Eastern Link
April 2020
Contents:
| Editorial During this challenging time of dealing with all of the repercusions of Covid-19, Eastern Link can be one of the communication tools we use to help us all share and grow with the help of our Catenian faith-based friendship. |
A reflection on Covid-19 by George Kazs I understand that its difficult in our current social circumstances to maintain a positive attitude to life and to summon up the energy to keep enthusiastic while being self-isolated. But think of what our health workers, politicians (yes), food suppliers, teachers, police and border force officers and others are going though. Its worse than the recent firestorms. My personal experience is that the catenians have provided me with a most supportive framework to get me through. And I give thanks everyday for that. |
The Church in a Time of Pandemic There have been both universal and local dimensions to the response of the Church to the COVID-19 pandemic. Probably the defining images of the Papacy of Francis will be those taken in St Peter's Square on the evening of 27 March when these dimensions were merged. |
Rediscovering Ourselves - a Eucharistic People Sometimes it's both instructive and beneficial to view events in a broader context. Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP encouraged the clergy and faithful of the Archdiocese of Sydney to take this approach in his Pastoral letter regarding the events which ended assembly for the celebration of the Eucharist in Australia. |
An Easter reflection We've just finished watching the live stream of the 10am Mass on Easter Sunday from the Cathedral in Brisbane with Archbishop Coleridge. Very moving, though strange and a little sad with the empty church. While we aren't able to celebrate Easter Sunday Mass today in the normal way, I thought we would share something to celebrate from our back garden, that is reflective of what today is about. |
Zoom - is this the new Catenian video conferencing and meeting App? For those not already using it, Zoom is an App that is downloaded onto your computer or iPad, that allows everybody to connect through this video conferencing tool. Zoom is enjoying a massive growth in popularity with the advent of isolation due to COVID-19: it has quickly been adopted as the go-to video conferencing platform both for business and personal connections. |
| Preparing to meet while we can’t gather to meet Catenian meeting technology under discussion - At its meeting at the beginning of April the Executive Committee of Province 21 Council – ExCo – discussed measures to sustain the life of the Association in Eastern Australia during these times when public and private gatherings are not permitted. |
| How are circles responding to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic? The main thing we are doing to keep Ku-ring-gai Brothers connected during this time is that we have divided the list of Circle Brothers, as well as wives of deceased Brothers, amongst the Brothers on Council to make regular calls to check on them. |
Manly's Virtual Lunch and a Trivia night - tests of Zoom conferencing software. A group of Manly brothers met recently for lunch on the conferencing software Zoom. Starting out as a boys lunch the group was quickly joined by the wives, sharing in the social activity during these social isolation times. The software displays live video of each participant on all screens, it also allows each participant to share there computer screen with everybody. |
St Brigid's Catholic Church, Millers Point - the first in a series of sketches of Catholic Church buildings in Sydney by artist Graham Short (Province 21 Memebership Officer). St Brigid's Catholic Church and school is the oldest Catholic building in Australia still being used for its original purposes. |
Canberra Circle Annual Weekend Away Canberra Circle's faith based friendship was admirably displayed by those brothers and their wives (22 in total) who participated in the Circle's annual weekend away 6-9 March 2020 in and around Albury in NSW. The corona virus was not high on the agenda at that time but, nevertheless, there was not much shaking hands and kissing. |
News from around the circles A snapshot of activity, news, social activities, visitors and events around Province 21 circles. It would be great to include Area Victoria news and activities as well - email p21.newsletter@thecatenians.org.au |
Recipe of the month  This could be a new feature for Eastern Link, but it relies upon you to send recipes in, either old favourites or something new. This is a new favourite for us, a dinner party recipe found online but with only the two of us in our cocoon, this meal lasts us at least 3 nights, just change the vegetables for variety. |
Recommended Reading With the current challenges of social distancing more of us will be staying home more often, what better way than with a good book, which can then be discussed with fellow readers or send an email with comments to be published in the next Eastern Link. Our first recommendation comes from Province 21 Membership Officer Graham Short - "l'm currently reading Ghosts of Empire - Britain's Legacy in the Modern World. What an eye opener." |
| A resource for Leadership in Times of Crisis A detailed Pastoral Planning and Implementation paper produced by the Diocese of Parramatta. Click here to download the full PDF document (PDF, 303KB) |
Useful Apps you can download from the App store  Words with Friends 2 (Scrabble): A great game to connect with your mates for a friendly test of your word skills. While the App is called 'Words with Friends 2' it's free and is basically Scrabble, go to the App store on your mobile to download, create your profile, share your profile name with friends who can search for you once they've downloaded the App and you can play remote Scrabble. |
Prayers have been requested for ...  Our members, family and friends who are sick and in need of our prayers - |
Editorial
During this challenging time of dealing with all of the repercusions of Covid-19, Eastern Link can be one of the communication tools we use to help us all share and grow with the help of our Catenian faith-based friendship.
Eastern Link provides an opportunity for us to share our stories of inspiration, information, good books even recipes.
Eastern Link relies on your help though - through circle newsletters and article submissions, allowing us to share your stories.
What are circles doing to keep their brothers connected to each other, how are they being supportive and being supported?
What are you doing while stuck at home in these days of isolation?
We need your stories to share!
Please send your stories and any photos to p21.newsletter@thecatenians.org.au
We particularly need your feedback, if you like something please let me know so I can continue it, more importantly if you don't like something please let me know.
God bless and Stay safe!
Your editor,
Paul Pearson.
