The Year of Grace draws to a close this weekend with the celebration of Pentecost. I wonder what impact it really had in our lives? It was somewhat blunted by the almost simultaneous announcement of a Year of Faith leaving many, no doubt, uncertain as to what was the particular character and purpose of either. The Year of Grace was devised by the Australian Bishops’ Conference, whereas the Year of Faith was an initiative of Rome and for the Universal Church. The Year of Grace was intended to focus on the spirit of the ‘new evangelisation’, as it is called, ‘starting afresh with Christ’ and generating some energy in the Australian Church’s impact on our local communities and the wider society. The Year of Faith, as I see it, which continues through to October, focussed more on the call to a deeper understanding of the kernel of Christian teaching and fundamental values enshrined in our Creed and catechism. Both initiatives suffered a blow from the announcement in this country of a Royal Commission into institutional child abuse, which while having scope to examine the issue more widely, initially at least drew a lot of attention on the Catholic Church and its institutions.

“This is your mother” (John 19:27)

What are you doing for Mother’s Day? This is a question I have heard a bit in the last couple of weeks, both in general conversation between people  and specifically to do with our Sunday celebration in the parish. We feel that it should be something special. Why? That’s a ‘motherhood statement’ in itself. Mothers are special. Mothers’ Day is for the mothers here among us, but our thoughts turn elsewhere as well. With this particular Mothers’ day being the first of my life without my own mother being alive to think of I do have a different perspective on the matter, but one shared with many whose parents have also died.

The Eucharist – the Centre of our Community Life

In the past few weeks of the Easter Season I have been writing briefly about the Church’s Sacraments and will continue this week with the topic of the Eucharist.

Last week I focused on the Sacrament of Marriage in the context of the current legislation that is directed towards redefining the traditional understanding of the institution.

It would seem to be unnecessary to do the same for Holy Communion since it seems unchanging and always, as it’s very name suggests, a communal celebration.  Some liturgical and architectural elements needed attention in our churches for the current celebration of both Baptism and Reconciliation but it may not seem so obvious that anything would change for our regular masses.

The Sacrament of Marriage

I have been speaking and writing about the Church’s Sacraments during this Easter Season and this week it seems timely to address the Sacrament of Marriage.

Last week at the Sunday masses I celebrated I spoke about an issue in the news because of the recent New Zealand legislation relating to the recognition of same-sex unions. I thought it important to acknowledge the currency of this debate and provide a healthy environment in which to discuss the question within our community.  In this last week similar legislation has contraversially been passed in France.  Rather than being defensive and reactive I believe we should use such opportunities as a chance to reaffirm and articulate our own understanding of the sacrament of Marriage. A couple of parishioners also asked me about this issue or expressed their own concerns which further prompted me to speak.

The Sacrament of Penance in the Church Today

One might think that in a time when so many people are feeling pressures by the pace of life and the stress on family and relationships that the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or Confession as it was called more commonly, would become more frequently used and appreciated as a way of finding peace and reassurance. Instead it seems the opposite has occurred and church communities everywhere are trying to rethink and ‘re-package’ the Sacrament in a way that makes sense and offers encouragement.

Admittedly the rigidity of the old confession boxes do not help when at least a generation of younger people have been introduced to the Sacrament in a completely different way. In place of the anonymity and impersonal feel of the traditional design of the confessional, which have their place and importance for some, children experience the Sacrament as a communal celebration where even the moment of individual confession is generally a personal encounter face to face with a priest.

By the time you read this both our churches will have the baptismal font placed in the sanctuary. This is the practice with many other churches these days where it is generally in a location far more prominent than in the past. The reasons for this are manifold, but it might be worth reflecting for a moment on the way we understand the Sacrament these days to see why this might have come about.

In older churches the baptistry was a separate chapel or even separate building reserved solely for that purpose. The catechumens, those to be baptised were seen as outsiders being gradually incorporated into the community of the Church. While that is still so in some ways the broader conception of the meaning of baptism, especially since the Second Vatican Council is that the Sacrament is seen as more closely linked with the other sacrament of Initiation, Confirmation, and in particular, the Eucharist, the fullest expression of our communion in faith and in Christ.

