The. Witness. of the Diocese of Port Pirie. Volume 57 Number 6 - December the wise still seek him

Transcription

1 The Witness Wi of the Diocese of Port Pirie Volume 57 Number 6 - December 2011 the wise still seek him

2 2 Editorial Editorial At this time of the year, with Christmas approaching, my mind invariably takes me back to the 1980 version of the film, The Jazz Singer. In the file the main character, played by Neil Diamond, is in a real struggle of wits with his father for his father, and his father before him, all blest with fine voices were cantors, those who sang in the synagogue. The film portrays much more than a simple father versus son struggle: it is a real clash of cultures it is the story of the old world versus the new. In the course of the film, Neil Diamond sings a song with words that go something like this : Far, we ve been travelling far without a home, but not without a star. Free, we only want to be free, huddle close and hang on to your dream. The song always reminds me of those wise men, from the east, who risked everything in their search for the newborn. They are called wise, because at that from the Bishop s Diary December 2nd St Mark s College Year 12 Graduation Mass & Dinner Port Pirie 4th Cathedral Liturgy Second Sunday of Advent Blessing of Cribs 5th Riverland Forum - Barmera 6th Bosco End of Year Mass Port Pirie 8th 25th Anniversary of St Mary of the Angels Church Port Lincoln 9th Clergy Assembly, Council of Priests Meeting Port Lincoln 10th 11th 25th Anniversary celebrations of St Mary of the Angels Church Port Lincoln 12th Star of the Sea Board Meeting followed by Christmas luncheon 16th End of Year Staff Mass and farewell for Mr Kerron Gillen Port Pirie 19th Mass and lunch with Port Pirie Diocesan Principal and Deputies Port Pirie 20th Attend jubilee celebrations for Archbishop Adrian Doyle Hobart time the Arabian countries led the world in all sciences and mathematics. Could you imagine trying to do calculus using Roman numerals? These men came, with their gifts for a foreign King, yet his own people saw him only as a threat. However that is not representative of all that Judaism has to offer: there is a strain in the more mystical side of the Jewish faith that tells us that the messiah comes to every generation, for all generations need redemption. Perhaps that is behind the story; perhaps that is what these scholars from the east have to say to us today, that we, like them are called to look to the signs of the times. For we are called to see the star and to be bearers of the promise of God s salvation to all people and cultures. January Fr Chris Warnock 27th Commissioning Mass for new teachers and staff Port Augusta February 1st Commissioning Mass for new teachers and staff Gladstone, Jamestown & Peterborough 3rd Commissioning Mass for new teachers and staff Port Lincoln 6th Commissioning Mass for new teachers and staff Port Pirie 7th Meeting of Centacare Catholic Port Pirie Board 8th Opening Mass for St Mark s College Port Pirie 18th Commissioning Mass for new teachers and staff Wallaroo 19th Opening Mass for Aquinas University College 20th Meeting with Jesuit Schools Commission Sydney 22nd Cathedral Liturgy Ash Wednesday 25th Jubilee celebrations for the Sisters of Saint Joseph Adelaide 29th Commissioning Mass for new teachers and staff - Riverland CONTENTS December 2011 Features Bishop's Message Ad Limina Visit Year of Grace Blessing of the Cribs Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Child Protection Information Angels in Ceduna Around the Diocese Post World Youth Days Around the Diocese Dioceasan Information Sunday Mass Times Chistmas Mass Times EDITOR Fr Chris Warnock frchriswarnock@gmail.com PRODUCER & ADVERTISING Automatic Print Phone: (08) sales@automaticprint.com.au A bi-monthly publication issued every February, April, June, August, October & December. Circulation: 4000 copies Readership: 17,500 readers Target audience: Catholic faith adults & children of regional South Australia.

3 Bishop s Message 3 At Christmas five years ago, people entering St Francis Xavier s Cathedral in Adelaide were shocked to discover that the nativity crib had been vandalised. Someone had urinated over the statues of Mary and Joseph, and the statue of the baby Jesus in the crib had been smashed into pieces. Rather than have the statue of Jesus replaced, the Archbishop instructed that the broken pieces should be gathered together in a basket, and placed in the middle of the sanctuary, in front of the altar. It had a very powerful impact on people, and many knelt on the step of the sanctuary in prayer. One man, well known in the Cathedral, who has a very positive personality but is not quite in possession of all his faculties, spent the whole time of one Mass lying prostrate in front of the broken pieces. In all, there was a whirl of emotions, from shock and disbelief, to incomprehension, even dread. Who would know the motives why someone would carry out such acts? Putting it starkly, why would anyone want to break Christ? Perhaps it was somebody hurt by a person of the Church, or who has experienced the Church as a hostile institution. Perhaps it was someone antagonised by the high ideals preached and practised by Jesus. It could have been someone infuriated at Christianity, possessed of a hatred for those who call themselves Christian. Indeed, it might have also been by someone moved by Satan, or the demonic within, to destroy and degrade as best they might the image of Christ. There are different levels of reflection we can have concerning A Vandal at Christmas the image of a crib desecrated and vandalised. The broken bits produce for us the powerful image of Jesus smashed. There is the rejection by the world, as St John s Gospel would have it. There is much that goes on in our world and in the opinion makers of our society which do not actually advocate the smashing of the message of Jesus, but wish to side-step it, or reduce it to a series of innocuous noble sentiments. Christ never accepted this; He said He came to spread fire on the earth. He said that the first would be last, and the last would be first. He said that following Him demands real sacrifice. He told us that anyone who loses his life might save it. He told us that the poor are blessed, and that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no one could come to the Father except through Him. He taught us that greater love no one can have than to lay down their life for their friend, and He stared down death Himself, revealing to us that there is life beyond our years on this earth, and that He is the resurrection. We must not allow the world to sanitise Christ, to reduce His message to simple exhortations to be good. Another meaning for us is that part of our vocation is to refashion Christ, to build again His Body in the world, just as one might take the broken pieces of a statue and reform it. So there are the themes of those who would want to break Christ in the world, and there is the image of the broken Christ Himself. His life for us was broken from the beginning, being born in a stable because there was no room, being born in poverty, and having nowhere to lay His head. The whole message was that His life would be poured out for us, that the Father so loved us that He sent us Christ, that all might believe in Him. He came to us at Bethlehem, a name that means the House of Bread. Born in poverty, He left ways to feed His disciples with the Bread of Life. We know that wine is useless if it remains in a bottle, and it must be poured out. So also with the life of Christ. We know that bread if it stays as a loaf does no good, but it must be broken and shared if it is bring any benefit. So it was with the life of Christ. Hence at this Christmas, looking beyond the present imagery of the nativity scene in the crib, we should look at how we might live the truth Jesus taught by His coming amongst us, that we are so loved by the Father that He sent His only Son. Nothing can ever take that away from us. Parts of our lives might be broken or destroyed, but the presence of Christ will make all things whole and new again, a joy and truth we celebrate each Christmas. Bishop Greg O Kelly SJ SUPER WAREHOUSE PORT PIRIE Shop 2, 26 Main Rd Port Pirie SA 5540 PORT AUGUSTA 9 El Alamein Rd Port Augusta SA 5700 MOBILE SERVICE

