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December 2006 WHEN IN HEAVEN’S NAME WILL JESUS COME
The early Christian Church was sure that Jesus
would return pretty quickly after the Resurrection. It was the reason
why they took so long (about 40 years) before they wrote the Gospels.
They did not seem phased out by the possibility. One of their constant
prayers was, “Come Lord Jesus”. In our day and age we get a bit jittery
about the idea of a coming of Jesus. All that business about nations
rising up against nations and roaring seas is hardly reassuring.
The bits about roaring seas are a standard way in the bible of indicating how nature mirrors important spiritual event. When Jesus comes again the prediction of love triumphing over the power of selfishness and the forces of evil finally comes true. For those following the way of Jesus that is an immense relief. And what is the way of Jesus? Study Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds and the wise men in the first coming of Jesus if we want a hint on how to act before the second coming. Thanks to Michael McMahon
THE SAC ASSEMBLY One of the regulations or Statutes governing the Society of Catholic Apostolate (SAC) states that the Australian Region, Regina Mundi or Queen of the World, should hold a Regional Assembly every three years. The last one occurred in Perth in October 2003, and for the first time, other members of the UAC were invited to attend. The next Assembly will be held at the start of 2007 for five days during January at Pallotti College, Millgrove, Victoria. The Regional Leadership Team has consulted all SAC members in Australia about lay participation and the overwhelming response is again to invite other UAC members to share in the Assembly deliberations, for three days out of the total of five days during which the Assembly will meet. A steering committee is in process of drafting a final agenda and assisting participants from Western Australia with their itineraries. We are glad to hear that the Vice-General of the Society, Fr. Zenon Hanas is able to attend also. The Assembly, which will commence on Saturday 20th January, will be an important time for discerning our journeying. Participants will not only need to full of the spirit of prayer themselves, but will be relying on all our sisters and brothers in the UAC to support them with prayerful thought and love, both before and during the days of dialogue. Pat Heyward
LCC WA Formation LCC in Perth has had its first formation meeting which was under the guidance of Fr Joe Butscher. A small attendance of four attended but enough interest has been shown by those unable to attend to encourage a full formation program to commence in February next year. An end of year Mass at Pallotti chapel in December will launch the program and interested parishioners in the work of the UAC will be invited to attend. Epiphany Centre We are pleased to announce the appointment of John and Carmen Madden as the new managers of our Epiphany Centre in Perth. John and Carmen commenced with us on November 1st and we welcome them into the UAC family. John Nagle
THANK YOU AND A FURTHER REMINDER To all who responded to the request in the last newsletter for a contribution towards the operational costs for the “Union of the Catholic Apostolate” or in our terms the “Pallottine Family”– many thanks, your generosity greatly appreciated. I know that sometimes these requests can come at a difficult time or be something that is postponed as a task for the future. If you are among this group and wanted to contribute your support would be greatly appreciated. Please forward your contribution to me at 31A Gooch Street Thornbury Vic 3071 making cheques payable to the Union of the Catholic Apostolate - National Coordination Council. Again many thanks for your contributions and may Advent be a joyful waiting time. Cheryl Sullivan
OUR FAMILY FETE We might have had the coldest, windiest day for ages for our fete day, but we also had the warmest, “best-feeling-ever” atmosphere among the brave souls who came along to support our efforts, whether they were about craft, cakes, sausage sizzles, trash and treasure, lucky dips or champagne sales.
Fr. Eugene and Wolfgang performed their usual magic with the snags and onions, and Ronnie kept the cuppas coming, while the windswept buyers and purveyors of goods recovered around the large table in the Pallotti room. Fran and Bree provided face-painting extravaganzas for the young, much to their great delight, as they showed the rest of us how good they looked – Phoebe as a flower child, Brendan as a ghost and Lorrie’s little grandson as an intimidating tiger. Marg Mary and her sister Catherine were well prepared for the blustery conditions, in their colourful parkas, as they conducted the plant stall outside like a pair of Trojans. Likewise Betty Maloney and Aileen Powell survived the windy conditions on the side veranda, dispensing both trash and treasure to eager buyers. The rest of us were luckier, operating stalls and points of sale inside, in much more comfortable conditions. Our heartfelt thanks go to the stall managers, and to all those who so kindly donated goods, time and money to help make the day a success. Special thanks to Brunhilde Nissl, who was so generous in donating craft items, plants, biscuits and jams, and to Vonnie Brace who gave so much time and skill to providing the bulk of the craft goods. Despite the adverse weather and the small numbers who were able to attend, we raised $2000, a wonderful result in the circumstances.
