Mersey Leven Catholic Parish
OUR VISION
To be a vibrant Catholic Community
unified in its commitment
to growing disciples for Christ
Parish Priest: Fr Mike Delaney
Mob: 0417 279 437
Mob: 0417 279 437
Assistant Priest: Fr Paschal Okpon
Mob: 0438 562 731
paschalokpon@yahoo.com
Priest in Residence: Fr Phil McCormack
Mob: 0437 521 257
Mob: 0437 521 257
Postal Address: PO Box 362
Parish Office: 90 Stewart Street
(Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10am - 3pm)
Office Phone: 6424 2783 Fax: 6423 5160
Email: merseyleven@aohtas.org.au
Secretary: Annie Davies
Finance Officer: Anne Fisher
Finance Officer: Anne Fisher
Parish Mass times for the Month: mlcpmasstimes.blogspot.com.au
Archdiocesan Website: www.hobart.catholic.org.au for news, information and details of other Parishes.
PLENARY COUNCIL PRAYER
Come, Holy Spirit of Pentecost.
Come, Holy Spirit of the great South Land.
O God, bless and unite all your people in Australia
and guide us on the pilgrim way of the Plenary Council.
Give us the grace to see your face in one another
and to recognise Jesus, our companion on the road.
Give us the courage to tell our stories and to speak boldly of your truth.
Give us ears to listen humbly to each other
and a discerning heart to hear what you are saying.
Lead your Church into a hope-filled future,
that we may live the joy of the Gospel.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, bread for the journey from age to age.
Amen.
Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for us.
St Mary MacKillop, pray for us.
Come, Holy Spirit of the great South Land.
O God, bless and unite all your people in Australia
and guide us on the pilgrim way of the Plenary Council.
Give us the grace to see your face in one another
and to recognise Jesus, our companion on the road.
Give us the courage to tell our stories and to speak boldly of your truth.
Give us ears to listen humbly to each other
and a discerning heart to hear what you are saying.
Lead your Church into a hope-filled future,
that we may live the joy of the Gospel.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, bread for the journey from age to age.
Amen.
Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for us.
St Mary MacKillop, pray for us.
Parish Prayer
Heavenly Father,
and calling us to serve as your disciples.
as we use our gifts to serve you.
as we strive to bear witness
to the Gospel and build an amazing parish.
Amen.
Our Parish Sacramental Life
Eucharistic Adoration - Devonport: Every Friday 10am - 12noon, concluding with Stations of the Cross and Angelus
Weekday Masses 2nd - 5th October
Tuesday: 9:30am Penguin … The Holy Guardian Angels
Weekend Masses 6th & 7th October, 2018
Saturday Mass: 9:30am Ulverstone
Saturday Vigil: 6:00pm Penguin
6:00pm Devonport
9:00am Ulverstone
10:30am Devonport
11:00am Sheffield
5:00pm Latrobe
Ministry Rosters 6th & 7th October,
2018
Devonport: 
10:30am: F Sly, E Petts, K Hull, S
Arrowsmith
Mowing of Lawns Presbytery: S Berryman
Cleaners: 5th Oct: M.W.C 12th Oct: K.S.C.
Ulverstone:
Penguin:
Latrobe:
Port Sorell:
PREGO REFLECTION ON TODAY’S GOSPEL:
I turn to the Gospel with reverence.
Reading
the passage again, I use my imagination to picture Jesus with the disciples
amongst the people he loves so much.
This section from Mark’s Gospel follows on
from the scene where the disciples had not been able to cure a boy.
I listen to
John’s words and ponder. It may be that I, too, occasionally find it hard to
accept God’s Spirit at work outside my worshipping or faith community?
I ask
the Lord to help me see why this is.
Turning to the second part of the Gospel,
Jesus uses typically Aramaic powerful imagery to caution the disciples about
causing scandal.
I try to go beyond the actual words and focus on their deeper
meaning.
How is this relevant to me and to the broader Church of today?
With an
open and accepting heart, I share my thoughts and feelings with Jesus, and ask
for his guidance in my life.
When I feel ready, I conclude my prayer: Our
Father …
Readings next week –Twenty Seventh Sunday
in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Your prayers
are asked for the sick:
Let us pray for those who have died recently:
Let us pray for those whose anniversary
occurs about this time: 26th September – 2nd October
Weekly
Ramblings
Simple cards with the question printed on them are
available today that you can take and use to jot down responses. Please don’t
feel you are limited to just using that card when making a response or
contribution – the Plenary Council Preparation Committee and our own
Archdiocesan Group are seeking all responses of whatever length and detail. To
recognise the importance of each contribution the Parish Pastoral Team are
encouraging everyone to bring their response to Mass and place it in a bowl at
the entrance to the Church which will then be brought to the altar during the
Procession of the Gifts. These responses will be collated at the end of the 30
Days and a response will be made to the Parish at a meeting on 23rd
November – details are in the handout. All responses not immediately Parish
centred will be sent to both the Archdiocese and the Plenary Council Committee
– all responses will be respected so I am asking that you are honest even if
you think it might make people uncomfortable.
For further info re the Plenary Council Listening and
Dialogue process for small groups please go to http://plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Plenary-Council-Listening-and-Dialogue-Adult.pdf
where you will find the material that can also be found on the parish notice
boards.
Please
take care on the roads and I look forward to seeing you next weekend.
Mersey Leven Parish Community
welcome and congratulate ….
SOCIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY – 30th September, 2018
From the Parish Pastoral
Team (Felicity Sly – Chair)
Next week the 30 days of prayer will commence. Please look at the options to join with others to pray, even if you can only manage one session in the month. On Oct 14, 28 and Nov 4 I will be facilitating small group sessions, prior to Sunday Mass in Devonport, using the Plenary Council 2020 Listening and Dialogue Encounter material. The material is in 4 steps: Pray Together; to read question and reflect on “What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?” To share and listen; and to pray and respond. The group size is between 3 and 5 members, and there is no ‘reporting’ back to the group. These sessions will start at 9:15, and finish by 10:00 and will be held in the Parish Centre. I hope to see some of you there.
ROSARY PILGRIMAGE
2018:
The Mersey Leven Parish is holding its 16th annual
Rosary Pilgrimage around the 6 Churches of our Parish on Sunday 7th October. It is
also the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. We are praying especially for
Australia and its protection, peace, families, rekindling of our faith,
direction in our church and for the salvation of souls together with other
Catholics at locations across Australia and the whole world. In conjunction
with the forthcoming ’30 days of prayer’ event in our parish, starting on the
first weekend of October, it is a great opportunity for our parish to kick off
this event by joining in our pilgrimage. A bus is available for those needing
transport but booking is highly essential. Itinerary will be posted at the
foyer in all churches. For further details contact Hermie 0414 416 661 or
Michael 0447 018 068.
