Kevin Sinnot
Yesterday was the day Kevin Sinnot had his Requiem Mass and was buried. The Brothers here at West Beach have been praying for him and his family.
Kevin and his brother, David, really worked hard at the their studies, had a great sense of humour, and had a great sense of justice and charity. Kevin was tragicaly drowned at Southern Catholic University, USA while swimming across a lake with friends.
Fr Higgins, the chaplain at the university could not speak highly enough of him, and gave concrete instances of ways he expressed his love of God and his fellow students. For instance, Kevin led a faithful Catholic sacramental life and was at Confession earlier on the day that he drowned. He would spend time before the Blessed Sacrament in silent prayer right up to the days before his death. Students in difficulty with their studies would come to him for help. He had time for others. In every way he proved a young man of whom any parent or school would be proud.
I am very proud to be associated with Kevin, although he was not in any of of my classes at Chavagnes. Nevertheless, I supervised him from time to time at sport, at recreation, at study, in the dormitory etc. From time to time I had several informal conversations with him, some serious, some lighthearted and some a mixture of both. He was a most pleasant, gentlemanly boy top deal with.
Kevin's mother was the most recent election was a Member of the European Parliament for West Cork. She had spent years campaigning for handicapped children She, an American-born had eleven children of her own, and had first hand knowledge of difficulties of caring for them for one of them was handicapped. Kathy Sinnot took on the big parties as an independent in the election before last, standing on the issue of care for the handicapped, and beat them. Her faith and her children's faith were most important to her, and she could not speak highly enough of what Chavagnes did for her two boys. Her testimony can easily be found on the college's home page.
I am sure Mrs Sinnot would appreciate any Masses or prayers you would say for Kevin. RIP
Wednesday 30 September 2009
Tuesday 15 September 2009
News
Next Sunday will make it two months (Sept 20th) since I arrived back at my community at West Beach, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It has been great to be back, but I am missing Chavagnes.
Mr Ferdi McDermott has invited me on a couple of occasions to share by email some of my reflections about Chavagnes International College when I have had time to do so when holidaying at Twickenham. I have done this from time to time, but was always more pushed for time than I am now.
Mr Hester, probably England's most well-known commentator on Catholic education, a man whose articles and letters have appeared often in The Times, The Catholic Herald and other papers of value, and whose views on Catholic Education and Catholic schools are sought by media outlets on special occasions, has also encouraged me often to share my experience with the administation and staff at the college.
Mr Hester has been at the college on three occasions and has been very positive about the school and helpful to it..
Mr Hester has had nearly 30 years experience of leading Catholic schools in England, and at least at the time of his retirement a few years ago, was the longest serving Lay Principal of any Catholic school in England. He now inspects and reports on leading Public Schools (Independent Schools) in England.
So, now while still not free from distractions, this time mainly associated with settling in back in Australia, before writing about Chavagnes to Australian Catholic parents and educators, I believe it is of value and right to share my reflections about Chavagnes with Mr. McDermott, the school's Founder and other long-serving administration there.
Needless to say, I am in love with Chavagnes International College, and most grateful that I have had the opportunity to serve there. Needless, to say my conclusions are overwhelmingly positive. I believe that any boy who has been there has had a happy, safe experience of a a first-rate immersion into Catholic culture, which has overflowed with excellent results into all aspects of school life, academic, cultural and sporting.
This written analysis of a Christian Brother with 69 years of experience of Catholic education as either a student and teacher at all levels, primary, secondary and tertiary, decades in boarding schools, coaching numerous teams, experiences before, during and after Vatican II, experiencing and seeing the results of all kinds of changes, should have some observations which will prove helpful. My experiences are supported by a Masters degree from the GraduateSchool of Religion and Religious Education at Fordham University and another Masters degree from the Australian Catholic University and more.
So it is likely that some of the observations I offered would be worth considering. Mr McDermott is a very gifted man of great energy, who has, like all Headmasters, whether he finds them helpful or not, has many opinions thrust upon him and must be sick and tired of this at times. At other times, he would be pleased to gain something very helpful.
My long eamil took considerable time.
