Holy Family News - December 2007
In this edition:
Fr. John´s Message
From The Editor's Desk
Our New Editor
Christian-Muslim Dialogue
Rest in Peace, Moira Moon
Tucker, Trolley and Tunnel
World Youth Day Sydney 2008
Inspirational ! Book Review
News from Sr. Margaret Fyfe, in Lima
Ashburton Asylum Seekers Support Project
WITH ST. PAUL TO GALLIPOLI
A GOLD MEDAL FOR VAL
Another Family on the Move
Unbelievable!
WYD08 & DID08
HOLY FAMILY SCHOOL
CLICK GO. THE NEEDLES WITH WARMTH AND GENEROSITY
Father Tony
New Parishioners
Marriages
Baptisms
Obituaries
Classified
Fr. John´s Message
As we approach the end of another year, I would like to thank you for your support throughout the year and wish you all God´s Blessings over the Christmas season.
From the Editor´s Desk
Congratulations to the fund raising committee for the 50th Anniversary celebrations. The Parish dinner which they organized on 20th October was a great success and enjoyed by everyone who attended. The buzz of conversation didn´t stop all night, and with a profit of $1260 donated to the funds, it was a wonderful parish function.
Our New Editor
My name is Tara McGrath and I am taking over the reins from Kevin Reed, as editor of Holy Family News. With the wonderful work Kevin has done over the years, the job seems a bit daunting at the moment, but hopefully I, along with the Editorial Committee, can continue the high quality of the magazine.
Christian-Muslim Dialogue
The SIP at the Nott gathering on Tuesday 18th September focused on the theme Christian – Muslim dialogue. After a convivial meal at the Union Bar in the Notting Hill Hotel, participants adjourned to the Bistro Room to meet with Fr John Dupuche and Waleed Aly. Father John is parish priest of Beaumaris and Black Rock , whilst Waleed Aly is lawyer, writer and former committee member of the Islamic Council of Victoria.
Father John spoke first pointing out that Vatican II proclaimed that the Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in (other) religions. He said that both Muslims and Christians see themselves as children of Abraham. He added that interfaith dialogue can take place at different levels and cited four types of dialogue, giving examples of each. Firstly, there can be dialogue in everyday life where people of different faiths meet in a friendly way as neighbours or associates. Secondly, there can be dialogue of action where people come together to discuss problems shared by members of the whole community, for example, the drug problem. Thirdly, there can be dialogue of theological exchange where people meet in an organized way to discuss aspects of each other´s faith. And finally he mentioned dialogue of religious experience where people attend services or visit places of worship of a different tradition. On these occasions, participants "bear witness to what unites them without disguising or denying the things that separate." (John Paul II)
Waleed Aly began by saying that sometimes people believed that there was only one homogeneous Muslim community whereas, in fact, about 70 different communities can be identified in Melbourne, each acting independently of the others. He agreed with Fr John in saying that dialogue about faith comes only after talking with one another as people and friends and doing something together as people concerned with the welfare of others. He cited the example of people of different faiths working together in a soup kitchen. He said that he has experienced many examples of openness and friendship in meeting Christians in his life.
After a short break during which Waleed Aly signed copies of his recently published book, People Like Us – How arrogance is dividing Islam and the West, there was an interesting question session, chaired by Ray Delaney. During this period it was suggested that perhaps an alliance of faiths might be one way of challenging the consumer oriented society in which we find ourselves.
Margaret Clausen then eloquently thanked both speakers for their contributions to the evening.
The final SIP meeting for 2007 was on 20th November and Mr Bill Armstrong was the guest speaker. Bill is former CEO of Australian Volunteers International. The topic for discussion was Intervention in NT – have we got it right?
Everyone is welcome at SIP meetings.
Kevin Reed
Rest in Peace, Moira Moon
A parishioner for over 50 years, Moira died suddenly on 31st October. Married to Rod, they pioneered the area, living in Bales Street for many years. At one stage they lived in Tasmania for two years, where Rod was working on the casino in Hobart. In recent years they have lived in Waimarie Drive, within walking distance of the church and shops. Their five children, Peter, Kevin, Carmel, Maree and Jennifer, all attended Holy Family School, and Peter was the first baby to be baptized by Father Francis Curley, in the then newly formed Mt Waverley parish. Our sympathy goes out to Rod, and his children and grandchildren, in their great loss.
