REFLECTING THE FATHER'S GAZE | KAIROS GLOBAL | APRIL 2024

Author: Jibson Bivera

Intro: In a special encounter, Jibson Bivera engages in a fascinating dialogue with Bishop Michael McCarthy of Rockhampton Diocese, Australia, during his visit to India, unravelling intriguing insights and perspectives.

Good morning, Bishop!

Good morning! I recall all those who read this magazine of Jesus Youth. Good morning! Especially to the young readers. Each one of you is very close to our God. It's a great pleasure to share a few words with you.

 Last July, I visited Lisbon for World Youth Day. It was an incredible experience to witness over two million young people gathering in Lisbon to welcome the Holy Father and spend time together in faith, particularly drawing closer to God.

Our group of thirty-three pilgrims from the Diocese of Rockhampton travelled via Madrid and Avila, stopping at the places associated with St. Teresa and St John of the Cross. These two remarkable saints within our tradition; St Teresa, known for her profound prayer life, believed that her connection with God was nurtured through prayer and spending time in his presence. St John of the Cross wrote very beautiful poetry, inspired by the Song of Songs. Some of my favourite parts say, I watch my beloved coming, my beloved, who loves me. And this is the marvellous relationship God wants with us and reaches out to all of us; that we are the beloved of our God. And as Pope Francis talks about, we're under the Father's gaze as he looks out for us, and makes sure that we are safe, makes sure that we are ensured of his love that is for each one of us. Then we moved down to Salamanca, and then down to Lisbon. Some of the messages of the Holy Father were profound: It is Jesus who calls each one of you by name. Isn’t that marvellous? Jesus calls each one of us by name. My name is Michael. He calls me Michael, as he calls each one of you.

Our families hold significant importance. Could you share with us some insights about your family and childhood experiences?

I was born in Toowoomba, in 1950, and grew up on a dairy farm. For the first part of my life, I spent the time in the dairy, milking cows and chasing them through the paddocks. Also ploughing the fields and getting them ready to plant food crops like wheat, barley, oats and corn. We went to the local parish each Sunday for Mass and we had wonderful priests to look after us. The religious sisters would come from Toowoomba, thirty kilometres away, to prepare us for the sacraments. I have one brother who is younger than I and who lives in Caloundra in Queensland.

For secondary school, I was sent to the Sacred Heart Fathers’ Boarding College in Toowoomba. For four years, I undertook secondary education. For three years after that, I went to the Institute of Technology in Toowoomba, where I studied science and graduated with a degree, and then for four years I worked at BHP, the steelmaking company of Australia, as an industrial chemist. It was at that time I came to encounter YCW – Young Christian Workers. Working with young people and enjoying their company, together we would reflect on the gospel each week. The faith experience I had here was truly beautiful, being surrounded by peers and young people. This encouraged and nurtured my faith, it was there that I felt the call to priesthood and went to the seminary, and then was ordained for the Archdiocese of Brisbane.

My parents surrounded me with the precious gift of faith, shaping my spiritual journey. And then all whom I worked with and went to school with, and even through university days, through the Queensland Institute of Technology. Our teacher in second year, took us through a course in English which included the poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins, the great Jesuit, and spiritual writer. Gerard Manley Hopkins is famous for his beautiful poetry as he describes God – God in his life, God in the lives of others, and God in the environment.

Bishop, were ordained as a Jesuit priest?

No, I was always a diocesan priest. I work for the Archdiocese of Brisbane, but the Jesuits were very much a part of our diocese in Australia. There were Jesuit priests working in retreat centres, leading retreats, but they also worked in big colleges, and also in parishes in Australia.

Bishop, could you take a moment to recollect and share with us the journey of your call to priesthood? Your insights into this pivotal moment in your life would undoubtedly inspire many who are also discerning their own paths.

I was working as an industrial chemist, loved the work and enjoyed the social life as well as the church life as part of my growing up. But there was a real sense of someone – and that was God – who was calling me to look at the priesthood. Through discernment, discernment with other priests, retreats, and also vocation weekends, I felt that real yearning to give my life in a new and different way. And while I'm very much an industrial chemist at heart, I still feel that yearning to give my life totally to God in the service of his people through the priesthood.

As a young Catholic youth, what were the challenges you faced? And what compelled you to lead a life dedicated to Jesus Christ.

My primary education was at a local state school, where everyone was Catholic. We shared the same faith and the same ideals, through high school, and even in college. It was a very supportive environment. Once at university, things changed a lot because all of my classmates were of different faiths, some also with no faith. And it was a very different environment. We did not discuss religion at all because we were there to study science and to prepare ourselves for the workforce.

The challenges were that I had to look for faith in a different environment and that was always through the Church. And then at work, it was YCW that I drifted into, which was the apostolic group founded by Joseph Cardijn, back before the Second World War. It was for young Christian workers to come together each week, to reflect on the gospel, to see, judge and act. And that had an incredible framework for my life, and helped to reflect on the gospel. Seeing Jesus at work, and to judge, how am I fitting into there? And then, how can I be a disciple of his, and then acting on that.

When we first met, I remember you mentioning that you knew the Rex Band, and were familiar with Jesus Youth. How did you come to encounter the movement? 

My encounter with the Jesus Youth movement was through the Emanuel Community of the Archdiocese of Brisbane. And being one of the new communities within Brisbane, Emmanuel is in contact with all the other different apostolic youth groups including Jesus Youth. Before one of Emmanuel's great conferences, Ignite, there coincided a programme with Youth Arise which came to Brisbane, together with Jesus Youth. And of course, the Rex Band was the centre of their worship and praise with beautiful contemporary music, and that gets your inner soul moving. So, it's a lovely way of being able to praise God through their beautiful music.

Bishop, being in India, meeting different communities and seeing the challenges youth face living in a multicultural and multi-religious environment, what do you have to say to the youth?

The purpose of my visit was to visit the families of priests working in the Diocese of Rockhampton. So that's been a marvellous experience of meeting with them and saying thank you for the gift of generosity of their sons. Because it's hard. It's hard when families have their sons so long, so far away from them. And then I met many of the young people of their families, which was a great experience. But what I did celebrate, what I did notice was the joy in their hearts, and the embracing of education.

The first thing is always education. Welcome all opportunities you are given. Through education, we explore the intricate fabric of our society, our world, and our connections with one another. Catholic education serves as the bedrock of Catholic social teaching, emphasising the life and the dignity of each person and its core echoing Jesus.

The second thing is, embrace spirituality, and the spirituality that our Church offers.  The Catholic Church has been there for thousands of years. And the basis of our spirituality is Jesus Christ. So never forget Jesus Christ, the one who calls you, as our Holy Father spoke of in Lisbon, the one who invites you, the one that shows us the Father. Always stay close to Christ in your life. Read the Gospels, read the scriptures, and keep your prayer life alive. Because that's the best way we prepare for life. The third thing is to always remember your families and always ensure that they are well looked after. You know, always respect your parents. They gave you the gift of life, they are the ones that are there for you, and to support you. And I'm always proud of you for what you do.

And finally, don't forget the Church; the Church that gives you life, the Church that celebrated baptism with you, confirmation, and first Eucharist – all of these things that help us in our sacramental life, to stay close to Jesus. And then we're ready for the world. We're ready to encounter. And remember the great teaching of Jesus: love one another as I have loved you. Remember, loving others as Jesus has loved us. That will be the greatest gift that you can give to the world as you offer that gift of peace. The world at the moment needs peace. It needs peace in a big way.

A seasoned hotelier, Jibson Bivera resides in Kerala, India with his wife, Lynnee and their three children – Jaden, Joann, and Jeann.