From Bishop Kevin Manning, published in Catholic Outlook, April 2006..

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

The message of the Angels, who appeared to the holy women at the tomb on the first Easter morning, invites us to a new vision and proclamation of hope: "Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here; He has risen" (Lk. 24/5-6)."

Yes, Easter is a time when we recognise and welcome Jesus Christ risen from the dead, His having overcome death and Who is now calling us to share in His glory.

On Good Friday the entire Church celebrates, with deep emotion, the sorrowful passion, death and burial of our Saviour. In His death our Saviour demonstrates the immeasurable mercy of God, His infinite love cleanses us of sin, and helps us bear the burdens of everyday living.

Easter invites us each year to stand triumphant before the empty tomb and to bury there the effects of sin: our troubles, anxieties, fears and doubts as we hasten to embrace the new life in the risen Lord.

Christ's Easter greeting "Peace be with you" (Jn. 20:19) is a comforting invitation to pacify our minds and hearts of the tensions and anxieties that weigh us down and to experience the serenity and peace which He alone can offer.

Hope in what the resurrection entails enables us to live tranquilly in this world with our minds ever fixed on the new life that Jesus offers us in heaven.

To those baptised and received on Holy Saturday I extend special greetings. The Church rejoices that through the saving waters of Baptism and the gift of the Spirit and Holy Eucharist you are one with us at the table of the Lord.

I express my heartfelt joy that you have embraced the Catholic faith in its fullness and I urge you to share that faith with others. May your new life and your new vision in Christ bring hope and peace to others who are burdened with the cares of this world.

Let us pray with Mary, the mother of God, who stood with Him at the cross and was a witness to the resurrection, with the holy women and apostles, that we will experience the Easter hope proclaimed throughout the ages.

On this glorious Easter day may the risen Christ bestow His Easter gift of peace on all people, and especially the people of the Diocese of Parramatta.

Yours sincerely in Christ,

Bishop Kevin Manning
Bishop of Parramatta

Click here to view locations and times for Holy Week and Easter
in the Diocese of Parramatta.

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By Julie Kelly, diocesan Field Officer for Liturgical Formation,
Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

From earliest times in Aboriginal culture, sticks were used to relay messages to people of other tribes. Message Sticks are a traditional way of communicating between distances and between communities.

The Message Stick is a symbol of peace and goodwill presented to members of other tribes when Aborigines enter their country.

By displaying the stick to leaders in the groups through whom they passed, messengers received safe passage. Message sticks are used to extend invitations to initiations, funerals, sacred ceremonies, a challenge to settle a dispute, feasts, where a group had gone, or just simple requests to trade.

It is easy then for Aboriginal people to connect the Message Stick with the ritual of the Church, when a person processes in with the Book of the Gospels, which contains God's Message.

Use of symbols
The use of indigenous symbols such as the Message Stick tells us not only that indigenous peoples ruled and owned this land in the past but that they are still here in the present - both in our nation and in our Church.

Symbols like the Message Stick confront us with the (perhaps disturbing) fact that we cannot be a complete nation or a whole Church until and unless we embrace the peoples represented by these symbols.

The Message Stick is a reminder of the continuing need to work together for reconciliation and justice. On his visit to Alice Springs in 1986 Pope John Paul II said to indigenous Australians and to all of us: "The Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received."

Nine Message Sticks are travelling throughout Australia to celebrate the message of hope and reconciliation Pope John Paul II gave to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

His message continues to have special significance for Aboriginal Australia, because of the impact his words had across our nation. He acknowledged that mistakes had been made but that the Church had always been a strong voice in support of the rights of Aboriginal Australians.

National celebration
In May 2005 Message Sticks were sent out to each State from St Mary's Cathedral and will gather on Sunday 1 October 2006 when a national celebration will be held in Alice Springs to mark the 20th Anniversary of the Pope's visit.

The results of various discussions around the country will come together in a week of collaboration, discussion and, hopefully, a direction in which to move forward and take up the late Pope's challenge.

It will be an opportunity to acknowledge achievements; recognise strong Aboriginal leadership within the Catholic Church; mark and celebrate the contribution of Aboriginal people to the Catholic Church and to determine what else needs to be done and set new directions.

Parramatta visit
The Message Stick traveling through NSW has journeyed through the southern Diocese and will be welcomed into the Diocese of Parramatta at St Patrick's Cathedral during the Vigil Mass on Saturday 1 April before being sent on to the Diocese of Broken Bay in May.

The Message Stick will spend a month in the Diocese of Parramatta being relayed among parish, school and other communities.

A ceremony will take place on Easter Sunday commencing at noon in the Lomandra section of the Nurragigny Reserve in Doonside. Everyone is welcome to bring food and refreshments to share in this event.

At a time when reconciliation has disappeared from the national agenda, the Church is standing alongside Australia's indigenous people and trying to be a faithful witness to Christ in our land.

When we pass on the Message Stick to the Diocese of Broken Bay, may we also pass on forgiveness and reconciliation. This could be your opportunity for a different Lenten-Easter experience.

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By Dan McAloon, Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

Centacare's relationship counselling services are now available to parishioners and the wider community in the Hills district, with a counsellor working two days a week at the parish offices of St Bernadette's, Castle Hill.

