Marist Mission Centre (MMC)

Sydney Australia

Marist Fathers International Mission Fund (MFIM)

Australian Marist Centre Overseas Aid Fund (AMCOA)

AUTUMN NEWSLETTER

April 2016 Vol. 67, No.1

From the Chairman…. In the first newsletter you receive from Marist Mission Centre (MMC) in 2106, you will note a few changes in the newsletter’s format

and content. Actually, behind the slight changes you notice there have been some very big changes that have occurred in MMC

recently.

MMC is endeavouring to implement the best innovations that technology and modern business methods can give us. The great work

MMC has been famous for in economic, education, health care improvements and social development of peoples from all creeds,

cultures and nationalities in developing countries, especially in the Pacific and SE Asian zone, will continue. It is not, however, the only

criteria to judge our work by as last year, MMC distributed over $1.7 mil AUD in aid and support of people in need.

The need for MMC has not diminished and, with the generosity of benefactors remaining consistent, MMC’s staff and volunteer

supporters were able to do as much good in 2015 as they have done in any year previously. The work of MMC will continue just as

vigorously in 2016 and in years to come.

A special thank you from all who have been associated with MMC over recent years must go to Fr Kevin Stewart sm. He has been an

extremely generous agent for MMC.

Likewise, for the last 6 and 5 years respectively the backbone of MMC office has been Ms Jane Cecilia and Ms Annie Cecilia. They have

kept the MMC office ticking along smoothly and both have been absolute treasures; MMC could not have operated without them.

Together with Veronica Warton, our casually employed accountant for over 15 years, their commitment to MMC and their loving

appreciation to the anonymous donors, large and small, has been exemplary.

Since the beginning of 2016 our acting Director, Mr Tony Biddle, has been continuing through with the restructuring of MMC and the

Marist Fathers are most grateful to him. Tony has things to the point where he can almost hand over the reins to the new Executive

Officer of MMC. This person will be a member of a newly constituted Advisory Committee who will guide the operations of MMC to

ensure it remains a genuinely Marist work, a work in the spirit of Mary our Good Mother. We are most grateful to

Tony for his work.

Fr Robert Barber sm

Marist Provincial

Future of the restructured MMC…..

The review and evaluation that commenced during 2015 is now completed and the restructuring process well underway.

The Marist Mission Centre has drawn up an agreement with the Marist Brothers, and will now operate the Australian Marist Centre

for Overseas Aid (AMCOA) assistance in conjunction with Australian Marist Solidarity – the overarching name of the international aid,

development and volunteering agencies of the Marist Brothers Province of Australia. This joint venture with the Marist Brothers will

share the costly burden of compliance on all our joint overseas aid projects.

No change will be taking place to the style or method in which the Marist Mission Centre will operate the Marist Fathers International

Mission (MFIM).

We will continue to process and record donations to both funds, however a new modern website is very close to completion and

donations will be accepted, and receipts issued immediately from this site. We must keep up with modern technology and keep our

costs low to provide more to the needy and impoverished.

The necessity of restructure, and the implementation of the joint venture with the Marist Brothers, has resulted in the reduction of

previous staff. This we very much regret.

Postal: Locked Bag 5002, GLADESVILLE NSW 1675

Office: 3 Mary St, Hunters Hill NSW 2110, Australia

P: +61 2 9844 2275 F: 02 9816 1737 E: director@maristmissions.com

From the Acting Director…….

2016 started with quite a surprise for me when

the Marist Fathers’ Provincial – Fr Bob Barber sm

asked me to oversee a review of all operations at the MMC following the conclusion of Fr Kevin

Stewart’s tenure as Director after 9 years. With

the change in director also came the opportunity

to evaluate and ensure all criteria, now demanded

by the controlling Government bodies, was being

met. Maintaining the principles, mission and

vision of the Marist Mission Centre, as established

by the Marist Fathers over 50 years ago, was also

paramount in the review.

The review outcome is reported in another part

of this newsletter and the changeover is well

underway. The 15th annual ‘Cycle for Seminarians’

was, once again, very well supported by you, our

generous donors.

Disasters however, continue to occur and the

recent monster cyclone Winston (category 5) in

Fiji has left a massive trail of destruction in large

areas. The damage to Marist Mission buildings and

crops, especially in the outlying islands, will take a

long time to rebuild and regenerate.

Maybe you can again see your way to help the

unfortunate people who, by no fault of their own,

have been dealt a savage blow by nature. This

area continually seems to be the disaster zone of

the Pacific.

May you continue to be blessed for all your

assistance to MMC.

Tony Biddle

Acting Director

Images by Fr Andrew Murray sm - from top

Our Lady of Lourdes Vanu, Tutu Young Farmers

Accommodation, Tutu Furniture Workshop, Vanu School,

Vanu Village

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Cyclone Relief…...