Congratulations to Pauline Griffiths, winner of two raffles, the B.B.Q. and the Chanel No.5 perfume, to Betty Maloney who won the beautiful rose, and to Maggie Boyer winner of the Nutrimetics basket of products. Thank you to the raffle ticket sellers and buyers, thank you stall holders, and thank you to the Kew Community for assistance and support. Pat Heyward
Farewell and Thanks December 10th 2000 was a significant day in the life of Pallotti College. This was the day on which Robin and Bronwyn Pryor joined the Team at the College and a new chapter in ecumenical endeavours began. Through an agreement between the Uniting Church of Australia and the SAC Robin was installed as the Director of the Uniting Church Retreat Centre within Pallotti College. Over the last nearly six years both Robin and Bronwyn have been enthusiastic members of the Team. But as they say “all good things come to an end” and Robin is shortly retiring from active Ministry. Both he and Bronwyn will also be leaving Pallotti College. It is with a fair degree of sadness that we say farewell to them and wish them well in “retirement”. Not only are we losing two friends from the everyday life here, but also, a Uniting Church living presence, as the UCA is unable to continue the position. Thanks for all of your efforts over the last six years Robin and Bronwyn. Dean Bradbury
REJOICE BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN FOUND That precious bound Volume 1 of the Pallottine Family Newsletter May 1966 - December 1978 Full of history and memories of people end events. It is now carefully shelved in the UAC Secretariat in Studley Park Rd. Kew, with Volume 2- March 1979 - May 1993 And all the subsequent issues September 1993 ongoing.!!!
2007 Calendar. These dates have been confirmed at this stage. Others will be added in future newsletters.
The SAC Assembly 21.01.07 - 24.01.07
We’d love to hear from YOU !!!!
As you read this, has
something come into your mind?
For example:
INFORMATION UPDATE: KEW SPIRITUALITY TEAM A new group was established at Kew at the beginning of this year to help our efforts in providing both formation and ongoing spirituality for Pallottine Family members whose spiritual home and tradition centre around the Shrine and the Kew Community House. Led by Fr. Eugene and the UAC Executive Officer,Pat Heywood, the group aims to act in an advisory capacity and assist in overseeing/creating opportunities for ongoing actions to do as St. Vincent asked: to awaken faith, re-enkindle charity and lead all people in unity to Christ. Meetings are held three times a year, in February, July and November, and the program for each meeting can best be summarised as review and preview. Membership is by appointment and is modelled on Pallotti’s dictum of “Binding as much as necessary, freedom as much as possible, and the full development of the spirit”. We aim to be a spirit-led group, open to each other and the demands of our apostolates. We ask your prayers for the needs of our Pallottine Family in our endeavours to build the kingdom of God and spread the wonderful message of love, in this most appropriate year of the Holy Father’s encyclical, “Deus Caritas Est.”. Pat Heyward
NEWS FROM BROOME courtesy of Kimberley Community Profile Planning for a new Cathedral. The members of the Cathedral Renewal Committee have been meeting fortnightly to familiarize themselves with recent church documentation regarding the liturgy. This committee, appointed by Bishop Christopher Saunders, will guide the consultation process and encourage wide participation in all activities associated with this important project. Business as usual. The shop at the St. Vincent Pallotti Centre supplies second hand clothing and many other items art a reasonable cost to the public. The new centre succeeds the old St. Vincent de Paul and is a charitable work of the Broome. Funds raised at the shop are used to help people in Broome and throughout the Kimberley. The shop was open for business for the first time on 4th September 2006, welcoming people from 8am –12 noon, ‘steered by Coordinator, Gloria Biddell.
