In this time when we are fewer and older we have unexpectedly found ourselves called to hope.

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1 A Newsletter for the Dominican Family in Australia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea OPFAM Dominican Family Matters 5 th May, 2015 Woe to us if we do not preach the Gospel! 2015: "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32); For freedom Christ set us free" (Gal 5:1): Dominic: Government, Spirituality and Freedom Called to Hope The New Zealand Dominican Sisters met in Chapter during 2-7 September 2014 and 2-7 February The theme was Called to Hope. The Chapter began with helpful and challenging input from Margaret Mayce OP, Amityville Dominican and the NGO representative of the US-based Dominican Leadership Conference. The fruit of the Chapter is expressed in the Chapter Call: In this time when we are fewer and older we have unexpectedly found ourselves called to hope. We have opened ourselves to an invitation to see our lives as part of the ongoing mystery of the evolving universe and to place ourselves on the side of its life and protection. We choose to be part of a turning towards life, a future we will not see but for which we sow seeds. This call has awakened us to a new awareness of our soul, the deep place of our identity as New Zealand Dominican Sisters, like a great river that flows through our history, no less itself as it draws closer to the sea. We draw on and reaffirm our commitment to justice, the poor, te tiriti, to women and small Pacific nations, joined with humanity to cherish our one small planet and to be part of the turning that will preserve its life for all beings of land, sea and air. We are reminded that what we do is less important than the fact of our commitment which each will express in her own circumstances. It is who we become that changes the world not what we do. Our awareness and commitment are embedded in contemplation, which they nourish and are nourished by. They are strengthened in loving conversation. We treasure the Dominican life we have been given, which we have expressed in different ways through the years, and which calls us again today.

2 Living true to this calling will be the legacy we leave. Like our ancestors, Julia and Mary, we too set sail for a land that is both home, the deep place of our soul, contemplative and compassionate, and at the same time full of the unknown. We walk in hope, we walk in truth, we walk together. Mark Leo Brerton died 24 March 2015 GO TO THE PEOPLE LEARN FROM THEM SERVE THEM TEACH THEM LOVE THEM Mark died on the 35th anniversary of the death of Archbishop Oscar Romero. This Latin American bishop-martyr and saint, along with our more ancient Latin American Dominican friars, Martin de Porres and Juan Macias (both co-operator brothers as Mark had been) would surely have been at the pearly gates to welcome him. Mark had a great love of all three! I first met Mark in Canberra in He had come from the Blackfriars Priory School (BPS) community in Adelaide and the same year four of us novices came from Melbourne to begin our studies for priesthood in the Dominican House of Studies at Watson. That year another six men entered the Order, three of them from BPS Adelaide, and made their novitiate there. Mark knew the BPS boys and in his inimitable way was there for them, with a kind word, a chance to talk, and much encouragement. We students also benefited from his quiet presence. He noticed all that was going on, good and bad, and without rancour on his part would listen to us. Often he was the only person to whom the students and novices came in order to unburden themselves and receive assurance. Around this same time, there were moves within the Province from the Prior of the Wahroonga house, Emmett Devlin, to establish a Dominican presence in the poorer parts of Sydney. Mark was attracted to this project and around 1974 went to 257 Abercrombie St in Chippendale, Sydney a shop-front house from where he and Luke Rawlings ministered to the local people. Luke also continued his media ministry from here. The first time I remember Mark s Sydney mission was in Bourke St, in a large rambling two storey house. From there he reached out to people within the Darlinghurst area, bounded mainly by Riley, Crown and Bourke Sts, and King s Cross. The Wahroonga parish and many others gave help financial often, and by their presence. The MSCs and Presentation Sisters especially took part in this ministry. It was Sister Anne Jordan PBVM who helped Mark much later by taking over the governance of De Porres House, and the many works which had grown and spread out from there. From about the time of that changeover, Mark lived in a small house close by, and rented others which gave people from the area needed temporary places of rest and healing. Yet others lived in the squats, derelict houses belonging to the NSW State Government awaiting demolition in the path of the creation of a new inner-city highway system. Mark ministered to these people too. In fact, it was in one of these squats that we celebrated Eucharist to honour Mark s 25th anniversary of profession a low-key event with close friends and some of the long-term squatters he had befriended. When Mark retired from this work, The Catholic Weekly, Sydney s diocesan Catholic newspaper, headlined him under the banner Little cells of love. The accompanying article outlined very

