the communion of saints

Transcription

1 the communion of saints

2 2 Editorial THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 Editorial Knocking around (and being knocked around by) some of the circles I ve moved in, I have seen some amazing things during my time. At the moment I am thinking of one man in particular a mate of mine from way back. To save a bit of time and effort, we ll call him Joe. Joe s wife Mary has Parkinson s Disease and is further down the track as far as the disease is concerned, than I am. They have been married for over 50 years. Sometimes when people get on a bit in years, and/or suffer from a progressive and debilitating disease, such as Parkinson s, they can get very demanding. This is definitely the case in the life of Mary. Personally I can understand this state of affairs: the frustration is incredible. Anyhow, I have turned up on more than one occasion to their home and witnessed myself the absolute devotion Joe has for his wife. This is, in my book, real sanctity, yet when I asked him if either of them had any religion, he said No, I rescued her from being a Sunday school teacher. To suggest to Joe that he was a real saint, I think, would be an insult to him, and yet to deny it would be to deny the goodness and God-ness in his life. Holiness and sanctity are a lot more common than we give credit for. It is a case of what I call the extra-ordinary goodness of ordinary people, or as Teresa of Avila said God must love ordinary people a lot, for he made so many of them. Fr. Chris Warnock from the Bishop s Diary October 13th 31st Bishop s vacation 2nd 12th Lead diocesan pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the Port Pirie School Principals November 2nd 4th Lead Women s Retreat Thuruna 10th Thanksgiving Mass for first Filipino Saint Pedro Calungsod Port Augusta 11th & 12th Meeting of the Schools Commission Geelong 13th Meeting of Centacare Port Pirie Board Port Augusta 15th Meeting of National Catholic Education Commission Melbourne 16th Caritas College Year 12 Graduation Ceremony Port Augusta 17th Meeting of the Diocesan Pastoral Council Port Pirie 18th Mass to congratulate & farewell Sr Catherine Mead RSJ Port Augusta 19th Meeting with CEO Leadership Team Port Pirie 20th St Joseph s House Memorial Mass 22nd Star of the Sea Home for the Aged Memorial Mass 24th Ordination of Jesuit deacon - Melbourne 26th Chair meeting of Bishops Commission for Catholic Education Sydney Meeting of the Bishops Commission for Justice Ecology & Development - Sydney 27th 30th Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Sydney December 1st St Joseph s School Graduation Ceremony Port Lincoln CONTENTS October 2012 Features 3 Bishop's Message 4 Feature Article 5 St Leo's Centenary 6 All Saints and Souls 8 Year of Grace 12 Pedro Calungsod 14 Around the Diocese 19 To the Editor 20 Diocesan Information EDITOR Fr Chris Warnock witness@pp.catholic.org.au 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 THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 Bishop s Message 3 Relic of St Francis Xavier to visit Diocese We can never tell what good we do: like a pebble thrown into a pond, it ripples into eternity. So it is when we allow God to work in and through us. In his twenties, the young Francis Xavier attended Paris University, where he was noted for his intelligence, sporting ability and commanding personality; he was a popular figure. God intervenes in our lives in the most unexpected ways, and Francis found himself lodging with a priest in his forties and another student: the priest was Ignatius Loyola. These three formed themselves into the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits. Ignatius, when recovering from a shattered leg, read the Gospels, and the power of Christ s personality overtook him and he began to ask three questions in response: What have I done for Christ, what am I doing for Christ, and what ought I be doing for Christ. Responding to these questions changed Ignatius life, and he challenged Francis with them; What does it profit you, Francis, to gain the whole world and lose your soul. Eventually these questions converted Francis Xavier and he was re-converted to his Catholic Christian faith. God intervened again, and with only a day s notice, Francis was asked by the King of Portugal to go to India: Portugal was then a major trading nation. He was thirty-five on the day he set off, the seventh of April, his birthday and over the next ten years led an intense life. Working amongst the coastal people of India, he Baptised thousands. He visited settlements in India, Sri Lanka, modern Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan, going to and from places like Malacca, Macao, Goa and Ambon; in Japan, Kagoshima, Kyoto, Nagasaki and Yamaguchi. Travel of any distance in those days was under sail and as precarious as the asylum seekers of today. It was so bad that one had to make a Will prior embarkation. It was slow and Francis spent about a third of the time at sea. When he left Portugal, Francis spent the first two months suffering from sea-sickness, and was bled by the doctors seven times. Many never arrived at their destination; they either drowned, were shipwrecked or murdered by pirates. In the years following his death, a third of the Jesuits were lost. It must have been heart-wrenching for Francis to leave his friends: from the Indies he wrote letters, of which a hundred and fifty survive, and of which were published in Europe, and it is said that his letters did as much good there as his preaching did south-east Asia. For his part, Francis Xavier only received two from Ignatius in those ten years: a third, recalling him to Rome, arrived when Francis had been dead a year. Not gifted with languages, Francis had the Catechism translated and then rote learned it, memorizing the tones and inflections as best he could. When he left Japan, after two years, there were about 1400 Christians in six towns. By the end of the 17th century there were some 300,000, the largest community was centered in Nagasaki: until 1945 when, due to bad weather, Nagasaki became the second choice for the atomic bomb explosion. The cathedral was ground zero. It is ironic that almost the entire Christian community there was wiped out, not by persecution but by Christian political leaders. Francis adapted to the culture in which he found himself, a reflection of Ignatius spirituality, to find God in all things. His life tells us to never underestimate the good that God can do through us, if we open ourselves to Christ s love. Unexpected events in our lives can be God s way of turning us to directions of great help for others. Big-hearted questions require big answers answers that change our lives: we should think on the questions life raises within us, and respond to them What have I done for Christ, what am I doing for Christ, and, what ought I do for Christ.

