The Open Door Community News In this issue:

•Mornington News

•Introducing Kelly

•A note from Trish

•Jo‟s Journal

•Books we love

•Open Day 2011

•An Interview with……...

•Sacred Circle Dance

•Testimonial

•Line Dancing

•A John of God Story

•In Memoriam

•Walk the Land

HOME AT THE OPEN DOOR

(Sr Columba, The Open Door Centre Coordinator)

Life at The Open Door is a response to a modern-day interest

in spirituality. We aspire to provide an inclusive, hospitable

place for those who don‟t have a traditional background, or

who don‟t feel at ease in traditional organizations, where

people are free to explore creatively that which gives their lives

its deepest possible meaning.

However if we leave out the Traditions we are left with a

question: Can an exclusively, self-focused quest for spiritual

growth lead to a good spiritual life? I propose that for

authentic spirituality, one needs community.

Some important words associated with spirituality: Inspiration

. . . truth . . . . kindness . . . . acceptance . . . . joy . . . . love.

Most of my inspiration comes from other people. Certainly

there are times at prayer or meditation when I feel the

movement of the Spirit – but even that understanding, I have

learned from others.

These others are the same ones who inspire me with their heroic lives: living courageously with

Multiple Sclerosis; recovering a meaningful life following a stroke; coming to an awareness of a

different way of life after the death of a spouse; picking up a life after the extremely difficult

acceptance of mental illness; caring for a sick family member.

These are the people who inspire me, who help me to face the truth about myself. If I may be so

bold, these are the people with whom I share a very meaningful relationship. To me that means

community. This is where I expect and get kindness, where I feel accepted and even loved.

Let me take the importance of truth as part of the spiritual journey. Truth includes freedom from

self deception. I am not even aware most times that I am deceiving myself. To come to the truth

about myself I need others.

Joy is an important aspect of the spiritual life, too. When people gather here there is lots of

laughter: Try the Sewing Circle on Tuesday mornings if you need to enhance your immunity with

the best medicine – or Line Dancing.

I don‟t think an authentic spiritual life is possible without others and that is what the Traditions at

their best have to offer: a gathering place of equals in community.

This gathering space, the Open Door, encourages various means for exploring the spiritual life.

Community is the natural outcome.

Let us hold them with care – both spirituality and community.

May 2011

The Open Door: A Centre for Creative Spirituality meditation - tai chi - creative writing - kids workshops - line dancing - art - book club - gospel workshops - guided walks - retreats

THE OPEN DOOR IS OPENING A NEW CAMPUS IN MORNINGTON

Renovations will shortly begin and have been estimated to be completed in approximately 3 months.

Once open, Kelly will be heading down there as Administrative Coordinator. Lucky Duck!

STAY TUNED……………………………..

BREAKING

NEWS…

INTRODUCING KELLY…

Hi, my name is Kelly and I am a new team member working at

The Open Door. I have been involved with The Open Door

since the days of the Steering Committee before we were lucky

enough to find our space in Dandenong.

Before working here I participated in many of the activities and

workshops including Luke‟s Gospel, Writing for Fun, The Artist‟s

Way and much more.

My background is Child Care where most recently I was the

director of a 90 place centre. I worked in that industry for over

twenty years and I found it rewarding and fun. I am able to

incorporate everything I know about educating and caring for

children into the Kid‟s Club workshops, of course with the help

of our very talented coordinator and leaders. All the children

that join us for our workshops are treasures and we always

have a brilliant time together.

I am currently studying my Bachelor of Education online with

the University of Tasmania, which is very interesting and

challenging, with the goal of one day becoming a Primary

School Teacher. The other things I love in life are movies,

music, shopping, being an Aunty and traveling. I am lucky

enough to have traveled to many wonderful places such as

China, Canada, England, Scotland, Europe and the USA. I

hope to see more of our huge planet in the future.

The best way for me to sum up how I feel about belonging to

The Open Door is to borrow a quote from bestselling Author

Mitch Albom……

“The way you get meaning into your

life is to devote yourself to loving

others, devote yourself to your

community around you and devote

yourself to creating something that

gives you purpose and meaning.”

I think if we can all do that in life then we are pretty lucky.

