Sydney
10 March 2002
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Dates set for saints
Labor MP backs Liberal’s embryo call
Pope urged to ban his photo from club
Patients are patients, not clients: archbishop on St Vincent’s visit
La Perouse ceremony remembers first Mass
Christian Brothers told: look to the laity for the future
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Book Review: An uncluttered look at ecumenism
Putting ‘fresh heart’ into the diocese: Wollongong’s 50th birthday
Prelate retires as Canterbury see reaches 1400th birthday
Inconsistent marking hampers ‘new’ HSC
Inspirations: Jump in numbers as centre starts year
Plight of refugees stirs parishioners into action
By Kathleen Carmody
Parishioners of Mary Immaculate Church in Manly are so concerned by Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers and refugees that they have formed a social justice group to advocate for reform.
The Manly Social Justice Group was formed in January at the encouragement of parish priest Fr Rex Curry.
It consists of parishioners, but is not tied to the church; Catholics and non-Catholics alike are welcome.
Dr Rosemary Ashton, who chairs the group, said that a lot of people in the local area had become interested in social justice issues, particularly those concerning asylum seekers and refugees, because of recent events such as the Tampa issue and protests in detention centres.
The immediate focus was on refugees, she said, but the group would address broader legal and human rights issues, including Aboriginal reconciliation.
The emphasis would be on action not just words.
“We see ourselves as not primarily a charitable group, but a political action group,” she said. “We write letters, go to rallies, and we’ve tried … talking to parishioners (about) the old ‘think globally, act locally’.”
The group has expressed strong support for the bishops’ position that asylum seekers should be released into the community while their claims are assessed.
Dr Ashton, who has visited the Villawood detention centre and been appalled by the conditions and the medical care and treatment of detainees, said her interest in social justice stemmed very naturally from being a doctor.
“As a doctor you’re trained to treat everyone as an individual,” Dr Ashton said. “Everybody is an important individual so how could these people not be important? How can anybody’s rights be infringed this way?”
Group secretary Brian Davies said that the executive committee was still finalising its mandate.
“We can’t be all things to all people,” he said.
“We can’t solve the world’s problems but we can apply efforts and energy to a set of issues and potential problems within the framework of the parish and the wider Church community.”