THE MON T HLY MAGAZINE FOR T HE CA T HOLI C S OF T HE DUNE D IN DIO C ESE HE ABLE T DecemberT 2011 T Issue No 171 Be agents of faith after a year of gloom Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, LAST year at this time we were all struggling to come to terms with the Pike River Mine disaster and now, on its first anniversary, the inquiry and hearings still go on. The families who have lost loved ones still struggle in a limbo of uncertainty, grief and lack of closure. Then came February and Christchurch was devastated with another earthquake that took a horrendous toll on human life, with people badly injured and many homes and building destroyed. The aftermath of this calamity continues to dominate our country’s news and its effects still reverberate around New Zealand. Just recently, too, our clean green image took a battering when a foreign vessel, Rena, was shipwrecked on a reef outside Tauranga, spewing tonnes of oil on to pristine beaches. Winning the Rugby World Cup – and only by the skin of our teeth – against our old nemesis France was some consolation to a very Bishop Colin seen on the big screen while addressing the Kuwait conference. battered and bruised nation. For all that, 2011 will be remembered as a year of stress and heartbreak. the courtyard for a quick coffee and was besieged by a huge Against such a gloomy backdrop, the season of Advent we number of people, young and old, who formed a column to are now celebrating challenges us to see Christ in all these ask for prayer, intercession and blessings. There were all sorts situations. That takes faith and from time to time we need of petitions for healing – physical, emotional, psychological, that faith recharged. We are then better able to be agents of relational etc. I had to take cover from the Arabian sun and faith and hope to others. didn’t get finished until lunchtime. As I said to one of the Recently, I was privileged to be invited as the keynote convention organisers, “They are a credit to their Catholic faith speaker to the Gulf Catholic Charismatic Convention at in their prayer, praise, family life and work and I am sure they are the Holy Family Cathedral in Kuwait. There were over 2000 seen as model citizens living in lands with Muslim majorities.” people attending. Mainly Indian and Filipino Catholics, I personally found the whole experience a great help to these people have made countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, my own faith and we can learn a lot from such people. What United Arab Emirates, Bahrain etc their adopted homes. The impressed me was the obvious fact of the nurturing of faith convention was attended by the bishops of Northern and in their homes. We speak about the Catholic Character in our Southern Arabia and the Apostolic Nuncio. The cathedral, schools and how dear this is to us all; but we need to realise that which can hold about 1000 people, saw the overflow sitting this is only as strong as the Catholic Character in our homes. in the church forecourt and an adjoining hall, watching on That is what it is built on. We need to bolster or rediscover big TV screens. You could not fail to be impressed by the those faith practices in our homes. faith of these people. As we draw near to Christmas, we need to reflect on how much My impression from the participants was that the norm- our homes are modelled on the Holy Family of Bethlehem and ative expression of their faith was Catholic and charismatic. Nazareth. As Jesus was the centre of that family, let us pray in It was a faith that was vibrant, colourful and joyful. There this new year of faith that our homes will mirror and reflect the was no western reserve here but rather a sense of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. presence of God in their lives that was evident, attractive May Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, bless you and your loved and infectious. Whenever I emerged from the presbytery to ones richly this Christmas, 2011, and in the new year of grace. go to the cathedral or for a walk, I ran a gauntlet of happy faces all coming to seek a blessing or ask for a prayer. One In the Spirit, morning, after giving one of the addresses, I came out into ✟ Colin The Tablet December 2011 St Andrew’s decommissioned By GILLIAN VINE John P. Kavanagh in March 1962. The THE church at Ocean View was building, with seating for 80, was part formally closed on November 27 of a house bought from the Ministry of with a Decommissioning Mass Works for £55. Moving it to the site cost concelebrated by Bishop Colin a further £30. Campbell and Mosgiel-Green Island James K. Baxter and his mother, parish priest Fr Michael Dooley. St Millicent, attended Mass regularly at St Andrew’s, in Edna St, had not been Andrew’s in the 1960s and were clearly used regularly for several years. remembered by older people at the Bishop Colin told the 35 people Mass. Several people spoke of how present, “It’s a sad day when we seminarians at Holy Cross College came decommission a church,” but he over the hill from Mosgiel and swam at added it was important to realise the the beach. One seminarian from Heriot Church was not about buildings, but drowned, after which swimming was people. banned by Holy Cross. “While it’s sad, there is also a sense Bishop Colin asked that, as they of thanksgiving for what we have reflected on the good times and the sad experienced here – the sacraments times, people put their memories in the and the fellowship. Let’s keep those context of Advent, which celebrated memories with gratitude to God.” the “Christ of the past, his presence In 1949, New Zealand Tablet now and the Second Coming”. announced that Brighton, then part After the Mass, people adjourned of Forbury parish, was “to have Mass to the parish hall in Green Island for at least once a month”, in a local hall. afternoon tea and a chance to share In 1950, Brighton became part of the their memories. Bishop Colin Campbell and new Green Island parish, then in1959 St Andrew’s, which stands on a Mosgiel-Green Island parish services were transferred to Ocean 0.0754ha site, is to be sold. priest Fr Michael Dooley outside View, again in a hall until the church “It might become a house again. Who St Andrew’s Church after the was opened and blessed by Bishop knows?” Fr Michael told The Tablet. Decommissioning Mass. www.pilgrimagetours.co.nz O’NEILL Ireland, Holy Land, Medjugorje and DEVEREUX Lourdes - New Zealand Catholic pilgrimage tours. 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Welcoming people – including many from Gore parish – to a packed Bishop Verdon Chapel, Deacon Vaughan’s brother- in-law, Brian Rabbitt, said: “We are all very proud of him.” Bishop Colin Campbell said: “Vaughan, on this joyous occasion, [we] pray for your ministry to God’s people.” Mosgiel parish priest and Deacon Vaughan’s spiritual director, Fr Michael Dooley, called him forward to be presented for ordination. Deputising for Holy Cross Seminary rector Fr Philip Handforth was Fr Stuart Sellar, whose role was to formally present the candidate to Bishop Colin. In his homily, the bishop recalled Pope Benedict’s words at World Youth Day in Sydney in 2008, when people were challenged to make a difference. “Vaughan responded to that missionary call.” Bishop Colin asked people to think what it meant to be a Bishop Colin Campbell and Fr Vaughan Hook celebrate the priest in today’s world and presented an ideal picture of a Eucharist. vibrant parish and said: “We can make it happen.” Michael. Fr Vaughan was then anointed by Bishop Colin with After the homily, Deacon Vaughan stood before the bishop, the Oil of Charism, a sign of his consecration to God. announcing his intention to undertake the priestly office. During the Presentation of Gifts, Kavanagh College student He then knelt and placed his hands between the bishop’s, Kylie Price sang Love Never Fails. promising respect and obedience to him and his successors. After Communion, Fr Vaughan thanked everyone, saying: “I During the Litany of the Saints, the candidate lay prostrate, have been blessed with so many people to support me and then again knelt before Bishop Colin, who laid his hands upon guide me.” When he concluded, the congregation burst into him. Bishop Len Boyle and the 40 priests at the ordination spontaneous and prolonged applause for the new priest. then laid their hands upon him, following which Bishop Colin His Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated the following day. prayed the prayer of consecration, after which the new priest l More ordination photographs will be published in the was vested by his sister, Christine Rabbitt, and eldest brother, February issue of The Tablet.