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AUSTRALIA-WIDE
The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross
Produced and Published for the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross Publications C/- St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, 60 Davey Street, Frankston. 3199. Vic. Australia. Contact Phone: 03-9783 3484. E-mail: [email protected] Mid-March 2015 Free E-Mail Edition Circulation: Australia and Overseas
DISCLAIMER: Views expressed in the articles of this Ordinariate publication “Australia Wide” are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher.
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Palm Sunday of the Passion of The Lord: 29th March 2015. Graphic: From: Sacred Heart Church-Griffin, Georgia.
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THE ORDINARIATE OF OUR LADY OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS: AUSTRALIA
The Ordinary: Monsignor Harry Entwistle, PA. Contact: Mobile Phone: 0417 180 145 or see Diocesan Office: Diocesan Office: 40A Mary Street, Highgate. Western Australia. 6003. Mobile Phone: 0409 377 338 Local Phone: 08-9422 7988. Fax: 08-93282833. E-Mail: The Ordinary: [email protected] Diocesan Office E-Mail: [email protected] Vocations Director: Fr Stephen Hill: Mobile Phone: 0410 699 574 E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.itsyourcall.net.au Episcopal Vicar for clergy: Fr Ken Clark: Mobile Phone: 0403 383 873 E-Mail: [email protected] Ordinariate Web Master: E-Mail: [email protected] OLSC Website: www.ordinariate.org.au Ordinariate of OLSC Publications: E-Mail: [email protected]
A WORD FROM THE ORDINARY By Monsignor Harry Entwistle In the 1950’s life in the Church appeared to be more stable, but the problem of communication was still very real. Fr Forrest wrote books of humourous verses exposing the idiosyncrasies of both priests and congregations. In one verse he observed that the parishioners knew everything about their vicar as well as every detail of his private life. “But when he had a meeting, Or a service in the Church, Unless it is a Sunday time, They leave it in the lurch. He posts it on a notice board, Just where it may be seen, And prints it very plainly In the parish magazine. Then, standing in the pulpit, He will very nearly shout it; Yet everybody makes excuse: ‘We never knew about it.’” S.J. FORREST, ‘WHAT’S THE USE’, P.42
As the French say, ‘The more things change, the more they stay the same.’ One of the greatest concerns of both priests and laity in the Ordinariate is, ‘How is it that after 3 years, most Catholics don’t know anything about the Ordinariate?’ I am tempted to ask another question in return, ‘How come that after some 500 years, most Catho- lics know very little about the Eastern Catholic Churches?’ Yet replying to one question by asking another, does not address the issue.
So the question is, ‘How do we spread the news of the existence, nature and purpose of the Ordinariate articulated in Pope Benedict’s Apostolic Constitution, Anglicanorum Coetibus?’
The Ordinariate is a living example of the cost of true Church Unity with the Catholic Church and all that that in- volves, while maintaining our distinct English Christian Spirituality.
The Anglican Church seems to be content to consider Christian unity to be no deeper than being friends, so they regard the Ordinariate as a mirage that will quickly dissipate. They will not promote our existence. [Continued next page] 2 3
A WORD FROM THE ORDINARY: Continued
Catholic bishops have been supportive and the Catholic Press have reported or- dinations and have printed articles about the Ordinariate. Yet Fr Forrest’s poem still holds true.
We are told that the under 40’s do not read printed newspapers and we know that some elderly people do not browse the web, surf the net, have a face-book page or twitter.
As an Ordinariate we must make use of all these technologies because we need to reach as many sections of the community as possible. We are considering running advertisements on Google, but with all advertisements, the careful use of words is essential.
Apart from using technology, the reality is that communication tools and people outside the Ordinariate can only achieve a limited amount. Not every Catholic diocese has an Ordinariate group in it and even in those that do, there doesn’t seem to be much knowledge of us. So what can we do about it?
A REMEDY
St Paul asked a similar question about spreading the news of the Gospel (Rom 10 v14). Others will only know of the Ordinariate if the members of it tell them. We cannot advertise in the Anglican media, and the Catholic bishops face similar problems publicising their own activities. It is down to us.
