News from Rome 6

Final days
On Thursday morning the Moderator admitted that many of us were tired, but there remained important work to do.
This graphic was displayed and we were invited to comment on what we saw. Not surprisingly, some said, “a half empty glass” or “a half full glass”. One added that the glass was full (half of it with air), but only half full of water!

The Moderator (Yago) went on to ask what attitude we personally needed to take up to make the most of the task we faced. He added another (clever) image that showed various nuances within our attitudes that could affect how we view the task and orient our energy to tackle it.

We then shared at our language group table, how we felt, which of these descriptions fitted us and how we plan to put aside the attitudes that would prevent us contributing to this important phase. That discussion created a lot of energy, and we should have more of that instead of large group (78) conversations.

General Chapter news
I turned to switch off my alarm clock on Wednesday morning, only to experience my bed collapsing. The taping attached to the slats had given way and with each attempt to lift myself high enough to get over the 17 centimetre side, resulted in falling back and more slats separating. Eventually I managed to ‘get out of bed’. Very kindly, the Rector here, Fr Natale and a maintenance man had fixed the bed by 11.30am.
Aurelian Walls 
I thought it worth sharing something about the amazing Aurelian Walls, especially because one section is close to us here and walking near them can provide good shade!  They are a line of city walls built around 275 CE during the reign of the Emperor Aurelian. They enclosed all seven hills of Rome and the Trastevere district. In the 4th century, remodelling doubled the height of the walls to 16 metres and by 500 CE, the circuit possessed 383 towers, 7,020 battlements, 18 main gates, 116 toilets  and 2,066 large external windows.

St Paul of the Cross Feast Day
Some of us gathered on the
evening of Friday, October 18th,
to celebrate the feast of St. Paul
of the Cross. The Passionist
Companions also gathered on
Tuesday, October 22nd, for a
commemoration of the Feast. It
would have been best if we all
gathered to celebrate together,
but hopefully next time. Sr. Brigid
CP has shared the following
reflection, which I thought we
could all enjoy.
“The theme of the General
Chapter is well known to you all:
Here I am send me: the Passion of
Christ, our source of life and
mission. How does this theme stir
you today? Joachim in his report
spoke of the need to be inspired
with a new enthusiasm to the fan
the ashes into fire, to stand ready and available ‘to go to the other side.’ I could stop
now and ask where is the other side for you?

St Paul of the Cross Feast Day
Tomorrow, October 19th, is the Feast Day
of St. Paul of the Cross (1694–1775), the
Founder of the Congregation of the
Passionists. His vision unites us, and for
that, we honour him with gratitude.
Today, the Passionists consist of over 2,000
vowed religious members, serving in more
than 60 countries worldwide. In addition to
these vowed members, thousands of lay
Passionists are actively involved in their
mission and community life, whether
through formal roles or as associates,
sharing in the Passionist spirituality and
mission of commemorating Christ's
Passion.
The Holy Cross Community will place
special emphasis on celebrating St. Paul of
the Cross this Sunday at the 10 a.m. Mass.
Happy Feast Day, everyone!

Reports
Here in Rome, the General Chapter devoted two days to reports from the General (Fr Joachim), the General Econome (Fr Antonio) and the six Configurations, representing Passionists around the world. Erick sent Joachim’s report last week, so there is no need to repeat that, other than to highlight from the summary a consistent decline in the numbers of Congregation’s personnel. It is expected that this downward trend (principally in the northern hemisphere) will continue, with religious ageing and retiring and with deaths and departures. Many houses and presences will have to be evaluated for closure, communities will need to be more concentrated and consolidated, and ministries limited or renewed.
In the last six-year General administration term, two Provinces in northern Europe: St. Gabriel’s Belgium and St. Joseph’s England/Wales/Sweden were suppressed. Both were unable to provide personnel for leadership and had too few members. Belgium is now the responsibility of the Superior General, while the St Joseph’s personnel chose to be incorporated into St. Patrick’s Province (Ireland and Scotland).

