8 Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst Year in Review 2022 Throughout 2022, COVID 19 has continued to cast its shadow across our lives. Most of us have spent the year constantly looking over our shoulder, hoping not to get caught by infection and illness. Even those who haven’t been sick themselves know many others close to them who have been ill, which has impacted all our families, parishes, schools and workplaces. We’ve all become very used to our plans being interrupted, with lastminute changes, apologies and cancellations. For large numbers in our Diocese and other parts of the country, the floods of October and November interrupted everything else, while communities watched with growing anxiety as the waters slowly rose, and then eventually fell again, exposing the damage that had been caused. As the year ended, many people still had not been able to return home and were facing months of house repairs and difficult decisions, before they could return to their normal lives. In the midst of these challenges, our communities have made great efforts to resume many of their normal activities, and many have also taken new initiatives. I have been able to visit our parishes and schools more regularly and have appreciated the commitment I have seen to renewing and enriching our shared life of faith. Early in the year, we were saddened by the deaths of Father Ted Harte and Father Owen Doyle, bringing to an end their many years of faithful service in the Diocese. We also farewelled Father Pompeyo Tan, who relocated to the USA, where his mother and siblings have now settled. At about the same time, Father Jophin Joy and Father Uday Marneni arrived to commence ministry in the Diocese alongside the other two members of their congregation already serving here. Then, in March we celebrated the ordination of Father Jackson Saunders, and in August we welcomed Father Adi Indra back from Rome to take up his first parish appointment. Finally, just in time for Christmas, Monsignor Crisologo Manongas arrived from the Philippines to begin ministry among us. For the Church in Australia, the major event of the year has been the Second Assembly of the Plenary Council, which was held in person in Sydney and concluded a 4-year journey in which over 220,000 Catholics participated directly. As well as approving eight significant decrees, the Plenary Council formed all of us in a decision-making process that was built on collaborative and prayerful discernment. I have been delighted to see the many initiatives underway in this Diocese and elsewhere to implement the Council’s decrees and to introduce its commitment to discernment into other structures and contexts. Alongside the Plenary Council, we have also been involved in local and national consultations “Building connections with people from other parts of the Church” BISHOP SHANE MACKINLAY From
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQ0MTI=