Archbishop's Pastoral Letter and Day of Intercession..

.. for the defeat of the Abortion Law Reform bill that is to be voted upon by the Upper House by mid-October. Please visit the link above to the full text of the Archbishop's pastoral letter.

The Age Polls: Should Catholic hospitals be forced to comply with the new abortion laws?

The Abortion Law Reform bill has not yet been passed by the Upper House (so there's time to contact the Council). Update: this abortion law is about forcing hospitals to refer women seeking abortion to abortion providers. Our Archbishop has spoken out against this. We refer to this as "cooperating with evil", which in itself is a grave and objective evil, given the nature of what is at stake (abortion). The government would use the term "collusion" or "conspiracy" in other situations, but apparently not when it is an abortion.

In any case, the poll as it stands now (11:24 am) is a big "Yes", obviously from non-Catholics who find nothing wrong with the State dictating over the doctrines of the Church while, crying "separation of Church and State" when it suits them. Please visit the poll and make your views count. Sadly, in this day and age, many people actually let polls shape their principles.

Stop the Abortion Law Reform Bill

Marcin has kindly prepared several PDF documents (download via MediaFire) containing contact information about specific members of parliament and the legislative council, as well as letters urging them to oppose the Abortion Law Reform Bill here in Victoria. It is probably preferred that the letters are given a personal touch, but note that whatever is written must be given in charity and respect. These people are not enemies: they are public servants whom we should pray for and assist in their decision-making. Please voice your concerns in the hope that we will influence their understanding. Marcin sends along this explanation for the various documents in the zip file linked to above:

1. find out what your Legislative Council Region is by seeing "list_of_council_members-3.pdf" (Clayton is in the SouthEastern Region)
2. open the PDF for your Council Region (western, northern, etc.) and fill out the forms with your Name and Address up the top and Name down the bottom (copy and paste will do the trick) for all FIVE members.
3. find out who's your Assembly MP by seeing "assembly_members-4.pdf" and filling out and printing ONE of the letters in that PDF
4. sign and send them (each in separate envelope with name of MP on the front) to Parliament House, East Melbourne, Vic 3002
Or type up your own letters. Or, even better, hand write them. Or even better visit an MP or two in person.

This fight isn't about condemning women who obtain abortions either. It's about saving lives: the mother's, the father's and the baby's.

WYD Testimonies

For me it was certainly a foretaste of heaven. Yes there were the challenges and discomforts but existing in a faith filled environment on such a large scale was quite unique and inspiring. One of the speakers summed it up well when he said that the last time we saw so many flags it was because of war this time it was because of peace. I found the depth of the experience to be a solemn one.

Lucy Lilburne

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WYD was an amazing experience for me. The atmosphere was truly indescribable and the whole week will be one I will never forget. There was time for reflection as well as times to be silly and just have fun. This experience made me appreciate being alive and realizing how lucky each of us are to have so many other people all around the world who care about you enough to give you a big smile or a simple hello or a hug or give you a present from their country or want to have a conversation with you. Everyone was loving being alive and that made each day so special. I can't believe that such an event would add so much more to the way I perceive life. We are but one in a million and yet each of us is unique and special to God. God loves each of us the same and no one escapes his love if they have faith and trust in him. WYD was so thrilling that I will definitely consider attending the next one in Madrid!

Cheers, Katherine Strainge

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We floated in a sea of Love,

flooded with blessings from above.

We have returned to our "kingdoms,"

As the magi did,

long ago …

enriched with the Spirit,

Our hearts all aglow;

To see Jesus in all we meet,

To be Jesus to those in need.

Mysticia

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I was baptised at the age of 5, since then I loved reading parables, but being raised in a secular family, I only went to church once a year if not less. 13 years later I met a Christian friend who transformed me. He showed me how much more I could do as a Christian. After 5 years of friendship with this person, I now go to church every Sunday and go to confession every week. I feel a lot closer to God, I pray every day and I trust in Him more than ever. It was not an easy journey and a lot of barriers had to be broken down, but I realise how much I would be missing out on if I didn't take on this challenge.

The point of this story is the importance of prayer, even when we don't want to pray. God will transform us and open our hearts if we just let Him. My story is living proof of the power of the Holy Spirit, and I don't plan to stop there, as the Holy Spirit still has a lot of work to do in me. I pray God blesses everyone with this wonderful gift, I know I wouldn't live without it.

