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Br Arthur Givney CCS pronounces his final
vows
A young man from Sydney was one of two members of the Confraternity of Christ the Priest who recently made their final profession of vows in Our Lady of the
Blessed Sacrament Church, San Isidore, Wagga Wagga.
He is Br Arthur Givney, CCS, only son of Leo and Anne Givney of the Sydney suburb of Denistone East. He has one sister, Mary, who travelled to Wagga with
her mother for the profession.
The second man to take his life vows was Br Joel Wallace, eldest of the nine children of Greg and Margaret Wallace of Bray Park, Brisbane.
Principal celebrant of the Mass
of Profession was Fr Cormac Nagle, OFM, pontifical commissioner and superior of the Confraternity. Concelebrants were Frs John Fowles, CCS, parish priest at Thurgoona, a parish in Albury conducted by the
Confraternity, Gerard Ryan, CCS, Thomas Casanova, CCS, Ronald Donoghue, CCS, and Fr Chris Heffernan who was ordained for the Wagga Diocese the previous week. Deacons for the Mass were Rev Rod Letchford and Rev
Steven Ledinich.
The final vows were received by Br Vincent Brooks, CCS, vicar superior in the Confraternity.
Nine members of the Wallace family travelled by car from Brisbane for the ceremony. Another
brother, Br Dane Wallace, CCS, is also studying for the priesthood at Vianney College, Wagga Wagga.
In his homily Fr Cormac Nagle stressed the importance of the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience as they
are lived and witnessed to in contemporary society. Arthur Givney was born in 1977. He was educated at Holy Spirit Primary School, North Ryde, St Stanislaus College, Bathurst and St Pius X College, Chatswood.
Joel Wallace was born in 1975 and was educated at Holy Spirit primary school, Pine Rivers, Brisbane, St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe and as a home schooler.
Both men joined the Confraternity as aspirants in
1993 and took their first vows in 1996.
Following the profession about 200 people enjoyed a barbecue lunch in the grounds of Christ the Priest House of Studies, San Isidore.
The Confraternity of
Christ the Priest was founded in Ayr, North Queensland, in 1954. Its special work is to reach out to the millions of Australians who have no contact with organised religion. This is done in a parish setting by
priests and brothers striving to have personal friendship with every person in the area, irrespective of their beliefs.
At present this method of intensive apostolate is being carried out by three priests of
the Confraternity in the new parish of Thurgoona.
The Confraternity has its house of studies at San Isidore, Wagga Wagga, and its centre of formation and headquarters for its national magazine Contact at
Scoresby, Victoria.
The two recently professed students are now preparing for their ordination to the diaconate and priesthood and look forward to working as missionaries to the churchless of Australia as
members of the Confraternity of Christ the Priest.
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