Catholic Outlook September 2015

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Dear Brothers and Sisters, As many of you know, my postgraduate study was in liturgy and I try to keep up in the field by receiving various publications and journals. Recently, the latest copy of Worship (from the Benedictines in Collegeville, US) arrived, and in a regular column called ‘The Amen Corner’, there was an article by my friend and colleague, Fr Paul Turner, with the title: ‘Between Consultation and Faithfulness: Questions That Won’t Go Away.’ In the opening paragraphs he makes mention of a venerable letter from Decentius, the Bishop of Gubbio, sent to Pope Innocent I on 19 March 416 in which he sought advice from the Pope on a number of liturgical questions. The first of these concerned the Greeting of Peace and where it should be placed in the liturgy. The Roman tradition had always been that it was placed after the Lord’s Prayer and before the reception of Holy Communion. This is attested to by many early Roman Church documents and even by St Augustine in one of his sermons where the custom had also been adopted by the Church of Hippo in North Africa. It would seem that some of the clergy in Gubbio wanted to place the Greeting of Peace at the offertory and before the Eucharistic Prayer, which was, and is still, the custom in the churches of the East. What intrigued Fr Paul Turner was, and to quote: “Why – after 1600 years – are we still hearing differences about the sign of peace? ... People argue over when the peace should take place, whether it should take place, and, if it takes place, how should it be done?” The extension of the Greeting of Peace to all who participate in a Eucharistic liturgy was one of the reforms that emerged from the Second Vatican Council, but is one reform that had not really been properly understood and which still sits, I think, uneasily with many people in the assembly. The practice of Christians greeting each other with a Holy Kiss is very ancient and St Paul mentions it four times at the conclusion of his letters and St Peter in one of his letters. Ritually, it found its way into the very earliest Eucharistic celebrations and it would seem that this exchange, either during the liturgy or at the end of it, had profound meaning to the Christian community. FROM THE DIOCESAN ADMINISTRATOR Very Rev Peter G Williams The Greeting of Peace In the Greeting of Peace we are united by the common bond of Baptism. Photo: Alfred Boudib. Clearly then, it was not some casual greeting or awkward exchange. The most recent edition of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal explains its purpose and meaning: “There follows the Rite of Peace, by which the Church entreats peace and unity for herself and for the whole human family, and the faithful express to each other their ecclesial communion and mutual charity before communicating in the Sacrament.” What does it mean to express ecclesial communion and mutual charity? Firstly, the exchange is a gesture. Unlike the Tridentine Rite where at High Mass the clergy in the sanctuary said “Pax tecum” (peace be with you) there are not meant to be any words uttered in the reformed rite. The gesture is a sign that requires no words. In the Australian adaptations to the Missal, authorised by the Bishops, it states that the gesture is to be a hand clasp to those immediately around you. The ecclesial communion expressed here is that often those we greet in this manner are not necessarily known to us personally, but are united to us by the common bond of Baptism. The other meaning relates to mutual charity. It is a desire to intend to live in harmony and love with other members of the Christian community. Sadly, this solemn moment before the reception of Holy Communion often becomes in some congregations a ‘break out’ moment where general chatter and free movement erupts in the assembly. I am convinced this occurs because there has been inadequate catechesis on this part of the rite and some are clearly embarrassed and default to casual conversation. In the Maronite rite that I sometimes attend, this Greeting of Peace has somewhat more decorum and while it is placed following the ancient Eastern liturgical tradition before the Eucharistic Prayer, it is a very ordered yet a moving and meaningful exchange. Given the fact that life in the Church and in parishes can be fractious at times as we discern what is the best way to live the life of the Gospel, and our own personal lives can also periodically be a source of disquiet, this moment in the liturgy provides a privileged opportunity to restore ourselves grounded in the peace that only Christ can give. It might well be worthwhile for clergy and liturgy committees in our parishes to revisit the Greeting of Peace with a view to inviting a revised practice with appropriate liturgical formation. Signs and gestures are important means of communicating that which otherwise cannot be expressed in words. Our liturgy is a treasure trove of such signs that lead us to the mystery of God expressed in the person of Christ to whom we are united in the Eucharist as a visible expression of His Body. Let us not lose that moment, which can express such a profound understanding of who we are in Christ. With my prayers, Very Rev Peter G Williams Diocesan Administrator CONTENTS NEWS & EVENTS YEAR OF CONSECRATED LIFE FAMILY & LIFE NEWS FROM THE CCD DIOCESAN PASTORAL PLAN 2015 FATHER’S DAY APPEAL CATHOLIC EDUCATION CATHOLICCARE SOCIAL SERVICES CATHOLIC YOUTH DIOCESAN HONOURS LAUDATO SI’ SOCIAL JUSTICE CatholicOutlook The official publication of the Diocese of Parramatta Publisher: Very Rev Peter G Williams Diocesan Administrator Tel (02) 8838 3400 Fax (02) 9630 4813 PO Box 3066, North Parramatta, NSW, 1750 Email: diocese@parra.catholic.org.au Website: www.parra.catholic.org.au Editor: Jane Favotto Tel (02) 8838 3409 editor@parra.catholic.org.au PO Box 3066, North Parramatta, NSW, 1750 Journalists: Adrian Middeldorp Elizabeth McFarlane Designer: Aphrodite Delaguiado School news: Catholic Education Office Tel (02) 9840 5683 news@parra.catholic.edu.au Deadlines: Editorial and advertising – 10th of the month prior to publication Advertising: Tel (02) 8838 3409 Accounts: Alfie Ramirez Tel (02) 8838 3437 ARamirez@parra.catholic.org.au 3-4, 20-21 Printing: Rural Press Printing, North Richmond 40,500 copies of Catholic Outlook are distributed monthly through 48 parishes and 86 schools. All material in this publication is copyright and may not be reproduced without permission of the editor. Catholic Outlook is a member of the Australasian Catholic Press Assoc. 5 6-7 8 9 10-11 12-14 15 16 17-19 22 23 2 CatholicOutlook | SEPTEMBER 2015 www.parra.catholic.org.au @parracatholic facebook.com/parracatholic
