Liturgy Directorate

Over a month ago, I posted a bit about my work in the Liturgy Directorate. I did not have a photo to post at the time, but I do now. A few more people have been added since this photo was taken, but I thought it would be good to show at least some of my coworkers.

Front Row (L to R): Sister Anna, OP (International Liturgy Group Coordinator with whom I work very closely); Brendon (Stations of the Cross and Liturgy Support Officer to make sure we are all on track); Bernard (Sacristy Manager)

Back Row: Yours truly; Fr Peter Williams (Director of Liturgy); David (Music Officer); Fr Franco (Stations of the Cross Coordinator); John (Music Support Officer); James (Stations of the Cross and Operations Assistant); Louise (Fr Peter’s PA)

As I mentioned before, I am fortunate to be in a great team. It is an honour to help plan what will be some beautiful liturgies. Only two weeks to go!

Australian word of the day: “Way Out” = “Exit”

Opportunities to Serve

Last night, the parish hosting us confirmed 120 young people between two of the four churches that make up the "parish." After the confirmations, the parish organizers came to the house for dinner to discuss the past year and think about what needs to be done for next year. It was a great opportunity for Morgan and I to learn about the sacramental preparation that occurs in the parishes here. For example, the Confirmation preparation that occurs for these 12 year olds occurs over four weeks, meeting, at most, two times per week.

The overwhelming concern for everyone present was the inability to find enough people to help teach and prepare the lessons. The parents who are willing, do so because it is their own children going through the program; thus, there is a high turn-over rate and very little ability to form any kind of team or consistency in the program.

After absorbing the conversation for a while, I finally asked if they had ever considered involving the youth who have recently gone through the program? To my surprise (and in fact their own), they had never considered the option.

Fast forward to the next morning at the office: I was speaking with one of my colleagues at the office about a number of things -- mostly the usual coffee-pot morning topics of discussion. The opportunity arose for me to ask her about her own hopes for WYD. Among the many she mentioned, more involvement from young people in the life of the parish was a big one. In Sydney at least, the reality of most parishes is that there are no young people in any kind of leadership role. Even the altar servers are retired gentlemen. Not surprising in such an environment, there are no youth ministry programs of any kind, nor are there any communities or movements that offer youth a place in the life of the Church.

During both conversations, I asked why young people are not considered for ministry in the parish. In both conversations, there was no response, just a bewildered look. As I would imagine, it is not intentional -- it just never occurred to them. So the real question will be what happens post WYD?

Many, many of my discussions about my WYD experience has stressed the importance of cultivation in the parishes, stating how important it is for the parishes to offer opportunities for ministry and a means to share their new found joy and excitement. Let us pray for that.

As for the Australian Word of the Day: "Chocies", that is chocolate. It is a common thing here in Australia to ad "-ies" to things in shortened form. "Sunnies" is another example, which are sunglasses. Nor is it just being cute, but the way they call things here.

Blessings and G'Day!

Habit Version 4.0

Summers have always been an “experiment” for Basilian seminarians. Much like the Jesuit formation program, Basilian seminarians are asked to immerse themselves in a different location to work and live during the summer months. During this “experiment”, the manipulated variable is the seminarian, rather than the external circumstances, because it is the seminarian who must learn to adapt, meet the challenges and grow from the encounter.

Over the last couple of years, my summer experiments have been very different and filled with many, many unexpected challenges and graces; however, each has resulted in a wider understanding of the God, Church, people, and myself. Perhaps one of the only constants during the last three years is what I have packed. I travel light – a laptop computer, running shoes and the typical four days worth of clothes are all I need to provide for myself and remain happy and productive. For the last three years, I have worn the off-white, long-sleeve shirt and cross that the scholastics have called a “habit”. Though not a habit in the most traditional sense, this shirt and cross is distinctive and when worn everyday. Together, they are both identifiable and make for easy travel in just about every circumstance.

However, I am not writing about clothes as travel recommendations, but for the experiment they have been. Over the last three years, I have listened to many comments about “the habit” from in and outside the community. Many have been positive and some have been negative. However, it is during the summer experiments, that I have realized the truth of their meaning. Whether I be in New York, Sydney or somewhere else, I am recognized instantly as a member of a religious community. Especially when worn in the presence of others who are wearing it, this white shirt and cross has been a useful tool in my ministry and survival in places far away from the comforts of Basilian institutions. It has also held me to a higher standard of performance, prayer, leisure and interpersonal relations.

