This blog has news, Mass times, up-to-date information and opinions. Opinions expressed, if identified as such, are those of the parish priest.
Mass Times
The Mass schedule includes the location of Masses-
SJP - St Joseph Pignatelli Church;
Santa Maria - Santa Maria College Chapel.
You may view the parish bulletin, The Spire, in PDF form. It is quite simple - try it!
Most computers will open the link automatically. If yours does not then you may need Adobe Reader; this is a free download.
Note the RSS feed.
Mass Times
The Spire
News
Rosters
Events
Parish Priest
Liturgy
Parish Council
Liturgy Committee
Finance Committee
Webmaster
Meetings
Ethics
Mission
RIP
The Spire
News
Rosters
Events
Parish Priest
Liturgy
Parish Council
Liturgy Committee
Finance Committee
Misc.
Scripture groupWebmaster
Meetings
Ethics
Mission
RIP
refugees
For shame Prime Minister
12/04/10 16:47 Category: Parish Priest
It did not take the Rudd government very long to drop its principled approach to the refugee issue and take up populist cudgels. The Opposition has to take its share of blame for insisting on politicising the issue and playing on people’s fears, but it is the government which is in power. Rudd has shown a shameful lack of integrity on refugees. An unbiased observer would be unable to claim that Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are now safe places. Those who come to us seeking refuge should have their cases considered by the tribunal in the normal fashion. Shame on the Prime Minister. Shame on the Leader of the Opposition.
“You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”
'Jesus was an asylum-seeker'
16/11/09 12:15 Category: Parish Priest
Bishop Greg O'Kelly of Port Pirie has invited his people to reflect on our approach to asylum-seekers in light of the Gospel. Click here. (Thanks to CathNews)
Shame on Turnbull and Abbott
05/11/09 11:53 Category: Parish Priest
Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott have sought to make political capital on the misfortunes of others; they point to the 'success' of the previous government in reducing the number of boat-people. The Howard government's treatment of asylum-seekers was disgraceful; it was dehumanising and shamed us all. Petro Georgiu and Judi Moylan helped bring about change in government policy. A process which continued with the Rudd government. Now the Opposition seems to want to turn back the clock. They should hang their heads in shame. Are they so desperate for electoral success that they would play on people's prejudices and fears?
I heard the Prime Minister on the ABC this morning. It was good to hear him emphasise the humane treatment of asylum-seekers. He also pointed to the many international factors driving the increase in asylum applications, most notably the situation in Sri Lanka.
Addendum: Sharman Stone was fear-mongering on television again. She disgraces her office.
I heard the Prime Minister on the ABC this morning. It was good to hear him emphasise the humane treatment of asylum-seekers. He also pointed to the many international factors driving the increase in asylum applications, most notably the situation in Sri Lanka.
Addendum: Sharman Stone was fear-mongering on television again. She disgraces her office.
'People-smugglers'
02/11/09 20:57 Category: Parish Priest
Demonising all people involved in bringing asylum-seekers over here as 'evil people-smugglers' is not helpful. Mandatory sentencing laws can lead to unjust outcomes. This is illustrated in this article.
Rudd government is 'gutless'
27/10/09 17:08 Category: Parish Priest
Bishop Pat Power, the Auxiliary Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn, has expressed his disappointment with the government on asylum-seekers. Click here. I hope his is not a lone voice in the wilderness.
Fools or knaves?
26/10/09 21:29 Category: Parish Priest
You may have seen some figures thrown around on the cost of refugees to the Australian taxpayer. The latest episode of Mediawatch is revealing.
Misapprehensions
19/10/09 12:56 Category: Parish Priest
There seem to be certain misapprehensions which have achieved the status of commonplace.
1. Asylum-seekers who arrive by boat are not entering the country illegally or 'queue-jumping'.
International law on refugees does not distinguish between those who arrive by sea or air. Indeed if they come by sea they are not arriving illegally since they have the right to seek asylum. Those who arrive by air and who then seek refugee status are here on some visa which does not entitlte them to refugee status; their claim for asylum has to assessed by the refugee tribunal.
