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Share your stories of Circle activities and anything that might be of interest to our fellow Catenians, stories and news of upcoming events, and guest speakers that might be of interest, reports on any events that might be of interest. Email Eastern Link at p21.newsletter@thecatenians.org.au with your stories and photos (as seperate files please).
Thanks, Paul

Without your stories Eastern Link doesn't exist.

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Contents:

Adelaide City Circle inauguration – a major achievement In a well-orchestrated and rehearsed ceremony, the Adelaide City Circle 387 was granted its Catenian Association Charter on Saturday 11 June

Br Brendan Patrick O'Connell I got to know Brenden in 1994 when I joined the Hornsby Circle of the Catenians. Brendan joined the Catenians in July 1971 as a founding member of the City of Sydney Circle, the first circle in Australia and has been a member of the Catenians for the rest of his life, that is 51 years.

Brendan's Ties At Brendan O'Connell's wake, Brendan's daughter gave me his Catenian ties instead of donating them.  There are a total of 18 different ties which Brendan had collected over time from around the world.

Mary MacKillop Aussie Camino St Mary MacKillop Aussie Camino is a 150 km trek from Portland, Victoria to Penola, South Australia in honor of Australia's first saint and patron saint of Australian Catenians. The idea of participating in this Camino was Harbourside  North Catenian Jim Phelan's who is also a Director on the Finance Committee of the Sisters of St Josephs.

The Catenian Shield for Public Speaking In 2011, as one of the initiatives to mark the 40th Anniversary of its formation as the Association's foundation Circle in Australia, City of Sydney Circle presented  a perpetual trophy to Catholic Schools Debating Association (CSDA) for the Senior Division of its Public Speaking Competition.  The presentation of the trophy, named The Catenian Shield, was supported by a generous endowment from the Circle's inaugural President, the late Dr Plunket Sweeney.

City of Sydney Circle - at last - celebrates 50 Years On Wednesday, 6 July the City of Sydney Circle finally celebrated the 50th anniversary of its inauguration, the planned celebration in 2021, the anniversary year, having been postponed due to the unavailability of a suitable venue while Health Orders relating to COVID -19 were in operation. Fifty three brothers, visiting brothers, ladies and clergy gathered at the Circle's usual meeting place for the last forty years, ...

A Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of Mary Mackillop Australian National Council of the Catenian Association has reinforced its commitment to raising awareness of and devotion to the Patron Saint of Australian Catenians Mary MacKillop by its support to a unique Pilgrimage prepared by The Sisters of St Joseph.

Newsletter No. 1 from Malta and Gozo Welcome to this first issue of the Catenian Association's Malta and Gozo Province Newsletter. One earnestly hopes that this quarterly publication will be a worthy successor to the Mensija Circle Newsletter, the brainchild of outgoing Circle president Louis Cilia, who single-handedly published ten issues packed with interesting news and reading material from a number of regular contributors.

A Marlin visits Poole Circle Yes, Poole Circle is twinned with City of Cairns Circle, I first joined Poole sometime in the 90's, then started Cairns Circle in around 2006, after a parishioner at Holy Church in Cairns asked me what I did in my spare time, I told him and I said actually; I could start one here in Cairns!!! Then it went on from there. Recently at a Poole Circle meeting I made a presentation of the fabulous gift from City of Cairns Circle, they were over the moon ...

Young Aussie Catholic starts up Gaïa, a social enterprise in Senegal focusing on sustainable development Chris McMillan is a young, Australian Catholic and has been a Catenian guest speaker on two occasions and would be delighted to speak to your local Catenian Circle. After finishing his studies at Macquarie University, Sydney, Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management and Certificate in French Language, Chris McMillan travelled to South-East Asia in 2012 and became inspired to work in international development.

Membership Matters………………now for all! At its recent meeting Province 21 endorsed the inclusion of Membership Matters, as a regular article in Eastern Link. Previously it was issued to Circle Membership Officers, but it was agreed membership is every member's responsibility and it is important to maintain a constant  focus on membership retention and recruitment.

Spicy Sausage Ragu with Spirali Recipe This spicy sausage and tomato ragu with spirali pasta is a flavour-packed dish that's sure to be a family favourite. Using pork sausages as the base of the ragu makes this recipe quick and easy to cook, ready in just 30 mins. Add more or less chilli depending on how spicy you like it and scatter with flat-leaf parsley for a fresh finish.

UK Conference In The Mood For Change A summary of the GBN Conference Workshop held on 11 JUNE at Eastbourne, UK by Graham Short, Vice President, Australian National Council. Delegates and speakers at the GBN Conference Workshop, at Eastbourne, which I attended via Zoom, recognized and were in the mood for change.

Thoughts on the future from Province 8 President Phillip Marnick Bro Philip Marnick (Maidenhead), outgoing President of Province 8 shared some thoughts on the future for Catenian Circles, in a recent Province 8 Newsletter. "This year has increased my worry for the long-term future of the association. We are just not growing at the rate we need to be sustainable. We set-up a new team on working age Catenians – asked for volunteers ...

A special Catenian celebration for Don Mees' 95th Don had been an active member of Carlingford Circle for 34 years before he shifted to Calvary Ryde Residential Aged Care almost 2 years' ago. Access to Aged Care facilities has become difficult since the COVID pandemic began, but Don's daughter, Helen, arranged with Calvary for a group of 4 Carlingford Catenians to visit Don on his 95th Birthday on 12 April, 2022.

Vale Stan Burgin Stan Burgin was born on 30 June 1938 in Cowra NSW to parents Reginald and Cecilia, 5th of nine children, having 3 brothers and 5 sisters. As a boy he would often recall childhood memories of the chaos in Cowra the night 400 Japanese war prisoners broke out of the local WW2 POW camp.

Around the circles This edition of news from Around the circles covers the months of March, April, May and June, Eastern Link returns to a monthly newsletter next month.

Prayers for ... Prayers have been requested for...

Let's have a laugh ... A bit of humour from our newsletters

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Adelaide City Circle inauguration – a major achievement

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Cutting of the cake, left to right: ANC Secretary Harry Muller, City of Adelaide Circle President Kingsley Forsyth, ANC President Ralph Fitzpatrick, Provincial President Chris Downey and ANC Vice President Graham ShortIn a well-orchestrated and rehearsed ceremony, the Adelaide City Circle 387 was granted its Catenian Association Charter on Saturday 11 June 2022 at the Adelaide Royal Coach Hotel followed by a formal lunch at the same venue.

The formation of a Catenian Circle in Adelaide was first initiated in 2009 when Michael Cogman (a former member of Southgate Circle, Province 122 in England) settled in South Australia with his wife Mary, via a short stay in Perth. He wanted to continue his involvement with the Association and, in the absence of any circle in Adelaide, joined Joondalup Circle to maintain his membership. Encouraged by then Provincial Membership Officer John Monkhouse (formerly Provincial President in 2007/08) and Ralph Fitzpatrick who both visited Adelaide, they were unable to generate sufficient interest at that time. Michael never lost the belief that it would occur, and in early 2021 he eagerly supported an initiative by Kingsley Forsyth to fill the need for a Catholic men's group.

The historic event of Saturday 11 June 2022 now being celebrated is the culmination of 15 months hardwork and committed endeavour by the creators of the initial Catenian Group 942 Brother Michael Cogman and Brother Kingsley Forsyth with the help, guidance and encouragement of current members of the Province 20 Executive Council, Chris Downey, Harry Muller, Lou Daily, Vern Scanlan and Director Ralph Fitzpatrick.

The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Australian National President of the Catenian Association Ralph Fitzpatrick assisted by ANC Secretary Harry Muller in the presence of 11 visiting Brothers from Province 20, Province 21, Area Victoria, Eugene Das from Area 31 in India and two guests. Twenty-eight Brothers were installed by the National President and welcomed into the Circle and Association.

Office bearers are Kingsley Forsyth (President), Andrew Mulholland (Vice President and Treasurer), Conroy Saldanha (Secretary), Rennie Louis (Chamberlain), Joshy Scaria (Registrar), Ramon Salazar (Marshall), Joshua Newnes (Marketing and Publicity Officer) and Michael Cogman (Provincial Councillor).

In his welcoming address, President Kingsley Forsyth said that it was a momentous occasion for both the Archdiocese of Adelaide and the Catenian Association, where history is being made with the firstever Catenian Circle formally established in the State of South Australia.

"What seemed like an impossible feat a mere six months ago has materialised into the historic event that has taken place today," said Kingsley. "It's important to acknowledge that we are only able to celebrate this achievement because of the selfless contributions and commitment of so many Adelaide brothers."

"Our journey from inception to Circle has not been without its challenges, but the Adelaide brothers stuck together, stayed the course and always maintained their trust in God."

On Sunday 12 June 2022 the new Circle members, their families and visitors attended High Mass at Adelaide's St Francis Xavier Cathedral celebrated by the Circle's pastor, Fr Anthoni Adimai, who is a strong supporter of the Association's introduction into South Australia.

 

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Br Brendan Patrick O'Connell

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My name is Geoff Young and I am a Catenian on the Provincial Council and I am speaking on behalf of the Catenians about Brendan Patrick O'Connell who was a Catenian for over 50 years.  For those who don't know about the Catenians, they are a group of Catholic men who meet regularly followed by a meal.  Their mission statement could be summarised as Strengthening spirituality through faith-based friendship.

I got to know Brenden in 1994 when I joined the Hornsby Circle of the Catenians.

Brendan joined the Catenians in July 1971 as a founding member of the City of Sydney Circle, the first circle in Australia and has been a member of the Catenians for the rest of his life, that is 51 years.

We consider Brendan O'Connell to be the Patriarch of Catenians in Sydney for his active involvement in the formation of many Circles in the Sydney region.  Brendan was active in the formation of Kuring-gai, Carlingford, Castle Hill, Hornsby, Manly, and Harbourside North.  I also understand that Brendan provided some assistance in establishing Catenians in Melbourne and Sutherland Shire.

Brendan was the founding President of the Hornsby Circle (1990-1992) and has remained an active member of the Circle until recent months.  Until recent months, Chris Vale often drove Brendan to meetings until he was too ill to travel.  He was also a joint active member of the Manly and Harbourside North Circles until the end.  When I say Brendan was active, I mean that he participated in the Circle activities and often held various roles and positions.

Not only was Brendan active at the Circle level, Brendan was active on the provincial or regional and international level and included a term as Grand Director in 1993-1995, a title only 1 or 2 Australians have held.

Catenians opened up a new reason for Brendan to travel.  The inauguration of a circle is considered an important event and Brendan generally attended the formation of new circles.  His travelling was not limited to Sydney Circles and I am aware of Brendan going to the inauguration of Malta, Goa in India, Melbourne, Gold Coast Tweed Heads and Cairns.  There are probably a few other Circles which I do not know about.  In addition, Brendan was part of the Australian contingent which attended the 2014 Catenian Conference in Manchester and attended most the Australian Bi-annual conferences.

