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inco complimentaryr poratin ga publication of the archdiocese of hobart c at holiceduc at i o n connec ions ta smaniancaholiceduc at ionoffice issue 5 easter 2006 project compassion 2012 mt st canice a new beginning italian feast for san carlo 15 from the director this is the first combined edition of connections and the tasmanian catholic for the past few years catholic education tasmania has produced its own high quality magazine about schools and school life entitled connections the magazine has featured many articles showcasing the achievements and hopes of our school communities and has been sent home to all families once a term so that parents grandparents students and friends can enjoy the vibrant educational involvements of the schools their loved ones attend increasingly the award-winning tasmanian catholic magazine has also featured events and achievements of our catholic schools statewide our mission as church to teach the good news of jesus heal the sick comfort the lost and bring sight to the blind has many faces and expressions in tasmania as catholic schools we are working within the ambit of the archdiocesan vision and mission statement and share our goals with other agencies that minister in so many ways to families and those in need it is important that we are seen to share this mission together rather than to be working in isolation from the other catholic church agencies a combined magazine is one way to demonstrate this unity students and families will now have the opportunity to read about the many human interest stories events and inspiring achievements that are happening in so many aspects of catholic life across this state there will be a clearly identifiable section at the centre of the tasmanian catholic specifically dedicated to reporting about our colleges and schools reporting about catholic education will now be situated within many good news stories from around the archdiocese from parishes and agencies working for the community sitting within the overall context of the church s mission in tasmania that can only be a positive step as we share with families the scope and influence of our church its liturgical celebrations parish life social justice and ecological commitment care for asylum seekers family counselling outreach and ministry to prisoners are just some examples of the good works of the archdiocese that are reported in issues of the tasmanian catholic the magazine is bright contemporary comprehensive and attractive i do hope that you enjoy this first combined edition of archdiocesan and schools news and watch out for it as a regular gift to your family four times a year catholic.tas.edu.au a ta smaniancholiceduc at ionoffice issue 18 2011 director catholic education tasmania dr trish hindmarsh feature feature story seasons of deus caritas joy est god is love feature feature story 45 complimentary sr rosemary cloning and crumlin talks the lockhart about the blake report prize gartlan by pat feature general news how do to my roadwe the die diaconate by nick macfarlane 7 8-9 18 12-13 vol 8:2 easter 2012

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inside this issue archbishop doyle writes news in brief features season of joy the cross and the recliner rosemary crumlin talks about the blake prize how do we die general news garden party at cosmos charles mansfield and blueline laundry go go lawrence divine mercy sunday april 15 connections from the director beautiful signs of recognition taken by storm how do your school and prospects compare blooming marvels beginning afresh student leadership in the north helping students to grow towards wholeness off to a very good start to 2012 social concern my positive experience on being an adoptee fly on the wall hanging around the `bins edgeways ­ opinion by annie march love letter to my garden pastoral life in `a year of grace catholic youth ministry the way across tasmania a virtual prayer pilgrimage parish news scottsdale parish 125 years lifestyle book and dvd reviews obituary tess lee-archer 36 32 ­ 33 29 5 6 23 30 24 ­ 25 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 21 22 14 26 27 35 4 8 10 12 ­ 13 1 2­3 catholic church directory www.hobart.catholic.org.au catholic diocesan centre 35 tower road new town 7008 gpo box 62 hobart 7001 phone 03 6208 6222 fax 03 6208 6292 the office of the archbishop phone 03 6208 6222 fax 03 6208 6293 business manager ­ peter cusick cpa phone 03 6208 6227 fax 03 6208 6292 catholic development fund phone 03 6208 6260 fax 03 6208 6290 liturgy office phone 03 6208 6233 fax 03 6208 6292 marriage tribunal phone 03 6208 6250 fax 03 6208 6297 the office of church life and mission phone 03 6208 6232 fax 03 6208 6292 vicar general fr mark freeman vg 44 margaret street launceston 7250 phone 03 6331 4377 fax 03 6334 1906 chancellor fr terry rush vf pp po box 42 richmond 7025 phone/fax 03 6260 2189 catholic education office 5 emmett place new town 7008 phone 03 6210 8888 vocations ministry 99 barrack street hobart phone 03 6234 4463 tasmanian catholic justice and peace commission phone 03 6208 6271 fax 03 6208 6299 catholic youth ministry phone 03 6208 6274 towards healing help line phone 1800 356 613 museum and archives phone 03 6231 4740 heritage office phone/fax 03 6224 5920 centacare welfare services hobart 35 tower road new town 7008 phone 03 6278 1660 launceston 201 york street launceston 7250 phone 03 6332 0600 burnie 108 mount street burnie 7320 phone 03 6431 8555 devonport 85 best street devonport 7310 phone 03 6423 6100 willson training 35 tower road new town 7008 phone 03 6208 6000 diocesan ecumenical commission phone 03 6324 9708 a/h 03 6324 9826 and is published by the archdiocese of hobart and catholic education tasmania and is distributed to catholic schools hospitals retirement villages and parishes statewide we welcome contributions but no guarantee of publication can be given because of demands on available space hard copy versions of items for publication cannot be returned so please keep a copy photographs submitted will only be returned if accompanied by an addressed stamped envelope contributions advertising or other enquiries may be sent to the tasmanian catholic and connections gpo box 62 hobart tasmania 7001 the tasmanian catholic editor pip atkinson 03 6208 6230 0409 337 143 tascath@aohtas.org.au production and design chris cumming doublecdesign 03 6376 1224 0400 224 435 connections editor mary-anne johnson 03 6208 6234 0419 529 963 connections@cet.tas.edu.au printing foot and playsted launceston 03 6332 1400 fax 03 6332 1444 connec ions cover photo hobart s italian community s procession through the streets of hobart for the feast of san carlo borromeo on sunday 11 march 2012 more photos on page 2 photographer mary-anne johnson all material in this publication is copyright and must not be reproduced without the written permission of the archbishop of hobart or his authorised delegate deadline next edition may 22 2012

