You are a Priest Forever - Roman Catholic Diocese of Lismore · 2015. 3. 25. · Priest Forever...

CAVHO ICLIFEDiocese of Lismore

Tweed Coast to Camden Haven September 2010 Vol.8 No.3www.lismorediocese.org

You are a Priest Forever

Catholic Life, September, 2010 3

The Homily given by Bishop Jarrett at the Ordination of the Reverend Peter WoodSt Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore, 30 July 2010

There are few more happy occasions in the life of the diocesan Church than the ordination of a new

priest. For the man himself years of preparation, prayer, study and testing open definitively in this moment of consecration into a life at the service of Jesus Christ, Teacher, Priest and Shepherd. And for everybody present there is the realisation that this man is happily giving his life away, like Christ did, for our sakes. He is a priest not for himself, but for us. He will not marry, he will have no children with his own surname and yet he will be a member of every family and beget countless spiritual children among those he baptises, with whom he celebrates the sacraments and whom he supports and guides through life’s changing scenes to the happiness that lasts for ever. He will cherish these children of his ever-growing family and like St Paul say of them, “I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.”

Deacon Peter, tonight you take your place in this spiritual fatherhood of the Catholic priest, to become an icon of the divine fatherhood to all those whom God calls His ‘beloved children.’ From the beginning the Christian people have believed that as God is their Father, the Church is their mother; that their bishops and priests are spiritual fathers; that through the sacraments they were made children of God, or, as St Peter said, “partakers of the divine nature.” They have known this because, again as St Paul says, ‘like a father exhorts his children’ their spiritual fathers had told them that they had been ‘chosen before the foundation of the world.’ God had a plan for their lives, to make them holy, to make them saints.

When our people bestow on us this beautiful title, when they call us Father, it is no mere honorific; it expresses a spiritual reality. Catherine de Hueck Doherty, a most remarkable laywoman who died in Canada in 1985 after a life of influential holiness and whose cause for canonisation is in process, was born into the minor Russian nobility at the end of the nineteenth century. As a young woman she lived through the turmoil of the Bolshevik revolution. She wrote a moving account of the slaughter of all the priests in St Petersburg before being fortunate to escape to England. There subsequently she became a Catholic. Just as poignantly she wrote about her own esteem for the Catholic priesthood:

“We call you Father because you begot us in the mystery of a tremendous love affair between you and God; because you participate in the one priesthood of Christ; because you are wedded to the Church, his Bride. We call you ‘Father’ and we are your ‘family.’ We need you desperately – to serve us, to feed us with the Eucharist, to heal us with anointing, to reconcile us to God and one another in the sacrament of Penance; to witness our unions of love in marriage, to preach God’s Word. Teach us how to love. Teach us how to pray. Inflame our hearts with the desire to wash the feet of our poor brethren, to feed them in love and to preach the Gospel with our lives.”

The Gospel this evening reveals Our Lord on the move amongst the people, teaching, proclaiming the Good News and healing - we are told - all kinds

of diseases. We heard St Paul describe this teaching and healing as ‘the light shining out of darkness, the revelation of the light of God’s glory, the glory shining on the face of Christ.’

A priest is called to reflect that light, to be a bearer to his people of that final glory they are already able to share here below through grace. He does this by his preaching: ‘stating the truth openly in the sight of God, preaching not ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.’ A priest has as his commission precisely to teach the full faith of Christ’s Church, full strength Catholic faith and practice, no reticence, no deceitfulness, no watering down the word of God, in season and out of season, welcome or unwelcome, with the power of truth that comes from God, not from the earthen jar that merely holds the treasure.

The heart of a priest, like the heart of Christ, will feel sorrow for the crowds surrounding him in today’s world who are also harassed and dejected: on the one hand knowing that there is a better life and yearning for it, still keeping in touch as it were at Christmas and Easter, but hesitant to fully embrace it. They draw back from the sacrifice and the conflict with the dominant culture which the full life of Christ and His Church will demand. Deacon Peter, as a priest you will be like Moses, called to stand in that gap and draw the sheep and the Shepherd together.