In appreciation of his role in establishing so many Sydney circles the O'Connell Cup is named after Brendan.  This trophy encourages Catenians to visit and meet Catenians in other circles.  

Hornsby, Manly and Harbourside North Circles were lucky to have such a wonderful person as Brendan as a member of the Circle.  There would have to be a serious matter why Brendan does not attend our monthly meeting.  (If absent, Brendan is probably attending another Catenian meeting elsewhere in the world while on holidays).  He was also a very regular attendee at Provincial events, especially the O'Connell Cup.  With all his activities, Brendan was well known within Catenian association.

Taking into account all that Brendan had contributed to the Australian and world-wide Catenians, Brendan was made a life member of the world-wide Association in 2016.  He was the first Australian to receive such an honour.

It is one thing to talk about the things one does in life and it generally speaks about the type of person one is.  But there is more to one's life than the things one does.  This is also true of Brendan.

Being an accountant, many things for Brendan were 'black and white'.  Brendan was a stickler for meeting procedures and protocol often offering words of advice when procedures and protocol were being relaxed.  However, recently Brendan admitted, while chatting after dinner, probably with a glass of red wine in his hand, that he had mellowed with age.  Brendan must be like a good wine, improved with age.

The other day, one of the Hornsby Catenians was recalling when he enrolled in the Circle that Brendan dropped around a few days later to his place to drop of some flowers for his wife as a welcome gift.  Brendan was like that, very thoughtful.

Brendan and I often had a quite word together on various topics.  He would often ask for more information on a topic and wanted a website for further investigation.  Brendan was always learning.  For example, Brendan was very interested in the American Civil War, possibly because so many native born Irish fought in it.  He was a member of the Civil War Society and went to many of their meetings and seminars.  Brendan occasionally liked to discuss some aspect of the Civil War.

In some quiet conversations, he often encouraged you on some matters and also offered words of praise or thanks for something you did.  The encouraging Brendan.

I have only spoke from a Catenian viewpoint.  But I am very much aware that Brendan was active in many other areas of life and leave others to mention them.

To paraphase the words of famous RL football coach Jack Gibson, "Brendan, you done good". 

Vale Brendan.

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Brendan's Ties

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An aricle by Geoff Young, P21 President

At Brendan O'Connell's wake, Brendan's daughter gave me his Catenian ties instead of donating them.  There are a total of 18 different ties which Brendan had collected over time from around the world.

In order, top row, left to right are:

• Grand President's Australian Tour 1997
• Newcastle Gateway 2011
• Post Ashes Australian Tour 2005
• Unknown
• Hong Kong
• Bandra Brothers
• St Helens Circle 21
• Unknown (Irish?)
• Ku-ring-gai 284

 Second row

• Durham 2015
• Solihull 239
• Manly
• City of Mandurah 321
• Panjim 353
• Torbay 1995
• unknown
• Sevenoaks 193
• Grand President Tour WA and Hong Hong 1991

Let me know if you would like a particular tie from this collection.  A donation to Vinnies flood disaster, Brendan's charity at his funeral, would be an appropriate price in exchange for the tie.

Geoff Young, Province 21 President and a member of Hornsby Circle
Geoffyoung11@gmail.com

  

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Mary MacKillop Aussie Camino

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Camino trekkers with Sr Monica Cavangah rsj after Mass, blessing and presentation of medallions at Mary Mackillop Memorial Chapel North Sydney, prior to setting off on a training walk.

By Graham Short, ANC Vice-President

 St Mary MacKillop Aussie Camino is a 150 km trek from Portland, Victoria to Penola, South Australia in honor of Australia's first saint and patron saint of Australian Catenians.

The idea of participating in this Camino was Harbourside  North Catenian Jim Phelan's who is also a Director on the Finance Committee of the Sisters of St Josephs.

It became a Catenian Camino by default when Jim's regular walkers were unavailable and places were opened to fellow and past Catenians. Those who accepted were Adam Trajer (Melbourne) myself and John Tweedie (HSN), Luke Keighery (ex Ku-Ring-Gai) and also Peter Marshall. The numbers were topped up by Janet and Daisy both non-Catholics and experienced walkers.

From my point of view Mary MacKillop apart from being Patron Saint of Australian Catenians, apart also from being a redhead and founder of the Josephite order (I chose Joseph as my confirmation name) is my sort of saint. She was a woman who from humble beginnings and at a young age found her vocation and despite great difficulties, including ex-communication, remained dedicated to it her whole life.

Preparation: took two forms -

Training Walks: Although most of the Pilgrims were experienced  walkers it was agreed that training walks were essential prior to the Camino.

Spiritual: prior to the last Training walk we attended Mass at the Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel North Sydney where we were blessed and presented with Camino medallions and prayer cards.

Assembly: Pilgrims made their own way to Melbourne, either by plane or train, and assembled at the Mary MacKillop Heritage Centre, East Melbourne.  We had a tour of the Centre and a further blessing from Sr Patricia.

Also to meet us were our guides Sue and Sheree, of Getaway, with their minibus and trailer which took us to Portland where we stayed at a heritage B&B, in Portland we visited Bayview Cottage , the former Loreto Convent School and All Saints Church before, setting off.

Day 1: To Bridgewater from Cape Nelson Lighthouse to commence the walking part of the Camino along Limestone Coast to Bridgewater.

It was later when I mentioned it to my brother Prof Andy Short, a coastal geomorpologist, I was informed that he had used the term "Limestone Coast" in a Report he has done c 1988 and the name had stuck!

The walk was along low shrubby Limestone headlands, firm sandy beaches and through stunted shrubby back dunes.

Weather begun cool and overcast and changed to warm & sunny with following SE sea breeze.

Day 2: Bridgewater to Bridgewater Lake took us to the heights of Cape Bridgewater with its 15 seal colonies and petrified Limestone forest and "moonscapes" the blow hole and beach.

Day 3: To Port Macdonnell, a long walk on firm sandy beaches with evidence of its name as the Shipwreck coast, Mary's mother, a viable saint h erself, was drowned in a shipwreck off Eden, NSW, at the end of the day's walk we were taken across the border into SA by mini bus to Port Macdonnell the Crayfish Capital of Australia where we stayed at the local pub. It is also the place where Mary embarked on the SS Penola 21 June 1867, Adelaide bound to expand her and Fr Tennyson-Woods revolutionary Catholic teaching principles.

Day 3 Limetone CoastDay 4: To M Gambier, we left the coast and headed North, towards Mt Gambier along quiet rural roads and stock routes 26 stopping at and climbing Mt Schank, a remnant  part of a volcanic caldera with its spectacular 360 degree views.
From there we trekked to the outskirts of Mt Gambier then taken by minibus to Blue Lake then our accommodation, the Old Gaol.

Day 5: To Dismal Swamp, a trip to the Sink Hole then set off from the outskirts of town, to Dismal Swamp and Bush Haven cottages cottages and the chance to wash our clothes.

Day 6: To Kalangadoo was along quiet rural roads past blue gum stands with mandatory lunch stop delivered by mini bus.
At Kalangadoo we stayed at the local pub where we had an unscheduled welcome and a shout of drinks from Des the local Mayor and his wife and the local Cricket XI celebrated a grand final win.

Pilgrims at Portland B&BDay 7: To Penola, we bid farewell to Kalangadoo and set off on our final leg to Penola. Conditions were overcast and a lot of the walk was along an at times overgrown disused railway track, which by popular vote was by far  the least favoured of all conditions experienced.

We approached Penola under the threat of vertical lightning and a distant thunderstorm, in due course, the heavens opened and the final kilometrnolaes were completed under wet and windy conditions.

We made our way to the comfort of, for the first and only time, modern motel unit with ensuite and TV. Dinner was held at the pub once owned by Mary's uncle.

Day 8: Penola  Next morning we attended Mass and received blessing from Fr in company with Sr Loreto RSJ.
Following Mass we toured the contemporary museum which has exhibits on the work of both Mary and Fr Tennyson Woods and where we were presented with our Camino Certificates.

Penola is the oldest inland town in SE SA founded in 1850s by Mary's uncle Alexander Cameron, a Scottish immigrant, publican and squatter, who made good.

Mary came to Penola to tutor his children and those of the surrounding district. It is here that her ministry began. There are many historic buildings in Penola relevant to Mary's early years including the School House, St Joseph's Church, and the site of the original Stables, Schoolhouse now a park, together with her uncles rebuilt Cottage and a number of restored buildings along Petticoat Lane.

The Camino was rounded off by a wine tasting and lunch at Brand's Laira Winery and dinner at the local pub with a debrief  by Sue and Sheree and presentation of Getaway's certificates to pilgrims.

Day 9: Return to Melbourne by mini bus with a coffee stop at Dunkeld VIC, in the shadows of the Grampian ranges, and at historic Ballarat for a quick Bakery lunch stop before the final leg to and being deposited at Southern Cross Station mid afternoon.

In conclusion the Camino was a great experience not only in terms of having a break from the usual, with the trekking, but also in gaining a knowledge and appreciation of St Mary MacKillop, and the camaraderie and friendships formed along the way.

About the Aussie Camino

The Aussie Camino is a pilgrimage route from Portland in Victoria to Penola in South Australia. This is inspired by the life and journeys of Australia's Saint Mary of the Cross Mackillop and her mentor Fr Julian Tenison Woods. Saint Mary's life is a wonderful study of a woman who carried many crosses in her life and responded to the challenges through her faith and her courage. People find strength and encouragement in their own lives through her examples of faith, forgiveness and kindness. 

Born in Victoria and raised in Melbourne, Mary's dream was to dedicate her life to the service of God and the poor. At the age of 24, with the assistance of Father Julian Tenison Woods she founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Penola, South Australia. Mary spent many months travelling the country towns of Victoria, visiting children in foster homes on her way to meetings in Melbourne, Sydney or Adelaide. 

Traversing such a trail has been a centuries old tradition. For many people it is a spiritual journey focusing on a person whose life and work provided fulfillment and satisfaction and a model for followers. The beauty and wonder of the natural environment contributes to the experience as does the comradeship of fellow travellers. 

In addition to the pilgrimage aspect, this walk provides a showcase of stunning coastline, quiet country lanes, Australian bush settings and the welcome of small towns along our way. This is a time for exploration, for reflection and for connecting with nature.  

Download the 2023 Aussie Camino brochure

 

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The Catenian Shield for Public Speaking

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In 2011, as one of the initiatives to mark the 40th Anniversary of its formation as the Association's foundation Circle in Australia, City of Sydney Circle presented  a perpetual trophy to Catholic Schools Debating Association (CSDA) for the Senior Division of its Public Speaking Competition.  The presentation of the trophy, named The Catenian Shield, was supported by a generous endowment from the Circle's inaugural President, the late Dr Plunket Sweeney.

One of the Aims set out in Association's constitutional documents is to advance the interests of Catholic young people. While the means by which this Aim is pursued varies from national group to national group and from Circle to Circle, one of the popular means is through Catholic schools public speaking competitions, particularly at the Circle level in the UK.

