The Catholic Weekly 21 June 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 3 21, June, 2020 Looking for a new Job? www.catholicjobsonline.com.au FIFTEEN COMMUNITY or- ganisations have received a total of $110,000 in grants from Catholic Emergency Re- lief Australia to help assist in the recovery from the devas- tating 2019-20 bushfires. Some of the organisa- tions receiving grants in- clude the Southern Women’s Group Bega, Disaster Re- covery Chaplaincy Network, A KELLYVILLE parishioner has used her free time during lockdown to read CS Lewis’s 1952 classic Mere Christianity to some of her 1500 Facebook friends with surprising results. Kristin Barlow is a Mas- ters of Theology student at the University of Notre Dame Australia. The 27-year-old decided to spark some of the “really help- ful and non-judgemental con- versations” about life and faith that she enjoyed on campus with her community on social media, many of whom are not Christian or do not believe in God. “I was struggling during iso- lation as I think many people were, and I thought to myself I could either wait this out until my life resumes as normal or I could use this opportunity for something I might never have otherwise,” said Ms Barlow, a former kindergarten teacher. “Many of us were missing our regular post-Mass morn- ing tea in the courtyard com- munities. “I also noticed that many people were living on the in- ternet at that time and that they were also being forced to be still, which is something that we don’t get a chance to do much in this society, and had more time to think and to ask themselves, ‘What does this all mean?’ “I love all my Facebook friends … what better time to invite them to think about God?” With public Masses sus- Kellyville parishioner introduces Facebook friends to timeless Christian author ¾ ¾ David Ryan ¾ ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues Minus Mass, CS Lewis and Kristin step up Catholic grants flow to help rebuild CatholicCare Wollongong and Blackheath Neighbour- hood Centre. At least 10 of the projects have mental health aspects to them. Susan Pascoe, chair of CERA, emphasised the im- portance of addressing the mental health needs in re- spective programs. “We are aware that much – but by no means all – of peo- ple’s immediate needs were addressed through major government and non-gov- ernment organisations in the days and weeks after fires ravaged many parts of our na- tion,” she said. “What will take much longer, though, is the spiritual, emotional and psychological recovery. “The funding we have awarded will focus especially on those aspects of people’s journey back to some sense of normalcy. “We are confident that the funding we provide will make a difference in the lives of people affected by the bushfires.” One project funded is a dig- ital alcohol behaviour change program, using social and tra- ditional media to encourage individuals to access alcohol change support services. Another includes a passive sensory play area to support anxious children who need to withdraw from normal school pended, Ms Barlow chose to share a book relating to faith on Facebook Live at 3pm on Sundays to keep the day holy and began reading Mere Christianity at the start of May. She had never read the whole book before and along with her weekly viewers, which has reached more than 400 at a time, said she enjoys CS Lewis’ argument for the existence of God and treat- ment of the fundamental be- liefs of Christianity. “His writing is humble and is quite digestible for a mod- ern audience,” she said. “He starts at the very roots of reasoning that there is a natural law, law of nature he calls it, within each of us, a law of right and wrong and then he builds from there. “It can be difficult to get through the whole book if you’re not a practicing Chris- tian, but matters of morality, the soul and eternal life that have the ability to turn your life around should rightfully be hard to stomach. “To put such books down because they’re hard to get through would be a shame. “At the very least CS Lewis makes some profound points about the human person that everyone ought to hear.” As the book draws to a close this weekend, Ms Bar- low says she has learnt a lot from it, engaged in some great discussions with friends and is open to beginning another. “Like every Christian, I’ve been blessed with certain gifts and I have to consider how I can best use them to glorify God,” she said. “I used to enjoy public speaking and to read picture books to children when I was a kindergarten teacher, so the idea of using those gifts to connect with others while discussing the reason why our souls seek connection in the first place does seem a good opportunity.” CS Lewis is widely regarded as the greatest Christian apol- ogist - or explainer of the Faith - of the 20th Century. His book, Mere Christiani- ty , is regarded as a classic in- troduction to Christianity and has led many to embrace it. At the very least, CS Lewis makes some profound points about the human person that everyone ought to hear.” Kristin Barlow In brief Report to appear in August A FINAL version of a con- troversial report into di- ocesan and parish gov- ernance will be published in August, Archbish- op Mark Coleridge an- nounced last week. The Australian Catho- lic Bishops Conference president said the report will be released after a se- ries of amendments and clarifications have been made, a task due to be completed by mid-July. “The amended version will then be published in late July or early August, accompanied by a read- ing guide,” said Archbish- op Mark Coleridge. “This version will be widely available, and people are encouraged to read the full report (and not just the recommen- dations) and to provide feedback to their local bishop to help him in shaping his response.” The Archbishop an- nounced the projected timeline for the report’s release after a draft ver- sion was leaked to inter- national Catholic media earlier this month. The report, The Light from the Southern Cross: Promoting Co-Respon- sible Governance in the Catholic Church in Aus- tralia , was prepared by the Governance Review Project Team, a group of experts assembled by the Implementation Advisory Group following a rec- ommendation from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. It was provided to the bishops days before the start of their May plenary meeting. The nation’s bishops elected to postpone the publication of the report and their response to it until they had given “due consideration” to its more than 200 pages and 86 recommendations. Victoria-based organ- isation Catholics for Re- newal accused the bish- ops of keeping the report “secret” and called for it to be published before June, with its President Dr Peter Wilkinson saying it “belongs to all the People of God.” activities. Among the intiti- atives being supported are therapeutic art sessions for those suffering trauma from the bushfire disaster in the Shoalhaven area. “We are reaching out to provide therapeutic art ses- sions as a soft entry into ac- cessing support for quite a wide range of services,” CatholicCare Wollongong’s Roseanne Plunkett told The Catholic Weekly . With laptop at the ready, Kristin has been bringing CS Lewis’s classic work Mere Christianity to some of her 1500 or so Facebook friends every week. PHOTO:ALPHONSUS FOK NEWS