TheBishop

Writes

Bishop Jarrett holds the 2002 edition of the Roman Missal, it contains the original Latin text of the new translation

Continued on page 21

Catholic Life, September, 20104

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6&7 Director of Catholic Schools article8 Question Box9 Obituary: Fr. Tom Maloney S.M.13 Obituary: John Plunkett14 St. John’s Primary School Centenary14&21 From Surf City to City on the Amazon16-17 The Ordination of Fr. Peter Wood18-19 The Plight of Pakistan21 The Bishop’s Homily continued

22 St. Carthage’s Primary, Lismore St John’s College, Woodlawn St Francis Xavier School, Ballina Our Lady of the Rosary, Alstonville23 St Joseph’s College, Banora Point24 Mt St Patrick Primary School, Murwillumbah Our Lady Help of Christians, Sawtell25 Trinity Catholic College, Lismore St Joseph’s Primary School, Kempsey26 Mt St Patrick College, Murwillumbah St. Patrick’s, Macksville St. Francis Xavier, Woolgoolga27 St Joseph’s Primary, South Grafton St James School, Yamba

3 The Bishop’s Homily 4 Religious Art of the World 5 Editorial10 Our Country Churches12 Churches around the World 15 Liturgy by Father Brian Gleeson20 World View29 As it Was

You are a Priest Forever

Celebrating the ordination of Father Peter Wood

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Above: The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lichen – insideBelow: Coronation of the King – The Sanctuary of Our Lady, Lichen, Poland

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Nobody likes to be called out, especially when we have to give an account of ourselves.

We tussle and turn as we think through the questions and respond with the answers. We go through the exercise of wondering whether there

is justification or not.

One test of maturity is to be willing to accept constructive criticism, reflect on it and use it to become a better person for the experience. If the call out is unjustified then we look for the ‘hidden agenda’ and then it can become an ugly and sad experience.

Surrounded by a collapsing society, the Church of 2010 is often called out to explain. The band is legion… politicians, journalists, social commentators, philosophers with shiny, new degrees… all at times line up to make the call out. It’s true that we do many things well for God and humanity but at times we do struggle.

We struggle with blessings, almost as much as with difficulties and doubts. We tend to undervalue the gifts we’ve been given. We don’t take kindly to accepting criticism and failure. We look for excuses and when the going is tough, we look for a ‘good news’ story that will lift our sights and we hope we can soon get back to ‘normal’. We don’t like being challenged or to see our moral awareness doubted. Any failure is regarded as ‘letting down the side’, forgetting that the Church was born on a Pentecost Day of weakness, fear and lack of courage. Whatever the diagnosis, banal criticism deserves to be ignored. The accurate, constructive kind carries a blessing in itself. For example in recent years, there has been justified criticism of the Church for failure in the duty of concern and protection for the young and the vulnerable, particularly in matters of sexual abuse. Church hierarchy and personnel were called on to respond and rightly so.

Sadly, the call out continues. Honesty, recognition of the issues and a determined resolve to respond to those who have suffered has been and will always be, the only genuine response.

The blessings of God are there to be shared. We often struggle with that, not realising ours is not the only door through which people come to God.

New brands of racism, sexism and cruel expediency seek to divide the church from society. Yet there is no cause to be frightened or suspicious.

If we believe that we live within the blessing of God, then that belief should give us confidence to evangelise and not retreat from the challenge.

For the Church in our country, the numbers are going against us as many become disinterested in religious practise and deny the Church any special status in society. The challenge is to win back respect and goodwill that reopens tolerance and demonstrates a willingness to listen.

History teaches us that the co-existence of Church and Society has never been a happy one. Often, the Church retreated from the very culture it was sent to evangelise. Today is no exception. Throughout the disintegration of empires, revolutions and the secularising of whole countries, the Church in its institutional structures, survived to live another day. It did this by revitalising and supporting its believing communities.

The strength of committed faith and credible communication is still in our parishes.If parish communities are undermined, broken up and access to Mass and the sacraments made more difficult than can be managed, then we can’t throw open the doors and windows to let the modern market place in. To rekindle traditional missionary spirituality, we have to compete for the attention, minds and hearts of those to whom we are sent with the Good News.

In these climes of accountability, society will continue to call us out to give an account of ourselves. It tells us that there is a yearning in our secular environment for justice, compassion, acceptance and a way out from the downturn of depression. If we can respond by offering parishes of hope with a gift of discernment and a genuine welcome, then we’re well on the way to passing the ultimate test: “In as much as you have done for these my brothers and sisters, you have done for me”. (Matthew 25 Vs. 40)

Father Peter M. KaramEditor

Editorial

Being Called Out

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The Conference addressed the theme: Learning from the past, building on the present, planning for the future. Underpinning discussions over the two days

was a focus on the Catholic identity and Catholic mission of schools, in particular, identifying the current strengths and challenges.

