When times were difficult for the Old Testament people of God, prophets had a way of reflecting on events to see what God was trying to tell them. At a distance of thousands of years the whole picture is clear but I am sure it was not clear at the time; they understood just enough to take the next step. It would be dangerous to come to a conclusion too quickly about the significance the trials that the Society of Mary is currently undergoing, but like the Old Testament people we need to find out enough to allow us to take the next step in faith. So I invite you to “ponder in your heart the meaning of all these things” with confidence and hope, and in the conviction that although we may abandon God, he’ll never abandon us.

I have had these thoughts passing through my head: “The church is not made up of priests who happen to have lay people to help them. The church is made up of the people who happen to have priests to help them”. The Marian People of God is made up of the people and they happen to have the Society of Mary to help them. Fr Jan Hulshof, the present Superior General of the Society of Mary writing in 1995 said, “In Fr Colin’s eyes Marists are no more or less than the start of the Marian People of God….hence ‘making the whole world Marist’ is the opposite of a far fetched inflated ego, because it does not look at the Society of Mary itself. The Society can disappear if God’s people will be more like Mary and will live more according to her spirit.”

I think we are being called on to reflect on the nature of priesthood in the church. The Eucharist is the heart of our Catholic faith, and without priests there can be no Eucharist so people hold the priesthood in great regard. However it easy for a priest to take to himself a place of honour and privilege rather than one of service and it is easy for people to impose on priests unreal and unbearable expectations rather than seeing them as equals in humanity but different in service.

Writing in the Christchurch Press recently, Sister Dorothea, Prioress of the Christchurch Carmelite Monastery said, “We do not put our faith in persons whether they be pope, bishop, priest, religious or layperson, for more than obvious reasons. Our faith is in God, whose existence is further proved by His justice in permitting these things to be exposed and checked….”

In the same article of 1995, quoted from earlier, Father Hulshof, the new Superior-General, wrote, “The Church will become a communion only when men and women in public life, as well as in the church, in the fields of proclamation and service, of liturgy and governance, learn to work together as equals”.

While it is indeed true there can be no Eucharist without a priest, it is equally true that there can be no Eucharist without the people…Holy Communion; working together as equals.

Laylines thanks Father Denis for this article, written especially for us. It is in response to several requests from members of the Third Order of Mary for Denis to “introduce himself”. I think he has done this well, in the context of the media attention, and of his Marist approach to ministry. JCsm

In the picture, standing from left to right:

Frank Sullivan, John Martin, John Craddock, John Callaghan, Tim Dyce, Chris Fulton, Michael Rhodes, Geoff Gray, Kevin Foley, Peter Gordon, Paul Gifford.

Sitting: Pat Bearsley-photo(RIP); Kevin Stewart, Michael McVerry, Brian Dive.

Deaths of these Third Order Members have come to us in recent times and we commend them to your prayers ... Kath McCann of Havelock North; Constance Royland & Elsie Thomas of Taradale; Perina Pervan of Wananui; Pat Roe, Isabel Arnopp & Ethne O’Malley, Wellington; Edna Prendegast of Blenheim

On several occasion we have placed a blue cord and BVM medal around the name plate on the casket. This was done before a decade of the Rosary led by members of the Third Order at the Vigil, or at the Commendation, with prior arrangement with the celebrant and family.

You can do it too!

Marists Ray Kelleher, Kevin Head, Tony Dunn and Kevin Conroy have all suffered from Dengue Fever, but are all at various stages of recovery in Cook Islands.

Fr. Charlie Devonport has left Marist Centre, Wellington and now resides at Nazareth House, P.O. Box 7024, Christchurch.

Fr David Kennerley, has been in NZ from the Novitiate in Boston and visiting his mother, Val, who is recuperating at home following a spell in hospital

Fr. Earl Crotty replaces Fr Matt Cosgriff, on sabbatical, as Parish Priest and superior in Timaru

Fr John Fitzsimmons takes up an appointment at St. Mary of the Angels in September for four months.

Frs Thige O’Leary and David Moore have recently returned from their renewals overseas. David braved some weeks in Jerusalem. Fr Robert Devlin is attending a course for returning missionaries in Sydney and will also consult with people involved in refugee ministry.

Marists Chris Skinner, Bill Archer, Andrew Cody & Brian Cummings are starting renewal courses in various parts of the world about now. We wish them well.

Br John Stevenson has left St Mary of the Angels for Marist Centre, Wellington, and Fr. Noel Delaney has gone from Silverstream to Kilbirnie Community.

Recent visitors in NZ are Marists Denis Mahony and Michael McVerry of Fiji; Michael Sullivan of Pakistan, Kevin Stewart and Pat Devlin of Philippines, Justin Taylor, of Jerusalem (but newly appointed to Rome) and Paul Donoghue from Vanuatu/Fiji.

