NEWS. Dear Partners in Mercy EDITION 16 SPRING 2013

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1 EDITION 16 SPRING 2013 MERCY PARTNERS NEWS CONTENTS 1 COUNCIL S REPORT 2 EDITORIAL 3 LEADERSHIP FORMATION PROGRAM UPDATE 6 MINISTRY UPDATES 11 REFLECTION CONTENTS PHOTOS: CENTRE PHOTO ALL HALLOWS SCHOOL COUNCIL S REPORT ANNE HETHERINGTON RSM CHAIRPERSON, MERCY PARTNERS Dear Partners in Mercy If I were asked to sum up the life and work of Jesus in one word, that word for me would be compassion. SO OFTEN IN the Gospels, something Jesus is recorded as doing is preceded by a sentence such as Jesus had compassion on him/her/them. It might be the feeding of a large crowd who had followed him all day, the healing of a blind man or a group of lepers, or the raising to life of a widow s only son. It was not enough for Jesus to offer understanding or sympathy he saw a need and he responded to it. Many of the stories Jesus told also centre around the need for doing something when an opportunity presents itself. Probably the best known parable in this regard is that of the Good Samaritan, but there are many others. Numerous saints and other holy people are held up to us as exemplars of compassion in their own time. Catherine McAuley s injunction that the poor need help today, not next week, and Mary Mackillop s challenge to her Sisters: never see a need without doing something about it, show that these two women understood the Gospel message, and their actions are proof that they certainly put it into practice. It all sounds so clear and simple, so is that why most of us feel so guilty about not doing something when we know we should? As Mark Twain once said, It ain t those parts of the Bible that I can t understand that bothers me, it is the parts that I do understand. We all feel sympathy for those persecuted for their beliefs, for the homeless, for families suffering illness or bereavement. Certainly, in times of crisis, most of us respond generously, but in the busyness of our everyday lives what do we do personally that goes beyond the strict call of duty? It doesn t have to be anything heroic, indeed we can be paralysed by the enormity of doing something really heroic. But a phone call, a cup of coffee with a friend in need, a meal cooked for a family in crisis, volunteering for some charitable activity planned by my church or club these sorts of things are not heroic, but the cost in time or money involved in doing them is usually far outweighed by the relief they bring to the other. Compassion wears many faces. See Council s Report, page 8 DIARY DATE October 16-18, 2013 Theology of Mission Mercy Partners next Leadership Formation Retreat will be held at the Mercure Townsville, Woolcock St, Townsville. 1 Mercy Partners NEWS EDITION 15

2 MERCY PARTNERS UPDATE JUDITH GARDINER EXECUTIVE OFFICER, MERCY PARTNERS EDITORIAL From the Executive Officer THIS EDITION OF THE MERCY PARTNERS NEWSLETTER FOCUSSES ON THE RELATED THEMES OF MISSION, COMPASSION AND DISCERNMENT. THESE THREE THEMES came together recently as the Council of Mercy Partners gathered for a two day meeting that included Council s half-yearly planning day. Part of the time was given to an in-depth reflection on the understanding of Mercy Partners as the whole the ministries combined to form Mercy Partners, with a shared mission, while each ministry has its own related mission: God s mission, as it was described and lived for us by Abraham, Moses and the prophets in the Old Testament and Jesus and his disciples in the New Testament. The mission statement of Mercy Partners is to contribute to a world where the healing, liberating, life-giving mercy of God is experienced. Stephen Bevans reminds us in his paper The Mission has a Church: An Invitation to the Dance (Australian ejournal of Theology, Vol 14, No 1 June 2009), that it is up to us, in communion with each other, to do God s work in the world. Mercy Partners strives to be such a communion of individuals and ministries working in our own contexts and localities, to bring healing, to liberate and to offer and receive life-giving mercy. At the Annual Gathering, Mercy Partners people from across the ministries reflected on the value of compassion as a significant expression of the mission. This gathering was an opportunity to collectively explore compassion in the light of the lived experience of young people, and indigenous people. So this newsletter touches on the experiences of people from the Council and across the ministries: people who come together to develop their understanding of God s mission, who try to live the value of compassion in their daily lives, and who continually seek to discern God s purpose. I am reminded of the Gospel reading a couple of weeks ago (Luke 14: 12-14) when Jesus, invited to a Sabbath feast, said to his host, When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relations or rich neighbours, in case they invite you back and so repay you. