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> Summer 2003 edition
Summer 2003
Friars
In this section: Box Hill, VIC | Morley,
WA | Varroville, NSW | Varroville Parish
BOX HILL
At one stage during our chapter last August, I turned to Aloysius and said,
“Paradise Lost”, sensing that life would never be the same again at
Box Hill.
I enjoyed our time together during the last triennium, living a semi-eremitical
lifestyle. Aloysius involved in academia and I looking after the house and garden.
Our frequent extended conversations over meals, when the topic often revolved
around Carmelite life, was one of the most satisfying aspects of our life together.
It brought back memories of similar conversations during the last years at Gregory
Terrace when hopes were high and the possibility of a more overtly contemplative
lifestyle was discussed and planned. The last triennium at Box Hill was the closest
I ever came to realising something of the Brisbane dream.
The arrival of Shane in September and of Paul, Richard and Damian before Christmas
has brought new life to the house and transformed our lifestyle.
Singing during Office and Eucharist has enhanced our daily round of worship and
prayer. Mysterious aromas greet us each evening as we approach the refectory after
our community prayer time. We take turns at cooking , so there is scope for both
adventure in cooking and variety in our meals. So far we have had no major culinary
mishaps. The brethren are easy to please.
The current drought has had its effect on my efforts in the garden. Bushes, trees
and plants, even the grass, are in survival mode and there have been some casualties.
With less work outdoors, I have begun to cultivate some indoor plants with mixed
success.
We have had a pleasant transition and a hopeful beginning to the new triennium.
Des,
Priory of St. John of the Cross.
Box Hill, VIC | Morley, WA
| Varroville, NSW | Varroville Parish
MORLEY
Highs and Lows of Morley Parish – 2002
All of the readers of this newsletter know, of course, that the relics of
St. Thérèse visited Australia recently, and the Morley was the first
centre to receive the reliquary. Preparations for this event were marvellous in
their detail, resulting in the smooth operation of the beginnings of the visit
and setting the hallmark of the organization for other centres.
I, personally, cannot get over what happened in the few days of the Saint’s
visitation. One other time in my life have I been involved in such a prolonged
period of preparation for a coming event, and that was when the Pilgrim Virgin
of the Rosary Crusade of Fr Patrick Peyton came to our country, many years ago.
“The Little Flower” was wonderfully received in Morley. When all was
in readiness, and with only a short delay (airport procedures, customs, traffic)
a small motor vehicle entered our church parking area, where were waiting Archbishop,
Parish Priest (joining us after receiving the relics at the airport), Regional
Vicar, Carmelite community, Carmelite nuns, Secular Order members and a whole
host of the friends of Therese. The two escorts of the reliquary handed it over
to army personnel who acted as pall-bearers and they, with military precision,
bore it to a temporary altar prepared for it under the stars. The Archbishop received
it officially and then it was carried in solemn procession into the Church and
deposited on a stout and imposing stand at the foot of the main altar of the sanctuary.
Thus it was that St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus entered into the
Church building dedicated to the Infant Jesus.
I still tingle at the thought of what went on for the next three days. The church
was never empty. The Prayer of the Church was recited, scripture readings were
delivered, Holy Hours were conducted—proceedings that are carried out at
Lourdes and Loreto and the home convent of the saint at Lisieux. As always, it
was the people who made the event, coming in their thousands, as they do in many
more thousands to the large shrines of the world. They came on this occasion to
honour a saint who has been honoured so much by God. To some, it would have been
the first big occasion to participate in anything so wonderful. It was never difficult
to imagine a “shower of roses” continually falling on those kneeling
around the reliquary.
The occasion was, in the words of our parish priest, a “unique event in
the history of the Catholic Church in this country.” We were witnessing
the journey of St. Thérèse to “another land,” one of
those countries in which she had been so desirous in her lifetime to spread the
gospel.