Tucker, Trolley and Tunnel
Our family group is fortunate to have Pat O´Connor as one of its members. Pat has the ability to suss out interesting places to visit and enjoy as Family Group outings. Recently he exposed our group to a lovely picnic spot in Healesville and to the Yarra Valley Railway.
Twelve members of our group met at the carpark opposite Holy Family Church, car-pooled and then made our way to Healesville. Queens Park was just through the main street of the town. Here we enjoyed a picnic lunch surrounded by large, attractive deciduous trees coming into leaf. A small stream meandered alongside our chosen spot.
After lunch we drove to the nearby heritage-listed Healesville Railway Station to board the Yarra Valley Railway. This line, which was opened in 1889, closed in 1980. However, a group of railway enthusiasts, the Yarra Valley Tourist Railway Society, are restoring the line for tourist use. At this stage trolleys, rather than carriages, are used and the distanced travelled is only 4.5 kilometres out from the station. A round trip of 9 kilometres taking about a half-hour. Although open to the weather the trolleys were quite comfortable and we were supplied with cushions to help with the "bumps". It was most exhilarating to have the breeze in our faces as we travelled along.
The scenery was beautiful. We passed a willow plantation, rural homesteads, the Healesville racecourse and crossed the Watts River to Devil´s Bend. Here we began a 1 in 40 ascent which terminated prior to the entrance to a rustic 1898 brick tunnel. We then descended into the valley where the Tarrawarra Estate winery is located.
On returning to the Healesville station, members of our group availed themselves of coffee and other homemade goodies on sale in the railway cafeteria. We then made the car trip home.
We all agreed that it had been a most enjoyable and somewhat unique day and were particularly grateful to Pat for planning the adventure. Our group would certainly recommend this outing to others.
Marj Reed
World Youth Day Sydney 2008
Holy Family Parish and Avila College are coming together to prepare pilgrims who are to journey to Sydney for World Youth Day 2008. Twelve students from years 11 and 12 have already applied and have been accepted as pilgrims for next year´s pilgrimage to Randwick to celebrate Mass with the Pope. They will be accompanied by a number of young teachers who are also preparing as leaders (guides) and pilgrims themselves.
So where does Holy Family Parish come into this? Well, the Parish has been invited to help prepare the pilgrims by holding retreats and preparation events that will ensure that the pilgrims will get the most out of their experience of World Youth Day.
The twelve have already been through a lengthy application process in order to be considered. The criteria included participation in church and parish activities, such as youth groups, liturgy, and volunteering in social activities in their local communities. Having met these criteria they must also make a commitment to the school and parish preparation programs. In order for World Youth day to be a positive and faith-filled experience both guides and the pilgrims need to be properly formed through a formation program in the lead-up to July 2008. It is also envisaged that the pilgrims will continue their formation and Christian leadership beyond their experience in Sydney.
There have already been a number of preparation events hosted by the World Youth Day committee office, Melbourne. Some of the teachers have attended these information events for schools, and I, as the key parish contact, have also attended preparation events with other interested parties from the Waverley Deanery.
The parish is going through a process of gearing up for World Youth Day and soon Holy family Parish will be seeking interested young people who will be willing to undertake a similar process that Avila and many of our Catholic Colleges and parishes are currently setting up.
At one of the preparation meetings, held by the World Youth Day office Melbourne, we were informed that as of the 24th November 16,000 young people have already booked to visit Melbourne from a number of countries as part of their World Youth Day Pilgrimage. The Melbourne office has estimated that 25,000 overseas visitors would come to Melbourne. The movement of local and overseas pilgrims from Melbourne to Sydney for the World Youth Day celebrations will be one of the greatest mass movements of people in Australia´s history. (See page 9) To stay informed as to the latest updates for World Youth Day visit www.wyd2008.org.
Malcolm Lock
Inspirational ! Book Review
When you were young, Grandma
An Autobiography
By Marie Ponomarenko
I am a third generation Australian on both sides of my family. My forebears came here in the nineteenth century, probably to escape harsh conditions in their United Kingdom homeland. I grew up in what might be termed an Irish Catholic Ghetto. My friends were of similar background. Most of us married people from the same social group, often from the same suburb.
