this time.

General business continues with reminders about the annual

collection of groceries for the drop-in centre and collection of coins

in the various jars. Plans are made for Christmas lunch, which will be

at the December meeting and involve the usual goodies plus orange

juice, plum pudding and maybe a little wine! The Sisters and priests

of the Parish will be invited along to this too. Perhaps the fly will have

to make a return visit!

Catholic Women’s League Prayer

Grant I ask you, Lord, a blessing on the works performed by the

members of the Catholic Women’s League.

I pray that, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and through the

intercession of Mary, Help of Christians, more women will become

participating members of the Catholic Women’s League.

Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

For further information, contact Mrs Mary Binks, the State Secretary,

on (03) 6424 3203.

FLY ON THE WALL

9


Retirement for Mrs Peggy Creed won’t

mean nothing to do – far from it!

At 83, Peggy’s retiring from her position at

St Matthew’s Cemetery at Pontville and the

phone’s been ringing hot with people wanting

Peggy to arrange their pre-paid funerals before

she goes. She’s always been one for personal

service and pensioners have often brought

their deposits and instalments to her home.

She has missed the on-going relationship with

them when they’ve finished paying. Although

there has been a cemetery at Pontville for many

years, its popularity boomed in the late 1960s

with the restriction of sites at Cornelian Bay

and the development of the Lawn Cemetery at

Kingston. Many of the Polish community, who

had started their Tasmanian lives at Brighton,

chose to come to Pontville to be buried in a

traditional way and others followed.

Back in 1966, Fr Peter O’Loughlin had to

decide whether to close the cemetery or

expand it, and when the land next door came

up for sale, he bought it. Peggy thought she

was just there to get the cemetery started back

then and much of the planning took place

around her kitchen table. She found she loved

The Pontville Creedit – she found it a privilege to meet people

and help them in their time of grief. She also

developed good working relationships with

the funeral directors who, while all different,

are all good at their job. She helped at funerals

in opening and closing the church and setting

up for the priests.

She recalls some stories of relatives

concerned about their deceased loved ones.

One day a lady rang Peggy because there was

a water leak and she was worried about her

mother’s feet getting wet. Another time, a lady

rang to say the water was running in on her

husband’s coffin. She said: “I tried to scoop the

water off, but I’ve bought really good wood

and I don’t want it to be ruined.”

Peggy was born in July 1927 and baptised

at St Matthew’s. Later that year, the church was

gutted by fire, but the exterior survived and the

inside was renewed. Her connection with the

church has been part of her life. Peggy started

cleaning the church at fifteen and retired from

that when she was 75. She has been sacristan,

worked on the finance committee and been a

faithful member of the CWL. She moved from

Mangalore to Brighton when she married her

husband, Joe, in 1947. Back then there were

only six houses in Brighton. After Joe died,

Peggy’s son built her a new unit in Brighton

where she has lived for the last fifteen years.

Now Millington’s are taking over the

everyday management of the cemetery,

although the Church still retains ownership

and ultimate control. Peggy feels secure that

the future of the cemetery is in good hands.

Meanwhile in her retirement, she’ll continue

to work for the finance committee, the CWL

and dote on her three sons, five grandchildren

and four great-grandchildren.

Become aSamaritan today! Please give generously today to help people in need.

Samaritan Projects Tasmania is Archbishop Adrian Doyle’s own charitable foundation – which gives the Archbishop the means to respond to needs with speed and certainty.

call 1800 674 434for more information

Payment type Visa Bankcard Mastercard Cheque*

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Expiry date Payment $

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Phone number * Please make cheques payable to: Samaritan Projects Tasmania (ABN 16 655 388 053)To be used where a tax deduction is NOT requiredFor tax deductible donationsSamaritan Projects Welfare (ABN 16 088 936 310)Do you require a tax deductible receipt? YES

please mail to:Samaritan ProjectsGPO Box 62, Hobart, TAS 7001

The Foundation has a register of supporters, whose membership subscriptions, as well as bequests, form the basis of the fund. Supporter status is offered at individual, family and corporate levels for as little as $25 a year!

PASTORAL LIFE




www.hobart.catholic.oorg.au

Fr Terry Rush and the Army Reserve

DEFENCE FORCE CHAPLAINS

Fr Greg Barker and the Middle East

“Preparing to deploy and then deploying

as part of the Middle East ‘crisis’ was

certainly an experience in itself, one that

was absolutely life changing for me and

for everyone else who was sent there.”

My experience of being full time

in the military could be summed

up with just a few words; exhilarating,

enjoyable, humbling. In its bare bones

too, I think, perhaps a unique opportunity

to just be a pastor, friend and companion,

without any of the other trappings of the

priesthood like maintenance and upgrade

programs for Church buildings. It was

busy with lots of meetings, as everything

is these days, and certainly with lots of training in a way that only

the military can do. Preparing to deploy and then deploying as part

of the Middle East ‘crisis’ was certainly an experience in itself, one

that was absolutely life changing for me and for everyone else who

was sent there. I don’t know how the Iraqi people survived either

the regime that was toppled or the one that marched in; but they

did and are surviving. I couldn’t imagine men and women facing

those moments without the support and care of a chaplain and

indeed without access to a Catholic Chaplain specifically. As good

as the other Chaplains are, and they are good, we offer something

that they can’t in our sacramental life and our understanding of

exactly what that means. It is a need in the Catholic faith that only

our priests and Catholic Chaplains can touch. On a lighter moment

I did get to visit Saddam’s summer palace and to ‘pee’ in his toilet!

That was almost exhilarating!

Going to Iraq was an opportunity I would not have experienced but

for my military service and one I won’t forget in a hurry even though

I experienced the journey as a positive one for and in my priestly life.

My other graced time was the 17 weeks I spent training on my basic

Junior Officer Training Course. Apart from learning how to shoot

straight and to march and to string barbed wire and to dig trenches

I also developed some life-long friendships with some incredible

people, people I still have reguar contact with. It is amazing how

friendships develop when you are standing knee deep in mud, cold,

wet and hungry waiting for your turn to stand sentry duty on some

military training exercise in the middle of Woop Woop, at minus two

degrees and at two o’clock in the morning! What great training for

Parish life! The camaraderie was amazing.

One of my funniest moments was lying out on the firing range for

the first time after having reassembled my rifle waiting to see if I had

In 1977, I was asked by Archbishop Young

to replace Fr Gerry Sheedy as Chaplain

to the Australian Army Reserve. Knowing

the respect and love that Gerry had in

the Army, it was with some trepidation

that I accepted. After completing several

weeks training at Kapooka, I began my

new ministry. We are expected to retire

at 55 years of age; but because of the

shortage of Chaplains, this has been extended to 70 years of age!

In other words, I’m still in!

It really has been the most rewarding of ministries; meeting people

from every walk of life and denomination of religion, and travelling

in training all over Australia.

The Chaplain Manual says, “the Army Chaplain is to provide spiritual

ministry to all members of the Army, and to foster those high qualities

of faith, character and conduct which inspire courage and self sacrifice

in adversity.” In carrying out these high-flown objectives, I have had to

meet the soldier where he is. Even though the Chaplain is an officer,

he really is accepted by everyone of every rank. It is not easy being

a soldier. He has to cope with stress, anxiety, moral dilemmas, guilt,

fatigue, boredom and loneliness. It has been my role to meet the

soldier in all these situations and carry him through.

The wonderful experiences of jungle training, tramping through

deserts, being half drowned in river crossings, leaping off 40ft towers

with full pack into rivers, and abseiling down tall buildings, have all

played their part in bonding me to the soldiers through these shared

experiences. But along with the pastoral care, I have always had to be

the spiritual provider, not just for the Catholic soldier, but all members

of every rank. Ecumenical services on a regular basis, as well as Mass

for the Catholics, is always part of army life.

The position of Chaplain is a great privilege, but it has offered me

enormous pleasure and satisfaction in my ministry as a priest. Only

seven years to go!!

FEATURES

11


11

w.hobart.catholic.org.auw.hobart.catholic.org.auwwwwww

Fr Mike Delaney and the Navy Reserve

The Knights of the Southern Cross hold an annual

National Prayer Crusade for an increase in vocations to

the religious life. This year they concentrated on the need

for Chaplains for the Australian Defence Force. This is their

prayer, which you might like to make yours too:

Heavenly Father, you know the faith, courage

and generosity of your people throughout

Australia including the men and women

serving at home and overseas with the

Australian Defence Force. Please provide your

people in Australia with sufficient Priests,

Deacons and Religious to meet their needs

and be with them always as they endeavour to

meet the challenges of their daily lives. We ask

this through Jesus Christ, Your Son. Amen.

On a Sunday night recently I joined four

Navy Chaplains for a meal in the home

of one of the group in Latrobe. The reason

for the gathering was a visit to Tasmania by

the Principal Chaplain – Navy, Chap Garry

Lock, as well as just being an opportunity

for us to get together.

We Tasmanian Chaplains are all Reserve

Chaplains although two of the men had

served as Permanent Chaplains for a number of years before retiring

in the past few years. Ian McKendrick, a Presbyterian Minister, in whose

home we gathered, is the most recent member to join the Reserves

after serving for several years in various Naval establishments having

already completed some years of service as an Army Chaplain.

Chris Aulich, a Baptist, also spent many years in the permanent

service and, as well as many years of service around Australia, did two

tours to the Gulf as part of the Australian Defence Force Operation

since 2004. Chris and Ian both work in church communities on the

North-West Coast.

Also present was Anglican, Warwick Cuthbertson, who, with me,

commenced service as a Reserve Chaplain here in Tasmania in 1983.

I was Warwick’s replacement after he was found to have a medical

condition which prevented him going to the Gulf in 2005. Following

treatment Warwick completed a tour of the Gulf two years ago.

My reason for mentioning this gathering is because it offered

an opportunity to be able to talk about the work which we have all

been involved with – care of people in circumstances and situations

different to those which we now meet as part of our present pastoral

ministries.

In the end, however, what we were talking about were our

relationships with people and how we find ways to lead them to

God and Gospel lives – and ultimately that is what we all strive to do

every day – in uniform or in the Parish.

all the right bits back in place (no parts left over) and if it would still

actually fire; I was so nervous I had all the settings back to front so my

first shot expelled enough gas to launch a grenade startling the other

‘newbies’ with the size of the ‘bang’. My second shot sent a burst of

machine-gun fire down the range instead of a single shot! Mistakes in

the early days were automatically attributed to my being a Chaplain

– like that explained everything! You should have seen me trying to

lead sword drill on the Parade Ground! Not my finest hour! I did get

marks for keeping the squad on the parade for some of the time!