John Sweeting, Deputy Director of Centacare Parramatta, said expanding Centacare's counselling services from Blacktown and Parramatta into the Hills district was acknowledgement of the pressures families are under.

"Mortgages, financial pressures and inter-personal issues are constants in life," John said. "They don't pick and chose postcodes. All relationships need nurturing to grow. Our counsellors are here to give qualified help to clients in resolving a range of issues that might otherwise damage a person's quality of life."

St Bernadette's Parish Priest, Fr Wim Hoekstra, said the invitation to establish counselling services at the parish came from the parish council. Initially budgeted for one day a week, the provision of a rent-free consultation room at the parish meant counselling is now available on Tuesdays and Thursdays during office hours.

Fr Wim said perceptions of the Hills area as an affluent address belied the concentrations of home units, villas and large houses on small blocks that also formed part of the social landscape.

"By bringing Centacare to St Bernadette's we are offering expertise and a resource that our families can easily access," Fr Wim said.

Counsellor Mandy Wilkinson said common issues covered in relationship counselling included families who were trying to balance a hectic work schedule and home life, families dealing with separation and divorce, parenting techniques, and people who were going through transitions in their lives such as the adjustment to married life or what retirement means for "empty nesters".

Appointments at St Bernadette's can be arranged by contacting Centacare Parramatta tel (02) 9630 7788.

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Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

Two Catholic schools in the Diocese of Parramatta and the Catholic Education Office's Transition education program have won National Awards for Quality Schooling.

Delany College at Granville, St John Vianney's Primary at Doonside and the Catholic Education Office are among 15 NSW recipients of the awards, which recognise outstanding achievements by Australian schools, teachers, principals and school support staff.

St John Vianney's won an award for Outstanding National Achievement in School Improvement for its creation of a teaching and learning culture that enables students to improve their literacy and numeracy.

This whole school improvement project provided intensive professional development for teachers, which resulted in the creation of shared best practice for teaching literacy and numeracy.

The project has been the foundation of a marked improvement in student learning outcomes in these areas through implementation of programs over the past five years.

Delany College received a Highly Commended National Achievement in School Improvement award for its whole school improvement in literacy.

The school has implemented a Literacy Plan and Policy, which offers a whole school approach to learning and the professional development of teachers.

The Catholic Education Office received a Highly Commended National Achievement in School Improvement award for its Transition Education program, "Through school to community".

This program has successfully enabled students with special needs to settle into the community and the workplace. It promotes inclusion and realistic goal setting as the basis for success and concentrates on building generic work skills from students' personal skills.

Each winner of a National Award for Quality Schooling receives a Federal Government grant to help fund professional collaboration and development.

Dr Michael Bezzina, Interim Executive Director of Schools in the Diocese of Parramatta, said the awards recognised some of the outstanding achievements of schools and educators in Catholic schools in Western Sydney.

"The thing that pleases me most about these awards is that they reflect what can happen when good leadership and sound educational practice are applied with passion and commitment to benefit all students," he said.

"At St John Vianney's, at Delany and in the Transition program students know that a lot is expected of them and they live up to this expectation."

The awards were presented on 27 February at Parliament House, Canberra. They are co-ordinated by Teaching Australia, the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership.

A full list of award winners can be found at: www.teachingaustralia.edu.au

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Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

John Aquilina MP, the State Member for Riverstone and Speaker of the NSW Legislative Assembly, has been awarded the highest honour that the Filipino Congress can bestow, the Congressional Medal of Achievement.

On 3 February the Speaker of the Filipino House of Representatives, the Hon Jose de Venezia, presented the medal to Mr Aquilina in Manila.

The medal was awarded to Mr Aquilina "on behalf of the Filipino nation" and "in appreciation of his concern for the welfare of overseas Filipinos in Australia and for enhancing the friendship between Australia and The Philippines".

The award came during a visit to The Philippines by a delegation of NSW MPs led by Mr Aquilina, who is an active member of the parish community of St Patrick's Parish, Blacktown.

Mr Aquilina visited Manila, Corregidor, Subic Bay and Cebu. He also saw the Gawad Kalinga Village at Quezon City, a project to provide housing, health and educational facilities for the poor.

While at Gawad Kalinga, Mr Aquilina inspected the section of the community known as the "Australian Village", built with generous donations from the Filipino-Australian community.

"My visit to the Gawad Kalinga village was inspirational," he said. "In less than two years the residents have gone from living in a shanty-town to living in clean, tidy and well-maintained homes in which they take great pride. It is a great tribute to the generosity of the Filipino-Australian community who helped build it."

Mr Aquilina also visited a community of disadvantaged children at Subic Bay to see the work of Fr Shay Cullen of the Preda Foundation. Mr Aquilina was very impressed by Fr Cullen who he described as a great motivator and inspirer, and a man who had obviously gained the trust of children in very difficult circumstances.

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By Stephanie Thomas, Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

When the French-founded religious congregation, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, decided to establish a new mission community in Papua New Guinea 20 years ago, the vast majority of the sisters had never heard of the place, nor did they know where to look for it on a map!

So says Sr Mary Claude, a member of that first mission community to PNG.

Sr Mary Claude visited the Diocese of Parramatta in March as part of the Project Compassion Lenten appeal.

