Letters: Thanks to institute

The
Catholic Weekly
Online

Sydney
1 February 2004

Dunbar mystery unraveled

New school bid for ‘male-only’ offers

Twins among high achievers

Parents urged to read new books

Steps to safety

Priests honoured

Doing the Lord’s work

Religious named

Pregnant pause: To do or not to do? Oh, baby!

Insurance board post

Caring for needy

Lay Catholics

Editorial: True blue

Letters: Thanks to institute

Conversation: Mons Paul Ssegemogerere, vicar general of Kampala, Uganda - Helping his country tread the right path

Today – God’s gift to us all

Refugee children say ‘thanks’

Chinese community has much to celebrate

The stained-glass detective

Teacher, priest and puppeteer

Riding a wild horse ...

Up there, Ignatius!

Mates give Bulls’ groom Super send-off

Letters: Thanks to institute

The Australia-East Timor Association of NSW would like to publicly thank the Mary MacKillop Institute for East Timorese Studies, especially Srs Josephine Mitchell and Susan Connelly, for their very large part in the memorial service and also funeral for Dr Andrew McNaughtan, our convener.

The completely unexpected death of Andrew in late December at only 49 years is a blow to all friends of East Timor, and to the many Timorese who knew him, as well as his own family.

The work of Andrew’s that must continue is the winning back of East Timor’s oil.

East Timor has been bullied out of 60 per cent of it by the Australian Government.

For its survival and development, we must help Timor get it back.

Again, our thanks to those great Josephine Sisters, true friends of the East Timorese, Srs Josephine and Susan.

Bravo to St Canice’s Church at Elizabeth Bay for setting up a sister relationship with Ermera parish outside Dili (Timor ‘sister’ parish plan for St Canice’s, CW 11/1).

Stephen Langford
Secretary
Australia-East Timor Association

FAIR TRADE FIRST

Our Minister for Trade Mark Vale says that the free trade agreement with the United States “must be pursued at all costs”.

However, the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network (website www.aftinet.org.au), a group of 73 community organisations, including the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, has called on the Federal Government to exclude from negotiation essential services such as the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which makes expensive medicines available to all through government subsidies.

Possible increases in medical costs must be of concern to us all, especially to the disadvantaged.

Our Christian concern for the poor obviously includes charitable donations for emergency needs, but must also be extended to maintenance and extension of structures like the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme designed to protect the rights of the needy.

Fair trade, rather than free trade, must be our aim,otherwise we are co-operating in, and may well become the victims of, injustice.

Fr Ron Perrett
Catholic Presbytery
Werris Creek

PROMINENCE

John Alam (Tabernacle, Letters CW 14/12) raises once again the persistent and heartfelt concerns of so many devout regarding the deposing of the tabernacle of the Blessed Sacrament. from honoured prominence in the sanctuary.

He is in good company; none other than Cardinal Francis Arinze has expressed similar concerns.

The cardinal, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, is responsible for all liturgical matters to do with the celebration of Holy Mass, the administration of the sacraments and all other significant liturgical considerations.

He has been particularly critical of much modern church architecture, of many so-called ‘restored churches’ of the inappropriate use of ‘extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion’.

He said, inter alia, that “the altar of the Blessed Sacrament (the tabernacle) should be outstanding for its beauty and honoured prominence”.

Maxwell John Lynch
Engadine, NSW

GRACEFUL TRIBUTE

Your report about St Vincent’s, Potts Points, rightly states that the ex-students union, founded in 1903, included “some who excelled in the field of medicine and law when such careers for women were very rare”.

To this could be added a graceful tribute from the first to obtain a Law degree, one Kathleen McGarry (nearly 70 years ago I think).

She sent the nuns a copy of her graduation photograph inscribed: “To the Sisters of St Vincent’s with love and gratitude”.

This used to hang in a classroom near the Victoria St entrance.

One other point – some of the brilliant Latin teachers from St Vincent’s College such as Srs Maria Joseph Heraghty and Mary Joachim Burns, would no doubt be shocked to see their ex-pupils referred to by the masculine form alumni – alumnae please!

D Atkinson
Chatswood, NSW

STARK REMINDER

The remake of the film Cheaper by the Dozen reminds us starkly of much of what is wrong today within families, and therefore society.

Admittedly, the 12-child family is untypical, but the unthinking pursuit by each parent of their life’s occupational dream brings the family to the brink of disintegration.

At the brink, the parents realise ‘the family’ does, and should always, come first – before career, money or fame.

At substantial cost, they then put family before themselves, returning to a poorer existence in their old neighbourhood, but importantly to former unity, family love, harmony and happiness.

If only all parents could have a copy of this film, and view it weekly.

Col Parrett
Kingston, ACT