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; then you will be blessed, for they have no means to repay you and so you will be repaid when the upright rise again. For scriptural commentator, Fr Michael Tate, in today s world this Gospel demands that Australia (indeed having a wonderful party in comparative global terms) should offer a generous refugee and humanitarian settlement program here, not to help investment in skills and capital here, but to help those who are suffering some humanitarian catastrophe, without the necessities of life and even in peril of their lives. And this should be supplemented by a generous overseas aid program at government and voluntary levels to extend the table overseas. This Gospel presents us with the facts. There is a feast. There are the poor, the maimed, the disabled. Justice demands, God s justice demands, a redistribution of resources, an invitation to the table of prosperity. It is obviously good for the recipients. And it is also good for us! (Tate, M. LiturgyHelp.com.au) Our ministries are working hard to attend to the poor, maimed and disadvantaged in our society. This is our mission. Our mission statement will be the starting point for the Formation Leadership Retreat to be held in Townsville, as Fr Anthony Mellor will lead us to a renewed understanding of God s mission and the part we are to play. Closely linked to our themes of mission and compassion is hospitality. During September and October Mercy Partners Councillors will meet with ministry leaders in social settings to thank them for the tremendous work they do. September will also see Mercy Day celebrated here at Nudgee and across the ministries. We will be celebrating with a comfortable cup of tea with our colleagues from the Christian Brothers Oceania Province office, Mercy Family Services, the Good Samaritan Sisters and CRAqld who work on this campus. As Catherine McAuley showed hospitality and compassion to those of her day, let us too show the hospitality of Jesus to those we meet. Discernment The Council also spent time this month exploring the meaning and practice of discernment a deep decision-making process undertaken in the light of faith and an understanding of God s mission through Mercy Partners. Mercy Partners Councillors and Stewards held a Discernment Evening to identify new Councillors lay people willing to contribute their skills and faith commitment to the service of Mercy Partners mission for a period of time. This was an extraordinary evening of questioning, thinking, deliberating and collaborative reflection. Communal Discernment is a group of people, in a common enterprise, discerning the Spirit to determine where they are being collectively led It is reaching a consensus guided by the Holy Spirit. Discernment presumes of people a generosity of heart, prayerful disposition, psychological balance, honesty about self, true image of God and motivation awareness. Discernment presumes of communities a sense of communion; a common vocation in the Spirit; a common commitment to carry out decisions of the group; individuals who live for and by the group and as such do not subvert the common good, for personal ego or gain. [Discernment also requires] a leader to facilitate an agreed discerning process and a period for confirmation of the decision (Scroope, M Ignatian Spirituality for Today, 2008, Loyola Institute, p108). 2 Mercy Partners NEWS EDITION 15

