I want to send a message to all the Geraldton Diocese about Sunday Celebrations in the absence of a Priest. However before I do, I want to say a few things about Sunday itself – The Lord’s Day.

For centuries and indeed for two millennia we Catholics have been gathering on Sundays and we do it for a variety of reasons.

The main reason is that God calls us to worship Him. He has told us in so many ways “Remember that you and everything you have is my gift. I love you with an everlasting love”. No wonder then we gather to worship, and pray and thank Him, on whom we totally depend.

God also calls us to his table to be fed and nourished. As the king in the Gospel (Mt 22:2-14) called so many people to his wedding feast, God calls us to the banquet of his own Son.

The reason we gather on Sunday, or as we call it the Lord’s Day, is that it is the day of Jesus’ resurrection. There we meet Jesus, our Risen Lord,  in one another, in the Priest, in his Word, and in the Eucharist. At the same time we celebrate and rejoice that Jesus is with us each day of the week. He is with us in fact each moment of the day. Jesus our Risen Lord truly lives within us through his Holy Spirit.

When we gather God says such things to us as “You are never alone. In my Son you are one body.” As we come to Mass we are joined to the strong, the weak, the leader, the lonely, the stranger, the joyful and those who are hurting.

As we gather for Mass God reminds us “You are my child and also my family. I love you as a daughter / son and I also love you as a family”.

These are briefly some of the main reasons why we come together on Sundays.  When we do celebrate the Eucharist with the Priest though, this is the ultimate. It is ultimate Worship. It is the ultimate banquet. It is the best way of being the Body of Christ and the People of God.

Now while most towns are blessed with the gift of a priest, unfortunately around our Diocese a number of towns cannot celebrate Mass every Sunday. Some celebrate it fortnightly and others have this opportunity only once a month.

Occasionally there are other times too when Mass is not possible - such as when a priest is sick or away for a good reason such as an annual break or an important meeting.

It is not easy nowadays to find a priest for a supply. In a Diocese like Geraldton with the isolation and vast distances it is becoming almost impossible. Recently we have had a priest from Ireland for two months and a priest from Toowoomba in Queensland for two months. Then another priest from Sydney will be coming for a month. The last two are 77 and 80 respectively.

Five of our Priests will be away for two weekends with 90 of our young people and adults for World Youth Day in Sydney in July this year.

When there is no Mass does that mean we don’t come to church? No. It is still important to gather as God’s family and the Body of Christ. We have opportunities nowadays of Sunday Celebrations in the absence of a Priest. While it is not the Mass, Christ is still present in people as they gather, in His Word and in Holy Communion.

In the early days of our Catholic history when there was no Eucharist and no Communion Services, families still gathered to pray, and their faith grew strong.

My sister Dorina, a Josephite Sister, told me that when she was in Margaret River many years ago Mass was only celebrated once a month. Despite this I can certainly vouch for her faith in God and her wonderful love of the Eucharist. She did have the gift of a Convent Chapel and the Blessed Sacrament reserved. With her Sisters she gathered there daily to pray.

Pope John Paul II wrote an Encyclical in July 1998 on “Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy” (Dies Domini). In it he challenged us to make Sunday the “soul” of our week.

In the encyclical the Pope referred directly to the celebration of the Mass, however much of what he said applies also to the “Sunday Celebration of the Word and Communion”. Sunday itself, he reminds us, is a day of rest, joy and worship. Our Risen Lord is with us. The Pope wrote “Time given to Christ is never time lost, but is time gained” (n.7)

Around Australia, especially in rural areas, many people gather where there is no priest on a Sunday for the Celebration of the Word and Communion. The Australian Bishops have made provision for this and have issued a Pastoral Handbook for Australia called “Directory for Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest”. In it the principles are outlined on when such a celebration could take place as well as the format for the celebration.

People in our Diocese have been trained to lead such a celebration and others will be trained in the future. Apart from being a responsibility it is also a special privilege to lead these celebrations. With the appropriate training people have the confidence to do that.

To come together each week to celebrate Mass is the call of Jesus, our Lord and God, and the call of our Church. In line with this I echo the same call when there is no priest present, “Come together each weekend to Celebrate the Word and Communion”. When such celebrations take place they begin with these words –

“Welcome to this Celebration of the Word with Communion. A priest is not available for us to celebrate the Eucharist today. We are grateful for the gift of the Eucharist that was celebrated here … Saturdays /Sundays ago when bread was consecrated for us today. We hunger for the next Celebration of the Eucharist when we can feast again on God’s Word and Food at this table. In the meantime, we have assembled as the People of God to be nourished by God’s Word and to share Holy Communion”. Here we see the sense of being united with the wider worshipping church. There is also the desire and the longing for the next opportunity to celebrate the Mass.