What else have I been doing? I have enjoyed the beautiful winter weather. One Englishman said to me that winter in Adelaide is like summer in England. Well, I have always had to wear a pullover in the winter I have just experienced, and I certinly did not have to for much of the English summer. In the winter which finished on August 31 there were many beautiful sunny days with clear blue skies. The winter has been far from bleak, and, while there has been plenty of rain for our needs, there has been far far from a surfeit of them.
The beautiful white sands of the miles of Adelaide shore, and the beautiful clear waters stretching for miles of other side of West Beach and reaching out beyond the horizon have made walking along the beach a vey enjoyable experience.
I have enjoyed reading books from the Adelaide Catholic Library, one being a most interesting biography of Archbishop Beovich, the Archbishop of Adelaide from 1940 to 1971, and another being Cardinal Cassidy's, "My Years in the Vatican'. My journey from London to Perth went very quickly as I bought Wayne Rooney's autobiography, enjoyed it thoroughly, completed on the trip, and gave it to my brother. Coming from Perth to Adelaide I bought another very easy read, "Seeing the Sunrise" by a Christian Brother's old boy, Justin Langer, I would say a great opening batsman for Australia.
I travel by by public transport when I can and find it very relaxing reading on the bus and some other times. Virtually every day I read the readings of the Mass for the day in my French missal, and the commentary on them. I also use my computer to read "Le Monde" and "La Croix" fairly often, and watch and to listen to the French news on www.France.24.com , and the French Channel 2 evening news which comes on a multi cultural Channel here evry morning at 9.20 am.
My health is good, and I have much to thank God for.
Mr Ferdi McDermott has invited me on a couple of occasions to share by email some of my reflections about Chavagnes International College when I have had time to do so when holidaying at Twickenham. I have done this from time to time, but was always more pushed for time than I am now.
Mr Hester, probably England's most well-known commentator on Catholic education, a man whose articles and letters have appeared often in The Times, The Catholic Herald and other papers of value, and whose views on Catholic Education and Catholic schools are sought by media outlets on special occasions, has also encouraged me often to share my experience with the administation and staff at the college.
Mr Hester has been at the college on three occasions and has been very positive about the school and helpful to it..
Mr Hester has had nearly 30 years experience of leading Catholic schools in England, and at least at the time of his retirement a few years ago, was the longest serving Lay Principal of any Catholic school in England. He now inspects and reports on leading Public Schools (Independent Schools) in England.
So, now while still not free from distractions, this time mainly associated with settling in back in Australia, before writing about Chavagnes to Australian Catholic parents and educators, I believe it is of value and right to share my reflections about Chavagnes with Mr. McDermott, the school's Founder and other long-serving administration there.
Needless to say, I am in love with Chavagnes International College, and most grateful that I have had the opportunity to serve there. Needless, to say my conclusions are overwhelmingly positive. I believe that any boy who has been there has had a happy, safe experience of a a first-rate immersion into Catholic culture, which has overflowed with excellent results into all aspects of school life, academic, cultural and sporting.
This written analysis of a Christian Brother with 69 years of experience of Catholic education as either a student and teacher at all levels, primary, secondary and tertiary, decades in boarding schools, coaching numerous teams, experiences before, during and after Vatican II, experiencing and seeing the results of all kinds of changes, should have some observations which will prove helpful. My experiences are supported by a Masters degree from the GraduateSchool of Religion and Religious Education at Fordham University and another Masters degree from the Australian Catholic University and more.
So it is likely that some of the observations I offered would be worth considering. Mr McDermott is a very gifted man of great energy, who has, like all Headmasters, whether he finds them helpful or not, has many opinions thrust upon him and must be sick and tired of this at times. At other times, he would be pleased to gain something very helpful.
My long eamil took considerable time.
What else have I been doing? I have enjoyed the beautiful winter weather. One Englishman said to me that winter in Adelaide is like summer in England. Well, I have always had to wear a pullover in the winter I have just experienced, and I certinly did not have to for much of the English summer. In the winter which finished on August 31 there were many beautiful sunny days with clear blue skies. The winter has been far from bleak, and, while there has been plenty of rain for our needs, there has been far far from a surfeit of them.