Barry Leech has received exclaustration from the Society and works in the parish of St. Nicholas, Tamworth.

Peter Healy exhibited some of his recent paintings at the Porcine Gallery, Whangarei, in mid year. Well done, Peter.

Jubilees were celebrated recently:

50 years of Priestly Ordination of Paddy Kinsella, Bill Leeming, Kevin Manning & Michael O’Meeghan; 50 years of Profession for Br. Hugh Peacock; 25 years of Ordination of Peter Kiely & Gerard Whiteford. Also acclaimed: Fr Gus Hill & Fr Charlie Devonport for 65 & 60 years Profession. Ad Multos Annos and thanks a million for your sterling years of service to God, to The Church, the Society of Mary and to NZ.

The Banner of Mary has continued to give joy to many people, especially in the Far North after the Interment of Bishop Pompallier. It has been to Pompallier College, Whangarei, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Auckland, Tyburn Monastery, Bombay and St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, New Plymouth, for Assumption Week. Go, Mary!

It is made by freeze concentrating Chardonnay and Pinot Gris juice to give it a high sugar level without adding sugar, which is prohibited by Church Law.

The fermentation is stopped to retain some of the natural grape sugar. Merlot from Gimblett Road is added to make a light red style. The wine tastes very much like Mission Ice wine.

Paul Mooney, Mission Wine Maker writes, “The production costs in grapes and processing are high and there is little margin in it for the winery. It is truly a wine made from a sense of duty and love.” Well done and congratulations!

Father Denis O’Hagan, 57, was elected by the NZ province of priests and brothers of the Society of Mary late last year and took office around Eastertide this year. (His predecessor, Fr Craig Larkin, was elected this time last year to go to our HQ in Rome as an assistant General).

Denis is a Wellingtonian, bred in the parish of Island Bay, educated at St Patrick’s College, and after Ordination spent many years in secondary schools, including a term as Rector of Chanel College,

Samoa. He has been in our NZ administration team for many years.

There are four Marists working in the Aboriginal ministry: Bob Barker, an Australian Marist recently returned from Cameroon, Kevin Redmond and Australian seminarian in pastoral year, Bern Ryan who is like the “founding Father” of the Marist presence there and who has “emeritus” status and Peter McDermott, a 41 year old NZer who used to be more at home in Upper Hutt or Feilding. Thank you Peter for this report.

“In a world of many great emotional highs and lows, we try to keep an even keel on a rather rickety ship. We do a lot bailing out at times but also a lot of exhilarating work, battling high seas and following winds, knowing it is not so much the destination that matters as the journey.” Peter describes the ministry in the words of a school teacher friend as “a bit like nailing jelly to a tree.” He says they are never sure how they are getting on or if in fact they are making any impact, but they just keep trusting that they are.”

They work in the Lismore Diocese of some 600kms in length. They train lay leaders, Eucharistic ministers and the formation and support of a Diocesan Elders Council. Keep them all in your prayers for the journey

It is in this context that Fr. Peter Roe has endeavoured to engage with the City of Wellington, to discover ways to “befriend the city’ and the urban workplace. He has developed ‘a tentacle ministry,’ reaching into many different areas. His priority is to meet people on ‘their own turf’ and reach that place where men and women invest their personal lives and commitment.

Post graduate studies in business management and organisational behaviour have equipped him to be at home in the business place. His period of Naval Chaplaincy gave him excellent training in critical incidence work, i.e. the process of debriefing those who have experienced working in a trauma situation, and skills in assisting people cope with stresses of emergency situation work. It also gave him mentor-ing and grief counselling skills.

As a member of a change management and counselling team, he is deployed to assist businesses through difficult transitions. He is a member of the Wellington Free Ambulance critical incidence team, counselling officers involved in suicides, children’s deaths, homicides, road accidents and domestic violence. He also works with the Fire and Prison Services and NZ Police as a facilitator for morale.

You may have spotted him on TV 7 'Wellington Today' programmes that feature interviews with a range of newsmakers. He is a presenter and board member for 'catholictv.net'. Peter emphasises that the support and encouragement of his Marist Kemp St community has been an enormous help in this work of engaging men and women on their own terms and on their own turf: ministry is an exciting way.

A Source of Inspiration:

The Samaritan woman at the well, condemned by her community but accepted by Jesus ‘on her own turf,’ supporting her and opening up to her the truth of her life.

Church teaching points to the fruits of the Spirit already present in the spiritual and religious quests of all peoples. Marists want to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and witness to him in their own lives. Therefore, they can support the communities and cultures among which they work as these strive to discover the hidden God. At the same time, they strive to discover Christ in the members of their own community. Imitating Mary, they seek to bring to birth these hidden workings of God in the world. Marists want to be “hidden and unknown” so that they may better discern this hidden presence of God. That is their unique gift and calling.

#3 General Chapter Declaration on 'The Mission at the beginning of the 21st Century, September 2001.'