Please continue to support our Priests and love them as they happily serve you and stretch themselves quite a lot for you, the People of God.

Let us continue to pray regularly that we will have the Priests needed in our Diocese and Church to celebrate the Eucharist and to be good Shepherds for you the People of God. We long and pray also that one day we will have the ideal, namely that each member of our Church and Diocese have the opportunity to celebrate the Mass, the Sacred Eucharist, each week.

Justin Joseph Bianchini

Bishop of Geraldton

30^th May 2008

EASTER MESSAGE 2008

Paschal Mystery

Soon we will celebrate again the most important event of the whole year, namely the Paschal Mystery.

In our Priests Retreat early in January we were led by our Director, Fr. John Chalmers, to reflect more deeply on this Mystery and its meaning for our lives.

Fr John began by enlarging our understanding. He helped us see that while the Paschal Mystery was basically the Dying and Rising of Christ – the passing of Christ from Death to Life - it was also much more.

Putting it in terms of days it meant not only the prominent days of Good Friday and Easter Sunday but  Holy Saturday as well. It also included the Ascension and the days leading up to the Ascension. As well it encompassed the coming of the Holy Spirit and the days of waiting for that Spirit at Pentecost.

A strong point that our Director wanted to make was that Jesus didn’t pass immediately from Death to Life. There was the waiting time for him, for his mother and for all his followers.

It is the same for us. Things don’t change overnight. While the Cross is there in various forms in our lives, it will in Christ certainly lead to life. There needs to be the patient waiting first. Then when life does come it is not yet full and perfect. Any eventuating life and growth that does come is special in itself and gives joy. It also brings with it the future promise of life without end in Christ.

In the meantime there is more waiting. There are the forty days before Jesus Ascended to his Father in Heaven. This too is a time of waiting.

The waiting, although it calls for much patience, it is not just passive. Encouraged and taught by Jesus’ Ascension what we can do is day by day bring our crosses, our hurts, our limits and frailty (as well as our gifts, joys and hopes) to our God.  We can as it were let them Ascend to our God – to God’s loving embrace.

We wait again then as Mary and the Apostles waited. And just as surely as it was for them it is also with us. The Holy Spirit comes to keep drawing life and good from what is happening to us and in us.

I want to add something about the Holy Spirit and the image of the Holy Spirit right at the beginning of the Bible in the first two verses of Chapter one of Genesis. These lines speak of the formless void, the chaos and darkness of initial creation and how the Holy Spirit hovered over the waters.

Our Retreat Director used another word which is pregnant with meaning. He spoke of the Holy Spirit “brooding” over this water and chaos. What a wonderful image! As hens and birds brood over their eggs and bring forth life, so too the Holy Spirit brooding over us and our world will certainly continue to bring forth life and goodness and hope.

So the Paschal Mystery speaks of the power of Jesus and his Cross and Resurrection. It also speaks to us of the power of the brooding Holy Spirit.

As I’ve tried to emphasize the Paschal Mystery also speaks of waiting – both waiting patiently on the Lord as well as with that Lord.

Understanding the Paschal Mystery in this way has been much more complete for me, much more hopeful and hope filled. It is the big picture of Jesus’ saving work. It is a total and wonderful framework for our lives. It has been a help to me since that Retreat and I trust even more into the future.

I send my Easter wishes to one and all. I pray this Eastertide (which is the fifty day period including Pentecost) that Jesus will reveal to us all even more of the meaning of this great Paschal Mystery.

Christmas Message - 2007

Recently I visited the Stella Maris Centre in Fremantle W.A. and with the help of the Chaplain Deacon Patrick Moore updated myself with the work of the Apostleship of the Sea there.  

While we were chatting we both focused on a large picture in the Centre of a seafarer at the steering wheel of a sailing ship with Jesus behind and around him with his hands also on the wheel.  There was a storm at sea and waters lashed over the ship. 

Patrick said “The Seafarers really like that picture”. I can see how they would resonate with it. It portrays the dangers of the sea and at the same time the strong and comforting presence of Christ with them. 

This Faith (and our Faith in any time of danger or difficulty) is well founded because of Christmas – the Incarnation.  