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archbishop doyle writes archbishop doyle write friends in christ dear friends in christ 1 he days before i settled down to write the he gospel narratives which cover events of easter sunday a us that there s easter message i attendedtellfuneral was a considerable amountage who s for a young man 30 years of of movement on that day and on the days that followed been murdered in melbourne one week on the morning of the resurrection itself er mythe women were up early with the intention particular association with the y goesof reaching the tomb as quickly as they back to the time 34 years earlier could when they found that the tomb n i was the celebrant of the marriagewas empty s parents there was an immediate change of plans after peter and john became aware any people packed into st mary s of the startling news they too headed for hedral the burial site and the too came to terms and towards they end of the before the prayers of final committal with the unexpected turn of events when jesus made contact the young man s mother addressedwith the disciples his instruction was that they should gregation in the course of her very return to galilee and that he would meet ng address she galilee was not justshe and them there indicated that a convenient amily meeting place it was the place where so much forgive the person who caused of their earlier experiences in the company of death of her son it was a gesture that ed me jesus hadpresent it was a gesture and all taken place above all galilee was a place in the heart of rgivenessdisciples.very deepest christianhad the in the it was there that the dream ning ofbegun the place where they first set out on the word the to of discipleship and it was the place s we comeroadprepare for easter this year where emember thetheir heartsjesusfiredthe cross words of were on up with hope and enthusiasm by this wonderful person her forgive had recently met and who had invited they them for they know not what do the death his followers the great them to be of jesus was but the dream had dissipated completely n of forgiveness it was the example of with the arrest and the crucifixion of jesus the veness that can and does inspire others disciples may well have felt that everything o the same in situations where it in jesus was would was dead and the faith they had m to be only a fantasy yet they fromtold to go back almost impossible were a human to the place where it all began go back to t of view galilee he will meet you there has been noted that all those people fortunately they followed the instructions hom christ first to galilee better still jesus was appeared after the and went back rrection are portrayed as being in them true to his word he was there to meet a his physical appearance other exactly ative mood of some kind orwas notwhen as they had remembered him but he was not first heard the news christian experience a irms that we can only come to know isen christ when we have experienced e kind of death some disillusionment ourselves and others some loss avement sense of fear hopelessness eaninglessness t catholic education providing quality for over 15,000 tasmanian students find out more at www.catholic.tas.edu.au this is also a common feature of o faith experience we first come have been crucified in the past but they can to und be resurrected the resurrection as something outsi two of the disciples decided to go down a something that happened two th different route and to head off on their own years ago to the town of emmaus we are told that their faces were slowly we come to appreciate t downcast in a sense they were walkinghappening here andemmaus in risen away from their dreams now the those days had a reputation itthrough the close continually coming was a place with a roman spa a place for entertainment of our minds when he enters he g and diversion the disciples were muttering with the words peace luckily to themselves we had hoped be with you for them they were not able to reach their resu a final common feature of the destination jesus appeared to themwhom christ accounts is that those to on the road and he was able to redirect them in are commissioned to go out and to te their thinking rebuilding their hope in the the early activities of returned light of the crucifixion and so theythe disciples a followers are community to jerusalem to rejoin thedescribed in great d the lesson for us out ofapostles the early b the acts of the the experiences of the first disciples is that in our moments manifested a spirit of forgiveness of of discouragement when our hopes seem to have of peace amidst need to go back been crucified we conflict and persecu they were united inback to sharing w to galilee and to jerusalem heart the dream back to the beginning of the road of had with their co-believers discipleship which we had taken up before the victory of christ over sin su everything went wrong and death is there for us before we will never quite get to emmaus to accept bu invitation for us to take up seriously christ meets us on the road burns some holes in our hearts explains the latest crucifixion to that c for forgiveness and to draw on us and sends us back to galilee where it all ghost either or merely an idea the differences that christ gives us through our bap makes sense again were there but jesus was still ready to eat the i it will that experience of all of i pray that pray be the the celebration of ea fish that had been caught to be touched again take us to the return to galilee really im us that we may be able tolevel of what isto like any other human being and still able to re-discoverlife mayin jesus and to start out go d in our faith the message of easter exercise the kind of power that would ensure again with a new heart and first confidence of jes that the lives of the disciples were changed our hearts the new disciples again this easter forever transformed risen lord be with may the peace of theby the first-hand exam that is ultimately what the resurrection was too powerful each of you and those you love.to ignore may i does for all of us it challenges us to go back to same in christ yours sincerelyfor all of us as well galilee to rediscover our dreams to rekindle our hopes and to spark up again our desire adrian l doyle am those who read this m i wish all to follow jesus thoseof the accounts we havearchbishop of hobart of the risen christ on y hopes and desires may a second