Issue 10 :: June 2012

Inspiration

“What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops” Matthew 10:27

Often our encounter with Jesus is something quiet, personal, interior. Affected by this encounter, we are compelled to spread the message, the person of Jesus, through every possible means of communication. After all, what is evangelisation without communication?

From the Bishops

Bishops for Faith Formation

The PROCLAIM 2012 Conference is organised by the National Office for Evangelisation and Catholic Mission on behalf of the Bishops Commission for Mission and Faith Formation (BCMFF). At the recent meeting of the Australian Catholic Bishops membership of the BCMFF was renewed.

The new chair of the BCMFF is the Bishop of Townsville, the Most Reverend Michael Putney. Ordained a priest for Brisbane in 1969 and ordained as auxiliary Bishop for Brisbane in 1995 Bishop Putney was installed as the fifth Bishop of Townsville in 2001. He has a Doctorate in Theology and has enjoyed a distinguished academic career alongside his abiding interest in ecumenism.

Reflecting a long-standing interest in using the media for evangelisation the Bishop of Wollongong, the Most Reverend Peter Ingham builds on his previous six years as a member of the BCMFF. Ordained a priest for Sydney in 1964 and ordained as an Auxiliary Bishop for Sydney in 1993 he was installed as the fourth Bishop of Wollongong in 2001.

Following the untimely death of Bishop Joseph Grech in late 2010 Bishop Julian Porteous joined the BCMFF on an interim basis. He is now a full member. Bishop Porteous was ordained a priest for Sydney in 1974 and ordained Auxiliary Bishop for Sydney in 2003. From 2002 to 2008 he was Rector of the Seminary of the Good Shepherd in Sydney. He has a passionate interest in the New Evangelisation particularly among the new ecclesial movements.

The fourth member of the BCMFF is Bishop Peter Comensoli. He holds a PhD in theological ethics and lectures in moral theology at the Catholic Institute of Sydney. Bishop Peter was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wollongong in 1992 and ordained as an Auxiliary Bishop for Sydney in 2011.

Testimony of Faith

A new trust - Ekaterina (Vic)

My connection with God has been a lifelong battle. Attending a Catholic primary school and going to church twice a week as a little girl was routine for me. As I grew older, things changed as I experienced different kinds of sufferings and started blaming God for everything that was happening: the most common questions I asked myself was “Why me?” “What have I done to deserve this?” I developed depression and anxiety. This went on for about 8 years. At the start of 2011, I was offered a new job and was very reluctant to accept. At my new work place, I met a girl called Jessica and she took me under her wing. Read more...

If you have a story of how God has brought you back to Himself, and would like to share it in a following issue of this newsletter, please contact us.

Upcoming events

June 2012

• 10-17 Jun - IEC 50th International Eucharistic Congress
  In the UK but the website is worth following. See iec2012.ie
• 16-17 Jun - menALIVE weekend
  An opportunity for men to explore what makes them fully alive. Perth, WA. See www.menalive.org.au
• 30 Jun-1 Jul - Blast
  Youth Leader training. Portland, NSW. See xt3.com

July 2012

• 20-22 Jul - Fire Weekend
  Life in the Spirit seminar. Wollongong, NSW. See evangeliseaustralia.com calendar.
• 21-22 Jul - menALIVE weekend
  Men explore what makes them fully alive. Gunghalin, ACT. See www.menalive.org.au
• 28 Jul - SIP 3D Day
  Reflect and learn about the "Spirituality of Conversation". Hunters Hill, NSW. See catalyst-for-renewal.com.au

Do you want more people coming to your events? We would love to promote your event here but we won’t know about it unless you tell us. Contact us with your event information for free promotion!

Prayer

Most Holy God,
in every age you form a people for yourself.
Your Holy Spirit dwells in the hearts of men and women and from their midst raises up prophets
to proclaim the Good News with boldness.
Draw us deeper into the mystery of your boundless love. Call us to ongoing conversion and transformation into Christ.
Put fresh heart within us that we may share with all people the Good News of your compassionate and saving love
and bring them to know the hope with which you grace us.
May the fire of your Holy Spirit fill us so that the Pentecost flame may burn ever more brightly in your Church.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord.
Amen.

Prayer cards of his conference prayer for PROCLAIM 2012 can be downloaded from the website.