An Oblate Research Project
Julian Collete, an Oblate of New Camaldoli, is now pursuing double master’s degrees in monastic studies at St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota. The recent St. John's Theology School Magazine featured an article on him in which Julian notes that Saint John’s is helping him connect his personal passionate interests with what he can offer others.
“Part of my experience here is life discernment. I’ve been learning more about lay movements, like the new monasticism. There’s a lot happening in the world, coming partly out of the monastic mold, but outside of institutional monasticism. That holds a lot of interest for me.”
“I’ve always had a strong attraction to the monastic life and the idea of the whole of one’s life shaped by one’s religious or spiritual values in community with others. I am attracted to lay intentional communities for the same reason.”
Julian, a seasoned bicyclist, is preparing for a year-long bicycle tour of intentional communities. “The school is providing me with an opportunity to explore my life’s passions and to really integrate them with my studies and the resources that are available here. I look on this trip as research, a form of ministry, and also a personal pilgrimage.” Julian found that there’s a need for more information for people discerning the lifestyles offered through intentional communities so the trip will be documented on his website www.emerging-communities.com. “My hope is that the project might become a foundation for further writing or film or some kind of service learning program for college students.”
The above materials taken from the St. John's Theology School Magazine, Conversatio, with their permission
Oblate News from Australia
Australian Camaldolese Oblate Paul Durkin was recently called as a candidate for deaconate and ordained priesthood for the Diocese of Broken Bay, immediately north of Sydney. Paul will be ordained deacon on Friday, 18th February 2011, with ordination to priesthood likely later in the year.
Paul has been a Camaldolese Oblate since 2003. He has attended the regular meetings of the Sydney chapter and the bi-annual retreats. He has also joined Fr Michael Mifsud and others for summer retreats to reflect on key texts, such as Raimon Panikkar’s Blessed Simplicity. Paul has had a keen interest in the works of Dom Bede Griffiths and had the privilege of being part of the host community for his visit to Australia in the early 1990’s.
Paul is presently working in Holy Cross Parish, Kincumber on the Central Coast just north of Sydney. It boasts a beautiful new church, set at the base of the towering Kincumber Mountain. Some five minutes drive away, the parish also gathers in a beautifully restored 1842 sandstone church, set in the grounds of a Josephite Sisters’ Retreat Centre.
Paul has had a keen interest in prayer and faith formation. He recently completed a two year course in Spiritual Direction and has met regularly with the Christian Meditation community. In his current role in meets regularly with a Lectio Divina group for adults and has assisted in guiding upper primary students to experience lectio. He also helps coordinate the RCIA program, guiding others in their faith journey into full membership of the church.
Paul completed his teacher training at Mt St Mary College, Strathfield and Macquarie University, in Sydney. Paul then completed a Graduate Diploma in Educational Leadership at the Australian Catholic University, and later a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Theology from the Sydney College of Divinity. His ‘long essay’ for the Masters was a critique of the positions taken in Inter-faith dialogue.
Paul has held various positions of responsibility in four Sydney Catholic Secondary colleges, including that of Religious Education Coordinator. Paul then worked as a Religious Education and Curriculum Adviser, and as Project Leader of 'A Sense of the Sacred', a Values-across-the-curriculum initiative in Sydney Catholic secondary schools. More recently, Paul was responsible for secondary Religious Education in the Sydney Archdiocesan schools.
Paul is one of a number of oblates who have responded to a call to some form of more public ministry or renewal in the church in Australia.