These now well established competitions not only provide the Association with a positive profile within the local and national Church, but also provide those Catenians who promote and organise them with the opportunity to actively serve young people within the Church by pursuing a Catenian Aim.

However, because of the size and centralised structures of Catholic Diocesan and Congregational education systems in the greater Sydney area, pursuing that Aim by adopting the UK example has not been an option for Circles in Province 21.  By the time the first Australian Circle was inaugurated in 1971 there were already several well established system based inter-school public speaking and debating competitions in existence.

Over time, most of these competitions have merged and a co-ordinating body, the CSDA, has come into existence to administer both an annual public speaking and debating competition for secondary schools in the greater Sydney area.

Notwithstanding the difficulties arising from the COVID1 pandemic, in 2021 sixty- one Catholic High Schools were represented in these competitions, which, for the second year, were conducted as virtual events.

CSDA has generously invited the Circle President to present the Shield to the winning school following adjudication of the Divisional finals.  Unfortunately due to the virtual form of the 2021 and 2022 competitions formal presentations have not been made.

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City of Sydney Circle - at last - celebrates 50 Years

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50 Year brohers: L to R Joe McGuinness, Max Cattle, Peter O’Reilly  and Ron Daly.On Wednesday, 6 July the City of Sydney Circle finally celebrated the 50th anniversary of its inauguration, the planned celebration in 2021, the anniversary year, having been postponed due to the unavailability of a suitable venue while Health Orders relating to COVID -19 were in operation.

Fifty three brothers, visiting brothers, ladies and clergy gathered at the Circle's usual meeting place for the last forty years, the Occidental Hotel  in the City, for a meeting of the Circle followed by a celebratory Dinner.

In commencing the formalities of the evening, Master of Ceremonies and Circle Vice President, Brian Skinner , welcomed Fr James McCarthy, Parish Priest of St Aloysius Parish Cronulla, representing Bishop Terry Brady; DOM Michael Kelly OSB, from St Dominic's Priory, Arcadia.  Fr Michael was the 115th Abbot General of the Sylvestrine Congregation; Graham Short, Director Province 21, representing the Australian National Council; Geoff Young, Province 21 President; John Tweedie, Province 21 Secretary; together with five ladies of deceased brothers from the Circle's extended family.

A warm welcome was also extended to the ladies of brothers who had joined the  celebration and to those brothers visiting from other Circles, particularly past Director Paul Despoges and past Director and recently retired National Secretary John Secker.

(From Left) Deacon Michael Tan (Parramatta Circle); Circle President Peter Gialouris; Fr James McCarthy PP, representing Bishop Terry Brady; DOM Michael Kelly OSBBefore dinner service commenced Eileen Newton, wife of recently deceased foundation brother George Newton, led the gathering in a thanksgiving and Grace.  Later, foundation brothers Max Cattle, Ron Daly and Peter O'Reilly, together with  Joe McGuinness  who attended the inaugural Circle meeting before being enrolled as a member several months later, presented short reflections on their experience of life as a Catenian.  Each reflected on a different aspect of the life of the Circle over the fifty years of their membership.

Certificates marking their fifty years of membership were presented to brothers Max, Ron, Peter and Joe by brother Director Graham Short, on behalf of the Australian National Council.  Province 21 President Geoff Young then presented Circle President Peter Gialorus  with a certificate acknowledging the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the City of Sydney Circle before proposing a toast to the Circle.

The formalities of the evening were concluded by brother Circle  President warmly acknowledging the contributions made to the life of the Circle by brothers Max, Ron, Peter and Joe and proposing a toast to the foundation brothers and their families.

Graham Short, ANC Vice- President, adds -

The City of Sydney Circle's belated 50 Anniversary Meeting and Dinner was a great success.

The 4 recipients of the 50 year Certificates  each reflected on the benefits of membership the main points being the sharing and strengthening of their faith and the life long friendships formed and support given and provided.

Upon presentation of the Certificates  an Hurrah went up when l mentioned that  the 4 wives were acknowledged on them.

Australia's inaugural Circle has  evolved over time to find the best fit for its members.

Provincial President Geoff Young presents Peer Gialouris with the Circle's 50 Year CertificateFounding member Peter O'Reilly added -

The Celebration of the City of Sydney 50 year was held at the Occidental Hotel on the 6th July and a good crowd of 50 people attended. 

Brother President Peter Gialouris welcomed Fathers Michael Kelly, James McCarthy, Prov. 21 Director Graham Short, Prov. Pres. Graham Young and other Catenians. Paula O'Connell was an apology because of Covid who was to represent her father Brendan (RIP) who was an original member of the Circle. 

We were presented with an excellent meal and wines. Speeches were then given by the 3 inaugural members Bro. Peter O'Reilly, Ron Daly and Max Cattle with John McGuinness a 50 year member. They spoke about the history of the Circle, the founder President Plunkett Sweeney and other original brothers, Ron's time as Provincial President, Max's winning of the Robin Hood Golf trophy and Joe's reminiscences of his 50 years.

Brother Young then spoke of Sydney and its buildings in 1971 and how that  had changed in these 50 years.

It was a convivial night with many memories rekindled and pride in having brought the Association to Australian shores.

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A Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of Mary Mackillop

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Australian National Council of the Catenian Association has reinforced its commitment to raising awareness of and devotion to the Patron Saint of Australian Catenians Mary MacKillop by its support to a unique Pilgrimage prepared by The Sisters of St Joseph.

The Pilgrimage has been devised by the Sisters of St Joseph to help participants enter more deeply into Mary's spirituality and that of Fr Julian Tenison Woods who co-founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph with Mary MacKillop. Mary always referred to Fr Julian as Fr Founder and herself as the first member of the Order.

Unlike the Aussie Camino trek from Portland to Penola that was completed by several Catenian brothers from Province 21 in March 2022, this Pilgrimage is by coach and flight and covers three States.

The ten-day Pilgrimage begins in Melbourne, proceeding by coach to Hamilton, Portland and Port McDonnell. Pilgrims will then spend two nights in Penola, a small town with a population of only 1300 in South Australia, widely accepted as the birthplace of St Mary MacKillop's order, the Sisters of St Joseph.

The Pilgrimage will visit Robe in South Australia to visit Our Lady Star of the Sea, a church built by Father Woods where Sisters ministered living at the back of the church, and will then travel to Adelaide where Mary professed her vows as a Sister of Saint Joseph and Pilgrims can immerse themselves in the unfolding story of the Congregation.

The journey continues by flight to Sydney to spend three nights at Mary MacKillop Place where Mary lived and died. Mary MacKillop Place is recognised as a national place of pilgrimage in Australia and is made sacred by Australia's first canonised saint being entombed in the Memorial Chapel.

Pilgrimage
The notion of going on a pilgrimage and being a pilgrim is a very ancient one that belongs to the spiritual tradition of all great faiths.
     Since early times Christians have been known as pilgrims because they journeyed to the sacred places throughout Christendom. These places of pilgrimage beckoned people to touch and become caught up in the atmosphere and spiritual realities that belong to their origins.
     Today we recognise that each of us is on a daily journey of faith but there is a time in life when we feel called to join with others, seeking, listening, reflecting and seeing the hand of God at work in our own lives.
     Mary MacKillop Place offers such an opportunity to journey to significant places in Australia made holy by Saint Mary MacKillop. While on pilgrimage we are invited to reflect on Saint Mary MacKillop's life and to recognise her relevance in our own lives. Such reflection can encourage us to emulate her courage, perseverance, joy and deep faith.

For those interested the next Pilgrimage begins on 18 Oct and concludes on 29 Oct 2022.

Download the Pilgrimage Itinerary (PDF)

Download he Pilgrimage brochure (PDF)

Download the Applicaion Form (docx)

Applications close on the 1st Sept and can be obtained together with further details on costs and itinerary from Sr Annie Bond rsj on 02 8912 4818.

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Newsletter No. 1 from Malta and Gozo

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Welcome to this first issue of the Catenian Association's Malta and Gozo Province Newsletter. One earnestly hopes that this quarterly publication will be a worthy successor to the Mensija Circle Newsletter, the brainchild of outgoing Circle president Louis Cilia, who single-handedly published ten issues packed with interesting news and reading material from a number of regular contributors.

That newsletter was, deservedly, very well received. Bro Louis dedicated considerable time and effort to this venture, a taxing responsibility which one could not reasonably have expected him to continue to carry alone, which is why the Provincial Council decided to take over the publication of the newsletter which now has a wider remit, encompassing all six Circles in Malta and Gozo.

Catch all of the news from Malta and Gozo, download the first Province 23 newsletter here.

 

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A Marlin visits Poole Circle

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An aricle by Peter Cash, Poole and Cairns Circles, taken from the Cairns Circle newsletter.

Brother Peter handing the Marlin to Poole Circle President Brother Ray Hanson Yes, Poole Circle is twinned with City of Cairns Circle, I first joined Poole sometime in the 90's, then started Cairns Circle in around 2006, after a parishioner at Holy Church in Cairns asked me what I did in my spare time, I told him and I said actually; I could start one here in Cairns!!!

Then it went on from there.

Recently at a Poole Circle meeting I made a presentation of the fabulous gift from City of Cairns Circle, they were over the moon, they absolutely loved it.

Poole Brother President Ray Hanson receiving it from me on your behalf.

There were about 12 Brothers at the meeting in person and about 9 on Zoom.

The Poole Brothers asked me to convey there grateful thanks for sending them this, honestly, they never stopped looking and touching it.

Well done Brother Mario for your choice. All the searching and packing you did was well worth it.

Once again Brothers, thanks for the wonderful gesture, I felt so priviliged to hand it over on your behalf.

Brother Ray read out the letter from Brother Gazza on behalf of the Cairns Brothers, again, everyone was so touched by the lovely words.

 

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Young Aussie Catholic starts up Gaïa, a social enterprise in Senegal focusing on sustainable development

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Chris McMillan is a young, Australian Catholic and has been a Catenian guest speaker on two occasions and would be delighted to speak to your local Catenian Circle.

After finishing his studies at Macquarie University, Sydney, Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management and Certificate in French Language, Chris McMillan travelled to South-East Asia in 2012 and became inspired to work in international development. He wanted to make a positive change in the world and thereby put his faith into action.

Chris spent 5 years working on 2 development projects with World Vision in Senegal (West Africa). These projects have contributed to sustainably improving the food security and livelihoods of small-holder farmers, their families and communities in rural Senegal through Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) and better environmental management practices.

Chris worked as technical advisor and then project manager for World Vision's Beylene Sen Tol Project which was carried out across 3 regions of Senegal and benefited more than 137,000 people. He oversaw some 25,000 ha of land restoration through FMNR, 70 km of fire corridors and 414 community-based organisations trained on the processing and sale of local products.

Chris also helped secure a grant from the Australian Government (DFAT) to improve livelihoods and nutrition for local communities in Senegal through Australian acacia trees which are well-suited to dry land farming in the Sahel and the wattle seeds edible and rich in protein (27%).