Can I blow my own trumpet for a minute? I did manage to get 36

out of 36 for my shooting test though much to my shock and the

Instructor’s absolute amazement! I suspect that the man on the next

shooting mound may not have done so well! I did come second for

both Officer Qualities and Leadership Qualities; almost unheard of for

a Chaplain and in the acknowledgement without losing any of the

priestly qualities which seemed so important to me. Amazing what

happens apparently if God is on your side – according, that is, to my

military instructors!

11111111FEATURES





Fr Ross Naylor has come straight from

39˚C on Christmas Island to a chilly 9˚C

at Cygnet! He’s the priest relieving while

Fr Greg Barker’s on holiday. They know

each other from their time as Chaplains

in the Air Force.

Fr Ross joined up twelve years ago and,

at the age of 50, went to Officer Training

School, where, he quips, his watch was

older than most of his class mates. His officer training was followed

by some ‘very interesting times’ in combat zones and other areas of

deployment. As Fr Ross says, “where the troops go, the padre goes.”

This padre’s been to East Timor, the Middle East and Bandeh Aceh,

after the Tsunami.

He had to train in armaments, which might seem a strange thing

for a Christian priest to do, but the padres need to know how to deal

with weapons and render them safe in the conflict environment.

He really affirms the role of padres in the forces. His role was to

look after everyone, regardless of denomination, as he was usually the

only padre on the base and everyone was in need of pastoral care. It

was important to know that he could stand outside the system as he

was not in the chain of command and what people said to him did

not have to go on their files. They felt free to talk to him.

There is a healthy tension in being a man of peace in a war zone.

Fr Ross always remained a Catholic priest and was respected as

such by the military. He had some incredible experiences while on

deployment where he saw different places, not as a tourist, but with

a job to do. It was not his role to justify actions of the military and, at

times, he made his opinion known. It was hard for him, for example,

to see footage of American bombs raining down on Baghdad, the

home of the Biblical Garden of Eden and he voiced his concerns over

the triumphalism.

Life in deployment is exciting, but there’s a different role on the

bases where life is more stable. In some places there’s a great sense

of camaraderie with an active mess life; airmen and their extended

families are all on base and they all use the services of the padre – but

things are changing. In many bases the shops, cinemas and married

quarters are closed down and the military families live in civilian areas,

not on base. This takes away some of the solidarity among them and

diminishes the support the families can give each other, especially

when members of the family are away on active service.

Given there’s a shortage of priests, the Air Force has started a

programme of lay padres who are licensed by the bishops. This is

based on a Canadian model which has been operating for the past

twenty years. It’s interesting that, in an organisation renowned for

its conservatism, the Chaplaincy is now open to women and married

people!

As for Fr Ross, he’s left the full time Air Force and before coming

to relieve in Cygnet, he was serving as a priest on Christmas Island for

six weeks, but that’s another story!

A view from Fr Ross Naylor

Sharon Walsh is now working for Human Resources in The

Archdiocese, but in her previous life, she worked in the Air

Force. She was happy to find two people from her Air Force days,

Fr Greg Barker and Alison Clifford. This is her story.

Hi there. My experience from being a military member is that I have

met many parish priests, ministers, Chaplains and padres. ‘Chaplain’

and ‘padre’ were the common terms for priests in the military. The life

of a military Chaplain varies quite a lot from the civilian lifestyle. It was

very reassuring that, as a nineteen year old away from home for the

very first time, I had someone to discuss why it was hard being away

from family. Chaplains travel across Australia and overseas to many

defence establishments to support the military member, offering a

kind word and blessing.

There is one Chaplain that I have known from base to base and from

state to state. I met Fr Greg Barker at RAAF Base Williamtown, near

Newcastle. On one occasion when we all felt for our team member

who had her car stolen and burnt out just prior to Christmas, our

workplace collected donations and asked Fr Greg to gift it to the

member so that it appeared to come from the Chaplains.

Then a few years later, up at RAAF Base Tindal, near Katherine, our

family was invited to the Baptism of a baby and who do you think was

the priest officiating at the ceremony? – Fr Greg! It was so nice to see

a friendly face so remote in the Northern Territory.

Sharon’s story

The most memorable wedding I attended was as a guest of Allison

and David Clifford twenty years ago. Allison and I worked together

at the School of Radio in the RAAF and it was a delight to be invited

to celebrate her wedding in Melbourne.

Now where is the mention of the military Chaplain? Well… Allison

and David’s nuptials were blessed by a military Chaplain and that

blessing has carried them through many years of moving house

interstate in the military, settling back here in Tasmania with family

to raise their own lovely family of three children.

Oh, and here is another blessing! I accepted an offer of employment

for HR position with Archdiocese of Hobart and, after all these years and

losing contact because of so many interstate moves by both families,

I have been able to catch up with Allison, who works at Finance at the

Tasmanian Catholic Education Office. The list of my moves includes

Adelaide, Wagga, Newcastle, Nowra, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra,

Katherine and Hobart.

I am here now to settle in Hobart and bring stability to my young

family.

It was very reassuring that, as a nineteen

year old away from home for the very first

time, I had someone to discuss why it was

hard being away from family.

L-R: Sharon Walsh, Allison Clifford.

FEATURES

13


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Fr Felix Ekeh misses his home in Nigeria,

but his sparkling eyes and bright smile

are much appreciated in his present home

of Devonport, where he is assistant Parish

Priest in the Mersey-Leven Parish. He

proudly boasts that he is the ‘baby priest

of Tasmania’! At just 35

years old, Fr Felix has been

ordained for five years.

After working in Africa for

two years, he was picked to

come to Tasmania – which he

only knew as a little dot on

the map. He came with fellow

Nigerians Fr Kene Onwukwe

and Fr Christopher Igboanua, all from the Igbo

tribe, and their story has been documented

by filmmaker Varcha Sidwell in the Mission,

which screened on ABC TV earlier this year.

Fr Felix definitely sees himself as a missionary

and has a strong sense of being called to a

land very different than his home.

Although there may have been some

misgivings on his part at times, he says, “We

are here –we haven’t died!” Fr Felix has had

to adapt to a colder climate and, in some

ways, a colder society. He sees Australians

as much more individualistic than Nigerians

and the closure of Tasmanian

churches worr ies h im.

There is a big contrast with

Nigeria, where there is a

strong sense of community

and new parishes are still

being created for a growing

Church. Felix finds himself

constantly wondering why

the difference between the two situations.

The priests in Nigeria have fewer Mass centres

to look after, but many more people than in

the spread out Tasmanian parishes.

Fr Felix is a busy and talented man who

plays table tennis, referees soccer and plays

the organ. He said sometimes he combines

Fr Felix – on a mission from Nigeria to Tasmania

Fr Felix…plays

table tennis,

referees soccer and

plays the organ.his priestly ministry with organ playing at

First Friday devotions, where he plays the

opening hymn and then goes on to preside

over Benediction. On the day I visited, he was

to play for the World Day of Prayer ecumenical

service at Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

Tasmania has been enriched by many new

arrivals from other countries and our Church

is no exception. We thank the three priests

for their faith and the trust that saw them

venture so far from home for God.

PASTORAL LIFE

GR WTH

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15


Anniversaries… Anniversaries are markers in time, occasions

to celebrate, times to remember…whatever the reason,

anniversaries are important because they invite us to stop, to

reflect on what’s past from within the perspective of the present.

Of course, the present never stands still and our celebrations always

contain an element of continuity.

So it was, with a sense of both thanksgiving and anticipation for

the future, that Tastex Knitwear and Uniforms gathered to celebrate its

40th anniversary in October. Tastex’s management and staff, together

with members of the St Vincent de Paul Society, representatives of the

Archdiocese, and representative members of Government, gathered

together for a celebratory dinner at The Old Woolstore, Hobart, on

October 29.

Tastex Knitwear, a Special Work of the St Vincent de Paul Society,

established its knitting mill in Mill Lane, Glenorchy, in 1970. Tastex’s

founding purpose was to provide employment and training for

people with intellectual disabilities and to be self-funding through the

production of its knitwear factory. Today Tastex Knitwear and Uniforms’

reputation for quality knitwear is unsurpassed in the knitwear industry.

Its knitwear is sold Australia wide, carries the Australian Made logo,

and has attained Quality Assurance certification.

Tastex’s success in the competitive manufacturing industry is a

great reason to celebrate, but that is not the primary reason for the

celebratory 40th anniversary gathering. It is as an Australian Disability

Enterprise that Tastex has its greatest reason for celebration. At this

time Tastex employs fifteen people with intellectual disabilities, each

of them highly skilled in the knitwear and manufacturing industries,

and each of them reflecting confidence, pride and self-confidence.

Such achievements come as the fruits of committed and dedicated

support staff who, for the last 40 years, have worked hard to ensure

that Tastex has been able to provide a supportive work environment

for its supported workers and at the same time ensure that Tastex’s

manufacturing standards and goals are met.

Tastex celebrates forty yearsBy Elizabeth Young

The dedication of Tastex’s staff was recognised and applauded on

its 40th anniversary with presentations to four of its longest serving

staff, Lorraine Oates (31 yrs), Janine Bonnitcha (29 yrs), Peter Jones

(26 yrs) and Colleen Janisch (22 yrs). Thanks must also be recorded

for Tastex’s manager, Vicki Hawker, a dynamic executive who ensures

Tastex is recognised nationally for its excellence in disability support

and its quality products. Because of her excellent managerial skills,

Tastex maintains its place in a competitive marketplace and continues

to supply employment and training for its supported staff.

Its capacity to meet its goals within a rapidly changing textile

manufacturing industry has prompted Tastex’s recent expansion into

the area of embroidery and the supply of a complete range of uniform

garments. In the past year Tastex has purchased two embroidery

machines which allow for embroidered logos on its Tastex knitwear

and all other uniform garments available through its ‘one stop shop’

for corporate wear, school wear and work wear.

The shop at Mill Lane is open Monday to Thursday from 8 am,

closing 4:15 pm and Fridays 8 am to 3:30 pm. Ph (03) 6272 8877.

SOCIAL CONCERN



October 12We left Hobart mid-morning to fly to

Melbourne to meet up with the Victorian

Josephite Pilgrims who arrived at the airport

with a gaggle of media people in tow. After

posing for numerous shots for television and

print media, we gathered for coffee. A ninety

minute delay in our departure resulted in a

very long ‘gallop’ in Bangkok to catch the

connecting flight to Rome. Our NSW sisters

were on the same flight.

October 13We were met early the next morning in

Rome by Fabio, our tour leader, and we set

out immediately to take in the sights of the

city. Any concern about travel weariness

was completely forgotten in the excitement

of seeing famous buildings including the

Colosseum, Roman Forum, St Paul’s Basilica

and St Peter in Chains. This basilica houses

St Peter’s chains and Michelangelo’s famous

Moses statue.

taste of what it must be like to be celebrities,

when a throng of photographers greeted us

as we alighted from the bus. We moved from

the church to morning tea, graciously hosted

by the Australian Ambassador to the Holy See,

Mr Tim Fischer, at the UISG building next door.