A GRADUATION CEREMONY AT YARRA THEOLOGICAL UNION Friday, 17th November saw a number of students coming to a happy culmination of their studies by experiencing the conferring of their degrees. Congratulations are due to all who achieved their aims but particularly to two members of the Pallottine family. DAPHNE McGINLEY, who spent several years as part of the Pallotti College team and became a MASTER OF THEOLOGICAL STUDIES and, Syndal parishioner, HERMAN HULSEN, who now has a BACHELOR OF THEOLOGY and a DIPLOMA OF PASTORAL MINISTRY
We are uniting with the
Pallottine family
50th
Anniversary in 2007
Tell all the Truth, but tell it slant-- The Mariana Community will celebrate out "dazzling gradually" over the last 50 years when founded by Walter Silvester SAC (RIP). On this celebration we will remember with joy all those who have contributed to the vision, to those who have walked the journey with us in whatever way and, also, in gratitude for the group who continue to aspire to
Act Justly, Love Tenderly
A Life of St. Vincent Pallotti Fr.John Winson has recently translated from Italian a life of St Vincent Pallotti written by Domenic Pistella. He aims to make it available by e-mail to anyone who wishes. They may send him their e-mail address, and it will be sent out in fortnightly editions to those addressees. In about 15 chapters it covers most of the events and meanings of Pallotti's life in brief sections. Pistella has an attractive writing style and John has tried to render this in current Australian English. What you will read is a story, but it is not just for the curious minded. It is meant to convey the "spirit of the Founder".
PALLOTTINE PRAYER CIRCLE Our prayer circle continues to grow, as members of our Pallottine family let each other know what their needs and heartfelt desires are. Anyone can join at any time, so if you have friends or family who wish to pray and be prayed for, no matter what the object of the prayers, let them know the details or send their names to us for inclusion on the mailing list. We try to keep abreast of happenings in our prayer circle, and therefore ask you to let us know also about good things, good changes or successes occurring in connection with our prayer intentions. Again, if someone who has been ill happens to pass away, please let us know and we’ll place that person on our obituary / R.I.P. list. Fr. Eugene remembers all prayer circle intentions and members at the Mass he offers on each Friday. We are hoping that as the circle develops, we can keep contacting everyone on a regular basis, and include some prayer suggestions in keeping with both our needs and the particular season of the Church’s year. The application form will continue to appear in the Newsletter for a few more issues, but a simple letter of request for information or enrolment can be made at any time to the Pallottine Prayer Circle, UAC Secretariat, 85 Studley Park Road, Kew 3101. Meantime, may all our members be filled with Mary’s great Love, in expectation of his holy birth during the Advent season, and at Christmas. May His new life bring healing and peace to all our loved ones, to all those for whom we care and for whom we pray ceaselessly. Ronnie Maloney ……………………………………………….. PALLOTTINE PRAYER CIRCLE NAME ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ADDRESS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PALLOTTINE PRAYER CIRCLE, 85 Studley Park Road, Kew 3101
Michael Gitner writes In the big city… Recently, the Times reported that there are 500 people arriving in the UK, mainly to London, everyday day with the intention of settling in here. Quite impressive or shall I say frightening? And apparently they are planning two additional terminals to the already existing and confusing four at Heathrow airport. I reside here in the very heart of West End, between Regent and Hyde Parks, 200 meters from Oxford Street and less than 50 from Marylebone High Street. I am surrounded by boutiques, cafés, French restaurants and apartments with a weekly rent kicking off from 350 pounds for a single room! Bearing in mind the above the move from Rossmoyne in here, was a bit of a challenge to the system. Especially for a quiet, shy and a very average ‘little moi’.
Interestingly, the most popular Mass is Sunday at 7pm with Taize chants run by a group of, surprise, surprise, young Poles. May be it is the meditative atmosphere and the simplicity of the chants but the average age at that Mass is about 35. And one hears a lot of other than English languages like: French, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Italian, and American (oops!). Ok, I am supposed to write something about my studies as this is the primary objective of me being here after all. As you may know Heythrop College is run by the Jesuits and it seems to be very independent regarding any undesirable censorship. The courses are very broad and reach out far beyond a parochial understanding of Christianity or Catholicism. It takes me 40min to walk over there with my long legs which translates into savings of 8-10 pounds a week on transport! Pragmatism of a student life! The course that I’ve taken is designed for part timers and runs over two years or 4 semesters. As I don’t have the luxury of 2 years to complete the studies, I do two modules this semester and two more in the spring. At present I study Religions in the Modern World and foundation module on Christian Spirituality. Both classes are very well attended, about 32 students in each of them. A very interesting mixture of people as well: Anglican priests of genders, lawyers, high school teachers, and people of medical profession. Of course the lectures only scratch a surface of the respective subjects but it gives one an overview of the complexity of the relevant issues. I think of getting my teeth more into the spirituality side of things but still I have until Christmas to decide. One thing I am learning more and more is that there are no simple answers in today’s world to any of the topics that I mentioned above. Recently I attended diaconate ordinations of 7 ‘youngish’ Jesuits in their church in Farm St. (this church is quire often advertised in the Tablet). There were 3 South Koreans, a Slovenian, Hungarian, and South African and yes one Briton ordained. They were ordained for their respective provinces but the formation and studies take place in London area. What struck me though was the communal spirit of the gathering. Must admit that with the fourth day of the first Ashes match just completed the British Jesuits showed me a healthy respect after learning that I belong to the Australian SAC Region!!! So keep it up Ricky Ponting and company!!! The most disheartening thing though is the fact that I can’t watch any live soccer matches here. Ant game is just televised on reserved channels on paid TV! A basic ticket for a game in London costs 40 pounds…But you never know, I may be able to go on a pilgrimage to Anfield (home of Liverpool FC) with some people from Aquinas College who are coming here for Christmas. Well, my friends in Oz, this is all from me. Wishing you all and your loved ones a holy Christmas and God’s blessings for New Year.
