Editorial: Themes of ministry

Sydney
27 July 2003

Centre of it all ...

Two new bishops for Sydney

New bishops at cutting edge of Church

From sailor to bishop

Neocatechumenate priest for Redfern

Pokie tax threatens club aid to Church

Honours to chapel couple

Origin star, author, surf champ lend hand to Youth Off Streets

Four-day visit to Slovakia

Sydney group breaks Holy Land ‘drought’

Pope gives $10m aid

Unusable gifts cost Vinnies $½m a year

Specs to aid St Lucy’s

Finnish choir at St Francis

Editorial: Themes of ministry

Letters: Richness of our faith

Conversation: Jim Grainger, director of Centacare Broken Bay - ‘Following Christ’s ideals’ of caring

Three years on, Gershom pulls out all the stops ...

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Checking to see if Mr Right’s in site

Mary MacKillop focus of digital learning aid

Franciscan’s journey in a new era of pilgrimage

World Youth Day on web

Blessing at the centre of it all

Editorial: Themes of ministry

In the long-awaited appointment of Sydney’s two new bishops last week, two strong themes of ministry emerged - a pro-life theme and a second concerning vocations.

Allied to the vocational theme is a secondary one - the encouragement of the new ecclesiastical movements in Sydney. Partly this is because the new movements are proving one of the few sources of new vocations.

But, beyond this, they also seem to offer young Catholics, in particular, a route to deepening their faith, and often a ready-made community, too. The only problem is that the more youth-oriented of the new movements invariably have a sell-by date for young members, who inevitably outgrow them. But there are other new movements available for such ‘graduates’ which are not so age-based.

Fr Julian Porteous, the relatively new rector of Sydney’s Good Shepherd Seminary, is the new bishop-elect whose appointment embodies the above.

In his short time as rector, he has been successful in the difficult business of raising seminary numbers. This year has seen the largest intake in two decades, 17 mostly young new students, with their average age being nearer to 25 than 40.

The bishop-elect has also long been involved with the new movements, including the Neo-Catechumenate Way, the Disciples of Jesus and the Emmanuel Community, calling them a “special grace” of today’s Church. He realises that they can be too intense for some people, but they should nevertheless “be welcomed and respected … (and not treated) as the enemy”.

Indeed, a Neo-Catechumenate priest has just been appointed to the parish of St Vincent de Paul at Redfern.

The neo-cats, as they are known, are devoted to living the Catholic faith in small communities, and this ‘way’ of theirs should help them in Redfern. The movement began 25 years ago with two lay people, inspired by the Second Vatican Council, living and working with the poor of Madrid.

The pro-life ministry of the second new bishop-elect, Fr Anthony Fisher, is equally important. A bioethicist with legal training, the Dominican friar has expertise and knowledge of an area of critical importance in modern life. The Church has always spoken on such issues, but not always as knowledgably as it might. Fr Fisher should help greatly here, especially as his work will be supplemented by the work of a new Life office planned for Sydney.

The new bishops are certainly in touch with the hot issues of today in their work, which will no doubt be of great assistance to them in their new duties.