CARE & CONCERN:
The next gathering of the social group for afternoon tea
will be held Tuesday 9th October, 2.00 pm at MacKillop Hill, Forth. We would be very pleased to welcome
parishioners who do not have the opportunity for social activity, including
those whose spouses/partners are now in residential care etc. Transport can be provided. If you would like to find out more, please
contact Mary Davies 64241183 / 0447 241 182, Margaret McKenzie 64251414 / 0419
392 937 or Toni Muir 64245296 / 0438 245 296.
For catering purposes we would appreciate your advising of your
attendance to any of the above numbers.
PLENARY
COUNCIL 2020:
You are invited to join and contribute to a series of Listening and Dialogue gatherings. You could choose to join one, two or three gatherings which will be held at Parish House, 90 Stewart Street Devonport, October 18th, 25th November 1 from 10am – 11:30am. Please contact Clare Kiely-Hoye 0418 100 402 if you wish to attend.
BINGO - Thursday Nights - OLOL
Hall, Devonport. Eyes down 7.30pm!
Callers for Thursday 4th
October – Rod Clark & Graeme Rigney.
NEWS FROM ACROSS THE ARCHDIOCESE
A CALL TO HOLINESS IN TODAY'S WORLD: A weekend retreat on Carmelite
Spirituality at the Emmanuel Centre, Launceston Friday 19th – 21st
October. Fr Paul Maunder OCD retreat director. Cost of weekend $170 includes
all meals and accommodation. Bookings are essential to Robert Archer 6396:1389
Evolving the Universe This article is taken from the Daily Emails from Fr Richard Rohr OFM and the Center for Action and Contemplation. You can subscribe to receive the emails here
Contemplation hastens the evolution of the human species.
Whoever finds this out and practices it will hasten the evolutionary future of
the human family. —Thomas Keating [1]
We’re called to a name change.
We’re all familiar with the incident in the bible where God changes the name of Abram to Abraham. The change seems so small that often times it isn’t even picked up by those reading that text. What’s the difference between Abram and Abraham?
The name Abram, meaning “Exalted Father”, is the name given the great patriarch to whom God made the promise that one day he would be the father of all the descendants of the nation of Judaism. But later when God promises this same man that he is to be the father as well of all nations everywhere, God changes his name to Abraham: “You will no longer be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.” (Genesis 17, 5).
What is implied in this change? The name, Abraham, in its very etymology, connotes a stretching to become something larger; he’s now to be the father of all nations. Abram, the father of one nation, now becomes Abraham (in Hebrew, Ab hamon goyim) the father of all the other nations, the “goyim”.
That change doesn’t just stretch a word; it stretches Abraham, a Jew, and redefines his understanding of himself and his mission. He’s no longer to understand himself as the patriarch of just one nation, his own, his ethnic and religious family, but he’s to see himself and the faith he is entrusted with as someone and something for all nations. He’s no longer to think of himself as the patriarch of one particular tribe, since God is not a tribal God. As well, he’s no longer to think of just his own tribe as his family, but to think of all others, irrespective of ethnicity or faith, as also his children.
What does that mean for us? T.S. Eliot might answer that by saying: Home is where we start from. Our particular ethnic, religious, cultural, and civic roots are precious and important, but they’re not the fully mature tree into which we’re meant to grow. Our roots are where we start from.
I grew up a very sheltered child, in a very close family, in a very enclosed rural environment. We were all of one kind, our neighbors, my classmates, everyone I knew, all of us, we shared a common history, ethnicity, religion, cultural background, set of values, and lived in a young country, Canada, that for the most part looked exactly like we did. I value those roots. They’re a great gift. Those roots have given me a stability that has freed me up for the rest of my life. But they’re only my roots, precious, but merely the place where I start from.
And it’s the same for all of us. We take root inside a particular family, an ethnicity, a neighborhood, a country, and a faith, with a particular slant on the world and, with that, some people constitute our tribe and others don’t. But that’s where we start from. We grow, change, move, meet new people, and live and work with others who don’t share our background, nationality, ethnicity, skin color, religion, or particular slant on life.
And so today we share our countries, cities, neighborhoods, and churches with the “goyim”, the people of other tribes, and that makes for the long struggle, hopefully successful, to eventually see that those others who are different from us, share the same God, are also our brothers and sisters, and have lives that are just as real, important, and precious as those of our own biological, national, and religious families. Like Abraham we need a name change so that we don’t make idolatry out of our youthful patriotism which has us believe that our own tribe is special and that our own country, skin color, background, and religion give us a unique and privileged claim to God.
Our world is globalizing at a dizzying pace and countries, neighborhoods, and churches are becoming ever-more plural and diverse ethnically, linguistically, culturally, and religiously. Our countries, neighborhoods, workplaces, and churches are literally taking on a different face. The old sheltered communities that gave us our roots are disappearing and for many of us this is scary and the temptation is retrench, to go hard to the right, to militantly defend the old boundaries, and to claim God and truth more exclusively again for ourselves. That’s understandable, but not where we’re called to be by what’s best inside our humanity and our faith. Like Abraham, we’re called to a name change.
We’re called to cherish our heritage, country, mother tongue, culture, faith, and church because only by being firmly rooted within primary community are we stable and altruistic enough to offer family to those outside of our own. But home is where we start from. From those wonderful families that give us roots, we’re called to stretch our hearts religiously, ethnically, culturally so that everyone eventually is embraced as family. We’re called to move from being Abram to becoming Abraham.
and calling us to serve as your disciples.
as we use our gifts to serve you.
as we strive to bear witness
Amen.
Our Parish Sacramental Life
Baptism: Arrangements are made by contacting Parish Office. Parents attend a Baptismal Preparation Session organised with a Priest.
Reconciliation, Confirmation and Eucharist: Are received following a Family–centred, Parish-based, School-supported Preparation Program.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: prepares adults for reception into the Catholic community.
Marriage: arrangements are made by contacting one of our priests - couples attend a Pre-marriage Program
Anointing of the Sick: please contact one of our priests
Reconciliation: Ulverstone - Fridays (10am - 10:30am), Devonport - Saturday (5:15pm– 5.45pm)
Eucharistic Adoration - Devonport: Every Friday 10am - 12noon, concluding with Stations of the Cross and Angelus
Benediction with Adoration Devonport: First Friday each month.
Legion of Mary: Wednesdays 11am Sacred Heart of Church Community Room, Ulverstone
Prayer Group: Charismatic Renewal – Mondays 7pm Community Room Ulverstone
Weekday Masses 2nd - 5th October
Tuesday: 9:30am Penguin … The Holy Guardian Angels
Wednesday: 9:30am Latrobe
Thursday: 12noon Devonport … St Francis of Assisi
Friday: 9:30am Ulverstone
12noon Devonport
Weekend Masses 6th & 7th October, 2018
Saturday Mass: 9:30am Ulverstone
Saturday Vigil: 6:00pm Penguin
6:00pm Devonport
9:00am Ulverstone
10:30am Devonport
11:00am Sheffield
5:00pm Latrobe
Ministry Rosters 6th & 7th October,
2018
Devonport:
Readers Vigil: M Stewart, M Gaffney, H Lim 10:30am: E Petts, K Douglas, K Pearce
Ministers of Communion:
Vigil: D Peters, M Heazlewood, T Muir, M
Gerrand, P Shelverton
10:30am: F Sly, E Petts, K Hull, S
Arrowsmith Mowing of Lawns Presbytery: S Berryman
Cleaners: 5th Oct: M.W.C 12th Oct: K.S.C.