In 2017, Chris started up his social enterprise in Senegal called Gaïa which is focussed on sustainable development. Gaïa is for profit, but also for social and environmental impact. Chris and his team in Senegal have an organic farm which is producing a range of organic fruits, vegetables and honey for sale on the local market. In this way, they are creating jobs and boosting the local economy. They are also improving nutrition and promoting better resource and environmental management.

Gaïa has a triple bottom line approach and is contributing positively towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Whilst Chris and his team have made a lot of progress, their organic farm needs assistance in order to scale up production and ensure they can have the biggest possible impact for the local community.

Chris and Gaïa offers opporunities for Catenian Bursaries if circles are aware of people looking to voluneer in Senegal.

If you would like to support this important work and make a difference in the world, you can support Chris' crowdfunding campaign: www.gofundme.com/go-fund-gaia

Contact Chris at gaia.senegal@gmail.com

Any support would be greatly appreciated!

 

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Membership Matters………………now for all!

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At its recent meeting Province 21 endorsed the inclusion of Membership Matters, as a regular article in Eastern Link. Previously it was issued to Circle Membership Officers, but it was agreed membership is every member's responsibility and it is important to maintain a constant  focus on membership retention and recruitment.

News  on the formation  of new Circles/Groups:

Central Coast:
With CoVid restrictions now eased, a new attempt at forming a Circle is to be made through Stim Robinson making contact with prospects.

Shire:
Two new members enrolled at it's March meeting and another, a former Catenian, is in the pipeline.

Brisbane:
Bro Will Gordon has located a new venue, Redcliffe RSL and held a meeting on 04/04/22. Province 21 is to assist with recruitment drive/s once organised by Will.

Lismore:
Bro Stephen Moran remains committed to forming a Circle however recent disastrous flooding of the region means that development of this Circle is on hold.

Wollongong:
Bro Ed Van Riet has recently purchased a home unit in Wollongong and made contact with the Bishop and others regarding formation  of a Circle.

Prospects?
Please let the above brothers know of "prospects" you know and have contact details for in those areas.

CIRCLE MEMBERSHIP DRIVES
Province 21 Council endorsed the motion that "Once CoVid restrictions have eased that P21 Councillors remind their respective Circles of the importance of membership drives both at Circle and individual level."

Brochures are available to be printed (cost refunded by P21)

Strategy for the Prevention of Circle closures
In recent years 2 Circles, Busselton P20 and Peninsular AV, have" closed". Such a situation is likely to become more common and frequent with our declining and aging membership and some Circles in P21 are alluding to the possibility of such a situation arising.

Province 21 Council endorsed a proposal that, it being a National issue, that ANC develop a strategy that identifies Circles at risk of closure and takes timely and appropriate action to rebuild and prevent closures of Circles.

In the meantime should  your Circle be experiencing one or more of the following issues:

• Declining membership numbers
• Aging membership
• Increasing absenteeism
• Problems installing office bearers

 Then it is time for ACTION and to start recruiting new members!

I suggest that Province 21 form a "flying squad" of recruiters formed from various Circles to assist with those experiencing membership issues with recruitment drives.

Graham Short,
Province 21 Membership Officer,
Catenians

 

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UK Conference In The Mood For Change

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A summary of the GBN Conference Workshop held on 11 JUNE at Eastbourne, UK by Graham Short, Vice President, Australian National Council.

Delegates and speakers at the GBN Conference Workshop, at Eastbourne, which I attended via Zoom, recognized and were in the mood for change.

Helen Townsend spoke of the work of Catholic Chaplaincy at Universities. She contrasted the traditional image of a young white male student living at home or in college with the actual image of 64% female students, most mature aged even married and multicultural. 36% had specific learning difficulties and other problems included mental and physical health, bereavement including homesickness and lack of connection to community, financial and housing stress.

With the business model of fee based courses students had an economic as much as a learning relationship with Unis.

She believed Catenians could work with Chaplains to welcome and accompany students, integrate them into parishes, hold BBQs, provide professional advice.

Jack Buss Keating was a 27yo Catenian from Oxford, he had been a beneficiary of  Catenian Bursary Funding, for 6 months work in Brazil, and his grandfather had been and an uncle was a Catenian.

He proposed a Catenian "sandwich" that accommodated the work and life styles of younger men while allowing a commitment to Catenians history.

• Zoom meetings in lieu of face to face
• Family events
• Meetings in local churches open to all.

Stewart Harper will be in his mid 50s, in 2035, still young by Catenian standards.

He believed Catenians were perceived by younger men as stuffy old men and that there is a need for change.

Less exclusiveness, more inclusiveness, reduced costs of dinners.

David Rowley a senior Catenian also presented via video.

He believed we were still too inward looking.

Encouraged us to work with young people.

Use our extensive networks to target what Catenians can deliver to younger generation.

Recommended that each Circle pick a youth project and do it well.

 

Roger Lillee GBNC President asked -

Q1. Is Catenians relevant?
A.  Yes but needs to be more inclusive, vibrant and outward looking.

Q2. Do we inspire future generations?
A.  Yes but need to look at their way of life, embrace new technologies and provide encouragement and support based on Christian values.

Q3. Were brothers resigning because we are not moving forward?
A.   Yes but believed our aims and values can be worked within to keep moving forward.

Motion to change the requirement of the approval of  "two thirds" to "55%" for changes to rules and regulations was overwhelmingly carried.

SUMMARY:

The need for change, with our aging and declining membership, had been self-evident for some years, and was confirmed at the Conference.

Each of the speakers articulated reasons for change and how that could be achieved by targeting younger men.

The emphasis was on each Circle reaching out and being more inclusive, acknowledging the challenges of work/life commitments and styles of the younger generation, adapting and to them with relevant, localized and targeted experiences & events.

 

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Thoughts on the future from Province 8 President Phillip Marnick

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Bro Philip Marnick (Maidenhead), outgoing President of Province 8 shared some thoughts on the future for Catenian Circles, in a recent Province 8 Newsletter.

"This year has increased my worry for the long-term future of the association. We are just not growing at the rate we need to be sustainable. We set-up a new team on working age Catenians – asked for volunteers from circles – so far less than a handful have volunteered!

The only people who can grow and change the association is us. Many of our circles struggle to get people to take officer roles – we don't need to fill all roles (indeed why would every circle need to) but we do need people to lead, put effort in to driving our meetings and social activities – but Circles' are struggling to do this – all of us have a role in making our Circle and its social activities something we would like to attend.

If what we do is enjoyable and fun others will want to join us.

Recruitment is not just the role of a membership office but of all of us. Please let's all do what we can to encourage others to join – if we don't the Circle and then the association doesn't have a future.

We lost one circle from province this year – I would like it to be a long-time before we lose another, but I doubt it will be."

Something to think about for all Circles and Provinces.

 

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Spicy Sausage Ragu with Spirali Recipe

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This spicy sausage and tomato ragu with spirali pasta is a flavour-packed dish that's sure to be a family favourite.

Using pork sausages as the base of the ragu makes this recipe quick and easy to cook, ready in just 30 mins. Add more or less chilli depending on how spicy you like it and scatter with flat-leaf parsley for a fresh finish.

Ingredients…

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
300g pork sausages, casings removed
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped  
1 tsp crushed chillies, to taste
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
400g spirali pasta  
30g pack flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped

Method…
Serves 4, 4 mins to prepare and 26 mins to cook - 612 calories / serving - Healthy - Dairy-free

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and sausages and cook, breaking up the sausages with a wooden spoon, for 10 mins, stirring every now and then.
2. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a further 1 min before adding the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Reduce the heat to medium and leave to simmer for a further 15 mins.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the pack instructions. Drain, reserving 2 tbsp of the pasta water, then toss the pasta with the sauce and the reserved water.
4. Divide between 4 plates and sprinkle the parsley over the top. 

  

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A special Catenian celebration for Don Mees' 95th

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Don had been an active member of Carlingford Circle for 34 years before he shifted to Calvary Ryde Residential Aged Care almost 2 years' ago.

Access to Aged Care facilities has become difficult since the COVID pandemic began, but Don's daughter, Helen, arranged with Calvary for a group of 4 Carlingford Catenians to visit Don on his 95th Birthday on 12 April, 2022.

Bros John Secker, Carl Alexander, Phil Gallagher and Cyril Tumminello celebrated the occassion, enjoying a slice of Don's favourite carrot cake and sang Happy Birthday to Don before promising to return for further visits.

 

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Vale Stan Burgin

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Stan Burgin was born on 30 June 1938 in Cowra NSW to parents Reginald and Cecilia, 5th of nine children, having 3 brothers and 5 sisters.

  As a boy he would often recall childhood memories of the chaos in Cowra the night 400 Japanese war prisoners broke out of the local WW2 POW camp.

Stan had an adventurous childhood living in a country town and, as most country boys did, focused on sport.  Stan loved playing football, cricket and especially cycling.  His passion for cycling started from a young age. He joined the Cowra cycle racing club at 13 and made rapid progress, winning the Lachlan Valley Championship the next year.

He continued to win races and his potential saw him move to Sydney at 16 to focus on his cycling career and an increased training schedule.  Stan continued to go from strength to strength in his cycling winning 6 major race finals.

His track and road races saw him travel all over NSW and Victoria.  At 21, Stan moved to Melbourne for two years, again to fulfil his potential in cycling. He reached the peak of his career when he won the coveted 1960 Melbourne Cup on Wheels.

In 1963, tragedy struck in a Wollongong track race when serval riders clipped wheels causing a bad crash. Stan was thrown into the air, fractured his spine and was paralysed from the neck down.  Doctors said he would not walk again but with Stan's strong determination, he powered through rigorous rehab and, against all odds, walked again, leaving hospital 6 months later.

Stan married his wife Jan at Greenwich in February 1967 and they eventually settled in North Rocks in early 1969. About this time, Stan commenced working at the Sydney County Council, where he worked for 25 years.

Both Stan and Jan were founding Parishioners at Christ the King Parish, North Rocks and worked to support the Church in many positions during their long association there.

Catenian guard of honour for Stan BurginStan and Jan had two Children Suzanne and Joanne and three Grandchildren who were his passion in his later life.

Stan joined the Carlingford Catenians in April 1992 and was a very active Member.  Stan was a long term Catering Manager and even when illness compromised his mobility and he could not attend many Circle Meetings, he continued to be the contact for booking and apologies and informed the Club and Caterer of the dinner numbers.  This kept Stan in contact with many brothers on a regular basis.

Stan's wife Jan passed away only six weeks prior to Stan and many of the Carlingford Brothers were in attendance to support Stan at this time.  Stan passed away quietly on 24 May 2022. May he rest in peace.

 

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Around the circles

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In this edition News from around the circles covers the months of March, April, May and June, Eastern Link returns to a monthly newsletter next month.

