Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese REPORT
1 Mar 2013
The Young Catholic Women's Interfaith Fellowship enriches and deepens faith and provides a unique opportunity to learn from each other, develop fresh new perspectives and create lasting friendships, says Bedelia Melville, assistant to the Archdiocese of Sydney's Commission for Ecumenism and Inter-Religious Relations.
One of this year's successful candidates, Bedelia joined 16 other women from 12 dioceses across the country at the Good Samaritan Sisters St Benedict Centre at Pennant Hills last week for an intensive four days to mark the start of the newly-restructured program.
Ranging in age from 25 to 35, those taking part included primary and secondary school teachers, a senior management consultant, a family and faith educator, a lawyer with the Australian Federal Police, a Public Relations Officer and an executive support officer with the NSW Department of Family and Community Services.
"The gathering was a wonderful reminder of the broad diversity of the Church in Australia and the different make up and demands of each diocese and I especially liked and admired the instant openness and trust shown by all those taking part," she says.
She was also grateful not only for the diversity of backgrounds and experiences of each of the women taking part in the program but the fact that they were a mix of singles and marrieds.
"Some of those with families and these mothers' input added interesting and important insights to our discussions."
The participants have now returned to their different dioceses from where they will embark on post graduate studies in theology and faith formation from their homes using the internet and modern technology. This is also the way the women who created their own support groups during their four days at the Benedict XVI Retreat Centre will keep in touch with one another to share resources, thoughts and ideas, and to offer encouragement.
The women will gather again at the start of each of the four semesters in the program where they will renew friendships and undertake another intensive four days of study, reflection, prayer and meditation.
Spread over two years, the program enables young Catholic women to graduate with a Certificate in Theology, or for those such as Bedelia who already has a Masters in Theology to further their studies in this area.
An initiative of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC), the Young Catholic Women's Interfaith Fellowship promotes academic study, faith formation and leadership development and acknowledges and encourages the rich contribution women make to the Church and to their communities.
Instigated in 2006 past programs have required those awarded fellowships to travel to the ACT for a compressed 15-week live-in full-time course at the Australian Catholic University's Canberra campus.
"Women lead busy lives with many career and family commitments making it difficult for them to take four months off. So this year we decided to make the program more flexible so more women could participate," explains Donella Johnston, Director of the ACBC's Office for the Participation of Women (OPW).
In order to do this, the Fellowship's academic and theological studies will be run by the Broken Bay Institute via its well known online study programs.
Sponsored by the ACBC together with religious congregations, institutions and Church agencies, successful candidates in the Young Catholic Women's Interfaith Fellowship are given scholarships valued at more than $12,000 which covers all tuition, travel, accommodation and administrative costs during the two years of their faith formation and academic study program.
"As well as financial input from our sponsors, those taking part in the Fellowship this year are receiving real support from their employers and families to enable them to travel to Sydney five times over the next two years," says Donella who gives high praise to the calibre, talents, commitment and dedication of this year's 17 successful candidates.
"We had many strong applications this year. They were uniformly outstanding and selection was difficult," says Andrea Dean, OPW's Fellowship Coordinator. "We had to be quite firm about criteria. Some applied but had not yet finished their undergraduate degree and were asked instead to reapply after graduation."
Bishop Peter Ingham, the ACBC's delegate for the Council for Australian Catholic Women says the fellowship program is one of the best things the Bishops Conference has done for women in the Church.
"At the foot of the Cross, the women were the ones who stood by Jesus. They were the first to witness the resurrection and in many ways, I think this gives us a scriptural basis for the lifting up of women in our Australian Church, and to really support them and empower them to lead," he says.
In this Year of Grace and Year of Faith, when Catholics everywhere are marking the 5oth anniversary of the start of Vatican II, when the contribution of women was not only fully recognised by the Church but supported and encouraged, gives added resonance and underlines the importance of the ACBC's fellowship initiative.
"Until the retreat last weekend I didn't realise that so far Australia is the only country that has an OPW supported by a nation's Conference of Bishops," says Bedelia adding she feels enormously privileged to have been granted a fellowship and to this unique and very special opportunity.
"During the four days we made long-lasting friendships. It was an unforgettable time and the calibre, warmth and energy of everyone there filled me with great confidence for the future of the Church in Australia," she says.
"From the moment we arrived we were made to feel so welcome and throughout the four days we not only learned from each other but were spoiled by the Good Samaritan Sisters who run the Centre with endless supplies of delicious homemade cinnamon rolls and wonderful baked dinners where we would talk into the night over food and glasses of wine."