I know that for some of you this is yet another edition of what seems to be my yearly ramble on the "habit." Some of you make shake your head laughing, but nevertheless I am bringing it up again. However, it is important to note that I do so not simply because I believe it to be worthy of discussion (that is blogworthy), but because other people believe so as well. I have been struck time and time again during our summers away, by how many people have approached me (or another Basilian seminarian) asking what community we belonged to, or about our charism, founder, or any other question along those lines. This does not happen every now and then, but quite often – in fact, almost daily. Here in Sydney, I believe this is, in part, because most of the Religious here wear a habit. In fact, I think it is fair to say that not doing so would create a negative impression.

Make no mistake, the youth of today do not view a religious habit through the same lenses as those before them. The issues of the past were important and I understand the reason for the decisions made at the time; however, those issues are not the issues of the present -- that has become very clear during our time here.

For whatever reason, I admit that I am not encountered by the same questions about the "habit" in Toronto, perhaps because people already know the Basilians or our routines are relatively set and we do not encounter many who do not know us. In contrast, summer ministry away is always filled with many new encounters and I am always happy to be wearing something that speaks to who I am and what I am about. It simply makes everything much easier and much more engaging, and for that I am thankful.

I realize that these conclusions may not be universally applicable, and for that reason, I do not mean to impose them on anyone. You see I understand the purpose of the blog to be an opportunity for all of us to learn from the experience, because it is all of us who have made this experience possible – in any number of capacities. So my hope is that this is seen, simply, as one of the lessons learned from the "experiment".

In the end, who knows what will happen with this experiment? It is quite possible the habit will fade away into the horizon of lessons learned or it may take on a new form. In the meantime, I continue to be thankful for the witness it provides to others and to myself. Lord knows, I need all the help I can get!

Blessings and G’Day!

Taking a little boat ride in the Harbour

Don't ask me how I find myself in these positions, but some how I find myself coordinating much of the Pope's voyage across Sydney Harbour. Of course, there are lots of people working on this, but what people do when they are on the boat is now my responsibility. I have known this for about a week, but as soon as it got confirmed, the first order of business was to go see the boat. So here it is, four levels of boat and soon to be ten levels of security.


As for this spot -- you guessed, the Pope will be right here.

The funny thing about all of this is it was another Basilian who coordinated the Papal voyage in Cologne. Add that to JPII's trip to Strawberry Island and you build a pretty impressive collection of Pope's, Basilians, and boats!

As for the Australian word of the Day: "Oz", which is Australia. This one took me forever to find out. You see it on many signs and ads, but since people don't talk about their own country by a name, it took a while. Just think of the advertising WYD could do with this one!

Blessings and G'Day!

Tipping the Scales

Well, its official -- we just heard that Australia has passed the United States as the most obese country in the world. Seemingly this information, though interesting, has little impact on Morgan and I; however, we feel a certain responsibility for it all. You see, when we lived in Houston -- it was the fattest city; then we moved to Detroit and it took the dubious title; then we moved back to Houston/Sugar Land -- you guessed it -- Houston took the title back. So it would seem Morgan and I tip the scales. Personally, I think it is really just Morgan's fault. . . .

The Dangers of Multi-Tasking

Despite what most people think, I am not all that good at multi-tasking. Most people seem to think I am, and I can see why (just read a recent post about the day's activities, but my brain can only handle one thing at a time -- though I do admit to moving from one thing to the other faster than most. The events of a few days ago proves my point, and though the story about to be told is embarrassing, it has provided laughter for many people in the office for a few days now, making it officially "blog-worthy".

It was one of the days I described in detail earlier -- the type of day when everything is urgent and last-minute. Admittedly, I did it to myself -- and I should know better. Typing an email and editing/rendering a movie added to the phone call I took for some reason is a bit much. On the other end of the phone was my supervisor, in a meeting, in need of a screen shot of the latest playlist I had created at that very moment so he could discuss it. Fine, no problem. A click here, there, capture, open new email, copy, paste, and send. Done. Excellent -- now back to what I was doing.

A few minutes pass by and the sequence of events replays in my head. Did I? Noooo, I couldn't have. . . . Maybe. . . better check. . . . darn it, I did.

I have never done this. Rather than start a new email, I hit the button beside it to forward an existing email. In other words, I sent the requested information as part of an existing email already in my inbox. Upon realizing my mistake, I quickly send an email to my supervisor with the information resent in a clean email, asking him to delete the previous one. However, it was about that time that I receive a phone call from one of my colleagues who was laughing and teasing me mercilessly. I then realize that my supervisor, being as busy as I was, simply opened it, saw the information, and forwarded to the department -- without scrolling down.

