Tui Motu Interislands Monthly Independent Catholic Magazine May 2012 | $6
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Tui Motu InterIslands monthly independent Catholic magazine May 2012 | $6 . editorials god is everything, we are nothing s we celebrate the Easter is presently known. How such a facing difficult transitions and unable season, culminating in the figure could be arrived at was not to respond adequately to new chal- glorious feast of Pentecost, stated and is not clear, but it serves lenges. We see this constantly across theA liturgy abounds in references to make the nature of the universe the history of the Church. Think of to the Holy Spirit, to Wisdom and ever more complex and hard to people like Francis and Dominic, to Truth. These divine names do comprehend — and could give rise who responded so well to thirteenth sterling service in helping us worship to the idea of that there is a universe century ‘black holes’ and helped set and praise God. But they can only beyond the universe. Such ideas push the Church off in a new direction. begin to give us the fullness of that me to think again about the nature of Women like Mary McKillop, reality. Science helps. The more I God. Statements of the mystics such Mary Ward and Marie Poussepin, all look at the images that come from as Catherine of Siena that “God is founders of now accepted and loved the Hubble Telescope (pp 16-17), everything, and that we are nothing” religious congregations, wanted to the more I begin to sense the barely take on a new and deeper meaning do new things by pushing accepted comprehensible immensity of the for me. I am left contemplating with Church rulings. Mary and Marie universe in which we live, and the awe the infinite greatness of God and were determined to break out of the puny nature of our own beautiful yet God’s closeness in the person and conventual ties that stopped religious planet earth. Remember the first spirit of Jesus. women from working in the local photo of planet earth taken from An overarching theme of this issue community – something so accepted space — the colours were dazzling! is how the Holy Spirit flames life now that we find this situation Now I am limping to understand anew, in pushing accepted boundaries inconceivable. Each of them suffered the implications of statements such and inspiring others to do the same. personally and, at times, was pushed as this: ‘billions of stars will be You will recognize these qualities in to the edge in pursuit of mission formed in the course of the collision the six small pictures our writers give goals that the Church didn’t under- of two galaxies’. With billions of gal- (pp 6-10), as they delve into the path stand or didn’t want. However, their axies already present in our universe, and place of the Spirit from their gentle steeliness proved equal to the the possibilities seem endless. In a own perspective. Always the renewal ‘box’ placed around each of them, recent blog, I found the statement which the Spirit brings appears when and dynamic new forms of church that only 4.7 percent of the universe the institution of the Church is tired, life developed. Editorial. .2 Letters to the editor (continued) . 21 contents Change the question . 3 Maria Dolens: the peace bell at Revereto . 22 Sr Margaret Butler OP Fr Michael Hill IC Letters to the editor . 4 What would sister de montfort say? . 23 Interview: Tui Motu The importance of workplace culture . 5 Fr Jim Consedine Not with my spirit! . 24–25 Fr Pat McMullan The coming of the spirit . 6–10 Bosco Peters, Agnes Hermans, Stephanie Howard, “Abide in me” . 26 Sr Tui Cadigan, Fr Alan Roberts, Fr Vaughan Hook Sr Kathleen Rushton RSM Enjoy our beautiful God . 11 Book and film reviews . 27–29 Bro Romuald Gibson FMS Crosscurrents . 30 Singing the sacred . 12–13 Jim Elliston Philip Baldwin The ‘quake’ nightmare . 31 It’s education, Jim, but not as we know it . 14–15 Robert Consedine Pat Snedden A mother’s journal . 32 The spirit at work in the universe . 16–17 Kaaren Mathias Outside the square . 18–19 Interview: Cathy Harrison Front Cover Painting: Bearings IV A call for peace and justice . 20 This painting is by Dunedin artist, Claire Beynon, is Bishop Pat Power reproduced with thanks. 