One of our workers, in fact the hardest working, a Jewish man, put on a ritual meal for the people who live in a St. Kilda boarding house. It's Jewish Passover this week. He and two other Jewish friends cooked the special dishes associated with Passover and waited on the tables while the guests enjoyed the meal and had the religious meanings of the dishes explained in a non-patronising way.
There are some photos of the event posted on our podcast site linked to my blog page. See for yourself.
No one was trying to convert anyone just sharing a special meal on a special occasion, Passover, with people who have nothing special in their lives.
Passover has been enhanced by this celebration not diminished. Thanks to our Jewish worker and his associates for taking the trouble to create this special occasion in St. Kilda.
Last post I mentioned that
Collingwood Football Club planned to feed the poor from their HQ at the Lexus Centre.
This week I met with a working committee, half Collingwood, half Father Bob Maguire Foundation (that damned name is starting to embarrass me! Not my name but my having to use it whenever I talk about the work we do. Excuse me.). The group seems, keen on mobile food vans delivering to wherever poor people congregate. It's probably a better plan than expecting people to travel to the Lexus Centre.
Maybe we can do both. I'd like the food vans to be known as 'hopemobiles ' each equipped with a flashing green light to let everyone know we're all about hope for the hopeless. I'm leaving the details of the operation to my more experienced and practical colleagues. I, myself, need hope that this expedition into the unknown will become a real, right here right now, contribution to creating a civil society, a commonwealth where each gives according to their abilities and each takes according to their needs.
As a church person, I would have hoped that each mosque, ashram, synagogue, temple and church would be available as centres of religious civility. After 200 'white ' Years in Australia, all these religious groups have established bits of real estate and infrastructure, even if ever so small, which could provide expensive precincts of hope or, prematurely flaunt my next to latest dream, 'SPIRITUALITY AUSTRALIA'.
That Priest who got carried away hanging onto a bunch of helium balloons, somewhere in Latin America, was fundraising to create a 'spiritual pit stop ' for truckies.
Loads of overseas countries have traditions of wayside shrines that offer a spiritual comfort zone. Monks of all persuasions offer hospitality as part of their own religious menu.
Eddie and Collingwood, traditionally for both, want a secular equivalent of those aforementioned pit stops. In Australia, the sacred and secular can be mates. I don't apologise for being a Catholic Priest and Eddie doesn't for being a Broady and Collingwood boy.
This new, but typically Aussie venture, like Simpson and his Donkey, bringing hope to the hopeless, deserves the backing of all 'true believers ' of whatever culture or creed.
Closer to home, corner Dorcas and Montague, South Melbourne, after six years tour of duty, we farewell Annette Amos who moves on to other things from her position as Parish business manager and founding Public Officer of the Father Bob Maguire Foundation.
Words cannot express our local gratitude to Annette and admiration for her administrative excellence.
Annette has, on occasions, prevented me from being carried away, like my Latin American
colleague, by hot air.

The Emerald Hill Mission Annual Race Day will be held at Flemington on Saturday 17th May 2008. You are warmly invited to join our 'Parish Tables'. Tickets $125.00 per person include luncheon, drinks, entertainment and entry to the Members Reserve. Contact Kevin Lee (9527 4317) or Cohn Crawford (9699 6050) if you wish to attend or you can leave your name and contact details on the sheet on the long table at the back of the church.

As some of you may be aware, Mario & Rick along with support from Andy &
Geraldine a parishioner to Mass each Sunday. As Mario & Rick have left for an extended holiday overseas, Andy and Geraldine are seeking some support in getting her to Mass and home again. If you would be able to help out every now and then please contact Andy on 0437357239 or have a word with him after Mass.

Christian Meditation - Six Week Introductory Course
John Main's form of contemplative prayer - a deepening of the fruits of the Spirit. Presented by Evelyn Reinehr. Thursday mornings beginning 1 May, 11.00-12.15. Donation. RSVP

Card Making with Patricia Daniels - Monday 5 May 10.00- 3.30 $25

Poetry of RUMI - Terry Monagle will present Rumi's poetry. - Monday 5 May, 7.30- 9.30 pm RSVP

Reflection Day - Receiving the gift of the 'present' - Tuesday 6 May, 10.00- 3.00 RSVP

Stand alone Meditation 2.00 - 3.00 All Welcome

What TV Production Has Taught Me About God - Reflections of a Television Producer (three Sessions) Peter Thomas shows his documentary and talks about the experience of his involvement in each production and its effect on his life. Beginning Monday, 26 May, 7.30 - 9.30. Admission - donation
Week 1: The Teacher. The Dalai Lama contemplates the points of unity between Buddhism and Christianity.
Week 2: Hazaribag Jesuit. The Australian Jesuits who have inculturated with the local people, the indigenous Santals, in Eastern India.
Week 3: Common Dreams. Progressive religion as a transforming agent.
Please RSVP to all above via email or ph: 9690 1076, Thank you,
Mary Kingsbury, Kilbride Centre