The keynote address was delivered by Most Reverend Anthony Fisher OP, Bishop of Parramatta. Bishop Fisher commenced by reflecting on the changing nature of Catholic education in the Diocese of Lismore since its humble beginnings in a weatherboard church in South Grafton in 1860 with a few children and Mr Edward Tracey as the teacher. His address focused on the current context by looking at three features: who we teach, who does the teaching and for whom. A particular emphasis was placed on New Evangelisation for New Communion, with specific reference to Catholic Schools at a Crossroads, the 2007 pastoral letter of the Bishops of NSW and the ACT. Bishop Fisher’s address finished with particular reference to teachers in Catholic schools. If we are to have schools and teachers with a ‘Catholic soul’ it will be crucial to provide, “personal commitment, education, selection, induction, ongoing spiritual formation, support and incentives for our teachers, to make them really good Catholic teachers, missionaries and new evangelisers”.

Bishop Fisher then took questions from participants. In a session that lasted over an hour he responded to such issues as:

• The Crossroads imperative for an increased enrolment of the poor in our schools

• The Crossroads imperative for increased numbers of young people attending Mass

• The impact on young people of World Youth Day• The impact of Government funding on Catholic schools• How to encourage and enable young people to see the

Church as their Church

Excellence in Catholic Education Awards

Congra tu l a t i ons to the following staff of parish schools in the diocese who were announced as the recipients of the inaugural Excellence in Catholic Education in the Diocese of Lismore Awards:Teaching – Primary: Jacki Moore, St Joseph’s Primary School, CorakiTeaching – Secondary: Warren Bridge, Newman Senior Technical College, Port Macquarie and Matthew de Dassell, John Paul College, Coffs HarbourTeaching – Early Career: Bronwyn Avery, St Paul’s High School, Port MacquarieSchool Support Staff: Kathie Bailey, St Agnes Primary School, Port MacquarieProfessional Development: Adam Spencer, Newman Senior Technical College

Sesquicentenary Awards for Long-Serving Staff of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Lismore

In this the Ses-quicentenary year of Catholic Education in the Diocese, a special commemorative plaque has been commissioned for all current staff who have served more than 25 years in Catholic education in the diocese. The first of these awards were given at the Sesquicentenary dinner. 173 staff in schools across the diocese and from the Catholic Education Office will be receiving one of these awards.

“Mary’s Travels” Pilgrimage

Six young teachers have been selected to travel to Italy to participate in a Pilgrimage culminating in attendance at the Canonisation of Blessed Mary MacKillop in Rome on 17 October. These six pilgrims recently met with Bishop Jarrett and the Executive Team from the Catholic Education Office. For their applications, these young teachers expressed their particular hopes and motivation for participation including:

“I can foresee a spiritual awakening in all of us with the Canonisation of our first Australian Saint”.

“I intend to compile a faith journal during the Pilgrimage. To make this accessible to others, I would include video/audio experience which will show the journeys of Mary MacKillop”.

by Dr Anne Wenham Director of Catholic Schools

Sesquicentenary Conference

In the last week of August, priests, parish school principals and senior staff of the Catholic Education Office joined members of the Diocesan Education Board and Bishop Jarrett for the Diocese of Lismore Sesquicentenary Conference, Celebrating 150 years of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Lismore.

From left:Bishop Anthony Fisher, Dr Anne Wenham and Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett

Barry Bermingham receiving his Award for 45 years service to Catholic Education in the Diocese of Lismore


“I would like to develop a webquest, a “virtual pilgrimage” to enable students in the diocese to learn more about Australia’s first Saint.”

“The Canonisation of Blessed Mary MacKillop is a pivotal point in the history of the Catholic Church of Australia. To be part of it and share the experience with others from the diocese and our global Catholic community will encourage and inspire myself and all, to explore and learn from the saintly qualities of Mary MacKillop. As a teacher I find

Mary’s conviction and passion for teaching and education inspiring and through my role in a Catholic school, I am able to share daily her commitment to faith and provide learning opportunities for every student”.

Back Row (L-R): Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett, Brendan Kiely (St Joseph’s Primary School, Wauchope), Amanda Egan (St Joseph’s

Primary School, Woodburn), John O’Brien (St Carthage’s Primary School, Lismore), Dr Anne Wenham, Director of Catholic Schools

Front Row (L-R): Kristy Firkin (St Augustine’s Primary School, Coffs Harbour), Jodi Gibbons (John Paul College, Coffs Harbour) and

Anne Forwell (St Mary’s Primary School, Grafton)

Q: My parents were married and had been trying to have a baby for years, they found out that they couldn’t conceive a baby naturally and decided to try IVF. They went through IVF for 3 years and finally my mum became pregnant. I was made of my own parents eggs and sperm.