A reflection on Covid-19
An article submitted by George Kazs, Director and ANC President
Brothers,
I understand that its difficult in our current social circumstances to maintain a positive attitude to life and to summon up the energy to keep enthusiastic while being self-isolated.
But think of what our health workers, politicians (yes), food suppliers, teachers, police and border force officers and others are going though. Its worse than the recent firestorms.
My personal experience is that the catenians have provided me with a most supportive framework to get me through. And I give thanks everyday for that.
I have been heartened in recent days by a number of events / developments:
I participated in our parish Palm Sunday mass which our parish priest live streamed on YouTube. I was pleasantly surprised at how uplifting the experience was especially coming from our parish Church;
I also participated with our Indian Brothers in a Zoom based rosary. We still have some way to go with this technology but trialling is essential;
We had some five hours of a P21 ExCo meeting spread over two sessions using Skype to consider two main issues – how might we best respond to the Covid 19 threat and to finalise our submission to the ANC on the Woodford SWG report. We will report on these matters separately;
The important point is simply that we are all bound in faith based friendship and we need to bring that charism to the fore at this time of trial.
Already some Circles are using various means to maintain virtual contact with members.
And that's great. We have to be innovative and creative.
The ANC is meeting on 20 April and will also address how we can best respond. P21 is meeting on 4 May.
In the meantime, single out two or three catenian friends and talk to them every day or so. Ring them up, text them, WhatsApp them, skype them or even Zoom them.
We hope to be able to provide a definitive user-friendly guide to Zoom shortly.
So, stay safe, stay isolated and stay connected and remember, there is light at the end of this.
The Church in a Time of Pandemic
An article submitted by Peter Tilbrook, Provincial Councillor from City of Sydney Circle
There have been both universal and local dimensions to the response of the Church to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Probably the defining images of the Papacy of Francis will be those taken in St Peter's Square on the evening of 27 March when these dimensions were merged.
Pope Francis in St Peter's SquareIn the gathering dusk and steady rain Pope Francis was a lone white clad figure in the deserted Square as he climbed the steps of the basilica to pray that the pandemic end before the icon of Mary, Safety of the Roman People, which had been placed in front of the main door.
Francis commenced a homily, directed especially to the people of Italy, by observing: "Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities; it has taken over our lives, filling everything with a deafening silence and a distressing void that stops everything as it passes by."
"We feel it in the air, we notice in people's gestures, their glances give them away. We find ourselves afraid and lost."
He went on to observe that there were occasions when the disciples felt afraid and that the antidote to their fear was Christ. The antidote to our present fear, too, lies in Him and in the promise of the resurrection as Easter approaches.
Later, facing the darkened and empty Square, in an acknowledgement of the gravity of the circumstances prevailing in the city of which he is Bishop and in the world, Francis departed from tradition by imparting an Urbi et Orbi blessing in a Eucharistic benediction:
"From this colonnade that embraces Rome and the world, may the blessing of God, like a consoling embrace, descend upon you," he prayed.
These blessings are traditionally delivered only after a papal election and at Christmas and Easter, and are accompanied by a plenary indulgence.
Examples of the universal dimension of the response are seen in a notice and a decree issued on 20 March by the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican tribunal that deals with matters of conscience, including confession.
The tribunal's notice urged priests to remind their faithful that, when they find themselves with "the painful impossibility of receiving sacramental absolution," they can make an act of contrition directly to God in prayer. If they are sincere and promise to go to confession as soon as possible, they "obtain the forgiveness of sins, even mortal sins," the notice said.
It also notified the tribunal's determination that, especially in places most impacted by the pandemic and until it subsides, there are cases of grave necessity meeting the criteria for general absolution. What constitutes grave necessity is for each bishop to determine in consultation with the Bishops Conference of which he is part. However, the example of a priest standing at the door of an isolation ward where faithful are in danger of death and giving general absolution was provided.
The tribunal's decree related to the granting of plenary indulgences to a variety of people in various circumstances, including:
- Catholics on the verge of death who cannot receive the sacrament of anointing, as long as they "habitually recited prayers during their lifetime."
- All Catholics in hospital or under quarantine because they have tested positive for COVID-19, if they are sorry for their sins and prayerfully watch or listen to Mass, the recitation of the rosary or a pious practice such as the Way of the Cross or, if that is not possible, at least recite the Creed, the Lord's Prayer and invoke the help of Mary, "offering this trial in a spirit of faith in God and of charity toward others" and with a determination to go to Confession, receive the Eucharist and pray for the intentions of the Pope as soon as possible.
- Health care workers, family members and those who, following the example of the Good Samaritan, assist those sick with the coronavirus, exposing themselves to the risk of contagion.
- Any Catholic who visits the Blessed Sacrament, "reads sacred Scripture for at least a half hour," or recites the rosary, or the Divine Mercy Chaplet "to implore Almighty God for an end to the epidemic, the relief of those who are afflicted and eternal salvation for those the Lord has called to Himself."
(Acknowledgements – Vatican News, Crux, The Tablet - various dates)
At a local level the response of the Archdiocese of Melbourne to the COVID-19 pandemic has provided one of those rare occasions when the life of the Australian Church, as opposed to its vastitudes and lamentations, has been a topic of international interest.
Archbishop Peter ComensoliInterviewed in Rome on 31` March by Elise Anne Allen, Senior Correspondent for Crux, Archbishop Peter Comensoli said that for his Archdiocese a discussion of the impact of the pandemic on the way the Church evangelises was not a theoretical discussion of the future, but an exploration of real time.
"Forget about the future, it's happening already. This is not the future, this is now," His Grace said. "It's been extraordinary. It feels like a month, but in this last week alone the shift between doing things in one particular way to now doing things differently is quite extraordinary," he said.
