The news that was: June, July, August
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August

New bishop visits                Karen graduation

New bishop visits
Bishop John Doaninoel SM visits Villa Maria, Hunters Hill, Sydney, after his consecration as auxiliary bishop of Rabaul, PNG. Bougainvillean-born Bishop John was previously regional superior of Marists in Bougainville after a period as rector of the Marist seminary, Bomana, Port Moresby.

Karen graduation
In Maesot, Thailand, four young Karens graduate with a Diploma of Theology from Australian Catholic University. Their program of online studies with ACU was initiated by the Marist Mission Centre in 2001 and reflects a Marist commitment to the formation of young people, in this case Karen refugees along the Thai-Burma border.

July

Marists and World Youth Day 2008:     Pilgrims visit Villa Maria on Fourviere Day          Bangladeshi pilgrims          YPD, Green WYD, 'Ready 4 Action!'          Indigenous pilgrims  

   Villa Maria centre goes hi-tech

 

Marists and
World Youth Day 2008

On Wed, Jul 23 WYD pilgrim groups with Marist connections were invited to historic Villa Maria, Hunters Hill, Sydney, to mark the anniversary of the 'Fourviere pledge'. On Jul 23, 1816 twelve young men gathered by the shrine of Our Lady at Fourviere, Lyon, France, and promised to form the Society of Mary. All Marist branches honour this event as a foundational moment.

See: Beginnings of the Marist Family


Fr Tony King SM (left) escorts Fr Herman Woeste SM and German WYD pilgrims on a tour of historic Villa Maria, Hunters Hill, NSW.


Bougainvillean Marist, Fr Austin Magara, leads the dance during the Fourviere celebrations.

 


Bangladeshi pilgrims hosted by the Australian Province entertain on Fourviere evening.


The chapel of Fourviere, Lyon, France

Pilgrims visit Villa Maria on Fourviere Day


Students and staff from Marist schools in France visit St Peter Chanel chapel in the grounds of Villa Maria.

 


Fr Pascal Boidin SM with French pilgrims.

 


Mexican lay Marists

 


Australian Marist Provincial, Fr Paul Cooney, (left) with some of the Fourviere guests. Twenty countries were represented (Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bougainville, Cambodia, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Tanzania, Thailand & Vietnam).


Bangladeshi pilgrim, Uzzal Costa,
with Australian Fr Tony Kennedy SM.

Marists invite Bangladeshi youth

Four former students of Don Bosco Students' Home, Dhaka City, were amongst the first pilgrims to arrive in Sydney for World Youth Day. They were invited to the event by the Marist Fathers' Australian Province.

They are Shourov Ghosh, Bivash Rozario, Shaiket Biswas and Uzzal Costa.

Bivash and Uzzal attended Green WYD in Victoria prior to WYD, while Shourov and Shaiket participated in the Marist International Festival at Mittagong and Hunters Hill before the main activities of WYD week.

Catholic Bangladeshi families (below) in the Rockdale/Bexley area provided welcome and accommodation for the four young men.

 


The four pilgrims returning to Bangladeshi on Aug 11.

 

 

 

                        

 


The lads' arrival in early July.

Marists, YPD and 'Ready 4 Action!'

Young People for Development (YPD) is a network of youth from nations mostly of South and South-East Asia  who are enthusiastic about development in their own countries.

YPD collaborated with Marist Training Resources for their annual assembly in WYD week as well as skills training in the week following WYD (see below, 'Ready for Action!').

Both events used facilities of the Marist Fathers at Hunters Hill, Sydney.

Green WYD
This event preceded WYD and began in Melburne on Jul 05, culminating with an eco-journey to Sydney and WYD.

'Ready 4 Action!'
This post-WYD training happened on Jul 22-24. Participants were drawn from numerous Asian countries and focused on leadership, teamwork and management skills as well as the 'see, judge and act' vision of the late Cardinal Joseph Cardijn.

Click below for links to Young People for Development and Green WYD sites

 

 

 

 

 

 

A recent Marist Traning Resources
leadership and management program

 

Marist devotional experience
for WYD 2008
During WYD week in the beautiful setting of St Patrick's, Church Hill, the Marists offered a place for prayerful adoration, reconciliation and teaching based on the Marist spirit and mission.

St Patrick's church is located in Grosvenor St, Sydney, in Sydney's historic 'Rocks' area. It is accessed from George St and not far from Wynard Railway Station and Circular Quay.

In the crypt and courtyard areas there was opportunity to venerate of relics of St Peter Chanel and St Marcellin Champagnat -- and to visit the 'Marist tent' (see below).

An Australian patron saint
St Peter Chanel, a pioneer Marist priest and missionary in the Pacific, was martyred on the island of Futuna in 1841. He has since become one of Australia's patron saints.

Relics
Fr Chanel's remains were transferred to Europe in 1859 making him the only canonised Saint to date who has rested on Australian soil. A relic was displayed in the devotional area of the crypt beneath St Patrick's church.

Champagnat's monstrance
 The Blessed Sacrament was exposed in a monstrance belonging to St Marcellin Champagnat. There was also a relic of St Marcellin.

Marist display and
the 'Marist tent'
A display in the crypt focused on the founders of the various Marist branches.  Short talks on Marian themes were given in the Marist tent in the courtyard area, with tea and coffee available. Pilgrims were saying: 'Meet you at the Marist tent!'

