Much has happened in the province of Australia/Papua New Guinea since the last newsletter and hopefully the pages that follow will capture most of those events.

Our Province was host to a plethora of visitors. In early June Brothers Philip Mulhall and Jerome Ellens arrived to conduct General Visitation. This proved to be a time of affirmation coupled with challenge for each of us. Followed closely were the members of the Extended Council; ie, the leaders of our other Provinces and the African region. Our visitors included James O'Rourke, Camillus Regan, Felim Ryan, and Berchmans Athakkad.
 
 

The Extended Council in Aitape, Papua New Guinea

You are probably wondering where we fitted everyone!  Indeed it was a tight squeeze but we still had room for more. We were pleased to welcome Marcellus Broderick and Gregory Fox here to celebrate their Golden Jubilees with Aengus and Richard. Last but certainly not least was Cormac Cummins and Peter and Preda O'Reilly. Peter is the Deputy Principal of Patrician College, Newbridge.

All of this made for a very busy couple of months in this part of the world. Such events and visitors further reinforce the internationality of our Congregation. It was a great chance to repay the hospitality many of us have experienced in other Provinces.

In love and confidence.

Br Paul O'Keeffe
PROVINCIAL

JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS

This time 12 months ago we were celebrating the Silver Jubilee of Brother Stephen Sweetman. Somehow in the rush and events surrounding the publication of our last newsletter this was overlooked. Apologies to Stephen and his family. (Photo: Stephen in Wewak, 2003, with St Ignatius ex-student and now nurse Elizabeth and her daughter Stephanie.)

Even though Stephen is now into his 26th years of religious profession we congratulate him and inconclude this picture of Stephen's life as a Patrician.

Stephen entered the Patrician Brothers in 1976 and was professed on 6th Febryary, 1977. His eraly teaching career was at Patrician Brothers Granville (1977-79) and Patrician Brothers Blacktown (1980 & 81) and John Paul II Senior Secondary School (81). During these years he taught Religion, English, Modern History, Ancient History, and Social Science.

In 1982 he had his first tour of duty in Papua New Guinea teaching at St Ignatius High School, Aitape, until 1985. In 1986 he returned to Sydney and Fairfield where he taught until the end of 1988.

1989 saw Stephen return to Granville and join the Lorica program. By this time he had added Mathematics to his teaching repertoire and had become community leader in 1993. 

1996 saw Stephen head back to PNG but this time to Wewak where he began the role he currently has an academic registrar at Callan Services for Disabled Children. 1997 saw his return to Sydney and Ryde where he put his skills to work in the area of computer technology. 

Well done, Stephen, on your 26 years.  May the remainder be well spent in the Lord's service and in our Patrician mission.
 

Photos: Left is John Verhoeven with parents John and Corrie; above is Jerome with his Sydney family.

This year we have been pleased to celebrate the jubilees of other Brothers. A gathering at the Liverpool Catholic Club in June gave us the opportunity to celebrate the jubilees of Brother John Verhoeven and Jerome Ellens. 

OTHER CELEBRATIONS

Of course the other celebrations occurred at Fairfield in July when we gathered to celebrate the Golden Jubilees or Richard Doheny, Aengus Kavanagh, Gregory Fox and Marcellus Broderick seen here cutting the cake.

The Eucharits was celebrated our long-time friend Bishop David Cremin.

Below are some of the scenes for the celebrations as well as a second held for Aengus at Holy Cross, and a second for Richard in his home parish of Ballingarry, Co. Tipperary.
 
 

Richard back home in Ireland with pp Fr T. Breen	Basil, Philip (SG), and  Cormac (ex-SG)	Nicholas with sisters of Philip: Margaret and Marion
Aengus with Mrs O'Connor (Mother of Anthony, RIP)	Joseph with Liverpublians the Regans & the Dubois's	Aengus with his brother Larry and sister-in-law Kathleen
John and Domenic with Val and Pauline		Patrick and Aengus with Stephen and wife Kerry

EXTENDED COUNCIL

For the uninitiated the Extended Council refers to the meetings that occur between the Superior General, Vicar General, and the leaders of each Province and Region.

The reason for this meeting was twofold. First and foremost was to discuss matters around the General Chapter to be held in Kenya next year. It also gave the Brothers concerned the chance to experience first hand the ministry and coniditons in the more remote parts of our Province - Thursday Island and Papua New Guinea.

Thursday Island is home to Thomas Rice and Cronan O'Meara. Thomas is pictured here on Hammond Island (Thursday Island in the background) which he visits on a regular basis taking Holy Communion to many of the elderly residents. He also take stime to sit and talk with whomever is at home.
 

Thomas reading to a TI senior citizen	Thomas on Hammond Island
Northern most tip of Aussie mainland	Always time for a picnic

Papua New Guinea was the next stop. Stephen's hospitality in Wewak was excellent. We enjoyed two nights there before we headed for Aitape.

