ying with John Paul II MARCH General: For the ecclesiastical organisations and groups engaged in social action that in their testimony they may proclaim strongly and consistently the Gospel of love Missionary: That the peoples of the African conunent, receiving with a generous heart the Gospel's rries•:-:age of truth and beration, may dedicate themselves actively to promoting reconciliation and sokdar6
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WA's only Catholic weekly newspaper Perth: March 21 2002 Price: Si
We all need to An Ice Age, a glow in the dark, Rabbit Proof preacher tells Fence and a Time Pope - Page 8 Machine -Page 10
SO years' growth and helping to build Australia marked - Page 16
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A medical first for Australia takes off at St John of God in Subiaco By Neil Smith
Kurt Gawlik, who says he played soccer with Pope John Paul ll as a young boy, looks at a photograph of his Mend from schooldays. Photo Neil Smith
Tell the Pope I'm alive' says Kurt By Neil Smith
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Perth man who says he his early childhood 'n a Polish provincial town as a close friend of Pope John Paul II has come to light in a Perth retirement village. Kurt Gawlik, 87, a permanent resident of the Larmenier village at Hamilton Hill - a part of the Archbishop Foley Village - said this week to tell the Pope: "I am alive - and I am here in Perth." He said he and the Pope grew up in the same street, attended the same schools and played on the same football team. "We used to call him Lolek. "I was the goalie. Lolek was a forward - he scored all the
goals," Kurt said. Kurt's father, the general manager of the local postal service, was the boss of the Pope's father, Kurt said. Kurt appears to have hazy memories of some of the fine detail of his early life, but is quite lucid about others. Like the Pope, he is multi-lingual - fluent in five languages including his native Polish, Ukrainian, Russian and Portuguese - although because of his senior years, his broken English is sometimes hard to decipher, He said he lost track of John Paul when they were in their early 20s. Kurt had been conscripted for army service during the World War II years - which army is not
quite clear - and became a prisoner of war - a prisoner of the Russians - for many years. He suffered frostbite as a prisoner, the long term effects of which have meant the loss of his legs and he is confined to a wheelchair. His officer ranking and military bearing even now come the fore at the retirement village, where many of the other residents appear to defer to him. After the war, he rejoined the army, married his long time sweetheart, a German girl named Freda. and they had three children. His son Kurt, is a bus driver in Adelaide. Continued - Page 2
A new moral and medical alternative to in vitro treatments for childless and infertile couples is being introduced in Perth. The naprotechnology centre at St John of God Hospital, Subiaco. which opened on March 5, is the first in Australia and only the fourth in the world. Archbishop Barry Hickey immediately welcomed the development. 'This is wonderful news." he told The Record on lliesday. 'Iam pleased that St John of God Hospital is able to offer couples treatment for infertility that is perfectly in keeping with the moral norms of the Church 'I hope other morally deficient procedures now operating in our community will diminish as a result. 'This is a good demonstration that when we pursue research based on a sound moral foundation we are able to come up with results that meet the true needs of individuals and couples.' Father Walter Black, director of the L J Goody Bioethics Centre at Glendalough. said the new centre at St John's was the best news for a long time. Western Australia was going from being behind in new technologies to setting the pace for the rest of Australia. Fr Black said the naprotechnology techniques were three times more successful than in vitro procedums, and were strictly within the philosophies of the Church. Pro-life campaigners such as the Secretary of the Coalition for the Protection of Human Life, Dr Ted Watt, and the Western Australian president of the National Civic Council, Richard Egan, have both greeted the new procedure as a moral solution to infertility problems, an alternative to in vitro treatments, and one that fits the philosophies of the church. Dr Amanda Lamont who is introducing the new techniques to Perth after studying them at the Pope Paul VI Institute in Omaha said it is a whole new medical procedure for women's health. The technique took US researcher, Dr Thomas W Hilgers 25 years to develop and its use in the United States, Ireland, Canada and England has proven its benefits. It has achieved success across a broad spectrum of women's health, including use as a treatment aimed at avoiding miscarriages, infertility, menstrual problems, and women's general health.
It can also be adapted for treating male infertility. Dr Lamont said the procedure is administered in stages beginning with an educational component which includes advice on fertility cycles and getting patients to chart their cycles. Ills followed by a medical investigative and diagnoses process, a discovery program to establish the reasons for patients' conditions, and any underlying causes. The third and final stage is treatment. which may involve surgery to correct any physical malfunction. Dr Lamont said clinics or centres using the new techniques are already operating in Galway. in Ireland. in London. and in Canada. In Australia. Medicare will cover almost half of the cost of the procedure, and negotiations are proceeding with the Hospital Benefits Fund of WA. Although the clinic at Subiaco was opened earlier in the month. it will take six to eight months before it gets into full swing. Several of the practitioners from the institute in Omaha and from the other three clinics around the world are interested in travelling to Perth to help the Subiaco centre get established. Perth people seeking further information can contact Dr Lamont at the St John of God Hospital, Subiaco on 9213 3636 or access the American Web site on www.naprotechnology.com Father Black said the naprotechnology had been proven overseas. and people practised in its use would assist Dr Lamont in setting up in Perth. He said Dr Lamont is a dedicated Catholic and has done a great deal of study on the technique in Omaha and Galway in Ireland. Continued on Page 2
Dr Thomas Hikers, who developed the napro technique, at the Paul VI Institute in Omaha with Or Amanda Lamont from Perth.