feature is every blessing the slowness of those to whom christ appears family and the parish community wit tasmanian students from all to recognise that it is the risen christ the you have recalled and celebrated a backgrounds seek a quality education enriched by our catholic faith disciples on the road to emmaus walked for great events in the life of christ hi our dedicated staff provide several kilometres before they recognised and resurrection tasmanian communities with an him mary magdalen initially mistakes the adrian l doyle engaging supportive and affordable catholic education risen christ for the gardener archbishop of hobart the resurrection challenges us to rekindle our hopes the death of jesus was the great action of forgiveness catholic education in this state has much to celebrate and we invite you to explore the diverse curriculum and wide range of extracurricula activities offered by our schools we have the largest circulation in tasmanian to private hospitals www.hobart.catholic.org.au

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2 volume 8 issue 2 2012 news in brief news in brief news in brief news in brief news in brief news in brief news in brief news in brief news in brief centacare benefits from special grant pecial grants to assist in the support of children young people and families were recently announced by the clarendon children s foundation with donations of $500,000 each being given to anglicare and centacare to assist their work in this area the foundation is proud to be continuing the work of child and family care which the clarendon children s homes exercised over many years said clarendon president the rev canon robert legg clarendon has a long history of caring for children young people and families this included residential care and early intervention and reconnection programs for children and youth clarendon s direct services closed in 2006 and its property was sold the funds resulting from this sale together with other monies derived from bequests and s donations have been amalgamated to create a perpetual fund and grants program with these donations being special `one-off grants director of centacare tasmania family services georgina mclagan said the generous donation from clarendon would enable centacare to assist families who found themselves in a period of serious disruption centacare tasmania s particular strength is in the family centred approach recognising that whatever impacts on a family impacts on the children in specific ways said mrs mclagan it recognises that children can be major casualties in family disruption and that listening to the voice of children impacts on the long-term consequence for all involved in resolving family conflict previous funding from clarendon children s foundation assisted centacare tasmania to georgina mclagan rev robert legg rev chris jones establish triple p ­ an early intervention evidence based positive parenting program that promotes good communication and strong relationships between parents and children liturgy conference f sr rosemary crumlin with other delegates at the conference or the first time the national liturgy conference was held in hobart from 29 february to 2 march 2012 the conference held at the new st mary s cathedral centre focused on future national liturgical needs and priorities and also included the topics of pastoral care of the sick liturgical environment and liturgical music the delegates were delighted to be able to take some time out to see some of tasmania s natural scenery as well as visiting hobart s mona museum of old and new art gallery delegates also welcomed the new executive secretary of the bishop s commission for liturgy and the national liturgical council dr paul taylor thanks was also conveyed to outgoing secretary fr peter williams hobart s italian community celebrates t he sun shone on san carlo and the italian community as his statue was processed from st mary s cathedral after mass on sunday 11 march 2012 the glenorchy city band with their stirring music made sure everyone in north hobart was alerted to the enthusiastic paraders in their red white and green students from sacred heart college joined in with their banner and archbishop doyle and fr brian nichols clad in ecclesiastical finery added their presence to the walk the destination was the italian club where everyone enjoyed a feast of pasta a barbecue and lots of merriment member of the italian carabinieri military police who travelled from victoria anna-flora zanella mrs milley tierney local restaurateur angelo fraraccio with the statue of san carlo borromeo www.hobart.catholic.org.au

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centacare conference c entacare tasmania staff from all over the state attended the centacare conference at the diocesan centre new town on 22-24 february staff enjoyed the opportunity to come together to recount their successes and refresh for the new year ahead the highlights of the event were the inspirational talk from rob pennicott ronnie and maggie burns talking about appin hall ­ their respite and learning centre for children at risk in tasmania the laughter as therapy humour session and of course the centacare has talent evening centacare director tim gourlay archbishop doyle ronnie burns and centacare chair ron ward he great early-victorian architect and designer pugin was born on 1 march 1812 in this his bi-centenary year his remarkable life and work are being celebrated with cultural activities in england ireland and australia in tasmania a pugin heritage festival took place from 1 to 9 march with two concerts two recitals a public lecture a small exhibition of his beautiful works in the new st mary s cathedral centre and a mass in his own st patrick s church colebrook sung by the choir of newman college university of melbourne the mass a choral concert and an organ recital were recorded by abc classic fm it is anticipated that they will be broadcast in september the abc religious television program compass filmed the mass as well as pugin buildings and artefacts and conducted interviews as part of a program being produced to mark pugin s bi-centenary it too will probably be broadcast in september pugin heritage festival t funding win t he friends of tunnack are pleased to announce they have won funding from the tasmanian community fund to publish their history book on st brigid s the book will be published later this year local ­ statewide local ­ statewide two-way taxi trucks make our phone line your moving line same sex marriage t here are two separate inquiries currently underway into whether the marriage act 1961 should be amended to provide for samesex marriage one inquiry relates to two bills before