Bishop Anthony’s Fisher address to the National Council of Priests 2010 Convention, Sebel Hotel, Parramatta, 12 July 2010
I thank Aunty Janice and all the women of Aboriginal Catholic Social Services for their welcome to country and their dance. I thank the ancient elders of the Darug people whom they represent, as well as Governor King, his soldiers and convicts whom our young people here tonight represent, and their successors, for the privilege of gathering on this land.
I am especially grateful to stand in place of Fr Dixon and today receive a conditional emancipation and permission to exercise the priesthood, including to celebrate Mass for the Catholic people of the colony.
Given that the celebration of Mass is still illegal at this time elsewhere in the British empire, including in our countries of origin, this example of religious toleration is something to be very proud of.
I understand that Governor King was moved by the express desire of the Catholics of the colony to have access to the sacraments and his belief that this might help to keep order amongst them.
I am also grateful that though I have been required to take the oaths of allegiance and abjuration, I am not required to deny the reality of transubstantiation as was Governor King and his predecessors on assuming office as Governor of this colony.
The first public Masses under the new regulations were celebrated in Sydney, Parramatta and the Hawkesbury in 1803 – long before Catholic emancipation in England – and the Governor was so pleased at the salutary effect on the Irish Catholics that he decided to pay Fr Dixon a grand salary of £60.
But this was short-lived.
The Vinegar Hill Rebellion, which the Governor believed had been plotted by Catholics as they met for Mass, only proved how useless Catholic Masses and priests were at securing public order.
Thereafter, Catholics were once again required to attend Anglican services. In fact, these also proved ineffective at making Catholic priests and people biddable, at least to the colonial authorities!
It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the Diocese of Parramatta for the convention of the National Council of Priests, and especially to welcome my brother priests and bishops.
In the face of many challenges but also the joy and inspiration celebrated in the recently concluded “Year for Priests” you will be reflecting together on the changing face of the priesthood and the presence of Christ the Priest in the midst of this change.
This Diocese is just about the youngest in the country, in terms of canonical age but also the average age of its 340,000 or so members. There is significant growth, with new parishes, churches and schools being built all the time.
We have 49 parishes at present and 77 diocesan Catholic schools and six congregational schools. With most of our children in state schools we must reach out to them also and two of my parishes have 18 schools each to serve. We have a significant social services and some healthcare.
This is also the most Catholic part of the country and the most multi-ethnic, multicultural diocese. It has the highest concentration of Indigenous Australians of any Australian diocese.
Due to the demographics of migration to Australia and cheaper housing for those building families, Parramatta is expected to outgrow its parent Archdiocese of Sydney during my time as bishop. I have advised the Cardinal that at that point I expect Sydney will be demoted to a diocese and Parramatta raised to an Archdiocese!
Parramatta was chosen as the seat of this new Diocese because of its historical role in the early European settlement of Australia, its size as a commercial and administrative centre and its pivotal position in the communications that link the West with other parts of Sydney.
You might say it is contemporary urban Australia in miniature. It has ancient parishes by Australian standards, as well burgeoning suburbs, and there is a lot of energy, which is very exciting for a new bishop.
Of course such growth and diversity presents a range of challenges for our priests here as for those in other parts of Australia: how do we connect better with our young families and young adults, with diverse ethnic groups and with the relatively absent ‘blue-eyes’.
We share with other parts of the Church in Australia and overseas challenges such as the increasing secularisation of society, how to respond to rapid change in economy, ecology, technology and culture, the ageing and declining numbers of people in priestly, religious and married life, the effects of more than a decade of battering in the media on our credibility and morale, and the need to ensure that all people, and especially young people, are welcomed, safe and genuinely built up in our Church. Every part of this country has particular challenges, related to size, distance, personalities, economy, history and so on.
I am told that more than 250 clergy are at this convention and that you represent a good mix of young and old, diocesan and religious, city and country priests, old timers and newcomers to this country, as well as the broad range of priestly ministries of proclamation, sanctification and shepherding in which we are engaged.
We are blessed to have eminent speakers from around this country and from the US to lead the reflections on these topics and I welcome each of you to the Diocese as well.
The program includes group discussion, tours, some fine dining and plenty of opportunity for fraternity. There will also be periods of reflection, prayer and worship, a literary celebration of the history of the organisation.
In the context of current controversy about physical and sexual abuse by clergy and religious and the sometimes grave mishandling of these matters by Church leaders, it is appropriate that there will be a reconciliation liturgy acknowledging our personal and ecclesial responsibility and praying for healing and conversion.
The Chairman of the NCP, Fr Ian McGinnity, is a priest of this Diocese, and I know that he has worked doggedly for a long period on bringing this conference to fruition – while faithfully fulfilling his duties as Parish Priest of Mary Immaculate, Quakers Hill.
Bringing priests together has been compared to herding cats, but Ian and the others have succeeded admirably! On your behalf I thank him and his several collaborators for their work.
I pray this will be a time of fraternal encouragement and spiritual refreshment for you. With all the priests and people of the Diocese of Parramatta I welcome you all.