In his view, the opportunity the Church now has "is not just to move what we already did onto an online platform, but to find genuinely different ways of evangelizing, of reaching out to people and letting them know that the Lord is with them and finding ways that they themselves can be a part of the life of the Gospel and the life of the local faith community."
With its schools closed as part of the coronavirus restrictions, one way the Archdiocese is stepping up its digital game is by exploring ways to help children and adolescents continue their education and faith journey online with the help of their families.
"We've been saying for decades and decades that faith is at home and in the parish, and now it's literally at home," His Grace said. "This sort of language has been part of the Church for a long time, but now it's actually what it is."
Though he stressed to Crux that he cannot predict the future, Archbishop Comensoli said that he believes the coronavirus pandemic is not only prompting the Church to become more creative in evangelization, but that it will also "shift people's priorities."
"People will start to give consideration to well, what is important in my life? What is important in our family life? I think faith opens up as a possibility there," he said, noting that his job as Archbishop "is to find ways of enabling that to happen."
For Catholics, he said he believes the way faith is lived at home "will become substantive" in a way that it was not before.
Whereas families in the past might have depended on the parish or local Catholic school to take care of their child's faith formation, "Now, families are needing to consider how they might need to pass on the faith to their children more directly," he said.
In concluding the interview Archbishop Comensoli said that amid the coronavirus outbreak he has decided to dedicate the Archdiocese of Melbourne to Saint Joseph.
Recalling how the outbreak in Australia began to get more serious around the March 19 feast of Saint Joseph, he said "it just came to me that he is this man who had to deal with these great challenges and difficulties thrown (at him), but he had trust. And not only did he have trust, he did things."
"He got on with working out what to do in the circumstances he found himself in, and he did it with trust in God," he said, voicing hope that in spite of the difficulty many people are facing, he hopes they are able to find hope in their faith.
Rediscovering Ourselves - a Eucharistic People
An article submitted by Peter Tilbrook, City of Sydney Provincial Councillor
Sometimes it's both instructive and beneficial to view events in a broader context. Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP encouraged the clergy and faithful of the Archdiocese of Sydney to take this approach in his Pastoral letter regarding the events which ended assembly for the celebration of the Eucharist in Australia.
Under the heading We've been here before the Archbishop wrote:
In my homily on Sunday I talked about the five times that Mass has been forbidden in Australian history: for 15 years from 1788 when the colonists arrived; from 1804 after a brief period in which convict priest Fr James Dixon was permitted to celebrate Mass publicly; from 1818 after Fr Jeremiah O'Flynn had been briefly unimpeded in offering Mass in the colony; during the Spanish flu epidemic in 1919; and now during the COVID19 pandemic.
By way of instruction, His Grace invites the reader to visit:
https://www.sydneycatholic.org/homilies/2020/homily-for-mass-for-5th-sunday-oflent-a/ and to reflect upon how the Catholic community coped each time.
He concludes:
We can learn from such past experience – and I think it gives us cause for hope.
During his recent interview with Crux Archbishop Peter Comensoli addressed the events from more universal perspective, observed that it's an "unusual experience," for westerners, but that there are some areas in the world where Catholics are not able to receive the sacraments on a regular basis.
"There are parts of the world that have been living like this for a long time. We in the West, particularly, in more developed and wealthy countries are suddenly being deprived of things that we're normally used to, where there are great swaths of the world where this has been their reality for ages," he said, noting that this was a major talking point during the October 2018 Synod of Bishops on the Amazon." "There are parts of the region where they won't have Mass for months on end," he said.
Because we are blessed to live in one of the "more developed and wealthy countries", a country in which the Church has been able to develop a significant and effective on-line presence, individually and collectively we share an abundance of on- line spiritual resources to sustain us as a eucharistic people in this time of pandemic, notwithstanding our inability to gather to celebrate the Eucharistic meal or to share the hospitality of the table through which we strengthen our living of the Catenian charism of faith base friendship.
Perhaps an even wider and more helpful perspective to us as sharers in the Catenian Experience is that of Thomas O'Loughlin, Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Nottingham. Writing in the Tablet of 28 March 2020, Professor O'Loughlin concluded his contribution with the following reflection:
We will not be gathered as large groups for the next few months – let's use this experience to rediscover that we are the Church (it is not a building, or the preserve of the clergy), that we must be eucharistic every day (it is an act of attitude of thankfulness for all the good things of creation, particularly meals, not a performance we "attend" or an object we "get", "take" or "receive"), and that the risen one is with us, interceding for us with the Father, in these worrying times.
This Easter there is, indeed, cause for hope.
On-line Spiritual Resources in a Time of Pandemic
Live Stream Mass
St Mary's Cathedral Sydney
Daily live streaming of Mass, – Mass of Sunday available each day on demand. Holy Week ceremonies also accessible through this URL
https://www.sydneycatholic.org/live-masses/
St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne
- Monday - Friday, 1pm
- Saturday, 8am
- Sunday, 11am
The recording of daily Masses are available on demand until one hour prior to the next scheduled Mass. Holy Week ceremonies also accessible through this URL http://melbournecatholic.org.au/Mass
St Stephen's Cathedral, Brisbane
Mass of the Day – 8.00AM. Sunday Mass – 10.00AM
Holy Week ceremonies also accessible through this URL Past broadcast schedule for on demand viewinf is also accessible from the foot of the page.
https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/multimedia/web-cast/
Bishop's House Chapel, Cairns
Mass of the Day – 5.30PM. Sunday Mass – 10.00AM and 5.30PM
Liturgy of the Hours and Office of Reading for the day also available, together with a link for self-reading (Universalis).