He even managed to provide lamingtons!

Afterwards, we walked across to the Vatican

Gardens to see the newly blessed St Joseph’s

Fountain on which scenes from St Joseph’s

life are depicted. Some of us were fortunate

to attend a superb Conference on Spirituality

and Culture of Aboriginal Australians followed

by the opening of the Indigenous Australian

life by Australian Catholic University students

and staff. Following this, we participated in

a prayer vigil to prepare our hearts for the

wonderful event which was to take place

in St Peter’s Square the following day. Kevin

Rudd spoke movingly of the contribution

made by Mary MacKillop and the Sisters who

have carried on her heritage down through

the years.

October 17‘C’ Day! To much cheering from excited

Aussies already gathered, we arrived very

early at St Peter’s Square for the event for

which we had all journeyed to Rome. Mary

MacKillop balloons were shared around to

help in the celebrations afterwards. How

proud we felt as our Sisters Katrina and Judy

read from Mary’s writings and when Sr Maria

Casey, the postulator, went forward to greet

Our Pilgrimage to RomeBy Srs Helen Hickey and Jill Dance

October 14We v is ited the Vat ican Museum,

experiencing en route the ‘freestyle’ traffic

(described thus by our Guide), and saw the

magnificent Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s

Basilica.

October 15All 140 pilgrim Sisters of St Joseph gathered

for a special, and very moving, morning prayer

at the Methodist Church of Rome. We had a tiny

exhibition, ‘Rituals of Life’, in the Ethnological

Museum at the Vatican. In the evening we were

treated to Una Notte Australiana celebrating

Indigenous art and culture and a magnificent

performance by Australian Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islanders.

October 16Saturday brought ‘Brunch Australiana’

hosted by Kevin Rudd and the bi-partisan

parliamentary delegation at Gran Caffe Esperi.

The food was wonderful and the spirit of the

gathering even more wonderful! The delight

of the politicians in being part of the whole

Canonisation ‘event’ was evident in the way

they spoke. In the evening we gathered with

many hundreds of other Australians in an

auditorium along from St Peter’s for a splendid

multi-media presentation of Mary MacKillop’s

Pope Benedict! It was so moving to see the

reliquary, containing strands of Mary’s hair

encased in a carved wooden cross made from

a fence post in Penola, carried forward by

Mary’s relative, Mr Ronald Campbell from

Scotland, by the recipient of Mary’s second

miracle, Mrs Kathleen Evans, and Sr Neisha

Allport from St Joseph’s School, Penola. We

could hardly contain our excitement when

the Holy Father finally added the name of

Mary of the Cross MacKillop to the canon

of saints. We felt enormously privileged

to be part of this most solemn occasion. It

was both a proud and humbling moment.

MARY MACKILLOP CELEBRATIONS

17


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The Harvest Team wishes all pilgrims a Holy Christmas & an adventurous 2011 !

The day culminated with all the Sisters

gathering for a celebratory dinner.

October 18The Australian Mass of Thanksgiving at

St Paul’s Basilica the next day was a truly

memorable experience. Most of the 5,000

strong congregation were Australians and our

voices nearly lifted the roof off the basilica!

Aboriginal, Islander, East Timorese, Maori

and Peruvian people added to the beauty of

the occasion with their dance and music. A

Roman woman who accompanied the Sisters

as ‘tour leader’ summed up our experience

that day so well when she described the Mass

as “wonderful, so human and so joyful”.

October 19We travelled to Assisi and experienced

the unique atmosphere of this very special

place.

October 20In the morning we returned to St Peter’s

Square for the weekly audience with Pope

Benedict. The Sisters of St Joseph and all

the Australian pilgrims who had travelled to

Rome for the Canonisation received a special

welcome and blessing from His Holiness.

In the afternoon, we walked in the footsteps

of St Mary MacKillop beginning at Termini, the

railway station where Mary first arrived on May

11, 1873, after six weeks at sea. We prayed and

reflected at many of the places she visited

and stayed during her time in Rome all those

years ago including the Anglo-American Hotel

where she stayed on her first night in Rome as

well as several churches where she prayed and

attended Mass. This was yet another part of

what had been for us a very sacred journey.

October 22As we began our return journey, we were

left to ponder how we had been changed by

this ‘once in a life-time’ privileged experience

for we surely could never be the same

again.




For four weeks during September and October this year I was

privileged to be one of a group of six educators from the North,

North-West and South of the state being sponsored by the Tasmanian

Catholic Education Office to attend a course at the Biblical Formation

Centre at Ecce Homo Convent, Jerusalem, entitled ‘In the Footsteps

of Jesus’. We joined another 23 participants from other parts of

Australia, as well as from Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Korea,

Thailand and USA as we studied the Gospel of Luke and visited

many places of historical and scriptural interest.

The site of Ecce Homo Convent, in the Old City of Jerusalem, run

by the Sisters of Sion, is at the beginning of the Via Dolorosa (the

Way of the Cross). It is here we recall Jesus’ suffering at the hands of

Roman soldiers and His trial by Pilate. The name ‘Ecce Homo’ comes

from Pilate’s statement (John 19:5) as he presented Jesus to the crowd,

and means, ‘Behold the man’.

Some of the highlights of our time in Israel included visits to

Bethlehem, Jericho, Galilee, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Israel

Museum where a number of the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed and

our visit to a Synagogue, where we participated in a Shabbat Service

one Friday at sunset.

Our trip to Bethlehem began with a stop in Shepherds’ Field,

visiting the Church of the Nativity and celebrating Eucharist in a tiny

cave chapel, perhaps similar to the birthplace of Jesus. We were told

that every Christmas Eve this little cave is packed to capacity for Mass.

Our hymns during the Mass were of course, Christmas carols.

In Jericho we were able to have a greater appreciation of the real

meaning of a ‘desert encounter’ as we gazed on the vast wilderness

experienced by Jesus and John the Baptist. A deeper understanding

of the parable of the Good Samaritan helping the injured traveller on

his way from Jerusalem to Jericho was possible too, as we reflected on

the desolation of this land. We met Bedouin men and children with

their camels and donkeys in this area – some of these people still live

a nomadic life and we couldn’t help but wonder at how anyone could

live in such an arid area.

Everyone in the group loved our three days in Galilee, with its

beautiful Mediterranean atmosphere and environment. Here we had

My Israel experienceBy Sandy Cowling

a boat ride and time of reflection on the Sea of Galilee, the same lake

where Jesus calmed the storm, rested from His hectic schedule of

teaching and healing and called us to “be still and know that I am God.”

I really didn’t want this time to end. During our time there we also swam

in this beautiful water and had our Sunday Eucharist at sunrise sitting

on the rocks beside the Sea. It was very easy to feel Jesus’ presence

here and also when we renewed our Baptismal promises sitting beside

the Jordan River with our feet in the very chilly water.

Another highlight for a small group of us was the opportunity one

afternoon to pick olives from the huge old olive trees in the Garden of

Gethsemane and then at dusk to celebrate Reconciliation followed by

Eucharist overlooking Jerusalem from the same Garden where Jesus

prayed on the night before His death. What an honour and a privilege

and one I will always treasure!

So many more enriching experiences were part of our month-long

programme and I can definitely recommend everyone to visit the Holy

Land and experience the richness of our Jewish-Christian heritage.

L-R: Tasmanian participants: Bronwyn Stow, Gerald Shegog, Tony Lennard, Sue Walker, Rose Briscoe, Sandy Cowling.

It was very easy to feel Jesus’ presence.


19


The Tasmania-founded women’s congregation, the Missionary

Sisters of Service, has launched the John Wallis Foundation to

continue the vision of the congregation’s founder and the work

of the Sisters.

In looking to the future with confidence, the Missionary Sisters of

Service (MSS) have named this new initiative in honour of their beloved

and visionary founder, the late Fr John Wallis, who was a priest in

Tasmania for more than 60 years until his death in 2001.

Fr Wallis founded the MSS (then, the Home Missionary Sisters of

Our Lady) in Launceston in July 1944. Based on the scriptural call to

invite guests from ‘the highways and byways’ to the banquet (Luke

14:21-22), the Sisters have taken the faith throughout their 66 years

into the margins of Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland, South

Australia, Victoria and Singapore.

The John Wallis Foundation will seek to continue this work and

further the reach of the Sisters, during and beyond the life of the

congregation.

Through the Foundation, the MSS will invite others to join them in a

mission that goes into today’s margins in a continuing search for new

ways of living and working together in the spirit of the Gospel.

The John Wallis Foundation was launched initially in Melbourne on

Thursday, June 10, the eve of the 100th anniversary of Fr Wallis’ birth.

Another launch was held in Toowoomba on Sunday, July 11.

In Tasmania, Pat and Christine O’Halloran launched the Foundation

at St Virgil’s College, on August 3, the ninth anniversary of Fr Wallis’

death.

Mrs O’Halloran said the foundation would ensure that the

“astounding corporate memory” of Fr Wallis and the Sisters would

continue to be a life-giving source of faith, hope and love in the

highways and byways of today’s society.

In urging support for the Foundation, Mr O’Halloran said that the

adaptability, flexibility and diversity of service, which had been practical

hallmarks throughout the congregation’s history, were being given

new scope through the Foundation.

The inaugural chairman of the John Wallis Foundation Board,

Mr Christopher Smith, said that in looking to the next stage of the

journey, the Sisters had acted upon a favourite saying of Fr Wallis:

“Big maps; big vision”.

In outlining the role of the Foundation, he recalled the Gospel

Emmaus journey: “The scene is set for a gentle, listening presence,

that presence of Jesus, journeying with them, understanding their

pain, listening, encouraging and then opening their eyes…And this

Big maps...big visions...big future

has been done (by the Sisters) adapting to the needs of the times and

to the individual gifts of the Sisters.

“They have seen that the work is too important to be lost; now is

the time to further involve others in seeing their ministry continue.

And so the concept of the Foundation was conceived.”

A Board, appointed by the Sisters, will aim to attract support so

that there will be a capital fund, the earnings of which can be used

to finance projects and initiatives seen to be true to the charism of

the Sisters.

“In time, people will be invited to apply to the Foundation for

funding for projects or initiatives.”said Mr Smith.

The Hobart launch included a Welcome to Country, a drama

presentation of Luke’s gospel parable (Luke 14:15-24) by St Virgil’s

students and a PowerPoint presentation of the MSS mission.

