July 2024

Myanmar refugees - Bishop Peter Cullinane - Cardijn on baptised role - IYCW & Women's Day - Indigenous leaders

Jul 15, 2025

YCW centenary approaches

Dear Friends,

Officially, the YCW celebrates its centenary next year in 2025, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Belgian YCW's first national congress in April 1925. But the movement was organising even before that! And in fact it's exactly 100 years this month since the name "Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne" or "JOC" was first adopted for the new movement. Read more about that below.

Next, we present an update on the YCW Camp story plus a response from Brian Lawrence.

We also have a short article from Pope Francis on his vision of youth ministry. Perth Archbishop Tim Costelloe speaks about the see judge act. We have the text of Fr Lou Cameli's recent webinar presentation - and the video of Brian Smiddy's webinar with Jean Ker Walsh.

Plus our usual Gospel enquiry from Pat Branson and Cardijn Reflection from Richard Pütz.

We are making progress in the preparation of our Lay Mission and Vocation Conference in Rome from 9-13 October 2024. One of our great challenges is to ensure a balance of participation from every continent.

This is why we are asking for your help this month to sponsor Burundi YCW chaplain, Fr Epitace Niragira, to participate in the conference. As you can imagine, a flight to Europe is well beyond the range of the local church. This is one opportunity to help build a more equal and participative church.

Former Parramatta YCS worker, Chantelle Ogilvie-Ellis remembers the late Bishop Kevin Manning, a great supporter of the Cardijn movements.

And we also remember two young French YCW and YCS leaders, Francis Chirat and Gilbert Dru, both executed for their Resistance activities on 27 July 1944 - 80 years ago this month.

See you next time!

Stefan Gigacz

Secretary

Share your stories of the YCW Camp

The future of the YCW Camp at Philip Island is in doubt. We are building up a picture of the significance of the asset for Cardijn movements and we’d love to hear from you if you have a story of the camp. Read how at the end of this item.

Our last newsletter provided the views of ACI, and of a new ‘Mannix’ body for veterans, regarding the future of the Camp. The Mannix group proposes to give the YCW Camp to an RSL veterans agency, and use the cash reserves of the Camp Committee for the benefit of the nominated YCW veterans families which it claims are the sole beneficiaries.

At the request of this group, we also now provide its response to our last newsletter. Its total denial of YCW entitlement derives from its legal opinion; we are aware of different views.

Share your stories of the YCW Camp

CORRECTION

An earlier version of this article said that the funds would be “apportioned” among the stated beneficiaries. This was incorrect. We apologise for the error.

Youth ministry a task and a responsibility: Pope Francis

"Let Christ transform your natural optimism into authentic love;" Pope Francis wrote in a message to the XXI Latam Meeting of Caribbean and Latin American national youth ministry leaders, gathered in Asunción, Paraguay, July 15-20, "A love that knows how to sacrifice, that is sincere, real and genuine, so that your youth will be a gift for Jesus and for the world and you will be able to spend your life in a worthy and fruitful way."

Greeting the participants, Francis emphasised the value of youth ministry for the Church, as he called on young people to let Christ use their energy to do great things.

"The command of Jesus to 'arise',” he acknowledged, "means both a task and a responsibility."

Pope Francis: 'Let your youth be a gift for Jesus' (Vatican News)

PHOTO

Catholic Church in England (Flickr)

Perth discerns with see, judge, act

Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB spoke about the Cardijn see, judge, act methodology during his closing speech at the Archdiocesan Assembly on Saturday 13 July 2024, The Record reports.

The 2024 Assembly, operating within the framework provided by Canon Law, focussed on investigating, considering, and formulating practical strategies for pastoral works and initiatives in the diocese – through establishing a Diocesan Pastoral Council that reflects the way of synodality as emphasised by Pope Francis.

“See, which is to acknowledge what the situation is, Judge and then Act,” Archbishop Costelloe explained.

FULL STORY

Perth discerns with the see, judge, act (The Record)

Article: Fr Louis Cameli: Rediscovering co-reponsibility in mission

The modern emergence or re-emergence of co-responsibility in mission finds its roots in Pope Leo XIII at the end of the nineteenth century and in the teachings of popes in the first part of the twentieth century, particularly Pope Pius XI. They spoke of “Catholic Action,” the movement of the laity to help the bishops and priests to carry on the mission, writes Chicago priest, Fr Louis Cameli in the text of his May 2024 ACI webinar talk.

By the time of the Second Vatican Council, there was an important shift. If you read (and I highly recommend this) chapter four of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) on the laity, you begin to see that those who are “in the world” on their own have the right and the mandate to carry the mission forward.

All along the way, the implied question that continues to haunt us even today is: who really has ownership for the mission?

