THE P RTAL
February 2015
Australia Pages - page 10
Meanderings
of the Ordinary
J
anuary is
the summer holiday in Australia when life in Catholic parishes enters caretaker mode.
Because some of our Ordinariate parishes have only one priest with the nearest neighbour being several
hundred kilometres away, January can be a challenge if the priest takes a well earned holiday.
Because Cairns is located within the tropics, the
summer climate is only slightly hotter than normal,
but the humidity can be much higher. This can be very
uncomfortable for those unused to tropical life. On
both Sundays I said mass, my amice felt like it had just
come out of a washing machine!
Most of the faithful in our Cairns parish are Torres
Strait Islanders, but Catholics who appreciate the
Ordinariate liturgy celebrated ad orientem, join them.
Our Cairns parish is not a wealthy one, but the
members are faithful and devoted to our Lord and his Western Australia, who is a former member of the
Church. I always enjoy my visits here and despite the Brisbane community.
humidity, this last visit was a delight.
The ordination was celebrated by Bishop Brian
On leaving Cairns I travelled to Brisbane where Finnigan, Auxiliary Bishop of Brisbane, who
Neville Rohrlach was ordained to the Permanent emphasised that while the role of a deacon is expressed
Diaconate on 20 January in St Benedict’s Catholic liturgically in the sanctuary, it must find its focus
among people.
Church where the Ordinariate group worships.
schola cantorum
visit to the UK
This service was a prayerful and joyous occasion
enhanced a schola cantorum which sang Palestrina’s
Missa Brevis and Byrd’s Ave Verum. Every Ordinariate
priest in Queensland was present together with Fr
Cowell from New South Wales and Fr Hill from Perth,
I am very much looking forward to my visit to the
UK for the meeting of the Ordinaries and catching up
with many friends among the Ordinariate clergy as
well as meeting with those who at this stage are only
‘names’ to me.
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