Warm welcome for Archbishop Miller NEWS & EVENTS Diocesan honours include 2 new awards By Elizabeth McFarlane During lunch, Archbishop Miller spoke about the Church in Vancouver. Photo: Alfred Boudib. The Archbishop of Vancouver, Most Rev J Michael Miller CSB, addressed a gathering of Clergy, Principals and Religious Education Coordinators (RECs) at a forum at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse on 6 August. Archbishop Miller has served as Secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education and Vice President of the Pontifical Work of Priestly Vocations. Over lunch with diocesan clergy and clergy from the Archdiocese of Sydney and the Diocese of Broken Bay, the Archbishop gave a talk about the Church in Vancouver. The day was a celebration of St John Vianney Day with Jubilarians acknowledged including Rev Robert Anderson and Rev Paul Hanna, both 50 years, and Rev Chris Sharah FSF and Rev Giovani Presiga, both 25 years, from the Diocese of Parramatta. In the morning, Archbishop Miller gave a keynote address to Principals and RECs entitled, ‘Educating for today and tomorrow: a renewing passion’. In his address, he said Catholic schools played a vital role in the evangelising mission of the Church, asking the question, “is personal witness to the Gospel evident in the life of a school?” “It is necessary now, more than ever, to make people aware of the responsibility to give witness to Christ and the Gospel,” he said. “In addition to all the other things Catholic teachers do, they have the proclamation of the Gospel at the centre of everything they do. “The best way anyone supports it is by personal witness of life, being a joyful Christian around students and on occasion to share explicitly what makes their own heart sing. “Teaching is one of the noblest vocations because you touch the minds, the hearts, the souls of the next generation.” The Executive Director of Schools, Greg Whitby, said Archbishop Miller challenged leaders in their work of Catholic schooling. “Archbishop Miller brings an understanding of the universal Church and affirmed our direction of ‘renewing and adapting’,” Greg said. “In a simple yet powerful way he asked the hard questions and laid before our leaders four challenges if they are to truly lead schools that live up to the evangelising mission of the Church. “At the heart of his challenge is the call to act and be Church, not just talk about being Church.” Sr Monica Armstrong SGS received the Diocesan Medal of Honour in recognition of her compassion and dedication to her parish of St Matthew’s, Windsor, and St Thomas Aquinas Primary, Springwood. Sr Monica was congratulated by St Thomas Aquinas’ Principal Sergio Rosato, Sr Veronica Griffith SGS and Sr Moya Weissenfeld SGS (right). The recipients of two new categories of awards were among those who received diocesan honours at a ceremony in St Patrick’s Cathedral on 7 August. Following vespers, the Diocesan Administrator, Very Rev Peter G Williams, presented the inaugural Diocesan Citation of Merit for Youth and the Diocesan Certificate of Recognition, together with the Diocesan Medal of Honour. Award recipients included seven Citations of Merit for Youth, one Certificate of Recognition, 48 Medals of Honour and two posthumous Medals of Honour. The Diocesan Citation of Merit for Youth seeks to encourage and recognise young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 who have shown outstanding contribution and service to the parish, Diocese and community. The Diocesan Certificate of Recognition seeks to encourage and recognise outstanding contribution by non-Catholic members of the community for work supporting the parish, Diocese and community. These new awards are in addition to the Diocesan Medal of Honour, which was instituted by the previous Bishop of Parramatta, Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP, in 2012. The Medal of Honour seeks to encourage and recognise outstanding contribution and service by members of the diocesan community in work on behalf of the Church and society. It is awarded for outstanding services to parish, Diocese and community. Fr Peter Williams said the recipients were “honouring their Baptism and proving that the Holy Spirit can work in the lives of ordinary human beings.” He said the night was about “honouring the fact that the Grace of God can work in those who have opened themselves up to the Holy Spirit.” See Pages 17-19 of this issue for the full list of award recipients. A photo gallery can be viewed on Flickr – CatholicDioceseofParramatta Thank you graduates for rating Notre Dame 5 stars 9 years in a row Arts & Sciences | Business | Education | Law | Medicine | Nursing | Philosophy & Theology For a 5 star university as unique as you are, choose Notre Dame. Graduates rate Notre Dame 5 stars Awarded 9 years in a row* ü Teaching quality ü Generic skills ü Overall satisfaction New 2015/16 achievements ü Graduate starting salary ü Getting a full-time job *2016 Good Universities Guide Apply direct for 2016 notredame.edu.au www.parra.catholic.org.au @parracatholic facebook.com/parracatholic Fremantle Broome Sydney CRICOS PROVIDER CODE: 01032F - ND1023 CatholicOutlook | SEPTEMBER 2015 3
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Catholic Outlook September 2015

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