Mass on demand
St Christopher's Cathedral, Canberra
Mass of the day
https://www.catholicvoice.org.au/mass-online/
St Patrick's, Church Hill
Mass of the day
https://stpatschurchhill.org/
Sacred Heart, Pymble
Mass of Sunday available each day
https://www.bbcatholic.org.au/pymble/mass-and-prayer-times/online-mass-pymble
Prayer and Reflection
Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn
Daily Gospel Reflection
https://cgcatholic.org.au/LivingWord/
Diocese of Sandhust
Fr Rob Galea – Music, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Talks etc.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rob+galea
Universalis
Liturgy of the Hours, Readings at Mass, more resources in a subscription (once-only) App
https://universalis.com/
Let us give thanks for the blessing of these gifts.
An Easter reflection
A contribution by John Tweedie, Provincial Sceretary Province 21
We've just finished watching the live stream of the 10am Mass on Easter Sunday from the Cathedral in Brisbane with Archbishop Coleridge. Very moving, though strange and a little sad with the empty church.
While we aren't able to celebrate Easter Sunday Mass today in the normal way, I thought we would share something to celebrate from our back garden, that is reflective of what today is about.
On 21 December 2019 we almost lost our house to the fires. Much of our back garden was burned along with most of Popes Glen behind us. Just like the disciples on Good Friday it was a time of despair for us (though we were thankful of course for the wonderful people who saved our house).
The picture to the right above was taken on 23 December. It shows a fern that some might have thought was destroyed by the fire.
I took this second picture of the same fern this morning.
Far from being destroyed you can see how resilient it is. The metaphor for the resurrection of Christ on Easter day seems so clear.
Perhaps the fern is also giving us another message.
That with this current crisis, in which we are all unwillingly embroiled, we can be resilient and come through stronger than before. Sorry if that sounds a bit corny, but when we look at how the plants in our garden are regenerating, it gives one a real feeling of optimism and hope.
Easter blessings
John and Pam
Zoom - is this the new Catenian video conferencing and meeting App?
For those not already using it, Zoom is an App that is downloaded onto your computer or iPad, that allows everybody to connect through this video conferencing tool.
Zoom is enjoying a massive growth in popularity with the advent of isolation due to COVID-19: it has quickly been adopted as the go-to video conferencing platform both for business and personal connections.
In overall terms, through Zoom, the host schedules a meeting and sends a group email, with a link to the meeting to all participants, the link is clicked, those that do not have the App installed are directed step by step to download the App, if they already have the App installed they are immediately in the meeting.
Instructions for secretaries or hosts operating Zoom are in the second video below.
The reason for Zoom's popularity is its' ease of operation, both for the host as well as for each participant.
Security questions and doubts
There have been stories in various media questioning the security on Zoom, with companies such as Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX and NASA banning it's use.
Locally there have been issues with people breaking into tutorials, however it was discovered the link to the meeting was leaked.
People were accessing meetings by inserting random numbers into the meeting number field, into Zoom have since introduced a password requirement if the meeting is not being accessed from the invitation link.
A full story on security can be seen on the ABC site - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-02/coronavirus-sees-zoom-downloads-soar-but-fbi-warns-security-flaw/12113802
Zoom have since upgraded their security with encryption and the use of passwords being required if you don't have the link, plus there are regular email updates regarding Zoom refinements on security.
If you've never heard of Zoom or you don't have the App on your computer this video explains all about Zoom and how to download it onto your computer -
How to organize a video conference:
Go to https://zoom.us/, sign up and try a free test meeting or sign up and set up your 'Pro Plan' at $20.99 per month.
The Free Plan is restricted to 40 minutes, the Pro Plan has no limit to the meeting time.
To schedule a meeting, sign in to Zoom and go into My Account at the top right of the screen and follow the instructions on this video, there are also further helpful tips in the next video -
One thing I would expand on, once you have copied the invitation you can use your email browser to send the invitation to all of those you want to be a part of the video meeting.
This YouTube video covers some of the controls the host can use to help the meeting run smoothly.
Preparing to meet while we can’t gather to meet
Catenian meeting technology under discussion
At its meeting at the beginning of April the Executive Committee of Province 21 Council – ExCo – discussed measures to sustain the life of the Association in Eastern Australia during these times when public and private gatherings are not permitted.
The consensus was to build on what we have done successfully for the last eight years: move with the technology of the time. In 2012 Province 21 Council realised it was facing a growing problem with its governance process. Under the Rules then in operation, members of the Council were required to assemble for meetings .
Not only did this place a considerable burden on Province Councillors from Canberra and effectively exclude those from Cairns, Gold Coast / Tweed and potentially Brisbane from governance in the Province, but also made assembling a quorum difficult.
Province Council addressed this problem by moving with the technology of the time. It successfully petitioned Grand Council to approve a unique By law which allows Province 21 Councillors to attend meetings, and even be installed in office, using electronic communication in certain circumstances. Since then there has seldom been a meeting of the Council where at least one member has been an on-line presence and no meeting has failed for want of a quorum.
Confident that reliable and affordable software systems with the capacity to sustain not only meetings of Province Council, but also meetings of Circles is now available, ExCo has recommended to the Australian National Council that it issue Guidance to facilitate the holding of those meeting using electronic communication software, such as Zoom, while meetings in assembly cannot be held. It is understood that ANC will consider these recommendations at its meeting scheduled for 20 April 2020.