4 4 Ad Limina Visit Archbishop Battersby (Brisbane), Bishop Kassab (Chaldean), Archbishop Coleridge (Canberra), Holy Father, Archbishop Doyle (Hobart), Bishop Foley (Cairns), Bishop O'Kelly S.J. (Port Pirie) & Bishop Hurley (Darwin). Thirty-six Australian Bishops recently undertook their ad limina visit to Rome. The phrase means to the threshold of the apostles, and is undertaken once every five or so years by the Bishops of any particular country. The exercise serves as something of a pilgrimage for the Bishops of a particular country to meet the Holy Father, and there is an accountability as we give reports on our dioceses to the various Vatican departments and also let those officials know what our views are about particular developments in the Church. Four major Masses are concelebrated by the Bishops during the ad limina visit at the tomb of St Peter, in the Basilica of St Paul commemorating the event and place where he was executed, the Church of St Mary Major (the principal church dedicated to Our Lady in Rome) and the Church of St John on the Lateran Hill, the mother of all churches. This is the principal church used by the Pope as Bishop of Rome from times before the construction of St Peter s Basilica. We had a day off and journeyed to the magnificent site of Subiaco, a medieval Benedictine Monastery where St Benedict began his quest for God. The Bishops met the Holy Father in groups of seven. It has become too much, and there are many Bishops, for the Holy Father to meet each Bishop individually for any length of time. We did however have a couple of minutes with him each when we first greeted him, and I showed him photographs of our diocese the church at Coober Pedy, Uluru, the Riverland, Mass on a veranda at a cattle station, Mass in the hotel at Mintabie, myself in full regalia standing on the rather bleak landscape outside Woomera. I had intended simply to show these to the Pope, but he kept them! For that short meeting the Pope asked each of us to speak for about eight minutes on what was happening in our various dioceses. We also had a full audience with all Bishops present. and Archbishop Wilson as... for all your financial needs Call our local professional team for advice on achieving your personal goals Phone Norman Street PO Box 1236, Port Pirie SA 5540 info@pisanigroup.com.au

5 5 President of the Australian Bishops Conference gave an address to the Holy Father, who replied with his own words. We were fortunate to have another occasion when the Pope was present, at the blessing and opening of Domus Australia, sponsored by the Sydney Archdiocese. It is a place where Australian pilgrims to Rome can stay in comfortable surroundings. We stayed within the Vatican premises, and usually saw three Vatican departments each day, for a little over an hour each, and sometimes a fourth. Apart from those encounters we had our own liturgies and prayers together, and numbers of meetings in small groups and as a general assembly. Five times we met as a body to discuss the removal of Bishop Morris from the Toowoomba Diocese, and this topic occupied three of the meetings with various Cardinals. The removal of Bishop Morris was an episode without winners, on all sides. Outside Woomera, our Bishop searches for his flock! Pope Benedict's reaction to the photograph below! A major fruit of the exercise was the experience of collegiality as Bishops of Australia between ourselves, and with the Holy Father. A Bishop must one day stand before God to give an account of his ministry as the prime pastor and teacher of the diocese. It carries responsibilities he may not avoid. There are also many joys as one encounters the signs of grace and love among the people of the diocese and its pastors. A sense of collegiality among the Bishops is both a strength and reward. I spent a lot of time in Rome praying for the diocese, for our priests and religious individually, for our principals by name, and running through my mind and heart all the parishes of our diocese. I did this at each of those four major Eucharists, and also at the shrine of St Ignatius, and at the tombs of St Benedict and St Scholastica. May Mary, and those apostles and Saints all intercede for us in our Diocese of Port Pirie. Bishop Greg O Kelly SJ