Piety Shop: 6th
Oct: H Thompson 7th Oct: P Piccolo
Ulverstone:
Reader/s: B O’Rourke
Ministers of Communion: M Murray, J Pisarskis, C Harvey, P Grech
Cleaners: G & M Seen, C Roberts Flowers: M Swain
Hospitality:
M McLaren
Penguin:
Greeters: G Hills-Eade, B Eade Commentator: J Barker Readers: M & D Hiscutt
Ministers of
Communion: T
Clayton, E Nickols Liturgy: S.C. C Setting Up: F Aichberger
Care of Church: J & T Kely
Latrobe:
Reader: P Cotterill Minister of Communion: M Mackey Procession of Gifts: J Hyde
Port Sorell:
Readers: L Post, P Anderson Minister of Communion: T Jeffries Cleaners:
G Richey & G Wylie
Readings this week –Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
First Reading: Numbers 11:25-29
Second Reading: James 5:1-6
Gospel: Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
PREGO REFLECTION ON TODAY’S GOSPEL:
I allow my mind and body to slow and settle into silence in
the way that I feel drawn today.
I turn to the Gospel with reverence.
Reading the passage again, I use my imagination to picture Jesus with the disciples amongst the people he loves so much.
This section from Mark’s Gospel follows on from the scene where the disciples had not been able to cure a boy.
I listen to John’s words and ponder. It may be that I, too, occasionally find it hard to accept God’s Spirit at work outside my worshipping or faith community?
I ask the Lord to help me see why this is.
Turning to the second part of the Gospel, Jesus uses typically Aramaic powerful imagery to caution the disciples about causing scandal.
I try to go beyond the actual words and focus on their deeper meaning.
How is this relevant to me and to the broader Church of today?
With an open and accepting heart, I share my thoughts and feelings with Jesus, and ask for his guidance in my life.
When I feel ready, I conclude my prayer: Our Father …
I turn to the Gospel with reverence.
Reading the passage again, I use my imagination to picture Jesus with the disciples amongst the people he loves so much.
This section from Mark’s Gospel follows on from the scene where the disciples had not been able to cure a boy.
I listen to John’s words and ponder. It may be that I, too, occasionally find it hard to accept God’s Spirit at work outside my worshipping or faith community?
I ask the Lord to help me see why this is.
Turning to the second part of the Gospel, Jesus uses typically Aramaic powerful imagery to caution the disciples about causing scandal.
I try to go beyond the actual words and focus on their deeper meaning.
How is this relevant to me and to the broader Church of today?
With an open and accepting heart, I share my thoughts and feelings with Jesus, and ask for his guidance in my life.
When I feel ready, I conclude my prayer: Our Father …
Readings next week –Twenty Seventh Sunday
in Ordinary Time (Year B)
First Reading: Genesis 2:18-24
Second Reading: Hebrews 2:9-11
Gospel: Mark
10:2-16
Your prayers
are asked for the sick:
Glen Grantham, Joy Kiely, Charlotte Milic, Trish Ridout, Deborah
Leary, Mary Webb, Rosalinda Grimes & ….
Let us pray for those who have died recently:
Maria
Suyatini, Joan Jarvis, Paul Reynolds, Herman & Luka Kappelhof, Iris
Bird, Maria Jakimow, Lillian Yost, Anthony O'Boyle, Anna Leary, Joseph Cowmeadow, Joan Daly,
Peter Birchall, Jan Abela, Christine McGee, Edgar Nool, Helene De Lafontaine, Peter
Shaw, Fr Peter Wood, Andrew McLennan
Let us pray for those whose anniversary
occurs about this time: 26th September – 2nd October
Shiela Mathew, Joyce Landford, Joan Chettle, Lila Bramich,
Adam Hugen, Stephen Harris, George Farrow, Vern Cazaly, Mary Forth, Peter Kirkpatrick, Irene Marston,
Allan Clarke, Reginald Kelly.
May they Rest in Peace
Weekly
Ramblings
Next weekend, as a Parish, we begin our 30 Days of Prayer
and Fasting and a handout has been included with the Bulletin today containing
extra information about the whole process as well as dates and times of
organised events during the 30 days. My prayer is that you might also consider
how you can invite, involve family and friends into a discussion around the
question – ‘What is God asking of me and
of us in our families, our parish community, our Church at this time?’ –
and give them the opportunity to comment because they will probably have
something to say that will be very different from what you or I might say.
Simple cards with the question printed on them are
available today that you can take and use to jot down responses. Please don’t
feel you are limited to just using that card when making a response or
contribution – the Plenary Council Preparation Committee and our own
Archdiocesan Group are seeking all responses of whatever length and detail. To
recognise the importance of each contribution the Parish Pastoral Team are
encouraging everyone to bring their response to Mass and place it in a bowl at
the entrance to the Church which will then be brought to the altar during the
Procession of the Gifts. These responses will be collated at the end of the 30
Days and a response will be made to the Parish at a meeting on 23rd
November – details are in the handout. All responses not immediately Parish
centred will be sent to both the Archdiocese and the Plenary Council Committee
– all responses will be respected so I am asking that you are honest even if
you think it might make people uncomfortable.
Please
take care on the roads and I look forward to seeing you next weekend.
Mersey Leven Parish Community
welcome and congratulate ….
Arna Dodd daughter
of Benjamin & Emma on her Baptism this weekend.
SOCIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY – 30th September, 2018
This year, the Australian
Bishops’ Social Justice Statement is titled: ‘A Place to Call Home: Making a
home for everyone in our land’. The Statement highlights the challenge of
homelessness in Australia – a problem that continues to grow despite the great
prosperity of our nation. We are reminded that safe and secure housing is a
human right that must be afforded to all. It is the inherent dignity of each
brother and sister in need of a place to call home that urges us on to confront
the growing challenge of homelessness and housing insecurity in Australia. For further details about the Social Justice
Statement, call (02) 8306 3499 or visit the Australian Catholic Social Justice
Council website: www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au
From the Parish Pastoral
Team (Felicity Sly – Chair)
Next week the 30 days of prayer will commence. Please look at the options to join with others to pray, even if you can only manage one session in the month. On Oct 14, 28 and Nov 4 I will be facilitating small group sessions, prior to Sunday Mass in Devonport, using the Plenary Council 2020 Listening and Dialogue Encounter material. The material is in 4 steps: Pray Together; to read question and reflect on “What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?” To share and listen; and to pray and respond. The group size is between 3 and 5 members, and there is no ‘reporting’ back to the group. These sessions will start at 9:15, and finish by 10:00 and will be held in the Parish Centre. I hope to see some of you there.
