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Christian
Brothers Congregation
Largest meeting of Christian Brothers in Oceania ever!
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Christian
Brothers who attended the Chapter Meeting in Brisbane
in January 2006. You can download a larger size version
of the image from the Edmund Rice national website HERE.
Photo ©2006 Paul Gilbert
Phone: 07 3848 0888
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350 CHRISTIAN BROTHERS
from Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia — the
biggest conference of Brothers ever assembled — gathered
at St Leo's College of the University of Queensland from January
3 to 10.
The assembly was titled A New
Heart for a New Land — yumi wantaim, and
was organised as part of the Brothers' desire to shape the
future of the Congregation in Oceania.
International participants included members of the Brothers'
Congregation Leadership Team, led by Br Philip Pinto, Congregation
Leader, and representatives from other parts of the world
where the Christian Brothers operate.
The gathering was facilitated by Sr Jill McCorquodale SGS,
and Br Richard Walsh, leader of the Pan-African Province of
the Christian Brothers.
Br Kevin Ryan, chair of the Oceania 'Shaping Our Future'
Committee, commented: 'Visitors, including Bishops Oudermann
amd Finnegan of the Brisbane Archdiocese, remarked on the
high energy and enthusiasm of the Brothers as they reflected
on the importance of brotherhood needed for today's world.'
Guest speaker Professor David Tacey of La Trobe University
spoke of his research showing people's deep desire for spirituality
and connectedness, and yet an ever-increasing number not finding
these in mainstream religions.
As men who have at the heart of their lives a search for
deep relationship with God, Brothers have a unique opportunity
to share with others their search for a meaningful spirituality.
Indeed, the very name brother implies walking with people
in this quest.
Brothers experienced a united and vibrant Oceania region.
This was exemplified by the colourful final profession ceremony
of PNG Brother, Herman Wagira, as led by his fellow PNG Brothers
and Fr Kevin Hennessy CP as celebrant, himself a fluent speaker
of pidgin.
Four young men from Oceania left the Conference to begin
their training as Christian Brothers which will take place
this year in Africa. Four other Brothers were also commissioned
to begin the Congregation's first community in the Philippines.
At a time when the Christian Brothers are looking to develop
new governance structures for their Australian schools, Brothers
committed themselves to a mission of brotherhood in education
which addresses the needs of marginalised people, particularly
the young.
There was strong concern for our marginalised planet as well,
with the constant reminder that any seeking of god must embrace
a commitment to the welfare of the planet.
Consequently, a decision was made to spend one percent of
the cost of the gathering on the planting of trees. This was
a symbolic and practical action to recognise the effects of
fuel consumption in the travelling to and from the Conference.
Br Kevin added, 'Brothers are returning to their home regions
with a greater understanding of the new challenges of brotherhood
in these times, and a deep commitment to live as brothers
with renewed energy.
'We trust that God is leading us and the many who work with
us in the spirit of Blessed Edmund Rice into new forms of
living the gospel.'
In the coming months, Brothers will engage in further discussion
before a decision is made on a new structure for Oceania to
be recommended to the Congregational Leadership Team by the
end of 2006.
Press Release
from the Conference Organisers
CBC Adelaide
Edmund Rice banners and vestments on display at CBC Adelaide
chapel
THE EDMUND RICE BANNERS AND VESTMENTS
used at the Shaping Our Future Conference in January are now
on display at the CBC Adelaide chapel. The banners, 1500 x
750mm in size, incorporate quotes from Edmund Rice, including:
"Have courage; the good seed will grown in the children's
hearts later on". The chasubles, 1200 x 90mm, show the
head of Edmund and the ER icon print. Br Pat Cronin, principal
at CBC Adelaide took orders for reproductions of the banners
after the conference and it can be expected that other copies
of the banners will appear around the world.
Photos of all the banners and vestments can be found at:
http://www.cbc.sa.edu.au/banners.html.
Information
Courtesy Edmund Rice Online
CLT
Updated Congregation Leadership Team website
Not only is the Congregational Leadership
Team website in the process of being updated but we have news
of two new websites devoted to Edmund Rice intiatives...
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THE CLT WEBSITE
at www.edmundclt.org
might be described as the "mother website"
— or should that be "big brother" or
"elder brother" website for all Edmund Rice
websites around the world. And there are a lot of Edmund
Rice websites around the world now. As well as providing
an overview of the activities and thinking being engaged
in by the Congregational Leadership Team, the CLT website
has a good array of resources and links to the major
national and continental web portals.
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THE ECO-JUSTICE WEBSITE
at www.ecojustice.edmundclt.org/
is an international website bringing to focus the commitment
of the Christian Brothers and Edmund Rice Network to
Ecological Justice.
Eco-Justice is the work of the Brothers
and the wider Edmund Rice Network to implement the Earth
Charter in our communities, ministries and provinces,
and to live out our eco-spirituality.
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THE EDMUND RICE INTERNATIONAL
WEBSITE at www.edmundriceinternational.org/
is a new website "global solidarity with the poor
and the marginallised".
Edmund Rice International does not yet exist as a fully
constituted organisation. It has no offices, corporate
identity or even membership. However, it is already
present throughout the world in the hearts of men and
women for whom the life of Blessed Edmund Rice, the
founder of the Christian and Presentation Brothers,
is a motivation, an inspiration and a source of life.
Many such men and women are challenging injustice, engaged
in advocacy for a better society and are working to
make our world a safer and better place for children.
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The Congregation
of Christian Brothers is seeking to support this new expression
of global solidarity with the poor and on behalf of children
through the establishment of NGO structures affiliated
to and accredited with the United Nations. This new NGO
structure may well take the form of an incorporated entity
to be known as Edmund Rice International.