A proud Texan with a background in education and hospital chaplaincy, Sr Mary Claude admits that her "life changed forever" when she arrived in PNG with six other sisters in 1986.

"Everything I thought I knew and had done before coming to PNG had no relevance whatsoever to what I was being asked to do as a missionary in the service of a young Church, in a young developing country," she said.

Twenty years on, Sr Mary Claude has become very familiar with PNG, the land and its people, its beauty and its challenges. Her first 14 years were spent in the Highlands working in the Diocese of Kundiawa. In 2000 she moved to the Archdiocese of Madang on PNG's north coast, where she currently resides.

In both dioceses Sr Mary Claude has played a vital role in establishing administrative structures and co-ordinating pastoral support facilities in collaboration with the local people.

Sr Mary Claude acknowledges that working for a "young" Church in a "young" developing country is rewarding but hard and stressful work.

She names many challenges but the biggest task for her is "how to help the people of PNG move forward in the 21st Century, to develop as a people, Church and nation, but at their pace, and according to their own cultural traditions, well adapted and integrated in the rest of the world.

"We know that we are here not for ourselves, but for them, and the more we help them become who they can be, the more joy there is for us."

In early 2005 Sr Mary Claude's role was unexpectedly broadened to include humanitarian relief work when two volcanic eruptions on Manam Island (north of Madang town) forced the evacuation of nearly 10,000 people to mainland PNG.

While there were no deaths directly as a result of the displacement, the islanders were left without their homes, a food source, health and education facilities and the ability to sustain their lives.

Although a small number have been able to return to their island homes, the majority are living in camps (or care centres) along the Madang North Coast Road at Mangem, Asuramba and Potsdam.

"Thanks to Caritas Australia, working in partnership with the Archdiocese of Madang, their situation has greatly improved," Sr Mary Claude said.

As a result of this partnership people in the care centres have been provided with education and health facilities as well as trauma counselling.

Sr Mary Claude addressed parishes and schools in the Diocese of Parramatta between 14 and 16 March 2006.

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Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

This is an abridged version of an article which appeared in VEMA, St Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological Press and appears by kind permission of the author, Philip Kariatlis.

Fasting is to be understood as a means of renewing our relationship with God, assured of the joy of His loving kindness and mercy.

Accordingly, fasting has to be observed with a sense of resurrectional joy knowing that the victory of life has already been granted through Christ's resurrection from the dead

Far from being a time of gloominess or dreariness, as many might suppose, it is a time of joyful expectation, a time of eager expectation for the bestowal, by God, of His greatest gift to the world - that is, the gift of eternal life by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

Historical evolution of fasting
As early as the 2nd Century, there are references to fasting:

Until recently it was thought that Wednesdays and Fridays had been chosen in opposition to the Hebrew fast days of Monday and Thursday! Since the discovery of the Qumran documents, we know that the early Christianfasts originated from the Essences. Later on, the Christians would add a new meaning to these days - as commemorations of the days of Christ's betrayal and death. These days came to be known as days of fasting or station days.

The early Christians fasted because they were looking forward, into the future, to the second coming of the Lord. They understood fasting primarily as a one-day fast, which involved the complete abstinence from food and not the abstinence from certain foods as it understood today.

Development of the Lenten fast
St Irenaeus is a witness to the various forms of fasting:

By the 4th Century, the fast had undergone a transformation, both in its form and length. It had evolved into a 40-day fast and became centred, as a result of its long duration, more in the restriction of certain kinds of foods rather than total abstinence from food.

The first explicit reference to a 40-day fast is in the Council of Nicaea (325) in Canon 5.

Biblical basis for fasting
Jesus Himself fasted and taught His Disciples to fast.

Note that Jesus does not say "if you fast", but "when you fast". Fasting is not an option: so important is fasting that even Jesus said that without it some forms of evil could not be conquered and overcome (cf. Mt. 17: 21).

Jesus teaches emphatically that Christians are not to be ostentatious about their fasting, but rather to do it in secret, not drawing attention to themselves.

The true meaning of fasting
The whole rationale behind fasting is to make human persons aware of their dependence upon God. In our fallen state, it is only by self-denial, such as the real physical hunger or tiredness involved in not eating, that we can be led to remember both our broken and created state, and therefore our total reliance on the uncreated God without whom we would not even exist.

Divorced, however, from this desire to commune with God, fasting can lead to an over-emphasis of the external rules associated with the fast. This inevitably reduces the practice of fasting to a form of legalism, that is simply to rules regarding what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten.

In this way we miss entirely the inward goal of the fast. And without the inner understanding of the nature of fasting, the outward form loses all its meaning.

The Church, in all her wisdom has placed fasting at the disposal of the faithful so as to give them the opportunity to gain mastery over themselves by becoming liberated in God. Fasting helps us to liberate ourselves from a mere dependence on the things of this world in order to concentrate on the things of the Kingdom of God.

Humanity does not fast because it pleases God for His servants not to eat. Neither do we fast with the belief that somehow our physical hunger and thirst can serve as a "reparation" for our sins. Such an understanding is never given in the Scriptures nor in the writings of the Fathers.

