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PPC

Summer School

PPC City of Melbourne 2004

On Thursday, 27^th May, fifteen legionaries began the P.P.C. for the Business District of Melbourne on behalf of Fr. Wahid Riad at St. Augustine ’s Church in Bourke Street , Melbourne .

The visitation began from the heart of the city in Bourke Street and gradually went out in a northerly and southerly direction to Latrobe and Jeffcott Streets on the north and Flinders Street on the south.

It was decided to visit the business and commerce sections during the day and the housing apartments in the evening.

In all, nine pairs were sent out the first day and most worked the morning, afternoon and evening sessions.

St. Augustine ’s Church was our meeting point and we were lovingly and generously cared for by the parishioners there.     The routine was that we returned to the Church between 12.30 and 1.00 p.m. for the midday Mass at 1.05 and thereafter were fed an assortment of sandwiches and cakes (sometimes) together with refreshments.   We would go out again at about 2.00 p.m. and return at about 4.30 to 5.00 p.m., say the prayers of the Church together with the community and go out again at about 5.30 to 5.45 p.m. until 7.30 p.m.      A variety of wonderful meals were provided by the Parishioners of St. Augustines and were heated and eaten back at Magnificat House at around 8.00 p.m. each evening.

The team reported an excellent reception on the part of the business and commercial sector of the city.    There were very few knockbacks and most willingly accepted the pamphlet setting out the Mass times and various activities of the Church.     A variety of places were visited  such  as Owen Dixon Chambers (the Barristers’ Chambers) in William Street where we were permitted to pin the notices on both Notice Boards, The Commonwealth Police and Crimes Commission, a great range of Hotels and Lounges and several dubious men’s Clubs.  All received us courteously and accepted our brochures for their notice boards.     Others were given miraculous medals, holy cards, rosary beads and an assortment of spiritual literature.

As there are many high-rise apartments in this area, we attempted to visit all these personally.     Father Wahid had instructed us that he wished us to speak personally with every resident rather than just letter dropping into their boxes.     This proved a most formidable task as we had to call their apartment number on the outside intercom and introduce ourselves and our mission without being able to see them and knowing that they could see us.   This was not always so fruitful.     Many cut us off before we finished and others politely said they were not interested or were fine.   There were those also that said they were Christians and attended another Church, which was great for them to witness to their faith and for us to encourage them in it.  There were also one or two who got very angry, but these were few and far between.

On the third day, Saturday, 29^th May, 2004 , a team of 12 people converged on the Docklands Apartments.       We were very fortunate to have an inside contact through Father Wahid in a Mr. Peter Kelly who was the Manager in the Concierge Office and was most helpful in giving us the details of the apartments, their numbers and the whereabouts of the intercom systems.     The Docklands presently consists of four major towers, Nolan, Palladio, Arkley and Boyd, which have approximately 24 floors and up to 11 apartments per floor.

It was a very cold and windy day and as the team were turning blue, we finished up around 4.30 p.m.

It was a little disappointing in that many were not home but there were several really good contacts like a young couple just arrived from New Zealand with a little baby whom they wish to have baptised and a young woman in great need who although she said she was an atheist, accepted a miraculous medal and willingly accepted the fact that the Blessed Virgin was the Mother of all and cared exceedingly for her.

On Saturday night, the team decided to have an early night in preparation for the great day of  Pentecost on Sunday.      On Sunday, we had a holiday to celebrate the birth of the Church and those staying at Magnificat House attended the Charismatic Mass morning and evening at St. Augustines.      In the afternoon, we attended the completion of the  Archdiocese of Melbourne Launch Out at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the various exhibits by a great variety of groups and outreaches within the Church.

On Monday, 31^st May, 2004 ,  a team of eight once again hit the streets of Melbourne , by now advancing along the horizontal streets of Spencer, King and William.  In the evening a team covered the Grand Apartments in Flinders Street (having several significant encounters) and the other teams cover Liberty Towers at 620 Collins Street (with itw 25 floors) and Dockside Apartments in Lt. Lonsdale Street, Melbourne where a couple advised they wished their baby to be baptised and the father desires to take instruction to become a Catholic.   Everyone had experienced a great response this day and it may be significant that this was the day of Our Lady’s Visitation to St. Elizabeth.

On Tuesday, 1^st June, 2004 , a team again of ten took to the streets to finish the business sector and another couple finished the remaining apartments at the Docklands.     In the afternoon six people went to St. Kilda to help them with their Exploratio Domincalis.     In the evening six legionaries again took to the Melbourne streets to try and finish some apartments.  All seemed to be going well until both teams met with strong opposition and angry, stirred-up people.   Neither of these experiences intimidated us and we took them as signs that we were invading enemy territory.

As there were now very few places left to be visited, our evangelisation changed pace somewhat and a team of six finished the last remaining apartments in the City.

As many people were not home and did not respond to our call, we estimated that over 3000 homes and businesses were visited at which we spoke personally to 1558 different people out of which 774 accepted literature, medals, rosary beads or holy cards.

All members of the team agree that it was a wonderful experience to actually walk the streets of the heart of Melbourne and witness to God’s love for all mankind.   This was not a normal P.P.C. in that Fr. Wahid did not want us to do a Census as to the Catholics in the district but to share the Gospel and God’s love with all and welcome all people to St. Augustine ’s Church.    

As Melbourne is now very multi-cultural, we encountered many Asian students and young people who seemed to be very open to the invitation to attend the meetings at St. Augustine ’s – only time will tell.

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