November 2016
 

 
This page: ACRATH 2017 calendar  |  PNG party at Bribie  |  HandUp Congo  |  Countdown begins  |  Fr Bill Ryder's 80th  |  Retreat for Japanese Catholics  |  Christmas Carol walk  |  Walking with Christ the King  |  Fr Ray's Camino walk  |  Hayden's application accepted  | Ordinations in Davao  |  Walking with Christ  |  MMC newsletter  |  French bishops support Colin Cause  |  Asia District Chapter   |   'Salu Salu'  |  Which path do you walk?'  |  Toy story  |  Nudgee cemetery commemoration  |  Evening Prayer for the Holy Souls  |  Social Justice & Marist diary for November  |  Latest Euroinfo

Order from ACRATH. Click here

ACRATH 2017 calendar

From ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans), a message from Sr Noelene Simmons SM:

'Are you looking for a Christmas present? Do you want to help in the work against Human trafficking in Australia and beyond? The 2017 ACRATH calendar is now available.

'This calendar gives information about ACRATH and the issues facing those who are trafficked in Australia.'

[Nov 30]

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PNG party at Bribie

Members of the Marist House of Welcome community, Paddington, Brisbane, joined PNG Catholics for their end-of-year celebration last weekend.

The Bribie Island gathering featured a traditional roast pig event over which Bougainvillean, Fr Chris Ketsore SM, presided.

PNG and Bougainvillean youth groups also attended.

[Nov 30]

   
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For the HandUp Congo web site: click here

HandUp Congo

From Holy Name of Mary parish, Hunters Hill, Fr Kevin Bates reports on the link between the parish's Social Justice group and 'HandUp Congo'.

The small non-government agency, staffed mainly by Australian women, says 'A hand up is better than a hand out'.

In a novel but effective approach to support HandUp Congo offers 'Great ways to spend $300 in the Congo': click here

[Nov 29]

   
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Countdown begins

Throughout the Church and the Marist world Advent's countdown to Christmas has begun.

Here are a few glimpses...

[Nov 28]

Above: Advent wreaths... Balay Pasilungan, Davao / St Joseph's Hostel, Hunters Hill. Below: Indigenous beginning to Advent, St Patrick's, Church Hill  /  Thai-made Advent calendar, Villa Maria monastery   |   Parish crib, Holy Name of Mary, Hunters Hill  /  ...last year's sheep rustling 'crime scene'.
   
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Fr Bill Ryder's 80th

Three Marists with 'round figure' birthdays were honoured at a combined celebration at the Maryvale-Montbel community, Hunters Hill, on Nov 24.

Fr Tony King had recently marked 90 years while Fr Chris Austin and former provincial, Fr Bill Ryder(pictured), celebrated 80 years at a soirée on Fr Bill's birthday.

Happy 'noughty' birthdays, confrères!

[Nov 24]

 


Provincial, Fr Bob Barber, displays the now-famous but rarely-seen Zanetti cartoon featuring Fr Bill Ryder

 
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Retreat for Japanese Catholics

Three states were represented in Melbourne, Nov 18-20, for a retreat preached by Fr Paul Glynn SM for the Japanese Catholic community.

Retreatants took the opportunity during the weekend to honour Fr Paul's recent 88th birthday.

[Nov 24]

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Christmas Carol walk

Organisers from St Patrick's, Church Hill, advise of the forthcoming 'Carol Walk', from St Mary's cathedral to St Pat's, Sat, Dec 10.

Click here for details.

[Nov 23]

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Walking with Christ the King

Thousands of Catholic Sydneysiders turned out on Sunday, Nov 20, to celebrate Christ the King in the city's downtown precinct.

Commencing at the Eucharistic shrine of St Patrick's, Church Hilll, a procession led by Sydney's three auxiliary bishops wound its way to St Mary's cathedral for Benediction by Archbishop Anthony Fisher.

Photos: Jonathan Alvin.

[Nov 22]

   
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Fr Ray's Camino walk

After 800 Km walking the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain, Fr Ray Chapman sends images and his reflection on an experience both 'hard and beatutiful'.

Continued below...

[Nov 21]

"While walking the Camino de Santiago recently, I met a young Austrian woman who described the Camino as being both 'hard and beautiful'.  Her description caught me by surprise.  Not only did it speak authentically to my own experience but it seemed to encapsulate perfectly the deep significance and richness of the Camino. 

The Camino is certainly hard.  At times it is gruelling!  Walking 800 kms in 31 days, over mountains and hills, in the heat, rain and snow, looking for a new place to sleep each night, certainly challenges even the fittest.  But it is also beautiful. 

The Camino entices a participant to become a pilgrim; to learn how to spend time with oneself; to reflect deeply on life.  Those who walk the Camino embrace a profoundly emotional and spiritual experience, made richer by the companionship of those who walk beside and with them, no matter from which country and culture they come, or to which religious affiliation they belong (or do not), or from which age group they come. 

The joy and fulfilment of the Camino can only be experienced by those willing to endure the tough challenges it presents.  It truly is 'hard and beautiful'."

   
   
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Hayden's application accepted

Marist aspirant, Hayden Kennedy (Brisbane), has been accepted by the Australian province of Marist Fathers as a postulant for 2017.