So what was forwarded? Well, I have already mentioned that I have been asked to write for various sources during World Youth Day, which requires a short bio and a few pictures that bring out my personality. One of which is here and the others are equally as "fun". None are even remotely scandalous, but then again no one expects to get a series of photos (unsolicited) of a guy in their office email either. So all the ladies in the office have been teasing me about it for days -- all in good fun of course.

I now think of it a an opportunity to build a bit of community in the workplace and a lesson to be learned about the dangers of multi-tasking. We all need the laughs, most especially as things get stressed, and if a little embarrassment on my part can help the day move along for others -- so be it.

Blessings and G'Day!

Remembering the Congress

On the other side of the world, in our "home" country of Canada, the Eucharistic Congress is occurring in Quebec City. Two summers ago, Morgan worked on the staff on the Congress and right now, Salt and Light Television is providing much of the media coverage. It is also the last international event of the Church before World Youth Day, so you could say that in many ways, the Eucharistic Congress sets the stage for WYD in the minds of many Catholics around the world. Please remember to pray for all those participating in the Congress and for those ensuring that it is a success. You are also encouraged to read the blog from Salt and Light here. Come Holy Spirit, come!

Blessings and G'Day!

A Day in the Life of a WYD Volunteer

I am sure you have all noticed that we are not blogging at quite the same rate as we were before. It is not hard to imagine that with 26 days to go before WYD and only two weeks before our various groups begin to arrive, everything now happens at once, and deadlines range from 5 minutes to the "end of the day", which can be quite late. However, my prayers this morning left me renewed with a sense of perspective and so I thought I would take the moment to up date the blog and share with you a bit of what my day looks like, using yesterday as an example:

• 4:50 am: Rise and (think about) shining; eat breakfast; prep for the day
• 5:30 am: Out the door and walk to bus stop
• 5:50 am: Catch the bus
• 6:10 am: Depart bus, walk 20 minutes to office
• 6:30 am: Went for a run as it was a beautiful morning (that is, until I passed the WYD countdown sign: 27 days to go)
• 8:00 am: At the office, Morgan and I gather for morning prayer
  

After that, everything is a blur, but here are the highlights:

• Finalize playlist and burn a CD containing the soundtrack to be played throughout High Park during the Pilgrimage to the Cathedral.
• Make final changes the two movies I had to create for the big screens around the city and burn them to DVD for proofing by the communications department -- one is a series of advertisements for various events, the second is a video highlighting the ten patron saints of WYD. Both are five minutes long.
• Finish my part of the final draft for Activ8 the Parish, which is the 64 page document that will be sent to all the parishes in Australia post WYD. We received the Bishop's edits the day before and it has to go to the printer by the end of the day -- thank goodness, the changes were minimal (thank you to all my professors at the Faculty of Theology).
• Write my bio for the media correspondence I will be doing during WYD week.
• Confirm all groups of people who will be on board the Papal boat during his welcome to the city. Set up a site visit and prep the program runsheet for a meeting with the Bishop later in the day.
• Called into meeting regarding the Papal Flotilla, of which I am one of the managers.
• 12:30: Mass
• 1:00: Lunch (which last 8 minutes because I was called into another meeting) On the way there in the lift, I was approached by the promoter of a band how they could get into the WYD line up.
• 1:30: Scheduled departmental meeting
• 2:00: Run through final draft of Activ8 with my supervisor, who approved it with minor changes
• 2:00 - 5:00: WYDMOC (WYD Master Operations Control), or the command center meetings. I was just informed that I will be in the command center at various points in the week to provide the evangelization and catechesis point of view. However, I never made it to the meeting.
• Revised and finalized two videos for Communications
• Reviewed the latest applications for the vocations expo
• Met with the Sisters of Life who just arrived in town.
• Sent emails following up on various issues regarding the Activ8, Xt3, Vocations Expo and the Papal Flotilla
• Communicated with Salt and Light Television as they are providing content to be shown on the big screens between events.
• Responded to various emails and phone messages as I wrote up the to-do list for tomorrow.
• 6:10: Morgan and I gathered for evening prayer
• 6:25: Caught the train to the ferry station because we didn't have time to walk
• 6:35: Have 10 minutes, so we decided for a brief walk towards the Opera House on a beautiful evening along the Harbour.
• 6:45: 10 min. Ferry ride to the other side of the Harbour, where we have a 5 min bus ride home.
• 7:00: Come home ready for a quiet night only to find the dining room formally set with a note telling us there would be guests.
• 7:30: Guests arrived and dinner started. It did not end until 11:30.
• 11:45: Literally fell into bed and set the alarm for 4:50 am so it can start all over again.
  

So there you have it. I am sure I missed things (which is sad to say given the length of this list), but it gives you an idea. Please keep us in your prayers as the days get longer and demands increase. We certainly keep everyone at home in our prayers as well.