The Carmelite life in the priory and the life in the parish resumed in its normal
fashion when the relics moved east and north of the country. The ordinary work
in the priory is the upkeep of the daily round of Office and Mass, prayer and
Community life in all of its aspects. The work spills over into parish activities,
our clergy officiating at the Parish Masses and weddings and baptisms, leading
the people in their activities and directing all the various ministries. We have
a primary school where the priests are encouraged to visit when they can, or on
special request. The school provides opportunity for functions both religious
and social, particular occasions being First Holy Communions and Confirmation
ceremonies, beginning- and end-of-term Masses, and graduations. After-school religious
instruction classes also generate these functions, on a smaller scale.
Morley also has many small groups meeting throughout the course of the week. These
groups are encouraged to interact in reflection evenings and retreats and workshops
when they can be arranged. There are various activities for the youth and young
adults. Within the parish there is operating a Personal Advocacy group, which
is a faith programme for people with intellectual disability. Through the work
of this organization, those with special needs are able to access the Sacraments.
The group has its own Mass once a month in our Church, using one of our Sunday
Masses.
Our Parish Centre (the old church converted to other use) is always in demands
for functions and meetings, social activities like tai-chi, craft circles, dancing
of various sorts, pre-school classes. The centre is also, of course, the administration
centre for the parish, housing the Parish Priest’s office, reception office
where the parish secretary holds sway, manager’s desk, and the usual office
furnishings like computers, fax machines, etc.
On examining the parish newsletters for the whole of 2002, I can see that it has
been a very full year, with the highlights of Easter, Pentecost, and Order feasts
standing out like red-letter days, sombre occasions like the deaths of beloved
parishioners, interesting occasions like young people departing for the missions
(one young man has recently returned with honour), parish council elections, always
an occasion to remember. There are always the down times, too, when the ordinary
events in the week seem to drag along monotonously.
We move with the times. We cannot always have the euphoria of visits of saintly
relics to lift our feet off the ground. We pray to God that the Star of Hope which
honours each Christmas and ushers in the new year will shine continually for us
from season to season.
Bro. James OCD
Box Hill, VIC | Morley, WA
| Varroville, NSW | Varroville Parish
VARROVILLE - Mount Carmel
The last six months here have been lively enough. We had the Regional Chapter
here in August. As a result there were changes in the community. Greg Burke, just
back from Ávila and Washington, stayed on to direct the retreat centre.
Joe Kelly returned to Morley where he knows so many of the people. He has been
in great demand for funerals or so we have heard.
Since Box Hill is the student house once more the changes in the formation programme
have affected us. Greg Homeming is now novice master. He will take up this responsibility
in late January after a short sabbatical in London. Both last year’s postulants
Doug Mawhinney and Bernard Hancock are set to become novices in February. In December
Paul Maunder and the students, Damian Pitt and Richard Healey went to Box Hill.
Alan Theseira from the Singapore delegation returned home in September to further
discern his vocation. So, all in all, our community in 2003 will be smaller than
it has been in recent years.
In spite of Heraclitus all is not flux, at least not here. Greg Chee continues
as our prior; Tadgh Tierney is the parish priest of St Andrews, Raby and Bow Bowing;
Brian Anderson looks after the farm and is bursar; Chuck Stowe does most of the
buying; Peter Dowd has finished his course in counselling and continues as chaplain
to St Greg’s College; above all, Hilary Doran, at 91.9, continues as himself.
Our Christmas dinner was a memorable community exercise. Greg Burke got together
three courses to start; Chuck cooked the turkey and Hilary the fish; while Greg
Chee and Peter Dowd produced the vegetables; then Tadgh flamed the pudding. The
kitchen witnessed dramatic scenes, but all came out well to the evident surprise
of some of the cooks. Tadgh was also to produce the Irish Coffee but after two-and-a-half
hours of conviviality we were replete. Brian set the tables and led the washing
up. A few days afterwards some of us tasted Tadgh’s Coffee. And nicely Irish
it was too.
