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A NEWSPAPER FOR THE CANBERRA & GOULBURN DIOCESAN COMMUNITY VOL. 31 FREE N0. 3 3,800 COPIES EVERY MONTH ANGLICAN NEWS May 2014 Anglican 150 reaches finale Commemoration the anniversary service was As bishop, Mesac had his of Bishop Mesac provided by the Cathedral share of thorns too from law choir and led by the suits, congregational divisions, Thomas’ arrival in choirmaster, Dr Greg Oehm. closed minds and hard hearts Goulburn wraps up The cross was laid before that refused to embrace his year of celebration the altar, which featured the vision for evangelism. unique antique Lenten frontal Mesac knew, as the Lord By Wayne Brighton supplied by the Cathedral’s fi rst said to Paul, ‘My grace is The crowd of over 100 dean, William Sowerby (1839- suffi cient for thee: for my marchers was ebullient on the 1875) and his wife Hannah strength is made perfect in walk to St Saviour’s Cathedral in memory of their daughter, weakness’ (2 Cor 12.9, KJV). on Sunday April 6, retracing Mary. Such weakness still remains in the footsteps of the fi rst Bishop The Old Testament reading the church, as Bishop Stuart of Goulburn, Mesac Thomas, was poignant, a reminder that refl ected on the recent bishops’ through the streets of the city. God’s mission often involves conference and the revelations With parish banners struggle. The congregation emerging from the royal fl uttering and some members in heard how Pharaoh not only commission into institutional period costume, it was a fi tting refused the request for freedom responses to sexual abuse. climax to the diocese’s 150th but made working conditions He said it was such weakness anniversary celebrations. immeasurably more diffi cult by that encourage us to rediscover The celebration service of requiring the Israelites to collect grace, the undeserved and evensong according to the Book their own straw when making unmerited kindness of God of Common Prayer (1662) the god-king’s palaces. expressed in “God’s outstretched, recreated the worship that The New Testament reading nail-pierced hands welcoming greeted Bishop Mesac on his recalled Paul’s unlikely status all who seek his love and arrival in the diocese. as an Apostle, the thorns that forgiveness”. Mesac was appointed affl icted his ministry and his This is what has sustained Bishop of Goulburn by Her determination to boast only in the saints of every age, Majesty Queen Victoria on 14 the grace of Jesus Christ. including Mesac, for while March 1863 and consecrated The people were then lead in he was a fl awed person, his in Canterbury on 25 March. It prayer for the Queen’s majesty, preaching was fi lled with the would prove to be almost a year the Royal Family, the clergy notion that God’s grace is later that he and his wife Mary and the people by Archdeacon suffi cient for us in the face COMMEMORATION: Jane Robinson accompanies Elizabeth Dyke. of adversity and seeming would arrive in Sydney and Bishop Stuart in leading the commemorative walk from make the journey to Goulburn. Bishop Stuart drew the insurmountable odds. Mandelson’s Guest House to St Saviour’s Cathedral. He soon came to love deeply service to its high point, “With Mesac, I dream of and his diocese, which at the time preaching that as God’s people serve with a diocese where the love was considered remote, sparsely we are always dependent on of Jesus transforms people and The afternoon concluded It also included newspaper populated and greatly under- God’s grace. Bishop Stuart communities,” said Bishop Stuart. with a comprehensive articles from the bishop’s resourced. He worked tirelessly recounted how his predecessor “It is a place where grace is display prepared by the time in the diocese and a copy in what he recognised to be a may have lacked the material grasped and embraced and diocese’s Historical Society. of Queen Victoria’s Letters new missionary frontier across resources of money and suffi cient where weakness continues to be This included pictures of Patent by which Mesac was much of south-western New clergy remained fi rmly engaged the crucible for the outpouring Goulburn and the Cathedral’s made bishop and Goulburn South Wales. in God’s mission to Goulburn of God’s strength and God’s construction, which was proclaimed to be Australia’s Evensong worship for and beyond. purposes to God’s glory.” overseen by Bishop Mesac. fi rst inland city. alsoalso inin thisthis issue:issue: David Robinson Walk of the Cross Conversation with new elected Bishop of 2014 ... page 12 St Mark’s head ... page 9 RockhamptonR ... page 3 Page 2 Anglican News May 2014 COMMENT Dark clouds for jobless young people For young people in our there will be funds beyond this further, arguing that smaller says it is working region, jobs are increasingly year for the Youth Connections government results in better on a more