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THE RECORD
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“Now is the time for all people of goodwill to work together for a better way for asylum seekers”
To migrate is not criminal A consumer guarantee: for this life and the next
BY TIM WALLACE THE HIGH Court’s rejection of the federal government’s deal to divert asylum seekers to Malaysia has been welcomed by Catholic agencies as an opportunity to chart a more humane course in the nation’s attitudes and treatment of people entering the country without authorisation. The Australian Catholic bishops’ representative for migrant and refugee issues, Bishop Gerard Hanna, said the decision to grant a permament injunction against the deportation of two asylum seekers to Malaysia invited neither celebration nor recrimination. “Rather, now is the time for all people of goodwill to work together to find a better way of dealing with asylum seekers,” the bishop said. The Church was ready to work with the government, and “in pursuit of the common good for all humanity” he expressed hope the government would still receive the extra 4000 refugees over the next four years that it had agreed to take in exchange for Malaysia taking 800 people who had arrived in Australia by boat. “Malaysia is host to over 94,000 refugees; Australia must continue to take part in this responsibility which is a global phenomenon,” Bishop Hanna said. The Catholic Church could contribute to finding an alternative approach to mandatory detention and offshore processing in several ways, said the director of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO), Fr Maurizio Pettena CS. One way was to assist with ethical reflection on the issue, revisiting the terminology used to characterise those arriving in Australia through unofficial channels. “We may be able to talk about unauthorised arrivals but not illegal immigrants. To migrate is not a criminal act,” Fr Pettena said. “Based on the words of Christ, ‘I was a stranger and you invited me in,’ in Matthew 25:35, the welcoming of refugees for us as Christians is non-negotiable.” “We are really calling for a community reassessment, where people can be welcomed within the community. We would like to encourage the government to approach this issue a different way. “The Church has a good record assisting refugees to become part of the community. We can really offer experience on the ground.” Continued on Page 5
BY ROBERT HIINI
Fr Nicolas Falzun OP takes the music of the Neocatechumenal Way to the crowds, top. Members of the Way, joined by passers-by, bottom left, dance to the distinctive, Spanish-flavoured music of fellow members. PHOTOS: ROBERT HIINI
SHOPPERS streamed through a busy Forrest Chase in the heart of Perth’s shopping district last Sunday as one group of people made a big noise with a special offer of their own. Dressed in his Dominican robes and sporting a beard Padre Pio would’ve been proud of, Fr Nicolas Falzun OP walked slowly up to the microphone with his accordian strapped to his chest; a lone figure. As he began to play, almost discreetly, faces in the interweaving streams of shoppers began turning from every direction. “If you come along it could change your life. And if it doesn’t then you’ve only wasted an hour,” one volunteer, one of many handing out invitations on flyers to the crowds, said to a passing shopper. Within 15 minutes, Fr Nick, as he is usually called, was joined on stage by fellow musicians with guitars, drums and a violin. They were all members of the Neocatechumenal Way, in the heart of Perth’s CBD to evangelise through music, personal testimonies and personally invitations to anyone within reach to their upcoming catecheses around Perth. Sounding as Hispanic as the Way’s founders Kiko Arguello and Carmen Hernández, their voices rang out as they sang “He rose from death” and “Allelulia”. Watching from the pedestrian overpass, an Australian in his midtwenties said he wouldn’t normally be attracted “to this type of thing” but was a “big fan” of the music as Neocatechumenal member Greg Barron handed him a flyer. Mr Barron was enthusiastic without being pushy as he handed out flyers to commuters across the overhead walkway. Greg and his wife Barbara have been involved in “the Way” for many years. Barbara Barron said their marriage was careering towards an end when members of the Way visited their parish, inviting them to a series of catecheses similar to the ones they were handing out invitaContinued on Page 5
Back from the brink, Stacey aims to warn youth BY MARK REIDY “ONE is too many and a thousand is not enough,” is how Stacey Hollingsworth explains her 18-year descent into the darkness of drug addiction. Today she is determined to share her traumatic experiences with others in an effort to help them avoid the suffering that she inflicted
on herself and her family. In an interview with The Record, Ms Hollingsworth lamented that she must now live with the pain of never regaining full custody of her two children, and that the selfinflicted scars on her mind and body will never disappear. Today she credits her recovery to her father’s daily prayers and the intervention of support servic-
es such as Linda Watson’s House of Hope, a Pentecostal church and a women’s refuge, and personal involvement from people such as Archbishop Barry Hickey, who she remembers sitting by her hospital bed holding her hand. She is also on a mission to warn young people no one is immune to the temptations – and devastation – that comes from drug use.
Ms Hollingsworth is hoping to speak at schools and youth groups to emphasise that drugs do not discriminate and that young people do not have to come from a background of family brokenness or poverty or abuse to fall victim to their insidious nature. “My parents have always been together,” she said, “And I was always an excellent student.” In
fact Stacey’s future looked bright when, in Year 10, she received a three-year scholarship. She also excelled in athletics. But in the following year, her dreams were shattered when her knees gave way and she found solace in drinking alcohol on the weekends. To fund her increasing binges she left school to work as Continued on Page 4