4 4 The Communion of Saints THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 the communion of saints... Most of us go through our daily lives without too much thought about anything except the immediate future; we a bit like the character the late Harry Chapin s song Cats in the cradle, part of which goes something like this: you see the new job s a hassle and the kids have the flu but it s sure nice talking to you, dad, yes it s sure nice talking to you. And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me, He d grown up just like me, my boy was just like me Personally, I think that s fair enough, but every now and then, perhaps with a prick of the conscience, God can come into our lives. This can be stimulated by going past a church [building], at a funeral, whenever or whatever. The position of All Saints Church at Port Augusta, is a classic example how many millions of people pass it each year how many billions of tons of freight you cannot avoid going past the church, whatever direction you are coming from, or going to, across this vast and ancient continent. This brings me to the point of the communion of saints versus all saints ; most confuse them, in the real sense of the word, and so the two, become one. Whilst they are not the same, there is some overlap between the two. The correct understanding of the communion of saints is the solidarity of all tribes, tongues peoples and nations [cf Rev 4] saints and sinners. It seems to me that we are all microcosms or miniatures of this doctrine all of us are combinations of good and bad, no matter who we are, or think we are. Only God is perfect; for all humanity are in need of salvation. As they say, every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. I m not real sure where that gets us though. One morning some years ago after Mass I had a verbal entanglement with the late Allan Killagrew on the topic; I told him that I didn t believe in hell, as a place of worms and fire and all that: when we die our bodies and souls separate, so how could our souls burn? He got a bit huffy and off he went. The follow day when we had both cooled off, I told him of what the theologian, [I think it was] Hans Urs von Balthazar had to say on the issue; and that is, that heaven, hell and purgatory were the same place the difference was ourselves, and how open we are to the eternally deep and passionate love that God has for each of us. Alan, being a man of integrity, apologized for his behavior the previous day, as I did for mine, because I was a little hot under the collar too, and I am glad to say that we parted company as good friends, in spite of our differing football allegiances. Fr Chris Warnock... 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 THE WITNESS OCTOBER, St Leo's Church Celebrates Centenary St Leo s Catholic Church in Tumby Bay celebrated it s Centenary on 25/26th August Frs. John Stuart-James (current priest), Brian Mathews of Port Lincoln, Benjamin Mkuchu of Whyalla and Adrian Noonan of Kadina (Parish Priest in Tumby Bay ) concelebrated Mass with Bishop Greg O'Kelly with a full church of parishioners and visitors on the Sunday morning. The altar was rededicated during the Mass and a newly created stained glass window was blessed prior to the final blessing and dismissal. During his sermon the Bishop highlighted that we can never underestimate the good that can be done by one person and how far reaching their impact. He drew on the similarities of the life of Neil Armstrong who had died overnight and of course greatly acknowledged by the world media with the life of St Leo who was a Pope in the 5th Century who had prevented Attila the Hun's attack in Rome, yet we were still acknowledging him nearly 1600 years later across the other side of the world in Tumby Bay! The festivities culminated with a celebration lunch. Other highlights included a celebration cabaret on Saturday night with guests entertained by Bluesy Band Whiskey Jack, the launch of a commemorative book about the history of the church and the cutting of the cake made by Ivy Freeman. Visitors from across Eyre Peninsula, Adelaide and Hobart came back to help celebrate. Lynette Leendertse with Bishop Greg O'Kelly Frs John Stuart-James, Brian Mathews, Benjamin Mkyuchu, Adrian Noonan and Bishop Greg OKelly For all your general Insurance needs; Farm, Business, Domestic Norman St, Port Pirie AFSL

