Dr Edward Sri’s Sydney Tour
Above: Ed speaking to the teachers of the diocese of Parramatta
Dr Edward Sri made a huge impact on Sydney recently. As always he worked so hard to reach as many people as possible. The whole tour was only 5 days but he managed to fit in 21 talks to over 2,000 people! Not many people can pull that off! From the moment he touched down in Sydney we drove straight out to Rooty Hill RSL to give a full day seminar on the Gospel of Matthew to all of the religious coordinators and R.E teachers of the diocese of Parramatta.
Above: Ed Sri with the youth from the Uni Chaplaincy Retreat
On the evening of that first day, Dr Sri gave the keynote talk at the inaugural Culture Project fundraiser dinner. It was a full room and his presentation was excellent, based on his talk ‘Into His Likeness’, Dr Sri offered something for everyone in the room. The following evening after completing a second full day with the teachers, Dr Sri gave the first talk at the Sydney University Students annual retreat. The venue was the Benedict XVI Centre in Grose Vale. Over 130 students heard the world class presenter give 4 talks over the weekend, discussing various topics relevant to the formation of these young people on their faith journey.
Above: Dr Edward Sri speaking at St Bernadette’s parish, Castle Hill
It was a very busy weekend with 3 parish talks in amongst the weekend retreat. The first parish event was an afternoon at St Bernadette’s Catholic Church in Castle Hill. Dr Sri delivered his popular presentations to a packed Church, speaking on ‘A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother’ and ‘A Biblical Walk Through the Mass’. There was a real energy and enthusiasm there with so many people getting their own personal copies of the 2 study programs.
On Sunday, Dr Sri gave 3 sessions at the Croatian Catholic Community in Blacktown which again were well received. He spoke on ‘Living a Vibrant Faith in a Secular Age’ followed by a talk to women, while at the same time our very own Robert Haddad gave a powerful talk to men. The day ended with a dynamic Q & A session with both Robert and Dr Sri! That evening Dr Sri spoke to hundreds of young adults at Our Lady of Lebanon Church in Harris Park.
Above: Ed speaking at Theology on Tap to a packed pub, The Two Wolves Cantina
On Monday, he then gave a full day seminar to the staff at Gilroy College followed by a session for teachers around Sydney. His final talk of the tour was at Two Wolves Cantina, to a full bar, on the topic ‘Who am I to Judge?’. The standout for that session was the Q & A as every question was asked by a non-Catholic and Dr Sri spent hours one on one with them after the talk. Another powerhouse tour by a phenomenal speaker. Please pray for Dr Sri and his family. We look forward to his 2020 visit! More information will be out soon.
Dr Matthew Tan on the Parousia Hour
Dr Matthew Tan was one of our guests last month on the Parousia Hour and he shared some theological insights as well as his personal faith journey. He currently works as the private secretary to Bishop Tony Randazzo and has written books and articles on the faith. He has a blog page and some very interesting topics. I encourage you to visit his page at https://www.awkwardasiantheologian.com. You can watch the interview here.
Charbel’s Trip to Christchurch, NZ
Above: Myself and David Powick in Christchurch, New Zealand
I was recently in Christchurch, New Zealand by invitation from both David Powick and Bishop Paul Martin S.M. It was a two day trip that included a quick visit to the Carmelite convent asking the nuns to pray for us all. The key event was sharing my testimony at the first professional men’s breakfast for the diocese. The room was full of men eager to learn more about their faith and how they can support the Church more regularly.
I then had back to back meetings with various groups from the diocese including the Catholic Youth Ministry team, the evangelisation team, the fundraising team and the founder of food for faith apostolate, Fr John O’Connor. It was great to hear their plans and ideas for the diocese. I was also sharing some of our plans and ideas as well as tips on how to take evangelisation to the next level.
Above: The land of the giants! Myself with Bishop Paul Martin S.M and Fr John O’Connor
One highlight for me was a workshop with various agencies together in which I shared the ‘Parousia’ journey and how we developed and grew from my lounge room then garage and now to 4 office spaces and 10 staff. Thanks be to God this little apostolate has grown from strength to strength and it wouldn’t be where it is now without your support and prayers! This trip will be the first of many as we hope to offer support and fresh ideas for the diocese as they enter a rebuilding phase. Please pray for this next chapter for us. Please pray for the Church in New Zealand.