Knitting is very conducive

to thought. It is nice to knit

a while, put down the

needles, write a while,

then take up the sock

again.

Dorothy Day

UPCOMING

WORKSHOPS…

•Talks on…..with Fr Elio Capra

•Writing for fun

•Tracking Group Meeting

•Kid‟s Club

•Walk the Land

•Trish‟s Table

It‟s a wonderful big house with a beautiful garden, a block from the

beach and a block from the shops.

PERFECT for the same things we love to do at The Open Door

Dandenong; meditation, retreats, tai chi, cooking and much more.

A NOTE FROM TRISH…

I would like to share with you my spiritual

journey (so far) since I started work at The

Open Door 3 years ago. Of course I didn‟t

know I was on a journey, so it has come as a

pleasant surprise. I mean, I do work at a

Spirituality centre, so that should have given

me a hint, this was no ordinary office

job………

I started by sitting in on the Meditations and

Guided Imagery sessions; they didn‟t really

grab me at first, now, I really love them and

even lead Guided Imagery. I also joined in

the Gospel readings which I didn‟t think

would interest me either, but I find them

fascinating, especially the sharing with the

group , there is just so much to know…..we

have done Mark‟s and are now on to

Luke‟s ….

I‟ve always loved nature, but up until

recently I always thought nature and people

were two separate things. I‟ve only just

found out we are one with the trees and the

birds and all the living things on this

earth…..thank you Anne…..

My next quest is to head for some spiritual

development. I am hoping I will be able to

put together some of these lovely things I

have been finding out, and find a way to

guide myself even further into this spiritual

wonderland.

None of this has been by my own doing I

must confess, we all have the beautiful

example of the Sisters we work with and

have the prayers of all the St John of God

Sisters from all over the world.

To be part of a wonderful, caring mission like

The Open Door, is a dream job come true.

JO’S JOURNAL

As I sit at my desk to write this column,

I‟m wondering where to start?

I could write about my „Easter break‟,

although it won‟t act as a travel guide enticing

you to explore our beautiful State - it may read

more like a good car‟s guide (Mum‟s taxi!).

Or I could relay my experience at the Dentist –

no horror story there though, in fact, he made a

root canal treatment equivalent to a walk in the

park.

Well, when I feel like writing and the page

blankly stares at me – here are some creative

writing exercises to try:

• Randomly pick three words from the

dictionary and tie them into one story.

Eg. “Gala, Quilt & Handful.” (Allow your story to

be illogical if need be.)

• Use a „sentence starter‟ as the first line of

your writing and see where that leads.

Eg.“I‟ll never forget…”

• Try writing a story on a topic without using

the letter „a‟ either as a word or in a word.

E.g. Friendship.

Any of these exercises set the imagination in

motion and when we open up our minds we

may find new things to write about or new

ways to write about them.

Feel welcome to give any of these a go – we‟d

love to see the results.

Our Open Day 2011 was a great success. A special thanks to our

wonderful Open Door Community who not only donated goods for the

raffles, blind auction etc……but then sold the tickets, bought them, then

continued to buy items at the auction, cooked the sausages, called the

blind auction, made the chutneys and pickles, and so much more!

We‟d also like to thank our families and friends, and the Sisters for their

wonderful support. While ultimately we were all there in aim to raise

money, the lead-up provided us all an opportunity to raise awareness

to The Open Door and St Vincent de Paul‟s hard work.

We are so grateful to you all - everybody with a community like ours

should be so lucky. Because of your generosity, we raised $1,000 for

the St Vincent de Paul Dandenong to assist them in buying blankets for

the homeless and needy over this chilly winter.

Sr Florence presenting cheque to

St Vinnies President, Annmarie Lochery

Thank you to the following sponsors…….