CAIRNS:

Our February meeting was a really great evening. As we had not met since before Christmas owing to our January meeting being cancelled because of Covid. It was so nice being able to meet up again and for myself to join in the meeting from Bournemouth, thanks once again Brothers for making me so welcome.
/Brother Peter

What a fantastic morning breaky we had at Clifton Beach. Cathy and I along with our granddaughter Izzy, Mark and Inez Ellwood, Simon and his son, Matt Parrish and wife Monique their children Harvey George and Delilah, Mark Freeman, Mike Schramm Snr and wife Glenys, Ken Harris and wife Erica, Joe Vella Maryanne and their grandson Heath. Dom Scali and wife Rose.
It was a very nice weather on the day at Clifton Beach ... it had been very hot here and we had a beautiful breeze that kept the temp down to a reasonable 29c. 20 attended including 9 brothers, 7 partners and 4 children and grandchildren. I cooked up a storm of bacon and egg rolls with a few snags thrown in. Gazza

BROTHER GIOVANNI BATTIATO
RIP 1968-2019
This is a tribute to our wonderful Brother Giovanni who departed from us on the 18th March 2019 to join God in Heaven.
May He Rest in Peace Amen.
He will be very sadly missed by his Catenian Brothers of City of Cairns Circle. Following is just a few pictures of the times he attended our meetings. We will all miss you Brother Giovanni, you were a credit to our Circle!!!
This is a tribute to our wonderful Brother Giovanni who departed from us on the 18th March 2019 to join God in Heaven. May He Rest in Peace. Amen. He will be very sadly missed by his Catenian Brothers of City of Cairns Circle. Following is just a few pictures of the times he attended our meetings. We will all miss you Brother Giovanni, you were a credit to our Circle!!! Pictured below is when Brother Giovanni was enrolled into our Circle by A/Pres Brother Michael Schramm, bottom picture is when Brother Giovanni made his first visit to one of our meetings brought along by Brother Lui.

BLIMEY!!! THIS IS NOT QUEENSLAND!!! THIS IS BOURNEMOUTH!!! CANNOT BELIEVE IT…
Could not believe the storms we have just experienced in Bournemouth, the strong winds were horrendous. On the Friday, I was going to go out, but my eldest daughter told me;
YOU ARE NOT GOING OUT TODAY DAD!!!
I obeyed her, and where you see the tree in the road, I cross there every day from my place to catch the bus you can see at that bus stop!!! I think she may have saved my life that day. Thanks Lorna. May God Bless you and thanks again. It reminded me of when I was President of Red Cross Marlin Coast Branch for 3 year's and we had Cyclone Yass!!!

Our March meeting was another great evening. We had as our guest Speaker and by special invitation, Fr Dariusz Osinski, the new parish priest of Northern Beaches Parish, he took over from Fr Neil who is now rector of the Seminary in Brisbane. Our guest Fr. Dariusz gave a very informative talk over dinner. He covered his early days in Poland. His ordination and initial posting to South Africa and ultimately his move and incardination to the Cairns Diocese. The Brothers were particularly interested in his insights into the Russian occupation of Poland during his childhood.

Our April meeting was another great evening, although lacking in a few Brothers attending we had a super talk and discussion followed by a great meal.
There was a really good discussion about changing our meeting night, I think we must be the only Circle in the Association with Brothers having very young children, we must remember; Families always come first. The need was felt to make it more reasonable for our young father's to attend and we will pick a night after asking our Brothers whatever is the best night for them.

Our May meeting was another super evening, nice to see a few Brothers who have been unable to attend recent meeting owing to family commitments, always great to see them Brothers Tom and Sean. we had a super talk and discussion followed by a great meal. Great to see you
We were joined by Brother Martin Taylor, of Poole Circle, Martin has served as President in the recent past of Poole Circle. It was also nice to see him.

WHAT A FANTASTIC CATCH…
Brother Rev Mark had a magic day on the Great Barrier Reef recently with a couple of old mates, and caught some nice fish.

CARLINGFORD:

March
Hopefully, our third attempt in 2022 to have a face-face Circle meeting will be successful and we can enjoy an evening at CBSRC on 15th March, 2022.
The late cancellation of our proposed joint meeting in January means that our 400th Circle Dinner is now schedule for 19th April, 2022 but the celebration of this occasion has been deferred as previously advised.

April

There were 16 Brothers and I guest at our face-face Circle Dinner meeting on 15th March. The Chinese meal served by the new caterer seemed to be well received.

Our April meeting will herald the start of a New Catenian Year and will be our 400th Circle Dinner.

Celebration of that achievement has been deferred until things settle down again after the COVID uncertainty of the last two years.

400th meeting

Provincial Director Graham Short handed a Certificate of Congratulations to Brother President Rob Haddad to commemorate Carlingford's 400th meeting. 

The celebration meeting was postponed due the current Covid circumstances and will be celebrated later this year, watch Eastern Link for updates.

 Brother Phil Gallagher and Brother Carl Alexander also received 30 year membership certificates from Graham. 

Membership certificates were also received for Stan Burgin, 30 years amd Lana Cuthbert, 40 years who were both apologies on the night.

HARBOURSIDE NORTH:

March:
Griffiths Virgona Competition win for Bro Ed
Following our joint Zoom meeting with Manly Circle in February, Manly Circle hosted the Griffiths Virgona Trivia competition.  An excellent series of questions was prepared by Manly President Bro Peter Williams.  And our President Bro Ed came out on top, winning the trophy back for the Harbourside North Circle.  Congratulations Ed!!

Little John Mug speaking competition
Our incoming President, Bro Phil, represented us at the Little John Mug speaking competition on Wednesday 2 March hosted by City of Sydney Circle. There were 5 speakers, one coming in by Zoom from Canberra. The topic was a quote from Rose of the Golden Girls (played by the actress Betty White, who passed away recently) –
"My mother always used to say, the older you get, the better you get; unless you are a banana".   
Congratulations to the winner on the night, Victor Gauci from the Hills Circle. And special congratulations to Bro Phil for his great effort.

The Aussie Camino trekkers undertook a 25 km training hike in the rain on Friday 25 February around Sydney and North Sydney. The day started with Mass at the Mark MacKillop Chapel at North Sydney.  Sr Monica Cavanagh, leader of the Josephite Order, wished the trekkers well on their journey and presented each with a special medallion to carry with them.

April

Our new President and Vice President
April is our changeover month and we will be welcoming as our new President, Brother Phil Guiney, and Vice President, Bro Martin Ryan. They will both be installed in office at the 21 April meeting.

Aussie Camino presentation
Brothers Jim Phelan, Graham Short and John Tweedie, will present after dinner on 21 April, on their recent Aussie Camino trek from Portland in Victoria to Penola in South Australia. This was a great initiative of Bro Jim and provided significant insights into the life of the Patron Saint of Australian Catenians, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.

 

The trek team - Jim at back then Peter, Luke, Jan, Graham, John and Daisy with Adam from
City of Melbourne Circle in front

July:

Tony Farley with HSN President Phil GuineyTalk by Tony Farley - Executive Director Sydney Catholic Schools on “Challenges and Opportunities for Catholic Education in the 2020s”

On Sunday afternoon 19 June, the Circle hosted a very interesting talk by Tony Farley at the Ron Dyer Centre North Sydney.  A number of brothers attended, along with parishioners from the OLOW Parish. 

Tony is a very engaging speaker and raised some important issues about the future of Catholic School education in the Archdiocese, including the need to share resources across schools as a result of reduced Government funding.  Also the importance of developing music and other programs in the less advantaged schools.

A big thank you to Bro Martin Ryan, who was primarily responsible for the organization of the event. 

KU-RING-GAI:

March:

February Circle Meeting
Br Antony Orton (left) receiving the Harold Wilmot trophy from Br President, Stefan Wawrzyniak 24 Ku-ring-gai Brothers, attended the Circle meeting via Zoom, held on Monday, February 14th.
A highlight of the meeting was the announcement by Br President Stefan that he was awarding the Harold Wilmot trophy to Br Secretary, Antony Orton. The Harold Wilmot trophy is awarded annually at the outgoing President's sole discretion to the Brother that he believes has contributed most to the wellbeing of the Circle during that year. Br Antony deservedly received the award for his sterling performance as Circle Secretary, not only for the past year, but for the last 3 years. The award is normally presented at the May meeting as part of the immediate Past President's yearly report. However, it was brought forward this year due to Br Antony's imminent departure to join his wife, Gloria in Chile. They have been prevented from being together for about 18 months now due to the travel restrictions imposed in recent times due to Covid. He intends to be away from Australia for at least the next six months. We thank him for his dedicated service, wish him well on his travels and hope to see him back in the not too distant future.
Br Phil Davies also gave us the backstory to how the South Bucks Circle in the UK came to award the Harold Wilmot trophy to the Ku-ring-gai Circle for the way Ku-ring-gai Brothers, notably the late Br Jack Garcia, provided support to their former Brother, Harold Wilmot, during his final days at Nazareth House.
This is a real example of the power and importance of faith-based friendship!

Hawkesbury River Cruise
A group of 17 Ku-ring-gai Brothers, family members and friends enjoyed a great outing on the Hawkesbury River on Sunday, February 6th. The group toured around various islands, bays and inlets of the Hawkesbury, with copious amounts of tea coffee and the occasional glass of wine to accompany a fine fish & chip lunch.
They were able to enjoy marvellous scenery from the luxury of their indoor seating positions. Splendid weather also allowed plenty of opportunity for viewing from the upper deck. There was plenty to be learnt with many of the group who were familiar with various features of the sights and landmarks, as well as on board commentary from the ship's captain who has lived on the Hawkesbury for over 40years.

Pymble Players
( from left to right): Jerome & Naxin McTeigue, Stefan & Carolynne Wawrzyniak, John White, Gen Stebbings, Justin Gardener, Rob Brown, Patricia Kiely, Anne Gardener and Martin Stebbings (holding the biscuit tin!) A group of 11 Ku-ring-gai Brothers, partners and and friends ventured out to the re-start of the Pymble Players season on Saturday, February 19th. The play was a comedy, "Building Blocks" by Bob Larbey, who also wrote the landmark TV series 'A Fine Romance' and 'As Time Goes By'. He also co-wrote 'The Good Life'. The play is about a couple's traumas associated with building a house extension, a subject which many of us could relate to. Martin Stebbings reports that it was a thoroughly enjoyable two hours of entertainment. He also reported that they made real tea on stage and he was able to inspect and sample the biscuits during the interval. If you look closely you can see him holding the biscuit tin in the photo opposite!

