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The Land Down Under uplifted by news of first saint

28 Feb 2010 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The Lord is "my life's refuge," says the psalmist this Sunday. Mother Mary MacKillop, who founded a religious order, the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, that offered refuge, shelter, and education to impoverished children across the Australian Outback in the 1800s, will become that nation's first Catholic saint in October. Pope Benedict XVI made the announcement this week and set the formal canonization for October 17 in Rome. With vows of abstinence from owning personal belongings and dedication to helping the poor, MacKillop is credited with spreading Roman Catholicism in Australia and New Zealand. But she was a strong-willed advocate who sometimes got into trouble for challenging orthodox thinking within the church. In 1869 she was excommunicated for inciting her followers to disobedience, though the bishop who punished her recanted three years later and she was exonerated by a church commission. "This is a great, great tribute to the Catholic Church and a great, great tribute to her hard work in education," Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Friday. "This is a great honor for Australia. I offer a heartfelt expression of appreciation to the wider Catholic community." "Today it has been recognized that a woman can become a saint in the Australian environment with all its complexities and challenges," Postulator for the Cause of Mary MacKillop, Sister Maria Casey, said in a statement. "Mary MacKillop is to be listed among the saints of the Catholic Church. I look forward to the celebration of her goodness when many pilgrims from all over the world come to Rome for the ceremony." MacKillop died in 1909 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1995. Sainthood was also approved for Stanislaw Soltys, a 15th-century Polish priest; Italian nuns Giulia Salzano and Battista Varano; Spanish nun Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola; and Canadian Holy Cross Brother André Bessette. Source: An article by Victor L. Simpson for the Associated Press

Saints kevin rudd mary mackillop sisters of st joseph of the sacred heart australia maria casey
Grounded ship brings grief to reef

18 Apr 2010 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The "living creatures," including those in the sea, "were countless in number" in the vision recounted in this Sunday's second reading. Australia's Great Barrier Reef will need decades to recover from the damage caused by a grounded Chinese coal carrier that spent nine days gouging a three mile zone of the treasured reef, said experts. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called the accident, which also leaked about two tons of fuel oil into the pristine seas, an "absolute outrage." He added, "We will leave no stone unturned when it comes to finding out how that happened." Officials have promised to investigate allegations that ships have been taking short-cuts through the world's biggest reef, which covers 137,600 square miles off the east coast of Australia. David Wachenfeld, chief scientist at the body overseeing the heritage-listed marine park, said the Shen Neng 1 coal carrier had been grinding against and crushing the reef after it veered off course and smashed into it on April 3. The reef was also left plastered with toxic anti-fouling paint from the ship's hull. Divers "have found significant scarring and coral damage. They've also found quite a lot of anti-fouling [paint] spread across the reef," said Russell Reichelt, chairman of the marine park authority. "It is a concern because it's designed to be toxic and stop things growing on ships. We've already seen observations where anti-fouling paint that's been scraped off onto the reef is killing corals in its vicinity." Conservationists say the incidents highlight the risk to Australia's environment posed by rocketing resource exports to Asia, which are fuelling a strong recovery from the global financial crisis. The reef, which is visible from space and is one of the world's foremost ecological treasures, has already come under pressure from rising sea temperatures and pollution. Source: An article by Talek Harris Agence France Presse

accident kevin rudd australia great barrier reef david wachenfeld shen neng 1 russell reichelt coral anti-fouling paint
Buzz builds around new unofficial “saint of abuse victims”

