maristseasonss u m m� e r 2 0 0 5 A Quarterly Review of the Sydney Province “John of Egypt” Eat your heart out Lawrence of Arabia. A glimpse of Br John Curry acquiring new skills during his renewal year. * From the Provincial * Special Features * Archive Corner * Around the Communities * Requested Prayers * Brian’s Backpage * The Four Seasons * Superior General * What’s Jack Reading? Knowledge From the Provincial ...To follow Christ as Mary did nd so your vocational tale and mine is a good place to “Astart if we want to understand more fully just what the upcoming year is to be all about. From time to time, it does no harm to ask ourselves what it was that first brought us to the life of a Little Brother of Mary, and what it is that keeps us here.” Sean Sammon “Rekindling the Fire! Marist Vocation Year.” Time and time again present day Religious have no hesitation in declaring that it was a personal invitation from a professed Religious to them to consider this way of life that got them seriously interested in taking the initial step. In hindsight that was a blessing and a curse. Certainly many wonderful people re- sponded positively to the invitation and served Jesus in most generous and heroic ways, some for a time, others for a lifetime. Some were probably never really suited to this lifestyle yet in good faith gave it all they had before eventually putting it aside, others remained but lived unfulfilled lives. Sean’s distinction between “what it was that first brought us to the Life” and “what is it that keeps us here” is the key to an understanding of the place of Religious in the Church today. A similar distinction can be made with regard to the changes in the prime purpose for inviting young people to be Religious over time. What it was in the 1870’s, the need to ensure the future of Catholic schools is immensely different to what the needs of the Church are in 2005. Hopefully what keeps religious charged up today is their belief that their Institute and its charism remains a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church. Religious not only wish to share this gift with their fellow members but also to share it in appropriate ways with the laity for the good of all the Church. So the reason for remaining a Religious is not only to protect the charism or interpret the charism but especially to share the charism with others. Traditionally the focus of Religious Life charisms is on those groups most in need in society. By its call to solidarity with them, the charism pro- vides a challenge to all in the Church to serve more faithfully the gospel of Jesus. This summer edition of ‘Seasons’ reflects aspects of this vocational call and response. Articles on the Senior Brothers Retreat and an Immersion Experience for Brisbane youth to the Solomons may not appear to be related yet in as far as they are expres- sions of that same charism they are intrinsically linked as appropriate responses to the call to make Jesus known in the Marist way. Brother John Thompson Marist Seasons 1 Summer 2005 Around Our Communities Report from Hamilton Hill undergraduates and for some graduate programs. Bill is one of three lecturers who present the unit (Sydney Province's new in three streams to more than 450 students who community in W.A.) enrol in the unit every semester. In addition about twelve tutors take these students for one hour ill has been teaching at Notre Dame Uni- each week - another coordinating task that takes Bversity, Fremantle for the past three years. a considerable amount of time (and patience!). Prior to that Bill taught theology units with Luke Saker at Edith Cowan University mainly In addition Bill teaches an introductory unit in for students in Education seeking to gain their Christology (TH242E) to about 75 Education Accreditation to teach R.E. in Catholic Schools. students who take this theology unit in their That program was organised by the Catholic In- 2nd/3rd year as background knowledge for RE stitute of Western Australia, an organisation set teaching. He also takes a graduate Christology up by the Bishops of W.A. about 25 years ago to (TH542) unit on Monday evenings - mainly for supply lecturers to teach Catholic theology units teachers seeking to upgrade their qualifications. at various tertiary institutions because there was Finally, the College of Theology runs a number no Catholic Teachers Training College in WA. of External (correspondence) units in Theology two of which Bill coordinates. Currently Bill is employed full time as a Senior In his copious and abundant spare time Bill Lecturer in the College of Theology at UNDA. does some In-Service work for the WA Catho- (University of Notre Dame) One of his pres- lic Education Office; these are mainly two-day ent tasks is the coordination of the compulsory workshops for teachers wanting to improve their core unit ‘Introductory