The beautiful white sands of the miles of Adelaide shore, and the beautiful clear waters stretching for miles of other side of West Beach and reaching out beyond the horizon have made walking along the beach a vey enjoyable experience.
I have enjoyed reading books from the Adelaide Catholic Library, one being a most interesting biography of Archbishop Beovich, the Archbishop of Adelaide from 1940 to 1971, and another being Cardinal Cassidy's, "My Years in the Vatican'. My journey from London to Perth went very quickly as I bought Wayne Rooney's autobiography, enjoyed it thoroughly, completed on the trip, and gave it to my brother. Coming from Perth to Adelaide I bought another very easy read, "Seeing the Sunrise" by a Christian Brother's old boy, Justin Langer, I would say a great opening batsman for Australia.
I travel by by public transport when I can and find it very relaxing reading on the bus and some other times. Virtually every day I read the readings of the Mass for the day in my French missal, and the commentary on them. I also use my computer to read "Le Monde" and "La Croix" fairly often, and watch and to listen to the French news on www.France.24.com , and the French Channel 2 evening news which comes on a multi cultural Channel here evry morning at 9.20 am.
My health is good, and I have much to thank God for.
Tuesday 1 September 2009
Settling In
I have been catching up by phone or visiting with people since arriving back.
I am excited about the Year of the Priest. We urgently need them. A number of parishes in Adelaide are served by either Deacons, Nuns or Laity, and Priests come on the weekend for Mass. The situation is very grave.
There are those around who do not see this as a bad thing as more authority is given to some women and some laity. Others say that they do not accept Pope Benedict's idea of priesthood because he sees Priests as part of an hierarchical structure.
A careful study of the Scriptures makes it very clear that the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven were given to Peter, and he was given the authority to bind and loose. Those who hear him, hear the Lord. Those who do not hear him, are not hearing the Lord.
A careful study of history going back to St Paul show that in every age there are always proud people, good in many ways like Lucifer, shining lights with devoted followers, deceiving people with false doctrines. One highy respected person, indeed a person very dear to me, used to boast in the seventies that the Church in Adelaide was the most like the Dutch Church than any other Church in Australia.
I have just read Cardinal Cassidy's book on his many years of Vatican service. The chapter on the problems faced by the Dutch Church outlines with power and clarity the devastation of the Church in Holland and the sorry state of public and private morality resulting from it.
A careful study of scripture and the Fathers of the Church demonstrates most clearly that the Church is hierarchical. Some have been given more authority than others to serve God's People in a special way. We need holy shepherds. We need holy, loyal Priests. Let us pray that God will bless many good young men and call them to take up the mantle of the Priesthood to serve the Church, God's People.
I am excited about the Year of the Priest. We urgently need them. A number of parishes in Adelaide are served by either Deacons, Nuns or Laity, and Priests come on the weekend for Mass. The situation is very grave.
There are those around who do not see this as a bad thing as more authority is given to some women and some laity. Others say that they do not accept Pope Benedict's idea of priesthood because he sees Priests as part of an hierarchical structure.
A careful study of the Scriptures makes it very clear that the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven were given to Peter, and he was given the authority to bind and loose. Those who hear him, hear the Lord. Those who do not hear him, are not hearing the Lord.
A careful study of history going back to St Paul show that in every age there are always proud people, good in many ways like Lucifer, shining lights with devoted followers, deceiving people with false doctrines. One highy respected person, indeed a person very dear to me, used to boast in the seventies that the Church in Adelaide was the most like the Dutch Church than any other Church in Australia.
I have just read Cardinal Cassidy's book on his many years of Vatican service. The chapter on the problems faced by the Dutch Church outlines with power and clarity the devastation of the Church in Holland and the sorry state of public and private morality resulting from it.
A careful study of scripture and the Fathers of the Church demonstrates most clearly that the Church is hierarchical. Some have been given more authority than others to serve God's People in a special way. We need holy shepherds. We need holy, loyal Priests. Let us pray that God will bless many good young men and call them to take up the mantle of the Priesthood to serve the Church, God's People.
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