Catholic Diocese of Broome

When the Holy Father Pope John Paul II recently counselled youth to be radical in their faith, he was asking them to find a different, more authentic way to live a full human life. No doubt he had in mind the needs of a world presently caught up in its own deception, entangled in its own harmful complexities. Such entanglements blind us to the wonder of beauty and truth. Such blindness prevents us from living in love and hope, the key to all human fulfilment.
Speaking of human fulfilment, it is interesting to note in recent years what store the Holy Father has put in the ecclesial movements that have emerged in the Church. These movements have in common the desire to serve the proclamation of the gospel, the formation of people in faithful obedience and the avid support of family life. It is no mere coincidence that vocations to the Priesthood and the Religious Life continue to flourish in such a nurturing environment.
In the history of the Church there have been many crises that have damaged the practice of the faith at various times. Each time, the Holy Spirit has brought forth life from the decay and consequently, movements developed that have nurtured that life in a most radical manner. For instance, in the face of terse paganism it was the Irish monks who evangelized the Germanic lands of Europe. Later, the early monastic movement grounded the faith and inculturated that faith in the lives of people. The appearance of the radical St. Francis of Assisi was an effective response to the materialist measure of his time. And in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the great missionary Orders appeared so as to spread the Word to a world far from Europe. Indeed, there are many other examples that we could draw from a study of history of radical responses to moments of need and crises.
One Ecclesial Movement that has been invited by me to Broome is that of the Neo-Catechumenate, otherwise described as The Way. Only last year this international movement, begun in Spain and Italy, received approval for its Statutes from the Holy See in Rome.
In Australia, there are many communities living and growing as a communion of families in faith and The Way presently operates two seminaries in this country - one in Perth and one in Sydney. Both enjoy the same name as the other Neo-Catechumenate Seminaries throughout the world- 'Redemptoris Mater'.
I believe that the Neo-Catechumenate Way is capable of the radical engagement with contemporary society that has become an urgent need in recent years. Like other places, many cultural groups here in Kimberley society are in a state of crisis, dead as it were to the promise of life and the hope of God that the Gospel offers.
The recent visit of twenty-five Redemptoris Mater seminarians to Broome on a Pilgrimage of Peace after Easter has been a source of great joy and life for us all. Through their hope-filled mission here we have been blessed and nurtured in faith. May God bless them for their generosity and may the good things begun in us come to fulfillment.

recent gathering in Adelaide of the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) delegates at their Assembly, held every three years, was a special time of renewal for all those involved. About two hundred and fifty people from all over Australia registered for the event. The OTHERWAY CENTRE, the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry headquarters in Adelaide, were superb hosts who made everyone feel very much at home.

Borrowing the words of Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Oceania, the Council chose for the theme of the Assembly the title - "The Time For Rebirth Is Now." The logo designed for the five day conference was drawn from words in the Holy Father’s address in Alice Springs (1986) when he spoke of the Aboriginal people of Australia being likened to a burnt bush tree that has survived the flames (the trials) and has been reborn anew. The burnt tree-trunk has new and bright leaves symbolic of survival and new beginnings.

This logo is an ideal summary of the Assembly experience in Adelaide. There, people from a variety of backgrounds – urban and rural – celebrated their Aboriginality and their faith. Remembering the past, including the setbacks and failures, they committed themselves to a future of working together to see to it that indigenous people take their rightful place in the Church.

A joyous part of the Assembly was the noticeable presence of young people. They worked together on a variety of issues and then elected their own "ambassadors" to support a Youth Delegate, Marlon Riley, who will be a representative member of the National Council.

The hopeful enthusiasm engendered during the Assembly created energy for action among the delegates that is inspiring to anyone privileged enough to have shared the experience of the busy few days at Rostrevor, Adelaide. What is becoming remarkably more obvious is the earnest determination of many indigenous people, Australia wide, to take their rightful place in the Church. At a time when many other aspects of Church in this country appear tired and flat, the indigenous people at this conference were vital, creative, imaginative and determined. There is much to be gleaned from this enthusiasm for the Church at large, including the particular Church of the Kimberley.

It needs to be said that, in some instances, there is a noticeable lack of energy for effective ministry in our Kimberley Church today which purports to especially serve Aboriginal people. This is most pronounced in the towns of the region but it can also be said to be a true and sorry fact in some remote locations.

This is most probably due to a number of factors – stark changes in demographics, rapid changes to the social make-up of some communities, growing mobility among people, excessive turn-over of personnel, a lack of critical analysis and an absence of dynamic pastoral strategies.

Like the NATSICC Assembly, for the Church in the Kimberley there is a need for rebirth. Surviving the flames is one thing. To put out new energetic growth is the next step. Hope springs eternal.