Eastern Link
June 2020
Contents:
A Catenian Vision - Leadership is the ability to articulate a vision and get others to carry it out "Leadership is the ability to articulate a vision and get others to carry it out." - Jeffrey Krames Jeffrey Krames has written a new book about the pontiff, Lead with Humility: 12 Leadership Lessons from Pope Francis. He offers a practical guide for how any leader can take the same principles to become an authentic and humble leader. |
Feeding Faith based Friendship in these challenging times To my mind good friendships, whilst always enduring of the gaps caused by time and distance, still need "feeding" from time to time through some form of interaction whether human or divine. Today's technology generally, but not always, is a much better conduit for that than what most of us grew up with, which is most fortunate with Covid-19 certainly changing the way we exercise our faith and stay in touch with friends – in some ways good and in some ways less so. |
Circle Of Friends Choir We now have 11 Choristers registered to sing and submit individual recordings of Never Alone (Circle of Friends) by Phil Murray. The choir members so far are, Phil Muray, Peter O'Reilly, Frank Filocamo, Paul Bellhouse, Graham Short, Martin Stebbings, Romano DiDonato, Michael Tan and Graham Cossatto. |
Vale: Fr. Noel Connolly  Although Fr Noel Connolly's ministry to The Catenians emerged only in the final six years of his life as a Columban missionary, we have been truly blessed by his contribution to our ongoing discernment of Catenian spirituality and mission in Australia during this relatively short period.
Fr Noel was called to eternal life during the Vigil of Trinity Sunday. |
Hands across the sea – Manly Circle celebrates with UK Brothers The world of Catenians was on display at Manly Circle's May virtual meeting. Virtual meetings will not replace, nor are they as good as, live meetings, but they do serve to keep us in touch in these difficult times. Manly Circle held its "virtual" May 2020 meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, 20 May 2020. |
| Pulpit Presentations - What's the Problem? As you know in many circles and Provinces, often problems arise with Pulpit presentations where there is often very little interest shown by those potential Catenians present, which are due to the person undertaking the presentation or the content and length of the presentation. A short punchy presentation where the presenter shows his passion for being a Catenian and talks about "Why he became a Catenian" would appear to be the best option for the future. |
Virgins and Jezebels – the Origins of Christian Misogyny a talk by author Chris Geraghty at Harbourside North In 2018 Chris Geraghty published his book Jesus – the Forgotten Feminist, which searched the four Gospels to find out what the early Christian writers wanted believers to know about Jesus' attitude towards and treatment of women – women of all sorts – Jewish and non-Jewish, fringe-dwellers, street-women, ritually unclean ones, single, married and divorced women. He loved and respected them – and they loved and reverenced him. Contrary to the prevailing law, he spoke to them, he touched them and involved some of them in his ministry. |
The Fifth Emergency Service?  Years ago, there were just three emergency services - Police, Ambulance and Fire. Now if you dig deeper there are a whole host of others– moorland search & rescue, lowland rescue, coastguards, lifeboat, cave rescue, quicksand rescue, mine rescue, mountain rescue and bomb disposal. If you are a member of the Catholic church, the best kept secret is The Catenians and if you are a Catenian, the best kept secret, we are in fact the Fifth Emergency Service. |
Lamb Shanks for 2 A variation on an old favourite by Brian Hamer from Manly Circle |
Prayers for ... Prayers are requested for those not doing so well in our circles. |
Obituary John Barrie, Ku-Ring-Gai Circle |
| Eastern Link continues its role as a communications tool for sharing information between Catenians in Province 21 and Area Victoria particularly during the challenges of Covid-19 and as we deal with the reduction in restrictions, please continue creating and distributing your newsletters, as these are the sources of information for publication. |
A Catenian Vision - Leadership is the ability to articulate a vision and get others to carry it out
George Kazs, President, Australian National Council
"Leadership is the ability to articulate a vision and get others to carry it out." - Jeffrey Krames
Jeffrey Krames has written a new book about the pontiff, Lead with Humility: 12 Leadership Lessons from Pope Francis. He offers a practical guide for how any leader can take the same principles to become an authentic and humble leader.
Vision. It's not even easy to define let alone articulate. She was a vision of loveliness! The apostles, and the prophets before them, had visions! We all have dreams! Sadly, too many of our mentally ill see visions! We cry out for our political leaders to have vision!
Earlier this year when we could travel and meet people, I found myself apologising to our Catenians for not being able to articulate a vision for the Association.
I was not a prospective coach being asked by a selection panel to articulate how a premiership was to be won. Or a prospective CEO being asked how a company was to be reinvented or resurrected to profitability. There were too many variables, unknowns, risks.
On a Sydney train one evening travelling back to Chris Vale's home where I was staying, we discussed these imponderables. Then it occurred to me.
Why shouldn't we have a go at a vision?
Why not try and share with the brothers how we saw the Association developing into the future. I say, we, we being the Australian National Council.
So, the process started.
After much deliberation, consultation, discernment and prayer, the ANC has now signed off on its response to the Woodford SWG report presented to Central Council a few years ago.
Our response has been provided to the Central Council's Review Committee and we recognise that there is still some way to go.
That response includes a vision for how we see the Association developing over the next ten years.
Yes, it's our vision – at this stage!
