www.catholiccemeteries.org.au

ISSUE 2 SPRING 2009

Barnet Avenue, Rookwood Phone: 02 9649 6423

Welcome to our second edition of The Journey. Spring has arrived, a time of renewal, and I am excited to share with you our plans for revitalisation and restoration of key areas in our iconic cemetery, Rookwood. Cemeteries are a place of reflection – an area to memorialise loved ones and remember the past. The preservation and protection of a cemetery is critical to our mission so as to maintain the sacred and historical character of the final resting place for many people. Simultaneously we must adapt our grounds to the changing needs of families, and we have a new initiative in St Nikalo’s lawn.

The 22nd Annual Australasian Cemeteries & Crematoria (ACCA) Conference in 2009 was held in Sydney this October, co-hosted with the International Cremation Federation. Highlights included keynote speaker Alexander Downer and the Cemetery Tour which incorporated a visit to our Catholic cemetery at Rookwood. The conference was a great success thanks to all who attended, including visitors from the International Cremation Federation.

Christmas is just around the corner and on behalf of all our staff we extend our very best wishes for a joyous Christmas and a happy, healthy and safe New Year.

Best regards,

Michael McMahon (CEO)

HOLY INNOCENTS

The response we have received to our special offer to families for the interment of the cremated remains of their stillborn babies has been positive. After a blessing of the crypt, conducted by Fr Chris Slattery of the Holy Innocents Parish at Croydon, the cremated remains of two stillborn babies were laid to rest in this special place. The child’s name and date of death are individually inscribed onto the crypt panel. Catholic Cemeteries are donating free interment, resting place and memorial to families for the cremated remains of their stillborn babies – an offer that could save families thousands of dollars.

REMEMBERING ALL FATHERS

Our 2009 Fathers’ Day Mass was held on a perfect winter’s day, attracting a large gathering of 350 to Mary Mother of Mercy Chapel Rookwood.After an opening welcome by our CCB Chairman, Mr. Peter Ward, Father Chris Slattery from the Holy Innocents’ Catholic Church, Croydon, led the Mass assisted by young ladies from Santa Sabina College with the Beale Music Ensemble who lead the congregation in songs of praise.At the conclusion of the liturgy the congregation was invited to the Mary, Mother of Mercy Condolence lounge to share food and refreshments. “We remember and pray for all Fathers , whether they are present today or no longer with us, but remain in our hearts. Fathers are the cornerstone of our lives and our faith, not only as fathers in our family but as God, or our priests, our spiritual fathers” said Michael McMahon on the importance of the Fathers’ Day service. We would like to thank WN Bull, Funeral Directors, for their ongoing support and contribution. Celeste Catering helped make the afternoon memorable.

• Sacred and blessed ground • Multiple locations and multiple options for pre-need, cremation

and burial arrangements• Special services including memorial services, monthly mass,

All Souls Day Mass• Reasonable and competitive rates• Perpetual care of memorials and cemeteries• A place of familiar symbols of our faith • A continuation of family traditions

WHY CHOOSE CATHOLIC CEMETERIES AND CREMATORIA?

THE JOURNEY ISSUE 2 SPRING 2009 www.catholiccemeteries.org.au

In order to continue to provide a final resting place for the Croatian community, we have made pre-need graves available in a new monumental lawn area.The Croatian presence in Australia dates back to the gold rush of the mid-1880s. However, the Croatian community in Sydney began to grow in the 1930s, and by the 1960s and 70s several community organisations, cultural, social and sporting groups have been established, mostly based around Fairfield.Croatians have a profoundly Catholic heritage that is critical to their culture, language and traditions. It was decided that the new area should be named after the Patron Saint of Croatia, Saint Nikola Tavelic – a martyr and the most famous Croatian Franciscan (born around 1340). These lawns are now available for purchase.

How did you first begin working in the industry?Matt W: I took part in a 6 month Land Environment Action Program at Rookwood in 1994 learning the essentials of horticulture, propagation, site preparation, planting out and maintenance.Matt T: I started working in a friend’s landscaping and mowing business.Justin: I started through an apprentice program.

What makes you passionate about your work?Justin: At the end of the day, I like walking away knowing that the gardens look good for the public.Matt T: I enjoy working outdoors and getting my hands dirty.Matt W: Seeing the changes occur in the gardens over the seasons and years. Seeing the birds enjoy the gardens as they flower and seeing how my work makes people happy.

What do you hope to achieve in your role at CCC?Justin: I want to finalise my apprenticeship and become qualified.Matt T: To gain as much experience and knowledge as possible and to increase the quality of the CCC gardens.Matt W: I hope to continually raise the level of workmanship in the grounds and cheer people up, easing their suffering through the gardens. I hope to instill quality and knowledge in our apprentice (Justin) to the best of my abilities.

What’s your favorite thing to do when not working?Matt T: Sleeping!Justin: Hang out with my mates, rock climb, paintball, extreme sports.Matt W: Watching documentaries, Futurama , anything to do with parrots.

Thought for the day?Justin: ‘Life’s a garden – Dig It”Matt W: A wise man once said ‘life is like a guitar, pull the string too tight and it will snap, too loose and it won’t make a sound, therefore take the middle path and avoid extremes. This is the way to happiness.”

