Br John Moodie - Letter of December 2007
Hi, to all Relations and Friends,
It seems a long time since I last contacted you. I hope all are well or as well as can be expected in the circumstances. I am in good form. Saw the heart doctor on Nov 22, for a check-up and she gave me 99%- I’m still a few kgs overweight at 80kgs.
The weather here has been quite pleasant as regards the temperature-28degs during the day and dropping down to 22-23 degs during night. I need to pull up the sheet around 3.00am! You’ve no doubt heard of the typhoons hitting the Philippines, with many thousands along the coast of Negros being washed out of their homes and thousands having their homes destroyed. Nowhere near as disastrous as Bangladesh!! We have had plenty of heavy rain but no damaging winds. Rather pleasant breezes. Actually I got a very pleasant surprise just recently when travelling to a school gala night. The sky was perfectly clear and being out of the city area, the stars were brilliant-Orion still had the sword in his belt.
The visit by the Nudgee boys was a great success. Lives were changed. The teachers and students are still talking about the event and communications are ongoing. At one of the schools there was a student who was practically blind. The Nudgee boys were most affected by his condition and wanted to help in some way. Around this same time an ‘EYE and EAR’ Foundation had been contacted by Br Rod and sent a group of assessors to all of the Catholic schools in Kabankalan Diocese. They discovered 30 to 40 students in each of the schools that had hosted the Nudgee boys who were in need of further treatment that could only be done in Bacolod. The foundation reported that very few had made the trip. On checking Br Rod found it was because of the cost of two or four hours travel plus a meal. Nudgee came to the rescue and promised to pay the costs of any student with their parent who could not afford the trip. Thank you, Nudgee. I’ll let you know later about the condition of the boy almost blind who will need ongoing treatment.
There are a few other schools thinking of sending up students for an immersion experience. Christian Brothers Wakefield Street, Adelaide had their Principal and REC here on reconnoitre.
What’s happening for us at this time. Rod, I have told you ( I think), is Superintendent of the Kabankalan Diocesan Schools Commission. He is very busy at this time interviewing prospective Principals to fill the vacancies occurring because of retirements. With so few teachers having completed their Mastoral studies, this has been a difficult task. Rod’s patience and understanding helps in this and in other stressful situations in the schools that require his intervention.
Neil ,hearing of the plight of some first year students at Ilog, has been ,throughout this semester, each afternoon, taking remedial reading classes. Patience, Patience, Patience ! It’s very tiring work but much appreciated by the principal and staff. Oh, and of course the students. At the gala night, Neil was presented with a plaque of appreciation amid much applause. Of course, Neil is at present in Australia somewhere celebrating his Diamond Jubilee with family, Brothers and friends. And on his return we will celebrate with him this wonderful ‘landmark’, Filipino style.
Peter is lecturing at KCC. Last semester he had 50 students in Morality. This semester he has 25 (I think) in Creation Spirituality.An interesting point about this is that it is part of a full Major Course in Religious Studies that the bishop asked Peter to design. Just to show his undoubted versatility, Peter has begun a series of Music workshops for the teachers on Saturday mornings. He uses the 18 guitars that Nudgee brought with them and that the teachers have the loan of during the week for practice. And as well, because of his keen interest and professional knowledge of methods in early reading, he has established a mobile library for five very poor preschools in the mountains. They each have a box of ‘big books’ and each two months at their meeting, they rotate the boxes. The books came mainly from Perth plus around 100 that Susan Curwood ( for my rellies- A niece of John Carter, a Schoolmate of mine from Northcote days) sent us.
What is John up to. Well, after that survey of out-of-school people, we divided the names into age groups and after getting advice from notable locals decided that the first group to get our attention would be the High School Graduates that were too poor to go to college or tech. and were not working. So nine boys and girls attend ‘Hotel and Restaurant Services’, six girls at Dressmaking, four boys at Carpentary, two boys at Welding. There should be another six boys begin an Automotive course this month if they pass the entrance test. Because of the generosity of people and schools in Australia, we are able to pay for the registration, tuition and whatever these require for their courses.
There were a group of 7 to 13yrs that had stopped going to school. We took these as our next target. The parish priest gave us the use of a little chapel in an outer barangay for our classroom. We ,Angie ,Dina (the two teachers) and I, set it up for teaching, bought some materials and started. The girls collect the children on tricycles each morning and deliver them home in the afternoon. We pay the fares.
Sometime I’ll learn how to add photos to this letter and let you see the kids and their ‘classroom’.
It’s been going pretty well but you can imagine trying to teach 16 students that haven’t been inside a classroom for years, all at different levels. It’s hard work. The discipline is a problem. We are trying to prepare them for entering the local government school in June. Some will make it. Those that cannot yet write or add will have a problem. But we have been going only a month . The kids are happy. So say a prayer for us. I forgot to say we feed them each day. Snack and lunch. Also because some were absent with the excuse their clothes were wet, we took them all,with enthusiastic parental permission down to a second hand store and let them choose shirt and pants for themselves. They thought it was Christmas.
The lady who manages our house was married Nov 24. We gave her the use of our vehicle for bridal car and P2000 (2weeks’ wages – $50 Aust.) as a gift. Well, we were named on the invitation as major sponsors (top of the list), given VIP seats in church and at the reception and given special mention in the speeches. It was somewhat embarrassing.
We have been to a few more fiestas in local areas. One story, I must tell you.
As usual when we arrived the church was packed ,but also as usual, a warden collared us and we were escorted to the front. I was shown a seat in the second row while the other Brothers were taken to the side. Well the music was playing and looking around I saw the priests and servers assembled at the front door. Then the Parish Priest came to the front, the music stopped, the PP spoke a word of welcome in English and then went on in the local language. He finally said “ --- palihog tindog”. I knew what that meant “ ------ Please stand” So I stood, thinking that the procession was about to start. The ladies in front of me stood , the ladies beside me stood. Then I heard a whisper from behind ,” Bruder, Bruder”. I turned around and found the rest of the people still sitting . The voice from behind continued, “Bruder, only pregnant women”. So I sheepishly smiled and sat. The PP was to give the pregnant women a special blessing. Why was I sat among the pregnant women? I am only a few kgs overweight.
On Dec 3, Feast of St Francis Xavier, Patron of the Diocese, three young seminarians were ordained deacons. It was a moving ceremony especially when the Bishop gave them genuine, welcoming hugs and they were congratulated by all 40 priests at the Sign of Peace. After a six month residence with the bishop and some local parish placements they will be ordained priests.
Our big Congregation news( the Brothers can skip this paragraph) is that all Australia, New Zealand, PNG, The Philippines and Cook Islands on Oct 1 became one province again – OCEANIA. The new Provincial is Br Vin Duggan and he is based in Brisbane. This has been in the making for about four years and of course still has some wrinkles to be ironed out.
All of the Brothers schools in the province have been gathered under the banner of EREA – Edmund Rice Education Australia. There is an overseeing body with a Brother as chair and the other positions in the hands of laymen. One name that will be familiar to some in Sydney is Wayne Tinsey who is the Executive Director.
Besides the EREA, there are four other major groups that will form the foundations of the province. The ADMINISTRATION, FORMATION, OTHER MINISTRIES and EDMUND RICE NETWORK.
We are all praying that the work of Edmund will continue, after we ‘oldies’ have passed on. No more room and you don’t want four pages to plough through.
Best wishes to all, God bless, Halong( Take care),
Regards/ Love, John, Br John, Br Moodie, Moods.