For our children´s generation, it is different. They travelled widely as young people and met, and sometimes married, people from different backgrounds to their own. In our particular instance, two of our children married people whose parents migrated to Australia and a third married a girl who was born overseas. Getting to know these in-laws has given me some small appreciation of the difficulties that the first migrant generation faces.
Marie Ponomarenko, a parishioner at Holy Family, is a first generation migrant. She was born in Western Ukraine in 1928 and came to Australia in 1950. In 2006 she published a book entitled When you were young, Grandma detailing her life story. She wrote the book with the encouragement of her grandchildren who had been told her story. I have had the privilege of reading it.
Marie´s story begins in her homeland in 1928, the Depression Years before the start of World War II. At that time her part of Ukraine belonged to Poland. In her book she tells about village life at the time. Life was simple and hard, without modern conveniences. Religious and cultural festivals punctuated it. The local priest, who was the authority on all matters, ruled the village. Everyone was expected to attend Mass on Sunday and if someone didn´t, then the priest would find out the reason for the absence. The priest had a say in everything. He was known to change babies´ names at Baptism if he didn´t approve of the parents´ choice. However, for a young girl life had its pleasures. There were walks in. the fields, along the river and in the forests nearby. And children got up to pranks then, as they always do. One such prank was teasing a mentally unbalanced boy until the boy´s father, appearing with a whip, stopped this.
As well as telling of her childhood, Marie writes about members of her family. She is very frank in her writing about the strengths and weaknesses of her Tato (father), Mama (mother), Baba (Grandmother), Dido (her grandfather) and Vladyk (her brother). Mama was a person of great faith, whose prayers seemed to be answered. Tato "was an average man. Average in everything." But he was a loving and cherished father. Baba was a favourite person of young Marie. Dido, Marie´s mother´s stepfather, had a drinking problem. Vladyk, an adventuresome and much loved boy, became a victim of the war.
Western Ukraine was occupied initially by Germany during the War, then by the Russians and later by the Germans again. On the latter occasion, Marie and her family were transported to Germany to work and help the war effort. Although only thirteen, Marie had to work as an adult. Fortunately, a gracious lady owned the property at which she worked, but this did not mean that she wasn´t exhausted by the end of the day.
With the end of the War, Marie´s part of Ukraine was occupied by the Russians again and to return home would have meant life under Communism and exile to Siberia. She sought asylum in England where she met Nick, her husband-to-be. However things did not work out in England and eventually they successfully obtained permission to migrate to Australia. This didn´t solve their problems. Life in Australia meant living in hostels, difficulty in obtaining work for both of them and the seeming impossibility of obtaining a house when children started to come along. The good news is that because of their hard work, enterprise, frugality and love for each other, things improved. They initially settled in Box Hill and later in Mount Waverley. Although satisfied with life in Australia, both Marie and Nick missed their families still overseas.
I loved reading this story. It is essentially about the triumph of the human spirit. More than ever I admire those Australians who left their homeland to come here. Life was probably tough where they came from, but it was not always a bed of roses here. Yet these people including Marie and Nick, survived and prospered. Their thriving backyard mini-farm in Box Hill in the ´fifties helped in this regard. This part of Marie´s story inspired me to plant a few vegetables this year, despite our drought.
Marie states in an Author´s Note at the start of the book that she has "consciously written the story in the style of my native tongue which may sound strange to my descendents who speak English as their first language." The author need not have worried. This reader loved Marie´s writing style. She writes as if she is telling the story to her grandchildren and she has a definite skill in building tension. And her choice of words is exquisite. Where could you find a better description of a lady who, understanding the difficulties facing migrants in England, was very helpful - "Her obvious interest in my circumstances indicated that here was a lady of rare qualities of philanthropic endowment."
Marie has decided to donate the copy of the book, which she gave me to read, to the Parish Library. I am going to purchase a copy for myself. Those interested in buying the book ($15) can do so by ringing Marie on 9870 1830.
Kevin Reed
News from Sr. Margaret Fyfe, in Lima
Parishioners will enjoy reading this copy of an email which Sr. Margaret Fyfe sent to her Mother, Mary Fyfe, and several friends, in October. Margaret, who is a Brigidine nun, works for Caritas Australia and is the Programs Co-ordinator for the Latin American Region. Margaret has, at times, made appeals in our Parish for Caritas. As she grew up in Mt Waverley and attended school here, she is well known to many of you.