ROSARY PILGRIMAGE
2018:
The Mersey Leven Parish is holding its 16th annual
Rosary Pilgrimage around the 6 Churches of our Parish on Sunday 7th October. It is
also the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. We are praying especially for
Australia and its protection, peace, families, rekindling of our faith,
direction in our church and for the salvation of souls together with other
Catholics at locations across Australia and the whole world. In conjunction
with the forthcoming ’30 days of prayer’ event in our parish, starting on the
first weekend of October, it is a great opportunity for our parish to kick off
this event by joining in our pilgrimage. A bus is available for those needing
transport but booking is highly essential. Itinerary will be posted at the
foyer in all churches. For further details contact Hermie 0414 416 661 or
Michael 0447 018 068.
CARE & CONCERN:
The next gathering of the social group for afternoon tea
will be held Tuesday 9th October, 2.00 pm at MacKillop Hill, Forth. We would be very pleased to welcome
parishioners who do not have the opportunity for social activity, including
those whose spouses/partners are now in residential care etc. Transport can be provided. If you would like to find out more, please
contact Mary Davies 64241183 / 0447 241 182, Margaret McKenzie 64251414 / 0419
392 937 or Toni Muir 64245296 / 0438 245 296.
For catering purposes we would appreciate your advising of your
attendance to any of the above numbers.
PLENARY
COUNCIL 2020:
SACRED
HEART CHURCH ROSTER:
Rosters will be renewed soon! If
you are able to assist with Sunday morning hospitality, cleaning of the Church,
arranging flowers, reading, or a Minister of Communion, please contact the Parish
Office 6424:2783 (also if you are no longer able to continue on the roster).
FOOTY TICKETS: Preliminary Final Friday 21st
September.
Collingwood won by 39 points. Winners: Jean Barber, Shirley Sheehan, Dawn Cornelius.
BINGO - Thursday Nights - OLOL
Hall, Devonport. Eyes down 7.30pm!
Callers for Thursday 4th
October – Rod Clark & Graeme Rigney.
NEWS FROM ACROSS THE ARCHDIOCESE
A CALL TO HOLINESS IN TODAY'S WORLD: A weekend retreat on Carmelite
Spirituality at the Emmanuel Centre, Launceston Friday 19th – 21st
October. Fr Paul Maunder OCD retreat director. Cost of weekend $170 includes
all meals and accommodation. Bookings are essential to Robert Archer 6396:1389
Evolving the Universe
Contemplation hastens the evolution of the human species.
Whoever finds this out and practices it will hasten the evolutionary future of
the human family. —Thomas Keating [1]
Consider what Franciscan scientist and sister Ilia Delio, a
scholar of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, has to say about the technology that
comes from human creativity and ingenuity:
In Teilhard’s view, the world is not . . . hurtling itself
into aimless expansion . . . but is moved by Christ to Christ that God may be
all in all. . . . The future of the material universe is intimately linked to
the fulfillment [i.e., the evolutionary completion] of human beings in whom the
world has come to consciousness. What we do matters to the “matter” of the
universe, because by our choices we influence the life of the universe. [2] . .
. The Parousia, or second coming of Christ, will ultimately be determined by
the choices of the human community. . . .
Teilhard indicated that “the total Christ is only attained
and consummated at the end of universal evolution.” [3] . . . That is, the
Christ of the physical universe, the Christ of all humanity, the Christ of all
religions. In this respect, Christ is not a static figure, like a goal post
with a gravitational lure, toward which the universe is moving. Rather, Christ
is in evolution because we, human and nonhuman creation, are in evolution. . .
. We must take seriously the impact technology and science are causing on the
shape of life in the universe. . . .
Technology can be defined as the organization of knowledge
for the achievement of practical purposes. We may also describe it as the
development of mechanical devices by the human community in its efforts to
control or exploit the forces of nature. Throughout history, humans have been
inventive in various ways, enhancing human life through means of technology. .
. . The development of technology expresses the human’s self-development and
self-expression through matter [i.e., the human capacity to be creative]; it is
integral to being the image of God and thus integral to authentic
self-realization. . . .
The notion of the human as a dynamic image of God, with a
vocation to develop this image by evolving dialogue with the material cosmos,
sets technology in a wider framework that provides strong religious, moral, and
humanistic controls on its exploitation. . . . [4]
Teilhard saw that creativity and invention would forge the
modern path of evolution, but he also saw that science alone cannot fulfill the
cosmic longing for completion. God rises up at the heart of cosmic evolution
through the power of love, which science and technology can facilitate but not
surpass. The future of the earth, therefore, lies not in science and
technology, but in the spiritual power of world religions and the power of
love. We are born out of love, we exist in love, and we are destined for
eternal love. . . . It is time to reinvent ourselves in love. [5]
[1] Thomas Keating, Reflections on the Unknowable (Lantern
Books: 2014), 96-97.
[2] Summarizing [Karl] Rahner’s thoughts, [Denis] Edwards
states that “what we do in our history has final and definitive value.” See
[Denis] Edwards, Jesus and the Cosmos (Wipf & Stock Publishers: 1991), 97.
[3] Jean Danielou, “The Meaning and Significance of Teilhard
de Chardin,” trans. John Lyon, Communio 15 (Fall 1988): 355.
[4] Ilia Delio, Christ in Evolution (Orbis Books: 2008),
157-159.
[5] Ilia Delio, “Love at the Heart of the Universe,” “The
Perennial Tradition,” Oneing, vol. 1, no. 1 (Center for Action and
Contemplation: 2013, out of print), 22.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
This article is taken from the archives of Fr Ron Rolheiser OMI. You can find the original article and many others here
We’re called to a name change.
We’re all familiar with the incident in the bible where God changes the name of Abram to Abraham. The change seems so small that often times it isn’t even picked up by those reading that text. What’s the difference between Abram and Abraham?
The name Abram, meaning “Exalted Father”, is the name given the great patriarch to whom God made the promise that one day he would be the father of all the descendants of the nation of Judaism. But later when God promises this same man that he is to be the father as well of all nations everywhere, God changes his name to Abraham: “You will no longer be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.” (Genesis 17, 5).
What is implied in this change? The name, Abraham, in its very etymology, connotes a stretching to become something larger; he’s now to be the father of all nations. Abram, the father of one nation, now becomes Abraham (in Hebrew, Ab hamon goyim) the father of all the other nations, the “goyim”.
That change doesn’t just stretch a word; it stretches Abraham, a Jew, and redefines his understanding of himself and his mission. He’s no longer to understand himself as the patriarch of just one nation, his own, his ethnic and religious family, but he’s to see himself and the faith he is entrusted with as someone and something for all nations. He’s no longer to think of himself as the patriarch of one particular tribe, since God is not a tribal God. As well, he’s no longer to think of just his own tribe as his family, but to think of all others, irrespective of ethnicity or faith, as also his children.
What does that mean for us? T.S. Eliot might answer that by saying: Home is where we start from. Our particular ethnic, religious, cultural, and civic roots are precious and important, but they’re not the fully mature tree into which we’re meant to grow. Our roots are where we start from.