I am 16 and of the catholic religion and attend a catholic school. I have heard that the Catholic Church does not approve of IVF treatment. I am extremely worried. Does this mean that I am not accepted by God and my religion. I have even seen on some websites that Catholics think IVF is evil and that I have no right to exist. What does this mean? I’m really scared??A: Firstly, it does not matter how you came into existence, you are a gift from God, loved by God and in the eyes of the Church you are no different than any other human being. That is, you are precious.

It is true that the Church does not approve of IVF but this does not mean that the fruits of this process are not approved by the Church.

Every child has his or her own identity and is totally and unconditionally loved by God and God’s Church. Because you are a human being you are totally and unconditionally loved by God and his

Church. You are a gift to your parents and a gift to the whole human community. Do not fear, as Jesus said there are many rooms in my father’s house and one of them has your name on the door.

Go gently and in peace in the knowledge that God loves you fully totally and unconditionally as you are. There are no second class or second rate human beings. All are equally loved in by God and God’s Church. Those who say otherwise they are mistaken.

Q: I’m in my final year of high school and writing an essay on how religions view stem cell research. From my own research so far, it appears that Catholicism (As well as many other faiths) oppose to embryonic stem cell research and support adult stem cells. Is it acceptable, however, if the embryo was a result of a victim of rape? I understand that it is similar to abortion, how it is murder, but it would be great if you could share some information! Thanks.A: You are on the right track so far with regard to the Catholic Church’s view on stem cell research. That is, promote and support adult stem cell research, oppose embryonic stem cell research. The reason for the difference is that to do embryonic stem-cell research an embryo needs to be destroyed. The destruction of an

embryo is seen by the Church as immoral and wrong but it is not seen as murder. The logic of the Church’s thinking on this issue is that, from the moment of conception until death, hopefully in old age, nothing but nutrients is added to the developing embryo. As this is the case the Church argues that to set some stage in the process where it is permissible to stop the process is an arbitrary decision based on whatever criteria an individual or organisation may choose. “heartbeat”, birth, 5th Birthday? The Church does not afford the status of person to a developing embryo but says that “left to itself in its natural environment” the embryo will develop into a person. In terms of the origin of the embryo it makes no difference whether the embryo was conceived as a result of drunken passion at a party, the fruit of prostitution, the loving embrace of husband and wife or as a result of rape. The potential person once conceived as a potential person is afforded the dignity that we normally attribute to a person. Dignity is recognised as given by God not bestowed by people with some embryos viewed as more worthy than others.

For more information you might want to visit the following site http://www.lifemarriagefamily.org.au/LifeOffice/

resource/index.shtml

Catholic Enquiry Centre Question Box


Fr Tom was born in Lismore on May 31 1921, the son of William Robert Maloney and Rachel Southward.

His father was a bridge builder and many of the bridges in the Lismore area were built by him. He had 6 brothers – Vince, Fabian, Leo, Joseph, Fr Stephen

and Clement – and 5 sisters – Eileen, Mary, Rachel, Nellie and Monica. The family originally lived at Blakebrook, before moving to South Lismore where Tom attended Our Lady Help of Christians School, South Lismore, Marist Brothers and St John’s College Woodlawn.

Fr Tom entered St Peter Chanel’s Seminary Toongabbie in 1941 where he was professed as a Marist in 1942. He

did his Seminary Studies there and was ordained in 1948 at St Patrick’s Church Hill, Sydney, by Marist Bishop Thomas Wade from Bougainville.

Fr Tom’s first appointment was to the busy city parish at St Patrick’s Church Hill in The Rocks area in Sydney.

In 1953 Fr Tom was appointed to the Marist Mission Band stationed at Glen Lyon, Ashgrove, Brisbane and for the next three years gave missions and retreats throughout Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

When Marists took over the Parish in Redcliffe, Perth, Fr Tom was appointed Parish Priest and Superior of the Community. He moved from Redcliffe in 1962 to Claremont Tasmania as Parish Priest and then in 1965 to Burnie as Parish Priest and Superior.

An important and significant part of Fr Tom’s life began in 1971 when he became a Chaplain to the Marist Brothers’ College at Ashgrove where he remained till 1988.

Fr Tom loved his time at Ashgrove where he was fully involved in the life of the College, not only as Chaplain but he also taught some classes, umpired games and coached Rugby and Cricket teams. Fr Tom coached Matt

Hayden in one of his cricket teams. Matt became a life-long friend.