The submission also includes a range of other significant conclusions and recommendations relating to the growth and development of the Association as an inclusive part of the Church and society in the 21st century.
We have the Review Committee and the Central Council to convince and subject to their discernment, the members of the Association worldwide of the necessary constitutional changes envisaged. We like to think we have listened to the advice received but we also acknowledge that, as has been the case here, it's not always possible to accommodate all views.
A copy of the ANC submission has been made available on our website and can be accessed here.
I would like to thank everyone who participated in and contributed to the development of this final product – the discernment process is as important as is its product.
I feel particularly proud and humble to have shared this part of the journey with you all.
Feeding Faith based Friendship in these challenging times
John Secker, Secretary, Australian National Council
To my mind good friendships, whilst always enduring of the gaps caused by time and distance, still need "feeding" from time to time through some form of interaction whether human or divine.
Today's technology generally, but not always, is a much better conduit for that than what most of us grew up with, which is most fortunate with Covid-19 certainly changing the way we exercise our faith and stay in touch with friends – in some ways good and in some ways less so.
From a faith based perspective amongst the good I've heard are some Parishes who are getting many, many more people watching their online Masses than previously sat in the pews over the weekend; the less good being the expert assessments I see in some journals about the permanent loss of Mass attendees and opportunities to attend Mass that will likely eventuate when once again our Churches are able to fully re-open.
From a friendship perspective and drawing from my experiences with my own Catenian Circle and my friendships more broadly our use of the modern electronic communication methods too has mixed blessings.
Amongst the good must be the plethora of social media and video conferencing tools allowing us to share our everyday lives with those near and dear to us; so long as they have a good connection to the internet, able to use it and we remember to invite them to join in!
For some of those who can meet those criteria Covid-19 brings blessings indeed – I think particularly of some of my friends who are once again participating in gatherings that their physical frailty had led them to withdraw from. However, for those deficient in anyone of those ways Covid-19 is increasing their isolation significantly and we need to ensure that we do stay in touch with these friends, whether Catenians or not, too.
The one form of communication that is still widely accessible is the written word so as we embrace the ever growing pool of electronic communication tools do not let us forget to continue to "put pen to paper" in the form of letters and newsletters so that those of our friends not connected to our new and emerging electronic friendship communities still get to share in our Covid-19 lives.
Circle Of Friends Choir
- Province 21 Membership Officer Graham Short is looking for some more choir members for the virtual Circle of Friends Choir
We now have 11 Choristers registered to sing and submit individual recordings of Never Alone (Circle of Friends) by Phil Murray.
The choir members so far are, Phil Muray, Peter O'Reilly, Frank Filocamo, Paul Bellhouse, Graham Short, Martin Stebbings, Romano DiDonato, Michael Tan and Graham Cossatto.
To achieve at least one Chorister/Province 21 Circle/Group we are still awaiting participants to volunteer from:
- Brisbane
- Cairns
- The Shire
- Hornsby
- Pittwater
- The Hills
- Warringah
This is a fun, team building, morale boosting response to the negatives of Covid-19 - so Phil and I look forward to hearing from you.
The instructions below have been developed by Phil Murray and Fergus to assist you with the recording.
A Zoom rehearsal will be held at end of month on date to be advised.
Should you be confident/wish to obtain some feedback send your "best" effort, prior to end of month, to Fergus at email address below.
Deadline for final submissions will be Sunday 5th July.
Download the lyrics of Never Alone. (PDF, 235KB)
Download the Music Notation Lead sheet (PDF, 42KB)
Listen to Never Alone by Phil Murray
If you're interested in joining in, contact Graham Short, Province 21 Membership Officer on 0418909660 or graham.m.short@gmail.com
Instructions for Choristers
- Open a Google Drive Account and set up a Gmail address for yourself.
- Install the full mix of the song 'Never Alone' on an electronic device (PC, laptop or smart phone) – not a CD player as playback timing can vary from one device to another.
- Listen to the song and practise singing along with the lead vocal, taking care to keep to time and singing each note for the same length as recorded, especially at the end of phrases. For those using the music notation, stick to the timing and note length as recorded in the audio as the notation may be slightly different in places. Practice until you are very familiar with the words and melody so you can sing it smoothly.
- Set up for video recording on another smart phone (not the one used for playback). Maybe you can play back on your wife's smart phone and record on your own. Record using PORTRAIT setting.
- Try to record against a lightish background and ensure your face is clearly visible. Maybe some light in the foreground from a window would work.
- When recording, ensure you are standing but only your head and shoulders are recorded as video. Also since most of us are a bit grey around he gills suggest wearing a plain but coloured open neck shirt. Ensure the background is appropriate.
- Use ear buds to listen to the full mix of the recording – headphones don't look so good on screen whereas earbuds are hardly noticeable.
- Start the video recording then commence playback of the song through your ear buds.
- Record your vocal only, not the song you are listening to. Sing along with the lead vocal and try to look a bit happy if you can. Smile if possible though that's not always easy when singing.
- Continue recording until the whole song has ended and continue to look straight at the camera for some seconds after the music stops. Then switch off the recording.
- Play back your recording and check that it's fine. Do several takes if possible and select the one that you think is best from both audio and video perspectives.
- Sign into your Google Drive account.
- Upload the video file that you want to send through Gmail.