the house of representatives ­ the other inquiry relates to a bill before the senate links on the archdiocese of hobart website under `news will direct interested members of the tasmanian community to the house of representatives and senate inquiries respectively closing dates for responses are friday 20 april 2012 house of representatives and monday 2 april 2012 senate please note the format for the house of representatives inquiry varies from that of the senate the senate inquiry format provides for writing an electronic submission and sending it to the senate committee the house of representatives inquiry format provides for participating in an online survey and answering questions relating to the committee s terms of reference those wishing to participate in the house of representatives inquiry are being encouraged to participate in this way ie completing the survey the strong recommendation made was that to be counted one should participate using the online survey format `paper submissions must have been received by the house of reps committee 30 march numbers count and as many people as possible are encouraged to make a submission on this important issue before the due dates transport pty ltd 6273 1000 ob no j ig or too b mall too s · modern enclosed furniture removal vans · storage · packing · office removals tasmanian owned by the radcliffe family for over 45 years ­ john mark tara 41-45 charles street moonah email rad.twtt@bigpond.net.au www.hobart.catholic.org.au news in brief news in brief news in brief news in brief news in brief news in brief news in brief news in brief news in brief news in brief 3

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4 volume 8 issue 2 2012 feature season of joy t asmania s catholics are invited to give new life to the easter season ­ those weeks between the feasts of easter and pentecost ­ by participating in an initiative of the diocesan pastoral council the season of joy will encourage communities families schools groups and individuals to more fully explore the season of easter beginning in 2012 easter lights no tv tuesdays jubilee sundays these are just three of the ideas put forward in this initiative which seeks to promote a positive joy-filled expression of catholic identity according to patrick nisbet one of the season of joy organisers the liturgical season of easter has been identified as a time where tasmania s catholic community can explore and give expression to our easter joy through some simple projects and initiatives in 2012 the season of easter ­ our season of joy ­ extends from april 8 to may 27 this easter season is the longest and most important of all the special seasons of the church s year mr nisbet said the season of joy initiative places joy at the centre of our lives for seven weeks in the middle of the year christmas is also a period of joy but in the southern hemisphere it is bookended by the busyness of the year-ending and lethargy of summer holidays it is also almost entirely co-opted in the secular imagination by santa claus and commercialism the easter weekend is also commercial with hot cross buns and chocolate eggs but the church can reclaim the season of easter with relative ease when we put our focus on the joy of the risen lord it is on that joy the diocesan pastoral council invites the archdiocese of hobart to concentrate its energies the season of joy will provide an inward focus which aims at renewing the vibrancy of communities and building bonds between the members and organisations making up the archdiocese it is a call to all who identify as catholic ­ individuals parishes schools families lay organisations religious orders charities hospitals nursing homes businesses everyone ­ to renew their hope love and charity proclaiming it to each other and to the wider community but mr nisbet said there was also an outward-looking focus it will say to the world to those who have left the church to those who feel alienated to those who are searching for something worthy of their faith that the church is more than no more than scandals more than the way it is portrayed in the media he said that joy was at the heart of evangelisation the diocesan pastoral council has created a website to encourage participation in the season of joy the site outlines a number of projects which groups or individuals might like to undertake each community is encouraged to find its own way of celebrating the season more support material will be available along with a twitter and facebook page mr nisbet said that the intention was to develop the season of joy into an annual festival however in 2012 and 2013 it will work beside the year of grace which is the priority for the archdiocese please visit the season of joy website seasonofjoy.org office@jadunnfunerals.com.au www.jadunnfunerals.com.au www.hobart.catholic.org.au

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catholic youth ministry 5 the way across tasmania a virtual prayer pilgrimage by michael hangan cym 2 012 has seen the way across tasmania pilgrimage take a unique virtual lenten prayer pilgrimage experience which everyone in the archdiocese has been invited to participate throughout the forty days of lent to physically walk the way across tasmania pilgrimage is a journey of more than 600km this time however the pilgrimage can be undertaken from the comfort of your home office parish community or wherever you can to spend time throughout your day to pray and reflect upon the daily scriptures and become part of a virtual way across tasmania prayer pilgrimage at each of the fourteen crosses that make up the way across tasmania pilgrimage communities will come together to pray one of the fourteen traditional stations like all pilgrimages there is a starting point to your journey you might think it is a physical location but a pilgrimage starts within us ­ a longing to be closer to jesus to invite jesus into our hearts to be part of `us ­ to journey with us we are all on a spiritual journey ­ our pilgrimage in faith we might be sitting in the pews at mass or in our classroom saying a prayer or laying in a bed we might not be `going to a place but we are all on pilgrimage as we journey through our life with god physically the pilgrimage commenced on ash wednesday with the first station jesus is condemned to death at the cross at church of the apostles in launceston over the next few days we prayed for parish communities along our virtual journey until we arrived at the second station pilgrimage is an important part of our catholic tradition most catholics will undertake a pilgrimage at different times for different lengths of time and locations with the holy land rome and world youth day being the most popular however