Peter J Hill, Charnwood Cottages Warburton, Dandenong Market,

Berwick Woodworkers Club, Bunnings Dandenong, Time for a Swim,

Garden World, Banksia Nursery Coffee Shop, National Sports Museum,

Adventure Park Geelong, Melbourne Aquarium, Good Guys Dandenong,

The Pancake Parlour Dandenong, The Commonwealth Bank,

Brooke’s Beauty Bar, Tasman Meats, East Dandenong Rotary Club,

John Garratt Publishing, Meander Books and Tip Top Bread

Kids‟ Club Word Search

F U N W O R K S H O P S N Y L

C E L E B R A T I O N N N O S

P A I N T R S E P L E H V H C

F R I E N D S H I P H E A L O

L T A O D P L A Y G E R T E O

L E O F B P U S E T I S L A K

A W E S T A Y E B N S L N R I

B S E S L I F A G T E U H N N

T L A U G H T E R E I C T I G

E T H R Y T B E D D R T H N D

K F A Y Y I R P T H O U A G A

S A Y A N N U L R E T S A E N

A R H S L G R A C E S T U N C

B C R E A T I V E P A I F U E

T H E O P E N D O O R I W E N

Circle the following words in the word search grid. You can look horizontally,

vertically, diagonally and backwards. Enjoy…

The Open Door Friendship Dance Craft

Workshops Fun Laughter Cooking

Races Basketball Play Paint

Celebration Stories Sharing Love

Creative New Learning Help

AN INTERVIEW WITH…

A NEW CORE GROUP MEMBER

Introducing Annmarie Lochery...

Tell us a little about yourself Annemarie.

I live in Dandenong and love it and I‟m currently employed as a

council officer. I am a volunteer at St Mary‟s Parish at

Dandenong where I welcome my brothers and sisters into

prayer at 8.30 mass. I am on the St Marys Parish Pastoral

team, the current President for St Vincent de Paul Dandenong, a member of the St Vincent

de Paul Refugee, asylum seeker and migrant committee, a member of the Refugee Council

of Australia and an excellent Aunt to two wonderful nieces and a nephew, and a traumatised

Brisbane Lions member (only hope it‟s for this year)

What is the most life giving aspect of what you do? Volunteering in my community allows

me to share the wonderful aspects of Dandenong, welcome new neighbours and connecting

them to our community as well as providing practical advice and aid.

What is the biggest challenge? It‟s assuring someone to feel empowered enough to take

steps on their own without me jumping in and trying to protect them from all harm.

I‟m a passionate football member of the Brisbane Lions Australian football league and the

biggest challenge is not to break my heart when we lose but to look forward to what may

come.

Where do you live at present & what do you like best about living there? I live in

Dandenong, the same street I was born in. I love that I share the produce from my vegetable

garden and meet my neighbours that way. It‟s also an easy walk into the town centre. I

currently have neighbours in our block of units from 5 different countries and learning their

culture and language which is a part of my great lifelong education.

What brought you to The Open Door? I heard about The Open Door through a friend and

then met the wonderful St John of God Sisters and then went to the Open Day last year and

have now attended workshops. The welcome that I receive when I go to The Open Door is

warm in a friendly environment.

What would bring you back? The lovely welcome and the meditation sessions and yes

the smell of the coffee.

Given that The Open Door is a Centre for Creative Spirituality – what would you like to

bring from your own faith experience? I feel that my faith empowers me through prayer, to

live life fully and to assist those in need.

What makes you laugh? Good Jokes of course, however I have kept some letters from my

Pop who was known to write some „stories‟ and jokes of his own which are quite humorous

and I like to re-read them for a bit of a laugh.

“You don't have a soul.

You are a soul.

You have a body."

- C.S. Lewis

TESTIMONIALS

(Daniel)

SACRED CIRCLE DANCE

(Conny Brandt)

Living in Dandenong for over twenty five

years I can‟t say I have found a more

peaceful place to attend and not feel any

pressure, relax and soak in the quiet and

tranquillity.

The staff at The Open Door are the ones

who have made it such a place; one where

participants are appreciated and always

welcomed.

Whether you attend meditation, line

dancing, tai chi or any of the other

multitude of programs available you are

always sure to gain some level of personal,

spiritual growth and friendships.

As with most things in our lives, it is

perseverance to gain the most benefit.

Any of the programs at The Open Door

will give you that and much more.

LINE DANCING

(Margaret)

Hi, my name is Margaret Murphy. I was

asked to write a little article on “Why Line

Dancing is Good For You”.

