Oceania Province Weekly News Sept. 14^th

Articles include:

• EREA Congress 2018
  Catholic school educators commit to developing students to build a better world
  Educators from one of Australia’s largest Catholic school bodies have committed to helping their students and staff “seek new ways to be the inclusive, compassionate face of Christ in the world,” at their five-yearly gathering in Melbourne. Edmund Rice Education Australia’s three-day Charting New Horizons Congress, which ended on Sunday 9 September, saw 250 delegates from 10 countries gather in Melbourne to set a broad direction for the EREA community and its partners. Overseas delegates included educators from Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, USA, Canada, Italy, Ireland and India.
  
  
• EDMUND RICE, THE MAN WHO NEVER DIED!
  Have courage, the good seed will grow up in the children’s hearts later on! These words of Edmund Rice are a true testimony of what is happening among the members of EDMUND RICE EDUCATION AUSTRALIA and the wider Edmund Rice Network across the globe. As we celebrate the birth of Mary, I acknowledge and affirm that EREA can be compared to the wise men from the East (Magi), who after witnessing the star of Bethlehem (in our case the charism of Edmund Rice), got inspired and willing to share the treasure with the rest of humanity.
  
  
• “Behold, In You I Am Doing Something New”
  On Sunday 9th September, a significant event in the life of the Congregation took place in Nairobi, as 21 Christian Brothers embarked on a three months Orientation Program to help them engage more intensely with the challenge of living our brotherhood in a deeper way, according to the call of our 2014 Chapter. They will deepen their sense of what it is to be a brother in community and mission. The program is not just theoretical, as they will form a community among themselves and live the learning!

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ERC Justice Matters September  2018  No.2

Issues presented in this edition include"

• ERC Justice Updates is a regular newsletter from the Edmund Rice Centre, on all sorts of matters relating to social and environmental justice.
• On Monday September 17th, the Australian government will have detained men, women & children on Nauru & Manus Island for 1878 DAYS
• On May 26th 2017 THE ULURU STATEMENT FROM THE HEART, the outcome of a long period of consultation with many Indigenous communities and groups all over the country, was presented to the then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull .
• From the 15th of October to the 25th of October and will be visiting Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.
• During that time the Pacific Calling Partnership are arranging meetings with politicians and community leaders. We are also arranging some public meetings and press interviews.

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EREA Congress 2018 Closing Address

Delivered by Dr Wayne Tinsey

The gathering featured four Congress Animators – Senator Patrick Dodson, religious leader Father Frank Brennan, former First Lady of East Timor, Kirsty Sword Gusmao and journalist Emma Alberici.
At this Congress, particularly on Friday, we have been blessed to engage profoundly with our Aboriginal culture. A culture which knows so much of the values we aspire to as an Edmund Rice family: fidelity to culture, story, wisdom and knowledge of what is of enduring importance.
In a society devoid of conversation about the soul, the infinite and the ultimate meaning of human life; a society where knowledge that can be lost in information; where wisdom is readily confused with knowledge, we commit to walking with and learning from our First Nations peoples, who clearly have so much to teach us.
I also acknowledge our forebears in Edmund Rice education, the Christian Brothers, whose vision, commitment and dedication have afforded us many privileges and left the rich legacy that we honour and celebrate at this gathering. We have been blessed to have the presence of so many Brothers with us at this gathering.
Brothers, having given birth to EREA, you have been there to nurture us in our infancy, guide us as we have strived for maturity, and you continue to care for us in generous and loving ways.

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FRODO AND SAM ARE ALL AROUND US

Br Damien Price cfc offers an informative parallel between the mission of the prophets of the Old Testament and Frodo of Lord of the Rings. He writes

The author of Lord of the Rings created a powerful story of good versus evil.

A daily Mass-goer, Tolkien used his archetypical heroes to teach us all simple but powerful messages that good will triumph over evil and that the warrior in the midst of that battle is often small, seemingly powerless and often afraid….

Firstly they did not seek the call to be prophet – they were invited.

Secondly, the response was universal – “I’m too young! I don’t know what to say! I’m too weak! Who, me?”

But thirdly, there is a universal response from the caller – “Do not be afraid; I will be with you!” and from the called, “Yes, I will go.”

Read the full article in the “Catholic Leader of September 16”.

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Former President of Kiribati to visit Australia 

In October the Pacific Calling Partnership will be hosting His Excellency Anote Tong in Australia.

Mr Tong, who was president of Kiribati from 2003 to 2013, is among the most prominent advocates for urgent global action on climate change. Former President Tong’s country, the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, is one of the first places to confront sea level rise and other devastating real-life consequences of climate change.

Mr Tong is a strong voice for the Pacific and has been campaigning for climate justice for his people and those of the Pacific for many years. Bringing his voice to Australia is especially important in the current circumstances where Australians are engaged in a debate about the continued mining and use of coal. The Pacific Calling Partnership is bringing Mr Tong to Australia in an effort to change the terms of the climate change debate in this country.

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Br Phil Joiner's father, Graham, was honored in a recent article in the Brisbane Catholic Leader.

Mr Joyner celebrated his 90th birthday on June 21, joined by friends and family at a lunch.
“It was a great day,” Mr Joyner said. He said his children and grandchildren told stories of his life in song and that it was a joyous event. “It was just beautiful,” Patricia Joyner, Graham’s wife, said.
Mr Joyner has always placed great importance on family, and in his later years, he’s been “chasing” his family back through time.“When you search for people, they come back to you, they want to be found,” Mr Joyner said. “We all have our history and it’s all got interesting things in it.

Read the full article in the Australian Catholic Leader.

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