DOMINICAN LAITY
Newsletter #29 August 2013
Kia ora everyo
ne
Happy St Dominic’s day! In this newsletter we have a thought provoking reflection on St Dominic by Margaret Butler op, and updates on the visits by Donagh O’Shea op and Timothy Radcliffe op. We also have news from and about some of our members.
First, we want to let you know that Mike Kelly has had a patch of heart trouble. Although he is recovering well, he needs to hand over responsibility for the newsletter. So Teresa and Susan have put this one together and will do another later in the year. We have always been grateful for the amazing work Mike has done in getting the Dominican family newsletter off the ground and ensuring that it is always topical and interesting. He is a great loss as editor. Thank you, Mike, for your constant enthusiasm for Dominican life and all you have done to make sure the Dominican family is flourishing in Aotearoa New Zealand. We know you and Jenny will continue to be a vital part of our family.
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What would a twenty-first century Dominic do?
Contributed by Margaret Butler op
Saint Dominic was going about his ordinary work, accompanying the bishop, when he was struck by the danger inherent in the heresy that was rife in his time. The Cathars or Albigensians believed that a good spirit created all that is spiritual and an evil spirit created all that is material. Dominic spent much of his life correcting the imbalance in this heresy, teaching and living the truth that all creation is good. We, as followers of Christ in the spirit of Dominic, are surrounded by a different heresy. We live in a society that is currently teaching us that all that is material is good and that all that is spiritual, especially belief in God and the Christian message, is at best, irrelevant. The pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme.
This swing of the pendulum leads to an economic practice that develops huge gaps between the rich and the poor. Individual good rather than the common good is widely taught. Misuse of workers abounds at many levels. There is a separation of different ways of expressing truth so that science and theology are seen as incompatible; there is a devaluation of the meaning of being human, before birth, during childhood, adulthood and as death draws near; there is abuse of land in the search for affluence.
This swing of the pendulum leads to a lack of appreciation of what it is to be human in the midst of God’s creation.
What would a twenty-first century Dominic do?
I think Dominic would focus on the value and goodness of individual people and the strength they can gain from mutual support.
I think Dominic would concentrate on careful listening, as with the inn-keeper in the thirteenth century. He would listen carefully to the tangata whenua and to the many different ethnic groups who have come to Aotearoa New Zealand.
I think Dominic would have a special care and compassion for vulnerable people: women who are being trafficked, refugees and asylum seekers, victims of exclusion and prejudice and all we treat as ‘other’.
I think Dominic would respect human life at all stages and would encourage us to be part of the search for answers to contemporary questions.
I think Dominic would be encouraging the dialogue between science and theology. Dominic would be working towards an understanding of the relationships to be found in the physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, religious, social and scientific aspects of life.
I think Dominic would have had a deep care for creation. He would listen to the voices of those living on small islands in the Pacific. He would speak the truth about care of the planet.
I think Dominic would be encouraging young people, intergenerational dialogue and the use of social networking.
I think Dominic would be committed to evangelisation. Dominic and the 21st century Dominican would be encouraging people to return to the sources through scripture, learning anew how Jesus lived and taught Truth, being transformed by contemplating that Truth and passing it on to others.
I think Dominic would be full of joy and hope as he met people searching for truth.
I think Dominic would be looking for balance in the swing of the pendulum.
Happy St Dominic’s Day!
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News from the Wellington / Manawatu region
Contributed by Kay Blackburn
At our Wellington meeting in Johnsonville, when we were discussing how best to celebrate the Feast Day of St Dominic, one of our number commented that she was reading a book about the journeying of about the journeying of St Francis and asked if anyone knew of a similar book about the travels of St Dominic. After much animated discussion the theme for our August gathering in Palmerston North ‘ON THE ROAD WITH DOMINIC’, was born.
On Saturday August 3rd, 17 of our Dominican Family were welcomed to the Diocesan Centre by Mary Eastham.
