Editorial

How we can help young East Timorese

Peter Westmore

Contents - Mar 2007 - Buy a copy now Editorial: How we can help young East Timorese - Peter Westmore WYDSYD08: Salesian provincial urges parishes to sponsor Timorese to World Youth Day 2008 - Peter Westmore News: The Church Around the World Sandhurst: Goddess worship at Victorian education conference? - Michael Gilchrist Formation: Continuing growth of Sydney's Catholic Adult Education Centre - AD2000 Report Catholicism flourishes in South Korea - Richard Stokes Leadership: The scandal of Australia's anti-life Catholic politicians - Marcel White 'Professional', a lá carte Catholicism and its papier màché schools - Andrew T. Kania Survey of Catholic teachers The changing panorama of Victoria's historic 'Rupertswood' - Michael Moore Catholic religion courses and the challenge of relativism - Audrey English Letters: Reform needed - T. Kalotas Letters: Catholic schools - Kevin McBride Letters: Null and void - Fr. G.H. Duggan SM Letters: Presumption - John H. Cooney Letters: Suitable wedding attire - Tom and Barbara Phillip Letters: Modesty of dress - Greg Byrne Letters: Ten Commandments - Arthur Hartwig Letters: Abortion counselling - Frank Bellet Letters: Leadership needed - Anne Lastman Letters: Human embryos - Rebecca Soares Letters: Ecumenism? - Peter Davidson Books: The Glory of These Forty Days, by Fr James Tolhurst - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: LISTEN MY SON: St Benedict for Fathers, by Dwight Longenecker - Michael E. Daniel (reviewer) Books: SEEKING THE ABSOLUTE: The Founders of Christian Monasticism - Michael E. Daniel (reviewer) Media: The Rosary of the Virgin Mary - 4 DVD or 4 CD set - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) DOES YOUR PARISH STOCK AD2000? Books: Order Books from freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: The Holy Trinity - source of true Christian unity - Fr John O'Neill

The request to Australian parishes by the Provincial of the Salesians in East Timor and Indonesia, Fr Andres Calleja, to sponsor the attendance of young East Timorese at World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, to be held in the presence of Benedict XVI, gives Australians a unique opportunity to help the young people of this overwhelmingly Catholic country.

Fr Calleja pointed out that in East Timor, even professional people such as teachers earn little more than $100 a month, and with this, a person may need to support a family. To find at least $2,000 to cover a return air fare from East Timor to Australia and other costs is, he said, "an impossible dream". But if Australian parishioners were to band together, the impossible becomes achievable.

If parishes can raise this amount of money, AD2000 will be delighted to assist them (via the Salesians) to link up with suitable young people in East Timor, ensuring, for example, that those chosen can speak reasonable English and are likely to achieve maximum benefit from their visit. If possible, we believe these young people should also spend at least a few days in the parishes which sponsor their visit to Australia.

Some years ago, Archbishop Charles Chaput, who hosted World Youth Day in Denver, Colorado, made the point that the event was a catalyst for a large number of vocations. It is to be hoped that a similarly large number of young Australians will respond to the challenge of World Youth Day by considering seriously a vocation to the priesthood or religious life.

World Youth Day could have an equally beneficial impact on the Church in East Timor. Additionally, it would show the East Timorese, in a very practical way, that Australians want a close relationship with them, based not just on friendship, but also on shared beliefs and values.

Peter Westmore is Publisher of AD2000.

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 20 No 2 (March 2007), p. 2