While in Brisbane Fr Tom was also a Chaplain to the Knights of the Southern Cross who made him a Life Member of the Order.

In 1988 Fr Tom went to Rome for Study and Renewal. It was here he met Bishop Satterthwaite who offered Fr Tom the position of Chaplain to St Vincent’s Hospital, which he happily accepted.

He joined the Marist Community at Woodlawn in 1989 and began his hospital chaplaincy, not only at St Vincent’s, but also at the Lismore Base Hospital, Ozenam Villa and St Joseph’s Nursing Home.

In 2006 Fr Tom was awarded the Order of Australia in recognition of his outstanding service as a hospital chaplain and his other priestly ministries.

It was shortly after this that Fr Tom retired due to ill health. He had a life long battle with diabetes but never let this stop him from his priestly ministries.

When Fr Tom was leaving Ashgrove the then Principal, Brother Christopher, in his farewell speech said: “In Father Tom we see exemplified in many ways the kind of priest that Fr Colin wishes to give to the Church when he founded the Marist Fathers – a priest who would win people by goodness and tenderness, who would excuse the failings of people, who

would blend in and become part of the local church, who would work hard and be without airs and graces, who would take any and every opportunity to do good... Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Tom’s ministry though is his devotion to the sick, the dying and the deceased and this has been quite an extraordinary part of his work. I am told that in many parts of the Archdiocese, priests saying a funeral mass look around as the set time approaches and say: ‘we can’t start yet, Tom’s not here.’” (Blue and Gold, 1987)

These qualities of Fr Tom, as listed by Brother Christopher, were particularly in evidence when he took on full time hospital chaplaincy work. He loved this ministry and devoted himself wholeheartedly to it.

Fr Tom spent the last three years of his life as a resident of St Joseph’s Nursing Home where he died on Tuesday, July 6 2010.

St John in the Book of the Apocalypse wrote:‘Happy are those who die in the Lord! Happy indeed,

the Spirit says now they can rest forever after their work – since their good deeds go with them.’

Fr Tom has indeed died in the Lord. May his many and varied good deeds go with him.

Obituary:

Fr Tom Maloney, S.M.by Fr Paul Pidcock, SM

The Maloney family on the occasion of the Golden Wedding Anniversary of parents 1955

Fr Tom Maloney

The Sanctuary of Our Lady, Lichen, Poland


owraville holds an important place in the growth of the Catholic Church along the North Coast. The first Catholic church to be erected in the Nambucca Valley,

a simple little wooden building erected in 1873 by John Howle and Ewin Crispin from pit-sawn timber at a cost of £250, was located in George St Bowra. It was partly paid for by a levy of corn on local Catholics. In 1912 the church was moved by bullock dray to Carbin St, site of the present church, becoming the infants school when a new church was built in 1913. This handsome wooden structure was notable for being lit by carbide gas lamps. It is still used today as a school resource centre.

Just 15 years after the construction of the second church a third was built, inspired in part by the town’s growing importance as a service centre for the whole Nambucca Valley and the fact that the old church/school was no longer sufficient to provide for both students and congregation.

Dominating the town from its low hill, Corpus Christi church cost £8,000 to build and provided a truly magnificent setting for the sacred liturgy.

For nearly sixty years Corpus Christi was the centre of an thriving and active Catholic community embracing first the whole Nambucca Valley and later, when Macksville became a parish, the upper valley. However, in common with many inland towns, Bowraville gradually lost out to the gowing coastal communities and in 1986 it lost its resident priest and became a part of the parish of Nambucca Heads. Today the old parish of Bowraville has been inversely restored as the parish of Nambucca Valley with its centre in Nambucca Heads, with Corpus Christi continuing to form an important centre of worship within it.

by David Billingtonwww.cathchurch.net/historic.html

Corpus Christi, Bowraville

Visit the Lismore Diocese website: www.lismorediocese.org

Website for Diocese


Designated National Treasure No. 288, the Jeondong Cathedral was built in 1914 in a western-style cathedral design. This is the largest western-style structure in the Jeollanam-do and Jeollabuk-do provinces. The outer red brick walls are quite remarkable, as are the entrance way and bell tower in the winter. The arched entranceway gives a Byzantine-like feel, while a small bell tower located in the centre adds a unique beauty. Sadly, part of the cathedral was destroyed in a 1988 fire.

© Sebastian Czapnik | Dreamstime.com

Churches AROUND THE WORLD

Jeondong Catholic Church South Korea


OBITUARY – JOHN PLUNKETT1 February 1939 to 13 July 2010

On 13 July, a good man of the Church was called by his God. John Plunkett was a good man – to his family, to his community and to his Church.

