The Venue

The Sebel Hotel/Convention Centre, Parramatta, was an excellent choice providing great facilities, helpful staff, delicious meals and first class meeting areas. The co-location of the Cathedral provided a peaceful location for liturgical celebrations. The Sebel conference auditorium was excellent with the video screens all around, the sound system very well managed and each of us able to be “present” to the speaker. The smaller “panel rooms” were good, though sometimes there appeared to be a need for more seating (which is always impossible to judge!), but the staff were ever ready to assist and the venues were well marked.

Presenters

It was obvious from the start that all of us were keen to hear each of the major presenters. And I think that the number who attended the conference, including the eight bishops, was indicative of the great interest that the topics aroused and we were not disappointed.

The lead given by Donald Cozzens in his address was a wonderful and thought-provoking start that gave us plenty to get our teeth into. His balanced insights into the Church that he knows and loves in the USA and the comparisons with our own position were well shown and enabled us to grasp the need to be pro-active in the support of the people of God, the bishops (who are so often hamstrung by the bureaucracy that threatens them – the major burden of “the Club” mentality) and that makes DEMANDS of us and the people. I think many of us resonated with Donald in regard to the Year of the Priest and a better Year being for those many others who are the people of God. But he did not leave us in a “sorry” state, rather with a vision of the Holy Spirit being especially active in the problems that are facing us at this time and the need for us to discern the Spirit in our own ministry and work. He described it as “the Spirit loose in our world … coaxing us… to be (servants) of integrity … faithful to our mission… to give our lives for the people.”

Lest we might feel that we had time on our hands, the next session was a very solid theological presentation by Richard Lennan. Richard took us back to his earlier convention presentation (1998) and then challenged us to see that what had been put forward then was still challenging today… and still needing to be acted upon! The matter of “context” was of vital importance in the understanding of any of these comparisons with earlier times and situations. Richard has an engaging way of presenting and such an easy manner that it made the serious matter of his lecture much easier to understand and digest. Our view of priesthood and idealized attitudes towards it were all placed in the context of modern thinking and newer Biblical approaches, which help us to see with greater openness the movements of the Spirit that are guiding each and every one of us in our search for meaning in this era of abuse and media paranoia. Always there is Hope, because the God of Interruptions, as Richard describes God, is ever there showing us new ways of ‘being Church’ to those whom we are privileged to serve. The priesthood that is entrusted to us requires of us continuing prayer, study and understanding, so we can progress truly in the spirit that was shown by the Fathers of Vatican II.

On Wednesday of the conference our presenters were David Tacey and Geraldine Doogue, both experts in their own fields, laypeople of the highest calibre and great people of faith. It was wonderful to have them speak to us “from the pews” so to speak, but with the expertise that they practise in University and Media respectively.

How David was able to lead us through the maze of a rabidly secular University to show us how people of good will can be led to the experience of the spiritual in their lives was truly inspiring. And it is a personal challenge for each of us, as so many with whom we come in contact “don’t do God”! His explanation of art and poetry as the medium for entrance to the Spirit rang bells for many of us who have a love of the Australian bush. Again, there was great hope to be found in his words as he shared his stories of students who had come to the knowledge of a Power greater than themselves who now influences their lives. He strongly encouraged us to keep open to these so-called secularists and others who “don’t do God”.

Geraldine continued the message of the Good News in the secular world and described her own journey, both in work and faith. It was very inspiring and it was from a woman! How good this was for us, as we have been so sheltered for so long that we easily forget the “other 50%”!! Her telling of the slow acceptance of limitations within herself was revealing, but also challenging, because so many of us think that ‘the world just waits for ME’! But the acceptance brings hope, as St Paul describes, and the hope is real. And then Geraldine led us to the path of the secular setting of today and the Church. Her appraisal of this was beautiful: “Deep down, I’ve come to believe that maybe the world beyond the institutional church is a kinder, gentler place, full of more conscientious ethics and values and care for others, than the official Church. …the muchcriticised secular world in which lay people live is probably more functional, more ready to conscience-examine, than the institutional Church.” How this made us think and examine our own deeper selves! But also, how Geraldine expressed her own deep faith and how these thoughts of hers had only deepened her awareness of the gift of God, even as there is still the need to challenge and re-evaluate the whole mode of being Church.

The different Focus Groups continued the tasks of the main presenters as well as several other areas of concern and the presentation of the new Rite for Mass was an excellent overview of the material and the problems that had been experienced and some not yet overcome.

More could be said, but this is now much too long!!

It was an inspiring few days, spent with a great group of men and women, lay, religious and priests at a gathering that was wonderfully organized by the NCP staff and helpers. I will be doing all in my power to get to the next convention in a couple of years time.

Thankyou all and God bless.

Peter Quilty