10 Oct 2010 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The psalmist this Sunday praises the Lord for having done “wondrous deeds.” Many saints have been lauded for remarkable deeds as well, but few if any are known to have exposed clerical sex abuse—until this week. A new documentary brings to light that Australia's Mother Mary MacKillop (1842-1909), to be canonized October 17, was briefly excommunicated after having blown the whistle on abusive priests. MacKillop, the founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph, who now have thousands of women in their communities across Australia, heard disturbing reports of priests sexually abusing children in the Kapunda parish in the diocese of Adelaide in south Australia, according to the documentary on Australia’s ABC Compass station. MacKillop and her sisters informed Father Julian Tenison-Woods, cofounder the Josephites, of their concerns, which were then reported to the diocesan vicar-general. One of the abusive priests, Father Patrick Keating, was sent back to his native Ireland, where he continued to serve as a priest. The whistleblowers apparently so angered Keating’s colleague Father Charles Horan that he vowed revenge and used his influence over Adelaide Bishop Laurence Sheil to have MacKillop excommunicated. In 1871, after only four years as a nun, MacKillop was turned out onto the street with no money and nowhere to go—a bit like one of the outcast lepers we read about in this Sunday’s readings. Perhaps recalling the God of justice praised by the psalmist this Sunday, however, Sheil revoked the punishment on his death bed some five months later. After being reinstated by the Catholic Church, MacKillop became known for her work with disadvantaged children, female ex-prisoners, and prostitutes. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1995. After her canonization October 17, she will be known as Saint Mary of the Cross. A statement from the Sisters of St. Joseph has confirmed that the documentary’s reports are “consistent with” the extensive studies that have been done of the event. In a column commenting on the revelations, Father James Martin, S.J. wrote: “Now victims of sex abuse and their families, and all who desire reconciliation and healing in the church, can pray to Mary MacKillop, who understands them perhaps better than any other saint. Perhaps it is providential that she walks back onto the world’s stage again.” Source: Articles by DailyMail.com.uk, Ecumenical News International, Father James Martin, S.J. for The Huffington Post, CathNews.com.au, and ABC.net.au

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Australia flooded with problems

16 Jan 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

John came baptizing with water so that the Lamb of God might be made known to Israel. Australians wish there were such a noble justification for their own “baptism by water” this past month. The worst floods to hit the continent in 50 years have affected an area the size of France and Germany combined, severely hurt the mining industry, and it now appears the run-off is damaging the Great Barrier Reef. The floods are flushing toxic, pesticide-laden sediment into the reef and could threaten fragile corals and marine life in the world’s largest living organism, environmentalists with the World Wildlife Fund warned. They said the floods are “bigger, dirtier, and more dangerous due to excessive tree clearing, overgrazing, and soil compaction.” The inundation has shut down the city of Brisbane, third largest in the country, reaching the tops of traffic lights in some areas and threatening many thousands of homes. At least 22 people have died in Australia’s northeastern state of Queensland, and dozens of others have been reported missing. “Some of the houses have exploded with the force of the water. People have been washed away. It will take days to complete this search and recovery,” Deputy Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said. “This is a truly dire set of circumstances,” Prime Minister Julia Gillard told Australian Broadcasting Corp. television. Commenting on one deluge that dumped 6 inches of rain in a half-hour, one local politician said, “There was water coming down everywhere in biblical proportions.” Source: An article by John Pye and Kristen Gelineau for the Associated Press

flood australia great barrier reef run-off brisbane queensland
Aussies not sympathetic to Aboriginal situation

20 Feb 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Though one might at times “have to reprove your fellow citizen,” the reading from the Book of Leviticus tells us not to bear “hatred for your brother or sister in your heart.” Instead, we are instructed to “love your neighbor as yourself.” A recent poll shows the white majority in Australia is losing sympathy for the plight of their neighbors, the Aborigines. Days after the prime minister urged the country's indigenous people to take more control of their lives, the Australian Reconciliation Barometer survey, gauging relations between Aborigines and their mostly white counterparts, showed a drop in the number of people who considered the relationship important. In addition, white Australians increasingly blame Aborigines for their own problems. Aborigines suffer disproportionately high rates of disease, imprisonment, unemployment, and alcohol and substance abuse and die on average 11 years earlier than other Australians. While in the gospel Jesus encourages us to strive to “be perfect” in our relations with one another, the survey found that those who saw relations between Aborigines and other Australians to be poor outnumbered those who thought them good. Less than half thought things were improving. More than eight out of 10 respondents among non-Aborigines said a lack of personal responsibility was to blame for the problems experienced by indigenous people. By contrast, most of the Aborigines surveyed said lack of respect and inadequate living conditions, poor access to health care and education, government failures, and discrimination all played a bigger role in their plight. Australia's first inhabitants with cultures stretching back tens of thousands of years, Aborigines have gone from numbering about one million at the time of the white settlement to only 470,000, less than 2 percent of the Australian population. In 2008 the Australian government offered an apology to Aborigines for wrongs suffered since white settlement began in 1788. An article by Agence France Presse