STATUTES SUB-COMMITTEE REPORT You might find yourself asking, “What exactly are these things called Statutes and what does the Statutes Sub-Committee do?”
As the name suggests, the word Statutes is about legal matters, and can be described as a collection of permanent rules established by an institution for the conduct of its internal affairs. This collection of rules is always expressed in a formal document, and in the case of the Pallottine Family/UAC, its formal document was published in October 2003, with the permission and blessing of the Pontifical Council for the Laity in Rome. The title of the UAC statutes document is General Statutes, ad experimentum, which indicates that our collection of rules is not yet a permanent collection, but one that can be modified or changed a bit, depending on the lived experience and collective wisdom of all the family members, worldwide. When these general statutes were promulgated, the Council for the Laity gave the UAC five years of “experimentation” or consideration and possible amendment, before enacting them as permanent rules for the conduct of the UAC’s affairs. Part of the consideration of the Statutes consists in drawing up regulations to govern the activities of each country’s National Coordination Council, and over the last three years, a sub-committee has been meeting regularly with the task of using the General Statutes as a guideline for formulating rules for an Australian National Coordinating Council. If all that sounds a bit confusing, let me just say that in Victoria, for the last three years, a subcommittee has been considering the legal ramifications for us, following on the publication of the General Statutes document in 2003. The committee members, Fr. Dean Bradbury, Anne Dowling, Merle Gilbo and Pat Heywood, have spent many hours poring over the Statutes to come to know their full intention, and to understand how they apply to the UAC situation and experience in Australia. Recently the sub-committee finished drafting a final document of regulations for our national body, and all the members of the National Coordination Council are considering that draft now. When it is approved, the document will be forwarded to Rome for the approval of the General Coordination Council. As you can well imagine, the sub-committee is hoping that day will come soon. While legalities, in whatever walk of life, are important, they are nonetheless good things to have finalised and up and running.
MY BROTHER MAURIE - The beginning of the story of Maurice Haddock’s voluntary work with the Pallottine Mission in Western Australia in 1965. My brother Maurie was a volunteer lay helper at the Pallottine Mission Centre at Rossmoyne from May to December 1965. His life ended very tragically on the 3rd December in a terrible collision between two trucks on a clear stretch of highway between Geraldton and Mullewa in Western Australia, a distance of 100 kilometres from the Tardun Mission. Maurie didn’t go through the Lay Missionary Training Programme at Millgrove but he was recruited directly by Fathers Silvester and Brian Murray who were frequent callers at the Service Station atop Ruckers Hill in Northcote where he worked. He was thirty-nine years of age, single and the fifth oldest family member in a family of twelve children. Father Silvester thought Maurie might join the Pallottine Order as a lay brother after experiencing working at one of the Missions. The Rossmoyne Mission Centre, formerly known as Riverton was established in 1956 to accommodate young aborigines from Tardun and the Kimberley. The purpose of the Centre was to provide an opportunity for young people to further their education and receive training for employment. During his time at the Mission Centre Maurie wrote letters home. These described his work at the Mission Centre and also gave some understanding of the role of the lay volunteers who worked on the Missions. I am sure other volunteers who have worked in the West would be able to relate to some of these experiences. In June just one month after his arrival at the Mission Centre Maurie wrote: “My duties consist of driving three boys to work at 6.45 am, then the boys to school at 8.00am and sometimes the girls also. I have to pick them up again at night at 3.30 and 4.30 pm except on football training nights at 5.00pm. Then during the day I have been helping the two brothers to fence in the new property and plant the vegetable garden about half an acre with onions and maize” In this same letter he related an amusing incident with Father Luemmen when the two of them together with three boys tried to take a cow from a forty acre paddock. At one stage Father Luemann had hold of the cow’s tail and was nearly flung into a dam and another time they both had hold of the cow and were almost taken with the cow through a fence. The three boys couldn’t contain themselves with laughter and stood by helpless. After an hour they abandoned the task till another time. Some days later the cow was caught and taken by truck to Wandering Mission – a distance of eighty miles. It was a wet trip: “It rained all the way there and bucketed down on the way back.” In this same letter he put in a request for his car tools to be railed across as he noted –“there is a bit of work here but no tools.” He also mentioned that Bishop Jobst called in on his way up north and offered him work in the Kimberley’s which however he graciously declined. In July Maurie gave more details of his work. He had additional transport duties to take students to night school and music lessons two nights a week at 7 .00 pm and pick them up at 9.00 pm. During the day he helped Brother Valentine with the farm work which involved one acre of vegetable garden and the milking of three cows. They planted ten acres of oats. There were also large flower beds to attend. The property extended to twenty five acres. He described Brother Valentine as “quite a character” and marvelled at how hard he worked for a man in his advancing years. Maurie took charge of the maintenance and the servicing of two V.W’s, two Commer Vans, one motor scooter and two lawn mowers. He also helped three of the older working boys with the work on their early model Holden cars. It was more than a full-time job and his only complaint was that he found it difficult to find time to write home To be continued…….