each person will have a different experience on a pilgrimage through seeking a deepening of their understanding of their own spiritual following in the footsteps of jesus pentecost sunday 2012 marks four years since the world youth day cross and icon arrived in may 2008 and its visit to many of our communities across tasmania inspired by this journey of the cross and icon around tasmania parish communities were invited to create a magnificent and truly special pilgrimage route marked by life-sized crosses around our beautiful state for all to enjoy fourteen crosses were carefully planned and designed by parishes across tasmania these crosses were erected or restored and each reflects the local industries interests and unique stories of their communities each cross was funded and constructed by that parish catholic youth ministry has coordinated two way across tasmania pilgrimages visiting most of the crosses during 2009 and 2011 michael is a youth ministry coordinator with cym and an acolyte towards ordination to the permanent married deaconate within the archdiocese of hobart www.hobart.catholic.org.au personally it has allowed me to spend some time with our parish communities getting to know the people who live breathe and do wonders in the parishes we are so very very lucky to have them we may be blessed with the many technological tools which enable us to communicate easily with one another but it has been far more inspiring meeting each other face-to-face this pilgrimage has also allowed me while crossing this state from north to south east to west the opportunity to reflect upon my journey to pray for my family our parish communities and what god has given to us i could continue on about the rolling hills vast valleys and sparse barren plains of the different climates from steaming hot days to the bitter cold but this is not a travel blog it s about encouraging all of us to figure out what pilgrimage means to us individually and to prepare ourselves for what is to come the way across tasmania virtual prayer pilgrimage and stations of the cross continues through until palm sunday pilgrimage on sunday 1 april so come journey with us as we all undertake this pilgrimage towards the light of our resurrected lord.

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6 volume 8 issue 2 2012 pastoral life in `a year of grace by fr greg barker ­ year of grace co-ordinator i had the pleasure recently of baptising a real little cutie called grace ­ all babies are innately cute of course and particularly by the time they get to the baptismal font but like her name suggests she was after many years of trying a real blessing and gift to her parents six months old big brown eyes long lashes and a smiley disposition and a long awaited beautiful addition to her family every time we are organist-less here in the parish one of my favourite hymns outside of come as you are of course is `amazing grace a hymn that is always sung with a great deal of gusto wherever you are but has particular power in the voices of those gathered here in the huon valley normally in tune mostly and without missing or muffling a word a real `grace to mass a funeral or a time of prayer `amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved and set me free and we can all sing it regardless of the voice god entrusted us with unaccompanied the new prayers for the mass regularly reflect our need for god s grace by your grace by heavenly grace action of your grace help of your grace working of your grace the prayers reflect our dependence on this grace for both our salvation and our motivation for good and holy lives st paul is untiring in his writings sharing with his communities and us the necessity of god s grace for salvation justification and redemption he calls on his communities to accept it rely on it and share it with others grace is what leads us home always a work in progress for the believer but always achievable in the life of the members of his community as he supports and encourages his communities in christ and to salvation and who of us at some point or another hasn t reflected `but for the grace of god go i not an action of out of control acceptance of fate but a sigh at the needs and tragedies of our neighbours or brothers and sisters and for the blessings in our own story regardless of tragedy or heartache there are dozens of proverbs and sayings in common use that use `grace or god s grace particularly as a catch cry for living the law tells me how crooked i am grace comes along and straightens me out man is born broken he lives by mending grace is glue so what is this `grace we pray about reflect on long for is the `glue we work to welcome into our lives what is this `grace that we are now invited to celebrate a whole year on like little grace to her family god s grace is a gift to his family the church like all god s gifts freely offered and freely welcomed or accepted paul talks in terms of an `abundant free gift romans 5:15 brought into the world through the action of jesus christ which outweighs the action of another that brought sin into the world and gave us the freedom to choose not to love god because of god s love for us ephesians 2:4 of course like the gift the child is to a family this gift has some important responsibilities to be nurtured supported encouraged protected and like a child we have to be taught how to share grace with others grace inspires us to good works and to fulfil our own personal vocation as members of god s body the church matthew 5:7 christ s unselfish act on the cross and our ongoing celebration of this action through the sacramental life of the church allows us to recognise the grace of god in restoring the wholeness of who we are in and before god ­ heals the soul with the assistance of the holy spirit grace allows us to be in and to maintain a relationship with the father in whose image we are created grace sanctifies and justifies the human condition through the forgiveness of sins grace is what leads us home so then what does this mean as the church as we moves closer to the commencement of the year of grace in short i guess the simplest answer is who knows or better god knows part of the year of grace is an open ended journey like the pilgrimages of old where we know some of the journey but are unsure of the spiritual as well as all of the physical outcomes it really is in god s hands and our openness to respond to whatever god might be leading calling or asking of us this year is a gift literally a time to be people of faith prayer and love a year of grace an invitation in its purest sense which we are free as members of the church to accept or not www.hobart.catholic.org.au photo courtesy of the sunday tasmanian.