John was born in 1939 to Ray & Rhoda Plunkett. He grew up in the Coffs Harbour area, starting life in a small shed on a banana farm along with his five siblings.

John was a promising student and his parents made the financial sacrifice to send him to Woodlawn College in Lismore for his secondary education. At Woodlawn College, John was valued for not only his academic achievements, being a Latin scholar, but also for his prowess on the Rugby field. As well as rugby, John also enjoyed putting on the boxing gloves and was a champion marksman. While at Woodlawn, the Marist priests helped cement John’s faith. This faith showed through in the way he lived his life and in his concern for others. His time at Woodlawn was so important to him that he subsequently sent his three sons there for their secondary education.

John’s first career was as a lawyer in Sydney. It was while in Sydney that he met his future wife, Patricia Duffy. Trish being an eastern suburbs girl was taken by this larrikin from the bush. Restless in the big city, John took her back to his beloved country town and they settled at Coffs Harbour. There they raised their family, Danny, Michael, Jim and Kate.

Back in Coffs Harbour, John established himself in his father’s real estate business.

Impatient to see the slow progress in opening up the Coffs Harbour and Sawtell areas, John became a councillor on the Coffs Shire Council. One of the achievements, during his four and a half years as councillor and for which he was most proud, was the approval & construction of Hogbin Drive that links Coffs Harbour and Sawtell.

John was also instrumental in establishing the Catholic Club in Coffs Harbour, including participating in the construction of the buildings for the Club. This Club was an important initiative in bringing the Italian & Aussie communities together.

John was always involved in his local parish from being on various parish committees to participating along with Father Jim Reilly and Father Tony Casey in the establishment of a youth camp that was attached to the Sawtell Church.

In 1985, the Diocesan Finance Council approached John requesting that he consider giving up his real estate work, to work for the Church. John accepted and so began a new path in his life. John took up the role as the promotions officer for the Diocesan Investment Fund. During the almost twenty years that John held this position, the Fund grew markedly allowing loans to be made to parishes for major projects throughout the Diocese. During this period, John also took over renewals of planned giving programs for the Lismore Diocese and occasionally for parishes in the Maitland, Parramatta, Bunbury, Brisbane & Rockhampton

dioceses. The Lismore Diocese also made use of John’s experience as a lawyer, real estate agent and builder by appointing him as a member of the Diocesan Property Committee.

At the end of his working life, John was awarded a papal honour, a Knighthood of the Order of Pope St Silvester in recognition of his service to the Church and his loyalty and support of the priests in the Diocese.

In retirement, John remained on the board of Sawtell Parish Aged Care. Retirement also saw John not only make time for his children and grandchildren, but he and wife Trish were able to hook up the caravan and see more of the country that they both loved so much, as well as getting the tinny out to enjoy a spot of fishing.

It was in his garden tending to the roses in preparation for a caravan trip to West Australia that John died. A Requiem mass was held for him at St Augustine’s Catholic Church, Coffs Harbour on 19 July. The church was filled to capacity, the Italian Men’s choir sang and seventeen priests as well as the current bishop, Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett and the previous bishop, Bishop John Satterthwaite attended the mass. His sons honoured their father with a lovely eulogy.

It was at the burial ceremony that a beautiful winter’s day suddenly changed as an unseasonal storm rapidly approached. Thunder, lightning, hail and heavy rain arrived to tell his family to go home as John was safely on his way and he was going to be fine.

Churches AROUND THE WORLD

“It Always Rains when a Good Man Dies”

by Mavourneen Kennedy

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John Plunkett


Centenary celebrations for St John’s Primary School, Mullumbimby, took place on June 12th & 13th, 2010.

Over the weekend, ex-pupils and parishioners were treated to a display of memorabilia

with photos dating back to 1907. Other items on display included class programs written by teachers, student work samples, uniforms, school bags, posters and school photos from each decade dating back to 1911.

A Centenary Booklet entitled “A Walk Back Through Time” was produced for the special event. It contains over two hundred photographs along with a comprehensive history of the school and personal stories from ex-students, Sisters of St Joseph, ex-principals, parents and priests.