Parish Liturgical Renewal

In the next few weeks I hope to address the issue of liturgical practice in our parish, in particular, reflecting on the changes and current practice that have become a part of our parish life in recent years. This reality impacts upon the worship spaces that are our two churches and was one of the catalysts, as I understand it, for the Parish Renewal  Program initiated back in 2006. The outcome of the Renewal process was the document and plan to renew our churches to better provide for a welcoming, engaged and participative community worship.

Last year we were able to implement some renewal and renovation plans for St. Cecilia’s and now we have turned our focus back on St. Kieran’s Church. After much consultation and the abandonment of the plan to connect the church and parish centre at Manly Vale for both practical and financial reasons, we hope to attend to a number of important issues related mainly to the church interior.

As I reflected prior to Palm Sunday on the eve of another Holy Week I was struck by the various cycles that are a part of our lives. From the weekly and monthly patterns of our regular schedules to the changing of the seasons and the passage of the years. The annual celebration of Easter is one of those occasions when the memories of years past and the opportunities to begin things anew collide and touch a chord deep within us.

The sudden resignation and retirement of Pope Benedict and the election of our new Pope Francis in the last couple of weeks meant for many, I sensed, the end of one era and the beginning of another—the opportunity to hope and pray for a fresh start in the life of the Church that had become for many of us a place of sadness, unable to overcome the weight of its past and to be renewed from within.

And so we arrive all too quickly at Holy Week. How did that happen and where did the weeks go? The Bishop’s visitation and then the election of a new Pope had something to do with it, I would think. In the meantime our children in Year Three have received the Sacrament of Reconciliation and our RCIA and RCIC candidates and their families have been preparing for the sacraments at Easter.

Palm Sunday has become an occasion to draw attention to various social issues in our world from appeals for world peace, solidarity with others in crisis or more local concerns. Christ’s own triumphant entry to Jerusalem is tinged with apprehension and a presage of his passion and the tension and conflict with the leaders of his times is heightened.

“HABEMUS PAPAM”

The wait was not as long as some might have anticipated and a general sense of surprise and speechlessness seemed to overwhelm many commentators. An Argentinian of Italian heritage, a Vatican outsider, a Jesuit and a first-time papal title, Francis the First. At the age of 76, a few months shy of John XXIII at his election, and not resilient in health, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio presents a somewhat unlikely choice. Few could claim to have predicted such an outcome.

"Celebrate and rejoice with me because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found." (Luke 15:32)

We have just passed roughly the halfway point of our Lenten pilgrimage with the arrival of this Fourth Sunday, traditionally known as “Laetare” Sunday taking the first word of the Liturgy on that day in Latin which means “Rejoice!”. The Gospel of the day then appropriately celebrates the joy and elation of a parent who has completely unexpectedly been reunited with his lost son. We know that Gospel story of course as the ‘parable of the Prodigal Son’.

Of the varied themes that give us pause for reflection during the season that of sorry and pardon, repentance and forgiveness, change of heart and reconciliation, or however we wish to express it, is high on the list. It is also apt then that many of our parish and school families are currently participating in the program preparing their children for the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance.

The barque of the Church is not mine, nor ours, but His”

(Benedict XVI—farewell address Rome 28th Feb. 2013)

How does one evaluate the efficacy of a pontificate, especially when not afforded the benefit of hindsight, but stand in close proximity?

Since Joseph Ratzinger, the then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, close associate and aid of John Paul II, and Dean of the College of Cardinals was elected as Pope on 19th April 2005, he has represented the face of the Church for many people both within and beyond the flock of the faithful.

In many ways he was emblematic of the journey the Church had made since the heady days of the Second Vatican Council, when he was noted among the many prominent theologians and experts at the time, and who then came to assume a more central role in the Church’s administration and governance.

“And his glory was revealed on the mountain”

To me the first signs of Autumn in the air are evident, or is it wishful thinking? Just that softer evening breeze and not quite the same sting in the day sun, perhaps. The year is well under way at both parish and school community level, our sacramental and catechetical  programs too have everyone engaged and there is a general sense of business. We have tried to start Lent in the right spirit with times for reflection, prayer and devotion, interrupted momentarily by talk of papal resignations and royal commissions, but that too is a part of life these days, it seems.