grounded hard to fi nd. Over 11 percent youth education program to outcomes for organisations like employment policy Jeremy of young Canberrans are continue. Youth Connections is Anglicare and the people who from 2015, and will unemployed and the Canberra designed to keep young people rely on charities for support. ensure that Job Services Halcrow employment market is far engaged in high school. It As conservative think tank the Australia effectively tighter for entry level jobs than offers a fl exible service which Centre of Independent Studies addresses the needs Anglicare CEO comparable capital cities. keeps them in school and on put it: “shrinking the size of of young Australians This is why Anglicare is the road to meaningful and government will also stimulate seeking work. But more decently-paid work. provide the level of support so concerned that our Youth the charitable sector, foster could be done to speak into the that matches the level of need. Connections programs have “Take the story of Alice. personal responsibility, and lives of individual young people When Alice moved with her For high needs groups, such as been earmarked to be cut by reforge the community ties that struggling to seek work in a family to Canberra at the age at-risk young people, this would the Federal Government. Youth once bound our society together.” tightening job market. Keeping of 12 she found it diffi cult be a wrap-around service that Connections keeps young to make friends at school. I am fairly sceptical about them engaged in meaningful deals with issues such literacy, people engaged in school. She was bullied severely and education and training, which homelessness and child care As our Youth educational eventually stopped going increases their employability, is that are barriers to fi nding and support coordinator Shyanne to school. Suffering from very important if they are going maintaining employment. Watson told the ABC’s 7:30 depression, she started taking ‘More could be done to thrive as adults. Report earlier this month, So in the lead up to the May Jeremy Halcrow harmful drugs, ran away from to speak into the without the funding in the ACT, home and fell pregnant. She budget, Anglicare is urging the CEO, Anglicare NSW South. the future prospects of between found safe shelter in a refuge. lives of individual Federal Government to do two NSW West & ACT 300 and 350 young Canberrans Faced with the prospect of young people things. are at risk. becoming a young mother, struggling to seek Firstly, continue to fund Youth As Shyanne explains, youth Alice sought help from Youth work in a tightening Connections—a program whose Anglican News workers are equipped to assist Connections. She joined the successes are well evidenced. job market’ these young people re-engage in program, and they provided In January 2014, nearly 670 A newspaper for the education, complementing the essential baby items, helped of the 835 young people who Canberra and Goulburn teaching skills of the educators. to transport her to medical participated in the Youth Anglican Diocesan appointments and—after the This youth worker support is key Connections programme in 2012 community because these young people have birth of her daughter—assisted such claims, particularly if it’s a were found still to be engaged a range of complex experiences with domestic violence issues smokescreen for harsh and deep in education or employment 18 Editor: Lewis Hitchick that stop them from going to and court proceedings. budget cuts this year. As a recent months later. More than 300 “Alice persevered and Address: PO Box 23 mainstream schools including OECD paper on the “Politics of of these young people were Bathurst child care, homelessness and graduated with the Youth fi scal austerity” noted: “as many engaged in either part time or Connections program, and then NSW 2795 food insecurity. European countries are fi nding full time employment including enrolled in a Certifi cate IV in Federal MP for Fraser today, [budget] cuts only deepen traineeships and apprenticeships. Phone: (02) 6331 1722 Youth Work. Evaluations show (ACT) Andrew Leigh the program is successful and short-term economic woes”, Secondly, Anglicare calls on 0427 373 446 recently spoke about the Alice’s story helps to inspire which means more people out of the Federal Government to ensure Email: potential defunding of our work. suffi cient funding to employment young people.” anglican.news Youth Connections program. The Federal Government brokering services so they can @bathurstanglican.org.au Following is the text of his In response, the Federal speech to Parliament: Government would say that Advertising: economic growth is the answer enquiries to the editor “I rise today to applaud to increasing job opportunities Youth Connections, a national Missional Paradigms Deadlines: for young people.