Theology’ (TH101). This accreditation rating. These workshops include unit, alongwith PH101 (Intro Philosophy) and Catholic Social Teaching and Christology. The ET101 (Intro Ethics), is a required unit for all Caritas program is also one of Bill’s interests and over the years in WA Bill has worked with Cari- tas in presenting Social Justice units such as the ‘Think Globally Act Locally’ program. Owing to the re-location of the former Churchlands community to new premises Bill and Roger Vallance (who is Director of Research at UNDA) have formed a new two-man community, administered by the Sydney province, at Hamilton Hill - only a ten minute drive to Notre Dame. With a spare bedroom available visiting Brothers are always welcome Left: Bill outside Notre Dame. Marist Seasons 2 Summer 2005 Around Our Communities Lomeri - Fiji Ceremony of First Profession n November 20, at a Mass celebrated by Father James Mokela SM, of Bougainville, in the OChapel of the Lomeri Novitiate, four young men of the new Melanesian District of the Syd- ney Province made their First Profession to Brother Brendan Neily, representing Brother Superior General. Before the ceremony in traditional ceremonial dress Clement (Bougainville, PNG), Noah (Sepik, PNG), Andrew (Choiseul, SI), Norman (Madang, PNG). Newly Professed Brothers Brothers Noah Huiruo, Norman Gonko, Andrew Ruquegolomo, Clement Pekubei. Marist Seasons 3 Summer 2005 Around Our Communities Drummoyne r John McCaffery has been a friend of the FMarist Brothers for many years. He has known some of us since childhood and yet others from his time as chaplain as St Joseph’s College in the 70s. He is perhaps known to most Brothers from his time at St Mary’s Rydalmere, where he served as Parish Priest for over 20 years, min- istering to our Brothers’ community as well as our ministries at St Mary’s Primary School and St Patrick’s, Dundas. And so on 26th November last year a group of Brothers, friends, family and supporters gathered at Drummoyne to celebrate John’s affiliation to the Province. Bill Tarrant delivered a speech in honour of a man whose gentle and loyal presence has been a gift to us over many years. In reply, John spoke warmly of his association with us as being like that of a family, an association we hope will continue for some time yet. John is currently the Parish Priest at St Catherine’s, Gymea. Fr John McCaffery, Br Thomas More, Br John Thompson and Mr Mark Tuffy (Deputy Principal, St Patrick's Marist College Dundas). Marist Seasons 4 Summer 2005 Around Our Communities Above: Tom More with Gee (a member of the Drummoyne household staff) and her husband at her Naturalisation Ceremony on Australia Day. Trichy Left: Paul Turner with the the new Sector Superior, Br Lazar and members of his Council, of which Paul is a member. Marist Seasons 5 Summer 2005 Around Our Communities Senior Brothers Retreat Senior Brothers Retreat 2004 Those Participating th When: Sunday 17 to Saturday 23rd October 2004 1. Lucius Burnheim Daceyville 2. Vincent Shekleton Cairns Where: Mittagong Farmhouse 3. Gerald Steele Cairns 4. Emery Nash Hunters Hill Hosts: Brs Michael Akers, Bernard 5. Bede Maher Hunters Hill McGrath, Claudius Mason, Annie 6. Emile Grogan Hunters Hill Nothangel, Carol Beattie 7. Vianney Dignam Campbelltown Leaders: Bill Selden, Tony Shears 8. Clarence Cunningham Campbelltown 9. Frederick McMahon Randwick Liturgist: Kostka Chute 10. Dacius Reilly Templestowe 11. Brendan Feehan Forbes Conference Givers: 12. Brian McGrath Forbes 13. Kenneth Preston Forbes Br Ray Mulvogue (2) Gerontology 14. Francis Fields Randwick Dr Paul dʼArbon (1) Gerontology 15. Alex Moss Randwick Dr Brian Beggs (2) Scripture 16. Bill Beninati Ryde Other input: The two Provincials, Brs John 17. John Moran Ashgrove Thompson and Paul Gilchrist came back from 18. Bill Borrell Bulleen Manila to express their support. 19. Virgiluis Carrol Randwick 20. Linus Meehan Bulleen Priests: Fr Terry Herbert MSC 21. Cletus Drew Cairns Fr John Frannzman MSC 22. Montanus McPherson Randwick 23. Kevin Friel Auburn Visitors: Included here were Brs Francis Elvidge, Thomas Hughes of the Mittagong Centre Community Right & Next Page: Br Anthony Shears and Br Bill Selden leading the Memorial for the Deceased. Marist Seasons 6 Summer 2005 Around Our Communities special blessing this ashram time were the Quote 1 informal chats, the intense listening, the A Old age is still a gift from the Lord … with slow motion dialogue, the sharp repartee, and concerns that are many-faceted: physical, psy- especially the stories – both humorous and re- chological, mental, spiritual (D Gotte Moeller flective… Review for Religious 62.2.2003) Irrespective of any personʼs view of the events Quote 2 and decisions of the last half century, that “Our communities are neither families nor are personʼs closest encounters and experiences they therapeutic centres.