- Wait for the video to upload.
- Compose a new Gmail message.
- Attach the video file from Google Drive.
- Send the completed file to fergus@terracordis.com.au
- Fergus will download your file for inclusion in the final integrated product.
May there always be a song in your Heart!
Vale, Fr. Noel Connolly SSC
Although Fr Noel Connolly's ministry to The Catenians emerged only in the final six years of his life as a Columban missionary, we have been truly blessed by his contribution to our ongoing discernment of Catenian spirituality and mission in Australia during this relatively short period.
Fr Noel was called to eternal life during the Vigil of Trinity Sunday.
Noel's contribution to the life of the Association was not confined to his ministry to Province 21 Council, he was generous in his response to invitations to speak at Circle dinners and formed individual and collective friendships with many brothers and their ladies, particularly those of the City of Sydney Circle where he was a not infrequent visitor at meetings and social events.
Some recollections of Noel's ministry to the Catenians will be included in the next edition of Eastern Link. The following obituary has been written by his confrere Fr Jim Mulroney SSC.
Father John Noel Connolly was a storyteller. Never cavalier in his choice of tales, the Queensland gold-mining town of Gympie, where he had been ushered into this world on 24 January 1945, was a starting point for many a yarn delivered in the classroom, from the pulpit or around the dinner table from which he would pull a poignant insight, salient lesson or obscure gem of wisdom.
Stories of Church life often began with his father's relationship with the parish priest. Experiences as an altar boy, life at the parish school and education at the Christian Brothers' St Patrick's College were not only further grist for his stories but also the foundation of the life that brought him to the Columban seminary at Sassafras in Victoria in 1963.
It was the beginning of a journey from gold-mining Gympie to coal-mining Hambaek, deep in the mountainous regions of South Korea, and onwards towards a future not imagined.
As a seminarian at North Turramurra in Sydney's northern suburbs, he delved deep into his lifelong studies of the mysteries that fascinated him.
Although belying the pithy tenet that a tidy desk reflects a tidy mind, his room was a showcase of the breadth of his interests. A visitor was warmly welcomed, then treated to a knowledgeable dissertation on the art displayed on the walls, aspects of philosophy, literature, history, theology or politics retrieved from notes scattered across his desk and floor, teetering on the bookshelf or strewn under the bed.
On a different bent, but with equal enthusiasm although with a less credible air, he would regale on Queensland's chances against New South Wales in the State of Origin rugby league clash.
In welcoming people, he forsook the gritty aggression he showed in the rugby scrum in favour of a gentility, acceptance and affirmation, which in later life allowed him to drive sometimes unpopular and controversial policies without alienating personal affection or respect from those with whom he disagreed, during his 12-year stint as vicar to the Columban superior general.
Ordained in Gympie by Bishop Henry Kennedy on 8 July 1969, he immersed himself in a life that he described as a vocation to inspire holiness and hope, through witness to the presence and activity of God in human affairs.
The following year he sailed to Seoul in South Korea. His own words describe his short years there as a struggle against his own ignorance, but also as a time of learning and developing a love of and appreciation for the rectitude of a people born into a cultural and religious environment not his own. It was an experience he carried with him for the remainder of his life and evidenced in his ministry as a priest, teacher, administrator and writer.
In 1974, he went to study moral theology at the Alphonsianum University in Rome, before returning to Australia to teach in the seminary from which he had graduated some six years previously. His disciplined and enquiring mind saw him take further studies in economics, anthropology and business studies, while at the same time becoming a founding father of the Korean Catholic Community of Sydney.
In 1979, he became rector of the seminary and director of the Pacific Mission Institute (later Columban Mission Institute) and at the tender age of 34 was faced with the challenge of organising an institution that would accommodate seminarians, men and women religious, as well as laypeople in an atmosphere of prayer, reflection, study and recreational life.
It was a daunting task and one for which there was no model, but his leadership qualities came to the fore in an atmosphere that required a combination of strict focus, compassionate reconciliation, flexibility, sociability and conviviality, as well as a tutored imagination.
In 1988, he was elected vicar general of the society and during the following years travelled widely throughout areas of Columban commitment in the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Pacific region.
Commitments to mission education and as regional director of the Columban region of Australia and New Zealand followed, in what transpired to be a build-up to what was arguably the biggest and most difficult challenge of his packed life—promoting a new paradigm for the Church in Australia.
Although he had been struggling against a cancer growing within his body for nearly two decades, he readily agreed to postpone retirement and take to the road as part of the preparation for Australia's fifth Plenary Council.
He listened with patience during his many engagements in the spirit of the listening Church he believed in, and encouraged people to listen to what the Spirit is saying. He spoke with enthusiasm of the sense of faith possessed by the community of souls that make up the Church, quietly explaining the difference between the well-known Church that teaches and the less-known, but more desirable one that discerns.
It was a mission tailor-made for the storytelling missionary. Although the elusive line between fact and fiction in his yarns could rival the best of parables, the poignant insight, salient lesson and gems of wisdom continued to emerge from even the messiest and diverse discussions.
Known as John to his family, he was Noel to the world, but remained the loving son of the late-Noel John and -Sarah May Connolly, faithful brother to Anthony and deceased sister, Mary, devoted priest and Columban, until his life ended on the evening of 6 June 2020 with his death in Concord Hospital in Sydney.