6 6 All Saints and Souls THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 Saints Left to Right; St Peter, St Catherine of Alexandria, St Francis of Assisi, St Mary of Egypt, St Benedict of Nursia. Who are the Saints? During this Year of Grace, as we mark the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Vatican II, we are especially conscious of the Council s universal call to holiness, the belief that all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life. Saint Paul attests to this universal call holiness in the opening passage of his Letter to the Romans. To all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:7 The Feast of All Saints (1st November) offers us opportunities to acknowledge and celebrate the gifts of holiness which have been bestowed upon our local Churches, not only through saints who have been canonised by the Church, but also through saints of our time and place. Let us recall those men and women who reflect the goodness of God for us and inspire us to find our own potential for goodness. Being a saint, living a holy life, has little to do with perfection. Rather, it is a lifelong process of seeking God through the person of Jesus Christ. As Robert Ellsberg writes, The saints are those who, in some partial way, embody literally incarnate the challenge of faith in their time and place. In doing so, they open a path that others may follow." We speak of the communion of saints, referring to the union of all the living and the dead in the Body of Christ. Phone: Mobile: This communion was a vivid reality for the early Christians. They would gather at the grave sites of the martyrs to remember the martyrs witness to the gospel and commemorate the anniversary of their death. This ritual was the forerunner of the future feast of All Saints Day. This feast is truly a graced opportunity to be re-inspired by the lives of all the saints who have drawn us to God and to cherish the union we have with them. Fr Arno Vermeeren

7 THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 All Saints and Souls 7 God of our ancestors, God of the living who came to Jesus in his grave and gifted him with the fullness of life hear our prayer today as we gather at the burial place of N With reverence we visit this sacred place where N s body has been laid within the earth to await that final day of glory. We pause in silence to be united with N Lord, we have come here on this pilgrimage of prayer to keep the flame of love and faith alive within our hearts. As we read N s name upon the headstone we rejoice because N s name has been written for all ages, on the palm of your hand. May the breathe of creation, that surrounds this grave, in trees, grass, earth, birds and sun, join us in prayer. May this pilgrimage remind us of what we already know: that nothing dies; rather life is transformed, becoming eternal life. Holy is this grave, holy the earth that has held in gentle embrace the bodies of all who are buried here. We come with reverence and faith in the reality of that easter morning when all the holy dead shall rise in the splendor of your glory. Until that day, eternal rest give unto N... and all the holy dead. Amen. Prayer at a Grave 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

8 8 Year Of Grace THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 The Year of Grace invites us to open ourselves to the many aspects and understandings of the mystery of grace. Grace is Amazing Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound) That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see. John Newton Listening in quiet Stillness There is nothing more important than what we are attending to. There is nothing more urgent that we must hurry away for. We wait on God. His time is the right time. We wait for him to make his Word clear to us. We don't worry. We know that in time and in the spirit of dadirri (that deep listening and quiet stillness) his way will be clear. Miriam - Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann Strength in Weakness My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Timely That is the mystery of grace: it never comes too late. -François Mauriac ( ) Day by Day A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough today to last him for the next 6 months, nor can he inhale sufficient air into his lungs with one breath to sustain life for a week to come. We are permitted to draw upon God's store of grace from day to day as we need it. D. L. Moody See: Deut 33:25; Psa 46:1; Heb 4:16 Grace is available for each of us every day - our spiritual daily bread - but we've got to remember to ask for it with a grateful heart and not worry about whether there will be enough for tomorrow. - Sarah Ban Breathnach From hour to hour If God wants you to do something, he'll make it possible for you to do it, but the grace he provides comes only with the task and cannot be stockpiled beforehand. We are dependent on him from hour to hour, and the greater our awareness of this fact, the less likely we are to faint or fail in a crisis. Louis Cassels ( ) Abundant Lord I crawled across the barrenness to you with my empty cup uncertain in asking any small drop of refreshment. If only I had known you better I'd have come running with a bucket. Nancy Spiegelberg According to the epitaph of Copernicus As Copernicus, the great astronomer, was dying, a copy of his great book, The Revolution of the Heavenly Bodies, was placed in his hands. But it was not his brilliant work that was on his mind. Instead he directed that the following epitaph be placed on his grave at Frauenburg: "O Lord, the faith thou didst give to St. Paul, I cannot ask; the mercy thou didst show to St. Peter, I dare not ask; but, Lord, the grace thou didst show unto the dying robber, that, Lord, show to me." There is no one who cannot come to God under those terms.

9 THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 Year Of Grace 9 Death of Cardinal Martini Whilst it is not my custom, as editor of Witness to comment on the passing of dignitaries of any variety, I cannot ignore the loss to the world of Carlo Card. Martini sj, Emeritus Archbishop of Milan, who died on 31 August, from Parkinson s Disease. A great Scripture Scholar I remember hearing him speak on ABC Radio one morning when he was asked about the fact that only one of the three on the way to Emmaus, was named: could this be a disguise for them being women. Martini s response was NO. The reason he held this opinion was that in no other place in the New Testament did Jesus admonish women, and he went on to say that the risen Lord was hardly likely to do that. Robert Micken, the Tablet correspondent in Rome wrote:- During his 22 years as the head of Europe s largest diocese Cardinal Martini emerged as perhaps the continent s most respected leader. In Italy, he was arguably, the man Catholics looked to for spiritual guidance and wisdom, even in an era when the Herculean personality that was John Paul II commanded so much of the world s attention. Grace and Peace in Paul The words grace and peace appear in the opening greeting of every Pauline letter. The romantic interpretation that they are a Christian synthesis of the pagan chairein 'rejoice' and the Jewish shalom 'peace' is unlikely to be correct, because in his second letter Paul feels the need to to give them an explicitly Christian dimension by the addition of "from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess 1:2). This makes the phrase evocative of the Israelite blessing, "May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and may he be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his face and give you peace" (Num 6:24-26). If God is the source of grace, it cannot be a mere benign regard, as the translation 'favour' might suggest, but must be a positive display of divine power, which is better rendered by 'benefaction'. It enables something that is impossible for fallen human nature. 'Peace' is important to Paul because it was the antithesis of the world in which he worked. Texts such as Gal 3:28 show that he believed that society was characterized above all by divisions. Individuals and groups isolated themselves by barriers of fear and suspicion. Thus the basic mission of the church was to demonstrate the reality of "You (plural) are all one person in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28). This could be true, however, only when the members of the church were at peace with one another. Such peace was the work of grace. - Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, OP ALEX'S MEAT SERVICE Props. ALEX & ANTHEA DUNBAR SPECIALISING IN PAN-READY MEATS BULK & BARBECUE PACKS CLUB SUPPLIES 281 SENATE RD, PORT PIRIE Ph