Donations are being accepted through The John Wallis Foundation,

PO Box 2075, Rangeview, Vic., 3132. further information about the

Foundation: (03) 9873 5520 or [email protected]

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On the weekend, November

6-7, St John the Evangelist’s

Church, Richmond, Drifters Café

and Fullers Café, Hobart, were the

venues of readings by Paul Healy

of three selections of his poems.

They were entitled, A God Who

Smiles: Lyrics of the Spirit and

the Soul, Ghosts of Galapagos:

the Poetry of Flight, and Carbon

Futures: Environmental Lyrics and

the Poetry of Climate Change.

Paul is a poet, organic farmer,

columnist and broadcaster on

sustainable farming, stock breeding

and self-sufficiency. The presentations were his response to the plight

of the more than twenty million people in Pakistan and Bangladesh

who have been displaced or severely affected by the disastrous floods

of July which have destroyed homes, farms, fencing, crops, stock, roads,

bridges and local infrastructure across the countryside.

Paul said, “The coming weekend of readings across Hobart for

Pakistan will be just the first of an ongoing series where poets and

writers across Australia will be asked to give their time and their voice,

as the beauty and the power of the spoken word is used to remind us

of the universal language of the human spirit: of the common bonds

of feeling shared between all people.”

Donations were taken at each of the venues for Caritas Australia’s

appeal for the flood victims. To date, more than $3.3million has been

contributed to the South Asia Floods Appeal, of which $70,000 has

come from Tasmania. Caritas Australia is still accepting donations.

They may be sent to GPO Box 62, Hobart, 7001.

Poetry for Pakistan By Pat O’Halloran

SOCIAL CONCERN

Approximately 200 student leaders from almost all of Tasmania’s

Catholic Primary Schools attended the 2010 Just Leadership

Days conducted in early November. Held in Burnie, Invermay

and Claremont, the events were run by Caritas Australia’s Global

Education Advisor for Tasmania and Victoria, Mrs Mary Anne Collins,

from Melbourne.

Mrs Collins listed the aims of the Days as being to assist students

to: (a) identify what constitutes good leadership, (b) identify what

the Social Teaching of the Catholic Church asks of us in exercising

leadership, (c) identify local, national and global concerns about

justice, with a focus on the Millennium Development Goals, and (d)

provide student leaders with the skills and resources to promote

Project Compassion in their Schools.

Students participated in a variety of activities including prayer,

discussion, games and the design and production of posters.

Caritas Australia is grateful to the many Catholic Schools that

supported the Days and to Sr Margaret Henderson RSM, of the

Tasmanian Catholic Education Office, for organising the venues and

liaising with schools.

Just Leadership Days

21


Sounds of silence

EDGEWAYS

By Annie March

Kairos is the moment when a skilled

weaver shoots a shuttle laden with

new thread into the loom’s warp, and a

fresh pattern begins. The seed, the change

can be so small that we only recognise it in

retrospect. One such kairotic moment in my

life arrived as a postcard that simply said,

“It’s day five of an eight day silent retreat.

The puddings are divine.” Between one

breath and the next, as clear as a compass

locking onto true north, I knew that this

was something I had to do. On that first

retreat, in 1994, I was so fiercely non-

Catholic that I wouldn’t even go into the

chapel. Three years later, to my own and

everyone else’s amazement, I was received

into the Church.

Since then I’ve done many silent retreats.

They’re the still point round which all else

revolves. First comes the relief of laying down

busyness and clutter. Then there’s the delight

– particularly for women – of being cared

for; flowers by the bed, ironed sheets, roast

dinners, yes – divine puddings, and washing

up angels. Within the shining hospitality of

this space is the invitation to simply be, to

risk the kind of journey Isaac Pennington

describes: “Give over thine own willing, give

over thine own running, give over thine own

desiring to know or be anything, and sink

down into the seed which God sows in thy

heart.”

The silence isn’t absolute. There’s the

daily Eucharist; an hour a day with a spiritual

director; and some companionable whispering

over the kettle. Once I’d been lying in the

sun in a deckchair and came inside to find a

fellow retreatant in gales of laughter; she’d

been waiting hopefully for the deckchair to

collapse. We laughed till we cried.

As for spiritual direction, I had no idea

what to expect. The first session began with

grief, for the recent death of a woman who’d

entered religious life on the same day as my

director. I asked what she thought death was

like. She said she didn’t know, but that a friend,

who’d three times gone through clinical death

and resuscitation, had told her that dying

was like sixty simultaneous orgasms. I said,

“That means there’s nothing I can’t say to

you.” She just smiled. What a gift, to be able

to unconditionally lay out all the trash and

treasure of one’s life in sacred space.

The talking mind, confronted with

silence, tends to panic at first. Gradually,

yet as distinctly as a gear changing, all the

chattering energy becomes a sail driving my

little boat towards the horizon, the deep sea.

Here, silence is not emptiness or absence but

a powerful, rich and lovely reality in its own

right. It’s homecoming, the wellsprings, the

living water. Why do I spend so much of my

life splashing around in the shallows, when

this shimmering, numinous vastness is only

a breath away?

Then there’s purgation; when the sun

shines, you see all the smears on the glass.

Once, at the beginning of a retreat, I was

sitting in the chapel thinking about being

evoked. I got up to go for a peaceful, evoking

walk on the beach and there, sitting behind

me, was the last person in the world I wanted

to see. “Evoke me,” became, “All right, damn

You, confound me.” Over the years, I’ve

cried waterfalls of tears, stormed about the

grounds, run away to the pub. Supported by

my spiritual director, I’ve spent most of a day

in the chapel writing hate letters to God.

Death and rebirth, not just once, but over

and over again.

At home, I adore my wildish and fecund

garden, but it’s a place of labour rather than

“Here, silence is not

emptiness or absence but

a powerful, rich and lovely

reality in its own right”

contemplation. On retreat, I can watch the

grass grow as the everyday miracle it is.

Spiders, roses,stones, wind, birds all become

my teachers. Seeds fill me with awe, each

one an exquisitely packaged powerhouse

of creativity. The chlorophyll in plants differs

from human blood by only one element; we

and weeds and flowers and trees are kin. If

the genome of just one person were written,

it would fill twelve thousand books; if it were

music, it would take a hundred years to play.

Humans are midway in size between a galaxy

and the smallest sub-atomic particle. Every

atom on Earth – soil, rain, frogs, bacteria,

whales – has experienced supernova or star-

death. The atoms in my right hand come from

a different star than the atoms in my left.

Inner space, it seems to me, is as

boundlessly imaginative, creative and intricate

as the outer world. The further I go, the further

there is to go. There is no end to God. This is

the edge of the shining, placeless place at

the core of all seeking, all art, all religion. It’s

here, at this Advent season, that we celebrate

the mystery of Mary pregnant with God, and

the coming of Christ not just as exemplar and

saviour, but as an inner potential we are all

called on to realise.

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Emmanuel Centre, 123 Abbott

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www.emmanuelcentre.org

MacKillop Hill, 123 William St, Forth

7310 Ph: (03) 6428 3095

www.tassiejosephites.org.au

Reading

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23


Next year the Tasmanian Catholic community will receive a

new English translation of the Mass. The structure of the

Mass will remain the same but the words we hear and say

will sound different. All English speaking communities across

the world will pray the Mass using the revised translation in

2011.

Revised Mass translation in 2011Five information sessions ‘Preparing the Way For the Missal’ were

held across the diocese in Advent. These gatherings provided details

of the texts and opportunities to discuss how we might prepare

for the reception of the new ritual book. The current Altar Missals

and personal Sunday Missals will eventually be replaced. The new

versions are not available at present.

The Australian Catholic Bishops have recommended the following

implementation process:

1. From January, 2011Parishes may begin introducing new musical settings of the

revised texts:

eg, Lord Have Mercy, the Glory to God, Holy Holy, Memorial

Acclamation, Great Amen and Lamb of God. Six new Australian

settings have been recommended.

Only sung texts may be used.

2. From Pentecost Sunday, 2011The following may be introduced immediately or gradually:

All the elements above (sung or spoken), priest’s invitations and

people’s responses and other main prayers prayed by the people

(eg the Creed and the Confiteor).

3. Late 2011 (When the Altar Missal becomes available)

The Priest’s prayers including opening prayers, Prefaces and

Eucharistic Prayers will be prayed.

The exact date is unknown at present.

The revised English translation has taken many years to complete.

A number of drafts have been published on the Internet but the final

version is only now nearing completion. It will take many months

to prepare and publish the final ritual book.

A special catechetical DVD on the revised translation ‘Becoming

One Body, One Spirit in Christ’ is now available which will assist

communities during the implementation period. A copy of this

resource has been sent to every parish in the state. Other national

resources, including inexpensive pew cards, are in the process of

being prepared.

The Diocese, through the Liturgical Commission and Liturgy

Office, has begun the process of planning training sessions and

preparing resources, including a special resource and information

page on the Diocesan Website.

The Archbishop has expressed a desire that the reception of

this new translation be an opportunity for all to increase their

understanding of the liturgy and renew their pastoral practice.

The Church’s prayer is at the core of the Christian life. Priests and

Pastoral Associates have already had discussions about the revised

English translation and its reception by the Diocese.

The Liturgical Commission’s next task will be to provide

opportunities for communities to hear the six Australian musical

settings of the revised translation early next year. It is hoped that

parishes will be able to choose a setting that is appropriate to the

needs and resources of their worshipping communities.

More information is available through the Diocesan Liturgy

Office. Ph (03) 6208 6232.

Level 3, 162 Macquarie StreetGPO Box 1106 Hobart 7001. DX 110 Hobart.

Tel 03 6235 5155 Fax 03 6231 0352Email [email protected]

Providing Legal advice and counsel to theArchdiocese of Hobart and its agencies since 1930.

www.pageseager.com.au

By Cathy Murrowood



T he Social Inclusion Agenda discussion paper was released by

Catholic Social Services Australia earlier this year. Catholic Social

Services Australia’s mission is to promote a fairer, more inclusive

society that gives preference to helping people most in need.

Social Inclusion has become the new ‘buzz’ word on how to

Improving lives on the margins By Margaret Donaghy

The Effects of Social Exclusion

Economic growth does

not guarantee a significant

number of people will not

be socially excluded.

Demand for unskilled

blue collar workers has

fallen while demand for

skilled workers, particularly

in the service sector, has

increased. Those lef t

behind cannot benefit

from continuing economic

progress since they have

no way of acquiring the

positions available. Rising

costs for services and transport can cause those on low incomes to

become more isolated.

Often individuals, families and geographical areas that experience

social exclusion suffer from a number of linked problems. These include

unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, bad health and

family breakdown. Problems can be causally linked. Truancy leads to

poor skills, low skills leads to unemployment, unemployment leading

to poverty. Disadvantage can get passed on from one generation

to another when low expectations are reinforced by parents and

the community. Public housing estates are often physically isolated

from jobs and services.