Blessings and G'Day!

Frassati is Coming to WYD!

From the Presses:

Vatican City, Jun 13, 2008 / 09:23 am (CNA). Today the Vatican announced that the relics of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, a student and member of the Dominican Third Order, will be taken to Sydney, Australia, for World Youth Day next month.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who was beatified by John Paul II in 1990, will be one of the 10 official patrons of World Youth Day (WYD). A release from the Pontifical Council from the Laity noted that the blessed is widely venerated in Australia and that the presence of his relic will be one of the central features of WYD.

Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in Turin, Italy, on April 6, 1901 and was raised in a very rich Catholic family. During his adolescence he cultivated a profound spiritual life and became an active member of Catholic Action, the apostolate of prayer, the Eucharistic League and the Association of University Student Adorers. He lived an austere live and gave a large portion of his money to the poor. He was an intrepid athlete, skier and mountain climber. When he turned 24, he was diagnosed with a terminal illness which claimed his life in only one week. He died on July 4, 1925 and was buried at the cathedral of Turin.

His relic will be transported to Sydney on June 19 and will be placed in the church of St. Benedict. From July 11-22, the casket of the blessed will be on display in Sydney cathedral where participants in WYD will be able to come and pay homage. Hanging near his casket will be ten panels illustrating Pier Giorgio Frassati's life and thought. In addition, an exhibition dedicated to Pier Giorgio Frassati's life will be held in Sydney Exhibition Hall July 15-18.

Off to the Races!

I am a runner. Most of you who know me know that running is how I clear my head, and relax. Depending on the day and route, it is also my time to pray or socialize. Whenever I find myself some where new, it is not long before I am out on the streets, purposely lost, making all kinds of discoveries many who have lived there for years never make.

It should be no surprise that I am running quite a bit in Sydney. The coastlands, beaches and cliffs make for beautiful scenery and very good training. In fact, the training has been so good, that I crushed my personal best in the 10K Mini-Mos Marathon race this morning. Though the time was only about six minutes faster than my previous best, the route was up and down hills with very little level roads, which I figure counts for at least another 10 minutes. (You can view the map here)

You might ask why I feel the need to run a race when life presents the need to race every where during the week? It is a fair question, one I asked as I was waiting for the race to begin. As I watched runners take care of their bags, numbers, last minute bathroom duties, and stretches -- each of these done with a bit of anxiety, I think how crazy are all of us? Then the race begins, and I remember how much fun it is; in fact, how much of a blessing it is, to run the race at all. This morning I pushed myself a bit harder than usual, digging deep within to keep a steady pace no matter how big the hill was in front of me. It is no wonder why St. Paul uses the metaphor of the race to describe the Christian life. And when you cross the finish line, knowing that you are completely spent, that you gave it everything you had (even a bit you didn't think you had) -- it is a feeling that knows few equals.

. . . but if that doesn't do it for ya -- remember my core value concerning running (and this is important) -- guilt-free eating.

As for the Australian word of the day, “Rubber”, which is an eraser. And yes, some one asked me if I had one on me this morning. Thank goodness they quickly explained -- I guess the look on my face gave me away as new to Australia!

XT3 Live!

Today's big news was the official launch of XT3. I have attached sections of the press release below. It is a project near and dear to my heart, which is ironic because (despite my love of technology) I usually stay far away from social network sites. (Like I need one more thing to keep me at the computer. . .)

My role with XT3 is in the next stage to be launched which will include online resources, much of which is in its final approval stages at this very moment. These resources will combine with the networking capability already function to make XT3 a truly global classroom. For more information, read below:

In a first for any World Youth Day, an online social networking site - www.Xt3.com - was launched today by His Eminence Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney and Bishop Anthony Fisher, Coordinator of WYD08.

Hosted by Telstra, Xt3.com is the exclusive online social network for World Youth Day Sydney 2008 (WYD08) and will connect pilgrims with the Catholic Church and "virtual pilgrims" around the globe.

"The name 'Xt3' was inspired by Pope John Paul II and stands for Christ in the Third Millenium. Pope John Paul II spoke of young people's special task to bring the message of Christ to the world in the third Millennium.

"It is hoped that Xt3 users will continue to connect after World Youth Day in July, to build upon friendships made and continue dialogue about what it means to be a young person of faith," he said.

Xt3.com is the brainchild of two English brothers, John and Robert Toone and Chris Purslow who will continue to promote the site with the Archdiocese of Sydney after World Youth Day.

"This site has been launched in time for the Sydney event, but it is a legacy piece for the Catholic Church in Australia and the world," said Robert Toone, Co-founder Xt3.com.

