Old age is a time of grace

PRIESTS FOUNDATION
APPEAL 2014
SUPPORTING PRIESTS
HEALTH AND RETIREMENT
The Catholic Leader
Old age is a time of grace
I
n a world that glorifies youth,
growing older is often portrayed
as a disease to be combatted
rather than a gift to be embraced.
Older people can be made to feel that
they have outlived their usefulness
and are of little or no value to our
society. In the face of such negative
attitudes toward ageing, Pope
Francis reminds us “old age is a time
of grace in which the Lord will renew
His call.”
Far from being a burden to society,
“They are ‘wisdom’ people and with
them one can move closer to the
embrace of God,” Pope Francis said.
Drawing from Scripture, he singled
out Mary who sought the counsel of
her aged cousin, Elizabeth, when she
was with child. It was in response
to Elizabeth’s greeting that Mary
exclaimed the great prayer that we
know as the Magnificat.
The elderly have a
capacity to understand
the most difficult
situations... and when
they pray for these
situations, their prayer
is strong. It is powerful”
POPE FRANCIS
continued page 2
ARCHDIOCESE OF BRISBANE
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continued from page 1
This role as wisdom figures is
especially true of our retired priests.
They play a vital role as the keepers
of the memory of the community. The
insight they have gained as they have
sought to walk with Jesus and faithfully
serve our parishes is of inestimable
value, especially for our seminarians
and young priests.
ARCHBISHOP EMERITUS
Pope Francis expressed his personal
appreciation for his predecessor, “It
gives me great pleasure that he [Pope
Emeritus Benedict XVI] lives here in
the Vatican, because it is like having a
wise grandfather at home.” He added
that, “The elderly have a capacity
to understand the most difficult
situations... and when they pray for
these situations, their prayer is strong.
It is powerful”.
A
rchbishop Emeritus
John Bathersby
laughs when he
tells the story of how he
was born, “Feet came first
and I’ve been on them ever
since!”
Here in the Archdiocese of Brisbane, we
are grateful for the wisdom, experience
and witness of faith offered to us by our
fifty retired priests. We give thanks to
God, not only for their selfless service
prior to retirement, but for the gift they
are to us today.
As well as celebrating the gift of older
people, Pope Francis reminds us that
we have a responsibility to care for
them. “We Christians, together with
all people of good will, are called to
patiently build a more diverse, more
welcoming, more humane, more
inclusive society, that does not need to
discard the weak in body and mind. On
the contrary we need a society which
measures its success on how we care
for the elderly.”
This is especially true for our retired
priests who have no family of their
own to care for them. The Priests
Foundation, with your help, exists to
ensure our priests are not only cared
for in their retirement, but are given
every opportunity to thrive so that they
remain, in the words of Pope Francis,
“living trees, that even in old age will
not stop bearing fruit.”
Nudgee Rugby
Nudgee Cricket – John Bathersby (front row left)
A photo of Mount Tibrogargan
hangs on his wall. He tells
the story of the day he was
climbing the mountain and
slipped, but was lucky enough
to grab onto something
during the fall which saved
him. “I absolutely love the
mountains!” he says with
a smile. While his days of
climbing the Glass House
Mountains are behind him, he
still gets out for walk by the
creek each day, sometimes
Priests in Retirement
Jack Agnew
Archbishop Emeritus
John Bathersby
Harry Bliss
Brian Burke
Leo Burke
James Browne
Kevin Caldwell
Kevin Carey
Ellis Clifford
Brian Cooper
Leo Coote
Bernard Costigan
Walter Dethlefs
John Dobson
Brendan Dooley
Patrick Dowd
Martin Doyle
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RITUS JOHN BATHERSBY
Nurse Peta Picone and Archbishop Emeritus John Bathersby
joining other walkers along the way to
share a story.
Archbishop Bathersby, retired as
Archbishop of Brisbane in 2012.
He has transitioned from the hectic
schedule of leading one of Australia’s
largest Archdioceses to a more
reflective life.
Peta Picone, one of the Priests
Foundation nurses, keeps a caring eye
on him. “He keeps himself busy, often
insisting on walking to the shops to
pick up his own groceries.”
She comments that there are people in
the complex where he lives who don’t
believe in God, but “the Archbishop
often brings conversations around to
Jesus and caring for the poor,” she
says. “And of course he loves Pope
Francis and stays quite current with
what is happening in the Church.”
John Dwyer
Vincent Dwyer
John Egan
Joseph Flannery
Aux Bishop Emeritus
John Gerry
Peter Gillam
Peter Grice
Peta is quick to talk about how much
she enjoys her work with the retired
priests. “I’m privileged to have this job.
There are very few areas in healthcare
where you get to be with someone
long term and form relationships.”
“The Archbishop often
brings conversations
around to Jesus and
caring for the poor.”