2. I fail to see the reason for fear. Living in Italy I witnessed the plight of many people without papers (sans papier) who eke out a living on the streets. We do not have this problem here. Those who seek refugee status have their claims assessed. Indeed the evidence is that those who arrive by boat are inevitably intercepted off-shore and their claims then processed. We are not being flooded by boat-people who arrive on our shores and in some cladestine fashion slide into our communities without being processed. If one wanted to enter the country stay in the country illegally, one would do better to enter the country on a valid visa and overstay.
3. When we talk about refugees, we are not considering those who leave their country for economic reasons. That is another and valid question. We are considering those who fit within the definitions of international conventions as expressed in commonwealth laws.
4. A misapprehension about Christian discipleship. How can someone from a wealthy country face the Lord and say 'it was too difficult/awkward to help you in the littlest of my brothers and sisters'? How can a Christian disciple from a wealthy country like Australia say this when people from poor countries face greater challenges with regard to asylum-seekers every day? For shame!
A final word from Dietrich Bonhöffer - a hero of the Prime Minister:
'If the world despises one of the brethren, the Christian will love and serve him. If the world does him violence, the Christian will succour and comfort him. If the world dishonours and insults him, the Christian will sacrifice his honour to cover his brother's shame.... And where the world oppresses, he will stoop down and raise up the oppressed. If the world refuses justice, the Christian will pursue mercy.'
1. Asylum-seekers who arrive by boat are not entering the country illegally or 'queue-jumping'.
International law on refugees does not distinguish between those who arrive by sea or air. Indeed if they come by sea they are not arriving illegally since they have the right to seek asylum. Those who arrive by air and who then seek refugee status are here on some visa which does not entitlte them to refugee status; their claim for asylum has to assessed by the refugee tribunal.
2. I fail to see the reason for fear. Living in Italy I witnessed the plight of many people without papers (sans papier) who eke out a living on the streets. We do not have this problem here. Those who seek refugee status have their claims assessed. Indeed the evidence is that those who arrive by boat are inevitably intercepted off-shore and their claims then processed. We are not being flooded by boat-people who arrive on our shores and in some cladestine fashion slide into our communities without being processed. If one wanted to enter the country stay in the country illegally, one would do better to enter the country on a valid visa and overstay.
3. When we talk about refugees, we are not considering those who leave their country for economic reasons. That is another and valid question. We are considering those who fit within the definitions of international conventions as expressed in commonwealth laws.
4. A misapprehension about Christian discipleship. How can someone from a wealthy country face the Lord and say 'it was too difficult/awkward to help you in the littlest of my brothers and sisters'? How can a Christian disciple from a wealthy country like Australia say this when people from poor countries face greater challenges with regard to asylum-seekers every day? For shame!
A final word from Dietrich Bonhöffer - a hero of the Prime Minister:
'If the world despises one of the brethren, the Christian will love and serve him. If the world does him violence, the Christian will succour and comfort him. If the world dishonours and insults him, the Christian will sacrifice his honour to cover his brother's shame.... And where the world oppresses, he will stoop down and raise up the oppressed. If the world refuses justice, the Christian will pursue mercy.'
Some facts on refugees
18/10/09 17:52 Category: Parish Priest
It was disappointing to see the Opposition raise the spectre of asylum-seekers flooding our shores; one had hoped that we would have left such fear-mongering behind us. It was even more disappointing to witness the Government's rush to enter the fray not with clear facts, but with shrill rhetoric of its own. There have been improvements made to refugee policy; let us hope that we do not go backwards.
These web sites have useful information:
UNHCR Australia
Refugee Council of Australia facts
And there is a good article in Crikey
These web sites have useful information:
UNHCR Australia
Refugee Council of Australia facts
And there is a good article in Crikey
© 2007-2010 St Joseph Pignatelli Parish. ABN: 64 936 045 714.