3 LEADERSHIP FORMATION PROGRAM UPDATE FORMATION REPORT CARMEL DWAN RSM MERCY PARTNERS FORMATION CO-ORDINATOR OUR ANNUAL GATHERING THIS YEAR WAS HELD AT THE TRAVELODGE CONFERENCE MOTEL IN ROCKHAMPTON AND THE FOCUS OF THIS GATHERING WAS THE MERCY PARTNERS VALUE OF COMPASSION. WE REACHED A milestone with the number of attendees at this gathering being over 70 and the largest number of Mercy Partners Community we have had at any gathering. As usual we commenced with a light lunch and introductions. The purpose of the afternoon was to introduce to participants a group of people who invoke compassion and are ministers of compassion themselves, the students and staff from St Ursula s College Yeppoon and Emmaus College Rockhampton. Kathy Curran (deputy principal Spiritual and Pastoral) reflected on the journey of their indigenous students, some of whom are from remote places. From the process that helps them keep in touch with their families, to the dressing up and DIARY DATES From the Formation Corner Above-left: Keynote speaker, Dr Jan Gray rsm; above-right: Artist, Ms Barbara Trevaskis, alongside the painting she created for Mercy Partners, The Past, The Present and the Future. celebration of their graduations, it was a journey of hope and compassion for the students and all those responsible for their boarding and educational formation. The young women themselves spoke of some special times. This was at a great cost to themselves because they were very shy and it took a lot of courage for them to stand in front of a large group of people and share their personal stories with us. We were all invited to make our own footprint. The students supplied paints and cut out paper footprints, and we were invited to decorate our own footprint leading us to what is it like to walk in another s shoes? This was a great experience and provided us with an opportunity to talk with the young women. They then had to leave to be back at Yeppoon for a sporting event. When Mercy Partners was first formed Barbara Trevaskis, an indigenous woman from Rockhampton, painted a picture of our logo enhanced with her own reflections on Mercy and the Sisters. She came along to share the story of the imagery she had created. We were enriched by further stories of life and compassion from teachers and students from Emmaus College College. They told the story around the memorial dedicated to Fr Mick Hayes a Rockhampton priest who died recently who was although not indigenous himself; however he dedicated himself to being with indigenous people and being a voice. Once again it was an afternoon of stepping into the shoes of others and gaining just a small insight into their journey and background and especially what the land actually means to indigenous Australians. All of these activities were coordinated by Moira Truelson rsm, member of Mercy Partners Council. Thank you Moira. The afternoon s stories flowed into our ritual, followed by a formal dinner during which we were enriched by hearing of the ministries taking place in Rockhampton, Mackay and Bundaberg and this not just from the CEOs but from staff members on the ground. It was a great night. Our key note speaker on the Saturday morning was See Formation Corner, page 4 Theology of Mission October 16-18, 2013 Venue: Mercure Townsville Understanding the Biblical Foundations of Catholic Ministry and the Theology of Mission; identifying the need for Prophetic Role of Leadership in ministry today; understanding and being able to apply an Audit of the Mission to ensure Mission effectiveness. Leadership and Governance in a Catholic Ministry April 2-4, 2014 Venue: Robertson Gardens, Brisbane Understanding Governance and Fiduciary Responsibility within a Catholic Ministry; the Organisation Aspects of the Catholic Church including Canon Law; understanding Mercy Partners Sponsorship Mission, Structures and Responsibilities; acknowledging the need to Resource the Mission and Ministry, balancing Mission and Business. EDITION 15 Mercy Partners NEWS 3

4 FORMATION CORNER Continued from page 3 Dr Jan Gray rsm who broke open the word Compassion and what it means in all religious beliefs from pre-christian to the present day. Once again we came away feeling humbled, blessed and enriched by spending this time together. Clockwise from left: St Ursulas girls facilitating the footprint activitity. Rae Willie, Indigenous Specialist Officer- Education Services. Students from Emmaus College Rockhampton prepare to present. Particpants enjoyed personalising their footprint artwork including: Bob Nicholls, Beryl Amedee rsm and Peter Pearce; Berneice Loch rsm, Anne Hetherington rsm and Lesley Schneider; Adele Wilkinson, Marcia Healy and Sandra Moore. 4 Mercy Partners NEWS EDITION 15