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8 volume 8 issue 2 2012 feature the cross and the recliner by anne finnegan s he never said a word but i could tell by the grimace that this new pillow wasn t working our daughter and her husband lived in belgium where they were both teachers they were home for a summer visit when it became clear that kathleen would be unable to return to belgium she had been battling breast cancer for over eleven years the cancer was now in her bones and exacerbating rapidly kathleen was now finding it difficult to even walk it was becoming almost impossible for her to get into a comfortable position the slightest movement was painful and changing positions became a monumental chore we surrounded her with all sorts of pillows to ease the pain of transition from one location to another when those pillows didn t help we ran out to buy new and different pillows of various shapes and sizes we had all types of pillows round ones square oblong soft firm and rectangular we had small ones large medium and even extra small eventually the assortment of pillows which had at one time lovingly encircled her with comfort now just seemed to be causing pain nothing worked any more the air mattress actually hurt her back and so we returned it the memory foam helped for a few days and then even that was unable to relieve the excruciating bone pain when a pain spasm hit kathleen had to change positions quickly in order to alleviate the sudden onslaught someone suggested an electric recliner which would enable her to change positions more easily why not that might be a possibility we ran out to raymour flanagan and purchased their top-of the line electric recliner demanding a two-day delivery it arrived as scheduled we were all elated since we felt that this was the holy grail of comfort we felt certain that this magical chair would be the answer initially it worked when the pain spasms hit kathleen was able to quickly move the chair in such a way that it enabled her to alleviate the pain at the pressure points she still needed the assortment of pillows this arrangement lasted only about two days then no matter what we did the pain broke through the cancer had effectively invaded all of kathleen s bones and any movement was excruciating the chair the pillows and even the morphine couldn t stop the persistent onslaught of the cancer pain kathleen finnegan it broke through all kathleen s defences it went around through over and under everything we put in its path at this point in the battle all i wanted to do was to hold her tell her i loved her with all my heart and remind her that god was waiting for her but kathleen was in such pain that it was impossible to even touch her not even being sure she was able to hear me i told her i loved her my mind went back to those young and carefree days when i could hug and squeeze her till she laughed out loud that was in my dreams my reality was that i couldn t cause her more pain i felt rooted to the spot my leaden feet refusing to move and my heart breaking just one more hug was all i wanted was this how mary felt when she could not hug her son as he was dying on the cross kathleen eventually settled into an apparently comfortable spot in the recliner i think it was the combination of the morphine the pillows and a decreased level of consciousness that allowed a moment of respite for her that moment gradually evolved into a deeper level of unresponsiveness and as she rested in the recliner kathleen finally went home to god in the evening of august 11 2011 the family said its good-byes and www.hobart.catholic.org.au eventually i had some time alone with her i sat at the foot of the recliner close enough to finally be able to hug her i told her i was so sorry that the cancer had not come for me instead of her what else was there to say i was drained mentally and physically was this sadness what mary might have been feeling as mary held the dead jesus in her arms did she ask why as i was perhaps in faith i knew i had to give that question back to god knowing that i would never know the answer until i see him face to face i asked god for the strength to never ask that question again and i also asked for the strength to trust him totally and completely cs lewis once said that god whispers to us in our pleasures speaks in our conscience but shouts in our pain i will try to put my anguish aside so that i can hear the voice of god now that he is shouting the pieta by michelangelo depicts mary holding her dead son in her arms i was at the foot of the recliner my cross holding my dead daughter at that moment i felt a deep connection to mary she had her cross i had my recliner hopefully as time goes by she will help to heal my shattered heart even though i walk in the valley of the shadow of death i fear no evil for you are at my side from the 23rd psalm anne finnegan is mother of five and grandmother of nine and this is part of a memoir she is writing on her family reprinted by kind permission marist messenger march 2012.