(from left to right): Charlie Murton (KRG), Peter McDonald (Pitt), Stim Robinson (KRG), John White (KRG), Peter Veney (Pitt), Claude Jugmans (KRG), Paul Rubenach (KRG), Graham Ramsay (Pitt), Bob McLeod (Pitt)
Ku-Pitt Shield
The annual Ku-Pitt Shield golf day, between Pittwater and Ku-ring-gai Circles, was again held on Sunday, February, 20th at the picturesque Palm Beach Golf Club. With all the rain the course was in prime condition. The trophy has been played for since the 1980s, with old time regulars remembering when the occasion used to attract a field of several dozen. The field this time around was smaller, with 6 Pittwater and 5 Ku-ring-gai players, but no less keenly contested. Pittwater Circle prevailed to win the Shield this year. However, several Ku-ring-gai players won individual prizes, with Charlie Murton winning the Maid Marian trophy for the best Ku-ring-gai score and the Nearest the Pin prize on the 6th hole. Paul Rubenach won Nearest the Pin on the 2nd hole and Claude Jugmans won the longest drive on the 9th hole. Many thanks to Stim Robinson for another superbly organised event.

April:

41 Ku-ring-gai Brothers, Ladies and one visiting gentleman attended the Ladies Night, held on Monday, March 14th at the Turramurra Club. It was great to be back socialising face to face again.
The visiting gentleman was Mr Robert Griffin, our guest speaker, who gave a very interesting and informative presentation on the restoration work undertaken by the Historic Houses Association of Australia at Tulkiyan House, in Gordon. As Robert explained this historic house and garden is a very rare example of an Arts & Crafts, property, built in 1914, that was occupied by the same family, largely unaltered, for over 70 years, until bequeathed to Ku-ring-gai Council in 1985. Unusually, but helpfully for historians, the family never threw anything away, even invoices for most purchases, providing an outstanding record of all the furnishings in the house and the original plantings in the garden.
Judging by the enthusiastic questions asked of Robert at the end of his talk, the audience was very engaged and interested to find out more about the house and potentially visit it when it is opened to the public later this year. Ku-ring-gai Brother, Jimmy Jiminez has worked as one of a large number pf volunteers in the cataloguing and restoration work at the house, and was the person who arranged for Robert to come and speak with us. Many thanks to them both. Find out more at: https://www.hha.net.au/tulkiyan

Phantom of the Opera on the Harbour
Ponchos on! We are ready! (left to right): Andrew and Liz Sim; Stefan and Carolynne Wawrzyniak; Paul and Anne Marie RubenachA hardy group (some may say foolhardy!)of 16 Ku-ring-gai Brothers, wives and friends braved Sydney's wet weather on Sunday, March 27 to witness the brilliant new version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour. This is the first ever open-air version of the musical in the world and yes, we got wet! There were two heavy downpours, one in the first half and another about 5 mins from the end, including whilst the cast were taking their bows. Full marks to the cast who soldiered on without missing a beat. Despite the rain, everyone agreed that it was a fantastic performance and experience. Worth getting a bit damp for!
A big thank you to Martin and Gen Stebbings for organising the event. It was a real shame that they were unable to attend due to being in isolation.

Antony and Gloria at a lookout above SantiagoGreetings from Santiago, Chile
Antony and Gloria at a lookout above Santiago
Outgoing Ku-ring-gai Circle Secretary, Br Antony Orton, sends warm regards to everyone in the Circle, plus some photos and sketches from Santiago, Chile. Here he has reunited with wife Gloria after a long covid-induced separation. He reports that in Santiago there is freedom to move around and go to restaurants and the like, however, mask wearing is still required in public places, and vaccination evidence can be requested.
He has also been working on his sketching, an example of which is provided below. He also sends an example of the national cuisine, called 'humita' (crushed corn, wrapped in a corn leaf and cooked over a fire). It would mostly still be made in rural areas these days.
We would look forward to more reports from Antony whilst he is away (and more sketches!)

Past President Br Stefan Wawryzniak (l) receiving his miniature from Br Malcolm McEwen (r) May:

23 Ku-ring-gai Brothers and one visiting gentleman attended the Circle meeting, held on Monday, April 11th at the Turramurra Club.
The visiting gentleman was Mr Paul Caboche from Bateau Bay parish, who was a guest of Br Stim Robinson. Stim was keen to expose Paul to a Circle meeting and for him to observe first hand how one is run.
The meeting opened with the installation of new Council officers. Outgoing President Stefan Wawrzyniak installed Br Malcolm McEwan as the President for the 2022-23 Catenian year, who in turn installed Br John White as Vice President and Br David Conoulty as Secretary. Incoming Chamberlain Br Luke Samson was unable to attend and will be installed at a future meeting. Other Council officers remain in their roles.
New Catering Officer, Br Patrick Raper passed his initial test with flying colours, as the Club put on an excellent meal, which was enjoyed by all in attendance.
During dinner, Br President also presented Br Charlie Murton with the newly engraved Maid Marion trophy for the best Ku-ring-gai score at the Ku-Pitt Shield golfing event held in February against Pittwater Circle.

June:

24 Ku-ring-gai Brothers attended the Circle meeting, held on Monday, May 9th at the Turramurra Club. The Annual General Meeting was also held, which saw the approval of the annual financial statements, the appointment of auditors for the coming year (Brothers Ed Wales and Charlie Murton) and the presentation of the Membership Report by Membership Officer, Br Jimmy Jiminez. Ku-ring-gai Circle started and finished the year with 46 members, with two enrolments and one transfer in, offset by two resignations and the death of Br Steve Swain, whose anniversary occurs this month. We remember Steve in our prayers along with wife Lucille and family.
Immediate Past President, Br Stefan Wawryzniak presented his President's Report for 2021-22 during dinner. Br President, Malcolm McEwen also presented Br Stefan with his miniature, along with one for Br Martin Stebbings for serving his 3-year term as Provincial Councillor.

40 Years a Ku-ring gai Catenian!
Special congratulations to Br Kevin Duffy who achieved this milestone on May 10 , 2022
We thank Kevin for his many contributions to the Circle, including serving as President in 1987-8

July:

June Ladies Night 

39 gathered to enjoy the June Ladies Night held on Monday, June 20th at the Turramurra Club, consisting of 19 Ku-ring-gai Brothers, one visiting Brother (Province 21 President Geoff Young from Hornsby Circle), 3 visiting gentlemen and 16 wives, including two wives of deceased Brothers, Patricia Kiely and Lucille Swain. Lucille was accompanied by her son Michael. Apart from Michael, the other two visiting gentlemen were Louis Johnson, a former member of Ku-ring-gai and Warringah Circles and former Ku-ring-gai Brother, Harry Hull, accompanied by his wife Karin, who have returned to live in St Ives. We hope that Harry will soon be re-joining the Circle. 

Prov 21 President Br Geoff Young (l) and Ku-ring-gai Circle’s longest-serving Brother, Phil Davies (r) enjoying each other’s companyProvince 21 President, Geoff Young was on hand to present long service scrolls to various members, including Kevin Duffy, who, as reported in last month’s newsletter, reached 40 years of membership on May 10th this year. Kevin joins other current Brothers Phil Davies, Greg Scahill, Michael Burke, Mike Tighe and Mike Kelly to have surpassed this milestone. Unfortunately, Kevin was not able to be present on the night. Geoff also commended the following Brothers for having surpassed other membership milestones: 

35 years….John Szymanski, Justin Gardener 
30 years…..Bob Meagher 
25 years…..Claude Jugmans, Ed Wales and Tom Carter 

Br Martin Stebbings also reported on the MenALIVE weekend retreat held on June 18-19th at Corpus Christi parish, St Ives. It was attended by 36 men, including a few Ku-ring-gai brothers. Martin reported that it was very well run and spiritually moving. There is another MenALIVE event being run at Sacred Heart Church, Pymble on Thursday, June 30 consisting of a Mass at 7pm, followed by a BBQ. Anyone interested should contact Chris Greedy on 0401 384 785 or the Parish Office on 9144 2702. 

There was no guest speaker on the night, so attendees took the opportunity to linger, circulate and catch up with friends in lively conversations. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. 

Golden Catenians Lunch 

Another Golden Catenians lunch was held recently on Friday, June 17th at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Kirribilli. The attendees were: Justin Gardener, Phil Davies, Mike Kelly, Kevin Duffy, Peter Makinson, John Szymanski, Mark Burdajewicz and Secretary, David Conoulty. Br David reports that he was a late invitee, following the inability of President, Malcolm McEwen and Vice President, John White due to illness. The host was Br Justin who is a member of the club. 

According to David, everyone looked well, although Kevin was sporting a dressing on his nose following a recent skin cancer operation. John Szymanski was in good spirits and obviously very happy to be amongst his Catenian Brothers for the afternoon. David hadn’t seen Mike Kelly for about 8 years and said it was great to see that he is still as bright as a button and hasn’t lost any of his sense of humour. 

The lunch was excellent, the venue superb and just about all the problems of the world were solved in three and a half hours. Thanks to Justin for organising a great afternoon. 

They were all too busy solving the world’s problems to take a group photo! 

MANLY:

April:

March 2022 meeting back at Manly Golf Club a great success
Our meeting on Wednesday, 16 March 2022 saw us finally return to Manly Golf Club. It was a Brothers' night and was a most enjoyable evening, although tinged with great sadness at the passing of Bro Brendan O'Connell on 12 March 2022. Brothers shared many fond memories of Brendan.

Brian Hamer (left) said he met Brendan at St Cecelia's Church Balgowlah. Brendan drove Catenians and sought out men to join the association "in that lovely Irish way he had"! Brian said Brendan "was a stickler for procedure", with many nodding heads in agreement! Brian said Brendan's passing is a very significant event and the Circle is the less for his passing. Brendan was a gentle and gentlemanly man, genuine to the core. "We will probably never see his like again. What a giant", Brian said.

Paul Pearson said he regularly had some "head butting" with Brendan about procedures and regulations, but always in good humour and friendship. Brendan mellowed as time went on. Bob Rigon said at one stage he said to Brendan "I'll bet you were a scallywag as a kid!". Brendan said his father was a schoolmaster and Brendan had to be a "goody two shoes"!

Without question, everyone valued Brendan's friendship and always enjoyed his company.

Brendan O'Connell OAM passed away on 12 March 2022, aged 92 years. Brendan was born on 25 May 1929. Brendan's funeral was held at Corpus Christie Catholic Church Mona Vale on 22 March 2022. Fr Senan Ward OSA conducted the service. A strong contingent of Catenians from Manly and other Circles attended.
He was strongly committed to The Catenian Association and worked tirelessly to foster its growth in Australia. He was a joint member of several Circles, including City of Sydney, Mosman, Manly, Hornsby.
Brendan arrived in Australia, in Melbourne, on 22 September 1951, aboard a ship of "10 pound Poms" from Dublin. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Manly Circle celebrated its 300th meeting on 16 September 2020 at Manly Golf Club.

Brendan and Alan Hickey (right) gave their reflections on the Circle.

In Brendan's words: "Membership of the Catenian Association is a privilege and membership of Manly Circle particularly so. It is not unlike Bishop Walker's metaphoric river which he spoke about in this room. There are many currents in it, all interesting and challenging. All bound together by fraternal love and friendship. The spirit of Manly Circle is real, the energy of its brothers, the kindred spirits, the enthusiasm, the camaraderie. All combined, it is the soul of the Circle, its beating heart."

