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Geelong Deanery |
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The Call to Service and JusticeOn Thursday night, 14 October 1999, at the CRC Yarra Street campus, a committed group of people gathered for our last session of the Jubilee series held in the Deanery this year. These people were representatives of many organisations around Geelong, some church-based, others ecumenical or community-based. They came to share the ways they take up Jesus’ call to justice and service. They were people from all walks of life, some women, some men, some young, some not quite so young, all very committed to their organisations and the work they do. In this day and age we can become very despondent and negative about the selfishness of society, so it was a very positive experience to listen to and celebrate some of the good things happening around Geelong. Some of the groups represented at this night included the Knights of the Southern Cross, Rice Village Volunteers, Young Vincentians, Mall Outreach, St Mary’s Outreach, Geelong Social Justice group, Mercy Respite Centre, MacKillop Family Services, Aboriginal Reconciliation Group, St Vincent de Paul, the Lighthouse Foundation, St John of God Auxillary, St Lawrence Family Services, Pregnancy Help, Prison Ministry, the St John of God Foundation and Corio Village Listening Lounge. Some of these groups have already been featured in the Deanery Digest in the past, others have been asked to write something for our readers to give them more of an idea about the aims and tasks of their organisation and these articles will appear, in this and future issues. Of course, there are other groups who are also working away quietly, doing good work. Perhaps you know of, or belong to one such group. If you do, let us know and we would be more than happy to run an article in the Digest. One of the tasks of Jubilee is ‘Celebration’, so let us affirm and celebrate the Good News that Jesus is alive and well in our community and continue to encourage others to reach out and help those less fortunate than ourselves. Many thanks to those who came along and shared their stories and helped to make this night so informative. Denise James Geelong Catholic Social Justice CommitteeThe Geelong Catholic Social Justice Committee (GCSJC) works within a self-developed charter that is essentially based on the Catholic social teaching, which aims to transform the world to make it a community where human dignity is promoted and human rights respected. Our process is aimed at empowering people to take up justice issues and pursue them. Consequently there is an emphasis on educating ourselves about issues and encouraging members who have a particular interest in an issue to act on our behalf. Working groups are also formed from time to time for larger or more long-term issues, such as gambling or taxation reform. In the last 12 months the GCSJC has been involved with the struggle of the East Timorese for independence; opposed gambling venues being allowed to trade 24 hours a day; campaigned against the introduction of the GST because of the iniquitously heavier burden it places on the less well off of our community; helped develop dignified accommodation and lifestyles for homeless males in Geelong; been actively involved in ongoing strategies to effect Aboriginal reconciliation in Australia; and developed a specific justice-centred issue to celebrate Jubilee 2000. The GCSJC is obligated to educate others as well as ourselves and so it produces a social justice insert, Justice News, in the Deanery Digest, and each year, to coincide with Social Justice Sunday, the GCSJC sponsors an Annual Social Justice Lecture. This year’s lecture, attended by around 80 people, featured Dr Bill Jonas, Social Justice Commissioner for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. The GCSJC meets once very five weeks at St Mary’s Presbytery and would welcome any person who can support the principles outlined or implied in this summary. For further information I can be contacted via St Mary’s Parish Office. Gordon Snowdon, Coordinator |
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