Tuesday, 22 November

In the background to the building of our new priory is the hot political issue of Coal Seam Gas Mining in the Campbelltown Scenic Hills.  A number of years ago I was asked by our Carmelite community to be their representative in regard to local political issues that directly affect us.

This has been an interesting involvement.  We have formed the Scenic Hills Association and battled various attempts to industrialise our rural part of the Sydney Metropolitan Area.  In the process I have met up with many politicians, we have had our photos in the papers and been on TV. I even addressed a rally in Martin Place (still on Youtube).   Last weekend I attended the Fishers Ghost Festival in Campbelltown to get signatures for our SHA petition against CSM in our environmentally protected area.  I met Laurie Ferguson, our very supportive member of Federal Parliament, for the first time.  He surprised me by asking where in Ireland my Burke ancestors came.  Mine came from Clare his from Galway.

On Tuesday of last week, along with Jacqui Kirkby, the power and brains behind the SHA, I met with Cr Anoulack Chanthivong, the Mayor of Campbelltown, and Paul Tosi the City General Manager to discuss the issues facing us and how best we might respond.  Paul Tosi remarked that with all the development in South West Sydney our area will be the only remaining island of green, rural landscape.  This environment is vitally important for us and for those who come to us on retreat.

Yesterday we had a meeting of many of the friars from St Ives and her along with lay advisers, Geoff Stumbles,  Michael Gray, and Lorraine Murphy and our usual facilitator Br Graham Neist.  We reviewed our options in regard to the post priory phase of our building programme and some of the immediate decisions that need to be made regarding our retreat programme for next year.

Meanwhile things were happening on site.  In fact there was a major flurry of activity which caused a traffic jam.  This is not a usual occurrence in these parts.  The electricity utility people came to disconnect the old power lines and system and connect the new system for the whole complex.  We were without power for an hour and a half.  In the middle of this a shipment of Timbercrete blocks was brought from Kyabram by "Macka" McCluskie.

Traffic jam as electricity wires disconnected

Traffic jam gets worse as Matthew unloads the blocks

In the above photo you can see the old wires dangled over some seats on the balcony outside the retreatants dining room.  Below you can see the last lines attached to the retreat house.  I am very happy these wires have gone.  I could never entirely relax with the high voltage power lines hanging just a few feet above my head.

The last wires hang loose

The foyer is ready to get a roof

 Meanwhile back at the site the steel frame of the building and roof has been going ahead for stage one of the building.  The roof should soon begin to be laid.

Framework

If you click on this photo you can see where the gutters will be attached.  After I took this photo yesterday I walked back to our meeting and almost tripped over a bit of steel on the ground.  I was surprised and taken aback and let out an expletive.  One of the workers, Gordon who is a bible believing Christian and who calls me Reverend was nearby.  He calls me Reverend as he won't call me "Father" or indeed anything else.  I was embarrassed that Gordon would hear my cry, but his response was to shout: "Hey Reverend, I didn't know you spoke human".  Indeed.  Thanks Gordon and blessings on you.

Our week

I intended to add a few lines on our community life this week but somehow couldn't add them after the last picture in the previous post. It was not a typical week and so needs to be chronicled.

The Carmelite nuns from around Australia, NZ and PNG finished their General Assembly on Thursday and went home on Friday.  It was wonderful to have our sisters here.  You may imagine that Carmelite nuns are quieter than mice.  This ain't necessarily so.  So it has been good to have the house back to its usual peace and quiet, not to mention simplicity, silence and solitude.  All done in our own way, of course.

We got away on Tuesday for a community day out.  Well, most of us did.  Shane and Greg Chee were caught up during the day.  We were joined by Greg Homeming and Des from the St Ives community and we picked up Shemil from Cronulla parish where he is helping out for a month.

Johny and Shemil used their mobile phone to record the day.  Unfortunately, I have not been able to use Shemil's photos.  This is sad because there were some good shots, including some of himself obviously flourishing and enjoying himself.  He is learning a lot of Australian expressions and culture at Cronulla.  The brethren kindly added some more for his use.

We went to Kurnell where Captain James Cook landed on 28 April, 1770.  He had been sent on an expedition to observe the transit of Venus in Tahiti.  Tahiti is clearly a very suitable place, even now, to observe Venus and it was even better in his day.