Greetings All - I hope that any of you who support Geelong for real or were supporting them last Saturday enjoyed the experience. I had quarter by quarter updates as I sat in the La Paz airport for the night. I landed here in Lima yesterday after my time in Bolivia.
The trip to Bolivia was excellent although there were some remarkable moments. I spent the first three days travelling in a 4-metre aluminium dinghy along the Mamore River, one of the biggest in Bolivia - Bolivia on one bank, Brazil on the other. The Yarra would be considered a drain in comparison to the rivers in the Amazon region. Flying into the Amazon region you see incredible stretches of water and, unfortunately, you also see kilometres of cleared forest for timber and cattle grazing. Just think of where the meat in the next McDonald´s hamburger you eat is coming from!
The last leg of the three plane trips to get there was a hoot - five of us including the pilot skimming over the treetops to reach a place called Guayaramerin on the Mamore River. Unfortunately it was the burning off period and the sky was full of smoke which took away a little from the experience.
We arrived in Guayaramerin (45 degrees in the shade) and went to the Caritas office to meet the folk and then headed down river for 7 hours to catch up with "Mi Amigo", the Caritas Guayaramerin medical barge, which spends two to three weeks each month visiting the communities which can only be accessed from the river. We stopped at a couple of communities on the way, those who had been affected by the floods earlier in the year. It is hard to believe that there is anyone to tell the story as this mighty river rose approximately 45 metres above its normal level, taking all before it. They told us of the river rising to about double its normal height and then one night there was this huge explosion of water which swept away crops, houses, school buildings and of course, many lives. As usual we were a little delayed and night fell, about two hours from the medical barge. We ran aground on a sand bar in the middle of the river. Every insect within kilometres got the message, "meat for tea" and arrived, only finishing their feeding frenzy when the pilot got us off the sand bank. I couldn´t even have a smoke to deter the insects as I was sitting next to our petrol supply, two 50 litre plastic drums. Anyway, we did have a magnificent view of the stars and the moon, and the sounds of the jungle life in the night were incredible.
For the next two days we visited communities who rely on the river for their communication with the outside world - no electricity, no phones or no radios. The only information they get is from those who go up and down the rivers. It was quite incredible, as you came close to the communities, people would appear high up on the banks to greet you if we landed, or just to wave you on. Apparently when they hear the sound of the outboard motors they stop what they are doing and head to the landing.
The wooden boats carved from the tree trunks are called "peck-ey-peckies" the sound the outboard makes as it travels the river. No-one realizes the immensity of the flooding, and I don´t think it made it to the Australian media at the time. Caritas Boliviana through Caritas Guayaramerin was the only agency to respond to the communities. As one chap said, "How could anyone know about us when the government only recognizes we exist every five years when the elections are held".
The teachers in the area are currently on strike as they have not been paid for nine months. They have been paid in kind by the villagers. The government has not released the funds for their pay of US$120 per month.
On the way back to Guayaramerin, about 20 minutes to go, we hit the wake of a barge going up river. The pilot accelerated to miss it and we caught the last part. Four of us, our luggage and our empty petrol drums landed in the river.
On the first day we started with life jackets on, but as the journey got longer and the seats harder, we used them as cushions. They also floated away in the darkness. I sighted my backpack and grabbed it as I thought if we survive this I will need my passport and at least the Visa card, for identification purposes. It is amazing what energy one can gather when reminded to get back into the boat because of crocodiles, piranha and snakes. After much bruising, laughter and the occasional curse, we got back into the boat without capsizing it again. We only lost one empty petrol drum, and one life jacket which sank, which proved they were better used as cushions.
The time in Cochabamba was less eventful. However we managed to keep a fairly busy schedule, starting about 5.30 am and finishing around 9 pm each day. The projects and the people who work them are incredible. I think, faced with the hardships they meet, some of us might think why go on? However, they do and they are making progress.
A great good news story is about one of the team members from Educar es Fiesta, a street kids and child worker program. Raymundo Ramos was on the streets and into glue sniffing for most of his 12 years before he met Edson and "Educar es Fiesta". In the last eight years he has moved from being one of the kids the projects helps to a group leader. He is very talented in theatre and circus, and has just completed his secondary schooling and has been accepted for the School of Arts in Santa Cruz to complete a four year degree in the performing arts. Edson and the rest of the team hope that he will return to Educar es Fiesta after his course.