As we know Tropical Cyclone Winston was a Category 5 Cyclone, with gusts of up to 340 km/hr, and is the

most devastating cyclone ever in the Southern hemisphere. More than 22,000 families were left homeless in

Winston's wake; and the Government has decided that 63 Villages in coastal areas in Fiji will need to be

relocated, following assessments.

The money given to Oceania Marist Province was used immediately to help families who still were able to

repair their roofs: so that they could also give shelter to other members in their Villages / Communities. The

People have very much appreciated this. We are now helping our People to rebuild their Churches. The

reason for this is that Faith is central to the lives of the People here. And while the Government is restoring

housing, water, roads, power, and bridges; they are not in a position to help Faith-Communities. So we are

extremely grateful to all who have helped us, through the Marist Mission Centre, to enable families to be

secure again, and enable Villagers to restore and re-build their Churches.

Fr Ben McKenna sm Provincial Oceania Province

Fr Tony Kennedy sm - the Seminary Novice Master

wrote on 22/2/16

“We have no power or water at Marist College. We

only had a taste of the cyclone though. On Friday

evening, it looked like the cyclone was coming straight

for Suva but by the next morning it had changed

direction more towards Taveuni and Ovalau.

On Saturday afternoon from about 4 pm until 10 pm, the

wind blew and blew. We buckled down and sang songs

in the candlelight as the rain tumbled down and the wind

blew. At 10 pm the winds eased and there was a

spectacular lightning show for an hour or so before the

rain really came down.

Today some of us went to Dawasamu where we have a

place on the beach and where the cyclone seemed to

cross the coast. All that is left are the toilets and two

water tanks. The building (two old houses) is

destroyed. There are bits of roofing iron all over the

place.

What has become clear is that many schools outside of

Suva will not be able to resume next week.

Most of the books and computers have been lost or

damaged beyond repair. At Cawaci, many of the

classrooms, the parish church and presbytery have lost

their roofs.”

Fr Mike McVerry sm from the Marist Training C, on the

island of Taveuni, Fiji wrote on 26/2/16

“The cyclone itself was most frightening and terrifying in

force last Saturday and South Taveuni has lost 90% of all

buildings and 100% of crops including an enormous amount

of coconut trees. Usually the fruit is lost for up to the next

two years, but this cyclone broke many in half and

beheaded many others. People talked of a tidal wave as high

as the coconuts and the devastation supports that as the

sea came in well over 60 metres. It broke the wharf in half

so that the two halves of concrete are 50 metres apart.

Fortunately Winston arrived during the early morning when

it was light, and left quickly again before it was dark in the

evening. Unfortunately, he came at us from behind in the

morning, then turned, and was directly from the sea later

on. The morale and spirit of working together rebuilds us

as we go beyond the sight of glaring at, and picking up,

the wreckage.”

Devastated Taveuni

Asia/Africa RNDM Projects $ 279,858 Educational Assistance

Bangladesh $ 41,850 Hearing/speech impaired youth projects

Bolivia $ 1,000 Community development.

Cambodia $ 108,832 Mental health, street kids, education

Cameroon $ 1,000 SMSM Sisters Refugee Camps

China $ 45,000 Mentally challenged youth programs

Fiji $ 253,165 Social development, aged care, media watch

Japan $ 33,215 Disaster relief, Osaka slums

Oceania $ 467,224 Seminary support

Papua/New Guinea $ 10,000 Office of street ministry

Philippines $ 128,495 BAPAS, Badjao & Agdao Mothers

Solomon Islands $ 96,946 San Isidro training centre, Marist projects Honiara Diocese

Tanzania $ 8,000 SMSM Sisters social works in Shinyanga Prov.

Thailand $ 193,526 Sarnelli House, child protection, HIV aids

Tonga/Samoa $ 5,000 Upgrade training facilities

Vanuatu $ 86,354 Cyclone "Pam" appeal, education,

Total Project Contributions 2015 = $1,759,465

Australian Marist Centre for Overseas Aid (AMCOA) $969,755

Marist Fathers International Mission (MFIM) $789,710

Generous Hearts supporting our Marist Projects…...

Br Charlie Randle sm

Recent Marist Books available …….

In a recent visit to the Marist Mission Centre, Thai Redemptorist,

Fr PuwaniI Tantikun CSsR, expressed the gratitude of the Sarnelli

Mission, Nongkhai, Thailand, for MMC’s continuing support.

Purchase details available on ATF Press

website: www.atfpress.com

Pls. Post: Marist Missions, Locked Bag 5002, Gladesville, NSW 1675

Or Fax to (02) 9816 1737 or donate online at

Australian Marist Centre Overseas Aid (AMCOA) (donations are tax-deductible)

Marist Fathers International Mission (MFIM) (donations are non tax-deductible)

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With compassion and care we create