Have your own stock of leaflets about the Ordinariate and hand them to others if they show interest. Produce a parish or group, prayer card, or bookmark with Mass times and contact details and give them away anywhere you can – even include them in the local paper delivery. Be visible in local Catholic events, wear the Ordinariate lapel badge and have flyers or pamphlets with you.
There are more ways than this, so become lateral thinkers. But a big project this year is: “Called to Unity”
CALLED TO UNITY
Recently the Church of England consecrated two bishops, one of whom does not recognise the ministry of the other. How can two bishops minister in the same church but one not receive communion from the other? The C of E thinks it has provided a practical solution to this problem, but their solution disregards theological truth.
During last year’s Clergy Residential, it was agreed that around the feast of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, preferably the weekend prior, every Ordinariate Community would host an event to which all those interested in learning about how the Ordinariate is realising the prayer of Jesus that all his disciples might be one. Chris- tian unity is deeper than friendship, as it involves sharing the same faith, but expressing that faith in the distinc- tive way of our previous tradition.
This event could be a Tea Party, a Meeting, a Mass, Evensong or a Prayer time together. The purpose is to share what God has done to enable his disciples to be united. We can share with others what this means for us, and show them what ‘unity’ with ‘distinctiveness’ looks like.
This must be a community effort, so start planning now! Details of your event should be sent to Fr Kenneth Clark by Pentecost so that we can approach the Catholic media to give it some National coverage. [Rev Msgr Harry Entwistle] 3 4
“NEWS FROM HERE AND THERE” Presented by Joanna Hill
ROCKHAMPTON PARISH The Church of St Teresa’s in Rockhampton where our Ordinariate parish worships was damaged during the recent cyclone which ravaged that city. The parish has taken up tem- porary ‘residence’ in St Vincent’s Church, 4 Herbert Street, Wandal 4700. It is not known when St Theresa’s repairs will be completed, but the Ordinariate is grateful to the Bishop and Dean for providing alternative accommodation.
ORDINARY’S DIARY March 12th Finance Council Meeting March 26th Ordination to the Diaconate of Ian Wilson in Adelaide Holy Week in Perth.
ON THE ROAD TO ORDINATION On the 6th March I underwent the Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral Adelaide at 12:10pm Mass. This was another solemn part of the journey to becoming a Catholic Deacon and a Catholic Priest.
I will undertake an ordination retreat with the local Passionists between 17th and 21st March. I look forward to meeting and pray- ing Mass and the Office with Fr John Cur- tis: CP and his community. These ordinations by the way, in no way intend to diminish or belittle the existing valuable ministries I had undertaken in the Anglican Church. These forthcoming ordi- nations will canonically validate these two clerical functions as a distinct and unam- biguous Catholic Deacon and Catholic Priest within the universal Latin Catholic Church: this positively affirms my Catho- lic ministry. No Catholic can correctly dis- pute this. That is a very positive, loving and affirming position, which is constantly being emphasised to me in many ways. It is a welcome development from the Second Vatican Council - as are the Ordinariate.
"Attached photo is immediately after the Rite of Admission of my self to Candidacy for Holy Orders at St Francis Xavier Cathedral on last Friday, March 6th. Nan and I are centre. I was smiling, but perhaps not quite at that instant. Doesn’t it happen! Probably also somewhat nervous, as it was a bit of an awe inspiring but strongly affirming ceremony, which now sets me firmly on the final course to ordination. Nan and I felt warmly supported.” [By Ian Wilson]
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR “LABOURS FOR THE HARVEST” “These days the amalgamation of parishes is seen as the solution to a growing shortage of priests and a demographic shift towards towns and cities away from shrinking rural communities.”
The above quote from The Tablet Blog site by Chris McDonnell, 25th February 2015, reminds me of my Anglican days when living in rural Australia at the time when many States such as Victoria were suffering from harrowing droughts and bush fires during the early 1980’s. The Anglican Church set up a “Rural Ministry Task Force” in Victoria, and later the Anglican General Synod set up a similar National Council. These councils looked at all the ways and means of maintaining active ministry in the many small rural towns of Australia.