The next two weeks are pretty full; I will be around Lima for a few days, then off to Huacho and the Andean. Cheers for now, Margaret.
Ashburton Asylum Seekers Support Project
Our ecumenical project links five local churches under the umbrella of the Uniting Church´s Hotham Mission. The churches are Holy Family Mt Waverley, St Michael´s Ashburton, St Oswald´s Glen Iris, Ashburton Baptist and Ashburton Uniting Church.
With no income, no access to welfare, no home and no healthcare, asylum seekers living in the community face enormous daily challenges. Fortunately, with contributions from our supporters we can give some help to vulnerable men, women and children seeking safety in Australia. Hotham Mission reports that during the first six months of the year 151 new asylum seeker families and single people have sought assistance from their office. Here is one of their stories recounted by the chairperson of the Asylum Seeker Project, Hotham Mission:
"When Rowan* first came to our office, he was very quiet and softly spoken. Rowan told me he was sleeping at a central Melbourne train station ever since his right to work, study and volunteer, as well as access to any mainstream government funded welfare had been removed. Rowan has been forced into destitution, sleeping outdoors in cold, wintry and unsafe conditions while waiting for an outcome on his application for a protection visa.
Thankfully, Rowan is no longer sleeping at the station and has moved into the free church housing we manage, sharing a home with a number of other asylum seeker men. With social support from a local volunteer and practical welfare support including emergency relief, public transport tickets, introductions to fellow housemates, assistance accessing a foodbank and shopping for new linen, Rowan´s well-being is gradually improving.
Rowan has told me he has settled into the house and has formed a good friendship with a housemate. While Rowan´s application for protection remains undecided, we will continue providing moral and practical support including housing, basic financial assistance, advocacy, referral and social support. As Rowan continues to feel isolated and depressed about his current situation and fears being returned to his home country, we are also encouraging him to join the monthly social activities of the Asylum Seeker Men´s Group. Meanwhile the wait for an immigration outcome continues for Rowan, including the restrictions this places on a young man´s life." (* Name changed to protect privacy)
This story highlights the common plight of asylum seekers denied the right to support themselves or access to any mainstream services while waiting for an outcome on their protection visa application. Homelessness, health, nutrition, isolation and depression are serious concerns for single asylum seekers and families who live lawfully in the community without any entitlements.
The funds that are donated to us help directly to support a Sri Lankan family and contribute to the general asylum seeker support work done by Hotham. Our Sri Lankan family is living on tenter hooks as usual, waiting for their permit. They have now been waiting for seven years. The good news is that they had a High Court win a couple of months back.judge agreed that the early negative decisions made on their application were not due process because of bad interpreters. All is not lost for them.
Regarding the way forward, we have been fortunate to recruit four volunteers from Holy Family, who wish to help with either direct support to families or through advocacy.
The aim of the Family Support group is to develop one-to-one relationships with asylum seekers in the community, supporting them through personal relationship. Those who put their hands up for this role need to undertake some training, and go through a process to see if they are suitable and can be matched with an individual or family.training and matching is done for our volunteers, Hotham will allocate us a second family.
Then there is the Advocacy and Community Education team. Advocacy is a core activity of the Asylum Seeker Project. It seeks policy change to improve the ways in which asylum seekers are received, processed and cared for while they navigate the complex immigration application and review processes. We also advocate for work rights for all asylum seekers who are awaiting a final decision on their immigration case.
Allowing asylum seekers a means to support themselves during the lengthy determination process is in line with Australia´s international obligations and would significantly relieve the burden of poverty and hardship currently imposed upon many of them.
This work is of great benefit to asylum seekers and is rewarding for all of us; we offer our sincere thanks to our supporters.
Louis Hebrard
WITH ST. PAUL TO GALLIPOLI
I have recently returned from the annual international conference of travel and tourism "chiefs", an organization similar in structure to Rotary. This year our venue was the Mediterranean resort of Antalya, Turkey. The conference was attended by nearly 900 of which 178 were from Australia. The first week was "conference" followed by an unique exercise for the Australian contingent.