I grew up a very sheltered child, in a very close family, in a very enclosed rural environment. We were all of one kind, our neighbors, my classmates, everyone I knew, all of us, we shared a common history, ethnicity, religion, cultural background, set of values, and lived in a young country, Canada, that for the most part looked exactly like we did. I value those roots. They’re a great gift. Those roots have given me a stability that has freed me up for the rest of my life. But they’re only my roots, precious, but merely the place where I start from.
And it’s the same for all of us. We take root inside a particular family, an ethnicity, a neighborhood, a country, and a faith, with a particular slant on the world and, with that, some people constitute our tribe and others don’t. But that’s where we start from. We grow, change, move, meet new people, and live and work with others who don’t share our background, nationality, ethnicity, skin color, religion, or particular slant on life.
And so today we share our countries, cities, neighborhoods, and churches with the “goyim”, the people of other tribes, and that makes for the long struggle, hopefully successful, to eventually see that those others who are different from us, share the same God, are also our brothers and sisters, and have lives that are just as real, important, and precious as those of our own biological, national, and religious families. Like Abraham we need a name change so that we don’t make idolatry out of our youthful patriotism which has us believe that our own tribe is special and that our own country, skin color, background, and religion give us a unique and privileged claim to God.
Our world is globalizing at a dizzying pace and countries, neighborhoods, and churches are becoming ever-more plural and diverse ethnically, linguistically, culturally, and religiously. Our countries, neighborhoods, workplaces, and churches are literally taking on a different face. The old sheltered communities that gave us our roots are disappearing and for many of us this is scary and the temptation is retrench, to go hard to the right, to militantly defend the old boundaries, and to claim God and truth more exclusively again for ourselves. That’s understandable, but not where we’re called to be by what’s best inside our humanity and our faith. Like Abraham, we’re called to a name change.
We’re called to cherish our heritage, country, mother tongue, culture, faith, and church because only by being firmly rooted within primary community are we stable and altruistic enough to offer family to those outside of our own. But home is where we start from. From those wonderful families that give us roots, we’re called to stretch our hearts religiously, ethnically, culturally so that everyone eventually is embraced as family. We’re called to move from being Abram to becoming Abraham.
THE NEW NORMAL
This is a post from the Pastor's Blog written by Fr Michael White from the Church of the Nativity, Timonium, Baltimore. You can find the original blog here
All of us, in our different ways, have struggled, and continue to struggle with the alarming and terrible news, currently coming at us on a daily basis regarding the larger Church community.
My own statement, posted below, sums up much of my initial reaction, but more needs to be said.
The blockbuster denunciation of the Pope and many prominent churchmen by a former high ranking Vatican official is an astounding portrait of dysfunction and corruption among some Church elites. Earlier this summer the unfolding scandal involving the former Archbishop of Washington, jaw dropping as it was, only served as an entr’acte to the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Reports revelations of decades of criminal abuse and cover ups by hundreds of priests and dozens of diocesan officials, including some bishops. These matched with similar scandals unfolding in Ireland, Chile, Australia, this week Germany.
What we are witnessing has already been called
- “a change of era” in the history of the Church.
- “the biggest development since the Reformation.”
- “a catastrophe”
The first response, is probably a visceral or emotional one.
Beyond that response can come another one, a prayerful one.
We can pray for their healing and wholeness and match our prayer with a re-dedication to the highest standards when it comes to the safety and protection of children and youth.
Our parish already maintains standards in excess of what civil and church procedures require. We employ three staff members who work daily on the maintenance and upkeep of our procedure, an enormous undertaking given the thousands of volunteers we have here. In addition I am now appointing an independent board of professionals, chaired by parishioner Attorney Kathleen Birrane, to review compliance moving forward. The board will report directly to the Parish Council President, Jeff Rottinghaus. We are committed to 100% compliance, 100% of the time.
Hopefully this is all helpful. What is not helpful is to look for enemies in the unfolding situation, beyond the perpetrators and those who orchestrated the cover-ups. Using this tragedy to advance a conservative or progressive agenda especially one aimed against any groups is wrong.
Meanwhile, one is left to wonder what else is out there.
We’ve heard from six dioceses and for sure we’ve heard enough. But have we heard it all? It is not credible to suppose that the same patterns of abuse and cover-up that were so widespread in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts would not be found elsewhere. After all, there are 160 other dioceses in our country.
Attorneys General across the country are currently forming Grand Jury Investigations of their own. All crimes must be investigated and prosecuted. However long and painful a process it becomes.
Meanwhile, we’re left to wonder if this is the new normal?
Frankly I assume it is.
And, if it is, many parishes, already in decline, will not possibly be able to withstand the onslaught of indefinite revelations.
Obviously the impact on Mass attendance and offertory income will surely be debilitating, and on the morale of clergy and lay staff even more costly. But, the faithful of the faithful will be the most unfortunate and lasting consequence of all.
I am left wondering about the path forward.
For the larger Church it’s not so simple. There are many bishops sincerely offering various proposals, the Pope has called for an extraordinary synod. But there are also many reasonable voices respectfully wondering how the class of people who brought us to this point can be expected to chart a path forward? A fair question, to be sure.
While we are currently blessed in this archdiocese with an Archbishop and Vicar Bishops who are wise and holy men, trust in the national leadership of the Church is increasingly lacking.
And what really is the problem that they’re trying to address anyway ? No one seems to be able to agree on that. The abuse of children? The abuse of teenagers, mostly teenage boys?
Organized Ecclesial crime? Institutional fraud? Systemic cover-up that shielded abusers and, again and again placed other youth at risk?
These are all crimes, to be sure, but they’re different kinds of crimes. What do they have in common? How is one to piece this all together and make any kind of sense out of it?
There are plenty of commentators out there who see this differently, but here’s how I see it. What these crimes have in common is that they were all committed in the same culture.
The culture of “clericalism.” What’s that? “Clericalism” is the excessive devotion to the institutional aspects of religion over and above the faith and the faithful. It usually includes cronyism and inbreeding, cloistered, byzantine political environments, self-indulgence and self-serving policies, and even anachronistic costumes. In this culture excess is accepted, rewarded, and promoted, corruption and criminal behavior easily breed, and, at its worst, perversity can be permitted.
Everything that has been revealed in this crisis happened in, and to at least some measure because, of the culture of clericalism.
If the Church is to avert disaster, clericalism must be identified in all its forms and rooted out. This is an imperative the laity themselves can advance by demonstrating their sheer intolerance for it, whenever and wherever they encounter it.
We priests should instead commit to a renewal of every aspect of our priestly lives, especially through increased faithfulness to the promises we made at ordination. A lifestyle characterized by simplicity and humility would be especially helpful at this time too.
Pastors and bishops alike must commit to the restoration of the laity, men and women, to their proper role, as baptized Christians, within the Church. Every level of administration and leadership, short of sacramental service, should be open to qualified candidates. More and more, they, not clergy, should be leading our parish communities too.