6 6 Year of Grace A Year of Grace proclaimed Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to you on behalf of all the Bishops of Australia, giving thanks to God for your faith and witness. We now share with you a message of hope. We call the Catholic people in Australia to a Year of Grace, to span the time from Pentecost 2012 to Pentecost Like the disciples at the first Pentecost, we commit ourselves to start afresh from Christ. For several years the Bishops have been reflecting deeply on the life of the Church in Australia. We have asked how we can better serve the needs of you, God s faithful people, in bringing the peace and good news of Jesus Christ to our nation. We also acknowledge with sadness that we are a Church in need of healing. There are many wounds most especially the wounds of abuse which have left not only those abused but the whole Church in need of healing. There is also the struggle to defend the dignity of the first Australians and those who come as migrants and refugees to our shores. We need to extend the hand of friendship to those of other nations and faiths and to be good stewards of the created world. Most deeply, we desire for the light of Christ to burn more brightly in the heart of each Australian. As Bishops, we asked ourselves where we can turn with so many issues confronting us. Our response in faith is to start afresh from Christ. We make this call, firstly and most urgently, to ourselves as Bishops. We are resolved, in the words of Pope John Paul II, to contemplate the face of Christ. Both these phrases come from his Apostolic Letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte (At the Beginning of the New Millennium), and we use this Letter as our guide and inspiration. We commit ourselves to repent for the areas in which we have failed, individually and together, seeking healing and renewal through the grace of Christ s forgiveness. We commit ourselves to the path of holiness, cultivating the many gifts of the Spirit and seeking to grow as disciples of Jesus. We entrust this year to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and through this renewed commitment, we are confident that the Church in Australia will be transformed by the power of Christ s resurrection in our lives. Planning has already begun in every diocese in the country, so that the Catholics of this nation may respond to this fresh invitation to contemplate the face of Christ. We invite you to join us in this journey of prayer so that this Pentecost year will be for our nation and all Australians truly a year of grace. Your brother in Christ, Pope Benedict XVI has also proclaimed a Year of Faith for the whole Church, to begin on 11 October 2012, the fiftieth anniversary of the beginning of the Second Vatican Council. We are confident that, with grace leading to faith, and faith responding to grace, the Year of Faith and our Year of Grace will complement each other. We recognise, firstly, God s abundant blessings to us. You will know many of these in your own lives. We have seen them, too, in large public celebrations such as World Youth Day in Sydney and the Canonisation of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. As we address this challenge to ourselves, we invite you to walk this journey with us in hope. We commit ourselves to pray daily, seeking the mind and heart of Jesus Christ. Archbishop Philip E Wilson President, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference ALEX'S MEAT SERVICE Props. ALEX & ANTHEA DUNBAR SPECIALISING IN PAN-READY MEATS BULK & BARBECUE PACKS CLUB SUPPLIES 281 SENATE RD, PORT PIRIE Ph

7 7 Blessing of the Cribs It is my hope that the blessing of the cribs on the Second Sunday of Advent will grow as a feature of the devotional life of the diocese. My hope is that the boys and girls from a particular class designated by the principal might make a Christmas crib and carry it in procession for the Mass of the Second Sunday of Advent. All children around the age of Years 5 and 6 are invited to participate, from whatever school. A family may have a crib (I hope you all do) which they display in their home in the lead up to Christmas, and a family member may wish to bring a crib or figure from it as part of the procession and blessing. There is a special blessing for cribs, and this can be done in the course of the Mass. The Christmas crib is a gift to the Church from St Francis and the early Franciscans. It depicted the simplicity and charm associated with the birth of Jesus. At the actual event, there was little charm but more the pungent odours of the stable. Nevertheless, into that stable went a young man and woman whose yes to God changed all human history when the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us. To that crib came the high and the mighty and the poor and the lowly, the wise ones from the east and the shepherds from the fields. They were from different nationalities and different ages. The love of God in Christ embraced all shades and colours and ages of humanity, as each is precious in His sight. The procession of cribs at Mass and the blessing is an excellent way to involve children, and as a diocese we are consciously striving to find ways and means to make our Church child friendly. Hence my request that you take this practice as seriously as one can by making the effort to involve the family in the construction of a crib. The figures might just be cut-outs, or made from polystyrene or plasticine, it does not matter. The important thing is the input from the children, drawing them closer to a love of Jesus who was born for us. Bishop Greg O Kelly SJ Photo shows (from left) Merrill Lymn, Fr Jim Monaghan, Nina Douglass and volunteer Mary Westlake. Absent: Rhianna Foster. Blessing of Centacare Office at Wudinna Chair of the Centacare Catholic Family Services Board of Directors Fr Jim Monaghan together with Board member Sr Anne Higgins OLSH visited the Wudinna Centacare office on October 4th. Centacare rents the office in the grounds of the Wudinna Hospital. Team Leader Merrill Lymn and her staff support parents with skills workshops, as well as providing general counselling in the mid-eyre Peninsula region. Through the drought years, this counselling was supported by Federal Government funding; now that the drought has passed, so has the funding. Centacare is committed to finding other ways to sustain our counselling service in Wudinna, as it s the only one in the district. Merrill and her team have also been assisting the local community plan a response to the proposed large magnetite mine at Warramboo, just south of Wudinna. As part of the visit, the office was officially blessed, with staff participating in the readings, blessing prayers and sprinkling of holy water. For all your general Insurance needs; Farm, Business, Domestic Norman St, Port Pirie AFSL

8 8 Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office The Australian Catholic Bishops welcome on-shore processing of asylum seekers The Catholic Church welcomes the decision taken yesterday by the Government to process the claims of vulnerable asylum seekers onshore. Yesterday, the Prime Minister, decided to delay the Migration Bill accepting that onshore processing had to be adopted. This came after the High Court found that the Government did not have the power to swap asylum seekers with Malaysia due to inadequate protection safeguards. The Government knows all too well the views of the Catholic Church on this matter. The Catholic Church has always been advocating in favour of onshore processing, said Fr Maurizio Pettena, Director of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office. Global contemporary migration which reveals the plight of asylum seekers is marked by injustices, abuses, exploitation, human trafficking and all sort of persecutions. This poses a very serious and urgent call to action on the part of the human community and more so on the part of those who have been elected to public offices to serve for the good of all, he said. The Catholic Church offers pastoral care to asylum seekers both during the time their visas are being processed and after and has always offered to work with the Government in the pursuit of more humane ways to respond to the cry of asylum seekers. More boats will likely come as this unfortunately is the reality of the world we live in there is still much suffering in the world. However, this is not a call for alarm or community anxiety, on the contrary, Australia boosts over 200 Charities ready to support asylum seekers in the community. Helping others never leads to social unrest; rather, it builds goodwill, peace and international respect said Fr Pettena. The Catholic Church calls on all political parties to work towards implementing a fast and effective system of onshore processing which will give back to asylum seekers the human dignity they long for and will enable them to fully contribute to our Australian society. The Government has been visionary in hosting asylum seekers in the community, having recently moved a great number of Children out of detention. The catholic church strongly encourages the Government to continue in this endeavour he said.

