The 19^th General Assembly of the Pallottine priests and brothers (the SAC) will take place in Rome from the 21^st of September and concludes with Eucharist on the 21st October. The Australian representatives are Fr Ray Hevern, (Provincial) and Fr. Eugene San. Fr. Eugene will also attend a week’s seminar in Vallendar, Germany, immediately after the Assembly.

The programme is very comprehensive to embrace the many ways in which the vision of St. Vincent Pallotti is already being lived, in Europe, in the Americas, in Africa, in Asia, in Australia. More vital still will be the looking forward, the discerning in the light of the Holy Spirit and the signs of the times, what is being asked of us for the good of the Church and of the world. Vital too in this context will be the election of a new General and the members of the new General Council.

Let us be united in prayer through these days, especially in the words that have been specially written for this occasion.

Pallotti College Programme

Bookings to: P.0 Box 838 Warburton. Vic 3799
Phone: 03 5966 2585
Fax: 03 5966 9380
Email: pallotticollege@bigpond.com

Recently, at the old Leprosarium at Bungarun, out of Derby, John Kobelke, the Western Australian minister for Indigenous Affairs and some former patients unveiled a plaque in recognition of the dedication and commitment to the nursing of patients by the Sisters of St. John of God. Maxine Armstrong, a former resident of the Leprosarium spoke of the care of the Sisters to the many people who were patients at ‘the Lep’ for many years. The Sisters were invited to nurse the patients at Bungarun when it opened in 1936 and continued to do so until it closed in 1986. Some former patients donated the plaque which reads:

"Dedicated to Sisters of St. John of God for their patience
in people’s time of need, comfort and support.
Patients of Bungarun 1937—1986
Caring hands."

Balgo has a new Health Clinic with all the modern gear and facilities, including a fully equipped dental surgery. Dancing, a smoking ceremony and a barbecue marked the opening and blessing by Bishop Christopher Saunders in early June. Resident health Council Operative, Nurse Christopher Cresp said: "The clinic is the result of long negotiations and consultations between Palyalatju Maparnpa Health, Mercy Health and Health funding authorities. This sort of Facility is a statement about new beginnings for Balgo and the Kutjungka region which has needed a resource like this for quite some time."

The Broome Campus of Notre Dame University is calling for donations of old photographs, letters, books, manuscripts and maps relating to the Kimberley region as it seeks to establish its new Local Studies Collection. The collection will be a feature of Notre Dame’s new Kimberley Higher Education Library and Information Centre which is currently being constructed. Notre Dame Broome Campus Dean, Sr. Pauline O’Connor, said the Local Studies collection would contain materials which document the growth and development of the Kimberley region. "It will explore the local identity and not just the local history," she said. "In order that the specialized collection be a comprehensive one, we would like to appeal to anyone in the community who may have any type of material about the region from old books through to manuscripts and maps to donate them to our new library".

Sister Pauline went on to say she hoped the collection would become a unique research facility available for use by students, historians and the Community. The material will be available for use only in the library and so will be a means of preserving the heritage of the Kimberley. Anyone who would like to assist in this project may contact the Librarian, Lyn Quince, on 08 91 92 0645.

It seems to me so appropriate these days that, when our family members and friends complete their earthly journey, we gather, not only to say goodbye but also to celebrate their lives. That’s what we did recently for Irene Munsey and Phyllis O’Sullivan. Both enjoyed long lives: Irene from 21^st January 1921 to 27^th August 2004 and Phyllis from 27^th February 1914 to 30^th August 2004.

Because Irene had spent many years living and working in the Yarra Valley, the Vigil Liturgy and Requiem Mass were both held in the parish church at Yarra Junction. The theme for both occasions was celebration and thanksgiving for Irene’s life.

Fr. Paul Manickathan, SAC, presided at both liturgies. The Vigil conducted on Monday evening 30^th August was an opportunity for members of the Mariana community, for Irene’s sister Lucy and for many friends, to reflect upon and honour the gift of Irene’s life in prayer, in song, in Scripture readings, and in symbols such as her bible, bunches of bush flowers, the well known "pinny", and the Yarra Valley community newsletter which were placed on her coffin at various intervals as the vigil service proceeded.

The church was again crowded the following morning for the funeral Mass which was concelebrated by Frs. Paul, Walter Silvester, Roger McGinley, Michael Mifsud and Ken Peterson. Three reflections on Irene’s life and service were interspersed with the readings and prayers.