People who are socially isolated are less healthy physically as well

as mentally. Social relationships are important for well-being and the

role they perform can’t be replaced by money or material goods.

When people are excluded or rejected they can become more

aggressive and engage in self-defeating behaviour. People who

behave aggressively don’t co-operate with others and give up on jobs

when they don’t succeed immediately. This suggests that punitive

and stigmatising policies towards excluded groups may be less

effective than policies that begin with acceptance. Reducing feelings

of rejection and exclusion may help rebuild the individual’s ability to

take control of their own life.

SolutionsThe reaction to poverty must be that of the Beatitudes; of hunger

and thirst for Justice. Catholic social teaching is commonly associated

with demands for social justice. This includes reducing inequalities

of wealth and income and ensuring all people have access to health

care, education, housing and other service opportunities. Love and

caring for others is taboo in the serious world of economic and social

policy, and yet the kind of love embodied in the Bible to “love your

neighbour as yourself” is a recognition of our shared humanity. It is

the ability to look at another person and understand that they matter

just as much as we do. It motivates us to give to those who are without,

even when we know this giving will never be reciprocated.

The bureaucratic rhetoric of service delivery is becoming more and

more dehumanising. People are just statistics in the bureaucratic jungle

of numerical targets and performance indicators. Pope Benedict, in

his encyclical Deus Caritas Est, writes, “We are dealing with human

beings and human beings always need something more than notional

proper care, they need humanity. They need heartfelt concern.”

Catholic Social Services Australia recommends implementing a

new approach and priorities to meet the needs of disadvantaged

Australians. This would consist of: an independent Entitlements

Commission to set and adjust standards of adequacy for social security

payments; the use of incentives rather than sanctions as a method to

increase participation; and strengthening communities by putting in

programmes that strengthen the social bonds between residents in

disadvantaged communities.

tackle poverty and social exclusion. In Tasmania, the Government

has established a Social Inclusion Unit as a division of the Department

of Premier and Cabinet, while the Federal Government has a Social

Inclusion Unit as part of the Department of Prime Minister and

Cabinet.

What is Social Inclusion?Social policy has long called for early intervention and prevention,

stressed the importance of education and called for active forms

of welfare assistance. But social disadvantage has persisted. Social

inclusion recognises that social disadvantage is a multi-dimensional

problem requiring multiple solutions. Social Inclusion is about

addressing the causes and consequences of social problems.

Individuals prosper in a strong and active community of citizens.

Our community is not strong when families are experiencing

second or third generations of unemployment, when pensioners

are struggling and when large numbers of children truant school.

Worsening inequality, hopelessness and poverty can undermine

society. Despite years of economic growth and increasing

affluence in some sectors, poverty and disadvantage have failed

to disappear.

“We are dealing with human beings and human

beings always need something more than

notional proper care, they need humanity.”

SOCIAL CONCERN

25


The Catholic Church has been providing

pastoral care to asylum seekers since

a policy of mandatory detention began.

Christmas Island is the site for one of

Australia’s seven operational Immigration

Detention Centres, in which up to 3,000

asylum seekers are held while their claims

for refugee status are considered.

Since December 2009, the Catholic Church

has had a continuous collaborative ministry

to asylum seekers on Christmas Island, which

is administered by the Australian Catholic

Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO),

Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia (in

collaboration with the Sisters of Mercy) and

the Archdiocese of Perth (the Archdiocese

under which Christmas Island falls).

“The Church’s belief is that we should not

put people in mandatory detention for long

periods of time. We obviously need processing

centres for health, security and identity checks

so we can provide care to people arriving

after arduous journeys, but keeping them

detained unnecessarily is an expensive and

damaging solution,” said Fr Sacha Bermudez

Goldman sj, JRS Australia Director.

The Church’s accompaniment of asylum

seekers on Christmas Island came out of

a mutual concern between a number of

different agencies. In 2009, ACMRO Director,

Fr Maurizio Pettena cs, says that he was

concerned that the Church seemed to be

doing a lot of advocacy, but not being hands-

on in addressing the problem.

“One of the problems is that these people

are very far away from everyone. It is very

difficult to get to Christmas Island, and to

Curtin too. The asylum seekers don’t have

anyone here to vent their frustration to,” he

said.

Fr Sacha works closely with Fr Maurizio

to co-ordinate the effort to always have a

pastoral presence on the Island. This initially

has meant providing a pastoral team of a

priest and a religious sister.

Sr Joan Kelleher is an Australian Mercy

Sister who has been on Christmas Island since

March, 2010. She spends around six hours in

the detention facilities each day.

“On a normal day I would leave home at

about nine and I would go into the family

detention camp which is totally overcrowded

at the moment. I spent time wandering

through there, and meeting whoever is

outside their room,” she said.

“As part of our pastoral care we request

to take asylum seekers outside the Detention

Centre for a few hours usually on the weekend.

One day I had four Sri Lankan detainees who

were rather depressed and impatient about

their long wait for a decision about their case.

We had a really relaxing day walking along

the beach and just enjoying the freedom.

Before we went back to detention one of

the men said ‘Today, I am so happy, I feel my

Bridging troubled watersThe Catholic Church in Australia provides pastoral care on Christmas Island

heart has been set free!’ What a privileged

moment!” said Sr Joan.

“On another occasion I was spending time

with a young Iranian man who had been

sharing a dormitory facility. He was anxious

and had stopped eating and was constantly

walking the compound day and night. I visited

him a number of times and tried to encourage

him to eat. I spoke to the authorities about the

depressed state of this man. After a few days

I came back and found he had moved into a

two bedroom unit and was much improved in

spirit. While he is still fragile, he is eating and

sleeping and caring for himself more.”

“Sometimes in and out of the camp, we

are called to support people. I see pastoral

care as being a vital part of the lives of people

in Detention. They have no other religious

representatives to walk the journey with them.

It’s also enriching for the local community, in

their understanding of why people are here,

when they hear their stories. It really enables

the local people to be compassionate and

understanding towards the detainees,” said

Sr Joan.

We need processing

centres…so we can provide

care to people after their

arduous journeys, but

keeping them detained

unnecessarily is an

expensive and damaging

solution.

SOCIAL CONCERN



The Way across Tasmania

There is an unusual cross at Forth. It is

pointing towards the sea as it leans at

an angle in the gardens around the Forth

Catholic Cemetery and the old church of

St Joseph, now the MacKillop Hill Spirituality

Centre. It’s user-friendly and, with its

accompanying bench and mosaic, suitable

for just sitting and reflecting.

Previously known as Hamilton-on-Forth,

Forth was one of the first towns on the

North-West Coast of Tasmania. The Forth

River was used in the mid-nineteenth century

to ship out produce and timber from the rich

agricultural land surrounding it. Being in the

geographic centre of the Mersey-Leven Parish,

MacKillop Hill was an excellent site for one of

the Stations of the Cross, developed in 2008

to co-incide with World Youth Day. The cross

was constructed by Peter Bassett and Liam

Johnston, while Barbara O’Rourke made a

mosaic at the base reflecting on the past and

future of the faith community.

The church of St Joseph was opened in 1866,

the same year, incidentally, that the Sisters

of St Joseph were

founded in Penola,

South Australia, by Mary

MacKillop and Fr Julian

Tenison Woods. The old

convent next door, now

re-named, ‘Penola’ was

the second Tasmanian

foundat ion of the

Sisters of St Joseph. The

first sisters here, led by

Sr Francis McCarthy,

came from Westbury

in 1889. There was a

school too, built in 1890,

but in 1953 the school

closed and has since

been demolished. The

church was unused for many years – except

perhaps by squatters and hay bales – and by

1992 it was in dire need of restoration.

The Sisters of St Joseph decided to create a

retreat centre at Forth and name it in honour of

Mary MacKillop. The newly renovated building

was opened in 1995, the year of Mary’s

Beatification. Sr Valerie Burns was resident

then and was accompanied by Sr Marlene

Binns, who designed and planted much of the

beautiful Garden of Remembrance around the

cemetery, with other Sisters and lay associates

following over the years. The present team

members are Sr Margaret Chandler (Director),

Sr Carmel Jones and Clare Kiely-Hoye. They

are assisted by many dedicated volunteers

who help run the Centre.

As to the connection to its namesake, now

known as St Mary of the Cross MacKillop,

unfortunately she never did visit, even

though some locals like to think there must

have been a stronger link. One young visitor

recently was seen wandering around the

cemetery very dejectedly as he couldn’t find

Mary MacKillop’s grave!

There are plenty of links

to the charism of Mary

MacKillop. One of the

pioneering Sisters,

Josephine Johnston,

who d ied on 2nd

October 1907, is buried

here in a family grave.

The original church

now provides a suitable

venue for programmes,

wh i lst the former

convent, ‘Penola’, is

a two -bedroomed

residence . Tenison

House, 123 William

Street, accommodates

the Sisters of St Joseph, a chapel, retreat suite,

interview rooms and administration centre.

The natural environment surrounding the

Centre, the beauty of the Forth River Valley,

the richness of the constantly changing

fields and the wonderful views out to Bass

Strait make this a special place and the year-

long floral displays attract a variety of birds

and insects. The grounds surrounding the

properties have been designed to create a

peaceful, reflective atmosphere conducive

to stillness and contemplation.

The Centre welcomes people of all faiths,

or no particular religious persuasion. All are

welcomed to participate in programmes,

social and community events or just ‘drop in’

for information, a chat and a ‘cuppa’. Last year

over 2,000 people experienced the beauty

of the hill and the wisdom and friendship of

the team and their presenters. Some ways

this happens are:

Scr ipture Study/Pray ing with the

Scriptures

Praying with Mystics/Mentors of the

Christian life

Women’s and Men’s spirituality groups

Ministry Reflection Group

Exploring the Liturgical Seasons

Christian Meditation

Spiritual Direction and Retreats

Retreat in Everyday Life (home-based)

Professional and Pastoral Supervision

Personal Development workshops

Counselling

Social events such as a Melbourne Cup

luncheon

A well-stocked contemporary spirituality

library (books, current journals, audio-visual

materials) for both browsing and borrowing,

is open daily from 9 am – 5.30 pm.

Find out about what’s happening by checking

out the current programme, available from

the Centre:

Phone: (03) 6428 3095 Fax: (03) 6428 3467

Email: [email protected]

www.tassiejosephites.org.au

Smithton

Somerset

Forth

D

Queenstown

Holy Redeemer,The base of the cto resemble the Gthat surround the are a prominent to

single dove will be carved at each of trepresenting the two sections of our pWestbury. The doves symbolise peacefootprints, symbolising the Meander Rjourney of faith of each one of us, as God walking among us always.