10 10 Around the Diocese THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 The Church in Australia, a comment. Last evening on television there was a segment of 60 minutes devoted to alleged cases of child sex abuse by the de la Salle brothers at BoysTown, Beau Desert, about an hours drive from Brisbane. Let me state quite categorically from the start: such behavior can never be tolerated or justified. Today I read the July 20 August 2 edition of the National Catholic Reporter, [coming from the United States] titled, The Australian church is alive and kicking mostly kicking, by Phyllis Zagano, whose analysis came from a ten-day visit, sponsored by the Garratt Publishing Company. The opening lines state it s theme, Ten days in Australia isn t nearly enough, except to find that the church is alive and kicking. Mostly kicking. [I think she is trying to suggest that the Catholic faith in Australia dying.] The article then goes on to recount the problems we are confronting [as if we are blind to them]: the vastness of the place, the numbers of clergy dropping dramatically, women priests, and makes some claims about the demise of three Bishops. Between the two I feel quite dispirited. We are caught on the horns of a dilemma how do we defend ourselves without being seen as trying to justify some of the things that have happened in the past, and so disfigures our future? This to me is a real problem. The worst case of child abuse, so the psychologists tell us, is neglect. This is because neglect is a 24/7 phenomena. I have seen cases of six and seven year old children who have not been toilet trained, being sent to school. I have been in homes where children must eat from plates that have not been washed for days on end. In the not too distant past, in one calendar year there were some 1,100 cases sexual abuse of children reported by the New South Wales Police. One involved a Catholic Priest. Only one was publicized the one involving the Priest. I know a priest who was dragged from his bed and arrested in the early hours of the morning; accused of sexual abuse real Nazi tactics. Later on, when he was able, to, he produced his passport and proved that he was not even in the country when the alleged offences occurred. I do not know what happened to the person who brought the complaint against him. In Scotland there is an ecumenical Community on the Island of Iona. It lives by the Rule of St Benedict. The founder George McLeod said back in about 1956 that the problem with the Church these days, is that it s not worth persecuting. By that comment he meant a couple of things; firstly the Church had become too aligned with the powers that be of the time and, secondly it didn t stand for anything except mediocrity. I don t think that criticism applies today: anyone who practises their Catholic faith in this environment, isn t mucking around: they really do believe that somehow, somewhere in this messy thing that we call the Church, the Spirit of God still dwells and moves. I think it opportune that Mary MacKillop was canonized in our lifetime: she was a Scots-woman, from a dysfunctional family, in an Irish and, even more [clerical] male dominated Church than today, and who could so easily have given the Church away, but didn t. St. Mary of the Cross, MacKillop had good cause to reject the officialdom that was out to get her: instead, her profound faith in the God of love saw her through it all; she did this by standing firm in faith. Let us do likewise. P.S. Maybe Phyllis Zagano should have entitled her article The Australian church is still alive, in spite of being kicked, instead. Iona, Scotland Fr Chris Warnock rossigns port augusta 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

11 THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 Around the Diocese 11 CARITAS COLLEGE, PORT AUGUSTA ENCOUNTERS, GRACE AT THE WELL On a rare glorious day, on the last day of a very dry winter, the staff of Caritas College gathered at Melrose for their annual retreat Day. It was a true spring day with the wattle in flower and the birdlife in song. The day provided the opportunity for a time of reflection for staff, on the service and work we undertake on a daily basis in the context of our ethos at Caritas College. The Theme was Encountering Grace at the Well. We began the day listening to local farmers Pauline and Ron Battersby from Wilmington with staff from farms in surrounding districts, discuss the preciousness of water and their saving grace during times of drought. Using St. John s Gospel, staff were given numerous opportunities to reflect on their own image of both Jesus and the Woman at the Well, and where and how they encounter them in their daily life. The day concluded with the celebration of the Eucharist around the well, with our School Chaplain Fr. Khalid. Staff photo Ron and Pauline Battersby discuss farming around the table with Ros Kitschke and Steve Kuerchner on their right Scooter City Wheelchairs, Walkers & Domestic Mobility Aids P/F: (08) Mobile: WORKSHOP 25 BARTSCH DRIVE, PORT PIRIE SA frankdag@bigpond.net.au Lic. No. BLD25397 Mobile King Street Port Pirie SA 5540 Inspection by appointment

