OSOS

Emmanuel CentreA SELF HELP CENTRE For People with Disabilities25 Windsor St Perth WA 6000Tel: (08) 9328 8113 (Voice)(08) 9328 9571 (TTY for Deaf & Hard of Hearing)

SMS 0401 016 399 Fax: (08) 9227 9720Email: EmmanuelCentre@westnet.com.au

Facebook Emmanuel https://www.facebook.com/Emmanuel-Centre-Perth-431678073532315/ Catholic Ministry with Deaf and Hard of Hearinghttps://www.facebook.com/CADHOPWA

EMMANUEL NEWS – MARCH 2018(Check before coming, could be changed. Look inside for more info.)

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WED THU FRI SAT4 Mar

9.30am: Mass at St Francis Xavier Church (Interpreter & PowerPoint) followed by morning tea

5 MarLabor Day

Public HolidayNo Programme

6 Mar9.30-10.30am: Painting (Geoff)11am-12.30pm: Scrapbooking

(Sharon)/ Community Activities 1-2pm Bible Study

7 Mar

10am – 1pm : Men’s Shed

Meeting

8 Mar 9 Mar 10 Mar

11 Mar9.30am: Mass at St Francis

Xavier Church (Interpreter & PowerPoint)

12 Mar9.45-10.45: Craft (Challenger)11am-12.30pm: Cooking; Spinning

(Judy)

13 Mar9.30-10.30am: Painting (Geoff)11am-12.30pm: Community

Activities 1-2pm Bible Study

14 Mar 15 Mar 16 Mar 17 MarSt Patrick’s

Family Film Night

18 Mar9.30am: Mass at St Francis

Xavier Church (Interpreter & PowerPoint)

10.30am-12pm: Auslan Café12 -2pm Deaf MHFA PD3.30-5.30pm: Auslan Playgroup

19 Mar9.45-10.45: Craft (Challenger)11am-12.30pm: Cooking; Spinning

(Judy)

20 Mar9.30-10.30am: Painting (Geoff)11am-12.30pm :Community

Activities. 1-2pm Bible Study

21 Mar 22 Mar 6pm: Seder

Meal

23 Mar 24 Mar

25 Mar9.30am: Palm Sunday Mass at

St Francis Xavier Church (Interpreter & PowerPoint)

26 Mar9.45-10.45: Craft (Challenger)11am-12.30pm: Cooking; Spinning

(Judy)

27 Mar9.30-10.30am: Painting (Geoff)11am-12.30pm: Community

Activities1-2pm: Bible Study7pm: Chrism Mass (St Mary’s)

28 Mar 29 Mar7pm: Holy Thursday(St Mary’s)

30 Mar3pm: Good Friday(St Mary’s)

31 Mar

1 Apr9.30am: Easter Sunday Mass at

St Francis Xavier Church (Interpreter & PowerPoint) followed by morning tea

2 AprEaster MondayPublic HolidayNo Programme

3 Apr9.30-10.30am: Painting (Geoff)11am-12.30pm: Weaving Wool

(Lesley Community Activities Lunch. 1-2pm: Bible Study

4 Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 7 Apr

8 Apr9.30am: Mass at St Francis

Xavier Church (Interpreter & PowerPoint)

9 Apr9.45-10.45: Craft (Challenger)11am-12.30pm: Cooking; Spinning

(Judy)

10 Apr9.30-10.30am: Painting (Geoff)11am-12.30pm: Cheese Boards/t

Games (Lesley). Community Activities.Lunch. 1-2pm:Bible Study

No Programmes during the Term Holiday.Activities will start again on Monday 30 April 2018.

BERRIES FALLING FROM HEAVEN

Recently the huge Moreton Bay Fig trees have been a haven for hundreds of birds of all sorts who have feasted on the berries which have the same effect that alcohol has on humans. The Parking area at Emmanuel Centre has become a blanket of

squashed sludge that is only shifted by constant sweeping. Two students from Chisholm College kindly helped in the never

