Catholic Diocese of Broome

Photo: Aidan and Rose Mitchell of Broome visited Sr Visitation Cidad at Kalumburu Mission recently. They are pictured here with some of Sisters’ delicious home-cooked profiteroles. Photo: N McCabe

Rose Mitchell is a teacher at St Mary’s Primary School in Broome and is married to Aidan:

The most prominent driving force that makes me passionate about life is my relationship with the people God has put in my life - my husband,my family,my friends and my students. I can make a difference to the lives of everyone I encounter, I am often just not aware of it.

My work is very exciting at present as I am training as a Reading Recovery teacher. I get to make a real difference in the lives of my students and am constantly learning from them and my colleagues. My spirituality has always been about doing God’s work in my everyday life.When thinking about how I am able to do this, I need to consider how I serve others. I am constantly faced with choices in the way I relate to people and that is a huge challenge.

Aidan and I have only been married for a year and I am excited about our life journey together. We have a shared outlook on life and whilst we maintain individual identities, we are very much a team on a common path working out challenges together.

A new and exciting part of my spirituality is to be able to sit next to Aidan at Mass and share that experience together and support each other in our faith. For myself, the Gospel often makes me come away feeling challenged and questioning what I do and could be doing better. I love that I can talk to Aidan about how our common faith is influencing our lives individually and as a couple.

Aidan inspires me as he has strong convictions and stands by them. He is generous and lives life to the full. I love the way he is so helpful to other people but I have to give my time to others like he does and not just think that he does enough for the two of us. My Mum said to me when we started dating that she saw a like minded person in Aidan and that together we could support each other in our vocation of education in the Kimberley.

My parents inspire me with their love, generosity, faith, patience and dedication. They encourage me to be my best. I would love to be able to pass on the gift of faith to my own children one day just like they did to me. That has been their greatest gift...oh, and a sense of humour!

The nuns, brothers, priests and volunteers I have met during my time in the Kimberley have been an inspiration. On a recent visit to Kalumburu I was touched by the generosity and dedication of all who worked at the Mission. Aidan had worked there as a volunteer and it was amazing to share his history with people so happily dedicating their whole lives to the service of others.

The nuns at Billiluna inspired me and nurtured my faith during my four years in the desert, with Sr Janet and Sr Barbara becoming my surrogate family. They even took care of me by employing Aidan. My Mum and Dad really appreciated that!

In my work I am inspired by my colleague and Reading Recovery Tutor, Trish Bremner. She is so passionate about literacy and she challenges me to extend myself beyond my comfort zone. The students and their needs drive every decision she makes.

In a nutshell, I know my life has been blessed by God in so many ways, through people and experiences. My job in turn is to help God bring those blessings into the lives of others.

Photo: Fr Daniel, Fr Richard and Bishop Saunders.

Fr Richard Tomelty is Assistant Priest in the Cathedral parish in Broome. He wrote: At my core and the thing that drives me is my faith. I have experienced the effects of the love of God in my life. I was a young man caught up in the attraction of society, looking to fulfil myself through work,sport, and material things.I arrived at a stage of my life where I was very unhappy and dissatisfied. At this point I received, through the church, an announcement of the love of God for me just as I was and this made a deep impression on me. Could it be possible that God truly loved me, even when there were so many things about myself I could not love?

This experience has led me to a deep conviction of the love of God for all people and of the unique importance of faith and a lived relationship with God through the Church. I do not believe God is an optional extra. This is what has pushed me to offer my life in the service of the Church as a priest so that I can bring the same unconditional love of God to others that I have received.

The passage of St Paul;"The love of Christ pushes us" is something that I carry and continually reflect upon. Having known of God's love and mercy how can I refuse to go to others and share that gift? Also I have within myself a deep sense of justice. I grew up in the western suburbs of Melbourne. My Father was involved in various groups of social action. His commitment to such issues when I was still very young has remained with me. Having studied in the seminary with others coming from all around the world and having visited many of these places has given me an interest in global affairs.

Many people inspire me. My family has always been a great source of help and support, as has been the neo catechumenate community. They have supported me with their prayers and their love.

Today the Gospel challenges me in my commitment to love and serve the people of God, rather than concentrating on my needs before those of others. The Gospel shows me the complete self-giving of Jesus, even to His enemies. This challenges me everyday to seek to grow in holiness that comes from an intimacy with Jesus, so as to love in the way he did.
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