If you regard yourself as a member of the Pallottine Family and some one would ask you what is ‘Pallottine Spirituality’? How would you answer? Here is a short list of the elements of such spirituality.

Pallottine spirituality is the manner in which we try to live the original charism of Vincent Pallotti today. Specifically this means:

To bring faith to life in community.
To reignite love among brothers and sisters.
To experience Christ’s love as a driving force.
To proclaim the Gospel to all, if need be with words.
To plead for the Holy Spirit together with Mary and the apostles.
To kindle in ourselves a passion for God and for human beings.
To recognise the call of God in the signs of the times.
To encounter our fellow human beings as images of God.
To keep alive the yearning for God and the coming of his kingdom.
To be people of hope.

Author Fr. Karl Heinen, SAC

We appreciate the permission to abstract articles from this publication because it keeps in our minds the contribution members of the Pallottine Family have made to the Diocese of Broome since 1901.

This time, we are pleased to bring some information about the magazine itself and "Congratulations" to Kimberley Community profile on their receipt of a top magazine award. The Australasian Press Association (ACPA) awarded its prestigious Bishop Phillip Kennedy Memorial Prize for the best magazine at a ceremony in Melbourne in September. The citation for this honour states that the prize is awarded to the publication that best represents excellence in its specific market.

In publishing the award, the judges commented that this magazine: "had such impact, both for its heartfelt coverage of the local community and the enthusiasm it conveyed." They went on to say: "the involvement and interaction of the community it services, both on a social and spiritual level is obvious. It is a bright, well presented magazine."

In addition, the KCP won two Highly Commended Awards for best regional Publication and Best Magazine Layout and design.

The Mariana Community sponsored this opportunity on Saturday, 19^th November at Kew. Twenty-five people attended. The atmosphere of the Congress was created by the pictures which Fr. Eugene showed using the data projector and by the sharing of those who had actually been in Warsaw.

Two of the major Congress papers were explored in some depth. One was given by Fr. Seamus Freeman, under the title : "The Union of Catholic Apostolate, as a realization of the desire of the heart of God, and of St. Vincent Pallotti, accomplishes its mission in the Church, sacrament of salvation for all." Dr. Andrew Thompson gave the second : " The Diverse Forms of Poverty in the World of Today."

We discussed many of the issues, at first in small groups and then in plenary session, posing the challenge: "How do these questions affect us as UAC in Australia?"

The day concluded with a beautiful liturgy that drew our attention to the proximity of Advent.

If you would like a copy of one or both these significant papers, contact the UAC Secretariat: (03) 9 855 0211…. Email: uacsec@tpg.com.au

NEWS FROM THE WEST

SUNDAY, 22^nd January 2006. The Feast of St. Vincent Pallotti 

You are most welcome to join other members of the Pallottine Family in celebrating this happy occasion.
Evening prayer at 7.30 p.m. followed by supper. 
Please bring something to share—a ‘plate’ or a ‘bottle’.

TAIZE PRAYER

8-9pm. on the first Friday of every month from February to December.
Everyone is welcome to attend the bi-monthly recollection days at Kew. For more information ring Pat Heywood or Fr Eugene

Fr. Ray did it, Fr. Dean organised it, Fr. Eugene introduced it, Wally our best builder attended it, Pat described its history, Frs. Roger McGinley and John Hennessy "presided" at it and Bro. Pat prayed for it. What was it? The official blessing and opening of the UAC office-cum secretariat-cum-resource centre at Kew.

Twenty-two people came to join in and witness this historic occasion. And like many small beginnings, the significance of the day will be appreciated much more in the years to come, when we look back and trace the growth of the Pallottine Family in Australia. This refurbished building is to be a tangible centre for communication, for sharing, for mutual support, for planning and dreaming dreams, as well as for providing resource material to those seeking information and knowledge about Pallotti and the UAC.

Wally Van den Berg and his helpers have transformed the old garage, used more recently as an artist’s studio, into a four-roomed building containing an informal meeting area, an office, small kitchenette and washroom. In its capacity as the UAC secretariat, it will be used mainly by the Executive Officer and planning teams. It is simply and attractively furnished, and by the new year, will be open for your visit on Monday and Wednesday morning each week, and gradually, we hope, for every morning of the week, depending on volunteers to help out.

