From September 2023 I will be starting a period of Sabbatical leave.  In the Archdiocese of Melbourne provision is made for priests to take a Sabbatical every seven to ten years.  The idea of a Sabbatical has its roots in the Old Testament.  It goes back to the creation accounts in Genesis when God rested on the seventh day (the Sabbath).  The Book of Leviticus talks about a Sabbath year when the land is rested from being worked.  It also talks of a Jubilee year every seventh Sabbath year.  This is a time of agricultural, economic, and communal rest.  The idea of a Sabbatical has been taken up in many professions.  It is provided for in universities for academics to spend more time in renewal and research.  Other professionals, like the legal fraternity, also have Sabbatical provision.  It is similar but distinct from long service leave.  Some of you may remember that I took Sabbatical leave back in 2014 when I was completing my doctoral studies.  So, for those doing the calculations I am taking this Sabbatical after nine years not seven!  And the Sabbatical for priests is for three months not a year!

I am grateful to Archbishop Comensoli for his approval of my leave for this year.  Sabbatical leave will be a time to break from the day-to-day routine of parish ministry.  It is a time of renewal and revitalisation.  I have a number of things planned for the Sabbatical.  I am first of all heading to Italy where I will take the pilgrim way of St Francis, walking from Assisi to Rome.  Some of you may have seen me traipsing the streets of Balwyn and Kew over the last few months, desperately trying to get ‘match fit’ for the pilgrim walk.  St Francis himself followed this path a number of times in the thirteenth century.  I am looking forward to walking in his footsteps and imbibing his spirit.

From Rome I am heading to Jerusalem where I am looking forward to my first visit to the Holy Land.  I am grateful to the many parishioners and the Sisters of Zion for their advice and assistance in planning my time in Israel.  Once again, this is a significant place for Christians, Jews and Muslims of all denominations.  I am looking forward to taking in the history, culture and sacred places from our tradition.  I will then spend some time back at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium.  There I will meet with my colleagues from Leuven where we continue to undertake research and study in the area of Catholic School and Parish renewal.  Finally, I will visit my sister in New York where she heads up Mercy Global Action on behalf of Mercy International Association.  I will learn more about what the Sisters of Mercy are doing in the global arena to better the lives of vulnerable people across the world.

While I am away our parishes will continue with all the many things that make up parish life.  I am particularly grateful to Tricia Norman our Senior Pastoral Associate and Kate Baines our Stewardship Coordinator for the leadership roles that they play across our parishes and for the increased responsibility they will take on while I am away.  Together with Sally McIntosh and Nanette Giovannini they are an incredible team of service for our parish communities.  Likewise I am grateful to Fr Hoang who will pick up extra sacramental, liturgical and pastoral duties in my absence.  We are well supported by Archbishop Hart and Fr Frank.  In addition Fr Steve Tynan and Fr Cameron Forbes will assist us with regular weekend Mass supply from September through to November.

I look forward to bearing the fruit of Sabbatical leave and sharing it with you later in the year.

By Fr Brendan Reed