News from the Province
Autumn 2007
The Proposed JOHN PAUL II CHAPEL, Alice Springs , Northern Territory , Australia .
On 29th November 1986 , Pope John Paul II met with and addressed Indigenous Australians in Alice Springs , a town at the heart of Australia , located geographically in the centre of the continent. There he affirmed to Australia 's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples ' to become, through and through, Aboriginal Christians. You are part of Australia and Australia is part of you. And the Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others.
To provide a spiritual home for the Ngkarte Mikwekenhe Community ('Mary Mother of God' in Arrernte language), to perpetuate the message of Pope John Paul II, and to create a national symbol of hope and reconciliation for Catholics - especially Indigenous Catholics -throughout Australia, Bishop Ted Collins MSC of the Diocese of Darwin has initiated a project to build the John Paul II Chapel in Alice Springs. The Ngkarte Mikwekenhe Community has embraced the project as something that will build up their faith, community, Catholic identity and enrich their participation in and contribution to the life of the Church in Australia . The Community looks forward to welcoming pilgrims who will come to visit and pray at the Pope John Paul II Chapel, and to hosting people of good will who come seeking to advance reconciliation between Australia 's first inhabitants and those who have come to Australia since white settlement.
Any financial assistance to help this dream come true, contact the Aboriginal Catholic Chaplain, Fr Asaeli Raass, SVD on araass2000@yahoo.com or 08 89521049
Farewell to MSCs & Welcome to SVDs in Central Australia
In 1906 Fr. Gsell, Francis Xavier MSC (1872-1960), was appointment as apostolic administrator of the Northern Territory at Palmerston ( Darwin ) where he helped established the Catholic Church. He took up the conversion of the Aboriginals. He learned the intricate laws and customs of the local Aboriginals. He understood Aboriginal life, spiritual values and rituals and sought the people's advancement. As Bishop of Darwin he then established a mission at Arltunga in Central Australia in 1926. Today there are more than 6000 Catholics in Alice Springs .
After much prayer and consultation, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart congregation has decided to move on after more than 80 years of evangelization at the centre of the continent. Bishop Ted Collins MSC made a remark to the Council of Priests in March 2007 that their presence has been fruitful and filled with so much blessings in spite of all the harships faced by the pioneer MSCs who toiled the heat and dust to bring about the kingdom of God in Central Australi . In the same breath he sincerely welcomed the Divine Word Missionaries namely , Frs Asaeli Raass, PeterTam, Michael Loke and Jim Knight, and thanked them for their willingness to manage the parishes in Central Australia . This year OLSH parish welcomes Fr Jim as its first SVD parish priest and says farewell to Fr Brian Healy MSC after 17 years of fruitful ministry. May our good Lord reward the MSCs for their ministry over the years.