Central Deanery is pleased to invite you to Bell's Hotel, Moray Street, South Melbourne, to listen to Tristan Mungatopi who will speak of his experience since last we met, and his observations on the Apology to the Stolen Generations from our Prime Minister, Mr Kevin Rudd. What difference has it made? What policies should flow from this?
Tristan is from the Tiwi Islands, north of Darwin, and he previously spoke to us at the time of the Message Stick Relay in 2006, and the celebrations in Alice springs marking the 20~ Anniversary of Pope John Paul II's Address to Indigenous Australia in 1986.
Time: 6.30-8.3Opm. Food & drinks available from the Bistro after 6pm, talk from 7.3Opm. If you are joining us for Dinner, please RSVP by Thursday 1 May via my email address bmandrews@optusnet.com.au or 0417543 155

I went to the footy at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground is one of the local "sacred spots"). What, dear readers, do I hear you say, are you doing watching football at a cricket ground?
My team, Collingwood, was pretending to play the team, Carlton, at the bottom of the 18-team ladder.
There were 78,000 experts at the ground. It always amazes me how many people, men and women, rich and poor, can stay together in one place, for hours, without bopping each other on the nose.
If it was all blokes, there'd be brawls, don't you agree? But women have always been strongly represented at Aussie Rules football matches. They're heavily involved, too, in admin, umpiring and the health and safety of players.
Social commentator, Eddie McGuire, wrote in last weekend's paper that Aussie Rules is blessed by the active presence of so many women at all levels of footy club activities.
Feminists may hate what l am about to say but women do humanise and socialise blokes, especially blokes involved in 'combat'. And it happens, at its best, in players' homes and local footy club level.
Home and the local footy club, suburban or bush, where blokes can be given fair, firm and friendly guidance by people they admire and respect.
Now Eddie McGuire has taken this homespun wisdom to another level. He believes along with late mate, Essendon, and the AFL's Ron Evans, that league football clubs should be places where players, training and admin staff, board and general members learn the fine art of caring for people who have almost lost hope of connecting with a decent, normal bunch of other people.
Eddie believes that footy clubs are just so well placed in Aussie society to exercise intelligent practical compassion that he intends, as announced just last week, to begin a meal programme based at Collingwood's new, shiny home, the Lexus Centre, a stones throw from the MCG.
There's an outside barbeque area furnished with tables, benches and heaters. About 100 people could be catered for, people who are sleeping rough along the banks of the Yarra and environs, people from East Melbourne, Richmond boarding houses and, even, people from a distance who'll travel for a good "feed". Maybe the Lexus Centre will give these people, just like you and me, a bit of a buzz of excitement, a bit of respect and hope.
Eddie's asked me to help publicise this venture because he knows I've been involved in feeding people for many years.
This Parish, South Melbourne (the place that lost its football team, physically at least, to Sydney) feeds people, in the yard of the parish house, up to 60 a sitting, four times a week.
It's not only the food they come for but also, a hope that they're still connected, through the parish house, to a neighbourhood that normally and maybe, understandably ignores them.
We ignore people we feel there's no advantage in acknowledging. We do this at our peril. People treated with disrespect will be tempted to return like for like. It's a miracle so few do.
Our Parish is drafting a strategic plan (don't leave home without yours!) which is subtitled "The Neighbourhood Parish". It includes a house of hospitality, otherwise known as the Parish house, previously known as the Presbytery (vicarage in Anglican, manse in Protestant). This embeds, hopefully forever, help for the helpless, deserving AND undeserving, poor within the fabric of South Melbourne Catholicism.
Eddie hopes to do the same for world renowned Collingwood Football Club by feeding the poor deserving and undeserving, at the prominent Lexus Centre.
Human rights are a hot topic with the Olympic Games in Beijing and the Pope at Randwick.
The right to be connected, deserving or not, has a torch bearer here at South Melbourne and there
at Lexus.

Invitation to Bell's Hotel - Monday 5 May
Central Deanery is pleased to invite you to Bell's Hotel, Moray Street, South Melbourne, to listen to Tristan Mungatopi who will speak of his experience since last we met, and his observations on the Apology to the Stolen Generations from our Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. What difference has it made? What policies should flow from this?
Tristan is from the Tiwi Islands, north of Darwin, and he previously spoke to us at the time of the Message Stick Relay in 2006, and the celebrations in Alice springs marking the 20~ Anniversary of Pope John Paul II's Address to Indigenous Australia in 1986.
Time: 6.30-8.3Opm. Food & drinks available from the Bistro after 6pm; talk from 7.3Opm. If you are joining us for Dinner, please RSVP by Thursday 1 May via my email address bmandrews@optusnet.com.au or 0417543155

For next weekend, Jack Wappett (our altar boy) has made a suggestion for parishioners to bring along ANZAC biscuits to share for morning tea. Thanks Jack for a lovely suggestion.