Fr Louis Cameli, Rediscovering the Historical Roots of Synodality and Co-Responsibility (Church Life Journal)

Video: Brian "Brother" Smiddy: This Worker Life

Thanks to Brian Smiddy and Jean Ker Walsh for an excellent webinar featuring Brian's new book, Brother Smiddy, This worker life, on 4 July 2024.

The book is now available for $25 plus $10 postage by writing to Brian and Ellen Smiddy at: ebsmiddy@yahoo.com

WATCH THE VIDEO

Gospel Enquiry: My yoke is easy and my burden light

Many years ago, I was invited to join the staff of a Catholic secondary school, writes Pat Branson. I went along armed with my guitar and some songs that were part of the liturgical life of the parish to which I belonged.

One song proved to be very popular. It was Jesus, Lover of My Soul, by John Ezzy, Daniel Grul & Steve Mcpherson. More than twenty years later, it was still being sung by students who thought it was not cool to sing at Mass. The song became the de facto College anthem and was even sung at the end of the annual Year 12 and Old Boys AFL encounter. Just picture it: around forty sweaty males standing in a circle, arms linked, singing “Jesus, I will never let you go.”

There is so much about and in the Gospel passage presented for this enquiry. How can Jesus be yoked to so many people except through a shared faith and a shared commitment to being accompanied by him? We walk together by faith and not by sight.

DO THE GOSPEL ENQUIRY

My yoke is easy and my burden light (Gospel Enquiries)

Reflection: 'It's a strange world we live in, Master Jack'

What Joseph Cardijn saw in his time was all about jobs, workers’ lives, the dignity of work, and what it means to be a human being made in God’s image and likenes, writes Richard Pütz.

Today, we learn from those who came before us, and once again, the situation is about jobs. What it means to be made in the image and likeness of God. What do that image and likeness mean?

What are we as humans, and what work do we do in the kingdom of God here and now?

“It’s a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jack.” (Cardijn Reflections)

LISTEN TO THE SONG

David Marks, It's a strange, strange world we live in (YouTube)

History: Priests' Day, 10 July 1924

As we saw in a recent article, the Jeunesse Syndicaliste changed its name to Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne in 1924. But, the first publication that mentions the new name of the movement is the first edition of the “Bulletin des Dirigeants” or “Leaders Bulletin,” which appeared in July 1924 – 100 years ago this month, writes Stefan Gigacz.

In that publication, we read a report, not of a meeting of young workers, but of 56 priests from various dioceses in Wallonia, who discussed, amended and approved the draft statutes of the new JOC.

It's a fascinating insight into the origins of the YCW.

Stefan Gigacz, A priests' meeting on 10 July 1924 (Cardijn Research)

READ THE ORIGINAL REPORT

Priests' Day 10 July 2024 (Joseph Cardijn Digital Library)

Solidarity with Fr Epitace of Burundi YCW

Cardijn Community Africa and the Australian Cardijn Institute, together with the International YCW, International YCS and other Cardijn movements are hosting a conference on Lay Mission and Vocation to be held in Rome from 9-13 October 2024.
The conference, which will take place during the Second Assembly of the Synod on Synodality, will also commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Vatican II document, Lumen Gentium, which highlighted the baptismal mission and "lay apostolate" of each Christian.

It is important in such a conference to ensure a balance in participation from the various continents.

This is why we are raising money to sponsor the participation of Fr Epitace Nirigira, a chaplain to the YCW in Burundi. We invite you to support him by giving generously.

Support Fr Epitace Nirigira (Cardijn Community Australia)

Lay Mission and Vocation Conference, Rome, 9-13 October 2024

CLICK HERE TO DONATE BY CREDIT CARD

https://www.trybooking.com/au/donate/rome2024africa

Alternatively, transfer to our bank account. Details below. Reference: Fr Epitace.

Remembering Bishop Kevin Manning

Kevin Manning, the second Bishop of Parramatta, a strong supporter of the YCW and YCS, died peacefully on 15 July 2024, in Bathurst NSW at the age of 90.

“Bishop Kevin was an enthusiastic supporter of YCS,” former Parramatta YCS worker, Chantelle Ogilvie-Ellis recalled in a Facebook tribute.

“He believed in its approach to forming young leaders in faith; he found energy in conversations with young people about the things they were interested in, he showed pastoral concern to YCS workers, both local and visiting.

“You got the impression that the Cardijn movements were deeply embedded in his DNA,” she added.

RIP Bishop Kevin Manning

Gilbert Dru and Francis Dru, executed 27 July 1944

This month we remember two young French Resistance leaders, who were both tortured and then executed along with three comrades in Lyon on 27 July 1944 as a result of their activities in the French Resistance during World War II.

Francis Chirat was a French YCW leader while Gilbert Dru was a YCS leader.

Australian Cardijn Institute

July 2024

Myanmar refugees - Bishop Peter Cullinane - Cardijn on baptised role - IYCW & Women's Day - Indigenous leaders

YCW centenary approaches

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