Women between the ages of 25 and 35 are encouraged to apply for a Young Catholic Women's Interfaith Fellowship. Applications and referee forms can be downloaded at www.opw.catholic.org.au
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
1 Mar 2013
Bedelia Melville at the retreat held at the Benedict XVI Retreat Centre at Grose Vale
One of this year's successful candidates, Bedelia joined 16 other women from 12 dioceses across the country at the Good Samaritan Sisters St Benedict Centre at Pennant Hills last week for an intensive four days to mark the start of the newly-restructured program.
Ranging in age from 25 to 35, those taking part included primary and secondary school teachers, a senior management consultant, a family and faith educator, a lawyer with the Australian Federal Police, a Public Relations Officer and an executive support officer with the NSW Department of Family and Community Services.
"The gathering was a wonderful reminder of the broad diversity of the Church in Australia and the different make up and demands of each diocese and I especially liked and admired the instant openness and trust shown by all those taking part," she says.
She was also grateful not only for the diversity of backgrounds and experiences of each of the women taking part in the program but the fact that they were a mix of singles and marrieds.
"Some of those with families and these mothers' input added interesting and important insights to our discussions."
Young Catholic women formed lasting and supportive friendships at the four day weekend retreat
The women will gather again at the start of each of the four semesters in the program where they will renew friendships and undertake another intensive four days of study, reflection, prayer and meditation.
Spread over two years, the program enables young Catholic women to graduate with a Certificate in Theology, or for those such as Bedelia who already has a Masters in Theology to further their studies in this area.
An initiative of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC), the Young Catholic Women's Interfaith Fellowship promotes academic study, faith formation and leadership development and acknowledges and encourages the rich contribution women make to the Church and to their communities.
Instigated in 2006 past programs have required those awarded fellowships to travel to the ACT for a compressed 15-week live-in full-time course at the Australian Catholic University's Canberra campus.
"Women lead busy lives with many career and family commitments making it difficult for them to take four months off. So this year we decided to make the program more flexible so more women could participate," explains Donella Johnston, Director of the ACBC's Office for the Participation of Women (OPW).
Donella Johnston pays tribute to rich contribution of recipients of Catholic Women's Fellowships
Sponsored by the ACBC together with religious congregations, institutions and Church agencies, successful candidates in the Young Catholic Women's Interfaith Fellowship are given scholarships valued at more than $12,000 which covers all tuition, travel, accommodation and administrative costs during the two years of their faith formation and academic study program.
"As well as financial input from our sponsors, those taking part in the Fellowship this year are receiving real support from their employers and families to enable them to travel to Sydney five times over the next two years," says Donella who gives high praise to the calibre, talents, commitment and dedication of this year's 17 successful candidates.
"We had many strong applications this year. They were uniformly outstanding and selection was difficult," says Andrea Dean, OPW's Fellowship Coordinator. "We had to be quite firm about criteria. Some applied but had not yet finished their undergraduate degree and were asked instead to reapply after graduation."
Bishop Peter Ingham, the ACBC's delegate for the Council for Australian Catholic Women says the fellowship program is one of the best things the Bishops Conference has done for women in the Church.
"At the foot of the Cross, the women were the ones who stood by Jesus. They were the first to witness the resurrection and in many ways, I think this gives us a scriptural basis for the lifting up of women in our Australian Church, and to really support them and empower them to lead," he says.
In this Year of Grace and Year of Faith, when Catholics everywhere are marking the 5oth anniversary of the start of Vatican II, when the contribution of women was not only fully recognised by the Church but supported and encouraged, gives added resonance and underlines the importance of the ACBC's fellowship initiative.
Natasha Free a primary teacher from Whyalla SA is one of the successful fellowship candidates
"During the four days we made long-lasting friendships. It was an unforgettable time and the calibre, warmth and energy of everyone there filled me with great confidence for the future of the Church in Australia," she says.
"From the moment we arrived we were made to feel so welcome and throughout the four days we not only learned from each other but were spoiled by the Good Samaritan Sisters who run the Centre with endless supplies of delicious homemade cinnamon rolls and wonderful baked dinners where we would talk into the night over food and glasses of wine."
Women between the ages of 25 and 35 are encouraged to apply for a Young Catholic Women's Interfaith Fellowship. Applications and referee forms can be downloaded at www.opw.catholic.org.au
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
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