After a light lunch at the Cerini Centre in Warburton, the burial took place at Rushworth cemetery where Irene’s parents are also buried. Afterwards afternoon tea was provided in the local Presbyterian hall.

Barbara Hayes gave a beautiful eulogy about Irene, highlighting her life as Country Woman, Woman of the Valley, Woman of Justice, Woman of the Church, Woman of Wisdom.

I met Phyllis and her friend Norma Negri as members of the Kew Pallottine Auxiliary in the 60s and, in 1966, they began their long service to the Pallottine Family Newsletter,

Phyllis’ death has made me reminisce about the production of the newsletter over all those years. At first, three teams were needed for the ‘sending out’ stage. One team to address the wrappers at home (that still happens). The second and third teams used to meet at Kew, one folding the newsletters while the other proceeded to wrap them, ready for postage. Norma and Phyllis then offered to ‘short circuit’ this lengthy process and after that, they did the folding at home.

The third team, the wrappers, worked for years around the big table in the kitchen at Kew. In later years, we visited each other’s homes. For most of those years, that team was Norma and Phyllis, Elizabeth Meagher, Pat Harwood and Joan Aylmer (RIP). Ten to twenty addressed wrappers were ‘fanned’ out, glue applied to the exposed edge and newsletters ‘wrapped’ into place. That operation ran very smoothly thanks to the skills of Norma and Phyllis. What a mess we would have made with that glue without Norma’s guiding hand. Visitors who came by were intrigued to see the production line in operation!!! It ‘happened’ six times per year, then four times. The process has become simpler now and the numbers are lower but I believe this simple newsletter has been one way of connecting the scattered members of the Pallottine family.

Over the years, we came to know about each other’s families and friends. A special opportunity for us this year was when Phyllis reached her 90^th birthday. As we laughingly said, "Now we can put more faces on to names’. Her funeral Mass could only have been at St. Joseph’s West Brunswick where she had contributed generously to the life of the parish-- in prayer, in liturgy, in social life. Pat Harwood and I felt very connected with her family and friends that day and heard about the other main part of her life--as sister, friend, aunt and great aunt. And any ‘story’ about Phyllis would be incomplete without mentioning her love for the blue and white, North Melbourne---still the Kangaroos, which she seems to have passed on to a several generations of family members.

Thank you Phyllis. May you now be enjoying the fullness of life and joy. Merle Gilbo

A three-day gathering to celebrate the wonderful bond we share in the Pallottine Family and to prayerfully seek our future direction.

The members of the planning group are enthusiastically getting on with the task of ‘bringing it to life’. They are:

Mark Brolly 9350 1134
Dean Bradbury 59 662 585
Pat Heywood 9459 1798
Maureen Rath.. 9751 1860
Eugene San 9855 1526
Cheryl Sullivan 9416 7138

and would be delighted to talk to YOU about any aspect.

invite you to join them for a day of input, prayer and reflection, focusing on ‘Mary and St. Vincent Pallotti’. What is Mary’s role in the Pallottine Family?

November at 85 Studley Park Rd. Kew,
meeting between 10.00am and 4.00 pm.
Please bring something to share for lunch and contact
Cheryl Sullivan (9 416 7138) for more information.

Thanks to the team at Pallotti College for that invitation to a ‘Reunion’. We know this word is often used but it seems to be SO significant for us as we become increasingly aware that our Pallottine Family is also the Union of Catholic Apostolate. Friday night in the kitchen in ‘Taggert’ was so alive!!

We were promised it would be ‘unstructured’, and it was, but Dean’s input ‘hit the spot’. Had we heard it before? Yes, some of it. Did we say. "Yes, but in a way, I hadn’t ‘heard’ it? Then the variety of shared lives as we ‘found’ our way into those small groups. From far and wide, we came, many suburbs of Melbourne, the Victorian North East, Gippsland-- east and west and south. It really was a microcosm of the Pallottine Family and, for me, a real spark of enthusiasm for the January Convention. I hope we all, and many more, will be part of that opportunity to pray and search and plan. Merle

Since publication of the last Pallottine Family Newsletter, an Executive Officer for the UAC has been appointed. The appointee is Pat Heywood whom many of you already know.

Pat was a member of the Apostolic Groups in former times and since then has been continually associated with the Pallottine Family. She was one of the pilgrims in 2001, who traveled to the Kimberley and to Western Australia to celebrate the centenary of the Pallottine Fathers and Brothers’ work there. Since her retirement from teaching, she has divided her time between parish commitments and freelance writing. In her own words she is looking forward to the work and challenges of the Executive Officer position, but needs all the prayers and support we can give her.