This can happen immediately, no revision of canon law or development of doctrine needed.
Bishops must work to reduce unnecessary bureaucratic structures, including those originating with the dioceses themselves. Perhaps it is time they take up their primary role as pastors, living at their Cathedral parishes, attending to their parishioners there, and from that platform, not their corporate offices serving as attentive fathers to all the other pastors in their dioceses. The day of bishop as prince, or CEO must now be over. Excess and luxury are to be avoided.
The Church as a whole, needs to accept the reality that clergy abuse is a global plague that can only be eliminated by establishing universal safeguards resembling those that were adapted by the US bishops in 2002. Safeguards, by the way, that work: in the last 16 years there has not a credible allegation of child abuse by a priest.
It is time to reform the way bishops are selected, with a transparent and consultative process that seeks to promote loving and wise pastors not canon lawyers.
And I have to agree with my friend Cardinal Tim Dolan that it is time to open an honest Church wide discussion about mandatory celibacy, and the possibility of married clergy.
Respectfully Pope Francis, who has remained sadly silent to date, needs to initiate still more when it comes to renewal in the Church, especially when it comes to the Roman Curia.
For the wider Church the path forward is neither simple nor will it be easy. Neither for our parish will it be easy.
On the other hand, it will be entirely simple.
It goes back to the basic question Jesus asks Peter: “Who do you say that I am?” How we approach this crisis will actually be our answer to that question.
For Peter Jesus was his Lord and Savior, as long as things were going great. When it came time to face the cross, he ran away.
This crisis is a cross for us. Not one of our fashioning but one we are being asked to carry
How?
By doing what we are already doing with increased dedication for sure, maybe more energy and enthusiasm, perhaps little more humility.
A number of years ago we already recognized that the Church was in need of renewal and rebuilding we didn’t need this crisis to recognize that, And with that recognition we set out on a deliberately different path. That decision brought us jeers and sneers, critics and complaint and bullets in the back.
But we kept going anyway. And despite all our mistakes and missteps, despite my own faults and flaws and failures as a pastor God has abundantly blessed our work.
This blessing can become a blessing for others. Now a lot of parishes are waking up to the new reality that if they’re going to survive this crisis, and thrive beyond it, they’re going to have to rebuild too, and, in increasing numbers, they’re turning to us for help.
The future of the Church will not be shaped by Councils in Rome or Commissions of Cardinals, nor even prosecutors in the US. Rebuilding the Church starts at 20 East Ridgely Road.
We’re going to go right on doing what we do: love God, love others, make disciples, and help other churches to do the same.
With Christ, and Christ alone as our cornerstone. That’s our new normal.
This is a post from the Pastor's Blog written by Fr Michael White from the Church of the Nativity, Timonium, Baltimore. You can find the original blog here
All of us, in our different ways, have struggled, and continue to struggle with the alarming and terrible news, currently coming at us on a daily basis regarding the larger Church community.
My own statement, posted below, sums up much of my initial reaction, but more needs to be said.
The blockbuster denunciation of the Pope and many prominent churchmen by a former high ranking Vatican official is an astounding portrait of dysfunction and corruption among some Church elites. Earlier this summer the unfolding scandal involving the former Archbishop of Washington, jaw dropping as it was, only served as an entr’acte to the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Reports revelations of decades of criminal abuse and cover ups by hundreds of priests and dozens of diocesan officials, including some bishops. These matched with similar scandals unfolding in Ireland, Chile, Australia, this week Germany.
What we are witnessing has already been called
- “a change of era” in the history of the Church.
- “the biggest development since the Reformation.”
- “a catastrophe”
The first response, is probably a visceral or emotional one.
Beyond that response can come another one, a prayerful one.
We can pray for their healing and wholeness and match our prayer with a re-dedication to the highest standards when it comes to the safety and protection of children and youth.
Our parish already maintains standards in excess of what civil and church procedures require. We employ three staff members who work daily on the maintenance and upkeep of our procedure, an enormous undertaking given the thousands of volunteers we have here. In addition I am now appointing an independent board of professionals, chaired by parishioner Attorney Kathleen Birrane, to review compliance moving forward. The board will report directly to the Parish Council President, Jeff Rottinghaus. We are committed to 100% compliance, 100% of the time.
Hopefully this is all helpful. What is not helpful is to look for enemies in the unfolding situation, beyond the perpetrators and those who orchestrated the cover-ups. Using this tragedy to advance a conservative or progressive agenda especially one aimed against any groups is wrong.
Meanwhile, one is left to wonder what else is out there.
We’ve heard from six dioceses and for sure we’ve heard enough. But have we heard it all? It is not credible to suppose that the same patterns of abuse and cover-up that were so widespread in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts would not be found elsewhere. After all, there are 160 other dioceses in our country.
Attorneys General across the country are currently forming Grand Jury Investigations of their own. All crimes must be investigated and prosecuted. However long and painful a process it becomes.
Meanwhile, we’re left to wonder if this is the new normal?
Frankly I assume it is.
And, if it is, many parishes, already in decline, will not possibly be able to withstand the onslaught of indefinite revelations.
Obviously the impact on Mass attendance and offertory income will surely be debilitating, and on the morale of clergy and lay staff even more costly. But, the faithful of the faithful will be the most unfortunate and lasting consequence of all.
I am left wondering about the path forward.
For the larger Church it’s not so simple. There are many bishops sincerely offering various proposals, the Pope has called for an extraordinary synod. But there are also many reasonable voices respectfully wondering how the class of people who brought us to this point can be expected to chart a path forward? A fair question, to be sure.
While we are currently blessed in this archdiocese with an Archbishop and Vicar Bishops who are wise and holy men, trust in the national leadership of the Church is increasingly lacking.
And what really is the problem that they’re trying to address anyway ? No one seems to be able to agree on that. The abuse of children? The abuse of teenagers, mostly teenage boys?
Organized Ecclesial crime? Institutional fraud? Systemic cover-up that shielded abusers and, again and again placed other youth at risk?
These are all crimes, to be sure, but they’re different kinds of crimes. What do they have in common? How is one to piece this all together and make any kind of sense out of it?
There are plenty of commentators out there who see this differently, but here’s how I see it. What these crimes have in common is that they were all committed in the same culture.
The culture of “clericalism.” What’s that? “Clericalism” is the excessive devotion to the institutional aspects of religion over and above the faith and the faithful. It usually includes cronyism and inbreeding, cloistered, byzantine political environments, self-indulgence and self-serving policies, and even anachronistic costumes. In this culture excess is accepted, rewarded, and promoted, corruption and criminal behavior easily breed, and, at its worst, perversity can be permitted.
Everything that has been revealed in this crisis happened in, and to at least some measure because, of the culture of clericalism.
If the Church is to avert disaster, clericalism must be identified in all its forms and rooted out. This is an imperative the laity themselves can advance by demonstrating their sheer intolerance for it, whenever and wherever they encounter it.
