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INFORMATION BULLETIN No 77 FEBRUARY 2006
You will have
seen in the last Bulletin that Peter Brock has resigned from the position of
Executive Officer of the National Commission due to ill health. The news of his
resignation was received with great sadness by all who knew of his tireless work
for the bishops, priests and deacons across the country. Peter's health
continues to be a matter of concern. Following successful surgery and skin
grafting on his shoulder, he developed what appeared to be facial cellulitis. A
week or so later, after a spell in hospital, he was diagnosed with shingles
(or something similar) which is still causing constant pain and ear ache on that
side of his face. He will not return to ministry in his home diocese until after
Easter. In the intervening quiet time he hopes to write up and publish his
retreat talks. (He has an article on clergy retreats in the latest Australasian
Catholic Record). His address is c/o P.O. Box 780 Newcastle 2300 or peter.brock@mn.catholic.org.au We have included four tributes to Peter here, as well as five brief accounts of how a bishop, a deacon and three priests celebrated Christmas. I am grateful to the participants who wrote about Christmas for agreeing to write their experiences for us and to Peter for arranging this before he left. With personal best wishes Frank
Devoy Executive Officer
THANK YOU, PETER Fr It has been my great privilege to work closely with Peter for the past 3½ years. I believe the bishops, priests and deacons of Australia have been served marvellously well during Peter's time as Executive Officer of the Commission. He has been tireless in his efforts to be with, encourage and support the clergy of Australia. He has become a great friend to all. Through his reflections, messages, programmes and retreats, Peter has opened up God's Word for us. But more than this, he has modelled that Word for us by the way in which he lives. Peter has nourished our lives. We have been richly blessed. Fr Matt Digges Balgo WA With a parish the size of
Victoria, and the nearest priest 600km away, you get used to surviving on your
own. It doesn’t mean you don’t need priestly fraternity or company; you just
don’t often have the opportunity. During my six years in the Tanami Desert,
Peter has emailed and visited, grappling with my take on the issues of ministry
in remote aboriginal communities. He has been interested enough to run the
gauntlet of flooded and impassable roads, flying when necessary, to spend some
time with all of us in the remote Kimberley parishes and missions. Peter, you have encouraged us to take continuing formation
seriously. You have made us feel important and reminded us that our lives are
not in isolation from the joys and struggles of the rest of the Australian
presbyterate in ministry and life. Thank You. Fr Greg Bennet Melbourne VIC Peter, I often used to wonder how you could live out of your car boot for
weeks on end as you travelled across the Great Land of the Holy Spirit. Living
in such a detached way you were an extraordinary witness. It spoke of your deep
commitment to your role as
Executive Officer, but more
so of a generosity of self of which the simple man of Galilee had much to say. Like
your favourite Australian saint, Blessed Mary MacKillop, Peter you are a
traveller who has seen and heard of the diverse needs of the Church. You carry
the hopes, vision, challenges, disappointments and opportunities of the priests
you have met ‑ including my own. You have shared your passion for
priesthood and have shown us that priesthood is about daring to love Jesus
Christ, learning to risk and self‑generosity. Your listening ear and
reassuring words bring refreshment to your fellow pilgrims. Peter,
thank‑you for showing us what Blessed Mary MacKillop meant when she
said, “remember we are but travellers here." Unexpectedly and sadly the
traveller must rest. May the intercession of Blessed Mary and the prayers of all
your pilgrim friends bring you healing so that you may take‑up your
journey renewed and refreshed. Fr
Peter Bianchini Perth WA The role of the Executive Officer for the National Commission of Clergy Life and Ministry is a very unique position in the Church of Australia. I believe that Peter Brock has brought his own style and individuality to this role. He has shown great concern not only for the clergy of Australia, but has an incredible way of valuing each individual Bishop, Priest and Deacon in Australia. Peter’s adventures across Australia in his car, have made him aware of the many and various situations in which the clergy work and struggle. He has shown a great empathy and appreciation for the clergy of Australia. I have been privileged to work with him and along with every one of us, wish him good health and “thanks” for his love and concern for each of us.
