The Catholic Weekly 3 October 2021

catholicweekly.com.au 4 NEWS 3, October, 2021 THE ARETE Centre for Mis- sionary Leadership is gearing up for a third successful year of equipping leaders for evan- gelisation. Centre director Fr Chris Ryan MGL said the Founda- tions of Missionary Leader- ship Course is open to anyone passionate about parish re- newal or sharing the mission of Christ in other settings as well. “The course is suited to volunteers or people in paid employment, youth minis- ters, anyone involved in adult evangelisation, in parish lead- ership or related church or- ganisations,” Fr Chris said. “The Foundations of Mis- sionary Leadership course is unlike any other as it is designed specifically for the Australian context and offers a unique blend of theological knowledge, human develop- ment, spiritual formation, and practical skills needed for mis- sion.” The course comprises four units: the Spirituality of Mis- sionary Leadership, the The- ological Foundations of Mis- sion in the Australian Context, the Theory and Practice of Missionary Leadership, and Practicum and Field Place- ment. Flexible course delivery al- lows students from anywhere in Australia to apply, and the course structure offers a blend of weekly, interactive online lectures, in-person intensives Passionate about parish renewal and sharing themissionof Jesus?Maybe it’s for you ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues Centre’s course equips lay leaders for mission Trained in mission: Vivian Mourani, centre, and family. The family educator and part-time teacher at St Therese’s Catholic Primary in Denistone enrolled in the Arete Centre course, Foundations in Missionary Leadership, because she wants to know how to encourage others to “fall in love with Jesus.” PHOTOS: GIOVANNI PORTELLI St Luke’s Revesby Principal, Catherine Coman is among this year’s crop of students who chose to study at the Arete Centre. and monthly zoommentoring sessions. The 2021 cohort includes students already working in various expressions of youth and adult evangelisation across different dioceses, as well as parishioners who feel called to answer the invitation to ‘Go and make disciples’. Anthony Cleary, the direc- tor of Mission and Identity at Sydney Catholic Schools, said that he is pleased to offer scholarship opportunities to employees of the system who may wish to undertake the program. This year’s crop of students includes Catherine Coman, the principal at St Luke’s Catholic Primary School, Revesby. She heard about the course through a friend, and knew that if she wanted to instil in her students a sense of love and wonder for Christ, it would help her to learn how to lead in a way that would in- spire a desire for relationship with Christ in her staff and parents. She said that doing the course had ignited her energy and passion for Church mis- sion as amember of the school and parish community. “The course material gave me the theological under- standing and a language that helped me to assist others to grow in their faith,” Catherine said. St Luke’s family educator, Terrie Yule, was a fellow stu- dent, which has provided op- portunities for the two to work closely together as a teamwith the school’s acting religious education coordinator, she added. Laura Neeson Family Edu- cator at Galilee Catholic Pri- mary School in Bondi, who also works at Arete, said that doing the course this year has personally been “such a gift”. “Evangelising is not an easy thing to do, and to be fruitful requires more than just a lit- tle faith because if you get it wrong, the consequences can be that someone turns away from beginning their faith journey instead of drawing near to it,” she said. “On a personal level, the course has really deepened my relationship with God and opened up my prayer life in new ways so that I am more able to recognise the move- ment of the Holy Spirit at work in my life and to discern His will for me. “It has equipped me with practical skills and under- standing that when applied have made a difference in my community in small but pow- erful ways and the mentorship I have received throughout the course has been invalua- ble.” Vivian Mourani, a family educator and part time teach- er at St Therese Catholic Pri- mary School in Denistone en- rolled because she wanted to learn how to encourage peo- ple to “fall in love with Jesus”. It has helped her not only in her role as an FE and teacher but also as a wife and mother of three, she said, in giving her the tools and language to have more effective conversations about faith. Her own faith had “ex- ploded” through this year’s journey, she said, especially through the retreat and en- counter weekends. “They really deepened my relationship with Jesus and I’ve always grown up in the faith in a Lebanese family with a strong tradition, but I don’t think I’ve ever encountered this overwhelming love for Je- sus before,” Vivian said. “As a Christian we’re called to share the mission of Christ, but how do we do that is the question. “This course has allowed me to better understand the process of evangelisation and how it relates in today’s socie- ty and culture in Australia. “It’s also given me more confidence to not only meet people where they are at but to take them on a journey of faith.” Applications for next year close on 31 October. For de- tails and to apply visit www. aretecentre.org/courses On a personal level, the course has really deepened my relationship with God and opened up my prayer life in newways so that I ammore able to recognise the movement of the Holy Spirit at work ...” THE ARETÉ Centre is a work of the Missionaries of God’s Love (MGL) priests and brothers, a new religious congregation. The MGL’s share in the work of Evan- gelisation in a collaborative way with lay people. They seek to empower people in their call to holiness and mission. FR CHRIS RYAN, MGL serves as Director of The Arete Centre and is currently the parish priest of Penshurst and Peakhurst parishes. He has been involved in lead- ership in youth ministry in new communities, parishes and schools since 1993, and was the coordinator of the pilgrimage of the World Youth Day Cross and Icon in prepa- ration for WYD 2008. HAZEL LIM was one of Arete’s inaugural students who completed the Founda- tions of Missionary Leader- ship course in 2020. She has worked in the Diocese of Broken Bay for the last five years in a variety of roles and now has a current role in parish renewal and disciple- ship formation in the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation. LAURA NEESON brings over 18 years of valuable expe- rience as a PR &Marketing Director, working for con- sumer PR agencies, as well as creative direction and brand management for various Aus- tralian consumer brands. Laura, a wife and mother of two, is passionate about evangelisation, and has been committed to various ministries including leading mother’s prayer groups for the past 6 years. Laura is also currently in ongoing work with Sydney Catholic Schools as a Family Educator. - ARETE CENTRE 4 PHOTO: SUPPLIED PHOTO: GIOVANNI PORTELLI PHOTO: SUPPLIED