August 2015
 

 
This page:   Migrants & Refugees Sunday  | 'Both Ends of the Gun'  |  Provincial retreat at Mittagong  |  City Centre Churches meet  |  Act Justly, August issue  |  Sam organises TOH reunion  |    Muriel bound for Hong Kong studies  |  Assumption anniversary  |  Villa Maria goes Greek  |  Fine-tuning 'Both Ends of the Gun'  |  MAP Laity at Madrid encounter |  Piquet and Perroton - great Marists remembered |  Marist Founder's birthday  | Social Justice & Marist diary for August  |  Statistics for the bored  |  Latest newsletters

Migrants & Refugees Sunday

The Australian Cathiolic Migrant & Refugee Office's resource kit is available here.

[Aug 30]

TOP

'Both Ends of the Gun'

On Aug 20 over a hundred people atteded this seminar on Australian Abotignals at War, spomsored by the Marist Family Justice & Peace group at Santa Sabina College, Strathfield, NSW.

Keynote speakers were Prof Henry Reynolds and Uncle Dave Williams, both experts in the history and current plight of indigenous peoples in Australia. Hosting was in the hands of Fr Jim Carty SM, Br Paul Hough FMS and Jeff McMullen.

The event also featured panel and audience exchanges, music from Fr Kevin Bates, video, sound and graphics, and suggestions for furhter promoting Australian awareness of aboriginal history in school and media.

[Aug 30]

     
Top: 'Both Ends of the Gun; seminar' in progress / Panel session   Above: Prof Henry Reynolds / Uncle Dave Williams  |  Participants listening.. / .. to Fr Kevin Bates   Below: Santa Sabina's IT support, Andrew Liang   | Santa Sabina's assembly hall / lunch in the sunshine
     
TOP

Provincial retreat at Mittagong

A dozen priests and brothers of the Australian Province gathered at Mittagong, NSW, for a week of retreat from Aug 23.

Led by Fr Frank Devoy, former director of Australian Council for Clergy Life and Ministry, the retreat days are being spent in the idyllic bushland-vineyard setting of the Marist Brothers' centre.

Fr Frank will lead a second province retreat in Sydney next week.

[Aug 26]

     
   
TOP

City Centre Churches meet

A week of sharing and visioning has concluded in San Francisco following an international gathering of Marist City Centre Churches staffs from all points of the globe.

Australia's city-centre ministry (St Patrick's, Church Hill, Sydney) was represented by Sr Fidelis McTeigue SM and next year's parish priest, Fr Michael Whelan SM.

[Aug 22]

     
Top: San Franciso, venue for CCC Marist gathering / Fr Michael Whelan and Sr Fidelis McTeigue during a liturgy  |  Above: US Marist provincial, Fr Paul Frecehette, with St Patrick's Sr Fidelis McTeigue / Kiwis Frs Kevin Conroy and Pete Rowe from Wellington's St Mary of the Angels  |  Fr Michael Whelan (St Patrick's parish priest as of 2016) during a session / CCC coordinator, Fr Kevin Duffy (Rome) with Fr Paul Frechette.   Below: Notre Dame des Victoires, San Francisco's Marist city-centre church / Marist and parish facilities nearby | Assembled group of Marist City Centre Church staffs.
     
TOP

Act Justly, August issue

From Sydney's Catholic archdiocese Justice & Peace office, the latest issue of 'Act Justly' is now available.

Click here.

[Aug 21]

TOP

Sam organises TOH reunion

Physical disability did not stop Brisbane youth, Sam Hodge, from participating in the Marist Mission Centre sponsored 'TOH" ('The Other Half') program in 2004-05.

This week Sam, visiting Sydney for his brother's religious profession, organised a reunion of the Sydney-based TOH-ers from 2004-05.

As part of MMC's Asia-Pacific Youth Development Program (AYDP), TOH-ers from Australia, Philippines and Oceania combined to visit refugee and disabled peers in Thailand and Cambodia.    Welcome back to Sydney, Sam.

[Aug 20]

     
Top: Sam Hodge in the grounds of Villa Maria, Hunters Hill, NSW / ...in Maera Moo refugee canp, 2005  |  Above: 'TOH-ers', Fr Benedict MacKenzie FSF, Mary Flynn and Sam Hodge / .. enjoying a Thai reunion meal  |  Roza Vukovich with Sam.    Below: Fr Ruben Martello FSF leads TOH-ers on a shaky bridge in Maera Moo refugee camp, Thai-Burma border / ... in a session of the AYDP program, Maesot, Thailand  |  AYDP group, 2005 |  TOH-ers on the road from Maera Moo / Mary Flynn (née Issa) farewelling disabled youngsters at Phnom Penh, Cambodia
   
TOP

Muriel bound for Hong Kong studies

Former member of the Marist-sponsored 'Bridge Program', Muriel Valles (Lin Myat Kyu) sets off on Aug 17 from Yangon, Myanmar, to Hong Kong, to begin her scholarship studies with the Hong Kong Institute of Education.

A recent graduate from Australian Catholic University's Thai-Burma online program, Muriel will pursue a four-year Bachelor of Arts (Honors) program in Liberal Studies Education.