5 Clockwise from top-left: Catherine Dunbar, Principal of St Ursula s. Cathy Curran, Deputy Principal, Spiritual and Pastoral, St Ursula s College Yeppoon. St Ursulas group with Rosemary Grundy pbvm. Bob Campbell and Kathleen Tynan pbvm. Maria-Jean Rhule rsm and Peter Sydes. Mercy Day at Mercy Partners by Judith Gardiner At Mercy Partners, our small staff of Sheryl Rowse, Anna Gardiner, Alison Hutton, Catharine Burke, Carmel Dwan rsm and I celebrated Mercy Day with a tour of the Mercy Heritage Centre at All Hallows School and a tour of the St Stephen s Cathedral precinct. This allowed us to gain a better understanding of the beginnings of mercy in Queensland. We also hosted a morning tea in our office for some of the people who work on the Nudgee campus with us: Oceania Province, Catholic Religious Australia Qld, the Good Samaritan Sisters and Mercy Family Services. We took the opportunity to share a comfortable cup of tea, a symbol of hospitality, generosity and friendship, while remembering the many women and men of mercy who have offered their hospitality and personal gifts to those who are poor, disadvantaged and those in need of solace and grace. On this site we have a powerful reminder of those Sisters of Mercy who dedicated their lives to the poor and disadvantaged through the names of the buildings here and to the generous spirit of service that is associated with each of the ministries located on this site, today and in the past. We have the privilege of working on the site that was for the Sisters of Mercy, a place where young people were cared for and nurtured. Today, it is the site of caring for the aged and frail. Before the Sisters came here in 1866, the area was an important place of gathering for the indigenous people who nurtured this land. We decorated our Boardroom with beautiful cups and saucers to demonstrate the care that has been taken in our culture to making a cup of tea comfortable. We are blessed indeed in our friendships and working relationships, grateful to take the time out of our work day to gather together. Our prayer asked us to consider that in the teacup, spirit can meet spirit, story can meet story and experience can meet experience, creating a unique blend and a distinctive flavour that is Mercy, and to think about how much richer our own lives are when we make the time to listen, to share, to enter into the cares of those we meet over a cup of tea. EDITION 15 Mercy Partners NEWS 5

6 MERCY PARTNERS MINISTRY UPDATES An artist s impression of Mater Private Hospital Springfield. MATER HEALTH SERVICES TO CONSTRUCT NEW HOSPITAL IN SPRINGFIELD Mater Health Services has unveiled plans to build an 80- bed, $85 million private hospital in Springfield, with work due to start in September MATER PRIVATE HOSPITAL Springfield will offer a combination of inpatient, day and chemotherapy beds and will be supported by $21.4 million in Australian Government funding for the cancer care centre. The seven level, m2 facility will include theatre space, inpatient wards, a day surgery unit and a cancer care centre, initially with a linear accelerator and 15 medical oncology treatment bays, to be further developed in a partnership between Mater and Radiation Oncology Queensland. Stage one works are due to start in October this year and be complete by the end of 2015 with further stages planned for future roll out. Mater Health Services Chief Executive Officer Dr John O Donnell said the new hospital would provide a range of medical and surgical services that are relevant to the Springfield community. ILLUSTRATION: COURTESY MATER HEALTH SERVICES 6 Mercy Partners NEWS EDITION 15

7 Mater Private Hospital Springfield will mark the start of a 52 hectare master health and wellness precinct that will be unique to the country ST PATRICK S TOWNSVILLE MERCY DAY MASS The hospital will be a truly innovative, unique and contemporary model including latest use of digital technologies for providing health care needs to the growing region. The framework of services provided by Mater, its partners and other third parties, will be responsive to the community s health need and will provide accountable, holistic care that promotes wellness, prevention of illness in addition to exceptional acute and sub-acute care and treatment. Mater will work closely with Springfield Land Corporation (SLC) in relation to the Master Planning and governance of Health City Springfield Central. Chairman of Springfield Land Corporation Maha Sinnathamby said he was excited the company s five year relationship with Mater Health Services had resulted in the private hospital project. Mater Private Hospital Springfield will mark the start of a 52 hectare master health and wellness precinct that will