Preparations are underway for celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of St John Paul II’s historic speech to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Alice Springs.
Fr Prakash Menezes SVD, Parish Priest of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Alice Springs said the parish is delighted to be involved with the celebration of an event which has so much meaning for both First Nations people and the broader Catholic Church.
“When Pope John Paul II came to Alice Springs in November 1986, he made a speech which had an enormous impact then, but which has also continued to reverberate down through the years,” Fr Prakash said.
“That speech was the catalyst for recognising the importance of the contribution of the Aboriginal people to the Catholic Church and to society in general, as well.
“So, celebrations for the 40th anniversary of that speech invite us once again, to reinvigorate that call of John Paul II, and also to see how we can continue to encourage and support Aboriginal Catholic ministry, not just in Alice Springs, but all over the Church in Australia.”
Pope John Paul, who was canonised in 2014, delivered his famous speech at Blatherskite Park in Alice Springs on November 29, 1986, and from his opening lines, he made it clear he was there to embrace Australia’s First Nations peoples.
“It is a great joy for me to be here today in Alice Springs and to meet so many of you, the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders of Australia. I want to tell you right away how much the Church esteems and loves you, and how much she wishes to assist you in your spiritual and material needs,” he said.
The Pope went on to affirm the spirituality of First Nations people, beginning with the Dreamtime, and to affirm the place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Catholic Church.
“You are part of Australia and Australia is part of you. And the Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others,” he said.
Fr Prakash said that the Archdiocese of Darwin, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) and the Catholic Parish of Alice Springs were working together to prepare to celebrate the anniversary of the speech.
In the months leading up to the anniversary, Brisbane’s Emmanuel Community is also planning praise and worship events for young people in Darwin and Alice Springs over the weekend of June 19-21, with a special emphasis on Aboriginal young people.
Fr Prakash said the Parish community was looking forward to hosting a special Mass on Sunday, November 29, in collaboration with other events being planned for the anniversary.
Parishes across Australia, including cathedrals, are also being encouraged to mark the day with the celebration of a Mass or acknowledgement.
NATSICC Chairperson, Shirley Quaresimin said the anniversary was of national importance.
“This year marks the 40th Anniversary of St Pope John Paul II’s address to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Alice Springs. The address was a pivotal moment because it spoke not only to us, but to the whole of the Church in Australia. He noted richness and gifts of our culture, but also the need for those gifts to be accepted,” she said.
“It is timely that we look back at what has been achieved in the past 40 years, but also be honest about what has not progressed.
“NATSICC will be celebrating the Anniversary in many ways, including a Retreat in the Red Centre later this year as well as working with the Bishops Conference, Diocese of Darwin and the Alice Springs Parish to once again bring St Pope John Paul II’s words to life.”
Fr Prakash said Darwin Bishop Charles Gauci had spent time in Alice Springs recently talking with the local Aboriginal community about how they wish to celebrate the event at the local level, given Alice Springs played such a pivotal role in hosting Pope John Paul II.
“We are looking at this anniversary being a catalyst for rejuvenating the call made by Pope John Paul II, so that it is not just a celebration on the day, but it is something that the Church continues to live so that we can continue to build momentum and work with the First Nations people and fully acknowledge and embrace their contribution to the Church moving forward,” Fr Prakash said.
PHOTOS
TOP RIGHT: A portrait of St John Paul II hangs in Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in Alice Springs, along wtih photographs and a copy of the late Pope's words during his visit to Alice Springs in 1986 and the chair he sat on when he visited the Church.
BOTTOM LEFT: The area in OLSH Church, Alice Springs which is devoted to commemorating the late Pope, and now Saint's visit to Alice Springs also features a painting by a local artist which was presented to the Pope.