Walkers resume after "the big wet"!
The Walkers resumed their walks at Queenscliff/Manly recently after a break from that venue. Brian Hamer and Terry Hayes were the first to venture out there. The rain kept away during their walk but it was pretty wild scene as the photo shows!

New social event - The Glen Street Theatre in Belrose will be hosting "The Australian Bee Gees Show
The 25th Anniversary Tour 2021" on Sat 27 Aug 2022 at 8pm. It comes fresh from celebrating 10 years and over 3,000 shows headlining on the Las Vegas strip and was recently voted "Best Tribute Show in Las Vegas" by the prestigious Las Vegas Review Journal and has made the top 10 in the 'Overall Best Show' category.
A number of Manly Catenians have expressed keen interest to go to the show and some have already booked. We could arrange to have dinner nearby before the show. Bookings are filling fast, so if you are interested, booking details are here - https://glenstreet.com.au/whats-on/australian-bee-gees-show-0 The theatre accepts the NSW Government Discover vouchers. Vouchers cannot be redeemed online, but can be redeemed over the counter or by calling the Box Office on 9470 5913 (10am – 4pm Mon to Fri).
The theatre is located Cnr Glen Street & Blackbutts Road, Belrose.

May:

April 2022 meeting at Manly Golf Club – new member installed
Our meeting on Wednesday, 20 April 2022 at Manly Golf Club was a Brothers' night and a most enjoyable evening. The meeting saw David Addington installed as the new Manly President, and Michael Bowyer as Vice-President, for the coming year. Congratulations to them both. New member Michael McGrath was installed – he came to us via his friendship with Laurie de Ambrosis.
The meeting also agreed that the membership fee for the coming year be kept at $100. Michael McMahon has emailed everyone about this.
A vote was taken on the "practising Catholic" motion with result being 11 FOR, 0 AGAINST and no abstentions. [Subsequently, we have been advised that, on the global vote, the Motion failed to gain the required two-thirds majority.]

June:

Vale John Kiely SC 

Very sad to report that John Kiely passed away on Thursday, 19 May 2022. John became a member of Manly Circle on 15 November 1995. John was President of the Circle in 2013-14. John and Lindsey had been married for 50 years. Our prayers and thoughts are with Lindsey and their boys Sean, Heath and Drew. 

John’s funeral was held at St Mary’s Manly on Tuesday, 31 May at 10:30am. A number of Manly Brothers attended. 

John brought us a number of notable guest speakers including Nick Cowdrey AM QC, Mark Tedeschi AM QC and Margaret Cunneen QC. He was also very involved at Balgowlah Bowling Club where he organised a regular business bowls tournament. Brian Hamer said he remembered John’s “proudest day was when he was appointed Senior Counsel”. 

In another reminiscence, Mark Wall said he remembered having a “chat and laugh with 7 

 

John”. On his uni holidays, John would go home to Cowra and work at Mark’s parents’ motel in the public bar. Years later, Mark said his Mum and Dad crossed paths again with John at the Balgowlah Heights bowling club, where Mark’s Dad remembered John as “being the most educated glassie that had ever worked for them”! 

John was a Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor when he retired. After practising in a law firm in Cowra, John was admitted to the NSW Bar in 1977 and was appointed Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor in 1995. He was appointed to the Inner Bar and Took Silk in 1999. 

Amongst the many matters he prosecuted were — Trials of Lenny McPherson, Tom Domican in the Sayers Murder, Barry Morris the politician, Billy and Louis Bayeh in the Cosmo Conspiracy at Kings Cross, Jai Abberten of the “Bra boys” of Maroubra. Notable trials John was involved in included the Sayers murder trial in 1991, the trial of Webster and Jones in Oct 1991 (payment as inducement to act corruptly), and Lenny McPherson trial (assault). 

May 2022 meeting: Michel Vimal du Monteil spoke on “perseverance and do we all have a novel in us?” 

Manly Circle attendees with Michel. Tony Shannon, Bob Rigon, Romano Di Donato, Terry Hayes, Brian Hamer, Michel, Michael McMahon, Michael McGrath, Greg Dunn, John Zemek, Laurie de Ambrosis and John McCarney.Our meeting on Wednesday, 18 May 2022 heard from Michel Vimal du Monteil who spoke on the theme “perseverance and do we all have a novel in us?” 

Michel was born in provincial France in 1955, in a military family. He left home as a teenager to pursue business administration studies. In 1979, Michel arrived in Sydney on a 16-month assignment with the French Australian Chamber of Commerce. Australia became his home from then on. Michel has had an extremely interesting, varied and at times exciting life – rugby, boxing, yachting, trade consultant, translator, conference interpreter, a 20-year investment banking career in Sydney. He has written a book “Where there is a will”, a search for identity. 

Michel said he was sent to Australia in 1979 for a 16-month assignment. And the rest is history – he has been here ever since! Michel said he always knew he had a book in him, but never had the time to do anything about it. One day while he was playing golf at Long Reef, he stepped in a divot – very painful and he had to have knee surgery as a result. This meant he could not do all the things he loved eg playing golf, surfing, etc, so he started writing. He kept writing even after his knee was better. He finished a manuscript – this was the beginning! 

July:

June 2022 meeting: Bob Henderson from the Black Dog Institute on “Breaking Down Depression” 

Our meeting on Wednesday, 15 June 2022 heard from Bob Henderson from the Black Dog Institute - https://www.teamblackdog.org.au/ - as our guest speaker. 

Bob was introduced by Romano Di Donato (below). He spoke about on the topic “Breaking Down Depression”. The Institute was founded in 2002 and is dedicated to understanding, preventing and treating mental illness. It is internationally recognised as a pioneer in the identification, prevention and treatment of mental illness, and the promotion of wellbeing. 

Bob came up from his home in Gerringong on the South Coast to speak to us. Bob said he was an operational police office for 30 years and was a Chief Inspector when he was medically discharged in 2015. Bob has 2 sons and said he is glad they did not join the police force. He said the Black Dog Institute is not a reactive body (it operates in office hours) and conducts research, clinics and education. Bob said if someone was in trouble, they should call 000, Beyond Blue, Lifeline, etc. 

Bob said we need to understand mental illness and seek help and support. He said he was drinking out of control and “schooners after work” was common. He did not exercise, started to make mistakes and got flustered. He said he is now managing his condition. Bob stressed that a good GP is essential. 

Bob said 1 in 5 Australians will experience mental illness in any year. Mood swings are normal but when does it become depression? Answer: when you can’t shake it. You feel useless, get bored easily, start to be concerned about their appearance, etc. Bob said the features of clinical depression include: 

• Change in sleep; Change in appetite; 
• Poor concentration and memory; Less enjoyment in life; 
• Low energy levels; Increased anxiety; 
• Negative self-talk; Lowered self-esteem; 
• Less able to control emotion. 
• Change in appetite; 
• Poor concentration and memory; Less enjoyment in life; 

PITTWATER

During our circle meeting on the 13th of April, Bro Graham Short presented certificates for Bro's who had reached 25 or 30yrs of service with the catenians.

The photo shows from the left - Manny Zarb Vice President circle 312,  Kevin Docherty 34yrs,  Ken Halliday 34yrs,  Tony Smith  34yrs,  Paul Day 28yrs,  Bob McCloud  34yrs,  Gavin Williamson  35 yrs, Graham Short Membership Officer & Director Provence 21

Tony Smith and Graham ShortUnfortunatly a number of Bro's were unable to attend the meeting & their certificates will be presented Kevin Doherty and Graham Shortat a later circle meeting.

Circle 312 has a high number of Bro's of long service & these milestones are a credit to Pittwater & to the Catenian Association.

 Lionel Stacey Pittwater Circle

 

 

THE HILLS

February meeting:

• Bro President Victor advised following discussion at the Council meeting the matter of our future, will be review at the end of 2022.
• Events coming up
  • 2nd March – Little John Mug hosted by City of Sydney . Br Victor to represent our circle
  • 24th March, joint ladies' meeting/dinner, Parramatta hosting at St Joseph's. Sr Ann speaker.
  • 7th August, P21 Mass at St Michael's 10.00am (The Hills host)- STC
• 2022 Circle calendar to be published next week
• Monthly newsletter unable to be published due to lack of material
• Australian Deacon's Conference 13-16th October, transport volunteers required

June meeting:

• Race day at Hawkesbury on 12th June as reported by Br David was most enjoyable especially for Br President who had a big win.
• Best wishes extended to Br John Connor on his recent 90th birthday. He was very proud of the Manchester jumper he received.
• Brothers meet at the Castle Hill RSL to have a drink in memory of our late brother John Davis. Mary Davis was very appreciative of Gold Coast Catenians for forming a guard of honour as Br John was taken out of the church.
• Australian Deacon’s Conference 13-16th October, transport volunteers required 
• Br Alph advised he and Pat moving into a retirement village at Galston on 5th July, Br George has moved to Emu Plains (not far from the pub!!!)  - Both brothers wished all the best moving into new premises 
• Br Paul Roberts currently in India caring for his mother. 
• Br Graham & Ann are holidaying on the central coast
• Br Marius left the meeting early due to his commitment, at Wimbledon, restringing players tennis rackets, for the next fortnight.
• Suggestions for future events
  • Afternoon or night at the cinema – suggestion 11.00am session then coffee/tea
  • Drinks or morning tea at a club 

  

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Prayers for the sick

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CARLINGFORD:

March:
Please remember Ken Morton as he recovers from his recent pace-maker operation and also-

Bill Carpenter who still has nerve-end pain some 9 weeks after his shingles diagnosis, and

Michael Lincoln who, after a long period of investigation, was finally diagnosed with an inner ear problem that is now responding to an exercise program

Please also remember in your prayers Bro Don Mees, Bro Stan and Jan Burgin, who are in Residential Care.
At last report, Bro Don was in isolation because of active COVID cases on his floor.
If you propose to visit, please contact their respective families first to check that visiting is allowed.

Please remember Founder Brothers Bill Carpenter and Ken Morton and Bro Michael Lincoln as they recover after recent hospitalisation.

April:
Please also remember in your prayers Bro Don Mees, Bro Stan and Jan Burgin, who are in Residential Care.
 Bro Don will celebrate his 95th Birthday on 12th April.
Joanne Burgin advises that her father, Bro Stan is reasonably well but her mother, Jan, has yet to recover well from her recent hospitalisation. All Circle emails are now being directed to Joanne as her parents are no longer able to access them directly.

KU-RING-GAI:

March:

Our members, family and friends who are sick and in need of our prayers
Brothers: Greg Scahill, John Szymanski, Mike Tighe, Stefan Wawrzyniak, Ramon and Luke Samson.
Family members and friends: Pam Gallagher, Mariles Garcia, Anna Marie Hudson, Kristie Gibson, Marie Gibbons, Barbara Burke, David Gardener, Sam Gardener, Gayle and Suzie Meagher, Rebecca Davies, Madeleine Szymanski and daughter Kate McRea, Monica Moldrich and Margaret Marshall.