Rafael’s hidden talent revealed
While Rafael has been on holidays from ELSPM, he hasn’t wasted any time. He’s been
doing a lot of work around the centre, mainly with Joey, and often cooking for the
community. His hidden talent is being a
‘master chef’ of authentic Indonesian
cuisine. Last week, he made a special
Indonesian dish that was so good, many of
us went back for seconds and thirds. Later,
I found out the dish contained pork
blood—JD even showed me a photo to
prove it! During the meal, I kept
wondering, "What is this amazing flavour?"
After learning what it was, I wasn’t sure
how I would have felt at the time, but now
I realise that sometimes it’s not just about
what we eat, but how it’s prepared.
We truly appreciate Rafael’s contributions to the community, and we’d also like to
acknowledge Shirley Barns, who prepares evening meals for us on Mondays and
Wednesdays, along with Terese Lim and others who pitch in occasionally. We are very

Fire next door
Last Friday, a house next to Holy Cross caught fire.
One of our Italian parishioners, Vince Celestino, who
often volunteers to work on the Holy Cross car park,
happened to be nearby. Though he wouldn’t want
the recognition, Vince heroically stepped in,
alongside a passerby, to break a window and help
rescue the children, their pets, and some important
belongings.
Despite suffering a few burns, he ensured
everyone was safe, and fortunately, no one was
injured. Joey also visited the family a few times
afterward, offering support and asking if they
needed anything. We pray for the family as they
cope with the loss of their home and possessions,
and we thank Vince and Joey for embodying the
spirit of Christianity, especially Vince’s brave act
in helping our neighbour.

Greetings from Phi
I heard from Phi and asked him to share with us about
how Adelaide is treating him. Thank you Phi for taking
the time to write to us.
“Greetings to the Holy Cross Family from Adelaide,
As I reflect on the two years since joining the Holy Cross
community on the 20th of September, I’m struck by how
quickly time has passed.
Before coming to Holy Cross on the advice of Fathers
Brian and Tom, I was in a fragile and vulnerable state
due to my past experiences in Vietnam. Yet from the
moment I entered the Holy Cross, you all welcomed me
with open arms, offering support, sympathy, love, and
care. For that, I am very grateful. I feel privileged to be part of such a compassionate
and generous wider family, one that is always there for those in need, especially, this
‘bloody Vietnamese.’

“You have heard Fr. Joey, Fr. Erick and Fr. Kevin preaching many times. The
difference between their homilies and mine is that, they preach from their hearts, but for
me, I preach from my paper. Mr. Taylor gives me only five-f-f-fi-five minutes. I
understand that it is five times five, equal to twenty-five minutes. Therefore, the first
ten-minutes is about theology of mercy, which is God’s love for all people. That love
wasn’t a mere ideal but had been carried out in human history, especially in the person
of Jesus. The next ten minutes is reserved for the theology of today's Gospel, which
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expresses that the criterion of our lives is LOVE. The last five-minutes is an invitation to
each of us to love and care for ourselves and the people around us. Please, bear with me
in this long homily (giving many smiles at this time)

Rafael passed his IELTS exam results!
Last Friday, Rafael passed his
results. When he got the text
message he jumped up and down
with a big smile (almost reaching
his ears), thanking everyone in our
community and making phone
calls to thank others.
To celebrate, Chris Monahan
prepared a delicious fish and chips
meal. While some of us had prayed
he might fail to keep him with us
longer, we recognised that passing was the best outcome for him,
-as God gives
what is best for us.
Rafael described the exam as “the most difficult experience” he has faced, especially
after spending 11 years as a parish priest in rural Indonesia, where he had little
focus on studies or English. His transition to Australia was challenging, but we have
all witnessed his hard work and significant progress, especially in recent months. IN
addition to the stress, his eyesight had been poor until he got new glasses after the
exam! We congratulate him for this achievement, which enables him to begin his
new mission in Vanimo, PNG.