We priests should instead commit to a renewal of every aspect of our priestly lives, especially through increased faithfulness to the promises we made at ordination. A lifestyle characterized by simplicity and humility would be especially helpful at this time too.
Pastors and bishops alike must commit to the restoration of the laity, men and women, to their proper role, as baptized Christians, within the Church. Every level of administration and leadership, short of sacramental service, should be open to qualified candidates. More and more, they, not clergy, should be leading our parish communities too.
This can happen immediately, no revision of canon law or development of doctrine needed.
Bishops must work to reduce unnecessary bureaucratic structures, including those originating with the dioceses themselves. Perhaps it is time they take up their primary role as pastors, living at their Cathedral parishes, attending to their parishioners there, and from that platform, not their corporate offices serving as attentive fathers to all the other pastors in their dioceses. The day of bishop as prince, or CEO must now be over. Excess and luxury are to be avoided.
The Church as a whole, needs to accept the reality that clergy abuse is a global plague that can only be eliminated by establishing universal safeguards resembling those that were adapted by the US bishops in 2002. Safeguards, by the way, that work: in the last 16 years there has not a credible allegation of child abuse by a priest.
It is time to reform the way bishops are selected, with a transparent and consultative process that seeks to promote loving and wise pastors not canon lawyers.
And I have to agree with my friend Cardinal Tim Dolan that it is time to open an honest Church wide discussion about mandatory celibacy, and the possibility of married clergy.
Respectfully Pope Francis, who has remained sadly silent to date, needs to initiate still more when it comes to renewal in the Church, especially when it comes to the Roman Curia.
For the wider Church the path forward is neither simple nor will it be easy. Neither for our parish will it be easy.
On the other hand, it will be entirely simple.
It goes back to the basic question Jesus asks Peter: “Who do you say that I am?” How we approach this crisis will actually be our answer to that question.
For Peter Jesus was his Lord and Savior, as long as things were going great. When it came time to face the cross, he ran away.
This crisis is a cross for us. Not one of our fashioning but one we are being asked to carry
How?
By doing what we are already doing with increased dedication for sure, maybe more energy and enthusiasm, perhaps little more humility.
A number of years ago we already recognized that the Church was in need of renewal and rebuilding we didn’t need this crisis to recognize that, And with that recognition we set out on a deliberately different path. That decision brought us jeers and sneers, critics and complaint and bullets in the back.
But we kept going anyway. And despite all our mistakes and missteps, despite my own faults and flaws and failures as a pastor God has abundantly blessed our work.
This blessing can become a blessing for others. Now a lot of parishes are waking up to the new reality that if they’re going to survive this crisis, and thrive beyond it, they’re going to have to rebuild too, and, in increasing numbers, they’re turning to us for help.
The future of the Church will not be shaped by Councils in Rome or Commissions of Cardinals, nor even prosecutors in the US. Rebuilding the Church starts at 20 East Ridgely Road.
We’re going to go right on doing what we do: love God, love others, make disciples, and help other churches to do the same.
With Christ, and Christ alone as our cornerstone. That’s our new normal.
Rediscovering dialogue between the generations: Synod 2018
In October 2018, bishops of the Catholic Church will gather in the Vatican to discuss ‘Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment’. Fr Giacomo Costa SJ, Special Secretary for the Synod of Bishops, describes the unique preparation for this meeting and says that the renewal of solidarity between the generations must be a priority for the Church and the whole of society. You can read the complete article by clicking here
The Church is preparing for another synod: the XVth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will be held from 3-28 October in the Vatican, on the theme ‘Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment’. [1]
There appears to be less public interest this time, both inside and outside the Church, and less media attention than were aroused by the two previous synods on the theme of the family (2014 and 2015). The title of the Synod has proved to be rather opaque, since it contains terms that can be difficult to understand, such as ‘discernment’, or interpreted in very different ways, such as ‘vocation’; moreover, these are specifically ecclesial words. And yet the stated intention of the Synod is to address all young people, ‘no one excluded’, and therefore not only those who belong to Christian communities or regularly attend events.
In fact, the stakes of the next Synod are far from secondary, especially in a long-term perspective. Its aim is to address relations between the generations in today’s context, that is, to think about the present in a way that leaves room for the future. Any organisation that fails to do this is condemned to lose relevance and influence. The Church cannot afford to do this, not only for the sake of her own institutional future, but because this is a matter of the transmission of the Gospel message, which is her very raison d'être: in other words, her deepest vocation.
The relationship between the generations and the focus on assisting young people to find their own ways of participating and contributing are matters not only for the Church but for every institution and every society, too.
Talking Theology - Plenary Council 2020
A Pope who is not afraid of open discussion and even dissent in the Church
by Sr Mary Fermio RSJ and Sr Audrey Thomson RSJ
In her address to a recent gathering of Josephite Sisters of the Victoria/Tasmania region, congregational leader Sr Monica Cavanagh spoke of the upcoming Plenary Council and urged them to accept the invitation to become participants in the proposed process.
As Religious women, we have had a lifetime of dedication to the people of God and the work of the Church. This has put us in a privileged position of being close to the people and to families who have shown great confidence and trust in sharing with us the “the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties” (Gaudium et Spes, 4) they experience in their daily lives and in relation to the Church.
The same Vatican II document, Gaudium et Spes, states that “the Church seeks but a solitary goal: to carry forward the work of Christ Himself under the lead of the Spirit”.
How is the church to do this? “To carry out this task, the Church has always had the duty of scrutinising the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel. We must, therefore, recognise and understand the world in which we live, its expectations, its longings and its often dramatic characteristics.” (GS, 4)
The Church cannot carry out this mandate unless it offers its members an opportunity to articulate what is in their hearts and minds and the reality of their lives.
The invitation to take part in the Plenary Council offers all in the Church a wonderful opportunity to be in dialogue with all Catholics – lay, Religious and clerics – across Australia. It can enable all to have a voice in determining how we can restore relevance to the Church in our society – a relevance which has been tarnished and greatly diminished by scandals, cover-ups and other factors which have caused many to feel alienated and without hope.
The Plenary Council Website states:
“Together we are on a journey of listening to God by listening to one another. We invite all Australians to engage in an open and inclusive process of listening, dialogue and discernment about the future of the Catholic Church in Australia. Your voice is needed – join in.”
The important question we are asked to ponder and respond to is: “What do you think God is asking of the Church in Australia today?” First and foremost, this question is a reminder that no matter who or where we are, whether we are active in ministry or the workforce, or in retirement, each of us is the Church and each of us has a responsibility for the life of the Church.
The Council seems to be a marvellous opportunity for Religious to accept the invitation to participate in a process which has the potential to help heal the wounds in today’s Church, to help create a vision for the future, to give hope to those who are dispirited, disenchanted, frustrated and disillusioned, as well as the devout and fervent.
As Religious we are close to the people; we hear their stories and many of us ourselves feel frustrated and disillusioned so the input from Religious women is vital, particularly if the Church is to have any credibility regarding equality in its membership.