12 12 Pedro Calungsod THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 The Martyrdom of Pedro Calungsod P e d r o Calungsod may only have been in his early teens (between 12 and 15 years old) when he went with Padre Diego to Guam in He was one of the young catechists who went with some Spanish Jesuit missionaries to the Ladrones Islands to evangelize the Chamorros. At that time, the Ladrones Islands were part of the Diocese of Cebu. Life in the Ladrones was hard. Despite the hardships, the missionaries persevered, and the Mission was blessed with many conversions. The first mission residence and church were built in the town of Hagatña [Agadña; Agaña; Agana] in the island of Guam. Subsequently, the islands were renamed "Marianas" by the missionaries in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the then queen regent of Spain, Maria Ana, who was the benefactress of that Mission. A man named Choco became envious of the prestige that the missionaries were gaining among the Chamorros. He started to spread rumors that the baptismal water of the missionaries was poisonous. Because some sickly Chamorro infants who had been baptized died, many believed Choco and eventually apostatized. Choco found an ally in the local medicine man, Macanjas, and the Urritaos, young native men who were given to some immoral practices. These, along with the apostates, began to persecute the missionaries, many of whom were killed. Martyrdom came to Padre Diego and Pedro Calungsod on April 2, 1672 which was the Saturday before Passion Sunday of that year. At around seven o'clock that morning, Padre Diego and Pedro Calungsod went to the village of Tomhon in Guam because they were told that a baby girl was just born in the village. They went to ask Matapang, the child's father, to bring the baby out for baptism. Matapang had been a Christian and a friend of the missionaries but had apostatized. He angrily refused to have his baby christened. To give Matapang some time to cool down, Padre Diego and Pedro gathered the children and some adults of the village at the nearby shore and started chanting with them the truths of the Catholic Faith. They invited Matapang to join them, but the apostate shouted back that he was angry with God and was already fed up with the Christian teachings. Determined to kill the missionaries, Matapang went out to ask for the help of another villager, named Hirao, who was not a Christian. At first, Hirao refused. He knew of the kindness of the missionaries towards the natives. But Matapang chided him for being a coward. Hirao changed his mind and decided to join Matapang. While Matapang was away, Padre Diego and Pedro obtained to permission of Matapang's Christian mother and baptized the baby girl. Matapang was enraged when he found out. He attacked the missionaries with spears. He first went after Pedro who presumably tried to defend the priest. Pedro was able to dodge the spears with remarkable dexterity. Witnesses said that Pedro had all the chances to escape because he was very agile, but he did not want to leave Padre Diego alone. Those who personally knew Pedro believed that he would have defeated his aggressors and would have freed both himself and Padre Diego if only he had some weapon. But Padre Diego never allowed his companions to carry arms. Finally, Pedro got hit by a spear in the chest and fell to the ground, Hirao immediately charged towards him and finished him off with a blow of a cutlass to the head. Padre Diego could not do anything except to raise a crucifix and give Pedro the final sacramental absolution. After that, the assassins killed Padre Diego. Matapang took the crucifix of Padre Diego and crushed it with a stone while blaspheming God. Then, both assassins ripped the clothes off Pedro and Padre Diego. They dragged them to the shore, tied large stones to their feet. They brought their bodies out to sea on a proa and threw them into the deep. The remains of the martyrs were never to be found. The faith that was planted in the Marianas in 1668 did not die with Padre Diego, Pedro Calungsod and the first missionaries. It grew, thanks to the blood of the martyrs and the perseverance of the succeeding missionaries. Witness Article Submissions Please forward all correspondence to Fr Chris Warnock, witness@pp.catholic.org.au Please ensure all accompanying photos are of at least 1 megabyte in size.