A Centenary Cookbook, containing many favourite recipes from Parish families was popular with locals and

visitors alike.The Centenary Dinner, held in the

Parish Hall on the Saturday night, catered for two hundred & fifty people. School Principal, Mr Tim Bleakley was the Master of Ceremonies on the night with special guests including Mr Don Page, State Member for Ballina, Sr Mary Quinlan, Provincial of NSW Sisters of St Joseph, Provincial Leadership Team Members – Sr Antoinette Baldwin, Sr Ann Love and Sr Therese Carroll and Father Anthony Lemon, St John’s

Parish Priest all in attendance. Cr Ross Tucker spoke on behalf of Byron Shire Council and Mark Russell, Centenary Committee Chairman thanked all members of the committee for the time and effort they gave in staging the event. Sr Anne Mills & Sr Michelle Condon, who are both ex-pupils of St John’s School also attended the dinner. A beautiful Mass, officiated by Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett was held on the Sunday morning. It was followed by morning tea and entertainment.

Few of the parishioners of Santa Rosa of Lima parish in city of Iquitos, Peru, remark on the fact that their parish priest is an Australian.

TThat is just the way Sydney-born priest, Father John Andersen, 63, wants it. “To be a priest is to be

one with the people,” says Father John. After decades living among the

people of Iquitos he laughs, “I suppose I speak pretty good Spanish”. Learning a new language as an adult wasn’t an obstacle in his missionary vocation. My call is to serve the people of God. In my parish they have grown used to me speaking with an Aussie accent.”

As a parish priest in Sydney he did not initially feel the call to mission

overseas. ”That came to me later. But its persistence led me to discern whether this idea had been sent from God.” A retreat with the MSC priests at Douglas Park, south of Sydney, convinced him of his calling. Soon afterwards Fr John was in dialogue with the Columban Mission Society about accompanying them on a mission to South America. “I remember they asked me if would like to go to Peru or Chile. It wasn’t a

question I’d even anticipated. I knew only that I wanted to mission. ”

It was to Peru that Fr John journeyed. Firstly with the Columbans in Lima, and then to the town of Sicuani located in the mountainous country 3500 metres above sea level. Here Fr John’s ministry included the outlying ‘parcialidades’, communities of indigenous people who speak their

St John’s Primary School Centenary, Mullumbimby

by Lisa Russell

From Surf City to City on the Amazon

Ex-pupils from the 1920’s & 30’s cutting the Century cake. Pictured L to R: Marge Buckley, Mary Walker (Mary’s daughter Frances in backgound) Ruth

Slattery, Nora Porthouse and Bill Shay

Fr John Andersen baptises a young Peruvian soldier in Iquitos

Continued on page 21


To be a Christian is to love and serve others in the ways that Jesus Christ loved and served. Christians do so by proclaiming the Word of God, praying alone and in company, giving good example, defending human rights and being fair, kind, caring and compassionate towards others. Doing such things makes them his ministers or servants and sharers in his priesthood. This is ‘the priesthood of the faithful’. There is also the priesthood of those in ‘holy orders’, called ‘the ministerial priesthood’. They are officially appointed to their roles and tasks in a ritual of ‘ordination’. In each case it is Jesus himself who ordains them, but through the actions of a bishop, who in turn is acting as a representative of the community. In each case too, the most essential parts of the ritual are the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Spirit and a special prayer of consecration and dedication for their tasks. Through the leadership of those ordained the risen Jesus continues to lead the communities of his church.

BishoPsBishops at their ordination receive the fullness of the

priesthood. They are the chief leaders of a particular portion of the whole church that is known as a diocese. For example, Geoffrey Jarrett is the chief leader of the Church of Lismore. Bishops too are the centre of unity in their dioceses. By being ordained they also become members of the college of bishops which, in union with the pope, has authority over the whole church (see Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen gentium, #22). Their ordination entrusts them with the government and care of the church as a whole and not just their particular part of it. At their ordination the Holy Spirit specifically empowers bishops to preach the gospel to all and to teach the church communities for which they are individually responsible (Lumen gentium, #24). Only bishops can ordain others. They are also the original ministers of the sacrament of confirmation. As such they may delegate a priest to confirm on their behalf. They also have the responsibility of overseeing the celebration of all the sacraments in their diocese. (Lumen gentium, #26).

PriEsTsPriests are co-workers of bishops. Originally they were

only advisers and assistants to their bishop. They formed his inner circle and council. But bit by bit they became the pastors (shepherds) over that part of a local church assigned to them by their bishop. Their ordination does not give them the fullness of the priesthood of Christ, but in the celebration of the Eucharist and other sacraments, they represent Christ, the invisible chief celebrant of every

sacrament. They also represent their local bishop. They may be ministers of all seven sacraments except that of holy orders, for they cannot ordain anyone. Through ordination they also become members of a college, indeed of a brotherhood of priests. This is so true that the ministerial priesthood must be regarded as a vocation (calling) that is shared and as a gift from God that is shared.