Above: Myself sharing my testimony at the first professional men’s breakfast in NZ
ACCC – Melbourne
Also this month, the annual conference for the Australian Confraternity of Catholic Clergy was held in Melbourne. We had our team there, with Miguel filming short spots for EWTN and our Youtube channel. I was also there along with our other director, Kevin Bailey, and the national director of Evangelisation, Ian Smith, to offer support for these priests. It was an honour to be a part of this conference and we want to further encourage our clergy by announcing ‘Support Your Priest Sunday‘ to be held on the 4th of August. We will start a nine day novena to St Jean Vianney, commencing on 27 July, praying for our priests. More on this is on our website.
Above: The Esto Vir book launch with Fr Paul Chandler (centre)
During the Conference we managed to include the Melbourne book launch for ‘Esto Vir‘ (Be a Man), written by Fr Paul Chandler. We initially launched this book in Sydney in April and have now launched in Melbourne. We are looking at launching in Brisbane next so stay tuned for that! The book is available both in print and digital formats on our website.
Also while in Melbourne we popped over to see our supporting partner, Createl Publishing, who have announced their first ever Catholic teachers diary and we are pleased to be a part of this project. This is the first time we have been involved in a diary of any kind and are excited to be partnering with Createl for this one. This diary will be available in August so look out for it!
Above: Ian Smith, Angelo Calandra, Kevin Bailey & myself at Createl Publishing
Another busy month and I really have to say what a privilege it is to evengelise full time through Parousia. So many blessings have occurred and it is all thanks to your prayers and support! Please keep them coming! We prepare now for Deacon Harold who arrives on August 25 for the Pre-Pilgrimage tour. Hope you can join us on Pilgrimage! Sep 9 to 22.
God Bless you!
Charbel Raish – Director
CD of the Month! The Virtue of Masculinity
Masculinity. In recent years, the use of this word has become controversial, and discussion about it unwelcome or silenced. Is all masculinity “toxic”? Dr. Tim Gray strongly asserts that while fallen masculinity does exist, authentic, God-given masculinity is a great virtue that is desperately needed in our world. Tim challenges men to face their fears about failing or “striking out,” and encourages them to become the men they desire to be in the image of Jesus Christ, the Perfect Man.
Ghosts, Antichrists, Lost Tribes: Catholic Mysteries Explored – Jimmy Akin with Cy Kellett – Catholic Answers (3 CD Set)
These subjects have fascinated people for centuries, and the Bible has a surprising amount to say about each of them. Jimmy Akin has spent years studying the mysterious, and in this set he shares the results of his studies with you. He and Catholic Answers Live host Cy Kellett look at three enigmas that everyone wonders about. With his extensive knowledge of Scripture, Tradition, and the teaching of the Church, Jimmy tackles these mysterious topics with precision and clarity.
Inseparable: Five Perspectives on Sex, Life, and Love in Defense of Humanae Vitae – Catholic Answers (Paperback)
As the Church and the world remember the fiftieth anniversary of Humanae Vitae this summer, Catholic Answers Press is publishing an important new multi-contributor exposition of that prophetic encyclical.
Given the richness of Catholic teaching on the transmission of human life and the different ways that people respond to it, we asked our contributors to reflect on and defend that teaching from five perspectives: each of them compelling, all of them together forming a mosaic of truth.
Into His Likeness – Dr Edward Sri (2 CD Set)
In this presentation, Dr Sri explores what it means to live as a disciple and how we can experience the transformation Jesus wants to work in our lives. He explains how we can more intentionally encounter Jesus each day and be more disposed to his grace changing us ever more into His likeness. Also available as an MP3.
‘Islam’ – 20 Answers – Catholic Answers (Booklet)
20 Answers: Islam looks inside the religion of Mohammad to reveal what its own theological authorities teach, cutting through the ignorance and wishful thinking that are too common in our culture and spelling out Islam’s challenges to the Christian West—past, present, and future.
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