5 MINUTES WITH ...

THE GARDENING TEAM, MATT WILSON, MATT TEASDALE & JUSTIN WORTHINGTON

NEW CROATIAN CATHOLIC LAWN FOR ROOKWOOD

did you know? 64% of pre-need burial sites within the Catholic Cemetery at Rookwood are sold to Australian/Ethnic Catholic communities such as Italian, Lebanese Maronite, Croatian, Polish and Vietnamese.

Barnet Avenue, Rookwood Phone: 02 9649 6423

STAFF NOTICE BOARD

IN THE SPOTLIGHT ...WINE AND CHEESE EVENING

Over 45 funeral directors attended Mary, Mother of Mercy Condolence lounge in September for an informal evening to enjoy some fine wine and cheeses. It was a great opportunity for our staff and management to get to know those funeral directors on a more informal basis, and a chance for attendees to socialise with others in the industry. A short behind-the-scenes tour was conducted of the crematorium, and thanks to Phil Slattery(Liberty Funerals) who commented he was “in awe of the world-class chapel and lounge!”Everyone went home with a gift bag of wine and chocolates. Congratulations to Norm Sara (Liberty Funerals), Joanne Latu (Walters & Sons) and Vicki Paget (Monaghan & Gleeson) winners of our lucky door prizes of an IPOD, gourmet gift hamper and wine glasses with decanter!

The Stations of the Cross are a religious devotion representing the journey by Jesus Christ through his passion, death and resurrection. Commissioned in 1991, work on our outdoor Stations took four years, quarrying 15 large granite stones from South Australia which still display the marks made by drill holes used to place the explosives to mine the granite. The sculptures began with original artwork by Ingrid Morley, which were prepared in clay followed by a bronze casting via “the lost wax method”. While the large scale outdoor “Stations of the Cross” is a contemporary religious artwork, its prime purpose is for meditation and veneration.In an ongoing mission to protect and foster the sacred character of Catholic cemeteries, a major development has been commissioned to the Stations of the Cross area to create a place of peace and beauty which will allow people to reflect and remember their loved ones. The enhanced design and landscaping features include a water course commencing with a meeting area and accompanying seats, adjacent to Station No. 1. It will meander up the cemetery lawn entwined by a formal pathway complete with foot bridges, allowing access to the various Stations.

A large Pavilion with an altar will be located adjacent to the last Station – an excellent area for Masses and funeral services. It will include a skylight in the shape of the cross and a water feature that will feed into the stream.There will be disabled access, and storm water will be harvested via underground tanks. Importantly for our families there will be locations for the placement of cremated remains around the stream. The project will commence in February for completion late May 2010.

The preservation and protection of a cemetery is a critical issue for religious orders, local councils, parishes, private operators and Crown cemeteries to ensure that the grounds maintain a physical connection between the past descendants and the future generations, and form part of our country’s rich heritage. Issues for consideration include:Maintenance – ongoing preservation of trees, both native and exotic, and any remnant stands of native vegetation. Continuing eradication of weeds and invasive trees is needed to ensure the quality and historical importance of the plots and monuments.Monuments – memorials are an important part of the cemetery heritage and character. Monuments collapsing and breaking is a real tragedy, let alone the public safety issues, and appropriate maintenance and public-risk assessments need to be undertaken to mitigate increasing insurance premiums, reduce risk and maintain a safe place to visit. Landscaping – features such as fencing, gates, paths and drainage also make up the rich heritage and need to be preserved to protect the character of the cemetery.

Cemetery Records – these tell the story of those interred and the history of the cemetery and so require conservation with duplicate sets stored in a safe place. Electronic scanning or copying and a provision of electronic master copies are essential to protect records for future generations.Vandalism and Graffiti – Perimeter fences and regular security patrols aren’t always possible, but providing a visually-open and accessible cemetery provides scrutiny from passing traffic, so screening trees should be removed.Plan of Management – to ensure adequate conserv-ation and care of the cemetery, a Plan of Management should be prepared to understand the current and future needs of a cemetery and the financial resources required. Catholic Cemeteries & Crematoria has a long tradition and history of helping people with their cemetery management and we would be pleased to assist any parish, local authority or trust in any of the matters raised in this article. Please contact Michael McMahon (Chief Executive Officer) on (02) 8713 5700.

CONSERVATION CONNECT: CEMETERY CARE FOR THE FUTURE

Welcome New StaffJoe Di Maggio, Maintenance StaffAlex Alexandru, Maintenance StaffNew ChallengesBrett Willoughby, CrematoriumStaff AchievementsBrian Grono, Excavator, Skid steer loader and Backhoe TicketsRobin Bennett and Lauren Hardgrove, Senior First Aid. Customer Service team attended Understanding Grief and Loss course (Conducted by Calvary Hospital)CongratulationsAlex Alexandru, getting married in Italy in December 09John Manning, became a grandfather Service MilestonesGraham Allat – 14 YearsMick Spicer – 13 YearsJohn Richardson – 12 YearsLorraine Ewing – 7 YearsSunitha Muralidhar – 6 Years

STATIONS OF THE CROSS MORTUARY