9 9 Statement from the Australian Catholic Bishops in Rome Our letter to Bishop Brian Finnigan in May said that, during the Ad Limina visit in October, we would have discussions concerning the events which led to the departure of Bishop William Morris from the pastoral care of the Diocese of Toowoomba. That has been done. We had individual meetings with Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Subsequently we had a joint meeting with Cardinal Ouellet and Cardinal Levada. As well, we ourselves met several times. We were very appreciative of the time given to us by the Cardinals and the personal and pastoral concern which they expressed. Our discussions with them were substantial, serious and candid. These meetings have given us a more adequate understanding of what was done by the Holy See in an attempt to resolve the difficulties with Bishop Morris, which concerned not only matters of Church discipline but also of Church doctrine definitively taught, such as on the ministerial priesthood. What the Holy See did was fraternal and pastoral rather than juridical in character. Although efforts continued over many years, a critical point came when Bishop Morris failed to clarify his position to the satisfaction of the Holy See and then found himself unable to resign as Bishop of the Diocese when the Holy Father made the request. What was at stake was the Church s unity in faith and the ecclesial communion between the Pope and the other Bishops in the College of Bishops. Eventually Bishop Morris was unable to agree to what this communion requires and at that point the Pope acted as the Successor of Peter, who has the task of deciding what constitutes unity and communion in the Church. We express our acceptance of the Holy Father s exercise of his Petrine ministry, and we reaffirm our communion with and under Peter. We return to Australia determined to do whatever we can to heal any wounds of division, to extend our fraternal care to Bishop Morris, and to strengthen the bonds of charity in the Church in Australia. rossigns port augusta We believe nothing is too difficult, nothing is too much trouble. The only thing that matters at such a time are the wishes of those we serve. This has been our family s commitment for five generations. Our complete, competitively priced, service is available in your community. Proudly Supporting Natasha, Bernard & Betty Siebert 49 Wakefield Street, Adelaide 5000 Telephone (08) hours Proprietor BV Siebert Manager B Siebert Member AFDA, AFHA, NFDA windows, shopfronts, vehicles large format photos and canvas prints promotional / event banners information boards interpretive signage safety signs and products We project manage from initial concept to manufacture and complete installation. 52 Victoria Parade, Port Augusta P/F: rossigns@crossroadsconcepts.com.au

10 Diocesan Assembly

11 11 New Child Protection information and training now available for our parishes 1.5 hours CSE covers volunteers whose ministry is directly with children As part of our Implementation of the Policy for the Care, Wellbeing and Protection of Children and Young People across our Diocese, we are now able to obtain the appropriate information and training for all our parish volunteers whose ministry is directly with children. By now your parish will be quite familiar with the 15 minute basic training in Child Safe Environments (commonly combined with basic OHSW training) which covers all volunteers in parishes. The new information and training is for Children s Liturgy of the Word leaders, Altar Server trainers, YCS and youth group adults, RI catechists, and all whose ministry in the parish is directly with children. The information and training is based on the State Government Child Safe Environments Guidelines booklet and incorporates information regarding Professional Boundaries which also guides our teachers in both State, Catholic and other Independent schools. The information has been specially adapted by Ms Teresa Lynch and the Adelaide Child Protection Office for use in our parishes, takes 1.5 hours, and will be presented to parish groups by government approved trainers from Centacare Catholic Family Services. Of course, if in the last three years a particular volunteer has already done the 7 hour Child Safe Environment training or the 3 hour refresher training, then they don t need to attend the 1.5 hour information and training session. A volunteer in this situation just needs to bring a copy of their certificate for the 7 hour or refresher training to the parish office to be retained with the Child Protection records of the parish. To organise the 1.5 hour information and training session in your parish or group of parishes, please phone Ms Anna Jacobs at Centacare in Whyalla, on Code of Conduct The Code of Conduct is now ready for all our parish volunteers. This simple but inspiring code will help each minister understand more deeply the dignity of their role, and the dignity of the children and young people of their parish. Vicariates have been given copies, or you can find it in the How To Guides which each Parish Priest and Pastoral Associate have been given. As volunteers complete the 1.5 hour information and training session they are encouraged to further demonstrate their commitment by signing the Code of Conduct. Checklist of progress: In your parish, by now: all volunteers in positions of esteem and trust should have completed a Catholic Church Police Check all volunteers, in any role, should have completed the 15 minute training in Child Safe Environments a Child-Safe Contact Person would have been appointed records of the above should be kept up to date in the parish office Child Protection would be on the agenda of each Parish Pastoral Council meeting The Child Protection Charter, and the contact numbers for Towards Healing and SA Police, are displayed in the porch of your church Child Protection Sunday would be observed each September. Churches and parish activities are becoming child-friendly environments and experiences. May Mary, Mother of the Church and Seat of Wisdom, guide us with her prayers and love, as we plan the care, wellbeing and protection of God s children. - by Fr Jim Monaghan and Deacon Gary Stokes Bigger - Better - Stronger