Tadgh rescued a little abandoned cat who he named Stella. She then proceeded to
have three kittens. The two cutest have been taken. Anyone interested in the least
favoured?
Towards the end of October Greg Burke and Richard got together the brochure for
the retreat centre for 2003. It is a handsome production thanks to Richard. You
can see it in all its glory at carmelite.com/retreats. The programme has a few
changes but there is continuity with the good work that has been done by the brethren
since 1964.
The life of our community is enriched in many ways by the hospitality we give.
In recent months we had the joy of welcoming the Association of Carmelite Nuns
for their General Assembly and the East Asia and Oceania Carmelite Fraternity
of the friars. In February, we will host a formation seminar for the friars lead
by Br Ronnie Fogarty fms.
The property and the grounds of the centre have suffered from the prolonged drought.
But in recent days there has been some useful rain. It was good to smell rain
again after so long. The hills right now are green once more, a sign of hope for
the New Year. May the Lord take away violence from the hearts of all people and
grant our world his peace and joy.
Blessings to you all,
Greg Burke
Box Hill, VIC | Morley, WA
| Varroville, NSW | Varroville Parish
Mount Carmel, Varroville Parish News
'What we dream alone remains a dream, but what we dream with others becomes
a reality.’
These words of Edward Schillebeeckx, the great Dutch theologian with the difficult
name, have a special significance for me as I report from the Parish.
Every year the Diocesan Chancery sends out questionnaires to all the parishes
in the name of the Bishop enquiring about various aspects of parish life. When
asked if we had been planning any kind of Mission for the year 2002, I replied
that we would utilise the impending visit of the Relics of St. Therese for that
purpose. I also mentioned that we had postponed a parish mission for this very
reason - we hoped that the St. Therese Relics visit would in itself give impetus
to parish renewal.
The quote that I began with seems to me to describe the events of last year
in our parish surrounding the visit of the Relics of St. Therese of Lisieux.
As the day drew nearer I realised that nothing would have happened without the
united efforts of a team working towards a common goal.
I think I can make so bold as to say that this was also the experience of the
communities at the Retreat House and the Carmelite Convent on St. Andrew’s
Road.
The Parish Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was opened early in 1992 to cater
for the growing number of people in this developing area. Fr. Albert McKeogh RIP
worked for many years here to realize this dream. Fr. Albert left the parish and
the Varroville community at the end of 1993. I had arrived here a few months previously
and as it happened it fell to me (eventually) to replace Fr. Albert as Pastor
here.
I am now in my tenth year in this position.
The highlight of that time has certainly been the Visit of the Relics of St. Therese
to Varroville before and after Easter last year. It was a time for welcoming many
people to the area and seeing how they were encouraged by the atmosphere of prayer
and co-operation that prevailed during the visit.
Our new Bishop - Peter Ingham - came to preside at the welcoming mass for St.
Therese and this set the tone for the entire visit.
Bishop Ingham will now make his first pastoral visit to the parish in February
and we look forward to his visit. He will certainly remember his last visit to
the parish and I am sure he will encouraged us to draw on the outpouring of prayer
and blessing that we experienced at that time as we take up the challenge of Christian
witness and life in the year ahead.
Tadgh Tierney OCD
Summer 2003 edition
Reflections of the Regional Vicar
This little reflection shares with you some experiences of my new role as
vicar.
Read this article by Aloysius Rego.
Friars
The Carmelite Friars have three houses in the Australian Region.
Box Hill - Morley - Varroville (Retreat Centre & Parish)
Nuns
Read personal sharings, community profiles, general information, jubilee news,
and lots more for the following Carmelite communities of nuns:
Bomana Carmel
Launceston Carmel
Christchurch Carmel
Goonellabah (Lismore) Carmel
Ormiston Carmel
Nedlands Carmel
Varroville Carmel
Other Sections
The Southern Cross Association
The Young Carmelite Group
Welcome to Aspirations
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Friday, 28 March, 2003
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