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The Southern Cross : August 2010
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The Southern Cross August 2010 Page 13 www.adelaide.catholic.org.au vocations You are invited to be of The order of Canons Regular of Premontre are a community of men (priests and brothers) who are committed to being Church through the profession of Evangelical Counsels, lived in community. This is expressed through the dignified celebration of the Eucharist, Common Prayer (divine office) and other varied pastoral work as a witness to the Resurrection of Christ. The community cordially welcomes any interested men to come and to discern this way of life. Come and check out our Norbertine communal way of life and prayer! For further information: Christopher J. Lim, O. Praem Tel: (08) 9451 5586 Fax: 61-8-9356 1602 E-mail: priory@norbertines.org.au www.norbertines.org.au Postal: 135 Treasure Road Queens Park WA 6107, Australia Name :________________________________ Address :________________________________ Postcode :________State/Region :___________ Country :________________________________ E-mail :________________________________ Tel :________________________________ Hp :________________________________ With us on the way to God! ith t th h t G G G d d! ! W Wi O One H He ea art A An nd dO On ne eM Miin nd By Rebecca DiGirolamo A call for the Catholic Church in Australia to look to its own shores for young migrant candidates for the priesthood "makes sense", says Adelaide Archdiocese Vocations Director Father Dean Marin. He was responding to a national vocations conference held in Sydney at which guest speaker Father Maurizio Pettena "urged" vocations directors from across Australia to begin harnessing the deeply spiritual devotion of Australia's growing number of migrant youth. Fr Marin said training migrant youth already living in Australia was a better option than bringing overseas candidates to our seminaries. "It makes sense to begin here, right where we are," said Fr Marin. "There are many young overseas students or workers who come to (St Francis Xavier's) Cathedral," he said Fr Marin. "Some are already involved in Catholic groups and there are also youth groups associated with migrant communities." Sudanese migrant Deng Chuor said there was a strong sense of faith among youth in Africa which was infectious. Now a seminarian in his fourth year for the diocese, Deng said: "The excitement (of migrant youth) brings attention to the local Australian community that our Lord is worth loving and serving." Catholic Vocations Ministry Australia held the first Diocesan Vocations Directors conference in five years in Sydney in June. Guest speaker, Fr Pettena, was invited to speak on the controversial issue of the growing rank of overseas seminarians and priests brought to Australia on short-term visas as the nation's priest population continues to age. "I have urged the vocations directors to look upon the possibility of having new and young vocations coming from the young migrants that we have in our communities," said Fr Pettena, director of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO). "The Catholic Church in Australia has topped five million people, because of the great impact of migrants," he said. "Australia itself and the Catholic Church are becoming more and more diverse." Fr Pettena said one had to only look at the church pews for evidence: "We have young Asian migrants filling churches at lunch breaks -- doesn't that tell us about their religious experience and their choices in life?" He said the church could learn from the joy and devotion to faith of young migrants: "We need to start to reflect on their own experience as people who may have something to teach us as well." Backyard full of seminarians Covenant sisters By Rebecca DiGirolamo Adelaide women are leading the nation in a renewed wave of religious commitment to the Sisters of St Joseph, as the congregation's founder Mary MacKillop inches closer to becoming Australia's first saint. Three women have privately pledged promises to the Sisters and another is on her way to making a similar commitment. Some of their promises include to live more simply, to pray more intently and to be involved with the Sisters' mission. Val De Brenni is a happily married mother, Dianne Colborne is a retired school principal and Mary Hemmings is principal of Whitefriars Catholic School. "About four years ago, I was aware that I was being called to have a closer relationship with the Josephites, but I was puzzled by that because I am happily married," said Mrs De Brenni. Similarly, Ms Colborne said: "I felt an unsettled movement that I wanted a spiritual life on a deeper level and I was drawn to the spirit of the Josephites." Mary Hemmings formally ritualised her commitment to the Josephites a number of years ago and in coming months will "renew my commitment to the Josephite way of life and the spirit of Mary MacKillop". Unlike becoming a nun -- a process which can take up to nine years to complete -- these women, known as "Covenant Josephites", are not full members of the congregation: they do not take on the three public vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, nor are they committed to the constitution of the religious order. "These women want to have a closer affiliation with our congregation but they don't feel they are being called to take on public vows," said national congregational leader Sister Anne Derwin rsj. Sr Derwin said of the six Covenant Josephites who joined the order recently, four were from Adelaide. COMMITTED TO MARY: Dianne Colborne, Val De Brenni and Mary Hemmings. Photo: Kate Elmes Australia s First Saint Celebration of Mary MacKillop's Canonisation Thanksgiving Mass The Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide Sunday 31st October 2010 Tickets available from Rebecca Reiner St Joseph's Province Centre Ph: 8130 5900 ~ E: infosa@sosj.org.au Arrive and be seated by 2.15pm for 2.30pm start
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