12 12 Angels in Ceduna - Fr Jim Monaghan The October Long Weekend saw my fellow Centacare Director Sister Anne Higgins OLSH and me being introduced to some special work being carried out on behalf of the Diocese by our Centacare Catholic Family Services staff in Ceduna. Manager Michael Wallis and his eleven staff help families and children through the Domestic Violence and Aboriginal Family Violence Service, the Stronger Families, Safer Children program, and the Alternative Care program. They also provide a General Counselling service and Financial Counselling service. In their work they are supported by staff and management from other Centacare offices. Ceduna is a beautiful place, situated by the shore of the Great Australian Bight. Many there live happy and fulfilling lives. And yet it is a place of profound poverty, discrimination and disadvantage. In the Book of Exodus we read, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry! (Ex 22:22). Ceduna is a community whose cries must reach heaven. Many families live two families to a house. Others live in tents in the Transitional Accommodation Centre, and that s still not the worst place to have to stay. Many of Centacare s clients present with multiple traumatic situations. In the face of this, Centacare carries out its work with hope and joy. Witness readers will recall the blessing some years ago of the Seven Sisters accommodation run by Centacare. The agency will soon become responsible for managing a brand-new accommodation facility, which will run 24/7, and staff are busy organising furnishing and security. Continuing the theme of compassion, the agency works with the local Christian Ministers Association, including Fr John Folkman, in the distribution of food parcels. Michael s team are an enthusiastic bunch, always looking for new ways Photo shows (from left) Centacare Board member Sr Anne Higgins OLSH with Centacare Ceduna staff Donna Taylor, Lena Taylor, Michelle Naylon and Nathalie Binder. to make their work of compassion and professional skill more effective. Staff member Michelle Naylon, one of five Aboriginal staff, is a gifted artist, whose artwork adorns the office, while Lena Taylor speaks many of the languages of the region. Everyone brings her or his own gifts to bear. We hear that locally, the Centacare team are known as Michael s Angels surely a fitting title for a team headed by a Manager with such an angelic name! ACMRO offers sympathy on death of Sri Lankan refugee The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office offer our condolence to the family of the Sri Lankan refugee who passed away on Wednesday, 26 October. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to the Sri Lankan community. The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office also wish to express our empathy to the many other refugees and asylum seekers still in detention waiting for their claims to be assessed and processed. Director of the ACMRO, Fr Maurizio Pettená lamented this is another very sad story of immigration detention. Australia still has over 4400 asylum seekers in immigration detention facilities. Over 2000 of these have been deprived of their liberty for more than 12 months, despite the fact they have committed no crime. This injustice must end said Fr Pettená. The length of time spent in detention and the frustration of not being able to challenge their detention or seek explanation of why their detention is being prolonged, understandably may result in tragedies such as the taking of one s own life he said. In 1950 in response to the refugees of World War II, the Australian Bishops wrote to the Catholic faithful, Patience, kindliness, sympathy and practical help must be rendered to all unfailingly and in God s Name. This message remains true today. There are community based alternatives to detention and the Government needs to hear support for such initiatives from all Australians who believe in the dignity of human life he said. Fr Pettená urges the Australian Catholic faithful to pray for those still in detention and for an end to indefinite mandatory detention. PO Box 49 JAMESTOWN, SA, 5491 B/L G9148 REDDEN BROTHERS T/A SHED BOSS MID NORTH P: Fax:

13 13 from the Chair of Centacare Across our Diocese we are seeing the imminence of significant change in the regional economy, the arrangement of work and its effects on families, the population and nature of our communities, the cost of our rent and our groceries, the availability of volunteers, the experience of our aboriginal people, and the impact on schools, businesses, sporting clubs and churches. The change is largely the result of globalization: the reality of the interconnectedness of world financial, commodity and trade arrangements. Whether it s unsustainable returns for fresh fruit grown in the Riverland; the extraordinary demand for labour, power and water from our own region for what s intended to be the largest mine in the world at Roxby Downs: the likely transformation of communities like Wudinna, Kimba and Peterborough by other mining developments: the mismatch between executive compensation packages and the pittance received by our working poor and our destitute; compacting two or even three families to a house in Ceduna there s no doubt that our patch of the outback is inescapably caught up in the new world order. In some ways our situation is a good problem to have better to have investment in our region, one might say, than be cut off from development. Our state government has certainly backed development and investment across South Australia, and deserves our gratitude for this. At the same time, the consequences and distortions experienced in our local communities include some unwelcome ones, as outlined above and these must be dealt with. Family wellbeing, and personal and community survival depend upon sound management of these problems. In the socio-economic equation, currently presented to us, we are told that there are two main players: the market and the government. One provides the investment capital and the technical know-how: the other provides the rule of law and the encouraging investment environment. As one government official commented, it s about market the market deciding which are winners and losers. [Whyalla News, , p3]. But is that all there is? Pope Benedict, writing in 2009 at the time of one of the major outcomes of letting the market determine winners and losers, namely the Global Financial Crisis, asserted that there is an essential third factor. He calls this the specific contribution of civil society or the ordinary human community, and names it as gratuitousness, or an economy of gift. Human beings and human communities are called by God to have a gratuitous loving care for one another and interest in one another s wellbeing, which goes beyond questions of profit and law. In Centacare, following Catholic Church Social Teaching, we use the words like solidarity and subsidiary to describe this spirit of generous reciprocity. We see that it must infuse and influence both the market and the state. In other words, both market and state are there to serve human beings and communities - not the other way around. (Caritatis in Veritate nn 39, 40). At Centacare Catholic Family Services, Catholic Diocese of Port Pirie, we are glad to hear of economic progress, and thankful for a stable state and federal Phone: Mobile: government system. However, we rejoice even more in seeing families that function well, communities where neighbourly concern is a feature, service clubs and volunteers of all stripes faithfully doing their work, and churches which commit to serving Christ in the poor of their communities. In such a context, we sense our own unique call to assist all in our society, particularly those most disadvantaged and excluded from the good things of life. We assist them that they might be enabled to make their contribution to the life of the world, and receive the share due to them, they, their families and communities. We hope that we constitute a humble but significant element of civil society in our patch, whereby each person can discover and be reassured of his or her dignity as one made in the image and likeness of God, and every community have a sense of being called to take responsibility for their own life and welfare insofar as they are capable. Fr Jim Monaghan

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15 Around the Diocese 15 Considering Children Living with Separation, at Christmas. As the Liturgical Year closes and we prepare for the season of Advent, commercial messages heralding Christmas are increasingly being amplified. For Christians this is a significant, special time and yet expectations about Christmas have the potential to bring out the best and worst in each of us. The stress of added commitments, working to a budget, finding the right gift or the prospect of family gatherings all take their toll on even the most organised or focused person. Throw into the mix family breakdown and / or family separation and there can be even more tension for families. Family separation impacts on parents, grandparents, other extended family and in a very unique way, children. This is in stark contrast to the message being borne to us through the Holy Family of Nazareth. golden rule of not criticising the other parent when talking to your children or in their presence must be observed. Children usually love each parent and want to be loyal to each parent. Be especially mindful so as to not do anything which may undermine this. The following steps may assist to avoid unnecessary conflict during Advent and the Christmas season. As parents: Negotiate and agree on what you will do so that there is no tension (the Family Relationship Centre can assist both of you with this); If possible, jointly discuss your ideas with your children; Ask your children what they would like to do. Give them input and some control over the process (this may depend on how old they are, however, all children should have the chance to say what they would like to do); Listen closely to what they say; Put their desires ahead of your own; If your children s wishes can t be met, take the time to sit down with them and explain why; Be responsible in how you speak and behave with your former partner, family members and especially the children; Avoid situations where your children are drawn into the centre of conflict; and Remove yourself from situations in which the conflict may escalate. If you require further support contact Centacare s Family Relationship Centre on Teresa Lynch on behalf of Centacare s Family Relationship Centre Over the remaining weeks as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus steps can be taken to minimise the stress and keep conflict low if you have the best interests of the children in mind. Communication is the key to this. Provided children are safe they have a right to meaningful relationships with each parent, with grandparents and significant others in their lives. Therefore the P/F: (08) Mobile: WORKSHOP 25 BARTSCH DRIVE, PORT PIRIE SA frankdag@bigpond.net.au Lic. No. BLD25397