Rather, people fast so that they might more effectively serve God who loves them and has saved them in Christ and the Spirit. From this, it follows that fasting without a conscious desire to live a virtuous life is to miss the whole point of the meaning of the fast. That is to say, fasting without effort in virtue is wholly in vain. According to Abba Dorotheos:

The spiritual fathers, as strictly ascetic as they were, are very clear in their teaching about fasting. They insisted with the Lord and the Scriptures that people are to fast in order to become free from passions and lust.

But they insist as well that the most important thing is to be free from all sin, including the pride, vanity and hypocrisy, which comes through foolish and sinful fasting.
Just as Adam's tasting of the forbidden fruit enslaved humanity to food so ascetical fasting has its purpose to return humanity to freedom. Unless fasting is accompanied with prayer and love for neighbour then it is utterly valueless.

Footnotes
1 Didache, 1: 321.
2 Eusebius, History of the Church 5, 24, 18.
3 St Abba Dorotheus, Directions on Spiritual Training, cited in T. Hopko, The Orthodox Faith: Spirituality, vol. 4, 148.

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By Dan McAloon, published in Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

The Ministry's Director, Phyl Sadler, with Sr Theresa Foley RSM.

Coping with the loss of a partner through death or divorce is a life-changing process. Such losses challenge every family member: physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is the thunderclap in our lives. In our grief we are vulnerable to feelings of isolation, failure and self-blame that can push us away from family, friends, faith.

Through its Ministry to Solo Parents and their Families, the Diocese of Parramatta gives support to those who are widowed, separated or divorced, to single parents and to the children of these families.

The Ministry has two projects: the Pastoral Care Ministry based at Parramatta, and Catherine Villa, which provides supported accommodation and outreach to pregnant young women, homeless mothers and their children.

One of the most important people in the ministry is the Pastoral Carer. For people who feel wounded and aggrieved, there is often no sense that a healing journey is possible. It is in the Pastoral Carer that they place their trust. This is the face who embodies "Church" as an inclusive, safe place where an individual's pain can be expressed privately and healing can begin.

For more than 10 years Sr Theresa Foley RSM, one of the Goulburn Mercies, has been the ministry's Pastoral Carer. Looking back on her time with the ministry she is full of admiration for the trust and confidence people have given her. Building a pastoral relationship she describes as "a great privilege" that begins with connecting with people "where they're at" emotionally.

"Sometimes when a person walks through our door they're not sure why they're here," she explains. "There's often shock and trauma about their grief. Old negative feelings long buried can come to the surface. They'll ask questions like: 'How could this have happened to me and my family?' 'Is it all right to ask for help if my marriage has broken down?' 'What does God think of me?' "Where is my place in the Church now?"

Through courses such as the Recovery Program and Seasons for Growth people are given a process for their grief that is informed by Christian theology and practical psychology.

"Empathy and sharing our pain is part of the healing," Sr Theresa said. "Sole parents themselves can be the most important healers. Men and women who have experienced loss through death or separation are often the best teachers."

Her commitment to the journey includes support and advocacy for sole parents and their children in times of crisis, as well as maintaining support groups and activities such as Christmas parties, picnics, reflection days and Masses.

"Coupled with the privilege of serving sole parents is the responsibility to keep informed about Family Law, Welfare organisations and referral services that support sole parents. I have also advocated for sole parents in Catholic schools, courts and mediation processes," Sr Theresa said.

She is a familiar face in parishes and schools throughout the Parramatta Diocese, making herself available to talk to parents and teachers. She has acted as an advocate of the Ministry at State and National Family Conferences, as well as supporting submissions to Church and Government.

Sadly, Sr Theresa is now leaving the ministry, taking a well-earned break to travel overseas. The Director of Solo Parents, Mrs Phyl Sadler, paid tribute to Sr Theresa's contribution in these terms: "I know that Theresa has been deeply moved by the difficulties that many sole parent families endure and inspired by their faith and courage.

"The Pastoral Care Ministry is blessed with a great band of volunteers and Sr Theresa has been a guiding hand and a great friend to many. We will miss her very much and we all wish her every happiness with her trip and future plans."

Theresa's overseas trip is a pilgrimage to the home of the founder of the Mercies, Catherine McAuley. The address in Baggett Street, Dublin is known to Mercy Sisters everywhere as the place where Catherine McAuley's mission to Dublin's poor began.

From there the Mercy charism in education and nursing spread across many countries, including Australia. Together, the 17 Mercy congregations are the largest order of religious women in Australia. Sr Theresa's own congregation at Goulburn was founded in 1859.

Catherine McAuley remains an inspiration to Sr Theresa. "Catherine's main aim was to educate people and to care for the sick," she said. "It's a vision I have tried to remain faithful to in my religious life."

For years Sr Theresa worked in obstetrics nursing and was involved in educating parents. "My nursing background, I felt, gave me a rapport with the people who came to the Solo Parents Ministry."

For those who would like an opportunity to say farewell to Sr Theresa there will be a farewell supper on Friday 7 April at 7.30pm at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish Centre (behind the church), Old Prospect Road, Greystanes. Please bring a plate. All welcome! For further information phone Linda tel (02) 9890 2968 or (02) 9837 2095.