13 THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 Philippino, Pedro Calungsod to be Canonized Pedro Calungsod, was a teenage Lay Catholic Christian from the Visayas in the Philippines, who served the Jesuit Mission in the Marianas, as a catechist and helper from 16th of June 1668 until his death on the 2nd of April Like many catechists and helpers of the missionaries he was the silent and humble minister who did his duty faithfully and had no historians to tell his deeds to future generations. His family is unknown. His background is unrecorded. His name appears only in the documents on the martyrdom of Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores, the Spanish superior of the Mariana mission, with whom he was killed. Pedro was the lone companion of Fr. Diego in the early morning of Saturday 2nd of April 1672, at the village of Tomhorn on the island of Guam in the Marianas, when two natives killed them, one after another first Pedro, then Fr. Diego with spears, then a blow with a cutlass, and then threw their bodies into the sea; this was punishment for being Christians, catechising the Mariana natives and for administering the Sacrament of Baptism. Their bodies were never found. The documents state that Pedro could have defended both Fr. Diego and himself, were he armed but Fr. Diego had forbidden his companions to carry weapons. Documents also point out that Pedro could have run for his life if he had wanted but preferred to stay with Fr. Diego. Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores was beatified on 6th of October 1985, whilst Pedro Calungsod was beatified on the 5th of March A prayer for families Pedro Calungsod 13 Sometimes in the rush of life The prayer which most often escapes our lips is God help us! So, God of creation, You who made the stars and the heavens, Who created such wondrous gifts for this planet, And created women and men in your own image Help us! Each time we utter that plea, aloud or in our hearts, In hope or in exasperation, Know that we are opening ourselves to your unending love. Help us to stop and take time: Time to look deeply at the world you have created, and give thanks. Time to be with one another, in our families, long enough to appreciate each others joys and sorrows, and know in the depths of our hearts, in the comfort of our kitchens, and in the serenity of our sheds and gardens, that we do not journey alone. and from this strength, face calmly the turmoils that arise. Help us to value the work of our hands minds and hearts, as a way of participating in your ongoing creation, as a way of building relationships and building a more just society. Give us the insight and courage to build a society where everyone shares the riches of the earth and the wealth of our endeavours. Help us to reach out to those less fortunate than ourselves: Indigenous families, asylum seekers and refugees, people who are homeless, or living in poverty, families struggling to meet the needs of those with a disability. Jesus, your son, knew the reality of living in a family. Together they knew the reality of a forced journey to Bethlehem and then to Egypt. In Nazareth he learnt the grinding reality and delight of daily work. Through him we pray for all families, that all people may live life to the full and that we all, in our families, Church and society work tirelessly to bring this about. We make our prayer through Jesus your son In the company of his family. God help us. Amen

14 14 Around the Diocese THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 Standing Up For Solar On the 16th of September, a number of parishioners from All Saints Church turned up to show their support for solar power in Port Augusta. Three of them went part of the way with 100 activists who were raising national awareness by walking 328km to Adelaide. Gary Rowbottom, an employee of the energy company, has turned into a local hero through his strong stance and public commitment to the Repower campaign. His inspiring speech lead many to believe in the power of the sun to fuel our energy needs sustainably, for the good of all. He walked 16km the first day, then returned to encourage the others throughout the walk, finally joining them for the last 2 days to Adelaide. Sr. Elizabeth Young also took part in the first two days of walking and wrote to a Senator on the issue, with the backing of many Sisters, local priests and Bishop O'Kelly. Port Augusta has two large coal power stations, which are on their way to retirement. What replaces them could be a great opportunity for the people of Port Augusta, Australia and our earth community. As Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed: The Church has a Port Augusta Parish Group responsibility towards creation and she must assert this responsibility in the public sphere. In so doing, she must defend not only earth, water and air as gifts of creation that belong to everyone. She must above all protect mankind from self-destruction. In particular, Australian Bishops have called for less destructive sources of electricity: A critical part of the solution [to climate change] lies in the continuing development of alternative sources of energy that can substitute for greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuels. The replacement of the coal power plant with solar thermal and wind has the support of most locals (over 4000 voted for it, only 43 against) and the energy company itself. With government support, this will be a chance to use the recentlyinitiated carbon tax productively and stabilise electricity prices, which are due to greatly fluctuate and increase with decreasing accessible non-renewable resources. As one Aboriginal elder explained: his ancestors taught their children that coal, gold and uranium were meant to be left in the ground, but renewable sun energy is the perfect energy source. Visit of Relic to Diocese The relic comes to us from the Gesu, the principal Jesuit Church in Rome. It is the hand and forearm of the Saint, with which Francis Xavier blessed and Baptised so many thousands of people across Asia. The devotion of Holy relics is not a strong feature of Australian Catholicism, but we should keep in mind the fact that many thousands visit the tomb of St. Mary of the Cross MacKillop each year. The Relic of St. Francis Xavier come to Port Pirie on Saturday 20th October and remains with us through to the evening of Sunday 21st October