The Incarnation, God’s son taking flesh, means many things. 

It means that the Son of God took a human nature. God’s Son became a human being. This in itself is so extraordinary that for many people it is unbelievable.  

Incarnation also means that God the Son in a new way became part of human nature – every human being.  Jesus Christ is truly a brother to each of us. He identifies with everyone.  

Furthermore when the Creator became a creature for us in the person of Jesus it meant that God’s Son became part of our world in a new way. While nothing had its being but through Him, in the Incarnation God’s Son entered into a new relationship with the whole of creation.

In fact what does all this simply mean? It means that Jesus Christ is intimately connected to us and to all of creation. Jesus is deeply within each one of us as well as around us every moment of every day.  

What a wonderful truth and belief!  

Someone who had a strong Faith in Jesus Christ both within and around him was St Patrick. We still have the beautiful prayer that he prayed of St Patrick’s Breast-plate….

“Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me,

Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,  Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me.” 

This is true for everyone in the “good and bad” times of life. It applies also to those who serve them in the A.O.S. as well as to every human being in the vicissitudes of life. 

This Christmas let us ask Jesus for a deeper Faith in his Incarnate presence within me and all around me. We ask Jesus in other words to build on the faith that he has already planted there. 

I wish a very happy Christmas to all readers and families and people of good will. My prayer for you is that the Faith we have in this wonderful reality, or rather in this wonderful person of Jesus, will give us in all situations of our life the courage and calm that it gave St Patrick.

 Heart and Mind of the Bishop  -  5th December, 2007

SPE SALVI, THE POPE'S ENCYCLICAL ON CHRISTIAN HOPE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2007 (VIS) - Benedict XVI's second Encyclical, "Spe Salvi" which is dedicated to the theme of Christian hope, was published today. The document - which has an introduction and eight chapters - begins with a quote from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans: "spe salvi facti sumus" (in hope we are saved).

The chapter titles are as follows: "1. Faith is Hope; 2. The concept of faith-based hope in the New Testament and the early Church; 3. Eternal life - what is it?; 4. Is Christian hope individualistic?; 5. The transformation of Christian faith-hope in the modern age; 6. The true shape of Christian hope; 7. 'Settings' for learning and practicing hope: i) Prayer as a school of hope, ii) Action and suffering as settings for learning hope, iii) Judgement as a setting for learning and practicing hope; 8. Mary, Star of Hope."

The Holy Father explains in his Introduction that "according to the Christian faith, 'redemption' - salvation - is not simply a given. Redemption is offered to us in the sense that we have been given hope, trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present: the present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey."

Hence, "a distinguishing mark of Christians" is "the fact that they have a future: ... they know ... that their life will not end in emptiness. ... The Gospel is not merely a communication of things that can be known - it is one that makes things happen and is life-changing. The dark door of time, of the future, has been thrown open. The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life."

"To come to know God - the true God - means to receive hope." This was well understood by the early Christians, such as the Ephesians who before encountering Christ had many gods but "were without hope." The problem faced by Christians of long standing, the Holy Father says, is that they "have grown accustomed to, ... have almost ceased to notice that we possess the hope that ensues from a real encounter with this God."

The Pope recalls that Jesus "did not bring a message of social revolution" like Spartacus, and that "he was not engaged in a fight for political liberation like Barabbas of Bar-Kochba." He brought "something totally different: ... an encounter with the living God, ... an encounter with a hope stronger than the sufferings of slavery, a hope which therefore transformed life and the world from within, ... even if external structures remained unaltered."

Christ makes us truly free. "We are not slaves of the universe" or of "the laws of matter and of evolution." We are free because "heaven is not empty," because the Lord of the universe is God "Who in Jesus has revealed Himself as Love."

Christ is the "true philosopher" Who "tells us who man truly is and what a man must do in order to be truly human." He shows us "the way beyond death; only someone able to do this is a true teacher of life." He offers us a hope that is, at one and the same time, expectation and presence because "the fact that this future exists changes the present."

The Pope remarks that "perhaps many people reject the faith today simply because they do not find the prospect of eternal life attractive. ... The present-day crisis of faith," he continues, "is essentially a crisis of Christian hope. ... The restoration of the lost Paradise is no longer expected from faith," but from technical and scientific progress whence, it its believed, the "kingdom of man" will emerge. Hope thus becomes "faith in progress" founded on two pillars: reason and freedom which "seem to guarantee by themselves, by virtue of their intrinsic goodness, a new and perfect human community."