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By Rev Paul Roberts, diocesan Vocation Director,
Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

An invitation to males and females: have you ever had a thought or two about priesthood or religious life as one of your options?

Would you appreciate coming to a simple BBQ lunch to hear a few people in these vocations share their reflections and experiences?

Would you appreciate being in the presence of other people who have also had a thought or two about alternative vocations? As well, you might like to share or just hear some questions, ideals or comments from others within such a gathering.

If so, contact me and I'll invite you for lunch on the Sunday after Easter - 23 April.

This is offered as something relaxed, confidential and just as a general support for your journey and various options. There's no pressure or obligation, so feel very confident to get in touch and to come along for interest.

If you're going to be away at that time or would rather catch up in some other fashion, then please also feel very welcome to get in touch.

Priests for our area
In the February issue of Catholic Outlook I reflected specifically on the need for new generations of priests to serve the area of Sydney covered by the Diocese of Parramatta.

Sydney is a city firmly on the world map, an international city of significance. The Diocese of Parramatta covers what will continue for many decades to be a major part of Sydney's vibrancy and growth, youthfulness and energy.

This place has a future in which good and loving priests among the people will have a great purpose and involvement. So let's pray that God's invitation will be heard in the hearts of such potential priests who seek this purpose and involvement in the heart of life.

Pray for vocations
My suggestion previously was that all of us, including us priests of the diocese, might choose one part of the Mass and each time we come to that part of the Mass, pray a prayer for such priestly vocations to flourish.

The habit is finally catching on me, although I admit it took me more than a month to remember and be consistent.

There's now a special moment every time I celebrate the Eucharist where I offer a prayer: "that you Lord will let some enthusiastic men of love and faith hear your call to become brother priests in our diocese".

I invite every one of us to have a consistent prayer at a particular time of the Mass or another time of the day or week that we'll remember.

Imagine the power of thousands of down-to-earth prayers from the heart from people of all ages for this special intention every single week. Please include yours.

Until next issue,

Cheers - Fr Paul.

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By Rev Bill Moore, Chairman, Ecumenical & Interfaith Commission,
Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

One of the most significant events for ecumenists in recent times has been the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches held in Porto Alegre, Brazil from 14 to 23 February this year.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) represents 348 Christian Churches worldwide. Altogether approximately 4000 people gathered in prayer and study to address the theme God in your grace, transform the world.

Although the Catholic Church is not a member of the WCC it is a respected observer and participates in many areas of dialogue with member Churches on an individual basis.

As the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Walter Kasper said to journalists at the Assembly that the Catholic Church had not become a member of the WCC for structural reasons as it was a universal rather than a local body, but it worked with the Council "with no rivalry or competition, but in friendly collaboration". ¹

The WCC began in Amsterdam, Holland in 1948. Christian Unity had been an objective of many of the Protestant Churches since the Anglican Church initiated a conference on the subject at the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth, London in 1867.

But the Second World War in 1945 was a wake-up call to both Protestant and Catholic Churches alike to seek in earnest more constructive ways of taking seriously Our Lord's prayer to his Father for his Disciples at the Last Supper: "that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and loved them even as you have loved me." ²

Soon after the establishment of the WCC Pope Pius XII issued his encyclical, Ecclesia Catholica in which he outlined to local Bishops the conditions under which talks with non-Catholics could take place. Then in 1962 Pope John XXIII made ecumenism a priority at the Second Vatican Council.

At Porto Alegre a 19-member Catholic delegation representing several Bishops Conferences and religious and lay movements occupied a front row in the Assembly's plenary hall while Cardinal Kasper was invited to convey a message of greeting from Pope Benedict XVI at the opening session. The Catholic presence was also visible in the Assembly's prayer gatherings.

On one evening in particular all participants joined in Catholic vespers. The Rev Samuel Kobia, the WCC Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for the wonderful spirit of hospitality and welcome he received from a Catholic lay organisation in Porto Alegre, which was typical he said, of the Catholic Church everywhere he went in the world.

The main areas for discussion at the Assembly were spirituality, ecumenical formation, global justice and prophetic witness. The delegates committed themselves to continued involvement in proclaiming these Gospel values in a world that threatens the most vulnerable.

They seek to do this in harmony with those world bodies that are in sympathy with the values of the WCC. Foremost among these is the Catholic Church. In pursuing this objective the Assembly agreed on a new text, "Called to be One Church," and urged WCC members to give priority to the questions of unity, catholicity, baptism and prayer.

With the renewed emphasis on ecumenical co-operation and dialogue between the member Churches of the WCC and the Catholic Church it is hoped the values of Christianity can make a greater impact on the leaders of nations as those committed to Jesus Christ seek to speak with one voice.

Footnotes:
1 www.wcc-assemly.info
2 John 17:23

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Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

Chantelle Ogilvie.

Parramatta Young Christian Students Co-ordinator Chantelle Ogilvie is one of 10 women undertaking a Young Women's Interfaith Fellowship. The fellowships are an initiative of the Commission for Australian Catholic Women and the Australian Bishops.

The initiative aims to develop the capacity of young Catholic women to take on leadership in the field of inter-religious dialogue.