We arranged a 4-day coach tour from Antalya to Istanbul via historic sites including Tarsus, Ephesus, Troy, and Antioch, culminating on Sunday November 11 (Remembrance Day) at ANZAC Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Here we conducted a commemorative Service attended by 200 Australians and New Zealanders. The planning for this Service commenced months in advance with many emails between Australia and our Turkish hosts. Amongst the logistics were arranging permission to access the actual ANZAC landing site and conduct our Service, finding a (local) Christian minister to lead the Service and a Bugler for "The Last Post", as well as obtaining wreaths, and red poppies for the attendees.
Bearing in mind we would be in a Muslim albeit secular country, some of these items proved extremely difficult. Result? Having the local "Christian minister" ( a German Catholic priest) or the Anglican chaplain to the British Embassy in Ankara) on a Sunday was impractical. After all, I told the organizers, "that is their busiest day!" So, I offered my services to prepare the Order of Service, which was gratefully accepted. I acquired the title of "Padre Pierre"!
Red poppies? That posed a problem for the Turks. Thanks to the Waverley RSL, I solved that and added 200 red poppies to my baggage. Bugler? Never assume anything – I downloaded "The Last Post" and Rouse (Reveille) from the Australian War Memorial website, plus a recording of the hymn "Abide with me"
With the help of our illustrator son and my wife, we designed and printed up 200 copies of the Order of Service which joined the poppies and CDs in the now-heavy baggage.
On Saturday Nov 10, Turkey celebrates the death of the great Attaturk, Father of the Turkish Republic. He died at 9.03am that day in 1938. At precisely that time each year public assemblies take place for a minute silence. We were privileged to witness such a ceremony complete with bands. During the minute silence we were startled by the cacophony of sirens – police, fire trucks, and ambulances – wailing for a long minute! After this the weather turned rotten with 250kph gales ripping through the Black Sea and the rest of Turkey. We groaned inwardly. Please make tomorrow (Sunday) a day of weather rest.
Sunday dawned with clear sky, a beautiful sunrise, and a welcome call from the general commanding the local Turkish Army garrison informing us he had ordered his own Bugler to attend and perform at our Service. There was also a message from the Australian Consul at Canakkale. He would attend and say a few words. Our hosts had assured me CD/tape facilities would be available (never assume anything!). They were not there on the day, which meant some quick thinking for the "Abide with me" hymn!
The weather had held up to this point but as 11.00am approached, the wind kicked in with a vengeance, making conditions somewhat draughty.
My approach to the Service was based upon the region we had travelled, the solemnity of the ANZAC history and the memories carried by the 200 gathered there. The Bugler and I struck a friendship despite our language differences. We held a mini-rehearsal of his "Last Post" to make sure he had the right music. The poppies and the Order of Service leaflets were distributed, and wreaths prepared for laying. I chose a section of St Paul´s Epistle to the Ephesians "Put on the Armor of God", and explained to the assembly: "St Paul was from this country, born in Tarsus (which we visited). Like us, he was a prolific traveller, and in his early life, before his conversion, he was a soldier. This reading is from his letter to the Church and people of the city we visited the other day, Ephesus."
When it was time for the hymn, 200 voices sang a cappella, a most moving experience.
During the minute silence, my ears tuned in to the sound of the waves relentlessly washing up on the narrow beach. My eyes turned to the cliffs almost at our feet. I wondered what must have gone through the minds of those 19-year olds (were they really 19?) 92 years ago as they sloshed ashore in semi darkness to be confronted by those rugged cliffs with hell and brimstone landing on them. All the while, all through those years, the waves kept washing ashore.
To conclude, the Australians spontaneously sang the National Anthem, the New Zealanders then sang their Anthem. Not to be outdone, the Turks, including the media folk, decided to sing their Anthem accompanied by my (now) buddy, the Bugler. Quite a party!
After the Service, I was surprised, humbled and somewhat unnerved by the expressions of gratitude from the gathering – some with tears – some without words, just a nod, all having taken the words of St Paul and the prayers to heart. My biggest surprise was the handshakes and beaming smiles from our Turkish hosts including their media people.
It was an experience I will never forget and I am grateful to have had a small part in paying tribute to those ANZAC heroes.
Pierre Chaperon
A GOLD MEDAL FOR VAL
Hearty congratulations to Val Worrall, who won a Gold Medal for Hammer Throwing at the World Masters Athletics in Riccione, Italy, recently. There were 18 competitors in this event, the majority of whom were from Germany. Others were from Japan, New Zealand, Ethiopia, Russia and the United States of America. Val also won a Silver Medal in the Heavy Hammer Throwing, (this is a 6 kg hammer with a shorter chain). and broke the Australian record by 50 cm. Wow!!! What an achievement!