The Emerald Hill Mission Annual Race Day will be held at Flemington on Saturday 17 May. You are warmly invited to join our parish tables. Tickets $125.00 each include lunch, drinks, entertainment and entry to the Members Reserve. Contact Kevin Lee (9527 4317) or Cohn Crawford (9699 6050) if you wish to attend or you can leave your name and contact details on the sheet on the long table at the back of the church.

During the 25 years of service to the Port Phillip Community, Sacred Heart Mission has established several art programs acmss its venues: Central Mission Meeting Place, Women's House, Community Hostels, Queens Road Rooming House, and Supported Residential Services.
Each program is tailored to meet the specific needs of the clients and residents involved - large group activities, small group activities, one~n~ne arts therapy sessions. Mediums include: drawing and painting, collage, ceramics, mosaics, tin, textiles, printing, music, film and photography.
The artwork now on display at Kilbride Centre (52 Beaconsfield Pde, Albert Park) is a sample of work from Grey Street and Avonsleigh Terrace Communities and~ueens Road Rooming House, in all 30 works by 15 artists.
The artists range in ages from 20 to 80 years. They all have in common a human need to express creativity. Through their regular art sessions they have gained different perspectives on themselves. Some have found a means to unblock feelings and to create images in a safe and natural way. Many can now better communicate thoughts and experiences. Most have found joy in colour and shape which has provided them with a sense of healing the growth. All have experienced great fun, peace and the ability to connect with others sharing their art space.
Can you help - As some of you may be aware, Mario & Rick along with support from Andy & Geraldine bring Jan Toogood to Mass each Sunday. Next week Mario & Rick are leaving for an extended holiday to Italy and other regions in Europe, Jan lives in Dorcas Street, just across from the Church and from next weekend we are looking for some more people to assist Andy & Geraldine. If you would be happy to collect and wheel Jan across to Mass and take her home every now and then please contact Andy on 0437 357 239 or speak to him after the l0 am Mass

An Initiative of Catalyst for Renewal at The New Bay Hotel, cnr Bay and New Sts, Brighton
The next session is 'Kids On The March; stories from the field on Wednesday 23 April 2008
Bernard Geary OAM, Victoria’s inaugural Child Safety Commissioner has over 30 years experience of working with vulnerable children and their families. A member of the Youth Parole Board for 17 years.
All are welcome to gather for a meal from 5.30 pm. If you plan to, it's essential to book and arrive as early as possible. Phone The New Bay 9596 4949 by 21 April and book under ‘Spirituality in the Pub’ or join from 7.30 – 9 pm for the presentation and conversation.
For further general information on SIP contact Kevin 97762705, Vin 95306004, Frances 95793920, George 95981195