The Way of the Cross

St Joseph’s, QueenstownThe cross is erected on the grass embankment overlooking the town. It is constructed of steel pipe used underground at Mt Lyell. It is painted copper as a reminder of the copper ore mined in Queenstown.The stainless steel cross represents the figure of Christ on the cross. Stainless

t l i d d d i t i d it

Sacred Heart, SomersetThe cross is constructed of large rough sawn timbers representing the forest industry of northwest Tasmania. Large ropes bind the cross, representing the nautical focus of the community, while the names of the Churches inlaid

in the cross symbolise the unified Burnie-Wynyard Parish.

MacKillop Hill, ForthThe cross is located in a sheltered spot overlooking the Forth Valley and Bass Strait.

A mosaic design in the concrete slab at the foot of the cross reflects the past and future stories of the faith communities of the region. A timber seat will also feature at the site.

St Peter Chanel, SmithtonThe cross is made from celery top pine, grown in this area. The three arms of the cross have inserts of coloured glass, in keeping with the stained glass

windows of the Church. The simple designs depicts the industries of the area: forestry, farming, tourism and fishing.

“All are welcomed

to participate in

programmes, social and

community events or just

‘drop in’...Last year over

2,000 people experienced

the beauty of the hill

and the wisdom and

friendship of the team

and their presenters”

By Mary-Anne Johnson

FEATURES

27


Centacare Tasmania is celebrating 50 years of service to the

community this year. One event to mark the anniversary was

an open day at Tower Road, New Town, on November 8. There

was entertainment by the Ogilvie High School Band, morning tea,

speeches, displays, giveaways and a sausage sizzle.

A special feature of the day was the filling of a time chest which

will be opened in another 25 years when Centacare will, with God’s

help, reach its 75th year! The lovely chest was made by student wood-

workers at St Virgil’s College and each programme at Centacare is

represented in it.

Centacare’s 50 years of service

“...respond to individuals and the community by providing services that will enhance

human dignity and freedom, and enable people to realise their full potential.”

Programmes offered by Centacare Tasmania include Settlements

Projects for new humanitarian entrants, STAY – a programme for the

homeless, Adoption Service, Family Life Education, Family Dispute

Resolution/Mediation, Pregnancy and Motherhood (PrAM) and many

more.

The Mission of Centacare, as an organisation committed to Christian

principles, is to “respond to individuals and the community by providing

services that will enhance human dignity and freedom, and enable

people to realise their full potential.”

Contact details for Centacare are provided inside our front cover.

SOCIAL CONCERN

L-R: Rev Chris Jones, Hon Adriana Taylor, Helen Burnet, Archbishop Doyle and Georgina McLagan.

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Getting to know the Archbishop


Students at St Thomas More’s Catholic School got to know their Archbishop better on a recent visit he made as part of his Parish

Visitation. Students from grades 3 – 6 gathered to listen to Archbishop Adrian and asked him some down-to-earth questions. Here

are some of the questions and the answers.

Q. What’s it like being Archbishop?A. It’s a great privilege to be involved in the lives and special occasions

of so many people in Tasmania. Then there are the schools and

business of the Archdiocese, which takes a lot of work. Last night I

had dinner in Canberra and sat next to Kevin Rudd and, after a big

plane trip back to Hobart this morning, I drove up to Launceston

today.

Q. What do you do in your spare time?A. I walk for an hour or so every afternoon and occasionally play

golf. Sometimes I go to my cottage at Orford for a day or two where

I chop wood and mow the lawns. I like to read books, especially

crime novels.

Q. Are you friends with the Pope?A. I’ve met him. Next year when I go to Rome, I will have ten minutes

on my own with the Pope.

Q. Do you ever get a holiday?A. Yes, usually straight after Christmas I get four weeks off. Often I

stay with my sister in Brisbane. I can relax, wear shorts and help my

sister by putting the clothes on the line and pushing the supermarket

trolley.

Q. How long have you been Archbishop?A. Eleven years.

Q. What advice would you give someone who wanted to become a priest?A. People will help you if you feel a call. If you go to the seminary

and it doesn’t work out, the training will not be lost. Many men who

have left it have gone on to make a big contribution to the Church.

One example is Jack de Groot who is the CEO of Caritas.

Q. How often do you go to church?A. Every day. Where I live I have a chapel to pray in and I say Mass on

Tuesdays in the Chapel at the Diocesan Centre and on Wednesdays

for the Christian Brothers.

Q. Do you enjoy your job?A. Yes, although sometimes these are difficult situations to deal with,

but I find that everything comes to an end sometime.

Q. How did you feel when you were named Archbishop?A. I received an express letter to ask me if I’d take on the appointment

and soon the Archbishop in Canberra rang me to find out what the

answer was. I had three or four hours in which to make up my mind,

but I decided to answer straight away.

Q. Have you always wanted to be a bishop?A. No. Many other priests would have been very able to do this

just as well.

Q. What was your best ‘God moment’?A. It was back in 1956 on the feast of the Rosary, October 7, when I told

my mother I wanted to be a priest. She was a noble person.

Q. Where were you when Mary MacKillop was Canonised?A. I was at St John’s church in Glenorchy where I blessed a new window

of Mary MacKillop. In the evening I watched the ceremony at Sacred

Heart in New Town. Then on the Monday we had a special Mass at

the cathedral with 700 people.

Q. What did you do before you were Archbishop?A. I was a priest like Fr Mark (Freeman) in parishes and then I had

other jobs in the diocese.

Q. What is the best thing about being Archbishop?A. Being here with you, celebrating the sacraments and particularly

visiting the sick and elderly. There’s nothing like visiting someone

in their own home, just like Our Lady visited her cousin Elizabeth in

her own home.

29


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75

SOCIAL CONCERN

St Vincent de Paul Society in conjunction with Brighton

Council has been operating Dining with Friends for

the past two years.

Dining with Friends aims to bring people together to

enjoy a nutritious two course meal, meet new people and

socialise.

It is held on the first Wednesday of each month at the

Brighton Civic Centre in Bridgewater.

What started with 60 people attending has now grown to

approximately 180 people. Each person comes for different

reasons. Some may be attending for the nutrition, some for

the social inclusion and others attend with their families for

a dining experience.

Each December, Dining with Friends incorporates Carols

by Candlelight. Last year we had over 400 people attend a

fantastic night of music and laughter. This year it was held

on Wednesday, December, 1, 2010. The Society received

support from Norske Skog, Vec Theiss, Community Churches,

Brighton Primary School, Veterans Memorial Club and many

other volunteers who gave up their time to assist. Father

Christmas also made an appearance bringing gifts for the

children.

Looking back over the past two years that Dining with

Friends has been operating, I am amazed at the generosity

and kindness of the volunteers who attend each month. From

Jo, our chef extraordinaire, who can whip up a meal with the

food donations we receive; Betty and Janine, the ‘Tea Ladies’;

and to Christine and her bunch of helpers who arrive at 8:30

in the morning to start the preparations. There are just too

many to name. Without all the volunteers we wouldn’t be

able to provide Dining with Friends.

Each volunteer contributes to Dining with Friends making

it a worthwhile programme offered to the community. I

walk away each month, exhausted, but amazed at what can

be achieved in a community that is at the lower end of the

socio-economic scale. Dining with Friends shows that by

providing a simple programme with simple meals can bring

huge community spirit.

Dining with Friends will now have a two month break and

return in March 2011.

Dining with FriendsBy Janelle Kava



Between the lines

LIFESTYLE

Most books are available from

Fullers, and the Window on the

World Bookshop in Ulverstone.

Christianity, The Illustrated Guide to 2000 Years of the Christian FaithISBN: 9781921209369

Publisher: Millennium House.

RRP: $85.00.

Millennium House, Sydney, the publisher

of Christianity, The Illustrated Guide

to 2000 Years of the Christian Faith, is to be

highly commended for making available

a handsome 511-page treasure house of

knowledge and inspiration.

As well as containing interesting and

readable text by 36 expert writers, it features

hundreds of magnif icent illustrations,

describing Christian life and cultures during

two millennia. Eminent contributors include

Dr Noel Roberts, formerly a professor at

the University of Tasmania – an author of

publications in science and theology and Rev

Dr Dudley Perera, who was professor of Biblical

and philosophical studies at the National

Seminary, Ampitiya, Sri Lanka, for over 30

years and now is Parish Priest at Bridgewater-

Brighton-Claremont parish.

The vast sweep of topics is covered in

nine parts, with glossary and index. Included

are The Beginning of the Christian Era,

Invasions, Power and Prayer, Reform, New

Worlds, Revolution, Global Missions, Unity and

Conversion, Retrospects and Prospects. After

discussing aspects of the life and times of Christ

and the New Testament, the comprehensive

work goes on to highlight Councils and Creeds,

the expansion of Catholic Faith in Europe, the

development of Patriarchates and Papacy, and

the cult of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The reader is then introduced to themes

such as the growth of Monasticism, Muslim

conquests, the building of cathedrals, parish

life in the Medieval Church, pilgrimages and

crusades. Also covered is the rise of Religious

Orders and Catholic Mysticism.

Later sections of the book describe the

story of the Faith’s expansion in various

parts of the world, including the beginnings

of Anglican, Catholic and Protestant life in

Australia.

This outstanding work can be highly

recommended for the general reader and

for students who wish to learn more about the

story of the Church. Almost encyclopedic in

scope, it abounds in striking coloured pictures,

well-selected to illustrate aspects of every age

from the time of Jesus until the present.

Admirable is the fascinating treatment of

a very large canvas. This publication would

make an excellent present (it would become a

treasured, often-used gift) to family or friends.

It deserves to find a place in libraries, including

those of schools, colleges and universities.

Reviewer: Fr Terry Southerwood

Parables of Jesus of NazarethPaintings and written reflections by

Marianne Gill-Harper

ISBN: 9780977534616

RRP: $34.95

This eighty page full-colour hard-back

book consists of reproductions of

paintings and written reflections on 21 of

Jesus’ parables.

There is a Prologue which puts Jesus in

context and attempts to explain why He

taught in parables and there is an Epilogue,

‘Why Jesus?’ For each parable there are three

pages which include the biblical text, a written

reflection and a reproduction of a painting

illustrating the parable.

I first browsed through the book and

was captivated by the reproductions of the

stunning and inspiring art works. I read the

title of the parable and then just gazed on

the art work appreciating the wonderful

creations. Marianne Gill-Harper’s paintings are

not literal interpretations directly illustrating

the parables. Rather they are magical works

of art which enabled me to think about the

parables with a new sense of wonderment

and awe. Subsequently I went back and read

the biblical text and the written reflection and

yet again enjoyed the art works.