2 Tui Motu InterIslands May 2012 Not surprisingly then, Edwina Gateley who appears in this issue change the question (pp 18–19), follows in this fine tradition. Sidelined by her bishop Margaret Butler in the early 1960s, this lay woman’s tenacity for lay ministry ensured that here is a roar and a total dis- pay for repair. Is there another the Volunteer Missionary Movement ruption of the ground. The question? was begun and has flourished. Before shaking and the rumbling The murmur grows into an Cardinal Hume died, he told Edwina Tcontinue sporadically for months avid discussion. It passes from that the Movement was the best thing and months. Buildings collapse, individuals to groups of all that had happened in the Catholic the ground liquefies and above all, denominations. Church in the last hundred years. many die. A question emerges. How do Edwina is still pushing boundaries, What does the future hold? The we want to be Gospel people in this seeing needs and moving to respond people are consulted, others try to century in this country? to them, often against strong oppo- make decisions, and there is strug- Do we still want the scandal of sition. History gives us strong hope gle and discord in council meetings. denominationalism in this multi- that these will be accomplished as When will it all end? cultural country? Can we share well, in the power of the Holy Spirit. What will the new city look spaces? How can we have sacred Finally, I wish to highlight another like? Who will make the decisions? spaces that reflect the culture gift of the Spirit shown in the practi- Who will pay? Who needs support? and beliefs of this country in this cal schooling outcomes about which What will happen to our houses? century? Should we be spending Pat Snedden writes with passion Our homes need a house to grow in. money on strengthening and (pp 22-23). Children from decile 1 Should we shift? How long do we repairing buildings and paying schools in one of Auckland’s poorest need to wait for others to decide the huge insurance premiums? state housing areas are responding fate of our property? What impact Who has a voice? Is there well, through new technology, to will this disaster have on those of us room for real dialogue? the demands of their schooling. Pat who live beyond Christchurch? Have I made my feelings and calls this an ‘overturning of expecta- Many of the churches of all thoughts known? Do I feel lis- tion’ — bringing increased attend- denominations are seriously dam- tened to? What Gospel message ance levels, greatly reduced truancy aged. No, not the churches, the is reflected in decisions? Do I rates, and a sharp improvement in church buildings. The churches who even see this as a Gospel issue? on-task behaviour of students as they are the people are alive and well. The At Pentecost there was become engaged in the Manaiakalani churches who are the people strug- a roar of wind and nothing programme. It is an ‘overturning’ of gle with decisions about the future was ever the same again. In an oft heard complaint, that govern- of their buildings. Christchurch, in New Zealand, ment departments and agencies are A quiet murmur begins to there was a roar and the people unable to work with the local com- spread. Are we asking the right ques- asked, ‘How do we want to be munity, families, donors and local tions about our church buildings? Gospel people in this century government. Here is a model that is We are asking about how we will in this country?’ n working. Spread the word! KT Tui Motu – InterIslands is an independent, address: Independent Catholic Magazine Ltd, Catholic, monthly magazine. It invites its P O Box 6404, Dunedin North, 9059 readers to question, challenge and contrib- phone: (03) 477 1449 ute to its discussion of spiritual and social fax: (03) 477 8149 issues in the light of gospel values, and in email: [email protected] the interests of a more just and peaceful website: www.tuimotu.org society. Inter-church and inter-faith dialogue editor: Kevin Toomey OP is welcomed. assistant editor: Elizabeth Mackie OP The name Tui Motu was given by Pa Henare Tate. It illustrator: Donald Moorhead literally means “stitching the islands together...”, bringing directors: Rita Cahill RSJ, Philip Casey, Neil Darragh, Paul the different races and peoples and faiths together to Ferris, Robin Kearns, Elizabeth Mackie OP (interim chair). create one Pacific people of God. Divergence of opinion typesetting: Greg Hings ISSM 1174-8931 is expected and will normally be published, although that does not necessarily imply editorial commitment to the printers: Southern Colour Print, 1 Turakina Road, Dunedin Issue number 160 South, 9012 viewpoint expressed. 3 Tui Motu InterIslands May 2012 letters always to the right introduced New Zealand’s first dom- letters to the editor iciliary psychiatric nursing service. This Lady Day (25 March) radical We welcome comment, It also pioneered industrial therapy, change came into our lives in more discussion, argument, debate. and established the Oakley Mental than one respect. But please keep letters under Health Research Foundation. First, on the Queen’s highway at 200 words. The editor reserves There may have been some certain intersections the rule is chang- places in which routine clinical the right to abridge, while not ing.