pathways, APRIL 09
Christian Brothers appoint activist as network co-ordinator
Good Sams begin a new ministry in the small Kiribati village of Abaokoro
Australian Franciscans at 800th anniversary
'See you later'
Harmony Day in Brisbane
Religious role in recovery
Jesuit educators support Obama invitation
Christian Brothers appoint activist as network co-ordinator
Peace and justice activist Donna Mulhearn has been appointed the regional coordinator of the Edmund Rice Network (ERN) in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory within the Oceania Province of the Christian Brothers.
A former human shield in Iraq (2003), Ms Mulhearn describes herself as having a strong commitment to justice, peace, inter-faith dialogue and nonviolence.
From 2003 until 2006, she was the coordinator of Our Home - Iraq, a grassroots NGO providing assistance to street kids and refugees.
Her social activism has seen her as a member of the Christians Against ALL Terrorism which conducted a citizen's inspection of Australia's Pine Gap military facility in 2005. A former journalist and political adviser, she also has been featured on ABC TV's Australian Story.
"I've been on a wonderful journey the past few years exploring the question of how I can make a difference in the world," Ms Mulhearn said.
"The beauty of the Edmund Rice network is that it provides the space for people to explore that question together as a community, walking the journey together."
Good Sams begin a new ministry in the small Kiribati village of Abaokoro
The Sisters of the Good Samaritan have begun a new ministry in the small Kiribati village of Abaokoro, North Tarawa.
Seven children were welcomed on the first day to the Good Samaritan Early Childhood Centre. Within the first month, enrolments had risen to 15 children, aged from three to five years, and one boy had moved on to primary school.
Australian Franciscans at 800th anniversary
At least two Australian Franciscans are at the celebrations in Italy to mark the 800th anniversary of papal approval of the Franciscan rule.
The Vicar Provincial of the Capuchins Fr Gary Devery OFM Cap, from Sydney, and a student already in Rome, Luan Lee, are among an estimated 1800 Franciscan friars from all over the world gathering in the Umbrian hill-town of Assisi.
According to Catholic News Service, representatives from the four main Franciscan branches - the Order of Friars Minor, the Capuchins, the Conventual Franciscans and the
Third Order Regular Franciscans - will meet for the first time, from April 15-18.
Meanwhile, in Australia, the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) will mark the occasion with a renewal of commitment to the Franciscan life on Thursday, April 16.
It has been a tradition of the order that on that day each year - the day on which Francis of Assisi made his profession into the hands of Pope Innocent III - the friars renew their own profession.
"This tradition is all the more important as we celebrate the 800th anniversary of the grace of our origins," said provincial Fr Paul Smith OFM.
"The purpose of this renewal is to recall the origins of our Rule, to recall the devotion of Francis, Clare and the first Franciscans as they promised to follow the holy Gospel, to recall our first fervour, and to resolve to commit ourselves to the Gospel way of life.
"This moment of renewal reminds us of God's goodness in our lives and re-inspires us to observe faithfully the 'forma vitae' as proposed by our brother Francis."
Among other celebrations throughout the year will be the Australian visit of Ilia Delio OSF, a Franciscan Sister of Washington DC, who is professor and chair of Spirituality Studies at Washington Theological Union in Washington, DC, and an associate fellow of Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University (in Australia, May 5-19) and the Franciscan Schools Australia 2009 Conference (Sydney), May 6-8.
The banner (right) has been produced to commenorate the year.
It depicts St Francis receiving the rule; the Basilica of St Clare; and a coat of arms that is not order- or year-specific so that it can be used by any Franciscan group and used beyond the "grace of our origins" time of renewal, celebration and joy.
'See you later'
It took me a while after I arrived in Australia to realise that "See you later" has a number of meanings in the Aussie vernacular. In England "See you later" is usually interpreted as meaning that you will meet the other person(s) later that day. "Later" in Aussie-speak can, in terms of time, mean anything from one hour to 20 years!
