The Catholic Weekly 3 May 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 6 NEWS 3, May, 2020 catholicsuper.com.au We’re here to help you THOSE WHO govern our country took us by surprise when they told us that the Church is numbered among ‘non-essential’ services and ordered the closure of all church buildings and suspen- sion of gatherings shortly be- fore Easter. However, while this year’s liturgies looked vastly differ- ent, the limitations caused by the virus pandemic did not fundamentally alter the pow- er of the Easter event. The devil perhaps thought he had won a significant victory because the church buildings were empty, but he had to acknowledge that mul- tiple and powerful liturgies ¾ ¾ Fr Tony Trafford Families overcome the limits Gathered in Aussie homes, Neocatechumenal communities found new ways to mark Easter Jose Canete leads his children in singing a hymn during the Easter vigil celebration in their home were being celebrated in do- mestic churches, the homes of families across Australia. The good news was still announced: Christ is risen. Alleluia! For the communities of the Neocatechumenal Way the Paschal Liturgies are central to our lives, with many bap- tisms by immersion, and great preparations whereby all the children and young people are deeply involved from be- ginning to end. The challenge this year was to see how to make Easter as special as ever within the cur- rent limitations. Those with a minimal as- sembly (which meant in practice at least two or three children old enough to stay up late) celebrated the Easter Vigil in their homes. Each family had a large candle to be lit, from which each person lit their own, of- ten a baptism candle. There is a natural crescen- do in the lengthy Liturgy of the Word which leads to the Paschal Alleluia and the proc- lamation of the Gospel. The parents helped the children through the history of salva- tion, but all took part in the introductions to each reading and there were moments to share with one another what the Lord was saying to them. They sang the Litany of the Saints before lighting their candles and renewing their baptismal promises – recall- ing previous Easters when each child was baptised by immersion. Those who live alone or in small households also cele- brated as they could: many used video conferencing to join a priest who celebrated the Easter Vigil in his own home with and for them. Julio, father of a Sydney family, said: “When we real- ised it would be impossible to celebrate the Triduum with the community the first feel- ing was sadness. “In the end, we could see that the Lord had prepared something great.” Kerry from Perth said: “We had a small fire in our back- yard for the Lucernarium [the ceremony of light], and lit our candles there. “From there we moved in- side where we read the Exultet and then began the Liturgy of the Word.” From Wollongong Arpad and Naomi reported: “Six of our ten children joined us in a beautiful and rich night of the Word, where the kids fully participated.” “We will remember this Easter fondly. Christ is truly risen for us! Alleluia!” Vanda, a Sydney mother, commented: “This historic reality was like the night of the Passover in Egypt ... like the people in their own homes, waiting for the Passing of the Lord.” To remember these occa- sions is to be full of gratitude to the Lord who still has the power to lead us fromEgypt to the Promised Land. Obviously our Easter lit- urgies in 2020 could not be the same as in big assembly which has prepared well be- forehand, but in its own way the situation has been a gift to the Christian family and ena- bled us to do something new. Desk a hit – and helps keep staff employed A SYDNEY company has come up with an easy to as- semble desk to not only ease the shortage of homework spaces but also keep its 65 staff employed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Described as the answer to their prayers, the Chat- swood-based printing com- pany recognised there was a desperate lack of desks avail- able due to both students and workers operating remotely, and designed their own ver- sion made completely out of cardboard. Able to be put together by a child like a jigsaw, the desks made by Clarke Murphy Print have become so popular they are now being shipped over- seas with chairs, stand-up desks, cubby houses, stools and doll houses about to be added to the range. Portable and lightweight while being incredibly sturdy, the products have enabled the business to thrive at a time when so many are facing closure. General manager James McGrath said his decision to diversify proved how impor- tant it is to evolve, particularly in times of hardship. The father of three children at Sydney Catholic schools said he never lost faith in the product which quite simply stemmed from him reclaim- ing his dining room table which had been turned into a school zone. “We started talk- The cardboard home schoolwork desk is surprisingly solid and has become a runanway success. ¾ ¾ Debbie Cramsie ing at work about kids school- ing remotely and how we had all lost that sacred space … the dinner table to their stud- ies so we came up with the build-a-desk design,” he said. “There was a lot of talk about desks selling out due to demand so we decided to get creative and attract new business. “Being in the printing and design industry we were look- ing at sales halving for our business due to the pandemic which would have forced us to scale the business down. “We came up with the desk in a matter of days which is extremely lightweight but also very sturdy and enables you to carry it from room to room. “A lot of businesses have been purchasing them for their staff who are also work- ing from home and not been able to purchase one due to shortages. “It just goes to show what can be done if you are pre- pared to get a little creative and take a risk.” The innovative desks can be delivered within 48 hours anywhere across the country and new designs are currently in the planning process and will be available soon. For details or to purchase a desk go to www.buil- dadesk.com.au