pathways, March 2009
The other side of terror
The Victorian Church responds
Bushfire recovery chaplian, Fr Greg Bourke explains his role
Diocesan appeals
coverage
message from CRA President
THE OTHER SIDE OF TERROR
by Rebecca Comini, for Kairos Catholic Journal
reprinted with permission
Despite losing their homes, property, neighbours and their church, the parishioners of St Mary's, Kinglake are a resilient bunch, according to the parish's pastoral associate, Sr Margaret Ryan RSM (pictured).
"They've been a very loyal Catholic community for a long time," Sr Margaret said.
Mass was first offered in the town in the 1890s. The original church was not consecrated as it was not on Church land. Fires razed the area in February 1936 and the church was lost. The community rebuilt a small wooden church in the following years. This stood until arsonists struck on Good Friday, 1995, destroying the church. The replacement church celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2008.
On Black Saturday, the Kinglake Catholic church again was destroyed by fire, this time in the worst natural disaster in Australia's history. (below, photo: Rick Rycroft)
Sr Margaret said parishioners had tried to save the church but left before the building exploded in the extreme heat of the fire. However, the church's water tank became a safe haven as eight people sheltered behind the tank during the fire. They all survived.
Parishioners found the tabernacle and the Blessed Sacrament unharmed in the rubble after the fire had passed.
St Mary's parish priest Fr Grant O'Neill has been able to say Mass for the community at a Kinglake restaurant, the Harvest Cafe.
In a notice to diocesan parishes, Fr O'Neill said the cafe would be used until power was restored to the site where the St Mary's church once stood.
"Fortunately we have the use of a temporary church (ie, a portable classroom). As soon as power is restored to our church site, this classroom will be moved on to the site to provide a visible focal point and place for worship," Fr O'Neill wrote.
The portable room will be used during the week as drop-in-centre for parishioners to access services such as St Vincent de Paul and Centacare. At weekends, it will be used for Mass.
Many townspeople have shared their horrifying experiences of Black Saturday with Sr Margaret, who was at home in Melbourne on that day. Early next morning, she went to Whittlesea Relief Centre and was there when the first busload of bushfire survivors arrived.
"It was terrible. At the time of the fire, I hadn't met anyone who didn't have a real dread of death. They thought they either could or would die in that fire," she said.
"It was pitch black; it was raining down coal and embers. There were dead birds falling out of the sky. The noise was unbelievable. The sheer terror of it is something that will take people a long time to get over."
Sr Margaret praised other parishes for their generosity in donating items to help get the church up and running.
She asked for prayers from the wider Catholic community.
"The damage and the emotional impact, and whole spiritual sense of where is God in all of this is very real for (the bushfire survivors). They need people's support and prayers.
And once the road is open, they need people to come up and have a cup of tea, buy a pie and support the businesses and help get the town back on its feet."
This article featuring Sr Margaret is one of many in Recovery
, a newsletter of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the dioceses of Sale and Sandhurst that will be published throughout the long recovery period following the disastrous Victorian bushfires of several weeks ago. subscribe to Recovery.
THE VICTORIAN CHURCH RESPONDS
According to Mr James O'Farrell, in another Kairos article also reproduced in Recovery, the Catholic Church in Melbourne is preparing to make a sustained contribution to the recovery efforts.
Melbourne's Archbishop Denis Hart said the Catholic Church's presence in bushfire-affected communities during the initial crisis and recovery stages would need to go beyond its usual presence, as represented by the faithful and committed parish communities, their priests, pastoral associates and religious who were there for the long haul.
Major bushfires have affected communities in the following Melbourne parishes: Kilmore, Healesville, Yea/Alexandra, Epping and Diamond Creek. In addition, parishes such as Mt Evelyn (Warburton), Belgrave and Ferntree Gully have been menaced by fire.
At time of Recovery going to press (mid-March), there had been no loss of life in the St Mary's Kinglake congregation (Parish of Diamond Creek). One person, and possibly three people, from the Our Lady of the Snows congregation, is known to have died.
BUSHFIRE RECOVERY CHAPLAIN
Archbishop Hart also has appointment a Bushfire Recovery Chaplain, Fr Greg Bourke (pictured) parish priest of St Peter Apostle Mission, Hoppers Crossing.
Immediately following his appointment, Fr Greg moved to a temporary residence at Yarra Glen.
He wrote in Recovery:
I consider that my role as Bushfire Recovery Chaplain has three facets.
The first is to offer support to the Catholic communities.
