International Mission Archives - Page 3 of 12

Gavin Foster joins Australian province

Former New Zealand Marist, Gavin Foster, has elected to join the Australian province of the Marist Fathers.

Ordained in New Zealand, Gavin worked in his native country for a number of years before volunteering to serve the Asian mission in the Philippines.

After 20 years in Asia working as a formator, CPE supervisor, psychologist at the diocesan seminary and a chaplain for mental patients at Davo’s Psychiatric Hospital, Gavin was offered a years sabbatical study in Sydney.

Gavin’s transfer from the District of Asia took effect on 24 September.

He is continuing his ministry as full-time chaplain at St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill.

Sources:

Marist Asia
Marist Fathers Australia (supplied)
Image: Marist Asia

Who says men don’t cry

“Who says men don’t cry ?” is New Zealand Marist priest, Tony O’Connor’s initial reflection of ministering on the border of Mexico and the United States.

Part of Fr O’Connor’s ministry, working in the Brownsville Texas parish, is to visit two detention centres, one for captured minor migrants and the other for captured adult migrants.

Given their personal circumstance and after all they have been through, Fr O’Connor offers a listening ear.

Fr O’Connor says that despite their detention he has a quiet admiration for the detained minors.

To get to the detention centre they travel around 1,200 miles.

Outlining a typical journey, Fr O’Connor says the kids ‘train surf’; travel on the top of long trains called the “Bestia” (the Beast), they walk and bus through Central America and Mexico, they cross over the border in the desert where there are no high fences and border control and are either caught or in some cases give themselves up.

The minors that make to the detention centres are treated very well, but many get left in the desert, Fr O’Connor says.

Not all end up in detention centres.

“Others make it and cross the border without getting caught and end up hiding for a time in ‘stack houses’, where hundreds are locked in a room”, he says.

The atmosphere in the adult detention centre is very different, run by the State, they are more like a prison; barbed wire included, he says.

“Those in red overhauls have serious criminal records in the USA, those in “safety orange” have light criminal records and the blues (majority) are just ‘illegals’ caught crossing the divide”, he said.

With more than 1,300 adult men detainees Fr O’Connor suggests it is not all negative.

“The last time there we had a full auditorium for mass, lots of pretty gutsy confessions too. Who says “men don’t cry?

As well as “locals” currently there are three from Ghana, one from Somalia, people from Ecuador, Peru and five Chinese; whom he thinks made their first communion.

Commenting on his new mission, Fr O’Connor says that after being on mission in Peru and Venezuela for more than 30 years, he says it’s taken a bit of time to get his feet on the ground.

With the Peru – Venezuela district closing, Fr O’Connor was asked by the Society of Mary’s Superior General, Fr John Hannan, join the Marist mission in Brownsville, USA.

Fr O’Connor says while preferring to work with the more physically poor he can see the wisdom of living to saying, “‘Where the captain sends, the sailor goes’. It works for me”.

On Tuesday 8 July, 2014, BBC reports:

“The fate of tens of thousands of child migrants in the United States is turning into a major political problem for President Obama.

“This week he is expected to ask Congress for US$2bn to build detention centres and hire new officials – just to cope with the number of unaccompanied children arriving from Central America.

“Many of President Obama’s supporters are upset at plans to send the children back to their home countries.”

Fr Tony O’Connor is a New Zealand Marist, working in the United States and part of the Society of Mary USA Province Brownsville Parish ministry.

Brendan Jenke departs NZ to study in Rome

Seminarian, Brendan Jenke departs for Rome on Sunday.

While in Rome he will live at the Marist Fathers’ International Theologate and study theology at the Gregorian University.

The course of study is four years.

Before beginning his theological studies in September, Brendan will attend and Italian language school in Turin.

During the week he was invited to his old school, Liston College to speak to the students about his vocation and while at the school assembly was presented with an anointing of the sick kit with a pyx inside.

They had belonged to Russell Piaggi, the sacristan and lay presider at Thames.

Russell studied at the Marist Seminary in the 1930’s and died three years ago. He asked the kit and pyx be given to a student from Liston College who entered the Marist seminary.

While studying in Auckland, Brendan has also been part of the vocations discernment team, helping those who think they may have a Marist vocation to work out where God might be calling them.

Those interested in following up the idea of whether they might have a Marist vocation are invited to contact Fr Peter McAfee at the Marist Seminary.

Te next vocations discernment weekend takes place on 1-3 August.

Influx of students for Marist school in Ranong

The Marist mission in Rangong, Thailand has more students than ever!

Recently the mission attracted 67 students to sit the entrance examination to permit those successful to enter the Burmese Migrant Secondary Education Programme.

Director of the mission, Fr Kevin Medilo is viewing the increase positively.

“This is a great number and a great sign that Burmese families are really wanting to support their teenagers in continuing with education”, he said.

Normally in Ranong 90% of Burmese migrant children leave education around 11 years of age.

Fr Medilo says that sometimes children follow their parents into dangerous work in a fish or charcoal factory, but that educating these students is helping break the cycle.

Frs Pat Devlin, Damian Dempsey and Frank Bird are New Zealand Marists working in the Marist Asia mission.

Gerry Arbuckle working with L’Arche International

Gerry Arbuckle has accepted a request from L’Arche International for two years to work.

Fr Arbuckle collaborated previously with Jean Vanier, in the early 2000’s, with the refounding process of L’Arche communities throughout the world and will now work with twenty regional leaders in six sessions to assist the process of inculturation within vastly different cultures.

The first session of two weeks took place in Paris in February; later venues will be Nairobi and Kiev.

Recently the Arche communities have been expanding significantly in Eastern Europe and Africa.

Aucklander working in Ranong recommits to Marist Association

Kirsten Sloan with children of Burmese migrants at the Marist Mission Ranong.

Sunday December 8, Kirsten Sloan, a volunteer on at the Marist Mission Ranong, Thailand, renewed her commitment to the Marist Association of Mary.

Kirsten, an Aucklander, works with Marists in Ranong Thailand, where she manages the HIV/AIDS Health Project.

The mission serves Burmese migrants providing community support, education for Burmese children and support and health access for HIV/AIDs sufferers and their families.

Also at the ceremony held in Auckland, William Gee, Kathleen Baran and Judith Leonard made permanent commitments as Lay Marists in the Association of Mary.

The commitments were affirmed by Bev McDonald, the coordinator for Marist Laity and Fr David Kennerley SM the Association’s spiritual director.

The occasion was also an opportunity to welcome Fr Chris Skinner SM as the new spiritual director.