"It is an online platform to enable pilgrims to connect with millions, share the experience and build a better world," he said.

Unique to the Xt3 social networking site will be faith connection features such as 'Ask a Priest' and 'Prayer Intentions' as well as the ability to create discussion groups and debates on contemporary issues.

Xt3 will also provide pilgrims with the ability to join official WYD08 groups, charity action groups and create their own interactive profiles.

Further features include private messaging; event calendars; the ability to embed other websites such as parish websites onto Xt3; and a video and multiple photo uploading facility.

Another important dimension to Xt3 is its capacity to coordinate and organize young people to do something to build a better world.

"It's not enough just to talk," said John Toone.

Xt3 wants its members to use the site to create initiatives in areas such as social justice, charitable activities, and spreading the Christian message in a secularized world. It will also be a way to link together Church agencies and existing groups to share resources and help each other.

More than 2,000 users joined the 'alpha' test site since February 2008 to provide testing, feedback, and to enhance the site in time for its worldwide launch.

"This will be the most interactive World Youth Day event to date with Xt3.com, Papal SMS's and Digital Prayer Walls keeping pilgrims involved before, during and after the event, said Michael Rocca, Group Managing Director, Telstra Networks and Services.

WYD08 now invites everyone - including all WYD08 registered pilgrims - to join Xt3 at www.Xt3.com .

The site will prove invaluable for sharing information - whether it be pilgrims planning their trip to WYD08, or administrators of religious educations programs hoping to create interactive forums for students and young adults.

A group of trained administrators will oversee Xt3 on a 24-hour basis to ensure that images, videos, comments and discussions are appropriate.

State of Origin

In case you didn't know - rugby, or "footie" as it is called here, is a BIG deal in Australia. Even by Texas standards, Australians take sports to a new level. The highlight of the year is the "State of Origin" series between New South Wales and Queensland. Three games are played over a period of two months between two all-star teams from each state.

Last night was the second game in the series and several of the priests in the deanery came over for dinner and to watch the game. While it was fun, New South Wales was shut out -- which doesn't make for a happy room. However, it was a good chance for Morgan and I to meet many of the priests in the area and ask a few questions about footie rules that have stumped us until now.

I must confess that I enjoy watching the sport -- it is fast-paced, simple to follow and relatively short (approx. 1.5 hours for a game). NRL (National Rugby League) I enjoy more than AFL (Australian Rules), which seems much less organized and too hard to follow.

I am amazed at the beating these blokes take and equally amazed that the game is rarely stopped for injuries, and that they do not pull a bloke off the field even if he is bleading significantly. Yet, while it is a serious game, the Australians demonstrate their relaxed nature in that the game is not stopped because of poor calls and people do not seem to get terribly upset about it; rather, it is accepted as part of the game. All of us strikes me as quite different from North American sports.

As for the Australian word of the day: "mad" or "maddness", which is awesome. You can just imagine the confusion this causes.

Blessings and G'Day!

A Series of Firsts

Last weekend, some of the long-term volunteers took advantage of the long weekend due to Monday’s celebration of the Queen’s birthday. On Sunday, we headed south to Jervis Bay, about two hours south of Sydney. The trip was a series of firsts for me: my first time to drive in Australia, to see humpback whales in the wild, and to eat a lamington.

Since fifteen of us made the trip, we needed two 8-passenger vans, one of which I happily drove. Part of the enjoyment came from the type of vans—two Mercedes Vitos with diesel engines. A Mercedes diesel—can anything be any better?! I was lovin’ it. It caused me to be nostalgic for my tank-like ’85 Turbodiesel Mercedes (probably my favourite of the cars I owned) that purred like a loud kitten. To be adequately prepared for the trip and to better appreciate the fine German engineering, I read the owners manual on Saturday. I was pleased to learn that Mercedes had remained pleasantly consistent with respect to the interior workings. There was even a dashboard full of nice large buttons, of which I tried to take advantage. I guess it takes an engineer to appreciate those sorts of things!

Driving on the highway was fairly simple. As long as I did not have to make many turns across traffic, I was fine. Australia is full of roundabouts, which can be quite fun but not really if you are in a large vehicle like a van. What I find most impressive about driving in Australia is the courtesy of the other drivers. There were a few instances when I found myself in the wrong lane. Upon discovering my mistake, I simply signalled, and cars would stop to allow me to merge in front of them. Never did I receive a honk. In fact, very rarely have I heard any honking in the city.

Another first was seeing humpback whales in the wild. We went out on a boat, which caught up to three whales. They were making their way to the warmer waters of Queensland for the winter. We also found some bottlenose dolphins, which seemed to impress folks more than the whales.

