Message Stick Relay Tas

Message Stick Relay Tasmania

		The Message Stick Relay is still being planned by coordinator Kara Williams. For further information or to register interest either contact Kara via the Secretariat on (08) 8223 5244 or download the Expression of Interest form here, fill out and fax to the NATSICC office.


	INTRODUCTION The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) has called on the Catholic Church and all people of Australia to renew their thoughtful and prayerful responses to reconciliation through the Pass It On Message Stick Relay. The Church and the nation have been invited to renew their responses to the challenges identified by Pope John Paul II in his address to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People at Alice Springs in November 1986. In his address the Pope asked that the Church and Aboriginal people work actively together for reciprocal reconciliation so that ‘the flames of reconciliation can be rekindled and past hurts healed’. He also asked that Indigenous members of the Church be encouraged and supported ‘to become, through and through, Aboriginal Christians’ by allowing them to express their Christianity in terms and symbols of their cultures. The Tasmanian Message Stick was blessed and launched by his Grace, Archbishop Doyle at a Mass at St James College in February 2006 and then began its journey around Tasmania carried by Custodians from one school or parish to another. There are two aims of the Message Stick. The first is to call all Christian people to renew our thoughtful and prayerful commitment to reconciliation with Aboriginal people. The second is to support and encourage Aboriginal People to fully participate in the Church.
	The Altar at St James with a painting by respected Aboriginal Elder Verna Nichols (left), with the other painting by a group of St James’ students showing their interpretation of Reconciliation.	St James school leaders, Laura Woolnough and Zech Knight hold the Message Stick.
	His Grace, Archbishop Adrian Doyle giving his homily at St James, Cygnet.	In his homily at the Mass for the Blessing of the Message Stick Archbishop Doyle said: ‘The Gospel passage reminds us that reconciliation, at all levels in our lives, does not have any boundaries. It is not an act, but it is a process that can be shared by all Australians. It takes time, because it has to be reborn in the heart of every human person who enters the pilgrimage of life. But I believe that the process is under way, and we have to ensure that it does not become dissipated. The very beautiful gathering today is the encouragement we need not only to pass on the Message Stick, but to pass on forgiveness and reconciliation. In passing on the Message Stick, we pass on something of ourselves.”
	Above: St James School Choir directed by Nina Thomas sing the Aboriginal Lord’s Prayer during the Mass.

	Right: St James Church with part of the congregation at the Mass for the Blessing of the Message Stick. The Mass on 24 February 2006 was celebrated by Archbishop Adrian Doyle and Parish Priest, Fr Peter Nichols In front from left to right Sr Margaret Henderson from the Catholic Education Office Religious Education Team, Mr Stuart Elliss, member of the Tasmanian Catholic Education Commission and Dr Dan White, Director of Catholic Education, Tasmania.

	The Tasmanian Message Stick will be in all schools or parishes for three days between March and August. After this, the Message Stick will be taken to Alice Springs for the NATSICC Assembly later in the year. As the Message Stick journeys around Catholic schools and parishes, the Stick itself will be painted with symbols of reconciliation by nine respected Aboriginal Artists. The students of each of the schools will, with the help of a visiting Aboriginal Artist, paint their reconciliation symbol on the Message Stick Stand. A canvas will also be painted with this symbol as a lasting reminder to the school of John Paul II’s challenge to us all. A Reconciliation Statement will also be written by the students to be framed and placed beside the painting. Schools and Parishes will be encouraged to have a deep understanding of the meaning of reconciliation, have an understanding of the reasons why NATSICC has called for this ‘Pass- It-On Relay’ and has used a mainland message stick as the symbol for it and be involved in a Mass or Prayer Service for the ‘Pass-It-On Message Stick.”	Message Stick on its Stand The Custodians with Aboriginal Elder Verna Nichols who painted the first Reconciliation Symbol on the Message Stick.

	Above: While the Message Stick was at St Joseph’s School Queenstown, students working with Aboriginal Artist Leah Willoughby painted their representation of Reconciliation. The painting represents the Aboriginal and present day inhabitants connection with the land. Today the land is being cared for. The petroglyph represents the traditional owners.	Custodians Jo Craddock and Sr Colleen Power carry the Message Stick from the church to begin the journey to Smithton.

	Greg Lehman, Manager of Aboriginal Education, Department of Education, Dr Dan White, Director of Catholic Education and Ronna Butler, Coordinator, Aboriginal Education after the Mass.