3 perceptively the influence that this gentle religious brother had had around the inner suburbs of the city of Sydney over decades. They named him a modern Martin de Porres, Health problems had forced Mark to stop his demanding work. However, he continued to live in a Council flat in Craigend St (later in Surrey Hills) and helped people around, especially within the blocks of flats where he lived. It was during this time that Mark was dispensed from his solemn vows as a co-operator brother within the Order. This decision, long discerned on his part, was much regretted by many of the Dominican sisters and friars who had worked with him. However, he retained his religious name of Mark, and never lost contact with those he had worked with or ministered to. Finally Mark moved to the Little Sisters of the Poor Sacred Heart Home Randwick, where his blood sister, Sister Rosarie LSP, ministered to him. In the final few weeks of his life, and knowing that he was dying, he had been able to say goodbye to many either in person or by telephone. Mark died peacefully at the Home on March 24. His requiem Mass was celebrated by an old friar friend, Bishop Bernard O Grady OP, in the Chapel of the Home on 31 March. Another old friar friend, Nick Falzum OP, preached. Many of his friends and colleagues were present. Though Mark often lived by himself, his nature was to reach out in friendship to others. This was the basis of his life-long ministry which flourished because of his simplicity and constant presence whether to us as needy students in Canberra or to those in and around Sydney, his home city and a place he loved. Vale, Mark. May you rest peacefully in the arms of the God you so loved. Kevin Toomey OP 26 April 2015 A PRAYER TO ST MARTIN DE PORRES (found by Mark s nephew) Help me to serve Jesus humbly and simply, With your basket full of food and healing medicines, You visited the poor and the sick And brought them light, hope and peace. May my heart also be a basket of kindness. Show me how to distribute its treasures freely to others: A smile, a gesture, a listening ear, A sacrifice of my comfort and time. Each day, teach me to reflect on the poverty of Jesus. Then I will become poor in Spirit like him, Imitating him in the manger, Or resting in his heart on the cross. I will embrace the sick and suffering poor In my street, in my city, in the world. Dear St Martin, ask Jesus to strengthen me to do these things. For if I do them, I will be healed of my selfishness, And being healed, I will heal others.

4 A Liturgical Outline for the opening of the Jubilee celebrations on 7 th November 2015 All Dominican Saints Day, Dominican Family Day, can be found on - Jubilee Dominican Saints this week 7 th May Bl Albert of Bergamo, Lay Dominican and Husband Bl. Albert was born in Valle d Ogna near Bergamo in As a married man he was known for his generosity to the poor, a virtue for which his wife reproached him. Upon the death of his wife, being childless, he left his father s farm and went to Cremona where he lived in poverty. His poverty was a witness to a group of heretics there who boasted of their own poverty. Attracted by the life of St Dominic he joined the Brothers of Penance, which later became the Order of Penance of Saint Dominic, and lived at the Dominican priory. He died 7 th May th May St Antoninus of Florence, Friar and Bishop Antonino Fierozzi was born in Florence in 1389 and in 1405 was received into the Order for the future priory of Fiesole by Bl John Dominic, who at that time was reforming the Dominican priories of the area according to the wishes of Blessed Raymond of Capua. He served the friars in various priories in Italy, often as local superior, and became a distinguished master of canon law. In 1436 he founded the famous priory of San Marco in Florence and under his leadership Fra Angelico decorated the priory and an outstanding library was collected. His wisdom and pastoral zeal made him a natural choice for Archbishop of Florence in He was noted for his service to the poor and established a society under the patronage of St Martin of Tours to assist him in this work. Among his writings the best known is his Summa Moralis. His whole life was mirrored in his last words, to serve God is to reign. He died on 2 nd May th May Bl Jane of Portugal, Nun Bl Jane, the only daughter of Alphonso V of Portugal, was born in Lisbon in For a time she served as regent of Portugal during her father s absence, but had little taste for the life of the royal court. She desired to embrace religious life and despite the violent opposition of her brother and father, she entered the Dominican monastery of Aveiro in Dedicated to prayer and penance she lived for the conversion of sinners and the liberation of the Christian captives in Africa. She lived a life of humility and simplicity and died at the monastery on 12 th May, th May Bl Imelda Lambertini, Nun Bl Imelda, a member of the noble Lambertini family, was born in Bologna about At the age of nine she was placed in the Dominican monastery at Val di Pietra, near Bologna. She had a special devotion to the Eucharist but because of her age was not allowed to actually receive communion. She was consumed with so great a longing to receive Jesus in the Eucharist that she merited to communicate miraculously. She died on 13 th May, Pope Pius X named her patron of first communicants 15 th May Bl Giles of Portugal, Friar and Priest Bl Giles was born at Vouzella, near Coimbra, Portugal about the year Although destined for a church career by his father, Giles was more attracted by medicine which he studied and taught at

5 Paris. According to tradition he was converted from a dissolute life through the intervention of the Blessed Virgin. He entered the newly founded Order of Preachers at Valencia around 1224 and became a celebrated preacher and an able superior. Noted for his humble service to his brethren, he died at Santarem on 14 th May Bl Andrew Abellon, Friar and Priest B Andrew was born in 1375 at Saint Maximin, France and received the habit at the priory of Saint Mary Magdalene there. He was outstanding for his teaching, for his preaching throughout Provence, and for his zeal in restoring regular observance. In addition he exercised his talents as an artist in many of the Dominican churches of southern France. He died at Aix-en-Provence on May 15, th May St Francis Coll Guitart, Friar and Priest St Francis Coll was born at Gombreny in the Catalan Pyrenees in 1812 and, after studying at the diocesan seminary at Vich, entered the Order at the priory of Gerona in In 1835 the anticlerical government closed the house of studies at Gerona and dispersed the Dominican students. From that day until his death he maintained a heroic fidelity to his Dominican vocation without the support offered by Dominican community life. Eventually he was ordained at the diocesan seminary at Vich in After several years of parish ministry he pursued itinerant preaching along with his friend St Anthony Claret. He founded the Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation to teach the children of the poor in the villages where he preached. In December, 1869, Bl Francis suffered a stroke which left him completely blind. He died at Vich on 2 nd April, For the full calendar of Saints see or Please send contributions short paragraphs about Dominican Life in your area to archives5@bigpond.com OFTEN!