April:

Our members, family and friends who are sick and in need of our prayers
Brothers: Greg Scahill, John Szymanski, Mike Tighe and Stefan Wawrzyniak,
Family members and friends: Pam Gallagher, Mariles Garcia, Anna Marie Hudson, Marie Gibbons, Barbara Burke, David Gardener, Sam Gardener, Gayle and Suzie Meagher, Rebecca Davies, Madeleine Szymanski and daughter Kate McRea, Monica Moldrich and Margaret Marshall.

May:

Our members, family and friends who are sick and in need of our prayers
Brothers: Greg Scahill, John Szymanski and Mike Tighe
Family members and friends: Pam Gallagher, Mariles Garcia, Anna Marie Hudson, Marie Gibbons, Barbara Burke, David Gardener, Sam Gardener, Gayle and Suzie Meagher, Rebecca Davies, Madeleine Szymanski and daughter Kate McRea, Monica Moldrich and Margaret Marshall.

June:

Our members, family and friends who are sick and in need of our prayers
Brothers: Greg Scahill, John Szymanski, Mike Tighe and Mike Kelly
Family members and friends: Pam Gallagher, Mariles Garcia, Anna Marie Hudson, Marie Gibbons, Barbara Burke, David Gardener, Sam Gardener, Gayle and Suzie Meagher, Rebecca Davies, Madeleine Szymanski and daughter Kate McRea, Monica Moldrich and Margaret Marshall.

MANLY

Remembering Manly Brothers who are/have been unwell
We remember in our prayers all Manly Brothers who have been unwell or who have been having medical procedures.

As Brothers will be aware, Jim Rush had an operation in July 2021 at St Vincent's Hospital to repair a leaking heart valve. The operation was a success. No doubt Jim would be pleased to hear from his Manly Brothers. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jim and Liz.
Sadly Jim passed recently.

John Kiely has advised that, due to his deteriorating state of health, he is no longer able to attend face-to-face Catenian meetings. John has Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and there is no cure. John says he would like to continue participating in Zoom meetings and very much enjoys reading our monthly Circle newsletters. David Addington visited John recently. David said John had lost 30kg so is looking very slim. His breathing is laboured and he said he can only walk for very short distances, so it isn't easy for him to go out. David said John is in good spirits and pragmatic about the future. Still full of wonderful stories! He would love to see Manly Brothers who could visit him – his wife Lindsey suggested 60 mins would be good. We keep John in our prayers.
Sadly John passed recently.

Michael McMahon was recently in hospital for a thyroid operation. Apparently all went well and he is home and joining us for our regular walks again, although some further treatment is on the cards for him. Michael has also had COVID but is well again and all clear. We keep Michael in our thoughts and prayers.
Michael Bowyer has been having troubles with a meniscus tear in his knee and was "hobbled" at our Christmas dinner in December. It has been very painful although latest news is that the knee has improved significantly and a potential knee replacement operation is now on the backburner. We trust the improvement continues. Michael says he is doing more exercising to help mobility. We keep Michael in our thoughts and prayers.
Paul Pearson has been having some trouble with his "water works" and had a recent short stint in hospital. He is home now but has to cope with having a catheter! He will have to have this until he sees his specialist in May, so he will not be overly mobile. He won't be walking nor attending at least our April meeting. We keep Paul (and Nuala) in our prayers.
Laurie de Ambrosis and his wife Liz contracted COVID recently and were in isolation. Latest update from Laurie is that they are "happily over COVID with, at this stage, little or no after effects". We keep Laurie and Liz in our prayers.
David Addington has developed a hernia. He is to have an operation on 27 May. David says he is not allowed to do any walking or lifting. He is doing lots of reading and resting and assures us he is being "well looked after". He is looking forward to getting back to the regular walks and the chats that accompany them!
Ian Saines and Mark Wall both recently tested positive to COVID. We understand Ian has recovered well while Mark is in the early stages. We wish them both well.

 THE HILLS

Prayers been offered for our sick Brothers & others namely - Milan & Mary Bohman, , Ken Stewart, Ranee Fernando, Colleen Woodhead, Br Paul Mainon ( Manchester) ,Br John Rayer (Blackheath), Fr Marek, Br Bob Hammersmith(London) & Br John Tweedie (P21 Sec) 

 

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Let's have a laugh ...

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How many Catholics does it take to change a light bulb?
Nun.

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What do you call a Catholic priest who became a lawyer?
A father-in-law.

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How do Catholics make holy water?
They boil the hell out of it.

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I narrowly lost a race to a female Catholic. I was second to nun.

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A Catholic priest, a Baptist preacher, and a rabbit walk into a blood bank.
The rabbit takes a look around and says, "I think I'm a typo."

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How do we know that atoms are Catholic?
Because they have mass.

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Sister Mary, who worked for a home health agency, was out making her rounds visiting homebound patients when she ran out of gas.
As luck would have it a petrol station was just a block away. She walked to the station to borrow a petrol can and buy some petrol.
The attendant told her the only petrol can, he owned, had been loaned out, but she could wait until it was returned.
Since the nun was on the way to see a patient, she decided not to wait and walked back to her car. She looked for something in her car that she could fill with petrol and spotted a bedpan she was taking to a patient.
Always, resourceful she carried the bedpan to the station, filled it with petrol, and carried the full bedpan back to her car.
As she was pouring the petrol into her tank two men watched from across the street.
One of them turned to the other and said, "If it starts, I'm converting to Christianity ....!!" 

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What did Jonah's family say when he told them about what happened before reaching Nineveh? "Hmm, sounds fishy."

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What was Moses' wife, Zipphora, known as when she'd throw dinner parties? "The hostess with the Moses."

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Why couldn't the Israelites initially enter the Promised Land? It wasn't the Pinky Promised Land.

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What did the classmate say when asked why they kept walking next to the same person at school? "I was told I'm supposed to walk by Faith!"

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Which Bible character was super-fit? Absalom.

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What did Adam say when he was asked his favorite holiday? "It's Christmas, Eve."

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What do you call a Bible character who just pulled into church? A parking Lot.

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What did God's people say when food fell from Heaven? "Oh man-na!"

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What did pirates call Noah's boat? "The arrrrrrk."

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"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go." Oscar Wilde

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Attorney: "Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?"
Witness: "All of them. The live ones put up too much fight."

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Attorney: "Do you recall the time when you examined the body?"
Witness: "The autopsy started around 8.30pm."

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Attorney: "And Mr Denton was dead at the time?"
Witness: "If not, he was by the time I finished,"

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"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork ..." Mae West.

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"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." Moses Hadas.

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"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." Mark Twain.

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Doctor: "Now look at me in the face."
Patient: "Doctor, I got my own problems."

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"Hey!" cried Satan to the new arrival. "You act as if you own the place!"
New entrant: "I do. "My dear wife gave it to me before I died."

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A purchasing agent became seriously ill and called in a specialist.
The specialist, as he stood by the bedside, said: "Yes, I can cure you."
"What will it cost?" asked the purchasing agent faintly.
"Five hundred dollars."
"You'll have to shave your price a little," replied the purchasing agent with a glint in his eyes. "I have a better offer from the undertaker."

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Teacher: "George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but he also admitted doing it. Now do you know why his father didn't punish him?"
Sheldon: "Because George still had the axe in his hand."

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A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease." Disraeli unimpressed: "That depends, Sir, whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

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"He has no enemies but is intensely disliked by his friends." Oscar Wilde.

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Knock Knock
Who's there ? Ice cream! I
ce cream who ? I
ce cream if you don't let me in!

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Knock Knock
Who's there !
Honeydew!
Honeydew who?
Honeydew you know how fine you look right now.

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Knock Knock
Who's there?
Pecan!
Pecan who?
Pecan somebody your own size!

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Knock Knock
Who's there?
Cantaloupe!
Cantaloupe who?
Cantaloupe to Vegas, our parents would get mad.

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Knock Knock.
Who's there?
Bison!
Bison who?
Bison girl scout cookies!

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Knock Knock.
Who's there?
Hungry clock!
Hungry clock who?
Hungry clock who went back four seconds.

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I don't think housework can kill me, but I decided not to risk it!

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I've learned 2 very important things in life. I don't remember the first one, but the second one is write everything down!

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Nicknames for workmates:

• "Wicket keeper" - puts on gloves and stands back.
• "Harvey Norman" - 3 years no interest!
• "Sensor light" - only works if someone walks past.
• "Deck chair" - always folds under pressure.
• "2-stroke" - hard to get started, and always smokes.
• "Fractions" - Does 2/5ths of f#@k all !
• "Scarecrow" - Just stands around all day and watches.
• "Chainsaw" - Hard to start and stops for no reason.

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Every woman has at least one challenge in life.
She's either married to it or gives birth to it!!

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Does anyone else wish manufacturers would write the words SHAMPOO and CONDITIONER in a bigger font so we can read it in the shower without our specs!!

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I'm so old that:

• I have dialed on a rotary phone;
• Watched a black and white TV with foil on the rabbits ears antenna, and
• Went through a whole day without taking a picture of myself!

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I started the day off with 2 eggs for breakfast. They were Cadbury eggs! The diet plan said "2 eggs", so let's not get picky!

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My children mock me for not understanding technology and then have to Google how to boil an egg!

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My kids can pick up 300 Easter eggs from the yard in 90 seconds. But it takes them 3 months to pick up 5 toys in their room!

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Benefits of a good vocabulary
I recently called an old engineering friend of mine and asked what he was working on these days.
He said that he was working on the "aqua-thermal treatment of ceramics, aluminium and steel under a constrained environment".
I was impressed until, upon further inquiry, I learned that he was washing dishes with hot water under his wife's supervision!!

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Petrol prices – some perspective!
So, you think a litre of petrol is expensive?
Well it is (relative to what it was), but the following makes you think, and also puts things into perspective:

• Can of Red Bull, 250ml, $2.95 ... $11.80 per litre!
• L'Oreal Revitalift Day Cream, 50ml, $29.95 ............ $599.00 per litre!
• Bundy Rum, 1250ml, $51.00 .... $40.80 per litre!
• Visene Eye Drops, 15ml, $5.69 .. $379.00 per litre!
• Britney Spears Fantasy Perfume,50ml, $29 ....... $580.00 per litre!
• Evian water, 375 ml, $2.95 ...$7.86 per litre!

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Ever wonder why computer printers are so cheap? So they can hook you for the ink!!
Someone calculated the cost of the ink at, you won't believe it but it's true; $1,040 a litre.
$1040.00 A LITRE!!!

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I just told my kids that I am older than Google! They think I'm joking! [Apparently, anyone born before 4 Sept 1998 is older than Google!]

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TO MY CHILDREN: Don't make fun of me for asking questions about my mobile phone and IT stuff generally. I once taught you how to use a spoon!!

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Teacher: Give me a sentence that contains the words Defence, Defeat and Detail.
Charlie: When a horse jumps over defence, defeat go first and then detail!

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The trials of the IT world and protecting passwords. All my passwords are protected by amnesia – mine!