16 16 Post World Youth Days Riverland Visit On Friday 21st Oct. some of the Diocesan World Youth Day Pilgrims visited OLOR in Berri and St Joseph s Barmera to give a presentation on their journey and experiences while in the Holy Lands and Madrid for World Youth Days in August this year. Each class had pilgrims visit their classroom where they presented photos and answered any questions that the students had. They had an extra visitor with them called Wombi. Wombi is a toy wombat who travelled the Holy Lands and Madrid with one of the Pilgrim s, Bonnie Noonan who is a reception teacher at OLOR. Wombi was photographed at the airports, in the accommodation places, having meals with the pilgrims and joining in all activities of the time overseas. Bonnie has made a childrens book about Wombi s travels and adventures for her class. A lot of our children were able to have their photo taken with Wombi too. On Saturday the pilgrims had the day at the lake, water skiing and enjoying Barmera s wonderful weather before attending the Cobby Club for dinner and dancing to local band, Shattered Glass. Sunday morning they attended Mass at St Francis Xavier Church in Barmera and presented the Parish with a chalice carved from olive wood and purchased from Bethlehem. After Mass the pilgrims, families and parishioners joined together for lunch at the Barmera Monash Football club From left Briony Fitgerald from Barmera and Whitney Mickan from Cummins ( Kirby Kingham and Nicholas Beech both from Barmera in the background ) Daniel Royals from Whyalla and Gerard Dutton from Waikerie P & J PISANI KERB & GUTTER SPECIALISTS AND ALL CONCRETE WORK Driveways & Paths PORT PIRIE & Raft Foundations & Floors SURROUNDING AREAS Continuous Garden Edging Concrete Boom Pump Available for All Concrete Pours Mobile EST. SINCE 1983 Lic No. RL 22473

17 17 Bonnie Noonan from Berri in the 40 degree heat where they presented a video of their journey and answered questions from the audience. The Pilgrims are hoping to travel to various other towns in the Port Pirie Diocese to share their presentation with other schools and parishes early next year. from left Bishop Eugene Hurley from Darwin, Bonnie Noonan from Berri and Bishop Greg O Kelly SJ from Port Pirie overlooking the city of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives Statistics for the massive sleep out and World Youth Day Mass with the Pope were 2 million young people 193 countries represented 30,000 volunteers 14,000 Priests 800 Bishops 5,000 journalists And one Pope The area where the event was staged was at an old aerodrome called Cuatro Vientos just out of Madrid. The crowd took up the space of 48 football fields. Group photo School visit Some of the pilgrims who presented to Riverland Schools in Oct, Standing from left Mick Beech Barmera, Whiney Mickan Cummins, Daniel Royals Whyalla, Bonnie Noonan Berri and Kirby Kingham Barmera. Front is Briony Fitzgerald Barmera with Wombi Northern Agencies MANUFACTURER'S AGENTS, WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS, STOCKISTS & PROCUREMENT SERVICES YOU WANT IT, WE'LL GET IT Telephone: (08) Facsimilie: (08) Ayliffe Street, WHYALLA, SA, northernagencies@oz .com.au Nicholas Beech lays at the spot where Jesus was born in a stable at Bethlehem

18 18 Around the Diocese New Roman Missal officially launched by Australian Bishops The new English translation of the Roman Missal was officially launched on the 24th of November by the President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Archbishop Philip Wilson during the Bishops Plenary meeting in Sydney. Chairman of the Bishops Commission for Liturgy, Archbishop Mark Coleridge, spoke Roland John Vaughton Jack was born in, 1918 the only child of Roly and Anna, [nee McCarthy]. Educated by the Sisters of St Joseph, at Georgetown, he left school during the depression of the early 1930 s, and worked for his father, who had a carpentry business. Jack was the picture framer and later graduated to becoming a painter, and did much work for the Church, and the Sisters. A fine sportsman, Jack had won many trophy s, having played golf and tennis in his younger days Jack was proud of his faith as a Catholic, and his church was proud of him. During the time I of the project of re-translation which has spanned over ten years and affirmed that the new Roman Missal, while not perfect, is a significant improvement on the texts that have been used since We have a richer and stronger text for use in the liturgy and a solid base for developments that lie in the future, he said. Executive Officer of the Liturgy Commission, Fr Peter Williams, was pleased with the product and the process of working together with secretaries from other Bishops Conferences together with the Catholic Truth Society who published the Missal."It has knew him, Jack reminded me of two people; the first was Juan d Ypres. Even today, in Spain, a Juan d Ypres is slang for a bit of grott. Juan d Ypres was St. John of the Cross, one of the greatest mystics of the Church. He is also recognised, even today, by believer and non-believer alike as the writer of the most beautiful poetry ever written in the Spanish language. The other person Jack reminded me of was an old farmer, that St. John Vianney would often see going into the church. St. John followed him one day, and asked him what he was doing, to which the man, pointed at the tabernacle, replied I look at him, He looks at me; we are happy. I don t know if Jack always occupied the same place in church, but during the been a happy experience working with the secretaries from England and Wales and Scotland", he said. Special presentation copies were presented to Archbishop Philip Wilson as President of Conference and Archbishop Denis Hart who was the episcopal editor for the British English version. These special presentation editions were printed in Italy along with the Missals now in being distributed in Australia by St Paul s Publications. The Roman Missal came into full use in parishes across Australia on, the First Sunday in Advent. last ten years of his life, at least he knelt right up the front; there was about three eights of an inch [around 10 mm], in depth, over an area of about three hundred mm. square, [about a square foot]. This wear in the flooring was the result of the toes of Jacks shoes scraping that area, as he prayed there for hours at a time. So to finish these few words for and about Jack, as we sang together during the Mass, Long have I waited for your coming home to me, and living deeply our new life. Farewell faithful friend

