DOMINICAN LAITY
Newsletter #20
January 2012
Dear Friends
As we approach the feast day of the great Dominican Saint Thomas of Aquinas (unofficially known as the “dumb ox” because of his size and his taciturnity, officially known as the Angelic Doctor), may his heritage continue to empower our lives and the life of our Church.
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Today at the lunch table I idly read the notice on the back of a tomato sauce bottle. The sauce is called “Tui-mato Sauce” and the notice begins: “The girls at the Tui brewery thought they better (sic) share this good old traditional recipe with every Kiwi who enjoys their sauce.” A bit later: “Produced by the good people at Delmaine Fine Foods for the girls at Tui brewery”
The language is par for the course with Tui Brewery, I guess (think of some of the Yeah Right ads). They are a very blokey crowd at Mangatainoka! But I couldn’t help comparing the tone of that ad, with that in a paper I had beside me on the table. I had been reading a letter from the Master of the Order, Bruno Cadoré OP. Brother Bruno, a medical doctor before he became a priest, was elected Master in 2010. His recent letter touched me deeply. It engaged me with its compassion, its wisdom, its generosity. I invite you to read it too. It is attached to this.
After reading it, you may have some thoughts you would like to share with others. If so, please send them to us, and we shall distribute them as part of the next newsletter.
In February a conference of the Dominican Family Leaders in the Asia-Pacific region will take place in Vietnam. New Zealand will be represented by Sister Helen Bergin and Teresa McNamara. Please remember them in your prayers – the conference is not an easy one for New Zealanders to participate in, though it is an important event for the Asia-Pacific region which reaches from Pakistan to Japan. Teresa will report to us her experience when she returns.
Dominican website. You may recall previous mention of this New Zealand website that was initiated by the Sisters. It desperately needs a remake. There are some splendid overseas Dominican sites, and it would be a wonderful missionary task to get the New Zealand one up to scratch. But we need help. Here are some questions to think about:
In a New Zealand Dominican website, what sorts of things would you like to see there?
Is there some way you might be able to contribute to the site from time to time? Writing something? Helping set up the site? Organising some archives? Some design or art work? Some experience with websites?
Your comments about this would be most welcome. Please contact Sister Judith McGinley, <judithmcginley@yahoo.co.nz> or phone 04-477 0751
Don’t forget the reunion of St Patrick’s Dominican College, Teschmakers, on the weekend of March 24-25,2012.For information contact either Willie Campbell. alafair@kinect.co.nz or Edna Cogger, 7E Royal Terrace, Central City, Dunedin.9016.
Blessings and peace.
Mike Kelly and Jenny Wilson
Co-ordinators
Ph 06 370 2084 Email: kelly-wilson@ihug.co.nz