ending sweeping task.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

CHALLENGE

PHOTO PAINTING

PAINTING CLASS THIS TERM WORKING ON

1) My choice2) Matching colours3) Painting a picture

Monday’s Challenge Program

Winter OlympicsCOPY OF PICTURE TO

PICTURE PAINT

Living Lent Every DayLike many others around me, when I was growing up there was no thought about any kind of “Lent” every day. As a child I was so happy when Lent was finished. During Lent our family gave up many things that were important to us. For me it was Lollies. Somehow Lent made lollies more attractive. Lent was not only about “giving up”, it was also about “doing” something good. Going to church at different times during the week. For example, we would ‘do’ the Stations of the Cross where the priest and altar boys (no girls then) would go around the church stopping to pray at each ‘Station’ which was a small

painting depicting 14 events of Jesus’ journey from the Garden of Gethsemane to Jesus’ burial. Holy Hours, too, we attended mid week and of course the Desolata (with Mary on Good Friday night). This was a Servite tradition often held in a dark church with voices coming from somewhere in the church from places we were never sure of.

This year, though it seems different. This year the priest’s homily for the Mass on Ash Wednesday brought home to me that what we can think about and the actions we take during Lent do not have to be reserved for the 40 days of Lent. I realise now that I can live Lent every day. If I am going to “Repent and believe the Good News” which the minister of the Ashes said to me when he gave me the Ashes, then I can only do that, if I turn my life around. I ask myself how I can do that.

A friend of mine, Lisa, shared with me how her life seemed to be one big mess. Everything she did seemed to go wrong and she had heard people talk about Lent and asked me if I was into all that fasting stuff. Lisa asked me, how did I ‘do’ Lent? She made me think. Had I fallen into a pattern of “doing” things during Lent?

I began to ask myself do I love Lent? A lot of folk don't have all that much affection for the season. Many Christians have come to think of it in negative terms; however, Lent is not about hair shirts, solemn countenances and the like. Rather, it is a positive, strengthening, lovely spiritual experience, and if I want to grow in my love of God and my neighbour, then it is possible to, like Christmas, live Lent every day. This idea will give me a clearer vision of the Risen Christ, come Easter.

The priest at the Ash Wednesday mass encouraged us to every night before going to sleep think about 3 things for which I can thank God for during the day. The more I looked for things I could thank God for; I could see there were many more things for which I could thank God. For example, I began to thank God for every breath that I take every day.

I also reflect on those things that were not so positive where, in fact, my behaviour was not helpful to the people. I began to ask myself, “How could I have done things differently.

I began to do this and my life changed dramatically. I understood what “Believe the Good News” meant. I realised that I did not have to do this alone. The Good News for me is that I can change for the better because Jesus is our Emmanuel (our God with us).

I think one of the areas with which I struggle is to reflect at the end of the day and ask, Was I truly present to the people I encountered today? Was I giving people my full attention or was I thinking about how I could solve their problems? Did I want the people to leave as quickly as possible because I had another appointment? I realised that the only real time I have is the now. I meet people during the day/night. I believe that our meetings are no accident but rather that our meetings are part of the plan of God. That moment will never come again because each of us change and are never the same from one meeting to another.

An insight for me this Lent is, if I stop thanking God for the many gifts I have been given, I become complacent and I begin to feel that I “deserve” the good things that happen to me and I feel no responsibility for the negative things I do. Living Lent every day helps me not to be numb. God does not ask me to change the world. Jesus calls me to be a witness in the world that Jesus Christ has already changed.

DID YOU MISS OUT ON A PLACE AT THE TABLE FOR THE SEDER MEAL

LAST YEAR? TO AVOID THE

DISAPPOINTMENT,

REGISTER YOUR NAME NOW Ou Seder Meal will be held on Thursday 22nd March at 6pm.

Where: Emmanuel Centre, 25 Windsor St, PerthFr Paul provides commentary drawing out our Catholic identity and the close connections of what happened at the Passover in Egypt as written in the Scriptures, the Commemoration of the Passover meal with Jesus and what happens at the Passover meal in our Eucharist today.

Space is limited. If you’re interested, call us on 9328 8113 to check if any spot is still available.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Children are welcome. Contact Barbara, Fr Paul or JudithTel: (08) 9328 8113 (Voice), (08) 9328 9571 (TTY for Deaf & Hard of Hearing)

SMS 0401 016 399 Email: emmanuelcentre@westnet.com.au, Fax: (08) 9227 9720

EMMANUEL CENTRE’S MEN’S SHED

COMES ALIVE IN PERTHThirty five people came to Emmanuel Centre to share a

Cambodian meal and hear Fr Charles Dittmeier speak of his experiences in Cambodia.

