FROM FR KEVIN

The Reforming Pope Francis calls new Cardinals “servants”

Yesterday, Pope Francis inducted 19 new Cardinals. In the letter of their appointment, the Pope said their induction was not to be seen as a “promotion”, much less an “honour”, instead the cardinals should see themselves as “servants” marked by “self-abasement and humility”. To emphasise the point, he said there should be no lavish celebrations to celebrate their appointments, rather any celebration should follow “the evangelical spirit of austerity, sobriety and poverty”. When he became a cardinal in 1998, he urged his people to stay in Argentina and give the money to the poor. In 2012, 1,000 people came from New York to celebrate with the new Cardinal Dolan, their archbishop.

Pope Francis his “Man of the Year” the Anglican leader says

Archbishop Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury said early last month that the Pope was extraordinary and led by example. “He has changed the sense of direction and purpose of the Church with his personal example and words,” he said. Both leaders are understood to be working on a joint initiative on how to combat poverty.

A Centenary of Service Between the Two of them

Last month, two of our parish priest retired– Fr Gerry Beasley of Footscray and Msg Peter Kenny of Moonee Ponds. Between them, they have given 103 years of priestly service– not only in their parish, but also in extra-parochial ministry in welfare, ecumenism and marriage Tribunal. Peter was ordained in 1960, Gerry in 1963.
After Easter, the Franciscan Friars are leaving the parish of Box Hill and Box Hill North after 39 years of ministry due to the lack of numbers. This parish contains two large hospitals with 1,100 inpatients, one parish school and one cemetery. The diocese inviting priests to apply for this huge mission.
Dioceses in England, Ireland and Scotland are facing up to fewer priests and are making plans to merge parishes and close churches. The number of priests in Glasgow was 285 in 1977; now there are 85.
Are we encouraging our sons and grandsons to consider entering the Melbourne seminary to try out a vocation to the ordained priesthood?

Prince Charles fears for Christians in Middle East

At a gathering of faith leaders in London in December, the Prince of Wales said Christianity is under threat in its own birthplace due to a wave of persecution by fundamentalist Islamist militants. “For 20 years, I have tried to build bridges between Islam and Christianity… we have now reached a crisis where the bridges are rapidly being deliberately destroyed by those with a vested interest in doing so– through intimidation, false accusation and organized persecution.”

New Mary MacKillop School in South Sudan

Has been funded by Sudanese living in Sydney and this month is taking the first group of secondary girl students. Former refugee Johnson Ngor, of the charity “South Sudan Educates Girls” said “currently only 1 per cent of girls over the age of 12 are able to attend secondary school, but we are determined to change this.”
……Kevin McIntosh