Dear Friends
Two dates occurred this past week, both significant to the Church’s Mission:
· Tuesday 11 October – 60th Anniversary of the opening session of the Second Vatican Council in 1962 and the Feast of Pope St John XXIII, Convenor of the Council.
· Wednesday 12 October – 70th Anniversary of the official opening of St Kieran’s Church, Manly Vale by Cardinal Gilroy in 1952, a milestone we will celebrate on
6th November this year.
Our understanding of ‘mission’ has evolved significantly in the last 70 years. In fact it has matured in many ways and moved far beyond the preoccupation of converting pagans and anyone else who didn’t see the world in the Catholic way. Thanks to the teaching of Vatican II, the work of theologians, and the wisdom of subsequent Popes, we are more enlightened.
In 1975 Pope St Paul VI, issued a landmark document, Evangelii Nuntiandi, and described evangelization as the church’s deepest identity and mission… ‘the church exists to evangelize,’ to proclaim Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit so that people in our times will open their hearts to him, both those who have not yet heard the Good News and those who no longer practice their faith.
Evangelization was also central to the papacy of Pope St. John Paul II who called for a ‘new evangelization’ – not new in content, but new ‘in its ardour, methods and expression’ - and included those whose faith had grown cold and nations where formerly the faith was strong but now is fading. Pope Benedict XVI emphasized that evangelization is not merely a program but rather a work of love, an opening of the heart.
Mission and evangelization are clearly central to the pontificate of Pope Francis. With a pastor’s heart, he penned Evangelii Gaudium, - The Joy of the Gospel – which speaks of the urgency of this mission and calls each of us and our parishes and church institutions to ‘a missionary conversion.’
No doubt, mission was the motivation for the establishment of our original parishes – St Cecilia’s, Balgowlah, in 1929 and St Kieran’s, Manly Vale, in 1952 – and our new identity as the Catholic Community of North Harbour in 2005. Over the years, priests and parishioners have been inspired by the challenging vision of Vatican II, particularly its fresh insights into what it means to be Church. Pope Francis’ Prayer intention for October offers a major challenge for us to be: ‘A Church that is open to everyone.’
Most of you are probably aware of the photographs in St Kieran’s Church, just near Our Lady’s altar, of St John XXIII, St John Paul II and St Teresa of Calcutta, each praying at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in the Augustinian Church in Genazzano, Italy. ‘Good Pope John’ prayed there before convening the Second Vatican Council. We Augustinians feel privileged to be custodians of that beautiful Shrine.
Today, we open our hearts anew to the promise and affirmation of the Risen Jesus in Acts 1:8 – ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth!’ Fr Dave