19 St Barbara's School, Roxby Downs 19 St Barbara's School Roxby Downs musical performance on Friday 28th October was a great success. After a great deal of preparation by the teachers, students and parent helpers the school put on a fantastic production of Cinderella and Rockerfella - a modern version of a timeless classic. The family and friends of the students and school gathered in our new gym on a warm Friday evening. The students put on a funny and engaging performance. There were many laughs and it was a fabulous evening enjoyed by all. World Mission Day Appeal All over the world Indigenous communities share their faith our faith. Please give generously in your parish or visit catholicmission.org.au Lincoln & Meg Freecall: Aaron, Brodie, Jhy & Bradley

20 20 * As we all know kids will be kids and accidents happen. Our personal accident insurance covers children 24/7, wherever they may be at home, school, even on the sports field. There is no excess and it can provide a buffer between medical expenses and health insurance rebates. For the full list of benefits, see the product disclosure statement available from us. Call or visit * $32 per kid, per year inclusive of GST and statutory charges. Prices based on a policy with one insured person. This Insurance is underwritten by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited (Allianz) ABN AFS Licence No and is arranged by Catholic Church Insurances Limited ABN AFSL , 485 La Trobe Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, as a promoter for Allianz. A Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for insurance products can be requested by calling ; or online from Any advice here does not take into consideration your objectives, financial situation or needs, which you should consider before acting on any recommendations. You should read and consider the PDS before deciding whether to acquire any products mentioned. If you purchase this insurance, Catholic Church Insurances will receive commission on these insurance products as a percentage of the premium paid for each policy. Ask us for more details before we provide you with any services on these products.

21 Diocesan Information 21 Letters to the Editor Editor: Fr Chris Warnock Ph: (08) CHANCERY AND DIOCESAN OFFICE: O Reily House, PO Box 1206, Port Pirie 5540 COMING SOON - all we need is your input! The Witness Letters to the Editor will be a forum for our readers to constructively discuss or debate issues. The Witness, for reasons of space, may edit these letters and reserves the right to reproduce them in electronic or other forms. Letters / s must be accompanied by a full postal address and phone contact details for verifi cation. WILLS & BEQUESTS DIOCESE OF PORT PIRIE FOUNDATION The Diocese of Port Pirie Foundation has been established to receive money by way of direct donation, sale of goods, real estate or bequests in wills. TRUSTEES The Trustees of the Foundation are the Bishop of the Diocese of Port Pirie (principal) and members of the Diocesan Finance Committee. OBJECTIVES The objectives of the Foundation include the promotion and resourcing of the work of the Catholic Church throughout the Diocese. HOW Consult with your solicitor or contact the Diocesan Business and Finance Manager Mr. Cosimo DeCianni on (08) UPDATING DIOCESAN INFORMATION: Please updates/changes of information displayed in this Diocesan Information guide to: robyn@automaticprint.com. au PORT PIRIE DIOCESE WEBSITE: catholic.org.au/sites/ DioceseofPortPirie/ Go to this web address for parish times, and complete Diocesan Information. Diocesan and Parish Contacts Bishop Bishop Greg O Kelly SJ AM DD O Rielly House Box 1206, Port Pirie 5540 Sth Australia Phone [08] Fax [08] diocoffice@pp.catholic.org.au Vicar General Mgr. Paul Quirk Chancellor Mgr. Raymond I. Pope Business and Finance Manager Mr. Cosimo DeCianni Phone [08] Fax [08] Secretary Ms. Maryanne Saracino Cathedral Port Pirie Phone [08] Fax [08] Adm. Fr. Leon Quinn Barmera Phone [08] Fax [08] Berri Phone [08] Fax [08] Fr Steve Ardill Parish Priest & Riverland Moderator Booleroo Centre Phone [08] Fax [08] booleroocentre@bigpond.com Parish Priest Fr. Don Victory Burra Phone [08] Fax [08] Parish Priest Fr. L.J. Quinn Cleve Phone [08] Fax [08] agh1112@bigpond.com Parish Priest Fr Adrian Head Coober Pedy Phone [08] Fax[08] inlandmission.cp@bigpond.com Parish Priest Fr. Paul Bourke Cummins Phone [08] Fax [08] cumminsparish@bigpond.com Adm. Fr. Stewart-James Jamestown Phone/Fax [08] stjacobi@bigpond.com Parish Priest Mgr. Paul Quirk Kadina Phone [08] Fax [08] sacheart@ internode.on.net Parish Priest Fr Adrian Noonan Loxton Phone [08] Office [08] Fax [08] kunambi@hotmail.com Parish Priest Fr Medad Peterborough Phone [08] Fax [08] Adm. Mgr. Paul Quirk Port Augusta Phone [08] Fax [08] allsaints.pt.a@bigpond.com Parish Priests Fr Paul Crotty Fr Kh lid Marogi marogi68@hotmail.com. Port Lincoln Phone [08] smoa@bigpond.com Parish Priest Fr Brian Mathews Quorn Phone [08] Fax [08] frcj@bigpond.com Parish Priest Fr Chris O Neil Renmark Phone [08] Fax [08] thereseren@bigpond.com Parish Priest Fr John Watherston Nov2011 Roxby Downs Phone [08] Office [08] Fax [08] kev.mat@bigpond.com Parish Priest Fr K. Matthews JCD Woomera Phone [08] Snowtown Phone [08] Fax [08] pope@yp-connect.net Streaky Bay Phone [08] Fax [08] sb-ccath2bigpond.com Parish Priest Fr J Folkman Waikerie Phone [08] Fax [08] Whyalla Phone [08] Fax [08] jgmon@bigpond.com Parish Priests Fr Jim Monaghan Fr Arno Vermeeren whysaint@internode.on.net Retired Mgr. Frank Cresp Barmera Mgr. Arthur Hackett Gladstone Phone [08] ajbhackett@bigpond.com Fr Eugene Kenny Southern Cross Hostel 18 Cross Rd Myrtle Bank 5064 Phone [08] Fr Tony Redden Fr Bill Wauchope Phone [08]