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feature 9 defence force chaplains go where you re needed www.hobart.catholic.org.au

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10 volume 8 issue 2 2012 feature rosemary crumlin talks about the combine a life of being a religious sister with being a prominent art critic and her answer in retrospect makes my question seem self evident i f ind myself asking the same questions now and as i was first entering the convent as artists do says rosemary likewise the question arts patron bernadette connor oam talking with sr rosemary crumlin of how a religious art prize has remained relevant and `bankable over the past 60 years r rosemary crumlin s love for art like also has a philosophical answer art itself she says knows no boundaries the blake prize is contemporary it has rosemary as she prefers to be called mirrored the changes and questions going on has been enthralled with art since she was in society of church reforms and education a novice invited by her mother superior to says rosemary a lecture on the newly created blake prize in as one of australia s longest standing art the early 1950s prizes the blake has reflected the increasing back in those days novices and nuns didn t sensitivities to multi-culturalism diverse go to art school rosemary was the first religious faiths and indigenous spiritualities as well as being an art historian of high it has raised questions about belief doubt regard she is an accomplished artist having human justice and social values entered the prestigious blake prize for spiritual rosemary crumlin has been an eye-witness and religious art three times to many of the controversies and debates but her most astonishing gift is her throughout the six decades of the blake prize ability to relate and share her love and towards the end of the first decade of understanding of art with others her spirited the blake in the late 1950s there grew an and questioning manner draws you in to increasing disquiet from conservative engage with whatever she is talking about members of the blake society about the ­ art religion politics or supposed `rivalries growing inclusion of abstract expressionist with another famous art critic nun art public interest in the blake particularly i asked rosemary how she has been able to around aspects of the judging what was art and what was religious art also was growing eric smith s winning piece christ is risen 1959 deepened the controversy rosemary retells the history it was a time of great hope for the church she says the world was changing under vatican ii there was also a crisis in religious education in the 1960s around that time rosemary was director of the national pastoral institute of religious education she describes the conceptual and s there s not a lot of room in your head for details in your hour of need only millingtons can take care of every single aspect of funeral care which means you can be taking care of other things important things like your family that s the thing about millingtons as a tasmanian family company we understand that people grieve differently so while you re off doing what s needed we ll be making certain that all the details are taken care of ­ efficiently respectfully and without a fuss 0013 when your heart is full of grief funeral directors eric smith christ is risen winner blake prize 1959 millingtons cemeteries in your hour of need we care call 6211 4888 or visit www.millingtons.com.au www.hobart.catholic.org.au

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feature julie dowling mary finalist 2001 11 blake prize by pip atkinson maryanne coutts easter in my room winner 1982 liturgical `shift in faith education ­ moving away from the simple narrative ­ made the curriculum `come alive and what was happening in the art world was being mirrored in the schools teachers couldn t understand the new liturgical curriculum but students loved it said rosemary teaching kids is one of my greatest joys moving forward to the 1990s a greater prominence of both aboriginal artists and women changed the cultural landscape once again rosemary says the indigenous influence has been important their inclusion shifts the vision from what had been a totally western view of spirituality to another way likewise the women artists have tended to present a different way of looking at the spiritual experience rosemary describes this new way as the new eve theology the results says crumlin is that the blake has remained relevant ­ both to changing concepts of spirituality and to fashions and developments in the wider art world blake society chair rod pattenden says religion by its very nature is constantly being challenged and therefore needs a contemporary imagination i don t think these are controversial works but works that will make people think rosemary s lifelong passion for the blake is an ongoing `conversation about art and spirituality she encourages all of us to `find nourishment from art she says that the `beholder of an art work ­ your history your beliefs ­ is just as important as the piece itself what do you bring to this sculpture what nourishes you sr rosemary asks rosemary crumlin has academic qualifications in religious education adult education art and art history in 2001 she was awarded the medal of the order of australia for her contribution to modern art spirituality and education please turn to page 32 for the review of the blake book by rosemary crumlin plus details of the travelling blake tour www.hobart.catholic.org.au

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12 volume 8 issue 2 2012 feature how do we die by pip atkinson want to be in control when i die i want the right to choose my time of death living in a pluralist society these are words we often hear when the topic of dying and euthanasia comes up in conversation the long-standing arguments between preserving the sanctity of god-given life and the perception of preserving dignity in life are well worn ­ and rightly so the manner of each of our own deaths is significant to all at both an individual and a societal level one cannot be fully understood in isolation of the other dr paul dunne is a palliative care specialist who has worked in the whittle ward palliative care unit in hobart for twenty years he says that working with people in the final stages of life has been very rewarding his responses to the question of euthanasia offer us a calm and respectful treatise on society and dying and how the rapid and immense changes in medical science over the past forty years have removed us from the process of dying and death death used to be commonplace says dr dunne the death of children was common at the turn of the twentieth century death was a familiar experience people commonly died `in their prime from influenza diabetes childbirth polio on the street where i grew up you might have known say fifteen or twenty families it was common to know of four or five people on your street who died ­ each year says dr dunne more than one hundred years ago