The Pope mentions "two essential stages in the political realization of this hope:" the French and the Marxist Revolutions. Faced with the French Revolution, "the Europe of the Enlightenment ... had cause to reflect anew on reason and freedom," while the proletarian revolution left behind "a trail of appalling destruction." Marx's fundamental error was that "he forgot man and he forgot man's freedom. ... He thought that once the economy had been put right, everything would automatically be put right. His real error is materialism. ... Let us put it very simply: man needs God, otherwise he remains without hope. ... Man can never be redeemed simply" by an external structure, "man is redeemed by love," an unconditional, absolute love: "Man's great, true hope which holds firm in spite of all disappointments can only be God - God Who has loved us and continues to love us to the end."

The Pope then identifies four "settings" for learning and practicing hope. The first of these is prayer. "When no one listens to me any more, God still listens to me. ... When there is no longer anyone to help me, ... He can help me."

Alongside prayer is action: "Hope in a Christian sense is always hope for others as well. It is an active hope, in which we struggle ... towards a brighter and more humane world." Yet only if I know that "my own life and history in general ... are held firm by the indestructible power of Love" can "I always continue to hope."

Suffering is another of the "settings" for learning hope. "Certainly we must do whatever we can to reduce suffering," however "it is not by sidestepping or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for accepting it, maturing through it and finding meaning through union with Christ, Who suffered with infinite love." Another fundamental aspect is to suffer with others and for others. "A society unable to accept its suffering members ... is a cruel and inhuman society," he writes.

Finally, another setting for learning hope is the Judgement of God. "There is a resurrection of the flesh. There is justice. There is an 'undoing' of past suffering, a reparation that sets things aright." The Pope writes of his conviction "that the question of justice constitutes the essential argument, or in any case the strongest argument, in favor of faith in eternal life." It is, indeed, impossible "that the injustice of history should be the final word. ... God is justice and creates justice. ... And in His justice there is also grace. ... Grace does not cancel out justice. ... Evildoers, in the end, do not sit at table at the eternal banquet beside their victims without distinction, as though nothing had happened."
ENC/SPE SALVI/...VIS 071130 (1160)

1.  Witnessing to Love

The call and responsibility to witness to the Love of God is for everyone in the church.  Each of us through baptism and confirmation have received the love of God through the outpouring of the Holy spirit.  In line with the nature of God who constantly reaches out, we also individually are called to share the love we receive.

I want to make a few comments on the call we have as a Church, as an Organisation to witness to love. 

Pope Benedict in his only encyclical so far "Deus Caritas Est" has written so inspiringly of love.  He said that love is at the heart of the Church.  If justice is so important and needed in our world, so also is love.  It is the role of the Church to offer needy people the service of love.  It is easy to see that "Caritas" is a work of the Church.  It is an organisation which is under the direction of the Bishops of Australia.  The money gathered is spent on development as well as emergency relief in various poorer countries of the world.

Likewise, the 'Vincent de Paul' Society whose special concern is  service to the poor is clearly seen as a work of our Church.  It is run by Catholic groups and supported by our Church members.  It offers help to anyone, irrespective of race or creed. This too is very Christian and Catholic.

Sometime, for some people, it is not easy to recognise "Centacare' as being Catholic.  Some feel that because a great deal of money comes from the Government in the running of it that it is more like a government agency than a catholic orgnisation.

I can assure everybody that our Centacare is truly an organisation of our diocese.  Archbishop Hickey, then the Bishop of Geraldton, began it and I have encouraged its development over my time as Bishop.  Sr. Mary Ryan, Director for over ten years, not only operates it as a diocesan organisation, but clearly promotes it as an arm of the Church in the area of caring services.

Those employed by Centacare must be supportive of the Catholic ethos and understand that it is an agency of the Catholic Church.  The Mission Statement  explicitly states; "As a Catholic Agency we promote professional assistance in a manner which promotes human dignity and enhances growth and development". While Centacare, like our Catholic schools, receive much government funding, it cannot survive on this alone.  Centacare depends on contributions from the Diocese, especially 'Communio' and other fundraising sources.  These funds are needed for staff to provide services to the unemployed and those requiring emergency money for food, for baby requirements, for their Christmas lunch and other small projects for which they have no funds and no other services in Geraldton.

In his encyclical, Pope Benedict writes in section 31 about the distinctive qualities of a catholic organisation.