be unique to the country providing all forms of coordinated health facilities and services such as research and development, education and training, allied health, retirement and aged care with appropriate hotel and visitor s accommodation. Approximately 8.7 hectares of Health City Springfield Central is earmarked for primary health and acute hospital type development with pre-planning approval obtained for up to 1200 hospital beds. Ipswich Mayor Councillor Paul Pisasale welcomed the announcement. This is tremendous news. When completed, current and future residents in the area will have a range of high quality health services on their doorstep. Springfield is the fourth fastest growing urban area in Australia, comprising six suburbs across 2860 hectares. Bishop Michael Putney, Fr Mick Peters and Deacon Vitalis offer their congratulations as Mercy Partners Councillor, Marie Melville rsm, presents a framed poster of the Mercy Education Values to College Principal, Ms Marcia Chock Man, at the St Patrick s College Townsville Annual Mercy Day Mass, held on 5th September 2013 at St Joseph s Church, North Ward. At the recent Mercy Day Mass, Marie Melville rsm, Mercy Partners Councillor, presented St Patrick s Principal, Marcia Chock Man, with a series of recentlypurchased posters. Ms Chock Man said, We had a lovely Mercy Day Mass with Bishop Michael who gave a wonderful homily on Mercy and quoted some recent sayings about Mercy from Pope Francis. The students were very engaged. These beautiful posters of Mercy Education values (six different values and a general one) have been framed for hanging in rooms at the College. At the Mass today, we invited the Bishop to bless the posters. It was a lovely opportunity to reflect on the mercy values with the bishop and Sr Marie, former Congregation Leader of the Sisters of Mercy in Townsville. Yellow roses As part of an annual tradition, miniature yellow crepe paper roses, lovingly handcrafted by Catherine Cuddihy rsm, were distributed to each member of the Congregation by the Sisters of Mercy attending the Mercy Day Mass. Mercy Day Reflection Ms Chock Man also shared a reflection on Mercy, written originally by a Sister of Mercy. Reflections on Mercy by a Sister of Mercy The word mercy can sometimes be interpreted as simply being nice or keeping the peace. To think of mercy in this way is to rob it of its powerful, intrinsic, divine and human potential. True mercy begins in the heart, having the capacity to bless not only the one who receives it, but also the one who gives it. Mercy is not simply something one does. Mercy is a way of relating. It is a habit of mind and heart which compels a deeply felt response, an enduring approach to what we see happening in our world. It opposes injustice and whatever is degrading and unforgiving in our world. It refuses to see things according to the labels so often used to describe people and situations. Therefore, it is likely to involve risk and even danger. To be a person of mercy requires conviction and courage. It means being a person of action. Marcia Chock Man is the Principal of St Patrick s College Townsville PHOTO: COURTESY ST PATRICK S COLLEGE TOWNSVILLE EDITION 15 Mercy Partners NEWS 7

8 MERCY PARTNERS COUNCILLORS VISIT TOWNSVILLE MATER ON AUGUST 19, Sisters Anne Hetherington, Marie Melville and Sandra Lupi met with the executive team for lunch, then toured the hospital. This was an occasion for the councillors of Mercy Partners to become familiar with the hospital and its leaders. Sr Sandra said, Travelling to Townsville was a great opportunity to see the ministries and meet the dedicated people who give so much of their expertise and wisdom to ensure the continuance of these facilities on behalf of the Church in Queensland. Board Co-chair, Ms Geraldine O Brien, welcomed the councillors and said how pleased she was that the hospital s new CEO, Mr Gerard Wyvill, has settled into this role. She had great hope for the future of the ministry. Pictured above, left-right: Director of Nursing Karen Gerrard, Director of Medical Services Dr John Stokes, Marie Melville rsm, Anne Hetherington rsm, Sandra Lupi rsm, Board Co-chair Geraldine O Brien and CEO Gerard Wyvill. PHOTO: LINDA SOUTER COUNCIL S REPORT Continued from page 1 It is one of the values espoused by Mercy Partners. I like to think it is our primary value because it calls us to enter into another s experience in such a way that we are moved to respond. How can