The program features studies in interdisciplinary enquiry for community development including environemtenal studies for sustainable development, public health and related social studies.

Bon Voyage, Muriel... and blessings on your new studies.

[Aug 17]

   
TOP

Assumption anniversary

On Aug 15, 1812, a mystical experience of the youthful Jean-Claude Courveille before the statue of Our Lady of Le Puy led him to hear these words of Mary:
'Here is what I want... another Society which will have my name... which will be called the Society of Mary... whose members will be called Marists.'

Later, Marist Founder, Fr Jean-Claude Colin would hold these words as belonging to the very origin of the Society of Mary.

Happy feast day and anniversary to all Marists, especially our Marist Brothers for whom the Assumption Feast holds such a central place.

[Aug 15]

Above: Black Madonna and Child of Le Puy / Notre Dame de France, overlooking the city.   Below: The city of Le Puy  |   Lamps circling the sanctuary of Le Puy cathedral. Oil from such lamps brought healing of blindness to Jean-Claude Courveille / facade of the cathedral, Le Puy.
     
TOP

Villa Maria goes Greek

'CaterCare', who serve the gastronomical needs of Marists in Villa Maria and Maryvale/Montbel communities at Hunters Hill, NSW, offer periodic 'theme day' meals.

This week it was the 'Greek Islands' theme, forte of Villa's Greek-related CaterCare chef, Effie. Eupharisto, Effie!

[Aug 13]

   
 
TOP

Register at Marist Family Peace and Justice group.

Fine-tuning 'Both Ends of the Gun'

A final session of the Members of the combined Marist Family Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation (JPIC) working group was held on Aug 12 at Hunters Hill to fine-tune arrangements for 'Both Ends of the Gun'sym.

The Aug 29 symposium focuses on 'Australian Aboriginals at War' and will be held at Santa Sabina College, Strathfield, NSW.

Keynote speaker will be Professor Henry Reynolds, author of 'Forgotten War', exploring the dark history of Australia's frontier wars.

[Aug 12]

   
TOP

MAP Laity at Madrid encounter

Seven Lay Marists from the Asia-Pacific region are participating in the 'Encounter' of Marist Laity hosted by the Marist European Province in Madrid, Spain.

Pictured, left, they are Kenneth Bretana (Philippines), Margaret Woods (Aust), Suzanne Kolo and Mikaela Mailagi (Oceania), Maria Baden (Aust), Kirsten Sloan and Bev MacDonald (NZ).

The week-long gathering (Aug 08-13) is focusing on such issues as how, with Mary, Marists can advance the renewal of the church, the social dimension of Marist spirituality and the joy of the Gospel.

[Aug 11]

     
Above: Australian Lay Marists, Maria Baden and Margaret Woods | Oceanians, Mikaele Mailagi and Suzanne Kolo / Kirsten Sloan and Bev MacDonald    Below: Praying with Mary / Seeing the sights of Madrid..... / European Marist provincial, Fr Hubert Bonnet-Eymard
     
TOP

Piquet and Perroton - great Marists remembered

Two great Marists are remembered on Aug 10, the anniversaries of their death in 1873 (Perroton) and 1936 (Piquet).

One is Marie-Françoise Perroton, French lay missionary who pioneered mission work amongst the women of the Pacific and is acknowledged as foundress of the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary (SMSM). (See group photo below)

The other is Fr Peter Piquet SM, destined for the Oceania missions, but spending an outstanding priestly life at Sydney's city church and shrine of St Patrick's.

Fr Piquet is buried in the mission cemetery at Villa Maria, Hunters Hill, NSW.

[Aug 09]

   
TOP

Marist Founder's birthday

On Aug 07, 1790, at Barbery in central France, Jean-Claude Colin, founder of the Society of Mary, was born as the French Revolution began its torment of France.

Here are images of the tiny Beaujolais hamlet with nearby forest where Jean-Claude's parents would hide their priest from bloodthirsty revolutionaries and where the young Colin would come for solitude as a lad...

See also 'The quiet boy from Beaujolais'

[Aug 07]

 
TOP

Social Justice and Marist diary for August

This month's dates include:National Homeless Persons Week begins (03) and MV Tampa rescues 433 asylum seekers from a sinking vessel (26)

Go to JPIC diary

[Aug 01]

TOP

Statistics for the bored

The pattern of visits to this web site in July was boringly similar to June, with only a slight variation in visits during this quiet time in the year -- at least for the Oz Marist web site.

Average daily visits dropped from 438 (Jun) to 429 (Jul), while hits for the month increased: 378,537 (Jul) from 351,548 (Jun).

Country interest dropped to 101 countries (Jul) from 117 (Jul).

[Aug 01]

 

July:
Left column: average
Right column: maximum

TOP

Latest newsletters

From the European Marist European province, news of the commencement of the Fourvière Bicentenary Year, and from Marist Laity Australia, report on their recent retreat, 'Be still and know that I am God'.

Click here for Euroinfo and Marist Laity newsletter

[Aug 01]

TOP