“Of course there is the practical
side of being a nurse which
requires health assessments and
helping them to be as independent
as possible. Sometimes, the
more subtle tasks involve
accompanying them to a doctor’s
appointment or simply stopping
in for a ‘cuppa’.”
“Our catch cry is ‘holistic health
care’ and the Priests Foundation
gives us the opportunity to
provide this level of care for our
retired priests.”
Dan Grundy
Vincent Hobbs
Clement Hodge
Edward Houlihan
Raymond Kearney
Denis Long
Peter Luton
Terence Madden
Peter McCartin
Joseph McGeehan
William McKeown
Dudley McMahon
Desmond McQuaid
Terence Moynihan
Paul Murphy
Van Vinh Nguyen
Francis O’Dea
William O’Shea
Richard Pascoe
Dennis Riley
Paul Rooney
Leo Skelly
James Spence
Patrick Stratford
John Sullivan
Paul Taubman
Brian Taylor
Patrick Tynan
Bernard Wilson
Ian Wren
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Building a sanctuary
for our retired priests
More than a job
Bishop Emeritus Ray Benjamin
F
or the past five years, health care
practitioner Lyn Fields has been
enhancing the well-being of our
retired priests. She describes her role as
“more than just a job. First, it is about
building relationships and trust with
the priest before it is about healthcare.
Every day is different, and every priest is
different.”
Lyn understands the importance of
community to our retired priests and that
is why she has made such a difference
in their lives. “It is so important that these
men have a network around them. At
Camp Hill and Southbank they maintain
their independence and privacy but can
easily connect with their fellow priests
and the other people around them. It’s
incredible to see how much they support
one another.”
After five years, Lyn has reluctantly
decided to retire, but not entirely. While
she is looking forward to having more time
for bushwalking and spending time with
her family, she has generously chosen to
continue in a voluntary capacity to support
the Priests Foundation.
Lyn leaves her current position with
many fond memories and cherished
relationships. “It has been an honour to
work with the retired priests,” she said,
“and the best job I’ve ever had in my life.”
Thank you Lyn for your invaluable
contribution to the lives of our retired
priests over the past five years. We wish
you all the best in your retirement, and are
grateful you are not leaving us entirely.
Good neighbours are a great blessing and there is no greater
blessing for our retired priests than to live together in the new priest
retirement complex in Camp Hill. Most of the residents there have
friendships that go back some 50 years!
Seven independent living units at St Thomas the Apostle Parish,
Camp Hill accommodate priests when they finish in active ministry.
The location is perfect for our retired priests. The Brisbane CBD is
only 15 minutes away and public transport provides easy access
to the Cathedral and other inner city parishes where the priests
continue to offer support.
Over the past years we have been
working to refurbish the units to
meet the needs of our retired priests.
To date, the outdoor areas and six of
the villas have been fully renovated
to provide comfortable and secure
accommodation.
Father Martin Doyle at his Camp Hill unit
Each unit is designed to ensure
the residents can retain their
independence for as long as possible.
They are equipped with a 24 hour
call system for medical emergencies,
giving the priests peace of mind
knowing that help is always close
at hand.
One of the units has recently been vacated and this gives us the
opportunity to refurbish it. To undertake this project we have
put together a Wish List based on the outlay for previous unit
refurbishments. We invite you to help us by contributing toward the
cost of the items below as we work together to create a new home
for one of our retired priests.
Can you help?
Summary of estimated costs:
WISH
LIST
›Electrical upgrade
›Painting
›Floor Coverings
›Curtains and Blinds
›Plumbing
›Carpentry
›Appliances
$ 4,500
$ 5,000
$ 3,000
$ 7,000
$ 1,500
$ 5,000
$ 5,500
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St Rose of Lima, Gathensburg, Maryland, USA. Father Leo Burke (Centre) with Deacon John Liu (Left)
Father
Leo
Burke –
keeping his
hat in the ring
A
lthough their time
as administrators
of large
congregations across
South East Queensland
may be over, many of our
retired priests continue
to offer mass and provide
chaplaincy to hospitals,
schools, prisons and social
service groups.
Fr Leo Burke, who has
served as parish priest at
Victoria Point, is one such
priest who continues to
joyfully serve those he is
called to shepherd.
2014_Priests Found Newsletter.indd 2
I went straight from Gregory Terrace
high school in 1957 to the Seminary
at Banyo in ‘58. At one stage I was
going to be an architect or an electrical
engineer. The priesthood wasn’t the only
option that I considered. But one day
an ex-student who was newly ordained
came back to speak with the students
about joining the priesthood and I was
moved to also follow this path.
Looking back I have enjoyed my time as
a parish priest wherever I have been.
I’ve been at Maryborough, Cooloongatta,
Kangaroo Point, Red Hill, Yeronga,
Gympie and Daisy Hill. I was actually
the first parish priest at Daisy Hill. I
lived in a caravan for the first 6 months.
We started the process of building John
Paul College and I have been a patron of
the college for 5 years now.