A Christian knows when it is time to speak of God and when it is better to say nothing and to let love alone speak".

Our Centacare, as well as Vincent de Paul and Caritas fulfil these criteria.

Furthermore, Pope Benedict in section 28 state this about love: 'This love does not simply offer people material help, but refreshment and care for their souls, something which often is even more necessary than material support".

Centacare through its various counselling and caring services offer this care of souls as well.  I conclude with an appeal for prayer.  Pope Benedict reminds us of the need for it in section 37.  It is important that all those involved in Catholic organisations pray about the special work they do.  Let us who support them pray for God's blessing on their special mission.  All our Catholic organisations are the work of God and "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it". Psalm 127:1

Bishop Justin Joseph Bianchini, DD

Bishop of Geraldton

2.    Heart and Mind of the Bishop  -  17/10/2006

At the end of July, we held a Cross Cultural conference in the diocese.  Those who participated were our Priests, Religious sisters working either in parishes or at diocesan level, as well as Lay leaders from such places as Nazareth House, St. John of God Hospital and some of our schools. 

What triggered the Conference was the changing face of the Church and society in Australia and our Diocese. The Priests and Religious first appointed, like the early settlers in the region, genertally came from Ireland and some from England.  In more recent times, following the pattern of change within the Australian population, some of the men and women appointed to meet the needs of this vast Diocese have come from diverse cultural backgrounds.

At present we have Priests from the countries of Poland, Philippines, Tanzania and Nigeria.  We have seminarians from Vietnam.  Apart from a warm welcome, such priests need a good programme of orientation, inculturation, and ongoing support to help them make the big cultural adjustments.

The welcoming group needs also to be prepared to understand and to work with the cultural background of these priests.

I am grateful to the steering committee from the conference who volunteered to carry forward the important recommendations of the whole group.

We shared and learned much at the Conference.  One thing that struck me was how important it is for each of usAustralians and other local people - i.e. all members of the diocesan community - to know and to respect our own cultural background.  This is necessary in order to respect the dignity and culture of the newcomers.

The culture of each group has both positives and negatives.  When this is understood, it will help us see the positives as well as the negatives of other groups and individuals.

I went from our Cross cultural conference to a meeting of some 80 Oceania Bishops in Fiji.  For some time now Bishops from Papua and New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Pacific, New Zealand and Australia have been meeting every four years.

A special time was when we met in Rome in 1998 for our Oceania Synod and Pope John Paul II wrote his document "Ecclesia in Oceania" (The Church in Oceania) from the input, discussions and outcomes of the Synod.

Our Oceania gatherings are times to meet one another, share pastoral experiences and discuss how the Church is going in this vast area.  There is the opportunity to offer moral support and, sometimes, practical support to each other.

While some of the Pacific Islands are so different we face similar challenges in spreading the Gospel and helping people come to know and love the person of Jesus Christ.

In the Oceania Conference there are indigenous Bishops as well as Bishops from many parts of the world.  It is a special experience of how we, though different, share so much in common and are one in Faith and in the Body of Christ.  As in Rabaul four years ago we had special experiences of the local people and cultures.  We visited parishes for the Eucharist and a social celebration.  There was local food, entertainment and, of course, the famous "Kava"!  The faith of the local people and they way they celebrate it joyfully was an inspiration for all of us.

At times like this I realise the truth of the saying "None of us has it altogether, but together we've got it all".

As I write this, I am travelling around the Pilbara on my six weeks visitation/confirmation round.  This always helps me to be aware of the many cultures in our diocese.  I have been told that in Port and South Hedland there are some seventy different cultural backgrounds.

On this visit to Karratha I met new migrants and workers especially from the Philippines and India.  There were families, young married couples and singles.  As they come for work and a better future, they enrich our Church with their faith and our Country.

When you think of it, apart from the Aboriginal People, the traditional owners of this land, we are all migrants.

It behoves us to welcome the newly arrived.  In getting to know them, we can easily see how they truly are a gift to our church and wider society.  Our common Faith and relationship with Jesus in our Church unites us all across cultural differences.  If any group can live as a multi-cultural society, it is Roman Catholics.  Our common Faith, some shared knowledge and understanding of each other as well as good will, are the ingredients necessary to make it happen.