The bushfires raged through five parishes: Kilmore (Wandong), Diamond Creek (Kinglake), Epping (Whittlesea), Yea-Alexandra (Flowerdale and
Marysville), and Healesville.
In addition, parishes such as Mt Evelyn (Warburton), Belgrave and Ferntree Gully were menaced by fire. We must not under estimate the anxiety felt by those who faced the flames; three weeks of constant worry and vigilance push some people too far. They, too, need help to recover.
I am attempting to support the priests and leadership teams of the affected parishes, including the schools, so that these people may be better placed to do what they want to do, care for their people.
The chaplaincy, in conjunction with the Archbishop's Charitable Fund and other sources of funding, is shifting part time pastoral associates to full time, providing extra secretarial support to priests in the affected areas, financing shopfronts and other centres to provide immediate community support.
The chaplaincy has also placed more than 100 volunteers from our parishes in 'Information Hubs' to help bushfire survivors.
Eventually, the support will extend into other appropriate areas.
The chaplaincy also has the services of Fr Kevin Goode OFM, who at present lives at Kinglake, and Jerome Santamaria, a seminarian on pastoral placement.
As the weeks unfold more volunteers will be needed.
Second, the chaplaincy has been feeding information and 'state of play' from the fringes of the parishes in the affected areas back to our Catholic agencies such as Centacare and the St Vincent de Paul Society, and also to the Archbishop's Charitable Fund.
This helps us to identify any gaps in service delivery to better serve the people affected.
Third, the chaplaincy is beginning to serve a similar role to that of the Department of Human Services, Centrelink and the other 34 official agencies that come into play when a state of emergency is declared.
This is an opportunity also for the Church to learn how we can be of service to the total community when there is a state of emergency and to take up an appropriate role both through parish structures and through Catholic agencies.
We have not seen such a disaster in our Archdiocese since perhaps the Spanish Flu epidemic after World War I.
Archbishop Hart has made a tremendous effort to respond to this terrible tragedy and, if there is ever another disaster in the future, the Church will be better placed to respond.
DIOCESAN APPEALS
Catholic Archbishop's Charitable Fund Bushfire Appeal
Archbishop Denis Hart has established a special appeal to raise funds to assist people and communities affected by the bushfires. Funds will be used to assist immediately and to contribute to the long term recovery that is faced by those that have lost loved ones, home and livelihood. All donations $2 and over are tax deductible.
At March 19, donations totalled $2,565,511.
Cheques or money orders should be made payable to:
Catholic Archbishop's Charitable Fund - Bushfire Appeal,
PO Box 146, East Melbourne, Vic 8002
Funds are being released through Centacare to make available grants of $15000 to the parishes of Diamond Creek (parish priest Fr GrantO'Neill), Healesville (parish priest Father Julian Langridge), Yea - Alexandra (parish priest Fr Vincent Jewell), Kilmore (parish priest Fr Peter Rankin) and Epping (parish priest Fr Maurice Cooney). $100,000 has been given to St Vincent de Paul for immediate use to assist in recovery. Funds are also being released through Centacare to contribute $20,000 to the combined Christian Churches Respite Centre Project in Whittlesea.
Sale
Collections and appeals have been made in parishes of the diocese. Donations have been distributed to the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund and St Vincent De Paul.
Sandhurst
The Diocese of Sandhurst's Bushfire Response Fund has so far distributed more than $17,500 in aid to fire-affected communities.
Diocesan business manager Bill Henderson said the money was distributed to the St Vincent de Paul Society in Bendigo and to the Myrtleford and Beechworth parishes.
The fund was organised after donations were received from other dioceses, businesses and individuals and that the Sandhurst Diocese had also made a significant contribution.
To donate, cheques should be sent to:
The Sandhurst Diocese Bushfire Response Fund,
PO Box 201 Bendigo, 3550.
COVERAGE
Extensive coverage of the unfolding journey from emergency to response to recovery is available on the
Archdiocese of Melbourne website and includes the message from Pope Benedict XVI.
CRA MESSAGE
The message from CRA President, Sr Clare Condon SGS, that was issued on Monday, February 9, reads:
On behalf of the Catholic Religious women and men of Australia, President of Catholic Religious Australia Sr Clare Condon SGS has expressed deep sadness and sorrow at the tragic loss of life and other human suffering in the Victorian bush fires.
She assures all those involved,
those who have suffered great loss or injury,
those who from our emergency services who have and continue to work tirelessly,
solidarity and the support of prayers of all the Religious.
"With all Australians, we will work to provide the practical support and help that is needed," she said.
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