Catholic Diocese of Broome

In April Rebekah Treacy of Broome flew to Rome with a group of other young Australians. She was part of the official party representing Catholic Australian young people who handed over the WYD Cross and Icon to young Spaniards in preparation for their World Youth Day in Madrid 2011.

The Palm Sunday celebration took place at St Peter’s Basilica in the presence of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, who presided at the moving ritual. It was a privilege for Rebekah to be there and in turn it was a great moment for the Kimberley to be represented by her on this significant occasion.

It is difficult to believe that it is almost a year since the Cross and Icon came to this Diocese on its journey to Sydney for WYD. The presence of these powerful signs in our towns and communities is fondly remembered by all those who took part in the processions and venerations.

Following on from the spiritual experience afforded by the Cross and Icon during the Kimberley tour we have been planning to produce a Legacy Cross – a wooden Cross constructed in memory of the WYD Cross. Our Cross, our Legacy Cross for the Kimberley, is almost ready. It is being constructed in Perth and like the original WYD Cross it will have a stand, a box to carry it in and a trailer to move it around the Kimberley. It will need to be put together, just like the original one, whenever we wish to display it for veneration or carry it in procession. It will be very similar in height and weight to the WYD Cross.

I imagine the Cross will be used on significant moments in the life of a community, a school or a parish. An anniversary celebration or perhaps the opening of a building or a conference, are likely opportunities for its display.

Another fascinating item of news is the imminent arrival of world renowned iconographer, Roman Vasylyk, from the Ukraine. Roman will be in Broome for two weeks and will give lectures to interested people on Icons and Iconography. Part of his brief for being here is to paint (write, they say actually) for the new Cathedral an Icon that will be a real spiritual treasure for the Diocese. It is hoped that Mr Vasylyk will be available to share his talents through St Mary’s College and the University of Notre Dame.

The preparation needed to write an icon is involved. It includes fasting, prayer and meditation. The iconographer simply doesn’t sit down and begin to paint. He prepares himself spiritually and begins to ‘write’ the Gospel in colour.

Speaking of the Gospel, I am anxious for the Holy Scriptures to be used even more extensively than at present in the life of schools and parishes. After all, we are a people of The Book. Our faith was cradled in the belief of the people of Israel and they most certainly are a people of the book. There are useful methods that can be employed to help families and groups to ‘pray’ the Scriptures. Recently the priests of the Kimberley were introduced in The Lumko method of scripture sharing and I am hopeful that their knowledge is now being made available in school classrooms, for instance, and in the development of a prayer and devotional life for families in our parishes.

Pentecost is the feast of many gifts made present through the Holy Spirit. May we be open to the Spirit in our lives so as to be strengthened to serve our Lord and God more faithfully, more tenderly, more humbly.