Fr Charles Dittmeier, is a priest working with Deaf people in Cambodia for the last 17 years. Fr Charlie’s last visit to Emmanuel Centre was in 1986. All of us were younger then. Before Fr Charlie shared some of his experiences in Cambodia our local Catholic Deaf Community realising that a trip to Cambodia was too expensive, decided to cook a typical rural Cambodia dish. Deaf and Hearing people researched the recipes and chose a variety to show the complexity of .Cambodian dishes. As one would expect, lots of rice is an important ingredient. Fr Charlie admitted that he is not a cook. However, after 17 years Charlie has eaten many Cambodian meals. Because he travels all over the country, he is familiar with the regional dishes. Everyone came early and soon all was ready. Something like MKR all eyes were on Fr Charlie as he tasted the dishes. He gave us high praise when he said, “I can taste the spices.” Relief. Some people went back for seconds and third helpings.After the meal, Fr Charlie showed some short videos about his work and talked about culture of the country. Because they were not exposed to language, deaf people there are regarded as being ‘crazy’ and Fr Charlie had been told that he could not do anything with a crazy person. Most deaf people in Cambodia are locked away and Fr Dittmeirer recounted how he travels long distances to find deaf people. The belief is that there are about 51,000 deaf people in Cambodia but it is hard to see them as they are often locked away.Being in danger of being locked up in prison because of Deafness is not the only danger. As a residue of many years of conflict, the country is riddled with land mines. Fr Charlie produced a wooden model of a land mine and ensured us that it was not a real mine. About every four days, someone in Cambodia, steps on a mine and is severely injured or killed. Over time, some of the roads became relatively safe because people who have travelled that road before them have detonated the mines by stepping on them. Those small mines take less than a kilogram of pressure to detonate. What people did not realise was that there were plenty of anti-tank mines in the road and these detonate with about 230 kg. People walking on these did not set them off. However, as more and more farmers begin using tractors on the road the weight of the tractor sets off the anti-tank mines. Imagine the anxiety of never knowing, if it will be your time to set off a mine!Schooling for students who are deaf is very limited. It begins with learning sign language so some communication skills are developed. The audience was shocked to learn that there are no toilets or electricity in the school. The children are provided with a uniform, meals and a place to sleep because many of the students live hundreds of kilometres from the school.Students are taught Cambodian Sign Language. which Fr Charlie helped to develop. The Deaf Development Project also provides interpreting service. DDP has a fully operational barber shop and a classroom for learning sewing. After students graduate they are provided with a loan to establish their own businesses. We were blessed to have Fr Dittmeier share his Cambodian experiences. Project Compassion is not all about numbers. Project Compassion is real people with real needs who make the journey from “crazy” to people with practical skills to serve their communities.

IN THE DEAF COMMUNITY+ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++

ST PATRICKS DAY FAMILY FILM NIGHT

A Family Funny Movie will be shown which is suitable for adults and children.

Popcorn and Cans of drink will be available to buy. AUSLAN INTERPRETER PRESENT

WHEN: Saturday17th March, 6pm

WHERE: Emmanuel Centre, 25 Windsor Street, PerthAll welcome.

Bring along a picnic meal or use the BBQ

Contact Emma emmanuelcentre@westnet.com.au

Auslan EventsSunday, 18th March 2018

Auslan Café: Everyone is welcome to learn Auslan, no previous Auslan knowledge required. 10:30AM–12PM at Emmanuel Centre, 25 Windsor Street, Perth.

Mental Health Professional Development Meeting for Deaf Community members who have already done the Mental Health First Aid Course: 12–2PM at Emmanuel Centre, 25 Windsor Street, Perth.

Auslan Playgroup: 3:30-5:30PM. For children to learn Auslan in a fun way. Contact Emma for location/ other details (emmanuelcentre@westnet.com.au).

