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Catholic Life September 2019 Schoolsacrossthediocese

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Catholic Life September 2019 Schoolsacrossthediocese CA HO IC V IFE LDiocese of Lismore Tweed Coast to Camden Haven www.lismorediocese.org September 2019 Vol.17 No.3 A Rosary for You NO FEES Looking for Work? Looking for Workers? Find us at Waterford Park Stage 8 New Land Release $200,000 - $215,000 Only Stage 8 ‘Waterford Park Estate’ 3 left in Goonellabah is now selling. Land areas 667m2 to 869m2 Secure your lot now, delayed settlement please ring our Ballina Office on 02 6686 2711 for plans and price list. Phone: LJ Hooker Ballina 6686 2711 Contact Luke Shay 0416 275 607 [email protected] Michael Shay 0427 862 711 [email protected] Ballina Land Marketing 02 6686 2711 THE BISHOP Writes On the Feast of the Assumption, 15 August, I gave the Campion Lecture at my old high school. flew to Sydney from Ballina and arrived at the school a few hours before the lecture. This gave me the Iopportunity to spend some time in the school chapel preparing my talk. It was surprisingly difficult for me to focus my thoughts because as I sat there memories filled my mind. Memories of happy times, of family and friends, A decision about the kind of person I would like to be of teachers, of childhood and growing up. I remembered is already specified by what it means to be human and being challenged to higher things and of what I had hoped made in the image and likeness of God. Virtuous, honest, to do with my life. As a high school student I dreamed of good, forgiving and compassionate are examples of what what I might do with my life and of the possible professions a flourishing human being is. Indeed this is what God is. available to me; a good degree, a wife, children, and all the Perhaps the only choices over which I have some control things a young man hopes for. The world was my oyster. are the choices towards being such a person. This is the My life somehow took a different direction. As a year correct use of freedom. 12 student I would never have believed that I would one Looking back over my life, I can say that I have striven day return to my school as a monk, and certainly not as to become a good person. As to whether this has happened, a bishop. In spite of intense study and hard work in the I don’t know. Yet it remains my desire. How can a young job of my choice my life did not unfold as I had expected person achieve such desires? Indeed how can anyone and planned. As I sat in the chapel I thought “I might be a facilitate these profound human possibilities? bishop but I am the same as the 17 year old boy who left this school in 1975”. I believe that our lives are crafted by our deepest desires and that these desires can fashion us if we allow them to I began to realise that while I had freedom to make determine how we live our lives. The noise of influences choices about the direction of my life, I had no control external to us should not direct our lives, rather the deep over how my life would proceed. My capacities and abilities desire concerning the kind of person that I want to be, are set and there is nothing one can do to change them. should respond to the world in which I live. Opportunities cannot be contrived, they are outside our control. Part of my life was within my choosing but the The way of life which I choose, the rhythm and discipline greater part was outside the determination of this young of daily life should accord with the kind of person I want to man. In hindsight I had to grow into my own life before I be. It is very obvious that some ways of living are contrary could make realistic choices. to the kind of person we want to be, and should therefore be rejected. The real challenge is choosing to live in such a Some people seem to have lives which are well within way that I will become the person that God has created me their control, but for most of us, so much of life is outside to be. This is why I have freedom. Simplicity according to our control. We cannot plan and determine the whole of the Gospel and a regular review of life will help. our lives, and certainly not the final outcomes. As I sat in the chapel I asked “do I really have the freedom to make As yet, I haven’t got there, but hope that with perseverance choices about my own life?” and the assistance of your prayers, I will one day make it. Memory is a funny thing. One thought leads to another I will pray for you also. and prayerful pondering often delivers wonderful treasures With my prayers and best wishes, from within. As a school boy I not only had aspirations ✠ Bishop Greg Homeming OCD with respect to the life I would have, I also had desires as to the kind of person I would be. My parents, in true Confucian tradition, placed virtue ahead of success and constantly taught me to strive for goodness and integrity. The priests at my school reinforced this by their teaching and example. While we have little control over the way our life will unfold, I believe that we do have significant input into something which is far more important. In terms of my life, I do have some real choice about the kind of person I want to be. Catholic Life, September, 2019 3 Religious ART Cussignacco, Italy. Interiors of catholic church in Cussignacco Chiesa di San Martino Vescovo. Denis Vostrikov | Dreamstime.com Regular Features Editor, Publisher and Advertising Enquiries for “Catholic Life” 3 The Bishop Writes Father Peter M Karam 4 Religious Art Contents Email: [email protected] 5 Editorial Mobile: 0419 401 258 Fax: 02 6622 1771 7 Book Review 11 Question Box Parish events: 13 Liturgy Email your planned Parish events, celebrations, 28 Unusual Churches of the World anniversaries, etc., for inclusion on our website and in the next edition of “Catholic Life” Features Email: [email protected] 6 CEO Dr Sally Towns: Looking to the Future Printed by: Quality Plus Printers (02) 6686 7488 7 Notre Dame’s Crown of Thorns 8 New CRA President and Council Members Art Direction & Graphic Design: 9 Australian Bishops meet Pope Francis Johanna Evans – [email protected] 10 Empowering student military veterans 11 Don’t Be Scared Says Pope Francis Visit our Diocesan website: www.lismorediocese.org 12,27,29 Aged Care Update: What to make of the Aged Care Our website contains a daily news bulletin, spiritual Royal Commission to date reflections and daily Mass readings. 14-16 Sawtell Coffs Harbour Cambodia Visit Catholic Life – A member of the Australasian 17 Plenary Council Catholic Press Association and the Australasian 26 Seeing double to improve inclusivity in the classroom Religious Press Association Inc. 29 New guidelines will inform Church’s response to abuse School News 18 St. Joseph’s Primary School, Kempsey St. Joseph’s Primary School, Alstonville Cover 19 Mary Help of Christians Parish School, Sawtell CAPTION Holy Family Primary School, Skennars Head St. Patrick’s Primary School, Macksville Pope Francis presents a 20 St. Brigid’s Primary School, Kyogle rosary to a child during St. Mary’s Primary School, Grafton his visit at Zimpeto 21 St. Joseph’s Primary School, Wauchope Hospital, in Maputo, Our Lady Help of Christians Parish School, Sth Lismore Mozambique, Friday, 22 Trinity Catholic College, Lismore Sept. 6, 2019. 23 Xavier Catholic College, Ballina Alessandra Tarantino | AP 24 St. Paul’s College, Kempsey 25 St. Joseph’s Regional College, Port Macquarie 4 Catholic Life, September, 2019 Empty Tabernacles There are many issues in our church in recent the current reality of the Catholic Church in Australia. This years that have caused confusion, scandal gathered data also reveals some deeper hopes, questions, and the diverse yearnings that we are now challenged to and sadness. We no longer have a tidy church, consider together. (cf. Report page 17) predictable and comfortable in the status Many are looking for a way back, trying to find quo. meaning in what seemed meaningless. There any survivors are asking: “Is Christ still here are those who have been hurt deeply by fellow with us?” We are left with an empty tabernacle, parishioners and church representatives. Ma symbol of an empty world... like the women at At times when they needed help and kindness there the empty tomb on the first Easter morning. Do we debate was none. There are others who have been turned away the existence of God or seek comfort and answers in his because there was no place for their ideas and inspiration... abiding presence? Sunday worship has declined; there is a not even a place around the table, when all they wanted to loss of moral credibility replaced with a hateful intolerance hear was: “Good to see you again” and not “where have you of religious practices. been?” Each of us needs to be convinced that social and Where are our watershed moments where we can get church renewal has to come from individuals. a breath of fresh air and ponder the need for renewal These days the question frequently asked is: Why stay and transformation? when there are so many issues unresolved? The ongoing I don’t believe that our faith response is to be hiding in crises of abuse cover up, the cry for more representation inhospitable environments, fearful and looking for exile.
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