CHRISTMAS AROUND AUSTRALIA
With Christmas falling on a Sunday this year, I was looking forward to a lighter workload than last year when we had the Christmas - Sunday double header. The vigil Mass was overflowing, with the school choir and many of the children dressed as angels and shepherds gathered around the altar. The midnight Mass was more solemn with the Philippino choir leading us in carols. Climbing into bed after Midnight Mass, I was kept awake by the rock band at a nearby hotel, the doorbell ringing at 5am and the telephone at 6am, and up again to say morning Mass. My visit to the
local hospital later in the morning saw me hot on Santa’s heels, as we each
made our way around the wards. The rest of the day was for ‘partying’, first
with a family of parishioners for lunch, and then with my own family in the
evening. The week before Christmas I spent two hours ‘in the box’ each day as people came to make their Christmas confessions. It was a privilege to see Advent produce so many genuine conversions. Fr Joe Taylor,
Kennington, Victoria At the
final (and first!) music practice for our children-focussed Christmas Eve Mass
things seemed to be progressing very slowly. The key was eventually found, the
music leads from the seven microphones were finally located, and then just as we
just began music practice the fire siren sounded! That was the end of practice
as all the men took off to their respective places in the Axe Creek Fire
Brigade. Fortunately the grass fire was contained within 20 minutes and they
were back in 30. Advent preparation always seems to be filled with such stories.
St Therese’s
Parish has four churches and we celebrated seven masses for Christmas. The main
Mass at 6.15 pm, was in a huge indoor gymnasium with room for a 1000 people. It
was great liturgy with the children leading in song, dance, and prayer. The
single child’s voice singing the verses to the psalm was most moving. The Church
for the main mass (8.00 pm) was magnificently decorated with lots of gold cloth
and candles. Our newly installed DVD projector enhanced our liturgy in lots of
ways. One of the highlights was the participation of so many young adults who
had come home for Christmas. Bishop Pat
Dougherty, Bathurst Christmas begins
with Midnight Mass in the Cathedral. I celebrate another Mass during the day. In the morning I
visit the sick in Bathurst’s two hospitals, and in the afternoon the
“oldies” in two of the Nursing Homes/Hostels. If I have been informed that
someone is sick in his/her own home, I try to pop in there too. On my way I
might call on some aged people or some family. A brief visit to any priests
gathered for lunch is always included in my schedule. Sounds like a
pastoral day? I try to make it such, and quietly so. I am fortunate that my
circumstances permit this pattern. When I put up my feet about 6.00 pm I am
happy to have in some small way practised what I preach – outreach to those
whom Christmas finds suffering, and sharing the lot of those who are away from
home, family or community or festal food on Christmas Day. My Christmas day
ends as it began, at the feet of the Lord…though, this time, alone. A restful
Boxing Day awaits. Deacon Shane
O’Dea, Adelaide I work in a
cluster of three reasonably affluent parishes in the inner suburbs of Adelaide.
As a deacon my focus is directed towards developing relationships with people
(often on the fringes of our Eucharistic community) and being with them as they
discover God in their midst. A major focus of Christmas for me was inviting
people to celebrate liturgically within our cluster parishes. I wrote
personalised letters to the many families who have had children baptised during
the past five years, and also visited the local shopping centres during the
weeks before Christmas. There I met many people from the fringes of our
community. The Children’s
Vigil Mass at Kingswood Parish was “wall to wall” young people and parents
with a large number of older people. I attended this Mass with my spouse and 2
year old son. I exercised
diaconal ministry at Midnight Mass at the Kingswood Parish. This was a more
meditative celebration reflecting upon the relationship between Jesus’ birth
and our lives in 2005. Interestingly, a large number of men and women (aged 20
to 35) arrived for this Mass alone. Following this
Mass I spent some time talking with young professional people who were still
there. They were quite reflective about the link between the Mass they’d just
celebrated and their lives seeking to be in communion with God and their
relationships with other people. On Christmas Day
I took part in Mass at our Colonel Light Gardens Parish. Fr Matthew
Moloney, Rockhampton South I celebrated the
Christmas Vigil with the faith community of Westwood, a small community 60kms
west of Rockhampton. Because of the number (the Church only holds about 30) we
gathered under the shade of the Coolabah tree beside the Church with a backdrop
of the local mountain ranges. In the past, Frs John Daly, Tony Mannix and the
Pastoral Minister have shared travelling to this small rural community once a
month. Each time after
Mass we gather for a meal and this Christmas Eve we continued to celebrate
outside the Sacred Heart Church for all the people and families who had come,
about 60 people all up. It was a wonderful evening. This was the final time I was to celebrate Mass with this community before I move to my new appointment in Bundaberg in January 2006.
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