Justin Joseph Bianchini DD

Bishop of Geraldton

September 2006

4.  Heart and Mind of the Bishop

The Extraordinary of the Ordinary - 7th February, 2006

"Religion" is a much discussed subject in recent times - frequently for all the wrong reasons. The result is division and hate amongst people to the neglect of the good constantly being achieved in its name. I would like to single out the World Day of Youth, the Holy Father's Encyclical on "God is Love" as more recent events reflecting the ever present benefits being achieved by Families and Individuals throughout the world in the name of God.

They all bear witness to how much the ordinary is quite extraordinary. Pope Benedict XV1, in the short time that he has exercised Supreme Authority, has already impressed with his quiet diplomacy and down to earth contact with people, particularly the youth. Constantly drawing on the example of earlier witnesses of the Faith. he continues to remind people of their Christian heritage. Two such witnesses come readily to mind -

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, recently declared Blessed, and St. Therese of Lizieux.

They both bear witness to how much the ordinary is quiet extraordinary.

Mother Teresa started in a very simple way gathering some Sisters around her to care for the poor, the sick, espoecially the dying. She and her sisters could offer most of these people no hope of extra life. She offered them the greatest gift of all, namely, the gift of love and compassion.

The ordinary gift of love made a powerful impact on the people themselves, on the country of India and on the world at large. She certainly brought them the love of Christ and at the same ytime saw Christ in each sick, poor and dying person. How truly she lived the gospel. Henri Nouwen put it in these words -"When the Christ in me needs the Christ in you, the ground between us is holy ground".

St. Threse didn’t do anything extraordinary but tried to do the many ordinary things of life extraordinarily. Like Mother Teresa, what enriched those ordinary actions was the love she put into them. She offered her life to God with great love. She offered her life lovingly also for the Church. The Church in australia recognised the value of her ordinary life by making her one of australia’s Patron Saints. Although St. Therese died at the age of 24 without stepping outside of Carmel, the Church affirmed the profound effect of her ordinary life well beyond the walls of the Monastery.

Family Life also highlights the value of the ordinary. It is generally in ordinary ways that members of families love one another. Mostly, families live out their lives doing ordinary things, yet families have a powerful influence on one another and on the development and qualities of the children. In one of their frequent exhortations for stronger family ties, the Australian Bishops challenged all families to make the most of the family meal. The power for the good of the family meal, especially on the children, can never be over-estimated. The family meal is a special time to bond teogether, to listen to one another and brief though it may be, to pray together.

What has giventhis value-added quality to Mother Teresa, St. Therese and to families? No action of any Christian, however simple and small, can ever be ordinary now, because it is done for Christ. No person can be ordinary having been created in God’s image and identified with and united to Jesus. It is Jesus Christ who gives added valuue to the Saints and toevery person and action we perform.

Over the past twelve years, a momentous project has been progressing here in Geraldton with the amalgamation of our two Catholic Colleges - Stella Maris College conducted by the Presentation Sisters and St. Patrick's College, served by the Christian Brothers.  Both Colleges had histories of strong traditions.

Stella Maris was the college founded by the Presentation Sisters who came to Geraldton well over one hundred years ago.  Its motto was "Pro Deo Et Patria" - For God and Country.

The Christian Brothers have been in Geraldton for over eighty  years.  They founded St. Patrick's College and its motto was "Certa Certamen Bonum" - Fight the Good Fight" (2 Tim. 4:7)

Both traditions have been combined in Nagle Catholic College.  I am very happy that boarding facilities are still available for over 100 students from near and distant towns, farms and pastoral stations.  The motto of the College is "For Others".

This motto is quite a simple but deep one.  It is most Christ like since Jesus was and is a Person for others.  The generous love and kindness of our God in Jesus is the inspiration and source of our being for others in whatever walk of life we are.

This motto came from the writings of Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ. In the latter part of the 20th century, he became the Superior General, or World Leader, of the Jesuits.  He was highly regarded by them and others who knew him.  Nagle College is in its twelfth year and in that time has witnessed a substantial growth with many new facilities constructed in that time.  At a blessing ceremony of these buildings, I quoted a passage from the writings of Pedro Arrupe.  It is about finding God and falling in love with God.  It is something very practical and profound.  To highlight this I quote it in block form below:-

I have been reflecting and praying recently on some words of St. Francis de Sales.  Francis was Bishop of Geneva, 400 years ago, for some twenty years.

He could speak to all people - lay people as well as religious and priests.  The book he wrote "Introduction to the Devout Life" has words of wisdom for all.  He writes about anxiety and worry.  He says how important it is (while being careful and conscientious oneself) to let God do His part.

