At the end of the month I leave England to take up a new appointment as Chaplain to Campion College, Sydney, Australia. This appointment has come 'out of the blue' and will take me, for a few years, to live abroad for the third time. Campion College (http://www.campion.edu.au/) is Australia's first Catholic Liberal Arts College - a new foundation and a place a real Catholic formation. With World Youth Day taking place in Sydney right now, Australia is a focus for the New Evangelisation. This appointment is a very exciting adventure for me - but Fr Julian and myself intend to continue with this Blog and our SJMV fraternity. This Blog will no doubt have whole new focus and perhaps will become a link between the New Evangelisation in Oz and in the UK.
8 comments:
Congratulations! I know a number of families with children at Campion and they love it.
Fr Richard. Not many young people are fans of Roger Whittaker.
Also, isn`t it less expensive to fly to Australia these days ?
However, those observations made, I wish you all the best. (If you make it, in that rather dodgy looking boat. Have you checked out www.quantas.co.uk..... ? We really can`t afford to lose any more priests. Please.)
Dear Fr Richard,
I greatly regret your departure for Australia; the Church in this country badly needs priests with your zeal and your insight into what is truly needed. My impression (from two visits to the country) is that the Church in Australia is in a far sounder condition than the Church here. So much so that we could do with one or two Australian priests moving over here (not least the President of Campion College!)
Luke.
Maybe, Luke, If you are free to respond, God might be calling YOU to such a vocation. It`s certainly worth thinking about.
We all have to try and respond to whatever and wherever God is leading us. And, in responding honestly to that call, we will find a joy and a peace that sustains us in all weathers. We are living in a real time of commissioning and "raising up" of new apostles and apostolates.
It would be well worth taking some quiet time out and having a good listen. As the adverts say: "you`re worth it".
(Mind you, if I were Fr Richard I`d seriously ditch the boat and book a plane ticket. I`m sure that is not in God's plan for him at all.)
The role that I am going to fulfill in Australia is one for which I have been sought - not one which I searched for, and I will return to England in due course. Please pray for me.
I took the photo this January in Whitby. Sadly, I wont be travelling in this vessel to Sydney - I've got a ticket with a very strong Airline (in these days of international recession) - Etihad.
My impression (from two visits to the country) is that the Church in Australia is in a far sounder condition than the Church here.
I live in Australia and if you think that the Church in Australia is in a sounder condition that the Church in the UK, things must be really, really diabolical in the UK.
OH they are, Sharon, they are.
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