 

Open times:
click here for Marist WYD flyer


A major relic of St Peter Chanel was venerated in the crypt of St Patrick's, Church Hill. Using St Marcellin Champagnat's monstrance the Blessed Sacrament was exposed along with a relic of St Marcellin.

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Br David Hall FMS, speaking on the Marian face of the Church with pilgrims in the Marist tent.

    

Maps
At the Marist Expo site fold-up maps were available for pilgrims wishing to visit the Marist site at nearby St Patrick's, Grosvenor St, Church Hill.

Distinctive blue and gold jackets made Marist religious and volunteers easy to spot at St Patrick's and at the Vocations Expo.

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Life of Peter Chanel
in seven languages

Translations of the life of St Peter Chanel included English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Thai, Bengali, Korean and Vietnamese.

Visitors to the Marist shrine at St Patrick's....

 

 

 

 

 

Archbishop Adrian Smith SM (Honiara, Solomon Islands) with Sr Anne Baxter SMSM near the banner of Marist Misisonary Sisters foundress, Francoise Perroton.

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Fr Steve Chobo, Tabora diocese, Tanzania, with Burmese pilgrim Kyi Thar (Marist Mission Ranong, Thailand), SMSM aspirant, Leonida (Philippines) and Fr Kevin Medilo SM, (Marist Mission, Thailand).
Vicar Provincial of the Marist Fathers' Australian Province, Fr Bob Barber, with Marist pilgrims from Davao, Philippines.
               
The founders of the various branches of the Marist family were depicted on banners
in the ante-chamber of St Patrick's crypt.

Marist Vocation Expo
The Darling Harbour Vocations Expo included a section staffed by Marist Sisters, Missionary Sisters, Laity, Brothers and Priests. They were available during the weekdays (Tue-Fri) of WYD week to consult on any aspect of Marist life.

 

 

 

Marist Family members
WYD activities amongst members of the Marist family were coordinated by a working group of Marist brothers, sisters, priests and laity.

 

Life of St Peter Chanel:
click here

Life of St Marcellin Champagnat:
click here

  

Marists support indigenous pilgrims

Indigenous pilgrims
From the Macksville-based ministry team amongst indigenous people of NSW's northern rivers Marists were involved in WYD plans.

Several indigenous young people from the Bowraville-Macksville area were in Sydney for WYD 2008.

Br Mika Cilicewa SM (right) with indigenous
WYD pilgrims at Bowraville, NSW.

Villa Maria goes hi-tech

Villa Maria monastery, Hunters Hill, Sydney, is now equipped with the latest in high speed Internet technology. The historic monastery building was for over a century a hub for missionaries travelling to and from the Marist Pacific missions.

Today Villa Maria is increasingly used for international gatherings of Marists -- and visitors can now benefit from the latest in wireless broadband technology.

    
Chanel House is now wired for highspeed Internet access along with the one and fifty year old monastery building

June

Ashram gathering of Brothers           Marist Asia-Pacific planning           Marist Sisters' General Chapter


Ashram gathering of Brothers

'SM Brothers' from all over the Pacific gathered at the Ashram near Nadi, Fiji, in mid-June. Australia was represented by Br Charlie Randle SM (whose photographs appear here).

The Brothers discussed a range of practical issues concerning their mission and lifestyle in the Pacific. Ongoing formation and professional and trade training were key items on the agenda.

Left: Sunrise over the Ashram.

    
Left: The Ashram nestles in the foothills overlooking the Pacific an hour's drive from Nadi international airport.  Right: The Oceania Marist Province is blessed with Brothers from a number of Pacific nations.

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Left:  Lay facilitators assisted the Brothers.    Right:  A young Brothers takes minutes of the proceedings.

       
Pacific islanders are natural musicians... and enjoy gathering around the kava bowl.  
Marist Asia-Pacific planning

Leadership teams of Marist provinces and mission districts in Australia, New Zealand, Oceania and the Philippines met recently in Sydney (Jun 13-18) to plan for the next steps in Marist missionary presence in Asia-Pacific.

Nine nationalities wre represented amongst the twenty-two priests  gathered for the four-day meeting. Venue was the Colin Library at picturesque, historic Villa Maria, Hunters Hill, Sydney.

Recognising the emerging place of Asia in Marist mission priorities the group established 'MAP' (Marist Asia-Pacific).


... the Colin Library at picturesque, historic Villa Maria

Asia-Pacific and international Marist leaders are led by (front row, from left) Fr Paul Donoghue (Provincial, Oceania), Fr Paul Cooney (Provincial, Australia), Fr Brian Cummings (Provincial, NZ), Fr Jan Hulshof (Superior General, Rome), Fr Larry Sabud (District Superior, Philippines) and Fr Craig Larkin (Vicar-General, Rome).                                  

Facilitator, John Honner, separates the group into 'thinkers' and 'feelers' in one of the gathering's lighter moments.

Issues of international reconfiguration and collaboration with possible new outreaches within the Asia-Pacific region occupied most of the sessions.

 

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Marist missionary work in Asia was represented by (left to right) Fr Keith Tulloch (Superior, Suzaku community, Nara, Japan), Fr John Larsen (Director, Marist Mission Ranong, Thailand) and Fr Larry Sabud (Superior, Philippines Mission District).

Marist Sisters'
General Chapter


New Zealander, Sr Jane Frances O'Carroll has been elected 13th Superior-General of the Marist Sisters. See the Sisters' website and General Chapter report and photos

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