... I am about to experience the "See you later" farewell from Australian friends as I return to England after four years assignment here. I feel that it will include a hope that our paths will cross again in the future and also a wish that my life will be happy and fulfilled as I leave this fair land. I leave with few regrets and a wiser person than the one who arrived here in 2005 thanks to the many Aussies who have crossed my path.
Harmony Day in Brisbane
Two schools in Brisbane were among the many communities that celebrated
Harmony Day on March 21. Brisbane Sisters of Mercy, Bernadette Ahearn and Veronica Ekerick are student pastoral ministers at Our Lady of Fatima School, Acacia Ridge, and St Francis Xavier School, Goodna, respectively.
Religious role in recovery
Victoria's bushfire chaplain Fr Greg Bourke and Fr Peter Hosking SJ met recently with a group of pastoral associates and priests to share their experiences over recent weeks and to look ahead and plan how best to support recovery in the fire affected communities over the coming months.
Fr Hosking led a rich and detailed discussion about the processes of community recovery. He is a clinical psychologist and has extensive experience working overseas with refugees in trauma recovery training and psychosocial programmes. In recent years, he assisted psychosocial projects in East Timor with the truth and reconciliation commission, in Aceh after the 2004 tsunami, and the Solomon Islands following an upsurge in violence.
Fr Grant O'Neill from Diamond Creek, Fr Julian Langridge of Lilydale, Sr Margaret Ryan of Diamond Creek, Debbie Edwards, pastoral associate of St Patrick's, Lilydale and Julie Nairn pastoral associate of St Brigid's, Healesville and Sr Sue McGovern attended the discussion. Sr Sue is a Josephite sister from Adelaide who moved into the Kinglake community within days of Black Saturday to offer pastoral support. Jerome Santamaria, a third year seminarian, and Janet Cribbes also joined the discussion. Jerome is on his pastoral placement and is working closely with Fr Bourke.
above: Debbie Edwards, Sr Sue McGovern, Fr Greg Bourke, Julie Nairn and Fr Julian Langridge after their meeting with Fr Peter Hosking SJ
And from Fr Greg Bourke ...
The needs presenting in the bushfire devastated communities are enormous.
Relationship issues, communication, decision making, mental health, adolescent health, financial planning are just some of the needs that will be further monitored and addressed as the chaplaincy begins consultation with the communities.
The chaplaincy is focussed on identifying and assisting people who find themselves marooned from bureaucratic assistance.
For example, one gap in funding and support that is beginning to emerge is the plight of owner-operated businesses that are not connected to hospitality or tourism.
Some businesses have been completely destroyed. The income enjoyed by owners and staff is no longer there. But in the mean time, they still have financial commitments, such as loan repayments.
He said, too, that the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority, headed by Christine Nixon, has identified the next six months as the recovery phase, the subsequent six months as the rebuilding phase and the six months after that as the development phase. Crisis, recovery, rebuilding (and rehabilitation) and development are often adopted as the phases of a community's response to a crisis of the nature and scale we are presently witnessing.
The chaplaincy will adopt the Authority's phases to ensure our planning and development efforts are fully synchronised with that of government.
The complete article by Fr Greg and many others of interest are available in
the second edition of Recovery - the newsletter of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Dioceses of Sale, Ballarat and Sandhurst.
Jesuit educators support Obama invitation
The president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities said he has privately expressed support for the University of Notre Dame in its decision to invite President Barack Obama as commencement speaker and hopes the controversy that has erupted over the invitation leads to substantive talks among college presidents and bishops.
"I think that the bishops have the responsibility to protect the faith of their folks, and so I think this is the kind of thing that really has to be talked out in a conversation between bishops and university presidents. We have to raise the level of the dialogue beyond condemnations," said Jesuit Fr Charles Currie in an April 13 phone interview with Tom Roberts of National Catholic Reporter.
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