According to experts, I should be writing this blog in Gotham font because that's the style adopted by Barak Obama for billboards, leaflets and other US of A, presidential election handouts.
I'm not so much stunned as distracted by this claim. I don't myself, type much. I prefer to invest myself in hand writing.
I know it's unfair, because others have to decipher my scribble and translate it into type. I try to make my handwriting as legible as possible. That's the least I can do. But, I do believe people can conclude that you've taken the trouble, the risk of committing yourself, in your own hand, for people to judge that value of 'what' you say by the way you say/write it.
If I was keyboard friendly, I'd belt out more stuff more often. That would be handy now that a national broadcaster has asked me to blog, a couple of times a week, on the topic of roman catholic World Youth Day, held in Sydney in July, '08.
I said no, then yes, based solely on the practical problem of creating time for such a worthy task.
I like to do 'catholic' things. I'm sad that my priest (including 'high priest') colleagues don't get me to do more purely 'catholic' things. I've grown old now in roman catholicism. I haven't caused the institution that much trouble.
I don't want recognition or applause just more work within Catholicism. I wouldn't intentionally frighten the members of the institution, just infotain them about the marvels of justice and peace generated within secular society.
Everyone needs to know that catholics have now, officially since the 1960s, come to embrace the secular and to acknowledge its value, its autonomy, and even, if I may add what seems paradoxical, its sacredness or holiness.
Sorry, that's a mouthful, but it's an explanation of what I'm on about, why I pop up on the TV and Radio and, occasionally, in the newspapers.
I don't do any of these things for self promotion except as a representative, self-appointed up to the date of writing this blog, of 'gonzo' Catholicism.
One of my colleagues diagnoses my penchant for publicity as 'narcissism'. You may have to Google that.
I don't believe that to be true. I don't personally enjoy public appearances. I do like others, however, to enjoy those appearances. Awareness raising is part of a catholic priest's work, among catholic worshippers or secondary school students at catholic colleges or spirituality at the pub gatherings.
I admit I'm nervous about the much publicised extravaganza, World Youth Day, to be held in Sydney in July. (See, just mention WYD in this blog publicises it and should get me brownie points! Let's wait and see. Don't hold breath.)
In my own town, Melbourne, there's a local lead up, Days in the Diocese, launching on Anzac Day! In true catholic, otherworldly fashion, it involves a Cross and Icon (of Mary).
My nervousness concerns whether the organisers, under orders, in revisionist catholic style, of clerical authority, will try to meld Anzac Day, Cross and Icon to provide a palatable incentive for all Melboumians to participate or ignore the sacredness of secular Anzac Day in pursuit of an in house devotional catholic jolt, admirable as that may be, when an opportunity would be lost of adding here and nowness to an iconic Anzac Day.
The AFL will do it through C'Wood vs Essendon at the MCG.
The Catholics could do it by linking the many crosses of Fromelles and Gallipoli with WYD cross and the countless devastated mothers of killed, wounded physically and emotionally victims of war, with Mary's icon.
I respectfully suggest that a public display of devotional Catholicism needs to be balanced, indeed strengthened, with a public declaration o catholicism's dedication to the cause of commonwealth and common good.
There's a saying in the social networking community that if you want your blog readership to 'spike', you need to bring someone or some cause down.
Not so for this, my blog. For what it's worth I endorse WYD and DIDO8, but reserve the right to popularise / secularise it!

Henry Nissen OAM will be speaking at The Betty Day Centre, 67 Argyle Street, St Kilda on Tuesday, 8 April, at 7.3O pm.
Henry is a Community and Youth Worker who has helped Fr. Bob Maguire for 30 years through the Open Family Foundation and the Emerald Hill Mission. Currently Henry is with the Maguire Foundation (Welfare Organisation that helps people with difficulties, acute and ongoing e.g. Drug abuse, Homelessness, Mental Health, and Difficult Behaviour).
Henry is a former Australian and Commonwealth professional Fly weight Boxing Champion.

Sunday 6 April at the Port Melbourne Uniting Church, cnr Bridge and Nott St., with guest speaker, Rev Harold Taylor, Uniting Church minister and formerly warden of the healing ministry know as 'Order of St. Luke'. He is author of 'Sent to Heal; a handbook on Christian healing' - republished 2007 Speedwell Press USA. Harold will be speaking about different ways of praying for healing and then leading in a time of quiet ministry. All are invited to this faith encouraging event.

theology@thepub
Dante's Fitzroy, 183 Gertrude St., Fitzroy, 6.30 - Tuesday 8 April, Guest Speaker: Mike Willesse, 'Evangelisation and the Media'

Experience the movements of life in Cambodian villages and learn about how young people are finding hope for the future as their country recovers from decades of war.
8 April 8 at St. Ignatius Church Parish Hall, Richmond, April 9 Xavier College Great Hall, Kew. Tickets $20 for adults, $5 for children. Proceeds to the Jesuit Mission in Cambodia.

Kilbride Open Day
Sunday April 13 from Noon to 4.00 pm Kilbride invites you to visit us on our Open Day & Art Exhibition (with art from Sacred Heart St Kilda art groups). At no cost we invite you to experience some of what we are offering at Kilbride: demonstrations in cooking, Shiatsu massage, meditation, crafts and sausage sizzle, Music and fun for the children. Just call in for a cuppa and scones jam & cream or to look around

Wednesday Dinners for Men
Something new.... On the 4th Wednesday of the month beginning 23 April Kilbride will be hosting Men's Dinners at Kilbride. This is an opportunity for men to gather in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for fellowship with one another over a meal. During this time there will be a guest speaker (John Thwaites this month) who will share his story, experience and journey as a man. Bookings 9690 1076 - $25 BYO or concession. 6.45- 9.00 pm

Faith & Reason Series Part 2
A DVD conversation between Bill Moyers and Pema Chodron presented by Maryanne Convoy 7.30 - 9.30 pm on 7 April. Donation
"It isn't the things that happen to us in our lives that cause us to suffer, it's how we relate to the things that cause us to suffer".

An evening on Eco-Justice
10 April 7.30 - 9.30. Right relationships within the Earth Community presented by Anne Boyd. 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm $10 or donation. This evening will focus on 'The Amazing Story of the Earth's Birthing'.