Through the infrastructure of our General Chapters, Religious Congregations have endeavoured always to read the signs of the times in order to respond appropriately to the call of the Gospel. Because of our closeness to the people at local levels, we are in a position to gather people in groups to encourage them to discuss what they think are the needs of the Church in today’s world and to forward their concerns to the Council. We can gather in our communities and share the wisdom of “our grey hair” and our countless years of experience in mission. We are called to “be on mission to our last breath” as was St Mary MacKillop – and here is a wonderful opportunity for us all.
In an article in The Swag, retired Bishop Pat Power states: “The unique gifts of women should not prevent the issue (the question of the role of women in the Church) being further examined. The unique gifts of women need to be brought to the fore in every aspect of the life and mission of the Church.” (The Swag; Vol 26, No 2, Page 29).
Archbishop Tim Costelloe of Perth calls us to listen to each other. Listening seems to be the main focus of this Council and unless Bishops listen to the voice of the people, the Church will continue to lose ground, to have people turn away dissatisfied with the leadership and the spirituality offered to them. Many are now leaving their parishes to find expressions of their spirituality elsewhere and abandoning the local Church that had previously welcomed and nourished them.
The Plenary Council is a positive step and it is essential that we participate and use our wisdom, talents and experience to contribute to this significant event in the history of the Australian Church. So let us pray each day for all the people of Australia that they we will “listen to the whisperings of God in our own hearts” (Mary MacKillop) and take the leap in faith and send in ideas, suggestions and thoughts so that the Plenary Council 2020 will bring about the desired and necessary renewal of our Church in Australia.
In October 2018, bishops of the Catholic Church will gather in the Vatican to discuss ‘Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment’. Fr Giacomo Costa SJ, Special Secretary for the Synod of Bishops, describes the unique preparation for this meeting and says that the renewal of solidarity between the generations must be a priority for the Church and the whole of society. You can read the complete article by clicking here
The Church is preparing for another synod: the XVth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will be held from 3-28 October in the Vatican, on the theme ‘Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment’. [1]
There appears to be less public interest this time, both inside and outside the Church, and less media attention than were aroused by the two previous synods on the theme of the family (2014 and 2015). The title of the Synod has proved to be rather opaque, since it contains terms that can be difficult to understand, such as ‘discernment’, or interpreted in very different ways, such as ‘vocation’; moreover, these are specifically ecclesial words. And yet the stated intention of the Synod is to address all young people, ‘no one excluded’, and therefore not only those who belong to Christian communities or regularly attend events.
In fact, the stakes of the next Synod are far from secondary, especially in a long-term perspective. Its aim is to address relations between the generations in today’s context, that is, to think about the present in a way that leaves room for the future. Any organisation that fails to do this is condemned to lose relevance and influence. The Church cannot afford to do this, not only for the sake of her own institutional future, but because this is a matter of the transmission of the Gospel message, which is her very raison d'être: in other words, her deepest vocation.
The relationship between the generations and the focus on assisting young people to find their own ways of participating and contributing are matters not only for the Church but for every institution and every society, too.
Talking Theology - Plenary Council 2020
A Pope who is not afraid of open discussion and even dissent in the Church
by Sr Mary Fermio RSJ and Sr Audrey Thomson RSJ
In her address to a recent gathering of Josephite Sisters of the Victoria/Tasmania region, congregational leader Sr Monica Cavanagh spoke of the upcoming Plenary Council and urged them to accept the invitation to become participants in the proposed process.As Religious women, we have had a lifetime of dedication to the people of God and the work of the Church. This has put us in a privileged position of being close to the people and to families who have shown great confidence and trust in sharing with us the “the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties” (Gaudium et Spes, 4) they experience in their daily lives and in relation to the Church.
The same Vatican II document, Gaudium et Spes, states that “the Church seeks but a solitary goal: to carry forward the work of Christ Himself under the lead of the Spirit”.
How is the church to do this? “To carry out this task, the Church has always had the duty of scrutinising the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel. We must, therefore, recognise and understand the world in which we live, its expectations, its longings and its often dramatic characteristics.” (GS, 4)
The Church cannot carry out this mandate unless it offers its members an opportunity to articulate what is in their hearts and minds and the reality of their lives.
The invitation to take part in the Plenary Council offers all in the Church a wonderful opportunity to be in dialogue with all Catholics – lay, Religious and clerics – across Australia. It can enable all to have a voice in determining how we can restore relevance to the Church in our society – a relevance which has been tarnished and greatly diminished by scandals, cover-ups and other factors which have caused many to feel alienated and without hope.
The Plenary Council Website states:
“Together we are on a journey of listening to God by listening to one another. We invite all Australians to engage in an open and inclusive process of listening, dialogue and discernment about the future of the Catholic Church in Australia. Your voice is needed – join in.”
The important question we are asked to ponder and respond to is: “What do you think God is asking of the Church in Australia today?” First and foremost, this question is a reminder that no matter who or where we are, whether we are active in ministry or the workforce, or in retirement, each of us is the Church and each of us has a responsibility for the life of the Church.
The Council seems to be a marvellous opportunity for Religious to accept the invitation to participate in a process which has the potential to help heal the wounds in today’s Church, to help create a vision for the future, to give hope to those who are dispirited, disenchanted, frustrated and disillusioned, as well as the devout and fervent.
As Religious we are close to the people; we hear their stories and many of us ourselves feel frustrated and disillusioned so the input from Religious women is vital, particularly if the Church is to have any credibility regarding equality in its membership.
Through the infrastructure of our General Chapters, Religious Congregations have endeavoured always to read the signs of the times in order to respond appropriately to the call of the Gospel. Because of our closeness to the people at local levels, we are in a position to gather people in groups to encourage them to discuss what they think are the needs of the Church in today’s world and to forward their concerns to the Council. We can gather in our communities and share the wisdom of “our grey hair” and our countless years of experience in mission. We are called to “be on mission to our last breath” as was St Mary MacKillop – and here is a wonderful opportunity for us all.
In an article in The Swag, retired Bishop Pat Power states: “The unique gifts of women should not prevent the issue (the question of the role of women in the Church) being further examined. The unique gifts of women need to be brought to the fore in every aspect of the life and mission of the Church.” (The Swag; Vol 26, No 2, Page 29).
Archbishop Tim Costelloe of Perth calls us to listen to each other. Listening seems to be the main focus of this Council and unless Bishops listen to the voice of the people, the Church will continue to lose ground, to have people turn away dissatisfied with the leadership and the spirituality offered to them. Many are now leaving their parishes to find expressions of their spirituality elsewhere and abandoning the local Church that had previously welcomed and nourished them.
The Plenary Council is a positive step and it is essential that we participate and use our wisdom, talents and experience to contribute to this significant event in the history of the Australian Church. So let us pray each day for all the people of Australia that they we will “listen to the whisperings of God in our own hearts” (Mary MacKillop) and take the leap in faith and send in ideas, suggestions and thoughts so that the Plenary Council 2020 will bring about the desired and necessary renewal of our Church in Australia.