There are encouraging signs that the brothers in Province 21 are comfortable with virtual events. A number of Circles have already held virtual social gatherings using conferencing software such as Zoom and others are planning to do so. - see the story on Manly's Virtual Lunch elsewhere in Eastern Link; they have also held a sucessful Trivia Night using Zoom.
There is also an article all about Zoom including some instructions for both participants and circle secretaries who may be hosting meetings.
Martin Stebbings, Ku-Ring-Gai and Reigate (UK) Circles, reports that he recently attended a Reigate Circle meeting on Zoom, where there were 52 brothers and visitors.
New Reigate President, Charles Hyatt shares the background to the meeting:
It certainly was a significant amount of work to figure it all out! We were so pleased with how it went, the great efforts people made to get themselves set up to be able to join (which we facilitated in the week leading up to the meeting) and the fact that many brothers joined who can’t normally get to the meetings. It was lovely to have so many visitors too.
With regard to security issues, there were as you say some issues raised by a US regulator last week. Zoom addressed those immediately, in particular by making password protection and use of waiting room the default. We adopted those recommendations.
Reigate Circle have generously shared their preparation and meeting notes, which can be downloaded and modified to meet individual circle requirements -
Reigate Virtual Circle Meetings - Steps Taken to Set up First Meeting (16KB docx)
Reigate Virtual Circle Meetings - Officer Notes (16KB docx)
Reigate Virtual Circle Meetings and Etiquitte - Participant Notes (21KB docx)
Reigate Virtual Circle Meeting - Script (85KB docx)
Reigate incorporated a meeting etiquite for Zoom or any video conference meeting, reprinted below (and in the Participant Notes above), which can be copy and pasted and adapted for your needs.
Meeting Etiquette
Firstly and most importantly, please be sure to know how to mute and unmute using the Zoom controls. Everyone but the speaker should be on mute at all times, including during prayers. The meeting host can mute and unmute people too, but it is best if each participant does this themselves.
Brother Treasurer will speak the prayer responses on behalf of all the Brothers.
Participants will remain seated throughout.
Please join the meeting at least 5 minutes before the scheduled start. We will aim to start exactly on time, in a very un-Catenian way!
If you wish to speak, please unmute, then raise your hand so it is clearly visible and we will do our best to invite you to speak.
When we offer each other the sign of peace we will do so by a nod.
Although this is quite hard to do in practice, when talking it is best to look directly into your device's camera lens. It's akin to giving eye contact to your audience. Looking elsewhere will be distracting for other brothers watching you.
Our dress code for Circle meetings is smart casual.
When the formal part of the meeting is finished, we will unmute everyone and we can all chat over a drink or too, if people so choose.
How are circles responding to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic?
Ku-Ring-Gai:
Paul Rubenach reports -
The main thing we are doing to keep Ku-ring-gai Brothers connected during this time is that we have divided the list of Circle Brothers, as well as wives of deceased Brothers, amongst the Brothers on Council to make regular calls to check on them.
So each Council Brother has 4-5 people to contact every week or so and make sure they are doing ok. Any particular issues or needs are then reported back through our Welfare Officer to coordinate any other action that might be needed. At least one of these small subgroups has started having virtual group chats amongst themselves once per week.
We also intend to keep our monthly newsletter going. We haven't done it yet, but are thinking of adding a quiz or trivia contest to the newsletter, with a bottle of wine to the first correct entry received back.
Manly:
Manly have had their first Zoom meeting on their regular 3rd Wednesday of April.
Michael Van Ommen joined the Manly meeting after a long absence due to ill health.There were up to 15 in attendance, our dress rules were relaxed to dressing gown and pajamas, as Michael Van Ommen, who has been on the sick list for a long time, joined us.
Peter Williams, chaired the meeting as Acting President.
The meeting went very smoothly with one designated speaker responding to the prayers, with others muted.
The meeting was a great success with discussions on the George Pell appeal decision and how we are all practicing our faith in these Covid times after the meeting ended.
As reported below Manly have had two successful Zoom social test events, a lunch and a trivia night, both will continue as regular fortnightly events.
Circle council have met and will be holding a Zoom meeting on the regular third Wednesday meeting night with a discussion, over virtual drinks, entitled 'How do we maintain our faith in these difficult times'.
Carlingford:
Secretary-elect Phil Gallagher reports -
The last meeting of the outgoing Circle Board on 31st March was conducted as a Skype voice chat with about 9 participants. It was agreed that we would investigate Zoom, Skype and other platforms before deciding a way ahead. It was also agreed that the incoming Board would take over from that date.
President Rob Haddad was a long term Fujitsu employee so I assume he will be the key figure on this issue.
It was also agreed that the minutes of that meeting would be circulated to all Brothers who would be invited to send "snippets of personal information" for inclusion in the Newsletter.
Harbourside North:
Harbourside North are Zoom meeting on their regular 2nd Thursday.
From Secretary John Tweedie -
Our Circle Council has decided that during the current COVID-19 crisis, we should aim to produce our normal Newsletter each month. As well as the standard information, it will feature articles, jokes and pictures provided by members of the Circle.
Our Circle Council met (very successfully) by Zoom last Tuesday 7 April and decided that the Circle should continue to meet on our scheduled meeting nights by teleconference during the period of the Crisis. Zoom was the chosen method.
Note that our meeting night this month was put back to 16 April because of the clash with Holy Thursday.
New President – Graham Short
As confirmed at the March meeting, Graham Short will be taking on the role of Circle President for 2020-2021. Until such time as he can be formally appointed, he will take over the responsibility and act in the role. This will commence from the Virtual Meeting on 16 April.
Manly's Virtual Lunch and a Trivia night - tests of Zoom conferencing software.