My favourite image is of a net full of fish

and is the painting created for the parable

about good and bad fish. “The kingdom of

God is like a net let down into a lake to catch

all kinds of fish. The good fish are collected

but the bad are thrown away.” It is certainly

a difficult parable and the painting embraces

the complexity of the subject complemented

by an insightful written reflection. (see p 3 of

this magazine)

A Tasmanian author, Marianne Gill-Harper’s

dedication and effort has resulted in a book

which creatively uncovers the significance

and relevance of the parables. I love this book

and thoroughly recommend it.

I would love to see the body of work

presented as an installation with the actual

paintings exhibited alongside the texts. I hope

this happens. (We’ll keep you posted, Ed.)

Reviewer: Kaye Green *It is available at Koorong Books, Hobart and

Launceston, and Fullers Bookshop, Hobart, or by

direct contact with the author at [email protected]

31


LIFESTYLE

Fr Richard Leonard presents

new to DVD titles. He is the

director of the Australian

Catholic Film Office

Lights, camera, action!

Animal KingdomStarring: Ben

Mendelsohn, Guy Pearce,

Joel Edgerton and Jacki

Weaver. Director: David

Michôd. 113 mins.

Rated MA15+.

All Melbourne knows about the so-

called ‘Walsh Street murders’, when

two young police constables were lured to

their deaths in Walsh St, South Yarra in 1988.

David Michôd’s engrossing drama Animal

Kingdom echoes that infamous crime.

Michôd, who also wrote the screenplay,

brings something new to the all-too-familiar

‘underbelly ’ depiction of underworld

characters. His family of criminals, the Codys,

are anything but glamorous and ‘cool’. They

are nasty bits of work, and their mother, the

archetypal underworld matriarch, proves to

be more cold-bloodedly ruthless than any of

them, despite her maternal exterior.

The key element that sets Michôd’s

treatment apart is telling the story through the

character of the crims’ 17-year-old nephew,

Joshua (a most impressive debut by teenager

Toy Story 3Voiced by Tom Hanks,

Tim Allen, Joan Cusak

and Don Rickles.

Director: Lee Unkrich.

103 mins. Rated PG.

Over 15 years, Pixar, the

revolutionary animation production

house, has given us eleven feature films

including A Bug’s Life, Monsters Inc, Finding

Nemo, Ratatouille and Up. These films have

been as popular with adults as they are

with children.

Among the most popular has been their

Toy Story series, and Toy Story 3 does not

disappoint. It is terrific.

Andy is now seventeen and is packing

up his room as he prepares to move to

university. He has to decide what to do with

his childhood toys, to take them, throw them

out or put them in the attic. Andy decides

to take Woody (Hanks) with him to college.

The other toys, who have felt neglected for

years, are appalled when, in a mix up, they are

almost thrown out. They decide to take asylum

in the Sunnyside Daycare Centre. Initially this

looks perfect, but they soon discover this is

a concentration camp for toys run by the

tyrannical Lot’s-O-Huggin Bear.

Woody takes charge and leads his friends

and colleagues in a daring jail break, and then

finds them a new and appreciative home

to live.

I cannot recommend Toy Story 3 more

highly. It is family entertainment of the

highest order. Written by Lee Unkrich, Michael

Arndt, John Lasseter and Andrew Staton,

this multilayered film has as much fun and

emotion for adults as it does for children.

Each character holds interest and appeal, all

of them grow and develop and even the back

story of the evil bear is poignantly handled.

The values of Toy Story 3 are excellent too,

attending to the weighty issues of tyranny

and oppression with a fine balance between

teaching and warning young viewers.

There are allusions everywhere to the

horrors of World War II, present day refugees,

and the plight of those who need to

escape the rule of dictators. For those who

prefer just to be entertained, that ’s on

offer too with action and humour in

abundance.

Pixar has become the world leader in

CGI animation, having won 24 Oscars and

numerous other awards around the world.

It all began with the first Toy Story in 1995, and

the look and polish in this third chapter of this

particular series is even better than the other

two. Pixar just gets better and better.

You do not have to have seen Toy Story 1

and 2 to enjoy this film, but I guarantee that

on seeing this latest instalment you will want

to catch up on what you have been missing all

these years. Find a child to share with if you

must, but do not miss seeing this disarmingly

moving film.

Reviewer Fr Richard Leonard

James Frecheville). At the film’s opening,

quiet, introverted Joshua has to deal with

his mother’s death from a heroin overdose,

and he turns for help to his grandmother,

Janine Cody (Jacki Weaver). This brings him

into contact with his three uncles, from whom

his mother had tried to shield him. There’s a

fourth member of the Cody gang, Barry (Joel

Edgerton), but as the only one to realise the

futility of their old ways, he reckons more

money can be made in the stockmarket.

Andrew ‘Pope’ Cody (Ben Mendelsohn) and

his brothers, Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) and

Darren (Luke Ford), are low-intellect career

criminals, specialising in armed robbery and

trafficking drugs. Pope is in hiding because

members of the police Armed Robbery Squad

have sworn to kill him, and this vendetta

with the corrupt police dominates the Codys’

lives.

When one of their number is executed

by their police foes, Pope’s revenge is swift.

Leaving a car with doors wide open in a

suburban street after midnight, he lies in wait

for whatever constables come to investigate

and summarily executes them.

Young Joshua is implicated, because Pope

had got him to steal the car used as bait in the

trap. The police seeking to avenge the murder

of their colleagues see young, inexperienced

Joshua as the one member of the infamous

Cody family from whom they might be able

to obtain admissions.

The events that lead Joshua to eventually

realise how deeply he has been drawn into

the murderous web are, in a Shakespearian

kind of way, inevitable. The ordinariness of

the characters’ lives makes the story all the

more chilling, and you are on the edge of your

seat as the climax approaches with potential

for grand tragedy.

Michôd directs with assurance and style,

without falling back on gratuitous violence or

other excesses to milk audience emotions.

In the end, the film stands as a stark account

of crime and corruption and the corrosive

effect of revenge. It is confronting, with

frequent coarse language and its pervasive

air of menace, but it is a powerful and entirely

believable drama – for this reviewer, the best

Australian crime movie since Lantana.

Reviewer Mr Jim Murphy



Tell the Good News!

Money for Caritas

Give God the glory!

The annual Mass in Thanksgiving involving Grade 6 students from

all Southern Tasmanian Catholic schools was held at St Mary’s

Cathedral on November 4. It marks the transition from Primary to

Secondary education, which, for many students, involves a change

of school and leaving classmates behind. The theme chosen this

year was “Tell the good news and let it live in your hearts”.

Did you know that the statue of St Charles Borromeo in Arona,

Italy is 35.1 metres tall and is the second highest bronze building

in the world next to the Statue of Liberty in New York? Archbishop

Adrian commented in his homily that the makers of the Statue of

Long lines of coins were laid out by

students at Our Lady of Lourdes School in

Devonport recently. The grade six students

measured the line for each grade and much

fun was had by little ones who emptied

their individual bags of coins to help make

up the class totals. 6PL won with a massive

35m 31cm! The total raised for Caritas was

$945.00.

As well as collecting money, students from

the school have been learning about how to

make the world we live in less unequal and

more just. It’s good to remember that it’s

not just about raising funds, but also about

raising awareness.

Children, teachers and even parents were singing along to this

song with the enthusiastic Andrew Chinn, who was in Tasmania

presenting his workshops and shows to schools all around the

state. He used coloured scarves, butterfly vests, cool movements,

games, dances, backing tracks, even a song about ‘nothing’ to

animate kids about music and God.

Professional music with catchy rhythms and tunes provided a

great ‘hook’ to pass on messages about love, self-esteem and care

for creation. With even cleaning up becoming a fun game, Andrew

was a hit and everyone looks forward to a return visit.

He is pictured at St Brigid’s in New Norfolk.

Liberty actually took some ideas from the Italian statue to help them.

November 4 happens to be the Feast Day of St Charles Borromeo and

a much smaller, although still very heavy to carry, statue of St Charles,

or San Carlo, as he is known in Italian, was processed into St Mary’s

Cathedral on the shoulders of five strong men to celebrate the day

with the students. The cathedral was packed as children danced,

sang, read and prayed together with their teachers, several priests

and the Archbishop. They told the good news and it certainly looked

as though it was living in their hearts!


33


A Golden Anniversary

St Brendan was an ancient Irish Saint and

Fr Donald Shaw was a Twentieth Century

Australian Parish Priest. Together they have

lent their names to a coastal institution that

has just celebrated its 50th Anniversary.

St Brendan-Shaw College stands on a

Devonport hill whose rich red soil harks

back to its previous life as a productive

farm. The site is nestled among houses and

looks out over the beautiful coast line. A new

addition is the Memory Walk, meandering

along the James St side of the property,

from the front entrance to the chapel. This

walk highlights significant moments during

the last 50 years.

Present and past students, parents,

principals, teachers, priests and friends

gathered for a day of remembrance and

celebration on Saturday, October 30.

Archbishop Adrian celebrated Mass in the

packed chapel on Saturday morning and

blessed the Memory Walk. Displays and

entertainment followed, culminating in a

cocktail party that evening in the school hall

(now the Genesis Centre). Sisters of St Joseph

and Christian Brothers travelled from near

and far and had a great time catching up

with former students and viewing the very

changed campus.

St Brendan’s College was the first on the

site in 1960. It was named after the Irish

parish of Fr John Griffin, then Parish Priest

of Devonport. Many remembered the story

of Brother Laidlaw who lost control of his

pushbike in 1961 and sped down Steele St

straight into the open door of the Palace Hotel!

Others remembered the use of the strap by

the brothers, which was not surprising given

that some classrooms in the 1960’s had 65

boys in them!

Then in 1969, Shaw College was opened

as the regional secondary college for girls.

Brother Stewart and Sister Francis Mary

ruled their respective territories, but soon

the common site saw shared classes in some

subjects. Girls had to endure the testosterone

- charged atmosphere of St Brendan’s, while

the boys were made take off their muddy

shoes before stepping in the pristine new

Shaw premises. Back then, preferences for

skirt length were about the level that today’s

students favour and many girls were forced

to unroll the tops of their school skirts to

meet the regulations set by the Sisters. Old

socks were worn over the school shoes to

protect the parquetry floors – not the most

elegant look!

The two colleges eventually amalgamated

with full co-education beginning in 1981,

under the leadership of Brother Long. Over

the years, facilities have been improved

and curricula updated and, although the

Brothers and Sisters no longer teach there,

the institution they started on the hill 50 years

ago proudly continues their tradition of faith

and deeds.


Michael Charlesworth in his 1960 hat and tie. Colleen Hill and Bill Lane.