Love needs to be made tangible and concretised in our human experience and places, such as the  buildings where we can pray and meet, are important to achieve these aims. We have the Shrine as a place and powerhouse of prayer, and now we have the secretariat as a place and centre of communication. Our thanks to the Kew Community who brought this project into being and bore the burden of the financial cost. Our thanks also to those UAC members who first envisaged the project

On 15^th October the Pallottine Community House at Kew came alive to the sound of an inflow of about 50 people, including the youngest visitors aged between 3 and 10, who represented the UAC grandchildren.

The occasion was a general gathering, the first of its kind since the publication of the UAC General Statutes, so we called it an inaugural general meeting. Lunch was provided and was followed by a mini-fete.

The weather was gorgeous, the atmosphere wonderful and the level of enjoyment, going by the smiles and happy talk, was about 110%, (if not more).

Fr. Eugene introduced the day with prayer, then Pat Heywood reported on all the things the UAC had tried to achieve in the past year, and what things were planned for next year. Following Pat, one of the newer members, Janet Farrow described her impressions and experiences over the past year of induction to the UAC.

Eugene then put on his other hat of chief sausage-sizzler and produced snags and onions on the BBQ. A light lunch was also served in the Pallotti room, and the fete "stalls" were opened for bargain hunters and kind donors. One young entrepreneur did a roaring business exchanging his wins from the lucky dip to items more suited to his age level! And an older "entrepreneur" from the West, Fr. Kevin McKelson drew the main raffle for us, while Helen Jackson drew the second raffle.

Everyone agreed that it was a great day of sharing, socialising, barbequing, and fund raising. We made over $1000 dollars, a small part of which went to pay for the information brochures and the rest went to the Local Coordination Council to help fund the various demands made on it.

Next year we plan to hold this function again, but in two separate stages: we will separate the gathering/communication day from the fete, so that we can have twice the fun. Special thanks to the workers, who provided and served the lunch, to Eugene and Wolfgang for their sizzling success, and to the stall holders. Our thanks also to all our "customers" and to the little people who blessed the day as well.

The old Abba song still has plenty of life in it, but it’s the message I’m interested in! We are currently out of pocket with the production of the Pallottine Family Newsletter, even though Fr. Eddy has paid for a wonderful new printer and is helping out with the publishing of the Newsletter.

Many of our Pallottine family appreciate and enjoy the sharing of news and information which the Newsletter provides. And while we are only too happy to keep everybody informed and up to date with all that’s happening, we can’t keep doing it with the small number of people who pay their subscription.

It’s only $10 a year, and if everyone paid it, we could just cover our costs.

So how about it? We need your financial input as well as your prayerful and apostolic input. Send your $10 to Merle Gilbo, at 85 Studley Park Road, Kew 3101 as soon as you can, preferably before you pay the bills for the Christmas presents!

The first UAC General Assembly under the new Statutes will be held in Rome from 27^th to 30^th December, under the auspices of the General Coordination Council, the G.C.C. Members of that Council, together with Presidents of the National Coordination Councils and six lay members, will gather with the primary task of electing members of the next G.C.C. and the additional task of revision of the Statutes. Fr. Ray Hevern, as President of the Australian N.C.C. will attend, and Anne Dowling as our lay representative, will also attend. We have been asked to nominate up to three people from Australia as suitable candidates for the elections. We ask your prayers for the work of the General Council and for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in choosing the new members of the G.C.C.

Recently we were asked by the General Coordination Council to participate in an evaluation and reformulation process for the General Statutes, the legal document which aims to provide a basic structure for the Pallottine Family all over the world. Our National Coordination Council appointed a Statutes sub-committee two years ago, so the members have replied positively to this request for evaluation and have forwarded a reply to Rome by the 15^th December. We were asked to answer in both English and Italian, and are grateful to the Capuchin Fathers (Hawthorn) for their help.