Advent reflection  by John WinsonWhen Mary was waiting for the birth of her Child, it was her personal Advent. All the hopes and longing of Israel were to be summed up in the mystery beneath her breast. She had learnt that waiting for the Messiah was part of Jewish faith, but she was now exceedingly thrilled that such a waiting could be so intimate and one which made her feel so close to her Saviour God. She could even feel Him kicking within her as though in eager expectation of His own birth. But her example also gives us hope- that we of the New Testament times would, inherit that age-old hope of the ancestors. It was so well understood by blessed Simeon's outlook on the occasion of the presentation in the Temple where he is described as " looking for the consolation of Israel". Simeon too had taken seriously the words of the Psalm which exhorts: "O Israel hope in the Lord", and he was in fact rewarded for his faith as he met Mary and the Child in the Temple. He also gives us an example of welcoming the Christ-Child Is God so visibly in our midst too? Yes; we are told "God is with us." We may feel uncomfortable and become disturbed. We may feel disturbed by adverse events in our lives, and we are told not to worry. "Your Saviour is close at hand". We may feel uncomfortably older than last year and we hear the young church giving us a mischievous prod in the ribs like a child who has a whole life before it. One of the sadder lines in the New Testament tells of the words of Jesus as He says "You have not known the time of your visitation." Do we hear him say that to those whose worldly concerns omit the worship and honour due to the coming of the Christ Child? There is an old poem about the likes of King Herod and Israel's people: It tells of the star at Bethlehem:
MASSES ON CHRISTMAS EVE
at
Pallotti College
From Syndal to Sydney… World Youth Day 2008 His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, on 21 August 2005 announced that Sydney will host the next World Youth Day in 2008, Tuesday 15 July - Sunday 20 July. The Archdiocese of Melbourne is organizing dozens of extraordinary events from Friday 10th – Monday 14th July to inspire and engage young people from all parts of the world, culminating in a special Eucharist to commission pilgrims on their way to Sydney. In the week leading up to the WYD gathering in Sydney, Melbourne will welcome tens of thousands of young Catholic pilgrims on their way to Sydney. St. Christopher Parish in Syndal and Pallotti College in Millgrove will host Pallottine Youth Encounter for pilgrims during the week preceding the Sydney event. We expect up to 400 international Pallottine pilgrims led by Fr. Zenon Hanas from the Generalate to gather in Melbourne on Friday 4th of July. They will spend the first 3 days at Pallotti College then move to Syndal before departing for Sydney on the 14th. There will be a series of on going programs throughout the year leading up to the Pallottine Youth Encounter week. The first event will be a Youth Mass at St. Christopher’s on Sunday 28th of January. Fr. Zenon will be the main celebrant for the Mass.
EDITOR PALLOTTINE FAMILY UAC NEWSLETTER 85 Studley Park Rd Kew Vic 3101 Email: merle.gilbo@blaze.net.au past editions December 2006 September 2006 June 2006 March 2006 December 2005 September 2005 June 2005 March 2005 December 2004 September 2004 June 2004 March 2004 December 2003 October 2003 June 2003 March 2003 Extracts from 2000 - 2002 |