So I thought the best way to find this out

was to ask my Open Door class. These are

some of the answers I got.

1. It is good exercise

2. It is good for the Brain

3. It stops you from getting Dementia

(I hope this is true!)

4. Lots of laughs

5. Good Music

Last but not least, is that you form really

good friendships with your fellow dancers.

In 1976 Bernard Wosien took his dancing to Findhorn,

Scotland. It is a place where the spiritual essence of

the dance can be appreciated. They called it Sacred

Dance.

As the word „Sacred‟ can be a bit daunting it is also

known as Meditative Dancing.

We dance in a circle, dances choreographed to

classical music or original folk dances from Israel or

Greece or Eastern Europe.

My own experience takes me back to 1989 when I

was introduced to Sacred Circle Dance. I have

danced ever since. It has been my passion for years.

I have danced in various places. Especially in Europe

where there are many teachers. Friedel Kloke-Eibl,

taught by Wosien, continues with extensive courses

for teachers.

We would dance a whole week in France, or in

Germany, combined with a holiday and great

company. I also attended many workshops in the

Netherlands, where I was born. Around Melbourne I

have taught in several places.

The dancing allows a freedom of body and spirit.

Dance and music find their way to the centre of the

soul.

Let the dance move you and be moved by the dance.

Join our Sacred Circle Dancers

Mondays between 1pm – 2pm.

No partners or experience required.

A JOHN OF GOD STORY

John Ciudade (St. John of God) is the patron

saint of the sick. He is also the patron of the

Sisters of St John of God, so we have a

special claim on him at The Open Door. He

is a good man whose spiritual journey makes

a riveting story.

He was only eight when he was taken from

his parents in Portugal to live in Spain.

Granada is the city where he found his life‟s

meaning. But between leaving home and

Granada there are some formative stories.

This is one:

In his twenties – this is quite some time

before people began to call him a saint – he

joined the Spanish army in battle in the north

of Spain. When it was his shift to guard the

unit‟s booty, he fell asleep on the job. He

woke up to find the goods had disappeared –

stolen by the enemy. His commander was so

angry he ordered John‟s execution. He was

quite within his military rights. John was

saved from death at the last minute by the

intervention of a kinder officer, but he was

dishonourably discharged from the army.

So if you are having a bad day – perhaps

you have done something dishonourable or

you failed to live up to your own expectations

– you might remember John and imagine

how he felt when he was sent home in

disgrace.

After these unhappy events he didn‟t give up

– he took up his old job again – minding

other peoples‟ sheep. But of course it didn‟t

end there. He became Granada‟s favourite

son and a most lovable man.

More later……...

WALK THE LAND

(Sr Rosarii SSJG)

I think it is fair to say, that most of us are busy

with many things that keep us happily engaged

in our life journey. Therefore we need time to

pause, to find our balance, to get in touch with

our inner selves in order that we may find the

creative giver of life within. There are many ways

by which people will discover their own

spirituality. One such way of feeling connected to

God and to deepen this relationship, is to allow

ourselves the time and place to be captivated by

the wonders of nature that surround us. By

pausing to see and to listen and to be one with

the beauty of creation surrounding us, is a very

peaceful way of coming to know oneself and

God more deeply. Our world was designed to be

in perfect balance. Everything has a purpose in

life; all plant and animal life, all are unique -

ourselves included. As we grow in awareness of

the mystery and the beauty of creation, we can

celebrate with praise and thanksgiving for being

part of it all.

This is what you may experience when you join

us in Walking the Land.

About The Open Door

The Open Door is a Ministry of the Sisters of St John of God which seeks to develop a community where

people feel safe to explore their own creativity and spiritual journeys.

The centre is family friendly, offering affordable programs for adults and children in a range of creative and

spiritual themes including meditation, tai chi, creative writing, kids workshops, art, line dancing, book club,

gospel workshops, guided walks, and a number of retreats.

For more information please contact Trish, Jo or Kelly on 03 9791 8664, email theopendoor@ssjg.org.au,

visit our website at http://ministries.ssjg.org.au or drop in to visit us at 110 Ann Street Dandenong.

Treasured friends that we will sadly

miss…..

Joy Odgers

Jacqueline Avice