Noel loved the world and loved people. He believed in the bounty of the blessings received from investing in the truth and above all, he loved God, the trace of whose finger in the arena of human affairs he spent a lifetime discerning.
May he rest in peace.
Hands across the sea – Manly Circle celebrates with UK Brothers
Can virtual meetings because of COVID-19 help reinvigorate Catenians?
The world of Catenians was on display at Manly Circle's May 2020 virtual meeting. Virtual meetings will not replace, nor are they as good as, live meetings, but they do serve to keep us in touch in these difficult times.
Manly Circle held its "virtual" May 2020 meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, 20 May 2020. Along with 17 Manly Brothers, there were also 12 Brothers from the UK in attendance (including the current and immediate past GB National Presidents) plus Bro Ralph Fitzpatrick, Director Province 20 (WA) – a total of 30 in attendance.
Many Brothers were delighted to be able to talk with Brothers from Australia and the UK at the same time and discuss matters of common interest. This especially included how Brothers were dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and how that was affecting their Catenian involvement. The ability of virtual meetings to involve Brothers who could not otherwise physically attend meetings was seen as very positive effect. That of course doesn't mean physical meetings would be replaced, just that the Pandemic has given much greater flexibility to the way the Association can operate.
It could well be months before physical meetings resume, so virtual meetings look set to continue. For example, in NSW from 1 June 2020, up to 50 people are allowed in clubs (like Manly Golf Club), but bookings must be of no more than 10 people – so Manly Circle won't be meeting there any time soon. The use of virtual meetings will no doubt be the subject of further discussion.
The UK "virtual attendees" were:
- Eddie O'Donnell, GB National President
- Phil Brown, Davyhulme Circle; immediate past GB National President
- David Arundale, GB National Vice-President; member of Ascot & Sunningdale Circle 319 and Osterley & District Circle 355
- Mark Conroy, Burnley Circle, Director Province 10
- Roger Lillie, Director Province 11
- Bob Hussey, Director Province 12
- David Baldam, Director Province 15
- Jim Livesey, President of Burnley Circle 54
- Malcolm Forster, Registrar of Southampton Circle 12
- Michael Saulet, Chorley Circle 23 – Past President of Blackburn with Ribble Valley Circle 6
- John A Holland, Chorley Circle 23
- Peter Cash, Poole Circle and Cairns Circle
Roger Stroud, Province 12 Vice President and Province 12 Membership Officer, Swindon Circle 231 was a late apology for the meeting due to a clash with a last-minute video conference with the Chairman of the Board of his local NHS hospital trust. Roger is the local Lead Governor of the Trust. He said he would definitely "attend" the Manly virtual meeting in June.
UK Brothers were very happy with the Zoom meeting experience, noting especially that the timing of the meeting was excellent from their point of view (7:30pm in Sydney on Wed was 10:30am on Wed in the UK). This timing really suits UK Brothers.
Below is a screen shot of some of the attendees at the Manly May 2020 meeting.
The topic for discussion after the meeting was: "What should we keep as permanent changes to our personal as well as society behaviours after COVID-19?"
Undoubtedly our lives will be changed by our COVID experience, and it remains to be seen what practices, etc. we might keep from our current difficult circumstances.
Manly's David Addington said it was particularly welcome to see attention being given to the elderly.
Manly Welfare Officer Brian Hamer said it was wonderful to experience a truly global Catenian organisation via the medium of Zoom.
Manly's John Bigeni commented "how good is this" expressing his delight at being able to talk with Brothers from the UK without leaving his home!
Manly Secretary Terry Hayes at his desk (pictured left) on meeting night - with all those smiling faces beaming out from the laptop!
The comradery and interaction between the Brothers was a feature of the night. Although there could be a slight risk that some virtual meetings might become too popular and become too crowded, it is likely that the advantages outweigh such a possibility. The night proved just how international our Association is, and how relatively easy it now is for us to “get together” via Zoom in these Pandemic times. This can bring the Association closer together. Although virtual meetings via Zoom might be a temporary solution to holding meetings, there may be scope for continuing this post-COVID-19 at least on a limited basis.
The Catenian world is indeed a shrinking, and ever more interactive, place! Not to put too fine a point on it, but some Brothers have also suggested that virtual meetings provide a great opportunity to visit Circles without the expense! It’s a valid point!
Pulpit Presentations - What's the Problem
- an edited article from Roger Stroud, Vice President of Swindon Circle 231 & Joint Brother of North Glamorgan Circle and Memebership Officer, Province 12.
As you know in many circles and Provinces, often problems arise with Pulpit presentations where there is often very little interest shown by those potential Catenians present, which are due to the person undertaking the presentation or the content and length of the presentation.
A short punchy presentation where the presenter shows his passion for being a Catenian and talks about "Why he became a Catenian" would appear to be the best option for the future.
Successful outcomes from pulpit presentations are inversely proportion to the age of the presenter, multiplied by the length of the presentation, multiplied by the lack of true passion of the presenter.
Before we get to the talk, we must convert the Parish Priest.
The Best "Catenian Salesman" in our Parishes – is the Parish Priest.
He attends all Masses, knows all the Parishioners, signs all the forms for the local Catholic Schools and the application form for any young person in the Parish who is applying for a Bursary award.