Anna

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Many say that our group would pass for the United Nations, comprising of pilgrims from various origins ie. Australia, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Malta, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Samoa, South Africa and Sri Lanka. As the saying goes – "We are many parts, but we are all one body." Likewise, we are of many countries, but we are all one family. United in ONE faith, we embarked to Sydney on our WYD08 journey.

Our schedule was filled with activities to keep us on our feet. We joined the crowd in the major events, from welcoming the pope at the Sydney Opera House, to the Stations of the Cross on Friday at Barangaroo and not forgetting the Pilgrim Walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to Randwick Racecourse for the evening vigil and final mass. We also attended catechesis at St Joseph's Church in Belmore and exhibitions, forums and concerts around Sydney. Nevertheless, we still managed to find a quiet time with the Lord, in prayer, reciting the rosary, Taize, Eucharistic adoration and the sacrament of reconciliation.

Things weren't always easy – limited to 3 showers in a school that was accommodating 300 pilgrims; having almost the same meal each day (bread and tuna for lunch, stew for dinner) and the 10km walk to Randwick with a load on our backs (which took its physical toll on some of us). Towards the end of the pilgrimage, a number of us were struck down with flu-like symptoms and fatigue was slowly setting in. But in the midst of these hardships, it was nice to see the group supporting each other, lending a helping hand to the older members and keeping a bright and positive mind throughout the time. True enough, this was all "Part of the Pilgrimage Experience (P.o.P.E.)".

Although everyone is gathered together at one place to celebrate WYD, each pilgrim has a different spiritual experience. Mine just so happened by chance (no..it was not a coincidence, it was God's work) that I was able to really prepare myself and examine my conscience prior to confession. Because of this, I experienced God's forgiveness and love with a whole new perspective and I was truly touched by God's presence through the sacrament of reconciliation. Furthermore, I was comforted that I don't have to journey alone on this pilgrimage. Being away from my family and home has sometimes made me vulnerable to the feeling of loneliness. But through the WYD experience, I felt God's presence through the Holy Spirit, reaffirming that He is with me at all times and to trust in Him. Besides, seeing so many other pilgrims from 'all the ends of the earth' has shown me that truly, I am NOT alone at all.

My feelings throughout the WYD experience are described in several words:

Overwhelming – being in massive crowds of catholic pilgrims from all over the world (especially from places that you would not have thought of eg. Afghanistan, Iceland, Iraq, Tahiti)

Freedom – of being able to sing songs, praise God and chant our support for dear 'Benedetto', as we march in a parade of flags, openly in the streets of Sydney.

Pride - as a Catholic; and for representing my home country (ie Malaysia) at WYD

Joy - of new friendships and of meeting the Pope!!

Blessed – for God has forgiven my sins; and for being empowered with the Holy Spirit

Grateful – to God for keeping us safe throughout this journey; and for giving us great allocated spots during the major events (considering the size of the crowd at Randwick, we were right in front of the stage!!); also grateful to our hosts at St. Joseph's primary school for their splendid hospitality; and to the people of Sydney – for welcoming us with open arms, for their patience (well….we did cause a fair bit of congestion on the public transport), for their friendliness (people were waving at us and greeting us on the trains and on the streets) and for accepting our presence at Sydney

Anticipation – towards the next WYD at Madrid, Spain in 2011 !! (time to start saving up $$)

This has been a week of a lifetime, but it is not over - the pilgrimage continues. For most of us, this is probably the beginning of our journey of faith. I pray that the parish of St. Peter's Church and Catholics on Campus (Monash University) will continue to support the youth and young adults of this parish, in the mission set forth by the Lord.

God Bless, Josephine

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This is a reflection of WYD '08 from the point of view of a pilgrim who also did some volunteer works.

As I started the journey, all I could think of is my nice and comfy room back at Melbourne. And there was that thought about having cold shower (or not at all for that matter) and sleeping in a large crowded hall all week. Add to all that concerns, I had to do at least three things when I arrived in Sydney on Monday: Pick up my volunteer uniforms, attend the first (and only) logistic volunteer training, and be at my actual shift that day.

I did not spend much time with the group during the week and looking at the photos taken by Victor just made me want to redo the pilgrimage all over again and be with the group the whole week. I guess that is the beauty of volunteering, it somewhat made me feel closer with the group.

