I write having just returned to the parish from a busy but enriching last couple of weeks. From 21-23 February I attended the annual face-to-face meeting of the NCP executive at our national office in Belmont, Victoria. It was a fruitful time, meeting with the other members of the committee – including new member John [...]
Editorial
Ghassan Hage in his book, White Nation: fantasies of white supremacy in multicultural society, (Pluto 1998) notes that, in Australia, multiculturalism is a white construct designed to exercise control over other ethnicities. This is especially seen in the process of ‘ethnic caging’, as Hage calls it, by which dominant whites cage the ‘other’ to assert [...]
Editorial
While gathering the various contributions, pieces of important news, tributes to brothers who have died, dreams etc that will constitute this edition of The Swag, my mind and heart are deeply caught up in the recent ‘natural’ disasters experienced across Australia as well as in New Zealand, Japan and Burma. What extraordinary months! Cyclone Yasi [...]
Prayer for those affected by natural disasters
God of compassion, You created a world for us to know your love and peace. Yet amidst the beauty of creation we encounter pain and hurt and forces beyond our control. At time like this our hearts are shaken and ache with sorrow at the destruction of lives, homes and livelihoods. Hear our prayers for [...]
Re Eric Hodgens and Vatican II
Dear Editors, I congratulate you on the Summer 2010 edition of The Swag which is gaining in outspokenness and candour. Vatican II priests, who for too long have suffered in silence and have seen their hopes dashed and their spirits crushed, now seem more prepared to speak out. Respected and loyal pastors – alas, too [...]
Re Eric Hodgens and Vatican II
Dear Editors, From my perspective I can only but congratulate Eric Hodgens and Leo Donnelly for the gentle but forthright manner in which they related the hopes that were there in Vatican II and the disappointments that followed. I was part of the priestly batch from the late 50’s to the early 70’s Eric was [...]
Re Eric Hodgens and Vatican II
Dear Editors, Fr Eric Hodgens’ Reflections on an Ordination Golden Anniversary was a tribute to the indomitability of the human spirit. As one who flirted with religious life (though seven years was a more than reasonable flirtation), I felt both admiration for the endurance of the “gaudium et spes” class of 1960 and sorrow for [...]
Re Eric Hodgens and Vatican II
Dear Editors, The Summer 2010 edition of The Swag was well endowed with articles offering challenging perceptions of the present pastoral health of the Church. In particular Eric Hodgens’ Reflections on an Ordination Golden Anniversary was prophetic in its mourning the lost opportunities of the post-Vatican II Church. Eric’s breadth of vision is prodigious. However, [...]
Re Eric Hodgens and Vatican II
Dear Editors, I congratulate Eric Hodgens on his faithful service for 50 years. As he hinted in his article, he is one of those priests who have “run highly successful and active parishes” and “whose pastoral life has been a source of joy”. Well done, Eric! I belong to the same generation, having been ordained [...]
Secrets from the Housetops: The Parramatta Convention revisited
Dear Editors, Jesus said so. That is helpful. Secrets may be proclaimed from housetops not because he said so, but because every truth, even the most intimate and personal, can be proclaimed on every possible level. We know for example that Wikileaks was bound to happen. We know ourselves to be part of a bigger [...]