In the diocese my cares, concerns and sometimes worries and anxieties centre on personnel, practice of the faith and finance.

Recently I made a quick trip over a week around the diocese with Fr. Morrissey and Mrs. Gwen Voigt.  It was mainly to look at financial matters and some of our buildings.  It was, as it were, a quick swoop of the diocese.  While going for a couple of main things, other things emerged.

You can't travel this diocese without meeting people.  What came to the fore again in this short time were the dedicated personnel we have in our diocese who are priests, laity and religious.  We caught up, also, with our two Redemptorist missioners, Fr. John Martin and David Hore.

I saw again much ministering and committed giving to our young people and parishioners.  This is being done in a generous and life-giving was. In other words, I saw various people at work.  It was obvious, though, that God was also at work through doing His part.

The practice of our Faith is also a concern to me.  The numbers of people who regularly celebrate the Eucharist on the week-end have decreased over the years.  Looking at this from another angle, it never ceases to amaze me that the ones who do practice their faith are doing so, as it were "against the tide".  They still do so with great conviction.

In these times, people are still being attracted to the Church.  They are still being influenced by others who live their faith. And in this, I see God at work again.  As we lay people, religious, priests and bishop continue to deepen our relationship with God and live our own faith, God will use that to keep influencing others.

Finances in our diocese at various times cause me more or less concern.  Generally we manage.  This is due to the generosity of our local people and of the wider Church of Australia.  When there is a particular need beyond our resources, support can generally be found from elsewhere.  I see this as God saying "I will provide the Diocese with what it needs to do the work I want it to do".

Recently, I celebrated my 13th anniversary as a Bishop.  I celebrated Mass in St. Cecilia's Church, Port Hedland, Present at the Mass with Fr. Des Reid, PP., were some parishioners as well as a few school staff including some of the children.  It was a very different celebration from thirteen years previously in St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral.  It was, however, very special.  It brought home to me in a real way that I am a Bishop for the whole of this vast Dicoese of Geraldton.  I do pray daily for all of us in this Diocese; however, this simple Mass gave me a physical sense of praying for the people from the north to the south.

That day and celebration of the Mass in St. Cecilia's was a time to recommit myself with all the wonderful laity, religious, and priests of the Diocese to to my part.  It was also a time for me to renew my trust that God is working for us all and will do His part.

Justin Joseph Bianchini

Bishop of Geraldton.

Visitors returning to Geraldton after an absence of two or three years all make the same comment - "Geraldton is on the Move".  They point to the foreshore development, new housing estates, the re-routing of the train line and so on.  And the Church, too, is part of this transformation with the extensions at Nazareth House, amalgamation of St. Patrick's and Stella Maris, and the newly approved facilities for Centacare.  This growth and development, like the current good season, bring life to the area and, more importantly, to our people.  More employment for our people is assured; this brings peace and security to individuals and families.  People are able to remain in an area that they like and not be forced to look elsewhere to live.  There are some more opportunities now, and families stay together.

All this is just so good.  It is easy to see it as the goodness of God at work in our local community.  For all these things we thank God.  As I reflect on this, I also turn my attention to our Church and the Diocese of Geraldton that we belong to.  I wonder -"is our Church on the move or not?"

The answer to this question is a complex one.  We see many good things happening and many things now developing.  Among all the many good things happening, there are many that we will never know.  However, the more we look, the more we see. In turn we will be led to rejoice in good things.  What are the good things you notice in our Church?  In other words, where is God at work in our Church and beyond? The  more we do this, the more our Faith and Hope in God will grow, so that we can face the next question with confidence - "how can things be better? How can we as a Church keep on the move?"

Things will improve when we look to ourselves and the Holy Spirit.  As in the Gospels, Jesus reminds us -"don't worry about what others are doing or not doing.  It is important that you follow me'.

In other words, things will improve in the Church and society when we develop our relationship with Jesus, our God and Friend and live out that relationship well.

It is crucial that we rely on the great gift of the Holy Spirit within us.  In the Eucharistic Prayer #3 we pray -"all holiness comes from You through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, by the working of the Holy Spirit". We need, constantly, to deepen our understanding and the awareness of the power and love and life of the Holy Spirit within us.  This Holy Spirit has given us the gifts we need to change ourselves and make things better.  The Church has moved, and will keep on moving, only by the power of the Holy Spirit.

It is easy to see the woes in the Church and society these days and be weighed down by them all.  When something is wrong or lacking, instead of feeling heavy and sad, I am beginning to see this as a call from the Holy Spirit to action with and in, of course, the same Holy Spirit.