College captains plant an oak.



Weddings

www.hobart.ca

WEDDINGS

The Tasmanian Catholic accepts for publication photographs of Catholic weddings. Every effort will be made to publish such photographs at the first opportunity, but delays may occur due to limited space. Original photographs sent by mail will be returned if requested. Digital photographs should be submitted on disk with a minimum resolution of 300dpi.

Brigid Noonan and Leif Shea.Married at St Mary’s Cathedral, Hobart.Saturday, September 4, 2010.Celebrant, Fr Brian Nichols.Photographer: Jonathan Wherrett.

Sam Clear and Catherine Seiwert.Married at St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Ost, Kansas, USA.Saturday, October 2, 2010.Celebrant, Fr Ivan Eck.Photographer: Grant Watkins.

35


KIDS’ PAGE

Cl ©Courtesy of Creative Ministry Resources (Liturgy Help/Cathnet)Mt 2:13-15. 19-23 Solutions page: 36




There was a large Australian presence

in Rome, Italy, as the world prepared

to officially recognise its first Australian

Saint, Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop,

at the Canonisation ceremony presided by

Pope Benedict XVI in St Peter’s Square on

Sunday, October 17, 2010.

I was lucky enough to be present at

the Canonisation in Rome, along with my

group, which consisted of youth ministry

co-ordinators from right

around Australia. The

thing that struck me,

as I wandered around

Rome on the eve of the

Canonisation was the

impact this first Australian

Canonisation was having in Rome. Mary

MacKillop was Canonised along with five

other saints, and whilst the home countries

of the other saints were also well represented,

Australians were out in force! Many of the

souvenir shops surrounding Vatican City

boasted some type of Mary MacKillop trinket,

and the locals seemed to know about, and

would talk to you about, Mary MacKillop.

Reportedly, over 8,000 Australians made

the pilgrimage to Rome for the occasion, with

many of these gathering on the eve of the

Canonisation for a special Vigil celebration of

the life of Mary MacKillop. This evening was

sponsored by Australian Catholic University

and the Sisters of St Joseph congregation and

was attended also by Australian politicians,

including The Hon Kevin Rudd, The Hon Julie

Bishop and Senator Barnaby Joyce. Kevin

Rudd gave a heartfelt address at the Vigil

Celebration and a magnificent and moving

musical dramatisation of Mary’s life was

performed, followed by a liturgy presided

by Archbishop Wilson.

The celebrations put us in good stead, for

an early rise the following morning, to line

up from 7.30 am outside St Peter’s Square.

Expecting to be seated on uncomfortable

cobblestone for a long period of time, without

being able to see a great deal of what was

happening, we were very pleasantly surprised

when we secured actual chairs to sit on, only

fifteen rows from the very front – we were

right in the action! There were many flags

and cheers coming from

all countries involved,

w h o w e r e p r o u d l y

supporting their saint.

It was a beautiful, clear

and sunny day, and even

though I was surrounded

by thousands upon thousands of people

cheering, the choir singing and media

scurrying, there was something very calm

and peaceful about being in this place, with

the gorgeous backdrop of St Peters Basillica,

decorated with the tapestries of the six to be

Canonised.

A short history of the lives of each of the

saints were read aloud. Following this Pope

Benedict XVI arrived, driving through the

crowds before arriving at the magnificent,

white and gold altar to begin the Papal Mass

and Canonisation. During the Mass, Pope

Benedict officially recognised the six holy men

and women, including our very own Mary

MacKillop, as Saints. This was a momentous

and historic moment for the Catholic Church

of Australia. Saint Mary MacKillop will always

remain a very important person, and Saint,

for the people of Australia, an inspirational

woman with a great sense of her own faith

and love of her God. She was a women ahead

of her time, who against adversity, against the

odds, fought for what she believed in and for

Invasion of Rome

This was a momentous

and historic moment

for the Catholic Church

of Australia

the rights of every human person. She was

loving, compassionate, caring and generous.

A fantastic example for all Australians!!

That evening hundreds of Australians

shared in a special celebratory dinner in

Rome, with a special guest performance from

Gary Pinto. The following morning we all

gathered in St Paul’s Basilica for the Australian

Thanksgiving Mass for Saint Mary MacKillop.

All Australian dioceses were represented and

joined together in thanksgiving for our first

Australian Saint, Saint Mary MacKillop.

By Rachelle Smith

37


Homily by Archbishop Doyle at Fr Gerard Sheedy’s Mass of Christian Burial

In 1954, which was my last year as a

student at St Virgil’s College, we had the

opportunity to welcome back to the College

a former student who had been ordained a

priest on July 24. The newly ordained priest

was Fr Gerard Sheedy.

It would not be easy to measure the impact

that this visit had on one who was grappling

with the possibility of pursing a vocation to

the priesthood, but I am certain in my own

mind that it did make quite an impression

on me at the time. In March of the following

year, I entered the seminary.

Many times, I am sure, during his ministry as

a priest, Fr Gerard would have reflected on the

readings which have been chosen for his Mass

of Christian Burial. When the early Christians

were undergoing horrendous persecution at

the hands of the Romans, the only way that

St John could communicate with them in

the Book of Revelation, and give them some

comfort, was to speak in a coded language

which only they would understand.

So he spoke to them about the New

Heaven and the New Earth, and that God

was making all creation new. St Paul had this

forward-looking attitude

also, when he speaks

about the tent in which we

live on earth, eventually

being folded away, to be

replaced by a new and

everlasting home in the

heavens. Those who had heard Jesus speak

of Himself as the Bread of Life, would have

understood that the bread was the nourishing

bread of the Word of God.

And what nourishment it provides us today

when He says that “it is my Father’s will that

whoever sees the Son and believes in Him

shall have eternal life, and that I shall raise

him up on the last day.” It is this same faith

that gives us confidence as we farewell today

Fr Gerard Michael Sheedy.

I am sure that I speak for everyone here,

when I express our sincere condolences and

sympathy to Fr Gerard’s two remaining sisters,

Margaret and his twin sister Moira, and to

all the members of the Sheedy family. You

played a very important part in his life, and

any priest who has such strong family support

is certainly very fortunate. We share that same

sense of loss and separation with each of you.

We also include in our prayers today, his two

brothers, Terry and Jack, and his sister Jill, all

of whom pre-deceased him.

By the time I returned to the Archdiocese

in 1965, Fr Gerard Sheedy was carrying the

responsibility of Parish Priest of Glenorchy.

It was a very challenging assignment, which

he and his assistant Fr Ray Wells took up with

great energy and good spirit, and I am sure that

their efforts, along with those who worked so

closely with them, ensured that the Glenorchy

Parish would have a strong foundation.

One of the features of life in Glenorchy was

the ‘open door’ policy at the presbytery where

everyone was made welcome in a building,

that in many ways was substandard. While

carrying his role as Parish Priest, Gerard Sheedy

also continued with a very special apostolate

among young people preparing for marriage.

He would have been the celebrant of literally

hundreds of marriages in those years, and he

was also the founder of the St Dominic’s club

which enabled older single people to meet,

and many of them eventually married.

The life of Gerard Sheedy began at Spreyton,

but at an early age the family moved to Burnie,

which has always been considered his home

town. It is appropriate that the Mass of

Christian Burial be celebrated in the very same

church in which he was

ordained a priest by the

late Archbishop Tweedy.

As you would know, he

spent the final years of

his life as a resident of

the Yaraandoo Aged

Care facility in Somerset, just a few kilometres

further along the coast. He will be buried here

in Burnie, as are his parents and other members

of his family.

It was a very different situation in 1954.

It was before Catholic schools were in receipt

of government funding; it was before Marist

Regional College was built here in Burnie. The

Second Vatican Council was still six years away.

It is a very different picture today, and Gerard

Sheedy lived through it all.

During his life as a priest, he served in

the Cygnet, Glenorchy, Smithton, Newstead,

and Latrobe Parishes as Parish Priest. He was

also an assistant priest at Cygnet, and again

at Newstead. From about 1995, he entered

a period of instability in his life, with rapid

changes in his living circumstances, but he

entered a period of serenity and peacefulness

when he moved to Yaraandoo, here at Somerset

in 2001. We are very grateful to all the staff at

Yaraandoo for their care and support of him

during this time. It was always my impression

that he was a very much loved resident of the

facility and that the daily celebration of Mass

was greatly appreciated.

We know that Fr Gerard had some difficult

issues to face in his life, but we also know

that he never lost that strong commitment

to the priesthood, nor did he lose that lovely

welcoming manner that many of us came to

appreciate. On the perhaps too few occasions

when I went to visit him at Yaraandoo, he was

always very pleased to see me, and to hear

what was happening around the Archdiocese.

He was still able to enjoy his great love of

classical music right through to the end of his

life. It was a particular joy for us, the priests, to

have him with us when we gathered for our

most recent Plenary back in June.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary

of the Ordination to the Priesthood of

Fr Sheedy, Archbishop Young preached a

homily of considerable length and matching

depth, and he said at one point: “As a priested

man, Fr Sheedy, as St Paul puts it, knows how

to sympathise with those who are ignorant

or uncertain, and with his struggling fellow

man.”

One of the special ministries of Fr Gerard

was that of Army Chaplain for over 21 years.

At the conclusion of his service, the then

Commanding Officer, Colonel Jim Stewart,

wrote to the Archbishop and said that “he has

a reputation for sincerity, concern for others

and indomitable good humour which has

made his name in the Army synonymous with

those ‘good times which every soldier looks

back on’.”

It is now for us to commend him to the

mercy and goodness of God. We do so with

gratitude, faith and confidence. May Gerard

Michael Sheedy, brother, uncle, relative, faithful

priest and good friend, now rest in peace.

Human face of Christ

21 December 1928 – 5 November 2010

He knew how to

sympathise…with his

struggling fellow man.

OBITUARY

Authorised by CSF Pty Limited ABN 30 006 169 286, Trustee of Catholic Super ABN 50 237 896 957. Information is about the Fund and is not intended as financial advice. It does not take into account specific needs, so members should consider their personal position, objectives and requirements before taking any action.

Catholic Super and National Catholic Superannuation Fund are merging into one fund on March 31 2010.

The merged fund will continue its dedication to the Australian Catholic community with strong investments and personal attentive service.

The new fund will continue to be a low-fee, not-for-profit industry super fund, that does not pay commissions,

invests responsibly and provides unbiased financial advice to its members.

For more information about the merger of Catholic Super and National Catholic Superannuation Fund go to www.merger.ncsf.csf.com.au.

If you would prefer to telephone us call 1300 550 273

or 1300 655 002.

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Your Life,Our Community

Documents

Tasmanian Catholic - Volume 6 Issue 6 2010