This website will document progress towards this goal
and will also provide a forum for members of the Edmund
Rice Network throughout the world to participate in the
project as it develops. |
Information
sourced for the various websites mentioned
Spirituality
Easter Liturgies and Reflections: on being Eucharist to
one another
The CLT website contains a Good Friday Liturgy
and a reflection particularly appropriate to Holy Thursday
and the Last Supper commemoration "on being Eucharist
to one another".
THE GOOD FRIDAY LITURGY
can be downloaded as a pdf file from http://www.edmundclt.org/downloads/downloads.html
The interesting and detailed reflection by Jack Mostyn and
Tom Draney "ON BEING EUCHARIST
TO ONE ANOTHER" poses the questions:
What does it mean to be eucharist
to one another? How is it different from being nice, a little
more pleasant or patient with others?
If we truly believe that we are part
of the Mystical Body as the people of God, then we share in
the meaning of Christ’s life and his death. There is
more to our “normal” life than appears on the surface.
There is the dimension of the Divine. That is easy to say,
but difficult to keep in our hearts as we go through life
day after day. A ritual is meant to capture and emphasize
the meaning of some aspects of life.
If the Eucharist is the “remembering of Christ and His
passion,” then the Last Supper was not the first Eucharist,
because the Lord was still present and had not consummated
his life and love on the Cross. It was the last chaburah,
a meal to celebrate the discipleship and fraternity of the
followers of Jesus. If we also celebrate this ritual, we are
not playing priest or trying to invent a new communion service.
We are ritualizing in our communities the reality we profess.
From the
CLT website: http://www.edmundclt.org/spirituality/page59/page59.html
From edmundrice.org
news...
Here's a run-down of the stories published in Edmund Rice
On-Line so far this year...
Clicking the headlines will take you to the
full story at www.edmundrice.org
Brothers'
Burwood presence ends after 97 years
 Parishioners
at Burwood in Sydney have paid tribute to the Christian Brothers,
who closed their community at the end of last year.
Catholic Weekly covers brothers' Philippines departure
 Four Christian Brothers have left Australia for the Philippines to start the order's first ministry outside the Oceania region.
Edmund banners and vestments on display
 The website of Christian Brothers College, Adelaide, has a page depicting the six banners and two chasubles offered at January's SOFCO gathering in Brisbane.
Release of biggest pic of biggest gathering
 Edmund Rice Online has received a copy of the historic photograph of participants in the SOFCO conference in Brisbane in January, which was the the largest gathering of Christian Brothers in this part of the world ever.
Brothers return to Africa, China
 Several Australian brothers who have been home on leave during the summer, have returned to their overseas ministries.
Nudgee College launches wine label
 On Tuesday, St Joseph's Nudgee College in Brisbane launched a new wine label, tasting the first drop of the first batch of wine, harvested and bottled last year.
Date for Philippines pioneers' departure
 Brothers Rod Ellyard and Peter Hardiman of the Holy Spirit Province will leave Australia for their Philippines assignment in two weeks from this Saturday.
Paying
environmental costs of travel to meeting
 At
the end of the Brisbane Shaping Our Future gathering, each
Province committed itself to making a contribution of $1000
to the planting of trees.
Edmund banner orders being taken
 Br Patrick Cronin of the Holy Spirit Province has advised that he is taking orders for the Edmund Rice banners discussed at last month's SOFCO gathering in Brisbane.
Online Catholics reports on Christian Brothers' 'vibrant gathering'
 The Online Catholics independent weekly review reports today on the "largest assembly of Christian Brothers to gather in Australia".
Brother was father to his boys
 Br Dan Marzorini's obituary published in last Friday's Sydney Morning Herald begins with a quote from Br Patrick White: "This is your superior. You can go now; you don't have to hang on."
 Era's
end for Christian Brothers in Goulburn
 An
era dating back 108 years came to an end when the last teaching
Christian Brother in Goulburn took his last class.
Decisions from Manila Leadership Conference
 Monday's St Patrick's Province News contained a detailed report on last month's Manila meeting that included issues associated with the forthcoming 2008 Congregation Chapter to be held in India.
Br Michael Godfrey reflects on what a logo is
 Before the Leadership Conference held in Manila earlier this month, Br Michael Godfrey, former St Patrick's Province Leader who is now on the Congregational Leadership Team, has stressed that a logo is different to a 'crest'.
Province Leaders gather in Philippines
 Province leaders and their deputies concluded their six-day Manila leadership gathering at the weekend, focusing on a number of issues including social justice and setting goals for the future.
Death of former Brisbane Brother
 Don Siebert, a former Christian Brother of the St Francis Xavier Province, died last Wednesday, a few days after sharing a meal with the Brothers at the Shaping Our Future Conference.
Oceania Brothers face future with energy
 350 Christian Brothers from Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia - the biggest conference of Brothers ever assembled - gathered at St Leo's College at the University of Queensland from January 3 to 10.
Br Marzorini to be interred in Goulburn
A Requiem Mass for one of St Mary's Province's best known educators, Brother Francis Daniel Marzorini OAM will be held at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney tomorrow (Friday 20 January) at 9.30am.
Papers report on Edmund Waterford heritage development
 Several newspapers reported last month that the historic Mount Sion site and Blessed Sacrament Chapel at Barrack Street, Waterfors, in Ireland - the resting place of Blessed Edmund Rice - is to be transformed into an international heritage, ecclesiastical and tourism centre.
 The
above stories published between 16th January and 20th March
2006
Edmund Rice Online is an initiative of Edmund Rice National
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Edition
21: April 2006 Holy Spirit Province