Sisters Roxane and Margaret had prepared a PowerPoint presentation showing various places of importance in the Dominican story.
We each had a map and the journey took on a personal note as we shared in the first hand experiences of Roxane and other members who had been on this pilgrimage. The photos and stories interspersed with joyful singing brought St Dominic to life for us.
As the presentation proceeded we were all invited to share a memory of a favourite place or story about Dominic. This proved to be interesting as there always seems to be another story to tell or a different way of telling it.
After a delicious shared lunch and much chat we turned to a time of sharing of special objects, songs, poetry or anything that was of special Dominican significance to us.
The afternoon finished with sharing of the Word and prayer as we reflected on the question asked of us.
‘HOW ARE WE BEING DOMINICANS IN THE 21ST CENTURY?’
A question for all of us!
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Monthly gathering in Auckland
There is now a monthly Dominican Family Gathering in Auckland at The Peace Place on the first Thursday of each month… details are:
– gather at 5.30pm (but don’t worry if you are a little later)
– we will start with prayer and a reflection on the gospel of the day
– there will be time for an informal gathering
– please bring finger-food for a shared meal.
Gather at The Peace Place: 7A/22 Emily Place, Central Auckland
On 6 June we were blessed to have Brother Prakash Lohale op join the Auckland gathering. Brother Prakesh came to Auckland ahead of meeting Master Bruno in Melbourne on Friday that week. Master Bruno visited a number of places in Australia and then the Solomon Islands. Brother Prakesh brought greetings and hugs from Fr David Kammler. He also thanked us for our hospitality to David while he was in Aotearoa New Zealand.
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Events coming up … lots happening in September!
Fr Timothy Radcliffe op | speaking in Auckland and Wellington
Answering the question of
How do we live out our mission in this Year of Faith?
Fr Timothy Radcliffe op will be speaking on the topic
Being the Body of Christ Today.
Speaking at St Pa
trick’s Cathedral at 3pm on Saturday 14 September.
Speaking in Wellington on Saturday 21 September, after the 5.30pm Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral. There will be a light meal between the Mass and the talk.
Christian Contemplation with Donagh O’ Shea op
September and early October 2013
Wellington | Palmerston North | Auckland | Dunedin | Oamaru | Invercargill | Arrowtown and regions
We are so looking forward to Donagh’s time with us as he moves around the country, starting in Wellington on 2 September and ending in Arrowtown on 3 October. He will be offering times of retreat and reflection on the theme of contemplation. For the times and venues for his presentations see the attached notice, which also gives the contact person for each area. Donagh’s visit is sponsored by our New Zealand Dominican Sisters who are providing us with the opportunity to enter more fully into the Dominican contemplative heritage.
Donagh O’Shea is director of the Dominican Retreat Centre, Tallaght Village, Dublin. He offers days of reflection on a range of themes including: meditation and contemplation; time with the mystics; using clay and photography in approaching meditation; creation as “God’s first book”; the variety of methods and approaches to meditation and contemplation. See website: http://goodnews.ie/tallaghthome.htm
The bustling city with the still centre: this is symbolic of every person’s life. There is a vast amount of turbulence in our Church and in our country at present. We will not survive the storms by running away from them, but rather by going into the still centre. Donagh O’Shea
Calling all past and present parishioners of St Joseph’s Parish and pupils of St Joseph’s School, Queenstown
We invite you to help Celebrate…
150 years of St Joseph’s Church
140 years of Catholic Education
130 years of St Joseph’s School
On Friday 20th to Sunday 22 September
More details on the Dominican Aotearoa website: www.dominicans.org.nz. To register your interest contact stjosephsqt.celebration@gmail.com or phone 03 442 8224
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We welcome your contribution to this newsletter. Please send contributions for the next newsletter to dominicansaotearoa@gmail.com by 1 November 2013.
Teresa McNamara (021 649 012) and Susan Healy,
Newsletter Co-Ordinators