I pray that I and all of us will become more aware of the presence and the power of God's spirit within us, and that we will regularly call on that power.

9.  Christ Present - 4th September, 2005

The greater part of my time as Bishop is shared with people - my pastoral family- priests,  religious and parishioners-, family gatherings, catching up with friends and, at times, in contact with total strangers. There are joyful times and there are sad moments.  Reflecting on all of these events and praying about them, one thing that comes through most of all is that Jesus is present in all these happenings.

In the happy times, Christ was there in the very real way, showing the goodness and closeness of God In the sad times, Jesus, at first glance, could have seemed to be absent.  Here also there were real signs that He was close, loving and offering the strength of His unfailing support.

Jesus' name means Saviour.  He saves us in so many ways.  Sometimes He saves us from things.  At other times it is in and through the very things that we continue to experience that He saves us.

For example, Jesus saves us from sin, whether it be personal or collective.  He saves us from such things as fear, anxiety, anger and resentment which cripple us and impede us from being free to serve God better and love each other more truly.  He certainly saves us from death.  While it comes to us all, it certainly is not the last word.  It is conquered by Jesus death and resurrection.  Some  things don't change though, for example, illness, disability, broken relationships and grief to name a few. Where can Jesus save us here? While He may not save us from these things, He is able to save us in and through what is happening.  In these situations, He is with us and truly offers us His peace and courage.  Above all, He shares His wonderful spirit who, in turn, gives an inner strength and freedom to people who may be in what we call 'impossible' situations.

Yes, as we read in the letter to the Hebrews, "Jesus power to save is utterly certain".  Jesus' life was one of joys, sorrows and triumphs.  His mother Mary shared very closely in these times.  When we go through such times in our lives, Jesus is with us and shares our joys, sorrows and triumphs.

I believe it is important to reflect on the joyful, sad and glorious times of Jesus' life and to become more familiar with him and these occasions.  Jesus and each aspect of His life has much to say to all of us at stages and in each circumstance of our lives.

Each Liturgical Year the Church helps us reflect on and experience the joyful, sorrowful and glorious aspects of our Saviour's life.  It is important for us to do this also in our own quiet time. Some use the rosary through out the year to do it.

As we reflect on and pray about Jesus life in the course of the year, Jesus speaks to us and gives us more meaning to the joyful, sad and special times we, others and our world experiences.

Bishop Justin Bianchini

10.  Our Incarnate God  -    29th August, 2005

At the insistence of the webmaster, I wish to open up to you my thoughts and different aspects of our shared faith. This short reflection seeks to focus on, reflect on, pray about and deepen our appreciation of our wonderful God who thought so much of us to take our flesh and dwell among us.

Only Christianity has an enfleshed God – a God who made the move, emptied  Himself to become one of us and one with us. No other religion has this truth.  All Religions have belief in a Supreme Being, but none have this unbelievable reality of our Supreme God taking flesh.  

In the early centuries even strong Christians found this hard to believe. Some said Jesus was a true man alright, but only a man, and because he was such a good man was elevated to a higher status as a special “Son of God”. Others believed that it was unthinkable for God to become truly man also.  They said that God’s Son took on a human appearance in Jesus but wasn’t really human. 

Such people were in heresy, and I wonder how many people there are like this nowadays. Some would think of Jesus more as a man and neglect the Godhead in him.  Others concentrate more on the Godhead without believing how this God really mixed it with us and every aspect of our messy and broken world.

It is very hard to hold in balance and harmony both the Transcendental God (the God infinitely above us) and the Incarnate God (the God truly one with us). We have all this in Jesus, and it is to Jesus we must go at this time and ask his help to understand it a little better.

The next step we need to take is to see how Jesus takes flesh in my life. He is very close to me and part of my life and everything that happens.  

We take a step further. We can stand in amazement at how Jesus identifies himself with each human being. He takes flesh in each person especially the least – the poor, unemployed, homeless, hungry, dispossessed, despised, refugees, outcast, imprisoned, sick, suffering, needy etc. 

Saint (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta inspired and influenced many in her lifetime, and from her place in heaven, continues to be a shining light for us all. It is said of her (who with her Sisters, spent and hour in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament each evening) that when she looked at the Blessed Sacrament, she saw the poor. When she tended to the poor and dying she saw Jesus.

BISHOP OF GERALDTON