we do this authentically without also honouring our other values of Justice, Respect and Hope? Recently I have had the opportunity to visit some of the Mercy Partners ministries and to read publications put out by a couple of others. I have really been impressed by the collective effort of so many to embrace the challenges of being a compassionate ministry by partnering with other community groups to do things which none could do by themselves, by thinking outside the square in doing their traditional ministry in new and creative ways, by breaking new boundaries in the delivery of services to those on the margins. Perhaps we should ask ourselves if there is any way we could be involved in some of these activities which are being done on behalf of us all. As we celebrate at this time the feast of Our Lady of Mercy we are reminded that Mercy is another name for Compassion. That should challenge all of us who work under the banner of Mercy Partners to go beyond the strict call of duty and to make our world a better place by the depth of our compassionate service for others. Happy Mercy Day to all! Mercy Health and Aged Care Central Queensland by Ian Mill Our facility Executive Officers along with Lynne Sheehan, Marie Melville rsm, Glenn Raine (Mercy Food Service) and Jerry Lynch (Mercy Linen Service) gave a brief presentation at the Mercy Partners gathering held in Rockhampton last weekend. Feedback from the gathering was very positive and everyone was very impressed with the manner in which our MH&ACCQL representatives explained how the value of compassion is lived out each and every day in our health and aged care facilities. Reproduced courtesy of Mercy Mail. Ian Mill is MH&ACCQ CEO. 8 Mercy Partners NEWS EDITION 15

9 FORMATION UPDATE ALL HALLOWS SCHOOL Cape York Immersion By Christine Clarke, Mary Childs and Julie Compton NINE NIGHTS, TWENTY-ONE students, three teachers, three Red Earth Connections volunteers, one exquisite starry sky, hundreds of elusive Bennett s tree kangaroos, one composting toilet, one creek for bathing, three smoking ceremonies, eight tents, zero electricity, one campfire, two shovels, two mattocks, one hundred and sixtythree seedlings, one wheelbarrow, three indigenous communities, one forest night walk, one garden, twelve crocodiles, three fish, one goanna, one bush tracker, countless songs, four bus drivers, two pastors, three satellite phones, zero mobile phones, zero internet, one wise Bana woman, one yarning circle, one heart, one spirit, one people, infinite love, laughter, gratitude, listening and learning a simple summation of the experiences of the staff and students who visited the indigenous communities of Wujal Wujal, Bana Yarrilji and Hopevale during the June/July holidays. It is also a vastly inadequate summation. Mere words cannot even nearly encapsulate the profound impact that this immersion had on each of the participants. In June/July 2013 a group of twenty-one All Hallows students, three teachers and three volunteers from Red Earth Connections ventured into the indigenous lands of Cape York. There we were welcomed onto the lands and into the hearts of the local indigenous people. We learned about the infinite beauty and intrinsic value of a land which holds the stories and the spirit of an ancient peoples. We learned from the wisdom of Marilyn Wallace a tribal elder of Bana Yarrrilji, a woman on a mission to bring sustenance and life to her people, a woman of immense integrity, openness and spirit. We learned the challenge and the liberation that comes from putting aside for a while our obsession with material things. We learned the worth and humility that comes from opening ourselves to the other. We learned that love, laughter, tears and faith are at the essence of humanity and that, in realising this, we must become more authentically compassionate people. We learned that hard work done collaboratively can realise previously Our human story is a shared story Mercy is making a deep space for others in our heart unimagined outcomes. We learned that justice is a complex imperative which is more than worth our absolute determination in its achievement. We learned our human story is a shared story. We learned that we must use our education to become advocates for a world which is experienced as peaceful and just for all people. We learned that our education is vastly enhanced when it beckons us into the world of the other and so motivates us to reject the