In Victoria unemployment became one of the major problems in the small communities as many of the major Businesses such as the Banks, and various Industrial Sales out-lets all began to close and move to the nearest larger rural city. Some businesses moved further a-field to the Provincial City or down into Melbourne the States capital city. Many rural parishes found that money was scarce so parishes had to group together with their neigh- bouring towns and one priest would serve perhaps up to 10 small Centres over a month. Times have changed, but the Church did learn a great deal about survival in such difficult situations.
As a supporter of the Ordinariate, it seems to me that the Ordinariate in Australia can learn a lot from those earlier days as it struggles to maintain itself in various areas, while other areas seem to be pushing forward slowly but surely. In Australia the initial flow from the Anglican Church into the Ordinariate seems to have slowed down with the occasional person or family taking that step-in-faith and becoming members of the Ordinariate. Pope Francis has now opened the door to welcome people from other Christian Church- es to enter the Ordinariate and the Catholic Church in the normal way. This is an important step for- ward.
In England, they are now experiencing in the C of E the new idea of the ordination of lady bishops which the other parts of the Ordinariate: Australia and USA and Canada have had for a number of years. When the ordination of women took place in Australia there was a move by some Anglicans towards the Catholic Church or to one or the other of the protestant Churches. So it seems to me that the initial flow from the Anglican Church to other Churches has already taken place.
Unless some other matter upsets the people there may not be another such flow of people from one Church to another in Australia for some time. While in England there will certainly be more female bishops ordained in the C of E which may pro- vide a reason for people to look for a new home, perhaps in the Catholic Church and the Ordinariate.
In Australia we have a small population compared to the UK and the USA and Canada. So it seems to me that the Ordinariate in Australia may have to travel through a period of “drought” until such time that there is an obvious upheaval to cause a flow of people to come into the Ordinariate. The ordinariate will always be there because it’s a solid part of the Catholic Church as established by Pope Benedict XVI. The Ordinariate is world wide as is the whole Catholic Church.
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“LABOURERS FOR THE HARVEST”: Continued
Again, it seems to me, in Australia, because we are such a large country with a small population there needs to be another way of establishing and fostering small groups from 1 to 5 or 10 people who are former Angli- cans in their local Catholic Parish Church. These groups are too small to be a separate viable parish, but they could meet together for prayer and fellowship in their local Catholic Church, even to say the Rosary, or to say Morning or Evening Prayer at set times each week as part of the Ordinariate.
The ten or eleven Ordinariate parishes scattered around the coast line of Australia with one or two priests in each centre are unable to minister to the rest of Australia. It’s this very big gap in our ministry that some how needs to be fixed. And it will be fixed if we put our minds together, and get the prayer wheel going.
Back in the late 19th and early 20th century a number of Anglican clergy from the UK came to Australia as missionaries and formed the Bush Brotherhood and ministered to the outback areas of Queensland, New South Wales and Northern Territory. In the mid 1970’s the Bush Brotherhood folded because it could not get enough single clergy to go into the outback areas of Australia. But while it was in operation it did wonders in providing ministry for over 75 years to the people of the inland areas of our Nation.
This could be one of a number of answers. Again we need more Clergy or Lay People to take up the chal- lenge of mission, perhaps to form a type of “Bush Brotherhood” to minister to these many small communi- ties. “Jesus said: The harvest is large, but there are few workers to gather it in. Pray to the Lord of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest.” (Matthew 9: 37-38) [By Robert Lakewood, Vic]
[Editor: Australia Wide would be interested in publishing Letters with other thoughts and ideas in response to this thought provoking Letter to the Editor] ______
SHROVE TUESDAY: MORE THAN PANCAKES By Eliza Frank By arrangement with the Parish administrator of St Francis Xavier, Frankston, Fr Raj, the resident Ordinariate priest: Fr Neil organised a special Holy Hour in the evening of Shrove Tuesday. The local Catholic supporters of the Ordinariate in our parish and a similar group of supporters from the Catholic parish of St Joseph’s Chelsea came together for this special Hour of preparation for the season of Lent. A number of former Anglicans who had become Catholics through marriage, also sev- eral people recently received into the Catholic Church also attended. The Holy Hour consisted of traditional Hymns of praise and devotion, the Litany of the Blessed Sac- rament, a time of silence for 15 minutes of private prayer, concluding with the Ordinariate-rite of Evensong and Benediction. On Shrove Tuesday, according to English custom, was a time to use up all the butter and eggs cream and sugar, and other items for rich foods. So pancakes were served for supper after the Holy Hour.