Val is always reluctant to tell us of her success, but her dedication to training and fitness is amazing, and she certainly earns her medals. Val is much loved by her exercise class ladies in the parish, and we all rejoice in her success. After the Masters, Val travelled with friends through Italy to Croatia, which she said was very clean, beautiful and friendly, on to Venice and then across the Alps to Nice.
Noelle Sullivan
Another Family on the Move
We heard on the grapevine, that Brian and Verna Long have sold their home and plan to move to Mornington. The Longs have lived in Virginia Street since Christmas Day, 1954, so we are losing foundation members of our parish, which is always a pity. Their six children, Michael, Julie, Geoffrey, Alan, Paul and Marlene, all attended Holy Family School, then Avila and St. Kevin´s Colleges. In earlier years, Brian was very involved with sacrificial giving campaigns, and was also a member of the cricket club. Verna recalls the hard work which went into those early fetes, with cake stalls and sewing. When our parish hosted Vietnamese refugee families in the ´seventies, the Longs were involved, as they were in many other aspects of parish life. Thank you for your valuable contributions to Holy Family, and we wish you long and happy years by the sea.
Unbelievable!
My little story, Another School, Another Time, in the September edition of Holy Family News, resulted in a number of comments from parishioners. Of these, three people were interested in the fact that I played football for Lalbert. Two of these knew men who played with or against me at the time, whilst Denis O´Halloran, whose mother had also been a rural school teacher in the Mallee, was able to put his hands on a football program for a match between Tyntynder and Lalbert played at the Swan Hill oval in April, 1957. The program mentioned that I was a rover in the Lalbert team. Fifty years on! Unbelievable! Thanks Denis.
Kevin Reed
WYD08 & DID08
Looks like another PIN to remember! World Youth Day 2008 and Days In the Dioceses 2008, are the BIG happenings during July 2008, when nearly 500,000 pilgrims aged between 16 -35 from around the world and Australia gather in Sydney to proclaim their faith. Pope Benedict XVI will join them.
WYD activities take place in Sydney, July 15-20. The young pilgrims will number some 10,000 from the USA, 20,000 Italians, 10,000 Germans, 10,000 New Zealanders, and up to 60,000 Australians. And these are the early registrations! Feeding this lot takes on staggering proportions! Some 25 million food items will need to prepared, packaged and distributed, with 3.5 million meals to be served and 2 million bread rolls provided. Oh, and at least 160,000 cans of baked beans!
The young pilgrims will enter Australia via several of our "gateways" as Sydney Airport, our largest, will need help to cope with the influx. Hence, Days in the Dioceses was designed to cater for the disbursed arrivals prior to making their way to Sydney. Melbourne will host about 25,000 pilgrims July 10-14. They will need somewhere safe to stay, which is why the Melbourne Stay Family program has been set up. Any family wishing to host a pilgrim or two can register at info@did08.com or at the Holy Family Parish Office.
The official WYD airline, QANTAS, has flights in place to carry the young pilgrims from wherever they are staying, to our various international "gateways". In fact, the airline, which does not service Rome at present, is positioning aircraft there during July 2008 specifically for WYD passengers. One special passenger will be the Pope!
Already, there are some attractive fares to be had flying Australia to Rome in July 2008 as the shuttling of Boeings commences! A similar scheme is in place for Los Angeles.
All the latest news about WYD can be found at www.wyd2008.org WYD has been compared in size and logistics to the Olympic Games. To quote WYD host, Cardinal Pell, "Australia has never seen anything quite like this."
Pierre Chaperon
HOLY FAMILY SCHOOL
As the end of the school year approaches, the children, teachers and parents of Holy Family School can well and truly say they´ve earned a good break.