The final first of the trip to Jervis Bay was eating a lamington during afternoon tea after whale watching. Anzac biscuits, which we Americans would call oatmeal coconut cookies, and lamingtons are two very typical Australian desserts. Lamingtons are small white sponge cakes covered in chocolate and white shredded coconut. Sometimes they have an internal layer of jelly, but mine did not. They are as tasty as they sound!

Australian word of the day: trackie dacks = sweatpants.

Happy Birthday Your Majesty

Today is a public holiday in Australia to celebrate the Queen's birthday. Not quite sure what to do in the Queen's honor, we decided to do what comes natural -- ignore it all together and invite some friends over for lunch. However, not just any friends, but the wonderful Sisters from the Nashville Dominicans. We had a delightful leisurely lunch and discussed everything from our individual entrances into our communities to what we have learned about the Church in Australia so far. And while there have been many things, we have all been struck by the openness people have towards what comes out of WYD -- and their understanding that it will all take time for an impact to occur. We have also been struck by the absence of visible religious life in Sydney and how many misperceptions their are about it. Bottom line -- there are great seeds of hope being sown here and we are all thrilled to be here to witness it.

As for the Australian word of the day: "Capiscum" that is red bell pepper. Maybe they are called this elsewhere, but it took me a while to figure out what my recipe was calling for.

Rain + Busses = Wet Pedestrians

One month into our stay here in Sydney and we finally see what everyone has been talking about -- rain. Seriously, start praying now that it does not rain for WYD week because when it rains -- it rains for a week! We are not just talking about a little shower either, we are talking about change-of-clothes-is-necessary-when-you-get-to-the-office rainstorms. Being that I am from Texas -- that is saying something!

Of course, I learned all this the hard way (as usual). Yesterday, I left the house in the usual darkness and noticed it was raining a bit. No big deal, my shoes are waterproof and my clothes will dry (little did I know it would take most of the day) Keeping in mind that I do have a bit of a walk on either side of the bus ride, I did get a bit wet. However, it was not until George Street (which is much like Bloor or Westheimer) that I ran into real trouble. Buses: Terrible. Impolite. Just awful.

Note to anyone coming to Sydney: Never walk down George Street in a rain storm. Not knowing any better, I walked down George Street because it is covered all the way to the office (as are most of the streets in Sydney, which is very nice -- George is just wider). I knew that it was a major bus route, but what I did not realize is that they do not move over for the massive flow of water coming down the side of the road (which is channeled, so it really is a lot of water). Keeping my head down, I heard the bus coming before I saw the tidal wave roaring along side it. When I looked up, I quickly realized my plight and looked for an escape -- nothing. I flattened myself against the wall like a kid who just got caught misbehaving - but there was no dodging the water that came rushing across the sidewalk and battering the walls of the buildings. I hunkered underneath my umbrella and managed to keep 3/4 of me dry. In disbelief, I stood there stunned and noticed some poor bloke was in much worse shape than me as he had no umbrella.

I continued my walk until I was alerted by another fateful sound -- yes, another bus carrying with it another tidal wave. My mind was screaming while my eyes are desperately looked for a place of hopeful refuge. I quickly found a little doorway to hide in -- thank goodness. I stepped out to find the same poor bloke in front of me - once again soaked to the bone. If I were him, I would have turned around and gone right back to bed. No good can come from a day that starts like that.

I finally made it to the office relatively dry. The rain continues, and so do the busses.

As for the Australian Word of the Day: "Rock up", which means to show up some where un-announced or just casually stopping by. It happens a lot at the office.

Blessings and G'Day!

Got Reservations?

Here is the latest announcement from the press room:

Strong demand for airline seats into Australia for World Youth Day Sydney
2008 (WYD08) has led to at least 36 extra flights being scheduled next
month. Sydney Airport Corporation Ltd has confirmed that 35 new airline
flights and one dedicated charter have been booked to bring passengers into
Sydney in the lead-up to WYD08.

"World Youth Day is bringing international visitors into Sydney in
droves," said Chief Operating Officer Danny Casey. "Our information is
that almost every flight into Sydney is fully booked in the lead-up to the event
and 36 more flights have had to be added so far. " Sydney is going to come
alive this winter with 125,000 young people from more than 170 nations arriving
here to celebrate their faith with 100,000 young people from all over Australia
."