discrimination, hatred, indifference and lack of compassion which arise from the separation of them from us. It has been said that Mercy is making a deep space for others in our heart. This immersion experience has sowed the seeds of Mercy in the hearts of all of us who were part of it. It invited us to be teachable in our encounter with others we had not previously met or understood. We have just celebrated Migrant and Refugee Sunday. We hope we can at least use our learning from this immersion to inform a compassionate response to the plight of refugees seeking asylum in our land. PHOTOS: ALL HALLOWS SCHOOL Mrs Christine Clarke, Ms Julie Compton and Ms Mary Childs are staff members at All Hallows School Left: Christine Clarke, Julie Compton and Mary Childs take a break. Above: Making new friends. EDITION 15 Mercy Partners NEWS 9

10 MERCY PARTNERS COUNCIL UPDATE Cocktail gathering in Rockhampton Left-right: Cathedral College Rockhampton students perform at the cocktail event. Lynne Sheehan, Director of Projects and Sandy Moore, Mater Mackay Executive Officer. Leesa Jeffcoat, Gerard Houlihan, Rob Alexander. LAST WEEK MERCY Partners hosted a cocktail gathering in Rockhampton to celebrate the great work being done by the ministries that make up Mercy Health and Aged Care Central Queensland (MH&ACCQ). The gathering was held at Middle Hall on the Range site that has been the centrepiece of the ministries of the Sisters of Mercy in Rockhampton. Sr Anne Hetherington welcomed the guests on behalf of the Council. In her welcome she spoke of the great wealth of talent in the ministries and congratulated the Board on their commitment and dedication to the ministries. Ms Leesa Jeffcoat, Chair of MH&ACCQ thanked the Council for taking up the challenge of sponsoring the ministries which had been transferred to Mercy Partners by the Congregation at the end of The relationship has continued to blossom and the Board is grateful for the willingness of Mercy Partners Councillors to listen to the concerns of ministry leaders. She thanked the Sisters of Mercy present, led by Sr Berneice Loch rsm of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea (ISMAP&NG) for their stewardship over so many years, and their continued interest and support. Students from the Cathedral College provided excellent music for the occasion. WELCOME: APPOINTMENT OF NEW MERCY PARTNERS COUNCILLOR Kieran McCarthy MERCY PARTNERS IS pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Kieran McCarthy as a Councillor of Mercy Partners. Kieran joined the Council on 18 September, flying to Rockhampton to join the Council for its meeting and the social function at the Range. As the Principal and Director of Jones McCarthy Lawyers, Kieran has forged a successful career spanning twenty years 10 Mercy Partners NEWS EDITION 15 as a Litigator, heading a specialist family law team of five solicitors and four support staff. Commencing articles in Biloela, Central Queensland, Kieran s grounding in complex matrimonial disputes involving sophisticated agribusiness structures and interests saw him make the transition from the bush to McCullough Robertson Lawyers, one of Brisbane s premier corporate and commercial law firms. Kieran remained at McCullough Robertson for seven-and-a-half years, rising to the position of associate. Kieran maintains strong links with McCullough Robertson who remain one of his chief referrers of work, alongside members of the Judiciary and the Bar. Kieran joined All Hallows School alumnus Margaret Jones in 2002, and was elevated to Partner in 2003, taking over the firm upon Margaret s retirement from the practice as a Partner in Kieran s familial associations with the Sisters of Mercy and their Mission extends from the education of his father Tom McCarthy s family at Francis Xavier School at Goodna, an association continued over several decades, in Tom s work with the Mater Hospitals, in the context of his senior roles within the Health Department. Kieran s mother Barbara nursed at the Mater and Kieran and his siblings were born there. Kieran is married to Public Relations Executive Kristin Devitt, an active alumnus of All Hallows School and a member of the AHS 150 Committee. In 2013 Kieran and Kristin s oldest daughter Louisa commenced schooling at AHS, and will be the fourth generation on her mother s side to do so. Kieran and his family are active members of the Jubilee Parish, under the leadership of Father Peter Brannelly.