15 THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 Around the Diocese 15 Centenary of St Agnes Church - Booleroo Centre A Crucifix carried at the blessing of St Agnes Church a hundred years ago, was carried by Mrs Beth Reynolds in the entrance procession of the Mass, commemorating the centenary at Booleroo Centre on Sunday 5th August. St Agnes was originally Blessed and opened on 11th August, 1912, by Bishop John Norton, assisted by Frs. O Connor and McEvoy. The Bishop, Frs. Victory and Bourke, and parishioners also went to the cemetery where prayers were said for deceased parishioners. They all then attended Mt. View Home and spoke with the residents, before going to the Bowling Club where all enjoyed a sumptuous lunch. Opening St Agnes Church 11 Aug 1912 Arriving at the altar, Fr. Victory welcomed Bishop Greg O Kelly, and former Parish Priest Fr Paul Bourke from Coober Pedy. Visitors from other places and especially from other churches were also welcomed. St. Agnes church was filled to capacity. Mrs Eileen Raynor from Port Pirie, the oldest former parishioner, was present. Archbishop Len Faulkner, who was born in Booleroo Centre and baptised in St Agnes, by Fr Bill Kain, wrote to say disappointed he was that he could not come. St Agnes is special to us as a family: from 1926 to 1936, there were 8 of us baptised in St Agnes Parish; we are full of gratitude for our Baptism into the very life of God, and into the life of the Church which has been very good to us in many ways. Mrs Lyn Jarvis did the readings of the. The prayers of the faithful were recited by Lynne Christophersen, Jane Higgins, Carmel Fiebig, Debbie McCallum, Daniel Maher, whilst Tony Jarvis, Lauchie and Lauren Koch presented the Offertory Gifts. 5 August 2012 Bishop Greg O Kelly with Frs Victory and Bourke At the end of Mass, the Bishop and Fr Victory went to the porch where a plaque had been fixed to commemorate the initial blessing and the centenary celebration. Fr Victory unveiled the plaque which is there to be seen by all who enter the Church. A souvenir brochure prepared by Mrs Bernadette Charlton was given to everyone as they left the church. Two beautiful flower arrangements, by Mrs Ruth Opperman decorated the church. Mr Peter Venhoek, a friend of Bishop O Kelly, took photos, and a disk has been sent to the Bishop as a gift from the parish.

16 16 THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 (08) All the time... Every day Dedicated to Faith-centred Funerals Pre-planned and Pre-paid Services At need Funerals Repatriations Signature Service since Wakefield Street, Adelaide 100% South Australian family owned Proprietor & Manager B Siebert A Note to Correspondents From this point in time on all articles should be sent in electronic format i.e. either USB stick, disk or [preferably] by . Since I work with an AppleMac computer, I cannot open anything communicated to me in Publisher. Articles should be sent in WORD and have photographs, in PDF or j.peg [of least one megabyte] similarly titled with the names of those involved in the activity. A reminder also that we have a new address, which is witness@pp.catholic.org.au To those who pointed out the gross errors in the last edition, thank you.

17 THE WITNESS OCTOBER, Letters to the Editor Editor: Fr Chris Warnock Ph: 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 verification. 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) LOOKING FOR QUALITY? SAMANT HOME IMPROVEMENTS ALTERATIONS RENOVATIONS PERGOLAS EXTENSIONS RE-ROOFING BATHROOM RENOVATIONS HOMES DESIGNED TO YOUR NEEDS Sam Salvemini - Builder/carpenter PORT PIRIE Lic. No. GL SMITHS ELECTRICAL * Large range of ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES * Mobile Telephones & Accessories * Televisions "We've Got it" Call in and see Phil and Judy LaForgia & the team at Ellen Street, Port Pirie Ph: 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 Bigger - Better - Stronger EST. SINCE 1983 Lic No. RL 22473

18 18 THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 ANNIVERSARY NOTICE THE GOLDEN JUBILEE OF OUR LADY OF THE RIVER CHURCH WILL BE CELBRATED ON SUNDAY 2th JUNE WITH A JUBILEE MASS AT 11.00am WITH A LUNCHEON TO FOLLOW A MASS FOR THE DECEASED BISHOPS, PRIESTS, SISTERS AND PARISHIONERS WILL BE CELEBRATED ON FRIDAY 31st MAY AT 7.00pm THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY SUPPER AND AN HISTORICAL DISPLAY IN THE PARISH MEETING ROOM ALL PAST AND PRESENT PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS AND PARISHIONERS ARE WARMLY INVITED TO ATTEND EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION OF INTEREST IN ATTENDING ARE WELCOMED BY CONTACTING: Mike & Anne Johnson P: (08) M: E: dezina01@bigpond.com Fr Steve Ardill P: (08) E: olor@bigpond.com.au Registration forms will be forwarded to interested people in a few months time 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 114 Main Road, Port Pirie Ph 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. Final 2012 Issue December

19 THE WITNESS OCTOBER, To the Editor Dear Father, Like so many others, I am very sorry that Sr. Catherine Mead s time as Principal of Caritas College, Port Augusta, is coming to an end. Caritas College under her Leaderships and with the support of her staff, has been a source of Good News to Port Augusta and the whole Diocese. I am pleased that the Josephites will still be ministering in the College and the Parish, however Catherine s departure signifies a historical moment in 1871 Mary MacKillop arrived in Port Augusta to open their first school and stayed on for three weeks to see to its sure beginning leaving Sr. Angela Greegan as its first Principal. For one hundred and forty one years, the Sisters have carried on the legacy of Leadership in that school. I believe this is the last school (from the hundred s opened by the Josephites) in South Australia to have the Leadership of a Sister of St. Joseph. I give thanks for the vision and foresight of St. Mary of the Cross who could see the potential of Port Augusta way back in 1871, enough to invest to the work of the sisters. I thank all those Josephites, (including my sister, Michelle) who have served the Port Augusta community, especially those who have carried the ministry of Leadership till this day. I wish Sr. Catherine well for the future and I look forward to the fine Leadership from the newly appointed Principal, Mrs. Nichii Marden, educated in that fine tradition, in Port Augusta at Caritas College. Monsignor Frank Cresp AUTO CRASH REPAIRERS PORT PIRIE - Crash Repairs - Mechanical Service - Caravans Repairs - Wrecking - RAA Contractors - 24 Hr Towing - Windscreen Fitted - Onsite Bake Oven Main Road, Port Pirie