Well-known as a key figure at the Marist House of Welcome ('Bethany'), Paddington, Brisbane, Hayden shares in the ministry of offering hospitality to a wide spectrum of visitors and groups. Congratulations, Hayden!

[Nov 20]

     
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The ordination ceremony in Our Lady of Perpetual Help church, Bajada, Davao / Frs Roque and John with friends seeking their first blessing

Ordinations in Davao

The Marist world rejoices on the priestly ordination of two members of its Asia District, Frs Roque Rebito SM and John Guo Wang SM.

The ceremony took place in Davao Cty, southern Philippines on Nov 17 in the presence of superior-general, Fr John Hannan SM, other Marists, diocesan clergy, family and friends. Davao's archbishop Most Rev Romulo Valles presided.

Fr John is the first Chinese to be ordained as a Marist priest, an historic and significant moment in the Society of Mary and the church of Asia. Congratulations, Frs Roque and John !

[Nov 18]

   
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Walking with Christ

The annual procession from downtown Sydney to St Mary's cathedral takes places this weekend on the Feast of Christ the King, Sunday, Nov 20.

[Nov 18]

Organisers from St Patrick's, Church Hill, advise: 'Please assemble at Pitt Street, between Hunter Street and Martin Place (this section of road will be closed for us to assemble), at 2pm.

'The Blessed Sacrament will be brought to meet us there from St Patrick's, Church Hill. We encourage you to use public transport. Get off at Wynyard Station and take the George Street exit.

'At the conclusion of the Procession, St. James Station is a short distance from St. Mary's Cathedral.

'What to bring: your parish, group or school banners to make the procession colourful and festive.''

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MMC newsletter

Download the latest newsletter from the Marist Mission Centre: click here.

[Nov 17]

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French bishops support Colin Cause

As the Marist world remembers, on Nov 15, the anniversary of the death in 1875 of the Society of Mary's founder, Jean-Claude Colin, they celebrate good news from France.

At their conference in Lourdes, Nov 04-09, the bishops of France approved with a massive vote the reopening of the beatification cause of Marist Founder, Jean-Claude Colin.

It was Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, archbishop of Lyons, who is in charge of the cause at the diocesan level, who asked the approval of the French bishops.

Oceania Marist bishops Ghislain de Rasilly (Wallis and Futuna) and Michel Calvet (New Caledonia) were present at the vote and communicated the joyful news to fellow Marists.

[Nov 15]

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Above: Fr John Hannan (far left) presides at the Chapter's closing Mass in Davao  |  Below: Opening ceremony, with District Superior, Fr Pat Devlin, and other moments in the Chapter.

Asia District Chapter

Superior-General, Fr John Hannan, SM, accompanied the members of the Marist District of Asia during their recent Chapter.

Held in the Phlippines city of Davao, Mindanao, the Chapter's agenda explored ways of relating to other parts of the Marist world including Australia.

[Nov 14]

   
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From Suva, Fr Tony Kennedy sends the latest newsletter from Marist College..

'Salu Salu'

Click here

[Nov 12]

   
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'Which path do you walk?'

Marist Laity Ausralia's Andrew Dumas announces a reflection day on Sat, Nov 26, entitled 'Spiritual journeys....which path do you walk?'

Presented in the crypt of St Patrick's, Church Hill, Sydney.by Dominic Arcamone.

Click here for details

[Nov 12]

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Villa Maria stalwarts, Bonnie David and Marianne Knoblanche, supervise the Shed sale

Toy story

Nov 06 saw Christmas shopping at Holy Name of Mary church with the annual toy and handicraft sale of Hunters Hill-Ryde Mens' Shed.

The Shed opens twice weekly in the historic workshop of Villa Maria monastery where industrious retirees work on family and community projects.

In his adjacent workshop Br Terry Garrett SM (pictured below) maintains a Marist presence at the Shed and creates his own handiwork for family and friends.

[Nov 07]

   
   
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Nudgee cemetery commemoration

Marists were among the two hundred religious who gathered on Nov 04 to commemorate their faithful departed at Nudgee cemetery, Brisbane.

The graves of seven Marists of the Australian province buried at Nudgee were visited by Brisbane-based SMs and other Marist Family members.

The event was followed by a dinner for religious which was addressed by Brisbane's Archbishop Mark Coleridge.

[Nov 06]

Above: Br Charlie Randle, Hayden Kennedy, Frs John Worthington, Gerard Hall and Chris Ketsore / .. with Br John Thompson FMS and Ms Caroline Thompson (Marist Charism & Culture). Below: The graves of Brs Michael Cunningham and Aquinas Dean, Frs Paddy McCarthy, Richard O'Sullivan, Leonard Bourne, Denis Donovan and Claude Palmer.
     
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Evening Prayer for the Holy Souls

Members of the Maryvale/Montbel retirement community, Hunters Hill, were joined by neighbouring Marists on Nov 02 to pray the evening Office of the Dead.

Photos of confrères who had died in recent years were displayed in the Montbel chapel as a focus for prayer. (We hope they're ' All Saints' by now!)

[Nov 02]

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Social Justice and Marist Diary for November

Go to JPIC diary

[Nov 02]

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Latest Euroinfo

New provincial reports on ARC meeting. Click here

[Nov 02]

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