aborigines australia australians
Aussies not sympathetic to Aboriginal situation

20 Feb 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Though one might at times “have to reprove your fellow citizen,” the reading from the Book of Leviticus tells us not to bear “hatred for your brother or sister in your heart.” Instead, we are instructed to “love your neighbor as yourself.” A recent poll shows the white majority in Australia is losing sympathy for the plight of their neighbors, the Aborigines. Days after the prime minister urged the country's indigenous people to take more control of their lives, the Australian Reconciliation Barometer survey, gauging relations between Aborigines and their mostly white counterparts, showed a drop in the number of people who considered the relationship important. In addition, white Australians increasingly blame Aborigines for their own problems. Aborigines suffer disproportionately high rates of disease, imprisonment, unemployment, and alcohol and substance abuse and die on average 11 years earlier than other Australians. While in the gospel Jesus encourages us to strive to “be perfect” in our relations with one another, the survey found that those who saw relations between Aborigines and other Australians to be poor outnumbered those who thought them good. Less than half thought things were improving. More than eight out of 10 respondents among non-Aborigines said a lack of personal responsibility was to blame for the problems experienced by indigenous people. By contrast, most of the Aborigines surveyed said lack of respect and inadequate living conditions, poor access to health care and education, government failures, and discrimination all played a bigger role in their plight. Australia's first inhabitants with cultures stretching back tens of thousands of years, Aborigines have gone from numbering about one million at the time of the white settlement to only 470,000, less than 2 percent of the Australian population. In 2008 the Australian government offered an apology to Aborigines for wrongs suffered since white settlement began in 1788. An article by Agence France Presse

aborigines australia australians
Aussie church agencies apologize for forced adoptions

31 Jul 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Nothing and no one can separate us from the love of Christ, Saint Paul confidently asserts in this Sunday’s reading from the Letter to the Romans. Three Catholic agencies in Australia have apologized "with a deep sense of regret and heartfelt sorrow" for forcibly separating thousands of unmarried mothers from their newborn babies immediately after birth and handing them to adoption agencies in past decades. The apology this past week came jointly from Catholic Health Australia, the largest nongovernment provider of healthcare services in Australia, the Sisters of Mercy, and the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, about 100 miles north of Sydney. The practice of forced adoption was reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in a story on its website after an investigation into claims of abuse and trauma in Newcastle. The story said it was believed that at least 150,000 Australian women had their babies taken against their will by some churches and adoption agencies. Initially Archbishop Barry Hickey of Perth said he saw "little evidence" of forced adoptions in decades past. He issued a follow-up statement this week which said: "While it is true that I had little evidence of forced consents to adoption, I realize that many of the young women at the time were not clear that their consent was required. Many were confused, feeling powerless during their pregnancy for fear that their baby would be taken from them.” Martin Laverty, chief executive officer of Catholic Health Australia, addressed hospital adoption practices in a letter to the Australian Senate which is investigating past adoption policies and practices. He wrote that "in some cases, the adoption practices of 30 to 60 years ago had devastating and ongoing impacts on mothers, fathers, children, and families. "We acknowledge the pain of separation and loss felt then and felt now for the mothers, fathers, children, families, and others involved in some of the practices of the time," Laverty said. "For this pain that arises from the practices of the past, we are genuinely sorry." "Catholic Health Australia would endorse a proposal to establish a national framework to aid those dealing with their post-adoption circumstances," Laverty said. He also said that there were several options to support the mothers, including access to medical records related to the births and adoptions. Source: An article by Kerry Myers for Catholic News Service

australia barry hickey martin laverty adoption diocese of maitland-newcastle sisters of mercy catholic health australia
Aussie church agencies apologize for forced adoptions

