The Catholic Weekly 28 November 2021

catholicweekly.com.au 2 NEWS 28, November, 2021 Call 02 9649 6423 or visit www.catholiccemeteries.com.au Consecrated lawns and chapels Sydney’s only Catholic crematorium Monthly mass for the Repose of Souls Funeral directors available for a Catholic service Bereavement pastoral care Serving the Catholic community for over 150 years FROM PAGE 1 Born 10 November 1961 in the NSW Riverina town of West Wyalong, Bishop-Elect Mea- gher was the second of six children to Alan and Elizabeth and his family left their farm to settle in Sydney when he was a baby. “Life was very difficult, so we sold up and moved to Syd- ney, first living with relatives and then my father bought the Commercial Hotel at Port Kembla”, he explained to The Catholic Weekly . It was to be the start of a publican career for the Bish- op-elect’s father which includ- ed ownership of the Matraville hotel for 25 years. “Alongside my siblings, we all worked at the hotels and I guess we learned how to get along with all kinds of different people and to manage differ- ent situations. The ‘Matto’ as it was affectionately known, was a pretty rough sort of place”. Bishop-Elect Meagher was educated by the Jesuits, com- pleting his secondary school- ing at St Ignatius College River- view in 1979. He went on to study eco- nomics and law at the Univer- sity of Sydney and it was during these years that he felt a strong calling to serve the marginal- ised, volunteering at the Mat- thew Talbot hostel for home- less men and also at the local St Vincent De Paul conference at St Canice’s parish in the in- ner Sydney suburb of Elizabeth Bay. “Working in the hotel, I guess, instilled a camaraderie with those whomight be doing it tough. I have long had a de- sire to work with the homeless, from these uni days.” Fr Danny Meagher was able to go back out to the peripher- ies earlier this year, spending six months working with the homeless and the marginal- ised in inner Sydney. “I spent a lot of time minis- tering to the homeless, living at Francis appoints ‘can do’ priest as auxiliary Surry Hills and travelling down to parks around Central where they congregated. I also got to know a lot of people living in the housing commission areas. I am attracted to that because I find that by being close to people on the margins, I come much closer to God. I hope to continue that as Bishop”. Fr Meagher has been a vo- cal advocate for the homeless, saying Mass weekly at the Matthew Talbot hostel and also volunteering to help the homeless at David’s Place and through the homeless support services provided by the Order of Malta. “We need to do that work as a Church, reminding us that the poor are our treasure. The great deacon, St Lawrence, the 3rd century martyr, was asked to present all the treasures of the Church to a Roman emper- or, Valerian, who was persecut- ing him. St Lawrence brought along the homeless and the disabled and said- ‘Here is our treasure.’ While Fr Meagher practised Bishop-elect Danny Meagher speaks at the unveiling of a statue of the Blessed Virgin and the Child Jesus at the Seminary of the Good Shepherd in Homebush in May 2015. PHOTO: GIOVANNI PORTELLI as a solicitor with Mallesons Stephen Jaques for three years after graduation, he knew the Lord had other plans for his life. “As for my vocation, I have alwayswanted to be a priest. As I grew up in a good and loving Catholic family, I came to love God more and more and this love is the golden thread that holds my life together”. Since his ordination in 1995 at St Mary’s Cathedral, Bishop-elect Meagher has ministered in 10 parishes: Mt Pritchard, Mosman, Gymea, Hoxton Park, Carnes Hill, North Leichhardt, Broken Hill, Penshurst-Peakhurst, Strath- field and Five Dock. He was Administrator of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Broken Hill for two years from 2012-2014 and has made a re- markable contribution across community boards, such as Catholic Care, as its Director of Mission from 2006-2012 and as Director of Formation for the Permanent Diaconate pro- gram from2008-2012. Fr Meagher also spent two years studying in Rome from 2004-2006, receiving an STL (Licence in Fundamental The- ology) fromtheGregorianPon- tifical University. He has served on the Coun- cil of Priests, the College of Consultors and Trustees of the Archdiocese and the Board of The Catholic Weekly and as a fellow and councillor of St John’s College in the Universi- ty of Sydney and a member of the CharitableWorks Fund Ap- peal Tribunal, the Committee for Ongoing Formation of the Clergy and the Commission for Ministries and Orders. Archbishop Fisher said his service to the Catholic com- munity has been exemplary and the people of Sydney are blessed to soon welcome him as an Auxiliary Bishop. “That he has achieved so much in his first 25 years as a priest is a tribute to his gen- erosity as a man who gives his all for his Lord, his Church and the task at hand whatever it is. We can look forward to great things in the next 25 years!” Alongside his commitment to serving the disadvantaged, Bishop-Elect Meagher said he would also like to do all he can to strengthen sacramental life, particularly for Catholic school students. “Our parish-school network is the greatest asset we have in the Church and to get that moving along- I believe I can give no better service to the Church”, he said. “So many thousands are looking for Jesus in the sacra- ments and if we can celebrate themlovingly andwith respect, I think we can attract so many people back to the regular practice of theMass”, he added. Fr Danny Meagher will be ordained an Auxiliary Bishop at aMass at StMary’s Cathedral on Wednesday 8 December at 7pm. Hewill joinBishops Rich- ardUmbers and Terence Brady as the third Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney. I n this edition News Movies, books Archbishop’s homily Editorial & Letters 1-15 8-9 25 28-29 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Kenny (02) 9390 5348 EDITOR Peter Rosengren (02) 9390 5400 REPORTERS Marilyn Rodrigues (02) 9390 5410 Debbie Cramsie (02) 9390 5396 Adam Wesselinoff (02) 9390 5400 SUBSCRIPTIONS Rita Ng (02) 9390 5411 ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Steve Richards (02) 9390 5404 Katie Clarke (02) 9390 5402 DESIGNERS Renate Cassis Mathew De Sousa Faith in the trajectory of life catch it now at: thiscatholiclife.com.au Our story begins in 1839 with the Australasian Chronicle, continuing with the Freeman’s Journal in 1850. Level 13, Polding Centre, 133 Liverpool Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. Phone (02) 9390 5400 | Vol 73, No 5211. The Catholic Weekly is published by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney ABN 60 471 267 587 and is printed by Spotpress Pty Ltd, 24-26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville NSW 2204. 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