The highpoints of my life have been
administering the sacraments to people
because you touch people’s lives at very
special times.
I was appointed chaplain to Royal
Brisbane Hospital for 14 years. In
the hospital you are faced with many
difficult circumstances. Sometimes
in those final hours of a person’s life,
the individual would be by themselves
except for me, as they had no family.
Sometimes in an emergency I did
not even know a person’s name. The
circumstances varied. One American
family whose daughter was dying stayed
in the hospital for three months. The
daughter survived – and I have stayed
in touch and even visited the family in
the USA.
Now in my retirement, I’ll be doing
prison chaplaincy, and I’m a chaplain
for the Catholic Women’s League. I’m
also looking forward to three months
supply work in Ipswich. This probably
sounds like I’m not retired, but I want to
keep my hat in the ring. I love it – I’m a
people person.
I’m very happy to live at Camp Hill. I
am thoroughly enjoying it – I have a
peaceful unit where I can just relax. It’s
great to live next door to other priests
that I have known for a long time. Being
in a parish is like having a big family, so
I feel at home in a community.
I am getting a lot of support from
everyone that I know in my retirement.
Already I have a lot more time to spend
with family and friends and it’s nice to
have more time to pray.
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FROM THE
CHAIR
T
he Priests’ Foundation is
committed, not only to caring
for our retired priests today but
also planning for the future. Estimates
indicate that in ten years’ time we will
be caring for the needs of approximately
85 retired priests in the Archdiocese.
With your help, we are working toward
building our capacity in terms of both
accommodation and health care.
In the last 12 months, the Foundation
has completed refurbishments to a fifth
unit at the Camp Hill retirement complex.
We also employed a third part-time
health care practitioner to assist with
increasing numbers of retirees.
The generosity of so many – through
both the Annual Catholic Campaign and
direct gifts to the Foundation – help us
to meet the challenge of rising number
of retirees and the increasing cost of
senior care.
Our senior, retired, and infirm priests’
needs range from low-care independent
living to housing in high care facilities.
Your gifts give us the means to provide
basic living assistance, accommodation
support, health care and transport
assistance. Most importantly, it allows
our priests to continue living with dignity.
On behalf of the priests who benefit from
your generosity, my fellow committee
members, and all who are associated
with the Foundation, I sincerely thank
you.
Yours in Christ,
Fr Kevin Smith, Chairman
We are committed to the
responsible stewardship of
gifts to make the greatest
impact possible in the
community that we serve.
8.4%
4.6%
6%
48%
32%
Accommodation Costs
Health Care Support
Administration
Fundraising*
Transport Assistance
Retreats and Other Support
Total
$1.4 million
*2% expenditure carried over from 2012
I would like to express my profound
admiration for the priests of the
Archdiocese who have retired from
fulltime ministry. After giving their lives
in service to God and the Church, they
continue to actively work to support their
brother priests and generously give of
their time to celebrate the Sacraments
within our faith communities.
Message from
Archbishop Mark
Coleridge
Many of them express their gratitude for
this new phase of their priestly vocation.
They clearly understand what Pope
Francis means when he describes it as a
time of renewal – a time when, freed from
the responsibilities of administration, they
can get back to the core of their vocation:
to prayer and to the people. The fruit of
this renewal is evident to all who have the
privilege of spending time with them.
ARCHDIOCESE
OF BRISBANE
While they continue to give so much to our
Archdiocese, our retired priests do have
particular needs. Our Priests Foundation is
second to none in the country and actively
works to ensure the continued wellbeing
of our priests in a manner that respects
their independence whilst ensuring the
highest possible care.
The success of the foundation is a
reflection of your generosity as members
of the Archdiocese, and your genuine care
for our priests. Your financial support to
the Priests Foundation not only contributes
to the care of our retired priests, it
acknowledges and honours their lives laid
down in service to God and the Church.
For this, I offer you my heartfelt gratitude.
In Christ Jesus,
Most Rev. Mark Coleridge
Archbishop of Brisbane
Priests Foundation GPO Box 282 Brisbane Q 4001 (07) 3324 3200 Email [email protected]
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Imagine Your Gift
Becoming a Legacy
It is possible for your dedication and commitment to caring for retired priests can be
continued beyond your lifetime. By making a tax deductible gift today or leaving a gift
in your Will to the Priests Foundation Endowment Fund, you can make a difference
today, tomorrow and forever.
The Priests Foundation Endowment Fund is designed to function in perpetuity,
ensuring that your gift brings long-term financial support to care for the growing
number of retired priests in the Archdiocese of Brisbane.
The endowment fund is invested and each year a percentage of the interest
generated by the fund is distributed to the Priests Foundation for the care of retired
priests. The endowment principal will be protected forever – and retired priests will
benefit from your generosity for generations to come.
Please contact me regarding The Priests Foundation Endownment Fund
2/12/2014 8:02 am
For more information please contact the Catholic Foundation 3324 3200 or visit www.catholicfoundation.org