In Search of Youth: The Challenge and the Church

Two students involved with WYD hosted a radio show the other night. It is a bit long (45 min), but worth the listen. However, I have also included highlights from the transcript below.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/encounter/

Ruth Powell: The funny thing that's happening in the Australian church at the moment is that it's going through this massive transition period. What you have in some churches is the pain and grief of older attenders saying what happened, where did the young people go, how do we continue, what's our future, when we don't have any young people - there's that pain of that - and at the same time you've got these growing churches characterised by having heaps of young people in them and young people who not only are there but having chosen to come to church, because these days you don't go because you were born a Anglican, a Catholic, whatever, you choose whether you're going to have faith, you choose whether you're going to go to church...So young people who are going to church are actually intentionally going and finding places that fit with their hopes and their needs and finding a form of spirituality that connects with them. So they are some of the most enthusiastic, keen, motivated, committed attenders around.

Guy Mason: Yeh well I think we've got you know truth, and we don't want to negotiate on truth and what the bible says and who Jesus was, but I think how we do church and what church looks like can be a little bit moveable and so we want to use things from our culture like media, like music, like drama, like preaching that engages where people are at, things like that. We don't want to negotiate on truth but we want to connect with people where they're at.

Ruth Powell: We know from our research on healthy churches across Australia, but also the US, New Zealand and the UK, one of the most powerful predictor of a healthy church is whether the church has a clear and owned vision for the future. So if the people say I know why I'm here, I know what we're about and I know what we're trying to achieve, that is a powerful thing and I think churches that can pull that off, they can be any faith tradition, any size, any context. If you can say we know why we're here, that is a very attractive church and that is as I said a predictor of growth, newcomers, belonging, growing faith, all sorts of things.

Tom McIlroy: Young people respond really well when they're given a challenge, certainly our experience here in the school is that social justice is one of the best ways to get young people involved in their faith. Give them a good cause to raise money for or an event to put on or whatever and they'll really respond. Drawing the connection between that and their responsibility as Catholics and as Christians is important and we try and do that a lot. Parishes are getting really good at that. Parishes that have vibrant and active youth groups are giving them good projects and giving them leadership roles. The other way of course is music and music ministry within the church, within the mass on the weekends having young people play their instruments and putting their own kinds of music into the old institutions of the church is great it means they have a seat at the table.

Paul Culliver: World Youth Day. A phenomenal, life changing experience where the young Catholics of the world unite and discover they are not alone. They are reinvigorated with a passion for their faith and their beliefs. That's the vision. So, what happens though when the bubble bursts, when World Youth Day ends and all the pilgrims head back to the same local Parish they've been attending all their lives, only to find it at status quo?

Luke Van Grieken: You come back becoming increasingly frustrated with your Parish, or at least I did personally. You go over there; I had some of the best liturgical experiences of my life. You'll have a room of 2000 people with probably ten, fifteen different nationalities represented in that congregation everyone is is singing along to the same hymns at the top of their lungs these really modern progressive songs and all the feelings and emotion and the depth of faith is very clear to everyone there and everyone sharing in it.

And then you come back to mass in Melbourne and often it's comparatively more dreary and the sermons aren't inspiring and the liturgy itself is not exuberant and the people come almost out of obligation and that's disappointing. And because you have that memory of such wonderful liturgy you really want that, you really expect that every week. Maybe it's unrealistic but you certainly have a different, perhaps increased expectation.

Paul Culliver: What happens when the bubble bursts?

Bishop Anthony Fisher: That's a very reasonable fear. And I have been saying to priests all around the country and to bishops that it would be a terrible let down for young people if they come home excited about their faith, wanting to learn more about it, wanting to lead and to serve to be more actively engaged and they come home to a dead parish or to people that just aren't interested in them or who say to them look we'll let you speak for a minute after communion to tell people about your experience but then we want to get back to normal please. That would be deadly, and we really have to get across to people that we're not going to go back to normal, as it were, after World Youth Day.

So there are a number of programs of preparation for young people and also for the rest of the Church, suggesting to them how to get ready for a post World Youth Day Church. There's a program called Activate For Witness which will be coming out next month and going to all the parishes in Australia, which will challenge them to look at have you got youth groups, youth masses, places for young people perhaps to be on your parish council to give a lead, ways for them to deepen their faith, opportunities for them to tell you as a local parish or community what they'd like to see happening rather than just being giving the menu that older people have written and told to fit into it? Again I'm not naïve. I think there'll be places that just stay much the same and then young people will gravitate to places where there is more life or more opportunity to express
themselves spiritually and to lead and to serve.

Marketing the Gospel

I had a bit of time to write some of my own thoughts this weekend, in light of our work here. They are (as always) working conclusions, and simply represent my own view, but I thought I would share some of the more pertinent snippets. If you have any thoughts, I would love to hear them.

