Many criteria have been evaluated such as cost of travel, the cost of the venue, meals and accommodation, as well as availability of guest speakers for our theme, “Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you preach.”
A decision on the date and venue will be made in the very near future.
Also from the meeting, it was agreed that Jim Curtain would follow up on a proposal to invite a representative from the Easter Rite onto our Executive as a non-voting member. We welcome Ed Kostraby who agreed to our invitation.
The other important ongoing discussion has been the setting up of a website under the control of our National Association. Unfortunately, we have now had to start to set up a new site as negotiations failed to reach an agreement with the owner of the site which we were previously able to use. This site has since ceased to operate. Approval has been given for the setting up of a new site and details will be sent out when the site is up and running. Our newsletter, “Ausdeacon News” will be posted on this site regularly as well as other news from around Australia and abroad.
New Deacons website
While on the subject of websites, our National Co-Ordinator, Paul Simmons, has been instrumental in setting up a “Deacons” page on the official site of Clergy Life and Ministry in Australia. We thank Fr. Frank Devoy and the Bishops Conference for their encouragement and support of this project – as well as for the Permanent Diaconate in Australia.
Check out www.clergy.org.au click on “About” and click on “Deacons.” A great site designed by Fr. Richard Healy of Nowra.
Also, Elliott Caselengo informed me that the Archdiocese of Sydney website contains a section on the Sydney members of the Diaconate. For a glimpse of our fellow Sydney deacons, go to www.sydneydiaconate.org And while on the subject of the internet, this time from USA, “Religion News Service” published a interesting article (May 18 2010) of a Baltimore deacon, a spry 79-year- old, Joe Krysiak, and his 24/7 ministry for his Catholic parishes.
Around the country
It seems that Paul’s wife, Sue, will not be seeing much of him in the near future. He will be attending the Broken Bay Diocesan Clergy Conference, followed by the ACCCLM meeting and then the National Meeting of the Diocesan Directors Clergy Life and Minister. July will see him off to Darwin to meet with our indigenous brother deacons as well as catching up with our Region Representative, Tony Cunningham.
Bruce Talbot, our Rep. in WA reports that he and other deacons completed a Clergy Seminar on the Gospel of Luke and Acts given by Fr. Brendan Byrne SJ. Deacons in Bunbury were also invited to an In-service on Marriage and Annulments by Fr. Joe Parkinson, the Director of LJ Goody Bioethics Centre in Perth.
It seems it has been the season for Meetings and Seminars, as Mick O’Donnell from Canberra & Goulburn tells of a very affirming few days at the Annual Clergy Assembly that he and four other deacons attended. He spoke highly of the address given by Archbishop Mark Coleridge on what the Bishop described as “the biggest crisis in the Church that he has encountered in his 36 years as a priest.”
In Brisbane, the deacons and their wives gathered for the second annual retreat from 28 – 30 May – held at the Santa Teresa Spirituality Centre on the shores of Moreton Bay (south-east of Brisbane). This is the Archdiocese’s new Spirituality Centre and was opened in late 2009. The Retreat Director was Fr. Paul Chandler O Carm. Who is also the Spiritual Director at the Holy Spirit Seminary at Banyo. Fr. Paul led us to affirm the place of the Diaconate in the Church of the Twenty – first century and to appreciate how all organisations, including the Church, react to change in different ways. The Retreat also gave us the opportunity to acknowledge our two Ordinands of 2009, Leo Orreal and Mike Jones. We were able to catch up with Harry Housen, our first retired deacon and his wife, Elaine. Bishop Joe Ouderman OFM Cap. an Auxiliary Bishop of Brisbane dropped in on the Sunday morning to share some fellowship with us.
There has been a change in office bearers at the Brisbane Association of Deacons. Ray Pardo, the inaugural secretary, has stepped down to be replaced by Des Neagle, our treasurer. Peter McDade is the new treasurer and Russ Nelson continues as Chair.
Peter Olsen
Brisbane
Chairman, National Committee of Deacons