The majority of Parish Priests appear to be very supportive or very negative of Catenians. It is great to have a supportive priest on board; he probably is aware of any Catenians in the Parish who in some way undertake one or more of the many tasks in the Parish. Even though the priest is supportive, opportunities should be taken to increase his support or degree of positivity.
Invite the priest on at least an annual basis to one of the monthly circle meetings, preferably only one priest per occasion, invite him to observe the actual meeting and to attend the following dinner, on a Ladies Night, ensuring he knows the ladies are happy to enjoy their own company rather than join the meeting.
The sales pitch to a priest is similar to the information we share with a potential new member after they've joined a meeting and dinner night.
What Catenians do -
- Share a meal every month,
- Say prayers,
- Reflect on the sunday gospel reading
- We look after the welfare of ailing members and equally importantly our widows.
- We have a charity officer who during Circle meetings emphasises the Bursary fund and how it supports students between 16 and 24, be they at Catholic schools, non- Catholic schools, colleges or university and the association's Benevolent Fund for when members or their widows have a financial crisis.
- Through our President's annual charity we raise monies, on a relatively small scale and distribute it to worthy causes.
- Organise various regular social events and activities such as, Trivia nights, special event dinners /lunches and walks for members and the parish community
- Support the diocese with integrating foreign priests
Now that we have the Parish Priest on-side, and he's supportive, we get to the pulpit talk.
A few presentation basic failures –
- Reading from notes
- Avoiding eye contact
- Too old
- Dressing Down - too much, but don't wear a dinner jacket & Bow Tie
- Fidgeting, jiggling, and swaying
- Failure to rehearse
- Standing at attention
- Speaking too long
- Failing to excite
- Great communicators grab their listeners' attention right out of the gate. Audiences remember the first thing you say
and the last: Tell your listeners why they should be excited about your content. Give your audience a reason to care.
- Great communicators grab their listeners' attention right out of the gate. Audiences remember the first thing you say
- Ending with an inspiration deficit
- Great communicators end their presentations on an inspiring note. Most presenters believe the middle of their presentation contains the really important content. It might, but most listeners will walk away from a presentation remembering what was said at the end. Do this instead: Go ahead and summarize what you just said in the presentation, but leave your audience with one key thought -- something they didn't know that makes their jaws drop in collective awe.
Can this be a continuing conversation?
Does any circle have a method that works for recruitment?
Are we trying to sell something that nobody wants?
Please send comments, any ideas to p21.newsletter@thecatenians.org.au and I'll publish in the next issue.
Virgins and Jezebels – the Origins of Christian Misogyny a talk by author Chris Geraghty at Harbourside North
In 2018 Chris Geraghty published his book Jesus – the Forgotten Feminist, which searched the four Gospels to find out what the early Christian writers wanted believers to know about Jesus' attitude towards and treatment of women – women of all sorts – Jewish and non-Jewish, fringe-dwellers, street-women, ritually unclean ones, single, married and divorced women. He loved and respected them – and they loved and reverenced him. Contrary to the prevailing law, he spoke to them, he touched them and involved some of them in his ministry.They journeyed with them to Jerusalem, died in their presence, was ministered to and buried by them, and when he first appeared after three days, it was to his female friends that he showed himself.
Jesus was presented in the Gospels as a radical, revolutionary religious leader whose preaching and behaviour challenged and disturbed the customs and laws of his society. His policy was one of inclusion, acceptance, involvement of all, of non-discrimination. His focus was on the person him/herself, and on their freedom from the petty demands of the law. For individual Christians and for the movement to which they belong, his attitudes and values constituted the gold standard which should determine the laws and customs that regulate the life of any Christian community.
So the question must be asked – did Jesus' values and attitudes regarding women continue in the life of the early Christian communities? This is the question Chris Geraghty deals with in his second book – Virgins and Jezebels – the Origins of Christian Misogyny.
After a close examination of the writings of St Paul and the Acts of the Apostles, of the writings of some of Paul's disciples and of the Fathers of the Church up to the time of the Council of Nicea (3254 AD) and the Emperor Constantine, Geraghty's answer to the question is – YES and NO for awhile (Paul was not misogynistic himself, but he was certainly patriarchal in his general attitudes and approach to women, and he made his contribution to the community's movement away from the values and principles lived out by Jesus, leading eventually and rapidly to a marked trend towards misogyny among the early writers of the Church); and NO from about 100 AD when the Pastoral Epistles (I and II Timothy and Titus) appeared. It was all downhill from that point.
"Misogyny is the ugly face of patriarchal societies in which men, often stupid old men, have all the power and make all the decisions.....Prostitution might enjoy the reputation of being the world's oldest profession, but misogyny is the world's oldest prejudice."
Geraghty's new book studies the misogynistic attitudes and customs in Jewish and Pagan societies at the time when the early Christian communities around the Mediterranean were being established – the Greek and Latin literature which reflected the cultural climate at the time – and Jewish writers such as Josephus and Philo.
Aristotle regarded women as "misbegotten males" and his friend Theophrastus wrote in an extremely unflattering manner about women. Both these men (and Plato too) had an extraordinary influence both inside and outside the Christian movement down the centuries. Aristotle, for example, had a dominant influence on Thomas Aquinas's attitude to women and their place in the Church – and both of these scholars continued to dominate the theology of the Roman Catholic Church well into the twentieth century.