The celebration of the school´s 50th year concluded with an outstanding concert that presented a series of acts from all levels featuring highlights of films, songs, dances, TV, news items and topics that have shaped our society over the last 50 years.great effort on the part of all involved. The school´s choir is also to be commended for its efforts when it represented the school at two functions in August.have also recently visited a nursing home to help bring a bit of cheer to our wider community. This term, some of the students have extended their talents a little further with a performance of singing and dancing at a concert for Oxfam Community Aid Abroad. The parish community hasn´t been forgotten either.year, the children will join in with the parish for Christmas Carols which will be held in the hall on the 4th of December. Plans for the school refurbishments have been approved and tenders are being called for, so preparations are currently being made for work to begin in the near future.contents of the library and adjoining classrooms have been packed up and cleared and the students will be using other available classrooms for the remainder of the school year. Other events which have extended beyond the school gates were the numerous social events and fundraisers organized by the Parents and Friends Committee; some of the most recent being the school dance night, Village Toys shopping night, the Ladies´ luncheon and a theatre night out. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to the school in any way during 2007.restful holiday and peaceful Christmas to all. Joyce CesarioCLICK GO. THE NEEDLES WITH WARMTH AND GENEROSITY
THANK YOU to all the ladies who have sent in such beautiful knitting recently. My spare room has been stacked with blankets, scarves, caps, jumpers and dolls, which have now been delivered, and are on their way to needy children and the elderly in various countries. To give you an idea of the quantity, three of the large plastic zipped bags from the $2 shops, have been filled to capacity. The poor in the eastern European countries, who face a freezing winter, will be so grateful for your generosity. Over summer no doubt the needles can have a rest, and we can resume the project next year. Just remember that the small jumpers are no longer needed. There are so many clever people in our midst – a gorgeous teddy bear, and a doll, came to my doorstep one day, and will delight little children somewhere. Organizer Elsie Mutton, from Doncaster, says thanks go to Rotary, Lions and other organizations for monetary donations to help with the cost of packing, couriers and posting. For instance, it costs $950 to send 15,000 jumpers to Perth to be included in a container bound for the orphans in Zambia. So far 350,000 knitted items have been sent, and Mission Without Borders has sent two containers to Albania and Moldova.
One of our parishioners, Sharon Lewis, from Lawrence Road, delivered 120 dolls and 110 jumpers to me, and asked if I could print the following letter on her behalf, which I am happy to do. Sharon writes - "I had the pleasure of picking up over 100 comfort dolls, knitted by one lady from Beeac (near Colac), also over 100 jumpers knitted by a few of the ladies, also from Beeac. These ladies bought the wool and made them up in their own spare time. It is ladies like this who have helped the situations we have overseas with the AIDS babies in Africa. Their efforts and generosity I know are very much appreciated by the babies. Keep up the good work. Thanking you very much ladies. Signed Sharon Lewis." Before closing for the year, I must thank the knitting circle from the Kerrie Road Neighbourhood House in Glen Waverley, for their wonderful goods – Ann Moldrich drops off their donations from time to time, and they are always so warm and gorgeous, and knitted with flair and colour, like many other items received – this whole project is absolutely heart-warming. A big thank you. Noelle SullivanFather Tony
It was good to see Father Tony Young celebrating Mass at Holy Family a few weeks ago. Tony was down from PNG on holidays for three weeks, to visit his 95 year old Mother, and to have a break from duties. He informed us that he has purchased a new multi purpose open boat, which can have seats if needed. This is the replacement boat which Holy Family parishioners have contributed towards buying. Petrol costs are approx. $2.20 a litre, and fuel costs are around $25,000 a year - so running a parish in PNG is certainly expensive.
New Parishioners
- Steven, Anne and James BANNON of Waimarie Drive
- Thomas and Georgina FITZGERALD of Catherine Avenue
- Alec NGO, Caroline CHAN, Darren and Louise of Dunscombe Avenue
- Jason, Channon, Andrew and Meredith FISCHER of Teck Street
- Adrian and Shirley QUINN of Jack Street
Marriages
Jeremy Francis TA´KODY and Leigh-Ann NAZARETH were married on Sunday 4th November, 2007.
Baptisms
- Arthur Inigo William KNOX-JOHNSON, son of Steven and Fiona
- Matthew Zach LINDEN, son of Chris and Rosy
- Summer QUAN, daughter of Steve and Elise
- Ella Catherine SANTA MARIA, daughter of Paul and Kate
- Daniel Arie VIAVATTENE, son of Liborio and Ilona
- Samuel Alexander WALLER, son of David and Tania
Obituaries
- Cecil D´CRUZE, father of Carol Roberts
- Terezija JELIC
- Moira MOON, wife of Ron
- Mary WARD
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