On the exercise of priesthood today, some comments of theologian Thomas Richstatter strike me as particularly appropriate:

Today most Catholics I encounter… want their priest to be one of them, someone living in the midst of their world – not someone set apart. They expect the priest to know their joys and sorrows, their trials and their pain. The priest is expected to know how difficult it is to raise children, what it is to fear losing a job or face an addiction… I find that it is not always easy to be both set apart and in the midst.

So he goes on to say equally aptly: ‘Today, we do well to understand the sacrament of holy orders and the ordained priesthood within the context of the priesthood which we all share in virtue of our baptism.’

DEAConsDeacons are not ordained to the priesthood but to

service and particularly the service of their bishop as his immediate assistants. As such, they are called to be signs and instruments of Christ the Servant. Tradition has spoken of them as ‘the eyes and ears of the bishop’, ‘the bishop’s right hand men’ and ‘at his beck and call’. In the early church, the primary and basic work of deacons was the ministry of charity. Deacons found and served Christ in the poor, the hungry and thirsty, the stranger and the naked, the sick and the imprisoned. St Lawrence and St Francis of Assisi are some of the best known deacons in the history of the church.

Deacons continue to assist both bishops and priests as required and especially in the area of loving outreach to poor and needy persons. (The image that comes to mind is that of Jesus washing the feet of his friends). This makes them the special ministers of the church’s charity. Ordination also entitles and empowers them to preach, baptise, conduct weddings and funerals and lead the public prayer of God’s people.

What bishops, priests and deacons have in common as ministers is that they are church leaders. As such, they are meant to express the loving servant-leadership of Jesus Christ himself, in all the ways they love and care for God’s people.

Servant Leaders of God’s People: Holy OrdersLiturgyServant Leaders of God’s People: Holy Orders

Father Brian Gleeson is a Doctor of Theology and a

Passionist Priest. He lectures on Liturgy, Church and

Sacraments at the Yarra Theological Union, Box Hill,

Victoria. He may be contacted at [email protected]

The annointing of the hands of

Father Peter Wood

Ordination of Reverend Peter Wood to the Priesthood

Priesthood in the

Diocese of Lismore

Concelebrants of the Mass impose hands on

the newly-ordained16

On the 30th of July 2010 the Diocese of Lismore had the great blessing of an ordination to the priesthood. The faithful gave thanks as Bishop Jarrett ordained Peter Wood for the diocese. It marked the conclusion of a thorough and lengthy preparation for Fr Wood.

He was as an altar server at St Carthage’s Cathedral before becoming an acolyte at the Cathedral. Service at the altar contributed to his discernment of a priestly vocation prior to entering the seminary. Fr Wood started his studies at the Seminary of the Good Shepherd in Sydney in January of 2004. This consisted of a full participation in the life of the seminary community and academic courses. As a complement to his academic studies, he spent his pastoral placement in the Parish of St Augustine, Coffs Harbour, from November 2007 to July 2008.

During the beautiful ordination liturgy, Bishop Jarrett spoke of the importance of the priesthood. He encouraged Fr Wood to remain faithful to his vocation. At the conclusion of the liturgy, Fr Wood expressed his heartfelt thanks to everyone who had supported and assisted him in his progress to ordination. Many were very moved as he communicated his gratitude especially to his mother and father.

A lively reception then took place at St John’s College, Woodlawn where Fr Wood had served as school captain. Overall, the celebrations were very edifying. As with any ordination, many are infused with hope as they witness a young man give himself for service to the faithful.

To any man considering a priestly vocation, Fr Wood said that such a call needs to be welcomed and discerned. He said that, “A decision involving what we want to do for the

rest of our lives needs careful attention through prayer and that we are at peace with ourselves”.

Fr Wood will be completing some studies in Sydney until November 2010. He will then receive his appointment in the diocese. Our prayers are with him as he starts his priestly life. While seminary formation is now completed, it is a new beginning for Fr Wood and our prayers are important for his priestly ministry. We pray that there will be many other young men who will follow in Fr Wood’s footsteps. We pray that such young men be given the grace to hear the Lord calling them amidst the noise and distractions of our contemporary society.

Father Nicolas MauriceVocations Director

Images: Nandita Bromley

Right: Father Peter Wood addresses the congregation at

the conclusion of his Ordination

17

The clothing with vestments for the celebration of Mass

You are a Priest Forever - Roman Catholic Diocese of Lismore · 2015. 3. 25. · Priest Forever...

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