Portions of the misogynistic writings of Theophrastus were copied and repeated by St Jerome at the end of the fourth century AD and were well-known throughout the Middle Ages and quoted by Geoffery Chaucer in his Canterbury Tales in the fourteenth century.
Geraghty contrasts the earthy religious preaching of Jesus to the more cerebral, sophisticated world of the apostle Paul who was a university-educated Jew and a man of the world – the pagan world. A citizen of Rome, from Tarsus. Under the influence of Plato, he wrote about two distinct and contrasting worlds – the world of the flesh and the world of the spirit – earth and heaven – an old creation and a new creation. Taking up this theme, the writers of the early Church spoke in dualistic, contrasting terms of the physical world involving the flesh, sex, the devil, sin, women and marriage, and the world of the spirit, of heaven, or reason and truth, involving grace, Christ, virginity, and men as the prefect creature fashioned by God.
Paul's special task was to preach the Good News of Jesus and his victory over Death to those living outside Palestine, to those in the Greco-Roman world. He was keen to present the new religious movement as mainstream and to expand its membership. The Christian movement was not just another one of those exotic, fringe religions from the East. The communities of Jesus followers had to be part of the cultural scene – and that meant conservative bahaviour from its members - nothing overly flamboyant or ostentatious. Paul's followers had to avoid being too visible in society, attracting unfavourable attention.
So in the new world outside Palestine, the structure underpinning the organization had to be patriarchal. Women could not be seen to be too dominant in the assemblies. The cultural values of the Greco-Roman world had to be reflected in the life of the new developing Christian communities and that involved a return to the established relationship between men and women in society. With Paul we witness a gradual move away from the radical and revolutionary stand Jesus had taken in his dealings with women.
Geraghty also explores at some length in his new book the developing exploitation of the myth of Adam and Eve among the early Christian writers, to propagate explicitly misogynistic attitudes and teachings. Adam's pre-eminence, his pre-existence, his primacy, his status, his authority and Eve's weakness, her sensuality and sexuality, her role as the agent of the devil, as a temptress of Adam and the cause of evil and chaos in the world.
One of the truly strange features of the belief system which developed in the early Christian communities was that, as Plato had anticipated, only male souls were created for and were welcomed into heaven. Even Mary Magdalene, according to the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas (composed around 100 AD), had to become a male before she could be numbered, together with the male apostles, among the blessed in heaven. They were strange and turbulent times and Geraghty helps chart the reader's journey through them.
He concludes – "None of my friends think that men are superior, more pre-eminent, and more intelligent, logical and reasonable than their mothers, or their wives. None of them think that women as a job-lot are silly and giddy, more frivolous, or emotional, less trustworthy and more deviant; that they were created to be inferior and submissive to men; that they are more prone to evil, easier for the devil to tempt, more lustful and craving of erotic experiences. None of my friends or acquaintances considers that men are far better company than women; or that the celibate life is better, more virtuous, happier, more fulfilling for a man than living and working in a loving union with a woman of his choice and the mother of his children".
And yet these are exactly the sentiments expressed in the writing of the Fathers of the early Church – sentiments which gave rise to the policy down the ages of keeping women in their place and away from the levels of power.
Chris is available for a virtual talk at your next meeting, contact Graham Short at graham.m.short@gmail.com
Download the order form if you would like to buy the book.
The Fifth Emergency Service?
An article by Roger Stroud, Swindon Catenian Circle 231 and joint member of North Glamorgan Circle 78 Province 12 Membership Officer
Years ago, there were just three emergency services - Police, Ambulance and Fire. Now if you dig deeper there are a whole host of others– moorland search & rescue, lowland rescue, coastguards, lifeboat, cave rescue, quicksand rescue, mine rescue, mountain rescue and bomb disposal.
Apparently when reading this list most people's hands start sweating by the time you get to quicksands! if like me you live south of the Thames and not near the coast you are unlikely to need to go beyond the three emergency services.
Then in 1998, Yes as long ago as that, a clever advertising agency came up with the Fourth Emergency Service, the AA.
If you are a member of the Catholic church, the best kept secret is The Catenians and if you are a Catenian, the best kept secret, we are in fact the Fifth Emergency Service.
I first found out about our emergency services role, when one of our Brothers, who I shall call Peter was diagnosed with stomach cancer and he was in a specialist hospital in the centre of Oxford, quite a few miles from our circle and in a different Province. One day another of our circle Brothers phoned me and said, " Peter rang from hospital saying he wants to see a priest, what are we going to do?" I thought about it for a few minutes and realised that I visited Oxford Circe a couple of times a year as I used to work about a mile from where they met. "It's Ok, I'll sort it out".
So I went to the Catenian directory, got the number of one of the Brothers I knew in Oxford, gave him a call and explained the situation. Two hours later, the phone rang, it was the circle brother who had alerted me to the need for a priest, "You'll never believe this he said, Peter has just rung from his hospital bed in Oxford, thanking me profusely, as a priest had come to see him." It may not have been quite as quick as the time the fourth emergency service, but it was pretty good. Since that day, whenever I visit Oxford Circle I always remind them of the incident and thank them.