Chantelle is studying a Graduate Certificate in Interfaith Relations at the Australian Catholic University. On 5 March this year she appreared at "Dialogue", a forum run by the Jesuit youth organisation YUCAN. Chantelle joined two other lay women, Robyn Wunder and Dr Louise Goggin, to speak on the topic Women in the Church.

At the forum, Chantelle proclaimed the importance of women's leadership in the Church. Reflecting on scripture and her own experience of Catholic women leaders, she emphasised that women's participation in leadership honoured the immensity of God and enabled younger Catholic girls and women to see themselves as created in God's image and called to be disciples and prophets.

The audience of 50 women and men of all ages were challenged and motivated by signs of hope in the work of the Commission and other Catholic women in Australia.

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Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

Photo: Courtesy World Youth Day 2008.

Pope Benedict XVI has released his message to the youth of the world for the 21st World Youth Day (WYD), celebrated annually on Palm Sunday. The theme for 2006 is "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119 [118]:105). In his message, the Holy Father proclaims that "the loving presence of God, through his word, is the lamp that dispels the darkness of fear and lights up the path even when times are most difficult".

Over the next two years Australian Catholics will be preparing for the celebration of WYD in Sydney 2008. The theme is taken from the Acts of the Apostles: "And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8).

Local briefing
On 8 February this year more than 30 priests of the Diocese of Parramatta, together with representatives of the Youth Apostolate, gathered in St Patrick's Cathedral Hall for a briefing on WYD 2008.

Sydney's Bishop Anthony Fisher, co-ordinator for the WYD Office in the Archdiocese of Sydney, was accompanied by Fr Ulrich Hennes, Joint Secretary of the Cologne 2005 WYD Office.

The day was introduced by Amanda Doueihi who had been one of the youth pilgrims from the Diocese of Parramatta to Cologne.

Bishop Fisher presented a video of preparations already in hand for the event and the part that priests, parishioners and youth from the three Sydney dioceses would play.

Representatives were enthused by the account given by Fr Ulrich Hennes for the preparations that the Cologne organisers had made, the setbacks, the pitfalls and the wonderful success of the event.

On Palm Sunday this year, the WYD Pilgrim Cross will be handed to the youth of Australia by a delegation of youth from Germany.

Parramatta delegates
Veronica Vuletic and Luke Hackett from the Diocesan Youth and Young Adult Apostolate will join the Australian delegates to receive the Pilgrim Cross at a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI.

These young people are representatives of Australian dioceses, ecclesial movements, communities and religious congregations. On behalf of the host nation of Australia, the youth will take up the Cross of Christ at the Palm Sunday Mass and commence their own pilgrim journey towards WYD 2008 in Sydney.

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By Dan McAloon, Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

Br Finbar Kelly FSC, Bishop Kevin Manning and Br Martin Blattman FSC.

Parramatta's Bishop Kevin Manning has been named one of the "2006 Champions of the West", a group that includes actor Toni Collette and cricket legend Mark Waugh.

The awards were presented on Friday 10 March at Celebrate the West, a luncheon to raise funds for the San Miguel Family Centre.

The awards recognise the unique contribution made to the culture of Western Sydney by the recipients in the areas of public life, the arts, sport and business.

The event was hosted by actor Bryan Brown and attended by Her Excellency, Prof Marie Bashir AC, Governor of NSW (who is also patron of the San Miguel Family Centre), and her husband, Sir Nicholas Shehadie.

The 2006 Champions are Mr Jim Aitken, Mr Bruce Brown, Ms Toni Collette, Mr George Eliot, Bishop Kevin Manning, Ms Jean Peare, Mr Mark Waugh, Mr Peter Wynn, and Mr and Mrs John and Clara Whelan.

Governor Bashir praised the work of San Miguel in assisting struggling families through "sensitive, skilled and professional support services" over more than 25 years.

She said families today can face a range of negative factors that can have "devastating consequences" on its unity. Families can "find effective support within an atmosphere of respect and dignity" at San Miguel, an outreach of the De La Salle Brothers' BoysTown.

The provision of short-term accommodation and assistance, in particular, allows families to get back on their feet, offering a means "by which the vicious cycle of deprivation and hopelessness can be transformed".

Bishop Manning was honoured for his community leadership since becoming the Bishop of Parramatta in 1997. Bishop Manning is well known for his commitment to social justice, Catholic education and inter-faith dialogue in Australia's fastest-growing Catholic Diocese.

In accepting his award Bishop Manning said, although born in the town of Coolah in country NSW, he was proud to be counted among Western Sydney's "Champions".

"I was brought up during the Depression years," he said. "Even though life was hard, there were some things that you could take for granted: a strong and loving family life, solid education, the possibility of employment, all held together by our Catholic faith.

"I know that in Western Sydney today many young people do not have these opportunities or are unable to avail of them. So I am delighted to support the work of San Miguel, and youth ministry and other diocesan agencies whose aim is to help needy families and give them a chance in life."

He said recent media reports on a survey measuring "tolerance" in Australia's suburbs had surprised some in revealing that it is often the more affluent suburbs that are the least tolerant of other people's ethnicity, language and beliefs.

By contrast, the Diocese of Parramatta celebrates its multiculturalism every day with 72 language groups represented in its schools. "I know that the best of human, and Australian, values are practiced by the people of the Western suburbs," Bishop Manning said.