The ladies quickly joined the virtual lunchA group of Manly brothers met recently for lunch on the conferencing software Zoom.
The trivia teams enjoyed another great, if different trivia nightStarting out as a boys lunch the group was quickly joined by the wives, sharing in the social activity during these social isolation times.
The software displays live video of each participant on all screens, it also allows each participant to share there computer screen with everybody.
The virtual lunch was judged a success by all attendees with the potential of using Zoom for Manly Circle meetings.
The second test was a Trivia Night, replacing our usual Friends of Catenians regular trivia night, largely the same crew joined another successful test of the software, our monthly trivia night will become a fortnightly trivia night using Zoom.
All the participant has to do is click the link contained in the email and begin the conference.
St Brigid's Catholic Church, Millers Point
- the first in a series of sketches of Catholic Church buildings in Sydney by artist Graham Short (Province 21 Memebership Officer).
St Brigid's Catholic Church and school is the oldest Catholic building in Australia still being used for its original purposes. The site was approved by Governor Bourke in 1833 for the erection of a Catholic school building that could also be used as a chapel, and it was built using local stone, possibly quarried on site.
The combined church and school building, built to a design of Father William Ullathorne, by the colonial architect Ambrose Hallen, was completed in April 1835 and opened in May of the same year. [1]
The school predated the introduction of state-run schools in the 1840s, and was an early example of the role of private or religious concerns in education in Sydney. The school accepted both male and female students, and by 1839 had an enrolment of 121 students – 76 boys and 45 girls. The students were taught in separate classrooms, created with partitions inside the school building. The first teachers were lay teachers, but between 1843 and 1847 the school was run by the Christian Brothers, after which lay teachers were again employed until 1868, when the Marist Fathers took over.
Between 1874 and 1879, St Bridget's (as it was then spelt), established itself as a separate parish, breaking away briefly from the parish of St Patrick's. The independence was short lived, as the parish was too small to sustain itself, and St Patrick's reabsorbed the church and school. Around the same time, in 1880, the school came under the guidance of the Sisters of St Joseph, who ran the nearby St Joseph's Providence(also known as the Cumberland Street orphanage). Around 1900 the school was taken over by the Sisters of Mercy, but numbers declined as the population of Millers Point fell because of the resumptions and redevelopment then taking place in Millers Point and The Rocks.
Enough of a congregation remained to justify an extension to the building, an extra storey, to mark the centenary of its opening. Construction began in 1930 and the addition was opened in 1933. The ground floor section – the original school and chapel – was converted to a church, with the upper floor used as a school. It was also at this time that the spelling St Brigid's was adopted. [2]
The Sisters of Mercy continued to teach in the school until its closure in 1992. The church continues to be used by the local congregation for Mass.
Do you have an interesting hobby you'd like to share, send a few words and importantly some photos to p21.newsletter@thecatenians.org.au
Canberra Circle Annual Weekend Away
Canberra Circle's faith based friendship was admirably displayed by those brothers and their wives (22 in total) who participated in the Circle's annual weekend away 6-9 March 2020 in and around Albury in NSW.
The corona virus was not high on the agenda at that time but, nevertheless, there was not much shaking hands and kissing.
The weekend commenced with everyone checking into the Albury Manor Hotel on the Friday. We had hired a bus for the Saturday and Sunday and our driver provided us with an informed commentary for the whole two days.
We went to places most of us, even as regular visitors to the region, had not experienced. We visited Yackandandah, Beechworth and Milawa.
Wandering around these towns proved very relaxing if a little expensive for some brothers, with many purchases being undertaken by the ladies – Beechworth and Yackandandah are very fashionable places.
The former was quite crowded but the sun was warm and the walking easy; some of us got a better understanding of the history of Ned Kelly and his infamous record.
Dinner saw our group together in the formality of the hotel's private dining room. Pomp and ceremony soon gave way to tall tales and frivolity.
Sunday saw us at mass at St Patricks and with some advance briefing for the parish priest, we were given a warm welcome. The rest of the day was dedicated to visits to two wineries, as part of the Tastes of Rutherglen food and wine festival. The expected crowds were lower but that made our experience that much more enjoyable. The day concluded with a visit to Corowa the birthplace of our federation as it was here in 1893, that the first constitutional meeting was held. It was during a casual visit into one of the supermarkets there that we noticed a remarkable shortage of toilet paper on the shelves!
Monday morning had most the group visit the Hume Dam and Bonegilla – one of a small number of migrant settlements established to accommodate the many war refugees who came to Australia after WW2. A guided tour was most informative. The settlement housed some 30000 people at various times till its closure in 1971.
Three wonderful days and nights.
Everyone agreed that such occasions are tangible expressions of our fellowship and friendship.
News from around the circles
Cairns:
Cairns Circle marked the anniversary of Brother Giovanni Battiato in style.
Fr Neil said a wonderful Memorial Mass for our late Brother Giovanni RIP, there was many Brothers and their families attending and also members of Giovanni's family as well including his mother Maria.
Afterward they got together for a breakfast at Portofino Restaurant in Palm Cove.
As you can see by the pictures, our Brothers led by Brother Joe made it a very happy occasion in memory of Giovanni.
Thanks to Brother Tony for having us.
****
A note from Cairns Brother Peter Cash, now resident in Bournemouth.
Dear Brothers,
Greetings to you all from the UK. A warm welcome to you all and your loved ones'.
Please keep well and safe in this present Corona crisis, it is terrible here in the UK, I have never seen anything like it before.
Our local April meeting has been cancelled and not sure if any more following that might also, just have to wait and see how this crisis goes.