the australian government introduced the old age pension for those who d reached 65 ­ and because very few people lived to be this age now medical science has changed our expectations and sadly it s now only those in developing countries who deal with death on a daily basis from treatable disease in the developed world not only are more people than ever reaching retirement but death is seen as an encroachment on life instead of a natural part of life dr dunne sees that many people are ill-equipped to deal with death when it touches their lives suggesting that the call for legalizing euthanasia is part of this vulnerability instead dr dunne says the real question of euthanasia is why do we feel so disempowered that some of us ask to be killed this is the real issue that needs to be dealt with he says i palliative care suffering and why euthanasia is not the answer how can i be in control dr dunne reminds us that we do have control over our health care decisions and that these are best made if possible well in advance of or at least as soon as possible after diagnosis of a terminal illness these decisions are often known as living wills advanced care directives or goals of care they are documented detailed instructions between the patient and his or her doctor just as important says dr dunne are the conversations we all need to have with each other our loved ones about our fears is it the `indignity of losing your mind the loss of time often it is the gap between what we wish for versus the reality of our limitations that is the cause of much suffering says dr dunne are we frightened of losing control in regards to our physical suffering or our emotional suffering dr dunne asks if you are in pain we can relieve that pain if you are frightened or are suffering from extreme anxiety we can relieve that also in my twenty years of working with palliative care patients there have only been four or five cases where we could not control that patient s pain it is an extremely rare occurrence the catholic church is also clear that one can forego medical procedures which no longer correspond to the real situation of the patient when death is imminent one can in conscience refuse forms of treatment that would only secure a burdensome prolongation of life evangelium vitae n 65 dr dunne also commented on the inherent fear some people have that the medical profession will take over a terminally ill patient s body the unbridled fear that some people hold that doctors keeping terminally ill patients alive and hooked up to tubes and machines in endless corridors is false we couldn t possibly afford it anyway he says dignity ruth limkin winner of the margaret dooley young writers award 2008 wrote in living with dignity that the concept that some of the processes of dying are inherently undignified has in effect passed judgement not upon the death of some but upon the life of many those that have to live each day with the symptoms that some deem `undignified limkin also questions the notion of choice when it comes to end-of-life decisions she says the decision to end your life is rarely made apart from factors that place immense pressure on the individual an often unspoken yet powerful influence in decisions relating to euthanasia is fear whether it is fear of pain fear of being a `burden to family this fear is powerfully persuasive dr beverly zimmerman rsj is a josephite sister in nsw living the most challenging stage of her life with multiple sclerosis i understand that someone suffering a terminal illness will arrive at a point when they will say `enough is enough no more pain no more indignity it is time to die will someone please help me dr zimmerman writes in aurora magazine march 2012 i reject euthanasia just as i reject suicide why because my deep catholic faith is embedded in life not death and most importantly because i have an innate sense of wanting to survive those close to me insist i am not a burden that i am not a waste of space and that i am still me says dr zimmerman i make no judgement on those who choose euthanasia i can t really know what they are enduring for my part i choose to live with the love and support of family and friends specialist care and the knowledge that pain relief is readily available says dr zimmerman www.hobart.catholic.org.au

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catholic youth ministry 13 i see many people in distress from watching their loved ones die the person actually dying is quite comfortable and accepting dr paul dunne am the compassionate doctor who has worked in palliative care for more than twenty years has special interests in motor neurone disease and paediatric palliative care family denial guilt and anger dr dunne says it is often family members of the terminally ill who request more treatment while the doctor may suggest less this is not surprising if a family is struggling with disbelief helplessness or guilt at the impending loss i see many people in distress from watching their loved ones die the person actually dying is quite comfortable and accepting says dr dunne one particular syndrome the daughter from california is another scenario after a period of illness a patient may become acutely ill at this point the family members caring for their parent discuss a do-not-resuscitate dnr order with their doctor this means the patient will not be resuscitated for cardiac or respiratory arrest and will not receive care in an intensive care unit icu another sibling or daughter in this narrative flies in from california who has had no contact with the parent for many years arrives and demands that the dnr be revoked much heartache ensues fear and trust as distressing as dying and loss are dr dunne reminds us that they are a natural process that people often grow from we learn from loss and suffering it s just that suffering at an individual level hurts he says he says that in the face of grief the palliative care from the latin palliare ­ to cloak focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients unlike hospice care palliative medicine cares for patients at all disease stages and addresses the physical emotional spiritual and social concerns that arise with advanced illness www.hobart.catholic.org.au experience of dying is a valuable one which many families treasure it is hard but the value that i see regularly is that families that have lost communication often gain communication again dr dunne says it is one of the remaining rituals that we have in our society because that person lying in the bed is very powerful in bringing families together there is also some evidence that families who have experienced the death of their loved one through physician-assisted suicide often undergo post-traumatic stress reactions he says dr dunne says that talking more openly about ageing death and dying will over time improve our experiences as patients as families and the bereaved through greater understanding of the processes and options for end-of-life issues.

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