Brisbane Thomas More Centre: putting faith into action

Sidney Rofe

Contents - Feb 2003 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Higher costs force up the price of 'AD2000' - Peter Westmore Vocations: Sydney seminary growth based on orthodoxy, fidelity - Fr Julian Porteous Confronting today's persecution of the Catholic Church - Bishop Luc Matthys News: The Church Around the World - AD2000 Events: Europe's most influential Catholic lay association coming to Melbourne - Anthony Cappello John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family, Melbourne: a progress report - AD2000 Report Liturgy: The sacrifice of the Mass: the Eucharistic words of Christ - Msgr Peter J. Elliott 'Healing the family tree': New Age under the guise of religion (Part One) - Fr Peter Joseph Catholic learning in the liberal arts - Karl Schmude Brisbane Thomas More Centre: putting faith into action - Sidney Rofe Perth Rosary Tape authors' successful US visit - Colleen McGuiness-Howard Letters: Thomas Groome (letter) - Bishop Kevin Manning Letters: Eamonn Keane responds (letter) Letters: Teaching the truth (letter) - Dennis MacDonald Letters: Infallible teaching (letter) - George Simpson Letters: Threat to schools (letter) - Richard Congram Letters: Women's Commission (letter) - June See Letters: Media distortions (letter) - Nell & Rinion Aslikar Letters: Brisbane Synod (letter) - Neville Davis Letters: Catholic medical practice (letter) - Dr Tim Coyle Books: How To Win The Culture War, by Peter Kreeft - Bill Muehlenberg (reviewer) Books: The Catholic School In An Age Of Dissent, by Leonard A. Kennedy CSB - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: New year reading from AD Books Reflection: Lectio Divina: a way to deepen our prayer life and spirituality - Fr Andrew Wise

In 2003 the Thomas More Centre in Brisbane will be operating from new offices. Thanks to the generosity of the National Civic Council in providing the facilities and voluntary labour from the executive and friends our newly renovated resource centre/office is now a reality.

Known informally as "The Green-Room", due to copious amounts of green paint on its walls, the office will be primarily used as a headquarters for the activities of the Thomas More Centre. Other groups will also have use of its facilities. Members from the university-based Newman Society in particular were heavily involved in the renovations to the office late last year and are looking forward to using this new centre for Catholic action.

The TMC has been co-operating frequently with the Newman Society and we are willing to offer assistance for its continuing efforts at the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology. I am also delighted to say that some members of the Newman Society who are nearing completion of their studies are becoming active in the TMC.

The Green Room is also important as a social facility for the executive and TMC members providing an environment to come and relax. This will be combined with a prayer room for meditation and devotion.

A library is being developed which will be useful in providing material for discussion papers and studies in the faith.

The Green Room will also be used by the Newman Society and the TMC in organising joint events such as The Catholic Society Ball and Carnivale Christi in Brisbane.

Already the Green Room has hosted a dinner with Bishop Brian Finnigan, an auxiliary bishop of Brisbane, and this year Ray Campbell from the Queensland Bio-ethics Centre will conduct an apologetics course exploring such concepts as the Natural Law.

Our monthly speakers will continue at St Leo's College, University of Queensland, but the Green Room will play a role in more intense discussions and study of the faith.

In 2003 we will develop a richer program for our members where important discussion papers will be developed and circulated to members. Hopefully, in 2003 we will be able to reach out to even more young Catholics, with the continuing success of our annual Winter School and the creation of new social action groups.

While we still have some improvements to make, such as finding funds to fix the balcony at the back of the building and the installation of computers, those who have worked on the project are very proud of their efforts. The Green Room will be much more than just a place for social interaction or the management of projects, it will be a centre where we put faith into action.

Sidney Rofe is President of the TMC in Brisbane

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 16 No 1 (February 2003), p. 14