Our Churches must be going through difficult financial times as there is not the usual collections at the Masses.
Best wishes to you all. Dominus Vobiscum.
Brother Peter
****
Cairns Brother Mark Freeman has produced a wonderful video in the campaign to raise funds for the Holy Cross Building Alteration Fund.
Well worth a look!!! Well done Mark, it was done a few years ago, but so nice to watch and listen too.
Ku-Ring-Gai:
It would appear that the treatment Ric Camilleri has been having to cure his camera shyness is beginning to work. Karen was there to monitor his progress. Not sure what her latest opinion is.
Manly:
Lots of news from Manly, including a bumper issue covering the first weeks of isolation due to Covid-19.
(left) Visiting Bro. Tony Rossiter from Isle of Wight Circle, Laurie de Ambrosis and Brendan O’Connell clearly took much food for thought from our guest speaker Bill Riddington at the February meeting, our last for a while.
(right) The Manly triviateers at the 3 March 2020 trivia night at Balgowlah RSL – from left: Romano Di Donato, David and Mary-Anne Addington, Bob Rigon, Terese Di Donato, Maria Rigon, Nuala and Paul Pearson. It was another great night, and another midfield finish - we were around 5 questions (or should I say answers?) off the winning group!
From left: Michael McMahon, Paul Pearson, David Addington, Gary O’Sullivan, Mark Wall, and Terry Hayes.
(left) Several Brothers recently enjoyed lunch at the Balance Thai restaurant in Seaforth. A cleansing ale was the perfect way to start the lunch! An excellent meal was enjoyed by all and much discussion took place on a wide range of topics, some of which were even Catenian-related!
Could easily become a regular event, when we're permitted to be that close!
***
David and Mary-Anne Addington escaped to the Hunter Valley recently for a short break, just before the Covid-19 began to take effect, staying at a house on the top of a hill. They had food for 10 days so didn’t go out. David said it was very beautiful and peaceful. He said they went there because they could be isolated and would be able to walk without running into people.
Sadly, David said their neighbours were poor at the 1.5 metre social distancing rule! The kangaroos and wallabies were getting together in groups. When he fed them, they came within the 1.5 metres! “I have spoken to them most strongly but they don’t listen. I don’t know how they can be so un-Australian.”
Then, a 2.5 metre diamond python appeared on the roof of their spa (left)! It was well within the 1.5 metres. It was stunningly beautiful with yellow markings. As it was very sleepy in the cold weather, David couldn’t get it to move. It stayed for most of the morning and then slipped slowly off the roof and down to the deck. It slowly disappeared under the house or spa. “I hope it is keeping its 1.5 metres”!
David said they also had a poorly behaved lace monitor in the garden (below)! It was about 1.7 metres long and very heavy. “I insisted on 1.5 metres!! It is also very beautiful. They have lovely markings as well. It lives on the edge of the property. They are a tree monitor and only come down to hunt and breed so hopefully we may see a mate and babies sometime.”
The bird life was quiet except for the pied butcher bird. David said they have the most melodic and sweet sound. David and Mary-Anne had lots singing to them in the mornings. It was almost like a choir, David said. Go to youtube and look for them signing. I think they have the most beautiful singing of all Australian birds. They kept their 1.5 metres!
One morning they had a disaster. David had accidently turned off the heater in the spa and the temp plunged to 35.2. They could only stay in for about 30 mins. David turned it back to 39 and it warmed up and all was well.
Mary-Anne took many photos and she has some stunning caterpillars as well as water lilies. “She always sees the wonderful animals that we share this world with.
I have spent a lot of time just watching nature all around us. We haven’t seen or heard many cars or people. Just us and nature. We are just part of this beautiful world.”
David: “Yes, the world is facing a difficult time but that is the cycle of life. The kangaroos and wallabies are unconcerned with our problems.
There is so much beauty in the world. Kind of puts it into perspective. We will continue to self-isolate either here or at home.”
Harbourside North:
Bro John Punch (pictured right) advises that the cleaners have stopped coming due to COVID-19 so it’s now DIY in the Punch household.
Bro Len Lozina reports that on Good Friday, he and Mary (pictured left) undertook a pilgrimage from their temporary home at Artarmon to Our Lady of Dolours Church at Chatswood.
Many are improvising new modes of worship during these strange times in which we find ourselves. Len and Mary in front of Our Lady of Dolours Chatswood
***
Mike McEvoy reports -
One of the better outcomes of isolation is the reaching out to relatives and friends by the various technologies available e.g. phone, FaceTime, Zoom, Skype and the best one - What’s App.
We have a What’s App link among the family and can keep up with their activities. Another one I have with my friends at the yacht club.
One of the smartest What’s App links was started in our street by one of our neighbours so that say, if someone is going grocery shopping they’ll simply ask if anyone wants groceries. That group includes 70% of the 30 homes in the street.
One house, on the corner, has an HSC student who runs a DJ session on Sunday afternoons from 5 to 6pm playing requests (one per house) that we can all hear.
He lives about 50 metres from the Mosman Police Station and they are cool with it because all the neighbours have said okay to it.
***
View of Tasman Island taken from the track
Having a break along the trackBro Jim Phelan reports that he and 6 mates completed the Three Capes Walk last month - just before the travel restrictions to and from Tasmania were introduced. World Heritage listed Port Arthur is the start and end point.
The Three Capes walk is a challenging experience, 48kms, expect timber boardwalks, gravel and stone steps, restricted to 48 walkers per day, everyone walks in the one direction. Walkers carry their own backpack, required to stay in cabins for three nights, there are stunning views, exceeded expectations. In summary a very worthwhile experience and only 100km from Hobart.