People who settled in Western Sydney, he said, wanted the same basic things in life: "A job which will support their families, decent housing, education for their children and opportunities to build family life.

"This is why I was keen to be involved in the debate on the Workplace Relations Bill, trying to promote the human dignity of workers, and their entitlement to fair treatment, wages and conditions in the workplace. Because these are basic human necessities, the Catholic Church is rightly engaged in helping people to procure them."

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Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

On Sunday 5 March 2006 Bishop Kevin Manning presided over the Rite of Election at St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta. There were 104 Catechumens and 51 Candidates from a total of 26 parishes.

In his address the Bishop said:

"Today is a day of rejoicing. A day of joy for you the Catechumens, for your sponsors and RCIA groups, and your families. It is also a day of joy because the ceremony that is about to take place affects the whole Diocese of Parramatta.

God's call to you, and your response, is not simply a private matter: it deeply affects the faith community of the Diocese. You matter to the people of God.

Names
Today is an important day for the Catechumens, because today they leave the catechumenate and enter the period of purification and preparation for Easter.

Those not baptised are called the Elect and those to be received into full communion with the Church are Candidates. I hope the Candidates will allow me a few words about the other names for the Elect.

One of the other names for the Elect is the competentes, or, if your Latin is a bit rusty, it means literally the co-petitioners, or those praying together for the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation. Of course, you do not pray alone: the whole Church prays with you, so there is a sense in which we are all competentes.

Another very beautiful name is the illuminandi, which means those to be illumined by the light of Christ at Easter. At the beginning of Lent, this word encourages us to anticipate the celebration of Easter, when Christ bursts forth from the tomb, and we sing Christ our Light.

Enrolment
But there is another name, my dear Catechumens, which is important today and that is your name. In a few minutes, you will be called by name to present yourselves to the Christian community assembled here in the Cathedral.

Your name is very precious because it is an expression of who you are. It bears the love and hopes of your birth family, and is your unbreakable connection to that family, whom you do not leave behind, no matter where they may be, or whether they are living or dead. Your names will be written down as evidence of God's call to you and your response.

Readings
You have already heard a homily on the Readings so I am not about to embark on another one. Just one comment: St Mark's Gospel tells us that Jesus came to be baptised, and was driven into the wilderness by the Devil. Jesus, fully and completely a man, knew what it was to be tempted. He became incarnate, became a man: therefore He is not distant from us; He shared in our human condition. He is our Brother; so do not be afraid if second thoughts or doubts assail you. Take comfort in Jesus and He will not let you down.

Role of Assembly
My dear people, all Catholics here present, you are not here as mere spectators. You are participants in this Rite. You have specific roles: one for today, and one that is ongoing.

Today, you are witnesses to the testimony of the sponsors that the Catechumens are ready to be admitted to the Elect. You represent the whole Diocese in accepting the testimony of the sponsors, and welcoming the Elect and the Candidates.

Your ongoing role is to support the Elect and the Candidates by praying for them, and giving good example while, together, we prepare to celebrate the Easter sacraments."

Footnote:
1 This is not the oldest account. There is a briefer description from Hippolytus of Rome in the late 2nd or 3rd Century but the parallel is not as clear.

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Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

The Governor General of Australia, Major-General Michael Jeffery, and Mrs Jeffery spent a morning at Bede Polding Catholic College, Windsor South, on Wednesday 8 March to observe an innovative self-esteem workshop for young people.

The workshop forms part of the Essere (To Be) program, developed by teacher and Aboriginal author Fran Dobbie. The program, which is designed to build resilience in young people, teaches practical strategies to overcome everyday problems such as bullying, teasing and anxiety.

Bede Polding College has participated in the Essere program for two years, and is one of a number of schools in Western Sydney benefiting from the initiative. College principal Paul Menday said the school was keen to share the ground-breaking work of Essere with the Governor General.

"A number of students have participated in previous Essere workshops and feedback has been very positive," he said. "Any program that builds relationships between people and teaches skills to communicate improves the quality of life for the whole school community.

"In essence, this is at the heart of our motto at Bede Polding: called to bring peace."

Maj-Gen Jeffery described the Essere program as impressive, and said he hoped it would become a national teaching objective.

"What a pleasing emphasis it was on developing skills to deal with stressful living situations and to be aware of others around you and to think more carefully about the decisions and choices that you are going to have to make in life," he told the college assembly of 1200 students.

"Skill development doesn't end here. Fortunately, it is a lifelong process. You have to blaze your own trail - make plans, organise your life, be courageous at times about your decisions, persistent in achieving your personal goals and maintain self-confidence. And, of course, these aren't always easy tasks.

"But no-one expects you to do it all yourself or by yourself. There are, I think, around the world, many remarkable people whose lives bear witness to an extraordinary combination of leadership, compassion and strength of character and who acted as role models and mentors to those they lead."

Maj-Gen Jeffery spoke to the students about Sir Ernest Shackleton, an Anglo-Irishman who led his legendary Antarctic expedition in 1914 to cross the entire ice-bound continent on foot, rescuing 22 crew after their ship became trapped in between ice bordering the Antarctic Peninsula.