___________________________________________________________________________Newsletter

If you would like to receive Emmanuel Centre’s Newsletter; give us your name and address and tell us how you want it: * Braille * Mail/Email * Large Print * Or other format, * Audio CD please let us know. Email: emma n u el c e n t r e @w e s t n et . c o m . a u Website: w w w . emma nu e l ce n t r e . c o m . a u Facebook: w w w .f ace book. c o m / a u s la n . li v e SMS: 0401 016 399 TTY: 08 9328 9571FAX: 08 9227 9720 VOICE: 08 9328 8113

COME AND JOIN US FOR THESE EASTER CELEBRATIONS

HO

LY W

EE

K 2018

PLEASE BE SEATED AT LEAST 15 MINUTES BEFORE START OF SERVICE

Technology breaking barriers for people with disability(Article and photo from link disability magazine).

Nick Allan is totally blind, but he can still tell who's sitting in front of him, what age they are and if they are smiling or frowning. All thanks to his phone.

The 43-year-old, who is Vision Australia's Access Technology technical lead, is using a new app, Seeing AI which describes nearby scenarios and people, and reads facial expressions, text and objects. It can also read barcodes, allowing the vision impaired to pay their own bills. Mr Allan says advances in technology are helping him navigate a world designed for the able-bodied.

"I can't say that a lot of things are easy, but at least they are doable now, whereas they weren't before," he says. "You are more likely to try things you wouldn't have tried before, because it is more likely to work for you now."

Seeing AI is one of many apps and devices helping people with a disability gain more control over their lives and decrease dependence on others.

Guide Dogs Victoria recently launched a pilot program to help the visually impaired navigate inside public buildings. Beacons installed at various locations inside Southern Cross Station connect to Blindsquare, a free GPS app, which uses smartphones to provide directional advice. For those unable to use hands, a device allows the cursor to be controlled with movement of the mouth. For those who have a learning disability such as dyslexia, Word documents can read aloud with simultaneous highlighting, increase text spacing and breaking words into syllables to improve concentration and comprehension.

Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Microsoft's chief accessibility officer, is in Melbourne to launch the Seeing AI app in Australia. Ms Lay-Flurrie, who is severely and profoundly deaf, says technology can remove barriers and create a level playing field for people with a disability. She says Microsoft is building accessibility into its Windows operating systems and Office suite to cater to the one billion people with a disability worldwide.

"Technology has got an incredible part to play," Ms Lay-Flurrie says. "We have got features embedded into those products that could empower a lot of people. We just put colour-blindness filters into Windows 10, we put eye-control into Windows ... we are hoping it will help someone with MND [Motor Neurone Disease] be able to communicate where you type using your eyes and it will speak for you. I think we have come a long way, I think we have got a lot to do."

Ms Lay-Flurrie says she uses a variety of tools every day, including video calling, real-time captioning and voice transcribers. "I think accessibility is something every company should be thinking about; every company should be looking for products that give the best experience for all customers and employees," she says. "We have the power to include, and that's what we should do; we have the power to exclude, and that's no good for no one."

Almost 30 years ago Graeme Smith started Ability Technology, an organisation geared towards finding the right technological help for people with a disability. Since then there has been enormous advancements in technology covering every aspect of life for people with a disability.

"It helps people write, it helps people speak, it helps them organise their life, manage their finances, education, recreation ...," Dr Smith says. "People with disability sometimes use technology to develop music, to do photography, to do artwork, write poetry."

Dr Smith says technology is also helping people with disability enter the workforce. "You see people with disabilities who are judges, lawyers, politicians," he says. "As people become more competent partly through technology then there is a snowball effect. … Because people may have pity, people with disability might be seen as [being on] welfare ... [but] attitudes are forced to change."

Mr Allan says without technology he wouldn't be able to do what he does. "Without computers that talk, mobile phones that talk, you wouldn't be able to perform any office job these days," he says.

For Mr Allan it is about not having to ask for help. "It gets tiring to always rely on other people and other people's timeline," he says. "The use of technology means there is less reliance on other people to get things done. And that's comforting for me ... and independence." Seeing AI is a free app currently available for I-phones.

JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE DOES THE WRONG THING WE ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM DOING WHAT’S RIGHT.”