***
Harbourside North are also running a 'Guessing Competition' with new President Graham Short's sketches of fellow members.
Recipe of the month
This could be a new feature for Eastern Link, but it relies upon you to send recipes in, either old favourites or something new.
If you have any recipes you'd like to share, please send them in to p21.newsletter@thecatenians.org.au
This is a new favourite for us, a dinner party recipe found online but with only the two of us in our cocoon, this meal lasts us at least 3 nights, just change the vegetables for variety.
Salmon, leek and potato pie
Ingredients:
4 large potatoes, cut into chunks 800gr
30 gram butter, plus 20g extra
1 leek, finely sliced
2 stalks of celery finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled finely chopped
1 tablespoon plain flour
2 cups fish stock or milk
400 gram boneless salmon fillet, skin removed, cut in 2cm pieces (one tray of 4 salmon pieces from Aldi, Coles & Woolies)
1 cup firmly packed baby spinach leaves (small packet of baby spinach)
1 tablespoon dill, chopped
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup parmesan, grated
2 tablespoon dried breadcrumbs (or tear up a slice of bread into small chunks, nice and crispy)
steamed green beans or peas worked well
lemon wedges, to serve
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cook potatoes in a saucepan of boiling, salted water 15-20 minutes, until tender.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan on high. Saute leek, celery and carrots 3-4 minutes, until tender. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from beat. Gradually add fish stock or milk, stirring until smooth. Return pan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes. Season to taste. Allow to cool slightly.
4. Add salmon, spinach and dill.
5. Drain potatoes and mash well. Stir in extra butter and egg. Season to taste.
6. Spoon salmon mixture into a shallow 8 - cup baking dish. Top evenly with mash, roughing up the surface with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with combined parmesan and breadcrumbs.
7. Bake 25-30 minutes, until hot and the top is golden, might need a little time under the grill.
8. Serve with steamed green beans and lemon wedges.
Recommended Reading
With the current challenges of social distancing more of us will be staying home more often, what better way than with a good book, which can then be discussed with fellow readers or send an email with comments to be published in the next Eastern Link.
All you have to do to recommend a book to your fellow Catenians is email the title and a few words on the book to p21.newsletter@thecatenians.org.au
Our first recommendation comes from Province 21 Membership Officer Graham Short -
l'm currently reading Ghosts of Empire - Britain's Legacy in the Modern World.
What an eye opener.
The book examines Iraq, Kashmir, Burma, Sudan, Nigeria and Hong Kong.
It highlights the lack of coherent policy in British Imperialism ,the role of strong individuals in filling the vacuum by shaping and implementing policies and the long term often disastrous effects on indigenous societies, that are still being felt today.
Have you read this book?
Any comments or recommendations please email p21.newsletter@thecatenians.org.au
Resources for Leadership in Times of Crisis
A detailed Pastoral Planning and Implementation paper produced by the Diocese of Parramatta on dealing with the current pandemic.
Click here to download the full PDF document (PDF, 303KB)
Useful Apps you can download from the App store
These are free games that you can download to your smart phone or tablet from the App store.
If you struggle with this type of technology, get on the phone to your children or grandchildren, I'm sure they'll be able to help walk you through the process.
Words with Friends 2 (Scrabble):
A great game to connect with your mates for a friendly test of your word skills.
While the App is called 'Words with Friends 2' it's free and is basically Scrabble, go to the App store on your mobile to download, create your profile, share your profile name with friends who can search for you once they've downloaded the App and you can play remote Scrabble.
Trickster 500:
If you're a 500 player, this App gives you the option of playing with your friends who have the App, playing a practice game or against random people who may be online.
Do you have any Apps you'd like to share, particularly if they're free?
Email p21.newsletter@thecatenians.org.au with your tips.
Prayers have been requested for ...
Our members, family and friends who are sick and in need of our prayers -
Ku-Ring-Gai:
Brothers Greg Scahill, John Szymanski, Ron Burke, Jack Garcia, Tony Lee, John Stone and Mike Tighe.
Family members Barbara Burke, Elaine Rickard, Brendan Stone, Gayle and Suzie Meagher, Jan and Rebecca Davies, Mariles Garcia, David Gardener, Monica Moldrich, and Madeleine Szymanski and daughter Kate McRea.
Manly:
Michael Van Ommen (now living in Wollongong) has been on a second course of chemo but is still very positive. After 8 years of chemotherapy, Michael has now had to move on to new drugs.
Michael is in good spirits (isn't he always!) and says he misses his Manly Brothers. He is very involved in church work, being an acolyte and reader in the Cathedral in Wollongong, a member of the St Vincent de Paul and a catechist.
Carlingford:
Bros. Stan Burgin, Bill Carpenter and Laurie Burns together with Jan Burgin. Also, continue to pray for Patrick Wheeler (grandson of Barbara Kenny), Timothy Carpenter, and Christopher Carter.
Bro. Bill Carpenter is now recuperating at home after 2 weeks at Royal North Shore Hospital and 2 weeks of rehabiliation at Mount Wilga Hospital. Bill would welcome contact with his Brothers by telephone. He is currently arranging the resumption of his oncology treatment.
Content for Eastern Link is gathered from circle newsletters and notice of meetings, could circle and group secretaries please add p21.newsletter@thecatenians.org.au to your distribution list.
Contributions to Eastern Link are also encouraged, particularly in this isolated world that we now live in, if you have an article that might be of interest to other circles please send a Word document and any photos to p21.newsletter@thecatenians.org.au