"In light of WYD, I would like to narrow the question and the scope. How to we get as many people as possible to participate in the event? No doubt, the first visit of Pope Benedict to Australia is a major draw, as he is respected among the churched and non-churched alike. Not surprisingly, much of the marketing has seemingly followed this idea; but I question such a focus.

It seems the advertising have arrived at a consensus that the un-churched and non-Catholic will not be able to relate to ideas and images of the Holy Spirit as much as they might relate to the Pope, youth, fun, or any other idea that speaks to the dynamics of WYD. Certainly, these are important components of WYD and the marketing campaign, but I believe there is a very fine line which must not be crossed concerning the focus of any church-related campaign.


My personal conclusion (in progress), is that people are attracted to anything that is bigger than reality. Major events, concerts, movies, theme parks, and the alike, all share a similar attraction – they allow our imagination room to expand. If this conclusion is accepted, it would seem that the Church, which represents the creator of universe, as the greatest “attraction” of all.

Make no mistake, the Gospel as told through the lens of the Catholic Church has been the most enduring, successful message ever communicated. It has captured the imaginations of artists, politicians and thinkers for almost as long as human history has been recorded. It is not that the message isn’t relevant; rather that too many people rarely given the opportunity to see the Church and the Gospel communicated without distractions that dilute their message.

In the end, the only truth in advertising is the product itself -- and people know this. As the Church continues to embrace communications and marketing strategies (as it should, for the very essence of the Church is evangelization or marketing) we must be true to what we represent. The very best marketing campaigns center around simplicity and curiosity.

If we are to be effective promoters of the Gospel, we must stay true to the simple ideas and images it contains, resisting any temptation to camouflage the Word of God with inevitably shallow appeals. As we move forward in this new millennium, we must be reassured that the message of the Gospel is attractive enough if we allow people to see and hear the real thing – untainted, unembellished, and uncensored. The world is longing to see what is authentic; longing to understand the subconscious feelings that tell them there is something bigger than what they have experienced. This is what we are to present – the big picture in all its glory and its appeal. "

Happy Birthday Morgan!

Morgan's birthday is once again upon us. . . and once again, he is celebrating it in another exotic part of the world! And as only Morgan would have it, his birthday fell on the same day the long-term volunteers were invited to Bishop Anthony's house in Watson's Bay for a BBQ.







You can see that Watson's Bay is a very scenic place, but be warned, if you have to be there for 9 am mass (as we did), the buses out there are limited. This was especially frustrating for us since we live on the opposite side of the bay -- that would be 10 minutes by boat and an hour and a half by bus!


Nevertheless, it was worth it as we never miss the opportunity to spend time in prayer and in a meal with many good friends. Of course, some friends we know better than others -- yes, it is our fellow Canadians, the Kantors, with Bishop Anthony -- coming to a Salt and Light bulletin board near you.

And pictured is Sr. Anna, the other half of the International Liturgy Group, who works with Morgan.

As for the Australian Word of the Day, Indigenous -- not that it is a word unfamiliar to North Americans, but because the situation of the Indigenous is particularly difficult here. I spent a bit of time speaking with Fr. Matt who works with us and has spent a great deal of time working with them in Northern Australia. It is a situation that commands great sensitivity with the Church here, perhaps because the situation is still quite fresh. The Indigenous are the fastest growing population in Australia, yet they were only given citizen's rights in 1972. Not until the late 1960's did the country ever recognize them as "people" Many come from families with multiple generations of no formal education of any kind and the problem continues to persist. Of course, this little narration hardly tells the full story, but it does give you the idea.


Not to leave the day on a down note, we took the ferry home (so much better) just before the rain came. As you can see, God has blessed Morgan on his happy day!

Blessings and G'Day!

Wandering the Sydney Outback

During another beautiful Saturday afternoon, Morgan and I joined up with some of the other long-term volunteers for an excursion around Manley Beach and North Sydney. Though there were some trails, we found ourselves exploring up around the cliffs that are some of the highest in the Sydney area!

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Though you cannot see them in this picture, the humpback whales have started their migration North along this route.
Oops! A wrong turn. At this point we were off the trail wandering our way through the bush-country and came across a strange wall. We followed it and determined that we could go no further! As it turns out, this was probably all part of a defense structure, as we would later stumble onto command posts and gun pits.

We had been told that North Sydney, being the piece of land that extends the furthest into the Pacific was a defensive position during WWII -- we just didn't think we would see so much evidence!

Morgan and I are joined by Paul, from France, and Alana, from (can you believe it) Austin, Texas!

Hmmm. . . is this a premonition?!?!

Stay tuned for more of the weekend's adventures -- coming soon!