in brief ...

pathways, February 2010



New Executive Director for CRA

Catholic Religious Australia has a new Executive Director.  Sr Veronica McCluskie SGS took over from Br Laurie Needham CFC when the Annandale office opened in January after the Christmas holidays.  Br Laurie had held the position for two years.  After several months in Jerusalem, he will move to Canberra.  Sr Veronica comes to CRA from the Catholic Vocations Ministry Australia where she was Executive Officer.  

Born in Scotland, Veronica came to Australia when a toddler. The family lived in Western Australia, Tasmania and Victoria before settling in Glebe (Sydney).  A career in education followed her joining the Sisters of the Good Samaritan. Then she turned her hand to parish ministry and adult faith education. After eight years of ministry in Kiribati, Sr Veronica returned to Australia to became Vocations Director for the Good Sams.  In 2007, she took on the role of Executive Officer for the Catholic Vocations Ministry.

Based at 36 Collins St, Annandale, Sr Veronica's contact details are:  director@catholicreligiousaustralia.com.au   or 02 9557 2695.



News about Blessed Mary MacKillop

The Sisters of Saint Joseph, the Archdiocese of Sydney and the Australian Catholics Bishops Conference are eagerly waiting news about the decision on the canonisation of Blessed Mary MacKillop. The Vatican has announced that Pope Benedict XVI will meet in a solemn consistory with Cardinals and Bishops in Rome on Friday, February 19.  All the Postulators for the candidates for canonisation, including Sr Maria Casey RSJ, Postulator for the Cause of Mary MacKillop, will be present from 11am (Rome time) to pray with the Holy Father.  Afterwards the Pope will announce the names of those to be canonised and the date for the canonisation ceremony that will take place in Rome.

Kathleen's miraculous journey -- the second miracle
 


Mind the Gap

Religious leaders find themselves straddling diverse and extreme positions on faith, life, politics and spiritualities. As the gaps widen, where do they stand, and with whom can they sustain fruitful conversations? Mind the Gap, the annual conference of the Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes in New South Wales will explore the mission of religious in the contemporary world of polarities, and suggest ways to help bridge the gaps.  The conference, for leaders and leadership teams, will be facilitated by Anne Lane PBVM, with key presenters being Jan Gray RSM and Adrian Lyons SJ.  It will be held on Wednesday, March 3 and Thursday, March 4, 2010, at the Mercure Sydney Airport, Wolli Creek.   

further information: Ann or Sharon, 02 9663 2199 or clriadmin@ozemail.com.au 



Religious to reflect

Several religious, including the CRA President Clare Condon SGS, will be among the presenters when the Aquinas Academy and Catalyst for Renewal host Reflection Mornings, in Holy Name of Mary parish hall, Hunters Hill throughout the year.  The series will begin with Bishop Geoffrey Robinson reflecting on "Jesus divine and human in the Gospel of Mark" on March 6.  Others in the series are:  
Fr Clem Hill, "The Eucharistic Presence", on April 10
Fr Andrew Bullen SJ, "Seeing is believing -  contemporary art and modern faith", May 1
Sr Clare Condon SGS, "Benedictine Spirituality", June 5
Dr Alex Nelson, "Transforming Shame", July 3
Fr Kevin Bates SM, "Song cycle of the Sacraments", August 7
Fr Chris Gleeson SJ, "Ignatian Spirituality", September 4
Rev. Dr Stephanie Dowrick, "Gratitude and forgiveness", October 9. 
Each session will run from 9.30am-12.30pm

further information:  Carole 02 98691036, Michelle 02 9958 5963 



Religious bishop appointed to Parramatta

Australia's youngest bishop and Dominican ethicist the Most Rev. Anthony Fisher OP DD  has been appointed the third Bishop of Parramatta, succeeding Bishop Kevin Manning who was one of the presenters at the 2009 CRA National Assembly.  Bishop Fisher will be installed in St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta on March 4, at 7.30pm. The installation will be streamed live over the web at xt3.com.   

Bishop Fisher co-ordinated Sydney's World Youth Day 2008 and for the past seven years has been parish priest of Watsons Bay and an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Sydney.  Bishop Manning was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the diocese when the announcement was made on January 8. He intends to retire to Glenbrook, in the Blue Mountains, helping out in parishes as required.

The Diocese of Parramatta has been described as contemporary urban Australia in miniature.  It was separated from the Archdiocese of Sydney in 1986 and includes the shires of Baulkham Hills, Blacktown, the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Holroyd, Parramatta and Penrith and parts of Wollondilly and Liverpool.  

With one-third of the population identifying as Catholics in the last census, it is Australia's most Catholic area.  The nearly 320,000 Catholics are served by 49 parishes, 76 systemic schools (54 primary and 22 secondary) and six congregational schools.  Parishes date back to 1827 while the newest church was opened this month.

pictured:  Bishop Kevin Manning (left) and Bishop Anthony Fisher stroll through a park near the Parramatta Cathedral  (photo:  David Tang)

Bishop Kevin Manning comments     
Tributes to Bishop Manning, including one, A fighter for fairness and equality, by Sr Libby Rogerson IBVM



Remembering Archbishop Romero

"Martyrdom is a grace that I don't believe I merit. But if God accepts the sacrifice of my life, may my blood be the seed of liberty and sign that this hope will soon become a reality. May my death, if it is accepted by God, be for the liberation of my people and a testimony of hope in the future." 
 Archbishop Oscar Romero

Celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of the martyrdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero will take place from March 17-20, 2010, in San Salvador. Catholic, Anglican, Methodist and other Christian Churches as well as organisation such as Pax Christi will honour Romero not only in Central America but around the world.

On March 24, 1980, Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador in Central America, was shot dead while celebrating Mass. He paid the ultimate price for having preached the Christian Gospel, speaking out on behalf of the poor in his native El Salvador, a country then split by civil war and governed by a regime that clung to power through military force.  At his appointment as Archbishop in 1977 many had expected Monsignor Romero to be a conservative and bookish leader of the country's Catholic population. However, the assassination of priests and laity who had denounced the crimes of the junta forced him to realise that following the Gospel of Jesus Christ would bring him directly into opposition with those who exploited power.

A new website for the Archbishop Romero Trust was launched on February 5, making available various Romero-related resources including English translations of the Archbishop's homilies.

And a new illustrated biography by Scott Wright, Oscar Romero and the Communion of Saints, has been published by Orbis Books.  It contains more than 100 photographs by Octavio Duran, a Salvadoran Franciscan, currently working in New Jersey. He served as Romero's personal photographer and accompanied him on many travels.

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