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OLSC CLERGY AT ACCC ROME CONFERENCE By Fr James Grant, OLSC
The Confraternity of Catholic clergy had its second international conference in Rome from January 5th to 9th, 2015 bringing together Confraternities of Catholic Clergy from the USA, Australia, the UK and Ire- land. The Conference theme was "Quo Vadis Dominie" the Church, Priests and Mission in the 21st century. The program was packed with entertaining and forth-right presentations including Cardinals Pell, Amato and Burke along with Archbishop di Nola.
The major theme unfolded by the speakers looked at the mission of the priest in a complex modern world. Naturally, in the early days of his pontificate there was a great deal of discussion surrounding Pope Francis and his vision for the Church with most of the speakers able to unpack a little more of his vision, particularly in relation to the recently concluded Synod of the Family.
The Australian confraternity was well represented by Ordinariate clergy with three in attendance, Fa- thers: Grant, Cowell and Barnier, along with about ten UK Ordinariate clergy making up nearly 10% of conference attendee's who contributed strongly to the discussions and tone of the conference.
The presence of the Ordinariate was a great fill up to other Confraternities particularly given the chal- lenges confronting Catholic clergy.....it was difficult to hear of many of these challenges, particularly those facing the Irish clergy who have been recently hard hit by ongoing clergy scandals.
Above all, the collegiality and sharing of local stories went a long way to strengthening the English speaking clergy who are continuing to work faithfully under difficult circumstances. [By Fr James Grant, OLSC] [Photo: The OLSC members of ACCC: Fr James Grant: Front row far right; Fr Gordon Barnier: Front row centre left next to Archbishop di Nola; Fr Lyall Cowell : the left end of second row.] ______
Celebrating Mass in Ognissanti (All Saints) 50 YEARS OF VERNACULAR MASS church in Rome, where Blessed Pope Paul VI celebrated his first public Mass in Italian, rather than Latin, he said: “The Church is calling us to have and to promote an authentic liturgical life, so that there may be harmony between what the liturgy celebrates, and what we live in our daily existence.” Pope Francis said in his ser- mon, celebrating 50 years of the vernacular Mass. [The Catholic Herald]
7 8 THE AUSTRALIAN DIOCESE OF OUR LADY OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS MASS TIMES AUSTRALIA WIDE
WESTERN AUSTRALIA NEW SOUTH WALES
Perth: Diocese of Lismore: St John’s Catholic Parish Mul- Parish of St Ninian and St Chad: Perth: 11 Susan Street, Maylands. Perth. WA. lumbimby: P.O. Box 27, Mullumbimby 2482. NSW. Contact: Sundays: 9-30am Sung Mass. Fr Lyall Cowell. Ph: 02-6684 2106 Mobile: 0423 086 2nd Sunday of the Month: 4pm Evensong and Benediction. 984. E-Mail: [email protected] 4th Sunday of the month: 4pm Evensong. Wednesdays: 9-15 am Mass. Contact Clergy: E-Mail
Worker Catholic Church, 44 Imperieal Parade Labrador, Gippsland Victoria: Maffra: Parish of the Most Holy Family: Queensland. Sundays: Mass 5-30pm [1st and 3rd Satur- meets at the local Catholic Church in the following towns: days] Contact: Fr Stephen Gronow : Phone: 0212 117 635. HEYFIELD: Sundays 10 am Mass; Evensong, Benediction on 4th Sunday of month at 4pm. E-Mail: [email protected] COWWARR: Wednesday 10am Mass and Holy Hour. MIRBOO NORTH: 2nd Saturday of month: 11am Mass. Contact, Clergy: Mobile: 0403383873. Rockhampton Parish: Our Lady of Walsingham: E -mail:
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