11 , When reading the Spring edition of Madonna Magazine I came across the following article. It captured for me the recent experience of our Annual Gathering with the indigenous and Torres Strait Island people and also our preparation for the feast of Our Lady of Mercy. When Jesus offered Mary to the world at the foot of the cross to be the mother of all humanity, he knew that he was giving the world a woman for all cultures, for all seasons, for all time. In the autumn of Mary s life Mary experienced excruciating pain as she saw her son whipped, scourged and mocked by crowning him with thorns. This is not the woman who has been portrayed over the years as a pale, sweet, fragile, pretty girl. ABORIGINAL CHRISTIANS CAN relate so well to Mary, for she is a source of nurture and comfort. Mary symbolises the Land, which we have always called Our Mother, she who has nourished us, providing us with all our needs. This can be a comforting image, especially for those who have been forced from families and homelands. Woman of autumn, our Aboriginal women share your pain, as so many of our sons have been brutally beaten, jailed unjustly by governments and other forms of authority, without proper representation. COMPOSITE IMAGE: KUDRYASHKA/123RF STOCK PHOTO; 216PHOTO/ISTOCKPHOTO We can easily recognise signs in Mary s life that help us to deal with the pain of violence and uncertainty because of poverty, oppression and conflicting views within the religious and political beliefs of the leaders of her time. Also, it would have been confusing for her to understand the role her son Jesus was about to play in the fulfilment of her people s ancient culture. We see Mary in the winter of her life She walks with her son, courageously, in agony on the road to Calvary. Standing there at the foot of the cross, she watches his slow terrifying death. We can barely imagine what thoughts must have been going on in her mind. In the spring of Mary s life There is the planting of the Holy Spirit within Mary s womb, as she responds with complete faith in the bewildering message given to her by the Creator s messenger, the Angel Gabriel. We see her youthful spontaneity in her visit to her older relative Elizabeth. Woman of winter, so grief stricken, did you think about the message given to you by Gabriel and wonder why all this was happening, what was it all about? We too wonder why our culture is dying and remember massacres that took place through the cruel, thoughtless misunderstanding of who we were as people. We turn to you to help us have the faith to carry on, in spite of the pain. Woman of spring. Here we see a very common aspect within our Aboriginal culture. When a very young woman is pregnant, she seeks the wisdom of an older woman. Woman of spring, help us to face sudden bewildering change as you did. Help us trust in our Creator Spirit to give us the grace of love and hope, even when we do not understand. Help us to remember that at the close of every winter there is always another spring waiting to be born. In the summer of Mary s life We witness the courage and tenderness of a woman without the usual support and comfort of a proper hospital, though gripped with the fear of the unknown. She gave birth to a special Spirit Child, who was to become the Light of a world filled with darkness. Madonna is a great publication produced by the Jesuits four times a year with the seasons. I recommend it to you as a vehicle both for reflecting on the daily scriptures and also for very interesting and challenging articles. Look it up on the website www. madonnamagazine.com.au/ Woman of summer, help us to be strong and compassionate, when we see a woman in need of a helping hand in her life, whether she be Aboriginal, migrant, or other. A woman for all seasons is reproduced with permission from Elizabeth Pike and Madonna Magazine (Spring 2013). EDITION 15 Mercy Partners NEWS 11

12 REFLECTION AN ABORIGINAL LEGEND ABOUT LOVE In the 1970s, the women of Santa Teresa were having troubles with the young girls of the community, struggling with them to grow strong in their Aboriginal Catholic faith. They remembered a legend, not a gospel story, given by the missionary sisters. At the time when Mary was taken to heaven, the apostle Thomas was not with the others. Later he was taken to where Mary had left the earth. Strangely, it had become a garden of flowers. Mary was faithful to her beloved until the end When the Aboriginal women heard this Assumption story, it reminded them of the story of the Sturt Desert Pea. Two young women gave birth at the same time, a boy and a girl, so it was decidd they would be promised to each other. Time passed and the young boy went for his initiation. He gave to his promised girl a necklace made from the Anarnta tree. He asked the girl to stay there till he returned. That year, a bad drought occurred and the people had to move to find food. The girl refused to go, for she had promised to wait. The drought continued, and finally the young girl died. Soon after, the rains came, and the desert flowers appeared. The young man returned and saw that people had left camp. But under the Anarnta tree he saw a cluster of the beautiful Sturt Desert Pea, shaped and coloured like the necklace he had given her. In his heart he knew the Great Spirit had taken this special girl home to her true Dreaming Place. The women of Santa Teresa explained to the girls of the community how this story was about the way this young girl was like Mary, who was faithful to her beloved to the end. Such stories can help our girls grow strong. PHOTO: TWOBLUEDOGS/123RF MERCY PARTNERS info@mercypartners.org.au PO Box 424 Banyo Q 4014 Lvl 2 McAuley Bldg 131 Queens Road Nudgee Q 4014