The Catholic Weekly 31 January 2021

$2 [Fr Paul Stenhouse] saw beneath the surface of things ... he was outstanding, kind and a humble Australian; a true ‘national treasure’.” Wanda Skowronska, author THE EXTRAORDINARY con- tributions of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) priest Fr Paul Stenhouse to the Church, scholarship, jour- nalism and migrant families across Sydney and the country was recognised with an Aus- tralia Day award more than a year after his death. Fr Stenhouse was one of 845 Australians whose decades of service were recognised in the Australia Day 2021 Honours List, in which posthumous awards are rare. The founder of Annals Aus- tralasia magazine, former chairman of Aid to the Church in Need Australia and inter- national expert on Semitic cultures and languages, was awarded an Order of Austral- ia Medal for his service to the Catholic Church in Australia. Author of a new biography of Fr Stenhouse, Wanda Skow- ronska, said she was “delight- ed” to hear that he had made the list of honours. “It is rec- ognition so richly deserved by this pioneering scholar, journalist and compassionate priest,” Ms Skowronska said. “He saw beneath the sur- face of things, and expressed his supple perceptiveness in all his writings, particularly the journal Annals , the longest lasting journal in Australian history. “He was outstanding, kind and a humble Australian; a true ‘national treasure’.” Current chair of ACN Aus- tralia Terry Tobin QC paid trib- ute to the multi-faceted life of the quiet-natured yet extraor- dinarily gifted priest. “Fr Paul Stenhouse was of course a scholar, at home in Arabic and semitic languages (including Samaritan), who had taught at Sydney University,” he said. “He was a learned editor who produced Annals , the journal of Catholic Culture, for 50 years before signing off on its very last print edition just before he died in 2019 ... He was a Christian humanitarian who formore than20 yearswas president of ACN Australia, in which time he oversaw, with the Collignon family, the rais- ing of more than $60 million to assist priests and religious in building or maintaining hos- pitals, schools, seminaries and convents all around the world. “Above all he was a priest, a true country man, an Austral- ian whose vision reached far beyond our shores. “It is good that we honour him and those like him who are such great examples for all of us.” Many other Catho- lics were recognised in the annual awards from all walks of life who serve, more often than not, in a voluntary capac- ity over and above their usual commitments. They included Chairman of Makinson d’Apice Lawyers William (Bill) d’Apice, who was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for signifi- cant service to the law, to the legal profession, and to the Catholic Church of Australia. Mr d’Apice said he was de- lighted and honoured by the accolade. CONTINUEDON PAGE 2 Quiet Aussies honoured From journalism to law, business and education, Catholics prominent in Order of Australia awards ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues SYDNEY MARONITE Eddie Sallan has a New Year’s chal- lenge for his fellow Catholics: “Get stuck into Scripture”. TheCroydonPark hair salon co-owner is encouraging every Catholic he meets to open up the bible each day and read it as a “fundamental” part of life. “Don’t be scared to con- front questions that people ask you about the Bible and what we believe,” Eddie says. “Study it and you find out for yourself what Jesus said to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, everything has been written about him in the psalms and by the Prophets.” Friends have already taken up the challenge, with more than 70 people joining him in listening to popular daily pod- cast, The Bible in a Year with Fr Mike Schmitz, which began at the start of January with the Genesis accounts of the cre- ation of the world and will end with the book of Revelation in December. Eddy’s own journey of faith has hadmany twists and turns, including falling away “for a long time” and then returning with a passion for learning about his religion. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues A new faith flourishes in Eddie’s salon 31, January, 2021 DAY ONE AT SCHOOL FOR TRIPLETS! P5 BIDEN SPLITS THE US BISHOPS P14 Hairdresser Eddie Sallan is urging fellow Catholics to discover the riches of Scripture and deepen their knowl- edge of the Bible. The Croydon Park salon owner, for whom Faith is Number One and is also Maronite, has a tattoo of Maronite Saint Charbel on his right arm. PHOTO:ALPHONSUS FOK