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Number 24
Exaltation of the Cross--14 Sept. 2003 |
Contents
Jubilees
Receptions in Papua New
Guinea
Jubilees Sydney
Thursday Island Visit
Editorial
More on PNG Visit
In the U.S. of A.
Australian Honours
And Yet More Jubilarians
Jubilees
Golden Jubilee
celebrations at Fairfield, Sydney, 27th July, 2003
Marcellus Broderick
(Kenya), Gregory Fox (Ireland), Richard Doheny and Aengus
Kavanagh (Sydney)
Congratulations
to all of you - and to Jerome, John Verhoeven and Gerad
Reburn on your Silver Jubilees.
Congrats also to
St
George College, Mussoorie who celebrate, in October, 150 years since
the
original college
became the present St George. Close by is Nirmala School which is
celebrating
its own Golden Jubilee
of establishment. In Chennai St Michael's Academy is gearing up
for the
celebration of its
Golden Jubilee. At Patrician College Fairfield Golden Jubilee events
are now winding down.
We share with all
these brothers and all these institutiuons in the joy of remembering
years well spent
in the service of the Kingdom.
(For more on the jubilees click
here.)
Receptions
in Papua New Guinea
Friday
22nd August, 2003
Back: Paul O'Keeffe,
Felim Ryan, Camillus Regan, Berchmans Athakkad, Norbert Yeku,
Jerome Ellens,
and James O'Rourke (Peter Ryan, novice master, took the photo.)
Novices:
Peter Epari, Peter Seiwo, Thomas Boship, Felix Surwa, Tonny Sonnai, Apel
Daniel
(Missing
is James Maragoizama who was delayed with transport problems
and was received
on Friday 29th August.)
Jubilees
Sydney
Brothers are seen here outside Our Lady of the
Rosary Church, Fairfield, Sydney,
with Bishop David Cremin after the Golden Jubilee
Mass on July 27, 2003.
(For more on the jubilees click
here.)
Thursday
Island Visit
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Members
of the Extended Council are seen here with the T.I. Community. From the
back: Jerome, Philip, Tom Rice (TI), Berchmans, Felim, Camillus, Cronan
O'Meara (TI), and Paul.
Philip and Jerome
were on TI for Visitation and the other members of the Council joined them
en route to Papua New Guinea for meetings.
Extended Council,
2003
This was the fourth
meeting of the Extended Council since the 1998 Chapter. Members assembled
initially on 14 August and re-assembled at The Entrance north of Sydney,
for the completion of business.
Most of the agenda
concerned the organisation of the 2004 General Chapter scheduled for Kenya.
Members of the Council
wish top record their gratitude to Paul O'Keeffe and the Australian-PNG
Province for the welcome extended to them everywhere and for the facilitation
of the meetings themselves. |
Editorial
The Gospel for today's
feast, The Exaltation of the Holy Cross, comes from John's Gospel and Jesus's
discourse with Nicodemus. "For this is how God loved the world: he gave
his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may
have eternal life" (In 3: 16).
The feast commemorates
the date in 335 A.D. when Helena, mother of Constantine, staged a veneration
of the Cross in the  new
church 'marking the site of the crucifixion'. We are aware of the subsequent
hi-jacking of the cross by Constantine as a symbol of domination and conquest,
and, indeed its similar use by many aggressors over the centuries. The
problem is with the hi-jackers, not with the cross.
But we are also aware
of the preservation of the symbolism of the cross in its true Christian
meaning. The fact is that millions of people throughout the world, and
throughout history, have understood, and continue to understand the real
meaning of the cross. And that understanding does not require any sophisticated
theological or philosophical learning.
We understand the
cross as a cruel and shameful instrument of execution. It was meant to
strike fear into the hearts of those who witnessed a crucifixion. And yet,
the fact of Jesus' crucifixion has transformed the symbolism of the cross
into something quite different - the sign of God's love for us, in which
Jesus accepted humanity and death, 'even death on a cross', for our sake.
Nor should other
distortions of the symbol of the cross worry us unduly. It is worn as a
fashion item by huge numbers and the range of motivation and understanding
involved has to be enormous and sometimes most unworthy. But its presence
over the graves of our dead, on the walls of our bedrooms, in sacred
spaces and in the everyday, is a constant reminder of the reality of Christ's
work of redemption.