The official welcome was given by the Brothers in the picture: Apel, Tonny, and Felix, who are now novices, and of course the fiurth person is Norbert Yeku the community leader.

The highlight of the visit to Aitape was the reception of novices. The group is pictured with the visitors as well as Norbert and Peter Ryan, Novice Director. The presence of som many Brothers was a great boost to Norbert and Peter and the reception of novices was seen as a sign of gret hope fo our Province.
 

A time to welcome; and time to celebrate;

and a time to depart.

BROTHERS REMEMBERED - WAGGA WAGGA

Students from St Michael's Regional High School celebrated the restoration of a gravesite to honour their pioneers at the Wagga Wagga Monumental Cemetery on Kooringal Road last week.

The Patrician Brothers were one of three religious order involved in keeping St Michael's boys open when the government withdrew all financial support from school outisde the government system.

The school honours the three that died here in Wagga Wagga - Brother Anslem Casey (1892), Brother Regis Dwyer (1894) and Brother James Ryan (1896).

Mary Ryan and Gerard Bulfin represented the Brothers and along with the Bishop of Wagga Wagga, Most Reverned Gerard Hanna, were guests of honour at the gravesite commemoration.

Principal, Kerry Mowett, said the original grave of the Patrician Brothers had been vandalised, with the headstones smashed and the foundations had collapsed.

For restoration the school community decided that some of the profits raised from last year's reunion weekend, including a dinner and barbecue, would go towards the restoration project.

"This is one of the final jobs that the school community wanted to carry out before the school officially closes at the end of this year," said Mr Mowett.

The Patrician Brothers taught at the school from 1886 to 1889.

A RETIREMENT OF LIVERPOOL STAFF

Midway through this year at All Saints Catholic Boys College, formerly know as Patrician Brothers Liverpool, two long serving members of staff celebrated their retirement. Present at the official function were Brothers Philip Mulhall, Jerome Ellens, and Paul O'Keeffe.
 

Walter and Roger	Walter and Roger with Brothers

Walter Abeysekera began teaching at Patrician Brothers Primary School in 1971. In 1991 the Primary School closed and Walter transferred to the High School where he has been ever since. All in all Walter ministerd for 32 years with the Patrician Brothers.

Roger Cole had a similar commitemtn to the Patrician Brothers. Roger began teaching in the High School in 1982. His retirement marks 21 years of dedication to the ideals of the Patrician Brothers and of ministry to the students and teachers of Liverpool. Roger's father was taught by the Patrician Brothers at Bathurst.

We Patrician have been blesseds on so many occasions by the dedication and commitment of people like Walter and Roger. We wish them both the ver best in their retirement.

BLESSINGS AND OPENING

In this day and age the official blessing and opening of new school building often takes place in stages. Such was the case recently with two schools with strong Patrician connections.

The first is Delany College at Granville, formerly Patrician Brothers, Granville. A good number of Brothers were present at the event. Brother Charles Barry is a member of the Delany staff.
 

Philip Mulhall with Delany principal Kevin Jones and Director of Catholic Education in the Parramatta  Diocese, Ann Benjamin,  as well as student leaders	Fr Les Campion, parish priest of Granville (for a long, long time) and good friend of the Brothers  gives the blessing.

The second school is Magdalene Catholic High School at Narellan. The school is built on land that was previously the Patrician Brothers Novitiate and latter retreat centre. Brother Joseph Crowley is presently on the staff of Magdalene College.
 

Paul O'Keeffe unveils the plaque at Magdalene College	Pat Farmer local member and ex-student of Granville with Alan McManus at Magdalene

ANTHONY VISSER R.I.P.

The Patrician community was shocked and saddened by the untimley death of Anthony Visser, formerly Brother Anthony. After completing his secondary schooling at the Juniorate in Wahroonga, Anthony was received into the Novitiate in 1976, he made his first profession in 1977 and his final profession in his home parish of Liverpool in 1982.

His school ministry was confined to Fairfield and Holy Cross, Ryde, where he had been from 1986 to 2000. Tony's contribution to Holy Cross was quite amazing over all those years. 

Tony left the Brothers in 2000 but kep in contact and was always happy to be invited to any of our social gatherings. He became a lecturer in education with the Australian Catholic University.

On November 11th, family, Brothers and friends gathered to celebrate his life and pray for his entry into eternal life.

May he rest in peace.

PNG VISITOR

October saw the Brothers gather for stage 2 of our Provincial Chapter. Norbert Yeku was present representing PNG part of our Province. In the photo he is with Brother Tom Grealy and long time friends and affiliates Mary and Leo Budin.

Norbert is our only Papua New Guinea Patrician. He began his training as a Patrician in 1988. He is a trained community health worker but over the last few years has been devoting his energies to encouraging and training young Papua New Guinean men who are thinking of being Patricians. He works very closely with Peter Ryan on Bishops Hill, in the town of Aitape, in the Sandaun province.