There is a little known fact about St Mary’s Cathedral Sydney.  It is a war memorial church and has a statue of an unknown fallen soldier in the nave!  I was surprised to find it out many years ago.  But it made sense later.  Not one, but two, World Wars dominated the history, especially the western in the twentieth century.  Hence there have been glorification of wars, erection of war memorials in city centres, and dedication of churches to the memories human conflicts. 

Dominic Savio, a school boy, died at the age of fourteen.  He was one of the students of St John Bosco.  One day, Fr John, speaking to a group of students in their playground, asked a question, “Suppose you are told you will die in an hour’s time, what would you do?”

“I tell those idiots who argue for ‘big bang theory’ and ‘evolution theory’, to read the Bible about creation”.  These were the words of a proud Catholic.  When I told him that the story of God creating everything in seven days is not meant to be a scientific explanation on the origins of the world; it is rather the theology of the relationship between humans and God.

I have a crafted Christmas nativity scene on the wall of my presbytery, a gift on the 25th anniversary of my ordination. The artwork of Jilumol Mariet Thomas. But this creation is not the work of her hands, she does not have hands. The amazing piece of art was created with her legs alone. When I met Jilumol she was a school girl in an institution run by the Sisters of the Destitute, where my cousin Sr Christine was in charge. Now she has a university degree in graphics and animation and works as an animation artist.