When that mission was accomplished he sailed west and explored.  He encountered the land we now know as Australia and entered Botany Bay looking for water. Further up the coast, in present day Queensland, he claimed the whole continent for the British crown.  Joseph Banks, a botanist on the voyage, then campaigned for a settlement at Botany Bay.  The First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay in 1788 and raised the flag just up the coast in Sydney Cove on 26 January.  The rest is history.

Gabriel in front of a model of Cook's ship, the Endeavour

We met at the Visitor Centre and walked down to the bay getting a good sense of Aboriginal Life on the way and what the first meeting with white people meant for the Aborigines. There was a plaque which had a quote from Kevin Rudd's historic address as Prime Minister saying sorry to the Aboriginal people for what they have experienced as a result of European Settlement.

Saying sorry

Greg B, Shemil, Aloysius and Des reflect

The first landing place

Discussion with Cook's monument in the background

Johny at Cape Solander

As part of the national park at Kurnell some of us walked to Cape Solander, others drove.  here we clambered around the cliff tops and were delighted to see a number of whales heading south for the summer.  Some were very close, just below the cliffs.

Paul enjoys a smoothie at the Endeavour cafe

Burkie contemplates eternal verities

The sea, the sea

In the evening we went to the excellent "Summerhouse" restaurant at Fairfield RSL for a lovely meal which was also very reasonable.  Patrick and his staff were so attentive and the food so good we decided to have our annual staff Christmas celebration there.  A confusion with some of the deserts meant that the big kids got even more gelato.

I don't like sweet things!

What? Not more ice cream?!

Sunday, 13 November

It has been an interesting week at Mount Carmel in a number of ways.  The steel frame is now up for the lower part of the building and we can have some sense of what it will look like.  The make the picture bigger just click on it.

Looking towards the front entrance of the new priory

You can now see how the new building fits onto the site and how tall the roofline is beside the chapel and cemetery.

The roofs of the oratory, library, foyer and meeting room

Also working away have been the electricians.  A big panel arrived and is being made ready by Pete and his co-workers to be commissioned.  It will handle the distribution of electricity into both the retreat centre, chapel, novitiate and new priory.  We are set to be connected on 21 February.  The brickies are set to arrive on 17 November to begin work.  Things are moving, and a lot of the developments now are above ground.

Pete at work sorting out the electricity connection

Monday, 7 November

Timbercrete blocks arrive

Last week was a quiet week on the building site.  But today we are making up for it.  First the steel fabricators came to put the buildings framework into place- it is like some giant Meccano set, with all the steel fitting exactly and seemingly effortlessly.  Then a truck came all the way from Kyabram, Victoria, with the first load of Timbercrete blocks for the building. 

The first pallet of Timbercrete is on site

The building takes shape

On other fronts life at Mount Carmel has not been quiet at all.  We have had fifteen Carmelite sisters from the Our Lady of the Southern Cross Association with us for their triennial General Assembly.  There were sisters from Carmels in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.  Some of us friars have been involved in some sessions.  I spent a morning on St Teresa and her times and our challenge in our times. 

Today, Sr Moira Kelly from Ormiston Carmel was elected the new President of the Association. 

Srs Benedicta, Cecilia, Eliane, Sarah and Moira

In this photo sisters congratulate Sr Moira after her election.  They are Sr Benedicta from Gelorup, WA, Sr Cecilia from Ormiston, Qld,  Sr Eliane from Bomana, PNG, and  Sr Sarah from Varroville, NSW.

Also last week we had on Wednesday a visit from contestants in the Miss Earth Australia competition.  They came to plant trees.  I became involved in organising their visit, as you can see from the photo below.

Miss Earth Australia contestants with Greg Burke

Contestants mediating in our chapel

 Among those who chaparoned the contestants was Fr Pat Corbett, CSsR, who was at Galong for many years.  He has obviously fallen on his feet if this is included in the duties of the vice-Provincial.  Sadly I forgot to get a photo of him.  However the day was about planting trees and we soon got down to it.

Contestants planting and trees

Clr Fred Borg and contestants celebrate

 We were visited by Campbelltown City Councillor Fred Borg and his wife Coral.  Fred encouraged the girls in their concern for the environment and their continued involvement in the life of the community.  It was a very successful day on many fronts.  Next year I will better know what to expect!

 This was the second time the Miss Earth Australia contestant visited us this year.  When they came previously I was in Galong giving a retreat.  Fr Johny took some snaps to record the first visit.  Since he shared them recently I thought I would include them here.

Our prior, Paul, leads by example

Gabriel gives outstanding witness

Contestant preparing to plant a tree