During the week, I met some interesting and fantastic fellow volunteers. The funny thing is that I never actually met my logistic supervisor. On Monday (14th) and Tuesday (15th), I checked in before my shift and waited for him/her (yes, I really don't know my supervisor) for two hours with another logistic volunteer. The supervisor seemed to be busy working at a far away venue. Since sitting around that long waiting for him / her everyday is not exactly my idea of volunteering, I managed to get myself something else to do. I worked with the pilgrim packs distribution team on Monday, the information booth team on most of the week, the catering team on Friday, and the crowd marshall team during the stations of the cross on Friday. So basically I've done all kinds of volunteering work, except for logistic! Didn't they tell you that Our Lord has a very good sense of humor?

I helped many pilgrims, mostly by giving them directions and information about WYD events. When I think about it, I did not have any significant knowledge about Sydney at all (it is my first time in Sydney) and the events as well. But there I was, showing them how to get to Barangaroo, Hyde Park, where to get their lunch and dinner; and even telling them that they had to register to attend some events. I believe the lesson is that the kind of tasks that you have at hand and how good your capability of completing them are irrelevant. When the Holy Spirit guides you, you just go with Him. And from my experience, the ways will always be shown to you. Sometimes when you look back at the things that you already accomplished, you would just wonder: How did I do that? It's as simple as that, the Holy Spirit guides us all the time.

So, after 5 days of volunteering, I finally got the time to be with the group at the walk / pilgrimage to Randwick racecourse. I had never done a 9km walk before and doing it with the group in the middle of tens of thousands of people with the same faith made it a really breathtaking spiritual experience. We heard chantings in various languages, saw numerous symbols of devotions and 100 or more different flags. The spirit of togetherness in the air was beyond amazing.

And then we arrived at Randwick on Saturday afternoon, where we had our sleep out. We had the spiritually touching evening vigil, slept under the stars at one digit degree, and had the closing mass on Sunday morning. At the same day, we said goodbye to Sydney, packed our things and boarded the train. Back at Melbourne, we were physically exhausted but I truely felt the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. I believe everyone has got different blessings from Him, depending on what kind of strengthening that each of us need. Looking back at all the things that we experienced, that week will be one of the milestones in my life. I wouldn't trade it with anything else.

I would like to mention the St. Joseph Primary school at Belmore in Sydney, where our group stayed during the week. The people there, especially Greg and Patricia, had been so supportive and helpful to us. They literally provided us with everything and were always there for us. I have the deepest gratitude for them. I need to add that we had hot shower all week and the rooms where we slept in were really comfortable, all beyond my initial imagination. The officials of WYD also deserved many thanks from us. They have made all of the WYD events possible with their hard work. Last but not least, thank you so much to all Sydneysiders for having us and pilgrims from all over the world. You have a truly beautiful city and we really enjoyed your hospitality.

To the members of my group, it's been a blessing going to the WYD with all of you. Though I had a short time with you, I enjoyed every second of it. All the laughters, adventures, discussions, and even the songs we sang together are special. Our Lord always has the element of beauty and elegance in all of his creations and our group is no exception.

The WYD might be over, but we should keep the power we received with us and nurture it. Let us always listen to the Holy Spirit's guidance and spread God's love anywhere we go.

Florian

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It was a privilege and honour to be at WYD in Sydney especially with the amazing group that represented our Parish and Monash University. My fellow pilgrims were of various age groups and many different countries, this making us most unique.
I know that we have received the power of the Holy Spirit.....and I am sure that it will reflect in our everyday lives.
God Bless, See u in Madrid,

Aderian

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"An amazing experience! Awesome! An opportunity where young (and the more mature young) people all over the world gather together for one purpose - in unity - to pray - have fun - celebrate, their faith! It was very inspirational, emotional and an enrichment to the soul! An experience never to be forgotten! The Holy Spirit Rocks! :o)"

Vicki

Retreat Day Photo, 14 September

Beautiful photo of the group who attended the retreat, joined by Brother Bernard Redden, a Cistercian monk. The retreat was held in Tarrawarra Abbey, Yarra Glen.

Catholics on Campus organised a day of retreat on 14th September at Tarrawarra Abbey in the Yarra Valley. For most of us it was the first opportunity to visit an Abbey and meet the monks.
We arrived in time for the 10a.m. community Mass after which we enjoyed morning tea with other members of the congregation including the monks.
Our retreat giver, Br. Bernard Redden, led us in two sessions where we reflected on, and shared together, the experience of how God reveals Himself and calls us in the ordinary events of our life.
It proved to be an opportunity for us to grow together as a group and to take in the atmosphere of the prayer and peace of the Abbey amid such beautiful surroundings.

[Writeup provided by Barbara Shea.]