In fact, the same circle came to our rescue last year. One of our Circle widows was in hospital in Oxford, due to have a major heart operation the next day and her daughter, who lives many many miles away wanted to go down to Oxford and spend a few days there to visit her mother. She rang our circle asking if we knew of any good hotels near the hospital. So we called our Catenian friends in Oxford, explained the situation and gave them the daughters number. Thirty minutes later she rang to say, someone from Oxford Circle had rang her and she had made a booking and was just about to leave home for Oxford.
Over the years I have seen in Catena, several letters and items about various occasions where similar incidents have happened such a catenian's son or daughter being taken ill many miles away home at university and the local circle helping is some way, Catenians cars having major breakdowns or bad car accidents along way from home and local circles being contacted and helping out in various ways.
I have heard other stories around the Province and beyond where others circles, often many miles away have helped out in a range of situations. These days I tend to keep one of my old Catenian directories in the door pocket of my car, as well as one by the house phone, just in case. Writing this, reminds me of the good old, yellow covered AA handbooks, with the lists of garages and hotels, that one kept in the door pocket.
If you take a few minutes to think about these types of situations and us, the Catenians and what we stand for and do, then we should truly be the Fifth Emergency Service.
Lamb Shanks for 2
A submission from Brian Hamer from Manly Circle
A variation on an old favourite.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 lamb shanks
2 small onions, peeled, halved
2 bay leaves (optional)
1 cup red wine or beef stock
1 cup water
2 teaspoons vegemite
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
1 red capsicum, deseeded, roughly chopped
1 yellow capsicum deseeded, roughly chopped or 1 large carrot peeled, cut into bite size pieces
Method:
- Preheat oven 160°C fan forced
- Place a medium size casserole dish (big enough to take the shanks) over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Add the lamb and onion halves in one layer. Brown the lamb shanks and onions for about 8 minutes turning every couple of minutes, or until the meat is slightly brown all over and the onions are beginning to caramelise.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pan, making sure the liquid is just covering the shanks, if not, add a little more water. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and place in the oven for 2 hours or until the meat falls away from the bone.
- Carefully lift the shanks from the casserole, place in a dish and set aside. Place the pan with the sauce over high heat and boil for 10 mins or until the sauce has reduced and has thickened slightly. Return the shanks to the sauce and remove the bay leaves, cover with lid and return to the oven set at 80°C to keep warm.
- Prepare potatoes and vegetables, set aside until required.
- Potatoes: 30 minutes before the end of the shanks cooking time cook the potatoes by boiling for 15 -20 minutes, depending on how big you have cut them. The smaller the pieces of potato the quicker the cooking time.
- When potatoes are cooked mash with some butter and milk or cream.
- Prepare any other vegetable and steam or cook in the microwave.
- Serve the lamb shanks with vegetables or remove the meat from the bones and serve with cooked penne pasta.
Comments
For a one pot dish you could add small, halved potatoes and diced carrots to the dish during the last hour of cooking.
Always cool casseroles to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator.
The shanks will improve in flavour the next day and can be kept refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Always put a little note with the date on meat you are placing in the fridge.
Cooked lamb shanks freeze very well. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating in the oven for 20 minutes.
Chicken thigh cutlet and drumsticks could replace the lamb.
Around the circles
Canberra:
Yes, we will be having a meeting this month, but not at the Canberra Southern Cross Club! Instead this will be a 'virtual' (videoconference) meeting.
At this meeting we will be enrolling Coll Marshall as a member of the Circle. Coll and his wife, Melodie, moved to Canberra from Alice Springs at the start of the year. They attended our February meeting. So many of you will have met Coll and Melodie then.
Paul Pearson, Provincial Vice-President and Provincial Councillor Manly Circle, will also be joining us to tell us about many of the interesting activities that Manly is doing. This is an opportunity to information share, particularly on how to keep in contact and support each other at this difficult time.
We hope that you can join us and make Coll and Paul welcome. You won't even need to brave the cold—but you will need to provide your own dinner!
Harbourside North:
VIRTUAL Circle MEETING to be held again this month by ZOOM Thursday 11th June 2020
GATHER for virtual drinks and chat at 7.00 pm
AGM at 7.30pm followed by our CIRCLE MEETING
Gospel Reader – Graham Short
Ku-Ring-Gai:
After the success of the May Circle meeting via ZOOM, we will again be meeting virtually on Monday, June 15th at 7.30pm.
The meeting will start with the AGM. We will also be enrolling two new (well one recycled!) Brothers in Martin Dando and Dilip de S Wijeyeratne. Please advise Br Catering Officer, Andrew of your attendance so that he can send you a link to the meeting.
Note: The St Ives Club has announced it is reopening from June 1st following the easing of some restrictions which allow a gathering of up to 50 people.
Council has decided that before holding a full Circle meeting, we will trial a dinner there for a smaller group to observe how social distancing and other requirements can be satisfactorily managed. This would include assessing modifications to our normal procedures such as the seating for the Circle meeting.
Subject to the success of this trial, it is possible that our normal Circle meetings could resume in July, but this will be confirmed.