"Shackleton's examples prove, in a compelling way, that with persistence and faith the grand hurdles in life can be overcome," he said. "Ultimately, to be true to the knowledge of who you are and what you stand for and have the courage to live by the values of honesty and integrity, to not be spoiled by your successes and to hold firm to what is genuinely good in life.

"While none of you is likely to face challenges of the magnitude of Shackleton's, you are nevertheless on your own life adventure, making the transition through secondary school, and some of you in the final year of school will, before long, enter a different world of independence and choice."

Maj-Gen Jeffery also spoke to the College assembly about effective leadership, and the importance of qualities such as courage, honesty, equality, compassion, willpower, endurance and knowledge. He urged the students to become involved in worthy causes, by volunteering to help others less fortunate than themselves.

During their visit, the Governor General and Mrs Jeffery enjoyed a morning tea served by hospitality students and viewed a drumming presentation by the energetic avant-garde drum group, Ka Boom Ba.

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Catholic Outlook, April 2006.

With Easter looming on my weight-challenged horizon once again, I paused for reflection. Not upon the four-day weekend and what a welcome relief it will be from routine and schedule or, conversely, the usual joyous chance to spend more quality time with my children.

Not upon the annual pilgrimage to the Easter Show, and the excessive expenditure and extreme exhaustion that accompanies it.

Nor (believe it if you will) upon the reintroduction of chocolate into my life after 40 days lost in the desert of its absence (unless you count an almost-daily temptation, courtesy of supermarket checkouts and colourful shopping centre displays).

No, what I really paused to reflect upon, in the few seconds respite granted to a mother in the course of an overactive lifestyle, was the true meaning of Easter.

First it is definitely about sacrifice. And while few of us will ever be faced with the challenge of meeting one as definitive as that which Jesus made for us, every day we are offered the opportunity to grin and bear any number of "trials and tribulations".

In an effort to assess whether I was doing my bit for the cause, I compiled a shortlist of the 10 most-sacrificing things that an average mother does in your average 24-hour period commonly referred to as "What a day!"

School Lunches. Yes, I know I have harped upon this particular topic before, yet I feel sure that any mother who has spent even one year (let alone 15) attempting to come up with fresh, fun and above-all nutritious, portable, luncheon choices for a child who only seems to eat cheese or peanut butter (but not BREAD) will understand exactly what I'm talking about.

Getting Up. Yes, technically this should have been No.1. But I really only thought about it as I was peering into the fridge hoping to be struck with inspiration, if not the jug of green cordial teetering on the edge of the shelf, which launched itself upon my unsuspecting white corporate blouse before I could drag my bemused attention away from the empty plate on the third shelf. It is at this point that bed looks even more inviting than it did when the alarm went off and it's best not to contemplate the day ahead and thus avoid the onset of serious depression.

Commuting. The morning journey whereby I attempt a 30-minute journey in 20 minutes because someone's tie was missing and we are running late, whilst conforming to speed regulations, detouring past traffic jams and maintaining a polite and conscientious approach to motoring. Now we're talking sacrifice, particularly when one considers the reverse procedure awaiting one on the afternoon shift. Now if I could somehow calm my jangled nerves and assemble coherent thought …

Homework. And you thought you left all that behind when you graduated.

Domestic chores. Well I consider them a sacrifice even while I acknowledge that others find them fulfilling.

Work. Paid as opposed to No.5. Though we're happy in the service, let's face it a holiday is always welcome.

The Evening Meal. A variation on No.1, yet even more of a hideous and challenging prospect because it is the main meal of the day; and man cannot live on bread alone. I tried that again at lunch and he still won't eat it!

Spectator Sport. Exercising restraint in not cataloging the referee's deficiency in his proficiency to oversee my child's basketball game. Doesn't he know a foul when he sees it? Optometrist to Court 4!

Refereeing. No, not sport, sibling disputes. Excuse me if I don't elaborate, the memories are still too raw. Psychologist to Glenwood!

Laying Down. To sleep perchance to dream. Or rather nightmare, as in reliving the day's doings, mulling over the age-old question: what could I have done differently? (see No.2 Getting Up - Not)

It is at this point that we come to the second of my deep reflections upon Easter. Christ's Resurrection encourages us to have hope and believe in new beginnings. After all tomorrow is another day, full of brand new possibilities.

It is just possible that there will be a whole new batch of sacrifices on offer, no less daunting, no less important, and yet somehow just as rewarding as all those that have gone before.

All things considered I hope I have the strength to get up and begin it all again. Chocolate to Me - Immediately!

Breaking the Lenten Sacrifice Drought

The Easter Sunday/Easter Show Day Menu
(as compiled by the Teenage Contingent)

• Breakfast: Mountain of chocolate Easter eggs, preferably well compacted and high enough to climb.
• Morning tea : Chocolate-coated strawberries or free samples at the biscuit stand.
• Lunch: Hot dog, hamburger, chips or other overpriced fast food meal deal (that way you get the drink free) from the stall with the shortest queue.
• Afternoon tea: Fairy floss, toffee apples, sugar donuts or more free samples from any stand.
• Dinner: Partial contents of truckload of showbags, while enjoying fireworks in main arena.
• Supper: Remains of showbags on train trip home before giving up junk food for life !

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