Dear Members of the Kildare Ministries Community,

After a long-anticipated wait, the 2021 Kildare Ministries Conference ‘Living Justice : Go Out Joyfully’ was launched at Marian College, Ararat on the 28th April. The warmest of welcomes was extended to over 100 delegates who attended the opening in person and online. At the opening mass, Trustee Co-chair Kathy McEvoy, officially launched the Living Justice Living Peace Charter and gave us an image of immersion in mission that was unforgettable. She recalled the evocative phrase ‘being soaked in Mercy’ and likened it to being soaked in justice and peace – a vivid idea of swimming in possibility, opportunity and newness.

This newness was given new breath by Bishop Long who challenged us to be a transformative and prophetic presence in the world. Jesus was a change seeker and likewise, we in our mission are carrying on the tradition of being trailblazers and pioneers, catalysts for renewal.

We were reminded of the story of the indigenous tribe members who believed their river to have dried up and who spent years mourning compared to the part of the tribe who decided not to be still, and went searching. In their searching they discovered that the river had not dried up, but had merely changed course, the spirit of the river was still alive and working. The themes emerging from the sessions began to reverberate early as we heard that we need to go where the spirit is, where the life is, where our Kildare Ministries mission is - not to be still, and to live out our mission on the periphery and in the margins like Marian College Ararat as described by Principal Carmel Barker, and the Community Works Panel on the second day. We were being reminded where the margins are, and being showed the light to follow.

Bishop Long challenged us with something very clear which was comforting but also paradoxically disturbing and challenging; he reminded us that the authentic sign of our mission is not the quantity of our works – a numeration supported by a socio-economic pattern which pitches us against each other – but by the quality of our works, by indiscriminate, freely given, unpopular love for others and creation.

Finally, Bishop Long held the light over our call, the constant call which has been consistent from prophets of old until now. He reminded us that prophets then and now create movements at critical times, and this is our time! We urgently need to care for the planet, for each other in a new way of being – a ‘new relational paradigm’ were his words.

Brigid, in thanking Bishop Long called him a ‘lantern in the night’ for us. And indeed – in the way we ‘mission’ he showed us that we must use the Holy Spirit to mirror the mind and heart of Christ. We must be boundary breakers! We need to write the narrative of the ‘real gospel’ in our lives and ask ourselves, what are the changes we truly believe in? - and then go about them, without ‘tinkering’ – with dramatic, drastic actions for change.

Renee Oberin

Mission Leader

Kildare Ministries

Kildare Ministries Newsletter

Issue 3 · 14 May 2021

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