20 20 Diocesan Information Diocesan, Contacts & Mass Times 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 Berri Fr Steve Ardill Phone Fax olor@bigpond.com 9 am & 6pm Barmera Sunday 11am Waikerie 1st 3rd 5th Sundays 8 am 2nd 4th Sundays 11 am Blanchetown 2nd Sunday 4 pm Morgan 1st 3rd 5th Sunday 7 pm 2nd 4th Sunday 6 pm Booleroo Centre Fr D Victory Phone/Fax booleroocentre@bigpond.com Booleroo Centre Each Sunday 8.30 am [5th] Sunday 10 am Laura 1st Sunday 10 am Pekina 2nd Sunday 10 am Wirrabara 3rd Sunday 10 am Orroroo 4th Sunday 10 am Burra Fr. L.J. Quinn Phone Fax Cleve Fr Adrian Head Phone agh1112@bigpond.com Cleve 1st Sunday 11 am 2nd Sunday 8.30 am 3rd Sunday [Vigil] 6 pm 4th Sunday 9 am 5th Sunday 11 am Cowell Kimba Wudinna 1st Sunday 8.30 am 2nd Sunday 11 am 3rd Sunday 9 am 4th Sunday [Vigil] 6 pm 5th Sunday 8.30 am 1st Sunday [Vigil] 6 pm 2nd Sunday 9 am 3rd Sunday 8.30 am 4th Sunday 11 am 5th Sunday [Vigil] 6 pm 1st Sunday 9 am 2nd Sunday [Vigil] 6 pm 3rd Sunday 11 am 4th Sunday 8.30 am Coober Pedy Fr Paul Bourke Phone Fax inlandmission.cp.@bigpond.com.au [Vigil] 6.30 pm am Cummins Fr J. Stewart-James Phone Fax cumminsparish@bigpond.com.au Cummins 1st 4th Sunday 8.30 am 2nd Sunday am [Vigil] 3rd 5th 6 pm Tumby Bay 1st 4th Sunday am 2nd Sunday 8.30 am 3rd 5th Sunday 5 pm Gladstone Mgr Arthur Hackett Phone ajbhackett@bigpond.com 1st 3rd 5th Sunday 9 am Georgetown 2nd 4th Sunday 9am Jamestown Mgr Paul Quirk V.G. Phone stjacobi@bigpond.com.au [Vigil] 6 pm 9 am Peterborough 11 am Kadina Fr Adrian Noonan Phone Fax sacheart@internode.on.net Kadina 10 am Moonta 8.30 am Wallaroo [Vigil] 7.00 pm Loxton Fr Medad Phone Fax kunambi@hotmail.com 1st 3rd 5th 11 am 2nd 4th 8 am Pt Augusta Fr Paul Crotty allsaintspt.a@bigpond.com Phone Fax Fr Kh lid Marogi marogi68@hotmail.com Pt Augusta [Vigil] 6.30 pm am Wilmington 8.30 am THE WITNESS OCTOBER, 2012 Pt Lincoln Fr Brian Matthews Phone smoa@bigpond.com Fr Matthew Newman fr.matthewnewman@gmail.com [Vigil] 6 pm 9 am Coffin Bay 1st Sunday 6 pm Pt Pirie Fr Leon P. Quinn Adm cathedralpirie@bigpond.com Phone Fax Fr Francis Montero Cathedral [Vigil] 6.00 pm am Solomontown 5.00 pm Crystal Brook 8.30 am Quorn Fr Chris O Neil Phone Fax frcj@bigpond.com [Vigil] 6.30 pm 2nd 4th Sunday 8.30 am Carrieton [Vigil] 2nd 4th Sundays 6.30 pm 1st 3rd 5th Sundays 8.30 am Hawker Sunday am Leigh Creek 1st Sunday 3.30 pm Renmark Fr J. Watherston Phone Fax thereseren@bigpond.com.au [Vigil] 6.30 pm, 9am Roxby Downs Fr Kevin Matthews Phone Office Fax kev.mat@bigpond.com.au Roxby Downs [Vigil] 6 pm Sunday 9 am Woomera 2nd 4th 5th am Andamooka 1st 3rd Sunday 11 am Snowtown Mgr Ray Pope Phone/Fax Streaky Bay Fr John Folkman Whyalla Fr Jim Monaghan jgmon7@hotmail.com Phone Fax Fr Arno Vermeeren whysaint@internode.on.net St Teresa s [Vigil] 7 pm 8.30 am Our Lady s am 5.30 pm