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At the diocesan clergy conference in May 2009, Fr Noel Connolly SSC and Prof Des Cahill immersed the clergy of our Diocese in the issues of multiculturalism. Fr Noel's experience is as a Columban priest and missioner in Korea, and Prof Cahill is Professor of Intercultural Studies at RMIT University.
In 2005, there were between 190 million and 200 million people on the move around the world. This constitutes the "birth pangs of a new humanity". (The Love of Christ for Migrants, 2004 n.12)
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At the conference, three diocesan priests shared their stories of migration to Australia.
Fr Henry Duc spoke of seminary training under the Communist regime at the end of the Vietnam War and his flight through Cambodia and three refugee camps. He also shared how his mother country's core values of respect for parents and care for siblings were challenged in living in Australia.
Fr Luis Montano MG spoke of the bridging of three cultures: he was raised in Mexico, then worked in Hong Kong where he learned Cantonese, and now ministers to an Australian-Chinese congregation.
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Fr Vincent Savarimuthu spoke of being one of 12 children. His parents dedicated his life to priesthood and prayed special prayers for his life's intentions. He described how the conflicts in Sri Lanka had brought together Tamil Hindus, Christians and Muslims under a common banner.
Some fascinating statistics were presented about our Diocese. Between 2001 and 2006, the Aboriginal population in Parramatta grew 12.2%. There are 111,088 Catholic families in the Diocese, which has the lowest de facto rate of any diocese. Two upward trends between 2001 and 2006 are the rise in one-parent families and the number of Catholics living alone.
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Prof Cahill cut to the heart of the matter in a session which spoke of Reasons for Miscommunication in Cross-Cultural Settings. There is the clash between individualist cultures like Australia's, which prize "initiative", and collectivist cultures, which prize "being expected to be told".
Eastern peoples value "silences" in conversation; Western peoples like to "sustain verbosity" in conversation. Language is also tonal, facial, visual, but different cultures have signs which may be polite in one and offensive in another.
The conference was important for deepening the understanding between priests of the complexities of cultures. There was an increasing openness of sharing about issues. It showed us that we are a Church and Diocese on the move, and that this is at once invigorating and daunting.