ON THE YEAR OF YOUTHPope Francis has dedicated the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. to be focused on the theme of "Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment." Pope Francis noted: "The theme, an expression of the pastoral care of the Church for the young, is consistent with the results of the recent Synod assemblies on the family and with the content of the post-Synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia. Its aim is to accompany the young on their journey to maturity so that, through a process of discernment, they discover their plan for life and realize it with joy, opening up to the encounter with God and with human beings, and actively participating in the edification of the Church and of society of youth.PREPARATIONS FOR THE YEAR OF YOUTH

We at Emmanuel were very much encouraged by the pastoral message from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference on the announcement for the year of youth. What a difference it could make in 2018, if we all could support the Bishops’ desire to engage with youth in new ways and youth with

us, helping young people to encounter God and Jesus Christ. The Bishops seek to awaken love and open youth’s spirit to others so that youth find and commit “to the meaningful life God intends and so make a difference in the world.” The Year of Youth is a journey for the entire Body of Christ.

1. The Bishops acknowledge, “Throughout history, it has often been young people who have inspired renewal and change into new opportunities for witness and evangelization and to address injustice and create new opportunities for joy and hope”.

2. The Bishops rightly remind us that it is “with Christ as our ever present companion, who helps us take courageous steps for building a civilization of love where we can all become what God wants us to be”. Acknowledging that “Jesus is the Lord of risk; Jesus is not the Lord of comfort, security and ease. Following Jesus demands a good dose of courage; a readiness to trade in the sofa for a pair of walking shoes and to set out on new and unchartered paths….” The Bishops encourage Youth to listen to the questions in your lives and do not be afraid to question and to seek understanding. By doing so and prayerfully, you equip yourself to fulfil your baptismal call to become missionary disciples in today’s world.

ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY COSTTELOEArchbishop Costello calls us to “come together to engage with more young people in our church. We need to spend these next 12 months as local communities, Working Together across Parishes, High Schools, University Chaplains, Working with Church Agencies and Parents in Accompanying Teens and Young Adults of Our Church. We Are Called to Walk with Them and Engaging Young People across All Areas of the Church.”

YEAR OF YOUTH AND THE 2020 PLENARY COUNCILThe Year of Youth is an excellent introduction to and a preparation for the Plenary Council. As Pope Francis says ““A synodal Church is a Church which listens, which realises that listening ‘is more than simply hearing’. It is a mutual listening in which everyone has something to learn. Any dialogue about Church must include youth. There are many youth who, while not active church members, can speak to the church in a way that can lead us to be truly the church of God.

YEAR OF YOUTH AND YOUTH WITH DISABILITIESThe Year of Youth will see many activities to which young people are invited to participate. The Year of Youth is for ALL youth, those who are actively involved in Church and those presently not connected. Among the latter will be youth with disability, who are often not engaged through no fault of their own. Maybe because access has meant a battle to get into a venue….or because the accessible publicity didn’t happen. (Videos need to be captioned and Auslaned.) There are many young people with disability who are very capable individuals and could be part of any presentation team.

YEAR OF YOUTH ITS OBJECTIVES AND ITS OPERATIONSThe aims of The Year of Youth include:

Engaging Church leaders in the challenges and success in young people’s lives; Acknowledging the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church; Upholding the dignity of young people. A very important step in this process is to acknowledge the reality of what is happening with young people recognising their gifts and talents

WE BELIEVE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME CORE BELIFS DRIVING THE YEAR OF YOUTHAll people (including young people) are made in the Image and Likeness of God; All people (including young people) make up The Body of Christ (if one part missing, the whole Body suffers); All people (including young people) are on a journey together in Jesus. In a similar way the disciples on their journey to Emmaus shared their story with Jesus we share with each other the many stories of Jesus at work in our lives.

At a meeting recently with parents of people with disabilities at Emmanuel Centre, one mother said “The Year of Youth is an important initiative, one that needs to be embraced by us all. The future of the church will depend on the faith and commitment of all our young people. It is not easy to be a young committed Catholic, in our increasing secular society, where Christian values are constantly challenged and often ridiculed. It is even more challenging when you are a young person with a disability. I pray that those involved in the planning the Year of Youth will ensure that people with disabilities are included: that publicity is accessible and that every effort to reach out to them is taken. Young people with disabilities through their engagement and participation, challenge, inspire and encourage us to be the inclusive, compassionate and caring community Christ calls us to be.

If the Year of Youth activities do not provide opportunities for meeting Jesus in our lives, the high aims and vision of the Australian Bishops will not see the light of day. Seeing the face of Jesus in people we meet will help us to project his face to others and journey together in Joy.