Well, what can one say? Resignations are in the air both at diocesan and pontifical levels – the first a regular and anticipated event, the second (unless you subscribe to conspiracy theories), completely out of the blue. Bishop David Walker submitted his resignation as Bishop of Broken Bay, as he is entitled, entering his 75^th year, and it has been accepted. He remains our bishop until his successor has been appointed, which will be some time off. However, as of 8pm on this February 28^th we will be without a pope for the second time in under a decade. Apart from a personal and devotional level, neither event will have any immediate impact on our everyday parish life. Bishop David has requested that we all pray for both the retiring Pontiff and for the guidance of the Spirit in the election of his successor, whose name we should know well before Easter.

Significant Moments

As Summer holiday memories fade, even if the heat has not totally dissipated, and we’ve only just realised we are back in full swing with all our regular activities, suddenly it’s Ash Wednesday and our thoughts turn to Easter. Much is to be organised in the parish between now and then. Our candidates for the RCIA and RCIC (for children) will be eagerly awaiting Holy Week and their reception of the Sacraments and reception into the Church. We welcome them all warmly.

LOOKING BACK WITH GRATITUDE

It seems most appropriate at this time just before Christmas not only to extend our greetings for the festive season but also to look back on the year that comes to a close. With a new Parish Council in place there was already a sense of change in the air by the time it was announced around Easter that Sr. Josie, our Pastoral Associate for many a year, would also be returning to her homeland and family in the Philippines.

We were delighted to present our new Youth Ministry Coordinator to the parish in the person of Nic Osborne, and shortly afterwards to welcome our three Indian Augustinian priests, Frs. Dipi, Jaison and Saju. Of those last three Fr. Dipi Kattathara was to be formally appointed to the parish team and we have been very happy to have him among us. The loss of our long time secretary, Adriana Bowyer, was a sad moment but the knowledge that she would continue to be involved in some way was a blessing and we wish her well. Our new secretary Cath Hillier has quickly become a part of the team and many will already be familiar with her friendly face at the office window.

DECEMBER COUNTDOWN

The finishing line beckons – December 31! Despite the unsettled weather of late there is a sense of finality about a lot of things in parish and school and community. The completion of St. Cecilia’s renovations and the celebration of St. Kieran’s 60^th have now come and gone and we focus on the big weekend and Christmas ahead.

Something that has flown a little under the radar is the feeling that despite all our activities something in parish life has been missing. For some months at both Parish Council and Finance Committee the idea of some kind of outreach to the community beyond our worshiping community and schools would complement and balance the use of our resources and talents. What precisely that may be had not taken form despite suggestions of school bursaries, twinning with a needy parish overseas or perhaps funding an employment start-up program for young people, to name a few suggestions.

HISTORY MARKS 60 YEARS

The date of October 12, 1952 was the day on which the Parish Church of Manly Vale was officially opened by Cardinal Gilroy and the first Mass celebrated by Fr. John Walsh, assistant priest of Manly. The first parish priest appointed was Fr. Daniel Brendan Ormonde, an Augustinian, following the decision to entrust the care of the fledging parish to the Augustinians. The church was dedicated in honour of St Kieran, the patron saint of Monsignor McDonald (parish priest of Manly) 's old school St Kieran's College in Kilkenny.

The assignment of the Augustinians to  the parish was directly linked to a commitment given to establish a boys college in the district, by the then Augustinian Provincial, Fr. Thomas Hunt. This commitment was realised in 1956 with the opening of St. Augustine’s College, Brookvale.

A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER

Yes, we have arrived at the threshold of another December which conjures up so many images and associations with festivities, winding down, and for a lot of us, general exhaustion. We do have much to look forward to in the coming weeks with celebrations almost every weekend through to Christmas.

We begin this weekend Kindy Blessing Masses at both our churches for our classes of 2013 and their families. In particular the event at St. Cecilia’s incorporates a semi-official acknowledgement of the completion of our interior renovations of the church in the past few months. A ‘bumper’ hospitality treat is in store afterwards.

VOICES NEED TO BE HEARD

As I write the closing date the Federal Government request for submissions on the terms of reference for the forthcoming Royal Commission into Institutional Child Abuse is at hand. No doubt many State Authorities, not-for-profit organisations and religious organisations have been trying to meet the deadline in order to have their voices heard and there is a sense that the time allotment is limiting given the scope of the proposed enquiry. The focus of attention has been largely on the Catholic Church, of course, given the high percentage of schools, institutions and welfare facilities conducted by the Church relative to other groups.