May Circle Meeting on Zoom
We had 35 attendees at our first Zoom Circle meeting, including 5 Brothers from Reigate Circle in the UK and 3 visiting gentlemen. Our guest speaker was Fr Greg Chee, from Corpus Christi parish, St Ives, who spoke to us about the challenges of ministering to his parishioners during this time of Covid-19, when the church has been closed for Masses. He talked about the various initiatives he and his team have been undertaking to keep people connected in faith, including posting Sunday Mass on YouTube. Opposite is a screenshot, showing Fr Greg (lower screen), with part of his attentive audience (above). It was especially good to see one or two Brothers who normally have difficulty attending physical meetings, log on virtually.
City of Sydney:
Our meeting in May was successful in this period of isolation when twelve brothers logged in to their computers, IPads, laptops or mobile phones to have the novelty of attending the AGM, Installation of President and meeting – remotely via Zoom.
President Peter Gialouris presented to the Brothers of the City of Sydney Circle a comprehensive outline of his plans for his period leading the Circle in the year ahead. His address is complete in the minutes of the May meeting so please read these.
In it he had three themes for our monthly meetings:
Family :Helping our brothers and their families in difficulty or need.
Friendship: Foster friendship and social interaction – the opposite to the social isolation on the Pandemic.
Faith: Build on our faith and to continue to talk and live the gospel.
We welcome you Peter and know that you will be leading us in uplifting manner for meetings and membership.
He also brought forward some ideas:
- Further enhance the monthly Circle meeting.
- Vists to other Circles every month
- Open door to those in difficulty or need.
Peter was introduced to the Circle by Frank Filocamo 18 years ago – my how the years slip by!
Brother Immediate Past President Frank Filocamo is to be warmly congratulated on his THREE years as president of our Circle.
Frank eased into the role and gathered confidence as the period rolled on, with the meetings, with the Masses, with the social events and with the other Circles. He was very ablely assisted by his wonderful wife Gai despite having a double knee replacement in the middle of it all! Frank, the brothers know how it is to be relieved of the responsibility of organising the events and official functions of the Circle and it will be extremely pleasant to sit back and enjoy being "Immediate Past President"
From all the Brothers a big big THANK YOU!!!
Manly:
Happy 90th Birthday John Stapleton!
Hearty congratulations to John Stapleton on the occasion of his 90th birthday on 20 May 2020!
It’s clear from the photos that you had a wonderful day John.
Right: John enjoying his celebration with family.
Left: John in action – luckily there were not 90 candles on the cake!
A recent reflection from Fr Dave Austin osa
In a recent reflection, Fr David Austin OSA, Parish Priest at St Kieran's said:
Important as our church buildings are, they do not limit God's presence. God is present everywhere and the Risen Jesus is not limited by space….
'Where 2 or 3 gather in my name, there am I…' (Mt 18:20). Recall the many 'presences' of Christ in the Eucharist…. the first and primary presence is in the community gathered.
WE are the Real Presence of Christ before anything else happens.
At the end of Mass, we are sent forth to be the Real Presence of Christ in how we live, to give thanks in our family and work lives, our recreation, our concern for the sick and needy, in all we do – sounds like eucharist to me!
Trivia continues at Manly:
Participants on Tuesday, 2 June were Paul and Nuala Pearson, Terry and Ann Hayes, David Addington, Romano and Terese Di Donato, Bob and Maria Rigon, John Tweedie, Graham and Margie Tweedie, Ian and Kelly Saines, Greg Dunn (Friends of Catenians), John and Anne McCarney, and Trevor and Chemene (Friends of Catenians).
Brendan O’Connell also made a brief appearance and it was great to see him participate. Romano and Terese were the quizmasters.
It was another thoroughly entertaining night … and several questions were answered correctly!
Oh yes, it was also silly hat night!
Canberra:
Our Acting Welfare Officer, Norm Russell, has spoken with Brother Paddy Reardon and Brother Frank Nichols' wife Patrice. Both are suffering illnesses and in need of our prayers asking the Holy Spirit that they be returned to good health. Both Paddy and Patrice are in good spirits, despite their illnesses, and said that they would be pleased to know that the Circle members and their wives are thinking of them and praying for their recovery. Let's all add them to our prayers list.
Ku-Ring-Gai:
Our members, family and friends who are sick and in need of our prayers, Brothers Greg Scahill, John Szymanski, Ron Burke, Jack Garcia, Mike Tighe, Garry McIntosh and Mark Burdaiewicz.
Family members Mariles Garcia, Barbara Burke, David Gardener, Gayle and Suzie Meagher,
Jan and Rebecca Davies, Madeleine Szymanski and daughter Kate McRea, Margaret Marshall, lla Burdaiewicz and Brother Mike Tighe's daughter Karen.
City of Sydney:
Brother Joe McGuinness has returned home from St Vincent's Hospital after his episode with a subdural hematoma.
Manly:
Michael Van Ommen, while he is still being treated has been able to join us in our Zoom meetings, one of the benefits of Covid.
Chris Micallef continues his journey during recovery from his shoulder injury.
Obituary
John Barrie
31.03.1927 – 02.05.2020
On May 2nd Ku-Ring-Gai Circle lost Br John Barrie who died peacefully at home at the age of 93.
Until relatively recently, he was a regular attendee at our meetings.
We remember him as a gentle man and a gentleman.
Our sympathies and prayers are for his wife Helen, their children and grandchildren.
May he rest in peace.