31 Jul 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Nothing and no one can separate us from the love of Christ, Saint Paul confidently asserts in this Sunday’s reading from the Letter to the Romans. Three Catholic agencies in Australia have apologized "with a deep sense of regret and heartfelt sorrow" for forcibly separating thousands of unmarried mothers from their newborn babies immediately after birth and handing them to adoption agencies in past decades. The apology this past week came jointly from Catholic Health Australia, the largest nongovernment provider of healthcare services in Australia, the Sisters of Mercy, and the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, about 100 miles north of Sydney. The practice of forced adoption was reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in a story on its website after an investigation into claims of abuse and trauma in Newcastle. The story said it was believed that at least 150,000 Australian women had their babies taken against their will by some churches and adoption agencies. Initially Archbishop Barry Hickey of Perth said he saw "little evidence" of forced adoptions in decades past. He issued a follow-up statement this week which said: "While it is true that I had little evidence of forced consents to adoption, I realize that many of the young women at the time were not clear that their consent was required. Many were confused, feeling powerless during their pregnancy for fear that their baby would be taken from them.” Martin Laverty, chief executive officer of Catholic Health Australia, addressed hospital adoption practices in a letter to the Australian Senate which is investigating past adoption policies and practices. He wrote that "in some cases, the adoption practices of 30 to 60 years ago had devastating and ongoing impacts on mothers, fathers, children, and families. "We acknowledge the pain of separation and loss felt then and felt now for the mothers, fathers, children, families, and others involved in some of the practices of the time," Laverty said. "For this pain that arises from the practices of the past, we are genuinely sorry." "Catholic Health Australia would endorse a proposal to establish a national framework to aid those dealing with their post-adoption circumstances," Laverty said. He also said that there were several options to support the mothers, including access to medical records related to the births and adoptions. Source: An article by Kerry Myers for Catholic News Service

australia barry hickey martin laverty adoption diocese of maitland-newcastle sisters of mercy catholic health australia
We have some bad news: Are you sitting down?

01 Apr 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Jesus had a simple request of his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane in this Sunday’s gospel: "Sit here while I pray." Yet Peter, James, and John couldn’t even stay awake to do that much for their suffering Master in his hour of need. On the other hand, just sitting there could have been quite harmful to their health, according to the surprising results of a new study. Those who spend 11 or more hours a day sitting are 40 percent more likely to die over the next three years regardless of how physically active they are otherwise, Australian researchers determined after examining data on more than 222,000 people aged 45 and older. Even sitting eight hours a day raises your risk of impending death by 15 percent, they found. "The evidence on the detrimental health effects of prolonged sitting has been building over the last few years," said study author Hidde van der Ploeg, a senior research fellow at the University of Sydney. "The study stands out because of its large number of participants and the fact that it was one of the first that was able to look at total sitting time. Most of the evidence to date had been on the health risks of prolonged television viewing." Average adults spend 90 percent of their leisure time sitting down, van der Ploeg said, and fewer than half meet World Health Organization recommendations for 150 minutes of at least moderate-intensity physical activity each week. The study is published in the March 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. The data was collected as part of Australia's 45 and Up Study, a large, ongoing study of healthy aging. Strikingly, the elevated risks for dying from all causes remained even after taking into account participants' physical activity, weight, and health status. Because many people must sit for long hours at their jobs, they should make sure a greater portion of their leisure time is spent standing, walking, or engaging in other movement, said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. "Yes, you have to work, but when you go home it's so important you don't go back to sitting in front of the computer or television," Steinbaum said. "After the eight-hour mark, the risks go up exponentially. It's really about what you're doing in your leisure time and making the decision to move." Source: An article by Maureen Salamon for HealthDay.com

health australia 45 and up study activity sitting hidde van der ploeg
Airport officials jump to kangaroo's aid

20 Oct 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The troubled psalmist in need of aid asks, and answers, his own question, this Sunday: "Whence shall help come to me? My help is from the Lord." An injured kangaroo in need of medical care managed to make its way into the Melbourne Airport in Australia on Wednesday, ending up, fittingly, in a pharmacy.Astonished travelers watched as the kangaroo stumbled around the aisles, only to be captured by a dark-clad woman and a man in a Qantas vest who can be seen on video casting a cloth over the ailing animal and then gently tackling it. It was placed under the care of a veterinarian.The airport is ringed partly by bush land that is apparently frequented by kangaroos. This one managed to end up at the Qantas terminal, an apt destination since the airline’s logo is a kangaroo.The animal had been hit by a vehicle outside the terminal. Wildlife Victoria, an animal emergency response service, said it sent two trained rescue volunteers to help capture the creature, and that the kangaroo, nicknamed Cyrus after “one of the helpers at the scene,” was tranquilized before being turned over to the veterinarian. Cyrus was later recorded resting comfortably at a wildlife shelter.Homily hint: Imagine the challenge wildlife face as they try to survive in an expanding and encroaching human population. Christian stewardship calls upon us to support responsible wildlife management and protection. Support conservation groups dedicated to such causes. All of God's creatures will thank you! Source: An article by Gerry Mullany for the New York Times

australia kangaroos melbourne airport