Please wait....
Please wait....
Home
'
The Southern Cross : May 2011
Contents
May 2011 Page 21 www.thesoutherncross.org.au The Southern Cross obituaries | Sister Mary Matthew OP Born July 4, 1928 Died March 10, 2011 DOES FAITH HAVE A FUTURE? Declining numbers attending church, aging congregations, and vocal opposition to the presence of religion in public life all suggest that faith is fading in our country. And yet, the growth of faith- based schools, the rise of pentecostalism, the emergence of vibrant 'ethnic' churches and the visible increase in non-Christian religions suggest that religion will continue to flourish. Is it possible to make sense of all this? Should we be concerned or confident about the future of faith in Australia? Catholic Theological College of SA RSVP : Cris --- 8416 8460 or email cris.henriksson@flinders.edu.au Venue: Room S1, Adelaide Theological Centre 34 Lipsett Terrace, Brooklyn Park. Free parking Cost: $20 (supper included) --- payable at the door A talk by Associate Professor Stephen Downs Deputy Principal of CTC Born Kathleen Teresa Keeley, Sr Mary Matthew spent her early years growing up on a farm near Haslam, north of Streaky Bay. She was a caring, loving child, helping her mother with house duties and looking after younger brothers and sisters. At 17 she entered the Dominican convent at Cabra for a religious profession and ended up giving 68 years of remarkable service to the Church. She was a dedicated Dominican educator and believed implicitly in the merits of St Dominic's teachings, on which she modelled her own teaching skills. A registered teacher, she completed a Bachelor of Arts at the Australian National University, an Advanced Diploma of Education at Adelaide University, a Graduate Diploma of Education Administration at Curtin University, a Diploma of Scripture Study at Blackfriars, Oxford, a Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Theology at Oxford University and a Graduate Diploma in Religious Studies at Lancaster University. She acquired considerable expertise in imparting her knowledge to her pupils and to the community in general, through tutoring and parish involvement. Sr Mary Matthew followed closely the unfolding education pursuits of her nieces and nephews and believed in them completely. She always supported them with an intense interest and love, awaiting exam outcomes enthusiastically. She called herself the Matriarch of the Keeley family and undertook this dedication with passion. In later years she loved getting back to the farm to spend time with the family and enjoyed a well-deserved holiday each January at Perlubie Beach where her brother Edward or one of his sons would take the caravan down to the beach and set it up for her. She had many friends and some of the locals would take her fishing which she loved. One of her great attributes was to take lots of family photos which she would distribute to all family members and she would regularly compile a family newsletter to keep everyone informed of family news and activities. Sr Mary Matthew was an early adopter of technology and amazed the family with her use of the mobile phone for texting, and emailing on her computer. She became a Facebook friend before many younger people were using the social network. She gave her whole life in the service of others in all walks of life, never counting her own needs or desires. Peter was one of five children born to Italian migrants Margherita and Mauro Monopoli at Alberton just after the Depression. His mother was ill and so he spent time with a foster family, the Gulyards and their three daughters who spoilt him and treated him like a brother. He attended the Josephite school at Russell St and Christian Brothers College where he developed a desire at a young age to become a priest. Peter's father was a fish merchant and one of his prominent customers was Archbishop Beovich who, when told of Peter's desire to be a priest at the young age of 13, recommended he be sent to board for a year at Sacred Heart College, Somerton Park, to see if he could manage being away from his family. Peter proved he could and was sent to Stradbroke Park Seminary, Rostrevor, where he completed his secondary schooling followed by three years of philosophy. He further completed his four years of theology at the Manly Seminary in Sydney. During his holidays from the seminary he found work at various places, including washing dishes on the train to Kalgoorlie. He was ordained by Archbishop Beovich on July 18 1959 and his first roles as assistant parish priest were at Goodwood, Keswick and Salisbury. Under Archbishop Gleeson he was appointed parish priest at Victor Harbor/ Goolwa in 1972 and then Murray Bridge in 1980. He travelled to Minnesota in the United States in 1986 to undertake a Masters degree in systematic theology and returned to South Australia in 1987 after being appointed parish priest of Kangaroo Island. This was followed by a chaplaincy to Italians living in the western suburbs of Adelaide, a role which enabled him to use his fluent Italian. His last two appointments were at Para Hills and Pennington/Port Adelaide, prior to his "retirement" in July 2009. During his holidays away from his parishes, he travelled extensively to Asia and Europe. Fr Peter was a devoted Marian priest and on a couple of occasions travelled to Our Lady of Medjugorje Queen of Peace in Yugoslavia. He also ventured to the outback of SA on a camping expedition to an aboriginal reserve where he experienced the indigenous culture and ceremonies. When he retired from Pennington-Port Adelaide parish in 2008 he continued to offer his assistance as a priest wherever he could, both through celebrating Mass and providing spiritual counselling. Devoted Marian priest Father Peter Carmine Monopoli Born July 4, 1934 Died March 3, 2011 Dedicated teacher
Links
Archive
April 2011
June 2011
Navigation
Previous Page
Next Page