22 22 Coded Welding Steel Fabrication Steel Construction Crane & Access Hire Rigging/Scaffolding Abrasive Blasting/ Protective Coating Structural, Mechanical & Welding Contractors 7/24 Hour Service Port Pirie Ph: (08) Fax: (08) Whyalla Ph: (08) Fax: (08) Main Road, Port Pirie Ph HAVE WITNESS POSTED TO YOU INDIVIDUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS TO WITNESS $30 - POST to: Catholic Diocesan Office PO Box 1206, Port Pirie, SA, 5540 Cheques made payable to Catholic Diocese: CDPP Inc, Witness A/c Advertise your business here. Circulation 4,000 copies Pavers & Retaining Wall Blocks Tiles and Sanitaryware Kitchen Appliances For details please contact Robyn Dite, Automatic Print P. (08) or robyn@ automaticprint.com.au Come in & see our stylish showroom & friendly staff today. For all sales enquiries please sales@pirietiles.com.au Delivery available to your local area Issues 7th August, 2nd October & 4th December

23 Diocesan Information 23 Sunday Mass Times Across the Diocese Bishop Most Rev Gregory O Kelly SJ AM DD Cathedral St Mark s Cathedral, Gertrude St, Port Pirie Chancery and Diocesan Office: O Reily House, PO Box 1206, Port Pirie Gertrude St, Port Pirie 5540 Ph: (08) Fax: (08) diocoffice@ pp.catholic.org.au Vicar General Mgr Paul Quirk Chancellor Mgr Raymond I Pope Secretary Ms Maryanne Saracino Our diocese occupies 980,000 square Kilometres, most of the state of South Australia, and going up to and including Uluru (Ayers Rock). We have 58 churches and thirteen schools faith and learning centres across the diocese. There are three Homes for the aged and infirm, and Centacare Catholic Social Services operates out of several venues across the state. Our diocese embraces the tourist, fishing and whale watching areas in the south, great areas of grain crops, the beauty of the Flinders Ranges, the desert of the north west, sheep and cattle country in the north east, the Riverland along the Murray with its orchards and vines, the mining industry for iron and uranium and coal, traditional communities of Aboriginal people, the first Australians, and the majesty of Uluru. The diocese was established independent of the Southern (Adelaide ) diocese in Port Pirie is the administrative centre of the Diocese, and Bishop Greg O Kelly SJ is our eleventh Bishop. Andamooka 1st & 3rd Sundays 11am Barmera Sundays 11 am Berri Sundays 9 am & 6 pm Blanchetown 2nd Sunday 4 pm Booborowie 4th Sunday am Booleroo Centre 1st 2nd 3rd & 4th Sundays 8.30 am 5th Sunday 10 Burra 1st & 4th Sunday am 2nd Sunday 8.30 am Bute 4th Sunday am Carrieton [Vigil] 2nd & 4th Sundays 6.30 pm 1st 3rd & 5th Sunday 8.30 am Ceduna Phone Chandada Phone Cleve Phone Coffin Bay 1st Sunday 6 pm Coober Pedy [Vigil] 6.30 pm Sunday 10 am Cowell Crystal Brook Sundays 8.30 am Cummins 1st & 4th Sunday nd Sunday am 3rd & 5th [Vigil] 6 pm Georgetown 2nd & 4th Sunday 9.30 am Gladstone 1st, 3rd & 5th Sunday 9.30 am Hallett Sundays 8.30 am Hawker Sunday am Jamestown Sundays 9 am Saturday [Vigil] 6 pm Kadina Sundays 10 am Kimba Laura 1st Sunday 10 am Leigh Creek 1st 3rd & 5th Sunday 3.30 pm Lock 3rd & 5th Sundays 8.30am Loxton 1st 3rd & 5th Sunday 11 am Minnipa Phone Moonta Sundays 8.30 am Morgan 1st 3rd & 5th Sundays 7 pm: 2nd & 4th 6pm Mt Hope Orroroo 4th Sunday, 10 am Pekina 2nd Sunday 10 am Peterborough Sunday 11 am Pt Augusta [Vigil] 6.30 pm Sunday am Pt Broughton 2nd & 3rd Sundays 10 am 4th [Vigil] 7 pm : 5th Sunday 8.15 Pt Lincoln [Vigil] 6 pm Sunday 9 am Pt Pirie (Cathedral) [Vigil] 6 pm Sundays am Solomontown Sundays 5pm Quorn [Vigil] 6.30 pm 2nd & 4th Sundays 8.30 am Redhill [Vigil] 3rd Sunday 7 pm 1st & 4th Sunday 8.15 am 2nd Sunday 10 am Renmark [Vigil] 6.30 pm Sunday 9 am Roxby Downs [Vigil] 6 pm Sunday 9 am Snowtown [Vigil] 5th Sunday 5.30 pm 2nd & 3rd Sunday 8.15 am 4th Sunday 10 am Spalding 4th Sunday 8.30 am Streaky Bay Phone Tumby Bay 1st & 4th Sundays am 2nd Sunday 8.30 am 3rd & 5th Sundays 5 pm Waikerie 1st 3rd & 5th Sundays 8 am 2nd & 4th Sundays 11 am Wallaroo [Vigil] 6 pm Whyalla - St Teresa s [Vigil] 7 pm Sunday 8.30 am - OLHC Sunday10.30 am Sunday 5.30 pm Wilmington Sunday 8.30 am Wirrabara 3rd Sunday 10 am Woomera 2nd & 5th Sundays am Wuddina Phone for Quality, Service & Value for Money SPECIALISING IN Made to Measure Curtains or Blinds & Window Accessories Fax: Discounted Curtain Fabrics 126 Ellen St, Port Pirie