"And for this God
raised him high, and gave him the name which is above all other names.
." (Ph. 2: 9). With this "exaltation"came a dramatic change in the way
God, and Jesus, are named by Christians. We are familiar with the Old Testament
approach to God's name - 'in fear and reverence, don't use it!'. But, through
the humanity of Jesus, we now have an Identification with God which was
not possible before. Jesus is 'one of us' and we are close to him because
of that. As a result we name him often and are consoled by that.
We think now of a
God of love, not a God of fear. In the Harry Potter books, the evil and
powerful Voldemort is "he who must not be named". Chapter One of an early
Rule of ours, in words adopted by the 1998 General Chapter, made the transition
from "the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom" to "Love and Confidence
as Life and Soul. . . "
And so we are not
any more intimidated by the sign of the cross, nor do we use It as a sign
to intimidate others. And we don't fulminate against those who don't yet
understand its real meaning and use it for frivolous reasons. We use and
understand it with affection, gratitude and a deep understanding of what
Christ has done for love of us and a reminder of what Is expected of us
in love for him and for others.
Perhaps a good perspective
on this comes on the following day, 15 September, when we remember our
Mother of Sorrows.
More
on PNG Visit
On arrival at Aitape, members of the Extended
Council were given
a traditional welcome by Br Norbert and the "young"
aspirants.
The Council is in session at Bishop's Hill, Aitape.
This is an interesting bridge to come upon and
it's getting dark.
Jerome is seen negotiating the Yakamul Bridge
between Wewak and Aitape
on Sunday 10th August. He and Phil were near
the end of the five hour drive
to Bishop's Hill for Visitation and Extended
Council.
As you can see, the bridge has no timbers. Behind
Jerome is the vehicle
which has to position its wheels very carefully
on the exposed bearers and then proceed
with great caution if the wheels are not to drop
into the spaces between
(something which has happened to quite a few).
You wouldn't read about it, but on the way to
Aitape and back, Phil and Jerome
and all the Councillors spent some time in Wewak,
PNG, where Patrician Stephen Sweetman
lives and works. Here we have Phil and Jerome
taking in the sights
with Stephen (centre). Left insert is a welcoming
party organised
by Stephen and Callan Services, the organisation
Stephen works with, for
Phil and Jerome. Right insert the Councillors
have gathered in Stephen's
house to begin a night out which ended up quite
a stormy affair.
In
the U.S. of A.
Philip is seen here with Brothers Philip Shepler
and Kevin Minehan of Los Angeles
during the General Visitation in May, 2003. Both
of these Brothers are very
involved high school teachers in Los Angeles.
This is the occasion of celebration of Livinius
Bellew's eighty-fourth birthday at Midway City.
On the right is Hilary Deering who has since
turned 84 himself.
Australian
Honours
Aengus
Kavanagh
Jerome and Aengus are seen here in July during
Visitation, in front of the new
Aengus Kavanagh Education Centre
near Mt Druitt in Sydney's west. This initiative
of the Parramatta Catholic Education Office
brings some important services, including Aboriginal
projects, into the west of Sydney.
Its naming honours Aengus's enormous contribution
to Education in the area.
Patrick Lovegrove
Patrick Lovegrove is seen here holding the Brother
John Taylor Award,
made to him in 2003 in recognition of his services
in promoting
Excellence in Catholic Education. The award was
given by the Catholic
Education Commission of New South Wales.
And
Yet More Jubilarians
Jerome Ellens (India) and John Verhoeven
(Sydney) celebrated
their Silver Jubilees together in Sydney this
year. John works as a parish co-ordinator
in the city of Campbelltown, south-west of Sydney.
(For more on the jubilees click
here.)
Yet another Silver Jubilarian is Phil Turner
(right).
Phil played a leading role
in setting up the formation programme in PNG
back in 1988.
He is now teaching in a school in the outback
of Western Australia.
Photo: Philip with Norbert Yeku at Norbert's
Final Profession in 2000.
Norbert is the first Papua New Guinean to be
finally professed as a Patrician.
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