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The Southern Cross : August 2011
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Digital version online at www.thesoutherncross.org.au $2 inc. GST August 2011 TheSouthern Cross Part of your Catholic family since 1867 Archbishop Philip Wilson referred to the challenges facing the Catholic Church today and the need to remain committed to the Gospel and its values during the ordination of Father Peter Zwaans last month. In a moving celebration of Fr Zwaan's final journey to priesthood at St Francis Xavier's Cathedral on July 16, Archbishop Wilson began his homily by stating there were those who would say Peter was being ordained 60 years too late because it was a time in the history of the Church when "everything seemed to be going wrong". "There could have been a happier time, they would think, for him to be ordained when we were on the up rather than what seems to be when we are on the down," he said. "But let me say very clearly today, this is a great day and a great time for Peter Zwaans to be ordained to the priesthood in the Catholic Church. "This is a time of great excitement in the Church because of the challenges that we face as we live in the world and the opportunities that are presented to us today as the humble people of God, to reflect Jesus to the world by the way that we live our lives, by our commitment to the Gospel and its values." "This is a moment of opportunity for the Church...I know there are those who are negative in the way they judge the life of the Church today and I know that there are problems and challenges that face us but it would be wrong of us and lacking in faith if we believe that we live in a bad time for the Church because Jesus committed himself to us and hasn't gone away at any time and especially in our day today." Archbishop Wilson stressed that being ordained a priest was not a moment of "coronation" but a moment of being ordained to serve. "If we are honoured, we are honoured because of the way that we are examples of Christ," he said. The ordination was concelebrated by more than 40 local and interstate priests and seminarians and attended by family and friends, some of whom had travelled from overseas. Fr Zwaans, who spent 90 minutes blessing people after his ordination, thanked his parents and sisters for their love and support: "they have taught me and formed me; and who I am today is due in no small part to them". The complete homily from the ordination Mass can be heard or read at www.adelaide.catholic. org.au Vocations feature, pages 11-14. Meeting the challenge vocations week august 7 - 14 Jenny Brinkworth True reflection Adelaide's Cassandra Schumacher is planning a return to the impoverished nations of South America to educate the disadvantaged. Full story -- Living Catholic page 8.
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